50plus LIFE Chester County August 2018

Complimentary | Chester County Edition

August 2018 • Vol. 15 No. 8

On Wings and Waves, His Life’s Path Led to PA page 4

A Time-Traveling Trip to an Earlier America page 10

soldier stories: the fighting quaker page 12

“There’s no place like home.”

We agree.

Savvy Senior

Tips and Resources for Older Job Seekers Jim Miller

–L. Frank Baum

Dear Savvy Senior, What resources can you recommend to help older jobseekers? I’m 60 and have been out of work for nearly a year now and need some help.

– Seeking Employment Dear Seeking, While the U.S. job market has improved dramatically over the past few years, challenges still persist for many older workers.

To help you find employment, there are job resource centers and a wide variety of online tools specifically created for older jobseekers. Here’s where you can find help.

That’s why Harrison Senior Living strives to provide warmth, comfort, and exceptional care from people you can trust, making our communities the next best thing.

www.Harrisonseniorliving.com Harrison House—Chester County 300 Strode Avenue East Fallowfield, PA 19320 610.384.6310 Harrison House—Christiana 41 Newport Avenue Christiana, PA 17509 610.593.6901

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Job Centers Depending on where you live, there are career service centers located throughout the U.S. that can help you find a job. One of the best is the American Job Center, which has around 2,500 centers nationwide.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, AJCs are free-touse resource centers that can help you explore your career options, search for jobs, find training, write a resume, prepare for an interview, and much more.

To find a center near you, call (877) 872-5627 or go online to CareerOneStop (www. careeronestop.org).

Some other good programs for older workers include the Senior

Community Service Employment Program and AARP’s Back to Work 50+ program.

The SCSEP — sponsored by the Department of Labor — helps place incomeeligible workers over age 55 in part-time, temporary communityservice positions where they can learn job skills. To learn more or locate a program in your area, visit www.doleta.gov/seniors or call (877) 872-5627.

AARP’s Back to Work 50+ program currently offers workshops in 19 locations around the U.S. that provide career counseling, job coaching, and skills development for 50-plus job seekers.

Or, if you can’t attend their workshop, they also offer an excellent guide called 7 Smart Strategies for 50+ Jobseekers. To get a free copy, or to see if there’s a workshop in your area, call (855) 850-2525 or visit www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation.

If none of the above programs is available in your area, check with your local public library or nearby community college to see if they provide career services.

Job-Search Sites There are also a number of online job-search sites that can help you connect with companies that are looking for mature, experienced workers.

Some good sites for 50-and-older www.50plusLifePA.com

jobseekers include: • W hat’s Next (www.whatsnext.com) offers a job-search site and has online assessment tools, calculators, career guides, and career coaches • Retired Brains (www.retiredbrains.com) provides information on finding temporary or seasonal jobs, as well as starting your own business, working from home, writing your resume, finding full-time work, and continuing your education • RetirementJobs.com lets you post your resume and search for full-time or part-time jobs online • Workforce50.com has job-search functions, a list of favorite friendly employers by industry, and allows users to sign up for job alerts Work at Home If you’re interested in working at home, there are many opportunities

depending on your skills, but be careful of work-at-home scams that offer big paydays without much effort.

Some popular work-at-home jobs include sales and marketing, customer service, teaching and tutoring, writing and editing, web development and design, consulting, interpreting, and medical coding, just to name a few.

To find these types of jobs, a good place to start is FlexJobs (www.flexjobs. com), which filters out the job scams and lists thousands of legitimate work-athome jobs in dozens of categories. You can gain access to their listings for $15 for one month, $30 for three months, or $50 for a year.

Start a Business If you’re interested in starting a small business but could use some help getting started, the U.S. Small Business Administration offers tips, tools, and free online courses that you can access at www.sba.gov.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away.

Disasters American Red Cross Greater Brandywine (610) 692-1200 Chester County Emergency Services (610) 344-5000 Salvation Army Coatesville (610) 384-2954 Salvation Army West Chester (610) 696-8746 Emergency Numbers Central Pennsylvania Poison Center (800) 521-6110

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (800) 232-4636 Coatesville VA Medical Center (610) 383-7711 Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233 National Osteoporosis Foundation (800) 223-9994 PACE (800) 225-7223

Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (610) 436-4510

Senior Healthlink (610) 431-1852

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

Social Security Administration (800) 772-1213

Financial Services Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-3676

Southeastern Pennsylvania Medical Institute (610) 446-0662

Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (800) 272-3900 American Cancer Society (800) 227-2345 American Heart Association (610) 940-9540 Arthritis Foundation (215) 570-3060 www.50plusLifePA.com

JEWELERS American Gold & Estate Buyers, Inc. 363 E. Lincoln Highway, Exton (484) 872-8216 Legal Services Lawyer Referral Service (610) 429-1500

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

Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Chester County (800) 720-8221

Housing Authority of Phoenixville (610) 933-8801

Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY home equity loans Glendale Mortgage (610) 853-6500; (888) 456-0988 Housing Assistance Community Impact Legal Services (610) 876-0804 Housing Authority of Chester County (610) 436-9200

Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center (800) 366-3997 Office of Aging Chester County Department of Aging Services (610) 344-6350 Orthopedics Premier Orthopaedics Locations in Coatesville and Pottstown (610) 792-9292 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

Physicians Gateway Medical Associates Locations in Coatesville, Downingtown, Lionville, and West Chester (610) 423-8181 retirement living Friends Home in Kennett 147 W. State St., Kennett Square (610) 444-2577 Harrison Senior Living Locations in Christiana and East Fallowfield (610) 384-6310 Senior Centers Coatesville (610) 383-6900 Downingtown (610) 269-3939 Great Valley (610) 889-2121 Kennett Square (610) 444-4819 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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Cover Story

On Wings and Waves, His Life’s Path Led to Pa. 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

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artist Lauren Phillips Production Intern Kaelyn Buskey

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Account Executives Wendy Letoski Janette McLaurin Jessica Simmons Angie Willis Account Representatives Matthew Chesson Jennifer Schmalhofer Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Kelsey Fishburn

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

Member of

Awards

50plus LIFE 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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By Jason Tabor As he jumped from the plane and floated through the air, wind blasting his face and brown-and-green squares of New Jersey farmland rushing up to meet him, Stephen DeBock thought, “Wow, I’m finally flying like Superman!”

DeBock is a natural storyteller, and he has quite a long list of stories to tell. Fifteen years into his retirement from teaching, DeBock stays busy as ever as a published author — writing fantasy, horror, and zombie literature.

As a young man, he achieved his dream of flying like his boyhood hero after taking up the hobby of sport parachuting, and this same drive guided him through an exciting and unconventional path in life before he and his wife, Joy, settled in Central Pennsylvania in 2006.

“I couldn’t have known it at the time, but all roads eventually led me back to Hershey, Pa.,” laughs DeBock, a New Jersey native.

At 76, DeBock’s life stories weave a complicated tapestry of a well-lived life governed by an attitude of “have a goal, work hard, pursue it, and make it happen!”

Born outside of Newark, New Jersey, DeBock grew up with a passion for fishing and swimming; studied art, literature, and writing; and had a young man’s desire for adventure, which led him to enlisting in the Marine Corps after his high school graduation.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but after meeting with the Marine recruiter, I thought that would be an avenue where I would mature and figure it out,” he says.

After completing boot camp at Parris Island, DeBock

DeBock at Camp Lejeune in 1963, shortly before his release from active duty.

Following his summer vacation in Newport, 1960, President Eisenhower authorized this coin to be struck for each of the Marines who formed his security detail (including then-Pfc. DeBock).

DeBock has co-authored a trilogy of zombie novels with award-winning horror writer Ralph W. Bieber.

was selected to serve in the President’s Honor Guard, a prestigious Marine drill group where he would march in parades and ceremonial occasions in Washington, D.C., as well as military funerals at Arlington Cemetery.

His unit also provided security for President Eisenhower at Camp David, and DeBock recounts the time when he was chosen to serve as a lifeguard for then-Vice President Nixon’s daughters, who wished to use the pool while on vacation.

“They were 12 and 14 at the time,” he says. “Very pleasant kids.”

DeBock remained in Washington long enough to march in President Kennedy’s inaugural parade and to serve as sentry during one of his Camp David visits. His Washington tour over, he transferred to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and participated in the Cuban blockade in 1962.

He was released from active duty in 1963 and returned to his parents’ home in Toms River, New Jersey.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, of course, but had I reenlisted, I probably would have ended up in Vietnam two years later,” he says.

During his time at Camp Lejeune, DeBock would drive to Washington on the weekends, and one Saturday he went on a blind date with a young lady named Joy, whom he would marry in 1964.

They took a winding road trip on their honeymoon, stopping in Hershey to tour the chocolate factory before reaching their destination of Niagara Falls.

This long trip with many unexpected stops along the way would prove to be an overarching theme for their life together.

Before the ’60s came to a close, the couple had two children, and DeBock was www.50plusLifePA.com

enrolled at Trenton State College (now College of “I feel wealthy because of the friendships I’ve made New Jersey), studying elementary education while throughout my life, especially the relationships forged working days as a lab technician at a chemical with former students — it sets my heart aglow,” he corporation. says. “My true passion was always the kids.”

DeBock spent 33 years teaching fifth- to eighthDeBock and his wife are looking forward to grade English, reading, and social studies. celebrating their upcoming 54th wedding anniversary During this time, he completed a master’s degree with a Viking ocean cruise through Scandinavian in media studies and: taught night classes at a local countries in Europe, having already crossed the U.S. community college; opened a video rental store by car in 2011. with Joy; started a wedding video business; dabbled “Joy’s encouragement on these adventures, and her in sport parachuting; and, after earning his pilot’s participation in many, inspired me in too many ways license, he became a 20-year member of the Jersey to count. Our children and three grandchildren are Aero Club. continuing sources of pride and inspiration as well,” DeBock recounts flying friends and family into he says. the small airport adjoining Hersheypark to spend the “The world has so much to offer, and we’ve seen day in Chocolatetown, as well as bringing groups of so many families rooted to one job, one town, one schoolchildren to the park on field trips during his address for most of their lives,” DeBock says. “Roots teaching years. are important, but then again, so are wings.”

Then there was the time he sold most of his earthly belongings to move onto a 42-foot trawler yacht with To read DeBock’s story on how he inspired an DeBock and his granddaughter, Adrienne, Joy. aviation career or two, see page 9. standing in the shadow of a “The kids were out of the house by this time, and Cessna Skyhawk’s wing following we’d done a lot of research and just decided to try the her first light airplane ride.

On the cover, clockwise from left: During his teaching live-aboard life,” he says. years, DeBock flew friends and family from New Jersey Life on the yacht, which they named Homeroom, into the small airport adjoining Hersheypark. included summer cruises up and down the East Coast with friends and family.

The Homeroom, the 42-year trawler yacht on which the DeBocks lived for three After three years as live-aboards, he and Joy sold the boat and designed and years. built a home on riverfront property in Toms River.

President Eisenhower lays a wreath at tomb of World War I Gen. John “Black Jack” DeBock retired from teaching in 2003, and not surprisingly, has stayed Pershing, September 1960. DeBock is among the Marines in the second row. consistently busy ever since.

Photo credit: United Press International In 2006, he and Joy sold their New Jersey home and moved to Hershey to be closer to a new grandchild, and “after 33 years of reading and grading students’ stories, I figured it was time for me to start writing in earnest as well.”

A lifelong horror fan, DeBock says his writing career began as a whim.

“I just wanted to see if I could do it. And then my short story about werewolves turned into a novel, and that turned into the Pentacle Pendant trilogy, blending horror and historical fiction that stretches back to the time of King James,” he says.

This trilogy was followed by fantasy and adventure novels, and his most recent work is a trilogy of zombie novels co-authored with award-winning horror writer Ralph W. Bieber.

DeBock has also authored a media education plan published by the state of New Jersey and contributed to essays appearing in Time magazine and on ABC World News Tonight.

He and Bieber will appear at the Scares that Care Charity Weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia, the first weekend in August, to display and sell their work.

In his limited free time, DeBock likes to stay active at the gym and remains in contact with more than 300 of his former students on social media.

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You’re not just a business.

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You’re a resource.

You provide valuable services to seniors, the disabled, caregivers, and their families.

Help them find you by being included in your county’s most comprehensive, affordable annual directory of resources.

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Ad closing date: Oct. 12, 2018 Contact your account representative or call 610.675.6240 now to be included in this vital annual directory.

717.285.1350 • 717.770.0140 • 610.675.6240 info@onlinepub.com • www.onlinepub.com

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It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘Harper Valley PTA’ Randal Hill

In 1967, country artist Margie Johnson — storms into the Singleton recorded a Top 40 country afternoon PTA meeting, boldly hit with her cover version of Bobbie dressed in a miniskirt, and exposes Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe.” A year various instances of board-member later, Singleton asked songwriter Tom indiscretion and misbehavior, with her T. Hall, who had a knack for narrative final salvo being: and a keen eye for detail, to write her a This is just a little Peyton Place, and similar tune. you’re all Harper Valley hypocrites.

Hall, who had once been a DJ in Ouch!

Salem, Virginia, used to spend his free Jeannie C. Riley was a striking time writing poetry and strumming his 22-year-old from Stamford, Texas, $46 guitar. Later, after who in 1966 had moved creating minor country to Nashville with her hits for Jimmy Newman husband and infant and Dave Dudley, he daughter. Riley worked relocated to “Music as a $41-a-week secretary City”— Nashville, for a music publisher Tennessee. while recording demos Hall honored (demonstration records) Singleton’s request, part time. basing his “Harper Valley One day Riley cut PTA” melody on “Ode to a demo — in just one Billie Joe” and his lyrics take — of Hall’s “Harper on gossip that he had Valley PTA” for newly once overheard about formed Plantation “Harper Valley PTA” a young widow while Records. Upon learning By Jeannie C. Riley growing up in Olive Hill, that Margie Singleton had August 1968 Kentucky. already recorded Hall’s He later recounted, “I as-yet-unreleased ditty, was fascinated by [the widow’s] grit. the Plantation honchos rushed Riley’s To see this very insignificant, socially version onto the market in order to disenfranchised lady — a single beat the competition. mother — who was willing to march It turned out to be a wise business down to the local aristocracy and read move. Riley’s mini soap opera caught them the riot act, so to speak, was fire overnight and eventually topped fascinating.” both the country and the pop charts, His inspiration for the song’s title the first such feat for any female came about one afternoon when country recording artist. he noted the name Harpeth Valley Her song later inspired a 1978 film Elementary School as he drove through and, in 1981, a spinoff TV series, both the Nashville suburb of Bellevue. starring Barbara (I Dream of Jeannie) Hall’s slice-of-life song involves Eden playing put-upon Mrs. Johnson, a raucous confrontation between a who now had a first name: Stella. young widow and the local powers that Riley recorded five more Top 10 be, who object to her mode of dress, country hits for Plantation Records but her familiarity with the local men, and would never again enjoy another pop her social drinking. success, although her now-iconic single In the story, a junior-high girl brings proved popular enough to ensure her a her mother a note from the local PTA place of honor in 1960s music history. board that berates the lady for her Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian behavior and the bad example she is who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be setting for her daughter. reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

The offended mother — Mrs. www.50plusLifePA.com

CCRCs/ Life Plan Communities Designed with their residents’ changing needs in mind, CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities)/Life Plan Communities offer a tiered approach to the aging process.

Healthy adults entering these communities can live independently. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can transition to personal care, assisted living, rehabilitation, or nursing care facilities.

Some CCRCs/Life Plan Communities have designated dementia areas that address the progressing needs of people who have any form of dementia. In addition, some communities have sought out and earned accreditation from CARF International, signifying they have met CARF’s stringent set of quality standards. CCRCs/Life Plan Communities enable older adults to remain in one care system for the duration of their lives, with much of their future care already figured out—creating both comfort and peace of mind.

Bethany Village

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

Homeland Center

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

Woodcrest Villa Mennonite Home Communities

Cornwall Manor

Cross Keys Village The Brethren Home Community

1 Boyd Street, P.O. Box 125 Cornwall, PA 17016 Jennifer Margut Director of Marketing (717) 274-8092 info@cornwallmanor.org www.cornwallmanor.org

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

Pleasant View Retirement Community

Landis Homes

1001 East Oregon Road Lititz, PA 17543 Sarah Short Director of Residency Planning (717) 381-3549 sshort@landishomes.org www.landishomes.org

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

Zerbe Retirement Community

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

2499 Zerbe Road Narvon, PA 17555 Lynne Bickta Director of Independent Living (717) 445-8741 lbickta@zerberetirementcommunity.com www.zerberetirementcommunity.com

If you would like your CCRC/Life Plan Community to be featured on this page, please contact your account representative or call (610) 675-6240.

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

Exercise Boosts Immunity in Older Adults Exercise is good at any age, but scientists now think that regular exercise as you get older may help boost your immune system and prevent infections.

An article on the BBC website reports that scientists in the United Kingdom tracked 125 long-distance cyclists, some in their 80s, and discovered they had immune systems comparable to those of 20-year-olds.

The researchers examined the cyclists’ blood for www.50plusLifePA.com

T-cells, which aid the immune system in fighting off infections.

The long-distance riders had the same level of T-cells as adults in their 20s, but a similar group of older adults who were less active produced fewer T-cells.

The research suggests that increased physical activity can also help older people respond better to vaccines for such infections as the flu.

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Calendar of Events

Chester County

Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

Mondays (except holidays), 10-11:30 a.m.

Sunshine Memory Café United Methodist Church of West Chester 129 S. High St., West Chester (610) 349-3401 adean0413@gmail.com

Aug. 8, 7-8:30 p.m.

Hearing Loss Support Group Christ Community Church 1190 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester (610) 444-445 www.hearinglosschesco.com

Aug. 1, 6 p.m.

Memory Loss and Dementia Support Group Sunrise Assisted Living of Paoli 324 W. Lancaster Ave., Malvern (610) 251-9994

Aug. 13 and 27, 10:30 a.m. to noon Caregiver Coffee Break/Support Group Active Day of Exton 201 Sharp Lane, Exton (610) 363-8044

Coatesville Area Senior Center (610) 383-6900 250 Harmony St., Coatesville www.coatesvilleseniorcenter.org Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10:30-11:15 a.m. – Going Fit Exercise Program Aug. 2 and 16, 11 a.m. to noon – Veterans Coffee Club Aug. 8 and 22, 1-2 p.m. – Bingo

Aug. 7, 1:30 p.m.

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

Aug. 14 and 28, 6:30-8 p.m.

Bereavement Support Group Jennersville Hospital Conference Room B 1015 W. Baltimore Pike, West Grove (610) 998-1700, ext. 226

Aug. 7 and 21, 5-6:30 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. 7 and 21, 6:30-8 p.m.

Bereavement Support Group Brandywine Hospital Conference Room 2N 201 Reeceville Road, Coatesville (610) 998-1700, ext. 226 Aug. 8, 1:30 p.m.

Family Caregiver Support Group Sarah Care 425 Technology Drive, Suite 200, Malvern (610) 251-0801

Aug. 21, 6 p.m.

Family Caregiver Support Group Sunrise of Westtown 501 Skiles Blvd., West Chester (610) 399-4464 Aug. 29, 6 p.m.

Living with Cancer Support Group Paoli Hospital Cancer Center 255 W. Lancaster Ave., Paoli (484) 565-1253

If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

Community Programs Free and open to the public Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.

Compassionate Friends Valley Forge Chapter Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 132 E. Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia (484) 919-0820 www.tcfvalleyforge.org Aug. 4 and 18, 5-10 p.m.

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

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Aug. 7, 11:30 a.m.

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

Downingtown Senior Center – (610) 269-3939 983 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown www.downingtownseniors.org Weekdays, 9 a.m. – Games and Puzzles Mondays, 10 a.m. – Balance and Flexibility Wednesdays, 10-11 a.m. – Photo Shoot Hour Great Valley Senior Center – (610) 889-2121 47 Church Road, Malvern 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 Wednesdays, 8:30-11:30 a.m. – Paint Class 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 Thursdays, 1 p.m. – WCASC Chorus Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub. com.

Library Programs Downingtown Library, 330 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, (610) 269-2741 Aug. 7 and 21, 6 p.m. – Knitters Club Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m. – Fantasy Book Club Aug. 16, 6:30 p.m. – Downingtown Library Writers Group Paoli Library, 18 Darby Road, Paoli (610) 296-7996 Mystery Book Club – Call for dates/times www.50plusLifePA.com

The Ripple Effect: A Pilot, a Teacher, and a Teen

By Stephen M. DeBock

youngster in the right seat the dual controls, explain how they work, and invite My friend Bill passed him or her to try flying the away some years ago, and plane. following his interment The kids would usually I wrote two letters. One be quick to take hold of was to his wife, expressing the yoke — whereupon gratitude for his having the plane would porpoise introduced me to the world through the sky as they of private flying, as well as tried to adapt to the his encouragement while delicacy of the controls.

I earned my own pilot’s Most quickly gave up, license. but Dale didn’t. From the The other was to a start, he held the Cessna younger friend named Dale Dale Zelko, seen here in a An F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter jet, stable and maintained Zelko, to inform him that U.S. Air Force portrait, wasn’t rarely seen by civilians. altitude; further, he kept a although he’d never had the only one of DeBock’s proper scan forward, to the the pleasure of meeting former students to go on to sides, and up and down.

Bill, had it not been for his become a pilot.

Oh, he’s flown before, earlier influence on me, I thought, maybe with a he — Dale — might never relative who owns a plane. have embarked upon his Dale asked me next own aviation career. what the instruments Here’s how it unfolded: represented, and he nodded as I explained their functions. Soon he was making Back in the days before litigation eclipsed baseball as the national pastime, precision turns to specific headings, at my direction. The kid was good.

I used to offer my middle-school students afterschool sightseeing flights in my flying club’s single-engine aircraft. Once at cruising altitude, I’d show the please see PILOT page 14

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9

Traveltizers

A Time-Traveling Trip to an Earlier America

By Andrea Gross

I’m standing on a mesa 370 feet above the New Mexican desert.

The sky is turquoise blue, the winds are blowing, and nearby a few people are making pottery while others are preparing food on outdoor ovens.

This is the Acoma Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in North Homes in the age-old Acoma America.

Pueblo lack water, electricity, As my husband and sewers. and I stroll the mesa’s dusty roads, we feel as if we’ve been transported to another world, one that existed a century or more ago. We want to learn more about this world, to experience it as best we can.

Thus we decide to time travel to an earlier America.

The next day we return to Acoma, and in the following weeks we expand

our journey to include three other parts of the country: the antebellum South, the rugged Northwest, and the more established Northeast.

Tillicum Village lets visitors glimpse the beliefs and traditions of life in the Pacific Northwest centuries ago.

The Ancient Southwest In my mind, it’s 1861. Abraham Lincoln has just been elected president, the country is at war, and 2,000 miles from the battlefields, Pueblo Indians are living in

mud homes hardened by the sun.

Their village, part of present-day New Mexico, won’t become part of the United States for another 50 years.

Sky City, as the pueblo is often called, isn’t like most so-called living history

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museums, which are filled with reconstructed buildings and costumed interpreters.

It’s authentic to the core, a genuine community where about 50 people choose to live in their ancestral homes and follow ancient traditions.

Acoma offers us an unfiltered view of a time and world long gone. It’s exactly what we wanted.

The Pacific Northwest A 45-minute boat ride from Seattle takes us to Tillicum Village, where we’re introduced to the lifestyle of people who lived in the Pacific Northwest long before white settlers began arriving in the early 1850s.

We’re greeted by a man in Native garb who hands us an appetizer of steamed clams before leading us to a long buffet Many Native cultures used totems to table filled with fresh fruits and symbolize the relationship between vegetables, venison stew, and animals, humans, and the land. salmon that was prepared over an open-pit fire.

“This is the same type of food that was eaten by Chief Sealth, the Duwarmish Indian leader after whom Seattle was named,” he says.

After dinner, we watch a multimedia show, replete with masked dancers and a narrator who relates ancient tales.

Like the village itself, the presentation doesn’t focus on a specific tribe but instead helps visitors understand the beliefs and traditions of a generalized group of people. To ensure cultural accuracy, the show was developed with the help of local tribes.

The Antebellum Southeast It takes us two days to explore the Great River Road that runs 70 miles between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

In the mid-19th century, there were more than 300 plantations in this part of Louisiana; today, about a dozen have been restored and are open to visitors.

Each plantation is different, and each deepens our understanding of the country that Abraham Lincoln was elected to govern.

We begin at Whitney Plantation, which is dedicated to interpreting the experience of enslaved people in Louisiana.

Although we walk through the plantation home, which has the oldest kitchen in Louisiana, it’s the memorial walls and first-person slave narratives that more fully transport us back to the past. It’s a sobering introduction to the Antebellum South.

At Destrehan we see an old sugar plantation. At Laura Plantation we tour a house that was home to four generations of a Creole family, both free and enslaved.

And at Oak Alley we get a multidimensional view of antebellum life by touring six reconstructed slave quarters as well the stately master’s home.

The More Established Northeast Not far from the well-known living history sites of the East Coast, such as Plymouth and Williamsburg, both of which represent specific time periods, is the Bronck House, a lesser-known and truly fascinating museum in Coxsackie, New York.

Here, visitors can immerse themselves in the life of one family for 276 years. www.50plusLifePA.com

Grand oak trees line the road to Oak Alley plantation, which is built in the Greek Revival style.

Eleven original buildings are still standing on the old Bronck family property.

Pieter Bronck, a Swedish immigrant, purchased the land from the Katskill Indians in 1662. The property passed from generation to generation until 1939, when the last family owner willed the entire complex to the Greene County Historical Society.

There’s a 1663 stone house and a 1738 brick house, as well as a kitchen dependency (detached kitchen).

In addition, there’s a 13sided barn built in the 1830s, a New World Dutch barn, and a Victorian horse barn. Taken together, these structures show how the family was affected by the changing economy and new architectural techniques.

As was the case with Acoma, Tillicum Village, and the Louisiana plantations, the Bronck House is indeed a passport to another world.

For more information on these and other such sites, see “Napkin Notes” on www.traveltizers.com. Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).

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August 2018

11

Soldier Stories

The Fighting Quaker Robert Naeye

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Retired schoolteacher Jim Dixon Dixon decided to join the Marine was raised a Quaker. But unlike most Corps. When he told them he was a Quakers, who are pacifists, Dixon Quaker, he had to sign extra papers, joined the U.S. Marine Corps and and later he had to sign additional experienced brutal combat in the papers to be sent to Vietnam.

Vietnam War. The marines trained Dixon to be Dixon grew up in the countryside, an MP, a military policeman. His with the closest city being unit spent four months in California Wilmington, working Delaware. with the “Some highway patrol people say they learning how had to walk a to conduct mile to school. arrests and use Well, I had to handcuffs. walk a mile Dixon, to get to the along with school bus,” he the other men recalls. in his unit, His parents crossed the were members Dixon was recently the guest speaker at Pacific on the a meeting of the Central Pennsylvania of the Society Upshur. It was Vietnam Roundtable. of Friends, a miserable better known experience. as Quakers.

“There were But Dixon’s father had fought against 600 marines and 593 of them were Germany in World War II, and his seasick,” he recalls. uncle fought in the Korean War. But when his unit arrived in “I thought it was my turn to Vietnam, they were assigned regular fight for the country and stop the infantry duties and never used any of communists from taking over the police training they received in Southeast Asia. That’s one of the California. reasons I joined the military,” says The infantry took 83.5 percent of Dixon, who adds that he knew he the casualties in Vietnam. According was fully capable of aiming a gun at to Dixon, World War II infantrymen another human being and pulling the experienced an average of 40 days of trigger. combat. In Vietnam, that number

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skyrocketed to 240 days.

“I was a grunt. If you were in the infantry, you didn’t have tents. You’d just find a dry puddle and crawl up in there and go to sleep,” he says.

On Christmas Day 1966, a cargo plane crashed near his base. Dixon and his men had to collect the bodies, many of them charred and burned, and then place them in plastic bags in the pouring rain.

Not surprisingly, Dixon describes this as “the worst Christmas I have ever had.”

Dixon also explains how he and his colleagues often As a Quaker, Dixon had to sign extra had to remove leeches, which were omnipresent in water. papers to enter the Marine Corps.

The men couldn’t feel these creatures at all, even as they burrowed one of their two heads under the skin.

The leeches could enter anywhere on the body but would frequently crawl toward a man’s private parts.

The men would often have to burn them off with a cigarette. Often men would burn leeches off each other.

“But when it comes time to burn them off your genitalia, you’d have to do that yourself,” says Dixon.

And if all this wasn’t bad enough, often their M16 rifles would jam during combat. Dixon recalls an incident where his unit came across five dead Marines, all of whom were in various stages of using a cleaning rod to unjam their rifles.

Near the end of his tour, he was involved in a firefight with North Vietnamese soldiers.

“There were basically 240 of us that walked into the Dixon and his colleagues often had valley, and 80 of us walked out.” to remove leeches, which Speaking of his unit, Dixon says, “We were together that were omnipresent in water, whole time; I got to know those guys and they knew me, from their bodies. right up until the time they died. Sometimes we had to go

Stories of ordinary men and women called to perform extraordinary military service.

From 1999–2016, writer and World War II veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox preserved the firsthand wartime experiences of more than 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— selected by Wilcox himself—are available to own in this soft-cover book.

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and identify their bodies.”

After returning stateside, Dixon served as a guard at the Pentagon until his tour of duty ended. He later attended Millersville University and married a woman named Patricia.

“When I came back, I never told anybody I had been to Vietnam. When I went to Millersville, every student and professor was antiwar. They all hated the war.

“So I just kept it a secret. I took all my memories, put them in a box, and carried them around in my brain inside my head, and I locked them in a closet and forgot about them. My wife didn’t know a lot of the things that went on.”

Dixon taught junior high school history classes for 28 years. He and Patricia have two sons, one of whom drove a Bradley tank during Operation Desert Storm.

Dixon says he still suffers mildly from post-traumatic stress syndrome, a common illness for Vietnam veterans.

“To this day, I still don’t like fireworks on the Fourth of July,” says Dixon. “I don’t like the sounds of helicopters.

The last time I was on a helicopter, they shot the pilot.

That’s one reason I don’t fly helicopters.”

At his wife’s suggestion, he wrote a book about his experiences, Things I’ ll Never Forget: Memories of a Marine in Vietnam. It took him 47 years to summon the energy to write this memoir, but Dixon says the writing process was therapeutic. The book is available from Amazon and some of the proceeds go to veterans.

Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist living in Derry Township.

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Oh yeah, he’s done this a lot of times before.

When the hour was up, I landed the plane, refueled it, and returned it to the tie-down area, with Dale studying my every move. I thought he might be comparing me with his pilot relative.

Once I’d settled my account for the hour flown, I walked Dale to the parking lot, where his mother was waiting. As we walked, I asked him how many times he’d flown before today.

“None,” he answered. “This was my first time in a plane.”

I was stunned. After a moment’s thought, I said, “Dale, it’s not my place to tell you what to do with your life. But from what you’ve demonstrated just now, I’d say you were born to the yoke.”

A modest sort, he gave me a simple thank-you as we greeted his mom and made our farewells for the day. *** Time passed, and when Dale was a high school junior, he sent a letter asking if I would consider writing a commendation for him to the Air Force Academy, something I was proud and honored to do.

Dale graduated the academy and became a fighter pilot. We stayed in touch, and one day he told me he’d been approved to fly the F-117 stealth fighter. No sooner had he checked out in the craft than Gulf War I broke out, and he was off to do battle, always in the zero dark thirty hours, returning to base before first light.

Following the war’s conclusion, I received a phone call from Dale.

“Would you like to see some cockpit tapes?” he asked. “I’m on leave visiting my mom. You’re invited to join the family for dinner.”

The next evening, as I watched the incredible night-vision videos taken from his cockpit, I noticed Dale fiddling with something in his hand. It looked like a piece of broken lanyard with a metal clip at one end. Captain Queeg with the ball bearings came to mind, but I pretended not to notice.

Afterward, he said something I’ve never forgotten: “I love to fly; I love my country; and I love to fly for my country.

Now, on one of my sorties, I realized that if it hadn’t been for that flight you took me on way back when, I almost certainly wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.”

I nodded, unsure where this was going.

“So I dedicated my target that night to you, and although I can’t tell you what it was, you’ll be pleased to know it’s now a pile of debris.”

He held out what he’d been holding.

“This is the arming clip from that smart bomb. It’s yours.” *** By the time Dale presented me with this treasured memento, the attorney for the board of education had long put an end to my student flights.

He opined that even though the permission slips I’d sent home specified I was acting as a private citizen and not as a school employee, the fact that I’d used the school’s ditto machine to print the slips, and that I’d mentioned the flights during school time and on school grounds, made the board liable for any student injuries that might occur.

He was right, of course, and yes, I’d been naïve even to risk driving my students to the airport, much less putting them aboard a plane.

But when I consider the beauty of introducing my kids to the wonders of flight — Dale wasn’t the only one who went on to become a pilot — I bless my youthful naïveté.

As for Dale, his career took him to the Yugoslavian conflict in 1999, where his stealth fighter was blown out of the sky by a ground-fired missile.

His account of the against-allodds, literally-in-the-nick-of-time combat search and rescue made for a compelling two-hour debriefing he gave his family, my wife, and me upon his safe return.

But that’s a story for another time.

Please see our profile of writer Stephen DeBock on page 4.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Lifting Therapy Caps is a Load off Medicare Patients’ Shoulders

By Susan Jaffe Physical therapy helps Leon Beers, 73, get out of bed in the morning and maneuver around his home using his walker. Other treatment strengthens his throat muscles so that he can communicate and swallow food, said his sister, Karen Morse.

But in mid-January, his home healthcare agency told Morse it could no longer provide these services because he had used all his therapy benefits allowed under Medicare for the year.

Beers, a retired railroad engineer, has a form of Parkinson’s disease. The treatments slow its destructive progress and “he will need it for the rest of his life,” Morse said.

But under a recent change in federal law, people who qualify for Medicare’s therapy services will no longer lose them because they used too much.

“It is a great idea,” said Beers. “It will help me get back to walking.”

The federal budget agreement Congress approved in February removes annual caps on how much Medicare pays for physical, occupational, or speech therapy and streamlines the medical review process.

It applies to people in traditional Medicare as well as those with private Medicare Advantage policies.

As of Jan. 1, Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for therapy indefinitely as

long as their doctor — or in some states, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner — confirms their need for therapy and they continue to meet other requirements.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has notified healthcare providers about the change.

And under a 2013 court settlement, they won’t lose coverage simply because they have a chronic disease that doesn’t get better.

“Put those two things together, and it means that if the care is ordered by a doctor and it is medically necessary to have a skilled person provide the services to maintain the patient’s condition, or prevent or slow decline, there is not an arbitrary limit on how long or how much Medicare will pay for that,” said Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

But don’t be surprised if the Medicare website doesn’t mention the change. Information on the website will be revised “as soon as possible,” said a spokesman, who declined to be identified. However, information from the 800-Medicare helpline has been updated.

Until then, patients can refer to the CMS update posted for providers.

Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. https://khn.org

The Beauty in Nature

Birds Benefitting from Mowing Clyde McMillan-Gamber

A few kinds of summering birds that I have watched getting food in southeastern Pennsylvania benefit from lawn mowing in suburban areas and hay cutting in croplands.

These species are adaptable, common in much of North America, and entertaining to watch as they snap up invertebrates stirred into the air by machinery mowing grass or hay.

And, most interestingly, these birds have learned to associate Gray catbird mowers of various kinds with suddenly available food.

American robins run and stop, run and stop over short-grass lawns and watch and listen for invertebrates at grass’s root level when they stop. www.50plusLifePA.com

Mowers moving over lawns flush out flying insects, particularly froghoppers and small, brown moths, which the robins see and grab with their beaks. Mowers make it easier for robins to get the food they already prey upon, and in greater abundance.

Gray catbirds roam over lawns in search of food much the way robins do. Catbirds, however, nest in thickets of shrubbery and vines along woodland edges and streambanks and in older Barn swallow suburban areas.

I chuckle when mowing grass and see a catbird perched on the edge of shrubbery to watch the mower’s please see BIRDS page 16

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August 2018

15

BIRDS from page 15 progress across the lawn.

When the catbird spots a moth rising from the grass before the mower, it zips low across our lawn, seizes the insect in its bill right in front of the mower, and flips away with it to a perch to swallow its victim and watch for more.

Barn swallows, tree swallows, chimney swifts, and purple martins, which are another kind of swallow, are built similarly for catching flying insects in midair.

Examples of convergent evolution, they are all small, speedy, and maneuverable in flight and have large mouths to engulf their prey.

Entertaining to watch, swallows and swifts swoop swiftly over hayfields after flying insects stirred out of pretty clover and alfalfa fields by hay mowers.

Beautiful poetry in motion, the many swallows and swifts weave in and out among their fellows without collision, ever. And that collection of graceful, airborne birds moves up and down the hayfields close behind and to the sides of the mowers.

When full of insects, the swallows line up on roadside wires to rest, digest their meals, socialize, and preen their feathers. And when hungry again, off they go to follow the mowers across the hay fields to catch more flying insects.

These adaptable birds all get food more easily by following mowing machines on lawns and in fields. And we are entertained by their foodgathering activities on those human-made habitats, right at home.

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Puzzle Page

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1. Golden, for one 5. Small lizard 10. Energy source 14. Between ports 15. Elaine’s last name on Seinfeld 16. French Sudan, today 17. Twinge 18. Gives off 19. Rainbow goddess 20. Dismounted 22. Daisy ___ 23. Sheltered nook 24. Maple genus 25. The ocean, e.g.

27. Cut of meat 29. Have a bawl 30. Shogun’s capital 31. Driving hazard 34. African antelope 38. ___ de force 40. Wrangles 42. Buffalo’s lake 43. Illegal firing 45. Position 47. Gasteyer of Mean Girls 48. Defective 50. Drool 52. Yellow or orange flowers

57. Salon supplies 58. Astronaut Bean 59. Quilting party 60. Brewer’s need 61. Bill & ___ Excellent Adventure 62. Corkwood 64. Water color 67. Donald Duck’s nephews, e.g.

68. Cay 69. Beach feature 70. Collar type 71. Retreats 72. On its way

25. Walks 26. Heartache 27. Kind of blocker 28. Raised railroads 32. “Mangia!”

33. Lock of hair 35. 1966 Peck, Loren thriller 36. He was dressed to the ___ 37. Expensive 39. First name in a Defoe book 41. Dog Day Afternoon role

44. Henpeck 46. Extinct pigeon relative 49. Workhorse 51. Go around 52. Photo finish 53. Like Argus 54. Dashboard feature 55. Renter’s paper 56. Small wooded hollows 60. Derbies 63. Tennis unit 65. Fancy vase 66. Toward the stern

Down 1. Mountain pass 2. Fit ___ fiddle 3. Obstinate 4. High fliers 5. Opposite of hinder 6. Rare find 7. True inner self 8. Beryllium, e.g.

9. Stocks and such 10. Friendly 11. Gypsy’s deck 12. Martini garnish 13. Scrooge 21. Nettles 24. Passion

Your ad could be here on this popular page!

Please call (610) 675-6240 for more information.

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Building a Strong Social Network is Job No. 1 for ‘Solo Agers’

By Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D. If you are like me, a child-free Solo Ager, you have a more limited network of relationships than your parent peers.

For a parent, each child represents another factor in their network of relationships. The children’s relationships with their friends and, eventually, in-laws become part of the parents’ relationship network as well.

As a Solo Ager, if you are part of a couple, the strongest connection in your social network is probably your partner. If you are single, the strongest connections might be with your siblings or close friends.

Lesser, but still important, relationships are with cousins, sometimes nieces and nephews, and often with additional friends. Community ties are often stronger for people without children as well.

Strong evidence exists for a direct connection between social support resources (relationships) and good mental health. Strong social networks have buffering effects when we go through painful events or experience temporary stressors.

Relationships are critical for everyone, and especially for those of us who are child-free. Friends, relatives, and community ties are not just nice-to-have pieces of your life; they are key to your survival!

Anyone over 60 will likely tell you they have seen their primary relationships change over the years. Ideally, these changes marked a steady progression toward a core social support system, one that is mutual and rewarding to both parties.

For older parents, primary relationships include their adult children, whether those children are enjoyable to be around or not. For the rest of us, relationships are much more a matter of choice.

If you are finding you need to bolster your friendship network and you aren’t sure where to start, you may find the following suggestions helpful: Look around you. Who lives in your neighborhood that you don’t yet know? Could you form a stronger friendship with a close neighbor?

Go back to school. Is there a language you have always wanted to learn? A hobby you would like to pursue? A computer skill you wish you possessed? Classes are a great place to meet new friends with similar interests.

In addition to extension programs at local colleges, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) programs can be found on the campuses of many colleges across the country. Check out the Bernard Osher Foundation’s website (www.osherfoundation.org).

Are you interested in traveling? Taking a trip with likeminded older adults can spark some terrific friendships. Road Scholar (formerly Elder Hostel) is a tour company that serves only older adults.

Start online. In the same way young people are now meeting and getting to know one another through social media before they ever have a face-to-face encounter, older people can begin to form friendships in the same way. You can connect with all kinds of special-interest groups by searching online.

My husband likes to quote something his mother told him when he was in junior high: “To have a friend, you need to be a friend.”

Somewhere along the way, as your relationship develops, look for an opportunity to do something for your new friend. Offer a ride to the airport or an invitation to a dinner party. You may have the opportunity to offer caregiving after a minor medical procedure.

These kinds of small gestures are the glue that holds relationships together.

Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D., is a speaker, retirement coach, founder of LifeEncore, and author of Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Child-free Adults. Geber lives with her husband in Santa Rosa, Calif. www.lifeencore.com

Puzzles shown on page 17

Puzzle Solutions

What are you interested in? Join one of the thousands of “Meetups” occurring in communities every day around the United States (www.meetup. com). Stitch (www.stitch.net) also links people who share interests.

What do you care about? Whether your passion is local politics, animal rights, road safety, or practicing medicine halfway around the globe, volunteer opportunities exist for you to help change the world and at the same time meet likeminded people.

If you are unsure about how to get started, try VolunteerMatch (www. volunteermatch.org).

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August 2018

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Reverse Mortgage: Extend Retirement Funds Many financial planners are now advising their clients to get a reverse mortgage as soon as they are able (when one spouse is 62) for several reasons.

First, it eliminates your mortgage payment, although property taxes and insurance must continue to be paid.

This frees up money that may be used for any purpose, including savings or investment.

Second, by using the often substantial reverse mortgage proceeds, taking Social Security benefits can be delayed to the age of 70. This increases that monthly check by 76 percent over what would be received at 62 years old, according to Forbes magazine.

Third, having a reverse mortgage in place allows you to have a backup plan if the stock market falters, which eliminates “sequence of returns” risk.

You can forgo withdrawals from your stock portfolio, allowing it to recover.

Fourth, when rates are as low as they are now, a person in his/her 60s can access about 50 percent of the home’s equity (the older you are, the more you can access).

Any money not drawn out becomes a line of credit on which you do not pay interest and grows at about 5 percent a year. This provides a Rob Miller, President “safety net” of ready cash should a need arise in the future.

Whether you are in your 60s or your 90s, a reverse mortgage is an excellent financial tool and can benefit you by adding to your financial stability.

It is government insured and is a non-recourse loan, meaning that no debt is passed along to your estate or your heirs. You are the only one who will own the home (the lender does not go on the title), and you may will the property to your heirs.

Call Rob Miller, NMLS No. 142151, president of Glendale Mortgage, NMLS No. 127720, and Reverse Mortgage Specialist, to learn more.

(610) 853-6500, (888) 456-0988, RMiller@GlendaleMortgage.com, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Need more LIFE in your life?

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Simply mail this form and $15 for an annual subscription to: 50plus LIFE • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Call (717) 285-8131, or subscribe online at www.50plusLIFEPA.com!

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P A re you 62 years old or

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P Do you need more monthly income, and want to retain ownership of your home?

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PW ould you like to remain in your home and eliminate your mortgage payment?

Call today to receive a FREE consultation!

Contact Rob Miller at Glendale Mortgage to learn about the benefits of obtaining a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage.

ROB MILLER, NMLS #142151

President, HECM Mortgage Specialist

Direct: 610.853.6500 Toll Free: 888.456.0988 RMiller@GlendaleMortgage.com

Your Financial Partner Glendale Mortgage NMLS 127720 is an Equal Housing Lender. Some products and services may not be available in all states. Credit and collateral are subject to approval.

Terms and conditions apply. If you qualify we will reimburse you for the cost of the appraisal at closing. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking, State of Delaware Bank Commissioner, and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Pet of the Month

Muffy Muffy is a sweet 8-year old who’s always looking for an empty lap for snuggles.

While she does take some time to develop trust with new folks, she’s quite the purr machine once she warms up.

Muffy is friendly with other animals and children, making her a great family pet.

For more information, contact Brandywine Valley SPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, at (484) 302-0865 or www.bvspca.org.

Please specify edition: oChester oCumberland oDauphin oLancaster oLebanon oYork

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19

DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about $1 a day* Keep your own dentist! You can go to any dentist you want No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow

Coverage for over 350 procedures – including cleanings, exams,

fillings, crowns…even dentures

NO annual or lifetime cap on the cash benefits you can receive

FREE Information Kit

1-855-995-0759 www.dental50plus.com/73

*Individual plan.

Product not available in MN, MT, NH, NM, RI, VT, WA. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096E-0917 MB17-NM008Ec