50plus LIFE Cumberland County July 2017

Complimentary | Cumberland County Edition

July 2017 • Vol. 18 No. 7

FOR LOCAL BICYCLISTS, EVERY DAY’S A JOYRIDE page 4

hepatitis c new column: screening soldier recommended stories page 6

page 12

Announcing the upcoming 2017 Ms. Pennsylvania Senior America Pageant

Annarose Ingarra-Milch – 2016 DATE: Sunday, July 30, 2017 TIME: 3 p.m.

PLACE: Red Lion Hotels (formerly Holiday Inn) 4751 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 (Off of Eisenhower Blvd.)

Contact us at pasenioramerica@gmail.com or Call (610) 829-2631 or (610) 417-7905 To schedule appearances: Patti Kuhn at kuhnzie2@cs.com or (717) 424-5598

♦ Honoring the “Age of Elegance” Since 1981 ♦ 2

July 2017

50plus LIFE ›

www.50plusLifePA.com

Try Ginger for its Health Benefits Looking to get over a cold a little more quickly or to ease muscle soreness? A little ginger may help.

Check out this list of ginger’s healthy benefits from the Huffington Post website: The common cold. Some research

suggests that ginger helps your body sweat out a cold, as well as producing a germ-fighting agent called dermicidin, which can protect you from bacteria and fungi.

Muscle aches. One study by the American Pain Society found that

taking 2 grams of ginger for 11 days can significantly reduce aches and muscle soreness caused by exercise.

That’s because ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds known as gingerols, which prevent the transmission of pain from inflammation. Try adding a few slices

of ginger every time you drink a glass of water.

Indigestion. Ginger can help speed up the digestive process, allowing you to empty your stomach faster. It also helps eliminate excess gas from the intestinal tract.

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

Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Cumberland County (800) 720-8221 Emergency Numbers American Red Cross (717) 845-2751 Central PA Poison Center (800) 521-6110 Cumberland County Assistance (800) 269-0173 Energy Assistance Cumberland County Board of Assistance (800) 269-0173 Eye care services Kilmore Eye Associates 890 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 697-1414 Funeral Directors Cocklin Funeral Home, Inc. 30 N. Chestnut St., Dillsburg (717) 432-5312 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 Arthritis Foundation (717) 763-0900 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 PACE (800) 225-7223 Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274 Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531 www.50plusLifePA.com

Healthcare Information Pa. HealthCare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Duncan Nulph Hearing Associates 5020 Ritter Road, Suite 10G Mechanicsburg (717) 766-1500 Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home Care Services Asbury Home Services (717) 591-8332 Hospice Services Homeland Hospice 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115, Harrisburg (717) 221-7890 Housing Assistance Cumberland County Housing Authority 114 N. Hanover St., Carlisle (717) 249-1315 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 Salvation Army (717) 249-1411 Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 lift chairs Sofas Unlimited 4713 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg (717) 761-7632 Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902 Nutrition Meals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707

echanicsburg M (717) 697-5011 Newville (717) 776-5251 Shippensburg (717) 532-4904 West Shore (717) 737-3942 Orthopedics OSS Health 856 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 747-8315 Personal Care Homes The Bridges at Bent Creek 2100 Bent Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 795-1100

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233

Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com salons Earl Gibb for Hair 123 Third St., Lemoyne (717) 737-4347 Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110 Therapies Vitality to You by Genesis Rehab Services (717) 599-0539 Toll-Free Numbers Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555

National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046

Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237 Consumer Information (888) 878-3256

Drug Information (800) 729-6686 Flu or Influenza (888) 232-3228 Health and Human Services Discrimination (800) 368-1019 Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040 Liberty Program (866) 542-3788 Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833

Organ Donor Hotline (800) 243-6667 Passport Information (888) 362-8668 Smoking Information (800) 232-1331 Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0217 Social Security Office (800) 772-1213 Veterans Services American Legion (717) 730-9100 Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681 Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Veterans Affairs (717) 240-6178 or (717) 697-0371 Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228 50plus LIFE ›

July 2017

3

Cover Story

For Local Bicyclists, Every Day’s a Joyride 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 Artists Lauren McNallen Janys Ruth

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Account Executive Ranee Shaub Miller Account Representatives Matthew Chesson Tia Stauffer Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Mariah Hammacher

CIRCULATION

Project Coordinator Melanie Crisamore

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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July 2017

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By Lori Van Ingen Recreational bicycling has become a way of life for Marilyn and Barry Gelsinger.

“What I like most (about cycling) is the exercise and association with other people,” 74-year-old Barry said.

Marilyn, 71, said bicycling helps her “relieve stress. I always feel better when I’m out in the fresh air.”

“It’s a lot more enjoyable (to bike ride along trails and open roads) than to go to a gym and ride a stationary bike,” Barry said.

When Barry retired in 1995, the Gelsingers would ride once in a while to get some aerobic exercise. Barry began bicycling in earnest in 1996 after he had a quadruple heart bypass.

They started cycling on mountain bikes, averaging 10-12 miles per hour. They rode along numerous trails, such as Pine Creek Rail Trail and Valley Forge Rail Trail. Because they were riding on rough roads, they had to look out for rocks, Marilyn said.

By 1997, the couple joined an area bicycle club and soon found they loved peddling out on the open country roads, trading their mountain bikes for road bikes, the lightweight type used during the Tour de France.

The Gelsingers carry a GPS specifically for bicycling. That way, if they get separated from their group of cyclists, they can always find their way back, Marilyn said.

They carry a bike computer that shows how many miles they’ve traveled, how fast they are going, and their average speed.

When they first joined the bike club, Barry would ride around the area 20 miles a day, five days a week. Since Marilyn was still working, she would join him on the weekends for another

participated in the Seagull Century Ride, traveling 100 miles in one day to Salisbury, Maryland, and the Shoofly Classic in Oley, Berks County.

The Gelsingers have taken part in rides throughout the United States, too. They were among 25,000 riders to participate in the Five Boro Bike Tour, riding Barry and Marilyn Gelsinger, across all the bridges in New second and fourth from left, York City, and the Register’s on their 2007 bike trip to Holland Annual Great Bicycle Ride and Belgium with members Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). of their bicycle club.

In early 2000, they rode across the country from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, with six 20-mile ride. other members of the bike club.

Now, they ride by themselves They averaged 68 miles per day five days a week for a breakfast on the six-week journey. ride and with the bike club “A support vehicle, a 15on weekends. The couple will sometimes get in 17 miles before passenger van, drove with us so that we could have snacks, or if the actual club ride begins, we were tired we could go on the clocking 40-70 miles total on van,” Marilyn said.

Wednesdays alone.

In 2001, the Gelsingers were Socializing also was a big supposed to participate in a reason they joined the bike club ride with then-Gov. Ridge, and have continued to enjoy it.

The organization has grown from who is a bicyclist, but President Bush called Ridge up to head 400 to more than 650 members Homeland Security at that from neighboring counties. time. So in 2002, Gov. Mark “There’s always someone to Schweiker and his daughter rode ride with,” Barry said.

And, Marilyn added, “We ride with them.

Bicycling has become so to eat. We always wind up eating ingrained in the Gelsingers’ somewhere.” everyday lives that each year That was particularly true when they winter in Yuma, of the Apple Butter Ride they Arizona, they make sure their participated in at Liverpool, Perry County, which culminated bikes come along with them as in a potpie supper, cake, and pie. they have joined the Foothills The Gelsingers enjoyed riding Bicycle Club there, too.

One unforgettable ride with with the bike club so much that Barry became the club’s president that bike club was when Barry traveled from International from 1998 to 2003. During Falls, Minnesota, to San Luis, those years, Barry would take rides with all classes of bicyclists, Mexico—2,300 miles—in just 35 days. from the very slow to the very “We had no side vehicle. We fast riders. carried everything with us,” Besides the local rides, the Barry said. “We started with bicycle club has organized seven people and ended with rides to the Naval Academy in five.”

Annapolis, Maryland.

In 2002, the pair completed “Before 9/11, you could ride the 108-mile Tour de Tucson in through the academy,” Marilyn said. please see Bicyclists page 7 The club members also www.50plusLifePA.com

Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

Starting Your Collection Lori Verderame

When embarking on a new phase of life, like marriage, completing a degree, or moving to a new home, many people chronicle the experience with the purchase of an object.

When looking for an investment object that is both fun and smart, art and antiques are a good idea.

For the novice collector or seasoned art and antiques lover who wants to jump into the market, I’ll share my insider tips on starting an art collection. I’ve compiled a buying guide to help you find, understand, and collect the best examples of fine art and antiques.

First, learn as much as you can about art and antiques in places where you are not tempted to buy art or antiques. Visit museums, historical societies, libraries, and other places where fine art and antiques

www.50plusLifePA.com

are on display or are discussed academically and socially but are not available for sale.

You should learn about the various types of media (e.g., pastels, watercolors, bronzes, oils on canvas, etc.), art movements throughout history (e.g., Surrealism, Impressionism, Contemporary Realism, etc.), and diverse subject matter (e.g., still lifes, seascapes, portraits, abstractions,

etc.) so you have a good idea of what sparks your interest.

This method will prevent you from buying just because the opportunity presents itself.

Don’t think about buying a work of art or antique piece until you establish a budget.

Have a budget in mind, settle on it, and stick to it. Do not waiver and don’t convince yourself to overspend because you

fell in love with a piece. No matter what, you will be happy with your collecting progress only if you stick to your budget.

Slow down and forget life’s distractions when you are considering an art or antique purchase. Even if you are only buying a small, reasonably priced piece, it is a good idea to take it slow. Don’t feel rushed in the process of adding to your collection.

This work of art or antique object will become a part of your home life for years to come. Learn to look at the work of art or antique piece for more than just a few minutes. If you still like it after much deliberation, then that is the piece for you.

Don’t let a pushy dealer,

50plus LIFE ›

please see ANTIQUES page 16

July 2017

5

Hepatitis C Screening Recommended for Boomers — Are You at Risk?

By Claire Yezbak Fadden The generation that tuned their transistor radios to listen to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, or the Carpenters has something else in common: the potential for being infected with hepatitis C. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 30 baby boomers is at risk of the disease, and most don’t know it.

Baby boomers, born primarily between 1946 and 1964, are five times more likely to be infected than other adults. Yet, most infected boomers do not know they have the virus because hepatitis C can damage the liver for many years with few noticeable symptoms.

Hepatitis C causes serious liver diseases, including liver cancer, currently the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related deaths and the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States.

Those factors contributed to the CDC proposing that boomers get a one-time test for the hepatitis C virus. CDC believes this approach will address the largely preventable consequences of this disease, especially in light of newly available therapies that can cure up to 75 percent of infections.

Who Has the Best Bites in Central PA?

We want to hear from you!

50plus LIFE readers have spoken!

?

Here are the Cumberland County dining favorites for 2017!

Breakfast: West Shore Diner

Fast Food: Wendy’s

Lunch: Yankee Doodle Diner

Seafood: Red Lobster

Dinner: Middlesex Diner

Steak: 1700 Degrees Steakhouse

Ethnic Cuisine: Cedars Restaurant

Outdoor Dining: T.J. Rockwell’s American Grill & Tavern

Celebrating: Black n Bleu

Romantic Setting: Cork & Fork Osteria

Bakery: Pennsylvania Bakery

Smorgasbord/Buffet: Lin Buffet

Coffeehouse: Cornerstone Coffeehouse

Caterer: Premier Caterers

Winner of $50 Giant Food Stores Gift Card: Cheryl Kreiser Congratulations!

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“With increasingly effective treatments now available, we can prevent tens of thousands of deaths from hepatitis C,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. More than 2 million U.S. baby boomers are infected with hepatitis C, accounting for 75 percent of American adults living with the virus.

The number of new hepatitis C infections has been going down since the late 1980s, when blood transfusions became regulated and the population stopped sharing needles in response to concerns about HIV, said Michael Ryan, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

“However, the number of people developing advanced liver disease, or cirrhosis, is steadily rising. It’s estimated that 20-50 percent of those infected will develop advanced liver disease,” Ryan said. “When I began my practice 27 years ago, I rarely saw serious liver disease.”

Upward of 15,000 Americans, most of them boomers, die each year from hepatitis C-related illness, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Deaths have been increasing steadily for more than a decade and are projected to grow significantly in coming years, peaking around 2025.

Ryan said 80 percent of the patients

July 2017

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What is your preferred term to describe an aging adult?

Place your vote at 50plusLIFEpa.com through August 31, 2017!

Results will be published in a future issue of 50plus LIFE. Five voters will be chosen at random to receive a $25 gift card to Isaac’s Restaurants, PLUS a free one-year subscription to 50plus LIFE! www.50plusLifePA.com

he sees exhibit no symptoms.

“The disease takes an average of 20-50 years for people to develop cirrhosis, and those exposed in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s may not get into trouble for many years. By the time they come in complaining of characteristics of the illness, like fatigue, it’s way too late.”

Hep C is transmitted through the blood, rarely through sexual encounters. The good news is the virus can be discovered through a hep C antibody test.

Ryan, who is also a practicing gastroenterologist with Digestive and Liver Disease Specialists of Norfolk, Virginia, encourages adults 56-66 to ask their physicians to run this additional blood test during their yearly physical to detect the illness.

“With hep A and B, the majority of adults will become jaundiced.

Rarely does that happen with hep C. An inflamed liver rarely causes discomfort, and even liver cancer may not cause discomfort. That’s why this test is so important,” said Ryan.

“Hepatitis C is the only virus we can cure. And unlike other hepatitis viruses where treatment can be ongoing, the treatment for hepatitis C lasts anywhere from 24-28 weeks.”

“Identifying these hidden infections early will allow more baby boomers to receive care and treatment, before they develop life-threatening liver disease,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/ AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention.

Current CDC guidelines call for testing only individuals with certain known risk factors for hepatitis C infection; however, studies find that many baby boomers do not perceive themselves to be at risk and are not being tested.

CDC suggests that a one-time hepatitis C testing of individuals born 1945-65 could identify some 800,000 additional people with hepatitis C, prevent the costly consequences of liver cancer and other chronic liver diseases, and save at least 120,000 lives.

To learn more about health risks associated with hepatitis, visit the CDC’s hepatitis website (www. cdc.gov/hepatitis). The site includes an online hepatitis risk-assessment tool to evaluate your risk for viral hepatitis.

Claire Yezbak Fadden is an awardwinning freelance writer. Follow her on Twitter @claireflaire.

Bicyclists from page 4 less than nine hours, earning them a silver medal in the competition.

And a bicycling excursion through California took them across San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

“The bike lane had a fence separating the bike riders from the lanes of traffic, so we felt comfortable riding our bikes,” Gelsinger said.

“At the top of the bridge it got very windy, but the view was great!”

The Gelsingers crossed the Atlantic with members of the bicycle club in 2007 for a bike tour through Holland and Belgium.

“We were impressed with the huge number of bicyclists in Amsterdam,” Marilyn said. “We saw a parking garage that held 5,000 bikes!”

Another memorable ride was through Cuba, from Havana to the western tip of the country. Barry’s www.50plusLifePA.com

parents had taken him on vacation to Cuba in 1953, and he always wanted to go back.

“When (President) Obama opened relations with Cuba again, I wanted to do a bike trip there,” he said.

Marilyn vividly recalls how “terrible the roads were. They were full of potholes. You had to keep looking at the road so you wouldn’t get a flat tire.”

But, she continued, the Cuban people were very friendly and they enjoyed talking with them.

The Gelsingers plan to continue cycling locally and across the country and would encourage anyone of any age to start cycling.

But, they advised, new cyclists should always wear a helmet—and they should take a bike course, which trains new cyclists how to ride in traffic safely.

Reach Active, Affluent Boomers & Seniors!

Reserve your space now for the 18th annual

Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available

Oct. 19, 2017 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street, Carlisle Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars Entertainment • Door Prizes

Why Participate?

It’s the premier event for baby boomers, caregivers, and seniors in Cumberland County • Face-to-face interaction with 1,500+ attendees • Strengthen brand recognition/launch new products

For sponsorship and exhibitor information:

(717) 770-0140 &

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July 2017

7

Dear Pharmacist

Dulse – Superfood of the Sea Suzy Cohen

Quick—what food is red, salty, chewy, and delicious? If you said bacon, you’re close … sort of!

I’m actually talking about dulse (rhymes with “pulse”), which is a kind of seaweed, or technically a form of algae that grows attached to rocks near the shore of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Its leaves are roughly the same shape as bacon, which is appropriate because when you pan-fry dulse, it actually tastes kind of like bacon.

Don’t roll your eyes at me—I’m totally serious.

Unlike bacon, dulse is a superfood.

The high content of minerals makes it particularly useful for the production of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone.

Dulse comes in many forms, even powder. Think of it like you would salt, and just sprinkle it on soups,

chicken, salads, popcorn, and stir fries. It might also replace some of the salt in your food.

But my favorite way to eat it is pan-fried, which is when it comes close to tasting like bacon.

I have a simple recipe posted on my website for a DLT (dulse, lettuce, and tomato) sandwich and a comprehensive version of this article with precautions.

Dulse has powerful antioxidant properties and can inhibit runaway cell proliferation; plus, it provides the following nutrients and several others not listed here: Carotenoids – These are potent antioxidants, like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, all of which are known Photo by Cwmhiraeth (Own work) to be good for Red dulse. healthy eyesight, reducing free radical damage, and decreasing the risk or duration of chronic illness.

Iodine – Iodine is essential to your thyroid’s ability to produce enough thyroid hormone, and iodine deficiency is very common. But it’s not just for your thyroid; it’s needed in all your cells, especially your reproductive organs and for immune function.

Iron – This mineral is necessary to make a protein called hemoglobin, which acts like a tow truck and lugs

oxygen all over your body.

It supports the health of your blood, helping to prevent anemia.

Iron is also vital to carry out dozens of life-sustaining chemical reactions throughout your body.

Potassium – Potassium is a vasodilator and functions as an electrolyte to help balance sodium; this regulates fluid balance in your cells, so it supports healthy blood pressure.

Potassium provides for an alkaline environment, which counters common acidosis caused by a fast-food Western diet.

Vitamin A – This skin- and visionloving nutrient can also boost immunity by keeping your mucous membranes “wet” and strong, meaning they are empowered to filter particles and pathogens before they enter your body.

Free Glutamate – Dulse has a lot of glutamic acid, as does most shellfish and seaweed. It is not the same as the food additive MSG, but it can sometimes behave that way in a small percentage of people.

This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease.

For more information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com

Check out our NEW Online Resource Directory!

717.591.8336

Convenient print edition plus extensive online access.

Discover support and services available to meet challenges you may encounter as a senior, as someone who is caring for an older loved one, or a person with a disability.

www.ResourceDirectoryPA.com 8

July 2017

50plus LIFE ›

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The Beauty in Nature

Strips of European Flowers Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Flowering plants originally from Europe dominate many country roadsides in southeastern Pennsylvania farmland, as elsewhere in North America.

Queen Anne’s lace, chicory, butterand-eggs, bouncing-bet, alfalfa, red clover, two kinds of thistles, common mullein, and teasel are some of the more common European plants blooming profusely and beautifully along many cropland roads in midsummer.

They create lovely, natural bouquets that brighten roadsides and provide nectar and pollen for insects and seeds for mice and certain types of small birds.

Queen Anne’s lace can be up to 4 feet tall and has flat clusters of tiny, white flowers. This is the ancestor of domestic carrots and has flowers

Queen Anne’s lace.

Chicory.

similar to those on that vegetable.

Dried flower clusters curl up in winter and resemble small birds’ nests.

Chicory can reach 4 feet and has blue blossoms that generally only bloom in the morning. Yellow-andblack male American goldfinches, and other kinds of birds, are striking among chicory flowers when eating its

seeds. Large, mixed patches of Queen Anne’s lace and chicory seem to reflect blue skies, patched with white cumulus clouds.

Butter-and-eggs are so named because of their bright-yellow blossoms. This is a kind of snapdragon that has snapdragon-shaped blooms.

Butter-and-eggs probably escaped

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FREE PARKING !

21st Annual

Sept. 21, 2017 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

from flower gardens.

Bouncing-bet, or soapwort, according to legend, is named for a well-endowed washerwoman. This species has pale-pink blossoms. And, when crushed, its leaves lather into soap, a reason European colonists introduced it to North America.

Alfalfa and red clovers, both escapees from hayfields, have lovely flowers. Those of alfalfa are purple and sweet-smelling, while those of red clovers are hot pink. The blossoms of both plants are attractive to a variety of bees, butterflies, and other insects that sip their nectar while pollinating those blooms.

The invasive nodding and Canada thistles have pretty, pink flowers on bristly stems. But bees, butterflies, please see FLOWERS page 16

Cocklin Funeral Home, Inc., is Presenting a Life-Saving Initiative to the Area Vital ICE The Custom-Branded, In-Case-of-Emergency App

Spooky Nook Sports

LANCASTER COUNTY

2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

15th Annual

Sept. 28, 2017 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

York Expo Center

YORK COUNTY

Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Avenue, York

18th Annual

Oct. 19, 2017 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center CUMBERLAND COUNTY

100 K Street Carlisle

Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars • Demonstrations • Entertainment • Door Prizes Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available (717) 285-1350 (717) 770-0140 (610) 675-6240

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Vital ICE provides a platform on which to list your (and your dependents’, if applicable) vital medical information, such as blood type, allergies, medications, medical history, ICE contacts, and much more. This information will then be readily available to EMS and other first responders when they need it most.

Please download the FREE app and enter the code

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30 N. Chestnut St., Dillsburg, PA 17019 • (717) 432-5312

50plus LIFE ›

July 2017

9

Tinseltown Talks

The Music Never Ends for Broadway Actress Nick Thomas

Best known for her roles in musical theater, Tony-nominated actress and singer Susan Watson released a collection of 14 Broadway and jazz standards on her album The Music Never Ends last fall.

“Some of these tracks I had sung earlier in my career and others I had always heard and loved and just wanted to get them recorded,” said Watson from her home in Sherman Oaks, California (see www. susanwatsonmusic.com).

As an added bonus, said Watson, six of the songwriters on the album were women well into their 60s, 70s, and 80s.

“America remains a unique bastion of innovation and opportunity,” she said. “I’m 78 years old and am still having a lovely time in show business

Screenshot of Susan Watson, left, with Dwayne Hickman, right, and Bob Denver, center, in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis episode “Beauty Is Only Kin Deep.”

and in life.”

Raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by a father who played the piano and mother who danced, young Watson performed in high school plays before

Publicity photo of Susan Watson, Marijane Maricle, Paul Lynde, and Johnny Borden in Bye Bye Birdie.

heading to New York to major in singing and dancing at the Juilliard School.

When the opportunity arose to move to London for a production of

West Side Story, she grabbed it.

“I snuck away from classes one afternoon for auditions. By the time I got back to my apartment I was offered a part.”

While her role was only the understudy for the leading lady, the experience was invaluable. Director/ choreographer Gower Champion offered her the role of Kim MacAfee in the Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie, which opened in 1960.

When casting calls were made for the 1963 movie version, Watson traveled to LA for an audition.

“I lost out to Ann-Margaret, but that’s the way it goes,” she said. “I stayed in Hollywood for a while and appeared on TV shows like Dobie Gillis.”

She also had a chance to work with

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a larger-than-life Hollywood star. was very famous and sometimes you “I did a sitcom pilot for a show don’t feel comfortable trying to get called Maggie Brown with Ethel close to someone like that, but she Merman, and I was to play her was always a dear to us.” daughter. Ethel was a take-charge Watson is especially proud of person, I can tell you, and didn’t her recent album, not only because need any it contains instruction from classic songs the director. from legends “She staged such as Stephen the opening Sondheim, the song, ‘Mutual Gershwins, Admiration Jerome Kern, and Society,’ that we Irvin Berlin, but sang together also because it and, knowing features works by I was a dancer, veteran women suggested I songwriters, should do a few including Phyllis kicks during Molinary, Photo provided by Susan Watson. the routine.

Gretchen Cover of Susan Watson's 2016 album We were both Cryer, Michele The Music Never Ends. disappointed Brourman, when the show Amanda wasn’t picked up.”

McBroom, and Marilyn Bergman.

Watson went on to appear in “These women have had long, several more Broadway shows and successful careers,” said Watson. “I numerous off-Broadway plays, as hope that in the CD’s production well as in summer stock and other and content, it symbolizes that active, popular productions across the empowered, senior women are a country. resource that America can be proud Back on Broadway in the early of.” ’70s, Watson played Nanette in No, No, Nanette, which featured 1930s Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn film star Ruby Keeler, returning to University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, the stage in her 60s, having retired and interviews for more than 600 from acting in the 1940s. magazines and newspapers. Follow @ “She was a great hoofer, and we TinseltownTalks revered her,” Watson recalled. “She

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July 2017

11

Soldier Stories

Robert Naeye

Aug. 29, 2017

Nov. 2, 2017

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This combined event is FREE for veterans of all ages, active military, and their families.

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Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Principal Sponsor:

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July 2017

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Stranded at a Remote Vietnam Airfield, Vet Lives to Tell the Tale

Imagine you’re in the Vietnam War, flying over the central highlands of South Vietnam.

Your pilot drops you off on a remote airstrip.

Moments after he takes off, you realize you’re 15 miles from where you were supposed to be, and your only companions are husband-andGreg Gaffney points to the city of wife American Da Lat, which was near his base missionaries. during the war.

Fortunately, Greg Gaffney, of Hummelstown, is still around to tell his story.

Gaffney, 71, was born and raised in Harrisburg, in what he describes as a “much simpler time.” After graduating from John Harris High School in 1963, Gaffney followed in his father’s footsteps and went into Gaffney with a model he created of the construction his base, OL-25. business.

But after receiving a low draft number, he joined the U.S. Air Force in September 1965, thinking it would offer better opportunities for training and travel than the other services.

After receiving his basic training in communications at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Gaffney was transferred to Niagara Falls International Airport in upstate New York, where a fighter squadron was stationed.

Gaffney spent 14 months in the communications center, doing everything from working at a switchboard to sending and receiving messages over a teletype machine.

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In December 1967, he and about a half-dozen buddies received orders to go to Vietnam. After a series of long flights across the Pacific on a giant C-141 transport jet, he landed just outside Saigon at Tan Son Nhut Air Base.

“When they opened the door of the airplane, you could feel the heat smack you in the face,” says Gaffney, who describes this as one of his most vivid memories.

“I had never been in the tropics.

We could hear explosions and see flashes in the distance. My friend turned to me and said, ‘I guess we’re here.’ I replied, ‘I think you’re right.’”

A few days later, after being issued jungle gear and weapons, he took a short flight to an airstrip near the city of Da Lat. He and his companions were driven in an old Dodge wagon (with a missing door) to a small house in a valley where Air Force personnel lived. The house was outside a security compound, and quite vulnerable.

“We didn’t ask why,” says Gaffney.

The local Vietnamese were outwardly friendly, but Gaffney notes, “They could be washing your clothes in the daytime and setting a booby trap at night.”

Gaffney worked inside Operating Location 25 (OL-25), a well-defended base about 6 miles away on top of a hill. OL-25 was never assaulted on the ground during Gaffney’s time there, but the Viet Cong sporadically fired rockets in its general direction, without inflicting casualties.

He worked 12-hour shifts in the communications center. His primary mission was to receive coordinates for airstrikes, including small jets flying from nearby bases and B-52 bombers originating in Thailand and Guam.

Gaffney would pass that information on to radar operators, who directed the attacks.

Conditions at OL-25 were primitive, with no medical facilities.

The men ate the same bland military rations day after day, so Gaffney and his buddies often bought food from local Vietnamese. This included bread with bugs baked in.

“At least we got a little protein with our bread,” jokes Gaffney.

They sometimes drank locally brewed beer, which was later found to be unfit for human consumption.

But it was safer than the water.

Unsurprisingly, many of the men came down with dysentery and hepatitis, including Gaffney.

His weight dropped below 100 pounds. Eventually, he became so sick that he had to be medevacked by helicopter to a field hospital at Nha Trang.

“Being in a field hospital gave me deep appreciation for the men and women who worked there,” says Gaffney.

Severely wounded GIs would be flown in, but the doctors and nurses always maintained their composure under severe stress, and almost always kept the injured men alive.

After recuperating for 10 days, Gaffney took the earliest available flight, aboard a six-seat Air America propeller-driven airplane flown by a U.S. mercenary.

The pilot flew over mountainous terrain in cloudy weather, by visual navigation alone. He dropped off Gaffney and two American missionaries on the wrong airstrip and took off before anyone realized the error.

Fortunately, the missionaries spoke fluent Vietnamese and somehow arranged for a white van to take them back to Da Lat. “If not for the missionaries, I would be speaking Vietnamese today,” says Gaffney.

Gaffney returned to the U.S. in December 1968, just before the Tet Offensive. Gaffney learned several years ago that OL-25 was evacuated and captured by enemy forces shortly after he left the base.

The war was “a non-subject” when Gaffney got home.

“People would say, ‘Hey, it’s good to see you,’ and that was it. It was a volatile time in the country’s history,” recalls Gaffney.

After serving for 10 months at Charleston Air Force Base in Maine, Gaffney volunteered to return to Southeast Asia. He spent a year at Nakhon Phanom Air Base in northeast Thailand, just across the border from Laos.

After a total of four years in the Air Force, Gaffney was honorably discharged. He returned home to his family in August 1969. Like many returning Vietnam veterans, Gaffney did not exactly receive a warm welcome on the mainland. He was spit upon while walking down a ramp in the San Francisco Airport.

Gaffney holds no grudges for the poor reception he and other veterans received.

“Bitterness doesn’t pay; it just weighs on you as an individual,” he advises.

Just three days after returning to his family in Harrisburg, he was back on the job for his uncle’s construction

company. He still works two mornings a week in construction, and says he has enjoyed every minute.

Although his work doesn’t use many of the communications skills he acquired in the Air Force, he says his military experience helped him learn the importance of teamwork.

“When I came home, I wasn’t afraid of anything,” he adds.

A few years ago, Gaffney created an impressively detailed model of OL-25. He mostly used off-the-shelf parts, such as a measuring spoon for a radar dish. He keeps the model in a closet but displays it whenever he receives visitors who are interested in his Vietnam experiences.

Gaffney occasionally gives talks to students about his time in Southeast Asia.

“Any time I have a chance to speak in a high school, I’ll tell my story,” he says. “But the main reason is to bring honor to those 58,315 names on the wall.”

Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist living in Derry Township. He is the former editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope magazine.

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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July 2017

13

Cumberland County

Calendar of Events

Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

July 3, 4-5 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Messiah Lifeways Meetinghouse 1155 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle (717) 243-0447

July 11, 6:30-8 p.m.

Carlisle Area Men’s Cancer Support Group The Live Well Center 3 Alexandria Court, Carlisle (717) 877-7561 sirbrady12@gmail.com

Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville July 2, 7:30 p.m. – H arrisburg Symphony on the Lawn July 7, 8:30 a.m. – Ladies Breakfast July 11, 9 a.m. – Crafts with Kids

July 12, 1:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West – Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624

Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg

July 5, 1:30 p.m.

The Bridges Support Group for the Alzheimer’s Association The Bridges at Bent Creek 2100 Bent Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 795-1100 July 5, 6 p.m.

CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786 July 5, 7 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 1000 Claremont Road, Carlisle (717) 386-0047 July 6, 6:30 p.m.

Too Sweet: Diabetes Support Group Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 557-9041 July 10, 1:30-3 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road, Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806

July 12, 6:30 p.m.

Amputee Support Team Picnic HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 939-6655 www.astamputees.com July 18, 1 p.m.

Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880 July 26, 6 p.m.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 486-3596 apcoulson@comcast.net

Wednesdays, noon SilverSneakers Exercise Class Susquehanna View Apartments Community Room 208 Senate Ave., Camp Hill (717) 439-4070 jesseswoyer.com@gmail.com

July 12, 11:30 a.m.

NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465 VFW Post 7530 4545 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 774-4031 www.narfe1465.org Visitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.

July 4, 10:30 a.m.

New Cumberland Town Band Performance New Cumberland Public Library 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland www.nctownband.org

July 16, 2:30 p.m.

New Cumberland Town Band Performance Messiah Lifeways Chapel 100 Mt. Allen Drive, Mechanicsburg www.nctownband.org

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Mechanicsburg Place – (717) 697-5947 97 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg West Shore Senior Citizens Center – (717) 774-0409 122 Geary St., New Cumberland Please call or visit their website for more information.

Library Programs Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 July 3, 7:30-8:45 p.m. – Monday Bosler Book Discussion Group July 7, 7 p.m. – Music @ Bosler July 28, 1-2 p.m. – Just Mysteries! Book Club

East Pennsboro Branch Library, 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola, (717) 732-4274

Community Programs Free and open to the public

July 2017

Mary Schaner Senior Citizens Center – (717) 732-3915 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola

Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900

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

14

Carlisle Senior Action Center – (717) 249-5007 20 E. Pomfret St., Carlisle

John Graham Public Library, 9 Parsonage St., Newville, (717) 776-5900 Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, 16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-0171 New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland (717) 774-7820 July 4, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – July Fourth Celebration and Band Concert July 8, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Write-On Writers Workshop July 26, 6-9 p.m. – Pennwriters Writing Group Shippensburg Public Library, 73 W. King St., Shippensburg, (717) 532-4508 www.50plusLifePA.com

The Bookworm Sez

The Broken Road Terri Schlichenmeyer

The road is a long one.

Like most, it’s rarely smooth and straight. Signs warn of curves and detours ahead, rough terrain, and rest stops for the weary; there are potholes and jagged asphalt.

And in The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans, there are many side roads to be explored.

The man in the diner looked familiar.

On his journey along Route 66, Evans never expected to see someone he recognized. Still, he knew that guy, had seen him on TV, so Evans approached him, indulged in a bit of small talk, and learned that his instincts were right: There, in a diner on the edge of the Mojave Desert, sat a dead man.

Grizzled and sunburned, but

recognizable as the conman he’d once been, Charles James was unashamed. He even agreed to talk, to tell the truth … and so he began.

Growing up, he said, it was a rare day when someone in the family wasn’t beaten.

That someone was usually him, and it happened until James stood up to his father, turned the tables, and then left Utah on an L.A.-bound Greyhound.

The Broken Road

By Richard Paul Evans c. 2017, Simon & Schuster 304 pages

On the way to California, he met a girl who showed him what life could be like, and she helped him find a job.

That job allowed him to gain self-confidence, experience, and a reputation for being a hard worker. He also had an eye for opportunity, so when someone invited him to a getrich seminar, James knew he’d found his dream job.

He started by

volunteering with the organization and worked his way up as a valuable salesman, and then a motivational speaker for a product he knew to be a scam. He became incredibly wealthy, and then betrayed his mentor for even more riches.

Soon, he’d gained the thing he wanted but lost what he loved. He couldn’t rest. He couldn’t sleep without nightmares, and he had been seeing a therapist. She helped him understand where his life was heading.

She helped him see where his next step should be….

When I got The Broken Road, I had to check the calendar, and it wasn’t December. Author Richard Paul please see BOOKWORM page 16

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Code CUSN

July 2017

15

You’re not jus t a business. n a t s u j t o n You’re . n o i t a z i n a g r o 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 annual directory of resources.

ANTIQUES from page 5 encouraging friend, or other “background noise” distract you or rush you into making a purchase.

Take a minute and just stand there and quietly look at the work of art or antique object. Think about what you see and try to figure out what you like about the piece. Consider it, ponder it, and don’t rush it.

Consider the basics, starting with black and white. Don’t be taken in by an artwork’s color or an antique’s various forms and ornamental details.

Some people who sell art or antiques will try to get you to like a particular work based solely on its colors or how it may fit into your home’s color scheme. This is a trap.

Don’t worry about being matchymatchy.

Be concerned with the piece for its own sake and your interest in

it. Remember, a big part of buying something good is learning to recognize quality pieces. I want you to buy something you like that is also of high quality and worth the money.

Appraisers, curators, and art historians know the best-quality work is always the best choice for a collection. It will hold its value long term. Collecting quality art and antiques is always a good investment.

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16

July 2017

50plus LIFE ›

and other insects sip nectar from their blossoms and small, seed-eating birds, particularly American goldfinches, consume their seeds.

Goldfinches delay nesting until midsummer, when they use seed fluff from thistles to line their dainty nurseries.

Common mulleins are biennial plants that have one or two flower stalks during their second summer.

Each flower stalk has several yellow blooms that produce seeds in little pockets after they are pollinated. Seeds fall out of the pockets, and many are

eaten by birds.

Medieval Europeans dipped mullein stalks into animal fat, filling the holes, and later lit those stalks to be torches at night.

Teasel is also a biennial species, producing bristly flower heads with many tiny, lavender blooms during their second summer. Medieval Europeans used teasel flower heads to tease out wool.

When riding along country roads, watch for strips of European flowers.

They are pretty and their species have interesting histories.

BOOKWORM from page 15 Evans even admits in this novel that he usually writes Christmassy stories, but this isn’t one of those.

It’s better.

Readers who may find Evans’ other books too sappy will be happy to know that in this modified ragsto-riches story, there’s not a lot of romance and no snow; in fact, this book begins on the edge of a desert, and it mostly features a complicated man who’s chased by the demons of his past.

Yes, there’s a woman involved, but she’s only a catalyst in the tale—a supporting actress, if you will. The

man himself and his immediate circle compose the meat of this novel, and rightfully so: They are some of Evans’ best characters.

This book will appeal to his fans, but it should also attract new ones, too, because it’s really quite different.

Novel readers of almost any genre will find The Broken Road to be pretty smooth.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer.

Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 14,000 books.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18 SUDOKU

brainteasers

TV Shows that Started in the ’60s

1. The A __ __ __ G __ __ __ __ __ __ h S __ __ w 2. J __ __ __ __ __ __ y!

3. M __ __ S __ __ __ d 4. B __ w __ __ __ __ e d 5. I r __ __ __ __ d e

Across 1. Regrettably 5. Garden resident 9. Wager 13. Water source 14. Lover 16. Edible fat 17. Printer’s direction 19. Mocked 20. Cowboy show 21. Stalk 23. Significant 24. Printer’s measures 26. God of the underworld

28. Tempest 31. Paddle 33. Mark of Cain 34. Sealing waxes 35. Container 36. Gazes 39. Curve 40. Path 42. Crete mountain 43. Sensitive 45. Bonnet 46. Hang-up 47. Raven author 48. Gents

49. Tenet 50. Swimming pool tent 52. Scorch 54. Write down 55. Small amounts 57. Comic ____ 60. Eager 62. Preserved 65. Inert gas 66. Host 67. Bunsen burner 68. Sicilian resort 69. Augmenter 70. Optimistic

18. Expression 22. Hazy 25. Dirt 27. River inlet 28. Spline 29. Root vegetable 30. Line of work 32. Leg joint 35. Fundy, for one 36. Doleful 37. Dutch cheese 38. Adventure story 40. Cereal grass 41. Succeeds

44. Seagull 46. More repentant 48. Dame 49. Information 50. Witch’s assembly 51. Appellation 53. Organic compound 54. Novelist Austen 56. Ailing 58. Division word 59. Ballpoints 61. Genetic material 63. Born 64. Time period

Down

Bestselling Fiction Books of the ’50s

1. The Caine M _____ 2. No Time for S _____ 3. Peyton P _____ 4. Atlas S _____ 5. Lady Chatterley’s L _____ Written by Alan Stillson. Please see http://stillsonworks.com

1. Scriber 2. Facial expression 3. Singing voice 4. Pitches that bend 5. Incendiarism 6. Morse code signal 7. Between amo and amat 8. Trusted advisor 9. Before carte or mode 10. Dining table hoop 11. Forest 12. Whirlpool 15. Lyric poems

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July 2017

17

Fragments of History

The Smartest Man in America Victor Parachin

political policy.

Here are six fascinating facts about Benjamin Franklin.

1. He petitioned congress to abolish slavery in 1790.

Franklin’s formal proposal of abolition presented to Congress began: “Mankind are all formed by the same Almighty Being, alike objects of his care, and equally designed for the enjoyment of happiness.”

Specifically citing the plight of African slaves, Franklin urged Congress to grant “liberty to those unhappy men who alone in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage.”

The petition failed to pass, and Franklin was strongly denounced by representatives from Southern states who asserted that the Bible fully supported slavery.

2. He created bifocal glasses. In an August 1784 letter to a friend,

Puzzle Solutions

When it became clear that the American colonies would have to engage in a war for independence from England, Ben Franklin was made president of Pennsylvania’s defense committee.

In that capacity, he presided over the development of a top-secret system of underwater blockages to damage and prevent enemy warships from navigating the Delaware River as well as ways to more efficiently produce gunpowder necessary for militia muskets.

To compensate for the shortage of gunpowder, Franklin proposed making greater use of the bow and arrow. Though these were clearly antiquated weapons of war, Franklin justified their use in a letter written to Gen. Charles Lee, explaining: “A man may shoot as truly with a bow as with a common musket … He can discharge four arrows in the same time of charging and discharging one bullet. A flight of arrows, seen coming upon them, terrifies and disturbs the enemies’ attention to their business …

An arrow striking any part of a man puts him outside of combat till it is extracted.”

In his time, Ben Franklin may have been the smartest and most versatile American in the country.

He was certainly its best scientist and inventor. Additionally, he excelled in business, diplomacy, and practical

July 2017

3. He understood germ theory.

Franklin was one of the first to suggest that colds and flu “may possibly be spread by contagion” rather than cold air, the common

belief during his time.

“People often catch cold from one another when shut up together in close rooms, coaches, etc., and when sitting near and conversing so as to breathe in each other’s transpiration.”

His recommendation was for people, especially during a flu and cold season, to get as much fresh air as possible. Throughout his life, Franklin maintained ventilation in his home and especially his bedroom, where he kept the window open, even throughout the winter.

4. He described signs of lead poisoning and its treatment.

Franklin observed a disturbing phenomenon. Tradesmen who worked with lead often experienced health issues such as joint pain, stiffness, paralysis, and severe intestinal problems.

Friends further raised his curiosity about this issue by pointing out that people who drank rum from stills that used metal coils also exhibited similar signs and symptoms.

Functioning much like a contemporary epidemiologist, Franklin concluded that the cause was lead poisoning. He strongly recommended caution when working with the metal and suggested that the coils of stills be replaced by tin rather than pewter, which contained large amounts of lead.

Brainteasers

TV Shows that Started in the ’60s

Puzzles shown on page 17

18

Franklin expressed great personal pleasure in the “invention of Double Spectacles, which, serving for distant objects as well as near ones, make my eyes as useful to me as ever they were.

“The same convexity of glass through which a man sees clearest and best at the distance proper for reading is not the best for greater distances. I therefore had formerly two pair of spectacles, which I shifted occasionally …

“I had the glasses cut and half of each kind associate in the same circle.

By this means, as I wear my spectacles constantly, I have only to move my eyes up or down, as I wanted to see distinctly far or near, the proper glasses being always ready.”

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3. Mod Squad 4. Bewitched 5. Ironside Bestselling Fiction Books of the ’50s

50plus LIFE ›

1. The Caine Mutiny 2. No Time for Sergeants 3. Peyton Place 4. Atlas Shrugged 5. Lady Chatterley’s Lover

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5. He created a new musical instrument. In 1761, Franklin attended a concert in England where all the music was performed on wineglasses of various sizes. That event sparked his imagination, and a few months later he produced an “armonica.”

He attached 37 glass bowls of different sizes to a spindle rigged with a foot pedal and flywheel to spin. Once set in motion, a person could play them simply by touching the spinning rims with a wet finger.

Franklin’s armonica became very popular in European circles. Mozart and Beethoven wrote music for it and Marie Antoinette took armonica lessons.

6. He promoted the benefits of physical exercise. Living in a time when life expectancy was between 35 and 40 years, Ben Franklin

lived to a ripe, healthy, and happy 84 years. His “secret” was to work out, arguing that one of the most effective ways of warding off illnesses was to exercise.

In early America, he was unique in stating that the best measure of exercise was not duration but intensity, emphasizing the importance of perspiration. As a scientist he understood that a workout needed to be challenging and cleansing enough to produce sweat, thereby allowing the body to remove toxins.

Ben Franklin died at 11 p.m.

April 17, 1790, at age 84. Nearly 20,000 mourners gathered in Philadelphia to pay their respects to a man whose inventions and scientific discoveries changed their world and who helped create a new nation.

The Evolution of Independence Day If Americans have one holiday in common, it’s the Fourth of July.

How long have we officially been celebrating independence from Great Britain? Here’s a timeline: July 4, 1776 – Members of the Second Continental Congress meet in Philadelphia and adopt the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

July 4, 1777 – To commemorate the first anniversary of the signing, Philadelphians light candles and set off firecrackers. Yet with no sure outcome in the war for independence, celebrations are kept to a minimum.

July 4, 1778 – On the second anniversary of the signing, Gen. www.50plusLifePA.com

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George Washington issues his troops a double ration of rum and orders a Fourth of July artillery salute.

1781 – Massachusetts carries out the first official state celebration of the Fourth of July.

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1801 – The White House hosts its first public Fourth of July reception.

1870 – Congress establishes the Fourth of July as an unpaid holiday for federal employees and the District of Columbia.

1938 – Congress establishes the Fourth of July as a paid holiday for federal employees.

1941 – Congress expands the 1938 law to include the District of Columbia.

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