Cumberland County Edition
September 2015
Vol. 16 No. 9
Reap More than What You ‘Sew’ Sewing Group Has Donated More than 36,000 Items to Charity By Chelsea Peifer People like to say that sewing is a lost or dying art in today’s society, but Marcellene Currens and her friends are evidence that the opposite may be true. Currens has been a sewing instructor for more than 40 years, and in 2011 she founded Sewin’ Sisters Sowing. “The idea that people are not sewing is a fallacy in my opinion,” said the 59-year-old. “People are continuing to sew, but it is different things.” People may not be sewing as many clothes, but they are sewing curtains, pillowcases, tablecloths, bedding, and all sorts of home décor pieces. And for Currens, one of the greatest joys that comes with sewing is the chance to pass along what she creates to someone who needs it. Nine years ago she formed the Sewin’ Sisters Sowing group, and since that time the women have sewn and given away 36,000 pieces ranging from blankets and pants to specially designed projects. “We are a sewing circle dedicated to sowing kindness. When we started out, we didn’t have a clue what the group would turn into,” said Currens, an ordained minister. “But it grew, and it evolved over time.” She is astounded by the poverty present right here in some of our local cities and said you don’t have to go far to “find kids with no socks, gloves, hats, and shoes in the dead of winter.” Currens and the other group members believe in giving to others because please see SEW page 12 “We’re trying to break down the fear of the sewing machine,” said Marcellene Currens, founder of Sewin’ Sisters Sowing, a charitable sewing circle that has created and donated items to more than 54 local charities.
Inside:
Break the Silence! Walk to End Alzheimer’s page 5
Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair Highlights page 15
The Year in Awards As 50plus Senior News celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we hope you’ll enjoy a monthly peek back at the world in 1995! This month, some of the notable awards of 1995: • Nobel Prize: for Literature – Seamus Heaney, Ireland; for Peace – Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (jointly) • Miss America: Heather Whitestone (Alabama) • Academy Awards: for Best Picture – Forrest Gump; for Actor in a Leading Role – Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump; for Actress in a Leading Role – Jessica Lange, Blue Sky
• Golden Globe Awards: for Best Drama – Sense and Sensibility; for Best Musical or Comedy – Babe • Grammy Awards: Record of the Year – “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow; Album of the Year – MTV Unplugged by Tony Bennett; Song of the Year – “Streets of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen • Emmy Awards: Outstanding Drama Series – NYPD Blue; Outstanding Comedy Series – Frasier
October 21, 2015
• Tony Awards: Best Play – Love! Valour! Compassion!; Best Musical – Sunset Boulevard
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street, Carlisle
Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars Entertainment • Door Prizes
Principal Sponsors:
Visitor Bag Sponsor: Carlisle Regional Medical Center
Seminar Sponsor: OSS Health
Supporting Sponsors: Bethany Village at Home HealthAmerica Advantra – An Aetna Company Hooke Hooke & Eckman Realtors Menno Haven Retirement Communities Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania
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September 2015
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Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being.
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 Hoffman-Roth Funeral Home 219 N. Hanover St., Carlisle (717) 243-4511 Gifts Edible Arrangements 3401 Hartzdale Drive, Camp Hill (717) 730-6240
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 Improvement Bath Fitter/Kitchen Saver (877) 922-2250 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
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
Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 Medical Equipment & Supplies
Drug Information (800) 729-6686
Nutrition Meals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707 Mechanicsburg (717) 697-5011 Newville (717) 776-5251 Shippensburg (717) 532-4904 West Shore (717) 737-3942
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
Personal Care Homes Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902
Memory Impairment The Woods at Cedar Run 824 Lisburn Road, Camp Hill (888) 265-0613 Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902
National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046 Organ Donor Hotline (800) 243-6667
Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com
Passport Information (888) 362-8668 Smoking Information (800) 232-1331
Retirement Living The Woods at Cedar Run 824 Lisburn Road, Camp Hill (888) 265-0613
Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0217 Social Security Office (800) 772-1213
Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110
Polished Salon Spa & Wellness (717) 975-9036
Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555 Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237 Consumer Information (888) 878-3256
Travel AAA Central Penn (717) 657-2244 Veterans Services
Spas
Toll-Free Numbers
Medical Supply (800) 777-6647
Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833
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
Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228 Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233
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September 2015
3
Tinseltown Talks
Arlene Dahl’s Journey to Hollywood and Beyond
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September 2015
Nick Thomas
G
enerally regarded as one of the classic beauties to grace the big screen throughout the ’40s and ’50s, Arlene Dahl’s career extended beyond the reach of the camera. “I’ve had many different careers,” said Dahl, who turned 87 in August, from her home in New York. “I was a writer for 20 years with a beauty column in the Chicago Tribune, which was syndicated in 180 newspapers around the world.” As an author, Dahl has penned 14 books and is currently working on more, including an autobiography. She was also the vice president of an advertising agency, and, in the 1960s, Sears hired her to visit their stores to offer customers beauty makeovers. “They are commonplace on many TV programs now,” she noted. “I also created my own perfume fragrance— ‘Dahlia’—before anyone else. So I started it all!” Dahl says she can trace her interest in performing to Minneapolis where, as a 5-year-old, she first experienced the joy of an appreciative audience during a family picnic at Minnehaha Falls. “My father put me up on a picnic table and asked me to sing. After hearing the applause, they couldn’t get me down.” At 17, she was discovered by Jack Warner, who spotted her singing and dancing on Broadway during the 1945 opening of Mr. Strauss Goes to Boston. “He came backstage and invited me to Hollywood to make a screen test, but I declined,” said Dahl, who expected the play to extend into a long run. “He said, ‘Give it two or three weeks and you’ll call me; here’s my card.’ He was right. I was soon out of a job.” Moving to Hollywood, the cameras loved Dahl, and audiences fell for her flaming-red hair and trademark beauty spot. She went on to appear in more than 30 films. Initially handed romantic comedies, Dahl eventually tackled
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Photo credit: MGM
Still from Three Little Words (1950). From left, Arlene Dahl, Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, and Vera Ellen.
Photo by Annie Watt, used with permission
Recent photo of Arlene Dahl and Marc Rosen.
Publicity still of Arlene Dahl from the 1940s.
more dramatic roles, such 1959’s subterranean adventure Journey to the Center of the Earth with James Mason and Pat Boone. The first day’s shooting with Mason was tense, however. “He didn’t want me for the part. I
found this out two days before I went to New Mexico to shoot the cave scenes at Carlsbad Caverns.” But her professionalism impressed Mason. “He came to my dressing room after our first scene to tell me I had done well. That was like an Academy Award from James Mason, and everything was OK after that.” Everything, except the hazards on the set. “I almost died in the underground ocean scene where the boat was going round in circles and waves were rocking it,” recalled Dahl. “Giant water balloons were supposed to hit our backs, but they hit me in the face, knocking me out. I woke up in the hospital with James and Pat holding my hand.” Between 1952 and 1976, that hand was given in marriage to several suitors, including two well-known actors, Lex Barker and Fernando Lamas—father of heartthrob actor Lorenzo Lamas. Today, Dahl is happily married to Marc Rosen, founder of Marc Rosen Associates, a New York firm specializing in the design and packaging of luxury cosmetic products. “I was working at Revlon, and a friend suggested meeting Arlene, and I ended up designing the bottle and packaging for her ‘Dahlia’ perfume,” explained Rosen. “We became great friends, and despite our 18 years’ age difference, were married. People said it wouldn’t last. Well, we just celebrated our 30th anniversary and proved them wrong!” “I’ve lived a very full and happy life, although there have been ups and downs,” says Dahl. “Many people don’t know about some of my experiences, but they’ll be in my autobiography. You have no idea the stories I can tell … and will!” Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for more than 600 magazines and newspapers. Follow @TinseltownTalks
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Break the Silence! Alzheimer’s disease is the sixthleading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for individuals age 65 and older. This devastating and debilitating disease is the ultimate thief—of memories, independence, control, time, and, ultimately, life. And the disease is often dealt with in silence. Those facing the disease feel a stigma surrounding their diagnosis and often don’t seek the support they need. At the Alzheimer’s Association, we hear from individuals daily that they “feel alone.” Family and friends stop visiting because of “abnormal” behavior—a symptom of the disease—and caregivers become more and more isolated. We want patients and their families to know that there is hope, and there is help, through the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Pennsylvania. There are more than 5 million Americans currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia and more than 15 million caregivers. In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 400,000 individuals diagnosed. We are here to provide education and support to the millions who face dementia every day, while advancing
critical research toward methods of treatment and prevention, ultimately to end Alzheimer’s disease. We have offices locally and support groups throughout the region for those facing this disease to meet with others in similar situations. We also host the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This is the association’s largest annual awareness and fundraising event, which occurs during the fall. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a day of hope, an opportunity—a day we all come together to see that we’re not alone in our fight. Some walk to honor and remember those they have lost. Some walk to share stories of living with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Some walk so that future generations won’t have to face the debilitating and devastating effects of the disease. Some walk because they want to help make a difference and bring this disease to the forefront. The money raised allows our chapter to contribute to research to find a cure. These funds also help support programs and services that advance accurate and timely diagnosis of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In addition, money raised ensures
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significant increases to affordable, highquality care and support for people with the disease and their caretakers. Help us break the silence and start the conversation. Join us, along with thousands of others in your community, at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Register today at www.alz.org/walk or call our Helpline, available 24 hours, seven days a week, at (800) 272-3900. Local walks include:
Saturday, Sept. 19 Harrisburg, City Island Registration at 10 a.m. Walk at 11:20 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 Lancaster, Clipper Magazine Stadium Registration at 9 a.m. Walk at 10:20 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 York, Morgan Cousler Park Registration at 10 a.m. Walk at 11:20 a.m.
September 19, 2015 City Island, Harrisburg
Registration at 10 a.m. • Walk at 11:20 a.m.
September 26, 2015
Clipper Magazine Stadium, Lancaster Registration at 9 a.m. • Walk at 10:20 a.m.
October 10, 2015
Morgan Cousler Park, York Registration at 10 a.m. • Walk at 11:20 a.m. Registration brochures, team packets, and sponsorship packets available. Please call (717) 651-5020 or email aforsburg@alz.org • Easy online registration at http://www.alz.org/walk • Volunteer opportunities available. • Teams and individuals welcome.
Mechanicsburg Requisition 1678 Harrisburg Requisition 1631 Any questions, please call Mandie 717-317-9199 ext. 213
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Asheleigh Forsburg, Senior Events Manager Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 aforsburg@alz.org EOE
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September 2015
5
CROSSWORD
Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 13 brainteasers
Advertising Slogans from the ’50s and ’60s In each of these advertising slogans from the ’50s and ’60s, there are two first-letter typos. You’re the editor and your job is to fix them. Example: Winston wastes food like a cigarette should. Answer: Winston tastes good like a cigarette should. 1. Schlitz: The deer chat made Milwaukee famous. 2. Pepsodent: You’ll ponder where the fellow went. 3. Coppertone: Coppertone gives you a letter man. 4. Banquet: Shank goodness for Banquet frozen hoods. 5. Hertz: Sore people by bar use Hertz Rent a Car. 6. Budweiser: Where there’s wife … there’s mud. 7. Tide: Side bets clothes cleaner than any soap. 8. Brylcreme: They’ll love to run their zingers through your fair. 9. Alka Seltzer: Belief is rust a swallow away. 10. Camel: I’d balk a pile for a Camel. Toys of the ’50s and ’60s Find these toys that were popular during, and in some cases before and after, the ’50s and ’60s: 1. L _ _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ _ 2. B _ _ _ _ _ D _ _ _ 3. Mr. P _ _ _ _ _ H _ _ _ 4. P _ _ _ - D _ _ 5. S _ _ _ _ _ 6. E _ _ _ - A - S _ _ _ _ _ 7. C _ _ _ _ L _ _ _ 8. V _ _ _ - M _ _ _ _ _ 9. C _ _ _ _ _ C _ _ _ _ 10. L _ _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T _ _ _ _ Written by Alan Stillson. Please see http://stillsonworks.com SUDOKU
Across
1. Decree 5. Psyches 9. Auricles 13. Wander 14. Thaw 15. Coral reef 17. Forever 19. Bind again 20. Macadam 21. Actor Arkin 23. Behave 24. By way of 26. Optic 27. Thing, in law
28. Property part 33. Spot 35. Eng. river 36. Sp. uncle 37. Short nail 39. Religious ceremony 40. Gremlins 43. Polish lancer 45. Let it stand! 47. A Gabor 48. Entice 49. Bread spread 51. Non-disposable 53. Devotee
55. Genetic material (abbr.) 57. Greatest degree 58. Adherent (suffix) 59. Dried-up 61. Less complicated 66. Contour 68. Coming forth 70. Inheritors 71. Prayer word 72. Pain 73. Position 74. Store event 75. Wearing shoes
18. Dark blue 22. Affirmative 25. Seed covering 28. Soap measure 29. Bird (Lat.) 30. Rabbit 31. Genuflect 32. White Cliffs site 34. Abdul or Zahn 38. Wallenda or Malden 41. Level 42. White wine 44. Born
46. Most laconic 50. Singleton 52. Rug type 53. Anchovy 54. Fire leftovers 56. Regions 60. Eng. Actress Samms 62. Oceans 63. Linear unit 64. Resound 65. Woodwind 67. Expert 69. Moray, e.g.
Down
1. Worry 2. Scintilla 3. Swear 4. School year 5. Waste away 6. Mousse 7. Cantina cooker 8. Fashion plate’s concern 9. Sincere 10. Consumed 11. Service organization 12. Golf stroke 16. Leases
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September 2015
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Savvy Senior
How to Search for Lost Pension Money Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What tips can you offer for tracking down a lost pension from a previous employer? – About to Retire Dear About, It’s not unusual for a worker to lose track of a pension benefit. Perhaps you left an employer long ago and forgot that you left behind a pension. Or maybe you worked for a company that changed owners or went belly up many years ago, and you figured the pension went with it. Today, millions of dollars in benefits are sitting in pension plans across the U.S. or with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federal government agency, waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners. The average unclaimed benefit with PBGC is about $6,500. To help you look for a pension, here are some steps to take and some free resources that can help you search if your previous employer has gone out of business, relocated, changed owners, or merged with another firm. Contact Employer If you think you have a pension and the company you worked for still is in business, your first step is to call the human resources department and ask how to contact the pension plan administrator. Ask the administrator whether you have a pension, how much it is worth, and how to claim it. Depending on how complete the administrator’s records are, you may need to show proof that you once worked for the company and that you are pension eligible. Your old income tax returns and W-2 forms from the years you worked at the company will help you here. If you haven’t saved your old tax returns from these years, you can get a copy of your earnings record from the Social Security Administration, which will show how much you were paid each calendar year by each employer. Call (800) 772-1213 and ask for Form SSA-7050, “Request for Social Security Earnings Information,” or you www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
can download it at ssa.gov/online/ssa7050.pdf. The SSA charges $136 for this information. Some other old forms that can help you prove pension eligibility are summary plan descriptions that you should have received from your employer when you worked there and any individual benefit statements that you received during your employment. Search PBGC If your former employer went out of business or if the company still is in business but terminated its pension plan, check with the PBGC, which guarantees pension payouts to private-sector workers if their pension plans fail, up to annual limits. Most people receive the full benefit they earned before the plan was terminated. The PBGC offers an online pension-search directory tool at www. search.pbgc.gov/mp/mp.aspx. Get Help If you need help tracking down your former company because it may have moved, changed owners, or merged with another firm, contact the Pension Rights Center, a nonprofit consumer organization that offers seven free Pension Counseling and Information Projects around the U.S. that serve 30 states. For more information, visit www. pensionrights.org or call (888) 420-6550. If you, your company, or your pension plan happens to be outside the 30-state area served by the projects, or if you’re trying to locate a federal or military pension, use Pension Help America at www.pensionhelp.org. This resource can connect you with government agencies and private organizations that provide free information and assistance to help your search. For more pension-searching tips, see the PBGC’s free online publication called “Finding a Lost Pension” at www.pbgc. gov/documents/finding-a-lost-pension.pdf. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org
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omen’s Expo Cumberland County
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
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Travel Fair
November 7, 2015 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street Carlisle
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Carlisle Regional Medical Center • Freedom Auto Group • Freysinger Mazda Hyundai • Giant Food Stores Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology • The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School • Tanger Outlets at Hershey
FREE advance guest registration online! ($5 at the door) Talk to us about sponsor and exhibitor opportunities.
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September 2015
7
Fragments of History
Some Hurricane History Victor Parachin
F
or many decades, violent storms developing over the oceans have been given names. Until the early 20th century, many of the storms were named after saints. Then, in a departure, the U.S. government began using women’s names for hurricanes. Men’s names were added in 1978. Currently, six sets of names are used for both Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes. Those sets of names are used again every six years. For example, names used in 2002 were repeated in 2008. Representatives of countries that have hurricanes agree upon hurricane names at a meeting of the World Meteorological Organization, an agency of the United Nations. Atlantic Ocean hurricane names in 2002 included: Bertha, Cesar, Dolly, Edouard, Gustav, Isidore, Josephine, and Wilfred. Pacific Ocean hurricane names
that same year included: Boris, Douglas, Herman, Genevieve, Polo, Yolanda, and Zeke. Here are other fascinating hurricane facts. Cyclone, hurricane, typhoon … what’s the difference? Basically they’re the same, all describing violent and volatile ocean storms with wind speeds of 73 miles per hour or more. This kind of storm is a hurricane when it occurs in the Atlantic, a typhoon when it occurs in the Pacific, and a cyclone when it occurs in the Indian Ocean. A storm that wouldn’t die. Typhoon Gay, in late November 1992, first
traveled thousands of miles across the Pacific with winds up to 225 miles per hour. After beginning to die out, the typhoon reinvented itself by absorbing smaller storms and becoming another massive system that made its way through the Aleutian Islands, British Columbia, down to California, across to Texas, and eventually ending up as a great Northeast storm along the U.S. East Coast, where wind gusts reaching 90 miles per hour were recorded on Dec. 11, 1992. The first European settlement destroyed by a hurricane. Christopher Columbus was most fortunate on his
first few ocean-crossing journeys because he managed to avoid tropic tempests. He would battle with several on later voyages. In 1495, the small community of Isabella, founded by Columbus on Hispaniola, became the first European settlement destroyed by a hurricane. Deadliest U.S. hurricane. That sad designation goes to Galveston, Texas. The hurricane of September 1900 was the United States’ worst weather disaster. At the time, Galveston was built entirely on a sand bar, and no part of that city was more than 9 feet above sea level. When the hurricane hit with enormous force, not a single building on the island escaped damage, and more than half were swept into the sea. Officially, 6,000 people perished, but there is evidence that the actual death toll may have been as high as 8,000 to 12,000 people.
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September 2015
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Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori
Dumpster or No Dumpster: Schooldays Edition Lori Verderame
D
umpster or No Dumpster™ is now a familiar game that many play during my TV appearances, at my antiques appraisal events, and via social media on www.Facebook.com/ DoctorLori. After developing the game, I play it with folks as a fun way to help guide them through the process of figuring out what to trash and what’s worth cash! When faced with the decision of which items to pitch from a pile of school stuff, which items would you toss? Get ready to choose. Which would you Dumpster? 1. A Munsters TV show lunchbox, circa 1970s 2. A classroom set of instructional cursive writing panels, circa 1960s 3. A macaroni picture frame, circa 1980s 4. Pokemon trading cards, circa 19902000s 5. A United States history textbook, circa 1965
celebrities, and Some people don’t athletes appeared realize how much on lunchboxes, they money they are tossing became traded, out while cleaning out an attic, basement, collectible, and widely desirable. The Munsters storage unit, or vacant TV show lunchbox home. When you clean out from the 1970s featuring characters a house and you come across old items that Herman, Lily, and Munsters lunchbox Eddie is a keeper. you don’t know about and don’t know their worth, remember Value: $175-$250 they could have significant monetary OK, so that was an easy one. What value. about the other school items? Do they Using the five back-to-school items make the Dumpster or not? Remember, above, I will guide you as to how to you only have to decide the fate of five identify the valuables. items. Get an in-home appraisal first when you are going through a whole houseful of 1. Lunchboxes have been collectible stuff. OK, let’s continue. for decades. Since the early 1930s, the You are cleaning out your Aunt lunchtime carryall has been a highly Christine’s house, and she was an recognizable collectible. elementary school teacher … Do these In the 1950s when cartoon characters,
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items get relegated to the Dumpster? 2. Instructional cursive writing panels were once posted above chalkboards in American classrooms. These teaching aids helped children learn to write in cursive letters. Some of you may remember them, but there is a generation of millennials who were never taught cursive writing. With the introduction of personal computers, teaching cursive writing became a thing of the past. Unlike other valuable classroom items, these cardboard alphabet letter forms can go to the Dumpster. They aren’t worth much! 3. You have to keep the macaroni picture frame because a child in your life made it with love. You can store it for the long term in a plastic storage bag within a please see DUMPSTER page 14
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September 2015
9
Salute to a Veteran
His Plane Snatched Our Spy Cameras from the Sky Robert D. Wilcox
J
im Cunningham is a native of Central Pennsylvania, where he enrolled in Millersville State Teachers College. While a college senior there, he met an Air Force captain who changed his life. How did that happen? “Well,” he grins, “I had several special friends in college. And whenever we had a moment of spare time, a pinochle game was apt to break out. One day, we were playing cards when a young Air Force captain who was recruiting at our college told us of the wonders of becoming members of the Air Force. “Since we all faced the draft, what he had to say sounded pretty good to us. So, we all signed up in March of 1953 and were shipped to Sampson Air Force Base, in New York, to be evaluated as potential pilots. “As it turned out, I was the only one to be selected, but there were no openings
right then for pilots, aircraft of the day. From them were suspended so I accepted training to become a navigator. gondolas carrying highresolution cameras. When I completed The balloons were that, I was assigned as a navigator on a C-119 launched from Europe and would drift across and sent to Misawa Air Force Base in Japan for the Soviet Union on the winter jet stream a kind of exotic duty I covering nearly all of had never even heard the Soviet land mass. of.” It would take about That duty turned out to be playing a vital role three days for the balloons to clear Soviet in “Project Genetrix,” airspace. The gondolas a highly classified would then be cut program for obtaining James J. Cunningham in 1953 as an free from the balloons aerial photographs of aviation cadet at Ellsworth AFB in by radio signals, and, Communist China, Houston, Texas. while descending Eastern Europe, and the by parachute, they Soviet Union. We had developed large balloons that would be caught in midair by specially reached an altitude of 50,000 to 100,000 modified C-119s like the one in which Cunningham flew. feet, well beyond the altitude flown by
The program began on Jan. 10, 1956, and went on for 27 days. The Soviets were able to shoot down a great many of the balloons, but the 44 gondolas that were recovered provided 13,813 photos that covered 1,116,449 square miles of the USSR and China. And that was the only surveillance we had of the area at the time. That program ended when the CIA began flying the U-2 spy plane, which could fly above 70,000 feet, where it was invulnerable to Soviet anti-aircraft weapons of the time. There it took highresolution photos from the edge of the atmosphere. That program became famous when Gary Powers was shot down on May 1, 1960, after he had flown a U-2 over Soviet territory from a military base in Peshawar, Pakistan. In the meantime, Cunningham had returned to the U.S. and entered pilot
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training. After earning his wings, he Reserve, and then in 1966 he joined the was stationed at Hunter Air Force Base, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, where Savannah, Ga., where he flew the B-47 he retired in 1980 as a colonel. jet bomber for several years. Then he was Cunningham was an early member of reassigned to Westover Air Force Base in his area chapter of the Military Officers Massachusetts, Association of where he flew the America (MOAA), B-52, our longest serving as its range jet bomber. president in 2008 Didn’t the B-52 and 2009, and on fly exceptionally its board of directors long missions? for many more years “It sure did,” after that. Cunningham He also served for says. “A typical 11 years on a local mission was 12 to airport authority. The C-119, the plane Cunningham flew on 16 hours, but on when plucking spy cameras from the skies. And he and his wife, Airborne Alert, it Marge, have given was 24 to 26 hours, while the plane flew strong support for many years to a hostel across the Atlantic to refuel south of Spain for young people in India. with 100,000 pounds of fuel. It would Over his years of flying, Cunningham then fly around the Mediterranean twice, has amassed some 29,000 hours of time refuel again south of Spain, and return to in the air as navigator, flight engineer, and base at Westover.” pilot, with 15,000 hours of that time as In September of 1960, Cunningham pilot. left active duty in the Air Force as a He and Marge still make many lieutenant colonel and began flying for complimentary flights to vacation spots Pan Am, which was later absorbed by around the world with the U.S. Air Force United Airlines. During those years as an and United Airlines. He agrees that his airline pilot, he regularly flew to countries has been a charmed life … and says he literally around the world. He retired wouldn’t trade a day of it for any other. from United in 1988. Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in During all that time as an airline Europe in World War II. pilot, he had remained in the Air Force
November 13, 2015 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Spooky Nook Sports
2913 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim
They served us — now let us serve them! Reserve your space today!
The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families. The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.
2 events — 1 location At the Expo
Veterans Benefits & Services Community Services Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services
At the Job Fair
Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance
Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available To become a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact your account representative, call (717) 285-1350, or email info@onlinepub.com
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SEW from page 1 they aspire to follow the Biblical principle of looking out for their neighbors. “We believe that starts with your family. If anyone in our group has a family member in need, we’ll help them first and move on from there into our local city,” she said. Using fabric they receive from donations, the group passes on the items they make to other organizations, which distribute the pieces to people in need. Last year an organization requested 350 sets of hats, mittens, and scarves for Christmas. “We were told of that need in midOctober, so we put out the word to everyone we knew who is willing to sew, and we did it,” said Currens. “We pulled it off.” Although the Sewin’ Sisters have worked with more then 54 different local charities, they primarily work with City of Refuge Evangelism and Lighthouse Ministries. Currently about 20 women ranging in age from their 50s to 80s are part of the group, but women of any age are welcome to join. “It gives everyone an outlet, a chance
Currens’ living room, which doubles as Sewin’ Sisters Sewing’s workroom, is filled with sewing machines, project samples, and shelves stocked with rainbows of thread.
to be with people and leave all the other pressures behind,” she said. Even if a person does not like to sew, there are plenty of ways to become involved with Sewin’ Sisters Sowing. Volunteers who do not sew can sit and rip, count, cut, sort, iron, and launder fabrics according to the specific rules provided to the group. “Some people like to sew at home and then drop it off, and that’s fine too,” she added. Their creations are 100 percent washable and double-stitched or more for durability and are designed to be completed within two hours—even for a beginner. This enables the group to give
more without getting bogged down with complicated projects. “There’s always something to do,” said Currens. “And if you don’t know how to sew, we’ll teach you.” The group meets in Currens’ home, and she has converted her living room into a workroom and storage area for the Sewin’ Sisters. “For a lot of us, getting together and sewing and acting silly and crazy is the best escape,” she said. “And when a diehard sewer sits down at the sewing machine, she can escape from it all.” Currens designs many of the projects for the Sewin’ Sisters, and sometimes local organizations will approach her to
request a specialized creation. About five years ago, the YWCA needed a specific type of bag made to hang on the back of the doors in their shelter. The bag needed to be able to fit supplies inside for a mother and baby in the event of a fire, so that the mother would be able to grab the bag and leave without wasting precious time gathering things. The Sewin’ Sisters created more than 30 bags using home-decorator fabric and sewed neckties together to create a drawstring. “That was a cute piece, and they loved them,” Currens said. For four years, the ladies set up 16 sewing machines and provided a sewing experience to more than 500 adults and children at a local National Night Out. Currens said the labor of setting all the machines up for the event was more than worth it for the response they received. “People stood in line for 15 minutes to do it, and then they had one-on-one instruction,” she explained. The Sewin’ Sisters planned two different projects to choose from that could be sewn by a 5-year-old in six minutes’ time or less. “That was really fun, and that’s still
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one of my favorite projects that we’ve done together,” Currens said. “We’re trying to break down the fear of the sewing machine.” In many homes, the sewing machine is an oddly sacred item stored away in a room, and no one is really allowed to touch it. When some people finally
get the chance to operate one, Currens said they tend to be overwhelmed with unnecessary fear. And if fear doesn’t stop people from sewing, sometimes a law can. A law stating that all fabric had to be tested for lead—a test that costs a large chunk of money—nearly put an end to the Sewin’
Sisters’ giveaways. But Currens and her friends lobbied for change in the lead law, meeting with a senator in his office to show him exactly why the lead test was getting in the way of their giving—not to mention how much old fabric would end up in landfills because of the law.
Three weeks after their meeting, an exception to the law was made for home hobby businesses and volunteer groups. “I’m really proud of that,” Currens said. For more information on Sewin’ Sisters Sowing, visit http://sewinsisterssowing. blogspot.com or call (717) 561-9964.
Get the Full Impact from These Healthful Foods Certain foods have definite health benefits, but you have to eat them the right way to get their full impact. Here are some common foods you might be eating “wrong,” according to the CNN website:
Flaxseed. Full of fiber and omega-3, these little seeds may improve your heart health—as long as you grind them up first. Sprinkling them whole over your cereal or yogurt will keep their nutrients locked inside.
Broccoli. Eat this raw or steamed, not cooked, to receive the full dose of vitamin C, chlorophyll, and antioxidants this vegetable offers.
Garlic. The enzyme allicin, found in garlic, may help ward off cancer, but its benefits are more pronounced when it’s exposed to air. Let garlic sit for about 10 minutes after chopping to release this enzyme fully.
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Calendar of Events
Cumberland County
Support Groups
Free and open to the public
Sept. 1, 6 p.m. CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786
Sept. 9, 1:30 p.m. Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West – Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624
Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m. Too Sweet: Diabetes Support Group Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 557-9041
Sept. 9, 6 p.m. Amputee Support Team Meeting Hoss’s Steak & Sea House 61 Gettysburg Pike, Mechanicsburg (717) 939-6655 www.astamputees.com
Sept. 8, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Carlisle Area Men’s Cancer Support Group The Live Well Center 3 Alexandria Court, Carlisle (717) 877-7561 sirbrady12@gmail.com
Sept. 15, 1 p.m. Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880
Community Programs
Free and open to the public
Mondays and Wednesdays, noon to 12:45 p.m. Silver Sneakers and Silver and Fit Classes Living Well Fitness Center 207 House Ave., Suite 107, Camp Hill (717) 439-4070 Sept. 9, 11:30 a.m. NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465 VFW Post 7530 4545 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 737-1486 www.narfe1465.org Visitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.
Sept. 26, 11 a.m. New Cumberland Town Band Performance Apple Festival New Cumberland Borough Park Front and Bridge streets, New Cumberland www.nctownband.org If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.
Library Programs Amelia Givin Library, 114 N. Baltimore Ave., Mt. Holly Springs, (717) 486-3688 Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 Sept. 4, 7 p.m. – Music at Bosler Sept. 7, 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. – Monday Bosler Book Discussion Group Sept. 25, 1 to 2 p.m. – Just Mysteries! Book Club Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 Sept. 11, 4 to 7:30 p.m. – Blood Drive with Central PA Food Bank Sept. 15, 7 p.m. – Fredricksen Reads Book Discussion Group Sept. 24-27, times vary – Fall Media and Book Sale East Pennsboro Branch Library, 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola, (717) 732-4274 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 Sept. 3, 10:15 a.m. to noon – Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group: One Author Sept. 8, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Book Review: Rising Sun Descending by Wade Fowler Sept. 9, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Wednesday Great Books Discussion Group: Immigrant Voices – 21st-Century Stories Shippensburg Public Library, 73 W. King St., Shippensburg, (717) 532-4508
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Senior Center Activities
Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville Sept. 9, 9:30 a.m. – Th e Health Benefits of Making Smoothies Sept. 16, 9 a.m. – Making Fall Flower Arrangements Sept. 25, 8:30 a.m. – Men’s Breakfast
DUMPSTER from page 9 plastic tub to prevent insects from chewing it up in your storage area. Value: Sentimental and priceless! 4. Some Pokemon trading cards, circa 1999-2000s, are valuable today and some are perpetuating a longstanding myth. Here is the real deal: There are some Pokemon cards, like the holographic version of Charizard from the first edition printed in 1999, that bring big bucks from collectors. This card in excellent condition can command several hundreds to a few thousand dollars. Most Pokemon cards are worth $5 to $50 each. But, another Pokemon card that gets a lot of press is the famous Pikachu Illustrator card. And, this is important … this card was purportedly never released in English and never sold. It was a contest prize in Japan. It is believed that fewer than five such cards exist worldwide, and some say that each Pikachu Illustrator card is worth $20,000. In my expert opinion, I don’t think that card is worth $20,000 because no comparable card has ever been sold. If another card like it hasn’t sold for $20,000, then the elusive Pikachu Illustrator card isn’t worth $20,000. Don’t buy the hype. But if you find good-condition Pokemon cards, make sure they don’t end up in the Dumpster. Lastly, do you pitch the old United States history textbook full of out-of-date information? 5. Like outdated encyclopedias, old history textbooks aren’t worth that much to collectors unless they are special editions, series, etc. Most are best used for DIY or interiordesign projects, scrapbooking, etc. For instance, I’ve seen DIY bookcases made out of a wooden frame and glued-together old textbooks, as well as a DIY table base of vintage books with a glass top. Some people use the colorful, outdated, and cheaply printed maps from these books for a decorative wall display with a vintage look. Keep playing Dumpster or No Dumpster™ to discover which items are worth holding on to long term. Welcome back to school. Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and former museum director, Dr. Lori hosts antiques appraisal events worldwide. Dr. Lori is the star appraiser on Discovery channel. Visit www. DrLoriV.com/Events, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.
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A Place Where They Speak Your Language Vets and Active Military Turn Out for Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair
By Megan Joyce During her free seminar at the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair in Camp Hill, Karen Francis, a global career development facilitator, could not impress upon her listeners enough the importance of abandoning military-speak when applying for civilian employment. She likened military jargon to its own distinct language—one that contains several different dialects, no less. “For instance, I was asked, ‘Get your playbook and kneeboard.’ What? I don’t speak Air Force. I speak Army. A little bit of Navy. Some Marine Corps, but Air Force is a totally different language to me,” Francis said. “So make sure when you’re talking to people or when you’re writing something down, don’t use jargon—because these recruiters have no idea what you’re talking about.” But for one day, at least, the language barrier was less of an obstacle for the hundreds of veterans and active military who attended to Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg. Composed of more than 100 exhibitors, the day was a two-for-one event presented by OLP Events and hosted by b magazine and 50plus Senior News; admission was free to the public. It was the first time the one-day event had come to the Capital Area. The event is also held in Lancaster in the fall and in York in the spring. Some servicemen and women came to connect with the local businesses, organizations, and community resources composing the Expo; some came for the Job Fair, on the hunt for new employment as civilians. One Job Fair guest attended the event on behalf of her husband, a Navy veteran whose 29-year job had recently been sent overseas. “He currently has a job, but it’s basically doing what he graduated from high school doing and not what [he’s trained in],” she said. “He can’t take off work to come because it’s a new job, so I came here to pick up information for him.” Ray Kalbach of Annville was perusing the Expo side of the event space. An Air Force vet now retired after 32 years with the Naval Support Activity in Mechanicsburg and six years at the Department of Revenue in Harrisburg, Kalbach was collecting information for those helped by the Berks-Lancaster-Lebanon LINK and the Lebanon VA Medical Center. Kalbach volunteers for both organizations. “Any information I can get that I can relay to somebody else is a big help,” Kalbach noted. Harrisburg resident Betty Watkins served in a branch of the Army that doesn’t even exist anymore: the Women’s Army Corps, which disbanded in 1978 after the Army integrated its male and female units. “I’ve retired and I’m bored and need extra money, so I’m looking for employment,” said Watkins, whose clerical and management background includes having managed one of the largest low-income housing communities in the state’s capital city. Watkins added she was hoping to find out more about Veterans Administration benefits. “It’s been really nice,” she said of the event. “I’ve been mainly in the job area. Everyone’s very friendly, very ready to give you information and sign you up for their company or whatever they’re representing.” In addition to Francis’s seminar, titled “Translate Your Military Skills into Corporate Speak,” job seekers were welcome to attend two other free seminars. Dennis Heinle, SCORE mentor, offered “Are You Ready to Own a Business?” and Tracey Jones, veteran and president of Tremendous Life Books, focused on interview skills and online job-search tools in “Launching Your Next Career.” Also, Steven Francis Photography offered veterans free professional headshots to help with their social media profiles and online job searches. Sponsors of the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair – Capital Area were CBS21, Country Gold 1000/AM 960, Disabled American Veterans – Department of Pennsylvania, Fulton Financial Corporation, The Guide, Pennsylvania American Legion, Pennsylvania State Headquarters VFW, PHEAA, PinnacleHealth, The SYGMA Network, and Weis Markets. The Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair will return to Lancaster Friday, Nov. 13, at Spooky Nook Sports, Manheim. For more information, call (717) 285-1350 or visit www. veteransexpo.com. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
YORK COUNTY
LANCASTER COUNTY
Sept. 23, 2015
Sept. 30, 2015
2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim
Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Avenue York
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. York Expo Center
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spooky Nook Sports
(Just off Rt. 283 at the Salunga exit)
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Oct. 21, 2015 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street Carlisle
FREE PARKING!
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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