50plus Life Dauphin County – June 2022 by On-Line Publishers, Inc.

Complimentary | Dauphin County Edition

June 2022

Just breathe ... and then move page 4

how to get help as an elder orphan page 12

African american music appreciation month page 15

Willing to Wander

Victor Block

The Often-Overlooked Islands of New York City

Mention New York City and “islands” in the same breath, and it’s likely that Liberty and Ellis will come to mind. Liberty Island is home to the world-famous statue that, since 1886, has welcomed people to the United States. Once here, many of them were processed through the immigrant station on Ellis Island. The pleasant surprise Photo credit: Dalia Kvedaraite/Dreamstime.com is that New York City Food-stealing squa birds are residents of the comprises 40-odd islands, Chimney Sweeps Islands. many of them little known to visitors. Some are open to guests, while those that are not have attractions that may be viewed from offshore (nycgo.com). From recreation to restaurants, chattering birds to sullen seals, the islands appeal to a variety of interests. Here’s an introduction to several that might convince you to do a bit of island hopping the next time you visit “the Big Apple.” ••• Photo credit: Alexat25/Dreamstime.com Randalls and Wards One of numerous restaurants on City Island. islands were separated until, in the 1960s, the channel between them was filled in. Much of Randalls is set aside as parks that house athletic fields, a driving range, and other recreational facilities. In the past, it was the site of asylums, hospitals, and cemeteries. During the Revolutionary War, Randalls and Wards — which Native Americans called Minnehanonck and Tenkenas — were the site of British military posts. They were used to launch attacks on Manhattan. Other islands also saw chapters of history play out. In 1637 the Dutch governor of what was then New Amsterdam purchased an island in the East River from its Native American owners, and then lost it when the Netherlands surrendered to Britain in 1664. In 1796, a descendant of the original English owner built a home, which is the sixth oldest house in New York City. Almost a century later, a Gothic-style lighthouse was constructed on the northern tip of the island. In 1973, the name was changed to Roosevelt Island to honor the 32nd

June 2022

50plus Life

president of the country, and planning for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park got underway. The focus of the park is a plaza containing a bust of Roosevelt and excerpts from his famous “Four Freedoms” speech carved onto walls. The name of Mill Rock Island is said to have come from a man who constructed a tidal mill there around 1701. At the Photo credit: Linda Harms/Dreamstime.com start of the War of 1812, A bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s head at Four the U.S. War Department Freedoms State Park. built a blockhouse armed with cannons to guard New York Harbor from the British navy. Mile-long Hart Island has filled numerous roles, including serving as a Civil War Union prisoner-of-war camp. At that time, it held 3,413 captured Confederate Army soldiers, a number of whom died and were buried nearby. Memories of a different war and other historical tidbits linger on Swinburne Island. The 4-acre artificial Photo credit: PicturemakersLLC/Dreamstime.com enclave, and nearby The New York City skyline provides a Hoffman Island, served backdrop for a Randalls Island soccer game. as training stations for the U.S. Merchant Marine at the start of World War II. Some of the Quonset huts that were erected still stand. Those islands played a very different role in the early 20th century: as quarantine locations for immigrants. After several cholera epidemics swept across the world, the U.S. government used them to house immigrants seeking to enter the country who were found to be suffering from contagious diseases. Swinburne and Hoffman Islands today are part of a National Recreation Area. While they’re not open to the public, it’s possible to spot harbor and gray seals that hang out on Swinburne. Wildlife also is an attraction on the Chimney Sweeps Islands, a pair of small dots of bedrock in City Island Harbor. They’re inhabited by numerous birds, including gulls, great blue herons, and predatory skuas, which love to steal food from other seabirds. There are two legends about the origin of the islands’ name. One is that, please see NEW YORK on page 14

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The Heimlich Maneuver Saves Lives By Nancy J. Schaaf, RN If you see someone clutching their throat, coughing, gagging, or wheezing, would you know what to do? When food or other foreign objects become stuck in the airway, they can cause choking. Choking prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain, and lack of oxygen for more than four minutes may cause brain damage or death. We should recognize and know how to handle National Heimlich choking at home and in public places. Experts Maneuver Day: June 1 recommend the Heimlich maneuver, or abdominal thrusts, to dislodge objects and prevent suffocation. National Heimlich Maneuver Day is June 1. Dr. Henry Heimlich invented the maneuver in 1974 when he discovered the remaining air in a person’s lungs could be used to dislodge a foreign object from the esophagus. This method is essentially an abdominal thrust where we place our fist slightly above the navel of a person who is choking. Then, with our other hand, we grasp our fist and shove it inward and upward to expel the object causing the person to choke. In 2020, around 5,000 choking deaths occurred in the United States. Choking is not always related to an underlying health condition. It may be caused by eating or drinking quickly, talking with food in the mouth, swallowing food without chewing adequately, or curious children putting objects in their mouths. Death from choking is more common among the elderly, with food most often responsible for such incidents. Choking is also hazardous among young children, as they can choke on food and small objects, such as toys with small parts or coins. We can prevent choking in adults by cutting food into small pieces; chewing food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures; and avoiding laughing and talking while chewing and swallowing. Specific preventive measures for infants and children include keeping small objects and other hazards out of reach; cutting their food into small pieces, especially round foods such as hot dogs and grapes; avoiding hard candy; and supervising while children are eating and playing. However, despite precautions, choking may occur. We should use the Heimlich maneuver if a person is conscious but choking. We can usually tell a person is choking if they cannot speak, breathe, or cough. Ask the person, “Are you choking?” They may cough but cannot talk to ask for help. The universal choking symbol, holding your hands up and clutching your throat, is often used. Do not attempt the Heimlich maneuver if a person can speak, cough, or breathe. Encourage the person to keep coughing. Sometimes a strong cough can free the foreign object. Only perform the Heimlich maneuver if a person’s life is in danger. A different technique is used in infants and small children, so discuss www.50plusLifePA.com

the proper first-aid choking technique with a healthcare provider. • Stand behind the victim with one leg How can we learn forward, between the victim’s legs. the correct way to help someone who is choking? • For a child, move down to their Using abdominal thrusts level, and keep your head to one side. is often taught during first aid and cardiopulmonary • Reach around the abdomen and locate resuscitation (CPR) the navel. classes. Contact a local • Place the thumb side of your fist against chapter of the American the abdomen just above the navel. Red Cross or American Heart Association or a • Grasp your fist with your other hand local hospital or healthcare and thrust inward and upward into the facility for a class schedule victim’s abdomen with quick jerks. and more information. • Continue thrusts until the victim expels National Heimlich the object or becomes unresponsive. Maneuver Day is important, as awareness • Even after choking stops, seek medical can save many lives. We attention. all can make a conscious decision to learn more about the method and educate others so that we are prepared the next time an unfortunate choking situation occurs.

The Heimlich Maneuver

The ultimate resource for boomer and senior living and care options.

26th Annual Edition

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50plus Life

June 2022

Cover Story

Just Breathe ... and then Move By Lynda Hudzick Corporate Office

P.O. Box 8049, Lancaster, PA 17604 Phone (717) 285-1350 (610) 675-6240 Fax (717) 285-1360 Email 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

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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.

June 2022

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June Smith Center provided a safe, comforting, and unique educational program for students with special needs. Sally McKinney, or “Miss Sally” as she’s perhaps “We were able to assure better known these days, has the families that their always wanted to make a children have skills and positive impact on others in will make progress,” she whatever way she can. said. “Interacting with the Even in the midst of a parents was as important as pandemic, McKinney found interacting with the kids.” a way to do just that by Fast-forward to 2020 and connecting virtually with McKinney, though having friends of all ages. Although recently retired, was asked she admits she is “not at all by several of those parents if skilled with technology,” she could do something to she is thrilled when anyone stay in touch and “keep their acknowledges the difference kids engaged and learning” her online presence has made during the pandemic, she in their lives. said. A Lancaster native and “I decided to read a book daughter of self-employed … and post it on Facebook florists, McKinney spent her and Instagram.” childhood surrounded by She opened each book“warm, sunny greenhouses reading segment by engaging and the smell of sweet peas, the children with her “breath carnations, gladiolas, and ball,” which she said helped many more.” the children “calm down and She remembers helping focus before being asked to with the business as a kid sit and listen to the story and alongside her brother. look at the pictures.” “We were examples of The infamous “breath ‘take your kids to work day’ ball,” which McKinney used every day,” she said. in her classroom during A graduate of Pequea her teaching days as a Valley High School, calming strategy, is simply she received both her an expandable ball that she undergraduate and graduate opens while inhaling and degrees in elementary closes while exhaling. education from Millersville “It caught on, and soon I University. She is also the had adults, including parents proud mother of two adult and grandparents, saying, daughters. ‘I love your breath ball and McKinney spent her breathe with you when you teaching career as a preschool do your online story time … special needs teacher for ages where can I buy one? I need 3-6 at the S. June Smith McKinney’s many story-time videos one!’” McKinney said. Center for 42 years. have earned her a devoted following Her reading videos provide “It wasn’t a chosen career,” among area preschoolers. a great opportunity for she said. “It happened to be grandparents to connect with something I applied for, and their grandchildren. it sounded like fun!” “It’s fun to sit together for some quality time and McKinney found those years both rewarding read and learn — I go to the library a lot to get and challenging and particularly enjoyed good books,” she said. interacting with families who were “sending their And with so many options to choose from, children who had unique and special needs, many McKinney said “you can definitely get lost in complex, to school, for the first time.” books at any age. I saw a billboard that said, ‘You McKinney is proud that her work with the S. www.50plusLifePA.com

can’t buy happiness, but you can buy books.’ I wish I had thought of that because it is so true!” As much as she encourages reading, McKinney also believes in the importance of getting up and moving, and it is that belief that led her to work on the creation of some “movement” videos for adults of any age. “I absolutely believe that movement is medicine and the key to a better, happier life,” McKinney said. “I’ve posted a few simple fitness videos that guide people and give instructions to move … movement can be done anywhere, anytime, with family, friends, kids, by yourself … just do it!” During the quarantine, McKinney and her daughters took that movement idea on the road, visiting nursing homes and sharing dances they had created with the residents, while safely remaining outdoors. “We brought some joy to the isolated residents by walking around to their windows outside and blasting our music … even getting them to get up and move a bit,” she said. “I think it was as therapeutic for us as it was for them.” McKinney is excited that people are enjoying her story-time and fitness videos and has actually been recognized a few times when out and about. “Kids will say to their parents, ‘There’s Miss Sally from TV,’ or ‘Miss Sally, do you have any books, and where is your breath ball?’” McKinney said. “I love sharing, and I want to make an impact … I am so happy when anyone acknowledges my contribution.” As has always been her wish, McKinney continues to make a very positive difference to those around her. Soni Dimond, host/producer of the “Vibrant Living” segment series on abc27 WHTM-TV’s Good Day PA, recently featured McKinney on the program and found her inspiring. “I am convinced we need Miss Sally in our lives!” Dimond said. “Adults and all generations love her!” You can connect with Miss Sally via Instagram on instagram.com/ sallyemckinney or on Facebook at facebook.com/smckinney21.

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June 2022

Assisted Living Residences/Personal Care Homes Listings with a screened background have additional information about their services in a display advertisement in this edition.

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Bethany Village — MapleWood

325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 • 717-766-0279 www.BethanyVillage.org • jyockin@asbury.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Licensure: Yes Personal Care Licensure: No Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Telemedicine Available: No Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Featuring private accommodations with aroundthe-clock assistance to help you stay active and engaged.

evergreen estates retirement community

1600 East King Street • Lancaster, PA 17602 • 717-394-2208 www.evergreenestatesrc.com • john@evergreenestatesrc.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 125 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

The Hickman friends senior community of west chester

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 125 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

400 North Walnut Street • West Chester, PA 19380 484-760-6300 • www.thehickman.org

Telemedicine Available: No Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: The Hickman is a senior living community located in the heart of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Guided by Quaker principles and tradition, The Hickman provides individualized care and assistance to older adults who seek a safe and affordable living environment.

Homeland Center

1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-221-7727 • www.homelandcenter.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 56 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Homewood at Plum Creek

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No

Moravian Manor Communities

300 West Lemon Street • Lititz, PA 17543 • 717-626-0214 moravianmanorcommunities.org • info@moravianmanor.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 55 Assisted Living Licensure: Yes Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

June 2022

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No – visiting pets only. Comments: To schedule a personal appointment, please call Cindy Redinger at 717-625-6126.

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Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Providing exemplary care in a beautiful environment for more than 150 years. Our continuum of care includes therapy services, skilled rehab, 24-hour medical staffing, plus Hospice, HomeHealth, and HomeCare outreach programs. All-private rooms include a full bath and kitchenette.

Landis Homes

425 Westminster Avenue • Hanover, PA 17331 717-637-4166 • www.homewoodplumcreek.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 93 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-private Rooms: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: No Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes

1001 East Oregon Road • Lititz, PA 17543 • 717-844-9766 www.LandisHomes.org • admissions@landis.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 97 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

vibralife senior living

707 Shepherdstown Road • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-591-2100 • www.vibralife.net • amilburn@vibralifemc.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 46 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No

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CROSSWORD

Puzzle Page

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18. SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

Rivers of the U.S.

Across 1. Concludes 5. Lackawanna’s lake 9. Wistful word 13. Writer Ephron 14. Do penance 15. Singer Falana 16. Black stone 17. Hare 19. Letters of distress 20. Columbo star Peter 21. Jewish scholar 22. Successor 24. Stir-fry pan 26. Yang’s counterpart Down 1. Son of Seth 2. Faux pas 3. After dinner drink 4. Woodwind instrument 5. And others, for short 6. Stone 7. Octopus’s defense 8. Always, in verse 9. Jessica of Dark Angel 10. Foyer 11. Excuse 12. Gown material 14. Open slightly 18. Biblical boat

27. Amphitheater 29. Droop 30. Most painful 32. Eight furlongs 34. Wager 37. Gob 38. Douglas fir, e.g. 40. Harem room 41. One of Alcott’s Little Women 42. Kind of exam 43. Farm horse 45. Draw 46. Liabilities

47. 50. 51. 52. 54. 56. 59. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68.

Split pea Electric fish Depend ___ artery Feathery scarves Barbecue site Craziness Former Yugoslav leader Band member Actor’s forte From scratch Bouquet Consider Doctrines

20. Debacle 23. Compass pt. 24. Homeless child 25. Looked amorously 27. Hammett hound 28. Drift 29. Photog’s request 31. Bakery offering 33. Wears away 34. Hair holders 35. Blue-pencil 36. Beach shades 39. Brad 44. Actress Barbara ___ Geddes

47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 53. 54. 55. 57. 58. 60. 61. 62.

Repeat For all to hear Oblivion Author Umberto Beams From a distance Well (It.) Provo neighbor News bit Pulls Ancient Fish story Mai ___

Your ad could be here on this popular page! Please call (717) 285-1350 for more information.

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50plus Life

June 2022

On Life and Love after 50

Tom Blake

Why High School Reunions are Good Places for Singles to Meet

In a recent e-newsletter, I wrote about a couple who started dating after reuniting at their high school reunion in 2018. The woman lives in Illinois; the man lives in California, near his three daughters, seven grandchildren, and 96-year-old mom. The woman is frustrated because they live so far apart. She wonders if she’s wasting her time with him. Readers responded, including a woman named Althea, who wrote: “Your recent article inspired me to share this high school reunion story with you. My half-brother, Ray, who is now 89, was married for over 50 years to Shirley and was widowed in March 2010 at the age of 77. “In 2011, there was a summer high school class reunion in our hometown of Foxboro, Massachusetts, which he attended. He was living in South Carolina. “At that reunion, he met Diane, a woman he had known in high school, who graduated a year after he graduated. He knew her through a family member of hers. She is a retired nurse and a widow with five kids, and Ray also

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has five kids. “Diane lived in Ohio. Ray visited her there, and she visited him in South Carolina. Plus, between visits, they spent a lot of time talking over the phone. “Ray and Diane married a year after Shirley died. I thought it was crazy and disrespectful to his wife of 50-plus years until I talked to him and my nephew, his oldest son, about it. They both said that Shirley wanted Ray to be happy and not be alone for the rest of his years. “Even though Ray and Diane married quickly, they are still together and happy, now living in Ohio in an assisted living facility. “The key to senior relationships is honest and upfront communication. The woman from your most recent article needs to have communication with the California guy if they are to be a forever couple who met at a high school reunion.” I’ve written about two of my high school classmates — Phil and Sue — who hadn’t seen or communicated with each other since graduation. At our 50th Jackson, Michigan, high school reunion in 2007, they spent 20 minutes talking to each other. Both were married at the time. Five years ago, Phil became a widower. He heard from another classmate that Sue was divorced. He lived in California; Sue lived in Michigan. He contacted her and asked if he could visit her. She said yes. When they were together in Michigan for a week, they realized they had special feelings for each other. After he returned home to California, he proposed to her over the phone. They were married two weeks later in California. Sue moved there to be with Phil. These two reunion stories illustrate four reasons why high school reunions are good places for older adults to meet potential partners: 1. The number of singles attending increases. As we age, more and more people who attend reunions are single again. Often widows and widowers attend because they know the people and feel more comfortable among them. 2. A single person might see someone they had secretly admired in high school who is also now single. Why not spend some time together? 3. When people who have known each other for years share memories and experiences at class reunions, they often have much in common, which is an important factor in compatibility. 4. Sometimes, people from different graduating classes also attend reunions, which means even more singles are there. You might meet someone older or younger whom you didn’t even know before.

View the 2021 edition online at www.BusinessWomanPA.com 8

June 2022

50plus Life

When you receive that reunion notice, don’t just toss it aside. An unexpected meeting could happen. For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to findingloveafter50.com.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Your primary care provider is a partner in your health.

Dr. Chinwendu Opara

WellSpan Family Medicine, Roosevelt Ave

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50plus Life

June 2022

Scenes from the Dauphin County 50plus EXPO We were thrilled to be back in person for the 23rd annual Dauphin County 50plus EXPO on April 28 at the Hershey Lodge! Did you join us? If so, you might find yourself here! If not, see what you missed — and please, join us next time!

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June 2022

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Dauphin County AAA Offering Farmers Market Vouchers The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging have again partnered to make the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program available to Dauphin County residents age 60 years or older (or who will turn 60 by Dec. 31). Eligible Dauphin County seniors will receive four vouchers worth $6 apiece for a total value of $24. Customers will not receive change if the SFMNP purchase does not total $6. They may be offered additional SFMNP-eligible food to make the purchase an even $6. To be eligible, Dauphin County residents age 60 and older must have an annual income at or below $25,142 for a one-person household or $33,874 for a two-person household. SFMNP-eligible food is defined as “grown or able to be grown in Pennsylvania.” Vouchers are not accepted for citrus or tropical fruits, such as bananas, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tangerines, pineapples, or mangoes. SFMNP vouchers are not accepted for processed food, e.g., jams, honey, nuts, cider, or baked goods. Vouchers cannot be used at grocery stores or supermarkets. The program does not include seniors who are living in nursing home facilities, convents, and residential facilities where meals are provided. The SFMNP vouchers will not be distributed in person at the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging, senior centers, or any mass-distribution sites. Vouchers can only be obtained Are you 62+ or by completing a short application 18 to 61 with permanent and mailing (or emailing) it to the disabilities? Dauphin County Area Agency on Welcome to your Aging. new home! Once a completed application is utilities included! received, the vouchers will be mailed Look at all we have to offer ... to the applicant’s address provided Newly Renovated Units, Fitness Center, on the application. Service Coordinator, and More ... The application is available Give us a call and check out on Dauphin County’s website our fabulous facilities. We offer congregate meals to (dauphinc.org), or it can be obtained all residents, Mon.–Fri., at 11:30 a.m. by calling the Area Agency on Aging b’nai B’rith Apartments at (717) 780-6209. 130 South Third Street • Harrisburg (717) 232-7516

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KEEPING SENIORS IN THEIR HOMES, IT’S WHAT WE DO. CHECK FOR YOUR ELIGIBILITY:

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June 2022

Savvy Senior

How to Get Help as an Elder Orphan Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, I need to find someone honest and reliable to look after my estate, health, and long-term care when I’m no longer able to do it myself. I’m a 67-year-old recent widow with no children and one sibling I rarely talk to. Any suggestions? – Solo Ager Dear Solo, This is big concern for millions of older Americans who don’t have a spouse, children, or other family they can depend on to watch out for their well-being. While there’s no one solution to this issue, here are some tips and resources that can help you plan ahead. Essential Documents If you haven’t already done so, your first step, before choosing a reliable decision maker, is to prepare a basic estate plan of at least four essential legal documents. This will protect you and make sure your wishes are carried out if you become seriously ill or when you die. These essential documents include:

• A “durable power of attorney” that allows you to designate someone to handle your financial matters if you become incapacitated • A n “advanced healthcare directive” that includes a “living will” that tells your doctor what kind of care you want to receive if you become incapacitated • A “healthcare power of attorney,” which names a person you authorize to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to • A “will” that spells out how you’d like your property and assets distributed after you die and requires you to designate an “executor” to ensure your wishes are carried out To prepare these documents, your best option is to hire an attorney, which can cost anywhere between $500 and $2,000. Or, if you are interested in a do-it-yourself plan, Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2022 and LegalZoom.com are some top options. please see ORPHAN on facing page

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June 2022

50plus Life

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It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘The Candy Man’ Randal Hill

“It’s horrible. It’s white bread, it’s ‘cute-ums.’” The Candy Man, oh, the Candy Man can Sammy Davis Jr. couldn’t imagine singing lyrics that The Candy Man can ’cause he mixes it with love included such cloying phrases as “groovy lemon pies.” But And makes the world taste good Davis was being pressured to record “The Candy Man” by both his manager and Mike Curb, the 26-year-old hotshot Woods did a serviceable job on the tune, but Newley president of MGM Records. hated the rather stiff rendition and felt that Woods’s version Curb was convinced the song had “hit” written all over could easily doom a potential hit single. Newley decided to it — but only if done by Davis. Before he approached the record his own interpretation, but Mike Curb got the jump legendary vocalist, Curb recruited his 16-member recording on him. group — the Mike Curb Congregation — to tape a Eventually, Davis capitulated, still fearing this could childlike background for “The Candy Man.” become a regrettable decision. Focused on a forthcoming Now if only Davis could be convinced to lay down a trip to Vietnam to entertain the troops, he hurried through vocal track … “The Candy Man” in two takes. As a member of the legendary Rat Pack, Davis had When he listened to the playback in the recording studio, earned celebrity by performing for sophisticated adult Davis moaned, “This record is going straight into the toilet, audiences. Was he willing to risk his reputation now by and it may just pull my whole career down with it.” recording a featherweight kiddie ditty? To his amazement (but not Curb’s), the single caught the Photo credit: NBC Television Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was the classic nation’s ear when music fans of all ages embraced the joy Sammy Davis Jr. performing on 1971 movie based on the 1964 book Charlie and the the television program The Perry that Davis offered here. “The Candy Man” shot to No. 1 on Como Show. Chocolate Factory by children’s writer Roald Dahl. Billboard’s chart and even earned a Grammy nomination. In Dahl’s novel, the main character is Charlie Bucket, In time, the 45 topped playlists worldwide. “The Candy Man” who, along with four other juveniles, visits a candy factory “There are lots of regional hits, but rarely does a record By Sammy Davis Jr. owned by the eccentric chocolatier Willie Wonka (played to become an international hit,” Davis explained later, June 1972 perfection by Gene Wilder). probably with a smile and perhaps a slight feeling of guilt. British entertainment partners Anthony Newley and “With a 5% royalty, I made half a million dollars.” Leslie Bricusse had created the music for the film’s soundtrack. The first tune heard is “The Candy Man.” Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream Sung by actor Aubrey Woods as the neighborhood candy-store owner named Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream? Bill, the shopkeeper enthusiastically extols the magical properties of Wonka’s The Candy Man. Oh, the Candy Man can seductive sweets: Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two?

ORPHAN from facing page Choosing Decision Makers and Helpers Most people think first of naming a family member as their power of attorney for finances and healthcare or executor of their will. If, however, you don’t have someone to fill those roles, you may want to ask a trusted friend or associate, but be sure to choose someone who is organized and younger than you who will likely be around after you’re gone. Also be aware that if your choice of power of attorney or executor lives in another state, you’ll need to check your state’s law to see if it imposes any special requirements. If, however, you don’t have a friend or relative you feel comfortable with, you’ll need to hire someone who has experience with such matters. To find a qualified power of attorney or executor for your will, contact your bank, a local trust company, or an estate planning attorney. If you need help locating a pro, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (naela.org) is a great resource that provides online directory to help you find someone in your area. Another resource that can help you manage and oversee your health and longwww.50plusLifePA.com

Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

term care needs as they arise, and even act as your healthcare power of attorney, is an aging life care manager. These are trained professionals in the area of geriatric care who often have backgrounds in nursing or social work. To search for an expert near you, visit aginglifecare.org. Or, if you need help with bill paying and other financial/insurance/tax chores, there are professional daily money managers (see aadmm.com) that can help. Aging life care managers typically charge between $75 and $200 per hour, while hourly rates for daily money managers range between $75 and $150. It’s also important to note that if you don’t complete the aforementioned legal documents and you become incapacitated, a court judge may appoint a guardian to make decisions on your behalf. That means the care you receive may be totally different from what you would have chosen for yourself. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

50plus Life

June 2022

Bob’s Tech Talk Extra

The Brave New World of Tap-to-Pay Bob DeLaurentis

There are newer, more secure, and more convenient choices available to make payments at most cash registers. Secret PIN codes and signatures are making way for methods like tapto-pay plastic cards and smartphones. Savvy consumers can take advantage of these methods to reduce the likelihood their credit and debit card numbers could be stolen. Even better, the new methods are faster and easier to use. After years of swiping cards, signing receipts, and entering PIN codes, the new methods may seem awkward at first. But with a little practice and patience, you’ll soon be breezing through the process. Credit card fraud is a serious problem. I have had my card information stolen several times. The experiences have left me poorer but wiser. But what really influenced my thinking was a job working on software that processed credit card transactions. I had a front-row seat to fraud and the damage it causes. So now, I prefer paying by the most secure method possible at cash registers.

The new technology behind these transaction methods is known as near field radio communication. There is a chance you might see the acronym NFRC (or RFID), but the most commonly used descriptions are “tapto-pay” or “contactless payments.” The latter gained prominence for obvious reasons during the COVID era. These names, along with others, often appear alongside large graphic symbols that denote tapto-pay. Even in my small town, no two point-of-sale terminals work the same way. Yet the basic steps needed to pay are the same. Once the terminal is ready to accept payment, you place either a smartphone or contactless credit card within a couple inches of the terminal for a few seconds. You do not actually have to tap anything; just pause a moment until the terminal beeps a confirmation. After the beep, you may still be asked to sign a receipt or perhaps add a tip, but overall the process is quick and easy — once you try it a few times. please see PAY on facing page

NEW YORK from page 2 from a distance, they resemble “chimney sweeps,” brooms used to clean out the chimneys of houses. The other is that a man once purchased the islands using money he had earned sweeping chimneys. Then there are islands that serve as venues for a variety of activities and entertainment. City Island, which contains a neighborhood of the Bronx, echoes the charm of a New Photo credit: Gilad Fiskus/Dreamstime.com England fishing village, The Statue of Liberty dominates Liberty provided by oystermen, Island. shipbuilders, and ship pilots who settled there in the past. Along with marinas and yacht clubs, it’s famous for dozens of seafood restaurants where lobster is a popular specialty. Adding to the atmosphere are the spectacular Samuel Pell Mansion, built by a well-to-do oysterman in the 19th century, and the Nautical Museum, which displays maritime artifacts and antiques. Speaking of atmosphere, the Climate Museum on Governors Island combines art, science, and various activities to raise awareness about climate change. It’s housed in a former military officer’s house dating from when the island was a U.S. Army post.

June 2022

50plus Life

Photo credit: Sangaku/Dreamstime.com

Cannons at Fort Jay on Governors Island.

The island’s name stems from the British Colonial era, when the island was reserved for use of royal governors of New York. The 172-acre protuberance in New York Harbor hosts an impressive year-round roster of programs and exhibitions that can make it worth a visit. Adding to the appeal are fortifications built to protect New York Harbor. Fort Jay, completed in 1795 and reconstructed several times, was designed to have 100 guns and barracks for 230 troops.

Whether you’re seeking a fishing village or a fort, an outstanding meal or an interesting museum, the below-the-radar islands of New York City may be worth checking out. After gallivanting around the world, Victor Block still retains the travel bug. He believes that travel is the best possible education. A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Victor loves to explore new destinations and cultures, and his stories about them have won a number of writing awards.

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Appreciating African American Music This Month By James Patterson

performers as Checker, Johnny Mathis (b. 1935), James Brown (1933-2006), and other African American musicians contributed to the end of racial segregation In April, singer Nat King Cole’s 1961 version of “The across the country. Christmas Song” was added to the Library of Congress’s Reportedly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) 2022 National Recording Registry. Cole (1919-1965) was a fan of legendary blues singer B.B. King (1925had one of the smoothest voices of all singers. 2015). Alabama saw difficult times during the struggle Other great African Americans on the 2022 National for Civil Rights in the 1960s. B.B. King helped the Civil Recording Registry include Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Rights cause in Birmingham, Alabama. for his 1956 jazz album Ellington at Newport; Louis Celebrate African American Music Appreciation “Satchmo” Armstrong (1901-1971) for his 1938 “When Month by listening to your favorite songs by African the Saints Go Marching In”; and Mississippi opera star American artists. Expand your appreciation by listening Leontyne Price (b. 1927), et al., for 1965’s Aida (album). to other African American musicians across musical For a full list of the 2022 selections for the National fields, such as opera, folk music, international pop Recording Registry, see loc.gov/programs/nationalmusic, etc. recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/ Another way to celebrate African American Music complete-national-recording-registry-listing. Singer Dinah Washington, 1962. Appreciation Month is to write to our older African During African American Music Appreciation American artists. In your letter, extend your or your Month, music lovers might enjoy reading about the family’s appreciation for the artist’s contribution to America’s music. careers of their favorite musicians. For example, many African American Many mailing addresses for these older artists can easily be found on the musicians had roots in Alabama. internet, and many older artists sell autographed photos personalized for their Alabama’s list of African American musicians is long; it includes Cole, fans. W.C. Handy (1873-1958), Dinah Washington (1924-1963), Percy Sledge If you include a gift with your letter of appreciation, consider a book of (1940-2015), Wilson Pickett (1941-2006), Martha Reeves (b. 1941), Big Mama postage stamps or other practical items. Include return postage on a selfThornton (1926-1984), and Lionel Ritchie (b. 1949). addressed envelope if you want a reply. Ritchie recently received the Library of Congress’s Gershwin Prize for During African American Music Appreciation Month, stay mentally, Popular Song. Pennsylvania’s famous African American musicians include Chubby Checker socially, and physically active. Enjoy music with friends. Dance away stress. Our senior days are as happy as we make them. (b. 1941), Billie Holliday (1915-1959), Ethel Waters (1886-1977), Marian Dance your way to happiness? Give it a try! Anderson (1897-1993), Patti LaBelle (b. 1944), Solomon Burke (1940-2010), and others. James Patterson is a Washington, D.C.-based writer and speaker. In the 1950s and 1960s, AM radio stations provided a steady stream of African American music to keep teens dancing. The popularity of such

PAY from facing page Understanding why it is better requires a bit of backstory. With traditional credit cards, the number embossed on the card identifies the account. Other numbers, including the expiration date, the number on the back of the card, and the PIN code were added over time to make fraud more difficult. I still remember the days when complete credit card numbers and expiration dates appeared on printed receipts, making them prime sources for thieves. Those were not the good old days, although they do help me explain this next part. The reason tap-to-pay methods are more secure is in how the numbers are handled. Compared to previous methods, your card number is invisible. Rather than depending on a permanent number, a single-use number is created on the fly and used instead. The overall effect is that your actual card number never appears anywhere, and your personal information is used in a more secure way. My advice is simple: Whenever you have the option to use some form of tapto-pay, use it. There is still more security and convenience available if you choose to use a smartphone rather than a tap-to-pay credit card. When configured properly, your smartphone only unlocks for you. A thief cannot use someone else’s smartphone to complete a transaction. Private details, such as PIN codes and expiration dates, are password protected as well. Some banks only issue a physical credit card on request. A card that does not www.50plusLifePA.com

exist is much harder to counterfeit. One of the best features of using your smartphone is more information. I usually get a notification on my phone about a completed transaction while I am still standing at the cash register. My phone records the date, time, and location of each purchase, as well as allowing instant access to my account balance and transaction history. However, paper receipts are still important, especially to dispute a charge or return an item. So far I have described tap-to-pay transactions in a general way. Next, I want to describe a specific restaurant purchase I made a few weeks ago to illustrate what is possible. I used Apple Pay, although Google Pay is similar. (It also depends on how your smartphone is configured and which payment processor the restaurant uses.) When the bill arrived at the table, I did not hand my card to the server, only to watch it be carried away. Instead, I opened the smartphone camera and pointed it at the receipt. A “pay now” button appeared. It took a few seconds to add a tip and finish paying the bill. These kinds of transactions will become more widespread in the future, but the security and convenience of simple “tap-to-pay” transactions is already here. Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.

50plus Life

June 2022

The History of Ordinary Things

Burma-Shave Highway Signs Doris Montag

Do you recall the series of six red AND THAT advertising signs along the country highways? WAS THAT In 1925, Clinton Odell and his brother, BURMA-SHAVE (1934) Allan, installed these sequential road signs to market Burma-Shave, a brushless shaving IF YOU THINK cream. In the early 1920s, their father had SHE LIKES started the Burma Vita Co. to manufacture YOUR BRISTLES and sell a liniment for pain. WALK BAREFOOTED Unsuccessful with liniment, he enlisted THROUGH SOME THISTLES a chemist, Carl Noren, to create a brushless BURMA-SHAVE (1935) shaving cream. The 143rd formula, when aged, resulted in a stable cream that supplied a fine Other themes were public and highway shave. He called it Burma-Shave. safety and preventing forest fires. Often the Selling a brushless shaving cream required theme admonished one to avoid substitute men to give up their badger-hair brush and brands. shaving mug, a time-honored barbering tradition. Burma-Shave touted convenience, GIVE THE GUY especially when traveling. You didn’t have THE TOE OF YOUR BOOT to pack a wet brush that would mildew and WHO TRIES smell. It was faster to use and “modern.” TO HAND YOU Allan Odell proposed a set of signs to A SUBSTITUTE promote Burma-Shave. With $200, he BURMA-SHAVE (1932) Photo credit: Peter Merholz, licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0. bought used boards, sawed them into 36-inch Display of Burma-Shave advertising slogans. lengths, and painted them red with 4-inch Burma-Shave signs expanded across white Gothic letters. A five-sign jingle was Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin in 1926. followed with Burma-Shave on the sixth sign. Ultimately, over 7,000 sets were posted across Set 100 paces apart, they were designed to be read at 35 mph, the 43 states. cruising speed in the 1920s. The first sets were put on U.S. Highway 65 Only four states were without official signs. Arizona, Nevada, and New from Minneapolis to Albert Lea, Minnesota, and U.S. Highway 61 from Mexico didn’t have enough traffic, and the roads in Massachusetts were Minneapolis to Red Wing, Minnesota. considered too windy, and heavy foliage blocked the view of the series. Orders from the drivers on these roads started coming in. Initially, the red/white signs were alternated annually with orange signs The jingles used a mix of folk humor and wit, wordplay and pun, slang and with black print. Surveys showed no one recalled the orange/black signs. The colloquialism. The corny humor was much needed in the post-Depression era. red/white prevailed, saving money on steady replacements across the country. The public associated the comfortable style with friendly business folks. Initially written by the Odells, by the 1930s, the jingles were selected from DOES YOUR HUSBAND entries to annual contests that paid $100 for selected jingles. MISBEHAVE These jingles are excerpted from The Verse by The Side of the Road: The Story GRUNT AND GRUMBLE of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles by Frank Rowsome Jr., printed 1965RANT AND RAVE 1972. SHOOT THE BRUTE SOME BURMA-SHAVE (1930) HIS FACE WAS SMOOTH AND COOL AS ICE At their peak, Burma-Shave was the second-highest-selling brushless AND OH LOUISE! shaving cream in America. The road signs had worked in the 1930s-1940s, HE SMELLED perhaps because of the lighthearted and often corny humor. It was a novel SO NICE and captivating approach to advertising. BURMA-SHAVE (1935) By the late ’40s, the heyday of Burma-Shave signs was over. What happened? Certainly, highways and interstate roads diverted the traffic Burma-Shave themes were flirty-but-clean sex themes with many boy-girl patterns, with fewer folks driving the country roads. jingles. But ultimately, TV reached more people and could quickly tell the story of your product. The corny signs could not compete. HE HAD THE RING Burma Vita Co. explored print, radio, and TV marketing but announced HE HAD THE FLAT a sale to Philip Morris, Inc. in 1963. It became a division of American Safety BUT SHE FELT HIS CHIN please see SIGNS on facing page

June 2022

50plus Life

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The Beauty in Nature

Tree-Nesting Shorebirds Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Solitary sandpipers and Bonaparte’s gulls strokes, which is an unusual sandpiper flight are unusual shorebirds in their respective pattern. Other sandpipers have a powerful, families. speedy flight over open ground. And Each kind diverged from the nesting solitaries don’t migrate in groups, as other norms of its relatives to take advantage of kinds of sandpipers do. resources in niches where their cousins don’t The handsome Bonaparte’s gulls are venture, thus eliminating competition for smaller and more petite than most gulls. food and shelter with them. And they have orange-red legs, black heads Solitaries and Bonies are unrelated in summer, and an intriguing, uniquely species that have characteristics in common bounding flight. because of their converging into the same Perhaps because there is little open ground summer habitat that shaped their bodies and in woods, solitaries and Bonies hatch young behaviors. in the safety of trees near bodies of water in In summer, these attractive species hunt Canadian and Alaskan forests, which is a invertebrates around ponds, lakes, and departure from how their respective relatives swamps when raising young in spruce/fir hatch offspring. Solitary sandpiper forests of Canada and Alaska, where few Each female solitary lays four eggs in an other kinds of sandpipers and no types of abandoned cradle of an American robin, blue gulls nest. jay, or blackbird in a tree. The newly hatched Most other kinds of sandpipers rear chicks jump from the nest and scamper off to offspring on the ground in the open Arctic ingest invertebrates. tundra, and most gull species nest on the Unlike other North American gulls, each ground of treeless shorelines. female Bonaparte’s gull builds a twig, grass, Every April and May, I am happy to and moss nursery in a coniferous tree near see these interesting, migrating species a lake. There she lays three eggs. The babies stop to rest and feed here in southeastern stay in their nest until they can fly. Their Pennsylvania, as they do across much of the parents feed them invertebrates and small United States. fish. I enjoy their dainty, buoyant flight at local Solitary sandpipers and Bonaparte’s gulls waterways and impoundments, where they diverged from their relatives to get food and fatten up on invertebrates. Solitaries get that space, free of competition from their relatives. food from mud under shallow water and But these two unrelated species converged Bonies from the air and on deeper water. with each other because of the niche they Those invertebrates will sustain the next lap share. Bonaparte’s gulls of their long trip north. Yet they share in slightly different ways, The lovely solitary sandpipers have a graceful, fluttering flight on deep wing which reduces competition for necessities between them.

Nature’s Wonders

SIGNS from facing page Razor Products, who shifted marketing dollars to TV. The classic signs and manufacturing ended in 1966. (In the 1990s, the nostalgic Burma-Shave brand was reintroduced with a line of shaving cream, razors, and accessories.) The Burma-Shave signs impacted whole generations of country drivers. What are your memories? Doris Montag is a homespun historian and an exhibit curator who researches and displays historical collections of ordinary things, such as can openers, crochet, toy sewing machines, hand corn planters, powder compacts, egg cartons, and more. Contact or follow her on Facebook, HistoryofOrdinaryThings.

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by Clyde

A nature blog by Clyde McMillan-Gamber, retired Lancaster County Parks naturalist and longtime 50plus LIFE columnist

Each story is like a walk with your own naturalist. NaturesWondersByClyde.BlogSpot.com

50plus Life

June 2022

The Cautious Consumer Guy

Our Ancestors Drove Electric Cars Arthur Vidro

The gradual switching over of gasolineBut the game changed in 1912, when powered cars to electric cars doesn’t General Motors introduced the batterybother me, even though I generally oppose reliant electric starter. This innovation did technological change and have been called, away with the need for the dreaded handnot unfairly, a curmudgeon. crank, which pretty much required strength I’m not bothered because electric cars are to use and tended to cause injury. not a new technology. The majority of folks With the electric starter, women could nowadays think electric cars are an invention drive solo too, and so could non-muscular of the 21st century. Far from it. They go back guys. Since then, cars with internalth th to the 20 century. And even the 19 . combustion engines have reigned. At the dawn of the automotive era, three This vying for supremacy is a pattern not versions of cars fought for market share: unique to automobiles. In the late 1970s steam, electric, and gasoline. All three types and for most of the 1980s, I can recall two competed in 1898 in a hill-climbing contest competing formats for videotapes, VHS in France; the electric car won. and Betamax, duking it out. VHS won the Morrison electric carriage. When 1900 came along, 40% of U.S. videotape battle, but eventually they both lost automobiles were powered by steam, 38% by the war to DVDs. electricity, and 22% by gasoline. But the steam engine proved complicated Some of us remember that electric cars attempted a comeback in the and extremely thirsty, and the gasoline engine was unreliable, noisy, and late 1990s when General Motors mass-produced its EV1 vehicle. This prone to excessive vibration. experimental electric car was leased but not sold. Users were, by and large, Thus, the electric car emerged as the winner. At least for a while. very happy with their electric cars. The gasoline car is often credited to Carl Benz, who drove his first internalBut once the leases expired, General Motors made the startling decision combustion vehicle — a three-wheeler — in early 1885. to demand the return of all the cars and consigned them to the trash At a public showing later that year, he forgot to steer (I wonder if he was compacter. Almost all were crushed. One functioning specimen still resides posing for the press) and smashed the vehicle against a brick wall surrounding in the Smithsonian, and a few nonfunctional ones have scattered off to other his estate. It’s probably the first car crash caused by distracted driving. museums. When did the electric car come into being? It dates back to circa 1890 And now electric cars have begun their ascendancy anew. They seem to when William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa, built a car powered by be the wave of the future. For instance, municipal law in Atlanta, Georgia, electricity. Electric cars became the most popular car in America during the requires all newly built homes to accommodate electric vehicles. late 1890s and early 1900s. It looks like electric cars will become the champs again in 15-20 years. They were easy to operate, ran quietly, and did not emit smelly fumes. Yet it’s possible that future advances in internal-combustion cars — such as But they were limited in speed (about 20 miles per hour, tops) and needed finding a way to get 200 miles from each gallon of gasoline — could wrest recharging about every 50 miles. the championship belt back from electric cars. Despite those limitations, electric cars were king of the hill by 1912, with Arthur Vidro worked for a decade in the stock industry. Before and after, he wrote more than 33,000 such cars registered in the United States alone. newspaper articles and edited a few books. He has served as treasurer of theater and Eventually, the first automobile to exceed 60 miles per hour would be an library organizations. He’s been cautious with money ever since a dollar was worth a electric car.

Puzzles shown on page 7.

Puzzle Solutions

dollar.

June 2022

50plus Life

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Cataract Surgery Linked with Lessened Dementia Risk Cataracts affect most older adults at risk for dementia, and now researchers are finding strong evidence that cataract surgery is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. Based on the longitudinal data of over 3,000 Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study participants, researchers June is Cataract have now found that Awareness Month subjects who underwent cataract surgery had nearly 30% lower risk of developing dementia from any cause compared with those who did not. Study results were reported in JAMA Internal Medicine earlier this year. The ACT study is a longstanding, Seattle-based observational study at Kaiser Permanente Washington of more than 5,000 participants older than 65. Results showed this lowered dementia risk persisted for at least a decade after surgery. Cataract surgery was also associated with lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease dementia specifically. Lead researcher Dr. Cecilia Lee, associate professor and Klorfine Family endowed chair in ophthalmology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said the observational study adjusted for a number of potential confounders, yet still yielded a strong association. “This kind of evidence is as good as it gets in epidemiology,” Lee said. “This is really exciting because no other medical intervention has shown such a strong association with lessening dementia risk in older individuals.” Researchers hypothesize that people may be getting higher-quality sensory input after cataract surgery, which might have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk of dementia. “These results are consistent with the notion that sensory input to the brain is important to brain health,” said co-author Dr. Eric B. Larson, a principal investigator of the ACT study and senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute. Lee said another hypothesis is that after cataract surgery, people are getting more blue light. “Some special cells in the retina are associated with cognition and regulate sleep cycles, and these cells respond well to blue light,” she said. “Cataracts specifically block blue light, and cataract surgery could reactivate those cells.” The study results highlight a strong case for further research on the eyebrain connection in dementia. Previous studies by Lee’s group at the UW have shown a strong link between other retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, and the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Subjects with macular degeneration or other retinal degenerative diseases are more likely to develop dementia. Further understanding the connection between the aging eye and brain may offer insights and potential therapies to slow or prevent age-related dementia. www.50plusLifePA.com

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