York County Edition
January 2013
Vol. 14 No. 1
A Woman with 2 Birthdays Transplant Recipient Helps Others through Book and Organ-Donation Advocacy By Lori Van Ingen Chronic kidney disease affects one in nine Americans, and millions more are at risk. More than 105,000 people are on the National Kidney Transplant List in the United States. “Every day, 18 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung, or bone marrow,” said Carole Fair, an organ-donation advocate with the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania for nearly two years. Because of the lack of available donors in this country, 4,573 kidney patients, 1,506 liver patients, 371 heart patients, and 234 lung patients died in 2008 while waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, Fair noted. “I’m hoping that with more awareness of transplantation and the generosity of others, these numbers could certainly decline,” said Fair, who recently spoke at events at Holy Spirit Hospital and Hershey Antique Auto Association. Fair is a circuit speaker at civic clubs, women’s organizations, and churches. She helps people become aware of transplantation, clears up misconceptions, and promotes organ donation in general. “I get asked the most basic questions, like, ‘Where is my kidney located?’ and ‘Is the old kidney removed during a transplant?’” said Fair, who also is a please see ADVOCACY page 15 Kidney transplant recipient Carole Fair is now an author as well as an active organ-donation advocate with the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania.
Inside:
Pirates and More in Tampa page 6
Eye Care Coverage and Services for Retirees page 13
Creativity Matters
Legendary Chefs at Age 60+ Judith Zausner ood is trendy. It is no longer about TV dinners and microwave popcorn. The following chefs began their journeys many years ago to transform good eating into a fine art, a nutritious experience, and big business.
Chiang has taught Julia Child, James Beard, Alice Waters, and Danny Kaye.
F
Cecilia Chiang, 91, Chinese – Raised in a very wealthy family in Shanghai, she was not allowed in the kitchen. As a young woman, Chiang escaped occupied China and, years later, traveled to San Francisco to visit her sister. Serendipitously, she met a friend there who planned to open a restaurant and then reneged, but Chiang went forward with the lease since she had already written a large, nonrefundable check to the landlord on behalf of her friend. And so her restaurant Mandarin began and remained active for more than 40 years.
Best Wishes for a Happy 2013!
Madhur Jaffrey, 79, Indian – Born in Delhi, India, she did not cook at home when she was young and traveled abroad to study in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After marrying she moved to New York City and, in 1973, she published her first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking. Jaffrey has written numerous cookbooks of Indian, Asian, and world vegetarian cuisines, and has won James Beard Foundation awards for some of her books. As a result of the success, Jaffrey also developed a unique line of mass-marketed cooking sauces. Photo courtesy of David Sifry
Alice Waters at dinner with friends.
Diana Kennedy, 88, Mexican – Born in the United Kingdom, she arrived in
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Mexico with her husband, who was a New York Times correspondent. She traveled throughout Mexico researching cooking techniques as well as the history of Mexican cuisine. Craig Claiborne urged her to give Mexican cooking lessons in New York City and then, in 1972, Kennedy published her first book, The Cuisines of Mexico, and eight more books would follow. Jiro Ono, 86, Japanese – Born in Japan, he is considered the world’s greatest sushi chef. After his father left, the 9-year-old Ono left home and never returned. He has been mastering sushi for the past 76 years and now is the subject of a documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Ono’s tiny restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, is in Tokyo, where he holds the Guinness Book of Records title for being the oldest three-star Michelin chef. Reservations are not easy; you are encouraged to book up to a year in advance with a cash deposit of about $368.
Jacques Pépin, 76, French – Born in France to restaurateurs, he learned to appreciate food at an early age. In the 1950s he was the personal chef to Charles DeGaulle and then moved to the United States in 1959. He has appeared on numerous television shows and received a Daytime Emmy award in 2001 for his show Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home with Julia Child. Today he serves as dean of special programs at the French Culinary Institute, teaches an online class for Boston University, and writes a quarterly column for Food & Wine magazine. Georges Perrier, 69, French – Born in France and although not from a poor family, he began working at 14 and then moved to the United States when he was 21 years old. In 1970 he opened Le Bec Fin (French colloquial translation: fine palate) in Philadelphia, which gained a five-star reputation and was known as the leader of the “Philadelphia restaurant revolution.” In January 2009, the French
government awarded Perrier the Legion d’Honneur. In February 2012, Perrier announced his retirement from Le Bec Fin by selling it to a former Le Bec manager. Perrier still maintains ownership/interest in other restaurant venues. Wolfgang Puck, 63, Austrian – Born in Austria and trained in France, he learned much of his cooking skills from his mother, who had sometimes worked as a pastry chef. At 25, he moved to Los Angeles where, 15 years later, he opened the award-winning Spago restaurant. Now he has a gastronomic empire under his name that includes more than 20 fine restaurants, catering services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks and convenience foods. He is the official caterer for the Academy Awards and his favorite food is macaroons.
to attend college. It was during her study abroad time in France that she began purchasing fresh foods directly, and it was this experience that resonated with her and led to the development of her food-fresh sustainable beliefs. In 1971 she opened the Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., which quickly became famous for its organic, locally grown ingredients and is ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Waters created the Chez Panisse Foundation with a mission to transform public education by using food to teach, nurture, and empower young people. In 1992, Waters was the first woman to be awarded Best Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation and has received numerous other awards, written about a dozen cookbooks, and is a board member of relevant institutions. Waters is an internationally acclaimed food activist who has inspired the organic food revolution.
Alice Waters, 67, American – Born in New Jersey, she moved to California
Judith Zausner can be reached at judith@caringcrafts.com.
Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being. Adult Day Centers SeniorLIFE (814) 535-6000 Animal Hospitals Community Animal Hospital Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M. (717) 845-5669
Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre (717) 898-1900 Eye Care Services Leader Heights Eye Center (717) 747-5430 Gastroenterology
Automobile Sales/Service Gordon’s Body Shop, Inc. (717) 993-2263 Coins & Currency Steinmetz Coins & Currency (717) 757-6980 Dry Cleaners Hanna Cleaners (717) 741-3817 Energy Assistance Low-Income Energy Assistance (717) 787-8750
Gastroenterology Associates of York (717) 484-2143 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 Alzheimer’s Information Clearinghouse (800) 367-5115 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400
Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 Healthcare Information PA HealthCare Cost Containment (717) 232-6787 Home Care Services Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services (717) 751-2488 Housing/Apartments Elm Spring Residence (717) 840-7676 Housing Assistance Housing Authority of York (717) 845-2601 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 York Area Housing Group (717) 846-5139
The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 or (717) 757-0604
Insurance – Long-Term Care Apprise Insurance Counseling (717) 771-9610 or (800) 632-9073 Orthotics & Prosthetics Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc (717) 851-0156 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Salon Services Trimmer’s Hair & Nail Care (717) 246-4844 Services York County Area Agency on Aging (800) 632-9073 Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center (717) 228-6000 (800) 409-8771
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Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori
Big Plays on Display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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f you like vintage architecture interactive displays featuring game uniforms from the Pro Bowl as well from the 1960s, you’ll like the footage and player videos, the as equipment and apparel worn by surroundings of the Pro Football Lamar Hunt Super Bowl exhibition Walter Payton, Joe Namath, and Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. gallery with the Vince Lombardi Dan Marino, among others. The The building was ultra-modern trophy on display, the Super Bowl exhibits also focus on the impact of in its day with its interior spiral ring display (for the jewelry lover in stars like O.J. Simpson and the ramp (like the one designed by the family), and the popular Hall of Buffalo Bills’ Electric Company. Frank Lloyd Wright for the Fame gallery. Some displays show a player’s Guggenheim Museum in New York While the Super Bowl ring love of the game by focusing on City), glass curtain wall (a nod to display was one of my favorites great plays made by Chicago Bears the urban office-building (who doesn’t like all those running back Brian Piccolo or architecture of Mies van der Rohe diamonds?), the Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboy Troy Aikman. And, and Philip Johnson), and footballgallery speaks to the core of the Hall who could forget the famous shaped roofline Immaculate Reception indicative of midmade by Pittsburgh century modern Steelers fullback Franco American Harris (a fellow Penn architecture. Stater) on Dec. 23, Canton, Ohio, 1972? The museum, was chosen as the through its diverse site for the Hall of exhibits, shows visitors Fame for many the heart of the game reasons. However, of football. we focus on I discovered one last football’s legacy interesting thing about there as opposed sports museums during to some other my visit to the Pro locale because of Football Hall of Fame. the Native No matter how much American athlete information is available Exhibition Gallery at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio. named Jim to a visitor in a sports Thorpe, who museum, fans always signed a football search for more. I of Fame. The gallery houses contract there. Thorpe, the star of noticed many visitors standing in interactive displays and an the 1912 Olympic Games, signed front of very good, informative impressive assemblage of fine-art his first contract to play football displays—even interactive bronze portrait busts of the Hall of with the Canton Bulldogs in 1915. displays—who were still searching Fame inductees through the years. While the vintage building is for additional stats on their cell good looking, the museum is in the The bronze busts are the work of phones. I even found myself doing Utah sculptor Blair Buswell and midst of completing a major it. they capture the likeness of each construction/ As a former museum curator and football great. As a display, the expansion project to host more director, I bet you think I’d be football fans. The completion of the gallery is awe inspiring as visitors appalled by this but, in fact, I think search for their favorite Hall of museum expansion will coincide when a museum’s displays prompt th Famer. with the Hall of Fame’s 50 visitors to find out more, that’s a anniversary in 2013. The new At the Pro Football Hall of Fame, pretty cool and quite interactive facilities will not only host a world exhibits trace the history of museum. Plan a visit. of football fans, but they will also professional football with unique Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and offer the Ralph Wilson Jr. Football objects like the Baltimore Colts award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori Research and Preservation Center, marching band’s bass drum, press presents antique appraisal events the researchers’ reading room, an wood posters announcing the 1962 nationwide. Dr. Lori is the expert event center, and a meeting room. AFL championship game between appraiser on the hit TV show Auction In addition, there will be the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Kings on Discovery channel, which airs exhibition galleries focusing on the Texans, and early helmets worn by Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Visit history of the game dating back to various players. www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/ the early 1900s, state-of-the-art The exhibits highlight player DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.
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The Squint-Eyed Senior
Warmed in the Glow of My Golden Years Theodore Rickard hate to admit it—or, at least, I should be somewhat bashful about admitting it—but there is a certain smug satisfaction in being retired. First of all, there is an inner contentment, somewhat akin to a sense of triumph, in not being awakened by the clock radio. For years the little white cube was set for the same time and the same unctuous and annoyingly happy voice told us what the local weather was. This information was a loser either way. If the weather was bad, it meant a rush to leave early enough to allow for the inevitable traffic snarls. If the weather was good, the call to duty and the reality of a second mortgage engendered painful resentments. In the first few months of not having to go to work I’d call the bank to see if the pension deposits had actually been made. The patient lady (her name is Alice) at the local branch would recite the figures—the same numbers every month. Something tells me I was not the only one doing this just to make sure. Alice never sounded surprised at the request. At our house the lifetime spousal comptroller and treasurer dealt with none of this uncertainty. With sublime confidence in the world of finance, she’d go ahead and write the checks for the condo assessment, telephone bill, and all those essential etceteras of living. I admire her faith in the banking system even after all the bad press that bankers have been getting. And especially since our own local financial institution is now in its fourth name change, and we hear it’s been acquired yet again, although neither of us can remember either its last-year name or its current name or this year’s slogan. Only Alice has remained the same throughout the bank’s successive identities. Her continued presence gives us some sense of a stable housing for our modest deposit balance. I keep wondering what’s going to happen when Alice retires, but I’ve stopped calling her every month to see if the money is actually there. And we sleep later in the morning. Or I do, anyway. Sometimes I awaken to
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the scent of coffee freshly brewing. This means we’re going shopping today. “Shopping” entails me finding a place to sit down while the lifetime spousal purchasing agent provides whatever we need to survive both the immediate and the distant future. These needs are heavily weighted with grandchildren’s birthdays, graduations (including play school), and the next Yuletide, however many months away it might be. Occasionally I do the “guy thing.” For some reason, this almost always involves the car. For example, our somewhat aged, mid-sized sedan gets a regular oil change. This requires manto-man talk with “Angie” at the local service station. Usually we decide that the brakes are “good for another 20,000, but we better keep an eye on the muffler” and “we’ll want to replace all four tires before we get snow.” Actually, it is not “we” doing any deciding here. Angie’s voice may be muffled coming as it does from someplace deep underneath the chassis, but his diagnosis is unmistakable. This might be because it’s the same thing he said the last time we changed the oil. I know it sounds somewhat meanspirited of me, but the best retirement days are those when the dawn brings a downpour—a rainstorm enough to frighten Noah. I don’t need that artificially cheerful radio voice to tell me about it. I can hear the water lashing against the windows even though the blinds are drawn tight. All that I have to do about it is to roll over and go back to sleep. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit I do so with barely a twinge of sympathy for those wage earners, including our own offspring, who have to slog through the day to earn their daily bread and cough up their Social Security taxes. Selfishly sleepy as I may be, I hope they are successful. And I make a mental note to call Alice just to make sure. A collection of Ted Rickard’s family-fun essays is titled Anything Worth Knowing I Learned from the Grandkids. It is now available in paperback on Amazon.com.
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Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel
Traveltizers
Pirates and More in Tampa By Andrea Gross “There it is!” The child who is standing next to me jumps up and down, accompanying each jump with an ear-splitting shriek. I look in the direction he is pointing. It is indeed a scream-worthy sight. There, sailing toward us, in a slow but steady manner, is a giant pirate ship, with masts that pierce the sky and bright flags that wave in the breeze. The name of the ship is emblazoned on its side: José Gasparilla. The deck is crowded with hundreds of men, some with black triangular hats adorned with a skulland crossbones insignia, others with colorful rag-wrapped turbans. The men blast cannons, brandish swords, and whoop and holler as the ship, surrounded by a flotilla of small boats, prepares to invade the city of Tampa. The ship docks and the pirate
The pirate ship José Gasparilla approaches the city of Tampa.
After the invasion, the pirates parade through town, tossing treasures to the waiting crowd.
Tampa residents get into the spirit of Gasparilla.
captain disembarks and approaches the mayor, demanding the key to the city of Tampa. The mayor complies; the party can begin. Tampa’s annual pirate fest, which will take place this year on Jan. 26, honors José Gaspar, the bold buccaneer who, in the late 1700s and early 1800s, captured hundreds of ships off the coast of Florida. Today the Gasparilla Festival has become a major event, and the stolen treasure is being returned in the form of tourist dollars. Gasparilla combines the legend of Gaspar with the magic of Mardi Gras. Following their successful takeover of the city, the merry pirates (a.k.a., civic leaders who are members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla) strut through downtown in true swashbuckling style, accompanied by more than 100 floats and marching bands. At the same time, merrymakers fill the streets, where there’s nonstop entertainment and an abundance of
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food stands. The partying continues until 10 p.m., at which time the victorious pirates retreat, letting Tampa return to the 21st century. Of course, Tampa is more than pirates. Its attractions include great beaches (nearby St. Pete Beach was voted No. 1 by TripAdvisor), a temperate climate (average summer temps are in the low 80s; average winter ones are in the low 60s), and a historic district that reflects the city’s Latin heritage. We start our exploration in Ybor City (pronounced EE-bore), the historic neighborhood named after the Cuban cigar manufacturer who made the region a mecca for hardworking immigrants. Less than 100 years after Gaspar pillaged the region, workers from Cuba were joined by workers of other nationalities, and together they produced approximately 700 million hand-rolled cigars a year. Today the area is filled with eclectic shops and trendy nightclubs, but traces of the past remain. Old, red-brick buildings with wrought-iron grillwork line streets bordered with spindly palms; master cigar rollers continue to practice their craft; and the Columbia Restaurant, Florida’s oldest and the world’s largest Spanish restaurant, features a full array of Cuban food, as well as the “original Cuban sandwich” (a long loaf of soft,
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Ybor City is a National Historic District that commemorates the city’s Latin heritage.
Columbia Restaurant, established in 1905, is Florida’s oldest restaurant.
Hand-rolled cigars are still made in Ybor City.
white bread filled with layers of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard). Walking through the restaurant is almost as interesting as tasting its food. Amidst the wrought iron and bright tiles,
there’s a royal dining room, a Spanish courtyard, and a flamenco nightclub. The Tampa Bay History Center, a 60,000-square-foot facility that opened in January 2009, tells us more about Ybor City and the entire Tampa Bay
region. Various exhibits highlight people from the Seminole Indians and Spanish conquistadors to the “cowmen and crackers” who were part of Florida’s cattle-ranching past. To see a bit of Tampa’s natural history, we go to the 240-acre Lettuce Lake Park, so named because the surrounding greenery reminded folks of a lunchtime salad. Rather than renting a canoe or kayak, we pick up a map and brochure at the visitors center and explore on foot. There are 3,500 feet of boardwalk, more than a mile of paved pathways, and an abundance of well-maintained nature trails that lead us though groves of cypress and ferns and past two alligators, a few turtles, and an untold number of birds. That evening we arrive early for our flight home and are relaxing at the mojito bar when a gentleman tells us that the best place to see a Florida sunset is from the top of the airport parking garage. We take the elevator to the top floor and there, against a red sky, we can almost see a fully rigged pirate ship sailing into the bay. With a smile and a toast to José Gaspar, we go down to catch our plane. www.visittampabay.com Photos © Irv Green; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).
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Salute to a Veteran
He Spent Many 2-Month Tours Under the Sea Robert D. Wilcox s he grew up in Corning, N.Y., Bill Landis saw a future for himself as an electrical engineer. So after he graduated from high school in 1967, he went to work at a Central Pennsylvania RCA plant, working on jobs as technically complex as creating the camera used on the Apollo missions to the moon. He had a low number in the military draft, however, and he knew that he would soon be called into the military. So he decided to join the Navy, where he could hope to be part of the Navy’s program of rapidly converting to nuclear propulsion for its submarines. He didn’t know at the time how difficult that would be. But he was soon to find out. Upon enlisting, he was called to active duty in 1970 and took boot camp at Great Lakes Training Center. He then learned of the rigid requirements of those who were selected for submarine service.
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They were all volunteers. No one could faced by those who completed those jambe taller than 6 feet, and they must have packed months of training. perfect color vision and Landis and the others perfect physical condition, who had qualified were including sound teeth. sent to assignments in the Those meeting those fleet. Landis was sent to requirements then faced a Pearl Harbor, where he number of mental and was assigned to the Puffer, psychological tests, from an SSN-652 nuclear which only those in the attack submarine. top 10 percent had any The mission of the chance of being selected. Puffer was to find and Having passed all those destroy enemy submarines hurdles, Landis was sent and surface vessels, using to the Navy’s Mare Island William C. Landis, aboard the its torpedoes and the Nuclear Power School in attack submarine Puffer, with Tomahawk cruise missiles California, and then to it carried aboard. The sub his submarine qualification certificate. Idaho at an operating also was able to carry atomic reactor for six Navy Seals and offload months. There, he studied math, them underwater to perform a mission, chemistry, metallurgy, and nuclear and then recover them after the mission, physics. A special board was sent from without an enemy’s knowing from where Washington, D.C., to grade the tests they came or where they went after
completing the mission. An important asset of the Puffer was its ability to descend to great depths at sea. Where previous diesel-powered subs had been able to go as deep as 500 feet, the nuclear-powered subs like the Puffer were able to dive far deeper. The sub itself was about the length of a football field … and carried all the food the crew of some 120 men would need on a typical patrol of two months. It had its own water-purification and wastedisposal systems, and the nuclear power plant would propel the vessel indefinitely. Where diesel-powered subs had been essentially surface craft that could submerge, nuclear-powered subs like the Puffer were truly underwater craft that needed to come to land only at the end of a mission. What was life like aboard the sub? “Well,” Landis says, “they fed us four times a day, and the food was
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outstanding. And they kept us so busy that there was little time to think of the diversions we might be missing. Meals were served continuously, so you had to fit them in between your other duties. There were only four tables in the enlisted mess, so meals took some planning. But every man aboard—even the cooks—were submarine qualified to know all the sub’s basic systems. “Big as the Puffer was, every inch of space was used to carry essential food and gear. It was so crowded that you had virtually no privacy. Since water was at such a premium, you had a ‘Navy shower’ once a week. You turned the water on to get yourself wet, then turned it off to get soaped up, and then turned it back on to rinse off. If the guy after you thought you were taking a minute more than necessary, he simply turned the faucet to cold, and you hopped out in a hurry. There were only two shower stalls for the 100 or so enlisted men aboard, and each was so small that you couldn’t turn around. “The Puffer often did escort duty, where we shadowed our carriers, for example, and protected them from enemy subs. We used passive sonar that listened for the electronic imprint of enemy subs, but wouldn’t lead them to us. Our torpedoes could be steered from our sub to go exactly where we wanted them to go.�
Other jobs of the Puffer were to participate in war games, where they gave surface ships a chance to try to locate threatening subs. Also, to keep tabs on Soviet subs, often trailing them for days, reporting on their movements and recording noise signatures. An interesting sidelight was that prior to the filming of The Hunt for Red October, Sean Connery was on board the Puffer preparing for his role as Capt. Marko Ramius. He was given the status of a commander and was allowed (while the captain was next to him) to give orders while the boat was underway. Just after Christmas in 1976, Landis was discharged from the Navy at Pearl Harbor as an E-5 2nd class petty officer. He returned to Central Pennsylvania to again work for RCA in engineering, gaining several patents for his work in fiber optics. At the same time, he attended Franklin & Marshall College, in the evening division, and earned an associate degree in business administration. Landis retired in 2009 and now spends much of his time talking with groups and individuals about his having served for so many years under the seas in the Pacific. Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.
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Healthcare Solutions for Seniors Living at Home Senior LIFE Services Can Include: t Physician Services t Nursing t Therapies t Transportation t Home Care Services t Prescription Medications t Meals and Nutritional Counseling t Social Services and Counseling Many are eligible for services at no cost. Senior LIFE is Medicare Approved
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www.seniorlifeyork.com 50plus SeniorNews t
January 2013
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NurseNews
Beating Bunions: Shoe Choice and Foot Type Gloria May, M.S., R.N., CHES unions (those swollen, painful bumps on the inside of the foot at the base of the big toe) are so closely associated in our minds with women, and with fashionable but often ill-fitting shoes, that the question I was asked last week as to whether or not men even get bunions was not at all unreasonable. While it’s true that 90 percent of bunions occur in women and that more than 50 percent of women in America have them, gender and shoe choice are not entirely to blame. Yes, men do get bunions, but children can also develop bunions and even folks who live in mostly shoeless societies have bunions, so there’s obviously more to bunions than just women’s ill-fitting shoes. In medical lingo, a bunion is a hallux valgus. It’s an enlargement of the bone or the tissue around the base of the big toe, which, in turn, pushes the big toe out of
B
alignment and causes it to slant toward the second toe. The underlying cause of bunions, according to Dr. Zachary Chattler of Johns Hopkins University, is the foot’s genetic structure and how it causes us to walk. Bunions do run in families, but it is the foot type we inherit (low arches, for example) that causes the foot to turn outward (“pronate”) when we walk and that encourages the formation of bunions; we do not inherit the bunions themselves. However, shoe choice does play a large role. Narrow, pointed-toe, sky-high heels can cause a bunion to develop more quickly and even play a role in its recurrence after surgery. How do you know if your shoes fit properly? Seems many folks believe that their feet haven’t grown since their teen years (is that similar to the belief that our belt sizes haven’t changed?), but in truth,
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as our foot ligaments loosen and our arches flatten over time, our feet do get bigger. One source I read suggests that in order to tell if you are buying the correct size shoe, you should stand barefoot on paper, have a friend trace the outline of your feet, and then place your shoes on top of each outline to see if your foot is wider than the shoe. The idea seems reasonable, given that we no longer (thankfully) have those shoe-fit x-ray machines prevalent in shoe stores in the ’50s. Remember those? If you have bunions, you may require surgery, but there are solutions to try first:
• Consider taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, but ask how much you can safely take in one day. • Inquire if steroid injections might help with the pain. • Stick to low-impact exercises (walking, swimming) as they are kinder on your feet.
• Make sure your shoes are the right size.
If surgery is your only option, there are a number of procedures available to correct the misaligned joint and remove the bump. Bunion surgery (bunionectomy) is usually done on an outpatient basis, but understand that healing can take months and yes, bunions can come back, especially if you just cannot resist those Manolo Blahniks.
• Ask your doctor if either over-thecounter or custom-made orthotics— inserts that prevent your feet from “overpronating”—are for you.
Gloria May is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in health education and a certified health education specialist designation.
Have a lifestyle change on the horizon? Let this be your guide.
Located at 118 Pleasant Acres Rd, York For More Information Call: (717) 840-7100
Time is a Priceless Gift Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others? Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus Senior News’
Volunteer Spotlight! Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged. Email preferred to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus Senior News, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.
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17th Edition Now Available! In print. Online: onlinepub.com Call for your free copy today!
(717) 285-1350 www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
Who Has the Best Bites in Central PA? Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Help 50plus Senior News celebrate the local eateries that deserve national fame!
By Pat Sinclair Every year I resolve to eat healthier food in the new year, along with at least half of the population. An easy change to make is to serve one meatless meal a week, and using canned beans simplifies prep. Rinsing the beans thoroughly removes a significant amount of sodium. Using low-sodium chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth also reduces sodium. For a second meal, I like to serve the soup over rice instead of adding the sherry, but I still garnish with sour cream and cilantro. This soup also freezes well, but the spiciness intensifies.
Where do you frequent for: Breakfast _________________________________________ Lunch ____________________________________________ Dinner____________________________________________
Makes 4 servings
Ethnic Cuisine _____________________________________
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped carrot 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 (15 3/4 ounces) cans vegetable broth 2 (15 ounces) cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14 ounces) can diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1 chipotle chile en adobo, chopped 1 bay leaf
Celebrating _______________________________________
1/4 cup dry sherry, if desired 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro Sliced avocado Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and carrot and cook until softened, five to six minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, chili powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, chipotle chile, and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Remove about 2 cups of the soup. Using an immersion blender or blender, puree the remaining soup. Add the reserved soup to the puree. Stir in a little water if the soup is too thick. Stir 1 tablespoon sherry into each serving. Garnish each with sour cream and cilantro and a few avocado slices, if desired.
Cook’s Note: Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeno chiles. They are pickled and canned and keep well in the refrigerator after they are opened. Use them to add a smoky flavor to meats and stews. Remove the seeds and the ribs to reduce the heat, if desired. Or add another pepper if you like it smokin’ hot. Copyright by Pat Sinclair. Pat Sinclair announces the publication of her second cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking (Pelican Publishing), in February 2011. This book has a color photo of every recipe. Her first cookbook, Baking Basics and Beyond (Surrey Books), won the 2007 Cordon d’Or from the Culinary Arts Academy. Contact her at http://PatCooksandBakes.blogspot.com
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Bakery ___________________________________________ Coffeehouse ______________________________________ Fast Food _________________________________________ Seafood __________________________________________ Steak_____________________________________________ Outdoor Dining____________________________________ Romantic Setting __________________________________ Smorgasbord/Buffet _______________________________ Caterer ___________________________________________
Please return your completed entry form by February 18, 2013 to: 50plus Senior News 3912 Abel Drive • Columbia, PA 17512 Your Name __________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________________ This information is strictly confidential.
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York County
Calendar of Events York County Department of Parks and Recreation
Senior Center Activities
Pre-registration is required for these programs. To register or find out more about these activities or any additional scheduled activities, call (717) 428-1961.
Delta Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 456-5753
Jan. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Project Feederwatch, Nixon Park Jan. 11, 7 to 9:30 p.m. – Owl Walk, Nixon Park Jan. 13, 2:30 to 4 p.m. – Wildlife Forensics, Nixon Park
Eastern Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 252-1641 Golden Visions Senior Community Center (717) 633-5072 Heritage Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 292-7471
York County Library Programs Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock, 32 Main St., Glen Rock, (717) 235-1127 Collinsville Community Library, 2632 Delta Road, Brogue, (717) 927-9014 Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. – Purls of Brogue Knitting Club Dillsburg Area Public Library, 17 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg, (717) 432-5613 Jan. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Free Drop-In Tech Instruction Session Dover Area Community Library, 3700-3 Davidsburg Road, Dover, (717) 292-6814 Glatfelter Memorial Library, 101 Glenview Road, Spring Grove, (717) 225-3220 Mondays, 6 to 8 p.m. – Knitting Group Saturdays, 1 p.m. – Chess Club Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m. – Adult Book Discussion
Northeastern Senior Community Center (717) 266-1400 Red Land Senior Citizen Center – (717) 938-4649 South Central Senior Community Center (717) 235-6060 Weekdays, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Wii Games Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – Zumba Gold for Seniors Fridays, 9 a.m. – This & That Stitchers Class Stewartstown Senior Center – (717) 993-3488 Jan. 8, 9:30 – Chair Massages Jan. 15, 10 a.m. – Show & Tell Jan. 16, 9 a.m. – Ceramics Susquehanna Senior Center – (717) 244-0340
Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover, (717) 632-5183
White Rose Senior Center – (717) 843-9704 www.whiteroseseniorcenter.org
Kaltreider-Benfer Library, 147 S. Charles St., Red Lion, (717) 244-2032 Kreutz Creek Valley Library Center, 66 Walnut Springs Road, Hellam, (717) 252-4080 Martin Library, 159 E. Market St., York, (717) 846-5300
Windy Hill Senior Center – (717) 225-0733 Yorktown Senior Center – (717) 854-0693
Mason-Dixon Public Library, 250 Bailey Drive, Stewartstown, (717) 993-2404 Paul Smith Library of Southern York County, 80 Constitution Ave., Shrewsbury, (717) 235-4313
Please call or visit the centers’ websites for additional activities.
Red Land Community Library, 48 Robin Hood Drive, Etters, (717) 938-5599 Village Library, 35-C N. Main St., Jacobus, (717) 428-1034
Give Us the Scoop! Programs and Support Groups Jan. 8, 7 p.m. Surviving Spouse Socials of York County Faith United Church of Christ 509 Pacific Ave., York (717) 266-2784
Free and open to the public
Please send us your press releases so we can let our readers know about free events occurring in York County!
Jan. 17, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Commons at Powder Mill 1775 Powder Mill Road, York (717) 741-0961
Jan. 15, 3 p.m. Caregiver Support Group Golden Visions Senior Community Center 250 Fame Ave., #125, Hanover (717) 633-5072
Email preferred to: mjoyce@onlinepub.com
If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration. Let (717) 285-1350 Help you get the word out!
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Savvy Senior
Eye Care Coverage and Services for Retirees Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare cover eye care? I had excellent vision insurance through my employer for many years but lost it when I retired, and now I am confused as to what Medicare actually covers. What can you tell me? — Living on a Budget
degeneration, retinopathy, glaucoma, or dry eye syndrome.
Dear Living, Many retirees are confused with what Medicare will and won’t cover when it comes to eye care. Here’s a breakdown of how Medicare handles different types of vision care services, along with some additional tips that can help you get affordable care when needed.
• Diabetic eye exams: if you have diabetes, yearly exams for diabetic retinopathy.
Medicare Coverage If you have original Medicare (Part A and B), it’s important to know that “routine” vision care like eye exams, eye refractions, eyeglasses, or contact lenses are generally not covered. But, “medically necessary” eye care usually is. Here’s a list of what is covered:
• Glaucoma screenings: annual screenings for those at high risk (diabetics, those with a family history of glaucoma, or those who are African-American or Hispanic).
• Macular degeneration: certain treatments are covered. You also need to be aware that of the eye care services that are covered by Medicare, you’re still responsible for 20 percent of the cost— Medicare pays the other 80 percent. To help with this out-ofpocket expense, some Medigap supplemental policies provide gap coverage. Or, if you have Medicare Advantage, some plans provide eye care benefits. Be sure you check with your plan administrator.
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month
• Eye surgeries: any surgical procedure that helps repair the function of the eye like cataract removal, cornea transplant, glaucoma surgery, etc. • Eyeglasses or contacts: only if you’ve had cataract surgery. • Medical eye exams: only if you’re having vision problems that indicate a serious eye condition like macular www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
Ways to Save If you find your eye care needs aren’t covered, or you can’t afford the 20 percent out-of-pocket that Medicare doesn’t cover, there are other ways to save. For starters, if you need a refractive eye exam or a new pair of eyeglasses, many optometrists and eyeglass dealers offer discounts—usually between 10 and 30 percent—to seniors who request it. Memberships in groups like AAA and
AARP can also provide lower rates. Another way to get low-cost eye care is at an optometry school. Many offer affordable care provided by students that are overseen by their professors. See www.opted.org for a directory of schools and their contact information. Assistance Programs Depending on where you live, there may also be some local clinics or charitable organizations that provide free or discounted eye care or eyeglasses. Put in a call to your local Lions Club to see what’s available in your area. To reach your local club, visit www.directory. lionsclubs.org or call (800) 747-4448 to get the number to your state Lions Club office, which can refer you to your community representative. Or, if you need medical eye care, check into EyeCare America. This is a
national program that provides comprehensive medical eye examinations to seniors age 65 and older and up to one year of treatment at no cost. They accept Medicare or other insurance as full payment. And if you don’t have insurance, care is free. To learn more or to find out if you qualify, visit www.eyecareamerica.org. If you’re under age 65, some other services that can help include Mission Cataract USA (www.missioncataract usa.org), which provides free cataract surgery to low-income people who don’t have insurance. And Vision USA (www.optometryscharity.org/vision-usa, (800) 766-4466) provides free vision care to uninsured and low-income workers and their families. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org.
Harrisburg’s Oldies Channel!
• Breakfast with Ben Barber and News with Dennis Edwards • John Tesh with Music and Intelligence for Your Workday • Bruce Collier & The Drive Home
Find us at AM 960 or at whylradio.com
WE PLAY OVER 1500 GREAT SONGS! 50plus SeniorNews t
January 2013
13
Book Review
Amish Folk Tales and Other Stories of the Pennsylvania Dutch By C. Eugene Moore
W
ho has a stronger sense of tradition than the Amish? In Amish Folk Tales and Other Stories of the Pennsylvania Dutch, we find anecdotes that have been passed down in families. In the retelling of these stories we find that each has been given a special patina as it has been lovingly handed down from generation to generation. “Amos Trades Up” follows the comical misadventures of a young Amishman. Paid off after his year of indentured service, Amos starts walking home. But along the way he meets temptation after temptation—and he pursues them all. “Eilenshpiggel and His Shenanigans” tells of the willful, mischievous rogue who’s a legend among the Pennsylvania Dutch people. In “John the Blacksmith,” we learn of the native intelligence of this character and of how he manages to outwit an emissary from the devil himself.
“Tales Tall and Taller” is a collection of exaggerations that make for wonderful reminiscences. For example, what happened to the man from Ephrata whose dentist pulled his tooth, then somehow let it slip off the tongs and travel down the patient’s throat? Read “Graven Images and the Legends that Grow Around Them” to find out about burial customs among the Pennsylvania Dutch and to learn what the emblems on grave markers signify. “Pennsylvania German Humor” is filled with traditional stories that bring laughter to the people of southeastern Pennsylvania. The book even offers “A True Ghost Story.” This is a fast-moving tale of
On-Line Publishers, Inc. & 50plus Senior News just earned 6 national awards!
murder and its eerie consequences. It asks you to explain what happened, if you can. An appendix, “Forearmed in Bilaspur,” tells of two Lancaster County men who link up to hunt tigers in India. This is all we’ll tell you about this story, which has a surprise twist at the end. The book is richly illustrated with color photographs depicting items made by Pennsylvania Dutch craftsmen: tall clocks, furniture, Conestoga wagon hardware, quilts, guns, and Amish toys. Amish Folk Tales and Other Stories of the Pennsylvania Dutch is available at local bookstores or from Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, Pa. 19310 or (610) 593-1777.
About the Author Gene Moore, a former navy officer, is a graduate of Auburn University who earned a master’s degree from Florida State University. He retired as director of public relations from Armstrong World Industries, Inc. A previous book, How Armstrong Floored America: The People Who Made It Happen, 1945-1995, was published by the Lancaster County Historical Society. He and his wife, Jan, make their home in Lancaster. Calling All Authors If you have written and published a book and would like 50plus Senior News to feature a Book Review, please submit a synopsis of the book (350 words or fewer) and a short autobiography (80 words or fewer). A copy of the book is required for review. Discretion is advised. Please send to: On-Line Publishers, Inc., Megan Joyce, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512. For more information, please email mjoyce@onlinepub.com.
Have you photographed a smile that just begs to be shared?
First Place – Profile “A Voice for Central PA’s Pets” by Megan Joyce
Second Place – Personal Essay “The Medium is in the Message” and “One Night Only” by Candace O’Donnell
Third Place – General Excellence
Send us your favorite smile—your children, grandchildren, friends, even your “smiling” pet!—and it could be 50plus Senior News’ next Smile of the Month! You can submit your photos (with captions) either digitally to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or by mail to:
50plus Senior News Smile of the Month 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 First Place – Feature Layout
Digital photos must be at least 4x6'' with a resolution of 300 dpi. No professional photos, please. Please include a SASE if you would like to have your photo returned.
“Healing Foods for a Healthy Life” by Victoria Shanta
Second Place – Profile “Around the World and Back Again” by Lynda Hudzick
Third Place – General Excellence (717) 285-1350 • (717) 770-0140 • (610) 675-6240 • www.onlinepub.com
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ADVOCACY
from page 1
kidney transplant recipient. Fair said her new kidney is in the right lower quadrant of her stomach, attached to the artery in the leg and bladder. “If you have uncontrollable hypertension, they will remove the (old) kidney, but I only had mild hypertension, so mine wasn’t removed,” she said. She also gets asked how it feels to have someone else’s kidney. But Fair doesn’t think of it that way, she said. She only thinks about how good it is to no longer be on dialysis, 10 hours every night, seven days a week. “I’m so glad to be rid of it because of the donation,” Fair said. “Many think of it as their new birth date. Mine was Feb. 21, 2011. It’s a new life.” Organ transplants are based on supply and demand and, currently, the demand is far greater than the available supply, Fair said. When there were no airbags in cars and fewer people were saved from accidents, there were more cadavers available. But because airbags are saving lives, those cadavers are no longer an option for transplantations. Therefore, organ donors are needed more than ever before. In 1987, those in need of a kidney transplant only had to wait seven months after first being placed on the transplant list, Fair said. But by 2012, the wait had lengthened to four to six years. Twelve thousand people meet the criteria for needing a kidney transplant, but fewer than half get donors. “That statistic really struck home,” Fair said. Transplant recipients are looking more and more to living donors since people can live with only one of their two kidneys. At Harrisburg Hospital, more than 50 percent of kidney transplants are due to living donors, Fair said, quoting Dr. Harold Yang, a hospital surgeon who helped save her life. While kidney disease can be from hypertension, diabetes, or polycystic kidney disease, Fair’s kidney problem stemmed from a birth defect in her sphincter muscle. “There was a surgery that could be done by age 5,” she said, but her diagnosis at age 21 put her well beyond that point, and her kidneys slowly deteriorated over the years. Fair began journaling about her experiences with kidney disease in September 2007. By the fall of 2010, she needed to go on dialysis, and she continued writing. “I had no idea if I would even receive a kidney, and if I did, how would I get through the surgery? The recovery period? Would there be a happy ending? All these www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
questions remained unanswered,” Fair said. “Although I had excellent medical care ... I could not have gotten through this time in my life without my faith,” Fair said. “Faith is a choice—it comes from the heart. You either want to believe or you don’t. I so believed in God and knew that he would see me through this most difficult time. After all, (God) is the physician of all physicians.” Fair’s earlier kindness to a young girl reaped benefits to not only herself, but another kidney transplant recipient as well. Because Fair had sponsored Janette “Jay” Diaz into Milton Hershey School, Diaz wanted to repay her kindness by donating her kidney to Fair. But after testing, the two weren’t a match. Instead, they were put on the Paired Donor List for a live match. Diaz matched a woman in Pittsburgh, and that woman’s friend, Marlane, matched Fair for a fourway swap. “So exciting!” Fair said. On Feb. 21, 2011, Marlane’s kidney was flown from the Thomas E. Starzl Transplant Institute of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to Harrisburg Hospital, where Fair was waiting for the lifesaving surgery. After an excellent recovery, Fair decided to compile her journal entries and craft them into a book, Transplanted to Better Health. “I wanted to offer hope and encouragement to patients who were suffering from kidney failure, or anyone suffering from a serious illness in general,” Fair said. In her memoir, Fair describes the good and bad days, the ups and downs of dialysis treatment, waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant, and the road to recovery. “My story will be familiar for anyone who has been down the road with kidney failure, and will uplift and empower those who are just setting foot on that path,” she said. “My book is like one patient talking to another patient.” But what sets Fair’s book apart from others is the details in her journals that only a person with a medical background would include. Fair is a medical technician who worked in a doctor’s office. A signed copy of Fair’s book may be purchased from Fair by emailing her at transplanted44@hotmail.com or through Amazon.com as a book or an e-book. To receive a signed copy, send a check payable to Fair Book Publishing for $18, which includes shipping, to: FBP, 1522 Collingdale Circle, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. To engage Fair as a speaker, contact her at the above email address.
Lancaster County
Register today and get in free!
omen’s Expo
($5 at the door)
Please, Join Us! The second annual women’s expo in the Lancaster County area will be held in the spring. This fun-filled and information-packed event brings together a community of women to connect, chat, relax, and rejuvenate. It features lively demonstrations, shopping, free spa treatments, and a fashion show. A wide variety of exhibitors provides information that embraces the many facets of a woman's life, including:
Beauty Home Health & Wellness Shopping Fashion Finance Technology Nutrition
and more!
May 18, 2013 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim
717.285.1350
For free tickets or for more information, go to:
aGreatWayToSpendMyDay.com
April 25, 2013 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Overlook Activities Center Overlook Park • 2040 Lititz Pike Lancaster
June 6, 2013 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
May 28, 2013 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Church Farm School 1001 East Lincoln Highway, Exton
Hershey Lodge West Chocolate Avenue & University Drive, Hershey
Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available 717.285.1350 717.770.0140 610.675.6240
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