York County 50plus Senior News November 2014

York County Edition

November 2014

Vol. 15 No. 11

Central PA Thanks its Vets Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair to Connect Local Vets with Community Resources, Jobs

By Megan Joyce It has become a well-deserved and common practice nowadays to thank the members of our military, both past and present, for their service.

Whether it’s a simple, impromptu thank-you between passersby on the street or more formal, public recognition, Americans have embraced the resounding call to let our men and women in uniform know we appreciate their efforts, sacrifices, and bravery.

In this spirit, OLP Events, the events division of On-Line Publishers, Inc., will present its first Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 14, at the Eden Resort, Lancaster.

Area veterans, active military, and their families are urged to attend the free, one-day event.

Donna Anderson, president and CEO of On-Line Publishers, which produces 50plus Senior News and the 50plus EXPOs, said the idea to organize a Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair developed after a special veterans’ area and patriotic programming were well received during one of last year’s 50plus EXPOs. “Veterans’ benefits change pretty regularly, but many veterans are unaware of the benefits they’ve earned,” Anderson said.

United in theme and purpose, the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair will be a two-for-one experience. Anderson said the response from community has please see VETS page 23

Inside:

How to Tell If You Have Prediabetes page 11

Giving to Others Becomes a Trend with Holiday Gifts page 20

Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori

Top 10 Thanksgiving Collectibles Lori Verderame n the autumn of 1621, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated the autumn or harvest feast together.

The harvest feast was a longstanding event in Native American culture and it occurred long before the Pilgrims reached Plymouth, Mass. Today, we call that celebration Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of the times when families reunite to take part in age-old family traditions. While most families enjoy a feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and the trimmings, we also enjoy the objects that remind us of coming home at holiday time.

Kitchen collectibles are those items that stir memories, like canister sets, mixing bowls, holiday china, handpainted tea sets, seasonal tablecloths and matching napkins, ceramic floral centerpieces, special crystal goblets, well-

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worn casserole dishes, etc.

The antique and vintage kitchen objects that make holidays special can have collectible and monetary value, too. Here are the top 10 Thanksgiving holiday collectibles that you can find in your mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen and beyond:

of a dressed turkey at the center. They date from the mid- to late 19th century to the present day and remain highly collectible.

2. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade memorabilia.

Whatever I am doing on Thanksgiving morning and wherever I am spending Thanksgiving in any Photo courtesy staff of www.DrLoriV.com given year, I do not Tucky, Steiff turkey toy miss this fabulous stuffed animal American event.

1. Turkey platters of The long-running parade is an Staffordshire or Limoges china. These American tradition with celebrity guests, platters are typically of blue/white decorated floats, marching bands, highceramic or full color featuring an image

flying character balloons, and Santa Claus. The employee-organized parade debuted on Nov. 27, 1924, and its long and diverse history offers collectors various types of parade memorabilia.

3. Steiff turkey toy. The German stuffed toy firm Steiff is best known for its antique mohair teddy bears dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The toy maker also produced many other types of stuffed animals from the mid-1900s. The 1950s-era Steiff turkey toy named Tucky is a sought-after Thanksgiving collectible toy.

4. Pilgrim Barbie doll. As you know, Barbie comes in many forms, but at holiday time, Mattel made sure Barbie was the hostess with the mostess.

Collectible Barbie dolls exist in the Thanksgiving hostess style and the ever-

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popular Pilgrim Barbie, too.

5. Authentic antique Native American baskets. These Thanksgiving collectibles are very pricey for those made in the Eastern, Southwestern, and Pacific Northwestern United States, including Alaska.

Ranging in value well into the several thousands of dollars for one good example, antique Native American basketry by the Haida tribe and others is quite collectible and valuable.

6. Thanksgiving-related salt and pepper shakers. Look for turkey, Native Americans, and pilgrim salt-and-pepper shakers by various makers such as Napco, Spode, Goebel, etc.

Holiday tables worldwide are

enlivened by the addition of small-scale collectible salt-and-pepper shakers in the form of various Thanksgiving-related figures.

7. Presidential Turkey pardon memorabilia. Paper announcements, TV news footage, and newspaper reports from the White House regarding the annual pardoning of a Thanksgiving turkey remain a holiday collectible favorite.

8. Toleware holiday trays. Metal trays with images of turkeys, teepees, and all the trimmings are popular offerings at antique shops and flea markets in the autumn. They range in value from $25 to $75 depending on size, image, and condition.

9. Table Talk pumpkin pie tins. While Table Talk pie tins have a strong collectibles interest in the New England states, the rest of the global collecting market gets into the act at Thanksgiving time.

These tin pie plates dating back into the 1900s are not going to bust your wallet, and they make fun holiday collectibles for the Thanksgiving buffet table.

10. Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Want (Thanksgiving Day) color poster, circa 1941-45. This famous image features a family sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner.

Rockwell’s poster was based on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech and has become

synonymous with the American Thanksgiving feast since World War II. The reproduction poster in good condition from the World War II era is worth $125 to $200.

This Thanksgiving, as you collect new memories and give thanks for family and friends, remember that your favorite antiques will remind you of crisp autumn days with loved ones. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori hosts antiques appraisal events worldwide.

Dr. Lori is the star appraiser on Discovery channel’s hit TV show Auction Kings. Visit www.DrLoriV.com/Events, www.Facebook.com/ DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being.

Active Adult Communities Roth’s Farm Village Roth’s Church Road, Spring Grove (717) 633-7300 Animal Hospitals Community Animal Hospital Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M. 400 S. Pine St., York (717) 845-5669 Automobile Sales/Service Gordon’s Body Shop, Inc. 10 Mill St., Stewartstown (717) 993-2263 Coins & Currency Munchel Brothers Jewelry and Coin Exchange 351 Loucks Road, Suite G-7, York (717) 793-2110 Steinmetz Coins & Currency 2861 E. Prospect Road, York (717) 757-6980 Energy Assistance Low-Income Energy Assistance (717) 787-8750 Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre 510 Centerville Road, Lancaster (717) 898-1900

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Financial Services Asset & Retirement Protectors (717) 792-9274; (800) 503-1028

Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services (717) 630-0067 – Hanover (717) 751-2488 – York

Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020

Housing/Apartments Elm Spring Residence 118 Pleasant Acres Road, York (717) 840-7676

Alzheimer’s Information Clearinghouse (800) 367-5115 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383

Springetts Manor Apartments 50 Eisenhower Drive, York (717) 757-1565

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400

Housing Assistance Housing Authority of York (717) 845-2601

The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 or (717) 757-0604

Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937

Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 Healthcare Information PA HealthCare Cost Containment (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home Care Services Elder Healthcare Solutions Serving South Central PA (717) 825-8828

Insurance – Long-Term Care Apprise Insurance Counseling (717) 771-9610 or (800) 632-9073

Personal Care Homes Providence Place Senior Living 3377 Fox Run Road, Dover (717) 767-4500 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Services York County Area Agency on Aging (800) 632-9073 Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Volunteer Opportunities RSVP of Capital Region, Inc. (717) 847-1539 RSVP Lancaster County (717) 847-1539

Asset Protectors 1595 N. Queen St., York (717) 699-2336 Nursing & Rehab Facilities Pleasant Acres Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 118 Pleasant Acres Road, York (717) 840-7100

RSVP Lebanon County (717) 454-8956 RSVP York County (443) 619-3842

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

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Global Survey Shows People Widely Misinformed about Alzheimer’s

Corporate Office: 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL VICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING EDITOR Christianne Rupp EDITOR, 50PLUS PUBLICATIONS Megan Joyce

ART DEPARTMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR Renee McWilliams PRODUCTION ARTIST Janys Cuffe

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie McComsey Jacoby Amy Kieffer Ranee Shaub Miller ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Christina Cardamone Kristy Neideigh BUSINESS INTERNS Mariah K. Hammacher Christopher Lee-Jimenez SALES & EVENT COORDINATOR Eileen Culp EVENTS MANAGER Kimberly Shaffer

Alzheimer’s is a fatal, progressive disease impacting at least 44 million people worldwide, yet it is widely misunderstood.

According to an Alzheimer’s Association® 12-country survey, 59 percent of people surveyed incorrectly believe that Alzheimer’s disease is a typical part of aging, and 40 percent of people believe that Alzheimer’s is not fatal.

The survey, conducted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Japan, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, also found that 37 percent of people surveyed believe incorrectly that you have to have a family history to be at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Association 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report released in March found that nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Americans hold the same mistaken belief, despite advancing age being the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

Despite lack of understanding of the severity of Alzheimer’s, it is still one of the most feared diseases.

When asked what disease or condition they were most afraid of getting, a quarter of people selected Alzheimer’s (23 percent), second only

to cancer (42 percent).

When asked what disease or condition they were most afraid of a loved one getting, a third of people in Japan (34 percent), Canada (32 percent), and the U.K. (33 percent) selected Alzheimer’s.

that being self-sufficient and not depending on others is important (98 percent), as is the ability to care for elderly parents at home (91 percent) and being able to pay for long-term care (89 percent), according to the Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report.

Country and Age Breakdown • The mistaken belief that Alzheimer’s is a typical part of aging was highest in India (84 percent), Saudi Arabia (81 percent), and China (80 percent).

• The U.K. and Mexico had the highest recognition that Alzheimer’s is not a typical part of aging (62 percent), but 37 percent and 38 percent, respectively, were still misinformed.

When considering health priorities, 96 percent of people surveyed said that being selfsufficient and not depending on others—an inevitability as Alzheimer’s disease progresses—is important. Being able to pay for long-term care (88 percent) and caring for elderly parents at home (86 percent) were also important.

These feelings are nearly universal, with 98 percent of Americans saying

• More than half of people surveyed in Germany (56 percent), Mexico (55 percent), and Brazil (53 percent) do not realize that Alzheimer’s is fatal.

• While 40 percent were misinformed, more people ages 1834 (60 percent), 35-44 (61 percent), and 45-44 (58 percent) agreed that Alzheimer’s is a fatal disease than people ages 60+ (53 percent).

CIRCULATION

About Our Company

PROJECT COORDINATOR Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Duvall Member of

Awards

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50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature.

Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

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Since 1995, On-Line Publishers, Inc. has celebrated serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the community of Central Pennsylvania. Our corporate office is located outside Columbia, Pa.

SUCCESS STORIES highlights the achievements of local professional women so that others may be inspired. It is a special insert in the March issue of BusinessWoman magazine.

All publications are available in print and digital formats.

Publications 50plus Senior News is a monthly newspaper touching on issues and events relevant to the 50+ community.

The Resource Directory for the Caregiver, Aging, and Disabled is published annually in distinct county editions with information from local businesses and organizations that meet the needs of these groups.

50plus LiViNg, an annual publication, a guide to residences and healthcare options for mature adults in the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys. ((b)) magazine is Central Pennsylvania’s premier publication for baby boomers, reflecting on the past, examining where baby boomers are today, and identifying the issues they may face in the future.

BusinessWoman is a monthly magazine with a focus on business. It features profiles of local executive women who are an inspiration to other professionals. Lifestyle and wellness articles are also included to round out the publication and address the many facets of a woman’s life.

Events OLP EVENtS, our events division, produces six 50plus EXPOs annually in Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster (two), and York counties. Entrance to the event, health screenings, and seminars held throughout the day are free to visitors.

The women’s expo is a one-day event featuring exhibitors and interactive fun that encompasses many aspects of a woman’s life. It is held in Lancaster and Hershey in the spring and in Lebanon and Carlisle in the fall.

This fall, OLP EVENtS presents its first Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair, a free, two-part event. The Veterans’ Expo connects active and retired military members and their families with the benefits and resources available to them in the community.

The Job Fair is an opportunity for veterans and employers to meet face to face to discuss available positions.

Attendees can also take part in workshops and seminars.

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For more information, call (717) 285-1350 or visit www.onlinepub.com.

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Social Security News

Serving Veterans on Veterans Day and Always

By John Johnston Every day—but particularly on Veterans Day—Social Security salutes those who have put their lives on the line for our freedom.

Members of the United States Armed Forces receive expedited processing of their Social Security disability applications.

The expedited process is available for any military service member who alleges he or she became disabled during active duty on or after Oct. 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurred—at home or in the line of duty.

Expedited processing is also available to veterans who have a compensation rating of 100 percent permanent and total (P&T) disability, regardless of when the disability occurred.

Some dependent children and spouses of military personnel may also be eligible to receive benefits.

Visit our website designed specifically

for our wounded veterans (www.social security.gov/ wounded warriors), where you will find answers to a number of commonly asked questions, as well as other useful information about disability benefits available under the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.

Our website includes a fact sheet on the subject: Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors.

You’ll also find a webinar, “Social Security for Wounded Warriors,” that explains the expedited disability process

Have you photographed a smile that just begs to be shared?

available to wounded warriors. The one-hour video is an introduction to disability benefits for veterans and active-duty military personnel.

If you would like more detailed information about the disability process, you can watch our seven-part video series, “Social Security Disability Claims Process,” at www.socialsecurity.gov/socialmedia/ webinars.

On the Wounded Warriors webpage, you’ll find links to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense websites. Please keep in mind

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that the requirements for disability benefits available through Social Security are different from those of the Department of Veterans Affairs and require a separate application.

Military service members are covered for the same Social Security survivors, disability, and retirement benefits as everyone else. Although the expedited service is relatively new, military personnel have been covered under Social Security since 1957, and people who were in the service prior to that may be able to get special credit for some of their service.

Read our publication, Military Service and Social Security, to learn more. It’s available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

Thank you to our nation’s brave veterans. We salute you on Veterans Day and every day.

John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.

Account Representative On-Line Publishers, Inc. has an opening for a highly motivated person with a professional attitude to sell print and online advertising as well as niche events.

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 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.

If you have sales experience and are interested in joining our growing sales team, please email your resumé and compensation history/requirements to danderson@onlinepub.com or mail to D. Anderson c/o On-Line Publishers, 3912 Abel Dr., Columbia, PA 17512.

www.onlinepub.com www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

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Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.

Bethany Village – The Oaks

Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 766-0279 • www.bethanyvillage.org

1000 Claremont Road • Carlisle, PA 17013 (717) 243-2031 • www.ccpa.net/cnrc

Number of Beds: 69 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Number of Beds: 290 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: CARF/CCAC; Eagle, LeadingAge PA Comments: Maplewood Assisted Living also available.

Homeland Center

Maple Farm

1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 (717) 221-7902 • www.homelandcenter.org

604 Oak Street • Akron, PA 17501 (717) 859-1191 • www.maplefarm.org

Number of Beds: 92 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Number of Beds: 46 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: AAHSA, LeadingAge PA (PANPHA), NHPCO, PHN, HPNA

Comments: A beautiful, full-service continuing care retirement community with a 147-year history of exemplary care.

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: No Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Claremont provides quality skilled nursing and rehabilitation services for short- and long-term stays.

Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: LeadingAge, LeadingAge PA, Mennonite Health Services Comments: Maple Farm puts the person first so your choices matter. Enjoy the comforts of home with country kitchen, private bedroom, full bath, and great views.

Mennonite Home Communities

The Middletown Home

1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org

999 West Harrisburg Pike • Middletown, PA 17057 (717) 944-3351 • www.middletownhome.org

Number of Beds: 188 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Number of Beds: 102 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: Equal Housing, LeadingAge PA Comments: Person-centered care with reputation for compassion and excellence. Established in 1903. Respite care available w/minimum stay.

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Our campus offers skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, personal care, and independent living residences.

Mt. Hope Nazarene Retirement Community

Pleasant Acres Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

3026 Mt. Hope Home Road • Manheim, PA 17545 (717) 665-6365 • www.mthopenazarene.org

118 Pleasant Acres Road • York, PA 17402 (717) 840-7100 • www.yorkcountypa.gov

Number of Beds: 50 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Number of Beds: 375 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Physical, Occupational Respiratory Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: No Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: Leading Age, Lancaster Links, LCF, MC Chamber Comments: A church mission dedicated to great care in a loving, Christian environment for low-income seniors.

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: No Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Elm Spring Residence Independent Living on campus.

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

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Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.

Spring Creek Rehabilitation & Health Care Center

Tel Hai Retirement Community

1205 South 28th Street • Harrisburg, PA 17111 (717) 565-7000 • www.springcreekcares.com

1200 Tel Hai Circle • Honey Brook, PA 19344 (610) 273-9333 • www.telhai.org

Number of Beds: 404 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Number of Beds: 139 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: A charming campus offering short-term rehab, specialized respiratory services to include vents and trachs, Alzheimer’s unit, and long-term skilled care.

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: CARF, MHS Alliance, Leading Age Comments: Dedicated short-term rehab neighborhood with Tel Hai’s own therapy department dedicated to intensive therapy with goal of returning home.

Transitions Healthcare – Gettysburg

Twin Pines Health Care Center

595 Biglerville Road • Gettysburg, PA 17325 (717) 334-6249 • www.transitionshealthcarellc.com

315 East London Grove Road • West Grove, PA 19390 (610) 869-2456

Number of Beds: 135 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Number of Beds: 120 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: PHCA, PACA Comments: Fully staffed Transitions Healthcare employees in skilled nursing and sub-acute rehab. Tours are encouraged!

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: AHCA, PHCA Comments: Beautiful, brand-new facility.

Top-quality skilled nursing and rehab.

Immediate openings!

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

Sweet Sixteen

By J. L. Westerhoff We went back to bed early last Friday night.

At 64, we retired, meaning that we had worked long enough and hard enough since John Kennedy was president, and we really do not want to work anymore.

The hours of the day and the days of the week confuse us—weekdays run together like two rivers in Pittsburgh.

We’re good at popping our pills at scheduled meals: breakfast at 7:30, unless we eat out; lunch at 11:30, unless we eat out; and supper at 6:30 unless … well you get the drift.

Our exercise? We do not use our television remote; we walk—sometimes run—to the bathroom; and occasionally we nose around our neighborhood.

It’s true: Youth is wasted on the young.

In bed my wife read the Capote classic In Cold Blood—not a good sweet-dreams www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

story. I drifted off to sleep, waking at 3:30 a.m. to get some “exercise.”

I again fell asleep and had this strange dream: I was driving my car behind an old man (older than me, of course). As he swerved, slowed, and then moved faster, he looked back at me, shook his fist, and very angrily yelled obscenities. Then the old guy stopped. I stopped, a cop showed up, I got upset, and then the cop disappeared and the old man drove off, and I woke up.

In analyzing the dream, I truly believe I have a fear of getting older.

So I lay on my right side, then on my

left, then my back, until 6 a.m., and it suddenly hit me: Our oldest grandchild is having her 16th birthday party in 12 hours.

I thought about the 16 years we’ve known this beautiful girl who will soon drive a car, graduate from high school, get a full-time job, meet a young man, get married when she turns 35, and give us great-grandchildren.

By that time, we’ll be over 80 and too feeble to babysit or change stinky diapers. And by then, we’ll be much too poor to buy cute, computerized baby toys. I miss my youth.

Grandchildren are different from your own children. The art of being a

grandparent is simple: If you think your offspring need advice on raising their children—turn the sound down on the TV, pretend to listen, nod in agreement, and keep your mouth shut.

We attended our granddaughter’s birthday party; the guests included many of her friends, which reminded me of days of innocence and young love, Pepsi and chips, Dion and Brian Hyland, the Twist and the Watusi, and the girls on the right, the boys on the left.

Today’s kids never use phrases such as “hang up the phone,” “move the antenna,” “that’ll be cash,” or “I’ll call you when I get home.”

I am amazed of how time has passed us by, but what amazes me more is that even though each generation has claimed its music, slang, loves, and hates, we all share one common thing: We are all thankful for the love passed on by the generation before us. www.jwesterhoff.net

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Tinseltown Talks

Julie Adams Revisits the Black Lagoon Nick Thomas ow much mileage could a studio expect from a 1950s film starring a biologist with a fascination for a secluded fishpond?

Quite a bit, when the scientist is beautiful Julie Adams wrapped in a skintight, white-latex bathing suit and the fish turns out to be an angry piscine amphibious humanoid—a.k.a., Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Having premiered 60 years ago this year, the success of the now-cult film continues to astound Adams, who, at age 87, remains a popular guest at fan conventions and film festivals across the country.

“It’s amazing the life this movie has,” said Adams from her Los Angeles home.

She portrayed scientist Kay Lawrence, who was abducted by the infatuated Gill Man toward the end of the creature feature.

“It’s a classic beauty-and-the-beast story, with stunning underwater photography filmed at Wakulla Springs, Fla., because of its clear waters. The lagoon scenes were shot at the Universal Studios back lot where Gilligan’s Island

H

Julie Adams and the Creature in various scenes from Creature from the Black Lagoon.

was filmed.”

Underwater, Adams was doubled by Ginger Stanley, while Ricou Browning donned the rubber creature suit for swimming scenes. On land, the creature was played by Ben Browning.

“Ben began going to fan conventions in the 1990s and convinced me to attend my first one in 2003. It’s wonderful to meet so many people who still enjoy your work.”

Fans have also shared some interesting admissions with Adams.

“Some told me they became zoologists or paleontologists because of the film.

And I met a little girl who was named after my character!”

In 2011, the Arkansas-raised actress self-published her autobiography, The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections from the Black Lagoon, coauthored with her son, Mitch Danton. The book contains some

200 photographs, many unpublished from her personal collection, with a chapter devoted to Black Lagoon.

Of course, the Creature wasn’t the only biped with whom Adams costarred during her career. She received top billing with less scaly characters such as William Powell, Glenn Ford, Charlton Heston, Elvis Presley, Rock Hudson, and many others (see www.julieadams.biz).

“Rock and I were about the same age, so we became close friends and often played bridge.”

One of her favorite costars was Jimmy Stewart, with whom she appeared in Bend of the River two years before Black Lagoon. Two decades later, she reunited with Stewart in 1971 for The Jimmy Stewart Show.

“After I read for the part of Jimmy’s wife, he gave me a little nod as if to say, ‘You’ve got the job’—and I did. Jimmy was wonderfully informal but professional, so it wasn’t hard to pretend to be in love with such a lovely man and talented actor.”

However, critics and audiences were

Calendar of Events

York County

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.

South Central Senior Community Center – (717) 235-6060, http://southcentralyorkcountysrctr.webs.com Nov. 4, 10 a.m. – Blood Pressure and Weight Checkup Nov. 13, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – AARP Driver Safety Refresher Course

Nov. 18, 5 to 8 p.m. – Remembering Lincoln’s Visit, Hanover Junction Train Station Nov. 29, 11 a.m. to noon – Birds of Prey Day, Nixon Nature Center

York County Library Programs

Please contact your local center for scheduled activities.

Collinsville Community Library, 2632 Delta Road, Brogue, (717) 927-9014 Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. – Purls of Brogue Knitting Club

Programs and Support Groups Nov. 7 10:30 a.m.

Partners in Thyme Herb Club of Southern York County Meeting Glenview Alliance Church 10037 Susquehanna Trail South, Glen Rock (717) 428-2210

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Adams with Jimmy Stewart in 1972.

In 2011, Adams self-published her autobiography, coauthored with her son, Mitch Danton.

Help 50plus Senior News spread your local news!

Everyone likes to read good news, so tell us what’s happening in your part of the world so we can share it with others!

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Halloween 2013 at Spooky Empire in Orlando, Fla.

not so enamored with the show, which was canceled after the first season.

“It was quite a charming show but came out the same time as more edgy sitcoms like All in the Family,” said Adams, who still remembers it fondly.

“My idea of heaven was going to work with Jimmy Stewart every day for six months!”

Unlike the little-remembered TV show, The Creature from the Black Lagoon continues to gain fans from new generations.

“Some projects just take on a life of their own,” says Adams. “The Creature still walks among us.”

Thomas’ features and columns have appeared in more than 400 magazines and newspapers, and he is the author of Raised by the Stars, published by McFarland. He can be reached at his blog: http://getnickt. blogspot.com All photos provided by Julie Adams’ son, Mitch Danton.

Horn of Plenty: The Myth and the Symbol The cornucopia, or horn of plenty, has long been heralded as a symbol of nature’s abundance. Its history is long and rich.

In Greek mythology, it was one of the horns of the goat Amalthaea, who nursed the god Zeus as a baby. The horn was believed to have produced ambrosia and nectar, which were believed then to be the food of the gods.

A Roman myth says that the horn of www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

the cornucopia came from the river god Achelous, who transformed into a bull to fight with the hero Hercules.

When Hercules broke the horn from the river god’s head, water nymphs filled the horn with flowers and fruit and left it as an offering to Copia, the goddess of plenty.

These stories have contributed to the image of the cornucopia as a symbol of gratitude for a good harvest, making it an appropriate symbol for Thanksgiving Day.

• a birthday or anniversary milestone • a volunteer who should be recognized • a photo of a smile that begs to be shared • a groundbreaking event • community activities • support programs • local news

We would love to consider your submission for an upcoming issue of 50plus Senior News*.

Please note: submissions must be received by the 10th of the month prior to insertion. * Submissions will be included as space permits.

For more information or to submit your happenings, email Megan Joyce at mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail to: 50plus Senior News Megan Joyce 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 50plus SeniorNews t

November 2014

9

Report Highlights Effect of Aging Boomers Census and other nationally

• Between 2003-2006, 72 percent of representative surveys. In addition, data older men and 67 percent of older from NIA-funded research was included women were overweight or obese. in the report.

Obesity is associated in increased rates of A key aspect of the report is the effect diabetes, arthritis, and impaired mobility, that the aging of the baby boom and in some cases with higher death generation—those born between 1946 rates. and 1964—will have on the U.S. • Research based population and on on NIA’s Health and Many older society in general.

Retirement Study Americans are Baby boomers suggests that the began to reach age prevalence of chronic unprepared to 65 in 2011; diseases, such as high afford the costs of between 2010 and blood pressure, heart 2020, the older disease, chronic lung long-term care in a generation is disease, and diabetes, nursing home. projected to grow increased among more rapidly than older people between in any other decade 1998 and 2008. since 1900.

For example, in 2008, 41 percent of The report points out some critical the older population had three or more health-related issues: chronic conditions, 51 percent had one or two, and only 8 percent had no • Rates of smoking and excessive chronic conditions. alcohol consumption have declined among those 65 and older, but the • The cost of long-term care varies by percentage of overweight and obese care setting. The average cost of a private people has increased. room in a nursing home was $229 per day or $83,585 per year in 2010.

“

“

While rates of smoking and excessive drinking have declined among older Americans, prevalence of chronic disease has risen, and many older Americans are unprepared to afford the costs of longterm care in a nursing home, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau commissioned by the National Institutes of Health.

The report highlights those trends and others among America’s older population, now over 40 million and expected to more than double by midcentury, growing to 83.7 million people and one-fifth of the U.S. population by 2050.

Population trends and other national data about people 65 and older are presented in the report, 65+ in the United States: 2010.

It documents aging as quite varied in terms of how long people live, how well they age, their financial and educational status, their medical and long-term care and housing costs, where they live and with whom, and other factors important for aging and health.

Funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of NIH, the report draws heavily on data from the 2010

• Less than one-fifth of older people have the personal financial resources to live in a nursing home for more than three years, and almost two-thirds cannot afford even one year.

• Medicare provides coverage in a skilled nursing facility to older and disabled patients for short time periods following hospitalization.

• Medicaid covers long-term care in certified facilities for qualifying lowincome seniors. In 2006, Medicaid paid for 43 percent of long-term care.

“Most of the long-term care provided to older people today comes from unpaid family members and friends,” noted Richard Suzman, director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Research at NIA. “Baby boomers had far fewer children than their parents. Combined with higher divorce rates and disrupted family structures, this will result in fewer family members to provide long-term care in the future. This will become more serious as people live longer with conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.”

Old Age: No Barrier to Creativity We sometimes think creativity is for young people. Children are endlessly imaginative, but the elderly are set in their ways.

After all, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, right?

Consider this list of creative accomplishments by people who may have seemed, at first glance, to be past their prime:

Grandma Moses. Artist Anna Mary Robertson, better known as “Grandma Moses,” had her first solo exhibition of paintings in 1940, when she was 80 years old.

Goethe. The famous German poet finished Part 2 of his masterpiece Faust shortly before his death in 1832, when he was 83.

Arthur Rubenstein. This concert pianist performed at Carnegie Hall at age 90.

George Bernard Shaw. The Irish-born

playwright (among other occupations) remained active until his death in 1950 at age 94, when he published his final play. He was working on another unfinished play when he died.

Pablo Casals. The cellist and conductor, born in 1876, continued to perform on concert tours in his 80s.

Grandma Moses in1953

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Savvy Senior

How to Tell If You Have Prediabetes Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, My 62-year-old sister was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and was surprised when the doctor told her that she’s probably had it or prediabetes for many years. My question is, what determines prediabetes and how can you know if you have it?

– Surprised Senior Dear Surprised, Underlying today’s growing epidemic of Type 2 diabetes is a much larger epidemic called prediabetes, which is when the blood-sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that as many as 79 million Americans today have prediabetes. Left untreated, it almost always turns into Type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

And, if you have prediabetes, the longterm damage it can cause—especially to your heart and circulatory system—may already be starting.

But the good news is that prediabetes doesn’t mean that you’re destined for fullblown diabetes. Prediabetes can actually be reversed, and diabetes prevented, by making some simple lifestyle changes like losing weight, exercising, eating a healthy diet, and cutting back on carbohydrates.

Or, if you need more help, oral medications may also be an option.

Get Checked?

Because prediabetes typically causes no outward symptoms, most people who have it don’t realize it. The only way to know for sure is to get a blood test.

Everyone age 45 years or older should consider getting tested for prediabetes, especially if you are overweight with a body mass index (BMI) above 25. See www.cdc.gov/bmi to calculate your BMI. If you are younger than 45 but are overweight, or have high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes, or belong to an www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

ethnic group (Latino, Asian, African, or Native American) at high risk for diabetes, you too should get checked.

To help you determine your risk of diabetes, the American Diabetes Association has a quick, online quiz you can take for free at www.diabetes.org/areyou-at-risk.

Diabetes Tests There are several tests your doctor can give you to determine whether you have prediabetes, like the “fasting blood glucose test” or the “oral glucose tolerance test,” which each require an eighthour fast before you take it. And the “hemoglobin A1C test” can be taken any time regardless of when you ate.

If you’re reluctant to visit your doctor to get tested, an alternative is to test yourself.

To do that, you’ll need to purchase an A1C home test kit that measures your average blood glucose over the past two to three months.

The ReliOn A1c Test sold at Walmart (or www.walmart.com) for $9 is a popular option. With this test kit, you provide a small blood sample (about a drop) and send it to the lab in a postage-paid return mailer for analysis. The results are usually sent back within a week.

A1C tests measure the percentage of glucose in the bloodstream. A reading of 5.7 to 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes, while 6.5 percent or greater is diabetes.

If you find that you are prediabetic or diabetic, you need to see your doctor to develop a plan to get it under control.

For more information on prediabetes and diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org and the National Diabetes Education Program (www.ndep.nih.gov), which also offers dozens of free publications you can order online or by calling (888) 693-6337.

Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org

50plus SeniorNews t

November 2014

11

Traveltizers

Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel

Amidst the Spires of Oxford: A College Education and a Cultural Exploration The city of Oxford is often called “The City of Dreaming Spires,” a name that comes from a poem by Victorian poet and Oxford grad Matthew Arnold. All Soul’s College, one of the university’s 38 constituent colleges, is known for its distinctive twin towers.

By Andrea Gross y tutor hands me a piece of paper. “Congratulations,” he says. “You’re an Oxford graduate.”

Well, not really. A “faux grad” is more like it. But I do have a certificate verifying my attendance at one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, one whose alums include kings and saints, economists and entrepreneurs, Nobel Prize winners and Olympic medal winners.

And now, me.

My husband and I have just completed “The Oxford Experience,” a one-week program at Christ Church, the largest and arguably most beautiful of the university’s 38 constituent colleges.

During that week, we took classes in the morning, explored the historic campus in the afternoon (including areas that are off-limits to most visitors), and played croquet, danced medieval

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Oxford Experience students celebrate when they receive their “diplomas” during their final dinner in the Great Hall.

folk dances, and went pub-crawling in the evening.

We lived in dorms carved out of buildings that dated back to the 18th century and ate in the Great Hall where King Charles I held his parliament in

the 17th century and that was used as inspiration for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Hall in the 21st century.

Our fellow students, who included folks from more than a dozen countries, ranged in age from under 20 to over 90,

although the majority were in their midto late 60s.

In short, we were taught by experts, surrounded by history, and immersed in culture, and we were members of an international community. It’s a heady combination and undoubtedly explains why the program, which began in 1990, is so popular.

There are six one-week sessions between the first of July and the middle of August. During each session, there are at least 10 courses, each limited to 12 students, who meet with a tutor for three hours every morning.

Courses range from the specific (George Eliot’s Middlemarch) to the general (Moral Philosophy), the artistic (Beethoven: His Life and Music) to the historic (The Birth of Europe), the religious (Sacred Landscapes and Holy Places) to the scientific (Human Memory and the Brain).

The courses are so varied, and so well presented, that more than 50 percent of the attendees are repeaters. Indeed, we

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Chester Cumberland Lancaster Lebanon

Dauphin York

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met one woman who has come for 10 summers and, during many of those summers, has stayed for two or more sessions.

Although Christ Church is just a few blocks from the center of Oxford, our days on campus were so full that we weren’t able to thoroughly enjoy the town. So, after “graduation” we allow ourselves three days to see the age-old buildings and cobblestone alleys of the city itself.

To get an overview, we climb the 100-plus steps to the top of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, where we look out over a sea of spires. Steepled churches and turreted buildings are surrounded by hills of green, and narrow alleys are bisected by modern thoroughfares.

Descending from the stratosphere, we stop at the Bodleian Library, which, with more than 11 million volumes, is the second largest in Britain; gaze at the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by famed 17th-century architect Sir Christopher Wren; and meander through the Botanic Garden, the oldest such garden in England.

In the shallow river bordering the gardens, we get our first look at punting, a popular Oxford activity that involves propelling a flat-bottomed boat by pushing a pole against the riverbed.

When you patronize our advertisers, please let them know you saw their ad in

Punting is a popular Oxford activity that involves using a pole to propel a flatbottom boat along a shallow river.

The Cotswolds, one of England’s most beautiful districts, is less than an hour from Oxford.

It looks easy, so we rent a boat, intending to try our skill, but it takes us less than 10 minutes mired in mud to realize that we have no skill. We finally hire a “chauffeur,” who punts while we contemplate the view.

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Luke Gander, owner of Alice’s Sweet Shop, shows an illustration of his shop in Lewis Carroll’s novel, Through the Looking Glass.

The Cotswolds is a rural area of stone cottages and stately homes.

Its name is derived from two Old English words: cots, which means “sheep enclosures,” and wolds, which means “gentle hills.”

We get our literary fix by having pubgrub at the White Horse, figuring that if it’s good enough for Inspector Morse, it’s good enough for us; downing ale at The Eagle and Child, the favorite stomping grounds of J.R.R. Tolkien and

C.S. Lewis; and visiting the shop that was frequented by the real-life Alice in Wonderland as well as Lewis Carroll, the man who immortalized her.

Finally, on our last day, we treat ourselves to an all-day tour of the Cotswolds. As Martin Cowell, owner of Absolute Touring, drives his eightpassenger van along windy roads and small villages that are inaccessible to larger vehicles, we enter a world where sheep graze in fields bordered by stacked stone fences and homes are built from bricks the color of burnished gold.

Martin tells us that the Cotswolds has been deemed an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it is indeed. But it’s more than that. It’s a poster come to life.

Back in Oxford, we stop at a souvenir shop where I buy a t-shirt emblazoned with the Oxford University insignia.

After all, even a faux grad deserves some bragging rights. www.oxfordexperience.info www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com

Note: Registration for the 2015 Oxford Experience closes May 1, 2015.

The most popular classes fill up early, so newbies are advised to register ASAP. Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross

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November 2014

13

Salute to a Veteran

He Flew the F-86D Sabre Jet for Hundreds of Hours … Without Ever Leaving the Ground Robert D. Wilcox

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on Buchko experience did well there, with the so well that at huge the end of flight this fivesimulator month under the assignment, watchful he was chosen eye of the to attend the Buchko at the controls of manuthree-month the flight simulator at O’Hare AFB in 1954. facturer’s flight representsimulation atives, who provided the training. school that A/2C Gerald (Gerry) Buchko Every F-86D pilot was required to taught how at Keesler AFB in 1953. spend two hours every month “flying” to operate the simulator through various weather and care for conditions, flying hazards, and aerial the simulators that gave pilots various attacks set up by the push of a button in kinds of flight experience without the simulator’s control room by a flight leaving the ground. simulator specialist like Buchko.

Then it was off to O’Hare AFB in Realism was the key. There were two Chicago, to the 62nd Fighter Squadron as a flight simulator specialist. There loudspeakers beneath the cockpit that Buchko had six more months of handsemitted the whine of a jet engine. For night flying, there were flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder, as needed.

When the pilot entered the simulator, 50plus Senior News and (((b))) magazine were recently honored with he had the same instrumentation as in 7 awards from the North American Mature Publishers Association. the airplane itself. He started the engine, called for taxiing information, taxied for “A lively piece …The story brims with the subject’s enthusiasm …” take-off, and took off for a mission as directed by the flight simulator “[The writer] performs a real public service for a specialist. growing segment of senior society.”

And he “flew” it as he would have flown the F-86D. But, in the simulator, “The writing is straightforward and authoritative.” he was able to practice recovering from “A local audience is clearly in mind.” emergencies like fires, flame-outs, and loss of controls that could have been fatal in the airplane itself. If he failed to earned four Division C awards: correct problems, a loud bell announced • Second place, General Excellence that he had crashed.

• First place, Profile, “Life’s Second Draft” by Chelsea Shank Input from the control room was • Second place, Feature Writing, “It’s Over So Soon” by Mike Clark carried through 60 miles of wire and • Third place, Profile, “Dedication and Dance Through the Ages” by Megan Joyce 1,262 electronic tubes, a total of 28,000 pounds of equipment to make this all happen. To get everything in motion earned three Division A awards: took 3,000 watts of electricity per hour.

• First place, Topical Issue, “Finances, Estate Planning, and Second Marriages – The flight simulation specialists were What You Should Know” by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger responsible for keeping all the tubes, • Second place, Topical Issue, “Serving Seniors at Home” by Gina Napoli wires, and connections in working • Third place, Feature Writing, “Brewing in Central Pennsylvania – A Craft Well order.

Spent” by Rochelle Shenk Specialists like Buchko had to be able to play the role of operators of towers, Thank you for helping us continue to bring you instrument-landing systems (ILS), ground-controlled approach systems engaging content with local flair!

(GCA), and other systems the F-86D (717) 285-1350 • (717) 770-0140 • (610) 675-6240 • www.onlinepub.com pilots would be using. There was so

erry Buchko says he was fascinated by airplanes as long as he can remember. As a child growing up in Donora, Pa., he would spend hours assembling kits of aircraft that he would add to his personal air force.

So it wasn’t surprising that, when he was able to, he enlisted in the Air Force in February 1953.

After basic training at Sampson Air Force Base in New York, he shipped by train to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Miss.

“I was a little surprised that when it was 45 F as we stepped on the train, it was 90 F when we stepped off the next day in Biloxi,” he says. “For guys with nothing but our heavy wool uniforms, that was hot.”

He was assigned to the Basic Electronics School in Biloxi that taught virtually all the Air Force men who would be working in all phases of electronics.

The judges have spoken!

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much to know and so many pilots to train that the simulator was in service 24 hours a day.

Still, there were hours when pilots were not being trained. In those hours, specialists like Buchko were encouraged to use the simulator themselves and to set up for themselves flight conditions like those they would use in actual pilot training.

Buchko took full advantage of that, putting himself through the same paces he’d put the pilots through. And that’s how he racked up the hundreds of hours he had flying the F-86D, a jet airplane that could fly at more than the speed of sound in level flight.

When his hitch was up in February 1957, Buchko left the Air Force as an airman first class and worked for a couple of years for a factory that made the electronic products sold by Sears. He then entered the Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, using the G.I. Bill to earn a B.S. as an electrical engineer.

That got him a job with RCA in Central Pennsylvania, where he worked for the next 15 years as a power tube engineer. In that job, the power tubes he developed were used in many of the rockets used in the moon shots from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

He then moved to Quality and Reliability Assurance for another 20 years before retiring from Burle Industries, Inc., the company that had purchased the RCA plant.

In retirement, he now spends one day a week volunteering with Meals on Wheels. He also spends time in his hobby, woodworking. And, wouldn’t you know, he still spends lots of time in a Microsoft Flight Simulator, a computer game that permits him to fly many different kinds of aircraft to airports across the world.

He still can’t quite get over the fact that the work of the Air Force simulator that he used to operate filled an entire room, while the Microsoft simulator he now uses can do most of the same tasks, although it fits on a single disk that he plays through his desktop computer.

Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.

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The Way I See It

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Leftovers Mike Clark found an outdated container of beef gravy in the back of our refrigerator while gathering ingredients for dinner.

My wife asked why I was placing it on the kitchen counter instead of immediately throwing it away. She pressed me on this simple little act because I do have a tendency to deposit dirty dishes in the sink and on the counter instead of putting them right into the dishwasher.

One requires more effort than the other, I guess.

So, I got defensive and replied somewhat flippantly that I needed to keep the rancid gravy there for several months as I was working on an empirical study to reject the null hypothesis that claims flies (and other critters) are not spontaneously generated from inorganic substances.

A scientist used mutton gravy in one of the original studies, but beef gravy, I thought, would serve the same purpose for my experiment, which I wasn’t going to do anyway.

It’s not necessary to understand the preceding arcane, scientific jargon. The theory of spontaneous generation is antiquated and obscure (and long ago debunked). The reason I thought of it is probably because I’m also antiquated and obscure (and often debunked).

Also, it was my way of temporarily evading further discussion about my indolence. I didn’t want to waste my time on any discussion of that. That’s mostly because my wife has plenty of evidence to support her hypothesis that I am somewhat indolent.

I had another incident with leftover chicken gravy not so long ago. The forgotten glop had dehydrated into a crackled yellow plug that easily dropped out of the plastic storage cup when I ditched it, which made for a neat and easy disposal. It just made a muffled plunk when it hit the trash can.

Don’t ask me why leftover gravy so seldom gets used in our house. Maybe

I

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it’s because we only make gravy in small measures and very little goes unused during a meal. What’s left can easily get jammed to the back of the refrigerator and overlooked.

Gravy is not the only leftover that gets shuffled throughout the refrigerator until it is forgotten. If there really was statistical significance that beasties could be spontaneously generated from a variety of non-living substances, our refrigerator, at various times, could become a real and thriving ecosystem unto itself.

Perhaps a different organism could arise from each different leftover.

Imagine what living thing could slink from a neglected blue-green, furry tomato. What would you think if you opened the refrigerator door and saw a legless, gapemouthed creature pop up from the casserole dish containing 2-month-old scalloped potatoes?

And what about the brute that could be growing inside a plastic vessel half full of dried-out baked beans? Could a new species of fowl be spawned from that leftover Thanksgiving turkey leg?

I can only imagine the screams of terror if I went for a glass of juice and saw the toothy grin of a scaly fiend just waiting to be set free from the crisper drawer. If ever there was a time when my wife needed to be there for me, that would be it.

My wife claims that there is a strong correlation between forgotten leftovers and my laziness. I reminded her that one of the basic tenets of statistics is that correlation does not imply causation.

Right then, I knew I had overplayed my hand.

Mike Clark writes a regular column for The Globe Leader newspaper in New Wilmington, Pa. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational behavior/applied psychology from Albright College. Mike lives outside Columbia, Pa., and can be contacted at mikemac429@aol.com.

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November 2014

15

Fragments of History

America’s First Female Soldier Victor Parachin t the Rock Ridge Cemetery in Sharon, Mass., is a gravestone with this simple but unusual inscription:

A

DEBORAH SAMPSON GANNETT ROBERT SHURTLIFF THE FEMALE SOLDIER SERVICE (1781-1783) Those dates coincide with America’s Revolutionary War. Though women were not permitted to serve in the army, Deborah Sampson managed to enlist by assuming a man’s identity and calling herself Robert Shurtliff.

She was wounded in battle, served as an aide to a general, and remained in active duty for more than two years.

Deborah Sampson was America’s first female soldier.

She was born in 1760 at Plympton, Mass., to a family so poor that Sampson’s mother was forced to send her seven children into foster care. Sampson, at age 5, was sent away to live with other families in Middleborough, Mass.

During the eight years she lived away from home, Sampson was fortunate to receive basic education in reading, writing, and arithmetic and domestic skills such as gardening, cooking, sewing, and weaving.

Additionally, she learned how to shoot a rifle, hunt, ride a horse, and do carpentry. It was enough education and life skill to qualify her as grade-school teacher.

However, when the Revolutionary War began, Sampson, wanting more out

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of life and seeking more her courage, perseverance, adventure, decided to and discipline. The general enlist as a man. asked her to serve as his To prepare, she made aide-de-camp, explaining men’s clothing for herself that the person who held and practiced walking and the position, Major talking like a man. Her Elnathon Haskell, had mannerisms became so fallen ill. masculine that even her Sampson moved to his family and friends did not quarters and began her recognize her in disguise. It duties, which consisted of helped that she was tall for tending to the general’s a woman, measuring 5 needs: cleaning his boots, Engraved portrait of feet, 7 inches. polishing his swords, Deborah Sampson When she felt ready, she cleaning his uniforms, enlisted into the Continental Army as preparing meals, and delivering messages.

Robert Shurtliff. There was no physical It was a good position for her, as it exam. As “Bobby,” Sampson was teased meant she now had a room of her own. by other soldiers because she couldn’t While in the general’s service, grow facial hair, but other soldiers Sampson was almost discovered when a assumed “the boy” was just too young to chaplain visited General Paterson and grow a beard. remained for an evening meal.

In service, she lived with soldiers, As Sampson served the two men, the endured long marches with little food, chaplain observed her carefully, saying to fought alongside her companions, and Paterson: “I admire your fare, General was shot in the leg. Frightened that her Paterson, but even more your very polite ruse would be discovered in a hospital, attendant, who appears to possess the Sampson used a needle and pen knife to gracefulness and demeanor of a girl.” remove the bullet herself.

Sampson must have been greatly Though her “surgery” was successful, relieved to hear General Paterson tell the the leg never healed properly. Her secret chaplain: “Private Shurtliff is one of my was safe, however, and she remained in finest men and one of our quiet heroes. the army.

Though he may not be as athletic as On April 1, 1783, a sergeant sought (others), he is as expert with a musket as out Sampson, announcing, “General in arraying our table for an attack with Paterson wants to see you.” Sampson was knives and forks.” terrified she’d been discovered. She When Major Haskell recovered from reported to the general, expecting to be his illness, he returned as General accused of deceit, but was stunned to Paterson’s aide and Sampson went back hear the general tell her that he admired to her unit.

When her unit engaged in a skirmish along the Hudson River, she received a second wound by a sword on her head. A third wound, a musket ball into her left

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shoulder at Eastchester, N.Y., would lead to the discovery that she was a woman soldier.

While hospitalized for the bullet wound, Sampson came down with a fever from an epidemic running through the hospital. Losing consciousness, she awakened to learn several men in her company had carried her to the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

Barely conscious, she was examined by hospital surgeon Dr. Barnabus Binney and heard him tell a nurse: “This young soldier is a woman disguised as a man.

Take her to your apartment and care for her as though she were your daughter.

Please be discreet. No one knows her secret.”

When her fever had subsided, Binney had Sampson transferred to his own home, where he continued to provide private medical care. As he gained her confidence, Binney asked for her real and assumed names.

She responded: “My real name is Deborah Sampson, and I took the first two parts of my brother’s name, Robert Shurtliff, the firstborn of my mother’s eight children. He died when he was 8, the year I was born. I never saw him, but I knew my mother never got over her grief at his loss.”

When her condition improved, she was officially and honorably discharged her from the military and provided with safe passage back to her family.

Deborah Sampson died on April 29, 1827. Though her name is not as famous as the men who helped start and shape the United States, she was, nevertheless, an important part of an army that helped create a new nation of “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

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Older But Not Wiser

Making a List Sy Rosen was slowly driving through the grocery-store parking lot, looking for a spot, when I passed this young teenage couple walking arm in arm toward the entrance.

He was wearing these baggy pants that were falling down and the top of his behind was exposed, giving the world a big “hello.”

As I drove by, I yelled out, “Pull up your pants.” It was very spontaneous, and I don’t know why I did it.

The guy gave me a very angry look. I did the only thing I could do: I quickly left the parking lot and went to a different supermarket.

I don’t know what’s happening—I’m turning into a curmudgeon. Actually, I think only curmudgeons use the word curmudgeon. I’m pretty sure that the reason I’ve been so cranky lately is that I don’t like getting older.

I know people say, “Think of the alternative.” I just wish the alternative was that I could get in a time machine and go back 30 years—OK, 40. OK, 50 years (why quibble over a decade or two?).

I started thinking that maybe I was overreacting. Maybe it’s not too bad getting older. There has to be some advantages.

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So I decided to make a list of all the pros and cons. I have to admit, I’m the kind of person who loves making lists. I once made a list of things I like about making lists.

The Cons of Getting Older 1. Telemarketers trying to sell me a walkin bathtub because it’s safer. I don’t want to be safe. I want to be daring and adventurous and take a shower.

2. I hate that sometimes I get lonely and I look forward to calls from telemarketers.

3. Younger people sometimes treat me differently because I am older. They speak louder or they’ll roll their eyes when I am giving an opinion. I can hear you. I can see you. I don’t want to, but I can.

4. I hate that I’m getting a turkey neck. I hate the term turkey neck, and I’m pretty sure that if turkeys could talk, they would say they hate it too.

5. I hate that my version of aerobics is walking to the bathroom four times a night.

6. I hate that my hair has gone completely gray. And I hate that there’s this bald spot on the back of my head. I also hate that hair is now growing out of

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Before the weather gets too cold, you should protect your house and family from the elements.

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• Check the chimney for mortar deterioration and loose bricks.

Inspect the underside of the roof, from the attic, for signs of leakage.

Exterior • Check the foundation for cracks in the www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

concrete or low spots in the soil where water can accumulate against the foundation.

• Examine the caulking in the siding and around the window and door trims.

Heat • Turn on the heating system and ensure that the heat is being delivered to all outlets.

• Check the filter and change it if necessary. Keep extra filters around so you can change it during the winter season.

my ears. What’s my hair doing down there? Get back up on my head where you belong!

every morning, hoping that I won’t see any of my friends there.

7. I hate having to keep buying more and more powerful reading glasses at the 99-cent store. I also hate that the 99-cent store is starting to seem expensive to me.

10. I hate that when I forget things, I start to worry that it may be a symptom of dementia. Maybe I’m just simply forgetting things. That’s possible, isn’t it?

The Pros of Getting Older 1. I have a 9-month-old granddaughter.

8. I hate that I’m shrinking. I guess I have to give up my dream of being a professional basketball player.

9. I hate looking at the obituary column

I know what you’re thinking—it’s not even close. The “pros” have it in a landslide.

Volunteer Spotlight YCAAA Recognizes Volunteers of the Month difference in someone’s Emily Connors and Bill Einsig have been day and enjoys the named Volunteers of the wisdom and knowledge imparted by the older Month by the York adults with whom she has County Area Agency on Aging for their ongoing worked. service and dedication to Manchester Township resident Bill Einsig is a the agency and York former teacher who County’s older adults.

Windsor Township operated an environmental Emily Connors center working with resident Emily Connors, hundreds of students in a certified therapeutic the woods. Serving as a recreation specialist, is a volunteer Judicial Center volunteer ombudsman tour guide reminds him of for the agency. In that the fun he had while role, Connors encourages residents to advocate for teaching.

“I enjoy York County themselves in a skilled history and meeting new nursing facility or serves people,” Einsig said. “With an advocate for those so many opportunities to who are unable to Bill Einsig serve other folks, it makes advocate for sense to find something themselves. that connects with your own interests, She finds volunteering extremely skills, and abilities.” rewarding knowing she made a 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.

50plus SeniorNews t

November 2014

17

The Green Mountain Gardener

Easy Houseplants Dr. Leonard Perry f you’re like me and don’t have time to fuss with houseplants, or are beginning and don’t know where to begin, or just feel you have a brown thumb, there are some easy houseplants you might give a try.

No matter which you grow, the key is to not overwater. If in doubt, don’t water. I like to “train” my plants (leafy ones such as peace lily) to be dry to the point of starting to wilt before watering.

Other tips for success: keep from drafty areas, keep from touching cold windows, keep low-light plants from direct sun, and don’t move from one extreme to the other without a transition period of several weeks (such as low light indoors to a full-sun window).

Other than proper watering and keeping plants warm (above 50 degrees F, preferably above 60 degrees for most), proper light is perhaps most important.

Low-light plants do well in the interior of homes or by a north-facing window. Medium-light plants like bright, indirect light a foot or two from west- or south-facing windows or under a lamp fixture. High-light plants really need to be near (but not touching) westor south-facing windows or in a sunroom.

Low-Light Plants One of the most traditional plants for low light is the wide-leaved, leatheryleaved cast-iron plant (Aspidistra)— appropriately named as it is tough as nails. It grows about 2 feet high and tolerates cool. There is a dwarf form you may find and also one called “Milky Way” with white spots against the dark-green leaves.

As tough as the castiron plant, amazing plants that adapt to low light or full sun (but not quickly or at the same time) are the snake plants (Sansevieria). These have very tough, thick leaves, usually upright from the base to 2 or 3 feet tall. They can be green, green with gold edges, or squat with wide green leaves.

Another of the all-time favorite low-light houseplants is the rubber plant (Ficus elastica). This plant can get quite large with time and has large, thick, glossy leaves.

One of the more popular low-light and easy houseplants is the Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), about 1 to 2 feet high. The long, somewhat-narrow leaves

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from the base are variously variegated, depending on cultivar, from green with some white to mostly white.

For a low-light vine you might consider the Devil’s ivy (Epipremnum), also known as pothos from a former name.

There is a green form, but more commonly found are the variegated ones with either white or gold in leaves.

Philodendrons are one of those indoor plants that do well in lower light, even though they grow more vigorously and denser in medium light. There are many forms, either with upright selfsupporting stalks or vining types.

Medium- and High-Light Plants One of my favorites for medium light (although it adapts to low light) is the peace lily (Spathiphyllum). The leaves on long stems reach about 2 feet, and another benefit is the unique and occasional white flowers on long stalks.

A popular and easy flowering houseplant many have is the African

violet. Keys to success with this plant are to not get water on the leaves, water with lukewarm water, and not let the pots sit in water (plants don’t like to be waterlogged), and to give it bright, indirect light—not direct sunlight.

Some other easy houseplants for medium light may have some issues, such as ornamental figs (Ficus) getting some insects and dropping lower leaves with any changes in culture or climate. Schefflera also drops lower leaves with sudden changes and easily gets pests.

The dumb cane (Dieffenbachia) and Norfolk Island Pine are common, but over a few years often drop lower leaves, getting leggy. Some of the palms can be easy, but watch closely for spider mites.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum) is common in hanging baskets and easy to grow, but it will get brown leaf tips in low humidity.

Some high-light plants include aloe (the sap is good for burns), cactus, and ponytail palm. A key to success with all these is to let them go dry between waterings.

Dr. Leonard P. Perry is an extension professor at the University of Vermont.

Local Hospice Seeking Volunteers Heartland Hospice is seeking York County residents who are interested in serving as hospice volunteers. Prospective

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November 2014

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Volunteer opportunities for as few as two to three hours a week or eight to 12 hours a month include: Visitors – Friendly visiting in residential homes: reading, talking to, or holding hands with patients while their caregivers run errands or go to appointments (twoto three-hour visits); friendly visiting in nursing homes talking to, reading to, or simply sitting and holding a patient’s hand (half- to one-hour visits) Music Enrichment Visitors – Sing as an individual or group, play an instrument, or play recorded music to patients (halfto one-hour visits) Vigil Volunteers – Visitors that sit with patients during the last 48–72 hours of a patient’s life to offer comfort by reading,

playing music, or singing softly (two- to three-hour visits) Pet Therapy Dog Visitors – Friendly visiting with your certified pet therapy dog in residential or nursing homes with patients (half- to one-hour visits) Veterans – Veterans to assist veteran patients (half- to one-hour visits) For more information or to register for the free training, call Robin Shaffer, volunteer coordinator, at (717) 825-9861.

The initial application and preregistration must be completed by Nov. 14.

Background checks are performed for applicants at no charge. Individuals who have lost a close loved one are asked to wait one year before training to become a visiting volunteer. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

The Search for Our Ancestry

DNA and Family Trees Angelo Coniglio

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from the distant past, 23andMe provides a list of DNA relatives identified as ‘‘23andMe members who share a relationship with you.”

This is a list (coded by the participant for privacy) that shows your purported relatives who are in the 23andMe database, from the closest to the most distant. The closest one shown in my case is a “second to fourth cousin,” and the most distant (number 551 on the list) is identified only as a “distant cousin.”

Next to each name in the list is the voluntary information that person entered—and here’s the rub: Some people give (as I do) their own full, uncoded names, as well as a number of ancestral origins and dozens of family surnames; others give no name, no ancestral towns, no surnames.

Why anyone joins a DNA service and then shares no information is beyond me, because it is that very information that one uses to see whether there are any obvious reasons for assuming a relationship.

Each person in the list, whether they have given much, or only minimal, information, can be contacted through 23andMe. I can simply send a message, asking the person to start a conversation

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with me, all protected and private, through 23andMe; or I can request that the person share their genome (genetic blueprint) with me.

The person can then elect to share their health and genealogical information or only their genealogical information, or they can decline to share anything (again, why join the service and then decline to share?).

Those who agree to share information can then be selected for comparison, which shows a bar graph of the 23 chromosome pairs, highlighting those

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segments of certain chromosomes that are an exact match to mine. A measure of DNA length is the “centiMorgan” (cM).

Most venues consider matching segments of 7 cM or longer as significant: that is, showing a genetic relationship between two people.

If two close relatives had their DNA compared, there would be a large number of long segments that matched, in most of the chromosomes. The more distant the relationship, the fewer and shorter the matching segments would be.

Next time: hits and misses.

Coniglio is the author of a novella inspired by his Sicilian research entitled The Lady of the Wheel, available in paperback at amzn.to/racalmuto or in an e-book at bit.ly/LadyOfTheWheelKindle. For more information, check out his webpage at bit.ly/AFCGen or email him at genealogytips@aol.com.

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Cumberland County

omen’s Expo

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ontrary to what many believe (and to the disappointment of the ill-informed), DNA tests, in and of themselves, cannot take a sample of one’s genetic material and magically produce a list of ancestors by name and date, going back generation upon generation.

The key to developing that kind of personal ancestry is to have hundreds (or thousands — the more the merrier) of donors have their DNA tested and then compared.

The actual “family tree” enhancement comes not from the DNA tests, but from knowledge that may have been compiled by conventional means (what I call “paper genealogy”) by one or several donors with matching DNA. I’ll use some examples from 23andMe to augment my discussion. Other DNAtesting venues are similar. When you register on 23andMe, you (voluntarily) provide important information about yourself: your current residence; ancestral villages; and common family and ancestral surnames.

After your DNA is analyzed, 23andMe adds items to your list: ancestry, the geographical place where most of your “ancestral composition” occurred about 500 years ago (mine is Southern Europe); and codes for the “maternal haplogroup” and “paternal haplogroup” representing some of your ancestors’ whereabouts 5,000 to 25,000 years ago (my haplogroups are, respectively, H3 and I2b1).

In addition to characterizing a donor by ancestral composition of 500 years ago, and identifying his/her haplogroups

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19

Giving to Others Becomes a Trend with Holiday Gifts

By Rebecca Hanlon It was the beginning of the holiday season in 2007 when Jenn Knepper was starting to dread the approaching cycle of shopping, gift wrapping, and handing off another unneeded trinket in the spirit of Christmas.

The Hershey Medical Center nurse took a break from a long holiday shift to browse the local newspaper when she read a story about a giving circle in Harrisburg. This small group of women would gather each holiday to purchase items for charities in the name of a loved one.

“It seemed like the perfect way to give meaning to a holiday that had, sadly, started to lose that for me,” Knepper said.

She contacted the group, and over the next several years it would join forces with Gifts that Give Hope, an umbrella organization that provides the tools for people to organize gift fairs at the start of the holiday season.

Knepper’s desire to make the holidays more meaningful isn’t a new concept.

Nonprofit organizations throughout the region have been noticing a trend in charitable donations being made in place of the purchase of a physical gift.

At a Gifts that Give Hope Fair, dozens of charities come together in one location, offering designated gift items.

About 60 percent of the organizations are locally based, but many do work throughout the world, Knepper said.

Each nonprofit offers two gift items for purchase, but cash donations also can be made, she added.

“A lot of us feel like, ‘Oh, what do you get the person who has everything?’”

Knepper said. “Your mom doesn’t need another sweater. Your dad doesn’t need another tie. My family is always telling me they don’t need more stuff.”

Knepper often donates to girls’ education programs in Africa because her parents always supported her in getting her own education. After making the donation, she’s given a card with a description of her purchase that she can give to her parents.

“As an adult, I got to the point where I was feeling disgruntled about buying more stuff that doesn’t have meaning,” Knepper said. “We estimated about 1,000 people attended last year’s fair, and that makes it pretty obvious we’re not the only ones who feel that way.”

More than Milk One organization that is featured at

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November 2014

each Gifts that Give Hope Fair is Heifer International. Norma Good, a volunteer who has been involved for 22 years, is gearing up for the 70th anniversary of the organization.

Heifer International was very popular in Central Pennsylvania at the start because local farmers would raise livestock that was later sent to disadvantaged families in other countries, Good said.

Volunteers called “cowboys” would travel on ships with the animals to Poland, Spain, Puerto Rico, or other countries.

Today, animals are purchased directly in the country where it will be received.

“It’s better economically and better on the animal,” Good said.

‘Hands-on’ Gifts For people who want to do more than donate money, there are several organizations that ask people to be more hands-on.

Kat Prickett of Mount Joy has been a volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, a charity run by Samaritan’s Purse, since she was 11 years old. Her mom became a project leader at the family’s church, and together they’d fill shoeboxes with toothbrushes, school supplies, and coloring pages to send to children in need.

Today, Operation Christmas Child has 19 drop-off locations in Central Pennsylvania where people can take their

During this year’s Gifts that Give Hope Fair, people can donate money toward the purchase of a sheep or buy a school of fish.

“People don’t always realize that a cow doesn’t just provide milk,” she said.

“They can make cheese, sell butter, and use the manure to replenish the nutrients in their gardens. When you get all of that, their health improves. They can build roads. Their kids can go to school.

They just feel such a hope that somebody else cares and is willing to give them a hand.”

filled shoeboxes to be shipped to boys and girls around the world.

Last year, 31,571 boxes were collected in this area alone, Prickett said.

“Usually, the children who receive a box are getting the first gift they’ve ever received in their whole life,” she said.

“For a child to know someone across the world is thinking of them, cares about them, and loves them, that’s amazing.”

A lot of families make filling the boxes an annual tradition, getting their kids to buy items for children their own age and explaining how not everyone has the

50plus SeniorNews t

same comforts in life, Prickett said.

Remembering the Troops If you’re looking to put your charity dollars to work in a more local organization, Keystone Military Families is busy sending more than 6,000 stockings to soldiers around the world.

Kyle Lord of Shoemakersville got involved shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, when her son, Sgt. First Class Brent Lord, a member of the Army National Guard, was sent overseas.

“I found the only way to keep my sanity was to take care of other people’s kids, so we started care packages for his unit and later for the rest of the National Guard that was deployed at that time,” Lord said.

Men and women who are sent on missions away from their support staff often go without hot meals and wear the same clothes for up to 10 days, she said.

They send a lot of granola bars, socks, foot powder, and blister pads to ease the discomfort.

Keystone Military Families also hosts a pantry where military families can stock up on nonperishable shelf items or frozen meats. A year ago, they served about 12 families a month, Lord said.

Today, they serve 30 to 50 families a week.

“There’s a lot more of our troops coming home with medical problems, and it can take a long time for them to get the financial support they need,” Lord said. “The obvious injuries are the ones that get taken care of first.”

For many people, they’re not just helping strangers by donating carepackage items, Lord said. They feel they’re helping their brothers or sisters, fathers or mothers, or even their neighbors.

“Anything we can send them from home is a reminder that people care about them and haven’t forgotten what they’ve done for our country,” Lord said.

“Really, we can’t do enough to thank them.”

For more information on these organizations, visit them at: • Gifts that Give Hope, www.giftsthatgivehope.org/lancaster

• Heifer International, www.heifer.org • Operation Christmas Child, www.samaritanspurse.org/operationchristmas-child

• Keystone Military Families, www.keystonesoldiers.net www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 22

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November 2014

21

The Beauty in Nature

Inland Gulls Clyde McMillan-Gamber y wife, Sue, and I went to Blue Marsh Lake, a large, humanmade impoundment in Berks County, Pa., one sunny, late afternoon in January to see the thousands of gulls that were reported coming to that lake to spend the night.

We saw several thousand gulls of six species, in the air, on the water, and on a sandy bathing beach. Most of the gulls were ring-bills, an abundant, inland species in the Middle Atlantic States.

But there also were hundreds of herring gulls, scores of great black-backed gulls, and a few each of lesser blackbacked gulls, glaucous gulls, and Iceland gulls. The less common kinds of gulls on the sand stood tall among the smaller ring-bills.

Most of the gulls were crowded on the built beach while we were there, but occasionally they suddenly rose lightly

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into the wind in a great mass, swirled together over the water for a minute or two, and then settled on the sand again, creating exciting spectacles of themselves.

Not so many years ago, gulls wintered along seacoasts, estuaries, and rivers in the Mid-Atlantic States. Then, only the ring-bills were regularly seen inland, mostly on migration.

But in recent years, because of human-made changes that benefit gulls, including the building of big impoundments and edibles in landfills,

Herring gull

Glaucous gull

parking lots, and fields, many more gulls of several kinds have adapted to wintering inland, including in the Middle Atlantic States.

The gull species mentioned above winter on several built lakes in this area, as long as they have some open water and fields are not deeply covered by snow. Some of those impoundments include Struble Lake in Chester County, Memorial Lake in Lebanon County, Ontelaunee Lake in Berks County, and Octoraro Lake in Lancaster County, in southeastern Pennsylvania.

During each winter sunrise, the thousands of inland gulls, particularly ring-bills, pour silently off the water or ice, group after group, and swiftly fly in large flocks and long lines in every direction to various feeding places, all the while causing inspiring shows.

And by mid-afternoon, presumably with full stomachs, they start back to their nighttime roosts on built impoundments. One can see strings of them flying rapidly and quietly over fields. And the lines of them become ever more concentrated as they get closer to their various nighttime destinations on large bodies of water.

Lakes, fields, landfills, and other human-made habitats are reasons why wintering gulls of various types are abundant today. They find additional feeding and roosting areas and survive winter in greater numbers.

Carve Your Turkey with Flair To get the best results from your Thanksgiving turkey, and also make it more appealing to the eyes, you should use proper carving and slicing techniques.

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• Immediately after the 10 to 20 minutes’ holding time, carve the turkey from its carcass into major sections (i.e., breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings).

• Wear disposable foodhandling gloves while carving or thoroughly wash your hands frequently.

• To serve turkey hot, place sections in pans. Cover with foil to retain heat and moisture and to

minimize the possibility of contamination. Hold at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in a hot holding device like a cabinet or steam table.

Turkey should be at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit when placed in the holding pans. The heating device will only maintain temperature. A maximum holding time of 20 to 30 minutes is recommended.

• Slice the sections into serving pieces.

Then plate and garnish.

Puzzles shown on page 21

Puzzle Solutions

• Allow your turkey to stand at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes after cooking and before slicing. This allows the juices to distribute evenly throughout the turkey. Netting and cooking bags are also easier to remove after this time. The maximum standing time should be 20 minutes.

• Slice or carve on a sanitized cutting surface. Knives, pans, and covers should be sanitized, too.

Resanitize board and knives every 30 minutes.

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VETS

from page 1

been overwhelmingly supportive, with more than 60 area exhibitors coming together for the joint event.

The Veterans’ Expo will connect active and retired military members and their families with the benefits and resources available to them through local businesses and organizations.

Exhibitors represented will include community service providers, healthcare professionals, VFWs, and American Legions, plus businesses covering everything from home improvement, legal services, and finance to retirement living and insurance.

“Whether they’ve been out of the service for a long time and new benefits have been added or amended, or they are recently discharged and need assistance, my goal is that more veterans and their families will find the answers they need and the jobs they must have at the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair,” Anderson said.

The Job Fair will provide an opportunity for veterans and employers to meet face to face to discuss available positions and connect with VA benefits counselors, education/training providers, and business-startup assistance representatives, among others.

“The more acquainted we became with the challenges facing our veterans, it became abundantly clear that we also needed to incorporate a job fair into the Expo,” Anderson said. “With more than 200,000 men and women leaving the military every year, they need jobs.”

Workshops and seminars will be offered on relevant topics, including resume writing, career planning, and interviewing techniques.

The Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair will begin with an opening ceremony. The Red Rose Honor Guard, which has been honoring local veterans at funerals and civic services since 1998, will commence the proceedings with a special ceremony honoring all branches of military service.

After the pledge of allegiance, Peggy Keller, 2011 Pa StatE SENiOr idOl winner, will perform the national anthem, followed by words from three-

star Lt. Gen. Dennis L. Benchoff as keynote speaker.

Tom LaNasa, three-time Pa StatE SENiOr idOl semifinalist, will then perform “Ragged Old Flag,” Johnny Cash’s spoken-word tribute to patriotism.

Later, at 10:30 a.m., Audrey Bergstresser, department service officer at VFW, Department of Pennsylvania, will present information on veterans’ benefits.

Through a partnership with Keystone Military Families, a Central Pennsylvania-based nonprofit, the aim of the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair also expands to benefit troops currently stationed at home and abroad, especially this upcoming holiday season.

Representatives from KMF will be on hand accepting attendee donations toward its Stockings for Soldiers program, which sends holiday care packages to “fill the stockings” of American troops.

A full list of items requested by soldiers is available under the “attendee info” section of the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair’s website (www.veteransexpo.com).

Or, because cash is always needed to help ship those care packages, guests can opt to make a monetary donation to Stockings for Soldiers. They will also be invited to write a note to a soldier on stocking-shaped cards printed and donated by Brenneman Printing and ARC Marketing.

With its connections to community resources, services, and jobs, the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair has been designed to be of practical benefit to the servicemen and –women it is geared to reach.

But Anderson said that, if nothing else, she hopes the event accomplishes one basic goal: “for the men and women who join us to know that we are trying to show our appreciation for their service to our country.”

For more information on the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair, call (717) 285-1350 or visit www.veteransexpo.com.

November 14, 2014 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Eden Resort • 222 Eden Road, Lancaster

This event is FREE for Expo attendees and job seekers!

Please, join us!

Opening ceremony – 9 a.m.

Special appearances, including Lt. Gen. Dennis Benchoff and the Red Rose Veterans Honor Guard

At the Expo Veterans Benefits & Services Community Services Thank-a-Vet Participants Recorder of Deeds will register your DD-214.

Medical/Nonmedical Resources Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs

At the Job Fair Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Education/Training Services

Special Collection: Stockings for Soldiers A program through

(See website for details.)

Hosted by:

Sponsored by: Program Sponsor: USAA

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Visitor Bag Sponsor: Susquehanna Bank

Marketing Sponsor: Pennsylvania Veterans of Foreign Wars

Liberty Sponsors: Fulton Financial Corporation The SYGMA Network

Media Sponsors: Blue Ridge Communications • ESPN Radio 92.7

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

www.veteransexpo.com (717) 285-1350 • www.olpevents.com

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