York County Edition
December 2012
Vol. 13 No. 12
Memories in the Mail Local History Preserved in Vast Postcard Collection By Chelsea Shank Bob Sallade loves the thrill of the hunt. And as a deltiologist—that is, someone who collects postcards—he takes every opportunity that he can to hunt for postcards to add to his collection. Sallade, 63, lives in Spring Garden Township in York County and has a collection of between 4,000 and 5,000 postcards. Collecting postcards is tied with coin collecting as the second most popular hobby, next to collecting stamps, said Sallade. He started his collection about six years ago. “I went to flea markets for other reasons and I picked up five old postcards from York, and that’s what started it,” Sallade said. As a native of York County, he takes a personal interest in the history of the area and enjoys finding postcards featuring old buildings that are no longer around and others that are still standing. “My thrill is getting different scenes,” said Sallade. “There are a good number of postcards printed of the center square in York looking at all different directions.” He has postcards of a former recreational facility in York called Playland, which had a roller skating rink and swimming pool where Sallade spent time as a teenager. There are others in his collection of the York Judicial Center, please see MEMORIES page 14 Postcard collector Bob Sallade preserves images of days gone by in dozens of binders stored at his home.
Inside:
Vaccination Options for Seniors page 10
Welcoming the New Year page 11
Social Security News
Benefit Increase Announced, Office Hours Reduced Dec. 31, 2012. maximum) will increase to $113,700 Some other changes that take effect in from $110,100. January of each Of the estimated 163 year are based on Increased payments to the increase in million workers average wages. who will pay more than 8 million SSI Social Security Based on that beneficiaries will begin increase, the taxes in 2013, nearly 10 million maximum on Dec. 31, 2012. amount of will pay higher earnings subject taxes as a result of to the Social Security tax (taxable the increase in the taxable maximum.
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Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 62 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2013, the Social Security Administration announced recently. The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 56 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2013. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on
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Information about Medicare changes for 2013, when announced, will be available at www.medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums. The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ cola.
*** Effective Nov. 19, all Social Security offices are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.—a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. In addition, beginning Jan. 2, 2013, the office will close to the public at noon every Wednesday. While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter
public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime. The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the
overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past. Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office. Many services—including applying for retirement, disability, or Medicare benefits; signing up for direct deposit; replacing a Medicare card; obtaining a proof of income letter; or informing us
of a change of address or telephone number—are conveniently available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing the toll-free number, (800) 772-1213. People who are deaf or hard-ofhearing may call the TTY number, (800) 325-0778. Many online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.
Community Animal Hospital Our caring, well-trained staff will treat you and your pet like family
Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M.
Happy Holidays! As On-Line Publishers, Inc. sees the conclusion of yet another year, we are grateful to our dedicated staff, loyal readers, and supportive advertisers who have all enabled us to continue to grow in our mission to serve the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50+ community. We wish to thank each of you for helping to make 50plus Senior News a fun, interesting, and unique source of information and entertainment for our readers in Central Pennsylvania. At this special time of giving thanks and reminiscing, the staff of On-Line Publishers wishes you, our friends, warmest holiday wishes.
Michael Schindler, V.M.D. Office Hours: 7 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday 8 - 11:30 a.m. Saturday Doctor’s Hours by Appointment
Serving the York community for over 40 years.
(717) 845-5669 • 400 South Pine Street • York
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Book Review
Jackie O: On the Couch Inside the Mind and Life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis By Alma H. Bond, Ph.D. fascinating psycho-biography, Jackie O: On the Couch takes readers into the mind of Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis through a first-person, autobiographical narrative. The book delves into Jackie’s childhood and helps the reader understand how and why she became the person she was. It also explores JFK’s background and the ways it affected his marriage. Jackie’s deep love for Jack, the cat-andmouse game he played before their engagement, his early inattentiveness, the difficult years they spent together, along with details of his outrageous womanizing and their happier times at the White House late in the marriage—
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all are viewed through her eyes. A poignant description of Jack’s assassination and funeral is recounted. The book also looks into the widow Jackie’s need for Aristotle Onassis. She debunks the idea that she married Ari purely for his money. The joyful early years and the gradual collapse of the marriage are described, as is Ari’s death. Jackie’s successful entry into the publishing world, and how the work helped to define her, follows. A new
Jackie emerges, who is probably closer to the one she would have become had she not been first lady. Her new persona allows her to form the best relationship of her life, with the elderly, stout, and adoring Maurice Tempelsman, who gave her the love, devotion, and constancy she never received from her two husbands. The book also carefully follows the progress of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma disease that led to Jackie’s death at age
63—from her fierce denial to the gradual acceptance that she would not survive. Jackie O: On the Couch is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and directly from Bancroft Press at www.bancroftpress.com. About the Author Alma H. Bond received her Ph.D. from Columbia University and became a highly successful psychoanalyst for 37 years in New York City. Jackie O: On the Couch, the first of her On the Couch series to be published, received a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and Finalist International Book Award. She has also had 19 other books published. She lives in Carlisle, Pa.
Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being. Adult Day Centers SeniorLIFE (814) 535-6000
Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre (717) 898-1900
Animal Hospitals Community Animal Hospital Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M. (717) 845-5669
Eye Care Services Leader Heights Eye Center (717) 747-5430
Automobile Sales/Service Gordon’s Body Shop, Inc. (717) 993-2263
Hakes Home Furnishings (717) 767-9068
Stetler Dodge (717) 764-8888
Gastroenterology Associates of York (717) 484-2143
Coins & Currency Steinmetz Coins & Currency (717) 757-6980 Cremation Auer Cremation Services of PA (800) 722-8200 Dry Cleaners Hanna Cleaners (717) 741-3817 Energy Assistance Low-Income Energy Assistance (717) 787-8750
Furniture
Gastroenterology
Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 Alzheimer’s Information Clearinghouse (800) 367-5115 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383
Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 Healthcare Information PA HealthCare Cost Containment (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services
The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 or (717) 757-0604
Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc (717) 851-0156 Otolaryngologists York ENT Associates (717) 843-9089
Sonus Hearing Care Professionals (717) 741-4327 Home Care Services Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services (717) 751-2488 Housing/Apartments
Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com West York Pharmacy (717) 792-9312 Physicians
Elm Spring Residence (717) 840-7676 Housing Assistance Housing Authority of York (717) 845-2601
M. Nazeeri, M.D., P.C. (717) 270-9446 Services York County Area Agency on Aging (800) 632-9073
Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937
Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center (717) 228-6000 (800) 409-8771
York Area Housing Group (717) 846-5139
CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400
Orthotics & Prosthetics
Insurance – Long-Term Care Apprise Insurance Counseling (717) 771-9610 or (800) 632-9073
Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.
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Such Is Life
Broccoli and Happy Endings
Corporate Office: 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240
Saralee Perel
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
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ART DEPARTMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR Renee McWilliams PRODUCTION ARTIST Janys Cuffe
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Karla Back Angie McComsey Jacoby Valerie Kissinger Ranee Shaub Miller Lynn Nelson Sue Rugh SALES & EVENT COORDINATOR Eileen Culp
CIRCULATION PROJECT COORDINATOR Loren Gochnauer
ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Duvall
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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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y husband, Bob, attracts lunatics. One is a standalone screwball. Hey, I heard that! It’s not me. It’s our 6year-old cat, Murphy. Of course we adore him, and he’s the happiest being we’ve ever known. Murphy’s not just dimwitted; he’s also a thief. But he swipes things that no cat with even half a brain would want. Well, I’m not being fair. Murphy doesn’t have half a brain. There should be a sign over his head that reads: “Vacancy.” He’s lightning fast. One night, in a flash, he jumped on the table, grabbed an entire crown of broccoli that was twice the size of his head, and raced away with it, all the while scarfing it down so that none of our other cats could have what every cat dreams of (sarcastic): broccoli. His favorite food group? Dust balls. Yes, we vacuum. They appear out of nowhere like Bob’s ex-brother-in-law who’s suddenly in our living room wanting to borrow more cash. Murphy has an incessant desire to rip tape off UPS boxes. When I extract the tape from his throat, he doesn’t notice. Can you imagine sticking your fingers 3 inches down your cat’s throat without him even caring you’re doing it? Murphy’s race to eat everything recently took a disastrous turn on a late Sunday night. Bob put a pill on the counter for our dog, Gracie. This pill is so bitter that no pet will take it unless owners disguise it in something tasteful. But Murphy made a beeline to it and ate it. We called a poison hotline. We were told he needed to get to a 24hour emergency veterinary hospital immediately. I’m disabled and can’t move late at night. Bob rushed Murphy to the vet. We figured they’d pump his stomach and send him home. We were wrong.
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Bob called me from his cell after the vet saw Murphy. “He has to stay here three days. They made him vomit, but the toxin is still in his system.” He was sobbing. “He could lose all kidney function.” “Did the vet say he could die?” “Yes.” I felt as much anguish for Bob as I did for Murphy. He went on, “Murphy’s so innocent,” he said, crying harder. “I hate myself for letting this happen.” “Oh, Sweets, you didn’t mean for this to happen. I wish I was sitting
Murphy
next to you.” We cried without speaking. Then I said, “Don’t drive. Not when you’re like this.” Then I called the vet. I asked her for emotional guidance for Bob. She said, “This happens all the time. It happened with me and my cat. He needs to forgive himself. It’s impossible to prevent these things 100 percent. Plus, I’ve never heard of a cat who’d want to eat a pill, especially one that tastes so awful.” “Bob’s in your parking lot. Would you please go to him and tell him what you told me?” And she did. Three days later, Murphy came home happy and healthy. When the vet called and asked about him, I incorrectly assumed she knew about Murphy’s insane antics. “He’s back to normal. He just presented me with a dust ball the size of a Burger King Triple Whopper! Isn’t that great?”
“What?” “Don’t worry,” I said, and then cemented myself as a bonehead. “Nobody’s getting near my broccoli again!” She asked to speak to Bob. I said, “He’s busy. UPS came. Bob’s racing like a cyclone, ripping tape off the boxes before disaster hits. You know what he’s like around UPS tape.” She sounded confused. “Bob?” I laughed, “Not Bob—” Before I could explain she interrupted, “Please have him call me.” Bob’s role as a caregiver is not a role he asked for, but one he feels blessed to have. He takes care of me with my spinal cord issues, our old pet duck who’s arthritic, our young border collie who can never run again because of a genetic spinal problem, and our very sick cat, Josie, to whom Bob administers IV fluids daily. “How could I be so lucky?” Bob says, every single day of his life. Yesterday at dawn, as the light gently filled our bedroom, I slowly turned over to see which of Bob’s brood was in the protection of his arms. He was cradling beautiful Murphy, who was sound asleep on his back in the crook of Bob’s armpit. Bob’s eyes were open but I didn’t say a word. I knew he was preserving the precious moments for as long as he could before Murphy would wake up. I watched as Murphy opened his eyes then curled his paw under his chin. I heard him purr when he closed his eyes again, preferring to remain in the safety of Bob’s arm for just a little while longer. And so, snuggling next to Bob, I closed my eyes again too. Saralee Perel is an award-winning, nationally syndicated columnist. Her new book is Cracked Nuts & Sentimental Journeys: Stories From a Life Out of Balance. To find out more, visit www.saraleeperel.com or email sperel@saraleeperel.com.
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
Clean Your Air with the Right Houseplants Clean air is essential to good health at home and in the workplace. One simple way to keep the air you breathe fresh and free of odors and chemicals is to keep a few houseplants around. They’ll clean the atmosphere and make your surroundings more pleasant and relaxing. Pick up some of these: English ivy. This climbing vine grows in hanging baskets and low planters, and it helps clear away formaldehyde. (Be aware that it requires regular misting, especially
during the winter months.) Peace lily. A flowering plant, the peace lily will eradicate toxins like acetone, benzene, and ammonia from the air. Remember to wash the leaves every one in awhile. Rubber plant. This plant is hardy enough to survive cool temperatures and low light, making it ideal even if you’re not particularly good with plants. Like the English ivy, it acts to reduce formaldehyde in the air as long as it gets plenty of water.
Harrisburg’s Oldies Channel!
• Breakfast with Ben Barber and News with Dennis Edwards • John Tesh with Music and Intelligence for Your Workday • Bruce Collier & The Drive Home
Find us at AM 960 or at whylradio.com
WE PLAY OVER 1500 GREAT SONGS! Windy Hill Center Announces Board of Directors
Windy Hill Senior Center announced that the following individuals were elected to serve on the board for the 2012-13 fiscal year. Standing, back row, from left, Don Reichard; Marlet Rohrbaugh; David Brown, vice president; Tom Uffelman, treasurer; Dr. Terry
Lehr; and Phil Keener, president. Standing, middle row, from left, Tammy Miller, executive director; Judy Benton; Barry Strausbaugh; and Sandy SferrellaTaylor, secretary. Seated, from left, Donna Hake, Nancy Wagner, Brenda Flory, and Wendy Leahy.
If you have local news you’d like considered for
Around Town, please email mjoyce@onlinepub.com www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
Thank You, Columnists! 50plus Senior News continues to bring important information as well as entertaining articles to the 50+ community. We at On-Line Publishers would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the editorial contributors of 50plus Senior News: Angelo Coniglio (The Search for Our Ancestry) Wendell Fowler (Preventive Measures) Al Goodman (Beyond the Battlefield ) Andrea Gross (Traveltizers) Dr. Lori (Art and Antiques) Gloria May (NurseNews) Clyde McMillan-Gamber (The Beauty in Nature) Jim Miller (The Savvy Senior) Candace O’Donnell (Balancing Act) Victor Parachin (Fragments of History) Saralee Perel (Such is Life) Dr. Leonard Perry (The Green Mountain Gardener) W.E. Reinka (Silver Threads) Ted Rickard (The Squint-Eyed Senior) Sy Rosen (Older But Not Wiser) Pat Sinclair (Recipes for Two) Walt Sonneville (My 22 Cents’ Worth) Robert Wilcox (Salute to a Veteran) Judith Zausner (Creativity Matters)
It is through the varied interests and considerable talents of our contributors and freelance writers that such a range of informative and entertaining content is available to read each month. The pages of 50plus Senior News are enriched by your contributions.
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Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori
Holiday Fruits in Home Décor Dr. Lori long with festive sights, a major part of the holidays is aromatic smells. From evergreens to the holiday meal, the holidays offer a feast for the eyes and for the nose. Some of the most popular scents derive from holiday decorations like fruit wreaths, citrus pomanders, and evergreen garlands. The models for these luscious holiday elements all have roots in art history.
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Renaissance Wreaths The works of art by the Renaissance artisan and master Luca della Robbia served as the impetus for today’s version of the holiday fruit wreath. Aptly called the della Robbia wreath, fruit wreaths decorate homes and hearths all over the world. Della Robbia’s 15th-century architectural medallions were often
highlighted with fruit wreaths and decorative garlands of green and red apples, berries, pineapples, lemons, limes, and oranges. Based on these Renaissance decorations, the della Robbia-style wreath was reintroduced during the late 1800s in a time period known as the Renaissance Revival. Traditionally, fruit wreaths were lovingly hung on the exterior doors of homes at holiday time. Fruit wreaths gave the winter greenery a bright, colorful contrast. Fruits often appear in the paintings, prints, architectural, and furniture designs of the 18th and 19th centuries based on Renaissance iconography. The type of fruit chosen for such living wreaths was symbolic. For instance, ornamental apples symbolized the family, and this fruit played a major role in holiday decorations. Apple ring
Give someone you love the gift that entertains, informs, and inspires, month after month! Or renew an existing subscription! Get a 12-month subscription to 50plus Senior News for just $10. Mail form to: 50plus Senior News, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Please start a gift subscription for: Beginning (month) _________________________ Name ___________________________________ Street ___________________________________ Apt. ____________________________________ City/State ________________________________ Zip _____________________________________ Sign card from: Your name _______________________________ Street ___________________________________ Apt. ____________________________________ City/State ________________________________ Zip _____________________________________ Your phone number ________________________ Paper (or papers/$10 per edition): Expires 12/31/12 Chester Cumberland Dauphin
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century, sweet-smelling fruit pomanders wreaths were associated, at Christmastime, with the holy family and had yet to be relegated to the hall closet, but instead they were prominently hung the nativity. front and center in a Victorian home’s Other related wreaths featured fruits such as lemons, pineapples, and oranges. entry foyer. Orange, lime, or lemon pomanders, Wreaths made of whole lemons enhanced with symbolized whole cloves, were friendship and suspended over were typically hung doorways and in on doors at the stairwells to give back of homes busy areas of a (where close friends home a lovely enter), rather than scent. Made by on front doors. For pushing cloves into the holidays, fruitwhole oranges or inspired other citrus fruits, a decorations remind pomander was a us of the bountiful welcomed and harvest and the joy popular hostess of sharing with gift. They were family and friends. used in the 1700s Also, pineapples Photos courtesy of Staff of www.DrLoriV.com and 1800s to ward were symbolic fruits A traditional della Robbia-style fruit associated with the wreath featuring symbolic holiday fruits. off foul odors that were thought to holiday season. bring illness into a The pineapple home in represented the wintertime. tradition of In Colonial hospitality at America, fruit holiday time and wreaths, pyramids, all year long. The and pomanders hospitable were popular in pineapple form was holiday homes. typically carved These antique into Chippendale holiday handicrafts and Federal not only smelled furniture, delightful with the including bedposts, scents of apple, mantles, dining clove, and citrus, room sideboards, Fruit wreath sculpture by Luca della but they were also etc. Robbia, circa 15th century, from the pretty, natural Today, collection of the Hermitage Museum, additions to the pineapples are the St. Petersburg, Russia. interior decor. fruit of choice for The pleasing home décor items aroma of the fruit decoration allows the ranging from silver candelabras to front pomander to maintain a prominent porch welcome mats. place among holiday decorations. Happy holidays! Fancy Fruit Like fruit wreaths, fruit pyramids and Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and awardaromatic pomanders dating back to the winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents Colonial period were among the delights antique appraisal events nationwide. Dr. Lori of a holiday home. is the expert appraiser on the hit TV show Scents of fresh fruit and spices Auction Kings on Discovery channel, which lingered from the tabletop fruit airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Visit pyramids suggesting architectural www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/ examples in miniature. In the 19th DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
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Leader Heights Eye Center
Salute to a Veteran
He Flew in 3 Raids on the Dreaded Oil Fields at Ploesti
309 Leader Heights Road, York, PA 17402
717-747-5430 www.lheyecenter.com
Robert D. Wilcox hat he didn’t know was that the our waist gunner had been killed by flak. first raid against this critical “We were then all split up and sent to target had been one of the different crews, as needed. Only once did I costliest for the USAAF in the European ever fly again with any of our original crew, Theater, with 53 aircraft and 660 and that was on my 17th and final mission. aircrewmen lost. It had been the worst loss My original copilot had become a first pilot, and he flew the mission to bomb an ever suffered by the USAAF in a single oil refinery near Vienna. mission. “Strangely enough,” he explains, “I Ploesti was a cluster of nine oil refineries came closer to buying the farm on that around Ploesti, Romania, that produced mission than on any other. For the first one-third of the oil that powered the time, we had with us German war machine. a guy who was It was so critically operating a ‘flak important to the jammer.’ This was a German war effort device that confused that it was guarded by the radar that guided 50,000 German the German ack-ack troops and, literally, guns. hundreds of anti“While we were aircraft guns. flying at 28,000 feet, It had been he kicked me and bombed many times pointed to my main by American bombers Frederick C. Lowery (at right, standing) oxygen line. It had from Libya, then with his original B-17 crew in training. been severed by flak, from Italy, by the so, although I was time Fred Lowery breathing, what I didn’t realize was that I and his B-17 crew arrived in their base at Foggia, Italy, and found that Ploesti was to wasn’t getting any oxygen. I was able to be their first mission. Did they realize how quickly uncouple my oxygen line and couple it to his. If it hadn’t been for him, I hazardous that mission would be? surely would have died.” “I guess the officers might have learned Lowery wouldn’t have been there at all that in their briefing,” he says. “But the if he hadn’t been called by the draft board other enlisted men and I had no idea. when he was 18 years old and still a senior “We were being checked out on our in high school. His father was a minister, first mission, and we all flew on different and Lowery had grown up in a strictly crews, to give us some experience before religious home. So he says he was rather flying in combat together as a crew. I learned after the mission that our navigator looking forward to striking out on his own. and bombardier had been shot down and had become prisoners of war. Worse still, please see RAIDS page 10
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Older But Not Wiser
Who Do I Look Like? Sy Rosen uring the past year I have been told several times by people younger than me that I look like someone. No, not the same someone, many different someones. I’ve been told I look like Billy Graham, Billy Crystal, Hugh Hefner (even though I don’t wear pajamas in public), Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, and Ed Koch (the former mayor of New York). In addition, just the other day I had an extremely weird conversation with a middle-aged guy at the checkout line at the supermarket. “You look like that actor,” he told me. “What actor?” I asked. “You know, that actor.” “Oh, him.” At this point I just wanted to get out of the supermarket and away from this guy. However, he was relentless.
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“He’s in a lot of comedies but he also does serious pictures, you know, with heart.” “So he has a lot of range,” I said. “Exactly. You look like the actor with a lot of range.” “OK, great,” I replied. “I’ll make sure I see the next picture he’s in.” “I’m pretty sure he’s dead.” “So I looked like him before he passed away?” I asked. “Yeah, he probably doesn’t look too good now.” At first this whole series of “lookalike” events was kind of amusing to me, and then I realized what might be happening. It’s not that I look like a celebrity, even though I’d love to go on tour as Bob Dylan. It’s that people younger than us think that we seniors all look alike. All they see is the gray hair and the wrinkles. They
probably also see the turkey neck, but let’s not dwell on that. Or maybe, and this is even worse, as we get older we do all start to look alike. We become kind of … a generic version of what we once were. I guess if this is true, there’s one semi-positive side effect—all the cool guys I envied in high school now look like me. Ironically, when I was a teenager I desperately wanted to look like everybody else. I just wanted to blend in. However, now I wanted to fight this anonymity. I started to think of ways to make myself stand out. I was thinking of wearing something all the time, like a scarf, that would become my trademark. But then I would be known as “the guy with the scarf ” and I don’t want to take second billing to an article of clothing. Then I thought of maybe getting a
tattoo. I’ve seen guys with Chinese lettering tattooed on their arms or neck. I could have a have tattoo that says AARP. I have a feeling no one’s ever done that. And then, all of the sudden, the insanity stopped. I’d like to think that it was a sudden burst of maturity on my part, but actually it was the fear of the tattoo needle that brought me to my senses. I realized that if some younger people can’t tell us apart, that’s their problem. We seniors are definitely unique individuals with unique looks. I, for example, am just a regular guy who happens to look like Cary Grant. Hey, the guy at the supermarket couldn’t remember the actor’s name, so I get to fill in the blanks. Note: If you’re looking at my picture now and trying to figure out who I really look like—it was taken seven years ago and in the right light (semi-darkness).
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Savvy Senior
Vaccination Options for Seniors This Flu Season Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any new or different types of vaccines being recommended to seniors this flu season? – Health-Conscious Carol Dear Carol, There are actually several different types of flu shots available to seniors this year, along with a new FDA-approved shot for pneumonia. Here are your options. Flu Shots Just as they do every year, the CDC strongly recommends a seasonal flu shot to almost everyone, but it’s especially important for seniors who are more vulnerable. The flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills around 24,000—90 percent of whom are seniors. This year, all seniors 65 and older have two flu vaccine options from which to choose: a traditional flu shot or a shot of
RAIDS
Fluzone High-Dose. The high-dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen (the part of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibody) as a regular flu shot does, which creates a stronger immune response for better protection. And if you’re under age 65, your two options are a regular flu shot or a shot of Fluzone Intradermal. The intradermal vaccine uses a shorter, thinner needle to inject the vaccine just under the skin, rather than deeper in the muscle like standard flu shots. If you’re squeamish about needles, this is a nice option. You also need to be aware that if you’re allergic to chicken eggs or if you have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past, you should not get vaccinated without consulting your doctor first. To locate a vaccination site that offers regular, high-dose, and intradermal flu shots, ask your doctor or pharmacist or check the online flu-shot locator (www.flu.gov). Most chains like CVS,
Walgreens, Safeway, Kmart, Walmart, Rite Aid, and Kroger offer all types of shots. You’ll also be happy to know that if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the costs of any flu shot. But if you’re not covered, you can expect to pay around $25 to $35 for a regular or intradermal flu shot or $50 to $60 for a shot of the high-dose.
decimated by the time we got there. We never saw a one. Once, flak knocked out one of our engines and we fell behind the group until we were all alone. Our tail gunner then found a fighter coming at us. But, when it got closer, we found it was one of ours. So I never got to fire a gun.” Lowery returned to the U.S. in late 1944 and served at several bases before being discharged as a tech sergeant at Fort Indiantown Gap in 1948. He returned home, entered Franklin and Marshall
College, and earned a B.A. in history in January 1950. He then entered seminary at the Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Theology degree in 1954. He joined the Army Reserve in 1957 as a first lieutenant and served as chaplain at many bases and hospitals before retiring from the Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1995. In civilian life, he served as minister of a United Brethren Church for 27 years. In
Pneumonia Vaccine The other important vaccination the CDC recommends to seniors—especially this time of year—is the pneumococcal vaccine for pneumonia and meningitis. Pneumococcal diseases hospitalize around 300,000 U.S. seniors each year and kill around 5,000. The CDC currently recommends all seniors 65 or older get a one-time-only shot of the vaccine Pneumovax, as well as those under 65 who smoke or have chronic health conditions like asthma, lung and heart disease, diabetes, or a weakened immune system.
Pneumovax, which protects against 23 strains of the pneumococcal disease, is also covered 100 percent under Medicare Part B, and you can get it on the same day you get your flu shot. If you’re not covered by insurance, this vaccine costs around $45 to $85 at retail clinics. You also need to know that this year, there’s an alternative pneumococcal vaccine available to people age 50 and older called Prevnar 13. This vaccine, which has been available to children for several years, may provide seniors longerlasting and better protection against pneumonia than Pneumovax. Talk to your doctor to determine which pneumonia vaccine is best for you. Prevnar 13 is also covered by most insurers, including Medicare Part B, but if you aren’t covered, the shot runs between $100 and $150. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org.
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The Army sent him to Miami for basic training, then to Sioux Falls, S.D., for radio school. It was then to Yuma, Ariz., for gunnery school, and to Salt Lake City to join a B-17 crew. After combat training at Biloxi, Miss., the crew flew to Newfoundland and the Azores on their way to their base in Foggia, Italy. Thinking back to the missions he flew, he says, “We were really lucky. We really had to worry only about flak. The German fighter planes had been
retirement, he was asked if he would be interested in serving as minister for his father’s church. He readily accepted the call and served there for 16 more years before settling in a retirement community with his wife, Cora Jean. Lowery says that, despite his years since then, he still thinks of those exciting, dangerous months of missions over Europe as if they were yesterday. Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.
In honor of World War II vets ... and in memory of the attack on Pearl Harbor
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Traveltizers
Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel
Welcoming the New Year with Double the Fun By Andrea Gross Photo courtesy of Savannah Riverboat Cruises
The clock strikes midnight. Fireworks explode. Confetti fills the air. And I get a chance to make a whole new set of resolutions, some of which I may even keep. How can I not like New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? What’s more, if celebrating once is nice, wouldn’t twice be even better? Squeezing two such festivities into one year takes planning, but it can be done. First, welcome the new year on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, the dates set by the internationally accepted Gregorian calendar. Then, several weeks later, partake in a traditional Chinese New Year’s celebration, the date of which is set according to the age-old Chinese calendar. (In 2013, Chinese New Year will fall on Feb. 10.) Here, two places that celebrate the new year in very different ways.
Traditional stern-wheel riverboats offer a unique party spot for New Year’s Eve revelers in Savannah.
Photo courtesy of tybeevisit.com
More than 2,000 people partake in a New Year’s Day Polar Plunge near Savannah. Lion dancers provide entertainment during New Year’s Day festivities.
Savannah, Ga. As midnight approaches, people make their way to the upper deck of the three-tiered riverboat. They’ve been partying for more than three hours— dancing to live music, feasting on hors d’oeuvres and a buffet of elegant offerings. Now, as fireworks from nearby Tybee Island color the sky, it’s time to welcome the new year. On shore, Savannah’s famed City Market, a four-block area of restored buildings, is filled with landlubbers who are enjoying the city’s biggest street party. Some are dining in one of the many restaurants; others are enjoying the free entertainment outside. Then the countdown begins, and a man lifts his son to his shoulders for a better view of the fireworks. Another man lifts his drink as the band strikes up “Auld Lang Syne.” The new year has officially begun. please see NEW YEAR page 15
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The Beauty in Nature
Yellow-Rumped Warblers Clyde McMillan-Gamber ellow-rumped warblers seem to be two species of small birds. Pretty in a plain way, they are brownish and streaked in their winter plumages, as sparrows are for camouflage. They actually look like petite sparrows, but
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with thinner beaks. In summer, however, these wood warblers are striking in their gray, black, and white breeding plumages. But yellow flanks, crowns, and rumps are present in both plumages. And the yellow rumps
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are the poison ivy, signature of Virginia creeper, this species myrtle, or through the bayberries and year. other berries. Sharp Myrtle berries “check” notes gave these birds among trees an alternate and shrubbery name: myrtle indicate the warbler. presence of Yellow-rumps these birds, also ingest the usually before berry-like, blue they are seen. cones of red They can be junipers. They spotted when consume wild one looks grapes, too, and diligently for the tiny seeds of Photo courtesy of Dan Pancamo them, though goldenrods, A male yellow-rumped warbler they are seldom asters, and other in summer plumage. still. weedy plants, as Yellowwell as grasses, rumps, or “butter-butts” as they are also as sparrows do. called, are an adaptable, abundant species Breeding pairs of yellow-rumps raise of warbler seen most everywhere in young in mature, northern forests of North America at some time of the year, conifers and mixed deciduous/coniferous including in southeastern Pennsylvania in trees. In summer, they eat invertebrates winter. A hardy species, they are the only from the foliage of the outer limbs at warbler wintering in abundance in the middle heights in the trees. They often continental United States, including in flit out from the trees to catch flying the northern regions. insects, as flycatchers do. They feed many Yellow-rumps are the most versatile of the invertebrates they snare to their foragers among warblers. In winter, they young. move about in fairly conspicuous groups The adaptable butter-butts use a in deciduous thickets along streams and variety of niches. Watch for them in woodland edges across much of the thickets of berry-bearing shrubbery and Lower 48 because they eat berries and vines in local hedgerows, woodland and small seeds instead of the invertebrates stream edges, and lawns this winter or they consume in summer. They ingest succeeding ones.
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York County
Calendar of Events York County Department of Parks and Recreation
Senior Center Activities
Pre-registration is required for these programs. To register or find out more about these activities or any additional scheduled activities, call (717) 428-1961.
Delta Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 456-5753
Dec. 5, 6, and 7, 6 to 9 p.m. – Christmas Magic: A Festival of Lights, Rocky Ridge Park Dec. 7, 6 to 8 p.m. – Hanging of the Greens, Rail Trail, Hanover Junction Train Station Dec. 9, 2:30 to 4 p.m. – Animals in Winter, Nixon Park
Eastern Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 252-1641 Golden Visions Senior Community Center (717) 633-5072
York County Library Programs
Heritage Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 292-7471
Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock, 32 Main St., Glen Rock, (717) 235-1127
Northeastern Senior Community Center (717) 266-1400
Collinsville Community Library, 2632 Delta Road, Brogue, (717) 927-9014 Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. – Purls of Brogue Knitting Club
Red Land Senior Citizen Center – (717) 938-4649
Dover Area Community Library, 3700-3 Davidsburg Road, Dover, (717) 292-6814
South Central Senior Community Center (717) 235-6060 Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m. – Cooking Club Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. – Dancersize Class Thursdays, 9 a.m. – Computer Class
Glatfelter Memorial Library, 101 Glenview Road, Spring Grove, (717) 225-3220 Mondays, 6 to 8 p.m. – Knitting Group Saturdays, 1 p.m. – Chess Club Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m. – Adult Book Discussion: The Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah
Stewartstown Senior Center – (717) 993-3488 Dec. 6, 10 a.m. – Susquehanna Senior Center Chorus Dec. 13, 9 a.m. – Shopping at Shrewsbury Markets Dec. 17, 9 a.m. – Christmas Caroling in Town
Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover, (717) 632-5183
Susquehanna Senior Center – (717) 244-0340
Kaltreider-Benfer Library, 147 S. Charles St., Red Lion, (717) 244-2032
White Rose Senior Center – (717) 843-9704, www.whiteroseseniorcenter.org
Dillsburg Area Public Library, 17 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg, (717) 432-5613 Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m. – Discussion by Author Scott Weidensaul – The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America
Kreutz Creek Valley Library Center, 66 Walnut Springs Road, Hellam, (717) 252-4080 Windy Hill Senior Center – (717) 225-0733 Martin Library, 159 E. Market St., York, (717) 846-5300 Yorktown Senior Center – (717) 854-0693 Mason-Dixon Public Library, 250 Bailey Drive, Stewartstown, (717) 993-2404 Paul Smith Library of Southern York County, 80 Constitution Ave., Shrewsbury, (717) 235-4313
Please call or visit the centers’ websites for additional activities.
Red Land Community Library, 48 Robin Hood Drive, Etters, (717) 938-5599 Village Library, 35-C N. Main St., Jacobus, (717) 428-1034
Programs and Support Groups Dec. 11, 8:30 a.m. Senior Breakfast Club Meeting ManorCare Dallastown 100 W. Queen St., Dallastown (717) 246-1671
Dec. 20, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Commons at Powder Mill 1775 Powder Mill Road, York (717) 741-0961
Dec. 18, 3 p.m. Caregiver Support Group Golden Visions Senior Community Center 250 Fame Ave., #125, Hanover (717) 633-5072
Dec. 31 Red Lion New Year’s Eve Celebration Red Lion Square (717) 244-2212 www.redlionpa.org
If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.
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LIHEAP Now Open Eligible Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income people pay their heating bills through home energy assistance grants and crisis grants. Cash grants are awarded based on household income, family size, type of heating fuel, and region. Crisis grants are provided in the event of a heating emergency, including broken heating equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replaced, lack of fuel, termination of utility service, or danger of being without fuel or of having utility service terminated. In most counties, assistance with home heating crisis situations is available 24 hours a day. The Department of Public Welfare is sending all LIHEAP clients who applied online last year a postcard notice
MEMORIES
encouraging them to reapply online. In the past, the department sent only paper applications to all prospective clients, even if those individuals applied online the previous year. Prior applicants who did not apply online last year will still be mailed paper applications. By way of the new postcard, clients will be provided with a preregistration number, giving them access to an online application that has already been filled out using last year’s data. Clients will simply have to ensure online information is correct and update anything that may have changed, such as an address. All online applications are sent straight to the county office to determine eligibility, thereby eliminating mail and hand processing time. For more information or to apply online, visit www.dpw.state.pa.us.
1 person – $16,755 2 people – $22,695 3 people – $28,635 4 people – $34,575 5 people – $40,515 6 people – $46,455 7 people – $52,395 8 people – $58,335 9 people – $64,275 10 people – $70,215 (For each additional person, add $5,940.)
from page 1
the Wrightsville bridge, the Yorktowne Hotel, and other hotels and motels that are no longer in operation. “That’s the interesting part—seeing what your town used to look like,” said Sallade.
Many people he shows his collection to do not know that when Milton Hershey first started manufacturing Hershey’s chocolate bars, he included postcards with them as a way to advertise, Sallade said.
Have you photographed a smile that just begs to be shared? 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.
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Household sizes and maximum income limits for LIHEAP’s 2012-13 season:
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“There are a total of 78 different ones and I have 77,” he said. “I’m missing one but it is hard to locate.” Besides finding the last of the postcards from Hershey’s chocolate bars, Sallade said that he has no set goal or finish line in sight for his postcard collection. Selling postcards is a popular way to regroup collections and make room for more, or to simply make a profit, but for now his collection remains a hobby that he enjoys. Sallade has been retired for five years from his job as a florist at Charles Schaefer Flowers Inc. His grandfather started the business in west York in 1898 and Sallade said he worked there since he could hold a broom in his hand. He majored in horticulture at Ohio State University before returning to the family business. Since retiring, Sallade and his wife, Caryn, have had more time to travel to places like Canada and Ireland, and he purchases postcards everywhere that he goes. He has paid as little as 10 cents for a postcard and as much as $250, he said. Looking for them at flea markets is more fun and the price is usually better as well, said Sallade. But sometimes postcards he finds for sale online are only a few dollars. “It is something that varies considerably,” Sallade said. While the bulk of his postcard collection is from what Sallade calls “the
golden age of postcards,” between 1900 and 1915, he certainly does not shy away from new ones. “I buy new ones too, because some day they are going to be old,” he said. He stores the postcards in notebooks that have plastic liners to protect each card and has the chance to display the cards at the York Postcard Club’s monthly meetings. Sallade is president of the club. He is also one of the youngest members, with the average age of the 45 club members being between 65 and 70 years. The club has been around for more than 30 years and meets on the second Monday evening of the month at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 397 Tyler Run Road in York. “We welcome anybody to come to visit,” said Sallade. “We have a speaker every month or sometimes we do a display. This month everyone will be displaying their Thanksgiving or Christmas postcards.” Sometimes the club holds events where vendors come to purchase postcards from the club members, and there are also postcard clubs that meet in Lancaster and Carlisle. And although so much of the world is switching to digital, postcard collectors like Sallade say that the postcard is something that will always be around. “I think there is always an interest in a postcard of some place where someone went to visit,” said Sallade. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
NEW YEAR
from page 11
The next day, more than 2,000 people, presumably recovered from the previous night’s revelry, gather on Tybee Island for the Polar Plunge, an event that raises money for a local charity. In addition to swimming caps, which range from ordinary-plain to frivolously freaky, they are outfitted in glittery capes, feather boas, bathrobes, PJs, and, occasionally, regular old bikinis and briefs. At noon they race for the water, emerging a few minutes later, shivering and smiling. “I’ve washed off the sins of the past. Now I’m ready to enjoy the new year,” says one woman. She wraps her arms about herself, smiles, and disappears into the crowd of cold, but cleansed, folks. www.savannahvisit.com Richmond, British Columbia Three thousand miles away, people in Richmond, British Columbia, have just finished packing away the piney boughs and glass ornaments that represent the Western holiday season when they begin preparing for the traditional Chinese New Year’s celebration. In Richmond, this second welcoming of the new year is a very, very big deal.
Elaborate flower booths are set up in malls.
This isn’t surprising, given that the city boasts North America’s highest percentage of people of Chinese heritage outside of China. Walking the streets of the area known as the Golden Village—a four-squareblock enclave that is home to more than 400 Asian restaurants and three Asianthemed malls—it’s easy to believe you’re in China, except that there’s no smog, the water is safe to drink, and most people understand English. Festivities begin approximately two weeks before New Year’s Day, as malls set up special booths where vendors hawk elaborate flower arrangements and
Hot pot dinners are favorites throughout the year.
special holiday treats. At Landsdowne Mall, women make paper fish and lanterns; children perform dances and demonstrate their skill in martial arts; and expert calligraphers make banners that are used to decorate homes and public places. On New Year’s Eve, restaurants serve multicourse feasts where each food has a special meaning. Since pork symbolizes good luck, Shanghai River Restaurant prepares bamboo baskets filled with xiao long bao (steamed dumplings filled with minced pork and jellied broth). “These are packages of good fortune,” says the waiter.
Seafood dishes are supposed to bring prosperity because in ancient times only the wealthy could afford such treats, while eating long, uncut noodles foretells a long life. Sweet, sticky rice is served as a reminder that families should “stick together” and support one another. After dinner, many folks go to the Aberdeen Mall, where the new year is welcomed with speeches, lion dancing, and lots and lots of confetti. Others go to the Kuan Yin Temple of the International Buddhist Society, which is modeled in part after the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is considered by many to be one of the most magnificent Buddhist temples in North America. There, they greet the new year with prayer, many even staying overnight in order to be among the first to receive blessings in the new year. By noon on New Year’s Day, thousands of folks have congregated at the temple for a prayer ceremony and vegetarian lunch. “Yes,” I say to myself as I munch on some bamboo shoots, “it’s definitely nice to celebrate twice.” www.tourismrichmond.com Photos © Irv Green; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).
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An active, pain-free future is waiting for you. Spine, Bone & Joint Institutes: for a quicker response to your orthopedic and spine needs Designed by patients and caregivers, our new Spine and Orthopedic unit at Harrisburg Hospital offers the most advanced, sophisticated technology in a comfortable, patient-focused, family-oriented environment. Everything, from the spacious rooms with flat-screen TVs to an innovative call button system, was created to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.
Experience and Skill Çľ Č¤É€ÉƒČś ČžČ˛ČťÉ€Éƒ ȝɀȺȿɅ ÉƒČśÉ Č˝Č˛Č´ČśČžČśČżÉ…É„ ɅȚȲȿ ȲȿɊ É€É…ČšČśÉƒ Pennsylvania hospital Çľ ČŤÉƒČśČ˛É…É„ É€ÉƒÉ…ČšÉ€É ČśČľČşČ´ É Č˛É…ČşČśČżÉ…É„ ȲȿȿɆȲȽȽɊ Çľ Č§ČśÉƒČˇÉ€ÉƒČžÉ„ ɅɀɅȲȽ ȝɀȺȿɅ É ÉƒÉ€Č´ČśČľÉ†ÉƒČśÉ„ ȲȿȿɆȲȽȽɊ Çľ ȌȿȜ ɀȡ ɅȚȜ É…É€É ČšÉ€É„É ČşÉ…Č˛Č˝É„ Ⱥȿ ȧȜȿȿɄɊȽɇȲȿȺȲ ČˇÉ€Éƒ É„É ČşČżČś surgery Çľ ȌȿȜ ɀȡ ɅɈɀ ČšÉ€É„É ČşÉ…Č˛Č˝É„ Ⱥȿ ȧȜȿȿɄɊȽɇȲȿȺȲ É…É€ ÉƒČśČ´ČśČşÉ‡Čś certification in Spine Surgery from the Joint Commission
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The NEW Spine and Bone & Joint Institute floor at Harrisburg Hospital features the latest in patient care and comfort, including a special area for family members, inpatient rehabilitation right on the unit, and spacious rooms to include everything you need for a quicker recovery. 16
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