OutreachNC April 2018

COMPLIMENTARY

APRIL 2018 | VOL. 9, ISSUE 4

Aging

Outside the Box

CAROLINA CONVERSATIONS WITH BLACKSMITH JERRY DARNELL

Serving the Sandhills & Southern Piedmont

APRIL 2018 |

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| OUTREACHNC.COM

Three Legendary Beach Music Bands, One Day! Also performing: Workin’ on Commission And Bad Moon Rising

Saturday, May 12, 2018 Get Your Tickets Online

www.SanfordArtsAndVine.com Gates Open 1 pm Mann Center of NC,507 N. Steele St., Sanford

Music • Artist Booths • Wine • Craft Brew • Food

Thanks so much to our generous 2018 Sponsors! Proceeds will benefit the Mann Center of North Carolina.

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To register, contact:

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STAY ACTIVE

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Lower Extremity & Balance Exercises

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Seven Lakes Chapel in the Pines 581 Seven Lakes Drive | WEST END Doors Open at 3:30 p.m. for Registration & Light Refreshments

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Seven Lakes Chapel in the Pines APRIL 2018 |

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features APRIL 2018

27 Too Cool for School?

by Jennifer Webster

34 Carolina Conversations with Blacksmith Jerry Darnell

by Corbie Hill

40 Learning Curves

by Nan Leaptrott

44 Birding in NC Series: Cape Fear Botanical Garden

by Ray Linville

56 A&E: A Conversation with Actor John James

by Eddie Carmichael

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Aging Outside the Box

APRIL 2018 |

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departments April 2018

“Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” - Kurt Vonnegut

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66 22

advice & health

life

16

Reader’s Nook

by Michelle Goetzl

12

18 The Triumphant Elder

by Tim Keim, EYT500, Yoga Therapist

Good to Know

by Kasia McDaniel

14

Brain Health

by Taeh Ward, Ph.D

22

Cooking Simple

by Corbie Hill

17

Role Reversal

by David Hibbard

50

Reinventing Free Time

by Ray Linville

20

Planning Ahead

by Tim Hicks

52

Did you know?

by Rachel Stewart

24

Money Matters

by Meagan Burgad

61

Resource Marketplace Find the resources you need

60

Grey Matter Sudoku, Word Search & Crossword Puzzles

62

Tech Savvy

by GCFLearnFree.org

65

Over My Shoulder

by Ann Robson

10

6

Ask the Expert

by Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA

OutreachNC.com | APRIL 2018

66 Generations

by Ray Linville and Michelle Goetzl

COMPLIMENTARY

APRIL 2018 | VOL. 9, ISSUE 4

Aging

Outside the Box

CAROLINA CONVERSATIONS WITH BLACKSMITH JERRY DARNELL

t Serving the Sandhills & Southern Piedmon

APRIL 2017 |

OutreachNC.com 1

| OUTREACHNC.COM

Photo Credit: Diana Matthews

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articles

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magazine extras

Arts & Crafts Fair Downtown Southern Pines

Saturday, April 28 10am // 4pm Kids Block

Games // Rides // Fun FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.SOUTHERNPINES.BIZ

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OutreachNC.com 7

from the editor “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote, the droghte of March hath perced to the roote.”

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but I love spring.

I love turning over the soil in my garden and pretending that I’m going to grow towering okra plants, caterpillar-resistant tomatoes, symmetrical cantaloupes and buttery lettuce. I love finally switching off the central heat and opening the windows so I can hear birdsong while I drink my morning coffee. And I love that the climate’s finally agreeable enough to take out my canoe without courting cold, wet misery.

Or maybe I just love the idea of spring. I mean, I get so excited that I forget how wrecked my poor excuse for a garden is going to look by July and August, how every surface in my house will soon bear a sickly yellow coat of pollen and how awkward a process it really is to pick up a 16-foot canoe and strap it to the top of my minivan. Still, I choose excitement over malaise. Chaucer has a point – April’s a beautiful thing, showers and all.

On top of that, there’s another thing I’m excited about this month. Psst - you’re holding it in your hands!

This is my first issue as editor-in-chief of OutreachNC Magazine, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. In these pages, you’ll step into Jerry Darnell’s blacksmith forge, a visit Diana Matthews captured with simply stellar photography. Jerry is on our cover this month because he’s a perfect example of this month’s theme: “Aging Outside the Box.” At 70, Jerry works a skilled, physically demanding job that I sincerely doubt I have the upper body strength to handle – and I’m about half his age. To Jerry, this is what retirement looks like, and it’s remarkable to witness in person. Treat yourself to a trip to his Mill Creek Forge and Blacksmith shop near Seagrove. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m also pleased to bring you the latest installment of our birding series, in which Ray Linville and wildlife photographer Brady Beck bring us face to face with the birds of Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville. Here, too, Jennifer Webster demystifies continuing ed, pointing out some of nontraditional students’ advantages over their younger classmates, while Nan Leaptrott speaks with several folks locally about how they adapted to retirement’s challenges.

I would be remiss, too, for not taking the time to thank Ray Linville for stepping in as guest editor last month. He did a great job overseeing the March issue. I’m thrilled to be in the editor chair now (have you seen the desk they gave me? It’s pretty nice) and I can’t wait for spring, yes, but also summer, fall, winter and then on into 2019 at the helm of this fine magazine.

Thank you for picking up OutreachNC, and I’ll see you in May.

-Corbie Hill

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OutreachNC.com | APRIL 2018

Reader Letters

Editor-in-Chief Corbie Hill | Editor@OutreachNC.com Creative Director Kim Gilley | The Village Printers Creative & Graphic Designer Sarah McElroy | The Village Printers Ad Designers Stephanie Budd, Cyndi Fifield, Nikki Lienhard, Sarah McElroy Proofreaders Ashley Eder, Kate Pomplun Photography Brady Beck, Diana Matthews, Mollie Tobias Contributors Meagan Burgad, Eddie Carmichael, Michelle Goetzl, David Hibbard, Tim Hicks, Corbie Hill, Tim Keim, Nan Leaptrott, Ray Linville, Kasia McDaniel, Amy Natt, Ann Robson, Rachel Stewart, Taeh Ward, Jennifer Webster

Y Publisher Amy Natt | AmyN@AgingOutreachServices.com Marketing & Public Relations Director Susan McKenzie | SusanM@AgingOutreachServices.com Advertising Sales Executive Ashley Haddock | AshleyH@OutreachNC.com 910-690-9102 Advertising Sales Executive & Circulation Manager Butch Peiker | ButchP@OutreachNC.com 904-477-8440 OutreachNC PO Box 2478 | 676 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28388 910-692-9609 Office | 910-695-0766 Fax info@OutreachNC.com

www.OutreachNC.com

OutreachNC is a publication of The entire contents of OutreachNC are copyrighted by Aging Outreach Services. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial, photographic or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. OutreachNC is published monthly on the first of each month.

Submitted Correction: On page 38 of our February issue, our caption for the photo of the ducks was incorrect. It should have said wood ducks, not canvasbacks.

Letters and emails are a great way to share your thoughts with us, and recently several readers have dropped a line to say hello.

Here at OutreachNC, we live for this kind of feedback. Putting out a magazine is hard work, which we wade through gladly because we love what we do. When you, the reader, reaches out, it becomes a conversation. And sometimes, as we’ve learned from these conversations, our stories last well beyond their predicted shelf life.

In early February, a Scotland County reader started a conversation with, “I love the magazine, and pick it up every month at the senior center.” The caller, Maria, wanted to share how much she enjoyed 2017’s Honoring World War II Veterans series. In fact, she recommended we interview one of the students in her exercise class: “This veteran is a young 92 years old and was only 18 years old when the bombs hit Pearl Harbor,” she told us. “He has amazing stories to tell about his service and his life.”

Talk about a great tip! We’ll put him in a future issue for sure.

Then, in early March, a Cumberland County reader shared his story of reaching out to Don Colvin, the World War II veteran we featured in our November 2017 issue. Rod, the reader, was so intrigued by what he read Honoring World War II that he called Mr. Colvin to schedule a visit. veterans Series «» Since then, Rod has even met Mr. Colvin and Don Colvin his son to celebrate the veteran’s birthday.

The November 2017 issue, we learned, has been shared all over the country and will continue to be – one reason Rod called, after all, was to request more copies.

So if you have an observation, a story tip, a correction (hey, we can take the heat!) or would like extra copies of current or previous issues, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Reach editor Corbie Hill at editor@outreachnc.com (email preferred).

Our mailing address is: PO Box 2478, Southern Pines, NC 28388.

And our office phone is 910-692-9609.

APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 9

advice

Our Aging Life Care ProfessionalsTM will answer any aging questions you may have.

Email us your questions! info@OutreachNC.com

ASK THE EXPERT

Being An Advocate

by Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA My mom has been managing a chronic condition for the past four years, and recently things have started to progress. She has had multiple falls and has been in and out of the hospital three times over the past six months. In addition to that, she has multiple specialists she is dealing with. I go with her to these appointments, but find it challenging to keep up and be her advocate at times. Do you have any suggestions?

Dealing with a chronic condition can often involve multiple providers and systems. Learning to navigate these successfully can be a challenge and require really great communication and organizational skills. As a professional care manager, this is something I deal with routinely and I can share some tips I have learned along the way. As an advocate for your mother, you are her champion, supporter and navigator as she faces these challenges and changes in her life. Be her partner and allow her to be involved in her care, each step of the way. Together you can effectively tackle each challenge.

As you and your mother continue this journey, here are some tips for keeping information organized and being prepared each step of the way: • Create a notebook or binder that you will

use to keep track of key information – good note keeping is very important. Navigating any system can be a lengthy and ongoing process. You will want to keep good notes on people you have spoken to, dates and information. Create a tab or section for each provider or hospital stay.

• Be organized. Have personal information,

records and key planning documents accessible and organized. You will be asked for these multiple times in different capacities. Keep personal information secure, but have it at your fingertips. You can create a tab in your binder for this as well.

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• Ask questions and gather information.

When you are in the hospital or at an appointment, know the point of contact. This person may change or there may be a different point of contact for different departments. Find out who they are and the best way to reach them if needed.

• Ask if there is an advocate available to assist you (like a case manager, social worker or ombudsman) if you encounter problems.

• Have a list of questions ready.

Communication is key. Ask questions and make your expectations known. Having these conversations is important to ensuring everyone involved is on the same page.

• Request a care plan meeting to get all the key people in the same place to make decisions.

• Educate yourself before the crisis. Do not

wait until you are in a crisis to make important decisions. What resources might she need to maintain quality of life?

• Ask the right questions to the right people

and conserve your mental energy – you will need it. For example, you might not need to go into the entire story with the person at the front desk or the person who answers the phone. Make sure you are talking to the correct person to address the need.

• Know your rights within the system. Ask for

a copy of the patients’ rights, if applicable.

• Know the grievance policy. If you

encounter a problem that cannot be easily resolved, find out if they have a grievance policy or person designated to help address patient concerns.

• If navigating the system becomes overwhelming, identify the person or professional (outside of the system) you can ask to help you.

If something does not seem right, or if you have questions, speak up. Do not assume information has been received or is known just because you provided it once. If you are not sure about something, just ask. If the provider offers a patient portal, use that to access information and as a way to ask questions and share concerns with the provider.

Navigating care can seem overwhelming, but take it one day at a time. You do not have to recreate the wheel. Identify others who have been in similar situations and ask them to share things they learned along the way. Build your support network and pull in community resources to help supplement care as needed.

A local support group can be an excellent resource for both of you.

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If you need additional resources, reach out to a local Aging Life Care Manager™ www.AgingLifeCare.org or to your local Department of Aging www.ncdhhs.gov/ divisions/daas.

Readers may send questions to Amy Natt, an Aging Life Care ProfessionalTM, certified senior advisor and CEO of Aging Outreach Services. She can be reached at amyn@agingoutreachservices.com .

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APRIL 2018 |

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OutreachNC.com 11

health

THE TRIUMPHANT ELDER

Yoga Solutions to Back Pain

by Tim Keim, EYT500, Yoga Therapist

I

t’s the rare adult who has reached their present age without having some kind of back pain. Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Eighty percent of American adults will experience back pain some time in their lives, according to the National Institute of Health. Back pain is also the second leading cause of doctor visits after cold and flu symptoms.

Lower back injury usually occurs during forward bending with or without weight, twisting, falls with wrenching or some other kind of accident whether the back is flexed or extended. The pain of each injury is unique and requires customized treatment.

Off-the-shelf treatments like pain or steroid injections, potentially addictive narcotics or surgery are often ineffective and can be risky. Back surgeon, Dr. David Hanscom, on the People’s Pharmacy radio show earlier this year, stated that of the hundreds of thousands of spinal fusions performed each year, few cured pain.

The July 2017 Annals of Internal Medicine presented a safe, effective way to successfully treat mild to moderate back pain: therapeutic yoga. Twentyone percent of back pain sufferers who adopted a therapeutic yoga practice were also less likely to turn to pain medications – and they remained pain free or had reduced pain for a year or longer.

Therapeutic yoga is taught one-on-one by a yoga therapist with specialized training in dealing with pain, and you don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel to get pain relief. My motto: Gentleness is the path to strength. You don’t have to knock yourself out to live in a well-conditioned, pain-free body. Yoga is like the unbidden affection of a child: powerful yet tender.

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Gentle yoga is strong medicine for pain and is accessible to almost anyone. Common back conditions like bulging or herniated discs, sciatica, sacroiliac dysfunction, periformis syndrome, nerve compression or hyperextension often respond quickly to properly prescribed therapeutic yoga.

Yoga therapy likewise soothes painful muscles, tendons and ligaments and helps realign the spine.

Yoga postures strengthen the connective tissues of the back to improve spinal alignment to heal nerve pain – for the long term.

For example, if you have pain from hyperextension from lifting, the flexion poses like Locust, Cobra and Bridge provide massaging muscular engagement to relieve pain while simultaneously strengthening injured tissues. As connective tissues get stronger, they align the spine to keep pain at bay. Conversely, if you fall backward and land on something fairly large on the way down, you’ve suffered a compression injury. The extension poses like Standing or Seated Forward Bend, Seated Cross Body Reach or Child’s Pose release and stretch compressed tissues to relieve pain.

Pain relief also diminishes the anger and depression that can accompany chronic pain. Therapeutic yoga offers you the opportunity to get back to living life with zest and vigor.

This is not just theoretical. Back pain is why I started practicing yoga 24 years ago, and it’s kept me painfree ever since. Millions of Americans are living with less pain due to the simple, intelligent, ancient practice of yoga.

“

“

My motto: Gentleness is the path to strength. You don’t have to knock yourself out to live in a wellconditioned, pain-free body. Yoga is like the unbidden affection of a child: powerful yet tender.

Tim Keim is an IAYT certified yoga therapist, and has been teaching yoga for 15 years with the approach that “gentleness is the path to strength.”

He is the author of Dynamic Dozen: 12 Accessible Yoga Poses for Building Bone Density, Balance and Strength. Keim can be heard Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 91.5-FM, WUNC. He can be reached at timkeim811@yahoo.com.

APRIL 2018 |

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health

B R A I N H E A LT H

Retirement Trends for Brain Health

T

by Taeh A. Ward, Ph.D.

here are more individuals in the United States aged 65 and older than ever before, so planning for retirement is on the minds of many. While the benefits and drawbacks of retirement vary depending on the individual, research suggests that retirement can be just as stressful as working for many people. Although retirement is often viewed as a well-deserved break after years of employment, some researchers theorize that retirement could accelerate cognitive declines, particularly for those individuals retiring from mentally demanding jobs. Fortunately, studies on neuroplasticity (creating new connections in the brain through new learning and mental stimulation) indicate that the retirement years can be used to maximize brain health and function.

Part-time employment and volunteerism

Goals for New Learning

Although many people look forward to retirement, it is not uncommon to have some difficulty adjusting to the changes in finances, responsibilities, and routine inherent to retirement. For some, this can lead to boredom, depression, anxiety, or other emotional symptoms. As some individuals tend to define themselves by their job, retirement can also lead to changes in sense of self-worth and identity. Scheduling activities to look forward to on a daily basis during retirement can help enhance motivation and reduce negative emotions. As emotional stress can impact cognitive abilities (e.g. attention, processing speed, memory), staying active during retirement can maximize brain health directly and by reducing the potential for adjustment-related distress.

Although retiring from a job means that certain skills will no longer be used on a daily basis, this also means that there is more time to try new things. Research shows that engaging in novel and complex activities and environments, then practicing these new skills can create connections or pathways in the brain that help maintain our thinking abilities over time. This means that when planning for retirement, one must consider both relaxation and goals for new learning. While many individuals plan to travel during their retirement as a leisure activity, traveling can also provide mental stimulation and opportunities for trying new skills. For example, preparing for and traveling to an unfamiliar location requires organization, planning, navigation, time management, memory, and problemsolving. Taking up golf during retirement can provide physical exercise and mental stimulation, both of which help maintain brain function over time. New learning can also occur in areas where you already have some knowledge, such as learning to play a new card game, hand crafts, or home repairs. Regardless of your daily activities, it is important to continue trying new things throughout the retirement years.

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For some individuals, retirement means continuing with some part-time work for financial reasons. Part-time employment, even a few hours per month, can also provide opportunities for mental stimulation, socialization, and maintaining a sense of accomplishment. Volunteerism is also a great way to remain engaged in the community and participate in new and challenging activities during retirement. In most communities, there are lists of volunteer opportunities in a variety of settings (e.g. http://www.moorealive.com/discover-opportunities/ volunteering).

Mood

Thinking ahead Planning for retirement is often centered around finances, but planning for activities during retirement is equally important. Thinking about retirement should include considering activities that will make retirement meaningful and interesting in the long run while providing opportunities for new learning and mental stimulation.

Dr. Taeh Ward, a clinical neuropsychologist at Pinehurst Neuropsychology, can be reached at 910-420-8041 or by visiting pinehurstneuropsychology.com

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OutreachNC.com 15

life

THE READER’S NOOK

“Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore”

by Matthew Sullivan

Book Review by Michelle Goetzl

I

f a book is set in a bookstore or about someone who sells books, there is a high likelihood that it is going to find its way to my to-be-read list. That doesn’t mean that these books are always winners, but it is often a good starting point to grab my attention. Add an intriguing mystery that gets unraveled by using clues from books, and the stage is set for a great read.

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, by Matthew Sullivan, is a page-turning mystery set at a bookstore in Denver, CO. Our heroine, Lydia Smith, lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she has a natural knack for books and for putting people at ease. She is living a low profile life among her beloved books, her eccentric colleagues, and the BookFrogs—the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day marauding the store’s overwhelmed shelves.

At the start of the book, Joey Molina, a BookFrog who shares a special connection with Lydia, commits suicide in the store. When Lydia discovers him hanging in the history section, her equilibrium is thrown off. Not only is she shocked by his death, but even more so by the fact that he has a picture from her 10th birthday in his pocket. When she finds that Joey has left all of his possessions to her, including books that have cryptically been defaced, the mystery really takes off.

Coverage of Joey’s suicide also brings Lydia’s past back to life. While she has done a great job of blending in and staying out of the spotlight, a local paper captures her photograph after the suicide and she is recognized. While she enjoys catching up with Raj, a close childhood friend

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who also happens to be in the picture that Joey had, she is less thrilled to receive a postcard from the homicide detective who worked on a case that impacted her life. Even worse is the fact that her estranged father is now trying to get in touch with her and that her boyfriend, who doesn’t know her past, keeps encouraging her to contact him back.

Lydia has worked hard to keep her past in the past and she definitely hasn’t seen a childhood picture in years: “The spare snapshots of her childhood had been buried so deep inside her bedroom closet that she wasn’t certain they were even there anymore.” The picture that Joey had was taken a month or two before she and her father fled Denver, and its appearance is the first crack of the door to her past opening back up. As the story proceeds, we learn that when Lydia was 10, she was traumatized by the murder of an entire family by someone only known as The Hammerman who was never captured.

Sullivan deftly moves the story from past to present to unravel what happened all those years ago, and how Joey is connected to it all. Fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train or In the Woods will gravitate towards this dark novel that makes us ponder relationships, loss, trauma, a search for a place to belong, identity, grief and secrets – a great combination for a real page-turner.

Michelle Goetzl writes an online blog—“Books My Kids Read.” She loves books and sharing that love of reading with children. She can be reached at booksmykidsread@gmail.com .

ROLE REVERSAL

Financial Conversations

by David Hibbard

T

here’s an old saying that “money is the root of all evil.” While I would argue “evil” is an awfully strong word, there’s no doubt that questions and confusion about money can lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings and strained relationships.

If you’re an adult who has gone back to living with one or both parents – either under their roof or yours – money can be a minefield neither party wants to talk about.

But it’s important, because a clear understanding about the subject can have a major impact on yours and your parents’ lifestyle, and can potentially save you time and treasure in the future.

The first step is to get over the taboo of talking money, if it exists in your family. If discussing finances is hard for your family, be bold and bring the subject up first. Frame the conversation as part of your commitment to being a responsible member of the household, and wanting to ensure everyone will have the financial resources they need well into the future. Emphasize that your intent isn’t to be nosy, but to make sure your family is taken care of.

It may be helpful to break the conversation down into what I consider the two main parts of finances when living together: monthly expenses and long-term/estate planning.

For monthly bills and similar routine expenses, sit down at the kitchen table and lay everything out in terms of your current situation. Talk about who will be responsible for paying the power bill, the cable bill and other recurring expenses each month. If you’re bringing in steady income from your job or other work, and your situation permits, offer to help your parents with some of these expenses they may currently be paying for themselves. They may tell you they can continue to take care of it, but they

advice

will appreciate the gesture, and you can still put some of your own money towards those bills every so often.

Reviewing the household’s monthly expenditures is also a good opportunity to look for cost-cutting measures.

When it comes to long-term planning, I believe it’s vitally important to be fully aware of, and realistic about, both your own and your parents’ financial position. If you haven’t already, talk to your parents about what they’ve done to prepare for the future. How much do they have saved for retirement, and where is it invested? Have they worked with a financial advisor to review their situation?

Do they have a will, health care power of attorney and other important documents? Do you know where to find these items and who to call in the event your parent becomes ill or incapacitated or passes away?

Likewise, you should be fully forthcoming about your own financial situation. Let your parents know what you’ve done to secure your own future, which advisors or attorneys you’ve worked with, and where they can find important documents in case you become incapacitated or die before them. If you have been working and saving your own money for a number of years, and it is your desire, your estate could provide an important financial safety net to your parents should you predecease them.

If these aren’t topics you’ve been used to discussing over the years with your parents, it may be uncomfortable at first. But in the long run it will be well worth it, and it will give both you and your parents peace of mind and a clear direction for your family’s financial future.

Share your role reversal stories with contributing writer David Hibbard.

Email him at: hib1967@gmail.com

APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 17

life

G O O D TO K N OW

5 Things You Should Do Before Putting Your Home on the Market

By Kasia McDaniel

W

ill you be selling your home this year? A few years ago, homeowners used to be able to clean off the counters, vacuum a bit and put out a ‘For Sale’ sign in their front yard, but buyers have become pickier. With the onset of HGTV shows, buyers are expecting to be ‘wowed’ when they walk into a home. So what are homeowners to do?

As a home staging expert, let me share some staging tips before putting your home on the market.

1. Curb Appeal – This is the first thing buyers will see and the most important asset of your home. If the lawn is not cut, weeds are overgrown or the flower beds are out of control, buyers will think, “If they can’t maintain the outside, what didn’t they maintain inside?” Don’t leave dead plants in your flower pots. Pay attention to the door (does it need paint?) and make the front yard more inviting by keeping it maintained.

2. Fix Broken Items – Even though you may live with a broken door or a light, that does not mean the new homeowners will want to live with it. If buyers notice these small broken items, they will wonder what other maintenance has not been done to the house.

Don’t let buyers start a to-do list because that means their offer price will be less than you want. Replace burnt out lightbulbs, fix the loose bricks and make it move-in ready.

3. Clean, Clean, Clean – I was taught at a very young age that whenever you had guests come over, there was a whirlwind of activity to make the home spotless. The dishes were put away, the stove was scrubbed, the floors were swept and nothing extra was out on the countertops.

Now with your home on the market, your home needs to be cleaner than it ever has been. If you can afford a crew to come in and clean your home, do it.

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4. Declutter and Depersonalize – If you lived in a home for any length of time, you have accumulated clutter somewhere. Whether it’s the kids’ artwork on the fridge, or the papers in the dining room, it is clutter. Throw it out or put it away.

Depersonalizing is removing that collection of military trophies, family pictures, certificates and religious artifacts. You need to make the home neutral and appealing to someone who can imagine themselves living there. They don’t want to be reminded that this is someone else’s home.

5. Don’t leave rooms empty – Buyers don’t have a sense of scale when the room is empty, especially when they view the MLS listing online. More than 80% of buyers start their home search online. Make sure your photos show the best features of the home. Home staging gives the room a focal point and draws buyers into the room so they can envision themselves living there. Four blank walls only give the buyers something to nitpick at, like chipping paint or the holes in the wall.

These are just the top five things you, the homeowner, can do. A home staging consultant can provide a detailed action plan based on your budget and timeline. All of these things take time, so be sure to plan ahead before you list your home.

Kasia McDaniel, a Home Stager and Certified Interior Decorator at Blue Diamond Staging can be reached at 910-745-0608 or by visiting www.bluediamondstaging.com

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advice

PLANNING AHEAD

Is Your Portfolio Telling You to Make a Change?

By Tim Hicks

T

he past nine years have been extraordinary for the stock market. From March 2009 to the end of 2017, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, a benchmark of market performance, rose close to 300 percent. In 2017 alone, the index gained more than 21 percent. If you are an investor who has benefited from the extended bull market in stocks, you might think there’s no reason to rebalance your portfolio. However, certain investments or sectors you own may have prospered in recent years, possibly affecting the level of risk you have in the market. With market performance where it is, it may make sense to review your portfolio and determine if changes are appropriate.

The Importance of Rebalancing Rebalancing is a process of shifting assets in your portfolio back to your original allocation to more suitably reflect your investment objectives and risk profile. Because the markets move in unpredictable cycles, it’s important to remember that the types of returns many investors saw in 2017 won’t necessarily be repeated in the next few years. While stocks have historically moved higher over time, there are periods when they either perform below average or give back some of the gains they previously achieved. These market swings mean an investor may have to make adjustments to their portfolio mix over time. Keep in mind that rebalancing does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.

As a simplified hypothetical example, assume an investor’s portfolio was established with a mix of 60 percent stocks and 40 percent bonds. This mix would be determined based on the investor’s risk tolerance and goals. After the market’s recent winning streak, stocks may now represent 70 percent of the portfolio.

This could be considered an “overweight” position compared to the investor’s designated allocation.

If stocks experience a correction, the “overweight”

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position in equities could work against the investor.

It may make sense to reduce the stock position back to its original allocation of 60 percent, and move 10 percent of the portfolio back into bonds. In this way, the portfolio would more accurately represent the investor’s risk profile.

When to Shift Assets There are many market or personal events that may cause investors to rebalance their portfolios. While the following rules of thumb may give you an idea of when to consider reallocating your investments, remember that the right time and frequency is different for each investor. Consider reallocating: • When one asset class is a certain percentage higher or lower than its original representation in your portfolio.

Your investments will swing up and down day-to-day and week-to-week, so work with your financial advisor to establish a benchmark for when volatility may trigger a change in your investment makeup.

• At a set timeframe, such as quarterly, biannually or annually. Reviewing on a regular schedule may help you avoid making an emotional decision during times of market volatility.

• When you recognize a broad, persistent trend in the markets. For example, upward trends in emerging markets’ performance or rising interest rates in the U.S. could affect your portfolio or present an investing opportunity based on your goals.

• Because of changes in your own life. Major life events, such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, or deciding on a retirement date, may require you to adjust your investments so they align with your new priorities. For example, if you decided to retire early you may want to reduce your exposure to risk in case the markets dip before your retirement date. This could mean shifting a portion of your portfolio into more conservative investments.

Be Aware of Tax Ramifications Even if you hold investments in a variety of accounts, consider assessing all of your holdings as one portfolio to determine if you need to rebalance your assets. Be aware that if you sell positions in taxable accounts, you may incur taxable gains. If you make changes within a tax-advantaged account (such as IRAs or a workplace retirement plan), you may be able to avoid any current tax implications from the rebalancing process.

Even if your portfolio is making progress toward your goals, it’s important not to keep your investments on autopilot.

Your asset allocation can have a major impact on your ability to reach your future goals, so it’s worth ensuring your mix remains on track. Consult with your financial advisor and tax advisor before you make any decisions about your investment strategy.

Tim Hicks, RICP®, APMA® is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Southern Pines, NC. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 6 years. To contact him, please visit www.hicks-associates.com or call 910692-5917. The Southern Pines address is 510 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28387.

The S&P 500 is an index containing the stocks of 500 largecap corporations, most of which are American. The index is the most notable of the many indices owned and maintained

by Standard & Poor’s, a division of McGraw-Hill.

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2018 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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life

COOKING SIMPLE

Cream of Asparagus Soup

by Corbie Hill

Sandhills Farm to Table (SF2T) knows what’s in season.

This hyperlocal cooperative sources produce and artisanal market items from Moore County and its immediate neighbors, connecting farmers directly to consumers. SF2T subscribers benefit from a weekly produce box, which stocks local kitchens with nutritious produce that was often grown in-county; Area farmers benefit from a stable market for their crops. It’s worth noting, too, that producers, consumers and staff are all equal owners of this co-op.

So we asked:

what’s growing in April?

“Asparagus is one of the first spring crops to make its way aboveground – and into our boxes,” says Mandy Davis, online artisanal market manager and gathering site coordinator (and local food aficionado!) for SF2T. “Though there are many ways to prepare it, soup is certainly an easy and affordable way to make it last. Asparagus is a short-lived and novel crop, so any way to preserve it is a plus!”

For those who want a reliable supply of local produce, a steady connection to local farmers and a wealth of new recipes, a SF2T subscription is the way to go. Visit sandhillsfarm2table.com to learn more about membership.

On the next page, find a delectable cream of asparagus soup recipe Davis was gracious enough to share with OutreachNC. Or, for days when you’re not in the mood for soup, Davis has an even simpler tip: “You can also throw [asparagus] on a pan and roast it with a little olive oil and kosher salt,” she says. “Yum!”

The Priest Family Farm in Carthage, a reliable source for local asparagus.

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Ingredients: Makes six servings

1 ½ pounds chopped asparagus 1 medium chopped onion 2 cloves sliced garlic 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (plus ¼ cup water or stock) ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half ½ cup white wine (optional) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional) 1/8 teaspoon black pepper Salt to taste

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup water or stock and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional) in a soup pot over medium-low heat until the butter is melted.

Add and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until tender, but not browned, 5-10 minutes 1 medium chopped onion and 2 cloves sliced garlic.

Stir in 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, ½ cup white wine (optional) and 1 ½ pounds chopped asparagus, discarding tough ends and reserving the tips.

Simmer 5-10 minutes.

Puree the soup adding ¼ to ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, salt to taste, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and reserved asparagus tips. Simmer 3-5 minutes and serve.

Note: This recipe freezes very well!

Cool completely and transfer to freezer-safe container.

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advice

M O N E Y M AT T E R S

Saving to Spending

Changing gears from putting money away to living off it – and living well – in retirement

by Meagan Burgad

R

etirement can be an exciting time. After diligently investing your money with care you are now ready to take on the world! But without a paycheck, how will you finance your new life?

You cannot create a successful retirement plan without an accurate balance sheet. You must be honest about your finances and what kind of money you have to work with before you move on to the next step.

The transition from carefully saving your income to now using those funds to sustain your retirement can feel overwhelming. You want to use some of that hard-earned money, but you don’t want to go crazy and overspend.

So how can you be sure you’re making the most of your retirement funds? Chip Hasty, partner and CFP at Millstone Advisory Partners in Southern Pines, advises three keys to successful retirement sustainment.

DECIDE ON YOUR LIFESTYLE

BUILD A BALANCE SHEET

This means taking all your liabilities and subtracting them from your assets. Assets are things like buildings, land and equipment. Liabilities are home mortgages, business loans or credit card debt.

While this may sound simple, it can take time to find all your assets and liabilities. Make sure you know where information about your finances is located. Look through old bank statements and check every file folder. Over time small insurance policies or unused money accounts may be forgotten or overlooked, but everything must be included to make the balance sheet work.

Just as we hope to be healthy as we move into retirement, we want to make sure our funds are in shape also. Hasty compares a balance sheet to getting a physical from your doctor.

“It’s everything you own versus everything you owe,” Hasty says. “From a financial perspective, it’s like going to the doctor’s office and getting a checkup. They need blood work and data to determine your health. That’s what a balance sheet does for your finances.”

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Once you have an accurate balance sheet you must decide on the lifestyle you would like to lead. Do you plan to take monthly trips to Paris or would you prefer to spend time in the mountains of North Carolina? Maybe you would want to do both! You must be honest with yourself when deciding on what kind of lifestyle you would like to live.

You also need to be honest with yourself about what you have the funds to afford.

It is helpful to start keeping track of how much money you are spending each month before retirement. This will help you make a realistic budget as you change from receiving a paycheck to living off your investments. In addition, Hasty stresses how important it is to be honest with yourself. Don’t try to make a budget that looks good on paper if you will never be able to stick with it in everyday life.

“Be realistic about what your lifestyle is based on spending. You don’t want to overspend or go on credit cards going into retirement,” Hasty says. “With a fixed income, there is no money coming in to pay that off.”

Part of the retirement lifestyle you must consider is longterm care plans. Many retirees don’t want to think about the need for daily nursing staff or round-the-clock care, but it’s a reality that is a very important aspect of your budget. If you have not already created a long-term care plan the time to do so is now.

“If you’re healthy, to live in an independent living community in this area you will need between $4-$6,000

a month,” says Hasty. “That’s before adding skilled nursing.

With skilled nursing, you will need $12-$17,000 a month.

“A lot of retirees are going to, at some point, face a nursing home or some kind of rehabilitation because they’ve fallen or something similar,” he continues. “That’s an unplanned expense. Even if you have Medicare or supplemental health insurance, it’s a good idea to go ahead and plan for the fact that towards the end of your life you’re going to need some help, whether in a facility or in your home. This has to be factored into your lifestyle.”

to live and the assets you have will dictate how high-risk your portfolio will be. Ideally, you want a retirement plan that lets you have fun without feeling like you can’t spend money for fear of running out of funds.

Once you’ve decided on a lifestyle that will make you happy it’s time to start focusing on building your portfolio.

Looking at your balance sheet, lifestyle and portfolio will let you know if you have to take more risks with your funds to be able to live your life comfortably. You need to come up with a plan to use your portfolio to determine how much you can withdraw from your accounts without running out of money. At the same time, if you are too cautious you will feel like you’re skimping on your retirement. There has to be a balance between how much you have saved and how much you now need to live.

WHAT IS YOUR PORTFOLIO GOING TO LOOK LIKE

If juggling your portfolio and making these decisions seem overwhelming, Hasty has a suggestion.

Your portfolio is a collection of all your assets. This could be insurance policies, stocks, bonds, savings accounts, land, mutual funds, etc. Anything you counted as an asset in your balance sheet will go into your portfolio.

After you have created a balance sheet and have decided what kind of retirement lifestyle suits you best, you will turn to your portfolio. The type of lifestyle you would like

“Find a certified financial planner who is local and works with people of your generation,” he says. “You need to be able to sit down and have a conversation with them about what your priorities are. This financial world, it’s changing all the time - it’s got its own vocabulary, the media makes it confusing. To be able to sit down and talk with someone will give you great peace of mind.”

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10 things to know about your new Medicare card Medicare is mailing new Medicare cards starting in April 2018. Here are 10 things to know about your new Medicare card: 1. Mailing takes time: Your card may arrive at 7. Your doctor knows it’s coming: Doctors, a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s. other health care facilities and providers will ask for your new Medicare card when you 2. Destroy your old Medicare card: Once you need care. get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away.

3. Guard your card: Only give your new Medicare Number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurers, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.

8. You can find your number: If you forget your new card, you, your doctor or other health care provider may be able to look up your Medicare Number online.

9. Keep your Medicare Advantage Card: If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), your Medicare Advantage Plan ID card is your main card for Medicare – 4. Your Medicare Number is unique: Your you should still keep and use it whenever you card has a new number instead of your Social need care. However, you also may be asked Security Number. This new number is unique to show your new Medicare card, so you to you. should carry this card too.

5. Your new card is paper: Paper cards are 10. Help is available: If you don’t get your easier for many providers to use and copy, new Medicare card by April 2019, call and they save taxpayers a lot of money. Plus, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). you can print your own replacement card if TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. you need one!

6. Keep your new card with you: Carry your new card and show it to your health care providers when you need care.

26

You have the right to get Medicare information in an accessible format, like large print, Braille, or audio. You also have the right to file a complaint if you feel you’ve been discriminated against. Visit CMS.gov/about-cms/agency-information/aboutwebsite/ cmsnondiscriminationnotice.html, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for more information. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

OutreachNC.com | APRIL 2018 CMS Product No. 12018 January 2018

Too Cool for School?

Definitely.

But you’re never too old.

Students of every age are returning to school to get back into the workforce, enhance existing careers or undertake a new vocation.

by Jennifer Webster | Photography by Diana Matthews Lacey Kuenzler, a Health Information Technology student at Central Carolina Community College, is due to graduate in May.

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The hundreds of thousands of adults older than 50 who return to school each year have as many reasons as there are students. But to some extent, educational needs are grounded in local culture and economy.

In central North Carolina, many younger people earn a living through agricultural or industrial work, says Felicia Crittenden, Associate Dean of Career & Technical Education at Central Carolina Community College. They return to school looking for something less physically rigorous.

“A lot of folks [who come to our college] worked in a manufacturing facility, and their bodies just can’t handle the long hours or repetitive motion any longer,” she says. “They are hoping to do something different.”

Like these students, your location, previous career and even physical health can nudge you to start back to college. Or maybe you just want to fulfill a dream.

Am I Ready?

A laborer whose back has given out or an academic who can no longer make ends meet as a gypsy adjunct may have no choice but to return to school and cultivate new skills. But if it isn’t an emergency decision, take some time to think before registering for classes.

Before returning to school, it’s smart for older students to consider personal factors: financial resources, time available and other responsibilities. If you plan to pay out of savings, consider whether you’ll be able to earn back that money before retirement. And if you plan on taking out student loans, the same calculus applies, but more urgently: Social Security may in some cases be garnered to repay federal student loans. Will you be able to work in your new field or position long enough to repay the loan? Apply for scholarships, grants-in-aid and those work-study or assistantship programs you feel will advance your studies. If you’ve been out of the workforce a while, even a minimum-wage library assistant position will start building your employment history.

Time and family responsibilities may be less pressing than when you had young children underfoot, but they’re still worth considering. Would online or once-aweek class meetings suit your schedule? Or do you want to be in the classroom regularly to fully master new material? Look at course schedules and plot out whether they’ll fit into your life.

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Beverly Henderson started college at 50.

When she receives her Associate in Arts from CCCC, it will be her second degree.

The First Step When older adult students first look at going to college, or going back to college, they face a wealth of opportunities in and around the Sandhills. There’s UNC-Pembroke, a series of community colleges and several religious institutions. To decide on a school and program of study, it helps to determine whether you need a two-year, four-year or advanced degree, or whether you should opt for a job-training or certificate program.

In college parlance, “curriculum” classes lead to a degree of some sort. “Continuing education” classes are non-degree courses, though some may culminate in a certificate or mean the student is eligible for a thirdparty credentialing test (such as a Microsoft or Cisco certification). Other continuing ed classes may be taken for pleasure or enrichment.

If you don’t know what you need, just ask!

“We [meet and] see if we can get a good gauge on [new students’] interests,” Crittenden says. “[At CCCC], we have a one-college model. Both sides of the house, curriculum and continuing ed, communicate. Most of our curriculum programs have short-term continuing ed classes where a student can start.”

NCWorks (ncworks.gov) is also a great resource if you don’t know what field you want to go into. The website contains employment trends, job data and online applications. You do have to create a login to access the data.

Can I Do It?

Older adult students may worry whether they have the chops for college, especially if it’s their first time around. Crittenden reassures nontraditional age students that they’ll do just fine.

“Once they start a program, they typically stick it out,” she says. “Their completion rates can be just as high as students straight out of high school. There’s no age variation.”

CCCC Associate Dean of Career and Technical Education, Felicia Crittenden

Older students do have some challenges. Many are unfamiliar with the latest information technology, especially if they’ve been out of the workforce for years, Crittenden says. However, at many colleges these students will find courses specifically designed to help them catch up. Some job-readiness classes cover online job applications and emails, for instance.

And older students typically arrive with a hand strong in human skills.

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“Individuals 50 and above were reared when people had to call each other on the phone to communicate,” Crittenden says. “Their interpersonal skills far exceed those of our younger students. If we do have older students mixed in a class, you can see where the older students add value to the classroom instruction and the lessons because of those skills. They communicate more freely. Younger students may not want to raise their hand and be singled out, but … it’s a different mindset with a 50-year-old who will want to have their question answered and clarified then and there.”

Working together, the shyer, more tech-savvy millennials and the socially savvy, outgoing Boomers and Greatest Generation folks make a dynamic combination, able to communicate in any medium.

Skilled professors know how to draw on the strengths of each group, while helping them round out their portfolio of communication techniques.

A New Way to Move Down a Familiar Path

While fresh-out-of-high-school students may arrive at college with only a dream or a blank slate, older students typically have plenty of work experience, even if that work is housework. While some are eager to try a new profession, many want to do a different job in a profession they find familiar.

“They’re trying to stay in their comfort zone,” Crittenden says. “Maybe they want to remain in the manufacturing industry, but develop a new skill to do something different in their organization.”

For example, a welder might turn to maintenance, she illustrates. A nurse might want to go into healthcare information technology.

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Even if your profession for the last thirty years has been “house spouse,” that still means you have built up a distinct skillset. Negotiating disputes, cooking delicious food – there are a number of professions and trades you might consider, from lawyer to chef. “[Older students] are not newbies,” Crittenden says.

“They have a wealth of experiences. I would ask you to take your careers collectively, whether part-time, fulltime, working from home or raising a family. Look at those skills you use day to day, figure out the things you are strong in and work your way up.”

Continuing Education Close to Home • Central Carolina Community College. Locations in Lee, Harnett and Chatham counties. Twoyear degrees, transfer programs and continuing education programs.

Cool program: Culinary Arts, including courses on fermented vegetables and farm-to-table foods.

Visit cccc.edu to learn more.

• Fayetteville Technical Community College. Twoyear degrees, transfer programs and continuing education programs, as well as all-online options. Cool program: Funeral service education.

Visit faytechcc.edu to learn more.

• Richmond Community College. Two-year degrees, transfer programs and continuing education programs. Cool program: Cyber security.

Visit richmondcc.edu to learn more.

We Love Our Residents

Welcome to a community where caring hearts and friendly smiles await you;

Welcome home!

Call today to arrange your complimentary meal and tour!

910-692-3367 © 2017 HSL

205 SE Service Road, Southern Pines, NC

• Sandhills Community College. Two-year degrees, transfer programs and continuing education programs. Cool program: Massage therapy diploma or associate’s degree. Visit sandhills.edu to learn more.

• University of North Carolina Pembroke.

Undergraduate, graduate and enrichment programs. Cool program: American Indian Studies.

Visit uncp.edu to learn more.

APRIL 2018 |

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CarolinwiathConversations BLACKSMITH

Jerry Darnell

By Corbie Hill Photography by Diana Matthews

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It’s 40-something degrees on a February morning.

Inside Jerry Darnell’s blacksmith shop in Seagrove, it’s just a little warmer – especially if you stand by the woodstove. In the forge itself, though, the heat rises to infernal levels. When Darnell plunges iron into its glowing heart, the metal is superheated to 3000 degrees. When he pulls it out again, sweat dripping from his brow, the iron is molten and white-hot.

It cools rapidly, its color shifting through yellows and oranges as it does, so Darnell knows he has to work fast. He hammers it against his anvil precisely and quickly, shaping the iron in 15 or 20 second increments before heating it again. In just a few heats, he’s made a rat tail hook. Then he shapes a dogwood leaf, which he gilts with a brass brush (the brass adheres to the iron at about 830 degrees, he notes absently as he works).

Around him and taking up almost every surface of his dirt-floor blacksmith shop are pieces in various stages of completion: hinges, fence posts, ladles, garden gates.

Yet Darnell’s work extends well beyond the walls of Mill Creek Forge and Blacksmith, his name for this anachronistic workshop. Indeed, he made dozens of props, including cast-iron chandeliers and sconces, for the award-winning 2015 film The Revenant. His celebrated work has also been featured on the pilot of TV show Sleepy Hollow and on a 2012 version of Treasure Island, to name a few.

Believe it or not, this physically demanding pursuit is Darnell’s version of retirement. For 38 years, he taught calculus, physics and computer science at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines. For him, retirement has nothing to do with slowing down, which he claims to be incapable of doing. So we approached him to find out how he arrived at this place – and what drives him to continue.

Enjoy.

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ONC: I want to talk about how you started with blacksmithing. I read that you learned from your dad in Southern Pines.

JD: That’s where I started out. My dad was a welder at Fort Bragg for 31 years, and we had a little shop at the house. I would help him in his shop from the time I was little. I was around ironwork all my life. I would see him come home dirty and nasty and, man, I didn’t want to do that.

Fortunately, I was gifted enough to have brains to go to school, so I went off to college to be a chemical engineer.

The war came along, and I changed my major to math education. I got out right in the middle of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam.

I was working in the shop in the afternoons when I came home. My dad died early, and I inherited the shop. I didn’t want to do it, but I started tinkering in it.

About that era, in the early 70s, the craft era started.

Everybody started doing craft shows and back to nature and the hippie movement, and everybody living off the land. I was up in the mountains one summer and I saw a craft demonstration in a parking lot, and I said, “Gee, boy, that’s neat.”

It was really difficult to get information, and there was no books, there was no video, there was no YouTube, there was no nothing. You just had to get it the best way you could. I was at a craft demonstration at Malcolm Blue Farm in Aberdeen and this lady said that she was a spinner, and she said, “You need to go to John C. Campbell Folk School.

They started a blacksmithing program up there, and they’re gonna teach classes up there.” Sure enough, I enrolled in the school and I was in one of the first classes they had at Campbell Folk School. I took classes there on and off during the ‘70s. In 1989 they approached me and wanted me to teach classes up there, so I started in 1990 teaching classes up there.

ONC: Currently, there’s the artisanal movement.

Has that brought more people to blacksmithing?

Yes. You’ve had this big rift or big divide. When you first started out, you had the artist people – they called it “metals.” It’s more of a fine art thing. The art is more art nouveau, wavy, swirly – very artistic type stuff, one-of-akind type stuff, whereas the craftsmen replicate stuff, piece after piece after piece. If you’re doing a big garden gate, you gotta do this scroll, this scroll, this scroll, and they all gotta be exactly the same.

The national organization started in ’73 down in Georgia, and it was basically craft guys making strap hinges and door latches and stuff like that – the old-time stuff. It didn’t take long before the artist people started moving in and they started doing artistic stuff. For a long time, they had this group that was artists and this group that was craftsmen, and they just didn’t get along.

Now you can’t really tell much difference. Almost everyone does some artistic and some craft-type stuff.

ONC: I read that you think of yourself as a craftsman.

Yeah. I’m a craftsman. I can replicate anything. You can bring anything in here and say “I want some andirons like this.” I can make you andirons like that. Once I make that one set, I’ve got it in my mind.

I don’t consider myself an artist. I can draw. When I was very young, always through school, I could draw anything.

I never had any training whatsoever. Fortunately, that was something I can do. Just like playing a musical instrument.

It’s really difficult if you can’t play. It’s frustrating if you can’t play.

I opened this shop in 1979. I moved up here and built this shop. I had the shop down in Southern Pines and the shop up here, and I was working back and forth. [I was] still teaching school, but then I retired in 2007 and people would say, “What are you going to do when you retire?” I said, “Look. All I’ve gotta do is change my clothes and walk to the shop. This is what I do. I’ve been doing this since I was 19.”

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via 1973 PHS Yearbook

“

“

I’m a craftsman.

I can replicate anything.

APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 37

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ONC: So how long have you been blacksmithing?

Since I was 19.

ONC: And how old are you now?

I’m 70.

ONC: So to you it looks natural because you have five decades’ experience.

named Tim Moon. And Tim teaches all five [bluegrass] instruments. I’ve been taking lessons now for six and a half years.

I like the fiddle. I like the mandolin. I got a guitar and he gave me five or six lessons on the guitar. I got a banjo, and he gave me a couple of lessons on the banjo. All of these take practice. Like blacksmithing. They all take practice.

Well, I got a head start on that, I got 50 years of practice.

That’s the way it is with a new instrument. It’d be like handing an awkward instrument to Eric Clapton and saying, “Here, play something.”

ONC: You work a full schedule here; you take music lessons. You’re not kicking back in a recliner with a book. What drives you to keep this busy?

ONC: Precisely. “Play this oboe.”

I’m sort of a workaholic. In school, I taught real demanding courses, and I had to study all the time to stay ahead of the kids. Then I would work in the shop.

Yeah! (Laughs) If you don’t have it in your head to do this, it’s a struggle. My sister took piano lessons for 12 years, and she still can’t play the piano.

It has to be in there. The same way with crafts, it has to be in there. A lot of these people around here are fifth and sixth generation potters. Whether they inherited it or not, they were around it. It infused into their bodies somehow.

You have to have a knack for most anything. I have a knack for science and math. It just came easy. Some of the children that I teach, they were bright kids, and a lot of them became doctors and lawyers, but they were not mathematicians. Other things came easy.

ONC: You take fiddle and mandolin lessons.

Does that come naturally to you?

No, it’s hard. It’s like climbing up a rock face.

All the people up at John C. Campbell Folk School, folk music is really big up there. Mountain music is really big.

They teach every one of the musical instruments that you can think of. You can make banjos and you can make dulcimers. Everybody up there plays something, and here I am, I couldn’t play nothing. I couldn’t even play a radio.

When I finished school, I said “Look. I’m going to take time off, and I’m going to try to learn this.” I went up to Asheboro. At Evans Music Center up there, there’s a guy

If I’m not working, if the TV is on, I’m sitting there either drawing sketches out for something I’m going to make in the shop or working math problems. I kid you not. Still to this day, I like math that well.

It keeps me sharp. I don’t want to sit there and watch TV and become a couch potato. If I’m not going to do anything, I might as well not do anything here at the shop. If I sit beside the stove all day long and a few people come in and talk to me, that’s fine. If I get something done, that’s fine.

I’m trying to back off on the big orders. I used to do gates and railings for houses, but that’s really hard on my body.

I don’t like the pressure. I’m doing orders right now. I try to keep stock in the shop, and then I’ve got a whole stack of orders there. I’ve got plenty to do. I just don’t want to (laughs).

Learn about Jerry Darnell’s Mill Creek Forge at millcreekforge.com, or stop by at 4512 Busbee Road, Seagrove.

Mill Creek Forge is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Tuesdays, when it is open from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 39

LE A

S VE

R

G CU N I R N

No two retirements are the same.

Here’s how several Sandhills locals responded to this phase of life’s dilemmas.

By Nan Leaptrott Photography by Mollie Tobias

M

any dream of the day when they don’t have to live by the clock, attend boring staff meetings or fight traffic. Rather, they dream of the day when they can retire and relax in calming, beautiful surroundings. Thus the retirement dilemma begins: At what age should I retire?

Where will I retire? Will I have enough to do? Am I prepared financially? Will I know how to have fun?

AGE DILEMMA There are two aspects to the question of when to retire. People who work in a governmental retirement system usually are in a years of service system. Some examples are federal employees who usually have to work 20 years to be eligible to draw full retirement benefits while state and local municipality employees usually need to work 30 years to draw full benefits. In the private sector, the system is designed for age requirements. The employer contributes to an IRA, 401K or some type of annuity. When the employee reaches Social Security age (usually between 62 and 65) they can

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retire and draw Social Security and begin drawing money from the employer’s retirement plan.

While most of our grandparents grew up in an era where they expected to retire at 65 and receive Social Security, that’s not what many expect today. Some choose to retire at 50 while others work into their 80s. Nancy and Ed Brooks began to plan for their retirement when they were in their 30s. They were able to quit their traditional jobs in their 40s. Their love of golf lured them to move from California to the Sandhills, where they lived until early 2018.

“Ed and I embraced many hobbies and enjoyed 15 years of our retirement until Ed was diagnosed with a significant medical issue,” Nancy says. “We recently decided to move to Florida to a smaller house in hope the sunshine will help Ed in his struggle to live.”

HEALTH CARE DILEMMA Jeffry David, a North Carolina firefighter, moved quickly up the ranks to become a battalion chief in Statesville. “I discovered I did not like all the paperwork, so at age 50 I looked into retirement,” David says. “When I reviewed health care costs I knew I couldn’t retire. I had the good fortune of having a job opportunity present itself just as I reached retirement eligibility. This new position was with a smaller fire department [in Troutman], and the job duties were more of the hands-on duties, which I missed. This made my decision much easier to make.”

Dave and Barbara Summers

Karol Horn, a North Carolina teacher, wanted to retire early. “The stress of the job, time demands and less financial support for school supplies made my decision easier because I was covered for health care,” Horn says.

“I enjoy my retirement, yet continued to miss teaching, so I’ve decided to work part-time as a substitute teacher.”

TIME DILEMMA Dave Summers approached retirement with the belief that retirement needed purpose, activity and a healthy mindset. Dave, a former college swim coach, decided to take a job at Sandhills Office Supply. “I sell furniture to regional hospitals and also help install the furniture,” says Summers. “This job gives me purpose. When I am not working I read, golf, keep up with current affairs and [visit] friends.”

Dave’s wife Barb, a former banker, opened a gift shop called Tweet Things. Later, she left this venture to volunteer in service organizations like Women of the Pines and Loblolly Garden Club, serving in different

positions on the boards, and moving on to the president position in both organizations. Her latest volunteer endeavor is with the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange, the historic log cabin where she currently serves as chair of the salesroom volunteers.

“I work with women who are steeped in volunteer work. I see their smiles and I know the cabin gives them an outlet in retirement, a need to be involved,” Barb says. “I’ll admit, when I look in the mirror, I wonder if ‘no’ is in my vocabulary.

Whenever I learn that word, I will settle into my recliner and take long naps.”

FINANCIAL & BOREDOM DILEMMA Col. Timothy Sims retired from the USAF after serving 26 years, then took a second job working for a major defense company as a consultant.

“The decision to finally retire was a difficult one, but after all my travelling over the last decade I decided it was time,” he says. His main concern was a financial one: would he outlive his savings?

He retired at 59 – a young retirement age – and the younger you retire, Sims knows, the longer your retirement accounts will have to support you.

Fortunately for him, the military pension takes care of daily living expenses, leaving his savings to cover major repairs, remodels, travel, weddings – the list goes on.

“I also considered the dilemma of boredom. My work life was always challenging and required significant mental and physical energy to succeed and thrive. I enjoyed flying combat, solving problems, leading, mentoring and the overall fastpaced nature of a demanding job,” Sims says.

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“The clock slows down considerably in retirement.

It’s only been about six weeks since I retired, and I’m realizing I’m easily bored with all this free time. I have hobbies and do volunteer work, but there’s still a good bit of time that needs filling. Chances are I’ll find a part-time job.”

COMMITMENT DILEMMA After retiring from FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Kate Lin allowed herself two years to adjust to no longer setting the alarm.

She had to learn how to relax and accept that she would no longer be required to be at work five days in a row.

“After working for 51 years, I found the change to be most welcomed but also a bit challenging,” Lin says. “Never once did I think that I would miss being involved, and I was right – I quickly found things to do.” Lin is an avid reader, and she joined a service organization where she met new people and learned new things. She and her husband Ed traveled, catching up with family and old friends. Still, something was missing – a commitment.

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“When a friend mentioned to me that an ideal job re-opened at FirstHealth, which required only two days a week, I found the solution to what I missed – socialization and exercise! I get to connect with people, talk to people I’ve met in the past and make new friends. I sort mail, so I get to move around to various hospital locations rather than sit glued to a desk. I am in this work for pure enjoyment and I have no plans to retire a second time!”

FUN DILEMMA Judie Wiggins retired from Habitat for Humanity after 11 years as volunteer coordinator for the nonprofit.

She found the challenge of working with volunteers very rewarding. “Once a person is interested in your organization’s purpose, the reward is finding just the right spot for their skills,” she says of her career there.

“In retirement I wanted to make sure I had fun,” Wiggins says. “My organizational skills made it easy for me to create just-for-fun happenings, like Junk Food Bridge, where friends gather, eat junk food and play a few non-competitive hands of bridge, and The Fabulous Birthday Lunch Bunch is a hoot. I like to plan trips to the North Carolina Museum of Art and other fun excursions. I play competitive tennis, do yoga, gardening and so much more.

“Life is serious enough so I make sure each day I weave in fun.”

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APRIL 2018 |

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44 OutreachNC.com Pileated Woodpecker | APRIL 2018

Birding in N.C.

Cape Fear Botanical Garden Fayetteville

by Ray Linville | Bird Photography by Brady Beck

Owls and Songbirds: Come to Cape Fear Botanical Garden APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 45

Q. What kind of math does an owl like?

A. Owlgebra.

Welcome to Cape Fear Botanical Garden, home of a very witty staff that is proud of its owl residents. Located just two miles from downtown Fayetteville, the garden encompasses 80 scenic acres between Cross Creek and the Cape Fear River.

With its river, creek, ponds and small wetlands, it’s the perfect location to see birds that flock to aquascapes.

In addition, an oak forest with mixed hardwood and pine as well as a floodplain forest offer other tempting habitats to attract a variety of birds and earn the garden a prominent place on the N.C. Birding Trail, which links educational and historical attractions with communities and businesses across the state.

Owls are popular with families that visit with youngsters.

Serious birders, on the other hand, are interested in seeing and hearing species such as Swainson’s warbler, great crested flycatcher, wood thrush and pileated woodpecker.

Swainson’s warbler, a small songbird with dull gray coloring, is one of the most secretive and least observed of all North American birds. If not for its ringing song, it would likely go undetected. Its song is a series of loud, ringing, descending slurred whistles that end in four to five jumbled notes.

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Barred Owl

More easily observed is the great crested flycatcher with a lemon-yellow belly and reddish-brown accents that frequently visits Cypress Pond, the large pond at the garden. A common bird of eastern woodlands, the flycatcher has a powerful build, broad shoulders and a large head like other flycatchers. The male’s singing can become intense just before sunrise when it sings every two seconds in sessions of 15 to 30 minutes. Its distinctive call is an emphatic rising whistle.

In contrast to the flycatcher that sits on high perches and swoops low after flying insects is the wood thrush, which hops through leaves on the ground as it searches for insects. Its cinnamon brown upper parts give it good camouflage on the forest floor until the bird pops upright and exposes its spotted white breast.

The wood thrush’s songs are easily recognized as they echo through the garden’s forest areas this month, and include several variants with two to ten loud, clear tones. Both sexes make machine-gun-like notes, and a male can sing more than 50 songs.

A companion in the woodland is the pileated woodpecker, one of the largest, most striking forest birds on the continent (featured on page 42). A very large woodpecker, it is mostly black with white stripes on the face and neck and a flaming-red triangular crest that sweeps off the back of the head, although in flight its underwings are white.

Great Crested Flycatcher APRIL 2018 |

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This woodpecker, which resides year-round in the garden, is a forest bird that needs large, standing dead trees. You can hear it pecking at dead trees and fallen logs in a deep, slow, rolling pattern as it searches for its main prey, carpenter ants. Nearly the size of a crow, it is very vocal and makes a series of high piping calls that last several seconds.

Other birds such as hawks and cardinals can be seen year round. When it’s warm, ruby-throated hummingbirds return to the garden’s upper area that is landscaped with ornamental plants as a heritage area. The garden is also visited by a kingfisher when it rains, and recently a pair of Canada geese have taken residence in Cypress Pond.

Songbirds are clearly the species that serious birders are interested in observing. However, more than serious birders are among the garden’s guests. Don’t discount the popularity of owls by families with young children.

Because an owl’s feathers make it silent in flight, it isn’t easily observed. It can be hard to see because it generally hunts at night, roosts high in trees and blends in very well, but occasionally you can hear one, specifically a barred owl that hoots in the late winter to spring.

The garden offers a child-friendly program known as “Preschool Birders.” It’s enough to make me wish that I was in preschool. The wee folks, who need to be accompanied by an adult, learn what makes birds different from animals, how to speak like birds (are you ready to say “Hoo-o-o-o?”) and how to identify common birds. Then they make their own “binoculars” and go looking for birds in the garden.

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A painting class that focuses on another of the garden’s birds — the bluebird — will be held in the evening of Wednesday, April 25. All the necessities – canvas, brushes, paint, pallet and easel as well as instruction – will be provided for “Wine & Whimsy: Bluebirds.” Wine, beer and snacks will be available for purchase while the bluebird masterpieces are being painted. Because the class is limited to 16 attendees (ages 16 and older), register soon if you’re interested.

In addition to providing excellent birding opportunities, the garden conserves and exhibits plant communities of the Cape Fear River basin. Established in 1989, it has about three miles of wide, well-connected walking paths with several viewing platforms overlooking the river and its bluffs.

The garden actively seeks volunteers who receive special training to participate in horticulture, education and administration areas. Volunteer opportunities are available year-round, indoors or outdoors.

Open daily except for holidays, the garden is a delightful community treasure, although it does charge an entrance fee ($10 with several discounts) for all except kids under 5. Because it closes daily at 5 p.m. from now until early November, plan to arrive early. When you’re there, listen for small children imitating the best owl “hoo” sounds as you also keep an ear alert for a songbird.

OutreachNC has embarked on a yearlong series that highlights regional sites of the N.C. Birding Trail. Enjoy the series as contributor Ray Linville explores beautiful landscapes and birds of our home state.

He can be reached at linville910@gmail.com.

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APRIL 2018 | OutreachNC.com 49 www.pestmgt.com

life

REINVENTING FREE TIME

Preparing Tax Returns for Others

by Ray Linville

M

eet Gary Andrews. As some of us are struggling to complete our tax returns this month before the deadline, he’s helping others by preparing and filing them electronically – all free of charge.

Andrews has been a participant for four years in a program known as Tax-Aide. He is one of many volunteers now active at almost 5,000 locations nationwide who are helping low- to moderate-income taxpayers, especially those 50 and older, with free and individualized tax preparation.

What got him involved? “After moving from New Jersey, I was looking for activities to keep me busy and saw a notice in a newspaper about the Tax-Aide program,” Andrews says. “I’m not the type of person who is happy sitting in an armchair.”

In his first year, Andrews worked one shift a week as a tax preparer during “tax season.” A volunteer’s schedule can be very flexible. “Someone can work as much as they want or only once a week,” he says.

Having been only a tax preparer initially, he is now a district coordinator (responsible for six area counties) as well as an assistant state coordinator with oversight for an area from Sanford to the South Carolina border and over to the coast. About 1,100 adults volunteer at Tax-Aide sites in North Carolina.

The typical volunteer works with taxpayers directly, fills out returns and helps them in claiming refunds. Because volunteers receive training and continued support, they are well prepared to help individuals who cannot afford to pay for professional tax preparation. As a result, Tax-Aide volunteers help them in claiming credits and deductions that might otherwise be missed.

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“I enjoy working with people – both the taxpayers as well as the other volunteers,” Andrews says. “Plus I like knowing that I am being trusted by a person with tax information as well as being able to help someone with a problem.”

For example, a very elderly man came in with a stack of papers but didn’t know what they were or if they were useful for his tax return. His wife had passed away in the previous month. “Maybe his wife had handled their tax return, but he definitely needed our help,” Andrews says.

In another situation, a working adult came in to complete a tax return but didn’t have his W-2, the IRS form that reports wages and the amount of taxes withheld from a paycheck. “This person had given his W-2 to someone who said that he’d do the return and then became concerned when nothing happened. He was afraid that he could be a victim of identity theft,” Andrews explains.

Andrews got a replacement W-2 from the IRS and quickly filed the return so that the refund couldn’t be stolen. “In only a few hours, I could happily tell him that the IRS had accepted his return, he would be receiving his refund and no one could file a return with his identity and claim his refund,” Andrews said.

Such situations are very rewarding for the volunteers.

One tax preparer spent his first day helping a widow whose husband had recently died and who was living on a limited income; a very elderly man who had difficulty walking and standing, but who was still taking care of his nonagenarian mother in the family home; and a woman who had to forfeit her refund to the IRS because past taxes were still owed.

Although Andrews likes working with numbers – his background is in industrial engineering – he says that volunteers come from all careers, not specifically those related to accounting or tax preparation. On a recent shift, one volunteer had been an airline flight attendant, another had supervised an Army hospital, while another had been a purchasing manager. His colleagues also include a retired lawyer who “definitely doesn’t fit the mold that you’d expect for someone who prepares returns,” he adds.

It helps for volunteers to have done their own returns in the past as well as to be able to use computers. However, some volunteers, the facilitators who check in taxpayers as they arrive and help them get started by completing a form, don’t even use a computer.

“We also need volunteers who are ‘tech savvy,’” Andrews says. “They troubleshoot problems with computers and internet connections. This year we still need more tech volunteers, even if they don’t want to prepare returns.”

All volunteers are certified by the IRS and have to pass at least two tests. One covers standards of conduct about working with the public. Another covers basic procedures at a Tax-Aide site.

Volunteers who prepare returns also need to complete a third test, which verifies that they can use the software and prepare a return by completing several work examples. In addition, a few volunteers have special certifications, such as for preparing a return that includes a health savings account.

Within 50 miles of the traffic circle in Pinehurst are more than a dozen locations where volunteers are ready to help.

Some are libraries; for example, Scotland County, Hoke

County and Southern Pines. Others are senior centers in Fayetteville, Troy, Asheboro, Moore County and Lee County. A few are community service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity in Aberdeen and recreational facilities such as the Lumberton Sapp Center. Hours vary by location, and many sites allow the taxpayer to make an appointment in advance.

Usually a return can be completed in an hour or less. Most Tax-Aide sites open on the first day of February and continue to serve until just before the filing deadline (April 17 this year). However, preparatory actions start even earlier.

Training classes are held and certifications are completed before Tax-Aide sites open. Because the IRS tests are online, returning volunteers can complete them in the convenience of their own homes.

Tax-Aide is sponsored and financed by the AARP Foundation, the charity to help low-income adults created by the American Association of Retired Persons, now known by its initials. Taxpayers who need help simply walk in with their tax information and walk out with their returns – federal and state – filed. There is no fee or sales pitch for other services, and AARP membership is not required. Tax-Aide is also supported by the IRS and even a few private and corporate donors.

Need help with your taxes? Visit a Tax-Aide location near your home. Want to help others with their taxes? Consider being a volunteer next year as a tax preparer, facilitator or tech helper. Before January, send an email to Andrews at gea@georgetown.edu and get involved.

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Pinelawn Memorial Park W. Morganton Rd. • Southern Pines

910.692.6801

Family owned & operated since 1984 APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 51

Did you know?

5 Things to Know About Green Burials

By Rachel Stewart

M

aking final arrangements can be complex, both from emotional and financial perspectives. For others, it can be important to be remembered in a unique way that matches their distinct personality – consider Carrie Fisher’s ceramic Prozac-pill shaped urn – or matches their ideals towards the environment. According to a survey by the Green Burial Council, 64 percent of people over the age of 40 were interested in learning more about green burials, while loved ones who participated in a green burial were more emotionally involved in the process.

1

Going green allows people to be one with nature. Green burial sites vary from cemetery to cemetery, letting people rest among lush woods, plants and wildlife. So if nature has been a place of peace and inspiration for you, a green burial would allow your legacy to continue in the place you’ve loved the most.

2

Urns aren’t for shelves anymore, but for growing trees. Bios Urn offers a biodegradable urn made from coconut shell, cellulose and compacted peat.

Once a person’s ashes are added, they can be buried and a tree will grow, bud and bloom for years to come. People can even pick their tree, with current choices including ginkgo, pine or maple trees. Echoing the natural cycle of the seasons and life itself, this would be a thoughtful option for those who take solace in the rebirth of nature.

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3

Green burials are typically less expensive than traditional burials. Green burials often utilize coffins made from materials that break down organically, such as bamboo or wicker instead of heavy woods or metals. These types of services do not allow for embalming, so the overall costs could be as little as $2,000. Compared to the traditional funeral cost of $10,000 or more, planning for an earth-friendly funeral could put another kind of green back in your family’s pocket.

4

You can sleep with the fishes. Scattering ashes at sea is a popular option for some, but Eternal Reefs is taking the process one step further, letting loved ones inter their ashes in a reef ball that is then lowered to the ocean floor. There, it creates a habitat for underwater vegetation, fish and other creatures. Family members are given a global information system so they can track the location of their loved one.

5

Consider boldly going. James Doohan, the actor best known for playing Scotty on the original Star Trek series, had his ashes launched into space.

This option isn’t out of reach for those who wish for an afterlife among the stars.

Elysium Space is offering spots on their memorial spacecraft, which is launched by a SpaceX rocket, for $2,500. When the rocket launches, the micro-urns on the memorial spacecraft will orbit the Earth for a two-year period. Upon its return, the memorial spacecraft will burn into a shooting star. Family can keep track of the craft’s whereabouts via smartphone app.

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15 SALE th ANNIVERSARY

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Mozart & Mendelssohn THUR, MAY 10 | 8PM

SNYDER MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH, FAYETTEVILLE Grant Llewellyn, conductor

Samuel Almaguer, clarinet

Hear Mozart’s delightful Figaro overture and his last orchestral work, the serene Clarinet Concerto. Mendelssohn’s romantic “Scottish” symphony is inspired by the drama of Scottish history, remembered among the ruins of ancient castles.

Concert is free, but tickets are required.

Tickets may be reserved by calling NCS Box Office at 877.627.6724, or in person at:

Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County | 301 Hay St., Fayetteville The Pilgrim Gifts | 160 Westwood Shopping Center, Fayetteville

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OutreachNC.com 910.692.0683 | AOSNC.com APRIL 2018 |

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A&E:

From Dynasty to The Miracle Worker, a conversation with actor John James

by Eddie Carmichael

G

olden Globe-nominated Dynasty heartthrob John James visits the Sandhills this month to play Captain Arthur Keller in Judson Theatre Company’s production of The Miracle Worker, the Tony and Oscar-winning dramatization of the Helen Keller story.

James spent nearly a decade playing Jeff Colby on the international television megahit Dynasty (1981-89), its spinoff The Colbys (1985-87) and 1991’s Dynasty: The Reunion. Also a veteran of daytime soaps Search for Tomorrow, As The World Turns (as psychotic doctor Rick Decker) and All My Children (as Erika Kane’s husband Jeff Martin), James talks below about those Dynasty days, his life and family and his appearances in live theater.

When did you know you were going to be an actor? How did you get your start in the theater?

I love the theater, I just love it. I was very bitten by the acting bug when I played Jud in my high school’s production of Oklahoma!

Being an actor is a trade, much like an electrician or a plumber. You need to know your craft. So I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York for two years, but didn’t graduate because I broke the school rules and auditioned — and ended up getting — a job on Search for Tomorrow.

After that, I got my Equity card in 1977 when my agent got me a role in Butterflies Are Free at Tiffany’s Attic in Kansas City. At Cherry County Playhouse, I did Social Security and The Dynasty cast at the South Pacific. At the People’s Choice Awards time Dynasty was a

top-10 show, I did Promises, Promises on the Kenley circuit [in Ohio]. I did a tour of Dial ‘M’ for Murder with Roddy McDowall. Being onstage is so exciting. I love the contact with the audience.

The Miracle Worker is a classic; I remember it from when I was in high school. I’ve seen the movie, but I’ve never actually seen a live production of the play.

I’m excited to be back in North Carolina, working on the show.

What was it like to be part of producer Aaron Spelling’s television empire at its peak?

I called Aaron the Cecil B. DeMille of television.

He was a tough negotiator, but he had a finger on the pulse of what America wanted to watch. The joke at that time was that ABC stood for “Aaron’s Broadcasting Company” because he had seven or eight shows [on ABC].

On Dynasty, during the short daylight days in the winter, the women had to be there at 5 a.m., the guys at 5:45. First shot, camera rolling, was 7:00 am on set. We had a 12-hour contract, and on Fridays we could go longer than 12 hours because there was no turnaround. Aaron wanted a very specific look to the show: there are deep colors, it’s well lit; all that music is scored, it’s not canned. I liken it to a classic 1950s Joan Collins, John James, movie feel — that really and Linda Evans of Dynasty rich look. That’s what they were going for, and that’s what people loved.

What a wonderful run we had! For a number of years we were a number one show with 50-70 million people watching, including Europe. And they’re rerunning the entire series now in the UK. APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 57

Of the legendary cast members and guest stars on Dynasty and The Colbys, who were your favorites?

What is your secret to aging well? What are you looking forward to in the next decade of your life?

In no particular order: John Forsythe, Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck – look at Joan Collins.

Here’s a survivor, a woman who latched on to something and created this “Alexis” character. Even today, she’s world renowned as being Alexis. I loved to listen to Ricardo Montalban’s Hollywood stories.

I’m looking forward to health. Health, success and happiness for my children, that they would be able to have what I’ve had, which is a good life, a successful happy life, a loving marriage. Knowing as I go forward in life that even though I’m older, I’m still relevant. I don’t think age limits you anymore.

Your daughter Laura won America’s Next Top Model and co-stars with you in the upcoming film Axcellerator. Tell us more about your family.

I’ve been married [to Denise Coward] almost 30 years, which is pretty good in Hollywood! My son Phillip is part of Air Force Special Operations Command. He was stationed at Bagram in Afghanistan [and] now he’s based at Fort Walton.

Eight months out of high school, he said, “Dad, I’d like to go into the Air Force.” I’m very proud of him.

(L-R) John James, Emma Samms, Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck & Stephanie Beacham on The Colbys

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See John James live onstage in Judson Theatre Company’s The Miracle Worker April 12-15 at Owens Auditorium (3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst).

Tickets and more info at JudsonTheatre.com.

Patty Duke, who won an Oscar playing young Helen in The Miracle Worker meets the real-life Helen Keller.

Owens Auditorium Tix & Info: JudsonTheatre.com Tony-winning story of Helen Keller & Annie Sullivan

by William Gibson Golden Globe nominated Dynasty and The Colbys star

John James

as Captain Arthur Keller Sunday Matinee benefits

Season Seven Sponsors

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APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 59

GREY MATTER See Grey Matter Puzzle Answers on Page 63

Puzzle 4 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.54)

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Buzz Camped Case Cash Chart Chord

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Dies Dirt Doll Dressed Early Elves

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16. Blotto 17. Potherb leaves 18. Stifled, with “down” 19. Deuce topper 20. Cleared as profit

OutreachNC.com | APRIL 2018

22. “___ Maria” 23. Afflict 24. Appearance 25. Beam 26. Bottom of the barrel

1. Bad way to go?

2. Egg-producing organs 3. Noisy partier 4. “Iliad” city 5. “To ___ is human ...”

6. Archaeological site 7. Charity dependent 8. Preordain 9. Ancient

Exit Feel Fist Friday Heavily Height Honored Idle Knee Lava Lawn Leap Mails Meat Mild Moose Near Neck Noun Open Ovens Past Pear Range Rapids Rely

Rise Sandy Seal Seed Shift Sign Sits Slow Sneeze Spot Step Tail Taps Test Trip Tying Walk Wire

10. Contemptible one 11. Actor Arnold 12. Dress 13. Having snout beetles 14. Number next to a plus sign 21. Male hormone 25. Having natural talent 27. Female sibling 28. Antares, for one 29. “Absolutely!”

32. Fill 34. ___ Zeppelin 36. ___ Jones, of film fame 37. Coming close 38. To such an extent 40. Precambrian time 41. Comeback 42. Baked buckwheat dishes 45. Hit golf ball lightly toward hole on green 47. Before the due date 50. Breakfast, lunch or dinner 51. Beach, basically 52. Locale 54. “Malcolm X” director 56. ___ Squad, 1960s TV show

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advice

Image Courtesy of Brenda Vienrich

Driving Safely with Mobile Devices

by GCFLearnFree.org

The best way to stay safe on the road is to avoid using a mobile device entirely.

However, if you must use a mobile device while driving, follow these safety tips.

• Don’t dial while driving. Do it before you pull out into traffic or while you are stopped at a light or stop sign.

Also, don’t try to take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.

• If you must answer a call while driving, make sure your phone is within arm’s reach. Otherwise, safely pull over or let the call go to voicemail. Or, if your vehicle is new enough, see if you can connect it to your phone so you can make or answer calls and texts using just your voice.

• Use a hands-free device that will allow you to keep both hands on the wheel. Be sure to set up the device before your trip or when you’re stopped and not while driving.

(Note: Some studies show that using hands-free devices does not improve safety while driving.)

• Get off the phone when driving in hazardous conditions.

Heavy traffic, bad weather, difficult merges and even unfamiliar routes can be especially dangerous while using a mobile device. Hang up and focus on your driving in these conditions.

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• Emotional or stressful conversations can be distracting while driving. If you start to get upset, pull over or suspend the conversation.

• Never text, browse online or watch videos while driving.

It’s too dangerous. If you use GPS navigation, program your trip before pulling into traffic, and pull over if you need to reprogram your route. While driving, keep your eyes on the road and rely on the GPS voice for directions.

• No matter how scenic or fascinating a view is, never attempt to take a photo or video with your mobile device while driving. It’s too disorienting. If it’s safe, pull over. If it’s not, let it go.

GCFLearnFree.org is an online provider of free self-paced tutorials in a range of subject areas, from technology and computers to Microsoft Office, reading, math, and careers. To learn more, visit www.gcflearnfree.org.

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OVER MY SHOULDER

Aging Parts, Not Aging Person

W

by Ann Robson

hen a doctor or other medical professional starts to say “Welllll, you know as you get...” I usually interrupt before he/she gets to the “older” part of the comment. I cut them off with, “My parts may be getting older, but I’m not.”

It’s a fact that our parts do get older. Car parts also get older.

In both cases we try to keep them in good condition and occasionally have to swap them out for newer, shinier parts like knees and hips and maybe shoulders. Our ears may have to get used to enhancement devices that improve our hearing. Our eyes may need some assistance with glasses or contact lenses. Our mouths may need to have some replacement of teeth. This is all quite normal.

Our minds may succumb to aging through diseases over which we have little control, but absent-mindedly letting our mind and inner spirit go fallow is not normal. It may be easier to accept a little memory slippage now and then or loss of interest in what makes for a joyful life, but surely that’s not normal.

Society has taken the concept of aging and tucked it away in a little box, and those of us who are aging are expected to accept that notion.

Bah, humbug!

From the moment we are born, we begin to age. There are tons of books telling parents what to expect before a child is born, after the adorable bundle arrives and what’s coming in the teen years. Not much is written about the 20s, 30s or 40s.

But once you hit 50, there’s lots of not-so-funny books about being “over the hill” or “on the back nine.”

life

So far I haven’t found a comforting book that warns me about an aching back after a day of housework, or shopping or whatever. No one warns us ahead of time about multiple medical appointments for a variety of needs. If there can be warnings about the “terrible twos” then why not about the “sensational seventies?” Most of us have watched family members age – some gracefully, some not so much. But we never thought to ask nor did they think to tell us what it feels like to become mature adults.

There are any number of ways to enjoy the aging-parts stage of life. We can still do many of the things we loved doing, perhaps with some adaptions. It is the doing of something that matters. How often do we hear “I wish I had…?” Well now we have time and the means to do whatever it is that’s always hung there in the back of our minds as a “someday” sort of thing.

Several years ago, I attended a conference on aging at UNCWilmington. The one speaker whose thoughts have stayed with me was the head of the curriculum there. He told us he wanted every student graduating to have at least one course in gerontology. He meant this for engineers, computer technicians, liberal arts, medical para-professionals — everyone. His reasoning was that if each graduate had some insight into the field of aging, we would have a much more age-friendly world. Now, that’s thinking out of the box!

Ann Robson is the author of “Over My Shoulder: Tales of Life and Death and Everything In Between.” She may be reached at overmyshoulder@charter.net .

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APRIL 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 65

Generations

by Ray Linville & Michelle Goetzl

OutreachNC asked adults and children our April question.

Share your answer on our Facebook page Facebook.com/OutreachNC.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be Iron Man. – Brian, 4

Christian standup comedian. - Deanna, 54

A professional hockey player. – Michael, 11

Writer-in-Residence at Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities. - Louise, 68

An engineer in the Army. – Jacob, 7 A neurosurgeon. – Dhruv, 10

Computer hacker. - Ben, 64

I don’t know. I’m 6. Why do I have to know already? - Trevor, 6

Worker at Burney Hardware Store in Aberdeen.

- Mary Ann, 74

I’m not sure. Maybe a veterinarian, doctor or children’s librarian. - Isla, 8 A scientist to make people live longer. - Kai, 8 Open my own bakery and live with Mom. – Lilah, 9 The CEO of my own company. - Dixon, 10

I haven’t decided yet. I’m waiting to see if I get my letter (from Hogwarts) when I turn 11. - Layla, 7 An audiologist, because my sister has a hearing problem. - Issac, 11 A writer of Broadway shows. – Natalie, 11 An artist or graphic designer. – Ellie, 11 A kindergarten teacher. – Charlotte, 10 A children’s book illustrator and author. - Abigail, 11 An actor, farmer or soccer player. - Jacob, 10 Still a kid. - Garrett, 69 A better pickleball player. - Yoshiko, 79 Competent chess player. - Mike, 72 Policeman. - Jerry, 74 Professional musician. - Barbara, 67 Ballerina. - Julie, 73

Why grow up? - Joe, 72 66

OutreachNC.com | APRIL 2018

Retired. - Terry, 66 Helper to end genocide of Rohingya people in Myanmar. - Ardith, 62 Chess master. - Cornelis, 66

Join Us!

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A welcoming place for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, brain disorders and mild cognitive impairment and their family member or friend.

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In addition to the Memory Cafe, AOS & Friends Care offers Direct Care grants APRIL 2018 | OutreachNC.com 67 and programs, featuring Personalized Music Players and Robo Companion Pets.

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