Whistlestop AUGUST 2011
E PRESS
Whistlestop.org
The Leading Information Resource for Marin's Active Aging Movement
Hingson Book Recalls 9-11 Rescue Experience by MICHAEL HINGSON
A
lmost 10 years ago I worked in the World Trade Center. I was there and escaped as the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11. Soon after that day, the media heard about me and my now famous guide dog Roselle’s escape. As a result of all the press attention I began traveling the world speaking about that day as well as the lessons we should learn from the World Trade Center tragedy. I now own my own company which provides me a platform to speak about change, trust and teamwork, blindness, 9-11 and the lessons still to be learned, and, of course, Roselle. The latest chapter in my endeavors is that a book about Roselle’s and my experience escaping from the towers, as well as my life’s lessons, is about to be released. Thunder Dog soon will be available in many bookstores and from my website, www.michaelhingson.com. Speaking of Roselle, I am sad to say that she died about
Rocky Packard page 4
a month ago. She will be sorely missed, but moving forward with Thunder Dog is a significant way I can honor her memory. Editor’s note: Michael Hingson of Novato is Secretary of Whistlestop’s Board. He and Roselle led a group of people down from the 78th floor of Tower One to safety on 9-11 moments before the building collapsed. Michael has spoken about the experience to many audiences. He notes that on that fateful day, what the world considers a “disability” gave him and Roselle the
ability to respond to the disaster in a way that ensured their survival and that of others. ✦
National Day for Older Adults National Senior Citizens Day is August 21 and it’s a good day to show appreciation for the older adults in our lives. In 1981, President Reagan proclaimed this special day. It is an opportunity for us to show our gratitude The Bird's Side of Marin page 11
for what older adults have achieved in their lives and their contributions to our communities. It is a day to spend time with an older adult. Whistlestop needs you; call 415-456-9062 to learn about volunteer opportunities. Disabled Sailor Helps Others page 15
Whistlestop
Table of
CONTENTS 3 4 5 6 8/9 10 11 13 14 15 15
Readers Write In From Rocky's Pantry Rocky Packard Virginia Dziomba's Story New Board Members At Whistlestop Whistlestop Activities Calendar The Bird's Side of Marin Richard Pavek We Need You! Yvonne Roberts Up/Down Tennis Inspiring Sailor WordSearch LIKE US on Facebook
Marin Senior Coordinating Council, Inc. 930 Tamalpais Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Chief Executive Officer, Joe O’Hehir Board of Directors President, Dennis Thompson Vice President, Terry Scussel Chief Financial Officer, Michael Rice Secretary, Michael Hingson Karen Arnold • Eleanor Delaney • Claudia Fromm Jane Lott • Debbie Mills • Bill Saul Bob Sonnenberg • Jeff Stoffer Whistlestop Express is a publication of the Marin Senior Coordinating Council, Inc. A 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization The Mission of Whistlestop: To promote the independence and well-being of Marin County’s older adults and individuals with disabilities to enhance their quality of life. Whistlestop Contact Information Main Number 415-456-9062 Whistlestop Fax 415-456-2858 www.whistlestop.org Information & Referral Office 415-459-6700 • resource@whistlestop.org Whistlestop Express Editorial, Art Direction & Sales John & Val Bowman Editors 916-751-9189 • john.bowman58@gmail.com Missy Reynolds Art Director mreynolds@pacificsun.com Advertising Linda Black • 415-485-6700, Ext. 306 Whistlestop Express is printed on recycled paper To be added to, or taken off, the email list for Whistlestop Express, please call 415-456-9062, ext. 141. Or send an email, with your request, your name and address to INFO@whistlestop.org. Subscriptions mailed to your home are $10/year.
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Whistlestop Express AUGUST 2011
PERSPECTIVE by JOHN BOWMAN Dr. Charles Lithgow Encourages Everyone to Support Whistlestop
W
histlestop is an esnursing home.” Beverly is an sential part of life for active supporter of the Lightolder adults in Marin House for the Blind, which has County, says Dr. Charles Lith- an office in the Whistlestop gow, a longtime prominent building. neurosurgeon, now retired in Dr. Lithgow reads WhisNovato. He is a tlestop Express former member regularly. “It is of the Whisvery good and tlestop Board. keeps getting Dr. Lithgow, better,” he says. 87, was a pracAnother ticing surgeon passion of his for 50 years. His is music; he patients includwas a member ed Dwight D. of the Sewer Eisenhower and Band, playing a former goverthe clarinet, nor of Maryland at Whistlestop and his fam- Dr. Charles Lithgow and his wife, Beverly Christmas ily. He was for parties for a time an officer in the U.S. many years. The Las Gallinas Public Health Service and for Valley Sanitary District Non22 years was Chief of Medical Marching Band was formed Education at St. Mary’s Hospi- 52 years ago. One member tal in San Francisco. “I think was disabled and unable to half the doctors in Marin are march so the band used a former students of mine,” he flatbed truck for parades and said, laughing. still does. He retired from Dr. Lithgow conthe Whistlestop ‘Whistlestop tinues to support Board in 2005 and is essential Whistlestop. “I used Whistlestop’s have contributed to services for a while to this them for some time after his first wife community and will continue passed away. “A to do so. I encourand they very nice man used age other people to to deliver meals to need and contribute because me. It was a dif- deserve our I think Whistlestop ficult time for me.” is doing a wonderful He married his sec- support.' job. It is essential ond wife, Beverly, to this community six years ago and says, “She and they need and deserve has made life easier for me; our support.” He said that Joe keeps me going. If it weren’t O’Hehir, CEO, is “an excellent for her, I’d probably be in a leader.” ✦
Readers
WRITE IN Likes Online Whistlestop Express
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I
really like the virtual version of Whistlestop Express. So easy to scroll — backwards and forwards — through the newsletter, literally the same feeling as having the actual paper in front of me. In the July issue, I enjoyed the story about that poor, unfulfilled bird ... preening and puffing his horny heart out but, alas and alack, a day late and a dollar short. Overall, I get the feeling that the newsletter delivers a consistent message of a helpful commitment for older adults from the editorial and articles to the calendar pages of upcoming classes and dates and the weekly schedule. —Orville Teising, Mill Valley Editor’s Note: We are delighted that this reader enjoys the virtual Express and we invite others to view it at www.whistlestop.org, and then click on Events and News photo of Whistlestop Express (lower left side of home page). The fastest way to view it is by clicking on “Flippy.”
Photo Deadline is August 10
T
he deadline for entries in the Whistlestop Photo Contest is August 10. Only digital entries, hi-resolution at least 300dpi, will be accepted. Email entries to john.bowman58@gmail.com with name, phone number, email address and mailing address and the category you are entering. Categories: Nature, Pictorial, Travel, Marin County Only. Limit: two entries per photographer, one in each category. Must be at least 60 years old and live in Marin County. A $5 suggested entry fee would be appreciated. ✦
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Visiting AngelsÂŽ Can Help Share the Care
From Rocky's PANTRY B Y R O C K Y PA C K A R D
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Experience Corps Tutor Wins Special Award
L
ast spring, Experience Corps tutor Rosmarie Ellingson, 80, was one of three winners of the “Heroes for Children� award from the Marin Advocates for Children (MAC) program. Recently nominated by the Marin Community Foundation for the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence, Experience Corps Marin deploys its team of more than 60 volunteers to work on five campuses. Tutors assist in the classroom as one-on-one mentors and in after-school programs. Ellingson was recognized for her outstanding work as an Experience Corps volunteer working with English Language Learners at San Rafael’s Venetia Valley School. “The honor is wonderful, but my reward comes from the satisfaction I receive from interacting with these young children each day,� says Ellingson. � I receive as much from this relationship as they do. �
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Whistlestop Express AUGUST 2011
Larry Wolff, a semi-retired engineer and nominee for last year’s Heart of Marin award, heard about Experience Corps on the radio. “I wanted something that was meaningful to me and had something to do with kids,â€? he says, “and it worked out beautifully. First I started with two kids and then it was four and sometimes I talked to the whole class. Once you gain a kid’s trust there’s no limit to what you can accomplish as a positive influence in their lives.â€? It’s back to school time and Experience Corps Marin is looking for adults 55+ to volunteer as early literacy tutors in San Rafael elementary schools. Free orientations are held each month, followed by training in the skill sets required to work with English Language Learners. Stipends are available for volunteers who work more than 10 hours a week. To find out about this school year’s first free orientation, on Tuesday, August 23, 10am to 1pm, call Susan Kraemer at 415-464-1767. âœŚ
Virginia Dziomba is Dedicated to the Blind and Vision Impaired of Marin
V
irg in ia Dziomba of Sa n A nselmo is a n inspiration to anyone who is dealing with a disability. She is 91 years old and blind. She also is an important fixture at Blind and Vision Impaired of Marin (BVIM), where she serves on the board and leads a support group every fourth Friday at Whistlestop. “I have two percent sight,â€? she says. “I have macular degeneration, same as 90 percent of the people who come here.â€? To talk with Virginia is to brighten one’s day. She is upbeat and has an infectious sense of humor — two qualities that surely serve her well in the work she does at BVIM. She speaks enthusiastically about the support groups. “There’s another one in San Rafael and one each in Novato, Marin City and at The Redwoods of Mill Valley. It is a very welcoming environment where people come together and share their issues.â€? There are other activities, too. “We also go on field trips and have a monthly luncheon with speakers,â€? she says, then laughs. “You don’t have to get dressed up. Even if you spill something on your outfit, no one can see it.â€? Virginia said that one of the most interesting and entertaining speakers they’ve had is Michael Hingson, Whistlestop Board member who also is blind and very active as a consultant, speaker and author. Virginia said that she is presently trying to find a new location for the monthly luncheons because of budget constraints. “We’d love to find a church or other organization that might charge us low rent. So, if you hear of anything ‌â€? The luncheons are held on the second Saturday of every month. BVIM, which shares space with LightHouse for the Blind at Whistlestop, was founded in 1974. “I’m older than dirt,â€? says Virginia. “So I’ve been here since the start.â€? âœŚ
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YOGa TO YOu seeks to share the ancient wisdom found in yoga, now widely embraced by integrated medicine that underscore the health benefits of yoga. We take Yoga to individuals and groups in their private homes, or in assisted living centers, nursing homes, independent living sites, and other residential care facilities for older adults. Call for a Free demonstration today!
Dr. Melanie Hahn )NFO YOGA TO YOU COM s HTTP YOGA TO YOU COM
s whistlestop.org 5
New Whistlestop
BOARD MEMBERS Sonnenberg, Delaney Newest Whistlestop Board Members
B
y the end of this month Bob Sonnenberg, of San Rafael, will have thrown out the first pitch of games at both American and National league baseball parks. Sonnenberg and Eleanor Delaney are the newest members of Whistlestop’s Board of Directors. Bob is scheduled to toss out the fi rst pitch August 28 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, as the Giants host the Houston Astros. At his side will be Niño, his guide dog. “I can see,” said Bob, “But not sharply. I’ve had Niño since March 2006.” He said that it was in January 2004 as he was driving that his vision went away. “My
HEALTH CARE CONNECTION
retina kind of shut down.” He has been working as Associate Director of Planned Giving for Guide Dogs for the Blind for five years. There are many Guide Dog supporters in the Seattle, WA area and that led to Bob’s throwing out the first ball at a Mariners’ game. Did the ball get to the plate? “It was a strike,” said Bob, “I had witnesses.” Bob, who lives with his wife, Cindy, and sons Rob and Tim in San Rafael, is a native of Marin and a fifth generation Californian. He was drawn to serve on the Board because, “Whistlestop is so important to the community and I wanted to contribute in this way. There are great things on the horizon.” Eleanor Delaney has more than 20 years experience in financial management, corporate efficiency, strategic planning and providing coaching and supervision to team members. Currently she is the CEO of OWL LLC, a company that specializes in developing financial awareness and financial management skills in the workforce. Outside of work, she enjoys sailing, hiking, food and wine and African drumming. She said, “I was motivated to serve on the Whistlestop Board because I value the work of the organization, enhancing independence, reducing isolation and building community in the older adult population.” ✦
Easy Ways to Give to
WHISTLESTOP
415 4572256 www.HealthCareConnectionLLC.com 6
Whistlestop Express AUGUST 2011
Good Search — simply go to GoodSearch.com and when you search the internet using their search engine, Whistlestop gets a donation! GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. It’s a simple and compelling concept. You use GoodSearch exactly as you would any other search engine. Because it’s powered by Yahoo!, you get proven search results. The money GoodSearch donates to your cause comes from its advertisers — the users and the organizations do not spend a dime! ✦
Marin Humane Society’s SHARE Helps Older Adults
F
or more than 20 years, The Marin Humane Society has been visiting convalescent centers to provide animal-assisted therapy. In 1987, the award-winning SHARE Program expanded its animal-assisted therapy to help seniors and people with AIDS who still live at home with their animal companions. SHARE volunteers walk dogs, groom cats, transport pets to the veterinarian or the groomer, and deliver free pet food and pet supplies to SHARE clients. The Side-by-Side program is the largest part of SHARE and is currently assisting 220 clients with 150 dogs, 196 cats and 38 birds. Side-bySide matches support, volunteer efforts and donated services with qualified pet guardians in need. Assistance is offered in the form of pet food, veterinary care, grooming, regular visits to clients by volunteers, transportation to the veterinarian or groomer, dog walking, litterbox cleaning, and emergency boarding of pets in the event of the hospitalization of clients. Networking with other service organizations in the county is vital to coordinating assistance to the growing number of older adults in Marin. There are 20 volunteers working in the Side-by-Side program. âœŚ
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You’re Never Alone with Lifeline
Whistlestop Wheels Lifeline
ÂŽ
P
ARATRANSIT: transportation service that supplements larger public transit systems by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. Whistlestop Wheels is not just for older adults. To be eligible, you only need to show that you are unable to use fixed route transportation, some of the time or all of the time, due to a disability or impairment. The only age requirement that Whistlestop has is the client must be over the age of 5. Clients fill out an application form, which usually takes about 15 minutes. If someone wants to go out to dinner or grocery shopping, they can just call at least 1 to 7 days in advance to book rides, which can be one way or multiple rides to different destinations. To register or for information, call 415-456-9062, ext. 160, or visit eligibility@whistlestop.org. âœŚ
Lifeline with AutoAlert allows you to live independently. ÂŽ
On average, one of every three adults over the age of 65 falls each year, making falls the most common cause of death or injury in the home. Lifeline with AutoAlert is the ONLY pendant-style Help Button that automatically places a call for help if a fall is detected. The Lifeline Service is remarkably affordable with no long term commitment. Lifeline also offers the Philips Medication Dispensing Service. Call for details.
Call for more info:
visit us on the web:
www.lifelinenorthbay.com
1-800-949-2434 (707) 778-7883 whistlestop.org 7
Keep Learning at
WHISTLESTOP
every week in the Computer Room. One-on-one instruction provided.
BEGINNING COMPUTERS FOR ADULTS LEVEL II Thursdays, September 15-October 20 • 10 to Noon Computer Room | Fee: $60 for 6 classes Instructor: Ed Essick Registration required: call 459-6700 Build on the skills learned in Beginning Computers for Adults Level I. You will learn how to: work with the programs and features of Windows, create and save documents using a word processing program, search the Internet using search engines, save and organize information, such as pictures and documents, work with email and attachments, secure your computer from intrusion, and download information and programs from the Internet.
LAUGHTER CLUB Call for Dates and Times Instructor: Susan Wilkins, certified Laughter Club Leader Free | 456-9062 Exercise your funny bone! Express your emotions! Reawaken your inner child! Some benefits of Laughter Club are: Safe cardiac workout, detoxify the lungs with deep breathing, lower blood pressure with laughter and stimulate the brain and release endorphins. All fitness levels welcome. Dress comfy and wear socks.
BEGINNING COMPUTER/PICTURE CLASS 2nd Friday • 2 to 4pm Computer Room | Instructor: Gene Dyer Fee: $15 | Prerequisite: Basic Computer Skills Registration required: call 459-6700 Here’s your opportunity to learn how to share your digital photos with friends and family. Learn how to set up your computer to receive photos and how to transfer them from your camera, CD or flash drive onto your computer’s hard drive. Once on the computer, learn how to send and receive them with your friends by attaching them to your e-mail program. Bring Camera & Cable.
MAH JONGG Wednesdays • 10:30 to Noon Facilitator: Shirley Etemadfar | Free Registration required: 456-9062 American Mah Jongg is a game that originally came from China. If you’ve played gin rummy, you have a head start in learning how to play this game. However, instead of cards, you play with tiles that are stamped with symbols and characters. You mix up the tiles, stack them into “walls” and get 13 to start a hand. After much passing, picking and discarding, the first person to assemble combinations of these tiles into specific patterns wins the game. We play with a card that shows all the possible hands you can make. We’ We’ll have cards and Mah Jongg sets aavailable for you to use as you learn. It’s a sociable, competitive, exciting and addictive game that’s truly lots of fun! Beginners aand experienced players are w welcome.
ADVANCED COMPUTER/PICTURE CLASS 3rd Friday • 2 to 4pm Computer Room | Instructor: Gene Dyer Fee: $15 | Registration required: 459-6700 Prerequisite: Beginners Class or experience sing transferring pictures from camera to computer & using as attachments to e-mails View various ways to display your pictures, on your computer, on your TV, and on other people’s computers using slide shows, Word or PDF documents, Power Point Presentation with text and sound and Movie format including text, fades and sound. COMPUTER LAB DROP-IN CLASS Wednesdays, • 10 to 2pm & Mondays • 10 to Noon (starting Aug 15) Computer Room | Free Would you like some extra help practicing your computer skills? Whistlestop offers free drop-in computer instruction 8
Whistlestop Express AUGUST 2011
REMEMBRANCE WRITING 101 Thursdays •2 to 4pm Board Room | Fee: $5 Facilitator: Claudia Carroll | 456-9062 YOU have a story to tell because you have LIVED LIFE! Share your remembrance stories with others in the workshop, then with friends and family. Write about your grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters, your school chums and even your pets! Write about your hopes and dreams that came true, and the ones you are still dreaming up! All you need is a notebook with lined paper (a 3 hole notebook with lined paper and divider inserts is best) and pens
or pencils. The sessions will be on-going, so come every week, or drop in whenever you can. YOGA WITH KELLY Fridays • 3 to 4pm Instructor: Kelly Lynch, yoga instructor since 1999 Fee: $3 per class | 456-9062 Come enjoy a wonderful hour of yoga. Yoga enables you to gain and maintain balance, strength and flexibility of both body and mind. Previous yoga experience is not necessary. Modifications of the postures will be taught so that all levels can be accommodated. Wear comfortable, loose clothing that you can move in. Bring a yoga mat if you have one and a small bottle of water if you would like.
Elder Wisdom Life Teachings Workshop Series Fridays, August 19-September 16 • 10 to 11:30am Caboose | Suggested donation: $5/class Facilitator: Pamela Anandi Nelson, life coach 456-9062 Explore who you are, reclaim your power and vitality, and contribute to your world. Using a curriculum developed through courses in Japanese Psychology and Integral Leadership, Anandi will lead a group through: • Embracing the power of attention • Taking action • Using self-reflection and gratitude • Finding and renewing purpose COMING SOON IN SEPTEMBER! Flu Vaccination Clinic at Whistlestop
ART PROJECT CLASS 1st Friday • 11 to 12:30pm Instructor: Celeste Parcell Free | 456-9062 Learn how to create different types of art projects. September 2: Fan Earrings AARP DRIVER SAFETY RENEWAL COURSE Saturday, August 13 • 9 to 1:30pm Jackson Café em Fee: $12/AARP Members, $14/Non-Members 0 Pre-Registration Required: 459-6700 ve This course is for drivers who have taken the 8-hour driver safety course within the last 4 years or who have taken a renewal class within the last 4 years to maintain your insurance discount. At the end of this course a certificate of completion will be given. STEPPING STRONG PROGRAM M Starting August Fee: $25 for 10 week program Facilitator: Susie Van Buskirk Interested: 456-9062 or programs@whistlestop.org Sponsor: Lifelong Fitness Alliance and AARP Extending vitality…one step at a time! Join your peers for weekly walks and health and wellness lessons. When you join you get a pedometer to measure your daily steps, scheduled weekly group walks, a support system to help you succeed, nutrition and wellness information and tips, this fun program will give you fitness, camaraderie, and sense of achievement.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Contact: Debbie at 456-9062 or programs@whistlestop.org • Information and Referral Office – Computer exp. Required • Jackson Café volunteers needed • Front Desk/ Host(ess)
Commission on Aging Meeting When:
Thursday, September 8 10 am to 12:30pm Where: Margeret Todd Senior Center 1560 Hill Rd., Novato, CA Presenter: Stu Maddux, Filmmaker Director & Producer: Special Guest Topic: GenSilent, Film Viewing and Panel Discussion
Transportation Numbers Scheduling Rides: 454-0964 Cancelling Rides: 457-4630 eligibility@whistlestop.org Volunteer Driver Program: 454-0969 whistlestop.org 9
Whistlestop LOCATION
MISC.
COST
Box Car
454-0998 for info
Free
10:00–11:00 AM 11:00–12:30 PM 4:00–5:30 PM
Reading Club for Spanish Speakers AM Monday (Discussion) German Social Group Citizenship Class
Caboose 2 Box Car Caboose
457-0586 for info Open 454-0998 for info
Free Free Free
TUESDAYS
9:15–10:15 AM 10:00–2:00 PM 10:45–11:45 AM 11:00–12:30 PM 1:00–3:00 PM 2:00–3:00 PM 2:00–3:30 PM
Whistlesizers (Exercise) Asian Social Group Cardio Exercise German Group Learn Spanish ESL Vietnamese English Conversation
Caboose Caboose Caboose Box Car Caboose Caboose Board Room
Open 454-1552 for info Open Open Open 454-1552 for info 454-0998 for info
$2 Free Free Free Free Free Free
WEDNESDAYS
9:00–10:15 AM 10:00–11:30 AM 10:00–2:00 PM 10:45–11:45 AM 3:00–4:00 PM
Tai Chi Qigong Seniors' Circle (Support) Computer Lab Corazón Latino Basic English for Spanish Speakers
Caboose Board Room Computer Lab Caboose Caboose
Suggested Donation Open Open Open 457-0586 for info
$10 Free Free Free Free
9:15–10:15 AM 10:00–2:00 PM 10:30–NOON 2:00-3:30 PM 2:00–4:00 PM 3:00–4:00 PM
Whistlesizers (Exercise) Asian Social Group Watercolors with Hilda English Conversation Remembrance Writing Basic English for Spanish Speakers
Caboose Caboose Lounge Caboose Board Room Caboose
Open 454-1552 for info Open 454-0998 for info Open 457-0586 for info
$2 Free Free Free $5 Free
11:00–1:00 PM 1:30–3:30 PM 1:30–3:30 PM 2:00–4:00 PM 2:00–4:00 PM 3:00–4:00 PM
WS Knitters ACASA (Support/Training) Practice Spanish (Club) Friday Movie Arts & Crafts w/Vicky Yoga with Kelly
Caboose Board Room Staff Lounge Caboose Caboose Jackson Café
1st Fri. Arts & Crafts Peer Counseling Open 1st, 3rd & 5th Fridays 457-0586 for info 456-9062 for info
Free Free Free $2 $2-$3 $3
MONDAYS
CLASS
THURSDAYS
TIME
This Month at Whistlestop
FRIDAYS
ACTIVITIES 9:30–10:30 AM
The Caboose, Computer Lab, Board Room and Jackson Café are all located at Whistlestop’s Active Aging Center – 930 Tamalpais Ave., San Rafael.
LUNCH MENU
Jackson Café
10
Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:00pm Located in Whistlestop Active Aging Center
60+ PRICES/ UNDER 60 PRICES Main Entrée $4.00/$6.75 $3.75/$5.00 Sandwiches Soup du Jour $1.75/$2.25 Hamburger w/Fries $4.25/$5.25 Salads $2.50/$4.00
Whistlestop Express AUGUST 2011
OTHER ITEMS Tuna Salad Side Fresh Fruit Beverages Desserts
$1.25 $1.50 $1.00 $1.50
The Bird's Side b y R I C H A R D PAV E K PHOTOS © RICHARD PAVEK
OF MARIN
When I was a boy
I
remember two things about the lawns back in Hopkins, Minnesota, when I was a boy. I remember being paid 50¢ to mow small lawns with a pushand-sweat mower; I was paid $1 if it was large, or overgrown and wet. The other thing I remember about lawns is the Robins. Robins pulling worms from the lawn, Robins eating insects on the lawn, and Robins singing cheer-up, cheer-up, cheer-re in the branches of the trees over the lawns. Well the days of pushing a lawnmower for 50¢ a lawn are long gone and, I am sorry to say, most of the Robins as well. My last trip to Minnesota to visit friends at a high school class reunion was a mix, part joy and part sorrow. My small hometown, once surrounded by small farms and smaller woods, has been swallowed up in a suburban sprawl, miles and miles of fast
highways speeding through trimmed, sanitized open spaces, patches of tidy trees with little undergrowth, and power machine manicured lawns with nary a Robin about. I presume the Robins have all gone because there are no worms. The Robin is also known as the Harbinger of spring so I was more than delighted to find this American Robin hopping about and catching insects on the lawn outside the Red Barn, near Point Reyes Station in early May. Then I knew, for sure, that summer was coming. I had had my doubts. I email an interesting bird photo to Express readers every weekend. If you’d like something nice to look at in your In-box, email me at SHENmaker@MSN.com – it’s free. ✦ ‘Till next time, Richard whistlestop.org 11
Downsizing Your House (Empty Nesters) By JACK MCLAUGHLIN
re you rattling around in a big house you cian and wanted the house and all the equipdon’t really need anymore? Is mainte- ment. Ray moved to the Redwoods, a senior nance more trouble than it’s worth? Want community in Mill Valley, with some trepito lock up and take off whenever you’d like? If you dation. But when I stopped by a few months after he moved in, Ray was energized, answered “Yes” to any of these questions, transformed. Sorry, but he couldn’t think about the following: chat for long as his group was off to Considering a move can be daunting, but Take it the City for a theatre matinee. if we go step-by-step, we can get a great one step A few tips: result. Would you like to join friends in at a time • Get rid of all that stuff. Be rigorous. sunnier climes? Perhaps live closer (but • Check with your financial and not too close) to the grandkids? Free up legal advisors. Find the best way to dispose the equity in your home to travel and enjoy? of your home, provide for your heirs, and Let me tell you about a client and friend, Ray. donate to your favorite causes, like WhisRay was a retired electrician whose wife had tlestop. Now’s the time. died five years earlier. He had been living alone • If you will be buying a condo, scrutinize the in the house they had built in downtown Mill documents and financials very carefully. Valley, and Ray was kind of lonely. His garage • Prepare your home for market. This means had been his work storage, filled with electrical removing clutter, painting and re-carsupplies. Unfortunately, that was a barrier to peting. Your agent can recommend costselling. effective helpers. Don’t start big remodel Luckily, we found a buyer who was an electriprojects. • Price your home correctly. People who price too high often put up with the annoyance of showing their home for months, only to sell Helping You Maintain for less than if they had priced it right from the start. Your Independence Take it one step at a time. Be like Ray: get good help and emerge with new friends and interests. ✦ Jack McLaughlin is the founder of My Broker Donates (www.mybrokerdonates.com), which connects buyers and sellers with brokers who agree to donate 15% of their fee to non-profits like Whistlestop.
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OUTREACH Whistlestop Needs You B y Y V O N N E D U J AT R O B E R T S Development and Marketing Director
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ou may have heard about our recent grant from the Marin Community Foundation. We are grateful for this ongoing support and appreciate being recognized as an organization that is doing the important work to end loneliness every day for Marin’s older adults. I have been asking community members about Whistlestop’s reputation and am learning that most people think highly of the work we do. However, there is a general misconception that Whistlestop is a “well funded” nonprofit organization. Truth is, we cannot meet the growing demand for our services without the community support of thousands of people like you. The good news is that we have added over 600 new, first-time Whistlestop donors in the past 18 months. However, the average donation amount per gift has decreased during that same time. We are trying to get the word out that we need community support. So what do we do with your financial gifts? Whistlestop: • Provides transportation to those living with disabilities. Did you know that we operate 365 days a year? • Provides specialized transportation services for programs like Novato Dial-a-Ride and Health Express. • Operates the Jackson Café that provides subsidized low cost meals for people over 60 and affordable lunches for anyone under 60. • Provides a volunteer-staffed HelpDesk to take calls from people who need assistance in any kind of issue that may arise for an older adult and his or her family. • Publishes a monthly FREE Whistlestop Express newsletter, a resource for the Active Aging Movement in Marin and distributes 25,000 copies a month via a partnership with the Pacific Sun. • Publishes a FREE Directory of Older Adult Services for Marin County. • Collaborates with other nonprofits to suc-
cessfully serve each other’s clients. • Provides classes for immigrants to successfully and legally integrate into the community. • Provides social groups for older adults who speak English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi, and German. • Teaches educational, spiritual, and physically supportive classes to keep the mind, body, and spirit energized. That’s a lot for one organization and yet, we want to do more, reach more of you, and be here when you need us. Please consider how you can help by making a financial contribution, telling your friends and family about the important community work that we do, volunteering your time, or committing to leaving a legacy to Whistlestop in your will so that these vital services can continue well into the future. Thank you for your continued generosity and support. ✦
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Up/Down Tennis Brings Able-Bodied, Wheelchair Users Together
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ince its inception in the late 70s, wheelchair tennis has become one of the popular wheelchair sports in the U.S. And now comes a new twist: Up/Down Doubles tennis. The idea: the Up player (able-bodied) teams up with the Down (disabled) player who plays in a specially built, $4,000 wheelchair with cambered wheels for increased stability, mobility and quick turns. The game uses the same court and the same rules as regular tennis, except that wheelchair players are allowed two bounces. Tracey Milne of Larkspur is Director of Join the weekly !MPAKT Wheelchair Up/Down Tennis Tennis. She was born Social Thursdays and reared in South Africa and came to the U.S. from 6 to 7:30pm as an exchange student at Corte Madera in 1981. She later came Town Park back to go to school at tennis courts. San Francisco State UniTwo tennis/ versity and never left. sports Until now, people in wheelchairs will Marin who wanted to be available play Up/Down tennis for use, spare had to travel to Sacracquets and ramento or San Jose plenty of for games. “I love it,” tennis balls. said Tracey. “It fits my 415-971-4841 philosophy, which is to integrate able-bodied people into activities with disabled people.” She said it is a tricky game at times. “Especially when the ball comes in the middle of the court. It requires lots of good communications.”
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Whistlestop Express AUGUST 2011
Henrik Hartz (left) of Fairfax is very active, he is a paraplegic, who sails, plays tennis, hand cycles, water skis, snow skis, and rides a motorcycle with a sidecar. Michelle Skipwith (center), of San Rafael, is the Tennis Service Rep for USTA NorCal, Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties. On right is Tracey Milne of Larkspur, who plays both “Up” and “Down” tennis to better understand the experience of a wheelchair player. Photo was taken at !MPAKT’s first tennis clinic earlier this year. Who are the players in chairs? “Paraplegic, quadriplegic. Some used to play tennis before they were injured, others never have tried it. It’s open to anyone who is capable to move around in a sports chair and can hold a racquet. Some people duct-tape the racquet to their hands because their grip isn’t quite strong enough otherwise.” Current players who come to her range in age from 12 to their mid-50s. “But, this is open to all ages – I would love to see more older adults try it, both able-bodied and those in chairs.” Tracey is an able-bodied athlete, who has competed in all kinds of activities, including the swim from Alcatraz and tennis tournaments. She says, “When I first went to play an Up/Down game, I thought to myself that I was going to kick some butt. I was surprised to find that it was much tougher for me than I expected. The players in chairs are so low, they are down there and when they hit a shot, you sometimes don’t see it coming until way late. Everyone should try this.” ✦
Paralyzed in Accident, He Now Helps Disabled Sailors
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erb Meyer turned He began racing a traumatic sailagain, including in ing accident that the 1999 Canadian injured his spinal cord National Chamand left him a quadriplepionships. He’s gic in 1993 into a passion now planning for for making sailing possia world championble for people with disabilship race next year ities. Meyer, a Larkspur in Sydney Harbor. resident who recently Closer to home, turned 80, is currently he offers sailing chair of the U.S. Saillessons every Sating Association’s Special urday morning at Needs Committee. Herb sails across bay in his 13-footer. Southeast Harbor. He also teaches sailing, Herb’s advice to something he did before anyone who has been disabled in an accithe accident, but now he does it from a wheel- dent? “Get up, get out and get going.” ✦ chair. He also sails a 13-foot boat by himself, with the help of a joystick. In fact, Herb has competed in many races since that fateful day Word 18 years ago. SEARCH Answers on page 13 The accident occurred while he was crewing for a skipper on a 50-foot sailboat with a brilliant red hull, the Xanadu, out of Pier 39. They were returning and it was going beautifully when the skipper directed Herb to ease the big Genoa sail (forward sail). He uncleated the sheet (released the line) when a strong gust of wind hit and Herb was hurled into the air. His body crashed into the bulkhead and the main cabin and he wound up on the deck, injured for life. Herb, who had been racing sailboats since he was 12 years old in New Jersey, seemed destined to never sail again. But within a year of his accident, he was back aboard a sailboat, thanks to a bumper sticker on his wheelchair. He was shopping for groceries when a stranger came up to him and said he had noticed the “Sailors Have More Fun” sticker and asked, “Do you sail?” Herb replied that he used to be a sailor. The stranger asked, “Want to go sailing?” Herb couldn’t refuse the invitation. He went down to the docks, was hoisted in a sling onto a specially fitted boat. Velcro was used to strap his hand to the tiller so he could steer. That was the start of his new life. He joined and became a spokesperson for the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, the organization that got him back onto a sailboat. whistlestop.org 15
Whistlestop E PRESS Marin Senior Coordinating Council 930 Tamalpais Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901-3325 Whistlestop.org To subscribe to Whistlestop Express, please send $10 in the enclosed envelope. Or send an email with your request, your name and address to info@whistlestop.org
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