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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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Senior Services Alabama Department of
Writing Your History, The Story of Your Life
Our vision is to help society and state government prepare for the changing aging demographics through effective leadership, advocacy, and stewardship.
Taking part is your civic duty.
Completing the census is mandatory: it’s a way to participate in our democracy and say
“I COUNT!”
Your privacy is protected.
It's against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, your responses cannot be used against you and can only be used to produce statistics.
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One thing we know way you speak. Forget for sure; things about formality and never stay the same. the rules of grammar. Sometimes they Just do your best to can change over a allow your authentic course of a lifetime voice to shine and sometimes they through. The more change daily or even your written words hourly. One of the reflect the way you things you know stays speak, the better. true is your history, the story of your life. 2. BE SPECIFIC Include You are absolutely as many details as the best person in possible. Colors, the world to write sounds, smells, and Commissioner - Jean W. Brown your story and your feelings are all good family history. You ways to be specific. are the only person ever born to this Consult siblings, cousins’ children, and earth who has your unique perspective other relatives to help round out your and life experiences. You know all the memories. Their perspectives can add details. The younger generation and details to your recollections. generations to come need to know your story – they will benefit from 3. USE YOUR OWN HANDWRITING hearing it. It is through experiences and (Just make sure it is legable!) Your life adventures that traditions begin or handwriting is unique to you. Your are passed down and life lessons are family will want to have some of your remembered. words written in your own hand. They won’t judge you for sloppy or imperfect Here are a few tips and reminders for handwriting. They’ll treasure it as a writing down your story. piece of you. 1. WRITE THEM DOWN Spelling and grammar do not matter; what matters is your authenticity, voice, and perspective. It matters that the stories get told. Start by making a list of stories you want to pass down. Then elaborate on each of them, one by one. Think about the anecdotes you find yourself telling over and over—like that disaster you narrowly avoided, that crazy coincidence when you ran into a famous person. If anyone ever says, “Yeah, you told me that one before,” that’s a clue the story is important to you. Add it to your list. Also write in the
4. FAMILY RECIPES Do you still make that 5 layer chocolate fudge cake for your son for his birthday? Write down the recipe and pass it along. Do you still have the handwritten recipe for your mother’s biscuits? Take a photo of the recipe and pass down the photos. Write down the family recipes and preserve the past. 5. WRITE IN LIST FORM You do not have to put everything into a story. Write down facts and memories as lists. For example: • Cities you have lived in
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
• Schools you attended • Songs that remind you of high school • Favorite Books • Pets your owned • Childhood stories 6. INCLUDE PHOTOS I know someone whose grandmother passed away not too long ago and she inherited a suitcase full of family photos. Only a couple of the photos were labeled and her father does not know who a lot of the people in the photographs are. At the very least make sure all family photos are labeled and dated. Another option is to create a scrapbook, making sure to include photos with details of the people and occasions written down. 7. HISTORICAL EVENTS Was your grandfather part of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965? Do you remember where you were when President John F. Kennedy was shot? What were you doing on September 11, 2001? How did you pass the time during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic? These are all events that have shaped our history and heritage and are important pieces of our legacy. JUST START Make a habit of capturing and collecting current thoughts and memories. Don’t let your self-doubts get in the way of preserving the important stories of your life. Don’t let your insecurities keep you from helping your children—and their children—see your parents and grandparents the way you saw them. There’s no better time to start preserving your most important family stories then now. There’s no better person to do it than you. For more information about the Alabama Department of Senior Services, contact your local AAA and ADRC at 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800243-5463). You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We want to help in any way we can.
Census 101: What You Need to Know
It’s about fair representation. Every 10 years, the results of the census are used to reapportion the US House of Representatives, determining how many seats Alabama gets. We stand to lose one representative or even two without an accurate count. It's in the Constitution. The U.S. Constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. The first census was in 1790. It’s about $13 billion. The distribution of $13 billion in federal funds, grants, and support to our state’s counties and communities is based on the census data. That money is spent on schools, healthcare, hospitals, roads, and other vital programs. Taking part is your civic duty. Completing the census is mandatory: it’s a way to participate in our democracy and say “I COUNT!”
Your privacy is protected. It's against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, your responses cannot be used against you and can only be usedto produce statistics.
www.alabama2020census.com The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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A BOOM! FEATURE
Getting To Know You
EastChase Senior Living Adapts to COVID-19 EastChase Senior Living is adapting to life under the restrictions of COVID-19 by modifying group events to one-on-one and individual activities.
negative effects on the well-being of elders, Fletcher says her staff have gone above and beyond hosting individual activities, facilitating video chats, and providing company to their residents.
The staff at EastChase have set up singular tables around the community with puzzles, cards, and dominos. They’ve even created activity packs for each of the residents including word finds, crossword puzzles, sudoku, and detective kits to keep resident minds stimulated while group activities have been suspended.
“This team has truly created a wonderful world for our residents where normalcy reigns as much as we can allow but we are still keeping them as safe as possible,” she says. EastChase Senior Living, located at 1775 Halcyon Blvd, provides assisted living, memory care, and respite care living options for senior residents. For questions please call 334-396-1111.
Many of the one-on-one activities have consisted of staff members visiting residents in their apartments and keeping them company for a while. “We try to do some of their favorite activities whether it’s crafts and coloring or playing cards,” says Andrea Saunders, Activities Director for EastChase Senior Living. “One of our residents really enjoys our exercise classes so we set up an area where she can exercise while still practicing social distancing.” COVID-19 has brought new technology to the EastChase Senior Living community. They have created a video chat schedule so that families can visit with their loved ones while the community is closed to visitors. “It’s a bit of a learning curve for both families and residents alike when new technology becomes available,” says Ginger Fletcher, Executive Director of EastChase Senior Living. “The beauty of the senior living industry is that we
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employ members of multiple generations. Our Millennial and Gen Z staff members have been instrumental in setting up our video chat program helping families connect while we continue to prohibit visitors inside our community.” Despite social distancing having potential
ABOUT COMMUNITY SENIOR LIFE Community Senior Life (CSL) is located in Orange Beach, AL. CSL is a family of not-for-profit healthcarerelated organizations specializing in independent, assisted, and memory care senior living communities throughout Alabama and Florida. Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for an ever-growing senior population, each organization within the CSL family is committed to meeting the social, spiritual, physical, and financial needs of its residents through innovate services in safe and caring environments. For more information visit: www.CommunitySeniorLife.org The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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BOOM!, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Contents
April 2020 Volume 10 Issue 8
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
Facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom C.S. Lewis
Thought Relationships Taste Inspiration
Humor Advice Health Community
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
Carl Bard
8 Alabama Department of Senior Services-Your History 10 Getting to Know You EastChase Senior Living 14 Publisher's Column 16 What is the SECURE Act? Susan Moore 20 AUM OLLI Stays Engaged while Social Distancing
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Features 18 Your Child’s Failure to Launch
22 How to Keep Aging Loved Ones Safe-COVID 19
Departments 34 This and That Interesting Stuff
52 Greg Budell "ONE FLU INTO A CUCKOO'S NEST"
30 Finding Purpose in the 50 The Shoals: Time of the Coronavirus Music, History, Culture
STAY SAFE We're All In This Together!
24 Loofahs- By Land or by Sea Terry Barber 26 Come On In, The Water's Fine-Pt 2 Peggy Myrick 32 Should You Tell The Kids About Their Inheritance? Ask an Elder Law Attorney 34 Leanne Morgan The Big Panty Tour
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35 Alabama History from the Comfort of Your Couch 36 Virtual Cinema
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page 40
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37 Virtual Naturalist Programs During Social Distancing 39 Christian Grandparents’ Shelter-In-Place Activity List 44 BOOM! Cover Profile
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page 50
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Free Subscriptions @ w w w. r i ve rre gio n b o o m.co m
54 Kombucha Eating Smart with Tracy Bhalla 55 Route 66 & Grand Canyon
BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine is published monthly by River Region Publications, P.O. Box 6203, Montgomery, AL 36106. The phone number is 334.324.3472. Copyright 2020 by River Region Publications. No part of this publication can be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products and services herein.
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Publisher’s Letter
House Arrest or Holiday? How are you? Have you been able to cope with the drastic measures of the Coronavirus Fear? We don’t have much choice in how we live our lives, because they have changed. Our freedom to move about, to do as we please, shop where we want, eat what we want, has been limited. Does it feel like House Arrest or a Holiday?
The mission of BOOM! is to serve the folks of the River Region age 50 plus with information and ideas to inspire new experiences, better quality of life and new beginnings.
Publisher/Editor Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com
Contributing Writers Terry Barber
Jim Watson, Publisher jim@riverregionboom.com
Jeff Barganier Tracy Bhalla
For me, some of both. Like most Americans, I don’t want to be told what to do and how to do it, that’s House Arrest for sure, especially if the problem we’re trying to avoid is difficult to understand. When you take a Holiday, you try to step away from your normal day to day responsibilities to seek a little respite from life’s stress. I get that too.
Either way we think about the Coronavirus Fear, we’ll eventually have to rationalize the actions we’ve taken as a nation. As usual, we will learn much about how to prepare for the predicted dire circumstances of this Pandemic and approach them with more measured responses that don’t cripple our society in quite the way this one has. One size solutions are not always the best choice. As Americans we will learn and become stronger through adversity. We have already developed new ways to treat the virus and to innovate how we live and work together. We have encouraged telehealth, virtual learning, telecommuting and so many other ways to live our lives. Many of them will become part of our new lives, for the better.
Greg Budell
Richard Eisenberg Paul Irving Crystal Jo Susan Moore Peggy Myrick Tonya Terry Raley L. Wiggins
Cover Photography Total Image Portraits www.totalimage.com
Advertising
Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com Please Recycle This Magazine, Share with a Friend!
One thing that cannot be changed and I miss more than anything is worshiping God in my church, with my fellow believers. Easter is in the hearts of all believers and will always be, He Has Risen Indeed. Unfortunately, not being able to attend my Easter Service at Christ Church feels like House Arrest to me. Not being able to attend houses of worship, in America, is far removed from anything I’ve ever experienced. Perhaps in Communist China this is the norm, where people must worship in secret locations if at all, because the government does not allow worshipping God, the Communist Party has replaced God with the State. Something to think about. We have a great cover profile with this month with TV Personality and entrepreneur, Tonya Terry. Many of you know Tonya through her work as an anchor for WSFA’s Today in Alabama. She has a wake-up call every morning at 3:30 so she can prepare to help thousands of viewers wake up and start their days. Described as an effervescent fireball, this Alabama native is a "Southern Socialite" who loves all things family, friends, fashion and TROY University football. We enjoyed getting to know her and hope you will too. Please share her story with friends and family!
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There are plenty more good reads this month and if you haven’t started receiving the digital version this is a great month to begin since many of you are hunkered down temporarily. Please subscribe yourself or others at www.riverregionboom.com , IT’s FREE! We have a new feature starting this month, sponsored by Susan Moore from Moore Wealth Management. Susan will be helping you learn about your money and making it more valuable to you. You’ll get a great return on reading Susan’s column each month. Please consider all of our advertisers when you have needs, they’re all on the right side of positive aging and would love to do business with each of you. Please share your thoughts on this issue or any other ideas regarding BOOM! I love to listen. And remember to stay safe, we’re in this together.
Jim 334.324.3472 cell/text jim@riverregionboom.com
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What is the SECURE Act and How Does It Affect You? President Trump signed into law the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act on December 20, 2019. It contains far-reaching provisions that impact the retirement and estate planning for many Americans. The stated intent of the law is to help Americans have a more financially secure retirement. The legislation has three primary components: it changes the rules for Required Minimum Distributions and inherited IRAs, makes it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans and allows annuities to be added to 401(k) plans to improve retirement income. At the Moore Wealth Management, Inc. office in Montgomery, we are offering a seminar that will explore the provisions of this important new law on April 22, 2020 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The seminar is free and without obligation. If the pandemic prohibits us from offering the seminar at the office, we will be conducting a webinar instead. Please call the Moore Wealth Management office for further information or reservations at 334.270.1672. If you miss the seminar, we also offer complimentary consultations that are without obligation. In a nutshell, individuals who turn 70 after July 1, 2019 have the option to delay taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) until they turn 72. In the past, individuals were required to start taking RMDs at 70 1/2. In addition, if an individual is still working and earning income after the age of 70, they can now make contributions to their IRA. Formerly, once an individual turned 70, they were no longer allowed to make contributions to their IRA. The law did not change the age of 70 ½ for Qualified Charitable Distributions. Individuals who are at least 70 1/2 may give up to $100,000 a year to a qualifying charity from their IRA accounts without tax liability; however, no income deduction is given for the gift. One of the most significant impacts of the new law is on inherited IRAs. In the past, if a child or grandchild inherited an IRA, they were able to stretch out distributions from
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Financial Thoughts with Susan Moore
By Susan Clayton Moore, J.D.
Principal of Moore Wealth Management, Inc.
births or adoptions. The law also allows for tax-free withdrawals from 529 to make payments on student loans up to $10,000. The SECURE Act makes it advisable for many individuals to review and rethink their estate plans and beneficiary designations. This significant legislation may have changed the means with which an individual needs to achieve their estate planning objectives. In February 2020, Susan Moore attended the two-day Ed Slott¹ IRA Workshop that updated participants about the SECURE Act in detail. After attending the workshop, Susan became an “Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor.” ²
that IRA over their lifetime. The new law requires heirs who inherit an IRA to take all the money out within a ten-year period. This applies to both inherited traditional and Roth IRAs. That means that an adult child who inherits an IRA when they are in their fifties and are at their peak earnings level are going to have to pay more taxes on their distributions than they would have before. Trusts that are named as beneficiaries to an IRA need to be reviewed to make sure that the trust complies with the new law. The new law applies to IRAs inherited from anyone who died after December 31, 2019.
¹Ed Slott and Company is the nation's leading source of accurate, timely IRA expertise and analysis to financial advisors, institution, consumers and media across the country. We neither sell nor endorse any financial product.
There are some exceptions to the ten-year rule: spouses, disabled children, minor children, etc. However, the elimination of the ability to stretch out distributions over a lifetime will impact individuals who planned on leaving a large IRA to their children or grandchildren. Planning solutions that will be discussed at the seminar include changes like taking more or larger distributions from an IRA to fund the purchase of a life insurance policy or using the IRA to fund annual charitable giving and leaving other assets to heirs. We will also discuss how the SECURE Act makes Roth IRA conversions more compelling.
Susan Clayton Moore, J.D., is a financial advisor and wealth manager with Moore Wealth Management, Inc., which has offices in Montgomery, Alexander City and Auburn. Susan has over $150 million assets under advisement through Kestra Financial and has been a financial planner for over 37 years. She has been quoted in Kiplinger’s Magazine and Investment News. Susan earned her law degree from Tulane University in 1981. Contact Susan at 334.270.1672 or by email, susan@moorewealthmanagement.com.
In addition, there are other key changes that became effective under the law including the ability to make penalty-free withdrawals from an IRA up to $5,000 for
²Members of Ed Slott's Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM train with Ed Slott and his team of IRA Experts on a continuous basis. These advisors passed a background check, complete requisite training, attend semiannual workshops, webinars, and complete mandatory exams. They are immediately notified of changes to the tax code and updates on retirement planning, so you can be sure your retirement dollars are safe from unnecessary taxes and fees. Additionally, members have access to us, America’s IRA Experts to answer any tough questions or planning needs.
Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Kestra IS or Kestra AS are not affiliated with Moore Wealth Management, Inc.
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If Your Child’s Failure to Launch Becomes a Money Problem for You
A psychologist specializing in emerging adults offers advice for parents By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue
In his new book, Failure To Launch: Why Your Twentysomething Hasn’t Grown Up…and What to Do About It, clinical psychologist Mark McConville writes mostly about problems some young adults have, well, becoming adults. But I was especially interested in his money chapter: “Breaking the Enabling Trap: Supporting (Not Coddling) Your Struggling Transitioner.” After all, as a recent AARP study found, half of midlife adults with children age 25 or older have provided financial support to them in the past year. And 51% of the parents providing the support say it’s a financial strain on them. So I rang up McConville, who is based in Cleveland, to hear his advice for parents with sons and daughters in their 20s dealing with a “failure to launch” — the young adults he calls “transitioners.” Highlights from our conversation: Next Avenue: Why did you decide to write this book about “failure to launch” now? Mark McConville: It wasn’t an issue thirty or forty years ago. It’s an issue that’s accelerating. I’m hearing from people all over the country more and more. Kids are more anxious and not as sure of themselves. On college campuses, mental health services are flooded. When I was in college, nobody knew where the mental health services were. And what about the money side of failure to launch? Kids today necessarily remain dependent on their parents longer. It takes longer to be self-reliant. I think what’s really different from when my kids grew up, and certainly when I did, is that we’re more invested in our
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children than we used to be. The flipside is we also find that kids become overly dependent on adult support. What exactly do you mean by “failure to launch?” Is it just about having trouble finding work? Launching means making the transition out of adult supervision into a world — from high school into college or into the workforce — with no adults nipping at your heels. By twenty-five, you’re expected to be making reasonably adult decisions. The kids I’m talking about, we psychologists joke, are twenty-two going on sixteen. Sometimes, their behavior patterns and thought patterns are more typical of teenagers. And what is the effect on their parents? They feel helpless and frustrated. How do you influence a twenty-two-year-old who is acting like a sixteen-year-old? If he’s sixteen, you can ground him and take the car keys. You have tools in your toolbox. But when your kid is in his twenties, what are you going to do? Throw him out?
That seems extreme. It’s about parents trying to make the relationship more adult and setting up a new set of ground rules: If you treat your child more like an adult, there’s a reasonable likelihood your child will step up to the plate. You write about what you call “the enabling trap.” What’s that? I’ll tell you a story. One time, I saw a woman in my office. Her son was about twenty. I didn’t hear from her for six months or a year until I got a panicky email one Saturday morning. She told me her son had a terrible driving record and had gotten three speeding tickets which he completely ignored. He got a summons to appear in court and he was refusing to get out of bed to go and was cursing a blue streak. The mom said: ‘What should I do?’ I said: ‘Don’t do anything.’ She said: ‘But if I do that, they’ll take away his license and he won’t be able to get to work or continue taking college classes. I can’t let that happen.’ I should have said: ‘They’ll give him The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
driving privileges to get to school.’ But she went to the court for him with a cockamamie story about him having the flu, and she got him off the hook. That’s how parents get caught in the enabling trap. You begin catastrophizing, thinking of the worst possible outcome and then your instinct to rescue kicks in. In your book, you have a rule: If your transitioner is facing up to the challenges of becoming an adult, then the help you provide usually qualifies as support. Can you explain this? I’m asking parents to look at the big picture. If you can see your kids are moving forward, you can make financial decisions about them based on what you can afford. But on the other hand, you say that if your attempts to be helpful make it easier for your child to avoid the challenges, you’re probably enabling. Going back to that story of the son and the mother, at some intuitive level, he knew there was a big old safety net if he fell off the high wire. He wasn’t going to die. So, with his decision to sleep in, he had faith it would all work out. And of course, he was right. She was enabling his behavior. Is letting your child move back into your home and providing free room and board a good idea or a bad idea? In and of itself, it’s neither a good nor a bad idea. If he is moving forward and has a college degree and is engaged in a job search, absolutely I will support that. If you have extra room in your house and money in your checking account, by all means, why not? You say that struggling transitioners sometimes take their parents’ material and financial support for granted. Why is that? Because it’s always been there. I tell a story in the book about a young The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
person who was a passable student in college, but every once in a while, put three thousand dollars or four thousand dollars on his parent’s credit card. He was so embarrassed. But he told me that growing up, when he would go to a restaurant with his uppermiddle-class parents and the bill came, which was often a hundred dollars or more, he couldn’t figure out if that was a lot of money or not. For him, a hundred dollars was an abstraction. And when he was a child, his parents joked, ‘I have to go to the money tree.’ That image was captivating for him. He told me ‘I know it’s ridiculous. There’s no such thing. But that idea is floating in the back of my mind.’ So, are young adults naïve? Or is it that they don’t want to become fully aware of their financial situation?
resemble an adult-to-adult relationship. In high school, the image of material support is that a parent is like an ATM. What I want when the child is older, is that the relationship is more like a small business owner with a banker. If I’m a small business owner, I don’t say ‘Give me money.’ I say: ‘I have a plan.’ And then the banker decides whether it looks like a good investment. It’s a relationship between adults and both have respect for each other. If you have a twentysomething asking for material support, it’s beneficial if you think like a banker and say: ‘Where would that thousand-dollar check I write be going?’ How can parents communicate effectively with their twentysomethings about money matters? I’m a psychologist, not a money manager. And I’ve never been a great manager of my money. But I think practical conversations about money are useful to kids.
And if my daughter was going to open a checking account, I would schedule a meeting with a banker and take her in. I’d ask a lot of Author Mark McConville intentionally dumb questions, Is it the parents’ like: ‘What happens if she overdraws? Is responsibility to teach them about there a penalty?’ If she learns from the money? banker, she will absorb it more than just dad giving another lecture. Absolutely! But ninety-five percent of my clients haven’t done it. We create a world I like the idea of getting someone else to for our kids with embedded expectations say the words. and then are surprised they’re not grateful. We don’t realize we invented You have a grown son and a grown the world where things are just available, daughter. Did they have a failure to and we did it with the best of intentions. launch? You write about what you call ‘a new Neither of my children presented paradigm for material support’ for an challenges, and neither got into serious emerging adult compared to when a trouble. Both went to great schools and child is an adolescent. What do you got advanced degrees. I feel very blessed. mean? Many kids are strikingly naïve about the cost of things — even smart kids.
I try to get parents to change the ground rules of the relationship, and money is just a vehicle for doing it. I want it to
Source: www.nextavenue.org
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AUM OLLI Stays Engaged while Social Distancing OLLI is a place where seniors can come together and enrich each other’s lives. Our members have camaraderie, fellowship, and fun while attending our classes. There are no exams and no homework in our classes. They are designed for members to keep their brains active, have engaging discussions, enjoy crafty activities, and put on their dancing shoes! Our members enjoy meals together at our potlucks and brown bag lunch presentations. Our Senior Program Associate, Brittany Thomasson, states “It warms my heart to see members come into the building in the morning before class to grab their cups of coffee with smiles on their faces as they walk to class
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and say hi to their best friends.” In response to the announcement of Auburn University at Montgomery not being able to hold face-to-face programs, AUM OLLI Staff is working hard to research ways to continue engaging with our members during this break. We have developed a weekly OLLI newsletter email with interesting articles and updates, and we recently created an OLLI at AUM Facebook group. We are exploring online options for our programs as well. We know how important community is to our OLLI Members. Community is what
brings us together and we want continued engagement to be our priority during this difficult time. There is an exciting application we recently have been introduced to called “Zoom.” This application allows people to be able to see each other online, have discussions and camaraderie no matter where they are. Let’s have a cup of coffee together, even if we meet online! Join AUM OLLI and help us build these connections. Visit our website at www.aum.edu/OLLI for all updated information. We hope you and your family stay safe during this time.
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How to Keep Aging Loved Ones Safe and Comforted During COVID-19 By Crystal Jo
recognizing the warning signs of illness. They are also taught how to prevent the spread of illness.
What can you do when you or your loved one are stuck at home during an outbreak? How will you manage personal care or picking up groceries? How will you manage the feelings of isolation and anxiety? Many of us feel anxious and fearful about COVID-19. If you have an elderly or at-risk loved one, we can help inform you about how professional caregivers support elders, and what YOU can do to slow the spread of infection. 3 Ways Caregivers Keep Elders Safe and Comforted at Home One of the recommendations to limit the spread of COVID-19 is physical distancing. Practice physical distancing by avoiding public places and traveling. Stay at home except when absolutely necessary to access essential goods and services, such as food, gas, and medications. We know for a fact that staying at home reduces your chance of catching or spreading coronavirus. Your loved ones may find physical distancing especially difficult and isolating. That’s why having a professional caregiver helps achieve these 3 vital goals: 1. Make it Easier to Stay at Home The safest place for even relatively healthy elders is often in their own homes. In-home caregivers help to make sure their clients’ needs are met.
A caregiver can assist your loved one with:
For example, a home caregiver will help clients stock up on supplies. A home caregiver can assist with a shopping trip. Caregivers can make sure the house is stocked with necessary over-the-counter medicines and supplies to treat fever and other virus or cold symptoms. Home caregivers also can prepare healthy meals. 2. Provide Company Elders who live alone already are at risk for isolation and loneliness. Your loved one may feel anxious and disconnected from others during this uncertain time. If you can’t visit, a home caregiver can help your loved one get in touch -- and stay in touch -- with family and friends. A caregiver can assist with a hobby, help with at-home exercises or set up ways to communicate with loved ones such as writing letters, phoning, or using video calls. 3. Protect and Reassure Your Loved One Professional caregivers are trained in
- Identifying and reporting symptoms - Remembering to regularly wash hands - Reminding clients to cover a cough or sneeze - Effectively cleaning and disinfecting surfaces - Monitoring medications Being alone during a time of uncertainty can lead to fear and anxiety. Your loved one needs to know that support is available. As a family caregiver, you are doing your best to meet the needs of those who depend on you while following safety recommendations. Consider home care as a good fit for keeping your elderly loved one safe while they stay at home. What is COVID-19 and What are the Symptoms? COVID-19 is an illness caused by an unusual type of coronavirus germ, first identified in December 2019, in the Chinese city of Wuhan. If you or a loved one is infected with the coronavirus, you might notice symptoms such as: I Fever I Cough
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I Shortness of breath I Difficulty breathing The people most likely to develop serious symptoms are older adults (whose immune systems are not as robust as younger peoples) and people with compromised immune systems or respiratory systems. How Does COVID-19 Spread? COVID-19 spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets can travel about 6 feet through the air, and are spread through:
If you feel ill: - Stay at home - Call your medical provider - Postpone visits to residents of nursing facilities, retirement communities, and assisted-living buildings - Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough and immediately throw out the tissue - Wear a face mask when around other people
Resources Centers for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/ World Health Organization https://www.who.int/
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I Coughing I Sneezing I Loud talking I Blowing your nose I Touching your mouth, nose, or eyes after touching a contaminated surface How to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 The most reliable way to prevent getting sick is to not be exposed to the virus. You CAN reduce your risk of exposure or spreading the virus: reduce your contact with other people. Here’s how: - Remain at home and avoid contact with other people - Avoid gatherings of more than 10 people - Avoid traveling, shopping and social visits if possible - Use a drive-thru, takeout or delivery instead of eating at restaurants - Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth - Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that people touch or use often - Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds - Maintain extra physical space (at least 6 feet) between yourself and other people if you must go out
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Master Gardener's Perspective
By Terry Barber
Loofahs- By Land or by Sea
{Capital City Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale, April 25th 7:00 to 12:00, Has Been Cancelled} A few years ago a friend told us she was going to share some loofahs that she grew. I had to stop and ask- you mean they don’t come from the ocean? Loofahs may look like they should come from the sea, but they are actually a gourd in the cucumber family. They are easy to grow in Alabama. We have grown them successfully for several years now. In fact, last year, our entire loofah crop came from one plant that returned on its own. A handful of seeds can produce dozens of plants with vines bearing the fruit of more loofahs that you could ever share with friends and family. The vine likes plenty of room to spread out. The plants produce beautiful big yellow flowers that pollinators love. After a few weeks, small fruit resembling zucchini begin to form from the bloom. Don’t be disappointed or give up when you find the early crops fall off. As the summer rises to full sun and heat, the fruit that form will grow
to giant club like shapes. I have never weighed one, but I would imagine that they could easily weigh as much as three or four pounds. The vines will continue to spread and bear more and more fruit. Although it’s not necessary to water them, the plants really respond positively to water. As tempting as it may be to harvest the loofah from the vine, the best way is to treat them like a gourd. Let them dry on the vine. To make them useful as a sponge like material, the outer layer of skin will need to be removed as well as the dozens of seeds inside. Letting
Mother Nature help you with this is a good idea. As you approach the time of frost, go ahead and pick them. Allow the Loofahs to continue to dry in a well ventilated area. This will prevent mold. I find the best way to strip the outer skin is to give them a few good whacks on the picnic table. Then twist them back and forth a bit and the skin should peel off. What is left is a coarse spongy material. The earlier in the season that you peel them, the more moisture there will be inside. Again, set them aside and allow the freshly peeled loofahs to continue to dry. Once dry you can remove any remaining seeds or skin. At this point you are ready to share them with friends or use them yourself. Slice thick pieces off making them easier and more practical to use. Of course, you can use them in the bath, but I mostly use them in the kitchen to scrub the dishes. If a piece gets too dirty, throw it in the dishwasher. If it gets too worn, simply compost it and carve another piece. This summer, plant some loofahs and you will have more than enough to share before the holiday gift giving begins. Terry Barber, a 2020 Master Gardener Intern in Montgomery. For more information on becoming a master gardener, visit www. capcitymga.org or email capcitymga@ gmail.com.
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Written By Guest Columnist, Peggy Myrick
Come On In, The Water's Fine! Part 2
Last month's Fitness over Fifty article focused on the numerous physiological and psychological benefits that deep and shallow water exercise offers its participants. This month our focus shifts to the physical laws and properties of water and how they can be used by the exerciser to “Work the Water” to his or her advantage. Our bodies react to exercise on land differently as compared to exercise in water. Land- based exercise is affected primarily by the downward vertical force of gravity, but water exercise is largely governed by the interactions of numerous physical laws and properties which exist in an aquatic environment. Understanding some of these interactions can assist you in regulating the intensity of your own workout—whether you are participating in a class or exercising alone. Inertia: Adding traveling movements to a water workout increases its intensity level by way of the Law of Inertia. This law states that an object at rest remains at rest unless a force causes it to move, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion (with the same speed and direction) unless acted upon by an external force. If you run forward in a straight line through the water
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for several steps, the water begins to move with you in the same direction. When you stop and reverse your body's direction you will also be trying to stop and reverse the water's motion. When you turn around, the water's inertia causes it to continue moving in its original direction at its former speed. Energy expenditure in this example has been increased by both total body inertia and the water's inertia. Action and Reaction: When exercising in water, one can use the Law of Action and Reaction to increase or decrease the intensity of a workout. This law tells us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. To illustrate, suppose you travel backward through the water while kicking forward (alternating kicks toward the front); you are applying a force via your kicks in a forward direction, which results in a movement backward (i.e., the opposite direction). In this example, you are assisting your own
travel, which is also backward, so the exercise seems “easy.” On the other hand, suppose you travel forward and continue to kick forward – you are still applying a force via your kicks in a forward direction which results in a movement backward. But . . . this time you are also traveling forward, so you are impeding your effort to advance; thus, the latter example is more intense than the first. Levers: A knee lift in water requires less muscular effort than a straight leg front kick. The straight leg kick requires that we overcome the water's resistance from the hip joint to the toes (longer lever). The knee lift only requires that we overcome the resistance from the hip joint to the knee joint (shorter lever). Likewise, a lateral lift with extended arms requires more muscular effort than a lateral lift with bent arms. Simply put, long-lever movements can be used in water exercise to increase intensity. Hand Positions: The surface area of the hand and its shape help determine how much resistance is created as it moves through the water. A closed fist or a hand that slices through the water like a knife creates minimal resistance. Alternatively, we can create a larger surface area with an open, slightly cupped hand with the fingers
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slightly spread. The open hand position generates more resistance, making movement through the water more challenging. Frontal Resistance: Water has a very perceptible horizontal resistance because of its viscosity. Walking through water is similar, in a way, to walking through a YMCA Shallow Water Class, top windstorm. The size of and Deep Water Class bottom the frontal surface area of an object affects the amount of energy required to move the object when it is presented against the horizontal resistance of the water. A larger surface area requires more energy to move than a comparatively smaller surface area. Presenting a smaller frontal surface area to the intended line of travel, produces a more streamline movement which requires less energy. Think about the human body—the surface area of the side of the body is smaller than the surface area of the front of the body. Thus lateral, or sideways, movement creates less frontal resistance than if you were to present the front of the body to the intended line of travel. For example, walking forward through the water with your arms held away from your body, palms facing forward and fingers spread, demands more energy than if you turn sideways (maintaining the same arm/hand positions) and side-step across the pool. Note: To encounter frontal resistance, the body must be traveling through the water. An on- the-spot jumping jack, for example, would not be affected by the water's horizontal resistance. Summing-Up: The following testimonies from two local ladies succinctly summarize why Boomers should “Jump Right In and Join A Water Class!” Kimbi, 58: “Water aerobics allows me the ability to be more flexible than on land. It improves my balance and I feel, reduces my stress level. Water is comforting to me. Even though I have a handicap (below elbow amputation), I'm still able to do most if not all exercises with little or no adaptation. Anyone of any age or physical shape can do it!” Alice, 71: “Before I started water exercise, I had participated in glide (gravity) classes for several years. When I started having problems with my lower back, my physical therapist suggested water exercises as there is less stress on the joints in the water. Initially, I worried that I might not get as strenuous a workout as I had with the glide class. However, I've learned that you get as much of a workout as you put into it. Today I participate in three different water classes and look forward to each one.” Learn more about water classes in the River Region by contacting local YMCAs; area Country Clubs; and the AUM Wellness Center. Leigh Anne Richards, MEd, Certified Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, General Manager- MetroFitness. For any questions or comments, contact Leigh Anne at LAMetrofit@aol.com The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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Finding Purpose in the Time of the Coronavirus
7 Ways to Find Purpose in the Pandemic Here are seven ideas:
By Paul Irving
This is a dark age for many of us. The coronavirus pandemic has put global populations at risk, stripped millions of people from jobs and savings and isolated us in ways many have never experienced. For those of us of who are older, the danger is elevated. But the lessons of history offer perspective. Humanity survived and thrived in the wake of earlier pandemics. The pain inflicted by invisible enemies like the Black Death, smallpox, and the Spanish Flu was devastating, but the world recovered. We have survived even worse — our own inhumanity. That’s why this is a time to turn again to the work of Viktor Frankl and his powerful book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl was the prominent Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who wrote of his personal experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He observed that prisoners who found purpose in the face of unimaginable conditions were far more resilient and likely to survive than those who did not. What Purpose Can Do for Us Frankl’s words, “life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose” are a call to action today. Finding purpose, a fundamental requirement for human health and well-being, will not cure the coronavirus, but may well mitigate its effects and enable a more rapid recovery. In this moment, as we face physical isolation, financial loss and threatened health, finding purpose may actually save lives. Researchers agree that purpose in life increases overall well-being, improves mental and physical health, enhances
resiliency and self-esteem and decreases the chances of depression. A strong sense of purpose is associated with slower development of age-related disabilities, reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, improved cognitive health and longer lives. Finding purpose can promote energy, satisfaction and protective preventive health behaviors. As Dr. Philip Pizzo of Stanford University, another Next Avenue Influencer in Aging, wrote in a recent piece for the Journal of the American Medical Association, “having a purpose, seeking social engagement, and fostering wellness through positive lifestyle choices are important in reducing morbidity and mortality and improving the life journey.” While each of us sees purpose through our own lens, there is common ground. Some suggest that purpose is found at the intersection of our talents and skills and a need in the world. Others say it is the thing that drives us and keeps us going when things get tough. Certainly, contributing to and caring for others is a shared instinct and aspiration. Social connection, engagement and sense of community are also key parts of the formula. Importantly, a loss of purpose can be a symptom of isolation. That is a risk we all face today. So, if isolation is the enemy, how can we preserve and elevate our sense of purpose during a period of social distancing?
1. Call and email. Connect with family, friends and colleagues, particularly with those who are alone. This is an opportunity to renew and mend relationships and offer comfort to those in need. 2. Volunteer. Help others by reaching out to community organizations to offer assistance. The benefits of volunteer service are powerful, both for beneficiaries and for volunteers themselves who often realize enhanced physical, mental and emotional well-being related to their service. 3. Prioritize learning. Determination to learn can foster a sense of purpose. Reading connects us to new people, places and ideas. Online courses and periodicals expose us to fresh perspectives. Virtual museum tours, music lessons and performances, poetry readings and cooking classes are all available. 4. Write. Writing challenges us to organize and express our thoughts. Begin a journal. We’re living history today, and this is our opportunity to record it. 5. Exercise. Set daily goals and do what’s possible. The health benefits are obvious, but fitness goals can also be a manifestation of purposeful living. 6. Count our blessings. A sense of awe and gratitude are associated with purpose and an increased inclination to engage in altruistic behaviors that make a contribution to others. 7. Plan for what’s next. This pandemic will ultimately be controlled, so now is a time to prepare for recovery —at home, in business and in community. Things may be different, but human beings have proven to be remarkably adaptable and we’ll adapt to this as well. Of course, all of us will have good days and bad as the coronavirus pandemic plays out. But each of us can choose to adopt positive attitudes and control our own response to the circumstances. Let’s take the lessons learned from reading Viktor Frankl and live this difficult time with purpose. Source: www.NextAvenue.org
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Ask an Elder Law Attorney
By: Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law | Red Oak Legal, PC
What Should You Tell The Kids About Their Inheritance? Money is still a taboo topic in polite society. We don’t engage in small talk with someone we’ve just met by asking them “So, how much did you pull down last year?” Instead, we stick towards mundane and unoffensive topics like the weather.
parents—as much as $12 trillion overall. That amount will be eclipsed when boomers leave it to their children. Now, I don’t recommend that you report every penny of your financial situation to your adult children on a regular basis. But, I do think it’s a good idea to inform them, at least generally, about the nature of your assets, your investment and savings goals, and your ultimate estate planning goals.
members can squander a $15,000 inheritance just as foolishly as they do a $1.5 Million.
So prepare your heirs by educating them about what they may or may not stand to receive at your death. Help them to understand that their But, this social taboo may extend to our inheritance is not a sure thing, nor is it a families as well. At one time or another, panacea for a lifetime of poor financial parents with inquisitive school-aged decisions. Help them understand that children will have to address a “fair” division of the inevitable questions your estate among from their young ones about your heirs doesn’t whether their family is “rich” Estate Planning and Asset Protection Workshop necessarily mean that or “poor.” Parents generally it is a mathematically Wednesday, May 20: Hosted by Red Oak Legal, PC: 1:30-3:30 pm find a way to dance around the “equal” division. at 322 Catoma Street downtown Montgomery. This educational topic while landing somewhere workshop presented by local attorney Raley L. Wiggins covers wills, in the “middle class” Talking about your neighborhood. financial situation with trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, probate your adult children is administration, protecting assets from creditors, bankruptcy, divorce Even after children are grown just as uncomfortable and remarriage, nursing homes, long-term care and Medicaid and have families of their as it was to answer qualification. Registration is required. Call 334-625-6774 today to own, many parents don’t want the questions of your reserve your seat or register online at www.redoaklegalpc.com. to discuss their finances or young and curious property with the kids—even children all those years if those kids are now in their ago. I realize that. If you intend to leave your kids some, 50’s. I think this is unfortunate. The But, a lot of things that are good for us but not all, of your estate, then it’s a fact is that most people want to leave are uncomfortable (I’m looking at you, good idea to tell them why you reached their property to their children one dentists). that decision. Billionaire Warren Buffet, day. If the kids are going to own it, who has famously decided to give why shouldn’t they know more about it Take some time, update your estate away most of his fortune rather than now? planning and financial documents, and leaving it to his children, thinks that the then have one nice long uncomfortable “correct” amount of money to leave Communication can go a long way conversation with your kids about it. the kids is “enough money so that they to smooth a transition from one would feel they could do anything, generation to the next. Consider Once it’s done, you’ll be relieved to but not so much that they could do the adult child who has to take over know you’ve finally gotten everything nothing.” And Buffet, who updates his managing a parent’s finances when the in order. estate plan fairly regularly, allows his parent can no longer manage on their children to read the latest version each own due to dementia. Clients often Raley L. Wiggins time a change is made. tell me that they don’t know where to Attorney at Law, Red Oak Legal, PC begin to look for their elderly parent’s 334-239-3625 | info@redoaklegalpc.com 322 Catoma Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, Most of us don’t have the kind of key financial information. www.redoaklegalpc.com “billionaire problems” that Warren Buffet has. Most of us hope that we As has been widely reported, the baby are in a position to leave our kids boomer generation have begun to anything at all. But, it is not the size of inherit the greatest inter-generational the inheritance that matters. Family transfer of wealth in history from their
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Leanne Morgan-The Big Panty Tour at the MPAC Leanne’s style of comedy combines her southern charm and hilarious story telling about her own life into an act that keeps them coming back for more. As a stay-at-home, mother of three with a husband, people are always accusing her of spying on them because she seems to be living the same life that they do. The fact that everyone can relate to her comedy has made her a hit even among the strangest of audiences. Friday, July 24, 2020 7 pm. Tickets: $32. For more info visit www.mpaconline.org
Congressman Trey Gowdy to speak at Faulkner’s Annual Benefit Dinner Faulkner University announced former Congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, as the speaker for this year’s Faulkner Annual Benefit Dinner during a press conference held on Tuesday. President Mike Williams revealed the news on Montgomery’s campus. “Congressman Gowdy was entertained as a potential member of the President’s legal team for the impeachment proceedings, so he’ll have a lot to say that is relevant to what Montgomerians are talking about and thinking about as we think about the future of our nation,” Williams said. Since it began more than 40 years ago, Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner continues to be a longstanding tradition and a red-letter event on the social calendar for Montgomery and the River Region, selling out to nearly 2,000 guests. This year’s Benefit Dinner will be hosted at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center on October 1. Over the years, Faulkner has brought renowned politicians, journalists, athletes, coaches, comedians and astronauts to speak in Montgomery. Gowdy will bring his political experience as a member of Congress while also serving on the Judiciary Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Intelligence Committee, Education and the Workforce Committee and Ethics Committee on current issues from Capitol Hill to the River Region for what will be an exciting night. “We have hosted the Annual Benefit Dinner for years and have attracted renowned thought-leaders to speak in Montgomery to address timely and relevant topics,” Williams said. “Faulkner strives to bring provocative speakers who would not ordinarily be introduced to our citizens here to talk about these topics.” For tickets call 334.386.7257, or visit www.faulkner.edu/gowdy.
Master Gardener Associations Presents Free Lunch & Learn Programs Capital City Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn 2020 the 1st Wednesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They meet at the Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Avenue, Downtown Montgomery. Autauga County Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn 2020 the 1st Thursday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They meet at the Trinity United Methodist Church, 610 Fairview Avenue, Prattville 36066. Elmore County Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn 2020 the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They meet at the First Presbyterian Church, 100 West Bridge Street, Wetumpka 36092. For information, please contact the Montgomery County Extension Office 334.270.4133. Also visit www.capcitymga.org.
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Discover Alabama History from the Comfort of Your Couch.
With schools, offices, museums, and archives closed and social distancing recommended, we’ve gathered links to Alabama resources on this site so you can explore our state's history from the comfort of your couch. We’ll be adding new content and virtual opportunities often, so be sure to check the site regularly. We hope this resource will make staying home and doing your part to protect your community a little easier. Presented by the Alabama Department of Archives & History. Thanks to our History@Home Partners: Alabama Bicentennial Commission, Alabama Heritage, Alabama Historical Association, Alabama Museum of Natural History, Alabama Public Television, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Encyclopedia of Alabama, Historic Blakeley State Park, Historians Manifesto, History Museum of Mobile, McWane Science Center, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, University of Alabama Museums, University of South Alabama Archaeology Museum, Wiregrass Museum of Art. www.alabamahistoryhome.org
Get Your Affairs in Order, FREE Estate Planning and Asset Protection Workshop
Wednesday, May 20: Hosted by Red Oak Legal, PC: 1:30-3:30 pm at 322 Catoma Street downtown Montgomery. This educational workshop presented by local attorney Raley L. Wiggins covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, probate administration, protecting assets from creditors, bankruptcy, divorce and remarriage, nursing homes, long-term care and Medicaid qualification. Registration is required. Call 334-625-6774 today to reserve your seat or register online at www.redoaklegalpc.com.
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VIRTUAL CINEMA, SEE MOVIES – SUPPORT THE CAPRI Kino Marquee is a new initiative that creates virtual theaters for temporarily closed art house cinemas so they can offer their audiences the opportunity to see at home the films that would otherwise be playing on the big screen. The Capri Theatre has chosen to give it a try. Order movies through the Capri Theatre's Virtual Cinema now at www.capritheatre.org. The price of the ticket will be split with the Capri Theatre, and you will have a five-day pass to view the feature (as many times as you like).
Free Subscriptions @ w w w.rive r re gio n b o o m.co m HCA Caregiver of the Month Sherry Johnson Sherry Johnson started working with our company in February of this year. She hit the ground running and has not stopped. Sherry has proven to be hard working, dedicated and diligent in her role as a caregiver. She has been on time to every assignment and has not missed a day of work. On her days off she will call and ask if there is anything available and will put her needs aside to assist. Sherry is very kind-hearted, compassionate and gives exceptional service to the clients that she serves. She has gone so far as to do double shifts and on occasion three shifts back to back. Clients often request her services and she is always ready, willing and available. Whenever we see Sherry, she has a smile on her face, a kind word and has never complained about anything. It has been a pleasure working with and getting to know Sherry, she has proven to be a positive asset to our team. Thank you for your efforts and providing outstanding care to our clients Sherry. Keep up the good work!! For more information visit www.homecareassistancemontgomery.com
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Alabama State Parks - Virtual Naturalist Programs During Social Distancing
During this time of social distancing, our goal at Alabama State Parks is to continue providing you and your families with fun, educational, and inspiring programs! We may not be able to gather together in groups, but we will be using technology to bring the fun to you and present creative things you can do outdoors! For all those nature lovers who are unable to visit one of the beautiful Alabama State Parks due to the COVID-19 precautionary measures, the State Park Naturalists will bring the parks to you via modern technology. Please visit the individual Facebook pages at these five parks: Oak Mountain State Park: www.facebook.com/OakMountainSP/ Lake Guntersville State Park: www.facebook.com/lakeguntersvilleSP/ Gulf State Park: www.facebook.com/GulfStatePark/ DeSoto State Park: www.facebook.com/DeSotoSP/ Cheaha State Park: www.facebook.com/CheahaStatePark/
These virtual programs will be an assortment of Live Facebook videos, short videos, photos, park stories, pictures, and maybe a challenge or two. Go to the Facebook pages for the five individual parks and look for the State Parks Naturalists’ content. The State Parks Naturalists have also created a survey to determine what type of content best suits the viewers. Take the survey. Of course, if you have one of Alabama’s wonderful State Parks nearby, we encourage visitors to take part in the many self-guided activities that provide social distancing, including camping, fishing, hiking, birding, biking and more. Please visit www.alapark.com for more information on the opportunities to explore our natural wonders as well as the precautions taken by Alabama State Parks to minimize the exposure for park visitors. Thanks for your support!
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Alabama Book Festival Postponed Alabama Humanities Foundation announced that the Alabama Book Festival set for April 18 in Old Alabama Town, Montgomery, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. “As our state and nation face the pandemic of COVID-19, or coronavirus, social responsibility has become the guiding principle in how we deal with this looming crisis,” said AHF Executive Director Armand DeKeyser. “It is incumbent upon each of us, as individuals and as groups and organizations, to take precautions that might seem extreme but are aimed at slowing the rate of people who are infected. It is with that thought in mind that Alabama Humanities Foundation wants to do its part in the effort to keep people safer,” he said. Recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control against gatherings of more than 10 people contributed to the postponement. “Our plan is to reevaluate at a later date and reschedule this important literary event for our state,” DeKeyser said. Across the state and nation, similar postponements and cancellations are being done in an effort to curb the escalation of COVID-19. It has been declared a pandemic, and President Donald Trump has declared it a National Emergency. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey has declared a state of emergency and ordered schools closed for two and a half weeks. Colleges and universities, as well as the community college system, have moved to online class delivery. “Critical steps to ensure the public is better protected are being taken throughout the country. At Alabama Humanities Foundation, we appreciate the support given to all of our events, grants and programs, but our number one role right now is one of social responsibility,” DeKeyser said. Along with Alabama Humanities Foundation, stakeholders for the 15th annual Alabama Book Festival include: Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Public Library Service, Alabama Public Television, Alabama Writers Forum, Montgomery City-County Public Library, Alabama Center for the Book, Troy University, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts Big Read and Regions.
Local Woman announced as Ms. Alabama Senior America 2020 Rev. Rose H. McCall was recently announced as the representative to Ms. Senior America, receiving the title of Ms. Alabama Senior America 2020. Rose is a native of Montgomery, Alabama and a graduate of Huntingdon College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. Ordained into the Ministry in May of 2012 at Hutchinson Miss. Baptist Church, she currently serves at the Maggie Street Missionary Baptist Church as an Associate Minister, designs and updates all church Facebook pages and is studying for her Doctorate in Ministry, after a break for her health in 2018. Rose’s family has its roots and beginnings in the soil of Lowndes County, Alabama, where she has traced them as far back as 1825 to her father’s great, great, great grandfather. Rose is an “active” retiree working with the Maggie Women’s Ministry and ACTS Food and Clothing Pantry, serving the local community’s food and sustenance needs, providing food and clothing through charitable donations given by the church family and their participation in the Montgomery Area Food Bank. Rose has been a Pageant Judge for more than 30 years, judging pageants on the local, State and National levels including the Miss America System (Alabama and Georgia prelims) and NAM State prelims. She is also a former member of the Alabama Junior Miss Board of Directors, serving from 2005 - 2010. During this time, she also worked for the Federal Government as a Civilian at Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Air Force Station, working in Graphics and Audiovisual Communications, followed by five years at the Central Alabama Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Rose has devoted her year of service to her platform - "Nowhere to Live: The Homeless Crisis in America". The goal of her platform for the next three years is to develop a program for homeless women and children and Veterans in Alabama and beyond, because nothing is being addressed in this country to give people a secure place to live. In her hometown of Montgomery alone, the eviction rate is 12- 15 families a week. As the first footprint toward her goal, Rose made social and personal contacts with the Montgomery Housing Authority, Alabama State Legislators, The Montgomery County and Lowndes County Chambers of Commerce and Civic Leaders and several churches, to develop a chain of resources that can be used to move people forward, from hopeless and homeless to rebuilding a life for survival. Rose spends her “free time” completing her studies for her Doctorate in Ministry, working with the Women’s Ministry at church and the Food Bank Ministry. Rose’s hobbies include reading and collecting books, sewing, painting, drawing and public speaking. She is the mother of two children, Christopher, age 30 and Shannon, age 26. Rose's philosophy is: "Never give up on your DREAMS"!
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Christian Grandparents’ Shelter-In-Place Activity List
Someone’s Grandchild Needs Your Support
FREE Do you suddenly feel like a longdistance grandparent because of the new “social-distancing” laws and guidelines facing our world today? We have gathered ideas from some of our most creative grandparents among our Ministry Partners to share with you to add to your grandparenting toolbox. Many of you are already long-distance grandparents, so these tools will be a blessing to you whether there are “social-distancing” requirements or not. Visit www.christiangrandparenting. net/shop/grandparents-shelter-inplace-activity-list/ to download your free activity list. Be intentional in your relationship with your grandchildren.
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Alison Krauss concert set for Sept. 8 at Montgomery Performing Arts Centre
Bluegrass artist Alison Krauss is the latest to get a confirmed date at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. Krauss will perform September 8 in a 7:30 pm show. Before coronavirus restrictions hit, she was to perform in June. A native of Decatur, Illinois, Krauss’ work as a bluegrass-country singer and musician has earned her an amazing 27 Grammy Awards, and 42 nominations. She’s had major hits with songs like “When You Say Nothing At All,” “New Fool,” “Looking in the Eyes of Love,” “Let Me Touch You For A While,” and many more. Her latest album Windy City was released in 2017. Tickets to the MPAC show range from $76.50-$126.50. The MPAC box office is open Monday-Friday, 10 am - 5 pm. You can reach them at 334-481-5100 or visit www.mpaconline.org.
Community Senior Life Keeps Its Communities Connected During COVID-19 Residents, resident families and employees of senior living communities are experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety surrounding COVID-19. While it may be impossible to fully alleviate fear, CSL believes that overcommunicating helps. “With the dynamic circumstances surrounding this outbreak, there is a lot of stress between our residents, resident family members, and our employees,” says Nick Wilmott, Vice President of Community Senior Life (CSL). “Our strategy is to be as transparent as possible and overcommunicate how operations are adapting.” CSL communities email resident families directly, print notices for residents, post communications to their web blog, hosted Facebook Live updates, posted photos and videos of resident daily lives, set up video chats, and even created a messaging portal where friends and family can leave messages for their loved ones. CSL believes it’s important for communication to go both ways – from the community out and outside the community in. “Facebook has been a very positive platform. It’s important to our residents, families, and CSL team to facilitate organic engagement in a time where we can’t be face-to-face,” Wilmott said. “We’ve started using the hashtag #spreadlovenotgerms and we take that to heart when we post. We really want our message to be positive and informative.” Although, at this time, no coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in any Community Senior Life locations the virus is affecting every aspect of day-to-day operation and each are adjusting and communicating the evolving, escalating threat of COVID-19. EastChase Senior Living located at 1775 Halcyon Blvd is owned and operated by Community Senior Life. You can follow all of their communications by following them on Facebook and subscribing to their blog: https://blog.communityseniorlife.org/.
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All of the Belles: The Montgomery Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald During his Roaring Twenties heyday, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote three stories about the belles of Tarleton, Georgia, a setting readers recognized as a thinly veiled version of his wife Zelda Sayre's hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. In different ways, the heroines of these tales—Sally Carol Happer in "The Ice Palace," Nancy Lamar in "The Jelly-Bean," and Ailie Calhoun in "The Last of the Belles"—rebel against Southern expectations of women, revel in the newfound freedoms young people enjoyed at the outset of the modern age, and ultimately discover that home is far harder to run away from than they ever expected. Remarkably, although these minor masterpieces have long been regarded as among the very best of the 160-plus short stories Fitzgerald published during his short life, the stories have never (until now) been published as a trio. Gathered here to commemorate the centennial of both Scott and Zelda's 1920 marriage and the beginning of the Jazz Age they symbolize, All of the Belles captures all the winsome qualities readers love about F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing: the keen observation of manners, the comic insights, the lyricism, and the poignant, powerful sense of loss. To order your copy visit www.newsouthbooks.com
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BOOM! COVER PROFILE
Tonya Terry, Life is Good, Live It!
This month’s cover profile is TV Personality and entrepreneur, Tonya Terry. Many of you know Tonya through her work as an anchor for WSFA’s Today in Alabama. She has a wake-up call every morning at 3:30 so she can prepare to help thousands of viewers wake up and start their days. Described as an effervescent fireball, this Alabama native is a "Southern Socialite" who loves all things family, friends, fashion and TROY University football. Tonya recently turned 50 and hasn’t shied away from the big 50, even a little bit. She loves her life and she knows how to live it! Blessed with a dream job at WSFA, Tonya has also ventured into the world of fashion by developing the WonderFULL World of Fashion, an annual show that features only plus-sized models. She says it is a way to show these ladies they are beautiful just the way God made them. If you’ve been watching Tonya through the years you know how comfortable she makes you feel. She’s relatable and fun, a valuable part of the River Region and now that she has turned 50 we’re excited to feature her in this month’s Cover Profile. She shared some of her life’s story with us recently and just listening to her describe her life was a sweet dose of enthusiasm and inspiration. We enjoyed getting to know her in a deeper way than what we usually see through our TV screens and we think you will too. We hope you’ll share Tonya’s story with friends and family too.
BOOM!: Please give us a brief biography, i.e. where you’re from, education, what brought you to the Montgomery area, did you raise your family here, schools, married, family, etc.? Tonya: I was born in Washington DC, but I grew up in Troy, Alabama. I went all the way through the Troy City School System and went to Troy University (Troy State back then). I came to Montgomery for a job at WSFA back in 2002 and raised my family here for the most part. I have three sons; my oldest son is Ryan my middle son is Reggie and my baby is 21 years old and his name is AJ. I have four grandchildren my oldest son Ryan has three, Raylan, Riley and Malachi and my middle Tonya Feelin' the Move son Reggie, who's 27 has a Tonya: I started my daughter named Anna Marie Grace. I am broadcasting career at WTBF a new Fiftysomething (50 years) and I radio a country station in my live in Downtown Montgomery…and I’m hometown of Troy. I read the loving it! news there in the mornings before I went to school and BOOM!: You’ve been anchoring WSFA’s then I got a weekend gig morning show, Today in Alabama since where I played oldies, it was 2002, please tell us how you got started called something like Down with your broadcasting career and Memory Lane. I played really WSFA? What is it you like most about old songs like from the 30s working on Today in Alabama? Describe and 40s. It was pretty fun. I the relationship you have with your really got into country music viewers/fans? What it’s like working with then which was probably Judd Davis? pre-Shania Twain, more like
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the Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt and Diamond Rio days. It was just a great time in country music, so I was glad to be a part of country radio back then. I started working with WSFA in 2002 after working for other television stations including a five-year stint in Huntsville. What I like most about working for Today in Alabama are the people, the crew that makes all of us on-air folks look so good. They work hard each and every day to make that happen. Viewers don’t realize what goes into a successful broadcast each day and we owe it all to the crew. They’re like my TV family, a cohesive unit with a great sense of humor, really smart, most of them are younger than me… together they help me keep up with what’s Tonya celebrates her Golden Birthday; happening, Fifty & Fabulous The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
what’s fun, what’s hip and cool. The other thing I like about WSFA is the heritage, that legacy of people that I grew up watching like Bob Howell and Kim Hendrix, Phil Snow, Dan Atkinson. You know, I work in the same place I used to watch Young World in!
you wherever you go. It really taught me to be a well-rounded person, to know a little bit about a lot of things and this helped me so much in broadcasting. From my first-grade teacher Miss Tatum all the way through one of my Troy University instructors Dr. Padgett, Steve Padgett at Troy and the Chancellor of Troy University, Jack Hawkins, oh my gosh one of my favorite people in the world. I have to say also, even though they weren't in the broadcast business, my parents and other people, the elders in the community who wanted us to succeed and wanted us to do the right thing and taught us to respect people and taught us how to be nice to people and what it meant to be a good citizen, a good steward. I am blessed to have had those people in my life who helped raise me and helped me become who I am and who are also some of my most loyal viewers.
My relationship with the viewers is a very viewer/ anchor relationship for me, a lot of the people that I have come to know Tonya with her sons AJ, Ryan and Reggie here in Montgomery makes it a joy to come to work, he's an are also viewers and awesome person I'm so glad that he's my they’ve become friends of mine. I like to co-anchor and I be the person that they can depend on hope that never when they're waking up and rubbing the changes! sleep out of their eyes to tell them what happened while they were sleeping and BOOM!: Looking I like for them to come to me with their back who were concerns and I address that as well. some of the most influential What is it like working with Judd Davis? people to help It's a hoot! It is so much fun, he's like my you with your brother from another mother and has achievements? been there for me in some of the most difficult times and I've tried to be there BOOM!: Tonya: I have to for him as well. He is my friend, I love As an say the people him. I love the people that I work with anchor that really but Judd and I have a special bond I think at WSFA, helped me along in that we have been working together you have Tonya with Co-Anchor Judd Davis, WSFA's Today in Alabama the way had to for so long, 15 years together, I can lean conducted be my teachers. There were many people on him professionally and personally and hundreds of interviews, what are the that helped me along the way but most I hope that he feels the same about me. ingredients for conducting successful of them were in the education field. Judd is so funny, I laugh every day and he interviews? They were the teachers Tonya: Making that person feel who I spent comfortable. When people are done with most of my an interview with me and they tell me, day with, my “that was so much easier than I thought” mother was or “you made me feel so good”, “I was an educator, so relaxed, I was so nervous at first but so I have to you made me feel so comfortable”. That say it was the is the biggest compliment that I can teachers who receive because I know they don't do told me that this every day like I do. Even those that nobody can do it every day, it's not with me, it's a take this away totally different location, it's a totally from you, you different topic, it's whatever… so you just learn this, you assume that that person has an agenda. take this with They have a point that they want to get Tonya's Grands: Railyn, Rylee, Malachi and AnnaMarie Grace The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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My idea on fashion across, usually an I want to get all I can out of this life, I and style is simply event they want really do. what makes you feel to talk about or good! Life is too short promote or some BOOM!: How do you like to relax and and trends are for issue that is near wind down from a full day’s activities? babies, I think once and dear to them you get to be 50 years they want to talk Tonya: I love to read. I have a lot of my old, once you get to about, so you favorite books around me all the time, be a certain age, you give them that one the most recent ones I read was The get a certain level opportunity. I Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton of confidence, you want them to who is one of the people that EJI (Equal know what looks and feel like they've Justice Initiative) helped get out of prison feels good on your been heard, and for something he did not do. His spirit body. That's what they've been is amazing. A Raisin In The Sun, one of you should go for. I respected and my absolute all-time favorite books and don't care who says that they've got then I have this one about my favorite denim is in style or their point across recording artist called Prince: Inside the this kind of shoe is and they were Music and the Masks. Books make me in style or what, I'm comfortable. so happy that's why I like to read. I also Tonya with Sister, Sunya, Brother, James and Dad going to wear what That’s the most like to catch up on TV shows and most makes me feel good and what works important aspect of a good interview. of the time do that on the weekends. for me. So that's how my sense of style I try to exercise, I'm not some body works. Whatever color Looks good on BOOM!: You work with fashion retailer, builder obviously, but I like to take a me, whatever style looks good on me Vivian O’Nay and you created the walk, fresh air is really good for me and I and if I want to wear an evening gown WonderFULL World of Fashion show that talk to my friends during that time. I try and have sneakers on underneath that’s features plus-sized models, please share to do that at least three days a week in OK. By the time you get to 50 years old your ideas on fashion and style? Downtown Montgomery. Being healthier you really don't care what anybody says. has changed my life and I can't stress You might bling those things out, put a Tonya: I love love love Charla, the owner that enough. I also get together with my little glitter on them or something like of Vivian O’Nay, I admire her sense friends for lunch or dinner or a glass of sparkles or sequins to make them look a of taste and her sense of style. That's wine. I like to be around people that I like little bit trendier, but other than that it's why I wanted to go work there. It's a to be around. whatever makes you feel and look good! great little part-time gig but I also like the people there, the atmosphere is a BOOM!: BOOM!: funtastic place to work because there are What are What are so many lovely, fashionable things, but some of you most the people who work and shop at Vivian your favorite passionate O’Nay’s are great to spend time with. travel about? The WonderFULL World of Fashion got experiences? started ten years ago when myself and Favorite Tonya: a couple of other young ladies thought, vacation Life! we don't see ourselves, as plus-sized spot? Any Living oh women, represented on runways. We travel my gosh would go to our friend’s fashion shows dreams it's like a and support them and love them, but planned? passion we didn't see any people that look like fruit like a us, maybe there was one token fit girl Tonya: fruit that and that was it. So, we decided we can Favorite you want do better than that, we wanted a whole travel to squeeze Tonya With Family Celebrating Grandfather Charlie Terry's 100th Birthday! experiences group of beautiful curvy confident stylish the most women up on that stage so that's where last year out of. Because we all know none of us WonderFULL with two L's World of include many places where I went is promised tomorrow. My first 50 years Fashion came from. I'm so proud that we following these young dancers that of life have passed, and it seems like in did that, and it's been so successful and I have absolutely fallen in love with. a blink and I daresay if you ask other we're getting ready to celebrate our 10th They're called Les Twins and are identical people about me, they will say I live my anniversary in October of this year, it's twin brothers from Paris. They toured life to the fullest and that is my passion. been amazing. with Beyonce and I found out who they
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were when they competed on World of Dance and eventually won on WSFA on NBC. Their names are Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois and they are in their young thirties, two of the best dancers I've ever seen in my life. They do workshops all over the world and I have been to a few of them I don't dance with them although I've always loved to dance but if you saw them you would see why. One of my favorite workshop locations was in Montreal, Canada. I've become friends with them, and I love them so much. My favorite vacation spot hands down, I would retire there today if I had the money, would be Jamaica! I feel like I'm from there, I feel home when I'm there, I love the people, I love the food, the music, I love the climate, the water is so blue and the sand is so white…it's just a beautiful tropical magical place. Stateside it would be New Orleans, it's the quirkiest most fun place that you ever wanted to be. I've met some of the coolest people, great jazz music, the food, so New Orleans but ultimately Jamaica. As far as travel dreams, I went to Italy years ago, actually my first flight ever in my life, was to Venice and I went over there because my boyfriend at the time who eventually became my husband was stationed there with the army in a place called Vicenza. I would love to go back and see it through these 50 year old eyes! BOOM!: Tonya Terry is a “Brand”, you’re a TV personality, author, speaker…how would you describe Tonya Terry, the person? Tonya: Actually, “Very Tonya Terry” is the brand . Tonya Terry as the person is eclectic, I'm a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To myself I'm an introvert with extrovert tendencies. I love to be around the people I love to be around, I just don't love crowds, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
our rhythm but not our blues. Now, I don't see that as much especially with African American women. I see them as being assertive and saying this is who I am and I love her and you should love her and if you don't that's your problem, that's what I see now. Not as much as I used to see growing up. Now I see African American culture being given the outlet and the praise and accolades it deserves and has deserved Tonya and the WonderFULL World of Fashion Models for so many years in music, movies, being out with a literature, lot of people that in politics I don't know like and in clubs or Mardi every Gras or other big aspect events like that. I of life. do want to go to Education the Trinidad and is an Tobago Carnival example, but even that when kind of makes me you see uncomfortable. successful As Tonya Terry the movies person, I’m cool, being I’m pretty cool, made like, WSFA's Amanda Curren, Sally Pitts and Tonya maybe a better Hidden description would Figures, be I’m “dope”, as it’s about they say. people that were BOOM!: You making have spoken on amazing how the media things impacts the happen African American and they culture; would looked you share some of like me, your ideas on this I didn't topic? Les Twins My Favorite Celebrities hear about that in Tonya: I think that it gives us an outlet to my history classes my whole life, ever. show who we are and how we're special But now my granddaughter will, so it's and how amazing we are. But it also coming around. Finally, there's so many has held us back as African Americans of us in the media now and I think that's for many years because we allowed the what's making the difference on how the media to say who we were or tell us who African American culture is impacted by we are and what was beautiful, and it the media. didn't necessarily look like us. I've heard it said in the past the media wanted
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BOOM!: What is it about living in the Montgomery/ River Region area that you like? What do we need more of? Tonya: As I mentioned before, I live downtown and I'm seeing a lot of the things happening downtown that we need citywide. Places for people to go and do and hang out and eat and just commune just Tonya is Loving Life be together because I think if you're not around people of different backgrounds and socioeconomics and religions and things like that you'll never be able to appreciate those differences. I think Montgomery offers that in pockets but it would be nice if we had a little bit more of it altogether. I think we've been living off our history here, Civil Rights and Civil War history, things like that. But EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) has spun that around on its head. I think EJI having the Legacy Museum and the Memorial for Peace and Justice has changed the game, it has shown that you can have something completely new and revolutionary and still have it do very well if it's run and done right. I love our Mayor Steven Reed. I love the fight that he is fighting, I love that he's just getting started and what a start he's had to have under these circumstances we're all having to deal with right now with the corona virus outbreak and the education system here in Montgomery being in shambles. When he was elected so many different things were happening that he is trying to turn around and change with innovative new ideas. It's wonderful to watch, it's a great time to be alive
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and living in Montgomery. I love Montgomery and its history, but I also love what I'm seeing happen and what I am praying continues to happen and grow in this city as it has potential out of this world. BOOM!: As you’ve aged, how have your priorities changed? Tonya: My priorities used to be me and what I wanted. Then my children came along, and they were my priority. Now my grandchildren are here, and they are a priority for me. But what I've realized now at 50 is that I can't do anything for them if I don't take care of me. My health is my priority now so when I say I love to travel that's because it makes me feel good and I believe that makes me a healthier person. When I tell you, I read a lot it helps me stay up on my vocabulary and my memory, it helps me be able to talk to a lot of different people about a lot of different things. I do crossword puzzles, word search, things like that because it's not just my physical health but my mental health my emotional health. My health is the biggest priority right now and that changed because my career and my family depend on my health being my priority. BOOM!: Give us three words that describe you? Tonya: Kind. I try my best to be kind to people and that's not something you should have to try to do but that is something that I've been striving to do more. To be kind you must consider other people's feelings so kind is a word
that I would use to describe me. Smart. I am a smart person I have always been smart, and I don't mean just intellect. I mean just knowing people, knowing how to deal with people, how to navigate this thing called life and feel good about it at the end of the day. I am a smart cookie. Loving. I love my fellow man just because we're all trying to get through every day to the best of our ability and stay on top of things. It's hard out here, I realize that, and I love anybody who's trying to make that work on a day-to-day basis. As a human race I think we need more love and respect for each other so loving would describe me. BOOM!: Do you have any hobbies or other activities that grab your attention? Tonya: I don’t really have any hobbies per se, the biggest two things I love to do now in my life are to be around the people I love and travel. I don't care where they live where they're going where they want to go let's do it, let's go! It's such a big world out there and I hate it's shut down right now. Travel changed everything for me, getting on a plane and going to another part of the country or world has changed my life and I hope that more people realize this and go experience other people, other cultures, taste other food, music. Travel opens up your whole life it changes your world it expands it and makes the world a smaller place and bigger place all at the same time, it's amazing! BOOM!: Do you have time to be involved in community, civic or other activities? Tonya: Most of the organizations that I'm part of are usually professional things to do with my fields of interest. I keep up with The National Association of Black Journalists because it keeps me abreast of what's happening in the industry and how that's changing. I'm not in a sorority or Junior League, organizations like that, because I know what it takes to be a part of those groups if you're going to be a valuable member and I just don't have time. Besides, I do have a three o'clock wake-up call, so I need to get in bed by 7:30 - 8 o'clock at night. So, it just doesn't make sense for me to The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
involve myself in something Montgomery. unless I have the time This is an and energy to devote to exciting it. I do some speaking at a time for our variety of groups about my viewers and experiences if they think the entire that will help, I like to go staff at WSFA. talk to children at schools, We were at I've been the keynote our original at this or that or the location for commencement speaker. 65 years I’ve had people come up to and now we me years later after they've will become gone on to college or to part of the the military and they'll say progress I remember you spoke and Montgomery you said such and such…I has been may not remember what I experiencing said but they remember and in downtown Tonya on Champs Elysées Avenue in Paris, France that's what matters most. I with a statetouched somebody, that's something my of-the-art broadcast studio, be sure to career allows me the opportunity to do tune in and watch Judd and myself on and that’s amazing. Today in Alabama. BOOM!: With a busy life, how do you like to spend time with family? Tonya: We actually play games a lot. I love anything that's going to keep my mind sharp and one of the games we play is called Heads Up we played that a lot because we get to act out things, it's like charades but with an app. I think Ellen DeGeneres actually came up with the app, the game’s been around for a long time. We also like to play board games because it reminds me of my childhood. We play music and dance or watch TV shows like The Voice and Doc McStuffins with the kids. As a family, we’re always up for some fun and sharing a meal. BOOM!: Many people as they age seek new experiences, a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, even new careers, how would you describe this sense of renewal in your life? Any advice for the rest of us seeking renewal? What’s the future look like for Tonya Terry? How do you view the idea of retirement? Tonya: Most recently, the whole team at WSFA has been going through a very big renewal. They recently began broadcasting from their new studios at RSA Avenue Dexter Building downtown The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Personal renewal is something we think about as we age too. I've thought about that because I've been at WSFA for 17 years now and worked at stations in Enterprise, Troy, Dothan and Huntsville before that. I've never left Alabama to work so sometimes I think I would like to do just that, pick up and go to another place, especially now that my children are all grown. Then my grandchildren would have an excuse to get on a plane or get in the car and come visit me. There are so many things out there I think would offer me a sense of renewal. I could write more, travel more, consult and because I live a stone's throw away from the Statehouse I've thought about getting involved in politics! There are so many things I could do, so the sky's the limit. I know I'm not afraid and I think that's what keeps a lot of people from changing, the fear of the unknown. I have no doubt that whenever I'm asked to leave or if I decide to leave WSFA I will land on my feet I'll be just fine and will find something else to fulfill my needs for growth and renewal. Many people seek a financial fulfillment but that's never been my goal. I go to work at WSFA every day and literally feel like somebody should pinch me. It feels like I'm dreaming. I absolutely love what I do so I would just have to find something else that I'm that
passionate about and there are a lot of things out there that I'm sure I could make a difference doing and I’m sure I will one of these days. Regarding retirement I don't have much of a retirement plan except to maybe learn how to make a few drinks and move to Jamaica, tend bar and live in a little hut down there living out my days drinking rum punch and watching the sunset over that beautiful blue water. That's my retirement plan right now, maybe I'll come up with something better eventually but right now that's it. Follow your heart, follow your dreams. Life's too short and we don't know how much more time we have, so with the time we have left on this beautiful earth let's make the most of it, not just for ourselves but for other people. When you make other people feel good, when you change other people's lives when you make a difference in other people's lives you make them happy you make them smile, you feel that good energy from them and you give it to them in return, that's what life is all about. You'll want a lot more of that the older you get. I see that now; I feel that now and I hope you feel it too. Gosh this life is good just live it, live it! We want thank Tonya for sharing her story with us in this month's cover profile. If you want to connect with Tonya, watch her in the mornings on WSFA's Today in Alabama or send an email to tonya. terry@wsfa.com. A special thanks to the professionals at Total Image Portraits for making this month and other cover shots the best they can be, you can check them out at www.totalimage.com. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please send them to Jim Watson at jim@riverregionboom. com. Read all of the BOOM! Cover Profiles at www.riverregionboom.com/archive/
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Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier
The Shoals
Music, History, Culture
Jeff at Frank Lloyd Wright Museum
Ancient Mound in Florence
“The Shoals” covers four Alabama towns: Florence, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. The area’s stimulating venues range from ancient archeological artifacts—one of the largest ancient Indian mounds in the Tennessee Valley is located here—to modern, world-influencing history and people. My first experience with Alabama’s northeast Shoals area was years back when I attended the W.C. Handy Music Festival honoring the “Father of the Blues.” The festival has been lauded by state and local government and selected as a Top Ten Event in Alabama. It’s held annually in the last full week of July on the scenic shores of the Tennessee River in McFarland Park. I will never forget the lively arrangements of the Dutch group Accoustrio singing Southern gospel and blues! My second connection was initiated by a phone call from Designer Kaitlin Wallace of Pillar & Peacock Interiors in Florence. Kaitlin called our Pike Road studio and ordered one of Cindy’s fabric designs. So, we drove up to meet the designers and enjoyed discovering one of Alabama’s most interesting and charming cities; and a sprawling
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Helen Keller at Well Statue
Shoals region with amazing history and culinary delights. The spectacular O’Neal Bridge spans the Tennessee River connecting these cities, and from its railings the Wilson Dam is visible upriver resembling a Roman aqueduct. One senses strength and courage in those structures not unlike that of Tuscumbia native Helen Keller, aka, “America’s First Lady of Courage.” At her childhood home, Ivy Green, we placed our hands on the very water pump where Miracle Worker Anne Sullivan achieved a communication breakthrough with blind-deaf little Helen, transforming her world from one of darkness to light. The “Miracle Worker” play is held on the grounds of Ivy Green weekends in June and July. This would make a great trip idea with the grands! And for those interested in architecture, the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Rosenbaum House in Florence is Wright’s only Alabama structure. Super-interesting tours of the home last about 45 minutes and are led by experienced interpreters. Other creatives like world-renown textile designers Billy Reid and Natalie
Jeff at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Chanin have returned home to the Shoals and have made prominent contributions to the local economy. Chanin’s company, called Alabama Chanin, produces “thoughtfully made goods for the person and the home.” She uses 100% organic cotton sourced from seed to fabric along with repurposed and reclaimed materials to create exquisite apparel. Her designs are locally sewn—that means made in the USA—and sold internationally. The company offers tours and workshops, and there’s an excellent café on site, as well. An excursion to the Shoals would be incomplete without a visit to two of Alabama’s most famous recording studios, FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Duane Allman, Otis Redding, the Osmond’s, Paul Anka, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, Cher, Linda Ronstadt (my favorite) and many others passed through these doors. We attended the most fascinating presentations at these studios, giving us colorful insight into music history and, especially, the significant role this region of Alabama played. We also enjoyed visiting the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
W.C. Handy museum and homeplace. The beautiful Florence-Lauderdale Visitors’ Center is the perfect place to start your Shoals adventure. Grab an “Alabama dirt shirt” and a Visitors’ Guide before striking out. If you have more than a day to explore, I’d recommend staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown. It’s located off US 72 in the Shoals area of Florence only a short walk from shops, restaurants, and the Historic District. One may visit the Civil War Hospital at Pope’s Tavern Museum and the gorgeous University of North Alabama (est. 1830), both under a mile away. (UNA has two live lions on display!) The Hampton is less than 15 minutes from Helen Keller’s birth place and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. For spicier accommodations, try one of Florence’s well-appointed boutique hotels like The GunRunner or The Stricklin. Enjoy a massage at The Gallaher Spa located at The GunRunner. There are well over one hundred restaurants to choose from in the Shoals area. And Downtown Florence certainly has awesome dining possibilities. Big Bad Breakfast is a local favorite—Cindy and I flipped over their sensational biscuits! For lunch, we especially enjoyed Yumm Thai, Sushi & Beyond. And Jack’s Place has wonderful salads and sandwiches for lunch. Although we haven’t eaten dinner at Jack’s, (we had dinner at
Odette), I’m betting Jack’s evening menu is amazing, too. 306 Barbeque is excellent—just a couple of doors down from Pillar & Peacock Interiors. Florence is now one of my favorite Alabama cities. It’s an attractive, friendly and relaxing big-small-town for sightseeing, shopping or just plain strolling. And there’s no telling who may stroll by you. We passed a gentleman who looked to be in his early seventies—long hair, an earring, guitar strapped on his back—probably a former backup singer for Linda Ronstadt! When you visit Florence, be sure to stop by Alabama Outdoors at 119 North Court Street where I bought a beautiful shirt for 30% off. The manager’s name is Carla Mann. Tell her Jeff sent you. Florence has also been named one of the best cities in Alabama in which to retire. According to the Internet, the cost of living in Florence is 9% below the national average and the median home price is only $100,000. Recreational activities enjoyed by retirees in this area include biking, boating, fishing and golfing. My local friend Coleman Brewster fishes in Pickwick Lake which runs 50 miles from Wilson Dam to Pickwick Dam in Tennessee. The Lake hosts a number of big-name fishing tournaments each year. The Shoals, indeed, has something for everyone.
Where To Get Started: www.Visitflorenceal.com Where To Stay: www.Hamptoninn3.hilton.com www.Gunrunnerhotel.com www.Thestrickland.com Where To Eat: www.Yummthaisushiandbeyond.com www.Bigbadbreakfast.com www.Jacksplacebistro.com www.Odettealabama.com www.306bbq.com/florence Where To Get A Massage: www.GunRunnerSpa.com What To Visit and/or Tour: www.Muscleshoalssoundstudio.org www.fame2.com www.wchandymuseum.org www.Alamhof.org www.helenkellerbirthplace.org www.Alabamachanin.com/tours www.Wrightinalabama.com www.alabamamoundtrail.org/moundsite/florence/ Must Attend Annual Festivals: www.wchandymusicfestival.org www.helenkellerfestival.com Where To Buy Cool Clothes: www.Alabamaoutdoors.com www.BillyReid.com
Jeff S. Barganier is a freelance writer and manages Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC in Pike Road, Alabama. (www.cindybarganier.com) He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact him at Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Follow him on Instagram #jeffbarganier.
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By Greg Budell
The Mayor of BOOMTOWN
"ONE FLU INTO A CUCKOO'S NEST" "A true story from the Greg files"
(WARNING! Much of what you read here could be totally wrong by the time you read it. Then again, maybe not)
March began in such glorious fashion! Yes, the Corona Virus story was rearing its ever- growing and malignant head. If you remember, March was launched with news of exploding job growth, soaring financial markets and prosperity. Baseball was 2 weeks into playing spring training games, with a new season set to start on the 26th. March Madness was set to start at midmonth! Things seemed really upbeat! With a week left to go in March, Covid-19 wiped out jobs, stocks and grocery store shelves. The baseball season will start on the 26th- we’re just not sure if it will be April, May or March 26, 2021. March Madness played out at your nearest grocery store. A term I’d never heard before, “Social Distancing” is the new norm in a matter of weeks. I can’t believe I’m writing this!
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Perspective. The worst pandemic has been media-fueled fear. Had we gone this berserk with social distancing and 55 gallon drums of Purell last fall, 30 million people (including my daughter) might have escaped the seasonal flu. We’ve lived with these situations for many years without crashing our economy, limiting freedoms and unconscionable hoarding. Did you ever think we’d be told to wash our hands while singing “Happy Birthday”after we graduated kindergarten? The last time I wore a surgical mask was the day I held my newborn, Janelle (pictured). Now I see them everywhere. I’m not going there. Germs have been, are now, and always will be a part of life. Last I checked there’s no mustard gas floating around. What makes this particular mutation of the flu the Disease That Closed America? BOOMers know fear is a healthy thing. It’s why we’re cautious around hot stoves, moving vehicles and slithery creatures. Life is a process of learning what to fear (touching electrical sockets, parental discipline and your team not winning the Iron Bowl- which I believe WILL be played this year).
This novel virus has produced epic Coronaphobia. Americans love their toilet paper. COVID-19 does not cause diarrhea, nor did it cut off our running water or electricity. A quick and cleanly hot shower will work fine if the only thing on the holder is a cardboard tube featuring a few shreds from the Roll That Used To Be. Breaking News for the horrible hoarderstowels can be washed and re-used. I mean, dang- our parents went through a horrible depression, a World War and severely rationed items like butter and sugar- for 4 years. We’ll get through this, sooner than later. There is only one cure for fear- LOVE. While I’m certain there will be a baby boom by the time our January BOOM! rolls out, that’s not the love I’m referencing. A recent study said the average couple takes about 21.5 minutes for, uh, that. With all the self-quarantining going on, it barely makes a dent in the cabin fever sweeping America.
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I’m an expert on fear. One of the benefits of addiction recovery is conquering it. In rehab, we were taught that FEAR is an acronym for False Expectations Appearing Real. Our inability to keep fear in its place leads to subduing it with chemicals of one kind or another. For normal people a drink or beer helps. For people like me, one is too many and a thousand is never enough. In my case, fear drove me into a homeless, friendless, bankrupt bum. I was at war with life on life’s terms. When I completely and unconditionally surrendered by accepting my absolute powerlessness over any drugPEACE broke out! Amazing how that works.
We have a new perspective on people we took for granted. In particular, our truck drivers deserve a day of national recognition. They are America’s circulatory system. Trucking is not a job for the weak.
Somehow, in the midst of pandemic insanity, that little baby in the picture turned 30 in March and we had a phenomenal, happy celebration. "Greg and Janelle, 3/12/90"
In the process, it becomes easier to see some sun breaking through the Corona Cloud. Things will be different, largely in a good way when this thing ends!
It’s tough, grueling work but they kept the supply chain going. Panicking consumers put undue pressure on that chain so we had shortages.
We’ve been given a great taste of socialism during this trying time. Socialism historically, has taken a greater toll in lives than this or any other flu, combined. We got to visit Venezuela temporarily, without requiring a passport.
While we’re at it, farmers, grocers and the people who fill the shelves deserve our applause- along with those who worked at warp speed to process an agitated public through checkout lines that never seemed to end.
We live in America, where bread waits for us. COVID-19, and the ensuing hysteria emptied shelves in a way most have never seen. It was like the entire country was prepping for a Category 10 hurricane!
Our medical community- trying to treat people and provide care under the most pressure it’s seen in history- kudos to our docs, nurses and assistants!
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While the media treated us to videos of box-store brawls, most people were reaching out to family, friends and vulnerable people offering help. My radio team moved to doing a 7-day morning show. The goal was to help facilitate those in need, those offering help, while trying to keep folks informed with the truth and some lighthearted humor. The appreciation from our audience has been overwhelming. We worked for free, but ain’t it funny how we all felt so rewarded after every show!
My wish is that captured moment is the only time she ever sees me wearing a medical mask. Take care! OK Boomer? And I mean it. If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people! Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 15 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas & Jay Scott, 6-9 AM Monday-Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com
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Eating Smart with Tracy Bhalla
Kombucha is a fermented, raw drink, slightly alcoholic, lightly effervescent, made from sweetened black or green tea. Commonly drunk for its reported health benefits. Sometimes the beverage is called kombucha tea to distinguish the name from the kombucha culture of bacteria and yeast.
Kombucha
Kombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast" (SCOBY) commonly called a "mother". The microbial populations in a SCOBY vary: the yeast component generally includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae, along with other species, while the bacterial component almost always includes Gluconacetobacter xylinus to oxidize yeast-produced alcohols to acetic acid (and other acids). Although a SCOBY is commonly called tea fungus or mushroom, it is actually "a symbiotic growth of acetic acid bacteria and osmophilic yeast species in a zoogleal mat [biofilm]". If just the name hasn’t put you off, take a look at a photo! (I won’t scare you off here.) The living bacteria are said to be probiotic, one of the reasons for the drink's popularity. The exact origins of kombucha as a drink are not known, but it is thought to have originated in the area of Northeastern China. There are records indicating it was traditionally consumed there thousands of years ago, but there’s also evidence that it existed in Russia and eastern Europe. I guess the term home brew did not just apply to beer, wine and versions of moonshine. Kombucha is now homebrewed globally, and is also sold commercially by various companies, with great success. It is in fact one of the largest produced drinks in the world at this time.
Numerous claims have been made for health benefits from drinking kombucha. These include claims for treating AIDS, aging, anorexia, arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, constipation, and diabetes, but there has been no scientific research done to support any of these claims. Don’t let that put you off though, there are many homeopathic remedies that are not proven by science, it does not mean that they do not work, it just means that no pharmaceutical company has invested billions to do the research into them (yet). The main advantage of Kombucha is its assistance in keeping your gut healthy – if you have learned just one thing in the last few years from reading these articles, it is that keeping your gut healthy is KEY to your overall health. Kombucha is rich in probiotics and antioxidants. It contains the “healthy” bacteria that your gut tract needs to absorb nutrients and fight sickness. Eighty per cent of your immune system is located in your gut. It is also considered the second largest part of the nervous system, second only to the brain. Many people believe that drinking Kombucha regularly can help maintain a healthy gut which in turn promotes a string immune system and good overall health.
Certainly it is true (and has been said here before) that the Western diet is so high in dairy and complex carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, etc.) that we need to eat more fermented foods (or drinks) to balance that out, so whether it’s eating more pickles or sauerkraut or trying a glass of Kombucha a day, you take your pick!
In addition to all that, Kombucha only has about 25 calories per 8oz serving – even the flavored ones (and I would recommend you try those first :) So it’s a great alternative to soda and does not have all the nasties that diet drinks can have. My husband and I have been trying it for the last week or so. I actually like the light effervescence. Soda has too much for me (even if I could cope with all the other bad things soda has) and many have ginger in them, which I love and is a great digestion aid. We will continue to try it and keep you posted on any notable health differences. One last word of warning as there are so many people out there making this at home (you can buy a Scoby on Amazon!) - There have been rare cases of serious adverse effects, including fatalities, from the beverage, most probably arising from contamination during home preparation. As with all home brews, it is critical to keep all equipment sterile, which can be difficult in a regular home. The potential harms of drinking home brewed kombucha therefore may outweigh the unproven benefits, but there are so many commercial options out there now that if you are going to try it, try one of those.
Tracy Bhalla, Independent Consultant with NYR Organics, website: us.nyrorganic.com/shop/tracybhalla email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com You can also visit Tracy’s blog at Tracybhalla.com, Continuing my obsession with all things organic, I have been working with NYR for two years now, using their skincare products myself for over RiverRegionBoom.com April 2020 25 years! Your skin is the body’s largest organ, it deserves to be well looked after. I am here to answer any questions you may BOOM! Thehave. River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine 54
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