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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
September 2019
Facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom
Volume 10 Issue 2
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
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
12 Publisher's Column 16 2019 Fall Offerings for AUM OLLI 17 Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank Exhibit
page 46
20 Exercises for Life Situations, Leigh Anne Richards
Features
14 Promote Cognitive Health with Brain Games for Seniors
46 Wildflower Café Mentone Dining Destination & So Much More
22 Historical Drama to be Presented in Restored Tallassee Theatre
48 Bob Newhart Turns 90
24 Discover and Support Cure!
Departments 26 This and That Interesting Stuff
18 And Then There Were Four, Billie Crawford
52 {12} Things For Active Boomers
50 Greg Budell “POSTCARDS FROM WARM SPRINGS (GA)"
26 Leadership Montgomery Unity Award Breakfast 32 Adding a Personal Backup with a Living Trust McDonald Hagen Wealth 34 RECIPE: White Barbecue Sauce
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36 4 Things You Don’t Know About Estate Planning Ask an Elder Law Attorney 38 BOOM! Cover Profile 44 The Humble Tomato Eating Smart with Tracy Bhalla
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Free Subscriptions @ w w w. r i ve rre gio n b o o m.co m 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 2019 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
Crump Senior Center, Get Connected 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 Tracy Bhalla Austin Barranco Greg Budell
Billie Crawford Caitlin Kelly Stacey Little Willie Moseley Cheryl Popp Leigh Anne Richards Martha Poole Simmons Susan Swagler Nick Thomas 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!
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Jim Watson, Publisher
This month we wanted to make our cover profile the Crump Senior Center because it’s a place where more than 2,000 seniors go each week for physical activities, games, arts and crafts and most importantly a lot of social interaction with their peers. As we age it can become more and more difficult to connect with people and the less connections we have the more isolated we become. We all need these social connections and the Crump Center is one of the best places for seniors to get plugged in and meet new people, share some conversations and some laughter too. The Crump Center is a happy place, full of energy, and potential for anyone over the age of fifty that needs to get more connected to others while offering a variety of activities to stimulate body and mind.
As examples of how vibrant the Crump Center is, we asked Martha Poole Simmons, who is a volunteer coordinator for the Tuesday Bridge game, to help us select the men and women to be on this month’s cover. She immediately suggested 7 of her fellow Bridge players who just so happen to be nonagenarians (age 90-99). I enjoyed the time we spent together preparing for the cover shot, great conversations about aging and some of their experiences with the Crump Center and just how valuable it was to have a facility like this to enjoy with others. You got the sense that being part of Crump is like being part of a very special family. If you’re not plugged in somewhere and you feel the need to be part of something special, check out the Crump Center and all the activities they offer. You’ll find something to do, even if it’s just reading in their library or chatting with Bessie in the front lobby. They also serve a nice lunch during the week for only $5. A special thanks to Walt, Charlie, Roy, Merrelle, Flo, Esther and Lucille for being on this month’s cover, you all are an inspiration on how to age well, thanks for sharing some of your stories with BOOM! Finally, I want to thank Martha for all the effort she provided to make the Crump cover profile come together. She is a tireless volunteer who knows how to make things happen, and she was an important part of making the Crump Center what it is today, a home away from home for hundreds of River Region seniors, thanks for everything. There are plenty more good reads in this month's issue; it's designed for you. Please consider 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 to my cell/text/email, I love to listen and learn. Also, if you haven't started getting BOOM! to your email inbox each month it's a fun way to read the latest issues, convenient too! Please sign up for your free subscription at www.RiverRegionBoom. com. Thanks for being part of our BOOM! Community. Make America Love Again!
Jim
jim@riverregionboom.com 334.324.3472 cell/text
Thanks for Reading BOOM! Free Subscriptions
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By Cheryl Popp
Promote Cognitive Health with Brain Games for Seniors
Researchers continue to believe that playing what they call “brain training games” can help keep the mind sharp. They may not prevent a brain from normal aging, but they can help keep a brain healthy, alert and finely tuned. These mentally stimulating games can play an important role in aging well. Mentally challenging brain games — cards, puzzles and board games — are good for seniors who may have mobility issues because they don’t involve a lot of physical activity. What they do involve are fun, intellectual and social forms of stimulation. The Importance of Brain Games for Adults Studies demonstrate that card games, puzzles and board games are good mental stimuli and help promote brain health. This is especially true for older adults. Games also stimulate the immune system and can trigger the use of visualization, memory and sequencing skills. Many games also involve socialization and verbal interaction. We know that games can also help mitigate boredom and depression, both of which can cause cognitive decline. They can be fun activities that involve family and friends. This social dynamic also helps keep the brain active and engaged. 5 of the Best Card Games for Brain Health Experts on aging like to say that “playing your cards right” can help keep your mind
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sharp long after retirement. While this is a play on words, they’re right. Playing card games can improve short-term memory as well as long-term memory. There are cards games of varying difficulty levels you can choose from: 1. Bridge. The best card games are those that demand memory, strategy and attentiveness. Bridge is one such game. It teaches logic, reasoning, quick thinking, patience, concentration and partnership skills. Bridge also involves at least 4 people so there is a valuable social component to the game as well. 2. Go Fish. Card games don’t have to be as complex as bridge to help with mental acuity. Even simple card games like Go Fish help exercise the brain. 3. Gin Rummy. This is an old favorite that’s easy to learn but requires careful attention. A player needs to track what cards have picked up and which have been discarded. 4. Poker. Organize a poker night for your family and make sure your parents come! Play games like 5 Card Draw or Texas Hold ’em. 5. BlackJack. These card games can be a lot of competitive fun. They also require concentration and visual memory. 6. Solitare. Even a game of Solitare can be a good brain game. However, card games that involve others also promote socialization. This interaction with others is known to help promote brain health as well as emotional well-being. Other Great Games for the Brain The New England Journal of Medicine studied people over the age of 75 who
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engage in brain-stretching board games. These people were less likely to develop dementia than their peers who didn’t play these games. Some great games that are good exercises for the brain are: 1. Checkers. A classic game that can be played with grandkids. 2. Chinese Checkers. Work the problemsolving muscle by figuring out how to move the marbles when moves seem limited. 3. Mahjong. Popular with the ladies and strategically demanding. 4. Backgammon. This game requires critical thinking to beat your opponent. 5. Dominos. This requires thinking ahead and concentration. 6. Bingo. A simple game but one that usually involves a lot of other people which is an added advantage. 7. Chess. Probably the most mentally challenging board game. There are groups that meet up to play chess, which is great for meeting new people. 8. Scrabble. Word games like scrabble require creativity and the ability to recall words. 9. Crossword puzzles. If you or your loved one are new to crossword puzzles, you don’t need to start with the rather daunting New York Times puzzles. Try a book of simpler crossword puzzles to tackle as you master the art of the crossword. 10. Sudoku puzzles. If numbers are more your thing, try solving one of these great logic puzzles. 11. Jigsaw puzzles. These are both visually as well as mentally stimulating. 12. Word searches. Buying a book of these can provide hours of entertainment. 13. Brain teasers. Buying a book of riddles is another fun game. Your loved The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
one can solve them by themselves or use it as an activity with grandchildren. Memory Games Online: The Digital Age of Brain-Training While the traditional card and board games remain very popular, we now also have digital brain-training games. They have become all the rage. A $6 billion industry to be exact! They can be played on your computer or any mobile device – a laptop, tablet or smartphone. These digital brain games offer a wide array of puzzles and problems to solve. They can be played for hours or merely minutes, whenever the whim strikes. In today’s digital world where almost everyone has a digital device, you don’t even need another person to engage in a game. What could be more convenient? Some of the most popular online brain games are: 1. Lumosity. Used by over 60 million people worldwide, this app offers
cognitive and scientific games designed to improve memory and stimulate the brain. Free in the iOS app and Google Play stores. 2. Dakim. A “brain fitness program” that offers more than 100 mental exercises, games and puzzles to give the brain a workout. These games are specially designed to improve attention and concentration. 3. Fit Brains Trainer. This platform includes 360+ games and puzzles to enhance memory, focus and brain speed. This app adjusts to get more difficult as you get better. Free on Google Play and the iOS app store. 4. Cognifit Brain Fitness. These are fun brain games designed by neuroscientists. You can start with a personal cognitive assessment and track your progress. Free in the iOS app store. 5. Brain Trainer. Play language and math games, speedy shape games and much more. This app allows you to tailor your gaming experience to personal goals like problem-solving, memory, attention and
agility. Free in Google Play and iOS app stores. 6. Brain Metrix. This is a free web service with a large collection of games focusing on concentration, color, IQ, spatial intelligence, memory and creativity. These are games that help keep an aging brain fine-tuned with the added benefit that they can be played anywhere, anytime and without anyone else. That being said, I am an advocate of “cross training” for the brain. Aging minds need this sort of mental stimulation, but they also need social interaction to promote healthy aging. Healthy longevity and brain health can also benefit from exercise and a healthy diet. All of these elements together can help ensure that our minds remain functional and well-tuned, even as we age. Games by themselves cannot “make you smarter” or “prevent dementia” but they are a great addition to a well-rounded, brainhealthy lifestyle!
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Call Kristy today for your free in-home consultation! September 2019
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YOU ARE INVITED TO AUM OLLI
2019 Fall Offerings for AUM OLLI FALL OPEN HOUSE-SEPTEMBER 5
Fall Open House is scheduled for September 5, 2019, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the AUM Center for Lifelong Learning, 75 TechnaCenter Drive. At that time, new and returning members will have an opportunity to meet instructors and to ask questions about the fall classes. Some of the fall classes are already full, with a waiting list. Do not hesitate to “register” for a closed class since your name will go on a wait list. If people withdraw, those on that list are notified of the opening. Also, if another class is offered in that term or a future term, people from the wait list will receive preferential registration opportunities.
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Although there are some closed classes, numerous new and returning classes have openings available for registration. When possible, we are increasing course capacity to respond to interest. New courses that are attracting interest are the one-day course (October 10) on the history of Alabama, the travel course, and the course on developments in sports to name a few. Catalogs are available online or at the Center for Lifelong Learning. Details have recently been confirmed for the field trip to Sylacauga, The Marble City, on October 11, from 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Travelers will visit the marble studio of Craigger Browne, the B. B. Comer Memorial Library to view their
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marble and art collections, and the Blue Bell Creameries. Registration is now open, with a cost of $45.00 ($35.00 for the bus and $10.00 for lunch served at the library). To become an OLLI member, to register for the Fall Open House on September 5, to register for classes and to register for the field trip to Sylacauga, you can go online to www.aum.edu/OLLI OR contact Brittany at 334-244-3804. Plan to attend the Open House to meet OLLI members and to learn more about courses, field trips, and bonus opportunities for OLLI members.
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Regions Bank Show Kicks off Montgomery Art Guild Season on September 10th Showcasing the best in River Region art, the Montgomery Art Guild (MAG) opens its 53rd Annual Montgomery Art Guild/Regions Bank exhibition with a 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. reception on Tuesday, September 10 at RSA Regions Bank, 201 Monroe Street, in the bank’s second floor lobby. The exhibit will be open for public viewing during business hours through September 26. Each year for more than half a century, Montgomery’s art year has been enriched by this major competitive exhibit, made possible through a longstanding partnership between the Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank. Up to $3000 in cash prizes will be awarded during the reception for this juried art show. The mission of the Montgomery Art Guild is to advance and promote the appreciation, enjoyment and distribution of the arts for the mutual improvement, cultural benefit, and social enlightenment of Guild members and of the public, and to sponsor exhibitions of original art. For more information about the Montgomery Art Guild/Regions Bank Art Show, visit the Guild’s website at www.montgomeryartguild.org.
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Master Gardener's Perspective
By Billie Crawford
And Then There Were Four I grew up in northwest Alabama, where we always had a summer garden. The garden was a job, but we had fun and loved the rewards it gave us. My dad would navigate his John Deere tractor up and down the rows turning the rich soil and laying out the garden to plant our favorite vegetables. My mom, brother, sister and I were the planters and pickers. We even have a home movie from the late 1950s of our beautiful gardens and the large variety of vegetables we grew that year. I consider myself a “corn whisperer.” You see, I would go down in the garden, walk among the corn rows and pretend each stalk was a visitor to the garden. I would greet them and wish them a good season in hopes they would produce an abundance of corn. The great part about harvesting the peas and butter beans in the garden was that we could watch television while shelling them and never miss our favorite shows during our summer break from school. My mom, Helen Bretz, became a founding member of the Tuscaloosa County Master Gardener Association in the early 1990s. She always shared her love and knowledge for plants, vegetables and flowers with her children, grandchildren and her Fosters and Tuscaloosa communities. She volunteered at the Myrtlewood Elementary School and the Tuscaloosa City Main Library. In 2014, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer. In 2017, she participated in the Harvest for Health Program, which is led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Alabama Extension’s Home Grounds Team. Harvest for
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Health uses a backyard garden to teach new, healthy habits to cancer survivors. Master Gardeners were
paired with participants to assist with the construction, planting and teaching about vegetable gardening. The initial study’s results showed cancer survivors who ate more vegetables improved their strength and flexibility, were more motivated to exercise daily, and had other positive health indicators. Each of my siblings have carried on the love of planting gardens and raising fresh vegetables. My brother, Hunter Miles, has a beautiful garden each year and shares his harvest with his neighbors and community. My sister and her husband, Nita and Holden McAllister, completed the Tuscaloosa County Master Gardener Program in 2015. They too share the love of growing their own vegetables. One of their special projects is to grow heirloom tomatoes. Each year, they plant 19 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and produce over 600 plants to sell in the spring. They have shared their
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experience on the heirloom tomatoes with the Tuscaloosa County Master Gardens Association. Nita and Holden also constructed a greenhouse to assist with their vegetable growing. Their Thanksgiving table is always filled with vegetables harvested from their gardening. And then there were four. I have joined the class of 2019 Master Gardeners in Montgomery, Alabama. After working many years and raising two great sons, I decided I wanted to start on my bucket list and being a Master Gardener was at the top. I have always had some type of garden for the past 31 years and wanted to expand my knowledge on the whole concept of gardening. Several years ago, I started a garden in the backyard and my husband told my neighbor, “well, nothing is going to grow in that garden.” After harvesting fresh snap beans, black eyed peas and squash from my garden and cooking them one night, I asked my husband, “how does that nothing taste on our plates?” Gardening to me brings so many rewards and pleasures. Billie Crawford, an intern in the 2019 Master Gardener Class, lives in Montgomery. For more information on becoming a master gardener, visit www.capcitymga.org of email capcitymga@gmail.com.
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Exercises for Life Situations Functional Fitness has become a buzz word in the fitness business for many years. It is all about training your body to handle real life situations. For instance, lifting grocery bags out of the car requires forearm strength and balance. Putting those groceries up on the shelf requires shoulder strength, flexibility and calf muscle stability. In real life, you do not do an activity that just involves the bicep. Functional fitness is all about multi joint activity. Functional Fitness is focused on multi joint activity such as rotating your body. One must rotate the body to put the seat belt on, or twist to put a bag in the car or get the bag out of the car. Functional Fitness training continues to rank high in the exercise trends for 2019. Exercise programs for older adults in 2019 now ranks number 4. Getting started with functional fitness does not require weights entirely at the beginning. Most people can’t even control their own body weight without falling over. The first step should be to control and balance your own weight. Once you can control your own body weight you can start working with weights. There are popular tools that promote functional exercise such as stability balls, balance boards, both of which force the core to keep the body balanced while lifting a weight. What are some examples of functional fitness exercises? Multifaceted physical
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fitness levels of older adults. Twenty-four physically active adult volunteers ages 58-78 years were randomly assigned into an experimental group (functional exercise) and a control group (traditional movements found in activities such exercise). Both groups were tested before as tai chi and Pilates involve varying and after the training period using the combinations of resistance training that Fullerton Functional Fitness Test for Older can help build functional fitness. Other Adults. At the completion of the study examples of specific functional fitness the experimental group had significant improvements in lower body strength (13%), upper body strength (14%), cardiorespiratory endurance ( 7%), agility dynamic balance (13%), and shoulder by Leigh Anne Richards flexibility (43%) compared with the control group. The results of this study indicate a short course of functional exercise training can lead to improvements in movements that use multiple joints and several components that contribute to muscles include: functional fitness levels of older adults. • Multidirectional lunges-mimics preparing The functional fitness exercise circuit used your body for activities such as vacuuming in this study was shown to be inexpensive, and yard work. easy to individualize, and one that could be • Standing bicep curls vs. a machineperformed conveniently at home, or in an requires balance and stability exercise facility • Step ups on a step with weights- this
Fitness over Fifty
movement mimics walking up steps carrying groceries, or even grandchildren • Squats- sitting in a chair or on a toilet is an everyday movement that sometimes becomes difficult as we age.
In the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Journal, July 2008, an article entitled “The Effect of Functional Exercise Training on Older Adults” was published. The purpose of the study was to determine if 4 weeks of functional exercise training would result in improvements in functional
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The functional exercise circuit that was used in the study consisted of 12 exercises. Resistance was added as tolerated, using various levels of sand filled milk jugs to approximate weights of common household items (one-half to 10 pounds). As the exercises became easier to perform, the level of difficulty was increased by adding weight or making modifications to the exercise to achieve and maintain moderate intensity.
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The following exercises were used in the circuits:
• Unilateral balance- Subjects stood on one leg for 30 seconds while using the arms to hold onto the back of a chair for support • Golfers Lift- Subjects stood on one leg, with the knee straight. Then they flexed forward at the hip and reached toward the floor while extending the nonweightbearing leg behind the body. Then they returned to upright position • Squat with arms forward- Standing in place, subjects squatted slowly up and down for 60 seconds. The arms were kept slightly forward • Wall pushups- Subjects faced a wall with their feet at a comfortable distance away from the wall. Subjects leaned slowly toward the wall and then pushed away. • Lateral squats- Subjects stepped sideways and squatted side to side for one minute • Forward/backward lean- Subjects faced a wall with their arms crossed over their chest and learned toward the wall and tried to hold the position for 30 seconds. Then they returned to the upright position and their backs faced the wall and did the same exercise by leaning backwards. • Squat with diagonal reach-Subjects stood with feet shoulder distance apart and performed squats while alternating reaching
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with both hands down the lateral aspect of one ankle and then reached up past the contralateral aspect of the shoulder. Each side was performed 30 seconds • Walk around obstacles. Subjects walked for 1 minute on a level surface while maneuvering around cones placed on the floor in a figure 8 pattern • Overhead press- Subjects stood with feet shoulder width apart and performed overhead presses with 2 weights (one weight in each hand) • Rotation lunges- Subject began the exercise by facing forward. They rotated to the right and lunged with the right foot approaching the 5 o’clock position then returned to 12 o’clock position. Then rotated to the left to the 7 o’clock position and then back to the 12 o’clock. They performed alternate sides for one minute. • Lunge and chop- Subjects started in a partial forward lunge position and using a bilateral grip, held a small weight near the lateral aspect of the forward ankle. Then they rose upright and rotated the trunk, while raising the weight in the hands from a low lateral position to up and over the opposite shoulder. Each side was done for 30 seconds. • Stair Climb- Subjects climbed up and down a flight of stairs for 1 minute. The height of the steps was 10 inches.
Functional Fitness training is becoming more prevalent in gyms and fitness centers.” We all need to carry heavy things in our every- day life and the gym is one of the best ways to prepare for that,” says personal trainer and fitness writer Kevin Mullins in Washington D.C. “Because they help prepare for how they actually use their bodies, loaded carries are an integral component of the programs he designs for his clients.” Many classes and/or personal trainers incorporate these types of movements mentioned above. Any age should be performing these types of exercises but even more so as we age and begin to lose some of our balance and stability. Information taken from: Gundersen Lutheran Medical Journal, Volume 5, Number1, July 2008 WebMD, “Working out for Real Life Functions,” August 12, 2003 J 9 Top Fitness Trends for 2019, Pete McCall, ACE magazine January 09, 2019.
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
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By Willie Moseley
Popular Historical Drama to be Presented in Restored Tallassee Theatre A popular-and-acclaimed drama chronicling the days of the Muscogee Creek nation along the eastern edge of the River Region is slated to be presented once again in Tallassee, and this time around, the play will be staged in that town’s historic Mt. Vernon Theatre, with three performances slated for November 1, 2, and 3. “…and One Fire Still Burns” recounts the 1811 visit of Shawnee warrior Tecumseh to the Muscogee Creek capital of Tuckabatchee, which was located just south of modern-day Tallassee. It is a production of the Friends of Tuckabatchee, a nonprofit organization that has produced other local plays. The original version of the drama, which debuted in 2011, had been staged outdoors at the historic Patterson Cabin in east Tallassee. While that setting was unique and appropriate, the opportunity to present the production at another local landmark—without having to be concerned about possible inclement weather—is a unique prospect. What’s more, the upcoming performances
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won’t be the first time the presentation has been staged indoors.
Kervin, “but they loved it. That performance also showed us that we could do it indoors.” “The Muscogee have confirmed that what we are doing is authentic and historically correct,” added Liz Britt, president of the Friends of Tuckabatchee.
In 2014, several hundred Muscogee Creek tribe members from Oklahoma Revisions to “…and One Fire Still visited east Burns” will include a Native dance central Alabama performed by Cherokee nation to commemorate member Jack Crawford of Knoxville, the two Tennessee. The Nov. 1 performance hundredth will be presented for students from Farris Powell, Re-enactor anniversary of area schools. “…and One Fire Still Burns” the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The play was originally The play has also been designated as an scheduled to be presented at the site authorized 2019 event by the Alabama of the battle, but a storm front forced Bicentennial Commission. the producers and cast to move the performance to the Tallassee High School “We want to preserve and educate,” Kervin auditorium. summarized. “We take pride in the fact that we present the history on our soil as “I was concerned about how (tribe historically accurate as possible.” members) would feel about being shown For more information, visit their own heritage by modern-day www.friendsoftuckabatchee.com Tallassee residents,” said director Jeanna
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or call 334.313.3934
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Help the American Cancer Society Raise the Bar:
Discover and Support Cure! On November 1, 1512, Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were first exhibited; on November 1, 1848, the first U. S. medical school for women opened in Boston; on November 1, 1965, the first concert was held in Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco; on November 1, 1969, the Beatles’ album Abbey Road hit #1 on the billboard charts; and on November 1, 2019, the American Cancer Society (ACS) in the River Region will present the first-ever signature fundraiser Cure! Raising the Bar. Starting at 6:00 p.m. at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club, the event will feature live music by everyone’s favorite band, Chevy 6, crafted beers, liquor and wine and gourmet food tastings, live and silent auctions, and most important, the opportunity to help launch what is sure to become the River Region’s premier social and philanthropic annual event.
those already challenging cancer, our most important, world-changing and costly mission is developing a cure,” Gadd said. “Because we want our fundraising efforts to reflect our mission, our amazing and dedicated grassroots committee conceived this event, deciding on the new name for the event, sifting down to the core, imagining an event that highlights the most ambitious piece of the ACS mission—finding a cure for cancer. So, welcome to CURE! Raising the Bar!” said Gadd. “We are thrilled about this new opportunity, talented planning committee, and the promise of maintaining the ACS reputation of hosting the number one philanthropic event in the River Region. We expect more than 300 guests, including your friends, coworkers, community and civic leaders.”
“Of course, our number one goal is to find a cure for cancer. Then, of course, we want to ensure that families have what they need to secure treatment and a better quality of life. Because you rarely come across anyone whose life has not been impacted by cancer in some way, we feel like our event Cure is something everybody can support. We also want to add a whole lot of fun to the mix,” said Margen Gadd, Community Development Manager for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Montgomery. Cure! is the American Cancer Society’s answer to “Vintage Affair,” which was the agency’s primary fundraising event for 25 years. “That is an incredibly long and successful lifespan for a fundraising
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event, and we realized that we could never replace it,” said Gadd. Therefore, the agency gathered long-time and new friends of the American Cancer Society to help rebrand the event and take it to the next level. “The process has been so much fun, and the people so committed, we feel we cannot help but be successful.” In 2019, the ACS expects 1.6 million new cancer cases to be diagnosed. The ACS exists to help these people, saving and celebrating lives while leading the fight for a world without cancer. Of course, a world without cancer would signal the incredible discovery of a cure! “Apart from the amazing work we do to help
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There are several ways to help: buy a ticket, sponsor the event, contribute an auction item or become a volunteer. “Any of these commitments is vital to our success,” Gadd emphasized. Sponsorship packages and tickets are currently available by visiting www.ascalcure.org. “Don’t delay, sponsorships and tickets are limited. Don’t regret you did not play a vital role in supporting CURE!” For more information, call 334.612.8180 or email Margen Gadd at Margen.Gadd@ cancer.org.
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I
t’s different for all of us, but journalist Carl Honoré realized he was Old with a capital O at a hockey game, when a teammate pointed out he was the oldest player on the ice. He was 48 and saw himself on a one-way trip to elastic waistbands and a rocking chair.
This article first appeared on ww.considerable.com. For more info about Carl Honore, visit www.carlhonore.com
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Leadership Montgomery Unity Award Breakfast ABOUT THE UNITY AWARD: A Leadership Montgomery award recognizing collaboration that build bridges, fosters understanding, and enhances the RiverRegion community. The Leadership Montgomery Unity Award was created to recognize partnerships that have reached across cultural lines, enhanced our quality of life and made Montgomery a community for us all. The award was precipitated by the successful efforts of Leadership Montgomery Founders Lanny Crane, George Goodwyn, Sr., J.M. “Mike” Jenkins, IV, and Solomon Seay to partner with other individuals to make our community a better place for all its citizens. The selected Unity Award winner(s) will be recognized at the Leadership Montgomery Unity Award Breakfast on Blue Yonder Wednesday, September 25, 2019, 7:30am-9:00am at The Embassy Suites Hotel, Downtown Montgomery. For event details, additional information or to make reservations for the event, visit our website at www.leadershipmontgomery.org or call the Leadership Montgomery office at 334.262.2261.
Superstar – A Celebration of the Music of “THE CARPENTERS” Thursday, September 26, at 7 pm, Enterprise High School Performing Arts Center, Enterprise, AL. The name of the show is: Superstar - The Songs and Stories of the Carpenters. The evening is a celebration of all the songs you know and love along with some fascinating stories about the brother/sister duo. Join Helen Welch as she celebrates the magic and music of the Carpenters. Helen’s distinctive alto voice settles in perfectly in her performance of Carpenters classics such as; Close To You, We’ve Only Just Begun, Superstar, Yesterday Once More, Rainy Days and Mondays, For All We Know, Top of the World and many more. Information and tickets: www.CoffeeCountyArtsAlliance.com or 334-406-2797.
Fiesta Birmingham! Vamos – ¡Fiesta está celebrando Alabama juntos! Join us Saturday, Sept. 28 from noon to 8 p.m. in Birmingham’s Linn Park for Fiesta 2019, the state’s largest celebration of Hispanic culture and heritage and, this year, a celebration of Alabama’s Bicentennial! You won’t want to miss the excitement as we share the rich, diverse and storied history of Alabama’s Hispanic community and recognize 200 years of statehood. Experience the best of Hispanic culture in your own backyard as you journey through 20 represented countries and encounter the best of Latin American art, music, food and dance. Plus, enjoy performances from talented Latin American artists live from the Coca-Cola mainstage. Tickets can be purchased for $10 each, children ages 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Donations to Fiesta scholarships are also encouraged online and at the event. For more information or to get your tickets, visit www.fiestabham.com.
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Slave Dwelling Project Comes to Old Alabama Town Old Alabama Town (OAT) hosts the Slave Dwelling Project September 20-21, 2019, with educational programming that is open to the public for free both days. Joseph McGill, founder of the Slave Dwelling Project, joins OAT staff to raise awareness about the legacies of slavery and extant slave dwellings, focusing on several historic structures at Old Alabama Town. He will be joined by Jerome Bias, a food historian, who will provide on-site food demonstrations at the Ordeman-Mitchell-Shaw Townhouse complex along with discussions by McGill throughout the day on Saturday, September 21. Both events are open to the public for free as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day. McGill will speak about the Slave Dwelling Project on Friday, September 20, 2019, at 6 p.m. in the Hobbs Auditorium of the Loeb Reception Center at 301 Columbus. On Saturday, September 21, he will interpret the lives of enslaved people in Montgomery and Bias will prepare food as enslaved people would have done. These presentations will be in the kitchen/scullery/slave dwelling of the Ordeman-Mitchell-Shaw Townhouse complex (built 1853)—one of only two extant slave dwellings in Alabama that are open to the public. For more information visit www.oldalabamatown.com or www.slavedwellingproject.org
Scarecrows at the Zoo The Alabama Herb Society invites entries for “Scarecrows at the Zoo,” an exhibition of original and naturally crafted scarecrows at the Zoo that capture the wonders of herbs and natural plant life. The theme is “ALL Things in Nature.” Please make scarecrow with materials found in nature, as much as possible. SCARECROW CATEGORIES: Children friendly at the Zoo: elementary school, high school, college, or adult person or group/ business. Scary at the Zoo: elementary school, high school, college, or adult person or group/business. Date to Submit entry information back to Zoo will be announced in the ZOO BOO announcement. Entry Information: Scarecrow Name/Theme, contact person(s): name/e-mail/phone number. Scarecrows to be installed at the Zoo before ZOO BOO and will be taken down after ZOO BOO 2019. Mayor’s Office to judge scarecrows. Ribbons and prizes for best scarecrow in each category. For more info call 334.245.3508 or email, info@alabamaherbsociety.org
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The 19th annual Titus Bluegrass Festival Get ready for twangy fiddles, sweet harmonizing and heartfelt songs on September 28th. The 19th annual Titus Bluegrass Festival, scheduled to begin at 10 am and continue until 4 pm, allows attendees to relax and enjoy the picking and grinning of live bluegrass music. Scrumptious barbecue will be available and booths will be filled with crafts, cookbooks, and peanuts. The Titus Community Center, the home of the festival, is a shady grove that is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxed day. Hank Williams Sr. once gave a concert at the Community Center. Just days before his first Grand Ole Opry appearance, he performed at a cost of $.25 per person. On stage this year will be some the finest entertainers in the South. Shannon Slaughter and Country Clare’s (https://shannonslaughter.com/home) tight knit band come together for a sound you will never forget. Shannon has three #1 songs to his credit and numerous top 10 songs on Bluegrass radio. Stanley and Company (www.facebook.com/StanleyandCompany) features Mr. Stanley Humphreys, his daughter and one of the most established group of musicians around. The band loves to play Bluegrass Gospel and classic old time favorites. Allen Tolbert and Friends (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DbO09nMGC_0) performs with a group of exceptional young student musicians. Allen is one of the finest musicians in Bluegrass. The Titus Community Center is located approximately 10 miles north of Wetumpka on U.S. Highway 231, then north on County Road 29. Admission to the festival is $10.00 for adults and children under 12 get in free. This year promises to be another day of the highest quality talent that has come to be expected. Bring your favorite lawn chair, your friends and come experience it live! You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the best of today's bluegrass music. For more information, visit www.tituscommunitycenter.org or www.facebook.com/ TCCBluegrassFestival/.
Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum Launch Augmented Reality App to put a Wild Adventure Right to Your Hand The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is excited to announce the launch of new opportunity for guests to interact with their favorite animals using an innovative new technology, augmented reality. Using the Montgomery ZooView app (available in the Apple App Store and Google Play), Zoo guests will be able to bring a two-dimensional image to life on their smart phones or tablets. The technology augments the real-world environment with computer-generated animated video, sound and other data. It enhances one’s perception of a two-dimensional object, such as a photograph, and brings it to life in real-time and in context with the surrounding environment. The Zoo has partnered with Auburn-based advertising agency McNutt & Partners, LLC, to implement augmented reality technology at some of the zoo’s most popular exhibits with the goal of adding additional exhibits in the future. The Montgomery Zoo is among the first zoos in the country to use augmented reality as a way to better the educational experience for its visitors. “When we were approached about introducing our guests to a new type of experience, we did not hesitate to be a leader in using augmented reality to educate our guests. We live in a world that is driven by technology and it is important for us to continue to bring new experiences to our guests so that our Zoo is always new and exciting each and every visit,” Marcia Woodard, Zoo Director said. For more info visit www.montgomeryzoo.com
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Master Gardener Associations Presents Free Lunch & Learn Programs Capital City Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn 2019 the 1st Wednesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They meet at the Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Avenue, Downtown Montgomery. Mark your calendars, September 4th, Decorating with Gourds, Sandra Rosamond, Master Gardener and October 2nd, Those Pesky Fire Ants, Mallory Kelley, Horticulturist, ACES Autauga County Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn 2019 the 1st Thursday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They meet at the Trinity United Methodist Church, 610 Fairview Avenue, Prattville 36066. Mark your calendars, September 5th, Native Plants For Our Area, Dr. Sue Webb, Petals from the Past and October 3rd, Japanese Maples, Robert Fifield, Horticulturist & Nursery Owner. Elmore County Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn 2019 the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They meet at the Elmore County Extension Office, 340 Queen Ann Rd., Wetumpka, AL 36092. Mark your calendars, September 10th, Controlling Pesky Weeds, Virginia Pruitt, Master Gardener and October 8th, Bugs In and Around the Home, Dani Carroll, Horticulturist, ACES. For information, please contact the Montgomery County Extension Office 334.270.4133. Also visit www.capcitymga.org.
Zoobilation Zoobilation is a fundraiser geared for adults only. All guests must be 21 years old or older to attend. Tickets are $50 per person (discounted group tickets are available). This is a single-night event featuring a night under the stars at the Montgomery Zoo with food and beverages from over 50 of the region’s finest eateries; live, toetapping music; a digital auction; fun, fun, and more fun. And the night was surely bringing vast surprises and delights. This year's proceeds will be contributed to the design and construction of a new reptile facility that will reside in our South American realm. For more information call 334.240.4900 or visit www.montgomeryzoo.com
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Mayor Todd Strange Receives Honorary Doctorate from Faulkner University This year’s annual Faulkner University Convocation ceremony was not only a spirit-filled celebration of the start of a new school year by students and faculty, but it was a special way to recognize outgoing Mayor Todd Strange for his ten years of service to the City of Montgomery. The Tine Davis Gym on Faulkner’s campus was filled on Monday with nearly 2,000 new and returning Faulkner Eagles, faculty and staff and guests from Alabama Christian Academy for the event. Following a processional and introduction of the university's faculty, performances by the University Chorus and remarks from President Mike Williams, Williams along with Chancellor Billy Hilyer and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dave Rampersad, bestowed the university’s highest honor, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Mayor Todd Strange. With a broad smile, Williams introduced the “newly-minted doctor” to the applause of the crowd while a comic-book style introduction played on the screens. “Here is the true, ‘Dr. Strange,’” Williams said. Strange was overcome with emotion. “There are very few times I have chill bumps when I lose my train of thought and this was one of those times,” Strange said. “I’ve said before that is has been the greatest honor of my life to be able to serve this community for ten years and for Faulkner, who is just a beacon of light in this community, who does so much great work in particular with education, to recognize my years in office and to honor me in this way, I’m grateful and I’m just honored.” When Williams first came to Montgomery five years ago, Strange was one of the first leaders in the city to reach out and introduce himself and the two have forged a friendship and a shared vision to better Montgomery, Williams said. “As a newcomer to Montgomery, I met with Mayor Strange to lay out a vision of Faulkner to be deeply integrated in Montgomery,” Williams said. “He just met me with open arms, and basically said ‘we want to help propel Faulkner because we want what Faulkner has to offer.’ It’s just been a great partnership and to recognize him and our partnership is a great celebration. We join the whole city in celebrating ten years of growth in Montgomery and it is due in large part to Todd’s leadership.” “Mayor Todd Strange understands that the way to solve society’s challenges is through partnership. He sees the potential, not just the problem. Mayor Todd Strange is the epitome of a public servant.”
Montgomery Botanical Gardens News, Monthly Classes Fee to MBG Mmbers, $5 Donation Rquested of Others Put the Dates on Your Calendar, call a friend and Join Us for Classes at THE MONTGOMERY BOTANICAL GARDENS. Meet us in the Outdoor Classroom at MBG where there are “stump seats” but you may also bring a chair.
Saturday, September 14 at 9 am
“PLANNING YOUR FALL GARDEN” Presented by Mike Forster, Master Gardener Mike is an experienced gardener, an excellent instructor and faithful volunteer.
Saturday, October 5, at 9 am
"CAPTURING THE BEAUTY OF NATURE WITH YOUR CAMERA" Presented by Shellee Roberts, Studio Manager Shellee is Studio Manager and Photographer at The Total Image. The Montgomery Botanical Gardens is a lovely setting to see and capture the beauty of nature up close. Participants please bring your camera. For more info visit www.montgomerybotanicalgardens.com
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TOWN OF PIKE ROAD HONORS VETERANS ONE BRICK AT A TIME This fall, the Town of Pike Road will continue its tradition of honoring veterans at the annual Veterans Appreciation Ceremony. From now until September 27, community members can purchase Someone’s Grandchild Needs commemorative bricks to honor a veteran in their lives. The bricks Your Support can be personalized with the following information: Name, Rank and Branch, Years of Service. They will be installed in the Walk of Honor at the Pike Road Veterans Memorial and dedicated at the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony on November 3, 2019. Order forms and more information can be found at www.pikeroad.us, or by calling 334.272.9883. Since the first bricks were installed in November of 2012, over 200 men and women have been honored for their service to our country. Personalized bricks installed in the Walk of Honor allow community members to honor specific veterans who have made an impact in their lives, such as family members, friends, and mentors. Bricks may be ordered to honor any veteran, regardless of his or her location. “We are so thankful for the men and women who have served and sacrificed to keep our country free,” said Mayor Gordon Stone. “Our Veterans Memorial and Veterans Appreciation Ceremony allow us to show our respect and appreciation of these men and women, both collectively and as individuals honored on our Walk of Honor. In a region that is touched daily by our great service men and women, we are honored to provide this recognition.”
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Adding a Personal Backup with a Living Trust A living trust and a professional trustee can give you an emergency backup program for your finances. The managers of well-run businesses usually name "backups" to keep things going smoothly -- just in case. That's also a smart plan for your personal finances, where you risk experiencing financial losses or other difficulties if you can't make your own decisions because of a long illness or other unexpected problem. You might prepare for this unhappy possibility by giving a family member or another trusted individual the legal power to act for you if necessary. But what would happen if you made an unsophisticated individual your personal financial backup? You might be more comfortable using what is called a "living trust" -- with a professional trustee that could easily step into your financial management role if needed. Standby Protection Here's how a living trust could potentially work. You initially transfer assets into the trust, naming yourself as the trustee. You also name a reliable, experienced trustee as the successor trustee. At that time, you simply continue managing your finances as usual, until the circumstances that you've specified in your trust agreement -- an illness or extended travel, for instance -- prevent it. Then, the successor trustee will take over management of the trust assets for as long as necessary. Other Advantages Providing a reliable financial backup is just one advantage a living trust can offer. Another is flexibility. You maintain control of your assets during your lifetime, and are free to make changes anytime. For example, you
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could give your trustee more or less responsibility, amend the trust's provisions, or even cancel the trust entirely.
Financial Thoughts
with Austin Barranco
Here's an additional advantage. Your trust can protect your family after your death by keeping your assets under a professional investment manager's uninterrupted care. And living trust assets don't pass through probate. That can make the settlement of your estate easier, faster, and often much less costly. Eventually, your family or other beneficiaries will receive the trust's assets on the schedule you've arranged and under the conditions you've specified. That's another advantage -- the ability to determine what happens to your wealth over the long term. And the terms of the trust are private, unlike the terms of a will that passes through the probate process. Trial Period Last, there's a practical advantage: You can give your future asset management arrangements a test drive. If your trustee manages the trust assets during your lifetime, you'll be able to decide whether you're satisfied with the arrangements you've made -- and with the quality and reliability of the trustee's services. Austin Barranco, Financial Advisor
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Brandt McDonald, Managing Partner McDonald & Hagen Wealth Management LPL Branch Manager www.mcdonaldhagen.com Direct comments and questions to Jennifer.Hunt@LPL.com or 334.387.0094 The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Stock investing involves risk including loss of principle. This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized legal or tax advice. We suggest you discuss your specific legal or tax issues with a qualified legal or tax advisor. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by DST Systems, Inc. or its sources, neither DST Systems, Inc. nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall DST Systems, Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscriber's or others' use of the content. Š 2018 DST Systems, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited, except by permission. All rights reserved. Not responsible for any errors or omissions. Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA & SIPC. Investment advice offered through McDonald & Hagen Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor, and separate entity from LPL Financial.
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RECIPE: White Barbecue Sauce By Stacey Little Southern Bite
Now, most folks are probably scratching their heads right now and saying, “White barbecue sauce?” This mayo-based concoction is hugely popular in north Alabama and was made famous by the amazing barbecue joint Big Bob Gibson. I love it on grilled or smoked chicken or turkey, but it’s also great on pork. I recommend basting with it toward the end of cooking and serving it with the meat as a dipping sauce. It’s also great on lots of other things, too – salads, as a dip for chips or pretzels, you name it. If you’ve never tried this, I bet you’re going to love this deliciously tangy sauce. Most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are already in your kitchen. Alabama White Barbecue Sauce Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon creole mustard 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste) 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon paprika Instructions I Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl. I Refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop.
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I Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week. Notes This sauce is perfect as a baste (just use near the end of cooking) or even as a dipping sauce for chicken, turkey or pork. It’s great on a pulled pork sandwich, too.
This recipe originally appeared on www.SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out ”The Southern Bite Cookbook.”
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Ask an Elder Law Attorney
By: Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law | Red Oak Legal, PC
4 Things You Don’t Know About Estate Planning 1. “Stale” Documents
Every adult age 19 or older should have a durable power of attorney. This is a document that appoints another person (called your “Agent”) to manage your financial and business affairs on your behalf, particularly if you are no longer able to manage them yourself. The same is true of an Advance Directive, which is essentially a Power of Attorney for Healthcare that appoints an agent to make medical decisions for you if you are no longer able to make them for yourself. Most powers of attorney do not expire on a given date. Instead, they are usually effective until you either revoke the document, or you die.
will names a guardian for your children, and those children are in their 30’s or 40’s, that’s probably a good sign that it’s time for an update.
The number one problem that will “break” your estate plan is the failure to consider how ownership of non-probate property will pass Protection Workshop after your death.
Attend Free Workshop Estate Planning and Asset
Wednesday, October 23: Hosted by Red Oak Legal, PC: 1:303:30 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.
As a practical matter, however these documents are only useful if the bank, hospital, physician or other third party will accept it as valid proof of the agent’s authority to act. For example, if you walk into a bank with a power of attorney that your mother gave you in 1981, the bank is more likely to scrutinize the document more carefully than they would if it were dated 2012.
Other reasons to update your estate plan may include marriage and divorce (of you or your children), the birth of new children or grandchildren, or the death of a spouse or other family member. Likewise, acquiring more wealth can be a reason to update your plan.
That’s what I call a “stale” document. Technically it’s as effective as the day it was signed. But practically you may run into some problems if it was typed on ancient, yellowing paper thirty years ago.
In sum, estate planning is a process, not something you do once, put in a drawer and forget about it. It needs to be updated from time to time to reflect your current financial and family situation, and your current wishes.
2. It’s Not a One-Shot Deal
3. Your Estate Plan Might Not Work
I often see clients who have previously drafted wills or other estate planning documents. But these documents are often seriously out of date. Unlike the powers of attorney discussed above, your last will and testament doesn’t really get “stale.” It’s a document that is essentially meaningless until your death. The law says that a will only “speaks” at death. This is because you can revise or revoke your will at any time while you are alive, so long as you’re competent to do so. I cannot tell you how often you should update your will, but I will say this: if your
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become the property of the surviving coowner at your death.
When I teach estate planning workshops to the public, I make a point to explain that your will may have very little to do with who actually inherits your property at death. In fact, it may have nothing at all to do with who gets what. That is because some kinds of property passes “outside the will.” For example, life insurance will pay the beneficiary named in the policy, regardless of what your will says. If you have a retirement account like an IRA, you probably designated a beneficiary to receive the proceeds at your death. Similarly, many jointly owned bank accounts and pieces of real estate will automatically
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4. You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
When it comes to estate planning, don’t trust the advice you get down at the beauty shop or the coffee shop. The fact is every situation is different, and just because something worked for one person doesn’t mean it will be the same for you. I do estate planning work every day, and I’m always learning something new. Just recently I was surprised to learn that in most cases burial plots do not pass to the beneficiaries under your last will and testament. Instead Alabama law says that the plots go to the people who would have inherited your property if you had died without a will (unless you specifically reference and make a gift of the burial plots in your will). Most folks aren’t thinking about who will get the leftover cemetery plots after their deaths, and it’s commonly overlooked. But the lots can be valuable, and it can lead to a great deal of confusion over who gets to own them after you’re gone. Remember, estate planning is something we do for our loved ones—after all they’re the ones who will have to pick up the pieces after we’re gone. So dust yours off from time to time and make sure it’s up to date.
Raley L. Wiggins Attorney at Law, Red Oak Legal, PC 334-239-3625 | info@redoaklegalpc.com 322 Catoma Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, www.redoaklegalpc.com The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Do you have a plan? FREE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP
Estate Planning, Asset Protection & Medicaid Eligibility
CALL US OR REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!
Join local attorney Raley L. Wiggins to discuss wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, probate administration, protecting your assets, bankruptcy, divorce & remarriage, nursing homes, long term care and Medicaid qualification.
Seats fill up quickly! Reserve your seat today:
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BOOM! COVER PROFILE
Crump Senior Center
Social, Physical & Recreational Activities...and Lunch
This month’s cover profile is Crump Senior Center. Crump is a community center operated by the City of Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department. Crump serves the people of the River Region over age 50, with an average weekly attendance of 2,000-2,500 seniors, who exercise, play games like Bridge and Canasta, participate in arts and crafts and socialize. They even serve a delicious lunch! The Crump Center is operated by a staff of 8 and many more volunteers. One of those volunteers is Martha Poole Simmons. Martha was instrumental along with others who formed a committee to replace the old Crump Center located on Highland Ave. She led the “Friends of Crump Center” to encourage the city to find a more suitable building to serve our seniors and they were successful in opening the new Crump Center in 2011. Martha was very helpful in making this cover profile come together, especially bringing together seven of her Tuesday bridge playing partners who just happen to all be nonagenarians (people age 90-99) for our cover photo and a brief profile below. There are many articles out there about aging well and how best to do it. But one of the most important ingredients to aging well is having a social life and in that regard Crump Senior Center is very good therapy for our seniors. I hope you take advantage of it.
Nonagenarians@Crump, Playing Bridge Roy M. Browder-90
Roy Browder is a retired civil engineer who was born and reared in Montgomery. His parents were Osborn B. Browder and Ora Maude Browder. After attending Sidney Lanier High School and working, he volunteered and served in the U. S. Navy for three years in the area of construction, plumbing and sheet metal. Browder graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. Degree in civil engineering, and he worked for Texas Structural Engineering for one year, for Sherlock, Smith and Adams, a Montgomery architectural and engineering firm for one year and for 20 years at Maxwell Air Force Base as a civil engineer retiring in 1989. Browder and his late wife, Margaret Julia Browder, were married for 62 years, and they had two children, four grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. He enjoys rooting for the University of Alabama’s Crimson
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Tide football team, playing golf, and performing handy-man jobs for his neighbors. Browder was one of the original volunteers who signed a charter to incorporate the Crump Center which led to its move to a location in a larger building to serve more senior adults.
Merrelle Haire-90
Merelle Haire was born in Ariton, AL, to her parents, Randle and Kizzie Haire. She was reared near Tampa, FL, and after graduation from Hillsboro High School there, she graduated from Florida State University with a degree in home economics and elementary education. After teaching fourth grade for one year, she married Wallace Haire, and they had two sons, two grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. For recreation, Merrelle enjoys ballroom dancing, playing bridge and shopping.
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Charles E. Lynn-94
Charles E. Lynn was born and reared in Montgomery, Alabama, and upon graduation from Lanier High School, he joined the United States Army Air Corps and served as a gunner in a turret in the bottom of B17’s flying 35 missions from England over Germany without injury. He and his late wife, Jonnie, had four children, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. After WWII, Charlie returned to AL and attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University) and graduated from Howard College (Samford University) with a B.A in business administration. He worked in sales for the Cudahy Packing Company and Mid-South Packing Company selling beef and then started Lynn’s Letters, a sign company. Charlie is an active member of First
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Baptist Church of Montgomery. His ministry includes picking up bread from two bakeries and delivering it to the Caring Center at First Baptist where the bread is given to indigent people. He is also active serving people through the Salvation Army. When he is not volunteering in the community, Charlie is an avid golfer and bridge player.
Flo McCormick-91
Flo McCormick was born, reared and educated in Montgomery, AL, and her parents were Theodore R. Shaffer and Rose Shaffer. She attended Huntingdon College two years where she studied business, and she worked for 40 years, first at the V.A. for one year and then at Maxwell Air Force Base. Flo and her husband, Thomas M. McCormick, had two daughters. Flo enjoys playing bridge and cooking.
Walt Spiro-92
Walt Spiro was born in Birmingham, AL, and he has been married to Jean Spiro for 72 years. They have two daughters, three
grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Spiro attended the University of Chattanooga on a full football scholarship. When World War II began, he tried to enlist. However, he was turned down because he had two perforated eardrums. He lived and
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worked at Dawson, GA, where he worked at a radio station as program director and then moved to Montgomery where he worked at radio stations, WMGY and WCOV. He was honored in 1956 by being selected for Who’s Who in Radio and T.V. He played Santa Clause at the radio station and continued doing that in the Montgomery community for many years. He then sold insurance with the Prudential Insurance Company. His last employment was with Faulkner University for 22 years from age 65 through 87 in the area of talent search. He graduated from AUM in the first graduating class and served in the AL Defense Force for 23 years. In the past, he enjoyed fishing and bowling. He now enjoys playing bridge.
Esther Varon-90
Esther Varon and her family escaped Jewish persecution and annihilation in Odessa, Russia, a port city on the Black Sea, and emigrated legally to the United States where they became productive American citizens. Her husband, Morris Varon, and she opened a small restaurant and then a swanky one, Varon’s, on Woodley Road near Huntingdon College. Esther retired from the Finance Dept. of the City of Montgomery where she worked for many years. Esther has five children, three daughters and two sons, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, all of whom have become well educated and successful. She enjoys traveling and playing bridge, and she creates exquisite jewelry. Esther who celebrated her 90th birthday
January 5, 2019, is thankful for the love and support of her children which have made it possible for her to be where she is now.
Lucille Latham-91
Lucille Latham was born and reared in Mississippi. When she became an adult, she moved to Syracuse, New York, and resided there for 60 years. Her late husband, Charles Latham, and she had two sons, four grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Lucille worked in various jobs and retired as an assistant school teacher for special needs children as well as a caterer for many years. She has taught Sunday school for 37 years, and her hobbies include fishing, gardening and crocheting. Lucille has travelled extensively to Canada, Europe and the United States, and she has remained active in the community and in her local church.
Martha Poole Simmons Volunteer
To help establish the new Crump Senior Center, Martha Poole Simmons served as the President of the Friends of the Crump Senior Center, the volunteers’ group that launched the efforts to get the Montgomery City Council to purchase the building at 1749 Dickinson Drive. She also secured seven grants for the purchase and installation of a stove, dishwasher, sink drain, wall unit, intercom system, LCD, restroom railings, etc. for a total of $25,000 Martha serves as the volunteer Coordinator of the Tuesday afternoon bridge sessions at the Crump Senior
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Center. An average of 28 bridge players enjoy playing cards along with the fellowship. The players include eight who are over ninety years old. The group has been together for over 11 years first playing at the old Crump Center building and continuing at the new site. Players bond together and provide assistance through prayers, calls, and cards whenever one of them is ill, having surgery or experiencing bereavement. Martha seeks avenues for serving others whether it is through coordinating bridge with senior adults, aiding disaster clients through the American Red Cross or assisting veterans at the Central AL Veterans Out- Patient Clinic. Her areas of service that she feels passionate about are the elderly and the American veterans. Martha cares deeply about veterans who have served during WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and as a volunteer reporter, she interviews them and writes articles about their lives for publication in the Alabama Gazette. After teaching school for 32 years, Martha retired and began looking for ways to serve others. She found pathways for such service via the Red Cross, Baptist South Medical Center, the Crump Senior Center and the VA medical clinic. These opportunities provided ways for her to carry out the teachings of Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.”
Crump Senior Center
The Crump Senior Center located at 1749 Congressman Dickinson Drive
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Avenue in 1970. Beginning in March 1973, senior citizens' services at the Mureal Crump Community Center were provided for in a building that was Mike McGuire, never renovated. Director, Crump Center Because this 87-year-old building had many structural problems dealing with the roof, plumbing and wiring, it was not cost effective to repair or to replace such items. In early 2010 after rainfalls caused repeated flooding of the interior of the original Crump Center, a group of seniors began to have meetings to discuss plans for obtaining another site for the Center. In May 2010, community leaders were invited to a luncheon at the old site, and a program featuring a Power-Point presentation was presented illustrating the defects of the building and an outline of possibilities for increased activities The City of Montgomery Parks and and services at a newer facility. In July Recreation Department operates the 2009, a group of senior citizen volunteers Center with a staff of eight. The Capital organized under the name of Friends Sounds Concert Band is housed there of Crump Center and became officially for its rehearsals. The Band under the incorporated with a goal of getting a direction of John center that Jackson performs a was more wide variety of music, spacious and including marches, compliant with classical, patriotic, the American show tunes, jazz and Disabilities swing continuing the Act. Beginning tradition of providing November 1, concert band music 2010, a support for the many activities group of 20 and occasions that seniors formed take place in the an Advisory capital city each Board for the year. In addition Friends of to the activities for the Crump seniors during the Mayor Todd Strange and the late Margaret Bishop, Center with former Director of Crump Center week, rental space for the purpose receptions is available on weekends. of securing a new and better site. The mission of the Friends of the Crump A grass roots effort by a small group of Center was to secure a new site for the seniors led to success in getting a new Crump Senior Center and to raise funds senior center for Montgomery. Prior to for the renovations of the building at the purchase of the new Crump Senior the new site because funds were not Center building, the City purchased the available from the City of Montgomery Highland Park Church of Christ building to renovate and to provide the basic erected in 1923 at 1735 Highland provides a facility for daytime activities of recreation, exercise and learning for seniors in the River Region community. The mission of the Crump Senior Center is to serve senior citizens' social and physical needs in the City of Montgomery by providing programs in a fully accessible facility. Although there is an annual membership fee of $10.00, all regular services are free, and the Center provides a lunch-time meal on weekdays for only $5.00. A reservation is required by calling the Crump Center at 334-6254547 by 3:00 on the previous day of the meal.
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Angelina Carter, Art Instructor @ Crump
kitchen facilities as well as to furnish the interior. The Friends of Crump Center were challenged with the goal of raising between $75,000 to $100,000 for renovations. The members of the Advisory Board led fund-raising efforts for renovations of the building. Those fund-raisers included two huge rummage sales, two Game Benefit Days, two patriotic concerts by the Capitol Sounds Concert Band, creation and sales of Friends of Crump Center tee shirts and active solicitation of donations. The goal was reached and exceeded with a total of $108,000 raised for the renovations of the building at the new site. The mission of the Friends of the Crump Center Advisory Board was accomplished, and the incorporation of the Friends of Crump Center was dissolved at the end of June 2011.
Rebecca Teague and Martha Poole
Bessie Robinson, Volunteer
An official ribbon cutting officially opening the new Crump Senior Center was held March 16, 2011.
stretch and tone in a chair, line dancing, hand weights and walking. A medical release from a physician is required for participants Social, physical and in any exercise recreational activities and program or for use lunch are provided five of any exercise days each week. Hours of equipment. operation at the Crump Senior Organizations have Center are Monday through monthly meetings Friday 8:00-5:00. Although at Crump. there are other areas in Participants at Montgomery where senior the Crump Senior citizens may go for fellowship Center include and low-cost meals, the people over age Crump Senior Center offers 50 predominantly the most variety of activities from Montgomery Jane Eaton, Librarian and County, but services in also, people from throughout the River comparison Region. An average of 2,000 to 2,500 with any other senior adults participate each week in organization. exercises, games, arts and crafts and A monthly meals at the Crump Senior Center. calendar We want to thank each of the nonagenarians is printed who shared their time and information with featuring the us. Of course, a big thank you to Martha Poole menu for Simmons for writing the Crump Center article The building lunch and the and coordinating the photo shoot/tour at Crump. If you would like to get involved with for the Crump schedules for Crump Center call 334.625.4547 or to learn Senior Center activities. Arts more about volunteer opportunities email was purchased and crafts Martha at mpsimmons@charter.net. If you by the City of activities have questions, comments or suggestions Montgomery include Group floor exercises @ Crump about our cover profiles, including nominating in November watercolor and someone, please send them to Jim Watson at 2010. One-half of the building was acrylic painting, adult-coloring (stress jim@riverregionboom.com designated for use as the Crump Senior reduction), knitting, crochet, quilting, Read all of the BOOM! Cover Profiles at Center with the other half occupied by jewelry making, flower arranging as www.riverregionboom.com/archive/ the Montgomery Police Department well as games such as bridge, canasta, detectives providing 24-hour security. pinochle and dominoes. Exercise Half of the building provides 30,000 sq. classes such as low impact aerobics, www.RiverRegionBoom.com ft. of ground level space for the Center. Yoga, sit-stretch-strength exercise,
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Eating Smart with Tracy Bhalla
The Humble Tomato
Ahh, the beautiful aroma of fresh grown tomatoes on the vine – particularly when they’re your own! So easy to grow and so SO much better than the ones you get in the stores. A tomato should SMELL like a tomato; put your nose against most supermarket ones and you don’t smell a thing. Just walk past a tomato plant and you get a lovely whiff of that unmistakable tomato fragrance. It smells so good in fact, that The White Company had a candle and room spray in “vine-ripened tomato” fragrance for the summer this year! ”Transport your senses to the streets of Italy and imagine stepping out of the beating sun into a cool, shaded courtyard. From the balconies above, juicy tomatoes ripen in the heat, growing from twisting vines and filling the air with their earthy scent. This fresh and leafy blend of tomato and moss accords is decidedly moreish.” www. Thewhitecompany.com
And yet it has to be one of the easiest plants to grow, whether you start from seed or buy a small seedling from a nursery or plant sale. We were still having tomatoes from ours in November last year, so I can only imagine how long the growing season in Alabama is. Of course, there are health benefits to eating tomatoes, but also a few things to be careful of. I’ll look at those first. For those of you who suffer from indigestion or acid reflux, tomatoes can be a factor in that. Try cutting them out for a week or two and see if it improves. Also, tomatoes are often a significant factor in allergies, so again, eliminate them for a while and see if your allergies improve. Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family, along with potatoes, eggplant and sweet peppers. For people susceptible to regular headaches, all nightshades contain solanines, which can trigger headaches in those people.
If you get canker sores, avoid eating tomatoes while they are around as tomatoes can make them even more painful. Assuming you do not fall into any of the above categories, however, there are some very good reasons to eat tomatoes (besides the fact that they’re delicious!) Consumption of tomatoes and tomato-based products has been linked to improved skin health and a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. The main plant compounds in tomatoes are: • Lycopene. A red pigment and antioxidant, lycopene has been extensively studied for its beneficial health effects. In general, the redder the tomato, the more lycopene it has. • Beta carotene. An antioxidant that often gives foods a yellow or orange hue, beta carotene is converted into vitamin A in your body. • Naringenin. Found in tomato skin, this flavonoid has been shown to decrease inflammation and protect against various diseases in mice. • Chlorogenic acid. A powerful antioxidant compound, chlorogenic acid may help lower blood pressure. As we all know by now, antioxidants are huge in cancer prevention and tomatoes have a very high concentration, particularly of lycopene.
prostate, lung and stomach cancers.
A study in middleaged men linked low blood levels of lycopene and beta-carotene to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes; therefore, increasing your levels of lycopene and betacarotene by eating more tomatoes should reduce that risk. Increasing evidence from clinical trials suggests that supplementing with lycopene may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Clinical studies of tomato products indicate benefits against inflammation and markers of oxidative stress. They also show a protective effect on the inner layer of blood vessels and may decrease your risk of blood clotting. Lycopene also seems to help protect our skin against sunburn. Not that I’m telling not to wear sunscreen, but studies have been done that show a 40% lower instance of sunburn in people who consumed 16mg of lycopene a day (in this case in the form of tomato paste – a highly concentrated form of tomato, therefore high in lycopene). Now if that isn’t enough reasons to eat a few more tomatoes, I don’t know what is! And just to prove how easy they are to grow, I got three large pots, filled them with soil, scattered a packet of tomato seeds on them and watered them well. Now look at them!
Studies have shown that people who eat more tomatoes have a lower risk of getting
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 skincare products myself for over RiverRegionBoom.com 2019 BOOM! September Thetheir River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine 44 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 have.
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Wildflower Café Mentone
Dining Destination & So Much More
O
By Susan Swagler Alabama Newscenter
www.alabamanewscenter.com
ver the years, Wildflower Café has become a dining destination in Mentone, which is, of course, its own awesome destination atop Lookout Mountain. Café owner Laura Catherine Moon (just “Moon” to everyone she knows and meets) is as much of a draw as the regionally famous tomato pie or the carefully curated small general store with handmade art and crafts or the eclectically furnished, hippie-chic dining rooms or the colorful, peaceful wildflower garden surrounding the 1800s log cabin that houses the café and store. Moon has owned Wildflower Café for more than a decade, but she never really intended to go into the restaurant business.
Wildflower Café has been part of Mentone for more than a decade and has become a destination in itself, but owner Laura Catherine Moon said she never actually planned to run a restaurant. (Brittany Faush/Alabama NewsCenter)
to team up with the café’s chef, thinking he could run the restaurant and she would run her store. When he left three months later, she stepped up. “I never even worked in a restaurant before I owned this one,” she says. “So, it was a huge challenge to learn the ins and outs and the ropes and how to do it. And it just turned out that I’m really good at it.”
“It’s true,” she says. “I didn’t mean to.” She had owned several shops in and Wildflower Café is a total experience, around Moon says. Mentone “When you first throughout walk up, you have the years. the beautiful One of them gardens and the was a natural old home…And health food then, when you store called walk in the door, Mountain Life. you have the local “I sold organic art surrounding produce and you, and you’re natural foods,” welcomed by the she says. “I staff…Our staff is (Brittany Faush/Alabama NewsCenter) sold herbs super friendly… and my herbal blends. It was a store for Everybody here is like family and loves wellness. It was sort of a convenience working together. And all of the food is as health food store up on the mountain.” locally sourced as I can get and as natural Whenever the produce would start to wilt, as you can possibly have, and it’s fresh. It’s she would think to herself: “Well, if I could a solid place where you can also get music just cook it, then people could know just and a great feeling.” how good this food is.” About this time, the Wildflower Café became available for purchase after being open for about a year. Moon first wanted
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Wildflower Café sits in the heart of Mentone, which, with more than 1,700 feet of elevation, has long been a mountaintop retreat for people in
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Alabama and neighboring states. It’s home to an impressive number of summer camps, too, like Camp Skyline Ranch, Camp DeSoto, Riverview Camp for Girls, Alpine Camp for Boys, Camp Laney and more. But not everyone who eats here has a mountain home or a young camper nearby. People come up from Birmingham and Montgomery to visit the café; they drive down from Nashville and Chattanooga. They travel over from Douglasville and Atlanta. They come to Wildflower Café for the grilled or blackened wild-caught salmon and trout; the gourmet chicken salad with grapes and almonds; the big Canyon Burger made with freshly ground sirloin and filet; grilled chicken smothered with sautéed onions, bell peppers, honey mustard sauce and cheeses; prime rib with a crust of cracked peppercorns and spices (all meats are hormone-free); angel hair pasta with a flavorful strawberrybalsamic sauce (there’s a vegan version, too); and signature shrimp and grits made with polenta. They come for hummingbird cake and old-fashioned chess pie and homemade crepes filled with sweet cream cheese and topped with house-fresh strawberry puree. And a great many of them come for the savory, cheesy tomato pie, which is so popular that Moon offers a tomato pie wrap, a tomato pie salad, a tomato pie burger and a loaded tomato pie entrée (vegetarian and not).
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A few words about this famous tomato pie: It is worth a drive of any distance. Ripe roma tomatoes are cooked down to sweetness and marinated in balsamic vinaigrette. Cheddar, mozzarella and a flaky crust make it delicious.
Originally from Birmingham, Moon did a stint in Hollywood as a model, but her heart remained back home in the South, where she spent childhood summers exploring the woods. So, eventually, she came back to Alabama.
“I love inspiring people to tap into their greatest happiness and joy and what brings them to their highest best,” she says. She adds, “One of the things I’ve been most proud of is helping other people feel special and appreciated, whether they work for me or they come in as a customer.”
“I don’t have a “I’ve been studying culinary background wildflowers since other than the fact 1995,” she says. that I love food,” “I moved into the Moon says, “and I She’s also proud of the opportunities woods without just had a natural owning the restaurant has brought: “The power and running knack, from the time peace of mind that it gave my parents water in 1998. I started cooking, that – that I wasn’t going to be just a freeAnd then that’s if I tasted something, spirited hippie running around the woods when I really got I could recreate it.” in Mentone. That I have been able to very serious about She and her daughter create a real livelihood for myself through studying the edible travel a lot, and my passions and through the things I and medicinal (Brittany Faush/Alabama NewsCenter) Wildflower’s menu love.” plants and the of local, healthy, natural, organic and wild crafting and harvesting medicines and gluten-free items reflects their trips across There are dozens of welcome signs at things like that. It’s surprising to me the the country and around the world. Moon Wildflower Café, inside and out. And number of things that are out there that talks about her Costa Rican chicken dish that’s another reason people come here: you can use for food and medicine. I’m with pineapple-mango chutney, which was They feel at home. still learning. Every year, I learn something inspired by how people in that country eat new.” beans and rice for breakfast, lunch and “So, what I tell my people is … ‘We’re here dinner. She brings the bright, fresh flavors to … make people feel welcome. As soon Nonetheless, she’s an expert on of Mediterranean cuisine (which she as they walk through that door, you make what grows in our woods, and Moon loves) to her Alabama restaurant along them feel welcome in whichever and occasionally leads walks and workshops with the pretty presentations she’s seen whatever way. From the moment they get on the native flora at nearby DeSoto State on plates in Paris. here to the time they leave; I want them Park. She talks to garden clubs and writes to feel welcome and about native Moon relies on area farmers for lots of nurtured.’” plants. And her fresh ingredients like the humanely she looks raised pork and poultry from Mildred’s Moon says she’d like forward each Meadows Farm or fresh tomatoes, squash, for customers to tell spring to corn, herbs and lettuces from The Farm other people that seeing plants at Windy Hill, Mountain Sun Farm and “they came here emerge. Feel Good Farm. “Nena’s (Produce and and had an amazing “It’s just General Store), in the valley down here, experience and that wonderful,” carries some of the local farmers’ stuff,” the staff was friendly, she says. she says. “So, I’ll go down and buy from the food was great, “They’re like her as well.” and they just felt my friends good when they were now, because (Brittany Faush/Alabama NewsCenter) She brings local musicians to Wildflower here. That’s what I we’ve gotten on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and want them to say,” she says. “And that so acquainted with each other. So every sometimes Thursdays, and, occasionally, the Wildflower is a great complement year, I look forward to seeing them again.” between talking to visitors and bussing to Mentone. That would be a huge tables, she’ll join the musicians on the compliment to me, because Mentone is In some ways, Moon’s entire life has been stage. The country store is a gallery of one of my favorite places on the planet. evolving to this place, at this time. The local and regional arts and crafts: clothing, No matter where I’ve ever traveled, atmosphere of serenity she cultivates at woodcrafts, jewelry, soaps, pottery, Mentone is the best.” Wildflower Café is evident everywhere — paintings, candles, music, books, foods from the to-go boxes brightly decorated For more visit www.mentonewildflower.com like honey, jams and organic chocolates, with Magic Marker art to the “words of or call for reservations 256.634.0066 and Moon’s natural lip balms and skin affirmation” she writes in chalk on the care (when she has time to harvest the porch railings: “Blessed by divine grace ingredients). and love.” “Align with your greatest joy.”
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Tinseltown Talks By Nick Thomas
Newhart turns 90
Known for his gentle satire, basset hound eyes, and witty routines, former Chicago accountant-turned-comedian Bob Newhart turns 90 this month (September 5). This year is also the 60th anniversary of Newhart's show business career – he signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1959. In 2008, I interviewed Newhart along with fellow entertainers willing to share some thoughts on the beloved comedian's career.
Newhart stormed onto the comedy scene in the 1960s when "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" became the first comedy record to win a Grammy for Album of the Year with its now classic routines such as "Abe Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue.”
He wrote the routine in Chicago when Bill Daily Newhart said he suspected that he (1927-2018) asked the Cast of The Bob Newhart Show - CBS publicity still. lacked the temperament to remain in unknown local comedian Courtesy bobnewhartofficial.com site the accounting profession back in the to come up with a piece met Newhart after a show in Las Vegas in mid-1950s when his attitude towards about press agents. the late 90s. And at a time when in-yourtaxation arithmetic could be summed up Remembered for his sidekick role in face, crude comedy is now everywhere, in three words: "That's close enough!" the 60s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie," it's tempting to suggest Newhart's So, he and a friend Daily went on gentler style of humor is obsolete. But began writing to co-star with Boosler doesn’t think so. humorous routines Newhart and based on telephone actress Suzanne "That would be like saying Mozart is conversations which Pleshette a outdated," she said. "Classics survive. they sold to radio decade later When something has a solid foundation stations. for five seasons and is so unique and perfect, I don't of "The Bob think it can ever be outdated. And when "I eventually Newhart Show" you're the best at something, it just dropped the making famous doesn't go out of style." partner, but kept his trademark the telephone in the greeting “Hi Bob Newhart makes no apologies for his act," he said. Bob!” clean humor, although he said he can still appreciate more bawdy comedians such Those one-sided "I couldn't as the late Richard Pryor. phone conversations believe it when have remained I got to work “I even know most of the words he throughout his radio, with Bob and Cast of Newhart show - CBS publicity still. used!” he said. “It's just my choice to Courtesy bobnewhartofficial.com site recording, television, Suzanne," Daily work the way I do." and stand-up career. told me from his They are as much his trademark as the home in Albuquerque in 2008. "Bob is The list of professional comedians who straight-faced delivery and slightly forced one of the nicest men who ever lived and count themselves as Newhart fans is a stammer. Why keep the stammer all he's beyond talented – a comic genius. long one and includes Carol Burnett, Don through his career? And what's amazing is that Bob wasn't Rickles (1926-2017), and Dom DeLuise acting on the show – that really was (1933-2009). "I got my home in Beverly Hills because Bob!" of that stammer, so I'm not about to "He's as nice as he is funny," Burnett drop it now!" he explained. Comedian Elayne Boosler came away wrote in an email message. with the same impression when she first
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Don Rickles was a longtime friend and Newhart delighted in recounting his first encounter with Rickles in the late 1960s in Las Vegas. The two comedians and their wives met in a cafeteria and Rickles, the perfect gentleman, invited Bob and wife Ginnie to his show.
me in an interview I did for the Malibu Times in 2008. "But we share the same family values, make each other laugh, and enjoy each other tremendously – he's brilliant at what he does." Dom DeLuise recalled working with Newhart in 1964 on the long-forgotten CBS variety show, "The Entertainers." Bob Newhart
episode of "Newhart," Bob's second TV series set in a Vermont inn. "Bob woke up from a dream on the set of the original 'Bob Newhart Show' with his wife Suzanne Pleshette in bed next to him," recalled DeLuise. "The entire second series had been a dream! That was just brilliant." “The whole idea for the ending was Ginnie’s,” noted Newhart, who passed it on to the writers to create the show's finale. The episode remains a moment cherished in television history – the type of comic twist that the button-down mind of Bob Newhart has always relished.
Courtesy bobnewhartofficial.com site "Don steps out on stage and the first thing out of his mouth is 'the stammering idiot from Chicago "It was my is in the audience today, along with his first show," hooker wife from New Jersey,'" Newhart DeLuise told me. told me in 2008. "Bob But the two families became fast friends would do his When trying to sum up the and would eventually travel the world telephone comedy genius of Newhart, together on vacations. sketches the words of the late and create comedian Ed Wynn come to “People would ask me how I could go magical mind: "A comic says funny on vacation with Rickles,” Newhart said. little stories things; a comedian says “Well, it’s like elevator music in the that were things funny." Bob Newhart's breakout album, from the author's collection background, you just don’t hear it. But hysterical, we always had fun together – everyone and he'd hit Clearly, Bob Newhart is a should have a friend like that.” a bulls-eye every time." master of both. Happy birthday Bob!
"Bob and I are like apples and oranges in terms of our comedy," Rickles told
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DeLuise was one of the millions of viewers who watched the final 1990
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala, and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 650 newspapers and magazines.
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By Greg Budell
The Mayor of BOOMTOWN
“POSTCARDS FROM WARM SPRINGS (GA)" "A true story from the Greg files" be trained on the “Little White House” (and little it is, almost stunningly so). FDR’s daughter, Alice- had arranged the entire visit, betraying her mother! She did so because her father could rejuvenate himself in the presence of a woman who never failed to lift his spirits. How was she going to explain this to her mother, The First Lady?
I was trying to imagine the chaos unfolding April 12, 1945, in the tiny clapboard house where Franklin Roosevelt went to escape war and Eleanor, his wife. It is such an unlikely place for one of last century’s most consequential figures to die. My visit to Warm Springs, Georgia- 14 years in the making- was the ultimate indulgence in imagination. I’ve read dozens of books on FDR related topics, many of which contained the story of his final hours at Warm Springs- a town so tiny it makes fictitious Mayberry seem like Manhattan. For my wife and me, it was an incredible 24 hour getaway. The aforementioned chaos involved more than a POTUS suffering a stroke. He’d been sitting for a portrait arranged by a woman Eleanor forbade him from seeing when she became aware of their affair in 1918. Lucy Mercer, FDR’s longtime paramour- and the artist, Elizabeth Shoumatoff (a Republican who detested FDR’s politics) must have freaked out, big time. Conflict! Lucy had to flee a dying man she loved. She grabbed Shoumatoff, who left behind the unfinished portrait – and the two of them skedaddled knowing the Eyes of the World would soon
POSTCARD #1 - The Little White House Breathtaking in its humility, once inside this tiny place, my first observation was that it seemed cramped, especially for a man who required a wheelchair and room to maneuver. All the furnishings are originals- so the aroma of old wood permeates the air. It smells like 1945, really. POSTCARD #2 - The Chair Lunch was about to be served. FDR was contemplating huge decisions on a World War, the use of atomic weapons in development and more. He’d arrived at Warm Springs on Good Friday, March 30 where witnesses were silently stunned at his greatly
diminished condition. According to legend, just before lunch, FDR waved his hand over his forehead while exclaiming “I have a terrific pain in the back of my head!” They were his last words. POSTCARD #3 - FDR’s DEATHBED In the cramped confines of the Little White House, I tried to envision the hastily summoned doctor, and servants, struggling to lift FDR’s dead weight through the narrow doorway leading to his bedroom. It sits adjacent to the parlor where he suffered the cerebral hemorrhage. His bed, and the room containing it hardly seemed Presidential in size and comfort. We know FDR breathed loud and horribly for two and a half hours before he passed. As I stood looking at the neatly made bed, I could almost hear Lucy Mercer’s car roar to life outside; as she and Elizabeth Shoumatoff took off, trying to comprehend how abruptly and shockingly their plans and lives had changed. Eleanor had been notified and was on her way.
Greg Budell's column is proudly sponsored by McDonald & Hagen Wealth Management
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We loved everything about this one day vacation. I recommend a stay at the Warm Springs’ Best Western. It sits atop a hill close to the Little White House, and the town. Newly built, it’s comfy with amenities aplenty. We had a terrific dinner at the famous Bullock House “downtown”. Our server was once the Mayor of Warm Springs. A friendly police officer who answered my touristy questions was dining there too. Turns out, he was also once Mayor of Warm Springs. Most surprisingly, the waitress and officerboth former Mayors- were also married to each other back in the 90s. They showed me the pictures! They’re good friends now. After dinner, back at the hilltop hotel, I sat outside enjoying a vista of the valley east of town. A massive thunderstorm sat centered over the entire area. For one hour I sat mesmerized as it slowly advanced in our direction. It was an amazing moment with nature and it becomes
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POSTCARD #4 - The Storm As the towering thunderhead drew near, I spotted what appeared to be a funnel cloud dipping out its base. That stunning moment becomes
POSTCARD #6 - Dowdell's Knob The hottie in this final photo is my wife, posing at Dowdell’s Knob, a place FDR loved to picnic. He actually built a grill there, which is preserved in cement complete with a historical marker.
POSTCARD #5 - The Funnel Warm Springs is a mere 1:45 minute drive from the River Region. Once exiting I-85, you wind through trees and hills into the lower Appalachian Mountains. It’s easy to understand why FDR loved the area. We’re going back next month hoping to catch some October color, and revisit the little clapboard house where the world changed on an April afternoon in 1945.
Warm Springs was scenic, historic, therapeutic. If you've never been to this open-air time capsule, adding it to your bucket list should be automatic. Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and is marking 12 years in the River Region in 2017. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Jay Scott & Emily Hayes, 6-9AM Monday-Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6PM for Happy Hour with sidekick Joey Clark. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com
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September 2019
{12 Things} for active boomers and beyond
PINE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA
Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center-Blue Morpho Butterfly Month Callaway Gardens During the month of September
Enjoy our month-long display of nature at its finest! Marvel at the Blue Morpho as hundreds of these tropical butterflies fill the Day Butterfly Center with their iridescent-blue splendor. If the trend continues, visitors to the Day Butterfly Center will witness the largest display of Blue Morpho Butterflies on the planet during September. The Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides) is a spectacular iridescent blue butterfly native to the rainforests of South and Central America. The undersides of the wings are brown with eyespots, but the contrasting upper sides could be considered the most brilliant, vivid blue that nature has to offer. This iridescent color actually results from microscopic scales on the back of their wings reflecting light, giving the brilliant shimmering blue appearance. As a Blue Morpho flies, its contrasting wing colors of brilliant blue and dull brown fool the eye and make the Morpho look as if it is appearing and disappearing, paying tribute to its name ‘morpho’ – which actually means “to change or modify.” www.callawaygardens.com
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
BUZZ-Hamlet-St. Joan ASF September 4 – October 6, various times BUZZ: Charismatic director Mary Ann “Buzz” Goodbody was one of only five women directing in the UK in the 1970s. In 1975, she famously directed Ben Kingsley in the title role of Hamlet. Four days later, she was gone. Scene Shop AKA The Other Place | 90 minutes, no intermission. Recommended ages 13+. Evening shows begin at 7:00pm. Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday matinees at 3:00pm. HAMLET: NYC’s Bedlam Theatre in residence at ASF creates Shakespeare’s Hamlet with a company of four actors, in a production hailed as “invigorating,” “lively and brisk,” and “masterful” by critics. September 5 – October 6, 2019, Octagon Stage | 2 hours 45 minutes, plus intermission. Recommended ages 12+. SAINT JOAN: The epic story of a young farm girl who led an army and transformed a nation, staged brilliantly by four actors from Bedlam Theatre. September 12 – October 5, 2019, Octagon Stage | 2 hours 45 minutes, plus intermission. Recommended ages 12+. Call
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1.800.841.4273 for more information or visit www.asf.net
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
First Friday Cruise-Ins Lower Dexter, Downtown Montgomery Fridays, September 6, 5:30-7 pm Come out for the 2019 Lower Dexter First Friday Cruise-ins! The lower block of Dexter Ave. will be closed off once the featured vehicles are in place. Numerous restaurants and food trucks will be open including Alabama Sweet Tea Company, Momma Goldberg’s, FRIOS Pops, Prevail Union, Cuco’s Mexican Café and others. Interested in showing your car? Apply at www.LowerDexter.org. Join us for some free family friendly fun on Lower Dexter! Call 334.273.0313 for more information. For more info visit www.lowerdexter.org/
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Pre-Sputnik-First Saturday Music Concert Common Bond Brewers, 424 Bibb St, Montgomery, AL Saturday, September 7th, 6-8:30 pm
Pre-Sputnik is the featured artist for September’s First Saturday Music concert event. Covering music from the first 57 years of the 20th Century, Pre-Sputnik evolved out of a 10-year run as The Lo-Fi Loungers. Pre-Sputnik continues with the same mission of playing fun early 20th century tunes, with more of an emphasis on Western Swing, Jazz Standards, and obscure B-Sides, as well as including more Blues, Latin, Bebop, Cajun, and maybe even some Rock N Roll. This is a free, family-friendly concert. Outside food welcome. Call 334.676.2287 for more information or visit www.commonbondbrewers.com
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Boz Scaggs in Concert MPAC, Dowtown Montgomery Sunday, September 8th, 7:30 pm After gaining fame in the 1960s as a guitarist and one-time lead singer with the Steve Miller Band, Scaggs earned six solo Top 20 hit singles from 1976 – 1980, including “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle” from the critically acclaimed Silk Degrees. That album reached number two in the U.S. and #1 in many other countries, leading to a sold-out world tour. Although he spent The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
much of the ’80s in retirement, operating San Francisco nightclub Slim’s, he made his comeback in 1988 with the record Other Roads. Since 2010, Scaggs has occasionally been performing with supergroup The Dukes of September alongside Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Michael McDonald. The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre at Renaissance Montgomery 201 Tallapoosa St, Montgomery, Alabama 36104. www.mpaconline.org
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Honeyland The Capri Theatre, Cloverdale Friday, September 13-19, Evenings & Matinee A real-life story told halfway across the world carries a universal message, a tale of stewardship vs greed, of old and new, and of, well, honey. In the remote mountains of Macedonia, Hatidze takes care of her 85-year-old mother, the small house the two of them share, and a bee colony. She adheres to traditional beekeeping, taking half the honey for her to sell for her mother's care and leaving half for the bees. Her life isn't glamorous, but she is content. Her peace is soon challenged by a family moving in next door with seven children. Honeyland is one of the highest-praised documentaries out there today. Tickets: For more info call 334.262.4858 or visit www.capritheatre.org
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Funeral/Estate Planning First United Methodist Church of Prattville Thursday, September 19th, 2:30 pm Funeral and Estate Planning Seminar. 2:30pm. First United Methodist Church of Prattville. Did you know that for most Americans, a funeral is the third greatest expense, next to a home and automobile, and yet, most Americans have made no plans of this inevitable expenditure. Most individuals leave these final plans with grieving family members who are not in the right state of mind to make important decisions. The Senior Adult Ministry of FUMC Prattville is hosting a free program concerning important tasks that we should all have in order. Speakers will be the Reverend Dr. Karl Stegall and Attorney Bob Burton. After a Q&A session, refreshments will be served. Pre-registration is encouraged by calling 334.365.5977. Located in Pratt Hall, 100 E. 4th St.
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA GRANDPARENT EVENT Ballet and the Beasts Montgomery Zoo Friday, September 20, 6-9 pm
Enjoy the Montgomery Ballet in a FREE performance under the stars at the Montgomery Zoo. Fun for all ages, boys and girls. Admission is FREE, picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers are welcome. Side show performers will be performing prior to the main show. Also, there will be a live animal presentation held during intermission. Animal presentation will be presented by the Zoo's Education Department's docents and zooteens. Gates open at 6pm. Montgomery Ballet performance Into the Wild begins at dusk. For more information call 334.240.4930 or visit www.montgomeryzoo.com
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MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Clue: The Musical Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre September 26-October 6
Way Off Broadway Theatre presents Clue: The Musical, directed by Michael Proper. This is a fun, interactive musical with all of your favorite Clue characters! Performances will be held Thursday through Sunday, September 26-29 and October 3-6. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door and can be purchased at cc.prattvilleal.gov or by calling the Special Events Office at 334.595.0850.
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
5th Annual Tickled Pink Women's Expo Multiplex at Cramton Bowl Saturday, September 28, 9-3 pm
Join Alabama News Network as we kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Saturday, Sept. 28th, 9-3 pm with the 5th Annual Tickled Pink Women's Expo. Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. All ticket sales benefit the Joy to Life Foundation and will go on sale September 1st. $10 on the day of the event, $8 in advance (tickets will go on sale Sept. 1), $8 military discount with ID, $5 for groups of 10 or more in advance. Children age 10 or under get in free. This year will be even BIGGER and BETTER than last year with more beauty, more fitness, more food, and even more fun! www.alabamanews.net/tickledpink2019/
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Jamey Johnson’s 8th Annual Homecoming Riverwalk Stadium Sunday, October 6th, 7-9 pm Singer, songwriter Jamey Johnson returns to Montgomery, AL for his 8th Annual Homecoming concert. Johnson, along with the Nikki Mitchell Foundation, are proud to welcome to their stage country singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer Toby Keith. In addition to the exciting lineup announcement, the concert is moving to Riverwalk Stadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuits. Jamey Johnson along with his guests Toby Keith, Randy Houser, Lee Brice and more will take the stage on October 6th, at 7pm, in downtown Montgomery. Tickets to the show are available in person at the Montgomery Biscuits box office or online at www.ticketreturn.com. Prices range from $20 to $40. For more information, call 615.982.6802 or visit www.jameyjohnson.com
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Elf on the Shelf Christmas Musical Birmingham's BJCC Concert Hall Thursday, November 21, 6 pm This toe-tapping tale tells the story of one particularly impressive Scout Elf who must help his new, human family overcome a personal loss and remember the importance of Christmas cheer. Can this tiny elf, along with a host of North Pole pals, make Christmas joyous for his family once again? Featuring an original story and score, dazzling sets and costumes, and wondrous moments that make even the most cynical believe, this momentous celebration of the season leaves spirits high and captivates all with the splendor of Christmas. For more info visit www.bjcc.org R ive r Re gio n Bo o m . co m
September 2019
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
R ive r Re gio n Bo o m . co m
September 2019
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September 2019
RiverRegionBoom.com
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine