Celebrate grandparents taking charge of raising grandchildren
BY NICHOLE YUAN
It’s 9:30 a.m. on a Wednesday and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is beginning one of its regularly scheduled support meetings. The grandparents in attendance are here for reassurance, advice and assistance in raising their grandchildren.
Initiated in 1994 by Mary Ann Sterling, who raised her grandson, the organization began as a way to provide training and advocacy for grandparents that have become the primary caregiver to their grandchildren.
Sept. 8 is set aside as Grandparents Day and grandparents raising their grandchildren deserve to be celebrated.
As Grandparents Raising Grandchildren continues to grow, Natasha Walsh, the program’s executive director, has a goal to expand around Florida for more accessibility. In 2023 alone the foundation gained
Continued to page 25
Baby Steps Camino
Pilgrims set out on a 30-mile walk from
connection to the Camino de Santiago in Santiago de
BY LINDA JUMP
Susie Hagerty was one of 28 pilgrims on the first Baby Steps Camino 30-mile beach walk between Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine. Last year, she was one of 400, and Dec. 8 to 10 she plans her eighth spiritual pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche.
“The Camino is a wonderful gift you give yourself, a walk of many emotions. I’m looking forward to walking again,” the Jacksonville resident said.
Organized by the Order of Malta American Association, Susan Egan said the local walk mimics the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way
Beach to St.
of (apostle) St. James.
“The walk fuses prayer and physical exertion, solitude and fellowship in pursuit of sanctification
in the holy season of Advent, whatever your spiritual background is,” Egan said.
Since the 800s, pilgrims have walked from various points along historic routes in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, ending at the majestic cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, where St. James’ remains are believed to reside. The 500-mile primary route takes pilgrims a month.
To earn a Compostela (certificate of completion), a pilgrim must walk 100 kilometers (62 miles) or bicycle 200 kilometers.
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Susan Egan
Jacksonville
Augustine in Baby Steps Camino, which is a U.S.
Compostela, Spain. The local pilgrimage will be Dec. 8 to 10.
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Susan Egan Pilgrims enjoy the camaraderie of the religious walk.
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
Christine Cassidy shares a loving moment with her grandson Vito.
GRANDS
CAMINO Continued on page 3
(5
• Escorted • Day Trips
• Monthly Travel Presentation Departs from Cocoa and Viera
• Motor Coach Tours, Overnight car parking
• Group Cruises, Transportation to Ports
• Ladies SOLO Travel
• Luxury Tours, GLOBUS & Collette
• (56) Passenger Coach with restroom
MOTOR COACH TOURS
Nov. 9 - 16, 2024 — Christmas in the Smokies, ARK encounter
Asian Lantern & River Boat Cruise ICE, Show & Chocolate Museum
2025 DAY TRIPS Kumquat Festival Strawberry Festival
Hobbies and Passions — new series features people, pastimes
Some people wait until they are retired to pick up a hobby, while others like Robert Hawthorne have been at it for a long time. We’ll tell you about Hawthorne’s leather works in our new series — Hobbies and Passions. His work is mainly making leather gun holsters.
In this new series, we will have stories about unique and not-so-unusual hobbies and passions to which people on the Space Coast dedicate their time.
We ended Keep Moving features after one year of stories as we moved on to this new series. We always look for new ideas for stories that will interest, inform and entertain you, our readers. Tell us about your hobbies and passions and maybe we will share them with our readers in future editions of Senior Life. Is there something that you do that occupies your time about which you are passionate?
I had no idea of the extent of human trafficking in Central Florida until we started investigating and exploring the subject here in Brevard County. There is so much to it that we will have two stories in this edition and plan to follow up with another story next month.
In this edition, we offer tips for healthy living. Among those tips is socializing. What better way to socialize then to volunteer at an organization that needs your help and maybe your expertise. I have often suggested volunteering.
In this edition, we have a story about a volunteer at Faith Place, a ministry of Faith Viera Lutheran Church, where seniors can participate in moderate chair exercises, Bible study, listen to presentations and music, eat snacks and spend time with friends.
This story is just one example of volunteering. There are many opportunities for volunteers in Brevard County. If you want suggestions, look at the listings of organizations in our Boomer Guide, the Space Coast’s senior resource magazine. There are many other stories in this edition of Senior Life that we would like you to check out. You’ll find features about music, short overnight or day trips, techno gadgets, health and wellness and about our military veterans. SL
R. Norman Moody norm@myseniorlife.com
CAMINO
Continued from page 1
Last July, Egan said, Baby Steps Camino officially became part of the Camino de Santiago and the 30 miles counts toward that total. “Even if you don’t go on to Spain, you’ll receive our official pilgrim stamp in your passport,” Egan said.
Egan said the Baby Steps Camino began during the 450th anniversary of St. Augustine’s founding. “I said why don’t we do something here in Florida for people who can’t take six weeks to travel. It’s grown by word of mouth and we’re building a pilgrim community.”
The walk includes daily Mass, Adoration and social events. “Pilgrims go at their own pace, to each his own intention or burden,” she said. Walkers sleep at home (75 percent are local) or at a motel, and bring a bagged lunch, water and snacks. An ending meal is provided at the shrine church before closing with a Mass at the Cathedral.
A 2.5-mile Bambino Camino mini walk the last day is for those who can’t handle 30 miles “but would like to arrive at the shrine on foot.” They walk from the Vilano Beach pavilion over the Francis and Mary Usina Bridge to the shrine, led by a member of the
Order of Malta.
The Order was founded in the Holy Land about 1048 by Gerard, who established a hospital to care for pilgrims coming to Jerusalem after their walk.
Registration opens Oct. 15 and ends
Dec. 2. Egan said those needing bus transportation to and from each day’s starting-ending points are asked for $10 in daily donations; otherwise, there is no fee, although hospital donations are welcome. For information, go to babystepscamino.com SL
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Susan Egan Baby Steps Camino gets started early in the morning and includes a daily Mass.
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Susan Egan
Baby Steps Camino starts in Jacksonville Beach and ends in St. Augustine at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche.
HOBBIES & PASSIONS
THE FIRST FEATURE IN A SERIES ON HOBBIES & PASSIONS
A passion for leatherwork turns a hobby into profitable pastime
BY MARIA SONNENBERG
School helps shape a student’s career, but in the case of Robert Hawthorne, an education also provided a lifelong — and profitable — hobby.
“I was introduced to leatherwork in the eighth grade, and I’ve been interested in it ever since,” Hawthorne said.
During his school days in St. Cloud, Hawthorne enjoyed a curriculum that introduced students to a variety of activities, from woodwork to cooking. Leatherwork resonated. A belt and later a billfold for his father were Hawthorne’s first projects.
“Because you have to concentrate, it takes your mind off everything else,” the Rockledge resident said.
After a 41-year career with the telephone company in Osceola County, Hawthorne has comfortably settled into the hobby crafting belts, wallets and gun holsters from his home studio.
“I work out of my garage, with my wife’s blessing,” he joked.
In embracing leatherwork, Hawthorne continues a craft that dates back 5,000 years, when rudimentary tools were first created to work with
“(Hawthorne) uses the best leather and all of his work is hand-done, no machine.”
— Alpha Robinson, customer
leather. Anthropologists believe working leather was one of the first trades.
Hawthorne purchases leather — cowskins, goatskins, sheepskins and the odd buffalo skin — from Tandy Leather Company, which since 1919 is considered a premier resource for leather craftsmen. He eschews shortcuts, preferring tried and proven traditions of the craft.
“I do everything by hand, including the stitching,” he said.
Gun holsters are a recent and popular addition to his range of products. When he could not find a holster he liked for his own handgun, he decided to make one, in the process uncovering a demand for the item.
Customer Alpha Robinson wanted a unique holster for her small
The Murtha Law Group, PA
.22-caliber handgun. Having seen some of Hawthorne’s works, she turned to him for help.
“He uses the best leather and all of his work is hand-done, no machine,” she said.
Hawthorne can design standard gun holsters, as well as shoulder, chest and concealed varieties. Each one can be as unique as its owner.
“Customers specify the design they want and I do it,” he said.
Holsters begin at $40. Custom designs are also available for other leather items, including belts, which run from $25 and up, plus the price of the buckle.
Hawthorne sells through farmers’ markets, including the Viera East and
Rockledge markets, as well as directly.
Buying a Hawthorne leather piece means peace of mind.
“I guarantee all of my leatherwork, including the snaps and stitching,” he said.
To discuss custom leatherwork, contact Hawthorne at 936-727-0149. SL
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
Gun holsters are a popular addition to Robert Hawthorne’s passion for leatherworks. Hawthorne custom designs and hand-stitches each piece.
Resident Businesses
Alura Senior Living
America’s Best Hearing
Aquatic Health and Rehab
Autumn House
Brennity of Melbourne
Buena Vida Estates, CCRC
Central Florida Spine & Pain
Chateau Madeleine Senior Living
ClinCloud Research
Counseling Resource Services
Discovery Village at Melbourne
Estate Planning & Elder Law Center of Brevard
Florida Health Care Plans
Flourish Research
The Fountains of Melbourne
Glenbrooke Senior Living
Market Street at Viera
Melbourne MedPsych, Dr. Gerald Showalter, Psy.D.
Melbourne Terrace Rehabilitation Center
National Cremation Society
Oceans Realty Florida
Palm Bay Memory Care
Palm Cottages Assisted Living & Memory Care
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
Rhodes Law, PA - Ruth C. Rhodes, Esq.
Rockledge Health and Rehabilitation Center
Senior Living Guide
Senior Partner Care Services, In-Home
Senior Care and Care Management
Senior Scene Magazine
Serenades Memory Care by Sonata East at Viera
Sonata Senior Living
Sonata Viera
Sonata East at Viera
Szuba Guardian Care Solutions
Tropic Moving
Vascular & Embolization Specialists
Victoria Landing Assisted Living & Memory Care
Viera Health and Rehabilitation Center
Viera Insurance Professionals
VITAS Healthcare
William A. Johnson, P.A.
Your Life of West Melbourne
321.339.0551
8085 Spyglass Hill Road
Viera, Florida 32940
Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 5 pm
HEALTHY, WEALTHY & WISE!
One Senior Place Presents… seminars and events for seniors
Join us for a day of free health screenings, cooking demo, and more at our Healthy
FEATURED EVENTS
Thursday, September 19, 4pm: Free Resource Fair for the GenX Generation Thursday, October 3, 10am: Healthy Living Day!
MORE
EVENTS!
Friday, September 20, 11:30am: Reimagining Prostate Treatment Lunch & Learn
Tuesday, September 24, 2pm: Living Well After Loss Series: Managing Finances
Wednesday, September 25, 4pm: Eight-week Elder Law Series, Week 1: How Estate Plans Protect You & Prevent Exploitation
Friday, September 27, 10am: Dementia Live Experience
Friday, October 11, 10am: Every Day Is Veteran’s Day
Wednesday, October 16, 1pm: What’s New at NASA?
By Randal C. Hill
Behind the Beat
‘The Night Chicago Died’ — Paper Lace
If you’re part of a lucrative songwriting team, you’ll want to take pains to be accurate if you’re describing a historic event, especially one that occurred in another country. Otherwise, you just might end up with egg on your face, as happened with the No. 1 hit “The Night Chicago Died.”
In England, Mitch Murray and Peter Callendar were pop-music creators responsible for such bestselling 45s as Georgie Fame’s “The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde,” Vanity Fare’s “Hitchin’ a Ride” and Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods’ “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero.”
But these partners didn’t have their facts straight with “The Night Chicago Died,” which breathlessly — and erroneously — told of a Chicago gun battle with Al Capone’s gang, and a heroic cop who miraculously survived an ordeal that killed 100 officers. (Gangs sometimes had shootouts with each other, but not usually with police officers.)
“The Night Chicago Died” was unlike any other successful disc. Rather than being offered as
an instrumental lead-in followed by a vocal, listeners were instead snapped to attention by a throbbing drumbeat, a shrieking synthesizer that simulated wailing police sirens and a passionate spoken introduction by Paper Lace lead singer Phil Wright:
Daddy was a cop/On the east side of Chicago
Back in the USA/Back in the bad old days
Throughout the song, the ear-candy chorus — repeated over and over and over — had many of us singing along after just one listen: I heard my mama cry/I heard her pray the night Chicago died Brother, what a night it really was/Brother, what a fight it really was Glory be
Paper Lace, an English quartet first called Music Box, was formed in 1967 in Nottingham, home of the Robin Hood legend and at one time, the cloth and paper lace-making
capital of the world (hence the band’s name). The group was organized by drummer and primary vocalist Wright and three musical pals. Paper Lace’s hit was originally conceived to be a United Kingdom — release before Mercury Records
honchos in America decided that it had hit potential here — which it did, reaching the peak of the Billboard charts (and making No. 3 in the U.K.) before the band became another “one-hit wonder.”
Songfacts.com is a website dedicated to behind-the-scenes information about popular recordings. It was there that Mitch Murray, one-half of the team behind “The Night Chicago Died,” emailed a note that read, “As co-writer of this song, I feel qualified to settle some of the questions involving ‘The Night Chicago Died.’ My writing partner, Peter Callander, and I are both British, and we had never been to Chicago at the time we wrote the song. Having been brought up on a tasty diet of American gangster movies, the term east side usually meant the seamy side of a city. Of course, looking back, it was used about New York, not Chicago. We were obviously a little careless with our research.” Obviously, Mitch. When Murray signed off, he pointed out that he hailed from the (hip) west side of London. SL
SENIOR LIFE photo
Mitch Murray and Peter Callendar, pop-music creators in England, didn’t have their facts straight when they wrote about the city of Chicago. Nevertheless, it became a No. 1 hit for Paper Lace, an English quartet.
A r e y o u t i r e d o f l i v i n g w i t h b a c k
p a i n t h a t w o n ’ t l e t y o u d o t h e
t h i n g s y o u o n c e e n j o y e d ?
H a v e y o u t r i e d e v e r y t h i n g a n d
f o u n d n o r e l i e f ?
I t i s t i m e t o c o n s i d e r a n
a l t e r n a t i v e t h a t h a s w o r k e d f o r
t h o u s a n d s o f o t h e r B r e v a r d c o u n t y
r e s i d e n t s . D r . A n d r e a I z q u i e r d o ,
L A c , o f B o d h i T C M A c u p u n c t u r e ,
o f f e r s a n i n n o v a t i v e a p p r o a c h t o
h e a l i n g .
I m a g i n e w a k i n g u p f r e e f r o m b a c
p a i n . Y o u a r e a b l e t o e n j o y y o u r
l i f e , h a ve m o r e e n e r g y , s l e e p
b e t t e r , a n d d o t h e t h i n g s y o u
l o v e . T h e s e a r e t h e t y p e s o f
r e s u l t s a n d s u c c e s s s t o r i e s
p a t i e n t s a t B o d h i T C M e x p e r i e n c
e a c h w e e k .
S u c c e s s s t o r i e s l i k e S h e r K . f r o m
M e l b o u r n e :
" A f t e r t h r e e d a y s o f s e v e r e b a c k
p a i n , I w a s r e a d y t o g o t o t h e E R I
c o u l d n ' t s i t , s t a n d , o r l i e d o w n
w i t h o u t p a i n . L u c k i l y , I g o t a l a s t -
m i n u t e a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h D r
A n d r e a W i t h h e r c o u r s e o f
C o n t i n u i n g t o s t r u g g l e w i t h
c h r o n i c p a i n d o e s n o t h a v e t o b e
p a r t o f y o u r l i f e . E v e n a f t e r y e a r s
o f f i n d i n g n o h o p e , g o i n g t h r o u g h
s u r g e r i e s , s t e r o i d s h o t s , p r e s c r i p t i o n s a n d e v e n
p r o c e d u r e s l i k e k y p h o p l a s t y , p a t i e n t s a r e s t i l l a b l e t o o b t a i n
g r e a t r e s u l t s . L i k e R a c h a e l G . o f
V i e r a w h o s h a r e s :
t r e a t m e n t , I f e l t s i g n i f i c a n t r e l i e f . M y
b a c k i s s t r o n g e r t h a n e v e r , a n d e v e n
m y s h o u l d e r p a i n a n d f o o t t i n g l i n g
h a v e i m p r o v e d . I h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d
a n y o n e i n p a i n t o s e e h e r "
T h e s e a m a z i n g r e s u l t s a r e d u e t o
t h e i r p e r s o n a l i z e d t r e a t m e n t p r o t o c o l s , w h i c h a d d r e s s t h e r o o t
c a u s e o f b a c k p a i n b y b l e n d i n g
T r a d i t i o n a l C h i n e s e M e d i c i n e w i t h
t h e i r o w n C e l l u l a r B i o M o d u l a t i o n
T h e r a p y
“ E v e r y o n e i s d i f f e r e n t , e v e n i f t w o
p a t ie n t s h a v e t h e s a m e b a c k p a i n
d i a g n o s i s , t h e a p p r o a c h n e e d s t o
b e u n i q u e t o t r u l y a d d r e s s t h e r o o t
c a u s e ” - D r A n d r e a e x p l a i n s
“ T h a t s w h y a l l o f o u r p r o t o c o l s a r e
p e r s o n a l i z e d D u r i n g o u r
c o m p r e h e n s i v e c o n s u l t a t i o n w e g o
o v e r m e d i c a l h i s t o r y , l i f e s t y l e a n d
h e a l t h g o a l s I f I c a n h e l p , I w i l l t e l l
t h e p a t i e n t e x a c t l y w h a t i t t a k e s t o
h e l p t h e m a c h i e v e t h e i r h e a l t h g o a l s ”
D r A n d r e a c o n t i n u e s :
“ O n c e w e g e t s t a r t e d , t h e b e s t p a r t i s t h a t o u r t r e a t m e n t s a r e v e r y
r e l a x i n g . M o s t p a t i e n t s f a l l a s l e e p
a n d d o n o t w a n t t o l e a v e t h e o f f i c e ”
" S h e h a s g i v e n m e r e s u l t s a f t e r
j u s t a f e w s e s s i o n s , w h e r e a s o t h e r
d o c t o r s h a v e l i t e r a l l y j u s t s h r u g g e d
a t m e a n d s a i d t h e y d i d n ' t k n o w
w h a t e l s e t h e y c o u l d d o f o r m e
b e y o n d a p r e s c r i p t i o n S h e i s
t h o r o u g h a n d t r u l y l i s t e n s ”
C o n t i n u i n g t o l i v e i n p a i n i s n o t
o n l y f r u s t r a t i n g b u t a l s o c o s t l y . T h e
t i m e a n d t h e e m o t i o n a l t o l l o f
o n g o i n g p a i n a d d s u p I t i s p r o v e n
t h a t c h r o n i c p a i n b e c o m e s w o r s e
o v e r t i m e , m a k i n g i t h a r d e r t o
t r e a t D e l a y i n g t r e a t m e n t m e a n s
e x t e n d i n g y o u r s u f f e r i n g .
D o n ’ t w a s t e a n o t h e r d a y o f y o u r
l i f e i n p a i n . T a k e t h e f i r s t s t e p
a n d c a l l t o d a y t o s e t u p a
c o n s u l t a t i o n a n d f i n d o u t h o w
y o u c a n t o o b e p a i n f r e e !
S c a n t h i s c o d e t o s e e t h e i r p a t i e n t
s u c c e s s s t o r i e s
o r v i s i t : w w w b o d h i t c m c o m
M e e t t h e D O C T O R
D r . A n d r e a I z q u i e r d o , L A c .
S t a r t e d B o d h i T C M
A c u p u n c t u r e i n
2 0 1 7 w i t h t h e
p u r p o s e o f
b r i n g i n g a
d i f f e r e n t t y p e o f
h e a l i n g t o t h e S p a c e C o a s t .
S h e c o m p l e t e d h e r
P r e m e d i c i n e s t u d i e s a t t h e
U n i v e r s i t y o f F l o r i d a , a n d h e r
A c u p u n c t u r e P h y s i c i a n d e g r e e
a t F C I M i n O r l a n d o S h e i s
n a t i o n a l l y B o a r d C e r t i f i e d a n d
h a s s t u d i e d o v e r s e a s a t t h e 3 0 1
h o s p i t a l i n B e i j i n g C h i n a a s
w e l l a s T i b e t
H a v i n g p e r f o r m e d o v e r 1 5 , 0 0 0
t r e a t m e n t s a t h e r p r a c t i c e , s h e
h a s h e l p e d t h o u s a n d s o f
B r e v a r d C o u n t y r e s i d e n t s w i t h
s e e m i n g l y h o p e l e s s C h r o n i c
a n d c o m p l e x c o n d i t i o n s .
B l e n d i n g A n c i e n t C h i n e s e
M e d i c i n e w i t h M o d e r n
S c i e n c e , D r . A n d r e a a n d h e r
t e a m d e v e l o p p e r s o n a l i z e d
t r e a t m e n t p r o t o c o l s t o
a d d r e s s t h e r o o t c a u s e o f p a i n e v e n w h e n e v e r y t h i n g
e l s e h a s f a i l e d .
TECH KNOW TIDBITS
Growing market — wireless earbuds in wide range of prices
BY ELLA DORFMAN
Satellite Beach resident Jason De La Cruz uses wireless earbuds daily to hear his favorite music while working.
De La Cruz is just one of many who rely on these devices to listen to music and podcasts, during workouts and to make phone calls hands free.
While consumers can purchase wireless earbuds for more than $200, there are many other affordable options that offer quality sound at a much lower price.
“My earbuds were pretty affordable,” De La Cruz said. “I just got some on Amazon instead of expensive Apple AirPods, for example.”
Wireless earbuds use Bluetooth
SENIOR LIFE R. Norman Moody
Wireless earbuds use Bluetooth technology, which was introduced in the 1990s
technology, which was introduced in the 1990s. They pair to an audio device and communicate through
ultra high frequency radio waves to operate. Singlecharged earbuds usually last for five to six hours, but high-level brands can be used for up to 24 hours. Bluetooth’s range is about 10 meters, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
According to Best ProductsReviews.com “10 Best wireless earbuds under $30 in the U.S.,” lists some inexpensive ones. Their Best Choice Mic IPX7 Waterproof Earbuds, and their Value of Money, JLab Go Air Pop True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, can both be purchased on Amazon. Mic IPX7
earbuds are $29.99 and JLab earbuds are $24.99. De La Cruz has JLab earbuds and said he recommends them.
“They have survived a lot,” De La Cruz said. “I have dropped them on the floor and in water and they still work. The case is small, so it is very portable.”
The wireless stereo earbuds market is growing at a high rate as more people turn to them for listening to music or speaking on the phone hands-free.
De La Cruz said he is grateful for Bluetooth earbuds’ prevalence.
“They make my life so much more convenient,” he said. “I can cook and exercise without my earbuds hindering me. Everyone should have Bluetooth earbuds in their life.” SL
“The Artisan” brings stories of struggle through war, beyond
BY MARIA SONNENBERG
In Rockledge author Gene Luke’s award-winning novel, “The Artisan,” forgiveness and love thrive even under the evil that enveloped Germany during World War II.
Born in the former Yugoslavia before the country’s breakup into Serbia and six other independent countries,
Luke emigrated to the United States in his 20s, settling into married bliss in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the love of his life, Donna, also of Yugoslavian descent. He was quickly drawn to the Serbian community in the area.
“The Serbians would get together on the weekends, and all of them seemed to be former POWs,” Luke said. Slowly, the stories of life in German
POW camps began to flow as Luke recorded them. While the prisoners who had been shipped to work as farm hands suffered tremendously en route, they also often found empathy from the farmers who later befriended them. The prisoners would later repay the kindness by defending these villagers from hordes of other prisoners eager to take revenge.
“They taught me … no one, regardless of their convictions, should be blamed as a whole nation for the actions of others who devised and perpetrated crimes against humanity,” Luke later wrote.
He traveled to Germany to walk where these prisoners had walked, to talk to descendants of the farmers and to see with his own eyes what the prisoners had witnessed.
“You may say that I have dedicated half of my life to this novel, and you would be right, but if you read it, you’d understand my commitment to the story of my countrymen, who accepted other people as human beings and sacrificed their lives in defense of people who treated them as equal,” Luke added.
In “The Artisan,” Luke distilled the dozen stories into one, the story of POW carpenter Timo. The novel, which follows the young Serbian as he struggles through the war and beyond, is structured as a fictional memoir Timo writes to his American son who has joined Doctors without Borders during the Yugoslavian conflict.
First published in Serbian in 2004, “The Artisan” earned an honorable mention in 2008 from the Serbian Society of Poets and Writers. Luke later expanded and translated the book into English, with editorial help from the late Bonnie Cassis Helmer, a professional editor. “The Artisan” received the Royal Palm Literary Awards by the Florida Writers Association in 2016.
“It is a truly moving book,” noted Writer’s Digest in 2018.
Although Luke had his first work published as a 14-year-old boy in Yugoslavia, he did not pursue a professional career in writing, instead
Rockledge author Gene Luke spent years researching and writing “The Artisan.”
veering to electrochemical engineering.
“Life dictates your future,” he explained.
His position as chief engineer for the worldwide installation of standby power manufacturing equipment enabled him to travel the world and further fuel his writing. Luke’s work in China after President Richard Nixon’s opening of trade with China resulted in “Innocent China,” a book that discussed the authenticity of the Chinese people during the early stages of modernization.
Luke and his wife retired to Florida in the early 2000s, a move that afforded time to concentrate on writing. He is currently working on “Yearning,” a collection of Serbian immigrant stories.
“The Artisan” is available from Amazon and in audiobook version from Audible. SL
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
STRI PES Brevard
Group provides 300 veterans with funeral honors this year
It does not matter how short a time a veteran has served. When the end comes, they all deserve a funeral with military honors.
Retired veterans, those who served 20 years or more, generally will get a funeral with full military honors and have their branch of the military to provide the service.
“We believe that every veteran, no matter how long they served, should have military honors,” said Phillip Rogers, an Air Force retired lieutenant colonel who flew B-52s for 10 years of active duty and C-130s as a reservist.
Rogers is vice commander of the North Brevard Honor Guard, a group of volunteers from the American Legion Post 1, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Sons of the American Legion and Auxiliaries.
The group, which has been providing the service at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery since it opened, is expected to reach 300 funerals this year at its current pace.
The volunteers want to provide the service for as many veterans and their families as possible. However, not all families know that their veterans are eligible.
“I don’t think people realize we are available,’ said Rob Lessard, the
commander of the North Brevard Honor Guard.
A funeral home will contact the honor guard and make the arrangement with the cemetery. Usually, the North Brevard Honor Guard will send three people for the gun volley, a bugler and a chaplain. The branch with which the veterans served will send two people to fold and present the flag to a family member.
The volunteers, most of whom live in north Brevard, on occasions serve at three or four funerals per day. About 10 of the 15 members of the group provide most of the service depending on who is available.
“It is something I always wanted to do,” Rogers said. “I served and I am very, very appreciative of what veterans do. The guys get moved at
every ceremony. We do it from the heart. We do it for the veterans and their families.”
Rogers said it is hard to explain the passion for doing what they do. They have provided the services for free in and around Brevard County at funeral homes and at cemeteries other than Cape Canaveral National Cemetery. The funeral home tells the families that the honor guard is available.
The funeral homes can specifically ask for the North Brevard Honor Guard. There are other units in Brevard County that provide the same service.
Rogers said his group can use more volunteers.
Those who would like to serve with the North Brevard Honor Guard should call Rogers at 239-821-7924 or email marcoflyers@aol.com SL
Retired Army colonel traces ancestry to the Mayflower, Continental Army
BY ERNIE DORLING
Retired Army Lt. Col. Hans Hunt deeply respects his family’s military lineage. “Tracing my ancestry is a hobby of mine,” Hunt said. “I can trace my family’s lineage to the Mayflower and ancestors who fought in the American Revolution.”
This dedication to his family’s history is a testament to his respect for the military and its traditions.
Hunt is a member of the Society of Cincinnati, the oldest historic society in the nation. Hereditary members are qualified male descendants of commissioned officers who served in the Continental Army or Navy during
the Revolutionary War.
Raised in Syracuse, New York, Hunt enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in March 1986 as a security policeman.
“Like so many who join the military, I felt like I had a patriotic duty to serve my country,” Hunt said. “While attending college at Weber State University in Utah, I joined the Army ROTC program while earning my degree in criminal justice.”
After serving in the Air Force Reserves for 18 months, Hunt joined the Utah National Guard, and in 1989, the year Bette Midler released her hit single, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” he was commissioned a second
Retired Army Lt. Col. Hans Hunt served seven years as an ROTC instructor after his retirement. Hunt’s Revolutionary War uniform is part of membership in The Society of Cincinnati.
lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry. In 1993, he switched from the infantry to the Military Police Corps.
Hunt’s career took him to duty stations worldwide, including participating in Operation Desert Storm and spending eight years in Germany.
“I’m German, so being in Germany was easy for me,” Hunt said. However, Hunt’s most memorable posting was in South Korea.
“I was serving as the 2nd Division Provost Marshal, the equivalent of being the chief of police. I was also responsible for the military police, fire services, and installation security at 10 military installations north of Seoul, including supporting the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Working with the Korean National Police was truly a rewarding and learning experience,” Hunt said.
Hunt retired from the Army in November 2009 and became a senior army instructor at Seminole Ridge
High School in Palm Beach County for five years. He spent seven more years teaching JROTC at Sonora High School in La Habra, California. In 2022, Hunt and his wife decided it was finally time to retire. “My two sons had just moved to Melbourne. We thought it was a good place to settle down and be near family,” Hunt said.
Since retiring, Hunt has been active in the Cape Canaveral Chapter of the Military Officer Association of America (MOAA), where he currently serves on the board of directors. He is also a Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association member whose motto is “Veterans helping Veterans.”
When he isn’t involved in community activity related to helping veterans or working with students in JROTC programs, Hunt can be found serving in his church and working out at the gym at Health First Pro Health in Viera. SL
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Hans Hunt
Wreaths Across America in race to raise funds to honor veterans
BY ELLA DORFMAN
Each December, as soon as the last wreath is placed on the grave of veterans at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, the fundraising process starts again for the next year.
This year, as it neared the end of August, the push was on to secure sponsors for 10,000 more wreaths. About 16,000 wreaths to be placed on each grave at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery will be needed by December.
“Right now we only have 5,512 wreaths sponsored,” site coordinator Bette Nelson said before the end of August. “This year, we’ve had fewer donations to date.”
Fleet Reserve Association Branch 263 is doing its part to help. It has donated more than $300 and has sent out cards encouraging others to donate to the cause.
The FRA branch will honor fallen veterans at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 by helping to place wreaths on the thousands of graves at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.
Wayne Barron, the coordinator for FRA Branch 263 which meets at the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, said that members are trying to spread the word into the community for support.
“We are all patriots, Navy, Coast Guard and more,” Barron said. “We have some cards that we hand out to our members and we ask them to give them to family and friends.”
Wreaths Across America’s mission is to remember the fallen and honor every veteran.
Nelson said there is still a need to get the word out about the
Wreaths Across America volunteers place wreaths on the graves of veterans each
and organizations pay for the wreaths.
“It’s really surprising that there are people in Brevard County that don’t know that we have a National Cemetery.”
— Bette Nelson, site coordinator
organization and that there are thousands of veterans interred at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.
“It’s really surprising that there are people in Brevard County that don’t know that we have a national cemetery,” she said.
The FRA Branch 263 is also encouraging volunteers to help with the placing of wreaths at the national cemetery.
“I’ve only been in Florida for a couple of years, and people told me about the national cemetery,” Barron said. “The last two years, I have
placed wreaths on the grave sites (in December.)
In addition to the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, there are other Wreaths Across America groups locally that also need donations and help in placing wreaths on the graves of veterans in all cemeteries in Brevard County.
Wreaths are placed Saturday,
from
Dec. 14 and the wreath cleanup is Saturday, Jan. 4.
Donation for the National Cemetery wreaths can be mailed to WAA-CCNC, 5445 Murrell Road, Unit 102 #168, Rockledge, Fl 32955. For donations and volunteering with one of the groups in Brevard County go to wreathsacrossamerica. org SL
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Wreaths Across America
December. Donations
individuals
Sharp and fit — Buena Vida resident celebrates No. 100
BY R. NORMAN MOODY AND JILL BLUE
Get up and keep moving.
That’s what 100-year-old Patricia Moyer, a resident at Buena Vida Estates in Melbourne, does each day.
“She walks every day,” said Karin Lautenschlager, the executive director at Buena Vida. “She gets up early and goes for walks.”
Moyer’s big birthday bash at Buena Vida was scheduled well ahead of time to celebrate her turning 100 on Aug. 26. And at that age, she remains active and of sharp mind and memory.
A veteran who served during World War II, Moyer went last November on an Honor Flight, which takes groups of veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the monuments in their honor.
Moyer said she was pleased to serve though she only got to serve one year — from July 1945 to August 1946 — five months in New York and eight months in California.
“I ended up being a secretary,” she said of her service in the U.S. Navy. “I wanted to be in
rehabilitation, but they closed that school.”
Moyer served in the Navy at the same time as her mother, who at first wasn’t allowed.
“My mother wanted to join the service, but they wouldn’t let her because I wasn’t 21 years old,” she said. “She joined the frontier nursing service and I went off and she went off.”
Following the service, Moyer earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a certificate in occupational therapy and went to work for the Kosair Crippled Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. She later had a 10-year stint as a school teacher.
Eventually, Moyer, who grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, moved to Florida and later, in 1997, to Buena Vida Estates.
“I ended up living in this wonderful place,” she said.
Moyer is well known by the other residents of Buena Vida.
“She still lives independently,” Lautenschlager said. “She likes to visit with people. She goes up to assisted living and visits.” SL
SENIOR LIFE Senior Airman Samuel Becker, U.S. Space Force U.S. Space Force Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Sejba, STARCOM commander, passes the guidon to Col. Shannon DaSilva, the incoming Space Delta 10 commander, during the Delta 10 change of command ceremony at Patrick Space Force Base.
Patrick Space Force Base welcomes 458 Delta 10 Guardians to new home
BY MIKE GAFFEY
The Guardians have arrived at their new Space Coast home.
Patrick Space Force Base officially welcomed 458 members of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command, known as STARCOM, during a change of command ceremony Aug. 7 at the base.
Members of STARCOM’s Space Delta 10 unit were based previously in Colorado. The unit is responsible for wargaming to develop effective space combat strategies, tactics and training.
During the ceremony, Col. Jack D. Fulmer II, who had led Space Delta 10 since September 2021 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, relinquished command to Col. Shannon DaSilva at Patrick.
“It is an absolute honor to follow the inaugural commander, Col. Fulmer, as the next leader of Space Delta 10,” DaSilva said during her inaugural address. “I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to join this talented team of professionals as we put down roots at Patrick Space Force Base.”
Before assuming command of Space Delta 10, DaSilva was deputy director of operations at Space Systems Command and supported the Assured Access to Space mission at Patrick, overseeing enterprise integration, space access and future operations.
A distinguished ROTC graduate at Purdue University, DaSilva began her career in the Air Force in 2003. She served in numerous roles, including missile operations, range control and mission flight control, before transferring to the Space Force in October 2020.
During the ceremony, Fulmer said leading Space Delta 10 “has been the honor of my career.”
“Our journey has been one of innovation, resilience and unwavering commitment to the Guardians of our service,” Fulmer said. “No one is more qualified to assume command than Colonel DaSilva, and I’m confident that her fresh perspective
is exactly what Delta 10 needs to continue its rise to the next level and beyond.”
STARCOM, established in 2021, comprises five subordinate Space Deltas: Delta 1, Delta 10, Delta 11, Delta 12 and Delta 13.
The command is responsible for developing U.S. Space Force Guardians to ensure Space Force combat effectiveness.
Ethan Johnson, STARCOM’s public affairs current operations chief, said 350 members of STARCOM Headquarters and 108 Space Delta 10 personnel will transition to Patrick during the next few years.
“These positions will be a mix of uniformed Guardians and Airmen, federal civilians and contractors,” Johnson stated in an email.
“Currently, around 39 total personnel are on the ground at Patrick SFB.”
Patrick was confirmed as STARCOM’s permanent headquarters in May after a yearlong environmental review to ensure it was a suitable location.
The U.S. Space Force was established as America’s sixth armed service in December 2019. Today, the Space Force has 14,000 military and civilian personnel, known as Guardians, according to the Space Force website.
In 2020, Patrick Air Force Base became a Space Force installation and was renamed Patrick Space Force Station during a ceremony attended by then-Vice President Mike Pence. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was renamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at that ceremony. In May 2023, the U.S. Air Force chose Patrick from among six bases to be STARCOM’s permanent home.
U.S. Space Force Maj. Gen. Timothy Sejba, commander of STARCOM, said Space Delta 10 Guardians “are in excellent hands” under DaSilva’s leadership.
“Shannon was already a strong partner to STARCOM in her previous assignment and we are eager to see her lead Delta 10 in a new way,” Sejba said. “It will be a big challenge, but I know she is up for it.” SL
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
Patricia Moyer, a resident of Buena Vida Estates who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, is a Navy veteran of World War II.
Groups work together to combat human trafficking
BY LINDA JUMP
Throughout high school, Connie Rose’s father combined her incest with sex sales. Once free, healed and educated, the Tampa woman created Victims2Survivors, a multi-service program to help other sex trafficking victims regain purpose.
“I acted out and stole on purpose because nobody noticed the abuse. I was hidden in plain sight in an esteemed Christian family. Imagine if you had to turn in a parent, a best friend, a boyfriend,” she said.
Dozens of groups like Rose’s work to end human trafficking and serve victims. More than 200 legal and health professionals and volunteers gathered last month at Eastern Florida State College’s Cocoa campus to discuss ways to cooperate at a symposium sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey.
Human trafficking can happen to anyone, speakers noted, and victims need non-judgmental, consistent, honest support and individual counseling to thrive. A more victim-based approach, increased funding for safe houses and support services combined with awareness would help.
Human trafficking means force, fraud or coercion for services, labor or a commercial sex act, and victims include newborns. U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg said only a tiny percent involve kidnapping.
A third of the cases, like Rose was, are children and teens misused by a family member.
Florida ranks third, behind California and Texas, in trafficking, and it is prevalent in Brevard and surrounding counties. No specific numbers were cited at the symposium, but Ezri Damschroder of Paving the Way Foundation said Brevard’s proximity to theme parks, the ocean and population growth create plenty of potential victims.
“There are lots of programs, but not enough, especially not enough safe houses,” said Maegan Heller, the victim services coordinator for the FLITE Center and the Space Coast Human Trafficking Task Force.
Andreena Harriman of Devereux Florida’s Delta Program of Viera said she often waits for services. “There is no one size fits all. We have to help (victims) see that they’re enough,” she said.
Alan Wilkett, a retired sergeant from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Department, noted that, the “demand side of the triangle, the buyers, seem to get a pass.” He urged crafting bills and statutes to hold those buying trafficked sex equally culpable.
On the screen is Connie Rose, a sex trafficking survivor, who founded and serves as executive director of Victims2Survirors. Panelists Michaela
Harriman, Roger Handberg, Alan Wilkett and Maegan Heller participated in a symposium on human trafficking.
He and Handberg said victims often distrust police and officials. “The evidence in this case is a human being. You don’t set them on a shelf for nine months like you do drugs in a drug case.”
Handberg added, “A number of victims were previously defendants in a case, so there’s skepticism.” He said a court case can take many months but requires a stable victim to undergo questioning.
Michaela Darty, a crime justice coordinator for Florida’s Central Region Department of Children and Families, agreed. “We have to gain their trust and be there even when they’re yelling at us.”
The national hotline is 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to 233733 BEFREE. SL
The internet is a factor in 90% of Florida sex trafficking cases
BY LINDA JUMP
Imagine teen sex trafficking, and most think of a pretty bouncy cheerleader charmed by a friendly woman, given a drug in her water bottle, then forced into a white van of lecherous older men never to be seen again.
Think again.
More likely the danger is in your child’s cell phone. Most gaming and social media apps have a chat component, and your child could secretly be talking with someone they don’t know, posing as their age. “Ninety percent of the cases (of human trafficking) in Florida have some type of online aspect,” said Michaela Darty, a criminal justice coordinator with the Central Region’s Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).
A victim’s average age is 10 to 13 “and consistently, that age is going
down,” according to Ezri Damschroder of Paving the Way Foundation, an Orlando nonprofit. “We need to educate ourselves about the dangers online and know as a parent your child’s television and social media use.”
Leah Nepro of Palm Bay became a victim of sex trafficking starting at age 13. An A student, popular and confident, she joined a group of female competitive dancers and chaperones in a North Carolina hotel in 2016 and met an older boy.
“We used Snapchat every day for four months and I believed he was my boyfriend,” she said. “If I disagreed with my parents, he’d tell me he’d never treat me that way.”
On Dec. 14, after a family argument, she texted him to pick her up in his car and moved into his apartment near her school. “At first, everything was fine. He drove me to and from school,” but slowly increased control over her
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Go to the American Academy of Pediatrics website (search social media) for appropriate use for children and teens.
Set a good example with your social media use.
Know your child’s cell phone passwords and apps they use.
Periodically talk with children and teens about what’s normal and appropriate to post and what isn’t. Let them know they can talk to you, including about any posts that make them uncomfortable or if they are asked for compromising photos.
Not only block posts that are inappropriate or threatening but report them to the app so they’ll be taken down. 1103 W Hibiscus Blvd |
phone, clothing, makeup and activities, feigning jealousy. He isolated her from friends and family. She did sometimes visit home, but returned “because I loved him.”
When he gave her his real name, admitting that he was 27 years old and that he used and sold drugs, “I was so betrayed, but stayed because I thought he was the only one who would ever love or value me.” Then, she was still a virgin.
The next month, he kept her from school for a month, bringing in buyers and prostitutes who glamorized their lifestyle.
“I was too young to work, but he controlled me. Once I was in it, it was awful, not glamorous.”
On April 2, 2017, Nepo said her boyfriend was high and paranoid, accusing her of calling the police because a cruiser sat in front of their hotel.
“I told him it was because I missed
school and I’d go out and tell them I was OK, but I really called a friend to pick me up and take me home.”
Her trafficker sent threatening messages. “I was scared out of my mind every day and dealt with guilt.” Without telling anyone all that happened, she begged her father for a new start with extended family in Philadelphia. After her suicide attempt, they moved, and her healing began. Still, she said, it wasn’t until she was a Florida Tech college student studying child advocacy that she acknowledged the extent of abuse.
These days, she praises her family for their support and finds purpose as a domestic violence prevention specialist with Serene Harbor, a center in Melbourne. “I can hear victim’s stories and not give them crazy looks because I know what they’re talking about. … I hope they can see that I’m not a junkie, not in a bad relationship and my strength can be an example.” SL
SENIOR LIFE Linda Jump
Darty, Andreena
60-year-old Brevard nonprofit helps
BY LINDA JUMP
Jennifer Cleveland of Melbourne in 2009 was a paramedic in Health First’s trauma center who was rapidly losing her sight. Seven specialists couldn’t tell her why or how to stop it.
Much later, she was diagnosed with rare autoimmune retinopathy due to celiac disease.
“People looked like abstract paintings. I lost my job and driver’s license. Friends dropped me and my husband became a bad husband who couldn’t support me. I was lost. I was helpless and suicidal,” she said.
Her mother eventually contacted the Brevard Association for the Advancement of the Blind, a 60-yearold nonprofit organization based at 674 South Patrick Drive in Satellite Beach.
“Everything changed. I met people who were just like me and I started to feel hope,” Cleveland said.
The Program for Independent Living taught her household management, including how to cook safely, put on makeup, and organize her life. “Simple things we take for granted are a struggle,” said Don Wynn, the vice president of BAAB. Cleveland later received a guide dog and training in Ohio. Her current standard poodle, Gabriel, leads her using a harness. “It took a year to rebuild my confidence,” she said.
She studied to become a yoga instructor, but her textbooks weren’t recorded. In 2012, after becoming certified, she created a yoga teaching program for blindfolded students called “Yoga in the Dark.” Now, she teaches and practices Thai Yoga
Don Wynn, the vice president of the Brevard Association for the Advancement of the Blind, records in the studio at the agency’s offices in Satellite Beach.
“Everything changed. I met people who were just like me and I started to feel hope.”
— Jennifer Cleveland
massage and serves as spokeswoman for BAAB.
“My message is if you go through something, find the people who have been there and done that. A lot of people are not kind and even those who are can be unintentionally hurtful.”
Wynn said BAAB’s mission is to “encourage independence and enhance the quality of life for the visually impaired.” BAAB began in 1966 to assist visually impaired students at Satellite Beach. All are volunteers except a paid office manager.
The program offers about $50,000
in free services annually, tailored to each client. Help includes signing up for benefits, life and computer classes, speakers and free hard supplies, such as foldable canes. Volunteers also record five magazines for the National Library Service, part of the Library of Congress, in BAAB’s four professional recording studios in its office at 674 South Patrick Drive in Satellite Beach.
A 5K race beginning at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 5 at Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach will raise funds to expand services, including more social events and classes. The fundraiser Light Among the Shadows is a luncheon
designed to heighten participants’ senses of taste, smell and touch as they learn to eat through the eyes of the visually impaired. That event will be Feb. 22 at the Holiday Inn in Cocoa. Go to baabhelpfortheblind.org SL
SENIOR LIFE
Courtesy of Jennifer Cleveland Jennifer Cleveland, who became legally blind in 2009, relies on guide dog Gabriel to lead her on walks.
SENIOR LIFE Linda Jump
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Seniors thrive through exercise, social activity
BY DR. JAYA PRAKASH AND CAMERON COUNTRYMAN
Regular wellness checks
Seniors should get regular wellness checks to detect health conditions early, get preventive care, manage medications and get mental health support. At these checks, seniors can report any issues they have been having and better understand age-related changes they may be experiencing. Important immunizations such as a flu shot may be administered at these checks, as well. Doctors can offer guidance to senior patients and provide referrals to other specialized doctors. Setting reminders to go to appointments and make appointments is helpful. Seniors should always alert their doctors of any pains or ailments they may have in case they are symptoms of something bigger. If there is a concern about affording these visits, there are resources in the community for payment.
Eat well
Eating nutritious food is important for all ages but dietary needs somewhat vary for different age groups. To feel good and reduce the risk of health issues, seniors should eat foods from all of the food groups and avoid foods with added sugar, saturated fats and sodium. It is also good to avoid processed food and eat fresh food, instead. If the price of fresh food is a barrier, seniors can find some friends, pool their money, buy fresh food in bulk then split it amongst themselves. Seafood, dairy, fortified soy products, beans, peas and lentils are great sources of protein to maintain muscle, but the amount of exercise determines the amount of protein needed. Seniors should eat a variety of proteins and recipes for different amino acids. One problem seniors often have with protein is being unable to chew it due to bad teeth, so dental hygiene plays a role in nutrition. Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and
•
cereals fortified with vitamin B12 are rich sources of vitamin B12, which many become deficient in as they age. However, seniors should talk to their doctors about the vitamins they need because it is possible to overdo vitamins. Drinking a lot of water helps nutritious food digest and provide nutrients. Small meals rich with various nutrients are best for the body to absorb the nutrients.
Exercise regularly
Regular exercise, no matter how rigorous, has a myriad of benefits for the body and mind. For seniors, exercise aids weight loss or maintenance, helps the body fight illness and enhances mobility, flexibility and balance. It also improves sleep, boosts mood and self-confidence and improves brain function. Exercise does not have to be difficult; in fact, it is important for seniors to find exercises they enjoy to help them stay consistent. Exercise
could be playing fetch with a dog or taking a pleasant stroll around the neighborhood. Walking is one of the best exercises because it is easy to stick to, allows seniors to spend time in nature and can be social. Some gyms have senior workout classes with chair yoga or water aerobics. Any amount of exercise increases longevity and does wonders for the body and mind, but 30 minutes of exercise five times a week is recommended.
Participate in social activities
Socialization is crucial for good mental health and can improve cognition. An important factor for longevity is socialization. Social connectedness is one of the most common factors in blue zones.
Seniors with frequent pleasant social interactions feel less depressed, anxious and lonely and are generally in better moods than those who have infrequent social interactions. Socialization mixed with some sort of exercise is best, which can include walking and talking with a friend. One ideal way to socialize is volunteering. Volunteering allows seniors to socialize and maybe exercise while doing something to help others.
Once retired, many people do not plan their day. This leads to isolation, poor mental health and a lost sense of purpose. Seniors often have travel or vacation plans set up after retirement but travel is temporary.
Planning day-to-day activities is extremely important for good mental health. If seniors have a reason to look forward to their day, they are in a better mood and better health.
Everyone needs to feel like they have a purpose. Many seniors experience a decline in health and an increase in stress after retirement because they feel like they no longer have a purpose. But, the world needs seniors.
Volunteering opportunities are abundant, as well as fun activities specifically for seniors. Younger generations need seniors to mentor them and impart wisdom. SL
Dr. Jaya Prakash, a certified health coach who operates Coachjaya4health LLC in Melbourne, offers more tips for healthy living at askdrjaya.com
Hello September
Hello September
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Weekend Music Festival
4 - 8 p.m.
Music, food and drinks.
Palm Bay Senior Center
1275 Culver Drive NE Palm Bay, 321-220-4216
Jimmy Buffett Day
Celebration
5- 9 p.m.
Music by the Landsharks Front Street Park 2205 Front St. Melbourne 321-608-7400
Monday Night Trivia 9 p.m. Hosted by Stacy Rodriguez.
Island Root Kava Bar 7954 N. Wickham Road Suntree, 321-622-6854
Master Gardeners
10 a.m. - noon
Master gardeners will be in the lobby to answer gardening questions.
Titusville Library 2121 S. Hopkins Ave. Titusville, 321-264-5026
Bingo 1 - 3 p.m.
Italian-American Club of South Brevard 1471 Cypress Ave. Melbourne 321-242-8044
The Story of Water Concert
7 - 9 p.m.
Presented by the Melbourne Community Orchestra 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd. Melbourne 321-285-6724
Bocce Ball 9 a.m.
Italian-American Club 1471 Cypress Ave. Melbourne 321-242-8044
Tea Party: Tea and Health Insights
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ClinCloud offers a chance to ask medical professionals questions about women's health.
RSVP
Magnolia Hall 5 Rosa L. Jones Drive Cocoa, 321-751-6771
National Day of Commuy Service
Band Camp, Balls and Bands 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Exercise using balls and bands. North Brevard Senior Center 909 Lane Ave., Titusville 321-268-2333
Viera Park Market 4 - 8 p.m. Viera Regional Park Viera, 321-759-3713
9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
9 - 10 a.m.
Presented by the City of Rockledge featuring speakers and music. Rockledge Civic Hub 530 Barton Blvd. Rockledge, 321-221-7540
Melbourne Train Show
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
AZAN Shriners Center 1591 W. Eau Gallie Blvd. Melbourne, 321-805-7963
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Fall Audience Favorites Concert
3 p.m. Presented by the Community Band of Brevard.
Merritt Island High 100 Mustang Way Merritt Island 321-258-5580
Dietician Series: Meal Planning
1 - 2 p.m.
A seminar on various diet and nutrition topics. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771
8 a.m. The Habitat Golf Club 3591 Fairgreen St. Malabar, 321-204-4577
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Enchanted Forest
5K/10K Trail Run
7:30 a.m.
Fundraiser for a tram cart for guest tours.
Enchanted Forest 444 Columbia Blvd. Titusville, 321-264-5185
Meet Author Brian Freeman
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Meet the New York Times best-selling author Brian Freeman. Satellite Beach Library 751 Jamaica Blvd. Satellite Beach 321-779-4004
Salsa Dance Night
4:30 - 9 p.m. Beginner salsa lesson followed by open Latin dancing. Tuscany Grill 6630 Colonnade Ave. Viera, 305-970-9022
Elder Law Series Part 1 4 - 5 p.m. Part one of an 8-week series of presentations. Part 1: How Estate Plans Protect You & Prevent Exploitation. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771
Viera East Travelers Club Meeting 6 p.m. Kim Foy with Collette Tours will present 2025 tours.
Viera East Golf Resident’s Club 1964 Golf Vista Blvd. Viera, 321-890-3522
Cuban Dinner and Conversation 6 p.m.
Rachmaninoff 3 7 p.m. Presented by the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra. Scott Center at Holy Trinity 5625 Holy Trinity Drive Suntree, 855-252-7276 29
9 a.m. - noon Benefit for Space Coast Children’s Hunger Project, SPCA Brevard, Back Brevard Heroes, Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Fundraiser to benefit Cuban partner churches. Suntree United 7400 N. Wickham Road Suntree, 321-255-7378
BREVARD PAYS TRIBUTE — 9-11 CEREMONIES AND
Brevard County will remember 9-11 with various Patriot Day tributes.
September 7 • 9 a.m.
The City of Rockledge will hold a 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony Sept. 7 at the Civic Hub at 530 Barton Avenue. The ceremony will include guest speakers and music.
September 11 • 5:30 p.m. 23rd Anniversary Memorial Tribute
and Patriot Day Ceremony at the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center Plaza at 400 S. Sykes Creek Parkway on Merritt Island.
September 11 • 8:30
Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Park at 2201 Port Malabar Blvd. NE in Palm Bay. It will feature guest speakers.
September 11 • 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Guests are welcome to pay their
respects for the lives lost on September 11, 2001, at The Avenue Viera’s World Trade Center memorial site. The site has part of a steel beam from the World Trade Center and is located across from AMC Theatres. Guests can visit any time during The Avenue Viera’s operating hours. The Avenue Viera will have flowers and flags available for guests to leave at the site or take with them in memory of the fallen.
Still going strong at 102 — Helen Hutten’s journey of joy, family and love
BY SUSAN HOUTS
At 102 years old, Helen Hutten is a living testament to the power of staying active and connected with loved ones. Surrounded by her family and friends, she celebrated this major birthday milestone with cake, balloons, music, gifts and smiles last month at her home in Market Street Memory Care in Viera. “I am so surprised.” Hutten said, as partygoers lined up to share wellwishes. “This is wonderful.”
Originally from Cincinnati, she and her late husband Bernie moved to Florida in 1976 where they built a life of joy and love in Indialantic, and then Tortoise Island, and finally settling into Grand Isle in 2002 when they moved across the street from Meredith and David Ryder. They all soon became fast friends. “You couldn’t help but like them,” Meredith Ryder said.
According to her friends Jackie Pinto and Lisa Crane, “Helen was always a team player, and quite competitive.”
The Huttens stayed involved in the community; they attended almost every function at Grand Isle, where they lived until Bernie’s death at 104 years old. “She and Bernie were always the last people to leave,” Lisa Crane said. “And they threw some great parties.”
Helen Hutten’s love for games and gatherings is just one aspect of her vibrant personality. She has always led an active lifestyle, a trait she and Bernie shared. Together, they spent countless hours on the golf course, a sport that not only kept them physically fit but also allowed them to bond over a shared
Helen Hutten was surprised by her out-of-town visitors at her 102nd
passion and spend time with friends. Helen Hutten played golf until she reached 90 years old.
Helen and Bernie Hutten were also avid water enthusiasts. They spent many weekends sailing, fishing or simply enjoying the tranquility of being on the water. According to Helen’s grandnephew, frequent visitor and local realtor Scott Wall, “Bernie had a fishing line in the water daily,” and Helen would often make dinner with what he caught.
Along with her active lifestyle, Hutten said her faith contributed to her longevity. According to her nephew Tony Wall, she and Bernie were devout Catholics, and they lived by the motto of “love God and love others.”
At 102 on Aug. 7, Hutten’s days may be a bit slower, but her spirit remains as strong as ever. Her family makes regular visits to her at Market Street, where they continue a tradition of playing Rummikub, at which Hutten wins quite often. These visits are
more than just a way to pass the time; they are a celebration of the love and connection that this family matriarch has fostered over her long and fulfilling life. The staff of Market Street agrees.
“Helen is a classic example of how age doesn’t have to define you,” said Telelia Farrel, the associate executive director of Market Street. “She is sharp as a tack; a vibrant and beautiful woman.”
As she celebrates her birthday, Hutten serves as an inspiration to all, showing that with a positive attitude, strong relationships and a little bit of fun, life can be full of joy at any age. What’s next? According to her friend Meredith Ryder after Helen blew out her birthday candles, “On to 103.”
Jeanette White has been named the Health and Wellness Advocate in Brevard County for Aging Matters.
White was honored during an open house at the Sunflower House on Fell Road in West Melbourne, where Aging Matters celebrated National Senior Citizens Day on Aug. 21.
“This is really a great honor,’’ said the 67-year-old White, who teaches Sit and Get Fit classes each Wednesday and Friday at the Martin Andersen Senior Center in Rockledge. “The Sunflower House offers so many Activities of Daily Living (ADL) services. Seniors helping seniors — it feels good to come out and support these agencies.’’
Participants in White’s unique classes hold two plastic sticks similar to drum sticks. Hand and eye coordination is emphasized during the onehour workouts. SL
SENIOR LIFE Susan Houts
Helen Hutten spent her birthday surrounded by loving friends and family.
1. Journalist’s question
4. Ride the waves
8. Desire 12. Knock off
Stretch 14. Flu symptom 15. So far 16. “We the Living” author
17. Honeybun 18. Leaning 20. Sitting spot 21. Get a move on 23. Cavalry weapon 25. Uniform 27. Chicken order 28. Rearward 31. Weak 33. Be a snitch
Boating safety course offered
BY ELLA DORFMAN
Anyone in Florida born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 operating a boat of at least 10 horsepower should earn their Boating Safety Education Identification Card. It is recognized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fortunately for Brevard County residents, America’s Boating Club Cocoa Beach will provide a nationally approved boating safety course from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 14. The one-day course will be at the Port Canaveral Yacht Club at 910 Mullet Road.
35. “Yikes!”
36. Persian, e.g. 38. Carafe size
39. Inflict 41. Intend 42. Puppeteer Lewis 45. Deep black 47. Something to spin 48. Filly’s mother 49. Kind of testing 52. Charity 53. Ripens 54. Mighty long time 55. Tuckered out 56. Camping gear 57. Arid DOWN
1. Like some humor 2. Clod chopper 3. Got 4. Delhi wrap 5. Russian range 6. Avis offering 7. Beanie Babies, e.g.
The cost is $20 per person and $10 each for up to three family members. Each family is provided one free book. To register, go to Registrar@cbsps.org. Florida does not require a boating license, but requires the Boating Safety Education Identification Card. According to Title XXIV Chapter 327.395 2024 Florida Statutes, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 may not go boating with an engine of 10 horsepower or more without receiving this card, which is valid for a lifetime. To learn about the exemptions, visit myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/ faqs/ SL
8. Long-legged shore bird
9. Wasted
10. Catch, as flies
11. Roll call
19. Svelte 20. Licit
21. Dateless
22. Sandwich fish 24. Wager
26. Wispy clouds
28. Took care of
29. Hopper
30. Relative of a gull
32. Feed lines to
34. Newsweek’s rival
37. Park place?
39. Usurp
40. Singer Carpenter
42. Knife
43. In good shape
44. Soprano Gluck
46. Sleeveless garment
48. Yoga class need
50. Hide-hair link
51. To some extent
BCOA NEWS
Brevard Commission on Aging
BCOA meetings are open to the public and are held the second Thursday of each month at the government center in Viera. For information, contact Cindy Short at 321-6332076, FAX 321-633-2170, cindy.short@brevardfl.gov, brevardf l.gov/HumanServices/CommissionOnAging or at 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, B-106, Viera, FL 32940.
Companion Animal Care needs help caring for seniors’ pets
Sherlock the cat and Bentley, an elderly dog, are happy recipients of the emergency care offered to their owners by Companion Animal Care of Brevard County (CAC).
This year-old nonprofit is the brainchild of Christine Evans who noticed a need for seniors who lack support for their beloved animals when they need medical care, but they deny it when they can’t find a place for their pets.
“We ensure these pets receive the care they need,” Evans said.
CAC aims to relieve the stress seniors feel when they
lack someone to care for their pets during a medical crisis by providing both short and longterm fostering, or finding a new permanent home if needed. Since Companion Animal Care’s inception, the demand has been overwhelming and there is a desperate need for volunteers to foster animals.
CAC’s other mission is to assist county food pantries by purchasing large quantities of pet food, repackaging and then distributing it to Brevard pantries on a weekly basis. Their vision is to expand the Paw Pantry to more locations throughout the county when the resources are available.
Although Evans admits she is a foster fail now that she calls Sherlock and Bentley family, the satisfaction she gets from the gratitude of owners and their families during these stressful times makes it all worthwhile.
The needs of CAC are great, especially as a new nonprofit. To continue their ministry, community support is essential. If you would like to help volunteer, foster a pet, offer storage, vet/grooming services or financial support, visit companionanimalcarebcfl.org, email comapanionanimal carebcfl@gmail.com, or call Evans at 321-750-2669. SL
Volunteer’s commitment helps bring faith, connection and joy
BY CAMERON COUNTRYMAN
When Susan Wiedeman moved to Viera in June 2023, she was unsure of how she wanted to get involved in the community and where she wanted to volunteer.
As a retiree, Wiedeman does not take commitment to volunteering lightly because, once she makes a commitment, she sticks to it.
“I knew I wanted to volunteer for something, but I knew I wanted it to be something with a purpose,” she said.
Wiedeman has always had a soft spot for seniors and decided six months ago that Faith Place, a ministry of Faith Viera Lutheran Church (FVLC), where she is a member, was the place for her. She also volunteers quarterly on FVLC’s altar guild and often helps with her grandchildren’s transportation.
“You’re serving others, instead of people serving you … that’s what Christ has called us to do,” Wiedeman said.
Faith Place is a ministry of FVLC’s congregation that is designed for older adults to come and have fellowship with other older adults. FVLC’s Family Counselor and Interim Director of Faith Place Dr. Douglas Fountain said that Faith Place is where seniors can do moderate chair exercises, Bible study, listen to presentations and music, eat snacks and spend time with friends. There is no fee.
“Our primary focuses are connection and faithfulness,” Fountain said.
One thing that Wiedeman loves about volunteering at Faith Place is the diversity of guests and volunteers. The guests range from ages 37 to 101, and the volunteers range from ages 16 to 80-something. Some people come from the Midwest, some come from Barbados, Montserrat, Grenada and other islands and some have always lived in Brevard County. Some are Lutheran and some are of different
SUDOKU
religions. Each guest and volunteer has a multitude of great stories to tell, as well as a listening ear to hear others’ stories.
“Everyone at Faith Place loves and respects each other and enjoys the time spent in fellowship,” Wiedeman said.
Faith Place is held from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. She also has Bible study on Thursday mornings and brings the leftover snacks to Faith Place.
“At least for that one day a week, I have a purpose. I have a schedule,” Wiedeman said.
Volunteers must be members of FVLC and undergo a background check. Guests, however, do not have to be members of FVLC. The only thing required of guests is that they can get around without assistance and use the restroom on their own. Faith Place is strictly social and not a medical facility.
“I could come to Faith Place everyday!” 101-year old Marjorie Frank said.
Faith Place is in Building E at 5550 Faith Drive. SL
SENIOR LIFE Cameron Countryman
Susan Wiedeman, left, a volunteer at Faith Place, chats with participants Jean Bourne, Ana Julia Schafer, Erma O’Brien, Simon O’Brien and Joshua Kent at Faith Viera Lutheran Church.
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
Christine Evans started Companion Animal Care of Brevard County (CAC) after noticing a great need on the Space Coast. The organization helps seniors care for their pets when they cannot.
TIME TO TRAVEL Cross Creek
For fans of Cross Creek author, Rawlings home site well worth the visit
BY MARIA SONNENBERG
Not too many attractions can wrap both history and literature together, but a Cracker farmhouse less than 20 miles from Gainesville manages it splendidly.
The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park celebrates the life of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Yearling.” In Cross Creek, a tiny community in Alachua County, Rawlings, who lived there for a quarter of a century, not only penned her much-loved novel, but also chronicled the colorful residents of the area in her memoirs, “Cross Creek.”
The urbane Rawlings, a native of Washington, D.C., found her muse in the Florida Cracker neighbors she met as the owner of a 72-acre orange grove purchased with an inheritance in 1928. In harmony with her land at Cross Creek, Rawlings found inner peace … and literary success.
“Cross Creek belongs to the wind and the rain, to the sun and the seasons, to the cosmic secrecy of seed, and beyond all, to time,” she wrote in her memoir.
After Rawlings died in 1953, the property passed to the University of Florida. The
state manages the property, opened to the public since 1970. In 2006, the park that encompasses her home and garden was designated a National Historic Landmark. Although the park encompasses only eight acres, it is also adjacent to public lands that once were part of Rawlings’ grove.
The house and farmyard remain as if Rawlings had just stepped out to chat with a neighbor back in the 1930s. Thursdays through Sundays, costumed tour guides lead visitors on regularly scheduled tours through the historic home, barn and farmyard, discussing Rawlings’ life and writings along the way. For the more adventurous, a couple of trails meander through the woods. A fee of $3 per vehicle covers this journey into Florida’s past and a look at one of the state’s greatest writers.
To prepare for a visit, pick up one of Rawlings’ books from the library. Make a weekend of it with dinner at the nearby The Yearling Restaurant and a stay at one of its seven restored — and air-conditioned — cabins, each named after one of Rawlings’ novels. Bring a kayak or canoe to launch off the banks of Cross Creek.
The restaurant is almost as much of a landmark as the Rawlings homesite. In business since 1952, The Yearling’s menu features fried green tomatoes, free-range venison, frog legs and shrimp and grits, and a Rawlings favorite, sour orange pie.
“The restaurant celebrates the Florida cracker culture that so enchanted Rawlings when she came to Cross Creek,” wrote journalist Bonnie Gross in floridarambler.com.
Cross Creek may well steal your stomach, heart and soul, as it did Rawling’s.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park is about
a three-hour drive from Melbourne. For more information, go to floridastateparks.
History — Then and Now
History – Then and Now features Space Coast historic landmarks or sites in pictures and what those same areas look like today in photographs. Then 1980s
Now 2024
org/parks-and-trails/ marjorie-kinnan-rawlingshistoric-state-park and yearlingrestaurant.net. SL
SENIOR LIFE Elaine Moody
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings chronicled colorful area residents in her memoirs, “Cross Creek.”
SENIOR LIFE Elaine Moody
The Ice Plant located at 1604 S. Harbor City Blvd. in Melbourne is now used
professional office space.
SENIOR LIFE Elaine Moody
The home of Pulitzer Prize winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings has been well maintained in Alachua County. She wrote “The Yearling.”
NORTH BREVARD
Vern Jansen Park — hidden gem in sight of the North Brevard Senior Center
BY FLORA REIGADA
Once in disrepair, Vern Jansen Park, on the shores of George Van Staden Lake, is now a thriving green space that attracts wildlife as well as human visitors.
The park, adjacent to the North Brevard Senior Center at 909 Lane
Ave. in Titusville, with its gazebo and an ornamental fountain in the lake, is a source of pride at the center.
A one-third mile-long wheelchairaccessible pathway surrounds the lake, which serves as a retention pond.
Opened in 2012, the lake and park resulted from a cooperative effort between the city, county, state and the
Senior Center.
The Vern Jansen is under the jurisdiction of the North Brevard Parks and Recreation.
The late Vern Jansen, for whom the park is named, was a driving force behind the creation of the North Brevard Senior Center.
“The lake was named for the late George Van Staden, who also was instrumental in starting the Senior Center,” said Linda Trawle, the center’s operations manager. “He pushed to make this dream a reality.”
Melissa Renninger, the administrative secretary at North
Brevard Parks and Recreation, and her co-workers walk along the trail daily, enjoying friendship, exercise and nature’s beauty.
“It is a pleasant, mostly shaded walk, with a scenic view and the opportunity for passive recreation,” she said. “I have seen people fishing along the shoreline.”
Wildlife, such as tropical birds, sometimes pay a visit. When the occasional alligator is spotted, a trapper is called.
A favorite among those who frequent the Senior Center, the Vern Jansen Park is among the many park and recreational areas North Brevard offers.
The center along with the park and lake provides a setting for weddings, receptions, parties and business meetings in a relaxed atmosphere. The Senior Center rents space inside and outside.
Among the many other recreation areas in North Brevard are the 2,568acre Fox Lake Park and Sanctuary, a scenic get-away at 4400 Fox Lake Road. It encompasses family picnic shelters, a sand volleyball court, a fishing dock and a boat ramp.
The 92-acre Chain of Lakes Park, located near Eastern Florida State College and the Indian River Lagoon, features wetlands, lakes with walking bridges, miles of paved walking trails, playgrounds and an observation tower.
For more about Brevard County’s Parks, visit brevardfl.gov/ ParksAndRecreation SL
SENIOR LIFE David Reigada
This scenic path in the Vern Jansen Park leads to a one-third mile-long paved and wheelchair-accessible walking path around the George Van Staden Lake.
GRANDS
Continued from page 1
BY FLORA REIGADA
It’s been said that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. This is true when it comes to helping those suffering from food insecurity.
Local people, businesses and organizations all play a part.
Titusville’s Hope for North Brevard Thrift Store’s food pantry is an example.
“Supermarkets and restaurants donate bakery products such as breads and muffins,” said Lisa Thompson, the store manager. “The Hummingbird Pantry contributes fruit and vegetables. People in the community also donate food.”
The pantry serves its local area, especially those who cannot drive to a grocery store.
Because the pantry is small and food runs out fast, recipients are allowed only two items.
“A $5 loaf of bread is a luxury item to some,” Thompson said.
“Grateful people often tell me how they plan to cook or serve the food.”
The Hope for North Brevard Thrift Store is at 2214 Garden St. in Titusville. For information on how to help, call 321-383-8638 or visit hopenb.org.
The Hummingbird Food Pantry serves Brevard County’s low-income families, single parents, senior citizens, the unemployed and working poor.
“We are a Second Harvest affiliate,” founder Gina Stanford said.
“Supermarkets and businesses give when donations are available.”
The organization is at 3000 Jolly St.
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119 new members. Within that same year the organization assisted 83 members with legal consultations and helped 513 members with their T.A.R.G.E.T. training (Training And Resources for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Entering Transition). The tools and resources they provide clearly demonstrate their compassion and mission to aid both grandparents as well as the children under their care.
“They’ve helped with everything,” said Keisha Rosier, one of the grandparents receiving aid from the organization. She stepped up without hesitation when her grandchildren needed her most and now manages the schedules of her three grandchildren in conjunction with working an overnight job. Through Grandparents Raising Grandchildren she is able to receive assistance in providing clothes, medical care, school supplies and food. Having the support of this organization has had a great impact on her grandkids’ quality of life and Rosier is now seeing improvements in the children’s school grades as well as seeing the kids’ involvement in sports and church.
Christine Cassidy, another member of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, has faced many struggles surrounding custody. Having no rights to her grandson, she had to first receive approval from DCF (Department of Children and Families) just to register him for school. DCF advised her of the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren organization and she was able to utilize the program’s legal assistance resources to adopt her grandson. But that’s not the
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September Events
Tuesday, September 10 at 4:00 p.m.
It seems like scammers are everywhere these days! Join Launch Credit Union for an educational class on what to look for and what to avoid when you suspect fraud. RSVP by September 7
A Taste of Shell Harbor
Thursday, September 19 from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Get a taste of resort-style living! Meet new friends and neighbors, sample delicious hors d’oeuvre, and sway to the sounds of our featured local pianist, Angie Parks. RSVP by September 14
only battle she has faced.
“Everything’s computerized now,” she said. Cassidy remembers raising her daughter and the documents and forms needed. However, figuring out where to obtain everything and how to electronically submit it has been a source of frustration. She balances these digital challenges along with her grandson’s medication as well as having an on-call job and notes that the organization has been a great source of support through it all.
With many services offered, Grandparents Raising Children offers memberships for only $10 per year and has regular support meetings around Brevard County and is a great place to start for grandparents who have become primary caregivers to their grandchildren. SL
SENIOR LIFE Flora Reigada
At Park Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville, Enid Bourgault does her part to fight local food insecurity by contributing a box of cereal to “One Can Make a Difference.”
SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
Christine Cassidy waits for her grandson Vito to finish coming down the slide.
Whatever influences you, resolve to be an informed voter
Remember the first time you voted at age 21? My first opportunity to vote was in 1960.
What influenced me? Most often, children follow their parents based on their thoughts and discussion. My father was a union leader in a major industrial city and a Democrat.
I taught at a Wausau, Wisconsin high school and the students asked me to be the advisor for the Young Democrats. During the presidential campaign, Jack and Jackie Kennedy visited our city. My wife and I enjoyed an extended conversation with them about issues and concerns.
There were other influences on how I cast my vote through the years. Family conversations around the farmhouse kitchen table, neighbors, social contacts, placards, mailings, radio and television messages, newspaper stories and editorials helped.
During the 20 years I spent on the University of Wisconsin campus in the capital city of Madison, I was exposed to many other influences.
One morning in 1978, my friend Lee Dreyfus stopped at my office for a chat. He said, “Ed, I’m going to run for governor.” He had never held a political elective office. I responded: “You have never been elected dog catcher.”
As a professor of Communications, Dreyfus had studied what made a successful campaign, the words used, the promises made, and the appeals to voters. I was challenged by this Republican.
Dreyfus’ formula for victory paid
Challenges of Living to Age 100
Ed Baranowski
off with whistle-stop visits to small towns and big cities all over the state. Instead of the back platform of a train, he used a platform on the back of a VW camper. He promised to return the “surplus of funds in the State treasury.” He was elected; I received my state tax refund. Dreyfus was a good governor.
Through the years, as voters, we look at platforms and promises. Sometimes, we vote along party lines. As seniors, we have more concerns about our issues. We ask: “What’s in it for ME?”
Senior groups like AARP serve as an advocate in the political arena to maintain our benefits and entitlements.
Spouses can have an influence. When I married at age 81, family members asked: “How could you marry a Republican?” We resolved that challenge before we said our vows. We both confessed that we voted for the most qualified candidate. We agreed to be an informed voter. SL
Ed Baranowski is an awardwinning writer, artist, speaker, and seminar leader. He lives in Melbourne Florida and can be contacted at fast75sr@gmail.com
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These are the top senior living facilities on the Space Coast. All of these wonderful places offer amenites to live a comfortable life in retirement. Buena Vida Estates 2129 W. New Haven Ave., W. Melbourne 32904 321-724-0060 BuenaVidaEstates.org
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However, recipients must first go to a designated staging area to check in or register.
Find out more at facebook.com/ HummingbirdPantryRiverview.
Area churches have joined with “One Can Make a Difference,” a Park Avenue Baptist Church outreach, to collect and distribute food.
Participating churches include First United Methodist, Indian River City Methodist, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Saint Teresa Catholic Church, Park Avenue Baptist, and Trinity Community Church.
Each week, a designated non-perishable food item is collected at various locations and distributed to a pantry. Items include peanut butter, soups with meat, canned vegetables, boxed cereal, and bottled water.
The Women’s Center in Titusville, which helps those suffering from domestic violence, is a recipient.
“We are very appreciative that we can give a week’s worth of food to those in need,” said Sierra Thompson, the director of Volunteer Management and Strategic Initiative.
Find out more about area food pantries at myboomerguide.com on page 33 or titusville.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/09/new-food-pantries-list.pdf SL
Garden club seeks new members SPECIAL TO SENIOR LIFE
The Spade and Trowel Garden Club will conduct a meeting from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday Sept. 11 at the Health Bar at 209 Crocket Boulevard on Merritt Island for new members.
The club will begin preparations for its annual Christmas Home Tour, which emphasizes crafting and gardening fun. Three beautiful Merritt Island homes will be featured on Nov. 20.
All proceeds will benefit local charities, including Candlelighters of Brevard, Walk on Water and Life Recaptured. For information, email Nancy Lundell at nancylundell@outlook.com or Mary Marks at marylou1313@aol.com. SL
