April 2011

CALENDAR OF EVENTS | FARM AND FO FOREST FESTIVAL O R E ST F ESTIVAL | ALCOHOL AWARENESS

Therapy Dogs All We Need Is Love p.26

APRIL 2011

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INSIDE

PATCHWORK SPRINGTIME

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Tree City Quilters Guild’s Biennial Show

Spring Sale is Always a Book Lover’s Delight

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CONTENTS APRIL 2011 • VOL. 12 ISSUE 04

departments 8 13 44

Tapas Senior Center Calendar of Events

52 55 58

PHOTO BY TJ MORRISSEY for LOTUS STUDIOS

ON THE COVER – This month’s cover story features Linda Caldwell and her canine companion, YooHoo, a seven-year-old basset hound.

The team is part of Therapy Dog International, Inc., a nonprofit, volunteer organization. Caldwell and YooHoo visit hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, shelters and wherever else they are needed.

Theatre Listings Crossword Puzzle Reading Corner

columns 20

features 14

A Patchwork Springtime

by Ellis Amburn

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22

The Importance of Awareness

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All We Need is Love

Embracing Life

by Donna Bonnell

25 years of Alcohol Awareness Month

BY MARY KYPREOS

Healthy Edge

by Kendra Siler-Marsiglio

The Tree City Quilters Guild Holds its 7th Biennial Quilt Show

BY MATTHEW BEATON

Enjoying Act Three

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Perspectives on Aging

by Carlos Muniz

Therapy Dogs Working to Reduce Blood Pressure, Ease Grief and Help Children Learn to Read

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

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Journey to the 1800s The Farm and Forest Festival

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

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A Book Lover’s Dream Friends of the Library Prepares for its Spring Sale

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

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April 2011

WINNER! Congratulations to the winner from our MARCH 2011 issue…

Barbara Tench from Gainesville, Florida

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After promotional period, regular rates will apply. Other conditions apply. Cable modem required for Cox High Speed Internet services. For best performance, use of Cox approved cable modem is recommended. Uninterrupted or error-free Internet service, or the speed of your service, is not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary. Telephone modem equipment may be required for Cox Digital Telephone service and will be provided by Cox at no additional cost. Telephone modem uses household electrical power to operate and has backup battery power provided by Cox if electricity is interrupted. Telephone service, including access to e911 service, will not be available during an extended power outage or if the modem is moved or inoperable. Inside wiring fees, additional jacks, taxes and surcharges are additional. Other restrictions may apply. Telephone service provided by Cox Florida Telcom, L.P. and Cox Georgia Telcom, L.L.C. Š2011 Cox Florida/Georgia. All rights reserved.

April 2011

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FROM THE EDITOR œ ALBERT ISAAC

Published monthly by Tower Publications, Inc.

www.seniortimesmagazine.com PUBLISHER

Charlie Delatorre charlie@towerpublications.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com Fax: 1-800-967-7382 ART DIRECTOR

Hank McAfee hank@towerpublications.com GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT

Tom Reno tom@towerpublications.com

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

– Anais Nin Now that spring has sprung, our 9-year-old son doesn’t miss any opportunity to get out and enjoy himself.

Despite the notion that most children these days prefer staying inside with their video games, our little guy would rather be out in the yard playing. And running. And climbing. And jumping. I recently cleared a portion of backyard and the boy now has a new playground and the chance to swing from the vines that connect high atop our telephonepole-like trees. He is like Boy in “Tarzan the Ape Man.” I warned him that he wouldn’t be able to swing on those vines for very long, since I had cut them at ground level and they are now dead. Sure enough, one recently broke, sending Boy crashing to the ground. He’s tough, though, and got right back up. He

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April 2011

ran off and soon returned with a rope he’d found in the garage. Thus began our search for a tree with branches low enough for me to throw the rope up and over. We found one in the front yard. He now has a more permanent “vine” from which to swing.

Ah, to be young again, to be able to swing from a vine again. I’m joining a gym!

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and Senior Times writer Mary Kypreos shares what she has learned about the misconceptions of this most-abused drug.

Additionally, Friends of the Library is offering its spring book sale, the Tree City Quilters is hosting its quilting show, and Morningside Nature Center will be taking visitors back to the 1800s for its annual Farm and Forest Festival with people dressed in period clothing doing things much the way they were done in bygone days.

I hope you can get out and enjoy the spring weather and some of these noteworthy events. §

INTERN

Victoria Lavasath ADVERTISING SALES

Larkin Kieffer larkin@towerpublications.com ADVERTISING For more advertising information including rates, coverage area, distribution and more – call: 352-372-5468 or visit our website at: www.seniortimesmagazine.com ADVERTISING OFFICE

4400 NW 36th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32606 352-372-5468 352-373-9178 fax SUBSCRIPTION MAILING Please call 352-372-5468 to add, delete or change your address on our mailing list.

The articles printed in Senior Times Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Senior Times Magazine endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Senior Times Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. If you would like to discontinue receiving Senior Times Magazine please call 352-372-5468 for assistance. © 2010 Tower Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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STAFF œ CONTRIBUTORS

AMANDA WILLIAMSON is a student in UF’s College of Journalism and Communications. She has been writing for as long as she can remember. She enjoys spending time with her friends, family and animals. awilliamson@ufl.edu

MATTHEW BEATON is a freelance journalist who recently earned his master’s in mass communications from UF. He enjoys romping with his mutt friend, Jack.

They both find bananas and the Jersey Shore unpalatable.

Jack, however, is a much more avid reader.

New location.

Same great care.

UF Geriatrics has moved to Shands Medical Plaza Though we have moved to a new location, the way we care for patients has remained the same. University of Florida Senior Care medical staff includes UF Institute on Aging affiliated physicians who are board certified in internal medicine or family medicine with advanced training and certification in geriatrics.

• Whole-person care for adults 65 and older • Preventive care to help older adults stay well

MARY KYPREOS is a freelance writer and editor fresh out of the University of Florida. She enjoys discovering tidbits of knowledge about Alachua County from those who know it best. kypreos.mary@ gmail.com

• Specialty care for urinary incontinence, falls, memory disorders and sleep disorders • Care for acute and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis and hypertension

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TAPAS œ APRIL

April FOOLS

Wisconsin State Capitol

COLLAPSES

1933: The Madison Capital-Times solemnly announced that the Wisconsin state capitol building lay in ruins following a series of mysterious explosions. The explosions were attributed to “large quantities of gas, generated through many weeks of verbose debate in the Senate and Assembly chambers.” Accompanying the article was a picture showing the capitol building collapsing. Many readers were fooled — and outraged. One reader wrote in declaring the hoax “was not only tactless and void of humor, but also a hideous jest.” Nevertheless, in 1985 The Science Digest named this as one of the best hoaxes ever.

SPACE SHUTTLE Retirement Begins with Discovery Nearly 30 years after the first shuttle launch (April 12, 1980), the Space Shuttle Program is set to be retired mid-2011. The Discovery was the first operational Space Shuttle to be retired after completing its last mission (STS-133) on March 9th, 2011.

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April 2011

The dog traces its ancestry back to a five-toed, weasel like animal called Miacis, which lived in the Eocene epoch about 40 million years ago. Next in evolutionary line from Miacis was an Oligocene animal called Cynodictis, which somewhat resembled the modern dog. Cynodictis lived about 20 million years ago. After a few more intermediate stages the evolution of the dog moved on to the extremely doglike animal called Tomarctus, which lived about 10 million years ago during the late Miocene epoch. *Illustration Courtesy of Encyclopædia Britannica

K9 “King” of Norway

Photo: The Columbia (STS-1) on the launch pad, 1981

APRIL, 30TH

Miacis

Muhammad Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight boxing championship after refusing to be inducted into the American military. He had claimed religious exemption.

A dog named Saur was “king” of Norway for three years during the 11th century AD. The Norwegian king, angry that his subjects once deposed him, put Saur on the throne and demanded that it be treated regally.

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NOTABLE BIRTHDAY

Loretta Lynn April 14th, 1932

79 Years Old

Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter. Born in Kentucky to a coal miner father in a large family, She became a part of the country music scene in Nashville in the 1960s, and in 1967 charted her first of 16 number 1 hits with the song “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).” Her bestselling autobiography was made into an Academy Award winning film, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones in 1980. In 2004, Lynn made a comeback with the highly successful album “Van Lear Rose,” the second album on which Lynn either wrote or co-wrote every song.

A Few Other Notable

April Birthdays

Colin Powell (74)

Leon Russell (69)

Hugh Hefner (85)

April 2, 1942

April 9, 1926

Maya Angelou (83)

Barbra Streisand (69)

April 4, 1928

April 24, 1942

April 5, 1937

Debbie Reynolds

April 15th, 1912

D

RMS TITANIC

ebbie Reynolds’ film career began at MGM after she won a beauty contest at age 16. She regularly appeared in movie musicals during the 1950s and had several hit records during the period.

Her song “Aba Daba Honeymoon” was a top-three hit in 1951. Her most high-profile film role came in 1952 when she played the part of Kathy Selden in “Singin’ in the Rain.” Reynolds is also the mother of actress Carrie Fisher who starred as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy.

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A 79 Years Old

fter striking an iceberg just before midnight in the icy waters off Newfoundland, the luxury liner Titanic with 2,227 persons onboard sank at 2:27 a.m. More than 1,500 persons drowned while 700 were rescued by the liner Carpathia, which arrived about two hours after Titanic went down. The high casualty rate was due in part to the fact that, although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship carried lifeboats for only 1,178 people.

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Rafael Cott, M.D. invites you to participate in the 5th annual

RIDE TO REMEMBER

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011

BOULWARE SPRINGS PARK 3400 SE 15TH STREET GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA

FLEMINGTON COMMUNITY PARK 18200 NORTH HWY 329 OCALA, FLORIDA

Proceeds benefit ElderCare of Alachua County and support Al’z Place, an adult day care facility for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

ElderCare

of Alachua County

Registration begins at 7 a.m; bike ride begins at 8 a.m.

You can begin your bike ride in Gainesville or Ocala. The bike trails range from one mile to 100 miles. Rest stops will be provided with drinks and snacks.

Pre-registration is $35 online or by mail; $40 on the day of the event.

Includes meals and a T-shirt.

Please call (352) 265-9040 or visit www.gccfla.org/rtr to register.

Please also consider joining us as a SPONSOR for this fun event.

ElderCare’s Mission: To be an advocate for the elderly and their caregivers and to provide the services that will build capacity, maximize independence and enrich the quality of life for the elderly in north central Florida.

ElderCare of Alachua County, Inc. is a 501C3 organiza on. Your sponsorship is tax deduc ble.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services registra on number is CH1801. A copy of the official registra on and financial informa on may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the state of Florida. Registra on does not imply endorsement, approval or recommenda on by the state of Florida.

SPONSORS

Alachua County Sheriffs Office • North Florida Regional Medical Center • Shands HealthCare • Palm Garden of Gainesville • The Village Oak Hammock at the University of Florida • North Florida Medical Sales • Gainesville Physical Therapy and Wellness, LLC

April 2011

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The Oldest Dog The oldest reliable age recorded for a dog is 29 years, five months for a Queensland ‘heeler’ named Bluey — owned by Les and Esma Hall of Rochester, Victoria, Australia. The average life expectancy for a dog varies by breed, smaller dogs live approximately 15–16 years, medium and large size dogs from 10 to 13 years, and some giant dog breeds such as mastiffs, often only live 7 to 8 years.

Hank Aaron BREAKS BABE RUTH’S RECORD April 8th, 1974, with a crowd of more than 53,000 in attendance Hank Aaron hit career home run number 715 — breaking the record set by Babe Ruth. Aaron went on to hit 755 career home runs before retiring from baseball in 1976. The current U.S. record of 762 is held

by Barry Bonds. The all-time world record of 868 is held by Sadaharu Oh who played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.

APRIL, 8TH

1974

HANK AARON HITTING HIS 715TH CAREER HOME RUN IMAGE COURTESY HERB SCHARFMAN—SPORTS IMAGERY/GETTY IMAGES

Spaghetti HARVEST 1957: The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, “place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

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April FOOLS seniortimesmagazine.com

COMMUNITY œ RECREATION CENTER

Do you know where your investments are?

PHOTO TAKEN MARCH 11, 2011

THE ALACHUA COUNTY SENIOR RECREATION CENTER

Project Update On a chilly afternoon in March, members of the media were invited to visit the Alachua County Senior Recreation Center to take a look at the progress within the structure.

Roof trusses were in place, the bright sun casting dark diagonal lines upon the concrete slab below. Throughout the building, bright orange wording illustrated the various sections: “Lobby.” “Computer Class.” “Kitchen.”

Anthony Clarizio, executive director of ElderCare, provided a guided tour of the inside of the building as work continued around (and above) him. Clarizio pointed out the entranceway, the courtyard, the spot for the fireplace, the classrooms, the large general-purpose room and various other sections of the 17,000-square-foot facility.

Lynn Domenech and Jocelyn Holt of Comfort Keepers were invited to sign the walls of the Courtyard. The inhome senior care company contributed $50,000 to the cause.

“We know the importance of a facil-

ity of this magnitude,” Holt said. “The Seniors of our region deserve a place like this. This will be an exceptional facility that everyone in Gainesville and Alachua County will be proud of.”

The Seniors of our community deserve a place like this.

Clarizio said things are moving very quickly for this $5.5 million facility. The Senior Recreation Center will be the only one of its kind in the county and is scheduled to open in the fall. s To find out how you can give to this vital community need, please contact Kathleen Luzier-Bogolea at Shands HealthCare’s Office of Development at 352-265-7237 or luziek@shands.ufl.edu.

Continue to watch this spot for updates, upcoming program listings and to see how

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to volunteer as the Alachua County Senior Recreation Center gets closer to completion.

April 2011

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QUILTED SOUTHERN

A Patchwork Springtime The Tree City Quilters Guild Holds its Seventh Biennial Quilt Show

By Matthew Beaton

T

ime for a quilting revolution? Well, seemingly, that is the Tree City Quilters Guild’s outlook. They have all the fire, passion and enthusiasm of dedicated believers about to launch a crusade.

This month’s seventh biennial quilt show could be seen, almost, as a public outreach opportunity. For two days, April 30 and May 1, the Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel’s ballroom in Gainesville will be packed with quilting aficionados as they survey the more than 100 quilts on display.

Jackie Reichardt, the show’s co-chairwoman and a previous guild president, said they expect “anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500” attendees who

will help decide which entry deserves the viewers’ choice award. Quilts are submitted for several competition categories, including the coveted best in show prize.

Reichardt said that, much like a traditional art show, first, second, third and fourth place winners will be recognized in each division.

And, for young aspiring quilters-in-training, there will be a youth exhibit where all entrants will receive participation ribbons.

This year’s theme, Reichardt said, is “very Americana,” titled “Salute America, a Patchwork of Quilts.”

It will feature a traveling quilt exhibit called “Thanking our Troops,” which will include 40 to 60

patriotic quilts from across the country.

Each of these will “have a little drop-down quilted story attached to it that explains the exhibit to the public,” said Sheila Hayes, co-chairwoman of the show.

those spots to fill up “quite quickly,” Reichardt said, and they primarily went to nearby quilt shop owners — from Gainesville, Ocala, Alachua, Trenton and Orange Park.

The show itself, even with patriotic display and platform

Guild members enjoy the creative process and camaraderie most.

Inspiring the show’s motif, numerous guild members have very close ties to the military, but perhaps none closer than Betty Sue Vincent, whose son, Pfc. Wayne Vincent, was killed in action in Afghanistan in July 2009.

Eight or nine vendors will also be in attendance, selling fabric and other quilting accessories. Limited space caused

for local storeowners to peddle their wares, is ultimately a tribute to quilting artistry.

“There will be four areas in which you can go and actually spend money if you want to,” Reichardt said.

“Otherwise it’s pretty much about getting inspired and informed.”

She told how some

PHOTO BY MATTHEW BEATON Surrounded by her quilts and supplies in her home, Sandra Sontag looks over a quilt dedicated to fallen local Marine, Pfc. Wayne Vincent.

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quilters will be motivated to try out new techniques after seeing them displayed.

“They’ll see things, like perhaps a design they’ve always wanted to make, and it will inspire them to make one themselves,” Reichardt said.

However, a show of this magnitude would likely struggle for funding were it not for their “in” at the Best Western. Sandra Sontag, a member of the guild, also co-owns the hotel, which ensures the group’s rockbottom rate.

“She pretty much donates the facility for us,” Reichardt said.

The event utilizes the

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hotel’s full ballroom as well as some of the conference rooms, and the preparation it requires is daunting. Held every two years, the show demands dedicated effort from guild members many months in advance.

“As soon as [the previous] show ends, we select people who begin to work almost immediately as far as setting up committees and working on various parts of the [next] show,” Hayes said.

The event will also feature a certified, independent quilt appraiser. Teddy Pruett will perform quilt appraisals, offering local residents a chance to learn the history behind grandma’s old, dusty quilt in the closet.

“She’s very knowledgeable and can tell you when,

perhaps, it was made, because of the fabrics and things like that, what the value of it would be — perhaps how to take care of it,” Reichardt said, adding that Pruett primarily appraises vintage quilts.

Though the local show is a valuable opportunity to interact with the community and show off their work, what the guild members seem to enjoy most is the creative process and the camaraderie.

“Quilters are funny people,” said Reichardt, laughing. “We can spend a small fortune making a quilt and have it sit on a shelf to someday go to a grandchild; I know very few quilters who actually sell their stuff, mostly it’s gifts for family members or special occasions.”

Reichardt estimated the guild assembles 50 quilts yearly, but this number is largely dependent on the quilt’s size — a lap quilt, for instance, takes significantly less time than a bed-sized quilt. Plus, each year, the guild donates 3 to 5 of their finished projects to Haven Hospice.

“They’re all going to a good place, a good home,” Reichardt said.

The assembly process is extremely complex. And an artist must choose not only a pattern, but also the various colored fabrics to be used within that pattern. There are no paper layouts on which to draw outlines and designs, the patterns come only with instructions describing, in painstaking detail, the various piece sizes and how they should be arranged.

“They’re strip cut,” said Melanie Jensen, the guild’s publicity chairwoman.

“They tell you how to cut your strips, how to cut your squares.”

For this, they use a rotary cutter, which, by all appearances, could work for slicing your DiGiorno.

Some members, though, sink their creative talents into formulating their own compositions.

“We have people who are very graphic and can chart out a quilting design —maybe they seniortimesmagazine.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE TREE CITY QUILTERS GUILD FAR LEFT: Melanie Jensen, publicity chairwoman for the Tree City Quilters Guild, stands with her quilt “Flourishes” at the sixth biennial quilt show in 2009.

CENTER: Sandy Pozzetta, who joined the Tree City Quilters Guild in the mid-90s, stands next to her quilt “Blue Springs” at the 2009 show.

Jan Graf’s (not pictured) “Kitty City” on display at the 2009 Tree City Quilters Guild show. Graf made the quilt for her grandaughter because allergies prevent her from owning a cat.

saw something or were inspired by nature,” Reichardt said.

The guild, which has about 100 members and was formed in 1993, meets as a whole only once a month at Westside Baptist Church.

But “we have multiple smaller groups who get together to do things on their own and work on projects,” Hayes said. One such group donates their finished

products to charity.

“Right after Katrina, we made a bunch of quilts for people who had lost everything,” Hayes said.

Reichardt and Hayes belong to a unit of eight called “The Instigators,” who do their quilting at Sontag’s house. Jensen, also an instigator, recalled when she joined the guild in 1997.

“I had just moved to Gainesville,” she said.

“And she was looking for a new quilting home,” Sontag said, chiming in.

“You learn so much and you learn from other quilters, so the best place to go is a guild,” Jensen said, finishing her thought.

“We’re the best of friends,” Sontag said, grinning.

Inside Sontag’s northwest Gainesville home, the evidence of avid quilting is everywhere. Finished products hang from practically every wall. One purple, gyroscope beauty, as stunning in its complexity as it is overwhelming in its size, occupies the better

part of a hallway, while holiday-themed quilts hang in Sontag’s sewing area. On a high shelf, piles and piles of fabric sit.

“It’s called a stash,” Jensen said, with an ironic smile.

“We’re fabric-holics; we’re not alcoholics,” Sontag said.

The workspace’s centerpiece is a flat-topped table-like island. Its green checkerboard pattern reveals measurements, detailing inches, and its flat solid surface offers a perfect plane on which to cut fabric.

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PHOTO BY MATTHEW BEATON Sandra Sontag stands beside “Moon Glow,” hanging in a hallway inside her home. She has been a member of Tree City Quilters Guild since 1994.

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April 2011

Most quilters use standard cotton, which Reichardt called “perfect” for quilting. Others, though, employ silk, velvet, wool and similar seldom-used materials, while adding beads or paint to enhance the work’s aesthetic value.

“A lot of times people ... hang them on a rack on the wall and they’re basically art,” Reichardt said.

The hobby, however, is habit-forming.

“I just enjoy it; it’s totally addictive,” Hayes said. “You always come away with this finished product that no matter what you think it’s going to look like, it’s always different.”

Since taking up the hobby in 1997, she has completed more than 60 quilts.

Reichardt, who has been quilting about twice as long as Hayes, still remembers her first, vividly. She made it for her niece, “who is now

married and pregnant with her first baby, and that was 30 years ago,” she said.

The group encourages all who are fascinated by quilting — neophytes or veterans — to join the guild.

However, there is one caveat: Presently, there are no male members. Nevertheless, “it’s open to anyone who’s interested in quilting,” Hayes said. s

Tree City Quilters Guild Seventh Biennial Quilt Show April 30th and May 1st 10:00am - 4:00pm Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel, 4200 N.W. 97th Blvd., Gainesville Admission: $6 More than 100 quilts on display, quilt appraisals, patriotic quilt exhibit, basket raffle, door prizes.

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April 2011

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DAME ELIZABETH œ ELLIS AMBURN

Enjoying Act Three Ten years ago HarperCollins published my biography of Elizabeth Taylor, “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World.”

It proved so popular that they asked me to bring it up to date, adding new chapters covering her latest relationships, crises, honors and triumphs as a fragrance tycoon. In the process, I came across some lovers from her past who belatedly decided to tell all, including Vic Damone and Robert Wagner. I turned in my manuscript February 25, two days before Elizabeth’s 79th birthday, and it’s being rushed out on a crash program.

What a gift this adorable Senior has been to the world, raising our consciousness most recently on the subject of age — not by anything she said but by her actions. Even though frail and showing the effects of brain surgery, she continued through much of the last decade to go before the public instead of hiding in her Bel Air mansion like a pickled Mary Pickford, who became a recluse after the cheering stopped. In effect Elizabeth was saying it’s okay to be a Senior.

She still lives up to the title of my biography, proving in Act III that beauty is more than skin deep. If our behavior is generous and thoughtful of others — as Elizabeth’s has been as a parent and philanthropist — then a new kind of beauty shines from inside. “Physical beauty is passing,” Tennessee Williams wrote in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” “...a transi-

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April 2011

tory possession. But beauty of the mind and richness of the spirit and tenderness of the heart — and I have all those things — aren’t taken away, but grow! Increase with the years!”

Elizabeth Taylor has all those things, too — and more. The world has loved her for always being true to herself.

Even in her blaze of wretched excess in London and Rome during the Swinging Sixties, we forgave her husband-stealing and home-wrecking because, beneath her lust-driven escapades we could see glimmers of the person she was intended to be, and might yet become. When suffering landed her in rehab — a fancy name for insane asylum — we loved her all the more.

When she finally overcame herself and bravely waged an unpopular but ultimately successful battle for gays and AIDS research, we were not surprised, recognizing the emergence of the real Elizabeth Taylor. In the past decade, the world’s great nations ignored the wreckage of her past-scandals, booze, drugs, and even Michael Jackson — and singled her out for the highest civilian honors: the White House according her the Presidential Citizen’s Medal, the French making her a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and HRH Queen Elizabeth II

investing her as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

I first encountered the future Dame Elizabeth in 1959, when I found myself standing next to her in a Las Vegas casino. She was looking for Eddie Fisher, she said, totally without benefit of introduction, and not even bothering to look at me. The famous, I realized, never hesitate to talk if they feel like it because they know that somebody is always listening.

A decade later I found myself again standing beside her, this time at a premiere party for the Brooke Shields movie “Endless Love.” Brooke was a few feet away, and though Elizabeth still didn’t know who I was, she said, “So that’s my competition.”

When we finally did meet, in the late 1970s, at a dinner with some of her disco pals, Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein and Halston, Elizabeth Taylor at last looked

A decade later I found myself again standing beside her, this time at a premiere party for the Brooke Shields movie “Endless Love.” me in the eye, with a directness and interest that fell on me like a caress. It had been worth the wait. If she approves of what she sees, she makes you feel 10 feet tall.

After HarperCollins first published my biography in 2000, I often wondered what she thought of it. I found out in 2002 when a British writer, a mutual friend, told me he’d just dined with Dame Elizabeth and asked her, “Did you like Ellis’s book?”

“Yes,” she said. “If I hadn’t, he’d have heard from me.” s Recently honored by TCU’s Schieffer School of Journalism, Ellis Amburn will lecture on April 5 at the University of Florida. ellis.amburn@gmail.com

seniortimesmagazine.com

INFORMATION œ SPOTLIGHT

A DVE RTI S E M E N T

Alzheimer’s Association The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading global voluntary health organization in the care and support of those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Local chapters nationwide provide services within each community. The Central and North Florida Chapter supports 31 counties with 10 employees and many dedicated volunteers. The 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) assists more than 250,000 callers each year, and provides translation services in over 170 languages. The association can also connect people across the globe through the online message boards at www. alz.org. Additionally, they offer several educational programs, most of which are free of charge.

Research leads to potential treatments, which must be tested, so clinical trials are key to advancing these findings. Want to participate in a clinical trial? The Alzheimer’s Association helps people find trials through its Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch, a free service that makes it easy to search through clinical trial opportunities based on personal criteria.

How can you help? The annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s(tm) is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. It is an all-age, all-ability event held in 600 communities nationwide, uniting millions to raise funds and awareness in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. You can participate by starting or joining a team at www.alz.org/walk. s For more information, call 1-800-272-3900 or visit www.alz.org MEDICARE AND ALMOST ALL INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED

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The Good Old Days!

Most of us can remember the “good old days,” when it was almost impossible to find a pay-phone when you needed one. Having your car break down on a deserted road was a major concern for most of us.

Can you remember doing your recommended exercises, like walking, worrying the whole time about what you would do should there be an emergency, like a heart attack. How would you contact someone for help?

Most of us had hoped that someday someone would figure out a way to make us safe and secure with a portable telephone.

Today’s mobile telephones are the answer. This is why many seniors have one. One of the greatest benefits to owning a cell phone is the security of knowing that they can call for assistance anytime or anywhere you need to.

In past decades, millions of people were stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere because their car broke down. Not being able to get help and having to rely on the kindness of strangers who passed by. It was not only frustrating, it was also very dangerous.

There are still many seniors who do not want to own a mobile phone, mostly because of cost

and concern about using a confusing new device.

Many do not want to pay for a wireless phone plan, especially if they aren’t going to be making calls. For those people, a prepaid cell phone is the perfect gift.

Cellular phones have come a long way, and constant improvements have made them convenient to carry and easy to use. Mobile phones are basically the same as your home phone.

We are a cell phone company, InTouch America, that offers you a free phone, and you only pay $3.99 per month, and only 18¢ per minute when you have to call someone.

We also have other plans available. We custom-tailor cell phone plans to meet any needs. We can be contacted at 1-800-500-0066 or on our web site at www.

InTouchAmerica.com. If you contact us by May 3rd, 2011, you will get three months of free service, on any plan, when you mention this article in Senior Times.

If you are seeking a way to protect yourself or your loved ones, a cell phone could be the answer. Take the worry out of everyday activities. Knowing that help is just a telephone call away is important.

www.GainesvilleFLDerm.com

April 2011

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25 YEARS OF ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

The Importance of Awareness

By Mary Kypreos

E

ven in the golden age of information and communication, misinformation is not only a problem but a frequent issue.

In its 25th year of observance, Alcohol Awareness Month seeks to specifically address misinformation and confusion about alcohol and alcoholism,

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said Robert Lindsey, President and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. “Alcohol Awareness Month began as a way of reaching the American public with information about the disease of alcoholism — that it is a treatable disease, not a moral weakness, and that alcohol-

ics are capable of recovery,” reports the NCADD website.

Common Misconceptions The NCADD and its local affiliates seek to increase public knowledge and awareness of alcoholism and other drug dependences, and as such is an impor-

seniortimesmagazine.com

tant education and support resource for both the curious and concerned.

Lindsey said the organization estimates that close to 15 million people in the U.S. are dependent on alcohol.

Furthermore, they estimate 23 million for alcohol and all other drugs.

“Clearly alcohol is, was, and always will be this country’s number one drug problem,” he said.

Such a number begets the question — and a number of phone calls to the NCADD — how can one tell if oneself or another has a dependency?

“A lot of times, people want a definition rooted in specific types of beverages and amounts, but none of these are really important,” Lindsey said.

The simplest definition of abuse is a continued use of alcohol or drugs despite negative consequences, whether those consequences are physical, emotional, legal, financial, work or family related, etc.

For example, Lindsey explains that the average person, if they receive a DUI, will not do it again. However, with

As a person continues to age, abuse is subtler and often not apparent until hospitalization for entirely different reasons occurs, during which withdrawal symptoms appear. an alcoholic, the question is not if they will drink and drive again, but when.

“We think of [alcohol] as a drink and, as a result, think of it as any other beverage we consume,” he said.

But alcohol is not like other beverages; it is a sedative drug that is absorbed into the blood stream and affects every organ system. In turn, this can cause complications for Seniors and those living with illness.

“It is important to remember the interactions between alcohol and other drugs,” Lindsey said.

Combining sedative drugs, like alcohol, with other medications can complicate the application of the medicine; furthermore, prescription bottles may not always warn against consuming the

drug with alcohol.

Therefore it is always important to receive clear guidance from the pharmacist, he said.

Recognizing a Problem The cost of alcohol abuse is substantial throughout a lifespan, said Dr. Joseph Thornton, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Florida and chief of the Division of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry. There are medical expenses, DUIs, health consequences, accidents, etc.

Even more problematic is that alcohol dependency can be difficult to detect, especially as a person ages.

In the young, one looks for things such as an increase in drinking, and the

ALCOHOL AND SENIORS “Alcohol and drug problems among older adults are health care issues that are frequently hidden, overlooked and misdiagnosed.

Consequently, the personal, family and health care costs are overwhelming,”

according to a National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., press release.

By 2030, one third of the country’s population will be 55 years old and older.

6 to 11 percent of all elderly patients admitted

to hospitals show symptoms of alcoholism.

14 percent of all elderly patients in emergency rooms exhibit symptoms of alcoholism.

The prevalence of problem drinking in nursing homes is as high as 49 percent

in some studies.

In 1998, health care costs of alcohol and drug problems among older adults totaled $30 billion. $100 billion is the 2018 projected health care costs of alcohol and drug problems among older adults.

Information Courtesy of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

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Living the Gospel in Downtown Gainesville!

The Rev. Louanne Loch, Rector Dr. John T. Lowe, Dir. of Music

consequences usually impact the person traumatically, through accidents, Dr. Thornton said.

Mid-life, a family impact appears, along with the beginning of health problems. Late in life, alcohol abuse leads to confusion, falls and drug interactions.

As a person continues to age, abuse is subtler and often not apparent until hospitalization for entirely different reasons occurs, during which withdrawal symptoms appear.

“For all age ranges, alcohol abuse and dependence is a disease,” he said. “It is not a matter of being weak or strong.”

Although Dr. Thornton does not deny there are benefits to alcohol, he is not convinced the benefits outweigh the costs; moreover, he believes the idea is sometimes used to enable drinking rather than for the actual benefits.

In general, the benefits of alcohol consumption come only from drinking one glass or less a day.

“It is possible to live a good and healthy life without drinking,” he said, adding that life will not be impaired.

friend or family member, the first instinct for dealing with the issue may not be the best choice.

“People tend to approach alcoholism and addiction issues from a commonsense perspective,” Lindsey said.

Common sense says that if the problem is fixed, the person will not need to drink anymore, so if they are in trouble with the law, bail them out; if they have financial problems, give them a loan; if there are relationship issues, go to counseling.

“Common sense and alcoholism is a disaster,” he said.

All of the above examples only treat the manifestations of the disease, not the disease itself, hence the need for experienced help.

“Most people don’t like hearing comments about their drinking from other people, making it more difficult with friends,” Dr. Thornton said.

Getting Help

So when concerned about a friend or family member who will not admit to a problem, Dr. Thornton suggests two ways to try and start a discussion.

First, re-examine your own drinking habits with the person concerned in hopes of encouraging them to think about the idea and talk about themselves.

Also, if there is a family history of abuse, discuss alcohol problems in the future sense: although they may not have problems now, they should think about cutting back to avoid the same family and health issues later.

“The most important step is to recognize you have a problem and then reach out to someone,” he said. s

Late in life, alcohol abuse leads to confusion, falls and drug interactions

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100 NE 1st Street Downtown Gainesville (352) 372-4721 www.HolyTrinityGNV.org The Episcopal Church welcomes you ...and we do mean YOU!

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April 2011

Reaching out is an important step in recovery; however, this step should not only be limited to the alcoholic.

“Alcoholism is what we call a family disease,” Lindsey said. “The behavior of the entire family is impacted and affected as a result. The family needs to get help independent of whether the person with the problem gets help.”

Keeping this in mind, Lindsey stressed that if anyone has concerns of alcohol dependency, personally or in a friend or family member, they should contact someone who is specifically trained and successfully experienced with treating addiction.

Furthermore, when dealing with a

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BE HEALTHY, MAKE FRIENDS œ KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO

Healthy Edge Change happens, and many times it rearranges who we relate to and how we relate.

K

ids grow up, couples can divorce, and sometimes we move. Making friends — which may have seemed so effortless when we were kids — can seem more like climbing Everest when we age.

But, before you buy crampons, make a new friend to pick up the slacklines.

According to MetLife’s Mature Market Institute 2010 “Meaning Really Matters” study, the recipe for a happy life is creating deep relationships with family and friends, having a sense of purpose, and having a sense of belonging.

Yet, the older we get, there’s a greater chance that life circumstances can render us feeling isolated or unwanted — affecting our health and well-being.

Many studies show that the quality and size of Seniors’ support networks affect their mental and physical health.

For instance, a 2010 study by Seeman and others show that social relationships affect cognitive aging. That is, having fewer social contacts leads to poorer thinking and memory recall. GallegoCarillo’s 2009 study shows that a large network of loved ones improves the health-related quality of life in Seniors — even in those with depressive symptoms.

So, it’s important to flex that social networking muscle to stay healthy and happy.

HERE ARE 10 WAYS TO KEEP SOCIALLY “FIT”: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Hang out with a cup of joe. Open yourself up to conversations at coffee shops or other casual eateries. You can engage all types of people with interesting (or not so interesting) stories. Find a place that makes it easy for you to stay (or go) as you please.

“Eyes are your window to the world.” Although we’ve all known this at some point, it’s easy to forget when life throws things your way: a genuine smile and a little eye contact is a great way to strike up a conversation.

Be a gentle listener. Patti Woods, MA CS, internationally known as “The Body Language Lady” says that there’s is no greater gift to give to someone than your interest.

To show that you’re listening empathetically, occasionally nod your head. Head nodding releases feel-good endorphin-like chemicals into our bloodstream. How’s that for a bonus?

Got digits? If you find someone interesting, get a phone number.

When you call, you can pick up the

conversation about what you share in common.

5. Drop your expectations.

Don’t pressure yourself to find a “best friend.” Casual interaction is a fine goal as well, and you can see where that takes you. Not sure if someone is right for you? Well, friend-dating is allowable. Try on a potential friend for size. It’s okay to break things off if the person is not a good fit.

6. Just say, “Yes.” How many times do you say “No” to invitations because it takes energy for you to go? Remember that it’s usually fun when you get to the destination.

7. Host dinners. Mix and match friends and acquaintances. Different pairings can be fun, and friendships can develop from those pairings.

8. Try going online. Join networks like Eons.com (an online community for baby boomers) or Facebook. People you know are probably already on those networks. This is particularly a good option for homebound or isolated Seniors. According to AARP, one out of three Seniors age 75 or older lives alone.

9. Get the word out. Tell the people that you’re looking to make new friends. It brings out the matchmaker in them; you’ll be set up with new faces right away.

10. Join something, anything. How about a Community Education class? Santa Fe College offers classes from fine arts to sports.

There’s even animal training.

If you’re still planning to climb Everest after trying these tips, make sure your friend takes a picture of you at the peak. s Kendra Siler-Marsiglio, Ph.D. is the Director of the Rural Health Partnership at WellFlorida Council.

April 2011

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CANINE COMFORT

All We Need Is Love Therapy Dogs Working to Reduce Blood Pressure, Ease Grief and Help Children Learn to Read

by Amanda Williamson

Y

ooHoo is a hero.

And what does he want for a reward? Just a smile and a good scratch behind the ears.

After all, YooHoo is a dog. Along with his owner, Linda Caldwell, YooHoo participates in Therapy Dog International, Inc. TDI is a non-profit organization that registers and trains dogs so they are prepared to enter hospitals, homes and schools, where they offer comfort and happiness to whomever may need them. This organizaton originated in New Jersey during the late 1970s.

YooHoo is a seven-year-old basset hound. In April 2010, he joined the ranks of the 21,000 teams comprised of a dog and its owner that volunteer with Therapy Dogs International.

Caldwell adopted YooHoo from a breeder in Romeo, a town located in Marion County. As the last one left in the litter of puppies, YooHoo has features the breeder labeled unfit for breeding. But YooHoo was meant for much more than just breeding.

After spotting an advertisement in a pet store, Caldwell knew that YooHoo was meant to be a therapy dog.

“He’s a real people lover,” she said.

For a dog to become registered under TDI, he or she must have an outstanding temperament. According to the Therapy Dog International website, each dog must love children,

enjoy visiting people, and behave in public and around other dogs. Therapy dogs can be from any breed, but Caldwell said Labradors and German Shepherds are good ones. The German Shepherd is even featured on the TDI logo with their slogan, “Paws Awhile for Love.”

YooHoo and Caldwell visit nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. For example, they have been to the Ocala Health and Rehabilitation Facility. Residents at the facility suffer from brain injuries, body injuries or long-term illnesses, such as dementia.

“During the past couple of decades, science has proven what we canine lovers have always known: petting a dog is good for you.”

The residents who have requested to visit with YooHoo gather together and make a circle around him. He will go from chair to chair, allowing the residents to pet and love on him. Caldwell said it is amazing he does not get tired. After he circles the group, Caldwell and YooHoo put on a show where he practices his tricks.

PHOTO BY TJ MORRISSEY for LOTUS STUDIOS YooHoo, as his owner Linda Caldwell describes him, is “58 pounds of hound” – basset hound, to be exact. He is also a therapy dog. Caldwell and YooHoo work in the area, such as at the Ocala Health and Rehabilitation Center. Therapy dogs visit hospitals, schools, shelter and wherever they are needed.

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April 2011

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Therapy dogs are not a specific breed or type of dog, nor do they have to be a certain age or size.

A Therapy Dog is a dog with an outstanding temperament that exhibits ease in visiting people, loving children and tolerance of other animals.

“They get so excited, especially the women,” she said.

Caldwell said the benefits of petting a dog are enormous, including lowered blood pressure and increased peace of mind.

According to “The Whole Dog Journal,” by Nancy Kerns, “During the past couple of decades, science has proven what we canine lovers have always known: petting a dog is good for you. Studies have shown that it lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease.” And Kerns goes on to verify that Alzheimer’s and AIDS patients, autistic children and nursing home residents improve when they have contact with dogs.

Caldwell has even taken YooHoo to visit a family friend who recently lost a spouse. Yes, dogs can even relieve some of the grief associated with the loss of a loved one. TDI suggests to the public to have therapy dogs present at “the final visit” at the funeral home.

“Although it can be an extremely somber occasion, a gentle Therapy Dog can be an asset during this time,” states the TDI website. “They bring unconditional love and help to lighten a mournful atmosphere while bringing peace to individuals during an upsetting time.”

But Therapy Dogs International has an assortment of

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April 2011

lighter programs on the list, such as “Tail Waggin’ Tutors.”

This program assists children in learning to read. A lot of the children who have trouble reading develop self-esteem issues and a fear of being judged. By allowing the children to read to a therapy dog, all of their worries disappear, according to the TDI website. The dogs provide a relaxing environment for the children to grow as readers.

Caldwell, a retired teacher, said she has asked repeatedly to allow YooHoo to be permitted into the schools in the area.

They have all declined, even after she offered to put a soft muzzle on him. She thinks it is because they are worried about the children being injured by the dog.

Therapy dogs are only allowed where they are admitted.

But TDI suggests taking the animals wherever they are needed, such as schools, libraries, orphanages or shelters, nursing homes and hospitals.

It is important to realize that therapy dogs are not the same as service dogs, and thus they cannot go everywhere the way a service dog can. Unlike service dogs, TDI dogs do not wear a vest; they are recognizable by a TDI bandana, ID tag and a seniortimesmagazine.com

TDI identification card.

According to the organization’s website, it is important for the owner to know where his or her dog can go. Some dogs are not meant to be therapy dogs for children, as children can be rough and loud.

“A therapy dog is born, not made,” states the TDI website. “Regardless of how residents look or how they feel, the animals are happy to see them. Those who live or must stay in a care facility truly benefit from the unconditional love and acceptance provided by a TDI dog.”

Compassionate out-patient cancer services in a setting designed specifically for your mobility needs.

The process of becoming a therapy dog requires the dog and its owner perform as a team. The handler must demonstrate control of their dog in a variety of scenarios.

YooHoo loves everyone, Caldwell said. He loves to be petted. Sitting outside of PetSmart, YooHoo barked at every person that walked by, seemingly begging them to come over and pet him. The moment a person walked over, YooHoo would quiet down and enjoy the attention. And YooHoo was not biased. He loved the attention from any type of person who would give it — young or old, rich or poor.

And although YooHoo came into the world with these qualities, it did take several months for him to pass all his qualifying exams to become a therapy dog.

The process of becoming a therapy dog involves several different phases. The dog and its owner have to go through a test conducted by a TDI evaluator. The test is similar to the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen test, but with a variation created by the TDI. The test requires the dog and the owner perform as a team. The handler must demonstrate control of the dog. The dog must also ignore food, come when called, sit when told, and move politely in pedestrian areas. Owners must keep their dog properly groomed and updated on all vaccines. Proof is required to be admitted as a volunteer for TDI. Several facilities in the area allow therapy dogs to visit, such as Signature Healthcare, Woodlands Care Center and SW Retirement Home.

“Four-footed therapists give something special to enhance the health and well-being of others,” states TDI’s website.

These modern-day Lassies of TDI go out into the world to take on pain and suffering. And they do it tirelessly, happily — and well groomed. s

Paul J. Schilling, M.D. • Dean L. McCarley, M.D. Samuel E. Myrick, M.D. • Laurel A. Warwicke, M.D. Uma G. Iyer, M.D. • Eric E. Chung, M.D.

7000 NW 11th Place • Gainesville, FL 32605 phone: (352) 331-0900 • fax: (352) 331-1511 4520 West US Hwy 90 • Lake City, FL 32055 phone: (386) 755-0601 • fax: (386) 755-0602

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Visit www.tdi-dog.org for more information.

April 2011

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LOOKING GLASS œ DONNA BONNELL

Embracing Life Life unfolds one day at a time and is full of surprises.

W

hen we stumble upon a major milestone, the path we choose has an effect not only on ourselves, but also for everyone we encounter. A recent job opportunity forced me to ponder my past and pray for guidance to make the right choice for the future.

I reflected back to 1983, when trepidation of traffic escalated to extreme paranoia. After surviving numerous automobile accidents in the ridiculous rush-hour traffic of Miami, I had to leave. I lived in fear for the lives of my newborn daughter and precious son. God answered my desperate pleas.

An opening arose for my husband to transfer to Gainesville and we had to make an immediate decision.

We quickly packed and hauled our belongings in an old box truck to our new homestead. Yes, the Bonnells had the same pioneering spirit as the Ingalls.

If Caroline from “Little House on the Prairie” could manage, I could too.

We left behind family, my secure job in personnel at The Miami Herald, a nice house and the city life. Our move was to a rural farming town, to live in an un-air-conditioned mobile home, without access to telephone or television service. We did not know a single soul.

Until we established residence, we were unaware our new home was located in Newberry, not Gainesville.

Newberry was very different in the

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assistance, asking for signs showing how I could best serve.

Divine subtle messages unfolded at a steadfast speed. Immediately after stating my intentions, the telephone rang and an interview arranged.

Following that fateful call, I made an appointment at an establishment with the word Heaven in its name.

Coincidentally (perhaps) I had planned a visit to Miami for that same afternoon. It was my first trip to my former home in a long time. Having pre-packed, I had forgotten that my angel blanket was in my luggage. Traffic moved so smoothly it was eerie. The unusually cool weather was perfect for walking and meditating. My pilgrimage served as a sabbatical to clear my mind.

Wayne Dyer believes, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Dyer is correct! When I returned to work with a fresh outlook, my observations were inspirational.

Enthusiastic young instructors were teaching with vigor, utilizing updated technology. I saw a reflection of myself decades ago and realized it was okay to move on.

1980s. We lived on a rural route, without a street address. Good jobs were nearly non-existent and immigrants from Dade County were considered unwanted foreigners. Yet, there was no such thing as traffic jams.

Slowly we met friends and became involved in the community. My purpose clearly became to be the best mother possible to my own children and to nurture or mentor any other child who needed my attention. I served in many volunteer capacities and eventually worked in the office at the middle school and later the high school. The financial rewards were sparse, but I received unlimited love.

I praised God “When you change the way you look at every day for things, the things you look at change.” nearly three decades and did everything I could to show my The job offer came and I accepted. appreciation.

Co-workers congratulated me on my Then it happened. A position became transfer to the mansion on University available in Human Resources with the Avenue, lovingly referred to as The School Board of Alachua County, housed White House. at Kirby Smith. It was an opportunity Life is a miraculous journey to for personal growth I selfishly wanted embrace. I went from living in a little to pursue. I faced such a dilemma. Was house on the prairie to working in the I backing out on the deal I made with White House. I wonder what is next. s God in 1983? Many folks thought I had Donna Bonnell is a freelance writer who lost my mind in considering the long moved to Newberry in 1983. She enjoys commute. Haunted by the daunting living and working in the town she now calls decision, I surrendered and applied. home. donna@towerpublications.com Again, I begged the Universe for seniortimesmagazine.com

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HERITAGE

Journey back to the 1800s The Farm and Forest Festival

By Amanda Williamson

G

ainesville has a permanent time machine that will transport residents back into the 1800s. Situated in Morningside Nature Center, the Living History Farm welcomes visitors who wish to experience the world the way it was in the mid-tolate 19th century. While the farm comes alive every Saturday from September to May, Morningside holds two big events during the year at the Living History Farm. The spring event — the Farm and Forest Festival — takes place this month.

On April 30, Morningside celebrates its 33rd Farm and Forest Festival. But this year, because of budget constraints, the festival will be shortened to a oneday event.

“For quite a few years now, I’ve wanted to make changes to the event,” said Sally Wazny of the Nature Operations Division for Morningside Nature Center. Because of the reduction of time, the changes have come to the forefront.

In earlier years, the festival focused on the Living History Farm. People would park and head straight for the farm. But this year, the event is spilling

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April 2011

out from the Farm and into the rest of Morningside, providing entertainment in the picnic area and incorporating the numerous trails that cross through the nature park.

“What we would really like to do this year is broaden the journey through time beyond the mid-to-late 1800s,” Wazny said. “The other thing we really want to do is put more forest into the Farm and Forest Festival.”

The festival will incorporate music, environmental groups and lecturers to show how nature is still as important today as it was in the 1800s. And while

ing examples of longleaf pine left in the area. The sandhills have been important to the people in this region for 12,000 years, Wazny said.

“But people’s relationship with nature and with the land has changed over time,” she said.

Through hands-on activities, such as basket weaving, blacksmithing and sewing, the festival will show how life connects with the land and the forest. Participants can try their hand at woodworking or whitewashing a fence with crushed lime rock and water.

Guided tours will take guests through

The festival will have games, crafts and hayrides for the children and adults. “What you’re not going to see, is bounce houses.” some of the details are still not clearly defined, the theme of the festival has been decided: Celebration of the Sandhill.

The sandhills, a home for longleaf pine, used to be the most prominent ecosystem in Florida, Wazny said. But now Morningside is one of the last remain-

the sandhill environment. Environmental lectures and modern music will help visitors see how nature is influencing life even today.

“We want every component to be significant,” Wazny said.

Even the food will be appropriate seniortimesmagazine.com

April 2011

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PHOTO BY ALBERT ISAAC

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MORNINGSIDE NATURE CENTER At the Farm and Forest Festival, visitors will see various demonstrations of tasks performed during the 1800s. They will also get a chance to participate in some of the activities. The festival drew 4,065 visitors in 2007, according to public record.

Farm & Forest Festival Saturday, April 30 10:00 am – 4:00 pm ADMISSION PRICE:

$5 adults; $3 children For more information, call 352-334-2171 or visit www.natureoperations.org

for the festival. Though it will not necessarily be organic, it will be based on the idea that the farm, forest and people are connected.

“What you’re not going to see is bounce houses,” Wazny said. The festival will have games, crafts and hayrides for the children - and even the adults.

Morningside, a pristine home to an endangered ecosystem, can only hold

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so many visitors. So the success is not measured by the amount of guests, but by how the guests are impacted — whether through interacting with an environmental group, going on a tour, or listening to the music. Wazny sees the festival as a success.

EARTH ACADEMY DAY CAMP To keep Gainesville children from vegetating on the couch during spring break, Morningside Nature Center hosts Earth Academy Day Camp. Each March, children in grades 1 - 6 can experience nature up-close. In the spring, the theme tends to be ecology. This past break, Morningside focused on the outdoors with the theme, “It Starts in Parks.”

“We have so many nature parks in our system. We thought it would be fun to take the kids on a lot of field trips, and

just explore Gainesville,” said Kathrine Edison, who volunteers for the Earth Academy Day Camp, as well as various other programs Morningside offers.

The camp offers activities and discussions about exploring, which shows the importance of parks and what they provide for the community, Edison said.

Parks are more than just green spaces; they contain areas that give peace of mind to its visitors.

Last year, Morningside had a similar theme. They took the children to Possum Creek and King Park, among several others.

The camp costs are per-day, even if the child does not stay the whole time.

“The kids are totally involved and surrounded by nature, which is really quite wonderful,” said Ludovica Weaver, marketing technician. seniortimesmagazine.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The garden inside the Living History Farm is harvested and used to cook meals for the staff. A volunteer shears a sheep of its fur, an activity performed during the 1800s to provide yarn for clothes. At the Farm and Forest Festival, children and adults can enjoy traditional crafts activities such as arrowhead carving. Katherine Edison shows a group of curious children one of the reptiles.

OTHER EVENTS Saturday, April 9, Morningside Nature Center will host the annual Spring Native Plant Sale. The sale accepts only cash and check. It is the largest offering of native plants in North Florida.

“The native plant sale features thousands of beautiful native shrubs, trees, wildflowers, ferns, grasses and vines grown at area nurseries. Vendors are members of the Florida Native Plant Society and certify that plants are nursery propagated and grown,” states the City of Gainesville’s spring plant sale press release.

The proceeds will benefit Gainesville’s environmental and cultural history programs. According to the City of Gainesville website, the fall and spring plant sales in 2007 boasted 817 buyers.

Morningside also provides ongoing events from September through May. In addition to Living History Saturdays, children can meet the Barnyard Buddies on Wednesday and participate in FeedA-Frog Fridays. All three events are free.

For Barnyard Buddies, the Living History Farm has a collection of animals appropriate for the time period.

“The animals are part of the interpretation,” Weaver said. The livestock, such as the diary cow, are ones that a farmer would have kept in 1870s.

While learning about Gainesville’s heritage, children can participate in helping to feed the animals during the program.

On Feed-A-Frog Friday, children listen to an educational and interactive story on local reptiles and other animals.

After the lecture, the staff member

presents an assortment of reptiles to the group, such as a lizard or a rat snake.

The education building at Morningside Nature Center is full of terrariums where children can peak in to see the rat snake during its daily snooze.

“How about honeybees?” asked volunteer Katherin Edison, during her presentation at Feed-A-Frog Friday.

“What do you think honeybees do when they’re cold?” And the response from the children in the audience: “They make honey!” While this may not be true because of the lack of flowers in the winter months, the children enjoy the chance to interact and show off their knowledge.

Morningside Nature Center is always looking for volunteers, whether it is to help for just a day or to provide an ongoing presence. s April 2011

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April 2011

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READING RAINBOW

A Book Lover’s Delight story and photos

by Amanda Williamson

Friends of the Library Prepares for its Spring Sale

I

n an unassuming warehouse on North Main Street hides a book lover’s dream. Stacks, rows and piles of books are sorted and categorized according to genre, filling the 1,500-square-foot space. Friends of the Library opens its doors to the public two times a year, in April and October. And, April 16 - 20 is right around the corner.

Books of all flavors can be found at the sale, from medicine to philosophy, gardening and self-help, or simply fiction and non-fiction literature. This wide variety can be attributed to the way the Friends of the Library receives its books.

People bring donations 365 days a year.

While the warehouse may not be open on a specific day, two drop boxes are located right outside the building.

Books can also be donated to the Friends of the Library book sale through the various library branches, which will transport them to the warehouse. The libraries in town continuously scan their shelves for books that have received less attention from the public. Those books will be taken down and shipped to the warehouse, when, come April or Octo-

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ber, the books can find a new home.

Donations tend to be a myriad of subjects, said Dr. Peter Roode, president of the Friends of the Library. He suggested

coordinators will examine them and decide if they will sell.

Roode, a retired surgeon, works the medicine table. He said the sale will not

After the October 2009 book sale, an impressive $163,000 was donated to the Alachua County Library. The money is for the library to purchase books, not to fund their operating budget. that when professors retire and has to downsize, they may donate all of their books to the sale. This allows the sections like medicine or physical science to grow.

“Gainesville is a unique town,” he said.

“It’s more intellectual.”

Sarah Harrison, the board member in charge of publicity, said people find books at the sale that cannot be found anywhere else. Other board members agreed.

“Everything comes through here once,” she said.

The books are always interesting, up-to-date titles. After the books are sorted into categories, they are placed in their designated area. Here, table

include books on medicine that are 10 years old or older because those books are not up to date. However, books like “Grey’s Anatomy,” even if it is older than 10 years, will still be on the shelf. The anatomy never changes, he said.

While they do not count the items as they are donated or as they are sold, Roode guessed the Friends of the Library sells about 300,000 items each sale.

“You’re actually told to price things half or one-third of what Amazon sells them for,” Harrison said.

Harrison works the movie table. Years ago, she would save virtually all the VHS tapes that arrived at her table. In recent seniortimesmagazine.com

ABOVE: Neha Rana searches the fiction section. The October book sale was her first time visiting the Friends of the Library Book Sale. Friends of the Library asks that customers bring their own boxes. The sale takes only cash or check.

sales, they have not been flying off the table the way they used to, she said.

Now, she is pickier about the movies she saves for the event. She decided not to save VHS tapes that have no cover or a destroyed cover, whereas she keeps all DVDs that are donated.

“You also have to learn your market,” Harrison said. “The market here is a little different than the one on Amazon.”

For example, she said that the book sale draws a lot of science fiction lovers.

And where does the money go? It goes, broadly, to promote reading.

After the Oct. 2009 book sale, the Friends of the Library donated $163,000 to the Alachua County Library. Roode said the money is provided for the library to purchase books, not to fund their operating budget.

And while this is the bulk of the proceeds, Friends of the Library also contributes to “Snuggle Up and Read,” a program that distributes books to Head Start students in more than 50 classes.

The program includes the Snuggle Up and Read Center at the Headquarters Library in Gainesville, as well.

The Friends of the Library mails books to deployed soldiers. Soldiers reApril 2011

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Brown paper bags contain books for each section waiting to be organized by the table sorters. The prices at the Friends of the Library book sale range from .25 cents to $4.00. Larger collections, such as a television series, may be priced at $10, but that is the highest price the staff can charge.

quest books online and various organizations, including Friends of the Library, fill the orders. At the sale, containers placed at each register allow patrons to donate change. The change collected is used to pay for the postage to ship the books to the deployed troops.

In addition to $900 donated to the Family Literacy Festival in the 20082009 season, the sale donates money to mini-grant programs related to literacy, literature and library awareness. Harrison feels that more money should go to these programs, especially after reading about the high illiteracy rate in Alachua County.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 11 percent of Alachua County residents lacked basic prose literacy skills as of 2003. Alachua County had a 6.1 percent dropout in the 2005-2006 school year, while surrounding counties such as Bradford (5.4 percent), Putnam (4.0 percent) and Gilchrist County (2.3 percent) all had lower rates, according to the Florida Literacy Coalition.

Shands Children’s Clinic requested a mini-grant from the Friends of the Library to pay for books for the children or relatives of the children being treated at the clinic.

Roode said that the recession has helped the sale because less people want to spend $20 at a book store. Twenty

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April 2011

dollars goes farther at the Friends of the Library Sale, especially on Half-Price day or Ten Cent Day. Those days fall on the last two days of the sale.

Roode was concerned the bad economy may have hurt the Friends of the Library in terms of fewer donations and that maybe people would start trying to sell on eBay. But, he said, donations have not decreased. In fact, sometimes volunteers have to work on their days off just to empty out the drop boxes.

Not even e-books have put a damper on Roode’s optimism. He suspects they are just a fad.

“They’re popular,” he said. “But, they are mostly current novels. How do they get older out-of-date books?”

The Friends of the Library book sale has books from all generations, and the Collector’s Corner stocks books from as early as 1907.

The Collector’s Corner is a small nook in the warehouse where higher-priced books or collector’s editions can be found. For example, Linda Connell, who works in the Collector’s Corner, said anything that has to do with Florida goes along the back wall of the Corner. These include books by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, or books on old cracker Florida.

Some of the books are first editions or signed copies. Books with a small press of

limited copies, or simply out of print, find their way into the Collector’s Corner. This coming April, the Collector’s Corner will have, for the first time, “The Orange Peel” in stock. Lila Moye, who also works in the Collector’s Corner, said that “The Orange Peel” is the original humor magazine created at the University of Florida following the return of World War II soldiers.

Books left over after the sale are not wasted. Prison personnel collect books for the prisoners, some are hauled over to a local homeless shelter for veterans, and children’s books are donated to local schools — all for free.

“At the end of the day, we still got a lot of books,” Roode said.

In the 1950s, the Gainesville Women’s Club started the Friends of the Library to help the public library. It was one sale a year back then. The ladies of the original Friends of the Library borrowed vacant stores and used the space for the sale.

“Each year it got a little bit bigger and a little bit bigger,” Connell said.

Finally, so many books were being donated that the method of storing them was not working. Back then, they collected donations and placed them in a storage unit. But this became a hassle when the time for the sale rolled around.

In 1989, Friends of the Library and the Junior League got together and purseniortimesmagazine.com

Marion County Library Events with Carl Hiaasen Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. A graduate of the University of Florida, at age 23 he joined The Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the paper’s weekly magazine and later its prize-winning investigations team. See him this month in Ocala.

>> For Children Give a Hoot for Hiaasen at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion Auditorium.

Saturday, April 16, 2:00pm A Meet-the-Author program for youth in grades 4-12 (A child may be accompanied by a parent or caregiver). Enjoy an afternoon with Carl Hiaasen as he speaks about his books, “Hoot,” “Flush,” and “Scat.”

Prior to Mr. Hiaasen’s talk, there will be a special presentation about owls from the Ocala Wildlife Sanctuary. Program is free but seating is limited and will be available on a firstcome-first-served basis. Books will be available for purchase and autograph. Doors open at 2:00pm and close at 2:45pm (Author will speak at 3:00pm).

>> For Adults ABOVE: Dr. Peter Roode, president of The Friends of the Library, stands in the warehouse.

Around him, staff members divide thousands of books into their respective categories.

According to the Friends of the Library website, Gainesvilles FOL book sale is one of the largest of its kind in Florida, housing books, DVDs, VHS tapes, records, magazines and much more.

chased the building in which Friends of the Library now resides. Now, they are able to have two sales a year.

And people come from all over to visit the Gainesville Friends of the Library book sale. Customers from North Carolina, Miami and even Seattle flock in droves to the warehouse come sale days.

Harrison believes the book sale has

developed into a staple in the community. She is uncertain why the sale has become such a wild success, but like most success stories she feels it is hard to pin down the reason.

“It’s just become a thing that you do, like going to Paynes Prairie or going to a Gator football game,” she said.

“It’s become a phenomenon.” s

An Evening with Carl Hiaasen College of Central Florida, Klein Center.

Saturday, April 16, 7:00pm Carl Hiaasen’s works crackle with the wit of old Florida as he takes environmental jabs at the concrete of the new. Enjoy one of Florida’s rarest treasures.

Books will be available for purchase and autograph.

Tickets: $25 For more information visit www.friendsoftheocalalibrary.org

April 2011

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For most of us Seniors, newspapers occupy a very special place in our lives. We grew up reading them.

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irst it was the comic page, later the sports page, and still later the local news and what was happening around the world.

This was the way many of us learned how to read and eventually became the avid readers we are today, that wonderful exercise of the mind that helps to keep us young and well informed.

We learned to associate the morning paper with breakfast, which in those bygone days we were able to read in solitude without interruptions.

Nowadays we are often interrupted by questions asked by our life companions, most of which we don’t care to hear and much less answer. We miss the peaceful mornings of our youth, but now enjoy the love and companionship of the present.

Nowadays most of the news is negative and often tragic, a reflection of modern society, but our morning paper continues to be our loyal companion at breakfast time. We often now automatically turn the pages toward the one that informs us about our contemporaries not with us anymore — the obituary page.

In the basketball and football season we enjoy the sports page the most, where we enjoy reading about the

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victories of our orange and blue athletes.

The sports writers of the Gainesville Sun are excellent analysts and commentate with a unique and elegant writing style, which is a pleasure to read.

There is now much talk about the eventual demise of the newspaper, as now that we have the computers and the Internet they are becoming obsolete. But for us Seniors, mainly the octogenarians among us, this will be an irreplaceable loss, leaving an empty space inside us modern technology will not be able to fill. After all, the morning paper was one of our first love objects, when as young kids we started our day reading in them about the athletic performances of our sports heroes of those days such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Carl Hubbell, Lefty Grove, just to name a few.

Reading the ‘paper’ has become a habit impossible to break after so many years. Newspapers were a reflection of the slow tempo in the times of our childhood, when we could savor what we calmly read, instead of being pushed by the rush of the present, so alien to us. s Dr. Carlos Muniz is a retired psychiatrist from Gainesville. He may be contacted through the editor, Albert Isaac.

seniortimesmagazine.com

CLASSES EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE Shands Eastside Education Series 352-733-0017 The University of Florida Shands Eastside Community Practice Education series is comprised of a host of health care issues and is offered free of charge to all citizens at a variety of venues throughout Gainesville.

PrimeTime Institute Education Series 352-332-6917 PrimeTime Institute, a program of ElderCare of Alachua County, provides educational programs and social activities intent on keeping Seniors active, healthy and participating in lifelong learning through low cost, social networking.

Membership costs $20 through August 11, 2011. Nonmembers may attend (small donations are appreciated).

Dealing with Difficult People

PRIMETIME INSTITUTE EDUCATION SERIES

Thurs., April 14, Noon Church of Christ 1034 SE 10th Ave., Gainesville

Technology Explained

Dealing with Difficult People Thurs., April 14, 6:00pm Church of God by Faith 735 SE 15th St., Gainesville

The Sugar Epidemic Mon., April 18, Noon Cleather Hathcock Center 15818 NW 140th St., Alachua

Basic Estate Planning Tues., April 19, 6:00pm Archer CoGIC 520 Busy Avenue, Archer

Keep Depression in Its Place SHANDS EASTSIDE COMMUNITY PRACTICE EDUCATION SERIES

Preventing Foot Pain Mon., April 11, Noon Cleather Hathcock Center

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CHOICES Introduction and Enrollment Wed., March 30, 6:00pm New Beginnings CoGBF 2800 NE 59th St., Gainesville

Starting an Exercise Program Mon., April 4, Noon Cleather Hathcock Center 15818 NW 140th St., Alachua

Senior Dental Services Tues., April 5, 6:00pm Friendship Baptist Church 426 NW 2nd St., Gainesville

Are You Living the Life you Choose?

Wed., April 6, 10:00am Thelma Boltin Center 516 NE 2nd Ave., Gainesville

Eating Well on a Budget Wed., April 6, 6:00pm New Beginnings CoGBF 2800 NE 59th St., Gainesville

Food Fixes Colon Cancer Tues., April 12, 6:00pm Shady Grove Primitive Church 804 SW 5th St., Gainesville

Wed., April 20, Noon Oak Park Apartments 100 NE 8th Ave., Gainesville

Coping with Uncopables

Sat., April 2 8:30am to 10:00am Best Buy store 3750 SW Archer Road

Update on the Funeral Home Industry Thurs. April 7 2:00pm to 3:30pm The Atrium 2431 NW 41 St.

Eating For Life, Longevity, Immunity, Fun And Energy Tues., April 12 2:00pm to 3:30pm The Atrium 2431 NW 41 St.

Dudley Farm Tour and Pot Luck Lunch Thurs., April 14 11:00am to 2:30pm Dudley Farm Historic State Park 18730 W. Newberry Road

Florida Seniors Against Investment Fraud and How to Protect Your Investments

Keep Depression in Its Place

Wed., April 20, 6:00pm Greater Bethel AME 701 SE 43rd St., Gainesville

Tues., April 12, 6:00pm Faith Missionary Baptist 2905 SE 21st Ave., Gainesville

The Diabetes Epidemic

Tues., April 19 2:00pm to 3:30pm The Atrium 2431 NW 41 St.

Mon., April 25, Noon Cleather Hathcock Center 15818 NW 140th St., Alachua

Your Medications and You

Sickle Cell Information

Thurs., April 21 2:00pm to 3:30pm The Atrium 2431 NW 41 St.

The Diabetes Epidemic Wed., April 13, Noon Oak Park Apartments 100 NE 8th Ave., Gainesville

Mon., April 25, 6:00pm Gateway Christian Center 5135 NW 21st St., Gainesville

Stress Management Wed., April 13, 6:00pm Day Springs Missionary Baptist Church 1924 NE 8th Ave., Gainesville

Defensive Dining Wed., April 27, 6:00pm New Beginnings CoGBF 2800 NE 59th St., Gainesville

Coping With The Uncopables Thurs., April 26 2:00pm to 3:30pm The Atrium 2431 NW 41 St. April 2011

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CALENDAR UPCOMING EVENTS IN ALACHUA & MARION CAR & CRAFT SHOW Saturday, April 2 10:00am OCALA. Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 692 NW 30th Ave. We are adding a Craft Show to our successful Cars Of Yesterday show. There will be live entertainment, clowns, a radio live remote, and much more. This event is free to all spectators.

MID-FLORIDA DUCK DERBY Saturday, April 2

STRIDE AGAINST SILENCE 5K WALK/RUN Saturday, April 2 7:00am - 10:00am GAINESVILLE. Nadine McGuire Pavilion.

Stride Against Silence is a 5K Walk/Run that raises money for cochlear implant patients at Shands Hospital. 352-392-1649

RELAY FOR LIFE Friday, April 8 - Saturday, April 9 Dunnellon High School. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to from 18 - 24 hours in length. Jennifer Brannon: 352629-4727 x 5825 jennifer.brannon@cancer.org

The Melody of Rhythm

11:00am - 3:00pm OCALA. Tuscawilla Park. Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Duck Derby is a fun, family-friendly event guaranteed to be a quackin’ good time.

Featuring food, entertainment, activities, and a rubber duck race, there is sure to be something for everyone! For a suggested $5 donation, you can ‘adopt a duck’ for the day, and have a chance to win great prizes. 352-732-1412

4/3/11 2:00 pm PHILLIPS CENTER - Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer. Three of the most limitless creators and composers in the history of music share an unprecedented array of projects and pairings among them that touch every geographical and stylistic corner of the musical world.

352-392-2787

SPRING PARADE OF HOMES Saturday, April 2 2:00pm OCALA. Marion County Building Industry Association presents the Spring 2011 Parade of Homes. The Parade spans throughout Marion County and will showcase some of the county’s finest homes for potential homebuyers and remodelers to view. 352-694-4133. www.mcbia.org

JAMMING IN THE PARK

PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB MONTHLY MEETING

HIGH SPRINGS PIONEER DAYS

Sunday, April 3

Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3

4:00pm - 7:00pm OCALA. Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Lane. Jamming in the Park is an instrumental salsa and jazz team strengthening community involvement and preserving traditions through music and culture. Live music by an eclectic group of musicians getting together for a Jam Session. All types of music, all types of fans are welcome. 352-347-2069 www.salsaandjazz.com

Tuesday, April 5

BINGO GAMES

WALK ACROSS MARION COUNTY

9:00am - 5:00pm & 10:00am - 5:00pm JAMES PAUL PARK - This two festival features music, food, dance, gunfights, children’s games and more. 386-454-3120

CEDAR KEY SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 10:00am - 5:00pm CEDAR KEY. If plain old curiosity hasn’t yet inspired you to visit the town selected by the USDA as Florida’s Rural Community of the Year, then mark April 2nd and 3rd on your calendar for an excursion to the western terminus of State Route 24. That’s when you’ll have the added incentive of enjoying Cedar Key’s annual Old Florida Celebration of the Arts. 352-543-5400, e-mail: cedarkeyarts@ bellsouth.net. www.cedarkeyartsfestival.com

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April 2011

Monday, April 4 5:00pm OCALA. McCullough-Mixson VFW Post 4209, 4805 NE 36th Ave. These games are open to the public. The kitchen will be open for light dinners and snacks. Proceeds from the games are used for VFW programs supporting active duty military and veterans and their families.

7:00pm OCALA. Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. NCFPC is a full service photography club providing social, cultural, and educational opportunities to all photographers from the early beginner to advanced amateurs and professionals. Monthly meetings include member competitions and photography related discussions. www.ocalacameraclub.org

Wednesday, April 6, 13 8:30am - 12:00pm DUNNELLON. Ross Prairie. Join the Florida Hikers as we Walk Across Marion County. Each week we will walk a different section of the Florida Trail until we have completed all the sections in Marion County. Bob Jones: 352-347-5716

seniortimesmagazine.com

T.O.P.S

SIMPLY DANCE!

SPRING SALE

Thursday, April 7

Saturday, April 9

Saturday, April 9

9:00am SILVER SPRINGS. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (T.O.P.S.) provides a supportive setting for individuals to lose weight. We share recipes, tips and general information to be used in our quest to lose weight and keep it off. 352-625-4462.

7:00pm GAINESVILLE. Edith D. Cofrin Theatre (Oak Hall School), 8009 SW 14th Ave. Featuring SCDT’s Youth companies and our young dancers, ages 9-15, performing an assortment of dance styles ranging from classical ballet to more eclectic mixtures of contemporary dance, modern, lyrical, hip-hop and musical theatre. Guest performances

by SCDT’s Encore Ensemble, Floridance (a UF student-run company), and other local vocal performing artists further celebrates the diversity of the arts and the collaboration of our local artists to share the love of their art with our community. Tickets: $5.00. Judy Benton: 352331-8773. E-mail: dance@suncountrysports.com.

10:00am - 3:00pm ALACHUA. Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm, 20307 Cr 235. Benefit for the horses. Items for sale are donated by our supporters. 100 percent of the money goes to the farm to fed and care for the horses. 386-462-1001

LEESBURG BIKEFEST Friday, April 8, 9:00am - 11:00pm Saturday, April 9, 14 hours of Madness Sunday, April 10, 9:00am - 5:00pm Free admission to all venues. Live on eight stages over 40 free concerts. Main Street is for motorcycles only. Friday Ms. Bikefest Contest, Saturday Ms. Gator Harley Davidson Contest, Saturday Ms. Ratmate Contest; Team Extream; Trial Riders; Ride Like A Pro Safety Demonstrations, Antique & Gift Shops, Bars, Festive Foods, Observation Rides over Lake County Country Roads. www.leesburgbikefest.com

RELAY FOR LIFE Saturday, April 9 Noon.

SOUTH MARION. Belleview City Hall Park.

E-mail: diana.schwartz@cancer.org

SPRING NATIVE PLANT SALE Saturday, April 9 8:30am - 12:30pm GAINESVILLE. Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave. Take advantage of the largest offering of native plants in North Florida. The sale is hosted cooperatively by the City of Gainesville’s Nature Operations Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the Payne’s Prairie chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Friends of Nature Parks. 352-334-5067

WALK THE TALK FOR EPILEPSY AND SEIZURE DISORDERS Saturday, April 9 8:00am GAINESVILLE. Albert “Ray” Massey West Side Park, 1001 NW 34 St. Last year more than 100 people came out and walked to raise money and awareness for Epilepsy and raised $10,000. Heather Steele: 904731-3752. E-mail: events@efof.org

HIGH SPRINGS DOWNTOWN DAZE Saturday, April 9 9:00am - 5:00pm HIGH SPRINGS. Downtown, along the railroad tracks. There will be flea market vendors, farmers market vendors, food vendors and live music. Make plans now to join the fun!

Life a little“Fuzzy?”

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on Eyes

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April 2011

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Photo by Anne Fishbein

David Sedaris 4/17/11

7:30pm

PHILLIPS CENTER - NPR Humorist and Bestselling Author of Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

RIVER RISE RALLY TRAIL PACE

HOPS SPRING HERITAGE TOUR

Saturday, April 9

Saturday, April 9, 10:00am - 4:00pm

8:00am HIGH SPRINGS. O’Leno State Park. This is a fun event for all levels of horse riders. There will be three paces with three distances in the competition for a predetermined (unknown to the riders) time. This is not a speed event but an elapsed time event where the rider tries to match time set by the Rally management rider.

Prizes will be awarded to the three riders in each of the three rides who finish the closest to the predetermined time. This event will take place at River Rise Preserve State Park. 352-463-0668

Sunday, April 10, Noon - 4:00pm OCALA. 1009 SE 3rd St. In addition to the beautiful homes and gardens, there will be a display of antique clothing and accessories and an antique and vintage car display (cars are Saturday only). Ticket prices: $12.00 in advance and $15.00 day of event.

Group rates of 10 or more will be available with tickets purchased in advance. 352351-1861; e-mail: miccanney@aol.com

PARKINSON’S IN THE PARK

Sunday, April 10

Saturday, April 9

3:00pm OCALA. Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 East Silver Springs Blvd. Performance by

10:00am - Noon OCALA. Greenway Park, Baseline Road Trailhead, 4225 SE 58th Ave. A day of awareness and education about services for Parkinson’s available in Marion County.

Donations are being accepted for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. 352-369-8550

SANTA FE COLLEGE SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL Saturday, April 9 - Sunday, April 10 9:00am - 5:30pm & 12:00pm - 5:30pm GAINESVILLE. NE 1st Street in downtown historic district. Celebrating 42 years of fine arts celebration with a twist of jazz. The festival draws hundreds of top-quality artists from more than 25 states in a juried show that includes sculpture, printmaking, painting, 2-D and 3-D mixed media, jewelry, photography, drawing, watercolor, wood, fiber and glass.

352-395-5355. E-mail: kathryn.lehman@ sfcollege.edu. www.sfcollege.edu/springarts

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April 2011

AMERICAN MUSIC AND THE WILD WEST

the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. $40 for the series or $15 per concert. Includes museum admission, the performance and guided tours.

352-351-1606. www.ocalasymphony.com

PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ Sunday, April 10 7:00pm - 10:30pm GAINESVILLE. Florida Museum of Natural History.

Save the date for Children’s Home Society of Florida’s 24th annual Puttin’ on the Ritz! We invite you to join our night out as you dress your best in black and white. 352-846-2000

BALLROOM DANCE PARTY Wednesday, April 13 7:00pm - 9:00pm OCALA. Dancin’ Around Studio, 3960 S. Pine Ave. Practice social dancing in a safe environment.

We provide social dance parties on a regular basis so you can practice what you’re learning in your dance classes in a comfortable social atmosphere. You don’t need to be a Dancin’ Around Studio student to attend our social dance parties! 352-690-6637. www.danceocala.com

CITRUS CUP MORGAN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HORSE SHOW April 13 - 16 Times Vary NEWBERRY. Canterbury Equestrian. Horses from across the Southeast are competing for regional championships and the opportunity to qualify for the World Championship horse show. Events include carriage, dressage, jumping, and undersandle and in-hand classes. 352-472-6727. www.fmha.net

UF Orange and Blue Game 4/9/11 12:00 noon GAINESVILLE The Orange and Blue game is the annual spring football scrimmage that draws thousands of Gator sports fans to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

seniortimesmagazine.com

MONSTER JAM OCALA Friday, April 15 7:30pm OCALA SPEEDWAY. Monster Jam is the premiere North American monster truck touring circuit.

Sanctioned under the USHRA, Monster Jam events usually feature truck races and a freestyle competition. Some events have special features, including car jumps and demolitions.

352-622-9400. www.ocalaspeedway.com

RELAY FOR LIFE Friday, April 15 - Saturday, April 16 WEST MARION Hospital. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Jennifer Brannon: 352-629-4727 x 5825 jennifer.brannon@cancer.org

SCRAMBLE FOR SENIORS Friday, April 15 10:00am - 5:00pm GAINESVILLE. Haile Plantation Golf and Country Club. 9905 SW 44th Ave. Elder Options is hosting its 2nd annual golf tournament benefiting Seniors in crisis. Come join us for a day of fun and fundraising, and enjoy complimentary food and drinks, great prizes, vender give-aways and contests.

352-692-5233. www.agingresources.org

ART IN THE PARK Saturday, April 16 9:00am - 6:00pm OCALA. Tuscawilla Park, Ocala’s Annual Sidewalk Chalk Festival. Registration starts at 9:00am. Drawing is from 10:00-4:00pm. Level: College, High School, Middle, Elementary.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Place Prizes (for each level).

Registration: $12 Donation per sidewalk square.

Take care of your skin… with a board certified specialist COMPREHENSIVE SKIN CARE WITH COMPASSION AND PROFESSIONALISM

SKIN CANCERS GENERAL SCREENING

A ROCK AND ROLL FANTASY Saturday, April 16 7:00pm GAINESVILLE. Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Rock around the clock as STOP! Children’s Cancer, Inc. presents its 23rd annual Fantasy Event.

Dress is black tie optional but crinolines, tie-dye or sequin glove are welcomed. Dance the night away to your favorite hits from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and beyond. Enjoy cuisine catered by Chef’s Garden Custom Catering. One partygoer will win the exciting grand prize, a seven-day cruise of your choice for two compliments of AAA Travel and Celebrity Cruises. Come celebrate life and join in the fun — your contribution will make a positive impact on pediatric cancer research.

352-377-2622. www.stopchildrenscancer.org

Robert A. Skidmore, Jr. MD Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Skidmore received his medical training at the University of Florida, College of Medicine, completed a surgery internship at Bethesda Naval Hospital and his residency at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Skidmore specializes in mohs skin cancer surgery.

352-371-7546 GAINESVILLE • 3700 NW 83RD Street STARKE • 922 East Call Street LAKE CITY • 4367 NW American Lane

April 2011

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April 2011

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seniortimesmagazine.com

GIVE A HOOT FOR HIAASEN Saturday, April 16 2:00pm OCALA. Southeastern Livestock Pavilion Auditorium. A Meet-the-Author program for youth in grades 4-12 with a special presentation about owls from the Ocala Wildlife Sanctuary prior to Mr. Hiaasen’s talk. Program is free but seating is limited and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Doors open at 2:00pm and close at 2:45pm (Author will speak at 3:00pm). 352-671-8551

SPRING BOOK SALE April 16 - 20 Times vary.

GAINESVILLE. 430-B North Main St. Friends of the Library book sale. More than 500,000 books, records, games, CDs, DVDs, audio, video, paintings, posters, prints, puzzles and magazines have been donated for the sale!

Many categories, including: classical and modern fiction, textbooks, large-print books, cookbooks, hobby books, Comic books and manga — available Saturday and Sunday. Look for them outside under the canopy next to the art tent. 352-375-1676. www.folacld.org/bksl.html

Kanapaha Rose Show 4/16/11 1pm - 5pm KANAPAHA BOTANICAL GARDENS - 4700 S.W. 58th Drive. This show celebrates the splendor and distinctive fragrance of roses. There will be judged exhibits of award winning roses. 352-372-4981

Work of Heart Awards Banquet 4/26/11 6pm - 9pm

EBÈNE QUARTET Sunday, April 17 7:30pm GAINESVILLE. University Auditorium. Considered one of the finest quartets of its generation, the Quartet was named BBC Music Magazine’s 2009 Newcomer of the Year, and was also nominated for the renowned Les Victoires de la Musique Classique Chamber Music Ensemble of the Year for 2009. October 2009, the Ebène Quartet won “Recording of the Year” at the 2009 Classic FM Gramophone Awards for their disc of Debussy, Ravel, and Faure string quartets, only the fourth time that a chamber ensemble has won this prestigious prize.

ADULT SPELLING BEE

PARAMOUNT PLAZA HOTEL - 2900 SW 13th St. The 39th annual Work of Hearts Awards banquet, which recognizes volunteers from throughout the community, is meant to celebrate and honor their selfless work.

An Evening with Carl Hiaasen

Thursday, April 21 5:30pm OCALA. Ocala Hilton, 3600 SW 36th Ave. Held by the Marion County Literacy Council (MCLC) the “Bee” includes dinner, silent auction, chance drawing, and the grand finale — a spelling bee competition among teams comprised of corporate employees and community groups. Tickets to attend the event are $35/each or $60/couple. Spelling Bee admission and chance drawing tickets are available at the Marion County Literacy Council office. Sponsorship opportunities are available. All proceeds will benefit the Marion County Literacy Council, an organization of volunteer tutors who work one-on-one with Marion County adults needing help with reading, English and GED preparation. 352-690-7323

4/16/11 7:00 pm OCALA. College of Central Florida, Klein Center.

Come enjoy Carl Hiaasen, one of Florida’s rarest treasures. Books will be available for purchase and autographs.

Audience: Adults.

Tickets: $25.

352-671-8551. friendsoftheocalalibrary.org

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Farm and Forest Festival

FRUIT TREE & PLANT SALE First Wednesday each Month 4:00pm & 7:00pm GAINESVILLE. Bo Diddley Community Plaza. The Edible Plant Project’s spring sale, at the Union Street Farmers Market. An eclectic selection of edible plants, fruit trees, & seeds will be available. This a great time to plant: warm season vegetables & greens, sugarcane.

BEGINNERS MINDFULNESS MEDITATION Thursdays 7:00pm GAINESVILLE. Shands Cancer Hospital at UF, 1515 SW Archer Rd. Criser Cancer Resource Center, 1st Floor. Just sitting and relaxing in our beautiful meditation room can make a difference to your day. We offer gentle guidance suitable for everyone.

4/30/11

10am - 4pm

YOGA FOR ALL

GAINESVILLE - Morningside Nature Center. View historic-breed farm animals, hear period music, and observe traditional crafts and trades like sheep shearing, blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, and woodstove cooking. www.natureoperations.org

GREAT SONGWRITERS OF THE GREATEST GENERATION

monthly benefits. How much do you qualify for? Prem Paul Murrhee: 352-378-0773

Saturday, April 23 2:00pm - 3:30pm OCALA. Marion County Public Library. Recording artists and Radio Personalities, Robin And The Giant, are presenting a live program focusing on the composers and lyricists of the World War II generation. The program features music and biographical insights of the writers. This program is free and is presented to raise awareness of the Honor Flight program that brings World War II Veterans to the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. 352-873-0007

SMALL TOWN SATURDAY NIGHT Saturday, April 23 6:00pm - 10:00pm GAINESVILLE. University Air Center, 4701 NE 40th Terr. The Matheson Museum holds its third annual Small Town Saturday Night benefit with a nostalgic look at the magic of our hometown baseball teams. 352-335-4681

VETERAN’S BENEFIT TALK Thursday, April 28 Noon - 1:30pm GAINESVILLE. The Atrium, 2431 NW 41 St. At The Atrium, we celebrate Veterans and strive to help you enjoy the lifestyle you deserve. Living at the Atrium can help Veterans and spouses qualify for VA benefits. Eligible veterans and surviving spouses can receive up to $1,949 in

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April 2011

TREE CITY QUILTERS GUILD 7TH BIENNIAL QUILT SHOW

Thursdays 4:00pm Shands Cancer Hospital at UF, 1515 SW Archer Rd. Criser Cancer Resource Center, 1st Floor.

Join us for an hour of gentle stretching, accessible postures and breathing exercises designed to tone your body and lift your spirits. This class is suitable for patients, family, staff and members of the community.

Saturday, April 30, Sunday May 1 10:00am - 4:00pm GAINESVILLE. Best Western Hotel, I-75-39th Ave. There will be vendors, a quiltique (for shoppers), a quilt appraiser, Teddy Pruitt, and much more for your enjoyment. $6.00.

352-278-1281. E-mail: melanie1940@aol. com. www.treecityquiltersguild.com

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Mondays 12:00pm - 1:00pm ALACHUA. Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator, 12085 Research Dr. Is food a problem for you? If so the 12 Steps may help you. An hour where other compulsive eaters share experience strength and hope. www.oanfi.org

WEDNESDAY NIGHT JAZZ WITH KARL WEISMANTEL AND FRIENDS

PROSPEROUS LIVING GROUP Sundays 6:00pm - 8:00pm GAINESVILLE. Prosperous Living Center, 1135 NW 23rd Ave, Suite F/2. A community of like-minded truth-seekers studying, sharing and teaching multiple paths to prosperity in all aspects of life - wealth, relationships, health, personal missions, professions and spirituality. 352514-3122 www.prosperouslivingcenter.com

QUILTERS OF ALACHUA COUNTY DAY GUILD First Thursday 9:30am - Noon GAINESVILLE. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1521 NW 34 St. 352-375-2427 www.qacdg.org

COMEDY SHOWCASE

Wednesdays

Every Friday and Saturday

6:30pm - 10:00pm GAINESVILLE. Emiliano’s Cafe, 7 SE First Ave. Karl Weismantel on guitar and vocals with Ricky Ravelo on acoustic bass play jazz, standards, pop and original tunes. 352-375-7381

7:00pm GAINESVILLE. Clarion Inn and Conference Center, 7417 W. Newberry Road. A live stand-up comedy show featuring the best of local amateur and professional comedians. 352-332-2224

seniortimesmagazine.com

LIVING HISTORY DAYS Saturdays 9:00am - 4:30pm GAINESVILLE. Morningside Nature Center.

History comes to life as park staff interprets day-to-day life on an 1870s rural Florida farm.

Come try a syrup-topped biscuit or cornbread baked in a wood cook stove. 352-334-3326

111 E. University Ave. Each week local farmers, bakers, artisans, musicians, and dancers join with our intensely loyal customers in a timeless celebration of this community’s seasonal bounty. www.unionstreetfarmersmkt.com/union/

KEEP MOVING - STAY FIT Thursdays

HAILE HOMESTEAD TOUR Saturdays 10:00am - 2:00pm GAINESVILLE. Kanapaha Plantation. 8500 SW Archer Road. Tours every Saturday from 10am to 2pm and on Sunday from noon to 4 pm. $5 per person, children under 12 are free. www.hailehomestead.org

BARNYARD BUDDIES

9:00am, 10:00am and 11:00am.

GAINESVILLE. Senior Healthcare Center at Crown Pointe. 2205 NW 40 Terr. Suite A. Tai Chi for Seniors offers slow, flowing movements to enhance overall well-being.

Followed by Gentle Motions: Exercises that can be done sitting or standing. 11:00am Noon. Rae Marie Gilbert: 352-336-4510.

Wednesdays

AMRIT YOGA WITH VEDA

3:00pm GAINESVILLE. Morningside Nature Center at the Living History Farm. Youngsters with an adult can meet and greet animals by helping staff with afternoon feeding. Free. 352-334-5000

Thursdays

UNION STREET FARMERS MARKET Every Wednesday 4:00pm - 7:00pm GAINESVILLE. Bo Diddley Community Plaza,

5:30pm - 6:30pm GAINESVILLE. Downtown Library, 401 E. University Ave, 4th floor. Think you’re not flexible enough?

Learn that yoga is not just about postures. We begin with a 15-minute relaxation and then move, with evenness of mind, into skillful action for your body. Experience all the benefits of this guided practice. Appropriate for all levels.

No registration needed. vedalewis@aol.com

GAINESVILLE INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE Fridays 8:00pm Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4225 NW 34th St. Come join our experienced and expanding International Folk dance group in the new year. Suitable for all ages and abilities. No partners needed. Beginners welcome. 352-359-2903 www.gifd.org

RAINBOW BINGO Every first Tuesday 6:30pm GAINESVILLE. Pride Community Center. Fun, Cash, Prizes! Doors open at 6pm. Early bird bingo at 6:30pm. Regular bingo at 7pm. $15 at the door includes all early bird & regular games.

Food and beverages available for purchase.

If you would like us to publicize an event in Alachua or Marion counties, send information by the 13th day of the month prior.

All submissions will be reviewed and every effort will be made to run qualified submissions if page space is available.

1-800-967-7382 (fax) calendar@seniortimesmagazine.com

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THEATRE Acrosstown Repertory Theatre.....................619 S. Main Street, Gainesville Curtis M. Phillips Center ........................................... 315 Hull Road, Gainesville Gainesville Community Playhouse ....... 4039 N.W. 16th Blvd., Gainesville Hippodrome State Theatre................................. 25 SE 2nd Place, Gainesville Nadine McGuire Blackbox Theatre ................... Museum Road, Gainesville Insomniac Theatre Company ............................E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Ocala Civic Theatre ..................................4337 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala High Springs Community Theater .......... 130 NE 1st Avenue, High Springs

ACROSSTOWN REPERTORY THEATRE

Forbidden Broadway April 7 - April 17, Times Vary Four incredible versatile performers and a gifted pianist turn Broadway upside-down — everything from Annie to Les Miserables, from Carol Channing to Patti LuPone. With simple props and costumes, the stage transforms into the streets of New York, the sewers of Paris, or the Austrian Alps, and everything is both skewed and skewered in the process.

CURTIS M. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

UF Opera Theatre in The Magic Flute April 7 & April 9, 7:30pm The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto

by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue.

Los Munequitos de Matanzas April 10, 7:30pm This magical Orchestra consists of musicians and dancers from three different generations. Together they preserve the traditions brought to Cuba from Africa, their families are renowned for Afro-Cuban Folk music. which you can still find today everywhere in Cuba.

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352-371-1234 352-392-ARTS 352-376-4949 352-375-4477 352-392-1653 352-897-0477 352-236-2274 386-454-3525

Young Concert Artist: Hahn-Bin, Violin April 12, 7:30pm A special protégé of the famed Itzhak Perlman, 22-year-old violinist Hahn-Bin has won critical acclaim for his “extraordinary, intelligent and beautiful” (The Washington Post) performances and his “inspired, bracing and innovative” (The New York Times) programs. He made his international debut at the age of 12 at the 42nd Grammy Awards in a Salute to Classical Music, which honored the legendary Isaac Stern.

A Chorus Line April 15 - 16, 7:30pm A Chorus Line played its 3,389th performance on September 29, 1983 and became the longest running show in Broadway history. It closed on Broadway on April 28, 1990 after 6,137 performances. In 1976 it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won nine. Original Director/ Choreographer Michael Bennett also choreographed Promises, Promises, Follies and Company. He won his seventh Tony Award for 1981’s Dreamgirls, and directed its acclaimed 1985 Broadway revival.

Marvin Hamlisch (Music) is the composer of the Broadway musicals They’re Playing Our Song and Sweet Smell of Success and shared the Pulitzer Prize for his score of A Chorus Line.

Menopause, the Musical May 3 - 4, 7:30pm Entertaining and inspiring women from coast-to-coast since March 2001.

This uplifting 90-minute production includes parodies from the ‘60s and ‘70s and ‘80s. It culminates with a salute to women who are experiencing “The Change”.

HIPPODROME STATE THEATRE

Spring Play Observership March 18 - April 13 Go behind-the-scenes and witness the creative process of “The 39 Steps”

by Alfred Hitchcock, the fast-paced whodunit that was a hit in London and on Broadway. Witness rehearsals with cast, designer presentations and more.

The 39 Steps April 15 - May 8 Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have THE 39 STEPS, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!

This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of 4), an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance!

INSOMNIAC THEATRE COMPANY

Open Mic Night April 14, 8:00pm - 9:30pm Evening of Spoken Word and Song Insomniac Theatre is hosting an open mic night the second Thursday of every month! Admission is $5.00 and $3.00 for students and Seniors.

The Improvniacs!

April 17, 8:00pm - 10:00pm Join Insomniacs local Improv Troupe “The Improvniacs” with original comedy in a “Who’s Line is it anyway?” style improv. seniortimesmagazine.com

OCALA CIVIC THEATRE

Voted

When Bullfrogs Sing Opera March 17 - April 10

Best Doctors in

America

A sweet and flowing comedy by Carl L. Williams featuring a socialclimbing sister who tries to keep her visiting country sister from embarrassing her among her new society friends. Audiences can’t help but catch a positive outlook on life.

Dr. Latif Hamed, M.D. FAAO

NADINE MCGUIRE BLACKBOX THEATRE

ARE YOU TIRED OF GLASSES? CATARACT & MACULAR DEGENERATION?

Backstage Pass April 8, 6:30pm to 10:00pm Spring Fine Arts Benefit. The annual UF Friends of Theatre and Dance benefit will showcase the art of making theatre and dance. Why mess with a good thing? Well, to make it even better, of course! The Splendor benefit series has proven to be a welcome change from the standard approach to benefits by various local committees. Tickets cost $100.

Suggested Dress: All-black Affair (You are going backstage!) Info and Reservations: 352-846-1218

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee March 18 - April 10 (Musical) One of 2005’s most popular Broadway shows, and nominated for six Tony awards, this musical is hot off the new release list. The show focuses on the adventures of six wacky kids (played by adults) at the annual spelling bee. Get your tickets early for this one!

HIGH SPRINGS COMMUNITY THEATER

Moments of Weakness April 15 - May 8 This is a story of infidelity and how friends can affect your choices in life. It is going to be loads of fun with audience participation. By C.F. “Bud” O’Donnel and directed by the author.

Former professor and Chief of Division at UF Shands Fellowships at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and at John Hopkins Recipient of the HEED Fellowship Award Honor Award recipient from the American Academy of Ophthalmology Personally trained dozens of eye surgeons practicing worldwide

On-site optical Same-day Glasses

Authored several widely used ophthalmic reference texts

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ADVANCED LASER SURGICAL & MEDICAL EYE CARE Accepting all new Medicare Plans!

Most insurance plans accepted and filed for you.

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3230 SW 33RD RD. OCALA, FLORIDA April 2011 53

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INFORMATION œ SPOTLIGHT

Social Security Answers How long does it take to complete the online application for retirement benefits?

learn more by reading our online publication, Retirement Benefits, at www. socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10035.html.

It can take as little as 15 minutes to complete the online application. In most cases, once your application has been submitted electronically, you’re done. There are no forms to sign and usually no documentation to mail in. Social Security will process your application and contact you if any additional information is needed. There’s no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative. To retire online, go to www.socialsecurity.gov.

If you are diagnosed with a second serious disability and you currently receive Social Security disability benefits, can your monthly benefit amount increase?

Can a husband who doesn’t have enough work to qualify for Social Security benefits or Medicare qualify for benefits on his wife’s Social Security record?

This answer applies to wives as well as husbands — even if your spouse has never worked under Social Security, your spouse at full retirement age can receive a benefit equal to onehalf of your full retirement amount. This assumes you were married at least 12 years (or 10 years if you were divorced) and that he did not pay into a government pension plan that offsets Social Security. If he receives a pension from Federal, State or local government based on work where he did not pay Social Security taxes, any benefits he receives may be offset. Spouses cannot receive benefits on your record until you begin receiving retirement benefits. You can

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April 2011

No. Your Social Security disability benefit amount is based on the amount of your lifetime earnings before your disability began and not the number, degree, or severity

If someone receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits enters a nursing home, how does this affect the SSI benefits?

Moving to a nursing home can affect your SSI benefits but it depends on the type of facility. In some cases, the SSI payment may be reduced or stopped. Whenever you enter or leave a nursing home, assisted living facility, hospital, skilled nursing facility or any other kind of institution, it is important that you tell Social Security. Call Social Security’s toll-free number, 1-800-7721213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). We can answer specific questions and provide free interpreter services from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. We also provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day.

Your Social Security disability benefit amount is based on the amount of your lifetime earnings before your disability began. of your disability. For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/dibplan/ dapproval2.htm.

I receive SSI benefits. How do I notify Social Security that I have changed my address?

Is there a time limit on how long you can collect Social Security disability benefits?

Social Security needs your correct mailing address to send you notices and other correspondence about your benefits even if you receive your benefits by direct deposit. An SSI recipient must report any change in living arrangements or change of address by calling our toll-free number, 1-800772-1213, or by visiting a local office. If you do not notify us in a timely manner, you could end up receiving an incorrect payment and have to pay it back. s

Your disability benefits will continue as long as your medical condition has not improved and you remain unable to work. Your case will be reviewed at regular intervals to make sure you still are disabled. If you are still receiving disability benefits when you reach full retirement age, we will automatically convert them to retirement benefits. Visit www. socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10153.html#6 for more information on disability.

Information provided by Ruqayyah Nicholas, Social Security District Manager for Gainesville, Florida.

seniortimesmagazine.com

Correctly complete the crossword puzzle and mail it to us for your chance to

Win a $50 Gift Card you can use anywhere that accepts American Express!

ONE PRIZE AWARDED PER MONTH THROUGH RANDOM

DRAWING OF A CORRECT AND COMPLETE ENTRY. Submit completed entries to: Senior Times Mailbag 4400 N.W. 36th Avenue • Gainesville, Florida 32606

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April 2011

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BOOK REVIEW BY

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

How We Age

BY MARC E. AGRONIN, MD. c.2011, DaCapo Press $25.00 302 pages, includes notes

T

here may be a correlation, but you’re not sure.

Do wrinkles directly contribute to crabbiness? Can the sprouting of gray hair cause a general miasma? And why do people think “Senior Moments” are so darn funny? You wonder, because you’ve spotted another wrinkle and two more gray hairs, you forgot where your keys are, and there’s nothing humorous

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April 2011

book, he writes about patients he’s known who have faced their Golden Years with grace and strength.

There was the wheelchair-bound man who couldn’t remember much personal history, but could carry on an eloquent conversation in his native Russian language.

There was the group of women with early-stage Alzheimer’s who embraced their own social network, showing Agronin that alone, patients might falter, but together, their limitations were eased.

And then there was Marilyn and Mac. She accepted aging eagerly. He fought it. But both agreed that with years, came gifts: better judgment, contemplation, mellowness and, sometimes, delight.

about that.

But getting older has its benefits, says Marc E. Agronin, MD. In his new book “How We Age,” he takes a look at aging — not from your body’s point of view, but from your brain’s perspective.

Growing up in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Marc Agronin had a good role model in his grandfather, who was the town’s beloved physician. Watching his grandfather at work inspired Agronin to become a doctor.

As a geriatric Just a hundred years ago, psychiatrist whose patients the average human lifespan battle dementia, was around fifty years.

Alzheimer’s, depression and other disorders, Agronin has seen the lifePart science, part essay, “How We changing, life-threatening issues that Age” is not one of those books that come with maturation. But stereotypes blindly celebrates the so-called wisdom and clichés aside, even though our of years. Author Marc E. Agronin bluntly culture is obsessed with youth, his writes about dementia, forgetfulness, patients also enjoy benefits that come Alzheimer’s and other issues that come with aging. with Seniority. He’s honest with his Once upon a time, we barely aged. Just readers without trying to hide anything. a hundred years ago, the average human Then, he balances the bad with lifespan was around fifty years, which soaring stories of the goodness in means, says Agronin, that aging is “less a becoming an elder, including serenity, product of nature and more of a human knowledge and acceptance. Agronin’s achievement wrestled from nature.” colleagues taught him that aging has no Centenarians, in fact, are the fastest cure. His patients taught him that aging growing age group in today’s world. really doesn’t need a cure.

But as we pluck gray hairs and worry Thoughtful, warm and wise, “How at wrinkles, we need to remember We Age” is a book for everyone who’s that physical signs of aging are mere putting on the years, like it or not. For all annoyances. The real issue to focus on is of us, books like this never get old. s that aging is harshest on our brains. So, despite the inescapable fact that we have Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes no Neuron Fountain of Youth to rely on, anywhere without a book. She lives with her can we age well... in our heads? two dogs and 11,000 books.

Agronin thinks so. In this thoughtful

seniortimesmagazine.com

ADVE RTI S E M E NT

There is Hope DEPRESSION IS A TREATABLE CONDITION FOR SENIORS AND CAREGIVERS

D

epression among our nation’s seniors often goes unrecognized or is regularly dismissed as a normal part of aging.

Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people age 65 and older accounted for 16 percent of suicide deaths in 2004 – despite the fact that they make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population.

The staff at Mederi Caretenders of Gainesville helps clients realize that there is help for depression, and that it does not have to hold them back from enjoying life.

“Depression is a disease like any other disease. It’s not ‘all in your mind’ or something you can just shake off,” said Sharon Weisberg, a behavioral health nurse with Caretenders. This very real condition is often associated with loss, an experience all too familiar for seniors.

Feelings of loss come with the death of a spouse, friend or pet. They also occur with the fading of everyday abilities, such as driving or bathing.

Clinical conditions such as stroke, cardiac disease, and neurological diseases like ALS and Parkinsons can also trigger depression.

The Caretenders program for depression begins with an assessment by a behavioral health nurse, who can then educate the client about the disease. Occupational therapy is sometimes recommended, especially with loss of abilities.

“Self-esteem is affected when a person is depressed,” said Martha Waltman, a Caretenders occupational therapist.

“Helping the person return to doing things that we take for granted helps build self esteem and alleviate feelings of depression.” Occupational therapists also teach anxiety and stress management, along with other coping skills, to alleviate anxiety associated with depression.

Depression affects not only clients, but caregivers as well. “With dementia, depression can show up as irritability and agitation,” said Weisberg. “There can be combative behaviors, wandering and even violent tendencies. That can be very difficult for caregivers to deal with.”

Caretenders can teach caregivers coping skills for such behaviors.

They can also discuss medications that might help the client be less agitated and more comfortable with life. “Many people are reluctant to take medication, but I have seen some wonderful results, especially with elderly people,” Weisberg explained.

“It changes their quality of life.”

Common symptoms of depression include irritability, sleeplessness, appetite changes, social withdrawal and feelings of hopelessness. If you or someone you love shows these signs, find help immediately. Treatment of depression can help you live an independent and fulfilling life.

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April 2011

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April 2011

seniortimesmagazine.com