June 2010 by Senior Times

YOUR Y OUR G GUIDE UIDE T TO OA ACTIVE CTIVE R RETIREMENT ETIREMENT LIV LIVING VING IIN NN NORTH ORTH C CENTRAL ENTRAL F FLORIDA LORIDA

Father’s Day is June 20

LEARN THE HOLIDAY’S ORIGIN

THE GHOST OF SHELLY WINTERS Biographer Reflects on Time Spent with the Actress

THE ANHINGA WRITERS’ STUDIO Conference Coming to Gainesville

JUNE JJU UNE UNE NE 2 2010 0110 0

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2 June 2010

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Linda Fraser Keystone Heights, FL

“They gave me more than therapy. They gave me hope.” When Linda Fraser arrived at Shands Rehab Hospital after a stroke, her biggest enemy was fear. But her therapist there told her she would get better, giving her the hope along with the treatment, to make it happen. As the only inpatient rehabilitation hospital in North Central Florida, Shands Rehab provides hours of intensive therapy every day, delivered by a dedicated team of UF physicians and Shands rehab nurses and therapists. It’s care no nursing home can match. At Shands Rehab Hospital, hope and healing go hand in hand.

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MAKE THE Most OF

Your Retirement

June 2010 3

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ISSUE 06 • VOLUME 11

JUNE 2010

Published monthly by Tower Publications, Inc. www. seniortimesmagazine.com

PUBLISHER

DEPARTMENTS

Tapas 26 Calendar of Events 29 Reading Corner 31 Flights of Fancy 11

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

Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com Fax: 1-800-967-7382 OFFICE MANAGER

Bonita Delatorre bonita@towerpublications.com

COLUMNS 12

Healthy Edge By Kendra I. Siler-Marsiglio, Ph.D.

ART DIRECTOR

Hank McAfee hank@towerpublications.com GRAPHIC ARTIST ARTISTS

The Garden Way

Tom Reno

By Debbie DeLoach, Ph.D.

tom@towerpublications.com

Embracing Life

sales@seniortimesmagazine.com

Photo courtesy of Ellis Amburn

Author Ellis Amburn, whose book “Jack,” a biography of Jack Nicholson, was published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Edward Douglas, is also the author (under his own name) of “Subterranean Kerouac,” a biography of Jack Kerouac, and “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” a biography of Elizabeth Taylor. Amburn was Kerouac’s editor in the 1960s. In this issue, he gives us an inside look into his time spent ghostwriting for actress Shelley Winters.

By Donna Bonnell

24 8

The Mother of Father’s Day

This Year Marks the 100th Anniversary of the Holiday By Mary Kypreos

28 14

Right-of-Way National Safety Month Hits the Road By Molly Larmie

The Anhinga Flies Again

Safety First Make Your Home Hazard-free for the Summer Months By Kate Heller

Writers’ Studio Continues By Albert Isaac

ADVERTISING SALES

Perspectives on Aging By Carlos Muniz

C R O S S WO R D PUZZLE WINNER! Congratulations to the winner from our MAY 2010 issue…

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ATTENTION READERS 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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Editor’s Note

June 2010 5

Albert Isaac

“Deep summer is when laziness ﬁnds respectability.” – Sam Keen

So, I have been very busy outdoors, tilling the garden, landscaping and cleaning the pool. A typical beginning to a typical summer, and — although my wife may disagree — I have not had much opportunity to be lazy, at least when it comes to outdoor chores (indoor laziness is a whole ‘nother story that I have to work on). Despite my yard work, I do manage to play some catch with my youngest. In the shade. In the morning and evenings. When it isn’t a million degrees or raining. He bought me an early Father’s Day present with his own money — a baseball glove. I had told him I couldn’t catch a hardball with my bare hands, especially when he hits it with his bat. That problem is now solved. So, weather permitting, I’m out there fairly regularly playing ball with the little guy. With Father’s Day upon us, my thoughts naturally drift to dear old Dad — gone but certainly never forgotten. Dad taught me so much. He taught me how to

play catch and how to catch fish. He taught me how to hammer a nail and how to saw lumber. He didn’t teach me how to drive, however. Mom was awarded that privilege. Now, whenever I play catch, or mow the lawn, or toil in my garden, or hit my thumb with the hammer, I think a lot about him. And as I grow older, I can see our similarities a bit more clearly. Before I was married, I had little interest in gardening or planting trees. However, once I settled down, moved out to the country and started a family, many of the things Dad enjoyed began to make sense to me. When we moved into our new home he gave me his old lawnmower and then proceeded to mow the front yard. He also gave us a lot of plants: trees, shrubs, grapevines and flowers. Most did very well, except for a camellia cutting. It remained little more than a stick with a few leaves. When Dad became ill, all of his gifts took on much greater significance. I transplanted

the poor little camellia, but it didn’t do very well. Sadly, neither did Dad. On the morning he passed away, I returned home from making funeral arrangements, weighed down by a deep and profound sorrow. As I got out of my car I was inexplicably drawn to the plant. As I approached, I noticed something unexpected: a beautiful and vibrant red flower, blooming for the very first time. For me, this was more than just a flower; it was validation of life and of love. This was a gift from God assuring me everything was going to be all right. It was Dad, smiling to me from beyond the grave. I miss you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day. §

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

From the Expert in Home Maintenance

aintaining your home’s structure starts with the exterior.

There are two basic components, the roof material (shingles, metal or tile) and the siding. I compare them to our skin. Much like our skin if you spend too much time in the sun you sunburn then blister and peel. Of course your home’s roof

has been designed to be exposed to the sun, although you can add life to it by keeping the debris from piling up. Most siding on the other hand was not designed to be exposed to the sun without sun-block (paint). T1-11 is a common type of

siding in our area and requires regular maintenance. Once moisture penetrates the paint it can delaminate the layers or cause rot. It’s important to do an annual visual check of your home’s skin. Paint is not just adding beauty; it adds life to your home.

taking action:

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Walk around your home and look for cracks in the paint and seams of the siding. Inspect your roofs effectiveness by looking at the underneath (in the attic).

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June 2010 7

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8 June 2010

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The Mother of Father’s Day This Year Marks the 100th Anniversary of the Holiday By Mary Kypreos

nlike Mother’s Day, which quickly garnered support and official standing — all in nine years time — Father’s Day has a more poignant history, as it faced delays and a lackluster reputation of fathers. In the end, it took 62 years for Sonora Smart Dodd, the founder of today’s modern Father’s Day, to witness her concept become an officially

recognized holiday. This month marks 100 years since its first, unofficial, celebration. In 1909, while listening to a Mother’s Day Ceremony at Central United Methodist Church in Spokane, Wash., a young and pregnant Dodd was inspired by the celebration she witnessed but disappointed in its limitations. “I liked everything you said about

motherhood,” Dodd told the minister, as quoted by the New York Times in a March 23, 1978 article. “However, don’t you think fathers deserve a place in the sun, too?”

Love for a Father Dodd insisted on a similar holiday for fathers because of the role her own father

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“She felt like you should go out and buy your father a gift to show your appreciation.” played in their family and also due to the reputation of fathers at the time. After her mother’s death in 1898, William Jackson Smart was the only provider for 16-year-old Dodd and her five younger brothers. In a time when many men in that situation might have given his children to an orphanage or another family member, Smart kept his family together, serving as both a father and mother. “His kindness and the sacrifices he made inspired me,” Dodd said in a June 17, 1939, New York Sun article. “Besides that, at that time the pendulum of disrespect for fathers had swung too far, I thought. People were singing such songs as ‘Father, Dear Father, Come Home With Me Now’ and ‘Everybody Works But Father.’” A year after listening to the Mother’s Day sermon, Dodd shared her vision with the Spokane YMCA and the Spokane Ministerial Alliance,

said Pam Scott, communications manager at the Spokane Regional Convention and Tourism Bureau. Although she originally wanted Father’s Day to fall on her own father’s birthday, June 5, the organizers needed more time to prepare. They pushed the celebration back to June 19, 1910 — the third Sunday in the month. “She had an idea that father’s needed to be honored as mother’s were,” Scott said. “She felt like you should go out and buy your father a gift to show your appreciation.” In the early years of the holiday, Dodd took her own advice to heart and rode in a horse and carriage through the streets delivering cards and flowers and showing recognition to homebound fathers. “She wasn’t concerned with what specifically [you gave] but that you take the time to do it,” Scott said.

June 2010 9

Photos courtesy of the Spokane Regional Convention and Tourism Bureau.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Sonora Smart Dodd was far ahead of her time, said Pam Scott, communications manager at the Spokane Regional Convention and Tourism Bureau. She was a poet, an accomplished artist, was highly educated and was also the founder of Father’s Day. ABOVE: According to a Spokane Regional Convention and Tourism Bureau press release Sonora Smart Dodd, the founder of Father’s Day, was honored at the 1940 New York World’s Fair and the 1943 Billion Dollar Bond Drive, as well as received a plaque in 1968 from the Retail Trade Bureau and obtained other honors.

Decades of Waiting Over the next six decades, Father’s Day would become a lasting, yet unofficial, holiday in American homes. Regardless of its status, it would receive recognition from four presidents along the way. In 1916, at the request of Senator Clarence Dill, President Woodrow Wilson was the first to acknowledge Father’s Day by opening celebrations from his office in Washington, D.C., according to a Spokane continued on next page

10 June 2010

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tourism bureau press release. President Calvin Coolidge recognized the day in 1924 and urged all states to do the same. Still, Father’s Day remained federally unrecognized. Forty-two years after President Coolidge’s recommendation, Father’s Day took another step toward national recognition after President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation asking for all flags to be flown on government buildings on the third Sunday in June in recognition of Father’s Day. Although it became official in 1972, actions in 1970 — after 60 years of dedication on Dodd’s part — would set the wheels of national recognition in motion. On Dec. 28, both houses of the United States Congress passed Joint Resolution 187, urging President Richard Nixon to declare the holiday. Two years later, President Nixon took their advice and signed the proclamation, officially recognizing

Family Portraits

www.TJMstudios.com

Father’s Day as being held on the third Sunday in June of each year. Scott said that she has found no record indicating how Dodd reacted to the proclamation, but Scott was not concerned about Dodd feeling unappreciated for her efforts. “[Dodd] had tons of recognition all along the way, but nothing was permanent until 1972,” Scott said. Dodd passed away on March 22 1978, at age 96. In the end, both Dodd and her father would live to see important milestones in Father’s Day’s history. “Father lived to see Father’s Day observed throughout the nation,” Dodd said, according to a quote in an un-attributed newspaper clipping released by the Spokane tourism bureau. “He saw more than 1,000 boy singers and musicians on the Inland Empire participate in a sacred service on Father’s Day in 1916. That service was officially opened in Washington, DC by President Woodrow Wilson...” §

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TAPAS Timely And Pertinent Announcements for Seniors

— ta·pas • Small savory snacks that are often served as an appetizer, or, according to Senior Times, small savory tidbits of information.

The 2010 Alachua County Team Bass Championship

June 2010 11

Monthly Chuckle One evening a preschooler, Kristel, and her parents were sitting on the couch chatting. Kristel asked, “Daddy, you’re the boss of the house, right?” Her father proudly replied, “Yes, I am the boss of the house.” But Kristel added, “Cause Mommy put you in charge, huh Daddy?”

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. -Charles Wadworth

Fast Fun Facts: •

According to American Families and Living Arrangements, there were 158,000 stay-at-home dads in 2009. The father’s were raising children younger than 15 and 59 percent had two or more children.

•

Sixty-six percent of children younger than 6 are praised by there father’s three or more times a day, according to A Child’s Day in 2006.

•

According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, children with involved and loving fathers are signiﬁcantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior.

ABOVE Tournament hosts Gary Simpson of the Tackle Box and SunState Federal Credit Union’s Robert Hart with 2010 Alachua Team Bass Champions Bobby Hales and Phil Blunt.

One observer said a couple of the stringers reminded him n May 22, the 2010 of the fish he caught in the Alachua County Team lake back in the ‘80s. He said Bass Championship he was glad to see “the old was held at Powers Park on girl” coming back so nicely. the southern end of Newnan’s As further evidence of how Lake. This event was hosted by far Newnan’s Lake has come, The Tackle Box and SunState the winning stringer in the Federal Credit Union and all championship was heavier proceeds go to benefit the Mcthan the winning stringer for Gurn YMCA in east Gainesville. a tournament held the same Despite the warm day, day at Rodman Reservoir. topping out in the 90s, there While the competitors were some impressive catches, were out on the lake, tournawith several anglers excited ment organizers provided a to see some very nice bass “Go Fish!” booth, balloon anicoming from Newnan’s Lake. mals and flowers, and a casting SPECIAL TO SENIOR TIMES

contest for children, along with free food and drinks for all comers. All and all, it was a great day at Newnan’s Lake... and it was all for the kids! The 2010 Alachua County Team Bass Champions are Bobby Hales and Phil Blunt. The duo’s five bass limit tipped the scales at 22 pounds even. Trent Gay and Eric Canto took second with another nice five bass limit of 17 pounds 13 ounces. Coming in third, with a five fish limit weighing 14 pounds 6 ounces, was the team of Thomas Jones and Johnell Young.

Home Safety Tip: If you’re going to be away from home for a few days, adjust your telephone ring to its lowest volume setting. An unanswered phone may tip off a burglar that no one is home.

Notable Senior Birthdays JUNE 8 - NANCY SINATRA (70) JUNE 9 - DICK VITALE (70) JUNE 18 - PAUL MCCARTNEY (68) JUNE 19 - GENA ROWLANDS (80) JUNE 22 - KRIS KRISTOFFERSON (74) JUNE 26 - ELEANOR PARKER (88) JUNE 27- H. ROSS PEROT (80)

12 June 2010

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AN OVERLOOKED VA HEALTHCARE BENEFIT? By Kendra I. Siler-Marsiglio, Ph.D.

ecently my mother-in-law (I call her “Mom”) and my father-in-law (“Dad”) moved to an assisted living facility. They love the facility, particularly the staff. And, in this instance, the facility’s quality is reflected in its price. Fortunately, because Dad’s a WWII veteran, he’s able to use a VA Benefit to lessen the financial burden. When ongoing care is needed, military veterans and their spouses may be eligible for an often overlooked VA benefit called the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Benefit. It can be used to offset the costs of nursing home care, assisted living, and even in-home care. Veterans with a disability, whether service-connected or nonservice-connected, may qualify for this benefit. The benefit is most straightforward for veterans receiving service-connected disability compensation. Veterans with a service-connected disability (rated at 30 percent or higher) can receive the Aid and Attendance Benefit in addition to their monthly disability compensation. Although there’s no financial eligibility requirements for veterans with service-related disabilities, veterans who need ongoing care for non-service-connected disabilities are subject to financial factors— in particular, income threshold and

“net worth.” In non-service-connected disability cases, the Aid and Attendance Benefit covers the amount that the veteran’s total

Aid and Attendance Benefit you’re eligible for up to $30,960 per year. If the household income threshold seems to exclude you from receiving the benefit, you may want to take a closer look at your un-reimbursed common medical expenses. The VA’s definition of household income is: pensions and Social Security minus anything from hearing aids and batteries to mobility scooters and alternative medicine. Veterans with non-serviceconnected disabilities must also undergo an asset determination in order for the VA to determine the veterans’ net worth. Those with a net worth less than $80,000 are eligible for the Aid and Attendance Benefit. Does the net worth stipulation seem to disqualify you? You may want to take a closer look at assets that must be reported to the VA. Your home and transportation aren’t counted. Only assets that can be liquidated quickly — such as farmland, commercial real estate, stocks/bonds — count toward your net worth. There are a few other general qualifying factors that affect veterans with service-connected or nonservice-connected disabilities:

According to the American Association of Wartime Veterans Missouri Chapter, a veteran is currently eligible for up to $19,723 annually, a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $ 12,660 annually. household income falls short of the maximum Aid and Attendance Benefit. So, for example, an unmarried veteran with a non-service-connected disability and yearly income of $15,000 would receive $4,736 annually. According to the American Association of Wartime Veterans Missouri Chapter, a veteran is currently eligible for up to $19,723 annually, a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $12,660 annually, and couples (a veteran married to a non-veteran) can qualify for up to $23,340 yearly. You and your spouse are both veterans? Through the

1. On Medicaid or Medicare? You can only receive an additional $90 monthly through the Aid and Attendance Benefit. 2. Although a dishonorable discharge excludes you from this benefit, some forms of discharges commonly believed to be dishonorable (e.g, Other Than Honorable) may still allow you to qualify. 3. You must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period. Examples of wartime periods are: • WWII: December 7, 1941 December 31, 1946 • Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950 January 31, 1955 • Vietnam War: August 5, 1964 May 7, 1975 Applications for the Aid and Attendance Benefit can be pretty long, but the annual paperwork looks less tedious. Renee Collins, the VA’s Chief of the Processing and Benefits Section in Gainesville, recommends that you visit or contact her office regarding VA health-related benefits because: • you may be eligible for benefits even if you think you aren’t • recently, the VA relaxed the financial eligibility requirements for “high income” veterans • you may be entitled to benefits of which you may not be aware. You can contact Renee of the North Florida/South Georgia Veteran’s Health System at 352-3761611 ext. 6725, toll-free at 800-3248387 ext. 6725, or by e-mail (Renee. Collins@va.gov). Want to learn more about the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Benefit and how to apply for it? Go to www.veteranaid.org. § Kendra Siler-Marsiglio, Ph.D. is the Director of the Rural Health Partnership at WellFlorida Council.

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June 2010 13

Senior Safety Summit Special to Senior Times

On Friday, June 18, 2010, the Alachua County SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) Council is holding “Senior Safety Summit 2010” at the Thelma Boltin Center, 516 NE 2nd Ave. in Gainesville, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Participants will get timely information on crime prevention, safety, and wellness issues that affect older adults. Topics include Preventing Frauds and Scams, Domestic Violence, and Adult Protective Services. Speakers from the Alachua County Sheriff ’s Office, Peaceful Paths, the Department of Children and Families and the Social Security Administration will attend. This free event includes refreshments, door prizes and is open to the public. SALT is an advisory council comprised of older adults in the

community, people that work with Seniors and law enforcement. In close collaboration with the Alachua County Sheriff ’s Office and Gainesville Police Department, SALT focuses on the crime and safety related needs of older adults in the community. SALT meets once monthly on the first Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Meetings are currently at Pine Grove Apartments at 1901 NE 2nd Street in Gainesville. Anyone is welcome to become a member of SALT and participation of seniors is encouraged. There are no membership fees or dues. Seating is limited at the event so citizens are encouraged to call Elder Options at 352-378-6649, extension 146. If voicemail picks up please leave a message with your name and the number attending.

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June 2010 15

The Anhinga Flies Again WRITERS’ STUDIO CONTINUES By Albert Isaac

Photo by Albert Isaac

Co-directors of the Anhinga Writers’ Studio. Back: Bev Browning. Front, left to right in back: Diana Tonnessen and Mary Anna Evans.

or more than a decade, the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Writing the Region conference has offered educational and networking opportunities for wordsmiths at all levels of expertise. When the writing conference was orphaned, three members of the faculty took action. Gainesville writers — Diana Tonnessen, Bev Browning and Mary Anna Evans — have taken the reins, continuing a writing conference for novice and professional alike. Last year, the Anhinga Writers’ Studio was held at the Gainesville Hilton. People came to the conference from as far away as Delaware. “We are thrilled to have you with us,” Browning told the audience. “It’s a lonely business, and you are my tribe. I’m proud to have you here, on whatever level.” “You need other people who understand what you do,” Tonnessen added. “We need support of other people.” In their opening presentation, the three women offered advice and information on everything from their own personal quirks (Browning

can only start work on the halfhour) to breaking writer’s block (Tonnessen tricks her brain into thinking she is not really writing, merely taking notes). “It is easier to edit bad work then to write good work,” Tonnessen said. Last year, novelist Charlain Harris was invited to the conference to talk about her life as a writer. Harris is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, the basis for the HBO series “True Blood.” A book signing followed, with a line of 200+ fans extending nearly the entire length of the Hilton front corridor. Each day was filled with workshops and opportunities for writers to rub elbows with other authors, editors and agents. Even Harris, who has seen much success with her southern vampire books, attended some of the classes. “You’re never too big to stop learning new things,” Harris said, sitting with notepad in hand for one of Evans’ workshops. Her fans packed the room to hear a “Conversation with Charlaine Harris.” Among the many things Harris revealed was the importance of

supporting other writers. “It’s a tough industry,” Harris said. “There’s no reason for us to make it tougher.” A lively question and answer period followed, as Harris shared stories of her life and thanked her many fans. “They have made me who I am and I love them,” Harris said. The Anhinga Writing Studio is now a non-profit, headed up by Tonnessen, Browning and Evans, whose mission it is to help writers network and hone their skills. Tonnessen is an awardwinning feature writer, book author and the associate editor of “Gainesville Magazine.” She has been involved in the conference since 2001. Evans is an award-winning author of the Faye Longchamp series of archaeological mysteries, including the Benjamin Franklin Awardwinning “Artifacts,” “Relics” and her latest in the series, “Floodgates.” Browning is an editor, freelance writer and ghostwriter, with more than 100 titles under her belt. Recently, the three gathered around the dining room table at Evans’ home to talk about the upcoming Anhinga writers’ continued on next page

16 June 2010

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conference. “We are at [conference] number 14,” Browning said. “The second under the banner of Anhinga.” “In these writing workshops you

Anhinga Writers’ Studio July 28 - 31 Phone: 352-379-8782 info@anhingawriters.org www.anhingawriters.org P.O. Box 357154 Gainesville, FL 32635-7154

get people who are so eager and are so happy to be there,” Tonnessen said. “They just want to soak in everything that you can share with them.” “We call them the early career writers,” Browning said.

The three women recounted what it was like directing last year’s conference, following traditions established by the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings conference in addition to introducing some new things. “But doing it the way we did, in a new venue, it was kind of like being shot out of a cannon,” Browning said. “Like dropping out of an airplane,” Evans added. “That’s exactly what it felt like,” Browning continued. “A breathless moment. But it was really a lot of fun. The wonderful thing about a writers’ conference is that the person teaching and the person in the audience can be of equal level. So the exchange of information is really exciting and it’s really a lot of fun.” Writing can be very isolating and the conference offers opportunities for writers to come and be with their friends, network and get their batteries recharged. “It’s really nice to have somebody in your profession that you can go

to, formally or informally, for that input and exchange of information,” Browning said. People can bring their families to enjoy the local venues while writers attend the conference. In the evening, participants can take a shuttle around Gainesville to see the sites and sample cuisine. Coupons will be available as well.

for fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Writers can sign up for as many or as few as they want. “We are judicious with the use of free time,” Browning said. “We want to make sure they get their money’s worth.” Among the many presenters at this year’s conference are publisher George Hirsch and self-published

People can bring their families to enjoy the local venues while writers attend the conference. This years’ conference also offers a salon event, giving participants an opportunity to mingle. “We want people to get to know each other, pitch each other, and exchange numbers,” Browning said. “And just enjoy themselves.” “We want to build community,” Evans said. The conference offers individualized instructional tracts

author Peter Bowerman; two men who represent very different aspects of the publishing world. “We have a hugely interesting combination, two of the most passionate people,” Browning said. “We are going to get this wonderful old-school gentleman from the traditional end of publishing, acknowledging the transition, and then a younger man who is standing

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in the middle of the transition and pushing it. And it is going to be really interesting.” The Anhinga Writers’ Studio offers a conference for writers of all ages. All the women agreed that Seniors may find particular interest in the memoir-writing workshop. “People get to the later stage of their lives and maybe they are not going to have careers [as writers] but they have stories to tell and a legacy they want to leave.” Browning said. “And that’s where this conference becomes valuable.” “We do have a strong specialty in memoir,” Evans added. “Everybody has a story.” “We also have the capacity to gentle an aspiring writer,” Browning said, “someone who just wants to find a voice and put that stuff down on paper.” The conference also offers writers a chance to get feedback from professionals. “I think in order for a writer to

grow, that person has to be open to submitting their work to somebody and trusting that whatever they do with it is probably for the betterment of the story and not to take it personally,” Tonnessen said. “We all have to go through it. I still get critiqued. So we do a lot of that at our conference and that’s something you don’t get at some other conferences. There is an intimacy with this conference, and a trusting, caring environment. We don’t browbeat people.” “Our instructors are hired not only because they are topdrawer writers but because they are able to teach,” Browning said. “We hire people with credentials in two realms: good educators and good writers.” And what other advice do these women offer aspiring writers? “Run!” Evans exclaimed as all three women erupted in laughter. “Run to our conference,” Tonnessen added with a laugh. §

June 2010 17

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Butterfly Garden Basics By Debbie DeLoach, Ph.D.

t’s quite chic to have a butterfly garden. In my experience, building a butterfly garden is one of the most popular landscape projects for homeowners in the Gainesville area. A growing number of books, organizations, plants and garden décor cater to the interest in everything butterfly. What many people don’t realize is that butterflies are more than just adornments for the yard. They are parts of a complex web of life. When you replace a patch of lawn with a butterfly garden, you are trading a mostly useless, near-sterile mini-environment for a more useful mini-environment. Now you are purposely trying to attract and aid insects. Yes, butterflies are insects. So now you must change a basic misconception of landscape care. All insects are not bad. In fact, on average only about 3 percent of all insect species are pests. The rest are either benign or beneficial. Yes, there are beneficial insects, like bees and ladybugs. So, if you want to be a successful butterfly gardener you must eliminate chemicals that kill insects. In fact, many chemicals that are treatments for plant diseases and weeds can also kill insects, like butterflies. Also, just because the product you’re using to control insects is “organic” doesn’t mean it won’t harm beneficial insects as well as the pests, too. If you can’t part with your chemical insecticides, please do not plant a butterfly garden at all. You would just be luring these insects to their deaths. Also, have a talk with your neighbors and tactfully suggest that they back off the chemicals, too. Butterflies don’t recognize lot boundaries. At the nursery, beautiful flowering plants

with butterfly symbols on their tags beckon and entice. Whoa, you’re getting ahead of yourself. First, you must learn which butterfly species you will most likely attract. Invest in a good Florida butterfly guide and identify what is flying through your yard and neighborhood before buying plants. Visit the Web site for the North Central Florida Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association at (www.naba.org/chapters/nabancf/) for tons of information. Also, your county extension office can supply information on butterfly gardening. While you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a butterfly guide, you should spend a lot of time observing your fluttering yard traffic. Make it a family affair. Keep a list on the fridge so that all family members can report their sightings. Binoculars are a great help. As the list of species grows, use your guide to compile a list of plants that your butterflies need for their caterpillars. Butterfly babies are very particular about what they eat. Therefore, adults will be more likely to hang around if you provide food for their offspring, as well as for them. Remember, adults sip nectar and need appropriate flowers. Caterpillars munch greenery and need specific food plants. Here’s a no-brainer. The best plants for our native butterflies are native plants. However, not all native plants that our butterflies use are available for purchase. Novice butterfly gardeners

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should start with readily available plants from the nursery then gradually add plants collected from friends, native plant sales and weed lots. Some of the best non-native plants for adult butterflies include pentas (not white), Mexican sunflower, salvias, verbenas, heliotrope and butterfly bush. Excellent natives that are readily available include tropical sage, native verbenas, mistflower, native butterflyweed and liatris. These are very short lists but these plants are all great for beginners. Food plants for caterpillars are also call larval host plants. If you’re lucky, your larval host plants will become ragged, defoliated and covered with voracious butterfly larvae. This will happen if you plant the larval host plants that are needed by the butterfly species that your family earlier observed passing through your yard. For instance, if you observe black swallowtail butterflies, you should plant some dill, fennel, or other members of the carrot family. If you observed long-tailed skippers, you should plant beans and southern peas or other members of the bean family. If you observed monarchs and queens, you should plant lots of milkweed. You get the idea. Caterpillars are very picky. Once you feel comfortable as a butterfly gardener, you can advance from freshman to sophomore. Add more and different plants to accommodate new butterfly species that show up. Plant trees such as hackberry, Hercules’-club, and hop tree just for butterflies. You’ll know that you’ve graduated butterfly academy when you learn to appreciate pellitory, cudweed, mistletoe, beggarweed, water celery and leaf litter under wax myrtles. Finally, watch out for me. I brake for butterflies. §

The best plants for our native butterflies are native plants. However, not all native plants that our butterflies use are available for purchase.

Debbie DeLoach is a freelance writer and garden consultant living in Gainesville. She can be reached at drdebbied@gmail.com.

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Education Series at Shands Eastside

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JUNE 2010 SCHEDULE Special to Senior Times

The University of Florida Shands Eastside Community Practice will continue with its Education series. The 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. VITAMINS AND MINERALS: WHAT YOU NEED & HOW MUCH Monday, June 7 Noon Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church 630 NW 2nd Street GET A HANDLE ON YOUR STRESS Monday, June 7 Noon Cleather Hathcock Center 15818 NW 140th Street Alachua THE DARK SIDE OF DRINKS Tuesday, June 8, 6 p.m. Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church 804 SW 5th Street EATING WELL ON A BUDGET Wednesday, June 9 10 a.m. Thelma Boltin Center 516 NE 2nd Ave IMPORTANT FINANCIAL PAPER: WHAT TO KEEP, WHERE, AND HOW LONG! Wednesday, June 9, Noon Oak Park Apartments 100 NE 8th Avenue EXTRA HELP FOR PRESCRIPTIONS AND MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS Thursday, June 10, Noon Church of Christ 1034 SE 10th Avenue GET FIT TO GOSPEL Monday, June 14, Noon Cleather Hathcock Center 15818 NW 140th Street Alachua HELP ME TO REMEMBER Monday, June 14, 6 p.m. Pine Grove Apartments 1901 NE 2nd Street GET ACTIVE: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH Thursday, June 17, 6 p.m. Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 2505 NE 8th Avenue

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Come enjoy a complimentary lunch featuring a delicious variety of tropical favorites and don’t miss entertainment by Aloha Productions starting at 2pm with Polynesian dancers & a Fire Knife Dancer!

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FLORIDA’S OUTDOOR CONCERNS Wednesday, June 23, 10 a.m. Thelma Boltin Center 516 NE 2nd Ave A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP Wednesday, June 23, Noon Oak Park Apartments 100 NE 8th Avenue IMPORTANT FINANCIAL PAPERS: WHAT TO KEEP, WHERE, AND HOW LONG! Wednesday, June 23, 6 p.m. Greater Bethel AME 701 SE 43rd Street

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LEFT: A promotional photo for the 1949 crime drama, Johnny Stool Pigeon starring Shelley Winters and Dan Duryea.

The Ghost of Shelley Winters AN AUTHOR’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE By Ellis Amburn

knew Shelley Winters, a two-time Oscar-winner for “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “A Patch of Blue,” when she was in her sixties and seventies — a dynamic Senior citizen who was still vibrantly engaged in life, appearing on network TV as Roseann Barr’s biker-chick, leather-clad grandmother; teaching acting students

at the Actors Studio in New York and LA; and writing two memoirs with me, her editor and ghostwriter. Both of the books we wrote together, “Shelley” and “Shelley II,” published by William Morrow and Simon & Schuster respectively, shot to the top of The New York Times bestseller list, and reinvented the autobiography, a

previously sedate literary form, as a stunning tell-all genre. I had worked with other celebrities — Priscilla Presley, Kim Novak, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Peggy Lee, Ann Todd and June Allyson — but Shelley astounded me with her candor. Each day, she’d stretch out on the couch in her Beverly Hills

living room at 457 North Oakhurst, I’d set up my Mac Plus, and she’d start talking nonstop, revealing the most intimate details about her affairs with Ronald Colman, Burt Lancaster, John Ireland, Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, Albert Finney and Sean Connery. I could smell a surefire bestseller. But one day she went off track and started talking politics — how she’d worked with Eleanor Roosevelt at the UN and campaigned for JFK and later RFK. “Let’s get back to Sinatra,” I said. “What about that fight you had while shooting the hospital scene in ‘Meet Danny Wilson?’” “You mean when I hit Frank on the head with a bedpan? I’ll get to that.” We finally made a deal — she’d give me five Hollywood anecdotes for every political reminiscence I allowed. The title of the book would reflect her divided nature: “Shelley, Also Known as Shirley.” Shirley Schrift (her real name) was the idealistic labor organizer of her youth in Brooklyn, and Shelley was the glamorous blond bombshell she invented to become queen of the Universal lot. It was a constant fight to keep the focus on the movie star. We also clashed over language. In one scene, I wanted her to “emerge” from the bathroom, but Shelley insisted on “came out of,” saying, “’Emerge’ is not a Shelley Winters word.” When I argued, she said, “Which name on a marquee would draw more people into a theater — Ellis Amburn or Shelley Winters?” Emerge was stricken from the script. Despite occasional disagreements, as the manuscript grew in size, so did our friendship, until we were practically living together. We shared two or three meals a day, usually joined by her live-in boy friend, a handsome, droll, thirty-something golf pro who occupied the guest

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here. This office is too small. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be at Morrow long.â&#x20AC;? She was right. Even before â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shelleyâ&#x20AC;? was published in 1980, I left the company, for three times my salary (and a much larger office), as soon as word got around the publishing industry that I had a blockbuster on my hands. When I told Shelley that G.P. Putnamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sons, a larger and richer house than Morrow, offered me the post of editorial director, she smiled and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I told you so. I call it my magical thinking. When Shirley Schrift imagines something, it happens. It was the same with Robert DeNiro. I discovered him and cast him in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bloody Mama.â&#x20AC;? The rest is history.â&#x20AC;? On the acknowledgments page of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shelley,â&#x20AC;? she wrote, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My special thanks to Ellis Amburn, my editor at Morrow, who for a year and a half helped me get my past in order. Now, if only he would do the same for my future!â&#x20AC;? Our second autobiographical tome, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shelley II,â&#x20AC;? the outline for which we cooked up while writing the first volume, was offered to me at Putnamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s around 1983, but Simon & Schusterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Michael Korda outbid me and put â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shelley IIâ&#x20AC;? under contract for $750,000. In 1986 I left Putnam, and Mike

room off her kitchen. When weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d written 1,000 pages, I told her it was time to stop. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only up to my divorce from Vittorio Gassman,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We still have decades to go. What about all my other lovers, my second husband (another Italian, Anthony Francioso), and the nervous breakdown I had the night Tennessee Williams and I went out after JFKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assassination? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just replaced Bette Davis in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Night of the Iguanaâ&#x20AC;? on Broadway, and Tenn and I got drunk and started driving Upstate in his Jaguar. The car broke down on the parkway, and we just left it there and started walking...â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Great story,â&#x20AC;? I said, and persuaded her to save it for her next book. We celebrated the completion of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shelley Also Known as Shirleyâ&#x20AC;? at Dan Tanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restaurant on Santa Monica, all the members of her entourage present and flirting by playing footsie under the table. Shelley owned a second home, a condo on West 72nd Street in Manhattan, next to The Dakota. I was a senior editor at William Morrow, a publishing house then located on Madison Avenue, and one day she appeared in my office, toting dozens of glossy photographs for the book. Glancing around my cubbyhole, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appreciate you

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“Do you find yourself sometimes using the arms of chairs to push yourself up from a seated position?” Asks a doctor with the Institute on Aging. “When you’re playing with your grandchildren, have you modified how you get up off the floor, like getting help from a chair, or do you avoid it altogether?” Many people are having these problems. Now researchers are working on ways to help make such tasks easier. Sometimes as people age they compensate for pain, stiffness and muscle weakness. They find themselves using the handrail on stairs or climbing them more slowly than they once did. These are tell-tale signs of getting older and for some people having more difficulties in the future. Dr. Todd Manini, of the University of Florida Institute on Aging, is conducting a new intervention study. He is seeing whether different types of exercise can improve the ability to do daily chores more easily and, as a result, prevent possible future physical disabilities. His study will accept 72 men and women age 60 and older to test his hypothesis that specialized therapeutic exercise helps. “Continuing to complete daily tasks is important for older adults to remain independent and active

in their community,” Dr. Manini said. “This is a wish for any adult.” The study will have people doing exercises that mimic daily tasks, like using a stair climber at the gym. They will exercise on chairs and do specifically tailored exercises to improve getting up off the floor. “These exercises are designed to help older adults with daily tasks,” added Dr. Manini. His study has two hypotheses. First, that exercises being used in the study will decrease the need to compensate on tasks of daily living, and second, that these exercises carry over to many other factors that help people move more efficiently. To qualify for the study, people must be non-smokers age 60 or older. More importantly, they must have changed the way they climb stairs or get up off the floor since age 40. The study is also looking for community dwellers without active disease conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, liver, kidney, or cardiovascular disease. To learn more about Dr. Manini’s Task Specific Exercise (TSE) Study, or other Institute on Aging clinical trials that may be of interest, please call 352-273-5919 or toll-free, 866-386-7730, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Korda hired me to write “Shelley II.” Soon I was back at 457 North Oakhurst, and smelling another bestseller. The following summer, Shelley and I moved to New York City, where we continued to write Volume Two at her West Side condo. Farley Granger, her onetime costar and oldest friend, would drop by, as would Janice Rule, Lee Grant, and Shelley’s daughter, Tory Gassman, who was in med school. Shelley introduced me to Actors Studio director Lee Strasberg in his spacious Central Park West apartment. Strasberg’s strikingly attractive, dark-haired wife Anna was a superb no-frills hostess; she kept a big skillet of sautéed veal warming on the stove top, and guests wandered into the kitchen at will to help themselves. The apartment was crammed with books throughout, even in the kitchen. For Shelley, the Actors Studio, which introduced Method acting in the work of Brando, James Dean, Paul Newman and Marilyn Monroe, was a big, warm extended family; she was in her element there, morphing into Shirley Schrift, an intelligent woman of quiet gravity and purpose. Often I’d tag along whenever she taught at the Studio, which was located near Times Square. One day, rather than be late, she arrived still wearing pink plastic curlers, asking the audience, “Does anyone have a hairbrush?” An aspiring actress in the first row produced one, and Shelley proceeded to lecture on Constantin Stanislavsky while removing curlers and brushing out her hair. When she returned the brush, the young actress reverently accepted it from the Oscar-winning diva as if Shelley were handing her a communion wafer. But serious problems beset “Shelley II” when a new boyfriend came into her life in New York and distracted her. He was one of her Studio protégés, a good-looking young cab driver (Italian, of course), and she began to devote all her energy to his career at the expense of the book. After arranging the financing for a film they’d do

together — she played an agoraphobic woman, he a robber who imprisons her in her own home — a MayDecember love affair ensued. The film was completed but never released, and the affair inevitably ended. Shelley was never the same, often failing to show up for work. We finished the book when my one-year collaboration contract had only a week to run. She insisted on a wholesale revision of the manuscript, and I said, “That will be another $100,000.” “That sucks,” she said, and that night I quit and cut out for Florida, where I’ve lived ever since. When “Shelley II” came out and hit the bestseller lists, it included this nice acknowledgment: “Ellis knows how to develop sitzfleisch in a writer and, more importantly, knows how to dissipate the angst.” Later she explained that sitzfleisch means the confidence to write. When I suggested a third volume of memoirs, she said, “I could tell about my love affair with Robert De Niro. In one scene in “Bloody Mama,” I gave him a bath in a tub of soapy water. Bobby obviously liked me.” “An automatic bestseller,” I said. One night in LA, when Shelley and I were dining at Chasen’s, her ex-lover Burt Lancaster walked past our booth without speaking. “That’s what I get for talking about our love life,” she said. The next time I urged her to undertake the DeNiro project, all she could talk about was her newborn grandson. “I wouldn’t dream of writing anything that might embarrass him later on in his life. He’s the most important person in the world to me. He thinks I’m wonderful, and looks at me with the most incredibly loving and trusting eyes.” In her final metamorphosis, she had become Shirley Schrift, doting grandma. And so it was Shirley, not Shelley, who died on January 14, 2006, of heart failure, at the age of 85. Shelley Winters remains alive and well on celluloid and in her autobiog-

www.SeniorTimesMagazine.com

June 2010 23

Right-of-Way NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH HITS THE ROAD By Molly Larmie

t happens all the time. You approach a four-way stop. A car pulls up to your right at the same time. You both hesitate for a few seconds. He is not moving, so you figure he is waiting for you to make your move. He is not. He pulls forward just as you do. You both slam on the breaks. Repeat. Finally, he aggressively stomps the accelerator and speeds through the intersection, aiming a glare in your direction. The embarrassing altercation leaves you wondering who had the right-of-way. According to Florida law, he did. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to approach the intersection has the right to pull forward. If two vehicles approach at the same time, right-ofway should be granted to the driver to the right. The National Safety Council (NSC), an organization that works to prevent injuries and death through research and advocacy, also monitors car crash trends. Each June, the council hosts National Safety Month, which aims to raise awareness about current safety issues in workplaces, homes and on the road. In 2010, the NSC has chosen to focus the second and fourth weeks in June on driver safety, specifically teen driving safety in week two and dangers of cell phone use while driving in week four. In honor of National Safety Month, here are several essential driving laws compiled from the 2009 Driver Safety Handbook:

Safety Belts According to the Handbook, motorists are far more likely to be killed in an accident if they are not wearing seat belts. The odds of survival are twice as good when strapped in with shoulder and lap belts. Florida law states that everyone under the age of 18 must be restrained by a seat belt or car seat regardless of their position in the vehicle. Drivers and front seat passengers of any age must also wear seat belts. If a passenger 18 years old or older fails to wear a seat belt when required by law, he or she will be fined for the violation, not the driver. In a crash, seat belts prevent motorists from being thrown against other passengers or parts of the vehicle. It also prevents passengers from being ejected from the car. The chance of death is five times greater if a passenger is flung from the car. Think it is OK to unbuckle after getting off the highway? Think again. More than half of all crashes resulting in injury or death occur at speeds less than 40 MPH and within 25 miles from home.

TRAFFIC LANES The left lane of a two-lane highway is reserved for passing. Always drive on the right side of the road. Red reflectors on lane lines indicate a driver is on the wrong side of the road. Red reflectors on lines near the edge of the road indicate a driver is on the wrong

freeway ramp. Pay close attention to “Wrong Way” signs.

SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCES If you run into a car from behind, you are almost always found to be at fault and cited for the crash. To prevent rear-ending other cars, make sure you are following at a safe distance. The Handbook recommends the “Two-Second Rule.” To use the rule, watch the vehicle in front of you pass a certain point (a sign, mailbox, overpass, etc.) and count the number of seconds that tick by before you pass the same point. If you pass the mark before two seconds, you are following too closely. Slow down and count your progress again. If you are driving in poor weather, double the distance to about four seconds.

REDUCED VISIBILITY When driving in the hours between sunset and sunrise, always turn on low-beam headlights. If you are driving in rain or fog, turn on your low beams. Roads are most slippery right after rain starts to fall because oil from cars has not yet been washed away, according to the Handbook. Increase your stopping and following distances and slow down. If conditions become too dangerous, pull all the way off the road and switch on your emergency flashers.

PEDESTRIANS All intersections and driveways are legal crosswalks, even if they are not marked. Drivers who wish to turn at an intersection must stop and yield to all pedestrians before making their move. Bicyclists, rollerbladers and skateboarders are also recognized as pedestrians under Florida law.

PUBLIC TRANSIT VEHICLES AND SCHOOL BUSES Drivers must give right-of-way to public transit vehicles. Drivers must yield to buses re-entering the flow of traffic from designated bus stops. Not doing so is against the law. Drivers in both oncoming and following traffic lanes must stop completely for school buses that are picking up or dropping off children. To ensure the safety of all the children, do not touch the gas pedal until the bus stop arm is withdrawn.

CELL PHONES In a recent public opinion poll cited by the NSC, 81 percent of people admitted to talking on their cell phones while driving. Another large chunk of the public said they habitually text message — type out messages on the cell phone keypad — while driving. continued on page 31

24 June 2010

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PERSPECTIVES ON AGING Psychiatry: Yesterday and Today

LAND OF THE GRAND CANYON WEST

By Carlos Muniz

By Donna Bonnell

t used to be an art more than a science. We, in those days, had very little knowledge about the workings of the brain. As a result, medications were few and most worked mainly through suggestion, the placebo effect. The few that were effective had mostly a calming effect. Because of that, the mainstay of treatment was psychotherapy. This consisted mainly in the establishment of a trusting relationship, rapport, between the doctor and the patient, allowing the latter to feel he was not alone in coping with his difficulties. This rapport is to this day the most important component in the doctor-patient dyad. Without it, the patient may not follow the physician’s instructions and will often miss or neglect to take his medications, as they are often perceived as an extension of the therapist. Nowadays, we encounter a situation almost the opposite of what it once was. We now know a little more about the workings of the brain. As a result we have witnessed a huge proliferation of psychotropic medications, which are not curative, as we still have much more to learn about the major brain disorders, but can still improve the illness to the point where most patients can enjoy life again and become productive members of society. Psychiatry is now a science with a brilliant future, as brain research is progressing at a considerable pace. But still, as in most areas of medicine and psychiatry in particular, the doctorpatient relationship is crucial to help patients climb the steep and difficult hill of recovery. Science and art, in all areas of medicine, are not exclusive, but complement each other. §

Dr. Carlos Muniz is a retired psychiatrist from Gainesville. He may be contacted through the editor at editor@ towerpublications.com

raveling to the Grand Canyon has been on my bucket list for many decades — long before Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman coined the phrase. I always wondered why this particular desire was so intense. A Native American Hualapai Indian recently answered my question. Last April, I finally made the journey with two special friends. While we made our plane and hotel reservations (for Las Vegas) well in advance, our visit to the canyon was somewhat spontaneous. Upon arrival in Vegas, we found a tour company in the phone book that had last minute vacancies. Without research, we booked an excursion to the west end of The Grand Canyon. Until we boarded the bus, none of us realized we were visiting the Hualapai Reservation, not the Grand Canyon National Park. Our bus driver shared many facts along the way. I soaked in the knowledge like a sponge and tried to retain as much data as my saturated brain would allow. Our destination was to the Land of the Grand Canyon West, in Arizona, about 120 miles east of Las Vegas, Nevada. We were warned of a long 10-mile unpaved, bumpy, dusty drive on Diamond Bar Road as we approached the reservation. A more important caveat was to be careful about walking too close to the edge, as there are no guardrails to prevent anyone from falling 4,000+ feet to the bottom. The Hualapai, meaning “People of The Tall Pines,” are native people of the Southwest who once inhabited more than five million acres. In 1883, one million acres — including 108 miles of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon — became the Hualapai Indian Reservation. There are approximately 2,100 enrolled members of the Hualapai Tribe. Peach Springs is the capital of the reservation on Historic Route 66. Years of social and economic hardship led leaders to take measures towards independence for future generations. As a result, the Hualapai opened their land to visitors in 1988 creating Grand Canyon West. During the 1950s and ‘60s, bat guano (dung) was a source of income. Miners excavated the manure from a cave across the gorge from Guano Point. They loaded the compost on cables stretching crosswise

over the canyon. Rich in nitrates, the dung was perfect for the production of makeup, fertilizer and explosives. Some mining relics still exist. After walking on the Skywalk and gazing in amazement at Eagle Point, Deb, Karen and I went our separate ways. We needed solitary time to meditate and reflect on our experiences. That is when I met Sylvia Querta. Querta was selling Hualapai jewelry that belonged to a tribal friend. She typically works elsewhere on their ranch, except for the one random day of my visit. I don’t know how long I hovered over the handmade trinkets — long enough for Querta to sense my needs. My heart was pounding with excitement; my thoughts were racing as I tried to record mental notes; my soul was searching for a message. Querta spoke and jolted me from my dazed state. We chatted some about the meaning of the stones in the jewelry and other miscellaneous trivia. Somehow, our conversation quickly turned to spiritual content. I explained my yearning for what seemed like a return to The Grand Canyon, not an initial visit. She replied in a calm, matter-of-fact, manner, that my feelings were most likely genuine. Querta believes the Creator blew life into sticks, canes and rods to create humans. The Creator directed those individuals to travel to the four corners of the earth and do good deeds. Someday, their descendants would travel back to the Grand Canyon. Querta simply stated, “Stop searching and wondering you are home.” When I returned to my current home of Newberry, I researched her theory. The Hualapai creation story and their beliefs are documented history. In the interest of time, Querta abbreviated the story. By doing so, however, she helped me put my mission into perspective. It is unimportant if I am a Hualapai progeny. As humans, we are all one — descendants from God, our Creator. The purpose of my trek was to relearn that lesson and write about it. I can finally check off that quest from my bucket list. § Donna Bonnell is a freelance writer who moved to Newberry in 1983. She enjoys living and working in the

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Census Staff Going DoorTo-Door To Increase Participation Special to Senior Times

U.S. Census Bureau workers have started stage two of their 2010 Census data collection efforts — personally visiting residences that didn’t return a completed census form. If you didn’t mail your census form back, a census worker may soon visit your home. Marion County officials encourage citizens to stay safe by following these safety tips: • Ask to see the person’s ID. • Census takers will not ask to enter your home. • Census takers will only ask the questions on the official census form. If you are unsure whether the person who came to your residence is a census worker, call your regional census center at 404-335-1555 (tollfree: 1-866-872-6868) to confirm whether he or she is employed by the Census Bureau. Census officials will never ask for personal information, such as social security numbers or banking information. If they do, ask the person to leave and call law enforcement. If someone is not home when the census official stops by, the census worker will leave a two-sided “notice of visit” with instructions on how to contact a census staffer to schedule an appointment (to complete the census form). If you have questions about participating in the census, contact the census questionnaire assistance line at 1-866-872-6868. Census takers will continue visiting residences that haven’t returned census forms until the end of July. §

June 2010 25

Balance Is Independence Caretenders of Gainesville uses their Optimum Balance program to help seniors lead more independent lives.

ccording to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falling is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for seniors. But falling does not have to be a fact of life for the elderly population. Caretenders of Gainesville offers a revolutionary course of treatment called Optimum Balance to help patients with the cause of their falls and not just treat the results. “The focus of the Optimum Balance program is to decrease and prevent falls,” said Deborah Hill, Rehab Manager at Caretenders. “Of the people over age 65 who fall and fracture a hip, 25 percent die within one year. So our therapists want to get to the root of why they’re falling, so that they don’t fall again.” Optimum Balance incorporates all five systems that contribute to balance – vestibular, somatosensory, vision, musculoskeletal and cognitive. Therapists give patients a thorough evaluation of these five systems, and then the clinical team implements a customized treatment strategy. A wide variety of treatment methods is used in the Optimum Balance program, including anodyne infrared light therapy, the Epley Maneuver (canal repositioning treatment often done with vertigo patients) and retraining of oculomotor system. Patients undergoing Optimum Balance treatment experience a significant decrease in falling. Studies show that 90 percent of program patients had not

experienced a fall for one year after treatment, and 87 percent experienced a decrease in neuropathic pain. Evette Reed, physical therapist and the Clinical Champion of the Optimum Balance program, has treated under the program for two years. “It’s changed the way I do physical therapy,” she said. “I look at our patients differently and I have a much better understanding of the vestibular and balance system as a whole. I can help them to a larger degree than ever before.” Reed also ensures that staff members are properly

credentialed; each therapist is required to take 19 hours of specialized training and engage in specific clinical practice sessions and inhome skills competencies to become a part of the Optimum Balance program. Optimum Balance fits in perfectly with Caretenders’ mission of senior advocacy. “Your balance is a key piece of wellness and sustained independence,” said Reed. “There’s so much more we can do to keep ourselves healthy and well. We should never accept anything less than the best in our lives.”

Excellence Through Senior Advocacy! Your partner in Home Health Care Solutions. For over thirty years, Mederi Caretenders has been providing skilled, compassionate home healthcare in our local communities. We bring our expertise into the home – the ideal setting to promote healing, comfort, and support to those facing the challenges of aging.

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Calendar

For complete calendar listings please visit: www.SeniorTimesMagazine.com

Submit your y event online:

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DEADLIN E

If you would like us to publicize your event, meeting, or happening send information by the 15th of each month to: Senior Times Editor: 4400 NW 36th Avenue • Gainesville, FL 32606 or Fax us at: 800-967-7382 or e-mail: editor@towerpublications.com

UPCOMING EVENTS THIS MONTH IN ALACHUA & MARION COUNTIES Keystone Social Club Dance Every Thursday 8:00pm - 11:00pm KEYSTONE. Keystone Shrine Club, 3993 SE 3rd Ave. Join us every Thursday for fun and dancing with live band. Music for the over-50 crowd. Singles and couples welcome. Covered dish supper at 7 p.m. Members $7; Guest $8 at door includes soft drinks. A nonprofit origination jwhitman3@gmail.com

Free Fridays Plaza Series Every Friday 8:00pm - 10:00pm GAINESVILLE. Bo Diddley Community Plaza. The plaza comes alive as local and regional bands and performing arts are showcased under the stars. 352-393-8746. www.gvlculturalaffairs.org

Swing and Sway Dancing with Live Music Every Friday 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Honoring Clair Chaffin Tues. June 8 Noon - 2:00pm GAINESVILLE. Napolitano’s. The Iwo Trio, veterans of the battle of Iwo Jima, honors the late Clair Chaffin, a WW II corpsman who was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action during the battle of Saipan, and also served on Iwo. Lunch at noon, program at 12:45. 352-376-0402

Stress Reduction/ Relaxation Seminar Tues. June 8 6:00pm - 7:00pm OCALA. Marion County Public Library. Seminar scheduled every 2nd Tuesday, teaching stress reduction techniques, breathing and relaxation, plus some basic meditation. All are welcome. Free. 352-789-2147

Free Cholesterol and Diabetes Screening Fri. June 11 Noon - 5:00pm

GAINESVILLE. Gainesville Koi Club, 1110 NW 40th Ave. Pond Tour and Koi Auction. 352-262-1571 www.pondhoppers.org

Taste of HOME Sun. June 13 5:00pm - 9:00pm GAINESVILLE. Hilton University of Florida. Charity fundraiser benefiting the Child Advocacy Center, Children’s Home Society and select charities chosen by Leadership Gainesville 35. Sample cuisine from some of North Central Florida’s finest restaurants. 352-372-5854 www.tasteofhomeevent.com

Gainesville Bird Fanciers Sun. June 13 1:00pm - 3:00pm GAINESVILLE. United Way of North Central Florida, 6031 Northwest First Place. Join this local bird club to learn more about our feathered friends. 352-378-9796

to promote historic preservation in the greater Gainesville area. 352-682-6982

“100 Men ‘n’ Black” Banquet Sat. June 19 7:00pm OCALA. St. Paul AME Church. Community Banquet with featured speaker, Samuel L. Williams, Ocala Chief of Police. 352-622-8921 www.stpaulameocala.com

800-713-3301

Gainesville Koi Club Pond Tour Sat. June 12 9:00am - 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE. Florida Community Design Center, Commerce Building, 300 E. University Ave., suite 110. Membership Open House at our monthly HGI Board meeting to discuss current projects and advocacy opportunities

OCALA. Hidden Lark Farm. A qualified staff, experienced horses and excellent facilities creates an atmosphere where campers can advance their horseback riding skills, expand their horsemanship knowledge and enjoy riding with friends. 352-854-5151 hiddenlarkfarm.net

Third Annual Casey Classic Golf Tournament Fri. June 25 GAINESVILLE. Kickin’ Devil Cafe. 6:00pm

NCF Blues Society Monthly Jam Sun. June 20 7:00pm

North Central Florida Monthly Blues Jam at Kickin’ Devil Cafe. Amps provided. Come with your instrument and be prepared to play the blues! 352-724-2924 www.myspace.com/ncfblues

Psychic/Holistic Bazaar GAINESVILLE. Winn Dixie Pharmacy, Historic Gainesville, Inc. Sun. June 20 2500 N Main St. Free Cholesterol and Wed. June 16 All Day OCALA. Realms Beyond, 500 SW 10th St. 6:00pm to 7:30pm GAINESVILLE. Thelma Boltin Commu- Diabetes Screenings.

nity Center. Music by the famous Blue Notes Band. Intermission features free dance instruction. $9 per person. Singles and couples welcome. 352-375-1996

Hidden Lark Farm Summer Riding Camp Mon. June 21 8:00am - 1:00pm

Suite 107. Third Psychic Fair at our new location. At least 10 psychics, multiple healers, aura photography, live music, free food and so much more. 352-857-9398 www.myspace.com/realms_beyond

OCALA. Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club - The Ballroom in the Clubhouse. This 4-man scramble benefits the Jacob Casey Foundation with proceeds benefiting area students with educational scholarships. The tournament itself will offer hole-in-one opportunities to include a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a Million dollars. 352-361-9120 www.jacobcaseyfoundation.org

Look Good Feel Better Support for Women with Cancer Mon. June 28 2:00pm - 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE. Free class for women with cancer to help deal with appearance-related side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Skin care, infection control and disposable tools for make-up application. 352-376-6866 x5063 www.cancer.org/docroot/home/ index.asp

Patriotic Day Sat. July 3 2:00pm - 4:00pm GAINESVILLE. Books-a-Million. Patriotic recognition, presented by the Patriotic and Historical Alliance of North Central Florida. Conversations with veterans, historical displays, vintage posters and memorabilia. 352-376-0402

The Largest Small Town Fireworks Display in America Sun. July 4 Noon - 9:30pm ALACHUA. Hal Brady Recreation Complex. There are several unique vendors, bingo contests, dancing groups and live musical entertainment, to name a few. There are dozens of activities for children, including a petting zoo, bounce houses and water slides. A splash park and skateboard park are located on site. www.cityofalachua.com/index.php/ july-4th-celebration

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS GAINESVILLE AREA Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus Thursdays, 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at Covenant Church, 3115 NW 16th Ave., Gainesville, 352-371-1013. Gator Detachment 990, Marine Corps League Last Thursday of the month, 7 p.m. at VFW on Waldo Road. Gainesville Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind Second Saturday of each month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., lunch and fellowship. Contact Judy Hamilton at 352-373-7806. Sons of Confederate Veterans Madison Starke Perry #1424 Second Monday of the month at Brown’s Buffet in Alachua. Eat at 6 p.m. Meeting starts at 7 p.m. For information contact Archie L. Jackson 352-372-0510. Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus Real Harmony, Real Women, Real Fun! Come sing with us. Thursdays, 7:00-9:30 p.m. Covenant Church, 3115 NW 16th Blvd. 352-318-1281 www.gainesvillechorus.com Look Good, Feel Better Third Wednesday. 6 p.m. Winn Dixie Hope Lodge, 2121 SW 16th Street. Last monday 2 p.m. at Shand’s Cancer Center. Kiwanis Club of Gainesville Wednesdays, noon lunch, at Paramount Plaza Hotel and conference center, 2900 SW 13th ST., Gainesville, 352-377-4000.

The Gainesville Newcomer’s Club Meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Clarion Inn, corner of 75th St. and Newberry Rd. at 11:30 a.m. There is a luncheon and a program. Reservations necessary, phone 352-331-9492 by the Friday before the meeting. Alachua Genealogical Society Third Monday of the month, 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Alachua County Library Headquarters, 401 E. University Ave., Gainesville, 352-371-4339. Gainesville Barbergators Barbershop Chorus Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Bldg. E, Rm 129 at Santa Fe Community College. 352-338-7823. Gainesville Stamp Club First and third Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. Contact Paul Still: 904-368-0291 or e-mail stillpe@aol.com for meeting location and information. Buy, sell and talk about stamps. Tai Chi for Seniors Mondays and Fridays 10 and 11 a.m. at Senior Healthcare Center at Crown Point, 2205 NW 40th Terr., Gainesville, 352-336-4510 Golden Gators Third Friday of the month from Sept. through May at 11:00 a.m. A non-denominational social meeting for people 55+ at Holy Faith Church - upper hall in Gainesville. There is a different guest speaker each month. Bring a potluck side dish to share and a non-perishable food item for the poor.

Gentle Motions Exercise Thursdays,11 a.m., at Senior Healthcare Center at Crown Point, 2205 NW 40th Terr., Gainesville, 352-336-4510. The Sweet Notes Rehearsals Wednesdays, 1 p.m. at the Atrium, 2431 NW 41st St., Gainesville, 352-3368880. Piano accompanists are needed. NARFE Chapter #185 Meets September through June. Second Monday of the month, 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 419 NE 1st St., Gainesville, 352-377-0190. The American Cancer Society Seeks drivers to transport cancer patients to and from treatment. Volunteers must have valid driver’s license, a safe driving record, and attend a training session. Call 352-376-6866, ext. 5063 (Gainesville) 352-629-4727 (Ocala) for more information.

Bingo First Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m. at Pride Community Center, 3131 NW 13th St., Gainesville, 352-377-8915 Gainesville Scrabble Club Monday, 6:00 p.m. Alachua County Education Association at 618 NW 13th Avenue. Players welcome at any level of play. 352 375-3640. Gainesville Women’s Connection Gainesville Women’s Connection (formerly Christian Women’s Club) invites all ladies of the community to the monthly brunch on the third Thursday of each month, meeting at Best Western Gateway Grand, 4200 NW 97th Blvd., at 10:30 AM. Cost is $14.50. Reservations: Darlene, 372-7456, or Betty, 352-373-4745.

OCALA AREA

The Community Coalition for Older Adults Second Friday of the month, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Eastside Community Practice UF, 401 NE Waldo Rd., Gainesville, 352-375-1687.

Look Good, Feel Better Third Monday each month. 10 a.m. American Cancer Society Office 2201 SE 30th Ave. #301, Ocala. Friday Fun Flings @ Your Library Fridays, 2 p.m. at the Marion County Public Library, Ocala, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

Barbergators A Cappella Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. in Santa Fe Community College’s NW Campus Auditorium, 3000 NW 83rd St., Gainesville, 352-395-7322

Big Sun Chorus Thursdays , 6:30 p.m. at Ocala West Methodist Church, 105th St., off of SR 200.

Let’s Go Downtown Free Fridays Fridays, 8 p.m. in the Downtown Community Plaza, Gainesville, SE 1st Street and East University Ave.

Toastmasters Noon Club Fridays, 12:05 p.m. at Green Clover Hall McPherson Complex, Ocala. Call Linda Jones: 352-867-0828

W W W.S E N I O R T I M E S MAG A Z I N E.CO M

Columbia Dance Club Sunday Afternoon Tea Dance Second and Fourth Sundays of the month, 3 to 6 p.m. at the Multi-purpose Senior Center, 2001 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala, 352-694-2794 (Ocala) or 352-466-3319 (Gainesville). Bowling Club Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon at Galaxy East Lanes, 3225 SE Maricamp Rd., $5.25 fee, 352-629-8545. Hatha Yoga Second Saturday of the month, 9:00 a.m. at Shalom Park, 352-854-7950. NARFE Chapter #2279 Second Thursday of the month, 2 p.m. at Ocala West Methodist Church, 9330 SW 105 St., Ocala. All retired and active federal employees are invited to attend. The Ocala Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. at Ocala West United Methodist Church, 9330 SW 105th St, 352-291-5361. Manatee Button Club Second Saturday of the month, 9:30 a.m. at the Marion Oaks Community Center, off of SR 484, Ocala, 352-854-7594.

SUPPORT GROUPS HEALING TOUCH CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Third Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in O. Dean Martin Prayer Room at Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53rd Ave., Gainesville, 352-376-6615.

THEATER HAPPENINGS For complete listings please visit: www.SeniorTimesMagazine.com hearts! This wonderful family classic has touched generations of children and adults alike. This charming musical will make you believe that you, too, can fly!

SHEAR MADNESS. Photo courtesy of the Hippodrome

Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 315 Hull Road Gainesville, FL 32611 Box Office - 352-392-ARTS or toll free (within Florida) 1-800-905-ARTS Box Office: Mon-Sat, noon-6 p.m.performingarts.ufl.edu POFAHL STUDIOS, ALADDIN Sunday, June 6, 6 p.m. General Admission: $10 RANI ARBO & DAISY MAYHEM, PART OF UF PERFORMING ART’S CHORDS OF COLOR FOR A CAUSE Thursday, June 10, 7:30 p.m. Squitieri Studio Theatre Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem is made up of four people who share an irresistible chemistry on stage. An unusually gleeful string band that celebrates both tradition and improvisation and that stumps the categorizers. Tickets: $15 per person (reserved seating) GORDON GOODWIN’S BIG PHAT BAND, PART OF UFPA’S CHORDS OF COLOR FOR A CAUSE Wednesday, June 23, 7:30 p.m. For some artists, having a creative outlet allows them to deal with their grief over losing a loved one to cancer.

Gordon Goodwin, of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, lost his younger brother and father to the disease only a month apart. The band, an 18-piece jazz ensemble, celebrates and personifies the best of the big band tradition with a very contemporary and original sound. Tickets: $15 per person (reserved seating)

Hippodrome State Theatre 25 SE 2nd Place, Gainesville Box Office: 352-375-4477 Fax: 352-371-9130 www.thehipp.org SHEAR MADNESS June 4 - June 27 Don’t miss one of America’s favorite comedies and the longest-running play in the history of American theatre, “Shear Madness.” It’s the uproariously funny whodunit where the audience gets to solve the crime.

Ocala Civic Theatre Appleton Cultural Center 4337 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Box Office: 352-236-2274 www.ocalacivictheatre.com PETER PAN May 13 - June 13 As the lights go out in the bedroom, the windows open and a boy who won’t grow up comes soaring through - and into our

38TH ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY & 21ST ANNUAL HARVEY AWARDS June 25 and 26 Come find out who and what shows the secret judges chose as standouts this season. The evening is open to everyone, so dress up for a fun party! The silent auction will include items from the 2009-2010 Season and posters from the 2008-2009 Season. For reservations, call the box office at: 352-236-2274. Deadline to reserve tickets is June 14.

MEMORY IMPAIRMENT GROUP Second Tuesday of the month, 1:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. at Highlands Presbyterian Church, 1001 NE 16th Ave., Gainesville. MAN-TO-MAN PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP - OCALA Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m.- 8 p.m. at the Urology Center of Florida, 4600 SW 46th Court, Bldg. 200, Suite 340, Ocala, 352-237-2533. Men and women welcome. GAINESVILLE UNITED OSTOMY SUPPORT GROUP First Sunday, 2 p.m. at the Winn-Dixie Hope Lodge, 2121 SW 16th St., Gainesville, 352-338-0601. ALACHUA COUNTY BETTER BREATHERS GROUP Senior HealthCare Center at Crown Pointe, 2205 NW 40th Terrace, Gainesville, 352-373-4044. Sponsored by the American Lung Association for patients and family members of those living with lung disease.

THE STRIKING STROKERS - A STROKE SUPPORT GROUP Second Tuesday of the month, 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. at Oakhurst Rehab and Nursing Center, 1501 SE 24th Place, Ocala, 352-629-8900. GAINESVILLE BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Third Monday of the month, 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene, 5020 NW 23rd Ave., Gainesville, 386-418-0454. Entrance off parking lot. LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUP Last Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. at Holy Faith Catholic Church, 747 NW 43rd St., Gainesville, 352-376-7475. CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS LOOK GOOD... FEEL BETTER Gainesville. For women in cancer treatment, three classes: third Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. and last Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge. Another class last Monday of each month at 2 p.m. at Shands Cancer Center. To register call 352-376-6866 or 1-800-ACS-2345.

FAMILIES SHARING IN GRIEF AND HOPE Second Monday of each month, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Haven Hospice offers an open, ongoing monthly support program for children ages six and up, teens and adult family members grieving a loved one. You must register to attend: 352-692-5101.

LOOK GOOD... FEEL BETTER Ocala. For women in cancer treatment, two classes: third Monday of each month at 10 a.m. at American Cancer Society office and first Monday of each month at R. Boissoneault Oncology. To register call 352-629-4727 or 1-800-ACS-2345.

ALZHEIMER’S AND MEMORY DISORDERS SUPPORT GROUP Meets on the first Monday of every month from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the community room at the West Marion Medical Plaza. Call: 352- 401-1453

MAN-TO-MAN PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP - GAINESVILLE Second Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m. at Winn Dixie Hope Lodge, 2121 SW 16th St., Gainesville.

THE PRODUCERS July 8 - Aug. 1 When two Broadway producers discover the key to riches is to produce a flop, they decide to mount the worst musical ever written. Winning a record twelve Tony Awards and wowing capacity crowds night after night, you won’t want to miss this one!

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUPS - OCALA Second Wednesday of the month, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at West Marion Medical Plaza community center, 4600 SW 46th Court, Ocala. 352-401-1453.

COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS First Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m. at the Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, 352-369-6665. Meeting for bereaved parents, stepparents and grandparents who have experienced the death of a child.

High Springs Community Theater

I CAN COPE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. Ocala, Village View Community Church. For more information contact Ronda Shea at 352-307-7303.

Gainesville Community Playhouse 4039 N.W. 16th Blvd., Gainesville All Performances at the Vam York Theater Box Office - 352-376-4949

130 NE 1st Avenue, High Springs Box Office - 386-454-3525 highspringscommunitytheater.com A THOUSAND CLOWNS June 18 - July 11 Tired of writing cheap comedy gags for “Chipper the Chipmunk,” a children’s television star, Murray, finds himself unemployed with plenty of free time with which to pursue his...pursuits.

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP - GAINESVILLE Third Thursday of the month, 12:30 p.m. at Highlands Presbyterian Church, 1001 NE 16th Ave., Gainesville, 352-1228.

MULTIPLE MYELOMA Second Monday of the Month, 6:00 p.m.; D’Acosta House 703 N.E. 1st St., Gainesville. Patients, family and friends are invited. ALS PATIENTS/CAREGIVERS Every other month, third Wednesday of the month; 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Shands Medical Plaza, 3rd floor break room. Contact Betty Dale at 352-376-1446 or dcdale@cox.net. Last meeting before summer, they will resume Sept. 16.

TAKING OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY (TOPS): TOPS is a support group for people who need support in their effort to lose weight and keep it off. Meetings are held weekly on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 am, at the Cornerstone Mobile Home Park (formerly Clayton Estates) 100 Castle Drive, Gainesville. Membership is open to all adults. Call 352-332-4666 or 352472-3271 for further information. SMOKING CESSATION SUPPORT GROUP Every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Alachua County Health Department, 224 SE 24 St., Gainesville. HIGH SPRINGS AARP COVERED DISH LUNCHEON Second Thursday of each month at the First Presbyterian Church in High Springs. Meeting begins 10:30, lunch at noon. Call Dick Williams, 386-454-224.

ACTIVITIES AT SENIOR CENTERS — THE AC TIVITIES ARE FREE UNLESS OTHER WISE NOTED. Coming soon! Senior Center Activites Online at: www.SeniorTimesMagazine.com ACTIVITIES AT THE 8TH AVENUE SENIOR CENTER, 830 NE 8TH AVE., OCALA, 352-629-8545 Movie Time, Twice a month showing of the latest videos. Must call center for reservations. Shuffleboard, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 1 p.m. Bingo, Mondays and Saturdays, 6:45 p.m. Mondays - Rhythm Rangers (2nd and 4th Mondays), 12:15 p.m. • Line Dance, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. • Advanced Tap Dance, 11 a.m. - noon. Tuesdays - Chess, 10:30 a.m. • Ocala Center Stage Band, 9 a.m. • Contract Bridge, 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays - Intermediate Tap Dance, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. • Pinochle, 9 a.m. • Woodcarving, 1:15 p.m. Thursdays - Japanese Embroidery, 9:30 a.m. • Bowling, 10 a.m. • Bingo, 1:45 p.m. • Skip-Bo, 3:30 p.m. Fridays - Pinochle, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. • Fitness Class, 1 a.m. • Country/Western Line Dance Class, 2 p.m. • Senior Strutters, 3 p.m.

ACTIVITIES AT THE HERBERT S. COLEMAN CENTER, 2001 SE 32 AVE., OCALA, 352-629-8351 Mondays, Computer Classes, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. classes, 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. labs, Fee charged. Wednesdays, Tap Dance Class, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Fridays, Pinochle, 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. ACTIVITIES AT WESTSIDE RECREATION CENTER, 1001 NW 34TH STREET, GAINESVILLE, 352-334-2186 Ceramics Class, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Taoist Tai Chi, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Senior Line Dancing, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m., Mondays - AARP , (First Monday), 9 a.m. - noon • Quilting on a Hand Frame, (Second and Fourth Monday), 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays - Art for Seniors, 9 a.m. - noon • Hogtown Heelers (Cloggers), 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Wednesdays - Newcomers Bridge , (Second Wednesday), 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Thursdays - Woodcarving, Noon - 2 p.m. Fridays - Treetown Bridge Club, (First and Third Friday), 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. • Basket Weaving, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. • Chess, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

28 June 2010

www.SeniorTimesMagazine.com

Photo courtesy of Marion County Fire Rescue

Safety First By K ate Heller

ccidents can happen to anyone. Yet when presented with personal accounts that have occurred in a home, the common response is: “That could never be me.” With summertime rolling in, residents should slap safety caps over outlets, monitor children and have an evacuation plan in order. Taking a closer look at home safety measures could save your life and the lives of loved ones. From fire risk reduction to heat and water hazards to carbon monoxide poisoning — the silent killer — there are always steps that can minimize or even eliminate harm, said Miranda Iglesias, the public information officer at Marion County Fire Rescue. Living in Florida provides sunshine and relaxation, but for those who spend a significant

Two Marion County fire fighters encounter a raging structure fire. Fires like these can break out in seconds, and residents should be prepared with fire alarms located through the house as well as an evacuation plan.

MAKE YOUR HOME HAZARD-FREE FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS amount of time outside, it can also lead to heat-related illnesses. While outdoors, it is important to be able to recognize symptoms that could arise. Heat cramps involve intense pain in the calves and intestines and should be treated with water and rest in a cool area. Heat exhaustion involves extreme body heat, nausea, dizziness and fainting, and should be treated with a sports drink and by placing a wet cloth all over the body. The most dangerous of heatrelated illnesses is heat stroke. Heat stroke involves rapid pulse, red skin and a body temperature around 106 degrees. If these symptoms are discovered, they should be taken very seriously with medical help, said Iglesias. “People might just think they are a little thirsty,” she said, “but by the time you get thirsty already 10 percent of your body is dehydrated.”

Children are at the greatest risk for dehydration because they do not understand the signs. Family members should constantly monitor children’s activities and always have cool drinks on hand. Although water is generally an answer to many summer ailments, it can also be dangerous, especially where pools and young children are involved. Drowning is a serious concern and can occur in just two inches of water. Designated supervisors should take turns watching the pool area, Iglesias said. Childproof gates and floatation devices should always be located near the pool. Outdoor grilling is another summer staple that should be carefully monitored. It is important to make sure that the grill is located over concrete or asphalt and at least 10 feet from a house or tree

with a water supply nearby. The grill itself should be cleaned after each use as fat buildup can catch fire. Coals should be soaked with water to cool because they could smolder for hours, Iglesias said. Smoldering coals are not the only possible cause of fire outbreaks, and residents should be aware of how to handle themselves if a fire should start. “Public education has a key role in fire prevention,” Iglesias said. For ultimate protection, smoke alarms are essential in each bedroom and living area. Smoke alarms with a flashing light for the hearing impaired are also available. Marion County Fire Rescue will provide and install two free smoke alarms if needed. Batteries should be changed twice a year, whether or not they are low. The first week of May was arson continued on page 31

www.SeniorTimesMagazine.com

June 2010 29

Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost & Gail Steketee

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S PUZZLE

c.2010, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $27.00 $33.95 Canada 291 pages

You’ve been looking for something for days. You had it last time. You put it down there. Right over there, and now you can’t find it. But that’s no surprise. You’re always shifting a pile of something from table to counter to desk and back, and things get lost. As soon as you get some of those plastic bins, you’ll get organized. A little mess is normal, right? That depends on how much is “a little.” In the fascinating new book “Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things” by Randy O. Frost & Gail Steketee, you’ll see how possessions could make a mess of your life. It seems like we all know somebody who fits the description of a packrat; recent studies show that between 2 and 5 percent of our population hoards. No matter where the mess is or how it got there, Frost and Steketee indicate most hoarders are embarrassed and ashamed about their messes. Many decide to seek help from psychiatrists and professional organizers because their families are suffering. In this book, the authors profile several of their most memorable cases. But if hoarders truly want to change, there is help for them all. Online, there is a chatroom specifically for hoarders. Only a limited number of members are accepted and the waiting list is hundreds long. Authors Randy O. Frost & Gail Steketee are respectful of the hoarders they mention in their book, but they likewise manage to convey their own fascination and intrigue with their subjects. If you’re up for a riveting read, sweep into your bookstore or library and snatch a copy of “Stuff.” Whether you’re messy or a neatnik or somewhere in between, this book leaves all others in the dirt. §

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30 June 2010

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It’s Not Just About HEARING. It’s About UNDERSTANDING. Improvement of hearing loss is a team project. From diagnosis to choosing a hearing aid, the improvement process requires the service of trained and dedicated professionals who are there for you. University of Florida doctors of audiology provide evaluation, treatment and exceptional hearing aid service. They’ll work with you even after you choose a hearing instrument to make sure you’re hearing properly. No matter what degree of hearing impairment you’re suffering, we can custom design a program that’s right for you.

UF Hearing Center located at the

Shands Health Science Center

Free Hearing Improvement Classes at Hampton Oaks 352.265.9484.

Call 352.273.5555

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continued from page 23

Several studies circulated by the NSC concluded that drivers who use cell phones while driving are four times more likely to be in a crash. Another study compared drivers using cell phones and those impaired by alcohol and found that the cell phone users demonstrated slower reaction times than those with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08. In 2009, the NSC became the first organization to advocate a nationwide ban on all cell phone use while driving. According to its website, the council continues to push lawmakers in every state to establish the ban. o

continued from page 28

awareness month in Marion County, and the fire department focused on preventing juvenile fire setting. When children are around, matches and candles should not be left unattended. Grandparents and parents should always fireproof their homes and recognize the times when a child should be disciplined about playing with fire. “When kids play with fire, it is not always meant in a malicious way,” Iglesias said, “but lives can be lost and homes destroyed.” Alarms that detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide gas can also be purchased. These alarms should be installed in a central location as well as outside each sleeping area. They should also be interconnected so that when one sounds, they all sound, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. If the CO alarm sounds, move to a fresh air location outside or by an open window or door and call the fire department. Generators and gas or charcoal grills can produce a significant amount of carbon monoxide and should only be operated outside. Cars also produce a massive amount of the killer gas and should never be left running in the

Although cell phone technology such as texting and checking e-mail is generally associated with teens and young adults, do not overlook the impact of more distractions on the road. Drive defensively: You never know who has their cell phone out in the next lane. Safe driving has long been a focus of National Safety Month, but good driving habits should be observed year-round. Following key traffic laws can insulate your checkbook and save you from physical harm — or that embarrassing four-way stop situation. § garage, even if the door is open. Marion County recently began its Emergency Medical Service (EMS). The program is new, and firefighters are now duel certified to deal with both fires and emergency medical situations. The service is working to inform the public about what takes place between a 911 call and entering the emergency room. The county has transitioned from a private ambulance service to a fire-based service where a fire truck arrives at the scene with the ambulance. EMS personnel held a community-wide event on May 19 to explain to the public that firefighters are sufficiently qualified to assist a person in need of medical help. The Marion County Office of Public Information issues press releases warning residents about common threats. Along with the usual summer reminders like germs, outdoor burning guidelines and fire and water safety, the press releases also cover lesser known threats like dog bites. For more information regarding summer safety guidelines visit your county or city Web site. §

Marion County www.marioncountyfl.org

Gainesville www.cityofgainesville.org

June 2010 31

Flights of Fancy Flights of Fancy features our reader’s poems, drawings, photographs, and essays. Poems and essays should not exceed 200 words and must include city of residence. Do not submit original copies because we will not be able to return these items. Photographs can be e-mailed or prints mailed to us. No scanned photographs will be used.

The Ring Love gave her the ring many years ago. The stone was small. That didn’t matter at all, for love gave the ring to encircle her world. She lived enthralled by her circle wall.

Barb Eisele • ocala The ring stayed put. Love never ended at all. The ring brought memories with wings, recalled actions, smiles. Her love stayed secure within the allure of love’s ring.

Who Betty Snow-Wellev’e • gainesville I was a seed nurturing in a warm place. I was there for a long time. I had no thoughts of my purpose. Why me... What can I do... a seed. I am thinking where did I come from... I am growing, yet I have no thoughts of my mission or who I am. However, I will stay here and wait. At the appointed time, I will come forth, and all will know that I am what I am.

PLEASE SEND US YOUR CREATIVE SUBMISSIONS E-mailed or faxed submissions are preferred. editor@towerpublications.com or fax to: 1-800-967-7382. Submissions may also be mailed to: Editor - Tower Publications, 4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32606

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