Montana 55 Winter 2019 by Missoulian

Winter 2020

Quarterly Guide for Seasoned Montanans

Your guide to winter adventure

Missoula Movers

CBD benefits

MOLLI classes mt55mag.com

the magazine for montanans in their prime

publisher jim strauss editor jessica abell

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inside

Winter 2019

clay work

local studio oﬀers community

new options

missoula seniors try cbd

house payments

does a reverse mortgage make sense

surﬁng safely

hints for protecting your assets

making tracks

continuing to learn

foot work

hard times

Winter 2019

missoula group hits the trails

nordic skiing oﬀers winter diversion

molli programs oﬀer lifelong learning

social security provides safety net

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United Way of Missoula County mt55mag.com

Clay Studio offers artistic outlet, community

Winter 2019

JESSICA ABELL Montana 55 Mary K. Porter, a retired teacher who lives in Missoula part of the year, enjoys spending time at the Clay Studio when she’s in town visiting her daughter. “They’re really user friendly here,” said Porter, from Kansas City, Missouri. “If I’m here for a month, they let me rent some shelves, and everybody is just really friendly.” For people seeking a new hobby after retirement, artistic endeavors have benefits well beyond a colorful painting to set on the mantle or a new mug for your morning coffee. According to a four-year study on creativity and aging conducted by George Washington University and commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts, people who participated in community-based art programs run by professional artists showed “strikingly positive differences,” such as better health, fewer doctor visits, and less medication usage when compared to their peers who did not. While the physical health benefits of involvement in cultural programs may be surprising to some, it’s the camaraderie and a sense of community these programs offer that appeals to many as they age, a point not lost on Clay Studio of Missoula Executive Director Shalene Valenzuela. “There is a great communal aspect to it,” says Valenzuela. “Unlike some other mediums where you can just shut the door and you need isolation to work, ceramics is really community focused because there’s these different processes where it takes a village or you need different people on your team to complete your project. Clay lends itself to the community aspect.” The Clay Studio offers classes and workshops for people of all abilities

looking to dive into creative pursuits. “So anybody who is just starting out and has barely touched clay before to people who are just getting back into it or are continuing their practice. We try to have different levels that appeal to different people,” said Valenzuela. “For those with a lot of time on their hands and want to commit to a longer class, they can take the 10-week beginning pottery classes we have. And so it’s a really intensive focus on getting all the basics down, about how to work with the wheel and hand building aspects and learning how clay and glazes work and then launching from there to pick different things,” said Valenzuela. “For people who may not want to commit to longer classes, we also have workshops. This past year we’ve started more of these community workshop series — so it’s different techniques, really simple techniques that somebody could do in three hours. “We also have some one-day pottery workshops where people just get a taste of what it would be like to throw on the wheel. If you’re not sure if you want to fully commit and you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I want to take a 10-week class or if I’m even going to like this,’ the one-day workshops are a really good way to get a sense of it,” Valenzuela said. “One of the instructors will work with you. They’ll kind of have the clay already wedged out and weighed out, and you’re really learning the fundamental basics of throwing a cylinder on the wheel.” The first time someone sits down at the wheel can sometimes be intimidating, according to Valenzuela. “It’s a very humbling experience,” she laughed. “But yeah, it takes a lot of practice, and that’s why in the arts it’s about practice, because you keep having to do it in order to sort of home in after those skills.” For those who’ve sat at the wheel a

time or two, the Clay Studio also has studio and shelf space available for rent. “We do have a lot of people that are in that demographic who have taken classes and are a little more comfortable working on their own,” Valenzuela said. “So they rent monthly studio space here, they rent shelf space and then come in and have open access to work. And that’s kind of a great community of people because even though they’re working on their own independent projects, there’s kind of our ‘crew’ that comes in like every day.” Porter works in clay at her home in Kansas City where she has a studio set up in her basement. In Missoula, she finds community at the Clay Studio itself and through its events, and she knows the work is a process. “It’s a skill, and you learn what to do and what not to do, and hopefully it works out, and a lot of times it doesn’t.” On this day, she was working on ceramic shot glasses. “To throw it takes about 30 minutes, and then it needs to dry a little bit, and trimming it takes about 20, 30 minutes, and then it has to be fired once and then glazed and then fired again,” Porter said. Porter came to her home in Montana a little earlier than usual this year to take part in Ladyfire 2019, a communal gathering initiated and led by members of the Clay Studio. Ladyfire brings together a group of women ceramicists based in western Montana who work together over a number of days to fire a large anagama-style wood kiln on the outskirts on Missoula. “It’s up in the hills. They’ve got a big anagama kiln,” said Porter. “It takes a week to fire and they man it 24-7 you know, shoveling that wood in. I’ve got a bunch of stuff in there. I’m anxious to see how that comes out.” MT55 mt55mag.com 7

Winter 2019

Making tracks

Parks and Rec offers program to keep people moving

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Missoula Movers take advantage of area trails GWEN FLORIO Montana 55 At 9 a.m. on a recent Monday, as office workers made their way to their cubicles for another day in the endless series of countdowns to Friday, a group of Missoulians marched to a different drummer. 10

Winter 2019

Just shy of 20 strong, they headed up Marshall Canyon, stopping occasionally to marvel at the view, the birds, and most of all the great good fortune of being out of doors and moving on a bluebird day in November.

Because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the goal of the Missoula Movers, a Parks and Recreation program designed to get people ages 55 and over outside onto the Missoula areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealth of parks and trails. Parks and Rec director Donna Gaukler wants to increase programs

“for this huge active population,” said Annie Petschauer, the agency’s adult programs director. Petschauer and Parks and Rec’s Alex Birrell were younger by decades than the people they’d ferried to Marshall Canyon in two agency vans that day, but the group easily matched their pace. “It starts my week. It gets me going for the week ahead,” said Susan Hewitt, 71, a retired Veterans Affairs social worker. Missoula Movers started about six or seven years ago, shortly before Petschauer joined Parks and Rec, she said. Some weeks, in those early days, only a couple of people would show up. Ralph Johns, 72, was among the early enthusiasts — one of the OGs (for Old Guys), Petschauer termed him. “Word’s gotten out,” he said of recent walks and hikes that numbered from 15 to 20 participants. The numbers are important both for safety — best not to be alone on a hike in case of injury — and for the program’s social as-

pect. Several in the group enthused about the wideranging conversations along the trail, the friendships made. The format is simple. The Movers meet every Monday rain or snow or shine at Currents Aquatic Center at 9 a.m. Introductions are made, along with an ice-breaking questions. On this particular day, participants were asked to name a favorite book. The answers ran the gamut: “Anything by Wendell Berry.” “The Eye of the Needle.” “The Nightingale.” “Harry Potter.” “The Control of Nature.” And so on, plenty of fodder for a couple of hours worth of conversation. They usually trek about 3 to 3 1/2 miles, in the North and South Hills, Mount Jumbo, the M Trail and beyond. Participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, and to bring water and snacks. Afterward, most group members gather at a coffee shop — as with the trails, the locations vary. Cost is $7 per hike, and that includes the van ride to the trailhead, and the coffee drink afterward. mt55mag.com

Participants include longtime Missoulians and newbies. Suzanne Hendrich, 65, counts herself as a little of both. The retired Iowa State University professor of nutrition and food toxicology and her partner had been coming to Montana for 25 years to flyfish. When she retired, “we wanted to move to a college town and closer to our favorite fishing spots.” Missoula: check and check. She found Missoula Movers last December and has walked with them ever since, going “in almost all conditions,” and touting the benefits of “getting to hang 12

Winter 2019

out with people more or less my age, exercise that takes the edge off, and with people who are sociable.”

she walks — with the Movers and also on Audubon Society birdwatching outings.

Run Wild Missoula’s large run-walk group. “Thanks to Teresa, I’m out every week all year,” Elkins said.

Laxmi von Hoffman has lived in Missoula since 1978 and counts herself as one of Missoula Movers’ “on and off members.”

“I’d be hiking anyway,” she said as she moved briskly up the trail, deploying her hiking poles, adding that going with the Movers introduces her to new trails.

The trail climbed and climbed. The Movers were equal to the task. An overlook — the Clark Fork unspooling below, the city spilling out of the cleft of Hellgate Canyon — provided a brief respite, and a debate about the noisy bird chattering in a nearby tree.

Von Hoffman, a retired Forest Service field biologist, moved around the West a lot for that job and traveled on her own even more; 141 countries by last count. Her favorite places: Syria, Asia, the “’Stans.” Europe, she said, is too expensive. She’s got her eye on trips to the Seychelles and the Galapagos. But while in Missoula,

Ginny Elkins, 64, joined the movers a year ago after some health issues. “I needed to be active, and I wanted to be outside.” The gym, she added, “gets boring.” She and fellow mover Teresa Gabriel, 62, who finished the Missoula Marathon last year and plans to run it again this year — also are members of

Von Hoffman, the resident expert, called it: a Steller’s jay. And with that, the group was off and doing exactly what it was supposed to do: moving. MT55

Your weekend starts here mt55mag.com

Not all down hill Nordic skiing a healthy sport at any age EVE ByRON Montana 55

f snow is on the ground, chances are Kathy Gaskill will be cross-country skiing.

Gaskill took up skiing in Min-

Winter 2019

nesota when she was in college. Now 66, she skis about four times a week during the wintry months with her husband, other family members, or folks from the Missoula Nordic Ski Club. “You just get away from business and are in a perfect place,” Gaskill

said recently. “Up the Rattlesnake, at Pattee Canyon, at Lubrecht (Forest) or Seeley Lake, you get on the trail and it’s your own peaceful place. You can get as good of a workout as you want to get for the effort you put out. You can push yourself or just tour around and take in the scenery.”

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This project was supported in part by grant numbers 90MP0163 and 90MP0015 from the U.S. Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their finds and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy.

Winter 2019

Tyler Decker is the outdoor recreational programs coordinator for Missoula Parks and Recreation, and said they offer a handful of programs that cater both to beginners or people looking for a refresher course. He said cross-country skiing is a perfect lifelong activity for a low investment, and opportunities abound around Missoula.

learn. Decker said it’s not unusual for him to be teaching a class at Lubrecht and seeing people skiing from his previous classes. “What we’re trying to do is foster that confidence and get people into the sport,” Decker said.

Decker notes that Nordic skiing, by its very nature, is a healthy sport for seniors because it teaches stabil“We run a couple days ity on slippery surfaces. As tailored more toward begina bonus, the ski poles can ners or folks that want to go help people balance as they out for the social experience kick and glide on tracks or to refresh their skills,” often set by Nordic clubs. Decker said. “We do classic skiing, usually at Lubrecht. Lubrecht Forest has more We go over the basics, and than 12 miles of groomed ski somewhere around 3 to ski trails. Pattee Canyon 5 miles, then wrap up with has 6 miles of groomers, hot chocolate or tea. It’s a Lolo Pass has 8 miles, the great social activity.” Rattlesnake offers 5 miles, Seeley Lake boasts 11 miles One of the first skills and Chief Joseph Pass has taught involves getting up a whopping 31 miles of after falling down, which groomed trails. Fees are isn’t as easy as it looks with collected at some locations, two boards strapped to the while others ask only for bottom of a person’s feet donations to help pay for and ski poles around your grooming. wrists. Decker said that they “We tell people to look gauge a group’s experience, at their skis, take a deep and cater to their level of breath and untangle your ability. The Park and Recskis,” Decker said, laughreation program offers a ing. “It’s not that big of a shuttle service to Lubrecht, deal and there’s no pressure about 30 miles northeast among our group.” of Missoula, where there’s But it’s an easy skill to good options for beginners.

“It’s a really inviting environment for people to give something new a try. We cater toward the more entry level, to get folks out to try these activities,” Decker said. “Other groups like the Missoula Nordic Ski Club take it to the next level.” The Missoula club provides both classic and skate skiing clinics to club members, with classes lasting between 60 to 90 minutes. The clinics are free for members, with individual

memberships costing $30 per year and a family membership at $50. While new skis, boots and poles can run a few hundred dollars, most secondhand stores have old skis in stock, or they can be rented for around $25 in Missoula. Gaskill encourages everyone to take a few classes, noting that Nordic skiing “is a pretty forgiving sport.” “You’re on snow so if you fall it’s a lot softer than fall-

ing off a bike,” she said. “I think in each group there’s always people just going on their own or with friends and family members. Once you get out there practicing you really start enjoying it and people always make friends by the end.

Parks and Recreation offers three Nordic ski classes — Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 — this winter, and a snowshoe and soak option Jan. 18. Courses meet at the Currents Aquatics Center at 10 a.m. and return about 2 p.m. MT55

“It’s so enjoyable. When you come in, you’ve been out in the cold and I always feel invigorated and pleasantly fatigued. Then I can justify sitting down with a big bowl of popcorn.”

You can find the Missoula Nordic Ski Club online at www.missoulanordic.org The Missoula Parks and Recreation program at http:// www.ci.missoula.mt.us/157/ Parks-Recreation mt55mag.com 17

Winter 2019

Seniors in Missoula area turning to CBD products DAVID ERICKSON Montana 55 As more and more states are legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, an over-the-counter chemical made from the cannabis plant is also being used as a pain management tool by senior citizens and others looking to avoid addictive narcotics. Dr. Steve Kemple, a licensed anesthesiologist and a pain management physician at the Advanced Pain and Spine Institute in Missoula, gets a lot of questions from patients about cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD. It’s one of the many chemicals that can be processed from cannabis. According to the World Health Organization, CBD by itself does not cause a “high” since it has no THC, a psychoactive compound also found in cannabis. “I would say half or more, at least half the patients come in and either ask about (CBD) or tell me that they’ve tried it or tell me they’re on it,” he explained. “Here’s my take from the research I’ve done and the couple places in town that have talked to us: The average patient receives about 20-25% pain relief, which for a lot of people is a lot of improvement.

If you’re hurting bad, that’s a lot of improvement. There may be some that get 50-75%.” Kemple said many senior citizens talk to him about CBD, and he tells them to get it from a reputable place (i.e., not a gas station), make sure they’re watching the right amount of milligrams and to make sure they use it properly.

“You need to be taking it all the time,” he explained, referring to people who want to use it to treat chronic pain. “You don’t just take it when you get a headache. You need to develop a blood level and stay on the medication or product.” A lot of people don’t do that, Kemple noted. “You have to be on it a month, and

you have to be on the proper dose morning and night. These are huge things about CBD the public needs to know,” he said. And, importantly, people need to cut back on prescription narcotics and pain medications if they add CBD into the mix. “When a patient tells me they feel 25% better because of CBD, then I say let’s cut the pain meds back by 25%,” Kemple explained. “I think CBD is another tool in the tool chest, just like physical therapy, injection therapy, psychotherapy, biofeedback, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy. All these things are pieces of the pie to get increased function and less pain.” He said the goal is to keep narcotics at a minimum, because they are habit-forming and the body can get used to dosages. Many places in the Missoula area sell CBD over the counter, he said, but only one place, the Hope Center of Missoula, has sent representatives to consult with him about proper dosages and methodology. mt55mag.com

Jay Bostrom is the co-owner of Dancing Goat Gardens, a medical marijuana and CBD dispensary inside The Hope Center. “Seniors are one of our main demographics for sure, absolutely,” he said. “We’re finding that people are to a point where they’re losing faith in a lot of traditional approaches to treating chronic pain as they age and we hear more about these crises with opioids. It’s ironic that (cannabis) used to be the ‘dangerous’ drug.” Shelly Hall-Crobar is the manager at Silverleaf Cannabis Co. on Front Street in downtown Missoula. She said that out of her store’s 202 patients, 33% are older than 55. “It’s a big chunk,” she said. “A lot of it is people, especially with the opioid epidemic and crackdown, there’s an enormous amount of patients who are trying to get off the narcotics and prescription drugs.” She said older people come into her store for CBD to treat joint pain, anxiety, glaucoma and other eye disorders. Many older people buy CDB to treat stress in their pets, she added. “I feel like CBD is usu20

Winter 2019

ally the place people start,” she explained. “People who are nervous about THC will try CBD first and eventually get the cannabis card. I have customers who just have strict CBD needs. There’s definitely a group of people who don’t want the euphoric effects (of cannabis).” Most people buy a tincture, she said, which is a vial of liquid that can be dropped on the tongue or put in tea or coffee. She said she cautions people against buying CBD from gas stations, which she says sell “junk.”

“I think seniors should have a little guidance and do their research,” she said. “The CBD world is just crazy. You can buy all kinds of snake oil. Wellmade CBD is really better. I know where my hemp comes from, the farm it’s grown at, and I have the test results. If they can’t give you test results that makes it a little suspect.” Wes Correa is a manager at Double Dogs Cannabis, a dispensary with stores in Bozeman and Missoula. “Senior citizens benefit hugely from our products,” he said. “It definitely helps people with arthritis, in-

flammation, lupus. We have topicals for a specific, isolated area, like someone with bad knees, rubbing it directly might help. We have CBD dog treats, for things like hip dysplasia.” Hall-Crobar believes senior citizens are becoming more aware of what CBD does while less of them are associating it with illicit drug use. “The word’s getting out,” she said. “The stigma has been broken. People are coming out of the woodwork. A lot of people I wouldn’t expect.” MT55

More about reverse mortgages Terry Savage Tribune Content Agency If you’re a senior looking for more income, you may have to look no farther than your own home. A reverse mortgage could be the perfect solution to the need for more income — if you plan to stay in your home for at least 10 years. You can withdraw either a lump sum or monthly payments — tax free — out of the equity you have built up on your home. And you can never run out of money or be forced out of your home because of those withdrawals. The standard homeequity conversion mortgage (HECM) is available to homeowners age 62 or older who have either paid off their mortgage or have a small remaining balance. The amount you can receive is determined by your age, the value of your home and current interest rates. You don’t need a credit check to qualify, and you retain title to your home. You won’t have any mortgage payments, although you will be responsible for homeowner’s insurance, property taxes and upkeep on your home. Basically, you are just borrowing from yourself, although you will be paying interest on that loan. But the interest is added to the

amount of equity taken out of the home. When you sell the home and move, or die, the amount you have borrowed out of your home’s equity, plus interest and fees accrued, must be repaid from the sale proceeds. Most important, you — or your heirs — can never owe more than the home is worth. If the amount borrowed through the reverse mortgage is greater than the value of your home, you or your estate are not liable to make up the difference. An HECM lender will conduct a financial assessment to ensure the borrower has the financial means to continue paying property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, association dues and other property charges.

Since there are fees associated with taking out a reverse mortgage, this works best for those planning to stay in their homes for a few years. To find out how large a lump sum or the size of a guaranteed monthly check you could get through a reverse mortgage, go to ReverseMortgage.org, and use the online calculator. This site also has a search function to find reverse mortgage lenders in your area.

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Staying safe online

As technology advances so do criminals Rachael Crisp Phillips Montana 55 As technology advances faster and faster, year by year, so do techniques that criminals use in an attempt to take advantage of vulnerable victims. Due in part to age, illness, and alltoo-frequent isolation, seniors are at a higher risk of being targets of this type of illegal behavior. As these threats increase, it is imperative that seniors, their caregivers, and family members learn to recognize the signs of criminal activity. Knowledge is the first step to prevent security loss before it happens. 22

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FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION In the past year, the Montana state health department received over 1,500 calls about elder financial exploitation. This type of crime is most likely to come from someone close to the victim, such as a relative with the ability to misuse power of attorney. Basic estate planning can help limit the exploitation of seniors by resolving legal designations, such as power of attorney, financial wills, living wills, homestead declarations, and other crucial financial documents

beforehand. Having these things in order as soon as possible will hinder a fraudsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempts to access funds. Professionals such as hair stylists, plumbers, electricians, lawyers, banking staff, and health care providers are in a unique position to observe interactions with seniors that may indicate exploitation. For example, a visiting in-home nurse could overhear a relative make demands upon their elderly charge for cash or valuable heirlooms. Unfortunately, financial exploitation often goes hand-in-hand with neglect and abuse. Anyone with

concerns about someone being the victim of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in the state of Montana, should contact the Adult Protective Services division of the health department by calling 1-844-277-9300 or submitting a report at https://montanaaps.com/ Intake/PublicIntakeReport.aspx. CYBER SECURITY The risk of becoming a victim of cyber-criminal activity is on the rise. While it may initially seem daunting, defending one’s online security can be easy to maintain once the proper efforts are taken. All data is only as secure as the device and network that it is being transmitted on. Thus, the best first defense is to install and update antivirus software on all devices that have any connection to the internet, including phones, laptops, tablets and desktop computers. A few trusted antivirus providers are Avast, AVG and Norton, and many offer a version of their service for free. Another crucial step in keeping data safe is to ensure that all software is up-to-date. Regular updates fix flaws and make software more secure, so always install the most recent versions available. Most devices have an option to enable automatic software updates, so minimal intervention is needed to keep things secure. Strong passwords are critical to maintaining online safety, yet keeping them secure can be a challenge. An ideal password is six to eight characters long, includes a mix of letters and numbers, contains some capitalization, and utilizes special characters. By design, the best passwords should be difficult to recreate, and never be re-used for multiple logins. A pass-

word manager, such as LastPass, is invaluable in keeping secure passwords secure. The next step is to be aware of what kinds of information to withhold from others, and how to stay safe when browsing online. For one, never reveal identifying information such as birth date, social security number, or mother’s maiden name. Even when it seems like a harmless social media quiz or survey, revealing information such as an exact birth date or the name of a pet may be used to gain access to financial accounts. Never click an untrusted link, or install unknown software. Wherever possible, opt-in to multifactor authentication and enhanced login options for websites. This usually entails a one-time code sent by text or email that must be used in conjunction with the primary password to gain access to the account. This simple step is one of the most effective ways to prevent unwanted intrusions into digital accounts. Smartphones and tablets have many security features built in, such as password and PIN protection, so always try to take advantage of what’s already available. Some newer smartphones are even equipped with a fingerprint scanner to enable biometric identification. Finally, when using the internet away from home, be cautious of free Wi-Fi networks and avoid using them for any potentially sensitive internet activities. For security reasons, and battery life, it’s also wise to keep unnecessary services such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, location apps, and other remote connections turned off when not in use.

PHONE SCAMS There are many methods that criminals may use when attempting to defraud a senior of their hard-earned livelihood, but the most frequent offline gambit involves gaining access to a financial account using deceptive methods. A technique known as ‘spoofing’ enables a fraudster to appear on a phone’s caller identification with a number that appears legitimate, such as an 800 number from a bank. Often impersonating the employee of a fraud prevention department to gain their victim’s trust, fraudsters falsely claim that they can remove charges on an account. The best precaution to take to prevent becoming the target of a phone scam, is to not answer the phone unless the number is recognized. Even then, proceed with caution. A legitimate employee will never call to ask for login information or social security numbers. CONTINUED VIGILANCE Anyone can become a victim of identity theft or financial exploitation, regardless of age, health, education, or background. Keep an eye out for missing mail, suspicious charges, new credit accounts or denials, and IRS notifications on tax discrepancies as these may indicate an identity theft in progress. Everyone is entitled to a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months, and can receive one from annualcreditreport.com at no charge. Set a reminder to request and review this report every year in order to spot nefarious activity. MT55

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UM’s MOLLI program:

Bat biology to disco inferno

PATRICK REILLY Montana 55 Doug Ammons hooked his audience early.

“One hundred years ago, during a normal night shift, Hell was unleashed and nearly 400 men were thrust into life-or-death situations,” he told more than 100 guests at the 24

Winter 2019

University of Montana’s University Center theater.

Ammons, a UM psychologist and author, kept them rapt for 90 minutes as he narrated the Granite MountainSpectator Mine Disaster of 1917. On June 8 of that year, a fire started deep inside the Spectator Mine, a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels beneath

Butte’s Granite Mountain, forcing hundreds of miners to flee smoke and carbon monoxide. Ammons chronicled this historical drama in his book “A Darkness Lit by Heroes,” and in a Nov. 15 lecture to members of the University of Montana’s Osher Lifelong Learning Center. The program, abbreviated as

MOLLI, delivers non-credit courses and lectures to members ages 50 and older throughout the academic year. Membership costs $20 a year. That covers about 65 not-for-credit courses a year, explained program manager Karen Hendrickson.

walls, in nightmarish darkness, for days until the air outside cleared. “To me this is not a mining story,” Ammons told them. “It’s a story about the deepest part of the human spirit. …This story shows that when

turtles and the “disco inferno” of the 1970s. For an extra fee, members will also be able to take part in American Indian beading, the MOLLI Choral Society and a Holiday Lantern Tour. Judith Bungarz and her husband

“So we’re looking at individuals, instructors, presenters that are knowledgeable in their field, and then it has to have some type of learning aspect to it,” she said. “History’s always the most popular, but then also anything about Montana.” Ammons checked both boxes with his lecture on the Granite MountainSpectator Mine Disaster. Drawing on hundreds of pages of legal testimony and mineshaft maps he had unearthed for his book research, he gave a harrowing account of how the fire and smoke spread through tunnels thousands of feet underground.

everything that sustains us is gone— the water, the light and even the air we need to breathe — the darkness will still be lit by heroes.”

Amid the chaos, mine employees bravely went through the tunnels, again and again, to lead miners to safety. Some foremen, their way out blocked, led their men into dead-end shafts and built airtight bulkheads that sealed them off from the fire’s toxic fumes. They waited behind these

MOLLI’s other fall courses may not have reached quite an emotional crescendo, but they did cover a wide range of topics, from bat biology to the 40th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis. The winter session’s courses and events include eastern Christianity, climate change, sea

Robert have been members for more than a decade. In that time, they’ve seen class participation grow from 10 or 20 to more than 100. “It’s just a great program for seniors,” she said. “It stimulates your mind, (provides) socialization, everything old people need.” MT55 MOLLI’s winter term registration deadline is Dec. 9. For more information, visit http://dhc.umt.edu/molli/ default.php. mt55mag.com 25

The poor farm, thankfully, is history Ken Toole Montana 55 Not many of us remember the old county poor farms. A friend of mine recently told me his grandfather would often seek assurances from his family that they would care for him if he became indigent. His worst fear was that he would end up at the poor farm on the highway just west of Havre.

a social insurance program to protect against poverty. From the beginning to this day, the worker and the employer pay an insurance premium into the system and receive a monthly insurance benefit after retirement age.

Over the years the opponents to Social Security, which now includes Medicare, have portrayed Social Security as a “welfare” program. They Poor farms were universally feared by imply that the person receiving the the elderly at the turn of the last cenbenefit did little to deserve what they tury. In those days, if a person had not are receiving. From the beginning the been able to save enough or lost their architects of the Social Security system, retirement savings, their only hope was including President Roosevelt, underfamily would take them in. Too often stood that public support for a pay-asthat was not an option, and the elderly you-go social insurance program was ended up at the local poor farm. A Mas- critical to its success. sachusetts report in 1910 found that only Now the opponents of Social Se1% of residents had entered poor farms curity and Medicare are referring to before they were 40 years old. After age “entitlement reform.” This is just one 60, the number jumped to 92%. more focus-group-tested buzz phrase Life in these institutions was miserto make people think they want to cut a able. In 1930 a commission in New welfare program. York State reported, “Privacy, even Dorothy Slater summed up the feeling in the most intimate affairs of life is a lot of us have, “I have paid into [Social impossible; married couples are quite generally separated; and all the inmates Security] for over 60 years and think I am ‘entitled’ to my measly $1,027 a are regimented as though in a prison month — I have also paid into Medicare or penal colony. Private possessions, for as long as it has existed and probother than the clothes on the back, are ably deserve the ‘entitlement’ of a yearly almost out of the question, since indiphysical and the occasional x-ray.” vidual bureaus, closets, tables or other articles of furniture, outside of a bed, Social Security and Medicare in are generally not provided.” America have been a huge success. These insurance programs have draThe poor farm passed into the matically reduced poverty, particularly pages of history because Roosevelt’s among the elderly. Though we all like New Deal created Social Security in to gripe about bureaucracy, the truth is the 1930s. It provided some financial protection to almost all working Ameri- that Social Security has been remarkcans. Social Security was conceived as ably efficient since the beginning. In 26

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2017 the administrative cost of the Social Security Administration was 0.07 percent. You can bet that the administrative cost of private insurers and investment firms is higher than that … particularly when you add in the profits that go to their stockholders. After passing a huge tax cut which benefitted the very wealthiest individuals in the country in 2017, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced that “entitlement reform” was next on the agenda. The Republican Party have been on the front lines in attacking Social Security since the 1930s. They have been largely unsuccessful, but they are getting ready to take another run at it. We must organize to defend Social Security. Talk to your friends, ask candidates if they will protect Social Security and join groups like Big Sky 55+ that advocate for economic justice. We don’t have to wonder what the country would be like without a Social Security system. Next time you drive by Butte on Interstate 15 look down the hill below the Berkeley Pit. You will see a large, Victorian, brick building which now houses The National Center for Appropriate Technology, but it was originally the county poor farm. Imagine living there alone with only a bed for furniture. Ken Toole is the vice chair of Big Sky 55+, which was formed to engage Montanans 55 and older to advocate for forward-thinking policies such as health care and economic security for all. He also served on the Montana Public Service Commission and in the Montana State Senate.

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