Mt55summer2014 by Missoulian

Summer 2014

festivals events statewide offer local flair

boating with seniors

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Physical Therapy.

Summer 2014

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summer reading

new works by debut and favorite authors

festivals

events statewide offer local flair

Huckleberry Days Arts Festival photo by Whitefish Chamber of Commerce

Local flavor is an integral part of the Montana experience, and there is no better way to taste that flavor than through the cornucopia of local festivals held across the state each summer. Western Montana

by stephen youmans

Suffused in mountain majesty, western Montana is home to plenty of exciting festivals. On Aug. 8 through 10, the 25th annual Huckleberry Days Arts Festival will be held in downtown Whitefish, and according to Sarah Stewart, business manager of the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, this year should be as busy

as ever. The three-day festival centers around an art show featuring all kinds of artists and art forms, Stewart said, including jewelers, photographers, painters and clothing designers. “We have over 100 artists that come out,” Stewart said. There will also be a huckleberry dessert bakeoff, she said, with both commercial and noncommercial categories. Winners will receive cash prizes. The children, of course, will not be neglected. Huckleberry Days offers plenty to do for all ages. “We always have a kid’s activity,” Stewart said. “This year we’re having a mobile climbing wall, so that should be fun.” Located in Depot Park beside Whitefish’s historic train station, the Huckleberry Days Arts Festival is a must-attend for anyone trekking

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through the Flathead Valley this summer. Missoula is one of Montana’s largest cities, is also home to one of the state’s premier music festivals. The River City Roots Festival, Aug. 23 and 24, is entering its ninth year, and in that time has become a marquee celebration of Missoula. According to Linda McCarthy, executive director of the Missoula Downtown Association, the River City Roots Festival is an end-of-the-summer, welcome-backto-school event. The festival features live roots music, a Sunday morning fun run, an art show and a plethora of local food vendors. The festival is intended to showcase Missoula’s unique culture in a family-friendly, enjoyable atmosphere. “Missoula is very diverse in terms of arts and culture,” McCarthy said. “We felt like it was time to create a signature event.” And signature it has become; 15,000 people are expected to attend, she said. The following weekend, Kalispell will host one of the most exciting events of the year when the Mountain Madness Air Show comes to Glacier Park International Airport. Highlighted by performances by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the air show will feature a number of aerial acrobatics and exhibitions, said Director Chris Parson. There will be lots of performers, lots of flybys,” Parson said. “It’s going to be a great event.” In addition to the airborne activities, he said there will also be numerous static displays featuring a wide variety of aircraft, including military airplanes from World War II. There will be plenty of vendors and concession stands, Parson said, as well as a special kid’s zone. The Mountain Madness Air Show will be held on Aug. 30 and 31, 2014, and the gate opens at 10 a.m. both days.

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Montanans of all ages love their outdoor lifestyles. One of the drawbacks to so much fun in the sun, though, is the potential for long-term skin damage as we age, said Dr. Samuel Reck, dermatologist at Billings Clinic and president of the Montana Academy of Dermatology. The vast majority of skin problems, including skin cancer, come from being out in the sun, he said. As people age, their skin begins to change, largely due to exposure from the sun and ultraviolet light. “I always tell them to look at their arm, the upper inside is nice and white, with only a few fine wrinkles, then look at the outside,” Reck said. While some patients tell him they don’t feel they spend that much time under the sun, he said ultraviolet light is a form of radiation, so the dose they receive accumulates over time. UV rays are also a carcinogen, which can cause mutations in the DNA of the skin. They also suppress the immune system. “We probably all make a few skin cancers every week, but our normal immune system knocks them out,” Reck said. That doesn’t mean people should shut themselves indoors, he said. Especially in a state like Montana, there is no reason not to be able to go outside and do the things you love. The best ways to protect yourself are fairly straightforward. Stay in the shade during the day, and wear photoprotective clothing to help block UV rays. Wear a broad-brimmed hat, as a baseball cap doesn’t cover the ears, and wear sunscreen on any areas that are still exposed, Reck said. With sunscreen, the higher SPF number the better, although it is equally important to find sunscreen that specifically protects against UVA rays in addition to the normal UVB. In addition, people also don’t use enough sunscreen. “If you’re tanning, you don’t have enough on,” Reck said.

events statewide offer local flair

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One in Five That’s how many Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. Seems like a lot, right? But there are things you can do to lessen your chances of getting skin cancer, and it starts with a visit to your family practice primary care provider or a dermatologist at Western Montana Clinic. Learn the facts and what preventative steps you can take, including how to do your own monthly skin exam. Schedule an appointment today. Because sunshine on your shoulders should always make you happy!

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Summer 2014

for an older generation

stroll among giants

ross creek cedars

NOXON – For an aweinspiring wilderness experience that grandma and her grandchildren can enjoy, head for the Ross Creek Giant Cedars Natural Area. The intimidating Cabinet Mountains Wilderness rises to the east, while the Scotchman Peaks wilderness study area surrounds the trail itself. But a paved road leads to a gently graded walking trail through a forest that rivals California’s Sequoia National Park. Cedar forests like this used to

stroll among giants

by rob chaney

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some of the trees testify to the area’s former popularity with trappers, who placed their sets in the trunks for weasels and fishers. Underfoot, the rainforest conditions foster between 5,000 and 6,000 species of moss and lichen. Only about 1,600 of them are named and classified in scientific literature. While most visitors come in summer, Ross Creek is also popular with cross-country skiers who glide up the 4-mile entrance road to the grove. Given the tremendous amounts of snow this area attracts, such winter excursions are possible until surprisingly late in spring some years. The parking area has picnic sites and vault toilets, but no camping is allowed. A .9-mile interpretive trail loops through the first part of the grove, with smaller trails heading deeper into the wilderness. Front-country campers can find a spot at the Bad Medicine Forest Service campground along Bull Lake, just north of the Ross Creek entrance road.

dominate many wet canyon bottoms in western Montana. Between early 20th century logging and the forest fires of 1910, nearly all have disappeared. Avalanche Creek in Glacier National Park and Cedar and Ward creeks near Superior are among the few remaining stands of really big trees. And they can’t top the 1,000-year-old giants standing sentinel along the Ross Creek Nature Trail. Although wildlife (other than birds) are a rare sight in the Ross cedars, the area gets shockingly heavy use by elk. Look carefully in some of the most impenetrable thickets of brush, and you’ll find enough elk sign on the ground to make you expect a stampede. Odd eyeball-height triangular holes in

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HEART AND SOUL

Photo by Daniel Dickey

the magazine for montanans in their prime

“Music is everything to me,” says Virginia Vinal ’50. Now she’s helping other passionate musicians find their own life’s calling.

Vinal, a teacher and performer with the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, has made a provision in her will to leave 20 percent of her estate to the University of Montana College of Visual and Performing Arts. Her gift will provide enough for a full-tuition scholarship for an undergraduate studying brass, strings or music education. “The University of Montana was such an important part of my education,” she says. “I never had my own children whom I could educate, so I always wanted to help teach others.”

Montana 55 is a special publication of Lee Enterprises and the Missoulian. Copyright 2014. For advertising information contact Jacque Walawander 406-523-5271, 800-366-7193, ext. 271, or email jacque.walawander@lee.net

You too can leave a legacy at UM. Consider including a gift to the UM Foundation in your will or living trust.

Call us at 800.443.2593.

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reading

Montana is a place full of stories, full of characters, full of history. This summer there are many new books that capture what natives like about the state and what tourists want to remember about it.

by barbara theroux

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Several new works of fiction feature debut authors and local favorites. Two wonderful novels by first time writers include: Painted Horses by Malcolm Brooks

In the mid-1950s, America was flush with prosperity and saw an unbroken line of progress, while the West was still very much wild. Malcolm Brooks animates that time and untamed landscape, in a tale of the modern and the ancient, of love and fate, and of heritage threatened by progress. Catherine Lemay is a young archaeologist on her way to Montana, with a huge task before her. Working ahead of a major dam project, she has one summer to prove nothing of historical value will be lost in the flood. From the moment she arrives, nothing is familiarthe vastness of the canyon itself mocks the contained, artifactrich digs in post-Blitz London where she cut her teeth. And then there’s John H, a former mustanger and veteran of the U.S. Army’s last mounted cavalry campaign, living a fugitive life in the canyon. John H inspires Catherine to see beauty in the stark landscape, and her heart opens to more than just the vanished past. Painted Horses sends a dauntless young woman on a heroic quest, sings a love song to the horseman’s vanishing way of life, and reminds us that love and ambition, tradition and the future, often make strange bedfellows.

The Home Place by Carrie La Seur

Alma Terrebonne thought she was done with Montana, with its bleak winters and stifling ways. But an unexpected call from the local police takes the successful lawyer back to her provincial hometown and pulls her into the family trouble she thought she’d left far behind: Her lying, partyloving sister, Vicky, is dead. Alma is told that a very drunk Vicky had wandered away from a party and died of exposure after a night in the brutal cold. But when Alma returns home to bury Vicky and see to her orphaned niece, she discovers that the death may not have been an accident. The Home Place is a story of secrets that will not lay still, human bonds that will not break, and crippling memories that will not be silenced. It is a story of rural towns and runaways, of tensions corporate and racial, of childhood trauma and adolescent betrayal, and of the guilt that even forgiveness cannot ease. Most of all, this is a story of the place we carry in us always: home.

Two other novels to read during the lazy days of summer are: Crime Rib by Leslie Budewitz

Food Preneurs, one of the hottest cooking shows on TV, has decided to feature Jewel Bay in an upcoming episode, and everyone in town is preparing for their close-ups, including the crew at the Glacier Mercantile, aka the Merc. Not only is gourmet food market owner Erin Murphy busy remodeling her courtyard into a relaxing dining area, she’s organizing a steak-cooking competition between three of Jewel Bay’s hottest chefs to be featured on the program. But Erin’s plans get scorched when one of the contending cooks is found dead. With all the drama going on behind the scenes, it’s hard to figure out who didn’t have a motive to off the saucy contestant. Now, to keep the town’s reputation from crashing and burning on national television, Erin will have to grill some suspects to smoke out the killer.

Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke

It is 1934 and the Depression is bearing down when sixteen-yearold Weldon Avery Holland happens upon infamous criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow after one of their notorious armed robberies. A confrontation with the outlaws ends as Weldon puts a bullet through the rear window of Clyde’s stolen automobile. Ten years later, Second Lieutenant Weldon Holland and his sergeant, Hershel Pine, escape certain death in the Battle of the Bulge and encounter a beautiful young woman named Rosita Lowenstein hiding in a deserted extermination camp. Eventually, Weldon and Rosita fall in love and marry and, with Hershel, return to Texas to seek their fortunes. There, they enter the domain of jackals known as the oil business. They meet Roy Wiseheart, a former Marine aviator haunted with guilt for deserting his squadron leader over the South Pacific and Roy’s wife Clara, a vicious anti-Semite who is determined to make Weldon and Rosita’s life a nightmare. It will be the frontier justice upheld by Weldon’s grandfather, Texas lawman Hackberry Holland, and the legendary antics of Bonnie and Clyde that shape Weldon’s plans for saving his family from the evil forces that lurk in peacetime America and threaten to destroy them all. Summer 2014 7

summer reading New books to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Montana Territory include a variety of guides, pictorial essays, re-edited histories and books that remind us of the importance of the place we call home. Montana State Parks: Complete Guide & Travel Companion by Erin Madison and Kristen Inbody Montana’s Fifty-five state parks represent a diverse collection of natural areas, historic sites, and fun places where visitors are welcome to hike, camp, fish, swim, boat, photograph, watch wildlife, learn, and explore. Great Falls Tribune reporters Erin Madison and Kristen Inbody visited each park and interviewed park managers, historians, and visitors to provide the most complete and up-to-date information about these remarkable public lands. Special features include: lists of the best parks for camping, boating, hiking, and recreation and best parks for history and natural wonders; and a Smith River essay by Montana novelist Maile Meloy. This is the only guidebook to all the parks, use it to find a favorite park – or take the State Park Challenge and visit them all.

Rough Trip through Yellowstone: The Epic Winter Expedition of Emerson Hough, F. Jay Haynes, and Billy Hofer Edited with an Introduction by Scott Herring

In the winter of 1894, the magazine Forest and Stream sent one of its most talented writers, Emerson Hough, to Yellowstone National Park to document the decline of the bison. The legendary guide Billy Hofer, taught Hough to ski on 12-foot-long wooden slats. Undertaking a tough, 200-mile trip on skis, Hough, Haines and Hofer came up with the best census of the park’s bison and elk that anyone had yet achieved. He witnessed the arrest of notorious poacher Ed Howell and met pioneering photographer F. Jay Haynes. Hough wrote up the expedition in a series of 14 articles. His reporting motivated the United States Congress to pass the anti-poaching Lacey Act and helped turn public opinion against a proposed railroad through the park. Moreover, Hough’s articles are immensely entertaining and he remains one of the wittiest writers ever to describe the park. 8

Crown of the Continent by Steve Gnam

Far from the beaten path for many Americans, our northern Rocky Mountains feature two popular national parks, fertile ranch land, and some of the most unspoiled landscapes in North America. This so-called “Crown of the Continent” is also the largest wildlife corridor in the Lower 48 and remains undivided by highways and cities. Photographer Steven Gnam’s striking photos reveal the region in all its moods, bringing the rugged and lush landscapes, the big megafauna and small critters, the popular recreation and personal lives up close in vivid detail. His images will inspire pride in Crown residents and encourage visitors to dig deeper to create greater public awareness for this American treasure. Complementing Gnam’s remarkable images is an essay by Douglas Chadwick, who explores the Crown’s biodiversity, from wolverines and grizzly bears to marmots and stoneflies, and explains the importance of keeping large areas of wilderness from being divided by human development. Michael Jamison describes recent conservation successes to preserve the way of life in the Crown, and Karsten Heuer’s epilogue encourages continued work to keep the region intact.

Montana: Then and Now by Aaron Parrett

When Montana Territory was established in 1864, it was a land of teepees and ramshackle cabins, of lawless vigilantes and miners scraping out meager livings. One hundred and fifty years later, the dramatic changes to the Treasure State are overshadowed only by the startling similarities. On the occasion of Montana’s 150th territorial anniversary, Aaron Parrett compares where we started with where we are today, and along the way shows us a Montana we never could have previously imagined. From the polarizing politics of the day to the frontier night life and literary scene, it seems that the only things more startling than the differences between these two periods are the similarities.

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John Mullan: The Tumultuous Life of a Western Road Builder by Keith Petersen

John Mullan’s celebrated construction project, a 625-mile link that connected the Missouri and Columbia rivers, established him as an accomplished road builder. After completing the West’s first engineered highway at age thirty-two, he lived for nearly another half century, a period of dynamic change. When he died in 1909, automobiles were making their initial crossings along the route he engineered, and his road eventually became a critical link in America’s longest interstate freeway, I-90. Yet despite frequent mentions in books about the nineteenth century Northwest, the soldier/explorer has remained little more than a caricature: a dashing young Army officer who comes West, builds one of its most important thoroughfares, and then disappears from the region’s literature. Idaho State Historian Keith Petersen takes a fresh look at Mullan’s road, which has significantly impacted the development of the Northwest for more than 150 years. The deeply researched biography also probes Mullan’s complex personality and continues the story, including business partnerships and personal relationships with some of the West’s most intriguing characters including: Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet, General William T. Sherman, Chico founder John Bidwell, Idaho gold discoverer Elias Pierce, and Yakama Indian chief Owhi.

Goliath Staggered: How the People of Highway 12 Conquered Big Oil by Steve Bunk Goliath Staggered is about the grassroots campaign to stop megaloads from crossing the federally protected Highway 12 Wild and Scenic River corridor in Idaho. The so-called “megaloads” controversy mesmerized citizens of the Northwest states before the XL Pipeline debate came to public attention. Several of the world’s biggest oil companies were determined to ship hundreds of gigantic loads of mining equipment to the tar sands of Canada via Highway 12. Big Oil had politicians in its pocket, but grassroots opposition arose, and after three years of confrontations in meeting rooms, the media, the streets and the courts, the citizens won. Bunk, who covered the story as it unfolded for the Missoula-based online journal New West, gives order to the

Life on the Rocks: A Portrait of the American Mountain Goat by Bruce L. Smith

The American mountain goat is one of the most elusive and least familiar species of hoofed mammals in North America. Confined to the remote and rugged mountains of the western United States and Canada, these extraordinary mountaineers are seldom seen or encountered, even by those who patiently study them. Life on the Rocks offers an intimate portrayal of this remarkable animal through the eyes and lens of field biologist and

photographer Bruce Smith. Color photographs and accounts of Smith’s personal experiences living in Montana’s Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area accompany descriptions of the American mountain goat’s natural history. Smith explores their treacherous habitat, which spans the perilous cliffs and crags of the Rocky, Cascade, and Coast mountain ranges. The physical and behavioral adaptations of these alpine athletes enable them to survive a host of dangers, including six-month-long winters, scarce food sources, thunderous avalanches, social strife, and predators like wolves, bears, lions, wolverines, and eagles. Smith also details the challenges these animals face as their territory is threatened by expanding motorized access, industrial activities, and a warming climate.

sequence of events and interplay of strategies, with insights of Lin Laughy, Borg Hendrickson and other participants in the effort. Their victory became an inspiration for the current national grassroots movement against the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. Some of the last people to speak their views were the tribal leaders of the Nez Perce Tribe. Their formal resolution opposed the megaloads and further stated: “If OmegaMorgan proceeds with defying the Forest Service, the Nez Perce Tribe will not interfere with its members’ constitutional rights to lawfully assemble in opposition to the immediate threat of the transport of these two megaloads.” Perhaps the best reason to read Goliath Staggered is to read the words of the tribal leaders Next season will see new books by northwest favorites: Chuck Palahniuk, Molly Gloss, Kim Zupan, Pete Fromm and Garth Stein. Plus there will be a few more 150th celebration histories and a new book on the art of Charles M Russell from the Montana Historical Society Press.

Barbara Theroux is the manager of Fact & Fiction Bookstore in downtown Missoula. Summer 2014

festivals

events statewide offer local flair

Huckleberry Days Arts Festival photo by Whitefish Chamber of Commerce

by stephen youmans

www.montana55.com

River City Roots Festival photo by Leland Buck Whether you’re looking for information for yourself, a friend or a family member, contact us today. Our services: • Information and Assistance • Nutritional Services • Volunteer Opportunities • Transportation • Connections to Social Activities

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festivals

photo courtesy of Sweet Pea Festival

Central Montana

Montana’s population density might decrease east of the Rockies, but the number of local festivals sure doesn’t. If you find yourself in Bozeman on Aug. 1 through 3, you will be just in time for the 37th annual Sweet Pea Festival. “Back in 1978, a group of locals decided there needed to be something to celebrate the arts in the community,” said Andria Huntsinger, executive director of the Sweet Pea Festival. “It’s grown a lot over the years.” The Sweet Pea Festival is an arts show and more. The weekend kicks off on Friday night with a Shakespeare in the Parks performance of Romeo and Juliet. The next morning gets underway with a parade, followed by day-long activities at Lindley Park, which include local theatre and dance troupe performances, workshops, a flower show and over 100 arts and crafts vendors. There will also be a Saturday morning fun run, a juried art show and a beer and wine garden featuring local brews, Huntsinger said. Local flavor will be on display in Havre, when Havre Festival Days gets underway on Sept. 19 through 21. “It is kind of a celebration of the end of summer,” said Debbie Vandeberg, executive director of the Havre Chamber of Commerce. “It provides a lot of activities for a wide breadth of ages.” The festival steps up to the plate on Friday night with a 12

48-hour softball tournament, which runs non-stop for two full days, Vandeberg said. The weekend then continues with a parade, an arts and crafts show, a fun walk and run, and a demolition derby. The Kiwanis will also be holding their annual pancake breakfast, she said, and the library will host a youth book sale. The festival will be tied into the weekly farmer’s market, Vandeberg said, which will be the last market of the season. If you’re looking for something a little earthier, then the Treasure State Fly Wheelers Heritage Festival in Great Falls is probably the place for you. According to Joe Garrity, president of the Treasure State Fly Wheelers, the festival is a celebration of Montana’s agricultural heritage. “We’re just a group of guys and gals who keeps old tractors and engines going,” Garrity said. “We wanted to put on kind of a big show.” The festival is on Sept. 20 and 21, and will include tractor competitions, handcraft demonstrations like butter churning and ice cream making, a car show, equipment demonstrations and concessions. There will also be car jousting, Garrity said, where jousters attempt to skewer rings with lances while leaning out the passenger-side window of a moving car. It promises to be a fun-filled weekend, he said. “We hope it will be a big event,” Garrity said.

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Summer 2014

festivals Eastern Montana

If you are looking for festivals in Big Sky Country, you would be remiss if you neglected the eastern reaches of the state. The Richland County Fair and Rodeo barrels out of the chute Aug. 3 through 9 in Sidney, and is sure to be a highlight of the summer. According to Marissa Berling, administrative assistant for the Sidney Chamber of Commerce, Richland County Fair week is packed with activities the whole family can enjoy. There will be a nightly PRCA rodeo, she said, which will incorporate a Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night. “At the rodeo, for every individual who wears pink, we donate a dollar to breast cancer,” Berling said. Pink clothing can be purchased at nearby concession stands, she said. Along with agricultural displays and carnival rides, the fair will include a monster truck rally, motocross and laser tag, Berling said, as well as daily entertainment provided by the Yampa Valley Boys. If town pride and Canadian bagpipe bands are more your style than Ferris wheels and bucking broncos, you should make your way to Glasgow on Sept. 12 and 13 for the Glasgow

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Get out under that Big Sky; Montana has a festival for you

Homecoming Festival. The Saskatoon Police Pipe Band will be descending on the town to help celebrate Glasgow High School’s homecoming, said Lisa Olk, executive director of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. The pipe band will play during the parade on Friday afternoon, Olk said, and again at halftime during the big game when the Scotties take on the Baker Spartans. On Saturday morning the pipe band will tune up for a full day of performing, and then the weekend will culminate with an event not to be missed. “We have our famous pub crawl,” Olk said. “Ten local bars sponsor the pipe band to play for 30 to 45 minutes per bar.” The bagpipes play into the night, she said, not falling silent around 2 a.m. “Every bar is packed,” Olk said. “It’s a huge event.” If music is your thing, then Miles City is your place. The Miles City Music on Wings Bluegrass Festival takes the

stage on Sept. 19 through 21. There will be an open stage on Friday night, said Festival Chairwoman Gloria Tucker, but the festival will begin in earnest on Saturday at 10 a.m., when the six featured bands will rotate every hour throughout the day. The festival will then wrap up on Sunday, when each band performs one set each, she said. This year’s lineup features Special Concessions, Monroe Crossing, High Plains Tradition, The WoodPicks, Bluegrass for Breakfast, and Milestown. “It’s just a lot of jamming,” Tucker said. Montana’s charm is found not only in its scenic splendor, but in its local cultures and communities, as well. So get out under that Big Sky; no matter where you are or what you like, Montana has a festival for you. Stephen Youmans is a journalism student at the University of Montana.

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with seniors

Summertime in Montana is synonymous with being on the water. Whether it’s getting out in a boat you’ve owned for years, looking at buying or upgrading to something new, or picking out a boat for the whole family to enjoy, the water sports industry has something for everyone. Dustin Bretz reminded all boat owners to take a few routine maintenance steps each time they launch a new season on the water. Bretz is the co-owner and manager of Bretz RV and Marine in Billings, which also has a location in Missoula. Whether the boat has an inboard or outboard motor, it was likely winterized using antifreeze, which needs to be drained and properly stored. “Often, people will have left the battery in over the winter, which can cause problems if it froze,” he said. Beyond that, an owner needs to make sure the

oil is changed and the steering, pumps and seals are serviced every few years to make sure nothing is broken or leaking. “Then you get to the fun part, making sure you have all your fun stuff in the boat and ready to go, whether it’s fishing, tubing, coolers or wakeboards,” he said. Around the Billings area, Bretz said there are three very popular locations he sends people to if they want to get out on the water, including the Fort Peck and Tongue River reservoirs. His own personal favorite is the Yellowtail Reservoir in Bighorn Canyon, south of Billings. “It’s the biggest-kept secret in Montana. It was originally slated to become a national park, but ended up being designated a national recreation area. Seventy miles of sheer red rock canyon walls, it’s like the Grand Canyon filled with water,” he said. Bretz said the type of boats his older customers are buying has changed significantly in recent years. “It was a lot of fishing or maybe a ski boat that a couple would have. Today, that 55 and older crowd seems much younger,” he said. These days, it’s just as likely those customers come in for a high-performance pontoon boat, something large enough they can take their kids and grandkids out with them.

Bighorn Canyon photo by Larry Mayer

by dillon kato

www.montana55.com

Flathead Lake photo by Kurt Wilson/Missoulian

“They want to be able to tow wakeboards and tubers and have a lot of people having fun with them,” Bretz said. He said he’s also seen a rise in the popularity of wakesurfing, where a rider is pulled behind a boat to get up to speed, then releases the rope and rides the wake like they are surfing. Bretz said some of his clients in their 50s and 60s, who were wakeboarding or slalom skiing 10 years ago stopped because it hurt when they fell, but have been drawn to wakesurfing. “It’s become the sport that anybody can do, because you’re only going about 10 miles per hour,” he said.

n western Montana, Flathead Lake is in the midst of its busiest time of year. Dane Hollinger, owner of Bigfork Water Sports in Woods Bay, said by mid-June his fleet of rental boats was already booked for weeks in advance. Hollinger said his older customers typically like the bigger pontoon boats, so they can bring their family out with them. He has boats that can have as many as 16 people on them, and can be loaded up so a family can cruise around the lake all day. “They will pack a couple of coolers and do a ring around the lake,” he said. Even those big boats, because they travel relatively slowly, are easy for people who’ve never ridden in a boat

before to learn to drive. There are also plenty of non-motorized ways Montanans have fun on the water. said Mike Gianos, a water sports salesperson with Sportsman and Ski Haus in Whitefish. “Up in Whitefish, it’s a nice retiree zone. People come in who have a bit of extra money, and they want something to stay active or do with the family,” he said. He said the most popular activity in the last few years has been stand-up paddleboards. “It works pretty much for everybody because it’s such low impact, you don’t have to, say, get in and out of the inside of a kayak, which can be hard for some people,” Gianos said. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of people who like canoes and kayaks, too. Sportsman and Ski Haus sells special sit-on-top kayaks that are open, commonly called sea kayaks. Gianos said they are much easier for families and younger kids to use safely, and can still be easily loaded onto a car. “One of the beautiful things is within 50 minutes of here, there’s 50 different lakes,” Gianos said. Dillon Kato is a Missoulian reporter. He can be reached at dillon.kato@missoulian.com. Summer 2014

ross creek cedars

getaway Location: 29 miles south of Troy or 20 miles north of Noxon on Highway 56 Distance/Duration: .9-mile graded interpretative trail, handicapped-accessible, loops through the 100-acre grove; other trails lead deeper into the cedar forest. Difficulty: Easy. fs.usda. gov/recarea/kootenai/ recreation/picnickinginfo/ recarea/?recid66084&actid70

stroll among giants

by rob chaney

www.montana55.com

some of the trees testify to the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former popularity with trappers, who placed their sets in the trunks for weasels and fishers. Underfoot, the rainforest conditions foster between 5,000 and 6,000 species of moss and lichen. Only about 1,600 of them are named and classified in scientific literature. While most visitors come in summer, Ross Creek is also popular with cross-country skiers who glide up the 4-mile entrance road to the grove. Given the tremendous amounts of snow this area attracts, such winter excursions are possible until surprisingly late in spring some years. The parking area has picnic sites and vault toilets, but no camping is allowed. A .9-mile interpretive trail loops through the first part of the grove, with smaller trails heading deeper into the wilderness. Front-country campers can find a spot at the Bad Medicine Forest Service campground along Bull Lake, just north of the Ross Creek entrance road.

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Summer 2014

crystal lake

getaway Location: Lindbergh Lake or Beaver Creek roads north of Seeley Lake, in the Mission Mountains Wilderness Distance/Duration: 2-4 miles one way, depending on choice of trail, with 4-mile canoe option. Day hike or overnight backpack experience. Difficulty: Moderate. Two trails descend 500 vertical feet to lake from trailhead, while third route starts with 4-mile boat approach over Lindbergh Lake followed by 2-mile hike.

choose your own adventure

CONDON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Crystal Lake holds the unusual distinction of having three trails to choose from â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all with different challenges, but all leading into the Mission Mountains Wilderness. Option No. 1 takes off from Beaver Creek Road, just after the Summit Lake overlook on Highway 83 north of Seeley Lake. It takes four miles of hiking to reach your destination. Option No. 2 starts off Lindbergh Lake Road, up the Meadow-Bunyon

road spur. This trail travels just two miles, but it does so at a considerably steeper grade. By the way, both routes have the further oddity of being a descent to a mountain lake. You do your climbing on the way home. The third option requires a boat to travel the four miles of Lindbergh Lake, before taking a gentle creekgrade trail two miles to the upper lake. This route allows the heaviest packs and least damage to aging knees, assuming you have access to a boat. However you arrive, Crystal Lake offers a beautiful basin with a sheeting waterfall covering much of the glacially carved cliff face at its far western end. Its foot has a line of island trees that drain its

by rob chaney

www.montana55.com

overflow like a leaky dam. This makes it very wet to get to the opposite shore, should you decide you chose the wrong entry route. Old social trails lead up both long sides to the head of the lake, but don’t expect them to be in any passable condition. Adventure-seekers hoping to get a closer look at the waterfall or to penetrate on to Lost and High Park lakes farther up the basin will find a troublesome swamp around most of the base of that cliff. It’s better, although totally unmarked, to bushwhack along the glacial moraine ridges above either shore to reach the upper basin. Hardy anglers report the struggle is worth the effort.

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bighorn canyon

getaway Location: Access to the park is through Fort Smith and Lovell, Wyoming. Trail maps are available at the Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center in Lovell. Distance: Located on the east side of Highway 37 about five miles from the park entrance north of Lovell, the State Line Trail is a 1-mile out-and-back hike through rocks, sage and cactus to the canyon rim. Difficulty: The hike is easy, though proper footwear and water are recommended.

always a surprise

FORT SMITH – The problem with Bighorn Canyon is that it’s not supposed to be here, at least in visitors’ expectations. If you can picture stumbling across a twisting 1,000-foot chasm by accident, then you can imagine this southeastern Montana landmark. Everything about Bighorn Canyon is a surprise, from its rich human history to its geologic wonders. More than 570 million years of the Earth’s history is exposed in the canyon’s walls, including sediments laid down by volcanic forces and large inland seas.

The human history is equally rich. Native peoples have known this area for 12,000 years. Early trappers and traders, including Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith, used an overland route along the canyon to transport furs to St. Louis. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers a variety of options for hikers and sightseers. It can be as wild as it was at the beginning of time. It can also be tame, thanks to paved overlooks and public restrooms offering modern accommodations. The park offers 27 miles of designated trails and a number of campsites. The popular State Line Trail sits north of the Wyoming border, offering an easy one-mile hike through arid country to the canyon rim.

by martin kidson

www.montana55.com

In contrast, the Two Eagle Trail offers more on the side of history. It circles the remnants of campsites that sheltered indigenous hunters 1,000 years ago. Old tepee rings reflect a style commonly used by the Crow people who called this area home before the close of the 19th century. The views throughout the park are spectacular, as is the summer heat. And while the canyon commands attention, there’s plenty here worthy of a visit, regardless of your abilities.

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Summer 2014

food safety

myths revealed

by alisha johnson

Summer has finally arrived and it’s time to stretch our legs and take our favorite eats outside. But as we picnic, barbecue, camp and backpack, let’s make sure that we keep food safety in mind.

To kick off this season, let’s go through and dispel some popular food safety myths to keep your summer the safest it can be.

Myth 1: It’s gotta be the mayonnaise.

It never fails. Whenever there’s a report about illness and potato salad, inevitably there’s someone who points the finger at the popular spread. About 60 years ago, the mayo could very well be the villain. Then, it was made with raw eggs. Couple that with people not keeping it cold enough, and bugs like salmonella ruined picnics better than a troop of ants. Since then, companies have learned how to make their product safer by using pasteurized eggs and adding “acidifying agents” like lemon juice and vinegar. Today, when illnesses are linked to potato salad, the culprit is more likely contaminated onions or improperly cooled potatoes than the maligned spread gluing them together.

Myth 2: It’s vegetarian, so it’s fine.

I can tell you from personal experience – an event that I refer to as the “Tofu-pocalypse of 2003” – that this isn’t true. But I don’t need to tell you a messy story to convince you that vegetarian dishes deserve just as much care as the rest, all I need are numbers. 24

food safety In the past decade, more food-borne illnesses have been associated with produce than meat, seafood, eggs or dairy. In fact, almost half illnesses between 1998 and 2007 were linked to produce. Further, the deadliest outbreak in U.S. history was from cantaloupe in 2011, when 147 people became sick and 33 people died. This outbreak not only pointed out the importance of produce controls, but also the importance of food safety as we get older and our immune systems weaken. When the cantaloupe investigation was complete, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the majority of the 147 affected were older than 60 and all those who died were older than 48, with the median age being 81. Young or old, any food can be dangerous, and while it may be tough to believe that beans, grains, fruit, vegetables and soy products can be as risky as a hamburger, one thing to keep in mind is that if the food is nutritious for us, it’s also nutritious for harmful bacteria. We have to keep these items cold or hot to prevent bacteria from growing.

Myth 3: Hand sanitizer will save the day.

While hand sanitizer gives some pathogens the one-two punch, it may lose the battle with some food-borne illnesses. The most common food-borne illness in the U.S. – the “24 hour stomach flu” – is one that isn’t knocked out by hand sanitizer. This illness, which despite its nickname is not the flu at all, is most often caused by a pathogen called norovirus. The resistance of this pathogen to alcohol-based sanitizers is one of many reasons why washing hands with soap and warm water is still the best method of protection. That isn’t to say however that hand sanitizers aren’t effective against a lot of pathogens, but it does mean that whenever possible, use them in addition to hand washing. Now, while we are out barbecuing or camping a sink may not be readily accessible, but you can set up a gravity-fed sink using either a bucket or beverage dispenser filled with heated water. Additionally, find ways of minimizing food handling in order to prevent contamination. Myth 4: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Yes, there is a bit of truth to that statement. A world without bacteria is a bad thing, and studies do show that exposure to potential pathogens keeps our immune system strong and active. That being said, I think everyone would agree that there’s a limit. In a nutshell, while some illnesses are brief and mild like the common cold, there are other illnesses out there that can cause severe complications. In the food-borne illness world, pathogens like E. coli, listeria and salmonella can cause complications that may lead to hospitalization, kidney problems, systemic infections, miscarriages and even death. Taking precautions against illnesses like these is not being weak; it’s being smart, and now more than ever precautions are important. As I mentioned before, our immune systems weaken as we age. That means that the illnesses we were able to fight 26

off when we were younger become more difficult to beat. As we get on in years, we need to err on the side of caution and change our mantra to what didn’t kill us then, could very well kill us now. Myth 5: Eating a rare burger is fine if ... There so many endings to this sentence that I am just gonna dive right in with the words: Jack in the Box. As the grills roll out, we need to remember the outbreak that changed food safety in this country. In 1993, more than 750 people became sick and four kids died due to undercooked burgers. This outbreak brought us face to face with E.coli and made proper cooking a food safety the focus like never before. As a food safety educator, I get asked a lot about why it’s safer to eat a rare steak than a rare burger and if grinding meat from a grass-fed cow changes anything. The truth is the moment you grind it, undercooking is off the table. The reason is this: The bacteria found in the cow’s intestine can be transferred to meat during the slaughtering and butchering process. These bacteria, invisible to the naked eye, stay on the surfaces of whole cuts of meat until it is mechanically changed by injection, tenderizing, orgrinding. With a steak, the bacteria are on the outside of the meat and are killed when the surface is cooked. With a burger however, the bacteria are mixed throughout. This principle still applies when your grind your own burger regardless of whether the cow was grass-fed. You simply can’t get around the fact that any cow could have dangerous bacteria that you can’t see and the only way to know if a burger is safe is to cook it. Now I’m not saying we should live in a bubble, but I am saying that “living a little” doesn’t mean living recklessly. The good thing is that precautions are simple. • Wash your hands before eating and preparing food, and definitely wash hands after handling raw animal products. • Keep your cold foods cold and hot foods hot, including all those vegetarian dishes. • Don’t let foods sit out for longer than two hours. • Cook your foods thoroughly and check with a thermometer. • Pre-chill ingredients for items like potato salad, so the dish starts off cold. • Promptly chill any leftovers. • Ensure your food surfaces are clean. • Keep raw animal products separate from ready-to-eat items like produce. Now that’s a recipe for a safe summer. Alisha Johnson is a food safety educator and inspector with the Missoula City-County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division and can be reached at 2583341 or at ajohnson@co.missoulian.mt.us.

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Summer 2014

still home

list offers ways to prevent injury

It is difficult to be a caregiver for a loved one or even for yourself. It has been a challenge to come up with the best way to remain independent in the home, and to lessen the possibility of falls and other injuries. Home Instead, a senior care network, has developed a checklist for caregivers and seniors to evaluate their homes on potential risks. The Home Instead network did research and found that for people 60 years and older, 33

percent of trips to the hospital are from falls. But when they surveyed more than 600 seniors, 85 percent of them said that they do not have their home prepared for any kinds of hazards. “We see people time and time again who want to stay at home, but don’t know the ways that they can do that,” said Denise Krueger, the owner of Home Instead Missoula. The checklist covers several rooms and what to look for in the way of problems – and how they can be fixed. “One thing that we would recommend most of all is for people to get rid of their throw rugs,” said Krueger. They have found that the throw rugs can be a huge tripping hazard. They found that reducing clutter, providing more mobility options within the home and finding more accessible areas for everyday items can reduce many of the problems that people can face. The senior can look over the potential risks themselves or they can have a loved one,

by samantha cheney

www.montana55.com

caregiver or professional help them find potential problems within the home. Home Instead is an international organization focusing on helping seniors who want to continue to live in their homes as they age. The website it a great place to find resources, but much of the time they have local branches as well. In Missoula, they are able to provide a caregiver network for varying degrees of needs. Some people just need companionship, while others may need help getting dressed and bathing and some need their food delivered to them.” “We are able to provide a wide ride of options for

people who need it.” They also created a list called “5 Fixes under $500” to help people that want an inexpensive way to stay at home and install things that could ultimately save lives. “We want people to feel like they can be safe and comfortable in their own homes.” Krueger says that it is never too early or too late to get the home prepared for what is going to happen. “It is better to be prepared before someone breaks a hip. It is better to be proactive than reactive.” To learn more about the Senior Care Checklist or Home Instead, visit their website at www.homeinstead. com or call at 406-523-9909.

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skin care

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www.montana55.com

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skin care

An important area to apply sunscreen, especially in men, is the ears, as certain types of skin cancer on the ears are more likely to metastasize than other parts of the body, Reck said.

he most common type of cancer is basal cell carcinoma. While it is far less deadly than other forms of cancer, it can cause permanent damage and disfigurement, especially around the face. Reck said around 20 percent of white Americans will develop basal cell carcinoma. The most common treatment is a fairly straightforward surgical operation to cut the cancerous tissue out. “Cutting out a basal cell carcinoma is not like having bypass surgery. It takes about an hour, but you’ll have a nice scar to remember it by,” Reck said. For cancers that are in a particularly visible area like the face, surgeons can use an advanced technique called Mohs micrographic surgery. This allows them to more precisely locate the cancer during the operation, which can minimize the scar tissue left behind and decrease the chance of a recurrence in the cancer. One of the most serious skin issues is melanoma, which causes the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. White males over the age of 50 are the highest risk group for developing melanoma, Reck said. In the United States, someone dies of melanoma every hour, and the rates have been going up every year. It’s very important to catch melanoma early. If found in the early stage, the five-year cure rate is 98 percent, Reck said. If it is able to metastasize, the survival rate is only 16 percent. Early warning signs include a mole that has 32

become abnormal. Asymmetry, border irregularity, change in color or increase in size are all signs that something needs to be looked at, Reck said. If a person is concerned about something on their skin, they should see a doctor. Unlike some types of specialists, most dermatologists do not require a person to have a referral, although Reck said many people start with a primary care physician.

part from the serious issue of skin cancer, Reck said many seniors also struggle with dry skin, especially in a dry climate like Montana. Some types of medications, including those for cholesterol problems, can compound problems with dry skin. One thing the doctor tells older people is that when they shower, they do not need to use soap everywhere, as it dries the skin. “Soap separates oil from our skin, and as we get older we produce less oils,” Reck said. Dry skin can be very uncomfortable and itchy, especially in the winter, and can lead to cracked skin that can become infected or inflamed. For patients, especially women, Reck recommends using a moisturizing lotion with sunscreen in it year round, and to apply it right after getting out of the bath or shower. A person who has had a skin condition, or even some form of skin cancer can, by improving their prevention habits, have their skin heal itself to a certain extent. Reck said it’s never too late to make positive changes and live the type of lifestyle you want. Dillon Kato is a Missoulian reporter. He can be reached at dillon.kato@missoulian.com.

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Summer 2014

arthritis

strategies

Arthritis is one of the side effects of getting older, but a Montana doctor says there are simple steps to be taken that can reduce the effects of arthritis or help improve the lives of those people with joint pain and stiffness. Dr. Irene Lohkamp, a family medicine doctor with 25 years of experience at Billings Clinic who also specializes in geriatrics, said some level of arthritis is unavoidable as people age. More than 50 percent of adults have some arthritis symptoms, with the most common areas being the weight-bearing joints like the knee, hip and back. “It’s damage to the joint, and just walking on a joint over time is damaging to a joint,” she said. Even so, there are steps that can be taken to help prevent and lessen the effect of arthritis. One of the factors besides age that can cause arthritis is obesity, Lohkamp said. The excess weight a person is carrying around causes excess wear and tear on their joints. Where once the common arthritis issues were in people like farmers and ranchers who had spent much of their lives lifting heavy weights and doing very physical work, now many of the people the doctor sees with arthritis pain also have problems with their own weight, putting more strain on joints during their everyday lives. While many patients tire of hearing it, Lohkamp said one of the best ways to prevent serious arthritis problems is as simple as diet and exercise. “If folks are overweight, even 15 pounds can make a noticeable difference in how your knees feel,” she said.

hile arthritis pain might affect people to a greater or lesser degree, Lohkamp said the problem is when it begins to diminish a person’s functionality. That’s usually the stage when someone seeks a doctor’s help. Being responsive to the problem earlier on could help people adjust their lifestyle to have less pain down the road, Lohkamp said. “People don’t think of arthritis as being serious, like a heart attack or a stroke. They just think of it as an ache and a pain,” she said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call arthritis the leading cause of disability in America. It can also further complicate other health issues a person

by dillon kato

www.montana55.com

is facing. “For example, if you have arthritis so bad you aren’t walking, it can complicate diabetes and heart disease,” Lohkamp said. When a person comes into her office with arthritis pain, she said one of the common routes is to send them to physical therapy. There, therapists do a full evaluation of the person’s joints, then teach them about what exercises are helpful for them, and set them up with an exercise regime. Lohkamp said most insurance coverage can pay for therapy for arthritis pain. When a person’s joints hurt, their instinct is to try not to move them as much. This is the wrong approach, Lohkamp said. By strengthening the muscles around a joint, it will take more pressure away and reduce the pain. Another thing therapists will do is recommend a cane. Especially with knee pain, a well-fitted cane being used correctly can take a lot of weight off of the joint. “But you would be surprised at how negatively some people respond to being talked to about using a cane,” Lohkamp said. Many people with mild arthritis pain use over-the-

counter medications to help them. Lohkamp recommended topical creams, many of them capsaicin-based, that can be used on the joints without much fat and muscle around them, like the hands or sometimes the knee. This can be used in conjunction with common acetaminophen-based pain medication, Lohkamp said. Surgery solutions to arthritis are reserved for people who have, as Lohkamp put it, “bone on bone.” Ultimately, that solution requires that the damaged joint is taken out and completely replaced. As always, Lohkamp said, people should consult with their primary care physicians on what their different treatment options are. Except in more serious cases like rheumatoid arthritis, where inflammation is destroying a joint and a specialist is required, most arthritis help can be done with a family doctor. Most importantly, Lohkamp stressed that people do what they can now, including remaining active and trying to avoid excessive weight or trauma to the joint, to lower the problems with arthritis pain as they age. Dillon Kato is a Missoulian reporter. He can be reached by email at dillon.kato@missoulian.com.

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elder abuse

vulnerable population victim of neglect, abuse

Did you know that every day 10,000 people turn 65 in the United States? According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that trend is going to continue for nearly the next 20 years. At the same time this population is growing, we know that a startling number of elders face abusive conditions. Every year an estimated 5 million older Americans are victims of abuse, neglect or exploitation. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only part of the picture. Experts believe that for every case of elder

abuse or neglect reported, about 24 cases go unreported. The U.S. census predicts that by 2015 Montana will have the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth-oldest population and that by 2025, 25 percent of Montana will be 65 or older. By 2030, the number is expected to double. Last year in Montana, Adult Protective Services investigated 6,291 cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation of our vulnerable adults, which included the elderly, disabled and intellectually disabled. This was an increase of 5 percent over the previous year, and these are just the reported cases. That is why it is so important that everyone act to protect seniors and other vulnerable adults in our communities. Most incidents of elder abuse donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen in nursing homes and other residential settings. Occasionally, there are

by michael hagenlock

www.montana55.com

90 percent of elder abuse is perpetrated by a relative, most often an adult child, spouse, partner or other caregivers. shocking reports of staff who abuse residents in their care, or of a resident who physically or sexually abuses another resident. Although such abuse does occur, the majority of older people living in nursing homes and other residential settings have their physical and emotional needs met without experiencing abuse or neglect. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, 90 percent of the abuse is perpetrated by a relative, most often an adult child, spouse, partner or other caregivers. AARP reports that elders throughout the United States have lost an estimated $2.6 billion or more due to financial abuse and exploitation. According to the NCEA, about 14 million adults age 65 or older and 19 million adults ages 18 to 64 have a disability.

Regrettably, these vulnerable adults are also abused by family members, service providers, care assistance and others. There is no single pattern of elder abuse. Sometimes, elder abuse is a continuation of long-standing patterns of violence and physical, emotional or financial abuse within the family. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just older adults who have poor physical health or cognitive impairments who are vulnerable to abuse. Older individuals who are frail, alone or depressed as well as those with a physical disability, intellectual disability or mental illness are vulnerable as well. Even those who do not have these obvious risk factors can find themselves in abusive situations and relationships. Elder abuse does not discriminate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it affects older men and women across

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elder abuse resources In Montana, resources are available to assist people with these difficult issues. You can learn more by calling the toll-free Elder Help Line at 1-800-551-3191, which connects you directly to the Area Agency on Aging nearest you. In Missoula County, resource specialists at Missoula Aging Services can assist you; reach them at 728-7682.

all socioeconomic groups, cultures, races and ethnicities. Sometimes, older adults harm themselves through self-neglect; for example, not eating or not going to the doctor for needed care. Compulsive hoarding, and alcohol or drug abuse can also be forms of self-neglect. One of the most difficult problems family members face is achieving a balance between respecting an older adult’s autonomy and intervening before self-neglect becomes dangerous. In Montana, resources are available to assist people with these difficult issues. You can learn more by calling the toll-free Elder Help Line at 1-800-551-3191, which connects you directly to the Area Agency on Aging nearest you. In Missoula County, resource specialists at Missoula Aging Services can assist you; reach them at 728-7682. Elder abuse, like other forms of violence, is never an acceptable response to any problem or situation, however stressful. Effective interventions can prevent or stop elder abuse. Increasing awareness among physicians,

mental health professionals, home health care workers and others who provide services to older adults and family members can help break patterns of abuse or neglect, and both the person experiencing the abuse and the abuser can receive needed help. Adult Protective Services is calling on all Montanans to take a stand and raise public awareness about elder abuse. We can provide information, tools and resources to support efforts to shed light on the importance of preventing, identifying and responding to this serious, often hidden public health problem. Remember, it only takes one individual, one action, to make a difference. To learn more about these issues and services available visit DPHHS-Senior and Long Term Care at dphhs.mt.gov/sltc/index. shtml or the National Center on Elder Abuse at ncea.aoa.gov. Michael Hagenlock, a licensed clinical social worker and licensed addition counselor, is bureau chief of Adult Protective Services for the state of Montana.

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computer

hackers The risks are so widespread that two-thirds of 3,110 respondents to a Consumer Reports survey said they do nothing to protect themselves — the apathetic result of what experts call data-breach fatigue from the seemingly nonstop parade of high-profile hacking of customer records at Target, Neiman Marcus, Adobe and others. Bad move. “The most effective defense against an international onslaught of shadowy hackers is a wellinformed and vigilant individual,” notes Consumer Reports.

5 Things You Should Start Doing Today to Protect Yourself From Hackers

1. Don’t share anything you don’t have to.

That includes your Social Security number at the doctor’s office or on medical forms (if needed, your insurer can provide it); where you live, work, shop or vacation on social media; or any personal or financial information in phone calls or emails you do not initiate.

2. Monitor your financial life.

Don’t rely solely on monthly statements from your bank or credit card companies; check account activity online or by phone at least weekly for quick indicators of fraud. Also, do what many Americans don’t: Access your free credit reports every four months at AnnualCreditReport.com.

3. Protect your technology.

Janice from Havre contacted our office with this question:

Q: I am one of the 1.3 million people whose information was compromised as a result of the recent hacking of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services server. Aside from signing up for the free credit monitoring and insurance that the state is offering to the victims of the data breach, what other things can I do to protect myself in the future? A: Unfortunately falling victim to online hackers is becoming increasingly inevitable. About 432 million online accounts belonging to 110 million Americans — roughly half of all adults — were hacked in cyberattacks during the past year, according to new findings by the Ponemon Institute, a data-collection research firm. 40

In addition to using strong and different passwords on different accounts and on all electronic devices, change them frequently (take note, smartphone users). Take an extra step, too, by checking for updates on security software, just in case not all are automatic.

4. Be a smart shopper.

Use a credit card over a debit card when shopping online, traveling, at the gas station and most everywhere else. Never shop (or do any financial transaction, including checking banking or credit card accounts) on public WiFi networks. And when online shopping (ideally from a secure home account), always try to type website addresses yourself; relying on links in emails, advertisements or online searches can take you to a scammer-run site or download malware to your computer. When using your smartphone to shop, use retailers’ dedicated apps, rather than your phone’s browser.

5. Be skeptical.

Those “Dear Customer” emails from retailers with which you do business? They’re likely bogus (they have your name, but do they have your email?), so don’t click on their links. And even with a personalized email, before clicking, hover your computer mouse over the link and you should see a full website address. If it’s not what appears

by stacia dahl, aarp montana

www.montana55.com

in an email-offered link, assume you’re being directed to a scammer-run website or about to download malware. Don’t trust emails, text messages or phone calls that ask you to confirm recent transactions (legitimate retail sites will send an order confirmation, usually with instructions on how to track the delivery of your purchase, but they will not ask for confirmation). Also beware of “warnings” from your bank asking you to confirm your account; look up the phone number yourself if you’re worried. The best defense against hackers? You! If you’ve been scammed, notify local law enforcement and the Montana Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection at 800-481-6896 or via e-mail at contactocp@ mt.gov. You may also contact the AARP Foundation Fraud Fighter Center at 877-908-3360. Go to the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/ FraudWatchNetwork to find out more about prevention of scams and fraud or to sign up for “Watchdog Alerts.” Do you have a question for AARP Montana? Send your question to “Ask AARP Montana” at MTAARP@aarp. org or 30 W 14th St., Helena, MT 59601 or call our toll-free hotline at 866-295-7278. As we receive questions, we will consult with both internal and external experts to provide timely and valuable advice.

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real estate

repair or replace?

Owning a home is a true labor of love. There are always chores and jobs on the “to do” list. Some of us enjoy puttering around our house to make sure that the filters are changed, the windows are washed and the faucets aren’t leaking. What has become harder to figure out is whether something that has broken should be fixed or replaced.

I am fairly stubborn and optimistic at the same time, so I usually try the former option first. If at all possible, I look for parts to replace or try to use a part that isn’t totally broken. Is it worth it? Should I just go buy a new item, should I fix it or should I call someone to come in and take a look? I grew up in a sturdy home built in the 1950s. My father proudly told the story of visiting with the builder as he was working on our home. The builder was an immigrant who, with his son, built many of the homes in our neighborhood. As I was growing up, I would follow my father around the house as he pointed out certain beams in the garage and stonework painstakingly placed in the front. My father was a chemist and later a mathematician, so the building trades were certainly not his

by joy earls

www.montana55.com

Just a couple of years later, we found ourselves in the same situation. The blind was hanging at an angle halfway down the window hopelessly frozen. After climbing on ladders with one of us holding the top and the other maneuvering the bottom, we took it down. We laid it on the dining table, looked inside at the mechanism as one of us held on and tried to move it up or down. We almost had it tackled when the string disappeared inside. This battle of humans over parts and pieces wasn’t over yet. Sadly, the parts were plastic and the pieces were coming apart. The table was covered with needle-nose pliers, screwdriver sets, tweezers and a notepad in case one of us thought of a better idea. As tensions rose, my husband was muttering mild profanities about pre-molded plastic and maniacal mechanisms not made to last. Finally we calmed down, moved another blind that works to the window we use more frequently and this broken one was relegated to the back room. Our conclusion, which is becoming more frequent, is that this item was not made to be repaired. It is hard for me to accept, which is why I keep trying to repair rather than replace. My father nourished my interests in not only homeownership, but also in taking an active role in maintenance. I think he would have a hard time today deciding to replace broken things rather than repair them. I still try to save aluminum foil and hang my clothes on the line whenever I can, but more often I am realizing that I will save time and money by replacing rather than repairing. Over the years when I visited my dad, I would go through the house and try to fix things. Often, I was on the phone with my husband as he was giving me directions. Sometimes, when it was just impossible, I arranged repairs when my dad might not notice. My father enjoyed and lived in the same home for the rest of his years without calling in another repairman. The future doesn’t look the same for me, but I will keep trying. Joy Earls is a broker/owner of Joy Earls Real Estate. She can be reached at 531-9811 or at joyearls@joyearls.com.

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background. He had such respect for the work and watched the process carefully, which I gathered from his walks with me around our house. My parents were children of the Depression. We reused aluminum foil that was stored in a kitchen drawer overflowing with rubber bands saved from newspapers. We were possibly the last people I knew to have a refrigerator with an icebox the size of a mailbox. My parents never owned a dryer, so our clothes were either in the basement during the winter or freeze drying on the line. On weekends, there were always chores around the house. Even the best built home, over time, needs repairs with a house full of children. I remember my dad changing the electric element in the oven more than once. I can still see him preparing cement mix to repair the back steps. And I can hear his voice calling up from the basement as he checked the fuses to see if the lights came on wherever he told me to stand and watch. He must have been working on something electrical and was seeing if it was working again. I don’t think that I was much help. But I did rake leaves and shovel snow. And I know now that I was paying more attention to what he was doing than I thought. I honestly don’t remember someone coming in to fix anything in our home. Although now that I am thinking about it, I remember a plumber coming in, after living there for 40 years. My father just couldn’t believe that something could be wrong with the plumbing and, even more, that there was someone he had to pay to fix a problem with his home. When I became a homeowner, this was the only attitude I knew. If something broke, I would try to figure out how to fix it. Luckily, I married someone in the building trades, so I have an easy call when something around the house breaks. But we still have the same questions about when it’s time to replace something rather than fix it. Yesterday, we finally decided we were tired of fighting with one of our “stringless blinds” that miraculously pop up and down to open and close. The first time it broke, it was under warranty, so we only had to pay for shipping and handling and wait six months before it was in place again.

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Summer 2014

long-term care

I had a statistics professor fond of saying, “If you torture a number long enough it’ll tell you anything.” Statistics can be used to support any issue if properly framed or manipulated. Here’s one such statistic: the average American will spend three months in a nursing home at a total cost of around $21,000. So, depending on your perspective, that might be good news in that we only need to sock away $21,000 for such an event, or if your glass is

ways to plan for payment

half empty it means good grief! Actually, the true average is far less because the numbers are skewed by the small fraction of Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease or other long term care (LTC) needs that may require a decade of support. And it’s these rare cases that require us to have a LTC plan in place. At an average nursing home cost of $7,000 per month, a five year stay totals $420,000, ouch. Once we get past the numbers, the only fact that matters is that we all need a LTC plan, but what are our options? Well, there are four. First, we buy LTC insurance if we can qualify and afford it. Second, we self-insure or pay for LTC costs with our savings. Third, we pay for LTC costs ourselves until our assets

by steve darty

www.montana55.com

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Providing Quality In-Home Care Throughout Montana With experience, training and knowledge as a guide, our homecare providers understand how to make everyday a good day. are depleted, then rely on Medicaid to cover the rest. Finally, we can create a plan to transfer assets out of our name, allowing us to qualify for Medicaid without having to liquidate our assets. The gist of this fourth option is converting our assets from “countable” assets to exempt assets at least five years prior to applying for Medicaid and then legally protecting those assets from Medicaid recovery after our death.

Medicaid eligibility & spend down provision

Medicaid is the payer of last resort when it comes to LTC, so the eligibility requirements are strict for both asset levels and monthly income. In Montana, exempt assets may include our home if its value is less than $543,000 for singles, but homes are exempt if there’s a spouse or dependents living in the home. One car, most

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long-term care of our personal belongings and household goods, term life insurance, whole life policies with a cash value less than $1,500, and pre-paid funeral expenses are all exempt as are our pets, though it appalls me they feel the need to even mention our pets. There are also certain types of annuities and notes payable that may be exempt. All other assets are “countable” and for a single person to qualify for Medicaid, those countable assets cannot exceed $2,000. For married couples, the rules become dizzying. Medicaid labels the spouse in the nursing home the institutionalized spouse and the spouse in the family home as the community spouse. The assets of both spouses are countable even if the assets are titled in the name of the community spouse, or if held jointly with children, with exception to the excluded assets formerly listed. Even a prenuptial agreement doesn’t exclude a community spouse’s assets. Thankfully, there are community spousal protection statutes allowing the community spouse to keep a limited amount of their half of the couple’s countable assets. In Montana, the community spouse may shelter the first $23,448 of the couple’s countable assets and one half of everything thereafter, up to $117,240 at which point it is capped. After $23,448, the institutionalized spouse must spend their one half of the assets down to $2,000 before they will qualify for Medicaid assistance. The income test depends on whether the Medicaid applicant is single or married. Singles qualify for Medicaid as long as their income is less than the nursing home costs, which is almost always. However, the income received must got towards the nursing home costs, minus any money spent on health insurance, and a preposterous $50 per month living allowance. Veterans may keep an additional $90 per month. Married applicants may allocate a portion of their monthly income to the community spouse capped at $2,931 in 2014, provided the community spouse can demonstrate sufficient need. All income to the community spouse is disregarded.

The 5 Year Look-back Period

In 2005, Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act, treating assets given away within 5 years prior to a Medicaid application date as countable assets. The purpose was to prevent an aging country from gifting ourselves into poverty for the purpose of qualifying for Medicaid assistance. Assets given away during the 5 year look-back period are presumed to be gifted for the sole purpose of Medicaid qualification. This will trigger a period of ineligibility for Medicaid benefits since those assets could have been used to pay for the individual’s care. The penalty for gifting within the 5 year look-back is the amount given, divided by the monthly nursing home cost. For example, using $7,000 as the monthly nursing home cost, a $70,000 gift will create a 10 month delay of 46

Medicaid eligibility. If that was everything you had, then you may have 10 months where you lack the assets to pay for nursing home care while also being ineligible for Medicaid assistance, yikes! The penalties for not reporting the gifts are even worse; they’re called insurance fraud and tax evasion. However, we can make plans today avoiding all of these penalties. You can create an irrevocable trust in which to transfer your assets, but there are complicated rules for the trust to qualify. First, this cannot be a revocable living trust. If you can revoke the trust, then you have access to the assets and accessibility makes the assets countable. A properly drafted irrevocable trust transfers the property out of your name and though you’ll no longer have access to the principal, you may receive the interest and income the trust generates. This income is countable, but we’ve protected the principal entirely. For these reasons, you don’t want to transfer all assets into this trust. Typically, we create a revocable living trust for the assets you need to access and an irrevocable trust for the assets you want to preserve. We also want to convert our countable assets into exempt assets as much as the laws will allow, thus maximizing the money we may access. So why not just give our assets to our future heirs today and avoid the trust altogether? There are complex tax consequences to gifting, but primarily, we don’t want to transfer assets to our children or grandchildren while we are living because those assets then become targets for other people’s liabilities. If you transfer your home into your daughter’s name and she later goes through a divorce, your future roommate might be your ex-son-in-law. Not our goal here. A notable fact is there is no look-back period for inhome care. So a proper Medicaid asset protection plan may involve a period of in-home care prior to moving into a nursing home. We may also purchase LTC insurance to cover only the 5 year look-back period. Either way, we probably want a multi-faceted plan that utilizes stages and different legal and financial tools all working together toward an identifiable goal.

Medicaid Recovery

Montana is required by Federal law to have a program in place to recoup the Medicaid costs upon the death of a Medicaid recipient. I mentioned earlier that our homes are not a countable asset, but that’s strictly for assessing eligibility. Our homes are completely available for Medicaid cost recovery. If a nursing home patient is receiving Medicaid assistance and they own a home or other real estate, the State will file a lien on the property securing their interest in the property. At the death of the patient, the State will file a claim in probate against the decedent’s estate often consuming the remaining assets. If

there is a surviving spouse, children under 21, or a child of any age that is blind or disabled, then a hardship waiver may be granted. However, if we’ve properly removed the house from your estate, then the State will have a hard time attaching a claim to property you don’t legally own.

A Long Term Care Plan

A Medicaid asset protection plan serves as a safety net in the event that you’re not individually capable of financing your own LTC. With the proper use of trusts, financial instruments, and foresight, we may preserve your assets for your heirs while still securing sufficient nursing home care. The interesting result that estate planners observe is that when people become aware that they need a LTC plan and begin implementing steps, the majority of these people preserves enough assets or obtains LTC insurance so they never even need Medicaid. And that’s a statistic that doesn’t require torturing to make a positive point!

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Steve Darty is a Missoula attorney. He can be reached at Darty Law Office, PLLC, 502 West Spruce Street, Missoula, MT 59502; (406) 549-0306; www.MissoulaEstateLaw.com.

Summer 2014

Each day to the Each day fullest. to the fullest.

The secret to happiness as we The secret to happiness as we age is to stay as mentally, physically and socially age is to stay as mentally, physically and socially engaged as possible. To feel a sense of purpose. And to be The secret to wefeel a sense of purpose. And to be engaged ashappiness possible.asTo surrounded by those who truly care. Helping residents live each day to the fullest is our age is to stay asby mentally, andcare. socially surrounded those physically who truly Helping residents live each day to the fullest is our missionasatpossible. Highgate. We offerofapurpose. host ofAnd activities, engaged To feel a sense to be nutritious and delicious meals, and mission at Highgate. We offer a host of activities, nutritious and delicious meals, and surrounded by those truly care. Helpingsetting. residentsIflive to loved the fullest our full care for all in who a lovely, homelike youeach or day your oneis needs either a full care for all in a lovely, homelike setting. If you or your loved one needs either a mission at aHighgate. We offer activities, nutritious and delicious meals, and little or lot of extra helpa host withofdaily living, call today and schedule a tour of our little lotinof extrahomelike help with dailyIf living, call today andneeds schedule full careorfora all a lovely, setting. you or your loved one either aa tour of our Assisted Living or Memory Care community. You’ll see why a move to Highgate is one little or a lot of extra with daily living, call today and schedule touraofmove our to Highgate is one Assisted Living or help Memory Care community. You’ll see awhy of the best moves you can make. Assisted or Memory of the Living best moves youCare cancommunity. make. You’ll see why a move to Highgate is one of the best moves you can make. Highgate at Great Falls

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