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 September 2008  THE BEST of TIMES
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008
Make Your Choice...
Retirement • Rehabilitative Services • Long-Term Nursing Care s 3TATE OF THE ART REHABILITATION lTNESS CENTER s NEW FULLY lNISHED GUEST QUARTERS s %LEGANT INTERIOR DESIGN WITH THE lNEST FURNISHINGS s 3ETTING A NEW STAND IN LUXURY EXEMPLARY SERVICE AND CARE
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 September 2008  THE BEST of TIMES
A loyal reader recently described this magazine as having “je ne sais quoi.” I was vaguely aware of its meaning, but later looked it up anyway. (I speak about as much French as any Greek-American girl raised in Montgomery, Alabama.) It means “that certain something.” It refers to something joyful and fun. That fan’s native Cajun-French description sums up the magazine perfectly, don’t you think? It’s in that spirit that we are so proud to announce a cooperation between KTALTV, the local NBC affiliate, and The Best of Times on a new project to honor “Those of Us 50+” in the community. The KTAL program is called “Senior News at 5,” broadcast every Sunday at 5:00 p.m. During the program a segment called “Milestones” will highlight viewers’ important milestones in life, such as birthdays, anniversaries, honors, etc. These same folks will be honored in this magazine and also on The Best of Times Radio Hour. Consider it a multimedia tour de force of a celebration for the deserving many out there. (See page 37 for details on how you can nominate yourself or a friend.) The color feature called KILLING THE RABBIT (ears) is the direct result of fans approaching my husband, Gary, host of the radio show, at many of his personal appearances and asking his advice on this topic. Clearly, it’s something on the minds of many. We think that calls for an in-depth article on it well before the government’s February 17th deadline for shutting down analog broadcasts. As usual, we had a heck of a good time putting the issue together. It’s jammed full of good reading, especially Jonathan Fox’s look back at area pipe organ history. But please let us know if we’re missing anything you’d like to see on the pages of the magazine. We’re already known for being a little on the ...er... “eclectic” side, so see if you can surprise us with a legit topic. Yes, that’s an invitation to write in or email. See you in October. --Tina THE BEST of TIMES September 2008
21 25 11 36 26 60 53 60 7 50 64 35
48 Centuries Memorial and Hillcrest 7,16 Certified Limb and Brace Acadian On Call 30 Clear Digital Entertainment All About Care Home 3 Community Hospices of Services America ArkLaTex Home Health, Inc. Ashley Medical Equipment 28 Craig Smith for District Attorney and Supplies 60 Cruises, Inc. Azalea Estates Assisted 49 Daniel C. Scarborough, IV, Living Attorney Balentine Ambulance 59 Dr. Bruce Henderson Better Hearing Systems Bible Correspondence Course 30 Dr. Bryan Vekovius 28 Dr. Gary Booker BluePrint Louisiana Brentwood Hospital - Senior 11 Dr. Florinela Oprescu 53 Family Care Services Care 38 Food Bank of NW Louisiana Brock’s Collision Repair 7 Gutter Helmet Centers 49 GWS Mortgage, LLC Carter Federal Credit Union
September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
51 Healthy Choices, LLC 37 Home Assistance Services 12 Home Health Medical Supply 48 Imperial Wok 53 IV Plus Pharmacy 23 Joe Gilsoul, Attorney 48 Judy Holland, realtor 44 Kingsley Place -Shreveport 56 KEEL News Radio 710 AM 37 KTAL Senior News at 5:00 55 LATAN 9 Leslie Lakes, Arbor Rose, & Princeton Place 16 Lil’ Rascals Pet Care 13 Live Oak Retirement Community 39 Louisiana Drug Card 16 Northwest INCS, Inc. 24 NurseCare of Shreveport 30 Odyssey HealthCare 29 Pierremont Eye Institute 43 ResCare Home Care 38 Sage Financial Services 21 Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino 60 Seniors Club 34 Serio Investments 37 ShoeBooty’s Restaurant 36 Shreveport Little Theatre 50 Shreveport Opera 49 Shreve Hearing Aid Service 21 Skin Technology – Jeany Postel 41 Southwood Square Apartments 58 Spring Lake Assisted Living 49 St. Joseph Hospice 27 Sterling Health Plans 35 Susan Komen Race for the Cure 43 T & W – EZ-Tilt-N-Tote 41 TES Regional Healthcare Federal Credit Union 4 The Bradford, LLC 14,43 The Center for Families 54 The User Friendly Phone Book 22 The Waterford at Shreveport 63 Total Care Medical Clinic 51 Town & Country Total Wellness 41 United Home Health Care of Shreveport 29 Wilhite Solar Solutions 2 Willis Knighton Cancer Center
Jason Alderman, Lee Aronson, Al Bolton, Suzy Cohen, Judge Jeff Cox, Mirabai Holland, Ted Kooser, Betsy Williams
Louisiana ranked least healthy state in the United States* *United Health Foundation
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It’s time to give our uninsured patients first-class access to health care. Blueprint Louisiana, with input from people like you, has developed a plan that improves access to local care and strengthens doctor training. And we need your help. Spend five minutes at www.blueprintlouisiana.org to learn how you can make a difference in improving not only health care, but ethics, education and roads, too. Together, we will make it happen. lll#WajZeg^ciadj^h^VcV#dg\ Paid for by Blueprint Louisiana
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THE BEST of TIMES September 2008
New Social Security Retirement Benefits Calculator Unveiled
VA Announces On-Line Claims Applications
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that on-line applications are now accepted from veterans, survivors and other claimants filing initial applications for disability compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits without the additional requirement to submit a signed paper copy of the application. The electronic application will be sufficient authentication of the claimant’s application for benefits. Normal development procedures and rules of evidence will still apply to all VONAPP applications. VONAPP (www.va.gov/onlineapps.htm) is a Web-based system. Veterans, survivors and other claimants seeking compensation, pension, education, or vocational rehabilitation benefits can apply electronically without the constraints of location, postage cost, and time delays in mail delivery. The on-line application also provides a link to apply for VA health care benefits and much more.
Retirement Education Needed
The recently released MetLife Retirement Income IQ Study shows that 43% of pre-retirees surveyed mistakenly believe they can withdraw 10% or more of their retirement savings annually and still preserve their principal, even though retirement experts suggest a withdrawal rate no greater than 4%. In addition, almost half (49%) underestimate the amount of pre-retirement income they will need in retirement, believing they will need 50% or less of their pre-retirement income, while experts recommend figures of 80-90%.
September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, recently unveiled a new online calculator at www.socialsecurity. gov/estimator that will provide immediate and personalized benefit estimates to help people plan for their retirement. The Retirement Estimator is tied to a person’s actual Social Security earnings record and eliminates the need to manually key in years of earnings information. “Deciding when to retire is one of the most important and difficult decisions many people face,” Commissioner Astrue said. “The Retirement Estimator greatly improves the information available when trying to decide the right time to retire. It is simple, easy-to-use and will provide highly accurate benefit estimates for those nearing retirement age. For younger
workers, it will provide valuable information to help them plan and save for their retirement.” The Retirement Estimator is interactive allowing the user to compare different retirement options. For example, a person can change retirement dates or expected future earnings. Individuals also can print out up to three different scenarios at one time, in addition to information about their benefits at age 62 (current age if older), full retirement age and age 70. Best of all, the Retirement Estimator is secure. The only thing it provides online is retirement benefit estimates. It does not show the earnings record information on which the final benefit estimate was calculated, nor does it reveal other personal information.
AARP recently surveyed 1002 adults, aged 45+ who were working or looking for work, to determine how the slowing economy has impacted them. Predictably, the majority are spending less on entertainment and eating out, and about half are postponing travel plans or making a major purchase. One third have stopped putting money into their retirement accounts and over one quarter are having trouble paying their mortgage or rent. (www.assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/economy_survey.pdf)
Mineral Owners May be Targets of Misleading Information The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office is warning consumers about misleading documents that can cost mineral owners their mineral rights. If you are a mineral owner and receive a letter in the mail, with a check included, requesting that you sign a document that appears to be a mineral lease, you should be extremely cautious because you may be permanently signing away valuable mineral rights without realizing it. The document you are asked to sign may actually be a mineral deed with a general Power of Attorney. If you sign the document, the Power of Attorney might be used to amend the document, after you sign it, to reflect that all mineral assets, even those already in production, are turned over for very little money.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Service urges any consumer who receives such documents in the mail to check the offer out with an attorney before signing anything. This is just one example of the type of issue that can come up during a mineral lease or sale transaction. The Attorney General encourages all property owners in Louisiana to seek legal advice before signing any documents relating to the sale or lease of mineral rights., If you believe you have been a victim of a mineral lease scam, please contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-351-4889.
Don’t Get Caught in a “Phisherman’s” Net The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office has recently received numerous calls from concerned consumers who have received emails similar to the one below. In order to be prepared for the smart card upgrade on Visa and MasterCard debit and credit cards and to avoid problems with our ATM services, we have recently introduced additional security measures and upgraded our software. The security upgrade will be effective immediately and requires our customers to update their ATM card information. Please update your information by following the link given below. The above email is an example of a “phishing” scam designed to gain personal information from unsuspecting victims. The e-mail claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with or
a government agency such as the IRS. The message may ask you to update, validate or confirm account information. When you click on the link in the message you’re directed to a website that looks legitimate. But the site is bogus and the purpose is to trick you into revealing personal information so they can steal your identity. Follow these tips to avoid getting caught in a phisherman’s net: • If you get an e-mail or popup message that asks for personal information, do not reply and do not click on the link provided in the message. Legitimate companies, including the government, do not ask for this information via e-mail. • Some con-artists send an e-mail or message that asks you to call a phone number to update your account or access a “refund.” Area codes can be misleading and may not reflect where the scammers are. If you need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on statements or on the back of credit cards.
• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them regularly. • Don’t e-mail personal or financial information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s website, look for indicators the site is secure such as a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for secure). Unfortunately, some phishers have been known to forge secure icons. • Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from e-mails you receive regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security. • Forward the information to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing e-mail or contact the Louisiana AG’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-351-4889.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008
Tips on exercising safely
This just in
l Working up a sweat could be the most important lifestyle change people with high blood pressure can make. l The worst place for your toothbrush is on the bathroom sink. There’s nothing wrong with the sink itself - but it’s awfully chummy with the toilet. There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl. When you flush, aerosolized toilet funk is propelled as far as 6 feet, settling on the floor, the sink, and your toothbrush. Unless you like rinsing with toilet water, keep your toothbrush behind closed doors - in the medicine cabinet or a nearby cupboard. l According to Harvard Medical School, large amounts of vitamin A can be detrimental to bones and increase the risk of hip fracture, while vitamin E may not be as beneficial as once thought. Before hopping on any supplement’s bandwagon, check with your doctor first to find out which vitamins and what dose you should be taking for your age. l For the millions of sufferers of a bladder condition called painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis, hope is on the way. Researchers from the UC San Diego School of Medicine have identified an experimental drug therapy that can provide pain relief to patients within 20 minutes. The drug therapy, with positive results in a recent Phase 2 study, is a combination of an anesthetic and heparin delivered directly into the bladder via a catheter. l Women over age 90 are significantly more likely to have dementia compared to men in their 90s, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
In 2007, more than 149,000 people between the ages of 45 and 64 were treated in emergency rooms, clinics and doctors’ offices for injuries related to exercise, according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Leadership Fellows Program states that “Joints, tissues and muscles may not be as flexible as they used to be. So as you get older, you need to take extra steps to protect yourself from injuries when you exercise.” The AAOS offers the following tips to help boomers prevent exercise-related injuries: • Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. A physician will make sure your heart is in good condition and can make recommendations based on your current fitness level. • Always warm up and stretch before exercising. Cold muscles are more likely to get injured. • Avoid being a “weekend warrior.” Moderate exercise every day is healthier
and less likely to result in injury. • Don’t be afraid to take lessons. An instructor can help ensure you’re using the proper form, which can prevent overuse injuries. • Develop a balanced fitness program. Incorporate cardio, strength training and flexibility training to get a total body workout and prevent overuse injuries. Also, make sure to introduce new exercises gradually. • Take calcium and Vitamin D supplements daily. • Listen to your body. Pay attention to your body’s needs and abilities, and modify your workout accordingly. • Remember to rest. Schedule regular days off from exercise and rest when tired. Baby boomers who exercise regularly are less likely to experience depression, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disturbances, so it’s important to incorporate physical activity into your routine at any age. (Newswise)
Being socially active may increase feelings of self-worth and emotional validation that could end up helping maintain memory. Social interaction may also present older minds with new challenges, keeping the brain more agile.
Men age 75 and older should not be screened for prostate cancer
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that doctors stop screening men ages 75 and older for prostate cancer. According to the task force, which published its recommendations in the Annals of Internal Medicine, searching for prostate cancer in this age group causes more harm than good. According to the task force, since prostate cancer usually advances very slowly, a large number of the diagnoses made through the screening will probably never cause symptoms during the patients’ remaining lifetimes - particularly for older men in their 70s and 80s. Cancer treatments for patients in that age group can cause even more severe health complications. Prostate cancer screenings typically consist of a blood test measuring prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Widespread PSA testing has led to high rates of detection. Last year, more than 218,000 men learned they had the disease. It is estimated that one out of every three men older than 75 are currently screened for prostate cancer. Medicare covers one PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam every 12 months for men ages 50 and older.
10 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Care for your bones
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) estimates that more than 52 million men and women over the the age of 50 will be affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass by the year 2010. As serious and debilitating as osteoporosis can be, it is also preventable. Here are some tips to help you maintain strong, healthy bones: • Keep an eye on your diet: Make sure to include low-fat milk in your daily meals. Eat fish and other foods rich in vitamin D. Make a healthy side dish out of leafy green vegetables, which are rich in calcium, potassium and vitamin K. • Get out and exercise: Try working up a sweat for 30 minutes three times a week. Try running, walking, weightlifting, stair climbing or group sports like volleyball. • Make smart lifestyle choices: Quit smoking, avoid excessive alcohol and don’t let depression linger. • Get tested: Bone-density tests accurately predict your fracture risk and will give you a definitive osteoporosis diagnosis. Talk to your doctor about other conditions that can enhance the risk of osteoporosis and ask what can counteract their effects. If your doctor believes you are at risk for osteoporosis, Medicare will cover 80% of the cost of bone-density tests. (Medicare Rights Center)
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Snapshots of eyes could serve as early warning of diabetes
A new vision screening device, already shown to give an early warning of eye disease, could give doctors and patients a head start on treating diabetes and its vision complications, a new study shows. The instrument, invented by two scientists at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, captures images of the eye to detect metabolic stress and tissue damage that occur before the first symptoms of disease are evident. For people with diabetes - diagnosed or not - the new device could offer potentially significant advantages over blood glucose testing, the “gold standardâ€? for diabetes detection. The device takes a specialized photograph of the eye and is non-invasive, taking about five minutes to test both eyes. In Archives of Ophthalmology, Victor M. Elner, M.D., Ph.D., and Howard R. Petty, Ph.D., report on the potential of the new instrument to screen for diabetes and determine its severity. If further testing confirms the results to date, the new instrument may be useful for screening people who are at risk of diabetes but haven’t been diagnosed. Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes, the FA device holds the potential to help address a leading and growing public health concern. THE BEST of TIMES ďƒź September 2008 ďƒž 11
Lack of Vitamin D Boosts Death Risk
Here’s to your good health
l Drinking certain types of fruit juice may negate the benefits of some drugs prescribed for serious medical conditions, according to a study conducted by the University of Western Ontario. Medications for heart disease, cancer, organ transplant rejection and infection could lose their impact if taken with grapefruit, apple or orange juices. To be safe, researchers recommend taking most medications with water. Patients should consult with their doctor or pharmacist before taking drugs with juice. l A recent study conducted across seven European countries and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that eating fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids once a week can help prevent age-related macular degeneration and keep vision sharp. Good sources include anchovies, sardines, mackerel, herring, rainbow trout, and crustaceans such as shrimp, mollusks or Alaskan king crab. l New research published in the Journal of Food Science suggests that marinating meats may decrease the cancer-forming compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCA), which are produced during grilling, by over 70%.
Inadequate vitamin D could increase your risk of death from all causes by 26%, a new study published in the online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine concludes. Yet many people are not getting enough vitamin D, which the skin makes naturally when exposed to sunlight. A nationwide survey found that 41% of men and 53% of women in the United States were not getting enough of this vital nutrient. Among other things, vitamin D is essential for maintaining levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body, plays an essential role in cell growth, in boosting the body’s immune system and in strengthening bones. According to the U.S. Institute of Medicine, people should get between 200 and 400 international units of vitamin D a day. The best way to get vitamin D, naturally,
is by being out in the sun. As little as 10 to 15 minutes of sun a day can give you all the vitamin D you need. Vitamin D is also available in fatty fish such as salmon, and fortified products including milk, soy milk, margarine and breakfast cereals. Whether vitamin D supplements are effective isn’t yet known. Previous studies have shown that having sufficient vitamin D reduces the risk of having your first heart attack by more than 50%, reduces the risk of having peripheral vascular disease by as much is 80% and decreases the risk of prostate, colon, breast and a whole host of other cancers by as much is 50 to 70%. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to an increased risk for depression in the elderly and increases your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Watermelon is more than just a seasonal treat. It’s loaded with lycopene. That’s good news for your body, because early research suggests that lycopene may be a cancer crusher. With fewer than 50 calories in every cup, watermelon is also one smart way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
5 good reasons to relish tomatoes
Although tomatoes have gotten a bit of rotten press lately, there’s still abundant reason to overindulge. Tomatoes are stellar sources of vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, fiber, and all kinds of protective antioxidants. Here are five healthy reasons to add tomatoes to your menu: 1. Lower your blood pressure. In 8 weeks, people with mild hypertension who got a daily “dose” of tomatoes saw their systolic blood pressures (the top number) drop a whopping 10 points on average, and their diastolic blood pressures (the bottom number) drop by 4 points. 2. Avoid colds and flu. When men who are deficient in carotenoids (like lycopene and beta carotene) drink tomato juice regularly, they bump up their ability to fend off bacteria and viruses. However, the immunity-boosting effects take a while to kick in. So if you start upping your tomato juice intake today, you may stay a step ahead of sore throats and colds this winter. 3. Save your skin. People who include lycopene-rich tomato paste in their diets for at least 10 weeks get much less intense sunburns when exposed to UV light. 4. Control cholesterol. Four weeks of daily tomato munching can increase good HDL cholesterol by 15% while lowering artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. 5. Fight aging. Tomatoes are rich in two spectacular antiaging free-radical squelchers: lycopene and beta carotene. In some cells, these antioxidants reduce freeradical damage to DNA by 42%. Both youth-protecting nutrients are enhanced when tomatoes are heated or eaten with a little fat, like olive oil. (RealAge)
12 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
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update
MARCI’S Medicare Answers
Dear Marci, I have had Pap smears every year, but last month when I went for my exam, I was told that Medicare won’t pay for my exam this year. Why might this be? --Helen Dear Helen, Original Medicare covers 100 percent of the cost of one Pap smear every two years for all women with Medicare (if you are in a Medicare private health plan you may pay a copay). If you are in your second year with Original Medicare, and had a Pap smear last year, and you are generally healthy, you will not have another one covered until next year. However, if you are considered at high risk for cervical or vaginal cancer (e.g. have had a sexually transmitted disease or your mother was given the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy), or are of child-bearing age and have had an abnormal Pap smear in the past 36 months, Medicare covers the cost of one Pap smear a year (every 12 months). Medicare will cover the full cost of your Pap lab test, 80 percent of the cost of the Pap test collection, a pelvic exam (used to help find fibroids or ovarian cancers) and a clinical breast exam. Medicare will cover all of these services with no Part B deductible required. ~Marci Dear Marci, I have had diabetes for many years and will be eligible for Medicare in September.
Pap Smears, Diabetic Supplies, Part D Extra Help Does Medicare pay for my monitoring supplies? --Ed Dear Ed, Yes, Medicare will cover certain diabetic supplies, such as glucose monitors and control solutions, lancets, and test strips. You can get these benefits even if you don’t use insulin. If you use an insulin pump, the insulin and the pump may be covered as durable medical equipment under Medicare Part B. Contact your Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor (DME MAC) for more information. To find the number of your local DME MAC, call 1-800MEDICARE. If you inject your insulin with a needle (syringe), the Medicare drug benefit (Part D) covers the cost of insulin and the supplies necessary to inject the insulin, including syringes, needles, alcohol swabs and gauze. Medicare will pay 80 percent of the Medicare-approved amount of all covered diabetes supplies and services, after you have paid the yearly Part B deductible. (If you are in a Medicare private health plan-HMO or PPO-you may have a copay for these services. Call your plan to find out what you will have to pay.) ~Marci Dear Marci, I applied for Extra Help paying for Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and was denied. Is there anything I can do? --Vincent
14 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Dear Vincent, If it is before you receive the final decision - you get a notice from the Social Security Administration (SSA) saying you may be denied because your application is incomplete - you can correct your application. If you received a “Notice of Denial” from SSA saying that you do not qualify for Extra Help, and if you disagree with that decision, you can appeal. It is best not to reapply for Extra Help and appeal instead, because if you win, your Extra Help will be effective from the first day of the month that you originally submitted your application. To appeal you should request a review of your case (a hearing) within 60 days of receiving SSA’s decision. If you do not want a hearing, you can just ask for a “case review,” where an SSA agent will review your application and any additional information you send in. ~Marci Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www. medicarerights.org), the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. To subscribe to “Dear Marci,” MRC’s free educational e-newsletter, simply e-mail dearmarci@medicarerights.org. To learn more about the services that Medicare will cover, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at the Medicare Rights Center’s website at www.medicareinteractive.org.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 15
16 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
With the opening of the Louisiana Boardwalk in May 2005 came a third movie theatre serving a metropolitan population of approximately 390,000. Most readers of The Best of Times will recall that having so few movie theatres for so many people has not always been the case. Turning back the hands of time to when buying popcorn was still affordable, one could partake in numerous motion picture theatres in downtown Shreveport: the Majestic, the Saenger, the Strand, the Capitol, and other smaller theatres. From the late 1880s when moving images were first captured on film until “talkies” premiered in 1927, silent movies were the norm. “Silent” may be a bit misleading in that although the dialogue could not be heard there was almost always some form of musical accompaniment provided for theatre patrons while they read the on-screen title cards. The earliest motion picture houses and those with limited finances relied on player pianos and other mechanical music devices. While these instruments indeed provided sound, they were no match for live musicians. Shreveport’s Majestic, Saenger, Strand, and Capitol Theatres all shared an important aspect during the silent film era-- some-
thing once considered routine but largely forgotten today: the sounds of the mighty theatre pipe organ. The first pipe organ to be installed in an American theatre was in Chicago in 1889. Unlike mechanical roll-playing pianos, organs (played by skillful organists) could effectively create music suited for the comedy, drama, or suspense on screen. The technological “computers” of their day, these instruments encompassed miles of wires that activated hundreds of magnets and used compressed wind to emulate the sounds of flutes, violins, tubas, saxophones, oboes, and clarinets. Eventually, pipe organs in theatres became distinct from those used in churches. Theatre organs were often equipped with tambourines, xylophones, drums, sleigh bells, crash cymbals, and other playful sound effects; thus the popular saying, “having all the bells and whistles.” Because a theatre pipe organ could produce such a variety of sounds, it became financially practical to hire one organist rather than an entire orchestra. Larger, more elaborate theatres such as the Strand utilized both orchestra and organ to accompany films. No fewer than sixty pipe organs were installed in theatres throughout Louisiana-- New Orleans being home to an overwhelming majority of those. At these theatres, organists set the mood of the
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 17
film by deriving a wide range of sounds from the organ’s pipes usually located in lofty chambers flanking both sides of the stage. Excluding the Capitol, Shreveport’s theatre pipe organs were built by the Robert-Morton Company of Van Nuys, CA. A brand not as recognizable today as Wurlitzer (which built over 2,200 organs alone), Robert-Morton was Wurlitzer’s closest competitor. Many Robert-Morton organs were supplied for Abe and Julian Saenger’s thriving chain of theatres across the southeast. Shreveport’s extensive musical heritage is no secret to most residents. The numerous country and western artists who emerged from the Louisiana Hayride, the blues recordings of Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, and internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso Van Cliburn are just a few. However, one group that is often overlooked is the silent-era theatre organists. Interestingly, both men and women were employed, and because they worked outside the home, one might consider the female theatre organists pioneers of the feminist movement. In the 1930s, organist Rosa Rio sought a job with NBC in New York City. Pertaining to the vacant position, she challenged her prospective employers: “I asked them if they were looking for a man or an organist!” Rio was indeed hired and played for over twenty years for numerous radio programs including “Lorenzo Jones,” “The Shadow,” “Town Hall Tonight,” and “When a Girl Marries.” Pausing to think about a theatre organist’s typical schedule will reveal just how demanding the job must have been: performing a few selections while patrons entered and found their seats; playing for the community sing-a-longs as patrons “followed the bouncing ball” to popular tunes of the day such as “After the Ball,” “By the Light of the Silvery Moon,” and “In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree;” accompanying the feature film; and performing during intermission and as patrons exited. The organist may have created an intense, climactic ending for the film by using every available “stop,” or sound the organ was capable of making; thus the popular saying, “pulling out all of the stops.” This hectic schedule could have been repeated as many as six times per day depending on how many times the film was shown. Not taken into account is the rehearsal time to view upcoming releases nor the fact that typical movies were shown usually no more than one week. The work was unending, and the schedule must have been staggering. Initially few printed film scores were available for musicians so most theatre organists improvised
18 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
what they played. Knowing which organist was playing at what theatre could sometimes be the sole motive for purchasing a ticket. John Ferguson, former organist at Shreveport’s Washington-Youree Hotel and Ernest Palmisano’s “Key Club” restaurant, recalls his parents discussing how the movies they had paid to see were not that good; in actuality they had gone to the theatre just to hear the organist play. Not only were show times advertised in local newspapers but the staff organists were also as they were considered attractions themselves. The following is a list of Shreveport’s silent-era theatre organists. It is by no means exhaustive as research is on-going. It is entirely possible that several other men and women may have been omitted. E. Malcolm Daugherty - Daugherty was organist at the Strand Theatre as early as 1926 through at least 1929. Alma Green - A native of Granger, TX, Ms. Green studied music at Baylor College-Belmont. She moved to Shreveport around 1927 and played for some time at the Capitol Theatre. Subsequently, she was hired by Osborn Funeral Home as organist and beautician. Ms. Green was employed thirty-seven years by Osborn. She passed away in 1983 and was buried at Forest Park. Agnes Griffin - Ms. Griffin was the premier organist at the Strand’s grand opening on July 3, 1925. She studied at a conservatory in St. Louis and had further training in New Orleans. Ms. Griffin’s previous experience included the Phoenix Strand, the St. Louis Fox’s Liberty, and the New Orleans Strand Theatres. If notes written on the pipe chamber walls are correct, the Strand’s organ was one of the last components of the theatre to be completed. Preparing the organ must have continued at a dizzying pace until the very last minute. It is unknown how much time, if any, Ms. Griffin had to rehearse for the opening night festivities. Regardless, the Shreveport Journal hailed Ms. Griffin’s half-hour performance as “an organ recital seldom equaled
• •
•
in Shreveport.” One week later, Ms. Griffin and the house orchestra accompanied the Strand’s first film, The Lost World. After her brief tenure in Shreveport (perhaps no longer than one year), she became the organist at the Mobile Saenger and quite possibly other theatres. Nona (Mrs. Jerome) Murff - Mrs. Murff, a Marshall, TX native, was living in Dallas in late 1925 when she signed a contract with Shreveport’s Capitol Theatre. The length of Mrs. Murff’s tenure as organist at the Capitol is currently unknown. Mabel (Mrs. Homer) Norton - Moving from Birmingham so her husband could become athletic director for Centenary College, Mrs. Norton is known to have been the organist for both the Saenger and the Majestic as early as 1923. She remained at the Majestic as late as 1928. Former Shreveport resident John Ferguson recalls his parents discussing the whimsical, tongue-twisting marquee at the Strand Theatre: “Hazel Mabel Norton at the Robert-Morton.” Mrs. Norton’s length of service at the Strand is unknown. Ernest Reams - Reams was the organist at the Saenger Theatre as early as 1923 and continued to play there until approximately 1930 when he began playing at the Strand. Esther Berkeley (Mrs. Harry) Smith - Although relatively young, Mrs. Smith was already widowed when she began playing in Shreveport. She was organist at the Majestic as early as 1923 and moved to the Strand within its first year. Records are unclear if Mrs. Smith lived in Shreveport after 1926. The need for an organ subsided after Al Jolson’s The Jazz Singer made its local debut at the Majestic in October 1927. The film featured partial speaking roles and was Warner Brothers’ first feature to incorporate Vitaphone technology. Nearly all films had sound by 1930, and the demand for theatre organists waned as talkies eclipsed silent films. Though no longer serving the vital role as before, theatre organists remained a part of the entertainment industry. Vaudeville acts were a mainstay at some theatres prior to the showing of the feature film, and organists were there to enhance that experience. Organs were used less frequently in theatres but
• •
•
•
were heard daily on nationwide radio programs. In fact, the Strand’s organ may have been heard on local airwaves according notes written on the pipe chamber walls: “April 27, ’37- Going to Broadcast 15 minutes.” What program this may have been remains unclear. Apparently theatre owners were well aware of the affinity moviegoers had for organs as Helen Morton, organist at Chicago radio station WBKB/WBBM, was featured at an electronic Hammond for the grand opening of the Don Theatre circa 1948. Although not as impressive when compared with the pipe organs in the older theatres, former resident John Ferguson recalled the music sounded quite well being played through the theatre’s speaker system. Mrs. Morton remained in Shreveport for about one year as organist for the KTBS radio program “Melody Matinee.” One of the most unusual performances of the Strand’s organ occurred in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Tiny Sneider of Werlien’s Music entertained the audience prior to a performance of La Traviata. At the conclusion of Sneider’s recital, an intoxicated Maurice Clark, local musician and caretaker of the organ, wandered into the theatre from a side exit and began a recital of his own. Pericles Alexander, long time entertainment critic, described the incident in a review entitled, “Phantom of the Opera.” Clark’s inebriated spectacle landed him an appearance before the musicians’ union. He was ordered to pay a fine and was temporarily suspended. The decades between 1950 and 1970 brought about irrevocable changes nationwide for many downtown theatres and their organs. Some movie palaces resorted to enclosing their balconies to add a second screen; however, it was too late as multi-screened neighborhood theatres emerged in the suburbs. Faced with the competition of new television sets, many theatres closed their doors for good. Hundreds of 1920s-era movie palaces across the nation met their fate within fifty years of their lavish grand openings as they were razed in the name of modernization to become parking lots. The first of Shreveport’s big downtown theatres to close was the Capitol around 1948. What happened to its Barton pipe organ is unknown. Today, the 500 block of Milam is the vacant Rubenstein’s department store. On the night of December 4, 1952, THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 19
following a double feature of Tarzan’s Savage Fury and Kid From Broken Gun, the Saenger was engulfed in flames. Eight of Shreveport’s twelve fire stations battled the blaze for reportedly six hours. No movie-goers were present, but three firemen sustained injuries. Considering the extent of the damage, it is presumed that the organ and its pipes were lost to the fire. The theatre was eventually reopened as the Capri, and today it is a reception hall available for special events. Following a 1954 fire, the pipes from the Majestic’s organ were parted out across the country, and the theatre was torn down. After nearly thirty years of operation, the Selber Brothers department store that was subsequently built on the site was closed. Thankfully, due to the dedication of Virgina Shehee, Jim Montgomery, Judd Tooke, and countless volunteers, the Strand-- and more amazingly its organ-- has survived the tests of time while nearly all of its competition has been demolished (the Quail Creek and East Gate Cinemas along with almost every neighborhood theatre). Of the nearly 900 pipe organs produced by the Robert-Morton Company, fewer than ten in the entire country remain in playable condition in their original theatre. Shreveport’s own Strand Theatre is among these elite few. More information about the Strand’s original instrument can be found online at http://atos.stirlingprop. com/strand/strand.htm. Considering its state of neglect by 1977, it is remarkable that the Strand is now the “State Theatre of Louisiana” (as declared by Governor Edwin Edwards in 1980) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Owing in large part to the financial support of Mr. David and John David Crow, the console of the Strand’s organ was renovated by Gene Powell and Dick Cooper of Dallas. With its renovation in progress, the organ could not be utilized at the theatre’s grand re-opening in December 1984. However, the organ made its debut with the “Premiere of Premiers” on February 21, 1986. Nearly six decades had passed since a silent film had been shown at the Strand Theatre when
guest organist Dennis James (along with the Shreveport Symphony under the direction of guest conductor Carl Daehler) accompanied the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks classic, Robin Hood. Despite the overwhelmingly positive reception, the organ gradually fell into disuse until October 2004 when a variety of tunes was recorded for “Serenade at the Strand.” The proceeds of this CD furthers the organ’s renovation. It is hoped that the management will fully realize the potential for this rare instrument and will take strides in returning it to regular use. Of the 10,000 theatre pipe organs once constructed it is estimated that approximately forty remain in their original theatres. In
many cases the organs inside came tumbling down with the theatre walls. Most of the pipe organs that survived the wrecking ball were removed and sold to pizza parlors, roller rinks, ice skating rinks, and to individual organ enthusiasts; many were simply sold as parts. Interest in pipe organs re-emerged in the 1950s and 1960s with the advent of high fidelity recordings. Capturing an organ’s stereophonic sound on LP and magnetic reel-to-reel tape recordings became the objective for many audio engineers. This renewed popularity and the drastic decline in the number of existing theatre organs prompted concerned citizens to form the “American Theatre Organ Society.” Today the ATOS has over 4,000 members, and since its founding in February 1955 has been dedicated to the restoration, preservation, and presentation of theatre pipe organs. A
20 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
number of ATOS members presently maintain tour schedules and perform silent film accompaniments in theatres across the nation. Of the thousands of men and women across the country who originally accompanied silent films, only two survivors are known. Quite remarkable for their longevity, Bob Mitchell of southern California and Rosa Rio of Florida continue in their musical talents. Mitchell (well over ninety years of age) who was famous for his boys choir which sang “Swinging on a Star” with Bing Crosby in Going My Way, is currently organist at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles. Rio, aforesaid NBC organist, has played regularly for the Tampa Theatre since 1996. Regarding her age, Rio often quips, “Age is a number, and mine’s unlisted!” Thanks in part to recent DVD releases, Turner Classic Movie channel’s “Silent Sunday Nights,” and the “Silver Screenings” at Shreveport’s newest theatre, the Robinson Film Center, people are becoming reacquainted with the swashbuckling action, slapstick antics, and emotional melodramas of silent film stars Clara Bow, Lon Chaney, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian Gish, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Mary Pickford, Norma Talmadge, Rudolph Valentino, and others. While each of these actors and actresses made significant contributions to the American film industry, it is important to not forget those who sat at the console and enriched the movie-going experience. Author’s Note: If walls could talk, there would be no need for historians. Perhaps some readers of The Best of Times have stories to share about a family member or friend who once played for local audiences or perhaps some readers who were once employed at the downtown theatres. Any additions, corrections, comments, and personal recollections are strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated. Email Jonathan Fox at jandk0902@earthlink.net. Editor’s Note: We are grateful to the LSUS Archives - Noel Memorial Library for the use of their valuable photographs.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 21
From the Bench
Unopened Successions Unopened Successions have to be filed when the heirs whereabouts cannot be determined Judge Jeff Cox
In the last few weeks, I have seen a number of lawsuits that contain the heading of Unopened Succession. This heading indicates that the whereabouts of an heir or heirs to a property are unknown. Many times, these types of proceedings are filed in order to be able to expropriate property for pipelines or roadways. This heading is a sure indication that someone did not take care of their familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business. Unopened Successions have to be filed when the heirs whereabouts cannot be determined. A curator, who is a lawyer, is hired to represent the unopened succession and attempt to find the unknown heirs. The lawyer will usually send certified mail to the last known address to determine if the heir still lives in that location. If the lawyer receives the mail back unclaimed or notice that the heir does not live at that location,
then the lawyer will run an advertisement in the local newspaper asking if anyone knows the whereabouts of the missing heir or heirs. If no one responds to the advertisement within a certain period of time, the lawyer will then go to court on behalf of the Unopened Succession. When the lawyer gets to court, he is asked to make his report. This is called the Curatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report. The lawyer will tell the court what steps he or she has taken to find the location of any heirs. The lawyer will then stay in court while the case proceeds and represent the missing heirs if they do not appear. If the heirs do appear or contact the lawyer that has attempted to find them, then the lawyer can be retained by the heir. If the lawyer represents the Unopened Succession, the lawyer is entitled to be paid by the person seeking the action. Any monies paid to the Unopened Succession are deposited in the Registry of the Court and go to the State of Louisiana after a certain period of time if they are not claimed.
An Unopened Succession can be avoided by checking on relatives. It is important to know your family and who is taking care of any property the family may have an ownership interest in at the time of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. Many times, persons will die and their children and grandchildren will not file succession because they live on the property. As time goes on, children and grandchildren will move to other states and family members will lose touch. Once this happens, the heirs names or locations are lost and property or money belonging to that heir can be lost because they did not handle the succession. It is always good to know who your relatives are and what has happened to them. Keep a close eye on your property to make sure that you are not the unknowing party to an Unopened Succession. Jeff Cox is the 26th Judicial District Court Judge for Bossier/Webster Parishes, Division C.
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24 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
ADVICE
Empty Nest: Not an End, but a Beginning Betsy Williams
When children are young, we teach them to tie their own shoes, fix their own sandwiches, and eventually how to drive and do their own laundry. Parents spend time teaching their children in hopes they will be independent, productive young adults. So, what is so hard about having a house that no longer has the rebellious voices, the empty refrigerator, the multitudes of dirty laundry, the open doors, the bicycle or skateboard in the driveway, and all that noise? Let’s explore what makes having an empty nest so difficult. For the most part, moms and dads have different roles in raising children. So, when children leave the nest, moms’ primarily have a feeling of uselessness. She finds herself searching for what to do with the extra time that had been spent on chauffeuring, hosting slumber parties, and so on. However, dad’s feelings may include a sense of loss of authority and a fear of the unknown for their little boy or little girl. For both, the empty nest may produce that silence that comes when one realizes that all conversation was centered around the children and their thoughts, feelings, and activities. There are also physical changes that can affect both the mom and dad. Mom may be facing drastic changes in her body, mind, and spirit due to menopause. She may, also, be trying to take care of elderly parents, and her children were a big part of her
support system. Dad may be facing drastic changes in his body, mind, and spirit due to approaching retirement or fear of disability. Also, in today’s society, there are many single moms and dads who may face the three-fold challenge; changes in their bodies, emotional and mental adjustment to being alone, and the loss of the spirit of being the champion for their little boy or little girl. So, how does one lessen the negative effects that the empty nest may have on them as parents of children who have gone to explore their own adventure into adulthood? If parents are married, this time can be used to focus on each other. This can be an amazing time to renew the intimacy you once shared and concentrate on your relationship. It may be fun to renew vows as a married couple in front of family and friends. Make it a duel celebration of having the house to oneselves and re-kindling the love that was there before children. Many couples establish date nights which may center around getting to know one another again, especially likes and dislikes. Another way couples can fill up extra time is by being volunteers together for a church group or a community group. They can use their parenting experience to help others who may be struggling. If parents are single, this time can be used to spend more time with other family members and friends. It might be fun to plan a celebration and make a formal commitment to oneself. This is a time when one can look through those cluttered closets and pick up the crafts started long
ago and finish them. A single parent may have given up plans for a new hobby or a new business. Pull out those plans, review, and renew the commitment to explore new avenues for the future. Basically, empty nest is about time and communication. Life raising children is life filled with less time for self and each other. It is a life focused on communicating love, knowledge, and fears to children that sometimes listen, and sometimes just roll their eyes and hope the lecture is not as long as the last one. So, when they leave to explore the adventures of adulthood, what is left is that space of time and a different audience to communicate with. We can make the most of the new time and communication by remembering to: • Renew vows and commitments to ourselves, our spouses, other family members and friends. • Make time for ourselves and others whether it is a date night or just shopping and fun with friends. • Clean out closets and finish those projects that were started before children. • Volunteer for a church group or community group. Remember that raising children is a life experience that should be shared with others who may be struggling. • Lastly, enjoy life and celebrate the grand accomplishment of raising that independent, productive adult. Betsy Williams, Psy.D., is the Executive Director for the Center for Families, a non-profit agency providing counseling on a sliding fee scale.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 25
financial
Jason Alderman
Most people in their twenties and thirties are scrambling to get ahead – working long hours to advance their careers, buy a home or start a family. Fast forward a few decades and, while not necessarily ready to retire, many 40– and 50–somethings have begun to slow down their career merry–go–round. Some contemplate part–time work, others want to switch to less–demanding jobs or launch new careers more closely matching their interests. If you’re wondering whether you can afford such a major work–life change, consider these factors: Could you live on less? You probably don’t want to revert to your student lifestyle, but review your budget for items you could comfortably eliminate or reduce: Things like pricy vacations, frequent restaurant meals, premium cable channels, unneeded new clothing, etc. Although you won’t be keeping up with the Joneses, more free time and increased happiness are more important than who has the fanciest car. Are you saving enough? Before considering scaling back your income, make sure you’ve covered your short–term savings needs. Most financial experts recommend setting aside three to six months’ living ex-
Life Strategies for Slowing Down penses for unexpected occurrences like car or home repairs or major medical bills. Retirement planning. Even more critical is ensuring that you’re saving enough for retirement, particularly if you plan to retire early. Remember, Social Security and pension benefits are largely determined by how many years you’ve worked and at what income level. Similarly, the longer you contribute to a 401(k) plan or IRA – particularly if you max out contributions – the more your account will appreciate. If cutting work hours means you’ll no longer be able to save for retirement, you could be in for a rude awakening. Cover yourself. Before changing your work status, make sure you’ll have access to adequate health insurance, whether through your employer, your spouse’s plan or independent coverage (which can be very costly). Medicare doesn’t kick in until age 65, so being uninsured is just too risky, especially as you get older. Also, be sure to factor homeowners, car and life insurance into your new budget. Are you debt free? One of the best ways to live on less income is to lower your debt load. If you pay down your credit cards and loans and resist taking on new debt, you can subtract those interest payments from your monthly expenses. Form a back–up plan. Unexpected occurrences could sabotage your plans so have a strategy for getting back into a higher
26 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
earnings bracket if need be. Consider costly situations like your spouse losing his or her job, helping your kids pay for college, or caring for sick or elderly parents. Scaling back your work isn’t all doom and gloom. Here are a few potential positive economic outcomes of reducing your work schedule and lowering your income: • Employment–related expenses like commuting, meals and work clothes could decrease. • Childcare expenses would be lower if you’re home more. • Less income means lower taxes, especially if you itemize deductions, since they’ll represent a larger percentage of your taxable income. Consult a financial planner for different scenarios of how this might work for you. If you need help creating or revising your budget, check out the interactive budget calculators at Practical Money Skills for Life, Visa Inc.’s free personal financial management site (www.practicalmoneyskills.com). Slowing down doesn’t have to mean going out to pasture; it’s just means you’ll have more time to smell the clover and run with the bulls. Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. Sign up for his free monthly e-Newsletter at www.practicalmoneyskills.com/newsletter.
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LEGAL
Lee Aronson
This might sound like good news, but it’s not: I get a lot of checks in the mail. Unfortunately for me, these checks aren’t gifts or payments for work I’ve done. Instead, they come from banks, credit card companies, telephone companies and other businesses. The checks look real, and in fact they are real. I could go to my bank and cash these checks without any problem. However, if I do cash these checks, I am then automatically signed up for some service that I do not need or want and automatically charged a monthly fee (which I also do not need or want.) For example, I once got a check from a bank for $300. Only by studying the fine print, which can sometimes require the use of a microscope, did I learn that if I cashed the check I would be enrolled in
The Check That Came in the Mail an identity theft monitoring service that would cost me $11.99 a month for the rest of my life. Are deals like that legal? Unfortunately, in Louisiana, deals like that, which are called “mail and check solicitation sales,” are legal. However, we do have a special law that gives Louisiana residents the right to cancel such sales even if the consumer has already cashed the check. This is very unusual, as most purchases do not give the customer the right to cancel. For example, you don’t have the right to buy a car and change your mind the next day, take it back and get your money back. But with “mail and check solicitation sales,” there is a special Louisiana law that says, “The consumer has the right to cancel mail and check solicitation sales for at least 60 days and receive a refund for the return of unused and undamaged goods or cancellations of unused services.” This means that if some company
28 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
I’ve never done business with sends me a check and I cash it only to find out that by cashing the check I’ve bought a “real looking” diamond necklace for 5 easy payments of only $19.99, then I have a 60 day right to cancel. But there is an exception to this special rule: if the check comes from my credit card company, then I don’t have any right to cancel. Here’s what the law says: “A consumer shall have the right to cancel a mail and check solicitation sale, except when the sale is made to and accepted by a customer who has an existing loan, revolving account [such as a credit card account], or other line of credit with the party making the mail and check solicitation sale.” And here’s something else the law says: these checks that they send you must state, “Warning: The cashing of this check will enroll you in a program or a loan, or will cause you to be bound to repay the loan or purchase goods or services which may cost you additional money.” And this warning must be a “conspicuous caption.” The law doesn’t define “conspicuous caption,” but the dictionary defines “conspicuous” as obvious to the eye. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think fine print is obvious to the eye. And while I’m on the subject of checks, here’s another warning. I can’t count the
number of clients who tell me they have received a check in the mail from some company they’ve never heard of. Do not just assume it’s your lucky day and take the money and run. Here’s why: let’s say that someone sends me an out of state check. I take the check to my bank and deposit it in my account. Under Federal Law, the bank must make the money available to me within 5 business days. However, just because the bank makes the money available to me does not necessarily mean that the check has cleared or even that the check is any good. So if the funds are made available to me after 5 business days and I take the money out of my account and go buy a giant screen TV and the check comes back to my bank a week later as fraudulent or worthless, guess who’s responsible? I am. That’s why my advice is to never spend such money until the branch manager tells you that the check has “truly cleared” rather than just “provisionally cleared.” Lee Aronson is an attorney with Legal Services of North Louisiana. His practice areas include consumer protection law, housing law and health care law.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 29
30 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
A new age is rapidly approaching when fullpower television stations around the country will switch from analog to digital programming. This transition will be an historic moment in broadcast television. It offers enormous benefits as well as some challenges. Digital television will offer movie quality picture and sound and holds the potential for more programming choices for viewers. The transition to digital will free up valuable spectrum to improve communications for the public safety. Also, currently some of the spectrum is being auctioned to companies that will be able to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services (such as wireless broadband). Subscribers to pay-tv, such as cable or satellite, will likely not be affected by the transition, however contact your provider to see what, if any, equipment will be needed. Those viewers with analog television sets who receive signals over-the-air, using antenna, will need to act in order to watch broadcast television after the transition.
What is the DTV Transition?
Currently, many over-the-air stations are broadcasting in both analog and digital TV (DTV) formats. After February 17, 2009, full power TV stations will only broadcast in digital. The DTV transition will affect those who
watch free over-the-air television (through a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears”). Analog television sets receiving free TV using an antenna will not work after February 17, 2009.
to digital TV (DTV) are those who own older analog televisions AND who use a basic TV antenna to receive their channels over the air. If you have cable, satellite, or FiOS service, you will not be affected at all. Only those who own analog televisions and get their programming over the air will be affected.
Why are we How do I know if my TV is switching? digital or analog?
Federal law requires the switch which will free up frequencies for police, fire, and emergency rescue communications, allow broadcasters to offer programming with better picture and sound quality and off more programming choices, and allow for commercial advance wireless service.
TVs with digital tuners should be clearly marked with “Integrated Digital Tuner,” “Digital Tuner Built-In,” “Digital Receiver,” “Digital Tuner,” “DTV,” “ATSC,” or “HDTV.” If your TV is labeled with “analog” or “NTSC,” it contains an analog tuner. Check your TV manual, if your TV is not marked with any of these.
Who is Affected?
What are my options?
The only ones affected by the switch
Consumers have a variety of options so
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 31
merce, administers this program. Every U.S. household is eligible to receive up to two coupons, worth $40 each, toward the purchase of eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes. The coupons may only be used for eligible converter boxes sold at participating consumer electronics retailers, and the coupons must be used at the time of purchase. Manufacturers estimate that digital-to-analog converter boxes will sell from $40 to $70 each. This is a one-time cost. For more information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, visit the NTIA’s website at www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-5302634 (TTY). Cable and satellite TV subscribers with analog TVs hooked up to their cable or satellite service should not be affected by the February 17, 2009 cut-off date for full-power analog broadcasting.
includes Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) formats. You can watch High Definition programming on a Standard Definition DTV (or on an analog TV hooked to a digital-to-analog converter box), but it won’t be in full High Definition quality. It’s important to know that Standard Definition DTVs are comparably priced to similar sized analog TVs.
working after Feb. 17, 2009, or • Connect to cable, satellite or other pay service, or • Purchase a television with a digital tuner.
Is DTV the same as HDTV?
been required by law to only sell TV devices (including VCRs, DVRs, etc.) that contain digital tuners. The only analog devices they can sell are from their existing inventory prior to 3/7/07 -- and those will be clearly marked with a consumer alert.
No. It is important to understand that the DTV transition is a transition from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. It is not a transition from analog broadcasting to High Definition broadcasting. Digital broadcasting allows for High Definition broadcasts, but High Definition is not required, and you do not need to buy a HDTV to watch digital TV. A Standard Definition DTV (which is simply a TV with an internal digital tuner), or a digital-to-analog converter box hooked to an analog TV, is all that is required to continue watching over-the-air broadcast television. Digital broadcast television
broadcasting. The FCC created low-power television (LPTV) service to provide opportunities for locally-oriented television service in small communities. These communities may be in rural areas or may be individual communities within larger urban areas. LPTV stations are operated by diverse groups and organizations including high schools and colleges, churches and religious groups, local governments, large and small businesses and individual citizens. LPTV programming can include satellite-delivered programming services, syndicated programs, movies, and a wide range of locally-produced programs. Class A TV stations are former LPTV stations that have certain interference protection rights not available to LPTV stations. These stations are technically similar to LPTV stations, but unlike LPTV stations must air
they can continue to get TV after February 17, 2009. Options to explore include: • Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box. A converter box plugs into your TV and will keep it
High Definition Television (HDTV) is a form of DTV. It has the highest resolution of digital formats.
Will I have to buy a High DefiWhere Can I Get a Digital TV? nition TV (HDTV) to watch Since March 7, 2007, all retailers have digital broadcast television?
What is a TV converter box?
To help consumers with the DTV transition, the Government established the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a part of the Department of Com-
32 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
What are low-power (LPTV), Class A, and TV translator stations and how does the DTV transition affect them?
You may have noticed that Congress mandated that “full-power” TV stations will not be able to broadcast in analog after February 17, 2009. While the majority of the viewed TV broadcast stations are fullpower stations, three other categories of TV stations exist – “low-power” stations, “Class A” stations, and “TV translator” stations. There is currently no deadline for these stations to convert to digital
at least three hours of locally-produced programming each week and comply with most of the non-technical regulations applicable to full-power stations. A TV translator station rebroadcasts the programs of a full-power TV broadcast station. Translator stations typically serve communities that cannot receive the signals of free over-the-air TV stations because they are too far away from a fullpower TV station or because of geography (such as uneven terrain or mountains). There are several ways to determine whether the broadcast stations you view over-the-air (with a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears” attached to your TV) are LPTV, Class A or TV translator stations. Class A stations are required to visually or aurally identify their stations with their community of license and call sign (that includes the suffix “-CA” for Class A) at sign on, sign off, and on an hourly basis. LPTV stations also must regularly identify their station call sign. When locally originating programming, they must visually or aurally identify their call sign and community of license at sign on, sign off, and hourly. LPTV call signs may consist of four letters followed by the suffix “-LP” (for low power) or, alternatively, five characters beginning with the letters K or W followed by two numbers (their operating channel) and two additional letters. Also, some TV translators are identified by the fullpower TV stations whose signals they rebroadcast. Further, LPTV, Class A, and TV translator stations may regularly broadcast information as to their status, and may include information regarding the DTV transition. While the February 17, 2009 deadline for ending analog broadcasts does not apply to low-power, Class A, and TV
translator stations, the FCC will require these stations to convert to digital broadcasting some time thereafter. Nearly 2,000 of these stations have been authorized to construct digital facilities and some are broadcasting in digital already. The FCC is currently considering the remaining issues involved with the low-power digital transition and will make decisions regarding these stations in the future. If you purchase a digitalto-analog converter box to watch digital broadcasts on an analog TV and also wish to continue watching analog LPTV, Class A, or TV translator stations, you should purchase a converter box with “analog pass-through” capability, which allows analog broadcast signals to pass through the converter box to be tuned by your analog TV. NTIA’s TV Converter Box Coupon Program has certified converter box models that have analog pass-through capability. A current list of coupon-eligible converter boxes is available at https://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm. The converter box models that have analog pass-through capability are noted on the list with an asterisk. In addition, NTIA will mail a list of current coupon-eligible converter boxes, noting with an asterisk those that have analog pass-through capability, to each household that receives converter box coupons. You can also check with your retailer to determine whether the converter box you are purchasing has analog pass-through capability. If you purchase a digital-to-analog converter box without analog pass-through capability, you may have to connect an antenna switch or a signal “splitter” to bypass the box if you wish to view analog TV broadcasts. Check with the manufacturer of the digital-to-analog converter box and your retailer if you need instructions on how to connect the
box to view broadcasts from both analog and digital stations. Viewers should look for information from their LPTV, Class A, and TV translator stations about plans to convert from analog to digital broadcasting. Viewers should also visit www.fcc.gov for any updates on the digital transition of low-power, Class A, and TV translator stations.
Will I be able to use my existing VCR, DVD player, camcorder, and gaming console with a digital television set?
Yes. Digital television sets are “backward compatible,” meaning existing analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets. However, their video will only be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each analog product. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality when DTVs are used with existing analog equipment. Check with your retailer to determine the types of connectors that will work with your equipment. Compiled by Katherine M. Branch and Adrian Kimberly.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 33
CONSUMER Digital Television (DTV) is on the way and confusion in the marketplace is building. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) expects that a wave of scams will come along with this significant television transmission change. The BBB is alerting consumers to beware of misleading advertising and a campaign by an Ohio-based company called Universal TechTronics (DBA Heat Surge LLC). Ads are running across the U.S. promising free television channels, services and digital TV converter boxes, but are really a bait and switch tactic that prey on consumers’ lack of knowledge about digital TV conversion requirements. A BBB investigation found that Universal TechTronics is peddling “five-year warranties” for $59 that must be purchased
BBB Warns of DTV Scam
Nationwide advertising campaign falsely promises free TV and free DTV converter boxes with their “free” digital TV converter boxes. With shipping and handling fees rolled in, the total cost per box is nearly $100. BBB believes that these are the same boxes consumers can buy in electronics retail stores across the country using $40 U.S. government coupons that make the total cost to consumers about $20 per box. “The bottom line is that these ads confuse and mislead consumers,” said David Polino, BBB President. “Unfortunately consumers who respond to the ad may find that not only will they not receive the free products and services implied by the ads, but they will end up paying more than they would have by taking advantage of the really good deal being offered through the DTV coupon program.” Universal TechTronics’ ads imply that their converter boxes are free and will provide free channel reception, similar to the type of services consumers receive
34 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
through cable or satellite providers. Ads state, “No Bills: New ClearView TV receives free channels, no need to pay for cable to get the new digital picture quality and sound,” and “Public to Get Free TV Without Gov’t Coupon!” Additionally, the ads use the term “Miracle ClearView TV” to disguise the product and further deceive consumers. Universal TechTronics has several product lines and also does business under the name Heat Surge LLC. Overall, in the past nine months BBB has received nearly 200 complaints about the company’s business practices. The company has received an unsatisfactory rating from BBB due to its pattern of complaints. To date, complaints against the company concern slow delivery or non-receipt of product, difficulty reaching customer service representatives, delays in obtaining refunds after returning merchan-
dise, product quality issues and advertising claims. The BBB reliability report on this company is available online. Nationwide, 70 million TVs rely on antennas to receive over-the-air signals, making about 34 percent of all U.S. households at risk of losing broadcast reception to at least one TV set as a result of the digital transition according to the Leichtman Research Group. And nearly half of the households that could lose television service after the transition in 2009 are not prepared for the switch says a recent report from the federal government. “Digital TV conversion may seem like a complicated, confusing issue,” added Polino. “But there are a number of easyto-use resources that consumers can turn to for reliable, trustworthy information to make digital TV conversion a painless and inexpensive process.” The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has a DTV Speakers Bureau composed of broadcast experts from over 650 local television stations nationwide. The NAB is working with Better Business Bureau to ensure consumers get the facts about the upcoming transition to digital television. To request a local broadcaster
to address groups or organizations, people can contact the Speakers Bureau at 877693-8809 (toll-free) or request a speaker online at www.DTVAnswers.com. For more information about digital TV conversion consumers can call the DTV hotline at, 888-DTV-2009, or visit: www. dtv2009.gov/FAQ.aspx. On February 17, 2009, television stations will stop analog broadcasts, and exclusively broadcast in digital. Viewers who get reception with rabbit ears or an antenna, or who don’t have a digital TV, will need a digital converter box to receive television programming. Television sets made after March 2007 already have digital tuners built into them, as required by federal law. Also, analog sets hooked up to cable or satellite systems will not be affected by the switch to digital TV and won’t need a converter box. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. To find reports on businesses in thousands of industries, consumers can search BBB’s database of more than four million reports free of charge at www.bbb.org.
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THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 35
Pharmacy
Suzy Cohen, R.Ph.
I’ve been really tired lately and my doctor thinks I’m iron-deficient. I’m in my 60s and I haven’t lost any blood, so how can this be? Should I take the iron supplement he recommended? – R.D., Jackson, New Jersey Iron is sold over-the-counter in supplement form, but it’s a naturally-occurring mineral that’s made in the body. Even though the World Health Organization considers iron deficiency the number one nutritional disorder in the world, I don’t frequently recommend iron supplements for people complaining of fatigue. It’s because most U.S. citizens have an adequate supply. Iron can be hard on the gut, causing nausea, cramping and constipation. Iron is necessary to make a protein called hemoglobin, which acts like a tow truck and lugs oxygen all over the body. It’s amazing that humans can stash some iron away until it’s needed again, so you might say it’s recyclable. And speaking of ‘going green,’ your stool can turn this color when you take iron. It’s easy to overdo iron since it accumulates, and because it’s dangerous to tots, always lock up your medicine cabinets. You said you were tired in your letter to me, but there are other symptoms that could alert one to an iron deficiency. For example, you may have trouble concentrating, or feel cranky and depressed. Having pale skin and a sore tongue are
Iron Fights Fatigue from the Inside Out dead giveaways. You might have brittle nails or be prone to infections because your immune system is weak. And your heart may beat like crazy with very little exertion. Other conditions and nutritional deficiencies paint the same ‘picture,’ so teasing out iron deficiency from other problems is not easy. If appropriate blood testing finds that you are legitimately deficient in iron, then of course, this nutrient will breathe life back into you, very quickly...in about 2 or 3 months. Doctors utilize many tests to determine iron levels. Two fairly reliable blood tests include “serum ferritin” or “transferrin saturation ratio.” Eating iron-rich foods such as clams, oysters, mussels, animal liver, beans, lentils and pumpkin seeds can improve levels, especially if you drink orange juice with it. The vitamin C in OJ bolsters iron absorption. As for supplements, I prefer a “polysaccharide” complex, like Nu-Iron or Niferex. Let’s take a closer look at who is most prone to iron deficiency: • People who take drug muggers of
09
This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Suzy Cohen is the author of “The 24-Hour Pharmacist.” For more information, visit www.DearPharmacist.com. © 2008 Suzy Cohen, RPh. Distributed by Dear Pharmacist, Inc.
SHREVEPORTLITTLETHEATRE
08
SLT’s 87th Continuous Season
WITH A LITTLE
HELP FROM our FRIENDS 36 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
iron, such as aspirin, butalbital, indomethacin, doxycycline, Pepcid, Zantac, Questran, or Soma Compound among others. • Women who experience heavy periods. • People who have a minor perforation in their GI tract because it causes a slow and steady leak of blood. • Pregnant women and vegetarians. • People who have kidney problems, especially if you are undergoing dialysis. • People who drink a lot of dark grape juice or red wine. Animal studies suggest these interfere with iron usage. Did You Know? Shampooing your dog with neem soap may discourage bites from insects, ticks, fleas and mange mites.
GREATER TUNA September 5, 6, 12, 13, 2008 at 8 p.m. September 7, 14, 2008 at 2 p.m. A TUNA CHRISTMAS October 31, November 1, 7, 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. November 2, 9, 2008 at 2 p.m. RABBIT HOLE December 5, 6, 12, 13, 208 at 8 p.m. December 7, 14, 2008 at 2 p.m. STEEL MAGNOLIAS May 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 2009 at 8.p.m. May 3, 10, 17, 2009 at 2 p.m. MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON’S February 20, 21, 27, 28, 2009 at 8 p.m. February 22 & March 1, 2009 at 2 p.m.
Lagniappe THE LAST 5 YEARS December 19, 20, 2008 2 PERFORMANCES ONLY!
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 37
FITNESS
Moving Free® With Mirabai Mirabai Holland
Flexibility is range of motion around your joints. There are two types of flexibility. Static flexibility - how far you can stretch and hold a body part and dynamic flexibility - how much range of motion you have when you move. Both are important and you need a flexibility program that incorporates slow dynamic movements like Tai Chi, as well as static stretches like Yoga or Stretching routines. Muscle fibers can become misaligned during normal movement. Our muscles produce chemical waste products when they work. These chemicals need to be eliminated so they don’t build up and cause aches and soreness. Also, as we age, are connective tissues; tendons and ligaments tend to shorten and become stiffer. That’s why we become shorter and less flexible as we grow older.
These connective tissues require as much maintenance as our muscles do. Stretching helps maintain them. Muscles can’t stretch themselves; they only know how to contract and relax. In a perfect world that would be enough but the fact is relaxed muscles never completely relax because there are neurological receptors in our muscles and connective tissues that keep them poised for action like a racecar at the starting line. This is a good thing because it keeps us upright while standing and our heads from falling into our plates when we eat our dinner. Muscles are bundles of protein fibers sort of like bunches of elastic celery. They are attached to bones on both ends by a network of tough connective tissues called tendons. Tendons are neither bone nor muscle. Although tendons are somewhat elastic, they
38 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
can only be stretched about 4%. Muscles on the other hand are capable of stretching over 50% of their normal length. When we stretch a muscle and deliberately hold it for a few seconds, proprioceptors in the tendons, called gogi tendon organs, tell the muscle to relax, not contract and we are able to hold the stretch and even stretch out a little further. So start your stretching with a little Tai Chi –like movement to lubricate your joints and raise your core body temperature then do static stretches. Hold the stretch for a few seconds to allow those gogi tendon organs to kick in and then try to stretch and hold a bit further. There’s more to stretching than just flexibility. Stretching is a form of meditation that creates a sense of well-being and promotes peace of mind. One finishes a routine with a more positive outlook as well as the feeling that your body is more alive, more accessible to you. Stretching can slow down your aging clock and help you stay fabulous forever. Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is one of the leading authorities in the Health & Fitness industry, and public health activist who specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise for women. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn’t feel like work. For more information, contact Mirabai at www. www.movingfree.com ©2008
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 39
I begged our fearless editor to let me out of this review. She knows how I feel about corporate-sized hash-slinging and how completely futile small-press reviews are to the goals of gamblingworld domination. I like restaurants that are owner-operated and not just an adjunct to some other operation, like, say, a bowling alley. I assumed casino buffets pump out only barely acceptable “vittles” at the hand of disengaged automatons who work at not making eye-contact with the endless parade of waddlers filling a third plate on their way back to the one-armed bandits. But you know what? At “The Buffet” at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, I found out that what I assumed made an ass of me. I was overlooking the indomitable pride and talent of the people who make this place happen day in and night out. I was making ignorant judgments about people I hadn’t even met, like Lydia, our effervescent and informative server; Rose, the flaming-dessert lady; and the relentlessly amusing Omelet Man. They are joined by the immediate and direct attention everybody receives from the entire staff at this giant food-fest. These are no “automatons,” no mere wind-up cogs in a giant machine. They are, instead, warm, friendly, funny, helpful, and very good at what they do. And what they do is pump out vittles. A surprise, too, is how very good much of those vittles are. The head chef is awake. How great it was to stumble into their regular “Sunday Jazz Brunch” (11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $13.99 per person) presided over by the sublimely talented musician
is quite exceptional; perfectly done. The roast beef was tender as a love letter. The eggs Benedict were nothing to write home about, but the omelets are terrific. I sincerely regret not catching the name of the omelet chef who made mine (that’s him pictured). He not only created an omelet of astonishing perfection by carefully ignoring my “helpful” suggestions, he entertained with an endless and clever line of patter. We also got to meet Rose, reigning queen of flaming desserts. (Oh, yes, we had dessert(s)!) Her calmness is an asset when working with the dancing flames in her busy sauté pans, but her “shyness” is only a front
Dorsey Summerfield. There are those gathering around who aren’t there strictly for the food. Handling membership matters and prepaying seem clumsy, as a line inevitably occurs, but soon we were being escorted to a table in a vast hall of tables. Being in such close proximity to so much foodfor-the-taking ups the ante, as it were, for those of us trying to be “good.” Abandon all (dieting) hope, ye who enter here. Yes, it is everything we’ve all come to love about such massive buffets; the sheer randomness of the feast. It is a bargain (in my opinion, the Sunday jazz alone is worth the price), with lots more hits than misses. My well-earned but disconcertingly self-absorbed food snobbery aside, it’s also hard not to be impressed by over 100 fresh items available all at once. And made even more irresistible by the smiling faces offering them up Avoid the pallid pizza and those breaded “fish stick” thingies, go for the delicious sautéed vegetables (and very little else) in the Asian “live action station,” and try the superb Shrimp Étouffée and the Gumbo (but too much okra?). Even the Boiled Shrimp
40 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
for a very engaging lady. That’s the magic that goes on here: hard work by countless hands, real people all. And all of them proud of their contribution to the staggering effort it takes to run such a place. Since tipping isn’t appropriate for the
line cooks, please accept this deep bow of appreciation to you who perform with grace, making it seem effortless. Good guests know it’s not. (Kudos, too, to Harrah’s HR Department.) A last gasp: Food, food everywhere! Including Rose’s Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee! I have abandoned all (dieting) hope. -- Mike Jameson for TBT
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 41
42 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
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Twenty Ways to Save Serious Money on Groceries Feeding your family doesn’t have to put you in the poor house. With a few simple strategies, we can all make our food dollars stretch to offset the increasing cost in the checkout line. Here are 20 smart ways to save money at the supermarket. 1. Making bigger shopping trips less often will cut down on your impulse buys. 2. Plan a weekly menu before shopping and always go with a list. Don’t buy anything not on the list. 3. Don’t waste money on frozen dinners or prepared foods. Instead, prepare meals ahead of time and freeze them, or double a recipe when cooking, and freeze the seconds for a hectic day coming up. 4. Buy fruits and vegetables in season and only if they are reasonably priced. 5. The highest markup items on the shelves are at about chest level. Reach up or kneel down to select the cheaper house or generic brands. 6. Shop as early in the day as you can to avoid making decisions because you are tired or hungry. 7. Clip coupons, but use coupons only for things you’d buy anyway. In addition to coupons in the newspaper and magazines, log on to your supermarket’s online home page, and check out online coupon websites which let you select the coupons you want to print. Keep in mind that retailers’ coupons can be used along
with manufacturers’ coupons on the same product for extra savings. By doubling up, you can sometimes get products for free or nearly free. 8. Always get a rain check if a sale item is gone. 9. Buy in bulk and divide the product among several families. 10. Cut your grocery tab by avoiding pre-chopped, pre-cut, pre-sorted, or single-serving conveniently packaged foods. 11. When there’s a sale, stock up. Sale items can be a great deal. If it’s an item you normally use, buy a bunch of them. 12. Look for specials and clearance items in the newspaper, or when you get to the store. Don’t buy them unless they’re things you always use. 13. Buy generic. Generic and store-brand products are often processed at the same plants as name brand products, but they are much cheaper because they aren’t advertised. A significant portion of the price you pay for a name brand product is to cover the costs of marketing to potential customers. 14. If you don’t have a store loyalty card, sign up for one and never leave the store without swiping your loyalty card at checkout. 15. Buy one, get one free sales are great on their own, but you can also use one
44 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
coupon for each item. So if you get two items, make sure to use two coupons. 16. Frequent the websites of your favorite brands. You can often find money-saving printable coupons right on the site or you can sign up for special offers by mail or e-mail. 17. Some grocery stores double or triple coupons and sometimes only on certain days of the week. Check the newspaper for which days they’re multiplied. 18. Look for rebates and free-bates, which refund you the full purchase price. You can make money in some cases when you use a coupon and then get a full-price free-bate. Just don’t forget to send in the forms. 19. Comparison shop. To determine the true value of a product, read the unit price, not just package price. The unit price information is usually on a sticker located on the shelf that holds the item. The package price only tells you the cost of the entire item. The unit price shows the cost per pound, ounce, etc. Taking a moment to compare this information in similar products will help you get the best value for your dollar. 20. Buy smart and think about all the things that you might be wasting because they’ve gone bad or expired before they get used. Look for the longest expiration date on perishables.
Nursing Home Care
Opthalmology
Will Medicare cover my father’s care in a nursing home? While Medicare does not pay room & board fees for one actually “living” in a nursing home, there are portions of nursing home care that are covered. Medicare covers 100 days of skilled nursing care when the doctor feels that either nursing or rehabilitation services for Medicare Part A insured persons are needed following a recent hospitalization of 3 or more days. Additionally, Medicare Parts B & D may pay for your father’s medications and physical, speech or occupational therapies ordered by a physician while he is in a nursing home. Depending upon the financial situation, nursing home room & board is generally paid by the individual, Medicaid, or Long Term Care Insurance. Vicki Ott
How long do the positive effects of CK last? Will I ever have to wear reading glasses again? Conductive Keratoplasty, or CK, is a wonderful procedure to help reduce your dependence on reading glasses. The positive effects of CK will last a lifetime, but everyone becomes more presbyopic with advancing age. As time goes on, patients will find themselves needing to use reading glasses more often. The good news is, because CK has such a high safety profile, it can be enhanced years later. For more info on CK and its benefits, visit us online at www.ShelbyEye. com or call us at (318) 212-3937. Christopher Shelby, MD
Neurosurgery
Orthopaedics (Bone and Joint)
My daughter has epilepsy. Are there new treatments? Epilepsy affects 1 out of 100. While many have seizures controlled by medications, one-third don’t. For those who still have seizures, they can’t drive, be employed in unsupervised positions, or enjoy independence (because a seizure can occur at any time). For these people, two more common procedures are options. With careful screening and a multi-disciplinary team, we have cured about 8 patients recently using temporal lobectomy, some of who have had seizures for over 30 years... none of these have any permanent problems otherwise. Another option is vagus nerve stimulation, which reduces seizures by about 30 - 60% but rarely cures them. This involves putting a pacemaker-like device around a nerve in the neck.
My shoulder hurts. Should I play through the pain? Over 12 million people visit a doctor’s office for a shoulder problem annually. Athletes are particularly prone to shoulder injuries due to repetitive, cumulative stress/injuries. Injuries occur during sports, as well as every day home and work activities. Most shoulder problems involve muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments and can be treated effectively with exercises, medications, physical therapy, etc. Steady pain, limitation of motion, difficulties with work activities of daily living or difficulty with sleep should alert you to seek an orthopedic surgeon for help in diagnosing and treating your shoulder pain.
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Pierremont Eye Institute 7843 Youree Dr., Shreveport, LA 1105 318-212-3937; www.ShelbyEye.com Please see our ad on page 29.
John J. Ferrell, M.D.
Mid South Orthopaedics 7925 Youree Drive, Suite 210 Shreveport, LA 71105 (318) 424-3400
Social Security
Food Bank
When am I legally required to give my Social Security number? Most places that ask for your Social Security number may not really require it, but some may refuse you a service if you don’t give it. If asked for your number, you should ask why it’s needed and how it will be used. You also can ask what law requires you to give it and what the consequences are if you refuse. State agencies, for example, may be required by law to collect your number. For more detailed information, visit Social Security’s website at www.socialsecurity. gov or call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Also, be sure to keep your Social Security card in a safe place at home with your important papers - not in your purse or wallet.
What is the BackPack Program? The BackPack Program provides children a backpack with 8-10 pounds of child friendly shelf-stable foods to eat on the weekends and during holidays when school lunch and afterschool programming is not available. Site staff is trained on the symptoms of being chronically hungry, and then refers children into the program based on need. Each Friday during the school year, the child receives a bag of food for his backpack, which includes a nutritional education fun sheet and community resource pamphlets for parents. A donation of $150 will support one child for one school year. Food Bank of NWLA
Dora Miller, Public Affairs Specialist Social Security Administration 318-676-3173; fax 318-676-3141 dora.miller@ssa.gov
2307 Texas Avenue Shreveport, LA 71103 Phone: (318) 675-2400 Email: info @ foodbanknla.org
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 45
Has anyone seen the remote?
Analog Audio Broadcast Cable Channel Digital Flat Screen High Definition Interactive LCD Television Media Network Plasma TV Prime Time Programming Rabbit Ears Rear Projection Receiver Resolution Satellite Transmission Tuner Video Widescreen
Sudoku
Say What?
Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every row, column, and 3 x 3 box includes all digits 1 through 9. (Solution on page 48)
46 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
A concerned husband went to a doctor to talk about his wife. He says to the doctor, “Doctor, I think my wife is deaf because she never hears me the first time and always end up repeating myself.” “Well,” the doctor replied, “go home and tonight stand about fifteen feet from her and say something to her. If she doesn’t reply, move about five feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so that we’ll get an idea about the severity of her deafness.” Sure enough, the husband goes home and does exactly as instructed. He starts off about fifteen feet from his wife in the kitchen, as she is chopping some vegetables and says, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” He hears no response. He moves about five feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves five feet closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about an inch away, and asks again, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” She replies, “For the fourth time, vegetable stew!”
ACROSS 1 Ring overhead 5 Treatment amount 9 Hire a new crew 14 Rob 19 Orphanage transactions 21 Muse of lyric poetry 22 Civic firm 23 Instruction to a drinker? 24 Instruction to a take-out diner? 26 Odors 27 Discombobulate 29 In a hopeful manner 30 Neath’s opposite 32 Enzyme ending 33 Ling of “Red Corner” 35 French wine 36 Instruction to a battery maker? 42 Instruction to a lumberjack’s assistant? 45 Jack-in-the- pulpit, e.g. 46 Tribal emblem 47 Canary island 48 Brother of Rebecca 50 Sheepish comment 51 Anger 52 Play part 56 Instruction to a sculptor? 59 Instruction to ship Styrofoam? 62 Dings 63 Spoke snake 64 Block brand 65 Having made a will 69 Clan members 70 Tailor, at times 72 Valley where David and Goliath fought 73 Of bears 76 Parallel grooves 78 Instruction to a talcum buyer? 80 Instruction to a corporal punisher? 85 Hagar’s dog
86 Snaky swimmer 87 Storage container 88 Hindu teacher 89 Picked for the wrong part 92 Disguised, briefly 95 Nagy of Hungary 96 Instruction to a wooer? 99 Instruction to a judge after a mistrial? 101 QB Manning 102 __ Moines 103 High deg. 104 Address of a DPL 105 Look after 108 Supplication 111 Upolu resident 116 Instruction to a mime? 119 Instruction to a comic? 121 Van Gogh location 122 Face part 123 Silent quality 124 Color changers 125 Contract elements 126 Pig feed 127 “Dies __” (day of wrath) DOWN 1 Scoffing laughs 2 Father of Seth 3 Zero in tennis 4 Autobahn auto 5 Cut apart for analysis 6 __-la-la! 7 Prig 8 Punta del __ 9 Disqualify due to prejudice 10 Rub out 11 Virile 12 Part of AST 13 Negative word 14 Scram! 15 Rocky crags 16 Salad green 17 Aguilar of Ariana Franklin novels 18 Voice box
DO SOMETHING
By Robert H. Wolfe, North Woodmere, New York; Edited by Wayne Robert Williams
20 Claw 25 Bay window 28 Molten rock 31 Greek letter 33 Upright walkers 34 Gardner of films 36 Insect’s feeler 37 Russian range 38 Big, band tote 39 Somali model 40 Up, in the ballpark 41 Is a bookworm 42 Senator/ astronaut Jake and family 43 NBA all-star guard 44 Type of
artificial fly 47 Stay sleeping 49 Zilch 53 Stadium level 54 “Picnic” playwright 55 Mr. Sikorsky 57 Overly excited 58 Madrid month 59 More timid 60 Drummer of Rush 61 Improvise 65 Asian holidays 66 Spirited vigor 67 Japanese drink 68 Dynamic leader? 69 Prepared to pray 71 New Mexico art
colony 74 Takes an oath 75 That is: Lat. 76 Glossy 77 Touch of color 79 Fan extension? 81 Tiny branch 82 Writer Janowitz 83 Actor Katz 84 Bearing 87 ‘84 Modine movie 90 Ancient sin city 91 Pool stick 93 Product to mine 94 Girl’s school athletic uniform 96 See red 97 Chicago cow owner
98 Small bell sound 99 Gratitude 100 Astern 103 Preface 106 Venison 107 Pravda source 108 Boater’s walkway 109 Young newts 110 Actual 112 Type of bond 113 Unique individual 114 Latin handle 115 Wall St. letters 117 10th month 118 Definite article 120 Author Umberto
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 47
Have you made prearrangements for your family, or do you still have that to do? Leaving these decisions to your children on the worst day of their lives is a terrible emotional burden.
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Photo Credits
Cover “Seniors Fighting over TV Remote”, © Lisafx | Dreamstime.com page 5 - “Retro TV Abstract Background”, © Michaeldb | Dreamstime.com page 6 - “Politician”, © Prawny | Dreamstime.com page 10 - “Couple in doctor’s office”, © Monkeybusinessimages | Dreamstime. com page 11 - “Backache illustration”, © Eraxion | Dreamstime.com pages 14, 22. 25, 26, 28, 36, 38, 44, 50, 51, 58 - “Old Television”, © Sabinoparente | Dreamstime.com page 31 - “Oh my!”, Dreamstime.com pages 31&32 - “Vintage TV”, © Medusa | Dreamstime.com page 34 - “Cartoon of Old Television”, © Sabinoparente | Dreamstime.com page 42 - “Broke Graphic 1”, © Photoxite | Dreamstime.com page 44 - “Shopping cart with a dollar”, © Julos | Dreamstime. com page 45 - “White Simple Bed”, © Bburgess | Dreamstime.com
48 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Puzzle Solutions {from pages 46 - 47}
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 49
KUDOS
A Taste of Italy September 26, 2008 6:30-9 pm Bossier Civic Center Italian Cuisine, Wine Tasting, Silent Auction and Music! $20 Adults, $10 children under 10 For tickets call (318) 227-9503 or visit www.shreveportopera.org
U.S. News & World Report Recognizes W.K. Health System
For the second consecutive year Willis-Knighton Health System has been recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 publication of America’s Best Hospitals. The ratings, which are accessible online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals. Authoritative and influential, the 2008 America’s Best Hospitals guide ranks 170 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties -- with full data available online for another 1,500 that are unranked. Willis-Knighton is among the top 50 hospitals nationwide in Respiratory Disorders and Neurology & Neurosurgery. “To be ranked among the top hospitals in the United States is, indeed, a high honor,” said James K. Elrod, president and CEO of Willis-Knighton Health System. No other hospital in Louisiana was included in the U.S. News rankings this year for either adult or pediatric specialties. The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In the four other specialties -- ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology -- ranking is based solely on reputation, derived from the three most recent physician surveys.
Caddo Council on Aging Receives Grant
Caddo Council on Aging recently announced that it has been awarded a $1500 grant from the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) in recognition of the success of its 2008 March For Meals campaign. The grant was announced by MOWAA on July 31, and the grant money will be awarded in August at the 2008 MOWAA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. Caddo Council on Aging’s March For Meals event included Meals for Meals on March 10th and the March down Texas Street on March 19th. “We raised more than $100,000 and are enjoying a renewed interest in our organization and its mission,” said Mary Alice Rountree, Executive Director. “As always, we have received a positive response from our community, which makes all the work that goes into this annual campaign worth it.” The success of Caddo Council on Aging’s March For Meals campaign, in addition to the $1500 grant they received from MOWAA will help reduce the waiting list for meals and will fuel momentum for an even more successful campaign next year. Currently the CCOA is serving 1062 per day to frail homebound seniors in Caddo Parish. March For Meals is an annual national campaign to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of the local community. Senior nutrition programs across the U.S. promote March for Meals in their local communities through public events, partnerships with local businesses, volunteer recruitment and fundraising initiatives. The campaign takes place in March because it was during this month that the law was enacted that included senior meal programs in the Older Americans Act.
50 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Meteorology
Weather Facts for Thought Al Bolton
Each year the hurricane season begins on June 1st and continues for six months through November. August, September and October are the most active months for storm development with more developing during the month of September, on the average, than any other month of the hurricane season. Forecasters say that this will be a very active season for the development of tropical storms and hurricanes. They say that conditions are favorable for seventeen named storms, including nine hurricanes of which five will be major hurricanes with winds of 130 mph and higher. If a hurricane threatens the gulf coastal areas or any coastal area, you will hear these advisories. If it’s a hurricane watch, it means that hurricane conditions are possible in a designated area usually
within 36 hours. If it’s a hurricane warning, it means that hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. The Fall season will begin Monday, September 22nd. Here are some numbers that could serve as a guide as to what we might expect during September. The average daily normal high temperature is 87°. The average daily normal low temperature is 66°. Normal September rainfall is 3.2 inches. Last September the highest temperature was 96° on the 7th. The coolest temperature last September was 60° on the 29th. As for September records, the hottest September temperature was 109° on September 3, 2000. Our coldest September temperature was 42° on the 29th in 1967 and again on the 30th in 1984. Wettest of record was 16.5 inches in 1913. Al Bolton, a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, began reporting with KSLA-TV in February, 1954 and for The Best of Times in February 2002.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 51
Teacher of the Year, LSU-S, 1978; Louisiana Professor of the Year, Carnegie Foundation, 1997; The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting Local Communities, 1998; The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, 2000; U.S. Professor of the Year for Master’s Universities and Colleges from the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advanced Support of Education, 2007 Now that’s a pretty impressive list and represents a small selection of the many honors awarded Carlos Spaht, a professor of mathematics at LSU-Shreveport. With a list like that, one might think Spaht had dreamed of teaching math since boyhood; but that’s not the case. Spaht, 66, grew up in Baton Rouge, the son of an attorney and a homemaker. He enrolled at Louisiana State University following high school and was undecided about a major for most of his undergraduate years. His mother wanted him to be a doctor, but he didn’t like pre-med courses. He tried a law course, but decided that wasn’t for him, either. At the start of his senior year, he was still undecided, but realized he had enough math hours to graduate with a math degree. That was fine with
him, as he liked math well enough. Still, he didn’t know what he was going to do after graduation. “I had a whole variety of interests but no consuming passion,” Spaht said. During his senior year he was offered an assistantship if he would stay for graduate school and he agreed to it. When he got to graduate school, he found out he loved higher-level math and math theory. “I just ate it up and fell in love with it at that time,” he said. After earning his Ph.D. in 1970, he had to fulfill his military obligations and worked as an operations research analyst in support of the Chief of Staff of the Army at the Pentagon. He did that for two years and made a lot of really good friends, he said. At the end of his service, he had the opportunity to stay in Washington, D.C., as a consultant and make a lot of money. But he really thought he wanted to teach and he interviewed at LSU-Shreveport. His first wife was from Vivian, so he knew the area and the people and liked both a great deal. The visit to campus sealed the deal. “I think I made the right decision, looking back,” he said. His many teaching awards seem to reinforce just how right his decision to teach was. “I love teaching colleges students,” Spaht said. “When I go into a classroom, I go into a zone. I am different when I get into a classroom. I love doing that.” Many of his awards are the result of his special teaching style and ability to really connect with students. “I believe in expecting a lot of our students,” he said. “I believe if you create a nurturing environment, and you expect a lot out of those students, they will respond favorably. I use different teaching styles. You can’t get stuck. You have got to be able to flow. You can’t be too rigid.” In the late 80s, Spaht had reached the goals he had set for himself in his professional career. Even as a full professor with teaching awards, he thought he could do more. “I am a spiritual kind of guy,” he said. “I believe God put us here to serve our fellow man. I was praying, asking Him what I could do to better serve my fellow man. I didn’t feel satisfied. I felt like I could be doing more.”
52 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
He kept getting this idea for a program called LaPREP. He kept visualizing it, but putting it on the shelf. He realized to do something like that would be an enormous task. At the same time, he heard of a local student who was a brilliant student, but an African-American male who was at risk of dropping out. Exactly the type of student he thought LaPREP would target. A few years later, he learned that student had dropped out, joined a gang and was on drugs. “I knew at that time I had to try it,” Spaht said. “I didn’t know if I could do it, but I had to try it.” He began writing grant applications and in 1992, after three years, he got two large grants that enabled him to start LaPREP. The two-summer enrichment program identifies, encourages, and instructs middle and early high school students. The goal is to prepare them to complete a college degree program in math, science or engineering. Spaht still directs and teaches in the program. Since 2003, Spaht has also served as director of Financial Independence for Life, a program he helped develop that brings together high school teachers, students, and people from the business world to instruct the students on the many aspects of financial freedom. The LaPREP students are also funneled through the program. “This (the Financial Independence for Life program) wasn’t my vision, but once I saw it, I loved it. The teachers can go back to classrooms and teach their students. And students share all this information with their parents. It has done a lot of good, I think.” Even with all his awards and accolades, Spaht said his greatest joy comes when he sees the success his former students have - both college and LaPREP students. He said he gets a lot of e-mails from former LaPREP students when they have been successful. “I am very proud in those moments and receive a lot of joy from that,” he said. Spaht is very excited by the very real possibility that LaPREP might become a statewide program. The American Electric Power Foundation will award LSU-Shreveport $600,000 to establish an endowed
chair for LaPREP and the state will add $400,000 to bring the total to $1 million. This will ensure the program can continue without the staff constantly having to apply for grants, Spaht said. He added that there is a lot of interest in the state legislature in making LaPREP a statewide program. “I have a new excitement and a new energy level,” Spaht said of the recent developments. Spaht stays busy, much more so than he has to. Yet, he seems to be absolutely thrilled to be making a difference in the lives of others. He is always working towards something and that is consistent with his thoughts on life. “I believe God gave us a destiny and with every heartbeat we ought to be going for it,” he said. “I am happier now than I have ever been - a little tired, but happier than I have ever been.”
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 53
54 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
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56 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Bossier Council on Aging Bearkat Site (741-8302), 706 Bearkat Drive, Bossier City 8 AM - 4:30 PM Plain Dealing Site (326-5722), 101 E. Oak Street, Plain Dealing, 9 AM - 1 PM Transportation - Vans available to seniors 60+ who have no means of transportation for medical appointments, grocery store, drug store and other necessary stops. Wheelchair accessible. 3 day notice required. $3 round trip suggested. Also provide medical transportation through referrals from Medicaid. Outreach - Home visits are made to help qualify seniors for services. Homemaker - Trained employees will come to your home to provide light housekeeping for those seniors having difficulty maintaining their homes. $3/visit suggested. Information & referrals - Call us if a senior needs assistance in any way. 741-8302
Caregiver - Support services are provided for family caregivers including in-home respite care for the caregiver, education for the family, and material aid and personal care for the patient. Legal Services - Education on elder legal issues provided at the sites. Counseling for individuals is accessible monthly with a local lawyer or by referrals. Congregate (Site) Meals - Hot, nutritious meals served at 11:30 AM at the sites, Mon - Fri . $1.25 per meal is suggested. Home Delivered Meals - Meals provided 5 days per week for elderly homebound in Bossier Parish, $1.25/meal suggested. Personal Medical Response System With a referral from BCOA, an auto dial unit is available for installation on your phone. Necklace, wristband, or pocket clip styles provided. Just press the button for immediate help. $20 fee per month.
Senior Centers - Fun and fellowship for the active senior! Enjoy recreation, crafts, educational seminars, and health information. Also provided: day trips, extended trips, exercise and dance classes, bingo, cards, dominoes, health screenings, exercise equipment room, Senior Games and Thursday night dances with a live band. Medication Management - Seminars, brown bag services provided by pharmacists and programs provided by health care providers so seniors know about their prescriptions and the proper way to take them. Drug plan assistance available. Medicaid Applications - We are an application center and provide assistance to seniors in filling out the forms. By appointment only. (AARP) Money Management - BCOA provides financial assistance to seniors: bill paying, balancing checkbooks, etc.
Caddo Council on Aging 4015 Greenwood Road, (318) 632-2090. Website-www.caddocouncilonaging.org Email-ccoa@caddocoa.org Info & Referral - 632-2090 Outreach/Individual Needs Assessment632-2090 - Visits are made to the home to explain services available and to enroll the elderly in our various service programs Home Delivered Meals - 632-2090 - Each week 5 meals can be delivered to homebound seniors. Suggested donation $1.25/day. Homemaker Services - 632-2090 - Personal care and household tasks provided for homebound persons unable to perform these tasks without assistance. $5/month donation requested. Personal Care - 632-2090 - Personal care provided to homebound person by trained staff once a week. $5/month donation requested. Family Caregiver - 632-2090 - Sitter and respite provided for full time caregiver of a senior. Donation requested. Telephone Reassurance - 632-2090 - Volunteers make regular phone calls to seniors to offer comfort and support. Medical Alert - 632-2090 -Emergency response system that protects sen iors in case of accident or falls in the home. $20/month fee SenioRX Program - 632-5900 or 1800-793-1198-Assists seniors applying for pharmaceutical aid programs. Nursing Home Ombudsman - 632-2090-
Professional weekly visits to nursing home to investigate and resolve issues made by the elderly resident or the resident’s family. Covering 7 parishes in NWLA. RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) 632-2113 - Provides volunteer opportunities in the community and nutrition sites for persons 55 years of age or older. Foster Grandparents (FGP) - 632-2199Seniors serve as mentor, tutor and caregivers to youth with social needs. FGPs that meet special requirements may serve 20hrs/wk and receive a stipend. Legal Services - 632-2090- Referrals for individual counseling. Emergency Blinking Light - Flashing light installed in your porch light by the Caddo Sheriff Dept. to help guide emergency medical personnel to the house during lifethreatening emergencies. No charge. SOS Program - Sheriff’s Operational Safeguard. Helps identify and reunite lost, memory-impaired persons with families. Participants are given a bracelet engraved with the name and phone number of the Sheriff’s Office and an ID number that corresponds to personal information. Confidential Call 681.0875 to register. No charge. Senior Centers and Meal Sites - 6322080-Area sites located in Caddo Parish that offer fun activities, recreation, wellness, exercise, safety programs, sewing, crafts, bingo, and just plain old fun. Lunch served at all sites for a $1.25 donation. Transportation is provided to sites, call 632-2080 to sign up
for a meal or transport to the sites. • Myrtle B. Pickering Senior Center4017 Greenwood Rd, Shreveport. Open Mon-Fri 8:30am-3:30pm. • Blanchard Cross Roads Church - 356 Warriner, Blanchard. Open Mon-Wed-Fri 9:00am-12noon. • Broadmoor Methodist Church - 3715 Youree Drive, Shreveport. Open 9:30 12:30. • Canaan Towers Apartments - 500 North Dale, Shreveport. Open Mon-Wed-Fri 9:30am-12:30pm. • Cooper Road Community Center - 1422 MLK Blvd, Shreveport. Open MonFriday 9:30am-12:30pm • Greenwood Library - Hwy 80, Downtown Greenwood. Open Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 12:30pm • Mooringsport Community CenterLattimer Street, Mooringsport across from the school. Open Tue-Wed-Thurs 9:30am to 12:30pm • Morning Star Baptist Church 5340 Jewella, Sport Open Mon-Fri 9:30am-12:30pm • New Hill CME Church - 8725 Springridge Texas Line Rd, Keithville Tue & Thurs 10am-1:00pm • Oil City Community Center - Savage Street, Oil City Open Mon-Wed-Fri 9am to noon • Vivian Community Center - in the City Park 522 E. Tennessee Open Mon-Fri 9am-12noon
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 57
Get Up and Go!
Driver Education AARP Driver Safety Program - An 8 hour classroom refresher course for drivers age 50+ must attend both days. Call to preregister. Fee: $10. • Sept. 11 & 12 - 8:30am to 12:30pm - Cypress Baptist Church, 4701 Palmetto Rd, Benton. Contact: Sherry Bell 9652296; Instructor: James Smith. • Sept. 16 & 17 - 12:00 to 4 pm Bossier Council on Aging, 706 Bearkat Dr, Bossier City. Contact: Kathy Thomas 741-8302; Instructor: Ray Branton • Sept. 22 & 23 - 8:30am to 12:30pm - Love Chapel Methodist Church, 4600 Hwy 80 East, Haughton, La. Contact: Lisa Birdwell 949-0430; Instructor: James Smith • Sept. 29 & 30 - 8:30am to 12:30pm - Kings Hwy Christian Church, 806 Kings Hwy, Shreveport. Contact: Elli Boyd 2223684; Instructor: Malcolm Parker
Balloonfest Red River Balloonfest & Sky Parade - September 12 - 14. Friday, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Sat., 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. Louisiana Boardwalk, 390 Plaza Loop, Bossier City. Live entertainment, tethered balloon rides, hot air balloon glows, classic car show, radio control planes, professional kite flying demo, children’s playground, air show, crafters & commercial booths. Free attendance and parking. 318-925-2307.
Krewe of Elders
Volunteer Opportunities
The Krewe of Elders’ Coronation Bal - September 6, 6:00 until 10:00 p.m. American Legion Hall, 5315 S. Lakeshore Dr., Shreveport. Blue Eyed Soul Express Band, introduction of 2008/2009 Royalty, silent auction, raffle. $40 in advance; $45 at door. Buffet included in ticket price, cash bar. Send check to Krewe of Elders, P.O. Box 6484, Shreveport, LA 71171. Open to public. Contact Jay Prudhomme at 6354901 or Wanda Smith at 752-9175.
Food Bank of NWLA booth at the Red River Revel - Saturday, October 4th – Saturday, October 11th, 2 hour shifts. M – F 4 to 8 pm; Sat. & Sun – 11 am to 8 pm. Booth will be a clay pot painting booth. 2 - 3 volunteers needed for each shift. Call Amie Roberts at 675-2400.
Krewe of Elders Dance - September 28. 2:30 until 6:30 p.m. American Legion Hall, 5315 South Lakeshore Drive, Shreveport. Door prizes, raffle, cash bar. Bobby Langston Trio. $7.00 at door. Food to purchase will be available. Open to public. Contact Jay Prudhomme at 635-4901 or Wanda Smith at 752-9175.
Continuing Education
“C.H.E.N. University” - Presented by Community Healthcare Education Network of Northwest Louisiana. One day conference for RNs, Social Workers, and Nursing Home Administrators. Tuesday, September 23. Bossier Civic Center, 620 Benton Rd, Bossier City. 8 am to 3 pm. Offering 4 CEUs. Cost - $10. No money taken at the door. All presentations are being approved by the corresponding boards. Seating is limited. A hot lunch provided free of charge! Registration forms must be received by September 8. Mail name, address, phone, email, and $10 check payable to CHEN to CHEN, 9301 Wallace Lake Rd, Shreveport, LA 71106 or drop off by September 8th. For more info and registration forms, visit the website at www.chen-nwla.com or call 318-2129990 or email tonicamp1@aol.com.
58 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Meadows Museum of Art Docents for 2008/2009 Season - The Meadows Museum of Art, Centenary College, 2911 Centenary Blvd., adjacent to the Admissions Building. Docent Open House and Recruitment event, Monday, September 8 from 9:30 a.m. until noon in the museum gallery. The event is free and open to the public. Museum docents are volunteers who support the museum’s education program by leading tours and assisting visitors with questions about specific exhibits. During this recruitment event, breakfast refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Helen Feild, Docent Coordinator, at 318.841.7271 or hfeild@centenary.edu.
Books and More Books
22nd Muses Book Bazaar - Annual Centenary Book Bazaar. Friday, Sept 5 and Saturday Sept 6. Haynes Gym at Fitness Center on the Centenary College campus. Friday 4 - 9 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission is FREE and open to the public. Proceeds will be used to fund projects and programs for Centenary students. The money helps to pay for items that are beyond the College’s budget. Prices for books start at 25 cents, while most items are priced under $5. Included in the sale are paperback and hardback books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, cassettes, and LPs.
Support Groups
Symposium
Theatre
Bereavement Support Group - Every Thursday, 5:30 p.m.. WK Medical Center, Hospice Family Room, 3300 Albert L. Bicknell Drive Suite 3, FREE.
11th Annual Lola Eichler Memorial Parkinson’s Disease Symposium - Friday, October 3, 4 to 6 p.m. To raise public and patient awareness about Parkinson’s disease. Individuals with Parkinson’s, family members, caregivers, healthcare professionals, students and the general public are invited. A reception will follow the symposium and will include a silent auction, displays and refreshments. The proceeds of this auction will support the activities of the Parkinson’s Disease Resource. For additional information, please contact Paula Houston, Coordinator, Information & Referral Center at (318) 675-6142.
Greater Tuna - Presented by Shreveport Little Theatre. Sept. 5,6,12,13, at 8 p.m. Sept. 7,14, at 2 p.m. Woman’s Department Club Auditorium, corner of Line Ave. & Margaret Pl., Shreveport. Arles Struvie, Thurston Wheelis, Aunt Pearl, Petey Fisk, and Rev. Spikes are just a few of the characters that will come to life in Greater Tuna in this hilarious send-up of small town morals and mores. This comedy features two actors creating the entire population of Tuna, twenty characters, in a tour de farce of quick-change artistry. $15, $13 seniors, students & active military. For reservations and further information call SLT’s box office at 812 Margaret Place, open from noon to 4:00 p.m. , 4244439. www.shreveportlittletheatre.org
Amputee Support Group - Thursday, Sept. 4. 6:30 p.m. Certified Limb & Brace, 3227 Portland Ave. (corner of I-20 and Greenwood Rd.). Information and fellowship. Guest lecturers. FREE. For more info call 636-9145.
Grandparents
Grandparents Day at Yogie and Friends Exotic Cat Sanctuary - Frierson, LA. Saturday, September 13, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. When you bring your grandparents to Yogie and Friends, they will get FREE admission to see all the big cats, such as lions, tigers, cougars, and other exotic cats. Located at 128 Fob Lane in Frierson, LA just a short drive from Shreveport. The organization rescues abused and neglected large, exotic cats and provides a safe, stress-free permanent home. Visit www.yogieandfriends.org or call 795-0455 for more info.
Benefit A Taste of Italy - Benefitting the Shreveport Opera. Friday, September 26 at 6:30 PM. Bossier Civic Center, 620 Benton Road, Bossier City. Featuring Italian cuisine, wine tasting, silent auction, and music. $20 adults, $10 for children age 10 and under. For tickets or more information call 227-9503 or visit www. shreveportopera.org.
Ballet Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet presents “Ballet Under the Stars” - Saturday, September 6. 7:30 p.m. Upper Festival Plaza, 101 Crockett St., Shreveport. An evening of dance featuring local dancers from a variety of venues. Free. 318-866-9916.
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 59
Parting Shots
1 - Tommy Williams (here assisted by CNA LaTasha Thomas), as well as all of the residents of the Northwest Louisiana War Veteran’s Home have recently had the opportunity to bowl with their own new portable bowling lane, donated by Holiday Lanes of Bossier City. 2 - Kay and George Constantine congratulate their daughter, Alexis, on her marriage to Derek Lindstrom on July 26th. 3 - The Krewe of Justinian recently held their royalty coronation, “Welcome to the Jungle”, on August 9th at Horseshoe Casino and Hotel. (a) (L to R) Duchess Catherine Dorrah, Queen Susan Cox, Duchess Camille Hathaway (b) Queen Susan Cox, Captain Tim Fischer, King Jim Bolin. (Not pictured: Dukes Don Armand and Kenny Haines.) 4 - Candidates seeking the 4th Congressional District seat being vacated by the retiring Jim McCrery met in a free public forum at LSU Shreveport on August 19th for Republican candidates and August 20th for Democrats. In attendance were (a) AARP members (L to R) Vernon Varnell, Ms. Daryl Blacker, Marilyn Varnell, and Emma Shepard; (b) Steve and Maria Kirkikis; (c) Rhonda and Michael Mann; and (d) spotted reading The Best of Times are Rosemary Terraciza and Nadine Barksdale. 5 - “Author, Author Celebration of the Written Word” event was held at the Municipal Auditorium on July 18th and 19th. (a) Jerry Harris, noted artist and portrait painter, and Bess Maxwell; (b) World-renowned author, Brook Carey, signing autographs in her new book “The Accidental Warden”. 6 - Attending the Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN) grand opening on August 19th are (a) (L to R) Julie Nesbit, CEO and President of LATAN, Dora Miller, public relations specialist with Social Security Administration, and Mary Alice Rountree, Executive Director of Caddo Council on Aging; (b) (L to R) Mary Goyne, Joey Cooper, and Julia Easley; and (c) Mary Liona Pinchera with Louisiana Senator Buddy Shaw. 7 - James Burton (right) welcomes Jeff Berlin, legendary electric bass guitarist, to the James Burton International Guitar Festival in Shreveport on August 22-24.
60 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
Celebrating a special occasion or just out for an evening with friends? Share your photos with us. Email to Editor.Calligas@gmail.com or mail to Parting Shots, c/o The Best of Times, P.O. Box 19510, Shreveport, LA 71149 THE BEST of TIMES ď&#x192;ź September 2008 ď&#x192;ž 61
This forum will allow the candidates to present their platform concerning issues of particular importance to senior citizens in northwest Louisiana. The first hour of the forum will be broadcast LIVE on THE BEST OF TIMES RADIO HOUR at 9 a.m. on AM 1130 KWKH in front of an audience at the NurseCare of Shreveport at 1736 Irving Place with Gary L. Calligas, host of the radio hour, asking questions of the candidates. Audience seating is limited so please arrive early. Contact NurseCare of Shreveport for seating and parking questions at 318-221-1983. You’re invited to submit seniorrelated questions for the candidates. Email Gary.Calligas@gmail.com or fax to 318-525-0655 by Wednesday, September 24, 2008. 62 September 2008 THE BEST of TIMES
THE BEST of TIMES September 2008 63
Brock’s Collision Repair Center values their clients, their employees and the community, and feel responsibility to each. In keeping with these ideals, we are proud to announce “We’ve Gone Green”! At all three Brock’s Collision Repair Centers, we are committed to promoting a “greener” Shreveport/Bossier. Each of our stores has replaced the traditional solvent-based paints and coatings with low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) waterborne basecoat. By using the more environmentally friendly products to refinish our clients’ vehicles, we are able to significantly reduce the emission of VOCs into the atmosphere. This change not only improves the quality of our air, it also contributes to a healthier working environment, and provides a safer place for us to conduct business with our clients. VOCs are chemical compounds commonly found in paint coatings and cleaning products, and when released into the atmosphere, contribute to the creation of smog and ozone pollution. By switching to a low VOC waterborne basecoat, these emissions can be reduced by up to 80%. This is a major technological advancement that creates a “win-win” situation all around. Waterborne basecoat is the latest coating system used by manufacturers to create the color on vehicles today. This is the first product to be as close to factory paint that has EVER been available to collision repair shops before. Using waterborne color toners in our centers affords us the ability to achieve more exact color matches and shorter repair completion times. We are serious about being a “green” business; so we are transitioning to paperless working files, recycling parts instead of sending to a landfill, using biodegradable paper cups instead of plastic, and using environment friendly cleaning products. This is our home, and we believe in what we are doing to help make it a cleaner place in which to live. We invite all businesses to join us in this worthy endeavor.
Brock’s Collision Repair Centers Shreveport AutoMall 8752 Business Park Dr. (318) 798-1353
South 740 Bert Kouns (318) 687-5070
Bossier City 2654 Barksdale Blvd. (318) 742-5575