Senior Life - NorthWest Edition - January 2025 by The Papers Inc.

Key Positions

Assistant parks director enjoys working with city

Text and Photos

By STEVE EUVINO

Feature Writer

John Harrison may have fallen short in the 2023 election, but he continues to serve his community as assistant director of Portage parks. Working with city officials, he coordinated an effort to develop the city’s newest park.

Officials in November cut the ceremonial ribbon for Miami Park. Portage’s 19th park is being leased on township school

land near Portage High School.

The city in November dedicated the Fitness Court at Miami Park. Part of the National Fitness Campaign, the court is a cushioned full-body circuit training center with seven movement zones, each offering exercises utilizing different body parts.

A QR code on the structure leads park users to different exercises, as can The Fitness Court app. In addition, the south side of the 32-by-73-foot court features a studio area for

potential outdoor classes, possibly yoga, Zumba and aerobics.

The project cost about $200,000, much of which was covered by the city’s park impact fee and $30,000 from a National Fitness Campaign grant. Portage residential builders pay a park impact fee that can only go to new city parks.

The National Fitness Campaign works with municipalities, schools and sponsors nationwide to design and devel-

Continued on page 4

Memorial

Opera House — New look for 131-year-old landmark

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer

In the one year Zachary Mullins has been with Valparaiso’s Memorial Opera House, he has witnessed a new look and life for the structure, opened in 1893 to honor Porter County’s Union soldiers from the Civil War.

“We’re open for business and selling tickets all the time,” said Mullins, the opera house’s marketing coordinator. “Check us out.”

Visitors checking out the opera house will see new carpeting and lighting, a new paint job, a new lounge in the main lobby and a redone lounge upstairs.

With help from grants and the opera house’s foundation, Porter County government pumped $5 million into the renovation and restoration project. The opera house closed in May and reopened in September. Some minor work remains.

Effective January 2025, the opera house comes under the auspices of Valpo Parks and is looking ahead to a full slate of programs.

“We’re not just musicals or theater,” Mullins said. “We have a lot of culture here, a lot of the community. We have people who come here to volunteer all the time.”

The opera house’s mission states, “We use theater and the arts to build community and create a sense of belonging.”

“We love seeing the community actually benefit for what we have to offer,” Mullins said. “People who come here now are pleasantly surprised by the renovations. They point to its beauty and functionality.”

dinners and bake sales. Originally dedicated to the Porter County Union soldiers who died in the Civil War, today the structure honors all veterans, living and dead, who served this country.

The opera house became a popular spot for political rallies, concerts, plays and social events. Those included meetings of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization composed of Union soldiers, sailors and Marines from the Civil War. The Sons of Union Veterans continues to meet at the opera house.

In time, as motion pictures hit the scene, Memorial Opera House had Valparaiso’s first cinema screen.

The opera house also welcomed some big names. These included President Theodore Roosevelt, the “March King” John Philip Sousa, the Marx brothers, broadcaster-traveler and Valparaiso University graduate Lowell Thomas and actress Beulah Bondi, who grew up in Valparaiso and attended VU.

Upcoming shows include “Hollywood Through the Ages,” “MegaBeatles!,” tributes to Taylor Swift and John Mellencamp, “Singin’ in the Rain” and improvisational sketch shows.

Mullins said the opera house puts on four to five main stage productions, each running three weeks. Those are in addition to other shows, including youth theater and concerts.

The marketing coordinator is excited about the opera house’s efforts to showcase talents of people of all abilities. The Penguin Project involves young people assisted by a mentor, while the Penguin Players are for ages 18 through adults.

Including the balcony area, the opera house has seating for 325.

Formerly known as Memorial Hall, the opera house was built in 1893, thanks to the sales of bricks, subscriptions, lectures,

“People will have a brand new experience in a fresher venue,” Mullins said.

Scott MacDonald is the opera house’s executive director. For more information, call Memorial Opera House at (219) 548-9137.

Text & Photos

PUBLIC SERVANT — John Harrison stands beside park brochures at Woodland Park in Portage. With a background in finance and accounting, Harrison serves as assistant director of Portage parks.

NEWEST CITY PARK — John Harrison, assistant park director of Portage parks, coordinated the effort to make Miami Park a reality. Opened in November and located near Portage High School, the park features various fitness programs and has room for outdoor classes.

Munster artist finds his craft therapeutic

Text and Photos By CARRIE STEINWEG Feature Writer

Not everyone knows from any early age what they want to be when they grow up. For others, their gifts are apparent early on. David Robertson of Munster grew up surrounded by artistic family members and has been creating art in one form or another for as along as he can remember.

Robertson was born and raised in Hammond. He attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago.

“I’ve always been fascinated about art. It seems like it is just a natural part of my DNA, if that is possible,” said Robertson. “I’ve been creating art for most of my life, so I would guess probably for at least 60 years. My family is very artistic. My aunts and cousins were always working

on a new projects.”

For Robertson, art isn’t just work. It’s soothing for his soul.

“I, myself, always — and still do — find a natural comfort and ease when I’m creating art. It certainly relieves any stress I may be experiencing,” said Robertson. “I have found art to be extremely therapeutic.”

Robertson’s talents span across different types of art.

“I work in many different mediums as well as several different subject matter,” he said. “I paint abstract paintings, focusing on color and texture as well as small abstract sculptures. The mediums I use for sculpture can be wood, but most often I use a product called paperclay which I have been using for well over 30 years.”

One of his career highlights was a one-man show that he did close to three decades ago in Detroit.

“I created 10 sculptures, each one representing men, women and children from the Holocaust. The show was a very emotional experience,” he said.

Robertson describes his style as “very contemporary with a strong use of color and organic shapes.”

Beyond art, Robertson said one of his passions is working out at the gym.

“I feel it is incredibly important now more than ever to stay active as we get older,” he said.

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tions,

and

His work includes paintings, sculptures, furniture and jewelry. He occasionally displays his larger sculptures in the gift shop at South Shore Arts in Munster along with a selection of jewelry. You can also view his work on his Instagram account, @ davidjrobertsonartist, and on his website, davidjrobertson. com.

“I have a studio in my home and I spend a lot of time creating new art, whether a large scale painting or a small piece of jewelry,” he said.

Assistant

op healthy communities. The campaign contacted Harrison, who liked the idea and passed it on to Mayor Austin Bonta and other city officials.

The project began in April. That included working out an agreement with Portage Township Schools for the land. The park derives its name from the Indian tribe that formerly lived in the area.

“It’s a great opportunity for fitness, and people can come and use it at their leisure,” said Harrison, 71. “It’s open to everyone and there’s close proximity to the school and other neighborhoods.”

parks

and great for the city.”

The park includes open green space for possible future additions.

After losing the Portage clerk-treasurer’s race by 300 votes, Harrison, with a background in accounting and finance, was approached by Bonta about serving with city parks.

Late in 2024, Harrison put his professional background to work on the annual budget, which for Portage parks is about $1.5 million.

Harrison worked 30 years in payroll and accounts payable for National Steel, two years for Midway Games, and 14 years for the American Medical Association.

ins and outs of park business. Among the challenges he’s discovered is staffing, since the parks office has minimal staff, while parks must still be maintained. Park maintenance is a big project in the spring and summer, he said.

Another park project is Market in the Square, a farmers market which runs June through September. That project, Harrison said, also saw improvements in 2024.

With a year under his belt, Harrison enjoys his job.

“There are challenges, and I’m learning what a park department does,” he said. “With Kelly Smith as our director, we’re a good team. The park department as a whole is a very good team, and we’re working together.” Continued from page 2

He added, “the park is within walking distance from many houses in the area. It’s definitely an opportunity for fitness

With Parks Director Kelly Smith, Harrison is learning the

MEETING THE PUBLIC — David Robertson of Munster mans a table featuring his artwork at the gift show at South Shore Arts in Munster. Robertson works in a variety of mediums to create his art.

LOCAL ARTIST David Robertson, a native of Hammond, grew up in an artistic family. Today, art is his profession. Robertson paints and sculpts as well as creating furniture and jewelry.

S. O. S. – Speaking Of Seniors

Rocky Mountain high medical bill

On Dec. 17, a client and her husband were in my office when we got the news that her medical bill problem would be fixed and that she would get money back from her insurance company. She was happy.

The couple has traveled to Colorado for her high school reunion. While at 10,000 feet above sea level, she developed a medical problem and had to rush to a hospital. While being seen at the first hospital, the power for that hospital was lost and the hospital was dark until a generator started providing power.

The staff at the first hospital called other hospitals for four hours to find our client a hospital to which she could be transported for service — two hours away.

The hospitals and doctors did their jobs. The patient did her portion. But Medicare failed to send all the official Medicare claims reports to our client’s Medicare supplement insurance company. Without the complete report, her insurance company could not pay its portion of the bill. Our client ended with a bill for over a $1,600 balance to pay. She started paying it with $250. Then, her insurance agent told to her stop paying and go see me. I saved her over $1,600.

All the work I did to help

By WOODROW WILCOX Senior Problem Resolution Officer Senior Care Insurance Services

this client was free of charge. This insurance agency helps all our clients with such medical bill problems without charge. If your insurance agent or agency does not give this high level of customer service, why don’t you switch to a firm that does? This one does.

Woodrow Wilcox is the senior medical bill case worker at Senior Care Insurance Services in Merrillville, Indiana. He has saved clients of that firm over $3,000,000 by fighting mistakes and fraud in the Medicare medical billing system. Also, Wilcox wrote the book “SOLVING Medicare Problem$” which can be ordered through book stores or online.

Have you made your will? Then your children will end up in probate!

It’s a brand new year! Like many Americans, you may have made some New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps a resolution you should include, if you haven’t already done so, is to get your personal affairs in order. According to the American Bar Association, 60% of all Americans have done no end-of-life planning whatsoever, not even a will. You could do a will, but most wills end up in probate. Do you really want your children to end up in probate court when you pass away?

If you’re like most Americans today, you may be considering a living trust rather than simply creating a will. The assets that are in the living trust at the time you pass away can totally avoid probate. There are a number of other documents that would also be present in a good estate plan, including:

1) Living Will to make sure you’re not forever hooked up to machines if there’s no hope for recovery.

2) HIPAA Waiver so it’s not a felony for the doctors to communicate with your spouse or your adult children in the event that you become disabled.

3) Advance Medical Directive so the doctors and family will know what persons you want to be in charge to make long-term medical decisions in the event you become unable to make your

By CLIFFORD J. RICE Elder Law Attorney Valparasio

own medical decisions.

4) In-Home Healthcare Instructions. Nursing homes cost an average of $9,000 a month in this part of Indiana. If you have a good living trust that contains in-home healthcare instructions, there’s a good chance it can keep you or your spouse out of a nursing home, saving most of that $9,000 each month, meanwhile maintaining your own privacy and dignity and allowing you to remain in your own home.

5) We can include a Funeral Planning Declaration, Personal Effects Distribution Memorandums and build in

Remarriage Protection, so that if your surviving spouse gets remarried after you die, they don’t lose half of everything you own to a new spouse. Because we are an Elder Law firm, we can even help save you or your life savings from nursing home spend-downs. Want to learn more? Come to Teibel’s, 1775 US 41, Schererville at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8; or Lighthouse Restaurant, 7501 Constitution Ave., Cedar Lake at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15. Reservations required, seating is limited! Call now: (800) 303-7423 or visit our website at riceandrice.com.

Why it’s important to check your earnings history

By DANIEL SUMMER, MA Public Affairs Specialist

Social Security Administration

It may have been years or even decades since you thought about how much you earned at your first job. Did you know that you can find out how much you made that first year? Or any year you worked and paid Social Security taxes?

Your earnings history is a record of your progress toward your future Social Security benefits. We track your earnings so we can pay you the benefits you’ve earned over your lifetime. That is why it’s so important for you to review your earnings record.

Even though it’s your employer’s responsibility to provide accurate earnings information, you should review your earnings history and let us know if there are any errors or omissions. Otherwise, your future Social Security benefits could be lower than you should receive. It’s important to identify and report errors as soon as possible. If too much time passes, it could be hard for you to get older tax documents.

Also, some employers may no longer exist or be able to provide past payroll information.

The best way to verify your earnings record is to visit ssa. gov/myaccount and create or sign in to your personal my Social Security account. You should review your earnings carefully every year and confirm them using your own records, such as W-2 forms and tax returns. Keep in mind that earnings from this year and last year may not be listed yet. When you have a personal my Social Security account, we send you an email once a year, three months before your birthday, to remind you to check your earnings and to get future benefit estimates.

If your Social Security earnings record is incorrect and does not match your personal records, you may be able to submit a correction request online using your personal my Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount. If that feature is available in your personal my Social Security account, you can use the online process to correct missing earnings, inaccurate earnings from a

valid employer, or earnings from an employer you did not work for. You’ll need to provide:

• Your address if we need to contact you about your request.

• Details about your correct earnings and employer.

• Evidence or proof of correct earnings, if available.

You can electronically upload your proof (W-2, W-2C, tax return, wage stub, pay slip, etc.) in a JPG or PDF format. After you successfully submit your evidence, you can print or save a receipt.

Earnings corrections cannot be processed online if they are for:

• The current or prior year, which may not be recorded yet.

• Self-employment.

• Railroad Board.

• Certain years before 1978. Also, you cannot submit an earnings correction online if you:

• Receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, or Medicare.

• Have applied for Social Security benefits or SSI.

If you cannot correct your earnings online, call us at (800)

CHECK EARNINGS YEARLY It is important to review your earnings records. Your earning history is a progress toward future Social Security benefits. Photo provided by Social Security Administration.

772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778), 8

a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday to request a correction.

Start a conversation today.

Ask a family member or friend about their first job and let them know they can find out what they earned that year.

Money management deflects financial blows

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

“How much money do you have in your pocket?” I was asked decades ago by a downtown merchant who bought the newspaper from me before home delivery was in vogue.

I told him I had about 30 cents. He shook his head and wanted to know exactly how much money I had in my pocket.

“If you don’t know how much money you have in your pocket, you’ll never be rich,” he told me. That was my first rule I remember about money management. While I never got rich, I

always knew — and still know — how much money I had in my pocket, wallet, piggy bank, savings and checking accounts, investment portfolio and anywhere else I kept money.

Keeping an eye on those tallies has kept me aware of how much I spend and on what.

That’s basically what managing money is all about. It becomes more important as you grow older and living on a fixed income.

Stories abound of oldsters who keep checking accounts in several banks and a hoard of back up cash in an old purse tucked in a closet.

That may be considered

BARBARA M. SHAVER

safekeeping, but it’s mismanagement.

Managing money means being able to track your transactions in a checkbook register, read reports from your financial advisor, and understand why you have to pay taxes or why you’re getting a refund.

Many seniors relinquish their money monitoring to their children. But what about oldsters without family living nearby, or who don’t have children or siblings? They have to pay their own bills and make sure they have enough money for groceries while warding off the crooks and scam artists swarming around them.

To take control of your finances, start by simplifying your monitoring process.

If you have several bank and/ or credit union accounts, take a look at each of them and ask how it benefits you. You may feel comfortable spreading your assets over several accounts, but

this makes you more vulnerable to financial fraud that’s more difficult to spot when your money’s scattered all over the place. Try to pare it down to a single account.

If you receive Social Security or any other retirement income by mail, have those payments deposited directly into that account and check it regularly to make sure those payments are made.

Whoever is in charge of the finances in your household should make sure their spouse is capable of taking over should they pass away or become incapacitated.

Then both might consider enlisting a trusted family member, friend or attorney to manage your money if both of them become unfit to handle their affairs.

There’s no such thing as minor money matters as you age.

A simple story illustrates that.

A neighbor passed away recently without notifying her partner about all the bills she owed. It

Finding purpose on a lazy day —

took several months to track down and clear all debts, except one. It was membership in a warehouse club that did not have a convenient outlet nearby — the couple had moved shortly before her death — so the survivor paid no attention to the advertisements and mailings from the discounter.

Through all this, the membership fee that went unpaid was automatically added to the wholesale club’s credit card and two things happened.

What was a nominal fee became a several-hundred-dollar debt because a credit card interest rate was added each month the fee wasn’t paid. And the unpaid debt blasted a hole in the survivor’s credit rating. She wasn’t aware of the debt until a collection agency called.

Seemingly minor slips in money management can cause major damage to your fiscal future.

Writing my stories

By JIM CARPENTER Guest Writer

I find myself smiling on occasion. Lately it seems, for very little reason. And I think this amuses me further. So I hold the smile just a bit longer. I realize sometimes when I am watching, an old show that is a rerun on TV, I smile at something that is said, by those characters familiar to me. Then there will be other times, when I am just sitting lost in thought. When a random memory will saunter by, and catch me a bit off guard. And then I might give a little smile. Innocent and organic as all get out. A smile provoked by an old, old, memory. Spontaneous and devout. Perhaps I make too big of a deal, for what is such a minor issue. I might tear up during that smile, but not to where I need a tissue. I feel good when I am touched, by the writers of those old shows. Lessons are learned through onerous times.

Just ask the Beaver. He knows!

Get your spark back:

after a planned surgery or bout of illness. Ignite’s dedicated team of in house therapists will customize a rehabilitation plan to get you back on your feet and back to the things you love.

Valparaiso man helped grow sport of disc golf in Northwest Indiana

By CARRIE STEINWEG Feature Writer

When he was in high school, Phil Farrell of Valparaiso was a big Frisbee fan. Nearly 50 years ago he was one of the founders of the Duneland Disc Golf Club and he still is active in the sport today.

“We started a club in 1976 and we wanted to put a course in at Porter Park. We were young kids right out of high school and could never get all the money for the baskets and it got tabled, but we kept the club going,” said Farrell. They played the game in local parks without the usual equipment, using trees as targets.

He continued playing the sport, known then as Frisbee golf, and the group continued to search for a home course. At one time Dogwood Park in Chesterton was being considered, but it was deemed to be too flat. He also got the first Indiana state disc golf tournament going.

Eventually his friend and fellow player, Bob Luckett, made it his mission to convince the Valpo Parks Department to install a disc golf course and his persistence paid off. Farrell was instrumental in the design and construction of the course that began in 2001.

“The parks department was interested in putting one in at Rogers Lakewood Park and that was really great,” said Farrell. “It had ups and downs and water and swamp areas and big oak trees and it was perfect. The parks department keeps the place nice. It’s very clean.”

Eventually the course grew to have a total of 24 holes.

You’ll still find Farrell at the Rogers Lakewood course two

or three times a week playing throughout the year.

“I can play it all year when winters are pretty mild. Even when there is snow, as long as it’s not really deep, you can still play,” he said.

Farrell sees it as a sport that is beneficial for all ages. He plays regularly with men who are around age 80.

“Back in the day everyone played baseball, basketball and football. I thought that it was great to be in those major sports, but as you get older, you’re not going to do those. Contact sports don’t have that life span,” he said. “I think schools should focus a little more on sports you can do into your older years.”

Another thing Farrell said makes disc golf attractive is that it’s an inexpensive game. Although it’s similar to traditional golf, you don’t have the expense of a bag of clubs.

“For $30 you can have three discs to throw and you can play. It’s super cheap compared to

regular golf,” he said. “It’s also great exercise. You’re outside. There’s camaraderie with other people. It’s really a good sport if you can stay with it. It’s good

for your health. When you’re teeing off it’s almost like pitching in baseball. It’s the closest to baseball as far as keeping your arm young.”

Farrell is retired from Midwest Steel. When he isn’t playing disc golf, you may find him fishing or riding his electric bike.

Purdue Extension offering ServSafe

Food

Manager class, exam Feb. 5

Purdue Extension Lake County will offer a one-day ServSafe Food Manager class and exam on Feb. 5.

Registration deadline is 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. ServSafe educates food service workers about food safety.

ServSafe Food Protection Manager is its highest certification. It satisfies Indiana requirements to become a certified food protection manager and focuses on five aspects:

• Foodborne microorganisms and allergens.

• Personal hygiene.

• Purchasing, receiving, and storage.

• Preparing, cooking, and serving.

• Facilities, cleaning/sanitation and managing pests.

The full 1-day training includes a manual and proctored exam. Participants must score 70% or greater to earn the certificate. The certification is valid

for five years. A photo ID with signature is required to take the class and exam (driver’s license, state ID, student ID, military ID, employee ID, U.S. green card, or valid passport).

For more information contact: Linda Curley, lcurley@purdue. edu

The class will be held at 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point.

Cost of the training, manual

and proctored exam is $165. Cost of the manual and proctored exam is $115 while cost of the proctored exam is $65. Registration time is 8:15 a.m. with class running from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Exam will start at 3 p.m.

Training materials will not be shipped until payment is received. Make checks payable to: Purdue University. Check must include county, date, and registrants name. Mail to Education Store, 301 S. 2nd St., Lafayette, IN 47901.

AIMING FOR THE BASKET — Phil Farrell watches as one of his discs head for a basket on a disc golf course.

Farrell has been playing disc golf since he was in high school and got the first Indiana state disc golf tournament going. Photo by Carrie Steinweg.

li f e. on purpose.

A Healthy Lifestyle as You Age

Healthy R Reminders for

A Adults o over 5 50!

1. Take Your Medication as Directed

All medications, whether over-the-counter or prescribed, include directions for safe use. Be sure to follow all printed guidelines and the advice of your doctor to ensure that the medicine works safely and effectively.

2. Don’t Overdo It

Using alcohol and medications unintentionally or to cope with big life changes is called substance misuse. Help can begin with diagnosis, addressing chronic health issues, rebuilding support systems and starting treatment.

3. Check in with Your Mood

Feeling persistently sad or that you don’t have value can indicate depression, especially when these feelings affect your daily routine. Depression can be treated with talk therapy and/or medication. You can also lower the risk of depression when you prepare for major life changes, stay physically active, and share how you are feeling with family or friends.

4. Find Purpose Each Day

Feeling that your life has purpose is a key to fulfillment. It can impact your health positively, and may also slow down aging and increase longevity. Make choices and plan activities based on what is enjoyable, interesting, and important to you.

Learn More When You...

•

• Visit www.porterstarke.org

Dining/Leisure/Entertainment

Blast To The Past! —

‘Mandy’ was Manilow’s brass ring

Barry Manilow

A Boomer Blast To The Past

By RANDAL C. HILL

Imagine that you are a multi-talented singer-pianist who just isn’t “happening” in the music-recording world. You might ask yourself, “What would it take to soar to the heights of this world, ride high on the hit charts, and sell out concerts night after night? I’ve got both the pipes and the looks for success. Over the years I’ve learned the ins and outs of the record business. I’ve even managed to sign with a small label and release an LP, even though it bombed.”

Such is a conversation 31-year-old Barry Manilow could have had with himself as the year 1974 began to wind down.

Eventually he would grab the elusive brass ring, but he nearly blew his chance when he did.

He met the right person — record-business veteran Clive Davis, who would soon change

the life of the frustrated Brooklynite. After being a Columbia Records executive, Davis was about to take over Bell Records — Manilow’s recording home — and rename it Arista Records.

To see what Manilow had to offer, Davis went to evaluate him when Manilow opened a show for Dionne Warwick. “I was really taken by his performance,” the businessman enthused later in his autobiography. “He was a terrific singer, and his manner was upbeat, funny and self-deprecating. The audience loved him.”

Davis believed that none of Manilow’s maiden LP tracks had shown the potential to be a hit single (at the time a necessity for most new artists seeking success). To the super-savvy Davis, there was nothing more important than to correctly match the just-right singer with the just-right material and the just-right production.

Manilow knew that Davis had primarily worked with rock artists, but Manilow had no real interest in rock ‘n’ roll. Davis thus set about casting for something suitable — no, perfect — for his talented protege. Davis had nurtured the early careers of several recording luminaries and knew how to connect good artists with good songs.

Sifting through hundreds of discs, Davis was drawn to an obscure tune called “Brandy,” a mid-chart 1971 British hit by American expatriate Scott English. But when Davis showed Manilow the hauntingly beautiful ballad of lost love and regret, Manilow balked, thinking “Brandy” would at best be an album-track “filler” and that English’s tune would be of no help to him as a career-launcher.

Davis disagreed and pushed hard for a first-class production and promotion. Eventually, Manilow decided not to argue with his new boss (good idea!) and reluctantly agreed to record the song.

Davis had the disc’s title tweaked to avoid confusion with the 1972 Looking Glass hit “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).” To Barry’s amazement, “Mandy” — as it was now known — shot to the top of the Billboard chart, and Barry Manilow was instantly catapulted into the pantheon of recording superstars.

You can see and hear the original British hit of “Brandy.” Go to Google, key in YouTube, add “Brandy Scott English,” then select the concert video clip. You’ll find that it’s 1971 UK “cool” at its very best!

The church lady and my phone

This past weekend, our church had its annual auction, a big fundraiser where I always have the honor of being the emcee. As we were cleaning up, I couldn’t find my cell phone. I knew I had used my phone earlier to cheat when the

By DICK WOLFSIE

congregation played trivia. (I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I really did know the first country to give women the right to vote. It was New Zealand in 1893. You’re welcome.)

When I couldn’t find my phone, I panicked. My wife, as always, was a calming influence, explaining to me that the cell had to be somewhere in the room. I asked my son to call on his phone to see where the device was hiding. No ring was heard, but…

“Hello, this is Amy.”

“Amy, this is Brett Wolfsie, Dick’s son. You were sitting with

us all evening tonight. You must have taken my dad’s cell phone home by mistake.”

“I don’t think so, Brett.”

“Well, you’re talking on his cell now. Turn it over and look at the back.”

The back of my cell clearly directs what to do if found. I always debated whether the instructions should read “IF FOUND CALL” or “IF LOST CALL.” Both make sense, but my initial mistake was listing my own number to call. That person would just be calling me on my phone, which he had in his hand.

What an Einstein, I am. But back to the story…

I took Brett’s phone and explained to Amy that she would have to answer my phone that evening and pretend she was Mary Ellen. Otherwise, people would wonder what I was up to when a mysterious woman answered the phone at 11 p.m. I also told Amy that I get a lot of calls late at night because I have several friends on the west coast who like to chat before they go to bed at 8 p.m. (their time). It’s an older crowd.

“Dick, this was an honest mistake I made. I’ll tell whoever calls that I have your phone because we spent the night together.”

“Amy, please rephrase that.”

The next morning, I was lost without a phone. I always check the weather and time before I get out of bed. I asked Alexa twice, but there was no response. The internet was down temporarily, but I knew Mary Ellen was in the kitchen having coffee…

“What time is it?” I screamed out from the bed. No answer.

“WHAT TIME IS IT?” Louder, this time.

No answer again.

Wait, I forgot the most important part. With Alexa, it has to be personal to work. I tried again.

“MARY ELLEN! What time is it?”

“Good morning, Dick. It’s 8 a.m. Now, leave me alone, please. I’m having my coffee.”

Well, at least she was connected and working.

Later that morning at church, Amy returned my phone and said she only got one call. It was from my sister, who was visiting her daughter in California.

“I pretended I was Mary Ellen,” said Amy, “but I’m not sure it worked.”

“I guess she didn’t recognize your voice?”

“She also didn’t recognize my hair, nose, and eyes. She was using FaceTime.”

BARRY MANILOW. Photo from Wikipedia by Philip Romano.

NUTSHELL

ACROSS

FOOTBALL

1. Command to Fido

6. Sheep not yet sheared

9. Cap and gown accessory

13. Blood line

14. Ancient Chinese dynasty

15. Ringworm

16. Driver’s license notation

17. Not outs

18. Like Cheerios

19. *Piece of football equipment required since 1943

21. *Peyton or Eli

23. Napkin spot

24. Eminem’s 2002 hit “____ Yourself”

25. Embargo

28. Feed storage cylinder

30. Like house from a kit

35. Greek god of love

37. Smokes

39. *Super Bowl I M.V.P. Bart ____

40. Taj Mahal locale

41. *Career rushing yards record holder

43. Equals s squared

44. Regretting

46. *Highest college football level: ____ Division I

47. Extend credit

48. *Seventeen games in NFL

50. Somewhat (2 words)

52. “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” singer

53. Mare’s baby

55. Not a friend

57. *55 of them

61. *Home of the NFL Hall of Fame

64. Hole-borer

65. For every

67. Color red on coat of arms

69. Birds of ill omen

70. Outrage

71. ____ ____ shop-

Brain Boosters

ping cart

72. Party barrels

73. Sound from one of #69 Across

74. Homes for #69 Across DOWN

1. Down in the dumps

2. Cry of contempt

3. Marine eagle

4. Wake Island, e.g.

5. Kizmet, pl.

6. Foolish one

7. Even, poetic 8. Useful contraption

9. Lamborghini model

10. Unfavorable prefix

11. “As ____ on TV”

12. Suspend

15. Astrigents

20. “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” e.g. 22. Venomous Egyptian snake

24. Deducible

25. *One of 2 NFL founding teams still in league

26. Lock horns

27. Waterwheel

29. Outline

31. Et alii, abbr.

32. Got along

33. *Like indoor eight-men football

34. *Career NFL passing yards record holder

36. Without 38. Wild guess

42. Israelian port

45. Errand-runners

49. Neither’s partner

51. Nuku’alofa language

54. Meat jelly dish

56. Musician’s exercise

57. “*Go Go!”

58. Fishing decoy 59. Awestruck 60. Archery wood 61. “Ship, Captain, ____”

62. Cutlass or Delta 88, for short 63. Remaining after deductions 66. ____ of Good Feelings 68.

INGREDIENTS:

4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2-3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds), trimmed

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/3 cup minced shallots

8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake & oyster

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, tarragon and/or parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 pork chops. Cook, turning once, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a plate and tent with foil. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining chops.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add shallots and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms are browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Add wine and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring up any browned bits, until the liquid is mostly evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in half-and-half and herbs; cook until bubbling, about 1 minute more. Serve the chops with the mushroom sauce.

Lusitania’s last call

Salvation Army like home, family for volunteer

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer

Tommy Miller had planned to ring bells outside a Valparaiso business this particular Monday for Salvation Army of Porter County’s Red Kettle campaign. While at the center in South Haven, Miller also assisted Captain Jim Prichard, the pastor-director, and helped load a van filled with holiday gifts.

“I just like helping people who have needs,” said Miller, a Salvation Army volunteer since the days his parents took him to the Gary-Merrillville center to help. Since then, Miller has made Salvation Army a priority.

“I grew up in Salvation Army,” said Miller, who recalled volunteering around age 7. “My parents taught me to be a bell ringer at a very young age.”

Miller, who does landscaping in the spring, has been a member of the Porter County Salvation Army center since 1997.

Besides bell ringing, Miller, an oath-taking soldier in the Salvation Army, handles audiovisuals for Sunday worship, picks up food donations Monday through Friday with other volunteers, and helps with maintenance and janitorial needs.

“I love this place,” Miller, a Valparaiso resident, said. “This is my home, my home church.”

He added, “This is a great place for me. I love being with fellow church members, volunteers, and staff. I just keep coming home to these wonderful people and I love them dearly.”

As to bell ringing, Miller has done that six days a week, Mondays through Saturdays.

It’s no secret that a good bell ringer can raise plenty of

holiday funds. One of Miller’s spots is the Valparaiso WalMart.

Miller said his “secret” is “I get to know them all these years. I have a great connection with customers and employees. Sometimes I even let the kids ring the bell.”

Miller also commented that bell ringing is “not just about giving back to those in need, but it also leaves a lasting impact on those who ring the bells.”

Salvation Army of Porter County set a 2024 Red Kettle goal of $100,000. With some last-minute help, the center reached its 2024 goal.

Prichard hoped to help reach that goal by participating in the Commissioner’s Challenge Dec. 14. The national goal was $2 million, with Prichard setting a local one-day goal of $10,000.

The center provided Angel Tree gifts this past winter for 500 children, representing 250 families. It also provided gift cards for holiday meals.

As to living his faith, Miller replied, “I want to give back to the community. Always have faith.”

As to showing how he lives his faith, he noted, “You gotta have faith.”

Prichard praised Miller for his service.

“He’s like our right-hand man,” the pastor said. “As a volunteer, he helps wherever we need him. He likes to give back to the community. He knows the ins and outs of this building, and I rely on him for a lot of things.”

Miller finds inspiration from John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“God sent us his son, and he died for our sins,” Miller said. “That definitely inspires me.”

Coping with grief takes patience

There is not an exact timeline for grief that you “should be over it by now.” It takes extreme patience as it may last a long time, short time, or you may spend no time at all with grief. And some grief, to some degree, may last forever. The depth of the relationship that you have with your loved one will probably determine the degree and length of your grief journey or, as I prefer to call it, “your love journey” because, remember, there is no grief without love. In the case of a spouse, child or family the grief will be with you your whole life. Spending “no time” with grief after a death, loss or tragic event may indicate shock or denial

which can create serious psychological problems and may require “professional” help.

During our lifetime, we will likely experience several different types of grief: the death of a loved one, job loss, divorce, loss of a pet, a sudden health or handicap issue, etc. All of these can trigger the same emotions. Grief is the same for everyone but only different. We may experience the same feelings and emotions no matter the loss but in various ways. The best example of this is a recent experience of mine.

I was monitoring a grief group where the group leader used my book as his “prompts” for conversation. They were discussing the chapter on emotions, and he asked the group to take a few minutes and write down how they were feeling. The group was mixed with people who had lost spouses, children and siblings, several grieving over divorces and two people coming out of a drug rehab program. Everyone in the group shared their feelings by reading what they had written. I was fascinated by the fact that a man who had lost his wife and a divorced woman had written almost the same thing. If they had been sitting beside each other, you would have thought they copied each other, but they were seated at opposite ends of the table. He was grieving the loss of a companion’s life. She was mourning the loss of life, a lifestyle.

There is another kind of grief rarely discussed, anticipatory grief, which is the type of grief you experience when you are anticipating the death of a loved

one. If you have ever lost a loved one, knowing it would eventually happen, you have experienced anticipatory grief. This may be particularly true when they have been diagnosed with progressive disease or an incurable diagnosis. The recent pandemic caused a great deal of anticipatory grief when family members were not able to visit terminally ill patients in the hospital. There is no right or wrong way to deal with grief; as I mentioned before, “it is the same for everyone, only different.” You do not need to be a certain type of person to grieve; we all grieve. Grief is wrapped up in emotions, feelings and memories. Comparing one person’s grief to another is not helpful.

Like the Frank Sinatra song “My Way,” you need to do it your way.

When experiencing grief, take as much time as necessary to move forward. You will learn to honor the one you lost by finding the freedom to move forward peacefully and love yourself. You do not need to justify how long it takes you; there are no rules.

Just be patient...

Editors Note: Tom Rose is the author of “Balloon in a Box, Coping with Grief.” The book is available on Amazon, Fables Books, Goshen or the website thomaslrose.com. He is available for speaking engagements and as a grief group facilitator. He would love to hear your comments or questions. Phone: (574) 596-6256.

Email: roseandrose@comcast.net.

Senior Talk Michiana podcast available at: thomaslrose.com/ senior-talk

HANDY MAN OF GOD — Tommy Miller of Valparaiso has been a regular volunteer at Salvation Army of Porter County for more than 20 years. Besides being a holiday bell ringer, Miller helps with sound at worship services and does regular maintenance around the building. Photo by Steve Euvino.

By TOM ROSE Coping With Grief

By TOM MORROW Mature Life Features

The election of Donald Trump as the 47th U.S. president is historically important because he is only the second U.S. chief executive, joining Grover Cleveland, to be president of the United States two different times.

Cleveland’s first term stretched from March 4, 1885, to March 4, 1889. After losing re-election, he ran and served again from March 4, 1893, to March 4, 1897.

The first Democrat elected after the Civil War, Cleveland was the only U.S. president to have served two non-consecutive terms, until Donald Trump who served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021 and becomes the 47th president serving form 2025 to 2029.

Cleveland’s presidencies were the nation’s 22nd and 24th. He defeated James G. Blaine of Maine for his first term, lost a re-election bid to Benjamin Harrison of Indiana, and defeated President Harrison in 1892. He was succeeded by Republican William McKinley in 1896.

Cleveland won the 1884 election with the support of a reform-minded group of Republicans known as Mugwumps and he expanded the number of government positions that were protected by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. He also vetoed several bills designed to provide pensions and other benefits to various regions and individuals. In response to anti-competitive practices by railroads, Cleveland signed the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which

GROVER CLEVELAND

established the first independent federal agency. The major foreign policy event of his first term was the Samoan crisis, ended with a tripartite protectorate in the Samoan Islands.

As his second term began,

the Panic of 1893 produced a severe national economic depression. He also presided over the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, striking a blow against the Free Silver movement and ordered federal soldiers to crush the Pullman railroad-car strike.

In foreign policy, Cleveland resisted the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands and any American intervention in Cuba. He also sought to uphold the Monroe Doctrine and forced Great Britain to agree to arbitrate a border dispute with Venezuela and British Honduras. In the midterm elections of 1894, the Democratic Party suffered a massive defeat that opened the way for the agrarian and silverite supporters to seize control of the party.

The 1896 Democratic National Convention turned

against Cleveland and nominated agrarian populist William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, but in the general election of 1896, Bryan was defeated by Republican William McKinley.

Cleveland left office extremely unpopular, but his reputation was eventually rehabilitated in the 1930s by scholars. Recent historians and biographers have taken a more ambivalent view of Cleveland, but in rankings of American presidents by historians and political, he is generally ranked as being an “average” or “above-average” president.

During the next four years, it’ll be interesting to see President Trump and where he’ll end up on history’s ranking years after most of us are gone.

Why amass collectibles in the first place?

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

So, you’re well on your way to completing the set of 50 state quarters that you began on a whim, decided to put them together for your grandchildren, and decided to get one for yourself.

What’s going to happen to the collection, whether it’s one or several sets, when you’re done? And will it (or they) sell for the profit you had in your head when you began? If you spend each set, you can buy $200 worth of something. And that’s about all they’ll be worth. You probably would have been better off buying each grandchild a $200 savings bond.

Collectibles just don’t cut it a lot of the time if profit is the motive. It isn’t even good sense

to collect $1 bills and paste them in a book to keep around the house. Inflation deflates their value over time.

A recently deceased relative left behind cartons of comic books and baseball cards. The recipient heirs haven’t found it worth their while to catalogue the collection and have it appraised.

After getting over the wishing, a cold calculating look at the costs involved dampened the emotional ardor and gave way to common business sense.

The point is that collectibles are not only in the eye of the beholder, they’re also in the

heart of the collector. They usually offer more thrill in the hunt and satisfaction in the acquisition than profit in the purse.

They give the collector a circle of like-minded colleagues to discuss likes and dislikes, as well as to brag about the latest addition to one’s collection.

But you can conduct the same spirited exchanges over your favorite sports teams without having to spend the time and money tracking down another cloisonne piece for your collectible closet.

If you enjoy the hunt and your chest swells with pride when you add to your hoard, then you have the core of a collector. And there are always new “hot” items to boost you up the ladder of collecting society.

For example, it seems that almost anything can become

a collectable, even old gas station appurtenances. Those roadside facilities that began appearing 100 years or so ago have become popular despite climate activists’ aversions to gasoline-gulping, carbon-spouting vehicles. As items, such as the solid glass gasoline pump globes, become more scarce, their prices rise as do the number of reproductions that appear at flea markets and in collector catalogues.

As electronic slot machines become the norm in the ever-expanding gambling industry coast-to-coast, the old one-armed bandits with those old fashioned spinning reels have taken on new value because some collectors began coveting them.

Jukeboxes have been a favorite among collectors for several decades now, especially since

compact disks all but eliminated the old black plastic records. The best way to find out if what you’re collecting, whether it’s little red wagons or ceramic salt and pepper shakers, can make you any money is to check catalogues, flea markets and Internet sites on that particular item. If you already have a collection built up, you should have some idea of what the items are worth and how prices have risen since you began collecting.

You might even test the waters by taking a couple of articles to a swap meet to try to sell, or offer them on the ‘net, to check how much interest and what prices they will bring.

And you may find some extra 50 state quarters to add to your collection.

New Year from

A good night’s sleep keeps you healthy as well as awake

By JAMES GAFFNEY Mature Life Features

If someone says, “Wake up, sleepyhead,’’ and all you want to do is catch a few more hours of shut-eye, you might fall into the category of Americans who are chronically sleep deprived.

People are sleeping less than they used to, according to sleep experts, and this “sleep debt” can take a toll on health, relationships and daily functions.

Despite the popular notion that you need less sleep as you get older, sleep needs generally remain constant throughout adulthood.

Lack of sleep is implicated in a host of conditions and diseases, from the common cold to memory impairment to high blood pressure. Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased risk of some cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer.

And when you’re short on sleep, chances are good that you’ll be irritable and have low energy.

Medical experts offer suggestions to improve your sleep:

• Make sleep a priority. Set aside adequate time for sleep and only do what tasks you

can get done with the time remaining instead of taking the reverse approach. Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle and can help you sleep better at night.

• Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants that can keep you awake. Although alcohol is a depressant and may help you doze off, it can cause restless sleep.

• Exercise regularly. Regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep faster and make your sleep more restful.

• Keep active. Not being busy enough can cause boredom and an inability to sleep. However, being too busy can keep you from getting adequate sleep.

• Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. Do the same things each night to tell your body it’s time to wind down. Avoid doing work in bed, such as balancing a checkbook or using a laptop computer.

• Make your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable. Adjust light, temperature, humidity and noise levels to

your preferences. Pets often disrupt sleep, even if you are not aware of it. You may need to set limits on pets sharing your bedroom.

• Go to bed when you are sleepy. If you don’t fall asleep within 30 minutes, get up and do something else. Go back to bed when you are tired.

• Don’t put up with pain. If pain is keeping you from sleeping, talk to your doctor about medications or therapies to reduce pain. Use sleeping pills only as a last resort. Check with your doctor to make sure the pills won’t interact with other medications you are taking.

If you take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage gradually when you want to

quit. Never mix alcohol and sleeping pills. The bottom line is, the

better you sleep, the better you feel.

Beware of sweaty sweats

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

A sweaty athletic jersey is a favorite hangout for some pretty unathletic, and unfriendly, bacteria and viruses that can grow quickly and possibly become a source of illness.

Family doctors recommend senior athletes change and

shower immediately after a game or workout.

The moist, warm clothes worn after a workout are a prime breeding ground for germs, says doctors. Exercise and working out are definitely part of a healthful lifestyle, so continue to exercise. Just change clothes when you’re done.

Be heart smart

Thanks to a generous grant from Lake County Indiana Health Department, Purdue Extension Lake County will be offering the popular Be Heart Smart Program at no cost to Lake County residents. The classes will include a Be Heart Smart program manual, a heart healthy cookbook, food demonstrations and tastings

and educational instruction focused on the benefits of following a heart healthy lifestyle. Join Linda Curley, Purdue Extension Lake County health and human sciences educator, for this four-session program by registering at one of these library locations throughout Lake County: Crown Point, Dyer-Schererville, Griffith-Cal-

umet Township, Hammond, Hobart, Lowell, Merrillville, Munster, St. John, Whiting. Each session is 1½ to 2 hours. Are you ready to Be Heart Smart?

For more information about Be Heart Smart, please contact Diana Cook, dmcook@purdue. edu or call Purdue Extension at (219) 755-3240.

ST. AGNES ADULT DAY SVC. CENTER

Specializing in Alzheimer’s Care

1859 Harrison Blvd. Valparaiso, IN 46385 (219) 477-5433

www.stagnesvalpo.org

Email: barbkubiszak@gmail.com

Monday-Friday 8-5 p.m.

Structured Activities, Safe & Secure Surroundings, Health Monitoring

“Help make their Golden Years shine a little brighter.”

Serving Northern IN & Southwest MI

A free online directory for aging & wellness resources. Our members offer a wide variety of services and information for your specific needs. www.agingconnections.org Hover over Chapters on the navigation bar, then select your area and click directory. Aging Connections is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

NORTHSHORE HEALTH CENTERS

Locations in Portage, Lake Station, Chesterton, Merrillville & Hammond www.northshorehealth.org By appt. or walk-ins welcome. (219) 763-8112 or (888) 459-2349

Affordable dental care regardless of ability to pay. Medicare and Medicaid accepted. Discounted self-pay option.

HOME HEALTH CARE

BRIGHTSTAR CARE OF LAKE COUNTY

9521 Indianapolis Blvd., Suite 0 Highland, IN 46322 (219) 924-0200 www.brightstarcare.com/west-lake-county/ In-Home Nursing, Caregiving & Companionship

• Assist with personal & hygiene care

• Companion care

• Skilled Nursing Care

• Respite care & family relief

• Transportation

• Light housekeeping

• Meal preparation

• Available 24/7

WE ARE LICENSED, BONDED, INSURED & ACCREDITED BY THE JOINT COMMISSION

VISITING ANGELS HOME CARE

2340 Cline Ave., Schererville, IN 46375 (219) 322-6100

www.visitingangels.com

Nationally respected, non medical, home care service. Providing CNA’s, HHA’s & Companion Care.

* Assist w/Hygiene

* Meal Preparation

* Medication Reminders

* Light Housekeeping

* Transportation

* Hourly, 24-hour Care & Overnight Alzheimer’s / Dementia Care / Palliative Care LICENSED * BONDED * INSURED

HOSPICE CARE

HEART TO HEART HOSPICE OF NORTHERN INDIANA

402 Wall Street, Suite 22

Valparaiso, IN 46383

Phone: (219) 462-6529

Fax: (219) 462-9017

www.HTOHH.com

Compassionate care from our heart to yours. Volunteers needed. CHAP Accredited

HOSPICE OF THE CALUMET AREA MUNSTER

www.hospicecalumet.org (219) 922-2732 / (219) 736-2422

• Serving Lake, Porter and Bordering Illinois Communities Since 1981

• Hospice Services Are Covered 100% For Patients Who Are Medicare Eligible

• Not-for-profit

• Care Provided In Your Home Or In Our Hospice House

See Our Ad In This

HOSPICE CARE

UNITY HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE

Serving Porter, Jasper & Newton Counties in Indiana. (219) 769-8648

Greater Illinois area (312) 427-6000

www.unityhospice.com

Family owned & operated hospice

Offering premier end-of-life care

IGNITE MEDICAL RESORTS

2775 Village Point Chesterton, IN (219) 304-6700

1555 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN (219) 323-8700 1532 Calumet Avenue

Dyer, IN (219) 515-4700 www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Stroke Recovery, Cardiac Care, Pulmonary Rehab, Wound Care, Infection Management, Renal Management

VNA HOSPICE NWI

501 Marquette St.

Valparaiso, IN 46385

Additional Office In: Crown Point, IN (219) 462-5195 (219) 531-8181 Fax

www.vnanwi.org

A not-for-profit organization for over 50 years. Accepts all hospice eligible patients, regardless of ability to pay. Veteran specialty hospice program. Serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton and Starke Counties. Making Best Days Possible

For over 25 years at no cost to you, Because we care. See Our Ad In This Issue

MEALS ON WHEELS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA 8446 Virginia St., Merrillville, IN (219) 756-3663 www.mownwi.org

A non-profit nutrition provider offering Chef Prepared Hot Lunches delivered daily (M-F). All meals are heart healthy & low sodium. Specialized diets are also available, as well as 5 or 7 packs of frozen meals. Serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke & Pulaski counties.

MEDICAL CLINIC

NORTHSHORE HEALTH CENTERS

Locations in Portage, Lake Station, Chesteron, Merrillville, Hammond, LaPorte & DeMotte

By appt. or walk-ins welcome. (219) 763-8112 or (888) 459-2349

MEMORY CARE

AVIVA SENIOR LIVING

7900 Rhode Island St. Merrillville, IN 46410 (219) 525-4123

avivamerrillville.com

• Free standing Memory Care

• Wearable Pendant System

• Care for Early to End Stage Alzheimer’s and Dementia

PHARMACIES

RITE CARE PHARMACY 2075 Indianapolis Blvd. Whiting, IN 46394 (219) 655-5028

GET VACCINATED AT HOME! FREE Service for all Medicare Clients: Flu, Shingles, Pneumonia, RSV, Tdap, Covid, Hep B Accept Medicare, Medicaid & Commercial Ins. FREE Medication Delivery Hrs: M-F 10 am, 5 pm; Sat 10 am, 1 pm Ritecarehm

What’s happening at your local library

Below are all of the adult programs, events classes for the month of January at the various locations of the Lake County Public Library

Cedar Lake 10010 W. 133rd Ave.

Crochet @ Your Library, 4:306:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29

Book Discussion, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/branches/cl.htm or call (219) 374-7121. Dyer-Schererville

1001 W. Lincoln Highway (US 30)

Crafters Gathering, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 16

Mahjong Open Play, 1-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, 24

Morning Mix, 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 17

Film Series, 5:30-8:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20

New Parent & Caregiver Meet Up, 11-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28

Between the Lines Book

Discussion, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/ds.htm or call (219) 322-4731. Griffith-Calumet

1215 E. 45th Ave.

Thursday Threaders, 10:30 am. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Safer Cleaning Solutions, 2-3

p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7

Book Discussion, 1-2 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 13

All Ability: Aurora Borealis, 6-7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 Coffee & Coloring, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21

Book Buddies, 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27

Registration required for all programs: visit www.lcplin.org/ branches/gr.htm or call (219) 838-2825.

Highland 2841 Jewett St. Once Upon a Crime Mystery

Book Club, 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2

All Ability: Make Your Own Puzzle, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8

Tech Class: Computer Basics, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23

Fact or Fiction Book Club, 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/hi.htm or call (219) 838-2394.

Hobart

100 Main St.

Stitch’n Time, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4

Composting 101, 1-2 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 7

Be Heart Smart Program Series, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31

Adults Get Crafty: Painted Records, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13

Paint’n Time, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14

Revisiting Our Childhood:

Blanket Forts, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 20

Hobart Book Chat, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21

Whodunit? Adult Mystery Club, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27

Paint’n Time, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/ho.htm or call (219) 942-2243.

Lake Station

2007 Central Ave.

Mah Jongg Instruction at the Library, 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4

Arts & Crafts for Adults: Desktop Calendar, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8

Hobby Hour, 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9

Tuesday Time Out, 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14

Craft and Chat, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18

Talk to a Lawyer Open House, 12:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20

Grown Up Game Night, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22

Reading Hour, 2-3 p.m.

Thursday, Jan 23

Bingo at the Library!, 3-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/lsnc.htm or call (219) 962-2409.

Merrillville

1919 W. 81st Ave. (US 30)

Caregivers & Coffee Hour, 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 7, 8, 21, 22

Keep Me In Stitches, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 11 Circle of Readers Book Discussion, 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14

Some Reading Required, 6-7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20

Genealogy Class: Ancestry Library Edition, 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/cnl.htm or call (219)

Continued on page 17

Assisted Living, nursing And rehAbiLitAtion guide

Aperion Care - Demotte

10352 N. 600 E., Demotte, IN 46310 (219) 345-5211 • www.aperioncare.com

Short Term Rehab, Long Term Care, On-Site Therapy 7 Days A Week, Orthopedic Rehab, Post-Stroke Rehab, Nurse Practitioner Oversight, Wound Care, Respiratory Care, IV Therapy, Cardiac Rehab, Newly Remodeled Communities, Memory Care

Aperion Care - Tolleston Park

2350 Taft Street, Gary, IN 46404 (219) 977-2600 • www.aperioncare.com

AVIVA - Merrillville | Memory Care

7900 Rhode Island St., Merrillville, IN 46410 (219) 525-4123 • www.avivamerrillville.com

Memory Care only. It’s our sole focus. Alzheimer care. From initial to end-state dementia. Comfortable, caring enviornment. Peace of mind for families.

AVIVA - Valparaiso | Senior Living

1300 Vale Park Road, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (219) 531-2484 • www.avivavalparaiso.com

Assisted Living & Memory Care in beautifully renovated community. Parkinson’s Disease Certification. Studios to two-bedroom apartments available.

Crown Point Christian Village

6685 E. 117th Avenue, Crown Point, IN 46307 (219) 662-0642

Assisted Living apartments available. Healthcare: Rehabilitation unit, Memory Care, Long Term and Skilled Care. Therapies of Physical, Speech, Occupational & Respiratory. Semi-private and private rooms. Medicare and Medicaid provider for Healthcare. 32 years of outstanding resident/patient care.

Hammond-Whiting Care Center

1000-114th Street, Whiting, IN 46394 (219) 659-2770

www.hammondwhitingconvalescentcenter.com

Rehabilitation Unit, Skilled Licensed Nursing, Semi-Skilled Nursing, Therapies: Speech-Occupational-Physical, Long Term Care, Temporary Care, Respite Care, Hospice Care, JCAHO Accredited, Private/Semi-Private Rooms, Pet Visitation Allowed, Medicare and/or Medicaid

Ignite Medical Resort of Chesterton

2775 Village Point, Chesterton, IN 46304 (219) 304-6700

www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Post Hospital Rehabilitation & Care, Physical, Occupational, Speech, Stroke Recovery, Cardiac Care, Pulmonary Rehab, Wound Care, Infection Management, Renal Management, Resort-Style Senior Living, New & Impeccably Designed Facility

Ignite Medical Resort of Crown

Point

1555 S. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307 (219) 323-8700

www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Ignite Medical Resort of Dyer

1532 Calumet Avenue, Dyer, IN 46311 (219) 515-4700

www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Why amass collectibles in the first place?

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

So, you’re well on your way to completing the set of 50 state quarters that you began on a whim, decided to put them together for your grandchildren, and decided to get one for yourself.

What’s going to happen to the collection, whether it’s one or several sets, when you’re done? And will it (or they)

sell for the profit you had in your head when you began? If you spend each set, you can buy $200 worth of something. And that’s about all they’ll be worth. You probably would have been better off buying each grandchild a $200 savings bond.

Collectibles just don’t cut it a lot of the time if profit is the motive. It isn’t even good sense to collect $1 bills and paste them in a book to keep

What’s happening

769-3541. Munster 8701 Calumet Ave.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Day!, 2-3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20

Munster Book Discussion, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/mu.htm or call (219) 836-8450.

St. John

450 Wicker Ave. (US 41)

around the house. Inflation deflates their value over time.

A recently deceased relative left behind cartons of comic books and baseball cards. The recipient heirs haven’t found it worth their while to catalogue the collection and have it appraised.

same spirited exchanges over your favorite sports teams without having to spend the time and money tracking down another cloisonne piece for your collectible closet.

old one-armed bandits with those old fashioned spinning reels have taken on new value because some collectors began coveting them.

Wednesday, Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29

Book Discussion, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8

Be Heart Smart, 1-2:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30

Tech Class: Kindle Basics, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13

Tuesday, Jan. 14

Registration required for all programs; visit lcplin.org/ branches/sj.htm or call (219) 365-5379. Continued from page 16

Off the Hook, 1-3 p.m.

Tech Class: Mouse & Keyboard Basics, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Libby App Basics, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20

During family visits back to northern Canada, resolves are made to pick up collectibles and antiques and rent a vehicle to transport them to California to be sold to provide for a comfortable retirement. After getting over the wishing, a cold calculating look at the costs involved dampened the emotional ardor and gave way to common business sense.

The point is that collectibles are not only in the eye of the beholder, they’re also in the heart of the collector. They usually offer more thrill in the hunt and satisfaction in the acquisition than profit in the purse.

They give the collector a circle of like-minded colleagues to discuss likes and dislikes, as well as to brag about the latest addition to one’s collection. But you can conduct the

For example, it seems that almost anything can become a collectable, even old gas station appurtenances. Those roadside facilities that began appearing 100 years or so ago have become popular despite climate activists’ aversions to gasoline-gulping, carbon-spouting vehicles. As items, such as the solid glass gasoline pump globes, become more scarce, their prices rise as do the number of reproductions that appear at flea markets and in collector catalogues.

As electronic slot machines become the norm in the ever-expanding gambling industry coast-to-coast, the

Jukeboxes have been a favorite among collectors for several decades now, especially since compact disks all but eliminated the old black plastic records.

The best way to find out if what you’re collecting, whether it’s little red wagons or ceramic salt and pepper shakers, can make you any money is to check catalogues, flea markets and Internet sites on that particular item. If you already have a collection built up, you should have some idea of what the items are worth and how prices have risen since you began collecting.

You might even test the waters by taking a couple of articles to a swap meet to try to sell, or offer them on the ‘net, to check how much interest and what prices they will bring.

And you may find some extra 50 state quarters to add to your collection.

Assisted Living, nursing And rehAbiLitAtion guide

Lake Park Residential Care 2075 Ripley Street, Lake Station, IN 46405 (219) 962-9437 • www.assistedlivingfacilities.org

Assisted Living, Long Term Care, Temporary Care, Private/Semi-Private Rooms, Residential Care, Mental Health Services, Activities, Pet Visitation Allowed, Medicare and/or Medicaid

Life Care Center of The Willows

1000 Elizabeth Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46385 (219) 464-4858 • www.lcca.com

Rehabilitation Unit, Skilled Licensed Nursing 24/7, Ready Set Go Program for Rehab to Home; Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies; Exceptional Wound Care; Respite Care; Pallitative and Hospice Care; Long-term Care; Private/Semi-Private Rooms; Pet Visitation Allowed; Medicare, Medicaid, Most Insurances, Private Pay Accepted

Life Care Center

3405 N. Campbell, Valparaiso, IN 46385 (219) 462-1023 • www.lcca.com/Valparaiso

Speech, Respiratory, Therapy, Wound Care, Respite And Hospice Care, Private/SemiPrivate Rooms, Pet Visitation Allowed, Facility Van, JCAHO Accredited, Medicare, Insurance, Medicaid Accepted

Residences at Coffee Creek

Experience Our Unique Approach

To Senior Living & Memory Support 2300 Village Point, Chesterton, IN 46304 (219) 921-5200 • www.ResidencesAtCoffeeCreek.com

Retirement Living, Assisted Living, Dedicated Memory Support, Respite Care, Therapy Available, Pet Friendly and VA Benefits Accepted

Residences at Deer Creek

Experience Our Unique Approach To Senior Living & Memory Support 401 E. U.S. 30, Schererville, IN 46375 (219) 864-0700 • www.ResidencesAtDeerCreek.com

Retirement Living, Assisted Living, Dedicated Memory Support, Respite Care, Therapy Available, Pet Friendly and VA Benefits Accepted

Saint Anthony 203 Franciscan Drive. Crown Point, IN 46307 (219) 661-5100

MajesticCare.com

Assisted Living, Private Rooms, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing, Long Term Care, Respite Care, Rehabilitation Services (including Physical, Occupational, Speech and Respiratory Therapy), Pet Visitation, Accepts Most Payer Sources. *Saint Anthony is no longer affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the Diocese of Gary or the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago.

Elkhart RV Museum —

A good insight into RV history

At one time, Elkhart and the surrounding Michiana area had some 300 firms producing recreational vehicles. These RVs accounted for more than 85% of all RVs made in the country. Because of this, Elkhart was known as the RV Capital of the U.S.

Today, you can trace the industry’s heritage by visiting the RV/ Manufactured Home museum, library and hall of fame, located just off the Indiana Turnpike at Exit 96 in the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau building.

Before entering Founders Hall to see the early RVs, take a few minutes to check out the photo timeline highlighting the history of RVs by decade, starting with 1900.

Among the unusual vehicles shown is one produced in the 1970s by Winnebago, called the Heli-home, which was actually designed to fly.

The early RVs were a far cry from present-day luxury homes on wheels. They basically started as camping trailers and add-ons to pickup trucks with attached tents and awnings that rolled out to cover a camp table.

Shult Trailer built the first production model in 1911. It was followed in the 1920s by the motorized house car. In the late 1950s, the self-contained vehicles were called “motoring houses” before becoming recreational vehicles.

Founders Hall is laid out roughly in chronological order along a winding roadway through a campground setting with trees, park benches and a foot bridge. An earliest example is the 1913 Earl Travel Trailer. Each has a descriptive information plaque.

Among the oddest are the 1916 Model T “Telescoping Apartment” and the 1935 Bowlus Road Chief, which resembles an Airstream with a fish tail. In the far cor-

STRIKING VISITORS BUREAU BUILDING The RV/Manufactured Home Museum, Hall of Fame and Library is housed in the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau Building overlooking the Indiana Turnpike near exit 96. It had been located in downtown Elkhart since 1972 before moving into this building seven years ago.

ner of the hall is the 1988 Star Streak II, looking like an oversize minivan with Cadillac trail fins.

Nearby stands the world’s oldest Winnebago, built in 1957, and the 1931 Chevrolet Housecar built by Paramount Pictures to haul actress Mae West from her hotel to the movie set.

Some tiny trailers bring a new meaning to the word “togetherness.” One is the 1957 Serro Scotty 10-foot teardrop trailer. Two people can supposedly wedge themselves in, but it’s difficult to imagine getting a good night’s sleep.

Also on display is the 1958 prototype of the smallest Airstream trailer ever built called the “der Kleiner Prinz” (Little Prince) for the German market. It never went into production.

The RV/Manufactured Home Museum is located in Elkhart, just off the Indiana Turnpike at exit 96. When you arrive there, turn right onto Executive Parkway and follow it to the museum, which is in the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau building. Continued on page 19

OVERHEAD VIEW A campground setting with a winding roadway leads visitors on a trip back in time through RV heritage in Founders Hall. The first RVs were basically camping trailers and add-ons to pick-up trucks with attached tents and awnings.

TINY TRAILER A 1957 teardrop trailer had barely enough room for two people. An Ohio manufacturer is making them again.

GREAT ESCAPES

Text and Photos

ROD KING

Travel Soak in southern allure on Georgia coast

Text and Photos

By SANDY KATZ

Mature Life Features

If you think the livin’ is easy in Georgia’s First City, let yourself be lulled leisurely into its surroundings to soak in the true South.

British colonists established Savannah city in 1733 when Gen. James Oglethorpe pitched a tent alongside the Savannah River, planting the seed for a city that grew into such a beauty it was spared from Gen. William Sherman’s torch in his March to the Sea in 1864.

To maintain a record of and memorialize its past, it became one of the first cities in the state to launch a historic preservation program that features, among other things, 22 mossdraped, tree-filled squares embracing historic buildings, green space, and riverfront areas.

You can pick from several guided walking, riding or carriage tours that focus on everything from ghosts to food to history to birding.

For some truly laid back Southern comfort, there are Savannah Riverboat cruises as

well as nearby Tybee Island, with its old fashioned charm of a beach community that stood still in time.

Among other nearby diversions is The Mighty Eighth Air Force museum that chronicles the history of the Eighth Air Force, which was activated at nearby Hunter Field during World War II and created the largest air armada in history. Its exhibits include the City of Savannah, a B-17 bomber flown on combat missions to Germany.

Fort King George, the oldest fort on the Georgia coast that served as the British Empire’s southernmost outpost in North America from 1721 to 1737, has been reconstructed on its original site in nearby Darien.

The remains of the Scottish pioneer village built here after the fort was abandoned are also on the grounds.

A highlight of a Georgia coast trip is the boat ride in the Okefanokee National Wildlife refuge, where you can get pretty up close and personal to an abundance of wildlife that includes alligators, black bears, otters, herons and egrets.

On Jekyll Island, you can visit the exclusive cottages that were once inhabited by the richest barons in the United States.

Down the road a piece is La Grange on the shores of West Point Lake, a 26,000-acre reservoir with a 500-mile shoreline. It’s reputed to have some of the best bass fishing in the nation.

You can take a trip back in time at The Exploration in Antiquity Center, which gives visitors a look at and feel of daily living during ancient Biblical times.

Just above Atlanta is Marietta and the Gone with the Wind Museum, which houses the largest private collection of movie memorabilia.

Pedi-cab rides are educational and enlightening tours around Marietta square and the Marietta trolley offers a one-hour narration of the historic city of Marietta that includes a visit to battlefields at Kennesaw Mountain.

The first production travel trail-

1929.

CHEVROLET HOUSE CAR Paramount Pictures built this house car in 1931 for its star, actress Mae West, to take her from her hotel to the movie set.

COVERED-WAGON TRAILER

er was the covered-wagon trailer in

The company went out of business during World War II.

FORT KING GEORGE The oldest fort on the Georgia coast, Fort King George, which served as the British Empire’s southernmost outpost in North America from 1721 to 1737, has been reconstructed on its original site in Darien.

HISTORIC DISTRICT Savannah’s International Trade and Convention Center is perched on Hutchinson Island across from the city’s historic district.

70s Flashback —

Beware of that ‘big ugly hole’

Sunday, Sept. 8, 1974.

Robert “Evel” Knievel was nervous. “I can’t sleep nights,” he had told Sports Illustrated.

By RANDAL C. HILL

“I toss and turn, and all I can see is that big ugly hole in the ground grinning up at me like a death’s head.”

Near Twin Falls, Idaho, about 15,000 fascinated fans had crowded onto land that rimmed the Snake River Canyon, the “big ugly hole” that Evel had referred to.

The professional daredevil had rented several acres for what he promised would be a spectacular achievement — soaring across the quartermile-wide river canyon in a steam-powered rocket.

A comic-book superhero come to life, the ruggedly handsome adrenaline junkie had been on the national scene since the 1960s with his spectacular motorcycle jumps — and crashes.

For years, 35-year-old Knievel had boasted he would one

day leap the Grand Canyon. When the Department of the Interior turned thumbs down on that oddball idea, he took on Idaho’s less magnificent, but still imposing, Snake River Canyon instead.

His team had set about constructing a 13-foot homemade rocket that Evel dubbed the Skycycle. In reality, it was a dubious contraption assembled from a discarded airplane fuel tank and a seat from an old go-kart.

The risk-taker had explained to the press he would blast off from the canyon rim, clear the abyss, and parachute down to a soft landing, aided by a shock absorber on the rocket’s nose to cushion the impact.

At least, that was the plan.

That afternoon, at 3:36 p.m. Knievel crawled into the cramped cylinder, flipped the launch switch, and shot up the steeply angled 108-foot-long ramp at 200 miles an hour. As he lifted off from the Earth, an emergency parachute at the back of his craft unexpectedly unfurled. It released the main chute, which caused the rocket to roll, then flip downward and begin a lazy drift toward the river below.

The machine fell out of sight from the crowd, where the people there, including Knievel’s wife and children, feared the worst. Falling into the churning water, everyone knew, would mean certain death for the daredevil strapped inside the Skycycle.

Miraculously, however, the rocket bounced off a canyon wall and came to rest seven feet from the river’s edge. Mo-

ments later, a rescue helicopter lifted Evel from the shore and hurried him to the launch site.

The event had lasted 16 minutes.

Most in the crowd were overjoyed that Knievel had returned safely, but some there claimed Evel had released the emergency chute on purpose, that what had unfolded was all planned.

He, in return, argued he had delivered on his promise to make

the attempt. End of discussion. Years later, the undaunted performer shared a favorite quote of President Teddy Roosevelt: “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

THE SKYCYCLE — Evel Knievel’s Skycycle X2. Photo from Wikipedia.