SEASONS GREETINGS from all of us at 50 Plus News Magazine
December 2014 Vol 28 No. 12
COMPLIMENTARY
POMMER:
Honor two laudable sailors of WWII
Will they ever win again?
page 3A
EDITORIALS
NEMOVITZ:
STATE CAPITOL Senior Survey results COMMENT By Matt Pommer are interesting page 5A
Senior Companions Celebrate 40 Years MOVING IN THE page 11A RIGHT DIRECTION By Bruce Nemovitz
This is a story that is repeated or at least is similar to that which unfolds in the lives of numerous aging veterans; men and women who gave so much to serve their country he two elderly men war, the financially tough 50’s, and to actually save their fellow featured in this writ- the turbulent 60’s, but still Americans from the villainousMONEY SENSE ten account, still very worked diligently, were good ly treacherous Nazis and the agBy Karen Ellenbecker & Juliein Ellenbecker active life into their family providers and credits to gressive Japanese forces. -Lipsky But we will first tell you how nineties, are veterans of World the society in which they were War II as well as the battles of born, matured and served their this story came about. life beginning with the Great fellow Americans. Depression, followed by the VETERANS continued on page 10A
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EDITORIALS
SENIOR
AnswerSecurity Man “Saving” Social By Aunt Emma
AGING ISSUES
By Tom Frazier
FOR THEY’RE GREAT GUYS: Classic Lanes Manager Gina Daroszinski (second from left) joined Greenfield Mayor Mike Neitzke and Senior Bowling League President Carrie Weston, (at right) in saluting Andy Kapp, left, and Ted Gurzynski at the recent surprise birthday party and all veterans’ luncheon as arranged by the bowling establishment staff.
Recently, I was at a meeting where one of the speakers was a staff person from one of Wisconsin’s Congressional offices. He asked if we (the audience) knew that Social Security trust funds were being used to buy U.S. bonds
with the money then being spent by the government. The implication was that this was a really bad thing to do. I asked him if he knew why the money was being used in this way. His answer was no. I said it was because the Social Security
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law required funds not needed to pay benefits to be invested in interest-bearing U.S. Treasury securities. I asked him if his boss had proposed an amendment to change the existing law if he was so concerned
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FRAZIER continued on page 3A
2A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
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starts here.
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Political ‘Bears’? Can they ever win here again? Democrats have become the Wisconsin political version of the Chicago Bears. They’re a team that can’t win big games. Gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke was routed when she fumbled the jobs-program issue. Her opponents denounced her for using a consultant’s hastily developed jobs program. Republicans capitalized when she struggled to define the word “plagiarize” – their charge against her plan. It could have turned into an interception had Burke responded by telling the questioner to use his dictionary to look up the word, and then running with the political football by comparing details of the plan to those of Gov. Scott Walker. That assumes she knew the details of both approaches. She wasn’t quick enough to score on the issue. Speed and preparedness are as important in politics as they are in professional foot-
FRAZIER continued from page 1A
about the money being loaned to the government. He said no that his boss was just trying to get everyone to understand the seriousness of the problem. Of course that is the problem. It is not a serious problem except that some people in Congress want us to think it is so that they can “fix” it or “save” it. Beware of people in Congress who want to “save” Social Security. I have always thought that it would be difficult to mess with Social Security because too many people knew too much about it to allow too many people to be fooled by misinformation, such as the trust funds are being “raided” or that the “IOUs” are worthless. Now, a recent (October 2014) study by the National Academy of Social Insurance indicates that Social Security is not only very popular on a multi-generational basis, but that people are even willing to pay more in taxes to maintain and improve it. The study included a “tradeoff analysis,” which is widely used
was akin to picking your own of- continues to be unable to defeat the ficials for the political games. You Green Bay Packers. knew who was going to win. Don’t feel sorry for the DemoThe gerrymandering was so crats in the next Legislature. They complete that nearly half of the won’t have to work very hard; their legislative districts lacked a major major role will be to respond to party challenger this month. That questions about the actions of the includes districts won by 25 Dem- winning Republican team. Reportocrats and 30 Republicans. ers have an obligation to get at least Entering the 2015 legislative a quote or two from those on the session, the Democrats will be losing bench. without several veteran political Is there any hope for the future MONEY SENSE players. Not seeking re-election to of the Democratic Party in the curBy Karen Ellenbecker the State Senate were Tim Cullen & Julie Ellenbeckerrent Wisconsin political structure? -Lipsky of Janesville and Bob Jauch of PopTheir future may be tied to poslar. They remember the days when sible overreaching and/or missteps Democrats were the winning team, by Republicans. Consider recent and they decided it was better to sit steps by Assembly Speaker Robin in the stands than sit in the losing Vos, R-Rochester. He is vowing to APRON change the Government Accountlocker room. Emma Only time will tell who will be ability Board, which is in charge of STRINGS Aunt Emma elections and ethics. the future stars of the By Democrat team. Big names don’t necessarily He also is questioning whether guarantee success on the football the state should be providing any field. Jay Cutler, the highly paid help in construction of a new home quarterback of the Chicago Bears, for the Milwaukee Bucks.
EDITORIALS
STATE CAPITOL COMMENT By Matt Pommer
ball. Republicans also scored victories in legislative elections. They will start the 2015-2017 legislative session with a 63-36 margin in the Assembly and will have a 1914 margin in the State Senate after MOVING IN THE an upcoming special in a RIGHTelection DIRECTION strong GOP district. By Bruce Nemovitz The legislative elections weren’t a sneak play. In 2011, a Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Walker gerrymandered legislative district lines, which guarantees GOP legislative majorities, probably through the year 2021. It
AGING ISSUES in market research to learn which By Tom Frazier
combinations of product features consumers prefer and are willing to pay for. The survey included 12 policy options with each option including an estimate by Social Security actuaries of how much it would reduce or increase Social Security’s long-term financing gap. The PLANTING preferred package ofTOMORROW’S options was DREAMS TODAY supported by 71% ofByrespondents Brad Olson and included the following four options: 1. Gradually, over 10 years, eliminate the cap on earnings that are taxed for Social Security (this would mean that the 6% of workers who know earn more than the cap, would pay into Social Security, and SPORTS would receive somewhat higher By Jack Pearson benefits). This would decrease the long-term (75 years) financing gap by 74%. 2. Gradually, over 20 years, raise the Social Security tax rate on employees and employers from 6.2% of earnings to 7.2%. This change would decrease the financing gap by 62%.
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3. Increase Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to reflect the higher level of inflation experienced by older people. This would increase the financing gap by 14%. 4. Raise Social Security’s basic minimum benefit so that someone who paid into Social Security for 30 years can retire at age 62 or over and not be below the poverty line ($11,670 a year for one person in 2014). This would increase the financing gap by 9%. Overall, these four changes in Social Security would result in a net decrease in the financing gap of 113% meaning that Social Security would be more than able to pay full benefits for the next 75 years. Another interesting aspect of the survey involved the perception of the Social Security solvency issue (financing gap) when additional information was By provided. Enis WrightWhen asked the question “Would you say that funding for Social Security in the future is a crisis, a significant problem, a manageable problem,
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or not a problem?” 70% of respondents answered that it was a crisis or significant problem. But when the question was asked “If you knew that increasing Social Security taxes from 6.2% to 7.7% for both workers and employers would ensure that Social Security could pay full benefits for the next 75 years,” 67% of respondents answered that it was a manageable problem or not a problem. Only 24% knew that Social Security could still pay 75% of benefits after it is scheduled to exhaust the trust fund balance in 2033. I urge you to educate your children and grandchildren about Social Security so that the next time they are asked (probably by a politician) “Do you believe that you will ever receive Social Security?” They can answer “yes, if Congress has the foresight and courage to phase-in the modest changes necessary to really save and improve Social Security.” After all, their futures depend on it.
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COMMENT By Matt Pommer
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By Bruce Nemovitz
STATE CAPITOL COMMENT
MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
As we approach another year, we fully recognize that the one just ahead may not be as nice as the year we are presently experiencing. After all, we will continue aging in our bodies even though we may beEY SENSE lieve we still are alert in mind and n Ellenbecker full – certainly not empty – of spirEllenbecker Lipsky it. We all cannot be as fortunate as was Eubie Blake, who proclaimed at age 100 that he would have taken better care of himself if he would have known he’d ever live that long. Without good health care, our qualities in life will suffer. We tend to try not to pay close attention to nt Emma our health needs. But minimally, tooth decay can create greater problems and poor vision must either be corrected or you will tend
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SENIOR Answer Man
By Matt Pommer
By Bruce Nemovitz
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By Karen Ellenbec & Julie Ellenbeck -Lipsky
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with Jim McLoone with Jim McLoone
May her soul forever rest in peace. The second lady, SPORTS now in her Jack Pearson nineties, is alive and By well, feisty and dedicated to causes she espouses. She is Margaret Zerwekh, who recently led the historians and war buffs of all ages to see through the recognition this deceased person, Alonzo Cushing, rightly deserved. We’re honored to have known Margaret Zerwekh since the 1960’s. She never fought in a battlefield of war, but she almost singly mobilized the White House “troops” in Cushing’s honor. Yes, Margaret’s aggressive efforts to honor this long deceased soldier, who was killed while in military action during the War with the Confederacy, came to fruition as she met with President Barack Obama. Margaret Zerwekh symbolizes what can and will be done when your heart and soul are in the project.
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Emma Emma
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ISSUES AGING to stay mostly at home, or in your By Karen Ellenbecker By Tom Frazier ISSUES & Julie Ellenbecker -Lipsky “shell” wherever such might be.By Tom Frazier I hear about and MOVING IN THE even read in Dear Sally: AGING We are told that there is a great RIGHT DIRECTION ISSUES the magazines about this activity I have no comment on this. I MOVING IN THE By Tom Frazier difference between health and that mostly the younger By Bruce Nemovitz RIGHT DIRECTION people to- know my computer has never had Bruce Nemovitz wellness. Health isBywhat we strive day indulge in, computer dating. I a date. Obviously, it is rather shy. APRON Emma to have. Wellness, we’re informed, guess Emmait is contacting people via the Do enjoy the holidays, PLANTING STRINGS TOMORROW’S is what makes us healthy. It is the PLANTING By Aunt Emma computer accesses until they find By Aunt Emma DREAMS TODAY Senior Answer Man Answer Man TOMORROW’S regimen we follow on our path to By Brad Olson DREAMS TODAY Brad Olson PLANTING healthy. You could referBy to staying TOMORROW’S DREAMS TODAY wellness as not being in ill health. By Brad Olson AGING Never cease following ways to wellISSUES ness. After all, it is By your passport Tom Frazier AGING I recently read that Jet Blue, a weigh passengers in at the countto longevity and to at least a happy ISSUES mostly east coast airline, will start er before charging them for a seat? SPORTS and active 2015. Tom Frazier SPORTS By Jack Pearson The seats could be wider or less a program to measureByemployees’ By Jack Pearson Believe me, don’t just search the WRIGHT body masses with an incentive for than now depending upon the perSPORTS out a quiet place. Live true to your the WRIGHT By Jack Pearson the weight conscious of up SIDE ofto $500. son’s girth. wants and wishes. Do more than SIDE By Enisof Wright the WRIGHT How soon will the idea come to PLANTING By Enis Wright just linger a while longer. Enjoy a TOMORROW’S SIDETODAY of DREAMS happy new year. By Enis Wright By Brad Olson
ES Two ME great ladies One of these two women, who certainly did much for her community during a span of years as a dynamic and diligent leader, Annette Polly Williams, left this world in early November for, we’re certain, a celestial seat of comfort. Polly, as she was affectionately known by almost everyone she ever had contact with, will be remembered as very concerned about the education of children; not just any kids, but especially those African Americans who when she took action were too often falling through the educational cracks. How did she do it? Polly Williams is the author of and the first fighter for student choice of schools. We know Polly definitely had the best interests of all children at heart. Since she, as a forceful legislator, pushed the charter school law through the Wisconsin Legislature, children have new and expanded opportunities to learn and greatly succeed in life.
APRON STRINGS
EDITORIALS
-Lipsky By Matt Pommer
MONEY SENSE IN THE MOVING By Karen Ellenbecker RIGHT DIRECTION MOVING IN THE & Julie Ellenbecker By Bruce Nemovitz -Lipsky RIGHT DIRECTION
EDITORIALS
On aging
TRAVEL TRAVEL
MONEY SENSE STATE CAPITOL By KarenSENSE Ellenbecker MONEY & Julie Ellenbecker By Karen Ellenbecker COMMENT -Lipsky & Julie Ellenbecker
A recent Job Fair in Milwaukee PLANTING time. Shooting at the at Serb Hall had wellTOMORROW’S over 1,000 net from mid-rink, Barbara beat TODAY attendees. Milwaukee DREAMS Mayor Tom out other entrants by sending the By Brad Olson Barrett was seen there. Is he wor- puck straight into the net twice in ried that one of the mayoral candi- succession. dates may put him out of office? e e e e the WRIGHT e e e e The next time opportunity SIDEMilwaukee of If the Admirals knocks, do answer the door. By Enis Wright need a new puck shooter with a e e e e deadly aim, we could suggest they Stephanie Sue Stein recently try to ink Barbara Rutkowski to a was honored for 40 years of serwith Jim McLoone contract. Last year, BarbSPORTS beat out vice to the Milwaukee Department all others in a contest By forJack an $8,000 Pearson on Aging. She loves her position. I Mexican vacation in competition guess that is one big difference beat an Admirals’ game during halfKILLING TIME continued on page 22A
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Hartland, WI 53029
262-367-5303
PUBLISHERS Tom and Maureen Slattery EDITOR Jim McLoone
By Enis Wright WRITER/PROOFREADER Jill Slattery ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Saran Piehl ART DIRECTOR/ PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicole Hesse OFFICE MANAGER Paula Koeppen
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WWW.MYMILWAUKEELIFE.COM find us at 50 Plus News Magazine
STATE CAPITOL COMMENT
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
By Matt Pommer
Senior living survey results are in! Moving from your long-time home is a difficult choice to make. We all move away from change… especially when it comes to our home! There are so many reasons behind our choices and beliefs. Getting to the “why” verses what choices we make or avoid is critical to our understanding of how we got to our current situations. So often, we think we are basing our decisions on sound problem solving tools we have used our entire life. However, when it comes to moving away from what we call home, try to look deeper at what may be holding you back from making a change that is so needed. This is not to say all of you should be moving. But if and when a time comes when finding a new home would better suit your needs, take some time to look beneath the surface and you may come up with some very revealing conclusions!
MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION By Bruce Nemovitz
I surveyed many of my senior clients ages 78-90 asking some very pointed questions regarding their thought process about moving away from their home to a senior apartment or community. I want to AGING ISSUES share the results with you so that Tom Frazier you may get a better By sense of how many of you truly think when it comes to selling your home. What is the number one thing holding you back from making a move?
PLANTING • Fear of the unknown TOMORROW’S 15.15% DREAMS TODAY By Brad Olson • I don’t want to leave my home 33.33%
• I can afford it, but I don’t want to spend the moneyMONEY SENSE By Karen Ellenbecker 3.03% & Julie Ellenbecker -Lipsky • I don’t believe I can afford it 6.06% • The task of downsizing is too overwhelming 42.42%
APRON What’s the numberSTRINGS two reason Emma
holding you back a move?
By Aunt Emma from making
• Fear of the unknown 21.21% • I don’t want to leave my home 33.33% • I can afford it, but I don’t want to spend the money 9.09% • I don’t believe I can afford it 6.06% • The task of downsizing it too overwhelming 30.30%
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What would have to change from your current circumstances to make you ready to consider a move?
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• A health setback 45.45% • I can’t keep up my home any longer 36.36% • I begin feeling lonely or isolated 3.03% • I want greater security 15.15%
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Of the people you know who have moved to a senior community, are they:
• Happy they made the move 56.25% • Unhappy with their decision 3.13% • No opinion 40.63%
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ENTERTAINMEN
calendar Plan your home’s sale this Winter! SPORTS As you settle in for Winter, why not take advantage of the By Jack Pearson cold months and prepare your home sell next Spring? thetoWRIGHT
Learn how Bruce & Jeanne can help. Contact us today for a free home consultation! (262) 242-6177
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KILLING TIME with Jim McLoone Having been in the real estate business for over 35 years, Bruce & Jeanne Nemovitz have worked with thousands of seniors and their families. Let Bruce and Jeanne guide you to the next phase.
Selling your home doesn’t have to be a burden.
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6A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
Veterans’ event in Oconomowoc
Among the couples attending the Shorehaven, Oconomowoc, Veterans Day Tribute Nov. 8 were Dan and Kati Giesen of Summit. Giesen is a Vietnam era Navy veteran. Kati, who was a Boston Store employee at the time she met salesman Dan after his return from sea duty, then lived in Brookfield and for five consecutive years, was a USO volunteer in Milwaukee.
Attention Wisconsin Seniors!! • Paying too much for your health insurance? • Disenrolled or receiving reduced health coverage by your insurance company or employer? • Losing health care coverage? • Turning 65?
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Midwest Senior Select, Inc.
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11518 N. Port Washington Rd. • Suite 4 Mequon • WI 53092
Representing Selected Major Insurance Companies For:
• Medicare Prescription Drug Plans • Medicare Supplements • Medicare Advantage • Dental Insurance • Long Term Care • Annuities • Final Expense Life Insurance • Under 65 Major Medical Plans Neither Midwest Select, Inc. or it’s agents are affiliated with Medicare, Social Security, or any government agency. This is 2011-3MWSS-NP an advertisement for insurance. An agent may contact you in an attempt to provide insurance.
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Mac Dorn, a retired banker, may be accustomed to being an “interesting� person, but the vault of treasures he opened Nov. 8 at Shorehaven Center for Life Enrichment, Oconomowoc, really was comprised of a room full of veterans from three horrendous wars. Shorehaven host CEO Ed Somers welcomed the veterans and spouses and other guests. The annual luncheon was generously sponsored once again by the Oliver Construction Co. of Oconomowoc. Beginning with the posting of colors by the Oconomowoc American Legion, Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Dept. of Veteran Affairs Michael Trepanier was the
At Christmas time As we take time this month to enjoy the holidays and bask in the remembrances of stories told over the ages of the birth of Jesus Christ, which we will celebrate on Christ-
414-545-7878 We are not limited to representing one company, so we can give you unbiased advice.
7421 W. Becher St. West Allis, WI
mas day, let us never lose sight of the many friends we have. We’re told that good friends are somewhat like good quilts. Regardless of age, they never lose their warmth.
Donate to AMVETS and USO
Bass Pro Shops everywhere are giving a 10 percent discount to all military personnel and veterans in December on regularly priced merchandise. The discounts will be valid for one week’s duration beginning Dec. 15.
Se n i o r s • Long Term Care Insurance •Health Insurance • Life Insurance • Annuities • Auto • Homeowners • Free Quotes • Immediate SR22 Filings
main speaker. Trepanier knows what it means to be warm, well and safely in the United States and to really appreciate the U.S. military veterans. He was an abandoned child living on the streets during the Korean War and was brought to the U.S. with other Korean orphans to be loved, adopted and educated. He said, “As hard as I try and as often as I speak, I will never be able to repay the kindnesses demonstrated by the U.S. soldiers and I am proud to serve the veterans of this state.� Those attending adjourned to a great dinner after Paul Breest reverently played taps.
The company, also until year end, is encouraging customers to give $1, $3 or $5 to the AMVETS or USO or both. Containers are in the stores.
G
reenbrook Terrace community offers a quiet park-like setting and scenic walking paths. We are located 1 mile from Southridge Mall and are close to grocery stores, shopping, parks and the interstate.
One community for all your needs! Our Senior Apartments Feature: • air conditioning • frost-free refrigerator/ • extra storage freezer • controlled intercom entry • electric range • carpeting • abundant closet space
• ceramic tile baths • bathtub grab bars • electronic alert system in the bathroom
Monday at the movies on the big screen television, monthly luncheon, management sponsored parties, card club, on-site hair salon, garden club, community room, 24 hour emergency maintenance and personable staff.
• smoke detectors • cable ready • large storage lockers • laundry room in each bldg.
Income limited
4955 S Greenbrook Terrace • Greenfield, WI 53220 • (414) 282 5044
EDITORIALS Advanced planning is the Social Security secret STATE CAPITOL
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
Working in Retirement COMMENT – By Pommer Earnings that couldMatt affect your Social Security payments. As advisors, we often are asked by clients if you are able to collect Social Security retirement benefits and earn income at the same time. More often than not, the individuals posing this question have MOVINGtheir IN THE already started taking Social RIGHT DIRECTION Security benefits. While you can By Bruce Nemovitz work and collect Social Security, advance planning and understanding the consequences of your income on your benefit can save you in the long run. One of the benefits of continuing to work is that you will be able to increase the benefitAGING you earn latISSUES er in life. Social Security will look By Tom Frazier at your highest 35 years of earnings when determining your retirement benefit. Depending on how much you are earning while you work, you may also be able to replace one of your lower earning years with a PLANTING TOMORROW’S DREAMS TODAY By Brad Olson
ing benefits with no reduction, even if you keep working. At this point, the SSA will recalculate your benefit and give you credit for any benefits that were withheld. Usually, this results in a higher monthly payment. There are some payments that do not count towards this earned income limit, and will not cause a reduction in your benefit amount, even if you are under the full retirement age. If the income is considered a “special payment” by the SSA, it won’t count against your benefit. According to Social Security guidelines, “If you worked for wages, income received after retirement counts as a special payment if the last thing you did to earn the payment was completed before you stopped working”. Payments from a former employer as severance pay, bonuses, accumulated vacation or sick pay, back pay, sales commissions and deferred compensation are all classified as “special payments” by the SSA. For self-em-
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ployed individuals, any net income received after the first year of retirement counts as special payments if the individual performed “substantial services in self-employment” to earn the payment before he or she was entitled to receive Social Security benefits. If you receive income after retirement that you think qualifies as a special payment, contact the Social Security Administration. If the agency agrees, those payments will not count as part of earnings subject to the annual earnings limit. There are some post-retirement earnings that do not qualify for the special payments exemption. Royalties are earned income and included in net earnings from self-employment and also count toward the annual earnings limit. If you plan on working in retirement, be sure to understand what income sources will affect your Social Security payments.
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MONEY SENSE By Karen Ellenbecker & Julie Ellenbecker -Lipsky
higher amount, thus boosting your benefit check even more. While you can work and collect Social Security at theAPRON same time, the Emma Social Security Administration STRINGSwill By Auntyou Emma reduce your benefit until reach your full retirement age. In 2014, retirees who are younger than their full retirement age will lose $1 of benefit for every $2 they earn over $15,480. The SSA is much more lenient in the year you reach your full retirement age, reducing your benefit by $1 for every $3 earned above $41,400. This reduction in benefits is only temporary. Starting the month you reach your full retirement age, you will start receiv-
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IT MAKES ME
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Tips for S.M.A.R.T. physical activity if you have arthritis
S
tart low, and go slow
People with arthritis may take more time for their body to adjust to a new level of activity. Inactive people should start with a small amount of activity, for example, 3–5 minutes 2 times a day. Adding activity in small amounts and allowing enough time for your body to adjust to the new level before adding more activity is usually safe.
M
odify activity when arthritis symptoms increase, try to stay active.
Arthritis symptoms come and go. Most people completely stop activity when their symptoms increase. It is better to first modify your activity by decreasing the frequency, duration, or intensity, or changing the type of activity to stay as active as possible without making your symptoms worse.
New Hope
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ctivities should be “joint friendly.”
or pathways are level and free of obstructions, are well-lighted, and Unsure of what types of activity are separated from heavy traffic. alk to a health profesare best for people with arthritis? sional or certified exerA general rule is to choose activities that are easy on the joints like cise specialist. walking, bicycling, water aerobics, People with arthritis should be or dancing. These activities have a under the care of a health care prolow risk of injury and do not twist fessional. Many health professionor “pound” the joints too much. als are a good source of information on what types and amounts of ecognize safe places and ways to be active. activity are appropriate for people Safety is important for starting with chronic conditions and disand maintaining an activity plan. abilities. What should I do if I have For inactive adults with arthritis or those who do not have confidence pain when I exercise? Some soreness or aching in in planning their own physical acjoints and surrounding muscles tivity, an exercise class designed just for people with arthritis may be during and after exercise is normal a good option. For those who plan for people with arthritis. This is esand direct their own activity, find- pecially true in the first 4 to 6 weeks ing safe places to be active is im- of starting an exercise program. portant. For example, while walk- However, most people with arthriing in your neighborhood or at a tis find if they stick with exercise local park, make sure the sidewalks they will have significant long-term
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pain relief. Here are some tips to help you manage pain during and after exercise: • Modify your exercise program by reducing the frequency (days per week) or duration (amount of time each session) until pain improves. • Changing the type of exercise to reduce impact on the joints – for example switch from walking to water aerobics. • Do proper warm-up and cooldown before and after exercise. • Exercise at a comfortable pace – you should be able to carry on a conversation while exercising. • Make sure you have good fitting, comfortable shoes. Signs you should see your health care provider: • Pain is sharp, stabbing, and constant. • Pain that causes you to limp. • Pain that lasts more than 2 hours after exercise or gets worse at night.
FOR ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS
MLS Class 4 Lasers, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration five years ago, work in what is called a dual wave pattern, meaning the device performs two functions at once on the patient’s body. “This is definitely the wave of the future,” said Dr. Evans, who has been a practicing chiropractor for more than 20 years. “With the financial constraints of the current economy and rising health insurance costs, people need to get better faster.” While traditional chiropractic treatments typically would take three to four months to achieve a positive outcome, now with adding laser treatments the healing process is accelerated and patients are recovering in half the time. MLS Class 4 Lasers, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration five years ago, work in what is called a dual wave pattern, meaning the device performs two functions at once on the patient’s body. One wave form relieves pain while the other accelerates the healing process.
Safe & Effective
Aches and pains have long plagued people of all ages and walks of life. But exciting new technological advances are helping doctors of chiropractic get to the root causes of pain more rapidly than ever before. Statewide professionals, are using lasers to treat arthritis pain and dysfunction more efficiently by reducing the swelling and improving circulation to the affected tissues. Dr. Evans, owner of Evans Chiropractic & Pain Laser Clinic in New Berlin, began using the noninvasive therapy system known as the MLS Class 4 Laser at her clinic in January of 2011. The response from patients has been phenomenal. “I have patients travelling from as far away as Sheboygan.
Expires December 31
“This new technology gets patient’s better faster, this past year has been very exciting as I have been able to witness patient’s recover in ways I hadn’t seen before implementing this type of Laser therapy,” Evans said. The biggest problem any clinician faces when treating patients who are in pain is how to safely and effectively address inflammation. “All too often, physicians want to block the inflammatory process with medications both prescribed and over the counter, but you need to work with it instead,” she said. “This is where laser treatments make all the difference. The laser accelerates the inflammatory process (ie healing process) and this is why the patient recovers more quickly.”
As advances have been made with technology, Class 4 lasers have enabled chiropractic professionals to venture into previously unheard of territory. Treatments were almost always ineffective for people where scar tissue had formed. Modern laser treatments have given professionals an opportunity to work through scar tissue – a scenario that has proven especially beneficial for the elderly and people who have had surgery. “One of the laser wave forms actually can break up old scar tissue when paired with the correct machine parameters thus allowing for greater joint motion and flexibility,” Evans said. “I like to think of it as WD-40 for the joints.” Walking has long been recommended as a key exercise in addressing weight gain— particularly for the aging population. But when a person has joint problems and pain, when walking could be a beneficial exercise is not an option. “Our bodies are meant to move but when movement causes pain it is almost impossible to remain healthy and vital thru the aging process,” Evans said. At Evans Chiropractic & Pain Laser Clinic, patients typically undergo between 8 and 10 Laser treatments before inflammation has been adequately addressed and healing truly takes hold. A typical laser treatment lasts between 10 and 20 minutes, is painless, completely safe and has no adverse side effects.
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
in an unhealthy situation that we know versus a positive environWhich of the following best ment which is new to us. describes you? As for waiting for a situation • I am very independent that would change our thinking 29.41% and move us to action, a health set• I am independent but slowing back is number one on the survey. down So think about that. We are playing 41.18% with dice and hoping that our num• I am dealing with some health ber will land on seven or eleven and setbacks not snake eyes! In other words, we 20.59% are waiting for a sign to make our • My home is no longer working move which could be catastrophic for me and lead to our children making 8.82% our decisions to move! That is crisis In summary, downsizing and management, which is something fear of the unknown are reasons you want to avoid as so many defor “not wanting to leave my home”, cisions must be made quickly and which is understandable! Howev- without the time you would take er, to go a bit deeper, downsizing to look at options. “I can’t keep may mean not wanting to look to up my home” is often a reason for the past when going through our a move, but that can happen over treasures, too much stuff, or just many years. I have seen so many plain procrastination. Fear of the homes with bad roofs, leaky baseunknown again reinforces that fear ments faulty furnaces and electrical of change; going from a known to systems. As we grow older, we wait an unknown, even if we are in an for the last possible moment before untenable situation…we will stay spending on expensive items such NEMOVITZ continued from page 5A
as basement repair. Homes deteriorate just as our bodies age. Not fixing our house is paramount to not taking care of an ulcer. Both will only get worse without attention to the problem. Lastly, when my participants were asked about those they knew that already made a move, they mostly agreed that their friends and family were happy they made the move. This is good information to have as others who also went through the same thought processes of doubt and uncertainty found that they are happier in their new surroundings. That is the best information we can have as we begin to think about making a move from our long-time homes. I hope that my survey has provided some needed information as you may one day begin the process of finding a new home that better meets your physical and psychological needs. Some of you are worried about your parents as they are in situations that cause much angst for
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you and your family. Next month I will share my second survey which was sent to the children of seniors, asking pointed questions about their fears and concerns about their parent’s future move. In closing, the more information you have and especially from others who have traversed the process of moving, the easier it will be when deciding what is best for you or a loved one. Getting the ‘why’ behind our actions is critical to making the right decisions, especially one as important as where we live! Bruce Nemovitz is a Senior Real Estate Specialist, as well as Certified Senior Advisor. Bruce has sold residential homes in the four county Milwaukee-Metro areas for 35 years. He works with his wife Jeanne at Realty Executives Integrity. Visit www.brucesteam.com or call 262242-6177 with any real estate question
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10A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014 VETERANS continued from page 1A
Classic Lanes, 54th. and Greenfield, Manager Gina Daroszewski, her father being Jim Pouros, decided to honor all veterans (many of them in league play there on Nov. 12) and she did so. Special emphasis came to a pair of really old-timers, who Carrie Weston, president of Monday and Wednesday bowling leagues, proclaims are real life leaders, who shed some sweat and blood to stop the bloodshed of World War II. These gentlemen are Andy Kapp, a spry 93, who resides at Brookfield Highlands, and Ted Gurszewski, 95 years young, a Milwaukeean. While neither of these modest men would claim that they single handedly won the war, Andy and Ted are proud of their service to this nation and all residents of the country should be proud of them. Since Kapp is the youngest, we’ll begin with his story. He’s 93, as previously mentioned, and was gainfully employed in the printing industry until he was 83. He has a bit of difficulty with hearing, but otherwise is physically well and active. He arises mornings about 7 a.m. and goes to bed about midnight. Kapp never has been a great television watcher, but is a voracious reader and loves the challenge of puzzles. As for sports, Kapp is a league bowler and holds about a 150 average. He also is an avid golfer, having had three holes-in-one, still golfs regularly in season in two leagues. Records show he still regularly scores under 100 for 18 holes. Kapp, a naval veteran of World War II, served in the South Pacific where the most severe naval battles ever were fought, was a medic, achieved the rank of Petty Officer First Class and was one of the very early birds chosen to be honored via the Honors Flight to Washington, D.C. The retired Chief Petty Officer is known to his many friends as Andy. He has four children, Kathy, Rosie, Julie and Mike. His wife, Eleanor, has passed away.
Now to Gurzynski: Ted Gurzynski may be 95 years of age, but as you read this account of his life, you will soon realize that he has lived through many years of work; and along the route, life’s personal achievements. Ted, whose wife, Marian, has passed away, has one son, who jokes that “Who needs more when this son is almost as perfect as his dad.” This son by the same name, Ted, looks after his dad as needed now that Ted Sr, is sort of shifting his gears from full speed ahead, but he’s still far from going into neutral. A retired machinist at Allis Chalmers, Ted began his service way back in 1939 when he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. He perhaps earned about $10 a week doing this work, but good paying jobs just were not plentiful, for young men back then as the Great Depression era was slowly going into history. Ted’s skilled employment at Allis Chalmers came to an early end as he, at age 58, was designated to be a full time caretaker for his ill mother. He did this for eight years until her death. What else could he do? He was a loving and dedicated only child. Through his years, Ted found time for various sports. To this day, he still bowls in two leagues, carries a respectful average, tossed a 200 game just last year and, among other sports, played senior softball until he was age 85. He also was a skilled archery competitor, played baseball and followed all sports closely. Ted is a very avid reader, but he also likes to be with people and challenges his mind in other ways like playing cards a couple afternoons weekly at the Polish Center and making a trip perhaps once weekly to play Black Jack at the Potawatomi Casino. Stay with us. You’ll soon learn that Ted really deserved all of the applause he received with Kapp on Nov. 12 when the veterans were honored at the Classic Lanes with a luncheon for all. While this writer has been placing words on paper for 52 years
Andy Kapp with his daughter, Rosie Kapp (New Berlin).
since the conclusion of the Korean Conflict, Ted is the first man ever interviewed who was a member of the U.S. Amphibious Forces who was a gunner on a PT boat. Ted and the other confronting of his crew were mostly then meeting the enemy in hostile waters around New Guinea and mostly during clandestine nighttime patrols. Then one day orders came through that the PT crew would be full speed ahead over the open waters for six days and nights being refueled along the way. They were to take part in the largest naval battle of World War II at Leyte, part of Gen. MacArthur’s vow to return and retake the Philippine Islands. The date was Oct. 13, 1944. It was indelibly stuck in Ted’s mind since that was the due date for his wife to give birth to their son. The PT crew was to patrol a certain strait and search for enemy battleships. Suddenly, they counted eight of them coming towards them. After a prolonged exchange of fire and sending torpedoes into the battleships, Ted’s boat was sunk and most of the crew wounded. They were taken from the blood drenched waters near the boat as Navy medics rescued them, taking the wounded for care on a hospital ship and then to base care. Reports from that battle showed that one sailor, Gurzynski was wounded but refused early
evacuation to the hospital as others should be given priority as they had lost arms, legs or were severely wounded. The records show that Ted said, “I’m only bleeding.” Actually, Ted was doing more than just bleeding as his Purple Heart and about eight other ribbons, stars and badges presented to him demonstrate his courage and battle action. Originally for meritorious service, the Purple Heart now is presented only to those men and women who have been wounded or killed in action. He was returned to San Francisco Dec. 1, 1944 and it was the first news he had of his son. Young Ted had been born 12 days before his dad had been wounded. Thankfully, the last will and testament he was ordered to write in case he was killed never was mailed homeward. Ted Gurzynski was discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1945, but the story of his service lives on in his mind and in at least two different books- One book written by author and TV journalist Tom Brokaw devotes almost four pages to Ted’s military service in his “Album of Memories, The Personal Histories of the Greatest Generation.” Certainly, these men would rather not have been in military service. But they served and did so meritoriously. Honor Flight selection came to the right people so did their recognition again on Nov. 12.
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
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Senior Companion Program celebrates 40 years “I love being a Senior Companion. I am making a difference and getting extra income, too.” ~ Melvin Avant
Mattie Payne, Executive Director
Clara Durley, Senior Companion
“In 2013, Senior Companions made 11,802 visits to their clients, helping them to remain independent and saving millions of taxpayer dollars in institutional living costs,” according SDC Senior Companion Executive Director, Mattie Payne, who has been with the program since its beginning. Payne, learned about volunteering as a teenager, by helping an elderly neighbor in her Oklahoma neighborhood.
“My mom was aware that our crippled neighbor needed help dressing and cooking, so she sent me to assist. It was this experience as a youth, which made me desire to help elderly people remain independent.” The Senior Companion program was started by the Corporation for National Service in 1974. Milwaukee County was one of 18 nationwide pilot sites.
“I really enjoy visiting with neighbors who need a little help. They aren’t clients they’re friends”! ~ Balbina Acevedo
Stocking Stuffer
Today across the country, there are 15,000 senior companions working 20 hours per week. Senior Companions help their elderly neighbors by providing friendship, escorts on walks, shopping trips, medical appointments and help with household tasks. To become a Senior Companion you must be at least 55 years of age, unemployed or retired. But the biggest requirement is a desire to help other people, according to Assistant Senior Companion Director, Bill Meunier. Senior Companions work 20 hours per week and must be 55 or older. The Senior Companion is paid a stipend of $2.65 per hour plus gas to and from client’s home. This is tax-free income that does not affect other benefits such as SSI, Medicaid or rent. The Senior Companion Program is facilitated in Milwaukee County by the Social Development Commission of Milwaukee. For more information, 414-906-2700 or www.cr-sdc.org
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Cardiac stress tests are often performed too frequently By Dr. David Lipschitz Annually, hundreds of thousands of healthy Americans have a stress test to screen for coronary artery disease. The stress test can be done in one of two ways. The heart can either be stressed by exercising on a treadmill or by injecting a radioisotope and scanning the heart before and after exercise. If exercise is difficult, the heart can be stressed by injecting the medication Persantine. In either case, abnormalities can identify coronary artery disease. Frequently, the heart is monitored during the stress test using both an EKG and an echocardiogram. Recently, the United States Preventative Services Task Force reaffirmed the opinion of many experts that there was no value in doing routine EKG’s and stress tests in healthy individuals at low risk of having heart disease and who
have no symptoms suggesting a heart problem such as chest pain or shortness of breath. They do so because the tests often yield false results leading to needless additional investigations that may cause more harm than good. Furthermore, a normal test is not a good predictor of future risk of cardiac problems. Even for those at higher risk of heart disease, the task force does not believe there is enough evidence either for or against EKG and stress testing and suggest that a decision be made on a case-by-case basis between doctor and patient. So how do you determine your risk for having a heart attack? This can easily be accomplished by entering information into a risk assessment tool developed by the American Heart association, which is available on the Internet (www. heart.org). Their heart attack risk calculator factors in the common
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• 13A this circumstance, any invasive toonists, visit the Creators Syndicate procedure to open a blocked artery Web page at www.creators.com. (either by angioplasty using stents or surgery) will neither prolong life nor reduce the risk of a heart attack. Invasive procedures will relieve symptoms, but sadly angiograms and even open-heart surgery are often done on individuals with no symptoms at all. Nothing is scarier than dealing with a heart problem. The evidence is compelling that aggressive diagnostic and invasive procedures are highly effective when done for the appropriate indication. But numerous studies have shown that this aggressive care is frequently unnecessary and can cause more harm than good. In relation to heart health, the more you know, the more involved you are in your care, the better. Medical, Surgical & Dr. David Lipschitz is the diOrthopedic treatment of rector of the Dr. David Health and foot & ankle disorders. Wellness Center in Little Rock. To 1626 S. Main St. find out more about Dr. David LipWest Bend schitz and read features by other Call: 262-334-5137 Creators Syndicate writers and carDECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
conditions that contribute to a higher chance of having a heart attack including age, being a male or post-menopausal female, a strong family history of heart attacks, high blood pressure, an elevated total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, a fasting blood sugar greater than 100, smoking, being overweight, sedentary and eating poorly. Once completed, the tool provides information of the risk of having a heart attack within 10 years and what steps should be taken to address any problems. As heart disease is clearly the leading cause of death, it is fair to assume that everyone is in danger of problems, and therefore attempts at preventing heart attacks are far more important and valuable than finding out during a stress test that significant coronary artery disease is already present. This involves compulsively living a heart-healthy lifestyle, including exercise, eating right, smoking cessation and stress management as well as working closely with your doctor to identify
and correct treatable risk factors. If heart attack risk is moderate or high, a dialogue with a primary care physician or cardiologist to determine if a stress test should be done is appropriate. And for someone whose assessment indicates a very high risk of a heart attack within the next 10 years, a screening stress test is a realistic consideration. There must be an understanding that the result may lead to angiograms and angioplasty and even open-heart surgery. No matter your risk, should symptoms develop, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, a stress test is then used as a diagnostic rather than a screening tool. Some experts may even forgo a stress test and opt for an immediate angiogram if symptoms are sufficiently compelling. For anyone known to have coronary artery disease, who is being optimally managed with medications and who either has no or stable symptoms, annual stress tests may do more harm than good. In
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14A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
Maximizing strategies make Social Security complex
Join us for these festive
We invite you and your family to see our beautiful campuses all decked out for the holiday season! Stop by and join us for these FREE events.
Green Bay Love Stories All at 1:30pm Enjoy Sandy Sullivan’s rousing tales of Vince Lombardi, Paul Hornung, Dan Currie and “The Pack” during the 1960s. Dec. 1 Brookfield Dec. 2 Muskego Dec. 3 New Berlin Anita’s Dance Group All at 6:30pm Dec. 2 Muskego
Dec. 4 New Berlin
Dec. 15 Brookfield
Holiday Fashion Show All at 1:30pm
See holiday fashion and merchandise, available for sale after the show. Dec. 3 Muskego Dec. 8 Brookfield Dec. 10 New Berlin
Annual Toy Drive
Drop off new unwrapped toys for children in need, 12 years or younger, at any of our campuses. Now thru Dec. 5
Women of Note Holiday Concert
Dec. 11 Brookfield 2pm Dec. 12 Muskego 1:30pm Dec. 17 New Berlin 10:30am
BROOKFIELD
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777 N. Brookfield Rd.
W181 S8540 Lodge Blvd.
13750 W. National Ave.
262-780-0321
262-679-0888
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By Tom Margenau Well, maybe I should just stop writing about the hundreds of various Social Security issues I’ve been dealing with for 40 years now and just focus this column on one thing only: maximizing your Social Security retirement benefits. The amount of email I get on the subject just boggles my mind. Three or four years ago, no one was talking about maximizing benefits. Today, easily 80 percent of the emails I get deal with this one topic alone. It seems as if everyone nearing retirement wants to squeeze every last nickel out of his or her Social Security account. And almost every email I get on the subject includes variations on this theme: “Social Security is too confusing!” Here is a typical question: “Why did Congress have to make the process of signing up for Social Security retirement benefits so complex?” To answer that, let me make this point. Signing up for Social Security retirement benefits is usually a piece of cake. It’s probably the simplest federal government program application process out there. For example, my wife and I each applied for our Social Security benefits at 62. We both did so online. The applications took maybe 15 minutes to fill out. Our claims were processed in about a week and our checks started flowing into our bank accounts the next month. It’s when you try to squeeze those nickels by employing various maximizing strategies that things get complicated. And folks are coming up with some very bizarre plans to gain what they think is a financial advantage of the system — usually banking on the hope that they will live long enough to come out ahead in the Social Security game they are playing. Here are just some examples of the lengths peo-
Q
ple will go to beat the system. : I took my Social Security when I turned 66 last December. I’m getting $2,400 per month. My husband is 64 and he took his smaller benefits at age 62. He’s getting about $1,000 monthly. I just learned at a Social Security maximizing seminar conducted by a local financial planner that I could have filed for wife’s benefits on my husband’s record at age 66, and delayed my benefits until 70 to get a bonus. Can I withdraw my original claim and turn around and apply for spousal benefits? : Well, yes you could, but do you really want to? Anyone has up to 12 months after filing an application for retirement benefits to change his or her mind. So because you filed your claim 11 months ago, you still have that option. But, you would have to repay all the benefits you’ve received so far. After you withdraw your claim and repay your benefits, you can then turn around and file for wife’s benefits on your husband’s account. So you would get about $700 per month until you turn age 70. (You get 50 percent of your husband’s age 66 rate, even though he took reduced benefits at 62.) At age 70, you would stop your wife’s claim and refile for your own Social Security, at which point you would start getting about $3,100 per month, which includes the delayed retirement bonus you mentioned. That may all sound like the gravy train to you. But I think you should slow the engine down and think about what you’d be giving up to make this “maximizing” strategy work. First of all, you’ll be writing Social Security a check for $26,400 to repay the retirement benefits you’ve already received.
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DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
Q
By Doug Mayberry . Organizing, planning and getting families together for the holidays are always challenging in our family. This year, major changes have also become realities in our lives. We have become an extended stepfamily, which also includes four young children. As yet we have not met them, but based on previous unhappy relationships, we welcome the change and believe it will make for happier times. As a family, we have invited them for the holidays. What should we be doing now for a successful checklist? . Your success and enjoyment will be based on how well you can get everyone organized and committed as soon as possible.
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Travel experts are already urging those who will travel to book their flights as soon as possible. Availability will be tighter, and it is already limited for both flights and rooms. Costs will be higher than last year, plus those baggage extras. Lines will be longer. Hopefully good weather will prevail. Priority issues for your checklists should include what dates families will arrive and the duration of their stay, who picks them up, where will they be housed and fed, if they need car rentals, how and where entertainment reservations are made, who will pay and other unexpected details. Your goal is to keep details as simple as possible, be patient when things do not work out as planned, love each other, get better acquainted, share your traditions and plan to have another gathering in 2016 !
Happy Holidays from 50 PLUS Advertise your Business or Service with us Find out how by calling Saran at 262-367-5303 ext 12
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Holiday challenges calling
• 15A
JANUARY 6 - 11
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16A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
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DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
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How to prevent yourself from getting diabetes By Charlyn Fargo Like many of you, diabetes runs in the family: My grandfather, father and brother all have Type 2 diabetes. Nationwide, about 29 million Americans, or nearly 1 in 10 people, suffer from it. In 2012, 1.7 million Americans ages 20 and older were newly diagnosed with diabetes. Many more have prediabetes, a condition that puts you at higher risk for developing diabetes. So how can you prevent diabetes? Research shows that you can greatly reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes by eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of physical activity and losing excess weight. To understand how weight loss might affect diabetes risk, the National Institute for Health launched a study in the early 1990s called the Diabetes Prevention Program. Doctors already knew that being overweight or obese was a risk factor for diabetes, but they didn’t know if losing weight would reduce that risk. The study enrolled more than 3,000 people who were overweight and had prediabetes. They were randomly assigned to different groups. One group met regularly with study staff to focus on healthy behaviors, such as eating fewer calories and exercising more; they aimed to lose at least 7 percent of their body weight and to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week (30 minutes, five times a week). Another group received metformin, a drug commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes, along with standard advice on diet and exercise. A control group received standard advice and an inactive placebo pill, which had no drug effects. After three years, researchers found that diabetes risk dropped by 58 percent in the group encouraged to make healthy lifestyle changes; about 38 percent in that group
had achieved and maintained their weight loss goals and 58 percent of their physical activity goals. The group taking metformin was also less likely to develop diabetes; their risk dropped by 31 percent compared to the control group. In a follow-up study, both lifestyle changes and metformin continued to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, although their effects declined. After 10 years, people who continued with lifestyle changes delayed diabetes by about 4 years compared to people in the control group. People who continued to take metformin delayed diabetes by about 2 years. “Weight loss is key, and physical activity is very important, but lifestyle changes are never easy,” says NIH’s Joanne Gallivan, director of the National Diabetes Education Program. If you’re over 45 or at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, get screened for diabetes. Risk factors and warning signs include high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a history of gestational diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Q and A
Q
: I have high blood pressure. What’s the best exercise to help reduce my blood pressure?
A
: Aerobic activity, the kind that increases your heart rate, will have the biggest impact on your blood pressure. The latest recommendations from the American College of Cardiology say that after 12 weeks of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise (about 40 minutes, three to four times a week), blood pressure will drop. The systolic blood pressure (top number) drops by an average of 2 to 5 mm Hg and the diastolic (bottom number) by an average 1 to 4 mm Hg. Depending on your starting level of fitness,
you might begin by walking three days a week for 10 or 15 minutes. Every couple of weeks, add another five minutes to the daily goal. For overall health, try to work up to walking or other aerobic activity five to seven days a week for 30 to 60 minutes. You could reach this with several blocks of 15 to 20 minutes each, if that best fits your lifestyle. Besides walking, other aerobic activities include biking (inside or out), dancing, swimming and active yard work. As your fitness improves, including some exercise at a vigorous level may bring additional benefits, according to Andrew Freeman, MD, spokesperson for the American College of Cardiology. This level can’t be defined accurately by a specific pace or heart rate, but here’s a rule of thumb you can use: during moderate activity, you can comfortably talk, but not sing; during vigorous activity, you can only say a few words comfortably. Don’t push yourself to a pace beyond that. Before beginning an exercise program of more than modest walking, for example, people should get the all-clear from their healthcare provider, and this is especially important if you have high blood pressure. Once your fitness begins to improve, add strength training. Evidence link-
ing it to blood pressure control is inconsistent, but it’s important for overall well being, since without it, we gradually lose muscle. If you have high blood pressure, avoid holding your breath or straining with very heavy weights.
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18A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
PLANTING TOMORROW’S DREAMS TODAY By Brad Olson
HERMAN WHITE WRITES ARTS
ENTERTAINMENT
“Outlined against….” Grantland wrote, and the epic Gridiron legend was born What is the most famous nickname of all in the world of sports? How do you choose? There’s been so many. In baseball, the Babe, the Splendid Splinter, the Iron Horse, Dizzy and Daffy, Shoeless; in football, the Horse, the Galloping Ghost, Whizzer, Crazylegs; in boxing, the Brown Bomber, Sugar and Gentleman, to name just a few. But for my money, the best one of all has to be The Four Horsemen. All nicknames have their origins. For the Horsemen, it was a sports writer. He was a great one and lived in the early years of the last century. His name was Grantland Rice. His inspiration for this one came at a football game at the Polo Grounds in New York City on October 18, 1924. The bitter rival adversaries were Notre Dame and Army. Both teams had come into the game unbeaten. In a monumental battle, the Fighting Irish won 13-7. The attendance at the game was more than 55,000, a record figure for both teams. As the fans began milling out, Rice sat in his stall in the pressbox, high up in the stands. As he looked down at his trusty portable typewriter, he paused to gather his thoughts. His lead, he knew from experience, was the key. He reasoned that it had to be about those four marvelous Notre Dame backs. How could he describe their brilliance? Keep in mind that sportswriters then were much more theatrical and rhythmical in their commentary than modern day scribes. He leaned back, looking up at the threatening sky. And then, all at once, it came to him. He moved forward and began to type. “Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. Those are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of
SPORTS By Jack Pearson
the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.” Rice didn’t realize it then, but he was immortalizing not only the game, but especially four of its remarkable young stars, Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden. It was almost a century ago that they lived, but even among the most casual of football fans today, if you mention the words, “Four Horsemen,” it still rings a bell. They might not remember the four individual names, but they’d recall the nickname. Even my long departed grandmother, who didn’t know a whit about football, knew that the Four Horsemen were “Those big polo heroes down where your mama went to school.” She had the wrong sport, but explaining would have confused her further, so I didn’t. She was also talking about her daughter, my mother, who attended St. Mary’s College, which was affiliated with Notre Dame. While there, my mother liked going to the football games and somehow developed a crush on Crowley. Then, whenever she’d come home from school, she’d go on and on about him and the others. Grams also said she thought the whole thing was quite funny. I am digressing. Back to the Four Horsemen. That ‘Outlined against a blue, gray October sky…’ opening lead may be the most famous intro into a sports story ever written. They are words that created a legend, but
the WRIGHT SIDE of By Enis Wright
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KILLING TIME with Jim McLoone
The Four Horsemen of 1924 National College Football Champion Notre Dame, in one of the corniest and most effective sports photographs ever taken. they are a legend in themselves. To he was selected by the Green Bay be fair, they had a helping hand. Packers and played for them. Third, Rice’s story was the spark that ig- the quarterback for that foursome, nited the fire. Who fanned the Harry Stuhldreher, later became flames, however, was the student the head football coach and athletic sports publicist for Notre Dame, director at the University of WisGeorge Strickler. The day after the consin. Badger old-timers will tell game, when Strickler read Rice’s you that Stuhldreher’s 1942 squad commentary, he saw the tremen- was the finest football team in the dous possibilities. He made sure the school’s history. It finished the ‘42 name “Four Horsemen” stuck. The season ranked 3rd in the country. day the team arrived back in South Ohio State was ranked Number 1, Bend after the game, Strickler hus- but Wisconsin beat it 17-7. And tled them over to a nearby livery, there’s still another, although it’s had them put their uniforms on, sort of roundabout, and also inand sat them atop four horses for volves Jim Crowley. After playing a photo. It was crazy, but extreme- for the Packers and a couple of othly effective. He sent the photo out er pro teams, Crowley went into over the wires, and newspapers all coaching. His first head coaching over the country picked it up. The job was at Michigan State. Later, he took over at Fordham, and was legend was assured. That little bit of innovative bril- there from 1933 to 1941. In ’36 and liance undoubtedly helped Strickler ’37 his teams lost only one game along later in life as he became the and were among the top rated in sports editor of the Chicago Tri- the country. Those teams were noted for having one of the best lines bune. So, you might ask, what’s a sto- in the game, so good that (here ry about some football players at we go with nicknames again) they a Catholic University down in the were named “The Seven Blocks of state of Indiana doing in this pub- Granite.” One of those linemen was lication? Articles here are always Vince Lombardi, who a couple of oriented to Wisconsin people and decades later was lured from his job as an assistant coach with the activities. The answer is that there is a New York Giants to Green Bay. You Wisconsin connection, a number know what happened then. Unfortunately, biographical of them. First, one of those four Horsemen, Jim Crowley, grew up in material on The Four Horsemen on Green Bay and was a multi-sports the Internet today includes very litstar in high school there. Also, af- tle about their high school careers, ter graduating from Notre Dame, their involvement in other sports
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
or much about their private lives or families. Sports journalism was in its infancy then, and meticulous records simply were not kept. Information that is available, however, tells us that Notre Dame’s record from 1922 through 1924, when The Four Horsemen were there, was 8-1-1, 9-1-0 and 10-00. (those two losses were both to Nebraska.) There were no polls in those days, but Notre Dame was considered as the National Champion in 1924, as they had been in 1919 and 1920. Following the ’24 season, they were invited to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where they beat a strong Stanford team, 27-10. Rockne would finish his career as the Fighting Irish Head Coach with a 105-12-5 record over 13 seasons for a incredible winning percentage of .893, which is the highest winning percentage ever attained to this date in both college and pro football. Rockne was killed in a plane crash after the ’31 season. We also know that Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden were accorded All-American honors in all of their three years at Notre Dame, and that all four have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. By today’s standards, The Four Horsemen were small. Layden was the tallest of the foursome at 6’ even, while both Miller and Crowley were 5’11” and Stuhldreher only 5’7”, Crowley and Layden weighed 162, Miller 160 and Stuhldreher 151. Of course, that was the norm then. At 5’7”, Stuhldreher was actually a couple of inches taller than the average male adult in the United States in the 1920s. Aside from putting together the enviable record of having lost to only one team in three years, The Four Horsemen most assuredly earned their individual laurels – All American recognition in all three of their varsity years, Hall of Fame induction years later. As halfbacks in the Notre Dame attack, Crowley averaged 6.3 yards a carry; Miller 6.8 and Hayden 4.4. All three, in
• 19A
The 1924 Notre Dame Irish. That’s head Coach Knute Rockne at the far left. In front row, from the left, 1st player, Harry Stuhldreher; 3rd, Don Miller; Jim Crowley; 9th, Elmer Layden, The Four Horsemen. Another All-American on the team was center Adam Walsh, with the ball, front row.
addition to quarterback Stuhldreher, were good passers. All four played defense as well as offense; all four returned punts and kickoffs. In fact, it was Stuhldreher who was the primary punt returner. He was also the top tackler and blocker on the team. When did you ever hear of a quarterback who had those attributes? And Layden was the team’s punter. Although all four went into pro ball after their graduation from Notre Dame, none of them stayed for more than a couple of years. It was not because they weren’t good enough, by any means. They simply chose not to, which seems unbelievable today. Playing in the NFL (or in Major League Baseball) in the ‘20s was not the route to becoming an instant millionaire as it is today. Top collegiate stars such as our foursome were paid salaries that were less than those paid in just about any other line of work. Common laborers made far more. There was no signing bonus, no benefit package, no compensation when hurt and not able to play, no insurance of any kind. Nor was there any fame or glory to be a pro football player. It was a far different world which is almost impossible to picture today. Despite all that, Life did go on. Following his graduation, Crowley, as noted above, signed with the Green Bay Packers for
the 1925 season. He played only three games with them. In the same season, he moved on to the Providence Steamrollers and then later to the Waterburg Blues. The lineup in pro football was unlike today’s, with most of the franchises in small midwestern and eastern towns. There were no teams in the deep south or the far west. So the next year, he caught on as an assistant coach at Georgia. He must have done well, for within three years he was offered the head coaching job at Michigan State. The school was a college then, not a university, and of course, was not yet in the Big Ten. Crowley was very successful there. His four-year record was 22-8-3, which included a 7-10 mark in his final season in 1932. He then took over as head coach at Fordham, then one of the football powerhouses of the country. Also as noted earlier, in ’36 and ’37 his line (they played both ways then so it was offensive and defensive) was so good it earned that nickname “The Seven Blocks of Granite” and included All-American Alex Wojciechowicz and future coaching legend Vince Lombardi. Crowley’s won-loss record there was even better than it was at Michigan State, 56-13-7, including a Sugar Bowl win over Missouri. During WWII, he joined the U.S. Navy and served in the South Pacific. While in the military service, he also was the
head coach of the North Carolina Pre-Flight team, one of the better service clubs during the war. There, his teams won eight of ten. Thus at the two universities and at the service team, Crowley’s overall mark was 86-23-10, which was an excellent winning achievement in any league, in any time. Crowley also served for a couple of years as the commissioner of the newly formed All American Football League in the mid-‘40s. He resigned in 1948 to become part owner of the Chicago Rockets in that league. It was his only losing venture, as the Rockets were dead last in the league with a 1-13 record. Crowley died in 1986 at age 83. After graduating, Stuhldreher joined a former teammate, Elmer Layden, on the roster of the newly formed Brooklyn Horsemen (how did they get that name?) in the AFL. After playing only six games in the ‘26 season, the team merged with the Brooklyn Lions of the NFL. He played pro ball for only one year. Then, as did Crowley, Stuhldreher went into coaching. After moonlighting with a few independent pro teams, he took the head coaching job at Villanova. There, he put together a fine 65-25-9 mark over 13 seasons. In 1936 he moved on to the University of Wisconsin, becoming its athletic director and head football coach. Like most HORSEMEN continued on page 20A
20A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014 HORSEMEN continued from page 19A
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Badger football coaches until Barry Alvarez came on the scene many years later, Stuhldreher rarely had top flight material to work with. His overall record at Wisconsin was only 45-62-6, but his win total was the second most up to that point for a Badger head football coach, and as noted, his ’42 team nearly won the National Championship. That 1942 squad did have some pretty fair players for Stuhldreher to work with: Elroy Hirsch, Dave Schreiner, Pat Harder and Mark Hoskins, each earned All-American recognition. But would you believe that because of WWII and other factors, all four would be gone for the ’43 season and the Badgers sank back to the depths, losing all but one game. That 1942 team and its third place in the national polls was not only the best up until then for the Badgers, it has been topped only by the ’62 team, which ended up ranked No. 2. Because Stuhldreher spoke and dressed more like a Wall Street banker than as a football coach, he was never a media or crowd favorite. Elroy Hirsch, who later became the UW Athletic Director, scoffed at that and once told me he felt Stuhldreher was the best Wisconsin coach of all time. In his later years Stuhldreher wrote two books, the second was on the life of his old coach, Knute Rockne, at Notre Dame. It was later used to create the popular movie, Knute Rockne, All-American. Stuhldreher was only 63 when he died in 1965. Elmer Layden, the fullback for The Four Horsemen, played in the NFL in ’25, and ’26 with the Hartford Blues, the Rock Island Independents and the previously noted Brooklyn Horsemen. He also went into college coaching, first for Loras College in his home town of Dubuque, Iowa, and then for his Alma Mater, Notre Dame. He was also the ND Athletic Director. In his seven years there, from ’34 through ’40, none of his teams won
national championships, but they were always ranked highly. He lost as many as three games in a season only once, and finished with a 4713-3 record there. His teams were always noted for their defense and gave up an average of only 6.5 points a game. From 1941 through 1946, he served as the Commissioner of the National Football League. He was the first of the Horsemen to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. Layden died of pneumonia in 1973 at age 70. Don Miller, the fourth Horseman, was the only legacy of the group. His four brothers all played at Notre Dame before him, the best known of whom was Red Miller, captain of the 1909 team. Irish head coach Knute Rockne called Miller “the greatest open field runner I ever had.” Like the others, Miller’s career in professional football was quite brief. He played only the 1925 season with the then independent Hartford Blues, along with Layden. Also as did the other three, Miller went into coaching, serving as a backfield coach at Georgia Tech for four years, then for four more in the same capacity at Ohio State. He then opted to go back to school for his law degree. He worked in that field in Cleveland until his retirement in the late ‘60s. He died at age 77 in 1979. There’s an axiom, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” I can’t think of any place where it applies more than to The Four Horsemen. As individual football players, all obviously were very good. But none of them, I think, would have attained All American honors or been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame had they been playing away from the other three and on other teams. It was Knute Rockne and his coaching genius that put them together in the same backfield. The rest is history.
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Millions of Americans provide unpaid assistance each year to elderly family, friends, and neighbors to help them remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Sometimes these caregivers need time off to relax or take care of other responsibilities. This is
where respite care can be helpful. It provides the family caregivers with the break they need, and also ensures that their elderly loved one is still receiving the attention that he or she needs. Respite care is not all the same. Respite can vary in time from part
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
of a day to several weeks. Respite encompasses a wide variety of services including traditional homebased care, as well as adult day care, skilled nursing, home health, and short term institutional care. More specifically, respite care may take any one of the following forms:
• 21A
• Adult Day Care • Informal and Volunteer Respite Care: This is as simple as it sounds. It is accepting help from other family members, friends, neighbors, or church volunteers who offer to stay with the elderly individual while you go to the store.
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22A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
EDITORIALS KILLING TIME continued from page 4A
tween having a job and a career. e e e e What we need following the recent elections is a positive attitude about the direction of the state. ONEY SENSE e e e e aren Ellenbecker ulie Ellenbecker Do you recall when you played -Lipsky a game of 20 Questions? Could you answer 20 questions today regarding your own lifestyle? e e e e PRON RINGS Those of us who are on Social Aunt Emma Security will receive a 1.7 percent Answer Man increase in 2015. This is $1.70 for each $100 you receive, or put another way, it will buy about a half tank of gasoline. e e e e The movie “God Is Not Dead” was shown recently at Shorehaven Enrichment Center. Thank the good Lord that it was rated as PG13.
continued. . . . . . e e e e Do you remember the date (month, day, year) of the first date with your wife? If not, do you recall which drive-in movie you took her to that night? e e e e We look to the future, not the past. I guess that’s why so many of us would fail as politicians. e e e e If you lead a good life, people not only will tell your family how wonderful you were after you’re gone, but while alive and well, or at least alive. You can look back on your life and be pleased with what your mind sees. e e e e Open minds certainly are not as dangerous as closed ones. e e e e There will be new feet on the floor when 2015 arrives as Old Man 2014 wears out his welcome. But why must the old year fading
TRAVEL
SENIOR
KES ME
CRABBY
AN WHITE WRITES
HT of
ght
into oblivion always be in the image of an old male? e e e e Do you recall the wintery days when old Jack Frost made designs on your windows? Modern technology sent Jack to an early grave. e e e e Tell me, what are horn-rimmed eyeglasses? Also, have you really ever seen a book worm? Or seen a sock hop? And what about that poor old maid in the card game? A couple of old maid aunts didn’t think much of that card game. e e e e Christmas comes and very soon it will be time again to begin another chapter of life. What will we call it? I know, 2015. e e e e A couple brothers in Detroit have a novel idea. People peddling on stationary bicycles in their brewery will be able to peddle up enough energy to create beer. Will
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IME with Jim McLoone
the speedier peddlers create a more frothy brew? We suspect there will be some aid in brewing from wind, solar and the local power company. e e e e Fr. Chuck Beierwaltes, CSSR already is heading back to an orphanage in Thailand from his U.S. roost in Oconomowoc. Fr. Chuck, no little drummer boy, enjoys assisting at St. Joan of Arc Parish, Nashotah, where he says Mass, counsels and is the drummer man. The good priest, a gentle and genial man, keeps thoughts by anyone of napping during services from being just that. His smile, kind words and rat-a-tat-tat on the drums also make us realize that growing old and still being somewhat healthy is a privilege not everyone gets.
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
• 23A
WSYA....The 50plus or Better Expo By Margaret Pearson Conducted for the first time at the spacious Wilson Park Senior Center on Howard Avenue in
Milwaukee, the 50 Plus or Better Expo was again a great success. Nearly 50 exhibitors were there, including primary sponsors, 50
Plus News Magazine, Humana and the VMP Manor Park. And as always, admission was free and the edible goodies were greatly
The Cream City Crooners barbershop quartette singers who were a popular addition to the event’s entertainers; Frank Schultz of Milwaukee, Don Doss of Greenfield, Tom Morgan of Brookfield and Dale Oistad of New Berlin.
Sandy Miller, of New Berlin, Jean Rehse of St. Francis, Pam Lukitsch of Cudahy and Faye Wilinski of Muskego.
Floira and Ron Wrycza of Milwaukee.
Marion Carntz of Wauwatosa and Audry Emer of Greenfield.
Mary Anne Hitzke and Nancy Hensel, both of Milwaukee.
Helen and Ron Groshek of Milwaukee, talking to Sister Simon Grosicka of the Dominican Order.
enjoyed. A few of the happy faces there were—
David Flak of Greenfield and Norma Latzke of Oconomowoc.
Linda Pullen-Algee and her sister, B.K. Pullen-Algee, both of Milwaukee.
24A • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014
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December 2014 | SECTION B
This is just one of
EDITORIALS 20 statues placed throughout the community.
E CAPITOL OMMENT
att Pommer
TRAVEL
MONEY SENSE By Karen Ellenbecker & Julie Ellenbecker -Lipsky
NG IN THE DIRECTION
e Nemovitz
APRON STRINGS
Emma
By Aunt Emma
SENIOR Answer Man
IT MAKES ME
AGING SSUES
om Frazier
ANTING ORROW’S MS TODAY rad Olson
HERMAN WHITE WRITES ARTS
PORTS
ck Pearson
CRABBY
the WRIGHT SIDE of By Enis Wright
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F
or 99.9 percent of us, Christmas comes but once a year. But for residents of Santa Claus, Indiana, thoughts of Santa Claus and what the legendary old gentleman brings are a daily occurrence. Yes, they have been since 1856. The time was December. Winter already was chilling with its cold winds and blowing its snows in southern Indiana that year as the shivering people in the community had assembled in a small country church (or so we are told) to select a name different from their then favorite, Santa Fe, as postal authorities said there already was a village by that name and these poor souls could
Santa Claus, Yes, there’s free admission to the castle.
INDIANA
not have it as their Indiana postmark. Supposedly, and we write this with a questioning smile on our faces, the 50 to 60 people assembled were arguing about a name when the gust of chilling wind blew open the door of the church and seemed to huff out “Santa Claus.” Yes, those assembled immediately grabbed onto that name and the community of Santa Claus, Indiana was officially proclaimed. But it was not until the mid-1960s that it was incorporated. From 50 to 60 people then, Santa Claus has grown to be a community today of about, 2,500 people where Santa’s elves disguising
as post office employees officially stamp each Christmas season over 400,000 envelopes. Just stop to think how tedious that must have been before the coming of automatic postal equipment? This means that the Santa Claus, Indiana post office does well over $200,000 worth of mail sending every Christmas season. The postal people do it with a smile, too, as you know Santa Claus may be watching out and they certainly want to be good and do the job as efficiently as they’re supposed to as Santa’s all-year-around helpers. Just try to imagine the smiles on children’s faces when they receive letters from Santa Claus?
But allow us to give you a bit more information about this southern Indiana community that is located between Louisville, KY and Evansville, IN., and which for the interest of golfers in a much warmer season reportedly has the seventh most challenging golf course in Indiana. If you play it and don’t agree, contact the chamber of commerce for a refund, not us. The holiday theme rather caught on with the local folks and, at present, there are perhaps 10 to 12 businesses/attractions that are Santa Claus oriented. All of the community’s streets also follow the holiday theme via their names. SANTA continued on page 2B
2B • 50PLUS • DECEMBER 2014 SANTA continued from page 1B
There also are 20 statues of Santa Claus within the community, making these great opportunities for photo taking. Traditional Christmas events will be held during the three weeks leading up to Christmas. Of course, all the kiddies get a chance to visit with Santa Claus. Picture ops are plentiful. The people are very pleasant and sort of laid back, according to the manner in which we Milwaukee area people race from place to place and hurry here and there to snatch up the bargains. There is a museum that certainly is worthy of a visit and, quite naturally, there’s a free of charge Santa’s Candy Castle. In summer, you might like the world’s highest wooden roller coaster ride or the longest water coaster at the Holiday World and Safari. Will Santa Claus be there? You may not recognize him in his swimming trunks and
behind his sun glasses. While summer may seem like a time for more realistic fun in this Spencer County community in Southwestern, Indiana, we can tell you that if you wish more information about places to stay (there are more than a few) while you’re there, you can write to the Spencer County Visitors’ Bureau at P.O. Box 2468, Santa Claus 47579 or give the people there a call at 888-4449252. If Santa doesn’t answer with a ho, ho, ho or if all his elves are busy, perhaps Mother Claus can take time from making popcorn balls to answer your questions. You can be almost certain that she’s much too busy at this time of year to be just standing under the mistletoe. What will the Christmas cookies be this 2014 Christmas? Johnny and Jill ate so many of the chocolate rocks last year that there were hardly enough to send to the various houses for
treating Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. If you hear sleigh bells, even out of season, you’ll know you have arrived at Santa Claus, Indiana. Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus in the crib have staked out 365-days-a-year there. And the wise men; they’re probably both wise men and women now. In Santa Claus, you can hear of events of long ago, or hear of how many tourists visited this quaintly attractive community just yesterday. Recall that they don’t sing of Santa Claus coming to town. But you just could be singing of this friendly community after a visit. By the way, if you would like your Christmas mail hand canceled with “Santa Claus,” just mail 50 or fewer already stamped letters (envelopes) to: Postmaster, Santa Claus Station, Santa Claus Indiana 47579. Your letters will be hand canceled.
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According to the great and grand old seer, Wonderful Christmas just arrives once a year. But if you look to the ever prancing deer, Your view might become much more clear. There’s a certain aura concerning the day. This arrives through religion; it’s Jesus way. Delights of Christmas know no bounds. Be so nice this day as to treat the hounds Giving and getting is an ordinary daily thing. Gentle ways provide to life a certain zing.
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But before we go further, all December is nice. For jolly times, there’s no roll of the dice. Buy nice gifts, as much as you can afford. Give things not to be only stored in cupboard. For holiday parties, don your best bib and tucker. As you stand under mistletoe, your lips do pucker. When you think of a friend, give him or her a call. Too often, shopping can be frustrating at the mall. With shopping completed, why not stop for a treat? Lock the car; don’t leave gifts visible on the seat. Attend your grandchildren’s school holiday play. Seeing you there will put sunshine in their day. Afterwards, pretend you like the cookies and punch. Servers don’t need to know that you just had lunch. On the 25th, of course you’ll carve the turkey. All smile, even kids who’d rather have beef jerky. All becomes quiet again on Christmas night. It is best to forget Les and Bess’ verbal fight. As to who would get the last of cranberry sauce. Cocktails made both feel like being the boss. Friends and family now are gone. We sit alone. We think of the 26th, for breakfast, there’s a scone. Almost too soon, we’ll prepare for New Year’s Eve. Really great and fun times we must somehow weave. When 2015 arrives, to 2014 it will be a ho, ho heave. Look hard this night for ways your friends to praise. Pray that ahead for no one, there’s a sad malaise.
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HERMAN WHITE WRITES ARTS
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Ongoing through December 28 Milwaukee Holiday Lights Cathedral Square Park, Pere Marquette Park and Zeidler Union By Enis Wright Square, downtown Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeedowntown.com for more listings of events.
the WRIGHT SIDE of
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Ongoing through December 7 The Lion King Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Ongoing through December 12 Milwaukee/Nari Office Serving as Salvation Army Toy Shop Collection Location 11815 W. Dearbourn Ave. 2nd flr,
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Ongoing through January 4 Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Show Mitchell Park Domes, 524 Layton Blvd, Milwaukee Jim McLoone For information, call 414-2575611 or visit www.milwaukeedomes.org/admissions.asp. December 2 – 24 “A Christmas Carol” Milwaukee Repertory Theater, 108 E. Wells St., Milwaukee A favorite play that warms the heart and keeps us in the Christmas Spirit! Visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com or call 414-224-9490 for tickets.
DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
December 4 Surviving the Holidays Cedar Valley, 5349 County Road D, West Bend Join Judy Koeppl, grief therapist, for this free program (7-8:30 p.m.) for anyone who has lost loved ones, for support, encouragement and advice to help you and your family through this holiday season. To register, call 262-629-9202 or email cvcinfo@cedarcommunity.org. December 5 Kids2Kids Christmas VMP Manor Park 3023 S. 84th St, West Allis Drop off new, unwrapped toys, enjoy the indoor and outdoor activities and entertainment from noon – 7 p.m. Also, drop off at VMP Trinity, 7500 W. Dean Rd., Milwaukee. Kids2Kids Hotline 414-607-4110.
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• 7B
December 5 & 6 Mistletoe Market Art & Craft Fair Waukesha County Exposition Center, 1000 Northview Rd., Waukesha Friday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission $3. Free parking. For details, visit www.craftproductionsinc.com or call 815-878-2728. December 6 Breakfast with the Reindeer Downtown Delafield Clock Tower Square Visit Santa, Elves and the Reindeer, enjoy the sounds of caroling, bring a non perishable food item to help feed local families, free event, from 9 a.m. – noon! December 6 West Allis Christmas Parade Parade begins at 4:45 p.m., 81st St., Greenfield Ave, then proceeds east to the Farmers’ Market on
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65th and National Ave. Marching bands, mascots, cartoon, storybook characters, elves, floats and Santa.
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December 7 The CP Holiday Train Visits Milwaukee around 6:50 p.m. at 433McLoone West St. Paul Ave., Amtrak Jim Depot, with a show starting at 7:15 p.m. It will be in front of Hartland, parking lot adjacent to Cottonwood Ave. and Pawling Ave., arrives around 8:45 with show also. Bring a donation for your local food bank, either a non-perDecember 6 – 7 ishable food item or a cash donaChristmas at the Inn tion, all contributions stay in your Dousman Stagecoach Inn Musecommunity. The concert is free! um, 1075 Pilgrim Parkway, Brook- Visit cpr.ca/en/community/holifield day-train for other stops! Tour rooms decorated for a traditional Christmas, have the grand- December 5-6, 12-13 children make holiday crafts, bid and 19-20 MillerCoors Holiday Lites Miller Valley, 4251 W. State St., Milwaukee. The show runs every 20 minutes Title 19 & from 4:40 – 9 p.m. visit www.thePre-Arrangements millerbrewerytour.com for details. Simple Cremation $595.00 (Excluding Cremation Permit & Fee) December 10 Traditional Funerals 1, 395.00 Festival City Symphony’s “Holiat your Church or Cemetery Chapel of your choice day Storytime” Call for more details Bradley Pavilion, Marcus Center 414.453.1562 for the Performing Arts, 123 E. SERVING ALL OF WISCONSIN State St. By Enis Wright
December 6 Milwaukee County Zoo Free Day with 10001 W. Bluemound Rd. Sponsored by North Shore Bank, visitors receive free admission, but the parking fee remains in effect. Visit milwaukeezoo.org for more information or call 414-771-3040.
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Enjoy this free event; 7 p.m., which is part of the Pajama Jamboree, welcoming children and their parents or grandparents to attend in casual dress or pajamas. Those who wish may bring a nonperishable food donation for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force. For details, visit festivalcitysymphony. org or call 414-365-8861. December 18-21 “It’s A Wonderful Life” Vogel Hall, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. Enjoy this radio version of this popular movie at the Wilson The-
ater in Vogel Hall. Tickets available on line at MarcusCenter.org or 414-273-7206.
HERITAGE LAKE
• 9B
THE REGENCY
December 21 Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year. December 25 From all of us at 50 Plus News Magazine-have a safe and Happy Holiday Season! December 31 Have a safe end of year and enjoy the New Year!
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Aunt Emma has several tales to relate Here we are together again as we sort of wrap up the entire year 2014 and bundle it in wrappings of joy. It is time to place my apron on and begin to make what I refer to as Snow Angel cookies; they’re really a white sugar cookie that, once baked, I place in a sack and shake powdered sugar on. Henry claims they’re about the best cookies he’s ever tasted. He excepts, of course, those old-time Aunt Sally cookies. Was it the Watkins salesman or the Raleigh door-to-door sales lady who sold our folks those wonderful spices that our moms blended into baked goodies in that bygone era? I don’t think it was the Fuller Brush couple, who pushed their cart through our neighborhoods for many years. Who knows the answer to that? As my daddy said more times than I like to remember, “Only the Shadow knows and he is a very quiet fellow, who just sneaks up mostly from behind and listens in on conversations and such.” Daddy, God rest his weary soul, was a fooler. He sent the little kids to the store more than once for left-handed wrenches. I was surprised when he thought we’d fall for asking the lady in the general store for that special type of traffic jam. He once even got about a doz-
en fly swatters and gave the neighborhood kids each one for what he referred to as a “Snipe Hunt” in the nearby swamp that night. Well, I will tell you that when my mom heard about that plan, she paroled daddy to the peanut gallery rocking chair for that evening. How I got onto my dear departed daddy I am not sure. But I will tell you that after he quit smoking cigarettes about 20 years before the habit killed him, daddy would buy the candy types of marshmallow cigars and keep one in his mouth most of the work day. Mom always told him, “You’re going to die of diabetes, if not lung cancer. He claimed that he started smoking out behind the barn secretly when the Old Gold (brand name) cigarettes were 17 cents a package of 20 and he did, for a fact, give up the habit when the sale price was 35 cents. Daddy never was very aggressive. He never even seized an opportunity. For him to do something different than his daily plan of attack, it had to almost fall into his lap. He was kind of funny sometimes. The time his funniness really hurt mom though was when he kept talking just before Christmas about Paris and things of it and in it. Mom knew he didn’t have money for a EMMA continued on page 11B
• 11B he had better bring in some more of those dried logs for the fireplace. I brought one in yesterday and I guess that it was not cured (as Henry calls it) as it just seemed to kind of slowly cough up smoke even with the damper open the full way. I also tried to used that old contraption my dad had to roll our newspaper recycle stock into paper logs. We did that before we moved into the city. They were mighty warm, but just didn’t last long even when very tightly rolled. It seems I have been all over the place today with my writing. But before I do quit, I want to tell you that the Medicare cost per month for most of you may be higher. Ugh! DECEMBER 2014 • 50PLUS
EMMA continued from page 10B
trip for the two of them there. But when Christmas did come, I guess she had expected a bit more than a small bottle of Evening in Paris perfume. She sure did smell good for about three or four months. I do apologize. I kind of got started on daddy and my mind’s train was just like my bicycle. I couldn’t peddle backwards. He passed on to his rewards – we sure do hope they were great – seven years ago this week. I think mom placed too many hot mustard plasters on his chest. The burning sensation did not help his lung prob-
lems. The hot plasters did keep the barn cats from wanting to cuddle up to him at night. That Ebola business certainly is frightening. Henry says that even though we believe it has passed us by, that we just can’t be too careful as far as our contacts with each other. Henry says that he cannot wear gloves while working at his machine at the factory, but that he peels away mighty quickly when any of the other fellows brings a holiday treat or something to share from hand to hand or hand to mouth. He’s always been a washer before sup-
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per. But now he takes a shower. It takes up some otherwise cocktail time. I kind of like it as this means Henry perhaps will only have Old Fitzgerald over to his place at the table for one drink before we eat. Henry claims that Old Fitz is one Irisher who can put a smile on the face of a curmudgeon. He says he drinks Old Fitz as it has good taste, a certain “kick” and is less expensive than Jack Daniels. Henry’s pa always claimed “My buddy, Jack, is sort of a quiet psychologist. He creates contentment in my soul.” Well, that’s certainly enough about that topic. I am going to tell Henry when he arrives home this afternoon that
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