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VOL. 33 NO. 4

Phase Two of Your Life

A Mature News Magazine for Southeastern Wisconsin

HEINZ ROEMHELD; Few recall him or his many achievements

BY JACK PEARSON

What follows is a story about a talented music composer from years ago. His name was Heinz Roemheld. He was born and raised in Milwaukee, and later worked for the motion picture industry in Hollywood for many years and, in fact, was once a recipient of an Academy Award for his efforts. It is also an account of the mysterious intricacies of our memory cells, how they work and sometimes don’t.

Many years ago after my graduation from the School of Journalism at the UW in Madison, I was preparing to go out into the world in search of a career. A couple fellow grads, both from southern California, suggested I accompany them back to that glamorous area to do so.

April 2019

INSIDE....

50 PLUS Fest & Retirement Show

April 25th at the Marcus Majestic Theaters See Page 7

How about living to 100 See Page 16 Sports with Jack Pearson

See Page 18

ROEMHELD continued on page 15

All About Budgets and Priorities During his campaign for Governor Tony Evers consistently said that his priorities were Education, Healthcare, and Transportation. He recently introduced his first state budget, so let’s see if his budget reflects his priorities; did he put the money where his mouth was?

EDUCATION

The Governor’s budget would provide an additional $1.4 billion for K-12 schools, change the funding formula and return to the commitment of the state to provide two-thirds of public school funding. His budget includes $606 million in new funding for special needs students, and would stop the growth of the state’s private voucher and independent charter school programs.

The UW System would receive an increase of $150 million, including

AGING ISSUES

By Tom Frazier funding to continue a tuition freeze, a pay raise for UW employees, a provision to allow “Dreamers” to pay instate tuition, and a study to determine the feasibility of creating a student loan refinancing authority.

HEALTHCARE

True to his word, Governor Evers’s budget proposes accepting Medicaid expansion under the federal Affordable Care Act which would provide access to healthcare for over 80,000 addi-

tional low-income families and reduce state healthcare costs by $320,000,000 over the biennium.

In other health related matters, his budget includes provisions to: • Create Rx drug importation program • Legalize medical marijuana • Repeal certain “lame duck” legislation that would limit the authority of the executive branch to submit federal waivers (e.g. the Family Care waiver is due for renewal at the end of 2019), and to submit Medicaid State Plan Amendments • Provide $14.7 million in each year of the budget to Family Care Managed Care Organizations to increase funding for the direct caregiver workforce • Provide $8.6 million and $17.7 million in the first and second year of the budget to allow a nursing home

rate increase.

• Provide $3.3 million and $14.4 million for a 1.5% rate increase for direct care staff under the personal care program.

• Provide additional funding to eliminate waiting lists for the Children’s Long-Term Support program.

• Provide $5.78 million over the biennium to expand the Dementia Care Specialists (DCS) program statewide.

This would add 27 DCS positions in the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and three new tribal DCSs. • Provide $38.8 million over the biennium to increase rates for dental providers to increase access to dental services under the Medicaid program.

• Provide $250,000 in each year of the budget for healthy aging programs FRAZIER continued on page 3

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APRIL 2019

Most women unaware of higher risk for vision loss

by Cheryl L. Dejewski April is Women’s Eye Health Month

Despite the fact that women are up to 66 percent more likely than men to incur blindness from cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration (AMD), a 2014 Harris Poll found that a whopping 91 percent of U.S. women were unaware that they are at greater risk for even developing these conditions.

“Women face these odds because they tend to live longer and have a biological pre-disposition (perhaps immunological or hormonal) to certain eye concerns,” says Mark Freedman, MD, senior partner at Eye Care Specialists, a leading ophthalmology practice.

AMD & Central Vision Loss Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision impairment in Americans over age 50.

Although the exact cause is unknown, AMD affects more women than men—leading to a loss of central or straight-ahead vision that impacts the ability to drive, read, see faces, etc.

“If significant ‘dry-type’ AMD is diagnosed (the more common but less severe form), we usually recommend vitamin supplements, sun protection,

WARNING SIGNS According to Daniel Ferguson, MD, an ophthalmologist who treats thousands of patients each year, “Poor vision or changes to your sight should not be dismissed. Have regular eye exams every two years to check for hidden issues and schedule right away if you notice concerns.” These include: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Foggy, fuzzy or blurred vision Sensitivity to light and glare “Starbursts” around lights Holding items closer to view Needing brighter light to read Fading or yellowing of colors Difficulty judging stairs or curbs Difficulty seeing to drive at night Vision affects ability to do tasks Vertical lines appear wavy Dark or blind spots in vision Glasses and prescription changes don’t improve your vision

Cataracts — Loss of Clear Vision

Glaucoma — Loss of Side Vision

and not smoking, to prevent or slow progression. If ‘wet’ AMD is diagnosed (less common but much more severe), we review the risks, benefits and candidacy for injections of special medi-cations (Avastin, Eylea and Lucentis), which inhibit the growth of the abnormal blood vessels that cause wet AMD,” explains Michael Raciti, MD, who performs injection treatment for AMD and diabetes on a daily basis.

“We see remarkable results with these injections, including stopping the progression of wet AMD in 90 percent of patients, and having up to 30 percent gain improvement in vision.”

Decreased Vision

Decreased vision in women is linked to an increased risk of falling, which leads to more serious concerns, including hip fractures, the need for

canes, walkers and/or nursing home care, and complication-related death.

“Decreased vision also increases the risk of car accidents and can have a devastating effect on quality of life in terms of limiting daily tasks, independence, social interaction, and overall health,” says Brett Rhode, MD, private practitioner and Head of Ophthalmology at a Milwaukee area hospital.

“Poor vision, however, is not a fact of life as you grow older. If your sight is getting worse, you need to schedule a comprehensive, dilated eye exam to rule out causes,” advises Daniel Paskowitz, MD, PhD, an eye surgeon with credentials from Harvard and Johns Hopkins. “Upon examination, we often find that cataracts (age-related clouding of the natural lens inside the eye) are the cause of the problem and,

AMD — Loss of Central Vision

in most cases, a 15-30 minute outpatient surgery procedure to remove and replace the cataract with a customized lens implant is a relatively easy and painless solution.” Optometrist David Scheidt, OD, adds, “Early detection and removal can prevent needless pain, suffering and cost. I can’t tell you how many cataract patients say that they wish they had done it sooner.”

Education = Sight Protection Call 414-321-7035 for FREE booklets on AMD, glaucoma, diabetes or cataracts. If you don’t have an eye care specialist, you can call the offices below to schedule a comprehensive exam, which is typically covered by insurance.

See the best you can see, when you see Wisconsin’s leaders in ophthalmology.

T EYE

CARE SPECIALISTS

Are you putting your vision at risk?

Most people aren’t motivated to make an eye appointment unless they notice a problem—and often not even then.

However, many sight-threatening conditions have no warning signs. We can help. If you know the risks, symptoms, tests and treatment options for common eye concerns, you’re more likely to take action. Call 414-321-7035 for detailed free booklets on cataracts, glaucoma, AMD, and diabetes. Read. Educate yourself.

And, take action. If your last eye exam was more than a year ago, call today to protect your vision for tomorrow.

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Wauwatosa

Milwaukee

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2323 N. Mayfair Rd.

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Practice profile & common eye concerns information

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What do we do about Russia?

Russia keeps inserting itself into the world’s conflicts, exerting outsized influence in the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere. How much of a threat does it pose to the United States? And what should we do about it? These questions are at the top of our foreign policy agenda.

Russia is not our friend. It sees the world order as dominated by the U.S. It wants to reshape the world in ways that are not compatible with American views and interests. It challenges our power and influence in several regions of the world.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Its support of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine has ramped up tension in the region. From the Mueller investigation, we know that Russia meddled in our elections in 2016, pulling off the most effective foreign election interference in our history.

Russia is not a major power. Its military power is modest, and Russia’s per-capita GDP is about one-fifth of America’s. Its economy is the world’s 12th largest. It doesn’t have the economic and military might to compete with the United States.

It also has an aging population, many intractable domestic problems, FRAZIER continued from page 1

TRANSPORTATION

The Governor recommends increasing revenues for transportation through certain taxes and fees including: • An eight cent increase in the gas tax will increase transportation revenues by $485 million over the biennium • Returning to the practice of indexing the gas tax to the consumer price index on April 1, 2020 will add $41.6 million over the biennium • Increasing registration fees for heavy trucks will add $36.3 million • Increasing vehicle registration fees by $10 will add $35.7 million to the transportation fund.

• Increasing fees for hybrid vehicles will add $7.9 million to the fund.

The Governor recommends providing $1.8 billion in total funding over the biennium for the state highway rehabilitation program, $558.2 million in total funding for the major highway

ON

CONGRESS

By Lee Hamilton and an economy, heavily dependent on energy prices, growing only slowly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has played his hand adroitly. He holds some strong cards. Russia is one of two major nuclear weapon states, has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and impressive human talent, with strong research and development capabilities.

Putin has stepped into power vacuums around the world, choosing his partners strategically. In Syria, he aligned himself with the brutal leader Bashar al-Assad and ended up on the winning side. He has worked opportunistically to split the U.S. from our allies in Europe. He wants to use his power to extend and strengthen Russia’s role in the world, weaken democratic institutions, and diminish U.S. and Western development program, and $331.9 million in total funding for the southeast megaprojects program.

The Governor recommends the following increases in Transportation Aids: • A 20% increase in Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Transportation Aids or a $3 million increase in each year of the budget • A 10% increase in Tribal Elderly Transportation Grants • A 10% increase in Paratransit Aids • A 10% increase in General Transportation Aids which would provide total funding beginning in Calendar Year 2020 to $122.2 million for counties and $383.5 million for municipalities • A 10% increase in General Transit Aids

OTHER BUDGET PROPOSALS

• The Governor’s budget directs the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau to redraw legislative and congressional redistricting maps. This pro-

APRIL 2019

• 50PLUS • 3

dominance over the international order.

President Donald Trump’s stance toward Russia is puzzling. He has little interest in Russia’s brutally repressive human rights record. He has praised Putin and seems to take pride in their warm personal relationship. While his administration has generally taken a tough stance, the president has at times disputed the assessments of his own intelligence professionals. He has moved to give Putin what he most wants, relief from sanctions.

Trump denies that he or his presidential campaign colluded with Russia, but evidence of that is growing as the story unfolds. That the American president has to make such a denial is, in itself, quite extraordinary.

The U.S. relationship with Russia is certainly at an inflection point. Russia sees America as a rising threat to its aspirations.

What does this mean for U.S. policy? We start by strengthening our own society, politically, economically and militarily. We need to reduce the vulnerability of our voting machinery and prevent Russia from influencing our elections. We energetically support American leadership to help make a

better world. We cannot resolve every conflict or right every wrong. But we should be the champions of an international order that seeks liberty and justice for all and a more secure, inclusive and generous planet.

Without exaggerating the threat, Russia’s moves against our vital interests must be confronted and managed.

Abroad, we have to deploy troops where needed and deploy missiles in Europe to protect our allies. We should provide lethal arms to Ukraine, tighten sanctions when Russia steps out of line, and speak out robustly about Russia’s human rights violations.

At the same time, we must search for ways to engage and cooperate with Russia whenever it is possible and in our interest: on tightening sanctions against North Korea, avoiding a new arms race and, possibly, managing the conflict in Syria.

Despite our differences — if we don’t talk to Russia, a bad relationship will get worse.

Lee Hamilton is a senior adviser for the Indiana University Center on Representative Government. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

posal is based on the so-called “Iowa Model” and would end the practice of Gerrymandering that makes most legislative races safe for incumbents.

• The Governor recommends that the Election Commission work with the Department of Transportation to facilitate automatic voter registration and implement the initial registration of all eligible voters as soon as practicable.

• The Governor proposes expanding the Homestead Tax Credit program by tying it to inflation and increasing household income eligibility to $30,000 per year beginning in 2020.

It seems pretty clear that the Governor’s priorities are Education, Healthcare, and Transportation and that his budget confirms that. These are huge issues that, in my opinion, have been ignored for many years. Wisconsin has the opportunity to provide adequate funding for schools and to secure quality education for our children. We can extend access to healthcare to over 80,000 low income families while sav-

ing $320 million in state tax revenues that can be used for related healthcare issues such as Dementia Care Specialists and Healthy Aging Grants. We can have a balanced transportation system that maintains our roads and bridges and improves public transit while reducing the amount of borrowing to do it. And having fair redistricting maps and expanded voting rights are linchpins for our democracy.

The majority of parties in the Assembly and Senate are saying that they will ignore the Governor’s budget and work to amend Wisconsin’s existing state budget. They can do this but keep in mind that Wisconsin’s Governor has a strong line-item veto authority and can even veto the entire budget. So at some point the Governor and the Legislature will have to negotiate their differences.

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APRIL 2019

EDITORIALS

Sports betting

Dear Editor,

Sports’ betting now is legal in eight states: Arkansas, Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania,

Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

Which state will be next to legalize sports betting?

Would you believe that over 72,000 people now are over 100 years of age? To live to be 100, these people are somewhat different from most of the oldest of old people. They do more than rock in their chairs, watch Blue Bloods and pet their cat or dog. These 100-year-olds not only are well physically, but they are well adjusted psychologically, socially and spiritually.

There’s definitely something to be said for being a centenarian.

To be a centenarian, you don’t have to dwell on the fact that you have good genes. Gerontologists claim that

a person’s genes may account for about 30 percent of long life.

There are many older people living with ailments like arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. But they aren’t whiling their days away in seclusion in retirement homes. They’re active.

They make efforts to keep abreast of what’s going on.

We hope to celebrate your 100th birthday. So, stay active so we can do it. Know the who, the what, and the why of life. Then get up and kick up your heels.

When Easter Sunday finally gets here this month, there will be multitudes at church services. Many of these same people went at Christmas, too.

While I do believe this church attendance is wonderful, I become irritated when I must get to

services at least half an hour early in order to find a seat in the big room.

If these twice-a-year attendees would bring their wallets along and come more often, we could afford a larger worship area.

Living to over 100

It Makes Me

SENIOR ANSWER MAN

DEAR SAM:

I am a bit dismayed at the manner in which our daughter-in-law treats our son. She seems to think that he is not capable of doing much around the house. She says, it’s easier to do things herself because she doesn’t have time to explain to our son how she wants it done. Should I say something to her about this?

QUESTIONING MY JUDGMENT, JEANNE (LAST NAME WITHHELD)

CRABBY

DEAR JEANNE: With tongue in

cheek, I might tell you that your son has done a fine job training his wife. When I was married (God rest my poor wife’s soul) on our first anniversary, I bought her a very expensive set of fine china dishware. I appreciated the fact that she took such great care of those dishes. She would never allow me to wash or dry them, as I am kind of a klutz. In regard to some other household activities, I wasn’t so fortunate. No. I would not try to change her ways.

Sincerely,

SINCERELY, SAM

Tom Fraizer stated in the article that Medicaid Expansion is smart, compassionate and fiscally responsible. While it is true that the first year the federal government (still our tax dollars) would pick up the bill the state would be on the hook for 10% (or more if the feds cut reimbursement) for the next couple of years and then possibly greater because once you let people into the program you can’t take them off. Why should we do it? Currently Wisconsin is the only non-Medicaid-expansion state that does not have a coverage gap. (Source: https:// www.healthinsurance.org/wiscon-

sin-medicaid/) According to Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy (CROWE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin would cost taxpayers $600 million every year and drive up prices in the private sector as well. A family of four with private insurance, for example, can expect to see an increase in cost of as much as $700 per year. So how is that smart or fiscally responsible?

Kevin Klandrud

I recently read that four out five people sometimes suffer from diarrhea. Does this mean that the fifth person enjoys it? uuuuuu Should naughty cowboys be deranged since bad clergy are defrocked and lawyers may be disbarred? uuuuuu Can you imagine spreading traffic jam on your toast? uuuuuu One of the priciest dwellings we know of lists for $55 million in Florida.

No, it isn’t Trump’s. uuuuuu Who was it that said mind is greater than matter? I guess it matters not. uuuuuu Perhaps it never will apply to you, but IRA owners donating part of their stash must be at least 70 and one-half years old. uuuuuu Federal programs like the proposed BernieCare in Vermont. Our guess is that at least 75 percent of voters would oppose such a federal program.

Compared to BernieCare, Obama Care is like spitting in the ocean. uuuuuu When Washington’s politicians say they won’t mince words on this or that, why do they wish to bring pie into the matter? uuuuuu Does it tell you something about the amount of profit in this or that product when they can offer you two

for the price of one? uuuuuu As waters warm and seas change, there’s much to think about. Will the California coastline become the mountain ranges to the east? We suspect that we need more than a renewal of faith.

We need some action.

Killing TIMEWITH JIM McLOONE

KILLING TIME continued on page 21

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What’s New for Phase Two of Your Life

OWNERS

TOM & MAUREEN SLATTERY

PUBLISHER

MAUREEN SLATTERY

EDITOR

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WRITER/PROOFREADER JILL GILBERT

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR SARAN PIEHL ART DIRECTOR/ PRODUCTION MANAGER NICOLE HESSE

OFFICE OPERATIONS MANAGER PEGGY DUFFY

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APRIL 2019

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Reverse mortgage…A retirement option for those over 62!

Did you know that 10,000 boomers are turning 62 every day! Think about that for a minute. This phenomenon poses tremendous implications to our economy, health care system and way of life in America. We are living longer, which poses the question, will we outlive our money? It is in the back and front of our aging minds because the goal for anyone approaching retirement is to remain independent and secure. Independence has many definitions and ramifications. To me, independence means being self-sufficient with a quality of life that allows all of us to enjoy life to its fullest. Staying connected, remaining involved and active and doing what makes us happy without the worry of making ends meet. With pensions disappearing and lack of enough savings, our homes are a source of funds that can be used in the right situations to utilize the equity we possess thanks to the recovered housing market. After all, you have deposited tens of thousands of dollars into your home. In the right circumstances it may make sense to use some of that equity.

MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

By Bruce Nemovitz Now I am in the business of selling homes focusing on folks over 55 years of age. I know that many of you do not want the burden of a mortgage after so many years of payments to achieve the freedom of a home paid off. Having a home free and clear of any encumbrances has been our goal since we entered the workforce. A reverse mortgage is not for everyone. But for some, it can be a way of utilizing your equity and to hold on your savings at the same time.

A reverse mortgage is also known as the home equity conversion mortgage (HECM). Unlike a typical mortgage, there are no monthly mortgage

payments to make. Borrowers are still responsible for paying taxes and insurance on their home and the property must be used as the primary residence for the life of the loan. The loan is available to those over 62 years of age who have built up substantial equity. If you are married, only one person needs to be over 62. With a reverse mortgage, payments are optional but if you don’t make the payments —as most people don’t— the balance grows over time as interest accrues on the loan and home equity may decline over time depending on what happens to the value of your home. Essentially, the mortgage works in the reverse direction of a forward mortgage, which is where the term “reverse” comes from. The loan becomes due once the borrower sells the home or the last person who signed on the mortgage passes away.

The loan can be paid off any time with no prepayment penalty. If the mortgage exceeds the value of the home, the borrower does not owe the difference. If the home sells for more than the value of the reverse mortgage, that equity belongs to the borrower or the

borrower’s estate. There are other qualifications and details, which can be answered by a licensed reverse mortgage lender.

Here is an interesting fact about reverse mortgages; you can purchase another home and utilize your old home’s equity for a 30%-70% down payment of your new residence sale price. Again, there will be no payments on the new reverse mortgage, which would allow you to keep significant savings in the bank without any payments other than property taxes and insurance. Many make the mistake of using all the equity to pay cash for the next home after selling and not leaving enough savings for retirement.

Remember, you can always pay off any mortgage any time without penalty in most cases.

As you age, more funds are available to you with a reverse mortgage.

At age 62 you can borrow about 37% of the equity of your home. At age 89, you can obtain about 74% of the equity. However, a reverse mortgage is not NEMOVITZ continued on page 17

ARE YOU UP TO SPEED ON THE SPRING REAL ESTATE MARKET? The real estate market has shifted since last year. We’ve endured a long winter which may have kept sellers from listing their homes. When the weather warms up we could see a very competitive market. Let us help you stand out from the competition.

We can help guide you with home improvements that are cost effective and will support a higher selling price. For more info visit us at www.SeniorRealtor.com, or call us at 262-242-6177 for a free consultation.

B R U C E ’ S T E A M : T R U S T. E X P E R I E N C E . I N T E G R I T Y. INTEGRIT Y CONTACT US FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION: 262-242-6177 www.SeniorRealtor.com | Bruce@BrucesTeam.com | Jeanne@BrucesTeam.com

6 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

Even small households can save big at warehouse clubs

BY MARY HUNT

It’s been a few years now since my husband and I began talking about relocating to another state. At first, it was only a dream, but soon idle chatter turned to serious talk. That developed into a list of must-haves -- things a new location would have to offer for us to even consider making the leap.

At the top of the list? Weather.

Having lived in Southern California for most of our lives, we knew it would be impossible to beat the weather we’d come to love and pretty much taken for granted. Finding the next best weather was at the top of our must-haves.

Second on the list: Costco. You think I’m kidding? They don’t call me the queen of Costco for nothing.

I believe that anyone -- a household of one or a big family -- can stretch their money by shopping at a discount warehouse club such as Costco. But only if you are willing to stick to a very strict list of rules, some of which may be unique to your particular situation.

SHOP WITH CASH

Having the complete contents of your checking account, overdraft protection plan and credit card limit available to you in the form of plastic or a checkbook could easily enable you to pop one of those big-screen TVs into your cart, quite on a whim. Go with cash only and you’ll avoid many temptations.

SHOP WITH A LIST

Decide what you need before you get there. If it’s not on the list, don’t buy it. If that 55-gallon drum of shampoo

turns out to be a true need that you simply forgot to put on the list, you can always return to buy it later.

JUSTIFY THE MEMBERSHIP FEE

At $50 to $60 a year just for the privilege of membership (depending on the club), realize that the net savings are much more than the fee.

DON’T OUTSHOP STORAGE SPACE AND ABILITY TO REASONABLY CONSUME

If anything will nullify your best intentions, this will be it. No matter how great the bargain or how terrific the deal, if you can’t reasonably use a 50-pound bag of flour or 25 pounds of onions before they spoil, that’s a bad deal. Never buy more than you are sure (not that you hope, think or feel) you can use without creating a false need.

CREATE AN APPEARANCE OF SCARCITY

Once you get home with cases of this and that -- even paper towels or toilet tissue -- you’d best find a place to stash your supply or it will disappear faster than Colorado snow on a bright sunny day. Remember this: out of sight, out of mind.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Costco is notorious for its prepared entrees that are made in store.

Ready to be baked or finished off at home, these meals can serve eight to 10 people. Even though mine is a small household of two, I buy these entrees routinely because they are fabulous, and I cannot make them myself for anywhere close to Costco’s price.

APRIL 2019

• 50PLUS • 7

We are excited to announce

50PLUS

The 28th Annual

Fest & Retirement Show

At the Beautiful Marcus Majestic Theaters 770 North Springdale Road, Waukesha

Thursday, April 25, 2019 • 9am to 1pm

Limited exhibits, seminars, entertainment, health screenings and movie (FREE movie tickets will be given away by 50 Plus!)

Sponsored By:

50PLUS magazine news

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APRIL 2019

What to do when a loved one dies

BY TOM MARGENAU

ATTENTION

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I worry that I sometimes neglect a significant cohort of my readers. I get so many emails from people for whom their Social Security checks are just the icing on their retirement cakes. For example, they tell me that they want to delay starting their benefits as long as possible because they have other investments or savings to keep them economically comfortable.

So frequently, the topics of my columns are pitched toward them discussing issues like “maximizing” their Social Security payout.

But then every once in a while I get emails from people on the opposite end of the economic spectrum.

These folks rely on their Social Security checks for most, if not all, of their livelihood. I got such an email recently from “Mary.”

Mary is 85 years old. Her husband, “Henry,” is 89. They have been married 61 years. Mary told me that Henry is in failing health, and she is very worried about what will happen to her financially when he dies. Specifically, she is concerned about what happens with their Social Security checks, whom she has to notify at the bank, how she obtains death certificates and what she has to do to claim widow’s benefits.

So to help Mary, and other people in her situation, I thought I would explain what happens when someone who was collecting Social Security benefits dies.

The first issue we will cover is what to do with the Social Security checks for the deceased. And to do so,

YES…

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I must start out making two points: First, Social Security checks are paid one month behind. For example, the check you get in February is the benefit payment for January.

Second, Social Security benefits have never been prorated. I’ve explained before how this lack of proration can help out when someone first starts getting Social Security.

For example, if you took benefits at age 66 and you turned 66 on June 28, you would get a check for the whole month of June even though you are only 66 for 3 days of the month. On the other hand, if your spouse dies on June 28, you would not be due the proceeds of that June Social Security check even though he or she was alive for 28 days of the month.

So, Mary, when Henry dies, the Social Security check received for that month has to be returned. For example, let’s say that he does pass away on June 28. That means the Social Security check he might get in July has to go back to the government.

You’ll notice I said the check he “might” get. I added that qualifier because there is a very good chance the check won’t even show up in your bank account. As you maybe have heard, there are all kinds of computer-matching operations that go on between various government agencies and banks. If the Treasury Department learns of your husband’s death in time, they won’t issue the benefit.

Or, if the check was issued, the bank will likely intercept the payment and return it to the government before it hits your checking account. In other words, you usually don’t have to worry about returning any Social Security checks. It’s almost always done for you.

There can be a little twist to this scenario. For example, let’s say that Henry dies on July 2. Because he was alive the whole month of June, that means you are due the money from that June check, which is paid sometime in July -- but after Henry died.

Once again, there is a very good chance that check won’t show up in your bank account because either the

APRIL 2019

Treasury Department won’t send it or it was issued and the bank sent it back.

The difference between this scenario and the first one I described is that you are due the proceeds of that check.

And it will eventually be reissued to you. More about that in a minute.

But first, a word to Mary about getting a death certificate. She worried about that. Death certificates are usually issued by city, county or state bureaus of vital statistics. Probably, you can get help with this from the funeral director who will be handling your husband’s remains. I’m sure he or she will arrange to get you copies of his death certificate. By the way, your local Social Security office may or may not need a copy of the death certificate. They may get proof of your husband’s death from other sources, such as the funeral home or the bureau of vital statistics.

Normally, I’d suggest that you try to handle your Social Security business online. But as I’ve pointed out in past columns, a claim for widow’s or widower’s benefits must be done in person. And you do that by calling the Social Security Administration at 800772-1213. You can either arrange to file a claim by phone, or you can make an appointment to do so at your local Social Security office.

What you need to do depends on the kind of benefits you were receiving before Henry died. If you were getting only a spousal benefit (in other words, you didn’t have enough work credits to get your own Social Security benefit), then the process is pretty simple.

No widow’s application is required.

Simply notify SSA of Henry’s death, and they push a few buttons to switch you from wife’s benefits to widow’s

benefits. Because you are well over “full retirement age,” you will start getting whatever Henry was getting at the time of death. (And if he started his Social Security at age 62, you will actually get a little more. He would have been getting a rate equal to 75 percent of his full benefit, and you are guaranteed to get at least 82 percent of his full benefit.)

If you were getting your own retirement benefits, then you have to file an application for widow’s benefits. It’s not hard either, just a few questions about you and Henry. You may have to provide a copy of your marriage certificate.

Whether you have an automatic “push button” claim or a formal application, you will start getting widow’s benefits effective with the month he died. For example, if he dies on June 28, you will be due widow’s benefits for the whole month of June, even though you were a widow only 3 days of the month.

And following the example where he died on July 3, you will get widow’s benefits for July and you will get the proceeds of his June check issued to you.

Finally, no matter what kind of claim you file, you will get the onetime $255 death benefit as well.

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the answer.

Contact him at thomas.margenau@ comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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APRIL 2019

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• 50PLUS • 11

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APRIL 2019

Factors and a solution to the question, ‘Too old to drive?’

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BY CHUCK NORRIS

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On the heels of a recent discussion of “a pill for everything,” we can add the development of a pill to reverse aging. The idea of a “fountain of youth” pill may have been scoffed at by serious scientists a decade or so ago, but no longer. Recent research in this area has shown some promising findings in animal studies, stoking new scientific enthusiasm. The scientific community and deep-pocket investors know a growth market when they see one.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, for the first time in U.S. history, older people are projected to outnumber children in a little over a decade.

As the population ages, the “old-age dependency ratio” is projected to rise in just two years, resulting in about four working-age adults for every retirement-age person. By the year 2030, 1 in every 5 Americans is projected to be of retirement age, an important demographic turning point.

The implications of this shift in our society are staggering. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 National Population Projections, this shift will cause an epochal transformation for which very few of our institutions are prepared. It is also going to elevate an “age-old” question. How old is too old to drive?

In 2016, 42 million adults 65 and older were licensed to drive, an increase of 15 million from 20 years ago.

By 2030, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 1 of every 4 drivers will be an older adult.

While some may start thinking about traffic safety concerns, let us put this into the proper perspective. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 85-year-old males are one of the two groups with the highest crash rates. The other is young people 20 to 24. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most older drivers have good driving habits.

While the American Automobile Association reports that fatal crashes increase per mile traveled after the age of 75, this is not because older adults

are more likely to be involved in crashes; they merely have a higher chance of suffering severe medical complications or injury as the result of a crash.

By far, the greatest numbers of vehicular deaths are substance abuse-related.

Drivers over 65 have a high incidence of seatbelt use. They are also generally more discerning about the weather conditions they drive in and have a low incidence of impaired driving. The seniors who continue to drive tend to be very selective about when they do so.

Still, if you’ve ever tried to get an aging parent to give up driving, you know it can be a challenging experience. Getting behind the wheel of a car represents so much more than transportation. It is a major symbol of independence.

Being willing and able to stop driving requires a person to have realistic expectations about their declining mobility and a plan for how to handle it.

As Dr. Dana King, a professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at West Virginia University, asks in Kaiser Health News, “People do financial planning for retirement, but what about retirement health planning?” She also points out that seniors need to be both aware of and responsive to key warning signs that it is time to stop driving. On this checklist, vision is recognized as the single most important source of information we use while navigating and making judgment calls. Once a senior becomes too old to drive safely and faces sound reasons for not getting behind the wheel, they must have alternative transportation available to them. A future when vehicles drive themselves could provide an answer.

This was not the market the folks in Silicon Valley had in mind when they hatched the idea of driverless, autonomous vehicles. Thanks to issues now being raised in discussions with designers, automakers and federal regulators, that thinking is beginning to change. An initial critical question is whether autonomous vehicles will be wheelchair-accessible.

APRIL 2019

These discussions are not limited to the needs of seniors. According to the CDC, more than 60 million people in this country are hearing- or vision-impaired. In addition, an estimated 3.5 million Americans have some form of autism, and nearly 400,000 have Down syndrome. These groups also stand to benefit from achieving the semblance of independence that this new technology could provide.

Unfortunately, these discussions are entering the conversation a bit late in the game. Test fleets are apparently already on the road in many states, including some vehicles without a backup driver behind the wheel. According to Google’s autonomous-car division, its driverless cars program has already

logged an estimated 3.5 million miles in 22 test cities.

For those who have felt trapped by four walls, forced to rely on the disparities in public transit, the allure of fully autonomous cars could be immense.

Given this population’s reluctance to latch on to new technologies -- and the busload of unanswered questions and obstacles to come -- we will just have to wait and see where this is all headed.

Write to Chuck Norris (info@creators.com) with your questions about health and fitness. Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @ChuckNorris and on Facebook at the “Official Chuck Norris Page.”

• 50PLUS • 13

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Unasked-for tenants

BY ANNIE LANE

fered with social anxiety and being

I own a second home. Our daughter, her boyfriend and their two small children live in that house and pay us rent.

Six months ago, the entire boyfriend’s family (his mom, dad, two grown brothers and brothers’ girlfriends) moved in. They moved from out of state and need a place to stay until they find a home of their own. There has been no additional rent income, and in addition, they all smoke and have pets in the house, which is against the house rules.

I am concerned about the extra wear and tear on our property. We have discussed this with our daughter on numerous occasions, but she gets very defensive and upset if questioned about the situation. Furthermore, she enjoys having them there because they help with household chores. She insists this is temporary, but we feel it is already permanent. From my research, there is nothing we can do legally. We are happy to help our children, but we feel used, manipulated and disrespected by these “guests.” What is your advice? -- Being Taken Advantage Of

being the absolute worst when I myself was a freshman in high school. All I wanted was to fit in somewhere, and I had no idea how to do that.

I just want to let “Freshman” know that the awkwardness of being socially anxious is not something that just magically goes away one day. It is something you get better at dealing with as you age. You will find that as you and your peers get older, they will become more understanding and, most importantly, you will meet many others who feel the same way you do.

I am now 34 years old and a successful, hardworking mom with a wonderful family and friends. Yet I am still “the weird one” among my colleagues, and I still have moments when I feel ashamed of my awkwardness. Here is a quotation that has helped me a lot over the years: “Say what you want and be who you are, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.” Life changes drastically when you bear that in mind and take it to heart. -- Happily Awkward

daughter’s and her boyfriend’s actions, and listen less to their words. She can say it’s temporary all she wants, but six months is a great deal of time to find a place to stay. It is your house and your rules. Set a date for the family of your daughter’s boyfriend to be out of your house, and stick to it.

Remember, it is your daughter who is allowing the “guests” to use and disrespect your property. If you are concerned about a rupture with your mother-daughter relationship, you could always consider hiring a property manager. That way, someone other than you would be enforcing your rules. The amount of money this would cost is small compared with the potential damage to your property and your relationship with your daughter.

to live happily. Being just like everyone else would get pretty boring pretty quickly. The fact that you signed your name with “Happily” is inspirational.

As P.T. Barnum said, no one ever made any difference being like everyone else.

“Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie” is out now! Annie Lane’s debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

DEAR ANNIE: My husband and “weird” my entire life. I remember it

DEAR HAPPILY AWKWARD: DEAR BEING TAKEN ADVAN- May this letter inspire other people TAGE OF: Look more closely at your out there who feel like “the weird one”

DEAR ANNIE: I really enjoyed reading your response to the freshman with social anxiety and agree with all that you said in response. I have suf-

APRIL 2019

ROEMHELD continued from page 1

Perhaps a job as a movie writer, they said, which sounded enticing. So I did. There were no openings in any of the major studios then, however, but I was able to land a job in public relations with the Max Factor Co. Max Factor then made all the hairpieces for the actors, and was closely allied with the movie industry. (You’d be amazed at how many of the stars, men as well as women, who wore hairpieces for the roles in which they played.)

In any case one of my mundane duties was to entertain customers of Max Factor products from around the country, such as owners and operators of department stores and pharmacies. I would take them on visits to the studios and out to lunch. Hah. My dreams of becoming a screenwriter were quickly fizzling and I had instead become an insignificant tour guide.

On one particular day I was escorting a man who was the owner of a pharmacy in, coincidentally, Milwaukee, and also his wife and young daughter. We’d already been on the studio jaunt, and were having lunch in a popular restaurant called “Lucy’s.” I don’t know if Lucy’s is still in operation, but back then it was near the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios and was a favorite hangout of many of the stars and other movie industry people.

As we were sitting at one of the tables, my pharmacist guest glanced across the room and spotted an elderly gentleman having lunch by himself in one of the booths. “Say, isn’t that Heinz Roemheld?” he asked. I looked over and then replied that I didn’t know who he was or also whom Heinz Roemheld was, but that I’d be happy to go over and find out. Which I did, and when I asked him if he was in fact someone by that name and also noted the people at my table who were inquiring about him, he looked over and replied, “Oh my goodness.

Those people are from Milwaukee. I was up there for a visit last summer, visiting old friends. One of them was his father. I met them all then.

How interesting.” And he got up and walked back to our table for their sort of reunion. After a short while he said he had to leave. And that was it. The

encounter, of course, greatly pleased my guest, but it meant next to nothing to me; just part of the job. I did not think about it at all and it completely left my memory.

Fast forward to earlier this year, when I wrote an article about old movies for the January issue of this publication. In it I suggested that watching tapes of old movies offered better viewing than most of the movies Hollywood puts out today. So I took my own advice and pulled out a tape of the 1942 hit, “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” starring Jimmy Cagney in undoubtedly his greatest role. On the tape the television host pointed out that the picture had won three Academy Awards, one, for Best Actor, Jimmy Cagney; one for Sound Recording; and one for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. It also had nominations for Best Supporting Actor, Walter Huston, for Best Writing and for Best Director. In that winning category, Best Scoring of a Musical, the TV host explained, the award went to two men, Heinz Roemheld and Ray Heindorf.

When I heard that a little bell or something of the sort went off deep in my skull. “Roemheld?” “Heinz Roemheld?” From where did I know that name? I sat down and thought, and thought some more. It bugged me that I couldn’t come up with the answer. Then, like a light coming on, a seemingly insignificant, infinitesimal memory cell deep in my psyche opened up. How truly weird. More than 60 years ago, when I was briefly introduced to him, I was afforded little of his actual importance. Now, such a long time later and watching an old movie in my home came the realization.

So I decided to do some probing so that I could put something together for an article. It was frustrating.

Unlike the star actors, or even the directors or the producers, there is very little biographical material available concerning other levels of motion picture production. I found nothing in local daily newspaper archives. I learned that he attended the Milwaukee College of Music, but that fine old facility no longer exists. The Milwaukee Historical Center wouldn’t give me anything unless I paid them a large fee just to check their records. Luckily, a friend of mine, Rick Schabowski, was able to find a few things on the Internet. Which resulted in the following.

Born in Milwaukee on May 1, 1901, Heinz Eric Roemheld was one of four children of German immigrants Heinrich and Fanny Roemheld. Heinrich was a pharmacist, but all of the family was into music. Heinz’s brother, Edgar, became a classical conductor, and his sister Irmgard was a well-known music teacher and radio announcer.

Heinz was a child prodigy who began playing the piano at the age of four. He later graduated from the Milwaukee College of Music when he was still in his teens, then performed in theaters to earn enough to study piano in Europe. In 1920, he was in Berlin and appeared in concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Two years later when he returned to America, he became involved in music for films, all no dialogue, both as a pianist and as a conductor. In 1925 he was sent back to Berlin by Universal Pictures to head its theaters there. He had to leave in 1929, however, because of the rise of Nazism.

Back in the U.S., Roemheld moved to Los Angeles and became a prominent composer for the movies. Most people are not aware of the importance of a musical score for motion pictures, not just for the song and dance musicals, but for all genre. It is the acting that gets the glory, and occasionally the direction, but other areas such as photography, script and musical background are absolutely essential for a good film.

Roemheld scored and composed the music for more than 400 films, some of the greatest ever made. To

• 50PLUS • 15

name but a few: Gone With the Wind, All Quiet on the Western Front, Imitation of Life, Brother Orchid, China Clipper, The Invisible Man, Gentleman Jim and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Invisible Man was one of his most memorable works, filled with striking heroic parts, and was good enough to be reused in the popular Flash Gordon Serial. And, of course, also Yankee Doodle Dandy, that won him the coveted Academy Award for Best Original Musical Score. He also composed the pop hit “Ruby,” derived from his music in the movie Ruby Gentry.

Roemheld married the former Miss Milwaukee, Emeline Defnet.

They had two daughters, Mary Lou, who married game show host Jack Narz and Ann, who married another game show host, Bill Cullen.

He retired from movies in 1964 and returned to Milwaukee, where he conducted the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and composed many orchestral works and chamber pieces. He died on February 11, 1985, in Huntington Beach, California.

By the way, those little memory cells don’t always reveal everything.

When I heard that television host talk about the old movie “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and mention the name Roemheld, it brought his name back to me but it didn’t bring back the names of the man, his wife and daughter who I was entertaining, as you may have noticed.

And so there you have it. Our belated salute to a remarkable forgotten man.

16 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

Implications of living to 100 – Caregiving Eras Senior Network of Waukesha County supports and engages over 2,000 seniors and adults with disabilities each year through volunteer-provided services, meaningful volunteer opportunities for seniors, and educational presentations.

How will I feel being a 98-yearold caregiver for my 100-year-old husband? If my husband and I live to be 98 and 100, our two sons will be 76 and 70 years old when they are taking care of us. I wonder how our older son will feel about having two parents living with him when he has retired, since we may have run out of money by then?

Caregiving well past retirement will likely be a reality for many of us.

“When we think of an adult child caring for a parent, what comes to mind is a woman in her late 40s or early 50s,” said Lynn Friss Feinberg, senior strategic policy adviser for AARP’s Public Policy Institute. “But it’s now common for people 20 years older than that to be caring for a parent in their 90s or older.”

ERAs

SENIOR ISSUES

By Kathy Gale Caregivers in their 70s, 80s, and 90s face their own challenges, often related to their physical condition.

A spouse or partner caregiver may be called upon to help with transfers, bathing, helping lift from chairs, and perform a substantial portion of household chores. Even maneuvering a walker in and out of a car’s trunk can be tiring. As we ponder the prediction that so many more of us will live well into our 90s, we need to develop strategies for being a caregiver well into our 70s and beyond.

A simple internet search of caregiving for elderly 100 years old produces a lengthy list of articles. Some are sobering, citing statistics about the

impact of stress, financial complications, sacrifices of time and activities.

But others are very helpful, including some that give good insight to how caregivers can utilize community resources to provide respite, how to plan for end of life situations, and more. I especially like articles that point out the joys of caregiving – the special time together to learn more about the older adult and learn about their entire life, not just the part related to diseases and disabilities.

Preparing to be a caregiver is something that is best done before you find yourself in a caregiver crisis.

There are great websites such as caregiver.org and aarp.org/caregiving. In Wisconsin we have local Aging and Disability Resource Centers that offer information and guidance for all citizens. Take time to educate yourself on what’s available, and you’ll be steps ahead! You can also begin to think about how you would like to be cared for. After all, if we’re going to live to be 100, we owe it to ourselves to make the journey a good one.

Kathy Gale is Executive Director, Eras Senior Network, Inc. More information about Eras Senior Network, Inc. can be found at www.ErasWaukesha.org.

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APRIL 2019

NEMOVITZ continued from page 5

for everyone.

So why do so many people have a negative view of reverse mortgages?

What are the down sides of a reverse mortgage? The loan balance increases over time as interest on the loan and fees accumulate. As the equity is used, fewer assets are available to leave to your heirs. You can still leave the home to your heirs, but they will have to repay the balance. The costs for obtaining the mortgage are typically significantly higher than a home equity line of credit or mortgage. You should contact a reputable reverse mortgage lender to get a complete and detailed estimate of costs to obtain this type of mortgage.

Whether you are going to stay in your home or downsize and move to a condo, apartment or senior community, I encourage you to take charge of your life now. Do not wait for crisis management where your children become involved in making critical decisions for you as to where you will live. We all have a health care plan, insurance plan but how many of us have a housing plan? Most of us wait for a sign to hit us over the head to determine our next move. I’ve seen so many of my clients enjoy retirement by making decisions while relatively healthy and connecting with others. However, far too many of those I work with waited too long by becoming isolated with a lack of mobility causing health issues both physically and mentally. I’ve witnessed many of those folks I have visited who have fallen in the home, breaking a hip or experiencing a health change that determines their future as to where and how they will live. Their children are burdened with making decisions for their parents, which becomes difficult for the entire family.

Be the hero in your life. Here is a new word for retirement; RE-INSPIREMENT! Begin a new chapter with quality and happiness as your guide. If staying in your home will provide the safety and security you desire, then moving may not be the best decision for you. But if your home is too large or too many stairs to negotiate, moving may be the right decision.

You may want to be closer to your loved ones. A reverse mortgage can be a way to either stay in the home you

love or find another without the burden of monthly payments. It can allow you to utilize some of your equity for saving that you will need as you age.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you are considering this mortgage option. We can direct you to qualified lenders that specialize in this type of financing. As a reminder from my last article about “journey,” if we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet! When we move, we take only memories; leave only footprints (Chief Seattle). Life begins at the end of your comfort zone (Tim Cahill). Lastly, happiness is not a destination; it is a way of life!

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 over 35 years. He has published a book called “Moving in the Right Direction”, A Senior’s Guide to Moving and Downsizing. Bruce has written a second book for the children of seniors, “Guiding Our Parents in the Right Direction”, Practical Advice about Seniors Moving from the Home They Love. These books are now available at https://www. brucesteam.com/bruces-books/.

Past articles about moving and downsizing and other important information can be found at www.SeniorRealtor.com.

Bruce and his wife Jeanne hold seminars about selling your home of many years.

Check their website for times and dates.

Bruce received the 2010 “Realtor of the Year” from the 3,800 membership of the GMAR (Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors). Bruce is a featured speaker at several senior communities in the Milwaukee-Metro area. His discussions center on the challenge of moving from a long-time home into a senior apartment or community. He has been listed in Milwaukee Magazine’s 5-Star Agents list for the last three years in a row. As such, he’s one of only a handful of Realtors who are continually included in the top 7% in client satisfaction in the Milwaukee Metro area. He’s rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and was a finalist for Concordia College’s Ethical Business Leadership Award. He works with his wife Jeanne at Realty Executives Integrity.

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• 50PLUS • 17

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18 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

In National Senior Softball Handeland Flooring is supreme When it comes to dynasties in sports, great teams such as the New York Yankees in baseball, the Boston Celtics in basketball and the Green Bay Packers during the Lombardi Golden Years are three that usually come to mind. But here’s the kicker: there is a team right here in Milwaukee, made up of hardy gentlemen all over the age of 65, who on a different level have been just as awe inspiring.

In their case it has been in national senior softball championship competition. Their team is called Handeland Flooring. I’ll tell you about them, but first a bit of background.

As noted in this column several times, the Milwaukee area has one of the finest senior softball programs in the entire country. Beginning in late April and continuing through September, there is competition every week Monday through Friday involving seven leagues, more than 70 teams and upwards of 800 players, including a few women players and all over the age of 50.

SPORTS PLUS

By Jack Pearson Late every year, however, old man winter comes along and puts a kibosh on everything for the next six months or so. That’s to be expected here in Wisconsin, the land of the frozen tundra. Down in the sunny south and in the southwestern states, however, there is always senior softball activity all through the winter. Added to that, there are a number of national senior softball tournaments conducted every year in those warm locales, all open to teams from anywhere.

So back in 1992, a man from Menomonee Falls, Don Derivan, decided to do something about it. He

Two of the reasons for the success of the team are left, Dennis Handeland, who has sponsored it ever since it was formed 27 years ago, and on the right, Ron Bruce, the team’s player-manager.

Phil Higgins (right) and Paul Wenzel (left) are players for the Handeland Flooring team and both are regarded as two of the top hitters in the game. Cy Swiecichowski, center, is the oldest player on the team at 84 and has also been one of the area’s best players for several decades. began by putting together a team with the best senior softball players he could find, the purpose was to journey down to one of these national tournaments and see if they could be competitive.

It was no easy task, not like making a couple of phone calls to his buddies to get together for a game of sheepshead or dartball. First, he had to come up with a sponsor, and he did, the aforementioned Handeland Flooring of Milwaukee (they are headquartered in Mequon now). He had to find the best players available, solid hitters, agile fielders, all of the proper age bracket, and convince them to join his team. Equally important, he needed players who could afford to make the trip to whatever tournament they entered. Although their sponsor, Dennis Handeland, always paid the entry fee, which was usually around $400, the players had to come up with their own expenses, such as air or car travel, hotel accommodation, food and other essentials. Unfortunately this eliminated some very good players who just couldn’t afford it. “None of us are

wealthy,” current manager Ron Bruce said. “We all had to tighten our belts.

We looked for the lowest airfares, and the same with hotels and places to eat.

We always slept two and, at times, three to a room.”

The first tournament the team entered was the USSSA Masters Tournament age 40+ in Florida. There were over 50 teams participating and none of them were patsies. What occurred over the next three days of competition was a happy surprise when they captured the second place trophy.

That may not sound all that stupendous, but remember, all Don and his pals wanted was to compete and give a good showing of themselves in their first national tournament. They’d have been happy no matter where they placed. The event was a double elimination setup, and although they lost their first game, they then won nine straight, which earned them the second place trophy.

You think that would have satisfied them? Absolutely not. All it did was to whet their appetite. Even before getting back home to Milwaukee

APRIL 2019

Here are three Handeland Flooring teams over the years. Top, the first one which competed in 1992; the second, in year 2000, when they journeyed to Canada and won the title there; and bottom, the team that won the National Senior Olympic Games Championship in 2017. Overall, they have won 17 championships, believed to be more than any other team in the country. they were already making plans for pionships 17 times, a fantastic, almost the coming year. They thought how unbelievable achievement. Can you great it would be to win a first place imagine the University of Wisconchampionship. sin Badgers qualifying for the NCAA What occurred then over the next Championships 25 years in a row and quarter century was that and a whole winning the title in 17 of those years? bunch more. In the next 25 years, sucOne of the tournaments Hanceeding Don as manager were Bernie deland Flooring entered was the NaSchmidt of Menomonee Falls, Tim tional Senior Olympic Games. (The Whiting of Wauwatosa and current National Senior Games are conducted manager Ron Bruce of Brookfield. every other year, always in a different They entered national and regional major U.S. city. All of the sports in softball tournaments every winter, both the National games and in the and in those 25 years they won cham- Wisconsin Senior Olympics were de-

scribed in the past two issues of this publication.) In their first Nationals appearance Handeland Flooring did well, finishing second, and in the next, took a fourth place trophy. In their third effort, the 2017 Games in Alabama, they won the championship. In those 2017 games, Wisconsin athletes won a total of 28 gold medals. Of that 28 total, 15 went to the 15 members of the Handeland Flooring softball team.

The 15 on the Handeland Flooring team, in addition to manager Ron Bruce, were: Mike Baehman, Paul Cox, Wayne Fiedler, Kenny Gilpin, Bert Hempler, Phil Higgins, Greg Hudack, Doc Mueller, Bernie Schmidt, Chuck Skellett, Cy Swiecichowski, Paul Wenzel and Tim Whiting. Also members of the team who could not make the trip were, Terry Hosveth, Lance Riddell and Bob Szaniawski. Because of age attrition and other reasons, the team makeup continually changes from year to year. Of the above players who won the National Senior Softball Championship recently, only Bruce, Hempler, Mueller, Schmidt and Skellett were on the original Handeland Flooring team back in 1993.

A couple of clarifying notes: in the Senior Olympics and in the Senior Games, unlike the regular Olympic Games, gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in different age groups, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64 and so on up into the 80s. Players on a team in the 6569 age group, as was the Handeland flooring team, had to be at least 65 to be eligible, but there was no age higher than that as a limitation. So a player such as Cy Swiecichowski, who is 84, could play in a younger age group, but a player in his 50s or early 60s could not play in the 65-69 division.

Also, all of the activity in the senior leagues and the senior tournaments are on an amateur basis. No money is paid to anyone, no matter where they place. Players can win rings, watches, plaques, trophies, jackets, shirts, backpacks, embroidered patches, or hats, for example.

Ron and his Handeland Flooring teammates’ most recent excursion into national softball competition was at the prestigious 19th Annual Tournament of Champions in Winter Haven, Florida, this past February. The tournament included 95 of the best senior softball teams from all over the country and also from Canada. It was

• 50PLUS • 19

unique in that it is the only senior softball tournament where the only teams that are qualified to enter are those that have won a sanctioned tournament somewhere else in the country over the past year. The TOC, like the Senior Olympics, has competition for women as well as men, and in fiveyear age brackets starting with the age of 50. The Handeland team competed in the 65 and over Platinum division.

The term “Platinum” being there to indicate that teams in that category were from a higher skill level. It was Handeland Flooring’s third participation in the tournament; previously they had finished a high of fifth place. How they would have fared in this past tourney will never be known, as the last day of competition was cancelled because of heavy rains and high winds. The 13 Handeland Flooring players who were there were player-manager Ron Bruce, Mike Baehman, Paul Cox, Wayne Fiedler, Kenny Gilpin, Bert Hempler, Brad Mueller, Chuck Skellett and Paul Wenzel, all who were members of the Senior Olympic Game championship team, as well as Terry Hosveth, Rich Olson, Wayne Stapleford and Bob Szanianwski. Four of the above, Bruce, Baehman, Fiedler and Hempler, were selected to the TOC All-Tournament team.

“It’s a bit difficult to explain why we’ve always been so successful,” Ron Bruce said. “To begin with, we’ve been very fortunate to have the same sponsor, Handeland Flooring, with us through all the past 27 years. Added to that, it seems as if we’ve been a team in every sense of the word. Everyone contributes; everyone helps and encourages one another. When things are going tough in a game, it’s always someone different who comes through in the clutch. It’s a wonderful quality and you either have it or you don’t. All of which is really remarkable when you think about it, as we’re only together for a short time for those national tournaments. During the regular season, our players are on different teams and are actually opponents. So what we’ve been blessed with is almost magical.”

20 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

Social Security Bill in Congress has strong support amongst older Americans Provisions of a Social Security bill that’s getting consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives have widespread support from retirees, according to a new poll by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The poll, which was conducted from mid - December 2018 through the end of February 2019, asked, “Which major issue affecting older Americans should the new Congress prioritize? Poll participants responded: • Boost Social Security benefits (42%) • Reduce the taxation of Social Security benefits (30%) • Reduce prescription drug prices (18%) • Improve coverage for dental care (7%) • Lower Medigap premium increases (3%) “The Social Security 2100 Act” would accomplish both of the first two priorities,” says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. The bill was recently introduced by Representative John Larson, and has more than 200

co-sponsors in the House. It calls for a modest boost in Social Security benefits, provides a more generous annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) by using the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) to adjust for inflation, and eliminates the taxation of Social Security benefits for individuals with modest annual Social Security incomes below $50,000 (single filers) or $100,000 (joint filers).

The proposed legislation comes as Social Security faces depletion of Trust Fund reserves 15 years from now, by 2034. Under current law, if Congress does nothing and allows Social Security to become insolvent, the program would continue to receive revenues from payroll taxes, but only enough to pay 79 percent of scheduled benefits. By law, when this happens, benefits would be cut 21 percent to adjust to available revenues.

At the same time, growing numbers of Social Security beneficiaries face financial risks due to high medical costs, and the fact that large numbers of retirees may not have adequate financial resources to last over longer

retirements that could last 25 to 30 years. “This bill addresses the core issues for both Social Security financing, and the adequacy of benefits,” says Johnson.

The Social Security Office of the Actuary has estimated the new bill would make the program solvent for 75 years, boost benefits, and reduce taxes on Social Security benefits by increasing the income received by the program through payroll taxes. The legislation would apply Social Security payroll taxes to all covered earnings above $400,000 by 2020 and later, and it would credit the earnings above $400,000 towards benefits to compensate for the additional taxes on these earnings. Under current law, someone earning $1,000,000 dollars pays the same amount of Social Security taxes as someone earning $132,900. The legislation, if passed into law, would also gradually raise the combined Social Security payroll tax rate by 0.1 percentage point a year until it reaches 14.8 percent in 2043. The combined rate is currently 12.4 percent.

The Senior Citizens League supports this legislation and continues to survey the public on approaches that Members of Congress should use to eliminate the Social Security funding shortfall. To learn more and to participate in the 2019 Senior Surveys, visit www.SeniorsLeague.org.

With 1.2 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation’s largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. The Senior Citizens League is a proud affiliate of The Retired Enlisted Association. Visit www.

SeniorsLeague.org for more information.

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APRIL 2019

KILLING TIME continued from page 4

uuuuuu Have you ever considered your Social Security program as a social insurance safety net? uuuuuu A grandson said they played musical chairs at a school event. I thought about it and determined for us to play musical anything, it would have to be recliners. uuuuuu

Yes, there is a reason for everything. The problem is that we sometimes aren’t smart enough to figure that out. uuuuuu Computers, ipads, smart boards, and all the electronic devices made available today to kids in schools won’t help if the kid isn’t paying attention.

• 50PLUS • 21

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22 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

Luddite Woes

Q

BY DOUG MAYBERRY

: I can’t seem to keep the technology I have functioning right. I’m always running into problems, especially with my landline phone and television remote.

I’m starting to think that I’m just too old to keep up with technology.

My family still lives in the area and is willing to come over and help me with my problems. But it’s a little embarrassing to have my grandkids come over and find that I have a problem with a 30-second fix.

What should I be doing differently?

Foot care

Q

: My daughter and granddaughters are looking to spend time together for my upcoming birthday and suggested we all go for pedicures.

I ended up declining, and we made other plans, but what worries me is my discomfort with having anybody see my feet.

A

: Unfortunately, technology is always changing, and it’s hard to keep on top of. Simple things such as finding a TV channel are complicated by several steps that come along with today’s increased options and functionalities.

Before assuming that the technology is inherently impossible and glitchy, make sure that you’re doing what you need to do on your end to keep it running. Sometimes, there’s a simple solution.

Once it gets harder to hear the dial tone of our phones, many problems seem to suddenly arise. It’s harder to

tell the difference between a phone that’s functional and one that is not.

I’ve found myself facing several problems with my own phones (both landline and cellphone)! There have been many times when I’ve thought the phone was kaput only to find that the battery was dead. I had forgotten to charge it.

You may be used to keeping the phone away from its charger. Not being able to hear the low-battery warning beep causes problems. The same is true for your TV remote, so keep batteries on hand.

The most rudimentary fix for tech problems is to turn the device off, wait 30 seconds and then turn it back on again.

Next time a family member comes over to help you with a technology problem, watch how they do it. Especially if it’s a recurrent problem, you can write down a list of steps for next time.

Even if it feels impossible, small changes can make for big results! You can become less dependent with a few habit alterations. -- Doug

I can’t bend over to touch my toes anymore, and it’s hard to see my feet well enough to take care of them. I have terribly dry skin and bunions, in addition to two terribly ingrown toenails.

I’ve been too embarrassed to have somebody look at them, but I just got a reality check. I’m ready to address

the problem.

What can I do? : Look into the possibility of a medical pedicure.

al will know how best to deal with damaged nails and can give you some self-care suggestions.

For people with diabetes, taking care of one’s nails is especially important. Many people lose nerve connectivity in their feet and can’t easily identify incipient infections in their vulnerable extremities.

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Poor Dale, is he really depressed?

Golly, wouldn’t you just know it that the sun finally would shine, the birds are in the air, the grass is uncovered from snow and the things of earth appear to be alive again. Wasn’t it about last Thanksgiving that the ground all around us got that new white covering? By the time it left, it was dirtier than Henry’s trousers when he comes home from work.

I guess I know that Spring has sprung as the city crews are out in the streets filling potholes. There seem to be so many of these holes in the streets to fill that it appears to me that if we had visitors from Mars, they’d feel right at home among these minor craters. These are something the mayor can’t do much about. I know he’s over there in that somewhat swanky Wauwatosa area. I would guess if he is out in the streets much, he just has to grin and Barrett. How’s that for starters today?

With Easter creeping up on us, I must be very careful that I don’t lay any eggs in this column. By this, I mean that I had better be mighty careful about what I write.

First off today, I will tell you about my Henry and a friend of his, who right now, is on leave from his job at the factory. He has what they call regressive depression. I said that’s like they have in the streets these days, oodles of depressions. But Henry just glared. I apologized and now we will go from there.

Henry says that Dale never was a high-energy fellow; that he always was looking for ways to shorten his tasks and make his daily quota. But shorter is not always better. His work wasn’t always up to par while his output was half again above that of the guy sitting at the next machine. The big union guy at the factory had quite a talk with him and Dale claims that he has been depressed ever since. Dale says that he

HERITAGE LAKE

• 50PLUS • 23

THE REGENCY

APRON STRINGS

By Aunt Emma got a real guilt trip after that talk. “The union guy said that my way of working was making it tough for a lot of the other fellows,” Dale told Henry.

Henry says that Dale is just overly conscientious and took the talk too much to heart. But Henry does agree that Dale has symptoms of depression.

Henry is somewhat of a self-educated diagnostician. He has diagnosed Dale as really having depression to some degree as he has lost his appetite, says he can’t sleep worrying about the other guys’ thoughts about him. Dale says he also feels somewhat agitated and really believes he’s a failure right now.

Henry claims that Dale has to lift his spirits so his body will be buoyed up.

Henry guesses, and I endorse this, that he will invite Dale to the club tomorrow as it is a Saturday and the cronies always get together to tell and retell war stories and such. After Dale hears an hour or so of these, Henry suspects he will be better in mind, if not in body. There’s absolutely nothing to make a person feel better than to listen to other people’s complaints, problems and past suffering.

Henry says and has repeated this to me way too many times, that when he feels a bit down, he just has a wee bit of a session with his favorite psychiatrist, Dr. Ezra Brooks. He’s feeling better in about two minutes.

Gosh, I never did get to telling you about the girls. But I guess that will just have to wait until next month.

I have a real poor sucker story. Just hang onto your money better than this gal did as she fell for one of those telephone con jobs.

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24 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

EVENTS CALENDAR April 4, 11, 18 & 25, 1 – 4 pm MAH JONGG CLUB Hartland Public Library, 110 E Park Ave, Hartland Do you know the rules of mah jongg and are looking for a friendly place to play? We have two sets of tiles waiting for you! No registration required. For additional information please call the library at 262-367-3350.

April 3, 2 – 4:30 pm CINEMA OF ’39: TURNING BACK TIME Brookfield Public Library, 1900 N. Calhoun Road, Brookfield Many movie historians consider 1939 to be the best year in movies.

The best picture nominees included Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Goodbye Mr. Chips, and a little film titled Gone With the Wind. Beginning in February we will begin monthly screenings of five of the ten best picture nominees. Which five will they be? Join us and find out! A short discussion with refreshments will follow each screening. Contact the library at 262-782-4140 for the movie selections.

April 6, 6pm door, 7 pm show DYLAN FOLEY IN CONCERT Celtic MKE Center, 1532 N. Wauwatosa Ave., Milwaukee.

Join us for a special evening of Irish traditional music with multi-instrumentalist Dylan Foley. Dylan Foley is “… one of the finest fiddlers in America and certainly the most genial among them…his feel and tone

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is breathtaking…He pulls brilliant music from the fiddle…” Daniel Neely/The Irish Echo Well respected and received wherever he goes, Dylan is a 4-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, who performs, teaches, and adjudicates at festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. A superb performer, he is also committed to passing on the tradition, as it was graciously passed to him, by Rose Flanagan and others. Dylan brings great depth and joy to his solo performances, with his multi-instrumental talents, an occasional song, and sheer good humor. You will hear his passion for the music is in his lively and fluid playing. Call (414) 476-3378 for ticket information.

decorating traditional Polish Easter eggs (Pisanki). There is room for 24 participants. Please call the library at 262-367-3350 or email Claudia at cnoonan@hartland.lib.wi.us to register.

April 9 & 11, 10 am – noon VETERANS RESOURCE TABLE AT CENTRAL Milwaukee Public Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee Learn about the valuable resources available to veterans and their families from the Center for Veterans Issues. The event is free and open to the public and no registration is required. For additional information call 414-286-3000.

April 16, 10 am WHAT IS SENIOR LIVING REALLY LIKE? Luther Manor’s Linden Room, 4545 N. 92nd Street, Wauwatosa Find out what senior living is really like! A panel of Luther Manor residents and their loved ones will tell their own stories and answer common questions about senior living.

They will also take your personal questions, so come prepared. This event is free and space is limited, RSVP to 414-434-1768 or LutherManor.org/rsvp.

April 11, 5 – 8 pm HOW DRY I AM: PROHIBITION MILWAUKEE EXHIBIT Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Old World Third Street, Milwaukee Join us at the Milwaukee County Historical Society for drinks, our Prohibition exhibit, and to explore the Roaring 20’s. Your night is complete with free admission to the Society, a chance to see drink demonstrations by Bittercube, maker of local Milwaukee bitters, and listen to tunes of the time with WMSE. For additional information call 414403-4344.

April 13, 10 am – noon COMMUNITY EASTER EGG HUNT Civic Center, 8040 S. 6th Street, Oak Creek Hop on over to Emerald Preserve to join in on all kinds of family fun.

Come rain or shine. Children 10 and under will enjoy the Easter Egg Hunt, face painting and arts and crafts! Don’t forget to bring your camera; the Easter Bunny will be there for picture taking.

April 22, 4 – 7:30 pm TECH SAVVY TUTORS! Mukwonago Community Library, 511 Division St., Mukwonago Bring your device: smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc. and we’ll have tech help available for any questions you may have. Registration is not required, but encouraged. Please call 262-363-6411.

April 23, 6pm THE HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS BREWERY St. Francis Public Library, 4230 S. Nicholson Ave., St. Francis April 11, 6:30 – 7:30 pm Join Tom the Sales Manager of St. ADULT CRAFTING EVENING Francis Brewery as he describes the Hartland Public Library, beginnings of the Brewery in 2009.

110 E Park Ave, Hartland We will be celebrating spring by Learn about the “Seven Deadly

APRIL 2019

Beers,” the difference between a home brewer, nano brewery, brewery and brewpub, the emerging craft beer scene throughout Milwaukee and the future of Brewery’s expansion. Taste some of the Brewery’s soda varieties and get a $5.00 gift certificate for use at the Brewery!

For ages 16 and older. Please register in advance for this free program by calling 414-481-7323.

• 50PLUS • 25

cluded documentaries on a variety April 25, 6pm of topics including two world pre- April 29, 2 – 6:30 pm 10 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE GARDEN miere documentaries on end-of-life FRANKLIN COMMUNITY PRODUCTION NO MATTER THE care, one receiving an Emmy Award BLOOD DRIVE SIZE nomination. Proceeds from the Franklin Public Library, 9151 W. St. Francis Public Library, 4230 S. Gala will benefit the Building Pres- Loomis Rd., Franklin Nicholson Ave., St. Francis ervation Fund to help maintain and Be a hero, donate blood! All atJoin Holly and Joey Baird of the upgrade the arts center. Honorary tempting donors will receive a “Free “Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener” hosts are Dave and Betty Reul and Pint for a Pint” Culver’s coupon and radio show as they give you tips on celebrity emcees are Mike Miller & a coupon for 4 free outdoor water park passes to Mount Olympus how to increase your vegetable gar- Mike Strehlow. For ticket informa- Oconomowoc Area Senior Center’s (while supplies last). Sign up online den yield. tion call 262-560-3172. at www.bit.ly/franklinlions0429.

Please register in advance for this free program by calling 414-4817323.

Saturday, April 29 9 am to 2 pm April 27, 9 am – 1 pm 210 S. Main Street, Oconomowoc SENIOR SERVICES FAIR Berkshire Clubhouse Oconomowoc Area Senior Center, SATURDAY, APRIL 27th • 9AM-1PM information and gain•knowledge about Clubhouse 210 S. Main Street,Get Oconomowoc Berkshire 210 S. Main St., Oconomowoc  about Health and Wellness Get information and gain knowledge Stop by this free fair and gather  FinancialHousing Opportunities • Transitional • Hearing Services information on: hearing services,  Legal Documents • Travel Opportunities • Financial Opportunities  Home Care and Helpers financial opportunities, county seRewarding Retirement • County Senior Services • Planning  Activities to Join ServicesHousing • Home Care and Helpers • Library  Transitional nior services, home care and help• Funeral Pre-Planning  Home Maintenance Sources • Dental Care ers, dental care, hospice, computer  Planning Rewarding Retirement . . . and several “Informative Seminars” and refreshments, too!

• Hospice Services services, travel opportunities, tran• Computer Services . . FREE . and several “Informative Seminars”and refreshments, too!

ADMISSION sitional housing, planning rewardFor more details, call 262.567.4288 or visit www.OconomowocSeniors.org FREE ADMISSION ing retirement, library services, For more details, call 262.567.4288 or visit funeral pre-planning and several www.OconomowocSeniors.org informative seminars. For more details, call 262-567-4288 or visit www.OconomocSeniors.org.

April 23, 1:30 – 3:30 pm MEMORY CAFÉ West Bend Community Memorial Library, 630 Poplar Street, West Bend Memory Cafés are places where persons with MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment), early-stage Alzheimer’s, or a related dementia can go with their care partners to socialize and have fun with other people going through similar things. A Memory Café has no real agenda or stated purpose except to enjoy each other’s company. Cafés provide a time where you do not need to focus on the diagnosis, while having a great time connecting with each other as a family or creating new friendships. To register, please contact Tammy at 262-335-4497 if it is April 27, 5:30 pm your first time attending.

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Wisconsin Philharmonic Orchestra. Our Visual Arts Series has hosted some of the most talented artists in our region. The film series has in-

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Travelers enjoy a happy anniversary When Rick & Sue Thelen were planning their 40th wedding anniversary celebration, they wanted to do something really special. They decided to treat their children, grandchildren, and Sue’s mom to cruise the Caribbean.

We heard about their plans. For the first time ever, we considered a cruise. Other friends did likewise and soon we had our own group to travel with.

Having limited travel experience, Sue sought out a professional to help plan the trip. Many different types of rooms are available. Sue wanted the grandchildren to be able to stay in their parents’ rooms. In a room large enough to accommodate a king-size bed there were bunks that dropped down from the ceiling. All rooms included a bathroom complete with a shower and ample storage.

Room position is an important consideration on a huge ship. Our travel professional guided us to rooms in the middle of the ship on the 6th, out of 12th, floor. One veteran cruise couple opted for a stateroom with a balcony. Being able to see daylight was a nice feature but for us, the lack of natural light, enabled us to sleep later than we normally would.

Food from the buffet was good, but dinner in the dining room was the real treat.

Dinner included a different menu each night along with multiple choices of appetizer, main course, and dessert. The wait staff, along with every other cruise employee we encountered, were wonderful. Very polite and accommodating.

I was under the impression that food on a cruise was non-stop or never ending. This was not the case. Buffets had specific start and stop times.

The dining rooms were available for breakfast and dinner only. We did not see any real amount of fresh fruit. Another confusion was alcoholic beverages. On some cruise lines alcohol is included in the base price. Not so for this one. The pre-cruise information

TRAVEL

ENTHUSIAST

By Joanne Abbe was very honest and accurate. Most drinks were in the $9-10 price range.

If you prefer a specific cocktail such as a Manhattan or Old Fashion, you may be disappointed. The only beverages included in our base price were coffee, tea, lemonade, and water. Drink and soda packages could be added to your cruise price.

On to the real fun, the entertainment. We stayed out late every night watching a combination of song and dance acts, comedians, piano and karaoke bars. The ship had nightclubs, a casino, indoor and outdoor movies, etc.… If you couldn’t find something to do you weren’t looking very hard.

We even got to see the ship Infirmary. My husband developed an abscess in his ear. Skilled professionals treated him effectively and efficiently.

The cost was similar to what we are used to. The charges must be paid with a secured credit card but we were provided with a coded bill to file for insurance reimbursement.

Cruise stops included Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Turks. Shore excursions were available when in port. You were always welcome to debark the ship and walk around the port. If you chose to stay on board you had unlimited choice of poolside lounge chairs.

We had a wonderful, relaxing time at sea but when the week was up we were ready to get home. Will we “cruise” again? Probably, there are so many places to see …

APRIL 2019

• 50PLUS • 27

We know pain, but what is it really?

BY CHUCK NORRIS

According to National Retail Federation estimates, fewer people celebrated Valentine’s Day this year than last, yet they spent more -- in excess of $20 billion in this country. As for young adults, nearly half find Valentine’s Day to be their top choice when it comes to popping the question.

Yet for every hopeful story of love, there is sure to be a crushing tale of pain and rejection. As the saying goes, love hurts. In the past few years, psychology researchers have realized that there is a good deal of literal truth in the metaphorical phrases comparing love to pain.

Pain is a universal human experience. We know it. We sense it. It is clearly recognizable to us. We also know that pain caused by love gone wrong is not the same as the actual slap in the face that might accompany a breakup, yet these two types of pain have a shared source.

If lost love leads to a broken heart, it can not only be painful, it can potentially be fatal. Doctors at Johns Hopkins University recently identified a rare but lethal heart condition caused by acute emotional distress.

The condition is known technically as “stress cardiomyopathy,” but a more common description has emerged: “broken heart syndrome.”

Surprisingly, there seems to be no universal clinical consensus on what is and what is not pain. Psychologists believe that physical pain has two separate components: a sensory component and an affective component.

The sensory component transmits basic information about the damage, including its intensity and location.

The affective component provides a qualitative interpretation of the injury. Pain can also be a lie in that it does not always equate to a representation of physical damage.

According to an article by behavioral science reporter Eric Jaffe in Observer, published by the Association for Psychological Science, it is not quite accurate to say that physical and social pain are the same. Some research suggests that social pain can actually be much worse over time.

While the physical characteristics of

pain (stabbing, aching, burning, etc.) may go away, the memory of lost love can linger over a lifetime. At the same time, for all the hurt love causes, it has an equally powerful ability to heal.

As WellBeing blogger Dr. Claire Richardson points out, the clinical community used to think the brain had a sort of blueprint -- one part responsible for sight, another for hearing, another for sensation and so on.

This blueprint was preset and mapped out the same in everyone. What has since been learned is that the brain is adaptable and changeable. “If your brain’s area for taste is damaged,” says Richardson, “it has the capacity to change the neurons somewhere else to pick up where the damaged area left off.” Pain is an output of our brain, she says. It is also a defense mechanism.

The brain determines the emotion we attach to each painful experience.

Feeling calm and safe and connected to others can minimize pain. Negative emotions tend to have the opposite effect.

In an NPR report, David Linden, a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, notes that there are many people with terrible-looking MRI or CT scans who have no lower back pain. Conversely, there are people in incredible pain with nothing to be seen on their scans.

Linden tells the story of Dwayne Turner, an Army combat medic in Iraq who received the Silver Star for valor. In 2003, Turner was unloading supplies when his unit came under attack. He was wounded by a grenade, which left shrapnel in his leg and his side. But he didn’t notice that he had been hit and began giving first aid and pulling other soldiers to safety. As he worked, he was shot twice. One bullet broke a bone in his arm. Yet Turner would say later that he felt almost no pain.

“Soldiers in the heat of the moment don’t recognize the pain that’s happening,” Linden says. “But once that moment is over, those same soldiers may feel a lot of pain from something minor, like a hypodermic needle.”

Science is still struggling to understand precisely how the brain regulates the perception of pain and how some people can teach their brains to filter out things like chronic pain.

What we do know is that if you can change the input, you can alter the output.

This is why such discussions on the nature of pain are important. Studies show that once people understand how pain works, a lot of their fear and anxiety regarding their pain and what it potentially means is alleviated.

Commenting in a recent trend report on the clinical site Practical Pain Management, Dr. Tina L. Doshi of the pain medicine department at Johns

Hopkins University School of Medicine, writes: “The medical community has shifted away from the simplistic view of ‘pain as symptom’ to a more sophisticated understanding of ‘pain as disease.’ Pain is not just an unfortunate consequence of some other pathology; pain is the pathology, and there is now greater awareness that pain management needs to be just as comprehensive, coordinated, and customized as treatment for hypertension, diabetes, or cancer.”

Such a shift is perhaps our greatest hope in stemming chronic pain in this country and bringing to an end the opioid epidemic.

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Here we go again! Senior Softball Leagues open play

BY JACK PEARSON

Up in the heavens that lucky old sun is climbing higher and higher in the sky, and correspondingly, the snow and ice are happily melting away. It’s time for baseball – and softball – again!

Most of the fans and all of the major media are, of course concerned with the former. Which is quite understandable. Our beloved Milwaukee Brewers will be fighting for a championship again, and Miller Park should be filled to capacity for every game.

The fly in the ointment, however, is that it is beginning to cost as much to go out to the old ballpark, as it would be to take a vacation to Hawaii.

So here’s a suggested option. All the senior softball leagues are getting ready to open play again. You can watch any of them, Monday through Friday, on softball field compounds at McCarty Park, Burnham Park and the West Allis Athletic Complex. And the best part, parking and admission are completely free! You can pack a picnic basket or a cooler with food and beverage and take it in with you, also saving you a pile of money. If he or she is well behaved, you can even bring the family pooch along. Try any of those things at Miller Park and you’ll get tossed out on your ear.

Something else. You can be more than just an onlooker, too. If you’re 50 years of age or older and think you have the skills and wherewithal to play, give it a try. All of the leagues listed below are open for new players some of them are also open to women.

So here’s a brief rundown on the leagues and numbers to call for more information.

Opening day for the Village at Manor Park League is slated for Monday, April 29. Ten teams for 55 and older begin play every day in the morning at 9, 10 and 11. All games in this league are played at McCarty Park in West Allis. For more information, call 262-938-6721.

Three leagues also for 55 and older athletes, all begin play in late April at the West Allis Athletic Complex at S. 117th St. and W. Cleveland Ave. Games all start at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and are under the supervision of the West Allis-West Milwaukee Athletic Department. Call 414-604-4938 for information.

There are 12 teams now in the newly expanded 55 Plus Softball League sponsored by the Milwaukee Department of Recreation. All games are conducted at Burnham Park and are played at 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. Their schedule begins on Tuesday, April 23.

For information, call 414-647-3821 or 262-521-3131.

The twelve teams that play in the Southeastern Wisconsin Senior Softball League compete on Wednesdays.

They start on April 24 and play at 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. at McCarty Park. For more information, call 414-427-0403.

And finally, the only softball league in the state for players 65 and older plays on Thursdays, also at McCarty Park. They are sponsored by the Village at Manor Park. Call 262-6723752.

Burnham Village

Gonzaga Village Sunset Heights West Allis

Waukesha

Cifaldi Square

Oak West

Valentino Square

West Milwaukee Cudahy

West Allis

West Allis

APRIL 2019

• 50PLUS • 29

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APRIL 2019

We saw you at....The WSO 40th anniversary Celebrations

BY MARGARET PEARSON

A special feature of the Wisconsin Senior Olympics 40th Anniver-

sary “Try It Experience & Kick-Off Celebration was the welcome to the 40-49 age group, now eligible for ath-

Walt Love and Rockney Bourrage of Milwaukee.

George Marcouza of Franklin and Mark Grams of Two Rivers.

letic competition in the organization.

The happy event was conducted at the beautiful Tripoli Shrine facility

in Milwaukee. Here are a few of the hosts and their visitors.

Harvey and Diane Pollack of Mequon

Edith Schultz of Superior and Riley Dotson of Milwaukee.

HAPPY EASTER

FROM 50 PLUS NEWS MAGAZINE

APRIL 2019

• 50PLUS • 31

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Here comes April Winter debris scatters as April breezes fill the air.

Grasses and even weeds turn green, vibrant like a pair.

Enough about mother nature, what about farming?

Some farmers find soybean futures quite alarming.

Dead leaves strewn about in yards must be raked away.

Not to reappear in likeness until some far off fall day.

With April comes Easter; for kids much mirth.

Keep in mind it’s the time of Jesus’ death and rebirth.

Budding trees seem so ready to burst into blossom.

From its winter’s lair there does appear a possum.

From the dead he definitely on Easter Sunday did arise.

All then did believe; not just the people so wise.

Soon raccoons again will rattle your garbage can.

Such nighttime activity you cannot hope to ban.

As examples of God’s influence, so many are so kind.

We ask for all people, strength of body, peace of mind.

But there’s definitely more than problems to Spring.

Birds from south are flying northward on the wing.

Most bodies of water already are free of winter’s ice.

Lake fishing once again via boat will be oh so nice.

32 • 50PLUS •

APRIL 2019

Can’t Hear on the Phone?

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CapTel 2400i includes Bluetooth® connectivity and Speakerphone

The CapTel® Captioned Telephone shows word-for-word captions of everything a caller says, letting you read anything you cannot hear over the phone. CapTel is a NO-COST, federally funded technology available under the Americans with Disabilities Act. To qualify, users need: • Hearing loss • Internet connection • Landline telephone service

262-409-9370 CapTel.com

Tom Slattery, your local Outreach Educator, works within your community to help anybody who needs this phone gain access to the program.

Tom Slattery, 262-409-9370 • tom.slattery@oeius.org

REQUIREMENTS: Hearing Loss, High Speed Internet, Dial-tone No-Cost Phone with valid third-party certification is subject to change without notice. Terms and conditions may apply. FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. IP Captioned Telephone Service may use a live operator. The operator generates captions of what the other party to the call says. These captions are then sent to your phone. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally administered fund. No cost is passed on to the CapTel user for using the service. CapTel captioning service is intended exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. CapTel® is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. (v1.5 7-18)