September 2010
THROUGH THE DECADES
The Evolution of the
Baby Boomer Home | Lifestyle
Midlife Crisis Health | Fitness
The Anatomy of a Baby Boomer Melanoma—Paying the Price Dollars | Sense
Planning Nest Eggs Living Trusts vs. Wills Workplace | Career
Ability not Age Matters The Timpanogos Caves
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Through the Decades—The Evolution of the Baby Boomer | The baby boomer generation encompasses those born between 1946 and 1964. And believe it or not, there was a whopping 78 million of us born in United States during that time, creating the largest demographic spike in the Country’s history.
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HOME | LIFESTYLE Midlife Crisis | Is the mid-life crisis a myth or reality? How to survive it. HEALTH | FITNESS What We Can Expect | What to expect as our bodies age. Paying the Price | Melanoma Diagnoses rising among boomers.
WORKPLACE | CAREER Ability, Not Age, Matters | Career changes for baby boomers.
30 DOLLARS | SENSE
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6 Reasons Why You Should Have a Living Trust | More than avoiding probate. Money Matters | Planning your nest egg. ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT Bar Hopping | In search of a mellow nightlife.
THINGS TO DO Timpanogos Caves | Yielding secrets from centuries past.
05 | FROM THE EDITOR
19 | THIS & THAT
38 | UPCOMING EVENTS
46 | RESOURCES
Next Month: The Sandwich Generation | Caring for your children, elderly parents, and holding down a job. Who is caring for you? Downsizing Your Home | What to do with the empty nest. Type II Diabetes | How to prevent becoming a statistic. Volunteering | Baby Boomers are service oriented. Where can you volunteer.
September 2010 | 3
Editorial Publisher................... Utah Boomers Magazine, LLC Managing Editor......................................... Teresa Glenn Copy Editor......................................Christopher Glenn
Dear Fellow Boomer,
Welcome to the first issue of Utah Boomers Magazine.
Christian Fraizer
Contributing Writers.........................Dr. James Wood
Margaret Thompson
Lon Jefferies
Christine Fraizer
We baby boomers make up a huge percentage of Utah’s population. The cover story on page 24 illustrates our metamorphosis and the major influence
Photography..................................................... Mark Crim
we have had on the direction of our country’s growth.
The idea for this publication first developed when a group of friends, all
Christine Fraizer
Distribution.............................................................. 30,0000
Advertising Sales Traci Wood 801.201.5087 Clare Bailey 801-243-1231 Webmaster Dan Call
Cover Art Ron Oden Artist, designer, and visual communications specialist; Ron Oden is arguably one of the most published artists of our time, having created thousands of illustrations, paintings and drawings for virtually every industry and in the art world. This month's cover was created in the nostalgic style of Norman Rockwell. www.ronoden.com Utah Boomers Magazine is published monthly for the baby boomer population of Utah. The information contained in this publication may be contributed by independent writers and does not necessarily reflect the views of Utah Boomers management. Copying or electronic distribution of any content within this publication is strictly prohibited without the written permission of Baby Boomers Magazine and the author. For reprint permission, editorial submissions or comments email teresa.glenn@utahboomer.com.
baby boomers, were discussing issues they were facing in their everyday lives. It soon became apparent that there was a common thread: elder care, childcare, college tuition, our careers, retirement, relationships, to name but a few. We decided that baby boomers needed a publication that could provide us with a helping hand. It is our mission at Utah Boomer Magazine to present the issues in a straight forward manner that serves our population. We are reaching out to the experts in our community in the fields of law, health, financial planning, psychology—and more—to provide the most up to date, reliable, and pertinent information. We also guarantee fun along the way. Putting together a new publication is a rewarding, but stressful undertaking. It’s a time when you really learn who your friends and supporters are. I want to send out a heartfelt thanks to those who have gone above and beyond. You know who you are. Until next month,
P.S. We encourage feedback. Let us know what you like, and what you don’t like, and what issues you are facing. Maybe we can help. Thanks for reading.
September 2010 | 5
Margaret Thompson, LCSW
Often the butt of jokes and stereotypes, the term midlife crisis conjurs images of the time in life when you do outrageous and impractical things, like changing your lifestyle, buying that red sports car or scheduling your first facelift. 6|
The Second Half... Living Your Best Life One morning, you wake up to realize you have changed. You feel restless, not quite right. You’re not sure when it happened, or how, but you know you are different. You find yourself thinking of quitting your job, selling your home and downsizing, or planning your own EatPrayLove™ adventure. You may be recently divorced, your children have moved out, or you’ve lost a loved one. You may have survived your fiftieth birthday milestone and are surprised to be somewhat upset about it. You wonder what is happening to you. You may be in the middle of your very own midlife crisis. Often the butt of jokes and stereotypes, the term midlife crisis conjures images of the time in life when you do outrageous and impractical things, like changing your lifestyle, buying that red sports car or scheduling your first facelift. You’re secretly jealous of your neighbor who just started dating someone 10 years younger. Your children and friends tease you but are worried you might go a bit too far yourself. How do you know if what you’re experiencing is a normal reaction to this time in life or if the crazy thoughts in your head are something to worry about? Carl Jung defines midlife as a time of emotional transition somewhere between the ages of 40–60 years old. It is a time of emotional reflection and reassessment that is a normal part of the maturing process. Most come through this process smoothly without making major life changes.
Common midlife transition symptoms include: a sense of loss for goals not accomplished, the search for an undefined dream, a desire for youthfulness, and the realization you won’t live forever. This can be a time of tremendous growth and opportunity, a time to reevaluate priorities and goals and adjust to changing family or financial structure. For others, midlife transition seems more complicated and can be an uncomfortable time emotionally. Midlife symptoms feel like a crisis and seem to come out of nowhere, turning your life upside down. It can be a particularly hard time for the “babyboomer” generation, who have had high ideals and expectations of themselves and of others. Their disappointment in what they have not accomplished can be accordingly intense. Midlife crisis symptoms include: impulsive behavior or decisions, feeling trapped or burdened, getting lost in the past and thinking “if only…” , feeling fear and anxiety, or feeling hopeless with no vision for the future. There may be an increased reliance on addictive substances or behaviors to manage these uncomfortable feelings. Bottom line, you are just not happy with what you have and see no way out.
September 2010 | 7
In addition, childhood issues that were never previously managed may surface. External stressors may be extreme and the transition seems impossible (debt or significant loss). There is a normal process that must be gone through, and if you don’t understand this process or it is complicated, you are at risk to become clinically depressed and make decisions you may later regret. A woman in her late 40’s came to me for therapy after her last child left home. She was tearful, unhappy, and stressed about her marriage. Her husband had traveled extensively with his job and was unaware of what she was experiencing. He thought she was “losing it” and feared he could no longer make her happy. She felt she had lost her identity without her children at home and felt pressure from her husband, concluding she was now a failure in her marriage. Marital tensions increased, they began to have arguments that could not resolve. Both wondered if their marriage was the problem. Therapy helped her understand she could move from feeling she had lost her previous life to finding the opportunity to create a new one. Her husband was relieved she had the capability to find what made her happy again. Fortunately, they were able to discuss these issues without damaging or losing their relationship.
Building a “durable marriage” during this time is critical. Men and women are equally likely to experience midlife transition symptoms. Roles change, and the relationship itself must change. Men frequently get in touch with their feminine side and take up cooking, art, or caring for grandchildren. Women may become more selfish and desire experiences for independence and self growth. Understanding these changes can help reduce normal fears and anxieties about how to make these changes. Midlife transition symptoms can make you focus on what you don’t have. Rather than thinking about the life you used to have, focus on the life you now have and the life you want in the future. By focusing on your blessings, you have the power to give yourself the best of everything in the second half of your life.
Margaret Thompson, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of The Salt Lake Marital and Family Therapy Clinic. With over thirty years experience as a marriage and family therapist specializing in relational therapy, her areas of expertise include relationship problems, interpersonal conflicts, and managing life transitions.
A Woman Scorned She spent the first day packing her personal belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases. On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things. On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candlelight, put on some soft background music and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of Chardonnay. When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning and mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days. In the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked.
People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit. Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move. A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and, eventually, even the local realtors refused to return their calls. Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place. The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. She told him she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back. Knowing his exwife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day. She agreed and within the hour, his lawyers delivered the paperwork. A week later, the man and his new girlfriend stood smirking as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home. Including the curtain rods. –Author Unknown
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The Anatomy of a Baby Boomer What We Can Expect from our Bodies Unfortunately, we all have to do it...grow old. The aging process is incremental—some systems aging faster than others, and then, of course, gender comes into play. Men hit their peak in their late twenties while women reach theirs in the mid thirties. We feel great, we look great and we are mentally sharp. Then it happens. A physiological shift takes place and it’s downhill from there...we start to experience cellular breakdown our bodies and mind begin to deteriorate. Suddenly, we begin to experience back pain, eye problems, not to mention the problems associated with menopause.
“A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related disease and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases but also because it may influence the aging process itself.” The researchers, who studied the DNA sequences of 2400 twins found that the subjects that exercised around 30 minutes per day positively affected the markers of biological aging. Their conclusion: the exercisers were as much as a decade biologically younger than but grows young. the sedentary subjects.
The soul is born old That is the comedy of life. And the body is born young and grows old. That is life’s tragedy.
Our biological utility is reduced by three to six percent each decade after the age of thirty five. The following pages a brief overview of what, in all likelihood, will happen or has begun to happen to your body as you age. In the coming months, we will explore many of these subjects in greater detail, providing some advice and hopefully solutions to slowing the aging process.
Slowing the process We all know that there are certain behaviors that accelerate the aging process; smoking, obesity, substance abuse, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. In fact, according to researchers at King’s College London
In their book, Younger Next Year, Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge, M.D., agree. They believe that -Oscar Wilde with diet and exercise, you can “live like your 50 until your 80” then you die. “No lingering disease. No chronic conditions. You run the machine at a fairly high speed for eight or nine decades and then make a quick trip to the junk heap.” In order to do it, though, they maintain you must be willing to set aside forty-five minutes per day, six days a week for intense cardio workouts. No excuses.
Diet According to Edward Weiss, associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences “There is plenty of evidence the calorie continued on page 16
September 2010 | 11
Oral
Skin
With age, even the most meticulous care cannot prevent receding gums and more brittle teeth, causing breakage. You will produce less saliva, making it more difficult to fight decay and infection.
At around age 40 your skin begins to lose elasticity and wrinkles begin. You may begin to get age spots, and skin tags. You will also begin to bruise more easily.
Skeletal System
Brain and Nervous System
Heart and Circulatory System
Pulmonary
As with a lot of our bodies systems, you bones are at there strongest between the ages of 25 and 35. After age 35, your bones begin to lose density. Spinal vertebrae become depressed, causing us to become shorter and we lose strength and flexibility. You are also more susceptible to bone fractures. Make sure you are getting enough calcium, vitamin D and exercise.
If the sixties didn't zap your brain cells, aging will. You will begin to have some memory loss. Memory loss caused by aging may be a simple as forgetting where you put your keys, or having trouble remembering the name of someone you just met. This is normal. Your aging brain has to work harder to recall information.
As you age, your heart muscle becomes less efficient, causing it to work harder to pump blood through your vessels. Also, you may have collected plaque in your arteries, making them harder, causing your heart to work even harder. This may cause a rise in blood pressure. Keep an eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Your lungs, much like your other systems weaken with age. You will begin to lose air capacity and find yourself out of breath when doing exerting tasks such as aerobics or cycling. Your lungs also lose the capacity to fight infection as efficiently, making us more susceptible to respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. If you have smoked in the past or continue to smoke, you are far more likely to develop respiratory problems. Time to quit.
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You may find your coordination if off, and have trouble with your balance.
Ears All that rock ’n roll may now be taking its toll. Over the years, loud noises can damage hair cells in the inner ear. In addition, your auditory canals thin and your eardrums thicken, causing difficulty in hearing high frequencies.
Eyes Beginning in your forties, you may find it difficult to focus when reading. Your retinas begin to thin and your lenses become less clear. It is not uncommon for aging eyes to develop cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration
Male Urinary and Reproductive System
Female Urinary and Reproductive System
Male Menopause
Female Menopause
Like women, men experience an age related decrease in hormones. Unlike women, men don't lose fertility. Beginning around the age of 40, you will lose about 1percent of testosterone per year until about age 70.
The average age of female menopause is 51. Your lack of a menstrual cycle, thus no hormones, will bring on many changes. You will experience hot flashes, thinning hair, mood swings, and possible trouble sleeping.
Urinary Track
Urinary Track
Men don't experience incontinence to the same degree as women. If you do “dribble” it may be due to and enlarged prostate or a blocked urethra. Some healthcare providers recommend PSA testing in men between the ages of 40 and 75.
You might be in the unlucky 10 percent that experiences some incontinence. The possibility increases if you are a woman who has been through menopause. With declining estrogen levels, the urethra becomes thinner. As with all our muscles, the pelvic muscles become weaker, making it more difficult to support the bladder.
Sexuality
Gastrointestinal System
Muscular System
The normal aging process for the digestive system is the same as others, it slows down and your gastrointestinal juices may diminish. The good news is, other than a decrease in appetite and possibly some constipation, you probably won't notice any changes.
Muscles can become less dense, making the arms and legs look thinner. Muscle tissue may also become less flexible, and muscles can lose tone, which is harder to replace.
As you age, you may experience a diminished interest in sex. Impotence becomes more common in men as you get older. By age 65, up to 25 percent of men will have difficulty getting or keeping an erection. Anyone who watches TV knows the solution to this problem. See your doctor.
Sexuality Lack of hormones due to menopause my cause vaginal dryness causing painful intercourse. You may experience an decreased sex drive. If this is a problem for you, consult your doctor. Believe it or not, a dose of testosterone just might do the trick.
September 2010 | 13
continued from page 13
restriction can reduce your risks for many common diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” Weiss said. “And you may live to be substantially older.” Foregoing the Big Mac and settling for a turkey sandwich will put you on the right track. Don’t forget shop for antiaging foods such as avocados, walnuts, green veggies, green teas, melons, beans, and occasionally red wine and dark chocolate.
REFERENCES http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-study-links-exercise-to-longevity http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/boomer-health/ar ticles/2008/07/14/eating-less-may-slow-aging-process.html http://seniorliving.about.com/od/healthnutrition/a/aging101part2.htm http://www.mayoclinic.com http://www.merck.com http://www.headbutler.com/books/self-help/younger-next-year
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Paying the Price
Kathy Wilets
Remember the 1970s? Flipping through magazines to see models with that healthy California-girl glow? And how about marinating your skin in baby oil then roasting in the sun to get that perfect, dark tan? Having a tan was the calling of a generation. Four decades later, it has become a curse as boomers deal with the long-term consequences of the fleeting summer tan. “Excessive sun exposure increases your chances of developing melanoma,” says Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). “Baby boomers that spent a lot of time sunbathing in their youth are starting to pay the price.”
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Excessive sun exposure
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Living in sunny or high altitude climates
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Moles on skin
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Family history of skin cancer
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Increasing age
Pay the price indeed. Nearly two million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. People in their 60s and 70s are five times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to Cancer Research UK. “Baby boomers may have unknowingly put themselves at risk,” says Leachman. “Now it’s time for them to take action.”
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Light or red hair
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Light-colored eyes
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Fair skin or freckles
There are three primary types of skin cancer. Melanoma is the deadliest form. If it’s caught early, it’s almost 100 percent curable. If it spreads to other parts of the body, it’s hard to treat and can be fatal. Basal cell carcinoma is usually caused by cumulative exposure to sunlight. It’s the most common type of skin cancer, affecting 800,000 Americans each year. It is not generally life-threatening unless it goes untreated for a long time. Squamous cell carcinoma is diagnosed in more than 200,000 Americans annually. It can also be caused by overexposure to the sun. Most squamous cell carcinomas grow slowly and don’t spread to other parts of the body, but some tumors, especially those on the scalp, ears, and lips, can be aggressive and difficult to treat.
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History of sunburns
Leachman recommends annual screening for skin cancer
Leachman says one way to take action is to know your risk factors for skin cancer:
September 2010 | 15
What to watch for: The ABCDs of skin cancer are asymmetry, border irregularity, color changes, diameter greater than a pencil eraser.
by a dermatologist or other trained health care provider. Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms, hands, and legs. But it can also develop on places that aren’t exposed, so you should talk to your health care provider about any suspicious spots or moles, regardless of where they appear. HCI offers programs such as mole mapping for certain patients at higher risk, where photographs are taken of moles and integrated into an imaging archiving system. During follow-up visits, doctors use the photos to see if there are changes that warrant a biopsy. HCI is also a leader in stateof-the-art clinical studies for skin cancer. In addition to annual screening by a dermatologist, it’s also important to do a thorough monthly self- exam, looking for unusual skin changes. Leachman says two main things to watch for are a new lesion that doesn’t look like the others on your body and a mole that looks like one side is growing differently than the rest. Here are other red flags:
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Changes in color, size, or texture, or border of a mole
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A mole, bump, or patch of skin that bleeds
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A sore that doesn’t heal
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A crusted surface that doesn’t heal
“Many boomers may have damaged their skin, but they can do something about it,” says Leachman. “It’s never too late to take precautions like using broad-spectrum sunblock with a minimum SPF of 30, wearing protective clothing when outdoors, and limiting time in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the radiation is strongest. Knowing the risk and being proactive about screening and prevention is the best way to catch skin cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat and sometimes even curable." Kathy Wilets is a communications and public affairs associate for Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah. Before joining HCI, she worked in television news, producing the daily “Healthy Living” segment for KUTV.
September 2010 | 17
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Boomers are Going Gray According to the Salt Lake Tribune (8-12-10 article Some women declare ‘freedom’ from roots, go gray) more and more women who, in their 40s, 50s, 60s or even 30s, are choosing to let their hair go gray — or white, silver or charcoal. Men are actually asking their stylists to add gray so that they'll be taken more seriously. When newspaper articles were giving press to Obama's new gray, Jamie Lee Curtis, herself gray, despite Hollywood's protestations, commented, "The president has been handed the most difficult set of circumstances in perhaps our nation's history and we are talking about his gray hair. Hair? Who cares?" To decide if going gray is right for you go to www. goinggraylookinggreat.com/
Shingles Thought you were through with chicken pox? Maybe not. According to medicinenet.com, over 1,000,000 Americans get shingles every year, most of them over 60. Shingles is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and lies dormant in your body. Shingles can be brought on by stress or immune deficiencies. Shingles are very painful. Symptons might begin with a headache or flu-like symptoms such as achiness, but without a fever. Shingles normally affect just one side of your body. You might eventually get a rash that will turn into blisters that can last up to six weeks. You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles. But a person with a shingles rash can spread chickenpox to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine. There is no cure for shingles, but there are treatments in the form of antiviral medicines, creams and pain medicines. See your doctor if you experience symptoms of shingles.
9-11 Day of Service and Remembrance The Senate approved a major national-service bill designates September 11 as a “National Day of Service and Remembrance.” While the law isn't official until 2011, people all over America are volunteering now by participating in food drives, running, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, or just visiting a neighbor in need. “There isn't a better or more fitting way to remember 9/11 than for all of us as Americans to voluntarily set aside time on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks to help others in need.” -Jay S. Winuk, founder www.911dayofservice.org/ To find out where you can volunteer, see the Resources section in this magazine or log on to volunteers.utah. gov/
September 2010 | 19
Career Changes
Ability, Kelli Smith
Baby boomers. They’re the generation born between 1946 and 1964. They came of age in the early 70s and early 80s. They’re the generation that made changes and waves, worked harder and longer, put off marriage and children, did things differently than previous generations. Whether because of financial necessity or because they have something to offer, baby boomers are staying in the workforce longer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and projections indicate that by 2010 there should be 18.5 million boomers ages 45 to 49 in the labor force, as compared to 14.7 in 1995, and 16.8 million versus 10.6 million in the 50 to 54 year old range. They’re still making changes. They’re retiring later, or not at all. If not downsized or laid off, boomers often continue to work. When they don’t choose to continue in the same career, it doesn’t mean they’re ready to stop contributing, and sometimes they’re making transitions to new careers. “On average there are three to five career changes in a person’s lifetime and that’s pretty common,” says Kevin Gaw, Director of Career Development, University of Nevada, Reno. “It’s pretty common that a layoff ends up being a great opportunity for someone to find something that’s more suited to them, too.” But it can be challenging to a baby boomer to be suddenly confronted with a career change. They were raised in a world where you got your education, then got your job, and while you may not
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for Baby Boomers:
Not Age, Matters have stayed with the job until you retired, you would probably stay in the same profession. “It can be jarring to realize you have to transfer your skill set to another area,” says Gaw. In 2004, Gaw’s office worked with 208 alumni. Nearly 7.5 percent were going through a career change, three percent because of a forced situation such as layoff or company closure or relocation. The rest of them just wanted to do something different. When you’re faced with an important career shift, there are things you can to do make it easier on yourself and achieve a more enjoyable, productive career change. • Look at your skills. Determine which are transferable to other jobs. • Find your passion. What do you love to do? “It’s not about the money,” Gaw says. “The money isn’t what makes us happy. What makes us happy is doing something that’s meaningful to us.” • Look at reality. If you want to be an astronaut but can’t do math, Gaw says, the reality is it’s unlikely. People need to work through that disappointment and maybe change that passion to a hobby rather than a vocation. • Determine whether you want to make a radical career change, say from legal secretary to Web designer? Or stay within the same profession. • If you like the company you’re with but feel the need for change, see if they can retain and retrain you. If it comes down to a complete career change, there are also some things you can do to help create a whole new career for yourself. • Promote yourself rather than your age. Once you get into a position and can show off your skills, you’ll be known for those skills rather than your years.
• Start slow. Before investing heavily in education, determine if it’s the right career path for you. • Network. Many non-entry level positions are found by references. Join professional organizations in the field you want to enter. • Consider working for yourself. A job market survey conducted in 2005 by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., quoted on thematuremarket.com, indicated that of 3000 job seekers, 13 percent chose to work for themselves, and 86.6 percent of them were over 40. Another option is to leverage your experience and teach or train. Moving into training and coaching people just entering the profession you’re leaving is a fairly informal move. Teaching requires state licensing, and there are programs helping place retiring workers into teaching positions. The University of Nevada Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning takes executives through a first-time licensing program and puts them in the schools in just a couple semesters, often teaching in high-needs areas like math, science and languages. Likewise, IBM unveiled their Transition to Teaching program in September, reimbursing them for tuition and providing stipends while they student teach. Many of their executives are highly trained in math and computer sciences. Whether making a career change to a new profession or a new position, Gaw says such changes are a normal life pattern. “It’s a good thing to be open to change. The challenge is recognizing skill sets and knowing how to capitalize on them and present them to the new opportunities.” Kelli Smith is the editor for Edu411.org, a career education directory for finding colleges and universities, training schools, and technical institutes.
September 2010 | 21
Imagine, if you will, 1945. The second world war is at an end, the United States and its allies are victorious, and the great depression is winding down. Now imagine the millions of soldiers returning home to their loved ones…and the GI bill. Subdivisions are cropping up with affordable housing, and the soldiers are settling down to start a family—a “booming” family. Sound familiar? The baby boomer generation encompasses those born between 1946 and 1964. And believe it or not, there was a whopping 78 million of us born in America during that time, creating the largest demographic spike in America’s history. We were raised in suburbia where there were new schools, churches and malls cropping up to meet our family’s needs. Our mother, along with just about every other mother in our neighborhood, was perpetually pregnant. Dr. Spock came along to teach our parents how to raise their burgeoning brood. Driven by our sheer numbers, compa-
Through the decades...
nies began making toys to entertain us. Enter the Hula Hoop, Mr. Potato Head, and the Slinky. By the time we girls were reaching puberty, we were introduced to Barbie® and longed to look just like that misshapen doll. We played-kick-the-can, and cowboys and Indians with the entire neighborhood, finally going in when the street lights came on. We didn’t worry about political correctness or stranger danger.
The Sixties Now, jump forward to the sixties—our defining decade. We are now becoming teens and young adults. The world is changing and in no small part due our influence. We were swooning over Elvis Presley— our parents appalled at his provocatively gyrating hips. We put on our poodle skirts and headed en masse to watch him on the big screen. On November 22, 1963, our president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy is assassinated, and each of us can tell you where we were the moment we heard the news. Sadly, his brother, Bobby, would be assassinated just five years later. In 1964, The Beatles came on the scene and rocked our world... literally. But, they were just the beginning. Soon we had the Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Mamas and the Papas... the list goes on and on. We packed away our poodle skirts, took down our Elvis posters and grew out our crew cuts. The mantra, sex, drugs and rock and roll, testified to our obsession with “pleasure”. We said things like “groovy” and “far out” and wore signs for peace.
The Evolution of the 22 |
For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. -John F. Kennedy By the late 1960s, use of LSD and pot was widespread. In 1969 there was a gathering of rock and role artists at a little place called Woodstock.
Another War The Viet Nam war divided us Baby Boomers for awhile. Many of us vehemently protested the war, while many of us went to Viet Nam in service to our country. It was a turbulent time in America. Our brothers, cousins, husbands and boyfriends did not come home to the same welcome as did our fathers.
We Shall Overcome Antiwar protests was not the only social unrest in the news. The Civil Rights Movement would produce the greatest civil unrest since the Civil War. On August 28, 1963 an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 demonstrators gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He won the Nobel peace prize in 1964. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
One Small Step On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon. Some of us were lucky enough to watch it on a “color” television set.
The Seventies We started to have children of our own. Housing is still pretty affordable and a the national average salary is right around $7500.00 per year. Out in the open, we read Love Story and Jonathan Livingston Segal. Behind closed doors we read Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex but Were Afraid To Ask. War Protests were still going on and tragically on May 1, 1970, four students were shot to death while protesting at Kent State University. In May of 1972, Republican agents burglarized the democratic headquarters at the Watergate Hotel, eventually causing the resignation and near impeachment of Richard Nixon. The Equal Rights Amendment passed the U.S. Senate and then the House of Representatives but to this day is three states short of ratification. In 1977, we lost the King of rock and roll with the death of Elvis Presley. Our parents, horrified with their long-haired, outspoken, hippie children, began to blame Dr. Spock.
The Eighties For many of us, our idealism turned to capitalism. We cut our hair, donned our polyester business attire and headed out to meet and
Baby Boomer September 2010 | 23
re-create corporate America. We became engineers and marketers. Our generation created the PC and later the Mac. We were starting on a technological path that had no boundaries.
The Aughts
We looked good doing it, too. Big hair, mullets, leg warmers and sports jackets with the sleeves pushed up to elbows. Dang, we were hot.
It’s impossible to drive down the street or order a meal in a restaurant without a person talking or texting on their phone while their real-life, warm-blooded, human companion looks on.
Milli Vanilli won a grammy for best new artist, and we all know how that ended.
The numbers 9-11 took on another form of emergency when two planes collided into World Trade Center, leading to two wars with the countries where the responsible parties reside.
We couldn’t wait for the wedding of Luke and Laura, which would prove to be the second most watched televised wedding—the first being the Prince Charles marriage to Diana Spencer.
The aughts introduced us to cell phones, iPods, Facebook, and Twitter. We can now stay in touch with people we hardly know.
We elected Barak Obama, our first African American president.
The eighties held tragedies: In 1980 John Lennon was gunned downed near his New York apartment. In 1984 the virus causing AIDS was identified. In 1985 Rock Hudson and in 1986 supermodel, Gia would be the first public figures to die from this horrible virus.
Not so real, reality TV became the norm. We watched Jon and Kate plus 8 right up until Jon decided to make it Kate plus 8; Survivor, and Dancing with the Stars replace sitcoms as Americas's favorite viewing.
In 1986, the Challenger exploded and just as with the deaths of Kennedy, Elvis and others, we know exactly where we were when we heard about it.
The Nineties Russia—the feared enemy of our youth—fell in 1991, signaling the end of the Cold War. In 1991 we became engaged in Operation Desert Storm. It was our first televised war and we were glued to CNN to see what Wolf Blitzer would say next. We nicknamed CNN reporter Arthur Kent “the scud stud.” In 1992 in Los Angeles Rodney King was beaten by the police and then lamented “Why can’t we all just get along”? In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed. The damage would seem mild by comparison to what would follow less than a decade later. In 1994, Lorena Bobbit got revenge. In 1998, two interesting things happened: Viagra® was introduced and ironically, Bill Clinton was impeached.
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We were getting piercings and tats in record numbers. Skin art can be found on everyone from teens to grannies.
Look at Us Now We are moving into old age kicking and screaming. We are an “easier” 50 than were our parents. We exercise, are more conscientious about what we eat, and are constantly learning new things. Yet, we are faced with an unstable economy and worries about our jobs and our retirement. Fearful of not having Social Security or pensions adequate to sustain our retirement, we have been pretty conscientious about saving to augment our 401K. Many of us plan on working for as long as we can, while others are opting for retiring at 62, the age when Social Security becomes available. Regardless of what we decide, we will do it with all the impact that we have created throughout the decades of our lives.
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6 1
Reasons Why Yo Have a Living Tr
If you’ve ever thought about a living trust, it’s probably because you hate the idea of going through probate. Living trusts have been heavily marketed on that basis over the past several years and, yes, living trusts certainly do avoid probate. But, there’s a whole lot more to living trusts than just that. In fact, avoiding probate is not even one of the top three reasons for a living trust. In my opinion, it’s #4. To set the record straight, here are the top 6 reasons why you should have a living trust. Reason #1: Protecting Property for Certain Beneficiaries. This is seldom mentioned as a reason for a living trust, but it’s probably one of the most important reasons. When most of us think about estate planning, we think about giving our property to our husband or wife, our children, and other loved ones after we die. However, sometimes our intended beneficiaries just aren’t able to handle an inheritance. Minor children are the usual suspects here. Many states don’t even allow minor children to own property because they’re just too young. Instead, the state appoints a guardian to hold the property until they reach majority age (usually age 18). Even then, parents cringe at the thought of an 18-year old getting any amount of money. The first thing they might do is quit school, buy an expensive car, and head to Cancun. But, minor children aren’t the only ones who squander money. Most experts agree that no one under the age of 25 should be given an inheritance outright because they need time to finish school and start a career. Of course, there are many people over the age of 25 that shouldn’t have money either. Some are spendthrifts at heart, others are in not-so-good marriages, still others are going through bankruptcy. Then there are those who are just too frail and incapacitated to manage property on their own. Giving any amount of property to any of these people is never a good idea.
plans, etc. If you reduce all your property to cash, it could easily amount to $500,000 or more. But, having your executor write a check to your son for $500,000 is probably not a good idea. Instead, it would be far better to create a trust for your son with someone else, say a friend, family relative, attorney, or your local bank, as trustee. The trustee would hold the money and invest it for your son’s benefit until he reached a more mature age, say age 25. In the meantime, your trustee would use the money to pay for your son’s schooling, his general living expenses, and any other expenses you might specify in the trust instrument—including a down payment on a home or a new business. When your son reaches the specified age, the trust would end and your son would be given a check for the full value of the trust at that time. Revocable living trusts have been used to protect property for hundreds of years, and it is probably one of the most important reasons for a revocable living trust today. If you have any beneficiaries who are in this position, then a revocable living is a necessary component of your overall estate planning.
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That’s when a trust becomes a vital part of your estate planning. A trust allows you to have your cake and eat it too. Let’s take a look at a typical example and see how it works. Let’s say that you have a 20-year old son who is a junior in college. If you and your wife both die, you want your son to get all your property, including the equity in your home, your life insurance, retirement
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...parents cringe at the thought of an 18year old getting any amount of money. The first thing they might do is quit school, buy an expensive car, and head to Cancun.
Reason #2: Reducing or Eliminating Estate Taxes. Many people say that a revocable living trust doesn’t save estate taxes. Technically, they’re right. There are no provisions in the federal tax laws that exempt revocable living trusts from estate taxes. However, living trusts are often used by individuals and families to take advantage of certain deductions and credits allowed under the tax laws. That sounds like double talk, but let me explain. For individuals dying this year, up to $1,500,000 is exempt from federal estate taxes. This exemption is referred to as a "unified credit." Besides the unified credit, no estate tax is levied on any property passing to a surviving spouse. This "marital deduction"
ou Should ust is unlimited, so you could transfer any amount of money to your spouse without paying estate taxes. Here’s what typically happens when a husband and wife have simple wills. Let’s assume that each of you has a $1,000,000 estate. Let’s also assume that you die first and that your will leaves all your property to your wife. Your estate pays no estate taxes because of the marital deduction. Upon your wife’s subsequent death, her property (then $2,000,000) is left to your children. Your wife’s estate would then have to pay an estate tax of roughly $235.000, since your wife’s unified credit covers only the first $1,500,000 of her property. The remainder is taxed at graduated rates reaching 47%. You can eliminate this $235,000 estate tax very easily with a revocable living trust. Let’s assume, for example, that you only give your wife $500,000 and that the other $500,000 is put into your revocable living trust. Your estate still doesn’t pay an estate tax because the property given to your wife is exempt under the marital deduction and the property given to your trust is exempt under your unified credit. Now, however, your wife’s estate is only worth $1,500,000 (her original $1,000,000 plus the $500,000 you gave her). Upon her death, no estate taxes will be paid by her estate because the entire $1,500,000 is covered by her unified credit. The $500,000 in your revocable living trust is not taxed in your wife’s estate because she didn’t own it, even though she was the preferred beneficiary and could receive distributions if she needed some money.
3
This very simple but highly effective technique —made possible by the use of a revocable living trust—would eliminate roughly $235,000 in federal estate taxes in the above example. For this reason, any married couple with a combined estate in excess of the unified credit (currently $1,500,000) should consider a revocable living trust to take advantage of this tax-saving technique. Reason #3: Managing Property upon Incapacity. One of the major concerns that many of us have today is not about dying— it’s about living too long! We see it all around us—we worry Living Trust continued on page 32
Lon Jefferies
Planning your Nest Egg
Q A
How can I be more comfortable with my financial situation and confident I won’t outlive my nest egg?
The first step to financial piece of mind is developing a comprehensive financial plan. Having a constantly updated financial plan enables you to continually know where you are in relation to your goals, and consistently highlight actions that should be taken so you can enjoy the retirement you’ve imagined. Additionally, a well-crafted financial plan should contain strategies for accruing and preserving wealth. According to a study conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, investors with a financial plan have twice as much cash and investable assets as investors without a plan.1 What qualifies as a financial plan? First, any document provided by a stockbroker, insurance agent, or annuity salesman is likely not a financial plan, but a sales presentation. A financial plan should be objective in nature and investment decisions should be based on the plan; the plan should not be a tool to steer you toward predetermined and limited investments. A comprehensive plan should define your current financial position, outline your goals, and chart a detailed strategy for achieving those goals. With an emphasis on minimizing taxes, your plan should include: •
A variety of retirement projections
•
An analysis of your insurance coverage
•
An examination of your estate planning documents Nest Egg continued on page 33
September 2010 | 27
about our parents living in their own home. We worry about their bills being paid and whether someone will walk off with their money. In many cases, we are powerless to help them because all of their property is in their own name. Unfortunately, without doing some prior planning, the only option we have is to file an application with the probate court to have a guardian appointed for them. That’s a gut wrenching experience because all their personal and financial affairs will have to be paraded before total strangers, and they will be forced to suffer the indignity and humiliation of being declared incompetent. It doesn’t have to be that way. Many people try to avoid that result by putting certain properties (particularly checking and savings accounts) in joint name with a son or daughter. That enables the son or daughter to pay their bills, but it doesn’t provide a lot of help with other financial matters. It also creates more problems when the parent dies because those accounts pass automatically to the son or daughter and leaves the other children out in the cold.
Still, a reasonably efficient successor trustee will be able to determine fairly quickly just how much the potential debts and expenses will be, and he or she will then be able to make advanced distributions accordingly. In the final analysis, most revocable living trusts are able to distribute property more quickly and with much less cost than is possible through probate.
A better solution is a durable power of attorney. A durable power of attorney allows you to designate the people you want to help you with your financial affairs. However, as good as a durable power of attorney is—and I’m a firm believer that everyone over the age of 50 ought to have one - it does have some shortcomings. First, your attorney-in-fact may find some financial institutions difficult to work with. Second, it may not give your attorney-in-fact all the powers needed to manage your affairs. For instance, if you were making gifts to family members on a regular basis, your attorney-in-fact would not be able to continue making those gifts unless that was specifically stated in the document.
Does that mean that everyone should avoid probate? I don’t think so. Some people suggest a threshold limit of $100,000, exclusive of real estate, in order to justify the expense of a revocable living trust. I think the cutoff should be much lower than that. Most states have a simplified probate for estates valued at less than $20,000. If you’re in that situation, then a simplified probate is probably right for you. However, if your probate estate is valued at more than $20,000, then you really need to look closely at a revocable living trust, especially if any of the other reasons for a revocable living trust apply to you. After all, it doesn’t take much to make up for the few dollars it takes to establish a revocable living trust.
A much better solution is a revocable living trust. A revocable living trust allows your successor trustee to take over whenever you resign or become incapacitated. There is generally no interruption in the management of your property, and there is no court supervision. Revocable living trusts also enjoy a greater level of acceptance throughout the legal and financial community, and almost all states provide a broad range of statutory powers regarding the management of trust property. While it is true that a living trust isn’t effective unless your property is in the trust, a durable power of attorney will enable your attorneyin-fact to transfer property into your trust if you can’t do it on your own.
Reason #5: Avoiding a Will Contest. It is true that a will is far more likely to be contested than a revocable living trust. That’s because a will goes into effect only when a person dies, whereas a revocable living trust goes into effect as soon as the trust instrument is signed and generally lasts for some time after the owner’s death. If you’re going to contest a will, all you have to do is prove that the testator was either incompetent or under undue influence at the precise moment the will was signed. To contest a revocable living trust, you have to prove that the grantor was incompetent or under undue influence not only when the trust instrument was signed, but also when each property was transferred to the trust, when each investment decision was made, and when each and every distribution was made to the owner or anyone else. That is virtually impossible to do.
4
5
Reason #4: Avoiding Probate. It is true that property in your revocable living trust will not go through probate when you die. That’s because the trust instrument spells out who get’s the property. It’s a lot like life insurance, annuities, 401(k) plans, IRAs, and company retirement plans - those properties do not go through probate because they each have a designated beneficiary. Jointly-owned property, with rights of survivorship, doesn’t go through probate, either. It passes automatically to the surviving joint owner.
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That does not mean, however, that your successor trustee is free to distribute the trust property immediately. It’s not as simple as that. Just because your property is in trust doesn’t mean that your outstanding debts don’t have to be paid. Likewise, the federal government still wants to collect its estate taxes; your state government still wants to collect its inheritance taxes; and the probate court still wants some fees even though most of your property may avoid probate. There probably will be trustee’s fees and attorney’s fees as well. In view of all these expenses, the successor trustee may be able to make some advanced distributions from the trust, but enough money has to be retained in the trust to pay all the debts and expenses.
Moreover, it costs nothing to contest a will. All a disgruntled family member has to do is object when the will is presented for probate, then hire an attorney on a contingency fee basis, and wait for the final outcome. A disgruntled family member has nothing to lose. On the other hand, contesting a revocable living trust generally involves a substantial commitment of time and money. Whereas a will contest is heard in probate court, a revo-
cable living trust contest is heard in civil court where there are substantial filing fees and formal procedures that have to be followed. Still, some people argue that will contests are seldom successful, so why bother with a revocable living trust? The answer is threefold: First, a will contest puts a screeching halt on the settlement of an estate. Most will contests take a minimum of two or more years to complete and, during that period, no distributions will be made to anyone. Second, defending a will contest involves lots of attorney time that results in large attorneys’ fees. Even unsuccessful will contests end up costing $50,000 or more in attorney’s fees. Third, many will contests are settled before they ever get to court. In that case, the estate will be further diminished by the amount of the settlement. In the final analysis, will contests are time consuming and expensive. The best way to avoid them is through a revocable living trust.
6
Reason #6: Privacy. Most of us naturally dislike the concept of probate because it is a public process. Theoretically, anyone can go into probate court when a person dies and look at the estate file. You can read the will, you can find out who the relatives and beneficiaries are, you can look at the claims of creditors and the list of assets, and you can find the phone numbers and addresses of estate beneficiaries. Unscrupulous sales people often go through estate files to locate grieving heirs to prey on. Disgruntled heirs, even friends and neighbors, often like to poke their noses into an estate file to see what’s there. Revocable living trusts can prevent all of that. Revocable living trusts are private; they don’t get filed with the probate court, and no one gets to look at them unless the grantor or the trustee allows it. Some people put a high value on privacy—some people don’t. In my experience, most individuals know whether they will have a problem with a family member or some other person regarding their estate. In those cases, privacy becomes a very important concern and one that should properly be address with a revocable living trust. These, then, are the top 6 reasons why you should have a revocable living trust. If one or more of these reasons apply to you, then you should consult a professional to see whether a revocable living trust makes sense in your overall estate planning. Attorney Michael P. Pancheri is the founder and CEO of the Living Trust Network. You may contact him by email at info@livingtrustnetwork.com. You may also contact him at the Living Trust Network’s web site at http://www.livingtrustnetwork. com Copyright 2005. LivingTrustNetwork, LLC. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Pancheri
Nest Egg continued from page 31
•
A clearly defined investment strategy, and
•
A plan for funding education accounts for heirs
Retirement projections are useful for estimating the standard of living you are on pace to enjoy, and can even illustrate how your lifestyle would be affected by variables such as inflation, life expectancy, and the rate of return achieved. This tool is great for quantifying the actions you must take to reach your goals, such as how much you must save each year, how long you must work, etc. The investment strategy portion of your plan should identify an asset allocation appropriate for your risk tolerance. Your asset allocation is the mix of stocks (most aggressive), bonds (less aggressive) and cash (most conservative) in your portfolio. A predetermined asset allocation should reduce your probability of losing more than you can afford during market declines, and help you sleep better at night. Additionally, having a comprehensive long-term plan will minimize emotion and emphasize logic when making financial decisions. Beware! It is not enough to have a financial plan collecting dust on your bookshelf; your plan should be a living document. Circumstances in your life are frequently changing—new family members, market movements, changes in employer benefits, fluctuating health status, etc. Your plan should be updated at least annually to reflect these changes. 1 SEC, Office of Investor Education and Assistance, February 24, 1998
Lon Jefferies is a fee-only financial planner with Net Worth Advisory Group (www.networthadvice. com). He never collects commissions so he can provide objective advice. He is a candidate for CFP™ certification and a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). Contact him at (801) 566-0740 for a no obligation consultation to review your financial situation. Have a question you’d like Lon to answer in an upcoming issue? Email him at lon@networthadvice. com.
September 2010 | 29
Upcoming Events Through September 16 Contemporary Masters
September 5 Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Salt Lake Art Center 20 South West Temple Salt Lake City www.slartcenter.org/
7:00 pm
Admission: Free
8:00 pm
Sundays, June 13 - September 26 Park Silly Sunday Market
September 25, 2010 Wanda Sykes
Park City's Historic Main Street 10 am - 5pm www.ParkSillySundayMarket.com (435) 655-0994
7:00 pm
September 3-5 Antelope Island Stampede
Through October 18 Downtown Farmers Market
Antelope Island State Park Friday 5:00 pm-11:00 pm Saturday 6:00 am-11:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm–6:00 pm Admission: $23-$63
Pioneer Park 300 South and 300 West Salt Lake City, UT 84101 www.downtownslc.org/farmers-market
Through October 10 Oktoberfest Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort Saturday–Sunday 12:00 pm–6:00 pm
Through October 23 Shakespearean Festival 351 West Center Street Cedar City, UT www.bard.org/
Through September 17 Lunch Bunch at the Gallivan Center The Gallivan Center 239 South Main Street Salt Lake City www.downtownslc.org
Peppermill Concert Hall Wendover, NV www.wendoverfun.com
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September 17, 2010 Three Dog Night
Saturday, September 4 Greek Festival 5k/10K 7:00 am–Kids 1 Mile 7:30 am–5K run 7:30 am–10K run Wheelchair participates welcome Registration is $25 until September 3rd Race-day registration is $30 www.saltlakegreekfestival.com/
Abravanel Hall www.utahsymphony.org/
Friday, September 10 & 11 Beethoven – Symphony No. 6
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 Salute to Youth 7:00 pm September 9-12 Greek Festival 279 So. 300 W Salt Lake City Thurs: 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri: 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat: 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun: 11:00 am–8:00 pm www.saltlakegreekfestival.com/
September 9-19 Utah State Fair Open daily at 10 am Youth (6–12)-$7.00 Children (5 and under)-Free All-You-Can-Ride Wristband—$25.00 Season Admission Pass—$40.00 Parking Daily-$6.00 www.utah-state-fair.com
September 11-12 EarthWell Festival Redstone Village Red Stone Drive Park City
September 16 23rd Annual Great Salt Lake Chili Affair, A benefit for The Road Home
Brahms—Piano Concerto No. 2 8:00 pm
Salt Palace Convention Center Hall 4 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM $35.00 per ticket or $300.00 per table www.theroadhome.org/
Friday, September 17 & 18 The Duke Ellington Orchestra
Send your events to: teresa.glenn@utboomer.com
8:00 pm
September 4 Asia
Friday, September 24 & 25 Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
Teresa Glenn
If the idea of smoke filled rooms has been keeping you out of the bars, rethink your decision. As required by the Utah Clean Air Act, all taverns and clubs in Utah have been smoke-free since January 1st 2009. Oh, and alcohol isn't the only refreshment you'll find. These places offer great menus, great music, and a pretty mellow place to spend with your friends. (continued)
September 2010 | 31
Classical Genius Narrated biographies of the most beloved composers The Classical Genius Composer Executive Series, offering beautifully narrated biographies of over fifty-five classical music composers. From Bach to Rachmaninoff, their amazing, and often tragic lives unfold against the wonderful masterpieces they created. The set includes 24 CDs in a sophisticated leather case.
I have been listening to these CDs nonstop. What inspiration. Thank you. -Stephen M. Ehninger, AIA www.classicalgenius.com
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For most of us, gone are the days when we’d go to a private club, the noisier and more rambunctious the better. As of July of 2009, private clubs became a thing of the past. Now, you can go into any bar and many restaurants and order a drink besides beer. The appeal of the meat markets is a thing of the past. Just give us a place where we can go with friends and have a nice, mellow night of conversation to go with our libations. A good jazz or blues band wouldn’t hurt either. Curious about where we baby boomers hang out, I poised the question to my Facebook friends. Aside from my smart-aleck twenty-something niece who replied, “Um, 46-65 year olds? Isn’t BED their favorite hangout?” And one who mentioned that Leatherbys is open late, I didn't receive many responses. There was only one thing to do. Take one for the team and try out a few places. After promising to be the DD (designated driver), I gathered a team of fellow boomers and we hit the bars. We hit three places in the downtown Salt Lake area. These are our collective observations:
The Green Pig Pub | 31 East 400 South We arrived at 7:30 and were pleasantly greeted by the doorman. Because of the early hour, we had our pick of tables. Scattered throughout were other patrons, mostly boomers, having quiet conversations. According to our very accommodating server, the younger crowd arrives later. The Green Pig offers live music three nights a week. The bands offer up reggae, jazz and blues. According to owner Bridget Gordon, “It’s not age, but the enjoyment of good music that brings people in”. If sports is more your thing, they have TVs mounted to every wall, and a couple of pool tables off to the side. The background music was classic rock. The historic building and old Port ’O Call bar gave the pub a comfortable ambience. The Green Pig offers a diverse menu and serves food until 10:00 pm S-Th and 11:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. As with any downtown establishment, parking is an issue.
Gracies | 326 So West Temple We arrived at Gracies around 9:00 and sat on one of two large patios. It seemed most age groups were represented, our group not the oldest nor the youngest. Our server was extremely inattentive, but other servers were gracious when
we asked them to take up her slack. We were able to carry on a pleasant conversation, with a mellow mix of music playing in the background. Gracies has live music on MTW&Th as well as all day Sunday. On Saturday nights, they have a DJ. The live bands offer up jazz, blues, and an occasional 80's sound. Gracies has a game room complete with pool tables, Guitar Hero and shuffle board. Out on the patio, a game called ‘corn hole’ (I don’t make it up...just report it) is available. Dubbed a Gastropub, Gracies boasts a very broad menu, including everything from burgers to Panko-Pinenut Crusted Salmon, created by Chef Sean Wilde. They charged for the DD drink, which most places don't do. Again, parking is an issue.
Piper Down | 1492 South State Street Our last stop. We arrived at Piper Down at 10:30. We were definitely in the minority age wise, but were still very comfortable in our surroundings. Piper Down is an Irish pub and everywhere you look, it’s obvious, right down to the electronic countdown to St. Patrick’s Day. The night we were their, the Bee Gees and similar ilk were playing in the background, but on Thursday nights they have live music that consists of mostly Celtic rock. Wednesday is Karaoke night, but not before a few games of pub quiz, also affectionately called “geeks who drink”. Texas Hold 'em is dealt Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. It's very popular so they recommend if you want to play, you arrive 1 hour early. The menu doesn't just offer the old Irish favorites like Shepherds Pie or the Irish Value Meal (you guessed it, a potato with all the fixins), but includes a favorite from South of the border—a smothered burrito. The shots menu is an interesting,, if somewhat scintillating read. According to our waitress, if the owner deems you to drunk to drive, he will drive you home and have another employee follow him with your vehicle. Whether you’re a imbiber or a teetotaler, these places have something to offer. If you like quiet, go early. We are told that things start to heat up around 10:00, after the twenty and thirty-somethings get up and dressed and out the door. If you like the noisy crowds, you'll want to stay. We have mentioned only three of the great pubs Salt Lake has to offer. So, gather up a gaggle of boomers, and go exploring for more. Let us know how it works out. Remember, Utah has the stiffest DUI laws in the country. Drink responsibly, always designate a DD, and NEVER drive drunk.
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“People come back and their faces are beaming. Maybe there are complaints on the way up, but I’ve never heard anyone say the effort was wasted.” –Sheila Hunt The Alpine Loop Scenic Backway is hands down one of the most spectacular autumn foliage showcases in Utah, but be warned: the drive could last a lifetime. There’s simply too much to do and see along the way to squeeze into a day.
plunging 607 feet over limestone terraces. The entire loop sounds like a doable afternoon until realizing it’s lunchtime and taking a detour at the Swinging Bridge picnic area, 10 miles up state Highway 92 and across the road from Timpanogos Cave. Pay attention to signs near the picnic tables cautioning against off trail hiking in respect of rattlesnakes and the dash across Highway 92 to reach the monument’s visitors’ center. If it’s only a moment you can spare, at least read about the attraction that draws 80,000 people a year from around the world. If you opt for the tour, the monument’s popularity may mean a 30-minute wait or longer until the start of your assigned tour, once tickets are purchased, which leaves time to tour the gift shop and educational center and watch a brief history of the caves.
The jagged edges of the front range of the Wasatch Mountain Range, between American Fork Canyon on the north and Provo Canyon on the south, within the Uinta National Forest offer a spectacular view along the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway.
If you enter from the loop from the Alpine side (AlpineHighland Exit 284) and take state Highway 92 east, a first stop might be Timpanogos Cave National Monument, which involves a 1.5-mile walk up a steep paved trail to a series of three caves (Hansen, Middle, and Timpanogos) connected by man-made tunnels. A few more miles down the road is the clearly marked turn-off for Cascade Springs, a seven-mile side-trip along the summit of the Alpine Loop. Sundance Resort, which is on land actor Robert Redford purchased in 1969, is an environmental and artistic haven. Down US Highway 189 from Sundance is Bridal Veil Falls, a water wonder
According to the documentary, the founder of Hansen cave, withstanding the 8,000 years Native Americans held ceremonies in the canyon, came across the first of three limestone caves in the national monument quite by accident. As the story goes, Martin Hansen was tracking a mountain lion in Stone walls protect hikers from the sharpest edges along the trail to Timpanogos Cave National Monument.
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“I’ve been here 16 years and I still find something new,” said Sheila Hunt, who is the lead assistant in the visitors’ center. “The caves are awesome. Mysterious. They’re really impossible to explain. You just have to take the tour.” 1887 when he noticed a hole in the mountain large enough for him to squeeze through. He came back with reinforcements— candles, ropes, and sons—and eventually opened his find to friends and, unfortunately, a Chicago-based onyx company eager to make furniture from the mineral cave formations the company mined. During the next three decades, in 1914 and 1921, two more caves were discovered (Middle and Timpanogos) and later all three were connected by tunnels blasted through the rock to facilitate the hour-long triple cavern tour available to the public from May through mid-October (coincides with the opening and closing dates of the Alpine Loop). The status as a National Park System monument in 1922 protects the cave formations from further commercial plunder and protects them for future generations. The many colors of all of the formations in the caves are caused by traces of iron, nickel, magnesium, and organics.
The 1.5 mile hike to the cave’s entrance is the dream of any pain seeker, at least that’s the impression you might perceive from the looks in the eyes of hikers ascending the 1,065 feet gain in elevation from trailhead to cave. The hike may be intimidating, but
Graffiti left by early visitors to the caves left an indelible mark on formations millions of years in the making.
A caving course, separate from the general tour, introduces visitors to the basics of cave exploration.
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don’t turn back. Allow extra time to take away the agony in anticipation of the ecstasy awaiting. Enter the wooden door at the entrance of Hansen cave, lined up behind the Park Ranger assigned to your troupe, and steel yourself for beauty right outside the pages of a dog-eared National Geographic highlighting cave exploration.
21st Annual
“I’ve been here 16 years and I still find something new,” said Sheila Hunt, who is the lead assistant in the visitors’ center. “The caves are awesome. Mysterious. They’re really impossible to explain. You just have to take the tour.” The secret of the “tour,” however, is to resist the urge to look ahead, Hunt said. Sure, you don’t want to bump your head on low hanging stalactites or trip over the person in front of you on the narrow path leading visitors along a million years of geological history. But you do want to SEE the displays of helictites and anthodites in their cloaks of many colors from the minerals leached during their formation. You want to imagine the beating of the cave’s icon formation called the Great Heart, and you want to burn their splendor in your brain when you need a mental reprieve Monday upon your return to the daily drudge.
Labor Day Weekend September 2-4, 2010 www.timpfest.org
Little wonder people come from all over the world to see the monument, also known by locals as the “generational cave” because of the parents returning year after year with the children who someday will be bringing their babies up the trail. “People come back and their faces are beaming,” Hunt said. “Maybe there are complaints on the way up, but I’ve never heard anyone say the effort was wasted.” For those wanting more following the one-hour tour, the park offers a guided caving course that introduces caving techniques and a cautionary opportunity to sit in absolute darkness. This is not for the claustrophobic. For either tour, bring a jacket. The inside temperature hovers around 45 degrees.
National Teller, Antonio Sacre Photo: Kristin Burns
For more information about the monument, call 801-756-5239 or visit the website at http://www.nps.gov/tica. To get there, take Exit 284 (Alpine-Highland Exit) off I-15, turn east on State Highway 92 and proceed to the American Fork Canyon-Alpine Loop entrance. The 20-mile drive past the guard shack and along the steep, narrow winding roads of American Fork (Highway 92) and Provo (US 189) canyons should take no more than an hour, depending on whether and how long you stop to admire the colors, take a lingering look at the jagged peak of Mt. Timpanogos, or tour the caves. A picnic is suggested, although sitting around a table costs $6 at the campgrounds built in the 1930s by young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It is free to grab a table on a first come, first serve basis at the picnic areas located at the Timpanogos Cave National Monument or Tibble Fork Reservoir. Visitors to the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway must purchase a recreation pass to use facilities in this area. A $6 is available and good for 3 days; a $12 pass is good for 7 days; there is also a $45 annual pass available. The passes are good for recreation along both the Alpine Scenic Loop and the Mirror Lake Hwy.
National Teller, Antonio Sacre Photo: Kristin Burns
Your opportunity to experience storytellers representing the very best, from National Public Radio contributors to Grammy Award-winning performers.
Chris Fraizer recently passed the 25-year mark, at least as the number of years applies to this boomer's residency in Salt Lake City, Utah. Fraizer could never return to her Midwest roots once discovering the scope and space of the Western outdoors. She lives and works in the city, although her heart belongs to the desert and alpine tundras.
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Resources Advocacy AARP of Utah
801.561.1037 Utah Dept of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) Phone: 801.538.3991 www.hsdaas.utah.gov/ Utah State Courts Estate Planning & Probate www.utcourts.gov/howto/wills/ Phone: 801.578.3800 Social Security Administration 1.800.772.1213 www.ssa.gov SAGE Utah Services & Advocacy for GLBTQ Elders www.glccu.com/programs/lgbtq-elders-50
Dental Services Employment Services Legal Services
Utah Legal Services.................800.662.4245
Financial Services Healthcare Resources Alzheimer’s Association of Utah 801.265.1944
American Cancer Society of Utah 801.483.1500 American Chronic Pain Association 800.533.3231 American Diabetes Association-Utah 801.363.3024 George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84148 Phone: 801.582.1565
Pet Services Respite Care
Medical Home Portal www.medicalhomeportal.org CHTOP Chapel Hill Training-Outreach Program chtop.org/ARCH/National-Respite-Locator. html
Senior Centers
Most Senior Centers supply transportation and meals. They are open Monday through Friday, and the hours varies. Call your center for times.
Davis County
Autumn Glow Center 81 East Center Kaysville, UT 84037 Phone: 801.544.1235 Golden Years Center 726 South 100 East Bountiful, UT 84010 Phone: 801.295.3479 Heritage Center 140 East Center Clearfield, UT 84015 Phone: 801. 773.7065
Mount Olympus Senior Center 1635 East Murray Holliday Road Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Phone: 801.274.1710 River’s Bend Senior Center 300 North 1300 West Salt Lake City, UT 84116 Phone: 801.596.0208 Riverton Senior Center 12891 South Redwood Road Riverton, UT 84065 Phone: 801.254.7609
Salt Lake County
Sandy Senior Center 9310 South 1300 East Sandy, UT 84094 Phone: 801.561.3265
Columbus Senior Center 2531 South 400 East Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801.412.3295
South Jordan Senior Center 10778 South Redwood Road South Jordan, UT 84095 Phone: 801.302.1222
Draper Senior Center 12350 South 800 East Draper, UT 84020 Phone: 801.572.6342
Sunday Anderson Westside Senior Center 868 West 900 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104 Phone: 801.538.2092
Eddie P. Mayne Kearns Senior Center 4851 West 4715 South Salt Lake City, UT 84118 Phone: 801.965.9183
Taylorsville Senior Citizen Center 4743 South Plymouth View Dr. Taylorsville, UT 84123 Phone: 801.293.8340
Friendly Neighborhood Center 1992 South 200 East Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801.468.2781
Tenth East Senior Center 237 South 1000 East Salt Lake City, UT 84102 Phone: 801.538.2084
Harman Senior Recreation Center 4090 South 3600 West West Valley City, UT 84119 Phone: 801.965.5822
West Jordan Center 8025 South 2200 West West Jordan, UT 84088 Phone: 801.561.7320
Kearns Senior Center 4850 West 4715 South Salt Lake City, UT 84118 Phone: 801.965.9183
Washington County
Liberty City Center 251 East 700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Phone: 801.532.5079 Magna Center 9228 West 2700 South Magna, UT 84044 Phone: 801.250.0692 Midvale Senior Center
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350 West Park Street 7610 S) Midvale, UT 84047 Phone: 801.566.6590
Council on Aging http://www.washco.utah.gov/contact The Washington County Council on Aging provides services for senior citizens 60 and older. These include classes (pottery, painting, aerobics, yoga, square dancing, and computer training) tax assistance during tax season and other services. Nutrition is a main focus of the senior centers. In-house meals are served as well as Meals on Wheels. The following centers are supported in part through the donations of those patrons who use the facilities.
Gayle & Mary Aldred Senior Center 245 North 200 West St. George , UT 84770 435.634 . 5743 Washington County Senior Citizens 150 East 100 South Street Enterprise, UT 84725 435.878.2557 Hurricane Senior Citizens Center 95 N 300 W Hurricane, UT 84737 435.635.2089
Day Spas Volunteering
Utah State Parks Volunteer Coordinator 1594 W North Temple, 116 Salt Lake City, UT 84116 (801) 537-3445 robinwatson@utah.gov The Nature Conservancy in Utah www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/utah/volunteer/ Volunteer Match www.volunteermatch.org/ United Way www.unitedwayucv.org/volunteer/ Utah Commission on Volunteers volunteers.utah.gov/
To include your services in this space call Traci Wood at 801.201.5087
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