VETERANS POST  

by Freddie Groves

Get Your Free PACT Act Screening

As of the first week of 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs had screened 1 million veterans for exposure to toxins. As part of the PACT Act, signed last summer, they pulled out all the stops to get this done.

Falls may also be the first indication of a significant medical or neurological condition that may benefit from treatment. I’m sorry you find it annoying, but it’s an important question.

* * *

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

If you’re one of the million who stepped up to get your screening, well done. If you haven’t, don’t let this opportunity pass by.

The PACT Act expands benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins from Agent Orange and other chemicals, as well as from burn pits, Camp Lejeune water, radiation and others. The damage from those can take years to surface in your health.

Final

ANSWER: The idea makes perfect sense: Antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria that is infecting us, they also kill many of the healthy bacteria that help us with digestion and other functions. (The whole suite of healthy bacteria living in our gut is termed the “microbiome.”) Why not help the gut return to normal by giving it some healthy bacteria, such as those found in yogurt with live cultures, or specific probiotics, which are just the healthy bacteria?

The answer is that it has been very hard to prove that there is any benefit in doing so. In people with no symptoms after finishing an antibiotic course, there probably aren’t any benefits.

At least one study showed what researchers called a “very severe disturbance” in the person’s microbiome and actually slowed the return to a person’s normal microbiome, which they had prior to antibiotics. Worse still, very rarely, infections have been transmitted through probiotics.

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You might have been turned down in the past if you filed a claim, but the PACT Act opens a big new door: You no longer have to prove that your illness was caused by toxic chemicals. It will be assumed that it was based on your service in that location. The PACT Act adds to the list of presumed medical conditions, called “presumptives.”

Advertising Proof

If you’ve never received VA health care, you can still qualify for this screening. Call them. They’re doing screenings at VA facilities across the country, and it takes about 10 minutes. It’s better to get going with the VA now rather than wait until down the road when a health issue might crop up. Get the screening; get your information on file now. Benefits will be backdated to the time the bill was signed, so don’t delay.

Survivors of a veteran also might be eligible for the benefits -- either a monthly payment or a one-time payment -- for a surviving spouse, dependent child or dependent parents.

To learn more about the PACT Act, go to www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-yourva-benefits. At that link you can apply online for disability compensation with Form 21-526EZ.

Advertising Proof

American Veterans Post 66 c/o Tom Hernandez 760-324-5670

You can also call them at 800-698-2411. Or call 800-827-1000 for help applying online. Look for Form 10-10EZ to apply for VA health care or to check the status of an application you already submitted.

Don't delay. Get on this one now.

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Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections.

1/16 pg. BW (PSA) HOLD for available run dates

Free Transportation for Veterans to the Loma Linda VA Hospital

ADVERTISING PROOF Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. FREE The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read 4 Million Readers Weekly Nationwide! of Coachella Valley Published by: Advertising Call (760) 320-0997 valleybits@msn.com Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 valleybits@msn.com All Rights Reserved ADVERTISING PROOF Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. FREE The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read 4 Million Readers Weekly Nationwide! of Coachella Valley Published by: Ad enture Media For Advertising Call (760) 320-0997 valleybits@msn.com Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 valleybits@msn.com All Rights Reserved Ray M. Smythe - Author Bsns Cd 4C 6x disc. November 20, 2022 Vol. 18 - No. 47 MON., NOV. 14 Thoughtful Gift Idea ADVERTISING PROOF Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. FREE The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read 4 Million Readers Weekly Nationwide! of Coachella Valley Published by: AdVenture Media For Advertising Call (760) 320-0997 valleybits@msn.com Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 valleybits@msn.com All Rights Reserved ADVERTISING PROOF Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. FREE The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read 4 Million Readers Weekly Nationwide! of Coachella Valley Published by: Advertising Call (760) 320-0997 valleybits@msn.com Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 valleybits@msn.com All Rights Reserved Carlsbad / San Diego / Desert Communities Call for In-Home service appointment Servicing Coachella Valley on Fri., Sat. or Mondays 760-729-5121 -or- Bob’s cell: 760-802-4071 Howard Miller • Ridgeway • Sligh • Antique 43 years experience We also repair Wall, Mantel, Ship’s and Cuckoo Clocks Grandfather CloCk repair Service, Repair and New Movements from Germany 1 30 BoB’s CloCk shop Grandfather CloCk Grandfather Bob’s Clock Shop BZ 4C 26x TF May 10, 2020 Vol. 16 - No. 20 MON., MAY 4

Symptoms after antibiotic therapy, especially diarrhea and fever, could indicate a very severe infection called Clostridioides difficile (“C. diff”), which does not respond to probiotics and usually needs powerful antibiotics to treat. Probiotics have not been found to prevent C. diff.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Why are older patients always asked, “Have you ever fallen?”

Volunteer drivers needed. Call Tom Hernandez: 760-324-5670

AMVETS POST 66 Palm Springs, California tomswannhernandez@earthlink.net

Call (909) 735-5065 for reservations

-- by Jim Miller

How to Cover Dental Care in Retirement

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: I had dental insurance through my work for many years but lost it when I retired and joined Medicare. Can you tell me where retirees can find affordable dental care?

-- Uninsured Al

Dear Al: Unfortunately, about twothirds of U.S. retirees don’t have dental insurance today. Without coverage from traditional Medicare, and with private dental insurance typically costing too much to be feasible, most seniors are stuck paying full out-of-pocket prices every time they visit a dentist. While there’s no one simple solution to finding affordable dental care there are a variety of options that can help cut your costs. Here’s where to look:

Medicare Advantage:

While dental services are mostly excluded under original Medicare, many Medicare Advantage plans do provide coverage for dental care, but it’s usually very limited. Medicare Advantage plans are government approved health plans (usually HMOs and PPOs) sold by private insurance companies that you can choose in place of original Medicare. To shop and research Advantage plans in your area visit Medicare.gov/plan- compare or call 800-633-4227.

Dental insurance:

If you have gum problems and need extensive dental care, a dental insurance plan may be worth the costs versus paying for care yourself. Monthly premiums for individual plans range from about $20 to $80. A typical plan includes two or three cleanings and checkups per year, but these plans will likely have a waiting period – anywhere from a few months to a few years – before coverage for more expensive procedures kicks in. To find dental plans in your area, see eHealthInsurance.com

Dental savings plans:

While savings plans aren’t as comprehensive as insurance, they are a good option for those who don’t have dental insurance. How this works is you pay an annual membership fee – around $80 to $200 a year – in exchange for 10 to 60 percent discounts on service and treatments from participating dentists. To find a savings plan, go to DentalPlans.com (or 888-632-5353) where you can search for plans and participating dentists, as well as get a breakdown of the discounts offered.

Veterans’ benefits:

If you’re a veteran enrolled in the VA health care program or are a beneficiary of the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), the VA offers a dental insurance program that gives you the option to buy dental insurance through Delta Dental and MetLife at a reduced cost. The VA also provides free dental care to vets who have dental problems resulting from service. To learn more about these options, visit VA.gov/ dental or call 877-222-8387.

Cheaper dental care:

Because prices can vary by dentist, one way to ensure you get a good deal on your dental care is to call multiple provides and compare prices. To get an idea of what different dental procedures cost in your area, see FairHealthConsumer.org. If you’re paying cash, it’s also perfectly reasonable to ask your dentist for a discount.

There are also a number health centers and clinics that provide low-cost dental care to those in need. And all university dental schools and college dental hygiene programs offer dental care and cleanings for less than half of what you would pay at an established dentist’s office. Students who are closely supervised by their professors provide the care. See TeethWisdom.org to search for a center, clinic or school near you.

by Anne McCollam Creators News Service

Cyclops Kept a Watchful Eye

Q: This thing sat next to the piano where I practiced scales, (UGH!) when I was a child in the 1940s. The pot and the pedestal are in two pieces, and both are unmarked. There are geese or swans at the very top. On the lower section is what looks like a Cyclops eye and at the base, there are heads of mythical creatures on two feet. I always felt the “eye” was watching me as I plodded through 60 minutes of daily practice.

It now belongs to me, but I know nothing about it. I have become quite fond of it and would like to learn more about its history. Can you help?

colored background and is in mint condition. The overall measurements are 5 inches in diameter by 4 inches high.

Since I plan to pass it down to my daughter, I would like to be able to provide her with more information on its vintage and value.

A: C. F. Monroe Company located in Meriden, Conn., made your opal ware dresser box. “Nakara” is the trade name of the ware. They also produced “Kelva” and “Wave Crest” lines. They purchased blown-molded glass blanks that were opaque from several glassmakers, including the Pairpoint Manufacturing Company located in New Bedford, Mass. Some of their blanks were also made in Europe. C.F. Monroe was in business from 1898 until World War I.

Your dresser box was made around 1900 and can be seen selling around $600 to $800.

* On Feb. 6, 1952, England’s King George VI passed away, making his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth II. The sovereign received the news from her husband, Prince Philip, while on a trip to Kenya, which was immediately cut short as she prepared to assume her new role.

* On Feb. 7, 1964, the music world would never be quite the same after the Beatles arrived in New York for their first visit to the U.S., where thousands of near-hysterical fans waited to greet them at Kennedy Airport. During their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” they whipped up an even greater frenzy, with 73 million viewers watching on their TVs at home.

* On Feb. 8, 2008, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the electric chair, which was the only execution method used in that state, represented a violation of human dignity and was consequently unconstitutional, adding that electrocution “has proven itself to be a dinosaur more befitting the laboratory of Baron Frankenstein than the death chamber.”

* * * Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has recently retired and no longer receives inquiries nor answers reader letters. Due to the popularity of her column, this publication will continue to reprint previous columns of interest to our readers.

To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators. com

* On Feb. 10, 1535, notwithstanding the winter chill and in a form of protest that was, unsurprisingly, ridiculed by both Protestants and Catholics, a small group of Anabaptists ran stark naked through the streets of Amsterdam, shouting that they “had been sent from God to communicate the naked truth to the godless.”

* On Feb. 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens were respectively elected to six-year terms as the Provisional President and Provisional Vice President of the Confederate States of America, after running without opposition.

A: A plethora of jardinieres and matching pedestals were made in the early 1900s in both the United States and Europe. Most were marked with the name of the manufacturer. Those that were not make it difficult to identify their origins. Many were made in Ohio by McCoy Pottery, Weller Pottery, Roseville Pottery and Roseville Ransbottom Pottery. Original factory catalogs and other reference books are sources to help solve the mystery.

Your jardiniere and pedestal would probably be worth $800 to $1400.

Q: This mark is on the bottom of a glass dish with a matching lid that belonged to my great-aunt. The lid and dish both have gold filigree bands and are hinged. It is decorated with blooming pink roses against a cream-

Puzzle Solutions

Go Figure

Solution

Movie prophecy concerning the demise of an online money transfer service: "I see dead PayPal."

* On Feb. 11, 1916, American feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman was arrested and imprisoned for violating the Comstock Act just before she was scheduled to deliver a public lecture on birth control, which she argued was essential to women’s social, economic and sexual freedom.

* On Feb. 12, 2014, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a sinkhole estimated at about 30 feet deep and 40 feet wide opened under the National Corvette Museum, swallowing eight of the rare sports cars. The building suffered no structural damage and remained open, and though damaged, the vehicles were returned to display and remain a popular attraction.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

"That's right, we're giving you 10,000 free golf balls with our company's name on them. Since you'll lose most of them it'll be good advertising for us."

down. Many homes and businesses had been permantly lost, but the harbor -- and most of the town -- had been spared.

Hawaii Facts

• There is a hot spot in the Earth’s crust that meanders beneath the islands of Hawaii. It periodically allows magma to escape, building new land. The hot spot remains in one place, but continental drift causes the plate of the earth’s crust to slowly float over it. Over many millennia this geologic phenomenon has resulted in the building up of Hawaii’s chain of islands, one at a time.

• The volcanic mountain named Mauna Loa in Hawaii is the tallest mountain in the world if you include its entire slope that continues down another 16,400 feet below the surface to the seabed. Mauna Loa is 30,080 feet tall from its base to the peak (that’s 5.7 miles), and it’s still growing. In comparison, Mt. Everest only rises to 29,032 feet.

• Kilauea Crater in Hawaii is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupting regularly about once a month. The sugar cane fields belonging to the Ola Sugar Co. were once being destroyed by a wall of advancing lava. Their New York insurance company refused to pay for damages, claiming that the crop was insured against fire, not lava. The Ola Sugar Co. insisted that a claims agent fly out to Hawaii to look at the situation firsthand. The agent, having never before seen a lava flow, was very nervous as he was driven closer and closer to the lava activity. It was explained to him as he became increasingly frightened that the heat from the advancing lava was so intense that it first burned the crop before covering it. As a fountain of lava suddenly burped up near the car, the agent agreed to pay the claim if only they would just get him out of that place!

Parting Facts

• “Volcano” comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. “Crater” is Latin for “cup.”

• “Lava” comes from the Latin word meaning “to wash” which also gives us “lavage” and “lavatory.” The word originally meant a downpour of rain that washed the streets, but later came to mean a flow of melted rock that scoured the mountainside clean of plants and trees. □

STAN SMITH’S TENNIS CLASS

Game Changers

by Jason Jenkins

A good finish should have the left leg straight, the right thigh up close to the left leg, the right foot up on the toe, and the upper body arching back slightly. The trick is that the hips are now “tucked under” the upper body or the stomach is pushed forward. Many beginners, or players who don’t have good core strength, will finish with their hips pushed out behind their upper body. Learn to correct the finish by tucking the hips under or pushing your belt buckle forward in order to feel the correct position. Good leg work will assist in correct hip positioning as well.

Pitching the ball around the green with any wedge requires consistent control of the hands and arms through impact. One of the simplest images for the average golfer is trying to keep the butt end of the club pointing to the center of the body on the finish. “Keeping the club in center” gives the image of a unified action of body turn, and passive forearm and wrist action.

Most pitches around the green can be hit with low to medium height finishes where one can check the alignment of the butt end of the club to the body. It should be aligned near the belt buckle or navel if everything works together. Avoid excessive positions where the grip end points too far outside the body on either side. If the body doesn’t turn thru to the target slightly, or the hands become too active, it’s nearly impossible to “keep the club in center”. This is a visual that can be rehearsed easily in preparation to hit those critical scrambling shots around the green.

When I work with a lot of beginning to intermediate players, the finish position requires extra attention. The body is contorting into an unusual position and needs to be balanced to be effective. Advanced players take the finish position for granted, especially when it comes to the small arch in the lower back.

It Under

Changers