Golden Gazette December 2016

Volume 28, Number 12

In December & Inside Carol of Lights, Dec. 2 Holiday Craft Fair, Dec. 2 .....page 10 LakeRidge Ladies Christmas Tour, Dec. 8 ........page 2 New Neighbors, Dec. 9 .....page 21 Candlelight at the Ranch, Dec. 9-10 Miracles Christmas Parade, Dec. 10 .....page 7 Santa Land, Dec. 10-23 .page 7 Cowboy Christmas Ball, Dec. 17 ......page 8 1st day of winter Dec. 21 Vigil for homeless, Dec. 21 .....page 8 Christmas Day Dec. 25

December 2016

24 Pages

Lubbock, Texas 79401

‘Be A Santa To A Senior’ this holiday season Four simple steps, and you can become a Santa to a senior.

1. Find a location: City Bank, 5219 City Bank Parkway Walmart, 4215 S. Loop 289 Tom’s Tree Place, 5104 34th St. LakeRidge Chapel, 6025 82nd St. Home Instead Senior Care, 1010 Slide Rd. 2. Remove a bulb from the tree that contains a senior’s gift request.

3. Purchase the requested gifts.

4. Place the bulb and unwrapped gift(s) in the designated box.

Each year, the Be a Santa to a Senior program positively impacts the community by providing holiday cheer and gift giving to seniors who are least likely to holiday season, are lonely, receive a present during the and financially needy.

Meals on Wheels and Adult Protective Services Silver Star Board will provide the names of older adults in the community, as well as gift ideas for each senior.

Gift collection will run through Dec. 7.

Volunteers are needed to help deliver the gifts on Dec. 14.

Contact Home Instead Senior Care to volunteer to help wrap or deliver packages, 806-281-4663, www. beasantatoasenior.com.

Candlelight at the Ranch set for Dec. 9, 10

Visitors to the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University will experience a frontier Christmas from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9 & 10 during the 38th Annual Candlelight at the Ranch.

The National Ranching Heritage Center is located at 3121 Fourth St. The event will celebrate Christmas as it might have been on the open prairie from 1780 to 1950 and include more than 4,000 luminaries lining the paths of the historic park.

More than 150 volunteer

The 1909 Barton House at Christmas is a popular favorite of visitors who enjoy the more than 4,000 luminaries that line the pathways of the National Ranching Heritage Center historic park during Candlelight at the Ranch.

Ranch Hosts dress in period “Christmas was an im- stringing popcorn to decoclothing to recreate holiday portant part of family life on rate a tree, preparing holiday (See Candlelight, Page 2) scenes from another era. the Plains, whether it meant

Page 2 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Candlelight visitors will experience a frontier Christmas toy,” explained Julie Hodges, “Visitors will see our voldirector of education for the unteers doing whatever a ranching center. family might have done in that particular structure in that day and time.

“We’ll even have holiday travelers waiting for the train in our 1918 train depot.”

EXIT REALTY OF LUBBOCK Holiday scenes will be 2405 W. Loop 289 • Lubbock, TX 79407 Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated recreated in 15 diverse struc806-759-8260 tures such as an 1888 halfwww.806moves.com dugout, an 1880 XIT ranch Jeff Prather Jeff@ExitLubbock.com REALTOR headquarters, an 1890 one-

(Continued from Page 1)

food, playing Christmas music or whittling a wooden

®

The annual

Christmas Tour!

The tours will take place on Dec. 8 from 10-2 and 5-8.

Enjoy touring some of the most beautifully decorated homes for the holiday season!

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling Lake Ridge Chapel & Memorial Designers at 806-698-8085, or from any Lake Ridge Ladies member.

The 5th Annual Carol of Lights Run is set to begin at 6:45 p.m. Dec. 4 on the Texas Tech campus.

There will be 2 distances are offered, including a family-friendly course of 1 mile through the more than 25,000 colored lights that illuminate many buildings on campus, while being entertained with carolers and a band along the course.

A 5K (3.1 miles) course will additionally have participants running a lap through Jones AT&T Stadium. After

crossing the finish line, all runners can enjoy Santa’s snacks that will provide a warm treat. Items will be collected and donated to Buckner International and Children’s Home of Texas.

David Nelson is principal of West Texas Endurance, host for the event.

“The Carol of Lights Run is a wonderful holiday tradition that unites the Texas Tech family with the Lubbock community,” Nelson said. “What better way to usher in the holiday season

than to join more than 1,000 participants for this fun, family-friendly race.”

Participants can pick up race packets on Dec. 2 at Cardinal’s Sport Center, 6524 Slide Road, from 4 to 6 p.m. or Dec. 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. Race packets include a long-sleeve T-shirt and more.

Registration is also online at www.westtexasendurance. com. Race day registration is available on Dec. 4 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Northeast corner of the Chemistry Building on the Tech campus.

room schoolhouse, a 1780 fortified Spanish compound, and the 1909 two-story Barton House.

The annual event is free to the public with a minimum suggested $5 donation per family.

VIP tickets costing $50 (max 7 persons per car) are available for those seeking early admission at 6 p.m. and VIP parking.

VIP tickets may be purchased online at www.ranchingheritage.org/candlelight.

Perhaps the most welcome feature of this year’s event will be no long entry line.

Guests will enter through the front doors and proceed to Campbell Patio, where they can access park trails, buy kettle-corn, and hear Christmas carols provided by the Lubbock High School choir.

Visitors can choose in what order they see the historic structures, which lighted pathways they take, and when they exit the park prior to closing.

Santa Claus will be located in the Pitchfork Pavilion but will leave promptly at 9:30 p.m.

Visitors can purchase hot cocoa, apple cider, and cookies in the decorated 6666 Barn while they listen to Brazos West play Christmas music with a Texas swing.

Texas State Photographer Wyman Meinzer and Wilder Good author Nathan Dahlstrom will be at Cogdell’s General Store to sell and sign copies of their new books: “Horses to Ride and Cattle to Cut” by Meinzer (text by Henry Chappell) and “The Green Colt” by Dahlstrom.

(See Candlelight, Page 4)

Dugouts were the first family dwellings on the Great Plains before they became bunkhouses or outposts for cowboys who watched the rancher’s herd in the years before barbed wire. A dugout like this 1888 Half-Dugout could be a lonely place for a cowboy at Christmas.

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 3

Covenant receives Healthgrades recognition Covenant Medical Center has received 7 five-star ratings for the quality of certain procedures in orthopedics, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and urology from Healthgrades, the leading online resource helping consumers make informed healthcare decisions.

The hospital earned more five-star recognition than any other in the region.

Covenant Medical Center’s full listing of achievements includes: * Orthopedics: Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment for 5 years * Pulmonary: Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pneumonia for 3 years * Pulmonary: Five-Star Recipient for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) * Vascular: Five-Star Recipient for Repair of Abdominal Aorta * Urology: Five-Star Recipient for Prostate Removal Surgery * Gastrointestinal: Five-Star

Recipient for Colorectal Surgeries * Gastrointestinal: Five-Star Recipient for Gallbladder Removal Surgery The achievements are part of new findings and data released recently on Healthgrades.com and in the Healthgrades 2017 Report to the Nation.

This annual report assesses the quality of care provided by the nation’s hospitals, based on objective clinical outcomes measures.

A five-star rating indicates that Covenant Medical Center’s clinical outcomes are statistically significantly better than expected when treating the condition or performing the procedure being evaluated.

“Being recognized for our outstanding quality of care is the best award we could possibly receive,” said Dr. Craig Rhyne, chief medical officer of Covenant Health.

“We are continuously

striving to achieve clinical excellence, and recognition such as this helps us realize our tireless efforts and constant strides for excellence are making a difference for the lives of our patients.

“At Covenant, we bring people together to provide compassionate care, promote

health improvement, and create healthy communities,” said Richard Parks, Covenant Health’s CEO. “Recognition of our clinical excellence shows we are succeeding in extending our Christian ministry by caring for the whole person - body, mind, and spirit.”

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Page 4 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

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Bronze sculpture exhibit at Buddy Holly Center The Buddy Holly Center will host the exhibition Human/Animal/Allegorical: The Bronze Sculpture of Garland Weeks.

Weeks will host a Gallery Talk about his work at 2 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Fine Arts Gallery. Complimentary refreshments will be served following the event.

The sculpture will be on display Dec. 2, through Feb. 12, in the Fine Arts Gallery of the Buddy Holly Center, 1801 Crickets Ave. Weeks graduated from Texas Tech University with an agricultural economics de-

gree in 1967. He began sculpting as a hobby in 1970 and continued to moonlight in this activity while he was actively engaged in the cattle feeding industry.

He took the plunge into making art full time in 1978. Weeks’ delights in the natural forms, emotions, and nuances of Mother Nature, which act as constant sources of inspiration for his sculptures.

Referred to as the “Sculptor of the West,” Weeks is one the nation’s most acclaimed contemporary figurative sculptors.

“Thy Father’s Hand,” Bronze, 36”x48”x55”

Candlelight to host Santa visit wheelchair and stroller accessible “Just as pioneer ranches had no as visitors pass cowboys camped electricity, our historic structures will out with their horses nearby and a be lit as much as possible with only cowboy brewing coffee over a chuck lanterns, fireplaces and campfires,” wagon fire.

Hodges said.

For additional information, call The lighted pathways will be 806-742-0498 or view nrhc.ttu.edu.

(Continued from Page 2)

Three of the more than 150 Ranch Hosts who volunteer during Candlelight at the Ranch gather around the pot-belly stove in this 1903 Box and Strip House to stay warm at Christmas time.

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 5

‘Last Train to Clarksville’ The Monkees, December 1966

Q: What do “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Eve of Destruction,” “Give Peace a Chance” and “Last Train to Clarksville” all have in common?

A: During the 1960s, each became a million-selling anti-war song.

Wait a minute! A teenybopper Monkees hit belongs on that contentious list?

Yes, and soon you too will be saying, “I’m a believer.”

In September 1965, both ‘Daily Variety’ and ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ ran an unusual advertisement: Madness! Auditions. Folk and Roll Musicians – Singers for acting roles in new TV series. Running parts for 4 insane boys, ages 17 -21.

Included among the tryout hopefuls were Stephen Stills (later of Crosby, Stills and Nash), Danny Hutton (later of Three Dog Night) and

By Randal Hill wryterhill@msn.com

- supposedly but never verified - mass murderer Charles Manson.

From the 437 applicants, coveted roles went to musicians/non-actors Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork, and actors/non-musicians Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz.

The quartet was hired to ape the Beatles’ zany antics in their debut movie “A Hard Day’s Night.”

(Writer Barney Hoskyns once declared the advent of the Monkees “post-moptop surrealism for pre-teens, with great songs thrown in as part of the package.”)

And great songs they often were. Songwriting

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partners Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart composed the “manufactured” band’s first single. “Last Train to Clarksville” took its chord structure, “jangly” guitar sound and tight vocal harmonies directly from the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” from earlier in 1966.

In fact, Hart had thought that Paul McCartney was singing something about a “last train” rather than “paperback writer” at the song’s fadeout. Knowing that “The Monkees” was to be a music/ comedy TV show in the style of “A Hard Day’s Night,”

Boyce and Hart figured they couldn’t go wrong emulating the Fab Four.

The songwriting pair wanted a simple title that would be easy for fans to remember.

“We were just looking for a name that sounded good,” said Bobby Hart on songfacts.com. “There’s a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through called Clarksdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarksdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better.”

Boyce and Hart both opposed the Vietnam War, and they wanted the first Monkees “45” to include their take on the conflict. But both writers knew they had to exercise caution.

“We couldn’t be too direct

with the Monkees,” Hart admitted later. “We really couldn’t make a protest song out of it. We kind of snuck it in.”

In the tune’s story line, a young soldier pleads with his girlfriend to say goodbye at a train station. He knows he may die in the war, hence the downbeat, often-repeated line ‘I don’t know if I’m ever coming home.’

“The Monkees” debuted on NBC-TV in September 1966, and “Last Train to Clarksville” on the Colgems label rocketed to #1 within weeks.

While Boyce and Hart would also write the group’s sixth and final hit, “Valleri,” only the first of the Monkees tunes offered up a serious (if subtle) anti-war statement.

Page 6 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

12 safety tips for the holiday season According to the song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and many of you are busy getting ready for the holidays.

The American Red Cross wants your holiday season to be truly wonderful and offers these 12 holiday safety tips to help keep the season safe, happy and bright.

1. Prepare your vehicle for traveling.

Build an emergency kit and include items such as blankets or sleeping bags, jumper cables, fire extinguisher, compass and road maps, shovel, tire repair kit and pump, extra clothing, flares, and a tow rope.

2. Drive your sleigh safely.

Avoid driving in a storm.

If you must travel, let someone know where you are going, the route you’re taking to get there, and when you expect to arrive. If the car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route.

3. Help prevent the spread of the flu.

Stay home if you’re sick.

Wash hands with soap and water as often as possible, or use an alcohol-based hand rub. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing, and throw the tissue away after use. If a tissue isn’t avail-

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able, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.

4. Follow Santa’s fashion lead – dress in layers.

When it’s cold outside, layered lightweight clothing will keep you warmer than a single heavy coat. Gloves and a hat will prevent loss of body heat. Cover your mouth to protect your lungs.

5. Use a trained babysitter when attending holiday festivities.

Red Cross-certified babysitters learn to administer basic first aid, properly hold and feed a child, take emergency action when needed, and monitor safe play. Some may be certified in infant and child CPR. 6. Avoid danger while roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

Stay in the kitchen when cooking food. If you leave the kitchen even for short period of time, turn off the stove. Unattended cooking causes most kitchen fires.

those rooms. Turn down 7. Be a lifesaver during the thermostat and put on a the holidays.

The Red Cross recom- sweater. mends at least one person in 11. Going home for the every household should take holidays? Travel safely. first and CPR/AED training.

Check the air pressure in Visit www.redcross.org/take- your tires and make sure you a-class for details. have windshield fluid. Be well rested and alert. Give 8. Designate a driver or your full attention to the road skip the holiday cheer.

Buckle up. Slow down, – avoid distractions such as don’t drive impaired. If you cell phones. If you have car plan on drinking, designate a trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. driver who won’t drink.

12. Resolve to be 9. When the weather Red Cross Ready outside is frightful, heat in the New Year. your home safely.

Get ready now in case you Never use your stove or oven to heat your home. or a member of your houseNever leave portable heat- hold faces an emergency in ers or fireplaces unattended. the coming year. Get a kit.

Make a plan. Be informed.

Install smoke alarms.

10. Cut down on your “His mother should have heating bills without thrown him away and kept being a Grinch. the stork.”

- MAE WEST Get your furnace cleaned and change the filters. Make sure your furniture isn’t 1310 Ave. Q • Lubbock,TX 79401 blocking the heat vents. 806-744-2220 • 806-744-2225 Fax Close off any rooms not in GOLDEN GAZETTE is pubuse and turn off the heat in lished monthly by Word Publications, 1310 Ave. Q, Lubbock, TX 79401. News items, letters to the editor, photographs, and other items may be submitted for publication. All letters must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Letters may be edited. Advertising rates are available upon request. For a subscription, send a check to Golden Gazette for $24 for one-year, or $48 for two-years.

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Staff: Camila Bonifield, Jo Anne Corbet, Bené Cornett, Mary Ann Edwards, Mike Lankford, Gary McDonald, Cary Swinney, Mary Valentini, Calva Ledbetter Contributing writers: Dr. Elva Edwards, Randal Hill, Dr. Sameer Islam, Margaret Merrell, Cathy Mottet, James K. White View the Gazette online at: www.wordpub.com

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 7

Miracles Christmas Parade set for Dec. 10

Miracles Parade on 34th Street is set to begin at 6 p.m., Dec. 10.

The free, family-friendly nighttime lighted parade will begin at 34th Street and Avenue Q and proceed west on 34th to Indiana Avenue.

Miracles Parade officials are known as Wranglers.

The theme for the 2016 parade is “Lights Fantastic,” according to parade chairman Scott Scarborough of Tom’s Tree Place.

Scarborough is one of the volunteer Wranglers who plan and stage the parade every year. The purpose and goal of the parade is to bring cheer to every spectator, participant, and organizer, and to provide families and

individuals an event that will build lasting holiday memories.

Parade information, participant rules, and applications to be a part of this event are online at www. miraclesparade.com.

Scarborough said nonprofit groups, individuals, and commercial businesses are welcome to participate in the parade.

Fees and rules are explained on the website. Applications are being taken, and all interested participants are urged to fill out applications and submit them as soon as possible.

Deadline for all applications is Dec. 2 at 6:30p.m.

Santa Claus will be on the

last parade float and is always the special guest for the Miracles Parade each year.

The Wranglers are expecting up to 40 parade units, including marching bands, riding clubs, and beauty queens.

Each participating group is asked to put at least 1,000 lights on their float or vehicle to illuminate it for the parade.

Santa Land open Dec. 10-23 An area in Mackenzie Park just off East Broadway will be Santa Land from Dec. 10-23.

Santa Land is free and open to the public from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly.

For the 60th year, the City of Lubbock’s

Parks and Recreation staff is transforming an area of parkland into a winter wonderland just for Santa.

One of the signature pieces of Santa Land is the 60-foot lighted Christmas tree that rises out of the center of the village.

Page 8 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Cowboy Christmas Ball set for Dec. 17 in Floydada Dance all night, dance a little longer, or just sit and visit with the neighbors and friends.

A Cowboy Christmas Ball will begin at 6 p.m., Dec. 17, in Floydada, Texas, with a meal catered by River Smith’s.

Music from Wendell Sollis and The Sidekicks All Star Band will liven up the Floyd County Friends’ Unity Center.

Information and tickets are available by calling Elaine LaBaume 806-9839153; Dustee Sollis 806-9836228; D&J Gin in Lockney; or Payne’s Pharmacy in Floydada.

Individual tickets are $35, or for a table of 8, it is $350.

The entertainment and a meal are included.

Wendell Sollis and the Sidekicks All Star Band has

a Facebook page.

The night’s other festivities will include auctions, drawings, and vendors, and a complimentary gourmet coffee bar.

P o r t io n s o f the proceeds will benefit the Lockney and Floydada Fire Departments.

“This is an awesome band, performing western swing, classical country, Cajun, big band, and Christmas favorites, said Wendell Sollis, leader of the band and banjo player.

Ronny Dale Shultz will direct the stage, as lead guitarist and vocalist. The rest of the lineup features hall of fame musicians: Bob Baker, steel player; Steve Ham on trombone, and Steve Wilkerson on clarinet/tenor sax.

From Bob Will’s Texas Playboys playing sax is Larry Reed. On bass is Rodney Lay, who directed Roy Clarks’ band in the days of “Hee Haw.” Brady Bowen and Greg Gibbs, both recipients of the Cowtown Society Western Swing Award, will be fiddlers, along with Brady Rasco, former fiddler of Tarleton’s Cross Timbers Opry.

Terry Thompson of the Texas Playboys will be on the drums. Ginny Mac, who’s performed at the Grand Ole Opry and MGM Vegas, will be on the ac-

cordion. Lucy Dean Record is the 92-year-old keyboard player, from Lockney, Texas, and also an Instrumentalist of the Year recipient.

Special guest will be Cathy Whitten, general manager of KSSL 107.3 & 94.1 FM Radio, ksslfm.com. The station has been nominated for Radio Station of the Year and Cathy as Radio Personality, Songwriter and Female Vocalist of the year.

Cathy stayed at #1 for 5 weeks with her song “You and Me” on the Independent Music Network (IMN) charts.

Candlelight vigil for homeless, Dec. 21 To commemorate National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day, the Community Health Center of Lubbock and the Salvation Army in partnership with the National Coalition for the Homeless will

host a candlelight vigil.

The vigil is set for Dec. 21, at Dave Frericks Park, 16th and Avenue K starting at 6 p.m. to memorialize those who have passed due to homelessness.

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Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 9

Make a gingerbread house at LHUCA

Museums participating in Toys for Tots The Buddy Holly Center and Silent Wings Museum are participating in the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots toy drive.

Both museums will be accepting toy donations to benefit local children through Dec. 12.

Guests who bring a new, unwrapped toy for donation will receive one free admission to either museum for each toy donated.

The Buddy Holly Center is at 1801 Crickets Ave. and the Silent Wings Museum is at 6202 N. I-27.

All toys will be given to local children in need this holiday season. Toys for Tots, which began in 1947, aims to deliver a message of hope to those in need through a shiny new toy.

How will they know?

From Laurie Foster with Backyard Mission The “proof” of our Christianity is not the absence of sin, but the presence of love.

The extravagant love of Jesus Christ, flowing through us to others, is the sign that his spirit is living in us.

In the story of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46, the goats are sent away from God, not because of the sin they committed, but because of the good they did not do – they did not love.

Our journey with Christ is the continuous “throwing off of sin” and “putting on of love.”

Surprise someone today.

Help someone today.

Serve someone today.

Take donuts to work, send flowers for no reason, let someone go in front of you in line, send an encouraging card, visit someone who lives alone, etc.

They will know they are Christians by their LOVE.

A special “Make & Take” art project is set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, 511 Ave. K. The gingerbread house

decorating party costs $50 per gingerbread house, and includes all decorations, a photo with Santa, and holiday treats. Call 762-8606 to reserve a place.

Page 10 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

CASA of the South Plains has a new office

CASA of the South Plains has moved from its former office at #24 Briercroft Office Park, to its new location in downtown Lubbock at the Grand Downtown RD7

Holiday Craft Fair

A Holiday Craft Fair is set for Dec. 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center, 4215 University.

Artists, crafts people, and art center instructors will have a variety of handmade gift items. Many gifts are priced below $50.

facility at 1215 Avenue J, Suite 301.

“We are extremely excited and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to relocate our office to the Reagor Dykes headquarters in downtown Lubbock,” said Lauren Westerberg, interim executive director for CASA of the South Plains. “This opportunity positions CASA to grow in a strategic way by creating additional resources and opportunities to recruit and train more volunteer advocates for our program.

“The new location also provides easier access to the courthouse for our volun-

teers who carry out our most important mission of providing advocacy and hope to children in foster care every day,” Westerberg said.

CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, began in Lubbock when a county judge first appointed an advocate to serve as an abused foster child’s advocate in October 1993.

CASA moved into its previous location in May 2009.

Since then, CASA has grown to 16 full-time employees and 177 volunteer advocates who provide a voice for the well-being of abused and neglected foster children in six counties.

Bart Reagor is founder and CEO of the Reagor Dykes Auto Group.

“I love CASA and what they do for kids,” Reagor said. “Without CASA, many children would have nobody to turn to and no adult guidance. The kids matched with a CASA come from very tough situations and they need help. I am thrilled to partner with CASA and to have their new headquarters right here in the same building with us.”

The holiday travel season is here. Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport wants travelers to have the best experience possible as they prepare to take flight.

Here are a few tips that should help.

Bring government-issued photo ID to the airport for all adult passengers.

Checking-in

If you are checking a bag for your flight, you will need to drop off your bags at the ticket counter.

Packing If you did check-in online Pack wisely – make sure before leaving for the airport, there are no prohibited items have your boarding pass, and in your carry-on luggage and are not checking a bag, you no valuable items or medica- can go directly to the TSA tions in your checked bags. security line without visiting If flying with bags used the ticket counter. for hunting or hobbies, make Picking-Up sure no unintended prohibIf you are picking someited items remain. one up at the airport, the Cell Visit www.tsa.gov or Phone Waiting Area offers download the TSA app for a place to park for free and information on permitted wait for your passengers and prohibited items, 3-1-1 to arrive. Your passengers for carry-ons, traveling with should contact you once food or gifts, and more. they’ve collected their bags

Before you leave for the airport

and are curbside.

When you pick someone Arrive at least 90 minutes up at the terminal, remember the curbside is for immediate before flight.

Confirm the status of your pick-up and drop-off only. flight with your airline be- Curbside waiting is not allowed. fore coming to the airport.

Travelers can find more Print your boarding pass tips on the airport’s website, or select an electronic boardwww.flylbb.com. ing pass in advance.

“To strengthen the muscles of your heart, the best exercise is lifting someone else’s spirit whenever you can.”

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Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 11

THE MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT GUY

By James K. White

jkwhite46@gmail.com

Botanists have found out that Venus Fly Traps can count. As if wary of false alarms from wind, falling leaves, etc., the clever rascals seem to never snap shut after one touch.

On the second touch, the size of the prey is analyzed by how many “hairs” on the Trap are touched simultaneously.

The number of hairs triggered tells the plant whether the quarry is too large to digest and how much digestive juice to ooze into the absorption chambers if the victim is deemed edible.

Research indicates that other carnivorous plants such as Pitcher Plants and Sundews do not have the ability to count touches.

No matter how badly your favorite major league baseball team is doing, I assure you that it will fare better than the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (now in Oakland).

The 1916 team finished 40 games behind.

I mean 40 games behind the next worse team.

Their nickname unofficially became the Philadelphia Pathetics.

The Athletics had earlier turned down a chance to offer a contract to a young player named George Herman Ruth. Ruth proved to be a player with potential.

Studies related to sleep and lighting have revealed that workers sleep significantly better whenever fluorescent lighting is replaced by lights that emit shades of blue during the

daytime and are then exposed to longer light wavelengths at night.

Here is another “fact” that has proven to be bogus: Sharks never get cancer. Yes they do. Scientists have known this information since 1908 when a malignant tumor was found in a blue shark.

In America a small-farming trend is booming in many large cities. The plots are on rooftops where people have to haul dirt and other essentials to roofs of apartments, etc. Individual parcels often cover no more than 20 square feet.

From these diminutive lots, fresh vegetables are harvested several months of the year.

Some enterprising “farmers” even manage to raise poultry in available spaces.

Scientists and engineers are planning the construction of a desalinization plant off the coast of California by employing some old concepts on an enormous scale.

Dubbed the “Monterey Bay Regional Water Project,” sea water is to be removed from as much as two miles deep and piped to the plant. More than 55,000 homes should be supplied with potable water.

The water taken from the submarine trench would be used to cool the plant before being processed and the resulting calcium wastes would be recycled to make limestone building materials.

Proposals are that the plant will be operational by 2018.

Well, do not be intimidated by the math skills of any Venus Plants – and have a great week.

New Fitness classes

Join the ladies of the Outreach Department of Community Health Center of Lubbock for free fitness classes.

Low impact and high intensity workouts available to accommodate everyone.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes and times are: Walking Away the Pounds – 9 a.m.

Zumba – 10:30 a.m.

Piloxing – 2:30 p.m.

Yoga class is held at 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thurdays.

Contact the Outreach Department at 806-765-2611 for more information.

Kelly Springer, LUTCF

Kelly.Springer@hotmail.com

Lubbock, Texas

806-995-5046 or fax 806-398-9200 Free Accidental Death Policy with Appointment

25 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Only a middle-aged man can sport a baldhead and a beer belly, and still think he’s sexy.

Page 12 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Golden Gazette Crossword Puzzle ACROSS

1. Of sedate character 6. Requirement 10. Charts 14. New Zealand evergreen tree 15. Double curve 16. Indian nursemaid 17. Not pertinent 19. Trigonometric function 20. Extinct flightless bird 21. Among 22. Uncovered 24. Auricular 25. Growl 26. Supernatural 31. Stead 33. Profane expression 34. Period of history 35. Metal 36. Sharp 38. Monkeys 39. Curve 40. Large wading bird 41. Gentle splash

42. Surgical excision of a lung 46. Title

47. Jumps on one leg 48. Brownish gray baboon 51. Liquid food 52. Brassiere 55. Very small quantity 56. Obscenely abusive 59. Long, laborious work 60. Official language of Pakistan 61. Strange and mysterious 62. Class 63. Rumple 64. Roman goddess of the moon

DOWN

1. Glide on surface 2. Edible tuber 3. Distinctive quality 4. Wrath 5. Widened 6. Beginner 7. Mild oath

8. Even (poet.)

9. Cause to explode 10. Capital of Lesotho 11. 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 12. One of the divisions of a window 13. Storage shelter 18. Send forth 23. Route 24. Toward the mouth 25. Midge 26. Freedom from war 27. Awake 28. Refund 29. Greek god of war 30. Whip 31. Smack 32. Web-footed aquatic bird 36. True stomach of the cow 37. Motion picture 38. Donations to the poor 40. Priest of a mosque 41. Covered with poppies 43. Free from confinement

4 4. Refrain 45. Travel from place to place 48. Sepulchral tomb 49. Consecrated 50. On the top 51. Lather

5 2. Adriatic wind 53. Devastate 54. Seaward 57. French vineyard 58. Wreath of flowers Solution on P. 21

The mosT unusual ChrisTmas gifT

By Margaret Merrell A number of years ago, I was living in the piney woods of East Texas.

I was deeply involved in researching the genealogy of my mother’s family and had discovered a little country church with a very old but beautiful cemetery.

I spent a number of cold, fall days exploring and recording information from the wide assortment of grave markers.

Some were really old and were made from wood, stones and rocks. There were a few that seemed to be marble that stood slender and tall among the more traditional block-shaped ones.

I found so many graves and markers of my ancestors,

I felt like I had discovered the treasure of all treasures.

I used cameras, tape recorders, sketches, and “rubbings” of the stone markers.

Christmas was just around the corner, so I had to put all my treasures aside and prepare for family and friends.

We celebrated for several days, then my guests began to depart for their homes.

I invited my mother’s only brother to stay on an extra day so I could take him to the little cemetery I had discovered. I did not tell him the full story of my discovery, I wanted to show him.

It was a fairly cold day when we left the next morning. The cold wind stopped blowing just as we arrived at the cemetery.

We stood under the large, iron sign that arched the entrance -- Mt. Zion’s Cemetery. My uncle had not been born when his parents lived in east Texas. They and several related families had moved to Oklahoma many years ago.

Back in those days, very little time and money was spent keeping in touch with those left behind. My uncle had only a dim memory of his grandparents. I took his hand, and we walked slowly toward the center of the graveyard reading the names on some of the markers.

I noticed that the sun was peeking through the clouds.

We stopped in front of two tall, white slender markers, each at the head of a grave. I

turned to my uncle and said, “I would like for you to meet your grandparents. This one is Emily, your grandmother, and this one is William, your grandfather.”

We stood in silence as he read the dates and names on the beautiful white pillars brightened by the shining sun. My uncle grabbed me, and we almost fell from his strong hug!

I told him I had pictures and all the information in a package for him in the car.

I made my way back to another section of the graveyard and left him to be alone with his grandparents’ monuments.

As I drove us home, he went through his packet and asked many questions and

shed many tears.

When he left for his home, the next morning, he gave me one of his fiddles he had taught me to play. I was thrilled. He said,“You gave me the best Christmas present I have ever or will ever receive.” Then came another big hug.

“Now get in that house and get to work on that fiddle!”

Dear readers, I do hope you have many happy memories from your own memory boxes, connecting you with someone special in your life.

Perhaps you did a kind deed that turned into a huge Christmas gift for someone, when you least expected it.

Wishing everyone a blessed, Merry Christmas.

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 13

4 tips to make showering safer

When a senior needs help with showering or bathing, it’s typically up to family members like you to step in to help out.

But you may discover that it’s not necessarily as easy of a process as you might think.

The bathing process can be fraught with danger. Climbing in and out of a bathtub or shower stall presents a major fall risk.

Standing, turning and sitting back down during a shower likewise has the potential to end in disaster.

Fortunately, you can take steps to help improve bath time safety. Professional caregivers receive training on how to make showering and bathing as safe as possible, and you might consider adapting these same concepts for your own use.

1. Address the bathing environment

Shower stalls obviously become wet and slippery while in use. Likewise, the curved surfaces of bathtubs make for an unstable place to stand. And a steamy spray can make the bathroom floor slick, too.

Care professionals suggest improving the safety of these environments by installing equipment such as grab bars and a large shower mat. In tiled bathrooms, you can consider adding safety treads or a rubber transfer mat to the floor to reduce slipperiness.

2. Address mobility issues

Normal aging can cause weak legs in many adults,

and certainly medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease or arthritis can make it difficult for a person to transition from standing to sitting easily.

If you are caring for a loved one who has mobility issues, be careful when helping them get into and out of the tub or shower.

Consider using specialized bath items to help make transferring as safe as possible.

From a big box store or a specialty online store, you can get rails that fit over the tub wall, shower chairs or even a transfer stool to help reduce fall risk when helping a loved one get into or out of the shower.

3. Organize supplies

Oftentimes, soap and shampoo reside in a basket hanging from the shower head or high up on a shower wall shelf.

That might be convenient for a person who can safely stand up in the tub to shower, but it’s out of reach for the seated senior and it poses a potential danger to a family caregiver who must take her attention off the senior relative being bathed in order to reach these supplies.

A better solution might be to gather all of your supplies in a container and place it within easy reach.

This way, you can keep one steady hand on your loved one while grasping the soap or shampoo bottle with the other.

4. Adjust your bath time technique

Typically a fully mobile person hops in the shower, washes, and then jumps out to dry off. But in a scenario where the person needs mobility assistance, that sequence can be dangerous because a wet person can easily slip from your hands as you help them out of the shower.

That’s why bathing another person might call for a change of technique. Focus on reducing the number of times (if any) the person must stand or turn while in the wet environment. Think carefully about all the steps involved in the current bathing routine and adjust them as necessary.

For instance, you may consider drying your loved one while they remain seated on a stool before exiting the shower.

For family caregivers, bathing or showering a loved one can present a number of safety challenges. But if you focus on these four aspects of safety, you may be able to reduce the risk of a bath time fall.

Of course, if bathing a senior loved one seems too daunting or becomes more than you can safely handle alone, remember you can always hire a professional caregiver through an inhome care company like Home Instead Senior Care.

These experts understand how to provide safe bathing assistance and help with many other senior care tasks.

- www.caregiverstress. com

Need assistance, help or information, and don’t know where to look?

To get the current edition of The Golden Resource Directory call

Phone

Fax

Page 14 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 15

Enjoy the holidays, and get a good night’s sleep Many people love the holidays, getting together with friends and family, and enjoying the festivities.

Often it depends on what kind of holidays we had as children as to whether we look forward to them in anticipation or dread.

My family had big holidays with lots of food and company and presents. It was fun.

And now we are older adults. And times have changed. There are so many more parties and get-togethers, and as we all know, you have to have food at a gettogether. Right?

You wonder how many people gain more than five pounds during the holiday season? Often people say, that is why there are New Year’s resolutions, so you can lose the weight you gained over the holidays. The food is as much of a problem for me as anyone else. If it isn’t a problem for you, I’m sure you know someone who is a lot like me.

I want to tell you about a research project that might

help you through the holidays. I hope it helps me.

When we lose sleep, did you know the next day you will eat almost 400 more calories than you would have if you had gotten a normal night’s sleep. I have to admit, what they called limited sleep was four hours, but if you are like me, I’ve had four hour nights and not because I didn’t get to bed. I simply couldn’t get to sleep.

Many older people find sleep more difficult than when they were younger, but I was a bit blown away by the extra almost 400 calories.

When you don’t sleep your 7 to 8 hours, it amps up your hunger hormone, and you want to eat more. And they think when you don’t get the sleep you wanted, you look to food as a comfort. At the end of the day,

that spells almost 400 more calories.

If the 400 calories wasn’t bad enough, I have a bit more bad news.

Lack of sleep can really mess with your sugar stability. Let me quote, “one night of sleep deprivation led to impairments in insulin sensitivity similar to those caused by six-months of eating poorly.”

I was shocked. And if you aren’t scared about diabetes or obesity, remember that high insulin levels drive cancer, too. So please, put the soft drink down.

By the time we reach senior citizenship, most people don’t drink many soft drinks. But, we do have more problems with sleep.

People who had less than 6 hours of sleep a night had 50% more cancer. Now we

are getting serious.

So we want to get our sleep down. And it is even more important during the holiday months because we eat more and differently than when we aren’t being so festive. And if you want to at least not add almost 400 calories a day after a fitful night of sleep, then let’s get some sleep.

I will tell you a few of the best tricks I’ve found.

If you are a person who goes to bed and your mind is going 100 miles per hour, you might pick up a bottle of Rescue Remedy for sleep at your local health food store.

It calms that chasing mind.

If you feel anxious or tight, please try my detox bath.

I like a really warm bath with 1/3 cup Epsom salt, 1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide and 8 cups of chamomile tea, made by using 2 teabags. Throw all of the ingredients into the tub and soak about 20 minutes. It makes you feel relaxed and helps with a good night’s sleep.

If you still get to bed and can’t go to sleep, breathe

down into the belly -deep belly breaths in and then out. After you get the rhythm, start counting the breaths. The breaths are relaxing and help change your body from the fight or flight to relax, and the counting gives your mind something to do.

Some people find the mask that goes over the eyes helpful to block out all light and makes it easier to find sleep.

It might be important to stop any television or computer use about an hour before bedtime. And as we get older, we sleep better when we don’t eat late.

And if you still can’t find sleep, get some melatonin at the health food store. Melatonin helps your brain with sleep and, interestingly enough, they find people are prone to low melatonin if they have cancer.

Enjoy your holiday parties, and top it off with a good night’s sleep.

The information for this newsletter was in the daily blog at mercola.com, a fabulous health site.

An online source of information designed to assist family caregivers in gaining information and insight during the journey of caregiving.

The source of information that will empower you to maximize satisfaction for the rest of your life.

806-744-2220 email: info@WordPub.com

HelpingCaregivers.com Committed to Caring for Caregivers

Page 16 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Amazing hearts

Our hearts are amazing!

The average adult heart beats 72 times a minute; 100,000 times a day; 3,600,000 times a year; and 2.5 billion times during a lifetime.

Although the adult heart only weighs about 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day.

If laid out end to end, it would circle the globe two times. It pumps blood to almost all of the body’s 75 trillion cells. Only our cornea receives no blood. During an average lifetime, the heart will pump nearly 1.5 billion barrels of blood - enough to fill 200 train tank cars. And every day the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime,

Seeds of Hope it will create enough energy to drive it to the moon and back.

When we consider all that our hearts do for us, its importance cannot be measured. Without its constant beating, we could not live.

It sustains our lives. Its every beat is a gift from God, but we rarely think about it unless we have “heart-problems.” Yet, physical heart problems are not as serious as spiritual heart problems.

Only God can do miracles with “both” hearts.

The word “heart” occurs six times in Psalm 73.

But in verse one it speaks of “those who are pure in heart” - those whose heart

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he got from God was trouble -- all day, every day. Finally he asked God, “Am I wasting my time? Why should I bother to be godly?”

Fortunately, he went to the right place for an answer. “Finally,” he concluded when he went to the sanctuary to worship, “I understood their end.”

Wrongs in this life will be corrected in the next.

Remember: Dives lived in pleasure and Lazarus in pain.

But there came a day when things were reversed: Dives was tormented by flames, and Lazarus went to live lavishly in his Father’s home.

The ungodly leave their treasures at death, but the godly only begin to enjoy theirs with their Father.

had a problem with bad people living godless lives and receiving earthly rewards. He was a bit angry when he saw their lavish lives. They appeared to have everything their hearts desired, lived lives of ease, and were healthy. Their riches multiplied even though they scoffed God and threatened His children. What’s up?

So the writer of the Psalm Why bother? became vain. He avoided If God is good, why do evil, and when he sinned the godly have grief? If God he immediately confessed is fair, why do the faithful and asked God to forgive fail? If God cares, why does him. He read God’s Word, He allow Christians to have engaged in prayer and tried cancer? If God is powerful, to live a godly life. But all why are innocent people murdered? And why are the A four-year-old child lived next door to an elderly gentleungodly prosperous? Why are the ungodly happy? Why man, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man are the ungodly recipients cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s’ yard, of any good thing? After all, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighthey are ungodly.

The writer of Psalm 73 bor, the little boy just said, ‘Nothing. I just helped him cry.’

is completely committed to God and place him first in their lives and love him unconditionally.

Over this God-centered heart is the heart that Jeremiah describes: “a heart that is deceitful and beyond cure.”

A heart in this condition needs the Great Physician to cleanse it, restore it, live in it and fill it with His love.

Our personalized services are available seven days a week and can range from a few hours daily to 24 hours and live-in care.

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& a vast collection of estate pieces These custom pieces, utilizing new and vintage beads, broaches, buckles, etc., turn into new 1 Ovakind designs!

I haunt garage sales, estate sales, antique shops, and many church bazaars to rescue beautiful components and give them new life.

If some of your jewelry requires restringing, repairing or redesigning, I do most repairs that do not require soldering.

For more info or appointments

Call 806-771-2777

Cathy Mottet

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 17

Dec. 1 - Eat a Red Apple Day Dec. 2 - Fritters Day Carol of Lights on the Texas Tech campus - Carillon concert begins at 6:30 p.m. with Carol of Lights beginning at 7 p.m.

First Friday Art Trail Holiday Craft Fair from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. inside the Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center, 4215 University.

Heart Matters discussion at Covenant Health, 9-10 a.m., at the Knipling Education and Conference Center, on the 6th floor of the West Parking Garage at the corner of 21st and Louisville.

Dec. 3 - National Roof Over Your Head Day Santa Paws -- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Free Admission, $5 per picture with Santa. All ages. Dog chipping, vendors, and prizes, Hodges Community Center, 4011 University.

Holiday Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Lubbock Municipal Garden and Arts Center, 4215 University.

Fiber Arts Society – crochet and

knit at the Garden & Arts Center, 4215 University, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 401-6441 for more info.

The Roundtable Luncheon from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hillcrest Country Club main dining room 4011 N. Boston Ave. Shelia Patterson Harris will speak. $15 per person, limited menu includes dessert & beverage. Travel north on University Avenue then turn left (or west) on Newcomb Street and proceed to the Clubhouse front entrance.

Dec. 4 - Santa’s List Day The 5th Annual Carol of Lights Run is set to begin at 6:45 p.m. Dec. 4 on the Texas Tech campus.

Dec. 5 - Bathtub Party Day Dec. 6 - Mitten Tree Day Q&A about Medicare - free breakfast from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., at Golden Corral, 5117 S. Loop 289.

Dec. 7 - Pearl Harbor Day National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), Furr’s Family Dining, 6001

Slide, 11:30 a.m., 799-6796 or 795-9158.

Dec. 8 - Brownie Day Lake Ridge Ladies Christmas Tour from 10-2 and 5-8. Enjoy touring some of the most beautifully decorated homes for the holiday season. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling Lake Ridge Chapel & Memorial Designers at 806698-8085.

Make a gingerbread house “Make & Take” art project, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, 511 Ave. K. $50 per gingerbread house, and includes all decorations, photo with Santa, and holiday treats. Call 762-8606 to reserve a place.

Dec. 9 - National Pastry Day Candlelight at the Ranch - 6:30 to 9 p.m. Experience a frontier Christmas at the National Ranching Heritage Center, 3121 Fourth St. Celebrating Christmas as it might have been on the open prairie from 1780 to

1950. More than 150 volunteer Ranch Hosts will dress in period clothing to recreate holiday scenes. Wheelchair and stroller accessible. Free event, but $5 suggested donation per family.

UMC Better Breathers Club -- a support group for people with chronic lung disease such as COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. Joining is free. Learn to manage your lung disease and live better.

Meets the second Monday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the UMC Activities Center at 5217 82nd Street, 82nd & Slide in Rockridge Plaza.

Dec. 10 - Human Rights Day Candlelight at the Ranch - 6:30 to 9 p.m. Experience a frontier Christmas at the National Ranching Heritage Center, 3121 Fourth St. Celebrating Christmas as it might have been on the open prairie from 1780 to 1950. More than 150 volunteer Ranch Hosts will dress in period clothing to recreate holiday

scenes. Wheelchair and stroller accessible. Free event, but $5 suggested donation per family.

Miracles Parade on 34th Street - 6 p.m., begins at 34th Street and Avenue Q and proceeds west on 34th to Indiana Avenue.

The theme is “Lights Fantastic.”

Toys for Tots Tennis Scramble - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., teens and adults. Donate a $10 toy, and enjoy this holiday tennis scramble, Burgess-Rushing Tennis Center, 3030 66th St. Second Saturday Program. Holiday Wreath Making with Helen Jarman. 10 a.m. We will supply the wreaths, ribbons, pine cones, berries, etc. $5 donation suggested. Lubbock Memorial Arboretum, 4111 University Ave, 797-4520.

Country Western Dance – 7 p.m.

Lubbock Area Square & Round Dance Center, 2305 120th St. Smoke- & alcohol-free. $5 admission for members, $7 for non members. Brisket & pulled (See Enriching Lives, Page 20)

YOUR #1 CHOICE FOR REHABILITATION Short-term & Long-term Rehabilitation We specialize in: • Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy • Stroke Recovery Care • Orthopedic Rehabilitation • Diabetes Symptom Management • Stroke Therapy • Wound Care • Pain Management EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Page 18 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Estate planning tips for blended families

By Zach Holtzman Financial advisor Edward JonEs Most of us need to do some type of estate planning, but it’s especially important if you are part of a “blended” family.

And the best time to start is now – before these plans need to be implemented.

Estate planning can be complex, so you will need help from a qualified legal professional. But here are a few general suggestions that can be suitable for blended families: Update beneficiary designations – and think about multiple beneficiaries.

Update the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts and insurance policies to reflect the reality of your blended family.

These designations can supersede the instructions you provided in your will.

So if your will states that your current spouse should inherit your assets, but you had named your former spouse, or a child, as the primary beneficiary of an IRA, then your former spouse or your child – not your present-day spouse – will indeed receive the IRA. To ensure that “everyone gets something,” you could name your current spouse as primary beneficiary and your children from a previous marriage as equal contingent beneficiaries.

But the primary beneficiary will receive all the assets and is free to do whatever he or she wants with the money.

To enact your wishes, you can name multiple primary

beneficiaries and designate the percentage of the asset each beneficiary will receive.

Create a living trust – and consider a professional trustee.

A living trust can help you avoid the time-consuming and costly process of probate, while giving you great freedom to determine how, and when, you want your assets distributed.

After you pass away, the trust, if structured properly, can provide your surviving spouse with income for life; then, after your spouse dies, your children from an earlier marriage would receive the remainder of the trust.

So far, so good.

However, issues can arise if you name your surviving spouse or one of your children as the “successor trust-

ee” who will take charge of the trust upon your passing.

Your spouse, acting as successor trustee, could choose to invest only in bonds for income, but if he or she lives another 20 or so years, the value of the investments within the trust will probably have diminished considerably – leaving your children with very little.

Conversely, if you name one of your children as trustee, the child could invest strictly in growth-oriented investments, leaving your surviving spouse with greatly reduced income.

To be fair to everyone, you may want to engage a professional third-party trustee. This individual, or company, is not a beneficiary of the trust, is not entitled to share in the assets of the trust, and, ideally, should have no “rooting interest” in

how proceeds of the trust are distributed.

Consider a prenuptial agreement. When it’s time to settle an estate, a prenuptial agreement can help avoid disputes among members of a blended family.

If you and your new spouse have agreed to keep your assets separate so that each of you can pass an inheritance to your own children, you need to spell out that separation in your “prenup,” your will, your living trust, and any other relevant estate-planning arrangements.

Above all else, share your estate-planning intentions with members of your blended family.

You may not be able to satisfy everyone, but through open communication, you can help prevent bad feelings – and unpleasant surprises.

Attorney: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

Witness: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

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Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 19

LISD National Merit and National Hispanic scholars honored In late September, about The Lubbock ISD Board Students in the 2017 Naof Trustees recognized 18 tional Merit Scholarship 34,000 high scorers of the approximately 1.6 million students in October for their Competition. superior academic achievement as National Merit Semifinalists, Commended Scholars, and National Hispanic Scholars.

Lubbock ISD is home to two National Merit semifinalists: Zaina Moussa from the Talkington School for Young Women Leaders, and Kevin Shu from Lubbock High School. Of the approximately 1.6 million students taking the qualifying exam National Merit Semifinalists: Board President Melissa nationwide, LISD is the only Collier, Kevin Shu, Zaina Moussa, Superintendent Berhl public school district in Lub- Robertson Jr. bock County with any students earning the prestigious distinction.

Less than one percent of high school seniors can claim the designation of National Merit Semifinalist.

Six students were named National Merit Commended Students: Board President Melissa Collier, Laurel Baldwin-White, James Berry, Ashwin Koul, Jennifer Qasim, Sagar Commended Patel, and Superintendent Berhl Robertson Jr. (not pictured: Neloy Shome)

students who took the PSAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test were notified of their selection as Commended Scholars.

The Commended Students are Laurel Baldwin-White from Monterey High School and James Berry, Ashwin Koul, Sagar Patel, Jennifer Qasim and Neloy Shome, all from Lubbock High School.

Nine students were selected for recognition in the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) for their performance on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and their grade point average.

Each year, the NHRP identifies nearly 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from a nationwide total of more than 250,000 juniors in the United States and U.S. Territories who take the PSAT/NMSQT and who designate themselves as at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino.

The NHRP Hispanic Scholars are Kilei Pope from Coronado High School,

and Julia Arendell, William Lampkin, Natalie Luera, Daniel Martinez, Isaac Martinez-Trejos, Jennifer Qasim, Gabriela Quintana and Tyler Roquebert, all from Lubbock High School.

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Scheduling, transportation & companionship for shopping & errands Watchful care during recovery from routine treatments Changing linens, laundry & ironing Assistance with gardening & light exercise Housekeeping, meal preparation and nutrition Help with bathing, dressing & personal care Call for a free consultation

806-589-0400

Protect yourself and the ones you love.

Get your immunizations.

Everyone needs a flu shot every year.

Adults need other immunizations as recommended by your physician.

Contact us for assistance finding a clinic that provides immunizations.

National Hispanic Scholars: Board President Melissa Collier, Kilei Pope, Isaac MartinezTrejos, Natalie Luera, Julia Arendell, Jennifer Qasim, William Lampkin, Gabriela Quintana, Tyler Roquebert, Daniel Martinez and Superintendent Berhl Robertson Jr.

806 18th Street 806.775.2933

Page 20 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

(Continued from Page 17)

pork sandwiches w/chips $5 per plate. 765-8736 or 747-4344 for more info. www.SquareDanceLubbockTx.com.

The Roundtable Luncheon from 11:15 a.m. -1 p.m. at the Hillcrest Country Club main dining

room 4011 N. Boston Ave. Dr. Michael San Francisco discussing “What is Happening With the Honor’s College” & presentation of a check to the Honors College Scholarship Fund. $15 per person, limited menu includes dessert and beverage.

What a difference your lunch hour can make!

Once a week, or once a month, use your lunch hour to deliver a hot, nutritious meal to someone who is homebound.

You will make their day, and they will make yours.

Call

806-792-7971 for more info.

Lubbock Meals on Wheels www.LubbockMealsOnWheels.org

Go north on University Avenue then turn left (or west) on Newcomb Street and proceed to the Clubhouse front entrance.

Dec. 11 - Children’s Day Dec. 12 - Ding-a-Ling Day Dec. 13 - Ice Cream Day Q&A about Medicare - free breakfast from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., at Golden Corral, 5117 S. Loop 289.

Lubbock Area Amputee Support Group -- Furrs’ Cafeteria, 6001 Slide Road, 6 - 7:30 p.m. in the Red Raider Room; purchase your own meal (or you do not have to eat); call 806-748-5870 for more info.

Alzheimer’s Association caregiver support group – Rawlings Senior Center, 213 40th St., Lubbock, at 10:30 a.m. Meet with those who understand. A safe place for caregivers, family, and friends of persons with dementia. alz.org/westtexas Quilters – The Chaparral Quilters Guild, 7 p.m. Garden & Arts Center, 4215 S. University. For

806-745-5800

more info, 788-0856. Meets the 2nd Tuesday each month.

Dec. 14 - Monkey Day Dec. 15 - National Lemon Cupcake Day Dec. 16 - National Chocolate Covered Anything Day Dec. 17 - Maple Syrup Day A Cowboy Christmas Ball - 6 p.m., in Floydada, Texas, meal catered by River Smith’s. Music from Wendell Sollis and The Sidekicks All Star Band at the Floyd County Friends’ Unity Center. Information and tickets are available by calling 806-9839153; 806-983-6228; D&J Gin in Lockney; or Payne’s Pharmacy in Floydada. Individual tickets are $35, or for a table of 8, it is $350. Entertainment and meal are included.

Wolfforth Once-a-month Craft Fair - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wolfforth Library Meeting Room, 508 E. Hwy 62/82 in Wolfforth; Free admission; Handmade items / baked goods / direct sales.

Country Western Dance – 7 p.m.

Lubbock Area Square & Round Dance Center, 2305 120th St. Smoke- & alcohol-free. $5 admission for members, $7 for non members. Brisket & pulled pork sandwiches w/chips $5 per plate. 765-8736 or 747-4344 for more info. www.SquareDanceLubbockTx.com.

Dec. 18 - Bake Cookies Day Pancho Clos - 2 to 5 p.m., Free, All Ages, Bring your children to visit with Pancho Clos. Maggie Trejo Supercenter, 3200 Amherst.

Dec. 19 - Look for an Evergreen Day Dec. 20 - Go Caroling Day Dec. 21 - Look on the Bright Side Day

Candlelight vigil – 6 p.m. at Dave Frericks Park, 16th and Avenue K, to memorialize those who have passed due to homelessness. Sponsored by Community Health Center of Lubbock, Salvation Army, and National Coalition for the Homeless.

Dec. 22 - Date Nut Bread Day Alzheimer’s Association caregiver support group – meets at 1 p.m. Meet with those who understand. A safe place for caregivers, family, and friends of persons with dementia. alz. org/westtexas. Call 806-3323034 for location.

Dec. 23 - Festivus Dec. 24 - Chocolate Day Dec. 25 - Christmas Day Dec. 26 - Boxing Day Dec. 27 - Make Cut-Out Snowflakes Day Dec. 28 - Card Playing Day Dec. 29 - Pepper Pot Day Dec. 30 - Bacon Day Dec. 31 - Make Up Your Mind Day New Year’s Eve Gala - 7:30 p.m., $10, Ages 40+, Join us as we ring in the New Year with fun, food, and dancing, Lubbock Adult Activity Center, 2001 19th St. Country Western Dance – 8 p.m.

Lubbock Area Square & Round Dance Center, 2305 120th St. Smoke- & alcohol-free. $8 admission “Bubbly” sparkling cider at midnight and black eyed peas & cornbread after 2017 is rung in. Call 765-8736 or 747-4344 for more info. www.

SquareDanceLubbockTx.com.

Note: To add an event, delete an event, or make changes, email maedwards@wordpub.com or call 744-2220 by the 20th of the month for the following month’s publication.

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 21

• Want Ads • Want Ads • Want Ads • Want Ads • Items for sale

Electric wheelchair (new batteries) $400. Electric lift chair (new battery) $150. Electric twin bed w/ head and foot boards (head & foot raise) $150; Electric treadmill $100. Pictures available. Call 806-543-6947.

12/16

free rent & meals

Free rent & meals for mature lady on ranch. Nice fishing pond.

In exchange for light housework and cooking for one person. Call 575-355-1263.

2/17

schwInn statIonary bIke

Schwinn stationary bike. Good condition. $125 Call 78512/16 1991.

raInbow DelIVery serVIce 745-6406

We will do your grocery shopping, pharmacy pickup, carry your beloved pet to your vet or groomer. Give us a call before all time slots are taken. Call 7456406.

12/16

resthaVen InspIratIon

Resthaven Inspiration -- Section U, 2 side-by-side plots. $5,000. for both. Seller will pay transfer fee. Call John at 806-4376120.

3/16

laDIes golf clubs

Right handed. Lady Tour Brand.

Call 806-785-1991.

4/16

senIor care @ coVenant

Sign up for SeniorCare at Covenant. Benefits include medical, educational, and social. Call 806-725-4218.

shelleD pecans

Shelled pecans, $7 per pound.

6/16 Call 806-799-1549.

someone neeDs a meal

Our volunteers deliver a lot more than a meal. One hour a day, a week, or a month can make a difference. Lubbock Meals on Wheels. Call 806-792-7971.

golDen gazette

The Golden Gazette can come to you. Subscribe for one year for $24; two years for $48. Mail your address and check to: Golden Gazette, 1310 Avenue Q, Lubbock, TX 79401. rtn

haVe aDVertIsIng sales experIence?

senIor VIsIon care

Dr. Michael J. Dunn has provided Lubbock with 36 years of quality vision care. Call 745-2222.

cma/caregIVer aVaIlable for prIVate senIor home care

I have 13 years experience in all aspects of senior care. I am extremely reliable and have excellent references. References and resume will be provided upon request. If you or a family member is in need of senior assistance, please contact me at 806-507-0312.

10/16

Have advertising sales experience? Want to sell advertising for the Golden Gazette? Come by 1310 Avenue Q and complete an application or bring a resume that lists at least 3 references.

806-744-2220.

3/16

resthaVen plot

One Resthaven plot for sale.

Section O, Lot 219, Space 1, Make me an offer! Call 806762-3600.

8/14

$

Want ads

10 for up to 30 words 10¢ per word above 30.

Email: bcornett@wordpub.com Fax to: 806-744-2225 Mail to: Word Publications 1310 Avenue Q

Lubbock, TX 79401

sellIng cemetery plots

Plots located in Memory Gardens Cemetery, Pampa, TX. In Garden of Good Shepard area are 4 plots. Reasonable $1,000 for 2 plots or $1,800 for all 4. Negotiable. Call 806-2208239.

2/16

New Neighbors sets Dec. 9 meeting

The Caldwell Kids with Sounds of Christmas will be the program for the New Neighbors meeting set for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 9 at the Lubbock Women’s Club, 2020 Broadway.

Cost for the luncheon is $15, and reservations are required.

For luncheon reservations, contact Judy Carnes 806-407-3028 or email newneighbors@ymail.com.

New Neighbors club also has a Christmas coffee set for Dec. 2.

The New Neighbor meeting in November was the annual live auction and game day. This is the largest fundraiser for the non-profit club to raise money for the charities given to each May. Three special guests attended - John Robison, Jane Prince Jones, and Jeff Klotzman.

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Page 22 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Suspended in Time: How to properly preserve flowers Ever wondered what happens to the wedding bouquet and centerpieces made of beautifully arranged roses or lilies at the end of the big day?

What about the magnificently gorgeous spray of casket tribute flowers provided to honor a loved one?

The typical answer is to enjoy the flowers for a few days, then toss them aside, keeping only the memories.

Or, hang the flowers upside down in an attic, bundled together, and then gather the dried petals in a keepsake box.

These are fine options, but there is another solution.

Suspended in Time, a Lubbock business, can preserve the flowers to look like

the day they were freshly cut.

What is the process?

Here’s how it works: gather the flowers and place them in a vase of cold water with flower food.

Then, bring the flowers to the store as soon as possible to begin the preservation process.

We hand cut the flowers, preserve them in a 3-5 day drying solution and dry baking proprietary process, then arrange them in an encasement box or dome to look like the day they were first treasured.

The flowers are sturdy and will last for generations to come thanks to the unique drying process and UV protective tight case.

Can aged, dried flowers

be preserved?

Yes, but the flowers may crumble during the process of drying. A better option might be to recreate the bouquet or arrangement and preserve it instead, including a few of the original petals as well.

What does it cost?

Prices range from $40 to $450, depending on the size and kind of box chosen.

Barn wood and traditional oak are the most popular.

Military medals, engravings, anniversary pictures, wedding invitations, and other unique memorabilia may be added at no extra charge to personalize the encasement. Some even add their loved one’s favorite cap or necklace. No idea is too

ASK ME ABOUT

THE THRIVENT STORY Thrivent is a membership organization of Christians …

We help members be wise with money …

And live generously.

Debra L Hedgcoth RICP®, CLTC®, FIC Financial Consultant Llano Group 2022 82nd Street, Suite 102 Lubbock, TX 79423 806-795-7474 debra.hedgcoth@thrivent.com

The result is stronger members, families and communities.

Thrivent Financial was named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Institute 2012–2016.

“World’s Most Ethical Companies” and “Ethisphere” names and marks are registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC. Appleton, Wisconsin • Minneapolis, Minnesota Thrivent.com • 800-847-4836 28304 R3-16

big or small.

Where are you located?

5820 66th St. (1 block West of 66th & Frankford).

We are open 9-6 p.m. most

days and can pick up flowers if needed. 806-771-3181.

Gift certificates make a great gift for a loved one or the new bride.

Cooking safety quiz

If you spend any time in the kitchen – particularly around the holidays – you know how hectic it can be.

The last thing you need is a cooking fire, so take the quiz to make sure all your meals turn out safely.

1. What is the #1 cause of home fires in the U.S? a. Cooking b. Space heaters c. Electrical malfunctions 2. What is the primary cause of cooking fires in the home? a. Using too many stove burners at once b. Unattended cooking c. Misbehaving pets 3. If you’re frying, grilling or broiling food, you should… a. Stay in your home and check on the food regularly. b. Feel free to go outside.

Just check on the food from time to time. c. Stay in the kitchen the entire time.

4. If you’re simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, you should… a. Stay in the kitchen the entire time. b. Stay in your home, check the food regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking. c. Feel free to leave the home, but only for short errands.

5. When you’re cooking, how far should kids stay away from the stove? a. At least 3 feet b. At least 6 feet c. It’s OK for kids to be close to the stove, as long as they follow directions.

6. If a fire starts in a pan while you’re cooking, what should you do? a. Move the pan off the stove. b. Beat the fire with a towel. c. Slide a lid over the burning pan and turn off the burner.

7. Which of the following are OK to keep on the stovetop? a. Potholders and paper towels b. Dish towels and wooden utensils c. Paper towels and wooden utensils d. None of the above How did you do?

Answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. c; 4. b; 5. a; 6. c; 7. d 0-2 correct: Don’t put your apron on just yet.

3-6 correct: You’re getting warmer – study up on cooking safety.

All 7 correct: Great job!

You’re ready to whip up an unforgettable meal.

For more, visit http://redcross.org/prepare/location/ home-family/preventhome-fires.

Golden Gazette • December 2016 • Page 23

Balance & mobility problems can be solved

By Lori Bilodeau Balance is an important part of daily life.

The body’s ability to maintain its balance is important for daily tasks such as dressing, walking and gardening.

The human body relies on three systems to help maintain balance –vision, sensory system, and vestibular system (or inner ear). These systems all send signals to the brain, where information is used to help us keep balance while performing daily work or leisure activities.

In a healthy individual, sight, sensation in the legs and feet, and the organs in the inner ear work together to help maintain balance.

Sight will tell us if our surroundings are moving or still.

The sensory system consists of specialized nerves in

‘Easy as Pie’ results

More than 300 volunteers, the checkers at United, sponsors, and the generous Lubbock community -- all helped raise $64,245.93 for Lubbock Meals on Wheels.

This translates to 12,850 meals, helping people remain at home, well fed, and independent.

For 25 years, Lubbock Meals on Wheels has hosted the “Feed a Friend – It’s as Easy as Pie” fundraiser.

Chris Abers, general manager at United on 82nd & Frankford, won the pieeating contest.

the feet and legs which sense changes in the surface we are standing on. The inner ear helps us sense if we are tilting, turning or moving.

When these systems are working together, balance is effortless, and we do not have to consciously think about walking or moving.

A problem with any of these systems can cause difficulties with balance.

Problems with eyesight, sensation, and the inner ear are more likely as we age.

However, balance problems are not a normal part of aging.

The most common sign of a balance problem is dizziness. Often, this signals a problem with the inner ear.

Dizziness can often be treated with specialized physical therapy called Vestibular Rehab. Using specific exercises, the inner ear and brain can be taught to suppress the “dizzy” signal.

In addition, difficulty rising from a chair or moving from place to place can be a sign of balance problems.

Shuffling your feet when you walk, dragging your toes or feet, or stumbling can often be signs of a balance disorder.

Sometimes, strengthening the muscles in the legs will help address these problems.

Other times, more specific balance exercises “train” the muscles and the balance system to work together.

Balance problems can cause difficulty with daily tasks or walking. In addition, they can lead to falls, which are often debilitating and can even be fatal. It is important to recognize signs of balance problems and seek treatment from a medical professional qualified to treat balance disorders.

Physical Therapy Today can help you regain your balance, and with it, your

mobility and independence.

Call 806-711-8008, and let us help you with your balance or mobility problems.

Lori Bilodeau is a physical therapist who is certified

in vestibular rehabilitation.

She is specially trained to treat balance disorders as well as dizziness caused from inner ear disorders including BPPV.

Louise Hopkins Underwood and LHUCA were honored in November by Mayor Dan Pope and the Lubbock City Council. A certificate of “Special Recognition” was presented and a new LHUCA video was premiered. The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts is a place that cultivates and celebrates all the arts by inspiring creativity and engaging with the community. The center will celebrate its 20th year in 2017.

Lubbock

W. 82nd & Homestead Ave. 34th & Memphis Ave.

Lorenzo Nazareth Post Shallowater Slaton

Quality End of Life Care

• Full-Time Medical Director

HOPE DIGNITY LOVE

• Pain & Symptom Management • 24 Hour Support for Patient & Family • Grief Recovery / Counseling Center

(806) 795-2751 or (800) 658-2648

Page 24 • December 2016 • Golden Gazette

Snacks on the fly: nugget mania

With all of our shopping, errand running, and various appointments during this busy time of year, I decided to give all of you the information on my great and nourishing snacks that keep the energy flowing while on the “fly.”

I’m talking about the wide selections of chicken nuggets available at some of my favorite fast food restaurants.

Number one on the list, because of the close proximity to my home, is Burger King. They offer their 10 nugget pack for $1.49 or with a $3 coupon you get the nuggets plus large fries and your choice of several dipping sauces.

My favorite is the honey mustard. I’ve taken advantage of the $1.49 choice and also the coupon deal many times. These little morsels happen to be a processed product but still taste great and always hot when served.

Next on the list is ChickFil-A. They offer a 10-piece serving of real, cut off the bone chicken for $3.15. They are delicious! The coating is always crunchy and the chicken inside is so juicy.

My great-grandkids love them and because they are easy-to-eat “finger food,” kids think they are great.

Many sauces are also available. I recently tried the

honey roasted BBQ variety, it was yummy!

On a Sunday a few weeks ago, I traveled to the South University location only to find out they are closed on Sundays.

However, across the street was a Whataburger, and to my surprise, they also offer “real” chicken nuggets. The quality of these nuggets was spectacular.

They were hot, crunchy, juicy and much larger than their famous competitor across the street. I guess in this case, size does matter.

A 6-piece box is $3.50 and a 9-piece box is $4.99, and of course many sauces from

which to choose.

Our live-in daughter had several appointments many days ago and hadn’t eaten for more than 6 hours. It was already about 5:30 p.m., so she stopped at a nearby Sonic.

Monday through Thursday, after 5 p.m. they run a special on their nuggets – buy one get one free. Now that’s the best deal of all.

The 6-piece box is $4.49, the 12 piece is $8.79 and the 24 piece box is $16.99.

Imagine what you can get on those double offers. Oh yes, these are honest-to-goodness real unprocessed chicken.

Several sauces are available and daughter chose the deli-

cious garlic parmesan.

She brought the extra box home, and I couldn’t believe the incredible size of each piece and the first-rate quality.

So folks, to quote Roy Rogers of many years ago, “Happy Trails to You” and find your favorite nuggets along the way.

So until next time – have a blessed Christmas!

Granny

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