VOL 34 # 5 • JUNE // JULY 2018 INFORMING • ENTERTAINING • EMPOWERING
MONTANASENIORNEWS.COM
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
ABOUT US
Contributing Writers
Our Staff
MAILING ADDRESS 1985 McMannamy Draw Kalispell, MT 59901 PHONE 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 WEB montanaseniornews.com EMAIL info@montanaseniornews.com
Published six times per year, our paper exists to serve our mature readers. We encourage our readers to contribute interesting material. As such, any views expressed in editorial are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Likewise, this publication does not endorse any particular product or service shown in the advertisements appearing in this paper. All copy appearing in this publication is copyright protected and may be reprinted only with written permission of the publisher.
SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND!
Robert Hunt....................... Publisher Janet Hunt.......................... Chief Financial Officer Kathleen McGregor........... Advertising Sales Diane Brosseau................. Advertising Sales Carol Blodgett.................... Advertising Sales ............................................ Digital Specialist Francesca Beckerle........... Advertising Sales Jonathan Rimmel............... General Manager ............................................ Graphic Designer ............................................ Webmaster Nann Parrett...................... Managing Editor Sherrie Smith..................... Production Assistant Ruth Hunt........................... Social Media Manager Peter Thornburg................ Distribution
Get your eyeballs ready! We have hidden this picture 10 times throughout this issue of Montana Senior News. Can you
Natalie Bartley Holly Endersby Steve Heikkila Bernice Karnop Connie Daugherty Alice Dunn Lindie Gibson Ella Mae Howard Gail Jokerst
Jack McNeel Aaron Parrett Mary Ann Reuter Jonathan Rimmel Russell Rowland Dianna Troyer Suzanne Waring Douglas Wilks
find each one? If you can’t wait until August to get the answers in the next print issue, we will post the answers to our website on July 1. Just visit: www.montanaseniornews.com/seeknfind
Contents Letters to the Editor......................3
Events Calendar............................28
Nutrition......................................... 56
Brain Games.................................. 4
Northwest MT................................ 30
Fitness............................................ 59
Comics............................................ 7
Senior Discounts........................... 36
Photography.................................. 62
Home & Lifestyle........................... 8
Money Matters.............................. 40
Travel.............................................. 64
Modern Senior.............................. 16
Cover Story.................................... 42
All About Montana........................66
Inspiration...................................... 20
Recreation...................................... 44
Answers to Brain Games..............70
Fluffy Critters................................. 22
Health Care.................................... 46
Entertainment............................... 24
Caregiving...................................... 53
© 2018
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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Montana—Our Treasured State BY LINDIE GIBSON, LIVINGSTON I love Montana because my grandmother was born here in 1897 to parents who came from Norway to start a new life in the Land of Opportunity. Then my mother came along in 1925. I came in 1953, and my son in 1975. My son started his family here in 1994, and Montana will always remain my home. For a place to be called “home,” it needs to be more than a place to tie your horse to a hitchin’ post and pitch your tent, or a railway stop at the end © Allexxandar, Bigstock.com of the line. Montana is an environment It’s a place where your neighbor is your offering a variety of opportunities and expefriend, where strangers still reach out with a riences coinciding with the awe and wonder helping hand, and where a man’s word and of nature—a place where people realize that handshake are as good as any piece of paper. earning a good living is not as important as Montana is a place where living in the the experience of true living—the way it was slow lane is a much preferred lifestyle—where meant to be. watching a colt or frisky young calf run and Montana is a place where you can hold dance in a field is better than the best proyour head high and see limitless sky and feel gramming TV has to offer—where hiking and purifying wind blowing through your hair— camping and fishing diminish the lure of holwhere you can study a starry night ceiling, iday cruises and Disneyland—for making and unshrouded by big city lights. sharing memories while our children grow.
Montana is a place where the roar of the hustle and bustle of life is drowned out by the solitude and silence of nature—the music of birds and creatures inhabiting our wheat fields and countrysides and woodlands. Montana is home to the deer and antelope that play, and a few buffalo that still roam, with golden sunsets and flaming orange sunrises and crystal clear lakes and streams. Montana is also a place where nature dresses in the beauty of four distinct seasons. Our state is home to the Native American, Asian, European, and Black, wealthy, poor, and everyone in between—a place where all are considered equal in the eyes of the Montanan. Why do I love Montana? Because this state is a land rich in treasured resources and experiences—and for generations, the love and appreciation for Montana remains in the hearts and homes of its people. MSN
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Brain Games
PUZZLES•QUIZZES•GAMES•CONTESTS•BRAIN TEASERS•FUN
ANSWERS TO THESE PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 70
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Brain Games
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Brain Games
Get Your Color On Like to clear you mind, relax, and be at one with the moment? Here’s a coloring opportunity for you to unwind and get creative, so get out your pencils, crayons, or marking pens. We would like to thank Florence Paxon, 91, of Wilder, Idaho, for contributing her artwork for many of our Doodle pages. If you
would like to continue coloring Florence’s drawings, along with any Doodles we publish, you may download them from our website: www.montanaseniornews.com/doodles. MSN
© Balabolka_olka, Bigstock.com
Flaunt What You Know About Independence Day The Fourth of July is approaching: the day we celebrate our nation’s independence with family, fireworks, and food. But how much do you know about the history of Independence Day? Here’s a little contest—a pop quiz—for you to flaunt what you know. We have a contest in every issue of the Montana Senior News. This issue, if you correctly answer all the questions to our Fourth of July Quiz, we will enter you into a drawing to win $25. Please mail your entries for all contests to the Montana Senior News, 1985 McMannamy Draw, Kalispell, MT 59901, or email to info@ montanaseniornews.com by July 15, 2018 for this edition. Thanks to all who participated in our Doodle Puzzle contest for the April/May 2018 issue. The $25 cash prize winner is Tovie Thunstrom from Great Falls, Mont. If you can’t wait until August to get the answers to the Fourth of July GOOSE RIDGE MONUMENTS Local Engraving Pre-Need Arragements
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Quiz in the next print issue, we will post the answers to our website on July 1. Just visit: www. montanaseniornews.com/quiz FOURTH OF JULY QUIZ 1. What year did Congress officially declare the Fourth of July as a national holiday? 1. What other country celebrates independence on the Fourth of July? 1. What was the printed version of the Declaration of Independence called? Which U.S. state was the first to declare Independence Day a holiday in 1781? 1. Which U.S. President was born on July 4? 1. Besides being founding father U.S. Presidents, what did Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe all have in common? 1. Which U.S. city was the first to celebrate the Fourth of July? 1. What year did the use of fireworks officially become part of the Fourth of July celebration in the U.S.?
1. Where was the Declaration of Independence stored during World War II? 1. Who was the last to sign the Declaration of Independence? 1. Who was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence? 1. Who was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence? 1. What does “Patriotism” mean in Latin? 1. What is the symbol of U.S. freedom? 1. What are the first seven words of the Declaration of Independence? 1. Which was the first state to be admitted into the Union? 1. How many times did “United States” appear in the Declaration of Independence? 1. What was the name of the major battle victory that occurred on July 4? 1. How did the Liberty Bell crack? 1. How many people signed the Declaration of Independence? MSN
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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s c i m o C
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Home&Lifestyle
GARDEN•REAL ESTATE•RECIPIES•DECOR•ANTIQUES
Growing Herbs When I discovered a rack of small-sized pots with a different herb growing in each one on the deck of a friend’s home, I was mesmerized by the different fragrances, textures, sheens, and leaf sizes. From that experience, the whole world of growing herbs opened to me. Although my herb garden isn’t as eye catching and orderly as my friend’s, I now grow many different herbs. I have found that sage, oregano, both original and garlic chives, lemon balm, thyme, lavender, mint, and tarragon grow as perennials in our area. To grow these plants, I have received starts from friends, or I have purchased starts at the greenhouse.
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I have found that the thyme plant needs to be replaced about every two to three years, but the others live on. Most perennial herbs do best on the south or west side of a building. When planting herbs, don’t crowd, and give them room to expand. They prefer a soil PH of 6 or 7. Most herbs, except basil, tend to be drought-resistant, but when you water, it is best to water early in the day, so the foliage will dry. Be sure to water the soil, not the plant. Both the chives and mint can be a real menace if not kept under control. Chives, especially, are rascals. After they produce their beautiful lavender flowers, be certain to cut them off and dispose of the blooms. Even after you do that, they will spread outward, and you will need to dig out the extra plants routinely. The most popular mints are spearmint and peppermint. These plants put out runners and can easily take over an area. To confine mint, cut out the bottom of a plastic bucket, and bury it to near the top. Fill it with soil, and
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plant your mint in the bucket. Success! You are now the master of the mint plant. Parsley is a biennial plant. Most people are familiar with curly, moss-leaved parsley, but Italian flat leaf is easier to wash before serving. Because it takes up to four weeks to germinate from seed, many gardeners become impatient and opt to purchase plants. The gardener should keep the blossoms clipped the second year to prevent the plant from going to seed. Once the plants get started, clip the nutritious parsley whenever needed. Also, dry parsley for winter use if you don’t take your plants indoors. Jennephyr Reiche-Sterling of Earth Heart Spirit in Sun River, Mont., recommends ginger and turmeric as unusual herbs that need to be kept in pots for easy transfer from the warmth of the home or greenhouse to the porch or yard in the summer. “I dry the root and grind it into a powder that provides a unique flavor in food,” she said.
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Home & Lifestyle
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when it’s hot. In August and early September, it takes a few days longer. Whether fresh or dried, herbs enhance your cooking. When you use home-grown herbs, you know freshness is at its optimum. Your own herbs offer fragrance, flavor, and nutrition and are free of pesticides. Herbs grown and preserved this way offer you the outcome of great food. MSN A multifaceted interest in Montana people and their communities keeps Suzanne Waring looking for topics to research in old newspapers and books and people to interview. During the busy times of her first career, Suzanne Waring wrote, “I raise a garden no matter what.” That statement is still true during her second career as a writer.
© Paul Brady, Bigstock.com
You can grow garlic, basil, cilantro, and dill right in the garden. Plant garlic needs to be planted in the fall—usually late September or early October, so it can get started over the winter. Harvest it in August when about two-thirds of the stem has dried. I have started basil in pots in the house, in the cold frame, and directly in the garden. Sowing the seed directly in the garden makes for too slow of growth during the summer, and the small plant can easily be overtaken by weeds. The plant with its beautiful darkgreen leaves is highly susceptible to frost. Transferring the plant from the cold frame to the garden works best, but if you don’t have a cold frame, either purchase bedding plants or start in the house. I dry large quantities of basil and also use it to make pesto. Coriander was likely an herb before someone discovered the fragrant leaves, cilantro, that add so much flavor to cooking. Cilantro grows well in the garden, and you can pinch regularly. It has the tendency to go to seed during the hot summer days. If you don’t pick the seeds, you will have cilantro coming up all over your garden. I must have planted dill once in my 30 years of gardening, because it has been coming up here and there ever since I started. When I weed, I save out a few plants to cut the fragrant leaves for cooking and collect the seeds and leave them in drying pans for a few days. I purchase rosemary and cutting celery every year. I find that one plant of rosemary provides enough of the poignant herb for an entire season.
GOOSE RIDGE Cutting celery leaves have become my MONUMENTS favorite herb, and I use them frequently. Local Engraving I prefer dried celery leaves to parsley for Pre-Need Arragements flavoring soups. The ants also share my CUSTOM GRANITE, MARBLE, BRONZE WORK appetite for the plant and will take over, 580-9765 so I have given up planting them directly Scott Walden into the garden. I buy four plants from the 2212 Lea Ave • Bozeman, MT 59715 gooseridgemonuments.com greenhouse and plant two each in large pots. Cutting celery seems to grow well in a northside shaded area. Cut off the ribs and then pinch off the CABIN RENTALS leaves to use or to dry. Use the ribs in cooking Fresh mountain streams flow during the summer, although they are tougher from towering peaks and than commercial celery. wildlife abounds with Yellowstone National Park a mere 20 minutes away. When cutting an herb plant, take only a third of the plant and leave two thirds, to 406-838-2393 • Beartooth Hwy 715 US 212 promote regrowth. bigmooseresort.com I have a dehydrator, but when herb leaves dry, they flake Enjoy senior living and tend to drop down into the tray crevices. A primitive method works best. Located in beautiful Great Falls, Wash your herbs, we pair fine comfort and spread them in a shalhospitality with exceptional low tray, and cover service and accomodations. them with a screen. Place them on a flat See for yourself why our community surface located in the is such an exceptional place to live. heat but out of the CALL (406) 727-0447 wind that can blow fine dirt into the tray. Brookdale Great Falls Depending on the Independent Living brookdale.com thickness of the herb 1104 Sixth Avenue North leaves, they will dry Great Falls, MT 59401 quickly during July BROOKDALE® is a trademark of Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. Nashville, TN, USA 06/15
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Home & Lifestyle
Does Your Home Fit You? has three, no-step entries—into the garage, at the front door, and to the BY SUZANNE WARING back patio. The front has a covered entryway. With three bedrooms, this condo has doorways, corridors, and passageways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. When we are young, we fail to consider that we might get old and have disabilities. As we watch our grandparents and parents, it occurs to Door handles and faucets are lever-style rather than knobs. The us that aging might happen, but never with disabilities. We would stay bathtub, showers and toilet areas have non-slip floors and grab bars. fit all of our lives. The comfort-level toilets are higher than those that are standard. Tonkin wanted the water heater During those intermittent years, aging creeps up on us. When we hit our 50s, some of our friends and furnace to be located on the main floor, so she would know if the hot water heater began to already have health issues. We become aware that the house we had loved and groomed to leak. Until recently, she has changed the furnace accommodate a growing family had steps, upper filter herself. The kitchen cupboards have pull-out shelves in the cupboards. levels, and finished basements that might impede future optimum living. This is what happened to Presently, one-level counter tops accommodate Tonkin because she can stand, but she might Shirley Tonkin. The impracticality of where Shirley Tonkin was need multi-level counter tops if she ever requires living became paramount when she was faced with Fourteen years ago, Shirley Tonkin was faced with full-time use of a wheelchair. The kitchen tile is aging and two abrupt changes in her life. She moved smooth with no unevenness. aging and two changes to her life. into a one-level condo with accommodations where “My husband and I had raised two daughters. Tonkin had a smooth, tight-weave industrial she still lives today. PHOTO BY SUZANNE WARING. We were active and had jobs that kept us busy,” carpet installed as a prevention against stumbling. A problem might arise if she were ever to become wheelchair bound said Tonkin. “When my husband was transferred after our daughters because of the height of the thermostat. The mercury switches are easy were grown, we moved to a new town, downsized, and bought a condo with stairs that led to a loft where I had an office and sewing room. to use, although the guide book recommends rocker-style light switches. “The furnace, hot water heater, and storage space were in a large This recent home assessment assured Tonkin that the condo has almost all of the needed accommodations for her disability. crawl space. Steps led into the house and down to the garage. A few “As my condition has worsened, I have continued to live indemonths after we moved in, my husband died, and I found myself on my own. When I started falling frequently, I began to realize that the layout pendently. I have access to all areas of my home and garage, and I still of the condo was not fitting my needs.” drive a car with a hand brake,” said Tonkin. “It has proven that I made the right decision when I bought a different condo, and I recommend After numerous tests, Tonkin learned that she had a progressive that others consider their options in time to make their own decisions condition called inclusion body myositis, which involves inflammation of the muscles or associated tissues that causes the muscles to progressively concerning accommodations that will fit them as they age.” MSN weaken, especially in the extremities. The word “progressive” meant that Tonkin would not get well. Even A multifaceted interest in Montana people and their communities keeps though she didn’t have to take care of a yard, her condition would evenSuzanne Waring looking for topics to research in old newspapers and books and people to interview. tually make her a prisoner to a few square feet on the condo’s main level. “I knew that I was going to need a different home, and it took me quite a while to find a one-level condo,” said Tonkin. Since then, her condition has worsened. When she moved in 14 years ago, she didn’t need any support when she walked. Now she uses a walker. The AARP website includes “The AARP Home Fit Guide” that Tonkin recently used to score her condo for accommodation. This one-level condo
Riverside Crossing AN OPTION FOR 55+ COMMUNITY LIVING
BY SUZANNE WARING A new approach to living is now available at Riverside Crossing Active Adult Cottage Cooperative in Hamilton, Mont. Riverside Crossing is a 55-plus community, sponsored by the Ravalli County Council on Aging (RCCA). In 2000, longtime Bitterroot Valley resident Susie Wilkinson gifted the land to the council for building the Riverside community. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS RIVERSIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
“We hired Ross Chapin Architects of Langley, Wash., to design the layout and craftsman-style cottages of this community,” said Paul Travitz, RCCA director. Riverside Crossing has 50 planned cottage sites, with seven different floor plans available to choose from. Forty sites are slated for one-story structures, with ten sites reserved for homes with a second level. Living space varies from 700 to 1800 square feet. Each cottage has a single-car garage with parking space available for a second vehicle. The price range, excluding the $50,000 share, ranges from $190,870 to $370,800. A neighborhood Common House contains offices, a full kitchen and dining room, meeting space, guest room where out-of-town visitors can stay for a small fee, and outside patio and fire pit. FOR ACTIVE ADULTS The layout of the community is designed for independent individuals 55 and older. Each home offers privacy as well as an environment for socializing: for example, each cottage has a broad porch. Trails will provide opportunities for exercising for residents and their pets if they have them. Easy access to the 50-mile Bitterroot Trail provides walking or biking along the beautiful Bitterroot Valley. COTTAGES The seven different cottage styles include open, light-filled floor plans designed to be fully accessible as residents age, including no-step entries, full-width doorways, and walk-in showers. Cottages are clustered into “pockets” of eight to ten homes, surrounded by open spaces, gardens, and walking trails that provide a sense of community and built-in security. COOPERATIVE Although new to Montana, housing cooperatives have become popular elsewhere. When you join and invest in a co-op, you’re a member and owner. As an owner, you share the responsibility for administration and upkeep of the entire community. Housing cooperatives operate by charging a monthly service fee. At Riverside, monthly service fees are based on square footage, covering upkeep of cottage interiors and exteriors, property taxes, property and liability insurance, a stipend for utilities, grounds maintenance, and operation of the Common House. The fee also includes a long-term reserve to cover replacement of capital items. Cooperatives operate on an “at cost” basis, so any over-collection of fees are rebated back to members annually. “One of the beauties of Riverside Crossing is a maintenance-free lifestyle,” said Travitz. Major decisions will be made by the membership at annual meetings where each share represents one vote. Riverside will be governed by an elected five-person Board of Directors. Both the Board of Directors and the members of seven committees will be Riverside residents. Hired staff will provide administrative and maintenance support. At Riverside Crossing the $50,000 share covers infrastructure costs of managing and
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Home & Lifestyle
PAGE 11
maintaining the Common House, walking paths, community gardens, and more. When members are ready to move and want to sell, two components are included in the sale. They will sell both. Riverside Crossing is a limited equity increase cooperative, meaning equity increases are limited to 1 percent of the cottage value, annually. This ensures marketability and attractiveness to future members. Sales are handled with no real estate commission fee. A goal of the cooperative is to develop a waiting list of prospective buyers, to assist selling members in receiving the speedy return of their equity. After reviewing the cooperative documents, prospective members apply to live at a particular site. Once approved, and a share is purchased, they are ready either to have their cottage built, or they may take possession of a preexisting cottage. HAMILTON, MONTANA This community, located in the middle of the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in the mountains of Western Montana, has a desirable climate with four seasons. Hamilton has all the amenities of a medium-sized town, including a hospital and shopping. Commercial space is also available at Riverside Crossing once enough cottages are occupied to provide a customer base for business establishments. Also, an assisted living facility, already designed for future construction, will be located nearby. To delve into the details of this cooperative, go to riversidecrossing. com, call 406-282-4776, or attend an informational meeting held every Thursday at 2 p.m., where you can request a consultation, ask questions, and take a tour of the Riverside Crossing community. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Home & Lifestyle
Glorious Fruit Tart for Grown-Ups BY STEVE HEIKKILA Count the love of pie among the various things quintessentially American. It’s symbolic of American wholesomeness. Every American boy who loves his momma also loves pie. And every American momma who loves her boy bakes him pie. At least this was the case in the 20th century, back when baseball was the national pastime. Although American pie culture seems to have waned in the 21st century, the pop-cultural references are still familiar. Mom and apple pie. As American as apple pie. There’s also that
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nostalgic Don McLean song, “American Pie.” As anyone who ever read On the Road knows, there was perhaps no bigger American pie freak than Jack Kerouac. That guy was constantly stopping some place for pie, and he seemed to work a reference to this habit into every other sentence in the book. “Along about three in the afternoon,” he wrote, “after an apple pie and ice cream in a roadside stand, a woman stopped for me in a little coup.” Or “I went to sit in the bus station and think this over. I ate another apple pie and ice cream…” At one point, he even measured his travel progress in pie. “I ate apple pie and ice cream,” he (quite predictably by now) noted, “it was getting better as I got deeper into Iowa…” With all due respect to Jack, I’m not here discuss pie today. I’m here to discuss tarts. Because tarts are better than pie. For one, tarts have one less crust than pie. That means they’re less crusty, which is a good thing. It’s a better fruit-to-crust ratio. It also means tarts are easier to make. Also, tarts are way sexier than pie. Think about it. Pies are demure and dowdy. There’s good stuff in there, but it’s all hidden away under the hood. Tarts are more seductive. They don’t hide the goods. They’re right out there on display. A tart is a bikini to pie’s 19th century bathing costume. It’s like a beautiful flower in full bloom, advertising to the bees “come and get it!” The tart recipe I have for you here is a grown-up tart. Something this sexy isn’t for children. Give the children pie or Skittles. Because it’s an adult, this tart is not cloyingly sweet. While fruit and jam are involved, there is no added sugar. The crust is whole grain and toothsome. It’s sophisticated, just like you good-looking people. I should also note that, whereas some tarts have a cooked filling, this one is made with fresh fruit, which makes it extra bright and stunning to gaze upon. Fresh fruit tarts pose a challenge, though. Since the fruit isn’t all sugar-laden and cooked, if you simply piled the fruit into a tart crust, it would be incredibly dry. That’s where orange-laced, almond-cheese filling comes in. The almond-y cheese filling lends a wonderful, cheese-Danish quality to the tart.
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I made this tart for a dinner party. Children were there. And although the children had a cloyingly sweet chocolate cake for dessert, they were seduced by the bright, shiny tart. Against our better judgment, we yielded to their pleas to sample the tart. They lost their young minds and forgot all about their chocolate cake. We had to fight them off for the rest. This is a cautionary tale. You’ve been warned. ALMOND-RICOTTA FRUIT TART Almond-Cheese Filling 1 Cup fresh ricotta cheese ¾ Cup sliced almonds 1 Egg Grated zest from 1 orange ½ Teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Tart Crust 1-¼ Cups whole wheat pastry flour ¼ Teaspoon kosher salt 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) of cold, unsalted butter (cut into ½-inch pieces) 4 oz cold cream cheese (cut into ½-inch pieces) 2 Teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice Fruit Topping 1 Pint fresh blueberries 1 Pint fresh raspberries 2 Pints fresh strawberries 2 Navel oranges ¾ Cup apricot jam ½ Cup dry white wine ½ Teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter METHOD Almond-Ricotta Filling Simply mix all of the ingredients together and set aside. You can make this a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Crust 1. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. 2. Add the cold butter and cold cream cheese and pulse until the mixture has pea-sized pieces of butter and cream cheese. Don’t overdo it. The key here is to use cold ingredients. 3. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few more times. Mixture should look pebbly, just beginning to cling together when you pinch it between your fingers. Add some ice water (keep everything cold!) if the mixture is still too dry. 4. Gather dough together and compress into a large disk. Place between two pieces of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You can make this a day ahead of time as well. If you do, seal it in a plastic storage bag in the refrigerator, so it doesn’t dry out.
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Home & Lifestyle
Fruit Topping 1. So the berries stay fresh and firm, you’ll want to prepare the topping just before assembling and baking the tart. This is NOT a do-ahead step! Keep small berries like the blueberries and raspberries whole. 2. For the strawberries, cut off the stem ends and slice them in half lengthwise. Take care not to bruise the delicate fruit. Set aside in a bowl. 3. Remove the peel and the inner membrane from each section of orange. Here is how to do it quickly and easily: a. With a very sharp knife, slice the top and bottom off of the oranges (the end where the stem Photo by Steve Heikkila. connected, and the end with the “navel”). You should cut in far in it), place it in the freezer for a few minutes, enough to see the flesh of the orange to firm it back up. Then take it back out and segments. continue rolling it out. b. With the orange sitting on a cutting 3. Place the rolled-out crust into a large (11board on one of the cut ends, cut the peel inch), well-buttered tart pan with a removable away with a sharp knife by slicing top bottom. down, following the global curvature of 4. Dock the tart crust. (That means stab the the orange. You should cut deeply enough surface every few inches apart with the tines that you also cut away the outer membrane of a fork. This keeps the tart from bubbling up of the orange segments. Rotate the orange when you bake it.) and cut the peel away in sections until it’s 5. Blind-bake the tart crust at 375°F for 30 all removed. You should see bright, orange minutes. (That means cook the crust with flesh exposed when you’ve removed all of nothing in it). The goal is to simply firm up the peel. the crust, so it can handle the addition of the c. Using your sharp knife, cut each segment filling without tearing or smearing. of orange out of its membrane segment by 6. Remove the tart from the oven, and spread slicing between the membrane and the the almond-ricotta filling in an even layer. flesh on each side of each segment. When Return the tart to the oven and cook an you finish, you should have a pile of bright orange, membrane-free orange segments. ASSEMBLY 1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. 2. Remove the chilled tart crust dough from refrigerator. Dust the surface with a little bit of extra flour, and roll it out into a thin crust with a rolling pin. Because tart dough is delicate, I like to do this keeping the crust between two pieces of parchment paper. It needs to form the bottom and the walls of an 11-inch tart pan with 1-inch walls, so you’ll need to roll the dough into a 13- to 14-inch round. If the dough is too too stiff (i.e., if you refrigerate it for more than 30 minutes), let it stand for 15 minutes. If the dough becomes too soft and sticky (it has a lot of butter and cream cheese
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additional 20 to 30 minutes. The surface should set and be firm, but don’t cook it so long it begins to brown. 7. Remove the tart to a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely. The raised cooling rack is essential. If you place the tart on a flat surface, steam heat will make the crust soggy. 8. When the tart has completely cooled, spread ½ cup of the jam on the surface of the tart. This will mainly act as an adhesive to hold the fruit toppings in place. 9. Carefully arrange the fruit in a pattern on top of the tart crust, starting at the outer edge and working your way toward the center. 10. Meanwhile, place the remaining apricot jam, the wine, the nutmeg, and the tablespoon of butter into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir until reduced by about half and syrupy. It should be thin enough to gently brush onto the fresh fruit with a pastry brush. 11. With a pastry brush, gently brush the fruit topping with the apricot glaze. This not only makes the fruit shiny and attractive, it also seals the surface in glaze, so the fruit will not dry out our discolor. 12. Allow to cool, then serve. MSN
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Steve Heikkila is a writer, photographer, cook, webmaster, social media guy, grocery shopper, and head dishwasher living in Portland, Ore. He is the author of the food-blog Slow Burning Passion.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Home & Lifestyle
Find Great Volunteer Vacations BY JIM MILLER (SAVVY SENIOR) If you’re looking to do more on your next vacation than relax in the sun or go sightseeing, volunteer vacations— also known as voluntourism—which combine travel and volunteer work, are a great alternative and a growing trend among retirees. VOLUNTEER VACATIONS Many organizations today offer shortterm volunteer vacation projects in the U.S. and abroad, lasting anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Common program themes include teaching English, working with children and teens, building and repairing homes and schools, and assisting with community or environmental projects. In addition, volunteer vacations also give travelers the opportunity to experience the culture more fully and connect with the local people—much different from your run-ofthe-mill sightseeing vacation.
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Most volunteer vacation groups accept singles, couples, and families, and you don’t need to speak a foreign language. Costs usually range from around $1,000 to $3,000 per week, not including transportation to the country your site is in. Fees typically cover pre-trip orientation information, room and board, on-site training, ground transportation once you get there, services of a project leader, and contribution to the local community that covers material and services related to the project. If the organization running your trip is a nonprofit, the cost of your trip, including airfare, is probably tax-deductible. WHERE TO LOOK While many organizations offer volunteer vacations, here are some good groups that attract a lot of retirees. Global Volunteers (GlobalVolunteers. org): A pioneer in global travel, this group tackles hunger, poverty, and educational needs. It offers a variety of one-, two-, and three-week service programs in 17 countries, including the U.S. Earthwatch Institute (Earthwatch.org): With an emphasis in environmental conservation and research, they offer dozens of one- and two-week expeditions in countries all over the world. Cross-Cultural Solutions (CrossCulturalSolutions.org): Based in New
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Rochelle, NY, they focus on health, education, and economic volunteer opportunities in Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Biosphere Expeditions (Biosphereexpeditions.org): Offers wildlife conservation expeditions in 13 countries. Habitat for Humanity (Habitat.org): Offers international house-building trips through its Global Village Program in more than 40 countries. Sierra Club (Sierraclub.org): This venerable environmental group sponsors dozens of service trips in the U.S. each year, with more projects offered through local chapters. HOW TO CHOOSE With so many different volunteer vacations to choose from, selecting one can be difficult. To help you decide, you need to think specifically about what you want. For example, where you want to go and for how long; what types of work you are interested in doing; what kind of living situation and accommodations you want; whether you want to volunteer alone or with a group; or whether you want rural or urban placement. Also consider your age and health. Are you up to the task, or do you have any special needs that will need to be met? Once you figure out what you want and spot a few volunteer vacations that interest you, ask the organization to send you information that describes the accommodations, the fees, and what they cover. Also ask about their refund policy, the work schedule and work details, and anything else you have questions about. It’s best to get a list of previous volunteers and call them. MSN Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of the book, The Savvy Senior.
Smart Tips to Keep Your Grill Clean and Safe (STATEPOINT) Nothing beats barbecues, block parties and al fresco dining. For your family’s safety and for the sake of your grill, here are some pointers on keeping that grill well-maintained all season.
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valves before getting started. Check whether all of its components are intact, including gas hoses. Also, determine whether the tank is full. Keep in mind that many grills come with a warranty, and you may be able to replace worn out parts without needing to buy a brand-new grill entirely. QUICK CLEAN-UP When it comes to the grates, experts recommend using tools that allow you to skip
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS SMART TIPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
the brush and the elbow grease to save some time and energy. “Spray a concentrated multipurpose cleanser over your grill’s grates evenly, wait a few seconds to give the grease time to break down, then gently wipe the area down with a sponge,” said TV contractor, Jeff Devlin. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS A deep clean is important once or twice a season. However, after each use, you can keep debris and build-up from becoming a
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Home & Lifestyle
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bigger problem with a quick spot clean. One important area you don’t want to neglect is the bottom of the grill, where ash and grease build-up is likely to occur. Scrape out this section regularly. You can better protect your grill from the elements and guard against rusting by covering it after each use. If possible, use the cover provided by the manufacturer, as its designed to best fit your grill. This season, take great care of your grill. With the right tools on hand, you can streamline your routine. MSN
Is that “Junk” in Your Attic or Basement Worth a Fortune? (StatePoint) From baseball cards and sports equipment to postcards and toys, is that “junk” in your attic or basement dusty treasure or just dusty? We’ve all heard of families getting rich from the sale of rare memorabilia. So how can you tell if your stuff is valuable and how can you sell it, if it is? “The general rule is that the older the item, the more valuable it is. 1980 is not old. 1960 is kind of old. 1910 is old,” said Al Crisafulli, Auction Director at Love of the Game Auctions, an internet sports auction house that helps families identify and sell valuable items. In one instance, Crisafulli determined a family’s baseball bat that spent decades beside their front door to protect from intruders was actually used by Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig— and they sold it for more than $430,000. Crisafulli offers tips to help determine if your items are valuable. BASEBALL CARDS Cards from the 1960s and earlier are collectible, and those from before the 1940s can be extremely pricey. Do they have sharp corners, are free of creases, and retain original gloss? Do they depict star players and Hall of Famers? A Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner or Mickey Mantle will sell for more than non-stars. With particularly old cards from the 1880s and early 1900s, look for tobacco and candy brands, such as Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal or American Caramel. Unopened packs from almost any era can be valuable. MEMORABILIA & EQUIPMENT Look for old advertising posters depicting sports stars and food, tobacco, or sporting goods brands. This doesn’t mean ads torn from magazines, but those used as store displays and for other purposes. Tin signs are highly collectible from the 1900s into the 1960s, but low-quality reproductions aren’t. Pre-1950s catcher’s masks, baseball gloves, and bats can be valuable, especially those endorsed by star players.
Condition is important, but used equipment can be valuable. When you go to sell sports items, consider a specialty auction company that has the expertise to properly research sports pieces and maintains lists of bidders specializing certain areas to get top dollar. POSTCARDS Postcards of your vacation destinations likely are worthless. But those depicting famous people, such as movie star cards and vintage baseball postcards, can be valuable. Look for early “real photo” postcards from the 1900s through the 1940s, which are photographs printed on postcard backs. No matter the type, the older, the better, and the more famous, the better. Old Halloween or Christmas postcards from the early 1900s can be expensive. The same goes for many intricate “hold-to-light” postcards, where portions of scenes light up when held to strong light. TOYS Look for famous characters, such as early Walt Disney, superheroes, Star Wars, etc. The most prized toys are those in original
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PAGE 16
Modern Senior
TECHNOLOGY•SCIENCE•KNOWLEDGE•COMPUTERS•MOBILE
Playing Around Online and Apple AirPods (SENIOR WIRE) Q. I just bought my first smartphone, and I want to play some games. What advice can you share to help first-time phone gamers? A. Many phone and tablet games are labeled “Free” or “Free-toPlay.” “Free” is a loaded phrase in the gaming world. Although the initial purchase price is zero, so-called free games can become very expensive, likely more expensive than games sold for a fixed price. The definition of what makes a game free-to-play is flexible, but typically it means the game is free to download and play, but play is interrupted by advertising or by purchase requests. I dislike the entire category of “free-to-play,” because a game’s true cost is difficult to determine before purchase. Unfortunately, their popularity has made them almost impossible to avoid. With thousands of games published in app stores, choosing well becomes a challenge. There is no single guideline to cover every situation. One option is game review sites, which provide detailed descriptions and bestseller lists for high-quality games. Check games for in-app purchases, to get a sense of what they require. Games with a single in-app purchase or expansion packs are easier to price in advance. Games that charge for “lives” (extended play), or some other consumable item, tend to be more expensive. The upside to “free-to-play” games is that you get a chance to explore the game before paying a cent. But if
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you get hooked, even a few dollars a week can add up quickly. I know individuals who have spent thousands of dollars a year on certain addictive “free-to-play” games. Granted they are the exception, but caution is vital. The old advice is timeless: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Q. I do not want to search the entire catalog for games. Are there specific titles you can recommend? A. Letterpress is my favorite word-puzzle type phone game. It works great on any phone, and it is easy to play with friends over the Internet. The game board contains 25 letters arranged randomly in a five-by-five square. Two players take turns composing words with two or more letters. Each move adds the last word’s available letters to that player’s collection. Letter ownership is locked by gaining control of adjacent letters, with unlocked letters flipping back and forth between players until the game is over. Letterpress is inexpensive. (There is a onetime fee to remove advertisements.) It sports more than enough playability to deliver hours of entertainment. If word games are not your favorite, take a look at Mini Metro. The game is perfectly designed for a phone and can be played in short bursts of a minute or two. Metro has you draw mass transit lines to connect stations to keep people moving. You have limited resources, and the passengers keep coming. You earn trains, stations, and new tunnels to cross
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS rivers as you become more successful. Several others I highly recommend include Monument Valley, The Room, Alto’s Adventure, and Threes. All of these titles are inexpensive, top-quality games available on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store for Android. Q. How do Apple’s AirPods compare to other, less expensive Bluetooth headphones? A. AirPods are the best headphones I have ever used. In the last year, rarely has a day passed when I did not use them at least once. Most days they get several hours of use. They are worth every penny. I have owned at least a dozen Bluetooth headsets in the last 10 years. Not a single one worked day after day as well as AirPods. They come in a case that keeps them charged throughout the day. That is rarely needed, since they can last about 4 hours on a single charge.
Modern Senior
The sound quality is the same or better than Apple’s wired earbuds. Since I tend to prefer podcasts, I usually use a single earbud. If I remove it from my ear, the player pauses. AirPods are best experienced for yourself. Take advantage of Apple’s return policy, and try them for a week. I think you will be impressed. WANDER THE WEB Here are my picks for worthwhile browsing this month. Touch Arcade iOS Game Reviews This site has been the best game review site for iPhone and iPad for years. There is so much info that it can be overwhelming. To focus, tap on Hot Games in the main menu, then use the Genre menu to select areas of interest. (toucharcade.com)
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Android Game News and Reviews Droidgamers.com is an excellent site, especially their news coverage. Sadly, the reviews section is light on titles. Because many hit games appear on iOS first, one approach is to find year-old reviews on TouchArcade, and then Google search for an Android version. (droidgamers.com) Especially for Enthusiasts This site’s visual design might intimidate casual gamers, but there is a lot of excellent information here for those willing to dig for it. This site covers games for nearly every platform, with an emphasis on hand-held devices. (pocketgamer.co.uk) MSN A tech enthusiast his entire life, Bob is currently developing an educational software project. When not writing, he is in the kitchen cooking up something unusual, or outside with a camera. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.
Foto Foodies BY DICK WOLFSIE (SENIOR WIRE) I have a friend (let’s call him Joe…which by the way, is his real name) who posts everything he eats on Facebook, or what could be called Feed Your Face Book. Joe photographs daytime snacks, late-night raids of the fridge, even the doughnuts he hid under the front seat of his car. He claims he has uploaded 3,000 food pictures onto his Mac—including a few dozen Big Macs, I might add. He wants to create a new app called Snack Chat. It’s like Instagram in the sense that the picture of the food disappears in a few seconds—as quickly as Joe’s lunch. I’m not sure this is a totally new idea. Unlike Joe, I’ve been uploading meals and then downloading them onto my shirts for more than 60 years. It’s not uncommon for people to ask me about certain food choices I have posted on my clothing for all my friends to see… “Looks delicious, Dick. Wasn’t that the special at the Olive Garden last week?” “Been to a ball game, Dick? I recognize the mustard.” People are always imposing a visual record of their lives on others.
© nblx, Bigstock.com.
I am tired of friends showing me their pets on their cell phones. I’d rather see a serving of French fries than a French poodle. An adorable pic of your granddaughter on her new trike isn’t very interesting to me. But show me a snapshot of a slab of smoky babybacks, and I’d respond with, “Awww, how cute.” It seems to me that publicly sharing your food intake encourages cheating. You may have read, for example, how much dishonesty there is with online dating. People sometimes fudge their age. And talking about fudge, what’s to stop a woman from taking the Hershey bar she ate for lunch, and with some Photoshop magic, turning it into a little plastic bag filled with baby carrots? CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Edward S. Curtis was initially drawn to Southwest Indian tribes because they afforded him an unusual glimpse into pre-white Indian life. In the early 1900s, many people still lived in traditional ways, strongly tied to their ancient culture and religious traditions. The Native tribes of the Southwest had a strong relationship with their ancestral land, which in both its physical and metaphysical manifestations was at the center of their history, tradition, and beliefs. This exhibition will feature original photogravures printed on Japanese tissue circa 1907-1909 from the Bair Collection. The following tribes are included: Papago, Jicarillas, Navajo, Apache, Pima, Mohave, Yuma and Maricopa.
Desert Tribes of the Southwest May 25–October 28, 2018
A Selection of Photogravures from Volumes I & II The North American Indian Series by Edward S. Curtis The Bair Family Museum, 2751 MT Highway 294, Martinsdale, MT 406.572.3314 • bairfamilymuseum.org
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Modern Senior
PAGE 18
FOODIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
Men can be just as deceiving. Sure, it looks like a $45 rib-eye from St. Elmo, but it’s really just a cheap piece of beef off the grill at Golden Corral. With guys, it pays to be wary of digital enhancements. I eat a lot of meals in the car, so this would also create a bit of an inconvenience for me and jeopardize my already questionable driving record. “Did I do something wrong, officer?” “You suddenly pulled off onto the I-70 shoulder. Is everything okay? “Sorry. I was just taking a photo of my fish sandwich.” “Sir, this time I’m only going to issue a warning: Those are really high in sodium.” Restaurants might try to benefit from this obsession with food photos. They already put little icons next to menu choices, so we’ll know which items are low in calories. Now we’ll also know which ones are high in resolution. The waitress might not only ask if you have room for dessert, but also whether you have enough memory. Is the meal suitable for diabetics? Who cares, as long as it’s photogenic. MSN
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Do You Speak Millennial? BY SUSAN GOLDFEIN (SENIOR WIRE) So you think you’re woke because you got with the latest meme? Or maybe you understood even one line of the lyrics from “Hamilton?” Would you bet you know what Bible means? Or salty? Well, save your money! Because if you think salt is a condiment or a crusty old sailor, and Bible refers to the book the Gideon Society used to leave in cheap motel rooms, then you are definitely not lit! But don’t despair. Help is here. It’s time to take the English as a Second Language quiz. Give it a try. Your results will predict whether conversation with your grandchildren is still possible. 1. Glo’d Up a. A command given to your dog named Glo’d when you want him to jump on your lap. b. Past tense of gla’d up. c. Opposite of glo’d down. d. a or c, but never b. 2. Snap Trap a. A lure to catch a turtle. b. Pans Part spelled backwards. c. A photo taken for purposes of blackmail. d. None of the above. 3. Throwing Shade a. Tossing your sunglasses out of a car window. b. Playing with the basketball formerly known as Wilson c. Casting a tall shadow. d. All of the above. 4. On Fleek a. Santa’s command to his newest reindeer. b. Street where Sweeny Todd lived c. Telling someone you’ve joined a new social media site. d. Some of the above. 5. Draking a. Making out with a male duck b. Getting a bad mark for lack of proficiency with a garden tool c. OD-ing on music by a certain pop star d. When will this be over?
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6. JOMO a. Joe’s lawn mower b. Like slo mo, but jumpy c. Dyslexic version of mojo d. A, or possibly c, or maybe b 7. Hundo P a. The hybrid that results from crossing Japanese and Korean b. The Hundo that comes before Hundo Q c. The sequel to the old John Wayne movie d. Can I call a friend? 8. Keep it 100 a. Request from someone who likes a hot room b. One option if you find a C-note on the ground c. Acing an exam, but not going for the bonus question d. This is pathetic! 9. Adulting a. Being married, and only thinking about having an affair. b. A kid who’s wearing his parent’s clothes c. A noun who grew up and converted to verbism. d. Someone shoot me! 10. Suh a. Southern for “sir.” b. The sound of a tire deflating c. A typo d. I’d like to buy an “a,” Pat. What the scores mean: 7–10—Excellent, you are so trill; 4–6—sort of cool, but not quite lit; 0–3—you need milk! Any interest in the intended usage of the above? Here it is! 1. Glo’d Up: someone who has suddenly become more attractive and mature; 2. Snap Trap: A tactic used to find out what your significant other is up to; 3. Throwing Shade: subtly criticizing someone; 4. On Fleek: flawless styling or grooming; 5. Draking: having feelings of sadness or melancholy; 6. JOMO: Joy of missing out; 7. Hundo P: 100 percent; 8. Keep it 100: acting in a way that’s true to yourself; 9. Adulting: doing something associated with being a bona fide grown-up; 10. Suh: what’s up\huh?
Other slang used above: Woke: aware; Meme: an idea that’s trending; Bible: something that is the truth; Salty: bad mood; Trill: to be true, or real; Lit: extremely cool; Milk: help or improvement. MSN
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Modern Senior
PAGE 19
Simple Video Calling Devices for Tech-Challenged Seniors BY JIM MILLER (SAVVY SENIOR) Video chatting is a great way to stay connected and keep tabs on an elder parent when you can’t be there. Various products on the market today offer simple video calling for seniors who are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with technology. Here are three unique devices to consider. VIEWCLIX If you’re interested in a device that requires no input, check out the ViewClix Smart Frame. This is a 15-inch digital picture frame with video calling capabilities designed specifically for seniors. Ready to use right out of the box, this device lets family and friends make video calls and send photos (displayed as a slideshow) directly to a ViewClix Smart Frame anytime from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. To do this, simply download the free ViewClix app to devices. All photos sent and video calls made to ViewClix are received automatically. But, it is worth noting this is a receiving device only. Someone with a ViewClix cannot initiate video calls. This device is available at ViewClix.com or 800-304-4281 for $299 (Wi-Fi is required), or purchase their 4G Broadband model that works with T-Mobile if Wi-Fi is not available, for $299, plus a $20 monthly broadband fee.
to help with any facet of the tablet, and it provides damage and theft insurance, so if a tablet becomes broken or lost, it will be replaced at no additional cost. Available at grandPad.net or call 800704-9412, a grandPad leases for $66 per month, or $49/month if you pay one year in advance. ECHO SHOW For someone who doesn’t mind talking to a machine, the voice-activated Amazon Echo Show is another senior-friendly device for video chatting (WiFi is required). Available at Amazon.com for $230, the Echo Show has a 7-inch color touchscreen that enables a person to make and receive video calls from those who have their own device, or who have the free Amazon Alexa app installed on their smartphone or tablet. Once contacts are set up, simply say, “Alexa, call Susan” to make a call. And when a call comes in, ask Alexa to answer or ignore the call. There’s also a feature called “drop-in,” which could allow preselected relatives or friends to video in to the Echo Show device at any time without input. The Echo Show also offers a bevy of other features to enjoy, like voice-activated access to news, weather, favorite music, and more. MSN
GRANDPAD Another nifty product that offers simple video calling, and much more, is the grandPad. This is an 8-inch touchscreen custom tablet designed for seniors, ages 75 and older. It comes with a stylus, charging stand, and Verizon 4G LTE built-in, so it works anywhere within the Verizon network—home Wi-Fi is not necessary. This unique tablet provides a simplified menu of big colorful icons and large text to only essential features, giving clutter-free, one-touch access to make and receive video calls and phone calls, send voice emails, view photos and videos, listen to personalized music, check the weather, play games and more. But, to simplify usage and avoid confusion, it does not offer Web browsing. GrandPad also has a “Help” button that offers 24/7 phone/tablet remote assistance
Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of the book, The Savvy Senior.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
PAGE 20
Inspiration
THOUGHTS•PEOPLE•STORIES•PLACES
Life in motion even at 106 BY TREVA LIND,THE SPOKESMANREVIEW (SPOKANE, WASH.) (TNS) From Model Ts to jet airplanes, Noble Brewer has lived 106 years with life in motion. Brewer celebrated his birthday recently, receiving a tribute during a music program at Garden Plaza of Post Falls, where he’s lived over five years. The retired flight inspector remains active, staying in an independent living apartment. These days, he gets around mostly on a red motorized wheelchair. His secret to longevity applies simple logic. “I tell these young kids, remember you only have one body, so take care of it,” he said. “Don’t drink the wrong things. You treat your body like a new car; you wouldn’t put oil in
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your gas tank and you wouldn’t put gasoline in your oil. “When you’re young, you only have one body—no trade-ins—so take care of it.” Born 1912 in Oklahoma, Brewer often cooks for himself, loves Jell-O, drinks a glass of wine most evenings and enjoys dancing at the center. And he likes witty one-liners. “I’m shooting for 110,” quipped Brewer. “Four more years to go.” Garden Plaza staff members say Brewer has endeared himself to them and other residents with his zeal. That includes being a cheerful conversationalist, loving music and keeping a pocketed bottle of Tabasco sauce, just in case, for meals. “He’s super witty,” said April Howard, Garden Plaza sales director. “He’s just a social butterfly, and he dresses so dapper. Even though he’s in a scooter, he’ll stand up briefly, and he spins the ladies around. He just loves his music, and he loves to cook.” Garden Plaza’s executive director and manager, Terek Beckman, said Brewer received a veteran recognition award about a year ago. “Noble, even though he’s turning 106 years old, he’s so active,” Beckman said. “He still likes to cook for himself. His favorite thing to make is Jell-O. He loves his glass of wine. “He’s just one of those good souls you always love to be around. He’s always happy.”
That sharp dressing shows up, every day, staff says. Recently, he greeted guests in a beige button-up shirt, burgundy sweater, brown slacks and bolo tie. Brewer was 6 when WWI ended. “I can remember when it was over, all the neighbors went out and shot off shotguns to celebrate,” he said. He only had one year of college, because of the Depression. The detour led to lifelong work in aviation. He keeps a picture of himself taken during the 1930s when he was flying biplanes. “Two wings, single engine, no brakes, tires were smooth with no tread,” he said. “I stayed with airplanes for the rest of my life.” In 1936, he got married and moved to Los Angeles, where he trained in aviation engine work. He worked briefly for United Airlines, then Western Airlines for 20 years. He spent another 20 years at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, retiring and relocating in the late 1970s to the Coeur d’Alene area. He and his wife, Wilma, raised two children – a son named Eugene and a daughter named Louise – and were married for more than 75 years. She died in 2014. During this career, he trained as a preflight and test-flight inspector, earning the nickname of “Airplane Doctor.” When certain airplanes had issues or were sold for delivery in another country, he went with the aircrafts, “like a spare tire,” he said, including stints often overseas. “I got into aviation with engines; my career was engines,” he said. “My job was I
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Inspiration
PAGE 21
LOST CHAPTER IN GENESIS
Noble Brewer poses for a photograph at Garden Plaza in Post Falls, Idaho. He turned 106 on May 4. Photo by Kathy Plonka,The Spokesman-Review/TNS.
was an inspector. Troubleshooting was part of my job. I’ve been in foreign countries all over the world.” During World War II, he described himself as a “different kind of veteran,” serving as what he called a volunteer GI serving in the Air Transport Command. That unit was created during the war mainly for delivery of supplies and equipment. He said his team could fly aircraft by compass and often went to Alaska from Edmonton, Alberta. The Japanese believed that control of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, was of strategic importance to prevent a possible U.S. attack. They bombed Dutch Harbor on June 3-4, 1942, occupying Kiska and Attu. “Alaska was isolated,” he said. “When Alaska was shut off, we used to go up there and take wounded people from the island back to the States, all by compass.” Today, he said Garden Plaza is home and he enjoys most visiting with other guests. He’ll even recite poetry, demonstrating while having his photograph taken. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away; a hug a day keeps the blues away,” he said. “I just heard another one on TV, ‘An onion a day keeps everyone away.’ “ When asked about his favorite foods, he didn’t mention the Tabasco sauce, but apparently a little spice doesn’t bother him. “I can eat anything—everything agrees with me.” MSN
Adam had been moping around all day in the Garden of Eden, and God finally said, “Adam, what’s up with all this moping?” Adam told God that he was lonely. God said He could fix that, no problem. In short order he could make a partner for Adam, and she would be called a “woman.” God told Adam that the woman would collect his food, cook it for him, and care for all his needs and wants. She would also agree with all his decisions and not question his authority as head of the family. God also said that she would bear his offspring and not bother him in the middle of the night if the kids woke up and started crying. She would never nag him and would admit when she was wrong. She would also freely give him love and passion whenever he needed it. Adam said, “Wow, that’s a great partner! What is this woman-person going to cost me?” God replied, “an arm and a leg.” So Adam responded, “What can I get for a rib?”
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Little Jimmy was shouting out a prayer for his birthday. “Please God, all I want for my birthday is a new X-Box. Thank you.” His mom walked in and said, “Jimmy, why all the shouting? God isn’t deaf.” “I know,” said Jimmy. “But Grandpa is.” JokeQuote.com
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
PAGE 22
Fluffy Critters PET TIPS•BREEDS•CARE•GROOMING
Why Senior Cats “Purrfer” Mature Households BY MARY ANN REUTER (AND KAILA) Did you hug your cat on June 4, officially designated as Hug Your Cat Day? What? You don’t have a cat? That may be because one has not chosen you yet. Cats can be selective about the person they decide to go home with, after all. Especially older cats. June is also Adopt a Cat Month, and shelters across Idaho and Montana are gearing up
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Livingston All Events at 7:30pm Dance–Band of Drifters.................................................... June 8 Paul Overstreet–Singer & Songwriter .................................. July 12 An Evening with Rory Feek – Stories & Songs .................... July 14 Ricky Nelson Remembered Starring Matthew & Gunnar Nelson ..................................... July 19 Shenandoah 30th Anniversary Tour................................. July 26 Johnny Counterfit Comedian, Voice Impressionist, Recording Artist ................... July 27 Dance – Country Tradition................................................ July 28 Jeannie Seely w/special guest Tim Atwood (acoustic) ....... Aug 2 An Evening with Craig Morgan (acoustic) .......................... Aug 9 Moe Bandy....................................................................... Aug 16 Country Music Legend Ronnie McDowell ........................ Aug 17 Dance – Crazy Mtn Express ............................................. Aug 18 Tony Suraci as the Highwayman Tribute to Johnny, Willie, Waylon & Kris ............................... Aug 23 The Wichita Lineman Tribute to Glen Campbell, Starring Carl Acuff Jr. .................... Aug 24 Dion Pride – Son of Charley, Tribute to his Dad ...................... Aug 25 Dance – www.twang ........................................................ Sept 15
Kitchen Opens at 5pm on Show Evenings & 6:30pm on Dance Evenings
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for a variety of festive feline holidays, such as World Catnip Day on June 15 and Wake Up Your Human Day on June 24. You can even Take Your Cat to Work Day on June 25. But only if you have one. Much has been written about the healing power of pets for older people. Sharing a home with a cat or dog can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and lessen loneliness and depression. Pets benefit too, especially when mature people adopt mature pets. Senior kitties are often overlooked at adoption centers and may find themselves housed in shelters for months at a time. Simply Cats in Meridian, Idaho, even waived adoption fees for older residents during the month of April to make room for more senior “kittizens.” Unfortunately for those sophisticated elder cats, searching for the last lap to warm by June 16 (you guessed it, there is another cat holiday called Lap Day), they are up against what cat rescue groups call “kitten season.” Yes, adorable and cuddly kittens. Each spring, thousands of kittens will join the millions of cats already in shelters across the county. What’s an older, mellow cat to do? “After all, I have manners. I’m less destructive than those energetic youngsters. As a feline of a certain age, I know how to relax. And no one warms a lap better than me.” So says Kaila, a mature Siamese mix adopted from a local shelter a dozen years
ago by the author. Yes, she was a kitten then. But she is equally adorable today and has this to say to her fellow felines about the benefits of adopting an older human. “Senior citizens are great company for senior pets. The calm presence of an older person is very comforting to us aging kitties. Mature people are predictable and don’t require a lot of training, but you can still teach them new tricks if you’re patient.” Best of all, the senior person you select will likely be a “purrfect” match if you have chosen carefully. Mature pet people will quickly form a close bond with an older, wiser kitty that offers laser-focused attention and devotion. Many animal shelters have year-round, senior-for-seniors adoption programs too, with special pricing to adopt a fully vetted cat or dog that is 7 years or older. At Simply Cats, for example, the fee is only $25 and includes a small litter box, scoop, and cat litter to start you off on the right paw. What are you waiting for? Adopt a senior cat today, so you can celebrate World Cat Day together on August 8 and National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day on August 22. MSN Mary Ann Reuter is a Boise-based health and lifestyle writer whose interests include active aging, rural health and the human-animal bond. You can reach her at ma. reuter@yahoo.com.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
PAGE 23
FIND YOUR
NEW HOME WITH US
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
PAGE 24
Entertainment
MUSIC•BOOKS•THEATER•DINING•ART•FILM•TELEVISION
Sipping Summer Wines BY HOLLY ENDERSBY Now that the warm days and long twilights of summer are here, we can relax with a wonderful glass of wine on the deck or patio. This is also the time to relax the rule on room temperature reds and enjoy the cooling pleasure of lightly chilled ones, along with some delightfully refreshing whites and rosé. A red that compliments summer cookouts is the 2016 Dark Horse Merlot, and I enjoy it slightly cooled. This wine is robust and pairs fabulously with grilled burgers topped with pungent, melted cheese, bratwurst, and marinated, grilled steak. The intense “jammy” flavors of dark berries and a touch of toasted oak with a bit of spice goes great with outdoor cooking. It’s easy to find in Rite Aid stores, where it is an exceptional buy. For some reason, merlot has taken back stage to other reds, but I find the smoothness of merlot is perfect for many food pairings. This particular wine is blended with petite
sirah, petit verdot and Dornfelder, to achieve its lush taste and lovely, lingering finish. Serve this Dark Horse merlot slightly chilled on a hot summer night, and you won’t be disappointed. When you decide on a chilled white wine to go with grilled salmon or shrimp kabobs, nothing could be better than a 2015 Acacia chardonnay from the Sonoma area of California. This is a balanced wine with soft aromas of pear and apples and a suggestion of tropical fruits. Not heavily oaked, this wine stands on its own and is a distinctive chardonnay that complements intensely flavored food like salmon and shrimp. I find many whites lacking in depth and substance, leaving me with a watered-down impression, but this Acacia is full-bodied and
simply delicious. The 2015 I tried is actually Acacia’s lowest priced chardonnay and does not sport the “Caneros” distinction on the label. I am definitely buying more of this wine to offer throughout the summer to discerning guests. Another summer white is a 2016 Bogle sauvignon blanc. It’s is crisp with a lovely, balanced taste and a smooth, elegant finish. When a wine is described as “crisp,” it usually means it has refreshing acidity and is most often associated with white wines. This crispness makes it perfect for summer enjoyment. The light, fruity aroma is subtle, with just a suggestion of a yeasty undertone. I can’t imagine serving grilled fish tacos with a wine more suited to casual summer dining than this Sauvignon Blanc. Serve this wine slightly chilled, and you will enjoy every sip. Easy to find and easy on the budget, this is a wine that won’t disappoint. Finally, summer calls for a great rosé and the 2016 Campuget can’t be beat for the price of around $10. GOURMET FOODS • PIZZA SPECIALTY WINES • BEERS LUNCH DELI • SALAD BAR CATERING & MORE
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS This lovely wine is on the dry side, which our tasters enjoyed immensely. Some rosé wines are overly sweet, but this delicious French import has tempered that sweetness to just within the range of a dry wine and is simply fabulous with grilled chicken and vegetables or on its own during a hot summer afternoon. I found it at my local wine shop, but you can ask the wine buyer at your grocery store to carry it as well: it’s truly a crowd
pleaser, and other shoppers will be delighted to discover it. MSN Holly Endersby has been an award-winning outdoor writer for 25 years, working in newspaper, magazines, TV, and web-based magazines. She enjoys horse packing in wilderness areas, fishing, hunting, snow and water sports, yoga, and hiking. She was the first Conservation Director for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
Angel of the Morning MERILEE RUSH & THE TURNABOUTS, JUNE 1968 BY RANDAL C. HILL By 1967, songwriter Chip Taylor had one hit tune to his credit: the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” from the previous year. Now he was summoning his muse again in hopes of hitting paydirt for a second time. In the book Behind the Hits,Taylor explains: “The day I wrote ‘Angel’ I was fooling around with some chords for three or four hours. Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, came ‘There’ll be no strings to bind your hands, not if my love can’t bind your heart.’ I said, ‘That is beautiful!’…Within ten minutes I’d written the whole song, including the chorus.” Then there was the matter of what followed those opening lines. Sex had to be soft-pedaled during rock’s early days. “Angel of the Morning” changed all that. As its story unfolded, listeners heard such eyebrow-lifting lyrics as I see no need to take me home/I’m old enough to face the dawn, as well as If morning’s echo says we’ve sinned/ Well, it was what I wanted now. Taylor and a partner recorded the song— which featured a simple “Louie Louie” chord progression—with a young singer named Evie Sands. Released on Cameo Records, “Angel” quickly caught fire and won airplay in several radio markets. But, two weeks after Sands’s 45 was released, Cameo unexpectedly went bankrupt, and Sands’s rising star fizzled out. Later, Taylor received a phone call from Seattle that another artist, Merilee Rush and the Turnabouts, had cut his song. “I was looking forward to hearing it. It came out and I had a copy sent to me. But I took one listen and said, ‘Uh-uh, I don’t think so,” said Taylor. Taylor spoke too soon. Rush’s disc went Top Five in Seattle then spread rapidly across the country. Merrilee Rush began her life as Merrilee Gunst in Seattle in 1944. At 16, she became the lead singer of a local rock outfit called
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PAGE 25
Restaurant, Lounge & Casino the Amazing Aztecs. She eventually married the band’s sax player, Tom Rush, and the two 406-458-9816 • 1450 Lincoln Rd E • Helena formed Merrilee and Her Men, which later disbanded. For a while, the Rushes worked in an integrated Seattle rhythm-and-blues collective, called Tiny Tony and the Statics (Tony being a 300-pound soul belter). On the Montana Dinosaur Trail In 1965, the Rushes crePrehistoric–21st Century Something for Everyone! ated Merrilee Rush and the Open Memorial Day–Labor Day Turnabouts, a rock/R & B Mon–Sat 9am–5pm • Sun & Holidays 1pm–5pm group that soon became a top 406-377-8168 • FRONTIERGATEWAYMUSEUM.ORG Off I-94, Belle Prairie Frontage Rd, Exit 215, 1mi E of Glendive draw on the local club circuit. In time, they signed on as the opening act for Paul Revere and the Raiders’ 1967 tour. Discount While in Memphis, Raiders w / coupon lead singer Mark Lindsay Salads • Soups • Desserts Open M–Sat for introduced Rush to record Lunch & Dinner Pizza by the Slice producer Chips Moman, who had recorded Historic Uptown Butte Beer & Wine the Box Tops’ megahit of “The Letter.” Rated one of the best pizzas in Montana! Moman had Rush cut a breathy rendi302 E Broadway • Butte (406) 723-8711 tion of “Angel of the Morning,” a haunting future Top Ten winner. Released on Bell Records, Rush’s Half Bottle of version became a w/Entree Wed Nites* million-seller and even earned her a Grammy nomination. In 1981, country singer Juice Newton SEAFOOD breathed new life FRIDAYS! into Rush’s song that some rock historians now cite as being a 1191 King Ave, Billings | 406-652-4416 | Mon 4–8:30pm • Tue–Sat 3–9pm forerunner of the women’s liberation movement. MSN
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Entertainment
PAGE 26
Lady Madonna THE BEATLES, MAY 1968
BY RANDAL C. HILL In 1965, Fats Domino and the Beatles were introduced in New Orleans. When Domino was asked later about meeting the world’s biggest rock band, he grinned and answered, “No, they got to meet me.” From their earliest days of international stardom, the Fab Four never failed to acknowledge the early influences of America’s greatest rock pioneers—Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Buddy Holly. However, one of the recording superstars often overlooked during interviews was Antoine “Fats” Domino. There’s no doubt that the New Orleans legend once influenced the nascent quartet. George Harrison recalled Domino’s “I’m in Love Again” as being the first rock ‘n’ roll
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song he ever heard. “Ain’t That a Shame” became the first tune that John Lennon learned on the guitar. The Beatles sometimes performed Domino’s songs during their barband nights in Germany. They also used his version of “The Sheik of Araby” when they auditioned— unsuccessfully—for Decca Records in January 1962. In the book Many Years from Now, Paul McCartney recalled sitting at his piano in early 1968 and creating a bluesy boogie-woogie tune that eventually morphed into “Lady Madonna.” “It reminded me of Fats Domino for some reason, so I started singing a Domino impression,” he said. “It took my other voice to a very odd place.” Among Domino’s 11 Top-Ten winners—mainly released on the Imperial Records label—was “Blue Monday,” a million-seller from early 1957; it became the eventual inspiration for “Lady Madonna.” The “Blue Monday” lyrics throbbed with the drudgery of a workingman’s life as Domino recounted a litany of activities during the seven days of the week. McCartney’s “Lady Madonna” echoed “Blue Monday” in structure when he wove his own story of a put-upon woman during her bleak six-day week. (McCartney later admitted that he forgot to include Sundays.) Apart from the “Blue Monday” influence, McCartney, writing in a pre-feminist state of mind, lamented the lot in life of many women, wondering how they managed never-ending chores and responsibilities while at the same time often toiling merely to survive in a tough world.
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Over the years McCartney has given differing answers when asked about the genesis of “Lady Madonna.” He used to claim that he was first thinking of the Virgin Mary, later changing his story to involve working-class women in Liverpool (his Catholic mother, Mary, had been a nurse), and, finally, mothers everywhere. He eventually cited a National Geographic photograph of a Polynesian woman with a child at her breast (the caption read “Mountain Madonna”) as being part of the inspiration for “Lady Madonna,” which, as an upbeat, Domino-influenced tune, became the Beatles’ 25th Top-Ten single and heralded a brief return to 1950s-style rock for the band. The final charting single for Domino occurred in 1968 when his own rendition of “Lady Madonna” reached the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The tune was recorded in Domino’s trademark rollicking style—and not for one moment was he trying to sound like Paul McCartney! MSN
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Entertainment
PAGE 27
Review: Rats, Mice and Other Things You Can’t Take to the Bank AN INSPIRATIONAL COLLECTION OF ESSAYS
BY CONNIE DAUGHERTY Rats, Mice and Other Things You Can’t Take to the Bank is a collection of essays by award-winning columnist Leslie Handler, in which she shares her life story. “I was born, and now I’m old. The end…. There’s been a whole lot of stuff in between.” That stuff in between makes up this wonderful collection of essays as Handler reaches out to, and connects with, her readers.
She describes herself as neither a glasshalf-empty, nor a glass-half-full, person, but rather as a person with lots of glasses. “My glass, admittedly, has been empty. It’s been bone dry. But then… I witness a stranger who doesn’t even have a glass. Then I’m grateful, and my glass fills right back up. Sometimes it even overflows.” Divided into topical chapters, Rats, Mice and Other Things is funny and sad, heart-rending and inspirational, ordinary and amazing. Most
of all, it is sincere, and that is what makes Handler’s work so refreshing. In chapter one, Handler gives readers a glimpse into her life and her life philosophy. “When something doesn’t quite go my way, I can just shout out ‘oh rats’ and know that it’s OK.” In chapter two we meet her husband and children. In chapter three, “More life happened.” This is the first glimpse we get into Handler’s empty glass times. “We supported each other in sickness and in health. Until one of us didn’t.” She writes about 9/11—the day her husband stood at the base of the falling tower. She writes about coping with unemployment, Super Storm Sandy, the housing crisis, cancer, and cancer again. “They say that nothing is perfect. They are wrong,” Handler writes. “It’s brief, and it’s fleeting, but it exists…. I’ve felt it wrapped in years of love, respect, and laughter…and most of all love.” This phrase seems to be woven through several essays, including, “Is Your Congressman as Smart as a Third Grader,” and “Sad Birthday.” Handler reaches out to the reader.. Whether humorously commenting on grammar, the presidential candidacy, or body image, on God or growing old, on technology or a senior brain freeze, the author walks side-by-side with her readers, sharing frustrations when everything seems to be going wrong and joy when things go right. Rats, Mice and other Things You Can’t Take to the Bank reminds us of what is important—”kindness, moderation, and passion.” Leslie Handler is an international syndicated columnist with Senior Wire News Service as well as a contributor to several other national publications and blogs. A portion of her royalties will go to National Alliance on Mental Illness. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Entertainment
Events Calendar DATE
EVENT CATEGORY
EVENT
CITY
CONTACT
May 19–Sept 30
Exhibits
Charles M. Russell: The Women in His Life & Art
Great Falls
406-727-8787
June 1–16
Theater
Doublewide Texas - BIllings Studio Theatre
Billings
406-248-1141
June 4–15
Education
Stone Child College Summer Session
Box Elder
406-395-4875
June 7
Parties
Bull Durham Brew & View - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
June 8
Dances
Dance - Band of Drifters - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
June 8–10
Festivals
Homesteader Days
Hot Springs
406-741-2662
June 8–29
Education
Stone Child College Summer Session
Box Elder
406-395-4875
June 10
Open House
Intro to the Remembrance Room
Glasgow
406-228-8692
June 14
Concerts
Tumbledown House - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
June 15–16
Sports
Aaron Chatten Memorial Softball Tournament
Glasgow
406-228-2222
June 16
Sports
Longest Dam Race
Fort Peck
406-228-2222
June 20
Shopping
Hump Day Sales
Glasgow
406-228-2222
June 22–24
Festivals
Annual Fort Benton Summer Celebration
Fort Benton
406-750-2918
June 22–July 8
Theater
“True West” - Blue Slipper Theatre
Livingston
406-222-7720
June 23–24
Theater
Dirty Shame Show
Scobey
406-487-5965
June 23–24
Festivals
Annual Pioneer Days & Antique Show
Scobey
406-487-5965
June 25
Concerts
Growling Old Men - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
July 6–8
Sports
John Hahn Memorial Softball Tournament
Glasgow
406-228-2222
July 6–20
Theater
“Mamma Mia” - Grandstreet Theatre
Helena
406-447-1574
July 6–27
Exhibits
Annual Juried Art Exhibit - O’Fallon Museum
Baker
406-778-3265
July 7, 14, 21, 28
Entertainment
Downtown Tonight
Missoula
406-543-4238
July 9–20
Education
Stone Child College Summer Session
Box Elder
406-395-4875
July 12
Concerts
Paul Overstreet - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
July 12
Parties
The Big Lebowski Brew & View - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
July 12–14
Sports
Montana’s Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament
Fort Peck
406-228-2222
July 14
Concerts
An Evening w/ Rory Fleek - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
July 14
Fundraisers
Annual Fundraiser - Carbon County Depot
Red Lodge
406-446-1370
July 18
Shopping
Hump Day Sales
Glasgow
406-228-2222
July 19
Concerts
Ricky Nelson Remembered - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
July 19
Concerts
Heron Valley - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
July 20–22
Festivals
Art in the Park - Copper Village Museum
Anaconda
406-563-2422
July 21
Festivals
Heritage Celebration - Yellowstone Historic Ctr
West Yellowstone
406-646-1100
July 21
Sports
Alvie Hallock Memorial Fun Run
Fort Peck
406-228-2222
July 21
Sports
Women’s Walleye Tournament
Fort Peck
406-228-2222
July 25
Concerts
Dustin Lynch: Live in Concert
Helena
406-457-8516
July 25–28
Fairs
Annual Last Chance Stampede & Fair
Helena
406-457-8516
July 26
Concerts
Shenandoah Anniversary Tour - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
July 26–28
Sports
RAM PRCA Pro Rodeo
Helena
406-457-8516
July 27
Stand-Up
Johnny Counterfit - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
July 27–28
Sports
Hell Creek Fishing Tournament
Fort Peck
406-228-2222
July 28
Parade
Stampede Parade
Helena
406-457-8516
July 28
Dances
Dance - Country Tradition - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
July 28
Sports
Wounded Warriors on the Water
Fort Peck
406-228-2222
July 28–29
Festival
Dino Shindig
Ekalaka
406-775-6886
July 30
Concerts
Lindi Ortega - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
July 31–Aug 4
Fairs
Northeast MT Fair
Glasgow
406-228-2222
Aug 2
Concerts
Jeanne Seely - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
Aug 2–18
Theater
“Newsies” - Grandstreet Theatre
Helena
406-447-1575
Aug 3–12
Rally
Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Custer State Park, SD
605-255-4515
Aug 4
Concerts
John Michael Montgomery w/ October Road
Glasgow
406-228-2222
Aug 9
Concerts
An Evening with Craig Morgan - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
Aug 9
Concerts
Max Hatt/Edda Glass - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
Aug 10–12
Concerts
Big Sky Classical Music Festival
Big Sky
406-995-2742
Aug 11
Sports
Glasgow Chamber’s Red Ball Golf Tournament
Glasgow
406-228-2222
Aug 11
Sports
Northeast MT Relay for Life
Glasgow
406-228-2222
Aug 15
Shopping
Hump Day Sales
Glasgow
406-228-2222
Aug 16
Concerts
Moe Bandy - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
Aug 16
Stand-Up
Comedian Gabriel Rutledge - Myrna Loy
Helena
406-443-0287
Aug 17
Concerts
Country Music’s Ronnie McDowell - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
Aug 18
Shopping
Miner’s Market - World Museum of Mining
Butte
406-723-7211
Aug 22
Education
Stone Child College Orientation
Box Elder
406-395-4875
Aug 23
Concerts
Tony Suraci as the Highwayman - Music Ranch MT
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
Aug 25
Concerts
Dion Pride
Livingston Area
406-222-2255
Aug 27
Education
Stone Child College Fall Session
Box Elder
406-395-4875
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
PAGE 29
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Northwest Montana
LOCAL PEOPLE•LOCAL STORIES•LOCAL FUN•LOCAL BUSINESSES
Making Each Moment Count MUSICIAN AND FIBER ARTIST JOAN RENNE
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Renne traces her passion for weaving to those grandparents and to her childhood growing up in Bozeman. At that time, her father, Roland, BY GAIL JOKERST an Agricultural Economics Professor, was president of Montana State University and striving to promote its expansion. ’Tis a rare woman who can say, “I love spiders, Her mother, aside from raising five children, and I love winter,” all in the same breath. But no became an early-day proponent of The Wilderness one acquainted with Joan Renne would be surprised Society. She championed the establishment of the to learn those are her sentiments. Great Bear Wilderness and instilled in Renne a As a master weaver, Renne admires the skill love for hiking and camping along with the need of arachnid artists, whom she regards as, “the to protect our last best places. original orb weavers.” She has sat all day watching “My mother taught me everything I know a spider spin a web and will go so far as to take one about the outdoors, including the names of the outside rather than kill it. plants, trees, and birds. Her best friend was Harriet Spiders have even inspired one of her Douglas Tidball, who wove reams of yardage for most sought-after tapestry designs called clothing and was one of the finest weavers in the “Window Webs.” world,” recalled Renne. Tidball taught Renne how A Montanan with a lifelong zeal for the natural to throw a shuttle and encouraged her to attend world, Renne looks forward to the season’s first Tidball’s alma mater, Oberlin College. Renne did snowfall as enthusiastically as kids anticipate attend Oberlin, however, she chose to pursue a Christmas. She skis for hours on end, gliding degree in music rather than textiles. through snowy woodlands outside her Flathead PHOTO BY GAIL JOKERST. Lake home as capably as she finger-weaves at one Some of her fondest memories of those Bozeman years relate to music as well as to of her five looms. weaving. In particular, she was captivated by the Romani melodies “Weaving calms me. Life is complicated and extremely nerve she heard wafting through the open windows of her girlhood home. wracking. Weaving is a very quiet pursuit. It’s a slow, tedious process, “Gypsies had a camp outside the farm where I grew up. They would and that’s what I like about it. At 3 inches an hour, it’s not quick, but play violins and guitars in the evening. It was a very early influence it’s something I really had to do,” remarked Renne, whose pioneer on me,” recounted Renne. “I begged my parents for an instrument grandmothers tatted and made intricate bobbin lace to embellish items and started with the piano, but I really wanted to play the violin. They such as handkerchiefs and slips.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS eventually bought me one from Sears, and I taught myself how to play it—badly.” At Oberlin, Renne’s studies focused on the viola, which she described as, “bigger and deeper than a violin with a mellow, warm, middle-of-the-body sound.” After Oberlin, Renne’s viola playing earned her a full scholarship to attend the New England Conservatory of Music, where her education continued to blossom. These days, she plays every stringed instrument conceivable, including the more obscure sitar, erhu, and morin khwr, hailing respectively from India, China, and Mongolia. She also plays a host of other instruments, except members of the wind family. “Music has been my life for a long time,” commented Renne, who has taught voice and various instruments for 28 years. People hear about her through word-ofmouth endorsement, which has attracted everyone from grade schoolers to great grandpas, to her Kalispell studio. “I’ve taught tons of students who are all over the world. I’ve had incredible students. It’s wonderful to see someone come into their own with music. Some even write and say how important it was to have me in their life,” said Renne. “I’m a dyed-in-the-wool native Montanan and have tried to give back to others what I’ve got, which is through music education,” stated Renne, whose favorite composer depends on the day. “I like all the classical composers, and I like what’s happening in the modern music world with its diverse instruments. I listen to everything, including jazz, hip-hop, and rap. I also like opera. That’s an acquired taste.” As a violist, Renne has performed on stages around the U.S. as well as in Italy, France, Peru, and Chile. Wherever her travels have taken her, stateside or abroad, Renne has bought all kinds of yarn imaginable to use in her weavings. Her collection is now so extensive she is never concerned about running out of yarn. When considering her approach to weaving or to music, one thing remains constant—the value Renne places on improvising.
Northwest Montana
“I’m quite a renegade. I make up my own patterns and do what I want. I like every color. The ones I choose depend on the mood I’m in. I try to use colors that spark my interest and enjoy working with metal because I can sculpt it,” said Renne, who likewise cherishes the freedom that improvisation brings to music. “Improvisation is spontaneous; it captures how you feel at the moment. There are no wrong notes. Improvisation is where music starts. You aren’t meeting anyone’s standards,” she explained. “It frees you to try new things.” Although not all of Renne’s students feel comfortable embracing this philosophy, she does her utmost to motivate them to give it a try. As she said, “You have to be strong and feel positive about your playing.” In thinking about why music matters to her and the world, Renne said, “Music touches your heart, body, soul, and mind. It’s a language. You don’t need words when you make music. It unites everything in your body. You play and listen with everything you have. It moves your entire being. People can communicate with music when they can’t with anything else. It’s sacred in my opinion, every minute of it.” Whether Renne is better known for her tapestries or for her musicianship is debatable. It is, however, unmistakably her contribution to fiber arts and her family’s deep Montana roots that prompted her inclusion in Helena’s beloved Women’s Commemorative Mural. Anyone who has walked the length of Last Chance Gulch has undoubtedly seen the 3,000-square-foot mural painted on the south face of Livestock Building. It depicts archetypal women from Montana’s distant and not-so-distant past who have influenced Treasure State history. Some of the figures were painted from imagination while others portray identifiable individuals. A pioneer and a native American
PAGE 31
are represented along with suffragettes and even ladies of the night. You can also find Renne, if you know what she looked like in 1979 when the mural was painted—dark haired with a signature white streak. She is pictured behind a spinning wheel, though she admittedly prefers, “to make colors work as opposed to spinning.” Looking back at what she deems her greatest accomplishments over her 80 years on planet Earth, Renne’s list surprisingly contains neither tapestries nor music. Instead, she cites her affection for the land, her sense of home, and her family. “I have three wonderful sons; they are good people, honest and sincere. Holding my mother’s hand while she died was pretty incredible. It was a gift,” she added. “I built my house out of natural wood and 13 tons of stone that I carried from Perma. Just staying here on this land has been an accomplishment.” And most recently she has every reason to feel proud of another accomplishment—an April hike she took with one of her sons and two granddaughters to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. By anyone’s standards, that’s a strenuous trek. “We hiked down in a day; I recovered the next two days. Then we hiked back out after a long time of many switchbacks. I loved it, though,” said Renne, who jokingly dubbed her granddaughters “the water police.” “I was forced to drink two liters of water in the morning and two in the afternoon. And they checked on me to make sure I did. But I had no sore muscles because of all that water.” One of Renne’s sweetest recollections of the adventure was the reaction her presence on the trail elicited from some of the strapping younger hikers she met, who looked like they belonged on the pages of a Patagonia catalog. CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Northwest Montana CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
“So many of these beautiful, obviously fit people stopped and told me they admired what I was doing. They even said they hoped to hike this trail when they were my age. When they told me I was their inspiration, that energized
me even more,” shared Renne, who believes passionately in living in the moment. “There is only one thing that’s important. There is just right now, all the time, nowhere else,” she emphasized. “Be in the present always. If you aren’t, you’re in trouble.” MSN
Freelancer Gail Jokerst has been a regular contributor to MSN for 18 years and makes her home in West Glacier. Visit her website at www.gailjokerst.com.
When it Comes to Speed, No Creature Matches the Peregrine Falcon BY GAIL JOKERST If you grew up hearing the phrase, “Faster than a speeding bullet,” you know it describes none other than Superman. Given an equal measure of poetic license, those same words could also describe the American Peregrine Falcon as well as the Man of Steel or any other fictitious hero. Falco peregrinus anatum may not be faster than a dispatched full metal jacket. It is, widely deemed to be the swiftest animal on the planet. Additionally, it is gifted with eyesight 10 times sharper than a human’s. From a flying height of 1,000 feet, this sleek hunter can spot even a mouse on the move,
though its favorite prey are winged—shore birds, song birds, and game species. Plunging into a vertical dive, called a stoop, and clenching its talons, the peregrine streaks towards its target at speeds clocked between 180 and 240 mph. According to Jay Sumner, a falconer and raptor researcher, the impact of the blow approximates a 600-pound weight falling from the sky. “Nothing compares to seeing peregrines go into a stoop. It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” said Sumner, who hunts ducks and pheasants with his peregrine named Ava. “Humans have been infatuated with peregrines for eons, long before Medieval times. They’re the most noble bird on the planet because of their looks, speed, and agility.” Like ospreys, peregrines inhabit—at least for part of the year—every continent except Antarctica. In Montana, as elsewhere, waterside cliffs have long been a destination for nesting pairs. Come autumn, most peregrines head south to locales ranging from Texas to South America as they follow their food supply. Some peregrines, however, prefer to take up residence atop places like Seattle skyscrapers and stay put. Since pigeons—their dietary mainstay— never leave town, neither do they.
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Sumner’s fascination with birds of prey began during childhood when he and a friend spotted a great horned owl flying to and from its nest. Afterwards, he read everything he could find on raptors, including National Geographic features written by the legendary Craighead brothers, John and Frank, both accomplished falconers. Their writings inspired Sumner to search his own proverbial back yard for signs of peregrines. Sure enough, in 1961 the teenager pinpointed a nest, also known as an aerie, on a cliff outside his home in Livingston. “I found it by the Yellowstone River five miles south of the highway,” he said. “It was just two wing flaps from the nesting cliff to the river,” recalled Sumner. “I saw the falcon dive, and it was such a neat thing to watch I was hooked forever. After that, I surveyed for new nests and found another one on Sacrifice Cliff over by Billings. From that point on, I knew I wanted to study raptors.” In his excitement at locating his first aerie, Sumner contacted Dr. John Craighead, who was then researching grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park. Craighead drove up to Livingston to meet Sumner and offered to help him remove a chick from the nest and train it for falconry. Although illegal today without a falconry permit from Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, at that time no restrictions applied.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS “I was 18 years old, didn’t know beans about climbing, and I was scared. But I went down the cliff face anyway and got to the ledge about 20 feet below using a climbing rope. John secured the other end of the rope,” recounted Sumner, who became one of Craighead’s students at the University of Montana. “There were two young in the nest. I grabbed one by the legs with my bare hands. It screamed and hissed till I put it in a cloth sack, then it quieted quickly. I kept it for a week but didn’t know how to train it. So I gave it to John, who trained and flew it.”
Jay Sumner, founder of the Montana Peregrine Institute, with his peregrine falcon, Ava, at home in Arlee. PHOTO BY GAIL JOKERST.
Although peregrine populations are currently well established, that has not always been the case. During the 1940’s, peregrine numbers nationwide plummeted. According to The Nature Conservancy, an estimated 3,875 nesting pairs were found in North America prior to the 1940’s. By 1975, only 324 pairs could be located. The main culprit was the introduction of DDT. Insects that ate plants sprayed with DDT ingested the pesticide, then birds of varying sizes ate the tainted insects. Because 95 percent of the peregrine’s diet consists of birds, the contaminant lodged in them as well. This resulted in laying eggs with thinned shells that could no longer withstand brooding pressure, ultra-violet light, or heat from the sun. Consequently, eggs cracked prematurely, and reproduction almost ceased. Despite being placed on the Endangered Species List in 1970 followed by a 1972 ban on DDT, no nesting pairs could be found in the Treasure State into the early 1980’s. Fortunately, the Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit organization that protects threatened birds of prey worldwide, took action. They bred falcons in captivity for almost 20 years, releasing more than 550 young in Montana.
“Montana now has a healthy, expanding population with a high reproductive rate. It’s surprising how fast they’ve come back and how successfully,” remarked Sumner. But like other researchers familiar with the species’s migration to regions south of the border where DDT levels remain high, he doesn’t take their future well-being for granted. “Peregrines are a barometer of the health of our environment. They’re so susceptible to toxins because of their diet,” noted Sumner. That’s one reason why he founded the Montana Peregrine Institute (MPI)—to ensure these raptors continue to thrive. To assess the distribution and productivity of Montana’s peregrines, MPI coordinated peregrine surveys from 1998 to 2016 with the help of federal and state biologists. The results showed that the state’s population had increased from 18 nesting pairs in 1998 to over 100 by the end of the survey. As part of MPI’s ongoing work, Sumner launched project “Montana Peregrine Watch” to annually check for nesting activity at all the territories that were identified during the 18-year survey period. To do this calls for helpers, lots of them. Last year 80 people, mostly retirees, volunteered statewide. Admittedly finding peregrines in the wild is not an easy task, though it’s certainly a rewarding one. “You’re looking for a two-pound bird on an 800-foot cliff. It’s hard to spot, but with one sighting, you get hooked. And each year volunteers gain more experience. It takes time and patience, an interest in birds, plus a pair of binoculars,” said Sumner. “But the peregrine sells itself when you see the young run around the ledges, exercising their wings and trying to balance themselves when landing after their first awkward flight.” To become a Peregrine Watcher requires several visits to observe an assigned cliff and
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determine if it’s occupied and productive. That means two April visits to see if any adults have shown up, followed by late-June and mid-July visits to count chicks before they fledge. If it sounds like an appealing challenge, contact Sumner. He’ll provide some initial training and a spotting scope plus all the encouragement you’ll need to witness a peregrine on the wing. For more information, visit montanaperegrine.org; call Jay Sumner at 406-240-2766; or email him at peregrine@blackfoot.net. You can also watch a peregrine webcam at: peregrinefund.org/webcam-peregrine. MSN Gail Jokerst is a regular contributor to MSN. Contact her at gailjokerst@ gmail.com.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Northwest Montana
Montana’s Blackfeet Reservation
now Glacier National Park. The Canadian line forms the northern border. And yes, they are Blackfeet, not Blackfoot. The Blackfeet Reservation in northwestern They are part of the Blackfoot confederacy, Montana, just east of Glacier National Park, located largely in Canada, but are the southis the 13th largest reservation in the U.S. at ernmost of the four bands. about 1.5 million acres. Roughly 85 percent of Jack Gladstone described it very simply, the residents are Native Americans. saying “all Blackfeet are Blackfoot, but not Archaeological discoveries in the St. Mary all Blackfoot are Blackfeet.” River drainage date their presence back over Gladstone, a tribal member, musician, and 13,000 years. Historically, their land area historian, is often referred to as “Montana’s was much larger and even included what is Troubadour.” If you visit a campsite in Glacier, he may be providing the entertainment through history and song. Tribal headquarters are located in Browning. The town has changed considerably in recent years. It doesn’t rival towns like Great Falls or Missoula, but the update of Glacier Peaks Hotel and the adjoining casino provide a decent place to stay and play, and it’s only 20 miles to Glacier. A variety of other lodging sites are also available in Browning and East Glacier, but it’s still advisable to book a room well in advance. Visitors at Glacier Peaks have a very short walk to the Museum of the Plains Indian, a good place to update your knowledge of native history. A modern hospital sits on the north edge of town, and Blackfeet Community College is located in the southeast part of town. Even the college is changing with hopes and plans to offer four-year college degrees in 2020. If you should want a more unique lodging opportunity, the Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village is only a couple of miles west of Browning, where Elderly or Disabled you can spend a Needing Applications For Waiting List. night in a tipi. BY JACK MCNEEL
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Darrel Norman has operated this facility, along with the adjacent art gallery, for 25 years. The tipis are comfortable, with fireplaces in the center. Combined with the gallery, they provide an excellent introduction to Blackfeet life and history. It’s a great place to take kids, or grandkids, for a unique educational experience.
Metal sculptures at entrance to Blackfeet Reservation. PHOTO BY JACKIE MCNEEL.
Two tours are available and highly recommended if your time permits. Sun Bus Tour takes visitors on the Going to the Sun Highway through Glacier National Park. Ed DesRosier, a tribal member, owns the business, now in its 26th year. Glacier became a National Park in 1910 but was homeland for the Blackfeet people for centuries before. They refer to it as “the backbone of the world.” Sun Bus Tour is a great way to see Glacier while hearing tribal history, a slightly different version than one gets with other tours. The coaches are air conditioned, seat 25 passengers, and run as early as May 15 through as late as October 15, depending on the weather conditions. The Sun Highway will no doubt be closed by snow until late June or July. DesRosier said they now offer private catered trips even when the Sun Highway is closed. For that purpose, they’ve added a high-end limo coach for those who desire such accommodations. The other tour is a self-driving tour to the south and east of Browning. The tribe has erected 15 attractive wooden signs along this tour, which covers about 70 miles. These signs tell of events that happened near these sites over many decades, some going back prior to the arrival of trappers and settlers. The tour begins just south of town on the road toward Heart Butte and winds through
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS beautiful country with mountains forming a backdrop to pasture and rangeland with scattered herds of cattle and horses. A lot of history is associated with Blackfeet territory, both before and after the arrival of people with European ancestry. Two young Blackfeet teenagers were killed here by the Lewis and Clark Expedition when they suspected the boys were stealing horses. They were the only natives killed anywhere by that expedition. Camp Disappointment is also located here, the northernmost point reached by that same expedition. The Old North Trail passed through here along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. That trail ran from the Yukon to the Mexican border and was used for 10,000 years by indigenous people. Information signs also highlight more recent events, such as the introduction of the Catholic religion in 1889 and the beautiful church still in use, the Fort Shaw-Fort MacLeod Road, which opened in 1874, and numerous others. Buffalo were extremely important for centuries, and this driving tour leads past cliffs used as buffalo jumps, where buffalo were lured or driven over the cliffs and killed. Buffalo were the main food staple for the Blackfeet, who also depended heavily on buffalo for other uses. They used hides for tipis, clothing, parfleches and moccasins, but even the bones had various uses as well. The area had been outstanding buffalo range until about the mid-1800s, with perhaps the highest density of buffalo anywhere, but millions of the animals were nearly exterminated. The tribe now maintains a buffalo (bison) ranch a short distance west of town along Highway 2. Plan the better part of the day to travel this tour route, and consider taking a snack and water. The road is mostly paved and in good shape. Traffic is low, but you won’t find many opportunities to buy lunch. North American Indian Days is a big, annual event, which will be held July 12-15 this summer. This is a huge gathering, not only for the Blackfoot Confederacy but for many other tribes as well. It’s an outdoor event right in Browning, and many, tipis will be set up adjoining the dance pavilion. Everyone is invited, and there’s no fee to come and observe. The only advice is to show respect and essentially do as others are doing in terms of standing and clapping. Photos are generally allowed with an occasional exception where visitors will be so notified. A small fee is required if you plan to take photos. Dancers will be wearing traditional tribal regalia for age-old tribal music. Visitors may also want to watch the stick games competition, a form of gambling that goes back before recorded times. An all-Indian rodeo takes place, as well a relay horse racing. The relay entails riders jumping on a horse, bareback, for a trip around the arena, then leaping off at nearly full speed onto a second horse held by a teammate. Then they circle the field again, repeating the cycle two more times. Awaiting horses tend to be jumpy, and the transfer can be pretty wild and one of the most exciting sports to watch. I had a non-Indian bronc rider tell me it was the only event he would climb up on the
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fence to watch. It should be on your bucket list of things to do in Browning. MSN Jack McNeel was born and raised in Idaho. His working career was spent with Idaho Fish and Game Department but after retirement he launched a career as a free lance writer and photographer for many publications, primarily about Native American subjects, hunting, fishing, and travel. He now lives in Hayden, Idaho. Old Catholic Church still in use on reservation. PHOTO BY JACKIE MCNEEL.
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PAGE 36
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Senior Discounts
Interest Rates Are Rising: Buy a Home or Wait? (StatePoint) With interest rates on the rise, many prospective homebuyers are understandably concerned about whether it’s the right time to purchase a home. Indeed, you may be wondering if you waited too long and let the historically low interest rates pass you by, or if you can still find a dream home that fits within your current budget. Experts say it’s true that rates are at their highest in almost four years and that this year has been particularly rough; however, it’s not all bad news. Rates are still well below the levels seen 10, 20 and 30 years ago. “Rates are still low by historical standards, helping make mortgage payments affordable for many, but your wallet might take a hit if rates continue to go up,” says Freddie Mac deputy chief economist, Len Kiefer. How big will the hit be? Assume you buy a home with a 20 percent down payment, take out a $200,000 mortgage and are getting a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. At a 4.5-percent interest rate, your monthly payment would be $811 with total interest paid over the life of the loan being $131,851. With a 7.5-percent interest rate, your monthly payment would be $1,119 with a total interest paid of $242,748. With an 18-percent interest rate, your monthly payment skyrockets to $2,411 with a total interest paid of $708,081. If rates jump a half percentage, you’ll pay a bit more each month, which isn’t ideal, but the added expense will unlikely be a deal-breaker. However, if rates jump to the levels they were in 1981 (an average of 18 percent), you can expect to pay a whopping $1,600 more per month, which may cause you to think twice about taking the plunge into homeownership. To find out how much you’ll pay, check out Freddie Mac’s free Fixed-Rate Mortgage Calculator at calculators.freddiemac.com. Don’t let current rising interest rates prevent you from buying a home this year. Experts suggest that while rates have risen recently, historically speaking, it is still an overall great time to buy. MSN
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ACROSS 1. Piggy’s glasses (“Lord of the Flies”) 6. Strike caller 9. Not a hit 13. Earth in Latin 14. Fa follower 15. Half of diameters 16. Architectural projection 17. Down Under bird 18. Mountaineer’s tool 19. *Royal family since 1917 21. *2018 royal bride 23. Stumblebum 24. Ship wrecker 25. *A national color 28. Ditto 30. Poster heading 35. “It aint over till it’s ____” 37. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 39. Hindu sage 40. Not all 41. World Series mistake 43. Not Sunni 44. Augmenting 46. Hatha or bikram, e.g. 47. Teller’s partner 48. Take the first steps 50. Bar bill, pl. 52. *The British Royal Navy secures it 53. Strip of wood 55. Bebop, for short 57. *Cause of 1936 abdication 60. *#29 Down’s co-ruler 64. Dam 65. Fuss, to Shakespeare 67. Dhaka, formerly 68. Black tie ____ 69. Biochemistry abbr. 70. Foe 71. Between bleu and jaune 72. Seasonal blues 73. ____ sociales or social networks
DOWN 1. Put in the hold 2. ____meter or ____scope 3. Sportscaster Andrews 4. Words to live by 5. Pico de gallo and such 6. Drug addict 7. *Catherine of Aragon to Bloody Mary 8. Musketeer’s hat accessory 9. Speed of object divided by speed of sound 10. Brainchild 11. a.k.a. Xi’an, ancient capital of China 12. *How many wives did Henry VIII have? 15. Ships’ masts and sails attendant 20. “Coming ____ ____” 22. Get it wrong 24. *Get engaged 25. *Symbols for Houses of Lancaster and York 26. Call forth 27. Call it quits 29. *#60 Across’ co-ruler 31. Bit of smoke 32. “____ we all fall down” 33. German wine valley 34. *Present Prince of Wales’ first wife 36. First woman Attorney General 38. Frat house party garb 42. Torah teacher 45. Esophagus 49. ____ chi 51. Fuse together 54. Former Russian leaders 56. Heathrow craft 57. We have 58. Affirm 59. Pre-easter period 60. Blue dyestuff 61. Latte choice 62. “The Road Runner” corporation 63. The Say Hey Kid 64. Leo in Russian 66. “23andMe” type of test
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Northwest Montana
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Oh Say Can You See...A Fiddle Tune LEWIS AND CLARK’S IMPROMPTU FIDDLE FEST FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
BY AARON PARRETT July 4, 1805, marked one of the most challenging parts of Lewis and Clarke’s two-year journey across the West. After their mid-June discovery of a series of huge cascades near what is now Great Falls, Mont., the Corps of Discovery spent the next two weeks planning a
© Chuck Overton, Bigstock.com.
route and building wagons to tote their boats and equipment around the falls. The 29th birthday of the country found them putting the finishing touches on the construction of an iron-framed boat. Captain Lewis
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had commissioned the parts for the craft in Harper’s Ferry, Va., which the crew had hauled all the way across the country. Lewis had designed the boat himself. Once the iron staves were assembled into a framework, he planned to sew together animal hides to stretch over its skeleton, making a vessel that could carry up to four tons of material, but when empty could be easily hoisted by four men. On Independence Day, 1805, Lewis recorded this entry in his journal: “Our work being at an end this evening, we gave the men a drink of sperits, it being the last of our stock, and some of them appeared a little sensible of it’s effects the fiddle was plyed and they danced very merrily until 9 in the evening when a heavy shower of rain put an end to that part of the amusement tho’ they continued their mirth with songs and festive jokes and were extreemly merry untill late at night. we had a very comfortable dinner, of bacon, beans, suit dumplings & buffaloe beaf &c. in short we had no just cause to covet the sumptuous feasts of our countrymen on this day.” It’s interesting that among the 33 men (32 after Charles Floyd died in August of 1804), at least two were fiddlers—Kentuckian George Gibson and Metis Pierre Cruzatte. The journals that Lewis and Clark and a few enlisted men kept are delightfully punctuated with scenes like the one above in which the men put aside the drudgery of their mission and had a drink or two and enjoyed some fiddle music. They had spent the previous Fourth of July on the Missouri at the confluence of the Missouri River and a tributary the Corps dubbed “Independence Creek,” in honor of the nation’s 28th birthday. On that occasion, the journals record “an extra gill” of whiskey for each man, but no mention of fiddles.
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS Thanks to the foresight of Lewis and Clark to include a couple of fiddlers in their ranks, Montana and Idaho can trace their old-time fiddle traditions back to 1805—impressively far for states that didn’t enter the Union until 1889 and 1890, respectively. Metis Indian scholar Nicolas Vrooman theorizes that having fiddles with them in fact helped ensure their survival when they encountered indigenous peoples along the way. Invariably, impromptu “jam sessions” resulted, in which the Natives drummed and Cruzatte fiddled, while men from both cultures danced. Vrooman refers to the strategy as “fiddle dance diplomacy.” Fiddle music has become a central element in Fourth of July celebrations across the U.S. The annual 4th of July celebration at Fort Missoula in Montana, for example, often features bands playing old-time fiddle music. The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Wash., and the Fiddles and Fireworks festival in Brunston, Mo. are both scheduled to occur over the Independence Day celebration.
Northwest Montana
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We can thank early advocates like Lewis and Clark, with their impromptu, July Fourth fiddle fest in 1805 on the banks of the Missouri River. Unfortunately, neither captain nor any of the others who kept journals thought to record the titles of any tunes the Discovery fiddlers played along their journey, but it is not out of the question that among their regular repertoire would have been a fancy tune from the 1780s, called “The Anacreontic Song.” Its melody became the basis for probably the best known American song ever, penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814 as he watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Scott’s poem proved popular and was matched up to the “Anacreontic” melody to produce “The Star Spangled Banner.” MSN An author and musician, Dr. Aaron Parrett is a professor at the University of Providence. He runs a vintage print shop, the Territorial Press in Helena, Mont.
Navy Submarine Montana (SSN 794) Anointed The second warship to ever bear the name of our state was anointed in May with a proper Native American blessing. The Montana (SSN 794), is the 21st of its kind, the newest Virginia-class attack submarine. In keeping with a U.S. Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsor, former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, chalked her initials onto a steel plate. “It’s a true honor to meet the commander, crew, and shipbuilders who are hard at work shaping this amazing submarine Jacob McNulty of Montana welds former Secretary of the Interior to serve our nation,” stated Jewell. “We Sally Jewell’s initials into the keel of the submarine Montana (SSN celebrate the tradition of the keel laying and 794). It is the second namesake warship for the Treasure State. look forward to blessing her, christening her, and ensuring that the natural beauty, rich culture, and spirit of the great state of Montana accompany the ship and crew throughout her lifetime.” Jacob McNulty, a welder at Newport News Shipbuilding where the craft was built, was born in Montana. He traced Jewell’s inscription on the plate, which signified that the keel of Montana is “truly and fairly laid.” The steel plate will be permanently affixed to the submarine. Mariah Gladstone, a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, performed a Native American blessing in her native tongue and then in English, while waving a smoking sage stick over the newly welded keel. “Bless this ship so that it may do good and so that those who are on it may do good. And bless them as well,” she said. “The keel laying marks the first milestone for the crew in the construction process of Montana,” said Cmdr. Mike Delaney, who was recently assigned first commanding officer of the submarine’s pre-commissioning unit. “We are excited to begin this journey and Serving Western Montana bring the Montana to life over the next few years.” Construction of the Montana began in May 2015. The boat is approximately 46 percent complete and is expected to be delivered in late 2020. “All of us who will serve aboard Montana have a deep appreciation for the values, courage, heritage, and history of our boat’s namesake
state,” said Delaney. “These Montana attributes contribute to the strength and purpose of our crew as we defend our nation.” According to Dr. Bill Whitsitt, Chairman of the USS Montana commissioning committee, Montanans are eager to welcome the leadership team and crew members to the Treasure State. “We look forward to supporting the state’s namesake warship and crews for her entire service life,” said Whitsitt. MSN More information about the USS Montana Committee and progress toward commissioning of Montana’s namesake warship may be found at www.ussmontanacommittee.us.
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PAGE 40
Money Matters
BUDGET•MEDICARE•TAXES•ESTATE•INVESTMENT•RETIREMENT
Clean Your Credit Report (StatePoint) It’s time for the annual ritual of deep cleaning, dusting, mopping, organizing—and checking your credit report. Experts recommend checking your credit report at each of the national credit reporting agencies (CRAs) several times annually. Why? When you apply for a new credit card or car loan, for example, a lender pulls a credit report from one or all of the CRAs to check your credit history and determine if you’re a good candidate for a loan. Lenders want to extend loans or credit to people with strong credit reports, so it’s important that the information in your report is accurate. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Besides verifying the accuracy of your personal information, check that the financial accounts listed belong to you. Also, make sure that paid-off debt shows as paid
and that closed accounts are not listed as open. Other information to look for and possibly correct includes: << A bankruptcy older than 10 years. << A late payment more than seven years old. << Inquiries from unfamiliar companies that pulled your credit report. HOW TO FIX IT If you feel there’s incorrect information in your credit report, you have the right to file a dispute. Accurate credit reports are good for lenders and consumers, because they contribute to informed lending decisions and disputes are part of the CRA’s compliance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in credit reports. Luckily for consumers, steps are being taken to make this process easier. Look for
features to simplify and enhance online credit reporting: << A mobile-optimized platform, allowing you to submit a dispute from your smartphone, << The ability to submit supporting documents via a smartphone by taking a photo or selecting the image from the camera roll and uploading it, << The option of receiving notification alerts that update you on the status of your dispute, including confirmation of the submission and when results are available, << The ability to dispute directly from membership accounts when logged into their website. Thanks to new technologies, staying on top of your credit report is easier than ever. MSN
What You Need to Know About Reverse Mortgages BY JIM MILLER
DARNIELLE INSURANCE AGENCY
AUTO • HOME • BUSINESS
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(SAVVY SENIOR) For retirees who own their home and want to stay living there, but could use some extra cash, a reverse mortgage is a viable financial tool, but there’s a lot to know and consider to be sure it’s a good option for you. THE BASICS A reverse mortgage is a unique type of loan that allows older homeowners to borrow money against the equity in their house (or condo) that doesn’t have to be repaid until the homeowner dies, sells the house, or moves out for at least 12 months. At that point, you or your heirs will have to pay back the loan, plus accrued interest and fees, but you will never owe more than the value of your home. It’s also important to understand that with a reverse mortgage, you, not the bank, own the house, so you’re still required to pay your property taxes and homeowners insurance.
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Not paying them can result in foreclosure. To be eligible, you must be 62 years of age or older, own your own home (or owe only a small balance), and currently be living there. You will also need to undergo a financial assessment to determine whether you can afford to continue paying your property taxes and insurance. Depending on your financial situation, you may be required to put part of your loan into an escrow account to pay future bills. If the financial assessment finds that you cannot pay your insurance and taxes and have enough cash left to live on, you’ll be denied. Amanda Ahlquist
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LOAN DETAILS Around 95 percent of all reverse mortgages offered today are Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), which are FHA insured and offered through private mortgage
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS lenders and banks. HECM’s also have home value limits that vary by county, but cannot exceed $679,650. How much you can actually get through a reverse mortgage depends on your age (the older you are the more you can get), your home’s value, and the prevailing interest rates. Generally, most people can borrow somewhere between 50 and 65 percent of the home’s value. To estimate how much you can borrow, use the reverse mortgage calculator at ReverseMortgage.org. You also need to know that reverse mortgages have recently become more expensive with a number of fees, including a 2-percent lender-origination fee for the first $200,000 of the home’s value and 1 percent of the
Northwest Montana
remaining value, with a cap of $6,000; an upfront, 2-percent mortgage insurance premium (MIP) fee on the maximum loan amount, plus an annual MIP fee that’s equal to 0.5 percent of the outstanding loan balance; along with an appraisal fee, closing costs and other miscellaneous expenses. Most fees can be deducted for the loan amount, to reduce your out-of-pocket cost at closing. To receive your money, you can opt for a lump sum, a line of credit, regular monthly checks, or a combination of these.
at Home at NCOA.org/home-equity. As well, see the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association’s self-evaluation checklist at ReverseMortgage.org/consumerguides. Finally, note that because reverse mortgages are complex loans, all borrowers are required to get face-to-face or telephone counseling through a HUD-approved, independent-counseling agency before taking one out. Most agencies typically charge around $125. To locate one near you, visit Go.usa.gov/ v2H, or call 800-569-4287. MSN
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HELPS SENIORS WITH MEDICATION COSTS BY JIM MILLER (SAVVY SENIOR) A low-income subsidy program called Extra Help can assist seniors on a tight budget with paying for their premiums, deductible, and co-payments in their Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plan. Currently around 10 million people receive this subsidy, but another two million may qualify for it and don’t even realize it. They’re missing out on hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars in savings each year. Changes in the law make it easier than ever to qualify for the Extra Help program. Even if you didn’t qualify before, you may be eligible now. The amount of additional assistance you would receive depends on income and assets. If you qualifiy for help, you’ll pay no more than $3.35 for a generic drug and $8.35 for a brandname drug in 2018. To get the subsidy, your assets can’t be more than $14,100 (or $28,150 for married couples living together). Bank accounts, stocks, and bonds count as assets, but a home, vehicle, personal belongings, life insurance and burial plots do not. Also, monthly income can’t be more than $1,538 (or $2,078 for married couples). If you support a family member living with you, or you live in Alaska or Hawaii, your income can be higher. In addition, the government won’t count any money if you receive help for household expenses like food, rent, mortgage payments, utilities, or property taxes. HOW TO APPLY There are three ways to apply for Extra Help: online at SSA.gov/prescriptionhelp; by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213; or by visiting your local Social Security office. The application form is easy to complete, but you’ll need your Social Security number and information about bank balances, pensions, and investments. Social Security will review your application and send a letter within a few weeks letting you know whether you qualify. If you don’t qualify for Extra Help, you may still be able to get help from a state pharmacy assistance program or a patient assistance program. Visit BenefitsCheckUp.org and click on “Medications” to search for these programs. OTHER MEDICARE ASSISTANCE If you are eligible for Extra Help, you may also qualify for help with other Medicare
PAGE 41
expenses through your state’s Medicare Savings Program. State Medicaid programs partner with the federal government, so income and asset qualifications vary, depending on where you live. Medicare Savings Programs will pay an entire Medicare Part B premium each month. Some also pay for Part B coinsurance and copayments, depending on income. Contact your state Medicaid office to determine if you qualify for benefits in your state. You can also get help through you State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free one-on-one Medicare counseling in person or over the phone. To locate a SHIP counselor in your area, visit ShiptaCenter.org or call the eldercare locator at 800-677-1116. MSN Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of the book, The Savvy Senior.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Cover Story
PAGE 42
o H i H
! r e v l i S
BY GAIL JOKERST My mom was a 1945 war bride and raised me to believe that letting your hair go gray was as close as a woman could come to committing beauty suicide. That seemed the norm for her generation. No matter how artificial the color might appear, as far as she was concerned any shade of mahogany or sable was better than gray. During my 30s, whenever my mom saw me with a few silver glimmers peeking out of my dark tresses, she’d not so subtly hint I should do something about it. So I tried to disguise them. Initially, it was a full-head dye job. But I began to loathe the telltale growout line, which inevitably showed up sooner than seemed possible. Years passed, then it was streaking in enough brown to imitate a more acceptable salt-and-pepper look. I could live more easily with
that variation. Yet, after a while, it, too, seemed fake, and I felt equally uncomfortable with that option. Such was the situation until four years ago when my brother returned from visiting our mom at the Florida nursing home where she now lives. “Do you know, I think she’s the only woman there with brown hair,” he observed. He was right. None of the other residents had anything but silver or gray locks or none at all. As I was responsible for scheduling my mom’s hairdresser appointments, I decided it was time for her hair color to be natural, despite her past sentiments on the subject. With her memory no longer firing on all cylinders I figured it wouldn’t matter to her anymore. Consequently, her dye jobs came to an end along with mine. Still, I was curious how she’d accept our new looks and waited patiently for our heads of hair to
I decided it was time for “ her hair color to be natural, despite her past sentiments on the subject.
”
grow out into their actual hues before asking. For mom, the outcome was lovely, snowy white hair. For me, it was mostly silver shimmers with a sprinkling of brown. One memorable afternoon as my husband and I took her for a wheelchair stroll in the nursing home garden, I brought up the subject. “How do you like your hair, mom?” I asked. By this point, her communication skills were almost nonexistent, but she nodded her head and said, “nice.” I then queried, “What do you think of my hair?” She smiled and gave me one of the best mother-to-daughter compliments ever. “Pretty,” she said. Next, my hubby, who sports as much bare scalp as hair then doffed his cap and asked, “How about my hair, Elsie?” And that dear lady just giggled. Frankly, we were delighted that she could even grasp the conversation,
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
never mind her opinions about hair. What eventually enabled me to go natural was the honesty required when seeing myself in a mirror. As I’d pull back my hair to wash my face, I had to admit the silver tones looked better than any manufactured hair color. And that proved to be the case. I started receiving more compliments on my hair as a silver head than I ever did with my natural or bottled color. One thought-provoking outcome of going gray occurred—of all places—on a hiking trail last summer. A man who spoke broken English had just passed me when he suddenly stopped, turned around, and inquired, “How old you?” I surmised he was asking because of my hair, which marks me as most
Cover Story
PAGE 43
likely a Baby Boomer. I politely answered, “None of your business.” He looked puzzled, as if he didn’t understand, and repeated the question. This time I said, “Old enough to be your mother,” thinking that would end his query. But it didn’t. Looking me in the eye he replied, “My mother 80.” I couldn’t help but burst into laughter as I shook my head and stated, “I’m not that old,” before resuming my trek. I think he was surprised to see a hiker with gray hair. Though to me, a trail is where anyone belongs, regardless of age, who can put one foot in front of the other to retreat to the woods or enjoy a mountain view. The experience reminded me that feeling old is a state of mind unrelated to the number of times Earth has circled the sun. It certainly has nothing to do with the color of someone’s hair. MSN-ISI Gail Jokerst is an award-winning member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and a longtime contributor to this newspaper.
o t k . o . . s y ’ Ito gra g ©RUSTLE, BIGSTOCK.COM
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
PAGE 44
Recreation
SPORTS•ACTIVITIES•FISHING•HUNTING•CAMPING
What’s SUP, Folks?
BY HOLLY ENDERSBY It was a beautiful day: sunny, warm, no wind, and the lake was calm as glass. This was the day I’d invited two 70+ women to join me for their first stand-up paddle board (SUP) experience, and I was thrilled the conditions were perfect.
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Although they were both a bit nervous, standing in the calm, warm water and getting on the board as they used my shoulder for stability was pretty easy for them. They both loved the experience, and we’ve done SUP together ever since. WHY SUP? Jo Cassin, co-owner with Stan Kolby of Idaho River Sports in Boise, says SUP is ideal for older folks. “It’s really great for your balance, which often diminishes as we age,” she said. At 62, Cassin said the more active we are as we age, the better life will be. “SUP is great for older people because it’s easy on the joints and works your core muscles and back as well as your arms and legs,” she explained. I can attest that SUP is a full-body workout. While it looks static, standing and balancing with your legs will work those muscles and, of course, your back and arms. “Take a lesson if you can,” Cassin recommended. “That way you can learn to use the right muscles and won’t tire so easily.” Cassin’s shop has partnered with the local YMCA and two universities to offer lessons at their indoor pools. “People really like that, because the water is warm, there MONTANA'S are no wind or waves NEWEST, LUXURY INDEPENDENT to deal with, and lifeLIVING... guards are standing IN THE HEART by.” OF THE Check Y’s and colBEAUTIFUL leges in your area to MISSION VALLEY. see if they’re offering
SUP classes: many are promoting this easyto-learn outdoor sport. FIND A BOARD THAT FITS YOU Most people start with a relatively wide board. A wider board is more stable, although
© PIXELSAWAY, BIGSTOCK.COM
a super-wide board can be difficult to paddle. Try to find a happy medium. A board between 31 and 33 inches across is easy for balance and can be used for SUP yoga. Yes, that’s right. Yoga done on a paddle board! Length is also an important consideration when choosing a board. A shorter board is easier to turn, but slower moving through the water. I usually I like a shorter, wider board, but when I am trying to keep up with my teenage grandkids, I opt for a narrower board with a less rounded front end. A board between 10 and 12 inches is best for beginners, depending on their size. “A lot of times, people will borrow somebody else’s board,” said Cassin, “and they’ll have a hard time handling, it because it’s the wrong size for them. If a board is too tippy,
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JUNE // JULY 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ MONTANA SENIOR NEWS beginners wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enjoy the experience. Be sure to start on a board that fits you.â&#x20AC;? ON-LINE HELP FROM EXPERTS The REI website is a great place to learn about paddle boards if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a store nearby that carries them. REI has experts in just about every outdoor activity available who will spend plenty of time answering your questions. There are two types of boards: planing and displacement. Beginners typically start with planing boards, which sit on top of the water and are more stable. Displacement boards slice through the water, have a narrower front end, and push-or displace- water along the sides of the board, resulting in faster speeds. People who go on long paddlesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;often for days with camping gear tied onâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;usually prefer these faster boards. Today, SUPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are either solid or inflatable. For older paddlers, inflatable offer many advantages. They are lighter and easier to carry, can fit in a car, and be inflated on site, eliminating the need for a car top carrier. When deflated, they are easily stored in a
condo or down-sized home. Inflatables are just as rigid as solid boards once they are inflated, and their convenience canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be beat. If you are fairly fit, getting on an SUP in shallow water shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be hard. I just put my chest and arms on the board, swing my legs up, move to a bent-knee position, then rise to standing. Some beginners, however, prefer to kneel or sit on the board while first paddling, instead of standing, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfectly OK. One friend either sat or kneeled the first time she tried SUP with me, but the second time she immediately went to her feet and was cheered by how easy it was to balance. The boards all have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;grippyâ&#x20AC;? texture to them, which helps you stay centered and balanced. Beyond that, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve paddled a canoe or kayak, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the same strokes work for SUP. Most boards also have an ankle strap, so when you fall in, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose your board. You will probably fall in at first, but on a hot day, it feels terrific!
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Many states require having a US Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board, and I recommend you wear one at all times. In addition, some states also require you to have a sound-producing device, like a whistle, with you as well. The most important thing when trying SUP is to have fun! Remember when new experiences were exciting and lots of laughs came with trying something for the first time? Embrace that spirit, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry about getting wet, and hop on an SUP for the time of your life this summer! MSN Holly Endersby has been an award-winning outdoor writer for 25 years, working in newspaper, magazines, TV, and web-based magazines. She enjoys horse packing in wilderness areas, fishing, hunting, snow and water sports, yoga, and hiking. She was the first Conservation Director for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
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Health Care
MEDICINE•PREVENTION•DIAGNOSIS•TREATMENT
Montana’s Battle Against Suicide BY MAUREEN A. MCINNIS, MS, LCPC; GREG TILTON, M.ED., LCPC; CASCADE COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH LOCAL ADVISORY COUNCIL. If we called senior suicide self-homicide, would you be more interested in the subject of suicide prevention? The elderly population makes up 12 percent of the overall population of the U.S. and 18 percent of all suicide deaths. With the baby boomer generation aging well into the 50-plus © Sergey Furtaev, Bigstock.com. age range, we are looking at a major public health issue. suicides without the benefit of a preventative According to the Montana Department of intervention. Health and Human Services, the highest rate White males who were divorced had of suicide occurs among middle-aged adults. an increased risk of committing suicide. Suicide with firearms is significantly higher Statistically, in 70 percent of elderly suicide in Montana than in anywhere else in the U.S. deaths, the individual saw a medical doctor Nearly three-quarters of Montanans who within a month of taking their own life. Most have committed suicide gave warning signs. came away with no diagnosis and therefore Sadly, these figures were the reported did not seek follow up mental health services. or known suicides. The silent suicides were Unfortunately, if you have ever been diagunder-reported at the rate of 40 percent nosed with depression, you would have likely or more. heard that depression was a part of the aging Deaths from starvation, dehydration, process and not a mental health concern. overdoses, or even accidents may have been
Often elderly suicide victims had regular contact with family and friends. They even lived with family members leaving the belief that neither depression nor isolation was a factor. Other factors that may have contributed to depression could have been medical illness, financial trouble, family discord, physical ailments, or pain-related issues along with unresolved grief and loss issues. The stigma of a mental health diagnosis keeps the elderly population from seeking mental health services. Stigma is born from fear and lack of knowledge. We can change this with education. Recall lobotomies like those featured in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, featuring sedating medication and dehumanized treatment. That was Hollywood’s representation of mental health services in the 60’s and 70’s. Today’s mental health services and medication are more effective and successful. The aging population is prone to feel judged by their family and community for seeking out mental health assistance. They even self-stigmatize, which is a product of depression. They become fearful and less
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS inclined to seek out mental health services for fear of judgment. Although 18 to 25 percent of seniors needed some form of mental health intervention, only 3 percent of Medicare reimbursement spent was on psychiatric treatment. Six percent of community mental health services involved older clientele, even though they represented 15 percent of the total population. Depression is a well-known contributor to suicide. Approximately 90 percent of individuals who completed suicide suffered from major depression. The second most frequent diagnosis was Alcoholism. Depression is highly treatable. The combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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with an anti-depressant medication has a history of being successful. SENIOR SUICIDE A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE A growing movement across Montana is reaching seniors, to demystify suicide and promote suicide prevention through screenings, assessments, and early interventions. Prevention means early intervention. We invite you to join the battle against senior suicide, helping to de-stigmatize mental health problems and bringing educational resources and information to Montana seniors.
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We encourage you to help organize your community in the effort of suicide prevention and intervention. You are invited to attend the 2018 Montana Conference on Suicide Prevention, Friday, July 20, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3720 North Reserve Street, Missoula, MT 59808. The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required. You can contact them at their website, montanaCOSP.org MSN If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and is in need of help, contact or share the Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255).
New Shingles Vaccine PROVIDING BETTER PROTECTION FOR SENIORS (SAVVY SENIOR) If you’re 50 or older, a new shingles vaccine is on the market that’s far superior to the older vaccine, so now is a great time to get inoculated. Here’s what you should know. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a burning, blistering, often excruciating skin rash that affects around 1 million Americans each year. The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingles. © TopKatai, Bigstock.com. What happens is the chickenpox virus that most people get as kids never leaves the body. It hides in the nerve cells near the spinal cord and, for some people, emerges later in the form of shingles. In the U.S., almost one out of every three people will develop shingles during their lifetime. While anyone who’s had chickenpox can get shingles, it most commonly occurs in people over age 50, along with people who have weakened immune systems. But you can’t catch shingles from someone else. Early signs of the disease include pain, itching, or tingling before a blistering rash appears several days later, and can last up to four weeks. The rash typically occurs on one side of the body, often as a band of blisters that extends from the middle of your back around to the breastbone. It can also appear above an eye or on the side of the face or neck.
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In addition to the rash, about 20 to 25 percent of those who get shingles go on to develop severe nerve pain (postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN) that can last for months or even years. And in rare cases, shingles can also cause strokes, encephalitis, spinal cord damage, and vision loss. NEW SHINGLES VACCINE The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new vaccine for shingles called Shingrix (see Shingrix.com), which provides much better protection than the older vaccine, Zostavax. Manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Shingrix is 97 percent effective in preventing shingles in people 50 to 69 years old, and 91 percent effective in those 70 and older. By comparison, Zostavax is 70 percent effective in your 50s; 64 percent effective in your 60s; 41 percent effective in your 70s; and 18 percent effective in your 80s. Shingrix is also better that Zostavax in preventing nerve pain that continues after a shingles rash has cleared—about 90 percent effective versus 65 percent effective. Because of this enhanced protection, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone age 50 and older CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
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PAGE 48
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Health Care CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47
receive the Shingrix vaccine, which is given in two doses, two to six months apart. Even if you’ve already had shingles, you still need these vaccinations, because reoccurring cases are possible. The CDC also recommends that anyone previously vaccinated with Zostavax be revaccinated with Shingrix. You should also know that Shingrix can cause some adverse side effects for some
people, including muscle pain, fatigue, headache, fever, and upset stomach. Shingrix—which costs around $280 for both doses—is (or will soon be) covered by insurance, including Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, but be aware that the shingles vaccines are not always well covered. So before getting vaccinated, call your plan to find out if it’s covered, and if so, which pharmacies and doctors in your area you should use to insure the best coverage.
If you don’t have health insurance, or you’re experiencing medical or financial hardship, you might qualify for GlaxoSmithKline’s Patient Assistance Program, which provides free vaccinations to those who are eligible. For details, go to GSKforyou.com. MSN Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of the book, The Savvy Senior.
Glowing Contact Lens Could Prevent a Leading Cause of Blindness WORN DURING SLEEP, THE LENS INTERRUPTS THE PROCESS THAT DESTROYS CELLS OF THE RETINA BY EMILY VALESCO, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Hundreds of millions of people suffer from diabetes worldwide, putting them at risk for a creeping blindness, or diabetic retinopathy, that comes with the disease in its more advanced stages. Existing treatments, though effective, are painful and invasive, involving lasers and injections into the eyeball. Caltech graduate student Colin Cook (MS ‘16) thinks there’s a better way. Cook, along with a group of researchers from the lab of Yu-Chong Tai, Caltech’s Anna L. Rosen Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering, has developed a potential treatment that could be a lot less scary and invasive, in the form of a glow-in-the-dark contact lens. Vision loss accompanying diabetes is the result of the damage the disease causes to tiny blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eye. That damage results in reduced blood flow to the nerve cells in the retina and their eventual death. As the disease progresses, the body attempts to counteract the effects of the damaged blood vessels by growing new ones within the
retina. In diabetes patients, however, these vessels tend to be badly developed and bleed into the clear fluid inside the eye, obscuring vision and compounding eyesight problems. As the blood vessels bleed, they cause additional damage to the retina that the body repairs with scar tissue rather than new, light-sensing cells. Over time, a diabetic patient’s vision becomes blurry and patchy before fading away completely. Because damage to the retina begins with an insufficient supply of oxygen, it should be possible to stave off further eyesight loss by reducing the retina’s oxygen demands. Until now, that’s been achieved using a laser to burn away the cells in the peripheral parts of the retina, so the oxygen those cells would have required can be used by the more important vision cells in the center of the retina. Another treatment requires injecting medication that reduces the growth of new blood vessels directly into the eyeball. Cook hopes his contact lenses will offer a solution that patients will be more willing to try, because the effort involved is minimal as are the side effects. Like the laser treatment, the lenses reduce the metabolic demands of the retina, but in a different fashion.
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As you age, your eyes naturally deteriorate, becoming less effective if not actively managed and maintained. Research and technology have done a great deal to improve opportunities to retain youthful senses, especially sight. Wearing sunglasses is a great start, but these need to block at least 99% of UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound sunglasses will best protect your eyes from UV ray fallout, and polarized lenses are the best option for driving. Even if you’re wearing contact lenses with sun protection, it’s a good idea to invest in a proper pair of sunglasses for an added layer of protection. Create a consistent schedule with an eye doctor, so problems can be detected before becoming irreversible or chronic. There is some natural deterioration only a medical professional will be able to spot and treat. You should also make sure to visit an eye doctor if you experience any symptoms such as blindness, flashes, floaters, eyes spots, dryness or soreness.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
A GLOW-IN-THE-DARK CONTACT LENS, DEVELOPED BY RESEARCHERS AT CALTECH, COULD HELP PREVENT BLINDNESS IN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WITH DIABETES. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CALTECH.
Key to their success are the eye’s rod cells, which provide vision in low-light conditions. The rod cells need and use a lot more oxygen in the dark than they do when they’re awash with light—while, say, looking at a computer screen—for two decades scientists have hypothesized that much of the damage diabetic retinopathy causes the retina occurs when the rod cells crank up their oxygen demands at night. “Your rod cells, as it turns out, consume about twice as much oxygen in the dark as they do in the light,” Cook said. For that reason, the contact lenses are designed to reduce the retina’s night-time oxygen demand by giving the rod cells the faintest amount of light to look at while the wearer sleeps. “If we turn metabolism in the retina down, we should be able to prevent some of the damage that occurs,” he said. To provide light to the retina throughout the night, the lenses borrow technology from wristwatches that have glowing markers on their faces. Tiny vials filled with tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen gas that emits electrons as it decays, provide illumination. A phosphorescent coating converts those electrons into light. This system ensures a constant light output for the lifetime of the contact lens. The vials, which are only the width of a few human hairs, are implanted in the lens in a radial pattern like the rays of a cartoon sun. The vials create a circle just big enough to fall outside of the wearer’s view when the pupils are constricted in lighted conditions. In the dark, the pupil expands, and the faint glow from the vials can illuminate the retina. Light therapy for diabetic retinopathy has been attempted before in the form of lighted sleep masks, but results were poor, partly because patients had difficulty tolerating the masks and ignoring the light shining into their eyes as they slept. The sleep mask light source is not affixed to the eye, so as the eye moves, the wearer
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sees a flicker, which is very distracting as you’re trying to fall asleep, according to Cook. His lenses avoid that problem by placing the light source on the surface of the eye, so when the eye moves, the light source moves with it. The wearer doesn’t notice any flicker. “There’s neural adaptation that happens when you have a constant source of illumination on the eye,” said Cook. “The brain subtracts that signal from the vision, and the wearer will perceive dark again in just a few seconds.” The contact lens design also ensures that the retina receives an appropriate dose of light throughout the night. “As we sleep, our eyes roll back. For a sleep mask, this means the eye is no longer receiving as much light, but the contact lenses move with the eye, so there is no such problem,” he said. Early testing of the lenses conducted in collaboration with Mark Humayun’s lab at the University of Southern California is showing promising results, with rod cell activity reduced by as much as 90 percent when worn in the dark. Cook said in the next few months, he and his fellow researchers will start testing the lenses to see if their ability to reduce retinal metabolism will translate into the prevention of diabetic retinopathy. Following those tests, they will seek FDA permits to begin clinical trials. “This is an innovative solution with a potentially huge impact on diabetic retinopathy,” said Tai, who also holds the Andrew and Peggy Cherng Medical Engineering Leadership Chair and is executive officer for medical engineering. The team recently took their invention to TigerLaunch, an entrepreneurship competition hosted by Princeton University. Their work was recognized as the top medical technology, and the team came in third place overall.
PAGE 49
“Having our work recognized by a panel of venture capitalists is really exciting,” Cook said, “but it was the audience members who came up afterwards and shared stories about loved ones being impacted by the disease who really reinvigorated my efforts.” MSN
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Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley One day a zookeeper noticed that a monkey was reading two books— The Bible and Darwin’s Origin of Species. Surprised, he asked the monkey, “Why are you reading both of those books?” “Well”, said the monkey, “I just wanted to know if I was my brother’s keeper or my keeper’s brother.” MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Health Care
PAGE 50
My Main Squeeze BY DICK WOLFSIE (SENIOR WIRE) I’m doing Kegels right now as I type. I’m supposed to do 50 per day. When my doctor suggested I do them following a medical procedure, I was not familiar with these particular exercises. My wife knew what they were; my sister knew, too. Heidi, my proofreader, was surprised to learn that men can do them. And I’m surprised…that this newspaper published this column. I hesitated to write about doing Kegels after Mary Ellen and I discussed that I might have to include some private parts of my life. (I think this is where I’m supposed say “no pun intended.”) Kegels are a type of pelvic-floor exercise. If you are a guy and are clueless about them, as I was, please look it up. I would explain exactly how to do them in this column, but I was even embarrassed when the doctor gave me the instructions in his office. (Now, I’ll wait while you ask Siri. Otherwise, the rest of this column will make no sense). By the way, Siri will definitely know what Kegels are. All women do. Mary Ellen reminds me to be diligent about following the doctor’s orders. While we’re watching a TV show, eating dinner, or going somewhere in the car, she asks, “Are you doing your exercises?” I always say “yes.” It’s so easy to lie about this, compared to when I say things like “Yes,
Kegel exercise can prove beneficial for men. © MILKOS, BIGSTOCK.COM.
dear, I know it looks like I’m napping, but I’m really on the treadmill.” This daily regimen is much simpler than the exercises I was required to do after I had my knee surgery. All the way through those physical therapy sessions, I would be grunting and groaning in pain, twisting my leg into places it didn’t want to go. In comparison, you wouldn’t know I was doing a Kegel exercise, although the other night at dinner Mary Ellen asked, “You’re doing your exercises right now, in the middle of our conversation, aren’t you?” “Why do you think that? I’m not breathing heavily, am I?” “No, but your voice went up two octaves.” The Kegel exercise was developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel in 1948. He came up with
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the idea when he was sitting around one day, which is a very accurate description of what you look like when you are actually doing these exercises. The philosopher René Descartes was famous for sitting in a chair and saying, “I think, therefore I am.” In theory, Descartes could have made one of the most catchy philosophical observations of all time while doing Kegel exercises. Historians who have studied Descartes claim he was a little uptight. I rest my case. This morning, I told Mary Ellen I had already exceeded the number of repetitions I was required to do for the whole day. She gave me a big hug as I walked out the door and said, “Good for you. You are the King of Kegels.” “I am the King,” I said, “and right now my pelvis is leaving the building.” MSN
(SAVVY SENIOR) If you’re unsure what your blood pressure levels should be, you’re not alone. Recent changes in the hypertension guidelines made by the American Heart Association and the American College Cardiology mean that roughly 30 million more Americans than previously thought are now considered to have high blood pressure (hypertension).
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS hypertension. Here’s a complete rundown of the new five-category blood pressure ranges: << Normal: A top number less than 120 and a bottom number less than 80. << Elevated: A top number between 120 and 129, and a bottom number less than 80. << Stage 1: A top number between 130 and 139, or a bottom number between 80 and 89. << Stage 2: A top number of 140 or higher, or a bottom number of 90 or higher. << Hypertensive crisis: A top number over 180 or a bottom number over 120. GET CHECKED Millions of Americans with high blood pressure don’t know they have it because it usually has no outward signs or symptoms. But high blood pressure, over time, can damage your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and even dementia. To guard against this, everyone over the age of 40, as well as those younger with risk factors for hypertension, should get their blood pressure checked at least once a year. If you find that your blood pressure numbers fall in the “elevated” category, you should take steps now to get it under control. Lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, losing weight, exercising, watching your salt intake, quitting smoking, and cutting back on alcohol is often all you need to get it back to normal. Even if your blood pressure numbers are in the “stage 1” category, lifestyle changes are recommended first, unless you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, or you’re at high risk for
Health Care
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© JACOB LUND, BIGSTOCK.COM.
cardiovascular problems because you smoke, have high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Then medications may be prescribed. But if your blood pressure falls in the “stage 2” or higher category, the new guidelines suggest medication, regardless of age, plus lifestyle changes. Several different kinds of drugs are used to lower blood pressure. It usually makes sense to start with the oldest, safest, and least expensive drug: diuretics, or water pills, such as chlorthalidone or hydrochlorothiazide. But these meds can drive up blood sugar levels, so if you have type 2 diabetes or are at risk of it, your doctor may prescribe another drug, such as an ACE inhibitor, ARB or calcium channel blocker. You should also be aware that blood pressure drugs could cause side effects, including dizziness, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue, and headaches. They can also cause a decline in kidney function, so make sure your doctor periodically monitors your potassium levels. For more information, see the American Heart Association comprehensive Web page on high blood pressure at Heart.org/HBP. MSN
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO END ALZHEIMER’S
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, and the Alzheimer’s Association® urges individuals throughout Montana to get involved and raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The impact of this devastating disease is profoundly felt throughout the state. Currently in Montana, 20,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s with an estimated 5.7 million across the country. Everyone who has a brain is at risk to develop Alzheimer’s, a disease that is often misunderstood. DID YOU KNOW? Alzheimer’s is fatal. It kills more than breast and prostate cancer combined. Alzheimer’s is not normal aging. It’s a progressive brain disease without any cure. Alzheimer’s is more than memory loss. It appears through a variety of signs and symptoms. During the month of June, the Alzheimer’s Association asks you to learn more about the warning signs of Alzheimer’s, share your story, and participate in The Longest Day®, a time to raise funds to fuel the care, support, and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. The Longest Day takes places annually on the summer solstice on June 21. Details are available at act.alz.org or by calling 800.272.3900. 10 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR BRAIN Research is still evolving, but evidence is strong that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline by making key lifestyle changes. Based on this research, the Alzheimer’s Association offers 10 Ways to Love Your Brain, a collection of tips that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. When possible, combine these habits to achieve maximum benefit for the brain and body: Break a sweat: Engage in regular cardiovascular exercise that elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain and CONTINUED ON PAGE 52
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Health Care
BRAIN AWARENESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51
body. Several studies have found an association between physical activity and reduced risk of cognitive decline. Hit the books: Formal education in any stage of life will help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. For example, take a class at a local college, community center, or online. Butt out: Evidence shows that smoking increases risk of cognitive decline. Quitting smoking can reduce that risk to levels comparable to those who have not smoked. Follow your heart: Evidence shows that risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke—obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes—negatively impact your cognitive health. Take care of your heart, and your brain just might follow. Heads up: Brain injury can raise risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Wear a seat belt, use a helmet when playing contact sports or riding a bike, and take steps to prevent falls. Fuel up right: Eat a healthy and balanced diet that is lower in fat and higher in vegetables and fruit to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Although research on diet and cognitive function is limited, certain diets, including Mediterranean and Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), may contribute to risk reduction. Catch some ZZZ’s: Not getting enough sleep due to conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea may result in problems with memory and thinking. Take care of your mental health: Some studies link a history of depression with increased risk of cognitive decline, so seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. Also, try to manage stress. Stump yourself: Challenge and activate your mind. Build a piece of furniture. Complete a jigsaw puzzle. Do something artistic. Play games, such as bridge, that make you think strategically. Challenging your mind may have short- and long-term benefits for your brain. Buddy up: Staying socially engaged may support brain health. Pursue social activities that are meaningful to you. Find ways to be part of your local community—if you love animals, consider volunteering at a local shelter. If you enjoy singing, join a local choir or help at an after-school program. Or, just share activities with friends and family. It’s never too late or too early to start thinking about your brain’s health—making healthy choices at any age is beneficial. Visit alz.org/10ways to learn more. ABOUT THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. MSN For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or call the 24/ Helpline at 800-272-3900.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
PAGE 53
Caregiving
SUPPORT•INSIGHT•COMFORT•SERVICE•ENCOURAGEMENT
Don’t Wait for the State to Choose Your Life for You WHEN A GUARDIAN BECOMES THE VICTIMIZER what happened to one Nevada couple that was shoe-horned into the care of an unscrupulous guardian.
BY TERESA AMBORD (SENIOR WIRE) If you’re approaching your golden years, give some thought to who will take care of you if you can’t take care of yourself. Change happens suddenly sometimes, and even a person who seems in good health today could need a great deal of help tomorrow. While there’s time, make arrangements for your care. Otherwise, if you’re rendered unable to live on your own, you could be made a ward of your state and be appointed a guardian by a court that may or may not care about you. WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? Many guardians, public or private, are wonderful people who truly care about the people they serve. That’s the key. Good guardians “serve” those in their care. They are entrusted with fiduciary responsibility, which means the highest standard of care, acting only in the best interest of their clients (wards) and without any conflicts of interest. Sadly, in some states, it’s very easy to become a guardian, in spite of the enormous responsibility it involves. In states where the senior population is heavy, one guardian may be in charge of hundreds of people. Take a look at
“A PRIVATE PROFESSIONAL GUARDIAN” In a recent exposé that ran in New Yorker magazine, author Rachel Aviv details the case of April Parks, the proprietor of a Nevada-based company, which she called A Private Professional Guardian. It didn’t take long for Parks to become a favorite of at least one court in the Las Vegas area, where there are more seniors in need than there are qualified guardians. Always willing to take on more and more clients, Parks became the go-to guardian, until she ended up with power over the lives and assets of more than 400 clients in her care. At least she did, until in early 2017, when she was indicted on 270 charges of abuse. She and her husband, who worked for her, are now in prison. WHY? After her extensive research into the guardianship industry, author Aviv reached this conclusion: “Guardians can sell the assets and control the lives of senior citizens without their consent—and reap a profit from it.” That hardly sounds like someone acting in the best interest of clients.
Aviv tells the true story of an elderly couple in their mid-70s who lived independently in an “active adult” community in Las Vegas, Nev. A nurse visited five times a week to help with certain chores. Their daughter lived nearby and was in almost daily contact with them. Then one day, a stocky woman named April Parks showed up at their door, backed up by three colleagues, and announced the couple was being removed from their home. “Go and gather your things,” she told them. Based on one minor report from an employee at the couples’ doctors’ office, the couple was deemed to be unfit to live independently, and they, without notice, were made temporary wards of the court. If they didn’t cooperate, Parks said she would call the police. Afraid and crying, they cooperated. No effort was made to notify the couple’s daughter, who, when she discovered that her parents were missing, had to go in search of them. It turned out they were put into a care facility. Once the daughter discovered what happened, she began the long process of finding out why. She was told there was no recourse, but continued to fight. In the meantime, Parks sold the couples’ home and belongings and had the money from the sale put into an account under CONTINUED ON PAGE 54
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PAGE 54
Caregiving
WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER IS GUARDIAN, TRUST BUT VERIFY (SENIOR WIRE) Suppose your loved one isn’t a ward of the court, but is dependent on a family member who serves as guardian. You should be able to assume that this is a safe solution. But according to the National Council on Aging, in cases of elder abuse, 60 percent of the abusers are family members, and of those, two-thirds are the adult children or spouse of the victim. In my family, we’re still dealing with the fallout from this kind of abuse. In a nutshell, when a close relative became permanently debilitated, one of her daughters immediately said she was in charge and would handle the finances, pay the bills, and manage the bank account. That was a relief, particularly because that daughter had the time to deal with these issues. At least, it was a relief until several months later when that daughter showed up at my door with a box of her mother’s unpaid bills, late notices, and NSF charges for bounced checks. Her only comment was, “I wash my hands of this stuff.” Soon I discovered why she gave up control. Her mother’s long-term care bill was due in two days, and the bank account was almost empty. Bank statements revealed numerous large, unexplained withdrawals of cash, plus Amazon purchases charged to the account. As I sorted through the mess, with no help from the mess-maker, her mother made it clear that she was not going to hold her daughter accountable. That’s common. So in this case, there were no legal repercussions. (Just so you know, the social workers at the longterm care facility told me this is considered elder abuse, and if her mother had cooperated, there would have been serious repercussions.) Instead, I got power of attorney and blocked the daughter’s access to her mother’s money. That may be your only recourse. But also, if you have a family member serving as a guardian, set up an accountability plan, for the protection of all parties, including the guardian. In our case, I keep my relative’s son apprised of any financial transactions and give him the right to see all accounting records at any time. Sometimes, that’s all you can do… trust, but verify, on a regular basis.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53
her control. When the money began to run low, she moved the couple into a lower-cost facility. After a lengthy and expensive fight, the couple was removed from Parks’ care and was allowed to move into their daughter’s too-small home. By that time, their money was depleted, and both of them had deteriorated health. But at least they were no longer wards of the state and a highly abusive guardianship system. This was just one of the horror stories suffered by people entrusted to Parks, and Parks is just one guardian among many of the bad ones. COULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOU? The National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse (NASGA) is pushing for reform, calling the guardian system “a growing menace which feeds on greed.” NASGA President, Elaine Renoire, reports that most courts are not requiring guardians to be accountable for their actions. Private guardians are allowed to charge “reasonable” fees for services, but there’s no standard definition of what is reasonable. In Nevada, where April Parks operated, guardians are supposed to file annual reports with the court, detailing how the wards’ money was spent, but according to the Las Vegas Journal Review, that doesn’t always get done, and, if they are filed, they may not be checked for accuracy. IF YOUR LOVED ONES NEED A GUARDIAN Again, keep in mind, most guardians take their fiduciary duties seriously and genuinely care for their wards. If your elderly loved ones are in the care of a guardian, and you can’t fill that role, do some thorough checking. Demand regular reports and access to your loved ones. If something strikes you as odd, and you can’t get satisfactory answers from the guardian or the court that oversees guardians in your area, go outside the system for help. Don’t delay, as time may be critical. One place to seek help is the National Adult Protective Service Association at www.napsa-now.org/get-help-in-your-area, or call them at (202 )370-6292.
Want to read more about the April Parks case and how she was stopped? Here’s the story, plus several more from a group called Americans Against Abusive Probate Guardianship: aaapg. net/tag/guardian-april-parks MSN Teresa Ambord calls herself a recovering accountant and Enrolled Agent with the IRS. Now she writes full time from her home, surrounded by her small dog posse.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES (SENIOR WIRE) Eric Goldberg, a certified elder law attorney and co-founder of the Goldberg Law Group told the Huffington Post that to protect yourself and your loved ones you should take some precautionary steps. Execute a comprehensive power of attorney who allows you to choose who someone who will manage your money if you cannot and become your guardian if necessary. This person can be a lawyer if you don’t have a suitable alternative. Execute a comprehensive health care power of attorney, which allows your chosen representative to make health care decisions if you cannot. Review the documents often. Is your chosen representative still able? Has he or she suffered financial setbacks (such as filing bankruptcy) or been involved in a divorce, illegal activity, or has your relationship changed in a way that makes you less confident? Is your representative still of an age that he or she can act on your behalf? Submit these documents to the appropriate parties while you can. Ask your bank, for example, if the Power Of Attorney is properly executed and will take effect as planned. Your bank may have a proprietary POA. Also check with your doctor and local hospital to make sure the POA and medical directives are appropriate. Every few years, do the POAs again. This is important because in some financial institutions, a POA can become stale. Newer documents have a better chance of being executed. Keep your original POAs in a fireproof safe. Also have electronic copies and give your attorney copies.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Caregiving
PAGE 55
SNAP Critical for Montana Seniors SO THEY CAN LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND AVOID COSTLY HOSPITALIZATION
BY AL WARD, AARP MONTANA STATE PRESIDENT Seniors will be watching closely as Congress engages in ongoing federal budget and policy deliberations in the coming months. At AARP, we will continue to monitor
© Kasia Bialasiewicz, Bigstock.com.
any proposed changes to Medicare, Medicaid (including long- term care benefits), Social Security, and other programs that so many of us, our children, and grandchildren rely on to maintain our health and dignity. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) can be a critical piece of that equation for many Montana seniors. In fact, more than 30 percent of all SNAP recipients in Montana are in families with seniors or people with disabilities, and 4.8 million seniors benefit from the program nationally. Roughly three-quarters of these seniors live by themselves. The difficult reality is that, despite lifetimes of work and contributions to their families, communities, and this state, too many seniors in Montana have limited and fixed incomes and struggle to keep up with the costs of medication, housing, utilities, and food. For these seniors, the modest benefits provided by SNAP supplement their incomes and help them afford adequate and nutritious diets.
Remarkably, the benefits of SNAP extend beyond the basic dignity of an adequate diet. Research has shown that SNAP recipients report better health than other low-income individuals not on SNAP, and seniors receiving SNAP are less likely than low-income non-participants to have to forgo medicine due to costs. Some research even suggests that SNAP may help seniors live independently and avoid hospitalization. In total, adults on SNAP incur roughly 25 percent less per year in medical care costs than low-income non-participants. That’s not just good for SNAP recipients; that’s good for all of us concerned about the growing costs of health care. This year will be an important year for SNAP, as well as other food programs that assist seniors, American Indians, and other food-insecure Montanans. The Farm Bill, through which Congress sets federal agricultural and food policy—including for SNAP and other food programs—is up for reauthorization in 2018. Given the drastic cuts to SNAP included in the President’s recent budget proposal, as well as efforts to cut and restrict access to SNAP in previous Farm Bill negotiations, we could once again see very real threats to the program in the coming months. Protecting SNAP is essential for giving our seniors and their caregivers dignity, security, and peace of mind. As Congress sets its agenda for the coming year, we truly urge Montana’s Congressional leaders to remember them, and keep SNAP safe from cuts. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
PAGE 56
Nutrition
FOOD•HOLISTIC•WELLNESS•LONGEVITY•PREVENTION
The Moldy Truth BY CARRIE LUGER SLAYBACK (SENIOR WIRE) I do not waste food; am chagrined watching my daughter’s family throw out expensive organic fruit and vegetables forgotten in the back of their refrigerator. Today, I tossed $4 worth of my favorite low-fat organic yogurt, because I noticed clumps of green mold floating on the surface. In spite of the mold, I would have eaten the yogurt, having carefully spooned out visible green fuzz, rinsed it the down the sink, then poured the remainder through a strainer, discarding many smaller green colonies. At the point of returning the yogurt to the refrigerator, doubt stopped me cold. “Should I eat this?” I asked myself. Nope! Not according to Sabrina Stierwalt, PhD who writes “Everyday Einstein” for
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ScientificAmerican.com. She describes tens of thousands of species of colorful mold growing on eatable surfaces. What I couldn’t see in my yogurt were the “stalks,” which “extend much deeper into the food and even have a root or branch system, [harboring] invisible and potentially harmful bacteria.” We know molds that produce Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and cover Brie cheeses are safe to eat. But my yogurt, and other foods with high-moisture content, can be invisibly contaminated below the surface, causing allergic responses and possibly leading to respiratory problems. More serious gastrointestinal upsets come from mycotoxins, a poisonous substance produced by mold. People might experience nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, convulsions—even blindness and paralysis. Mycotoxins are found in grain and nut crops, but could be in grape juice and on celery, apples, and other produce. A USDA article, “Molds on Food: Are they Dangerous?” quotes the Food and Agriculture Organization, which estimates that 25 percent of the world’s food crops are affected by mycotoxins, of which the most notorious are “a atoxins.” A atoxin is a cancer-causing poison produced by certain fungi in or on foods
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and feeds especially on field corn and peanuts. Now I understand why friends have warned me away from my beloved peanut butter. They are probably the best known and most intensively researched mycotoxins in the
Scraping mold off the surface of yogurt and then eating it is not recommended. Mold spores have a deep root system, rending the whole container potentially dangerous. Best to just throw it away. © TABORSKY, BIGSTOCK.COM.
world—one of the greatest current challenges to world food production. Leaving the alarm bells behind, the truth is that 100,000 species of mold are everywhere, and everyone ingests them, usually without incident. We need to protect ourselves from eating visible or invisible mold spores. 1. Do not smell food with mold growth. Avoid taking spores into your respiratory track. 2. Mold can grow in the refrigerator. Wipe down the inside monthly with a tablespoon of baking soda in a quart of water. Clean rubber door gaskets or anywhere with visible black mold using three teaspoons of bleach in a quart of water. 3. Don’t leave perishables out of the refrigerator more than three hours. 4. Discard meats, casseroles, grains and pasta, soft cheese, yogurt, jams, and jellies with visible mold. Discard bread and baked goods, peanut butter, legumes, and nuts. All these can have mold growth below the surface, as can soft fruits and vegetables such as peaches and tomatoes. 5. Cut an inch around mold spots in firm fruits and vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS My mom, who lived to be 98, picked off the moldy spots of bread and ate it, no matter how loudly her children protested. We have a peach tree, and I’ve cut off the “bad parts” of peaches for years. English cucumbers sometimes mold on an end, which I cut off, discard, and slice the rest into the salad. Although I will change
Nutrition
these practices, we’ve never fallen ill from my risky behavior. I will continue to grieve about food waste. Dr. Stierwalt puts it this way: “We throw in the trash…30 percent of all of the food produced in the U.S. each year…worth $48.3 billion.” That’s not just a waste of food, but of water, energy, and land used to produce it.
PAGE 57
Still, good thing I got rid of the yogurt. “Off with their heads” is not an effective way to kill mold spores. MSN Carrie Luger Slayback an award winning teacher and champion marathoner, shares personal experience and careful research. Contact her at carriemisc@icloud.com.
Dietary Psychiatry: Senior Malnutrition and Cognitive Function A paper napkin has more nutrition for goodness sake. Saturated fat, white flour, chemical preservatives, and sugars fertilize mental BY WENDELL FOWLER decline and starve the cells of much needed vitamin nutrition. Seniors’ food choices profoundly affect their mental health. The (SENIOR WIRE) After locking my keys inside the car while it was NIH reports a lack of wholesome vitamin nutrition from fresh food still running, and my wife rolling over one morning asking, “Who are contributes to the onset of poor mental health you and why are you in my bed”—both of us in in people suffering from anxiety and depresour early ‘70s acknowledged our mental health sion, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. is indeed fading. People are eating too much canned, frozen, or But seriously, there is mounting acceptance processed institutional food. on the use of food and supplements to provide Because we’ve become somewhat disconessential nutrients as part of a treatment for nected from the garden since the Industrial mental health disorders relating to depression, Revolution and plugged in to “Man’s genetically cognitive function, and dementia. manipulated version of a garden,” modern As we age, memory blips will increase, seniors are woefully deprived in foods and although you needn’t put out the welcome mat. nutrients considered “brain food”—omega-3 Widespread senior malnutrition in the U.S. fatty acids from cold-water fish, flax and chia is serious business. According to the National seeds, walnuts, cholesterol (yes cholesterol), Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity, © Digitalista, Bigstock.com. D-3, and B-complex, especially B12. and Aging, 1 in 4 older Americans has poor Regarding cholesterol, aka, brain food, at nutrition… in the U.S., in the 21st century. least a dozen reports show the risk of suicide may be substantially Looking back, I’m certain the quality of Mom’s late life would’ve higher in people with low cholesterol. In a French study tracking 6,393 have been richer if she’d chosen or been encouraged to eat more than men, published in the September 1996 issue of the British Medical a deli turkey sandwich on nasty white bread with Miracle Whip and a sweet pickle every day, 365 days a year. CONTINUED ON PAGE 58
45th Fundraiser Annual
When:
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Where:
Lions Park, Red Lodge, MT
Signature Artists: Laurie Lee, WY Hal Olson, MT Shirle Wempner, MT
SAVOR YOUR YOUR SUMMER JUNE 25–SEPTEMBER 3
Mingle with with 25 additional artists. Enjoy live music, dinner, a no-host bar, silent auction, and live auction of art created that day. To buy tickets call 406.446.1370 or visit carboncountydepotgallery.org 11 West 8th Street / Red Lodge
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of Commerce & Agriculture 2018 Summer Events June 14-17 June 15-16 June 16 June 20 & July 18 July 12-14 July 21 July 27-28 July 28 July 31-Aug 4 Aug 4 Aug 11 Aug 15
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PAGE 58
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
Nutrition DIETARY PSYCHIATRY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57
Journal, those with low cholesterol were three times more likely than the other men to kill themselves. A link between low cholesterol and depression has turned up in other studies as well. Cholesterol was never really the health boogeyman the medical community made it out to be. Your brain needs cholesterol to grow new nerve cells and for these nerve cells to work properly. When your brain is deprived of cholesterol, things don’t go so well up there. In fact, researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center say that without enough cholesterol, you may even develop serious brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Of course, “Physical exercise has the best evidence for preserving memory and mental function with aging,” said R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center.
In a world where we’ve been programmed to let others form our thoughts and opinions, we’ve long forgotten who calls the shots and knows what’s best—and it’s not a food corporation. We’ve departed from the road of nutritional righteousness; disconnected from earth’s apothecary. It’s happened so slowly, we’ve not noticed how far we’ve strayed from the perfect plant-based diet our cells understand. During this magnificent golden period of your life, give extra consideration to what foods you choose to eat. You were gifted one strong, sacred, and beautiful temple. Embrace it with dietary selflove. Choose to focus your thoughts on remaining the clear-headed, beautiful, unique being you are for as long as you can. And don’t lock your keys in the idling car or wake up next to a stranger. MSN
Grow a New Brain with Blueberries, Chewy Food and Super Mario BY SUZY COHEN (SENIOR WIRE) If you want to know how to grow a bunch of new brain cells termed neurons, and keep them as healthy as possible, let me tell you one quick thing about neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is the science of spurring the growth of neurons in your brain. Without neurogenesis, you’d be dead. In fact, we can grow as many new neurons as 700 a day. Scientists have found that several things actually help spur on neurogenesis; the bigger challenge, however, is keeping your new neurons. Neurogenesis is a dynamic process that reduces risk of Alzheimer’s, insomnia, anxiety, dementia, and other cognitive problems. Avoiding foods high in glutamate and MSG will help you, and so will eating a clean, fresh diet of foods filled with a lot of what would be considered “light foods,” meaning plantbased salads and veggies that contain light from the photosynthesis process. Contrast that with “dead” foods. Additionally, some foods are particularly adept at growing brand new neurons in our
brains, while also activating protective pathways to nurture them and keep them thriving. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true—what we choose to eat impacts our mind to some degree. The most potent, neuron-loving foods include << Green tea, berries, citrus, apples, and dark chocolate due to the flavonoids << Blueberries (due to the flavonoids and anthocyanin) << Red grapes (because the skin has resveratrol) << Wild-caught salmon and other fatty fish due to the DHA fish oils Researchers have oddly found that eating chewier foods as opposed to soft, mushy foods are helpful to neuronal growth. As you eat a baked potato (instead of mashed potato) figure that one out! On the topic of food, we also have well-designed trials to show that intermittent fasting, caloric restriction, and exercise promote the growth of new brain cells for you. Everyone talks about enhancing BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) as a method of growing new brain cells, and while that is still important, new research suggests the hormone that makes you feel
© Desay, Bigstock.com.
hungry, called ghrelin, may be THE thing that triggers the whole birth of new neurons in the first place. On the topic of exercise, I definitely want you to go to Body Pump and Zumba, but you should also be exercising your brain too. Engage in puzzles, math problems, and spatial video games. This brings me to my next idea for you. How about playing Super Mario 3D? This particular video game (and also Super Mario 64) has been used in two important research studies on the brain, where it was proven that spatial video games increase brain activity in the hippocampal region and help you create new neurons. This gives us a whole new perspective when it comes to healing the brain and growing new healthy brain cells. So, try a big bowl of blueberries, a long work out, and then crash on the couch for some fun video gaming, and just feel your mind ignite with newfound brainiac-ness. MSN
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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Fitness
STRENGTH•EXERCISE•MOVEMENT•FLEXIBILITY•MOBILITY
Music Brings Back Memories SENIORS DANCE FOR FUN AND FITNESS
BY BRUCE TOMASO, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS (TNS) The rules are simple in Cyndi Dorber’s line-dancing classes. Show up. Move. Have fun. Dorber, a professional dance instructor, has found a niche teaching older students at senior centers and retirement communities throughout the Dallas area.
Sarah Winlock (in orange) dances during a line dancing class for seniors. Photo by Nathan Hunsinger/Dallas Morning News,TNS).
“Movement and music make the elderly feel young,” Dorber says. “The music brings back memories, and the movement helps build stamina and muscle.” The benefits are available to anyone. Participants learn a few basic steps, but the most important, by far, is the first one: stepping onto the dance floor. The best thing about her classes may be that you don’t have to be any good to enjoy them.
“I just try to move to the music,” says Martha Calderon, 82, one of Dorber’s students. “Sometimes I forget the steps, but that’s fine. I enjoy it.” As Satchel Paige, baseball’s ageless pitcher-philosopher, used to say, “Dance like nobody’s watching.” Dorber’s lessons last an hour, with frequent two-minute breaks. On one recent Monday at Atria Canyon Creek, an independent senior living community in Plano, her 11 students formed three lines on the dance floor. A few of them wore pedometers to track their steps. One woman, apparently taking no chances, wore two, one clipped to each of her turquoise sandals. Punching up song after song on her iPad, Dorber shouted out instructions: “Let’s shimmy!” “Shake, shake, shake.” “Toe slap, toe slap. Point, point, point. Toe, heel, toe, heel. Point, point, point.” The choreography was ... imperfect. There wasn’t much shimmy in the shimmies. Halfway through each song, the three lines were more like squiggles. Some people line-danced. Others line-shuffled. None of that mattered, Dorber assured the class. “There are no mistakes in line-dancing,” she says. “Just variations.” FINDING THE RHYTHM Dorber more or less fell into her career. Growing up,
she preferred sports to dancing. “My mom threw me a basketball and sent my two sisters to ballet school,” she says. In the late 1970s, while working in Morristown, N.J., she was hired as a cheerleader for the New York Cosmos, a pro soccer team. She stayed just three months - long enough to realize “I had a real passion for dancing.” She soon started giving lessons.
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Fitness
Three years ago, recognizing a community need and a market opportunity, she designed a class specifically for seniors. They now make up three-quarters of her clientele. “I never knew how much I’d love working with the elderly,” says the Addison resident, 60. “They’re just so loving and happy to see me.” Louise Pierson, 85, has been attending Dorber’s weekly class at Atria Canyon Creek for about a year. Before that, she says, “I couldn’t dance a step. I was raised a Baptist. Dancing wasn’t allowed.” Now she’s a big fan. “Your brain and your feet have to work together,” she says. “You have to listen to the beat and pay attention to the steps. It helps you mentally as well as physically. “And if you miss a step, it’s no big deal. You just look at the person next to you and catch up. The important thing is that you’re moving for an hour.” CLASSIC BEATS Dorber’s library of dance tunes is rooted in the 1950s and pre-Beatles ‘60s, reminding today’s seniors of the long-ago days of carefree youth. “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra. “The Wanderer” by Dion, “Que Sera, Sera” by Doris Day. “Be-Bop-A-Lula” by Gene Vincent. There’s the occasional country classic: “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” by George Strait, “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks & Dunn. Also in the mix, oddly, is Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” “That’s scary!” one dancer in the back row uttered during the song’s robotic, synth-pop opening bars. And there’s one selection that’s conspicuously fitting: “Old Bones” by George Burns.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018 HEAD-TO-TOE BENEFITS The physical benefits of dancing, like any cardiovascular activity, are well-documented. Lately, medical research has revealed important psychological and mental benefits as well, especially for older people. Dancing relieves stress. It stimulates the body’s production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of well-being and happiness. Most significantly, it may reduce the risk of dementia. A study by scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that people between 75 and 85 who danced regularly were much less likely than their peers to develop Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Some scientists theorize that dancing helps keep the mind healthy by challenging participants to think and react quickly, correctly and creatively. That stimulates the continuing creation of new neural pathways in the brain. What we use, when it comes to brain cells, we’re less likely to lose. In other words, dancing keeps us on our toes, literally and figuratively. Peggy Smith, 73, says that’s one of the things she enjoys about Dorber’s classes. “Getting old isn’t for wimps,” she says. “Life can begin in your 70s. But you have to work at it. There are always new things to learn, new places to go, new things to try, new people to meet. Every day can be a new adventure. You just have to have the right attitude.” Or as Satchel Paige put it, “Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.” MSN
You Can Still Build Muscle If You Tire Your Muscles with Training BY WINA STURGEON, ADVENTURE SPORTS WEEKLY
(TNS) It doesn’t matter how old you are; you can still build muscle. Studies have shown that even people in their 90’s can build bulk and strength if they lift weights. When you join our family, In fact, any observer can factually state that the number of memyou can feel secure knowing that we’re here for you every bers 55 and older at commercial gyms is constantly increasing. step of the way. Whatever Keep three essentials in mind if you want to build more muscle at the future holds, our middle age and beyond: communities are designed 1. You need to lift weights or work with stretch bands for the necessary to care for your needs through all the stages of life. resistance to create stronger muscles. 2. You can’t train like a 20-year-old anymore. At 55 and older, you can’t For more information, call (406) 587-4570. train every day, or even every other day, because your body requires Brookdale Springmeadows ©2016 Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. All rights reserved. BROOKDALE SENIOR more time to recuperate from each workout. LIVING and BRINGING NEW LIFE TO SENIOR LIVING are the registered Assisted Living trademarks of Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. 3. The principle of resistance training is even more important as you 3175 Graf Street, Bozeman 24101-P4-0716-ROP CB get older. You have to damage the muscles slightly; tire them out, so brookdale.com Bringing New Life to Senior Living™ that they come back stronger when healing to deal with such potential damage in the future. The New York Times quotes the published studies of Marcas Bamman, director of the Center for Exercise Medicine at the University of Alabama, as saying, “Men and women Premier Affordable Senior Housing in their 60s and 70s who began supervised weight training developed muscles that were Quality, Rent Subsidized Housing for Seniors Ages 62+ as large and strong as those of your average Four Montana Locations: 40-year-old. Older muscles will become larger Bozeman Summer Wood Apartments and stronger if you work them.” Great Falls The Portage Bamman’s studies and others have also Helena Aspen Village proven there are biochemical processes that Kalispell Van Ee Apartments help bulk up older muscle fibers, but those processes can only be started by pushing the muscles until they are exhausted. Often, the Features and Ammenities typical four or five sets of 10 to 15 reps are not • One-bedroom apartments enough to genuinely tire the muscles. • Spacious kitchens & large bathrooms Most gyms offer private trainers who can assess your physical condition and design a • Controlled access entry & lobbies workout to improve it. Getting a customized • Large multipurpose community rooms workout is worth the money. Also, discuss • Elevator service & on-site laundry change-ups with the trainer. • Outdoor patios & gas grills (at select buildings) But Bamman and other researchers don’t • Activity rooms & tub rooms (at select buildings) promise miracles. Working out with a carefully • 30% gross adjusted monthly income based rent designed resistance program will rebuild decades of muscle loss, but not back to the Short Waiting List • Call Today! sleek body of a 20-year-old. Resistance workCALL 800-466-7722 | TTY/TDD 800-627-3529 outs may often erase the muscle loss of about www.accessiblespace.org two decades, but not much more.
JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS However, there’s another reason to do regular resistance workouts—no matter what your gender, no matter what your age. As people get older, they begin to lose their muscle fibers. The fibers themselves die off. Since each muscle fiber is a source of strength and power, fewer of them will limit the amount of strength that can be rebuilt.
Fitness
The loss of muscle fibers happen faster as folks age, and even faster for those who are sedentary. Regular exercise helps keep muscle fibers from dying off. In fact, while it’s well known that working out is an actual health issue, the newest research is showing that resistance training, and yes, even aerobic training, can help prevent dementia. As well,
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working the body can also delay the onset of dementia. MSN
Wina Sturgeon is an active 55+ based in Salt Lake City, who offers news on the science of anti-aging and staying youthful at: adventuresportsweekly.com. She skates, bikes and lifts weights to stay in shape.
I’m Having a Physical Fitness Fit BY LAVERNE BARDY (SENIOR WIRE) I hate exercise! There is nothing about sweating, exhaustion, and pain that appeals to me. The most active thing I did this week was struggle to rip open a bag of Fritos. Every day the media reminds me that I am out of sync with the rest of the world. The government is presently designing a dollar bill on which running shoes replace George Washington’s face. Sweat was officially added to the list of American symbolisms, along with apple pie, the flag, and Mom. Ellen DeGeneres is promoting a line of bridal warm-up suits, and deodorants are being phased from market shelves and replaced with cans of Instant Sweat Aerosols. Last week I hosted a support group for a group of men and women who shared a common bond: their utter disdain for exercise. They entered my house, one by one, lethargic, sluggish, overweight. There was a time when they accepted who they were, but the world’s obsession with physical fitness was interfering with their lifestyle and had left them feeling disgraced and embarrassed. The first despondent person spoke. “Hello, my name is Portia Portly, and I am a non-athlete.” She was greeted warmly. “I couldn’t bear the stares any longer,” she sobbed. “Everyone could see I was overweight and out of shape, so I bought a tennis outfit to wear in the supermarket, and various other public venues. It’s not at all flattering, but snarky jeers have been replaced with encouraging cheers. Portia’s idea was applauded and adopted as future policy.
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“I joined a health club,” confessed a substantially pudgy businessman. “When I tell my macho associates, they’re impressed. They needn’t know I only go there for massages and smoothies.” I felt compelled to cleanse my conscience. “When my husband returned home from completing his sixth marathon, he found me lying in the yard. How could I admit that while he’d been running over 26 miles, I’d been sun bathing? So, I lied and told him I’d sprained my ankle doing jumping jacks and was waiting for him to carry me indoors.” “A perfect example of prejudice towards non-athletes happened to my cousin, Martha,” announced a woman who preferred to remain nameless. “Martha devised an affordable way to extract energy and create affordable fuel from 50-year-old diet pills she’d found in her medicine cabinet. She received presidential praise and was even up for a Nobel Prize; and then the bomb dropped. An in-depth interview with Martha revealed that she was not committed to being physically active. As a result, her credibility became suspect, and she is currently under close surveillance by both the CIA and Richard Simmons.” The meeting concluded after 20 minutes, when the food ran out. Do you feel out of place because you don’t smell from perspiration, don’t need a knee brace, or cortisone shots, and don’t own a terry cloth headband and florescent running shoes? If so, join us next Saturday at 10 a.m. in front of the YMCA. Be prepared to march for your right to be a sloth. Please be prompt as the parade is scheduled to last only 10 minutes. The local first aid squad has kindly volunteered to be on hand for those requiring treatment for exhaustion. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
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Photography
LIGHT•LANDSCAPES•HOW TO•PEOPLE•GEAR
Should I Hire a Photographer? BY JONATHAN RIMMEL Yes. Oh, shall I elaborate? Alright if you insist. Always consider hiring a photographer for key events in your life. Photographers are much more than “that person with the camera.” Photographers are artists, and perhaps more important, storytellers. This holds a great deal of value. Weddings may likely be the first occasions to come to mind. A marriage is certainly an important time to capture those fleeting moments. But additional opportunities to hire a professional photographer extend beyond weddings. What about a grandchild’s graduation? What about a portrait of your parents? A family portrait? Keep in mind, these photographs needn’t be restricted to the boring old portraits of bygone eras. In fact, they shouldn’t be. P h o t o g r a p h s c a n b e f u n , creative, and exiting. Give photographers freedom to express themselves through those photographs, and let loose yourself. The resulting images will be fantastic. “But…” I hear you say, “I don’t need a photographer, I have a good camera.” Yes, and I have a top-of-the-line stove, that makes me a five-star chef. Don’t be fooled. Like anything, it’s not the equipment that matters, it’s the vision and talent behind it. Through mastery of light and composition, photographers can make magic, capturing fleeting moments in time. You might say they take that moment and stretch it to last years, even decades. Our physical memories can fade; the details get a little blurry. With a photograph however, those memories can remain tack sharp. When looking around for a photographer, consider a few important points. One: Take a look through their portfolio and be sure you like what you see. Don’t make the mistake of trying to force some specific style on a photographer. You won’t be pleased
A family portrait is the perfect time to hire a professional. PHOTO BY JONATHAN RIMMEL
with the results. Find one whose photographic style speaks to you. Two: Be sure your personalities mesh. Clashing personalities often lead to a steady stream of arguing, which affects the photoshoot. This is not to say, however, that you should find a photographer who agrees with you on everything. That could be equally detrimental.
Three: Remember to communicate. Be very clear (but not overbearing) about what you are looking for. Don’t make the photographer guess. Point out specific examples from their or another photographer’s portfolio. Four: Allow yourself a budget. Why did I put this last? Because, although it’s ultimately necessary, don’t fall prey to the temptation to go with the cheapest route. You really do get what you pay for. You should hire a photographer. Let a professional weave a beautiful visual story of key moments in your life, in your children’s lives, and your grandchildren’s lives. MSN Jonathan Rimmel is a modern-day renaissance man, dabbling in a little bit of everything. To see more of his work, visit jonathanrimmel.com.
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Photography
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Photo Submission Each issue, the Montana Senior News will hold a reader photo contest with winning entries prominently displayed in the photography section of the printed publication as well as in our online gallery. Submitted images need to show or represent the state in some way and must be a minimum of 300 dpi when printed at approximately a 5"x7" size. Photos will be judged on Composition, Originality, Technical Image Quality, and General Creativity. We will not publish subjects of a sensitive nature. Please submit your images for consideration by completing our online form: www.montanaseniornews.com/reader-photo-submission Below are a couple of submissions from our valued readers.
Canyon Ferry Image. This scene was captured from the Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake, looking south across a frozen Canyon Ferry Lake on December 31, 2017. There was a fresh snowfall that gave me an opportunity to capture this shot before any tracks were imprinted in to the snow. PHOTO BY CHRIS GILLETTE
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Grazing goats in waning sun PHOTO BY KRIS HART
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Travel
CRUISES•GETAWAYS•CULTURE•VACATIONS
Crazy Horse Memorial: A Great Destination BY ALICE H. DUNN A gigantic sculpture of Lakota Chief Crazy Horse riding his pony gradually emerges from the mountain in the southwest corner of South Dakota, about 25 miles southwest of Rapid City near Custer. Continuously under construction since 1947, the sculpture is far from complete. Watching the blasting that shapes the epic carving is worth the trip from Idaho or Montana, and visiting the associated Indian Museum of America is a bonus. Crazy Horse (ca. 1842-1877) was a war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, afterward continuing to defy U. S. government encroachment on Indian lands.
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Shot by a prison guard in Nebraska while resisting arrest, he refused to lie in a white man’s cot. He died on the jail floor. But attitudes change. In 1982 the United States Postal Service honored him with a commemorative stamp. The completed face of Crazy Horse (87 feet 3 inches) is much larger than Mount Rushmore’s faces that tower at 60 feet. His arm extends 263 feet with a 29-½-inch pointing finger. What will be the horse’s head will stand 22 stories high, with 20-foot eyes and flaring nostrils 26 feet in diameter. The Crazy Horse Memorial was inspired by Oglala Lakota Chief [Henry] Standing Bear and conceived by Korzac Ziolkowski (say Jul-COW-ski.) Disturbed that American heroes were being sculpted on Indian land, Chief Standing Bear’s brother Luther, also a chief, in 1931 petitioned Idaho-born sculptor Gutzon Borglum to include Crazy Horse beside
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Korzac’s marble rocking horse in museum room depicting his home. PHOTO BY ALICE H. DUNN.
Lincoln and Washington on Mt. Rushmore. Borglum did not respond. Korzac was assisting Borglum sculpting Mt. Rushmore in 1939 when Chief Standing Bear wrote him a letter saying, “Indian people have heroes, too.” Korzak did respond. In 1940 Korzak met for three weeks with Standing Bear and other Indian chiefs. Impressed with them and their cause, he promised he would carve a monument for the Indian people equally as impressive as Mt. Rushmore. He preferred to carve the Crazy Horse Monument in the high-quality granite near the Tetons, something Idahoans would have liked, but the Lakota insisted that their monument stand on their own land. A self-taught sculptor, Korzac Ziolkowski was born in 1908 in Boston, Mass., of Polish immigrant parents and orphaned at age one. Life in foster homes made getting an education difficult, but he managed to earn his way through a technical school. This prepared him for work as a ship carpenter’s apprentice and later as a furniture maker. After beginning to carve in wood, he completed his first marble sculpture in 1932 to honor a judge who had been helpful to him. From that time forward, he sculpted many commissions and won first prize at the 1939 New York World’s Fair for his sculpture of the famous pianist Padarewski. Service in World War II delayed Korzak’s beginning the Crazy Horse sculpture. Wounded
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Korzac’s life-size sculpture on which the gigantic mountainside sculpture under construction since 1947 is based. PHOTO BY ALICE H. DUNN.
Travel
extensive displays of Native American art— photographs, weaving, household items, and cultural artifacts from many tribes. The room representing the home of the Ziolkowskis illustrates the richness of their lives. It includes some of Korzac’s sculptures, among them the carousel-style rocking horse his children rode as well as his self-sculpture, which is displayed with his WWII medals. There is plenty more to see nearby: Mt. Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, and the Badlands. The easiest route to the area from Idaho or Montana is via I-90 to Rapid City, but slower routes offer many interesting sights along the way. Beyond Yellowstone National Park or Jackson, Wyoming lie The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Heart Mountain Japanese Internment Memorial near Powell, and Devil’s Tower. US-30 passes close to Sacajawea’s grave near Fort Washakie and a fine frontier museum in Lander. Many historical Oregon Trail sites lie close to I-80. Except for the detour to Devil’s Tower, which passes through Spearfish, S. D., all these routes lead via US-16 to Custer, the town closest to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Accommodations are available there or in Rapid City. MSN
at Omaha Beach, he was 40 when he returned to the project. He continued work on the sculpture until his death. Today, his children and many of his grandchildren work together to complete this humongous work of art. Korzac met Ruth Ross, an art enthusiast, while researching for the Crazy Horse project. They married and established their family, eventually 5 boys and 5 girls, at the monument site. Korzac delivered one of the children when a fierce snow storm prevented him from driving Ruth to the hospital. In their remote location, they needed to be almost completely independent, so the Crazy Horse site has included a dairy farm, lumber mill, various other enterprises, and a one-room school with a certified teacher. As the children grew, the boys were trained in sculpture and worked alongside their father while the girls assisted their mother in the visitors complex. It grew into the extensive Indian Museum of North America. Korzac died in 1982, and Ruth lived until 2006. They are buried at the base of the mountain. Each section of the sculpting begins with careful calculations and preparations before drilling for a “production blast” to reduce a 20-foot rock face down to 6 or 8 feet. Smaller blasts follow. Each section is completed with intricate rock removal by hand. Work follows Korzac’s detailed design for the Crazy Horse sculpture. A beautiful statue in its own right, Korzac’s marble model for the monument stands outside the picture window of the museum. Work on the monument can be observed from that window, too. The horse’s mane seems alive with the motion of horse and wind. Inside, a nearby bin holds rocks for sale, samples from the millions of tons that have been blasted away. Tourmaline, feldspar, quartz, mica, pyrite, iron, and even the Eagles semi-precious gems garManor net and beryl make up the • Exercise Room metamorphic rock known • Beauty Shop as granite, of which this • Meal Program mountain is composed. The • Massage Therapy many different compressed • Laundry • Housekeeping minerals give granite its • One Block from variety of colors. Senior Center & In the museum a conPost Office tinuously running video 20 W 3rd St shown explains the projHavre ect and helps visitors plan 406-265-5531 the best use of their time while at the site. Tours allow visitors close access to the evolving sculpture. The museum contains
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Welcoming you across Montana
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
PAGE 66
All About Montana
LOCAL PEOPLE•LOCAL STORIES•LOCAL FUN•LOCAL BUSINESSES
Thieves BY ELLA MAE HOWARD Folks who make their living tending to cattle are good observers. They notice the little things, a buck deer that has been around forever, a robin who, year in year out, builds her nest above the shop door. They will know spring is just around the corner when they see a Killdeer running up and down the road to the cattle’s feeding ground. And they know about the thieves. The thieves who don’t bother to tie a black scarf over their faces. Thieves who don’t bother to slip around a rock pile or hide in a dark place before launching their attack. These thieves are not like a dirty, stinking skunk who only works at night. MT Senior News Ad 2018.qxp_Layout 1 4/13/18 4:13 PM Page 1
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They do their thievery in broad daylight. They don’t care who sees them, and if they get caught, they just stand back and wait for the next opportunity. These four-legged thieves are calves looking for a bag full of milk with four spigots. Sometimes they steal milk because their mother might be a first-calf heifer and not have enough milk to satisfy their appetite, or their mother might be an © agephotography, Bigstock.com older cow who has plenty of The best thief we ever had on our feed milk, but, like a kid who grabs an extra cookie ground belonged to a smaller, 2-year-old after dinner, they just steal milk because it’s heifer who, for whatever reason, just did not there for the taking. have much milk. She got plenty to eat, cake Older cows are pretty savvy to the ways and hay and good spring water, but her bag of these thieves and will kick them off. But a was always small. really good thieving calf will attach himself to In a matter of a few minutes during feedanother calf, and when his friend starts nursing, her calf would get milk from two or three ing its mother, he simply slides in behind the other heifers. He was aggressive, and, if he got old cow and grabs a spigot between her hind kicked off, he would head to another heifer, legs. An orphaned calf or twin who has gone stick his head between her legs, and get her undetected can survive using this strategy. milk. By the time summer came, this calf was First-calf heifers are another story. one of biggest in the bunch, darn near as big Sometimes they will be more aggressive in as his natural mother. MSN managing who gets their milk, but often they let anybody and everybody nurse them. It’s a free for all, nurse whatever bag is handy. In the end all the calves get enough milk to survive and grow.
Keeping the Wild in Montana
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THROUGH THE EYES OF PHOTOGRAPHER DONALD M. JONES
BY AARON PARRETT You may not know Donald M. Jones personally, but if you live in the West (especially Montana), chances are you’re familiar with his work. He’s been responsible for more than 800 wildlife shots on magazine covers, ranging from The Big Sky Journal to Montana Outdoors. He’s also been a regular contributor to Field and Stream and Sports Afield, and is hailed as one of the premier wildlife photographers in the profession.
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A beautiful coffee table book features Jones’ finest Montana images, called Wild Montana (Farcountry Press, 2017). This is book number eleven for Jones, whose working motto is “keep the wild in wildlife.” It’s a work ethic he lives up to admirably in this volume, which is 120 solid pages and 168 stunning images of the captivating shots of the fauna Montana is famous for: grizzly bears languishing in tall grass, stately buffalo snorting steam on a frosty morning, and even a CONTINUED ON PAGE 67
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS KEEPING THE WILD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66
brilliant shot of a pronghorn in mid stride with a motley of tumbleweeds draped across his brow. Jones writes his own captions for the book, which are a perfect blend of the personal, the humorous, and the informative. Sometimes the reader is treated to what went through the photographer’s mind as he snapped the shutter, which offers some insight into how Jones seeks out and accomplishes his artful shots. Other captions offer comment on the joys of having a professional occupation that puts him in touch with so many different forms of life in so many different landscapes. Along the way, Jones subtly answers questions readers are likely to ask themselves in seeing a bird, for example, captured in an odd pose: “A common raven differs from a crow in larger body size, larger bill, and call. This bird with its feathers puffed out was strutting atop the snow to attract a nearby female.” “Photography started as a hobby for me before I met my wife, but in 1993 she convinced me to try making a living at it,” Jones told me recently. “But I went into it knowing I wanted to stay close to family. Even though I travel 180 days a year all over North America, I tried to arrange it so I was never on the road for more than 10 days at a time, away from my kids.”
All About Montana
Although his kids are now grown and off on their own, Jones still puts in his hours on the road, driving from Troy (where he makes his home) to Freezeout Lake, for example. He will sleep in his car so he can be up before dawn to capture images of thousands of Snow Geese taking off like a cloud of gossamer. “It’s a great life,” Jones said. “But the down side is that it’s no thrill sleeping in the back of a Subaru for a couple weeks at a time.” Jones has made Troy, Mont., his home for more than 25 years. It provides easy access to a lot of prime country in which to ply his trade, but it’s also a part of the world that offers the comfort of relative seclusion. Wild Montana is a reflection of more than 36 years living in the Treasure State as seen through the eyes of a seasoned photographer. And living in Troy and keeping his office just three blocks from the Kootenai River has advantages, too. “I’ve travelled all over North America on assignments, but I’ve had photos in national magazines that I’ve literally taken from my office,” Jones said. “That’s Montana.” MSN
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Great Falls’ House Museum OPEN THIS SUMMER
BY SUZANNE WARING A Great Falls museum that you have likely missed is the Brother Van House. Dedicated to one of Montana’s early pioneers, it examines an important aspect of Montana history. Brother Van, officially known as William Wesley Van Orsdel, was a key figure in the settlement of Montana. He came to the territory in 1872 as a healthy, energetic 24-year old and remained until his death in 1919 at the age of 71. He told the captain of the steamboat bringing him to Fort Benton that he was going to Montana to “sing, preach, and encourage people to be good.” He did that and more. CONTINUED ON PAGE 68
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Custer State Park is South Dakota’s oldest and largest state park, going on 99 years. The park is nationally recognized as one of the best places to view wildlife in North America by Forbes, MSN, the American Bus Association, Thrillist, Discovery Channel, National Geographic and more. Throughout the summer months the park offers 18 different daily interpretive programs, 7 days a week to our visitors on a variety of topics including: wildlife, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and much more. These programs are all hands-on experiences, providing our visitors with unique experiences all free of charge.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • JUNE // JULY 2018
All About Montana HOUSE MUSEUM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 67
He was key in opening seven hospitals throughout the state and inspired the building of 100 churches and 50 parsonages. He was also instrumental in creating a children’s home as well as the first college in Montana— both of which remain today under new names but with the same general purpose. When others asked, “How can we possibly do such a thing?” Brother Van said, “How could we possibly not do such a thing?….We must not let this opportunity for service to pass us by.” Brother Van never married. He was engaged to a young Brother Van House Museum located at 113 Sixth Street woman who died of North, Great Falls, Montana tuberculosis. After that he went on his way alone, which is likely the reason he was able to complete so many projects and helping so many people during those settlement years. He did much of his work in the Beaverhead area and Northern Montana, making Great Falls his home base.
In 1908 he encouraged the congregation of the Methodist Church to build a new parsonage on church property. The building was finished January 1910. When the pastor’s family moved in, they invited Brother Van to live with them. Brother Van’s bedroom at the museum. For nine years, an upstairs bedroom became the only permanent home he ever had in Montana. Because he was always on the move crisscrossing the countryside, Brother Van made an impact on the entire state. He dedicated the capitol and many of the state’s courthouses. He was entranced with Montana and once told a naysayer that he was going to stay in Montana “until he went straight up.” Brother Van became the most loved man in the state. “Through the house museum, we want to show what Brother Van did for Montana and for our church,” said Maryellen Bindel, a member of the Brother Van Experience Committee. “He is an example of how one person can make a difference.” “In addition to hearing the Brother Van story, those visiting the museum will see a home, built around the time as many of the large private homes located in the Northside Neighborhood District, that is on the National Registry,” said Bindel. “Without a full-time staff, we work on restoring the museum in the winter, and we open it to visitors in the summer.” You are invited to tour the Brother Van House Museum at 113 Sixth Street North. A docent will give you a guided tour during museum hours from 1- 4 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: June 19 and 26 and July 10, 17, and 24. Admission is free. At other times, private guided tours can be arranged. Call 406.453.3114 for more information. MSN A multifaceted interest in Montana people and their communities keeps Suzanne Waring looking for topics to research in old newspapers and books and people to interview.
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JUNE // JULY 2018 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Nature on the Wing
BY HOLLY ENDERSBY Waterfowl hunters are used to buying a federal Duck Stamp in order to pursue their passion but all wildlife lovers benefit from the money collected. Senator Lee Metcalf, who grew up in Stevensville, Mont., was instrumental in getting federal Duck Stamp money in 1964 to buy up 2,800 acres, creating the Ravalli National Wildlife Refuge. In recognition of Metcalf, who was always committed to conservation, the refuge was renamed The Lee Metcalf NWR in his honor in 1979. Authorized primarily for the management of migratory birds, especially waterfowl who use both the many impoundments on the refuge as well as the wetlands surrounding the Bitterroot River, the refuge today allows limited hunting, wildlife viewing, fishing, environmental education, wildlife interpretation, and photography. Refuge manager Tom Reed said fishing is excellent on the southwest corner of the refuge where the Bitterroot River borders the property and where Burnt Fork Creek joins the larger water. Several well-marked trails meander through the refuge. Most of the trails are relatively flat, suitable for all ages of visitors, and some along the river are paved and accessible by wheelchair as well. Reed said early morning before 10 a.m. and just before sunset are good times to observe migratory and resident birds. This is not a refuge where you will find huge herds of elk or other iconic Montana wildlife, but the refuge is unique for the wide variety of smaller species present.
All About Montana
“The fact that there is a rich diversity of habitats in such close proximity to one another allows visitors to experience an array of native wildlife in a relatively small area.” Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Lee Metcalf NWR and there are ample opportunities for active seniors to get involved. “We have over 40 volunteers,” said Reed. “One volunteer runs the entire Junior Duck Stamp Program for K-12 kids in the state of Montana right from here. We also host 8-14 Hunter Education classes throughout the year, and we have volunteers who lead bird walks. In addition, we have several people who help us with weed treatment and give a hand maintaining equipment and buildings on the refuge.” Anyone interested in volunteering in this serene setting can call the refuge headquarters at 406-777-5552. “The lady who works in our visitor center is 93 years old,” shared Reed, “so volunteers of all ages are clearly welcome!” Anyone traveling near the refuge this summer will be richly rewarded by stopping and spending several hours walking the trails leading from one diverse habitat to another. “The backdrop of the Bitterroot Mountains is just exquisite here on the refuge,” Reed said. “It will lighten your spirits just be walking on the trails and enjoying the natural beauty of the various habitats.” MSN Holly Endersby has been an award-winning outdoor writer for 25 years, working in newspaper, magazines, TV, and web-based magazines. She enjoys horse packing in wilderness areas, fishing, hunting, snow and water sports, yoga, and hiking. She was the first Conservation Director for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
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SENIOR ADVOCATES FOR MONTANA BY RUSSELL ROWLAND How many would guess that Montana has the third oldest population in the country, behind New Hampshire and Maine? Just as surprisingly, Montana has not had a group that advocates for senior issues for about 10 years, when the Montana Senior Citizens Organization Montana historian and longtime UM fell by the professor, Ken Toole, board member wayside. of Big Sky 55+. Over the course of the past year, a group of resourceful seniors, led by Northern Plains Resource Council stalwart Pat Sweeney, have been forming a group to advocate for senior issues—Big Sky 55+.
They hired Molly Moody, who has been a professional organizer for most of her career. She traveled all over Montana for her self-titled “100 Cups of Coffee Tour,” interviewing 100 people over 55 to gauge the interest. It was substantial. On April 10th, Big Sky 55+ held a launch party in Great Falls, Mont., to announce the group’s intentions to bring more attention to issues facing our senior population. “We are going to focus a lot on issues involving health care, social security, and Medicare,” Sweeney explained. “As our population continues to age, more and more people are concerned about whether they’re going to be
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enacted in Montana, which still remains the only state in the union that requires every one of its school systems to teach Native American History. Although education has always been high on the list of Juneau’s priorities (her daughter Denise was just hired as Superintendent of Schools for the Seattle School District), she also shares the concerns of her fellow board members about health care and social security. “This is just as important to the future generations as it is to ours,” she explained. “We don’t want to burden our own kids and grandkids with the cost of caring for us, or leave them without any way to take care of themselves when they get to be our age.” Big Sky 55+ was fortunate to get a threeyear grant from The Kendeda Fund, an
Brain Games Answers
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Atlanta organization dedicated to exploring how human beings can build a more just and equitable world, one in which we use resources wisely and relate to one another more mindfully. Over the course of this coming year, the group will use its substantial influence and growing resources to influence the next election as well as the goings on in the Montana legislature. MSN Russell Rowland has published three novels, including In Open Spaces, as well as a non-fiction narrative, FiftySix Counties. He has an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University and currently lives in Billings, Mont., where he teaches online workshops and consults with other writers. Visit www.russellrowland.com for more information.
Former Montana Senator Carol Juneau, board member of Big Sky 55+.
able to afford to take care of themselves with the constant threat of cuts to social security and Medicare. We need to do what we can to prevent this from happening.” Ken Toole is one of the 10 people on the board, which includes former educators, union officers, ranchers, and farmers. He is also the son of one of Montana’s most respected historians, K. Ross Toole, a longtime professor at the University of Montana. Toole’s parents divorced when he was a kid, but when he was in high school, he went to live with his father on a ranch in the Bitterroot, and that’s where he developed two things—an appreciation for working with the land and an appreciation for being active in the political process. Toole worked for the Human Rights Commission part time before he eventually landed a full-time job with the Human Rights Network. He now lives east of Cascade, Mont., where he has built a straw bale house with solar and wind energy. So h e ’ s a m an w h o p rac tic es w h at he pr each es. He spent some time in the legislature as well, as did another of the major players in this new group, Carole Juneau. Juneau served in the Montana legislature for 18 years, with one term in the senate and two in the House. She was responsible for getting the Indian Education for All Act
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS â&#x20AC;¢ JUNE // JULY 2018