SENIOR BEACON AUGUST 2020

Senior Beacon SB Eldest & Locally-Owned Senior Newspaper in Southern Colorado

AUGUST 2020

of

Vol. 39:7

Established February 1982

463 Consecutive Months!

Committed To Southern Colorado Seniors For 39 Years And Counting!!

NO

COlderOAmericans N CNotEConcerned RN About Drug Makers’ Threat

Drug manufacturers and some Members of Congress claim that allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices would limit funding for research and development. But a new survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) finds that only 3 percent of survey participants said they were concerned that drug makers would limit new drugs coming onto the market.

“There are a few Members of Congress who cite this argument as their reason for opposing drug pricing legislation” says Mary Johnson, a Medicare and Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. “But there is little sympathy for drug makers among the public,” Johnson says. “Lowering the cost of prescription drugs was a top election issue during the 2018 election cycle, and now voters of all political persuasions want this Congress to follow-through,” Johnson notes.

Fifty-four percent of survey participants said they think that if Medicare would negotiate lower prices, more people could afford to fill their prescriptions, and drug companies would have the opportunity to make just as much or even more than under our current system. Another 43 percent think drug prices are too high, and that manufacturers could afford to reduce prices and still have plenty left over to fund research and development.

According to research by Johnson, out – of – pocket spending on prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing costs that most people face in retirement — growing 252 percent since 2000. Spending on prescription drugs takes a significant portion of retired households’ budgets.

The survey found that 51 percent of survey participants spent more than $600 in 2019 ($50 per month) on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs (not including premiums.) Out of that group, 16 percent spent at least $4,020 ($335 per month) in out-of-pocket costs.

Last year, the Congressional

Budget Office (CBO) conducted an initial analysis of the effects of H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019, the prescription drug price bill passed by the House. The CBO estimated that 8 to 15 fewer new drugs would come to market based on a reduction in spending of $0.5 trillion to $1 trillion on prescription drugs over the next 10 years.

On the other hand, Johnson points, “over the past 5 years, the FDA has approved on average about 44 new drugs per year and, in 2020, 24 new drugs have been approved through June 15, alone.” “Prescription drug manufacturers have gotten away with charging whatever they think they can get out of Medicare and other government payers for years.

It’s time that we strengthen Part D to provide greater access to medications and to allow retirees and taxpayers to keep more of their income in the process,” Johnson says.

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

Check out LIFELINE

OF PUEBLO on page 5

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Page 2 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE RACES

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE CAVE JAMES R. GRASSO Former Chief Cook & Bottle Washer

SINCE WE'VE ALWAYS been a monthly news-

paper we’ve been unable to print Breaking News for obvious reasons. Several years back we started a web page that included a Breaking News section but recently the Publisher has ramped up its function. Look for a “house ad” running monthly telling you about our Breaking News section of the website. With daily updates on Covid-19 among many other local topics you’ll be able to be up-to-date on many fronts. Just go to www.seniorbeacon.info and click on Breaking News and you’ll be all set. You can let us know what you think if you wish.

Okay, so Colorado is second in the United States with total COVID 19 restrictions. Writing this on July 26, I’m aware that our governor Polis will be making an address to the public on Monday with further restrictions in an attempt to tamp down this pandemic in our state.

Hopefully when September shows up restrictions will be eased. So prayers and looking out for yourselves and others should be the key to your success in this era.

For over three years President Trump was pummeled by the media and democrats and the Far-Left (George Soros and the like) trying to get him impeached because of supposed ties with the Russians who somehow fixed his election. They had no proof of such claims at all and they knew it but went ahead and did it anyway.

Basic Talk Talk & & Text Basic Text • • • • •

President Trump has left himself wide open for criticism because of his incessant “tweets” (gosh I hate that juvenile word) but he is who he is. When he was a boy he lived in the same area as my wife whose family home was not too far away. I think he even substituted as a paperboy in that same neighborhood before his family moved to a better home elsewhere in the area. Learning about life and work opportunities as he grew up he barely cared for politics.

Throughout his life he never gave much credence to politicians. His ideas and attitudes weren’t parsed by political ambitions and he is being slammed for it because of same. Folks, the last thing we need is to keep voting for people who have been in politics all their lives and come election time having them tell us how terrible everything is and how they are going to fix things for the general public. How come nothing changes? The pandering continues. The lying continues, the fabrications continue and the same problems exist.The Left is playing a dangerous game. They own most of the media outlets and feeds that always shine the light on their belief systems. They continue to pound the United States for past foibles and most of them were commited by them. Mr. Trump seems to be the only person who will stand up to them and during this time of unrest he alone stands between us and the Left’s onslaught.

The Left is waiting impatiently in the wings. They know they are a hair from reaching their goal of dominating our lives absolutely. From cradle to grave they want to “take care of us” as if we want their pablum shoved down our throats daily. But it is coming. Ladies and Gents, it won’t be long now when Texas will flip from red to blue and then the Left will control every phase of our lives with nothing to stop them. That leaves the United States ripe for a fall. BHO’s reign was a taste of what they want to do to our country. Everyone suffered in a malaise as he went bowing around the world and becoming a gazillionaire as the United States began teetering in the world view and here at home. Obama phones and Obama money were a clarion call. Being bullied by the world ruined the economy. Promises of a govern

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 3

FINANCE

Gold Price Hits New High

Would Skookum Jim Be Happy?

CNN, BLOOMBERG AND

many other outlets have reported that the gilded metal has reached a brand new high. Today it closed at $1,973.01 per ounce. That’s a long ways from the controlled levels of just over twenty dollars a century ago.

It’s an even longer way from the $5,000 price-level predicted by this generation’s gold bugs. I throw that in there so we always keep our perspective. We just had a true gold bubble, notching twelve straight up years in a row (!) followed by three down years.

This let the steam out of the bubRONALD S. PHILLIPS

Pueblo native and an independent financial advior

ble. For a while.

Then we have a “flash bear market”, a global pandemic, social upheaval and what do people buy again? Yes, shiny metal.

It makes sense. This doomsday asset does sparkle in bad times, especially recently.

“YOU KNOW? IT’S NOT HALFBAD.” After doing even more gold research it looks like it has more merit than I originally gave it credit for.

Notwithstanding the paltry 2.05% yearly return* over 228 years, it has had bright dedades. In the 2000s it averaged over fourteen percent a year. That was the bull and bubble we experienced. Remember the commercials and ads?

Then we had the decades of the

◀ FROM CAVE, PAGE 2 ment that would take care of us on their terms but life was going to be easy for us all particularly the pandering politicians taking advantage of a populace that has become complacent. In my view, we as a nation, are in trouble. We are coming upon our 250th anniversary and history has warned us that this is about the time that great systems begin to unravel. The signs are there and real. When you can’t trust anything that anyone says, especially the media that is supposed to warn us of such things and supposed to be unbiased instead of an arm of the Left or Right it spells T-RO-U-B-L-E. Please remember what made America great.

Our fierce independence is becoming our fierce dependence. It truly is a sad state of affairs. It feels like the world is worn out.

Sorry for the rant of rants from this corner. I really have tried to stay out of the fray because I’m really trying to get my resume together for the impending meeting with my Lord. But after watching some 30 or so congressmen and women wearing a colored scarf honoring the African tribe who actually hunted down their brethren in Liberia and other places so they could sell them into slavery to be bought by plantation owners and the like, then kneeling for 8-9 minutes on a marble floor outside the capitol building to honor the life and death of George Floyd because that’s how long it took for him to succumb to the choking of his passageway, I just couldn’t stand the pandering and abuse they showed the very community they claim they were trying to help for the past 60 years while they’ve held the power. It was a disgusting display and it is amazing that very community gave them a pass.

Please accept my apologies for this negative rant. I will do my very best to go back to the cave and speak of positive things that have nothing to do with politicians and concentrate on our final goal in this life. Turn to God my readers. Now is our time. Do it before it is too late.

Godspeed to you and yours!

2010s with a barely-positive return each year of 0.1 percent.

It’s a very fickle investment with high highs and low lows. Before these recent good years it had a patch of a couple of decades where it did nothing at all in price. If you were an investor you could have lost money during this because of transaction costs such as buying, storage or management of the asset.

Gold began freely trading in 1971. So that seems to be a legitimate place to start a balanced analysis. That’s roughly forty-nine years. It starts at $44.60 and ends with today’s price. Now we’re getting somewhere! We get a much better average return of just over eight percent. Really, a solid return.

You do have to take something out for transaction costs.

My verdict? This looks like a solid diversifier and a doomsday asset that can possibly appreciate during bad times and maybe hold it’s own during moderate times. If you have the patience it requires.

BOTTOM LINE: This precious metal does not track inflation.

At all. Call or email and I’ll send you my personal research on that matter. But it does track the expectation of inflation. It’s a popularity-measuring yard stick for inflation. And it can be very important at times.

ANOTHER BOTTOM LINE: Gold could and has been a winning trade. It depends on the timeframe

▶ SEE GOLD, PAGE 11

Page 4 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

Aug. 1: Beef stew, lima beans, ww roll, pineapple orange compote, milk Aug. 2: Southwestern chicken, peas and carrots, 3 bean salad, ww roll, orange, milk Aug. 3: Mushroom ravioli with marinara, broccoli, salad with avg dressing, diced pears, raisin nut cup, milk Aug. 4: Pepper steak, brown rice, lima beans, dinner roll, strawberries, milk Aug. 5: Bratwurst, cabbage and carrots, potato salad, ww bread, banana, ww m&m cookie, milk Aug. 6: Slow roasted beef, mashed potatoes, peas, carrot raisin salad, apple, milk Aug. 7: Cod piccata, wild and brown rice, broccoli, mandarin orange, high fiber cookie, milk Aug. 8: Riblettes, baked beans, potato salad, applesauce, milk Aug. 9: Chicken alfredo, penne pasta, Caesar salad, peas, strawberries, milk Aug. 10: Breaded catfish, wild and brown rice, peas, spinach mandarin salad, banana, milk Aug. 11: Sloppy Joe, carrots, coleslaw, pineapple, sugar cookie, milk Aug. 12: Pork pot roast w onion celery, carrots, potato medley, orange, milk Aug. 13: Meatloaf w gravy, mashed potato, peas and carrots, three bean salad, orange, milk Aug. 14: Chicken chow mein, brown rice, Asian vegetables, pear, chocolate chip cookie, raisin nut cup, milk Aug. 15: Slow roasted beef, mashed potatoes, peas, carrot raisin salad, apple, milk Aug. 16: Mushroom ravioli w marinara, broccoli, salad w avg. dressing, diced pears, raisin nut cup, milk Aug. 17: Chicken stir fry, peas, brown rice, Asian cabbage slaw, apple, milk

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Aug. 18: Meatballs with marinara pasta, broccoli, ww roll, strawberries, milk Aug. 19: Jerk chicken sandwich w lettuce and tomato, cream of potato soup, coleslaw, apple, milk Aug. 20: Pork cornitas w pepper, onion, cheese, sour cream, salsa, tortillas, Mexican corn, sw black beans, peaches, milk Aug. 21: Chicken cacciatore pasta, green beans, ww roll, diced pears, milk Aug. 22: Meatload w gravy, mashed potato, peas and carrots, three bean salad, orange, milk Aug. 23: Chicken stir fry, peas, brown rice, Asian cabbage slaw, apple, milk Aug. 24: Taco salad w lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and avocado, tortilla chips, corn chowder, apple, milk Aug. 25: Baked ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli, ww bread, peaches, milk Aug. 26: Cod piccata, wild and brown rice, broccoli, mandarin orange, high fiber cookie, milk Aug. 27: Chicken pot pie w buttermilk biscuit, lime beans, tossed salad dressing, pear, milk Aug, 28: Crab cakes, broccoli cheddar rice, green bean almandine, applesauce, raisin nut cup, milk Aug. 29: Beef stir fry, peas, brown rice, Asian cabbage salad, apple, milk Aug. 30: Port pot roast, celery and onion and carrots, potato medley, orange, milk Aug. 31: Beef fajitas with peppers, onion, cheese, sour cream and salsa, tortillas, Spanish rice, sw black beans, strawberries, milk

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 5

SRDA JULY 2020 CALENDAR Special information from Pueblo’s SRDA (Plus)

Recreation Department is currently CLOSED due to Covid - 19.

All information provided depends on when SRDA reopens, which includes Matter of Balance. Also, all outside activity start up, like AARP -Taxes and Driver Safety classes will be determined by their national office.

Senior's Shopping Time Scheduled

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article is rerunning because of the COVID-19 relief efforts.

MANY STORES IN the area are offering a separate time for senior only shopping to assist in keeping one of the most vulnerable populations protected from the spread of COVID-19.

At this time, information for senior only shopping is as follows: Albertson’s Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 – 9 AM Dollar General, 1245 Spruce Every day, 8 – 9 AM Dollar General, W. 18th Street Sundays, 8 – 9 AM Dollar General, 1502 Troy Every day, 8 –9 AM Dollar General, 609 Pueblo Boulevard Thursdays, 12 – 1 PM; All other days, 8 –9 AM Dollar General, 1610 Santa Fe Every day, 8 – 9 AM

Are you new to the Pueblo area?

Looking to make new friends?

Here’s the place to go!!!

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230 N. Union Ave. Pueblo, CO 81001

Call us: 719-545-8900 Dollar General, 2417 Prairie Every day, 8 –9 AM King Soopers North and South Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 7 – 9 AM LaGrees Every day, 8 – 10 AM Natural Grocers Sundays, 9 – 10 AM Safeway Southside and Pueblo West Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 – 9 AM

Everybody has a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in Pueblo Sam’s Club Thursdays, 7 – 9 AM Save-A-Lot Every day, 7 – 8 AM Target Every day, 8 – 9 AM Walmart; South, North, Pueblo West, Neighborhood Market Every day 6 -7 AM All public and media inquiries in Pueblo are answered through the local hotline at Pueblo’s Joint Information Center. Pueblo COVID-19 Hotline is answering questions 8 AM – 5 PM, Monday – Friday, 719-583-4444.

Everybody has a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in Pueblo by: ■ Minimize social activities and

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being physically close to other people.

■ Do not go to the emergency room unless medically necessary.

■ Wash your hands with soap regularly.

■ Cough or sneeze into elbow or tissue.

■ Stay home when you’re sick.

■ Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

Avoid close contact with sick people.

■ Clean surfaces frequently touched.

Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment encourages residents to seek out credible, reliable sources of information on COVID-19: www.puebloemergency.info Pueblo’s COVID-19 Hotline 719-583-4444.

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Page 6 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

‘LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY’ JAN MCLAUGHLIN

and discouragement. So many voices.

Different opinions. Talking heads spew threats that taunt and paralyze. “What if ’s” assault my mind and cloud my thoughts. I am under attack. My country is under attack. The world is under attack. What or who is behind this sweeping evil and forcing undue mandates and restrictions? How long will this last? Will evil forces succeed? Fear blankets my heart and mind.

A word from a devotional brought stillness, peace, encouragement. “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.” The cloud lifts. My heart surges. I will see it! How had my focus one off course? So off the Lord?

His small voice whispers, “Open your Bible to Psalm 37.” “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” I pictured the shriveled cilantro and basil I occasionally toss from my refrigerator. Garbage.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

The Lord’s words soothe my distraught spirit and restore my peace.

Evil faces from the internet brush across my mind.

Anger flares and invades my peace. “Rest in the Lord

Director of Prayer for Prisoners International

THE TENTH APPLE EFFECT?

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onstant bombardment from the airwaves can be all-consuming, pulling me into a pit of despair

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and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.” The wicked will be cut off and, if I wait on the Lord, I will inherit the land. What an amazing promise. Is “land” in this verse symbolic of “peace in my heart?” I believe so.

“The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.” We will see this every day on the news, on the internet. Pillaging, burning, cursing, beating policemen and innocent bystanders, even elderly citizens merely trying to cross a street. Wait!

Can you hear it? Soon there will be an end to this chaos. “The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”

No matter how wicked and depressing things appear, Christian, rejoice in this craziness because the One who created the universe and set every star in place holds you in the palm of His hand. He is never changing. He is still in control. Concerned about lack of food? Take heart! “The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.”

Do you need guidance? Find it in Psalm 37. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”

Psalm 37 is a breath of fresh air in a chaotic and dark world. We must be light to those caught up in the evil, deceptive plan to destroy us and our country.

More importantly, we must be people of prayer. I hear an urgent call from Christians around the world to fast and pray for our families, our communities, our leaders and our world. God promises to heal our land

▶ SEE LIGHT, PAGE 11

i

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 7

ANCIENT FAERIE LORE: FAERIE HERBS AND POTIONS

GLEN VOLLMECKE Author: "Intermission a Place in Time."

In Europe Scandinavian countries hold more appreciation and understanding of these Changling folklores and stories, than most lands. We begin in wonderment with another narrative in this series of events from Sweden. Grandmothers‌ the matriarchs of countless families idolized their grandchildren.

As her young grand babies slept peacefully, the hearth kept an uninterrupted log fire burning, especially if the child was yet to be christened. Water from bathing a newborn was never discarded.

Any violation or neglect from these beliefs would incur the wrath of the trolls, and the intended victim would be stealthily kidnapped then exchanged during the midnight hours. Hence the word 'Changling.'

Another association regarding the faerie realm is the 'Tooth Faerie.' We all recall coins left under our pillows from this trustworthy entity. Although unlike images of Santa, as children we never saw nor connected 'her' with a feasible being.

Only visions of a beautifully fragile female creature, not unlike a dragon fly in her splendor would be associated with the tooth faerie.

In reality, a caring female, she

ostensibly, even to this day, collects baby 'milk' teeth to thwart their use in magic. The children can anticipate visits during the ages of five to nine years, or even earlier.

Once able to independently attend school without the supervision of parents, the faerie remains to protect him/her during the transition. Although adults follow these customs, few realize the essential procedures to which they must observe.

While retrieving the milk teeth under a child's pillow, she expects the coins to be silver, the metal governed by the moon. Legend tells of teeth having a powerful identity that survive death, decay and burial.

Maligned spirits were thought to be empowered by the DNA within, which allowed control over the individuals, especially children who are charged with such life forces and energy that spirits coveted their chromosomes.

Austria's tradition is to design a piece of jewelry from the first tooth as a means of protection.

As teeth are formed within the womb, they're considered a significance of life before birth, and powerfully recognized by the spirit and faerie world.

Of course with reasons of their own, the Japanese would hurl the 'top tooth' to the heavens, or it would be tossed over the roof of their home.

'Probably another shielding gesture for the family within. However the bottom tooth was buried, or concealed beneath the floor. This practice seemingly was to inspire the powers that be to initiate continual favorable growth throughout their home. Conceivably these practices are significant even today. We are all children albeit in diverse stages of life, and no doubt 'never considered the source of the familiar tooth faerie stories. Now you know‌

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Page 8 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

SPECIAL TO THE SENIOR BEACON FROM THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL Bright Ideas -- Commuters in Berlin, Germany, are required to wear masks on public transportation, and are subject to fines if they don't. Despite that, reports Deutsche Welle, so many people wear their masks incorrectly (covering the mouth but not the nose) that Berlin's transport company, BVG, is now suggesting that riders skip deodorant when they're getting ready for the day, in hopes that the body odor on crowded trains will keep those masks in place. "Given that so many people think they can wear their masks under their noses, we're getting tough," read a bright yellow posting from July 1 on Twitter. "The BVG is calling for a general deodorant waiver. So now do you still want to have your nose out?" [DW, 7/3/2020] -- Farm families in Botswana

living beside the Chobe River have long battled herds of elephants that often pass through their fields at night, trampling crops as they move toward the river. Barking dogs and fences have failed to stop the elephants, the BBC reported on July 7, but farmers are having remarkable success with a new weapon: disco lights. Scientists from Elephants Without Borders placed solar-powered strobe lights that flash color patterns along the sides of fields elephants are known to walk through, frightening the elephants away. One farmer reported that before he had lights, "I had more elephants raid ... but in these two seasons with lights I have harvested successfully." [BBC, 7/7/2020] News That Sounds Like a Joke A man attempting to elude police

in a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser on July 5 in Newberg, Oregon, crashed into a woman driving a Buick Regal that had been reported stolen three weeks before, giving police a two-fer.

Newberg-Dundee police said they arrested the driver of the Toyota, Randy Lee Cooper, 27, and then found the driver of the Buick, Kristin Nicole Begue, 25, to be under the influence of intoxicants and arrested her, too, KOIN reported. Neither driver was injured [KOIN, 7/6/2020] Suspicious Liberty County (Georgia) sheriff's officers who found a body lying next to a railroad track in Allenhurst on July 14 followed protocol by covering the body with a sheet and waiting for the coroner. When the coroner arrived, detectives looked for injuries and quickly discovered the body was

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Least Competent Criminal Wendy Wein, 51, of South Rockwood, Michigan, was arrested July 17 after offering an undercover state trooper $5,000 to kill her ex-husband and giving him money for travel expenses, WXYZ reported.

Wein met the trooper after allegedly visiting the fake website rentahitman.com, where she completed a form requesting a consultation and named her ex-husband as the target.

The owner of the website contacted Michigan State Police, who sent the undercover officer. "I'm very surprised that someone thought this website was a true website," said state police spokesman Lt. Brian Oleksyk. The website owner said over the last 15 years he's been contacted a number of times by people wanting someone killed, and he turns all of those requests over to law enforcement. [WXYZ, 7/21/2020] Wait, What?

Iceland is offering a stressed-out world a unique way to blow off some steam, reports Sky News -- scream therapy. The country's tourist board is inviting people worldwide to record their screams to be played over loudspeakers in one of seven remote locations. "You've been through a lot this year," says the project website, "and it looks like you need the perfect place to let your frustrations out. Somewhere big, vast and untouched. It looks like you need Iceland." Psychotherapist Zoe Aston approves: "Using a scream as a way to release pent-up emotion allows you to ... reclaim the power that is inside you." Iceland has suffered relatively little during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1,905 cases of the disease and 10 lives lost. [Sky News, 7/15/2020]

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a female sex doll. WSAV reported that the doll was fully clothed and was anatomically correct. Officials think they may have been victims of a prank. [WSAV, 7/15/2020]

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Compelling Explanation What started as a report of a naked man running down a road hitting cars in Owensboro, Kentucky, on July 16, soon turned into a home burglary in progress, reports WFIE. Daviess County Sheriff 's deputies said they arrived at the home around 1:30 a.m. to find John Stefanopoulos, 41, standing inside, naked and covered with mud and blood. Authorities said the suspect rushed the officers while repeatedly telling them he had used "mushrooms with Jesus and that they were playing a virtual reality video game together." Stefanopoulos was eventually tased and taken into custody.

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 9

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

SPECIAL TO THE SENIOR BEACON FROM THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL [WFIE, 7/17/2020] "Incorrigibel" Robert Berger, 25, of Huntington, New York, was scheduled to be sentenced last October after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen Lexus and attempting to steal a truck, but in an effort to avoid jail, he tried faking his own death, prosecutors charged on July 21. The scheme, they said, unraveled when authorities discovered a spelling error and inconsistencies in the font styles and sizes on the fake death certificate submitted by his lawyer. Further, The Associated Press reports, while Berger was "dead," he was arrested in Philadelphia for providing a false identity to police and stealing from a Catholic college. "It will never cease to amaze me the lengths some people will go to to avoid being held

accountable on criminal charges," Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said. "It's never a good idea to submit phony documents to the district attorney."

[Associated Press, 7/21/2020] Suspicions Confirmed Andrea Balbi, president of the Gondola Association in Venice, Italy, announced on July 22 that the organization is reducing the maximum capacity allowed on the iconic boats from six persons to five, CNN reported. The change comes not because of social distancing, but because "over the last 10 years or so, tourists weigh more," Balbi said.

He noted that heavier loads often mean the boats take on water, which makes it harder for the gondoliers to navigate in heavy traffic. "Going forward with over half a ton of meat

SRDA MONTHLY MENU ABOUT THE MENU â—? Nutrition Services (Congregate) Eligibility Policy: Individuals are eligible to participate in the congregate meals service in one of the categories listed in this below: Persons 60 years of age or older and their self-declared spouses of any age; Disabled persons under 60 years of age who reside with persons over 60 years of age, when the care and maintenance of the disabled person otherwise prevents the older adult from participating in the program and when the participation of such individuals does not prevent the participation of older adults and their spouses. The disabled person must accompany the eligible older consumer to the site; Disabled persons under 60 years of age who reside in housing facilities occupied primarily by older adults and at which congregate nutrition services are provided when such participation does not prevent the participation of older adults and their spouse Persons under 60 years of age who provide meal related volunteer services and individuals providing volunteer services at congregate meal sites during meal hours when the participation of such individuals does not prevent the participation of older adults and their spouses; and Staff members of the nutrition program who are 60 years of age or older when such participation does not pre-

on board is dangerous," remarked Raoul Roveratto, president of an association for substitute gondoliers.

[CNN, 7/22/2020] Sign of the Times A perfect storm may be brewing to strike down the long-maligned one-cent coin, the penny. Earlier this year, the U.S. Mint cut back on coin production to keep its workers safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reported NPR's Planet Money.

At the same time, people stopped spending, especially with cash, and word of a coin shortage spread, prompting some stores, such as Kroger, to start rounding their prices to avoid making coin change. Last year, the mint made more than 7 billion pennies, almost 60% of its total coin production, and each one-cent coin cost TWO cents to produce,

NOTE: Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), meal sites are closed. Meals-on-Wheels is still open

vent the participation of other older adults and their spouses.

Nutrition Services (Home Delivered) Eligibility

homebound or who are geographically isolated; Disabled persons under age 60 years who reside with eligible consumers; and

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Angry Animals -- At Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California, five acres around Manzanita Lake were shut down after a man was attacked by an otter on June 25. Park Superintendent Jim Richardson told the Redding Record Searchlight the unnamed man was swimming in the river and came too close to the otter's offspring, known as kittens.

"It is significant anytime an animal attacks a human," Richardson said.

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putting the loss at more than $72 million. Still, the mint has no plans to eliminate the coin. It's been up and running at full capacity since mid-June, and according to spokesman Michael White, about 40% of the coins it has produced since then have been pennies. [Planet Money, 7/14/2020]

JH Edwards Senior Center (SRDA) 230 N Union Avenue Pueblo, CO Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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Page 10 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

OPINION-EDITORIAL ANN COULTER

prison that has come to symbolize the French Revolution, a period of massive violence that produced nothing other than a lot of dead Frenchmen. Their revolution was the screech of a mob, much as we are seeing in several of our own cities and towns today. So let’s review this absurdly celebrated event.

As is common with mob violence, the storming of the Bastille was set off by a rumor. People began to whisper that the impotent, indecisive king, Louis XVI, was going to attack the new legislative body, the National Assembly.

-- Hands Up! Don’t Shoot! (Even Eric Holder’s Justice Department found that claim was a lie -- after multiple millions in property dam-

Columnist, author and lawyer

BASTILLE DAY: THE BEGINNING OF LIBERAL MADNESS THIS TUESDAY, the

French celebrated Bastille Day, the mob attack on a Parisian

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age and human suffering.)

-- Mass protests over police killing an innocent black man in Detroit!

(Turns out, Hakim Littleton was firing a gun at them.)

-- Althea Bernstein’s face was burned with lighter fluid and a match thrown at her by four “classic Wisconsin frat boys"! (After initial flood-the-zone coverage, that story sure disappeared fast.)

In need of weapons to defend themselves from the imaginary attack, on the morning of July 14, 1789, about 60,000 French citizens armed with pikes and axes assembled at Les Invalides, a barracks for aging soldiers, to demand weapons and ammunition.

-- As Sens. Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio can explain to you, antifa carry rocks, incendiary devices and bicycle locks only to defend themselves from “fascists.”

Eventually, the mob broke through the gate of Les Invalides and ransacked the building, seizing 10 cannon and 28,000 muskets. But no ammunition. So they headed for the Bastille, which had once been a fortress.

The rabble feared the Bastille because of false rumors of political prisoners being tortured behind its walls. In fact, the Bastille held only a half-dozen prisoners that day, most of them common forgers. They were not being tortured, and the prison was in the process of being shut down, anyway.

With legions of Parisians banging on the gates of the Bastille, the prison’s commander, Marquis de Launay, invited representatives of the people inside to negotiate over breakfast.

-- Sure, I’m the chief of police, but I’ll take a knee. That will shut them up.

Their first request was that the cannon be removed from the towers because mounted guns frightened the people. De Launay agreed, and the cannon were withdrawn.

-- What if we fly a “BLM” flag?

But the mob outside interpreted

the cannon’s disappearance to mean that they were being loaded, about to fire into the crowd! For some reason, they also believed their representatives, lingering over breakfast, had been taken hostage.

As the mob grew, the Bastille’s guards told them to disperse, shooing them away by waving their caps.

The people interpreted the waving of hats as encouragement to continue the attack. And so it went, with periodic gunplay interrupting de Launay’s attempts to surrender.

Soon, the mob was firing cannonballs at the prison, hacking at the drawbridge and scaling the courtyard walls.

Facing tens of thousands of these lunatics, de Launay made a final offer: He would cede total control of the Bastille, provided only that the transfer be accomplished peacefully.

Unless his demand for a bloodless transition was met, he said, he would blow up the entire city block. Which, it turns out, he should have.

De Launay’s offer was refused. He surrendered anyway.

-- Hello, police precincts in Minneapolis and Seattle!

The mob poured in and ransacked the entire fortress, throwing papers from the windows, killing guards and taking others prisoner. One captured guard later described being marched through the street with “masses of people shouting at me and cursing me.”

-- At least we haven’t seen any masses of people shouting and cursing at law enforcement officers.

Much worse was in store for de Launay. The Bastille commander was triumphantly paraded through the streets, where the people cut him with swords and bayonets until he was finally hacked to death, whereupon the charming Parisians continued to mutilate his dead body. A cook was given the honor of cutting off de Launay’s head, getting down on his hands and knees in the gutter and sawing it off with a pocketknife.

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 11

SENIOR SERVICE DIRECTORY These are some of the top service providers in your community!

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◀ FROM GOLD, PAGE 3 of the investment and the amount of fear and anticipated inflation you bet on. You can also use it to diversify.

ONE MORE BOTTOM LINE: It won’t be used as a currency again.

It’s just not realistic with the amount of market transactions and growing, global money supply.

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Written on 07-27-2020 Ronald S. Phillips is a Pueblo native and an independent financial advisor.

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◀ FROM LIGHT, PAGE 6 if we will call on His name, humble ourselves, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. He will hear from heaven and answer. However, He is speaking to the entire worldwide church, “my people.”

“Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.” How exciting. Are you eager to see the wicked

cut off? No more spewing threats and hatred over the airwaves, in print or on social media?

Earlier, I posed a question. Where or who is the source of this evil insurgency? Here is the answer. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the

heavenly places” (Eph 6:12 NKJV).

Open your Bible. Read Psalm 37.

You will find encouragement and hope. Don’t let the devil drag you into a pit of despair. Fear is one of his favorite tools. Fear is sin. Fear robs us of the blessings of obedience. Fear can keep you from sharing the Good News with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. And if an unbeliever sees the fear in you, why

would they want your Jesus? Don’t let fear overpower you.

Hear the word of the Lord.

“Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD. He is their strength in the time of trouble.

And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” The Lord keeps His promises.

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” © 2020 Jan McLaughlin, all rights reserved.

Scripture from Psalm 37, NKJV. Jan McLaughlin is Director of Prayer For Prisoners International and can be reached by e-mail – Jan@PrayerForPrisoners.org or by phone 719-275-6971

Page 12 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 13

FOR A HEALTHIER YOU Centura-St. Thomas Cardiac Program MORE THAN 200,000 in-hospi-

tal cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, with survival rates at less than 26%.

Patients who suffer a cardiac arrest must receive the highest quality CPR possible, which is known to be the cornerstone for survival; however, certain studies show CPR skills can decay within three to six months following this training.

That’s why the Resuscitation Quality Improvement® program (RQI®), co-developed by the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical and delivered by RQI Partners, has been implemented to help St. Thomas More Hospital’s clinical staff achieve sustained mastery of high-quality CPR skills and competence, resulting in improved patient outcomes.

Centura Health is the first healthcare system in Colorado to adopt and implement RQI 2020, an enhanced resuscitation quality improvement portfolio that was introduced in 2019.

Forty-six RQI simulation stations will be placed throughout Centura Health’s 17 hospitals, which will provide convenient access for healthcare professionals who participate in the program. The RQI program was launched at St Thomas More the beginning of July.

“Quarterly modules with simulations and skills checkoffs ensure that associates are always current with the best practices and thoroughly prepared to recognize and handle patient emergencies,” explained Peggy Berkey, St. Thomas More’s RN Educator.

Introduced in 2015, the RQI program was designed for healthcare professionals with responsibility for patient care. Now, RQI 2020 prepares all healthcare system staff members to deliver high-quality CPR and verify competence in Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support through simulated skills

sessions and eLearning simulations.

The program provides a high-reliability platform for self-directed, simulation-based mastery learning and performance, which is implemented through “low-dose, high-frequency” hands-on CPR quality improvement sessions, in 10 minutes every 90 days, that measure and verify competence each time.

The program also provides analytics that can measure individual, department, facility or system compliance.

To provide a complete solution to Centura Health facilities, a brand new offering – RQI Responder – is now available for use by non-clinical healthcare staff who are not directly involved in patient care.

The addition of RQI Responder will ensure that every hospital employee, clinical and non-clinical, is prepared to respond to a cardiac arrest event and able to provide high-quality CPR. “It is very exciting to kick off the RQI program here at St. Thomas More and throughout the Centura Health system,” said Berkey. “Being current and providing the best education and

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training to our associates are my main objectives. As RN Educator at St. Thomas More, I’m on a mission to improve the quality of healthcare through education. Quality training leads to quality care for our patients.”

To learn more about the RQI program and the value it brings to hospitals, patient care and communities at-large, visit www.rqipartners.com.

ABOUT ST. THOMAS MORE HOSPITAL St. Thomas More Hospital is the cornerstone of health care services for Fremont County. Services include 24-hour emergency and trauma services, inpatient acute care, Intensive Care Unit, The Birth Center, diagnostic imaging, surgical services, rehabilitation services, sleep disorder center, wound care and more. St. Thomas More also operates Centura Health Urgent Care Canon City.

The St. Thomas More Physician Group features Primary Care, Pediatric Health Services, Obstetrics/ Gynecology, Orthopedic Services and General Surgery. St. Thom-

as More is supported by Centura Health, the region’s leading health care network. For more information, visit our website or follow us on Facebook.

ABOUT CENTURA HEALTH Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care.

Through our 17 hospitals, two senior living communities, neighborhood health centers, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life® Colorado, our caregivers make the region’s best health care accessible.

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Page 14 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

FREMONT COUNTY/SALIDA MENUS GAC ● Aug. 3: Tuna salad, romaine w tomato slice, pasta salad, orange, raisin nut cup, ww dinner roll ● Aug. 4: Combination burrito, salsa, lettuce, tomato, cilantro lime rice, refried beans, citrus cup ● Aug. 5: Tahitian chicken, seasoned green beans, brown rice, vegetable salad w lite Italian, apple, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 6: Bratwurst on a bun w onion and cabbage, oven browned potatoes, peas and carrots, orange ● Aug. 7: Arroz con pollo, corn & zucchini, Mexicana, tossed salad, apricot, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 10: Beef and broccoli stir fry, steamed brown rice, steamed carrots, pineapple tidbits, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 11: Swiss broccoli pasta, 5-way vegetable, tossed salad w lite ranch, banana, ww rolls w butter ● Aug. 12: Ham and beans, collard greens, cornbread, orange juice ● Aug. 13: Taco salad w salsa, lettuce, tomato, garnish, strawberry, applesauce, flan custard, cornbread w butter ● Aug. 14: Chicken cacciatore, green beans, smashed red potatoes, banana, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 17: Roast pork gravy, oven browned potatoes, brown gravy, orange salad, parslied carrots, apple & ww roll ● Aug. 18: Pasta primavera, spinach salad w egg and lite Italian, apple pear salad w almonds,

plums, garlic bread ● Aug. 19: Smothered chicken cornbread stuffing, peas and carrots, cauliflower & broccoli, applesauce waldorf salad, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 20: Roast beef sandwich on wheat, chunky vegetable soup, oven browned potatoes, confetti salad, apple ● Aug. 21: Tuna pasta salad, creamy cucumber salad, peach, orange juice sf, gelatin w banana, raisin nut cup, ww rolls w butter ● Aug. 24: Chicken fajita, savory black beans w cilantro, tortilla ww, cheddar cheese, Mexicali corn, orange ● Aug. 25: Spaghetti and meat sauce, tossed salad w lite Italian, green beans, orange, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 26: Roast turkey w gravy, smashed red potatoes, California blend veggies, spinach salad w mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, ww rolls/butter ● Aug. 27: Corned beef sandwich on rye w swiss cheese, creamy coleslaw, banana, roasted unsalted peanuts ● Aug. 28: Chicken salad sandwich, lettuce and tomato, confetti salad, beef barley soup, orange juice ● Aug. 31: Hungarian goulash, California vegetables, chopped spinach w malt vinegar, banana, ww bread w butter SALIDA ● Aug. 4: Beef barley soup, ww crackers, sesame broccoli, apri-

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cot/pineapple compote, apple, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 6: Bratwurst on a bun w onions and cabbage, oven browned potatoes, peas and carrots, orange ● Aug. 7: Arroz con pollo, corn and zucchini Mexicana, tossed salad, apricot, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 11: Beef and broccoli stir fry, steamed brown rice, steamed carrots, pineapple tidbits, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 13: Taco salad w salsa, lettuce, tomato garnish, strawberry applesauce, flan custard, cornbread w butter ● Aug. 14: Chicken cacciatore, green beans, smashed red potatoes, banana, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 18: Chicken fajita, savory black beans w cilantro, tortilla ww, cheddar cheese, Mexicali corn, orange ● Aug. 20: Roast beef sandwich on wheat, chunky vegetable soup, oven browned potatoes, confetti salad, apple ● Aug. 21: Tuna pasta salad, creamy cucumber salad, peach, orange juice, sf gelatin w banana, raisin nut cup, ww rolls w butter ● Aug. 25: Pueblo beef stew, sour cream, ww crackers, brussels sprouts, vegetable salad, banana ● Aug. 27: Corned beef sandwich on rye w swiss cheese, creamy coleslaw, banana, roasted unsalted peanuts ● Aug. 28: Chicken salad sandwich, lettuce and tomato, confetti salad, beef barley soup, orange juice FLORENCE ● Aug. 4: Italian sausage, marinara sauce, spaghetti, broccoli,

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tossed salad, pears, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 6: Bratwurst on a bun w onion and cabbage, oven browned potatoes, peas and carrots, orange ● Aug. 7: Arroz con pollo, corn and zucchini Mexicana, tossed salad, apricot, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 11: Hot turkey sandwich, whipped potatoes, asparagus amandine, pineapple mandarin compote, banana ● Aug. 13: Taco salad with salsa, lettuce, tomato garnish, strawberry applesauce, flan custard, cornbread w butter ● Aug. 14: Chicken cacciatore, green beans, smashed red potatoes, banana, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 18: BBQ Chicken, potato salad, spinach salad w mandarin oranges, apple, ww roll w butter ● Aug. 20: Roast beef sandwich on wheat, chunky vegetable soup, oven browned potatoes, confetti salad, apple ● Aug. 21: Tuna pasta salad, creamy cucumber salad, peach, orange juice sf gelatin w banana, raising nut cup, ww rolls w butter ● Aug. 25: Beef and sweet peppers, steamed brown rice, orange spiced carrots, grapefruit half, ww bread w butter ● Aug. 27: Corned beef sandwich on rye w swiss cheese, creamy coleslaw, banana, roasted unsalted peanuts ● Aug. 28: Chicken salad sandwich, lettuce and tomato, confetti salad, beef barley soup, orange juice

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 15

SENIOR SAFETY

PUEBLO POLICE DEPARTMENT — 549-1200 | PUEBLO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE — 583-6125 | EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE — 520-7100 | COLORADO SPRINGS POLICE DEPT. — 444-7000 | FREMONT COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPT. — 784-3411 | CANON CITY POLICE DEPT. — 276-5600

Flight For Life Unveils New Helicopters CENTURA HEALTH, THE

region’s largest health care network, is proud to announce Centura-St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo and Centura-Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs are home to two new critical care transport helicopters, which will serve the entire southern Colorado region including St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City.

Flight For Life® Colorado’s two new Eurocopter AS 350 “AStar” B3E helicopters are specialized flying critical care units, equipped with the industry’s cutting-edge technology, such as upgraded engines that are more powerful and reliable than their predecessors, allowing for a longer range of flight and increased patient/load capabilities.

“We’re delighted to take delivery of our two newest B3e helicopters.

The increased horsepower of these helicopters, coupled with Flight For Life’s commitment to keep them as light as possible will increase our capabilities at high altitude, in support of our partners in the search and rescue community,” Kathleen Mayer, Program Director for Flight For Life®, said.

“They’re also a reflection of Centura Health’s commitment to Flight For Life’s safety and success, and we are truly grateful for that support. They are already making a difference for our EMS and Search & Rescue partners, our referring

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Flight For Life® Colorado provides 24/7 critical care transport

FFL provides critical care transport with five helicopters, operating within a 120-mile radius of five Colorado operations bases.

The program also operates three airplanes covering a nine-state area, and five ambulances serving their local regions (St. Anthony Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center, St. Anthony Summit Medical Center, Mercy Regional Medical Center).

to patients across several states in the Rocky Mountains.

Transport capabilities include the specialty areas of high-risk obstetrical, intra-aortic balloon pump and mountain rescue transports. facilities and our patients in southern Colorado.”

Flight For Life® Colorado provides 24/7 critical care transport to patients across several states in the Rocky Mountains. Transport capabilities include the specialty areas of high-risk obstetrical, intra-aortic balloon pump and mountain rescue transports.

Leg Cramps Cramping Your Style

The Need GoldenVolunteer Age Center continues...

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to provide grab-and-go meals, Monday-Friday County for seniors age The Golden Shuttle/Fremont 60+. Please call 345-3064 each day by 9:30am to let us know you will need a Transit meal. If youProgram are unable tohas pick up your meal, we can arrange for Fremont County Transit to bring you to get your meal or you can designate someone to pick it up for you. There is no shortage on meals so we encourage anyone wanting or needing a meal to please call.

If you have not eaten with us before, you will need to fill out an intake form. We ask for a $3.00 donation.

expanded service to Florence and Penrose which requires more drivers.

Also, Fremont County Transit is open and running. We can get you to your appointments or 275-5177 to the grocery store. Our taking every precaution and sanitizing Call if drivers youareare our vehicles between riders.

We can also pick up your pre-ordered groceries and deliver them to you. Let us know interested. what you need help with and we will do our best to help or get someone who can. Just call 276-5200.

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Page 16 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

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REELING

THANK YOU, WILL FERRELL, FOR MAKING US ALL LAUGH 'EUROVISION SONG CONTEST' IS ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY AT ITS VERY BEST BETTY JO TUCKER Pueblo award winning film critic

W

ill Ferrell almost always makes me laugh, so I try to see all of his movies.

In fact, I smile just thinking about some of the quirky characters he’s played on the big screen and on SNL No matter how outrageous, Ferrell gets to the amusing soul of each part.

My favorites include the grown man who thought he was an elf, the cowbell player in that hilarious “More Cowbell” SNL skit, and so-called newsman Ron Burgundy.

Well, now I have to add

Lars, the Iceland song man in “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” to my list.

I want to thank Will Ferrell for helping my husband Larry, daughter Sue, son Kelly, and me when we felt down in the dumps a few days after my husband suffered a mild heart attack.

Larry had just returned from the hospital and wasn’t feeling his best, of course.

So we all decided to watch “Eurovision Song Contest,” a Netflix movie starring and co-written by Ferrell.

That turned out to be the medicine we needed.

We were entertained from start to finish!

Ferrell receives great support from the appealing Rachel McAdams (“Red Eye”).

These two stars portray childhood friends who grew to love music and have formed a band called Fire Saga.

They play gigs in their small Icelandic town. But Lars has bigger ambitions.

joined with him

Lars lives to win a song contest.

Not just any, only the best.

It’s Eurovision he’s after.

Why does this dream evoke laughter?

bursts.

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His best friend Sigrit

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whim.

When picked as Iceland’s song entry.

It’s a surprise of the century.

But they persist despite the jokes and prove themselves courageous folks!

Will Ferrell wins our heart as Lars.

His comic turn deserves five stars.

Rachel McAdams don’t forget.

She’s adorable as Sigrit.

Across the screen fun music Enough to quench many fans thirsts.

Hooray for comedies like this!

It put me in a state of bliss.

During the contest, Lars and Sigrit’s longtime friendship gets

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to prove their band was not a

challenged by a popular smarmy contestant -- played to the hilt by Dan Stevens (“The Man Who Invented Christmas”) -- who wants Sigrit to come work with him.

This makes Lars think more deeply about his feelings for Sigrit, who really loves him.

And, oh yes, I should mention the fun music!

Watch for Demi Lovato in a lovely number as well as Fire Saga’s “Double Trouble” and Dan Stevens’ unforgettable “Lion of Love” performance. Stevens is now my choice for best supporting actor so far this year.

(Released by Netflix and rated “PG-13” by MPAA.)

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 17

THE WELL-DRESSED GARDEN

Details Make a Difference A fancy garden gate, which borrows architectural details from the home, marks an entrance but also keeps deer out of the vegetable beds on the other side.

In another garden, Rowland used an unexpected combination of boulders, pea gravel and field stones in her design of the hardscape, but limited the color palette to warm brown tones.

Even though the materials are texturally very different from one another, the color choice "marries it all together, so it makes sense," she says.

Details strongly reinforce design decisions, Rowland says, describing the great care an installation crew took to place clipped boxwood globes around a client's perfectly symmetrical rose garden.

"The pathways had to line up just so, and the boxwoods all needed

to be the same distance from the edging," she says.

"You may not notice consciously when the smaller details have been paid attention to, but there's a sense of extra pleasure in seeing a project like that."

In small projects, details are particularly important, says Ryan Prange, a landscape architect and the founder of Falling Waters Landscape in Encinitas, in Southern California, where small lots are typical.

They have their own challenges, Prange says. In tiny spaces, design elements frequently have to do double duty, solving problems (and hiding them) while giving clients beautiful spaces for the outdoor lifestyle they're dreaming of.

On a tiny lot just north of Encinitas, Prange met with a client who needed a solution to peri-

odic flooding but also wanted a home office off the deck, a place to entertain, and privacy from the street. Water problems had to be addressed first.

"We talked about everything -- from lifting the house to rebuilding," Prange says. I n the end, they excavated, creating swales and depressions in the landscape and lining them with rocks and water-tolerant plants.

A company that specializes in water systems contributed valuable technical expertise, but Prange's design details, including a recirculating fountain that seems to spill into one of the swales, and a footbridge over a catchment area inspired by the experience of a similar bridge in Yosemite Valley, set the project apart.

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THERE'S A BIG difference between a well-designed garden and a garden that sparkles -- and it's in the details.

Getting things in just the right place and taking advantage of opportunities MARTY ROSS are what bring Freelance garden journalist and a garden design syndicated to life. gardening columnist Good designers "have a sense of scale and proportion and circulation," says James Drzewiecki, a landscape designer and owner of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. "And when you have good details, even if they are subtle, people pick up on that."

Drzewiecki never has to look far for inspiration in the gardens he designs.

"I look at the house first," he says, picking up visual cues that suggest the ideal location for beds and pathways. The choice of materials for hardscaping in a garden design often echoes the materials in a house, he says, and gives the garden a feeling of belonging in the place.

In an award-winning garden near Milwaukee, Drzewiecki reimagined a client's front yard, adding functional and artful details designed to make the space more modern and welcoming.

Bluestone pavers set in slatechip mulch, placed adjacent to the driveway, give passengers a comfortable place to step in and out of a car without stepping in flower beds.

Along the front walk, a pad of irregularly shaped field stones reflects the home's Prairie-style architecture and creates what Drzewiecki calls "a pausing point" in the landscape. It's a skillful touch: Instead of coming in on a runway of a front walk, visitors immediately find themselves in the midst of a gracious garden landscape.

Wickie Rowland, a landscape designer and creative director at Design and Landscapes by Labrie Associates in North Hampton, New Hampshire, relies on design details to create movement in a garden.

Rowland designed a sweeping stone walkway with a generously proportioned curved seating wall on the waterfront of a client's property, an expansive gesture that pulls the eye into the landscape. Behind the wall, her design called for a row of wispy plantings, just enough to soften and highlight the edge without blocking the view.

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Page 18 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

SENIOR CLASSIFIEDS

PERMANENT EXTERIOR LIGHTING FOR YOUR HOME TrimLight is an amazing new product that offers year-round

lighting. Fully warrantied and offers safety and security. No more ladders, broken bulbs, or tangled wires. Free estimates for professional installation.

FOR SALE, 2006 DODGE RAM 3500 MEGA CAB

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PW: FURNISHED 1 bedroom IF YOU ARE THE PRIMARY apt. 2 furnished, private rooms caregiver for an elderly parent, in with baths. Shared living. Income either your or their home, and need an occasional break to tend to other proof, rental history must

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obligations, I can help. I am an RN with 15+ years experience in geriatric nursing and offer respite care at $20/hr. Please call 913-327-9236.

TWO CEMETERY PLOTS for sale; side by side. $1,800 at RMTrimLight.com #0820 Imperial Gardens. Retail price #0920 SHARE YOUR JOURNEY: Need SWM 5'9" ROCKVILLE: loves $2800 each. Must sell! help documenting the highlights of to dance, seeking 50ish female with Call (719) 470-9299 your life story? Ellyn makes it easy energy of 40-yr old for companionship.

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lot 935 located in the Last Supper from 1950s and 1960s; 45s, Area. Asking $2000 includes vault. 78s, LPs. Also sheet music from

same period. Also 10 and 12 cent comics. (719) 566-7975 after 11:00am.

Please email Lenora at: HotGma07@hotmail.com

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SPECIALIZING IN SPECIAL ning of your pictures. The result is a Needs ramps, doors painting, colorful hardback memoir that will plus much more. Carl 251- be a family keepsake.

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“When I decided to volunteer at Silver Key’s Food Pantry, I knew it would be rewarding. I was surprised to find out how thankful it makes me feel to help others who may not be as fortunate as I am. The seniors served through the pantry really appreciate the food and necessities they receive and I like knowing it helps them stretch their limited budgets further. I have a lot of fun making a difference in a senior’s life.”

Be part of something important.

Apply to volunteer at silverkey.org/volunteer or call 719-884-2300.

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SENIOR CLASSIFIED AD REQUEST This classified ad section of the Senior Beacon carries advertising of all sorts. The cost is $10.00 for the first 20 words or less and $.25 for each word over twenty words.

TO PLACE AN AD either: (1) Write your ad in the space provided below. Please print clearly. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Phone:_________________ Your Name:______________________ Then mail ad and check (send no cash) to: Senior Beacon

Silver Key

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HOME CARE THROUGH MEDICAID

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Pueblo, CO 81008

(2) Email your ad to BeaconNewsGroup@gmail.com

or

(3) Visit SeniorBeacon.info and click the “advertise” page

Deadline is the 20th of the month

(allow mailing time)

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 19

SOCIAL SECURITY & YOU

JOSH WELLER, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST-SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - PUEBLO COUNTY, FREMONT COUNTY AND EL PASO COUNTY

Reaching Social Security During COVID DURING THE CURRENT

coronavirus pandemic, we continue to provide help to you and other people in your communities. While our offices are not providing service to walk-in visitors due to COVID-19, we remain ready and able to help you by phone with most Social Security business.

You can speak with a representative by calling your local Social Security office or our National 800 Number. You can find local office phone numbers online by using our Social Security Office Locator at www.ssa.gov/locator.

We offer many secure and convenient online services at www.ssa.gov/ onlineservices, where you can: Apply for Retirement, Disability, and Medicare benefits; Check the status of an application or appeal; Request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas); Print a benefit verification letter; and Much more.

Although you can do most of your business with us online, we know that service channel isn’t right for everyone. You can still count on us by phone. If you have a critical situa-

Villa Pueblo Senior Living Community located in Pueblo, Colorado was named the Home of Heroes in 1993.

We appreciate our VETERANS here and want to provide an exclusive incentive.

Pueblo is the perfect place to downsize or serve as a home base from which to enjoy your golden retirement years.

Our senior living community is proud to offer beautiful new décor, engaging activities, and affordability, to ensure your experience is truly golden.

tion and we cannot help you with by phone or online, we may be able to schedule an appointment for you.

If you need help, please don’t wait until we can see you in person. Call us now and get the help you need. We also understand that getting medical and other documentation can be difficult due to the pandemic, so we are continuing to extend certain deadlines wherever possible.

A Redesigned Retirement Benefits Portal That Works for You We are excited to tell you about our redesigned retirement benefits portal at www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement.

Keeping you informed about our products and services, and helping you prepare for making decisions that will affect your benefits is very important to us. Preparing for retirement is one of the most important decisions you can make.

Our website has helped millions of people get ready for and apply for retirement. But we heard your feedback that you also want to:

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Learn how to manage your personal my Social Security account online.

We made our redesigned retirement benefits portal more user-friendly and easier to navigate, whether you are ready to learn about, apply for,

or manage your retirement benefits.

You’ll find the new portal eye pleasing, informative, and optimized for mobile devices. We also improved how we list our information on search engines to make it easier for you to find outside our website.

The new Retirement Benefits portal is just the first of several steps we are taking to improve your experience on our website. Click. www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement to Learn, Apply, and Manage your retirement benefits.

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Page 20 - Senior Beacon - August 2020

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SOCIAL SECURITY & YOU Question: Is it true that if you have low income you can get help paying your Medicare premiums?

Answer: Yes. If your income and resources are limited, your state may be able to help with your Medicare Part B premium, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts. State rules vary on the income and resources that apply. Contact your state or local medical assistance, social services, or welfare office, or call the Medicare hotline, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and ask about the Medicare Savings Programs. If you have limited income and resources, you also may be able to get help paying for prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778) or visit any Social Security office.

Also, see our publication, Medicare (Publication 10043), at www. socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html. For even more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Question: How do I get a copy of the form, Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs?

Answer: If you wish to apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs, we recommend you use our online application at www.socialsecurity.gov/i1020/. You can find instruction sheets in 15 different languages to help you understand the English application at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

If you prefer not to fill out this application on the Internet, you can call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, to ask for a paper application. Also, you can make an appointment at your local Social Security office to apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Question: If I call 1-800-772-1213, can a Social Security representative take my application for Medicare prescription drug help over the phone?

Answer: If an interviewer is available when you call the 800 number, he or she can take your application over the phone. If an interviewer is not immediately available, we can schedule a telephone appointment for you. For the fastest and most convenient way to apply for Medicare prescription drug help, go online to www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

Question: Where can I find general information about Medicare benefits?

Answer: Social Security determines whether people are entitled to Medicare benefits, but the program is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). You can visit CMS’s Medicare website at www. medicare.gov, or call them at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Online or by phone, you can find answers to all your Medicare questions at CMS. Question: Will my eligibility for the Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs be reviewed and, if so, how often?

Answer: If you get the Extra Help, Social Security may contact you to review your status. This reassessment will ensure you remain eligible for Extra Help and receive all the benefits you deserve. Annually, usually at the end of August, we may send you a form to complete: Social Security Administration Review of Your Eligibility for Extra Help. You will have 30 days to complete and return this form. Any necessary adjustments to the Extra Help will be effective in January of the following year. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp for more information.

Question: I have medical coverage through my employer. Do I have to take Medicare Part B? Answer: You are not required to take Medicare Part B if you are covered by a group healthcare plan based on either your employment or the employment of a spouse. When your coverage ends, you may contact the Social Security Administration to request a special enrollment for Medicare Part B. We will need to verify your coverage through your employer in order for you to be eligible for a special enrollment. For more information, visit www.medicare.gov/sign-upchange-plans/get-parts-a-and-b/when-sign-up-partsa-and-b/when-sign-up-parts-a-and-b.html.

Question: I have diabetes and I have to take insulin. Is my insulin covered by Medicare?

Answer: Medicare Part B does not cover insulin unless use of an insulin pump is medically necessary. However, certain Medicare Part D prescription drug plans may cover insulin and certain supplies used to inject insulin, like syringes. For more information, please visit www.medicare.gov/coverage/insulin.html.

Question: I want to sign up for a Medicare Part C and D plan, but I’m not sure which plan I want. Is there a resource to help me find a plan?

Answer: Yes. Medicare.gov has a plan finder available on their website as well as instructions on how to use the plan finder. To access the Medicare Plan Finder, please visit www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/ home.aspx.

Question: What do I need to report to Social Security if I get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments?

Answer: You need to report any changes that may affect your payment amount. This includes changes in your income or resources.

You must report changes of address, changes in

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 21

SOCIAL SECURITY & YOU your living arrangements, and changes in your earned and unearned income. To learn more about SSI, visit our website at www. socialsecurity.gov/ssi.

Question: How can I become a representative payee?

Answer: If you know someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and who needs assistance managing their payments, contact your local Social Security office about becoming their representative payee.

Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ payee for more information.

Question: I am getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Can I get other kinds of help?

Answer: You may be able to get other assistance. For example, in most states, SSI recipients also get Medicaid. You should contact your medical assistance office. Also, SSI recipients are sometimes eligible for social services provided by the state, city, or county where they live.

These may include arrangements for meals or transportation. SSI recipients also may qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, or “food stamps,” in many states. More information is available at your

local public assistance office.

Question: My grandmother receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. She may have to enter a nursing home to get the long-term care she needs. How does this affect her SSI benefits?

Answer: Moving to a nursing home could affect your grandmother’s SSI benefits, depending on the type of facility.

In many cases, we have to reduce or stop SSI payments to nursing home residents, including when Medicaid covers the cost of the nursing home care.

When your grandmother enters or leaves a nursing home, assisted living facility, hospital, skilled nursing facility, or any other kind of institution, you must notify Social Security right away.

Learn more about SSI reporting responsibilities at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi. You can call Social Security’s toll-free number, 1-800772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to report a change.

the federal payment.

If you live in your own place and pay your own food and shelter costs, regardless of whether you own or rent, you may get up to the maximum SSI amount payable in your state.

You also can get up to the maximum if you live in someone else's household, as long as you pay your food and shelter costs.

If you live in someone else's household and don't pay your food and shelter costs or pay only part of them, your SSI benefit may be reduced by up to one-third of the SSI federal benefit rate.

To learn more, read Supplemental Security Income (SSI) available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

Question: What is the definition of disability for children filing for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

Answer: Social Security has a strict definition of disability for children under the SSI program. A child who is under age 18 is considered disabled if he or she: ● Has a physical or mental condition (or a combination of conditions) resulting in “marked and severe functional limitations.”

“Marked and severe functional limitations” means that the condition very seriously limits the child’s activities; and

Question: Does where I live affect the amount of my Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits?

Answer: It might. First, where you live might affect your benefit amount because some states add a supplement to

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Page 22 - Senior Beacon - August 2020 ART

Arts Center Open With 'New Normal' IF I HEAR someone say “the new normal” one more time! What hasn’t changed is our passion to bring you the finest possible in the world of art.

To that end we are delighted at the responses we’ve gotten on our Inspiration art glass exhibition.

Thanks to George R. Stroemple, the collector, we are able to have these wonderful pieces on display until May 9, 2021.

For the latest information visit www.sdc-arts.org.

Truth and Beauty | Through – September 20 Glass Art from Around the Region | Through – May 9, 2021 A Spirit of Tradition | Through December 6 Lime + Shape + Color + Noise | August 29 – January 17, 2021

Now in the galleries: Inspiration: Dale Chihuly, James Mongrain and Vintage Venetian Glass From The George R. Stroemple Collection | Through May 9, 2021 Gray & Gray: 75 Years of Working in Dirt | Through January 10, 2021 Fumio Sawa: Meditations on

Admission grants entry to both the Children’s Museum and Helen T. White Galleries and is $10 for adults, $8 for children, seniors 65+ and military. Arts Center members are always free.

Timed tickets must be purchase in advance. Visit online at www. sdc-arts.org, or call 719-295-7200.

In the Buell Children’s Museum: Adventures in Art: From Pyramids to Printing Presses | Through January 9, 2021

All works are from The George R. Stroemple Collection. S&S Collaboration

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Sangre de Cristo Arts Center

INSPIRATION. Displays at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center delights viewers with vintage venetian glass to working through dirt.

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August 2020 - Senior Beacon - Page 23

OPINION-EDITORIAL

DAVID SHRIBMAN

Post-Gazette emeritus executive editor and a nationally syndicated columnist.

THIRTY YEARS OF ACCESS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

SOME 83 YEARS ago, a group of disgruntled Americans organized a sit-in at a broom shop here. There were 107 of them, and their spokesman said, “We are only asking for our legal rights." Their sit-in was in the tradition begun by the radical International Workers of the World, and their action was the physical expression of what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would say the day before he was killed: that by sitting in, protesters were standing up.

Those long-ago demonstrators were not professional activists.

They were blind workers, and their act constituted one of the first sit-ins for the rights of the disabled. They were joined by Rep. Matthew A. Dunn of Pittsburgh, blind since he was 20, and their protest helped us see the future.

Their sit-in led directly to a landmark event whose 30th anniversary we mark Sunday, the

implementation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down,�

President George H.W. Bush said when he signed the law in 1990. It was the disabled version of the Book of Exodus sentiment -- Let my people go! -- that Harriet Tubman used as a code for enslaved people escaping to the North and that Al Jolson and Paul Robeson made famous.

That phrase is enshrined in the American Songbook, in the hearts of the marginalized and the striving, in the soaring words of a patrician president who claimed the ADA was the achievement of which he was most proud, in the American spirit and, 30 years ago, in the American legal code. “President Bush truly was passionate about disability rights and felt the ADA was the greatest civil rights act in the country after the civil rights movement of the 1960s," Andrew H. Card, deputy White House chief of staff at the time and interim chair of

the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, said in an interview. “He used to say that disability knew no barrier between ethnic groups and religious affiliation. People with disabilities were pushed aside, and he was proud to make them part of the fabric of America.�

Bush had a helping hand from political figures of both parties. Two were important Republicans: Sen. Robert J. Dole of Kansas, injured in combat on an Italian hillside in the last days of World War II, and Sen. Lowell Weicker of Connecticut, whose son was born with Down syndrome. There were two Democrats: Rep. Tony Coelho of California, who suffered from epilepsy after a head injury at age 16, and Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, whose brother became deaf at age 5 because of spinal meningitis and was sent to the Iowa Institute for the Deaf and Dumb.

They were not alone. One of the unsung heroes was Ginny Thornburgh, wife of former attorney

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general and Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh. When she married Thornburgh -- after his first wife, also named Ginny, was killed in a 1960 automobile accident and their son Peter was left disabled -- the new Mrs. Thornburgh took up the cause. “I came to understand the rights and opportunities that had been denied to the disabled,� she told me, “and I felt strongly especially that people had a right to be welcomed in their house of God, whatever that house was." It was Mrs. Thornburgh who pushed to have the Rev. Harold Wilke -- born without arms -- deliver a blessing striking the let-my-peoplego theme after taking Bush’s signing pen in his toes.

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