SENIOR BEACON MAY 2021 by BeaconNewsGroup

Committed To Southern Colorado Seniors For 39 Years And Counting

Senior

Beacon MAY 2021

Vol. 40:4

Established February 1982

"If You're 50 Or Over You Should Read It!" 472 Consecutive Months!

62% of Retirees: Soc. Sec. COLA Needs 3% Minimum Increase (WASHINGTON, DC) – More

than 62 percent of retirees think that Social Security cost of living adjustments (COLA) need a guaranteed minimum, according to a new survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). In January of this year, the annual COLA raised Social Security benefits by only 1.3 percent, making it one of the lowest ever paid. But since then, “inflation has exploded,” says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. The survey, which had 1,125 participants, was conducted from mid - January through April 20, 2021, and coincided with one of

Fastest Growing Retiree Costs From March 2020 to March 2021

the stiffest increases in inflation in a decade. Johnson researches the effect of rising prices on Social Security benefits. Through the end of December 2020, inflation as measured by the CPI-W— the index used to calculate the annual COLA — was just 1.4% for the year. “But as of the end of March 2021, the CPI-W was more than 3 percent higher than this time a year ago,” she says. “This is a inflation pattern I haven’t seen before,” Johnson says. Inflation had completely flat - lined in first quarter of last year, which included January and February, well before COVID-19 shuttered businesses and sent the economy

into a sudden tail spin in midMarch. But by the end of first quarter 2021, inflation erupted, growing by 1.4 percent versus zero over first quarter 2020. The last time inflation was growing that fast was nine years ago in 2012, but that year was also proceeded by another year of higher inflation, instead of the deflation in 2020. “When the prices on the goods and services that retirees depend on go through the roof, their Social Security benefits don’t buy as much, and that causes enormous financial stress for all retirees.” Johnson compiled a baker’s dozen list of the items whose costs are among the fastest growing. “Newly immunized grandparents will need to budget about 31.2 percent more for car rentals when visiting the grand kids,” Johnson says. “And I’m putting off replacing a failing washing machine. I don’t want to pay 24.2% more to get a new one now.” Johnson also points out that the fastest growing cost list DOES NOT include the more usual “suspects” — prescription drugs and medical costs. “This

is not because those costs didn’t increase,” Johnson says. “They just didn’t increase as much as the other items that made the list,” she says. Physician services were up 5.3 percent, but prescription drugs as measured by the CPI-W were down 2.3 percent from March 2020. Housing costs grew slightly faster than the COLA, up by 2 percent. The Senior Citizens League is working with Members of Congress to have legislation introduced that would strengthen Social Security benefits by tying the annual COLA to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), and by providing a guaranteed minimum COLA of no less than 3 percent. With 1.2 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation’s largest nonpartisan seniors’ groups. Visit www.SeniorsLeague. org for more information.

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Page 2 - Senior Beacon - May 2021

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

or the past several years I've been trying to find the words to express what I think is going through the majority of our thoughts. ("Our" meaning over 65s or there about). It has been very difficult to do this in an upbeat, but sober manner. No fluff. Just the facts. Look, we all know

that our time has to come and it can be at any time and anywhere by way of anything! I am trying to not be morose, but after one reaches a certain age we look inward and say, "Wow, can't believe I made it this far." I've been trying to come to grips on how best to handle the subject of death and perhaps lamentations of the choices we have made or haven't made or the things we have said or thought or failed to say or think in our lives. Then, low and behold I came across the following: (It's An Ancient Prayer - I know not who said it or who wrote it down!) I hope this prayer hits the mark: "Oh Lord, I confess that there is within me so much that is ignoble, selfish and sinful. My little house is in ruins. I cannot repair it. You, Yourself, MUST come to rebuild it. So that it may be a fit dwelling for you all the days of my life on Earth, Amen!" Perhaps in a quiet moment or any moment at all your mind slams into

the ruminations of your life ending. Perhaps this aforementioned prayer will help. Onward on the same subject. Before there was a man named Jesus the human race was much different. There were gods everywhere. From Greece to Africa and from China to the Americas we human beings (our ancestors) believed in hundreds if not thousands of gods. I must say, I do get a kick out of the Discovery Channel and History Channel programs and the like using the term BCE. "Oh, yes, that was 156 BCE (before the common era)!, they claim, trying to gloss over the proof that Jesus was here. The years were scaling down among the educated people of those times to zero and then began ascending to the present at the time of His birth. Remember, these educated people are now trying to change the history of the people who were educated back then. So, it is a fact that Jesus was born on or about the year one. He brought a message that was plain and simple. "Love the Father with

all your heart. And do unto others

have been part of the stimulus packages have not been very available to older adults, resulting in a serious lack of resources. Some homeowners have also fallen behind in their mortgage payments. While the opportunity existed for homeowners to make arrangements with financial institutions for debt restructuring early in the pandemic, many homeowners did not qualify or chose not to take advantage of the opportunity. The pandemic has brought to light the number of older adults who have had been employed in part or full time jobs to meet the high costs of housing. These jobs are not currently available to many of our older adults for a variety of reasons, such as continued concerns over the risk of contracting COVID-19. There is some relief on the way. According to Senator Dominick Moreno, Chairman of the Joint Budget Committee, the Senior Property Tax Homestead Exemption tax credit will be available to older adults who have lived in their homes for 10 years or more and who are over the age of 65 for 2021 taxes to be paid in 2022. The tax credit is available on the first $200,000 of assessed value on the property. The City and County of Denver is introducing a city ordinance to require landlords to register their property and to have regular inspections. The

benefit of this proposed ordinance is to improve the living conditions that many people currently find themselves living in because of deferred maintenance. The disadvantage will be increased rental costs due to new requirements that landlords will have to make to the property to pass inspections. Increases in operations to landlords are always passed on to the consumer and while the proposed fees for Denver landlords are modest, hiring an inspector and making the necessary improvements could be very costly. The result will make significant improvements in the maintenance of the property; however, rental rates will most likely increase forcing even more individuals into having to move and/or facing evictions in Denver. The Colorado Gerontological Society is inviting you to join us for a three-year effort to work with a Housing Advocacy Coalition for the purpose of identifying public policies that we can implement to help older adults age in place; to assist with lack of funds to pay for rent, mortgage, taxes and utilities; and to look at the health disparities that exist in housing among communities of color. To volunteer to join the Housing Advocacy Coalition please call 303-333-3482. Your input will help us to create a better plan for Colorado older adults.

as you would have them do unto you." Quite simple really. What is the common era anyway, (Jesus - His Father? I'm sorry, folks. But I don't get it! I'll leave you with this from Cardinal Newman: "We who are still alive that we may see what must be done and gain the strength to do what we have seen in the days that remain to us! May He support us all the day long until the shades lengthen and evening comes, the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, in His mercy, may He give us safe lodging and a holy rest and peace at last!" Godspeed to you and yours.

Housing–A Pressing Problem For Colorado Seniors DENVER, CO Housing is ex-

pensive, especially for low income individuals, but for middle income individuals as well. Rent, mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, and maintenance of a home or apartment are costly.

While the pandemic was supposed to put a moratorium on evictions that is still ongoing, we are seeing more and more older adults not only being evicted, but also falling behind in the rent. The rental assistance programs that

Eileen Doherty, MS is the Executive Director of the Colorado Gerontological Society.

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 3

Baby Boomers Still Playing Together Even “Party Gaming” on Zoom (NAPSI) —Over 70 million Baby

Boomers grew up playing board games and watching game shows together—and they still love doing both. A new pop culture trivia game is taking Boomers on a nostalgic road trip back to the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Designed to be played by two teams, Boom Again features thousands of questions drawing upon Boomer’s memories of advertising slogans and jingles, politics and social movements, movies, music, television, and more. Groups of Baby Boomers are laughing their way through memories on a wide variety of their experiences: from The Twist to Disco; American Bandstand to Soul Train; Doris Day all the way to Janis Joplin, and on to Steve Martin; Hula Hoops to The Pill; and poodle skirts to mini-skirts. And they are singing their way through all the music of their youth, too. This game is clearly not an S.A.T. test with questions like:

Things We Saw— TV shows, movies, commercials, magazines, sporting events

• Name the original main courses from Swanson’s TV Dinners. • What did Silly Putty have to do with the Sunday comic strips? The wide array of material is organized into easily remembered categories:

Things We Heard—Music, • Name three of the most popular jingles, famous speeches, lyrics, catchphrases episodes of “I Love Lucy.”

A Box Full of Memories The game comes packaged in a “cigar box” familiar to Baby Boomers who stashed their stuff in those as kids. It has two boxes of cards with 2,244 questions, and Boomer era tokens including a Metal Skate Key, a “Students For Kennedy” Button, a center insert for a 45RPM Record, and more. There’s even a “Boomers’ Little Helper” magnifier in case someone forgets their readers.

In The News—Politics, sports, world events, Sunday comics, murder, war

An Antidote to Pandemic Isolation Apparently nothing can keep a social Baby Boomer from hanging out with their friends. Party games have always brought people together. Now, even when friends and families haven’t been together in person, they have been playing Boom Again together on Zoom. It’s become known as a Boom Zoom!

Stuff We Learned On the Street— Toys, Fashion, Cars, Social Movements, Dances, etc.

For further facts and to order the game, go to http://www.boomagain. com

Things We Learned in School—The “3 R’s,” clubs, dances, school yard games

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Page 4 - Senior Beacon - May 2021

Connections Café Grab and Go Menu (Please visit silverkey.org/services/connections-cafe/ the week prior to reserve a pick up)

Week of 3rd – 7th

Week of 10th – 14th

Week of 17th – 21st

Week of 24 – 28

Grab N Go Pick Up 11:30 am TO 12:30 pm

Chicken Fajitas w/ Pepper/Onion, Cheese, Sour Cream, Salsa Rice & Black Beans Peaches

Hamburger w/ Lettuce, Tomato & Onion Carrots Coleslaw Diced Pear

Pork Chow Mein Brown Rice Winter Blend Vegetables WW Roll Pear

Honey Curry Chicken Wild & Brown Rice Peas & Carrots Broccoli Slaw Apple

Salmon w/ Lemon & Dill Sweet Potatoes Broccoli Banana WW Choc. Chip M&M Cookie

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sweet Potatoes Mixed Vegetables WW Roll Mandarin Orange

Roast Turkey w/ Gravy Mashed Potatoes Cali. Vegetables WW Bread Apple

Pesto Cod Oven Roasted Potato Medley Broccoli Tropical Fruit Salad WW Roll

Chicken Teriyaki Brown Rice Pea Asian Cabbage Slaw Apple

Beef Tacos w/ Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, Sour Cream & Salsa Spiced Pinto Beans Applesauce

Cheese Ravioli w/Marinara Bahama Vegetables Tossed Salad Peaches Raisin Nut Cup

Lemon Pepper Cod Brown Rice Pilaf Peas 3 Bean Salad Mandarin Orange

Beef Burrito/Green Enchilada sauce SW Black Beans Spanish Rice Mandarin Oranges Raisin Nut Cup

Meatball Sub Vegetable Soup Cauliflower Orange

Chicken al a King Jasmine Rice Green Beans Carrot Raisin Salad Apple

Breaded Chicken Sandwich w/ Lettuce & Tomato Cali Vegetables Salad w/ dressing Pear MONDAY St. Andrews Woodland Park CSSC Pikes Peak Towers Reservations Requested

Beef Bourguignon Mashed Potatoes Broccoli Roll

BBQ Chicken Baked Potato Soup Peas & Carrots 3 Bean Salad Apple

Baked Ziti w/ Sausage/Marinara Bahama Vegetables Caesar Salad Orange Raisin Nut Cup

Pico Lime Cod Lemon Herb Rice Carrots Coleslaw

TUESDAY Holiday Village West Center Centennial Plaza Acacia Reservations Requested

Milk is served with every meal

WEDNESDAY Fountain Valley VSJ/VSM Monument Murray Reservations Requested

Menu substitutions may occur without notice. Clients are advised to keep a 3-day supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water in the event of inclement weather or other emergencies that may cause a temporary suspension of service.

Why Not Give a Shout Out to

FOUNTAIN VALLEY MECHANICAL Thank them for sponsoring these menus!

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 5

SRDA NOVEMBER 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 Dollar General, 2417 Prairie

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Call us: 719-545-8900 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 Sam’s Club Thursdays, 7 – 9 AM

Everybody has a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in Pueblo 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 being physically close to other people. ■ Do not go to the emergency

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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 - May 2021

JAN MCLAUGHLIN

‘LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY’

Founder of Prayer for Prisoners International

"FROM THE HEART OF A MOM" Regarding Prodigal Children! Luke15:11-32

erhaps you are reading this and desperately need encouragement

as you struggle with separation from your prodigal children. Prisoner moms and dads share their deepest heart cries. "Pray for my teenager, he is using drugs and in trouble with the law.” "Pray for my daughter, she is involved in satanic worship.” “Pray for my children, I don't even know where they are.” “Please pray for my daughter. She was introduced to the LBGT lifestyle by her teacher. Pray God will rescue her.” “Pray God will send someone to tell my kids about Jesus.” “My daughter is practicing voodoo and I really need help praying for her.” I receive these requests on a daily basis. My heart aches for parents crying out to God for their children, as I have for

mine. These prayers are for God to intervene in the destructive paths children often take. Paths that we as parents may have experienced and desire desperately for them to avoid because we know the consequences of bad choices. God knows the ache of a parent's heart and just as your heart grieves for your prodigal children, so God's heart grieves for them and for us as well. We are prodigals determined to have our way while ignoring His warnings and His sacrifice. Likewise, our children ignore our pleas and warnings and fall into the enemy's snares. Be encouraged! God has not left us without hope! That hope is the promise of Acts

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16:31. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your house!” This is God’s promise for our children and family. His answer may not come in our lifetime, but He is faithful to keep His promises. God’s Word promises that if we “train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Although some of us began our walk with Christ later in life, it is never too late to make a difference in the lives of our children. The answer begins with prayer and claiming the promises in God's Word. Then the hard part follows! Our hands must be open to release them, trusting God to have His way in their lives. I have prayed with fear and trembling, knowing that God's ways are not my ways, "Father, do whatever you must to get this child into your will.” One of my sons was saved when he was eight but ran from the Lord for years. Several years back when he was not even attending church he called me. “Mom, I’ve been trying to satisfy this need to be fulfilled with things and I have come to the conclusion that unless I am impacting people’s lives for eternity, I have wasted my life. He began spreading the Gospel, leading a youth group and is an incredible example of God's mighty hand at work in a “prodigal, come home!" It is never too late! Trust God to work mighty things in your wayward children. Isolation from their children and helpless to intervene must be especially difficult for prisoners, but God's hands are not tied! Likewise, for us parents outside prison walls, God will do His work in our children through our prayers and faith in His promises. Just as God promised a plan for you, Jeremiah 29:11, He has a plan for your children. “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” Your prayers may be the vehicle God uses to carry out those plans. Never cease praying for your ch1ldren, for as you intercede in prayer for them, in God's time, they will turn and seek God and He will bring them back from "captivity.” (Jeremiah 29: 12-14). His promises are true. “It is not God's will for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3: 9). He loves your child far more than you are capable of. Look at the cross! Jesus died for your child! As your heart cries out to Father God, He hears and is in agreement with you for that child's best. We serve an amazing faithful God! He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. In conclusion, if you have been a Prodigal and your mom's, dad's, or a grandparent's prayers made a difference in your life, don't hesitate to tell them of your gratitude and how God answered their prayers. If you have told them, tell them again! Those words are a gift more precious than gold to parents with calloused knees and tear stained hearts! Bless them with your words of gratitude! And look forward to the day when you will hear similar words from your child. (Revision) © 2021 Jan McLaughlin.

▶ SEE LIGHT, PAGE 21

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 7

NEWS

First Realty Homestead USA Inc.

IN 2017, IT HAD TO BE US, a romantic memoir by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence (pen names

of Larry and Betty Jo Tucker) was adapted for the screen in a short film titled CAKE: A Love Story. This Ariella Media production was produced, directed and written by Misha Zubarev with assistance from V. Ulea as co-writer and co-director, and Vad Chariton composed the musical score based on Zubarev’s original song “Remember the Day.” This Ariella Media production earned First Place in the short film category at the NSAEN International Film Festival, an Achievement in Excellence Award from IndieFest, and was an Official Selection at the Toronto Short Film Festival. Misha Zubarev has now released CAKE: A Love Story on YouTube so that anyone interested can see this beautiful movie free of charge.

The story deals with the reconespecially ifNot it intended is withto the pera Five-Star rating from This report is courtesy of First Realty Homestead USA Inc. solicitsame buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright (C) Romantic 2020 ciliation of two people who were son you loved the first time.” Times Magazine. The Lawrences divorced and estranged from each Priscilla Leona, Los Angeles other for al- radio host of Question Reality, calls donate their authors’ royalties to most twenty Cake: A Love Story “a charming, THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY, years. Allight-hearted, easy-going romantic a children’s literacy project sponthough the comedy that delivers lots of smiles, film deviates a few good chuckles and ton of sored by the Dollywood Founfrom the tears, for me, at the end .” dation. The book is available on book, it pays It Had To Be Us won First Place Amazon.com in the Kindle Store. tribute to in the E-book category at the the spirit of Hollywood Book Festival, where the original awards were given to books with For more information, go to www. source. Cast the most potential to be transferred members to other media such as film and tel- BettyJoTucker.com include evision. The memoir also received Debra Lord Cooke, Richard Vernon, George Bettinger and Nancy Lombardo In his review of the movie, British film critic Richard Jack Smith writes, “As a hopeless romantic, I instantly warmed to the connection made by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Their stunning memoir It Had To Be Us took chances that traditional love stories don’t. For one, the characters come across as idiosyncratic and well developed. Also, there’s Misha Zubarev’s filmmaking sensibility in translating this narrative to the big screen. A collaboration with V. Ulea on script and direction, Cake: A Love Story reveals hope at the end of a long breakup.” According to popular U.S. film critic Nell Minow, “This endearing love story proves that love is lovelier the second time around,

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Page 8 - Senior Beacon - May 2021

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

SPECIAL TO THE SENIOR BEACON FROM THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL Metaphorically Speaking

Camille Coelho, 54, of Brookline, Massachusetts, an ICU nurse at South Shore Hospital, set out at low tide for a stroll with her son's dog, Lucy, along Constitution Beach on April 8 to relax and look for sea glass, but found herself stuck in mud that reached past her knees instead. "It's a great metaphor for the year," she told the Boston Herald. "I can't believe it. ... This

past year has been awful." Passersby rushed to help, but soon called firefighters, who arrived to pull her out

Wait, What?

An anonymous New York resident seeking to marry their adult child filed suit in federal court in Manhattan on April 1 asking that laws barring incestuous marriage be overturned, Fox News report-

ed. In court papers, the petitioner claims such a marriage is a matter of "individual autonomy" and asks to remain unnamed because "a large segment of society views (the request) as morally, socially and biologically repugnant." The petitioner is a parent of an adult child, but court documents do not reveal the couple's genders, ages, hometown or relationship. The filing does detail that the "proposed spouses are unable to procreate together." Manhattan family and matrimonial law attorney Eric Wrubel predicted, "It's never gonna fly."

HEARING LOSS? WE CAN HELP!

10 WARNING SIGNALS OF HEARING LOSS 1. People seem to mumble

6. You no longer hear normal household

more frequently

sounds such as the dripping of a faucet or the doorbell

2. You hear, but have trouble understanding

7. You have trouble hearing when your back is turned to the speaker

3. You often ask people to repeat what they have said

8. You have been told that you speak too loudly

4. You find telephone conversation

9. You experience ringing in your ears

increasingly difficult

10. You have diffuculty understanding when

5. Your family complains that you play

in a large group or crowd

the radio or TV too loud

If you can answer yes to any one of these, please call one of our offices for your FREE consultation. Dr. Bill Herholtz III, CCC-A, F-AAA Owner and Founder

Dr. Herholtz is a third generation audiologist and was Southern Colorado’s first Doctor of Audiology. He holds a Doctorate in Audiology from the University of Florida where he graduated with honors and a Master’s of Science in Audiology from Arizona State University, and he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Herholtz also attended Cheyenne Mountain High School here in Colorado Springs. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss with an emphasis in fitting the most advanced digital hearing instruments from the best manufacturers in the world. With three generations of knowledge, twenty years of experience and a Doctorate in Audiology, you can rest assured you will receive excellent hearing care combined with good old fashioned service.

NOW SERVING PATIENTS ON W. COLORADO Dr. Anneke Lee, Audiologist

William F. DeHaan III, BC-HIS Hearing Instrument Specialist

Dr. Anneke Lee, audiologist, holds a doctorate of audiology from A.T. Still University. She also holds a Master of Science in Audiology from Colorado State University. Dr. Lee has been practicing audiology in Colorado Springs since 1993. She concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders. Dr. Lee was diagnosed with a hearing impairment at the age of 25 and wears hearing aids. As a hearing healthcare provider with over 25 years of experience, she has expertise and compassion to bring you world-class hearing care. Dr. Lee and her husband, Randy,have been married for 32 years.They have three adult daughters, two dogs, and one cat.

William F. DeHaan III (Bill) is a second generation Nationally Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist. He has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a graduate of Cheyenne Mountain High School. Mr. DeHaan has been running hearing clinics in Colorado for over 17 years. He concentrates on the diagnois and treatment of hearing lossand tinnitus. In addition, Mr. DeHaan specializes in dispensing the latest digital hearing instruments from a variety of the best manufactuers in the world. As a second-generation hearing health provider with 17 years of experience, Mr. DeHaan has the expertise and compassion to bring you world-class hearing care. He takes great pride in taking care of each of his patients as if they are family.

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Repeat Offender

Heather Poplasky, 32, of Plainfield, Connecticut, was arrested four times in 24 hours over the course of April 10 and 11, according to police. The first arrest came when police were called to her home, where they say she threatened to cut herself with a large kitchen knife and blame it on her boyfriend, WFSB-TV reported. Police charged her with reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct and took her to a hospital for evaluation, where Putnam police issued her a summons following an incident with a member of the staff. On April 11, Poplasky violated the terms of her release from the hospital by returning to her home, where Plainfield police say they again arrested her, adding more charges. While she was in custody awaiting arraignment the next day, police say she flooded her cell by putting a roll of toilet paper and trash in the toilet, and a charge of criminal mischief was added. Her bond topped out at $30,000 for the various offenses.

Feast or Famine

Fox Business reported on April 13 that toilet paper sales have declined to levels below pre-pandemic levels, indicating that last year's hoarding is affecting this year's sales. Marjorie Greenburgh, 62, of New Rochelle, New York, said because she has 54 rolls still stored throughout

her home, "I'm not planning on buying for a while." NielsenIQ clocked the decline in sales at 33% in March. The BBC reported on April 15 that England is experiencing a shortage of garden gnomes. Factors contributing to this critical supply deficit include a shortage of raw materials, the recent blockage of the Suez Canal by a container ship, and the increased popularity of gardening during the COVID-19 shutdowns. "We haven't seen a gnome in six months," said Ian Byrne, assistant manager of Highfield Garden World in Whitminster. "Raw materials are becoming a bit of an issue, and unfortunately, gnomes are a victim. ... Gnomes of any type -- plastic, stone or concrete -- are in short supply."

Awesome!

Gary and Beth Machens moved into a historic home in Alton, Illinois, in December and uncovered more history to go with it when they found a 19th-century brick tunnel underneath the house. Gary Machens discovered the entrance to the tunnel as he was doing some sidewalk repair. The barrel-shaped tunnel, about 9 feet high and 60 feet long, is believed by local historians to have been built around 1840 -- 50 years before the house was constructed. "Whatever they built this for, it took a lot of men and a lot of hours. You know, one guy didn't do this," Machens told KTVI-TV. He believes the tunnel could have been used to store ice or carriages, or it could have been part of the Underground Railroad. "There was a ferry here in the Alton area to the Missouri side, and it's possible it could have been used for that," he said.

Vintage Weird

Brian Robson of Cardiff, Wales, was 19 years old in 1964, when he accepted a job on the Victorian Railways in Australia. He almost immediately regretted his decision and started scheming about how to get back home, but he didn't have enough money for the return trip. That's when he had an idea: With the help of two Irish friends, Robson squeezed himself into a 30-by-26-by-38-inch wooden crate and shipped himself home in the cargo area of a Qantas flight. "The first 10 minutes was fine," he told CNN. "But your knees start to cramp up when they're stuck up to your chest." When the crate arrived in Sydney, it landed on the tarmac upside down. "So now I'm sitting on my neck and my head," he explained, "and I was there for 22 hours upside down," until arriving next in Los Angeles, where two

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 9

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

SPECIAL TO THE SENIOR BEACON FROM THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL airport workers discovered him. He spent six days recovering in a hospital as word of his story got out, and Pan Am airlines sent Robson home to London in a first-class seat. Robson lost touch with the friends who helped him but now hopes to find them and reconnect. He's never been back to Australia.

Compelling Explanations

A Blount County (Tennessee) Sheriff 's deputy was dispatched to a Dollar General store in Maryville on April 5 after a clerk was presented with a $1 million bill, The Smoking Gun reported. Amanda McCormick, 39, told officers she received the bill "in the mail from a church" and that she planned to use the funds to purchase the cart full of items she had, "including several gift cards ... for care packages for homeless individuals," according to a police report. McCormick and her companion, Linda

Johnson, 61, were not arrested but were banned from returning to the Dollar General store, and officers confiscated the bill.

Slave to Fashion

Among the items unveiled in Louis Vuitton's fall/winter 2021 men's collection in January was a leather "Keepall" bag, shaped like a miniature airplane and covered with the ubiquitous LV logo, which went viral April 2 when a Twitter user pointed out that an actual airplane could be purchased on eBay for less than the Keepall's $39,000 price tag. Oddity Central reported the bag, designed by Vuitton menswear artistic director Virgil Abloh, features wings, a tail and four engines; the used single-engine Cessna was listed at $32,300 on eBay.

All in the Family

At a wedding in Suzhou, Jiangsu

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● 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 pro-

Province in China on March 31, the groom's mother noticed a birthmark on the bride's hand that was similar to one belonging to her long-lost daughter. When asked, the bride's parents admitted they had found her as a baby by the side of the road and taken her to live

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gram who are 60 years of age or older when such participation does not prevent the participation of other older adults and their spouses.

with them as their own -- a secret they had never told. The Daily Star reported that upon hearing of the connection, the bride burst into tears, saying the moment was "happier than the wedding day itself."

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

ANN COULTER

Columnist, author and lawyer

THANKS, JURORS! YOU’RE SAFE NOW. WE AREN’T. It was your life or theirs, and they decided the better part of valor was to sacrifice yours.

TO WATCH THE hours of celebratory fist-pumping from government officials and black activists after the guilty verdicts against police officer Derek Chauvin this week, you’d think Minnesota had just won the NCAA tournament. One man is dead and another will be spending up to 40 years in prison. How about Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison show a little dignity, with something like: “We had the trial; we’ve got a

verdict; I’m not taking any questions”? Nope! We got a one-hour spirit rally for the championship team. The key was teamwork. Our guys practiced every night — staying even after the gym had closed! We couldn’t have done it without the fans. There wasn’t this much triumphalism when Ted Bundy was convicted! He murdered 30 women, escaped from jail twice, and killed again before finally being brought to trial. We didn’t have hours of gloating after they got the Green River Killer, and it took 20 years to catch him. Maybe we’ve gotten less decorous in the past few decades. But how about celebrating the conviction of a gangbanger who killed an 8-year-old girl in a drive-by?

Would the media be as giddy about that? Not likely. Wild celebrations are in order only for the railroading of

A key point brought out at trial was this: As soon as Chauvin arrived on the scene, he would have been within his rights to use

a cop. The prosecutors must feel great! All it took was threatening the jurors with riots and personal destruction to get the verdict they wanted. Real Ciceros, these guys. Chauvin was forced to flee his home last year, which naturally had been vandalized, requiring constant police presence. Barricades have recently been erected around the home of officer Kim Potter, who accidentally shot escaping violent gun offender Daunte Wright last week. The day before Chauvin’s case went to the jury, a defense witness — a witness! — had his former home in California vandalized with pigs’ blood and a pig’s head. So I’m sure the jurors reached their verdict purely based on the evidence, after a careful weighing of both sides in the Anglo-Saxon tradition. We’re told that this is only the beginning, big changes are in the air. Does that mean every case against a cop will come with threats of mob violence? Here’s one big change in policing that will come out of the Chauvin trial: No longer will police use the least amount of force on vulnerable individuals, like George Floyd. From here on out, the safety of the perp will take a back seat to avoiding unflattering cellphone videos.

a Taser or stun gun on Floyd. The prosecution’s use-of-force experts agreed! Chauvin employed a less aggressive restraint that looked worse to bystanders. Big mistake. By now, surely, all law enforcement officers realize that their one overriding concern must always be the optics, not the reality. Unlike other public servants, police have to do their jobs while under the watchful eye of cellphone cameras. What matters is how things appear to idiot onlookers. Heart disease is rampant in the African American community. Combine that with drug use and behavioral problems — and there are a lot more George Floyds out there waiting to happen. According to the medical examiner, it was the stress of being restrained — combined with Floyd’s heart condition and massive amount of fentanyl in his system — that killed him. If lying on the ground was too much stress on Floyd’s heart, how about 50,000 volts of electricity? Again, according to the state’s use-of-force experts, that would have been A-OK. COPYRIGHT 2021 ANN COULTER

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RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES & MANDATORY VACCINATION POLICIES: FAILING THE YOUNG AN AFLDS ISSUE BRIEF FOR tutions requiring students seeking CITIZENS, POLICYMAKERS AND in-person learning or campus housing to first receive a COVPHYSICIANS STATEMENT OF POSITION

ID-19 inoculation. This AFLDS Issue Brief is intended to provide background on the practical concerns raised by such a vaccination mandate as well as direct citizens to legal remedies which they may be inclined to pursue. The consequences for inaction in the face of radical COVID-mitigation policies is real: since the pandemic began, thousands of students have been threatened with suspension and expulsion while others face justice via student-led coronavirus tribunals merely for bending social-distancing rules.

On March 25, Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway announced the school’s intention to mandate the experimental COVID-19 vaccine on campus: “[W] ith limited exceptions, all students planning to attend in the Fall 2021 semester must be fully vaccinated.” After Rutgers became the first US college to require the injection 85 and older. Furthermore, the evAcknowledging these difficulfor nearly all new and returning idence for a spike in deaths among ties, a few schools have decided members of its student body, over vulnerable populations living to “nudge” current students in the a dozen residential postsecondary nearby college campuses remains direction of getting a vaccine while schools followed. Brown Universiincomplete at best. falling short of actually requiring COLLEGE-AGE ADULTS ARE ty’s president recently sent a letter one in order to live on campus or to the Ivy League school’s students NOT AN AT-RISK GROUP PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTAparticipate in classroom learning. Serious illness and death are informing them of the new manTION & ENFORCEMENT Global mandates affecting every exceedingly rare among youngdatory vaccination policy without The real-world barriers to cammember of the student body also er coronavirus patients with no actually describing how such a pus-wide vaccine mandates are ignore informed consent rules verification system might work. In underlying conditions. In its many. These issues range from analysis of COVID-19 vaccines, for experimental treatments and a similar way, Northeastern Uniwhat to do about out-of-state and versity’s chancellor said all students AFLDS notes that CDC survival biotechnology – unwisely, since international students to those rates among the 0-19 as well as receiving in-person instruction in colleges and universities are alattending night classes to debates the 20-49-year-old cohorts, even the fall academic year will need to ready attempting to manage a host before therapeutics became widely over medical privacy. And, of show proof of vaccination or have of lawsuits and bad press related course, all of this is being discussed to closed campuses and remote been issued an exemption, without available, were over 99%. Indeed, in the absence of a fully licensed including information on how stu- viral lethality in the United States learning. continues to be highest for those dents could obtain an exemption COVID-19 immunization. ▶ SEE COLLEGES PAGE 21 under the new policy. It’s also not clear -that these proposed mandates will be confined to private institutions like Rutgers and Brown. While the University of North Carolina and University of Oregon have PLEASE CALL TO MAKE AN publicly come out APPOINTMENT FOR A TOUR! against the requirement, “leaders at both institutions expressed that may be adjusted as guidelines change or more institutions get on board,” according to published reports. California’s public university system is governed by a board of regents, technically putting it outside the direct control of governors like Texas’s Greg Abbott who in recent days took action to shield public-school students and others from so-called “vaccine passport” disclosure requirements. America’s Frontline 3777 PARKER BLVD. 690 E. SAXON DR - P. W. 2400 OAKSHIRE LANE Doctors (AFLDS) (Across from ParkWest Med Ctr Behind P.O.) (East off Purcell in Pueblo West) (HWY 50E @ TROY AVE) opposes attempts by public and private (719) 543-6222 (719) 924-8624 (719) 544-3001 postsecondary insti-

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FOR A HEALTHIER YOU Gold's Gym Introduces the "Gym of the Future" with Berlin Flagship Campus

DALLAS—Gold's Gym, the world's leader in strength and performance, announced this week the opening of its company-owned flagship campus in Berlin, Germany, where brand owner RSG Group GmbH is headquartered. Identified as the "gym of the future," the 55,000-square-foot Berlin campus is RSG Group's proof of concept, meeting point and inspiration for all future Gold's Gym locations. "When we acquired Gold's Gym through the Chapter 11 process nine months ago, we were driven to invest in a way that honored the brand's iconic legacy while returning a pioneering leader to its rightful place – once again ahead of its time with the very best fitness amenities on the planet," said Rainer Schaller, Founder and CEO of RSG Group. "Our Berlin flagship represents the contemporary redefinition of the brand and product concept to the highest degree of perfection, and it sets the stage for a whole new 'golden era' for Gold's Gym." The state-of-the-art Berlin facility was designed with insight gained from a Gold's Gym social media partnership with fitness legend Lou Ferrigno that surveyed the public for what they wanted in the "perfect gym." Among the flagship's special features are: • Equipment supplied by Gym80, Germany's leading fitness equipment manufacturer known

for over 40 years for its excellent biomechanics, precision down to the last detail and clear design;

• A carbon and climate neutral design – including sustainable construction materials, real plants and trees throughout the interior of the gym and a "Green Power" area featuring spin bikes that generate clean energy – making the Berlin flagship the world's first commercial gym with a LEED® Platinum certification; • A Performance Center reserved exclusively for top athletes, sports clubs, partners and friends of the brand; • Gold's Gym Academy, a training and education institute for fitness trainers and head coaches of the Gold's Gym brand, Gold's Gym

franchise owners and external interested parties seeking Gold's Gym's proven fitness expertise;

blog/berlin-opening/. The official opening date to the public is still pending based on the current COVID-19 restrictions in Germany. For more on Gold's Gym locations, membership options, franchise opportunities and more, visit goldsgym.com. About Gold's Gym: What started out in 1965 as a small gym in Venice Beach, California has since become the most well-known and traditional fitness company in the world – Gold's Gym. Over the last 55 years, Gold's Gym has developed into a global brand with over 600 locations spanning 6 continents. Bodybuilding greats such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Franco Columbu worked out at the original Gold's Gym, which went on to become the most legendary • And more. gym in the world. In the fitness "While many fitness brands spent industry, the brand enjoys cult stathe past year pivoting away from tus and universal appeal with 96% brick-and-mortar gyms as a result aided brand awareness. In 2020, of the pandemic, RSG Group spent the RSG Group acquired Gold's time and resources designing the Gym and integrated the brand into perfect gym for a post-COVID its portfolio, making it the global world," said RSG Group North leader in the fitness sector. For America President and Gold's Gym more information, visit https:// CEO Sebastian Schoepe. "It's only www.goldsgym.com/ fitting that the iconic Gold's Gym brand would be the one to bring About RSG Group this vision to life, and we anticipate With more than 6.4 million more big things to come in this customers across gyms and studio next chapter of Gold's Gym's glob- spaces as well as digital services, al fitness legacy." RSG Group is the global leader in For a virtual tour of the full Ber- fitness and lifestyle. lin flagship, visit goldsgym.com/

Page 14 - Senior Beacon - May 2021

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SENIOR SAFETY

When it’s not really the government calling This month’s Senior Safety Page is Proudly Sponsored byAMERICAN VEIN! Give them a call right away! And thank themfor sponsoring this valuable addition to the Senior Beacon!! help someone you care about sleep a little more soundly. And, of course, if you spot a scammer, talk about it, and then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Each report

LOTS OF PEOPLE are having

trouble sleeping, thanks to the pandemic and all the parts of our lives it’s affecting. And it doesn’t help when you get a call saying you owe the government money. Oh, and, they add, you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay up immediately. That’s a scam, and nothing to lose sleep over. For those who are a little more cut off from people than usual, these calls might feel more real and worrying than they are. If you know someone might be cut off from others right now, reach out to them to make sure they know these calls are scams. Here are some things you might share with them about government imposters. First, plenty of people have spotted calls, texts, and emails from bogus government officials. In 2020, people reported losing more than $174 million to government imposter scams, with a median loss of $1,250.

Second, you can share a few ways to spot these scammers in the act: Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers manipulate caller ID to look like the call is coming from an official government number. Look up the agency’s number yourself, if you’re concerned, and give them a call. But don’t use the number in caller ID. Government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Social Security Administration (SSA) won’t call, text, or email you out of the blue to demand payment right away. Nobody legit will ever tell you to pay with gift cards, money transfers, or cryptocurrency. Never share personal information with anyone who contacts you. If you’re worried, look up the government agency’s information yourself to check with them. Sharing these tips might just

helps protect your community. by Emily Wu Attorney, Federal Trade Commission

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INSIDE DEMENTIA ANTHONY HOPKINS EXCELS BETTY JO TUCKER Pueblo award winning film critic

HE FATHER stars the great Anthony Hopkins in one of his finest performances. But beware. This compelling drama is definitely NOT a feel-good offering. However, it IS deeply moving and enlightening. Like “ Sound of Metal,” the storytelling involves what’s going on in the lead character’s mind, only this time instead of hearing loss, it deals with loss of memory. Many viewers may think they are losing that faculty themselves as the film unfolds. Some scenes appear completely baffling. But that helps us understand what Hopkins’ character “Anthony” is going through. For example, he’s

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REELING

mixed up about time and place, experiences violent mood changes, distrusts the people around him, sees things that aren’t there, and can’t recognize folks he’s known for a long time or thinks they are someone else. He can’t remember many things. Confusing facts each daylight brings.

What can she do to make things right? At every turn, Father will fight. “The Father” is deeply moving.

He likes to follow with the time.

But the story not so soothing.

Is someone committing a crime?

This movie makes us feel not think.

His daughter tries to care for him. But her luck with this plan grows dim.

Please pay attention and don’t blink. Portraying Ann, the long-suffering daughter, Oscar® winner Olivia Colman (“ The Favourite”) also turns in a

brilliant performance here. Her suffering as a caretaker seems heartbreaking, especially when Anthony brags about his younger daughter and consistently shows he favors her over Ann. No wonder Colman and Hopkins (Oscar ® winner for “Silence of the Lambs”) both earned well-deserved Oscar® nominations for their splendid work in “ The Father.” Although the 93rd Annual Academy Awards haven’t been announced as of this writing, each of these talented actors deserves to take home another golden statuette. In “ The Father,” Hopkins excels at being charming one minute and downright mean immediately after. (Be sure to watch for his short tap dancing demonstration. I’m not kidding!) Colman matches that with her soulful facial expressions whenever Anthony hurts Ann’s feelings. The Father ends with a simple plea of compassion for both Anthony and Ann. You can’t go wrong with that. Florian Zeller directed and cowrote the screenplay (with Christopher Hampton), which is based on Zeller’s play. Although I haven’t seen the play, I can’t help wondering if watching something like this live would be even more gripping. Still, the movie’s revealing closeups in crucial scenes stand out and grab our emotions. And that’s the beauty of cinema. "The great tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease and the reason why we dread it is that it leaves us with no defense, not even against those that love us." --- P.D. James (Released by Sony Pictures Classic. Rated “PG-13” by MPAA Available on Xfinity On Demand.)

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 17

At What Age Are People Usually Happiest? New Research Offers Surprising Clues IF YOU COULD BE one age for

workplace demands and demands the rest of your life, what would it of caring for others that takes place be? in your 30s and early 40s. TryWould you choose to be nine ing to climb a ladder in a chosen years old, absolved of life’s most te- career while also being increasingly dious responsibilities, and instead expected to care for kids, tend to able to the needs spend your of partners days playand pering with haps care friends and for aging practicing parents your times can create tables? a lot of Or would stress and you choose work. your early Yet when 20s, when we started time feels to look at endless and our data, the world is your oyster – with what we found surprised us. friends, travel, pubs and clubs Yes, people were feeling overbeckoning? whelmed and talked about having Western culture idealizes youth, too much to do in too little time. so it may come as a surprise to But they also talked about feeling learn that in a recent poll asking profoundly satisfied. All of these this question, the most popular things that were bringing them answer wasn’t 9 or 23, but 36. stress were also bringing them joy. Yet as a developmental psycholoFor example, Yuying, 44, said gist, I thought that response made “even though there are complia lot of sense. cated points of this time period, For the last four years, I’ve been I feel very solidly happy in this studying people’s experiences of space right now.” Nina, 39, simply their 30s and early 40s, and my described herself as being “wildly research has led me to believe that happy.” (The names used in this this stage of life – while full of piece are pseudonyms, as required challenges – is much more reward- by research protocol.) ing than most might think. When we took an even closer THE CAREER AND CARE look at our data, it started to beCRUNCH come clear why people might wish When I was a researcher in my to remain age 36 over any other late 30s, I wanted to read more age. People talked about being in about the age period I was in. That the prime of their lives and feeling was when I realized that no one at their peak. After years of workwas doing research on people in ing to develop careers and relationtheir 30s and early 40s, which puz- ships, people reported feeling as zled me. So much often happens though they had finally arrived. during this time: Buying homes, Mark, 36, shared that, at least for getting married or getting dihim, “things feel more in place.” vorced; building careers, changing “I’ve put together a machine that’s careers, having children or choosfinally got all the parts it needs,” he ing not to have children. said. To study something, it helps to A SIGH OF RELIEF AFTER name it. So my colleagues and I THE TUMULTUOUS 20S named the period from ages 30 to As well as feeling as though 45 “established adulthood,” and they had accumulated the careers, then set out to try to understand relationships and general life skills it better. While we are still collectthey had been working toward ing data, we have currently intersince their 20s, people also said viewed over 100 people in this age they had greater self-confidence cohort, and have collected survey and understood themselves better. data from more than 600 additionJodie, 36, appreciated the wisal people. dom she had gained as she reflectWe went into this large-scale pro- ed on life beyond her 20s: ject expecting to find that estab“Now you’ve got a solid decade lished adults were happy but strug- of life experience. And what you gling. We thought there would be discover about yourself in your rewards during this period of life 20s isn’t necessarily that what you – perhaps being settled in career, wanted was wrong. It’s just you family and friendships, or peaking have the opportunity to figure out physically and cognitively – but what you don’t want and what’s also some significant challenges. not going to work for you. … So This refers to the collision of you go into your 30s, and you don’t

waste a bunch of time going on half dozen dates with somebody that’s probably not really going to work out, because you’ve dated before and you have that confidence and that self-assuredness to be like, ‘hey, thanks but no thanks.’ Your friend circle becomes a lot closer because you weed out the people that you just don’t need in your life that bring drama.” Most established adults we interviewed seemed to recognize that they were happier in their 30s than they were in their 20s, and this impacted how they thought about some of the signs of physical aging that they were starting to encounter. For example, Lisa, 37, said, “If I could go back physically but I had to also go back emotionally and mentally … no way. I would take flabby skin lines every day.” NOT IDEAL FOR EVERYONE Our research should be viewed with some caveats. The interviews were primarily conducted with middle-class North Americans, and many of the participants are white. For those who are working class, or for those who have had to reckon with decades of systemic racism, established adulthood may not be so rosy. At the same time, that people think of their 30s – and not their 20s or their teens – as the sweet spot in their lives to which they’d like to return suggests that this is a period of life that we should pay more attention to. And this is slowly happening.

Along with my own work is an excellent book recently written by Kayleen Shaefer, “But You’re Still So Young,” that explores people navigating their 30s. In her book she tells stories of changing career paths, navigating relationships and dealing with fertility. My colleagues and I hope that our work and Shaefer’s book are just the beginning. Having a better understanding of the challenges and rewards of established adulthood will give society more tools to support people during that period, ensuring that this golden age provides not only memories that we will fondly look back upon, but also a solid foundation for the rest of our lives. by Clare Mehta Associate Professor of Psychology, Emmanuel College

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SENIOR CLASSIFIEDS

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 19

SOCIAL SECURITY & YOU

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

Social Security’s Online Portal Key to Accurate Earnings Records

ACCURATE EARNINGS records are vital to the Social Security Administration and to every worker in the United States. If Social Security cannot match the name and Social Security number (SSN) reported on a W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, to its records, the agency cannot credit the earnings to that worker’s record. When earnings are missing, the worker may not qualify for Social Security benefits or the benefit amount may be wrong. Historically, approximately 10 percent of the W-2s the agency receives each year from employers initially have mismatched name/SSN combinations. There are a number of reasons why reported names and SSNs on W-2s may not match with Social Security’s records, such as typographical errors, unreported name changes, and inaccurate or incomplete employer records. By using more than twenty automated matching routines the agency can identify commonly occurring errors that, when corrected, allow the accurate crediting of reported earnings to the correct worker’s earnings record. Social Security works hard to educate employers—large and small, at the national and local level—about the importance of accurate wage records and the free tools available to them. The agency works closely with the payroll provider community through organizations such as the American Payroll Association and the National Association of Computerized Tax Processors. Agency employees speak at the Internal Revenue Service’s Nationwide Tax Forums and participate in quarterly meetings with Reporting Agents (large third-party filers). Social Security’s Employer Services Liaison Officers and Public Affairs Specialists educate small business employers throughout the nation through local engagements. In all of the activities, the agency includes information about its online suite of services, Business Services Online (BSO), at www.ssa.gov/bso/ bsowelcome.htm. The tools included in BSO provide employers the opportunity to correct errors before, during, and after the development and submission of their wage reports. These tools include:

AccuWage: Downloadable software that tests the accuracy of wage reports before submission by identifying common formatting errors.

Online portal. The earnings record of every worker determines their future eligibility and the amount of Social Security benefits they will receive, so accuracy is vital.” Social Security Number VerificaCommissioner Saul also made the tion Service: A free service to verify decision to discontinue mailing emthat all employees’ names/SSNs ployers educational correspondence match the Social Security Adminis- (EDCOR) notices to focus agency tration’s records before submission. efforts on making it a better, easier, and more convenient experience for employers to report and correct View Name and Social Security wages electronically. In addition to Number Errors: A service for elecSocial Security’s work with employtronic wage reporters to view the processing status and errors (iners, the agency encourages workers cluding name and SSN mismatches) to view their personal earnings records, and submit corrections, after their submission. online by creating a my Social “It is extremely important that the Security account at www.ssa.gov/ myaccount. Social Security Administration has accurate earnings records for workThrough their my Social Security ers throughout the country, and this account, people can check personal information and conduct business begins with accurate wage reports with Social Security. If they already from the nation’s employers,” said receive Social Security benefits, Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security. “I encourage all em- they can start or change direct deployers, large and small, to use the posit online, request a replacement free tools on our Business Services SSA-1099, and if they need proof

of their benefits, they can print or download a current Benefit Verifi-

cation Letter from their account. People not yet receiving benefits can use their online account to get a personalized Social Security Statement, which provides earnings information as well as estimates of future benefits. Residents of most states may request a replacement Social Security card online if they meet certain requirements. The portal also includes links to information about other online services, such as applications for retirement, disability and Medicare benefits.

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SOCIAL SECURITY & YOU Question: My spouse died recently and my neighbor said my children and I might be eligible for survivors benefits. Don’t I have to be retirement age to receive benefits? Answer: No. As a survivor, you can receive benefits at any age if you are caring for a child who is receiving Social Security benefits and who is under age 16. Your children are eligible for survivors benefits through Social Security up to age 19 if they are unmarried and attending elementary or secondary school full time. Keep in mind that you are still subject to the annual earnings limit if you are working. If you are not caring for minor children, you would need to wait until age 60 (age 50 if disabled) to collect survivors benefits. For more information about survivors benefits, read our publication Survivors Benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Question: I run a bed and breakfast. By this time every year, I am tired of all the paperwork involved with filing taxes. Is there an easier way for small businesses to file W-2s for their employees? Answer: Absolutely. If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, you should check out Social Security’s Business Services Online

(BSO) website. There, you can file your employees’ W-2s and W-2cs electronically and print out the W-2s to provide paper copies to your employees. You also can verify the Social Security numbers of your employees. Our online services are easy to use, fast, and secure. Visit our BSO page at www. socialsecurity.gov/bso. Question: I'm expecting a baby this June. What do I need to do to get a Social Security number for my baby? Answer: Apply for a number at the hospital when you apply for your baby's birth certificate. The state agency that issues birth certificates will share your child's information with us, and we will mail the Social Security card to you. You can learn more about the Social Security number and card by reading our online publication on the subject, available at www.socialsecurity. gov/pubs. Question: I noticed that my date of birth in Social Security’s records is wrong. How do I get that corrected? Answer: To change the date of birth shown on our records, take the following steps: * Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5);

* Show us documents proving: * U.S. citizenship (if you have not previously established your citizenship with us); * Age; and * Identity; and * Take (or mail) your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office. Note that all documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. For details on the documents you’ll need, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ss5doc. Question: I stumbled onto your YouTube channel while looking at funny cat videos. Why does Social Security produce cat videos? Answer: It’s just one of many ways for us to connect to people where they already spend time. It’s important for us to let everyone know about all we do for Americans, and we’re especially interested in getting the word out about our easy, convenient, and secure online services. That’s why we look for creative ways to reach people, young and old. Our popular YouTube videos are not only a hit with viewers, but they let people know the best way to apply for benefits — online. See the videos for yourself at www. socialsecurity.gov. Just select the YouTube link at the bottom right side of the page. By the way, the cat videos have already received more than one million views. Question: I got married and I need to change my name in Social Security’s records. What do I do? Answer: If you change your name due to marriage, or for any other reason, you’ll need to report the change and get a corrected Social Security card with your new name. You will need to fill out form SS-5. You can get a copy of this form by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/ ss5doc or by calling our toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You’ll also need to provide the original marriage certificate showing your new and old names. You can mail or take the documentation to your local Social Security office. In some cases, we may need other forms of documentation as well. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. Question: How can I protect myself against identity theft? Answer: First, don’t carry your Social Security card with you. Keep it secure at home with your other important papers. Second, don’t

readily give out your Social Security number. While many banks, schools, doctors, landlords, and others will request your number, it is your decision whether to provide it. Ask if there is some other way to identify you in their records. If you are the victim of identity theft, you should report it right away. To report identity theft, fraud, or misuse of your Social Security number, the Federal Trade Commission (the nation’s consumer protection agency) recommends you: * Place a fraud alert on your credit file by contacting one of the following companies (the company you contact is required to contact the other two, which will then place alerts on your reports): * Equifax, 1-800-525-6285; or * Trans Union, 1-800-680-7289; or * Experian, 1-888-397-3742. * Review your credit report for inquiries from companies you have not contacted, accounts you did not open, and debts on your accounts you cannot explain; * Close any accounts you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently; * File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place; and * File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877438-4338 (TTY 1-866-653-4261). Question: Can I conduct my Social Security business online in the event of a hurricane or other disaster that keeps me from visiting an office? Answer: Yes, you can conduct most of your business with Social Security online at www.socialsecurity.gov, where you’ll find a wealth of information and services. For example, you can create or access your own my Social Security account, apply online for Social Security benefits or Medicare, and check the status of your pending application. If you’re already receiving Social Security benefits, you can change your address, phone number, or your direct deposit information, get a replacement Medicare card, or get an instant proof of income letter. You also can get your Social Security Statement online. Your Statement lets you check and verify your earnings record and see estimates of your future benefits. You also can find out if your local office is open at www.socialsecurity.gov/ emergency. That site lists any office closings and delays. Question: I applied for a Social Security card for my child at the hospital ▶ CONTINUED PAGE 21

VISIT US ONLINE AT: SeniorBeacon.info What can students and parents and the card came back with the do if they oppose these mandatory first name misspelled. What should vaccinations? Legal experts advising I do? some schools appear to rest their argument in favor of a requirement Answer: on a 1925 case involving smallGo to your local Social Security pox immunization. While a judge office or card center to ask for a upheld that mandate, the COVID corrected card. We need to see at vaccine policy would be the first to least two original documents prov- include an experimental biological ing your child’s: agent. * U.S. citizenship; and Know your rights. According * Identity. to the Kaiser Family Foundation, We also must see proof of your every state provides a vaccine exidentity, as the parent. emption for medical reasons, and The documents you show us approximately a third allow exmust be either originals or copies emptions for religious and personal certified by the issuing agency. beliefs. We cannot accept photocopies or AFLDS also provides concerned notarized copies. To find out more, citizens with an editable informago to www.socialsecurity.gov/sstional letter on its website describnumber. There, you can learn what ing why employers and schools documents you need, fill out and cannot impose an experimental print an application, and then bring vaccine on employees and students. or mail the information to us. You Its Civil Liberties White Paper may also want to read the publiprovides context about the serious cation, Social Security Numbers implications for human rights if For Children, available at www. COVID-19 vaccines are mandatsocialsecurity.gov/pubs. ed. A Legal Resources page directs students and others to additional tools such as legal referrals. The US FROM LIGHT PAGE 6 Supreme Court has also signaled with recent rulings that its justices Jan can be contacted at 719-6492937 or by e-mail Jansmail@reagan. are more sympathetic to arguments of religious liberty than perhaps the com. high court has been in the past. This editorial is taken from a PFPI CONCLUSION: LESSON Freedom Walk Newsletter and is reLEARNED? vised for the Senior Beacon. Written The vast majority of US postsecoriginally to parents in prison who struggle with the inability to be with ondary students are not at risk from severe symptoms, hospitalization, their children during their time of incarceration because Mother’s day is and death due to COVID-19. Comlikely the hardest day for incarcerated munity spread originating on campus has not been proven. Regarded parents and children whether those in this light, requiring proof of inside or out. No one does prison vaccination for the fall 2021 school time alone. Pray for incarcerated semester poses a number of medparents and their children. ical and legal problems for higher education.

◀

◀ FROM COLLEGES PAGE 11

Vaccine-mandating institutions also increase the likelihood of circulating fraudulent vaccination documentation, a target considered “ripe” for exploitation by officials. It’s similarly unclear whether a school will be required to report its vaccination information to a state’s health-department database and what HIPAA violations this action could expose the college or university to. ROLLING BACK THE MANDATE ROLLOUT

While it is accurate that certain vaccines can be required under the law, the unlicensed status of the three COVID vaccines currently in use obviates the authority of a college or university from issuing a mandate. AFLDS recommends that parents and students closely study exemption policies at their school and seek out legal remedies if necessary to preserve their medical privacy and prevent discrimination. April 21, 2021 Dain Pascocello

May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 21

The Faith of Mothers “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” 2 Timothy 1:5 You may not know the name Anna Jarvis, but she was the first one to suggest having a national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her mother so much. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, she gave a carnation, which was her mother's favorite flower, to every person who attended. Well, the idea of honoring mothers soon caught on, and on May 9, 1914 by an act of congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established it as a time for ''public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.'' Mother's Day is one of the most celebrated days of the year. We are told there are more telephone calls made on Mother's Day than any other time of the year. If you haven't called your mom yet, I want to encourage you to do so. It is a day when we remember our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. We love

giving them gifts, visits, and phone calls. Abraham Lincoln said, ''No man is poor who has a godly mother.'' There have been many mothers in the history of the world who have impacted their sons in a tremendous way. Abraham Lincoln was one of those. St. Augustine, the great religious leader, had a mother named Monica and it was the prayers of his mother which brought him to the foot of the cross. Also, the Bible tells us about many wonderful mothers who are great examples for all mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers alive today, who want to be what God desires them to be. Let’s let our faith shine today not only on our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but for everyone around us. Happy Mother’s Day!!! Kay Owen-Larson is the co-founder and President of Crossroads Ministries and the founder of the Crossroads School of Chaplaincy. 2021 marks her 58th year in ministry. An author, speaker, teacher and pastor, she has a heart for the elderly and would like to see many of them come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in their last days.

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Page 22 - Senior Beacon - May 2021

ANCIENT FAERIE LORE: FAERIE HERBS AND POTIONS

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

The tiny elf and the pixie are no less a topic of our curiosity. Living alongside us are elves, who work as shoemakers, and tailors. They are also derived from German culture, Iceland, Scandinavia, and England, not to mention Ireland.

Garden Gnomes: Although we deviate this month from the renowned faerie, this column captivatingly is dedicated to gnomes and pixies, goblins, hobgoblins and other mystical creatures who invade our daily life. Hopefully, readers will approach the simple gnome with the due respect, and reverence he deserves. For unknown reasons, we accept the presence of garden gnomes. Apart from their reassuring existence each spring we gently clean away cobwebs, and brighten their outfits while depositing them amongst the weeds, seedlings and soon to be vegetables in our gardens. How many of us connect and relish a one sided conversation with this mystical creature, who was neglected and ignored for many a winter night? So there they remain for another season - another summer, as a gentle reminder of our unawareness regarding their very being. Prior to mass production, and with personas unfamiliar to the general public, the Gartenzwerg or common Garden gnomes were developed in Germany during the 1800's. Since then an international influx of gnomes pushing wheel-barrows, resting on toad-

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stools, and riding pigs emerged, all revered by craftspeople and artists trying to duplicate and re-invent this peculiar marvel. Even heads of political figures have been not so subtly attached to the common gnome torso. If it makes a statement, why not use it? Believe it or not, for decades, gnome-napping was considered an urban crime, and taken very seriously. Another amazing reality is the collector's market now in full swing. Forming statues from antique molds is a growing business. Ancient gnomes are admired and sought after by the collector. This being said, the lowly garden gnome is a symbol of good fortune, an aspiration none of us could disregard. The tiny elf and the pixie are no less a topic of our curiosity. Living alongside us are elves, who work as shoemakers, and tailors. They are also derived from German culture, Iceland, Scandinavia, and England, not to mention Ireland. Albeit mischievous personalities they also enjoy interweaving the human and animal's hair while they sleep. Should they become angered all hell breaks loose… crockery, furniture among many other items will be hurled through the air, at least until the elf is appeased. Sudden birth marks can be attributed to this little character. Elf knots are achieved by braiding an animal or human hair which sometimes is

done quite professionally, believe it or not! The Russian elf Domovoi twists vegetables (while in the state of growth underground) into creative yet unusual shapes, also he enjoys tangling horse's manes with no fear to himself. He'll chaotically ride his steed at night, and become entirely useless and unable to achieve anything meaningful by morning, or for the next few days. Now you have an inkling of more existences in this twilight world upon which we infringe. Be aware, and try to evaluate your own personal phenomena, activities and experiences from the past…a broken plate, a sudden baffling birth mark, as many of your queries and solutions are already engraved in stone…

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May 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 23

OPINION-EDITORIAL

DAVID SHRIBMAN

David M. Shribman is a North Shore native and Pulitzer Prize winner

BIDEN'S 100-DAY SPRINT

Old man in a hurry. Joseph R. Biden Jr. is 78 years old. He is the oldest person to occupy the White House. And as he approaches the traditional hundred-day presidential evaluation marker next week, he has set a stunning, breathless pace. He has won approval of a stimulus bill, has proposed an infrastructure offensive and has placed a tax bill on the American agenda. He has announced the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, challenged Russia on cyber interference, engaged China in a sobering trade reckoning, taken steps to return to the Iran nuclear agreement, and set out goals to battle climate change. Handfuls of younger presidents treaded more carefully and more modestly in their hundred-day periods, which, since Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s torrid pace of 15 major pieces of legislation, has become the customary period for grading a newly inaugurated president. The phrase Hundred Days is derived from the time between Napoleon’s 1815 return to Paris from Elba exile and his defeat at Waterloo. Maybe Biden is in a rush because he is old. “When people are older, their perspective narrows, and when they are older they truly often are wiser and they have perspective and clarity,” said Janet Taylor, a community psychiatrist in Sarasota, Florida, and a consultant with AARP. “They accept that they have more time behind them than in front of them. Biden in a hurry? Sure. Focused on what’s most important and determined to get that done? Definitely.” As the country ages — the

Urban Institute estimates that the number of Americans 65 and older will more than double over the next four decades — this may become a more significant political and cultural phenomenon. Consider the character of the country in 2040, with 80 million American senior citizens. Modern Americans are familiar with two figures who lived that young-man genre, both shaped by the early deaths of their fathers, both in a hurry to leave a mark because they knew of the fragility of life and the threat of early demise. The first was Mickey Mantle, whose father, Elven Clark “Mutt” Mantle, died in 1952 at age 40. The Yankee slugger lived to be 63 but conducted his life in supersonic speed. The other was Bill Clinton, whose father, the heavy equipment salesman William Jefferson Blythe Jr., died at age 28, just before the future president was born, drowning after a tire blew out as he was driving in Missouri. “Bill was always in a hurry, for sure,” said Paul David Leopoulos, whose friendship with the 42nd president dates to when the two of them were 8 years old. Even so, Clinton’s first hundred days were unimpressive. The conservative Heritage Foun-

dation dismissed his record as “a sorry scorecard.” Even liberals were disappointed. The new president was swept into office on a gale of optimism but swiftly became bogged down in disputes over gays in the military and undocumented domestic workers in the homes of Cabinet appointees. His brave plans for a national childhood vaccine program, a college-for-all scheme and a campaign-finance overhaul were abandoned, watered down and postponed, respectively. Biden’s determination to open with a brisk scherzo — and, so far, to avoid the kind of fiasco the 43-year-old John F. Kennedy endured with the botched Bay of Pigs episode on Day 85 of his presidency — may be because he has known tragic loss, and the suddenness with which it sometimes occurs; his wife and 1-year-old daughter perished in an automobile accident just after his election to the Senate in 1972, and his son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer. He understands the smudge in the human story between life and death. When he pops into Janssen’s Market, his favored grocery store in Wilmington, Delaware, he may pause and choose the bright-yellow bananas rather than the green ones. The phrase “old man in a hurry” has not always been employed in

a positive light. It first was used by Lord Randolph Churchill in 1886, when he was 37 years old and impatient with William Ewart Gladstone’s drive for Irish home rule. He questioned the British prime minister’s motives for calling an election, saying, “Why? For this reason and no other: to gratify the ambition of an old man in a hurry.” You might hear a history-minded Republican quoting that Randolph Churchill speech before long.

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