SENIOR BEACON SEPTEMBER 2021 by BeaconNewsGroup

Committed To Southern Colorado Seniors For 39 Years And Counting

Senior

Beacon SEPTEMBER 2021

Vol. 40:8

Established February 1982

Social Security COLA Next Year Could Be 6.2%

(Washington, DC) – The annual Social Security cost - of - living adjustment (COLA) could be 6.2 percent next year — the highest in almost four decades according to a new estimate from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). Based on July consumer price index (CPI) data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics “The estimate is significant because the COLA is based on the average of the July, August and September CPI data,” says Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. “With one third of the data needed to calculate the COLA already in, it increasingly appears that the COLA for 2022 will be the highest paid since 1983 when it was 7.4%,” says Johnson.

Social Security benefits are one of the few types of income in retirement adjusted for inflation. But soaring inflation can still knock a hole in the household finances of retired and disabled Social Security recipients. In 2021 Social Security benefits increased by just 1.3 percent raising the average benefit by about $20. But about 86 percent of Social Security recipients say their expenses increased by much more than that amount. A new survey by The Senior Citizens League asked “Which of the following financial actions have you taken during the COVID-19 pandemic? (March 2020 to present.) Here’s how survey participants responded: ▶ SEE SOC. SEC., PAGE 21

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Pueblo Zoo Senior Discovery Week

Don’t miss our Pueblo Zoo Senior Discovery Week for senior citizens the week of September 12-18, 2021. During Senior Discovery Week, visitors aged 65 +, along with their caregivers are admitted free to the Zoo. Seniors will enjoy a 15% discount in the gift shop and we will feature special activities such as Bingo and other games, music performances, educational animal encounters, and wellness resources as well as refreshments. SENIOR DISCOVERY WEEK SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: Tuesday, Sept 14: 9 am Coffee & Donuts 10 am Bison BINGO 11 am Docent Zoo Tours & Steps Challenge

Wednesday, Sept 15: 9 am Coffee & Donuts 10 am Bison BINGO 11 am Tom Munch Performs 11 am Animal Presentations Thursday, Sept 16: 9 am Coffee & Donuts 10 am Bison BINGO 11 am Chair Yoga 11 am Animal Presentations

Pueblo Zoo is wheelchair accessible and the hours for the month of September are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the last admission at 4:00 p.m. More information about Senior Discovery Week may be found online at pueblozoo.org/senior-discovery-week

Page 2 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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15 Tips for Traveling with Someone with Dementia THE GOOD NEWS IS that you can travel with someone who has dementia. It’s a bit of a challenge, but it’s doable in the early stages. It just takes more planning, patience, and time as routines will be disrupted. Here’s how to make it easier on yourself and the person you’re caring for.

5. Velcro shoes or slip-on shoes are a must. Plus, most airports have a seating area a few feet from where you pick up your belongings, where you can put yourselves back together, and just beyond that

ment and relaxation. 10. Consider staying in a hotel rather than with relatives who may be alarmed by or unfamiliar with dementia symptoms. If there’s any sort of drama in the household,

Top Tips 1. Have an ID bracelet or wearable GPS unit for your care recipient that can’t be easily removed. List the person’s name and your cell number on the ID. If the person can still use a cell phone, make sure your number is the emergency contact. 2. Keep a current photo of your care recipient with you in case you get separated and carry a laminated card that briefly explains that they have dementia. Showing this to service people helps to avoid frustration, impatience, confusion, and embarrassment. 3. Book a direct flight and limit flight time to under four hours, if possible, when flying. 4. Carry-on your luggage, if possible, to avoid waiting at baggage claim, and carry documents and medications with you.

7. 8. 9.

is a handicapped seating area where you can hitch a ride on an electric cart that brings you to your gate. Use the family restrooms, rather than the public restrooms. Your traveling companion will appreciate the help. Take advantage of early boarding. This will give you extra time to get settled. Let flight attendants know about special needs. They are more than willing to help. Bring an iPad/tablet with headphones for entertain-

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this will only add to everyone’s confusion and frustration. 11. Let the hotel staff know about any special needs. Asking for a vase of flowers to be placed in your room seems to help freshen up the environment. 12. Bring an aromatherapy diffuser. Aromatherapy works like magic to allay anxiety. Put a few drops of lavender oil, sage, geranium, rose, or ylang ylang oil on a pillowcase, handkerchief that you can stick in a shirt pocket, or in a diffuser. Try out different

blends before your trip to see what your traveling companion prefers. Essential oils and diffusers are available at natural food stores and online. 13. Avoid noisy, crowded situations that might provoke anxiety, fear, or confusion as much as possible. Instead, visit tranquil environments such as art museums and galleries, botanical gardens, and special interest museums. If you’re meeting friends or family, picnic in a beautiful park. If children are included, choose a park with a playground. 14. Have afternoon tea, cookies, and fruit in your hotel room, and allow time for a nap. Ice cream treats always work when the going gets rough! 15. Try to relax and enjoy your time together! Following these tips helped when our family took a fun trip to Hawaii with Morris after his diagnosis. It was even more special than our previous trips because we wanted to enjoy every precious moment together. Barbra Cohn is the author of Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Read her blog at BarbraCohn.com

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

am confused by many things! Too numerous to count. Like every time, it seems, I'm in a hurry the light ahead of me ALWAYS turns red! My whole life it seems to have occurred. Why is understanding politicians, even ones I interviewed in my office during my salad days, so impossible to understand? Lots of words but no meanings or conclusions. So these musings bring me to a topic that is red meat for both sides of the political spectrum. Abortion! I must admit, when I was in college and a spec later, I thought abortion was giving the female of

the species control over her body. Who was I to tell any female that she couldn't have an abortion? Right? My "moment" was when my wife told me she was late and sure enough there was a precious life developing in my wife's womb. My whole perspective changed. I became, and was adamant, that abortions should be outlawed. But then, I was told by a colleague who wasn't female that if a woman wants an abortion it is her choice and, if said woman, is forced to get "back alley" abortions she would be risking her very life. After all, she's the one that has to carry that "fetus" and deal with all the ups and downs of pregnancy. Plus, she'd have to give birth and then give the child to some stranger. There are plenty of women who say when they see their newborn that they just couldn't give their child away to some strangers, so they keep "their" newborn. Given the fact that families that want to adopt a child for whatever Godly reason out there, would be overjoyed with their new baby! Win! Win! I never really considered that aspect of it. But the more I pondered the question, the more I understood what he had to say. Except, deep down inside all of us is a little thing called humanity! Given the amount of abortions that are done in the United States in any given year is an abomination.

September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 3 But when it came to a head and it became a lynchpin for our "leaders" on the Left the guilt and the doubt was erased. Laws were made and revised throughout the last 5-6 decades. The same people who cringe at the word "war" are exactly the same folks who take advantage of the issue. They push young pregnant women to rid themselves of the "fetus" within while being led down that very alley that they say these same girls would have to travel if abortion was outlawed. Putting politics in the mix and taking advantage of the same just to get votes is dastardly. Listen, deep down in all of us we know that that baby is a human life and it should not be murdered. The United States abortion rates are the highest in the world and have been for forever, at least during the time I've been on the earth. That same young, soon-to-be mother that wants and abortion can be dissuaded by her own heart (soul maybe?) and good counseling to carry it to term. Of all the Capital sins, murder is the leader by far. If we took abortion off the table and used the funds to snuff out a helpless baby and use that very money to promote the birth of the child inside her womb, there'd be no need for abortion. We seem to be going the wrong direction. We, and they, know it but the politicians have prostituted themselves for votes! I remember when many of those same

pols would take to the floor of the Senate or the House and rail against abortion but they found a way to get votes and monetize the issue so have changed their collective minds. It disgusts me. Weighing the lifetime of remorse with the happiness of deciding to keep your child or giving the child to a loving family seems to be a no-brainer! I sure hope we evolve away from abortion. But, unfortunately, where there is money to be made (ever try to adopt a child from a foreign land?) and votes to procure,I fear that this issue is insoluble! We humans are a piece of work! And finally I heard a very neat expression. "Waste time with God." I'll explain next time. Godspeed and God help us see the light on this issue.

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STATEWIDE DISABILITY NON-PROFIT SEEKS INDIVIDUALS DENVER, CO: The Colorado Cross Disability Coalition (CCDC) was recently awarded grant funding by the Next50 Foundation and a partnership with Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to support an education and advocacy campaign for home and community-based services for adults over 50 years of age with long-term service and support (LTSS) needs and caregivers that support those adults. The project will educate people throughout Colorado about upcoming changes to our publicly funded LTSS system and provide opportunities for current or future clients to have a say in shaping future services. CCDC’s mission is to advocate for social justice for people with all types of disabilities, what they call “cross-disability.” This grant will support the organization’s mission by ensuring an equitable process to all people with all types of disabilities. If you have any questions about this project and/or how to get involved, please contact Mona at mvyas@ccdconline.org or 303-3576430.

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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 5

SRDA NOVEMBER 2021 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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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.

Page 6 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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‘LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY’

JAN MCLAUGHLIN

Columnist & founder of an international charity

“THE GREAT DIVIDE” A WOMAN AND JUDAS BY GUEST AUTHOR, TIMOTHY VAGAS

esus Christ is a continental divide, that long line, high, invisible, reso-

lute, and decisive, which splits a mighty land. Falling upon Him, the water of our lives turns to one side or the other. Like an unassailable, natural phenomenon, he rises above every nation, culture, family, and soul. In relation to Him everything runs east or west into the oceans of eternity. Put another way, our hearts must flow. Where they go will define us and determine our fate. Our loves, choices, and petty habits make us who we are. Faced with the enormity that is Jesus, we are bound to head one of two directions. Either we fall deeper and deeper in love with Him, or we want Him dead and gone. Matthew 26:6-16 tells

the story of two such people. After a lengthy time contemplating this incredible person, this Jesus, this our Lord and Creator in human form, they each come to a fateful decision. In so doing, they reveal the love of their life, the goal of their journey, and the destination of their soul. Verses 6 to 13 speak of an unnamed and unknown woman. (John 12:1-8 identifies her as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, though her life is still largely unknown.) Whatever her past, this woman’s love for Jesus comes to full flower. She spends lavishly, she ventures forward into worship far beyond the measured, self-conscious, and self-serving limits of others, and she endures scorn and re-

buke. In so doing she pours out upon Jesus not just perfume but her heart’s deepest love. Jesus responds like nowhere else. The entire world will hear about her devotion to Him. Such is the greatness of this woman. She is an example to us all. The other person is Judas. He’s learned a lot from Jesus. But Judas doesn’t want the wisdom Jesus offers, much less the future blessings he promises. Judas wants things, and he wants them now. Jesus disappoints and offends Him. Judas stiffens, hardens his heart, and becomes a thief. In verses 14-16, irked by the woman’s love and Jesus’ praise, Judas has had enough. His path to more wealth turns to the betrayal and murder of the greatest person in history. We should be careful not to scowl at Judas. He’s not a rare breed, just your typical narcissist. But he found himself in a unique situation, face-to-face with pure goodness. Today, whoever has heard about Jesus stands in the same place. Our suicidal self-worship will either shrink or it will destroy us. Like all of us, Mary also had sinful tendencies and a less-than-perfect past. But she let Jesus’ selfless love expose, forgive, and dispel her flaws. From that arose, quite naturally, her great love for the source of love. Note that, as he must, even Jesus describes Himself as the great divide: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30). That shouldn’t be shocking. Jesus doesn’t speak with arrogance. He simply tells the truth. He’s like a parent who claims, “This child is mine.” In standing his ground, Jesus seeks to warn us and woo us. God alone is the source of all good. If we love anything, as each of us does, we should love Him most. And so goes the greatest commandment: “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, NLT). Thomas rightly called Jesus “my Lord and my God!” (John 20:28), for Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), “the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus alone loves us best. He alone gave up his perfect life for us. To love Jesus with all our heart is not just normal and expected, it’s the greatest, smartest, healthiest, and most rewarding thing we can ever do. Whatever our past, it’s never too late to start. Let’s not risk running down the wrong side of the great divide. We may be locked up, sick in bed, or constrained by poverty and trouble. Even so, our hearts are free to pour out upon Jesus the perfume of our love. It can be as simple as saying, “Thank you, Jesus. I love you.” It’s easy to love Jesus too little, but impossible to love Him too much. Mary or Judas? Who will we become? Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us;

▶ SEE LIGHT, PAGE 21

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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 7

NEWS

What do most people do when they retire? WELL, THEY TRAVEL, they spend time with family, and usually they spend time doing something that is NOT related to what they just retired from. Paul Radway must not have received the memo on how to retire properly! Within two years he was teaching pre-nursing students at Pueblo Community College and traveling internationally as a volunteer surgeon. In 2018 he decided to add on to his “retiree activities” and volunteer with Bristol Hospice. The teaching keeps him challenged and youthful, while the patients and families in hospice bring him closer to the people of his community. Being with patients and families dealing with terminal illness is a more immediate feedback on the compassionate and generous giving of his time and presence. In two and a half years (even during COVID) Paul has provided 161.5 hours of comfort. I think it is safe to say that Paul was built to be of service. Less than a year ago, as he was fininshing his teaching at PCC, he started volunteering with Meals on Wheels as well!!

So I asked Paul why. Why does he spend so much time volunteering? The answer is quite simple. “It feels like a good thing to do with my time. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true. I get more than I give. One of my favorite Pueblo resident patients was in his early nineties. He was suffering from heart failure, but when we were together he seemed lighter and more connected. I heard so many wonderful stories about his life in Pueblo -- working in the steel mill, his love of boxing, and how he contributed to the members of his community. He shared stories I had never heard before and would probably never see represented in a book or museum. What touched my heart the most was that he would introduce me to his family and friends as his Best Friend. I only saw him once a week for an hour or so, but he became one of the highlights of my week.” After 45 years in Pueblo, Paul will be moving on to new adventures with his family in the Northeast. Will he “retire?” Only time will tell, but the community members of Pueblo have been enriched

by his presence, his time, talents and heart. We wish him well on his journey. *** You don’t need a medical degree, a college degree or any special skills to be a hospice volunteer. If you have an hour a week and a willingness to be present for a patient and/or family in hospice, our volunteers read,

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walk, grocery shop, play games, listen to music -- any of the things you would do with a friend. As a part of our Care Team, our volunteers do not feed, change (toilet) or transfer our patients. We are looking for companions, Veterans and Pet Therapy voluteers and the need is now. Contact Bristol Hospice of Pueblo at 719-924-8424.

Page 8 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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NEWS OF THE WEIRD

SPECIAL TO THE SENIOR BEACON FROM THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL Inexplicable

Metro News reported on Aug. 15 that authorities in the village of Wonersh in Surrey, England, are stumped by a serial baked bean bandit who is pouring the savory legumes on doorsteps, cars and into mail slots. Officers have promised to step up patrols in the area, but residents are seeing the lighter side: "What half-baked idiots would do this? I hope they get thrown in the can!" and "Absolutely Heinzous crime."

Repeat Offender

A Davenport, Iowa, man was arrested on Aug. 12 after nonchalantly entering a home and rummaging for children's dirty underwear, then sitting down next to a juvenile on the couch. The Quad-City Times reported that Brock Joseph Beert, 30, was led out the back door and waited for police while sitting on a fence. Beert was charged with second-degree burglary and will face the court for those charges after a sentencing hearing on Aug. 19 for another burglary earlier this year.

Fine Points of the Law

Paul Flores, 44, of San Pedro, California, is facing the court for the 1996 disappearance and mur-

der of Kristin Smart, Yahoo News reported. On Aug. 11, Bob Sanger, Flores' attorney, filed a motion requesting a hearing to recuse the entire district attorney's office. Sanger argued that prosecutors have a conflict of interest because they've been wearing purple clothing during the hearing, which was Smart's favorite color. He also said the victim witness coordinator has been sending a "prejudicial message" to witnesses that the DA's office is on Smart's side. Specifically, Sanger said, Detective Clint Cole had worn a purple tie every day of the hearing. Sanger's motion will be heard on Aug. 25.

Bright Idea

New York City subway motorman Terrell Harris is in trouble with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority after letting his girlfriend take a train for a joyride on Aug. 13. According to NBC New York, the couple posted photos to social media showing them in the cab, with her operating the controls through several stops. Interim NYC Transit President Craig Cipriano called the incident an "egregious violation of public trust. Something that I haven't seen in my 32 years here." Harris has been "taken out of service."

Puppy Le Pew

A Nylabone dog treat plant in Neptune City, New Jersey, has neighbors holding their noses after the company consolidated its manufacturing at the site recently. "It's nauseating," Linda Williamson, who lives nearby, told NBC New York. "Instant headaches." Nylabone President Glen Axelrod said the company has spent more than $2 million on odor abatement, charcoal filters and other fixes. "If it were a bakery, you'd be smelling baked food; if we were a steakhouse, you'd be smelling steak," he said. But ... it's not. "You can't enjoy your own yard in this beautiful neighborhood," complained Linda Colucci. While neighbors consult with lawyers about their next moves, Axelrod said the company will continue to explore solutions to the noxious odors.

Rubbish

In Bathside, Harwich, England, resident Irene Slater, 59, has been "gobsmacked" by the theft of garbage bags from outside her home -four times! She keeps the full bags outside because of the smell, but someone obviously appreciates the bouquet, according to the Harwich and Manningtree Standard, sneaking up in the dark of night to take them away. Slater and her neighbors are concerned that the thieves are looking to steal their identities. "It's just so strange -- why would you steal a bin bag?" Slater asked.

"It's certainly not as bad as being burgled, but it still makes you think." Freddie Gillium-Webb, 29, from Hampshire, England, was tasked in August with a cleaning job he won't soon forget, the Daily Mail reported. After a tenant was removed for not paying rent, Gillium-Webb went in to clean the apartment and found a pile of approximately 8,000 beer cans several feet deep, but that wasn't the worst of it. "The smell was terrible. The kitchen was full of food waste and in the living room there were half-eaten kebabs and moldy loaves of bread all over the floor," Gillium-Webb said. "The toilet was piled high with toilet paper and feces, it was disgusting. He'd never flushed it by the looks of it." He said he vomited three times during the cleanup and used 100 large trash bags and 10 bottles of bleach. Still, Gillium-Webb was empathetic: "The tenant might have had depression and he probably had a drinking problem, based on the amount of cans. You need help sometimes, but you can't live like that."

That Was Fast

Steven James Jordan, 31, launched a Twitter account on Aug. 8 and tweeted 186 times within three hours. His account was suspended on Aug. 9, and by Aug. 12, Law & Crime reported, Jordan was booked into the Pinellas

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NEWS OF THE WEIRD

SPECIAL TO THE SENIOR BEACON FROM THE EDITORS OF ANDREWS MCMEEL County (Florida) jail for threatening tweets. Sheriff 's spokesperson Deputy Amanda Sinni said Jordan targeted Activision Games in reference to video games and said he was going to blow up Disney executives' homes, even tagging the company in the tweets. Jordan admitted to writing the tweets but said he posted "stupid things" and didn't want to be arrested. He has a previous conviction for threatening to open fire at a Masonic lodge in Clearwater, Florida.

Suspicions Confirmed

In January, Demetra Street of Baltimore attended a memorial service for her husband, Ivan, complete with a photo of him next to an urn at the front of the room at Wylie Funeral Homes. But after the service, funeral home personnel whisked the urn away and wouldn't turn over Ivan's ashes, she told The Washington Post. Now she thinks

she knows why: Ivan's ashes weren't in the urn. Instead, his body had been buried three days earlier, according to the wishes of another woman who claimed to be Ivan's wife, at Baltimore's Mount Zion cemetery. In early August, Street filed a lawsuit against the funeral home for $8.5 million, calling the urn displayed at the memorial service a "sham." The funeral home's president, Brandon Wylie, denies the accusation: "We vehemently deny the claims advanced by Ms. Street and assert that the underlying matter was handled with the utmost sensitivity toward the loved ones of the deceased."

Awesome!

In July, customers at Tesco supermarkets in England were greeted with motivational posters encouraging camaraderie during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Daily Record reported. However, some

SRDA MONTHLY MENU ABOUT THE MENU

● 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

patrons were amused by the placement of the messages -- especially one reading "Together we can do this" found in a urinal stall in the men's restroom. Users posted the sign online, prompting replies such as, "Nah I got this one all by myself thanks Tesco" and "Ok, but only three shakes please."

Miller told Ball. But then she tried

News That Sounds Like a Joke

view, one metal object stuck, while

Dan Ball, a host on One America News, interviewed Amelia Miller on Aug. 12 about her newfound power: She claims she became magnetic after getting the Pfizer vaccine in December 2020. According to HuffPost, Miller said she recently started "to feel this extremely strong metallic taste in my mouth" and remembered stories about people who had become magnetic after being vaccinated. "I thought all these videos were hoaxes, people are doing it, like you said, for social media fame,"

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

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-

Individuals are eligible to participate in the Home Delivered meals service in one of the categories listed in this below:

Local People Making

Local Decisions

We offer loans and accounts that branches or give us a call. • 719-545-1834

Pueblo • Cañon City • Colorado Springs • Salida Leadville • Castle Rock •Denver • Longmont vent the participation of other older adults and their spouses. Nutrition Services (Home Delivered) Eligibility Policy:

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SRDA MENU

and they stayed, and the metallic taste came back. When she tried to demonstrate during the inter-

another fell off. "I'm speechless. I'm just going to end the interview right there," Ball responded.

Call SRDA at 545-8900 for congregate meal sites and Meals-on-Wheels info!

PB & T BANK pbandt.bank

sticking metal objects to her skin,

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

Spouses of home delivered meals consumers if, according to Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) criteria, receipt of the meals are in the best interest of the consumers. More Information For more information, please contact us at 719-543-0100. CONGREGATE LUNCH SITES Avondale Community Center 719-947-4180 409 2nd Lane Avondale, CO Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Beulah Center 719-485-3100 5903 Penn Avenue Beulah, CO Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Colorado City Community Center 719-676-3059 5445 Cuerno Verde Colorado City, CO Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. JH Edwards Senior Center (SRDA) 230 N Union Avenue Pueblo, CO Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fulton Heights Center 1331 Santa Rosa Pueblo, CO

PROUD TO SPONSOR THIS Make sure call them at (719) 545-1834

Page 10 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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OPINION-EDITORIAL

ANN COULTER

Columnist, author and lawyer

PARENTHOOD HAS DRIVEN OUR POLICY ELITE MAD THERE'S A DISTURBING

trend among post-Trump populists to think that just because they’ve rejected the old GOP ideas about tax cuts and permanent war, they should also reject standard GOP ideas about big government social engineering projects. Currently, the most embarrassing of the allegedly populist right-wing enthusiasms is the pro-natalist position. The idea, in a nutshell, is that family formation is good for society, so why not create government programs that encourage family formation? The main way the government could do that is by eliminating 90% of itself, but that’s not in the cards. So instead,

Sens. Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio, The New York Times’ Ross Douthat, and “Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance, among others, want to pay women to have children. Human reproduction doesn’t require a P.R. team. Who would think that activities humans have engaged in for millennia require government incentives, except the unhappily married or those who consider heterosexual sex a horrible drudgery? What was the worst calamity ever to befall this country? Nope, not the 1965 immigration act, but that’s a good guess. Not World War II or 9/11, terrible though those were. Not even the Jan. 6 ATTACK ON THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF OUR COUNTRY — NAY! DEMOCRACY ITSELF! It was the government paying women to have kids. During the most destructive period in American history, the rollout of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society programs, the federal government thought it would be a peachy idea to pay women to have babies. You’ll never guess what happened next! Lots and lots of women started having babies — at a clip that didn’t allow time for acquiring a husband first.

Within a decade, the world had gone to hell, taking the black family down with it. While many blamed the implosion of the black family on African customs, slavery, the Middle Passage, Jim Crow and so on, a black demographer at the Rockefeller Foundation, Erol Ricketts, looked at the evidence. It turned out the black family was thriving until the WhatCould-Go-Wrong? Great Society programs of the 1960s. Based on nearly a century of U.S. Census reports, Ricketts found that between 1890 and 1950, black Americans married at higher rates than whites. (You’ll find this and other amazing facts in “Mugged: Racial Demagoguery From the Seventies to Obama.”) The marriage rate for black women fell below 70% for the first time in 1970. Today, we’d hold ticker-tape parades if 70% of black kids were being raised in intact families. Why do some conservatives think we should do more of the exact thing that destroyed the black family — and did a number on all American families? The opposite of “Establishment Republican” shouldn’t be “moron.” Back in the 1960s, conservatives could only predict disaster from these allegedly pro-child policies. By now, we’ve been running the experiment for more than a half-century. We’re living the disaster. Paying women to have kids actively destroys families, which I believe is the opposite of “pro-family.” Incidentally, the “pro-family” line is the exact same con open-borders Republicans ran on

Christian groups when promoting “family reunification” policies in the 1990s, allowing endless waves of immigrants’ extended families to relocate to the U.S. and outvote the Christians. Whenever you hear about some great new government program that’s “pro-family,” reach for your gun. National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru claims that paying women to have kids is less a government intrusion than “a way of helping them to live out what they already want.” In surveys, it seems, American women say they want more kids than they ultimately end up having. This is why researchers distinguish between “stated preference” and “revealed preference.” For example, I think the ideal number of times to have fish every week is: two. But the number of times I actually eat fish each week is: zero. Please, conservatives, don’t help me by subsidizing fish. It is simply asserted that it’s a terrible thing for a nation’s birthrate to fall below replacement level. But the only concrete downside to a declining birthrate is that the Social Security system will collapse without a never-ending supply of younger workers to fund it. Apparently, the government lied to us about a Social Security Trust Fund, and now the till is dry, requiring a constant influx of withholding taxes to keep the system afloat. That’s a great way to govern: Create a new government program to paper over the failure of an earlier government program! COPYRIGHT 2021 ANN COULTER

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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 11

Getting “On the Road” Digital Nomad Style

Celebrate Grandparent’s Day

(NAPSI)—If you’re like roughly two-thirds of Americans, you expect to travel this year. So, whether it’s camping, visiting national landmarks or splurging on a first-rate resort, travelers want to do it all—as soon as possible. Who’s Going This seems particularly true of those 55 years and older. In a recent T-Mobile survey of older Americans, most said they want to jump in the car and go for a road trip to see… you guessed it… family. In fact, 43% plan to visit with children and grandchildren, according to the survey. And they can afford it. The AARP reports that 58 percent of Boomers have been saving their money for travel. The Digital Nomad Trend The phrase, “on the road,” however, may have a new meaning for some. The pandemic ushered in a new travel-meets-work trend for people over 55 who are redefining work and taking the “Nomadland” path. While digital nomads have typically been in their 20s and 30s, working and traveling the world before settling down, Boomers (and older GenXers) are reevaluating the latter years of their careers. They now want to include a splash of freedom. That can mean choosing to live and work remotely, selling their possessions, working flexible full-time or part-time gigs or starting their own businesses. Living an ‘On the Road” Lifestyle Having the right technologies—from smartphones to wifi antennas and hotspots—make working and living from the road a breeze. Most important is having fast, reliable wireless service. When you’re having fun traveling cross-country or working from the back of your van, you need fast data speeds, video streaming that works and reliability. Fortunately, it’s all getting better every day thanks to the newest generation of wireless: 5G. What 5G Can Do 5G provides faster download speeds and more reliable connections, and T-Mobile 5G now covers 92 percent of Interstate Highway miles across America. For travelers, this means music streaming, video calls, real-time navigation and more. And, unlike AT&T or Verizon, T-Mobile offers a nationwide discount for 55+ customers with dedicated 55+ plans that include 5G at no additional cost. Plus, customers can sign up for a family plan with up to four lines and Netflix on Us. Now more than ever, 5G technology will enable 55+ers to go big and go “on the road” without breaking the bank.

"Life is what happens when you're busy making

other plans."

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.” Psalm 71:9 Grandparent’s day is September 12th this year and is a very special day. It is a day set aside to celebrate the grandparents in our lives. All of my grandparents have passed away but I remember all the happy days spent in their presence. One of my grandfathers was a farmer in South Georgia, and he loved all of us kids, so one year he decided to save one of his fields for a baseball diamond. We spent many Sunday afternoons in that field playing ball. One of my grandmothers loved to pray. She was crippled so she was limited in her activities, but she would spend her time in praying for her 9 children and her many great grandchildren. I know there are many in the Kingdom today because of her prayers. Being a parent is wonderful but being a grandparent is awesome! We had the privilege of having a great granddaughter with us for a month one summer and it is a summer neither of us will ever forget. What a blessing!! This is also a time for grandparents to realize the role we have to play in the lives of our grandchildren. A time to sow into their lives!! Our prayers and love can shape the destiny of their lives for generations to come. There is an urgency for us to join

in prayer for the generations to come. So, please join with us in celebrating our grandparents, and as grandparents, let’s make a commitment to pray for grandchildren. “Now, when I am old and grayheaded…I will declare Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:18 Kay Owen-Larson is the co-founder and President of Crossroads Ministries and the founder of the Crossroads School of Chaplaincy. This year 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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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 13

FOR A HEALTHIER YOU

FLCCC Alliance Releases COVID-19 Treatment Formed by leading critical care specialists in March 2020, at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, the ‘Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance’ is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to developing highly effective treatment protocols to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and to improve the outcomes for patients ill with the disease. We are dedicated to: Reviewing all emerging published medical literature on COVID-19 from in-vitro, animal, clinical, and epidemiologic studies. • Developing effective treatment protocols for COVID-19 that evolve by incorporating newly identified, applicable therapeutic and pathophysiologic insights. • Educating physicians on safe and effective treatment approaches to all phases of COVID-19, from disease prevention strategies to the use of our combination-based therapy protocols in both early-stage (I-MASK+) and hospitalized patients (MATH+). • Improving outcomes for people impacted by COVID-19 disorders through preventive and treatment strategies designed to optimize health. • Teaching the public ways to prevent transmission of the virus and to advocate for the best possible care. • Coordinating and accelerating the formation of research studies that will support effective prevention and therapeutic treatments for all impacted by COVID-19 •

We accomplish these goals by sponsoring high quality medical education for both the public and health care providers, via the publication of scientific manuscripts, media interviews, and medical lectures for medical providers and the public. Our funding needs are To conduct a public awareness campaign to promote disease prevention and early treatment among others. Please visit https://Covid19CriticalCare.com/ to learn more, read our 55-page extended protocol, and possibly donate.

FRONT LINE COVID-19 CRITICAL CARE ALLIANCE PREVENTION & TREATMENT PROTOCOLS FOR COVID-19

I-MASS

A cooperation of the FLCCC Alliance with

Prevention & At Home Treatment Mass Distribution Protocol for COVID-19 Prevention Protocol For adults > 18 years and >40 kg/90 lbs

Ivermectin

18 mg – start treatment with one dose on day 1, and then repeat weekly (every 7 days)

Vitamin D3

2000 IU (50 mcg) daily

Multivitamin

1 tablet daily

Digital thermometer optional (to watch the body temperature)

Early At Home Treatment Protocol For adults > 18 years and >40 kg/90 lbs

Ivermectin

24 mg – daily for 5 days

Melatonin

6 mg at night for 5 days

Aspirin (ASA)

80 mg/day (unless contraindicated)

Anti-septic mouth wash

Three times daily (gargle do not swallow); if available

In the setting of poor clinical response, advanced disease, or obesity, higher doses should be used (target 0.4–0.6 mg/kg)

Post-exposure Prevention For household or close contacts of a COVID-19 patient

Ivermectin

flccc.net

18 mg – repeat dose in 48 hours

www.bird-group.org

The I-MASS protocol has been developed for Mass Distribution during regional outbreaks or in resource poor countries to lessen the impact and spread of COVID-19. Ivermectin Ivermectin has been found to have highly potent anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties and many randomized trials and data from countries that have adopted ivermectin all show large reductions in time to recovery, hospitalizations and death. The FLCCC review paper summarizing this data has been published in the American Journal of Therapeutics here. Further supportive information can also be found here: www.flccc.net/ivermectin-incovid-19/ Disclaimer: The safety of ivermectin in pregnancy has not been established. Particularly the use in the 1st trimester should be discussed with your doctor beforehand. Further treatment protocols for COVID-19, including for hospitalized patients, can be found at flccc.net/covid-19protocols/

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Page 14 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

Penrose (719) 372-3872 Florence (719) 784-6493

GOLDEN AGE CENTER

September 2021 Upper Arkansas Area Agency on Aging Nutrition Program

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 1 #43 French Dip Sandwich w/Au Jus Oven Browned Potatoes Mixed Vegetables Strawberries

GAC

Thursday 2 #79 Salisbury Steak Brown Gravy Smashed Red Potatoes California Mixed Vegetables Nectarine WW Bread w/Butter 9 #88 Stuffed Peppers Chopped Spinach w/Malt Vinegar Applesauce Cake WW Bread w/Butter

Friday 3 #6 Baked Potato Broccoli w/Cheese Sauce Salad w/Lite French Plum Fruit Cocktail Drop Biscuit w/Butter 10 #9 BBQ Chicken Potato Salad Spinach Salad w/Mandarin Oranges Apple WW Roll w/Butter

A $3.00 suggested donation per meal is appreciated, but not required.

Must have assessment form for our meal program on file with UAAACOG.

7 #73 Roast Chicken Mushroom Sauce Steamed Brown Rice Cauliflower Broccoli Mix Apple Pear Salad w/Almonds WW Bread w/Butter

8 #105 Vegetable Soup WW Crackers Tuna Salad on Lettuce w/Tomato Slice Baked Acorn Squash Pear Halves

13 #65 Pork Chow Mein Steamed Brown Rice Cabbage w/Red Pepper Banana Fortune Cookie WW Bread w/Butter

14 #32 Chili con Carne Steamed Broccoli Cornbread Trail Mix w/Nuts & Raisins Apple

15 #109 Turkey Pot Pie Peas & Carrots Salad w/Lite Ranch WW Roll w/Butter Orange Oatmeal Cookie

16 #63 Pasta Primavera Spinach Salad w/Egg & Lite Italian Dressing Apple/Pear Salad w/Almonds Plum Garlic Bread

17 #29 Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Caesar Salad WW Saltine Crackers Mitzie’s WW Rolls Apple Orange Juice Raisin Nut Cup

20 #26 Chicken Fajita Savory Black Beans w/Cilantro Tortilla Whole Wheat Cheddar Cheese Mexicali Corn Orange

21 #90 Swedish Meatball Whipped Potatoes w/Beef Gravy Chopped Spinach Orange Bran Muffin

22 #19 Bratwurst on a Bun w/Coleslaw Creamy Coleslaw Banana Sliced Peaches

23 #47 Scalloped Potatoes w/Ham Spinach Salad w/Mandarin Oranges Hard Boiled Egg Sliced Peaches WW Dinner Roll

24 #86 Spinach Lasagna Seasoned Green Beans Salad w/Lite Italian Banana WW Bread w/Butter

27 #69 Roast Beef Green Bean Amandine Apricot Peach Compote WW Dinner

28 #99 Tuna Pasta Salad Creamy Cucumber Salad Peach Orange Juice SF Gelatin w/Banana Raisin Nut Cup WW Rolls w/Butter

29 #15 Beef Stew Sweet Corn Cauliflower Broccoli Salad Plums WW Crackers

30 #60 Meatloaf w/Gravy Roasted Sweet Potatoes Brussels Sprouts Salad w/Lite Ranch Pineapple Tidbits WW Bread w/Butter

Closed Labor Day

Please call (719) 345-3064 before 9:30 a.m. for reservations. Congregate meals

Please (719) 345-3064 before 9:30 subject a.m. for for grab-nserved call Monday – Friday at noon. All menus to reservations change. go meals served Monday - Fridays. All menus subject to change.

Menus are sponsored by

Canon City (719) 345-4112 Salida (719) 539-3351 September 2021 Florence Senior Center Upper Arkansas Area Agency on Aging Nutrition Program

FLORENCE SENIOR CENTER

Tuesday

7 #40 Cream of Potato Soup Tuna Salad Wrap Lettuce & Tomato Slices Creamy Coleslaw Peaches

Friday 3 #6 Baked Potato Broccoli w/Cheese Sauce Salad w/Lite French Plum Fruit Cocktail Drop Biscuit w/Butter 10 #9 BBQ Chicken Potato Salad Spinach Salad w/Mandarin Oranges Apple WW Roll w/Butter

14 #26 Chicken Fajita Savory Black Beans w/Cilantro Tortilla Whole Wheat Cheddar Cheese Mexicali Corn Orange

16 #63 Pasta Primavera Spinach Salad w/Egg & Lite Italian Dressing Apple/Pear Salad w/Almonds Plum Garlic Bread

21 #43French Dip Sandwich w/Au Jus Oven Browned Potatoes Mixed Vegetables Strawberries

23 #47 Scalloped Potatoes w/Ham Spinach Salad w/Mandarin Oranges Hard Boiled Egg Sliced Peaches WW Dinner Roll

17 #29 Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Caesar Salad WW Saltine Crackers Mitzie’s WW Rolls Apple Orange Juice Raisin Nut Cup 24 #86 Spinach Lasagna Seasoned Green Beans Salad w/Lite Italian Banana WW Bread w/Butter

28 #30 Chicken Salad Sandwich Lettuce & Tomato Confetti Salad Beef Barley Soup Orange Juice

30 #60 Meatloaf w/Gravy Roasted Sweet Potatoes Brussels Sprouts Salad w/Lite Ranch Pineapple Tidbits WW Bread w/Butter

A $3.00 suggested donation per meal is appreciated, but not required.

Must have assessment form for our meal program on file with UAAACOG.

Please call (719) 784-6493 before 9:30 a.m. for reservations for grab-n-go meals served Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. All menus subject to change. Please call (719) 784-6493 before 9:30 a.m. for reservations. Congregate meals served Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at noon. All menus subject to change.

LEGACY BANK--in Canon City!!

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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 15

SENIOR SAFETY

How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams SCAMMERS USE EMAIL OR TEXT MESSAGES to trick

you into giving them your personal information. But there are several things you can do to protect yourself. HOW TO RECOGNIZE PHISHING Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. They may try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that people lost $57 million to phishing schemes in one year. Scammers often update their tactics, but there are some signs that will help you recognize a phishing email or text message. Phishing emails and text messages may look like they’re from a company you know or trust. They may look like they’re from a bank, a credit card company, a social networking site, an online payment

website or app, or an online store. Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. They may: •

say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information • say you must confirm some personal information • include a fake invoice want you to click on a link to make a payment • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund • offer a coupon for free stuff HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PHISHING ATTACKS Your email spam filters may keep many phishing emails out of your inbox. But scammers are always trying to outsmart spam filters, so it’s a good idea to add extra layers of protection. Here are four steps you can take today to protect yourself from phishing attacks. 1. Protect your computer by

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multi-factor authentication.

2. Protect your mobile phone by

4. Protect your data by backing

setting software to update auto-

it up.

matically. 3. Protect your accounts by using

Source: Consumer.FTC.gov

Page 16 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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REELING

MOST EXUBERANT MUSICAL EVER

BROADWAY PLAY STUNS ON THE BIG AND SMALL SCREEN BETTY JO TUCKER Pueblo award winning film critic

y husband and I watched IN THE HEIGHTS and were awed by this movie version of the Broadway play with stunning music by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’s the most exuberant musical ever! As a former dancer, the glorious routines choreographed by Christopher Scott (“ Step Up Revolution”) made me very happy. Most of them ooze joy and energy and creativity. They are performed on sidewalks, streets, above water and below water as well as on the side of a building (a la Fred Astaire’s iconic “ Royal Wedding” number). Directed by Jon M. Chu (“ Crazy Rich Asians”), this

two-and-a half hour offering takes place in Washington Heights, a predominately Hispanic neighborhood in New York. It deals with the hopes, problems, and dreams of those who live there, especially a young man (Anthony Ramos) who runs a bodega and saves his money each day to move to the Dominican Republic. Surprisingly, Chu admitted in a TCM interview that he had the classic Judy Garland movie “ Meet Me in St. Louis” in mind while working on “ In the Heights.” He mentioned that both films deal with the dilemma of staying in one place or moving to another. Dancing, singing and so much more! Community and dreams galore.

Yes, “In the Heights” rings out and bold with two romances in the fold. A massive cast performs their best. The robust dancers pass each test And gorgeous voices fill the air in tunes Miranda wrote with care. A simple story from the heart, this musical is modern art. Now let’s talk about the wonderful women, who almost steal the show. First, there’s Quiara Alegra Hudes. She wrote this exciting screenplay adaptation. And then there are three actresses who stand out for me: Leslie Grace (“ Super Junior Feat”), Melissa Barrerra

(“ Dos Veces Tu”), and Olga Merediz (“ Godmothered”). Grace and Barrerra play strong, talented young women who fall for the two leading men, portrayed by Corey Hawkins (“ Straight Outta Compton”) and Anthony Ramos, respectively. These two ladies are easy to look at and have such lovely voices. In the role of the elderly Abuela Claudia, Merediz should be a best supporting actress award nominee during the next awards season. She almost breaks your heart in her poignant subway number. Of course, Ramos and Hawkins hold their own with their electrifying energy in the musical routines. And Miranda (“ Hamilton”) himself wins us over in his small role as an amusing street vendor. Please be sure to watch the end credits for a little Miranda surprise.

(Released by Warner Bros. DVD available August 31st on Amazon. com. Rated “PG-13” by MPAA.)

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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 17

Colorado’s Demand for Forensic Vote Audits

DELUGE EMBATTLED SEC. STATE JENA GRISWOLD: ATTEMPTED RUBBER-STAMP MEETING OVERTAKEN BY TAXPAYERS banning county clerks from

Do you know what your Secretary of State is up to? Obfuscation verging on prevarication sparks public’s growing discombobulation about Colorado’s electoral accreditation.

allowing access to voting machines unless that person has passed a background check and is performing a

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

(August 19, 2021) – In what was supposed to be a below-theradar sleight of hand to secure Potemkin approval of alterations to Colorado’s voting regulations – regulations borne of flu-panic exceptions that undermined the legitimacy of Colorado’s “goldstandard” electoral processes – Secretary of State Jena Griswold instead blundered into mounting public concern about her ongoing regulatory maneuvering. Voter and taxpayer inquiries about Griswold’s maneuvering aren’t just focused on her attempts to avoid discussion of an Arizona-style forensic vote audit for Colorado. The Secretary of State faces growing public efforts by local and county governments to initiate mechanisms to validate voting figures, and to make such audits a matter of course. “Local interest is building in districts where a forensic audit shouldn’t be controversial, like in Colorado Springs. If Colorado’s voting system is the ‘gold standard’, we can prove it with forensic audits at the county and municipal level,” explained Vickie Tonkins, El Paso GOP Chairman. “We all need to get involved with our friends and neighbors and take a stand for election-integrity!” As reported, Griswold had scheduled a procedural meeting for August 3. This was part of a process to render permanent, temporary changes made to voting regulations prior to the 2020 election. It would have quietly chiseled these altered practices in stone, and prolonged emergency voter permissions that were only meant for limited flu-panic circumstances. However, the revisions Griswold had hoped to preserve were not harmless and included acts like the ending of signature verification. It’s important to note that, among other supposedly unintentional consequences, these changes reportedly resulted in more than 20 Colorado counties seeing 2020 voter turnout more than 100%. The meeting was well attended, but of the dozens of speakers, not one was in favor of Griswold’s

task with authorization from either the county clerk or Griswold’s office... proposals. Incidentally, Colorado voters’ demand for answers from state officials had become powerful enough that the Secretary herself declined to attend her own meeting. “I encourage every voter who wants to know if their vote counted to contact local election authorities, be they County Clerks, City Managers or the like,” continued Tonkins. “Ask for a forensic audit in your county. Get involved with groups like the Election Integrity Project and the El Paso County GOP. It’s time to take our state back – America First means Colorado First too." * * * (Excerpt from "Griswold permanently adopting rules blocking Arizona-style audit in Colorado") Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold is permanently adopting the emergency rules rolled out earlier this summer to block future efforts at an Arizona-style “forensic audit” conducted by a third-party, her office announced Thursday.

The rules, first implemented in June, block what Griswold labeled as “sham election audits” by

Continued at ColoradoPolitics. com

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September 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 Services for the Hispanic Community

AT SOCIAL SECURITY, we strive to deliver great customer service and easy-to-access information about our programs. Our Spanish-language website, http://www. ssa.gov/espanol, provides information for those whose primary language is Spanish. There, your family and friends can learn about how to get a Social Security card, plan for retirement, apply for benefits, manage their benefits, and much more. We also provide many publications in Spanish at www.ssa.gov/ espanol/publicaciones/ on popular topics such as: Retirement, Disability, and Survivors benefits. Medicare. Supplemental Security Income. Spanish-speaking customers who need to speak with a representative can call us at 1-800-772-1213. Please share these resources with friends and family who may need them.

DO YOU KNOW THESE SOCIAL SECURITY TERMS? Some of the terms and acronyms people use when they talk about Social Security can be a little confusing. We’re here to help you understand. We strive to explain your benefits using easy-to-understand, plain language. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires federal agencies to communicate information clearly in a way “the public can understand and use.” This can be particularly challenging when talking about complicated programs like Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicare. If there’s a technical term or acronym that you don’t know, you can find the meaning in our online glossary at www.ssa.gov/agency/glossary. If you’re considering retirement, you may want to know your FRA (full retirement age) and your PIA (primary insurance amount). These terms determine your benefit amount based on when you when you start getting requirement benefits. The PIA is the amount payable for a retired worker who starts his or her benefits at full retirement age. If you start your retirement benefits at your FRA, you’ll receive the full PIA. Most years, your benefit amount will get a COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment), which usually means extra money in your monthly benefit. What about DRCs (delayed retirement credits)? DRCs are the

gradual increases to your PIA that occur the longer you delay taking retirement benefits after your full retirement age. Every month you delay taking benefits, up to age 70, your monthly benefit will increase. If one of these terms or acronyms comes up in conversation, you can be the one to help clarify the meaning, using our online glossary. Learning the terminology can deepen your understanding of how Social Security programs work for you. ###

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS YOU We take pride in having provided vital benefits and services to this great nation for 86 years. America has a diverse population with a variety of needs. To meet those diverse needs, we’ve created web pages that speak directly to groups of people who may need information about our programs and services. These pages are easy to share with friends and family on social media. Here are just a few resources that might help you or

someone you love: We proudly serve wounded warriors and veterans, who made sacrifices to preserve the freedoms Americans treasure. Many veterans do not know they might be eligible for disability benefits from Social Security. Please share this page with them to make sure they get the benefits they deserve: www.ssa. gov/people/veterans. Social Security plays an impor▶ SEE BENEFITS, PAGE 21

Page 20 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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SOCIAL SECURITY & YOU Question: I applied for a replacement Social Security card last week but haven’t received it yet. When should I expect to receive my new card? Answer: You’ll usually receive your replacement card in about 10 days. We work hard to protect you, to prevent identity theft, and to ensure the integrity of your Social Security number. To do that, we have to verify documents you present as proof of identity. In some cases, we must verify the documents before we can issue the card. For more information about your Social Security card and number, visit www. socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. Question: How do I schedule, reschedule, or cancel an appointment with Social Security? Answer: For many things, you don’t need an appointment to transact business with Social Security. For example, you don’t need an appointment to file for benefits or appeal a disability decision. You can file for the following benefits online at www.socialsecurity.gov: • Retirement; • Medicare; • Spouses; and • Disability. If you don’t want to apply for

benefits online, or if you need to speak to us for any other reason, you can schedule, reschedule, or cancel an appointment by • Calling us at 1-800-7721213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; or • Contacting your local Social Security office. Question: I applied for my child's Social Security card in the hospital but have not received it. How long does it take? Answer: In most states, it takes an average of three weeks to get the card, but in some states it can take longer. If you have not received your child's card in a timely manner, please visit your local Social Security office. Be sure to take proof of your child’s citizenship, age, and identity as well as proof of your own identity. And remember, we cannot divulge your child’s Social Security number over the phone. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov. Question: I can’t seem to find my Social Security card. Do I need to get a replacement? Answer: In most cases, knowing your Social Security number is enough. But, if you do apply for and receive

a replacement card, don’t carry that card with you. Keep it with your important papers. For more information about your Social Security card and number, and for information about how to apply for a replacement, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. If you believe you’re the victim of identity theft, read our publication Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Question: I own a small business. How can I verify employees’ Social Security numbers? Answer: Employers can use our Social Security Number Verification Service to verify the names and Social Security numbers of current and former employees for wage reporting purposes. For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ employer/ssnv.htm. Question: We adopted a baby girl overseas and brought her home with us to the United States. We need to get a Social Security number for her. What do we do? Answer: In general, to apply for a Social Security number for your child you must: • Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5), which you can find online at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber; • Show us documents proving your child’s: o United States citizenship or immigration status; o Adoption; o Age; and o Identity. • Show us a document proving your identity; and • Show us evidence that establishes your relationship to the child if your name is not noted as the parent on the child’s evidence of age. The adoption decree or the amended U.S. birth certificate will suffice. In most cases, you can mail or take your application and original documents to your local Social Security office. Remember, all documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. You may not yet have proof of your child's citizenship, but we can assign a Social Security number based on documentation issued by the Department of Homeland Security upon the child’s arrival in the United States. When you do receive documentation of your child's citizenship, you can bring it to us, and we will update your child’s record. We will mail your child’s number and card as soon as we have verified your

documents with the issuing offices. Question: Can I use the metal or plastic versions of Social Security cards that some companies make? Answer: We don’t recommend it. There is no need to have a replica of your card. In most cases, the only time you may need to produce your Social Security card is when you apply for employment. At other times, we strongly recommend that you keep anything with your Social Security number on it with your other important papers. Do not carry your Social Security card with you. Also, we strongly advise against laminating your card. Your Social Security card has many security features which cannot be detected if it is laminated. Those features include latent images you can only see at an angle and color-shifting ink. You should question anyone else other than your employer who asks for your Social Security number or your card. Not everyone you do business with needs it. Learn more at www. socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. Question: Can I get a new Social Security number if someone has stolen my identity? Answer: We do not routinely assign a new number to someone whose identity has been stolen. Only as a last resort should you consider requesting a new Social Security number. Changing your number may adversely affect your ability to interact with Federal and State agencies, employers, and others. This is because your financial, medical, employment and other records will be under your former Social Security number. We cannot guarantee that a new number will solve your problem. To learn more about your Social Security card and number, read our online publication on the subject at www.socialsecurity.gov/ pubs/10002.html.

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◀ FROM SOC. SEC PAGE 1

The consumer price index (CPI) that’s used to make the annual inflation adjustment can make a difference in the amount of Social Security income that beneficiaries receive over time. Under current law, Social Security benefits are adjusted using an index that measures inflation experienced by younger working adults, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) but does not include the spending patterns of households with retirees age 62 and older. Because this index surveys the spending patterns of younger working adults, it is weighted more heavily for gasoline, which is up 41.8

percent over the past 12 months and driving the steep rise in the COLA. But in 2020 and most of the past 12 years, gasoline prices have been in steep decline. COLAs have averaged just 1.4%. Retired and disabled Social Security beneficiaries spend their money differently than younger workers, spending more on healthcare and housing. In recent years those categories have increased more rapidly than gasoline but haven’t shown up as higher COLAs because the CPI-W is weighted less heavily for those categories. When retirees don’t receive a COLA that keeps up

September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 21 with their actual costs, their Social Security benefits lose buying power during the course of a retirement. Based on inflation through March, research by Johnson indicates that Social Security benefits have lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000.

Hosea 6:1-3

Legislation that would tie COLAs to an index that measures inflation experienced by older households, the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) has recently been reintroduced. The CPI-E tends to grow more quickly that the CPI-W in most, but not every year. “2021 is one of those times when gasoline prices soar and the CPI-W would yield the higher COLA,” Johnson says. The Senior Citizens League works to protect and strengthen Social Security benefits and program financing.

◀ FROM BENEFITS PAGE 19

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.

◀ FROM LIGHT PAGE 6

he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge [i.e., “love”] the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge [i.e., “love”] Him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

tant role in providing economic security for women. Nearly 55 percent of the people receiving Social Security benefits are women. A woman who is 65 years old today can expect to live, on average, until about 87. A 65-year-old man can expect to live, on average, until about 84. With longer life expectancies than men, women tend to live more years in retirement and have a greater risk of exhausting their sources of income. Women often have lower lifetime earnings than men, which usually means lower benefits. Women need to plan early and wisely for retirement. We’re here to help with valuable information. Please share this page with someone who needs this information and may need help planning for their golden years: www.ssa.gov/people/women. Do you know someone who is just starting their career? Now is the best time for them to start preparing for retirement. Social Security benefit payments provide only a portion of retirement income. Those starting their careers should begin saving early to have adequate income in retirement. Please share this page with a young worker you know: www.ssa.gov/people/earlycareer.

Page 22 - Senior Beacon - September 2021

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ANCIENT FAERIE LORE: FAERIE HERBS AND POTIONS

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

Oak, Elder, Blackthorn, and Hazel contain elements of unusual creatures which haunt their branches. Beware! The Elder is considered a witch in disguise, and it shouldn't be axed without permission. Laying a newborn child in an Elder wood cradle will inspire the wrath of the faes.

Faeries are closely connected to flowers, animals and shrubs. Those considered by humans 'harmless' or ordinary are not to be dismissed so easily. Strangely one of the most dangerous flowers of their domain is the bluebell. Also known in Scotland as the 'Dead Mans' Bell.' The common field of bluebells is hazardous and as stunning a vision as it is perilous. Echoes heard from their ringing forecasts looming imminent death. Faerie woven spells are rampant in these areas. Adored and revered by the faeries, the common velvet, colorful pansy, grew wildly in Elizabethan England. It's a suggested love potion, with courting names such as 'Tickle my Fancy, Pink of my John, Three Faces under a Hood, Love in Idleness and Hearts Ease. Most of us have grown and nurtured this whimsical diminutive plant with little awareness of its astonishing properties. The successfully proclaimed movie 'Lord of the Rings' defines English villages, and shires as conceivably enchanted. They

are authentic and scattered all over the land. As a child I roamed unassisted, oblivious to danger, around the country lanes of my family's home of Devonshire. Primroses adorned the hillsides, and yet another strange story originates from these graceful little yellow 'gems.' Strangely, calmness and warmth emanated from these tiny bouquets. Now many years later…I know why. A specific number of primroses gathered in a posy, and when touching a faerie rock assures us of their gifts. However, the wrong amount opens the door to doom. Bizarrely, digesting this little flower allows us to actually 'see' the faes. Trees also hold an astonishing and cherished place in faerie legends. Few of us realize the significance of the common tree and plant. Used in pagan festivals, the St. John's wort, also a sun symbol is a protective and healing shrub. Faes hang out in their customary tree at night. From darkness tiny fingers reach out to the passerby, pinching and bruising parts of their bodies. Most people attribute these mild attacks as insect or mosquito bites. They are not. Three thorn trees close together should be avoided at all costs. Colorful blue ribbons tied on the branches will show a respect and awe essential for these little people. Also a bright red thread will appease the hostile and evil spirits residing in these trees. Oak, Elder, Blackthorn, and Hazel contain elements of unusual creatures which

haunt their branches. Beware! The Elder is considered a witch in disguise, and it shouldn't be axed without permission. Laying a newborn child in an Elder wood cradle will inspire the wrath of the faes. They'll pinch him/ her black and blue a practice which offers the devil access into the home. Being able to uproot at night the Willow tree is enabled to stalk weary nomads in the forests. Even the lowly birch tree is called the one with the white hand. And if it touches a head, a white mark causes the recipient to plummet into lunacy. Yet by touching the heart it is imminent demise. The ash tree has healing properties. Knowing its' value Druids fashioned wands from the wood. Weak limbed and physically damaged children were passed through split ash trees. Families concurred that these ill-fated children tightly bound by ropes, were assured a miraculous reparation of their limbs. Believe it or not!

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September 2021 - Senior Beacon - Page 23

OPINION-EDITORIAL

DAVID SHRIBMAN

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

BIDEN IS ALREADY CEMENTING HIS LEGACY An educated guess: Joe Biden is not doing what every firstyear president starts doing around Day 200 of his presidency: running for reelection. After the two weeks he has just endured, he is doing the thing presidents don't do until their last months: running for history. Right now, he is losing that campaign. Biden, a couple of months short of age 79, can't have decided whether he will seek a second term in 2024; he cannot even remotely imagine the state of his health or the health of the country from this vantage point. But the president has been around politics and presidents -- he served with eight of them (Richard M. Nixon to Barack Obama) and watched one of them with horror (Donald Trump) before assuming the position himself -- enough to know that it is his place in history that is in jeopardy now. Coursing through his mind almost certainly are these questions: Did his "I'm squarely behind" statement about his Afghanistan policy position him as a courageous figure of strong character and steely intelligence? Or did it cast him

as a headstrong leader confident of his own misconceptions, even when they conflicted with the consensus of civilian and military experts? Has he handled the virus, and the vaccine wars, with deftness? Or is he dividing the country with his crusade for the vaccine and his defiance of the notion that state governors have a vital role in a political system that makes federalism one of its core values? Stated simply: Will he be remembered as a visionary and unifier? Or a bungler and divider? To make it simpler: Is he a 21st-century version of Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Or Woodrow Wilson? The answer comes in two parts. He's neither FDR or Wilson, but purely distilled Joe Biden, for better or worse. And as for the visionary/ unifier dichotomy, the easy answer is that time will tell; sometimes the easy answer is also the smart answer. And here the example of John F. Kennedy is illuminating. Kennedy faced the brutal Cold War challenge of the construction of the Berlin Wall on his 205th day in office. Biden began facing the calamity of the Taliban takeover on his 207th day in office. It took Kennedy's forthright "I am the responsible officer of this government" statement after the 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco to transform him from a man who acted as if he were auditioning for the presidency into one who was occupying the office. Many of his revered predecessors -- Wilson on the League of Nations, Roosevelt on Japanese internment and his refusal to admit desperate Jews fleeing near-certain death at the hands of the Nazis -- never did. And for a man who ran on personal compassion -- it has been Biden's signature trait since joining the Senate in an era of flare trou-

sers, the racehorse Secretariat and "Killing Me Softly With His Song" -- the president has displayed a remarkable, almost shocking lack of emotional intelligence, making him seem more like the coldly analytical engineer Jimmy Carter than the mushy man from Delaware. Like Carter, who had a tin ear for his putative Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, Biden has stirred the ire -- the incredulity -- of legislative leaders of his own party. When he said earlier this month that there would be a time for second-guessing, he may not have realized he was courting the sort of intraparty inquisition not seen in Congress since Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas undertook his Vietnam hearings beginning in 1966, when Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential approval ratings were at about the same level as Biden's today. The Democrats are worried. With slender majorities and a president showing his age, they have ample reason for their disquiet. Long before the Afghanistan crisis, the Democrats' options for the next several years have been cloudy, in part because their continued control of Capitol Hill is in serious danger and in part because of uncertainty whether Biden, already the oldest president, will run again. The talk among many leading Democrats is that Vice President Kamala Harris, burdened with the toughest portfolio in Washington -- safeguarding voting rights, handling the immigration crisis -- will be difficult to nominate and almost impossible to elect if Biden chooses to retire in 2025, and that the party is "grooming" Pete Buttigieg as the substitute nominee. In any case, it is secretaries of state, not secretaries of transportation -- a position that admittedly

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has existed only since 1967, with only 19 people holding the office -- who have had the principal Cabinet claim to the presidency. Six of the nation's secretaries of state, beginning with Thomas Jefferson (in office 1790-1793), have become president, though none more recent than James Buchanan (1845-1849). And no one wants to be on a list that includes him, though Hillary Rodham Clinton tried. William Howard Taft was secretary of war and Herbert Hoover was secretary of commerce before winning the White House. But in a way, all this talk is inconsequential, whereas Biden's passage in the next several months has real consequence -- not only for him, but also for the nation.

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