Senior Scope - November 2021

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NOVEMBER 2021

Behind the man who researched Midland’s nuclear plant efforts High school seniors help seniors navigate technology Woodworkers invite others to join them at Sanford Senior Center

Table of Contents 3 Playing to win: Chemical City Bridge Club doesn’t mess around 4 Behind the man who researched Midland’s nuclear plant efforts 6 A classic: Blast from the Past celebrating 40th anniversary

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Covenant nurse manager believes in endorphin therapy

High schoolers help Midland seniors navigate technology

9 Try something new as a holiday side dish, and Word Scramble 10 Veteran is longest serving volunteer for Helping Hands Mission 11 Winter Scenes Word Search, and Guess Who? 12 ‘It’s a great job for retirees’; Gombosi finds joy in transporting

Bullock Creek students 13 Senior Hot Lunch Menu: Gladwin County 14 A singles mingle for Midland’s 50+ community 15 Walking tips for seniors

Embrace Your Age!

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No age limit on outdoor recreation in Midland

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2

Activity & Dining Centers Adult Day Health Services Care Coordination Take the First Step, Counseling Education & Enrichment Call Today!

Handyman Services Health & Fitness Health Benefit Assistance 4700 Dublin Ave. Help for Caregivers Midland, MI 48642 Home Care Services Visit us online: Meals on Wheels www.SeniorServicesMidland.org Memory Support Senior Newspaper Transportation Volunteer Opportunities

989-633-3700

17 Senior Services Trailside Center Activities Calendar 18 Woodworkers invite others to join them at Sanford Senior Center 19 Celebrate a popular chocolate dessert, and Crypto Fun

Senior Scope is a product of Midland Daily News and Hearst Questions, comments and advertising inquiries SeniorScope@Hearst.com or 989.839.4228

Senior Scope | November 2021

Playing to win: Chemical City Bridge Club doesn’t mess around Sixty serious bridge players come together to play as many as five times a week DAVE SHANE For the Daily News There are two kinds of bridge players, according to Bill Stokes of Midland. There are people who enjoy what he calls “party bridge.” Then there are those who play duplicate bridge.

The first player plays for fun. The second plays only to win.

Stokes is director of the Chemical City Bridge Club, a group of about 60 serious bridge players — from Mount Pleasant to Frankenmuth — who love the strategy and intensity of a serious card game.

There are The players gather two afternoons a week at two kinds of the Greater Midland bridge players...

Community Center, Party Bridge players twice a week in play for fun & Saginaw, and once Betty Clark, left, and Verl Cook, right, consider their next moves in a recent game in the Chemical City Bridge Duplicate Bridge a week in Bay City.

Club, which meets at the Greater Midland Community Center. Also playing at the table are Judi Kareus Some members play players play to (hand showing) and Stephen Graham. All four are from Midland. (Photo by Dave Shane/For the Daily News) five times a week in a win. game that usually takes Players receive pre-shuffled card grew up playing baseball and Because the game is about three and a half hours football and running track in high hands and bidding is done silently. played during the day, it is to complete. school. He also played football at suited for retirees and seniors.

“In duplicate, the cards themselves Albion College.

Stokes said his members are pri“People like the competitiveness of are shuffled and placed in sleeves. marily between the age of 60 and duplicate bridge. It offers a degree Duplicate bridge is not for everyone, Everyone plays the same board – 95. of competition,” Stokes said. “In he said, but everyone is welcome to that gets passed around the room.” party bridge, you’re just there to give it a try.

Unlike party bridge, there is no have fun. Duplicate bridge players For a senior who likes to compete, laughing or joking or high-fives “We’re not getting any younger play to win.”

Stokes thinks it’s the game to play. between players. … but we welcome anybody who The game hands out master points “I’ve been competitive all my life … wants to play.”

“Once you sit down, there’s no through the American Contract most of us are.”

Stokes can be reached at 989-835Bridge League, the parent organiza- noise,” Stokes said. “Technically, tion of all duplicate bridge players. you’re supposed to be quiet.”

Stokes is a retired teacher, who 6539.

November 2021 | Senior Scope 3

Behind the man who researched Midland’s nuclear plant efforts Smith has penned book about failed effort DAVE SHANE For the Daily News When Lee Smith of Midland began to wind down his career in the energy business, he ran into a snag.

“It always gnawed at me how they could have screwed this up,” he told the Daily News in a recent interview.

It wasn’t the kind of snag a retiree gets when fishing from a river bank or tying up a backyard hammock.

Smith, a trained geologist and oil and gas trader who worked for many years at the Midland Cogeneration Venture (MCV), stumbled onto the history of the Midland Nuclear Plant.

Smith spent much of the next five years researching the failed nuclear plant and eventually writing a book about it. Now 80 years old, his 183-page book “Nearly Nuclear: A Mismanaged Energy Transition” by LeRoy Smith has been published by Michigan State University Press.

A twin-reactor nuclear plant was under construction at the current location of MCV, not far from Whiting Overlook Park on the city’s south side. Consumers Energy, which was called Consumers Power Co. at that time, announced plans for the plant in late 1967, and said it would take several years of construction and cost $267 million.

Smith wasn’t planning on writing a book when he started his research.

He was just curious, and looking for answers. He submitted a few Lee Smith articles to the Midland Daily News for publication and also included its history during his occasional lectures.

But 17 years and $4.1 billion later, the energy giant gave up on the nuclear plant, which was 85% complete. It was a story of mistakes, miscalculations and errors that gnawed at Smith.

In 2016 Smith, who was 75 years old at the time and working as a consultant, was attending an energy conference at Michigan State University. A lecturer mentioned that the Midland Nuclear Plant was built on top of a giant peat bog, and that’s what in part led to its failure.

That remark would change Smith’s life. He decided he needed to know more.

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“I would give a talk, and people would say to me later, ‘You really ought to write a book about that.’ … and by that time, I had collected so much stuff.”

He said he knew it wasn’t going to be a big moneymaker.

“No, I never thought I’d make any money at all,” Smith said. “But once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.”

In 2018, he began working toward compiling his information into a

book, in a process that took him about three years. In 2020, he signed a contract with MSU Press to have his work published. It became available to purchase through Amazon and Barnes and Noble in September of this year.

Smith tells of the local support for the plant in its beginnings, as it was expected to provide energy for The Dow Chemical Co. as well as thousands of Michigan dwellings. The community hosted one of its largest public gatherings in history in a rally for nuclear energy on Oct. 12, 1971.

Hollywood personality Art Linkletter was the featured guest.

But in 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident — the worst in U.S. commercial history — rocked the atomic energy world, and people began questioning its long-term viability. That same year, a fictitious Academy Award-nominated movie about a nuclear plant accident, “The China Syndrome,” added fuel to the debate.

Environmentalists were already questioning the safety of the Midland project, which was built on poorly compacted soil in a flood plain. Two of its main structures were sinking, and cracks had developed in its containment buildings.

The plant was canceled in July 1984 when Consumers could no longer get financing to continue the project.

Smith said he was fascinated by

Nearly Nuclear book cover the players involved in the scenario.

There were the industrial giants — builder Bechtel Corp. (the largest construction company in the nation), Consumers Power and Dow. And there were local business leaders whose steering committee was led by the Rev. Wayne North of Midland First United Methodist Church.

There also were the environmentalists, led by Mary Sinclair of Midland, a “housewife” who Smith sees as one of the pioneer female activists of her kind in the world, and a 30-year-old liberal journalist Michael Moore of Flint, who later became a major filmmaker.

Senior Scope | November 2021

“License” available to sign at the Speak Up Now rally to show support for the Midland Plant. After the rally, this sign was taken to Washington with 15,000 signatures. (File photo/Midland Daily News) “It’s about Midland, the people of Midland and how they reacted to this plant being built,” Smith said.

“Everybody believed they were doing the right thing for Midland.”

Smith said he felt it was important to write the history of the plant.

“There are some real business management lessons in it, … a case study of an unsuccessful effort. …

Time and time again, (Consumers) made mistakes,” he said. “I knew it before, but I was impressed by how

complicated things were, the mix of people and the outside events that affected it.”

While Sinclair was reviled by some in the local community — spat on in public and her husband’s law office shunned — she received national attention for the relentless pursuit of her cause. She was featured on a segment of the CBS news program 60 Minutes in 1985.

“Mary Sinclair is a truly remarkable woman,” Smith said. “She was a

pioneer environmentalist. … She is a wonderful example of what a woman could do in a world where women answered to their husband’s names.”

The shell of the nuclear plant eventually transformed into Midland Cogeneration Venture, a large, successful natural gas-fired power plant that began operating in 1991.

“Had the plant not failed, I wouldn’t have had a job here,” Smith said.

He admits writing a non-fiction book is not the type of project for the faint of heart to take on in retirement. And he received plenty of assistance from his wife, H.J. Smith, a former Jefferson Middle School English teacher.

“It’s exciting to get it done. I worked on it a long time,” he said. “I would only recommend it to somebody who felt extremely interested in a topic and was willing to devote a large amount of time to it. … It consumes you.”

November 2021 | Senior Scope 5

A classic: Blast from the Past celebrating 40th anniversary Group plays tunes from the 1940s, 50s and 60s once a month at Greater Midland Community Center DAVE SHANE For the Daily News When the big band sound of Blast from the Past plays at the Greater Midland Community Center, it is usually a good evening of food, music and dancing. But this week’s appearance was even more special as it marked the 40th anniversary of the local group of musicians.

“We love to do this. We love to play,” said band leader Larry Carbary, who joined the group in 1991.

The group of about 20 members plays monthly at the community center, highlighting music from the 1940s and 50s, but also including a few more modern tunes — like Twist and Shout from the 1960s. Carbary says the all-volunteer band plays because the members enjoy it.

Larry Carbary of Midland plays tenor sax during a recent rehearsal of the Blast from the Past band. Carbary is the band leader for the local group that plays monthly at the Greater Midland Community Center. (Photo by Dave Shane/For the Daily News) 6

“The best stereo in the world is sitting in the middle of a big band,” he said. “We love to do this. We love to play.”

The community center hosts seven performances a year — from 6 to 8 p.m. on the first Monday of the month — beginning in October. A potluck dinner usually precedes.

Carbary, who plays tenor saxophone, said the band likes to make things click, and that still takes practice.

“At my age, I still work and practice all the time, and it’s a little bit harder to make progress than at 18 years old.”

While the group was marking 40 years together, there’s been some discussion that the group has been around longer than that – perhaps

Tom Haynes of Midland plays the drums during a recent rehearsal.

(Photo by Dave Shane/For the Daily News)

getting its start as early as 1978 or 1979. At least one band member believes former Midland High School Band Director James Stark put the group together in the fall of 1978, shortly after his retirement.

Band members are asking the public if someone can confirm its startup date.

The group typically has four trumpets, three trombones, five saxophones, bass, drums, piano, guitar and a vocalist. Its playlist includes such classics as: Blue Moon, Pennsylvania 6-5000, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Mack the Knife and In the Mood.

Member Paul Schultz said between the music and the talented ballroom

dancing that goes on, it is a great evening of entertainment.

“I’m impressed by the talent of the people who attend,” he said. “There are some good dancers, and I enjoy that.”

But not everyone is a senior, and not everyone is an expert dancer, he said.

“It’s quite a mix of ages and abilities.”

Carbary said he still enjoys the way his group comes together to produce the big band sound.

“The best part about it is the group playing together and the teamwork, and using it to support some of the excellent music in the band.”

The group’s next performance is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 6.

From left, Paul Schultz of Midland, Dave Selley of Bay City, Tom Rice of Midland and Tom Peterson of Midland make up the trumpet section during a recent Blast from the Past rehearsal.

(Photo by Dave Shane/For the Daily News)

Jaren Wanttaja, a college student from Midland, plays bass during a recent rehearsal. (Photo by Dave Shane/For the Daily News) Senior Scope | November 2021

Covenant nurse manager believes in endorphin therapy Riffel: ‘I always start my day with 5 to 10 minutes of exercise’ TEREASA NIMS For the Daily News Each morning Nancy Riffel, who just turned 64, walks five flights of stairs to get to Covenant HealthCare’s Cooper five east floor, that currently cares for COVID-19 patients.

result, it’s been a bit more difficult to hire for the department.

“I believe in endorphins,” she said from the Saginaw facility. “I kind of thrive on them.”

Employees are in and out of rooms, changing their personal protective equipment constantly. One of Riffel’s responsibilities is ensuring nurses always have the needed equipment.

She admits even after a decade of climbing the five flights of stairs, she still “huffs and puffs” when reaching the top.

The nurse manager has been with Covenant HealthCare for 10 years.

“It’s been a beautiful fit for me,” said Riffel, who is responsible for about 60 employees. “I love this job.”

She helps oversee the quality of care, employee engagement, customer service and meeting expectations. She said the hospital has been a leader in customer service the past several years.

Riffel said the health care provider hires strong applicants and holds them accountable. She said the hospital has people who believe in the health care the medical facility values.

Riffel said people often find something negative about exercise, but for her, it brings joy.

“It’s not an easy floor to work,” Riffel said. “This is not easy work.”

“We’ve become very good at caring for these patients,” she said.

“It’s definitely a daily challenge,” she said of COVID’s role in healthcare.

“I love sweating and getting my heart rate up,” she said. “It makes me a happier person and more stable.”

Riffel said her job makes it important for her to stay emotionally strong, so she uses exercise & endorphins to do this.

To face the long days that begin at 5 a.m. and to work before 7 a.m., Riffel has her own regiment that she religiously adheres to. It’s 100 sit-ups each morning as part of her daily routine.

She also runs/walks two to three times a week, outside on warmer days and in the gym during winter.

She plugs in her iPod and turns on the country music, or maybe the Eagles or ABBA.

Riffel is also a golfer, golfing in a women’s and couple’s league. She and her husband recently bought a house on a golf course.

“She is one of the most energetic people I know,” said Covenant HealthCare Planning and Communications Manager Kristin Knoll.

Nancy Riffel has been a nurse manager with Covenant HealthCare for 10 years.

in.

Riffel is an exercise advocate. She wishes so many people didn’t dislike something that keeps your body and mind healthier. She thinks the seed was planted during her cheerleading days at Eisenhower High School.

The mother of three grown children, Craig, Charlie and Nicole, and grandmother to five, said she surrounds herself with lots of friends.

When she gets home in the evenings, she is greeted by her loving Golden Retriever, Bailey, then her husband, Rick. She jokes she would greet him first if he ran to the door wagging his tail.

She said Bailey, who the couple got a 18 months ago, also keeps them active with daily walks.

“If you hire and retain the right people, good things happen,” she added.

“I always start my day with five to 10 minutes of exercise,” she said, noting that it doesn’t ever feel like a chore.

“I need it because some of these days are really stressful,” she said of exercise. “We’re doing everything to save peoples’ lives and they can decompensate quickly.”

She also garners support from fellow hospital employees who are her nursing cheerleaders, Michelle Zell, Patrice Lanczak, Beth Charlton and Kathy Gillespie.

The floor services patients with respiratory illnesses. As of March 2020, the floor became primarily a space for COVID patients. As a

Plus, she sets her sights on a minimum of 10,000 steps a day, which she accomplishes almost all the time. She enjoys getting her steps

She said her job makes it important for her to say emotionally strong, so she uses exercise and endorphins to do this.

“It’s a very comfortable, respectful environment,” Riffel said of the hospital. “We have a diamond here that I feel privileged to work at.”

November 2021 | Senior Scope 7

High schoolers help Midland seniors navigate technology Cyber Seniors is a nationwide volunteer effort Seniors and mentors work together during one of four recent Cyber Seniors sessions at Senior Services of Midland County.

DAVE SHANE For the Daily News Technology keeps changing. And sometimes it can be hard to keep up with.

But a free program at Senior Services of Midland County offers a way for local residents to learn the latest – with the help of local high school student volunteers.

Thelma Diment (left) learns more about her smartphone while working with student Ellyana Tierney during Cyber Seniors.

“Cyber Seniors” returned this fall after an 18-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fourteen H.H. Dow High School students helped about a dozen seniors tackle their technology questions during oncea-week sessions over a four-week period.

Need to set up your new Chromebook? How about linking up to a new printer? Do you need some tips getting started on Facebook?

Whatever the question, some students who are pretty good at those things have volunteered to sit down and take you through the steps to do it.

“It’s one of the most popular programs we have,” said Mike Trebilcock, a 51-year-old retired teacher who is education program coordinator for Senior Services.

Tom Fenske (foreground) receives help from H.H. Dow High School junior Wil Kuper on how to set up his new printer during a recent session of Cyber Seniors at Senior Services of Midland County. (Submitted photo) 8

Cyber Seniors is a nationwide volunteer effort that Midland’s Senior Services has been offering since

2016. A senior can work with a student once a week for up to four weeks, or simply attend one session and come away with whatever answers they need.

Computers are available at the Senior Center to work on. But most participants bring in their own technology.

“Most seniors have brought in their own device, that they want help with. … It can be a phone, a tablet, a Chromebook, or whatever,” Trebilcock said. “One gentleman brought in a new printer that he bought. It’s driven by the seniors, whatever needs they have for their technology.”

Trebilcock said the student volunteers also have found the program rewarding.

Wil Kuper, a 16-year-old junior at Dow High, explained what he liked about working as a volunteer during the recently completed session.

“I love it. I think it’s a lot of fun,” Kuper said. “We can help you with just about anything, and are very willing to help you.

“I think it’s awesome to connect to the older generation and hear how different it was for them at our age. … It’s just great to talk to them in Senior Scope | November 2021

Try something new as a holiday side dish The main course may get much of the fanfare during holiday dinners, but that doesn’t mean side dishes need to play second fiddle. They can shine in their own right, especially when ingredients are cleverly crafted to make a gourmet side.

This recipe for “Roasted Beet Risotto with Walnut and Goat Cheese” from “Cooking Light Fresh Food Superfast” (Oxmoor House) by The Cooking Light Editors is a creamy dish full of nutrient-rich root vegetables that is hearty and flavorful. general.”

Trebilcock said he has received the same feedback from other students.

“The seniors have shown the mentors some things they didn’t know,” he said. “They’re really learning from each other … and everybody walks out of there feeling good.”

But mostly, it’s the seniors who are getting the help they need.

Roasted Beet Risotto with Walnuts and Goat Cheese Yield: 6 servings

2 11⁄4 1 11⁄4 1⁄4 1⁄2 1⁄4

Roasted Beets (see below) teaspoons olive oil cups Arborio rice 32-ounce carton organic vegetable broth cups water teaspoon salt cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided teaspoon freshly ground black pepper cup chopped walnuts, toasted Parsley leaves (optional)

“One lady had been trying, for a couple of years, to make groups on her email,” Trebilcock said.

1⁄2

Problem solved.

1. Prepare the Roasted Beets.

2. While beets bake, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add rice; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.

3. Combine broth, 11⁄4 cups water, and salt. Add broth mixture to pan.

Cook, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

4. Stir 1⁄4 cup goat cheese and pep-

Kuper, who hopes to attend college to study mechanical engineering, said he was glad he volunteered to help the seniors.

“I’d absolutely recommend it. We can help you with just about anything, and are very willing to help you.”

The fall sessions have come to an end. But a new one is planned for the spring, which will use volunteers from Midland High School. For more information, contact Mike Trebilcock at 989-633-3722.

WORD SCRAMBLE Rearrange the letters to spell something pertaining to restaurants.

L BA ET Answer: Table

“She was really excited about that.

She was just singing the praise of her mentor.”

per into rice mixture. Divide mixture evenly among 6 plates. Top evenly with Roasted Beets, remaining 1⁄4 cup goat cheese, and walnuts. Garnish with parsley leaves, if desired.

Roasted Beets 11⁄2 pounds beets (about 7 small), peeled and cut into wedges 2 teaspoons olive oil 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley leaves 1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. Combine first four ingredients on a large rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 F for 26 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Toss with parsley just before serving.

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November 2021 | Senior Scope 9

Veteran is longest serving volunteer for Helping Hands Mission Dan Bergman has been sharing his time with those in need for 29 years TEREASA NIMS For the Daily News Helping Hands Mission Volunteers, from left, Dave Stahl, Fay McKenna, Dan Bergman and Bergman’s daughter, Lori Bergman. Stahl and McKenna greeted Dan Bergman with a cake to say thank you for all he does. Bergman has been volunteering at the mission for 29 years, making him the longest serving volunteer. He has been there since the mission opened on July 7, 1992. The 71-year-old Air Force veteran said enjoys his volunteer work and driving the Hi-Lo. (Photo by Tereasa Nims/For the Daily News)

Helping Hands Mission in Beaverton started 29 years ago, and Air Force veteran Dan Bergman began volunteering at the onset. And at 71 years of age, he continues to make a difference.

It’s sometimes difficult to get a strait answer from Bergman. When asked why he has kept volunteering for nearly 30 years, he said with a straight face, “To get out of my honey do list at home.”

He does admit it is a sense of duty, helping those less fortunate. He said it makes him feel better when he can help another person.

“I’ve been there before,” he said about being down on his luck.

Although there is no pay, Bergman treats volunteering with the seriousness of a job. He builds shelves, tests the donated electronics to ensure they are working, installs audio and communications systems at the mission, drives the Hi-Lo machine, and often does anything without being asked.

“We love him to death,” said fellow volunteer Fay McKenna, noting Bergman is the go-to person.

Volunteer Dave Stahl said he really enjoys working with Bergman as they banter each day.

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His daughter, Lori, also volunteers at the mission.

“I’m so proud of him,” she said.

“He supports the ladies and when anyone asks him to do something, he gets it done.”

McKenna who started at the mission two years ago, said they are all kind of a team and look out for each other.

Bergman grew up in Beaverton and went into the Air Force after graduating high school. He was stationed in Vietnam where he worked on fighter jets. After the war ended, he went to college in Columbus, Ohio to study electronics.

He said he would have stayed longer in the Air Force, but after his four years was the end of the Vietnam war, and he and his friends were shipped home.

McKenna said the mission doesn’t put out junk for sale and a large part of being able to tell what quality is because of Bergman.

“He is our quality control,” McKenna said.

Bergman learned of the mission’s opening through the Church of the Brethren. He learned they needed volunteers and he enlisted.

Senior Scope | November 2021

“We joke around a lot here,” he said. “It lifts the spirits.”

The volunteers say there is a high turnover of volunteers because of burnout. When asked why he stays, Bergman said he enjoys what he is doing. He enjoys helping people.

“It is a challenge not to burn out,” he said. “I try to keep a positive attitude.

“Or it might just confer that I really am a clown,” he said with a smile.

He notes he was saddened when two dams were breached in May 2020, flooding Midland and Gladwin counties. But was thankful he could help people when they came anything and everything because they lost all they had.

The retired industrial electrician is also musically inclined, his daughter and McKenna say he can play most instruments, organ, guitar and piano.

Saturday, December 4 8 am-5 pm

“I play the radio,” Bergman pipes.

Helping Hands Mission Director Becky Cook said Berman is “very dedicated” to the mission.

“I can call on him for anything and he’s there,” she said. “He’s the longest volunteer we’ve had.”

She also said he is quite a card and often has other volunteers and shoppers laughing.

Bergman loves it.

“I didn’t expect to be so filled with joy volunteering,” he said.

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He admits he found a higher purpose through working at the mission. Bergman said he could be sitting around, but he chooses something more rewarding. He was an avid volunteer with his church before coming to the mission. He used to go on mission trips. Now he splits his time between the Helping Hands Mission and his church.

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November 2021 | Senior Scope 11

Picture on Left: Bullock Creek bus driver Craig Gombosi goes through a safety checklist that drivers use before going on a route. (Photo by Dave Shane/For the Daily News) Picture on Right: Craig Gombosi pauses for a photograph in front of his bus outside the Bullock Creek Schools bus garage. (Photo

by Dave Shane/For the Daily News)

‘It’s a great job for retirees’; Gombosi finds joy in transporting Bullock Creek students Eight of the district’s bus drivers are age 62 or over DAVE SHANE For the Daily News Many seniors like to work part-time after they retire. If helps pay the bills and keeps them busy.

Craig Gombosi, 71, of Midland, thinks he has a pretty good parttime job – that is, if you really like kids. He drives a school bus for the Bullock Creek school district.

Gombosi recently talked to the Daily News about his job as a bus driver, something he has done for more than 20 years. It started while he was still working as a Bullock Creek Schools custodian. The district needed another bus driver in a pinch, so he accepted the challenge.

“We were short drivers, so I would jump on a bus and do a run,” he recalled.

It’s not hard. In fact, Gombosi said 12

in some ways it’s easier than driving your car. Modern school buses can have heated mirrors that won’t ice up in the winter. Drivers sit higher, so it’s easier to see. He even said parallel parking with a bus is easier than with a car.

Gombosi said he has never been in an accident while driving a school bus, though he got stuck in the snow once.

Bullock Creek Superintendent Shawn Hale said workers like Gombosi are a huge help to the district – as many school districts in Michigan are having a hard time finding bus drivers.

The district has 18 route drivers and several other drivers that fill in or do sports trips. Eight of them are age 62 or older.

Hale also said Gombosi is good with children, and that is important.

“He builds relationships with the kids and interacts with them,” the superintendent said. “That’s really important for a bus driver. … I have a lot of respect for these guys.”

Gombosi said he knows every child’s name, and because he has been in the district for so long, he knows more than that.

“I know their parents. I know their grandparents, and I know their great grandparents,” he said.

He also thinks he is making a difference with some of his children.

“You need to be a good listener.

Even kids that come from a rough home, if you show them respect, you gain their respect.”

School districts provide training for new drivers, who can make about $20 an hour for the part-time job.

“I enjoy it a lot. I love the kids,” Gombosi said. “You gotta like kids, but it’s a great job for retirees.”

Gombosi, whose wife, Theresa, is a retired school teacher, said he actually likes the split shift that drivers have. Work begins early, but drivers have the middle of the day off.

“You’re working 180 days a year, and you’re off in the summer unless you’re doing a special ed route.”

But for Gombosi, it all comes back to the children.

“I can call every one of my kids by name … and I look forward to seeing my kids.”

Senior Scope | November 2021

Council on Aging - Serving Gladwin County

LUNCH MENUMenu: • NOVEMBER 2021 Senior Hot Lunch November 2021 1

MONDAY

Potato Crunch Pollock 13 Smashed Potato 19 Broccoli 6 Mandarin Oranges 12 Petit Pain Roll 25 Tartar Sauce

8 Italian Meatballs 4 Red Pasta Sauce 12 Rotini 21 Cauliflower & Carrots 6 Grapes 16 Wheat Roll 13 15 Cheesy Chicken 9 Roasted Sweet Potatoes 18 Broccoli 6 Pineapple Tidbits 13 Petit Pain Roll 25

2

TUESDAY

Herb Chicken 6 Herb Chicken Gravy 7 Apple Cranberry Stuffing 20 Mashed Potatoes 16 Brussels Sprouts 8 Pears 14

9 Pollock Fillet 19 Baked Potato 18 Broccoli w/ Cheese 4 Pumpkin Mousse 21 Sliced Apples 14 16 Beef Stew 20 Bread Pudding 45 Cucumber Salad 6 Grapes 8 Wheat Crackers 11

22 23 Turkey Pot Roast 5 Chicken Fajita 9 Mashed Potatoes 16 Spanish Rice 16 Roasted Butternut Squash 16 Caramel Apple Crumble 30 Canned Prunes 23 Romaine & Wheat Roll 13 Leaf Tossed Salad 1 Tortilla 20 29

Crispy Chicken 13 Mashed Potatoes 16 Gravy 3 Broccoli 6 Strawberries 24 Wheat Roll 13

30

Fish Tenders 19 Roasted Red Potatoes 24 Water Chestnut Spinach 11 Apricots 17 Petit Pain Roll 25

3

WEDNESDAY

Goulash 27 Whole Green Beans 6 Peaches 14 Multi-Grain Bread 23 Chocolate Chip Cookie 18

4

THURSDAY

Chicken Bowl 42 Tossed Salad 3 Fresh Pear 23 Wheat Roll 13

5

FRIDAY

Pork Fritter/Alfredo Sauce 17 Red Potatoes 20 Roasted Broccoli Red Peppers 6 Apricots 17 Pumpernickel Bread 14

10 Meatloaf / Gravy 14 Mashed Potatoes 16 Wax Beans 10 Strawberries 24 Rye Bread 15

11 VETERAN’S DAY 12 Chicken Alfredo 5 Ham Steak 5 Penne 41 Parsley Potatoes 20 Broccoli 6 Red Cabbage 17 Sautéed Mushrooms 3 Pears 14 Red, White & Blue Cake 31 Clementine 9 Bread Stick 14 Carnival Cookie 18 17 THANKSGIVING DINNER 18 19 Roast Turkey w/ Gravy 4 Veal Parmesan w/ Penne 41 Ham Scalloped Potatoes 14 Mashed Potatoes 16 Red Pasta Sauce 12 Whole Green Beans 6 Creamy Chicken Dressing 11 California Blend Veggies 6 Apple 22 Green Beans w/ Almonds 10 Peaches 14 Wheat Roll 13 Caesar Salad 8 Bread Stick 14 Pumpkin Mousse 21 Molded Cranberry Salad 22 Pumpkin Pie 69 CENTERS CLOSED 26 CENTERS CLOSED 24 25 Grilled Stuffed Salmon 20 Garlic Mashed Potatoes 17 Broccoli 6 Banana 27 Cranberry Walnut Bread 15 DECEMBER 1 Chicken Pot Pie 39 Tossed Salad 3 Molded Cranberry Salad 34 Bread Stick 14

2

Pork Marsala 4 Rotini 21 Whole Green Beans 6 Orange 1 4 Craisin Rice Pudding 37

3

Spaghetti Noodles 19 Meat sauce for Spaghetti 10 Peas & Carrots 12 Grapes 8 Pumpernickel Bread 14 Snickerdoodle Cookie 18

Menus subject to change without notice. Meals on Wheels Hotline: Call 633-3789 for changes in delivery by 9 am. Reservations are required.

Numbers after each menu item indicate the number of carbohydrates in grams for that item. Milk (13) is served with each meal.

Rhoda’s House Adult Foster Care Home

• Private Room Available • Family Setting

989-832-9748 2576 E. Brooks Rd. - Freeland, MI 48623 | www.rhodashouse.com

Quality Assisted Living Licensed & Insured AFC

Quality Assisted Living

Licensed & Insured AFC Private and Semi-Private Rooms Visiting Physicians, Medication & Supply 24 Hour Supervision, Alarmed Doors Housekeeping, Linen Service, Home Coo

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November 2021 | Senior Scope 13

A singles mingle for Midland’s 50+ community

The following are scenes from a 50+ singles meet up Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 702 Bar in Midland.

Free hot dogs and chips were served while the outdoor bar was open.

Russ Hoag, right, chats with Madelyn Wheeler, left.

(Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Guests chat with one another during the Sept. 8 50+ singles meet up at 702 Bar in Midland. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Ann Enszer fills out a name tag after arriving at a 50+ singles meet up Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 702 Bar in Midland. Guests were also encouraged to write a few of their hobbies on their name tags. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Bartender Leanne Kuligoski serves a customer during a 50+ singles meet up Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 702 Bar in Midland.

(Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

14

Senior Scope | November 2021

Walking tips for seniors You can keep walking, hiking during winter weather STEVE GRIFFIN For the Daily News country skis the most efficient way to hit the trails between from December well into March.

Like adding traction assistance to your boots. Or enlarging your footprint with snowshoes. Or stretching your slide with cross country skis.

Here, to be honest, we snowshoe and ski not so much because we have to, but when we can. That can make the experiences even sweeter.

Creepers/crampons have become de rigueur, and they greatly expand winter opportunities. In various styles and configurations, stretchon or strap-on over regular boots or shoes, they bite into ice and keep the foot from slipping.

Pick a pair just aggressive enough for the conditions on which you’ll be walking: short spikes, perhaps, for normal winter walking, or rugged teeth for thick ice or lake tops. Many hikers own more than one pair, to match conditions. Poles provide additional balance and traction, by the way.

(Cleats did cause me an injury, two winters ago, when, while walking my dog around the block after a heavy ice storm, my feet left the pavement. I plummeted to the concrete, deeply bruising my hip. I landed on the cleats carried in my pocket, not worn on my boots! Lesson learned.)

Beyond cleats, there’s a major difference between the way we Midlanders walk in winter, and the way Michiganders further north do it.

Up there, snowshoes are a makessense way to get the mail, go ice fishing, or run a trap line, and cross

pack winter snow into a more walkable surface — but the trailbreaker

You can keep walking and hiking when winter weather arrives; it just calls for some adaptation.

A first ‘step’ (pun intended) is simply adapting your regular hike to winter.

Snowshoes

“Magic happens,” when winter and deep snow comes, said Jenn Kirts, Chippwa Nature Center director of programs, when we chatted by phone about hiking recently. I agreed. Snowshoes have always made that magic for me.

If there’s less than a foot of snow, there’s just not much reason to do the extra work that walking with oversize snowshoe ‘feet’ requires, especially if you’re the first one along your chosen path.

Snowshoes, after all, do not Steve Griffin so much keep you on top of the snow as they pack it down into a path for those on snowshoes behind you.

On a foot of snow, they work. On two feet, they excel.

And when it’s your turn to follow, instead of lead, they’re wonderful fun.

Snowshoes come in different sizes and shapes to match users and uses, from running and racing to lugging gear through a wilderness.

gets plenty of exercise!

(Steve Griffin/For the Daily News)

Borrowing or renting can help you find what’s best for you.

exciting trails, 11 k for classic skiing, 3.7 k for skate-skis.

About that ‘webbed-feet’ thing: While traditional snowshoes had decks of webbed rawhide, and many still cherish them, many modern snowshoes have ultra-light frames and synthetic decking material and, especially with crampons added for traction on icy surfaces, they work great.

Like snowshoe paths, you’ll likely find ski trails carved into the snow topping area parks and even golf courses.

Snowshoeing is not inherently stressful, provided you match your gait to your ability and condition.

Whether it’s by regulation or courtesy, skiing and snowshoeing (and fat-tire biking and other pursuits) don’t mix. Other users should leave ski tracks to skiers!

The Chippewa Nature Center offers great opportunities to try it out, with loaner snowshoes available. Watch the CNC calendar, and hope for snow! Kirts said its lands are open to off-trail snowshoeing whenever the snow’s deep enough for it.

Swifter and more strenuous than snowshoeing is cross country skiing, and modern designs and materials have made it simpler and more enjoyable than ever, especially where tracks are created by other skiers or grooming equipment.

CNC grooms its River and Wood Duck trails for skiers.

Midland County’s Pine Haven Recreation Area at Sanford offers

In most (read non-covid) winters, the Midland City Forest Winter Sports Parks has both trails and ski rentals.

Winter outings aren’t limited to webbed feet or skinny skis, of course. The three paved trails radiating out from the Tridge are often walkable (as well as sometimes skiable, the Chippewa Trail groomed when conditions warrant). And, in winter as in the three more temperate seasons, don’t forget the thrilling option of the Canopy Walk at Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens. It closes only when the trail ices-over, and that’s relatively seldom and closures relatively short.

Steve Griffin is an outdoor writer and Senior Scope contributor for the Midland Daily News.

November 2021 | Senior Scope 15

No age limit on outdoor recreation in Midland Opportunities for exercise abound in local area

STEVE GRIFFIN For the Daily News “Take a hike” is a stern directive, when it’s someone telling you to leave. But as a recommendation for people of all ages to pursue autumn recreation and exercise, it’s hard to beat.

“There are a lot of treasures to see as the seasons turn,” said Jenn Kirts, Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) director of programs, in a phone interview.

CNC offers a variety of hiking experiences, as does the wider Midland area, including some particularly fall-friendly ones.

“We all like to drive (cars) on color tours,” Kirts said, “but hiking is a way to experience nature at a slower pace, to

take the time to see an individual leaf and its many colors, the shapes and colors of fungi, to hear the chatter of chickadees.”

“It forces us to slow down and enjoy the natural world with all of our senses.”

Kirts calls fall hiking “a little muddier, a little slipperier,” but then, too, there’s not the snow and cold of winter, nor spring’s frustrating, back-and-forth of ice, snow, slush and reluctant warm-up.

One doesn’t guard against overheating, and too much sun, as in summer.

Fall is cool enough for comfort, but warm enough too. The colorful setting can inspire awe. Bugs are mainly a

Hiking tips • It’s always a good idea to carry water (and to anticipate bathroom needs).

• Dress both appropriately and flexibly: a windbreaker’s a good idea, a raincoat better yet, but you’ll likely wish to wear less outwear, not more, once you get moving. Layers are the key.

• Walking sticks can add balance to your step; many serious walkers and hikers use them.

• Many trails have benches; there’s no shame in taking a break for a snack, a rest, a shoelace-tightening or whatever. Part of the pleasure of a hike is taking it at your own chosen pace!

16

• Generally stay to the right on wide paths. Offer a “howdy” to those you pass, but remember that some people prize their solitude, or are tuned into music or a podcast.

• “On your left” means that’s where a runner, skater or biker intends to pass you from behind.

Resist the urge to jump! That just makes you more difficult to avoid. If someone does give you the alert, be sure to thank them!

• Fall is hunting season: it’s a good idea to wear some Hunter Orange clothing when hiking beyond city limits.

memory. Crowds have thinned.

Nowhere is all that more true than at the Chippewa Nature Center, which boasts 19 miles of trails open to the public every day, dawn until dark, traversing 1,500 acres of several types of ecosystems.

From the 0.4-mile, easy-access Dorothy Dow Arbury Trail to the three-mile River Trail and four-mile Chippewa Trail, there’s a path for everyone – and for just about anyone’s mood.

Except for the paved Arbury and Chippewa trails, trail surfaces are gravel, mulch, grass and or dirt. Most are flat; a couple have small hills. Most are shorter than two miles. Nature figures prominently, as trails lead along rivers, through meadows, wetlands and several forest types, even along and over ancient sand dunes. Some trails are very popular, others offer more solitude.

A novel aspect of CNC trails is the facility itself, its visitor center open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays (closed some holidays). There, naturalists can provide trail advice, updates on trail conditions, and answers to questions. Bathroom facilities are open during regular hours; heated bathrooms at the nearby nature study building are open from dawn until dark daily.

A trails brochure guide is available at www.chippewanaturecenter.org, (The CNC gift shop even offers a bandana sporting a map of the entire trail system!) Trail signage is consistent and clear. Vehicles, dogs, smoking, fires,

Cross country skiing is a popular activity at the Chippewa Nature Center. (Photo provided) alcohol, picking or collecting are not allowed; only on the Chippewa Trail, 3.5 miles long and paved are bicycles allowed.

More trail hiking options The Little Forks Conservancy (www. littleforks.org) offers 10 miles of trails, open to the public, at its Averill Preserve near Sanford, Riverview Natural Area near Midland, and George and Sue Lane Preserve in Gladwin County.

At Averill, hilly spots have been leveled off, and other trails have been made more accessible and less hazardous. A new half-mile of trail has been created at the Lane Preserve. More boardwalks are planned for Riverview – both to keep dry the boots of hikers, and to preserve the natural wetlands they’ll cross.

Details are available online at www. littleforks.org.

Extensive trail networks also lace the Midland City Forest (www.cityofmidlandmi.gov), and the Pine Haven Recreation Area at Sanford (www. co.midland.mi.us).

The 210-mile Midland to Mackinac Boy Scout Trail begins in the Kawkawlin Senior Scope | November 2021

CNC Trail Programs

November 2021

Chippewa Nature Center regularly offers organized hiking and events. Upcoming examples include: • A casual morning hike exploring the gardens and trails at CNC to explore how native plants add to the fall landscape; ages 15 and older, under 18 w/adult; from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11.

• A full moon, naturalist-led hike for those 9 and older (under 18 with an adult); wear dark clothing, bring a flashlight, and learn how the tradition of naming moons began, plus how some animals are adapted to dark hours; from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19.

• Everything turkey! Join CNC staff to learn about wild turkeys, make turkey sounds, and look for wild turkeys on the trail; all ages, under 18 with adult; from 2 to 3 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 21.

Creek Wildlife Area north of Midland, leading to Mackinaw City at the tip of the Lower Peninsula. Upnorthtrails.org notes that this trail, which traces Native American trade routes, is rugged and passes through only two communities, Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. (Info at www.fs.usda.gov.)

Hiking on trails is a bit more challenging than on paved surfaces, but that’s as much asset and drawback, according to Daniel J. Levitin, author of the splendid “Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives."

Walking off-pavement, Levitin says, produces a healthier brain as and after it guides its owner along a trail on which constant attention and adjustment to conditions and footfalls is required.

“This (is) the kind of navigation our

The trails at the Chippewa Nature Center are a popular spot for walkers and bicyclists. (Photo provided) brains evolved to perform.”

“Exercising on a treadmill is good,” Levitin writes. “Walking around the neighborhood is better. Walking in nature is the best.”

Still, a paved trail is a friendly trail, and Midland has plenty of them.

Partial to pavement?

The more-than-four-mile-long Grand Curve Trail follows the Tittabawassee River through downtown a spell before passing the Dow Diamond baseball stadium and turning east to wriggle between Patrick and Lyon (Business U.S. 10), down to Washington Street, crossing to the Patrick and on out to Illinois Drive.

Also beginning near the Tridge is the Chippewa Trail, an asphalt-paved surface stretching to the Chippewa Nature Center.

The Pere Marquette Rail Trail, paved and wide, tops the railway grade for 30 miles from its Midland trailhead to one at Clare, passing through Sanford, Coleman and Loomis along the way and, at Clare linking up to the 53-mile crushed-limestone Pere Marquette State Trail for its run to Baldwin.

Mon., November 1 • 10 am Book Club

Wed., November 10 Vanilla Cupcake Day

Mon., November 1 National Vinegar Day

Thu., November 11 • 10-11:30 am Encore: Nature Center

Thu., November 4 National Candy Day

Thu., November 11 • 12-1 pm Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

Fri., November 5 Daylight Savings Time Ends

Thu., November 11 Celebrate Veterans Day

Mon., November 8 • 12 noon Travel & Adventure Series: Turkey Online via Zoom

Fri., November 12 • 12-1 pm Lunchtime Learners: Prepare & Plan for International Travel with Sue Montesi

Mon., November 8 • 3-4:30 pm Parkinson’s Disease Support Group Mon., November 15 Bag a Buck Game Tue., November 9 • 10-11:30 am Caregiver Support Group Wed., November 17 Thanksgiving Curbside Event Tue., November 9 • 12-1 pm Call to reserve your meal!

Tuesdays with TED: Loss, Grief & Meaning Thu., November 18 • 10:30-11:30am The Civil War Wed., November 10 • 1-3 pm Care Partner Class: Reduce Conflict Thu., November 18 • 10:45-12 noon When Assisting a Person with Blood Pressure Clinic Dementia

Thu., November 18 Birthdays & Anniversary Party Music by “Two Outlaws & A Good Guy” Fri., November 19 • 12-1 pm Lunchtime Learners - Mission Accomplished: The Sillimans Family Mon., November 22 • 12 noon Travel & Adventure Series: Turkey In-person Mon., November 22 • After Lunch Golden Guild Variety Show Tue., November 23 • 10-11:30 am Caregiver Support Group Tue., November 23 • 12-1 pm Tuesdays with TED: Loss Meaning Online via Zoom Thu., November 25 Trailside Center is Closed Fri., November 26 Trailside Center is Closed Mon., November 29 • 10:30 am Cider Monday

Call 989-633-3700 or sign-up online at www.SeniorServicesMidland.org

Fitness Classes: classes held in birchwood unless noted Mondays: 8:15-9:15 am • Zumba 9:30-10:30 am • Walk15 10:45-11:45 am • Bonesaver

Thursdays: 8:15-9:15 am • Zumba 9:30-10:30 am • Chair Yoga with Julie 12:15-1:15pm • Walk15

Tuesdays: 8:15-9:15 am • Zumba 9:30-10:30 am • Calming Yoga with Julie 10:45-11:45 am • Fall Prevention & Balance Class

Fridays: 9:30-10:30 am • Walk15 10-11:00 am • Line Dancing 10:45-11:45 am • Bonesaver

Wednesdays: 8:15-9:15 am • Zumba 9:30-10:30 am • Chair Yoga with Steve 10-11:00 am • Line Dancing for Beginners 10:45-11:45 am • Bonesaver 12:15-1:15pm • Advance Tai Chi 1:30-2:30 pm • Beginners Tai Chi

Fitness Class Special Notes: No fitness classes November 25 or 26.

No live Zumba November 4, prerecorded option available instead. On November 17, all Bonesaver, Line Dance, and Tai Chi participants will need to park by Trailside to avoid congestion with the holiday curbside event.

We strongly Meals are available Monday-Friday at 11:30 Creative Writer’s Group • Fridays • 10-11:30am suggest vaccinating am. Please call 989-633-3790 by 9 am the day Quilters • Thursdays • 10-2 pm you would like to reserve a meal. before attending.

Bingo • Wednesdays • After Lunch

Regularly Scheduled Programs: Bridge • Tuesdays & Thursdays • 12:15 pm

Cribbage • Wednesdays • 9 am

Cards • Daily after Lunch

Ongoing Activities: Come in and work on a puzzle!

Crochet Class with Carol Rumba • Wednesdays • 9:30-10:30 am In the Arts & Crafts Room

Coupon exchange - bring in ones you don’t want, take those you can use.

You will need to

wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.

Please cancel your reservation if anyone in your household is sick.

November 2021 | Senior Scope 17

Woodworkers invite others to join them at Sanford Senior Center Stewart: “For some of us, it’s the highlight of the week just to get out with some folks with a similar mind” DAVE SHANE For the Daily News A dedicated group of woodcarvers meets twice a week at the Sanford Senior Center, and they are happy to welcome newcomers who have never carved before, but would like to give it a try.

Margaret Wilson, right, works on a wood carving while a piece by Carol Cheesbro, left, is displayed on the table during a regular gathering of wood carvers Tuesday, Sept.

7 at Senior Services of Midland County’s Sanford Activity & Dining Center. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

It doesn’t matter what your skill level is if you want to join the group — or if you have any skill at all as the group has a tradition of helping others learn the craft.

Willie Stewart, a 74-yearold member of the Midland Woodcarvers, is an accomplished, award-winning carver. He got his start more than 30 years ago with the help of fellow members.

“We got started in the winter of 1989. My son and I were looking for something to do,” Stewart told the Daily News.

Bill Stasinski works on a wood carving in his signature style, which features miniature houses stacked upon one another, during a regular gathering of wood carvers Tuesday, Sept.

7 at Senior Services of Midland County’s Sanford Activity & Dining Center. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) 18

They attended a once-aweek class for a couple of months and enjoyed the creative hobby. Within a few years, both Willie and his wife, Barbara, their son, Wesley, and daughter, Tanya, had all become woodcarvers.

It’s easy to get started, Willie

Stewart said. The club can provide wooden blocks and the tools to give it a try.

engineer and the Lee Township treasurer, said it can be a rewarding hobby.

“We usually have knives and gouges to use and get started, and we will show them the tricks,” he said.

“When you design something from scratch, and put a lot of time into it, it’s quite absorbing. But it’s relaxing, too,” he said.

Stewart said woodcarvers enjoy the creative side of the hobby, and there are different types of carving to try — relief carving, chip carving and caricatures.

Wood creations are often later painted to look more realistic.

Willie admitted he is a pretty accomplished carver, but he has been surpassed in skill by both his wife and son. “(Barbara) is faster and does better work than me. She’s won many contests. And our son is even better.”

Wesley, who is now 50 years old, makes walking sticks and canes that he can sell online for up to $200.

All of them learned from local experts and have traveled around the Midwest and Canada attending shows, competitions and seminars.

The elder Stewart, who is a former Dow Chemical Co.

“A realistic bird or fish, you can put in 40 hours of carving and 40 hours of painting,” Stewart said. “You can get pretty sophisticated.

“My son made a squirrel that looks so realistic, you want to pet it — it’s amazing.”

He said newcomers to the group should find it a nice, relaxing atmosphere, with no pressure.

“For some of us, it’s the highlight of the week just to get out with some folks with a similar mind.”

Both Willie and Barbara Stewart are officers of the local woodcarving group.

They can be reached at 989-687-2536 for more information.

Senior Scope | November 2021

Celebrate a popular chocolate dessert It is hard to determine who created the brownie, but dessert devotees no doubt appreciation that individual’s now beloved creation.

Brownies are one of North America’s favorite baked treats. They actually are classified as a bar cookie rather than a cake, and the dessert earned its name from the deep, brown color of its main ingredient.

There have been many variations on the brownie through the years, and the lively debate whether crunchy end pieces or chewy middle slices are preferred continues. There may be less debate about how flavorful it can be to mix cheesecake with brownies, which is just what happens in this recipe for “Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies” from “Chocolate” (Love Food), by the editors of Parragon Books, Ltd.

Marled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies Makes 12

PUMPKIN PIE Drive

3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 cup superfine sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup all-purpose flour

November 19 10AM-12PM

Cheesecake mix 1 cup ricotta cheese 3 tablespoons superfine sugar 1 egg beaten 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 11 x 7-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.

2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat, and stir in the unsweetened cocoa and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, then add the flour, and stir to mix evenly. Pour into the prepared pan.

3. For the cheesecake mix, beat together the ricotta, sugar and egg, then drop teaspoonfuls

RSVP by November 12 Drive through our front entrance to pick up your free mini pumpkin pie. of the mixture over the chocolate mixture. Use a metal spatula to swirl the two mixtures tightly together.

4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until just firm to the touch. Cool in the pan, then cut into bars or squares.

2410 Rodd St., Midland • 989.839.9800 • midlandkdh.org Limit 1 per person

November 2021 | Senior Scope 19

Diabetes and Your Feet

Written by: Heidi Monaghan, DPM FACFAS CWSP chance for an infection and amputation to occur. Treatment of foot ulcers centers around preventing infection, improving circulation, and reducing pressure to the bottom of the foot. There are also skin grafting options including amniotic stem cell dressings. The combination of reducing pressure to the foot ulcer and applying amniotic stem cell dressings is a healing combination for a lot of people.

Diabetic Foot Ulcers are open sores or wounds that occur in around 15% of people with the diagnosis of diabetes. Ulcers are quite commonly located on the bottom of the foot, or the weightbearing surface. Of people who develop a foot ulcer, about 6% will be hospitalized due to infections or complications arising from the ulcer. One more startling statistic is that diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States, and 14-24% of people who develop a foot ulcer will eventually require an amputation.

Foot ulceration precedes 85% of diabetes related amputations.

The science of wound care has advanced significantly in the last 10 years. The old adage “let the air get at it” is now known to be harmful to healing. We know, through years of research, that ulcers heal faster, with a lower risk of infection, if they are kept covered and moist. Soaking an open wound is also not recommended, and we also recommend against the use of hydrogen peroxide and full-strength betadine as they can lead to further complications.

Amniotic membrane dressings have been in use since the early 20th century for treatment of burns, ulcerations, traumatic wounds, surgical incisions, and ophthalmic Ulcerations form due to a combination conditions. Amnionic membrane dressings of factors, lack of sensation in the foot, are composed of tissue from the human poor circulation, foot deformities, friction placenta. The placenta is composed of 2 or pressure to the foot, and trauma. The layers: the amnion and the chorion. The presence of neuropathy, a reduced or amnion contains multiple growth factors complete lack of sensation to the feet, causes a reduced or absent pain OURresponse.

DOCTORS: which aid in overcoming the stalled healing cycle in a chronic wound. The chorion is This is the result of elevated blood sugars a dense avascular layer of collagen fibers. causing nerve damage. This lack of pain is Available dressings have the availability of what can be so dangerous for people with one or both of the layers. These dressings diabetes. Pain is often a warning sign of significantly speed up healing of chronic a problem. Bumps, cuts, blisters, bruises, and even precursors to foot ulcers in people diabetic foot ulcers. with neuropathy often go undetected until A few strategies for decreasing your it is too late. Vascular disease or peripheral arterial disease is another major risk factor. risk of developing a wound on your feet including avoiding bare feet walking.

Poor circulation to the feet can lead to slow Inspecting your feet daily for any changes healing of relatively minor problems. This and early intervention with your podiatrist can lead to eventual infections and even or your physician are also key factors in amputations. wound prevention.

The primary goal in the treatment of foot The providers at Foot & Ankle Specialists ulcerations is healing the ulceration as soon of Mid-Michigan are all board certified as possible. The faster the healing, the less in advanced wound healing by the 20

Kristin Raleigh DPM, AACFAS, CWS-P

Nicholas Post-Vasold DPM, FACFAS, CWS-P

Heidi Monaghan DPM, FACFAS, CWS-P

American Board of Wound Management.

Our specialists provide coverage to the MidMichigan Wound Treatment Centers in Midland, Clare, Alma, and West Branch, and treat wounds of all types at our Midland and Mount Pleasant office locations. Contact us today if you are suffering with a chronic non healing diabetic foot ulcer, we can help.

Midland Location 111 E. Wackerly St., Suite A. Midland

Mt. Pleasant Location 4851 E. Pickard, Suite 2400 Mt. Pleasant

Senior Scope | November 2021