Lawrence Business Magazine 2018 Q2

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2018 Q2

Publisher: Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC Editor-in-Chief: Ann Frame Hertzog Chief Photographer: Steven Hertzog

On the Cover - Left to Right: Sarah Randolph, BRIDGE HAVEN Dr. Eric Huerter, MDVIP Dr. Maren Turner, AARP Jim Peters, OSHER Alice Ann Johnson, NEW GENERATION SOCIETY Photo by: Steven Hertzog Location: Hoglund Baseball Park, University of Kansas Special Thanks to KU Athletics and Jim Marchiony

Featured Writers: Dr. Mike Anderson Anne Brockhoff Julie Dunlap Bob Luder Emily Mulligan Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D. Tara Trenary Liz Weslander Copy Editor: Tara Trenary Contributing Writers: Becky McClure Jackie Hedeman Pat Mc Candless Eliott Reeder Contributing Photographers: Patrick Connor

INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT:

info@LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com

www.LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC 3514 Clinton Parkway, Suite A-113 Lawrence, KS 66047 Lawrence Business Magazine, is published quarterly by Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC and is distributed by direct mail to businesses in the Lawrence & Douglas County Community. It is also distributed at key retail locations throughout the area and mailed to individual subscribers.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

Statements and opinions printed in the Lawrence Business Magazine are the those of the author or advertiser and are not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

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2018 Q2

Contents Features: 11

Lawrence in Perspective:

29

Senior Resources Abound

Old Settlers Celebrate the Founding of Kansas

by Patricia Michaelis, Ph.D.

by Dr. Mike Anderson

35

Goodbye to the Rocking Chair

by Anne Brockhoff

40

Continuing Education

by Bob Luder

46

A Balancing Act

by Liz Weslander

50

Working on Wellness

56

Retired Not Removed

62

What Next?

66

The Art of Memory

by Julie Dunlap

by Emily Mulligan

by Tara Trenary

by Jackie Hedeman

Departments: 17

Lawrence Memorial Hospital

21

Professional Spotlight

Pat McCandless, Stephens Real Estate

24 Non-Profit: Meals On Wheels 26

On The Hill

73

Local Scene

Hall Center for the Humanities

77 Newsmakers Mission:

Lawrence Business Magazine: Telling the stories of people and businesses making a postive impact on Lawrence & Douglas County. /lawrencebusinessmagazine

@LawrenceBizMag

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com/SUBSCRIPTIONS

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LAWRENCE & DOUGLAS CO [IN PERSPECTIVE]

Old SettleRs Celebrate the Founding of Kansas

by Patricia A. Michaelis, Ph.D., Historical Research & Archival Consulting Photos from the Kansas State Historical Society, kansasmemory.org

As people age, they get together with friends and colleagues from their past through reunions. High schools have class reunions; military units get together to remember their exploits and those lost in combat; and families have periodic get-togethers of relatives. Sometimes communities have a reunion to celebrate noteworthy achievements and events.

Such was the case for those who settled Kansas during the territorial period and helped make Kansas a free state. They gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of Kansas Territory and the fight to make Kansas a “free” state on Sept.

16 and 17, 1879, in Lawrence at Bismarck Grove. A 261-page “Kansas Memorial” of the event was published in 1880, and its foreword passionately expresses the purpose of the reunion: “To those who rescued Kansas from the perils of slavery and were first in helping her to ways of pleasantness and the paths of peace, this book is inscribed.” This book, edited by Charles Gleed, contained transcripts of all the speeches and greetings sent by those unable to attend. It included the names of more than 3,000 visitors who signed the guest register, along with their place and date of birth, the date and place of their settlement in Kansas, and their current residence.

These settlers decided to commemorate the founding of Kansas with an Old Settlers Reunion. They believed they had impacted the history of Kansas and the United States by successfully defeating efforts to have Kansas enter the Union as a slave state.

It was an amazing celebration by today’s standards, much less for the 19th century. An estimated 10,000 to 30,000 people attended one or both days. Special trains brought day visitors to and from Topeka. More than 50 speeches were given, primarily by people who had been in Kansas during the territorial period.

Dignitaries included Edward Everett Hale, Walt Whitman, the current Kansas governor, John P. St. John, and the 25 people who sent messages in lieu of attendance. Musical performances and poetry readings were part of the activities, as were periodic cannon salutes (perhaps a wake-up, as some of the speeches were long).

The city of Lawrence embraced the celebration by providing tremendous support for the event. Judge J. P. Usher, who had served as President Lincoln’s secretary of the interior, was the mayor of Lawrence in 1879. He encouraged businesses to close in the afternoons so employees could participate in the celebration. Lawrence schools were closed on Sept. 17, so schoolchildren could attend the festivities. Businesses were requested to 11

decorate with bunting, and the Sept. 16, 1879, Lawrence Daily Journal reported that “nearly all the business houses and many private residences were handsomely decorated.”

The article described some of these decorations: James A. Montgomery, a profusion of Chinese lanterns and small flags; McCurdy Bros have mounted on a tall flagstaff from the top of their building a very handsome ten-foot flag; the Central Hotel sports a flag from each of the second story windows, both on Vermont and Warren streets; J. S. Henderson’s grocery house is completely covered with small flags in front, while the whole inside is almost as profusely decorated; Bromelsick and Perry & Co. have long rolls of bunting which are draped gracefully across the fronts of buildings; L. Bullene has stretched across the street a twenty-foot flag while the store front and the roof, as far as it can be seen, is draped with bunting; and stretched from the Liberty Hall block to the National Bank building is a line bearing two flags, and between them this motto: Old Settlers welcome, 1854-1879.

Other businesses posted signs that indicated the location of a territorial business or event such as the American express office, which was the Herald of Freedom office or the Ludington House, which was the site of the old “Free State Hotel.”

The same issue of the Lawrence Daily Journal also describes the opening ceremonies: At sunrise yesterday morning the old brass piece [cannon] which does not date as an old settler and yet has done duty to sound forth the patriotism of our citizens for several years pealed forth and was immediately followed by the bells of the city, all combining to ring in the joyful news that the twenty-fifth anniversary of the birth of our noble State had arrived. Each seemed to vie with the other in singing the loudest praise, and each stroke of the bells and loud boom of the cannon seemed to stride a responsive chord in the hearts of our people. … In their enthusiasm the boys loaded the old cannon a little too heavy. The old cannon made a grand leap into the air and coming down crushed the carriage all to pieces. It was a fitting symbol of the glories past which the people of Kansas have made, crushing all obstacles.

This description further illustrates the support of Lawrence for the Old Settlers’ Reunion and ends with a bit of grandiose language equating the crushing of the cannon carriage to the settlers overcoming all hardships.

Judge Usher, in his welcoming remarks, reflects on why people celebrate events from the past: Since the organization of society, men have been accustomed by appropriate methods to commemorate great events in their career, as well as the acts and deeds of their benefactors, their heroes and their statesmen. Especially are they prone to do this if the

benefaction, the event, act or deed has resulted in eradicating an insufferable evil, or in the establishment of a great and lasting good. It is in commemoration of such acts and deeds that we have assembled to-day. … The especial significance attached, is not that we are to commemorate the first settlement of a new and wilderness country, accompanied by hardships and sufferings. … yet it is called the Old Settlers’ Meeting, and we have met here to commemorate the settlement of Kansas, a settlement which, for causes which I briefly explain, inaugurated a fearful and bloody struggle, to be determined only by a constitution afterward to be adopted declaring whether Kansas should be inhabited by freemen only, or freemen and slaves.

Several women were among those making remarks. Mrs. Lucy B. Armstrong spoke about belonging to the Wyandotte tribe, and, that in 1848, the tribe went on record as being opposed to slavery. She was proud the Wyandotte had been among the first settlers in Kansas in 1843, and they were first in opposing slavery. Mrs. C. H. Lovejoy was introduced as one of the earliest pioneers. In her remarks, she says her “good Methodistical voice and strong lungs” would make it possible for everyone to hear her. She comments that she is concerned women were not going to be able to speak at the reunion. She says, “We [women] have gone through just as much as any of you. … so we can look back now and see what great difficulties we have passed through 13

in our early days.” She concludes with, “We mothers have passed through a trying ordeal, but we can look back over the ground with a swell of pride in our hearts when we think of the glorious results as we have them before us now.”

Most of the speeches contained reminiscences of experiences during the territorial struggles but also expressions of the laudable accomplishments in efforts to make Kansas a free state. Several speakers mentioned John Brown’s activities in Kansas, and a bust of him was on a podium next to the stage. Others highlighted James Lane and the Branson Rescue, which freed Free State settlers who had been captured by proslavery forces. Many of the remarks contained minute details about events in which the author had participated, making them valuable research tools.

However, Capt. Thomas Hutchinson, of the Free State artillery, covers a great deal in a very short address. He provides a highly critical assessment of the armed struggles, in general, but notes causes he believes will help improve civilization: In my opinion we, as a nation, have little to be proud of when we come to consider that we had to resort to the wholesale murder of each other to right such awful wrongs and abuses as were being perpetrated upon the portion of the human race we had so long held in slavery. I believe that the time will come when the future generations will look back upon the present as among the barbarous ages; I mean the age in which we live now, for there is not a civilized na-

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tion year on the whole earth. Nations who settle their disputes by killing men have no claim to civilization.

Mr. President, I cannot make a speech today. I believe in works more than words. I would like to make a remark or two by way of advice, and as I am very radical, you will be left to do as you choose with regard to the advice. First with regard to temperance.

Let me assure you that the shortest road to that end is to allow the women to vote. Vote for female suffrage.

Mix up a few women with the men that you send to Washington, and the thing is done.

His second admonition referred to raising children with “high moral instincts” through studying the Bible.

Ultimately, the love feast (a term used by numerous speakers at the events) had to come to an end. Col. S. N. Wood made the closing remarks that urged those present to “take a step higher and in advance,” saying everyone should strive to make that world a better place and “try to place our children on a higher moral plane than we occupy.” In closing, the whole audience joined him in singing the iconic “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty.”

Notes: Bismarck Grove was located north of current Lyon Street and east of East 1600 Road. It is southwest of Bismarck Gardens. p

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TAKE THE PLUNGE

Are you looking for a way to jazz up your exercise routine or to start an exercise program?

By Becky McClure, physical therapist at LMH Therapy Services

Are you looking for a way to jazz up your exercise routine or to start an exercise program? Whatever your age or physical condition, a water program can be tailored to your needs. You don’t need to know how to swim to exercise in water and you don’t have to put your head in the water. Pool exercise programs are done in the shallow end of a pool or in a pool that doesn’t have deep water.

Water exercise may be just what you are looking for to burn a few extra calories and take stress off your joints – while having fun. Thanks to water’s natural resistance and buoyancy, you will get an invigorating workout that’s low-impact and less painful than doing exercises on land. This makes water exercises a good choice for pregnant women and senior citizens, as well as people with arthritis or back problems, or who are recovering after musculoskeletal surgery.

Movement in the water is helpful for people with disabilities.

For example, people with arthritis or physical challenges can move muscles and joints in the water without pain, injury or fear of falling. This can be empowering for people who can’t exercise on land.

After a back, knee, hip or ankle injury or surgery – the water’s buoyancy will assist in supporting body weight. Reducing gravitational forces in the water will make it easier to stand, walk and do strength exercises while reducing pain and decreasing the risk of injury to healing structures.

Pregnant women find water to be wonderfully relaxing. The buoyancy of the water counters the heaviness and lack of balance that comes during pregnancy. Strengthening arms, legs and lower back is vital in preparing for the upcoming bending, lifting and carrying required in the care for the new little one.

Seniors will benefit psychologically and physically from water exercise. Exercise can counter the stiffening and slowing down that comes with age. It is often difficult to take long strides, jump or hop due to physical aging.

In the water, people are less fearful about falling, feel less inhibited and learn to trust their own improved reflexes. Increased confidence in water builds increased confidence on land. Seniors who exercise are more likely to go out and do things for themselves.

And if you’d like to strengthen your leg muscles, increase endurance and improve aerobic function, why not try water running? Never mind how far or fast you go, just run in the water for half the time you would run on land. You will find your legs will get stronger, your heart will work more efficiently and you won’t end up with sore knees or feet from pounding the pavement.

Because the human body is less dense than water, we can float in water. Water offers greater resistance against body movement than air, so muscles get a workout in the water.

Yet there is little strain on muscles and joints because that 17

same resistance slows down movement and reduces the effect of gravity. Muscles move, stretch and build without bearing as much weight as they would on land. And if that’s not enough to convince you to give exercising in water a try, here are some more reasons:

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Being in water is like being in an atmosphere with very little gravity. Think about scuba divers wearing weight belts to balance the buoyancy of the water. We can leap, stride and hop much farther in water than we can on land.

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Motion in the water is slower than motion on the land. Think again about the scuba divers slow, graceful movements. The motions performed in water are smooth and there is less risk of sudden jolting movements that can cause muscle strain or injury.

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The viscosity of the water offers greater resistance to muscle movement than air. The water is resisting the forward motion of the body. Overcoming this resistance builds strength and endurance while minimizing strains to the muscle.

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The water’s hydrostatic pressure decreases swelling in joints that often results after an injury or with many arthritic disorders.

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The water pressure also improves joint position and body awareness. The hydrostatic water pressure actually is pushing down on your body producing forces perpendicular to the body’s surface. This pressure provides positional awareness to better sense where a foot or hand is while in the water.

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The warmth of the water can be relaxing. Exercising in warm water, about 87 degrees, relaxes muscles, increases blood flow and reduces overall stiffness.

And just a final bit of caution: Some folks are not candidates for water exercise, including people with open wounds or with bowel/ bladder incontinence. And people who have heart disease should get clearance from their physician before starting water exercise. p If you’re interested in water exercise classes, check out the Lawrence Parks and Recreation schedule: www.lawrenceks.org/lprd/ aquatics/fitnessclasses. Classes are held at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, 4706 Overland Drive. For more information, call 785-832-7946.

LMH provides one-on-one aquatic therapy to patients between 8 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday, at the aquatic center. Call 785-505-2712 for more information.

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PROFESSIONAL [ SPOTLIGHT ]

PAT McCANDLESS

BROKER | CO-OWNER

STEPHENS REAL ESTATE

What is your company’s most important asset and commodity?

Our people are our No. 1 asset. We have the best sales and support teams in the business. We take great pride in the service they offer and the way they represent the Stephens brand. We are very fortunate to live in a great community that has so much to offer. It makes for an active real estate market.

What is your company’s most important priority?

Providing outstanding service to our clients, both internal and external, is our No. 1 priority.

People who buy and sell homes with our company are our external clients. It is our goal to provide them with expert service every step of the way, the end result being a low-stress, successful transaction.

Our internal clients are our sales team. We have a one-on-one training program for our agents, and we provide them outstanding support. While many companies are providing less service and support than in years past, we are constantly looking to add more value for our agents by adding more and better service. It makes us unique in this market and in this industry.

What have been some of the most important aspects of your success?

Since Chris Earl and I purchased the company in 2013, we have been blessed with year-over-year growth. Stephens Real Estate is a well-respected brand in Lawrence, and Bob Stephens and his sales team built a great reputation one transaction at a time. We still use many of Bob’s principles and philosophies.

We have made significant investments in technology and marketing. Those elements have certainly improved our efficiency and recognition.

However, the No. 1 aspect of our success has been our people. We do not strive to have the most agents in town, but we pride ourselves on being the most productive. We purposely limit our sales team to about 50 agents. We feel this enables our support team to deliver the highest level of service and support.

Chris and I are engaged in the business every day and available for advice or counsel when our agents need it. It is rare to find both of us away from the office at the same time. Being accessible to our sales team is paramount. And we are brokers who do not compete with our own sales team, meaning we do not actively sell real estate. Our No. 1 responsibility is to be present and supportive to our team and the overall operation.

How many people does Stephens employ?

We have roughly 60 team members at any given time, 10 support team members, and the balance is the sales team. Real estate agents are licensed independent contractors.

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How do you and Stephens Real Estate, make a positive impact on the Lawrence community?

Our founder, Bob Stephens, encouraged his team to be engaged and involved within the community. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. We have fully embraced that philosophy and carry that spirit forward today. As leaders of the company, we are involved and support many great organizations throughout the community. We encourage our team members to find their passion then go out and serve where it feels like the best fit. It’s great to be a local company that gives back to our community.

What do you see as your personal responsibility to your company?

Prior to my real estate career, I worked nearly 30 years for large retail corporations. I would like to think that I have always led by example. I am a firm believer if you have the right attitude, along with a strong work ethic and a vision, you will be successful at whatever you do. My mentor from the retail years had many great sayings, but one has really stuck with me: “Surround yourself with stars, and you will be a star.” I owe success in my career to many hardworking individuals who gave me opportunities to earn respect. I don’t take that lightly.

What would you change about doing or working with businesses in Lawrence?

The real estate industry is very unique in that we compete but also cooperate with other real estate companies. You definitely do not see that in other business models. We value our relationships with other agencies; our operating models may differ, but we remain respectful of those differences.

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Why did you become involved Community? What inspires you?

My father was a great role model for me. He gave back to his community in many ways, serving civically and volunteering on multiple boards. Seeing the joy he gained by being engaged and involved throughout his career and then during his retirement years was truly inspiring.

What is the biggest challenge you feel Stephens Real Estate faces?

The challenge is continuing to stay current with technology and industry trends while maintaining our independence as a locally owned and operated agency. It’s a challenge we embrace.

What do you foresee as being the biggest challenge for the future of your industry? And how are you addressing or preparing for it?

We celebrate and place a high value on our independence, and believe the Lawrence community recognizes and rewards businesses that are locally owned and operated.

Real estate on the national level is ever-changing with a proliferation of models delivering less service in an attempt to scale the model up and/or reduce fees for increased market share. We are bucking the national trend and believe consumers prefer the highest level of personal service available. We are thrilled to be filling that niche. p

NON- [ PROFIT ]

Food With a Heart Lawrence Meals on Wheels delivers not only tasty dishes but also friendship and joy to its clients.

by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog

Nestled inside their modest home in West Lawrence, Georgia Aldridge and her daughter, Kathleen McGee, get by the best they can.

In earlier times, McGee took care of Aldridge, now 92. But these days, as McGee puts it, “the list of things wrong with me can fill a sheet of paper.” So, they take care of each other, as well as the two large cats they’re fostering for a relative while out of the country. Other than McGee sometimes running out to pick up prescriptions, they never leave the house. Perhaps that’s why they leave the glow and warmth of a small Christmas tree in the living room year-round.

It also could explain why they visibly brighten up and smile when the delivery driver from the Lawrence chapter of Meals on Wheels brings them their daily meal a little before noon each day.

“Meals on Wheels is a life-saver for us,” McGee says.

“We’re both disabled. So Meals on Wheels has become our main meal of the day. (The delivery drivers) are like angels to us. The volunteers are the only people we see. They’re such bundles of joy, smiles and happiness.”

Aldridge is quick to add, “These Meals on Wheels volunteers are full of compassion and caring. We couldn’t get along without it.”

Since 1970, Meals on Wheels has been providing nutritionally balanced meals to the homebound elderly and/or disabled. The program is designed to help people recovering 24

from a recent illness or hospital stay, anyone with chronic disorders or conditions that make preparing their own meals difficult, and anyone needing assistance improving and/or maintaining overall health. They also assist many families that can’t be home with loved ones and just need someone to check on them daily, and make sure they get a proper meal.

The goal is to allow these people to maintain their independence and stay in their homes as long as possible.

“What we stress is, it’s more than just the meal,” says Kim Culliss, executive director of the Lawrence Meals on Wheels since 2001. “We also provide a free copy of the Lawrence Journal-World. We partner with Trinity [Lutheran Church] Pet Pantry to provide treats, bedding and supplies for pets. Our youngest client is 16; our oldest is 100-plus.

We serve all ages.

“The wellness and safety check is a big part of it,” she continues.

What started as six routes and about 30 clients has today grown to 20 routes and 115 to 130 clients served each day.

The Lawrence Meals on Wheels chapter enlists the help of more than 150 volunteer drivers who deliver more than 650 meals each week to neighbors in need.

Meals on Wheels purchases food from Lawrence Memorial Hospital. All meals are heart-healthy and diabetic-friendly, and can be specialized to fit needs such as renal, soft, gluten-free and combinations thereof.

left page: Kim Culliss – Executive Director, Mean on Wheels right: Volunteer Carolyn Landgrebe delivers Meals on Wheels

Volunteers deliver meals between 11:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

The cost for a Meals on Wheels meal is $4.50, but Culliss is quick to point out that her organization has never turned away anyone in need because they can’t pay.

The program, designated a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, receives funding from several sources, including the Older Americans Act, United Way, clients, an annual charity auction and private donations.

To qualify for Meals on Wheels service, individuals must live within the city limits of Lawrence, be homebound or be a caregiver for an individual who is homebound, be 60 and older with a doctor-ordered dietary need, or be younger than 60 but have a special dietary need that makes them unable to cook or shop for themselves.

“We are the only local home-delivered meal program that delivers to those under 60 years of age,” Culliss explains.

She is proud of the fact that many of her volunteers have been driving and delivering for Meals on Wheels for years.

None longer than Carolyn Landgrebe, who’s been a volunteer with the organization as long as it’s existed in Lawrence : 48 years.

Landgrebe says when she and Meals on Wheels started, it was run out of local church pantries, and meals were served on round pie tins and warmed on hot plates. The preparation process has advanced greatly since. Today, she says, meals are vacuum-sealed so the food meant to be eaten hot can be reheated in a microwave. The hot food is split from the cold. Beverages, which typically range from a carton of milk to apple or orange juice, are kept chilled in freezer pouches.

“This is the center for efficiency,” Landgrebe says as she picks up her two pouches full of meals at the Meals on Wheels offices for delivery that day. “I can’t praise the people who work here enough. It’s all just exquisitely organized.”

On one particular warm and windy Friday in mid-April, Landgrebe drove her Toyota Prius to five locations, including the home of McGee and Aldridge, just a short distance east

of the Meals on Wheels offices, off of Kasold all the way over to Haskell. Recipients were delivered chicken breast (chopped up for those requesting “soft” meals), mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli, a dinner roll and a beverage.

And, while the process has changed over the years, the delivery has not … at least, not for Landgrebe. She rings the bell or knocks, or, depending on instructions she receives before beginning her route, she simply walks in and delivers the meal. “Hello! Meals on Wheels,” she announces, always with a smile. She asks meal recipients how they are and what else they might need, and always spends a few moments just chatting about whatever is on their minds.

She knows it might very well be the only outside company the client has contact with all day.

“I always visit with everybody that brings food in,” says Rhonda Juoni, who lives in a small apartment on the city’s east side. “I’m a rock collector, so everyone wants to look at the new additions to my collection. It’s a joy for me, too.”

Rachel Hunter, who is wheelchair-bound after recently losing much of her right leg, says she’s become close friends with one of her weekly Meals on Wheels deliverers. “(Meals on Wheels is) maybe not as important to me as some people, because I have a son who lives with me and another roommate,” Hunter says. “But they’re out working all day. And, I really do enjoy the regulars. I’m always the last person on the route, so they can sit down and talk for a while.

“The social part is really nice. I just enjoy meeting people, and I’m so in admiration for people who do this,” she continues.

Landgrebe, who drove her Prius 2,855 total miles delivering meals in 2017, admits she might very well get more out of the experience than the meal recipients.

“When I started, I just volunteered one day a week,” she admits. “Now, it’s five because I’m retired.

“You become very fond of these people, especially now that I have five routes. I consider it a blessing and a gift to be able to do this,” she says. “As long as the good lord lets me see and drive capably, I’ll keep doing it.” p 25

ON THE [ HILL ]

Lifelong Learning

for Campus & Community KU offers many opportunities for seniors and their families to stay engaged in education.

by Eliott Reeder - Communications Coordinator, Hall Center for the Humanities, photos by Steven Hertzog

Among the great many factors to assess when choosing a community in which to retire, a common consideration listed in recent publications by Forbes, Kiplinger and the AARP is the opportunity for lifelong learning and continued intellectual stimulation. College towns have become a popular destination for seniors seeking a dynamic atmosphere, diverse populations and a variety of cultural events.

Research shows that pursuing continued education and learning after retirement has a major impact on health, wellness and social standing. Attending classes, lectures and events can help fill newfound free time with hours of engaging activity. Learning about new topics and developing skills keep the mind sharp, and attending community events allows seniors to stay socially engaged and provides opportunities to network and meet new people.

In addition to University of Kansas (KU) tuition and campus fee waivers available to non-degree-seeking state residents older than 60, there are several other KU entities offering free and open-to-the-public educational programs and events for retirees and their family members to enjoy.

The Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum The KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum features live-animal exhibits, a large wildlife diorama and an

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astonishing array of fossils and North American wildlife. The museum is home to four floors of public exhibits with snakes and insects; vertebrate and invertebrate fossils; parasites and microbes; and the flora and fauna of the Great Plains.

Dozens of science outreach programs are offered annually at the museum and throughout the community. Discovery Days, which occur periodically on Sundays and summer weekdays, feature hands-on science activities geared toward school-aged children and their families. There are also talks for adults such as Science on Tap, held several times a year at the Free State Brewery.

The Commons

The Commons at Spooner Hall was opened in 2007 as a collaborative partnership between the Biodiversity Institute, Spencer Museum of Art and Hall Center for the Humanities.

It serves as a space on campus devoted to interdisciplinary studies that focus on the three main continents of the academic world: science, arts and humanities. It hosts a variety of events, art exhibits, lectures and academic workshops. This past spring, the Commons welcomed a series of internationally acclaimed poets at Liberty Hall who drew wonderful crowds for readings and discussion. The Commons is currently participating in the nationwide public art project Pledges of Allegiance, commissioned by CreativeTime, a New York–based public arts nonprofit. The project is a serialized commission of 16 flags, each created by an acclaimed artist to reflect the current political climate.

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The Hall Center for the Humanities The Hall Center’s collateral mission is to sponsor special programs that engage the university and the wider community in dialogue on issues that bring the humanities to bear on the quality of life for all citizens. It creates public events on and beyond campus that seek to understand our past, present and future, our values and identities, and the essential issues we face as individuals and communities.

Founded in 1947, the Hall Center’s Humanities Lecture Series is the oldest-running series at KU and continually brings fascinating authors and researchers to Lawrence each year. More than 150 eminent scholars from around the world have participated in the program, including author Margaret Atwood, scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, poet Terrance Hayes and sociologist Matthew Desmond. The series is free and open to the public, and provides an excellent opportunity to hear some of the greatest authors, intellectuals and researchers of our time speak about their work. Additionally, many of the evening lectures are accompanied by next-day morning events (with free coffee and pastries) that allow audience members to engage in conversation, get books signed and meet the speakers face-to-face.

The Spencer Museum of Art

With a diverse collection of more than 45,000 art objects and works of cultural significance, the Spencer Museum of Art serves more than 100,000 visitors annually. The museum presents its collection as a living archive that motivates object-centered research and teaching, creative work and transformative public dialogue. A constantly revolving exhibition series is open to the public six days a week, and the museum also facilitates arts engagement and research through special film screenings, musical and dramatic performances, artist lectures, children’s activities and community arts and culture festivals throughout the year. In addition to a wide array of general programming open to the public, the museum periodically hosts “Senior Sessions,” informal gallery talks that explore specific topics or questions, open to everyone but designed specifically for retirees. p

SENIOR

by Dr. Mike Anderson, photos by Steven Hertzog

RESOURCES ABOUND IN LAWRENCE The Senior Resource Center for Douglas County can help with many aspects of planning for retirement, but the key is to start early.

It’s not too brash to say many of us live in a state of denial when it comes to aging. People aren’t keen to talk about it, and many certainly don’t want to plan for it. Perhaps if we avoid talking about it, it won’t happen.

As a kid, I always wanted to stay up late. I found that if I just sat quietly on the couch in our TV room, my dad wouldn’t notice it was bedtime. I could then squeeze in a few more minutes of “The Tonight Show” before he’d realize I was still up. Unfortunately, that rouse doesn’t work on father time.

Perhaps former KU professor Dennis Domer says it best, “If you avoided math your whole life then had to take it, it’s a shocking thing.” He says far too many seniors pretend they are still 35 and go it alone. They have been programmed their whole lives to avoid talking about aging and have been taught that it’s an insult. But it’s not just important to plan

early for your future; it’s vital. Luckily, there are people out there who are really good at math and can help.

The Senior Resource Center of Douglas County (SRC) is a 501 C3 aimed at helping individuals plan for the second half of their lives. SRC has experts on almost any subject relevant to seniors. It has the resources to put people in the right places in front of the right people on just about any question. Executive director Marvel Williamson explains, “Think of us first as your go-to place when you need guidance and information … and ask early.” Williamson and others at the Senior Resource Center aim to help anyone with plans for aging.

Domer, also the project director of the New Cities Initiative and former board member of the SRC, says the biggest obstacle for the SRC in the future is helping people, not just 29

seniors, prepare financially for retirement. The problem is most generations, not just seniors, aren’t preparing. Domer explains that less than half of seniors have pensions, and most don’t have any 401(k) or any financial system put toward retirement. “Financial stability is the 800-pound elephant in the room,” he says. “Seniors aren’t saving. Housing and health is a major financial burden. People are living longer, and many don’t have the resources to keep up with the same level of spending they are used to.”

This is why Williamson and her staff want seniors to contact them now rather than later. “It’s not a conversation that many people want to have. People tend to put this off,” Williamson says. “But it’s important to think about living options and making accommodations in advance.”

The Senior Resource Center for Douglas County educates and advises seniors on a variety of factors, such as where to live and what to do with Medicare options, insurance options, power of attorney and legal issues, who can take care of bookkeeping functions such as a will. Every year, there will be newly retired people who don’t know what to do. Every year, SRC has a new freshman class, and it must educate them. “You can’t go to the yellow pages for a lot of these answers. People come here to get an objective opinion,” Williamson explains.

The SRC wants to help seniors be proactive. What happens when loss of function or ability arises? How do you get around? What transportation options are out there? It helps with more than just the “big” stuff. It also educates and assists with the small things, such as finding bridge club or the golf courses that offer senior discounts, or advising on better nutrition options. The SRC provides free legal aid and will even have its seniors’ taxes done for free. It offers veterans assistance. It delivers meals directly to homes (about 130 a day). It offers a transportation program that includes nine vehicles, which makes sense considering most Uber 30

Dennis Domer at Sports Pavilion Lawrence

cars can’t accommodate wheelchairs. The topic of who is responsible for sidewalk repair and maintenance has been a heated topic at City Hall recently. The SRC offers safe winter walkways where volunteers will shovel snow off seniors’ sidewalks. It can help seniors join its clubs, choir or band. Its yoga class, which is held at the Lawrence Public Library, is very popular.

The SRC is a resource in every part of the word. The most recent issue of its newsletter, Better Senior Living, is filled with information on activities, performances and classes.

There are also articles on utility scams, social security benefits, physical exercise and even heartburn during sex. At the end of the newsletter, there is a recipe for a delicious rhubarb strawberry crunch. In just 23 pages, I learned a lot about the future of my mind and my body. And I learned how much I love rhubarb.

In 2012, the SRC was given the responsibility of a fiveyear reinvent retirement campaign. The results have been a success. According to the U.S. Census and the Internal Revenue Service, the growth of 60-year-olds and older in Douglas County outpaces every other county in Kansas.

The center has a full-time staff of 11, a part-time staff of 10 and a volunteer workforce of 300 people. One of those volunteers, Nancy, has been a backup driver since 2000.

Senior Resource Center, Executive Director Marvel Williamson Pickleball at Sports Pavilion

Nancy also plays pickleball at the Sports Pavilion five days a week. She doesn’t understand why everyone doesn’t utilize the SRC. “It’s the best place for seniors to get multiple types of help,” she says. Apparently, it was also where the Lawrence pickleball boom may have gotten its start.

In 2007, Nancy and some other volunteers played upstairs in the old Douglas County Senior Services center downtown. There, they would tie nets to stacked chairs and hit the ball, not even knowing the rules. Now the sport in Lawrence, especially within the senior community, has grown rapidly. Evan Jorn is the official/unofficial pickleball ambassador of Lawrence. He estimates he has 430 names on his pickleball e-mail list.

It just so happens Evan Jorn is another volunteer. From Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, Evan does one-on-one consulting with seniors about Medicare Part D. “People come every year,” Evan notes. “I’ve seen some people save thousands of dollars on their medication.” Speaking of thousands, that’s how many people the SRC helps in a year. To give you an idea of its volume, during the roughly six weeks of the year for Medicare open-enrollment time, 1,000 individuals walk through the doors of the Senior Resource Center for guidance, not including all the phone calls it receives.

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Seniors desire both intergenerational activities, such as pickleball, as well as intergenerational living. Most retired people don’t really favor age-segregated living. They want to use technology, and they want a learning community.

These aspects are what make college towns so appealing to those going through their second half of life. Williamson explains that being a college town is part of the criteria on any senior’s wish list for places to retire. “Colleges in the Midwest tend to be not huge cities but have enough of a population to have amenities,” she says. As a college town, Lawrence has the three things seniors want: 1) Culture: Lawrence offers the cultural opportunities that seniors crave. The city offers music, bookstores, food, movie theaters and a variety of stores and opportunities to engage in a diverse array of consumer activities. “Walk into an Apple store,” Domer says. “It’s full of older people trying to figure out their iPhones.” 2) Public transportation: Many seniors can’t drive or won’t be able to drive in the near future. 3) Activities: “An engaged social life is perhaps the single most important thing a senior can do,” Domer argues.

And college towns offer many opportunities to be social, including concerts, sporting events and, most importantly, classes. As novel as it sounds, part of the mission of the Senior Resource Center is to help seniors find their classrooms. Here, they don’t exactly have to worry about the kind of senioritis that plagues a different kind of senior. If you are over 60 and meet certain visiting student requirements, you can enroll for classes at the University of Kansas for free. Seniors can also participate in Osher Lifelong Learning Institute-sponsored three-day courses in the summer.

Seniors theorize they need to do things to keep themselves busy but to also keep their wits about them—to keep them thinking. Learning in these platforms is a social endeavor that can help build social connections and ward off isolation.

The American Council on Education claims half of college students 50 and older attend colleges to connect with other people, have fun and/or retool for a new career.

When it comes to Lawrence as a destination for seniors, SRC director Williamson has done her homework. She and her husband spent 10 years of their life deciding where to spend the second half of their lives. They visited and vetted close to a dozen college towns in the Midwest. After 10 years of researching (while living in Ireland), they narrowed it down to the Top 3: Lawrence, Iowa City and Columbia.

Naturally, they decided on Lawrence. She acknowledges that 10 years is a lot, but she and her staff very much want to stress how important it is to plan for the second half of life. The Senior Resource Center for Douglas County addresses a whole array of human endeavors to help seniors plan. And while planning for retirement may be tough to think about, at least we get to do it in Lawrence. Sorry, Iowa City and Columbia, I’m looking for someone a little more wise and distinguished. p 33

Say Say Goodbye G ood bye to the Cha ir Rocking Chair The definition of a senior is shifting these days because of the longer, healthier lives people tend to lead.

by Anne Brockhoff, photos by Steven Hertzog

When Jane and Dan Warren began thinking about retirement, they didn’t have rocking chairs in mind. Far from it. They wanted to continue the same active lives they’ve always led, just with more flexibility and leisure time; and they wanted to do it in Lawrence.

It’s familiar territory for the University of Kansas (KU) alums, who in 2014, moved back here from Omaha, Nebraska, where Dan had retired from Bellevue University’s communications arts faculty. He soon joined the Trinity Lutheran Church council and New Generation Society of Lawrence board, began teaching classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and became a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Douglas County.

Before the move, Jane had swapped her private clinical psychology practice for a full-time associate professorship in Bellevue’s clinical psychology program. She continues to teach now but looks forward to retiring after the 2018-19 academic year, so she can add more volunteer activities to her current involvement with the couple’s church and the KU University Women’s Club.

That might not sound like the stereotypical version of retirement, but sitting still has never really been an option, Jane says.

“Dan’s parents lived to be 86 and 90, my mother was 85, and my father is 101 and in reasonably good health,” she explains. “All four of our parents had retired earlier but were very active in the community. We both had those role models and knew retirement isn’t just sitting in a rocking chair.”

While such commitment might have once seemed unique, it is increasingly the norm. Partly it’s because Americans are 34

living longer, healthier lives, and their definition of “old” is shifting. The typical baby boomer (someone born between 1946 and 1964) sees 72 as the start of old age and feels nine years younger than his or her chronological age, according to a 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center.

They might reach an age at which retirement is acceptable, but instead of slowing down, they shift gears. Retirees today are embarking on encore careers or starting companies, connecting with causes and buying everything from homes and cars to smartphones. The spending and earnings of people older than 50, combined with the additional economic activity it spurs, is what the AARP calls the longevity economy.

“This population of older workers and retirees represents both a transformative force by itself, expected to account for more than half of U.S. GDP [gross domestic product] by 2032, and a net national asset—a fast-growing contingent of active, productive people who are working longer and taking the American economy in new directions,” according to “The Longevity Economy: Generating Economic Growth and New Opportunities for Business,” a study commissioned by the AARP in 2016.

The demographic feeding into such statistics is already big, and it’s getting bigger. One in seven Americans is now older than the age of 65. By 2040, that ratio will be one in five, according to the Administration for Community Living, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Douglas County’s senior population has grown 24 percent over the last seven years, the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County’s website says. From 2010 to 2016, the overall population in all age groups grew nearly 8 percent,

Dr. Maren Turner, Director AARP Kansas

outstripping Johnson County, the state’s previous growth leader.

“The aging population isn’t on its way. It’s here,” says Arielle Burstein, associate director of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging and coauthor of its report, “Silver to Gold: the Business of Aging.”

Providing health care, transportation and other services will be a challenge in some markets, and not all seniors benefit from the same income, education, health and support. But those challenges offer opportunities for businesses and communities that recognize and value the human capital represented by older Americans, Burstein says.

“The corporate community has just begun to test the economic power of older adults— their consumer strength, their product and service needs, and the wisdom and experience that they bring to the workforce as employees, mentors, and entrepreneurs,” Burstein’s report says.

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EMPLOYMENT Perhaps the greatest myth about retirement is that people of a certain age no longer want to work. In fact, 53 percent of workers don’t expect to retire until after age 65 or don’t plan to retire at all; 56 percent plan to continue working at least part-time in retirement, a report by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies explains.

Some will continue to work in their existing careers; others will seek new jobs; and plenty more will follow a more entrepreneurial path—people in their 50s and 60s launch new businesses at nearly twice the rate of people in their 20s, “Silver to Gold” reveals.

“At one point, you worked for a long time, probably at one company, then put in your retirement notice, had the party, went home and stopped working,” says Dr. Maren Turner, a Lawrence-based gerontologist, educator, Senior Resource Center board member and director of AARP Kansas. “Now, retirement means a lot of different things to different people.”

That’s especially true given the range of ages within the group. Today’s over50s include not just baby boomers, but also Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and the Greatest and Silent generations (born before 1945).

“This is not a monolithic group,” Turner says.

Interests vary, as do needs. Some older Americans continue working because they require the income. Longer, healthier lives can translate into longer, more expensive retirements; yet only 27 percent of pre-retirees over the

age of 50 feel financially prepared to finance their retirements for 10 years, much less 20 or 30, a 2017 survey by Bank of America Merrill Lynch shows.

Other older workers enjoy the social connections they make while working, and some are encouraged by research that links purposeful activity with improved mental and physical health. The benefits aren’t only on the retirees’ side, though.

Employers also do well to retain or hire older workers, Burstein says. Retention, no matter the age of the employee, is more cost-effective than recruiting and training new workers. Older workers also bring experience and expertise, and they have a positive effect on younger colleagues.

A multigenerational workforce adds to the bottom line, because “research shows productivity benefits by having an older person and younger person work on a project together,” Burstein says.

Employers willing to create flexible working arrangements, cross-train employees or offer job sharing can tap the pool of older workers most interested in working part-time. Training programs are also important, given that 67 percent of employees would be willing to learn new skills and try new jobs as they grow older, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch survey reveals.

Still, far too many employers underestimate the value of such workers, and ageism remains prevalent. Nearly twothirds of U.S. workers ages 45 to 74 say they have seen or have personally faced discrimination based on age, according to the AARP. There is still a tendency to lump older potential employees into a single category—old—and discount their potential in favor of hiring, training and promoting younger workers, the Milken Institute’s Burstein says. This usually unintentional bias could be mitigated through training or adopting different hiring methods, but those changes first require employers to confront their assumptions.

“That’s the strange thing about ageism,” Burstein says. “It’s the one form of discrimination we could all face.”

VOLUNTEERS Not all retirees remain in the job market, though. A vast number, including Judy Bellome, of Lawrence, throw themselves into volunteer work.

Bellome, who began her nursing career in 1968, moved to Lawrence 13 years ago to become chief executive officer for the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association. She considered taking on consulting projects after retiring in 2013 but instead focused on community involvement. She’s since provided leadership to the Senior Resource Center and Lawrence-Douglas County Advocacy Council on Aging, and volunteered with other organizations, including the Community Village Lawrence.

She is also an advocacy volunteer for AARP Kansas, has led the AARP Capitol City Task Force, was instrumental in getting the Kansas Lay Caregiver Act passed through the Kansas Legislature and, in 2017, was awarded the prestigious AARP Kansas Andrus Award for Community Service.

That all adds up to a busy schedule, but Bellome couldn’t be happier.

“This has been a real passion for me,” she says. “I have the best of both worlds. I’m using my skills in a voluntary way, but I can also take off when I want to.”

Volunteers such as Bellome do good for their communities, but they also have a massive combined economic impact. Americans older than 55 volunteered 3.3 billion hours in 2016 for an economic contribution worth $78 billion, according to the federal Corporation for National and Community Service.

As big as that number is, though, it pales to the older cohort’s consumer power. Americans over age 50 generate $7.6 trillion in direct spending and related economic activity, according to the AARP’s “Longevity Economy” report.

Research shows that older Americans dominate 119 out of 123 consumer packaged-goods cat-

top to bottom: Judy Bellome – Independence Ink Jane and Dan Warren Lawrence Farmers Market

egories, account for almost half of all vacation dollars spent annually, spend $90 billion on cars yearly and own nearly three-quarters of all financial assets.

It’s a demographic clearly worth enticing to retire in Lawrence or endeavoring to keep here. There’s plenty to attract them, including restaurants and shopping, as well as cultural amenities such as the Lied Center of Kansas, Lawrence Arts Center, Theatre Lawrence, the Spencer Museum of Art, Haskell Indian Art Market, local art galleries and other music and performance spaces. The county’s local and state parks and trails systems, golf courses, swimming facilities and recreation centers are also appealing, as is its proximity to Kansas City attractions and transportation options.

Then there are the educational cornerstones: KU, Baker University and Haskell Indian Nations University. Community resources like the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics and Lawrence Public Library also add to the mix.

Lawrence’s health-care system, including Lawrence Memorial Hospital and access to the University of Kansas’s medical resources, also bolsters the city’s appeal to older residents. Enough so that Lawrence ranked eighth among smaller metros on the Milken Institute’s list of Best Cities for Successful Aging.

Still, the report notes challenges. Age-specific health services, in particular, are in short supply, and the cost of living is high.

Take real estate prices, for example. When the Warrens first visited Lawrence to look for a new home, “we had sticker shock,” Jane Warren says.

Housing prices are only part of the financial puzzle. According to financial website SmartAsset.com, Douglas County was less affordable than many other Kansas counties once home prices, insurance costs, closing costs and other factors were taken into account and compared to the county’s median income.

And Lawrence scored in the bottom third of communities surveyed for income inequality, the number of jobs available per person, the multigenerational nature of the community, opportunities for social engagement, personal safety and air quality on the AARP’s online Livability Index calculator (livabilityindex.aarp.org).

Despite all that, though, Lawrence is on the right track toward making the city an even better place to live, Turner says.

“I think Lawrence is a great community,” she explains. “I know I’m biased because I live here, but I think we’re doing a lot of things right.”

Tackling these issues is essential if Douglas County is to continue attracting and retaining retirees, but it’s not just about older residents. Improving job opportunities, encouraging volunteerism, boosting health and housing resources, and creating an overall higher quality of life for the senior set will also benefit every generation that comes after.

“People get caught up in thinking we’re only talking about the boomers, but we’re not,” the Milken Institute’s Burstein says.

“We’re really talking about everyone.” p

That trend hasn’t shifted. The average sale price of existing homes in Lawrence in March 2018 was $231,372, almost 22 percent more than a year earlier, according to the Lawrence Board of Realtors. “With limited inventory, prices are on the rise,” board president Henry Wertin noted in a press release.

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Continuing - Just Because

by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog

A couple of years back, Kathy Walker and her husband, Dustin, traveled to Buffalo, New York, where they planned to visit some old war sites. But they wanted to do more than simply gaze upon memorials and old battle grounds grown over by 200 years. They wanted to know more about the history and significance of where they were visiting, and what happened there.

So the Walkers signed up for a course at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Kansas (KU).

“By the time we took this trip to Buffalo, we had taken a class with Osher on the War of 1812,” Kathy says. “We just knew more about what we were seeing. It really enhanced the whole trip for us.”

The Osher Institute, as well as other like-minded programs throughout Lawrence, has enhanced the lives of lifelong learners in the area for the last several years. The majority of the constituency has been senior citizens interested in staying vibrant in their later years through continuing education.

Put another way, keeping life fresh by learning something new.

“We’ve taken about 40 classes over the years,” Kathy says. “I pick things I know nothing about. We’re taking two this summer—one on Negro League Baseball and the art of Napoleon and Josephine. We might take a third on the roaring twenties.”

While Osher offers classes, other programs sponsor lifelong learning opportunities for Lawrence seniors.

The New Generation Society of Lawrence provides its members with opportunities to pursue lifelong learning, stay active in the community and support local philanthropic causes through a series of one-hour programs. Lawrence Parks and Recreation offers seniors not only physical fitness classes and programs, but book clubs, film studies and other activities. The Lawrence Public Library and Lawrence Memorial Hospital also have various lifelong learning programs for those older than 50.

“It just keeps your mind active,” Kathy says. “That’s what we want to do.”

Osher In 2004, KU received a charter from The Bernard Osher Foundation in San Francisco to establish a branch of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Osher, a 90-year-old millionaire who started the World Savings Bank, established the foundation in 1977, which today

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Education

Lawrence offers many programs for seniors to continue to learn about new topics even after retirement. supports 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the U.S. The goal is to meet the needs of older learners who want to learn simply for the joy of it.

Since 2007, the foundation has awarded two $1-million endowed grants to KU Professional and Continuing Education. “(Osher) and his wife have structured his wealth to do some good things,” says Jim Peters, director of the KU Osher branch. “There are 120 institutes in all 50 states. We are the only one in Kansas.”

Osher holds classes at 19 different sites in 11 cities throughout the state. There are even courses sponsored by the Osher KU branch held on the campus of Kansas State University, in Manhattan.

Peters says there are roughly 3,000 participants—average age 74—during a given term. Each course consists of three two-hour class sessions held one night per week for three weeks.

Osher’s programs are noncredited enrichment programs.

That is, little to no homework, no tests, no grades. Simply learning for the enjoyment of expanding the brain.

“We recently had a Legos class where we encouraged parents and grandparents to bring kids,” Peters says. “Last fall, we collaborated with the Dole Institute for a class on the importance of government archives.”

Osher offers 60 classes during a typical fall or spring term, 40 during summers. Other courses offered this spring included Women and the Civil War: The Hidden History, J. Schafer Presents Kansas from A to Z, Demystifying Computers, Russian Roots in Kansas, The World’s Greatest Short Stories and the always-very-popular The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Peters says he has 140 instructors at his disposal. Of that total, about 20 are current KU professors.

top to bottom: Jim Peters, Director of KU Osher An Osher class on architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright

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“The vast majority of instructors are people who just have a passion for a topic,” he says. “I think our program has hit that tipping point where our current instructors are recruiting other instructors. Our instructors will tell you that they learn just as much as the students.”

Peters says there are usually 40 or more students in a class.

“People take our courses for two reasons,” he says. “They want to further study in a topic of interest. Or they want to fill in the gaps. I think we fill that need for people who want to fill in the gaps.”

Cost for an Osher course is $50. However, the institute partners with the KU Alumni Association to offer discounts to members. There also are discounts for those who sign up for multiple courses.

New Generation Society Unlike Osher, the New Generation Society of Lawrence (NGSL) Unlike Osher, the not-for-profit New Generation Society of Lawrence (NGSL) is more a member-based organization and collects annual dues from its members to cover costs for printing and other expenses. For $55 annually for a single, $100 for a couple, members have access to programs designed to expand intellectual and cultural horizons. NGSL’s stated mission is to help members stay entrenched in a vibrant, intellectually stimulating environment of lifelong learning and support of local philanthropy.

NGSL partners with KU’s Hall Center for the Humanities, which hosts lectures and events with internationally renowned authors, artists and dignitaries. NGSL’s programs last one hour – plus a few short trips each year - that, in the past, have included a program on the history of Lawrence, behind-the-scenes looks at shows at the Lied Center, out-of-town trips to the Eisenhower

top to bottom: Aerobic exercise program through Lawrence Parks and Rec Alice Ann Johnston introduces speaker for the New Generation Society at the Watkins Museum

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Kathy and Dustin Walker doing yoga at Westside Yoga in Lawrence

and Truman Libraries, and other educational programs.

Though NGSL, which started in 1996 and also is affiliated with KU, is not a social group, there are four special dinner events scheduled each year.

It presents 20 to 25 programs per semester. There is a $5 fee for each one-hour program.

“It’s amazing how quickly we have people sign up,” says Alice Ann Johnston, program committee chair. “We have somewhere between 180 to 195 members. It’s been as high as 220 and as low as 160. We always have new people coming into Lawrence.”

Johnston says a lot of NGSL members are KU graduates who have moved back to Lawrence. But a lot of other members have no prior ties to the city and have simply chosen it as a place to retire.

“This kind of program is a real advantage to newcomers,” she says. “You get acquainted with a whole new group of people.”

Johnston says NGSL constantly is adding new programs and activities. The organization remains strong and continues to grow.

“There are a number of things that bring retirees here,” she says. “We like to think (NGSL is) one of those things.”

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City Offerings Gayle Sigurdson, lifelong (50-plus) recreation programmer at Lawrence Parks and Rec, likes to quote a running joke that she says she hears all the time around Lawrence: “The joke is, it’s not, ‘What are we going to do?’ ” she says, “but, ‘What are we going to choose?’ There’s always something going on around here.”

And Sigurdson’s lifelong programs add even more to the menu. She’s quick to point out that Lawrence is unique in that there are four full-service rec centers here, and all are free. An efficient bus system and a large number of fine retirement communities have made the area even more vibrant for seniors.

That’s the kind of commitment the city has made, she says.

“In retirement, there’s something known as busy ethic,” Sigurdson says. “That’s where seniors try to live out their time by just keeping busy.

“Around here, we try to avoid that and try to cultivate authentic interests.”

So, in addition to the typical water aerobics, Pilates and tai chi classes, Lawrence Parks and Rec also offers a film study course on Alfred Hitchcock films. There’s a book club,

ukulele classes and a course on general paleontology.

There also are classes on Facebook fluency, safe computing practices and fencing, as well as a bocce ball league.

There are tree tours around Lawrence and the surrounding areas, as well as travel tours to nearby historical sites.

Fees vary by program, but all except a couple of the overnight trips are less than $100.

“Recreation is more than sports,” Sigurdson says. “The transition to retirement is challenging. You don’t have that structure anymore, but leisure and fitness pursuits can help fill that. It’s also a great way to find like-minded people in a community.

“What I’m most proud of is that we have fitness offerings for all levels of health,” she says.

Library and Hospital Offerings Other civic entities, such as the Lawrence Public Library and Lawrence Memorial Hospital, also offer plenty of options for retirees looking to further expand their horizons.

Award-Winning Lawrence Public Library

The library is a great source for seniors, with features like a “Before You Check Out” series, which assists seniors in estate planning and other end-of-life issues. There are a series of “skill-builder” courses held twice a year, in the fall and spring, that feature topics of interest to seniors. Some programs featured in the past include “Birding Basics,” which works with local Audubon societies in arranging field trips and studies on various varieties of birds.

Periodically during the year, the library hosts “seed libraries” that offer patrons a variety of seeds to take home and plant in their gardens. Those often are paired with courses on gardening basics and healthy eating. Other course offerings include some on local history and genealogy. There is a documentary club and other various book clubs.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital also offers a variety of classes and programs that can be beneficial to seniors.

Its “Fit for Life” program encourages all adults 18 and older to engage in at least 2½ hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as walking or aquatics, as well as strength training two days per week. The hospital offers cardiopulmonary wellness programs where participants work with registered nurses, respiratory therapists and exercise physiologists in designing custom programs to benefit endurance and flexibility. It also offers aquatic exercise programs for gentle range of motion and endurance activities.

There also are a variety of courses in tai chi, which focuses on balance and strengthening the body and mind, as well as weight training and resistance training. p

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A Balancing ACT

Early planning is key for seniors when it comes to end-of-life issues.

by Liz Weslander, photos by Steven Hertzog

Financial and estate planning are perhaps the least sexy parts of retirement, but they are also an absolute necessity, not only for ensuring comfort and peace of mind for a retiree, but also for easing the stress of those caring for the retiree at the end of his or her life.

For advice on the balancing act of saving, investing and getting real about end-of-life issues—all while remembering to enjoy life and cultivate meaningful relationships—Jason Edmonds, founding partner and portfolio advisor at EdmondsDuncan Registered Investment Advisors, 645 Massachusetts St., and Molly Wood, an elder law attorney at Steven & Brand LLP, 901 Massachusetts St., offer advice.

Have a Plan Creating a financial plan for retirement is more important than ever, Edmonds says, because social security and pension plans no longer provide the reliable resources they did for the baby boomer generation.

“The previous generation worked for a union shop or a big company that provided a pension plan,” Edmonds explains.

“You worked there for decades, and then you had roughly the same amount of income in retirement. But the math didn’t work out for companies to sustain that, so now, it’s all on us as individuals.”

While Edmonds believes social security will be a reliable source of income, at least for the current working generations, it is often only one of several sources of income for retirees. Social security also has limited sustainability because it was designed when life expectancies were just a few short years beyond retirement for most people. With today’s longer life expectancies, people may live 30 years after they start collecting social security.

“People are going to have to work longer, and, at some 46

point, Congress is going to have to adjust when social security starts,” Edmonds says. “People who are just getting started in their careers need to know that they are not going to be able to start collecting social security until they are 68 rather than 66. We are going to have to make some adjustments, or it is not going to last.”

With these realities in mind, Edmonds says the best advice for laying the foundation for a secure retirement is the oldfashioned formula of living within one’s means and regularly putting away money.

Edmonds-Duncan recommends young earners “pay their future selves first” by dedicating 10 to 20 percent of their income to long-term savings. It also advises avoiding longterm debt, with the exception of a low-interest mortgage.

Edmonds acknowledges this takes a tremendous amount of discipline, especially in a culture that encourages spending at every turn.

“We make it really easy to buy a car that is too expensive or a house that is too expensive,” he says. “The whole world is ready to extend you credit, so it’s really easy for your lifestyle to be significantly above your income.”

Paying off any educational and consumer debt as early as possible should be a top priority, and by the time a person is in his or her late 40s or early 50s, it is a good idea to establish at least a basic financial plan for the remaining years in the workforce. This is also a good time to establish a relationship with a professional investment advisor who has the tools and expertise to guide the planning process, Edmonds says. A financial planner will generally do an analysis of how much a person is saving versus how much he or she is spending, and then come up with a projection of how much the person wants to have saved by his or her retirement date. From there, a financial planner can help

design an investment portfolio that will allow that person to reach the objective.

Edmonds says the basic rule of thumb for when a person is ready for retirement is when that person can live off of 5 to 6 percent of the annual withdrawal rate from his or her assets. For instance, if one needs $50,000 a year beyond social security to make ends meet, then her or she needs to have about $1 million in savings to generate 5 percent, or $50,000, a year.

“Ideally, retirement savings will be adequate to generate the necessary amount of monthly/annual income without selling principal,” Edmonds says. “We refer to this as the ‘chicken and egg’ strategy. If we can live off of the eggs and not eat the chickens, we have a high degree of confidence that our client's retirement will be financially successful.”

Zak Bolick, Don Duncan and Jason Edmonds

Edmonds’ firm does not advise taking big gambles but does believe people can and should be growth-oriented in their investment approach throughout most of their working life. The key is to stay diversified, keep investment expenses low and be patient, Edmonds explains.

“We are optimistic about the economy and capitalism long-term, so our investment strategy is to blanket the global economy to keep our clients current with it,” Edmonds says. “Sometimes, the tides are going to go out, and all boats are going to be lower; but in general over time, the tide continues to rise because humans are constantly innovating. We help our clients maintain optimism about the big picture throughout constantly scary short-term concerns.”

While Edmonds’ specialty is providing the mathematical answers to retirement, he says the emotional side of retirement—the desire to quit working when you are still young enough to enjoy it—is also a key piece of the puzzle.

“We are trying to find the sweet spot where there is a high likelihood that our client will not run out of money, but that they are not working beyond when they are still happy working,” Edmonds says.

The last few years, when people are debating between continuing to work and retiring, are the most powerful for clients, Edmonds says, because that is when they are typically in their peak earning and spending years.

“Every year someone can put off retirement is not only a year added to the retirement income, it’s also another year in which the person did not have to spend a portion of their retirement savings."

“My final comment to people is always, ‘ ... but it is your money.’ We are just giving you the math answer. In the end, you’ve got to have fun, "...because retirement should be a pleasant time—and life is short."

47

Trust That Will Molly Wood, one of several estate-planning attorneys at Stevens & Brand, has spent many years helping people consider end-of-life scenarios, and they are usually more complicated than getting hit by a bus or dying peacefully in your sleep. While wills and trusts are an important part of estate planning, Wood says they are also usually the simplest part of estate planning.

“Almost everybody could stand to have a little attention paid to who gets their stuff when they’re dead,” Wood says. “But who gets their stuff when they’re dead is generally an easier problem to solve than the amount of resources that you’ll need to pay your expenses when you’re so sick that you can’t take care of yourself.”

This is why Wood often talks to people about long-term-care insurance. While expensive, Wood says the need for this type of coverage is not remote.

Wood points out that people would not dream of going without homeowners’ insurance, even though the chance of a house fire or other catastrophe is fairly remote. On the other hand, it very likely that a person will need some sort of long-term care for a period of months or years before their death.

“You’re going to die, or you’re going to be really sick, and then you’ll die. That’s not remote, that’s for sure,” Wood says. “Most people hate the idea of institutional care for good reason, but caring for someone who needs a nursing home level of care in your home is a real challenge and usually goes beyond the ability of an elderly spouse, so it’s well worth talking about.”

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left: Molly Wood, Estate Planning Attorney at Stevens & Brand

Edmonds says long-term care insurance makes sense for some, but there are several ways to approach the issue; so talking with a financial advisor is a good idea.

“Mathematically, long-term insurance works out, and we should all buy it as young as we can,” Edmonds says. “That said, the list of companies that offer it keeps getting shorter and shorter, and the premiums they offer for it keep going up.”

No matter how a person plans for the financial and medical details of his or her final years, Wood says it is crucial to designate durable powers of attorney who can act as agents regarding financial and medical decisions if incapacitation occurs.

“Just because you are married doesn’t mean your spouse can access all of your financial information,” Wood says.

“They need to have power of attorney. If they are not a named agent, you will have to go through a court proceeding, which is time-consuming and expensive. We could solve a lot of problems if everyone had appointed agents.”

Wood says people with no spouse or children often name extended family as agents or find a trusted friend who can help them. Cultivating those relationships is an essential part of estate planning.

“I have seen situations of really private people with no extended family and friends who are older, and they just don’t have anybody. In that case, they fall back on financial institutions for financial powers of attorney; but for health-care powers of attorney, if you don’t have someone who cares about you, I can’t help you,” Wood says. “The one thing I’ve observed while practicing elder law for so many years is that you just need one person on the planet to give a darn about you. In that circumstance, you’ll probably muddle through OK. But if you’re sort of falling on adult protective services, well, good luck to you.”

Even though arranging who gets the assets after you die is often the simpler part of estate planning, Wood says there are a number of factors that create complications.

“There’s a lot of difference between a married couple where all of the incoming resources of the marriage partnership were earned during the marriage versus widowed people or people who are in blended family or second marriage,” Wood says.

A “plain vanilla” case is one in which the client wants everything to go to his or her surviving spouse or children.

This can usually be accomplished though a combination of a trust, will and beneficiary designations, Wood explains.

In the case of a second marriage and/or blended family, Wood says putting a professional fiduciary, such as a trust company, in charge of managing one’s money if he or she becomes disabled and managing the distribution of the money at death can be a good way to avoid disputes. To really keep things clean, Wood says prenuptial agreements or even opting not to legally marry are good options.

“Get a prenuptial agreement, for crying out loud, and keep your property separate,” Wood says. “Or, don’t get married.

People want to get married but then don’t want their property used to pay the health-care expenses of the spouse.

If that’s what you want, then you don’t want to be married, because married people are legally liable for each others’ health-care expenses.”

While figuring out the legal and financial details of retirement years is important, Wood always comes back to the pricelessness of living a life that leaves one with people who care about his or her well-being in the final years.

“The idea of having someone who will check up on you and make sure you are OK, that’s real retirement planning,” Wood says. “And that depends on what you’ve put in the pipeline during your life.” p 49

Working on Wellness Top-tier health care makes Lawrence an ideal spot for seniors to land.

by Julie Dunlap, photos by Steven Hertzog

Whether moving to a new city or staying put for retirement, one of the most important facets to the gem of aging is securing high-quality health care.

Fortunately for those who make their golden nest in Jayhawk land, Lawrence offers wellness opportunities to meet nearly any level of ability, need and interest for retirees, from specialized fitness classes to long-term skilled-nursing care.

FIT FOR LIFE Nearly 25 years ago, health-care providers at Lawrence Memorial Hospital (LMH) realized a number of patients who had completed physical or occupational therapy after recovering from work injuries wanted to continue the healthy fitness habits they had adopted while under the care of a therapist.

In 2002, the Return to Work program that helped workers’ compensation patients maintain their exercise routines led to the creation of the Fit for Life program, aimed at helping other physical and occupational therapy patients maintain 50

and enhance their exercise routines, as well.

“We serve the post-therapy patient who wants to stay in a familiar environment but doesn’t want to go to a traditional fitness center,” says Vic White, LMH Fit for Life strength coordinating specialist, adding that Fit for Life is open to non-post-therapy exercisers, as well.

White, who has a master’s degree in exercise physiology, took over the program shortly after its introduction to the community and currently oversees roughly 130 to 140 clients.

“Clients like the assistance and having an exercise physiologist who can answer questions,” he explains.

Passes to the LMH-based exercise facilities are available without a contract and cost $35 for 12 sessions. They may be used at any frequency and are good for up to one year.

Once enrolled, exercisers have the option of joining one of two programs:

•

The FIT 1 program allows exercisers to receive an initial consultation with an LMH therapy services staff member to design a workout routine specific to the ex-

left to right: Vic White, LMH Fitness for Life strength coordinating specialist LMH Fitness for Life Therapy Gym

erciser’s abilities and interests. The exerciser is then free to work out at his or her convenience.

•

For those who want a little more personal attention or may need help working through a routine, the Fit Assist program pairs exercisers with volunteers on a 1-to1 basis, similar to a personal trainer-type program but without an additional fee. Again, an initial consultation takes place to set a routine, and the exerciser and volunteer meet on a mutually agreed upon schedule to exercise.

“We have a variety of volunteers,” White says, “ranging from college students to retirees who have participated in the program themselves.” Of the 130 to 140 clients currently enrolled, just more than 100 are FIT 1 participants, while the rest are in the Fit Assist program.

“Many Fit Assist participants have family or friends that join them for the sessions,” he adds.

White personally matches exercisers with volunteers to make sure the experience is fulfilling for both. Today, the program has 14 volunteers, but White hopes to add more, especially to help cover the summer months and as the program continues to grow.

In addition to the Fit for Life program, LMH also offers wellness classes at the Lawrence Sports Pavillion geared toward the senior population, including aquatic exercise and three levels of tai chi.

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Dr. Eric Huerter lectures to seniors and retirees about the brain and aging

The LMH Cardiopulmonary Wellness Program offers exercise programs for people who may need a more monitored and guided routine, with less emphasis on resistance and strength training than the typical Fit for Life routine.

White notes that, as baby boomers have aged, the senior population has become a more savvy group of consumers looking for products and services that will keep them healthier.

“It can be easy for a group like this to be taken advantage of,” White says, adding, “We’re not here for the revenue, we’re a community hospital. We want people to be healthy.”

MDVIP

closely with each other.” This unified approach to health care allows patients to receive most treatments within the city of Lawrence.

Huerter recently affiliated with MDVIP, a network of physicians who provide personalized health care to patients who enroll in their practices for an annual fee. Roughly 400 people are under Dr. Huerter’s care in this model, many of whom are seniors. Huerter also serves as the medical director for Community Living Opportunities, Pioneer Ridge and Bridge Haven.

He estimates 80% of the seniors he treats have lived in Lawrence most of their adult lives, with 20% having moved to Lawrence more recently.

Dr. Eric Huerter, an internal medicine physician in Lawrence since 1999, is quick to credit Lawrence Memorial Hospital for making Lawrence an ideal place for retirees.

In the nearly two decades Huerter has been caring for seniors in Lawrence, he has noticed some trends among the generations.

“LMH continues to evolve into a robust health system,” Huerter explains, citing the wellness programs it offers as well as the programs and resources available through Lawrence Parks and Recreation and the Senior Center.

Members of “The Greatest Generation” tend to want a more “paternalistic” approach with a physician who will tell them exactly what to do to improve or maintain their general health. They expect more out of the systems they’ve paid into, including Medicare, and are very willing to change their ways in order to improve mobility.

Huerter also notes the cohesiveness of the medical community as a whole, stating, “The health community works

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Right behind them, the baby boomers are generally more willing to participate in deciding the course of their care.

Perhaps it is difference in age, or perhaps it is reflective of the generation known well for questioning authority, but the boomers tend to want to vet their care options more than their elders.

In the early stages of receiving the insurance benefits they have paid into all of their lives, Huerter has found boomers are generally more willing to pay for extra care like supplemental insurance and diet and fitness programs. “[Boomers] have a lot of passion for fitness classes all around town,” he notes.

This generation has a particular interest in the VIP model of care Huerter provides. Patients appreciate having their doctor’s cell phone number, something that often allows the physician to advise the patient early enough in a potentially problematic situation to avoid hospital time. The practice has also allowed patients to live at home longer.

Drs. Elaine Kennedy and Steve Dillon also practice in Lawrence under the MDVIP model.

As Generation Xers make their way over the big 5-0 and approach retirement, Huerter expects the VIP model to be an excellent fit for this generation that values convenience and personalized engagement from its health-care providers.

BRIDGE HAVEN Sarah Randolph, executive director of Bridge Haven, a community of residences specializing in long-term memory care, is grateful for physicians such as Dr. Huerter, who are able to bring health care to the patient.

In addition to Dr. Huerter’s routine visits, Bridge Haven regularly welcomes podiatrist Dr. Larry Gaston, LMH lab technicians, a dedicated dental hygienist, a hairdresser (included in the monthly fee) and a number of speech, physical, occupational, music and pet therapists to care for its 30-plus residents.

“Residents can live out their lives here in a group setting,” Randolph explains with a bright smile. She estimates that half of the residents are Lawrence lifers, while the other half have chosen to move to Lawrence in their later years. Many of those have ties to the University of Kansas, and a few are here to be close to family.

Like Fit for Life and Dr. Huerter, Bridge Haven can provide different levels of care as the needs of its residents, most of whom are living with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, change.

Randolph notes that 6 million people in the United States currently have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and 1 mil-

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below: Sarah Randolph Executive Director, Bridge Haven right: Creating flower arrangements at Bridge Haven

lion have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Those numbers are both expected to triple by the year 2050.

As the boomer population advances in age, this kind of more specialized, social setting has grown in popularity, though Randolph says most everyone who makes the decision to move into a skilled-care facility does so only when a dire need arrives and with little to no prior research into facilities.

“Incontinence is the No. 1 reason people finally decide to leave [their homes],” Randolph explains. Falls often contribute to the decision, as well. Randolph says, noting, “when the caregiver notices it isn’t safe for the person to be at home.”

Randolph recommends people older than 50 look into longterm-care insurance and have conversations with loved ones about what their expectations, hopes and limits are when it comes to health care and living situations as they advance in age.

The communal living offered at places such as Bridge Haven gives residents a chance to lift each other up from day to day.

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“They really care and worry about each other,” Randolph says. They enjoy sharing stories and memories with each other, and having peers around who understand the aches and pains they are all enduring.

For the ultrasocial, the two homes on Research Park Drive in West Lawrence are connected by a short, fenced-in walking path. Residents who crave the freedom to go outdoors can do so safely with a feeling of independence, as the

54

doors connected by the path are unlocked during the day, allowing residents to walk back and forth between the two houses to visit.

Bridge Haven has a third cottage on West 26th Street but plans to build a new one on the Research Park Drive campus to replace it, allowing all residents to live in closer proximity.

Similar in many ways, perhaps, to living in a dorm or a fraternity or sorority house in college, residents are under the caring watch of a house manager and are led in a number of activities.

“The residents love playing trivia games,” Randolph smiles.

Though the conversation might wander, the 21 daily staff members all employ Randolph’s motto to follow the lead of the residents and simply “enjoy the ride.” p

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Retired,

Not Remove�

by Emily Mulligan, photos by Steven Hertzog

These seniors retired from one career only to join the workforce in another capacity for financial or social stimulation.

There isn’t an exact word for it, but there should be. With approximately half of retirees working or having worked after retirement, according to a 2017 study cited in Investment News, there is not a concise term that captures the idea of rejoining the workforce after retiring from it.

Making the word “retirement” plural is one way to convey that people might step away from the workforce more than once after their formal retirement at a certain age, as Forbes contributor Robert Laura suggested in 2017.

Many Lawrencians have done this thing-that-has-no-name: officially retired only to go back to work part-time for financial and even social reasons.

Craig Daniels, Mary Barke, Chuck Benedict and Irv Isbell all retired from lengthy careers and now have jobs that keep them interacting within the community.

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Craig Daniels, Barista Craig Daniels was born in Lawrence and moved away as a teenager. After discovering his knack for carpentry at age 16, he came back to Lawrence with a pack on his back to look for a job. Within three days, he found work with the group of people he would end up working with for more than 40 years, building custom homes and doing commercial construction. He was a construction supervisor for most of his career, working on a large range of construction projects, mostly in Lawrence.

“I’m just an old carpenter who became the boss,” Daniels, 63, says. “I carry a class ‘A’ contractor license; one day, I might fix a gate, and another day, I would work on a $2.5 million bank.”

For the past 20 years, Daniels had a regular routine, regardless of where his job site was each day. He stopped by

Craig Daniels – Barista at Henry’s

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Vibrant Health ~ Caring Professionals Physical Therapy • Aqua Therapy Massage Therapy • Personal Training Wellness Center Henry’s coffee shop early in the morning for a cup of coffee on his way to the construction site. “I went every day—I literally never missed,” he says.

Daniels retired in 2017, but before he retired, he thought a lot about what he wanted to do with his time. He was looking forward to dedicating more time to what he calls his “arty stuff” —specialty carpentry projects—and jokes about what else he might do.

“When I was at Henry’s getting my coffee, I’d say to the people there, ‘I’m going to retire and get an easy job like you got,’ ” he quips. “I eventually realized that I’ve been teasing them all this time, and I really do need to get a job at Henry’s.”

And a little less than a year ago, he did just that. He took on a couple of late-night shifts and learned how to make the coffee drinks and ring up sales.

“It was kind of difficult because it was different, but I’m a good organizer, because that’s what I do for building. It’s the easiest job I’ve ever had. If I screw up making the drink,

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Mary Barke (top) and Alea Lafond (center and bottom) active seniors who still teach in the Lawrence elementary schools

I just make another one. It’s not like what could go bad at a construction site,” he explains.

Daniels says he enjoys being around the younger crowd that patronizes the coffee shop.

“I play certain music—blues, rock ‘n’ roll—stuff the young people haven’t heard before. They’re appreciative; they say I’ve got the best music there is,” he says.

Daniels is settled in at Henry’s, but in the meantime, some of his former coworkers talked him into one last construction job to supervise. So for a few months, he has come out of retirement to oversee extensive renovations in the former Englewood Florist building at 11th and Massachusetts streets.

He is saving money from this project to move to India for six months to a year. As a practicing Hindu, he wants to reconnect with his guru and experience Indian life.

“Every time one of these guys on the project argues with me or lies to me, I just laugh at them and say, ‘This is my India money,’ ” Daniels says.

He spends his spare time with his family. The youngest of his four daughters is 16 and living at home, and his other daughters live nearby with his six grandchildren among them.

Even with the extra construction work, he looks forward to his shifts at Henry’s every week.

“It’s not even a job. It just keeps me out of trouble,” he jokes.

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Mary Barke, Substitute Teacher As an elementary school classroom teacher for 30 years, Mary Barke felt guilty every time she missed a day with her children, and they had to have a substitute teacher. Now, as a substitute, her goal is to set classroom teachers’ minds at ease when she takes over for a day.

“What I like to hear from the teacher is, ‘I knew I didn’t need to worry because you were going to be here today,’ ” she says.

Barke was a dental assistant in Salina for seven years before she decided to leave home and go to college. She came to the University of Kansas (KU) because it was farthest from home, and she put herself through school, becoming the first person in her family to graduate.

She felt drawn to younger elementary students and began her career as a kindergarten teacher, first at KU’s Hilltop Child Development Center and then at Cordley, Riverside and Deerfield elementary schools. She then moved on to teach what was called “transitional first grade” to students who needed an extra boost, then traditional first grade, then second grade. She spent most of her career at Cordley, and that is where she retired from in 2014.

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She had considered retiring for a few years, and when Cordley was going to temporarily relocate to East Heights Elementary while it underwent extensive renovations, Barke saw her opportunity.

Not one to sit still or slack off, Barke began substituting the school year following her retirement. She knew the staff at Cordley well, and after having worked for 30 years in the school district, she knew teachers and principals throughout the district. So substituting was a chance to stay connected with colleagues, in addition to enjoying time with the students.

But her time as a substitute also has allowed her a much broader horizon, she says—she has taken this opportunity to try new challenges.

“I have pushed myself out of the box as a substitute. I have done every grade level, taught P.E. [physical education], art, title reading, title math and even ESL [English as a second language] small groups,” she explains. “I have gotten to know so many different people and have seen all the wonderful things that teachers are doing, especially the younger generation.”

Although she chooses to work most days, Barke likes having the ability to decline a substitute gig if she wants to spend time with her uncle or her brother, or has other plans.

She also works on the weekends and during the summer at The Etc. Shop downtown, something she has enjoyed doing for years.

59

above: Chuck Benedict - Hy-Vee greeter right: Irv Isbell - Hy-Vee greeter

Substituting comes with its challenges, not the least of which is learning a new set of names each day. “I really appreciate when the teachers give me a folder that has pictures next to the kids’ names,” she says.

That aside, Barke says she has more energy at the end of each school day than she did when she was teaching full-time.

“I don’t miss the paperwork at all or the meetings. It’s kind of nice; I get to go home at 4:00,” she says. “I also get to enjoy the kids again. Teaching full-time, you start to feel overwhelmed by everything. I don’t feel like I actually retired, just changed direction on what I was doing. I still work just as much as I did before.”

Chuck Benedict and Irv Isbell, Hy-Vee Greeters Chuck Benedict and Irv Isbell are the longtime friendly faces at the front doors of the Clinton Parkway Hy-Vee store.

Benedict has been a greeter since 2007, and Isbell has worked at Hy-Vee since 2001.

“Irv and I are people’s first opportunity to get a welcome and see a smile,” Benedict says. “I want them to know we really appreciate their business. When I say, ‘Thank you for choosing to shop at Hy-Vee,’ people really respond.”

On game days, Benedict, who is 92, often wears KU gear, either a football jersey and shoulder pads, or a basketball uniform, depending on the season. One busy day, he decided to count how many people he greeted. In two hours and 15 minutes, he says he spoke to more than 500 people.

Benedict came to Lawrence to live near his daughter, Cindy Barclay, and her family after the death of his second wife.

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He is originally from central Illinois, where he and his family owned and operated a gas service station that was on Route 66 and later along the interstate. He also served stateside as a gunner in the Army Air Corps in the B-24 specialized bomber.

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He loves to dance—he met both of his wives that way—and has 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren who all live in Lawrence.

Isbell says he “got tired of sitting around at home,” and that is why he applied for the job at Hy-Vee. He spent his first year assisting a disabled greeter before taking on the greeting duties on his own. Now, he and Benedict work on separate days. Although he admits to slowing down a bit recently, Isbell, 87, says he looks forward to his shifts because of the friendly shoppers.

“I can count all on one hand the number of people who have not been nice to me in 17 years,” he says. “I don’t have any intention of retiring. I like visiting with all the people. I know their names, and people recognize me outside of the store.”

After beginning a career in construction—he moved to Kansas from Arkansas to help build an addition to the Learned State Hospital—Isbell worked for 43 years selling cemetery property and funeral services in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. His service in the Air Force during the Korean War briefly interrupted his construction career. He and his wife of 61 years, Mary, have lived in Lawrence since his retirement 27 years ago. They have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and are active in their church. p 61

WHAT NEXT?

A generation of retirees faces a daunting decision: to stay in the homes they’ve lived in for years or downsize into a comunity of peers.

by Tara Trenary, photos by Steven Hertzog

JoAnn Johnson is a Lawrence senior who has decided to change her life. At 74, she’s very active, has numerous friends her age and younger, takes care of her 2-year-old granddaughter several times a week and travels whenever she can. She swims at her local gym three times a week and loves to go out on the town with friends. JoAnn leads a very healthy, active lifestyle.

Making the decision to leave her 2,800-square-foot home (and its considerable mortgage) behind has caused many a tearful night. JoAnn moved to Lawrence after retiring from a career in education to get back to her roots in the Midwest and at the University of Kansas (KU), where she went to college and taught for several years during retirement.

She bought her house as a family base in this town, where most of her family members had gone to college and visited often for sports events, especially KU basketball games.

She didn’t need a house that large for just herself and her husband, but she hoped having it would bring her family members together much more often during her retirement.

And it did.

After losing her husband, JoAnn began to struggle a bit financially, with an HOA (home owners’ association) fee that was inconsistent and everyday expenses that continued to rise. Being on a fixed income made it hard for her to continue to do all the things she wanted to do in her retirement.

She cut back on eating out, didn’t travel as much as she wanted and stayed home more often so she wouldn’t spend money. She worried about money all the time. It just wasn’t the retirement of her dreams.

So JoAnn, along with help from her kids, decided it was time to make a change. But what would she do? Where would she go? Should she buy a smaller home or move to a retirement community? What were her options?

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“I bought my house with the idea of having it here for my kids to visit and for my grandkids to go to KU,” she says.

“Now, it feels like I’m giving up my dream and stepping into a part of my life for which I don’t feel ready.”

All too often, this same scenario is played out in homes across the country. Kids push their parents to move to a retirement community because they worry about them living alone and something bad happening. Seniors push back because they don’t feel “old” or don’t want to face the fact that they are aging and might need some help.

Factors to Consider

There are many things seniors must consider when making this life-altering decision: physical and mental health changes, activity level, maintenance and security of the home, the isolation of living alone, difficulty of everyday tasks, eating right and taking medication properly. All of this and more has to be weighed against the fact that many seniors just aren’t ready to move to that next phase.

“It is human nature to avoid the idea of aging and what our lives may look like as we decline, let alone the fact that we will all die one day,” explains Michelle Meier, director of community engagement, Senior Resource Center for Douglas County. “Having the tough conversations in advance can ensure that individuals can make decisions based on what they really want long-term rather than making the bestcase-scenario decision in crisis mode.”

She explains there are three types of living in a retirement community that correlate with the main milestones of aging: 1) Independent Living, which allows retirees to get away from lawn care and home maintenance, but continue to lead active lives. 2) Assisted Living for some retirees who face health and financial issues, and can’t be quite as active and independent as they once were. 3) Skilled Nursing and/

Joanne Johnson – retired and relaxing with a morning cup of coffee

HEATING & COOLING

Sales

Sevice

Installation

or Memory Care for seniors who need round-the-clock care.

However, Meier says the Senior Resource Center has found that many local seniors (with a focus on baby boomers) these days tend to want to stay in their homes as long as possible. “They want a lifestyle that involves more activity and involvement than the rest and leisure their parents wanted,” she says.

In lieu of “aging in place,” a term used to describe those seniors who make the decision to stay in their homes as long as they can, the problem retirees in Lawrence may face is the huge gap between high-end independent living and lower-income options. “Those who have limited funds have few options. There is not enough middle ground in this and most communities,” Meier explains.

Best Place To Retire

In an article in Forbes magazine in 2017, Lawrence was named No. 15 out of 25 of the best places to retire in the United States. It’s no wonder that graduates of KU, among many others across the country, flock to this active, diverse community, which offers quality medical care, top-notch restaurants, a hopping music scene, an eclectic arts scene, abounding educational opportunities, top-tiered high school and college athletics, a vibrant business district and an abundance of history, as well as close proximity to Kansas City and a major airport.

“Lawrence is an attraction for retirees,” explains Pat McCandless, broker and co-owner of Stephens Real Estate.

“It’s a gem because retirees fit a little bit of everywhere in Lawrence. It’s not just a specified living-by-age community.

That’s the beauty of our story.”

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He believes we are on the cusp of a major demand for senior housing for baby boomers. “Finding homes that provide aging in place will be in high demand,” he says. One-level, zero-entry homes (no steps), wider hallways and doors for better accessibility, zero-entry showers, lower counters and cabinets, and enhanced lighting will be what seniors look for, he continues.

“If someone is specifically looking to purchase in a community that is 55 and up, the offerings [in Lawrence] are slim,” McCandless says. He believes most retirees want to move into neighborhoods that are not age-restricted, so the biggest challenge for realtors is finding homes/townhomes/condos that fit their preferences.

Being confident they are ready to make the downsizing, or “rightsizing,” move, as he calls it, is most important. “The number of baby boomers is enormous, and getting ahead of their needs and expectations is going to be paramount for the overall housing industry,” McCandless explains.

Renting Vs. Owning

Senior community living is available in Lawrence for those who seek that type of situation. The positives are a maintenance-free lifestyle with safety provided and social opportunities on-site.

Many of the facilities, such as the Arbor Court Retirement Community at Alvamar, offer apartments for rent and specialized amenities such as therapy dogs, a health-care center, laundry service, movie nights, chef-prepared meals, book clubs, group outings, daily exercise and yoga classes, Bible studies, a beauty salon, a library, guest suites for family visits, beautifully maintained grounds with gardens, a deck and patio, and a FEMAapproved tornado shelter.

“If the stigma of a retirement community remains as the stereotypical institutional nursing home, people will continue to wait too long to enjoy what retirement communities have to offer,” explains Tracy Harmon, director of business development and marketing at Arbor Court.

She believes Lawrence has a particular need for good retirement communities because of its unique culture, recreation, sporting events, cost of living, low crime rates and mild four seasons.

Having been named one of the best places to retire by many organizations, “we are becoming a hot spot for retirees, not just for Lawrence and Kansas natives, but folks all over the country.”

Sheri Van Auken, community manager at Prairie Commons, a pet-friendly, upscale senior living community in Lawrence, agrees. She says life in the “old neighborhood” can become isolating and unhealthy for some older residents as the community evolves and changes. “A community of fellow active seniors can be just the ticket to a new beginning,” she says.

Getting hair done at the Arbor Court Retirement Community Salon

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Prairie Commons, a 55-and-up community in the heart of Lawrence’s west side, also offers seniors rental apartments and is in walking/short-driving distance to grocery stores, banks, pharmacies and other recreational and medical facilities. It offers social activities such as potlucks, pancake feeds, pizza parties, bridge, bingo, the bookmobile, a library, a clubhouse with

top to bottom: Tracy Harmon – director of business relationships at Arbor Court helps out polishing nails.

Cathie Rodkey – Sales manager at Village Cooperative in Lawrence Michelle Meier of the Senior Resource Center interacting with seniors at an Art Class

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Pat McCandless – Co-Owner Stephens Real Estate

a busy social calendar, health clinics, classes and cultural events. The difference, Van Auken explains, is that its residents don’t pay for extras such as meal prep, housekeeping and medical services they don’t need, which allows Prairie Commons to keep the rent lower. In a smaller apartment setting, she says contracting out those amenities is much less expensive for the resident.

Owning Vs. Renting

Though apartment living is a good option for some seniors, others may feel strongly about owning their own property while still wanting to be part of a community of peers. That’s where the Village Cooperative, which opens in summer 2018, comes in.

“Here at Village Cooperative of Lawrence, we are a 62-andup community of members who want the freedom to play and travel while having the benefit of home ownership without the work,” explains Cathie Rodkey, sales manager at Village Coop. “The ability to decide to leave for a few days by just closing a door without worry is a very freeing experience.”

“I think the baby boomers are a new breed of seniors,” Rodkey says. “We have spent our lives working and ‘doing’ for not just ourselves and our families, but for others and our communities. Our newly found free time becomes so limited during retirement, because we are busier than ever. We are more socially conscious of giving back, enjoying travel and ‘our retirement time,’ downsizing lets us have more time to do as we please.”

What Is Right for Me?

No matter what, making the decision about whether to downsize for seniors can be one of the toughest they will face. With such an active community of seniors here in Lawrence, it’s no wonder there are many options from which to choose and many factors, including major ones like finances and health, to consider.

She says a retiree used to be pictured as someone whose highlight of the day was “getting to a rocking chair. Not today, and not in Lawrence,” she stresses.

With her house on the market and no real plan yet in sight, JoAnn is still grappling with her decision about whether to downsize into a smaller home or join one of the senior communities Lawrence has to offer. “It’s too early for me to say.

Mentally, I’ve just moved into this ‘senior’ category since I’ve had to face the reality of not being able to pay for or physically do everything I’ve always done,” she says. “I’m just not sure right now where I’m going to land.”

The very first owner-occupied senior housing cooperative in Douglas County, Village Coop members will enjoy a club room, community room, private dining room, exercise room, underground parking with car wash, raised outdoor gardens, woodworking shop, craft room, gazebo with grill and fireplace, member services manager and free “while you’re away” services, allowing members to travel to a second home or places they have always wanted to visit without worrying about the safety and security of their home.

The key to the whole process? Senior Resource Center’s Meier advises: “Plan ahead and seek assistance. This process can be much smoother when done with a clear mind rather than making choices in a crisis situation. The process can be overwhelming in the best of circumstances but can be made much smoother with support and a plan.” p

But one thing is for sure: She started the process early enough to make the right decision while she’s still active and has plenty of time and health to enjoy her life.

Aaron Combs

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4910 Wakarusa Ct, suite A • Lawrence KS 66047 • (785) 766-0763

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Thinking senior living would be perfect for you or your loved one?

Fall is the best time to move in!

Reserve the apartment of your choice ahead of the winter rush, and enjoy the brilliance of fall in Kansas with friends and family.

• Take trips to see the gorgeous fall foliage • Enjoy Five Star service and fine dining • Relax and enjoy every day, while our caring staff takes care of the rest Call for a tour and Chef prepared meal

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Senior art class from the Lawrence Arts Center painting the Kaw River (Photo courtesy of the Lawrence Arts Center)

The Art of emory M

by Jackie Hedeman, Lawrence Arts Center

More than once in my adult life, I have spent long minutes staring at my bedroom ceiling in the middle of the night, my brain looping a certain refrain: “Pink monkeys in Nebraska flip red, funky cars. Others retain permanently mushed pink faces.” This charming chant was a

mnemonic device developed in an elementary school math class, a means of remembering an order of operations more elaborate than PEMDAS. I have long since forgotten what I was supposed to remember, though I obviously remembered it long enough to pass fifth-grade math. The chant remains in my brain, however, and with it the memory of jumping up and down in place with my classmates Amelia and Jonathon, and the ensuing argument about whether it was supposed to be “faces” or “faucets,” or even “facets.”

(Jonathon, if you’re reading, it was faces.)

The brain is a mysterious, undisciplined thing. Its capacity—or its incapacity—for memory has long been a fascination for scholars and researchers, and schoolchildren trying to get through math class. In order to remember, we make lists. We come up with songs and mnemonics. We tell our friends to remind us. We try all kinds of workarounds, most of which rely on assigning patterns and systems where, before, there was chaos.

“Ars memoriae,” or the art of memory, has existed as a defined concept since approximately 500 BCE. A couple centuries later, Aristotle wrote extensively on images as memory aids. He posited that without an image in the mind’s eye representing a concept; understanding of that concept would remain elusive. Unsurprisingly, Aristotle was onto something. The notion of building systems of recollection around artistic practices fueled everything from early-Christian meditation to modern-day STEAM learning.

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) differentiates itself from STEM through the use of artistic practices to underline, illustrate and complement science, technology, engineering and math principles. Integrating the arts into scientific study improves retention. This theory is borne out in an article in the “International Mind, Brain and Education Society” journal entitled “Why Arts Integration Improves Long-Term Retention of Content.” Arts integration, the authors explain, takes advantage of how the brain encodes long-term memories. It’s not quite Proust’s “madeleine” we’re talking about here: Seeing a swath of color is not going to bring back knowledge of DNA sequencing. But sketching out a DNA sequence, or writing a DNAinspired poem, builds associations and interest absent from rote memorization.

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Schoolchildren are not the only people concerned with retaining memory. An April 2015 study published in “Neurology” journal followed 256 participants aged 85 and older. After four years had passed, 121 participants had experienced a decrease in cognitive abilities. However, participants who engaged in art, craft or social activities in mid- and late life were less likely to exhibit mild cognitive impairment. This may sound familiar. Many of us know people who attribute their longevity or sharpness to keeping busy, to getting or staying involved. Folk wisdom and science are in agreement at a time when taking such advice to heart is more important than ever. Internationally, the fastestgrowing group consists of those 85 and older. Meanwhile, rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise. Alzheimer's Association statistics indicate that, in 2018, one in three seniors will die with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Between 2000 and 2015, deaths from heart disease decreased by 11%, while deaths from Alzheimer’s increased by 123%.

The causes of Alzheimer’s are complex and interactive; a cure or even a mitigation will be equally complex. Nonetheless, studies have shown that practicing the arts throughout life is of concrete benefit to the brain. Professor emeritus Mark Posner, University of Oregon department of psychology, reaches a conclusion in his article “How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition.” He writes, “From our perspective, it is increasingly clear that with enough focused attention, training in the arts likely yields cognitive benefits that go beyond ‘art for art’s sake.’ Or, to put it another way, the art form that you truly love to learn may also lead to improvements in other brain functions.”

Professor Posner’s reasoning is supported by science, but its logic is ancient. In the “Rhetorica ad Herennium,” a book on rhetoric sometimes attributed to Cicero, the author suggests setting up “images of a kind that can adhere longest in memory.” They should have “exceptional beauty or singular ugliness.” They should be “striking,” “comedic,” ornamented. They should, in other words, have something in common with “Pink monkeys in Nebraska … ” When it comes to memory, art is not merely a brainteaser, a tool of retention. Art can serve as a receptacle of memory, preserving stories and sentiments long after the brain has ceased to house them. We find these stories in memoirs, in music and film, on canvas. We can see them evoked in dance or with clay. Art admits the messiness of memory, the impossibility of the brain. Experiencing it, we can find solidarity and begin to build community. p top and center: Children working on art projects at the Lawrence Arts Center Pre-School bottom: seniors learn silk screen and print making (Photos courtesy of the Lawrence Arts Center)

Jay Smith joins First State Bank & Trust Commercial Lending team as Sr. Vice President Jay has over 20 years of banking experience including the past 9 years as Lawrence Market President for Central National Bank.

Jay will office at our 6th and Monterey Way bank location where he will primarily focus on building commercial lending relationships and providing expertise in other areas of bank operation.

First State Bank & Trust is a family and employee owned financial institution headquartered inTonganoxie, Kansas with assets of $280 million. The bank has a long history of community service since its original charter in 1934 and that service continues today in all our locations

Jay Smith Sr. Vice President Located in Tonganoxie, Basehor, Lawrence, Perry, Kansas City, Kansas & online at firststateks.com

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KANSAS RELAYS 2018

THE LOCAL

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THE LOCAL

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LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ANNUAL MEETING

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LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ANNUAL MEETING

THE LOCAL

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NEWS [MAKERS] PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Local Solar Professional at Good Energy Solutions, Inc., Andy Rondon Earns Industry’s Most Prestigious Certification Andy Rondon, Sales Manager/Technical Sales of Good Energy Solutions has earned the solar industry’s leading recognition of technical sales expertise from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP®), and is now a NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales ProfessionalTM . NABCEP is the most highly respected and well established national certification organization for renewable energy professionals.

Designation as a NABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional is widely recognized to be the most important and meaningful certification of its kind in the solar industry.

PV is short for photovoltaic. PV systems produce electricity from sunlight. Most people have used a solar powered calculator or garden light, and seen solar panels on roadside signs, but PV panels can be configured to produce enough energy to power a home, school, business, or even serve as a small power plant feeding electricity into the grid. As the cost of PV systems has declined sharply over the last few years, more and more households, municipalities, and companies are “going solar.” NABCEP is a mark of quality assurance that the consumer can use to know that they are choosing a qualified contractor.

Sunflower Bank's - ABC Program Supporting Education Completes its 17th Year with Total Donations over $1.2 Million In May of 2018, schools and students are receiving a total of $99,760 in grants from the ABC Program that supports education in Sunflower Bank and First National 1870’s communities. Since the start of the ABC Program in 2001, Sunflower Bank has given away more than $1,238,000 in support of education. $2,270 of the funds raised this year are being donated to schools and students in Lawrence.

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WHOSE DESK ?

Be the first to correctly guess which local business figure works behind this desk. Winner receives a $50 gift card to 23rd Street Brewery. facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine

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