August / September 2017 by Montana Senior News

A New Era for the Idaho Senior Independent: Farewell to Jack Love and Welcome to Robert and Janet Hunt

Jack W. Love, Jr. former owner/editor of the Idaho Senior Independent and Montana Senior News

WHAT’S INSIDE... Beyond Idaho ................. 6

Events Calendar .............11

Real Estate .....................24

Book & Literature............ 4

Finance, Insurance .........34

Remember When ..........13

Caregiving ......................14

Recreation / Golf ............. 9

Senior Discounts...... 20–21

Contest Corner...............18

Heath & Fitness..............29

East Idaho ......................36

Cupid’s Corner ................ 5

Southern Panhandle......26

Taste of Idaho ................. 8

Crossword ............... 20–21

Letters to the Editor.........3

Entertainment................10

Lifestyle..........................22

By Gail Jokerst If y ou ty pically read the Idaho Senior Independent (ISI) from cover to cover, you may have noticed that the logo on the front page has changed, along with the masthead publication information listed inside. Those changes �� not just an updated logo, but new ownership and a new era for the newspaper. After 13 years of publishing and editing ISI, the paper’s founder, Jack Love, has retired. This past spring, he sold ISI along with its sister publication, Montana Senior News, to Robert and Janet Hunt of Kalispell. “It’s time for another stage in my life,” says Jack, who is looking forward to all the ways he can enjoy and educate himself with his newly acquired free time. He and his wife, Joan, are already spending longer days outdoors, hiking, bicycling and canoeing the Missouri. They are traveling the nation more to see their kids and grandkids. Additionally, Jack plans to do some volunteering and take online classes, “to become more tech-savvy.” A U.S. Navy veteran with degrees in law and English, he admits he never intended to start a newspaper. But as Jack discovered, he had a vision for how to best serve a mature readership and was well suited to carry ing out the task. Twenty years after Jack began publishing MSN, he introduced ISI. “I alway s wanted to do an Idaho paper, because I had a connection with the state,” says Jack, who resides in Great Falls, MT. “I thought about it a long time.” Given that he was born in Nampa and that his mom was from Pocatello, Jack’s Idaho roots unsurprisingly have kept him tethered to his birth state. After moving to Oregon, he visited his granny in Nampa every summer throughout his childhood. Without doubt, he still regards her as one of the most ��l people in his life. “She was this great character, feisty as all get-out,” recounts Jack. “Her husband was the state engineer for Idaho, so they had a broad social network. People were always coming to the house to visit, and she and they always had such interesting stories to tell.” Captivated by the breadth of the experience of the people who stopped by , Jack learned at a y oung age how the power of story -telling can change lives. That insight created a strong foundation for both MSN and ISI. “The purpose of both newspapers has always been to provide interesting and entertaining information for an active, 50-plus-aged audience,” notes Jack. “From the beginning, the papers were about ��y of people who were worthy of the ink. I also felt it was important to cover a broad range of topics, including travel, ��and recreation. You need a bit of something for everybody.” (Cont’d on pg 18)

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Being a Foster Grandma is Pure Joy!

While going to Headstart with my granddaughter Crystle, the teacher said, “why don’t you sign on as a foster grandma and get paid for it?” I didn’t know any thing about it nor did I realize that the teacher in the hall had already asked Nancy Wilson—then the director—“How come Beety (teacher) has two grandma’s? I want that Betty Martin.” Nancy said, “she hasn’t signed up yet.” It wasn’t long until I was and worked six y ears there. Then two transferred to Lincoln Elementary . Loved it! Worked with children kindergarten to grade three sitting in the hallway where they read to me, did basic math, and learned to tell time. One second grade class was learning proper pronunciation and writing paragraphs. It was amazing how well they did. I had one fourth grade boy that read to me for ��minutes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—the

days I was there. All in all I worked with about one hundred and twenty six boys and girls one on one. Brandon was a kindergartener when he began reading to me as a fourth grader he doesn’t need to. As he goes down the hall I used to get a hug, now he’s ��y and as tall as I am. Talon, I’m tale the SAM group about him before. At �� he just hated to come and read. Then he looked forward to it. Now he doesn’t need that extra time. I heard, “Grandma Betty” in the store but couldn’t � d the voice. Then here he was around the corner with his Dad grinning from ear to ear. I got a big hug and introduction to Dad. A few weeks later he came running out of a class room and I got a big grin and a high ��L It is such a blessing to go down the hallways and get grins from boys and smiles from the girls, even the fourth and �th graders

as I’ve had some of them in the past. Teachers just smile and keep them marching down the hall. I love them and their wonderful teachers. Not a bad one in the bunch. It is awful when I’m ill and have to stay home, but they make me delightful colorful posters with delightful drawings and words inside. I’m �nishing twenty four years being a foster grandma this summer and looking forward to working with boys and girls and being grandma to them. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Working with boys and girls, helping them in spelling, math, and reading. While working with fourth graders, I learned the multiplication table I had missed learning when we moved from Washington to Montana. So I learned with the boys and girls. Wow what a unique experience. Betty Martin ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Recommended Reading By Connie Daugherty

Loreena’s Gift

When a person tells you that you hurt them, you don’t get to decide that you didn’t - Louise C.K.

PO Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 208-318-0310 or 866-360-5683 FAX 406-761-8358 WEB idahoseniorindependent.com EMAIL info@idahoseniorindependent.com The Idaho Senior Independent is published six times each y ear in February , April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and distributed free throughout Idaho. Our subscription rate is $10 per year (6 issues). The Idaho Senior Independent is written to serve the interests of Idaho’s mature population. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The Idaho Senior Independent does not endorse any particular product or service shown in advertisements appearing in this paper. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless ��ed within �ve days of publication. All copy appearing in the Idaho Senior Independent is copyright protected and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising space should be reserved by the 8th of the month preceding the month of publication.

Robert B. Hunt, Publisher/Editor Janet Hunt Kathleen McGregor Lisa Gebo Sherrie Smith Jonathan Rimmel Nann Parrett

Chief Financial Officer Advertising Sales Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Production Assistant Graphic Designer Webmaster Editorial Assistant

Contributing Writers Bernice Karnop Cate Huisman Connie Daugherty Dianna Troyer Gail Jokerst

Holly Endersby Jack McNeel Liz Larcom Natalie Bartley Randall Hill

by Colleen Story; Dzanc Books, Ann Arbor, Mich., 2016 Loreena Picket is a 23-year-old blind woman who lost her sight and her mother when she was involved in a car accident at the age of nine. She lives a quiet, protected life with her uncle, a Baptist minister in Stillwater, Idaho, who has cared for her and her brother since her mother’s death. She is a talented pianist and favorite of the entire congregation. But Loreena has a secret. Her hands can do more than create beautiful music. “When she �� felt it at the age of 15…her period started then and she’d � ured that was the origin of the changes.” But the changes in Loreena’s body were not just the usual changes any teenage girl experiences; something more was going on. It was the beginning of her magic touch, what her uncle calls “a gift from God.” Sometimes, though, Loreena thinks it’s more of a curse than a gift. In her second award-winning book, Loreena’s Gift, Colleen Story takes readers on a unique journey—sometimes dark, sometimes bright and beautiful, but continually surprising. The story is tightly written and cleverly crafted with detailed smell, sound and tactile descriptions as we “see” the world through the eyes of a blind young woman. It is not only a story of family, pain and despair, but also of hope and love. It is a story of overcoming and forgiving. Loreena’s best friend is a marble angel statue that stands outside the church. “When Loreena thought of her own eyes…she pictured the angel’s and imagined they must be similar. Unseeing. Opaque.” But Loreena is not a marble angle. She is a gentle, loving young woman with all the normal desires and dreams of anyone her age, but with a secret nobody can ever know. A secret that keeps her isolated and alone. Preparing for “the ritual,” she pulls on a clean pair of white cotton gloves. “Like a sheath for a knife, they were her assurance her hands would never accidently hurt anyone. Not again.” The gloves protect her hands,her gift, until it is needed. Like any talent, it can be used for good—at least her uncle claims it is good—or evil. But most of all, it must be controlled. Loreena’s soft, gentle hands can kill with just a touch, mercy killing her uncle says. She has a touch that can take a terminally ill person beyond pain and suffering. And that, says her uncle, is “an act of mercy,” her gift to the dying. “She didn’t know the man they were going to see…He just wanted her to help him die…his skin was cold and dry…still it was a living hand and the sensation felt foreign it had been so long since she’d felt skin against skin.” Loreena doesn’t just send the patient off; she takes him, holds his hand through the tunnel from this life to the next. And she can see. For those few moments that she is with another person in the other world, she can see.

The colors are warm and bright, her transport peaceful and content. And though she feels guilty about it, Loreena treasures these brief times of sight. So she uses her hands as they were intended, and in exchange she receives sight. Then her brother returns after a three-year absence. He is obviously still living the wild and free life of which her uncle disapproves. But her brother seems happy, and just for one night, Loreena wants to join him, to spend some time with him, to experience what other young people experience. To feel normal. The evening out with her brother is not at all what she expects. She is uncomfortable almost from the beginning, and things go from bad to worse. Finding herself desperate and scared for her brother’s safety, she reaches out her ungloved hand and touches another rough, calloused hand. She is transported into a place she could never have imagined in her worse nightmares. From that moment, her life is turned upside down. She ��herself having to make choices and decisions she never imagined. First is Dominic, who is young, kind, funny and interested in her. “Dominic’s truck smelled of dirt, dust, and �� with that same trace of pine that seemed to follow him everywhere.” True, lunch that day isn’t really a date; he is a reporter, and she is his interviewee, but still there is something more. Loreena can sense it. She is happy, happier than she has been in a long, long time. Then it is all over. Loreena is dragged into that dark, angry, violent world, and she takes Dominic with her. She and her gift are exploited and distorted into something unrecognizable. At �� , she has hope, but gradually, “she came back to one indisputable conclusion: she was alone. Completely.” She begins to think that even God has abandoned her. The only way to end it all, to save what little is left of her world and her family , is to use her gift one last time to cross again into the darkness bey ond; but with nobody to call her back, can she return? Colleen M. Story is a longtime freelance writer, editor and ghostwriter. Loreena’s Gift won the 2016 Idaho Author’s Award. The author also received a Medalist Honor for the New Apple Book Awards and an honorable mention for the Reader Views Literary Awards. She was also a ��B for the Best Book Awards and Foreword Indies Book Awards. Story’s previous book, Rise of the Sidenah, was a 2015 North American Book Awards winner. Her short stories and poems have been published in several national magazines. Her health articles have appeared online as well as in print, and she maintains an inspirational blog at Writing and Wellness. The author lives in Idaho. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Baby it’s hot outside! Time to get out the ice cream and lounge by the pool! While you’re “chillin,” get out a pen and paper, and write in to our Cupid’s Corner. You’ll never know what wonderful relationships await until y ou give it a try. To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message, address and phone number or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including the address, phone number, and/or email address that you provide to the person placing the ad. When you respond to an ad in this section, there is no

guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please submit your correct address plainly printed, so you can promptly receive replies. Respond to the ads in this issue, and also sit down now and prepare your own listing to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of friendship, companionship and true love! You may submit your responses to personal ads appearing in the Idaho Senior Independent at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the Oct./Nov. 2017 issue, the deadline is Sept. 15, 2017. Single attractive, white female, earlier 60s, would like to meet a nice gentleman for

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companionship. Must be kind, considerate, compassionate, and honest and is serious about making a positive difference in our crazy world. It would be good if you like to garden a bit and have intelligent conversation, like to read, enjoy music and maybe slow dance. Take little outings in the mountains or a long weekend to the coast (I am still gainfully employed until I can retire in a couple of y ears). I lean toward the left, so no right-wing conservative need respond. And like the Dalai Lama always says... “My religion is kindness.” It would be nice if you, too, understand the value of that and demonstrated that in your daily life. Reply ISI, Dept. 13301, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 ISI

Classic Healthcare DVDs of the Psy cho-Neurotic Institute for the Very Very Nervous. Thorndyke learns of a mysterious disappearance of the director and becomes very, very suspicious and needs help. Brooks’ �� mercilessly lampoons Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thrillers. This one is loads of fun. Rated PG; three stars In Brain Donors (1992), three lunatics decide to run a ballet company. John Torturro and Bob Nelson are featured in this neglected, extremely funny ��LIt is literally a remake of the Marx Brother’s classic, A Night at the Opera (1935). Although it’s not exactly on par with the Marx Brothers standard, this movie is a hoot, none

the less. Rated PG; three stars Until the next time, relax and enjoy these hilarious and thrilling healthcare DVD classics. ISI

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By Mark Fee Needing a good antidote to healthcare stress and government mindlessness? Here are a few of my favorite healthcare-related classics—an unruly mix of comedy, drama and action. Coburn stars in Blake Edwards’ neglected, medical conspiracy thriller, The Carey Treatment (1972). Coburn plays an unorthodox physician. One of his colleagues has been charged with murder, which Coburn investigates. Despite a �� Rated PG; three stars Mel Brooks play s Dr. Richard Thorndy ke in High Anxiety (1977). He is the new director

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Cranbrook Cemetery Tour By David Humphrey As part of its genealogical programs this spring, the Cranbrook History Centre put on its ��ever Cemetery Tour. Jim Cameron, local historian, led the group on a fascinating look into the past lives of some of our most notable and nefarious historica�� Cranbrook’s Old General Cemetery started being used for burial plots from the beginning of 1900 and contains the grave sites of some of Cranbrook’s most recognized pioneers and residents. So many graves represent Cranbrook’s history that Jim had a �� time deciding which to include in his two-hour tour. One of the most historically important graves is that of Henry Seely e. Seely e was one of the delegation of the colony of British

Columbia that visited Ottawa in 1870 to negotiate British Columbia’s inclusion in the Canadian Confederation. He was the � st white man buried in the Cranbrook area and was moved to his last resting place after having previously been buried in what is now a city park. Tour participants learned how a family killed in the Frank slide in Alberta happened to end up buried in Cranbrook. Jim then showed the site of a red-lightdistrict-inhabitant, whose marker was raised by the kind contributions of friends in the city. Cranbrook has also had its share of people who have ended up on the wrong side of the law. Participants heard stories of a couple of murderers, one of whom appears to have been buried in the same grave as the wife he killed.

The Cranbrook Old General Cemetery is also home to the grave of one of Canada’s most famous guides and mountaineers, Conrad Kain, who in his time in Canada was successful in achieving some 60 first accents of BC’s mountains. Canada’s �st Miss Canada, Madeleine Leone Wood, is buried in our cemetery, and her grave marker was on the fascinating route Jim led. She is another resident who had a sad ending to a promising life after she died from drinking Lysol at the age of 25. The deluge of positive comments following Jim’s tour make it quite possible he will offer another in the fall. With so many graves to show, and so many compelling stories connected to them, a person could run many tours without having to repeat any of the gravesite visits. ISI

�� Article & Photo By Dianna Troyer You can drop a small fortune entertaining y ourself in Jackson—or not, advises Rick Schreiber, 73, who raised his kids in western Wyoming’s renowned resort town. On a recent weekend, his granddaughter Eloise was learning to paddle a kayak for the �� time at Rendezvous Park, a free public park off Wilson Road, nicknamed R Park. As Eloise guided herself near shore, the smooth water in the park’s pond built her 5-year-old ��L Nearby , families fished, hiked and explored meadows, knolls and trails. “Most of the land here in Teton County is public,” said Rick. “There’s an incredible network of public, paved bike paths.” As Rick’s son Matt coached Eloise, he reminisced about his childhood. “I grew up fishing, climbing, skiing, mountain biking, camping, boating,” said Matt. “There are hikes galore. I can’t think of a better place to raise kids.” Along with exploring Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, here are a few free or inexpensive activities to do throughout the summer in Jackson. • Free downtown walking tours at town square—At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday , guides lead an hour-long tour and tell of Jackson’s wild past and architecture. • The Jackson Hole Shootout—At 6 p.m., villains and heroes confront each other in a shootout at the town square. A tradition since 1957, it is the longest,�� tion.

• Free star parties at R Park—From 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on clear Friday nights from May through September near the north entrance to R Park, astronomers from Wyoming Stargazing set up a Dobsonian telescope to look at planets, stars, nebulae and galaxies. The non-pr��organization also has an outdoor inflatable planetarium and augmented reality goggles from Universe2go for virtual stargazing. • Grand Teton Music Festival—From July 3 to Aug. 20, free family concerts are offered Wednesday afternoons and weekends at Teton Village. At 10 a.m. on Fridays, rehearsals are open and free with tickets required. Times vary and are listed at www.gtmf.org. • Free bouldering park —At the base of Snow King Mountain, a free bouldering park offers three large boulders/walls for all ages and skill levels. Adjacent to the wall is a small picnic shelter with eight tables, horseshoe pits and a grassy area. • Free mountain bike trails—Snow King trails connect with the Cache Creek and Game Creek trail networks. • Alive @ 5—From June 27 to Aug. 15 at the Teton Village Commons, Tuesday through Friday . This free, summer program includes music, education and storytelling, starting at 5 p.m. • Browse N Buy—The St. John’s Episcopal Church, located at 139 North Cache Street, runs an upscale thrift retail store with every thing from clothes to sporting goods and household items. It’s not free, but close. • Granite Hot Springs – A short drive south of Jackson, the natural hot springs offer a soaking pool and campground, ��” ng along Granite Creek, and hiking into the Gros Ventre Mountain Range.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 • Other activities in town that require a nominal fee are the nightly ghost tour and visits to the Children’s Museum, the Mercill

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT Archaeology Center, the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center and the Wildlife Art Museum.

PAGE 7 For calendar info and special offers, visit www.jacksonholetraveler.com, and click the ��l available coupons. ISI

Sunday Mass at Neihart By Mike Nash First, I guess, I need to introduce y ou to Neihart, Mont. It may be incorporated, or not, but it is really just a gaggle of people clustered in one spot in a long, narrow valley, surrounded by abandoned silver mining properties among the steep hillsides rising up on either side. It has been home to some real characters, whom I will introduce shortly. There is a post of�e, an old school now used as a Senior Center, and the Neihart Inconvenience Store, which keeps hours at the owner’s convenience. Smilin’ Ed was a funny kind a guy . He claimed to be very knowledgeable about religion. Said he studied it. Said he didn’t believe in “Churchyness.” But still, when Thunder Bob was saying mass, Smilin’ Ed would be there with the rest of whom they like to call Brethren. There really wasn’t any other church in Neihart, but the diocese would send various priests—some journeying from their home parishes, some in semi-retirement, some in semi-sobriety. It was thought a few might be on semi-parole. In any event, occasionally Thunder Bob would show up at the tiny, one-room church to say mass. Now Bob didn’t have any intention to give a sermon that would appeal to anyone but the regular church-going Catholics, and he prepared a sermon each Sunday that would pass muster with the most conservative of clergy nabobs. But he just couldn’t help himself when he got a chance to verily drive out the demons and reform the sinners. Bob—or “Thunder Bob,” as he was known throughout the territory—would start off with the regular Roman ritual business. After exactly half an hour, he would begin his sermon. If mass were scheduled at 10 o’clock, Thunder Bob would begin to preach precisely at 10:30. About 10:29 the church would be packed clear through the front entry, out onto the porch, to the picnic tables in the yard. Somebody found a portable PA sy stem, and they would broadcast Bob’s sermons. He could get wound up. He would start with a few bland remarks, but then, as he viewed the sea of sinners and contemplated the likely imminent coming of Armageddon, he would begin laying down tales of destruction from the Old Testament, go to the sick and the lame and the poor and the cruci��y in the New Testament, and wind up someplace in Acts. Oh, he could talk Armageddon. He could talk ��and brimstone. We all speculated he watched Baptist preachers on Sunday TV instead of golf. Sometimes Jane would bring her cy mbals. Boy, then things could really get rolling. Smilin’ Ed seldom missed one of these revivals. The Brethren, as they like to be called to distinguish themselves from the Romans, would get right into the spirit of things. (Pun intended). They started with a cautious “Amen.” Then they would get right to the “Tell it like it is, brother,” and “halleluiahs” all over the place. Sometimes it looked more like a Holy Roller meeting. Smilin’ Ed, in his whiskers, coveralls and

work boots, was usually right in the middle of it. After precisely one half hour, Thunder Bob would go back to his Roman technicalities, and the Brethren would quietly slip away. Sometimes they just kept on singing hymns and shouting, but they faded about the time of the consecration. Smilin’ Ed had an interesting pattern. He ran a medium-sized still up Limestone Creek. Of course, stills have been illegal since the depression, but in Neihart y ou can do a lot of things y ou couldn’t do any place else. Old whiskey bottles were never thrown out. They ��‘ , and commerce went on as usual. This all had to be done during the summer, of course. Well, Smilin’ Ed took care of the folks in town, and they took care of Ed. He went about his way, undisturbed. However, the law always prevails, and around November �st, Smilin’ Ed would show up at the county seat and turn himself in to Sheriff Billion. The sheriff would disconnect some parts of the still then charge him with trespassing, failure to appear, public intoxication or miscellaneous charges. Joe ��y the county attorney, would �� the necessary papers with Judge Oscar, and everybody would agree to a six-month sentence. Ed always brought some “evidence” to these hearings, just in case someone would consider �� him “not guilty.” Upon disposition of the sentence, the evidence wasn’t really needed, so it was distributed. Smilin’ Ed seldom missed Thanksgiving in the warm surroundings of the local pokey , and Christmas neither. Then about May 1, his sentence would be up, and he would go back to the mountain where his still was magically, and I guess, for the record, secretly , repaired in the briefest time. One fall, just before Halloween, an early freeze caught everyone unawares, including our friend Smilin’ Ed. Thunder Bob was preaching. Sister Jane brought her sy mbols. The brethren were in high voice. There were Amens and halleluiahs, and the congregation danced and stepped, twisted and raised their hands in spiritual glory . And Smilin’ Ed got so caught up he

jumped up on the little coal stove that heated this miserable hovel, and he danced and jigged �� That got people’s attention. The shouting and screaming continued, but in a different sort of vein, and everybody ran for the door. Since every body was try ing to get out, nobody could. Smilin’ Ed himself, being in a sort of uncomfortable way, dived through a window and ran for the hills. Last I heard he destroyed the still and took a job as a janitor at J C Penney’s in town. I saw him there one Monday . I asked how come he gave up his business. He said, “Stills are ��‘ with coals. Hell is �red with coals. Coals is coals, and the coals was getting too close.” ISI

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The Great Burn – A Love Affair for a Life Time By Holly Endersby Spring and summer of 1910 were hot and dry, and by mid-August, people were sweltering in unforgiving high temperatures. Throughout summer, hundreds of small �� burned in Idaho and Montana. But they would pale in comparison to the blaze erupting on August 20, when winds reaching hurricane force blasted in to push many of the ��into two mega-infernos that unleashed waves of rolling ��yhundreds of feet high. At the end of two days, three million acres burned, and the area straddling the Idaho/ Montana border in the Clearwater and Lolo National Forests would henceforth be known as the Great Burn. Fifty-�ve years later, a high school graduate enrolling in the University of Montana in Missoula drove into Hellgate Canyon. “I instantly fell in love with the area,” Dale Harris recalls. “Just one look, and I was hooked.” Born in Michigan but transplanted to Billings, Montana, in high school, Dale spent his early y ears camping, hiking and fishing with his family . His love of the outdoors was entrenched in his psyche. Graduating with a degree in forestry, Dale worked as a contract administrator for the Forest Conservation Experiment Station, an arm of the Montana Wilderness Institute. Over time he became the Assistant Director and learned a lot about national forest policy. Although he was steeped in policy at work, the wildlands on the Idaho/Montana border captivated his interest. Others in and around Missoula felt the same, so much so that in 1970, a group of dedicated Montanans started the Great Burn Study Group. “We were a bunch of long-haired hippies at the time,” Harris laughs, “but we had great

mentors in people like Senators Metcalf and ��yCecil Garlan, Don Adlrich and Doris Milner.” A group of early supporters took a 21-day backpack trip into the Great Burn in 1971, and from that moment on, Harris was devoted to protecting the area. “It was so amazing to be in that wild land for three weeks straight,” he recalls. “It was a ��L ” The goal of the group was to get permanent wilderness protection for this special landscape. But like most new conservation groups, the Great Burn Study Group was an all-volunteer effort. “I volunteered from 1971 to 1998,” Dale says, “and during that time we had no paid staff, but a lot of passion for protection.” In 1998, Dale became the Executive Director of the Great Burn Study Group in order to bring energy and focus to their efforts. “In 1988, Congress passed the Montana Wilderness Bill, which included the Great Burn in it,” he recalls. “But President Regan allowed the bill to sit on his desk, creating a ‘pocket veto’ of the bill. At least 16 bills have had the Great Burn included in them for wilderness protection, but to date, none have passed.” Dale realized the GBSG could be the eyes and ears of the Forest Service, actively checking on the condition of trails, camp sites, streams and wildlife. “Instead of filing appeals to help safeguard the area, we needed to build a relationship with the Forest Service, because they are the keeper of the land,” he states. The GBSG is one of the few ��ythat ��L “Our joint trail crews are in the backcountry five days straight,” he says, “but we also

have a roving ranger who checks on campsite conditions. In addition, in 2017 there will be ten weed eradication crews working the Great Burn.” Asked to name some of his favorite hikes in the Great Burn, Dale has ��y naming just a few. “Heart Lake in the northern part is simply beautiful, and the hike in is pretty easy. From the Trail Creek trailhead, you can access that lake as well as Pearl Lake, and just over the Divide is Dalton Lake,” he says. “You can also take the State Line Trail from Hoodoo Pass and drop into Heart Lake that way and experience Goose Lake as well. These are high-elevation trails and lakes, with few trees and gorgeous scenery.” For forested hiking or horse riding, the Schley Mountain trailhead gets y ou into Kelly Creek country, a blue-ribbon trout stream that is nationally known among �� Kelly Creek stretches a long way into Idaho, but the upper Montana end is an easy hike to Kid Lake and Cedar Log Lake, both of which are small, mountain gems. A good place for more ideas on hiking trails and camp sites is the Lolo National Forest website. “I’ll turn 70 this year,” Dale reveals, “and I’m not a young warrior any more. But we can’t give up on the Great Burn: it’s just too spectacular a place to leave unprotected.” Clearly, Dale’s passion for the Great Burn hasn’t diminished over time: it’s a true love affair for a lifetime. Over 30 trips are available for volunteers to help keep the Great Burn in pristine condition this summer, so be sure to check out their website for a chance to volunteer: it’s a great way to learn about new country without going it alone! Visit www.greatburnstudygroup.org for more information. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

PAGE 9

Ask the Expert

HOW CAN I HIT A GOLF BALL FARTHER? (SPM Wire) Muscling up to whack that golf ball may be a bad idea. One of the biggest traps golfers fall into is the overswing. “Too much Tiger TV has many golfers swinging with delusions of grandeur,” says Sean Callanan, Head Golf Professional at the Minisceongo Golf Club in Pomona, NY. Of course, distance is important. You just have to go about achieving it the right way. In softball, swinging with all your might may be effective. In golf, it isn’t. Distance is generated by controlled force, not brute force, stresses Callanan who offers these tips: Start by making some slow-motion swings. Focus on the ��yof the swing. Practice swings should be done with intent, not just to go through

Living

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF GAME (StatePoint) On the surface, golf can be a game of beauty and majesty, producing some of the most-storied traditions in all of sports. But for casual players, it can be the single most frustrating exercise ever invented. You don’t necessarily need to hire your own golf pro to improve your experience on the greens. Of course, a lesson or two probably wouldn’t hurt either. “If you feel rusty or self-conscious, take a golf lesson or join a clinic to brush up your game and ��ysays Carol Preisinger, the Director of Instruction at the award-winning Kiawah Island Club Golf Academy. “A good grip, posture and alignment go a long way when you don’t play often. If you don’t have time to play, visit the practice facility, and spend the majority of time working on your short game.” Preisinger knows what she’s talking about. Kiawah Island hosts a number of heralded courses designed by such ��luminaries as Tom Fazio, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. In fact, Kiawah’s Ocean Course was designed and built ��y for the 1991 Ryder Cup matches. However, if lessons aren’t in the cards, Preisinger offers some other helpful tips: • Call in advance: Before arriving at a course, inquire about rates, dress code and other necessary information. If you’re on a budget, ask about twilight rates. Many resorts have discounted rates in the afternoon. You can save money on green fees, and the course may be less crowded. • Know your game: By being familiar with how far your shots carry, you’ll better navigate course hazards. “Carry is the key word here, especially when water lies between you and the green,” says Kiawah’s Preisinger. “Plan accordingly, and pick the best club that will carry the water.” • Improve your club selection: Updating your golf clubs can help. Consider investing in custom wedges to save strokes, in hy brids to hit more greens and in a putter to ensure the length and head weight are right for you. But lugging a set on your vacation isn’t all that appealing. Leave them at home if they aren’t imperative to your game. Many resorts provide top-of-the-line equipment.

Save the Date 16th Annual Golf Beneﬁt Tournament Saturday, September 9, 2017 All proceeds go to the Senior Activity Center

208-233-1212 | Pocatello

the motions. Check your plane and posture throughout the swing. Steadily increase the velocity of your swing by relaxing and extending the club. Make sure you remain focused on the sensation of ��LYour grip should stay relaxed, and your swing should feel �uid and controlled. The moment you feel a clenching of muscles in your hands and forearms, slow it back down. Try to keep your body quiet. Continue this drill until you are taking full, controlled swings. Remember these words from Callanan, “swing faster, not harder. Think smooth and fast, not hard and jerky.” It is great to hit the long ball, but 250 yards down the center beats 300 yards in the trees. ISI

PAGE 10

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

Just don’t forget to buy golf balls. • Play challenging courses: Top resort golf courses typically offer scenic landscapes, lagoons or ocean views, which add beauty to the eye and depth to your game. • Learn the rules: It might seem elementary, but familiarizing yourself with the USGA rule book, especially ��y situations and procedures, may

It is wild, woolly and wonderfully authentic. It is the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival, Oct. 4–8, celebrating its 21st y ear in the picturesque Wood River Valley of Idaho. Each fall, the popular Festival celebrates the 150+ year tradition of moving sheep (“trailing”) from high mountain summer pastures down through the valley to traditional winter grazing and lambing areas in the south. This annual migration is Idaho living history and a familyfriendly festival that highlights the people, arts, cultures and traditions of sheep ranching in Idaho and the West.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

save you some strokes. Ask if local rules allow for “drop areas” on holes with water hazards, which could save you time and golf balls. For more information about the courses on Kiawah Island, which is just off the coast of South Carolina, visit www.Kiawah.com. Di�� to pick up and impossible to master, golf has confounded players their entire lives. But with a few simple tips, the grand game can get just a little easier. ISI

Trailing of the Sheep Festival

The five-day Festival includes nonstop activities in multiple venues—history , folk and traditional arts, a Sheep Folklife Fair with music and dance, a Wool Festival with classes and workshops, story telling, two-and-a-half days of Championship Sheepdog Trials, multiple culinary events and the always entertaining Big Sheep Parade with 1,500 sheep �� it down Main Street in Ketchum. This year, the Festival is bringing in Stanzin Dorjai Gya as the presenter for the Friday night Sheep Tales Gathering, to screen his documentary �lm, “Shepherdess of the Glaciers,” which won the Grand Prize for the 2016 Banff Film Festival. The film features a shepherdess (Stanzin’s

sister) and endangered Pashmina goats in the Himalayas. The Trailing of the Sheep Festival has garnered its share of top accolades: recognized as one of the Top Ten Fall Festivals in the World by msn.com travel, Top Ten US Fall Festivals by smartertravel.com, Top Ten Fall Festivals by USA Today, One of the Greatest Cultural Events in the West by Northwest Travel and Best Festival by readers of Sun Valley Guide. It was also recipient of the Idaho Governor’s Award for Cultural Heritage. For all of the details, visit www.trailingofthesheep.org. ISI

What? Paul McCartney is Dead?

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By Randal C. Hill The Beatles’ Abbey Road, the group’s last effort together, was released in the fall of 1969. The record would go on to become the band’s best-selling album, outperforming even the iconic Sergeant Pepper. On Sept. 17, 1969, the student newspaper at Drake University published an article entitled, “Is Beatle Paul McCartney Dead?” Huh? Supposedly some Drake students had discovered “clues” from previous Beatles albums, as well as on the Abbey Road cover. On Oct. 12, 1969, Detroit DJ Russ Gibb received a call at WKNR from a listener who claimed to have uncovered a number of clues himself. In the next few day s, dozens of listeners phoned Gibb to discuss the rapidly spreading story. According to the tale, McCartney had argued with the other Beatles during a recording session on the night of Nov. 8, 1966, a little over two months after the Beatles had called it quits as a touring group. Early in the morning— on Wed., Nov. 9—he supposedly bolted from the studio and roared off in his white AstonMartin sports car. Later, at about 5:00 a.m., he crashed his car and died in a small town outside of London. To spare the world the agony of enduring a Paul-less Beatles, a man named William Campbell (who had recently won a Paul look-alike contest) was brought in for photo shoots. The release of Abbey Road offered numerous “clues” to ��lly tell the world of McCartney ’s

demise; before long, fans were analy zing previous tracks and album covers, and the rumor quickly gathered momentum worldwide, sending many Beatle fans into a frenzy. From the Rubber Soul cover: The grim-faced Beatles are (possibly) looking down into a grave �� F r o m t h e Yesterday and Today c o v e r : McCartney is seen sitting in an open trunk. When the trunk is turned on its side, it could be seen as a�� From the Revolver album: McCartney sings “I was alone, I took a ride, I didn’t know what I would ��y there” (from “Got to Get You into My Life”). However, all of these works appeared before Nov. 9, 1966! From the Sergeant Pepper album: The opening track mentions Billy Shears, but some rumorpromoters thought the words might have been “Billy’s here!” in reference to William Campbell. On “A Day in the Life,” John Lennon says that somebody had “blown his mind out in a car” and “didn’t notice that the lights had changed.” The crowd that gathered as a result of the accident “had seen his face before.” On the front cover, we see the “funeral” of the old Beatles. A hand is raised above McCartney’s head (a death omen in some cultures). A white, toy Aston-Martin is on the doll’s knee. On the ground is a y ellow wreath in the shape of a left-handed bass guitar—and McCartney was the only left-hander in the band. The guitar has three strings instead of four. Turned on its side, the guitar forms the letter “P.” Inside the album, McCartney seems to be sitting out in front of the others and wearing a patch that says OPD—in England, our term of DOA (Dead on Arrival) is expressed as OPD—O��lly Pronounced Dead. On the back cover, McCartney is the only Beatle with his back to the camera. George Harrison (on the far left) points to the printed lyric line, “Wednesday morning at ��y o’clock,” the time when McCartney had supposedly died. From the Magical Mystery Tour album: At the end of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” Lennon says, “I buried Paul,” although he slurs the last word. At the end of “I Am the Walrus,” Lennon says, “Is he dead? Sit you down, Father. Rest you.” (This is from Shakespeare’s King Lear.) On the cover, one Beatle is dressed as a

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 walrus—another death symbol in some cultures. In the inside booklet, McCartney sits at a desk behind the nameplate with the letters IWAS. (I WAS?) In another photo, he plays his guitar with his eyes closed, and his (removed) shoes nearby show a red stain on them. In a later picture, the other Beatles wear red �� in their lapels, but McCartney’s is black. From The B eatles (The White Album): On “Glass Onion,” Lennon says, “I told you ‘bout the walrus and me, man. You know that we’re as close as can be, man. Well, here’s another clue for you all: the walrus was Paul.” Between the tracks “I’m So Tired” and “Blackbird,” we hear mumbling. Reversing the disc, Lennon says, “Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him.” (He sounds on the verge of tears.)

On Revolution #9, if the disc is reversed, Lennon says, “Turn me on, dead man,” again and again. From the Abbey Road album: Walking across the street called Abbey Road (also the name of the band’s recording studio), Lennon is seen in long reddish hair and dressed in white, a Jesus symbol. Ringo Starr follows, clothed as an undertaker. McCartney is the only Beatle with his eyes closed, the only Beatle without shoes (in some countries people are buried shoeless). He’s the only Beatle out of step with the others, and the only one smoking, although left-handed McCartney holds his cigarette in his right hand. Harrison, the last in line, wears the ��y of a gravedigger. The license plate of a VW “beetle” in the background reads 28IF. McCartney was 27 in 1969; however, in some cultures a person is

PAGE 11 counted as one year old at birth. On the album’s back cover, a series of dots before the word BEATLES form the number 3 if connected. Also on BEATLES, a crack runs through ¼ of the S. Turned slightly to the left, the shadows on the wall after BEATLES form a human skull. The only possible vocal clue is from “Come Together,” when Lennon says, “One and one and one is three.” Distressed Beatle fans probably heaved a collective sigh of relief when McCartney gave his �� post-rumor interview to quiet the hubbub. To a reporter at McCartney ’s isolated farm in Scotland, he simply asked, “If I were dead, ��ISI

VISIT US ONLINE AT IDAHOSENIORINDEPENDENT.COM Ode to Billie Joe

BOBBIE GENTRY, AUGUST 1967 By Randal Hill In the summer of 1967, folks were asking, “What really happened to Billie Joe McAllister? What did he throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge? And what about that girl up on Choctaw Ridge?” It was all part of the fun of trying to analyze Bobbie Gentry’s chart-topper, “Ode to Billie Joe.” Years later, Gentry explained in “The Billboard Book of Number One Hits” that many listeners missed the point of her song. “Everybody seems more concerned with what was thrown off the bridge than they are with the thoughtlessness of people expressed in the song,” she groused. “The real ‘message’ of the song, if there must be a message, revolves around the nonchalant way the family talks about the suicide.” Gentry was born Roberta Lee Streeter in Chickasaw County , Miss., in 1942. When her parents divorced, she moved in with her grandparents. She taught herself to play the piano and wrote some catchy little tunes. In the mid-1950s, her mother relocated to Palm Springs, Calif., and Bobbie followed. During high school, she also mastered the guitar, bass, banjo and vibes. After graduation in 1960, she moved to Los Angeles and took philosophy classes at UCLA before switching to the prestigious Los Angeles Conservatory of Music to study guitar and composition. Now calling herself Bobbie Gentry—from the 1952 movie “Ruby Gentry”—she made a demo record of an original song—“Mississippi Delta.” When she shopped it around, Capitol Records executives were instantly taken with both Gentry ’s obvious talent and stunning good looks. Capitol people chose to promote the bluesy “Mississippi Delta” as her �rst single; they were lukewarm about the “B” side, a haunting Gothic southern ballad she called “Ode to Billie Joe.” Gentry had cut “Ode” in less than an hour, accompanying herself on a ��‘ acoustic guitar. Violins, a cello and a bass were added later. “Ode” was eventually edited from seven minutes and 11 verses to a more radiofriendly (read: shorter and simpler) tune. Capitol promoted “Mississippi Delta,” but DJs soon preferred spinning “Ode to Billie Joe.” Once it hit Billboard’s singles charts, “Ode” took just three weeks to reach Number One and pave the way for three Grammy awards that followed the next year. She moved to Las Vegas early in the 1970s and headlined the Strip with a revue that she created, produced and starred in. Still, she could never escape the shadow of her lone megahit,

In Every Corner of Idaho is Something Fun to See and Do

Summer has warmed up, and now is the time to ��y up your calendar with entertaining, fun, and educational events that the coming months promise. There are ��y too many fairs, rodeos, festivals, art shows, car shows, ��concerts, star-gazings, parades, music events, wine tastings and sporting events for us to list them all here. Nevertheless, we have provided a sampling of activities that may pique your interests, and with a little searching on the web, you ��L To start, we would suggest readers contact the following resources: Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau at boise.org or 800-635-5240; Hells Canyon Visitor Bureau at visitlcvalley.com or 877774-7248; Idaho Division of Tourism at visitidaho.org or 800-847-4843; North Idaho Tourism Alliance at visitnorthidaho.com; and Southeast Idaho High Country Tourism at seidaho.org or 888-201-1063. These are just a few of the regional and community resources you can consult in order to make this a most memorable 2017! Additional information regarding some events can be found in advertisements in this issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. Many of the events listed run on multiple days, but we have posted just the ��day of the event. For more details, please call phone numbers or visit the websites we provide below. AUGUST 3 Sandpoint 4 Boise 4 Boise 4 Coeur d’Alene 5 Buhl 7 Downey 11 Boise 11 Pocatello 11 Sun Valley 12 Nampa 12 ��@ 15 Caldwell 18 Boise 18 Council 18 Pullman, WA 19 Rexburg 20 Pocatello 21 Weiser 26 Nampa 26 Pocatello 26 Potlatch

The Festival at Sandpoint Idaho Senior Games Shakespeare Festival Downtown Street Fair Buhl Bunch Car Club Show Bannock County Fair & Rodeo Penitentiary Paranormal Bull Riding Mayhem 49th Annual Arts/Crafts Festival 31st Annual Festival of the Arts Riverbank BBQ Music Festival Night Rodeo Western Idaho Fair Council Mountain Music Festival National Lentil Festival Solar Eclipse at Vendor Village George Lopez Weiser Full Solar Eclipse Warbird Roundup Sagebrush Arts Fest Return to Riverside Music

208-265-4554 208-861-8000 208-336-9221 208-415-0116 208-293-4464 208-237-1340 208-334-2844 208-237-8774 208-726-9491 208-468-5858 208-476-4335 208-459-2060 208-287-5650 208-253-4582 800-365-6948 208-356-5700 208-237-8774

1 Blackfoot Eastern Idaho State Fair 13 Coeur d’Alene �� ation/Weight Loss Program 14 Coeur d’Alene Susan G Koman Race for the Cure 14 Shoshone Lost N Lava Cowboy Gathering 16 Pocatello I Love ISU 27 Coeur d’Alene Battling Auto-Immmune Disease 30 Boise Old Boise Oktoberfest

208-785-2480 208-765-1994 208-384-0013 208-886-7787 208-282-3168 208-765-1994 208-345-7852

funatthefair.com vitalhealthcda.com komenidahomontana.org lostnlavagathering.com imnh.isu.edu vitalhealthcda.com oldboise.com

4 Hailey 7 Pocatello 11 Coeur d’Alene 13 Emmett 13 Pocatello 25 Coeur d’Alene

208-720-0585 208-384-0013 208-765-1994 208-365-3485 208-237-8774 208-765-1994

trailingofthesheep.org komenidahomontana.org vitalhealthcda.com emmettidaho.com shobangaming.yapsody.com vitalhealthcda.com

208-765-1994 208-765-1994 208-237-8774

vitalhealthcda.com vitalhealthcda.com shobangaming.yapsody.com

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Trailing of the Sheep Festival Susan G Koman Race for the Cure How to Combat Fatigue 25th Annual Harvest Festival Lee Greenwood & Crystal Gayle Brain Fog & Poor Memory

8 Coeur d’Alene How to Balance Blood Sugar 15 Coeur d’Alene �� ning Cardio Health Travis Tritt 18 Pocatello

festivalatsandpoint.com idahoseniorgames.org idahoshakespeare.org/plays cdadowntown.com bannockcounty.us/fairgrounds history.idaho.gov shobangaming.yapsody.com sunvalleycenter.org namparecreation.org �� nkmusicfestival.com caldwellnightrodeo.com expoidaho.com councilfestival.com lentilfest.com shobangaming.yapsody.com

208-465-6446 warhawkairmuseum.org 208-232-0970 pocatelloartctr.org 208-875-0947 www.returntoriverside.org

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

PAGE 12 which eventually was relegated to the playlists of “oldies” stations. Eventually, she packed up and left Sin City behind. In 1999, “Ode to Billie Joe” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Oddly, when the Grammy people tried to send Gentry her award, nobody could � d a phone number or an address for her. The award was set on a shelf where it still rests today . Forget Billie Joe McAllister. Now people should ask, “What really happened to Bobbie Gentry?” ISI

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Charlie Russell Film Inspires World Premiere Events in Great Falls

Montana’s favorite cowboy artist, Charlie Russell, will soon rise from the canvas to the big screen. The new Montana PBS ��“C.M. Russell and the American West,” will share Russell’s inspiring story at a free and public world premiere screening in the Great Falls �� ter on September 9. Caught in the excitement of hosting a world premiere movie, the Great Falls community and C.M. Russell Museum are inviting Russell fans to enjoy two art and fun-�lled days at their Raise the Roof for the Russells events. Activities include gallery openings and dedications, a lively auction ��y the Russell House and Studio, and a Chuck Wagon Barbecue. Guests can also attend a Hollywood-style VIP access party to meet special guests involved with the making of the documentary.

“Hosting the world premiere of a story as inspiring as Charlie’s is an incredible honor, and we are putting together a fantastic celebration,” said Tom Figarelle, Executive Director for the C.M. Russell Museum. “Plan to be in Great Falls September 8 and 9 as the world meets the Art and Soul of the American West.” Montana PBS brought a talented team together to create the documentary . Academy Award winner J. K. Simmons narrates, Bill Pullman voices Charlie Russell’s illustrated letters and assorted writings, and Kathy Baker voices lines from Nancy Russell’s memoirs. The film was created by Producer/Director Gus Chambers and Producer/Writer Paul Zalis. William Marcus and Aaron Pruitt of Montana PBS are Executive Producers. C.M. Russell and the American West showcases the life and art of Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926). Viewers will follow his arrival in Montana as a youth, his apprenticeship and work as a cowboy on the open range, and his self-taught, almost explosive growth into an iconic American artist who affected generations. Charlie’s body of work was panoramic, modern, and notable for its sensitivity for the land, wildlife and its Native people. ISI

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Every one has home remedies, some more outlandish than others. This month’s Remember When comes to us from Dena Hughes who shares childhood memories of their father’s many crazy miracle cures. Thank you, Dena; please contact us to receive your prize! Remember When contains our readers’ personal ��’ ctions and contributions describing

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

�ctional or non-�ctional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or r��” ons on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent features the contribution deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry will receive a $25 cash prize.

PAGE 13

We look forward to receiving y our contributions for our August/September 2017 issue. Mail your correspondence to Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to info@idahoseniorindependent. com; or call 1-866-360-5683 or 208-318-0310. Visit us online at idahoseniorindependent.com.

How Dad Kept Us Healthy

By Dena Hughes As a child of the Depression, I grew up in a home with little money to spare—least of all for doctors. We only saw doctors when the need for stitches was indisputable, a bone was clearly broken and when my mother gave birth to my brother, Wes. For all other issues, my father had a remedy. I guess the fact that I’m still here at 86, despite dozens of childhood crises, is fair testament to his skills. I still shudder, though, when I remember some of his medical treatments. Our illnesses seemed to exist in categories. Probably the most common was a stomachache. At our �� frown, the dreaded ritual would begin. First came the bowl of hot milk with toast, followed by a waiting period under our parents’ close watch. If our discomfort continued, that big blue bottle of Milk of Magnesia would appear. I hated that stuff. I was sure it made me feel worse, but never dared admit it, because the next effort was even more torturous: castor oil, accompanied by a wedge of orange. I guess the orange was supposed to neutralize the disgusting taste of the oil. It usually took at least three tablespoons of the castor oil to get one down my throat, because I put up such a royal ��every time, usually wasting the �� two. But the worst was yet to come. If we dared to even look like we might throw up again after all these attempts to cure us, Mother brought out her ultimate weapon, the dreaded…ENEMA. Nothing further need be said, except that by now, the reader surely understands why Wes and I both learned to recover quickly from the �� in our tummies, or at least to conceal the symptoms. Then there was the common cold. What kid doesn’t catch a cold? Even with living in sunny Los Angeles, Dad had a plan. At the �� y he packed the trusty old Vick’s Vaporub® into the guilty nose. That alone was frequently enough to cure us. If, however, a sore throat developed, it was time for salt dissolved in a glass of warm water and lessons in how to gargle without choking to death. I don’t deny the effectiveness of that remedy. In fact, I confess that I used it on my own brood in later years. Next, for a cough, Dad’s standby was a mixture of honey and lemon juice. That one I always liked, it both soothed and tasted good. The specter hovering over us, though, was if the cold were to “go to my chest,” producing a deeper, scary cough. This was before Pertussis shots, and the threat of Whooping Cough was frightening for all parents. That’s when the big guns would appear—that dreaded “Poultice.” Dad would place a small amount of shortening (he called it lard) in a dish. Next, he’d go to his garage and return with a tin can from which he poured a couple of tablespoons of turpentine into the lard, mixing until he got a fair blend. Mother, meantime, would produce a square of ��big enough to cover my chest, which she pinned inside my clothing. She then rubbed the “turpentine and lard” mix thoroughly into my entire chest, where it quickly went from warm to downright hot. Next, she covered it with the � nnel, which she pinned to my shirt, and there it would stay for three days. I didn’t even get to take a bath. In addition, since I wasn’t actually dying, I also didn’t get to stay home from school. I just went, eyes smarting from the fumes, smelling like a diesel truck and feeling very �� ble. So embarrassing. It must have worked though; I never caught pneumonia or whooping cough. Kids get lots of cuts, and unless ours were more than an inch long or very deep, it was home treatment as usual. For open wounds, peroxide was the go-to remedy. It was poured into any break in our skin as soon as the bleeding stopped. We were always impressed by the foamy bubbles it made. Dad said those bubbles were killing the germs. If the cut gaped too much, he drew the edges together tightly with strips of adhesive tape and painted the whole thing with bright red mercurochrome. If it seemed especially bad, he used iodine, which burned like heck. Those various cuts all eventually healed, and scars were minimal. Dad wasn’t cavalier about his treatments. He was very serious about his home doctoring and would check frequently, watching for any sign of infection. If he thought a lesion looked iffy, out came the peroxide for another splash. However, if redness indicated an infection was starting, he had his ultimate weapon. He would get a slice of raw bacon, fold it to ��the spot and then bandage it tightly to the site. His explanation for this one was that the salt in the bacon would “draw out” the infection. Oddly enough, it always seemed to work, though I was �� from

wearing that greasy bandage to school, which instead of a diesel truck, left me smelling like breakfast. One less serious but common issue for kids is a wart. Appearing for no apparent reason, they will usually ride on a kid for a few months and then mysteriously disappear. Some, however, are more persistent and can be downright painful if bumped. Oh yes, Dad had a solution for those too. I had several warts though my early ears, and I always thought he was teasing me when he’d say I should tie a horsehair around it to make it go away. I ��lly got one wart on my arm that was quite persistent and got bumped regularly. I made the mistake of complaining about it. I should have known better. The next day, he came home from work with an envelope in his hand and told me to sit down at the table. He then pulled from the envelope a very long, brown hair, longer and darker than any hair grown in our household. He said his friend, Mike, had a horse and had brought him hair from the horse’s mane. I watched as he formed a slipknot in the middle of it and then told me to put my arm on the table. He laid the loop over the wart, told me to hold a finger over the wart, so the loop couldn’t slip off, and (Cont’d on pg 33)

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PAGE 14

By Carrie Luger Slayback “Know this one?” Laurie asked as she belted out, “My Girl” while trudging along on an afternoon hike. Laurie’s husband, Henri, hiked ahead. I began to lag, weary with the thought of miles to go before doubling back home. But Laurie’s rendition of “My Little Runaway ” transported me to my ‘50s junior high sock hops. Suddenly energized, I marched on. How did Laurie’s carefree accompaniment to our 10-mile-trek replace fatigue with enthusiasm from 60-y ear-old memories? The answer is specific—brain chemistry . Music is a powerful stimulant, lighting up the nucleus accumbens, which flood the brain with the feel-good chemical, dopamine. The auditory nerve’s direct contact with the amy gdala arouses attention, evokes memories. Hormones like oxy tocin are released, promoting feelings of bonding. Music also activates the medial prefrontal cortex, thought to be involved with long- and short-term memory. So, m y br ai n, w a sh ed i n c h em i c a l connections, ��ded me with warmth and renewed vigor. This response—nature’s prescription for a tired hiker—is also a wellresearched intervention for dementia patients. Music, used as part of daily caregiving routines in two-thirds of Wisconsin’s nursing homes, resulted in a drastic reduction in the use of psychotropic drugs. As proof, Tom Hlavacek, the Alzheimer’s Association director, reported that three years ago, Wisconsin was ranked

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Music’s Magic 14th among states using psychotropic drugs in nursing homes. “Now we’re fourth in the country…way ahead of the curve.” In some dementia patients, personalized musical play lists evoke memories as vivid as my sock hop. Dr. Susan McFadden of the University of Wisconsin wrote a white paper that describes using play lists in dementia patients’ rooms. Special music selections playing three hours a day, seven days a week for 12 weeks reduced agitated behaviors and increased social behavior. AARP.org cites Jane Flinn, a behavioral neuroscientist at George Mason University , who tested the effects of singing on people with Alzheimer’s disease. She followed 45 people impaired with dementias, who regularly sang. Cognitive testing showed that patients’ mental acuity went up sharply over a four-month period. “Twenty-one drugs to treat Alzheimer’s have failed in the last nine years,” Flinn says, “[so] non-pharmaceutical approaches are helpful.” David Cohen, a social worker in New York, teaches the use of music to treat advanceddementia patients. “Unfortunately, as a society, we view persons with advanced dementia as no longer able to experience pleasure. Music obliterates that misconception,” he says. “We must use tools such as music” to promote tender interactions with people, not lose them completely. Our hike continued to illustrate music’s power. Laurie and I got to the bluff top, overlooking ocean swells crashing below.

“Come on,” Laurie called, “Let’s climb down to Henri.” “Nope,” I said, staring at surf blasting into jagged rocks below. “I’m done. I’ll wait here.” Humming joy fully , Laurie left me, her voice disappearing into the sound of roaring waves. A half-hour later, a white-faced Laurie reappeared, Henri’s arm ��yaround her waist. “What happened?” I asked. “I stepped down to a little ledge and slid on slippery shale; ��I’d ��off into the rocks, I was paraly zed, afraid to breathe. It took Henri a long time to get to me.” “The wait must have been torture!” I said. “Yes! But I hummed softly , ‘When y ou walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark…’ Saved me.” Hiking fatigue, and even fear, is trivial, compared to life-altering dementia. But wait, we are talking about music therapy here, proof that music can contribute to changes in behavior. Neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote in his book “Musicophilia” that, for Alzheimer’s patients, music can be a medicine. “Music is no luxury to them, but a necessity , and it can have a power beyond anything else to restore them to themselves, and others, at least for a while.” Laurie’s singing helped us both. We had visceral experiences of music’s potential to alter the moment—personal illustrations of the credibility of music therapy. ISI

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PAGE 15

Nursing Home Patient-Care Problems Continue Despite Oversight

By Alan M. Schlein (SENIOR WIRE) Despite efforts at stricter oversight by the federal government, nursing homes that have come under intense scrutiny often slide back into providing dangerous care, a new analysis of federal inspection data reveals. Federal inspectors look for repeated safety violations, and when a nursing home facility is deemed dangerous, it is labeled a â&#x20AC;&#x153;special focus facilityâ&#x20AC;? (SFF). Since 2005, 900 nursing homes have been put on this watch list and are deemed some of the poorest facilities. Designation as a special focus facility requires the nursing home to either ďż˝ďż˝lapses in care while under inspections or be stripped of federal funding by Medicare and Medicaid â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a ďż˝ďż˝ncial deprivation few homes can survive. The number of nursing homes under special focus at any given time has dropped by half since 2012 because of federal budget cuts. In 2017, the federal government assigned 88 nursing homes with this designation and put $2.6 million devoted to ďż˝ďż˝the issues. But federal regulators ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝y 435 facilities as warranting scrutiny. An analysis by reporter Jordan Rau at Kaiser Health News (KHN), found that even with this high-risk designation, many of these facilities lapse back into problems years later. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) defends the program say ing it is working to ensure nursing homes do not regress in their performance. Of the 528 nursing homes that graduated from special focus status before 2014 and are still operating, slightly more than halfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;52 percentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;have since harmed patients or put patients in serious jeopardy within the past three years, the KHN analysis showed. These nursing homes are in 46 of the 50 states. Some of the nursing homes failed to tell families or doctors about injuries that happened to the patient, gave a patient the wrong medicine, and/or did not stop violent and bullying residents. Years after regulators conferred clean bills of health, levels of registered nurses tend to remain lower than at other facilities, the analysis noted. With an SFF designation, these facilities receive special attention from state survey agencies with at least two survey s each y ear (instead of one) and enhanced enforcement activities. While SFFs may not necessarily be the very poorest quality facilities in the country, they are, by definition, among the facilities nationwide that provide the poorest quality of care, according to Medicare. Nonetheless, despite recurrences of patient harm, the federal government has rarely denied Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. And of course, the consequences for patients can be dire. Take the case of Parkview Healthcare Center, in Bakerďż˝ďż˝ďż˝J Calif. In 2012, Parkviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history of safety violations led California regulators to issue the SFF designation. After 15 months of scrutiny , the regulators deemed Parkview improved and released it from the extra oversight. But a few months later, 74-yearold Elaine Fisher, who had lost the use of her legs after a stroke, slid out of her wheelchair at Parkview. Afterward, the nursing home promised to place a nonskid pad on her chair, but did not, inspectors later found. Twice more, she slipped from her wheelchair, fracturing her hip the ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝time. The violation drew a $10,000 penalty for Parkview, one of 10 ďż˝nes totaling $126,300 incurred by the nursing home since the special focus status was lifted in 2014. Fisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remedy, her son-in-law told Kaiser, was to move to a different nursing home for better care. She used to be very involved with friends and bingo at the facility, he said.

But â&#x20AC;&#x153;after this whole thing, she has to be on painkillers. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mainly in her room all the time. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the saddest thing in the world.â&#x20AC;? Parkviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner at the time of the violations, LifeHouse Health Services, did not respond to requests for comment. Dr. David Silver, who purchased Parkview last fall, said he had replaced top management and staff members who resisted a new approach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were not happy with the level of patient care,â&#x20AC;? Silver said. Unfortunately , regulators rarely return to homes to the watch list, instead issuing ďż˝ďż˝ for subsequent lapses. Some nursing homes continue operating, despite multiple penalties. Special focus facility status is reserved for the poorest-performing facilities out of more than 15,000 skilled nursing homes. CMS assigns each state a spďż˝ďż˝â&#x20AC;? c number of slots based on the number of nursing homes and then the state health regulators pick which facilities to include. What is particularly troubling, the Kaiser Health News analysis pointed out, is that more than a third of operating nursing facilities that graduated from the watch list before 2014 continue to hold the lowest possible Medicare rating for health and safetyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one star of ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ But CMS ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ls defend the program. They say that nursing homes on the watch list showed more improvement than did comparably struggling facilities not selected for enhanced supervision. So they improved more than others that are not quite as bad, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good enough? Many people still wonder. ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

PAGE 16 GAO’s findings raise red flags for David Lipschutz, an attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, who says the report should prompt more careful government oversight. “A Medicare Advantage plan sponsor does not have an evergreen right to participate in and �� from the Medicare program, particularly if it is providing poor care,” Lipschutz told KHN. While the GAO didn’t name the specific 35 health plans, it recommended that federal health ��ls pay attention to large numbers of people leaving their plans as a possible sign of substandard care. But Kristine Grow, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, had a

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

different take on why people are leaving plans. She said many patients in the study switched from one health plan to another because they got a better deal, either through cheaper or more inclusive coverage. She suggests that MA plans do a better job for their patients than traditional Medicare does, because they want to keep their members long term and by coordinating medical care and offering extra wellness ��ylike ��L ISI

States Lag in Keeping Medicaid Enrollees out of Nursing Homes

By Alan M. Schlein (SENIOR WIRE) Every day, 10,000 people turn 65. The eldest baby boomers will begin to turn 80 in 2026, so the demand for long-term care services is about to explode in the near future. Already, 1.4 million seniors live in nursing home facilities in the U.S., but states are only making lukewarm progress helping millions of seniors on Medicaid avoid costly nursing home care by arranging home or community services for them instea��L While most states made modest improvements, “the pace of change is not keeping up with demographic demands,” according to the report, which compared states’ efforts to improve long-term care services over the past several years. Previous AARP reports on the same subject were issued in 2011 and 2014. “People need to understand how this is play ing out close to them, because changes often occur at the state and local level. There is no national long-term services and support federal policy , aside from Medicaid, which is administered by the states,” say s Susan Reinhard, senior vice president and director, AARP Public Policy Institute. AARP ranked state’s performance on longterm care benchmarks, such as supply of home health aides, nursing home costs, long nursing home stays, the employment rate of people with disabilities and support for working caregivers. The top-ranking states in the 2017 scorecard were Washington, Minnesota, Vermont, Oregon and Alaska. The states at the bottom were Indiana, Kentucky , Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. The most improved states since the 2014 Scorecard were Tennessee and New York. (Here’s a link to the entire chart so you can see how your state did: www.longtermscorecard. org) The report did ��y some progress though. For instance, 48 states (nudged by the federal government), have reduced the use of antipsy chotic medications given “off label” for nursing home residents whose conditions

don’t support their use. The federal government started regulating the use of these medications for dementia patients in nursing homes three years ago. That’s also the same time that nursing homes started getting graded on the percent of their dementia patients receiving antipsychotic medications in Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare online tool. www.medicare.gov/ NursingHomeCompare/About/What-Is-NHC. html Another ��area of progress was that 42 states have moved toward person-and family -centered practices that support family caregivers. AARP policy folks suggest that the impetus for this program was the passage of the CARE Act, which stands for Caregiver, Advise, Record, Enable, which was developed and promoted by AARP. The CARE Act requires hospitals to record the name of any family caregiver on the medical record of your loved one, to inform the family caregiver when the patient is to be discharged and also to provide the family caregiver with education and instruction of medical tasks he or she will need to perform the patient at home. A downside of the Scoreboard report was a si��decline in the number of states where long-stay nursing home residents on Medicaid moved back to living in their communities. That number is now down to just 21 states. The top states are Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Idaho, where 12 percent of long-stay nursing home residents, on average, transitioned back to the community. The report found wide discrepancies in how much state Medicaid spending went to longterm care directed to home- and communitybased services for elderly and disabled adults in 2014, the latest year for data covering all states. Minnesota, the top-ranked state, spent about 69 percent, but Alabama, ranked last, spent less than 14 percent. Nationwide, the average ended up ranging from 39 percent in 2011 to 41 percent in 2014. Only nine states and the District of Columbia spend more on home- and community -based services than on nursing home care, the report found. These services included home health care, caregiver training and adult day care. AARP’s Reinhard noted many states have struggled to expand home-based and community -based options for Medicaid enrollees needing long-term care, because that is an optional ��y while nursing homes are mandated under federal law. Also contributing to this column were Kaiser Health News (KHN), Twin Cities Public Television and AARP. ISI

Where Did She Go

Submitted by Julie Hollar A husband went to the sheriff’s department. “My wife is missing. She went shopping y esterday and has not come home,” he explained. The Sergeant inquired, “What is her height?” “Gee, I’m not sure. A little over �� tall.” “Weight?” “Don’t know. Not slim, not really fat either.” “Color of eyes?” “I guess I never noticed,” admitted the husband. “Color of hair?” the Sergeant continued. “Changes it a

couple times a year. Maybe dark brown.” “What was she wearing?” “Could have been a skirt or shorts. I don’t remember exactly.” “What kind of car was she driving?” “She went in my truck.” “What kind of truck was it?” “It was a brand new 2015 Ford F150 King Ranch 4X4 with eco-boost 5.0L V8 engine and special ordered with manual transmission. It has a custom matching white cover for the bed with custom leather seats and “Bubba” ��mats. It has a trailering package with gold hitch, DVD with navigation, 21-channel CB radio, six cup holders, and four power outlets. Oh yeah, it’s got special alloy wheels and off-road Michelins. And my wife put a small scratch on the driver’s door,” the husband declared. At this point, the husband started choking up. “Don’t worry buddy,” said the Sergeant. ��y ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

PAGE 17

National Assisted Living Week 2017: Family is Forever Esther Nederhood values ongoing educational opportunities. She is a certi��y assisted living director, a ��dementia practitioner (CDP), a ��assisted living nurse (C-AL), and a ce��” ed gerontological nurse. In 2003, she opened Belle Oaks Assisted Living Center to help meet the elder care demand in the Lake City community . Since then, the community and Nederhood have earned numerous awards, including in 2013, when she received the very �� Ethel Mitty Scholarship from the American Assisted Living Nurse Association. Earlier this month, Belle Oaks was named as one of 27 assisted living communities across the country to earn a Silver—Achievement in Quality Award through the AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards Program. Noble Caregiver in Assisted Living: Lauri Morris, Life Enrichment Director of Prestige Assisted Living at Kalispell in Kalispell, Mont. Morris has been the life enrichment director of Prestige Assisted Living at Kalispell for only two y ears but has already created memorable and impactful programs for the residents. One of her recent initiatives is called “Celebrate Your Neighbor,” where each month, Morris works with a select resident to share their life story with other residents, family members and staff. Part of the initiative also involves Morris searching for acquaintances to surprise the resident at the sharing event. Additionally, Morris has integrated technology to enhance activities as well as organized a monthly volunteer activity for the residents to give back to the local community. She is a �� cognitive stimulation instructor. National Assisted Living Week Program of the Year: Brandywine Living at Pennington in Pennington, N.J. The staff members of Brandywine Living at Pennington put together an engaging National Assisted Living Week (NALW) program for its residents in September 2016. The community embodied last year’s theme “Keep Connected” by linking residents to good causes, such as Christine’s Hope for Kids and the Breast Cancer Resource Center. Residents also explored new technology by video chatting distant family members. Last, staff and residents shot a music video to the tune of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” that was revealed to residents during NALW. ISI

Gail Jokerst Receives Award at 2017 Outdoor Writers Conference The Outdoor Writers Association of America announced the winners of their 2017 Excellence in Craft Contest at the organization’s 90th annual conference, which was held this y ear in Duluth, Minn. First-, second- and thirdplace winners were chosen in nine contests. Winners received prize money , plaques and certi� ates. Gail Jokerst took second place in the

Conservation/Nature category for newspapers with her Montana Senior News story, Jim Sheldon Brings to Life an Ice-Age Story. It appeared in the February/March 2016 issue of this newspaper. Gail has been writing for Montana Senior News since 1999 and is a regular contributor. ISI

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Sunday, Sept. 10 through Saturday, Sept. 16 “Family is Forever” is this year’s theme for National Assisted Living Week (NALW), inspired by a quote from the poet Maya Angelou: “Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people in your life who want y ou in theirs: the ones who accept y ou for who y ou are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.” Assisted living communities across the country are encouraged to organize activities and events during NALW, to celebrate these deep connections between staff and residents. “Any one who has spent valuable time in an assisted living community has seen how staff can come to think of their residents like family,” said Scott Tittle, Executive Director of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). “It takes a special person to work in our profession, and often, caregivers form bonds that can never be broken.” As part of National Assisted Living Week, a select group of assisted-living caregivers and programs will be recognized as winners of the 2017 NCAL Awards Program for exemplary service. “We want to recognize these amazing individuals who give their heart and soul to their residents,” said Tittle. This year’s four award winners are de�nitely worthy of recognition. Administrator of the Year: Erin Jones, Executive Director of Emerson House in Portland, Ore. As the executive director of Emerson House (a 55-bed memory care community), Erin Jones has implemented culture change to the satisfaction of the residents, staff and the state survey agency . She has worked in long-term care for over 20 y ears, starting her career in a skilled nursing center while still in high school. Jones helped make Emerson House an ongoing host to medical residents as part of Oregon Health Sciences University’s Medical Student Learning Collaborating on Cognitive Impairment program. In 2016, she was named Administrator of the Year—Community-Based Care by the Oregon Health Care Association. Assisted Living Nurse of the Year: Esther Nederhood, R.N. of Belle Oaks Assisted Living Center in Lake City, Mich. A registered nurse for more than 40 years,

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Phone: 208-743-4558 1014 Burrell Avenue • Lewiston www.prestigecare.com

Thank you to those serving & having served our country

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

A New Era for the Idaho Senior Independent - continued from cover The Hunts plan to carry on the ISI legacy with a mission to “educate, entertain and empower readers.” As Bob says, “Nothing is stopping. It will just be more enhanced, like a fresh coat of paint. We will still focus on stories of interest to mature readers. But we are also excited about empowering this audience with information they need, and that gives advertisers a large benefit to reach this audience in print and online.” One enhancement readers can expect to see in the future is a more developed ISI website with a library of original content and an optimized search engine. Expanding the service side of the newspaper is a prime goal. In particular, the Hunts want to include articles enabling readers to �� navigate topics such as the sometimes dizzy ing world of smartphone apps and social media. “We want to embrace those subjects in a non-threatening way, so readers can adapt to the new technology through life. It’s exciting

to have a platform to help people,” says Bob, who can legitimately claim, “Newspapers are in my blood.” Aside from a brief stint as a real estate agent, Bob’s entire career has been based in the newspaper industry. Starting when he was a kid in Illinois delivering newspapers, it has culminated in taking over the helm of these two Northwest publications. “I have worked as a janitor, reporter and photographer in the press room, in circulation and in advertising. I have a real belief in this business,” says Bob, whose father rose up the ranks to become president of the Chicago Tribune. An accomplished seamstress and gardener, Janet describes herself as, “more of a numbers person.” She handles the accounting for the financial side of the enterprise, along with whatever else requires immediate attention. “We have a team approach to everything and take over from one another when necessary,”

explains Janet. During the couple’s 25-year marriage, they hand-built their home together in a place where they can see starry nights. Not surprisingly , Janet is as actively engaged behind the scenes as Bob is with the more visible editorial, sales and distribution end of things. And in true family fashion, even their daughter Ruth is involved with the new venture, despite her living in the East. “She’ll take over our social media. She can do that from a distance,” says Janet, who regards being a mom as one of her greatest accomplishments. For his part, Bob isn’t ready just yet to name his greatest accomplishment. “I don’t think it’s ever over. I’m always striving to do better and move forward,” he says. “However, we are both proud of this benchmark with MSN and ISI. For us, these newspapers are about the �rst amendment—freedom of speech and freedom of the press. That is a big responsibility, and we take it very seriously.” ISI

Do y ou remember taking y our kids to the doctors? Those long waits made just a little easier by those kids magazines. What was the best part of those magazines? The ��d the hidden items” puzzle of course! Now, thanks to reader, Florence Paxton of Homedale Idaho, you can enjoy one of your own! Thank you to all who participated in our TV Dads Need Love Too quiz in the June/July 2017 issue. The winner of the $25 prize for submitting the correct answers is Ella Gomez of Boise. Congratulations, Ella! Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. One prize goes to the person who submits the winning answers to

the featured quiz from the previous issue. The second prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for this issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! Color in the hidden items and mail y our entries to all contests to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to info@idahoseniorindependent.com by September 15, 2017 for our October/ November 2017 edition. Find the 21 hidden items listed below, then get out the crayons or markers and have some fun!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Accordion Book �� Cherries Clown Dog

7. Flag 8. Football 9. Frog 10. Grapes 11. Ice Cream Cone 12. Kitten

13. Monkey 14. Moon 15. Mouse 16. Owl 17. Ring 18. Rooster

19. Snake 20. Strawberry 21. Umbrella ISI

Answers to TV Dads Need Love Too! Submitted by Melanie Fennell

1. F 2. M 3. U 4. B 5. J

6. Z 7. D 8. O 9. A 10. S

11. H 12. V 13. K 14. E 15. Y

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1960s

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Idaho Senior Independent page 25

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

Life Seems to Get More Expensive as Time Goes on

By Elizabeth Larch The cost of gasoline goes up and with it the prices of transportation and travel. ��pushes costs up, slowly but surely. Items on fast-food menus rise from $1, to a $1.15, to a $1.30. Even if the price doesn’t rise over time, inevitably less product will come in the same package. Beware the 10-pack of frozen burritos that was once a 12-pack. In the world of increasing expense and �� tion, senior discounts in their various forms are �� l because of the savings they bring and the message they send. The age when senior discounts become available varies from business to business: sometimes 55, sometimes 65 and often somewhere in between. Occasionally, businesses post discount information online or in signage on location, but much of the time, one must inquire whether discounts are available, what they are, and who is eligible. When requesting a senior discount, one should generally be prepared with an ID in case age ��tion is needed. At certain establishments, a manager will be required to authorize the discount, so it may take a few extra minutes to pay. Many senior discounts function like a coupon, reducing the price by a certain percentage. This is common with fast-food restaurants, such as with Wendy’s 10-percent discount for individuals 55 or older. The best way to learn about and obtain these discounts is usually to ask about them; sometimes they are not advertised well. Special senior rates are common at establishments that require memberships, such as gyms and national parks. For example, the National Park Service website lists a senior pass available to citizens over 62 for only $10. The pass also provides lower prices for activities within the park. Senior rates can usually be found alongside standard pricing. Some restaurants have senior menus with lighter portions and lower prices. Perkins Restaurant, for example, has a senior menu available to those 55 and older, with pricing as much as $5 below the normal menu prices. Senior menus are usually located at the back of a normal menu, or handed to customers when they are seated. Some establishments do not have senior discounts, but they do offer veteran discounts, which often require a military or veteran’s ID or other proof of service. Such discounts typically take the form of a percentage off the total bill. The reasons a business may have a senior or veteran discount varies, but the discounts and other senior perks all carry the same dual message: An acknowledgement of service and an expression of thankfulness. Seniors have worked or parented or volunteered or helped their friends or provided numerous other services for decades—without recognition. Up until recently, the Internet wasn’t available to answer every question, and apps didn’t exist to provide quick solutions to any problem. Senior discounts recognize that. An age is not just a number, but a representation of days and weeks and months and years of hard work. Senior discounts acknowledge that work, no matter what form it took. By honoring an age group, discounts offer acknowledgement that these individuals have done �� The other message a senior discount sends is distinct from the first. Acknowledgement of accomplishments is one thing, but thankfulness is another. Acknowledgement is being aware somebody works as a doctor; thankfulness is the realization and subsequent gratefulness that a doctor is capable of performing lifesaving surgery. And there is much to be thankful for. The generations we honor with senior discounts pushed us through the 20th Century, taking us from the Industrial Revolution to the Information Age. It was not an easy time. The U.S. was involved in ��y wars during the 20th century, and much of that time was overshadowed by the Cold War. But through it all, today’s senior citizens didn’t stop raising their kids or doing their jobs or helping their friends, and we now feel the effects of that. Medical technology, transportation and computers improved rapidly, and Americans now have easier lives because senior citizens made that progress back when progress wasn’t as easy. The 10 percent a senior saves on food, or the money they save on a gym membership, is a gift—a small token of thanks—from businesses that appreciate the �� nce of what seniors have contributed throughout their lives. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

R U O Y GET

SEN

C S I D

The 1

ACROSS 1. Diamond corners 6. CA’s Santa ___ winds 9. At what time? 13. Music to a performer’s ears 14. Yes move 15. Eurasian goat-like antelope 16. *”The ____ Burnett Show” 17. Number in a pair 18. #10 Down, pl. 19. *”Beach Party” garb 21. *Kind of 1960s “invasion” 23. Tokyo, pre-1868 24. *Wilder in 1968’s “The Producers” 25. “Gross!” 28. 9th letter of Greek alphabet 30. Changes 35. High part of day 37. Narcotics agent 39. Donor recipient 40. Musical finale 41. Imprison 43. Funeral cloth

44. MC Hammer’s “Too ____ to Quit” album 46. Command: “At ____!” 47. Popular acronym in education 48. Attractive to look at 50. Clarified butter 52. Greek H 53. Wise old man 55. Beaver’s construction 57. *Civil Rights Act of 1964 signee 61. *Six-Day War nation 64. *Maker of “Mouse Trap” board game 65. Elbow rest 67. Exemplary 69. Mosquito - ____ disease 70. “The Old Man and the ____” 71. Ivy Mike, e.g. 72. Son of Aphrodite 73. Expression of doubt 74. Affirmatives

D 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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1960s © Statepoint Media

DOWN 1. *Home to “Doctor Who” starting in 1963 2. United ____ Emirates 3. Rani’s dress 4. Call forth 5. Forward slashes 6. ____perspirant 7. *Betty Friedan’s org. 8. Acrobat maker 9. *Beatles song on “Rubber Soul” 10. Audiophile’s praise 11. Shining armor 12. *Crosby, Stills & ____ 15. Protection from a sword 20. Nary a soul 22. Ribonucleic acid 24. Waste basket contents 25. *”The Man from ____” 26. Soft and sticky 27. ____podge 29. Wild no more 31. Bests

PAGE 21

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32. Related on mother’s side 33. Find new tenant 34. *Point of origin of Alabama marches 36. Lack of guile 38. *Folsom State Prison visitor 42. Orchestra section 45. Disorderly fight 49. ____-tzu 51. Like a smell of soil 54. Grind teeth 56. Not yes, nor no 57. Be compatible 58. Wafting output 59. Life saver 60. Grannies 61. Allah’s cleric 62. “Iliad,” e.g. 63. Tart garnish 66. Dream time 68. *”The Munsters” network

Senior Discounts is the New Centerfold

You may notice some interesting new developments with the changing of the guard here at the Idaho Senior Independent headquarters, and we want to ensure a smooth transition for our readers as well as for our advertisers. While we intend to deliver a product that continues to �� the expectations of our audience, (we don’t want to shake anything up…too much), over the next few issues you may spot occasional evidence of this transition in the content of the paper. Because change can be good, right? One new feature our staff is very excited about is splayed out before you, here, in the center spread—in the heart—of our publication. We are proud to introduce Senior Discounts, a collection of coupons for the golden-agers, who deserve a few perks here and there. Our advertisers deserve a few perks on occasion as well. That’s why we are offering advertisers a match for the discounts they provide in the coupons you see listed here. In other words, businesses offering a 50-percent Senior Discount coupon in this section will see a 50-percent discount on the purchasing price for the ad space. That’s the kind of centerfold anyone can get behind! ISI

PAGE 22

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Home & Garden

HOW TO SPRUCE UP YOUR GARDEN WITH BIRD SAFETY IN MIND

(StatePoint) The average residential property can be hazardous to local wildlife without proper precautions taken. An estimated 98 million birds die annually in the U.S. when colliding with windows, according to Western Ecosystems Technology, making your home a potential death trap during migratory season. You can take steps to protect the birds whose ��y paths traverse your yard and offer them a safe place to rest and feed, adding natural beauty for your garden. Start by making glass visible to birds by applying safety decals to window exteriors every few feet. Remember sliding glass doors as well. Maintain the look of your home, and your view by using decals that are unobtrusive to the human eye, but contain a component that r� ects ultraviolet sunlight. Those from WindowAlert have proven in studies to be effective visual barriers that only birds can see, particularly when combined with WindowAlert

UV Liquid, a gel that can be applied between decals for greater protection. Because the UV re�’ ctivity may fade over time based on exposure, replace the decals every four months, and reapply the liquid every three months. If you want migratory birds to stay awhile, you may want to consider to avoid using pesticides that kill insects, which are a natural food source for birds. A strategically placed bird feeder can provide nourishment and energy to hungry birds. Ideally, bird feeders should be placed in bushes and trees, well away from where prey may be lurking. If you own cats, you should also be mindful of their danger to birds, and monitor your feline’s time spent outdoors, ensuring they don’t hunt our feathered friends. More tips for turning your yard into a safe haven for birds can be found at windowalert. com. ISI

Top Down Tips for Enhancing Your Home’s Curb Appeal

By StatePoint Media The power of curb appeal should not be underestimated. A whopping 99 percent of National Association of Realtors members believe it’s important in attracting a buyer. August is National Curb Appeal Month and the perfect time for homeowners to make upgrades. Whether repairs enhance form, function or both, homeowners should select projects that will improve quality of life now and add value when it comes time to sell. To take a top-down approach, start with the roof. You can get 68.8 percent of your cost recouped from this investment when reselling a mid-ranged priced home, according to the “2017 Cost Versus Value Study” from Remodeling Magazine. Plus, it’s a big impact

project with long-lasting value, especially if you choose low maintenance, high-quality materials. For example, the composite slate and shake roof offerings at DaVinci Roofscapes are durable and impact- and �e-resistant. To view colors or customize your own blend, visit www. davinciroofscapes.com/color/designer. Don’t neglect garage doors. Styles, surface treatments, colors and other options can vary considerably, so be sure you’re boosting curb appeal when making this upgrade. For example, the American Tradition Series at Haas Door can give your home a carriage house look. Use HaasCreate, the online visualizer tool available at Haascreate.com to upload a photo of your home and compare options visually. It also offers a 76.9 percent return on investment, according to the “Cost Versus Value” study. To make life more comfortable indoors, consider installing acrylic block or decorative glass privacy windows in living spaces, bathrooms and hallways. For simple installation, consider Hy-Lite, which offers pre-framed, ready-to-install options, as well as the opportunity to ��y some products to meet ��tions. Boost beauty by adding shutters, along with decorative trim to doors and windows.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 Be sure products are moisture-, insect- and rot-resistant, so they don’t prove to be more trouble than they’re worth. Low maintenance polyurethane options, such as the thousands of pieces available from Nu-Wood, replicate the look and feel of wood and are easy to install. Don’t forget any columns you may have on your porch or front of your home. For long-term

beauty and performance, use sturdy products that are structurally certified. For example, the sturdy posts from Woodtone RealPost are manufactured from premium selected Western SPF (spruce, pines and �� and are warranted against warping, twisting and joint separation. Accent walls are not just for interiors. Manufactured stone veneer siding can be an

PAGE 23 attractive way to boost curb appeal and add value to a home. Indeed, you can recoup an estimated 89.4 percent of the cost of this investment when reselling your home. Surround a chimney wall exterior, half wall or wainscot application. For an easy-to-install option, look at the mortarless styles and colors available by ClipStone. ISI

Tatting Relaxes Diane Wilson as She Creates Delicate Decor By Dianna Troyer With cotton thread wrapped around a tiny hand-held shuttle, Diane Wilson makes countless knots, combining them into a series of chains and rings to create lace, ornaments, wall hangings, dresser covers and even curtains. “Tatting is really relaxing,” says the Mackay resident of the centuriesold art that is resurging in popularity with tatting clubs forming in cities. “It’s appealing because it helps people practice mindfulness and to simply be in the present moment. When you’re tatting, you forget about everything else going on in your life. It’s popular, too, because it’s inexpensive and can be done anywhere.” An alternative to electronic pastimes, tatting offers an immediate and tangible �� tion, she says. “Getting back to the home arts and creating something beautiful in an evening is really satisfying,” says Diane, who can tat a 2-inch diameter Christmas ornament in about three hours. “People tell me they really appreciate getting a handmade gift like this.” Her sister had an unusual request. “She wanted me to make tatted curtains for the windows on her boat.” Diane learned to tat in 1990 when she and her husband, Dave, were living in Lompoc, Calif. “I saw some tatted pieces and thought they looked really cool and knew I wanted to be able to do that. I asked around until I found someone who would give me a few lessons.” After taking three to four lessons, Diane began reading patterns and learned how to combine the chains and rings into round and square motifs. “At the time, I was a house mother at a residential treatment facility,

so when there was a lull during the evenings, I practiced tatting.” Years later, when she and Dave owned and operated a motel in Missouri, Diane tatted snowflakes, starched them, and hung them from the ��L Diane, 68, says tatting for more than two decades has helped keep ��L “You really have to concentrate with tatting because the patterns are �� lways counting.” Along with patterns of rings and chains, gaps can be left between stitches to form a picot, a French word meaning a small loop. Centuriesold French instruction manuals are among the oldest documents describing tatting patterns. Historically, tatting traces its origins to ��nets made of cord tied into knots. Eventually the techniques were ��among European weav��d to tat decorative edgings for clothing. Diane’s tatting impressed judges at the Custer County Fair, where she won a blue ribbon a few years ago. She has given lessons, so others can understand the joy of tatting. “I’m happy to get someone started, but you have to set aside time with no distractions to really learn.” Tatting supplies are inexpensive, she says. The thread of varying thicknesses and colors can be purchased at fabric or craft stores. “I like the DMC brand of thread. It’s a cotton pearl thread, so it’s made to slide, which you can make so many beautiful things, and it’s just fun,” she says. “I joke that tatting keeps me out of the malls and off the streets. It’s great for people who are looking for a sense of calmness in their lives and who want to quiet their minds for a few hours.” ISI

Why Sew? By Frances, Tabor, A-1 Vacuum & Sewing If you are an avid quilter, enjoy creating modern thread art or are thrilled with designing your own clothes, “Why Sew?” is the silliest question ever. Sewing is fun! Too many people haven’t learned how fun and creative modern sewing is, or how much easier it is than it was when we were little. Once, everyone needed to mend clothing, because low-cost clothes didn’t exist. Today, cheap mass-produced clothing is readily available. Mass-produced home decorations abound. What is not readily available are the truly personal touches that say, “This is my home” or “This is my style” or “This is a special gift from me to someone I love.” Today’s modern sewing machines make it easy to personalize everything in your home. Want to create themed kitchen appliance covers? Pick or create your own embroidery design. With your modern sewing machine,

embroider that design on every cover and even on your kitchen curtains. Want to make holidays special? Quilted placemats. Want to personalize a baby blanket? Embroider the name and date, or perhaps a short poem, on it. People who create, who have an artistic outlet, are calmer, happier people. Creativity is a fountain of youth for the brain. When we create, our mind focuses on problem solving. When you constantly ask yourself questions like, “Which color choice will make this design POP?” or “Which fabrics will go with this panel to turn it into a larger quilt?” or “Should I put special �ller in my table runner, so it can double as a long hot pad?” you are telling yourself you have good ideas and can make the world a better place. You can pat yourself on the back for creating beauty and for becoming an empowered problem solver.

Frontier women bonded during quilting bees. Modern Idaho women bond together in quilt guilds. Quilt guilds offer opportunities for experienced women to share their life-long love of sewing with their younger sisters. Young women who have never threaded a needle are discovering the beauty and personalization of sewing. Modern fabric features everything from Wonder Woman to infants, from grizzly bears to kittens. Today, quilt themes are personalized. Why sew? Modern sewing is not a chore, needing to get done. It is art, waiting to wake up your soul! Idaho has over 40 quilt guilds. If you want to learn how much fun you can have sewing, or if you have sewing knowledge to share and seek opportunities to make new, lasing bonds, check them out. Just look up “Idaho quilt guilds” online. ISI

Support Your Local Quilt Shops

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

PAGE 24

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Updates to Transform Your New House into Your Dream Home By StatePoint Media Congratulations, you’ve purchased a home! Now what? You’ve saved a million ideas on Pinterest, and you’re ready to start making improvements. But how do you prioritize to make the most of your money? Consider these simple upgrades to transform your new house into your dream home. Update Lighting Cost: $10 (box of light bulbs) - $300 (new �� Benefits: Brightens the room, enhances ambience, increa�� Let there be light! There are several ways to make a room feel brighter. Start with something quick, like swapping out bulbs to brighter or more �� choices. For a mid-level task and a dose of style, add new lampshades. Or go big by replacing outdated ��ures with on-trend options. Find a Better Faucet Cost: $150 - $500 Benefits: Boosts home appeal, improves kitchen functionality. One in five millennials say they want to update their kitchen, according to Moen research, and a simple faucet upgrade can be impactful. Replacing a basic kitchen faucet with a one-handle pulldown, like Moen’s Sleek faucet, creates a clean, modern look while adding functionality that makes cleanup a breeze, thanks to the easy-to-maneuver spray wand. Equipped with Power Clean technology,

it provides more spray power while containing splash, which means faster cleanup for toughto-rinse foods. Install a Kitchen Backsplash Cost: $125 - $250 (varies based on materials and if paying a pro) Ben��: Creates a focal point, protects walls from cooking splatter, prevents water damage. If your new kitchen has the blahs, a fresh backsplash may be the solution. In addition to protective and easy-to-clean qualities, a backsplash provides many customization possibilities, from material and color to cost. Options could be glass mosaics, salvaged brick, or even peel-and-stick tile for easy installation (hello afternoon project). Replace Your Showerhead Cost: $75 - $150 ��Offers personalization, adds style, enhances daily routine. New to DIY? Replacing a showerhead is an easy way to get your feet wet—pun intended! Whether trying to save water with a �� fixture or updating something out of style, swapping showerheads can be done in minutes. For ultimate customization, try a multi-function showerhead like Moen’s Attract combination handshower and rainshower with Magnetix, which provides three showering options for your perfectly personalized shower every time. Plus, the magnetic dock on the handshower makes re-docking a snap. Add a Coat of Paint

Cost: $25 - $60 ��n instant makeover. Whether your space is screaming for a makeover (mustard walls, anyone?), or you’re itching to try new trends, a coat of paint makes a big impact. Try creating an accent wall with a pop of color or fun —it’s a smaller project that’s ea��L Maximize Space with Shelves Cost: $10 - $45 �� ximizes space, revamps walls. With practice and the right tools, installing shelving is an inexpensive project to help better use space. Creative ways to add storage include installing ��y shelves for books or adding �� Coordinate Accessories Cost: $20 - $40 ��Creates a consistent look, easy to install. Create a cohesive look throughout your home with coordinating accessories. Choose hardware matching in color and style with the existing ��sink and ��y to achieve a sophisticated feel from top to bottom. Easy-toinstall accessories, like towel bars and rings with Moen’s innovative Press & Mark technology, ensure fast and accurate installation. Accessories with the technology have a washable ink stamp to show exactly where to drill (perfect for novice DIYers). ISI

Before Buying a Home, Learn the Lingo! By StatePoint Media Buying a home for the �� time? You may discover that one of the biggest obstacles is learning the lingo. Homebuying can be overwhelming and perhaps a bit intimidating if you aren’t familiar with the terminology. To help aspiring homeowners gain ��”dence in the home-buying process, the experts at Freddie Mac are sharing a guide with some

top terms you’ll hear. • Pre-approval letter. A letter from your lender telling you how much home you can afford and the maximum amount you are qua�� to borrow. Having a pre-approval letter while shopping can help you move faster and with �� • Appraisal. After you make an offer on a home, your lender will order an appraisal to

get a professional opinion on its value. This is a necessary step in getting �� secured, as it validates the worth to you and your lender. • Closing costs. In addition to a home’s price, a buyer must pay “closing costs.” This is the cost to complete the real estate transaction. This includes points, taxes, title insurance, �nancing costs, items that must be prepaid or escrowed and other costs. Closing costs are generally two �� • Escrow. The holding of money or documents by a neutral third party before closing, escrow can also refer to an account held by the lender or servicer into which a homeowner pays taxes and insurance. • Mortgage rate. The interest rate you pay to borrow money for your house. The lower, the better. • Fixed-rate mortgages. A mortgage with an interest rate that doesn’t change during the term of the loan, and is typically 15 or 30 years. • APR. The annual percentage rate, commonly referred to as “APR,” is a broader measure of your cost for borrowing money and includes the interest rate, points, broker fees and other credit charges you’ll be required to pay. Because these costs are rolled in, the APR is usually higher than your interest rate. • Credit Score. A number ranging from 350 to 800 based on an analysis of your credit ��

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 Your score plays a ��role when securing a mortgage, as it helps lenders determine the likelihood that you’ll repay future debts. The higher your score, the more options that may be available to you, including lower interest rates. • Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). If you make a down payment of less than 20 percent on your conventional loan, your lender will require PMI. PMI serves as an added insurance policy protecting the lender if you’re unable to pay your mortgage, and it can be cancelled from your payment once you reach 20 percent equity in your home.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT Hear a term not included or confused by some of the processes? Check out Freddie Mac’s myhome.freddiemac.com for everything home buying and be sure to follow the Freddie Mac’s Homebuying Season Blog Series at freddiemac.com/blog. “Homebuying speak can seem like an entirely new language, especially for ��y homebuyers. Before entering the market, it’s helpful to learn key phrases and terminology so you can be a confident, savvy shopper,” says Mike Dawson, Vice President of Single-Family at Freddie Mac. ISI

PAGE 25

All About Weather

Puzzle On Page 7 of the June/July Issue

The Runaway’s Right Of Passage Elizabeth Larch I live in the sort of place you run away to. It’s a safe place—mountains in each direction, providing nooks and crannies into which you could disappear and never be found. People come here to escape the cities, the tra�� the pollution, the crime. The little valley isn’t without it’s problems, but I know it’s worse outside, because people keep coming here to seek refuge, and if they can survive a winter or two, they stay. When I was little, a runaway llama that lived up the road wound up across the street. It was a runaway. Runaways were the horses that left their paddock for greener pastures. They would often be found near a neighbor’s pasture, neighing in greeting, as if asking if they could come in. Runaways were the cats that would disappear for weeks, the neighbor’s disappearing dog. Later on, in two separate, unrelated incidents, the runaway was a disgruntled younger sibling escaping a situation controlled by an older sibling when their parents were not home. Somehow, my family was indirectly involved with both—in one case as a source of transport, in another a source of a landline telephone. As I got older, college began to feature in conversations with peers. A mantra began to appear. “I have got to get out of here.” They are now ��the mountains their pa�� “I really don’t want to stay at the community college.” They don’t want to stay a moment longer than necessary. One girl even attributed another girl’s health problems and depression to living in this area. “She’s got to get out of this town.” And so the children complete the circle begun by the parents, or grandparents, or whatever ancestor decided to go West, to this last best place. They leave the hiding place, �� L I don’t understand what it is that draws people from this ring of hills. The very cities, perhaps, that parents ��LThe oceans that the parents gave up. The culture and variety that the parents abandoned. Abandoned for safety. Maybe this is necessary—a generational rite of passage. Maybe the next generation will return to the hiding place their grandparents chose. Maybe some people just need to run from what their parents ran to. Once, the American colonies were a destination for runaways. Not all colonists, but many, left Britain seeking fortune or leaving tyranny. Running away. Then the West became a vast, empty area, and people escaped from the industrial East

to carve out a fortune for themselves from the prairies and mountains, from farmlands and gold mines. And now, people are still running, still hiding themselves from the lives they left to start something new. Maybe, as I continue to grow up along with my generation, they’ll start saying different things. Things like “I don’t want my kids to attend the schools here.” “I don’t want my kids to grow up here.” “I want to move somewhere safer.” Maybe the adventure seekers who once felt the mountains pressing in on them will return to feel the mountains protecting them. Shaky promises of gold and farmland moved America from one coast to another. Now different forces wash people across the land, but we remain a culture eager to be uprooted, a people still seeking new lives in new places, seeking adventure or fortune, or later, security. It doesn’t matter if they return or not. The younger siblings both did. The horses and llama returned. Some of the cats never made it home, though. The place I live will always see its share of runaways–within it, into it, out of it. And all of them will learn that leaving a place and its ��y is not the same as leaving the dif�� They will all grow up. ISI

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MCINTOSH FAMILY BRINGING WINE BACK AT wine producing region around 1872. Art talked LINDSAY CREEK WINERY of that early history and how well they did. By Jack McNeel In fact, those early wine makers were making Most people won’t remember that Lewiston world-class wine and winning in competition was once as noted for wine production as the at such events as the Chicago and New York wine region in California. This was before the World Expositions. Sunny Slope area in southwestern Idaho or the Conditions haven’t changed, and Art pointed Willamette Valley of Washington got going. Then out that Lewiston is about the same latitude prohibition struck, and wineries disappeared, a as such noted wine countries as France and thing of the past. Recent years have again seen Germany. So why shouldn’t this area still proa reversal, and brothers Art and Doug McIntosh, duce great wine? 4th-generation, dry-land wheat farmers, have The McIntosh brothers and their wives, established a vineyard and winery on ancestral Michelle and Brenda, toured wineries and found property overlooking Lindsay Creek. that this northwest region produced wines that Their ancestors four generations earlier could compete any where. In 2007, with each had arrived via Canada and settled in this area brother near 50, around 1900. They they purchased immediately went their � st plants, into wheat farmjust 150, and ing. Art and Doug mostly Bordeaux. still run the large That soon exwhite wheat farm panded into adand have a smaller ditional plants organic section as and other ty pes well, mostly hard of wine. Today red spring wheat, they have 12 acres which covers 100 in viney ards and acres. “It’s the buy additional high end, high grapes, enough protein wheat, that last year they bread wheat,” Art Photo By Jackie McNeel produced close explained. They to 2000 cases of have their own stone mill, also organically wine. “This year we’re hoping to double or triple �� that,” Art commented. The vineyards started about a dozen years The men signed up for classes at Washington ago. “It was a way of diversifying. Besides, Doug State University to better understand the nuand I have always liked wine.” They had been ances of wine making, such as ty pes of soils, watching the viney ard development around environment, water, plus the chemistry of Walla Walla and were impressed with the ability actually producing the wine from grapes. Art to raise wine grapes in the midst of wheat. His received a ��te in the wine-making area thought was, “if they could make it work, we while Doug focused on the various aspects of could make it work.” And they have. growing the grapes. According to the Idaho Wine Commission, In 2013, they built the winery building and the �� grapes planted in Idaho were grown in crushed their initial 18 tons of grapes. Lewiston in 1864. The area grew into a successful They produce a variety of wines, which

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include cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux, merlot and petit sera, all reds, but they also make white wines as well, and riesling is one of their topselling whites. Asked about the success of Lindsay Creek wines in competition with other vineyards, Art responded, “We’ve won some very big competitions.” The most recent such event was the San Francisco Chronicle wine competition. “Our merlot took best of class in its price range and beat about 400 other wines. The price range was about $22. That wine sold out within three or four days of the announcement of its success. It didn’t take long to get rid of it.” He explained they still had more of that wine but didn’t have more bottles for it. So they combined it with a cabernet sauvignon, another prize-winning wine that they also had on hand, and came up with a new name. “It’s our own whimsical name. We called it ‘Irresponsibility.’ It has a picture of someone poking a bear with a stick. That’s irresponsible! We’re just trying to have a little fun with it and wanted something a little more whimsical.” The plan is to produce a wine each y ear, likely a blend of grapes, and again name it “Irresponsibility .” It won’t be the same as this y ear—just a fun blend that will have its own label. “Next y ear we may show a canoe going over a waterfall or something else that’s

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 irresponsible. Our trademark will be that we have an irresponsible wine, something new and something fresh,” he laughed. The winery building sits in the middle of one of their wheat ��L It’s just outside Lewiston on the hill with total privacy. From the winery one can look down toward Lindsay Creek, which drains into the Clearwater. That’s how the winery got its name: Lindsay Creek Winery. Visitors to the winery can try samples of wine along with light hors d’oeuvres. It’s a short 15-minute drive from downtown Lewiston. “Our demographics are mostly female at the winery,” Art said. “We tend to have more ladies than we do men, but here in the winery, we do have beer on tap, as well as wine, for customers who want

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT either a glass of wine or glass of beer, and they can sit in our tasting room or out on our patio to enjoy it.” The location is beautiful, and the building is beautifully designed and decorated. It’s becoming a favorite location for weddings, bridal showers, birthdays and other events. One room will hold 100 visitors, and a smaller room maxes out at 54. And then there’s the attractive outside patio with a view. “People come out with low expectations and are really impressed. That’s what we’re looking for, that ‘wow’ factor.” If you visit Lewiston and enjoy wine, it should be added to your “to do” list. Lindsay Creek Winery offers some online sales, but most of its wine is sold locally in the

PAGE 27 Lewiston/Clarkston area or around Pullman and Moscow. They recently hired a marketer to aid in sales. “He goes to restaurants and stores and has helped with our distribution locally. It was something I didn’t know anything about,” Art said. “So this gentleman is out beating the bushes and selling wine. Now we’re in most of the restaurants in the valley and most of the stores. We also sell in Sandpoint and to Beverly’s Restaurant at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. It’s also carried by Super 1 grocery stores. At this time, Lindsay Creek Winery doesn’t have a distributor but will add that position as production increases. The hope is to expand the vineyards a bit as sales increase. The future looks good. ISI

Linwood Laughy— Educator, Historian, and Now Environmentalist

By Jack McNeel Linwood Laughy has lived a truly unique life and, along with his wife Borg Hendrickson, has accomplished remarkable achievements in the �� of education and history, and more recently in the protection of natural areas. But let’s start with his early days. As a y oungster, he moved to the Lewiston Orchards with his parents in 1948. “It was a great life for a kid,” he reminisced. “We had ground to roam on and commercial apple and cherry trees. We raised two pigs a year and had a milk cow and a big garden. It was a really healthy life.” It likely established his lifelong interest in natural areas and perhaps in history as well. The family was not rich, but Laughy was able to attend college as a Harvard National Scholar, where Harvard paid for everything. He laughed as he said that Harvard was the cheapest college he could go to. He later earned master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology and counseling from the University of Montana. Despite his professional training, “I never practiced psychology,” he commented. “I love wild places and started teaching in villages in Alaska.” He spent about 19 years there, off and on, and at one time was the president of a community college that served 56 Yup’ik Eskimo villages. His last Alaska position was in Sitka, where he was superintendent of Alaska’s state boarding school. “I was the father for 200 teenagers,” he laughed. “There were 12 different cultures, and over 70 percent of the seniors every year went on to college.” In 1965, he and his parents bought property on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater. This region contains much history of the Nez Perce Tribe and also the Lewis and Clark Expedition. After leaving Alaska for good, he and Borg studied that history, becoming experts in those subjects. This led to two major aspects of their lives. They coauthored a book called “Clearwater Country! The Traveler’s Historical and Recreational Guide,” a mile-by-mile description of the Lewis and Clark route with Nez Perce history, �� and fauna, etc. A second book entitled “In Pursuit of the Nez Perces” followed. It views the Nez Perce War from the perspective of three different writers, all written within three years of the war. “Then I got a little crazy and wrote a historical novel called, “The Fifth Generation, A Nez Perce Tale.” Over the years, sales of these and his other published titles totaled 120,000 books. During that time, Linwood and Borg started

a guide service, which introduced visitors to the Lewis and Clark Trail and local history. Lin served as an interpretive guide and led four-day trips between Missoula and Oro�no over the Lolo Trail. Most visitors were Heritage Tourists, 65 to 75. These trips operated with a camp tender and a cook. Visitors traveled in a van, walking three to �ve miles a day to special sites. The couple also AFH conducted six-day Elderhostel groups, and Lin provided one- and two-day coach trips for travel companies, such as Lindblad Expeditions. Imagination is more In every case, Linwood and Borg refused to do important that knowledge. any trips where visitors weren’t on the ground - Albert Einstein at least 50 percent of the time. “It was not a drive-through thing,” he explained. “Being on the ground is where the magic lies, and most of these sites are almost the same as they were 200 y ears ago. Most of our trips we called ‘Lewis and Clark in Nez Perce Country.’” Their guests over 12 y ears numbered more than 5,400 from all over the U.S. “We enjoy ed this part of our lives and found the experience meaningful.” Lin added. In 2010, a lifechanging event happened, which occupied Linwood and Borg almost non-stop for the next three LOCATED IN LEWISTON IDAHO y ears. They termed it, “Fighting Goliath.” It involved stopping a plan to convert the Wild and Scenic River As a top rated facility, we offer a wide range of care corridor along Highway for residents including independent living, assisted 12 into a permanent, living, & memory / dementia care. heavy -haul truck route for giant loads of oil equipment manufactured in Asia PET FRIENDLY • HOMEY ATMOSPHERE and bound for the Alberta tar sands. “That’s all we did for three y ears of our 2421 Vineyard Ave. Lewiston, ID 83501 lives, eight to ten hours TM

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PAGE 28 a day. That was a hell of a ��t, and it’s still going on,” Linwood related. “We were not just �ghting big oil, but we were fighting the governor, state legislature and Idaho transportation department. I did much of the required research, while Borg created a powerful website and provided up to 72 reporters with breaking news and documentation. We took reporters from the L.A. Times and New York Times and Calgary Herald and Canadian Broadcasting along the route and did hours of radio interviews. It was crazy!” “We soon had strong support from friends and neighbors, then Idaho conservation groups. National organizations were next to get involved, along with activists in Montana and the Nez Perce Tribe. Together, thousands of individuals and dozens of organizations ground the transport plan to a halt.” The U.S. Forest Service �nally agreed that mega-loads weren’t appropriate because of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. When a heavyhaul trucking company tried to bring a load through anyway in August 2015, the Nez Perce physically blocked the highway. More legal

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action followed and resulted in a favorable federal court injunction. “I feel quite good it’s pretty well wrapped up, but there’s no bow on the package yet,” Linwood added. Linwood and Borg love the natural world and the upper Clearwater in particular, “but we weren’t environmental activists until the mega-load issue,” he said. “We learned a lot in that process. All of this led me to the issues involved with the lower Snake River dams. Freight transport is down more than 50 percent over the past 20 years. About the only thing shipped on the river anymore is wheat, with grain shipments themselves down 45 percent. Meanwhile, the costs for maintaining navigation keep climbing. The lower Snake River dams produce less than 4 percent of the Pa�� Northwest’s energy and only 6.5 percent of its hydropower. Wind energy produces nearly three times as much power as all four lower Snake River dams combined. We’re running with a 15 percent surplus of energy, and the Pa��c Northwest Council says that surplus will stay in place into the next 20 years. We don’t need to replace the power if dams were removed.”

Combined with navigation and power issues, anadromous � h passage is greatly impacted. Adult ��y have trouble getting past the dams as they swim upriver to spawn, then young �� get lost in the reservoirs on their downriver migration. “All those trends argue that dams need to go out,” he said. This involvement with environmental issues in recent years has led to Linwood now being the Board Chair for Advocates for the West. This organization, headquartered in Boise, has board members from such communities as Boulder, Colo., San Francisco, Portland, Hailey and Boise. Advocates focus on making sure agencies follow the law and do what they’re supposed to do with respect to water quality and air quality and protecting special places like wilderness, wildand-scenic rivers and national monuments. Advocates’ six lawyers provide pro-bono work for 34 partner organizations. “Our legal success rate is about 85 percent,” Lin explained. “I’m pleased to be working with such a high-quality organization, which does so much for public interest,” he added. ISI

The Pitfalls of Perks By Sam Beeson The words cut me to the quick. I was crestfallen. Saddened. Heartbroken even. How could someone so innocent be so cruel? How could she hurt me so? What did I ever do to her? What a big meanie. I remember the words very clearly: “Do you need help to your car with your groceries?” Ouch. When did it start looking like I needed help carrying a few bags of groceries to my car? Was it the Centrum Silver? The Metamucil? The Ensure? Surely it wasn’t me.

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But in reality, it was me. One hundred percent me. When I reached my mid-50s, someone told me I could start getting a senior discount at the movies. So, for the next few months, every time I went to the movies, I was sure to ask for my senior discount. And every time, I got it. “This growing old thing has some perks after all,” I told myself as I watched those poor younger suckers in line paying twice what I had just paid. Now it was my time. I reveled in it. (I’m old enough to remember when I was outraged when movie prices jumped up to ��y dollars a ��I swore I’d never go to another movie with such robbery at the box of� e. My boycott lasted until exactly the next blockbuster came out. Now, a ��movie seems quaint. Nostalgic. I don’t even come close to that price with my senior discount. But I digress.) And then it happened. One day, while standing in a bit of a line at the theater, I passed the time looking at the price schedule that my fellow movie goers—the youngsters—were paying. And I saw it. The senior discount wasn’t intended for the mid-50s. I was a good seven years away yet for such a perk! I never lost sleep worrying that I had been “ripping off” the movie theaters. But what did give me reason to toss and turn in bed was the fact that during all of this time, I was innocently scamming these movie theaters, nary a single time was I asked to prove that I was 62. Not…a... single…time! So what does that tell me? It doesn’t say that I looked like a distinguished senior. It doesn’t say that I carried myself as a somewhat hip

and stylish older gentleman. Nope. It told me simply that, to the 20-somethings behind the ��window, I looked old enough to be their grandfather. I’m not even a grandfather in real life! As I got to the box-o�” ce window, I said sheepishly, “One adult, please.” “Senior discount?” the pimply-faced punk behind the counter asked. Ouch. So here I am now, still on the youngish side of a movie discount and being asked by a teen-ish young lady if I need help carrying my groceries to the car. “I think I can manage,” I fumbled, trying to sound both gracious and indignant at the same time, but only sounding confused and senile instead. The young girl smiled (the way I picture she smiles at her non-hip, non-stylish grandfather when he tries to do something his age should prohibit), and I headed off to somehow manage. I’m not a frail-looking person. I’m stocky (I said “stocky” not “portly”). I bowl on two to three leagues. I walk over a mile every day and take the stairs whenever practical (as long as it is not more than three ��I’m not insane after all). Even with a critical eye pointed at myself, I don’t think I look like I need help with a cart full of groceries…Metamucil notwithstanding. So, when I reached down to pick up a case of bottled water that was conveniently placed by the teen girl on the lowest, bulk-hauling section of the cart and felt my back give out, I persevered. That night, while soaking in a hot bath after taking a non-life-threatening overdose of Tylenol, I considered my victory over the groceries and made a mental note. Tap water pretty much tastes good enough for me. ISI

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PAGE 29

Plan Ahead For Positive Medical Visits

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6. Change of clothes and a plastic bag for physician overseeing your relative’s care. Also, inform staff of any tests or follow-up appointsoiled garments. 7. Facial tissues and hand sanitizer (travel ments that are scheduled or require booking. size). If a referral is being made to another healthcare professional, ensure you are clear about his 8. Medical insurance information. 9. List of all health conditions and medica- or her name, area of expertise, location, and the tions, including dosages and frequency of use. purpose of the consultation. If your relative is being booked for a test, in10. List of questions and concerns. 11. Note pad and pen to record information quire about the typical amount of time involved and whether special preparation is required. and instructions. 12. Cell phone (ensure it’s sufficiently When You Get Home Note any further consultations or tests on charged) or coins for a pay phone in case you your calendar right away. Attach appointment need to get in touch with someone. 13. Reading material or other diversionary cards with a paper clip, so you have phone items—crossword puzzles or personal music numbers handy should you have any questions player, for example—to keep your relative or need to reschedule. Keep any forms or information sheets pleasantly occupied during waiting periods. you’ve been given in a labeled ��y folder, for Bring something for yourself, too. When You Arrive easy access. Make use of hand sanitizers at building and Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior ��nces. If it’s your �� time in the building, orient health matters. She has extensive personal experiyourself. Consult any layout plans or directories, ence with elder care. ISI typically found by main entrances. Find out where washrooms are located, and whether there’s a cafeteria or a coffee stand for purchasing drinks and snacks. The latter is good to know for future visits. Have health insurance information ready when you check in at the of��y or clinic. Let the receptionist know of any special needs your relative may have – for example, behavioral issues that may be exacerbated by noise or a long wait. Also advise of special circumstances – for example, if your relative has another appointment Directly from our Montana Warehouse in the building or elseYOU CAN PURCHASE OUR CBD PRODUCTS AT WHOLESALE PRICING! where, such that time tana Mon • 100% organic, lab tested in d is a concern. • CBD is non-psychoactive Before You Leave (meaning it doesn’t make you feel high) If your relative re• CBD is legal in all 50 states sides in a care facility, • No special card is needed ask the healthcare proto purchase A simple internet search vider to make a brief will show the overwhelming benefits of CBD. CBD has been featured on: note regarding any findings, recommendations, and plans. CBD-rich Hemp provides a legal ONLINE: MONTANADIRECTBUY.COM This is important alternative to medical marijuana, EMAIL: INFO@MONTANADIRECTBUY.COM information for you

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By Lisa M. Petsche When the relative you are caring for must attend a medical appointment, planning is crucial, especially if they have special healthcare needs. You need to be prepared not only for the appointment itself, but also for the travel and wait time involved. Follow the tips below to minimize stress and maximize success. Before You Go If accessible transportation is required, book it well in advance and don’t schedule anything else on the appointment day. If you are driving to an unfamiliar location, call in advance to get directions and information about parking options. Also inquire about the accessibility of the premises in terms of parking, entrances, washrooms, and whether wheelchairs are available. Complete any forms received at a previous appointment or by mail—for example, questionnaires or pre-appointment medical paperwork. Review any literature received in advance regarding how to prepare for the appointment and what to expect. Ensure your relative wears ��” ng, breathable clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Layer garments to make it easy to adapt to warm or cool temperatures. If the weather is inclement or you are anxious about parking, plan to take a taxi so you and your relative can be dropped off and picked up at the medical building’s entrance. Make a list of everything to bring along. Read on for items you may want to include. What To Bring 1. Tickets for accessible transportation, disabled parking permit, parking pass or s��ent money for parking lot fees. 2. Mobility aids. 3. Nourishment. Snacks are especially important if you or your relative are diabetic. If your appointment is near lunchtime, pack a sandwich and drink for both of you. If your relative resides in a care facility, request a bag lunch a day in advance. Bring an apron or towel to protect their clothing while they eat and wet wipes for cleaning up afterwards. 4. Sufficient prescription and over-thecounter medications to cover the time you expect to be away. Bring an extra dose in case the wait is unusually long. 5. Extra incontinence pad or brief.

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Women: The Key to Urinary Health Starts with the Gut

Aspiration is like water. It needs a place to go, or else it drowns everything in its pth. - Somini Sengupta, journalist

In addition to prioritizing gut health, you’ll want to consider adding the powerful benefits of cranberries to your daily routine. And while cranberry juice is often the go-to solution for urinary health, cranberry extract in supplement form is much more concentrated and doesn’t have the added calories or sugar. D-Mannose, a simple compound found in nature that encourages certain bacteria to clump together and by pass the urinary tract wall, is another ally y ou’ll want to incorporate to maintain proper urinary tract function each day. If adding three new supplements to y our life feels daunting, one simple and effective option that can be found at y our local Target store is Hyperbiotics PRO-Women. This formula is made with six different targeted probiotic strains for the female sy stem and has the added benefit of Valensa’s CranGy n, which is comprised of cranberry extract and 100 percent naturally occurring D-Mannose. The strains in this formula can also help with gas, bloating, irregularity, weight loss, improved nutrient absorption and even boosted mood and energy levels. To learn more, visit hy perbiotics.com, or join the conversation on social media at #followyourgut. Whether y ou struggle with urinary health issues or want to stay one step ahead of the potential problems, be proactive about y our wellness. Do what it takes to protect and nurture y our gut—y our immune, urinary and overall health—so y ou can feel and function at y our best each day. ISI

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(StatePoint) As most women who have suffered urinary health issues know, such conditions can be irritating and uncomfortable. Luckily, you can take practical steps to naturally support your urinary tract. It’s first important to understand how your body stays healthy. Believe it or not, one of the keys to optimal urinary function is a healthy gut. When you have diverse strains of good bacteria thriving in y our digestive tract, y our immune health is fortified, making it more difficult for the bad guys to settle in as well as promoting both urinary and vaginal health from your core. Unfortunately , many aspects of modern life can make it difficult to maintain a healthy level of good bacteria: processed foods, stress, exposure to antibiotics, environmental toxins, the use of daily antibacterial products and even overzealous hy giene habits, to name a few. What’s more, even the inevitable process of aging is a factor. To support your gut health, aim to eat a diet high in whole foods, paying careful attention to include prebiotic-rich choices, such as garlic, dandelion greens and onions. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in the gut. You’ll want to be sure to take care of your gut and immune system with probiotics, too. While foods like y ogurt, kimchi and miso soup contain probiotics, you may find it helpful to incorporate more targeted support, like probiotics for women, into y our wellness regimen. Look for a time-released formula designed to survive stomach acids (as many do not).

By Dr. Sheri Rowen, M.D., NVISION Eye Centers This article originally appeared on ThirdAge.com, www.thirdage.com. Particularly for those approaching middle age, cataracts are a fact and a natural condition that has afflicted humans for hundreds, if not thousands of y ears. In simple terms, a cataract is a white, cloudy formation or opacity that develops in the lens of the eye – progressing slowly over time and with age – reducing the amount of light that passes through it and leading to blurred vision and, and if left untreated, blindness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 90% of people over age 65 will develop cataracts, which annually causes total vision loss in approximately 20 million people, most of whom have little or no access to proper medical care. Despite the fact that cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness throughout the world, there is good news. Thanks to modern medicine and advances in technology, cataracts can easily be diagnosed and treated with relatively painless and brief procedures that not only restore sight but also dramatically improve quality of life. Myths, Facts, and Risk Factors Myths and misinformation abound regarding

the causes, symptoms, and cures for cataracts, which is neither a disease that spreads from one eye to the other nor one that results from eye strain or overuse. Cataracts do increase exponentially with age. Here is why: The lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil, functions similar to the lens of a camera by focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye where an image is recorded. Consisting primarily of water and protein, the lens also adjusts the eye’s focus in order to see objects both near and far away. As a person ages, the protein – arranged with precision to keep the lens clear and allow light to pass through – clumps together and clouds a small area of the lens. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, significantly affecting vision clarity. Research points to several causes for cataracts. While aging is the most common cause, cataracts can also result from ey e injuries, medications, and congenital birth defects, which occur in approximately one out of 10,000 infants. Here are some other important facts to consider: · Women are at higher risk than men are · Cataracts tends to run in families · People who are nearsighted (myopia) are at increased risk of developing cataracts · African-Americans are at twice the risk of developing cataracts as Caucasians · By the age of 80, more than half of all Americans have a cataract or have had cataract surgery · By the age of 95, nearly every American will have a cataract or have had cataract surgery Factors that can increase the risk of developing cataracts Include: · High blood pressure · Diabetes · Use of steroid medications · Eye inflammation due to injury or autoimmune disease

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 · · · · ·

Obesity Overexposure to UV rays from sunlight Cigarette smoking Heavy alcohol consumption Long-term exposure to lead, gold, and copper · Prolonged exposure to x-rays and radiation to treat cancer · Previous intraocular eye surgery · Glaucoma and its treatments Signs and Symptoms During the early stages, cataracts have little effect on vision and, as a result, the condition often goes undetected until more pronounced. As the cataract progresses, sy mptoms may include double vision or clouded vision, which is often described as looking through a dirty window. In addition, images may appear with a y ellow tint as the vibrancy of colors diminishes. Reading, too, becomes challenging as the contrast between letters and their backgrounds decreases. Some experience an increased sensitivity to bright lights, which makes driving at night �� or impossible due to scattered glare from the headlights of oncoming cars. In advanced cases, the pupil – normally black – looks milky and eventually vision is reduced to the ability only to distinguish light from dark. Although some cataracts may stop progressing after a certain point, the condition is never reversible and surgery is the only option to restore eyesight to clarity. Since cataracts is not a life-threatening condition nor cause for emergency , many people manage early stages of cataracts by wearing stronger ey eglasses or contact lenses, or taking medication that dilates the pupil. When vision loss impedes or interferes with every day activities, surgery is recommended. Improving Vision and Preventing Blindness With signi�� t advances in technology and techniques, cataract surgery has become one of the safest, most common medical procedures – usually completed within 15 minutes using drops for anesthesia. In the U.S. alone, some three million cataracts surgeries are performed every year, typically utilizing one of the following methods: · Phaco�� cation (phaco) is the most common ty pe of cataract surgery , normally completed within 15 minutes and with little discomfort to the patient. Through a small incision made on the side of the cornea, an

ophthalmologist inserts a tiny probe, which emits ultrasound waves that soften and break up the lens. The affected lens is removed by suction and replaced by an intraocular lens (IOL), a clear, plastic lens that requires no care and becomes a permanent part of the eye. Today , new lifesty le (or lifetime) lenses offer all ranges of vision from near to far away, with astigmatism correction if needed. Patients will most often not require assistance after cataract surgery , but vision acclimation may take several days. Complete vision restoration, which results in almost 95 percent of all patients, can be expected within one to four weeks. Prevention: The Best Defense Like aging itself, developing cataracts is unavoidable. There are, however, practical and precautionary measures that can delay its occurrence – many of which apply to increasing overall health and wellbeing: · Drink only in moderation · Avoid smoking – or quit · Limit exposure to sunlight · Wear sunglasses that block harmful UV rays · Wear protective eyewear to prevent injuries · Eat foods rich in antioxidants and carotenoids · Increase intake of vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids If ey es are the windows to the soul, they most certainly provide deep insight into a person’s state of health. So, above all, visit an ey e doctor for a dilated ey e exam once every two years and yearly after age 60. Not only can a comprehensive eye exam diagnose cataracts, dry ey e, and other vision-related issues, but also a broad array of health conditions, from hypertension to diabetes. Prevention has long been recommended as the best medicine and safeguarding vision during the aging process can have a tremendous impact on every aspect of life. Cataracts are often a fearful proposition when poorly understood. Knowing the facts and making educated decisions will go a long way in ensuring the precious gift of sight will last a lifetime.

PAGE 31 A board-cer�� ed physician, Dr. Sheri Rowen founded Mercy Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology in Baltimore in 1996 and served as the medical director of this full service ophthalmology and aesthetics practice until 2015. NVISION Eye Centers is one of the leading providers of LASIK and cataract surgery in the U.S., with 22 centers in California, Nevada, and Oregon. ISI

Constipation: A Gummed-Up Gut By Dr. Holly Carling Recently, a patient came in to be treated for constipation. He asked his medical doctor how long he could go without having a bowel movement (he hadn’t gone in a month). He was stunned by the answer: “It doesn’t matter. When it gets to the point that you can no longer stand it, we’ll just take your colon out!” �� at the possibility, and not given a satisfactory answer, he called us for help. You are ��y considered constipated if you have three or fewer bowel movements per week. However, most health care providers agree that less than one bowel movement per day constitutes constipation. Constipation is a symptom, not a disease. It is a good monitor of your general health. Most people know that stools contain the waste byproducts of foods eaten. However, that is only half of the dry weight of stools. The other half is dead, discarded cells, bacteria, viruses, parasites and other metabolic wastes from normal physiological functions. When your system is gummed up, you may be reabsorbing these waste products. Most common causes of constipation are well within our control. First is inadequate ��in the diet. It is best to have both soluble and insoluble ��in every meal. That means both raw and lightly steamed vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Next is lack of physical movement. Regular physical activity, whether aerobic or strengthening, is helpful. Yoga, stretching and Pilates are also great for keeping tone and movement of the bowels. Certain foods tend to be constipating. Pasteurized milk products (especially cheese), white ��products, bananas and processed bakery foods can contribute to constipation, especially if they are consumed in lieu of fresh vegetables and fruits. A diet lacking in meats and other

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healthy fats can also be constipating. When one eats meats or other foods containing fat, bile is released to emulsify the fat. Bile is the number-one bowel mover the body makes. But it is released only when called to act on fat in the diet. Other causes of constipation include side effects of medications; changes in life routines, such as vacationing, pregnancy or change in job; dehydration; and certain medical conditions, such as neurological diseases, blood sugar issues and hypothyroidism. Frequent use of laxatives, functional problems with the colon, or diseases of the colon or rectum also can result in constipation. Sometimes constipation is due to not taking time to go to the bathroom. We get so busy that even when we get the urge to go, we put it off. Fortunately, we can re-train ourselves to go regularly again. I “lovingly” tell my patients they need to be potty trained, and then I tell them how. Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist, with nearly four decades of experience. Dr. Carling is a “Health Detective”: she looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates why you are experiencing your symptoms in the �� place. She is currently accepting new patients and ��B natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’ Alene clinic. Visit Dr. Carling’s website at vitalhealthcda.com to learn more. View a list of upcoming health classes, and read other informative articles. Dr. Carling can be reached at 208-765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

The Medical Miracle Kidney Patients Count On

By Lois Greene Stone “Sixty years after he made the world’s �� kidney dialysis machine by patching together sausage casings and a water-pump part...” noted a front-page article headlined, “Father of Invention, Dr. Kolff Rarely Saw Necessity for Patents” in The Wall Street Journal in Sept. 2002. Dr. Willem J. Kolff, then 91 years old, was still using his genius to prolong lives. But six decades before, he called this creation an a��” cial kidney, rather than the seemingly indifferent clinical term used today: dialysis machine. I read this newspaper pr��and saved it, staring with almost at disbelief how quickly time moved. My phy sician husband went to the Cleveland Clinic in the early 1960s, studied under Dr. Kolff to learn to use an a�� l kidney and brought that knowledge to Rochester, N.Y. In 1963, at Rochester General Hospital, he started the procedure for patients with chronic kidney disease. My spouse’s ��“patient” was a cow, until he comfortably coordinated all the necessary tubes and solutions to be able to hook a human to the machinery. In Seattle, “old” people were turned away from this new and expensive treatment, and the young were evaluated by a jury selection to determine whose life had more value and who deserved to not suffer the consequences of renal disease. My compassionate mate refused to allow any panel of people to judge the value of living. Three thousand miles away in Seattle, Dr. Belding Scribner had developed a reusable arterial venous shunt, which enabled a patient’s same vein/artery to be used over and over. Without this, repeated dialysis would not have been possible. Probably few had ever even heard the word “shunt” prior to the 1960s. These plastic tubes that kept a patient’s artery and vein connected between treatments weren’t commercially available; my mate had to hand-make each. He got a special machine, but the tubing still had to be sized, warmed, bent and then cold-water pumped (via a foot pump) through the tubing once the desired shape had been created. Every shunt had to be as smooth and wrinkle-free as possible, since any small imperfection created a focal point, which could allow a blood clot to form. Only one of every four or ��y he made was usable, but he continued with a positive attitude. A Travenol Twin Coil dialy sis machine was set up in a small storage room that had been converted by putting in plumbing, shelves and appropriate equipment. It required a six-hour run that included a change of the chemical-solution “bath” three times: at the beginning, after two hours and again after four hours. During each Cancer patients in east Idaho now have greater access to the change, seven different chemicals had to be added to the water to make most advanced cancer care available, right here in Rexburg. up the correct solution in the tank. The machine was primed with blood. Imagine, with today’s hepatitis-C and AIDS, preparing any machine with blood! The description of early dialysis seems like a horse and buggy or gas lamp, compared to now. Every y ear, in one of western New York’s shopping malls, people compete for a car by continually touching it with some body part, until only a single, exhausted person is left. Do these young people, dreaming of owning the car while raising sponsored money and awareness of kidney disease, know any thing about the journey from pioneer equipment to sophistication? The Wall Street Journal’s 2002 article mentioned that 240,000 Americans were on dialysis. When my husband put his initial human on the hemodialysis machine, even he couldn’t have imagined so many advances that would allow multiple procedures on so many people undergoing the cleansing to prolong their lives. The December 2005 issue of Nursing News ran an article titled, “Artificial Kidney .” It discussed nanotechnology and experimental equipment that would eliminate dialy sis or kidney transplants in the future, with testing anticipated to occur by 2010. The wonders of inventive minds and available resources would prolong life for individuals with kidney disease and would do it in an easier, more ef��ent way. Still, Close to Home in 2017, dialysis and kidney transplant procedures are the same as they were in 2005, when the article was written. An affiliate of: At the next National Kidney Foundation telethon, when people’s �ngers are hitting metal car bumpers, I’d love to walk up to the group and 450 E Main, Rexburg | www.madisonhospital.org tell them to imagine a time when transplants were science �� , and the very concept of a machine to cleanse waste from the body, allowing a person to live, was just in the dreams of a gentle man named Dr. Kolff. Someone has to start the process from vision to reality; then others, like my husband, can begin the slow building. No longer y oung, my husband takes a Get the versatile Walk ‘n’ Chair smartphone from his pocket to check which medical ��y he’ll be working in as a substitute internist. His stethoscope is current, and his • Converts from walker to wheelchair 30 Day computer has software to access a patient’s • Lightweight & Collapsible laboratory blood work. Few know him as an • Navigates uneven terrain easily We’ll even pay ��pioneer, and fewer would care. the shipping! • Provides stationary seating But I remember when Kolff’s invention and Scribner’s magic made chronic dialysis possible: To order, call: 406-388-1248 or email: Sales@WalknChair.com malpractice wasn’t big business for lawyers, and visit us online at: www.walknchair.com patents weren’t part of the medical mindset. ISI

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Seven Prostate Symptoms That You Should Watch For

Provided by ProstateProblemCenter.com The vast majority of men will develop prostate problems of some description as they get older, with the �rst signs of trouble appearing for a few men at about the age of 50, or possibly slightly earlier. By the age of 60, about half of all men will be experiencing prostate sy mptoms and this ��y will have increased to about ninety percent by the age of 80. For most men prostate sy mptoms will be fairly mild and, because most of us begin to develop a range of medical problems at this point in our lives, it is not uncommon for men simply to ignore prostate symptoms as nothing more than a normal part ageing. As many prostate problems are not serious, and the sy mptoms can often be very mild, this is not necessarily a problem and you can live with many prostate problems quite happily and without their doing you any real harm. However, not all prostate problems are harmless and if your particular prostate problem happens to be prostate cancer and you ignore it,

and then it could quite easily start to spread and eventually kill y ou. Indeed, ignoring prostate sy mptoms is the main reason why prostate cancer represents the second highest cause of cancer death the United States. There are many different sy mptoms that might point to a developing prostate problem and one di��y we have in recognizing the cause of these symptoms is that they are often symptoms that could arise for many different reasons. However, if sy mptoms are not being caused by prostate problems then they will often be short lived (stemming from a bacterial infection for example) and will disappear in a matter of days without the need for treatment. However, where sy mptoms stay with y ou, or appear on a regular basis, then there it is likely that they are being caused by a problem with the prostate gland. Common symptoms include: 1. Difficulty beginning urination and the need to strain in order to start urination. 2.��L

Dad Kept Us Healthy - continued from page 13 then slowly synched up the loop until it began to hurt. He then tied a knot and told me to leave it there for a few days. For the next two or three weeks, he would periodically tie a new, tighter knot around that wart. So help me, that wart ��lly fell off. He ��yup his job with a slosh of peroxide and said, “Didn’t I tell you it would work?” You might be wondering by now how Dad treated his own periodic ailments. You won’t be disappointed. He was basically a very healthy man, but when trouble came calling, he was always ready. He sometimes suffered ��y in his sinuses, but never for long. His solution was to get a pillow, place it on the ��next to a baseboard, and stand on his head with his feet against the wall, remaining there for ��y minutes with much ��y and snorting. That would be followed by a volley of sneezes, after which he faced the world with a clear head. He began every morning with a glass of warm water, to which he added three or four tablespoons of vinegar. “Good for everything,” he would say. If his neck and shoulders bothered him, he would sit at the table, leaning on his elbows. He’d place his chin on one hand and push his head to that side, slowly twisting it until there was an audible “crack” from the back of his neck. Then he’d repeat on the other side. With a little shoulder shrugging afterward, he’d swear the pain was gone. Of course, he used all the same medicinal remedies on himself that he did on us. Looking back from my perspective now, I believe his best self-remedy was that he walked. He walked daily, rain or shine, at least two or three miles. He also performed good, hard, physical work for at least a part of every day, well into his seventies. When I asked about his theories, he’d usually just chuckle, and then add his ultimate solution, “If nothing else works, a good shot of Kentucky Bourbon will always do the trick.” ISI

3. A ��y of urine that tends to stop and start. 4. A feeling that y ou need to urinate even after you’ve just been to the bathroom. 5. A need to visit the bathroom urgently and problems in ‘waiting’. 6. The need to visit the bathroom more frequently and, in particular, to get up to visit the bathroom during the night. 7. A tendency to dribble urine for a while �� throom. These sy mptoms indicate that prostate problems may be developing and although, in most cases, such problems will not be serious this is not always the case. Accordingly , as soon as these sy mptoms appear, y ou should consult y our doctor who will be able to tell you exactly what the problem is and how to treat it. More importantly, if the problem does turn out to be prostate cancer, he can recommend treatment while the problem is in its early stages and can be relatively easily treated and, hopefully, eliminated altogether. ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

How Much You’ll Pay for Medicare in 2017

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By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, I know there won’t be much of a cost-of-living increase in Social Security �� next year but what about Medicare? How will the 0.3 percent Social Security raise ��B our Part B monthly premiums in 2017? �� Dear Inquiring, Considering the rising cost of health care coverage, the news regarding y our Medicare costs for 2017 is not too bad. Here’s what you can expect. Part B Premiums Because the Social Security Administration is giving out a measly 0.3 percent cost of living increase starting in January —that equates to about a $4 to $5 increase per month on average —the 2017 Part B monthly premium for about 70 percent of Medicare ��will increase only about $4 to $5. Thanks to the Social Security Act’s “hold harmless” provision, Medicare cannot pass along premium increases greater than the dollar increase in their Social Security checks. So, if your Medicare Part B premium is currently $104.90 in 2016, you can expect it to be around $109 (on average) in 2017. And if your 2016 Part B premium is currently $121.80, it will go up to around $126 (on average) next year. Some Will Pay More Unfortunately, the “hold harmless” provision does not protect all Medicare recipients. New Medicare enrollees (those who will enroll in 2017), beneficiaries who are directly billed for their Part B premium, and current �� ries who have deferred claiming their Social Security will pay more. If you �� into any of these categories, y our Medicare Part B premium will be $134 per month in 2017, up from $121.80.

The “hold harmless” rule also does not protect high-income Medicare ��ciaries who already pay higher Part B premiums because their annual incomes are above $85,000 for an individual or $170,000 for a couple. If you �t into this category , here’s what y ou’ll pay for your Part B premium next year, based on your 2015 tax returns. • Individuals with incomes of $85,000 to $107,000, or married couples ��y joint tax returns with incomes of $170,000 to $214,000, will pay $187.50 per month. • Individuals earning $107,000 to $160,000 (couples $214,000 to $320,000) will pay $267.90. • Individuals with incomes of $160,000 to $214,000 (couples $320,000 to $428,000) will pay $348.30. • Individuals with incomes over $214,000 or couples above $428,000 will pay $428.60. Another increase high-income �� ciaries (those with incomes over $85,000, or $170,000 for joint �� need to be aware of is the surcharge on Part D premiums. ��yseniors that have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan will pay an additional $13.30 to $76.20 per month, depending on their income, on top of their regular Part D premiums. Deductibles and Co-Pays Other changes that will affect all Medicare beneficiaries include the Part B deductible, which will increase to $183 in 2017 from $166 in 2016. The Part A (hospital insurance) annual deductible will also go up to $1,316 in 2017 (it’s currently $1,288) for hospital stay s up to 60 day s. That increases to $329 per day for day s 61-90, and to $658 a day for days 91 and beyond. And the skilled nursing facility coinsurance for days 21-100 will increase to $164.50 per day, up from $161 in 2016. For more information on all the Medicare costs for 2017 visit Medicare.gov and click on “Find out how much Medicare costs in 2017,” or call 800-633-4227. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book. ISI

What To Do After Retirement

By Michael Nash, J.D., Ph.D. Retirement should be simple: I’ll quit, then do whatever I want whenever I want. Right? Well, for most of us, it’s really not that simple. I spent my life in professional service. Then one day I was 70. Can y ou believe that? Actually, one day I was 75, and you better believe it. I had slowed down at 72, working two days a week. But I began to wonder, should I just quit? In my case, that has to do with hearing loss. As my hearing got worse and worse, I became concerned about my patients, so I had to investigate alternatives. The answer turned out to be more complex than I had imagined. I read articles, searched the internet and observed others. Suggestions

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 from magazines and the internet amount to, “Do something else.” Okay , but what? Some suggestions include getting a degree, driving a school bus, getting into the arts, or becoming a teacher. A lot of these things actually amount to taking a low-pay ing job, or “giving back” through volunteering and charity work. I looked around to see what people are actually doing, and I identi��y several patterns. Some of these might �t you; some might �t me. I think most people ��a mixture of these patterns, which change as we age further. There is no priority to these patterns. Different people choose their own style. I think some deliberately choose a particular way to spend their time. Others � d their decisions influenced by their friends and phy sical condition. For example, I might think choosing to be a recycled teen looks pretty good, but in reality , I can’t afford it. But I might try it. A little. Maybe once. Recycled Teens (Teeners). Some people dream of retirement as a return to the freedom of their teenage y ears. Or the “I wish I had been able to…” teen y ears. They look forward to travel, ��y dining, golf, music, dancing and lectures. They make “bucket lists” of things to see and do. They have their wish lists of vacation spots, from Paris to Palm Springs. They know the party circuit in their favorite areas and have the best of equipment and clothes. Same but Less So (Stayers). These are people who just continue to farm, go to the bank, attend medical seminars in their 70s or even 80s, just as they always did, but with more days off, or even shorter days. Their job or profession is so much a sense of their identity that they can’t really let go. This is my personal favorite. Deniers. These folks are closely related to the Teeners and Stayers, but they try to put up the same face of intensity in their profession, sport or hobby that they presented in their 50s. They may get blustery when someone suggests they take a week off, or that walking 18 holes might not be so good for them any more. This is a case of birds ��y together. You can see them at business lunches or on the golf course with three others who act just the same as they do. Clingers. This is a pattern I see in small farming communities. Old-timers come to the local café every day and play cards, or just visit, then mostly just go home after lunch and nap, or may be fiddle in a shop. In town I see long-time businessmen who are no longer active in their business in this group. There may be six or eight of them who meet every day . A change in location is made as an organic whole. The whole group goes to the new place. They may have a boat or other toy that takes up some balance of the day, or some little home maintenance project. They may just be marking time. Centrists. T h e s e are people who seem mindful of each minute. My grandmother was like this. In her 80s, she didn’t seem to need anybody but was ecstatic when someone came to visit. I suspect

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these people have always been rather centered. Their decision to retire may have been according to a company policy rather than an autonomous choice. Or “it just seemed like the right time.” God bless them. Activists. These people work about as hard as they ever did, but now they don’t get paid. They are active in the charitable activities in the community : Senior Center, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity , museum boards and service organizations. This seems to be the direction most columnists recommend, I have found. New Lifers. These are usually at the younger end of the retirement spectrum. They leave town, leave their spouse, �nish a degree, get a new degree or sign up to sell real estate. Sometimes they begin whole new families. The engineer goes to medical school. The artist becomes a lawyer. Lord help them. Hedonists. “I spent most of my money on wine, women and song. The rest I just wasted.” In imagination this may seem attractive, but the reality is that it takes huge tolls on health, family and ��nces and really doesn’t look like much fun if you watch someone go through it. Ascetics. “They kicked me out, and I don’t like it, so I’ll go outside and eat worms.” Sometimes we see these people in church. They do not participate in the coffee hours or other activities. Some in the other groups, such as Activists and New Lifers, choose to go to religious communities, or become much more involved in their parish, but the Ascetics deny themselves any pleasure, withdraw and seem to be punishing themselves. They may not eat, do not get regular medical care and are just waiting for the pain to stop. Of course, there are people who have little choice, whose lives are consumed with the need for medical care or rehabilitation from disease or devastating circumstances. No matter what choices you make for yourself, your heart goes out to those who have no choice. ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Velma Metcalf’s Artwork Hangs in Homes Throughout the Lost River Valley By Dianna Troyer Artist Velma Metcalf understands how artwork can soothe the soul. An oil painting of a sunlit stream flowing through a lush, misty green forest captivated her decades ago. “It hung in a bank in Shelley when I was raising my family , and looking at it brought me so much peace,” recalls the Leslie resident who will celebrate her 92nd birthday on Aug. 30. “It happened to be painted by a budding artist named Greg Olsen when he was a teen-ager. I asked if he’d sell it, and he did.” The painting hangs in her living room and

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still soothes her decades later. Unbeknownst to by combining speci� amounts of yellow and her when she bought it, Greg, who was raised white.” near Idaho Falls, would become renowned as an As an adult, Velma continued taking classes adult for his paintings of Jesus. and also studied books while raising eight Wanting to express herself artistically and children and running a �� l shop for 15 years. to make an emotional connection with viewers “Painting is something y ou have to do through her artwork, Velma has painted hundreds consistently to master,” say s Velma, who of landscapes, seascapes, �� l arrangements, painted portraits of her children in oil or pastels. portraits and wildlife. “I’ve always liked the She has lost track of richness of oil paints how many people in the and pastels.” Lost River Valley have Her paintings one of her paintings. decorate her home “People would call and as well as the homes show me a scene near of her children and their house or a place grandchildren. While that was special to visiting their mother them, and I’d paint it.” one afternoon, her Velma began daughter Lenora and sharing her artistic son Ted describe a talents in the valley few of their favorite in 1981. A widow, she paintings at their married Ly nn Metcalf homes. and moved to his family “I have one of a farm at Leslie. She and rose with a dew drop others formed an artist’s on it,” say s Lenora, who lives in Rigby . guild and display ed In her kitchen studio where light is ideal, Velma Metcalf their paintings during “It looks completely the Mackay Free BBQ. works on an oil painting of a cowboy amidst sheep. realistic.” Photo by Dianna Troyer They also brought in Ted, a Blackfoot artists to teach workshops. resident, say s a painting Velma did of sand Painting makes a person see colors in a dunes looks like sand or snow, “depending on new way, she says. “There are so many blues— the light at different times of day. It’s amazing.” cerulean, cobalt or periwinkle. Greens can be Velma still paints in her kitchen studio tinged with light yellow or gray. Plus, you begin where the light is ideal. “These day s, I paint to see light and shadows.” mostly for myself.” Velma’s love of art surfaced in childhood. Her current project is painting a cowboy “When I was a girl, I loved drawing dresses amidst sheep. “The nice thing about painting for my paper dolls,” she recalls. “Then in my is that you can create any scene.” early teens, my dad bought me a box of oil After she ��shes it, she still envisions more paints for Christmas. In high school, I’d check paintings in her mind’s eye. out the library books about painting and study “One will be called ‘Too High for Game,’” them and how to make certain colors, like gold, she says. “Once, I was on a hunting trip above timberline. We were riding down a ridge with the packhorses, and snow was highlighting the evergreens. It was so beautiful.” Velma is certain a few other ideas for paintings will come to her. “Painting brings me so much joy . I hope my art brings joy to others, too.” ISI

Mike Betts Rides Radio Waves to Make Friendships Worldwide By Dianna Troyer From his living room in Moore, Mike Betts has visited with people from around the world. Via his ham radio, he has talked to people in China, Japan, Europe, Russia, North Africa, India and even Antarctica. “English is still the universal language for radio,” says Mike, who is licensed as a general radio operator. “I’ll have the radio on, and if I hear someone who sounds interesting, I’ll make contact.” Mike, 64, is a self-employ ed computer technician who says he became fascinated with amateur radio and anything electronic in junior high school. “I’ve alway s loved radios and electronic projects. The ��test in my high school electronics class was the general radio exam.” Radio operators must pass American Radio Relay League tests to earn one of three licenses: technician, general, or amateur extra, which

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 allow access to certain radio frequencies. Mike explains why amateur radio operators are referred to as hams. A ham was considered a critical term, meaning “a poor operator” or “a plug,” according to a manual called “The Telegraph Instructor.” In the early 1900s, the ��amateur radio operators all competed for time with receivers, sometimes unknowingly jamming other operations in an area. Frustrated commercial operators sometimes criticized the amateurs by calling them “hams.” Riding the radio waves to socialize, Mike say s he and other radio operators like himself are referred to as “rag chewers, because we just like to visit about what we’re doing. When traveling for work, I’ve met some people I’ve talked to on the radio, and others I’ve never met.” Radio operators generally fall into three categories, he says. “Besides rag chewers, there are those who want to do contests and contact as many people as possible in a day. They just �� call letters and are on to the next person. That’s not for me. Then there are those who are interested in emergency preparedness.” While Mike set up his radio system mainly to socialize, he also appreciates a radio for emergencies. When he travels for work, he carries a radio.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT “I’ve never had to use it, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there.” When Mike moved to the Lost River Valley about four years ago, he joined the Lost Rivers Amateur Radio Club. The club’s 25 to 30 members started it for emergency preparedness in case cell phones or landlines fail. When the Teton Dam failed years ago, ham operators were available for emergency communication. Mike says it is fascinating how solar activity, such as sunspots and �ares that occur in 11-year

Photo By Dianna Troyer

cycles, affect radio wave transmissions. “We’re going into a solar minimum and will have to wait one or two years for more sunspots to return. Depending on atmospheric conditions, you can talk to the same guy for a month, then he might fade away.” Mike says he would like to see more people become radio operators. “Morse code is no longer a requirement. It

Plant Expert David Wescott Browses in Nature’s Pantry for Food By Dianna Troyer To search for fresh salad ingredients, David Wescott strolls around outdoors, browsing in nature’s pantry. He plucks nutritious, wild edible plants that thrive in yards and gardens and are considered weeds by many people, yet are free, delicious and nutritious. Dandelions are especially versatile. “You can eat the entire plant,” says David, owner of Backtracks, a local company specializing for more than 30 years in the teaching of self-reliance skills. “The root can be roasted to make a coffee-like beverage. After they’re blanched to remove a bitter ��the leaves can be eaten as greens. The �� de into a syrup or wine.” He doesn’t mind a few weeds in his garden, especially purslane and lamb’s quarters. “I’ve got lamb’s quarters coming up now,” he says. “Pick the plants when they’re young.” Enriched with vitamins and minerals, weeds or wild edible plants are packed with nutrients. Dandelion greens have vitamins A, C, E, K, many B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, calcium, iron and manganese, according to nutritiondata.self.com. Lamb’s quarters have 281 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A and 111 percent for vitamin C in a single serving. Purslane is ��y with omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese. David advises those who want to learn about wild edible plants to take plant classes in September at Rabbitstick 2017, an event he has helped organize since 1988. From Sept. 10 to 16, instructors at the gathering near Rexburg teach primitive survival skills. Information is available at rabbitstick.com or backtracks. net. Students will learn to see what David notices routinely. On early summer ��  asparagus shoots and wild onions. “Some wild plants like onions have a stronger potency than their cultivated neighbor, so a little goes a long way,” he says. “You can smell them as you’re out hiking. They can be added to a stew or made into a tea.” His favorite pot herb is nettles. “They ’re delicious stewed in a little chicken broth,” he say s. “Plus, they’re high in potassium and iron.” To avoid getting an itchy rash, he suggests picking the leaf from the back. “Once you put them in water, it neutralizes the acid that causes an itch,” he says. David emphasizes the importance of positive pla��tion. “Know what you’re picking,” he says. “Blue camas is edible, but the white death camas grows right beside it. It’s also important to be able to tell the difference among the plants in the carrot family with umbel-shaped �� You can eat carrots and yarrow, but hemlock is poisonous.”

PAGE 37 was a real stumbling block for some people.” Becoming licensed as a technician is relatively easy and affordable with the test costing $15. Practice tests are available on the Internet at arrl.org. Equipment is inexpensive, too, with a small radio costing from about $25 to $50. Mike has helped others set up their radio systems and given advice. “It’s a great educational and social hobby.” ISI

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Also, don’t harvest plants near roads where unhealthy vehicular exhaust is prevalent. His favorite beverage this time of year is tea ��nt in the wild. “It’s really � vorful and refreshing,” he says. David is not alone in his knowledge of wild edible plants. A great resource is Douglas Deur’s book,

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 Paci�� Northwest Foraging, (2014) listed on the New York Times Best Seller list. If you don’t want to pick wild edibles such as nettles, �‘ dlehead ferns and mushrooms, they are available from Whole Earth Harvest (www. wholeearthharvest.com), based in Yamhill, Ore. ISI

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The Wizards Behind the Curtain By Bernice Karnop In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy ’s dog, Toto, rips the curtain aside to reveal the ordinary man who tricked them into thinking he is a great and powerful wizard. In this glance-back issue, we give readers a peek behind the curtain at some ordinary people who pull off the wizardly feat of turning ideas into a senior paper you can hold in your hands. Ads are an important step in producing a paper that is free to the readers. Sales representative Lisa Gebo say s the ads they sell help advertisers meet their marketing goals, “because our paper targets a ��y demographic, people 50 and better.” She adds, “I don’t think there’s a better way to reach them than with the Montana Senior News and Idaho Senior Independent. It’s been around for 33 years and 13 y ears respectively .” Readers, in turn, bene�t when they learn about products and

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services that can make their lives better. It’s more than a sale to Lisa. “I have established so many friendships and discovered so many shared interests over the phone,” she says. Lisa grew up in Wisconsin and worked as art director for an insurance company there. She met editor/publisher Jack Love through the Montana Wilderness Association. She’s worked for the paper more than �ve years. “We are outdoors people,” Lisa says. She and her husband hike, kayak and ride horses. She loves hanging out at their ranch, spending time with family and caring for her Orpington chickens. Sales Representative Kathleen McGregor likes to recognize the contributions �� bring to their communities and to the state. Kathleen has a Master’s degree in microbiology and has worked in various medical-related positions before discovering that she liked sales

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 better. She was one of the �� sales reps when the Montana Senior News was established. She worked out of state for a few years and returned to the Montana Senior News in 1998. “When y ou look at the media today , y ou have the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m looking for the less ugly, something that will uplift. Readers of the Montana Senior News and Idaho Senior Independent ��yinspirational ��J good thoughts, and really good ideas about how to direct their lives,” Kathleen says. Kathleen’s free time is spent with her grown son and the Christian renewal community to which they belong. The sales reps give their information to Jonathan Rimmel, who crafts it into ads that are graphically pleasing and, at the same time, get the message across to readers. “I do a few hundred ads each issue, so it’s challenging to make each one stand out,” he says. Jonathan’s mechanic talked him into racing his Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster at the Great Falls, MT Autocross Sports Car Club of America races on the local fairgrounds parking lot. Drivers aim to get their best time as they weave through a series of cones, trying not to hit any. Other interests include photography, and, at church, he teaches, sings in the choir and does some graphic design. Jonathan doesn’t ��the 50-plus demographic but feels connected to our readers in other way s. “I’m pretty heavy into health and �� I might ��people in that way,” he says. The heart of the Montana Senior News and Idaho Senior Independent is the stories about neighbors and friends whom readers may know. Writers are a varied bunch of curious individuals who feel privileged to meet awesome seniors doing amazing things. Writer Jack McNeel was born in Idaho and has lived there almost all of his 80 y ears. He worked for the Idaho Fish and Game until he turned 57. As an information and education ��y he wrote and spoke for various media outlets, keeping the public informed about a variety of topics. He wasn’t ready to quit when he retired. “Writing keeps me active both physically and mentally,” he says. He and his wife enjoy international travel as well as traveling in the U.S. In the past decade, they’ve been to Costa Rica, Guatemala and Italy. They took a memorable “barge and bike” trip in the Netherlands about three years ago. A boat dropped them off on a series of islands where they biked around and then came back to the

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT boat. Altogether they did about 150 miles on the bicycles. And then there’s me. I started writing for the Montana Senor News because I was spoon-fed Montana stories since I was in diapers, and I still �nd them intriguing. My great grandfather came to Virginia City, MT in 1863, in time for the gold rush and to witness the hanging of George Ives. My �rst story for the paper was about my husband’s grandmother. Verda was 19 when she stepped off the train at Two Dot, MT in 1911. She’d ��y out an application to teach in a country school as a joke and a dare with her friends back in Grafton, N.D. She never intended to teach, and she certainly didn’t want to go to Montana. When she was accepted, her mom insisted that she go, and buckets of tears did not change her mind. We laugh at her adventures (she married a rancher from the school board), but they were no joke at the time. Family stories ��out Montana and Idaho’s varied and astonishing history, and I’ve had the privilege of hearing many. I’m still impressed! When all the material for an issue is ready, Sherrie Smith goes onto the computer and puts the ads and articles where they belong. She sends the document to Spokane. They send back proofs for her to check before it is published. Sherrie works about one week before each issue comes out, so she feels mostly retired. When she and her husband aren’t camping and ��y she’s quilting. She calls herself a nontraditional quilter. Instead of buy ing material with a pattern in mind, she says, “I buy material that I like and then ��y out what I’m going to do with it. I think it’s the graphic designer in me.” After the papers are printed, Pete Thornburg picks them up in the ��y in Great Falls, MT and distributes them to around 250 stores, businesses and medical centers. Pete’s 83 and retired from Bell Telephone Company. He says the most fun is chatting with the people he sees on a regular basis, and he likes that the job gets him out and around town. In 2009, the Montana Senior News did a story about how Pete sponsors older adults in extreme poverty , through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. “It’s sad that they seem to die fairly young,” he says. “They get to 60 or 62 but are in

PAGE 39 pretty poor health for a number of years before that.” He writes and receives letters, which helps him to know them personally. When one dies, they ask if he wants to sponsor another person, and he is happy to do so. Florence Moore delivers papers throughout Billings, MT. She takes them to senior living places, retirement centers, restaurants and grocery stores. “It’s rewarding to see how much people appreciate the paper,” she say s. Florence’s husband LeRoy delivered the papers for 15 y ears. She took it over when he passed away last year. Florence is also a seamstress and has run her business of sewing garments and doing alterations for 25 years. She says she advertised the �� year but hasn’t needed to since. Florence, MT grew up in Hardin, MT and has lived in Montana all her life. Now you know a few of the people who put out the Montana Senior News and Idaho Senior Independent. As y ou page through this issue, be assured that every thing from the ads to the articles were created with you, the reader, in mind! ISI

Your story is still being written.

Idaho Museum of Natural History

The Idaho Museum of Natural History (IMNH), located on Idaho State University’s (ISU) Pocatello campus, actively nurtures an understanding of and delight in Idaho’s natural and cultural heritage. The exhibits will delight all ages, with Be the Dinosaur (closes Sept. 6), Living with Fire (closes Jan. 2018), and I Love ISU (Sept. 16–Oct. 8). Be the Dinosaur is a groundbreaking fusion of state-of-the-art video game technology and traditional exhibits, featuring full-size dinosaur bones, a paleontology ��station, a Safari Jeep and more. Visitors of all ages can enter into the largest and most complex restoration of an extinct ecosystem ever created. Living with Fire looks at how Idahoans have dealt with this force of nature, from the Great Idaho Fire of 1910 to the Charlotte Fire in Pocatello a century later. The I Love ISU exhibit explores the rich history of ISU with historic photographs, artifacts and everyday stories. The IMNH is open six days a week and is closed Monday s. Admission: Adults (18+)–$7, Seniors (60+)–$5, Youth (4-17)–$3, ISU Students*–$2, Children 3 & Under–Free, Museum Members– Free, Active Military*–20% Off, Veterans*–20% Off For more information visit imnh.isu.edu or call 208-282-3168. *With Valid ID. ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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