June July 2015

Monarch Butterfly Photo by Dianna Troyer

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Reverend Ken Bartel is a man with many interests

By Jack McNeel When you hear of a Lutheran Pastor who rode a Harley to the big motorcycle roundup in Sturgis, South Dakota, in addition to being an actor and singer, you know you’ve got a story.

Despite the ultimate focus of his work, Pinehurst’s Reverend Ken Bartel

is down to earth. He prefers to be called “Pastor” because it sounds more approachable – just what you would expect from a Harley rider.

Pastor Bartel graduated from high school in Great Falls, Montana in 1967. He married his high school sweetheart, Cherri, and later graduated from the College of Great Falls with after studying art, business, and teaching. But about that same time, he got the call to go into the ministry and graduated with a master’s degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary.

This year will mark his 36th year in the ministry. He and Cherri moved to Pinehurst 20 years ago.

“My wife and I really love the Silver Valley,” he declares. “We have a very friendly congregation. It’s in a very small community but is one of the larger churches in the valley. I love the ministry. It’s been just wonderful.

I especially like that no one day is the same as the next, there’s always something new going on. A telephone call can change your entire day.”

When the time comes to retire, they plan to remain in the Silver Valley and have purchased an old house in Kellogg that they remodeling. “We stripped it and are working from the studs out.” His art aptitude reveals itself in the creation of a stained glass window for their future home.

“I like to do art work,” he says. He paints landscapes and still lifes, refinishes furniture, loves to do landscaping and gardening. The other thing he loves is riding his Harley – not a comment you usually hear from your pastor.

(Continued on page 31)

PAGE 2 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

Fun With Grandkids And Easter Eggs

My two little granddaughters (5- and 7-yearsold) helped me find the eight hidden Easter eggs in the April/May edition of the Idaho Senior Independent. They had so much fun! The eggs are on pages 3, 13, 16, 19, 29, 32, 39, and 41. Thanks for a great contest.

Claudia Womack Hayden

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JUNE/JULY 2015

Boise Area Sjögren’s Syndrome Support Group Available

Sjögren’s (pronounced SHOW-grins) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease in which white blood cells attack their moistureproducing glands. Symptoms first noticed include dry mouth, dry eye, vaginal dryness, fatigue, and/ or joint pain. Sjögren’s is the second most common autoimmune rheumatic disease and strikes as many as 4 million Americans (1 in 70) – three times more than better known related diseases such as Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis.

Sjögren’s also may cause dysfunction of other organs such as the kidneys, the gastrointestinal system, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the central nervous system. Sjögren’s can occur on its own or with another autoimmune disease such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or scleroderma. All instances of Sjögren’s are systemic, affecting the entire body.

Sjögren’s, 90% of Sjögren’s patients are women, and the majority of these is over 50. It is estimated that 7,500 people in the greater Treasure Valley area have Sjögren’s syndrome, yet most of these have not been properly evaluated, diagnosed, or treated. It typically takes 4 years from the time a patient seeks treatment for symptoms to receiving a formal diagnosis.

For more information about Sjögren’s syn-

drome, contact the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation (sjogrens.org), attend the Boise Area Sjögren’s Syndrome Support Group, which meets five times a year, or call us.

Richard Bliss – 208-816-3686 Kathy Ellis – 208-921-0613; Boise

Book Gathering To Benefit Senior Services

We would like to announce a Grand Opening event for AdvantagePlusCaregivers.com on Thursday, June 18 from 5-8 p.m. at the Tapio Office Center in the Red Flag Bldg, 104 S. Freya St, Suite 201 in Spokane.

This event is to encourage attendees to donate books on an ongoing basis, with the collected books being delivered to Senior Centers, Assisted Living Facilities, Rehabilitation Centers, Retirement Homes, and Nursing Homes in Spokane and the surrounding area. We are requesting that attendees provide us with a business card or business flyer that we can use to offer their business as a community resource.

Our grand opening event will feature local artist Walter Davis’ work on display, and we will be serving refreshments, snacks, and assorted wines from our local wineries.

Please RSVP. Sherrie Turner – 509-714-1794; Spokane ISI

If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you.

(In the greater Boise Area.)

Discounts: Military, Law Enforcement, & Fire Personnel

Idaho Senior Independent A Barrett-Whitman Publication

P.O. Box 3341 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3341 208-318-0310 • Toll Free: 1-866-360-5683 Fax: 406-761-8358 www.idahoseniorindependent.com E-mail: idahoseniorind@bresnan.net The Idaho Senior Independent is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October, and December by Barrett-Whitman, 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Idaho.

The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Idaho Senior Independent is written to serve Idaho’s mature population of all ages. 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 appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication.

All copy appearing in the Idaho Senior Independent is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.

Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Office Manager Lisa Gebo Production Supervisor/Sales Joanne Bernard Advertising Sales Jonathan Rimmel

Graphic Designer Sherrie Smith Admin/Production Assistant

Contributing Writers Natalie Bartley Connie Daugherty Holly Endersby Cate Huisman Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Jack McNeel Michael McGough Dianna Troyer © 2015

Do you prefer larger dogs to smaller ones?

Or, do you know people who prefer larger dogs because small dogs are yappy and snappy?

Large-dog person or a small-dog person… most folks would agree that smaller dogs seem to have a different temperament from larger dogs, having earned the reputation, justified or not, of being yappy, snappy, and wary of strangers at first impression. Depending on one’s perspective, this might be cute or annoying, but one thing is certain, a small sharp-voiced companion can make an alert and effective watchdog – small dog, big attitude.

As the saying goes, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog!” This principle is perfectly captured in this issue’s winning Remember When selection by Al Kreymer, a reader from Newport, Washington whose story Introducing Ben the Terrible reflects what seems to be a truism about small dogs and their percep-

tion of themselves relative to their adversaries.

Thank you, Al for sharing your story.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or reflections on life. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry. 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.

We look forward to your contributions for our August/September 2015 issue. Mail your correspondence to Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net; or call 1-866-360-5683 or 208-318-0310. Visit us online at idahoseniorindependent.com.

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 3

Introducing Ben the Terrible

By Allen Kreymer - Newport, Washington It is hard work and terribly exhausting trying to keep your tail wagging when all you want is a nap. Especially if you spend the night on guard duty, alert to the slightest sound, and up with the appropriate bark when the situation warrants.

The appropriate bark ranges from a low mild woof, which may have been caused by a dream of a wild animal chase, to a wild frenzied bark brought on by a noise in the night that only Ben can hear. His mild bark usually means he is on the job and wants to assure me he is alert and on top of the situation. Then again, he may have heard a car go by half a mile away or the neighbor’s dog across the canyon barking at the moon.

That frenzied bark in the night brings me out of bed with the flashlight as neither of us is going to get any sleep until we understand the cause of Ben’s outburst. Most of the time it will be a deer, which is strange because deer move around silently, not making enough noise to wake the dog from deep slumber. I suspect it is some other sense we don’t know.

Anyway, one such frenzied night we went out with the flashlight and found that Ben cornered a bear in the garbage. At this point, you have to understand Ben. He is nine feet tall, with teeth like an alligator, and no fear whatsoever of anything, especially that bear. The fight was about to break out. Ben being sorely outnumbered and with no chance to win was going to have himself a big bite out of that bear. And he was determined.

Then to the rescue from around the house came Ike, the big black dog, Ben’s friend and protector from the time he was a pup. Awakened by the ruckus and with adrenalin running Ike came full swing into action by getting between Ben and the bear.

Fortunately, Ike was aware he was no match for the bear so he just stood his ground, and when I shined the flashlight on the standoff, the bear disappeared into the brush. Meanwhile Ben the Dachshund, half a dog high and dog and a half long, was telling the world how he had won the battle, and what he would do if that bear ever came back.

Ben’s big friend Ike is no longer with us... but the bear hasn’t been back either, so the next best thing for Ben is to chase wild turkeys. When they take off with him sprinting close behind ears flapping, it looks as though he will fly with them.

And that brings us up to a few days ago when about ten of the neighbor’s goats came into the yard, only to get chased back home by that big, brave, vicious Dachshund, called Ben the Terrible.

The goats haven’t been back either, and Ben hasn’t passed up the chance to brag for the next half hour about what a good goat herder he had become. ISI

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PAGE 4 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

It is still the spring of 2015, but the campaign for President is already heating up with a number of announced candidates and likely many more to compete before the nominations and general election of 2016. It seems as if we just finished the last Presidential election, which raises the question of whether or not we need to spend quite so much time… and money on this process. Whatever we have decided the process to be, any President – and they all suffer plenty of criticism – is our President and the leader of the United States, the greatest country in the world!

This month’s quiz will test your trivia knowledge of many of our Presidents and the details of their time in office. Thank you and congratulations to Peggy Parks of Challis for submitting this quiz. She is the winner of the $25 prize.

Thank you to all who participated in our Phrases of Popular Culture quiz in the April/May 2015 issue. The winner of the $25 prize is Melissa Withers of Post Falls. Congratulations, Melissa!

Thank you also to the many who tracked down the hidden Easter Eggs, also in the April/May 2015 issue. The winner of the $25 prize is Elbert Goodson of Idaho Falls. Congratulations, Elbert!

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 $25 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!

Please mail your entries to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net (include your USPS address) by July 10, 2015 for our August/September 2015 edition.

Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.idahoseniorindependent.com.

How Well Do You Know Our Presidents?

Submitted by Peggy Parks, Challis Below are 20 numbered questions of little known or easily forgotten facts about many of our Presidents. On a numbered sheet of paper, write the letter from the list of Presidents that is correctly associated with the numbered statement. Just mail your answers to us, and of course E-mail is fine too (be sure to include your USPS mailing address).

Have fun!

1. Who said, “I’m the president of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli”?

2. What president was shot while walking to California Governor Jerry Brown’s office?

3. Which President also served in the Confederate Congress?

4. Who was the first president to appear on a U.S. coin?

5. What future U.S. president received his last rites from a Catholic priest following spinal surgery in 1954?

6. What former U.S. president showed up on dollar coins in 1971?

• • • • • • • •

Old Photos Postcards Advertising Items Casino Items Airplane Items Odd Paper Items Merchant Trade Token Coins Estate Items

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7. What U.S. president was born William Jefferson Blythe IV? 8. Who was the first president to receive a Nobel Prize?

9. Who was the first president to utter, “We shall overcome” before a joint session of Congress?

10. What portly U.S. president was the first to be a golf nut?

11. Who became the first U.S. president to command a military unit during his term in office?

12. What future president was the only U.S. senator from a Confederate state to remain in Congress after secession?

13. Who was the only bachelor president?

14. Who was the oldest elected president?

15. Which president was related by blood or by marriage to 11 other U.S. presidents?

16. Which president served the shortest term in office?

17. Which president was elected to two nonconsecutive terms?

18. Which president served in the House of Representatives after his presidency?

19. Which president had the shortest inaugural address?

20. Who was the first president born west of the Mississippi River?

A. Dwight D. Eisenhower B. Lyndon B. Johnson C. Andrew Johnson D. George H. W. Bush E. George Washington F. Franklin D. Roosevelt G. Herbert Hoover H. Gerald Ford I. Theodore Roosevelt J. John F. Kennedy K. James Madison L. Grover Cleveland M. James Buchanan N. John Tyler O. William Howard Taft P. Ronald Reagan Q. John Quincy Adams R. Bill Clinton S. Abraham Lincoln T. William Henry Harrison ISI

Answers to Phrases Of Popular Culture

Submitted by Jim Meade 1. Silver bullet 2. The Ed Sullivan Show 3. On Route 66 4. To protect the innocent 5. The lion sleeps tonight 6. The Limbo 7. Chocolate 8. Louis Armstrong 9. Timex watches 10. Freddy, the Freeloader 11. Good Night and God Bless 12. Beetle or Bug 13. Buddy Holly 14. Sputnik 15. Hula Hoop

Answers To Gather The Hidden Eggs 1. 3 2. 13 3. 16 4. 19

5. 29 6. 32 7. 39 8. 41 ISI

I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.

- Albert Einstein

16. Lucky Strike/Means Fine Tobacco 17. Howdy Doody Time 18. Shadow 19. Monster Mash 20. Speedy 21. Draft cards 22. Pepsodent 23. Yellow Pages 24. M&Ms 25. Campbell’s Soups 26. We Try Harder 27. Brylcreem 28. Camel 29. Charmin 30. Clairol ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 5

18. Traction aid 19. *Spaghetti _______ 21. *Precursor to cowboy 23. Type of tree 24. Cough syrup balsam 25. Contrary conjunction 28. Heracles’ wife 30. Methane or carbon dioxide, e.g.

35. “Put a lid __ __!”

37. Russian mountain chain 39. Lorry in America 40. Capital of Norway 41. Special Administrative Region of China 43. Tubular pasta 44. Rock bottom 46. *____ Party, Manifest Destiny opponent 47. Norse deity and husband of Frigg 48. Shoe hole 50. Audio bounce-back 52. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy 53. Frequenter 55. ___ de Triomphe 57. *Type of Wild West wagon 61. Metallurgy factory 65. Run off to wed 66. Female sheep 68. “_____ two shoes” 69. RAF member 70. Spring mo.

71. Plural of ostium 72. A chronic drinker, pl.

73. *Billy the Kid’s was less than 20 when killing his first 74. Lofty homes ACROSS 1. French pancake 6. Trig function 9. *The steam ____motive drove Western growth 13. Flotsam and jetsam alternative

14. Earned at Kellogg School of Management 15. In any degree at all, archaic 16. Discrimination against elderly people 17. Black gold

Naked Me Stories by Christian Winn, Cock Street Press; Seattle, Washington; 2014 Reviewed by Connie Daugherty “During this time of my life I can’t say with certainty what I wanted, but I know I was somewhere between going forward and going back. I craved newness, and I craved what had been,” explains the graduate student in the title story of Christian Winn’s collection of short stories. This sense of certain uncertainty is a basic theme in most of the quirky-character-driven stories in Winn’s Naked Me Stories.

This is just such a perfect title for a collection of stories that deal with the emotions, events and places in our lives that we cover up. Reading the Naked Me Stories is like looking at yourself in the mirror after a shower – seeing all the imperfections nobody else sees. Quirky, flawed, and lonely as Winn’s characters are, they also seem familiar – sometimes eerily familiar.

The stories in Naked Me are both long and almost poetically short, dark and complex with subtle hints of humor and hope that startle you out of any complacency. There are stories about sons and fathers, sons and mothers – both present and absent. About dysfunctional families that somehow keep going and survive. About young men and not-so-young men struggling “between going forward and going back.” About the human struggle to balance ethics, responsibility, and sanity. The words and images are beautifully crafted and the emotions so well developed that the characters stay with you long after the story is finished.

“Billy was handsome,” says the nineteen-year-old in One Thing to Take.

“Despite what he did with my sister and me.” In about 500 words, Winn tells a moving and intense story about three women and their relationship with the men in their lives.

The Dirtiest Hamburger in the World is about mothers and sons. “Drew came over…told me his mother was hunched in her bedroom closet pretending she was a rabbit.” These fourteen-year-old boys climb atop a giant plastic hamburger to escape the confusion and contradictory feelings they have about their parents. “I shut my eyes…thinking about my own mother, and how she’d never met Drew…how she never would know about this day in my life.”

Where He’s Living Now is also about a son dealing with life without his mother. In Mr. Formal we again explore the relationship of sons and mothers, all narrated by boys on the verge of becoming men.

“During the card games she’d come home to her apartment across the alley and undress…. Her building ran the length of the block across that pothole and garbage-rot alleyway.” The title story, Naked Me, is narrated by

DOWN 1. Bird weapon 2. Angry display 3. Shining armor 4. Fusilli, e.g.

5. Catch in a net 6. Kesha’s 2012 hit 7. ___-Wan 8. Artillery burst 9. Beauty or babe 10. Curved molding 11. Blacken 12. Football great ____ Graham 15. *Jury did it to Wild Bill Hickok after famous gunfight 20. Watery discharge from eyes or nose 22. Priestly garb 24. *She often worked in one room in Old West 25. *The Wilderness Road trailblazer 26. “Take it back!”

27. Found over “n” in Spanish 29. Brightly colored and showy, Scottish 31. Rice-like pasta 32. *Sacagawea, e.g.

33. To ___ __ a play 34. *They were often traded 36. Work hard 38. Non-clerical 42. Early Irish alphabet 45. Bemoan 49. Triple ___ loop in skating 51. *______ Trail, spanning east-west 54. Swelling 56. Intimate 57. Large edible mushrooms with a brown cap 58. Assortment 59. Unit V 60. “Iliad,” e.g.

61. Bone-dry 62. Marines’ toy recipients 63. Prep for publication 64. Swedish shag rugs 67. Tail action ISI

an obsessive gambling graduate student who will do almost anything to win a bet – even get naked in front of strangers. “The friends I had were card-room and barstool and wave-as-you-pass-by-me-in-the-hallway people mostly, and sometimes they seemed real, legitimate, because we talked about politics and books…It could fool you.” Naked Me definitely pulls the reader out of any pretense of a comfort zone.

There is a rhythmic, almost poetic flow to the words of Map of California, the shortest story in the collection, and one that draws me back again and again.

“They find another dentist floating in the canal and Avery worries…So much strange, bad news – black men denied breakfast, forty-pound house cats, singing politicians – and now murdered dentists.” Avery is a grocery store clerk and he loves it. His wife – embarrassed by him – moved out and took the television. He misses that television. Dentists is not about dentists; it isn’t even about the murder of dentists.

In Rough Cut a young Mormon missionary boy and a middle-aged garage employee define in their own ways what it means to be a real man. “Bean

PAGE 6 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

and the Mormon circle…Tompkins balances on one foot…watches closely, listens, solving pieces of the fast-spinning world.” The fight in the back alley doesn’t go the way Tompkins expects. “These mornings Tompkins will wake thinking of Bean…

These mornings Tompkins wants to sit beside Bean…hear Bean tell him one true thing, no matter if it’s a lie.”

Proof touches on a mix of emotions common in most of us – emotions we often keep covered.

JUNE/JULY 2015

“They drove Mangrum’s body into town on a flatbed Ford… I wondered what he loved as a boy, his favorite song, stories he wished to be told. I wondered if he had ever been someone like me, or you, and what had gone wrong.”

Wondering if any of the characters in Naked Me are like you or me, or what parts of their stories are like yours or mine is what makes this collection so captivating. Even if you generally are not drawn to the short story genre, this is one collection that is

worth reading – worth stepping out of your comfort zone to explore.

Christian Winn was born in Eugene, Oregon, and grew up in Palo Alto, California. He now lives in Boise, Idaho where he teaches in the Creative Writing Department at Boise State University. He is the founder of the Writers Write fiction workshop series. His short stories have been featured in a variety of publications. ISI

Disrupted Biological Clock Linked To Alzheimer’s Disease

By David Stauth Corvallis, Ore. – New research has identified some of the processes by which molecules associated with neurological diseases can disrupt the

biological clock, interfere with sleep and activity the study. “Only recently have we been able to patterns, and set the stage for a spiral of health utilize our model system to accurately dissect this concerns that can include a decreased lifespan mechanism.”

This research was done with fruit flies, which and Alzheimer’s disease.

The research was published in Neurobiology have many genes and biological processes that of Disease by scientists from Oregon State Univer- are similar or identical to those of humans, retained sity and the Oregon Health & Science University, through millions of years of evolution. Circadian clocks are so essential in work supported by to health that they are the National Institutes of found throughout the Health. nervous system and Previous studies peripheral organs. have shown that dis Proper function of ruption of the biological circadian rhythms has clock – the natural patbeen shown to affect tern of day-night activity everything from sleep to that’s genetically constress reaction, feeding trolled in many animals patterns, DNA repair, – can cause neurodeThis fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is used by refertility, and even the generation, loss of motor function, and early searchers at Oregon State University for studies of the effectiveness of medicagenes that control the biological clock in many animals, death. including humans. (Photo courtesy of Oregon State tions.

“Alzheimer’s dis The newest results University) ease has always been of help outline the molecular mechanisms involved, and show how proteins interest in this research, because sleep disruption associated with neurological disease can diminish is one of its earliest symptoms, and almost everythe biological clock function and ultimately lead to one with Alzheimer’s has some sleep problems,” very serious health prob- said Jadwiga Giebultowicz, corresponding author lems, including severe of this study, a professor in the Department of Intecognitive deterioration. It grative Biology in the OSU College of Science, and also confirms that these expert on the biological and genetic underpinnings risks increase signifi- of the biological clock.

“This research adds more support to the hycantly with age.

“The molecular ba- pothesis that neurological damage is a circular sis underlying biological process that, in turn, causes more disruption of clock deficits in Alzheim- the biological clock,” Giebultowicz said. “We’ve er’s disease has been identified a new player in this process, a fragment difficult to tease out,” of the amyloid precursor protein called AICD that said Matthew Blake, an is able to enter the nucleus of cells and interfere OSU faculty research with central clock function.” assistant and author of One known cause of Alzheimer’s disease is

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cleavage of an amyloid precursor protein, which creates a peptide that’s toxic to neurons. An enzyme involved is elevated in Alzheimer’s patients.

This study took that process further and showed that increased production of the enzyme, which in flies is called dBACE, reduced the expression of a core clock protein.

The results suggest that dBACE acts via dAICD to cause the disruption of the biological clock

and loss of daily sleep and activity cycles. This disruptive process was much more severe in older flies.

“A general message from this is that normal day-night sleep and activity cycles are important,” Giebultowicz said. “There’s evidence that proper sleep allows neuronal repair activity and the maintenance of neuronal health,” she said. “Since neuronal damage is a destructive process that

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 7

can build on itself once it begins, it’s important that sleep issues should be taken seriously by people and their doctors, especially as they age.”

Molecular clock oscillations decline with age, Giebultowicz said, and finding ways to help maintain or restore them might form the basis for a possible therapy to reduce or prevent the associated health problems. ISI

Thoughtful Gifts for Caregivers

By Lisa M. Petsche The contribution of informal caregivers often goes unrecognized in our society. These unpaid helpers provide practical assistance and enhance quality of life for ill or frail older adults who might otherwise need to move to an assisted living or nursing home.

Typically, caregivers are spouses or children; many are seniors themselves. The majority are women. And the loved ones they care for have physical or mental impairment (perhaps both) caused by one or more chronic health conditions, stroke and dementia being most common.

The caregiving role involves physical, psychological, emotional, and financial demands. It is a heavy load, exacerbated by the limited availability of community support services.

But there are rewards for caregivers, too.

These may include a closer relationship with the care recipient; increased creativity and assertiveness; increased insight into their own strengths and limitations; a general increase in compassion for others; re-thinking of values and priorities; learning to live in the present and appreciate the simpler things in life that make it enjoyable. Then, too, there is the satisfaction of knowing they are doing something meaningful.

The caregiving journey can be long, though, and particularly challenging when the elder has heavy hands-on needs, a demanding personality, or cognitive impairment. This can cause a variety of emotions along the way, including sadness, grief, frustration, anger, resentment, guilt, anxiety, and loneliness. Burnout is common, due to the physical toll of caring for someone who is ill and the emotional strain of dealing with the suffering and decline of a loved one.

Thoughtful Gifts – To show you care, the following are is variety of gift ideas for the caregiver in your life – for special occasions and for no particular occasion (that is, as a nice surprise).

• Booklet of IOUs for one or more of the following: home-cooked meals, baked goods, respite care, household chores or repairs, yard work, chauffeuring, running errands.

• Answering machine, cordless phone, or cell phone.

• Wall calendar with plenty of space for noting appointments.

• Caregiving binder for keeping records and organizing paperwork.

• Membership in a caregivers’ organization or the non-profit organization associated with the relative’s disease (for example, the Alzheimer’s Association or Parkinson Foundation).

• Gift certificate for a home healthcare agency, medical supply store, or housecleaning service.

• So they can go out together, a book of tickets or gift vouchers for accessible transportation if the care receiver is not able to ride in a car.

• Inspirational book, collection of verses, or short stories • Subscription to a magazine that reflects an interest or favorite pastime.

• Decorative journal for recording experiences, thoughts, and feelings, along with a high quality pen.

• Relaxation tapes or miniature water fountain.

• Bird feeder and seed, or binoculars for bird watching.

• Hobby or craft supplies.

• Writing paper and envelopes or a set of alloccasion note cards with postage stamps.

• Scented items: hand and body lotion, cologne, bar soap, bath salts or shower gel, drawer sachets, potpourri, or votive candles.

• Basket of sweets, gourmet coffees and teas, jams and jellies, or dried fruit and nuts.

• Gift certificate to a restaurant with takeout and delivery service, a dry cleaner with pickup service, or a pharmacy or grocery store that delivers.

• Two tickets to a cultural event – so a friend can accompany them – and an IOU for respite care.

This is just a limited list of ideas, so don’t hesitate to be creative. For higher-cost items, pool resources with family members or friends.

And remember, emotional support and your time are the two most valuable gifts you can give a caregiver. ISI

Is It Time To Get Help With Caregiving?

Don’t Try To Go It Alone

By Lisa M. Petsche If you are looking after an aging relative, chances are good that a time will come when you need help to manage all of their needs. Many people are aware of the signs that a loved one needs help looking after their day-to-day needs; changes in grooming, hygiene, and difficulty with medication management are some examples. What is not so well known are the signs that a caregiver needs help carrying out the responsibilities involved in their role.

Caregiver Circumstances And Needs Physical Health: Your own health is being neglected – for example, when you’re not eating nutritiously or you’re long overdue for a medical checkup.

You’re experiencing sleep deprivation – due to the care receiver waking in the night or having their days and nights reversed as can happen with dementia.

You have frequent acute health problems, such as colds or the flu.

You have a chronic health condition that is getting worse – for example, arthritis, or you’ve recently been diagnosed with a health condition that requires lifestyle changes – diabetes or heart disease, for instance.

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.

- Harold Wilson

PAGE 8 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

Mental Health: You feel overwhelmed or trapped.

Friends have noticed changes in your personality or expressed concern about your stress level.

You have a pre-existing mental illness.

You have recently been diagnosed with clinical depression.

You have a strained relationship with the care receiver and it’s taking a toll on you.

You have thoughts of harming the care receiver or have been verbally or physically aggressive towards them.

Role Overload: It’s difficult or impossible to stay on top of household chores or paying bills.

If you’re employed outside of home, you’ve had to take numerous unscheduled days off work to deal with your relative’s needs. Your job may even be in jeopardy.

Another family member also has special needs and relies on you for assistance.

Other: You don’t have any time to yourself.

Your relationship with a significant other is strained due to the amount of time and perhaps resources you devote to caregiving.

You don’t see your friends anymore, or hardly ever.

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Your finances are stretched and you need to go back to work (or increase the hours you work if you’re already employed).

Getting Help There are two types of help: formal and informal. The latter involves getting other family members to share the responsibility for caregiving. It’s important to be specific about the kinds of help you need. If relatives live in another area and aren’t able to pitch in, explore whether they’re able and willing to contribute to the cost of hiring help to make caregiving more manageable.

Formal help is the type of structured assistance that’s offered through community programs and services. In some cases, it may be free of charge or at a reduced cost. Check with the local office on aging or community information service to find out what is available in your area.

A prerequisite to seeking help is acknowledging that you can’t and shouldn’t do it all alone when it comes to caregiving. Accepting help is not a sign

of weakness. On the contrary, it’s a sign of strength and wisdom, because outside help can enable you to be more effective in your role and provide care for a longer period than you otherwise might be able to manage.

If people you know have been offering help, take them up on it. Otherwise, speak up and ask, or do some research about formal support options for the care receiver, such as meals on wheels, friendly visiting, volunteer driver programs, accessible transportation, recreational programs, and home healthcare services. Be sure, too, to look into caregiver respite services – including adult day-care programs and nursing facilities that offer short-term residential care – and take advantage of them.

You need and deserve a break.

Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior concerns. She has personal and professional experience with elder care. ISI

How To Recognize Stroke Symptoms And What To Do

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What are the symptoms of a stroke? My 66-year-old aunt had a stroke a few months ago and neither she nor my uncle had a clue it was happening.

Concerned Relative Dear Concerned, Unfortunately, most Americans don’t know the signs of a stroke, but they need to. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the No. 1 cause of disability. Being able to recognize a stroke and getting to the hospital quickly can make a huge difference in reducing its potentially devastating effects. Here are some tips that help you recognize a stroke, and what you should do if it happens to you or your loved one.

Types of Stroke – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke – three-quarters of which are over the age of 65. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries blood to the brain is suddenly blocked by a clot (ischemic stroke), or burst (hemorrhagic stroke), causing parts of the brain to become damaged or die. About 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic.

Depending on the severity of the brain damage, strokes can cause mild to severe disabilities including paralysis, loss of speech, vision, and memory, along with other health and emotional issues, and death.

Stroke Signs – Because stroke injures the brain, the person having a stroke may not realize it. Stroke victims have the best chance if someone around them recognizes the symptoms and acts quickly. The five most common symptoms include: • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side

of the body.

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding.

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

The easiest way to identify a stroke is to use the F.A.S.T. test to identify the symptoms.

• F (Face): Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

• A (Arm): Ask the person to raise both arms.

Does one arm drift downward?

• S (Speech): Ask the person to say a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred?

• T (Time): If you observe any of these signs of stroke, call 911.

To help you remember the signs, the American Stroke Association has a free “Spot a Stroke FAST” app (see strokeassociation.org) that you can download on your smartphone or mobile device.

Or, visit the National Stroke Association at stroke. org and print their “Act FAST” wallet card to keep as a reminder.

Act Quickly – Remember that stroke is a medical emergency and every minute counts. Even if you’re not sure a stroke is happening, call 911 anyway. The longer blood flow is cut off to the brain, the greater the damage. Immediate treatment can save a person’s life and improve their chances for a successful recovery.

Ischemic strokes are treated with a drug called t-PA that dissolves the blood clots that block the blood flow to the brain. The window of opportunity to start treating a stroke is three hours. But to be evaluated and receive treatment, patients need to get to the hospital within 60 minutes.

If you have a choice, wait for the paramedics rather than driving the patient yourself. Patients who are transported by EMS are evaluated and treated much quicker than people who are driven in. And, of course, don’t drive if you are the one having a stroke.

It’s also very important that you call 911 even if symptoms go away. When symptoms of stroke disappear on their own after a few minutes, a “ministroke” or transient ischemic attack (TIA) may have occurred which is a warning that a major stroke may be coming. That’s why mini-strokes need to be treated like emergences too.

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

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 9

How to Search for Lost Pension Money

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What tips can you offer for tracking down a lost pension from a previous employer?

About to Retire Dear About, It’s not unusual for a worker to lose track of a pension benefit. Perhaps you left an employer long ago and forgot that you left behind a pension. Or maybe you worked for a company that changed owners or went belly up many years ago, and you figured the pension went with it.

Today, millions of dollars in benefits are sitting in pension plans across the U.S. or with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federal government agency, waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners. The average unclaimed benefit with PBGC is about $6,500.

To help you look for a pension, here are some steps to take and some free resources that can help you search if your previous employer has gone out of business, relocated, changed owners, or merged with another firm.

Contact Employer – If you think you have a pension and the company you worked for still is in business, your first step is to call the human resources department and ask how to contact the pension plan administrator. Ask the administrator whether you have a pension, how much it is worth and how to claim it. Depending on how complete the administrator’s records are you may need to show proof that you once worked for the company and that you are pension eligible.

Your old income tax returns and W-2 forms from the years you worked at the company will help you here. If you haven’t saved your old tax

returns from these years, you can get a copy of your earnings record from the Social Security Administration, which will show how much you were paid each calendar year by each employer.

Call 800-772-1213, and ask for Form SSA7050, Request for Social Security Earnings Information, or you can download it at ssa.gov/online/ ssa-7050.pdf. The SSA charges a $136 for this information.

Some other old forms that can help you prove pension eligibility are summary plan descriptions that you should have received from your employer when you worked there, and any individual benefit statements that you received during your employment.

Search PBGC – If your former employer went out of business or if the company still is in business but terminated its pension plan, check with the PBGC, which guarantees pension payouts to private-sector workers if their pension plans fail, up to annual limits. Most people receive the full benefit they earned before the plan was terminated. The PBGC offers an online pension-search directory tool at search.pbgc.gov/mp/mp.aspx.

Get Help – If you need help tracking down your former company because it may have moved, changed owners or merged with another firm, contact the Pension Rights Center, a nonprofit consumer organization that offers seven free Pension Counseling and Information Projects around the U.S. that serve 30 states. For more information, visit pensionrights.org or call 888-420-6550.

If you, your company, or your pension plan happens to be outside the 30-state area served by the projects, or if you’re trying to locate a federal or military pension, use Pension Help America at

pensionhelp.org. This resource can connect you with government agencies and private organizations that provide free information and assistance to help your search.

For more pension searching tips, see the PBGC’s free online publication called Finding a Lost Pension at pbgc.gov/documents/finding-alost-pension.pdf.

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

Hospital Observation Stays Dear Marci, I was in the hospital recently, but my hospital visit was covered under Part B instead of Part A. Someone told me that I was probably under observation during my hospital stay. What is an observation stay? – Robin Dear Robin, During an observation stay, your doctor decides to keep you in the hospital to monitor your conditions and determine whether you need to be admitted as an inpatient. Observation stays are considered outpatient hospital stays, and most of the services you receive are covered under Part B; inpatient hospital stays are covered under Part A. The costs associated with an outpatient observation stay are different from those associated with an inpatient stay, and you may have higher out-of-pocket costs for services received during an observation stay.

Observation stays can last just a few hours or longer. If your doctor expects you to need care for an amount of time that crosses two or more midnights in the hospital, the doctor should formally admit you as an inpatient. If you are under observation as an outpatient, you will have two types of costs after you meet the Part B deductible. You will typically pay a copay for each medical service you receive in the hospital, which will vary in cost depending on the service. You must also pay a 20 percent coinsurance for physician services you receive as an outpatient.

Observation stays can look and feel just like inpatient stays. Know that staying overnight in the hospital does not make you a hospital inpatient. You only become an inpatient after a doctor signs an order formally to admit you to the hospital. You can ask your doctor at the hospital whether your status is inpatient or whether you are receiving observation care. Your status may change during your stay, so it is important to ask regularly.

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Medicare Part D And Medicare Advantage?

JUNE/JULY 2015

Dear Marci, I have a Medicare Advantage HMO plan that includes prescription drug coverage. Do I also have to have a Part D plan? – Rebecca Dear Rebecca, No, if you have a Medicare Advantage HMO plan that includes prescription drug coverage, you do not have to sign up for a separate, stand-alone Part D plan.

There are two ways to get Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

You can enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan that works with your Original Medicare coverage to pay for your prescription drugs, or you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage in the plan.

Consider your health care and drug needs when choosing how to get your prescription drug coverage. You can contact 1-800-Medicare to discuss your prescription drug coverage and what plans are available in your area. ISI

Steps To Making Good Funeral Decisions

By George W. Clarke We all know the ultimate truth… that our lives and those of our loved ones will end, yet most of us are in some state of denial regarding this ultimate reality. When death occurs, those responsible for the funeral arrangements often do not know where to begin. Emotions, fears, and lack of experience in funeral planning all combine to produce confusion, apprehension, and feelings of vulnerability.

By taking the following steps, however, people faced with making final arrangements for someone they love can reduce the accompanying stress and arrive at decisions that meet their spiritual, cultural, and emotional needs and preferences.

Choose a Funeral Home In the past, the decision about which funeral home to call when a family member died was probably not a decision at all. For generations, one funeral home in the community had provided funerals for most, if not all members of a given family, and the loyalty that developed was strong and enduring.

While such circumstances still exist, the mobility of today’s society has left many people

without a designated “family” funeral home.

People may find themselves in a new community, suddenly faced with the unexpected death of a spouse, child, or other family member, and are completely unfamiliar with the reputations and abilities of the funeral homes in the area.

If you haven’t determined which funeral home you would call in an emergency, consider the following steps: • Although your instincts might say it is not necessary, don’t wait. Start the process today, and while you have time and long before the need arises establish a relationship with a funeral home of your choice.

• Ask friends, coworkers, clergy, and other community professionals about their experiences.

• Telephone several funeral homes in your area. Ask questions to get a sense of the staff’s knowledge, courtesy, professionalism, and the services they provide.

After your initial research, schedule an appointment with one or more of the funeral homes that you feel might be best for you. Take the opportunity to tour the facility, learn more about the options available to you, and what kinds of

services you would likely want the funeral home to provide.

By taking these preparatory steps, when the time arrives, your relationship with your chosen funeral home will provide the opportunity to grieve and say goodbye to your departed loved one that honors and memorializes their life.

Take Your Time When a death occurs and arrangements have not been planned in advance, those responsible for the funeral arrangements may feel pressured – by family, friends, or just the desire to get it over with – into making decisions quickly.

Decisions made without enough time to consider alternatives increase the potential for anxiety, confusion, and regret.

In most cases, family members should take whatever time is necessary to finalize funeral arrangements. Some religious denominations require burial or cremation of the deceased within a specific period following the death, but in the absence of those requirements, there is generally no need for decisions about funeral arrangements to be influenced by time pressure.

Consider Your Options As you work with your local funeral home to arrange the funeral or other memorial tribute, it is important to remember that you have a number of options that can be tailored to meet your family’s needs and circumstances. For example, people usually have choices about: • Whether to include a visitation period • Where the ceremony will be held • Whether the deceased’s body will be present for the ceremony • The method of final disposition of the body, which could be earth burial, cremation, entombment, or anatomical donation.

Make It Meaningful Today, people are placing much more emphasis on the personalization of memorial tributes. Baby boomers have grown accustomed to having things their way, from vacations to weddings to websites, and the trend toward unique end-of-life events is an extension of those.

Personalization doesn’t need to be complicated or burdensome. It can be as simple as arranging photographs of the deceased around the room where the visitation and/or ceremony will take place. Many funeral homes will arrange the production of a video presentation of photographs to play continuously during these times, copies of which can be provided to family members as keepsakes.

At the cutting edge are tombstones that can provide (via RFID, NFC, and QR Code technologies) additional photos and other information about the deceased to visitors at the gravesite and on the Internet.

Various items that reflect the interests of the deceased, such as fishing poles, quilts, baseball memorabilia, or even a motorcycle, can be placed near the casket or anywhere that visitors can see. These items will often be the catalyst for personal stories that evoke both sorrow and joy, both of which can be helpful in the emotional healing process.

By planning, becoming an informed consumer, and working with your funeral home, you and your family are better equipped to make rational, considered decisions that create an appropriate and meaningful final tribute to your loved one.

George W. Clarke has more than thirty years’ experience in the funeral service industry. He is the author of Nobody Wants to Talk About It – An Enlightening Guide to Planning a Funeral or Tribute. ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 11

Dental Implant Surgery Provided by the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Did you know that dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth? Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) surgically places in the jawbone.

Many patients who have selected dental implants describe a quality of life that is much more comfortable and secure than the lifestyle endured by those with fixed bridges or removable dentures.

When they count the benefits they enjoy because of their dental implants, patients say their implants eliminate the day-to-day frustrations and discomfort of ill-fitting dentures. They allow people to enjoy a healthy and varied diet without the restrictions many denture wearers face. With a sense of renewed self-confidence, many people rediscover the excitement of an active lifestyle shared with family and friends and the chance to speak clearly and comfortably with co-workers. For all these reasons, people with dental implants often say they feel better, look better, and live better.

After more than 40 years of service, the vast majority of dental implants first placed by OMSs in the United States continue to function at peak performance. More importantly, the recipients of those early dental implants are still satisfied they made the right choice. If properly cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.

A Solution of Choice. Statistics show that 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal, or tooth decay. Furthermore, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.

Years ago, these patients would have had no alternative but a fixed bridge or removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly, and smile.

Fixed bridges and removable dentures, however, are not the perfect solution and often bring with them a number of other problems. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking.

Of even greater concern, fixed bridges often affect adjacent healthy teeth, and denture wearers may suffer bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing. Recurrent decay, gum disease, and wear and tear often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replaced every seven to 15 years.

Composed of titanium metal that “fuses” with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, dental implants never slip, make embarrassing noises, or decay like teeth anchoring fixed bridges. Because dental implants fuse with the jawbone, bone loss is generally not a problem.

Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants? Whether you are a young, middle-aged, or older adult, whether you need to replace one tooth, several teeth, or all your teeth, there is a dental implant solution for you. With the exception of growing children, dental implants are the solution of choice for people of all ages, even if they have any of these concerns: • Existing Medical Conditions. If you can have routine dental treatment, you can generally have an implant placed. While precautions are advisable for certain conditions, patients with such chronic diseases as high blood

Color Me Dental

By Babe E. Blume Having acquired a new dentist because of a move, I diligently filled out a ream of paperwork in the waiting room. Most of it was tedious, but one question made me laugh: “Are you satisfied with your smile or would you change anything?”

Sure, I thought… doing something about my wrinkled, sagging face surrounding it would be a great improvement. Ha, ha. But, I like my smile.

Reclined in the exam chair, I blinked at the overhead lights while the avid technician hung a suctioning tube over my lower lip and cleaned. With her fist inside my mouth, poking and scraping, she stated that my teeth would respond well to whitening.

“I mean really fast. And it lasts a year.” She smiled sincerely, and I noticed her tooth color looked natural.

“Weally?” I asked. Slurrrrp. Slurrrrp.

“Yes, amazing results. Do you drink a lot of coffee?”

“Naa. Diss my natuwal cowor.” Slurrrrp. Slurrrp. I crunched resignedly into the chair. Who was I kidding? There was something I’d like to change about my charming smile and it was my dingy-colored teeth that reminded me of a ferret. My mind spun as fast as the tool she was using to polish my incisors.

After examining my X-rays and mouth, the dentist declared me free of cavities and other problems and complimented me on doing everything right. Upon leaving, he handed me $5 coupon off on whitening strips, a new toothbrush and floss.

I’d never been jealous of high-maintenance women with Chiclet teeth.

In fact, friends always complimented how well I cleaned up for special occasions. But it hurt that my dull-colored teeth were brought to my attention.

I was a baby boomer who brushed after every meal and flossed. I’d never smoked, coffee was an infrequent treat, and I ate healthily. It was unfair that

pressure and diabetes are usually successful candidates for dental implant treatment.

• Gum Disease or Problem Teeth. Almost all implants placed in patients who have lost their teeth to periodontal disease or decay have been successful.

• Currently Wearing Partials or Dentures. Implants can replace removable bridges or dentures, or they can be used to stabilize and secure the denture, making it much more comfortable.

• Smoking. Although smoking lowers the success rate of implants, it doesn’t eliminate the possibility of having them.

• Bone Loss. Bone loss is not uncommon for people who have lost teeth or had periodontal disease. OMSs are trained and experienced in grafting bone safely and permanently to secure the implant.

To learn more contact your family dentist. ISI

PAGE 12 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

I wasn’t blessed with sparkling white teeth.

Later when I passed a favorite photo and my mother smiled back with her off-white choppers, I had my answer: genes.

After my whitening purchase, I rushed home and carefully read the directions, with slight trepidation that I might be destroying my teeth in some way.

That evening I applied the first 30-minute application, then ceremoniously revealed my magical new smile to my husband. His eyes

widened in surprise, then narrowed dreamily.

“Babe, what a difference. They’re beautiful.

And that’s just the first application?”

Now I find myself passing mirrors and flashing a wickedly large grin. I like the new whiter color, but best of all I think it’s somehow lessened my wrinkles and tightened my skin. Now that’s really something to smile about.

So, next time you visit your dentist inquire about how to best whiten your teeth… you will like your new smile. ISI

Your Dentist Can Help With Dry Mouth And Its Consequences… And Watch The Caffeine

By Tait Trussell Dry mouth is a common problem among the elderly.

Wrigley chewing gum has climbed aboard the explosive popularity of energy drinks and come up with a product that can help dry mouth while giving you a boost of energy.

Energy drinks have seen exponential growth, outpacing almost every other drink in the beverage market. But even though chewing gum is an aid to stimulating saliva, you also get a jolt of caffeine, which you may not want, depending on your condition and the medications you take.

According to the Journal of the American Dental Association, a review of studies concluded that dry mouth among the elderly “causes significant oropharyngeal disorders. Dry mouth has many causes.” Early intervention for dry mouth problems helps prevent serious problems, it said.

Without adequate saliva production, your risk of tooth decay and infection in your mouth increases.

Not to sound hysterical, but health experts say that without adequate saliva production, eventually “you may develop difficulty with speaking, tasting and swallowing. Saliva also provides enzymes that help in digestion.

Some people breathe through their mouth instead of their nose, which is not only a source of dry mouth but also indicates a health problem

that may require medical attention.

But the scientific name for it is xerostomia, in case you want to investigate further.

Nearly everyone experiences dry mouth on occasion, often caused by dehydration. It may seem to be a minor annoyance. But dentists say that chronic dry mouth can lead to tooth decay because saliva washes away excess plaque and bacteria.

About 25 million Americans suffer with dry mouth, some because they sleep with their mouth open. Dry mouth is also a side effect of many medications. It occurs often when taking medications to treat anxiety, depression, urinary incontinence, hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, and relax muscles.

Harry Kitner of Vero Beach, Florida, recently wrote his local newspaper in response to a letter from a woman criticizing a “senior” for chewing gum at a funeral.

“The primary reason,” he said, “may be a lack of saliva as a result of the side effects of various medications. Many of us have diminished saliva glands as a result of chemo or radiation therapy.”

Back to the expanded sale of energy drinks.

Before you reach for that promise of enhanced alertness, concentration, and physical performance, you should know a single energy drink might have as much as 500 milligrams of caffeine

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 13

(a cup of coffee has 100).

A popular energy drink is made from guarana (a South American plant that has among the highest concentrations of caffeine in any plant). The Food and Drug Administration regulates the amount of caffeine in soft drinks – but there’s no limit in energy drinks.

A new study is calling energy drinks a rising health problem. Emergency room calls are up dramatically because of energy drinks.

There’s no such concern about Wrigley’s energy gum at this point. It contains the caffeine equivalent of only about a half cup of coffee. But neither the gum nor an energy drink is fit for your grandkids. That’s for sure. ISI

Generic Drug Use Shown To Improve Medication Adherence In People With Glaucoma

In the first study to examine the impact of a reduction in glaucoma medication copay on patient adherence, researchers in Michigan have found a potential solution to one of the biggest obstacles facing American ophthalmologists in the fight against glaucoma-related blindness. Despite the availability of effective treatments, more than half of glaucoma patients do not take their medications as prescribed. A study published online by Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, reveals that one way to solve this problem may be switching nonadherent patients to generic drugs.

The standard treatment for open-angle glaucoma – the most common form of the disease in the United States – is a class of medications called prostaglandin analogues (PGAs), which are eye drops that lower intraocular pressure. While PGAs are highly effective, the brand name versions are often more costly than other classes of glaucoma drugs, and researchers have suspected that the high cost may be an important reason so many patients do not take their medication as prescribed.

In March 2011, the first and only generic PGA, latanoprost, became available in the United States.

At the time, it was priced to save a typical patient approximately $1,300 a year when compared to buying brand name products.

To determine how the generic drug’s availability may have affected adherence, researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and University of Michigan College of Pharmacy examined claims data from 8,427 glaucoma patients for the 18 months before and after latanoprost became available. All subjects were taking name brand PGAs prior to the availability of generic latanoprost, but after the generic drug’s introduction, some stayed on the name brand medications while others shifted to the generic drug.

The researchers found that while medication adherence improved on average among all patients who were switched to generic latanoprost, those who had been on name brand PGAs other than branded latanoprost – such as Bimatoprost and Travaprost – experienced a greater improvement.

Among those who had switched from Bimatoprost, medication adherence rose, on average, from

47 percent of the time to 61 percent of the time.

Among those who had switched from Travaprost, the average adherence rose from 43 percent of the time to 54 percent of the time.

In a subset of patients who had suboptimal adherence prior to the availability of a generic option, the researchers identified several factors associated with an adherence improvement of 25 percent or more. These factors included higher prescription copays prior to the introduction of generic latanoprost or lower prescription copays after the introduction of generic latanoprost. The researchers speculate that the lower cost of generic latanoprost may be the primary reason for the improvement. They also found improved adherence among African-American patients who switched to generic drugs, and noted that AfricanAmericans tend to have more severe glaucoma compared to other ethnicities and therefore often have a more complex medication regimen, which affects both cost and adherence.

“Some of my patients require three or four different classes of medications. Individuals’ outof-pocket costs for glaucoma medications can exceed $100 per month, and the high drug cost may deter patients on a tight budget from consistently buying and taking their medications as prescribed,” said Joshua D. Stein, M.D., lead author and associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. “It’s reassuring to find that switching patients to more affordable, generic drugs could be an effective solution for a subgroup of patients who have difficulty with adherence.”

Dr. Stein added that the findings might have applications beyond glaucoma to other chronic conditions – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol – for which patients similarly struggle with medication adherence.

The investigators recommend that ophthalmologists consider switching to generic drugs when available for patients who struggle with adherence.

Similarly, they advise patients with glaucoma to talk with their ophthalmologist about whether any of their prescribed medications are available as generic products and if they could be switched to such products when applicable.

If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.

- Mary Engelbreit

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting more than 2.7 million Americans aged 40 and older and 64.3 million people globally. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that all adults have a comprehensive eye exam by age 40 – the time when early signs of age-related eye disease and changes in vision may start to happen. Based on the results of this exam, the ophthalmologist – a physician and surgeon who treats eye diseases and conditions – will advise when follow-up exams are necessary. ISI

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PAGE 14 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

Dear Pharmacist – Green Apples And Your Brain

By Suzy Cohen When I was chopping up green apples to put into my chicken salad, I wondered two things: Does anyone else realize that apples are brain food? Do all of you see your food as “medicine” or am I just slightly neurotic?

When I eat avocados all I can think of is glutathione! Tomatoes, lycopene. Almonds, aspirin. Okay, I think it’s just I; let’s move on.

Green apples are rich in a bioflavonoid called quercetin, which is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. A study published in the journal Neurochemical Research in 2014 evaluated mitochondrial health in the brain as well as mechanisms that might prevent plaques from developing which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

We know that in Alzheimer’s patients, beta amyloid plaques in the brain cause mitochondrial stress and affect functioning of your ATP generators. The amyloid plaques gum up ATP machinery as if you were putting Elmer’s in your gas tank! Long story short, memory is dampened, learning is stunted, and you develop poor concentration, reduced comprehension, and brain fog.

Your mitochondria or “mito” are tiny organelles inside your cells that produce energy molecules for you that we term ATP. The body gets fat and sugar from meals but then it needs to be broken down into teeny

weenie parts so you have energy or “ATP” to function in your life.

This reaction is dependent on an enzyme called AMPK and this AMPK is the gas pedal in terms of how fast you turn that cheesecake into energy.

In the study, a group of animals received natural quercetin each day while others were given a dose of the famous Alzheimer’s medication called Aricept. The animals treated with the most quercetin had the most positive benefits. These mice had fewer problems learning tasks and they had a better memory. There was significant reduction in the amyloid plaque build-up too!

Finally, their mitochondrial function was evaluated and it had improved.

There was improved health and function of the mitochondria deep inside the hippocampus, which is the memory center in the brain.

The study showed that AMPK enzyme activity was markedly increased in the mice given quercetin (not Aricept) which is very good. When the AMPK activity was increased with quercetin treatment, it slowed plaque build-up and even better, those poor little mito didn’t suffer as much.

There was less mitochondrial dysfunction. Scientists know that when this master switch of AMPK is flipped, your mitochondria respond. Additionally, microglial cell activity improves, inflammation goes down, and blood sugar balance improves.

So even though it was just rodents, I feel like my chicken salad with green apples gives me an advantage in my quest for better brain health.

Quercetin is a wonderful antioxidant sold at health food stores as a dietary supplement. You don’t need a prescription. It naturally occurs in apples, red onions, black and green tea, raspberries, cranberries, citrus, and green leafy veggies.

There’s a longer version of this article at Suzycohen.com. ISI

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By Dr. Bruce D. Fisher Orthotics are highly effective and invaluable tools in my line of work.

I say this because they have worked wonders for most of my patients in alleviating discomfort and pain. The purpose of orthotics (also known as “arch supports” and “inserts”) is to correct irregular walking patterns by slightly altering the angles at which the foot strikes a surface. For the sake of brevity, most foot pain is the result of a faulty relationship between the bones and muscles of the foot. This abnormal function can result in a number of problems such as bunions, hammer toes, flat foot, and arch and heel pain.

The function of a custom orthotic is to realign the foot to prevent or correct these problems. This can be effectively achieved only by designing true custom orthotics. Creating effective custom orthotics is dependent on several variables: • Proper gait analysis and a biomechanical exam by a medical specialist • Proper placement and molding of the cast • Proper prescription written by the doctor • Proper construction of the orthotic by an experienced and qualified laboratory to ensure that the prescription is filled correctly.

As your foot rests on a properly constructed custom orthotic it is gently and consistently directed into the correct position (or at least a better position) for walking, running, and standing. Because your foot is now functioning properly, the pain of muscle strain and pressure points is relieved, and the progression of deformities is often halted or significantly slowed.

There are many advertisements promoting “custom” orthotics at shoe stores and orthotic retail stores. While these products may offer some clinical benefit, they typically are not custom at all and tend to be extremely overpriced. So, think before you buy. Better yet, go see your foot and ankle specialist to ensure you are getting the real thing. ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

Stash Some Memories In Utah’s Cache County

By Bernice Karnop Utah rocks with diversity. Contrast the snowy Rocky Mountains sprinkled with world-class ski areas with the desert areas filled with native culture and National Park-worthy landscapes. Utah boasts five National Parks, seven National Monuments, two National Recreation Areas, and six National Forests. It doesn’t take long to find a reason to visit.

And with all Utah has to offer, one should not neglect the roads less traveled, including the ones that border Idaho in the north. Anyone who loves history and the great outdoors will find plenty to appreciate in Cache County, including Logan, the Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway, and Bear Lake.

The name Cache comes from the trapper era.

The early mountain men used the Cache Valley to hide and store their precious furs. Those trappers discovered this area very early in the history of the west. Jim Bridger and John Weber came through in 1824 and Peter Skene Ogden and James Beckwourth followed the next year. Before them, the area was home to hunter-gatherer tribes for unknown centuries.

The city of Logan lies along the Logan River in the Cache Valley, which is bordered by the Wasatch Mountains on the east and the Wellsville Mountains on the west. The Mormon settlers arrived in 1855. Constructed entirely by volunteer pioneers and completed in 1884, Logan’s towering LDS Temple can be seen for miles in the Cache Valley. The Temple covers a city block and is the second temple built in Utah. One of Utah’s finest temples, it is the second temple built in Utah, covers a city block, and includes lovely gardens and fountains. It was renovated inside in the 1970s but the outside is still original.

The nearby Mormon Tabernacle is an example of an early meetinghouse. A genealogy library, open to the public, fills the basement.

Logan boasts lovely historic mansions and Center Street is designated a National Historic District. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum further explores of the area’s history.

Utah State University in Logan was established in 1888 as Utah State Agricultural College.

In 1984, the university’s beautiful Old Main building burned. Restored it is now the jewel of the campus. Nora Eccles Harrison Art museum contains 20th century ceramics, paintings, photographs, sculpture, and more. The school continues to provide agricultural extension services and scientific research that helps farmers throughout the state.

From Logan, Highway 89, the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway, follows the serpentine Logan River through craggy, nearly vertical, limestone cliffs.

Interpretive signs explain the geology and history of the area, and trailheads point hikers to spots

they can explore on foot. The Logan River Trail is a wide dirt and gravel path shared by runners, hikers, and bicyclists. Casual hikers may try the Limber Pine Trail, near the summit of Logan Canyon. This one-mile loop hike features panoramic overlooks of Bear Lake.

Bicyclists may choose to ride the 20-mile loop called Old Ephraim’s Grave Trail. It follows dirt roads, jeep trails, and single-track paths. Old Ephraim was a bulky grizzly bear with only three toes on one foot who foraged in this area in the early 1900s. A stone monument marks where he was killed.

Anchoring the north end of the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway is Bear Lake at an elevation of 5,923 feet. It’s Utah’s second largest natural lake, 20 miles long, 8 miles wide, and 208 feet deep in places. Some call it the Caribbean of the Rockies because of the intense color of its turquoise water and its sandy beaches.

People flock here for all kinds of water sports, including boating, sailing, and fishing. Along with rainbow and cutthroat trout, Bear Lake is home to the Bonneville cisco, a fish found nowhere else.

The slender, silvery cisco feeds on zooplankton and seldom grows larger than seven inches. Some call them Bear Lake sardines.

Along with the abundance of fish, the area is thick with wildlife and birds. Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies at the north end of Bear Lake, in Idaho. Canada geese, sand hill and whooping cranes, redhead, canvasback, and mallards are a few of the waterfowl one might see. It also claims to be home to the largest nesting population of white-faced ibis. Deer, moose, and any number of small mammals find refuge in the area as well.

One more creature to be on the lookout for is the Bear Lake Monster. Stories of this Loch Ness-type creature go back to Indian legend and mountain man tales. Mormon pioneers reported the monster in the Deseret News of Salt Lake City back in 1868.

Please report any sightings to the Idaho Senior Independent and include your grainy photos!

For help with vacation plans, contact the Cache Valley Visitor’s Bureau, 800-882-4433 or visit cachevalley.com. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 15

PAGE 16 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

Summer Adventures in British Columbia

By Bernice Karnop Drive less than 20 miles north of Bonner’s Ferry and you are in British Columbia. You can imagine the trouble early explores had with rugged mountains like the Selkirk, the Purcell, and the Rockies while searching for a northwest passage

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or for precious metals. They presented a challenging barrier for builders of railroads and highways.

In winter, the steep-walled valleys fill up with snow, and while creating a challenge for travelers, they create the perfect winter playground for skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, these mountains draw outdoor adventurers as well. The snowy playground melts into rivers and lakes perfect for whitewater rafting, kayaking, boating, and fishing.

The snow banks make way for an array of exquisite wildflowers to charm hikers, mountain bikers, and photographers.

You do not have to be an extreme athlete to enjoy the magic of this big country. Driving the highways and stopping in the cities that serve the area will give you a vacation to remember. One of the most popular tours is the International Selkirk Loop that goes from Idaho through southeastern British Columbia and into Washington. The British Columbia section takes you through mountain vistas, evergreen forests, and past large lakes.

Some of the most storied rivers on the continent flow from these mountains. The Columbia flows north from Columbia Lake in the Rocky Mountain Trench before making a horseshoe bend around the Selkirk Mountains to head south on its 1,210 mile journey to the Pacific Ocean through Washington state.

The Kootenay River (spelled Kootenai in the States) passes less than a mile from Columbia Lake, but instead of joining there, it wanders south through Montana and Idaho and loops back into B.C, to join the Columbia River at Castlegar. Its journey is 485 miles instead of one.

Castlegar – You can watch the Columbia and the Kootenay rivers tumble together by stopping at Zukerberg Island Heritage Park in Castlegar. A suspension bridge takes visitors onto the island. On the island, you can explore First Nations heritage at the Indian Kekuli, or pit house. Later residents are memorialized by a log house, a Russian Orthodox Church with the traditional onion dome roof, and a cemetery. The Castlegar Station Museum on the island is in a 19th century Canadian Pacific Railway station.

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The Doukhobor Discovery Centre on the banks of the Columbia River will introduce you to a group of people you do not hear about every day. This pacifist group of Russian immigrants – about 7,500 of them – came to Canada in 1908-1913. They escaped persecution in their native land with the help of writer, Leo Tolstoy, and a statue of him stands on the grounds.

The ten-building replica of the communal settlement will introduce you to their lifestyle, beliefs, and history. As you stroll through the centre watch for heritage plants used by this vegetarian sect.

While they no longer live communally, the Doukhobor continue to treasure and preserve their culture, language, and history. The Village Art Gallery/Craft Center sells crafts, books, music, and films. Nearby Doukhobor sites include a suspension bridge built by hand in 1913 and the tomb of leader, Peter V. Verigin.

The Centre is across from the airport at Castlegar and is open from May 1 to September 30.

Trail – The city of Trail reminds you that these mountains, like so many in the west, are rich in precious ores. Gold and copper discoveries in the 1890s drew people here. In downtown Trail, stop at the Teck Trail Operations Interpretive Centre where you will see hands-on science exhibits that explain the processes of smelting and refining and how metals affect our everyday life. Teck Cominco is one of the largest lead-zinc smelters in the world.

Free tours of the operation depart from the interpretive center. You should be able to walk well, and grandchildren under 12 are not allowed.

Come prepared to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed shoes.

Trail’s early influx of Italian immigrants left its mark on the city. Be sure to visit an Italian restaurant for authentic and delicious Italian food. Silver City Days in Trail honors the Italians with grape stomping, parades, and pasta dinners.

Revelstoke – North of Castlegar and situated on the banks of the Columbia lies Revelstoke, the Canadian city with the record greatest winter snowfall at just over 80 feet in the winter of 197172. East of Revelstoke are the Selkirk Mountains and Glacier National Park. Originally a railroad town to service the mining industry, Revelstoke has evolved into an important tourism area due to its excellent skiing and opportunities for outdoor activities. Revelstoke Mountain resort features North America’s greatest vertical drop of over 5,600 ft.

Mountain biking, rock climbing, and kayaking are popular summer activities. For more information visit seerevelstoke.com.

Kimberley – This Bavarian themed winter sports center with a giant outdoor cuckoo clock is one of Canada’s highest cities, elevation 3,651.

It is built on the slopes of Sullivan and North Star hills, and it was built for mining, not skiing.

Kimberley’s Underground Mining Railway offers narrated one-hour train rides through Mark Creek Valley on a narrow-gauge mine track. The Kimberley Heritage Museum features local history and mining. Admission is by donation. ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 17

Dallas Stoller Builds Or Restores Anything With Wheels Or Runners

By Dianna Troyer If a vintage wooden vehicle lies in pieces in a seemingly hopeless heap, octogenarian Dallas Stoller can restore it in his shop adjacent to his home near Paul.

One client asked the woodworker to restore a stagecoach that had been robbed and shoved off a cliff in northern Nevada. Another wished a touring coach once used in Yellowstone National Park could be refurbished because it had been in the family for four generations.

“There wasn’t much left to either one, just some rusted metal framework and weathered pieces of wood,” recalls Dallas. “It was like trying to put together a three-dimensional puzzle with most of the pieces missing.”

Referring to vintage photographs and historic blueprints that were often inaccurate and needed to be corrected, he restored them after finishing his workday as a truck driver for the Minidoka County Highway Department.

“People hear about me totally by word of mouth,” says Dallas, who has more time for woodworking since retiring from his state job in 1992.

Since the ’80s, Dallas has completed 35 projects. He has built or refurbished wagons, carriages, surreys, coaches, buggies, and sleighs.

He has also crafted furniture and recently began carving wooden figurines.

The projects have not only allowed him to express his creativity, they have unexpectedly taught him history lessons.

In childhood, Dallas first discovered the wonders of working with wood. The passion intensified as he became more skilled.

“In second grade, I started making wooden toys,” he says. “It came naturally to me, and I’ve been tinkering with wood ever since. It’s relaxing.”

Dallas, 81, and his wife, Sandy, 79, a retired registered nurse, flip through the pages of a photo album, showing decades of accomplishments.

“I couldn’t have done any of these projects without Sandy,” says Dallas. “She has helped with whatever I’ve needed.”

Dallas points out a photo of a stagecoach he restored for a history buff from Buhl who recovered it near Jarbidge, Nev. The coach intrigued him because thieves stole $4,000 from it on December 5, 1916, making it the last stagecoach robbery in the West. The booty has never been recovered.

“That coach was called a Mudwagon and was made by the Abbot Downing Company,” says Dallas. “It was known for being lightweight yet sturdy, making it ideal for rutted, muddy roads.

I ended up making one for myself.”

That company also made a Yellowstone Touring Coach.

“The Yellowstone coach I restored was on a farm near Ashton. An aspen tree was growing up through the middle of it,” he recalls. “A farmer asked me to fix a wagon that he needed quickly for his daughter’s wedding and gave me the touring coach parts as trade-out. After I restored it, their son wanted it. I sold it to him, so it could stay in the family.”

Another unusual project was building a reproduction of an 1852 solid axle wagon to haul barrels of malt barley.

“Budweiser has a malt barley plant near Idaho Falls and wanted the six-horse wagon for parades,” says Dallas. “I built it from a photograph.”

A one-of-a-kind project was building two historic coaches for a San Diego businessman’s home.

“He insisted they be built by hand,” says Dallas. “As each story of his house was partially

built, he had a coach lifted into it. The house was built around the coaches.”

Dallas even did the upholstery on his projects.

“In the beginning, it was a lot of un-sewing because I had to pull out all my mistakes,” he says.

His completed projects have brightened others’ lives.

“In the past, we gave teens rides for their proms or other special events,” says Dallas.

His woodworking expertise has helped him to relive history. Working as a wheelwright, he was invited to wagon train rides in Montana and

Idaho.

“I took historic tools that would have been used in the 1800s,” he says. “Most of these tools have found me. People have them around their place or have inherited them and have no idea what they are and call me.”

One day, two different men happened to bring him a tire upsetter, a round tool used to shrink a section of a metal rim, so the worn wooden wheel would still fit inside it.

“A man from Dillon, Montana, had one and was driving down this way and dropped it off.

While he was here, a man from Richfield, Utah, brought me another one. I’d always wanted one

PAGE 18 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

but didn’t know where to start looking.”

Dallas’ projects have even helped him befriend Amish craftsmen in Arthur, Ill. “When I first started ordering parts from this company, the owner was cautious of me as an outsider,” he says. “When I explained what I was doing, we became friends.”

Dallas was invited to work in the Amish man’s shop.

“I’ve learned a lot from him and his employees. They have an incredible work ethic and put in long days,” he says. “Despite all that work, I end up gaining about 10 pounds when I go there because their meals are fantastic.”

Besides the historical refurbishments, Dallas also has built whimsical and sturdy projects for his family, including a surrey, a cradle, sleighs, and chairs for grandchildren. He and Sandy have five daughters, 10 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

“We’ve been blessed,” says Dallas. “When you’re doing something you like and the good Lord is with you, it all helps. Sandy and I both like to try lots of hobbies.” ISI

Dallas Stoller has loved working with wood since childhood. (Photo by Dianna Troyer)

Idaho’s Oldest Ref, Bruce Seamons, Still Packs Plenty Of Energy

By Dianna Troyer Octogenarian Bruce Seamons, Idaho’s oldest high school basketball and soccer ref, never takes a full summer vacation even though the school year has ended.

But the 80-year-old Burley resident doesn’t mind. During early summer, he referees at Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournaments.

“I’ve loved basketball ever since I played in high school,” says Bruce, who has been a ref for more than three decades. “Plus, it’s kept me in such good shape that I can still fit into the same size clothes I wore in high school.”

During summer AAU tournaments and camps, he often travels from Seattle, across Idaho, and down to southern Utah.

“A lot of times, strangers on the court greet me by my first name. I ask them how they even know me.

They tell me, ‘Everyone knows you, Bruce.’”

Bruce has been a ref longer than some coaches have coached.

“I’m refereeing the third generation of kids.”

During fall, he refer-

ees soccer games and in winter keeps order on basketball courts throughout District 4.

“This past season, I did 110 basketball games and 49 soccer games,” says Bruce, who travels to 29 schools in the district from Castleford to Ketchum and Raft River to Glenns Ferry.

Having recently completed his 32nd season of basketball and 15th year of soccer, he estimates he has run more than 6,200 miles while officiating at more than 2,500 games.

When he was 47, Bruce became a certified referee through the Idaho High School Activities Association.

“I was in charge of our church’s basketball program and also helped with city league games.

Some local refs noticed how much I enjoyed it, so they told me to take the certification training. Our district commissioner at that time told me I was too old, but I’ve outlasted him.”

Sean Stanley, current basketball commissioner for District IV, says Bruce is dependable, dedicated, easygoing, and known for being fair.

“I can count on him to help train refs who are starting out at the junior high level,” says Sean.

“Because he’s retired, Bruce is willing to work as many games as he can.”

After retiring at age 65 from his job selling agricultural equipment, Bruce had more time to devote to basketball. Sometimes he has worked

JUNE/JULY 2015

six or more games a day, estimating he runs about 3 miles per game.

To protect his feet from hours of pounding, Bruce has learned to pad them properly.

“You make your feet fit the shoe by layering your socks in a certain way. I always buy my shoes a half-size too big, and then wear a spandex sock and a regular sock over that. My feet don’t get sore.”

He buys a new pair of shoes every other year because the insoles have worn out.

“Nike Shox with their cushioned heel fit my feet the best,” he says.

One year, his Achilles heel tendon began to bother him.

“I realized that if I had a heel lift, it took the pressure off. A few times when other refs have told me their tendons were starting to ache, we found some cardboard and folded it in layers for a temporary homemade lift. Their heels felt better.”

Bruce has stayed fit without being fanatical about a dogged exercise regimen or diet or going to a gym.

“You can do a lot at home to maintain muscle tone,” he says. “When you’re watching TV, just sit in a chair, put your legs together straight out, lift them, and hold for a few seconds. You can feel your core stomach and leg muscles tightening.”

He relies on minimal exercise equipment: an exercise ball, a Pilates chair, and a stationary bike that his wife, Afton, found at a yard sale.

“I’ll do either the bike or ball or chair about 10 to 15 minutes a day,” he says. “That’s all.”

He doesn’t have a special diet.

“I just take one supplement that supports cellular regeneration,” he says.

Bruce Seamons received an autographed ball from the Idaho Youth Ranch for officiating games there for more than 30 years. [Photo by Dianna Troyer]

After decades of officiating, Bruce has become accustomed to angry fans disagreeing with his calls. At times, he has called a technical foul on obnoxious coaches and ejected them from a game.

“One junior high coach I had to ‘T’ later apologized to me for his behavior. You’d be surprised at what adults call you.”

His wife, Afton, refuses to go to games due to rude fans and disrespectful coaches.

“My last game was watching the College

Suzuki Violin Teacher Jolene Hobson Strums Heartstrings

By Dianna Troyer Trying to mimic symphony violinists she had heard, Jolene Hobson recalls feeling frustrated as a child during practice and wondering if she could ever play the instrument that enchanted her.

“My dad had given me my first violin when I was 8 and had taken me to the Utah Symphony, so I knew what a violin could sound like. When I played mine, it sure didn’t sound like what I’d heard at the concert,” she says, laughing. “It took years to learn to play.”

Yet as a youngster, she had discovered her calling and an instrument that would guide her throughout her life. Although she struggled during practice, her perseverance eventually paid off.

The 61-year-old Burley resident has become a beloved violin teacher using the Suzuki method and a member of the Magic Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Teaching and playing are ways for me to give to the community,” says Jolene, who has taught lessons for 30 years. Besides her orchestral performances, she also plays classical songs and hymns at church, community events, nursing homes, and funerals. For most of those events, Marilyn Whiting accompanies her on piano.

“We’ve been playing together for 40 years,”

says Jolene. “Music has blessed me with many lifelong friendships. I always remind my students that music will bless them, too, throughout all stages of their lives.”

While studying music education at Brigham Young University, Jolene heard a life-changing violin concert and realized children as young as eight could perform like adults. Children who had learned the late Shinichi Suzuki’s method of playing violin performed complex concertos with ease.

“It was amazing,” recalls Jolene. “They played better than college students. I knew I had to learn more about that method of teaching.”

Since becoming a certified teacher with the International Suzuki Association, Jolene has taught about 200 students, some for as long as 15 years, in the Mini-Cassia area. Her students have ranged in age from three to adult.

Jolene says the excitement of playing violin and teaching others to play has never waned.

“It’s so satisfying when you see improvement in students’ playing and see how music helps them to become better people,” says Jolene.

As Jolene learned more about Suzuki’s philosophy, she realized the Japanese musician’s ideas meshed with her own.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 19

of Southern Idaho women’s team,” she says. “I couldn’t stand to hear fans yelling and criticizing him. Usually, it’s because they don’t understand the rules of the game.”

Appreciative fans outnumber the nasty ones.

“Fans have told me they know I treat all the players fairly when I call a game,” says Bruce, who passes a yearly test to maintain his referee credentials. “To me, a foul is a foul and traveling is traveling for every player.”

Coaches often tease Bruce about his longevity.

“They sometimes tell me, ‘Bruce one day we’ll carry you off the court in a pine box.’ I just remind them in that case not to forget my whistle. I feel great. I can see myself doing this at least another five years.”

After the summer AAU season ends, Bruce has about seven weeks off before the soccer season starts.

“I visit my brother in Montana, and we ride horses in the wilderness,” he says. “By August, I’m ready to start calling games again.” ISI

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“I agree with Dr. Suzuki when he said, ‘Teach“I also give out treats and tell them it’s a seing music is not my main purpose. I want to make cret potion that I concocted to help with whatever good citizens. If a child hears fine music from the problem they are having.” day of his birth and learns to play it himself, he Like her students, Jolene is always learning. develops sensitivity, discipline, and endurance. He She often hears new ideas during a weeklong, gets a beautiful heart.’ I think that’s what music is summer program organized by the Intermountain all about.”

Suzuki String Institute in Salt Lake City.

Suzuki believed learning to play a musical in“It’s like a week of heaven, being surrounded strument was a skill that could be acquired through by violin music and other musicians,” says Jolene, consistent, focused practice. He compared it to an instructor there. learning a spoken language. Just as people learn During her three decades of teaching, Jolene to speak their mother has enjoyed watching tongue through listening her students grow up, and repetition, they also including her own chilcan learn to play a musidren. She taught her two cal instrument. daughters to play violin Jolene shares one of and one son to play her favorite motivationcello. Her other two sons al mottos from the late play piano, although she Adolph “Bud” Herseth, didn’t teach them. a trumpet player. “The “I get close to my more I practiced, the students from the weekly better I played, and the lessons and miss them better I played, the more when they leave for colJolene Hobson teaches her granddaughter, Claire, how I enjoyed it.” lege,” she says.

She finds creative to hold the bow. (Photo by Dianna Troyer) Some have returned. ways to motivate her 32 students, including her A former student, Cassandra Grisenti, performs granddaughter, Claire Hobson, 5. To teach Claire with Jolene in Burley’s orchestra. When Cassandra to hold her bow correctly, Jolene places a small was five, she began taking lessons from Jolene, finger puppet on the end of her bow, reminding studying with her for 13 years until high school Claire to hold it upright so it will stay on. graduation.

Together, they sing, “Up like a rocket, down “One of the most important things Jolene like the rain, back and forth like a choo-choo train. taught was that through reaching my personal level Round and round like the great big sun, put it on of excellence I could learn to do hard things,” says your head, curl pinky and thumb.”

Cassandra. “That in turn has made the difference Claire’s mom, Laura Hobson, says, “It’s hard to in all areas of adversity throughout my life.” keep kids motivated after the novelty of getting an Cassandra began teaching violin eight years instrument wears off, so Jolene always comes up ago. with different ways to make playing and practicing “Jolene helped me start out and continues to fun. She makes lessons enjoyable with gadgets help me succeed in learning to teach my students,” like the puppets or letting them wear a special says Cassandra. “I’m thankful for her example as crown when they play well.” a person and as a teacher.”

As Jolene’s students become proficient, they Jolene says, “It’s great to think I was a small perform at local concerts. To help them relax, she part of my students’ music education. Playing a suggests they think of their music as a color or musical instrument is something you can do your story they want to tell to their audience. whole life.” ISI

Orchids’ Exquisite Beauty Enthralls Alan Porter

By Dianna Troyer Every June, Idaho’s wild orchids lure Alan Porter to the outdoors.

“Statewide, we have 36 species, including five varieties of Lady Slippers,” says the 52-yearold Rupert resident who serves as president of the Magic Valley Orchid Society. “Generally, they bloom only for about a week in early June. It varies year to year, depending on how long it takes the snow to melt. Whenever I hike, I’m always looking for them to photograph.”

Alan first became enchanted with orchids as a teen-ager.

“When I was 17, I’d completed all the gardening projects in 4-H and thought growing orchids would be interesting for a self-determined project,” says Alan. “Back then, the only time you saw orchids was in a corsage made at a floral shop. I’ve alBetter care means a better quality of life. ways liked rare things.”

He found orchids advertised in the back of a magazine and ordered one from a Seattle

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grower. He never imagined how that orchid would compel him to grow more and more, forever enriching his life.

As Alan learned more about orchids, he became enthralled. Worldwide, about 35,000 species have been identified with countless shapes and fragrances to attract insects for pollination. Some are even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“Some have such sweet fragrances, while others smell like a dead elephant. We had one at a show that was gorgeous but smelled so bad we had to put a glass jar over it.”

Some orchids are extremely rare.

“There are only about 20 of these in existence,” says Alan pointing to a tall orchid in his greenhouse. “A friend’s father in Boise developed it as a hybrid from two species. You can only grow one with a division from the original plant since the cross has not been able to be remade.”

The rare orchid is among about 600 flourishing in a 17-foot by 15-foot greenhouse he built at the entrance to his home, where his beauties blossom year-round.

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“Most peak in spring and summer, but I always have a few even in winter,” says Alan. “Many stay in bud for several months.”

He tends to his orchids when he is finished working as a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist at Minidoka County Schools and a Youth Specialist at the Idaho Youth Ranch.

During summer, Alan exhibits orchids at the Minidoka County Fair and travels to shows as far away as Helena, Mont.

Although orchids appear to be fragile, they are robust if cared for properly.

“They thrive on the sides of trees or on the ground, and some can live to be more than 100 years old,” says Alan. “They need moisture but shouldn’t be over-watered or bone-dry.”

With 35 years of experience growing orchids, Alan picked creative lettering for his license plates: ORKD DR. He has been a consultant at a garden center in Ketchum, advising clients about their orchids.

“There’s a joke among orchid growers that you become an expert after you’ve killed 1,000 orchids,” says Alan.

Most people ask him how to get their orchids to bloom again.

“Most orchids bloom once a year,” he says.

“After the flowers wilt, the plant goes through a dormancy period followed by a growth period.

They prefer a regular routine of consistent care.”

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 21

About 600 orchids surround Alan Porter in his sunroom near Rupert. (Photo by Dianna Troyer)

The most common problems are providing too little bright filtered sunlight and too much water, he advises. The leaves should be a medium green color.

“If they’re a deep green, it means they’re getting too little light. They need natural sunlight that can be filtered through a sheer curtain for at least six hours a day. In the jungles where they grow naturally, the humidity acts as a protective barrier

to sunburn.”

Orchids also dislike wet roots, which can cause unhealthy fungus and bacteria to grow.

“They do well if you put their planter on a tray of gravel with water in it. If they’re in sphagnum moss, you can go two to three weeks between watering.”

Don’t put an ice cube on them to provide water, he advises, because they’re tropical plants and dislike cold.

“To check on their health, you can pull them out of their pot and trim away squishy or dead root sections and repot with bark or moss,” he says.

To keep temperature and moisture levels optimal in his earthen-floored greenhouse, Alan installed underground pipes that circulate warm water from a heater in the corner.

“It keeps the floor temperature at about 90 degrees,” he says. “Even on the coldest day in winter, it’s about 65 degrees in here. The humidity is about 45 to 50 percent.”

Techniques for growing orchids have changed dramatically since Alan’s 4-H project decades ago.

Now, they are cloned in tropical greenhouses.

“They’re grown by the millions, which is why they’re inexpensive at stores,” he says.

He advises people who want to buy an orchid to do research.

“Start with an inexpensive one in case it accidentally dies,” he says. “The American Orchid Society’s website is a great resource.” ISI

Rich And Connie Wills Channel Their Passion For Drama Into Historic Theater

By Dianna Troyer For Rich and Connie Wills, keeping a century-old theater afloat in Glenns Ferry is an entertaining and endless improvisational performance.

“You never know what’s going to happen here,” says Connie about coordinating scripts, dozens of actors, dinner menus, and doing building maintenance during the Glenns Ferry Historic Opera Theatre’s busy summer season.

“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” she adds. “We’ve always loved theater and met each other while taking drama classes at Nampa High School. Theater just makes a person feel good, no matter what side of the stage you’re on.”

Two decades ago in the midst of careers and kids, the Wills took on a commitment that others avoided. In 1994, they bought the theater with the vision of running it as a non-profit corporation.

With community support, the 70-year-olds have revived it with summer stage productions and renting it as a community center. They not only rescued the brick theater with its archway entrance from a forlorn future, they also bought an adjacent building and Rich and Connie Wills organize summer plays and melo- remodeled it as a comdrama at their Glenns Ferry Historical Opera Theatre. mercial kitchen.

[Photo by Connie Wills] “The last 20 years have gone so fast,” says Connie, a retired educator and the town’s mayor. “In the early ’90s, the owner couldn’t turn a profit anymore as people started watching videos at home, so he put it up for sale. We couldn’t stand to see it lost to water damage. It was part of the town’s history.”

It had been a venue for Vaudeville acts and later silent movies and talkies. When it was built in 1914, the state-of-the-art theater was called the Gorby Opera House. The Wills renamed it the Glenns Ferry Historic Opera Theatre, but the locals call the building their Grand Ol’ Gal for its numerous ornate vintage features.

“It still has the original red velvet stage curtain, piano, hardwood floors, wainscoting, staircase, and brass fans along the walls,” says Connie. “We try to maintain its original appearance. When people walk into the lobby, they tell us it feels like they’ve stepped back in time. People come back year after year because they’re looking for old-fashioned family entertainment.

They plan their reunions at the park and then come over here for evening entertainment.”

On Fridays, a murder-mystery is performed, while Saturday’s production is an old-time melodrama. This summer’s season runs from June 12 to Au-

gust 29. Dinner starts at 6:30, with the show opening at 7:45. This summer’s shows are In Memoriam on Fridays and Treasures of Huckleberry Ridge or Hey Jude on Saturdays.

“We have two casts for each show, so actors can have some flexibility with their summer schedule,” says Connie, estimating about 60 people including doubles are available to perform. “We have people coming from as far as Kimberly and Jerome to the north and Meridian to the west to act in our plays.”

While Connie handles administrative tasks, Rich directs performers, serves as the chef, and takes care of custodial duties. (Cont’d on pg 34)

PAGE 22 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 23

Breath-taking Bonsai Trees Abound In Barb Gough’s Backyard

By Dianna Troyer Every spring, exquisite and delicate blossoms adorn Barb Gough’s 2½-foot-tall bonsai cherry tree.

“I never tire of seeing it bloom year after year,” says Barb, 68, treasurer and a founding member of the Boise Bonsai Society, boisebonsai.com.

“About 15 years ago, a friend gave me the cherry tree and an apricot tree because he didn’t want them anymore. I was glad to give them a home.

They’re about 30 years old now.”

The society’s 35 members are dedicated to bonsai, the ancient Asian art of growing miniature trees in pots. Originating in China, bonsai was refined in Japan and became very popular to the U.S. after World War II. Society members meet regularly at FarWest Landscape & Garden Center and teach classes, organize shows, and schedule collecting trips.

“Growing bonsai trees in Idaho is quite an accomplishment when you consider the extreme temperature fluctuations,” says Barb.

Besides her flowering fruit trees, she nurtures more than 100 bonsai trees, houseplants, and even grapevines in her greenhouse and yard.

“You name it, and I probably have it,” she says, pointing out her crabapple, quince, pine, juniper, oak, maple, spiraea, and even a 3-foot-tall forest of more than 20 ginkgos.

Her blossoming cherry tree was a popular showstopper at the Boise Flower and Garden Show in March.

“People always love to linger at our booth and look at our members’ trees,” says Barb. “The biggest surprise to most people is that 95 percent of the bonsai trees live outdoors. Bonsai, which is pronounced bone-sigh, simply means tree in a pot. Like any tree, they need to go through seasonal cycles.”

For society members, bonsai is a devotion to a living art form.

“You can hear our passion for it in our voices and see it in our eyes when we talk about the trees. Caring for bonsai is a lifestyle,” says Barb, 68, a retired network and computer systems administrator. “Since I retired three years ago, I’ve been able to channel more of my energy into my bonsai.”

She estimates she spends about three to four hours a day tending to her trees after they emerge from winter dormancy.

“They need different fertilizers in spring, summer and fall and a special watering system to keep them cool in summer. Some need to be sprayed for blight. It’s time-consuming but totally worthwhile.”

Like many Asian families, Barb cherishes her bonsai trees.

“In Japan, some bonsai trees are so treasured that they stay in a family for generations. Some are hundreds of years old. One of the oldest bonsai is a 1,100-year-old bald cypress at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C.” Although Barb has been creating bonsai plants for 30 years, she still feels like “an advanced amateur. There’s always so much to learn. We just got back from some classes in California, taught by a master or sensei. Creating bonsai is a lifelong endeavor.”

Barb began taking classes after meeting Sensei Bob “Bonsai Bob” Leggett at his booth at a garden show in Boise. He asked people to sign a paper if they were interested in learning more.

Those 12 students who wanted to take a class eventually formed the society in 1995.

Over the years, Barb and other society members have taught classes. She estimates a beginner can start a bonsai project for about $100 to buy soil, tools, a pot, and a plant.

Many people are eager to start. Their enthusiasm soon wanes when they learn how much time it takes to repot the trees, trim roots, and to prune and shape the branches with wire.

“Many people want instant bonsai,” says Barb, “but that doesn’t happen.”

For first-time projects, indoor plants such as schefflera or a ficus are ideal. Idaho trees, anything with deciduous bark, such as juniper, pine, and fir are suitable for bonsai. Society members collect a few specimens in mountainous areas near Cascade and bring them home to pot.

Barb Gough, treasurer of the Boise Bonsai Society, shows a Cabernet grapevine she takes to shows. [Photo provided

by Barb Gough]

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“I don’t use soil for my bonsai,” says Barb, who prefers a mixture of decomposed granite called grit, pumice, and a pelleted clay soil called akadama from Japan. “It drains well to provide adequate aeration yet still retains the right amount of water.”

After her cherry tree loses its blossoms, an-

other plant is ready to please crowds by the end of summer.

“By August, I have a Cabernet grape vine that’s in its full glory with plenty of fruit,” she says.

“I take that to the Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society’s show. People really like seeing it.” ISI

From Victorian Poems to Stork Club Mementos

By Judith Remington Q: My great-aunt collected different types of Depression glass. As a child, we could look but not touch. I was fascinated by the colors and the patterns on the glassware. When my great-aunt died, she left her collection to me.

I am sending a picture of one of the sugar and creamer sets, with pineapples on them. I really don’t know a lot about this type of glassware, so any information would be appreciated.

A: I love Depression glass, and you will find there is nothing depressing about it. The history of this inexpensive glassware is wonderful. It was given away at the movies, packed into boxes of soap, and used as a premium to encourage sales of certain products. Then there were some glassmakers that made elegant glassware with fine etchings and delicate stemware in the same era and so it became known as Depression glass as well.

The market for Depression glass goes up and down continually. Your particular set of pineapple design sugar and creamer is quite collectible and valued in today’s market at about $45 for the set. If the sugar bowl had a lid, the value would sweeten the value up to the $100 range.

Q: My friend knows I love to collect unusual coffee and tea mugs. She found this Stork Club mug at an antique store. She paid $5 for it. I think it is so cute. Is it valuable or can I use it.

It is marked Fitz &Floyd on the bottom.

A: Your cup is wonderful. “The Stork Club” according to Walter Winchell was “The New Yorkiest Spot in New York.” Many stars of the stage and silver screen could be found in this sparkling restaurant. Perhaps your cup was used by Elizabeth Taylor or Clark Gable.

Your cup was made in 1978, by Fitz & Floyd who began making high-end dinnerware in 1960.

A great addition to your collection, the value would be about $15 in perfect condition; however, there does seem to be a small chip on the bottom. Therefore, about $7-$10 is the approximate worth. The history the cup could tell is priceless.

Q: My grandpa was a firefighter in the 1950s and ‘60s. This fire nozzle is one of Western my favorite pieces he

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had in his collection. Now it is mine. It stands 6-1/2” inches tall and at the bottom is about 3” across. It is in very good condition and the rubber on the top is just a little dry. Can you give me any information on my fire nozzle?

A: Great family history. Firefighters are a brave breed of men and women and most of them are good cooks too. I hope your grandpa told you the stories he lived through. Your fire nozzle presented me with research puzzle.

On the bottom of the nozzle is stamped “Santa Rosa.” So, I called the Santa Rosa Fire Dept. in California, thinking it was made for that fire department. I was wrong. After much digging, Internet searching, and phone calling, I discovered the Santa Rosa Manufacturing Co. made the nozzle.

The company sold out to KK products, which in turn sold out to TFT Company. Only the original company put the roses on the nozzles. That makes your nozzle very collectible.

After consulting with my entire COC (Closet of Consultants) we decided that until the final mystery is solved, we value the nozzle at about $125.

Keep your nozzle and oil the rubber a bit now and then to keep it moist, I am sure the value will be going up all the time. Firefighting equipment is very collectable.

Q: I received this poem picture from a friend of mine who knows I love old-fashioned decorations for my home. The picture is in very good condition and has a lovely poem with flowers around the border. The picture is made to stand on a dresser or table as it folds in two so no hanger or stand is needed. It is marked Edgar A. Guest, A Buzza Motto, 1926. I would be very interested in anything you can tell me about my picture.

A: What a nice friend. These motto pictures were placed on every tabletop and windowsill in the Victorian era. The poems always taught lessons of love and humility.

They are a wonderful accent piece to any decorating style, and after all, love and humility never go out of style.

Your picture appears to be in excellent condition. Keep it out of the sunlight, so it will not fade.

The value of the picture is in the $20-$30 dollar range. ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 25

Help Fido Enjoy The Trip Too

By Bill Siuru It is vacation time and many people will be traveling with their dogs. Here are a few tips to make sure they enjoy the ride, or at least tolerate it and arrive safely at the destination.

Make sure your dog is properly restrained so it does not go flying in case of a sudden stop. A harness connected to a seat belt works well and lets the dog see out the windows, which can help prevent motion sickness. Dogs can also travel in pet crates. When riding in the cargo area of a station wagon, van, or SUV, a divider will prevent the pet from leaving this secure area.

If you use a crate, secure it so it does not go ballistic in a sudden stop or accident. If you must This dog is traveling in ultimate comfort and safety. (Photo carry a pet crate in the bed of a pickup, make sure provided by Honda) it is securely tied. Don’t do what Mitt Romney re Never let a dog ride in the bed of a pickup. portedly did and put the crate on the roof.

In many locales, this is against the law. In some Never drive with a pet in your lap or even the states, you can get a ticket for leaving a pet alone lap of a front seat passenger, since it could impact in a vehicle. Some also are looking at making ridthe dash or windshield during a sudden stop. ing with a pet in your lap illegal.

Worse, it could cause serious or fatal injuries to Dogs love to ride with their heads out the both the person and pet should the air bag deploy window, ears flapping in the airstream, exposing in a crash. A pet in your lap can be as distracting eyes to dirt and heads to flying road debris. Open as driving while using a cell phone, maybe even the window only wide enough so their noses can more so. sniff the air outside, which will also helping prevent Pets should not be left unattended in a vehicle motion sickness. where on hot days interior temperatures can reach If you’re traveling far from home, and especially 120 degrees F or more, even with windows rolled to another state, Canada, or Mexico, take along down. This can even be a problem in cold weather. health and rabies certificates from a veterinarian.

With windows rolled up, modern cars are virtually Carry contact information in case someone picks airtight and a pet left alone for long periods may up your pet in case of sickness or accident. This not get enough fresh air. Sidewalks and parking should include your cell phone number on his collots can get very hot, so paws exposed to high lar. Have some photos, preferably not just pictures temperatures can be burned. When loading/unon your cell phone, you can show people if the dog loading dogs from vehicles, carry small pets to a gets loose. cool area, and lay down a wet towel for a larger Many dogs suffer from carsickness. Experts dog to walk on. say that it is more likely from stress than motion –

Buying And Selling Insights From Realtors Will Help

(NAPSI) – For many people, buying a home is a goal they aspire to achieve and often the most significant financial decision they’ll make in their lives. If you’re among them, consider this advice: Given the mass amounts of information, data, and tools available, it’s critical to work with a professional who can help you make sense of it all. During the home buying or selling process, it’s wise to follow these tips: • Work with a local expert. Realtors are the most trusted resources for up-to-date, comprehensive, and accurate real estate information when it comes to navigating each step of the complex home buying or selling process. More than four out of five recent homebuyers and sellers used a real estate professional, according to the National Association of Realtors.

• Learn about the area. Looking to move to a new neighborhood or retiring far away? Chances are you’re unfamiliar with some characteristics of the area, such as traffic patterns on busy streets and the best schools or activities within the district.

Realtors have a finger on the pulse of each market where they do business. They’re responsible for knowing the nuances to consider before buying a

stress, because riding in vehicle is associated with trips to the vet or kennel. Get your dog to associate a car ride with pleasant experiences. For example, drive to a park a few times where he or she can run freely and fetch a ball or Frisbee. When you get home, provide a meal or treat. Praise and pet him frequently.

Some pets need to travel on an empty stomach to prevent motion sickness, so feed six to eight hours before starting out. As an added benefit, there will be less mess to clean up if the pet does throw up. Others need a small amount of food in their stomachs to keep them from getting sick.

You’ll have to learn what is best for your pet. In either case make sure he or she has sufficient fresh air and water by stopping every couple of hours for a brief walk and a drink of water. If these fail, give the proper dose of Dramamine prescribed by a vet at least an hour before the trip. ISI

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home and can leverage that expertise to help you.

• Seek accurate information. Many websites offer to help potential homeowners find the perfect house. Some people have even suggested the Internet will eventually make buying a home as easy as buying an airline ticket or a stock certificate.

However, consumers often complain that some of the information provided on these sites is either out of date or inaccurate, creating confusion and frustration.

A Realtor, on the other hand, can provide valuable counsel, discuss listings, show you homes in person, negotiate on your behalf, and help you stay focused on the emotional and financial issues that are most important. That may be one reason 88 percent of buyers in 2013 used a real estate agent, up from 69 percent in ISI 2001.

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JUNE/JULY 2015

Proper Planning When You Have Property In Different States

By Jonathan J. David Dear Jonathan: I live in one state, but own a retirement home in another state.

The home is in both my name and my husband’s name, but my husband passed away several months ago. I thought about selling the home, but I decided to keep it upon the urging of my children. Now that my husband is gone, should I put my children’s names on the title with me? What happens if I don’t?

Jonathan Says: I will answer your second question first. Since you survived your husband, you are now the sole owner of your retirement home, and if, at the time of your death, your retirement home is still titled just in your name alone, then an ancillary probate proceeding will have to be opened up on behalf of your estate in the state where that property is located.

Further, if you have any other assets that are

titled just in your name and are not assets that pass contractually to a beneficiary upon your death such as life insurance proceeds or an IRA, then those assets will also have to be probated in the county in which you reside. Adding your children’s names to the title of the retirement home, if done properly, would eliminate the need for an ancillary probate proceeding because, at the time of your death, that property would no longer be owned solely by you. However, placing property in joint ownership many times creates more problems than it solves, and as a result, I do not typically recommend that this step be taken.

Since I have reviewed the problems in placing property in joint names several times in past columns, I won’t repeat myself here. Instead, I recommend that you create a living trust (assuming you don’t already have one) of which you are the trustee and sole beneficiary during

your lifetime, and then transfer the ownership of your retirement home to that trust. By doing so, you retain complete control of the home, but upon your death, the home will avoid probate and will pass to your beneficiaries (presumably your children) pursuant to the terms set forth in the trust.

Besides your retirement home, I assume you have other assets that are titled in your name alone, and certain of those assets you may want to consider transferring to your trust as well for probate avoidance in the state where you live.

Because all assets do not need to be transferred to the trust to avoid probate, I recommend that you first meet with an estate planning lawyer who can review the benefits of the trust and what is involved in setting up the trust, as well as what is involved in re-titling assets, including your retirement home, to the trust for probate avoidance.

Good luck. ISI

New Tips For Buying And Selling Your Old Stuff

By Leah Dobkin Garage sales have always been a mainstay of American life and their popularity has grown as more people try to live “greener” lifestyles.

Whether you are hosting a garage sale or rummaging through others, there are tricks of the trade and garage sale etiquette that should be considered.

Tips For Hosting a Garage Sale: Getting Rid of the Mother Lode 1. Research the value of what you have before your garage sale. There are diamonds in the dust, and you want to make sure you get a fair price for your items. Knowles Antique Price Guide is a good starting place. Insurance companies use this book to determine value, but that’s not necessarily market value. You can also go to eBay to get a determination of market value of items before you set the price. Some items you think are junk are actually “shabby chic.”

2. Get the history and background of the items you are selling. The more interesting stories or even an original receipt or box will increase the value of the item.

3. Be well stocked with supplies. Go to the bank before the garage sale to get adequate change. You will need at least four $20s, $10s,

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and $5 dollar bills and two fists full of change to make transactions smooth. A child’s cashier or hip belt can be a valuable tool at garage sales.

Don’t forget to note the amount of this change so you can subtract it from the total sales at the end of the garage sale. Shoppers appreciate you having extra bags and newspaper to wrap up sold items.

4. Be prepared to negotiate and know your bottom line. Sentences like, “What’s the best you can do on this?” or “Feel free to make an offer.” or “Can you do better?” results in more and higher sales. Mark the item “firm” if it is nonnegotiable.

Welcome people with a friendly and sincere smile, and ask if there is anything in particular they are looking for also increases sales.

5. Watch out for the professional antiquers, those wolves in sheep clothing who are trying to lowball you, and sell your items at much higher amounts at other venues like antique stores and malls. Their trained eyes quickly scan your stuff, but your trained eyes can detect them in a flash with the following clues: • They look on the bottom of items right away for markings, not just pricing and they hold things up to the light to look carefully for defects.

• They come well equipped with magnifying glasses, and jeweler’s loupes that fit in their pocket and sit on their eyes.

• They’ll be at your door two hours earlier to get a jump-start on everyone, and they’ll make fake excuses why they are waking you up at the crack of dawn.

• They make specific requests, like “Do you have records, cards, military items, radios, tools, ads, and memorabilia showing old forms of transport like trains, planes, and automobiles.

• Be leery of people who tell you that your items are not worth much and that you have junk, but they are willing to buy it all from you. If it’s junk why do they want to buy it?

6. Check local ordinances. You will be surprised by the regulations that might govern your sale such as the number and size of signs allowed, and where you can place your items for sale.

7. Signage is very important. You can download free professional-looking signs or buy them at hardware stores or Wal-Mart.

8. Saturday and Sunday are not the only days to have a successful garage sale. Thursdays and Fridays will work too.

9. Have a bin of free stuff to keep your children or grandchildren busy, and allow neighborhood children to sell beverages to make extra cash and keep your buyers happy and hydrated.

10. Sell only what you want to sell. Be sure to cover up non-sale items with tarps and label stuff not for sale. Put a sign on your front and back door that there are no items for sale in the house. ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 27

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JUNE/JULY 2015

JUNE/JULY 2015

We the people of the United States...

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 29

By Neil Wyrick In a world where billions have been slaves and millions still are, it is no small privilege to live in a land that has continued more than two centuries to be a bastion of freedom and continually evolving the answer to the question, “What is free?”

We have not reached as high as we should, but we have ascended beyond the culture that forced us into a Civil War and another such conflict 100 years later – the civil rights movement.

Prejudice for profit’s sake, to feed false pride, or just because it comes too easy to put down another human being – this monster with muddled thinking huddles always over the horizon waiting to spring back to life with all its blind hatred and life-draining deeds.

It is why we need to read and reread those familiar words in the constitution: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Our forefathers knew on the day of its signing that it left a large part of the population excluded from these mighty promises. But rightness is relentless and now at least the wording has leaned more and more toward being a practiced truth.

Old Ben Franklin knew the dangers of democracy and this new republic – how selfishness can kill the best of dreams and turn them into a nightmare. He knew this and having signed it, threw the constitution down upon the table and said, “I’ll give it 200 years!”

We have exceeded Franklin’s expectations for our great democracy – and daily confront the continuing challenges to keep it alive and well – as we continue to evolve a nation that is “One for all and all for one.”

When we look at the broken countries around the world, what distinguishes our great nation is that we have forged a commercial system, and an ethos of personal freedom and community spirit based on our essential trust in one another regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender – without which we would not have succeeded.

à

PAGE 30 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

So to you the reader and the voter in next year’s national election, I say, “We should argue and disagree with each other to present our positions, but work to be not so disagreeable that we can’t find common ground of which there is always some.”

Indeed, read the following story and share it with all you contact – because arrogance and greed, political or otherwise, are a death wish for our great country that shines so brightly in the sun.

An old sage turned to his wife and said, “The man argued his points so well I looked at him and said, ‘You are absolutely right.’”

And then the second man proved his reason for an opposite view so well I looked at him and said, ‘You are absolutely right.’”

“But they both can’t be right,” said his wife.

To which the old sage replied, “You are absolutely right!”

We are not perfect yet, but we are working on it! ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

It’s summer! You have your swimsuit and your sunscreen, now you just need someone special to join you in the sun. So don’t dilly-dally, send in your letter.

To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address 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 ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of companionship and true love!

Responses to personal ads appearing in this column may be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the August/September 2015 issue, the deadline is July 7, 2015.

SWF, 61. Desire a companion for activities on mutual “bucket” lists; maybe more. Reply ISI, Dept. 11201, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box

3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SF. I am not really looking but I could not resist.

I am not as sweet as homemade apple pie. I am ornery, like the cattle, which break through the fence. Gentle, as the smell of lilac in the spring.

Oh, but I am strong like the tall pine-limbs, heavy laden with cone. I am like an old country road, winding around. Like the whip-poor-will passing through the sun. I am 77yrs, 5’5” 106lbs. I drive a Nissan Rogue. How’s that for style? Reply ISI, Dept. 11202, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 31

tion. Do not like emotional drama or head games.

Please supply informational letter to include address and/or phone number for initial contact. No email. Reply ISI, Dept. 11203, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF, Live in Weiser. 5’7”, 145lbs, 54 years old. Looking for a nice cowboy in late 50s. I like mustaches riding horses, dogs, camping, rodeos, and boat rides. I cook, bake, and like to live in the country. I have brown hair and eyes. I don’t do drugs and don’t smoke or drink. I love the outdoors and to be around animals. I’m lonely and need a SF, fun, fit, 59, 5’4”, 125 lbs. Educated free man to do things together. I’m in good health. If spirit with simple but sophisticated tastes, living you are interested and want to know more, please active outdoor lifestyle in upper N.W. Montana. write. Reply ISI, Dept. 11204, c/o Idaho Senior Athletically inclined tomboy on the outside, but all Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. woman inside. Favor public broadcasting. Eclectic spirituality. Recreational interests include exploring SM. Whiz, Bang, Slam the door! That’s not me new places, hiking, biking, all water sports, bird/ anymore. (After all, I’m 84) If we go driving, that’s wildlife watching, winter skiing, and snowshoe- a job to share, and we can go hill, dale, and most ing. City interests: dining, dancing, symphony, everywhere. I still hike and bike, and BBQ a bit, concerts, theatre, museums. Home interests: so I’d like you to be at least somewhat fit. I’m still gardening, growing houseplants, cooking, read- able to hike the crest, if along the way I am allowed ing, listening to music, aerobic exercise, yoga and to rest. I am most willing to buy lunch for a starter. similar practices, lifelong learning, and exploration After that, I’m open to barter. I don’t ever smoke, of many interests. ISO physically active, open and don’t ever chew, but when the day is done, I minded, honest, emotionally mature, financially tipple a few. I play table tennis, and croquet, too. secure gentleman with similar/compatible inter- I like museums, and a trip to the zoo. (I might like ests and good dental hygiene in the Sandpoint your ideas, too.) Spokane and Coeur d’Alene are area for intermittent companionship initially – and my stomping grounds, so drop me a note, and the who knows what the future holds. Not interested future abounds. Reply ISI, Dept. 11205, c/o ISI, in rushing into anything or a full-time live-in situa- Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. ISI

Reverend Ken Bartel - continued from cover Pastor Ken used to work with pottery before his hands started giving him trouble.

“It’s frustrating because I’ve always been building and doing that kind of stuff. Now Advil has become my favorite friend.

“But, I don’t sit around much,” he says with a laugh. “Usually if I’m watching TV at night I’m doing about two or three other things at the same time.”

Pastor Ken is involved with the theater and is currently on the board of Wallace’s Sixth Street Theater. He has been involved both on stage and off stage for the past 19 years and has done some plays at the Lake City Playhouse in Coeur d’Alene, now called the Modern Theater.

“We always have a lot of fun,” he adds.

While the Harley Sportster may seem a bit incongruous for a Lutheran pastor, it fits well with Pastor Ken’s personality, lifestyle, and size.

“I’m not a real big person so if the bike goes over I want to be able to pick it up,” he says with a chuckle.

“My congregation is wonderful that way. They think it’s a riot. I do some visitations on my Harley in the summer, weather permitting. I just enjoy being out on it!”

The trip to Sturgis was with a friend about five years ago. “That was an eye opener in a lot of ways,” Pastor Ken adds.

He is looking forward to summer weather and getting out again making trips around Idaho and Montana. Winter months provide the opportunity for snowshoeing, and he enjoys the sport on the golf course in Pinehurst behind their home. Pastor Ken also does some cross-country skiing, and at one time, he was a downhill skier – but two back surgeries have made him a bit cautious.

Winter also provides more time for his art, remodeling, and reading.

“I like good historical fiction.” Pillars of the Earth and Undaunted Courage are two of his favorites.

“Scripture always interests me because of my job.

The more you dig into scripture, the more things come out and I learn new things. It’s been fun to do that.”

Cherri has now retired from the school district as a sign language interpreter and special ed teacher. This gives them more time to travel and visit kids and grand kids. They have two children of their own and have adopted three siblings.

About ten years ago, Pastor Ken accompanied a group of Silver Valley residents to Israel.

“Everything is so much smaller than you picture, even the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before he was crucified. It didn’t look very big at all. It really changed my perspective but in a good way.”

He performed a baptism in the Jordan River for about thirty people. The water at that point came down from the snow pack in the mountains. “I was one frozen ice cube,” he says with obvious delight.

“It was wonderful to be able to do that.”

Pastor Ken says that coming up with a new and fresh sermon every week can be a challenge.

“After 35 years, it would be real easy to say, ‘Ugh. What did I do last year?’ and then essentially repeat it.” But that’s not his way. “Sometimes an illustration will strike my fancy, as it did on Palm Sunday. I found an illustration of an old cowboy who had made a comment about how Jesus must have had wonderful hands because he took that young colt and walked him through the screaming crowds on the Palm Sunday service and the colt

was very calm and collected. People were throwing coats and palm branches. I did a whole sermon on hands, Jesus’ touch, and how our hands touch other people and help us get through life. I just looked at my hands so differently after that. You touch your spouse’s face, you hold your newborn baby, you feed yourself. It was kind of fun. I always love to go in a kind of different direction.”

Reverend Ken Bartel’s strong faith forms the trunk of his life from which he indeed has branched many directions – acting on stage, creating art and woodwork, historical novels – and of course, there’s that Harley Sportster! ISI

PAGE 32 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

Did You Know These Interesting Facts About Idaho?

1. The number one producer of potatoes, trout, Austrian winter peas, and lentils is Idaho.

2. The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states at 2.3 million acres.

3. The only U.S. state great seal to be designed by a woman, Emma Edwards Green, is The Great Seal of Idaho, designed in 1890.

4. The Salmon River near Riggins is the longest free-flowing river that heads and flows within a single state.

5. The Idaho statehouse is geothermally heated from underground hot springs.

6. The word potato first appeared on an Idaho license plate in 1928, and Famous Potatoes appeared on the Idaho license plate in 1957.

7. Arco became the first city lit by atomic energy in July 1955.

8. Idaho’s highest point is Mt. Borah at 12,622 ft. and its lowest is Lewiston at 738 ft. above sea level.

9. The deepest river gorge in North America is Hells Canyon 7,900 ft., which is about one-third deeper than the Grand Canyon, which is 6,000 ft. at its deepest point.

10. The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland seaport on the West Coast, 465 river miles from the Pacific Ocean.

11. Idaho’s all-time highest temperature record is 118˚ F. 12. Idaho’s all-time lowest temperature is -60˚ F. 13. Idaho produces nearly one-third of the potatoes grown in the United States.

14. Idaho and India are the only two places on the planet where you can find star garnets in significant quantities.

15. Idaho has the world’s largest factory for barrel cheese with a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year.

16. Idaho law forbids a citizen to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds. ISI

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 33

PAGE 34 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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Al Herrin Lives To Make Others Laugh And Inspire Kids’ Creativity His varied background enabled an agent residences. No matter where I was, it felt so good

By Dianna Troyer All decked out in his 10-foot-tall clown cos- to make people laugh. It’s hard to describe the to book him on comedy and fair circuits and to tume, Al Herrin bent down and plucked a child tremendous energy you feel when you connect schedule him as an opening act for Johnny Cash, Suzanne Somers, Crystal Gayle, Helen Reddy, from her wheelchair. She beamed as he held with your audience. It gets addicting.”

Of all the entertainment paths he could have and others. her aloft, giving her a first-time aerial view of her “I’ve also done private parties for Gene Auchosen as a young adult, he first picked pantoworld.

“When her mom saw the look on her face and mime. “My friends and family laughed about my try and many others in Hollywood and southern how happy she was, she started crying,” recalls being a mime because I’m such a talker. It was California,” he says.

Al’s resume lists so many varied degrees and Al, 60, a semi-retired entertainer in Twin Falls. unusual at the time, but unusual acts have always occupations that he jokingly printed business “It was the first time the girl had ever felt so tall appealed to me. To me, mime is an art form.”

He recalls an unforgettable connection he cards, stating, “If you can write a check, I can do and unconfined by her physical circumstances.” it.” He also has worked as a restaurateur, a video The incident helped to fulfill goals that Al has had with a deaf child through mime.

“I was doing an act at a mall and after the editor, and consultant. strived to reach throughout his three-decade After three decades of entertaining on the show, a child came up to me. For 20 minutes, entertainment career.

“I’ve always wanted to have a purpose greater we had a conversation without sign language. I road, he and his wife, Tonya, settled in Twin Falls in 1996. than myself and to leave things “We came here to visit her better than I found them,” says parents, and I realized I could Al. “I hope I’ve inspired and actually afford to buy a house connected with people through in Idaho, unlike in California,” the years. I’ve always believed he says. “I like the mindset of that dedication and feeling paspeople here. They’re genusionate about your work brings inely friendly and helpful.” prosperity.”

Al and Tonya became Then he pauses for effect foster parents and recently and the follow-up. “Then again, adopted a 6-year-old who the lottery works, too.” joins their 14-year-old. They Al entertains for reunions, also have adult children living company functions, and parties outside Idaho. with his comedy routines, jugIn 2010, Al earned yet gling, clowning, and magic. “All another degree, one in informy shows are family-friendly. mation technology from the You can do comedy without College of Southern Idaho. being crude and rude.”

“They gave me a caAlthough Al is serious about reer compatibility test, and it entertaining audiences, he showed I should either go into doesn’t take himself too serientertainment or information ously. As a child and teen, he learned to accept change, to Al Herrin performs one of his magic shows for kids. He is also a clown, comedian, and mime. (Photo technology, so I chose the computers,” he says. “I’ve adapt to all kinds of situations, by Dianna Troyer) worked with them since they and to find solace in humor. came out.

I like the challenge.” felt like he was telling me that for the first time “Growing up, I was definitely the class clown Combining his interest in technology and wherever we lived, and that was all over,” he says. someone was really listening to him.”

Al became so proficient at mime that he is entertainment, Al developed two websites for Born in California, he lived throughout the United States with his extended family. “In 17 years, I the only American mime to have performed an his latest inspirations: onemancomedy.com and went to 22 different schools and had 40 different opening act for the acclaimed late French mime talentedhearts.com.

Through Talented Hearts, LLC, he offers three Marcel Marceau.

“It was an honor for me,” he says. “I loved children’s programs that focus on developing that Marcel could make a living by being a mime. creativity through the visual and performing arts.

“With Art Avenue, along with the traditional He, Red Skelton, and Jerry Lewis were my role models. I grew up with them and studied their art easel we have three-dimensional chalkboards for kids and vehicles for them to sit in while drawtiming and performance techniques.”

Besides graduating from a mime school, Al ing,” says Al. “With the portable stage for the also earned a degree from a clown college. He Little Broadway program, they can show off their also holds a degree in theater and business law talents. Creative Café is a larger stage where I’ll and received training in dance, broadcasting, do a magic show or where parents can perform.”

With ever-evolving entertainment ideas. communication, and magic.

What’s next for Al? “I’ll be adding some puppets to the programs,” he says. “I want to keep inspiring kids as much as I can.” ISI

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.

- Richard Bach

JUNE/JULY 2015

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 35

Letter From An Idaho Farm Kid

Submitted by Carol Ofsthun Dear Ma and Pa, I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there’s warm water.

Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk much.

We go on “route marches,” which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different.

A “route march” is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don’t bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ol’ bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5’ 6” and 130 pounds and he’s 6’ 8” and near 300 pounds dry. Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter, Alice. ISI

In Every Corner Of Idaho There Is Something Fun To See And Do Yes, there are too many fairs, rodeos, festivals, art shows, car shows, benefits, concerts, star gazings, parades, music events, wine tastings, and sporting events going on for the next several months to be able to list them all here. But we have provided a sampling of fun things that may pique your interests, and with a little searching on the web, you can fill in the gaps.

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 877-774-7248; Idaho Division of Tourism at visitidaho.org or 800-847-4843; Lewis Clark Valley - North Idaho Tourism Alliance at visitnorthidaho.com; and Pioneer Country Travel Council at seidaho.org or 888-201-1063.

These are just a few of the regional and community resources that you can consult in order to make this a most memorable Summer 2015!

Date Event Phone Web Address Jun 6 Challis – Classy Chassis Show & Shine 208-879-2307 Jun 6 Wallace Street Fair 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com Jun 12 Boise – 208 Tattoo Festival 208-570-5894 208tattoofest.com *Glenns Ferry – Historic Opera Theatre 208-366-7408 glennsferrytheatre.com Jun 12 Jun 17 *Spokane – Dukes Auto Club Car Show 509-838-3200 rockwoodlaneretirement.

com Jun 18 Wallace – Gyro Days & Lead Creek Derby 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com Weiser – Nat’l Oldtime Fiddlers Contest 208- 414-0255 fiddlecontest.org Jun 22 Jun 26 Post Falls – Bikers 4 Boobies Fundraiser 208-651-7364 Jul 3 Wallace – Statehood Day Parade 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com Jul 10 Montpelier – Bear Lake Car Show 208-352-0313 Jul 10 Wallace Blues Festival 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com Jul 11 Boise – Bogus Basin Star Party 208-332-5100 bogusbasin.org Jul 14 Nampa – Snake River Stampede 208-890-9774 snakeriverstampede.com Clearwater – Elk City Wagon Road Days 208-791-4548 Jul 18 Jul 20 Wallace ATV Jamboree 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com Sun Valley Center Wine Auction 208-726-9491 sunvalleycenter.org Jul 23 Jul 23 Caldwell – Canyon County Fair 208-455-8500 canyoncountyfair.org Jul 24 Island Park – Harriman Heritage Days 208-558-7368 Jul 25 Driggs Digs Plein Air driggspleinair.org Jul 27 Rupert – Minidoka County Fair 208-436-9748 Jul 30 Wallace – Class Reunion/ Slippery Gulch 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com Coeur d’Alene – Art on the Green 208-667-9346 artonthegreencda.com Jul 31 Aug 6 Sandpoint – Festival at Sandpoint 208-265-4554 festivalatsandpoint.com Aug 7 Wallace – Accordion Festival 208-753-7151 wallaceidahochamber.com 208-287-5650 expoidaho.com Aug 21 Boise – Western Idaho Fair Aug 25 Idaho Falls – ART Idaho 208-524-7777 theartmuseum.org Sep 2 Boise – Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic 208-344-6363 Sep 5 Wallace – ATV Mud Bog 208-826-3584 Sep 5 Blackfoot – Eastern Idaho State Fair 208-785-2480 funatthefair.com Sep 9 Lewiston Roundup Rodeo 509-758-7489 Sep 11 Mountain Home – Idaho Star Party boiseastro.org Sep 17 Clearwater – Lumberjack Days 208-476-4335 orofinolumberjackdays.org 208-573-4255 Sep 18 Payette – Big Nasty Hill Climb Sep 24 Sandpoint – State Drafthorse & Mule Show 208-661-4587 ISI

Music Under the Stars, On the Lake,

in

Sandpoint, Idaho

FesTival aTsandpoinT The

augusT 6 - 16, 2015

2015 SUMMER SEASON June 12–August 29 FRIDAY NIGHTS “In Memoriam”

SATURDAY NIGHTS “The Treasure of Huckleberry Ridge”

Dinner & Show: $25 • 6:30pm (Reservations required for dinner)

Show Only: $8 • 7:45pm Seniors & Children Under 12: $7 (Reservations Recommended)

DOORS OPEN Dinner • 6:30pm | Show • 7:45pm

For more information and tickets visit us online at:

FestivalAtSandpoint.com or call: (208) 265-4554

208-366-7408 148 E. Idaho St. • Glenns Ferry www.glennsferrytheatre.org

PAGE 36 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

Sun Valley’s Spectacular Past Guides Its Future

By Bernice Karnop It’s a familiar story of a western mountain town established in the 1880s around mining, which peters out, but agriculture keeps it going. Around 1900 Ketchum is the largest sheep-shipping center in the west, but that too dwindles as the decades pass. What are the chances for Ketchum – remote, quiet, and on track to becoming a ghost town?

Who could guess that it would catapult on to the world stage as one of the best-known ski areas in the world?

Change depends on strong leaders, people of passion and daring who could envision the untried – a ski resort in rural Idaho.

Today, according to Jack Sibbach, Director of Marketing, and Public Relations for Sun Valley Resort, the story is the rebirth of the iconic Sun Valley Lodge – where the resort began and the heart and soul of the area. With the vision of the owner, Mrs. Carol Holding and starting last September, Sun Valley Lodge has been stripped to its 13-inch concrete walls and updated from one end to the other to meet the expectations of 21st century guests while maintaining the character of this magnificent historic structure.

Mrs. Holding treasures her family’s memories of Sun Valley, values the memories other families have made, and wants new families to create theirs too. Some families who come every year, stay in the same rooms and have for more than half a century. When the Lodge reopens on June 15, 2015, guests old and new will find a new 20,000 square foot Spa building that connects to the original building.

Sun Valley owes its genesis to Averell Harriman. In the 1930s as one of America’s richest

men, he was chair of the board of the Union Pacific Railroad that his father, E.H. Harriman, built.

Politically he would become governor of New York and run unsuccessfully for president twice.

He advised every Democratic president from Franklin Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter. When the 1932 Winter Olympics were held at Lake Placid,

New York, Harriman recognized the potential of downhill skiing, and envisioned his own ski resort like the ones in Europe. Because of his vision, his ambition, and his wealth, he intended it to be the best in the world.

Harriman brought an excellent advisor, Austrian skier Count Felix Schaffgotsh, to the U.S. and tasked him to find the ideal place for a ski resort.

After traveling all over the west from Rocky Mountain National Park to Mount Rainier and places in between, a Union Pacific employee showed him Ketchum in January of 1936. It reminded the Count of the Swiss Alps, the vision that Harriman sought.

And the nearby Union Pacific line was a profitable

way for potential skiers to arrive.

Harriman didn’t blink. Within a couple of weeks, he’d bought a 3,800 ranch for $39,000. Schaffgotsh picked out the lodge site and they found architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood, to design it. Underwood designed National Park lodges like the Old Faithful Inn, Bryce Canyon Lodge, Grand Canyon Lodge, and more.

The Sun Valley Lodge cost $1.5 million at the time, so it’s not hard to imagine the impact all this building had on rural Ketchum. Harriman was up to the task, housing workers in Union Pacific boxcars.

To lay out the initial ski runs, Harriman hired Charlie Proctor, a member of the U.S. Olympic team and Harvard ski coach. Nearly 80 years later Sun Valley boasts 122 different runs.

Alpine skiing in Europe in the early 1930s involved walking or skiing up the slopes before making an exciting decent. As downhill skiing grew in popularity, Harriman wanted to do better than the rope tows that helped skiers up the slopes.

He found James Curan, a Union Pacific engineer, who had designed equipment to load ships. Curan replaced the rope tow hooks with chairs, inventing the first chair lift. Sun Valley’s ski lifts can now transport 29,000 skiers/hour.

In order for the resort to become the glamorous playground of the rich and famous, Harriman again looked for the best and picked Steve Hannigan, credited with the successful promotion of Miami Beach.

Hannigan named Sun Valley and made sure it had a spectacular opening. Near Christmas 1936, Hollywood notables Claudette Colbert, Errol Flynn, and Clark Gable lit up the celebration. The railroad offered ski packages and, even though they didn’t have a lot of snow for the opening, it was a huge, roaring success.

Today Sun Valley’s unparalleled snowmaking capability guarantees good conditions that make it still one of the best ski areas in North America and always striving for excellence.

As an all-season resort, Sun Valley’s activities include 45-holes of golf, ice skating, horseback riding, fly fishing, gun sports, tennis, bowling, paddle boating, and more.

Eighty years ago, who would have guessed? ISI

Grip Tips To Improve Your Golf Game

By Tom Ghormley You may well be shocked or at least taken aback at how many players work on their swing action but hardly ever (if ever) work on their golf grip.

In this instance, I mean the golf grip of their hands, not the rubber grip on the shaft. When you think about it though, the full swing action begins with the golf grip, which will need focus in order to get it correct.

If your golf grip does not work, why should anything that comes after work? There is an unbiased grip for any golf enthusiast, and that grip is when your arm hangs straight down from the shoulder socket and the position of your target side hand.

It makes no difference whether you use an overlapping, interlocking, or ten-finger grip. What is crucial is the slope of the club when it is placed in your hand. To uncover your neutral grip, begin with take your address spot and without a club. Then make it possible for both arms to hang downward from the shoulders. Remain relaxed so there is no stiffness in your arms or hands.

The majority of golfers find that their target side arm hangs anywhere in between the midsection of the target side thigh to the inside of the thigh, based on the width of foot position and or the width of the upper body.

As you start looking down at your target side hand, pay attention to the angle at which it hangs.

JUNE/JULY 2015

Some people will view two knuckles of the hand, many can see three, and a few could even see four. It is not going to matter how many you see.

No matter what the number, this is your body’s way of informing you its natural predisposition and that is the neutral angle for your golf grip.

Whenever you place your target side hand on the golf club, it ought to be at the identical angle you just saw. The golf club then extends diagonally from between the first and second joint of the index finger to the bottom part of the pinkie finger. Shut

It’s Only A Heart Attack

A husband and wife are on the 9th green when suddenly she collapses.

“Help me dear,” she groans to her husband.

The husband calls 911 on his cell phone, talks for a few minutes, picks up his putter, and lines up his putt. His wife raises her head off the green and stares at him.

“I’m dying here and you’re putting?”

“Don’t worry dear,” says the husband calmly, “they found a doctor on the second hole and he’s coming to help you.

“Well, how long will it take for him to get here?” she asks feebly.

“No time at all,” says her husband. “Everybody’s already agreed to let him play through.”

Who’s Keeping Score?

Police are called to an apartment and find a woman holding a bloody 3-iron standing over a lifeless man.

The detective asks, “Ma’am, is that your husband?”

“Yes” says the woman.

“Did you hit him with that golf club?”

“Yes, yes, I did.” The woman begins to sob,

the fingers and then shut the hand with the heel pad on top of the shaft with the thumb to the rear of the shaft. This provides force from the heel pad downward and the last three fingers apply pressure upwards.

Now take the lifeline of the trailing hand, situated between the thumb and heel pads, and position it on the thumb of the target side hand.

The lifeline toward the thumb exerts the pressure.

The right forefinger should be segregated, in a “triggering position” – yet with no pressure. It is

drops the club, and puts her hands on her face.

“How many times did you hit him?”

“I don’t know – put me down for a five.”

I Do

The bride was escorted down the aisle and when she reached the altar, the groom was standing there with his golf bag and clubs at his side.

She said, “What are your golf clubs doing here?”

He looked her right in the eye and said, “This isn’t going to take all day, is it?”

All It Takes Is Skill

A young man and a priest are golfing together.

At a short par-3 the priest asks, “What are you going to use on this hole, my son?”

The young man replies, “An 8-iron, Father.

How about you?”

The priest says, “I’m going to hit a soft seven and pray.”

The young man hits his 8-iron and puts the ball on the green.

The priest tops his 7-iron and dribbles the ball out a few yards.

The young man says, “I don’t know about you, father, but in my church, when we pray, we keep our head down.”

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 37

crucial to understand that the forefinger and target side thumb both be on the similar side and angle of the shaft for the perfect support.

The trailing thumb ought to be on the target side of the shaft. Under no circumstances do you want the thumbs to apply any pressure. Finally yet importantly, as a way for the hands to perform together, they need to be parallel to each other.

This might all appear tricky, but try it and see for yourself if discovering the proper grip angle does not enhance your shots. ISI

Open The Gates

A golfer teed up his ball on the first tee, took a mighty swing, and hit his ball into a clump of trees.

He found his ball and saw an opening between two trees he thought he could hit through.

Taking out his 3-wood, he took a mighty swing.

The ball hit a tree, bounced back, hit him in the forehead, and killed him.

As he approached the gates of Heaven, St. Peter asked, “Are you a good golfer?”

The man replied, “Got here in two, didn’t I?”

It’s So Simple

A gushy reporter told Phil Mickelson, “You are spectacular; your name is synonymous with the game of golf. You really know your way around the course. What’s your secret?”

Mickelson replied, “The holes are numbered.”

ISI

PAGE 38 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

JUNE/JULY 2015

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Article By Jack McNeel Photo By Jackie McNeel Andrea Sawyer manages a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, but her true love is the outdoors and giving back to the community doing search and rescue volunteer work.

Her early years had her moving frequently after her birth in Scotland where her dad was stationed with the Air Force.

“We moved about every three years so that was kind of in my blood,” she says. After graduating from high school in South Carolina, moving to California and being on her own, she was still moving about every 18 months – to Washington, Montana, and California working for the restaurant company where she still works.

Andrea ended up in Coeur d’Alene in 1991 and has remained ever since.

“It’s kind of weird for me. I’ve never lived anywhere that long,” she says, adding, “I Love the northwest with its four seasons – the trees and the woods and the mountains and we’re so close to so many great things in Washington, Montana, and Canada. This is home.”

Andrea started in search and rescue work more than a decade ago with the Spokane Mountaineers. When they began a search and rescue team, she thought it was a great way to give back. She also became involved with Intermountain Search Dogs, a Spokane team instrumental in helping her train her search and rescue dog.

Six years ago, she decided she should help the Kootenai County Sheriff’s allvolunteer search and rescue program; they have about 50 volunteers. She started with what she calls “ground pounding” – walking the woods and looking for a lost person.

After losing a yellow lab to hip dysplasia, Andrea has a second dog, Beau, a mixed breed yellow lab that has become her rescue dog. Because she rescued Beau from being chained year ‘round to a tree in a back yard, Andrea calls him a “rescued rescue dog.”

Beau is certified in both wilderness work and cadaver work, and if he locates a searched for person, he will return with an alert, an indication he’s found

that person. Beau’s alert is to jump up on Andrea with his front feet. Other dogs may use different alerts such as spinning, tugging, or barking.

Beau has scored two “finds” of lost persons.

Andrea says that it’s rare because each handler and dog comb a designated area during a search and so might go an entire career without locating a lost person. With cell phones and GPS units, people often find their way out of the woods.

“But we still get urban calls concerning Alzheimer’s and children who are lost.

And we actually do a lot of cadaver work,” she adds. “In the past month or so we’ve gone out on two or three cadaver searches.”

In California, Andrea and Beau have attended two training sessions for cadavercertified dogs called Locating the Dead. Having been donated to science, the real corpses are placed in search scenarios such as in a building, camping area, hanging from a tree, or in a dumpster. One is actually a burned body.

“It was very, very good for the dogs,” Andrea explains, because dogs can even detect human scent 100-year-old bones. “It’s amazing what they can do!”

Andrea has worked with the FBI and with other counties without their own search and rescue teams. The massive landslide at Oso, Washington where 43 people died stands out in her mind.

“We have not trained for disaster but it reached a point where they called for outside cadaver dogs since their local dogs needed a break.

I went over twice; the dogs worked in the mud and around bulldozers; and when they smelled human remains, we’d flag it. Others would come in, dig, and we’d keep moving.”

A case may involve ground pounding, cadaver dogs, or running the command post, but Andrea takes Beau along regardless. One never knows when he will be needed.

A three-month search and rescue training academy is held yearly for volunteers. Successful completion of the weekly (plus weekend) classes results in certification.

Beyond her search and rescue work, Andrea has been involved with animals and the outdoors much of her life. In California, she worked with Gentle Jungle that supplies exotic animals for motion pictures. She also took Affection Training that works to make animals feel safe and comfortable in human surroundings. By treating the animals with love, respect, and positive reinforcement, the animals enjoy learning and working.

“They had everything from elephants to tigers, bears, tarantulas, and snakes. My favorites were the orangutans and tigers,” Andrea adds.

She also volunteered with wildlife rehabilitation. Living near the ocean meant working with sea birds but included raccoons, deer, cougars, and possums.”

Training for search and rescue work takes much of her free time away from these activities but she isn’t complaining.

“I like to hike, backpack, cross-country ski, snowshoe, and kayak, but though these hobbies have been pushed aside a bit, I enjoy everything to do with the outdoors.”

JUNE/JULY 2015

Andrea also volunteers with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Hug a Tree program.

“Designed for elementary students, we teach them what to do if they ever get lost, which is to hug a tree and stay put until we find you. With high school kids we do more survival training.”

Andrea Sawyer personifies what it means to give back to the community.

“I’ve always had a good time working with the Sheriff’s Department and the volunteers. They’re good people and all doing it for good reasons.

They’re all giving back to the community.” ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 39

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Deborah Seaver Creates Beautiful art From Sheets Of Glass Article By Jack McNeel Photo By Jackie McNeel The brilliant colors of the flowers, the serene scene of a bird in a marsh – each even more gorgeous with the sunlight from behind, captivate the viewer. Deborah Seavers torch and kiln glass creations are unique and beautiful.

“The interesting thing about glass is that you can never reproduce exactly the same thing again.

Depending on heat and length of time in the kiln they all come out different,” she explains.

But Deborah is quick to point out she’s not a glass blower. “I tried glass blowing once but it scared me. That extreme heat was too close to my skin.”

Her home at Hayden is a gallery of the diverse subjects and styles she creates – many in brilliant colors enhanced by penetrating sunlight. Her large bowls reflect Deborah’s creativity, not only in color but also in the textures uses.

One appears to have river pebbles winding across the surface, but they are glass. Another highlights peacock feathers against a white background – a truly stunning balance of color and style.

Deborah has been drawing and painting since she was a child and has an associate’s degree in commercial art and a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting. Both Deborah and her husband John originally came from Oregon where Deborah showed her watercolors in galleries in Cannon Beach, Florence, and Newport. After a stint on the east coast where John had accepted a job, another move took them to Arizona where she showed in galleries in Carmel and Scottsdale.

“I needed a new outlet and that’s how the glass started,” Deborah relates.

The painting fell by the wayside as she fell in love with glass and she has been doing it ever since.

The couple moved to Hayden a year and a half ago.

“I love this area. It’s beautiful. It’s green and has lots of trees and I love the lakes. It’s very much like Oregon but doesn’t rain as much as Oregon,” she says with a laugh.

Their Hayden house provides space in the basement for a full studio with four rooms devoted to her craft – one for storage, layout, and cutting of the many colored sheets of glass and another for glass rods, torches, two kilns, and a sandblasting unit. Her “wet room” features a glass engraving lathe, saw, and equipment for sanding and polishing pieces after they come from the kiln.

“They’re very time intensive,” she adds. “There can be eight or nine hours of just sanding and polishing on some items.”

Finally, there is the watercolor room. “I don’t go in there very much anymore,” she says with a laugh.

Deborah starts a bowl with a 16- 17-inch circle of glass cut from a sheet of glass measuring 35” x 22”. Normally, Deborah fuses two pieces together – thus a full sheet – to get a sturdy thickness. Interestingly, glass is expensive, normally ranging in price between $95-$180 per sheet. If she uses glass containing gold to get the pinks and reds, a single sheet will cost about $380.

After designing a piece, Deborah will create the smaller pieces with the torch, assemble the design, and put them in the kiln to fuse them together. A bowl will be placed on a mold and returned to the kiln. Depending on its complexity, the finished piece can go into the kiln as many as seven times – a time consuming process.

Checking the kiln each time can be both upsetting and exciting.

“You go down and it’s so upsetting because the piece will be split in two. Then you take it out and try again. But it’s also like Christmas – every morning you get to see what’s in there because you don’t know for sure what’s going to turn out.

You have an idea but not for sure.”

Deborah buys her art glass from a manufacturer in Portland, and it is guaranteed to be compatible.

“You can use any colors in combination and it won’t crack, which is something that can happen with glass that isn’t compatible – and it may not show up for several months.

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Being a relative newcomer to northern Idaho, Deborah is establishing a foothold, getting positive responses from local buyers, and learning her new clientele base. She will enter the juried show at Art on the Green starting July 31 and the Arbor Crest Winery Show in Spokane August 2223. In September, Deborah will open her Hayden studio as part of the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of

Commerce sponsored studio tour of area artists.

“I love what I do. I work at it almost every single day for hours on end. I think the biggest compliment I can get for my work is when somebody gets something and is very excited. Sometimes they come back and tell me, ‘I see it every morning when I get up. It makes me feel good and I see it every night and it makes me feel good.’” ISI

August in Sandpoint Means It’s Time for the Festival Article By Cate Huisman Photo By Cory Murdoch It’s dusk in mid-August, and the sun is setting, lighting up Gold Hill across the river from Memorial Field, where Sandpoint’s summer music festival is well under way. As the opening acts wind down, lines of twinkling lights come on along the edge of the “big tent” – a four-peaked marvel of canvas engineering that covers the stage. In the break after the opening acts finish and before the headliners come on stage, festivalgoers put on their sweaters and pour themselves another glass of wine.

Born in the 1980s with a focus on classical music, the festival now includes an eclectic mix of performances.

This summer’s lineup includes household names like Arlo Guthrie, Ziggy Marley, and Vince Gill, as well as new takes on bluegrass from Trampled by Turtles and The Devil Makes Three, the jazz/soul band Lake Street Dive, and the group that Rolling Stone calls “the pinnacle of experimental folk and art rock,” Wilco.

The mix of acts has something for everyone, but a concert at the festival includes much more than just hearing your favorite band. By the time the gates open each afternoon, some festival goers have been waiting since dawn to be the first to enter. They hurry in with blankets, chairs, and their elaborate picnics and bottles of wine to stake out places on the lawn in front of the stage, setting up what stage manager Rug Ruskey calls “little environments.”

Tablecloths and candles top their coolers as they enjoy their gourmet repast from home or from any one of the purveyors in town.

For those who haven’t planned, food is available at “Festival Street,” a row of vendors’ tents at the side of the field. The high school band raises money by selling pizza, and the Independence Ski Racing team does the same with hot dogs and burgers. Visitors with more discerning palates can enjoy fare from local restaurants’ tents, such as the Caesar salads from Ivano’s or the buffalo meatloaf with huckleberry sauce from Dish at Dover Bay. Two bars and a hydration station for nonalcoholic drinks provide liquid refreshment.

In addition to providing fabulous food, these vendors use disposable plates, cups, and “plastic” cutlery (it’s actually made of corn) that are all recyclable.

Members of the Festival’s volunteer “Green Team” help visitors figure out into which bin to throw their garbage – many are amazed to learn that their forks can be composted.

Sundays are for classical music. On the first Sunday, a children’s concert is preceded by a variety of kid-friendly activities, including an “instrument petting zoo” where youngsters can try playing different musical instruments. This summer, the Festival Community Orchestra will play selections from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

The festival ends on the final Sunday with a complimentary wine tasting followed by music from the Spokane Symphony; this year their performance will have an Italian theme. Several short pieces during the first half will be followed by Mendelssohn’s Symphony Number 4 (the Italian) after the intermission.

The festival always ends with fireworks over the river, and Maestro Gary Sheldon usually conducts the orchestra in some piece appropriate to accompany them, often the 1812 Overture.

Then people pack up their little environments and drift away under the twinkling lights, wondering already who will be playing at Sandpoint next summer.

This summer’s festival will run August 6-16.

For more information, visit festivalatsandpoint. com. ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 41

Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – Coeur d’Alene Artists Article By Jack McNeel / Photo y Jackie McNeel Few couples can match the variety of art forms that Allen and Mary Dee Dodge have perfected over the years – their body of work reflecting the expansive nature and meaning of the word “art.”

Both attended college at the Kansas City Art Institute where they met and married in 1973. Art is their world and livelihood and they have been part of the Coeur d’Alene art scene since their arrival in 1974 after Mary Dee found an article on the best town in which to make art... and still eat and live.

Kalispell was on the list so they circled through the west visiting Kalispell and Coeur d’Alene.

“As we passed a sign that said something about Lake Steamers, I was just intrigued,” Allen remembers.

Because they weren’t doing western art, they ruled out Kalispell.

“At the time we were doing fabric sculpture,” Mary Dee explains.

Coeur d’Alene looked cool and so they decided to move there – and then there were the first few months. Their first residence was a rental from a gallery owner.

“But we never had any money so we traded,” Allen recalls with a laugh.

“We painted the place and remodeled it, did some teaching of drawing and pottery at the gallery, and anything else we could do.”

Expo ’74 was just developing in Spokane and it proved to be a boon for the Dodges. They were hired for a variety of different jobs in the public art realm, plus some private work. Being able to make art, eat, and live was proving successful. They obtained a studio beneath what is now the Angel Gallery and taught classes there. Mary Dee taught pottery and Allen taught kids.

Carol Stacy, owner of the Nickel’s Worth, hired Allen as a cartoonist and to help with layout, and he started selling to national publications.

“We did everything back then,” he adds.

About that time, Mary Dee set up her own studio in a house they purchased.

“I did a ton of pottery and silk painting and later got into fabric,” she explains. “We sold at shows, fairs, and anyplace we could.”

Art on the Green, held on the grounds of North Idaho College, attracts artists of all types from near and far and has been a summer favorite in Coeur d’Alene for many years. The Dodge’s became heavily involved sewing canopies, doing booth screening, and working on the entertainment as part of the production crew.

From their fabric art background, Mary Dee and Allen began printing on fabric, which grew into the 30-employee, million dollar printing business Local Color. Mary Dee designed a nationally sold line of dresses called Mary Dee Fun to Wear. Each item used their custom knitted fabric, which was individually dyed, printed, and shipped for merchandisers such as Coldwater Creek and other catalogues.

“It was pretty neat, but turned it out that for every dress we sold, we lost 25 cents or something like that,” Allen adds with a chuckle. “It was a good business, but we wholesaled them and should have just retailed them.”

After Local Color, the pair decided to return to designing one-of-a-kind items. Wood sculpture became a new art form – Allen was the structural person and Mary Dee did the painting – which they promoted at shows and festivals.

They got involved with metal art while doing a sculpture in remembrance of Pat Flammia, a well-known local artist instrumental in starting Art on the Green.

“That was the first real metal work I’d ever done,” Allen explains. “It’s five large stainless steel waves curled over with a column behind and with a story on it.” A close relationship developed between Allen and noted Spokane artist, Harold Balazs. “I got to spend a day with him every week for a year and a half and it was really cool,” Allen adds.

Mary Dee laughs as she remembers their starting enamel on metal. “Allen came home one day and said, ‘You need to enamel. You’ll just love it. It’s perfect for you.’ So Allen made the art, I learned how to enamel, and that’s where it all began.”

They are particularly proud of the competitive commission they made for the Coeur d’Alene wastewater treatment plant. The work is an intriguing representation of the organisms found in wastewater.

The couple’s work is visible in various public areas around the region including murals in libraries in Ketchum, Hayden, and Coeur d’Alene and a painting on a utility box on the corner of 3rd and Sherman in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

“They’re big, impressive, and tell stories. We’re pretty literal and inspired by nature – sort of abstract kinds of animals – real colorful and neat projects,” Mary Dee declares.

They recently completed a steel sculpture for a

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May show at the Art Spirit Gallery, and their current commission is for a service center in Spokane. The city dedicates a certain amount of money for art in major city projects. The Dodge’s are creating steel sculptures at a monstrous maintenance shop for city trucks and other large equipment. “We’ve designed sort of fantastical animals like big bulls, horses, horned creatures, fish, and birds,” Allen explains.

Over the years, Allen and Mary Dee have seen

many changes in the area’s art.

“Coeur d’Alene has changed and is now very supportive of art. There wasn’t much here art wise when we arrived 30 years ago. I think city administrators and counselors really pushed that interest.

It’s grown, doing well, and I’m proud of our town.

It’s a good art scene that’s important to our community, and it’s a real draw for people and another reason to visit Coeur d’Alene.” ISI

Bob Boeh Is Finding Ways To Make Forests Work For Everyone The two have been friends ever since. The

By Cate Huisman After four decades in the timber industry, Bob trees were selectively cut, and wider buffers along Boeh knows who cares about forests in the inland some streams in the sale protected fish habitat – a Northwest. He knows the environmentalists who practice that eventually became standard. When want to protect certain areas, and the Indian tribes then-governor Cecil Andrus became critical of the with historic hunting and gathering rights, and the project, Jane wrote him a letter supporting it. county commissioners who need timber sales “So I developed a lot of trust in her,” says Bob, money to fund their roads and schools. An experi- and when he has environmental or wilderness enced communicator, he is still looking to improve questions, “I use her as a sounding board.” how timberland is managed to work for everyone. Such collaboration was almost unheard of at An inland northwest native, Boeh was born in the time, when bickering was standard to timber Montana and studied forestry at Missoula. In 1971, harvest. Bob and Jane were among the pioneers he got a job out of college with Burlington Northern in the more cooperative approaches to harvesting Railroad where he learned about managing timber timber that started in the 1990s.

In the intervening years, Bob has sought sales by doing it. common ground with oth “We were laying out ers with an interest in timber sales, locating inland northwest forests. roads, doing those kinds He stayed with the railroad of on-the-ground timber as its resources business sale activities. I just did a morphed into Burlington whole bunch of different Resources in 1988 and jobs, primarily because I then its timber business was interested in learning became Plum Creek Timas much as I could about ber in 1989. In 1996, he all aspects of the busimoved to what was then ness,” Bob says.

Riley Creek Lumber and is “Back then, because now Idaho Forest Group. the railroad hadn’t harAs their VP of Governvested their lands... there ment and Community Afwas a lot of insect [damfairs, he works with forest age] and disease, so we stakeholders to figure out needed to increase our where timber harvest is harvest significantly to the best use of forest land, get the stands back into and to find ways in which a healthy state. When we his company can have a started increasing our harpositive impact on timber vest, that’s when everycommunities. Now, alone started saying, ‘Hey, Bob Boeh stands at the trailhead of the Pend Oreille what are these people Bay Trail, a community project to which his company though he lives outside of Sandpoint, on the Pend really doing here?’” has contributed. (Photo by Cate Huisman) Oreille River across from Bob found himself in a business that was starting to cut more timber when Laclede, much of Bob’s work is in Boise. * cutting more timber was loudly and sometimes The Idaho Panhandle and Kootenai National violently questioned. The infamous “forest wars” Forests have recently adopted comprehensive for*Includes filter! est plans addressing issues of timber harvest and of the 1980s were heating up.

This offer is only available to our honored By then, Bob was in charge of 200,000 acres balance with other forest uses, and one might think senior citizens ages 65+ of checkerboard railroad land; it appeared as white that these plans have resolved forest management squares on Forest Service maps, interspersed with issues. Bob laughs good-naturedly when he hears green squares of public land. His very first project this suggestion. in this area happened to be on land adjacent to the “In a perfect world they’d implement the plan home of Jane Fritz, a passionate environmentalist. and everyone would be happy,” Bob adds.

9443 N. Government Way • Hayden “She got in contact with me, and she wanted to But any individual timber sale prompts conmeet,” Bob remembers. cerns about wildlife, fisheries, and how much and

He also remembers where the cut will occur – so collaboration on each When you or your loved one that his industry peers sale is still necessary.

When it comes to quality care, needs quality short-term or told him he was crazy “Collaboration is a slow, tedious, process,” says there’s no place like my home community. long-term care, consider the even to talk with her. But Bob. ”Right now collaboration is the only tool we center close to home. Kindred have. If you don’t collaborate, appeals and litigahe felt he had to.

Nursing and Rehabilitation

“So I met with her, tion follow, which are costly and time consuming; and I said, if your goal it’s better to collaborate.”

Mountain Valley. is to stop us from doing Even so, in a search for something better, Bob, anything, then we prob- along with others in the industry, is working on a We offer care in a comfortable ably don’t have a lot to “baseball arbitration” kind of language to resolve setting, close to home, where talk about. But if you resource management conflicts. your loved one will feel right want to help me design ”You can’t just object to a sale; you must proWe invite you to call at home. the project to meet your pose a solution,” he says. or visit and learn more. concerns and still allow Despite his ongoing pursuit, Bob is trying to us to manage our prop- “semi-retire” as he puts it, working three days a erty, then we do have week, making more time to train, compete, and Mountain Valley something to talk about.” hunt with his golden labs, Ice and Holly. But he’s Care and Rehabilitation

Jane Fritz remem- been around too long and knows too many people A Kindred Healthcare Community bers a man from the to step away completely. He hardly sounds like a opposing side who was guy who is even semi-retired. ISI 601 W. Cameron, Kellogg | 208-784-1283 | www.mountainvalleycare.com willing to talk.

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