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Governor’s Conference on Aging and Home and Community Based Services Conference – Pages 78-85
All Nations Indian Relay Championship Promises Extreme Excitement In Billings
Photo provided by Nancy Harrison AdventureMedia.com
You will not want to miss the exciting action of Indian Relay Racing – thundering hooves, exquisite timing, strength, fearless determination, and unmatched horsemanship. From more than 50 teams the field has been narrowed to the final six teams competing in the National finals in Billings September 22-25.
By Bernice Karnop America’s oldest known competition, Indian Relay, has revived to become the world’s newest extreme sport. This race involves five or six Native American warriors in traditional regalia, racing around a track, bareback, leaping from one galloping horse to another. They race in the spirit of native pride and for bragging rights for the individual, his team, and their nation. Calvin Ghost Bear, from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, is on the board of the Professional Indian Horse Racing Association (PIHRA). He says the relay is unlike other sports. “The heart pounding, the hooves, the adrenalin, the crowd, the excitement – you aren’t going to get that anywhere else.” The PIHRA hosts the 2016 All Nations Indian Relay Championships at MetraPark in Billings, September 2225, 2016. The Championships are the culmination of 17 grueling competitions held June until September in Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, and Canada. Tribes represented in the relay include Oglala Lakota Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux, Eagle Butte Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Crow, Shoshone-Bannock, Eastern Shoshone, Nez Perce, Nakota, the Colville Confederated Tribes, and the Umatilla Confederated Tribes. During these qualifying races, PIHRA member teams earn points that lead them “on the road to Billings” and the chance to compete with the best of the best. Some describe it as the Super Bowl or World Series of Indian Horse Relay. The Horse Nations of the old order developed the relay separately within their various tribes as a way of sharpening their skills as horsemen. On a buffalo hunt, they may have exchanged horses in a hurry to keep up with the herd. In battle, they needed to be off one horse and on to a fresh one in a flash. These skills would help them catch wild ponies to increase their wealth and prestige. Indian Relay is a team competition comprising one rider, three horses and three courageous teammates to hold, catch, and control the two extra horses as the rider leaps from one to another. In effect, the rider is the relay “baton” passed from one racing horse to the next. Each horse makes a single circuit of the track. Teams execute these extremely difficult bareback transfers by stopping 1,200-pound horses from a full gallop, and starting others all within (Continued on page 42)
PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication
P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana. The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans 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 Montana Senior News 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 Kathleen McGregor Lisa Gebo Jonathan Rimmel Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith
Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Production Assistant Graphic Designer Distribution Admin/Production Assistant
Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Jack McNeel Dianna Troyer © 2016
Cannabis’ Medicinal Properties
I am writing in response to Denise Feller’s letter in the June/July edition. As a health care professional, I have taken the time to learn about cannabis’ medicinal effect through accredited continuing education for nurses. Documented research shows that cannabis is a botanical medicine that when ingested, inhaled, or applied topically works to reduce inflammation, aids in killing cancer cells, is an analgesic that is safer than opiates, and reduces anxiety. These medicinal properties of cannabis are important to different age groups, including veterans. In Montana, more than 27,000 are under age 50. Statistics show that 20 veterans in Montana are committing suicide monthly. Cannabis is a safe way for them to treat their mental and physical pain. Unlike opiates, cannabis is not known to cause overdose. For hospice patients, they are more likely to have a caregiver deliver their medicinal cannabis to make them comfortable. Frances DeForrest Hot Springs
Cannabis, Devil Weed or Angel Flower? One Man’s Experience.
I am a 74-year-old man living in Ronan, Montana. Like many older folks, I have developed physical problems. I have severe neuropathy in both feet. My left leg – due to multiple operations – is a bundle of pain at bay with large amounts of
Ibuprofen, amounts large enough to destroy my kidneys but only partially dampen the pain. My doctors suggested I consider narcotics instead but cautioned there was a chance of addiction and possible serious mental and physical side effects. I didn’t like the narcotics option and started looking for something that wouldn’t turn me into a zombie. During my search, cannabis came up. For me this was bad and evil territory; this was “Devil Weed” and I should look elsewhere. A lifetime of indoctrination said no! The pain said, “Well maybe it might be worth a look.” What I found was a plant that rivals the peanut in its uses. A plant that has been used as medicine for many aliments for more than three thousand years. A plant that has been hybridized to a point that some strains have little or no THC, the component that creates the “high” that everybody talks about. I found a plant for pain and a possible answer to my problem. I applied for and received a medical cannabis card from the state, and made a visit to the dispensary I had picked in Missoula. The people there were very helpful. Because I was a neophyte, I went with their recommendations. I took home cannabis infused oil low in THC and high in CBD – the component that does wonders for children with epilepsy. The infused oil turned out to be the answer for me. I took six drops with a little orange juice and (Continued on page 4)
d e t r o f m o C w o d i Montana W y l l u f e c a e P d e s s a P d n a b s u H g n i w Kno
“
I’m grateful Erwin – Ethel Byrnes had this option.
”
On a sunny morning in March 2014, Erwin Byrnes’s long battle with cancer and Parkinson’s Disease had come to an end. He sat down in his favorite chair, took some medication prescribed by his doctor, and passed peacefully at home. He was surrounded by his loving wife and grown children. The Montana Supreme Court’s Baxter ruling ensures Montanans can exercise their freedom through the end of life because it authorizes aid in dying for people who are terminally ill. If you support death with dignity, help in the fight to protect your endof-life options. Please fill out and return the petition below.
Ask Your Doctor To Support Death With Dignity! Yes! I support end-of-life options. Name: Mailing Address: Phone:
Email: Mail completed petitions to PO Box 1348 Helena, MT 59624.
PO Box 1348 Helena, MT 59624 800 247 7421
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3
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If you are interested in new options for your dialysis care, we’ve opened new locations in Great Falls and Polson. We’re Fresenius Medical Care, the leading dialysis care network in the nation. Our new facilities will offer in-center hemodialysis, as well as hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis at home. To make your in-center experience more comfortable, we will provide reclining, heated, massage chairs, individual televisions, and wireless internet access. Get ready to experience excellence in dialysis care. For more information, please call Kristin Flo, Area Manager, at 406-549-2980 x 212.
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PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
(Continued from page 2) in two hours, my pain started to dissipate. In three hours, my pain was gone all together. I take it now an hour or two before bed and sleep like a baby, and because it contains very little THC, I awake clear-headed. I take another three drops about 10 a.m. and I am good for the day. It does not affect my daily routine, and compared to prescribed narcotics, CBD oil is very inexpensive, $2.50 a day at current prices. For me, cannabis is an “Angel Flower” that has given me an opportunity to live what is left of my life with much less pain and none of the side effects of commercial narcotics. It just goes to show, a person is never too old to learn. LeRoy Buchholdt Ronan • mulroy62@msn.com
More On Global Warming
I protest Bob Campbell’s alarmist essay (Jun/ Jul 2016) about global warming. There’s no positive correlation between carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures – no correlation, no cause. NOAA Vostok ice core data from past glaciations reveal that a trend of rising temperature repeatedly changed to a trend of decreasing temperature – with the CO2 level even higher than it was when the temperature
was increasing. That makes no sense if CO2 really drives global temperatures. The lefties continue to distort the actual science – they prefer making up their own brand of “science” – it’s much easier than genuine science. The Arctic was also warming way back in 1922. Reports from fishermen, seal hunters, and explorers all point to a significant warming due to a radical change in environmental conditions and hitherto high temperatures. Also, global cooling from 1945 to 1975 caused predictions of a coming ice age. NOAA, NASA, and the Department of Energy are again being accused of changing temperature data to show global warming. Steven Goddard, an independent analyst at Real Science, used official records to reveal that federal agencies have been fudging temperature measurements to make past decades seem colder and recent years appear warmer. Many scientists and experts confirmed Goddard’s accusations, and many other scientists claim that bias was evident in the adjustments of the data, leading to a false warming trend. Roger Stang Missoula MSN rpstang45@yahoo.com
The Perfect Year To Spend Your Vacation Enjoying Montana By Bob Campbell Now that the primary election is behind us we can enjoy life without the saturated barrage of political messages disrupting the peacefulness of our homes. We have the best opportunity to escape from the electronic world by enjoying the unique solitude of our great outdoors. Two of the best provisions of the Montana Bill of Rights are our right to privacy and the freedom to enjoy a clean and healthful environment. On June 17, 2017, the constitutional convention delegates and their families will meet in the House Chambers in Helena to celebrate the 45th reunion of writing the Montana Constitution in that chamber. Recently I was traveling north of Augusta along the Rocky Mountain front as the strong winds from the west pushed a huge storm dropping light rain over our bountiful wheat fields. The power of such a storm puts your life in prospective in such a force of nature. No matter where you live in Montana, you can make an easy day trip to enjoy the summer festivals, fishing, boating, with great food and friendly neighbors.
If you have an out-of-state visitor, you can share the experience of seeing their appreciation of what we have to share. Montana may be the last best place, but it is not always an easy place to live. The majority of Montana counties have a large land area and but only a small town as the county seat. This means that quality medical services are only available in the nearest of our twelve urban counties. Montana is ranked first in the percentage of suicides and a very high rate of deaths related to alcohol impairment. Recently legislative interim committees have set aside partisan politics to agree that we must make mental health care available to all counties. This comes at a time when the federal government is helping Montana directly by giving incentives to invest in providing mental health assistance to all Montanans. If you have a friend or family member who is not able to enjoy the great Montana outdoors, take an opportunity to ask them to accompany you to enjoy our festivals and spectacular natural surroundings. It will create an important memory for your friend and for you! MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5
Blacktail Cave and Bear Stories by Tag Rittel, c. 2015, Stoneydale Press Publishing Company
Reviewed by Bernice Karnop Readers fascinated by recent archaeological finds in a cave in Africa will appreciate Tag Rittel’s book outlining the discoveries in Blacktail Cave right here in Montana. In his book, Blacktail Cave and Bear Stories, writer Tag Rittel tells how the discoveries in the cave give a glimpse of the lifestyles of our state’s earliest residents, what they hunted, what they ate, and how they worshiped. A distinctive six-inch-long, 9,000-yearold basalt spearhead unearthed near the cave was named the Blacktail Cave Point by archaeologists because it fits no previous designation. In addition to the intriguing facts in the book, Rittel is a storyteller. His first article was published while he was still in high school, and he has published dozens of hunting tales. The discovery story is entertaining as are the bear stories that make up the second part of the book. The Blacktail Cave is on Rittel’s historic Blacktail Ranch out of Wolf Creek on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain Front. Until Tag Rittel and his four young friends dug out the entry hole and squeezed through for the first time in 1946, erosion and natural forces had sealed it off. No people had been in there for at least three centuries. The horizontal limestone cave has about five miles of passageways, tunnels, and rooms. It is not a beautiful cave, according to Sandra, Tag’s wife, but rather an archaeological site. Multiple archaeological digs uncovered layers of human habitation, starting with points used around 350 years ago and going back to very old Clovis points made by some of the earliest humans to live in North America.
One eight-inch long Clovis point made from local material is thought to be 12-14,000 years old. A Goshen point, which archaeologist date at around 8-10,000 years old, was found near an ancient bear skull. This indicates that humans lived in Montana and hunted these oversized Ice Age animals. Researchers identified 28 different ice age animals including skulls from Kodiak bears, a gigantic musk ox, giant bison, and a camel. The oldest carbon-dated remains were those of a 37,000-year-old marmot. Another curious find is a room with a pile of rocks topped by a granite slab that resembles an altar. Beside it was a buffalo skull. Leaning against the altar was a flat rock with a clearly drawn image of a bison on one side and a bear on the other. A bear effigy carved from a cephalopod, a type of ocean fossil, was also found in this room. The artifacts taken from the dark interior of Blacktail Cave over the past seven decades will intrigue Montana readers even as archaeologists ponder the skeletons found in the African cave. The people who sheltered in the Blacktail Cave were close to what we call the Old North Trail and Lewis and Clark Pass across the Continental Divide. Pictographs along the Dearborn River and other finds nearby will keep readers pondering the lifestyle and story of these ancient people. For you or for anyone on a Christmas list curious about Montana history, Blacktail Cave and Bear Stories makes a great read. The book retails for $14.95 and includes many black and white and color photos. It is available in stores or may be ordered from Stoneydale Press Publishing, 523 Main Street, Stevensville, MT 59870. Phone 406- 777-2729, or email stoneydale@stoneydale. com. MSN
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PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
“
THANKFULLY, PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE REMAINS A HOMICIDE IN MONTANA
”
Our 2015 Montana Legislature rejected for the third time an Oregon model bill, Senate Bill (SB) 202, which would have legalized non-voluntary euthanasia and trample individual’s rights. Montana Disability Rights advocates describe (SB) 202 as a blunt instrument. Once people learn how poorly the bills are written to allow abuse, they are not in favor of such a dangerous public policy. By Oregon and Washington law, all family members are not required to be contacted. A single heir is allowed to initiate and execute the lethal process without a witness, thus eviscerating intended safeguards. Everyone involved in the lethal process gets immediate immunity. A witness is not required to confirm the dose was self-administered, so if someone struggled and changed his or her mind who would ever know? In addition, these laws prohibit investigations or public inquiries leaving no recourse for surviving family members who were not contacted. Does that sound like good public policy to you? This is a very dangerous public policy that allows the exploitation of elders and people with disabilities of all ages. However, it serves the medical industrial complex very well. Thankfully our legislators read the bills. Thank them for their careful and responsible legislative action that keeps us safe. To learn how these bills are written and deceptively promoted, book a speaker for your small group. Contact Bradley@MTAAS.org. Thank you all for your generous support.
SAY NO TO ASSISTED SUICIDE IN MONTANA! Send in this form to recieve more information or to volunteer and help fight against assisted suicide. Name: Address: Phone: Email: Montanans Against Assisted Suicide 610 North 1st St., Suite 5-285 Hamilton, MT 59840 406-531-0937
Donations Appreciated!
Bradley D. Williams - President bradley@MTAAS.org www.MTAAS.org
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PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Summer’s heat has climbed to its zenith, but this doesn’t mean the fun has to end. You can still take pleasure in plenty of engrossing activities and events in August and September. Why not find someone to share this wonderful time, and many more seasons. After all, “joy shared is joy doubled.” So take a moment to reply to one of the personal ads listed below or send in your own. Certainly, a bit of ink and paper is worth meeting someone who will bring a smile to your face. To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message, address, and phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including the address, phone number, and/or email address that you provide to the person placing the ad. When you respond to an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please submit your correct address plainly printed so you can promptly receive replies. Respond to the ads in this issue, and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of true love and companionship! You may submit your responses to personal ads appearing in the Montana Senior News at any time. However, to place a
personal ad in the October/November 2016 issue, the deadline is September 7, 2016. SWF, 34, 5’10” seeking someone who is passionate about life, selfless, honest, serious, and ready to be with a woman with so much to offer. I could be shy at first, but that won’t last long for you to find me to be a caring, honest, single, an intelligent woman with a very positive outlook on life, I am family oriented, loving, tender, charismatic, sincere, faithful, and romantic, etc. I love the outdoors and traveling. I like spending my free time engaging in intellectually stimulating yet sensual conversations with someone special. I am an active woman that loves to find the beauty and happiness in life. Reply MSN, Dept. 32601, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF in search of a Christian mate 72–80. I married my high school sweetheart and learned, too late that most people are attracted to each other’s baggage. It takes two to create a happy home, to go to heaven in. I am 5’ 5” 116 lbs and well proportioned. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I like working outside and am a successful organic gardener. I must have a clean house and never have dirty dishes in the sink. I choose my friends wisely and they must learn my love language, as I will speak to them in theirs. This is the secret for filling each other’s “love tank.” I read many things as well as books, including those from several ministries. I also fund my own ministry. I have purveyed 57 years of eating the most healthful vegetarian food. It did not come from a can. I’m not into fads, but grew up in the country where my parents grew most of our food and we raised our own calves and hunted deer. I even fished for trout when I was a kid. So I ate as everyone did until I was 20. Then began to find a better way. My prayer has been, “Father you choose the next one and prepare me to be a submissive and loving wife.” I am tired of being alone. I like to sing and play the piano and guitar a little. I composed a scripture song and I can write poetry if I am happy and in the mood. I’m an extrovert and the opposites don’t make a good match to my way of thinking. Reply MSN, Dept. 32602, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
SWM seeking Great Falls area lady 50-80 to be live-in companion. I am 65 years old and do not smoke or drink. Looks are unimportant. Please send phone number and I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 32603, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Western Montana single male, retired, late 60s, financially secure, healthy, and active. I have a wide variety of interests and hobbies both inside and outside and am always open to new possibilities and learning opportunities. Summertime is the perfect time to begin new friendships and explore new and exciting places to visit or perhaps re-visit some of the more interesting and unusual places. There is a lot to see and do right here in the Northwest without having to travel great distances. What do you enjoy doing in your spare/free time? Reply MSN, Dept. 32604, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Attractive SWF is interested in SWM in or near the Kalispell area. I am an active Christian lady in my middle 60s. I would like a male 59-65 years young. I enjoy camping and fishing. I love romantic dinners at home or dining out. I like taking walks and looking at sunsets. I love going to movies or just cuddling on the sofa to watch TV. I like to travel or take drives. I am a slender person about 130 lbs. I can send pictures. Reply MSN, Dept. 32605, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN SWM, 61-years-old, looking for non-smoking woman 45–61-years-old in Flathead Valley area. I’m retired and own several rental homes. Never been married but not opposed to it with the right woman. Looking for outdoor type woman who likes animals. I’m a Gold Pro Spectator, go south to the desert in winters. Have a lot to offer the right woman. Please write and send photo and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 32606, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9
character but a picture would be nice. I look forward to hearing from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 32607, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF, 5’5”, mid-sixties, not slim but attractive, honest, faithful, affectionate, outspoken, highmorale, fun, nurturing, trustworthy, and dependable. Have small income and own my own home. I have a non-life threatening illness that causes chronic fatigue and pain so I generally sleep late. I am deeply grateful for all my blessings as a born again, spirit filled lady with 45 years of recovery from alcoholism. I enjoy rock, country, and worship music, chivalry, dancing, singing, art, church, my 12 Step program, camping, romance, bowling, Pinochle, games, movies, plays, TV, friends, family, laughter, and good conversation. I’m looking for a special friend or possibly life mate if willing to relocate to Hamilton area to share all that life has to offer. Your height, color, income, and age aren’t important. You must love Jesus and not be into drinking, drugging, gambling, or porn. A clean, gentle, honest guy who isn’t materialistic and has a sense of humor would be a great blessing to this big-hearted lady. Please send photo with descriptive letter and address. Reply MSN, Dept. 32608, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN
Hello! I’m a SWF who would like to meet a responsible gentleman for friendship and possible long-term relationship. I am in good health, active and involved in volunteer community activities. I enjoy square dancing, reading, good conversation, travel, outdoor activities, visiting junk stores, and quiet times at home. If this sounds interesting to you, I would enjoy hearing from you and learning of your interests. Looks are not as important as
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PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Recommended Reading Reviewed by Connie Daugherty A TreasureConcealed by Tracie Peterson; Bethany House, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 2016. “Throughout the years of her father dragging them from one gold strike to another... God knew Emily longed for... a permanent home and family of her own... the idea of living in one place... was even more tantalizing.” In her most recent historical novel, A Treasure Concealed, Tracie Peterson explores the life of a Montana prospector’s family – specifically his daughter, Emily. Set in the 1890s in central Montana, at a small mining camp called Yogo City, A Treasure Concealed tells the story of discovery – of treasure, of self, of God. In her story, Tracie
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Peterson shows that what the treasure God has in store for us is sometimes right in front of us if we only look. Other times we really do have to dig for it, and have faith that all will be revealed in time. Emily Carver lives near Yogo City, Montana with her terminally ill mother and her prospector father. Due to her mother’s illness, Emily has taken on most of the household duties including not only cooking and cleaning, but also caring for the animals. Life is difficult, but her parents’ love and her mother’s faith and her own hopes get her through each day. Maybe someday her father really will find the big gold strike for which he works so hard. Meanwhile Emily does what she has to do to survive in the rugged Montana country. “Caeden Thibault stepped from the stage in Utica and glanced around… he was tired and thirsty.” It had been a long ride from Great Falls, and even longer ride from Washington, D.C. Within minutes, Henry Carver takes the young geologist under his wing, and by evening Caeden finds himself setting up his tent on the Carver land and eating supper at the Carver’s welcoming table. What stands out to Caeden even more than the humble cabin and their friendly acceptance of him is the love that he feels within the family. “Caeden’s geological work has helped him reorganize his thoughts and plans for the future.” It has also taken him far away from his wealthy New York family and friends to this remote corner of Montana. Here he has an opportunity to evaluate more than the mining resources of the newly established state. Emily isn’t used to seeing young men close to her age. She also isn’t used to talking openly to a man, but she finds herself surprisingly comfortable around Caeden. He doesn’t seem at all threatening like Kirk Davies. Caeden comes and goes with his tent over the summer as he catalogs the various gold mining claims in central Montana. When he is gone, Emily goes about her usual routine chores and challenges. When he returns she finds herself eager to share time with this stranger she hardly knows. Meanwhile outside events are conspiring to make their lives even more difficult and challenge their faith beyond anything they could imagine. Kirk Davies’ employer is determined to buy up all the mining claims around even though most people – except for stubborn folks like Henry Carver – admit that the gold has probably played out. Although the offer he receives is tempting, Carver holds out. Even after an arsonist destroys their small cabin, he refuses to sell out or move. One of the few things that remain after the fire is a small tin of “blue pebbles,” Emily has collected. The nuisance pebbles constantly clogged Henry’s sluice box and he would have thrown them all away, if it hadn’t been for Emily. They were pretty – a bit of bright beauty in her drab existence – so
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
he set them aside for her. After the fire, Caeden asks if he can send them to a friend in New York for analysis. “What did it matter if he took the tin and the pebbles inside? Everything else was gone… All she knew was that nothing was ever going to be the same – nothing would ever be right.” While a greedy man is plotting to push Henry Carver away from his mining claim and Emily away from her home, another greedy man is plotting to pull Caeden back to the home and the society he once determined to abandon. “Caeden looked up to find not only Bishop Arnold in his fine gray wool suit, but his daughter Catherine as well… Caeden knew he had no choice but to invite them to join him.” Suddenly it seems as if even God is plotting against both Emily and Caeden. As Emily prepares to survive a Montana winter in a hastily erected shack full of cracks, Henry is attacked and nearly killed by a man that Emily identifies as Kirk Davies although nobody will believe her. “Once she started crying, Emily found it impossible to stop. She cried for her mother… because of her father’s stubborn determination to strike it rich… for all the dreams that would never be fulfilled.” Meanwhile Caeden finds himself back in New York forced to face old obligations and feelings of guilt as he must choose between his own desires and the ethics and morals he come to value as well as the family he loves. A Treasured Concealed, the first in Tracie Peterson’s Sapphire Brides series, is a well-researched, light read, perfect for our long summer days. Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels including the Heirs of Montana and Alaskan Quest series. She also teaches conference-writing workshops on such subjects as inspirational romance and historical research. Tracie lives in Belgrade with her family. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
National Assisted Living Week Is September 11-17, 2016 By Bernice Karnop Keep Connected is the focus for National Assisted Living Week 2016. The theme recognizes the opportunities technology offers that may enhance a person’s care and overall experience in assisted living communities. National Assisted Living Week was established in 1995 by the American Health Care Association (AHCA), a non-profit federation of health care organizations. The focus on technology encourages assisted living communities to support the use of the latest tools to help residents engage and stay connected with the wider world. The ability to communicate with children, grandchildren, and other family may be the thing residents most appreciate.
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They can find old friends, order things online, find the news, and research medical issues or other interests. They may connect with organizations they belong to, and to their church family. Some may enjoy playing games or making greeting cards. The Keep Connected theme also helps overcome the stereotypes that say seniors aren’t interested, or can’t learn to use new technologies. Over a million Americans need assistance with daily living needs, including seniors, disabled veterans, and others. The AHCA provides education, information, and tools to encourage quality care and quality of life for this vulnerable population. During National Assisted Living Week, families, individuals, businesses, and the public are encouraged to recognize and appreciate not only the folks in assisted living, but also the health care professionals who provide daily care for them. What can you do to honor residents and the staff who serve them in assisted living facilities? Bring cookies, flowers, or other tokens of appreciation during National Assisted Living Week – or any time of year. A simple visit adds a joyful note, not only to the resident but also to the workers who care for them. For additional information visit nalw.org. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13
Working With The Pros: Tips For Communicating With Healthcare Providers
By Lisa M. Petsche during conversations and conferences. Request If you are caring for a relative with a chronic a layperson’s explanation if you don’t understand illness, you will encounter various healthcare pro- medical jargon, and ask for clarification when inviders in various settings. structions aren’t clear. Summarize information to These days, health care is viewed as a part- check the accuracy of your interpretation. nership between patient and provider, with both • Recognize that some of your questions may parties responsible for ensuring a constructive not have easy answers. relationship. Patients and caregivers are taking a • Maintain good communication with other more active role than ever in this regard. involved family members, keeping them aware of Good communication is essential to any posi- your relative’s status, activities, and plans. It’s not tive relationship. Use this list to make the most of a good use of professionals’ time to have to adyour interactions with healthcare professionals: dress similar questions or concerns with multiple • Prepare questions in advance of phone con- people. This takes them away from direct patient versations and meetings, and prioritize them. work. If necessary, set up a family meeting. “Rural yet Refined...life just got easier” • If you or your relative have a hearing or vision • Learn to be proactive in your role as advocate. impairment, let the person know at the outset of • Address a concern directly with the relevant the conversation. You may need to remind them care provider. Express it as calmly as possible and in subsequent contacts. in a timely fashion. Provide detail and include an • Share information that will help them to better example or two; prepare notes if you tend to beunderstand and assist your relative: medical his- come flustered. Involve the person’s supervisor tory, relevant social history, lifestyle, abilities and only if the issue does not get resolved. Independently owned & operated limitations, temperament, likes and dislikes. • Keep in mind that you and your relative’s 24 hour trained, caring staff • Educate yourself about your relative’s health healthcare providers are partners, even if you don’t Private apartments with full bath conditions. Don’t try to be an expert, though. While always speak the same language or agree about Handicapped accessible transportation consumers can access a wealth of information and diagnoses or plans. Do your best to work with them Independent & Assisted Living Options many seek to be informed, be tactful if you wish rather than against them. to challenge findings or recommendations. For • If you blow up and later regret it, apologize www.parkhavenretirement.com example, it is less threatening to say, “I’ve read in order to get communication back on track. Rest Exit 288 • 100 Hamilton Ct • Manhattan, MT • 282-7488 about a new therapy called X; what do you think assured professionals understand that sometimes of it for my mother’s situation?” rather than, “Why frustration or caregiver aren’t you doing X?” stress causes people to • Educate yourself about the roles of involved overreact or otherwise professionals, and inquire about their goals and behave uncharacteristiplans for your relative. Adjust your expectations, cally. or try to negotiate a different plan of care. • Express appre• Ensure you are dealing with the right person ciation when you are by briefly stating any questions or concerns. If they pleased with the care can’t help you, ask them to direct you to someone your relative is receivwho can. Get a name, title, and phone number as ing, a little goes a long well as times the person is usually available. way in forging a positive • Ensure the person has time to talk if you have relationship. numerous questions or a major concern. If they Lisa M. Petsche is don’t, ask them to schedule a block of time for you. a social worker and a • When making telephone contact, be prepared freelance writer who has to leave a concise voice mail message if the person personal and profesis not available. Include the date and time, your sional experience with name, your relative’s name and your relationship elder care. MSN to him or her, the nature of your call (in one sentence), your daytime phone number and the best time to reach you. Speak slowly and clearly. If either of you Highgate Senior Living offers full care for all, no matter what is hard to reach, set an 406-761-6661 your age or ailment. Our team of compassionate professionals appointment to talk by 20 3rd Steet North, Great Falls, MT 59401 can handle almost anything, including complex medical issues phone or in person. www.rainbowsl.com and post-acute hospital care. In fact, we specialize in services • Write down key information provided normally provided in skilled nursing, such as diabetic care and
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PAGE 14 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Tips to Avoid a Potentially Serious Spill By Lisa M. Petsche Falls are the primary cause of injury and hospitalization for older adults, and half of those injured do not regain their former level of independence. Even more sobering, falls are the seventh leading cause of death in people aged 65 and over. The majority of these falls occur at home while they are carrying out everyday activities. Most often, they occur in the bathroom, bedroom, or a stairwell. Health- and age-related changes that contribute to falls include arthritis, decreased sensation in the feet (known as peripheral neuropathy), loss of strength, visual impairment, balance problems, and the use of certain medications. The other major cause of falls is hazardous conditions in the home environment. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to reduce these hazards for yourself or a loved one. Many of them involve little or no cost. In The Kitchen. Keep regularly used pots, dishes, staple foods, and other supplies within easy reach. Ensure the heaviest items are stored in the lower cupboards. If you must reach high places, get a step stool that has a high handrail and rubber tips. Never use a chair. In The Bedroom. Situate a lamp within easy reach of your bed. Also keep a flashlight on hand in case there’s a power failure (don’t forget to regularly replace the batteries). Keep a phone at your bedside. If your bedroom doesn’t have a phone jack, get a cordless phone and keep the receiver with you at night. (Don’t forget to place it back on the base in the morning to recharge.) Ensure there’s a clear path from your bed to the bathroom. In The Bathroom. Have grab bars installed by the toilet and in the bathtub or shower area. Ensure they are placed in the proper location and well anchored to the wall. Use a rubber mat with suction cups in the tub or shower and a non-skid bath mat on the floor. Get a bathtub seat or a shower chair. Obtain a raised toilet seat if you have trouble getting on and off the toilet. Get a hand-held showerhead so you can shower in a sitting position. Stairwells. Steps should be in good repair and have a non-skid surface.
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Have solid handrails installed on both sides of stairways – ideally, these should project past both the top and bottom steps. Keep steps free of clutter. Ensure stairwells are well lit. If necessary, get battery-powered dome lights that easily attach to the wall. General Tips. Wear slippers or shoes that fit snugly, offer good support, and have a non-skid sole (avoid a sticky sole like crepe, though). Ensure throw rugs and scatter mats have a non-skid backing. Better yet, remove them, since they are one of the most common causes of falls. Keep walkways clear of electrical and telephone cords. Avoid clutter in rooms and hallways. Post emergency numbers by the telephone for easy access. If vision is a problem, get a phone with a large, lighted keypad. Sign on with a personal emergency response service, whereby you wear a lightweight, waterproof pendant or bracelet that has a button to press if you run into a crisis and need help. (Studies have found that getting help quickly after a fall reduces the risk of hospitalization and death.) Use night-lights in the bedroom, hallways, and bathroom. Get the kind that have a built-in sensor that automatically turns the light on in dim conditions. Also consider getting one or more plug-in, rechargeable flashlights that automatically come on when the power goes out. Spend some time browsing in medical supply stores or perusing their catalogs to discover the many items available – for example, reachers and electric-lift armchairs – that can increase household safety and make everyday activities easier. Consider a cane or walker if balance is an ongoing problem. Make sure you are fitted with the appropriate type of aid and receive instruction on proper usage. Arrange for a home assessment by an occupational therapist if you would like more information about identifying potential safety hazards and successfully addressing them. The therapist may point out areas of risk and make recommendations that would not have occurred to you or your family. Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior health matters. She has personal and professional experience with elder care. MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15
Cedar City Beckons With Scenic Hikes By Day And Shakespeare By Night By Dianna Troyer Enthralling and timeless stories abound in and around Cedar City, whether dramatically on stage at the renowned summer Utah Shakespeare Festival or geologically at nearby state and national parks and monuments. The southern Utah city is a great base for exploring parks aglow with ancient red and golden sandstone by day and watching a Tony-Award winning theater company by night at the new $39 million Beverley Center for the Arts on Southern Utah University’s campus. From the list of parks, we picked Cedar Breaks National Monument at 10,500 ft. to escape the heat. We put other parks, including Zion, Bryce Canyon, Kolob Canyons, and Grand Staircase on the to-do list. In mid-June, it was a Goldilocks morning at Cedar Breaks with weather not too hot and not too cold – just right. At an overlook, we met someone who had been to Zion, where it was 107 degrees. We were grateful to be in a cool alpine area and had just sculpted a couple of snowmen
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
at the nearby Alpine Pond Trail in the shade of pines and aspens. Although most of the trail was clear, a few snowbanks lingered, and patches of snow looked like lacy white tatting with a green background of sprouting grass. Like the temperatures, the scenery was equally soothing. A 2,000-foot-deep natural Parowan Gap’s petroglyphs tell migration and creation amphitheater revealed stories. [Photo by Dianna Troyer] 60-million-year-old pink, peach, purple, and red pillars, domes, and spires. The formations told a story of sculpting by powerful forces of uplifting and erosion. Rangers at the nearby visitor center reminded us to look also at the scenery underfoot. As summer progresses, more than 150 species of vi-
brantly colored wildflowers thrive like a living landscape painting. Here, the ooh and aah moments are not limited to daytime. Nights are equally dazzling. With clear skies and no light pollution, constellations glitter overhead, the rangers assure us. Star parties are scheduled throughout summer. Instead of staying for the nighttime celestial show, we heeded the call of a few other stops – an afternoon at Parowan Gap and later the new theater complex. West of the monument, Parowan Gap shelters one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs in the West. Among the hundreds of chiseled figures, some depict lunar and solar calendars. Others tell Hopi and Paiute creation or migration stories and how they braved drought, cold, and famine. Walking along the windswept gap, it’s easy to envision Native Americans tapping their stories as if the rocks were permanent pages in a history book. Back in Cedar City, we visited with Joshua Stavros, media and public relations manager for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Standing in a central courtyard where the scent of blooming chamomile fills the air, he pointed out the nearby state-of-the art theaters and art museum. “We’re proud to have some of the best theater in the country with up to 95,000 tickets sold every summer,” he says. “What makes our festival memorable A new $39 million Beverley Arts Center in Cedar are pre- and post-show talks City, home of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, includes a new 900-seat outdoor theater built to and backstage tours, and the resemble the playwright’s Globe Theatre. [Photo audience and actors mingle after by Dianna Troyer] performances.” In June, construction workers were still busy putting the finishing touches on two new theaters that opened in early July. The new multitiered, outdoor Shakespearean theater, built in the round to resemble the playwright’s Globe Theatre of centuries ago, seats 900 spectators who are close enough to the stage to see actors’ expressions.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
“It was built as authentically as possible to make you feel like you’re part of the play,” he says. The festival (bard.org) brings together an impressive seasonal crew of 400, including actors from throughout the U.S., technicians, and other support staff. A new black box studio theater seats 200
with a high tech chair configuration that can be changed depending on the play. The two new theaters complement the traditional 750-seat indoor theater. Next to the theaters, the Southern Utah Museum of Art has 5,300 square feet of exhibition space and new state-of-the-art climate controls,
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17
enabling it to host traveling exhibits from prestigious institutions such as the Smithsonian. “This center is all about telling a story,” says Josh, “and telling it well in whatever art form.” The art and stories in and near Cedar City, whether naturally formed or manmade, had made amazing and unforgettable memories for us. MSN
If It’s A Doughnut You Can’t Bear It By Bill Hall Years ago, I was driving in Yellowstone National Park when I came around a corner and saw something so shocking I almost ran off the road. A male tourist, probably the father, was putting his toddler astride a bear cub as if it was a small horse. A woman, obviously the child’s mother, was a few steps away taking the picture. My blood ran cold when I saw another female nearby – the mother bear, pacing frantically back and forth, snorting, and sort of deciding how to go about rescuing her cub. Suffice it to say, those tourists were not the smartest people I ever encountered but they were the luckiest. The man, oblivious to the danger, finally lifted the human child from astride the cub, and of course, the cub scooted away to its angry mother. Then the human mother and father and their offspring blithely went on their way without a clue as to what had just happened. I thought of that scary incident recently when a similar blunder was in the Yellowstone news. A couple of ignorant tourists made a classic, wellintentioned mistake. They encountered a newborn bison and wanting to help, they put the little animal in the trunk of their SUV. Attempts were made to reunite the youngster with its herd. But rightly or wrongly, Yellowstone personnel felt they had run out of options and put the small critter down. The park has always been on the lookout for tourists and wild Yellowstone animals rubbing elbows, so to speak. Yellowstone is concerned that at least a few (or maybe quite a few) tourists
don’t see the warning signs or don’t believe that wild creatures truly are wild and capable of doing a tourist a lot of damage. I know something about that because I spent two summers as a college student in Yellowstone, hired to write press releases and help magazine and newspaper writers get stories that would bring customers to the park. Part of my job was to produce a small newspaper for the several thousand college kids who spent the summer making beds, cleaning rooms, waiting tables, and playing in small bands in the evening for the pleasure of everyone, especially the throngs of tourists. Frankly, park employees, including me, got a kick out of some of the strangest misconceptions of tourists, or “dudes” as they were called in Yellowstone SEPTEMBER 10 & 11, 2016 jargon. I put out the word in our little newspaper to What better way to celebrate Grandparent’s Day than at Silverwood Theme Park! Silverwood shows their appreciation for Grandmas and Grandpas by send me dudisms. A few admitting them to the park for free when accompanied by a grandchild. of those tourists were For each grandchild that PURCHASES a ticket, they will be given one FREE ticket for unintentionally hilarious. Grandpa OR Grandma. Plus everyone receives a special pricing of only For instance, it was $38.00 for General Admission (ages 8-64) and $21.00 for youth/senior admission (ages 3-7, 65+). common for the college (Not valid with any other discounts or promotions.) kids to be asked by tourists if the bears were mechanical creations of FOR THE lowest ticket prices anywhere Walt Disney whose new GO TO Disneyland was up and
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running down in California where a mechanical Abraham Lincoln talked to the crowds. But Yellowstone’s bears were dangerously real. Some dudes complained to park employees that the Yellowstone forests were cluttered with the customary fallen trees and somebody ought to get busy and tidy up the 3,472 square miles of woods. On another day, a tourist actually asked a park employee, “Are we on this side of the canyon or on the other side?” The college kid told her, “We are on this side.” And he was undoubtedly correct. A more sober problem was trying to give tourists a natural view of Yellowstone and its wild animals without letting them mingle to the point of damaging the tourists or the animals. That in-
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
cluded bears. During my time there, the park kept records on how many people were bitten each year by bears. In my two years the count was several dozen annually. Unfortunately, the bears were unable to tell where the doughnuts ended and the fingers of people offering doughnuts began. That created bears that accidentally munched on tourist fingers. None of that was the bear’s fault, of course. They don’t know a jelly doughnut from a human hand. Similarly, those bears that used to break into automobiles in the park and devour the contents of picnic boxes were as innocent as a choir boy, but with a slightly larger appetite. Sooner or later, the bears train the tourists rather than the other way around. It only took a
missing finger or two before stubborn tourists finally realized that the people running Yellowstone were correct when they urged people not to mess with snack-loving bears. And let me give you the ultimate safety tip: Keep your grandkids off the backs of bear cubs. Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave, Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN
America’s Revolution: Rebels With A Cause At The Museum Of Idaho
By Deborah M. Chessey The Museum of Idaho’s (MOI) newest exhibition, America’s Revolution: Rebels with a Cause, is open and runs through November 26. Enter the Museum of Idaho to experience the year 1776 when a group of American rebels joined ranks and declared our sovereignty from the world’s most powerful nation. Travel back in time to the foundation of the United States of America, when a group of men and women fought for the right to self-govern. Examine the letters they wrote and experience how their ideas came together to form the Declaration of Independence. George Washington, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock – you know the names from history books and classrooms. At the MOI, you will see artifacts from our Founding Fathers,
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some of which have never been exhibited in public and may never be displayed again. This exhibition is the product of two years of scouring the nation for collectors willing to share their treasures and it is the greatest collection of Revolutionary War artifacts west of the Mississippi. Experience these artifacts that personalize and humanize the men and women who fought the King – and Won! The MOI will be showcasing weapons that were the personal possessions of men such as John Stark who declared, “Live Free or Die!” and a decorative pair of Hessian dueling pistols that were taken after the battle of Trenton. Visitors will see
personal item such as a Simon Ross’ powder horn that has an etching of his hometown, Lancaster County. There is no doubt that each time he filled his musket, he remembered exactly why he was fighting. Take a break from the politics that are a part of election season, and get in touch with the Patriotism that fueled the birth of our great nation. Admission is $9 adult, $8 senior (65+), $7 youth (4-17), $30 family, and $25 on Family night (Mondays 5-8 p.m.). The MOI is open Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday thru Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and closed on Sunday.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19
About the Museum of Idaho The MOI is a non-profit organization and the Intermountain West’s premier museum in bringing exceptional exhibits to our region. The MOI is dedicated to preserving and displaying the sciences, the humanities, and natural and cultural history while also providing new experiences and unique educational opportunities. The museum is located at 200 N. Eastern Avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho. For more information visit museumofidaho.org or contact Deborah Chessey at 208-522-1400 ext 3012 or email marketingdir@museumofidaho.org. MSN
Double the Joy of Visiting Canada’s National Parks and Historic Sites with Parks Canada Discovery Pass 2-Year Deal By Bernice Karnop Canada’s best National Parks are just across the border – Waterton, Banff, Jasper, and Elk Island in Alberta, and Glacier, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke, Pacific Rim, and Yoho in British Columbia. If you love visiting Canada’s western parks, or if for some reason you have never visited these stunningly beautiful mountain paradises, this is the year to update your passport and go. The Parks Canada Discovery Pass that gets you into nearly 100 National Parks, National Historic Sites, and National Marine Conservation Areas operated by Parks Canada, is good for not one, but two years during the 2016-2017 seasons. The special price signifies the beginning of the
celebration of the 150th year of Canada’s Confederation. On July 1, 1867, the British Colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united into one – the Dominion of Canada. To celebrate this peaceful political process, Parks Canada encourages people to discover the beauty, history, and intrigue of not just the western parks, but all of the lands set aside for public enjoyment, from Prince Edward Island (think Anne of Green Gables) to British Columbia. The Parks Canada Discovery Passes cost $136.40 CD (approximately $107 USD) for a family or group – up to seven people arriving together at the park in a single vehicle. Passes for youth 6-16 cost $33.30 CD (approximately $26 USD);
for adults 17-64 cost $67.70 CD (approximately $53 USD); and for seniors 65+ cost $57.90 CD (approximately $45 USD). A couple traveling together may prefer a family/group pass rather than two single passes, so if travelling with friends or family members, the cost will be covered. Passes can be purchases as gifts. To purchase a pass, visit achatsparcs-parksstore.ca and to make reservations for campsites and Parks Canada accommodations including cabins, yurts, teepees, and tents. Parks Canada Discovery Passes are available at the entrance to any participating park, historic site, or marine conservation area, but faster and more convenient if the pass is purchased ahead, however.
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The pass pays for daily entrance fees, but does not include camping fees. Discovery Passes purchased in 2016 are valid for two full years from the date of purchase, so passes purchased in August 2016 are good through August 2018. Passes are non-transferrable and it is important to keep your receipt as proof of purchase in case you lose it. The passes quickly pay for themselves over individual visit fees, and profits are used to help maintain the National Parks, National Historic Sites,
and National Marine Conservation areas. Think about it. Unlimited visits to one hundred fascinating sites over two full years, for the group price of just a little more than $100. Make plans now to help Canada celebrate its independence by visiting our beautiful neighbor country and learning about its history and special events. For more information or if you have questions contact National Information Service at 1-888-773-8888 or information@pc.gc.ca. MSN
Three Historical Alberta Forts You’ll Want to Visit By Leigh McAdam Photo Courtesy of Chinook Country Tourist Association Courtesy of Chinook Country Tourist Association Without the problems associated with the vibrant whiskey trade in southern Alberta around 1873, our history books would very likely tell a different story. But whiskey and fur trading together were profitable businesses back then and both presented problems, some significant like the Cypress Hill Massacre. In addition, the American flag was caught flying over Canadian soil – a disturbing fact that hastened the establishment of the North West Mounted Police (today’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police) by Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald. To that end, approximately 300 men including 22 officers along with horses, livestock, wagons, and ox-carts left Manitoba in the summer of 1874 for the long journey to Fort Whoop-Up in southern Alberta. Their mandate – shut down the whiskey trade and establish Canadian sovereignty. Today history comes alive when you visit present day Fort Whoop-Up in Lethbridge. Likely taking its name from either telling the oxen “whoop it up” with a whip or “whooping it up” with whiskey – you choose – the fort you visit is a replica of the original fort built at the junction of the St. Mary and Old-
man Rivers. Start the self-guided tour with a 20-minute video. Then travel back in time through all 13 authentic period rooms starting with the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) jail through to the Indian room – where buffalo robes and pelts were traded for American goods including flour, salt, tea, canned goods, lead shot, and cartridges. Here too, alcohol changed hands – to keep the Blackfoot people coming back. This room, like the others, looks and feels authentic. Next head 50 kilometres west to Fort Macleod, built first on the Oldman River as a North West Mounted Police barracks. Time your visit to coincide with the Musical Ride – run every summer
four times a day, weather permitting. The first ride happened in 1876 and preparing for it was a welcome break from the drudgery of drills and life in the barracks. Now it’s local students aged 16-22 who participate, with all but two of them female - at least in 2015. Have a wander through the present day fort before or after the ride and check out the NWMP memorabilia that’s been collected. End your tour of the forts with the largest of them all – Fort Calgary. Located at the junction of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, it’s considered the birthplace of Calgary. Originally built in 1875 and named after Calgary House at Calgary Bay in Scotland, it has gone through several iterations to become what you see today with only one part of the original building, a sandstone block, in evidence. Never were any battles fought or shots fired in Fort Calgary. Instead, it was a place where the North West Mounted Police came to stop the whiskey trade, befriend the First Nations people, and provide for peace and order as well as good government. Incredibly the fort was undamaged by the flood of 2013 because of a rail berm, so you can wander beautiful grounds (some under renovation) that include a garden harkening back to the original fort. Across the Elbow River by way of a
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new pedestrian bridge, you can check out the Deane House named after Captain Deane, Calgary’s longest serving NWMP Superintendent, and the Hunt House – once part of the Hudson’s Bay Company and Calgary’s oldest building in its original location. A variety of exhibits inside the Fort including many that are family friendly, ensure this fort is a dynamic destination that
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delivers history in an engaging manner. A visit to all three forts will leave you with a rich understanding of the history of both the whiskey trade and the establishment of the North West Mounted Police. Ideally visit in summer to take advantage of special programs that only run a few months of the year. MSN
Newspaper Errors Submitted by Jim Meade In at least one respect, a printed publication is a marvel and perhaps even a miracle. Limitless possibilities exist for error, both human and mechanical. Add the crushing pressure of deadlines, and it’s surprising there aren’t more mistakes. When goofs do occur, editors scurry to print corrections, even though we often prefer the misprint to the corrected version. Here are a few samples 1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you are one of hundreds of parachuting enthusiasts who bought our Easy Sky Diving book, please make the following correction. On page 8, line seven, the words “state zip code” should have read, “pull rip cord.” 2. It was incorrectly reported last Friday that today is T-shirt Appreciation Day. In fact, it is actually Teacher Appreciation Day. 3. There was a mistake in an item sent in two weeks ago which stated that Ed Burnham entertained a party at crap shooting. It should have been trap shooting. 4. From a California bar association’s newsletter: The following typo appeared in our last bulletin. “Lunch will be gin at 12:15 p.m.” Please correct to read “12 noon.” 5. We apologize to our readers who received, through an unfortunate computer error, the chest measurements of members of the Female Wrestlers Association instead of the figures on the sales of soybeans to foreign countries. MSN
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Have times changed? Have family dynamics changed? It certainly seems so. With today’s technology, information overload, busyness, and hurry and scurry, do families take or have the time to sit around the dinner table, discuss the day’s events, and share stories? Storytelling is as old as our species; providing insight into the lives of those who have gone before and creating a cultural heritage comprised of those tales. Can you recall some of the best stories told by your parents or grandparents? Remember, “Did I every tell you about the time…?” and how we would listen transfixed as the tale unfolded. This issue’s Remember When winner is Francie Berg who grew up in an eastern Montana ranching family and whose story illustrates the cultural divide between those who live a particular life and those who think they know more about it than they do. Thank you, Francie for your Pioneer
Storytelling contribution. Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contribution(s) deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our October/November 2016 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@bresnan.net; or call 1-800-672-8477 or 406-761-0305. Also, visit us online at montanaseniornews.com.
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Excerpted and edited from Montana Stirrups, Sage & Shenanigans By Francie Brink Berg, Anne Brink Sallgren Krickel, & Jeanie Brink Thiessen Growing up, we girls were fortunate that both Mom and Dad were storytellers, usually around the supper table at night. They told fascinating tales of family, community, good times, hard times, and hilarious incidents. They accepted and respected each individual in the tolerant way of the west, and never gossiped about other people’s business. Instead, their stories recalled epics of courage, endurance, hardship, and individual enterprise. Details of homestead and pioneering days were vividly described, so real we might have lived through them ourselves.
Dad told his stories with great gusto and humor. He’d finish eating, lay knife and fork across his plate and push it back, chuckle, and begin. “I remember one time….” Mom’s stories recalled serious and sometimes painful events, full of precise details about life and hardships she’d seen. Still, her basic optimism prevailed and validated the triumph of the human spirit. Mom’s quiet humor enlivened many of her stories as it did when she told us how she coaxed her younger sister Pearl to drive with her to California to enroll in summer classes at the University of California, Berkeley. This was around 1924 when few women would attempt such a trip. Mom had saved every penny when she started teaching –
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after graduating from the University of Montana while earning her way through waiting tables – and bought a Model T Ford. For Mom the summer session was a dream come true – to travel and continue her education at a noted university. She registered for a full load in her favorite studies of literature, Spanish, and math. Aunt Pearl, hoping for a more relaxed summer with plenty of time to enjoy the ocean and San Francisco sights, signed up for just one class – creative writing. “But Pearl didn’t enjoy that class,” Mom said. Every day her instructor stood in front of the students and ridiculed their papers as the worst of creative writing. He seemed to delight in humiliating them. “Pearl lived in terror of the day he might read one of her manuscripts aloud,” Mom explained. In the teacher’s eyes, the worst sin was to write without knowledge of the subject. “Write about what you know!” he shouted at them. Aunt Pearl took that message to heart, and Mom tried to help. Though he didn’t sound like a teacher to nourish the creative muse, Mom encouraged her to write about life back home in Montana. So for her next assignment Pearl chose a setting she knew well: a wild west rodeo in her home town of Jordan. In those days, rodeos happened casually when some rancher rounded up wild horses from the open range and brought them to town for sale. Local cowboys, eager to test their skill and daring, lined up for bronc riding on a Sunday afternoon. Aunt Pearl spent many days writing and rewriting her rodeo story, agonizing over dramatic phrases she feared might draw the professor’s scorn. “Oh, dear. I hope he doesn’t read it out loud,”
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she worried. “It’s a good story. You have vivid word pictures.” Mom reassured her. “It describes a rodeo exactly. Your professor’s going to like it,” Unfortunately, he didn’t. Hers was the next story read aloud – and ridiculed. “You can tell Miss Barrett has never seen a rodeo! Listen to this, ‘Joe held the rope and eared down the wild black stallion with his teeth. Two other cowboys ran to hold the squealing bronc by kneeling on its shoulder and hind quarters,’” the professor jeered “Sounds like the bucking horse is lying on the ground with three men holding him there. One biting his ear? Ridiculous! So how does the imaginative Miss Barrett think the rider gets on a horse in this position?” The class giggled and leered. Flushed with embarrassment, Aunt Pearl shrank deeper into her seat. “She goes on inventing. Listen, ‘The stallion bucked and reared and kicked ferociously while the rider fought to stay on. He stuck with it a minute or two, then flew into the air and came down hard on the ground. With the wind knocked out of him, he lay still for a time, then slowly picked himself up and retrieved his hat as the black horse galloped off into the sunset.’ “Galloped off into the sunset, indeed! What nonsense,” the professor hooted. The other students burst into laughter and turned to stare at her with their knowing West Coast faces. Aunt Pearl couldn’t meet their eyes and escaped quickly when class ended. She never told the professor or any of her classmates that hers was indeed an accurate portrayal
of rodeo at its grassroots in the American West – before the arrival of bucking chutes, arenas, or the ten-second ride. “That was real rodeo just as it happened in cattle country at the time – the only kind of rodeo Pearl had ever seen,” Mom declared. Montana Stirrups, Sage & Shenanigans is 480 pages with 260 historic family photos illustrating over 90 stories and fascinating sidebars. Purchase online at montanastirrupsandsage.com or call 701-567-2646. MSN
Marshall Brady By Bryce Angell Marshal Brady woke up early and shot right out of bed. He put his boots on first and then his chaps of red. He strapped a six-gun on each side until they felt just right. Then grabbed his Stetson, put it on, and pulled that hat down tight. The marshal had an appetite. He liked his pancakes hot. He liked them shaped like Mickey Mouse with butter on the top.
was his name from now on. He shoveled down his hotcakes and hurried out the door to see if rustlers had sneaked in and robbed him to the core. The marshal found a rustler just waiting for a fight. The bad man had four legs and a bark without a bite. The marshal tossed his lasso, It cleared the rustler’s head.
Now marshal was just six-years-old. His real name was John. But he insisted Marshal Brady
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He pulled the rope, but not too tight, and locked him in the shed. Now, the marshal had a trial for that rustler in the jail. But the judge was not a hanging judge. He let him out on bail. Well, the rustler was relieved just as much as he could be. When the marshal opened up the door that rustler bolted free. The marshal’s day was spent mostly keeping peace about. He had respect from everyone. The marshal’s name held clout. Back home in time for supper, he gobbled down his food – a sandwich and tomato soup,
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just right for a little dude. His mother made him take a bath every single night. For a lawman like the marshal, to him, “It just ain’t right!” He said his prayers, hopped in bed, and pulled the covers tight. Then closed his eyes and fell asleep before mom hit the light.
His mother sat beside him and kissed him on the head. She loved to see her little boy asleep in his warm bed. Well the marshal’s day is over. The bad guys are on the run. Tomorrow is another day for this mother’s little son. MSN
Presidential Family Ties By Mike McGough The American colonists waged an epic struggle against King George III to win their independence, so it would have been predictable if they had made specific provisions in their new constitution to prevent the possibility of a monarch-style family reign or the creation of a ruling dynasty. However, no provision in the Constitution, written law, or court decisions speaks to family ties and the U.S. presidency. Nonetheless, family relationships are part of the personal history of several U.S. presidents. According to a number of research genealogists, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president, was distantly related to at least six other presidents by marriage and five by blood. Most notably, he was the fifth cousin of the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt was the uncle of Franklin’s wife, Eleanor. FDR also had some connection to the first president, George Washington. The first related presidents were John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the 2nd and 6th presidents respectively. John was the father of John Quincy. The only other father son duo was George H. W. Bush and his son George W. Bush, our 41st and 43rd presidents. William Henry Harrison, the 9th president, died just a month after his inauguration in 1841. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison became the 23rd president in 1889. They are the only grandfather grandson presidential duet. The fourth president, James Madison was a second cousin
to the 12th president, Zachary Taylor. Even though Andrew, the 17th president, and Lyndon, the 36th president, shared the surname Johnson, they were not related. Some genealogists believe that they may have shared one very distant relative. Several first family children appeared to be potential presidential candidates. Some declared their presidential intentions while others were just the subjects of speculation by political observers. Jesse Grant, the son of President U. S. Grant , announced that he would seek the highest office in the land. His candidacy was never taken seriously by the public or the press, and it quickly failed. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. may well have been a post World War II White House contender, but he died shortly after landing with his troops during the Normandy Invasion in 1944. The son of president number 27, William Howard Taft ran for the presidency three times. His closest bid for the White House came in 1952, the election that brought Dwight Eisenhower to the presidency. Before he died in a 1999 plane crash, there was much speculation that John F. Kennedy, Jr. would make a run for the White House. The young Kennedy never expressed an interest or positively responded to the presidential speculations about him. John Ellis Bush, Jeb, announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2015. Early in 2016, he suspended his bid due to a lack of support in the primaries. Jeb is the son of Bush #41 and the younger brother of Bush #43. MSN
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By Geno Lawrenzi Jr. There are few things more pleasurable in life than dining out. This becomes even truer as you age. I find my dining out experiences to grow more pleasurable the older I get. Being a divorced male, I generally dine alone. There are times that my daughter and grandchildren will join me, and that enhances my enjoyment of the food and the surroundings. But for the most part, my experience in a restaurant is mine and mine alone and I make certain I enjoy it to the hilt. One thing I enjoy about restaurant dining is the fact that strangers surround you. I happen to be a talker and I have developed a perfect opener for a conversation. After I am seated at my favorite table, I will select a couple or a three or foursome sitting at a nearby table. Then I will lean over and say in a conspiratorial whisper to one of the people, “Whatever you do, don’t let him (or her) stick you with the bill.” That always draws a smile or outright laughter. I said this to a woman who was celebrating her 90th birthday with her six grandchildren in Albuquerque, N.M. She caught on to the joke and whispered back loud enough for all to hear, “But I’m the only one with an unexpired credit card.” People love a good joke and most of them enjoy smiling. I wear a black Stetson and sometimes when a man wearing a hat enters the restaurant
and sits next to me, I will say, “Congratulations.” He will look at me and say, “For what?” I’ll respond, “When I came into this restaurant, I thought I had the coolest hat in the place. Then you walked in.” That will bring smiles and it opens the conversation so we can find out more about one another. I like good service in a restaurant. When a server does an exceptional job of serving me, I will call them aside, compliment them, and ask for the name of their supervisor. I will let the server know I am pleased with his or her services and want to let the supervisor know. That always results in even better service – especially when I add a tip. One of my tricks of getting management involved occurs when I enter a new restaurant. I will ask the manager, “On a scale of one to 10, how good is your coffee?” (or steak or meatloaf or whatever it is I intend to order). The person will give me a number. I will respond. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it. But if it isn’t half as good as you claim it is, as soon as my attorney gets out of jail, you could be in real trouble.” When the laughter dies down, I’ll quickly add, “But don’t worry. He’s a terrible attorney and he’s never won a case yet.” The next time you dine out; try some of these smile-grabbers yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results. MSN
Order The Dish With The Ancient Shiitake By Wendell Fowler Bathed in late morning Brown County sunlight, Gaia wove her mysterious tapestry; an organized cloud floated across the windless meadow; a conscious murmuration of amorous mushroom spore; a privileged glimpse of nature in intimate deed. Smoke? After a moment of collection and observation, it was
not smoke, but structured mushroom spores dancing towards their fertile, awaiting destination to have sex, to procreate. In case you were not aware, fungi reproduce by the use of spores, some floating and flurrying through the air, and some swimming in water, in search for the perfect dalliance. Shiitake (shih-TAH-kee), used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years, is a symbol of longevity in Asia for its health-promoting properties. Ancient Egyptians treasured mushrooms as
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the sons of gods, sent to earth riding thunderbolts. Medieval English lore claimed mushrooms were umbrellas for the leprechauns and had to be gathered under the full moon. A current adage holds: How they are commercially grown is similar to working for a large corporation – they keep you in the dark and keep slinging manure at you. Fundamentally, shiitakes are a decomposing fungus. Also called Chinese black forest mushrooms, shiitake means mushrooms from the Shii tree, since shiitake were originally cultivated on the Japanese evergreen oak called Shii. So, if you want to appear erudite, politely remind someone when he or she calls them shiitake mushrooms, that’s redundant. For thousands of years, shiitake has been coveted as the finest edible mushroom in Asia. America’s taste buds have caught on to this healing nutritional fungus’ rich, smoky flavor, even though many associate funguses with something unpleasantly itchy and requiring a salvo of salve. Exotic, hearty shiitake can be purchased in local farmers markets and grocery stores across the U.S. Consciously or unconsciously, most everyone has eaten one. Those dark brown slivers in Chinese carry-out? That’s what we’re discussing. Or, those aesthetically deprived, dried, unappetizing forms at the supermarket. The mushrooming popularity of this tasty fungus is partially due to the distinctive, woodsy flavor and firm, meaty texture of oak mushrooms, which make them a delectable addition to any recipe. Combine them with mushroom soy sauce procured from your local Asian grocery for an addictive, deep earthy mushroom flavor. Shiitakes have significantly more flavor than the standard button mushroom. Mushrooms are erroneously assumed to possess no significant nutrition. Au contraire. For thousands of years, the Chinese believed shiitake dispelled hunger, treated colds, nourished the circulatory system, and have employed shiitakes as the mainstay of their medicine. Whereas shiitake are 83% water, they’re loaded with potassium, manganese, iron, copper, niacin, and vitamins C, B1, B2, D, A, and E. The fungus possesses essential amino acids just as meat, milk, and eggs without damaging fatty calories. Four average-size shiitakes contain around 10.3g carbohydrates, 1.5g fiber, 1.12g protein, 40 calories, and a whopping 17.8 mcg selenium. Mushrooms contain the naturally occurring antioxidant, ergothioneine that helps protect your holy temple’s cells. Mushroom experts at Garuda International Inc., say, “Shiitake and other mushrooms have no green pigments (chlorophyll), they cannot make food from sunlight as do other plants but must live by eating plants or animals. Shiitakes favorite entree is a dead, hardwood tree.” Garuda continues, “It is the shiitake’s medicinal possibilities that are getting worldwide attention. Science has isolated substances from shiitake that may play a role in the cure and prevention of modern civilization’s dreaded illness of heart disease, cancer, viruses, bacteria, and AIDS. The therapeutic mushroom also promotes strong immune function, reduces
inflammation, combats allergies, helps balance sugar levels, and supports our body’s detoxification mechanisms. At the least: good food. At the most: brilliant medicine from God’s celestial apothecary.” Wash any mushroom genus with care; remove the inedible stem and dirt, and then sliver them rather thinly with a chef’s knife. When purchasing dried versions, reconstitute them in hot water, vegetable or meat stock, or wine. Shiitakes are a perfect pairing for beans and grain dishes, stir-fries, pasta entrées, or sauces for fish and chicken. Toss them into an omelet or your next batch of homemade soup. When purchasing fresh shiitakes, select ones with firm, spongy caps and small stems. Unless your fridge needs Freon, they’ll survive about 14 days when kept around 36-40 degrees. Store the fungus in a brown paper bag rather than plastic. Oxygen-deprived air within the plastic bag turns them slimy. You might take this opportunity to check the temperature of your refrigerator. You could be making your family sick by allowing food to get funky in a too warm refrigerator. As with most food, cooking releases flavor, so sauté these precious delicacies over mediumlow heat in EVOO, unrefined coconut oil or unhydrogenated peanut oil. You can steam them in scant amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan for 15 minutes. Dr. Andrew Weil advises, “Cook your mushrooms. Raw mushrooms contain small amounts of toxins, including some compounds that are considered carcinogens. These are destroyed by cooking them thoroughly. Broiling or grilling is best.” There’s no sound reason, other than allergies or mold/fungus sensitivity, not to add the shiitake to your culinary repertoire when dining out. Mushrooms are for everyone. Taste, savor, and then benefit from the ambrosial, earthy, magical mystery, and healing powers of the ancient, asexual shiitake mushroom from Gaia’s celestial apothecary. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Western Swing – Rich Music to Grow Up With By Don Johnson I recently read an article on music legend Bob Wills that sent me thinking of growing up, like Waylon Jennings, on music we called Western Swing. It wasn’t the only kind of music we heard, of course, but it was our music, a blend of jazz, country, and blues that was heard, as far as we knew, no place else on earth. Our place was the area in northwest Texas known as the South Plains and it was, and is, Bob Wills country. Bob was from Turkey, a tiny town just
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southeast of Amarillo and a little northeast of Lubbock. But Bob was one of us. Even after he became nationally famous, we felt comfortable at his gigs, jaw jacking with him about crops, weather, and music, and he never seemed to feel anything extraordinary about it. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were growing up in a burgeoning nest of music that launched dozens of performers onto the national scene. We hung out with many of them as they played their local gigs before they got enough money and fame to move somewhere else, which they always promptly did. I was talking with a local radio personality one day who said, “I remember this tall, skinny kid that used to come by almost daily and beg me to let him play and sing a few songs on my show. I told him, ‘Jimmy Dean, go away and quit bugging me about that.’” A number of disc jockeys were sitting around talking one day when one of them said, “I envy you guys. Every one of you can play an instrument, sing, or tell funny stories. I can’t do anything but spin my records.” Within a few months, Don Bowman, who had been complaining, had a hit record called “Chit Akins, [sic] Make Me a Star,” in which the aforementioned Don Bowman talked and played bad guitar. They were everywhere. I remember chatting with Ralna English, long before she gained fame on the Lawrence Welk show, at the bandstand of a local club where she was a regular. The Cotton Club, a seedy honky tonk, where we used to dance to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, burned to the ground. When it was rebuilt, the owner wanted to get Bob Wills to play for the opening. He wired an offer of $1,000. Bob wired back, “That will be fine for me. How much for my boys?” One of Bob’s biographers grew up in Lamesa, just south of Lubbock. He said he would walk home from school back when people left their windows open. He said he could hear virtually the entire Bob Wills radio show through the open windows on his walk home. Bob wasn’t the only performer playing Western Swing. Just a short drive
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
from my home was Big Spring, home to an amazing roadhouse called The Stampede, designed and built by its owner, Hoyle Nix, who, with his brother, Ben, organized his own band, the West Texas Cowboys. Nix shared the belief with Bob Wills that their music was primarily dance music, and he designed The Stampede accordingly. When it opened there were no tables, just a line of benches around the walls. There was a red line painted around the floor. If you weren’t dancing, you had to stand behind the red line. Men were not allowed to wear their hats on the dance floor. Shirttails had to be tucked in. They finally put in tables in 1957 but no alcohol has ever been sold at The Stampede. It is still operating as a family-friendly venue under the management of Jody Nix, Hoyle’s son who has his own Western Swing band. I recall talking to Hoyle on one of his rare moments off the bandstand. I complimented him on the virtually uninterrupted stream of music, unlike so many bands that took frequent and long breaks. Hoyle said, “I chopped cotton long enough to know that when you finished one row, you just start back down the next. That’s the way we play our music.” Some of the other musicians performing
in the area during that period were Larry Gatlin and his brothers from Seminole, almost the entire Maines family, a group with tremendous musical talent until it was dissipated by their obsession with left-wing politics, Joe Ely from Lubbock, Roy Orbison from Wink, Tanya Tucker from Seminole, Mack Davis from Lubbock, Waylon Jennings from Littlefield, Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Joe Mauldin, and Nicki Sullivan, all part of Buddy Holly’s Crickets. In the 1960s, a talented group of musicians including Tommy Hancock, Butch Hancock, Petty Bone, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and others developed a style that was known as the Lubbock Sound. To get a larger audience it migrated to Willie Nelson country where, with a slight tweak, it became the Austin Sound. A local musician expressed what we have only recently come to see as our rightful heritage when he said, “The Lubbock area has been blessed with a caliber of music that most areas can only dream of birthing. Our music scene has always been uniquely rich, producing artists whose music courses through our veins and stimulates our souls.”
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29
It may have been caused in part by a unique cultural isolation that turned generations of young men and women inward to seek new perspectives on our tiny world and, by necessity, create new forms of the art. Whatever the cause, there’s no question that it happened and our lives were and are far richer for it. Don Johnson is an octogenarian who lives in Palestine in East Texas. He welcomes your input at don48b@gmail.com. MSN
PAGE 30 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
The year 1963 marked a memorable era in pop music history known as The British Invasion. That year American disc jockeys played their first Beatles’ recordings and teens from coast to coast could not hear enough of it. The incredible response nationwide to their Mersey Sound opened the way for the Fab Four’s televised performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February the following year and America’s music scene has never been the same. The invasion may have started with the Beatles but it by no means ended there. Soon the voices of other artists popular in Great Britain were heard almost exclusively on the nation’s airwaves. Seemingly overnight, the names of vocalists Dusty Springfield and Petula Clark as well as bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and the Dave Clark Five became as familiar to music-loving teens as those of Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and The Four Seasons. So dust off those LPs, tap into those old memories, and before you know it you’ll be humming, singing, and dancing to those ‘60s classics from across the pond. Thank you to all who participated in our Rock n’ Roll... What Music! quiz in the June/July 2016 issue. The winner of the $25 prize for submitting the correct answers is Darryl Brown of Boyd, Montana. Congratulations, Darryl! Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana
Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the winning answers to the featured quiz from the previous issue. The second prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for this issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! For this issue only, we will be giving away tickets donated by Spokane’s Oktoberfest at the River. To the first seven readers who mail us a card/letter/ etc. (no email) with their name, address, phone number, and “Oktoberfest at the River, Spokane” written on it, we will send a free all-weekend ticket to Spokane’s Oktoberfest at the River (Sept. 23-25, 2016). Hurry! There are just seven tickets available! But wait – there’s more! A special prize will be awarded to the 25th person whose card/letter/ etc. with the information above that we receive in the mail – one free night’s accommodation at Spokane’s Best Western Plus City Center Hotel, which includes free parking and breakfast, king size or two double beds, two all-weekend Oktoberfest tickets, two commemorative beer steins, and two beers. Please mail your entries to all contests to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by September 7, 2016 for our October/November 2016 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website at montanaseniornews.com.
British Invasion Rock Music Quiz By Gail Jokerst; www.gailjokerst.com All of the British performers listed below took part in the invasion. (And yes, the Nashville Teens really were a British – not an American – rock group.) See if you can match each lettered song with the individual artist or band that made the song famous. Good luck! Artist/Group 1. Petula Clark 2. The Kinks 3. Dusty Springfield 4. Donovan 5. The Rolling Stones
6. The Zombies 7. Peter And Gordon 8. The Yardbirds 9. Freddie And The Dreamers 10. Them 11. The Beatles 12. The Dave Clark Five 13. The Animals 14. Herman’s Hermits 15. Marianne Faithfull 16. The Hollies 17. Gerry And The Pacemakers 18. The Searchers 19. Manfred Mann 20. The Moody Blues 21. Wayne Fontana And The
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Mindbenders 22. The Who 23. Spencer Davis Group 24. The Nashville Teens 25. Chad And Jeremy Song Title A. Look Through Any Window B. Don’t Bring Me Down C. Summer Nights
D. Tobacco Road E. Love Potion Number Nine F. Gimme Some Lovin’ G. All Day And All Of The Night H. My Generation I. I Only Want To Be With You J. Sunshine Superman K. Yesterday’s Gone
L. You Can’t Always Get What You Want M. Nights In White Satin N. She’s Not There O. Ferry Cross The Mersey P. Game Of Love Q. Heart Full Of Soul R. Gloria
65. Tear jerker 66. Pilot’s estimate 68. “Around the World in Eighty Days” author 69. Homo homini ____ 70. Tank 71. Cereal killer 72. Ivan the Terrible, e.g. 73. Compass point between NE and E 74. City on Rhone River
DOWN
1. Jim Carrey’s 1994 disguise 2. Muslim honorific 3. As opposed to talker? 4. Zones 5. *Outdoor shopping venue 6. Russian mountain range 7. *Soaked up in summer 8. Behind a stern
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 31
S. Don’t Bother Me T. A World Without Love U. Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter V. I’m Telling You Now W. Glad All Over X. I Know A Place Y. The Mighty Quinn ISI 9. Location 10. Two quarters 11. Like family lore 12. Piece of cake 15. Saltwater game fish 20. Wholeness 22. Charge carrier 24. *Peanuts and Cracker Jack venue 25. *Slip-n-____ 26. Similar to a plate 27. With regard to, archaic 29. Vegas glow 31. *Gardener’s turf 32. Willow twig 33. Use an épée 34. Conflict or dispute 36. Arab chieftain 38. *It’s in your sunglasses 42. A pariah avoided by others
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1. Téa Leoni’s “____ Secretary” 6. Red and blue states 9. *Summer sandal, e.g. 13. Ancient Greek marketplace 14. “____-a-dub-dub” 15. Royal topper 16. See-through curtain 17. Santa ____ winds 18. *Olden-day road trip assist 19. Brezhnev’s hat fur 21. *Luminescent summer catch 23. D.C. bigwig 24. Octagonal warning 25. Rejuvenating spot
28. Windshield option 30. Fall asleep 35. Bowling ball path 37. Bluish green 39. Japanese-American 40. Individual unit 41. Cry of the Alps 43. Sign of engagement 44. Levi’s fabric 46. *Halfway around links? 47. Modern support 48. Catch in a snare 50. Delivery org. 52. Renewable Energy Technology, acr. 53. Obama is in his last one 55. One of Bo Peep’s flock 57. *S’more cooker 61. *Summer movie venue
PAGE 32 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
45. Monastic nighttime liturgy 49. P in m.p.g. 51. Office chair feature 54. “Super” Christopher 56. Each and all 57. *Summer discharge 58. Cross to bear 59. Australian palm 60. They were Fantastic 61. Romantic occurrence 62. Cogito ____ sum 63. Involved in a secret 64. *Butterfly catchers 67. *Popular summer color MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Answers to Rock n’ Roll... What Music!
By Gail Jokerst 1. Z – Gene Pitney 2. U – Aretha Franklin 3. W – John Denver 4. I – Chubby Checker 5. Q – Elvis Presley 6. D – Buddy Holly; R – Ritchie Valens; M – J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson 7. T – Roy Orbison
8. Y – Fats Domino 9. A – Del Shannon 10. P – Dionne Warwick 11. J – Johnny Cash 12. X – Phil Everly 13. E – Brenda Lee 14. K – Ricky Nelson 15. S – Diana Ross 16. B – Neil Sedaka
17. V – Les Paul 18. O – Sam Cooke 19. F – Dion DiMucci 20. G – James Brown 21. C – Jerry Lee Lewis 22. L – Carl Perkins 23. N – Little Eva 24. H – Frankie Valli 25. AA – Ray Charles MSN
Good Putting Practice; Bad Sway By Jim Brown A Billy Casper Putting Lesson “I came up to the 18th in the Bob Hope Desert Classic in the late 60s, watched Palmer birdie the hole, and knew I had to do the same to win the tournament,” remembered Billy Casper, one of the great putters in golf history who died last year at 83. “I hit a four wood into the center of the green, about 35 feet from the pin. I putted to within about three feet of the hole and tapped it in. As I walked off the green, General Eisenhower congratulated me and said that last putt must have been a real knee-knocker. But it was a putt I had practiced a lot and when the situation presented itself, I just took care of business. “Two years later,” continued Casper, “I had to sink a three-footer to win the Carling World Championship in a playoff against Al Geiberger. A miss would have cost me about $18,000 – $6,000 a foot. My knees started knocking and I had to walk away. I came back and holed the putt, but it wasn’t until then that I really experienced what Eisenhower was talking about.” Practicing Short Putts “Most of us get a little twitchy on short putts as we get older, so we have
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
to work harder to maintain our putting stroke,” he continued. “We ought to spend two-thirds of our practice time on short putts (three feet and less) and one third on long putts. When I practice, I imagine putting the ball into that three-foot circle surrounding the hole. “The key is to position yourself the same way each time, whether it’s a right- or left-breaking putt. Hit the putt on the same place on the putter whether the shot is uphill or downhill. Then you just have to worry about regulating the force that you use. Keep your eyes and head still, and focus on the back of the ball. That keeps you from looking up. Use a smooth, unhurried stroke and try to keep the putter low to the ground on the backswing.” Off‑Green Putting Casper used the putter even when he was not on the green. “I used to watch Jack Burke use a putter from 20-30 feet off the green and couldn’t understand why he did it. Now, I know why. If you use a club that gives the ball loft, you have to worry about how high and how far to hit it. With the putter, you know you are going to hit the ball right. All you have to worry about is distance. The putter is the easiest club to use. It’s not as spectacular, but it saves strokes and that’s what the game is about.” Senior Sway Senior sway is not a new dance step, but rather a bad habit that many 50+ players develop. Guest pro Mike Perpich describes senior sway in right-handed golfers as leaning the body to the right, away from a direct line with the ball. “But in the past few years,” says Perpich, “golfers have been bombarded with the term “turn,” which has resulted in many golfers becoming
twisting machines. They are twisting the upper body over the lower body. In the process, how the club shaft, arms, and hands should get in sync with the pivot of their shoulders has been ignored. The bottom line is that too many golfers don’t sway, they twist.” Perpich has an answer to the problem. “The solution is to learn a proper pivot, which means rotating around a center point. Try this drill. Stand erect and place a golf shaft across the front of your chest, crossing your arms to hold the shaft against your shoulders. Start at a point out in front of your eye line to the ball and allow your shoulders to rotate 90 degrees to the right. Keep your lower body quiet and let it react to the pivot. Once your shoulders are back, pivot them forward to where you started and continue the pivot to the left 90 degrees. Allow the back (right) foot to finish the movement on your toes. Let your head and eyes rotate to the left and follow the flight of the ball. Don’t worry about keeping your head still. That’s a completely different subject.” True Pivot A true pivot allows you to use the power of your feet and legs properly. Perpich never uses the term “weight shift” because it implies a side-to-side movement. He teaches that a golf swing is all about a circle, not a straight line. “Sway” is an overused term that is associated with a bad pivot. “If you can work on the pivot,” he concludes, “you will create balance and power you don’t know that you have, regardless of your age. Throw away the word “sway.” If your body doesn’t seem to be working as it should you are probably twisting, not swaying, instead of pivoting.” MSN
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. - W. B. Yeats
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 33
PAGE 34 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
There Is Plenty Of Summer Left... And So Are Many Fun Things Still To Do
Indeed, 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 into the fall and beyond to list them all here. But we have provided a small 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 visitmt.com; visitbillings.com; discoverkalispell.com; glaciermt.com; visitbigskymt.com; centralmontana.com; virginiacity.com; southeastmontana.com; southwestmt.com; and visityellowstonecountry.com. These are just a few of the regional and community resources that you can consult in order to fill your end-of-summer and fall days and evenings with enjoyable events! Additional information regarding events marked with an asterisk can be found in advertisements in this issue of the Montana Senior News. Many of the events listed run on multiple days, but we have listed just the first day of the event, so please call the listed phone number or visit the website for more details. Start Date Jul 29 Jul 30 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 2 Aug 3
Location Fort Peck Kalispell Missoula Red Lodge Great Falls Missoula Polson
Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 4 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 5 Aug 5 Aug 5 Aug 5
Sidney Havre Livingston Livingston Billings Box Elder Bozeman Noxon Rock Boy’s
Event Fort Peck Theatre: Mary Poppins *Farmer’s Market *Robbins Roost Remodeling Sale *Blue Buffalo Artists Big Sky PRCA Pro Rodeo Roundup *Original Farmer’s Market Flathead Lake Biological Station Open House Richland County Fair & Rodeo Montana Actors: Band Geeks *International Fly Fishing Fair The Livingston Hoot Magic City Blues Festival *ATV Giveaway Sweet Pea Festival Big Sky Rhythm & Blues Festival Rocky Boy’s 52nd Annual Celebration
Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug
5 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 11
Terry Box Elder Eureka Lewistown Lincoln Miles City Pony Missoula Great Falls Lewistown
Prairie County Fair *SUV Giveaway Eureka Quilt Show *Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner Lincolnstock V Miles City Maltfest Pony Days Emmy Lou Harris Icon Workshop *Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug
11 12 12 12 12
Missoula Big Sky Billings Butte Ennis
Missoula PRCA Stampede *Big Sky Classical Music Festival *Montana Fair An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival Quilt Me A River Quilt Show
Phone 406-526-9943 406-881-4078 406-370-9264 406-446-1370 406-727-8900 406-241-9870 406-982-3301
Web Address fortpecktheatre.org kalispellfarmersmarket.org carboncountydepotgallery.org goexpopark.com missoulafarmersmarket.com flbs.umt.edu
406-433-1916 sidneymt.com mtactors.com 406-222-9369 fedflyfishers.org 406-920-1149 livingstonhoot.com 406-534-0400 magiccityblues.com 406-395-5420 northernwinzcasino.com 406-586-4003 sweetpeafestival.org 406-827-4210 bigskyblues.com 406-395-5705 calendar.powwows.com/ events/52nd-annualrocky-boy-celebration/ 406-635-2121 visitterrymt.com 406-395-5420 northernwinzcasino.com 406-889-3355 eurekaquiltshow.com 406-535-5436 montanadinnertrain.com 406-788-4757 sculptureinthewild.com 406-853-6291 milescitymaltfest.com 406-685-3541 ponymontana.com 406-728-2521 thewilma.com 406-452-8585 holy-icons.com/classes 406-538-4575 montanacowboypoetry gathering.com 406-721-3247 missoulafairgrounds.com 406-995-2742 bigskyarts.org 406-256-2400 montanafair.com 406-498-3983 mtgaelic.org 406-682-4388
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HOURS: Monday–Sunday 11:30am–9:00pm
1609 South 11th Avenue Bozeman (406) 587-2124 • BridgerBrewing.com
Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug
12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13
Libby Livingston Three Forks Trout Creek W Yellowstone Darby Helena Lincoln
Riverfront Blues Festival Plein Air Exhibit Rockin’ the Rivers *Huckleberry Festival Shootout at the Diamond P Ranch South Valley Quilt Show & Sale MT Brewers Summer Rendezvous Art In the Park
Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug
13 13 14 14 15 16 17 17
Miles City Swan Lake Missoula Ulm Kalispell MIssoula Billings Crow Agency
Laura Rain & the Caesars Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival *Mel Brooks: Young Frankenstein Little Shell Chippewa Powwow Hockaday: Women Artists of Glacier Zootown Fringe Festival Babcock Theatre: Olate Dogs Crow Fair & Rodeo
Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Aug Sep Sep Sep Sep
17 18 18 18 19 20 20 20 21 22 24 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 1 1 2 2
Kalispell Buttte Livingston Whitefish Fort Peck Hamilton Philipsburg Polson Deer Lodge Helena Kalispell Miles City Missoula Polson Missoula Lewistown Bigfork Havre Anaconda Missoula Billings Clancy
Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep
2 2 2 2 3
Dillon Ennis Lewistown Livingston Pryor
Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo *Butte Smph: Under the Silver Screen Music Ranch: The Bellamy Brothers Alpine Theatre Project Gala Concert Ft Peck Theatre: The Woman in Black Bitterroot Celtic Games & Gathering Aber Day Reunion Concert Flathead Lake Festival of Art Powell County Demolition Derby Martin Holt Film Festival Big Sky Reining Classic Eastern Montana Fair & Rodeo *Virginia City/Nevada City/Philipsburg Indian Natl Finals Flathead R. Rodeo River City Roots Festival *Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner Crown Guitar Festival Internet Security Training Triangle *Deb Zimmerman’s Quilt Show America Concert *Big Sky Polkafest *Jefferson Cnty Museum: Yellowstone Photos Labor Day Rodeo & Concert *Ennis on Madison Fly Fishing Fest Metis Celebration *Blue Slipper Theat: Lend Me a Tenor *Chief Plenty Coups Day of Honor
Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep
3 3 4 5 8 8
Malta Red Lodge Missoula Red Lodge Bozeman Helena
Milk R. Wagon Train and Drag Races 13th Annual Fun Run Germanfest 37th Annual Labor Day Arts Fair *Bozeman Low Vision Open House Grandstreet Theatre: Rabbit Hole
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 406-293-1661 riverfrontbluesfestival.com 406-222-5222 livingstoncenter.org 866-285-0097 rockintherivers.com 406-827-4091 huckleberryfestival.com 406-646-0606 thediamondpranch.com 406-821-0042 darbyquiltgirls.wordpress.com 406-948-2749 montanabrewers.org 406-362-4313 lincolncouncilforthearts. weebly.com 406-853-4596 laurarain.net 406-837-2061 swanlakemontana.org 406-543-7154 themissoulaseniorcenter.org 406-590-1745 406-755-5268 hockadaymuseum.org 406-544-4606 zootownfringe.org 866-300-8300 babcocktheater.com 406-638-3708 crow-nsn.gov/crow-fair2016.html 406-758-5810 nwmtfair.com 406-723-5590 buttesymphony.org 406-222-2255 musicranchmontana.net 406-862-7469 atpwhitefish.org 406-526-9943 fortpecktheatre.org 406-274-8886 bcgg.org 406-859-3517 aberdaykegger.com 406-883-5956 sandpiperartgallery.com 406-846-2094 406-443-0287 myrnaloycenter.com 406-755-5366 majesticvalleyarena.com 406-234-2890 milescitychamber.com 406-543-7154 themissoulaseniorcenter.org 406-338-7684 infr.com 406-543-4238 rivercityrootsfestival.com 406-535-5436 montanadinnertrain.com 855-855-5900 crownguitarfest.org 800-332-1201 itstriangle.com 406-563-2422 coppervillageartcenter.com 406-728-2521 thewilma.com 406-855-9806 bigskypolkaclub.com 406-933-5528 sites.google.com/site/ jefferson countymuseum 406-683-5771 dillonjaycees.com 406-682-3148 madisonriverfoundation.org 406-248-2948 406-222-7720 blueslipper.com 406-252-1289 stateparks.mt.gov/chiefplenty-coups 406-654-1776 maltachamber.com 406-446-1370 carboncountydepotgallery.org 406-541-0860 missoulacultural.org 406-446-1370 carboncountydepotgallery.org 406-556-7103 406-447-1574 grandstreettheatre.com
Join Us
for a weekend of building and empowering sustainable communities featuring keynote speaker
Mary Berry
2016 AERO Expo & Annual Meeting What we need is here Photo by Katie Neskey, Awesome Acres Family Farm, St. Ignatius.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35
NEW!
YELLOWSTONE PHOTO EXHIBIT The Jefferson County Museum
Let Wonderland Tell Its Story
William Henry Jackson’s 1871 Alberttypes
September 2–November 26 Lee Silliman—owner of these vintage 1871, William Henry Jackson alberttypes—will present a talk October 8th about these early forms of photograph and the Ferdinand Hayden’s epic USGS exploration of present day Yellowstone Park.
Executive Director of The Berry Center
Admission Free, Donations Accepted
Oct 7 - 9, 2016
For Info, Speakers & Special Tours
Kalispell • Red Lion Hotel 406-443-7272
aero@aeromt.org | www.aeromt.org/expo
Open Fri-Sat 1-5pm
406-933-5528 | 406-439-8031
11 miles S of Helena between Montana City & Jefferson City
sites.google.com/site/jeffersoncountymuseum
2016–2017 Concert Season October 15 • 7:30 pm December 17 • 7:30 pm February 25 • 7:30 pm April 15 • 7:30 pm
Mendelssohn and Mozart A Holiday Concert An Evening of Stories in Music An Evening with Bizet
All concerts performed at the Mother Lode Theatre
SEASON TICKETS • 406-723-3602
Main Floor: $99 • Mezzanine & Loge: $89 • Balcony: $79 P.O. Box 725 • Butte, Montana 59703-0725
(406) 723-5590 • buttesymphony@in-tch.com • buttesymphony.org
PAGE 36 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Join us for the sixth annual
Big Sky Classical Music Festival August 12-14, 2016
A weekend of amazing music, featuring:
Ana Vidovic (guitar) Angella Ahn, (violin) M5 Mexican Brass Quintet Big Sky Festival Orchestra featuring Maestro Peter Bay (Austin, TX) Join us for a weekend of Beethoven, Rodrigo and more in beautiful Big Sky, Montana
www.bigskyarts.org
Presented by the Arts Council of Big Sky and sponsored by:
Sep 9 Sep 9 Sep 9 Sep 9 Sep 9 Sept 10 Sep 10 Sept 10 Sep 10 Sep 10 Sept 11 Sept 11 Sept 16 Sept 16 Sept 17 Sept 17 Sept 18 Sept 22 Sep 23 Sep 23
Butte Great Falls Great Falls Libby Lolo Boulder Butte Eureka Lewistown Lewistown Hobson Missoula Havre Miles City Great Falls Kalispell Bozeman Billings Culbertson Kalispell
*NAIA Annual Pow Wow Harvest Howl Wildfest *Libby Nordicfest Heritage Festival Montana Hemp & Cannabis Festival Boulder Music & Arts Festival *Annual Aids Fun Run-Walk *Walk to End Alzheimer’s *Chokecherry Festival *Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner Montana Bale Trail What the Hay *Walk to End Alzheimer’s Havre Festival Days Miles City Bluegrass Festival *Walk to End Alzheimer’s *Walk to End Alzheimer’s *Walk to End Alzheimer’s All Nations Indian Relay Champ. NE Montana Threshing Bee *Flathead Quilters 34th Annual Show
406-482-0461 406-781-7343 406-443-7350 406-293-4167 406-404-6842 406-465-2106 406-482-0461 406-272-3900 406-535-5436 406-535-5436 406-423-5453 406-272-3900 406-265-4383 406-234-2480 406-272-3900 406-272-3900 406-272-3900 800-366-8538 406-787-5271 406-261-3816
Sep 23 Sep 23 Sep 24 Sep 24 Sep 24 Sep 24 Sept 25 Sep 28 Sep 29 Sep 30
Missoula Spokane Anaconda Billings Lewistown Thermopolis Billings Minot, ND Whitefish Pryor
Montana BrewersFall Rendezvous *Oktoberfest at the River *Oktoberfest *Billings Symphony: Just Dance *Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner *Oktobrewfest *Walk to End Alzheimer’s Norsk Hostfest *Great Northern Oktoberfest *Chief Plenty Coups Heritage Day
406-948-2749 509-621-0125 406-563-2422 406-252-3610 406-535-5436 307-864-3192 406-252-3053 701-852-2368 406-862-3501 406-252-1289
Sept 30 Sept 30 Oct 1 Oct 1 Oct 1 Oct 1 Oct 1 Oct 2 Oct 4 Oct 7 Oct 11 Oct 11 Oct 15 Oct 15 Oct 16
Choteau Townsend Butte Helena Kalispell Libby Red Lodge Butte Great Falls Kalispell Stevensville Billings Billings Butte Deer Lodge
Montana State Fiddle Contest 406-579-3309 Townsend Fall Fest 406-980-1648 *World Musm Mining Scarecrow Fest 406-723-7211 *Walk to End Alzheimer’s 406-272-3900 Flathead River Writers Conference 406-881-4066 *NW Montana Veteran’s Stand Down 406-756-7304 *Hoedown 406-446-3667 *Walk to End Alzheimer’s 406-272-3900 *Barbary Coast Dixieland 406-455-8514 *Aero Expo & Annual Meeting 406-443-7272 *Annual Scarecrow Festival 406-777-3773 *MSUB: Evening with Henry Winkler 800-430-6782 *Billings Symph: Music of the Masters 406-252-3610 *Butte Symph: Mendelssohn & Mozart 406-723-3602 Pumpkin Sunday 406-846-2070
THE END OF ALZHEIMER’S STARTS WITH YOU
Blue Buffalo Artists Nationally Known Professional Artists August 1–31
harvesthowl.org wildmontana.org/wildfest libbynordicfest.org montanastatehempfest.com bouldermtchamber.org alz.org/walk lewistownchamber.com montanadinnertrain.com montanabaletrail.com alz.org/walk havrechamber.com milescitybluegrassfestival.com alz.org/walk alz.org/walk alz.org/walk letsrelay.com culbertsonmt.com flatheadquiltersguild. blogspot.com montanabrewers.org oktoberfestattheriver.com coppervillageartcenter.com billingssymphony.org montanadinnertrain.com thermopolis.com alz.org/montana hostfest.com whitefishoktoberfest.com stateparks.mt.gov/chiefplenty-coups montanafiddlers.org townsendfallfest.com miningmuseum.org alz.org/walk authorsoftheflathead.org veteransfoodpantry.org carboncountyhistory.com alz.org/walk ticketing.greatfallsmt.net aeromt.org mainstreetstevensville.com msubfoundation.com billingssymphony.org buttesymphony.org nps.gov/grko/planyour
Workshops in August & September
Intermediate Oils With Jerry Inman August 20th
13th Annual Fun Run September 3rd
37th Annual Labor Day Arts fair September 5th
Painting With Kevin Red Star September 17th
11 West 8th Street Red Lodge, Montana 406-446-1370 Free & open to everyone daily 10–5pm, Sunday 12–5pm carboncountydepotgallery.org
SPONSOR
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You are invited to take part in this inspiring event to reclaim the future for millions. Together, families, friends, co-workers, businesses, community, and religious groups come together in a display of combined strength and dedication in the fight against this devastating disease. All funds raised through Walk to End Alzheimer’s benefit the care, support, and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Assocation. Your participation will: • Help families throughout Montana and accross the country by enhancing education and support programs. • Advance critical Alzheimer’s science searching for treatment, prevention, and ultimately, a cure. • Give voice to the needs and rights of those facing Alzheimer’s through our public policy initiatives.
Billings Bozeman Butte Eureka Great Falls Helena Kalispell Missoula
Sunday, September 25, 2016 Sunday, September 18, 2016 Sunday, October 2, 2016 Saturday, September 10, 2016 Saturday, September 17, 2016 Saturday, October 1, 2016 Saturday, September 17, 2016 Sunday, September 11, 2016
NATIONAL PRESENTING SPONSOR
alz.org/walk 800.272.3900
www.lolasheldon-galloway.com Call me at (406) 727-4963 & schedule a visit with me Paid for by: LOLA 4 MONTANA • 202 Sun Prairie Rd. • Great Falls, MT 59404
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Ennis Great Falls Thermopolis Thermopolis Billings Billings Billings Butte Billings Billings Billings Great Falls Billings Billings Butte Great Falls Billings Great Falls Billings Butte Billings Great Falls
Hunters Feed *Comm Concerts: Kat Russian Trio *Moonlight Madness *Keys to the City Winter Promotion *Alberta Bair: Jay Leno *Alberta Bair: Christmas Wonderland *Billings Symphony: Holiday Pops *Butte Symphony: A Holiday Concert *Alberta Bair: The Ten Tenors *Alberta Bair: The Ennis Sisters *Billings Symphony: Northern Lights *Alaska Family String Band *Alberta Bair: Barefoot in the Park *Alberta Bair: The Irish Rovers * An Evening of Stories in Music *Comm Concerts: Four Celtic Voices *Billings Symphony: The Big Brass *Music of Peter, Paul & Mary *Alberta Bair: Garrison Keillor *Butte Symph: An Evening with Bizet *Billings Symph: A Mass for Peace *America’s Roots of Pop
406-682-4388 406-455-8514 307-864-3192 307-864-3192 406-256-6052 406-256-6052 406-252-3610 406-723-5590 406-256-6052 406-256-6052 406-252-3610 406-455-8514 406-256-6052 406-256-6052 406-723-5590 406-455-8514 406-252-3610 406-455-8514 406-256-6052 406-723-5590 406-252-3610 406-455-8514
visit/calendar.htm ennischamber.com ticketing.greatfallsmt.net thermopolis.com thermopolis.com albertabairtheater.org albertabairtheater.org billingssymphony.org buttesymphony.org albertabairtheater.org albertabairtheater.org billingssymphony.org ticketing.greatfallsmt.net albertabairtheater.org albertabairtheater.org buttesymphony.org ticketing.greatfallsmt.net billingssymphony.org ticketing.greatfallsmt.net albertabairtheater.org buttesymphony.org billingssymphony.org ticketing.greatfallsmt.net MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37
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Oktoberfest Goes International By Bernice Karnop The first Oktoberfest, held in Bavaria in 1810, celebrated a royal wedding. Crown Prince (and later King) Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburgerhusen. They invited the local people to celebrate the royal event on the field in front of the Munich city gate, which they renamed for the new bride, calling it Theresienwiese or Therese’s meadow. The celebration included parades, traditional dress, and beer and wine tasting tents. A convenient hill served as a grandstand for the final and most exciting event, horseracing. While people love a royal wedding, they love a party more. The local folks enjoyed the celebration so much that they planned a similar festival with horse races in the same place the following year – and the next. They skipped the event in 1813, because the Napoleonic Wars cooled their ardor for just having fun, but they did not forget it. In 1814, they made up for the lost year by adding a carnival, games, and small beer stands. In 1819, Oktoberfest became an annual event run by the city of Munich. They dropped horseracing in 1960, but kept the agricultural show that went with them. Oktoberfest has been canceled for such things as
wars and cholera epidemics, but it continues to grow more popular with age. More than 200 years after its beginning, Oktoberfest has gone from a local celebration to a widespread international beer-bash. Folks who know nothing of King Ludwig I and his bride, and who have little knowledge of Bavaria, celebrate Oktoberfest with beer and all things German. Even in Montana, where many claim German roots, Oktoberfests pop up in cities and small towns as an excuse to have a good time. On St. Patrick’s Day everyone is a little Irish, so during Oktoberfest, everyone is a little German. One may find Oktoberfest events almost anywhere but those who crave authentic German beer, music, food, and festivities, must book a trip to Munich. To confuse matters just a bit, Oktoberfest is generally in September. The royal wedding took place on October 12, but over the years, they chose to move the celebration up to take advantage of nicer weather and longer days. In Munich, the celebration starts the third weekend in September and ends the first Sunday of October, September 17 through October 3,
2016
ntic AutheM A N G E R | MUSIC FOOD ER BE
Sept 29–Oct 1 & Oct 6–8 Depot Park in Whitefish Montana
♦ Dancing & Crazy Contests ♦ Family Day: October 1st ♦ Senior Day: October 8th
Featuring
the Western Senators & the Europa Band Like us on Facebook
(406) 862-3501
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The 2016 Great Northwest Oktoberfest is Sponsored By:
GREAT FALLS COMMUNITY CONCERT ASSOCIATION Our 87th Season
VINCE & MINDI Sat., Oct. 22, 2016
Western Stars Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 A special pre-rodeo performance with special price ($27.00) for rodeo attendees. Just show your rodeo tickets at the MansÞeld Box OfÞce The Kat Trio when Tue., 4, 2016 youOct. purchase your tickets. Regular ticket Russian Ensemble price is $32.00, GFCCA members $22.00.
Thu., May 4, 2017
Sat., Mar. 4, 2017
A Band Called Honalee
Sat., Feb. 4, 2017
Mon., Apr. 3, 2017
Adult Season Tickets $79.00 ¥ Student Season Tickets $40.00 ¥ Student Season Ticket with Each Adult $20.00 ¥ Single shows $30.00 Tickets available at the MansÞeld Box OfÞce, Great Falls Civic Center, at 455-8514 or online at ticketing.greatfallsmt.net All shows at the MansÞeld Theater, Great Falls Civic Center, at 7:30 pm
PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
2016-17
g Arts
Performin
Palette On Sale July 9!
Nov. 18: Jay Leno
Acclaimed TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-indemand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voiceover artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist…it’s no wonder that Jay Leno is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.”$81/$71/$61/$51
Dec. 7: Broadway Christmas Wonderland
Fun for the whole family! Broadway Christmas Wonderland is one of the most enchanting Christmas shows ever, featuring glittering costumes, a dazzling cast, and the highest kicking Chorus Girls this side of the North Pole. Kick off Christmas in style as Santa and his merry helpers take you on an unforgettable nostalgic Christmas journey. Songs include “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Away in a Manger,” “Silent Night,” “Deck the Halls,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “O Holy Night,” and many more. $50/$45/$35/$26 student
Dec. 20: The Ten Tenors Join Australia’s rock stars of opera as they amaze and enthrall the whole family with their unique selection of traditional and contemporary seasonal favorites. Soaring versions of “Joy to the World,” “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Feliz Navidad” and many more! $45/$35/$25/$25 student
Jan. 13: The Ennis Sisters
With multiple accolades including a Juno Award, Maureen, Teresa and Karen, are world renowned, celebrated songbirds. With their buttery harmonies, and voices as powerful as the Atlantic, it’s in their bones to sing. $35/$17 student
Feb. 7: Barefoot in the Park
2016, which is Unification Day in Germany and another event to celebrate. The festivities lead off with the grand entry of the Oktoberfest Landlords and Breweries where visitors can see all the colorful traditional dress – lederhosen, Bavarian hats with tufts of chamois hair (imitation chamois hair today), and dirndl dresses. Munich has a long-standing brewing tradition that contrasts greatly with our newly minted microbreweries. During Munich’s Oktoberfest, as much as seven million liters of beer may be consumed by the 6 million festivalgoers. Rousing brass band music and a 21-gun salute marks the ceremony of the tapping of the first keg of beer. The Mayor of Munich does the honors, and promptly offers the first liter of beer to the Minister/President of the State of Bavaria. Today Oktoberfest welcomes an international crowd to the huge Oktoberfest grounds. One will find more than a dozen huge beer tents but that is not all. The bright lights of the big carnival lure guests to carousels, roller coasters, and other rides. Fun events welcome visitors of all ages and ethnicities. Traditional German music features brass bands and other music styles for dancing as well as listening. The festival grounds are also filled with mouth-watering smells of authentic German food. Of course, everyone has to try the brats, but other traditional dishes include such things as warm potato salad, sauerkraut, pretzels, and sweet and sour red cabbage. Not-to-be-missed desserts include apple strudel and German chocolate cookies and cakes. Those who dare the sensory overload of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes, are booking their tours and flights to Munich this fall. Why not join them? But if you cannot, look for an Oktoberfest celebration in a town, restaurant, and tavern near you. One celebration to consider is Spokane’s Oktoberfest at the River (Sept. 23-25, 2016), an authentic German event in partnership with the German American Society, which in 2015 drew to the Spokane Convention Center nearly 8,000 people in its first year. In anticipation of larger crowds, the event will move to Exhibit Hall A (53,000 square feet) of the newly expanded area of the Spokane Convention Center on the river. You won’t want to miss all the German food, drink, and entertainment. Manuela Horn, the queen of Oktoberfest, is booked, as are the Alpen Band California and the Oom Pa’s and Ma’s, both providing plenty of authentic German music for dancing and listening. The festivities run from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visit oktoberfestattheriver.com for additional information. MSN
Lincoln’s Sculpture in the Wild: Blackfoot Pathways Brings Art Outdoors By Bernice Karnop Have you ever driven past the Ponderosa forest on the east side of Lincoln and wished you could stop and walk through those beautiful trees? Now you can. In 2014, Sculpture in the Wild: Blackfoot Pathway opened just half a mile from town. Visitors are welcome to stop, enjoy a stroll through the trees, and pause to ponder sculptures in the wild, made by internationally acclaimed environmental artists. Sculpture gardens are more of an urban thing, a chance for many people to pass by and appreciate an artist’s interpretation of his or her world. Sculpture in the Wild: Blackfoot Pathways is different as these sculptures harmonize with the wild forest: no trimmed lawns, no concrete sidewalks, and no public buildings to duck into if it rains.
Fifty years ago Montana Rep began. Just over fifty years ago, Barefoot in the Park was produced on Broadway, jumpstarting a career unmatched in modern times. Please join us as we celebrate a halfcentury of great theatre with Neil Simon’s hilarious, poignant look at a newlywed couple who live in a New York City walk-up! $30/$25/$18student
Feb. 17: The Irish Rovers These international ambassadors of Irish music have maintained their timeless ability to deliver a rollicking, rousing performance of good cheer— one that will soon have you singing and clapping along. Their songs [“The Unicorn,” “Wasn’t That A Party”]have become anthems of revelry and joy among generations of fans. $34/$18 student
ELECT
April 6 : Garrison Keillor One of America’s most beloved radio hosts and acclaimed humorists, Garrison Keillor, former host of NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion, has been honored with many awards and accolades. He has authored several books and edited many anthologies of poetry. $75/$55/$45/$25
Plus MANY MORE! Tickets On Sale JULY 9 (406) 256-6052 • AlbertaBairTheater.org 2801 Third Ave N • Billings, MT 59101
REPUBLICAN FOR HD 69 waltsales4montana.com | waltsales4montana@gmail.com Paid for by Walt Sales for HD69-R | Ted Flikkema, Treasurer | 3900 Stagecoach Trail, Manhattan, MT 59741
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
“Now people can see museum-quality art right here,” says Becky Garland, president of Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild. The signature piece is a rusty teepee burner, an industrial relic that stood for many years at the Delaney Mill just down the road. A symbol of the timber industry, red LED lights make the top glow as working ones did. People who remember the 1950s and decades after recall the red sparks flying into the night sky from teepee burners across the state. The teepee burner also passes on a piece of Montana’s heritage to younger people who never saw one up and running. The 45-foot base is roomy enough for people to gather for talks and music. The acoustics are incredible, according to Becky. In contrast with the rust of the teepee burner, the polished steel House of Sky mirrors its surroundings from posts 21 feet high. Irish sculptor, Alan Counihan who was inspired by Ivan Doig’s eponymous book created this one. The Portrait is a giant picture frame of tightly woven tree branches taken from the forest, the creation of Jaakko Pernu from Finland. He’s done public works around the world, but this is his first in the United States. Kevin O’Dwyer contributed Montana Line Drawing and Jorn Ronnau of Denmark created Gateway of Change, which frames a fascinating golden village. Hill and Valley is an interesting piece made with poles and newspapers, by U.S. artist Steven Siegel. Becky is as surprised by it as anyone that this accessible large-scale art is at Lincoln. She says it started when internationally known master knife maker Rick Dunkerle of Lincoln became friends with Irishman O’Dwyer, a metalsmith and sculptor who is executive director and curator of a sculpture park in Ireland that’s built on an old peat-harvesting site. While driving around the Lincoln area he could see the same kinds of possibilities. He told the people of Lincoln that they could build something that would give people driving by a reason to stop. They gave their time and money and made it happen. The first year, after 18 months of fundraising, Becky
says, “We were able to have five artists add five installations plus the teepee burner.” The people of Lincoln raised the funds, volunteered, and supported the project. O’Dwyer brought the artists. Last year they added two new sculptures, East West Passage by Sam Clayton and Mark Jacobs, and Of Earth, of Sky, of Place Between by Noellynn Pepos. In September 2016, Chris Drury from Great Britain will spend three weeks creating another sculpture. The public is invited to come and watch him work. Visitors may even sculpt their own temporary creation using the generous offerings of nature on the ground. This could be a fun activity to do with your grandchildren. They have also held camps for kids in the summer to teach them about both art and the environment. Nature’s art is all around the sculptures. The tall ponderosas, Montana’s state tree, are stunning with their unique symmetry, natural spacing, and red-orange bark outlined in black. Visitors may see and hear robins and ravens, pileated woodpeckers, bluebirds, and many more. It’s not uncommon to see the majestic elk in these trees beside the highway, and no one should be surprised to see any of the elusive creatures that might happen past. The Sculpture Park is open 24 hours every day of the year. Whether walking through the woods in the summer sunshine, sloshing through the snow on a pair of cross-country skis, crunching through in the colors of fall or the freshness
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39
Local, Nutritious, Delicious Come enjoy a hot breakfast and the relaxed charm of an Old World Market
Open 8:00am–12:30pm Saturdays Tuesdays
Thru–Oct Thru–Sept 5:30pm–7pm
Double SNAP $ • Senior Coupons Music Performed 9:00am–Noon North End of Higgins Ave by the XXX’s Contact Market Manager at 406-241-9870
www.MissoulaFarmersMarket.com & Facebook
PAGE 40 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
of spring, each season adds its own flavor to the experience. A brochure is available to guide and explain the cultural, environmental, and industrial heritage of the Blackfoot Valley displayed here. It’s free, but there’s a box for donations, which are appreciated. Visitors can also send tax-deductible gifts to Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild, P.O. Box 712, Lincoln MT 59630. The website, sculptureinthewild.com features several marvelous videos where the artists and community members talk about their work and the park’s formation as well as an event scheduls. MSN
“Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.” – Doug Larson
Newspaper Errors Submitted by Jim Meade In at least one respect, a printed publication is a marvel and perhaps even a miracle. Limitless possibilities exist for error, both human and mechanical. Add the crushing pressure of deadlines, and it’s surprising there aren’t more mistakes. When goofs do occur, editors scurry to print corrections, even though we often prefer the misprint to the corrected version. Here are a few samples 1. We apologize to our readers who received, through an unfortunate computer error, the chest measurements of members of the Female Wres-
tlers Association instead of the figures on the sales of soybeans to foreign countries. 2. In Frank Washburn’s March column, Rebecca Varney was erroneously identified as a bookmaker. She is a typesetter. 3. There are two important corrections to the information in the update on our Deep Relaxation professional development program. First, the program will include meditation, not medication. Second, it is experiential, not experimental. 4. Our article about Jewish burial customs contained an error: Mourners’ clothing is rent, that is, torn, not rented. MSN
Ninepipes Museum By Kathy Senkler Road trips and museum visits make a great pairing. The Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana has an ideal locale in the beautiful Mission Valley of western Montana on Highway 93 near the National Bison Range and Flathead Lake. Visitors are fond of calling the museum a hidden jewel and the museum board of directors, volunteers, and staff work hard to keep it shining! We offer a well-stocked gift shop as well as hundreds of artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia in the 8,000 square foot museum. The beautiful log-faced building sits on 3.5 acres with picnic grounds and a nature trail, a sheep wagon, buffalo wagon, tipi poles, log cabin, and dugout canoe
on the grounds for travelers to get a taste of the history contained inside. Well-lit rooms showcasing beadwork, Indian garments, western artwork, weaponry, photographs, and more surround a large diorama room with an Indian encampment and mounted wildlife. The museum is open April through the end of November, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Group tours can be scheduled year-round by calling 406-644-3435 or emailing ninepipesmuseum@montana.com. The nonprofit museum is funded primarily by memberships, museum fees, and gift shop sales. Visit ninepipesmuseum. org for more information. MSN
September 2–3
LABOR DAY WEEKEND • ENNIS, MONTANA
14TH ANNUAL
ennis on the madison
FLY FISHING FESTIVAL 2016 FUN ACTIVITIES
CELEBRITY SPEAKERS & SEMINARS CASTING CLINICS & COMPETITIONS FLY TYING CLINICS’ KIDS PROGRAMS BBQ & LIVE MUSIC
RAFFLES FEATURING
TOP-OF-THE-LINE RODS, REALS & TACKLE, ANGLING ARTWORKS, & GUIDED TRIPS WIN THIS BOAT!!
CLACKACRAFT RAFFLE Brand new, 16-foot, fully equipped drift boat & trailer
For a complete Festival schedule & info,
visit MadisonRiverFoundation.org or call 406.682.3148
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 41
The Long-Gone Faces And The Culture Of The Crow Live On In Montana Historical Society Collection By Tom Cook / Photos courtesy of Montana Historical Society The faces in the photographs show the pride and concern of the Crow nation as their native lifestyle and pathways were changing rapidly from the 1870s into the 1920s. The Montana Historical Society (MHS) has acquired a tremendous collection of photographs from that time period that are some of the earliest taken of any tribe in Montana. Bud Lake and Randy Brewer spent more than 30 years collecting nearly 2,800 vintage photographs taken of Bear Lies Down Often taken in 1906. the Crow Tribe and its people. They range from portraiture to actions shots, and depict dress, food, dance, ceremony, encampments, and many other aspects of Crow culture. The two men also provided valuable documents and other material they collected in gathering and interpreting the photographs including census records, court cases, biographical information, and correspondence about the history of the Crow people. Lake and Brewer offered the collection to MHS because they want it to be kept in Montana and because of the reputation of MHS’s historic photograph and document archives. “We selected MHS because of its statewide, national, and international exposure to the preservation and promotion of the history of Montana,” Lake A young Chief Plenty Coups who lived a life said. “Our photograph collection that began as a traditional warrior and ended will be expertly cared for by the with his leading his tribe into the new ways of
extremely knowledgeable staff and made available to those with interests similar to our own.” Crow Tribal Preservation Officer Emerson Bull Chief said his tribal office and Little Big Horn College supported the acquisition of the collection. “Opportunities for collaboration between the MHS and the Crow Tribe abound with this project and we look forward to working together,” he said. MHS Research Center Manager Molly Kruckenberg said the photographs and related documents offer an invaluable research source for anyone interested in or studying Native American life during the period, especially of the Crow. “It captures a really pivotal moment of change from traditional to reservation life for the Crow Indians,” Kruckenberg said. MHS is raising funds to digitize and prepare curriculum and other materials to use the collection for educational and classroom work. If you want to contribute to this effort, contact MHS Development Officer Susan Near at 406-444-4713 or email snear@mt.gov for more information. MSN
the Reservation world.
Written by: Ken Ludwig
LEND ME A
Directed by: Kari Blaylock
TENOR
SEPTEMBER 2–25 FRI & SAT 8PM | SUN 3PM
Adults 18–59 • $15 Students • $12 Seniors 60+ • $12
113 E. Callendar St., Livingston 406-222-7720 or blueslipper.com
PAGE 42 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
All Nations Indian Relay Championship - continued from cover full gallop, and starting others all within a crowded stretch of track filled with other teams performing the same maneuvers. Thrilling chaos describes the rush of animals and brightly dressed warriors working at breakneck speed to get ahead of the competition. Ghost Bear says the relay is attractive to Native American boys who grow up on reservations. Most have access to horses and have tried some of the skills. They pride themselves on being horsemen and on becoming one with their horse. He calls the drive to do their best the warrior spirit in them. “You want to compete with other nations, you want to win. You want to bring pride to the team and honor to your nation.” Ghost Bear witnessed the sport from the time he was a young teen. It was a low profile competition at powwows, fairs, and rodeos on the Pine Ridge and other nearby reservations. In 2012 that began to change, when the Professional Indian Horse Racing Association (PIHRA) formed. Since then, the number of PIHRA teams has more than doubled and no one knows how many more teams there are not associated with PIHRA. Good changes happened as the race gained recognition. Race times keep getting better and better, teams learn to plan, budget, and solicit sponsors. The young men discover how to get themselves, their team, and their
horses to each race. Ghost Bear, at 51, no longer participates on a team, but advises his son’s team, the Lakota Warpath Indian Relay Race team. However, each team develops its own secret methods, which may include anything from what they feed the horses to what they do post-race to get that split second advantage over their competitors. Ghost Bear looks forward to going to Billings with its long-standing tradition of horseracing and a beautiful racetrack. His family ran horses there when it was a venue for traditional horseracing, and he already has good memories of winning there. He expects a crowd that is even bigger than the one last year for the All Nations Indian Relay Championships. “In Billings, we’ll meet some old friends, and create some new relationships that last a long, long time,” he says. Why should you attend? “The Indian Relay reflects one group of people in this nation that we live in,” replies Ghost Bear. “People need to be there to witness this.” Tickets for the 2016 All Nations Indian Relay Championships are on sale via letsrelay.com or the MetraPark ticket office at 800-366-8538. MSN
So Many Women, So Little Time: Mary Jane Bradbury Brings History to Life By Gail Jokerst; www.gailjokerst.com Photos courtesy of Mary Jane Bradbury Aside from qualifying as three of the bestknown women from Montana’s past, Nancy Russell, Evelyn Cameron, and Jeanette Rankin have something else in common. Each of their stories has been brought to life by Mary Jane Bradbury, who provides some of the most entertaining history lessons in Montana. Part actress, storyteller, researcher, and educator, Mary Jane has created fascinating living history portrayals of these Montana legends. Dressed in period costumes that she sews, she paints a visual and verbal portrait of each woman’s background and achievements including challenges faced from without and within. As Mary Jane says, “The warts are where connections are made. It won’t do the audience or character justice if you just tell the good stuff.
What make us better human beings are the lessons learned and our growth in the process.” Whether performing in schools museums, boardrooms or libraries, Mary Jane relies on each woman’s words and views to tell her story complete with proper English or soft Kentucky accents. And she stays in character even when she answers questions from audiences of all ages, creating an intimate learning experience. “What’s important about the person is what gets said. I don’t tell everything,” says Mary Jane, whose prior work involved acting in commercial and industrial films. “You have to be honest with the story you’re telling and with the person you’re representing. It’s not about being popular; it’s about telling the story. These women were willing to power through the objections in service to what they loved.” Mary Jane started her living history business
in 2002. After leaving commercial acting behind, she happily delved into exploring the 1800s and early 1900s – a time of many firsts for women. “I wanted to turn my performance skills towards more educational things. I thought it was more fulfilling than selling peanut butter and cars. Aside from that,” adds the Helena resident, “I’ve always loved history.” While each portrayal does stem from Mary Jane’s perspective as an artist, her source material is authentic and documented including the racial and gender prejudices of the times. “I use as much of the original language of the woman as possible, researching primary sources – quotes from letters, biographies, books, etc. I look for what their contemporaries spoke of them,” explains Mary Jane. “After gathering my background material, I go for the next layer and infuse it with a personality. It’s truly finding the
Stronger together. What does it mean to be a New West Medicare member?
At New West Medicare, we are the only Montana company that is 100% focused on providing the best Medicare experience for our friends, family, and neighbors. That’s why we offer no deductibles, low co-pays, the ability to use health care providers you want, prescription drug coverage, and a healthy aging program with a fitness facility membership in every plan. Plus, we pride ourselves on providing our members with excellent customer service from right here in Montana. Let New West make Medicare simple for you.
888.873.8044 · TTY 711 newwestmedicare.com · Find us on
New West Health Services is a PPO Plan with a Medicare Contract. Enrollment in New West Medicare depends on contract renewal. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Limitations, co-payments, and restrictions may apply. The formulary, pharmacy network, and/or provider network may change at any time. You will receive notification when necessary. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information, contact New West Medicare. For accommodations of persons with special needs at a sales meeting, call 1-888-873-8044, TTY 711, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Benefits may change on January 1 of each year. H2701_NW#_SP_672-12-2015 Accepted
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voice of that individual based on wait to get away. In America, she chopped wood and carried water, this what she accomplished and the woman who never had to lift a finger. Evelyn took off her hat and gloves times in which she lived. Context and got sunburned. Work made her feel valuable,” recounts Mary Jane. is so important. You can’t give her “In the midst of all this, she was an artist, faithfully recording frontier life.” For Mary Jane, this vocation has brought rewards beyond a paycheck. sensibilities she wouldn’t have had.” It takes nine to twelve months It has enabled her to correct misperceptions and to influence young lives. “I have been surprised how much of a two-way street these presentato develop each portrayal. But the process does not end there since tions can be with the audience. You break the fourth wall, the space that Mary Jane is constantly gaining separates a performer from an audience, and talk with one another. You new insights into these individuals. transcend the information,” says Mary Jane. “Audiences become part of She only depicts women with whom the story telling and it she feels a connection, which clari- becomes a powerful fies why she selected these three experience for them and you.” subjects. For more informaAs the wife and business manager of artist Charles M. Russell, tion, visit biosinhisNancy Russell was the acknowl- tory.com. To watch edged brains behind his business. the MHS video, go Although she came from humble be- t o y o u t u b e . c o m / 63659 US Hwy 93 South P.O. Box 9, Ronan (406) 676-2000 ginnings and lacked an education, watch?v=eaOhIvxa35Y. Ronan • St. Ignatius • Arlee • Hot Springs • Thompson Falls • Polson • Pablo www.valleybankronan.com Dressed as Nancy Russell, Charlie Rus- Russell handled everything from MSN sell’s wife Mary Jane Bradbury holds a travel logistics, framing, copyrights, book callod, Good Medicine: The Illustrated Letters of Charles M. Russell. Will Roger and sales to their domestic details. “Nancy was smart, ambitious, wrote the forward to the book and Nancy and self-taught. She’s an essenRussell wrote the biographical notes. tial part of his story. Charlie said, “Without her, I would never have attempted to soar. I’d have ended up in a gutter.” “She was a woman ahead of her time, with an undeserved negative reputation because she was assertive,” remarks Mary Jane. “She protected Charlie. Nancy said, ‘I had to stand between Charlie and the world that would worry or upset him.’ Without her, there wouldn’t have been an art legacy. She made him keep his commitments. I think a woman who did what she did deserves to have her story told.” In conjunction with the Montana Historical Society, Mary Jane has developed a video of Nancy walking students through MHS’s Mackay GalMary Jane Bradbury portrays Montana’s Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, lery of Russell Art. Additionally, from the perspective of her early political career. she conducts in-person school tours of that collection. “These have been fantastic additions to our educational offerings. Mary Jane’s first-person interpretation engages audiences and draws them into the subject. This is as true for adults as for kids, but it’s especially fun to watch the way she interacts with school groups and holds the students’ attention,” says Kirby Lambert, MHS’s Outreach and Interpretation Program Manager. “The video allows school groups that can’t make it to Helena to share in the experience. It’s also an effective pre-visit tool for teachers who are planning a visit.” Mary Jane’s interest in Jeanette Rankin dates to her first tour of the state Capitol. After she saw Jeanette’s statue and read the plaque, she rushed to the gift shop to buy her biography. Elected the first woman to the United States Congress, Jeanette voted “no” for U.S. entry into both world wars. “Pacifism became her raison d’être because she believed that war was a poor strategy for solving conflict. Her courage appealed to me. She truly was a pioneer at being a woman in politics. She was a humanitarian and tireless advocate for social reform,” notes Mary Jane. “She kept her integrity, held to her beliefs, and didn’t knuckle under to expectations, an example to all for standing up for what we believe.” Perhaps the least known of the trio, photographer Evelyn Cameron was an Englishwoman of privilege who immigrated to Terry. She spent 35 years chronicling everyday life on the prairie. With her large format camera, Evelyn captured the isolation and backbreaking work endured by homeImagine if for one year every elected official set aside partisan bickering & focused on one steaders as well their sense of community. She left task: doing what it takes to keep Montana the greatest state in the country. As an Iraq & a rich legacy. Her prints, glass plate negatives, and Afghanistan veteran, this is my mission. Montana comes first. diaries intimately reflect the good and bad times of Our seniors deserve a voice in the legislature. That's why over the past six months, I've spent existence on the high plains. countless evenings going door-to-door to listen to the concerns of seniors. I'd be honored to “Evelyn was the complete opposite of Nancy have your vote on November 8th. — Andrew Person Russell. She had servants; she didn’t even have to brush her own hair. She felt stifled and could not Paid for by Andrew Person for Legislature. Democrat. PO Box 8452. Missoula, MT 59807. Cliff Larsen, Treasurer.
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Montana History Revealed In Montana State Parks By Bernice Karnop Montana has 54 state parks, free to Montanans who pay the $6 Montana vehicle registration fee. Nonresidents pay a nominal $5 per car, or they may buy an annual pass for $25. All of the parks preserve some part of the Treasure State’s varied wealth. They encompass historical sites, natural wonders, and water recreational areas. For Montanans who love the state’s history, we have compiled a list of those parks, which highlight the past: Native American history, Lewis and Clark trail sites, Ghost Towns, and other pieces of history. Native American History The state park system has set aside several important areas that interpret the
lives of Native Tribes before the coming of settlers and the interaction between European and Native cultures. Pictograph State Park, near Billings, is known for hunting and fishing, and the pictographs on these cave walls show that hunting was just as popular 2,000 years ago. Visitors enjoy it more now that there’s a visitor center, staff, and printed trail guides to help. Chief Plenty Coups State Park, one mile west of Pryor, south of Billings is admired by people from all nations. Chief Plenty Coups of the Crow Nation (Apsaalooka) was a forwardlooking man of peace. He and his wife, Strikes the Iron, willed their log home and farmstead as a place where people of all nations could come together in harmony. Visitors can stroll
along Pryor Creek, look around the farmhouse, and learn about Plenty Coups and the Crow Nation at the Visitor Center. Madison Buffalo Jump is located 23 miles west of Bozeman near Logan. From the top of the limestone cliffs over which Native tribes stampeded their bison, hikers can see marvelous views of the Madison River valley and the Tobacco Root Mountains. This is a natural site where visitors can imagine the activity created
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by a bison kill site. Teepee rings and eagle pits from which hunters emerged to drive the bison over the cliff may be seen from the trail. First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is located 10 miles south of Great Falls near Ulm. From 900 to 1500 A.D., people used this site to hunt buffalo and it is one of the most significant sites of its kind in the world. Learn about it at the visitor center, and then hike the trails for a better feel for the life of hunter-gatherer people years ago in northern Montana. Hikers see amazing panoramic vistas of the Rocky Mountain Front, Crown Butte, the Missouri River Valley, and the broad plains that stretch forever. And sometimes rattlesnakes! Council Grove State Park is located 10 miles west of Missoula on Mullan Road. Here on the banks of the Clark Fork River among old-growth ponderosa pines, the Hellgate Treaty of 1855 was signed between the U.S. government and the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreille tribes, creating the Flathead Indian Reservation. The park features a monument explaining the treaty, but is used chiefly as a quiet place where visitors can watch birds, fish, cool their feet in the water, or otherwise enjoy the quiet beauty.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47
Rosebud Battlefield State Park east of Billings near Busby marks an encounter between the U.S. Army and the same combined forces of Sioux and Cheyenne that Custer battled. It took place just about a week before the Battle of the Little Big Horn and is one of the most significant battles of the Indian Wars. General George Crook’s troops met Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse here on Rosebud Creek on June 17, 1776. Remote and undeveloped, Rosebud Battlefield State Park looks much like it did to the army and the Tribes 140 years ago. Individuals will enjoy the beauty of these rolling hills, listening to the birds, and identifying the prairie wildflowers. Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery State Parks Lewis and Clark kept journals of their trip to the west coast in 1803-1805. Today’s followers can find some of these places by the descriptions they left. It is fun to stand where we know they stood and see what they saw, or, perhaps, see how the landscape has changed. Tower Rock State Park is six miles south of Cascade. It’s still startling to see the place where the prairie halts at the base of the mountains. Can you imagine what it looked like to these early
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explorers who ventured out without any knowledge of what they might find? Turns out, they were surprised more than once. A stop at Tower Rock, named by Captain Lewis, provides to hikers today the same awesome vistas he saw. Missouri River Headwaters State Park, four miles northeast of Three Forks. This time Captain Clark stood on a limestone cliff and surveyed the coming together of the three rivers that form the Missouri. Take your grandchildren here to see and learn about something they read about in school. You can hike and camp in this pristine spot just like the Corps of Discovery did. Beaverhead Rock State Park, 14 miles south of Twin Bridges, is where Sacagawea pointed out this landmark, named long before, by her people, the Shoshoni. There aren’t any improvements or services here but it marks a crucial place for the Corps. Individuals may hike to the top for an awe-inspiring view of the valley. Clark’s Lookout State Park is one mile north of Dillon. Interpretive signs explain how Clark took compass readings and about the scientific way they used them to navigate in unexplored territory. Traveler’s Rest State Park, 8 miles south of Missoula, near Lolo, is where Lewis and Clark camped in September 1805, and again when they returned a year later. Rather than just using the
descriptions in the journal, the Traveler’s Rest campsite is verified through archeological evidence. Stop at the visitor center and gift shop to learn how meticulously they verified each piece of evidence to make sure the campsite belonged to the Corps of Discovery. Hike the short trail with a brochure and see how the camp was set up. Pirogue Island State Park is one mile north of Miles City. On their return journey in 1806, Clark, his contingent of men, and Sacajawea, are believed to have camped on this island in the Yellowstone River. Dominated by the old cottonweed trees, the park is a haven of protection for the plants and animals that call it home. Trails and interpretive signs enhance visitors’ knowledge of the natural environment. Ghost Towns and Early Places Three state parks are fun-to-visit ghost towns. These mining towns were wildly prosperous, then abruptly bankrupt and deserted nearly over night. Residents prided themselves on beautiful houses, ostentatious meeting halls, and prosperous businesses. Visitors can’t help but wonder what stories these old buildings and homes could tell. Bannack State Park is about 20 miles south and west of Dillon. Bannack is not only the site of the first gold discovery in Montana, July 28, 1862, but also the home of the most outrageous stories of
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frontier days. Because it’s well cared for, you can go into many of the more than 50 buildings that remain. Bannack was the first territorial capital of Montana and today is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the west. Bannack has both a visitor center (open in the summer only) and campgrounds. Elkhorn State Park near Boulder. Visitors find only two publically owned buildings in Elkhorn, but they are impressive. They are the Fraternity Hall and Gillian Hall, both two-story buildings with distinctive architectural features. Granite State Park, just four miles out of Phillipsburg. Known as the Silver Queen, some $40 million worth of silver was taken from these mines. The two-story Miner’s Union Hall held an auditorium for shows, a pool parlor, and a large dance floor. Granite once had eigh-
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 49
teen saloons, a roller rink, school, four churches, several banks, a water system, and fine homes. The hospital had five doctors to serve upwards of 3,000 residents. With the repeal of the Sherman Act in 1893, the price of silver nosedived, and within 24-hours, residents were seen streaming down the mountain, like rats from the sinking ship. Visitors who walk the trails will find additional deserted homes and other remains of this once booming town. Fort Owen State Park, 25 miles south of Missoula near Stevensville, is the earliest permanent white settlement in western Montana and claims the first Catholic Church, the first sawmill, and the first school in the territory. This one-acre park gives visitors a chance to see the barracks and original cabin in addition to some reconstructed structures. MSN
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A Toast to the Keys Story by Andrea Gross; andreagross.com Photos by Irv Green; irvgreen.com I immediately learn three things on our visit to Key West. First, the ambience is seductive. As Jimmy Buffet sang in his hit song Margaritaville, all you want to do is sit on a porch swing and strum on a six-string. Second, the weather is glorious most of the year. The average temperature is 78º, the coldest ever recorded is a balmy 41º and the warmest – reached on only a few occasions more than 30 years ago – is 100º. And third, getting there is half the fun. The 128-mile Overseas Highway, which leads from the Florida mainland to Key West, links the numerous keys [small islands] by means of 42 bridges. In 2009, it was named an “All American Road,” an honor that puts it in the top tier of national scenic byways. We stopped at the Kona Kai Resort, which has one of the few ethnobotanic gardens in the United States. During a 90-minute tour of the small, densely packed plot of land, we learn about the relationship between people and plants and gather
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enough fascinating facts to amuse our friends for a year. For example, we see a moss that was responsible for the first automobile recall. It seems the moss, which was used as seat stuffing in the early Model T’s, was laden with chiggers, leading to a massive outbreak of itchy rears. But the first part of the road near Key Largo is mostly lined with shops offering a variety of water-based activities, restaurants featuring fish and key lime pie, and gift stores hawking sandals and seashells. It’s not until an hour and a-half later, when we start across the Seven Mile Bridge that the road seems to open and…. Juried craftspeople line the pier during the Sunset Cel- Oh my, we feel like we’re driving on water! To the ebration. right is the Gulf of Mexico. To the left is the Atlantic Ocean. In the distance there are small keys of green, but the overwhelming color is blue – the soft blue of the sky, the teal blue of the water. It’s evening when we reach Key West, which is not only the end of the Overseas Highway but also the end of U.S. Highway 1, the approximately 2,500-mile long interstate that begins in Maine at the U.S.Canadian border. There is a multitude of signs to commemorate this fact, as well as a big buoy to mark the town’s status as the southernmost city in the United States. Down on the waterfront the Sunset Celebration is in full swing. Performers are walking Performers amaze and entertain during Key West’s Sunset Celebration, which takes place every night, on tightropes, telling sto- weather permitting. ries, doing dances, and juggling torches. Juried craftspeople are selling everything from handmade scarves to palm-tree paintings. And hundreds of people are watching
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schooners, catamarans, glass bottom boats, and sailboats return to the pier, backed by the fading light. Here, I realize, is what differentiates Key West from the rest of the world. In most places, a carnival like this would be an annual event; in Key West, it happens every night, weather permitting, which it usually does! The festive feel persists on Duval Street. Many people are shopping, intrigued by the mix of high-end crafts, mid-range souvenirs, and fine Cuban cigars. But most are simply ambling and listening to the music that blares from the restaurants and bars. The next morning, hoping to catch some inspiration, we tour Key West’s literary haunts. This is the place where Tennessee Williams wrote his first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire, Robert Frost wrote The Gift Outright, and Ernest Hemingway wrote parts of Death in the Afternoon, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Snows of Kilimanjaro.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 51
tives of a cat given to Hemingway during his tenyear stay on the island. A guide regales us with tales of Hemingway’s escapades, some of which involved writing, many of which involved fishing, drinking, and romancing. Equally fascinating is the old naval residence that served as a Little White House for Harry Truman, who spent 175 days of his presidency in Key West. Truman’s writings were of another sort. They included memos that dealt with the use of nuclear weapons and post-World War II reconstruction as well as frequent love letters to Bess. We end our stay in Key West at a decadent dessert lounge enticingly named “Better than Sex.” Sitting in a lounge so dimly lit that patrons A schooner takes passengers on a romantic cruise are given flashlights to see the menu and sipping in Key West. cabernet from a glass rimmed in chocolate, we Williams’ and Frost’s former homes are closed feel as if we’re miles away – not only from the to the public, but we go into Hemingway’s, where mainland, but also from reality itself. we’re greeted by many of the 44 cats that roam For more information visit fla-keys.com. MSN the property, all direct descendants or close rela-
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Addrien's the only candidate who has lived and worked here in the District. She knows us! She’s the best voice we can send to Helena.
I have known Addrien for over twenty years. She always manages to stay level-headed and open-minded. We need her in the legislature.
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– Jerry O'Connell, Big Blackfoot Riverkeeper, Greenough
I would appreciate your vote in the general election on Tuesday, November 8. AddrienMarxHD92.com • AddrienMarxHD92@gmail.com Paid for by the Committee to elect Addrien Marx for HD 92, Democrat, PO Box 8594, Missoula, MT 59807, Barbara Berens, Treasurer.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
It’s Not What It Seems
Submitted by Julie Brantley Farmer Joe decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to sue the trucking company responsible for the accident. In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. “Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine.’?” asked the lawyer. “Well I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the....” “I didn’t ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted, “just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine’?” “Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road....” The lawyer interrupted again and said, “Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.” By this time, the Judge was interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and said to the lawyer, “I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule Bessie.” Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, “Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked into the side of my truck. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. “Shortly after the accident a highway patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me and said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?’” MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 53
“That’s mighty nice of you,” Willis answered, “but I don’t think Pa would like me to.” “Awe, come on,” the farmer insisted. “Well okay,” the boy finally agreed, and added, “But Pa won’t like it.” After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. “I feel a lot better now, but I know Pa is going to be real upset.” “Don’t be foolish,” the neighbor said with a smile. “By the way, where is he?” “Under the wagon,” replied the boy. MSN
Piggy’s Day Out
Submitted by Julie Brantley A farmer and his pig were driving down the road when an officer pulled him over and asked, “Didn’t you know it is against the law to ride with a pig in the front of you truck?” “No, I didn’t,” replied the farmer. “Where are you going?” “To Billings,” said the farmer. “I will let you off the hook this time if you promise to take the pig to the zoo when you get to Billings.” So the farmer promised he would. Several days later the officer spotted the farmer with the pig driving down the road, so pulled him over again. “I thought I told you to take this pig to the zoo when you got to Billings.” The farmer replied, “I did, and we had so much fun, I’m taking him to Glacier Park now!” MSN
MontanaSeniorNews.com
Let Him Talk
Submitted by Julie Brantley It seems a farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn. The farmer who lived nearby heard the noise. “Hey Willis!” the farmer yelled. “Forget your troubles. Come on in and eat with us and then I’ll help you get the wagon up.”
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Have a Plan in Place for Medical Emergencies – Being Prepared Can Help Reduce Stress By Lisa M. Petsche Chances are good that the relative you care for will require urgent medical attention at some point, especially if he or she has chronic health conditions. Trips to the Emergency Department are stressful at best, and can also be frightening in some cases. Fortunately, there are numerous ways you can prepare for a medical crisis. Then, should one arise, you’ll be ready to assist your relative and the hospital staff and manage your stress in the process. Advance Planning At Home Maintain a log of your relative’s medical diagnoses, past and present medications, specialists consulted, hospitalizations, and surgeries. Be ready with the following paperwork to bring to the hospital: a list of current medications – including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and natural remedies – and the dosage; health insurance information; and a copy of your relative’s advance directives or living will and durable power of attorney. Prepare a list of relatives and friends who should be notified in an emergency. List as many phone numbers as possible – home, work, cell, and vacation home – to maximize the chances you can reach these people in a hurry. Regularly review information to ensure it’s up to date. Keep the above information organized in a file folder or binder. Store it in an easily accessible place and bring it to any hospital visits. Get a cell phone if you don’t have one, become comfortable with its basic features, and keep it charged. Prepare an emergency kit of essential items to take to the hospital. You may wish to include: a notebook and pen for jotting down questions to ask and recording information provided to you and your relative; a change purse with coins and small bills for parking, pay phones, and vending machines; a spare cell phone charger and a phone card with extra we’re here to help you turn wear and tear minutes, if applicable; I N TO R E C OV E R Y A N D R E J U V E N AT I O N . reading material and a spare pair of reading
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glasses; and non-perishable snacks. Attach a note reminding you to bring your relative’s medical file and medications – the latter in case they’re needed in a timely fashion (as with Parkinson’s medication, for example) and not readily available from the hospital dispensary. At The Hospital Let staff know if your relative has hearing or vision impairment, language impairment from a stroke or dementia, or a limited command of English. In the latter case, arrange for someone in the family to provide interpretation. Be prepared to share your relative’s health symptoms and medical history multiple times, with a variety of healthcare professionals, and exercise patience. If your relative can speak on their own behalf, allow them to do so, and simply fill in any gaps. Give your full attention when medical professionals are speaking (don’t try to text family members at the same time, for example). Don’t interrupt them unless you need to correct or add crucial information. They will ask questions as they feel the need. Ensure before they leave that understand any findings and next steps. Keep the volume of your voice as low as possible during conversations, for privacy reasons and because others may be trying to rest. Keep in mind, too, that even if your relative is relatively stable, or becomes stabilized, surrounding patients may be in serious medical condition. Coping Tips The following are some suggestions to help you through this unsettling time. Initially take things an hour at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. Call or ask staff to call a supportive person in your social network, especially if you don’t cope well with crises. If no one is available, ask for a visit from the staff social worker or chaplain, depending on the circumstances and your needs. If you anticipate significant waiting periods, purchase a newspaper or magazine from the hospital gift shop. Or, if you own a personal music player, arrange for someone to deliver it to help you pass the time and manage stress. Make it easy to keep others informed by identifying a key contact person who can disseminate updates from you. Encourage your relative (if able)
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and close family members to share in decision making. Don’t unnecessarily shoulder all of the responsibility. Look after yourself. Step away from your relative’s bedside periodically to stretch your legs, and get nourishment at regular intervals. If your relative’s stay is expected to be prolonged, arrange for family members or friends to spell you so you can go home to rest and freshen up.
If you learn your relative is being discharged home and you don’t feel prepared, ask to speak with a social worker. He or she can discuss options and share information about community supports. Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior health matters. She has personal and professional experience with elder care, including some crisis situations. MSN
Many Solutions For Bladder Problems By Fred Cicetti Q. This is embarrassing to discuss with anyone so I thought I’d write to you about it. I’m having bladder-control problems. What can I do? About 10 percent of men and women over the age of 65 have trouble with bladder control, also known officially as urinary incontinence. Women suffer from this more than men do. During urination, muscles in the bladder contract, forcing urine into the urethra, a tube that carries urine out of the body. At the same time, muscles surrounding the urethra relax and let the urine pass. If the bladder muscles contract or the muscles surrounding the urethra relax without warning, the result is incontinence. Short-term incontinence can be caused by infections, constipation, and some medicines. If the problem persists, it might be caused by weak bladder muscles, overactive bladder muscles, blockage from an enlarged prostate, or damage to nerves that control the bladder from diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s. In most cases, urinary incontinence can be treated and controlled if not cured. If you are having bladder control problems, go to your doctor. Doctors see this problem all the time, so there is no need to be embarrassed. Your doctor may do a number of tests on your urine, blood, and bladder. You may be asked to keep a daily chart about your urination. There are several different types of urinary incontinence. If urine leaks when you sneeze, cough, laugh, or put pressure on the bladder in other ways, you have “stress incontinence.” When you can’t hold urine, you have “urge incontinence.” When small amounts of urine leak from a bladder that is always full, you have “overflow incontinence.” Many older people who have normal bladder control but have difficulty getting to the bathroom in time, have “functional incontinence.” You can train your bladder with exercises and biofeedback. You can also chart your urination and then empty your bladder before you might leak. Your doctor has other tools he can use. There are urethral plugs and vaginal inserts for women with stress incontinence. There are medicines that relax muscles, helping the bladder to empty more fully during urination. Others tighten muscles in the bladder and urethra to cut down leakage. Surgery can improve or cure incontinence if it is caused by a problem such as a change in the position of the bladder or blockage due to an enlarged prostate. Surgery for stress incontinence involves pulling the bladder up and securing it. When stress incontinence is serious, the surgeon may use a wide sling. This holds up the bladder and narrows the urethra to prevent leakage. Even if treatment is not fully successful, management of incontinence can help you feel more relaxed and comfortable about the problem. If you have a question, please contact fred@ healthygeezer.com. MSN
Nutritious Eating Means Throwing Out Multivitamins By Suzy Cohen I used to think multivitamins filled a nutritional gap, but today I think differently. There’s no way that 1.7 mg of any B vitamin will boost energy, or 20mg of magnesium could improve mood. I’m beginning to realize that multivitamins are an absolute joke! It’d be funny except the joke is on us, and we spent good money on them! Here’s my rationale. Negligible amounts: There are so many nutrients in a multivitamin that the amounts of each become negligible. For example, 1 mg of pyridoxine (B6) doesn’t affect you metabolically speaking. I think it’s on the label “for show” as clearly this amount doesn’t optimize health. By the time this 1 mg gets past your digestive tract, hardly anything could have made it to your blood stream, no less your nerves where B6 is required. The same goes for cyanocobalamin, a typical form of vitamin B12. One popular multi-billion-dollar-producing brand has one mcg cyanocobalamin in it! MICROGRAM folks! That is just one-thousandth of a milligram.
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With hundreds of B12 dependent metabolic reactions (including methylation), what do you think that 1 microgram does for you? I’ll tell you, nothing! It’s there for show. Allergies: Multivitamins have upwards of 68 different ingredients, some of which are synthetic – are you sure you’re not allergic to this stuff? Inactive forms: It’s one thing to take insignificant amounts of a nutrient, but there are usually completely inactive vitamins in your multivite, and they remain inactive until converted by your liver to something that could work. After you take cyanocobalamin B12, your body breaks it into cyanide and cobalamin, and then you have to methylate it. Superior forms of B12 are methylcobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, or adenosylcobalamin. Potential toxins: Let’s revisit that cyanocobalamin B12 – what I consider inferior to other B12 supplements. It contains minute amounts of cyanide that has low potential to do harm when bound to organic cobalamin, but still, I don’t want it in my body even in teeny-tiny amounts. Cramps and diarrhea: Yep, you could get that due to the addition of cheap forms of magnesium such as the “oxide” form. Gentler forms of magnesium include the “chelated” forms, or threonate or glycinate. Artificial colors: One popular brand contains three artificial colors FD&C Red #40, Blue #2, and Yellow #6 and there is a controversy over the safety of those dyes. The greatest deception is that the minerals from these multivitamins will get into your bones. Magnesium oxide and calcium carbonate don’t
penetrate your bone cells well. They have a tough time leaving your intestines. In my humble opinion, it’s not possible to take a multivitamin once daily that contains biologically active ingredients and has them in dosages that advance your health. This is why I threw out my multivitamins. You can get biologically active nutrients if you just eat real food, nothing from a box or can. Your diet should include the basics like salads, greens, nuts, seeds, citrus fruits, berries, beans, and of course, lean, clean protein. We need to stop fooling ourselves into thinking we can eat garbage and take one tiny pill to fix it all... ain’t gonna happen! MSN
Research Identifies Key Genetic Link In The Biology Of Aging By David Stauth Research at Oregon State University suggests it may be possible to slow age-related disease with new types of treatments. Scientists have tracked the syndromes associated with aging to their biochemical roots, and identified a breakdown in genetic communication as part of the problem. The findings imply that aging happens for a reason, and that while aspects of it may be inevitable, there could be ways to slow down disease development. A new study outlines findings about the protein Nrf2 that helps regulate gene expression and the body’s reaction to various types of stressors. The research was published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon. “We’re very excited about the potential of this area of research,” said Tory Hagen, corresponding author on this study, and the Helen P. Rumbel Professor for Health Aging Research in the Linus Pauling Institute and the OSU Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the College of Science. “At least one important part of what we call aging appears to be a breakdown in genetic communication, in which a regulator of stress resistance declines with age,” Hagen said. “As people age and their metabolic problems increase, the levels of this regulator, Nrf2, should be increasing, but in fact they are declining.” Nrf2 is both a monitor and a messenger, OSU researchers say. It’s constantly on the lookout for problems with cells that may be caused by the many metabolic insults of life – oxidative stress, toxins, pollutants, and other metabolic dysfunction. When it finds a problem, Nrf2 essentially goes back to the cellular nucleus and rings the alarm bell, where it can “turn on” up to 200 genes that are responsible for cell repair, detoxification of carcinogens, protein and lipid metabolism, antioxidant protection, and other actions. In their report, the scientists called it a “longevity-assurance” factor. Nrf2 is so important that it’s found in many life forms, not just humans, and it’s constantly manufactured by cells throughout the body. About half of it is consumed every 20 minutes as it performs its life-protective functions. Metabolic insults routinely increase with age, and if things were working properly, the amount of Nrf2 that goes back into the nucleus should increase to help deal with those insults. Instead, the level of nuclear Nrf2 declines, and the OSU scientists say they have discovered why. “The levels of Nrf2, and the functions associated with it, are routinely about 30-40 percent lower in older laboratory animals,” said Kate Shay, director of the Healthy Aging Core Laboratory at OSU and co-author on this study. “We’ve been able to show for the first time what we believe is the cause.” The reason for this decline, the scientists said, is increasing levels of a micro-RNA called miRNA146a. Micro-RNAs have been one of the most profound scientific discoveries of the past 20 years. They were once thought to be “junk DNA” because researchers could see them but they had no apparent biological role. They are now understood to be anything but junk – they help play a major role in genetic signaling, controlling what genes are “expressed,” or turned on and off to perform their function. In humans, miRNA-146a plays a significant role. It can turn on the inflammation processes that, in something like a wound, help prevent infection and begin the healing process. But with aging, this study now shows that miRNA-146a expression doesn’t shut down properly, and it can significantly reduce the levels of Nrf2. This can cause part of the chronic, low-grade inflammation that is associated with the degenerative diseases that now kill most people in the developed world, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurological disease. “The action of miRNA-146a in older people appears to turn from a good to a bad influence,” Shay said. “It may be causing our detoxification processes to decline just when we need them the most.”
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Some of the things found to be healthy for individuals, in diet or lifestyle, may be so because they help to conserve the proper balance between the actions of miRNA-146a and Nrf2, the OSU researchers said. Alternatively, it may be possible to reduce excessive levels of miRNA-146a with compounds that interfere with its function. There
may also be other micro-RNAs associated with this process, they said, that need further research. “Overall, these results provide novel insights for the age-related decline in Nrf2 and identify new targets to maintain Nrf2-dependent detoxification with age,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion.
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The Linus Pauling Institute at OSU is a world leader in the study of micronutrients and their role in promoting optimum health or preventing and treating disease. Major areas of research include heart disease, cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disease. MSN
Aging Gracefully By Dr. Holly Carling – Vital Health & Fitness When researching our average life expectancy, it seems the results are mixed. Are we living longer? While it’s true more people live into their 80s and 90s, it is also true that we are dying of “old people diseases” at a substantially younger age than we used to. It’s not unusual to hear of someone dying of cancer or heart disease in their 40s and 50s and even in their 30s. Cancer, of course spans all age groups. While we may have extended the life expectancy, the quality of life into those years is appalling! Long-term care homes are bursting at the seams! When I think of living, I think of quality of life. I think of being able to romp around the house with my grandkids hanging all over me, on my shoulders, or wrestling with me, without reservation. “Living” is feeling healthy and not encumbered by feeling tired, being in pain, or having to use caution with activities for fear of aggravating a health condition. With that definition, what is our average life span? Living in a nursing home is difficult living, and though living longer or quality of life seems to be falling below that of past decades. I see 40-yearolds that look like 60 and 60-year-olds that look 80. And then there are those who appear younger than their chronological age.
In my experience, there seem to be several common denominators that distinguish aging early or aging with grace. People that live into their 90s and are still active have a sense of humor. They seem to take life lighter and not let its daily challenges get them down. Also, they avoid medications whenever possible. Not long ago, one of my new patients related asking her doctor for a different remedy than a drug and her doctor said, “Good for you. If you want to stay healthy and live longer, avoid medications as much as possible.” Individuals who age gracefully also seem to avoid eating fast food. They understand the impact these foods laden with harmful ingredients have on their health. They also eat out an average of just once per month and thus eat healthier by cooking at home. Today it seems fewer people cook anymore, especially young adults. Sadly, I see daily the long-term effects of poor eating. Aging gracefully also requires behaviors needed to stay well – getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol. Aging gracefully means having the health to enjoy a long and high quality life. If you want to improve your health and age more gracefully, implement some of these healthy behaviors. You should also consider the services
Hearing Aid Success Requires a Holistic Approach By James Richwine, HAD Hearing Connection Billings Many people purchase hearing aids mistakenly believing the devices should work perfectly right out of the box. Nothing could be further from the truth. Treating hearing loss is much more involved than slapping hearing aids in your ears and calling it good. Proper selection, fitting, and programming of sophisticated digital hearing aids, months of neural adaptation, and most importantly, commitment, are essential to your long-term success with hearing aids. People are delighted with their hearing aids when these prerequisites are accomplished. However, rushing or ignoring the process can lead to significant challenges for the user. Take Gladys, for instance. Gladys walked into my office last month with major problems. She was obviously distressed as she pulled her hearing aids from her ears, tossed them on the counter in front of my office manager, Monica, and blurted out, “I got these hearing aids from someone else two years ago. They are worthless! I spent all this money, and I still can’t understand what people are saying today any better
than I could before I bought them. So here I am looking for help.” Monica reassured Gladys that we would get to the root of her problem and give her some ideas for improving her experience. Since it was my first time working with Gladys, I performed a comprehensive hearing evaluation to get a feel for her hearing capabilities and, especially, her hearing potential. After running her through an hour-long hearing evaluation she was sure was going to be the death of her, I discovered that Gladys’ hearing loss is significant in the areas responsible for understanding speech. I learned that she struggles the most when background noise is present (which she already knew), and that considerable time and attention would be needed to assist her brain through the process of accepting digital amplification. Next, we evaluated Gladys’ hearing aids. They were in great shape – clean and in good working order. However, when we verified her settings we learned that her programming did not match her prescription. We concluded that since the hearing aids did not match her hearing
of a qualified natural health practitioner. Remember, the body you have is the only one you’ll get, so if you want it to last, you have to maintain it and fix its problems. It will serve you well if you do! Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist, and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Visit vitalhealthcda.com or call 208-765-1994 to learn more. MSN
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loss, she was experiencing very little benefit from them. We reset the hearing aids to match Gladys’ hearing loss more closely and her eyes lit up with the immediate improvement. However, after a few minutes she complained that the dramatic change in her hearing was overbearing. We turned the hearing aids down to a comfortable, yet challenging level. Then we developed a personalized plan slowly to integrate more amplification into her hearing aids at a slow and steady pace. Finally, through routine check-ups, we are currently monitoring Gladys’ progress as she works toward her target. Like Gladys, when hearing aid wearers follow a systematic approach to selecting, pro-
gramming, and adapting to hearing aids, their performance with them dramatically improves, and satisfaction goes through the roof. If you are currently struggling with your hearing aids, talk to your local audiologist about developing a long-term plan for your hearing aid success. To achieve hearing aid success, three things are required: 1. Proper fitting & programming, 2. Neural adaptation, and 3. Commitment by the patient. With these things, patients are delighted with their hearing aid experience, excited to wear them each day, and are successful over the long haul. MSN
Nothing So Beautiful As A Sharp Poke In The Eye: Let Melons Ripen, Not Your Cataracts By Allison St. Claire My friends and relatives were stunned by my recent emails. “I am so excited – I’m finally getting my silicone implants next month.” Most, of course, immediately thought I meant “down there.” Depending on your generational memory set point, I can only describe myself as already built like Jane Russell, Dagmar, or Anna Nicole Smith. This did not compute. No, no, I assured them. These little silicone beauties are the new intraocular lenses (IOLs) I’m going to have put in both eyes in place of those pesky cataracts when they’re removed. But wait a minute. Removing and inserting meant cutting my eyes open first! I am not a fan of painful bodily invasions. Just ask any dentist who’s dared to stick his or her hand into my mouth with something sharp and lived only to pull back a nearly bloody stump. And if I thought my gag reflex was strong, anything coming remotely near my eye – say eye drops – would incite a powerful bout of blinking, frowning, and head twists up, down, and sideways. I wince and moan just watching other people put in their contacts. Clearly some sharp pokes in the eyes were not anything I could possibly look forward to. Looking back (and that’s easy to say now that I can see again), cataract surgery was the best thing I’ve chosen to do for myself in decades. Some facts to start. • Cataracts are a normal part of aging. Approximately 50% of Americans between 65 and 74, and 70% over age 75 have cataracts. • Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness. • More than two million people have cataract surgery to correct their vision every year. More than 95 percent of all surgeries are very successful, and they result in improved vision. • While there are no known causes, studies have identified a number of risk factors: age; excessive exposure to sunlight; cigarette smoking; high cholesterol/triglycerides; diabetes, and cortisone medication taken orally over a long period. Boaters, sunbathers, and people who do not habitually wear adequate protective eyewear are also at risk.
There are various types of cataracts. In one eye, I felt as though I was looking out through a yellowish contact lens that had slipped to one side. That one took several years to develop. The other eye grew cloudier by the hour over a matter of a few months. I’d clean my glasses feverishly several times a day trying to clear what seemed like increasing layers of Vaseline smeared on them. Vision problems that result from cataracts are not pleasant, and especially not safe if you need to drive. I can attest to every one of these. • Increased nearsightedness. • Sensitivity to light and glare, especially while driving at night. • Distorted images in either eye. • Changes in the way you see colors or colors seem faded. • Cloudy, filmy, or fuzzy vision • Double vision. • The edges of stairs and curbs are difficult to discern. • Streaks or rays of light seem to come from light sources, such as headlights and stop lights, at night. • The reflection of light from metal on a car, road pavement, or a bright, cloudy sky may cause glare. • Fluorescent ceiling lights or bright reading lamps may cause glare. • Print appears faded and lacking in contrast. • Sunglasses appear to reduce your vision. This does not add up to a fun way to live or productive way to work. But I kept waiting for some sign that these little buggers were “ripe.” After all, many decades of editing material for older readers had drilled into my brain the concept that cataracts had to “ripen” before considering surgery. Wrongo, bongo, as a young friend used to say! Or as Brad Schuster, MD, says, “Ripening is for melons, not cataracts. The term was in use when cataract surgery was a more dangerous proposition. A ripe cataract was one that looked subjectively thick to the ophthalmologist and basically was blinding to the patient.” Schuster is an associate professor of oph-
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thalmology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the current chairman of Kaiser Permanente’s national glaucoma committee – and the doc who gave me the latest psychedelic experience of my aging hippy life with a couple of sharp pokes in my eyes. (You have to be awake during surgery to react to orders the surgeon may give. So with my eyes wide open I saw all sorts of colors, shapes, and movement while listening to the otherworldly noises of the ultrasound machine sucking out the cataract. Since you’re not allowed to move without warning the doc, I had to swallow my giggles when a soothing New Age woman’s voice pronounced, “Chop” as the machine was finishing up.) Best of all, I never felt a thing! No more trying to remember why I plan on going into the next room, but also making sure I had the right pair of glasses with me – reading, computer, and distance. I almost toppled my desk chair when I turned on the computer the day after surgery and found my monitor was in Technicolor! Every line of type was three times the size it had been. I took exceptional joy in removing the Web Eyes toolbar from my screen, and dumping the Virtual Magnifying Glass into the virtual wastebasket. And no more heavy large-print books to lug home from the library. Obviously, the choice for any surgery is a tough one. Things can go wrong. But cataract surgery is one of the safest procedures done today. And be very, very aware that today’s guideline for consid-
ering it is when a cataract starts to interfere with your daily activities. Your procedure may involve having a large incision, using a technique where the lens is removed whole or in 2-3 chunks. According to Schuster, that surgery usually requires sutures and takes longer to heal. It is still the most common method used in the world today. Most places can’t afford the ultrasound gadgetry to do phacoemulsification where the cloudy lens is broken up and suctioned out, he noted. I was lucky to be able to have both eyes done at the same time. I overheard a pre-op nurse say that Dr. Schuster was the only one who did those. At my HMO, I wondered? In the state? Anywhere? His response to my query was thought provoking. “As far as I know, I am the only cataract surgeon routinely doing bilateral cataract surgery in the U.S. today. Why do only one eye at a time? Many reasons possible but the only one that is legitimate is if the other cataract isn’t interfering with lifestyle. All other reasons are disguises for the fact that the surgeon is paid less for the second eye if done simultaneously.” The obvious advice holds: Shop around, ask around, compare, and contrast your best options. Technology has moved ahead with the times. You can too. Go forth and see well! An excellent resource for any vision problems and solutions is lighthouse.org/medical. MSN
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Patricia Carpenter Is Laurel’s Hostess With The Mostest
thing I’ve ever seen. She interacts with customers By Bernice Karnop Patricia Carpenter started working at McDon- and her presence simply makes everything run ald’s in Laurel the day they opened eight and a half more smoothly.” Hard work and humor have always served her years ago. Kids who came in carriers back then are now strapping second graders now. They’re well. Patricia’s grandfather owned a restaurant in so used to seeing Patricia at McDonalds that they Sebring, Ohio. During her high school years, she worked for him, even dashing down to the restaucall her Mrs. McDonald. “They think I’m Ronald McDonald’s wife,” she rant during her lunch hour to serve diners. Her mom bought the restaurant from him, so by the time she says with a giggle. graduated, she wanted She describes her nothing more than to put job as “taking care of the the restaurant business building and taking care permanently in the rearof people.” People thank view mirror. her for the cleanliness She graduated in of the facility, which she 1961. “Half an hour afsays still looks brand new, ter I graduated I was on and the kids come to her the bus to Washington, looking for a hug. In fact, D.C.,” she says. she takes such good care She went to key of the people and the punch school when building her boss nomicomputers filled a whole nated her for the chain’s room. Person of the Year award. “We thought it would She won second place be like that forever, and from all the stores in the now a little phone can do Northwest. what those computers Patricia is 73 and has used to do.” Parkinson’s disease that She worked as a key affects her muscles and punch operator in the makes it difficult to stand nation’s capital for the straight, but doesn’t cause next nine eventful years. any pain. She jokes about She was doing key the tremors, saying, “If punch at the Sheraton the milkshake machine Park Hotel putting their breaks down just hand it convention files down to me!” Patricia Carpenter, Laurel, brightens the world with her on computer cards durWhen guests see this flowers and her encouraging words. [Photo provided by ing the first March on slightly bent septuagenarBrian Carpenter] Washington. Her boss ian opening the door for them, they sometimes protest, but Patricia tells said he’d accept no excuses for not being at work, them, “If I keep pushing on the doors, I’ll get rid of so she went in at 2 a.m. so it would be possible to my bat wings.” Some are encouraged in their own get across the bridges. When President John Kennedy was assassihealth-related struggles when they see her joking nated, her office was only a couple blocks from the about hers. Current McDonald’s manager Austin Page White House. It seemed like a matter of minutes says, “Patricia’s hospitality skills are beyond any- and the streets were just full of people. “They couldn’t believe it,” she says. “They didn’t want to believe it.” She lived in Washington, D.C. during Resurrection City, both Kennedy funerals, and when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. When her mother’s health deteriorated, she went back to Ohio, and in 1974, she got her real estate license. In just five years, she owned her own brokerage company, but things were different back then. “They were not ready for women brokers,” she states. “You almost had to have a man’s signature in order to buy a car.” If you are over 60 and your monthly income is less than To get people to come in the door and give her $1287, or $1736 for a couple, you are eligible for the Senior a chance, she didn’t put her name on the sign, inNutrition Program. Come see us today! We can help with the stead naming it Property Concepts Unlimited. The forms and you can take your first monthly box of food home P.C. stood for her initials. Despite the challenges, with you. she ran a successful business for 27 years. When she was done with selling real estate, Patricia surprised herself and bought a restauCommodities provided include: juice, dry milk, shelf-stable rant. It was a break from the brokerage business milk, cold cereal/oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, and she loved it. She didn’t do it the easy way. cheese, chili or beef stew, peanut butter, rice and pasta. If you She made everything from scratch – from soup pick up your box at the Food Bank, you will get a bigger to bread. She peeled potatoes for French fries, variety of food items, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, potato salad, and mashed potatoes. She filled her cream puffs with homemade pudding, and rolled milk and bread as available. out her own piecrusts. People drove miles to buy her apple dumplings. “I had a good grandma that taught me how to cook,” she says. “I like to think that she knows how I used what she taught me.” Distribution Hours M-F 10am-3pm People asked her how she got everything done. Easy. She got up at midnight or 1 a.m. and went N • Billings MT 59101 • (406) 259-2856 to work for 12 to 14 hours!
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When her son asked her to move with him to Georgia, Patricia sold her restaurant and her home and moved. In Dalton, Georgia, she managed food for prisoners in a detention center. She loved this job because it was a privilege to work with her son who was in law enforcement. After vacationing in Montana, he went home and announced he was moving to Montana, and they’d like her to come. She’d never been in the west before, but she didn’t hesitate. “Why not?” she says. “It’s just another chapter in a book. She’s been here for ten years and she hopes she never has to leave. “I could sit by Lake MacDonald all day long and not move. It is just breath-
taking,” she says. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago and could have felt sorry for herself – since there is no cure. The thing she can do is not give up. So she works five days a week at McDonalds paying attention to each person. “It seems like in society today everyone is so busy going and doing they don’t pay attention to other people’s needs,” she says Her other favorite things are her flowers, and being with her son, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. Her three-year-old great grandson recently told her that she’s the Red Power Ranger. “The little kids just make me so happy,” says Patricia. MSN
Hoof it with a Historian And Uncover Billings Historic Past
By Kim Ibes Just north of the Yellowstone River and far below the towering 800-foot-high Eagle sandstone cliffs along what was once known as the Clark’s Fork Bottom lies Billings. Like many towns across the West, it owes its existence to the railroads. Frederick Billings convinced his peers within the Great Northern Railroad to build tracks beyond Bismarck, North Dakota, west, into Montana. He eventually became the president of the railroad but was forced out by a stockholders proxy fight in 1882, one year before the town that was named for him was platted. Frederick Billings went on to purchase some 30,000 acres of railroad land around the newly designated town site. Within its first few months of existence, its population grew to over 2000. It soon became known as the Magic City – springing seemingly out of nowhere to become Montana’s most populated city. To understand Billings, one must embrace the history of its rails. It should come as no surprise then, that the Western Heritage Center’s (WHC) most popular Hoof it with a Historian walking tour is The Railroad Shapes our Town. The WHC, which is accredited by the American Association of Museums and affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, has been collecting, conserving, and sharing stories of the people and places of the Yellowstone River Valley since 1971. “One thing we really try to do here in the Cen-
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 61
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ter is to make history available to the community,” says Elisabeth DeGrenier, Outreach Coordinator. DeGrenier and Kevin Kooistra, Community Historian for WHC, not only lead the nine available Hoof it with a Historian walking tours; they have done all the underlying research. So when you hoof it with a historian, you’re hoofing it with the two historians that have invested innumerable hours digging up and assembling the most interesting, storied, and archaic factoids in Billings’ legendary past. “We take our research and apply it,” adds DeGrenier, noting that their newest walking tour, Bars, Brothels, and BokChoy: Exploring Minnesota Avenue, was a joint effort between DeGrenier and Kooistra. “With this one especially, it was something Kevin and I talked about finding stories that aren’t told or known anymore because these people and their stories have been lost,” says DeGrenier. Both had to hit the pavement and the archives in their quest to bring Billings’ South Side District alive. In the early 1900s, the multiple block area surrounding Minnesota Avenue became the liveliest part of town. It became known as the restricted district given its reputation for opium, prostitution, and villainy. More than 100 Chinese immigrants called this area home, and within Billings’ Chinatown, one could find Chinese Gardens and a Temple, along with opium dens, secret societies known as tongs,
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September 24, 2016 | Just Dance! Grand Rapids Ballet Co.: Tchaikovsky, Gershwin
February 4, 2017 | Northern Lights Simone Porter, violin: Mendelssohn
October 15, 2016 | Music of the Masters Brian Ganz, piano: Beethoven, Handel, Haydn
March 11, 2017 | The Big Brass Rex Richardson, trumpet: Armstrong, Ellington, Haydn
December 17, 2016 | Holiday Pops Laura Woyasz, vocals, Billings Symphony Chorale
April 22, 2017 | A Mass for Peace Jenkins: The Armed Man, A Mass for Peace
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and fittingly, a fireworks store. Residing alongside this exotic area were some of the most lively brothels and notorious madams in the city. The Northern Hotel named its bar Olive after Olive Warren McDaniels, owner of the Lucky Diamond brothel. Without this Hoof it with a Historian tour of Minnesota Avenue, one would be hard pressed to find many traces of Billings’ sordid and ever so popular past. “Bringing these stories back to life is one of my favorite things about working with this program,” says DeGrenier. There are nine different walking tours within the Hoof it with a Historian program. Each covers a unique historical district or topic, and most are within walking distance of the WHC. Every tour begins promptly at 10 a.m. and starts at the top of the stairs of the Parmly Building – the first building to be built on Montana Avenue that did not face the railroad tracks. These walking tours are organized every Friday morning through the end of October and may be the fastest 80-90 minutes you’ll ever spend in downtown Billings. In addition to the two
noted tours, you should consider others including: • The Writing on the Wall: Historic Advertising (Ghost Signs) in Downtown Billings • Grave Side Stories; A Stroll through Mountview Cemetery • Swords Rimrock Park: Yellowstone Kelly’s Final Resting Place • Hidden in Plain Sight • Buried at Kelly Mountain and Boothill Cemetery • Walking Tour of MetraPark and County Fairgrounds • McKinley School and the North Elevation Neighborhood. Tour tickets are available at the front desk of the WHC for $10 (adults) and $5 (students) with children under 12 free. Your ticket also includes access into the WHC where you can see exhibits and more than 17,000 artifacts that help tell the story of the people and their way of life on the Yellowstone River Valley and Northern High Plains. Be sure to plan extra time for the WHC’s newest exhibit, In the Wind: Montana Motorcycle Memories, which displays vintage motorcycles, early motorcycle gear, and nostalgic motorcycle photography and runs through December 17, 2016. Also, History on Canvas: J.K. Ralston features original paintings and bronzes, including some never-before displayed early pieces from the WHC archive and runs through September 1, 2016. For more detailed information on the WHC and the Hoof it with a Historian tours, visit ywhc.org or call 406-256-6809. MSN
Poetry on Canvas: Neil Jussila’s Experimental Prints
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By Kim Ibes “Follow the river,” said the man standing at the Yellowstone Art Museum’s (YAM) front desk. “What?” my mother and I replied. Then he pointed outside YAM’s large front windows to the sidewalk, where a painted blue river wound its way around the north side of the museum, across the parking lot, to a small white, modern building across the street. Within its Visible Vault, Artist-in-Residence, Neil Jussila stood, studiously overlooking a large wooden table littered with paintbrushes, assorted tubes and vessels of colorful paints, and upon its center lay a beautiful, knock-your-socks-off, vibrant work in process. With paintbrush in hand, and his rounded black glasses perched precariously on his bearded face, he delicately touched this vinyl canvas with his paintbrush, each stroke full of intention and care.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
The large format canvas is among the first of Jussila’s Experimental Prints – a combination of art and technology. An original art form that he had dreamed of many years ago, but one he has only recently been able to bring to life with the advent of a serendipitous conversation and an unlikely technological accomplice. As an abstract expressionist, 73-year-old Jussila struggled to find his place. From an early age he had a fire in his belly for art, this, combined with his natural curiosity, and unceasing desire to, as he puts it, solve problems, has led this Butte native down a very unlikely road. Son of an immigrant Finnish family, Jussila grew up during the 1940s and 50s, knowing from an early age that he would be an artist. “I had become vaguely familiar with the work of C.M. Russell,” clearly recalls Jussila, “And with that cowboy and frontier image in mind I thought, wow, this is the life for me.” Even then, Jussila’s inclinations, tended toward expressionism. “While everyone was interested in Russell’s details, I was interested in the drama and the mood he’d created,” he explains. By the third grade, he was drawing constantly and had become adept at rendering images of elk, deer, and other wildlife from photos in Outdoor Life magazine. His passion for art came at the expense of his grades, and with an unsatisfactory in writing and arithmetic, his father proclaimed, “Artist’s starve.” It was Jussila’s father that would later encourage him, during an especially difficult period, to continue his pursuit of an art degree in college. While in high school, a family friend introduced Jussila to a Fred Mass (artist by nature, forester by occupation) who led a sub-group of the Montana Institute of Art that met at Butte’s city hall to draw, paint, and discuss the world of art. “They weren’t your run of the mill amateurs,” says Jussila, recalling a particular discussion about Cody, Wyoming native Jackson Pollock, a major figure in abstract expressionism – a conversation that became a major reference point for Jussila. When asked about abstract art, a flourishing field from 1943 through the mid 1950s, Mass succinctly answered that it was the only sure way to express the mood of a Montana Chinook. Jussila went on to attend MSU in Bozeman, struggling and learning through his failures. Upon graduation, he went to Vietnam for 13 months, and afterwards returned to MSU for graduate school. “I realized I could teach at a university and, with this, continue my art,” declares Jussila. Yet, his desire to be a good student, to fit in, and indoctrinate himself in this new world, became a complication for his art. The residual pressure of always to be thinking about what he was doing dulled his instinctive and spontaneous approach to art. “I never thought I would be able to reclaim this mysterious ability,” he adds. “It’s really hard to communicate. It’s really an unusual thing, and I don’t think most students realize this greater dimension called spirituality.”
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It took a couple of years, but Jussila finally found his way after he started working with acrylics on canvas. Teaching paid the bills, and art filled his soul. “I took the responsibility of being an artist and teacher very seriously,” remarks Jussila, who finally retired from MSU Billings after 43 years of teaching in 2012. But it wasn’t until this past spring that Jussila finally found his way home. In September of 2015, he had some small watercolors on exhibit, during which a woman told him she could see his artwork blown up on a very large scale. Having painted large-scale pieces over the course of his career (at one point painting himself out of his house) he knew their drawbacks: expensive, heavy, and difficult to move. But he had an idea. He found an engineering firm that did digital printing and could scan his finished work and print it onto a large-scale vinyl canvas. The process added dimension and line to his completed work, an element that initially surprised him and turned out to be one that he couldn’t produce on his own. For the third and last step, Jussila then customizes each piece adding color and texture to create a unique and beautiful piece of art. “I call them experimental prints,” Jussila says. “They start as a painting, then are turned into a print, and then the print goes back into a painting.” He begins and ends with acrylic paint, with colors so luminous they move about the canvas bringing their titles to life: March Wind, Sound at Dawn, and Sweetwater. His captivating, experimental prints cover the tall, whitewashed walls of YAMS Artist-in-Residence Studio. “I’m experimenting and I’m learning as I go along,” notes Jussila with a joyous, boyish lilt to his voice. “If it weren’t for the technology, I wouldn’t have been able to move in this direction.” Neil Jussila is at YAM’s Artist-in-Residence through October 2016. For more information, visit artmuseum.org, call 406-256-6804, or stop by 401 North 27th Street, Billings. MSN
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Travels with Mom In Explorer Country: The Beartooth and Chief Joseph Scenic Byways
By Kim Ibes It’s a bluebird day. The sky is high and wide and every bit as handsome as it was when Joseph Kinsey Howard wrote his esteemed book celebrating Montana’s diverse and rugged landscapes and rural populations. With my 77-year-old mother, Deanna Thielman, sitting in the navigator’s seat, we’ve decided to explore southeastern Montana in the spirit of Kinsey Howard. Unlike most early explorers traveling through Montana, we pilot due east from Bozeman, and for the most part, follow the treasured Yellowstone River. While the views are spectacular – we’re both pleased to find the knife-sharp peaks of the Crazy Mountains to our north, and those of the Absaroka and Beartooth Range to our south, freshly christened with a late-spring snow shower – we’re anxious to make quick work through the next 100 miles. At Columbus, we’ll turn south onto Highway 78, then finally onto Highway 212, where we believe our true adventure will begin. Today we plan to journey through two of the eight scenic and historic designated driving Loop Routes that course either to or from Billings. First, we seek the celebrated Beartooth Highway, that we’ll follow up and over and then south into Wyoming. We’ll continue our journey east, scouting the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway Loop, proceeding through Dead Indian Pass before advancing north, to our final destination of the day. It’s a fine June morning, and while the air has a lovely chill, Mom and I are prepared for the forecast warmer temperatures of southeastern Montana. Little do we know that our preparations should have included a warm winter coat, raingear, and maybe some Wheaties. Highway 78 will take us through the small rural communities of Absarokee and Roscoe, and roughly 45 miles beyond to Red Lodge. It’s here, that we begin to feel like pioneers. “You can smell the barns,” says Mom, fondly recalling her days growing up on a ranch in the Sweetgrass Hills. The country here is familiar to her, yet vastly different from the ranch lands of north central Montana. “That one has a hip roof, we had a huge one at the ranch,” she says, and that sparks more conversation about her childhood and stories I’d never heard before. Our conversation flows much like the con-
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
tours of the land, we start on small foothills with simple memories. The road begins to twist and turn and as we turn closer to the mighty Beartooths, the foothills, covered in velvet green, are now treeless and steep. Like our stories, they gain in size, until the road mimics a rollicking roller coaster ride. “Are you sure we go way up to the top?” Mom asks, referring to the massive mountain range called the Beartooth, that now appears dark, stormy, and more than a bit ominous. I’m sure, but only about that. Though we’ve driven Beartooth Pass before, we’ve managed to forget the breathtaking, spinetingling, and hair-raising experience it is to drive from 6,400 feet to nearly 11,000 in elevation. In the first several miles, we climb steep, narrow switchbacks. From this precarious perch, the surrounding mountain vistas are hard to absorb, and it takes a generous serving of Wheaties to drive this road in any kind of weather – like the rain and snow we had today. It’s not until we find ourselves safely at the Top of the World Store, a mere 38 miles from Red Lodge, that we begin to relax and what seems eons later, we begin to descend. There’s been so much written about this road, its beauty, geology, history, and landscape; it all pales in comparison to our experience today. We must blaze on as neither of us has traversed the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway Loop part of the Nez Perce Trail. We turn onto Highway 296, and continue our trek into the Shoshone National Forest glimpsing only a fraction of its 3,800 square miles. After the high-adrenaline views over Beartooth Pass, this scenic byway starts innocuously and is more reminiscent of Mom’s early ranch days – lots of jackleg fences, sagebrush, and river willows.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 65
Soon, we’re climbing into the volcanic Absaroka Mountains, with stellar views of the granite Beartooth plateau to our north. We’re both mightily surprised by the 1,200-foot-high river gorge carved over centuries that’s visible from both the Sunlight Creek Bridge and the walking bridge accessible from its visitor’s center. Chief Joseph Highway continues to delight, culminating in jaw-dropping panoramas of Sunlight Basin from the overlook at Dead Indian Summit. Those we decide are more reminiscent of the red rock cliffs in Utah. Our imaginations are unleashed by these breathtaking views, and we begin to feel like we’re part of its momentous history. “I keep straining my neck to see what’s coming around the next corner,” says Mom, the first words we’ve spoken in awhile. As we descend these awe-inspiring mountains, we come to a decision point. Should we turn right to historic Cody, Wyoming or left to Billings? Our decision has been foretold by our Billings hotel reservations and plans to visit the Yellowstone Art Museum the next day. We’ll have to save Cody for our next great adventure. As we drive north along the sinuous banks of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone, we see cows bunched up along the fence lines sparking more childhood memories. “They put their tails to the wind,” says Mom, “When you see them like that my dad used to always say there’s a storm coming.” As we travel through the small towns of Belfry and Bridger, the types of which Kinsey Howard believed kept our region’s cultural heritage, we agree that today’s experiences certainly reminded us of ours. MSN
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PAGE 66 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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Sandy and Chip Watts - Guardians of the Past 7th Ranch and RV Park Garryowen, Montana Big Horn County is bounded by the Wyoming border to the south and Interstate 94 to the north. Within its 5,023 square miles live nearly 13,000 people. The Crow Indian Reservation encompasses most of this county, while the Cheyenne Indian Reservation peeks into its most eastern border. The main road through Big Horn County is Interstate 90. By all accounts, most people driving through Big Horn County are keenly aware of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument that memorializes the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry, the Sioux, and the Cheyenne, in the momentous two-day battle in June of 1876. Many also mark their calendars for the Crow Fair Powwow, celebrating its 98th year this August 17-22. After visiting these wellregarded destinations, visitors and locals alike climb back into their horseless carriages and drive unseeingly through the rest of Big Horn County. Lulled by the tawny-brown sea of semiarid rangeland, draped in a fabric of short western wheatgrass, sagebrush, and cacti, it takes an immense imagination, a well-stocked and well-read satchel of books, and the assistance of Chip and Sandy Watts to appreciate the history, beauty, and adventure around darn near every corner of this under-appreciated county. In 1991, the Watts purchased the 7th Ranch, named for the 7th Calvary and located just south of the Little Bighorn and Reno-Benteen Battlefields and Memorials near Garryowen. They bought it from the author of Sixty-Six years in Custer’s Shadow. From certain places on their 623 acres, they have immense views of the battlefields. In case you wondered, Garryowen is named after one of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s favorite marching songs, an old Irish tune entitled Garry Owen. Prior to purchasing the 7th Ranch, the couple taught in St. Xavier, a short drive southwest, and during the weekends gave historical tours. The ranch location along with the duo’s immense respect and deep interest in plains history could be considered a gift for those of us passing through Big Horn County. It wasn’t until 2002 that they opened their ranch
up as an RV park for history buffs and travelers. The Watt’s also operate 90 RV sites, four cowboy cabins (bring your own bedroll), a teepee, along with 8 horse stalls and an arena to exercise your horses. “There’s so much to see and people just don’t realize it when they drive through on the Interstate,” says Sandy. “Open plains, big skies, solitude, and an educational opportunity on the Crow battlefield and culture; that’s what we have to offer here.” The Watts have a large collection of books in their home, most about regional history. Due to his deep and broad knowledge of the subject, Chip is featured in many of them. His expertise and keen sensitivity to ensure this history is conveyed as accurately as possible have resulted in Chip’s working with A&E on documentaries about the battle. He has also worked with military groups from Fort Sill and some ROTC groups. Most military groups come to study, hypothesize, and learn about battle logistics. Others try to solve outstanding mysteries surrounding the event. A living history is what the Watt’s offer. Visible from their house is a high hill, located just a short walk from their campground, Chip will bring visitors, scholars, and the like. “You can see the entire battlefield from here,” he notes. “And for those that are interested, we conduct private tours that tell the story – start to finish.” “How long does this take,” one might ask. Chip will most likely answer, “How long do you have?” The Watt’s are a wealth of knowledge and provide day-trippers with many suggestions; visiting Garryowen is among them. Not only is it a privately held town, and a registered historic site; it’s located on what was once Sitting Bull’s camp and is home to the Custer Battlefield Museum. But first, take that walk up the hill. Better yet, reserve that spot on one of his private tours, for which there is a charge. The Watt’s do more than share history; they work to preserve history. Over 20 years ago, they started with a group of dedicated people to protect and conserve the Rosebud Battlefield site. “We find that people who come to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield are also deeply interested in the Rosebud Battlefield,” says Chip. “It’s pretty poorly marked and we want to get it to a point that people can go down there and enjoy it.” The 7th Ranch and RV Park is much more than a place to hang your hat and tether up your 5th wheel. History is a compass to the future, and who better to guide you than Chip and Sandy Watts. For more information visit historicwest.com or call 406-638-2438. MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67
Medicare Open Enrollment Is On The Horizon It’s time to review your Medicare coverage and decide if and what changes you want to make for 2017. What is Fall Open Enrollment? Fall Open Enrollment occurs each year from October 15 to December 7. During Fall Open Enrollment, people with Medicare can make changes to their Medicare coverage with their new coverage taking effect January 1 of the following year. Outside of this time, people with Medicare generally cannot make changes to their Medicare coverage unless certain circumstances qualify them for a Special Enrollment Period. During Fall Open Enrollment, people with Medicare can do the following: • Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan • Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare • Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan • Switch from one Medicare prescription drug plan to another Medicare prescription drug plan • Join a Medicare prescription drug plan for the first time Before making any changes during Fall Open Enrollment, it may be helpful for you to look at your current Medicare coverage to see whether your benefits and costs will change in 2017. If there aren’t any changes to your Medicare coverage and you’re satisfied with your coverage, you don’t need to make any changes during this time. However, if there are changes to your Medicare health and drug coverage or you are unsatisfied with your Medicare coverage, you have the right to make changes during this time. You can make any number of changes to your Medicare coverage during Fall Open Enrollment, but keep in mind that your last coverage decision made during this time will take effect January 1, 2017. To avoid enrollment problems, it’s best to call 800-MEDICARE when making any changes
to your Medicare health and/or drug coverage. I plan to switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare during Fall Open Enrollment. Can I also sign up for a Medigap plan during Fall Open Enrollment? Whether you are allowed to buy a Medigap plan during Fall Open Enrollment (October 15-December 7 of each year), depends on your circumstances and your state’s specific rules on Medigap enrollment. A Medigap plan is supplemental coverage designed to pay for out-of-pocket Original Medicare costs, such as deductibles and coinsurances. Medigap plans do not work with Medicare Advantage plans. You can only have a Medigap plan if you have Original Medicare. Under federal law, you have the right to buy a Medigap plan at certain times. Federal law allows people 65 years or older to buy Medigap; however, some states may extend that right to people who are under 65 years old and become eligible for Medicare due to disability, end-stage renal disease, or Lou-Gehrig’s disease (ALS). For exact rules and protections in your state about Medigap enrollment periods, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or State Department of Insurance. I received a grey notice in the mail that said I would no longer automatically qualify for Extra Help. What does this notice mean? Sometime in the fall, certain people with Medicare may receive grey Extra Help notices from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This grey notice informs people that they will no longer automatically qualify for Extra Help, beginning the first of the following year. Extra Help is the federal assistance program that helps pay the cost of prescription drugs for those with
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PAGE 68 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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limited finances. Generally, people who receive this grey Extra Help notice automatically qualified for the program in the past by having Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or by receiving Supplementary Security Income. The grey notice is sent to individuals who will no longer qualify for Extra Help in the upcoming year, because they no longer qualify for Medicaid, have a Medicare Savings Program, or no longer receive Supplementary Security Income. People with limited income and resources may still qualify for Extra Help. However, they must apply directly to Social Security to continue receiving the benefit. They can do so by filling out the application attached to the grey notice or by visiting secure.ssa.gov/i1020/start. Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. MSN
Did you know 51% of our homeless Veteran population have disabilities? Or that 32% of these individuals reside in rural areas? The Montana Veterans Foundation is dedicated to serving these individuals by providing a variety of services, including: A Veterans Service Center, The Willis Cruse House, a transitional house for homeless Veteran Men, Two Veterans Recovery Workshops and much more!
Please join the Montana Veterans Foundation in making a difference in the lives of these men and women.
Contact us at: 1112 Leslie Avenue Helena, MT 59601 406-449-7666
There ought to be one day – just one – when there is open season on Congressman. – Will Rogers
History is a Journey Come explore with us!
Donate today or apply for a grant www.mthistory.org • 406.449.3770
Montana’s Future is in Your Hands.
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How To Replace Lost Or Stolen Vital Documents By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Can you tell me how to replace important lost documents? My wife and I recently downsized to a retirement community, and somewhere in the move, we lost our Social Security and Medicare cards, birth certificates, marriage license, and passports. Worried Ron Dear Ron, Replacing important documents that are lost, stolen, or damaged is easy if you know where to turn. Here are the replacement resources for each document you mentioned, along with some tips to protect you from identity theft. Birth certificate: If you were born in the United States, contact the vital records office in the state where you were born. This office will give you specific instructions on what you need to do to order a certified copy of your birth certificate. Fees range from $9 to $30. Visit cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm for contact information. Social Security card: You can replace a lost or stolen Social Security card at no cost. If you live in the District of Columbia, Michigan, Nebraska, Washington, or Wisconsin, you can order your replacement online at ssa.gov/ssnumber. If you live outside these areas, you’ll need to fill out Form SS-5 and take it in or mail it to your nearby Social Security office, along with your U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued non-driver ID card, or a U.S. passport. Photocopies are not accepted but any documents you mail in will be returned to you. Visit ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf to print a copy of Form SS-5. Call 800-772-1213 or see ssa.gov/ locator to find a Social Security office near you. You also need to be aware that losing your Social Security card puts (Cont’d on page 85)
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
ANACONDA
BILLINGS
GREAT FALLS
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 69
KALISPELL
Mike King 118 Cherry Anaconda, MT 59711 406-563-2991
Brian Nearpass 751 S 24th St W Billings, MT 59102 406-248-2193
Pam Hansen Alfred 2817 10th Ave South Great Falls, MT 59405 406-453-6010
Sandra Goode - Long 491 N Main Kalispell, MT 59901 406-257-7714
BILLINGS
BOZEMAN
Gary T. Fosse 222 15th Street S Great Falls, MT 59405 406-452-6446
LIVINGSTON
George Andrikopoulos 2500 Grand Ave, Suite M Billings, MT 59102 406-651-0610 Bonnie Dedmore 405 Main St Ste D Billings, MT 59105 406-248-8088 Mike McElvain 1310 Main St. Ste D Billings, MT 59105 406-248-1213
Dan Rust 1805 W Dickerson Bldg 2, Suite 1 Bozeman, MT 59715 406-587-8287
DEER LODGE
Karen Flynn 712 Main Deer Lodge, MT 59722 406-846-1111
DILLON
Ted Ori 24 South Idaho Dillon, MT 59725 406-683-2472
Greg Franczyk 17 2nd St S Great Falls, MT 59401 406-770-3040 Aaron Hamilton 1900 4th St NE Great Falls, MT 59404 406-761-7601
Dean Hendrickson 224 West Lewis St Livingston, MT 59047 406-222-2250 125 McLeod Street Big Timber, MT 59011 406-932-5321 Sarah Skofield 125 E Callender St Livingston, MT 59047 406-222-1000
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Armchair Aviators, Facebook News, and What the Heck Is a Hashtag
Brenda Rankin REALTOR®®
THINKING OF CHANGING YOUR LIVING SITUATION? Being a baby boomer, my real estate specialty is working with boomers and seniors. I have received the designation of Senior Real Estate Specialist by the National Association of Realtors. I have a 5 Step Transition Program to assist you, beginning to end, with any move you wish to make. I would be honored and privileged to work with you as your life heads in a new, exciting direction.
(406) 360-4401 745 Henesta Place Billings, MT 59102
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By Bob DeLaurentis Q. I want to fly radio-controlled airplanes but do not have the space. Might drones be a good option? A. I loved flying model planes when I was a kid. Unable to afford radio-controlled models, I made do with the small gas-powered models that flew on the end of a string. Of course, those were the days when kids played with lawn darts and home glassblowing kits. Today’s drones exchange explosive liquid fuel for the comparative safety of battery power. And since drones hover like a helicopter, they can be used where space is limited. So the short answer is yes, drones can be used practically everywhere. However (there is always “however” when dealing with untethered flying objects), space is not the only consideration. Once again the technology of what is possible has leapfrogged legal and cultural norms, so much so that drones find themselves at the heart of many controversies. The place to start is to research the rules governing drones, which are formally called Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The FAA requires that anyone age 13 or older must register as a drone operator at faa.gov/uas/registration/. Flying them outdoors means navigating a patchwork of rules and regulations depending on where you live, but a healthy dose of common sense is necessary as well. The next step is to find a drone you can afford. My advice is to start small – as a way to flatten out the learning curve and to protect your budget. Most drones aren’t easily repairable, yet all of them are very easy to crash. You can have plenty of fun with starter models like the under $50 Syma X11 or Hubsan X4. Some inexpensive models even sport cam-
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eras. Learn to fly it indoors, and then move outside on a calm day. As your flying skills improve, you can transition to larger, more complex aircraft. Q. One of my friends posts things on Facebook I’d rather not see. How can I turn them off? A. When you first open Facebook, most likely you see the News Feed. This list of items is generated automatically with criteria known only to Facebook. Everyone’s News Feed is unique, and while some things cannot be changed, you do have choices. There was a time when the only way to change the News Feed was to unfriend someone. That still might be an option. Unfortunately, quietly unfriending someone can sometimes cause more friction than it cures. The small menu that appears as an icon at the top right of each post is your new best friend. This menu permits you to fine tune the News Feed to better reflect your taste. The most limited option is to Hide This Post, which will immediately remove it from your News Feed. Facebook will attempt to keep similar items from appearing in the future. As a side note, there is also a choice to turn off notifications for a post, which is useful to pare down the volume of message alerts. The other option is probably the most useful for your situation: Unfollow <name of person>, which is not the same thing as unfriend. When you unfollow someone, you remain friends, but you no longer see their posts in your News Feed. Q. Sometimes I see words or phrases that begin with a # symbol. What is going on? A. Alas, words like that are called hashtags. Hashtags first appeared on Twitter, moved to many other sites, and now they show up everywhere, even TV broadcasts. Hashtags stitch together the fabric of social networks. They allow anyone to turn #anyseriesofletters into a tag. In addition to a literal meaning, hashtags can also convey emphasis much as bold and italicized text. Hashtags are most commonly used on social networking services to express a connection to an event or an object. Typically one person coins a
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hashtag, and other people begin to use it on their posts. When the use grows beyond a certain point, the hashtag becomes a trend, which is simply a topic receiving a great deal of attention at the moment. Instagram and Twitter make the heaviest use of hashtags, and their apps are optimized to use them. I use hashtags to follow news events. If something newsworthy occurs just about anywhere, you can expect that photos of it with appropriate hashtags will appear on Twitter or Instagram almost instantly. To get a sense of how they work, search anywhere for #blizzard2016 or #superbowl50. Wander the Web Here are my picks for some worthwhile browsing this month: Jabberwocky Vaccine. Some days the Web
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reads like a Tower of Babel on steroids. Torrents of words slosh past one another as we attempt to explain our point of view to a few billion other souls out there all trying to do the same thing. Fortunately, we can borrow the tools debaters and philosophers have used for centuries to sort out the difference between sense and nonsense: logical fallacies. The idea behind the site is that once you know what a logical fallacy is, the better equipped you are to avoid them and to spot them when they are directed toward you. From slippery slopes to the middle ground, this small site is a useful roadmap for critical thinkers and babel worshippers alike. yourlogicalfallacyis. com MSN
Age-targeted Homes Appeal More To Retiring Baby Booomers By Patricia M. Johnson With the wave of baby boomers in full motion, many builders are telling me they are focusing less on standard 55-plus retirement communities and more on communities featuring “age-targeted homes.” The difference is that 55-plus communities typically don’t allow children to live there, nor do they have driveway basketball backboards for the grandchildren’s visits, nor back-yard swing sets, and so on. Age-targeted communities are designed and positioned to attract mature households, but they are not marketed as 55+ communities. In the age-targeted homes, buyers are younger, upper 40s to early 60s, and though bought by anyone of any age, they are designed to appeal to older buyers. Although most consist of one-story, many models have lofts and upper rooms. You’ll still get your tree trimming, snow removal, and exterior maintenance for a charge and security is still there. These buyers usually are still raising the family and have a lot in common with their neighbors. There are playgrounds on-site and social gatherings geared to this age group. The American Housing Survey indicates that the age-targeted market has perhaps four times as many houses as age-restricted communities. The Chicago Tribune newspaper found no previous surveys of age-targeted housing have been conducted to compare growth in the segment, but experts agree that an increasing number of age-targeted homes are being built. They found many buyers are hesitant about age-restricted communities. They see the age restriction as the first step on the way to the nursing home. The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing had a study that suggested age-restricted projects provide more services, and that could account for a higher happiness quotient. Seniors who live in an age-restricted project are happier than those in a mixed-age development, according to their study.
Missoula, MT
MARIE MCHATTON
REALTOR®
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Now we get to my favorite information-packed organization, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in Washington, D.C. “The age-targeted segment is growing because
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the 55 to 65 age bracket is growing,” said Paul Emrath, housing policy economist. One of their studies shows one-fourth of home buyers 50 and older are paying more for the home of their golden years than they did for their previous house. More than half of the buyers in age-restricted, age-targeted, or even independent-living communities are spending the same or more on those homes. Several community developers I questioned stated they don’t have to restrict their buyers, although units and houses are rarely sold to people with small children. It is a benefit for the towns and communities because age-targeted developments contribute taxes to local coffers, but don’t add to school enrollment. Some stated developers could be forced into age-restricted projects because this is what the municipalities want. Most of the age-restricted communities will have a clubhouse, exercise rooms, pools and other community room(s), just like the 55-plus communities. Not all want the glitz of the big active adult communities. Many builders are using the term, “carefree living” instead of “active-adult” to describe their homes and apartment units. Another real estate analyst likes the word, “intergenerational.” Now that’s a new one!
Builders have been focusing on the over-50 crowd for years, building upscale townhomes and single-family homes that require little maintenance. They must include features that make it easy for people to remain in a home even after they become less mobile as they age. So, if age-targeted developments are much more appealing to boomers than age-restricted communities that carry the stigma that residents must be 55 years of age or older, will this give you something new to think about? Many 55-plus retirement communities are designed for older buyers with substantial cash from the sale of a previous residence. Therefore, they can afford such optional amenities as crown moldings, tray ceilings, hardwood floors, granite counter tops and more. They are willing and able to pay the monthly assessment for maintenance. Hey – no more lawn mowing, tree and bush trimming, exterior maintenance, or snow shoveling. Love that last one! Regardless of where we live – age-targeted, age-restricted, carefree living, intergenerational, 55-plus, active adult, or whatever, (did I forget one?), we do not want to be thought of as old. It’s your choice! Check them all out. Contact your realtor, then find, and visit some of these developments that build for all ages while preparing for the needs of those over 50. Patricia Johnson is a retired interior designer who has been helping seniors ease the chore of renovation for many years. MSN
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Ten Ways for Non-Quilters to Enjoy a Quilt Show By Bernice Karnop Montana quilters are well into their Row by Row Experience travel by now. If not, there’s still time. The program doesn’t end until October 31. Row by Row Experience participants visit participating quilt shops, in or out of state, and receive a free pattern for a row in a quilt. Then they creatively combine the rows to make a spectacular quilt to win prizes. More than 2,000 shops nationwide and in Canada participate, but one only has to visit eight. Quilt shop junkies can’t drive past a quilt shop, show, or competition. Sometimes their travel partner needs a bit of convincing. We’ve found that those whose interest is on the mild side can enjoy themselves, too, with a little encouragement, creative thinking, and an adventuresome spirit. Here are some tricks to encourage those who aren’t quilt junkies to enjoy the shop or show. 1. Some quilts will draw a person to them. Try to understand what it is that attracts you. Is it the colors or the pattern? 2. Once you get your eye on an interesting quilt, look a little closer. Notice whether the quilting stitches enhance the pattern or just hold the quilt together. The stitches may echo the pattern or outline the block. Maybe they cause some parts to puff up and others to recede. 3. Quilt shows often include a boutique or store that sells small items that make great gifts. Less interested visitors will find ornaments, wall hangings, table runners, tree skirts, totes, or purses. These make one-of-a kind, hand-made gifts for friends and family. 4. Quilts are not just bed coverings anymore! Notice how many different items are quilted. The most unusual thing we have heard of is a wedding gown. Stunning! 5. History buffs may find themselves captivated by the antique quilts and their stories. Stories
include information about the person who made them, when they were made, and how the quilt got to where it is today. 6. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are many ways to judge a quilt and most are subjective. Judged shows like those at a fair follow published criteria. Exercise your own judgment and vote for the “people’s choice.” 7. Woodworking and quilting have much in common including points and corners that match up perfectly, and the need to measure twice, cut once. Those who make beautiful inlaid wooden bowls, platters, and cutting boards, find fresh and beautiful patterns for their woodwork in the quilt patterns. 8. Some folks would rather talk than look. Strike up a conversation with a vendor. They are a wealth of information and many are fun to talk to. 9. Some quilt shows are paired with auctions of other items. Check out the annual Cobblestone Farmer’s Market and Quilt Show at Absarokee in August, or the West Kootenai Annual Amish Community Auction out of Rexford (near Eureka) in the spring. The Amish auction advertises “crafts, machinery, gazebos, furniture, and log cabins,” in addition to quilts. There should be something there to catch anyone’s interest. 10. For the true hard-to-sell partner? Lynn Hebert of Sun River adds one final solution. Bring him to the Falls Quilt Guild biennial show, coming up in April of 2017 at the Pacific Steel and Recycling Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls. “Right next door and at the same time, there’s a gun show,” she says. Quilting has come a long way in the past few decades. There are traditional quilts, modern quilts, art quilts, and more. Look at quilts in a different way next time you have the chance. And be sure to enjoy the show! MSN
Checklist for Fall Garden and Landscape Care
By Melinda Myers Yes, it’s hot now, but soon you will feel the change of seasons. Fall color will soon appear, pansies, mums, and asters will be in the garden center, and your thoughts will turn to preparing your landscape for winter. Those in warm climates are switching to winter annuals, while those in colder regions are fortifying their landscapes for the cold winter ahead. No matter where you live, invest some time in preparing your landscape for the change in seasons. Dedicating some time now will pay off with healthier more beautiful plants next spring. • Continue to mow the lawn high as long as it continues to grow. There’s no need to cut it short unless that is the look you prefer. • Fertilize the grass with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer. Fall fertilization provides the greatest benefit to your lawn and gives you the best value for the time and money invested. • Those in cooler regions growing bluegrass, fescue, and perennial ryegrass should fertilize around Labor Day when
temperatures start to cool. Then make a final application between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the ground freezes. • Those in warmer climates growing centipede, Bermuda, and zoysia should also fertilize around Labor Day. However, be sure to make the last fall application at least one month prior to the average first killing frost. • Shred leaves as they fall. Leave some on the lawn to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. As long as you can see the grass blades through
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the shredded leaves, your lawn will be fine. • Use the rest of the shredded leaves in your compost pile, as mulch on top of the soil or as a soil amendment. Just dig a two to three inch layer into the top 12 inches of annual or new planting beds. These leaves will break down and add or-
ganic matter. By spring, the leaves will decompose and the garden bed will be ready to cultivate and plant. • Plant a few bulbs now for a colorful early spring display. Incorporate compost, aged manure, or other organic matter into the planting area. Add a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer at the time of planting. In general, plant bulbs two to three times their vertical diameter deep. For All Your Railing Needs... Follow specific planting and spacing directions INTERIOR • EXTERIOR on the package or tag. RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • Select animalresistant bulbs to avoid Call Today! squirrels’ digging up the Senior Discount bulbs and deer and rab406-458-1904 • helena bits eating the blooms. Daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, and
squills are a few to consider. Little Tommies (Crocus tommasinianus) tend to be more squirrel resistant than other crocus varieties. • Those gardening in mild climates need low chill bulbs that will thrive and flower after a mild winter. Or purchase precooled bulbs for winter planting and spring flowering. • Allow disease- and insect-free perennials to stand for winter. This will increase their winter hardiness and your enjoyment. The dried leaves, stems, and seed heads provide beauty for you to enjoy, seeds for the birds, and overwintering homes for many butterflies and beneficial insects. • Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. The soil is warm and the air is cool – perfect conditions for planting and establishing trees, shrubs, and perennials. And for those lucky enough to garden in warm climates add a few winter annuals. • Continue to water the landscape as needed throughout the fall. Be sure to water evergreens and new plantings thoroughly before the ground freezes. No matter where you live or the size of your garden, get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of fall. And be sure to invest a bit of energy now to insure your landscape is ready for the season ahead. Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers. com, offers gardening videos and tips. MSN
Holy Smokes! Don’t let Forest Fires Take Your Breath Away By Bernice Karnop It’s summer, and time to sit on the porch, barbeque on the patio, play some horseshoes in the park, and.... But wait! Remember last year when the air was thick from wildfire smoke? Being outdoors wasn’t so pleasant. Now that everyone has celebrated one more birthday, it’s not likely that the smoke will be less irritating. In fact, it’s likely to be worse. Heavy smoke from the fires of a hot, dry summer affects everyone who breathes. For some it is only mildly irritating, but for others it can be life threatening. For most it’s somewhere in between. Symptoms include dry, irritated eyes, runny nose, headaches, and worsening of allergies. Those with congestive heart failure, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or asthma experience such things as shortness of breath, cough, chest-tightness, and extreme tiredness. Some individuals leave their homes for a smoke-free area until the air clears. Since that isn’t possible for everyone, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other sources offer guidelines to prevent health flair ups from summer forest fire smoke. • Check local air quality reports. Montana has monitoring stations all over the state, and information is available on the Montana Department of
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Environmental Quality web site. Click on today’s air. Television, radio, and newspapers all report when the particulate level is dangerous. • Stay indoors and keep the indoor air as clean as possible. Shut windows, doors, and fireplace dampers. If you have an air conditioner, use the recirculation setting so outside air will not enter. • Don’t burn candles, fireplaces, or gas stoves because they increase indoor pollution. Vacuuming stirs up particles inside your home. Don’t smoke cigarettes or allow smoking in your home. • Avoid exercising outdoors. • Keep your car windows and vents closed while driving. Use air conditioning in the recirculate setting. • Make sure your prescriptions are up-to-date and filled. Individuals with asthma or COPD should carry a fast acting rescue inhaler with them at all
times and know how to use it. Over the counter eye drops may help with irritated eyes. • If you are in the path of wildfires listen to the news and follow instructions about when and where to evacuate. • Do what you can to prevent wildfires from starting. Start and extinguish campfires safely. Check with local fire departments before burning debris or trash and burn only when the weather is safe for burning. • The dust masks found in hardware stores are designed to trap large particles, like sawdust. They will not protect your lungs from the small particles found in wildfire smoke. • Anyone with lungs is at risk during forest fire season. Plan. Don’t let fire season take your breath away. MSN
The Smart Dr. Young
An old geezer became very bored in retirement and decided to open a medical clinic. He put a sign outside that read, “Dr. Geezer’s clinic. Get your treatment for $500, if not cured, get back $1,000.” Doctor Young, who was positive that this old geezer didn’t know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer’s clinic. Dr. Young: “Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?” Dr. Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young’s mouth.” Dr. Young: “Aaagh! This is gasoline!” Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You have your taste back. That will be $500.” Dr. Young was annoyed, left, but returned a couple of days later figuring to recover his money. Dr Young: “I have lost my memory. I cannot
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 75
remember anything.” Dr. Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient’s mouth.” Dr. Young: “Oh, no you don’t, that is gasoline!” Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You have your memory back. That will be $500.” Dr. Young was now very angry at losing $1,000, but was determined to get his money back, so he returned a week later. Dr. Young: “My eyesight has become weak. I can hardly see anything!” Dr. Geezer: “Well, I don’t have any medicine for that so, here’s your $1,000 back.” Dr. Geezer gave him a $10 bill. Dr. Young: “But this is only $10!” Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500.” And the moral of the story is just because you’re “young” doesn’t mean that you can outsmart an old Geezer. MSN
Catch of the day! Submitted by Julie Hollar The rain was pouring down, and standing in front of a big puddle outside the pub was an old Irishman, drenched and holding a stick with a piece of string dangling in the water. A passerby stopped and asked, “What are you doing?” “Fishing,” replied the old man. Feeling sorry for the old man, the gent said, “Come in out of the rain, warm up, and have a drink with me.” Inside as they sipped their whiskies, the gentleman could not resist asking, “So how many have you caught today?” “You’re the eighth,” the old man replied. MSN
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Only One Day in the City By Saralee Perel I’ve seen my husband depressed before, but never like this. Two months ago, Bob was spending most days sitting in the same chair and doing nothing. “Don’t you want to work in your garden?” I asked. “It doesn’t appeal.” Our dog, Becky, knew things were wrong. Quietly, she sat by her beloved master, with her head on his lap, for nearly the whole time he’d be sitting. “Don’t you want to bake? You know, start testing cookie recipes for the county fair competition?” “It doesn’t appeal.” He made an appointment with his psychiatrist – then called the greatest healer in his life. “Marcia,” he said to her, “I’m not doing well.” “I know,” she said. Now, I’m a skeptic with this type of thing – when a person, like Marcia who refers to herself as a naturopathic consultant and medical/energetic intuitive, “knows” what’s going on with someone she hasn’t spoken to or seen. Marcia lives in Colorado and conducts her sessions with Bob remotely by telephone.
Elect
What I do know is that what she does works for Bob and me big time. (I’ll put her contact info below.) That same day, we had to drive two hours from our home on Cape Cod to go to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to see Bob’s neurologist. Bob’s been struggling with memory problems for years. Getting there was hell. We were in bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic. We got lost. We couldn’t find a parking lot. Bob was in his horrible depressive state. Then he had five straight hours of testing by a neuropsychologist. He was drained and exhausted on the drive home. Yet, something happened on that drive – something miraculous. Bob was noticing the throngs of people on the Boston streets, the pile-up of cars, the constant blasting of car horns. He noticed the massive maze that is central to any big city. And, he didn’t like what he saw. The next morning, I saw a transformation in Bob like I’ve never seen before. He woke up energized. There was no sign of depression. “What on earth happened?” I asked. “Well, I know Marcia helped me.” “She might have, but you should be taking the credit.” “All I did was compare my life to everyone’s life we saw yesterday. I looked out the window of the doctor’s office at the skyline, the people rushing around, the traffic, and I realized that I have it made! I mean I work from an office in my own home and can see hummingbirds right outside my window. I don’t have to fight rush hours or crowds or worry about getting lost.” “In other words, Bob, you learned to appreciate what you have.” “Incredibly!” Appreciation is a mighty force. Ever since that day, Bob has been baking cookies for the county fair, replenishing his beautiful gardens, keeping everything sparkly clean, painting the outside of the house, and actually enjoying the everyday work with the continuous phone calls and the ever-present needs of our clients. Although it’s supposedly not possible, I’ve seen an enormous improvement in his memory. Everything is with great gusto. I mean, he just doesn’t stop. I’ve never seen him this happy. This gratified. This appreciative. Just filled with a love of life. And all of this, simply because of one day in the city. One fine day when he discovered the precious present moment and all the goodness in his life. That chair he sat in all day? Now it’s occupied by two cats. The Bob I used to know years ago? He’s back! You can contact Marcia Sloane Heusted at collcrestone@gmail.com, 719-588-0208, or visit energymedicineslv.com. Nationally syndicated award-winning columnist, Saralee Perel, can be reached at sperel@ saraleeperel.com or at SaraleePerel.com. MSN
Fred Anderson
Proven Leadership at Local, State & National Levels
Priorities • Promote Great Falls as a business friendly community • Stimulate economic growth & job creation by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy & regulation
Fred
Anderson House District 20 • Republican
Serving You for a Brighter Future andersonforlegislature.weebly.com anderson.for.legislature.hd20@gmail.com
• Protect & expand Malmstrom Air Force Base & Montana Air National Guard • Advocating for Seniors • Strengthen public education with innovation & local direction • Advance responsible energy & national resource development • Preserve access to public lands & waters • Lower property taxes & business equipment taxes • Defend 2nd Amendment rights • Enhance public safety operations
Paid for by Anderson for Legislature • Becky Anderson, Treasurer • PO Box 6921 • Great Falls, MT 59406
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EDGEWOOD MEMORY CARE Belgrade
Missoula
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Billings
Kalispell
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Navigating Choices: Blazing a Trail 48thAnnual Governor’s Conference on Aging and Home and Community Based Services Conference Explore Choices and Changes
By Bernice Karnop It’s never easy to face change. At retirement age and beyond, steering through the waters of a changing world may seem overwhelming. Seniors, caregivers, nurses, social workers, and anyone who would like information on such topics as housing, health, guardianship, Medicare/Medicaid updates, and fraud will find it at the Governor’s Conference on Aging in Billings, September 13-15, 2016, at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. Organizer Jackie Stoeckel is excited about what she calls a person-centered conference. “We want to make sure those involved are aware of the choices they have, and we want to help them make choices to the best of their ability,” Stoeckel says. “We want them to go home educated about how they can better care for themselves and others.” The conference, partnering this year with Home and Community Based Services, features four outstanding keynote speakers. • Elaine Ryan, with AARP in Washington, D.C., addresses a topic at the heart of many Montanans, Supporting Family Caregivers: AmerKeep your dignity and your independence. ica’s Hidden Heroes. • Michael Smull, chair, the Learning Community for Person Centered Practices, will talk about person-centered thinking and planning in Community | Stability | Independence his talk, Having Positive 1801 9th Street South | Great Falls, MT 59405 Control over Your Life. Phone: 406-771-7440 | www.genesishcc.com • Julie Beckett, whose daughter was the first Medicaid waiver recipient, is an advocate for people with disabili-
Never lose you.
ties. Her topic is One Family’s Amazing Journey: You Don’t Do It Alone. • Robert Sweetgall, chair, Creative Walking, Inc., has walked across the country seven times. He is the only person to have walked the 50 states (11,208 miles) in 365 straight days and crossed Montana twice from Lookout Pass to Baker and vice versa in consecutive years. Expect an energetic and interactive talk, Navigating on the Highway to Health…Choices, Crossroads & Consequences. Sweetgall will also conduct workshops where he will promote walking as a healthy exercise, how to do it properly without injury, and how this simple exercise can be life changing. On Wednesday evening, the conference will include the Home & Community Based Services awards banquet recognizing caregivers and agencies that have provided outstanding contributions and services to those they serve. The categories include direct care, program or service, leadership and advocacy, family member, volunteer, and the Pam Davis Award. Other conference breakout sessions cover a myriad of topics including healthy aging, advocacy, Native American aging, lifespan respite, caregivers, housing, brain health, Alzheimer’s disease, and grandparents raising grandchildren. People will be introduced to Tai Chi as an exercise choice. Montana centenarians are honored and are given a special certificate of recognition from Governor Bullock at the Centenarian Luncheon. The number of Montana centenarians keeps growing! Stoeckel estimates that there are 175-200 centenarians in Montana. Last year 22 of them attended the luncheon. “We can learn a lot from centenarians,” says Stoeckel. “Their secrets to longevity and the wisdom they have to share may help us rethink our lifestyles and make better and healthier choices.” Individuals who are 100+ years old or better by December 31, 2016 qualify, so if a friend or acquaintance is 100 or older, you can pass that information to conference organizers and your
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@ rfleek@mymtgems.com mymtgems.com
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 79
centenarian can be honored at the GCA. Other special events include the announcement of Mini Grants to be given to organizations in rural communities of under 10,000 people and with limited resources. Interested programs serving seniors in their local communities need to get their applications for specific projects in by August 3. Grants range from $200 to $1,000. Caregivers and agencies providing outstanding and exemplary service to their clients will be recognized at the Home and Community Based Awards Banquet Wednesday evening. Registration for the two-conference event is $90 for Tuesday, Wednesday, and a half day on Thursday. After August 12, registration will cost $10 more. The fee covers all of the sessions, generous coffee breaks, two luncheons, and the banquet. Nurses and other professionals may earn continuing education credits by attending the conference. Attendees will be encouraged to network with others and learn about services available to our aging population. They will go home feeling better about Navigating Choices and Blazing Trails into their personal future. For more information, contact Jackie Stoeckel at 800-332-2272 or 406-444-6061 during normal business hours. You may email her at jstoeckel@ mt.gov. Information about the conference, centenarian search, and mini grants is also available at the Aging Services web page, dphhs.mt.gov/sltc under Governor’s Conference on Aging. MSN
The Little Children’s Home We are all about the kids and giving them “A Place to Call their Own!” Our Mission is to provide a stable, Christcentered, traditional home for boys and girls who are in crisis and in need of a safe and nurturing environment. Children grow and prosper best within a home environment where they can learn about God, themselves, others, family, and life. The children will be physically, educationally, spiritually, and emotionally nurtured by dedicated house parents and adults who love, care, and support them. We care for children up to 18 years old at no cost to their families, and they can maintain a healthy relationship with their grandparents, families, or guardians during their stay. We are a nonprofit organization funded with private dollars and serving up to eight children. Typically, we receive referrals from churches, families, or grandparents who need assistance. Since it is the mission of The Little Children’s Home to help all children, we also offer respite care. For more information, please contact Penny at 406-459-2885, penny@thelittlechildrenshome.org, or visit thelittlechildrenshome.org. MSN
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Social Security Loses Buying Power
(Washington, DC) – Social Security beneficiaries have lost 23 percent of their buying power since 2000, according to the 2016 Survey of Senior Costs released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The findings indicate that except for higher medical and prescription drug costs, overall prices have changed relatively little over the past year. Inflation remains very low, almost nil, mainly due to the dramatic drop in oil prices. “TSCL is concerned,” says TSCL Chairman Ed Cates. “There appears to be a high risk of either an extremely low annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) next year, or worse – none at all,” he says. Older Americans and disabled Social Security beneficiaries received no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2016 due to low inflation last year, but TSCL’s new survey found that lower inflation didn’t translate into lower household expenses in 2015. In fact, nearly 1,200 survey respondents recently said that monthly household expenses made steep increases in 2015. The majority, 72%, indicated their monthly expenses went up more than $79. “With today’s Social Security benefit averaging $1,230 per month, that’s an unsustainable level when there’s no benefit increase to match,” Cates says. In most years, Social Security beneficiaries receive a small increase in their Social Security checks, intended to help them keep up with ris-
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ing costs. But since 2000, the COLAs rose just 36.3% while typical senior expenses have jumped 75.3%. “Going without any COLA in 2016 has longterm consequences for retirees when real costs continue to climb,” Cates says. “People must spend down retirement savings more quickly than expected, and those without savings are either going into debt, or going without,” he says. A person with average Social Security benefits in 2000 received $816 per month, which rose to $1,166.30 by 2016. But, that individual would require a Social Security benefit of $1,430.50 per month in 2016 just to maintain his or her 2000 buying power, the study found. The study examined the increase in costs of 38 key items between 2000 and January 2016.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
The items were chosen because they are typical of the costs that most Social Security recipients must bear. Of the 38 costs analyzed, 29 exceeded the amount of increase in the COLA over the same period. The selected items represent eight categories, weighted by approximate expenditure. “This study illustrates why Congress should enact legislation to provide an emergency COLA this year,” says Cates. “To put it in perspective, for every $100 worth of expenses seniors could afford in 2000, they can afford just $77.00 today,”
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 81
Cates adds. A majority of the 57 million senior and disabled Americans who receive Social Security depend on it for at least 50 percent of their total income, and one in four beneficiaries relies on it for 90 percent or more of his or her total income. To help protect buying power of benefits, TSCL supports legislation that would base COLAs on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. TSCL and its members are lobbying Congress for an emergency COLA for 2016. To learn more, visit SeniorsLeague.org. MSN
Book Helps Readers Self-Talk Themselves through Their Blues “Self-Talk for a Calmer You” by The Human Behavior Coach™ Beverly D. Flaxington, reveals how people can use positive self-talk to control anxiety and live a happier, more relaxed life While life can be hard, challenging, and we all hope to live a generally happy existence, many people find their lives more mournful than joyful. Loss of a spouse, child, or family member, divorce, dealing with difficult relatives, medical, or caregiving issues can make daily life feel sad, lonely, and void of cheerfulness. “The problems we have, or losses we feel can be overwhelming,” said The Human Behavior Coach ™ Beverly D. Flaxington, author of SelfTalk for a Calmer You. (Adams Media; $15.95; paperback; 223 pp; ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6480-2) While feelings of upset are perfectly normal and expected, what Flaxington calls negative self-talk often exacerbates those feelings. “Negative self-talk is a running voice in the person’s mind that tells the person they will never feel okay again, or their life no longer has any purpose, because of what’s happened to them,” Flaxington said. “The continual flow of negative self-talk takes a bad situation and intensifies it. People lose any chance they might have to find a small ray of happiness.” The antidote to negative self-talk, Flaxington said, is positive self-talk. Positive self-talk consists of positive, analytical statements, and affirmations that uplift, enhance, and encourage individuals and help them to reach a goal, accomplish a task, or improve their life. These positive, self-authored stories announce what good things are going to happen in a person’s life before they happen. In her book, Flaxington lays out detailed stepby-step approaches with powerful positive exercises designed for those who have experienced great personal losses, and who wish to use positive self-talk to move past their grieving and seek out new relationships. With economic uncertainties in society another anxiety that can be somewhat
soothed by positive self-talk is the worry about personal finance and job security, Flaxington said. “It’s important to first write down the beliefs you have about how this situation could affect your life, such as, ‘If I lose my job, I can’t pay the mortgage or send my kids to college, and we’ll starve,’” Flaxington said. “Then realize that these outcomes are all conjecture fueled by your negative self-talk. Instead, you want to quickly shift any catastrophic self-talk about being doomed to something more positive and powerful.” The best strategy for maxed-out personal finances and a shaky economy is to get busy identifying the resources and the attributes, skills, support systems, intellectual abilities, and strengths you possess that could help you deal with the situation, Flaxington said. “The positive self-talk response to stress is not just to look on the bright side, but to allow yourself some time to be calm and not drained by streams of negative self-talk when you need your full attention to handle difficult situations,” Flaxington said. Besides chapters on easing anxieties connected to the loss of loved ones and job security, Self-Talk for a Calmer You contains information about: • easing stress in a marriage • removing anxiety caused by lack of resources and difficult personalities in the workplace • job hunting • anxiety connected to public speaking, major life changes, or managing stressful situations • anxiety caused by weight loss failures or work overload • advice for defining and attaining “your bliss” in life “The book helps you compile a personal toolkit that you can use in any situation to stop negative self-talk in its tracks and put you on a more successful path to the positive outcomes you desire,” Flaxington said. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Caregivers, Take Care! By the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) The doting daughter who takes care of an elderly parent is just doing what she ought to be doing, some might say. But in many cases, she’s putting her life at risk by devoting days and nights to tend to her loved one’s needs. “Professional caregivers are on call during their shifts. They deserve respect for what they do. But relations and friends of people who need care who take on the onerous tasks of tending to the needs of their loved ones deserve not just respect, but a break as well. They are usually on call around the clock with little to show for it but their own failing health in many cases,” says AMAC president Dan Weber. Dr. Pamela Tronetti who specializes in geriatric medicine recently published a report in Florida Today noting that “caregivers don’t tally up the hours because they reason that they would be doing most of these chores (cooking, cleaning) anyway.” But, while they are doing an important service for others, they need to recognize when they are doing a disservice to themselves, Weber
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points out. Tronetti says, “The classic caregiver primer is called The 36 Hour Day and for good reason. Instead of being retired and off the clock, caregivers are busy, alert, and ready at a moment’s notice and every hour of the day to be the nurse, housekeeper, referee, advocate, diaper changer, cook, laundry service, pharmacist, psychologist, and go-fer.” Forget about the 40-hour-week for these “sainted souls,” adds Weber. “They are ready to tackle their jobs all day long and, in many cases, all night long, too.” Tronetti cited one study showing that those who work 35-40 hours a week have an average risk of stroke for their age groups and that those who work 41-48 hours have a 10% higher risk of stroke. But those who worked 49-55 hours/ week were linked to a 27-33% increased stroke risk. “I suspect that many people underestimate the amount of hours dedicated to work. They don’t identify it as such because they are on their own couch instead of in their cubicle, but in reality they are tethered to their jobs, working excess hours without a break,” Tronetti reports. “I’ve seen caregivers admitted to the hospital with sleep deprivation, untreated cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. I have lost friends and colleagues to sudden death and preventable illness, all because there was care giving work to be done.” Friends and relations make the best caregivers in most cases because, above all, they have a personal connection to the individuals who need their help, according to Weber. “But at the end of their very long days, the best caregivers are those who take care of themselves as they go about their chores. They need to take time to make time for themselves. They need to see to their own medical conditions and take measures to alleviate stress.” MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
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How to Detect and Prevent Telemarketing Scams By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some tips to help protect people from telemarketing scams? My 80-year-old mother has been swindled out of several hundred dollars over the past year and keeps getting calls from scam artists. Worried Daughter Dear Worried Telemarketing fraud is a big problem in the United States, particularly among people who tend to be the most vulnerable and are frequently targeted. Here is what you should know plus some tips to help protect your mom. Phone Fraud - According to FBI reports, there are around 14,000 illegal telemarketing operations that steal more than $40 billion from unsuspecting citizens each year – most of whom are over the age of 60.
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Telemarketing fraud happens when a con artist calls you posing as a legitimate telemarketer and tries to cheat you out of your money by offering things like free prizes, vacation packages, sweepstakes or lottery winnings, discount medical or prescription drug plans, buying club memberships, credit and loan promises, investment and work-at-home opportunities, and more. They also usually demand that you act right away and require some kind of up-front payment to participate or receive your winnings, which is always a red flag that the call is a scam. People also need to be careful of fake charity and fundraising phone scams, home improvement scams, fake checks (see fakechecks.org), grandparent scams, and invitations to free lunch seminars. What You Can Do - The first thing you should do to help your mom steer clear of phone scams is to alert her to the problem and how to recognize it. To help you with this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a consumer education website at ftc.gov/phonefraud that provides a rundown on some of the most common phone scams making the rounds these days and what to watch for. They also offer some helpful publications you can get for her like Putting Telephone Scams on Hold and Who’s Calling? Recognize & Report Phone Fraud that you can order free by calling 877-382-4357. The next step is to remind her never to give out her personal information like her credit card number, checking or savings account numbers, Social Security number, or mailing address to telemarketers no matter what they promise or tell her. If she is getting calls from telemarketers requesting this information, she should simply hang up the phone because it is a scam. If, however, your mom is having a hard time recognizing a scam or hanging up on pushy telemarketers, get her a caller ID, and tell her not to pick up unless she recognizes the number of the caller. Or, ask her to let the calls go to voice mail. Telemarketers rarely leave messages. Also, make sure her phone number is registered with the National Do Not Call Registry, which will significantly cut down the number of telemarketing calls she receives. You can register your mom’s number free at donotcall. gov, or by calling 888-382-1222 from the number you wish to register. Unfortunately, being on the registry will not stop calls from political organizations, charities, pollsters, and companies that your mom has an existing business relationship with. And, it will not stop telemarketing scams either. If your mom is getting a lot of calls, discuss the possibility of changing her phone number. Scam artists trade and sell what they call “suckers lists” of prior victims, and the only way to get her off these lists may be to change her number. Report It - It is also important that you or your mom report any suspicious telemarketing calls she gets to the FTC (see ftccomplaintassistant.gov or call 877-382-4357) and to her State Attorney General. Reporting it helps law enforcement officials track down these scam artists and stop them. You will need to provide the telemarketer’s phone number, as well as the date and time of the call. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 85
The Beauty of Old Age: A “Higher” Perspective By Charles G. Hanna Most people grasp how crucial it is for children not to miss out on their childhood, but we often forget that it is equally crucial not to miss out on all of life, be it adolescence, middle age, old age, single life, married life, parenthood, or any other phase. Every stage is an incredible gift that must not be wasted or compromised. Whether you believe we live one or many lives, it always starts with birth and infancy, then childhood and so forth. If we are lucky we live a long life, but it is not always possible. In fact, the older we get the lower is the probability of our survival. This means that old age is a very rare occurrence
whether we live one life or many. If we live one life we may never see it, or only a few select will. If we live many lives, as I happen to believe that we do, we will see ripe old age in far fewer times than childhood, which is the most abundant life phase. That makes old age very special indeed but sadly, most of us are too busy fearing getting old that we miss that most beautiful phase of our lives. Sure, old age has its disadvantages, but so has every age. That is why it behooves us to enjoy all of them for what they are. The only thing we can do to ensure the maximum fulfillment is to follow our Higher Purpose of taking good care of ourselves, and young people – body, mind, and spirit.
Replace Vital Documents - continued from page 68 you at risk for identity theft. If you find that someone uses your Social Security number to obtain credit, loans, telephone accounts, or other goods and services, report it immediately to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov (or 877438-4338). This site will also give you specific steps you’ll need to take to handle this problem. Medicare card: To replace your Medicare card for free, just call Social Security at 800-772-1213 or contact your local Social Security office. You can also request one online at ssa.gov/myaccount. Your card will arrive in the mail in about 30 days. By losing your Medicare card, you also need to watch out for Medicare fraud. So check your Medicare Summary Notice for services you did not receive. If you spot any, call the Inspector General’s fraud hotline at 800-447-8477 to report them. Marriage certificate: Contact your state’s vital records office to order a copy (see cdc.gov/ nchs/w2w.htm). You’ll need to provide full names for you and your spouse, the date of your wedding, and the city or town where the wedding was performed. Fees range from $10 to $30. Divorce certificates can also be ordered from your state’s
vital records office and divorce decree documents can be obtained from the county clerk’s office for the city or county in which the divorce was granted. Passport: A lost passport also puts you at risk for identity theft, so you need to report this as soon as possible to the U.S. State Department. Go to travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/ lost-stolen.html and fill out Form DS-64. You’ll receive an e-mail acknowledging that your report was received. Within a couple of days, you’ll receive another e-mail, or letter if you request that option, confirming that your passport has been entered into the Consular Lost or Stolen Database. You can apply for a replacement passport at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility. Many post offices, public libraries, and local government offices serve as such facilities. You can search for the nearest authorized facility at iafdb.travel.state. gov. The fee for a replacement passport is $135. 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. MSN
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I realize the gift of guiding the magical imagination of young minds is ideally suited for the latter stages of life if we live long enough and are healthy, happy, and rich with spirit and knowledge to give meaningfully. By becoming the best we can be, we will automatically become most valued givers. The key to gaining this perspective is living in the moment – and gaining the serenity that comes from loving every phase of our lives. MSN
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