October / November 2016 by Montana Senior News

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Governor’s Conference on Aging and Home and Community Based Services Conference – Pages 15-22

Meet Mr. Pickleball By Kim Ibes It all started with a dog, named Pickles! When I caught up with Larry Seekins, he had just returned home to Billings from a long weekend bow hunting with his son-in-law and grandson. They’d been caught in a late summer storm along the Missouri River Breaks, and despite fighting muck and nasty weather, Larry returned with his sense of humor firmly intact. “We have an annual program here in cooperation with Montana Fish and Game,” declares Larry with a hearty grin. “It’s where my family and I go out and exercise Montana’s elk and deer.” For a guy who hates to exercise, he sure seems to spend a lot of time in its grip. “I do hate to exercise, but I love games,” he explains. And Pickleball – a court game that’s been sweeping across Montana and the nation – is something he can’t seem to get enough of. At 73, Larry plays an average of five days/week. Monday through Thursday, he’s mentoring future players, and each Friday evening he’s bringing new people into the Larry Seekins and Rob Davidson celebrate their gold medal win sport. in the Men’s A Doubles Pickleball competition at the 2016 Big Over the past 28 years, Sky State Games. As Larry jokes, “You can spot me right off the he guesses he’s taught the bat; I’m the one on the left. (Photo provided by Larry Seekins) game to more than 1,600 people. He volunteers more than 600 Pickleball hours a year at the YMCA, he’s the Commissioner of the Big Sky State Games for Pickleball, is a five-time winner in the World Senior Games for Pickleball, and that’s just the short list. “I tell myself that Pickleball is just a game, and I play probably two hours a day. My body says you just lied to me, but fortunately I have a bad memory, so I go out the next day and do it again,” says Larry with a grin. For the curious, the uninitiated, and those like me who have seen the banners proclaiming, “Pickleball played here!” but have not one iota of a clue about what they’re talking about, well, this one’s for you. “When people start out with me, I have them sit down and I give them the talk,” says Larry, describing his Friday night beginner course at the Billings YMCA and responding to my question regarding the origin of Pickleball. He gives me the abbreviated version, but his students get the full story. “It was invented in 1965, by Washington State Representative Joel Pritchard from Bainbridge Island who wanted to find a game his family could play in the wind and the rain yet still be outside playing together.” Along with two friends, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, they took the ball that Prichard’s dog “Pickles” played with, dropped a badminton net a couple inches lower, created wood paddles, rules, and voila, you have Pickleball. “Addictive?” asks Larry. “Yes, for some people. (Continued on pg. 55)

PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3

Become Informed Before Voting

“The lesser of two evils.” I have heard that often this year, and have heard many say they won’t vote for President. Can anyone be willing to abandon the privilege of voting? We tend not to trust Hillary Clinton because of what we know about her, and we tend not to trust Donald Trump because of what we don’t know about him. It’s time to educate ourselves. There are other important races. The health and age of the Presidential candidates should persuade us to consider the Vice-Presidential nominees. The Vice President has the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, and the Senate has to confirm the Court appointees of the President. There is already a Supreme Court vacancy. The Senate and House elections are extremely important. Voters can anticipate how candidates may vote – even challengers with no voting record. All major political parties have platforms stating what they will promote. Candidates are expected to support the party line and politicians who don’t, risk losing support from party leaders. The party platforms are available to us, and most candidates have information on line or elsewhere. We should not cast an arbitrary vote in ignorance. Take the time to cast an informed vote! Lianna Karlin President, Right to Life of Montana Big Timber

Time To Move Women’s Healthcare Into 21st Century

N L

“My friends all hate their cell phones… I love mine!” Here’s why.

You would think that in the year 2016, a time when innovation brings us everything from driverless cars to Amazon Pantry, our elected officials might promote policies that reflect the times. Unfortunately, our capitals are filled with politicians pushing progress back with both hands. For extreme religious ideology and intolerance, so-called leaders are shoving America back a century or more. This is apparent in the reproductive health (Continued on page 5)

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PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

arena. Every time I hear that conservative representatives in Congress have threatened to shut down our federal government over funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides more preventive services than any other, or that another state has proposed laws that restrict lowincome women’s access to affordable birth control, I have to pinch myself to believe the year really is 2016 and not 1816. Advancement in reproductive health care is an incredible achievement, and most of us agree on this. We support access to reproductive health services, everything from affordable birth control to STI testing, breast and cervical cancer screenings, domestic violence screening, and comprehensive sex education. None of us wants to return to a time when birth control was banned, back-alley abortions took thousands of women’s lives, HIV rates reached near-epidemic levels, or when far fewer individuals had access to lifesaving cancer screenings. Given the contrast between what the majority of Americans believes about reproductive health and the laws out-of-touch legislators are trying to pass, it is high time we start paying attention. There could not be more at stake this election when it comes to women’s health. When you cast your vote, make sure you know where each of the candidates stands, and vote for the individuals that will keep us moving forward. Sally Lydon, APRN, FNP-BC, GNP-BC Centerville

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5

Climate Change Is Real

Montana Senior News

In reply to Mr. Stang’s letter from last issue, his information comes from a website claiming to present facts showing climate change is a fabrication developed by scientists and government agencies. One can believe that information from this “real science” website or review the information from dozens of organizations, academics, agencies, and the United Nations Panel on Climate Change. A thorough summary of climate change evidence can be found on factcheck. org/2015/12/climate-change-review. For those who want to see for themselves, stop at the Lake St. Mary visitor center in Glacier National Park to see the display showing the status of the Park’s glaciers. The ice age prediction from the 1970s, described by Mr. Stang was in a Time Magazine article from 40 years ago, and the article was immediately debunked by people knowledgeable about climate data. Today’s observations of the earth’s climate and projections suggesting future outcomes have the benefit of modern satellite instruments and computer analysis unavailable then. Perhaps there will always be those who doubt mankind can do anything to change for the better. Bob Campbell is right to suggest that voters should ask candidates and elected officials to do something about climate change. David Belitsky Helena

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

Questions Marijuana Use

Jonathan Rimmel Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith

It was good to read from the proponents for marijuana, but they did not answer my questions. We were told that medical use would be for the dying and people in severe pain. How many users are in that category? How many in hospice? What percentage of users is under the age of 30? 40? 60? In other words, we need far more information about this drug and its use before we expand it! Denise Feller East Helena

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Have you ever encountered an animal that seems to have a mind of its own? From the cuddly kitten or tiny dog that basks in the lap of luxury indoors to the working horses, calves, or chickens of a small farm, sometimes it seems like beast has the upper hand over man. We can probably all recall an encounter with a favorite pet or work animal where somehow it seemed like the human wasn’t in the driver’s seat, often with hilarious consequences. This issue’s Remember When winner is Elaine

Robinson from Alabaster, Alabama whose story takes us through a day in the life of a girl and her horse, Jenny, and Jenny’s insistence on doing things her way. Thank you, Elaine for your Jenny And I 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 December 2016/January 2017 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.

Jenny and I By Elaine Robinson, Alabaster, Alabama

Elect

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

Jenny was the foal of a beloved workhorse. She was born in the middle 1930s on our farm in South Dakota, and while she wasn’t a pet, she was familiar with the farm and the people who lived there. We watched her grow up and saw her friendly, frisky nature. When Jenny matured, Daddy introduced her to the bit and bridle and then the saddle. He rode her enough to take the buck out of her and begin her training. Then we, the girls, began to ride her. We were responsible for finishing her training, which included voice commands, rein commands, and to stand still until her rider mounted and gave the signal to move. That was hard for her; she liked to be free and that’s part of what made her fun to ride. The saddle stirrups were set for Daddy’s long legs and didn’t do me much good. If I could get my feet into the straps above the stirrups, Jenny could trot or gallop and I wouldn’t bounce in the saddle or fall off. Our mail was delivered three times a week to a row of boxes at a crossroad about a mile from

• 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

NEW!

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

the house. The postman had a schedule, and if we had mail to go, we had to get there before he did. One day, we had mail to go and I was to ride Jenny to the mailbox. I managed to keep Jenny still while using my hands. I got my feet into the straps above the stirrups and then we were off. We were not supposed to let her run, but she loved to move! We were both having a good time! Jenny slowed a bit and minced down a hill, splashed across a small creek, and scrambled up the other side. She was galloping again when we came to the fence. Jenny had done all this before and knew the routine. I let down the wires and she walked across and waited patiently while I hooked the wires up. Then we were off again. At the mailbox, I tied Jenny to a fencepost and took her bridle off so she could graze. I have no idea how long we waited, but I knew the postman was late. Finally, Jenny became frantic and was pulling on her rope. The flies were bothering her with their ferocious bites, and she swished her tail, tossed her head, and stomped. I swatted flies with my hands. When the postman finally came, he had mail for us, which fit in a pouch on the saddle, as well as a large box wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. Anticipating difficulty with the box and an antsy Jenny, I walked down the fence and put the box on a post. I managed to get the bridle on Jenny’s tossing head and got on her back, although she was not stranding still! I steered her past the box and grabbed the string and at that moment, Jenny was off to the races. As I clung to the horn with one hand and the box with the other, I concluded I was riding a runaway horse. I yelled commands. I pulled back on the reins. Jenny would have none of it. She stuck out her chin and nearly pulled me out of the saddle. The stirrups were flapping uselessly. I tried to squeeze my knees to keep from bouncing so much just as she finally settled into a mostly smooth run. I wondered what she would do at the fence and was grateful when she stopped. She allowed me to put the box on a post, and let down the fence wires. She wasn’t spooked or wild-eyed, but she was in control! Jenny took me past the post, I grabbed the string, and we were off yet again. She minced down the hill and this time jumped the creek! I clung to the saddle horn so I wouldn’t slide off her rump as we went up the hill and across the last wild stretch for home. Fortunately, the yard gate was open. Jenny sailed through and slid to a halt by the water tank. Because we were late, Mom had been watching at the window. She had seen parts of the ride and could tell Jenny had been running. We had been breaking rules! Mom came out of the house ready to scold, but I handed her the box and she accepted my explanation. When I pulled Jenny’s head up to take off the halter and let her drink comfortably, I got a drippy nudge. Was a horse apology? MSN KJURAS-16203_MTseniorNewsAd_VFIN.pdf 1 that 7/8/16 12:17 PM

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7

V OTING IS A RIGHT WE ALL SHARE If you’re a person with a disability, the State of Montana offers a variety of ways to vote independently and privately.

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AutoMARK Specialized Voting Machine

With this brand new system, Montanans with disabilities can apply online to receive a ballot electronically. The ballot can then be printed and returned by mail or in person to the county election office during the absentee voting period and must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The AutoMARK is a ballot-marking system that provides privacy and accessibility to voters who are blind, vision impaired, or have a condition that makes it difficult or impossible to mark a ballot in the usual way.

To learn more about the variety of options available, call 888-884-VOTE (8683) or visit CountYourVote.org. Brought to you by Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch IN MONTANA, YOUR VOTE COUNTS

PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

There is something magical about autumn. The trees have shed the summer greens in favor of their warm fall colors and subtle chill shifts through the air. And autumn is a time of change – kids go back to school, fireplaces cast their warmth, burning leaves waft their aroma across the valleys, we take time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for, and beautiful new romances come to life. Do you feel inspired? Why not take advantage, send in your letter to our Cupid’s Corner, and discover the magic of a new companion. 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 December 2016/January 2017 issue, the deadline is November 12, 2016. Hello: I’m a SWF, 4’8”, blue eyes, freckles, white hair, in my seventies, and would like a com-

panion. Someone in the Kalispell or Columbia Falls areas. I don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. I live alone in a three-bedroom house with a big front and back yard. It all keeps me busy mowing in the summer time and shoveling snow in the winter. I don’t drive or own a car, so I do a lot of walking around town. I like to travel, but only on day trips. I love country western music and used to sing it when I was younger with my brother. If you like what you see, send a picture and I will answer you back. Reply MSN, Dept. 33101, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. 82-year-old widow seeks live-in aid. Food, utilities, and small salary provided. Darby area in Bitterroot Mountains south of Darby. Must drive and provide references. Reply MSN, Dept. 33102, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM seeking lonely or handicapped lady 50 to 80 for companionship. I am 65-years-old and do not smoke or drink. Please send phone number and I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 33103, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. What a beautiful Montana summer we have had. Sure would be nice to share some fishing, touring, sightseeing, star gazing, photography, etc. with someone. I am up here near Glacier Park, all 4’10”, 112 lbs of me. A mixture of Scotch/Irish, Norwegian, and English. A grandma who loves Jesus and our great country. Let’s hold on together, spread some light, hope, and share these golden years. Will respond to respectable gentlemen. A photo would be nice. Reply MSN, Dept. 33104, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

PAGE 14 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

A farewell from Bob Campbell, “I hope our trails cross again.” By Bob Campbell After years of giving my view of life in Montana, it is finally time to say good-bye. I am grateful to the Montana Senior News staff, and I thank them for their support and encouragement over the years. The Montana Senior News is a fine publication that truly serves its older readers. My life has been a continuous unfolding of the unlikely and I have been blessed to live in Sidney, Red Lodge, Helena, and Missoula. The spirit of Montana that produces our denizens’ rugged individualism also fosters the sense of place, stewardship, and respect for man and land that engages us with our environment, fellow humans, and communities and government and calls on us to leave all better than we found them. This important election year will set the course for how we deal with a host of important issues, from climate change and conservation to the education and economic policies that give

every American the chance to succeed and every senior access to the benefits they deserve. But, this election is also about more than the sum of these policy parts. Fundamentally, this election is about how we deal with the challenges of national identity and what it truly takes to be the inclusive, innovative, responsible, and just America we all grew up believing we could be. This is about reckoning with the shortcomings, mistakes, and outright cruelties of our past in order to leave something of greater value for the future. Please take the time to research the issues and the candidates to ensure that our elected officials work toward an American and Montanan identity of which we can all be proud. Thank you for sharing so many years and stories of Montana, our last best place. I hope our trails cross again. That’s all for now from Bob Campbell, enjoying every day I can in Montana. MSN

Different Truths for Different Ages Great Truths That Little Children Have Learned

Submitted by Julie Brantley 1. No matter how hard you try, you cannot baptize cats. 2. When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair. 3. If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person. 4. Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato. 5. You can’t trust a dog to watch your food. 6. Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

7. Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time. 8. You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. 9. Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts. 10. The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap. Great Truths That Adults Have Learned 1. Raising teenagers is like nailing jello to a tree. 2. Wrinkles don’t hurt. 3. Families are like fudge... mostly sweet, with a few nuts. 4. Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground. 5. Laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside. 6. Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy. Great Truths About Growing Old 1. Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. 2. Forget the health food. I need all the pre-

A champion for small businesses, innovative and sustainable 21st century job creation

AMY

RAPP DEMOCRAT

house district 20

Paid for by Rapp for HD20 1113 5th Avenue N. Great Falls, MT 59401

I believe strongly in preserving our public lands and natural resources. As a proponent of 21st century sustainability and innovation, I think Montana needs to revisit its position on voting in a bottle bill/deposit refund program for its residents. A bottle bill will generate uncollected deposits on bottles, cans and plastic beverage containers that could pay for expanded waste services accross the state; help the recycling efforts already underway and reduce landfill expansion. These and other innovative business development ideas are what I can bring to the legislature. I would love to have your vote this November, so think of me on Election Day!

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

servatives I can get. 3. When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you’re down there. 4. You’re getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster. 5. It’s frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

6. Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician. 7. Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. The Four Stages of Life 1. You believe in Santa Claus. 2. You don’t believe in Santa Claus. 3. You are Santa Claus. 4. You look like Santa Claus. MSN

By Bernice Karnop Navigate means to find a way to get to a place, to move on, to direct your course. It is a fitting word for the theme of this Montana Governor’s Conference on Aging and the Home and Community Based Services Conference, held September 1315, 2016 in Billings. Montana is one of the fastest aging states in the country. By 2025, one in four Montanans will be age 65 or older. The Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging, which sponsors the Conference, and Montana’s Aging Services, work to find a way, to chart a course, to plan, so they can find the best means to meet the needs of seniors of the next decades. Who will provide care, and what services will be available? Charlie Rehbein, Bureau Chief, Aging Services, says, “I’m not sure we can provide unless we plan.” A piece of that plan is this yearly gathering of seniors and those who serve them, for learning and listening in order to navigate the choices facing the state and individuals in it. Although the task is a little overwhelming, the conference was overwhelmingly positive. For example, of the 144 identified people over 100 years old, eight lively and enthusiastic Centenarians came to receive a certificate and a chat with Governor Steve Bullock. Each life is a microcosm of Montana history and a testimony to engagement and resiliency. Outstanding keynote speakers included Michael Smull, Chair of the Learning Community for Person Centered Practices. His talk, Having Positive Control over Your Life, emphasized listening to learn what the person wants and then trying to provide it. It is the attitude of power with a person,

not power over them. Lance Robertson and Whitney Bailey from Oklahoma DHS and Oklahoma State University spoke on the topic, The Fast Moving Train: How Families can get ahead of Care Choices. The vast majority of health care is provided by family, not health professionals, they say. Families need support and training. Dr. Pam Roberts’ practical talk, Navigating the Highway to Health: Choices, Crossroads, and Consequences encouraged people to be aware of the small choices. Health care, says the Kalispell doctor, is more about prevention than cure. Finally, Julie Beckett addressed advocacy, telling the story of her daughter, the first HCBS waiver recipient. In One Family’s Amazing Journey: One Person can make a Difference, she encouraged advocacy through the story of one family’s experience. Attendees hung out with friends and learned what they are making happen in the rest of our big state. They went home with ideas, information, and awareness. We invite readers to navigate their own choice to attend the GCA next year, especially those who have not attended before. There will likely be two conferences, making it possible for more to attend. Conference organizers are planning for conferences in Glendive and Kalispell. Watch for more information in coming issues of the Montana Senior News. MSN

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PAGE 16 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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The vendor booth for the Alzheimer’s Association included a chance to feed a fish to an oversized penguin. The penguin mostly went hungry as few could get it into the pocket by stomping the lever to release the fish. Keynote speaker Lance Robertson, Director, DHS, State of Oklahoma, came close. He’s in the center holding a fish. The prize was a hug from Sophia Writesel, left, Alzheimer’s Association outreach specialist. Kathy Ruff, right, also an outreach specialist, was helping people with the Penguin toss. [Photo by Bernice Karnop] Honored Centenarian, Bonnie Grossheusch, Billings, and her daughter Susan Beckers laughed at the memories that surfaced at the Centenarian luncheon. Born on a cattle ranch in Bonesteel, South Dakota, Bonnie was the youngest of five children. In 1957, she moved to Billings with her husband, who became supervisor of student teachers at Eastern Montana College, now MSU Billings. She never misses church, does daily bible reading, and goes for lots of indoor walks. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Barney Meyers’ second Centenarian luncheon fell on his 106th birthday and the family came out to celebrate. Included in the photo with Barney are daughters Joanne Schulze from Colorado, and Joyce Fletcher from Billings, granddaughter Mary Neidhart from Colorado, and grandson Mike Schulze from Idaho. Barney graduated from high school in Wibaux in 1927. As a high schooler, he participated in football, basketball, and track. He went on to teach math and coach football, basketball, track, and cross-country for 30 years in the Billings School District. Barney likes to say, “Live each day like it’s your last one. Someday you’ll get it right.” Family members boast that Barney does everything for himself except fix his own meals. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

Health Care Important Issue In November By Mitzi Vorachek As a mother of two and grandmother of three, I believe there is nothing more important than affordable and high-quality health care for our daughters, sons, and grandchildren in Montana. In watching the state of our current campaign for the governorship of Montana, I am growing increasingly concerned about the lack of a statement of support for women’s health from gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte. Both of my daughters are fortunate to have been able to call on Planned Parenthood in their times of need. But historically this has not always been the case for women. When I was young and in college, safe and reliable birth control was not available. The only young women who could get prescriptions for birth control pills were those who were engaged to be married. Even then the pills were not available to them until a couple of months before their weddings. Access to birth control and to high quality health care is crucial to a family’s economic wellbeing and to women’s and men’s success in both work and family life. Planned Parenthood has always been a leader in the fight for women’s equality and health care. A woman’s ability to plan

her family is a major reason women have made such strides over the years. In addition, Planned Parenthood offers physical exams, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, cancer screening, transgender services, and family health care. I

Bill Smith, shown receiving his certificate from Governor Steve Bullock, served in the Army Air Corp in Europe in World War II. He logged more than forty missions in a B-24 bomber. He’s most proud of having a successful marriage of 69 years, and raising a good family. He loves to dances any chance he gets, and lives independently at age 100. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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fear Mr. Gianforte may not understand this, and I fear that, if elected, his leadership may prove to put women and families at risk with his lack of support for Planned Parenthood. He has donated millions of dollars to anti-choice, so-called pregnancy crisis centers that provide inaccurate information to women seeking health care. For weeks he has dodged answering questions about funding Planned Parenthood. There are fewer than 50 days until the election, and Montanans still don’t know where he stands on this issue. He’s hedging his bets, hoping most people won’t notice. However, women are definitely noticing. Unlike Gianforte Governor Steve Bullock has shown his support for equality by issuing an Executive Order to combat pay disparity in our state; he has vetoed bills that would limit access to health care; and he has worked with both Democrats and Republicans to expand access to health care to 70,000 Montanans. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from the women’s equality movement, it’s “the personal is political.” So, Mr. Gianforte, it’s personal: Where do you really stand on funding Planned Parenthood? MSN

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Denis and Annette Freeland from Shelby came to the GCA to accept a Mini grant award for their center. The county did some upgrades on the building and they will use the $600 grant for paint to finish the project. Annette has served on the board since 1986 and Denis has served as County Commissioner. Annette is proud to say that her grandson just moved into the ranch house on land that his great grandfather homesteaded around 1900. She’s even prouder of a new grandbaby. “We have so much,” she says with a big smile. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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Lunch at the Conference is time to relax and network. These attendees, who work in Home Care Services, say they will go home with a lot of information to share with their caregivers and clients. They are Kim Hunter, Glasgow, Sharon Marttila, Billings, Rosemarie Jones, Bozeman, and Tammy McKee, Billings. [Photo by Bernice Karnop] Tai Chi exercises have been around for something like a thousand years. Mark Cassell, RN, calls Tai Chi the gentle exercise for everyone. The exercise may increase endurance, improve balance, and help the body’s ability to control chronic pain. With Mark, who is not shown, were Lisa and Joel Bowers who demonstrated the mesmerizing movements and helped the audience try Tai Chi. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Bonnie Hofer received the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Award for her creative and amazing help in getting the services a middleaged client needed in order to go to his home from the hospital without going to the nursing home. It wasn’t easy, she admits. “When a person steps outside their box, others have to adjust their boxes,” she says. That can cause some discomfort! The award was one of a number of awards given at the Home and Community Based Services Award Banquet Wednesday evening. Bonnie is shown with friend, Arnica Ziebarth. Both women are Medicaid Waiver Case Management professionals in Miles City. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Georgia Hogenson and Jean Skillman, Wilsall, left the conference with their heads full of information and their hands filled with a boxed lunch prepared by the Billings Hotel for all the conference goers. It was Georgia’s first GCA. She says she learned some new things and uncovered topics about which she intends to learn more when she gets home. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Marilyn Mischel, Glendive, and Vicky Ruby, Plentywood, compare notes before a session. As Program Specialist for Area I, Marilyn wears many hats. She helps individuals find legal assistance, transportation, and monitors congregate meals. During open enrollment, October 15 until December 7, she drives hundreds of miles to serve as many as 400 clients. She loves it. She has lived her whole life in Glendive and says, “In small communities you know people.” Vicky, from a small community as well, also wears numerous hats including I & A and SHIP. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Nibs Moessmer, Billings, and Richard Klose Sr., Laurel, both serve on the board for the Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County. The organization offers services that keep Yellowstone County folks that are 60 and better active, healthy, and connected. Nibs retired from retail business and moved to Montana from California to be near his grandchildren. Richard grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota, and was a Teamster hauler who delivered new cars after they came to Laurel by train. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

PAGE 20 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Lynn Mullowny and Erin Bequette from the Alzheimer’s Association are doing all they can to raise awareness of this growing epidemic in Montana. They passed out popcorn and signed people up for the Alzheimer’s walk in different Montana towns. At the walk, participants receive a big flower, purple for those who have lost a loved one to the disease, yellow for a caregiver, blue for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease, and orange for those caring community members. At present, there are 19,000 Montanans with Alzheimer’s disease or one of the 80 kinds of related dementias. Erin, who owns High Plains Brewery, is chairperson of the walk in Billings. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Montana Board of Housing representative Rena Oliphant, Helena, spent time networking with Calvin Calton, Billings, who is with the Consumer Direct Care Network. The Consumer Direct Care Network helps Medicaid qualified clients with homecare and self-directed personal care. They help individuals identify their needs and the programs for which they qualify. They assist them to choose and train their own caregivers. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Madge Hoersten moved to Billings 5 years ago to be near her grandson Steve Henley, shown with Madge in the photo. Madge worked mostly as an executive secretary in Ohio. She says the Lord helped her survive the death of two husbands and all three of her children. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

Vote Addrien

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

MARX

House District 92

Working With Us for Over 35 Years!

Understanding Our Outdoor Heritage Addrien is true to her roots in rural Montana and supports active management of our natural resources. I happily endorse Addrien. – Gordy Sanders, Professional Forester, Seeley Lake

Our Real Neighbor We’ve known Addrien since back in our Community Council days. She knows us! She will best represent our interests in Helena the best.. – Chuck Erickson & Dave Strohmaier, previous candidates in HD 92, Clinton/Missoula

Marge Krueger, a retired nurse from Billings, says she loves to learn. When fall rolls around, she feels the urge to get back to school. With Marge is keynote speaker, Julie Beckett from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Julie, a former teacher, feels the same stirrings. They agreed that the many offerings of the Conference filled that need to know. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

I would appreciate your vote on your mail-in ballot or on Tuesday, November 8. (406) 677-4253 • 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.

When I was a boy, I was told that anybody come become President; I’m beginning to believe it. - Clarence Darrow Four generations of fun-loving gals sat with Centenarian Thelma Green. Behind Thelma are daughter, Linda Rutheford, granddaughter, Ingeri Leuthold, and great granddaughter, Jessica Luthold, who submitted Thelma’s name to Aging Services. Thelma was born 102 years ago near Volberg, Montana. “They called someone out of the hayfield to run for the midwife,” she says. The birth was never recorded. When she wanted to go to Canada, her dad, then Sheriff of Custer County was able to get her a delayed birth certificate. Volberg, she is proud to say, was named by her very Norwegian mother. Still gets her hair done every week and visits Starbucks regularly with family. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

The Pam Davis Award went to a positive and inspiring seven year old, Heath Montgomery. Cerebral Palsy has not dampened his “can do” spirit. He is a role model of positivity for children and adults alike. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23

PAGE 24 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

The Spirit of Norway: A Trip to the Top of the World

Story by Andrea Gross; photos by Irv Green I stay up all night to babysit the sun. At midnight, its glow is faint, but the sky is still bright enough that I can read a newspaper without a flashlight and see the shore without squinting. By 2 a.m., the darkest part of the night has passed, and the light of the sky matches the white of the snow-covered mountains. The day that never ended has become the morning that has just begun. I’m traveling up the coast of Norway on a midsized cruise ship, the MS Polarlys, and early this morning, as we cruised past a stylized globe that sits atop a small isle of rock, we officially entered

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the Arctic Circle. I am now in a place where winter days are cloaked with a Polar Night during which the sun never rises above the horizon, and sum-

1980s, when the company saw tourism as a way to make full use of its ships. Between never-ending hours of daylight and the slow speed of the ship, – Hurtigruten ships can be outpaced by an average dog or reasonably fit cyclist – we have plenty of time to ogle the scenery. On our first night after entering the Arctic Circle, our captain took us for a midnight ride into Trollfjord, a channel of water so narrow that it’s off limits to larger ships. I forget to be tired as I gaze at the snow-capped cliffs that tower above us, outlined by the dusky light of the midnight sun. As we relax in the ship’s Panorama Lounge, we become hypnotized by the passing scenes of small villages. Some are perched on rocky outcroppings, others are tucked into the hills, and all are dotted with small houses, most of which are painted in tones of red and gold. The traditional colors date back to the time when red was made The Sami people explain their culture to cruise passfrom the blood and oil of codfish and ochre was engers. produced from iron oxide found in the soil. mer nights glow with a Midnight Sun during which On a typical seven-day cruise a Hurtigruten the sun never drops below it. In other words, I’m vessel visits 34 ports, most for only a few minutes, headed to the top of the world. but several for three or four hours. We disemTo call the MS Polarbark on the longer stops lys, one of the recently and, on occasion, treat refurbished ships owned ourselves to a shipby Hurtigruten Cruise sponsored excursion. Line, a cruise ship is Thus we hear a to miss the point. It’s concert of Nordic music, a lovely vessel, awash visit a cathedral honorwith sleek handsome ing Viking King Olav wood that has a disTryggvason, and ride tinctly Nordic sensibility, in a rubber boat to the and it spoils its cruise edge of the world’s most passengers – at least powerful whirlpool. those who like fish fresh But mostly we exAlesund, a small city along the coast, is filled with Art from the sea and locally Nouveau buildings. plore the villages on our grown vegetables – with own – engaging people insanely good meals. But its real mission is to in conversation and absorbing the rhythms of deliver goods ranging from food to furniture to their life. In Skarsvåg, a gathering of 40 people remote villages and at the same time to help that may well be one of the smallest communities the local residents travel to other coastal towns. north of the Arctic Circle, economic conditions (Think FedEx blended with Greyhound Bus.) Al- caused fish processing plants to close and young though the company was founded in 1893, cruise people to search for jobs in larger towns. As the passengers weren’t welcomed aboard until the town dwindled to one-third its former size, the

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women began knitting thick scarves and socks that they hoped to sell to tourists if they could entice some to come their way. It will take many scarves to save the village, but when you live in what they dubbed the “world’s northernmost fishing village,” resilience is bred in the bones – or, pardon the pun, knit into the fabric of your existence. As we leave Skarsvåg clutching our bag of warm mittens, we see our first reindeer. There are 100,000 reindeer in Norway, some that roam free but most of which belong to the Sami, an indigenous people who have traditionally worked as reindeer herders. We spend more than an hour with the Tutsi family, who tell us about Sami tradi-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25

Norwegian waters are rich with fish such as herring and salmon, which are regular offerings on the cruise ship’s breakfast and lunch buffets.

tions and offer us a cup of homemade reindeer broth. On our way back to the ship, we see North Cape, the northernmost outpost in Europe. This obviously deserves a toast. That night, with the sun still high in the sky, we go to the Panorama Lounge and, with our fellow passengers, cheer the fact that we’ve truly reached the top of the world. Skål! For an expanded version of this article and more information on Norway, visit traveltizers. com. For more information specifically on Hurtigruten cruises, visit hurtigruten.us MSN

Baby, You Can Drive My Car By Bonnie McCune “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain Of travel, writer Henry Miller said, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Since a major benefit of grandchildren is that they also provide you a new way of seeing things (poking a roly-poly bug with a finger to study the resulting tight and tiny circle, or licking the latest flavor of ice cream in total anticipation of delight), add grandchildren to travel to come up with an unforgettable experience. With this in mind, my husband and I set off to one of our favorite locations, Mesa Verde National Monument, with our two grandchildren in tow. We wanted to share this treasure with our curious and questing offspring, not just for their benefit but for ours, too – a different perspective, new challenges, and renewed appreciation.

Mesa Verde requires a nine-hour, four-hundred mile voyage from Denver to its cultural, historic, and archeological wonders. So we loaded up Lola, age ten, and Sean, age seven, for an expedition long enough to challenge us and short enough not to resemble a purgatory. We were realistic. No, we couldn’t expect the children to be quiet the entire way. Yes, we knew distractions had to be planned. No, we had no hopes of a clean car interior, hands, faces, and clothing. In addition, we favored human interactions over electronics. Television wasn’t an option, for our lodge had none. And we would use the portable DVD player minimally. Each child brought a backpack of books, colors, and toys. The distractions Grandma and Grandpa supplied tended to be based on our own interests pointing out the routes traveled by pioneers and noticing areas that forest fires had decimated. These made welcome breaks in the routine and led to (Continued on page 30)

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Gail Jokerst Places In Prominent Outdoor Writers Competition Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) is pleased to announce that Gail Jokerst of West Glacier was recognized as an award recipient during the 2016 OWAA Excellence in Craft Contests. This annual awards program recognizes and honors the best work of outdoor communicators who are members of OWAA. This year, 64 individuals took home over $13,000 in cash prizes. For more info, visit owaa.org/eic. Her awards: Second place in the conservation or nature category of the Newspaper contest for “Frank Vitale Gives a Voice to Wild Places,” Montana Senior News, June/July 2015. The conservation category

recognizes pieces with an emphasis on successes or challenges within conservation; interesting new discoveries within nature; or a fascinating tale about a creature, plant, or ecosystem. The prize money for this category was sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Second place in the gear/technical category of the Newspaper contest for “The Bandana: More Than Just a Hiker’s Handkerchief,” Montana Senior News, August/September 2015. The gear/technical category pieces must be informative about gear; or instructional in how to use outdoor equipment in an entertaining yet easy-to-understand manner.

Gail Jokerst has been selling her freelance stories for the past 25 years and taught adulteducation writing classes at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, and Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Montana. She is a regular contributor to Montana Senior News and has written for publications such as Montana Magazine, Big Sky Journal, The Spokesman-Review, Northwest Travel, and The Christian Science Monitor. A member of the OWAA since 2000, Gail covers topics ranging from natural history and hiking to conservation and cooking or whatever piques her curiosity at the moment. She is married to wildlife artist Jim Jokerst and lives year-round in West Glacier where she can look into nearby Glacier National Park from her living room windows. Visit her website gailjokerst.com, to read some of her stories or learn about her cookbook, “The Hungry Bear Kitchen: Recipes and Writings.” The OWAA is the oldest and largest association of professional outdoor communicators in the United States. It was organized in 1927 by members of the Izaak Walton League of America and includes professional communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience. OWAA’s professionals include writers, photographers, outdoors radio and television show hosts, book authors, videographers, lecturers, and artists. The association is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. Visit owaa.org for more info. MSN

Hiking’s Tiny Dynamic Duo Or Much Ado About Magnets By Gail Jokerst; gailjokerst.com Never let it be said that the little things in life can’t make a hiker happy. Proof of that humbly resides on my backpack’s sternum strap, which buckles across my chest. Measuring a mere 1/2inch in diameter and weighing all of 4 grams, the object of my affection is none other than an oldfashioned magnet. When employed as a means for taming a wayward drink tube dangling from said backpack, its status shifts from inconsequential to indispensable faster than it takes to swallow a mouthful of water. Turning back the calendar three decades when I began hiking, I relieved my thirst with a pair of water bottles sidesaddled in my fanny pack. To avoid spilling the precious liquid meant frequent but necessary stops to remove and replace bottle caps before returning each bottle to its holster. This method worked fine until I started venturing higher and deeper into the backcountry. Longer treks, I soon discovered, required downing more water more often while I inhaled and exhaled my way up breath-stealing switchbacks. These treks also required persistently put-

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

ting one foot in front of the other if I wanted to reach a mountain pass or fire lookout before moonrise or the age of 90, whichever occurred first. Some years later after waterbladder hydration systems became more visible on trails, I bought one to insert in the backpack I was then using. My new best friend came with a refillable reservoir, a flexible drink hose, and a bite valve from which I could sip water as I walked. All well and good, or so I thought. The frontal plastic tube was a definite improvement over the fanny-pack system. It eliminated awkward stretching, fiddling with bottle caps, and unwanted stops. However, it also exhibited a trait about which I was not so enthusiastic. Thanks to the pressurized water within its confines, the tube seemed to possess a mind of its own akin to a rambunctious two-year-old – rambunctious being the operative word. A pair of elasticized bands on my shoulder strap attempted to keep the tube tucked close to my pack, but couldn’t subdue its quirky nature. The jouncing appendage would migrate to different positions with each boot step, at times bumping into my arm as I wielded my hiking poles. Or, it would get entangled with the cord attached to my sunglasses or ensnarled in the cinching strap of my hat if either rested off-line around my neck. Eventually, I began to notice water tubes on the trail that displayed no such tendencies. They actually behaved themselves remaining obediently in place until needed. And they all had something

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27

in common. The secret, I found out, was attributable to a pair of small round magnets – one placed on the pack’s sternum strap, the other affixed at the base of a companion bite valve. Furthermore, I learned the pair could be purchased as a set for less than ten dollars at my local sporting goods store. Well, you could have knocked me over with a granola bar. Once I realized how simply the problem could be solved, I replaced my original bite valve with the magnetized version and fastened its 4-gram mate to the partner strap. Granted, those two magnets are little. But acting in tandem, they have the power to make this hiker very happy. MSN

Imagine if for one year every elected official set aside partisan bickering & focused on one task: doing what it takes to keep Montana the greatest state in the country. As an Iraq & Afghanistan veteran, this is my mission. Montana comes first. Our seniors deserve a voice in the legislature. That's why over the past six months, I've spent countless evenings going door-to-door to listen to the concerns of seniors. I'd be honored to have your vote by mail-in ballot or on November 8th. — Andrew Person Paid for by Andrew Person for Legislature. Democrat. PO Box 8452. Missoula, MT 59807. Cliff Larsen, Treasurer.

PAGE 28 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Those Beautiful Cars of the ‘50s By Jerry Ginther When you saw a ‘57 Chevy coming down the street, even a block away, you knew it was not a ’56 Ford Crown Victory. Can you remember when cars were easily identifiable at first sight? Proprietary attributes such as front grills, rear tail fins, hood ornaments, and chrome trim made them easily recognizable from a considerable distance. The make of the car and the year it was manufactured were unmistakable even to those who knew little about cars otherwise. When I was a youngster, there were several preWWII autos still on the road, too. Looking back, I’m amazed by the fact that some Ford cars had V-8 engines in them before 1940. Those engines were known as flathead V-8s, because the intake and exhaust

valves were in the block. Later, in the ‘50s, the valves were located in the engine head, but were referred to as “overhead” valves. Somewhere, back in the good old days, I’m told that Lincoln cars were equipped with V-12 engines and overdrive. For a full-sized car, I’m thinking that those old Lincolns had to be the fastest vehicles on the highway. Do you remember the song, “Hot Rod Lincoln?” If you’re less than 40 years old, you have probably never heard the term “overdrive” either. The interior of those pre-WWII types sported gadgets that the present generation has likely never seen. Starter pedals were located on the floor next to the accelerator. Actually, they were just a steel rod protruding through the floorboard with a rubber boot around it. One had to push the rod with the right foot

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

to engage the starter. The headlight dimmer switch was also located on the floor, but to the left side of the clutch and brake pedals. This configuration continued for many more years. As technology progressed, the starter switch was improved to a push button on the dashboard. In those older vehicles, the ignition switch had to be turned on with a key before the starter was engaged by either the foot switch or the push button. The key was not used to start the engine, only to shut it off. Fender skirts, seat covers, and steering wheel “spinners” were popular with my age group. Those skirts gave a lower to the ground appearance to the rear end of the car. Seat covers protected the original upholstery from stains and wear and tear. If you had good taste in color and design, they really looked better than the upholstery in most cases. Spinners were more popular before power steering was added as a luxury item. They were just large knobs on a spindle, which clamped around the rim of the steering wheel. The large end of the knob would spin freely making steering the car much easier and faster than with the hand-over-hand method. Some had a fancy design with colored pictures under a clear plastic cap. Many of those pictures became the topic of some colorful conversations, too. However, spinners were soon outlawed, because of their breaking free of the steering wheel while the car was in a turn causing

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29

accidents. There were also broken wrists, arms, and fingers from being struck by the spinners when they were released to allow the wheel to return to its original position. Spinners also found their way onto the steering wheels of farm tractors. Tractors of that era did not have power steering and the spinners made the sharp turnarounds at the end of the rows almost effortless. Today, I cannot tell the make or year model of an automobile by looking at it even when I’m standing beside it. I could read the manufacture’s emblem on the car; however, I would have no idea in which year it was made. I can’t remember when cars began to lose their distinctive appearances. It must have been a slow process, but it seemed to hit me suddenly when I was asked what kind of a car my neighbor drove. I realized I had no idea although I’d seen the car 50 times. Then a startling reality set in. Looking around at the cars that I could see, I realized I could not name the make or model of a single one. I wondered how in the world would I identify a car to the police other than by its color? “Well, officer, it was small, box-shaped, and blue, but I have no idea of its make or model. It looked like all of the other cars in town.” That’s what my police report would probably sound like today. MSN

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Baby, You Can Drive My Car - (Continued from page 25)

conversations! Seven-year-olds can have real conversations in which they state opinions, mull information, and ask questions. Just give the kids time and a little direction. You’ll get highly original points of view while building bonds between the generations. We used the trip to test and try new things. A shower that functions differently from that of the home bathroom (we struggled several times before discovering the “warm” setting), people who speak in other languages (America is not the center of the world), life lessons through observations of human behavior (“See that careless child littering?”), broadened the children’s knowledge and experience. Traditional ways to create our own fun centered on games like Clue, good for all ages. In the car the long-beloved activities like car Bingo, nonsense songs, license plate sightings, all passed the time in positive ways.

I hardly dared suggesting one pastime: reading aloud. I feared the kids would think this a chore. But remembering their parents’ fascination three decades before with a narration of The Great Brain, I wanted to try. I didn’t have to. Lola brought Harry Potter and read it to all of us, thereby providing entertainment, improving her reading skills, and making Sean eager to try reading subsequent volumes by himself. Our four-day adventure was chock-full of fun, exercise, new sights and experiences, and a few disagreements from which we all learned. Sean challenged himself to climb tall ladders; Lola became an expert at detective work. None of us will forget the deer nibbling grass right outside the lodge room or the eerie yet exhilarating fog that spread over the entire landscape. Best of all, we became closer with our family’s next generation, and they learned more about us. As Sean said at the conclusion of our trip, “Grandpa is my new best friend.” What can beat a result like that? MSN

Discovery Could Open Door To Frozen Preservation Of Tissues, Whole Organs By David Stauth, Researchers in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University have discovered a new approach to “vitrification,” or ice-free cryopreservation, which could ultimately allow a much wider use of extreme cold to preserve tissues and even organs for later use. “This could be an important step toward the preservation of more complex tissues and structures,” said Adam Higgins, an associate professor in the OSU School of Chemical, Biological and

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Environmental Engineering, and expert on medical bioprocessing. Cryopreservation has already found widespread use in simpler applications such as preserving semen, blood, embryos, plant seeds, and some other biological applications. But it is often constrained by the crystallization that occurs when water freezes, which can damage or destroy tissues and cells, Higgins said. This is similar to what happens to some food products when they are stored in a freezer, and lose much of their texture when thawed. To address this, researchers have used various types of cryoprotectants that help reduce cell damage during the freezing process – among them is ethylene glycol, literally the same compound often used in automobile radiators to prevent freezing. A problem, Higgins said, is that many of these cryoprotectants are toxic and can damage or kill the very cells they are trying to protect from the forces of extreme cold. In the new OSU research, the engineers developed a mathematical model to simulate the

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

freezing process in the presence of cryoprotectants, and identified a way to minimize damage. They found that if cells are initially exposed to a low concentration of cryoprotectant and time is allowed for the cells to swell, then the sample can be vitrified after rapidly adding a high concentration of cryoprotectants. The result is much less overall toxicity, Higgins said. The research showed that healthy cell survival following vitrification rose from about 10 percent with a conventional approach to more than 80 percent with the new optimized procedure. “The biggest single problem and limiting factor in vitrification is cryoprotectant toxicity, and this helps to address that,” Higgins said. “The model should also help us identify less toxic cryoprotectants, and ultimately open the door to vitrification of more complex tissues and perhaps complete organs.” If that were possible, many more applications of vitrification could be feasible, especially as future progress is made in the rapidly advancing field of tissue regeneration, in which stem cells can be used to grow new tissues or even organs. Tissues could be made in small amounts and then stored until needed for transplantation. Organs being used for transplants could be routinely preserved until a precise immunological match was found for their use. Conceptually, a person could even grow a spare heart or liver from their own stem cells and preserve it through vitrification in case it was ever needed, Higgins said. Important applications might also be found in new drug development. Drug testing is now carried out with traditional cell culture systems or animal models, which in many cases don’t accurately predict the effect of the drug in humans. To address this, researchers are developing “organs-on-a-chip,” or microfluidic chambers that contain human cells cultured under conditions that mimic native tissues or organs. These new “organ-on-a-chip” systems may be able more accurately to predict drug responses in humans, but to deploy them; cells must be preserved in long-term storage. The new research could help address this by making it possible to store the systems in a vitrified state. The OSU College of Engineering is among the nation’s largest and most productive engineering programs and is a leader in signature research areas. MSN

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Breast Cancer And The Summer Within By Sally A. Connolly In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. – Albert Camus This past Christmas one of my daughters gave me a boxed calla lily. Ready for planting, the lily came with fertile soil and a clay pot. In the midst of a harsh New England winter and a personal health crisis, the bulb promised me a beautiful spring. Throughout the winter, I have tended the lily, watering it faithfully and adding fertilizer as

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needed. Because I am following all the directions on the box, I have every reason to believe that my careful tendering will produce a specimen as glorious as the stargazer lilies I planted several years ago in my garden. My first foray into bulb planting, though, nearly failed. Although the stargazers blossomed en

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masse, the lily leaf beetle appeared as well, threatening to decimate the crop. But I didn’t despair. I began a mission of search and destroy. Each day I handpicked the nasty creatures and dropped them into soap-filled jars. Throughout the odious task, I focused on saving the lilies for both that season and the next. The following year I added to my arsenal of defense. Bayer Rose and Flower Spray kept the beetles at bay, while Miracle-Gro provided nourishment for the soil. Not only did the lilies survive; they flourished. This year, I plan a similar attack: on both the lilies and the cancer that has invaded my personal space. This new invader has already been weeded out. Surgery has removed the cancerous lump in my breast, and six weeks of radiation have killed any lingering cells. To prevent recurrence and spread, my doctors and I have decided to use hormones as adjuvant therapy. We have chosen aromatase inhibitors rather than Tamoxifen because research shows them to be as effective or even more effective for postmenopausal women. In addition, I am trying to be Mediterranean in my food selections, including in my diet more fruits,

vegetables, and olive oil. Experiments suggest that the polyphenols (or natural antioxidants) in extravirgin olive oil “drastically suppress overexpression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells.” For additional protection, I am fortifying my nutrient intake with daily doses of 1500 mg of calcium and 1000 mg of Vitamin D3. These supplements, health experts say, reduce the risk of osteoporosis. And, finally, I am increasing my level of physical activity. This defense comes highly recommended. The editors of the British Medical Journal say, “the health benefits of exercise are so great that it is probably the most important self-help treatment available.” To get me through the long winter months, I am relying on my resurrected Tai Chi and dance/exercise DVDs and my faithful standbys, the treadmill and exercise bike. As for my lilies, I have done all that I can. And according to my mother, “Angels can do no more.” So, I wait expectantly for spring, confident that “My flowers from a hundred cribs will peek, and prance again.” (Emily Dickinson) In the human breast, hope springs eternal. MSN

Reimagining Women’s Cancers: The Power Of Celebrity And Public Awareness In Changing Cancer Outcomes HCI Books; ISBN 9780757319532 “The illnesses of famous patients receive enormous attention from the media and serve as touchstones for patients and families dealing with similar conditions… By taking a series of famous cancer cases and looking at the actual information being received by the public, Doctors Boguski and Berman are furthering the important process of ascertaining

exactly what these episodes teach us.” – Barron H. Lerner, MD Cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. The get-out-of-cancer-free card? Prevention through information. The recent World Cancer Report from the World Health Organization states that about half of all cancers are preventable and can be avoided if current medical knowledge is better delivered. From People Magazine, with a readership of 43 million to Internet sites like JustJared.com with over 80 million monthly views, celebrity information not only sells, it has the ability to educate about important issues – including cancer. Whether readers are patients or consumers wanting to be better informed, Reimagining Women’s Cancers exemplifies that information is empowering. Reading about a famous person coping with cancer cannot only be inspiring; it can save a life. In this first book of their Reimagining Cancer series, doctors Mark Boguski and Michele Berman team with writer David Tabatsky to provide stories focusing on cancer of the breasts, ovaries, uterus, cervix, vagina, and vulva. To provide readers with information to help them manage, cope, and recover from illness, Reimagining Women’s Cancers is written in an easy-to-read style and format. Each chapter begins with basic anatomy concerning each cancer, followed by an overview of how we view a particular cancer today. The chapters flow easily into an explanation of signs, symptoms, diagnoses, scientific information and guidelines, and end on surveys for treatments and prevention. Woven throughout are stories, both medical and anecdotal, from women such as Angelina Jolie, Joan Lunden, Melissa Etheridge, Sandra Lee, Rita Wilson, Christina Applegate, and Suzanne Somers. Every 23 seconds someone in America is diagnosed with cancer. Education is the key, and

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by using clear and concise information by means of celebrity stories, Reimagining Women’s Cancers can teach countless readers who might otherwise not pay attention to an epidemic likely to affect them or a loved one. About The Authors: Dr. Mark Boguski and Dr. Michele Berman are a husband and wife team of physicians who have trained and taught at some of the top medical schools and research institutions in the country, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Washington University in St. Louis, the National Library of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health. Celebrity Diagnosis, the website they founded and launched in 2009, is now featured as an integral part of the American Association for Cancer Research website and combines celebrity health conditions with

up-to-date medical information on numerous cancers. Through their website, Dr. Boguski and Dr. Berman have created numerous “teachable moments in medicine,” giving the medical facts behind the headlines. Their aim is to increase health awareness and medical knowledge for patient empowerment and professional development, and raise the likelihood of consideration for early detection and preventative behavior. For a patient facing cancer, or for a medical student overwhelmed by data, medical information alone can be quite daunting and often misses the human factor that is so vital in prevention and healing. David Tabatsky, through his writing and editing, has added an essential element to the book through his interviews with patients and cancer support groups. MSN

How Statins Cause Diabetes By Suzy Cohen When you are told you have high cholesterol, you assume it comes from eating too much fat, right? After all, cholesterol is a lipid of “fat” and that seems like normal reasoning. If you think high cholesterol is due to a high-fat diet, you’re wrong. Very little fat from foods becomes cholesterol. What makes high cholesterol is consumption of sugar and carbohydrates – soda, candy, cake, potato chips, bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates. So to make this clear, high cholesterol and triglyceride almost always occur as a consequence of eating too many sweets, not butter or eggs, okay? If your body turns excess sugar into cholesterol, and statins reduce the cholesterol formation, then where does all the sugar go when you take a statin drug? It’s a good question, and I need to give you an answer so you can get well! If you tell your liver to “knock it off and stop making cholesterol” then it’s going to push all the sugar (glucose) back out of the liver and into your blood stream rather than turn it into cholesterol. It’s just going to lock the door and tell the sugar, “Get out!”

You know this already but just in case, when a doc finds excess sugar in your blood, you’re told you have “diabetes.” Then you start driving in the fast lane of a multi-billion dollar business, one complete with shots, drugs, and scary complications (amputations, blindness). If we personally met and you told me you had diabetes, I won’t even take a breath before I ask, “Are you by chance taking a statin?” Please make sure you have diabetes, the real disorder, and not a man-made disease induced by a medication you needed for high cholesterol. This is basic health 101, folks. The treatment plan differs dramatically if you have diabetes versus drug-induced hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Statins block endogenous production of cholesterol, meaning your internal production, the cholesterol that you make, not eat. You see, many of you still think statins block the fat (cholesterol) you get when you eat a bacon cheeseburger. That’s not true. Statins don’t reduce cholesterol from exogenous (external) sources – that bacon cheeseburger is going straight to your arteries even if you take a statin. So is the cherry croissant you

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eat for desert. The statins offset the cholesterol you make, not eat. You can’t negate a greasy snack with one tiny pill. Because statins block your own endogenous cholesterol production in the liver, they force your liver to “spit out” the glucose that comes from eating sugary, starchy foods. Normally, your liver would turn that PB & J sandwich into cholesterol but instead, the glucose gets pushed back into your bloodstream.

In your relentless quest to lower cholesterol, you may be giving yourself diabetes. I recommend reducing cholesterol with diet and exercise and healthy EFAs (essential fatty acids like fish oil, chia seed oil, etc). Can you lower cholesterol without a statin? “Surprise, surprise, surprise,” as Gomer Pyle used to say. Of course, you can! And avoiding statins is much better for your blood sugar levels. MSN

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande; Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2014 Reviewed by Connie Daugherty “There is arguably no better time in history to be old,” writes Dr. Atul Gawande in his bestselling book, Being Mortal. If you find yourself getting older, not younger – if you or any of your family is experiencing ODTAA syndrome (One Damn Thing After Another) then this is the book for you. A respected and practicing surgeon, Gawande, once again examines how the medical profession both helps and hinders our lives – in this case the natural process of aging. Gawande’s emphasis is on the importance of experiencing a good life until the end. And, as he makes clear in his conversational writing style, that good life experience is different for each one of us. Through touching personal stories – including his own family – and dedicated research in Being Mortal, Gawande offers a guide to ask, and answer some of the most important questions about what it means to have a good life until the very end. He cites statistics and correlates those statistics to individual patients he has worked with in a way that makes the abstract not only concrete, but also humanizing and personal. He addresses each topic with compassion, professionalism, and a hint of humor. Gawande begins

with a look at being mortal over time and discusses how life, sickness and dying have changed over the last century as he supports his statement that this is a good time in history to be old. “Modernization... gave people – the young and the old – more liberty and control… the liberty to be less beholden to other generations.” He sets the positive tone for the book by acknowledging an inevitable contradiction of life. Veneration of elders has been replaced, not by veneration of youth, but “by veneration of the independent self,” he says. However, he adds, “our reverence for independence takes no account of the reality of what happens in life: sooner or later, independence will become impossible…. The body’s decline creeps like a vine. Day to day, the changes can be imperceptible. You adapt. Then something happens that finally makes it clear that things are no longer the same.” In the chapter, Things Fall Apart, he discusses the role modern medical practices and political policies play in illness and aging. “The progress of medicine and public health has been an incredible boon – people get to live longer, healthier, more productive lives.” This is the good news. However, not everything is good and eventually all of us have some not-so-healthy experiences and unfortunately, as a society, we are not prepared mentally or emotionally for those times. “We regard living in the downhill stretches with a kind of embarrassment… we feel as if we somehow have something to apologize for.” And the medical profession, Gawande admits, often does not help the situation much. “We often regard the patient on the downhill as uninteresting unless he or she has a discrete problem we can fix.” Doctors are, by training and temperament, fixers; that’s why most of them go into the field. But sometimes there is no obvious fix and for most of them that is a just too much to deal with. Enter the geriatrician – not enough of them around by the way. “To a geriatrician… people can’t stop the aging of their bodies and minds, but there are ways to make it more manageable and to avert at least some of the worst effects.” Gawande’s goal is that more physicians, whatever their specialty, would approach the treatment of their terminally ill and aging patients more like a geriatrician. “The job of any doctor…is to support quality life…as much freedom from the ravages of disease as possible and the retention of enough function for active engagement in the world.”

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From the time we are toddlers we are constantly redefining what active engagement in the world means. For some people it is physical activity, for some it is mental activity, for some it is social activity; for most, it is a combination of all of the above. As we age and our options become limited, we have to decide what is the most important. “Even when a sense of mortality reorders our desires, these desires are not impossible to satisfy.” They must, however, be defined. Although each person’s definition of a good life differs, there seem to be some things we have in common. What is it we need beyond being housed, fed, safe, and alive? First, we need a cause beyond ourselves, in order to give our lives meaning and create a sense of self worth. Also, “human beings… have a need for both privacy and community, for flexible daily rhythms and patterns, and for the possibility of forming caring relationships with those around them.” Sounds

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35

perfect and easy. However achieving the goal can be more complex than it seems as anyone with physical disabilities or any caretaker can attest. In dealing with his own father’s health, Gawande learned that “people with serious illness have priorities besides simply prolonging their lives.” For some it’s avoiding pain, for others it’s “being with family, traveling, or enjoying chocolate ice cream.” One of the aspects that Gawande emphasizes throughout Being Mortal is communication. Honest and sincere communication between doctor and patient, between family members, and most importantly in your own mind. And as with any kind of communication, the most important part is listening – listening to more than just the words. In the chapter, Hard Conversations, he shows how others have successfully achieved this vital emotional relationship and how he struggled with it in his own family. It really is a learning process.

“The closing phase of modern life often looks like a mounting series of crises for which medicine can offer only brief and temporary rescue… deliberating on options is exhausting and complicated.” And eventually, because we are all mortal, we must consider death – the enemy that always wins. But people “want to end their stories on their own terms…this role is among life’s most important, for both the dying and those left behind.” In Being Mortal, Dr. Atul Gawande shows his readers a variety of ways in which they can compose their stories. Atul Gawande is the author of three bestselling books. He is also a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a staff writer for The New Yorker and a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He is chair of Lifebox, a nonprofit organization making surgery safer globally. MSN

Flu And Pneumonia Vaccines, It’s That Time Of Year

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any specific flu shots that are better suited for seniors? I just turned 65 and would like to find out what’s recommended and how Medicare covers it. Semi-Healthy Senior

Dear Semi-Healthy, There are actually two different flu vaccines available this year that are designed specifically for seniors age 65 and older. One option is the Fluzone High-Dose, which has been available since 2010, and the other is the new FDA approved FLUAD vaccine. You only need to get one of these. The Fluzone High-Dose, fluzone.com, is a high-potency vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot, which creates a stronger immune response for better protection. The new FLUAD vaccine, fluad.com, contains an added ingredient called adjuvant MF59 that also helps create a stronger immune response. The extra protection these vaccines provide is particularly helpful to seniors who have weaker immune defenses and have a greater risk of developing dangerous flu complications. The CDC estimates that the flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills an average of 24,000 people, 80 to 90 percent of whom are seniors. However, be aware that both the Fluzone HighDose and FLUAD are not recommended for those allergic to chicken eggs, or those who have had a

ministered just once at different times, work in severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past. You should also know that the Center for different ways to provide maximum protection. If you haven’t received any pneumococcal vacDisease Control and Prevention, CDC, does not recommend one vaccination over the other, and cine you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed to date, there have been no studies comparing the by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax two vaccines. If you decide you don’t want to get a senior- 23, wait at least one year before getting the Prespecific flu shot, there are other options available vnar 13. Medicare Part B covers both shots, if they are to people 65 years and older including the standard, trivalent flu shot, the quadrivalent flu shot, taken at least 11 months apart. Send your questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box which protects against four different flu viruses, and the FluBlok vaccine for those who have egg 5443, Norman, OK 73070 or www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show allergies. To locate a vaccination site that offers any of and author of The Savvy Senior book. MSN these flu shots, visit vaccines.gov and type in your ZIP code. You’ll also be happy to know that as a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the costs of any flu shot, as long as your doctor, health clinic, or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays. Pneumonia Vaccines Two other important vaccinations the CDC recommends, especially this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia each year, and about 50,000 people die from it. The CDC is now recommending that all people 65+ get two vaccinations, Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23. Both we’re here to help you turn wear and tear vaccines, which are ad-

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PAGE 36 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Indoor Cycling for Longevity and Virtual Travel!

By Jan Hunter Inevitably, relentlessly, the doctor’s advice is, “You need more exercise, particularly cardio exercise to keep your heart healthy.” But let’s face it, I can’t think of anything more boring than pedaling a bicycle inside. I mean, isn’t the main joy of riding a bike to go somewhere – explore new places and get some fresh air? To be staring at a wall or watching a sitcom while pedaling just seems dull compared to that glorious feeling you get on a bike whizzing along down a great country road like so many we have here in Montana. So, I wonder as I’m looking at the exercise bike gathering dust in the corner, what’s the answer? Cycling is healthy and provides increased muscular endurance, lowered stress levels, and aids in weight control. And don’t overlook the benefit of safety when it comes to indoor work-

outs. Sadly, in 2014 there were 50,000 cycling accidents resulting in injuries in the U.S. alone. And Montana’s winter weather can make cycling very hazardous. Drivers distracted by texting and cellphones pose a serious threat to cyclists – so is it worth it? Who wants to spend a valuable part of your life recovering from injuries or permanently disabled from a bicycle crash? Cycling inside is a logical solution, but how to keep the ride interesting? Playing videos showing down-the-road scenery and discovering what’s around the next bend piques riders’ interest and curiosity. When the videos explore exotic, famous, and significant destinations, even the most stubborn couch potatoes can get in the mood for serious cardio workouts. In cities with large fitness facilities where indoor cycling (spinning) classes are so popular, large screen videos stimulate and excite riders. But now people in rural areas and smaller communities who ride at home can take advantage of the motivating power of virtual reality without the fuss of a long commute to a gym. The idea of virtual cycling videos is not new. VHS tapes first appeared in the 1990s and Les Mills included cycling in its nationwide workout programs in the early 2000s. Bike-O-Vision started in 2004 and has been followed by several other startups. Others such as The Sufferfest and Rides by Endurance Films are called “trainer

videos” tailored more for the aspiring professional cyclist competing with other riders seen in the video. Most indoor cycling videos are used with the riders on their exercise machine in front of a TV playing a DVD. Regular old exercise bikes work fine as do recumbent cycle machines, ellipticals, and treadmills. For those not training for the Tour de France who just want the natural beauty of the outdoors without other riders in the viewscape, Bike-OVision provides a series of 54 different videos that feature the natural beauty of amazing places like Lake Como Italy, the Swiss Lakes, the British Virgin Islands, and the California Coast. Spectacular scenery can take the rider’s mind off the tedium of exercise and transport him or her to Glacier National Park or the French countryside. And these videos are even more spectacular in stunning high definition Blu-ray – also available from Bike-O-Vision! So if losing weight, improving your cardio fitness, boosting those endorphins to improve your mood, or working to keep Alzheimer’s at bay seem like good ideas, get out that bike or treadmill, put in a Bike-O-Vision DVD, and start moving. You will be motivated, entertained, and enthralled by combining virtual travel and real fitness! For more information, visit bike-o-vision.com or call 707-569-9307. MSN

Liver Recovery Faster If Sugar Intake Is Low By David Stauth Liver damage caused by the typical Western diet – one high in fat, sugar, and cholesterol that’s common in the United States – may be difficult to reverse even if diet is generally improved, a new study shows. The research, published by scientists from Oregon State University, found that a diet with re-

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duced fat and cholesterol helped, but did not fully resolve liver damage that had already been done. This study with laboratory animals showed that diets low in fat and cholesterol could in fact aid with weight loss, improved metabolism, and health. But even then, if the diet was still high in sugar there was much less liver recovery the scientists concluded. The findings are significant, scientists say, because liver problems such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are surging in the U.S., affecting 1035 percent of adults and an increasing number of children. The incidence of this problem can reach more than 60 percent in obese and type-2 diabetic populations. “Many people eating a common American diet are developing extensive hepatic fibrosis, or scarring of their liver, which can reduce its capacity to function, and sometimes lead to cancer,” said

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Donald Jump, a professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences, principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute, and corresponding author on this research. “There’s a lot of interest in finding ways to help the liver recover from this damage, but this research suggests that diets lower in fat and cholesterol, even if they help lose weight, are not enough,” Jump said. “For more significant liver recovery, the intake of sugar has to come down, probably along with other improvements in diet and exercise.” The issues are both serious and complex, the researchers said. “Everyone recognizes this is a serious problem,” said Kelli Lytle, an OSU doctoral candidate and lead author on this study. “We’re trying to find out if some of the types of dietary manipulation that people use, such as weight loss based on a low fat diet, will help address it. However, a common concern is that many ‘low-fat’ food products have higher levels of sugar to help make them taste better.” Weight loss does appear to address some of the problems associated with the Western diet, the research shows. But according to this study, a diet with continued high levels of sugar will significantly slow recovery of liver damage that has already been done. Complications related to liver inflammation, scarring and damage are projected to be the leading cause of liver transplants by 2020, the researchers noted in their study. Such scarring was once thought to be irreversible, but more recent research has shown it can be at least partially reversed with optimal diet and when the stimulus for liver injury is removed. In this report, scientists studied two groups of laboratory mice that had been fed a Western diet and then switched to different, healthier diets, low in fat and cholesterol. Both of the improved diets caused health improvements and weight loss. But one group that was fed a diet still high in sugar – an amount of sugar comparable to the Western diet - had significantly higher levels of inflammation, oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis. More research is still needed to determine whether a comprehensive program of diet, weight maintenance, exercise, and targeted drug therapies can fully resolve liver fibrosis, the study concluded. The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported this research. MSN

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Holiday Flowers Brighten People and the Room By Lori Pelkowski Done with flowers just because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winter? Think again. Flowers lift our spirits throughout the year, and are especially welcome during the holiday season. Whether from the florist or the supermarket, adding flowers to your home will boost your attitude and make you smile. Roses, carnations, or lilies in red and white are the stars of the holiday season. In vases, in bowls, or individually, use your imagination to transform your holidays from festive to magical by trying these ideas from the Flower Promotional Organization.

Make a jar of water enhanced with floral preservative to use for all your holiday flowers. When using individual or small groups of flowers, always place them in a floristâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water vial, and check the water daily. Jazz up an evergreen wreath or cornucopia with seasonal twigs and berries. Then add the finishing touch of groups of three bright red flowers tied together with holiday ribbon. Evenly space these beauties around the wreath and be the envy of the neighborhood.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Carry the look throughout the house by laying flowers along a bookcase or tucked into the china cabinet. Place them at intervals along an evergreen garland with ribbons and pinecones for a unique look. Spray paint different sized pinecones silver and gold to add extra sparkle to any winter arrangement. Place individual flowers in beautiful glass ornaments filled with water and hang them from the tree, the chandelier, or holiday swag. Fill a crystal bowl with golden glass ornaments and tuck red flowers around or in the ornaments. Or, fill the bowl with white flowers and accent it with deep green ornaments. For a festive Chanukah centerpiece, fill a silver bowl with blue glass ornaments studded with white roses. Fresh flowers and candlelight are a match made in heaven for holiday decorating. Both flowers and candles come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors

that they provide limitless possibilities throughout the home. Whether your mood is festive, elegant, or whimsical, decorating with candles and flowers will add just the right touch. Transform your holiday table with a circle of vines, greens, and flowers around a grouping of pillar candles. Choose many colors, two colors, or a monochromatic theme for the flowers and candles. Stand tapers in a variety of sizes in crystal candlesticks, and add crystal vases or bowls full of flowers arranged on a sideboard or entry hall table. Then, multiply the luminous beauty of the candles, flowers, and crystal by placing a mirror behind your arrangement. Dazzling. For a whimsical look, lay a strand of garland across a buffet and decorate it with candy canes and red and white flowers. Then let it twinkle with little star-shaped candles.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Don’t forget the champagne. Get some extra champagne glasses for your New Year’s celebration and fill them with water and your favorite flowers. Group the glasses in the middle of the table, march them in a line down the center of the table, or scatter them around the place settings. Choose flowers in many colors for a white and gold-themed table, or your favorite color flower to compliment your patterned china. Lift your spirits this holiday season. Change your mood from hectic to heavenly. Just add the tranquility of flowers. Try making these fun ornamental flower pots from the Flower Promotion Organization. They make great place cards for a holiday dinner.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 41

You will need: Round holiday ornaments Key rings 1 flower (rose, carnation, lily, or your favorite flower) Floral preservative Clippers and Permanent marker Directions: Remove the cap from a round holiday ornament and fill it with water that has been treated with floral preservative. Place the ornament on top of the key ring to keep it steady. Cut the flower to about two inches in length and insert it into the ornament. Use a permanent marker to inscribe the ornaments with your guests’ names. MSN

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Medicare Open Enrollment: Five Things You Need To Do (NAPSI) Routines help keep us focused, organized, and even healthy. However, if your health routine doesn’t include preparing for Medicare’s Open Enrollment, now’s the time to kick start a new healthy habit. If you have a Medicare health or prescription drug plan, Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 and is the time you can make changes to your plan. Even if you’re happy with your current coverage, you might find something that’s a better fit for your budget or your health needs. If you miss an Open Enrollment deadline, you’ll most likely have to wait a full year before you can make changes to your plan. Here are five important things every Medicare beneficiary can do to get in the Medicare Open Enrollment routine. 1. Review your plan notice. Be sure to read any notices from your Medicare plan about changes for next year, especially your Annual Notice of Change letter. Look at your plan’s information to make sure your drugs are still covered and your doctors are still in-network. 2. Think about what matters most to you. Medicare health and drug plans change each year and so can your health needs. Do you need a new primary care doctor? Does your network include the specialist you want for an upcoming surgery? Is your new medication covered by your current plan? Does another plan offer the same value at a lower cost? Take stock of your health status and determine if you need to make a change.

3. Find out if you qualify for help paying for your Medicare. Learn about programs in your state to help with the costs of Medicare premiums, your Medicare Part A hospital insurance and Medicare Part B medical insurance, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments, and Medicare Part D prescription drug cover age costs. You can do this by visiting medicare.gov or making an appointment with a local Idaho Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) counselor. 4. Shop for plans that meet your needs and fit your budget. Starting in October, you can use Medicare’s Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov/ findaplan to see what other plans are offered in your area. A new plan may cost less, cover your drugs, and let you go to the providers you want, like your doctor or pharmacy. If you find that your current coverage still meets your needs, then you’re done. Remember, during Medicare Open Enrollment, you can decide to stay in Original Medicare or join a Medicare Advantage Plan. If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can switch back to Original Medicare. 5. Check your plan’s star rating before you enroll. The Medicare Plan Finder has been updated with the 2016 Star Ratings for Medicare health and prescription drug plans. Plans are given an overall quality rating on a one to five star scale, with one star representing poor performance and five stars representing excellent performance. Use the Star Ratings to compare the quality of health and drug plans being of-

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fered. These are a few easy ways to get a jump-start on your Medicare Open Enrollment. For more information, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE and say, “Agent.” TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Help is available 24/7. If you need help in a language other than English or Spanish, let the

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43

customer service representative know the language. You can also visit a local SHIBA counselor. SHIBA counselors provide free, person-to-person, nonbiased Medicare assistance. Get free, personalized, health insurance counseling by calling Idaho SHIBA at 1-800-247-4422. MSN

68% of Women, 56% of Men Losing Sleep Over Money Sixty-eight percent of women and 56% of men are losing sleep over at least one money problem, according to a new CreditCards.com report. The gap grew eight percentage points over the past year. Overall, about six of every 10 Americans are losing sleep over at least one financial issue. However, it is often not just a single money problem that is keeping people awake at night. CreditCards.com asked about five specific financial issues: saving for retirement, paying for education, paying health care or insurance bills, paying the monthly rent or mortgage, and paying credit card debt. On average, 2.3 of the above issues combined to keep roughly 60% of individuals awake. Both genders are most concerned about saving enough money for retirement, 44% of women and 35% of men lie awake at least occasionally because of this. Saving for retirement is also the most common worry for people age 30 and older, college graduates,

and those with annual household income of $75,000 or more. Affording educational expenses is the number one concern for Millennials and nonwhites. Paying for healthcare or insurance bills is the second-biggest fear among women; educational expenses rank second among men. Money anxiety peaks between the ages of 50 and 64 and drops sharply after 65. The biggest improvement was observed among households making between $50,000 and $78,000 per year. They are 14 percentage points less likely to lose sleep over financial matters now than they were in 2015. This information suggests that as Americans’ own opinions of their financial health continues to improve in the era after the Great Recession. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. MSN

More Baby Boomer Marriages Going Bust – Divorces Rising Among Over 50-Year-Olds Says Survey of Nation’s Top Attorneys It appears that “gray divorce” could be turning into an evergreen trend. According to a recent survey of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer (AAML) members, 64% cited an increase in divorce cases among couples 50+. The top three items most commonly fought over during these cases were noted as “alimony” by 83% of respondents, “retirement accounts and pensions” at 62% and “business interests” with a 60% total. “A rising divorce rate is becoming a very consistent trend with the Baby Boomer generation,” said Joslin Davis, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. “As people live longer, their relationships can change in some very dramatic ways, but spouses within this age range also need to be extremely mindful about the complexities of negotiating key issues involving spousal support and retirement accounts.” Davis recommends that couples in the over-50 age range who are divorcing immediately recognize and accept that two households will often not be able to live at the same level as one household.

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PAGE 44 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

She also cautions the supporting spouse in these cases that it is often worthwhile to consider sharing more assets and retirement funds upfront in order to work out an agreement that doesn’t necessarily include alimony. Davis also advises dependent spouses that the prospect of long-term alimony can serve as a very powerful negotiating tool. In comparison to the 64% of AAML members that have seen an increase in the number of divorces during the past three years, only 1% saw

a decrease. In addition to the top three items selected as the issues most often fought over, the next three most common choices selected were “house and other real estate holdings” at 51% followed by “college expenses” at 11%, and then 7% choosing “other.” Founded in 1962, the mission of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) is to provide leadership that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law. MSN

Donating Time And Money Will Benefit Your Community & America By Tait Trussell Millions of Americans are writing checks and setting aside money to give to their favorite charities. Giving late in the year is typical because donators delay their contributions to get an income tax deduction for the year. Seniors are said to be the largest per capita donors to charity. But how much to give and to what charity are the big questions for many people. Although the largest amounts of donating are to religious organizations and education, many other needs are appealing for your dollars. As for other giving, you want to know that the bulk of your donation will go for the organization’s purpose, not to overhead or fund-raising costs. To give you some idea of need, the following list includes several well-known organizations or foundations and representative dollar amounts given by individuals (foundations also give large amounts), as well as “charitable commitment.” The second figure shown in the list, charitable

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commitment, is how much of the donation went directly to the organization’s purpose and not to management overhead or funding promotion. There are about 700,000 federally recognized charities. • Alzheimer’s Association – $153 million, 75% • American Cancer Society – $906 million, 70 % • American Heart Association – $488 million, 76% • American Lung Association – $120 million, 84% • Big Brothers Big Sisters of America – $177 million, 78% • Boy Scouts of America National Council – $301 million, 88 % • Boys and Girls Clubs of America – $631 million, 80% • Campus Crusade for Christ – $439 million, 88% • Catholic Charities USA – $545 million, 89% • Easter Seals – $128 million, 86%

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

• Feed the Children – $803 million, 90% • Focus on the Family – $126 million, 84% If you are giving personal property, such as art, instead of money, make sure you get a receipt from the charity saying how they intend to use it. The Internal Revenue Service requires this to make it a legitimate deduction. For cash contributions, you will need a copy of your cancelled check or a credit card statement in order to have a legitimate deduction for tax purposes. In the past, all the IRS wanted was a log of individual donations. For contributions of $250 or more you must have a receipt from the charity. A cancelled check alone won’t qualify for a deduction. In the past, you could put your $10 or $20 dollar bill in the collection plate at church, and claim a charitable deduction. But now you have to have written out a check and get a receipt from the church to deduct your weekly offering. Low value items donated must be in good condition or better to get a deduction. The Salvation Army will take used clothes no matter what their condition. If they aren’t in good enough condition for needy families, they are bundled up and sold as rags. IRS now has the authority to deny deductions of minimal value. Any individual can give $14,000 a year to anyone free of gift tax. If you are well enough fixed financially, both you and your spouse can each give $14,000 to each of your children or grandchildren. “Seniors tend to be generous. Many feel they want to give back to society for the successes they have enjoyed in life,” according to the National Crime Prevention Council. But, “remember, giving wisely means being cautious. Contributing to a cause that you care about can give you great satisfaction. And making sure your money is used as you intended can make you feel even better.” So, think through your contribution and plan the way you would like the contribution to be used if you want to target a specific project within your chosen charity. Otherwise you can count on your dollars to do their good within the broad goals of the organization. Being aware of the charitable committment of the organization will get you the most bang for your buck. Seniors are important in providing time and money following disasters. In the months following Hurricane Katrina, for instance, seniors and others contributed countless hours and more than $1.3 billion to the Red Cross alone. Always donate by check and keep track of your expenses when volunteering, such as mileage and any special equipment or supplies you might need. This way you will have complete tax records of your contributions. Most importantly, thank yourself and others for lending a hand to help the organizations that make us the most giving nation. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 45

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PAGE 46 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

The Poverello Center Helps Veterans

Missoula’s Poverello Center coordinates four programs for veterans experiencing homelessness: Valor House, Housing Montana Heroes, Bridge Housing, and the Homeless Veterans Program. Valor House, Housing Montana Heroes, and Bridge Housing serve veterans pursuing stability and permanent housing through supportive, transitional housing. Veterans live at Valor House and Housing Montana Heroes for up to two years, engage in case management, pursue strategies to increase their income, and pursue permanent housing. Valor House provides veterans an apartment, while Housing Montana Heroes serves veterans in semi-private rooms. The Poverello Center also coordinates the Homeless Veterans Program,

which provides case management services to veterans living at the Poverello Emergency Shelter. Recently, the Poverello Center assisted a veteran in pursuing his dream to own a greenhouse in his hometown. Our social worker connected him with a training program for veterans who are interested in developing their green thumbs into careers. Now he is one-step closer to his dream career. To make a difference in the life of a veteran, visit thepoverellocenter.org to make a secure donation or mail to The Poverello Center, PO Box 7644, Missoula, MT 59807. Contact Amy Allison Thompson, Executive Director, at 406-728-1809 or email amyat@montana.com for additional information. MSN

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Five-year-old “Sally” came to Watson’s in the middle of the night with only the clothes she had on, a teddy bear in her arms, and tears in her eyes. Sally did not know how long she would have to stay at Watson Children’s Shelter. But that night Sally met her new case manager. She picked out a new stuffed animal and a handmade blanket and was given new pajamas and new clothes for the next day. In the kitchen, the staff made her a grilled cheese sandwich with a cookie, and finally she was tucked in for the night

in her very own bedroom. For the first time in a long time, Sally went to sleep that night feeling cared for and safe. She was in her own room, in her own bed, with a full tummy, and she had hope that everything was going to be okay. Thought Sally’s name has been changed, her story is real! Last year we provided a safe haven for 119 Montana children who had experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, or some other form of severe family crisis. To learn more and to help us provide caring and hope, please call 406-549-0058 or visit watsonchildrensshelter.org. MSN

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

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Are Players Falling in Love with this Machine, Or Is this Just a Passing Attraction? By Mark Pilarski Dear Mark: I have a comment on a recent column where the questioner asked, “Is there any chance that the slot machine senses a new player has not been at a particular machine for a specific period, and then pays off initially, then stops paying? Is this guy serious? A slot machine that can “sense?” Does he live on planet earth? Sorry, but I had to give you my 2 cents worth. Jerry P. Hey now, Jerry, let’s be polite. First, he was a she (Joy); and there could be some merit in her thinking that “a machine can sense” an incoming player. There are such machines, sort of, or at least many players believe so. The machines I am speaking of are manufactured by SHFL Entertainment, Inc. (previously named Shuffle Master) and are called Table Mas-

ter. These slots use a video representation of a life-sized cybernetic dealer, such as an attractive young woman placed at the center of a fully automated table game. When these cyber dealers are on a dead game, they are in tracking mode and can appear to be looking around for some player to park their rear in one of the five player stations. If you walk by and verbalize what every dealer that ever pitched a card hears daily, “Are you hot or cold,” it can’t hear you, nor can this virtual dealer respond to any of your physical or verbal commands, but…? However, once you are playing at the table, they do verbally prompt you to bet or fold, take insurance, or depending on the game, any other command needing a decision on your part. I have spent hours observing players on these games communicating verbally with the dealer.

It gets quite hysterical. Some players actually respond to the looks and personalities of these virtual dealers. It is one thing to have affection for a machine that offers a decent return, another when players develop a love interest in an avatar. There’s “into you,” and then there is “head-overheels gaga.” I have seen female Table Master virtual dealers tip a man over that edge. As for playing blackjack on a Table Master machine, straight up, I like – not love – them. With favorable rules like surrender, doubling, and split variations that favor the player, your percentage return with smart play can be the same as that of a fair, live table game. To boot, I have seen this game offered for as little as a buck a hand. For pleasurable play, that is a sizable gap versus a $25 minimum live table game on a Saturday night. There is a downside, though. On a Table Master game, expect double the number of hands dealt per hour. Involving what’s called “incremental game speed,” the more often you are exposed to the builtin house advantage on a Table Master blackjack game (i.e. the more hands you play per hour), the faster the machine eats up your bankroll. What the future holds for interactive slots for players willing to give up their hard-earned money is anybody’s guess. But, Joy’s belief that a machine can sense that a player has just climbed aboard is considerably closer to reality than you might think. Ever been in a bathroom with faucets that turn on when you put your hands in the sink, towel dispensers that spit out a towel when you wave a hand in front of them, lights that turn on with motion and off when there is none, or toilets that flush when you stand up? Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.” – William Shakespeare MSN

Christmas in Canada By Bernice Karnop There’s no place like home for the holidays, but wait. One is home for many other days of the year as well. Maybe it’s time to make some new and different memories at a location that is not home. You might take only a few days break before Christmas, or you might take your spouse, children, or grandchildren for a real vacation. You’ll add some special memories that will last for years to come.

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One could experience Disneyland when it’s decorated for Christmas. Maybe you dream of flying off to the warm sea and sands of the Caribbean, to England for a traditional Christmas, or away to the snowy Swiss Alps. Snow lovers in Montana might consider looking a bit closer to home. The Canadian exchange rate looks very good, and there is much to love just over the border. How about taking advantage of a clear fall or winter day to drive to, Lethbridge or Calgary for a bit of shopping? One could spend a long, relaxing weekend and take in a concert, ballet, or theater production. The Alberta Ballet puts on the Nutcracker in December or you will find wonderful Christmas classics such as a Christmas Carol and Handel’s Messiah. Need more noise and adrenaline? Attend a hockey game featuring the Lethbridge Hurricanes or the Calgary Flames. Some people take the whole family – all the kids and grandkids – to a special place for Christmas itself. For an old-fashioned Christmas with all of the fun and none of the fuss consider resorts in Banff and Lake Louise. The outdoor setting rivals Santa’s house at the North Pole and Santa himself could hardly match the nature’s winter finery. Lake Louise is one of the most beautiful lakes on the planet. Just imagine looking out the window at the blue lake you saw in the summer and seeing it covered with ice, the trees and bushes decorated with snow, and the mountains towering white all around. Compared to a summer visit, it’s quiet, but there’s an abundance of Christmas activities, both outdoors and in. For a start, imagine taking an old-fashioned horse drawn sleigh ride that puts some pink in your cheeks. People skate all day on frozen Lake Louise, warming up with cups of hot chocolate. Around 70 miles of cross-country ski trails keep trekkers exploring for days. For those new to cross country, they offer lessons to get you started. In Banff or wherever you are in the Candian Rockies, mountain guides take guests snowshoeing or cross country skiing. They share information about winter in this cold and icy country, or about the creatures who winter here, and how to identify them by their tracks. What could be more magical than night owl snowshoeing? Or watching the sparks rise into a star-studded sky from a big winter bonfire? Or tasting hot maple syrup, brought in from Ontario or Quebec, poured on to fresh snow and rolled onto a stick? One can be as cozy as the Caribbean when vacationers move inside their hotels where they can enjoy the afternoon teas, special liquor laced with hot chocolate, iced wines, and amazing food according to a person’s tastes. Many resorts offer spas for a massage, facial, or other body treatments, hair styling, and fancy nail paints. Photographers will snap professional portraits to remember the trip, and sessions with the photographer will improve one’s own photos. Other instructional offerings can include local history and getting cooking tips and tastes from local chefs. If you take the grandkids, they’ll be delighted with sledding hills and organized outdoor winter games. They’ll keep busy with board games, movies with popcorn, a pajama party, and crafts. Of course, greet Santa when he arrives at the front door on Christmas Eve. When you think about making Christmas memories this year, consider going to Canada. You’ll be amazed at how many things they have to offer. And the favorable exchange rate makes everything, from shopping to entertainment to whole vacations, a bargain! MSN

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The Range Rider Museum – A Salute To Those Who Made Montana Cattle Country

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Article & Photo By Kim Ibes By the late 1930s, Miles City was already losing many of its range riders – that rough and tumble group that had actual cowboy and cattle experience. They rode the open range before barbed wire fences, multi-story buildings, and the drove of homesteaders that followed the railroads west with the Homestead Act. The loss of their unique heritage, along with those everyday items that proved so precious and necessary for their survival – a good saddle, a working rifle, and a quality set of spurs, concerned a group of old cow hands such that five men convened and put out a clarion call. “They didn’t want their way of life lost,” says Bunny Miller, who along with her husband, Gary, is curator of Miles City’s Range Rider Museum. The meeting was called for January 10, 1939 and not long after that, the group signed a 99-year lease on land that originally housed Fort Keogh. Three years later, after a multitude of donations, construction began on a 2800-square-foot log cabin that remains the Range Riders Museum’s front door – the same door where Bunny Miller greets me today with a ready Visit our booth at smile and a friendly hug. MontanaFair for a “It was kind of an free blood pressure exclusive club to begin screening. with,” Bunny notes, “To belong; you had to have

ridden the open range between 1870 and 1910.” Bunny’s family history is tightly woven to that of Miles City, originally Milestown after General Miles (who, as Bunny was told by her father, “never liked that darn town”), to the frontier soldiers of Fort Keogh, and to those long lost riders of the range whose story is told at the Range Riders Museum. Her great-grandfather, Bavarianborn Christian Barthelmess, was transferred along with the rest of his regiment, the Twenty-second Infantry to Fort Keogh in 1888, just one year before Montana became the forty-first state. Soon after arriving, Barthelmess, known as “Shadow Catcher” by the Native Americans, became Fort Keogh’s fourth photographer-in-residence, following in the footsteps of L.A. Huffman – a prolific frontier photographer, who reportedly left the post for greener pastures. Both have a number of photographs on display in the museum – including Barhelmess’ celebrated Native American portraits. Bunny’s grandfather, Casey Barthelmess, was an artist and a range rider himself; he was also a charter member of the Range Rider Museum, and one of only five cowboys to ride the famous bronc Sky Rocket. Casey worked at the LO Ranch, the largest cattle ranch in southeastern Montana. “This is a diorama of the LO Ranch,” says Bunny as she points to the display. “And this diorama is of Fort Keogh.” Bunny’s father, Bob Barthelmess,

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built both room-size dioramas as well as many of the Museum’s current buildings and exhibits. After many years of ranching and service to the Montana Board of Livestock, Future Farmers of America, and Custer County as a Commissioner, Bob Barthelmess went on to curate the Range Riders Museum for 35-years until his death at age 87. Without missing a beat, and in the tradition of those family members who came before her, Bunny and Gary then stepped in to care for the Museum and continue the Barthelmess legacy. “I’ll be 69 in December,” says Bunny, “And we’ll have been here for 6 years, and that’s the way it is. I told the board I’d give them 15 years.” Donations of historic artifacts continue to stream in and to accommodate them the museum has grown to thirteen buildings. Within its grounds you’ll find a real country school, a wagon depot, a complete officers quarters from Fort Keogh, a life size replica of Miles City’s main street, and collections of quilts, ladies hats, Native American arrowheads, guns, broad axes, and wood planes to name a few – including a 150-year-old doughnut and ancient dinosaur bones. So many of the stories and personal histories behind each artifact or photograph have been lost to time. “My father was mad at his dad because he didn’t write them down, and a lot of history was lost when my dad died,” laments Bunny. “I got my dad this little recorder to pack in his pocket and I told him when you’re telling a Wild West story to turn it on. I came in one day and it was sitting up on the shelf. He told me by the time he figured out how to turn it on he’d forgotten what he was going to say,” recalls Bunny with a smile, as she has also been told that she needs to record the stories that her grandfather and father have relayed to her about the Museum’s pieces. Just as she recounts this story, we walk past an unusual chair adorned with horns. A note lying on its seat says that it was made in the Chicago stockyards over 100-years ago.

Randy Hafer’s Self-Sustaining Home – or Little House on the Prairie meets George Jetson Articlde & Photo By Kim Ibes Randy Hafer, LEED accredited architect of High Plains Architects, will tell you that he hates trends. “I tend not to get too bound up by convention. And if it’s trendy, I usually don’t want anything to do with it,” says he. He’ll also tell you that his work would never end up in an issue of Architectural Digest. “They’re all about decorating,” says Randy with a mischievous smile. Even though over the last seventeen years, he has completed 11-LEED Platinum buildings, renovated multiple downtown Billing’s buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and received awards from the Montana Preservation alliance for Excellence in Historic Preservation for his architectural rehabilitation work. “We’re all about scavenging stuff,” he adds. Well, not entirely. Randy Hafer is more about finding that elusive path to a completely selfsustaining, self-contained, living, breathing home that requires nothing more from society than the sun, the wind, dirt, and a bunch of miscellaneous green or recycled materials to build with. And when all is said and done at the end of their lifecycles, these materials will find their way peacefully back into the earth. With this in mind, Randy has set out and built his dream home, one that produces its own electricity through solar and wind, (Continued on pg 54)

“One hundred years from when?” Bunny asks, “That’s one of the things I’ve learned since I’ve been here, we date things when they come in now.” The Range Rider Museum was built on donations to support and maintain the artifacts and buildings. “One gentleman wanted to donate his gun collection, a little over 400 guns, but he said we didn’t have a place to put them,” says Bunny, as we step into a sturdy looking building filled to the brim with his collection. “My dad and the board went to the community and 157 people donated $47,000 to build this building and keep the collection in the community.” Just as her father worked before her, Bunny and Gary watch over the museum and continue to add to its collections. “It’s part of our heritage. I guess you could say it’s a labor of love.” Notable Patrick Swayze, Monty Montana, and John Wayne are just a few that have found the path to their front door. If you make plans to join them, be sure to carve out several hours for your journey back into the time where cattle outnumbered men and women and the range belonged to those precious few we now know as Range Riders. The Range Rider Museum is open from April 1 through October 31 each year – weather dependent. For more information, visit rangeridersmuseum.com or call 406-232-6146. MSN

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Red Lodge is a Town for All Seasons By Bernice Karnop Red Lodge, tucked into the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains of south central Montana 65 miles south of Billings, has a reputation for western hospitality, friendly people, and stunning scenery. A growing number of retirees have moved next door to long-time community residents, and they like that there aren’t many traffic lights and they can walk most places they want to go. For those who aren’t looking for a place to retire, Red Lodge is a great place to visit. Skiing draws many winter visitors – downhill skiers head to Red Lodge Mountain on the southwest side of town. The cross-country crowd treks over to the Red Lodge Nordic Center on the Northwest side of town, which is managed by volunteers from the Beartooth Recreational Trails Association. Red Lodge is home to the popular Beartooth Nature Center, which is open year-round. Readers may remember its predecessor, the “See ‘Em Alive Zoo.” For just ten cents per person, families in the 1940s stopped to see native and exotic animals, including an African lion. After several name and mission changes, the Beartooth Nature Center is now a refuge for native animals that cannot be returned to the wild because of injury or

habituation to humans. This is a great place for grandchildren to experience a close encounter with such fascinating creatures as wolves, mountain lions, black bear, bison, elk, antelope, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, eagles, hawks, owls, and more. The Carbon County Historical museum brings to life the history of this quaint town, which was known for mining before it, became a recreation haven. The mines brought Scandinavians, Fins, Scots, Irish, Italians, and Slavs to the area. Red Lodge started celebrating this diversity in 1951 with the Festival of Nations. What started out as more than a week of arts and crafts, dancing, singing, and irresistible food, has been condensed to one weekend in August. The multi-cultural spirit continues to shine, even after the original immigrants have passed on. The museum has information on mountain man Liver-Eating Johnson whose cabin is near the Chamber of Commerce building. His fictionalized story is told in the 1972 film, Jeremiah Johnson, starring Robert Redford. The Home of Champions Rodeo is always a big draw on the Fourth of July. The museum has artifacts from the legendary rodeo champions, Alice Greenough and Frank Linderman, whose roots are in Red Lodge. The town also hosts an Iron Horse Rodeo, a noisy competition for motorcyclists.

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Summer visitors come to Red Lodge for music festivals, art exhibits, quilt shows, and other cultural events. The town may be best known as the jumping-off point for driving the stunning Beartooth Highway National Scenic Byway. Completed in 1936, the road from Red Lodge to Cook City keeps bored Interstate Highway drivers awake with steep switchbacks, jaw-dropping edges, and hairpin curves that rise to an elevation of nearly 11,000 feet. Seasoned Montanans have treasured this breathtaking gateway to Yellowstone Park for decades, as have many others. The late television broadcaster, Charles Kuralt, called this National Scenic Byway, America’s most

beautiful road. Snow lingers through the summer along Montana’s loftiest highway. Montana’s highest mountain, Granite Peak at 12,700 feet, is here in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, along with 20 more peaks over 12,000 feet. Hikers will find hundreds of alpine lakes, miles of trails, and outstanding fishing, camping, and all that goes with it. Careful planning is recommended. The road is only open about four and a half months a year. Target opening day in the spring is Memorial Day and closure is usually mid-October. MSN

The Red Lodge Area Community Foundation is not your typical Foundation. As neutral conveners in our community, we focus our leadership, grant making, and donor services in four program areas: Connected Youth, Robust Arts & Culture, Resilient Community, and Thriving Nonprofits. We connect youth to our community through volunteerism, one-on-one mentoring, internships, and strategic grant making so that every youth can participate in activities that support and strengthen their development into responsible adulthood. We are building a strong economic approach to arts & culture by working to convert Old Roosevelt School into an arts, culture, convention, and community space that will deepen our heritage and roots.

We are leading efforts to develop community paramedics to coordinate all types of health providers to support those most vulnerable in our community by addressing physical, social, and mental health issues common to rural Montana. We manage the nonprofit, shared services center, with over 60 members utilizing the meeting room spaces and back office services. We leverage every single donation to its highest and best uses by streamlining assets and eliminating duplication of services. Please join us in keeping Red Lodge as a very special place worthy of your investment today. For additional information, please visit rlacf,org/waysgive/donate or call Tracy at 406-446-2820. MSN

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Randy Hafer’s Self-Sustaining Home - cont’d from page 51 functions on a direct current micro grid (will function on a direct current micro grid, this is still in development), captures its own water, grows its own food, and takes care of its own sewage. “We knew we were kind of ahead of the curve on a lot of this stuff,” explains Randy, “But we find out we’re not only ahead of the wave, we’re on the beach and the wave isn’t even close yet.” Randy is a bit of a walking conundrum. His Billings roots must be the source of his self-determined independence (along with his Wild West mustache), while his years as an under-graduate at Stanford University, and his Masters of Architecture from Yale add an element of the skilled, innovative futurist. The humble beginnings for Randy’s Urban Frontier House began in the early 1970s. “I started college during the energy crisis... it was kind of the first alternative decade.” He read about a group of engineers in the Bay area experimenting on an existing urban home to see if they could take if off the grid and make it self-sustaining. “The idea of it that you could actually create a house to take care of itself,” he adds, was one that stuck with him for more than 40-years and one, that he is finally in the last stages of making into a reality. But, there are some bumps and bruises in being first. The vertical axis wind turbine that rises a

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

mere 23 feet, well below the roof-line, is set just a few steps from his front door and looks more sculptural than functional. But function it does – though the bugs of this one-of-a-kind unit are still being worked out. “So this generates electricity and we also have solar panels, the idea being we get more wind in the winter and more sun in the summer and between the two, along with some back up batteries, we hope to have a fairly consistent amount of energy each month,” Randy explains. The turbine makes little to no noise, but like Randy, the Japanese company that made it is still learning how to make perfect on this prototype. Among the other firsts in Randy’s house is the pursuit of a direct current (DC) micro grid, as opposed to most home’s appliances and energy systems running off alternating current (AC). “This is all very new stuff, it’s not generation one, it’s number one generation one, it’s just being developed,” Randy explains. He also notes that the code standard for this is still in development by a consortium of U.S. engineers and manufacturers. “We gain anywhere from 7-21% efficiency in system performance because we’re using direct current,” he adds. Urban Frontier House was coined because this home, which will house Randy, his wife, their blended family of 7 children, and their spouses, and their future grandchildren, is set in an urban

Larry Seekins - Mr. Pickleball

environment, just seven blocks from downtown Billings – yet is on the frontier, if you will, of a new standard of living. His home will be LEED Platinum certified and is on its way to be certified in the Living Building Challenge. From Randy’s perspective, if LEED Platinum was designed to move the market into more sustainable building practices, The Living Building Challenge looks not just to move the needle on innovative and environmentally friendly specifications; it’s looking for transformative change in the way people live. “To build this type of house we just need to think differently,” declares Randy. In fact nearly every decision he has made on this home has required him to not only think outside the box, but also turn the box inside out and create a ball out of it. Some of the inputs have become standard in green building, such as the use of SIPS, or structural insulated panels, for the bones of the house. Yet others, such as the use of Bio-PCM, a phase change material that not only insulates but tunes the temperature in the house, along with the mechanics to create the home’s own water & sewer system

(Continued from page 1)

But what really counts in the Pickleball world is that we create all sorts of memories with the relationships we develop. They’re really solid, sound, and fun, so it works!” Larry grew up in Cody, Wyoming and earned a degree in civil engineering at MSU Bozeman in 1966. He went into the Army Corps of Engineers and spent two years in Virginia training combat engineers. “They basically go in, blow up things, and then build things. They were always on more than the front lines,” Larry explains. After his stint with the Corps of Engineers, he was recruited by the U.S. Forest Service. “My first assignment was in Billings, and it was a lot like that of a platoon leader,” he recalls. “I did blow up some things, but I was out in the wilderness building roads and I had a tremendous career.” Larry’s first encounter with Pickleball was around 1977 while stationed Kremmling, Colorado. “My wife and I read an article about Pickleball in the local newspaper; I think we started with wood paddles and green balls and we played on a tennis court, but we had fun,” he recalls.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 55

(including 6-storage tanks housed in the basement that hold 9,000-gallons of water captured from a mere 3-inches of rainwater), clearly belong to that outside-the-box thinking. “We had to start thinking in terms of optimizing instead of minimizing. Building codes are all about minimum standards,” Randy says. While his building methods aren’t less expensive, he has built his house for roughly the same cost as a typical structure with the same 2,400 square feet. “It becomes a lot of cost shifting, we shift the cost away from those things that require maintenance, that require utility inputs, that have monthly bills, and that wear out and have to be replaced,” concludes Randy. “We try to make it as much about first cost and only cost.” To learn more about Randy Hafer’s innovative Urban Frontier House visit his website, and read his wife, Janna’s blog at highplainsarchitects.com/ blog. MSN

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Soon thereafter, Larry was transferred and the Pickleball set went into storage. The Seekins didn’t play Pickleball again until he was transferred to Oregon in 1988. Larry was recruited to rebuild Mount St. Helen’s into a world-class visitor’s center. But, while he succeeded at the project, it took a toll on his health. “I’d gone from a very active lifestyle to sitting at the office or in a car driving,” he recalls. “Once I started Pickleball my body really started improving. You’ll find pickleball players are usually in pretty good shape.” While there, they met the son of the man who invented the first composite Pickleball paddle, who also happened to be one of the best players around. The Seekins took classes, and as Larry says, “We’ve never been the same since. We go to senior tournaments and we’re all dealing with

something, as we’re getting older, but I’ve discovered there are some similar characteristics and I’ve given it the name LOCS. It stands for lack of common sense,” Larry declares with a chuckle. From Larry’s perspective LOCS has three clinical symptoms: 1. After playing for a couple of hours one will say, let’s play one more game; 2. One will play when sick or injured and when one should be recovering or resting at home; and 3. One will travel several hundred miles to play for a silly little medal. “I don’t have this problem, but I recognize it in other people,” Larry declares with a straight face. Understand of course, that this is the same man who for the last quarter of a century has traveled throughout the country to play and win in Pickleball tournaments for those “silly little medals.” To learn more visit usapa.org. MSN

The Best Kept Secret: Dixie Rieger Of Miles City’s WaterWorks Art Museum

Article & Photo By Kim Ibes The unlikely choice of 60 year-old Dixie Rieger as Executive Director of the WaterWorks Art Museum nearly two years ago, was almost as visionary and exciting, as the actual transformation of this Miles City original water treatment plant – built in 1910 of sandstone, cement, and brick, into an award-winning urban art museum listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “It’s kind of a crazy story,” this ranch girl says about her choice as Executive Director. Rieger had grown up in Plevna 56 miles east of Miles City, but this trek to her current position may as well have been a million miles away. This plain speaking, third-generation Montana girl, the granddaughter of German immigrants, grew up on their homestead ranch known by many as Riegerville. “My dad was one of 18 children,” explains Dixie. Her dad and uncle split the ranch – Dixie’s family took the western half and her uncle the east.

Eventually her brother and second cousin did the same, until this last fall, upon her brother’s retirement. “My uncle’s grandson purchased my brother’s half of the ranch and now it’s back together.” Though Dixie will miss branding in the spring with her brother on the homestead – as they say in my neck of the woods, she’s dug in like a tick at the Waterworks Art Museum. “It’s taken me 40-years to find this job, a job that I absolutely love.” Dixie worked at the Miles City Hospital in the surgery department as a sterilization technician for 18-years before transitioning to the Manager of Environmental Services for her last two years. Her commitment to her work was such that the job demanded her attention, as she says, “24/7.” A close friend alerted Dixie to the Executive Director position at WaterWorks Art Museum, and hounded her until she finally relented and applied. (Continued on page 77)

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Navigating Life with Alzheimer’s By Lynn Mullowny “I didn’t know it would be like this,” Barbara said, “I can’t remember people’s faces now or their names. They have on name tags, but I can’t read anymore.” She paused and then quietly said again, “I didn’t know it would be like this.” Barbara has Alzheimer’s. Driving, reading, cooking, following along in a conversation, and even choosing what to wear, are activities of daily living that Barbara can no longer do, given the deteriorative effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Together, Barbara and Mike, her husband of nearly 50 years, are navigating life with Alzheimer’s. A schoolteacher her entire career, Barbara realized in 2010 that something wasn’t right when she had to put name tags on her students’ desks. “I always knew their names,” she says. Barbara told Mike about her forgetfulness, and he remembers thinking that maybe it was a brain tumor. The Alzheimer’s diagnosis came some months and many doctor visits later. Mike, who is Barbara’s primary caregiver, admits that their retirement years are not shaping up as they had planned. Still, he is quick to clarify; there is no place he’d rather be than by Barbara’s side. Like most family caregivers, Mike took on providing all aspects of her care by choice, not because he was especially well prepared for all it entails. Few people are. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s has been referred to as the 36hour day. Feelings of guilt, frustration, confusion, and fear become constant companions for caregivers struggling with the unending demands of care coordination, managing legal concerns, and attending to daily matters of diet, hygiene, and socialization. Underlying it all is the experience of a troubling and prolonged loss of a loved one. Alzheimer’s is all too often a profoundly misunderstood and undiagnosed illness. Not a normal part of aging, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It is a triple threat with soaring prevalence, lack of treatment, and enormous costs that no one can afford. More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. Of that number, over 19,000 live in Montana and approximately ten percent are under the age of 65. In Montana, another 49,000 family members provide their care. The human costs mount as caregivers, predominantly elderly spouses or adult children, often neglect their own health and emotional needs, and increase their risk for physical health problems. Most are managing the burden of care alone, subsisting on modest incomes with limited family or community support. The duration of the disease varies, but can last from eight to 10 years, a time during which families can become emotionally, physically, and financially shattered. The Alzheimer’s Association is working to bring help and hope to families like Barbara and Mike’s. Through a 24/7 Helpline, 800-272-3900, Montanans can access confidential care consultation or resource referral to local services at any hour of the day or night. There is never a cost for this confidential help, whether it is for decision-making support, crisis assistance, or education on issues families face every day. Currently, the Montana chapter is developing a group of impassioned volunteers who assist with service delivery, support groups, community education, and organize fundraising and educational events like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Barbara and Mike take part in Walk to End Alzheimer’s every year, raising money for the cause while sharing a day of laughter and tears with family and friends. By working with the Alzheimer’s Association,” said Mike, “we’ve met other families facing this disease and we realize we are not alone.” If you are interested in getting involved or getting help for yourself, a friend, or family member, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-2723900 or email montana@alz.org. MSN

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

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Rehabilitation Important When Weight Loss Signifies Health Loss By Tait Trussell From what one sees – from TV commercials for slimming product to scholarly research – obesity seems almost rampant among the aging in America, But many seniors, instead, are victims of dangerous loss in weight. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) not long ago issued new statistics on obese citizens and those dangerously underweight. It said that it is clear that being overweight can have fatal results, but for the elderly being underweight also appears lethal. “Involuntary weight loss (IWL) is commonly observed in the older population, affecting 13 percent of ambulatory patients and 50 percent to 60 percent of nursing home residents, according to a Mayo Clinic study. Loss in weight “is an important indicator of significant decline in health and function, resulting in a higher risk of infection, depression, and death,” according to a scientific paper by physicians Michael Lewko and others at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. Lewko is chief of geriatrics. Although weight can fluctuate over a period, a weight loss greater than 5 percent over six months should be investigated. The first steps in managing patients with weight loss “are to identify and treat any causative or contributing conditions and to provide nutritional support when indicated. Orexigenic (appetite stimulating) drugs have found an established place in the management of protein-energy malnutrition.” Food intake changes with increasing age, on occasion leading to what is called “psychological anorexia of aging,” according to the authors of the study. A “satiating hormone” increases in the bloodstream, sometimes making you think you are full. There’s interplay between the brain and the gut that’s getting increasing attention as a cause of anorexia and weight loss. It’s a very complicated process involving taste, nerve, and hormone signals in the stomach, and elements in the brain that combine to regulate food intake. Psychosocial factors also can influence the sensation of hunger or feeling full. Increased rates of body fat and obesity that occur often with age can be explained by lack of physical activity. But “generally speaking, individuals aged 65 and older experience a mild loss of weight with more fat but less non-fat mass loss. Loss of skeletal muscle mass can play an important part in involuntary weight loss of 5 percent to 15 percent. The loss of skeletal muscle mass, leading to a loss of protein, “may play an important role in IWL,” the authors of the research said. They suggested that muscle loss could be the result of negative nitrogen balance that occurs with normal aging and with not enough protein in one’s diet. Age-related changes in certain hormones may also contribute to non-fat mass loss. Low testosterone levels in men are linked to loss of lean body mass. And loss of estrogen during menopause is associated with non-fat mass loss in women. Growth hormones also play a part in the body’s composition. Replacing the hormone, which declines by as much as 14 percent each decade, results in increased lean body mass when replaced. The study lists some of the consequences of IWL as anemia, decreased cognition, edema, falls, hip fracture, immune dysfunction, muscle loss, osteoporosis, and pressure sores. Depression is not only an indicator of poor functioning but also an independent factor associated with weight loss. “It has been found that weight loss precedes the development of Alzheimer’s disease in 50 percent of patients,” the physicians caution. When someone is becoming “skin and bones,” so to speak, a medical exam is called for with a comprehensive history and physical exam, with an emphasis on relevant medical, pharmacological, psychological, and functional facts.

A thorough review of medications may reveal that a person is experiencing “polypharmacy,” which is known to interfere with taste and to cause

anorexia. After age 75, the number of people dying increased when their body mass index (BMI) declined. Administering testosterone has improved

PAGE 62 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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functioning of men during rehabilitation following hospitalization for malnourishment. Nutritional supplements taken early in the weight-loss occurrence may help avoid some of the complications related to the loss.

Caloric supplements should be taken between meals, not with meals. “Total caloric intake does not improve with this method of administration,” the study authors said. Liquid calorie supplements were said to be

preferable to solid supplements. “With liquids, the gastric emptying time is quicker, and total caloric intake is more likely to be maximized,” the study authors said. MSN

Choosing a Hospice Care Program By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Can you offer any information on hospice care, how to choose a good provider, and whether Medicare covers it? My grandmother has terminal cancer and wants to die at home, if possible. Grieving Granddaughter Dear Grieving, Hospice can be a wonderful option in the last months of life because it offers a variety of services, not only to those who are dying, but also to those left behind. Here’s what you should know. What Hospice Offers Hospice care is a unique service that provides medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support to people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness – it does not speed

up or slow down the process of dying. Hospice’s goal is simply to keep the patient as comfortable and pain-free as possible, with loved ones nearby until death. The various services provided by a hospice program comes from a team of professionals that works together to accommodate all the patients’ end-of-life needs. The team typically includes hospice doctors that will work with the primary physician and family members to draft a care plan; nurses who dispense medication for pain control; home care aids that attend to personal needs like eating and bathing; social workers who help the patient and the family prepare for end of life; clergy members who provide spiritual counseling, if desired; and volunteers that fill a variety of niches, from sitting with the patient to helping clean and maintain their property. Some hospices even offer massage or music therapy, and nearly all provide bereavement services for relatives and short-term inpatient respite care to give family caregivers a break. Most hospice patients receive care in their own home. However, hospice will go wherever the patient is – hospital, nursing home, or assisted living residence. Some even have their own facility to use as an option. To receive hospice, the patient must get a

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referral from his/her physician stating that their life expectancy is six months or less. It’s also important to know that home-based hospice care does not mean that a hospice nurse or volunteer is in the home 24 hours a day. Services are based on need and/or what you request. Hospice care can also be stopped at anytime if the patient’s health improves or if he/she decides to re-enter cure-oriented treatments. How to Choose The best time to prepare for hospice and consider your options is before it’s necessary, so you’re not making decisions during a stressful time. There are more than 5,500 hospice programs in the U.S., so depending on where you live, you may have several options from which to choose. To locate a good hospice in your area, ask your family doctor or the discharge planner at your local hospital for a referral, call your state hospice organization (see hospicefoundation. org/hospice-directory for contact information), or search online at sites like the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at nhpco.org. When choosing, look for an established hospice that has been operating for a few years and one that is certified by Medicare. To help you select one, the American Hospice Foundation provides a list of questions to ask at 16HospiceQuestions.us. Who Pays Medicare covers all aspects of hospice care and services for its beneficiaries. There is no deductible for hospice services although there may be a very small co-payment – such as $5 for each prescription drug for pain and symptom control, or a five-percent share for inpatient respite care. Medicaid also covers hospice in most states, as do most private health insurance plans. For information, see the Medicare Hospice Benefits online booklet at medicare.gov/pubs/ pdf/02154.pdf. And if you have financial questions or concerns, talk to your hospice provider. Most hospices offer financial assistance to help families. Send your 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

Submitted by Julie Brantley 1. Venison for dinner again? Oh deer! 2. How does Moses make tea? Hebrews it. 3. England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool. 4. I tried to catch some fog, but I mist. 5. They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a typo. 6. I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now. 7. Jokes about German sausage are the wurst. 8. I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time. 9. I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me. MSN

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Low Vitamin D Associated With Significant Decline In Cognition Vitamin D insufficiency among the elderly is highly correlated with accelerated cognitive decline and impaired performance, particularly in domains such as memory loss that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, researchers with the University of California Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Rutgers University have found. The effect is “substantial,” with individuals with low vitamin D declining at a rate three times faster than those with adequate vitamin D levels do. The researchers said their findings amplify the importance of identifying vitamin D insufficiency among the elderly, particularly high-risk groups such as African-Americans and Hispanics, who are less able to absorb the nutrient from its most plentiful source: sunshine. Among those groups low vitamin D should be considered a risk factor for dementia, they said. “Independent of race or ethnicity, baseline cognitive abilities, and a host of other risk factors, vitamin D insufficiency was associated with significantly faster declines in both episodic memory and executive function performance,” said Joshua Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University. “This work, and that of others, suggests that there is enough evidence to recommend that people in their 60s and older discuss a daily vitamin D supplement with their physicians,” Miller said. “Even if doing so proves to not be effective, there’s still a very low health risk to doing it,” he said. The large, longitudinal study was conducted in nearly 400 racially and ethnically diverse men and women in Northern California participating in longitudinal research at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Sacramento, Calif. Fifty percent of participants were Caucasian, and 50 percent were African-American or Hispanic. The participants had a mean age of 76 and were either cognitively normal, or had mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The participants’ serum vitamin D status was measured at the beginning of the study. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were prevalent among all of the study participants. Overall, 26 percent were deficient and 35% were insufficient. Among Caucasians, 54% had low vitamin D, compared with 70% of African-Americans and Hispanics. Over five years of follow-up, vitamin D deficient individuals experienced cognitive declines that were two-to-three times faster than those with adequate serum vitamin D levels did. In other words,

it took only two years for the deficient individuals to decline as much as their counterparts with adequate vitamin D declined during the five-year follow-up period. “We expected to see declines in individuals with low vitamin D,” said Charles DeCarli of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center. “What was unexpected was how profoundly and rapidly [low vitamin D] impacts cognition.” Exposing the skin to sunlight is the major source of vitamin D. Racial and some ethnic minorities are at greater risk of low vitamin D because the higher concentration of melanin that makes their skin darker – and protects against skin cancer in sunny climates – also inhibits synthesis of vitamin D. Diet is the other major source of vitamin D. Dietary vitamin D is obtained particularly through dairy consumption. The intake of dairy products is especially low among minority groups, with only 6.5 percent of African-Americans and 11 percent of Mexican-Americans nationwide consuming the recommended three daily servings of dairy products, the study says. “I don’t know if replacement therapy would affect these cognitive trajectories. That needs to be researched and we are planning on doing that,” DeCarli said. “This is a vitamin deficiency that could easily be treated and that has other health consequences,” he said. The UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center is one of only 27 centers designated by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging. The center’s goal is to transto BeeHive Homes of Great Falls Assisted Living late research into improved diagnosis and treatment for patients while focusing on the long-term goal of finding a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease. Also funded by the state of California, the center allows researchers to study the effects of the disease. For information, Great Falls has BeeHive Homes to choose from! visit http://alzheimer.ucOur BeeHive Homes of Great Falls assisted living services are dedicated to davis.edu. MSN providing a happy and healthy environment for our residents. Our unique

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An Immigrant, a Homesteader, and Sheep (2014), Once in a Lifetime Comes a Man (2015), The Making of a Con (2015), and Bum Lambs (2015); by Grace Larson; Scott Publishing Company, Kalispell, Mont. Reviewed by Connie Daugherty Grace Larson has been very prolific in publishing over the past two years. She has compiled and self-published a tribute to her grandparents, An Immigrant, a Homesteader, and Sheep, and to her husband, Once in a Lifetime Comes a Man. She also wrote an autobiographical children’s book titled, Bum Lambs and produced a narrated biography titled The Making of a Con. A family friend once told Grace Larson that she “came from good stock.” An Immigrant, a Homesteader and Sheep is her tribute to that good stock – her grandparents, Dan and Mae Poloson. Dan Poloson was born in Porumbac, Romania where he “learned to herd and care for sheep at an early age.” He was twenty when he left for America in 1916. His dream was to find a place where he could continue working with sheep – that place turned out to be Montana where he went to work for Sieben and Grimes near Wolf Creek. Eighteen years after Dan’s arrival in America, he had enough money set aside to buy the ranch near Lonepine, Montana. By that time, he had married Mae and they had four children. Mae was born in Arkansas. She moved to Montana with her sister and brother and homesteaded near Radarsburg. A poem she wrote succinctly and with humor describes the experience. OR ONTANA ISTORY OVERS “The poets sing of birds in spring, io And silver streams AudAlso D C ilable and lakes Ava Could they but stand on this dry land They’d sing of rattlesnakes” Larson’s recorded $18 $18 $12.95 $18 family history includes not only several of Mae’s ORDER BY MAIL SHIPPING INCLUDED Books by Kalispell Author, Grace Larson poems, but also family photographs, home520 14th St. E., Kalispell | 406-890-2112 | www.montanagracelarson.com

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stead certificates – Mae’s and her mother’s – and newspaper clippings. Memories shared by Dan and Mae’s four children – Marie, Fred, Fay, and Albert – of growing up in sheep country tell the story of struggles, but also of fun and shared adventures. In Once in a Lifetime Comes a Man, Grace pays tribute to her husband of 32 years, Lyle Larson. “Fate was a blessing when a dream brought Lyle into my life once more… it had been 18 years since we’d seen each other,” she writes. In that time, Grace had divorced her unfaithful husband and raised five children. Lyle had never married, but spent some years in the military before returning to life on the family farm in Wisconsin. When “fate” with a little help from Grace’s determination, brought them together again, Grace was in Spokane and Lyle was in Wisconsin. This tribute and love story is a collection of photos, journal entries, letters – from Lyle to Grace. Grace’s memories and random thoughts are also woven into the pages almost like a contrasting or accent thread. Once in a Lifetime is her way of remembering and of saying goodbye to the love of her life. In her children’s book, Bum Lambs, Grace recalls one summer of her childhood. Color photographs of lambs and sheep illustrate the story of caring for bum (newborns rejected by their mothers) lambs. She recalls feeding the lambs with a bottle, caring for the lambs as they grew, and even learning how to handle the young rams who liked to playfully head butt her any chance they got. In The Making of a Con, Grace Larson diverges from telling personal and family stories to telling the story of a virtual stranger. Grace met Edwin Grant Hamilton when she was working at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. Hamilton was an inmate under her supervision. The story is told essentially in Hamilton’s own words and compiled into a narrative by Grace. “Edwin was given the nickname, ‘Pappy’ by the young men who’ve turned to him when they entered the prison.” The Making of a Con, Pappy’s story, is “the story of a man caught up in a world within which he could not function.” Grant Hamilton’s life of crime begins with teenage boy pranks – drinking, shoplifting, and joy riding in a ‘borrowed’ car with his friends. How-

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

ever, instead of out-growing this stage of his life, Hamilton built upon those early bad decisions. His story is full of contradictions, a Dishonorable Discharge from the National Guard for his conduct, but he later received a Good Conduct Medal. “I think I was an alcoholic from the first drink I ever took,” Hamilton says. His drinking always seemed to be the precursor to bad judgment that landed him in prison, However, Hamilton admits that, especially after his years in Angola Penitentiary in Louisiana, he “knew I couldn’t adapt to society again. Nightmares were frequent, I was restless, and couldn’t stand authority of any kind…I couldn’t hold a job.” For a while, however, life was good. Using the skill he had acquired in prison, he opened his own successful leather goods shop. He got married, but he couldn’t settle down and he couldn’t keep from drinking. Predictably, everything fell apart. Hamilton’s story is not only the story of his circumstances; it is also a story of the prison system

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 65

all over the country. “I’ve seen so much of life in these places; the good and the bad. There are as many drugs and almost as much booze as there is out in the free world.” He describes each prison in which he was incarcerated in vivid detail. The Making of a Con includes a timeline of Hamilton’s experiences and convictions as well as the transcript of his trial for deliberate homicide in 1978. Grant Hamilton was released to a pre-release center in 1985. He died in 1996. Grace Baker Larson was born in Hot Springs, Montana. She describes herself as a jack-ofall-trades and master of none. She raised five children and has done everything from skidding logs and operating a day care center to working as a chemical dependency counselor. She was the first woman to work in the trades for the Anaconda Company. She currently lives in Kalispell. MSN

Authorizing Someone To Handle Your Tax Questions

If you don’t understand something about your taxes and want someone else, like your spouse or adult child, to contact the Montana Department of Revenue on your behalf, you can fill out a Power of Attorney (POA) form. This authorizes the department to talk with the person who is calling on your behalf. You can submit a POA form online through Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) at revenue.mt.gov. It is simple to do and ensures that we can discuss your tax matters with the person or people you designate. Regardless of who asks questions for you, we appreciate your paying your taxes. Your tax dollars help to fund education, public health, transportation, and recreation that support Montana’s quality of life. The Montana Department of Revenue administers more than 30 state taxes and fees, including income taxes, natural resource taxes, corporation taxes, and many miscellaneous taxes. If you need more information about anything regarding your taxes, please don’t hesitate to use our website at revenue.mt.gov or call our help line at 1-866-8592254 or in Helena at 444-6900. MSN

The Montana Historical Society – Discover Treasures from Montana’s Past! The Montana Historical Society (MHS) promotes an understanding and appreciation of Montana’s cultural heritage – past, present, and future. MHS preserves Montana’s past for the future. Art, artifacts, memoirs, photographs, maps, personal and business records, oral histories, books, films, and manuscripts are among the treasures we hold and care for so that the accounts of the past will be available for future generations. At the same time, MHS actively engages people of all ages in discovering Montana’s rich heritage. You can see world-class exhibits at Montana’s Museum, delve into your own past at the Research Center, read about great and littleknown episodes of Montana’s history in Montana The Magazine of Western History, or explore the stories of historic buildings from Montana’s National Register listings. All year long MHS offers dozens of programs and events you can attend, or view on our YouTube channel. There are limitless opportunities for all to connect with our past. Visit our website to discover more! For over 150 years, countless people passionate about our state’s history have supported the Montana Historical Society. Contributions from people like you ensure that our heritage is preserved, that Montana tells its real stories, and that future generations are inspired by Montana’s fascinating history. You can help honor the legacy of Montana’s past, and meet the challenges of the

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future by making a gift to MHS. Together we’ll continue to preserve and share our Montana story. The MHS is not only about preserving history; it’s about joining hands to build the road ahead. It’s about encouraging civic engagement and honoring citizenship. It’s about sharing an appreciation for our rich past today–and for the

future! montanahistoricalsociety.org Get to know your Montana Historical Society and our plans for the future. Visit montanahistoricalsociety.org, and follow MHS on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Please call us at 406-444-2694 with your questions and comments – we’d love to hear from you! MSN

From the days of Shoeless Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth, Cyclone Taylor, and the many other stars of professional sports teams, the connection between the teams and their host cities has been key to their professional success. Interestingly however, only two current NFL teams, the Decatur Staleys (Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (Arizona Cardinals), are original NFL teams. And, the Green Bay Packers is the oldest NFL franchise in continuous operation with the same name in the same location. From its United States origin in 1904, professional hockey became prominent in Canada early in the 20th century and then expanded back into the United States and eventually to many countries around the world. Basketball’s invention by James Naismith was followed by the founding of the National Basketball League in 1898, which produced its first champions, the Trenton Nationals. These were followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers, and the Camden Electrics. As is natural in big business, times and tastes change, but it seems that in recent history, professional sports franchises have moved frequently in search of new stadiums and bigger tax breaks as cities compete for the economic benefit of hosting a professional team. With professional sports as a theme, we hope you enjoy this month’s quiz submitted by Gary Bores, who is challenging your knowledge of where a number of professional teams resided before

their current location. Thank you, Gary, winner of this month’s $25 prize. Thank you to all who participated in our British Invasion Rock Music quiz in the August/September 2016 issue. The winner of the $25 prize for submitting the correct answers is Candy Drader of Missoula. Congratulations, Candy! From our August/September issue, we thank anyone who participated in our Octoberfest contest. Congratulations to Joan Latimer of Kalispell who won the free night’s accommodation at Spokane’s Best Western Plus City Center Hotel, including free parking, breakfast, two all-weekend Oktoberfest tickets, two commemorative beer steins, and two beers! We hope Joan and the other festival-pass winners enjoyed the festival. 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! 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 November 7, 2016 for our December 2016/January 2017 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website at montanaseniornews.com.

Where Did They Come From – Moving Sports Franchises Are Like Whack A Mole Submitted by Gary Bores Below are the numbered names of twenty-five current North American professional sports franchises. Match the letter of the city from which each franchise made its move to its present location. 14. Memphis Grizzlies A. Seattle N. Milwaukee 1. Atlanta Braves 15. Milwaukee Brewers B. Kansas City O. Houston 2. Arizona Cardinals 16. New Orleans Pelicans C. Montreal P. New Orleans 3. Baltimore Ravens 17. Oakland Athletics D. Washington D.C. Q. Vancouver 4. Calgary Flames 18. Philadelphia 76ers E. St. Louis R. Fort Wayne 5. Carolina Hurricane 19. Phoenix Coyotes F. Los Angeles S. Hartford 6. Colorado Avalanche 20. San Francisco Giants G. San Diego T. Quebec City 7. Detroit Pistons H. Philadelphia U. Syracuse 8. Golden State Warriors 21. St. Louis Rams 22. Tennessee Titans I. Winnipeg V. Charlotte 9. Indianapolis Colts 23. Texas Rangers J. Cleveland W. Atlanta 10. Kansas City Chiefs K. Baltimore X. Brooklyn 11. Los Angeles Clippers 24. Utah Jazz Y. New York MSN 12. Los Angeles Dodgers 25. Washington Nationals L. Dallas M. Minneapolis 13. Los Angeles Lakers CAPITAL TRANSIT M–F Except Holidays Oﬃce Hours: 8am–12pm & 1pm–5pm Curb to Curb Service: 6:30am–5:30pm

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ACROSS 1. “Peter, Peter Pumpkin ____” 6. Lawyers’ league 9. Versus “Wall” street? 13. Less than 90 degrees 14. Eric Stonestreet on Modern Family 15. Beautiful, in Spanish 16. Overthrow an argument 17. It comes with or without seeds 18. “___ ___ for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost” 19. *Ingalls’ homestead setting 21. *a.k.a. American bison 23. Junior 24. Tom, not Tabby

25. Cathode-ray tube 28. Deity, in Sanskrit 30. Belonging to Cree, e.g. 35. Cambodia’s neighbor 37. *An outlaw does it to his horse 39. Zzzz 40. Miners’ passage 41. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ guitarist Benmont 43. “The Man Who ____ Too Much” 44. Angers 46. “The Way We ____” 47. Abominable humanoid 48. It’s meant to be 50. Display displeasure 52. Word for a nod

Answers To British Rock Invasion from August/September Issue On Page 79

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67

53. Oration station 55. Type or kind 57. *____ Murrieta, a.k.a. the Robin Hood of El Dorado 61. *Cowboy’s biannual trip 65. Loathing 66. Flying saucer 68. Oceanic trenches 69. Caffeine-containing nut tree, pl. 70. Hard to escape routine 71. Hanukkah coins 72. At one time, formerly 73. “____ he drove out of sight...” 74. “The Waste Land” poet DOWN 1. *Wyatt or Virgil 2. Tennis serving whiz 3. Lowest brass instrument 4. Lady’s pocketbook 5. Retread, past tense 6. *Homesteader’s purchase, sing. 7. *Hudson’s ____ Company 8. Naked protozoa 9. State of irritation 10. Karenina or Kournikova 11. Object of worship 12. Post WWII military alliance 15. Inmates without hope of freedom 20. Like helium 22. Last, abbr. 24. March tradition 25. *Corps of Discovery explorer 26. Half of diameters 27. Works hard 29. Whoopi Goldberg’s opinion, e.g. 31. Pac Man’s blue ghost 32. 1970s disco band “____ M.” 33. Mountain ridge 34. *Corps of Discovery explorer 36. Kind of cell 38. Shade of beige 42. Sunny prefix 45. Stonecrops 49. Chi forerunner 51. Programmer’s clumsy solution 54. Accustom 56. Strike a pose, in church 57. “Knock-Knock,” e.g. 58. O in b.o. 59. Pains 60. African tea 61. Memorization by repetition 62. Kosher establishment 63. “If it were ____ ____ me...” 64. Attention-getting sound 67. *Trading post ware MSN

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Five Secrets Fulfilled People Use Everyday By Dr. William Schiemann Are there real tricks to becoming fulfilled in life? You bet. My research and that of others suggests that there are key street-smart actions that those who are most fulfilled use every day in their professional and personal lives. I interviewed over 100 successful people some who were fulfilled and others who were not to understand why success does not always bring about fulfillment. There was amazing convergence around several things that fulfilled people do at work and home. Here are the top five: 1. Have strong values. Do your work environment, family, and friends allow you to behave consistent with your values? Having to behave contrary with your values can be debilitating. 2. Practice resilience. The ability to face adversity and bounce back. One part of resilience is having grit, a firmness of character, or as psychologist Angela Duckworth describes it based on her studies, perseverance and passion for long-term goals. It was a rare person who could pursue their long-term goals without setbacks in their lives divorces, failed promotions, cancer, family members coming off the rails. Many people who I knew to be successful in their professional lives had many hidden stories of failures and bounce backs. They used a variety of approaches to get around those adversities that you can borrow in your own life, such as building a support network as you plough through challenges. Those who had developed mentors found them particularly helpful. Some dug deep into their long-term vision or spirituality to help them overcome setbacks. We all have setbacks, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you get up that makes the difference. 3. Take risks. One interesting finding is the number of people who either took risks and vouched that those risks stretched them and enabled them to reach new heights, or those who regretted not taking more risks. It appears that wisdom brings with it perspective. What appeared to be huge risks to many when they were young now seem insignificant in hindsight. Although hindsight is often 20-20, it would be too easy to dismiss this advice simply as sages looking through the rear view mirror. Instead, many felt so strongly about

this that they have gone overboard in encouraging their children to take more risks. This is one of the most difficult lessons in the art of fulfillment, but you can help yourself by have a longer term vision, with many stepping stones along the way that allow you to see the big picture. Imminent risks are often much less threatening when viewing the big picture. Another key is talking to those who have faced those risks before, often providing sage advice that allows one to reduce the fear and anxiety that comes with perceived risk. 4. Build a network. One out-of-work pharmaceutical executive told me that the only time he networks is when he is out of work, lamenting that he has not learned from past mistakes. It takes so much longer to reconnect with people and build trust, he shared. This is an increasing challenge to those who are overloaded at work today. Many interviewees commented that time pressures reduced their attendance at meetings outside work, limited hobby and family time, and reduced the time to simply keep up with friends and professional colleagues on social media. Most realized that having a good network is a key skill, particularly in the world where networks and connections are increasing key to scoring the next great job, or finding a life partner, or getting into the right school. If you are not building your network continuously, you are falling behind. 5. Give back. An often forgotten element that brought fulfillment to many was giving back. Sharing your skills and experiences with others can bring an incredible sense of fulfillment when you see what it can do for others. I began volunteering for not-forprofits later in life and I can attest that it has been one of the most rewarding experiences. One group I encountered during my investigations was Rosieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kids a program to help inner city kids go ahead in life by teaching them stage skills dancing and singings their hearts away. I first heard the back-story of so many of the disadvantaged kids crack houses, abusive parents, abandoned, homeless and then I saw these kids performing with huge smiles on their faces. One child summed it up for me when he said that he was excited about his future his chances. And with a tear in my eye, I realized the power of enabling others to become fulfilled. Take a moment to think about your own fulfillment. Do you have a vision, are you taking enough risks, have you built networks to help you during difficult setbacks, and are you giving back to others more in need? Try it. I think you will find yourself more fulfilled. William A. Schiemann, Ph.D. is CEO of Metrus Group. He is a thought leader in human resources, employee engagement, and fulfillment and author of Fulfilled! Critical Choices Work, Home, Life released October 1, 2016. MSN

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By Barbara Newell As we go through life, we prepare for situations such as health, with phone lists of doctors and family members. We have our list of medications, transportation choices and so on. But, what about safety in your home, fire safety? I have a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place in my home. Actually, a friend bought it for me, and one would be a great gift for someone you know as well as yourself. A residential fire extinguisher is a life- and property-saving tool. You should be trained to use the extinguisher and keep up regular maintenance on the unit. The five classes of fire extinguishers are: 1. Class A: used for fire of ordinary combustible materials such as cloth, paper, wood, rubber, and plastics. 2. Class B: used for fire of flammable liquids such as grease, oil (including oil-based paint), and gasoline. 3. Class C: used for fires of appliances, tools, and any electrically operated items. 4. Class D: used for fires of metals commonly found in industry. 5. Class K: used for fire from vegetable oils and animal fats or fats in cooking appliances in commercial facilities. There are also combinations of the classes of extinguishers: A-B and A-B-C classed fire extinguishers that can be used on several types of fires. You will also find a number on the fire extinguisher right before the letter. The reference to

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Putting Out the Fire this number tells you the effectiveness of that unit for combating the fire. The higher the number, the more effective the unit will be. There are symbols used on the label to indicate the class of fire that can be extinguished with that particular unit. Be sure to hold the extinguisher before you purchase it. You will be able to determine if it will be too heavy for you. You must be able to effectively hold and operate the unit. Once you determine which extinguisher you are able to handle easily, the next step is to decide if you want a disposable or a rechargeable unit. The rechargeable units have metal valves compared to the disposable type, which have plastic valves. Obviously, the rechargeable is more expensive to purchase, but in the end, the rechargeable

will be less costly, even when you consider the fee to recharge the unit. Your fire extinguisher should be placed in an easily accessible area, such as by an exit. This way as you fight the fire, you will be between the fire and the exit and can easily escape. In case of fire, persons should exit the home immediately and the fire department should be called. When the flames are small, the extinguisher can be used. If the fire is large, exit the home and leave the firefighting up to the professionals. PASS is an easy way to remember how to use a fire extinguisher – Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep – PULL the pin, AIM at the heart of the fire, SQUEEZE the trigger while holding the unit upright, and SWEEP the extinguisher contents over the fire. Do this until the unit is empty.

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Once the fire extinguisher is used, replace it or refill it, depending on the type of unit you have. There are periodic maintenance tasks you will have to do to insure your extinguisher will operate for you in your time of need. • Look at the pressure gauge to see if the pressure is sufficient.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

• Check for any signs of rust or damage. • The hose and valve should not be loose, torn, or damaged. • The unit itself should be clean and ready to use. Every home should have a fire extinguisher.

You should be familiar with the use of the extinguisher and have a safety plan. Check with your fire department for fire safety booklets, and take a class if they offer one. Learn about fire safety. Save a life. MSN

Ready for a Move to a 55+ Community? By Patricia M. Johnson Are you ready to hear about the pros and cons of moving to a 55-plus community? I have yet to read articles on the entire truth about the problems, rules and regulations, HOAs, BOTs, community meetings, and much more. Before you make that move, let me go over a few things with you. My husband and I have lived in a 55+ community for the past year and a half. It’s the best move we ever made – wish we had done it ten years earlier. There are more good things coming out of the move, although knowing some things about this endeavor beforehand, would have prepared us better. Location Location is still an important rule in real estate. If you desire to relocate to a warmer climate and it’s many states away from your family and/or friends, check out your dream environment thoroughly. Most of us need convenient access to transportation, shopping, culture, community amenities, places of worship, and social opportunities. Should the community you have selected be located a good distance from family or friends, check out the distance to the nearest airport. Check to see if there is an airline that goes from you to your destination. See if there is a limo or bus that can come to you for a pick-up and bring you back home. Also consider the cost of moving from your current home to the new location. You may find it best to sell some of your furnishings and purchase new upon arrival. The cost of moving can be a big factor for many people. Builder We t e n d s o m e times to overlook our needs when we see the beautifully landscaped and decorated model homes. It’s easy to be in awe of such beauty

and not realize that what you are seeing are options above and beyond the standard given at the builder’s listed price. The builder is responsible for all aspects of the home buying and building experience – from sales to construction, to guarantee service after settlement. Being a member of The National Association of Homebuilders, acknowledges your 55 + community builder as among the finest in the trade. If you are buying a home in an already established community, the realtor will advise you how to handle many matters; if not, select another realtor. If you are buying a house from another party, you need to know all the facts. Surrounding Area It is a wise decision to view the surrounding area of your 55 + community. Before entering the sales office or seeing homes for sale with a realtor, drive around and look at the homes. Have they been maintained? If you hear several dogs barking at the house next to the one you want, and you don’t enjoy dogs, reconsider. Most communities allow up to two animals per home. Dogs must be on a leash when going outside. The use of a doggy cleanup bag is necessary and most communities have “drop-off containers” located at several locations. Cats must remain inside. Homeowners Association and Board of Trustees Most sales offices can give you a copy of their by-laws or answer questions before you buy. You may find it of interest to attend an open board meeting of either one or both, before purchase. It is in your interest to know whether the people on these boards are qualified in the field. By typing in HOA problems on your computer, you’ll see that too have been mismanaged, which can lead to problems in the years to come. You would not want unqualified people handling your personal monies, nor do you want that stress and added insecurity when retired. Enjoy your dream come true! Patricia Johnson is a retired interior designer/ architect. She has been helping others ease the chore of moving for many years. She can be contacted through this publication. MSN

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Retirement Dream or Nightmare? By Billy and Akaisha Kaderli Home is sweet... or is it? There’s a powerful love affair with the idea of retiring overseas and buying real estate. From Belize to Panama, Costa Rica to Nicaragua, Lake Chapala to the other gringo enclaves of Mexico, the touts are pushing this idea hard and to a willing audience. “Buy, buy, buy! It’s your last chance! Hurry, hurry! The time is now!” Before you jump, though, take a breath. Have you thought this through? There’s a big difference between traveling to an exotic location with warm breezes, sunshine, and beaches for a vacation, and actually living there permanently. Consider a scenario we’ve seen happen time and again. How It’ll All Play Out Sure, you may have done your homework and read about all of the “opportunities” of retiring to some faraway place; perfect weather, low cost of living, affordable health care, and great home prices... at least compared with where you currently live. So in your excitement, you jump on the plane, fly down to Somewhere, and can’t believe what your money will purchase. You find the perfect place just new on the market, so you contact a real estate agent and make an offer the same day. Wonder of wonders, it’s accepted and you now own your dream retirement home. This is it. You’re planning on living out the rest of your days right here in this tranquil, peaceful paradise. Returning home, you sell your current house if you’re lucky, and then ship, fly, or drag everything you own down to your new digs. You’ve settled into the perfect life of a retiree in an exotic location. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months as you meet other expatriates, swapping tales from previous lives. Family members and friends all come down to visit, clearly envious of your new lifestyle, and for a while your new hosting role is exciting. Could it get any better? Then it happens. Your friends don’t make the trip down this year. Your kids are busier than ever with their own lives and families. Grandbabies are born, and you’re beginning to feel as if you’re missing out on their lives. The bloom is coming off the rose. Your next-door neighbors start a home-based business creating havoc with parking, and a nightclub opens a few doors down, where the noise can be heard well into the night. Horror stories of friends’ homes being robbed and cars being broken into add up and intrude into the self-confidence you had about living overseas. You contemplate leaving your “paradise.” Even condos can present unexpected problems. If neighbors don’t pay monthly maintenance fees, repairs can pile up, and your investment can go down the drain, causing costly legal fights and making relationships among neighbors untenable. Don’t Count on Ethics Don’t be fooled. You won’t find a regulatory governing body that supervises real estate sales

in most of these tropical Edens. Often, anyone can become a real estate broker. No license is needed, no schooling, no bonding, and no continuing education. All you need is enough money to print some business cards, and voila! You’re a broker. Selling real estate is a popular first job for expatriates. Without real estate laws to protect you, it’s 100% buyer beware. You’re buying what you see, not what’s in those glossy brochures. Try Before You Buy Our advice has always been to rent first. After all, it can take months for a town or neighborhood to reveal its true character. What seems like a quaint difference in culture could become a sore point later down the line. You might learn that a particular area is not right for you and that a place a few miles away is preferable. Go ahead and rent a place. Get to know and live alongside the local culture. Travel around the area and learn the ins and outs of a city or town. Don’t get caught up in the sales hype encouraging you to buy now. Neighborhoods Can Change in Unpredictable Ways Living in many foreign countries isn’t like living back home. You won’t always find zoning laws or city planning. So if you sink a large portion of your wealth into a house and your surroundings become undesirable, you’ll find yourself stuck with a place that no longer works for you. One couple we know purchased a run-down lakefront home. Putting in hours of sweat equity and a good deal of cash, they made the place into a beautiful show house. Then a high-density housing development was built near them, stressing the utilities and bringing thousands of shady characters with it. The couple sold out and moved home. Dealing with Foreign Laws and Economies Expatriate homeowners and their money can also become prime targets of the local governments. Nations around the globe have been hurt by sluggish economies and are always looking for more revenue. They can raise taxes or even alter immigration requirements for their own gain. If you have all your money invested into your home, and the local housing market goes south, you may find that your options to return north of

the border have withered. A new life abroad is a bit like a fantasy, and fantasies can sour. Sometimes people take this leap of moving abroad only to find that the promise is greater than the fulfillment. It’s up to you to make a new lifestyle work, and both dreams and marriages can collapse under the pressure of a move overseas, as one spouse gets homesick and misses family connections. Remember, it’s a lot easier to buy a home than to sell, and for every buyer, there’s a seller who wants out. Ask yourself why the sellers want to give up their paradise. You might learn something useful and save yourself a boatload of money. MSN

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HONORING OUR VETERANS November 11 & Always Fingerprints on the Wall

By Marti Healy On the far, right-hand corner of my desk sits a small, round, glass paperweight. Occasionally, it fulfills its purpose of holding down wayward papers. But most of the time it sits alone. A silent memento. Often forgotten, I’m afraid. Yet it has a singular history. It’s one of those clear glass domes that magnifies an item placed under it; a patch of black felt glued to the bottom keeps the item enclosed. I found it – empty – in the cheap section of an antiques store. But it suited my purpose perfectly. Because I tucked within it a small piece of the Berlin Wall – a relic brought to me by family friends. They had picked it up off the ground at the actual site where the wall had stood, shortly after it was torn down. In appearance this piece of the wall is a jagged chunk of light beige cement mixed with chipped brown stones, a few inches long overall, perhaps an inch in width. But whenever I look at it, I see fingerprints. From the hands that built it. The hands that tried to escape over it. The hands that tore it down. In my mind, the hands that built this wall were hesitant. They loved their country, their beautiful city; yet now they were being forced to divide it – splitting families, putting up boundaries around lives and thoughts, closing in futures, shutting out freedom. They were human hands. They must have hesitated. In my mind, the hands that tried to escape over this wall were trembling. They were the hands of men, women, even children. They were the hands of people who would leave everything, risk pun-

ishment, imprisonment, and death for an ideal. Though they trembled, these hands must also have been exceedingly courageous. In my mind, the hands that tore this wall down were strong and sure and came from both sides. Young and old. Brave and frightened. Acting out of intellect and instinct. These hands belonged to people who had to be very proud of one another. So this piece of the Berlin Wall itself isn’t important. The “fingerprints” on it matter. The unnamed lives it represents. The human hearts and hands imprinted on it. And as I look at this small fragment of history, it now makes me think of another wall – one on the far east side of the small town where I live, in the local Veterans Memorial Park. I recently spent time in this park, sitting by the fountain, walking gently over the commemorative bricks underfoot, reading the far too-many names etched on the black granite wall of all the lives from the county also given in defense of an ideal. At the top of the wall are the words, “In honor of all veterans – past, present, future.” The

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names engraved are those who have been killed in action. The first name is from World War I – Walter Bell. The most recent is the name of Jason Lyle Moski, who gave his life fighting in Operation Iraq Freedom, and it is achingly fresh, the gold etching still bright within the hollow letters. What wrenches my heart the most, however, is the amount of blank surface on this wall awaiting names. As if we are somehow compelled to fill it, to fulfill the prophecy of that title at the top “...past, present, future.” It was raining when I visited this place. A slow,

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quiet drizzle of tear-like drops slid down the surface of the wall, softly curving along the letters of each name. But, in my mind, I saw “fingerprints” again. Fingerprints from the hands of those left behind – those who loved these souls whose names are etched here. Fingerprints from touching the memory of someone special one more time. I left my fingerprints there, too. In silent thanks, I respectfully reached out and touched Jason’s

name. And Walter’s. Names that must never be forgotten. And then, I touched the blank spaces on the wall. And I prayed with all my heart that this part of the wall would someday be torn down – unused, unneeded. I prayed that one day, scraps of this un-etched portion of the wall would be relics captured under a glass-domed paperweight on the far corner of someone else’s desk. I prayed that only fingerprints would be there. MSN

Peter MacDonald Sr., 88, Is The Youngest Navajo Code Talker

By Dianna Troyer Convinced of his imminent death in a South Pacific foxhole, Peter MacDonald Sr. did what he had been taught since childhood. The Navajo Code Talker took a pinch of corn pollen from a pouch next to his dog tags, licked it, sprinkled a small amount on his head, and scattered the rest. He said what he thought would be his final prayers. His life was spared, and now at age 88 he tells of his wartime experiences to raise money for a new national Navajo Code Talkers Museum and Veterans Association Center near Window Rock, Arizona. “Chevron gave us 200 acres for the museum,” he says, after giving a talk in Kayenta, Ariz., about 50 miles

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north of his home. “We want to raise money to get it built in the next couple of years. There are only 15 of us left, and we lose about three a year. Our story is a national story of how Americans whatever their language and skills help to make our country strong.” From 1942 to 1945, about 400 Code Talkers in the Marine Corps in the South Pacific relayed vital messages, using about 600 words from their language to refer to military terms. For example, a hummingbird translated to a fighter plane, an eagle was a transport plane, while a battleship was a whale. “In twenty seconds, we could relay a message that would have taken 20-30 minutes using the decoder machines of the day,” he says. “At the Battle of Iowa Jima, code talkers worked 48 hours relaying messages.” The only wartime code that has never been broken, their work was classified as top secret. The idea of using the Navajo language was suggested by Robert Johnston, who had grown up on the reservation as the son of missionaries. After the war, the Code Talkers were told never to speak of what they had done. “When my family asked what I did, I had to tell them I was just a radio man and to not ask me any more questions.” The youngest Code Talker still alive, Peter enlisted in the U.S. Marines as a 15-year-old. He told the recruiters he was 17 and that no birth certificate had been issued when he was born. “My cousin vouched for me,” he recalls. After the war, Peter returned to the reservation and served as tribal chairman for four terms. Until the museum is built, a detailed code talker exhibit is at the Navajo Tribal Park headquarters at Monument Valley about 20 miles north of Kayenta. “We hope our last mission will get a national museum built,” he says. MSN

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The best kept secret - cont’d from page 56 While she had an appreciation for art and participated in the art museum’s events, she didn’t feel qualified for the position, even with her stellar management record at Miles City hospital. Though the art museum would usually sign an annual contract, Dixie insisted they start with a 6-month engagement. “Just in case they didn’t like me or I didn’t like the position, we could both leave graciously after 6 months.” After 6-months, the president of the board invited her for coffee. They loved her and Dixie had finally found her calling. “We found some common ground where we could grow as a team and they appreciated that I was willing to dig in and do my homework,” Dixie explains. Her first several months were trial by fire. The museum had been without a director for 8 months. “It was challenging,” says Dixie, who immediately immersed herself in her position, learning how to write grants, educating herself on the running of an art museum, caring for the artists, the building, the board, and growing the educational outreach programs that are so vital to the WaterWorks Art Museum’s mission. It’s become a labor of love, for both her and her dog Coco – her rescued chocolate lab mix. “Coco dearly loves to be the greeter and every time the motion sensor goes off she lets me know it’s time to go to the front door,” she adds with a smile. For Dixie, the change from the hospital to the art museum has been a shining light. “When people came through hospital doors they are stressed and uncomfortable, and when people come through these doors, they feel good because they know they’re here to appreciate the

beauty of the building and what’s inside.” One of Dixie’s missions has been to make this spectacular and innovative art museum more accessible to the local community and a destination point for Montana tourists. “A lot of folks didn’t feel welcome,” she notes. “We’ve tried to change that image to say if you’re in town and you’ve got a little manure on your boot or a hole in your pants, we don’t care, we want you to come in because everyone is important the second they walk through this door.”

WaterWorks Art Museum has both a permanent and rotating collection of works. Its permanent collection speaks to Montana’s frontier history, including photographs by Evelyn Cameron and L.A. Huffman. And of course, the building with its award winning adaptive design is worth a visit in and of itself. It earned a Montana Governor’s Preservation Award for most adaptive reuse of a historic structure, and the Montana Governor’s Award for the Arts. “Approximately every 6 weeks we change our rotating exhibits,” Dixie explains. That involves

removing art, patching and re-painting walls, sending these beautiful items back to the artists – or to their new owners, as much of this part of the rotating exhibit is for sale to the public, then getting ready for the next exhibit. Rieger finalizes WaterWorks Art Museum’s rotating art exhibits two years in advance. “We generally have a themed show in October.” This October the art will revolve around found objects. “So we’ll have five different new artists that have found objects to make their art. In the last part of November, they’ll begin their holiday show, which will include works from many artists including some holiday art from art students that utilize the Museum’s open studios and participate in its art classes. One of Dixie’s and the WaterWorks Art Museum’s Board of Director’s passion is educational outreach. “Our educational director covers about 30,000 square miles, to 11 rural counties – clear down to Ekalaka and up to Jordan, Wolf Point, and the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. He teaches art in home schools and one-room schools along with many elementary and high schools,” explains Dixie. They also invite schools, the veteran’s administration, and AWARE to come and learn how to make and enjoy art at the museum. “We don’t charge admission to the art museum,” adds Dixie. “We don’t want income to be a factor that keeps children and adults from attending.” The museum attends to all its finances through memberships, donations, art sales, a small fee for art classes, and grants. For more information about WaterWorks Art Museum, its hours, and exhibit schedule (or just to say “Hi” to Dixie and Coco) visit wtrworks.org or call 406-234-0635. MSN

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Visit Beautiful Bighorn Canyon By Bernice Karnop Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and that means it deserves special attention. This quiet area beneath Yellowtail Dam in southeastern Montana south of Billings is one of Montana’s best-kept secrets. Park Ranger Ben Goodlad says, “It’s like an unknown canyon. There are not a lot of people here. I rarely see other people on the trails when I hike them.” The 63,000 acre National Recreation Area spills over into Wyoming and includes Yellowtail Dam, the 71-mile long Bighorn Lake, and the lovely Bighorn Canyon. Its primary draw is water recreation: boating, fishing, kayaking, and jet skiing. But that’s not all. The beautiful and desolate country draws hikers, artists, and photographers to see the breathtaking tumble of hills, cliffs, and red sandstone. Forests, caves, and mountain streams disguise rich archaeology. One may find Native American battle sites, tepee rings, vision quest sites, and buffalo jumps built centuries ago. Visitors can see the Bad Pass Trail from Highway 37 that goes through the Park. This Native people’s trail was used by explorers like William Ashley, Andrew Henry, Jim Bridger, and Jedidiah Smith. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Fort Smith, the town nearest the dam site. Fort Smith on the Bozeman Trail provided protection along this dangerous road into Montana for travelers

invading native lands. More recent but no less intriguing history includes the historic ranches and the people who lived there. Wildlife and bird watchers will find themselves rewarded with sightings of multiple species, including bighorn sheep. Some come just to see the Pryor Mountain wild mustangs that range into the park. The geology of Bighorn Canyon is similar to that of the Grand Canyon but the canyon is narrow, and the once raging river that tore through the Madison Limestone here, has been tamed into a placid lake by the dam. Unlike the Grand Canyon, or even Yellowstone Canyon, one can examine its layers and colors quietly, without the crowds. Visitors who want to see cliffs that tower 1,000 feet above the water may bring their own watercraft or purchase tickets for a 2-hour, 14-mile round-trip up Devil’s Canyon provided by Hidden Treasure Charters located at Horseshoe Bend Marina, 14 miles from Lovell, Wyoming. You can book and pay online ($42 per person) at hiddentreasurecharters. com, or just show up at the marina. They also do fishing charters. After seeing towering, colorful cliffs and amazing formations from the river, one can then drive to the Devil’s Canyon overlook and see it from the top. About a mile north of the Devil’s Canyon Overlook junction is the trailhead for Sullivan’s Knob. The trail leads to the canyon rim, where you can test your voice against nature by yelling into the canyon and hearing a triple echo. The newest thing in the park is the Two Eagles Interpretive Trail, located near the Snell Ranch where hikers will see a buffalo jump and tepee rings along the quarter mile trail. Chief of Interpretation at Bighorn Canyon, Christy Fleming, says this Park has not just one tale, but a plethora of stories. “You will never get bored,” she says. Prominent personalities from different cultures figure in the history of the area. Crow leader Robert Yellowtail was born in Lodge Grass (1889-1988), earned a law degree, and used his intelligence and training to save the Crow Reservation from being

opened to homesteaders. He got ranchers to return 40,000 acres of land to the tribe in the 1930s. He fought to give Native Americans the right to vote in 1924. He was the first Indian named Superintendent of his own tribe, and he revived the culture of the Crow tribe. He reestablished celebrations like the annual Crow Fair, one of the largest cultural festivals in the nation today. The Dam’s namesake fought and won many battles for his people, but, ironically, he fought hard against building the Dam on the Bighorn River, and lost. Caroline Lockhart was a strong woman well before being a strong woman was acceptable. She became the first woman writer for the Boston Globe and the Philadelphia Bulletin. She specialized in adventure and dived into Boston Harbor wearing a diving suit with the fishbowl helmet. She climbed mountains and interviewed Blackfeet Indians just before Glacier became a National Park. While she was in the west, she visited Cody, Wyoming, decided to move there, where she wrote seven novels, two of which were made into movies. Caroline was 56 years old when she started her remote Lockhart ranch and she remained there until she was in her 80s. She raised cattle, and called herself the Cattle Queen of Montana. “The ranchers in the Dry Head region called her something else,” admits Christy. Some local people, who still remember her, say she was a horrible woman and tell horrible stories about her. Others say she was very nice, giving calves to her cook’s son for his college education. Travelers can visit the Lockhart ranch in the north section of the Park. Those who stop at the visitor centers in Fort Smith and Lovell will find more stories and see what else they can do at Bighorn Canyon. There are five campgrounds in the Bighorn Canyon National Wildlife Recreation Area, and rangers say they are a great base for visits to nearby places like the Bighorn Mountains, the Pryor Mountains, and even Yellowstone Park. “This is a park where you can spend a short time or many days. It just depends on how much you want to see,” says Christy. To get to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and Yellowtail Dam Follow I-90 from Billings to Hardin then take Highway 313 to Fort Smith, about 90 miles. Southern access is from Lovell, Wyoming. MSN

Terry: A Picture Perfect Spot Along The Yellowstone

By Bernice Karnop Today people carry their cameras everywhere and take millions of photographs. In 1894, when Evelyn Cameron started taking pictures around the homesteads and ranches in Prairie County, photographs were scarce and they required much more skill than pushing a button. Simpler Kodak film cameras were available at the time, but Evelyn bought a German-made 5x7 Graflex. It used fragile and heavy dry-plate glass negatives. She lugged them around, along with her bulky camera. She also carried a tripod, a cloth cover, and her other accoutrements. Evelyn taught herself to make excellent photos by studying the manual,

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 79

Answers to British Invasion Rock Quiz

1. X – I Know A Place 2. G – All Day And All Of The Night 3. I – I Only Want To Be With You 4. J – Sunshine Superman 5. L – You Can’t Always Get What You Want 6. N – She’s Not There

By Gail Jokerst 7. T – A World Without Love 14. U – Mrs. Brown You’ve Got 8. Q – Heart Full Of Soul A Lovely Daughter 9. V – I’m Telling You Now 15. C – Summer Nights 10. R – Gloria 16. A – Look Through Any Window 11. S – Don’t Bother Me 17. O – Ferry Cross The Mersey 12. W – Glad All Over 18. E – Love Potion Number Nine 13. B – Don’t Bring Me Down 19. Y – The Mighty Quinn

questioning visiting photographers, and experimenting with light and timing. Rewards for using the dry-plate glass negatives made it worth the extra effort. She could develop and print the pictures herself when she got home from a shoot. She didn’t have to use up a roll of film before judging a single shot, and she didn’t have to send it away for developing. The bottom line was better quality photos, and pictures that could be delivered in a timely manner. Cameron photographed roundups, branding parties, sheep shearings. She took pictures of iconic snowstorms and sunsets, wind-blown dust, and the weird landforms of the Terry badlands. But most delightfully, she captured people of the homestead days. She took formal portraits where people were dressed in their best, but also shot people working. She captured hunting trips, climbing expeditions, wildlife, and nature. Thanks to her photos and her diaries, folks today can enter the experiences and times of the homestead era. A collection of 2,500 Cameron prints and 1,800 Cameron negatives is at the Prairie County Museum in Terry. The Camerons had no children but a friend, Janet Williams, stored them in her basement for 50 years after Evelyn’s death. Donna Lucey, author of the Cameron biography, Photographing Montana: 1894-1928, tracked down the collection. Along with the photos were Evelyn’s diaries, letters, and her husband Ewen’s manuscripts. Together the collection chronicles 35 years in pioneer Montana, and truly has no equal. The book chronicles the life of a remarkable woman whose story appeals, not only to historians, but to anyone with imagination or whose families lived similar experiences in the early days of the west. The Cameron’s came to Prairie County in 1889 from England on a honeymoon-hunting trip. In England, Evelyn lived the privileged life of an aristocrat. Her brother, Lord Battersea, married heiress Constance de Rothschild and hobnobbed with the most prominent political, artistic, and literary figures of the day. But that simply was not who Evelyn was. Her outdoor life among ordinary people suited her perfectly. She lived in a homestead shack and relished the work required to keep a place going. She did her own cooking, cleaning, and most of the farm work. Her equals in the old country called this work for “lower classes.” Unlike most of the British aristocracy who visited here, she admired the ingenuity and hard work of the pioneers. She appreciated and accepted people. She valued the lack of pretense and the equality of citizens. She saw beauty where others saw loneliness and desolation. She was no Pollyanna. The Cameron’s faced many problems, not the least of which was the lack of money. She bought the camera hoping to bring in extra income. Visitors to the Prairie County Museum and Evelyn Cameron Gallery will be amazed at both this woman and her photographs. The Gallery is in what was once the 1915 State Bank of Terry, itself a marbled-floored, historic relic. In addition to the photographs, it contains settler artifacts of all kinds. The town started out as Terry’s Landing along the banks of the Yellowstone as a supply depot for the U.S. Army. Steamboats navigating the Yellowstone dropped supplies here for troops fighting the Indian wars in the 1870s. General Alfred H. Terry commanded the 1876 expedition with Custer. Earlier, in the fall of 1806, Captain William

Clark and his group from of the Corps of Discovery floated past what would become Terry in their canoes and hastily constructed bullboats. After seeing Evelyn Cameron’s photos, visitors may pick up a Terry Badlands Trail brochure and venture off the highway for a scenic drive. The Calypso Trail is an abandoned bootlegging road that takes motorists past unusual formations. Not unlike the vibrant colors in Yellowstone National Park, one may see striking reds, pinks,

20. M – Nights In White Satin 21. P – Game Of Love 22. H – My Generation 23. F – Gimme Some Lovin’ 24. D – Tobacco Road 25. K – Yesterday’s Gone MSN

and corals, or areas of charcoals, browns, and yellows. While taking pictures of the intriguing landscapes that captured the imagination of Evelyn Cameron a century ago, camera buffs today might pause to speculate on her expertise. Surely, it would stump most iPhone users today. MSN

THANKFULLY, PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE REMAINS A HOMICIDE IN MONTANA “Death with dignity” really means assisted suicide and euthanasia. Proponents of assisted suicide (which historically always leads to euthanasia) claim legalization gives you a “choice.” But do you really have a choice? In Oregon’s and Washington’s assisted suicide laws, not all family members are required to be contacted. A single predatory heir is allowed to initiate and execute the lethal process without witness. Everyone involved in the lethal process gets immediate immunity. No confirmation of the dose or if it was indeed self-administered is required. And if someone changed his or her mind, who would know? Legal assisted suicide empowers other people, the heath care system, and the government to suggest, pressure, or abuse individuals to cut their lives short! In Oregon for example, the state health plan encourages suicide. The plan will not necessarily cover treatment for cure or to extend life. The plan will cover the “treatment” of suicide. Additionally, these laws prohibit investigations or public inquires into such deaths, leaving no recourse for surviving family members who were not contacted. Does this sound like good public policy? This policy allows for the exploitation of elders and people with disabilities of all ages. The 2015 Montana legislature rejected for the third time, legislation that would have legalized non-voluntary euthanasia. Which would trample individual’s rights. This careful and responsible legislative action needs to be appreciated and continued in the 2017 legislature.

SAY NO TO ASSISTED SUICIDE IN MONTANA! Send in this form to receive 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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