New Horizons January 2016

A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

January 2016 VOL. 41 • NO. 1

ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389

New Horizons ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Creative couple Connie and Bob Spittler met at Creighton University where they studied radio, television, and communications.

After marrying, each had a successful career in the creative world. Bob as a cinematographer/editor and Connie as a writer/producer. Together, the Spittlers also operated their own film/video production company.

Leo Adam Biga chronicles the careers of this amazing duo beginning on page 10.

Tuskegee Phillip Reis has worked for more than 13 years to educate the public about his father and the Tuskegee Airmen.

See page 4.

Menagerie Since 1996, Rose Schulte, a retired teacher’s aide, has built a collection of more than 2,000 stuffed bears.

See page 6.

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UNMC ice rink to remain open through Jan. 31

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he University of Nebraska Medical Center’s outdoor ice skating rink will remain open through Jan. 31. The rink is located just east of 42nd Street, midway between Emile Street and Dewey Avenue on the north side of the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education building.

Admission is $7, which includes skates (cash or credit card only. No checks or debit cards will be accepted).

Its hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

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he rink will be closed to the general public on Mondays for the UNMC student broomball league.

Free parking is available in Lot 4 (southeast corner of 42nd and Emile streets) and Lot 15S (surface lot on 40th Street between Dewey & Emile streets) located on the north and east sides of the Student Life Center.

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he ice rink will be closed if the wind chill is zero degrees or below, based on the Weather Channel. In the event of extreme snow, please call 402-5590697 to make sure the rink is open. Notice of the ice rink closing for private events or due to inclement weather can be found on the ice rink’s Facebook page, The Ice at the UNMC. VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO

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January 2016

Love burns bright for the LaBores

Make a donation to help support the

“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”

By Mark Kresl

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here are many fixtures in the lobby of Florence Home Healthcare, 7915 N. 30th St. in Omaha. There are old pictures, an aquarium, comfortable chairs, and antique dolls. Stop by any afternoon and you’ll also see Bill and Yvonne LaBore sitting together.

Bill and Yvonne were married in Papillion, Neb. in 1955. It was the beginning of a love affair that has lasted for more than 60 years. A love affair whose flames burn as bright today as they did in 1955.

Yvonne is a Florence Home resident. She suffers from dementia and has been at the north Omaha facility since 2013. Bill still lives in the house the LaBores shared for more than 30 years, but Bill isn’t a homebody. He spends his afternoons, seven days a week, at Florence Home with his bride.

Bill arrives in the early afternoon and goes to Yvonne’s room to bring her downstairs to the lobby where they spend time together. Sometimes sitting in silence, other times in conversation with the staff or other residents. They watch the weather outside and the people inside. It doesn’t matter what they do. Being together is what matters.

The LaBores met after Bill returned home from the Army where he spent two years in the Korean War and one year in Japan. Yvonne was a PBX (phone) operator at Wright and Wilhelm Hardware suppliers in downtown Omaha. Bill’s friend worked with Yvonne, so Bill had seen her now and then. One day Bill passed Yvonne on her way to catch a bus home. He invited her to join him at a place that had live entertain-

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Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 I get the New Horizons regularly and don’t need to be put on the mailing list.

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NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP

Bill LaBore visits his wife, Yvonne, every afternoon at Florence Home Healthcare, 7915 N. 30th St.

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ment. She accepted the invitation and spent the first day of their more than 60 years together with Bill.

I try to spend time with Bill and Yvonne every day I’m in the office. We share stories and talk about our families. Bill talks often about the couple’s two daughters, Cynthia and Lorinda, and two grandsons.

One day I asked Bill “Why do you come up every day?”

“Because I still have the same feelings for her. She may not know it every day, but she does often enough that I don’t want to miss a day,” he replied.

“I also remember when Yvonne’s mother was in a nursing home. We visited her every Sunday. The look on her face when we walked into the room told me how important our visits were to her. I suppose I could miss a day here and there and she wouldn’t notice, but I can’t spend a day without being with her.”

Bill and Yvonne LaBore should serve as examples to all of us. We should use their story as a reminder to keep close to our loved ones, especially as they age. More than half the nursing home residents never have a visitor. It takes a short amount of time, however, to brighten the day of an older adult with a visit or a phone call.

Make that your New Year’s resolution. You’ll be glad you did.

(Kresl is with Midwest Geriatrics in Omaha.)

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7544 Gertrude Street • LaVista, NE 68128

402-933-8080

January 2016

New Horizons New Horizons is the official publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The paper is distributed free to people over age 60 in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Washington, and Cass counties. Those living outside the 5-county region may subscribe for $5 annually.

Address all correspondence to: Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105-2431.

Phone 402-444-6654. FAX 402-444-3076.

E-mail: jeff.reinhardt@nebraska.gov Advertisements appearing in New Horizons do not imply endorsement of the advertiser by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. However, complaints about advertisers will be reviewed and, if warranted, their advertising discontinued. Display and insert advertising rates available on request. Open rates are commissionable, with discounts for extended runs. Circulation is 20,000 through direct mail and freehand distribution.

Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Jim Peterson, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Gary Osborn, Dodge County secretary; Brenda Carlisle, Sarpy County; & Lisa Kramer, Washington County.

The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.

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Reis passionate about telling the Tuskegee Airmen story

Reis with the Congressional Gold Medal his father earned during WWII.

By Jeff Reinhardt New Horizons Editor

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little more than 13 years ago, Ralph Orduna knew his life was coming to an end.

And what a life it had been. Orduna, then 82, had flown 18 missions inside a P-51 Mustang as a member of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first AfricanAmerican aviators in the United States armed forces. Its pilots, navigators, bombardiers, instructors, maintenance and support staff were educated at Tuskegee University in Alabama during the 1940s.

Before 1940, African-Americans weren’t allowed to fly planes in the U.S. military. Pressure from civil rights groups and the black media, however, eventually lead to the formation of the all black Tuskegee Airmen.

Also known as the “Red Tail Angels” because of the distinctive crimson markings on their aircrafts’ tail sections, the Tuskegee Airmen originally consisted of 47 officers and 479 enlisted personnel.

Between 1941 and 1946, 992 pilots were trained at Tuskegee. Of that total, 355 were deployed overseas, 84 lost their lives, and 32 were captured as prisoners of war.

The unit flew 15,000 missions over Europe and North Africa, shot down 111 enemy planes, and destroyed another 300 aircrafts on the ground.

The Tuskegee Airmen earned three Distinguished Unit Citations, one Silver Star, 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals, and eight Purple Hearts.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton approved legislation that established the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field in Alabama. A museum and interpretive programs honor members of the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group in the United States Army Air Forces.

n 2002, Orduna, an Omaha native living in Chicago, summoned his son, Phillip Ralph Orduna Reis, to the Windy City.

“He commissioned me to help keep the Tuskegee Airmen’s story alive,” Reis said during a recent interview in his north Omaha home.

Prior to joining the Tuskegee Airmen, Orduna – an Omaha South High School graduate – was a supervisor at the Martin Bomber Factory in Bellevue.

In 1941, with the help of friends and family, Orduna broke through a wall of discrimination and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After graduating from the Tuskegee Flying School, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. and stationed at Raminelli, Italy with the 301st Fighter Squadron.

Orduna, one of six Nebraskans who flew with the Tuskegee Airmen, escorted and protected American bombers on 18 WWII missions. He also conducted a series of reconnaissance flights over enemy territory. For his efforts, Ralph – who died in 2003 – earned the Congressional Gold Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

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A closer look at one of the 99 Tuskegee Airmen statues made by Lt. Col. Clarence L. Shivers, USAF (retired).

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ince 2002, Reis, now age 69, has collected dozens of artifacts he uses to educate the public about his father and the Tuskegee Airmen.

The collection includes plaques, dozens of press clippings, and Orduna’s Congressional Gold Medal.

The most impressive piece, however, is the Tuskegee Airmen statue created by Lt. Col. Clarence L. Shivers, USAF (retired).

“It’s one of only 99 that were made,” Reis said, struggling to lift the heavy sculpture.

Phillip enjoys speaking at area churches, libraries, and schools about the Tuskegee Airmen. The six to seven presentations he gives annually are part of ongoing educational efforts by the Alfonza W. Davis chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. in Omaha.

An Omaha native, Davis was a Tuskegee Airmen who was killed in action during WWII. In 2013, the Omaha Public Schools opened the Alfonza W. Davis Middle School at 8050 N. 129th Ave. in his honor.

Reis said the Tuskegee Airmen story needs to be told. “They were black men who wanted to fight for their country despite battling bigotry and racism at home and overseas.”

As a man, Orduna was a friendly, gentle person who was always willing to listen to what others had to say, according to Reis, one of Ralph’s six children.

“As a pilot, my Dad was the best in the United States military as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

“I’m proud of what he did.”

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January 2016

Phillip displays the statue created by Lt. Col. Clarence L. Shivers, USAF (retired).

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hen not educating the public about the Tuskegee Airmen, Reis enjoys spending time with his family that includes Frances, his wife for nine years, three daughters, a son, and 10 grandchildren.

He maintains his lifelong interest for model trains, cars from the 1950s through 1990s, and listening to music.

For the last three years, Reis, a 1964 Omaha Technical High School graduate, has volunteered with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Senior Companion Program.

Administered nationally by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Senior Companion Program provides support and friendship to frail older adults in homes and adult day facilities.

Although admitting he has slowed down a bit, Reis maintains a passion for the Tuskegee Airmen and he plans to continue doing his presentations as long as he’s physically able.

When he does step aside, Reis would like to donate his collection to the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Neb.

An Omaha native, 2nd Lt. Ralph Orduna flew 18 missions during WWII as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Be prepared for disasters by having a kit

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urricanes, floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes can be unpredictable. That’s why organizations like the American Red Cross urge people to prepare ahead of time. You may have an emergency plan in place, so everyone in your family knows what to do and where to go if a disaster strikes. What you may not have is a disaster preparedness kit.

In the event of an emergency, there often isn’t much time to search for or stock up on supplies. You can create your own disaster preparedness kit ahead of time with some basic household items.

• Weather radio: A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio broadcasts continuous weather information from the nearest national weather service and keeps you updated on potential weather-related issues that could arise. These radios are vital because they can keep you updated on the weather when the local news may be inaccessible due to power outages.

• Nonperishable food: When disaster strikes, access to fresh, perishable foods and refrigeration may be limited, so it’s important to have nonperishable food items readily available.

Such items include readyto-eat canned food, granola or fruit bars high in protein, dried fruit or vegetables, nuts, and low sodium crackers. If you choose to include canned items in your kit, also remember to have a manual can opener handy.

• First aid supplies: You probably already have a first aid kit readily available.

Make sure that kit is easily accessible or make sure your disaster preparedness kit has common first aid supplies. Basic first aid supplies should be accounted for including adhesive bandages, compression bandages, tape, gauze, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, and rubber gloves. Pain relievers such as aspirin, are also good to have on hand.

• Flashlight and batteries: Power outages are a common result of natural disasters, and stumbling through darkness can be dangerous. Be prepared with a flashlight and usable batteries. Check your battery supply frequently.

• Bleach: After a natural disaster, water may not be

safe to drink. If water supplies are compromised and you don’t have power to boil water, you can create potable water with a few drops of unscented disinfecting bleach such as Clorox. It is also useful to have bleach on hand for cleanup, to disinfect hard surfaces, and help prevent mold and mildew. In fact, Clorox has worked with the Red Cross for more than 40 years to donate bleach for recovery efforts following natural disasters.

“Clorox is an invaluable partner to the American Red Cross,” said Trevor Riggen, regional chief executive officer, Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “Their donations help victims of disaster recover during the most difficult times.”

To learn more about disaster preparedness, visit RedCross.org and Clorox.com.

(Family Features provided this information.)

Fontenelle Tours

Heartland Generations Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Generations Center – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • Jan. 11: WhyArts? watercolor class with Kim Reid @10:10 a.m.

• Jan. 14: Birthday party with music by Pam Kraght from the Merrymakers @ 1 p.m.

• Jan. 21: Presentation by Elaine Hill on grieving.

• Jan. 25: WhyArts? collage class with Kim Reid @ 10:10 a.m.

• Jan. 27: Luau @ 11 a.m. Wear your hula skirts and coconuts and enjoy island drinks. Join us for tacos, ranch beans, Mexican corn, and a lemon bar.

• Jan. 28: Presentation on Medicare options @ 11 a.m.

The facility will be closed on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day, The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is normally served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to attend.

Transportation is available within select neighborhoods for 50 cents each way.

Regular activities include Bingo, crafts, and free Tai Chi classes (Tuesday and Thursday @ 10:45 a.m.).

For meal reservations or more information, please call 402-553-5300.

Dora Bingel Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Jan. 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, & 29: Ceramics @ 9 a.m.

• Jan. 4: Book Club @ 10 a.m.

• Jan. 4, 11, 18, & 25: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m.

• Jan. 5, 12, 19, & 26: Grief Support Group @ 10 a.m.

• Jan. 6: Holy Communion served.

• Jan. 20: Foot care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon for $10.

• Jan. 21: Red Hats meeting @ 11 a.m.

• Jan. 22: Music by the Links sponsored by The Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3.

• Jan. 27: Birthday Party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have a January birthday.

Lunch is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

A $1 donation is suggested for the meals other than $3 on Merrymakers Day. Round-trip transportation is available for $3.

Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals.

Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: Free matinee movie @ 12:30 p.m. & quilting @ 1 p.m.

Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m., Tai Chi @ 11 a.m., Bible study @ 1 p.m., Bingo @ 1 p.m. Friday: Joy Club @ 9:30 a.m., Bingo @ 1 p.m.

For more information, please call 402-898-5854.

January 2016

Omaha/Council Bluffs

712-366-9596

Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.

Motorcoach WinnaVegas Casino Day Trip. January 13. $19. Feeling lucky? Come along to Sloan, Iowa and enjoy the slot machines, video poker, black jack, or other fun games of chance on “Senior Day” (40+) where your rewards card allows you to claim $5 of free play and earn credits for dining or free additional play.

Ski for Light. January 24 - 29. If you are (or know) someone with a sighted or physical challenge, or would like to volunteer to help at this fun-filled excursion to Deadwood, South Dakota, give us a call. Several days of fun in the snow at Terry Peak near Deadwood. Motorcoach transportation provided at very low cost. At Ski for Light, the sighted and physically-challenged can participate in downhill skiing, cross country skiing, and/or snowmobile and snow shoe activities. Other activites include a bonfire night, slot machine contest, and banquet. Call soon for cost and more information.

Golf Branson. March 30 – April 3. TBD. Experience Branson’s golf courses! Golfers enjoy three days of golfing on three different courses in Branson. Non-golfers come along and enjoy a Paint Party, Farm to Table Lunch Experience, the Titanic Museum, and shopping. Gather back together in the evenings to enjoy dinner and three Branson shows including Pierce Arrow, Million Dollar Quartet, and one more to be determined.

“Beau Jest” at the New Theater. April 28. $129 before 1/28/16. ($139 after 1/28/16.) Join us on a Thursday trip to Kansas City to see a live performance of “Beau Jest” while you enjoy a delicious buffet lunch. This comedy, starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka from “Laverne and Shirley”, is the story of Sarah, a nice Jewish girl with a problem: her Mother wants her married to a nice Jewish boy. Her boyfriend isn’t Jewish! And there the fun and confusion begins.

“Moses” in Branson. May 2 - 5. $689 before 2/2/16. ($729 after 2/2/16.) Enjoy the new show “Moses” at the Sight and Sound, Showboat Branson Belle, Texas Tenors, New Jersey Nights, The Blackwoods, The Brett Family, and #1 Hits of the 60s & 50s too. Includes six meals and lodging at the Barrington Hotel.

Racine, Fond du Lac, and Lake Geneva. June 13 - 17. TBD. A fun five-day adventure including Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, Larsen’s Bakery (learn how Kringle is made), Jelly Belly Candy Factory, Mars Cheese Castle, Cristo Rey Ranch (200+ animals and run by nuns), Larsen’s Famous Clydesdales, US Mail Boat Tour, Dancing Horses Dinner Theatre, Exotic Bird Show, a Baby Barn presentation, and The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium.

“Beauty and the Beast” and “Chicago”. July 19 - 20. TBD. Join us for two spectacular performances. More details coming.

Mark Twain and the Amish. Summer. TBD. More details coming.

Christ Our Life Catholic Regional Conference. September 24 - 25. TBD. Hear the teaching and witnessing of world-renowned Catholic speakers in Des Moines, Iowa, including Mark Hart, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Jesse Romero, Alex Jones, Archbishop Charles Chaput, Bishop Richard Pates, Fr. Tom Hagan, Fr. Michael Schmitz, Jackie Fancois Angel, and Steve Angrisano.

Fall in the Carolinas. October 16 - 22. TBD. More details coming.

Branson Christmas. November 7 - 10. TBD. More details coming.

Kansas City Christmas. December TBD. More details coming.

Laughlin Laughlin in January. January 24 - 28. $299. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. It is a very affordable way to get away for a while. During this stay, you will have the option of seeing both Crystal Gayle and Suzy Bogguss perform at the Riverside Resort.

In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare.

More destinations available!

Reflections of Italy. 10 days from $2449. Visit a land rich in history, culture, art, and romance including Rome, the Colosseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, and Milan. Extend your trip in Turin.Irish Splendor. 8 days from $1699. Return to times gone by as you experience fabulous accommodations, stunning scenery, and sumptuous food visiting Dublin, the Guiness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Dromoland Castle, and Tullamore Whiskey Distillery. Extend your trip in Dublin.

Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule.

Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

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Alzheimer’s support groups

Rose’s home filled with love, stuffed animals

The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups each month in Cass, Dodge, Douglas, and Sarpy counties. These support groups offer valuable space and educational opportunities for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia to engage and learn. Call Elizabeth at 402-502-4301 for more information.

CASS COUNTY • PLATTSMOUTH Second Tuesday @ 6 p.m.

First Lutheran Church 1025 Ave. D DODGE COUNTY • FREMONT Last Wednesday @ 2 p.m.

Nye Square 655 W. 23rd St. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m.

Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St. DOUGLAS COUNTY • BENNINGTON Last Thursday @ 6 p.m.

Ridgewood Active Retirement Community 12301 N. 149th Cr.

First & third Monday @ 1:30 p.m.

New Cassel/Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Adult day services are provided on-site.

• OMAHA Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m.

Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m.

Heritage Pointe 16811 Burdette St. First Thursday @ 6:30 p.m.

Early Stage Support Group Security National Bank 1120 S. 101st St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED Second or third Saturday @ 11 a.m.

Caring for Your Parents Call Teri @ 402-393-0434 for location

Two bedrooms and a living room inside Rose Schulte’s south Omaha home are filled floor to ceiling and wall to wall with stuffed bears.

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Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol, a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services program that works to educate and empower older adults to help prevent health care fraud offers 10 tips to help you avoid Medicare scams.

• Don’t provide your Medicare number to anyone except your trusted health care provider.

• Ask friends and neighbors to pick up your mail while you’re away from home.

• Shred important documents before throwing them away.

• Read Medicare summary notices carefully looking for possible mistakes.

• Use a calendar or health care journal to record information from doctor visits.

• Compare your calendar or health care journal with your Medicare summary notices.

• Count your prescription pills. If the total is less than expected, go back and tell the pharmacist.

• Medicare Part D plans change annually.

• Don’t speak to anyone claiming to be a Medicare representative about Medicare.

• Medicare loses billions of dollars each year. It’s up to you to help fight fraud.

If you believe you may be a victim of Medicare fraud, please call the Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol at 800942-7830.

isitors to Rose Schulte’s south Omaha home are greeted by a decoration hanging on the front door featuring three bears and the words: Bear Hug Blvd. It’s not until guests go inside the house Rose shares with her son, Bob, and her 14-year-old dog, Gunner, however, that they realize just how much Schulte loves bears. Stuffed bears.

The living room and two bedrooms are filled floor to ceiling and wall to wall with stuffed bears of every size, shape, and color. Many of the bears talk, some play music, while others just sit around all day.

A former teacher’s aide who spent the final 17 years of her career at Marrs Magnet Middle School before retiring in 1998, Schulte, age 83, estimates she has collected more than 2,000 stuffed bears since 1996.

“I don’t know how I got started collecting them,” Rose said. “It gave me something to do, I guess.”

The largest bear in the collection sits in the corner of the living room wearing a black Civil War-era bonnet from Arkansas. “I got that bear from a bar on 24th and Vinton (streets),” Schulte said. “He’s my baby. I’m real proud of that big guy.”

Most of the stuffed bears have been purchased at thrift stores. Others have been given to Rose as gifts.

Each is cleaned thoroughly before being displayed, and then treated with tender loving care.

Although bears are her

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January 2016

• ELKHORN Third Monday @ 6 p.m.

Elk Ridge Village Assisted Living 19400 Elk Ridge Dr. • OMAHA Second Thursday @ 10 a.m.

Country House 5030 S. 155th St. Adult day services provided.

Every other Monday @ 7 p.m.

Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave. Third Wednesday @ 3 p.m.

Fountain View Senior Living 5710 S 108th St.

SARPY COUNTY • BELLEVUE Third Monday @ 7 p.m.

Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave. First Wednesday @ 1 p.m.

Eastern Nebraska Vets Home 12505 S. 40th St. Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m.

Hillcrest Health Services 1804 Hillcrest Dr. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m.

Heritage Ridge 1502 Fort Crook Rd. South

Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol

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favorite, a different type of stuffed animal dominates Schulte’s kitchen. Several stuffed cows fill the room that also features “cow-themed” wallpaper.

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lthough her collection is already impressive, Rose plans to keep bringing new stuffed bears and cows into her home. The requirements for the additions are simple. “They have to be cheap and I don’t already have one like it,” she said.

As she examines her stuffed animal collection, a thought comes into Schulte’s mind that bears repeating: “I have some big ones and some little ones and I love them all.”

Most of the stuffed bears in Rose Schulte’s collection have been bought at thrift stores.

Corrigan Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • Jan. 4: In Your Bag? @ 11 a.m. Chicken breast lunch followed by Bingo.

• Jan. 6: Crafts & Social: Sock snowman @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 11: Welcome 2016 party. Music with Paul Siebert playing the guitar and the mandoline @ 11 a.m. Crunchy Pollock or a turkey sandwich for lunch, followed by Bingo • Jan. 13: Crafts & Social: Frosty jar @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 14: Fontenelle Nature Association presents Awesome Owls @ 11 a.m. Noon lunch followed by Bingo.

• Jan. 20: Snowman on a roll @ 10:30 a.m. Noon lunch followed by Bingo. The reservation deadline is noon on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

• Jan. 21: Music by Billy Troy @ 11 a.m. followed by lunch and Mega Bingo with a $75 cash jackpot. Lunch is a fried chicken breast with chicken gravy, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans almandine, a lettuce salad, a wheat roll, and apple pie. The reservation deadline is noon on Friday, Jan. 15.

• Jan. 25: Boobs Girl author Joy Johnson @ 11 a.m. Order a BBQ chicken or a ham, turkey, and cheese sandwich on Kaiser bun deli lunch. Stay for 1 p.m. Bingo.

• Jan. 27: Crafts & Social: Snowflake puzzle ornament @ 10:30 a.m.

The center will be closed on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day. Everyone, including new players, is welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch will follow.

Join us for Tai Chi – a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym.

Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available.

The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal.

Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy.

For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.

OCUG You’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group (OCUG), an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn more about their computers.

OCUG members meet the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Abrahams Library, 5111 N. 90th St. For more information, please call 402-333-6529.

Caregivers need to take care of themselves

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aregiving can be a 24/7 commitment — and it’s one of the toughest jobs around. The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association acknowledge and recognize the millions of family caregivers caring for their loved ones with a chronic disease.

These organizations also recognize that despite the many roles they play, caregivers have to take care of themselves to take care of their loved ones. Avoiding burnout and staying refreshed may not be at the top of mind, but they may matter most.

To support caregivers nationwide, the American Heart Association recently launched the free online Support Network dedicated to serving heart disease and stroke survivors and their caregivers. The network can be accessed at http://supportnetwork.heart.org/.

Caring for a loved one can be rewarding. But it’s also among life’s most challenging roles. It can be stressful and uncertain when you’re suddenly thrust into the role of caregiver.

To succeed, you must also take care of your needs. The support network provides resources to help caregivers.

Through the free Support Network, its goal is to improve the knowledge, healthy behaviors, and quality of life for heart and stroke survivors, caregivers, and family. The Support Network gives the American Heart Association the bandwidth to touch more people who need emotional

www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger

We want to hear from

you!

• Do you have questions about the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, its programs or services?

• Do you have a comment about the agency and how it serves older adults in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties?

• Maybe you have a story idea for the New Horizons?

Send your questions,comments, story ideas, etc. to

DHHS.ENOA@nebraska.gov We appreciate your interest in ENOA and the New Horizons.

Two months free rent!

It’s 2016, and the Grand Reserve at Elkhorn is celebrating the New Year by giving away two months free rent.

Come in today to reserve your new home and receive two months free rent!

Please call Angela for more details and to schedule your visit.

402-502-7565

VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO

support.

Support Network members can: • Start or join a conversation. Get and give support from people who understand.

• Join a group — or start their own. Groups are a great way to find others with common experiences.

• This online community is dedicated to serving you. It’s for you or someone you care about who’s dealing with a heart or stroke issue.

• Meet others like you. Share your story. Find and give support.

In addition to the Support Network here are some tips for caregivers to stay refreshed: • Take a 10 or 15-minute walk a couple of times a day, even if it’s just around the yard.

• Choose a quiet space in the house where you can go take a few deep breaths, read a book, pray, meditate, listen to music, sing, write in a journal, chat with a friend on the phone, or just rest quietly for a few minutes.

• Schedule timeouts. Choose a time when your loved one is typically sleeping, eating, watching a TV program, or seems to be at their best during the day. Insist on these moments in a gentle way.

For additional information on American Heart Association events statewide, please contact Jamie Schneider at 402-810-6851 or 402-915-0955.

The Grand Reserve at Elkhorn A 55+ Calamar Community

3535 Piney Creek Drive

VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,893 • Against: 90

(Just east of 204th Street and West Maple Road)

• Please vote today to address hunger.

calamar.com

January 2016

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New Horizons

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Page 7

RSVP RSVP is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-4446536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402-721-7780.

The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled Ameri-

can Veterans need volunteer drivers.

• The Douglas County Civic Center/Hall of Justice wants volunteers to host tours.

• Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for volunteers to help in several areas.

• Catholic Charities Christ Child Center North wants volunteers to help older adults with crafts, outings, and other activities.

• The Livingston Plaza Apartments need a volunteer teacher.

• HELP Adult Services is looking for volunteers to serve as family care com-

panions and for other duties.

The following have a volunteer opportunity in Dodge and/or Washington County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers.

• The Danish American Archive Library needs volunteers to help with its archives.

• The American Red Cross (Dodge County chapter) is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties.

• The Low Income Ministry (Fremont) needs volunteers for its pantry and its clothing center and to deliver food boxes.

Support group for widows, widowers meets each month

T

HEOS, a group for older widows and widowers, meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. The organization offers weekend activities, Wednesday night dinners, and pinochle twice a month.

For more information, please call Dorothy at 402399-0759, Mary at 402-3933052, or Joan at 402-3938931.

Sarpy County Museum What would life be like without teachers, doctors, or firefighters? Every day Americans are hard at work on farms, factories, in homes, or at desks keeping our communities thriving.

The Sarpy County Museum – 2402 Clay St. in Bellevue – in cooperation with Humanities Nebraska will explore the professions and the people that sustain American society when it hosts The Way We Worked, a Smithsonian Institution exhibition through Jan. 7.

The Way We Worked is part of the Museum on Main Street project—a national/ state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations.

The exhibit, which was developed by the National Archives and Records Administration, explores how work has become a central element in American culture. It traces the many changes that have affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years, including the growth of manufacturing and the increasing use of technology.

The exhibition draws from the archives’ collections, including photographs, accounts of workers, film, audio, and interactive displays, to tell the compelling story of how work impacts our individual lives and the historical and cultural fabric of our communities.

This exhibit will feature a local component that highlights Sarpy County’s shift from a rural to a metropolitan region, the impact of the Martin Bomber plant, and historic downtown Papillion.

More than 10 weekly programs will complement the exhibit. Further details about these programs can be found on the museum website or by contacting the museum.

Admission to the museum – which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – is free.

For more information, call 402-292-1880.

VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO

www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,893 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.

Page 8

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January 2016

AAA offers advice for operating your vehicle during cold, icy conditions

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now and cold weather make driving conditions more difficult for motorists, especially during storms when icy conditions prevail. AAA Nebraska advises motorists to prepare themselves and their vehicles for dangerous road conditions.

“Motorists should allow extra time to get to their destination,” advises Rose White, public affairs director for AAA Nebraska. “Since speed is a factor in many crashes, never be in a hurry when road conditions are slick. Monitor weather conditions and follow the advice from authorities. If it is not safe to travel and you don’t need to venture out, don’t drive. Wait until road conditions improve.”

The Nebraska Department of Roads’ 511 Advanced Traveler Information System provides the public with information that will assist commuters and travelers along Nebraska’s highway system. There are three ways to access their 24-hour-a-day, year-round Nebraska road condition and traveler information—by phone, website, and mobile app.

The 511 phone system does not provide weather forecasts. It will provide current road condition information. To access 511 via a cell phone or landline, dial 511. If outside of Nebraska, dial 800-906-9069.

The 511 website can be accessed on the Nebraska Department of Roads home page www.roads.nebraska. gov or www.511.nebraska. gov.

The 511 website provides a wealth of information including road conditions, camera views of selected roadways, current weather information, and color coded roadways to show speeds to indicate a slowdown in real time.

Nebraska 511 has an app that works on smartphones and tablets operating on the Apple and Android plat-

forms. Visit the App Store or Google Play and search for Nebraska 511.

AAA recommends motorists keep emergency supplies in their vehicle including a cell phone, boots, gloves, blankets, a coffee can filled with candles and matches, a flashlight, and a reflective triangle.

“If you become stranded on a highway, it is best to stay with the vehicle. If you can start your engine, run it for a few minutes at a time, just long enough to keep warm. Always clear snow away from the exhaust pipe area before you start the engine. A snow blocked exhaust pipe could cause deadly carbon monoxide gases to enter the passenger compartment,” warns White.

“If you see a stranded motorist and you are unable to render aid, dial *55 on your cell phone and provide the dispatcher with a description of the vehicle, number of passengers, and details about the vehicle’s location, such as the nearest mile marker number or landmark,” she added.

AAA recommends the following tips for winter driving: • Before starting out in snowy weather, remove the snow from the entire car so it doesn’t blow onto your windshield or the windshields of other drivers.

Make sure your mirrors, lights, brake lights, rearview camera lens, and turn signals are clear of ice and snow.

• To increase your visibility during the daylight hours; drive with your low-beam headlights illuminated.

• All passengers should be safely secured with their safety belts fastened. Any items that may become dangerous flying projectiles during a crash should be stored in the trunk.

• The driver’s hands should be properly positioned on the steering wheel, keeping in mind that during a crash, the steering column

airbag may deploy. Check your vehicle’s owner manual for proper hand positioning.

• If you have teen drivers in your family, restrict their driving privileges until you have the opportunity to test their driving skills in an empty, snow packed or icy parking lot. They need to understand that vehicles operate differently when roads are slick or snow packed.

• Avoid fast acceleration and hard braking. Both may cause skids.

• Watch for icy surfaces on bridges and intersections, even when the rest of the road seems to be in good condition.

• Always reduce your speed and increase your following distance when poor road or weather conditions prevail.

• Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra seconds to react.

• When changing lanes, avoid cutting in front of trucks, which need more time and distance than passenger vehicles to stop. Hard braking may cause a vehicle to skid.

• Never use cruise control if the roads are wet, slick, or snow packed.

• Remember four-wheel drive helps you to get going quicker, but it won’t help you stop any faster.

• If your vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes, apply constant, firm pressure to the pedal when stopping. You may feel or hear a thumping sound when the system is engaged.

• If following a snowplow, maintain a distance of 100 feet except to pass.

M

otorists can help keep their vehicles on the road by doing the following: Check your battery

strength. Faulty batteries cause more car starting problems than any other factor. At 0 degrees, a good battery has 35 percent less starting power. Many automotive facilities can quickly check your battery’s power using a hand-held computer.

Keep the fuel tank at least half-full to avoid fuel-line freeze-up.

Each vehicle in your family should be equipped with a winter emergency road kit that contains the following: • Plastic container of abrasive material such as sand or salt. Use an empty plastic ice cream bucket or gallon jug to store your sand.

• A small snow shovel and ice scraper.

• A flashlight with extra batteries.

• Winter grade windshield washer solvent.

• An empty coffee can filled with candles and matches.

• A mobile phone, preprogrammed with rescue apps and important phone numbers including family members and emergency services.

• A first-aid kit.

• Non-perishable snacks.

• Blankets, a thermal sleeping bag, boots, heavy socks, gloves, hat, and scarves to prevent frostbite and hypothermia.

• Jumper cables with safety goggles.

• Warning devices (flares or triangles).

• A basic toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench).

• Large plastic trash bags, newspapers, floor mats to use as insulation between layers of clothing.

• A red scarf or flag or folding windshield sun visor that indicates Call Police.

Android and iPhone users can download AAA Mobile, AAA’s mobile smartphone app that provides AAA services for all motorists such as mapping and gas price comparisons, as well as member-exclusive benefits including roadside assistance.

AAA membership is not required to download and use AAA apps, but is necessary to take advantage of unique member benefits such as roadside assistance. For more information on AAA Mobile, visit AAA. com/Mobile.

Comedy, music performances highlight Walnut Grove Theatre events in January You and your friends and family are invited to attend a series of free performances as part of the Theatre Events series at the Walnut Grove Resort Lifestyle Community, 4901 S. 153rd St. • Jan. 5 @ 1 p.m.

WG Comedy Club with Kirk Estee • Jan. 7 @ 6:30 p.m.

River City Ringers Hand-bell Choir • Jan. 23 @ 1 p.m.

Sweet Adelines Acapella Chorus Concert

• Jan. 26 @ 1 p.m.

Tuesday Serenade with Steven Raphael For more information about these events, please call 402-861-1611.

VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO

www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,893 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.

NEED A BREAK? Are you caring for a loved one with special needs such as a developmental or physical disability or a chronic health concern? Could you use a break to relax, go to church, go grocery shopping, visit a friend, or see a movie?

Call us at 402-996-8444

to learn more about respite care (short-term relief).

Partnerships in Caregiving, Inc.

Covering the Eastern Region of the Lifespan Respite Network

January 2016

•

New Horizons

•

Page 9

A marriage, careers built on beautiful words, images Arizona idyll. Their home in the gated Sleepy Hollow neighborhood abuts four interconnected ponds that serve as habitat for feathered and furry creatures. The inspiration the couple finds in that natural splendor gets expressed in her words and his images.

“Words and images are perfect for each other,” Connie says by way of explaining what makes her and Bob such an intuitive match.

The couple met at Creighton University in the early 1950s. They studied communications and worked on campus radio, television, and theater productions together. He was from the big city.

She was from a small town, but they hit it off and haven’t stopped collaborating since.

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he former Connie Kostel grew up in South Dakota. This avid reader practically devoured her entire hometown library.

Connie developed an affection for great women writers. “I love Emily Dickinson. Her poems are short and kind of pithy. She always has one thought in there that just kind of sticks with you.” Other favorites include Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti, and Jane Austen.

“I like a lot of classics,” Connie says.

Terry Tempest Williams is a contemporary favorite.

Success in school got Connie thinking she might pursue writing.

“I think it was in the sixth grade I won an essay competition. It had to be on the topic of how we increased production on our family flax farm.

Well, there were some farm kids in my grade but I don’t think anybody grew flax. My father was a funeral director. But I got the encyclopedia and I found out some facts about flax, I wrote an essay, and I won. I think I got $25 or something. I mean it was like, wow, I think I should be a writer.

That sparked my interest.”

Connie attended the Benedictine liberal arts Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D., a thenjunior college for girls.

“I got a scholarship there. I was interested in Connie and Bob Spittler in the back yard of their southwest Omaha home that abuts writing, I was going to have to transfer anyway, four connected ponds which serve as a habitat for their feathered and furry friends. and I began to see radio and TV as one way

By Leo Adam Biga Sharing a love for the outdoors, the Spittlers maybe I could make a living writing rather than Contributing Writer have applied their respective talents to splendid writing short stories, novels, and so forth. So I nature books. The Desert Eternal celebrates the decided to do that. My parents researched it out nce a creative, always a creative. ecosystem surrounding the home they shared in and found Creighton University for me. It had That’s how 80-something-year-olds the foothills of the Catalina Mountains in Arizo- one of the few programs with television, radio, Bob and Connie Spittler have rolled na, where they “retired” after years running their and advertising,” producing creative projects alone or own Omaha film production biz.

Meanwhile, Bob graduated from Omaha together for six decades. Their work spans televi“When we went down to Tucson we weren’t Creighton Prep High School before getting draftsion commercials, industrial films, slideshows, going to be working together. We were just goed into the U.S. Army. In between, he earned and books. ing to do our own thing,” Connie says. “We’ve his private pilot’s license; the start of a lifelong Bob, a photographer and filmmaker, these days always been able to kind of follow what we want affair with flying that’s seen him own and pilot experiments making art photos. Connie, a veterto do. So I started writing literary things and he several planes he’s utilized for both work and an scriptwriter, is now an accomplished essayist, was out taking pictures. I had a lumpectomy, pleasure. Prior to the Army he began fooling short story writer, and novelist. Her new novel, and the day I came home I’m looking out at the around with a camera – a Brownie. the tongue-in-cheek titled The Erotica Book Club Catalina Mountains, and I thought, you know Bob recently put together a small book for his for Nice Ladies, has found a receptive enough it’s strange Bob and I both think we’re doing family about his wartime stint in Korea. He had audience that she’s writing a sequel. The book is our own thing when we’re doing the same thing, no designs on doing anything with photography released by Omaha author-publisher Kira Gale’s we’re just each doing it in our own way. We when he began documenting that experience.

River Junction Press. were both doing the desert.

“Everybody bought a camera over there and I This past summer Bob and Connie hit the “We lived between two washes the coyotes bought an Argus C3. I just got interested in takhighway for a five-state book tour. Their stops and other wildlife came through. I had seven ing pictures for something to do. I learned how included signings at the American Library Asweeks of radiation and I had the idea of putting to use it and I just took a lot of pictures. I didn’t sociation Conference in San Francisco and the our work together. I downloaded all my essays think it was going anywhere. It was just a hobby, Tattered Cover in Denver. Following an intimate on the desert, and every morning before radiayou know.” reading at a Berkeley couple’s home, Connie and tion I’d go into his office and together we’d look But those early photos show a keen eye for Bob stayed the night there. It harkened back to through his photo archive for images he’d taken composition. Bob was, in short, a natural. The the RV road trips they made with their four kids. that matched the words I’d written. Well, by book he did years later, titled My Korea 1952 On social media Connie termed the tour “an the time we got to the end, we had 114 photos to 1953, gives a personal glimpse of life in the author’s dream.” It was especially gratifying – enough for a book. Bob formatted it. It came service amidst that unfamiliar culture and forbidgiven Bob endured a heart angioplasty and stent back (from the printer) the day my radiation finding environment. earlier in 2015. Connie was also an invited panished. It was just this cycle.”

The Army assigned Spittler to intelligence elist at an Austin, Texas literary event.

Another of their books, The Legend of Sleepy work.

“All in all, an unforgettable year of healing, Hollow, documents the wild-in-the-city sanctuary “My specialty was artillery but I was put in friendship, interesting places, and great people,” around the southwest Omaha home they’ve lived what they called G2 Air (part of Corps Intellishe writes in a card to family and friends. in since 2010, when they returned from their --Please turn to page 11.

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January 2016

Bob, Connie fondly recall the early days of Omaha TV

One of Bob’s photos recently sold in Bisbee, Ariz. for more than $1,000.

--Continued from page 10. gence). I went to a school in Japan. Back in Korea I coordinated the Air Force with the artillery in the CORPS front.”

Spittler relied on wall maps and teletype intelligence to schedule flights by Air Force photoreconnaissance planes. “When I first arrived, P-51 Mustangs were the planes used. Then after about six months they shifted to the F-80 Shooting Star,” he writes. “In winter a little pot-bellied kerosene stove warmed our tent. At night it had to be turned off. Lighting it on a cold morning, below zero, was painful. It took 10 minutes before it even thought about giving heat.”

The closest he came to action was when a Greek mortar platoon on the other side of a river running past the American camp fired shells into a nearby hill, causing the GIs to scramble for cover.

Though Bob didn’t pilot any aircraft there he did find ways to feed his flying fix.

“Since my job was using radio contact with reconnaissance flights every day I became ‘talking friendly’ with some of the pilots. One of them agreed to give me a jet ride,” he writes.

That ride was contingent on Spittler making his way some distance to where the sound-breaking aircraft were based. “Come hell or high water I wasn’t going to pass up that offer,” he writes.

With no jeep available, Spittler hitchhiked his way southwest of Seoul and got his coveted ride in a T-33. From 33,000 feet he sighted the “double bend” of the Imjin River pilots used as a rendezvous landmark – something he’d heard them often reference in radio chatter.

At Spittler’s urging the pilot did some loops.

Aware his guest was a flier himself, the pilot let Spittler put the jet into a roll. But before he could complete the pull out, the pilot took over when Spittler began losing control in the grip of extreme G-forces he’d never felt before. An adrenalin rush to remember.

After a year in-country, Bob eagerly resumed the civilian life he’d put on hold. What he did to amuse himself in the Army – photography – became a passion. When he and Connie met at Creighton University they soon realized they shared some interests and ambitions. They were friends first and dated off and on. She was entranced by the romance of this tall, strapping veteran who took her up in his Piper Cub. He was drawn to her petite beauty and unabashed intelligence and independence.

Besides their mutual attraction, they enjoyed working in theater productions. They even ap-

peared in a few plays together. Connie’s passion for theater extended to teaching dramatic play at Joslyn Art Museum. She also enacted the female lead, Lizzie, in an Omaha Community Playhouse production of The Rainmaker.

The pair benefited from instructors at Creighton, including two Jesuit priests who were mass communications pioneers. Before commercial television went on the air in Omaha, Rev. Roswell Williams trained production employees of WOW-TV with equipment he set up at the school. He founded campus radio station KOCU to prepare students for broadcasting careers. He implemented an early closed circuit television systems used to teach classes.

“He was the person that brought television to Creighton University,” Connie says. “He was interested in students learning about it.”

Rev. Lee Lubbers was an art professor whose kinetic sculptures experimental, film offings, and international satellite network, SCOLA, made him an “Avant garde” figure.

“It was so unusual to have him be here and do what he did,” Connie says. “He stirred things up for sure.”

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ight out of college Connie and Bob worked in local media. He directed commercials and shows at WOW-TV. She was a continuity director, advertising scriptwriter, and director at the fledgling KETV. She also worked in advertising at Omaha radio station KFAB. Spittler’s father was an attorney and there was an expectation he would follow suit but Bob had other plans.

“My father wanted me to be a lawyer and I just kept fighting that,” he recalls. “The gratifying thing about that is that after about 10 years of being in business he says, ‘I’m really kind of glad you didn’t go into it.’”

Bob calls those early days of live TV “fun.”

“I did little 10 second spots for Safeway.

They’d just give me the copy and have me go shoot a banana or something. Well, one night I hung them up in the air, swung them, moved the camera, and they were flying all over the place.

Safeway just loved it.

“But it changed so much with (video) tape coming in. You can always look back and say, ‘Boy, what we could have done if we’d had that.’”

Bob and Connie then threw caution aside to launch a film production company from their basement. Don Chapman joined them to form

Connie is writing a sequel to her novel ‘The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies’.

Chapman-Spittler Productions. While leaving the stability of a network TV affiliate to build a business from scratch might have been a scary proposition for some, it fit Bob to a tee.

“To be honest with you I’m not a team player and I’m not a leader. I’m kind of a loner,” he says. “I could see corporate-wise I wouldn’t get anywhere. I had ideas and things I wanted to do myself. When I did get something done it was always off by myself and I figured out that was the way I wanted it.”

The fact Bob and Connie brought separate skill sets to the table helped make them work together.

“We didn’t do the same things, that was part of it, so we weren’t competing with each other,” she says. “One other very important thing she did – she kept the books,” Bob notes.

It was unusual for a married couple to work together in the communications field then. Connie was also a rarity as a woman in the maledominated media-advertising worlds.

She’s long been identified as a feminist.

“I was a working woman in the ’50s. We were just women that wanted to be able to work, to be able to make a living wage, that wanted to have a family and kids if we chose to but not that we had to.”

--Please turn to page 12.

Bob Spittler’s magnificent photograph of his Piper Cub airplane.

January 2016

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Page 11

Spittlers’ client list included UPRR, Mutual, ConAgra --Continued from page 11.

There were a few occasions when her gender proved an issue.

“Northern Natural Gas was interviewing for a position and they said there’s no way we can accept a female for this because this job entails going to a lot of parties that get too rowdy, so we’re sorry. When I was at KETV we were doing a documentary about SAC (Strategic Air Command) in-air refueling missions. I wanted to go up so I could write about it, but base officials said we can’t send up a woman, so I couldn’t do that. The station did send up a male director and he came back and told me about it and I wrote the script. Otherwise, I don’t think I did experience discrimination.”

Connie wasn’t taking any chances though when she broke into the field.

“I was one of the first people hired before KETV went on the air.

My job was as an administrative assistant to work with New York (ABC). That was one place where I didn’t know if there’d be any problem with my being a woman, so instead of signing letters Connie Kostel (this was before she was married), I signed them Con Kostel, so they wouldn’t know what sex I was. I didn’t have any problems.”

Connie will never forget the time she wrote a promo for a Hollywood actor on tour promoting his new ABC Western series.

“I directed him in the promo.

When I got home Bob said, ‘How’d it go with the guy from Hollywood?’ I said, ‘He’s nice looking but he’s a loser. He had the personality of a peach pit. I just didn’t get anything from him at all.’”

She was referring to James Garner, whose Maverick television series became a hit.

In retrospect, Connie chalks up Garner’s lethargy to being exhausted after a long tour. “Thank heavens I didn’t want to be a talent scout.”

Connie said when she and Bob had their own business she was put “in charge of some really big sales meetings” by clients who entrusted her with writing-producing multiscreen slide shows. These elaborate productions cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and often involved name narrators, such as Herschel Bernardi and Rex Allen.

She wrote-produced a ninescreen, 14-projector show for Leo A. Daly having never produced even a single-screen slide show.

“Inspired in the late ’60s by our plane trips to the Montreal World Fair and the San Antonio HemisFair, Bob and I were both excited by multi-screen shows.”

Once, Connie was asked to produce a show in three days to be shown in a tent in Saudi Arabia.

“I always wondered about the extension cord,” she quipped.

Bob said Connie was accepted as an equal by the old boys network they operated in. “I never saw any signs of any rejection.” Besides, he

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In 1959, Chapman-Spittler Productions used the basement of Bob and Connie’s home – 5020 Cuming St. – as its first location.

The space was used as a photo lab, to do film editing, billing, and other business functions for the Omaha operation. adds, “she got along real well with people and she was good.”

For her part, Connie felt right at home doing projects for Eli Lilly, Mutual of Omaha, Union Pacific, ConAgra, Ak-Sar-Ben, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and many other clients.

“I loved it, I absolutely loved it. And the thing I loved about the writing I did was that each one was a different subject. I’d go visit a big company like Leo A. Daly and they’d introduce me to their top people to interview. I’d be given all these research books and reports to read. It was like a continuing education. Working on the Daly account I learned a lot about architecture.

“Almost anything turned out to be really interesting once I talked to the people who worked there who were excited about their work,” Connie adds.

The Spittlers’ projects played international film festivals and earned industry awards. Perhaps their most successful campaign, “The Great Big Rollin’ Railroad” commercials for Union Pacific, won the prestigious Clio. Bob recalls the North Platte, Neb. shoot as fun, adding, “We got a lot of attention out of it and we did get other business out of it.”

Assignments took the Spittlers all over the U.S. Bob would often do the flying.

“Bob either shot, scouted, or landed for business purposes and I traveled to locations to research,

New Horizons

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write, and produce sales meetings in every state in the U.S. with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Rhode Island,” Connie says.

One time when Bob let someone else do the flying he and a Native American guide caught a helicopter that deposited them atop a Wyoming mesa so he could capture a train moving across the wilderness valley.

“I sat up there with my Arriflex (camera) and that old Indian and waited for that train to come and neither of us could understand the other,” he recalls.

C

onnie once wrote liner notes for a City of London Mozart Symphonia produced by Chip Davis and recorded in the Henry Wood Hall in London. Davis recommended her to Decca Records in London to write liner notes for a Mormon Tabernacle Choir album.

At its peak Chapman-Spittler Productions did such high profile projects the partners opened a Hollywood office. Spittler worked with big names like Gordon MacRae and John Cameron Swayze.

The Nebraskans made their office a Marina del Rey yacht, The Farida, supposedly once owned by King Farouk and named after his wife.

“On one occasion I flew a Moviola (editing machine) out there and we edited one of the Union Pacific commercials on the boat over in Catalina,” Bob remembers.

January 2016

An InterNorth commercial was edited there as well.

Connie adds: “I used the yacht as a wonderful place to write scripts.”

“Ours was 40-feet. We were able to sleep on it. I took the boat out a lot. When we left, that’s where it stayed,” Bob says. “Our boat was right next to Frank Sinatra’s boat off the Marina del Rey Hotel. His was a converted PT-boat.”

Bob also did his share of flying up and down the California coast.

Connie wedded her words to his images to tell stories. The variety of the projects engaged her.

“Curiosity is my favorite thing,” she acknowledges.

A hungry mind is another attribute she shares with her mate, as Bob’s a tinkerer when it comes to mechanical and electronic things.

“Bob is curious, too,” she says.

“He’s always trying to think of something to invent. Years ago he went out and brought home one of the first PCs (personal computers) – a TRS 80. He wanted to play around with it. Then he pushed me into playing around with it, and then he made all the kids learn it so they could do their college applications on the computer. So he dragged the whole family into the computer generation.”

“When I brought that first computer home we had it for a week and I was still trying to figure out how to turn the thing on and my son was programming it,” Bob says. “He taught me. But that was neat. I’m way behind now on technology,” though he has digital devices to share and store his work.

B

ob and Connie’s collaborations continued all through the years they worked with Don Chapman. When that partnership dissolved the couple went right on working together.

“We were complementary I suppose in many ways,” she says.

“When we had the business I wrote and produced, he shot and edited, so it just worked.”

By now, Connie’s written almost everything there is to write. Being open to new writing avenues has brought rewarding opportunities.

“You have to be open to writing about other things just to keep your mind going.”

In Tucson, Connie was asked to read her cowboy poetry at a trail ride.

“Well, I like cowboys and nature and all these things, so I agreed to do it. Bob and I ended up making this little book, Cowboys & Wild, Wild Things.”

When Connie got around to trying her hand at fiction writing, it fit like a glove.

“I was writing my first fiction piece and Bob said to me, ‘Do you know for the first time since we’ve come down here every time you come out of your office you’re smiling?’ Before, my projects were all --Please turn to page 13.

Connie’s series on women archived at Harvard University --Continued from page 12. kind of heavy, fact-laden subjects. I mean, there was creativity but it was mostly how do you take this subject and make it interesting. With the novel, I could make it anything I want.”

She hit her fiction stride with the books, Powerball 33 and Lincoln & the Gettysburg Address.

A project that brought her much attention is the Wise Women Videos series she wrote about individuals who embody or advocate positive aging attributes. The videos have been widely screened.

For a time they served as the basis for a cottage industry that found her teaching and speaking about mind, body, and spiritual matters.

For the series, she says, “I found interesting women I thought other people should listen to. None of them were famous. They were just women introduced to me or once people knew I was doing the series they would say, ‘Oh, you should talk to this person or that person.’”

As the series made its way into women’s festivals and organizations, she got lots of feedback.

“When I would get letters from cancer groups, prisons, or abused women groups I thought good grief, how wonderful that can happen, that they can ‘meet’ these women through these videos.”

The series is archived in Harvard University’s Library on the History of Women in America.

Connie has given her share of writing presentations and talks. “I love to attend book clubs to discuss my books.” A class on memoir she taught in Tucson, however, took the cake.

“The class was inspired by one of my Wise Women Videos and began with each student telling a story about their first decade in life. Then each time we met the women chose one important memory to tell the group about the next decade. The assignment was to write that story for family, friends, or themselves.

“An interesting thing happened: When the class sessions reached the end of their decades and the class was finished, the women were so connected from the experience they continued to meet independently for years afterward.”

Connie was introduced to a book titled, Erotica: Women’s Writing from Sappho to Margaret Atwood.”

She found writers published in its pages she never expected.

“When I opened this book the first thing I saw was Emily Dickinson, then Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, all these well-known, respected authors. Their work is considered erotica for their time because it was romantic reading with sensual undertones. It’s in your mind, not graphic. I thought it so interesting that that could be erotica. It occurred to me a book club about erotica could be fun.”

Only Connie’s resulting book, The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies is not erotica at all but “a cozy mystery.”

“A librarian who gave it five stars said, ‘You would not be embarrassed to discuss this book with your mother.’”

In the back Connie offers a list of erotica titles for those interested in checking out the real thing.

She’s delighted the book’s being published in the Czech Republic.

“My dad was 100 percent Czech. I asked the publisher if I could add my maiden name and change the dedication to dedicate it to my dad, my grandmother, and Czech ancestors and they said, ‘We’d love that.’ My dad’s been gone a long time. He didn’t have any sons and he always said to me, ‘That’s the end of my line,’ so now I thought it will live on – at least in the Czech Republic.”

C

loser to home, Connie’s developed a following for the Christmas card essays she pens. Her sage observations and sublime wordings are much anticipated. This year’s riffs on the fox that visits the

Spittlers’ property.

“Sometimes in the late evening he trots along the grasslands and pond. Bob, watching TV down in the family room, has spotted the scurrying fox several times – always unexpected and too quick for his camera lens. I haven’t seen this wild urban creature yet since I’m in bed during the usual prowling gorse. Still, imagining his billowing tail flying by in the dark adds a flurry of magic to the winter night.

“As our dancing, prancing fox moves in and out of focus and time, I think of the surprising people, pets, events, and moments that visit our lives. They come and go with reminders to be grateful for unexpected things that happen along the way…fleeting or lingering…illusive…intriguing.

“This season our message comes from the fox, a wish for wisdom, longevity, and beautiful surprises. Do keep a look out. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll see.”

Finally, as one half of a 57-year partnership, Connie proffers some advice about the benefits of passion-filled living.

“One beautiful thing about writing is that by picking up pencil and paper, or using a computer, or an iPad, you can write anywhere. I’ve written on a beach, by a pool, on a yacht, and in an RV. I always encourage anyone interested in writing to sit down and go to it. It doesn’t cost any money to try, and studies show the creativity of writing keeps the mind alert. It’s a feeling of accomplishment, if you finish a piece or even if you finish a good day writing.”

The same holds true for filmmaking and photography. And for delighting in the wonders of wild foxes running free.

Follow the couple at www.conniespittler.com.

(Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.)

C

onnie’s own essays and short stories are published in many anthologies. She achieved a mark of distinction when an essay of hers, Linten Light, inspired by the work and concepts of the late Nebraska artist and inventor Reinhold Marxhausen, was published in The Art of Living – A Practical Guide to Being Alive. The international anthology’s editor sent an email letting Connie know the names of the other authors featured in the book. She was stunned to find herself in the company of the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Deepak Chopra, Desmond Tutu, Jean Boland, Sir Richard Branson, and other luminaries.

“I almost fell off the chair. When that happened I was like, I wonder if I should quit writing because I don’t think I’ll ever top that.”

Bob says he always knew Connie was destined for big things. “It didn’t surprise me a bit.”

Much of Connie’s work lives on thanks to reissues and requests.

“It’s interesting how you do something and it isn’t necessarily gone,” she says. “Some of those things have a long life. I always say a book lasts as long as the paper lasts.”

Now with the World Wide Web, her work has longer staying power than ever.

Meanwhile, one of Bob’s photographs just sold in excess of $1,000 at a gallery in Bisbee, Ariz.

L

iving in Tucson, Connie says she was spoiled by the “absolutely wonderful writers community” there. She and some fellow women writers created their own salon to talk about art, music, theater, and literature. “The one rule was you couldn’t gossip – it was just intellectual, interesting talk,” she said.

The Spittlers in front of the fireplace inside their Sleepy Hollow neighborhood home.

January 2016

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Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • Jan. 4: Game Room Morning. Play pool, Ping-Pong, air hockey, or foosball in our game room.

• Jan. 5: Bring something to share on Treat Day. • Jan. 7, 14, 21, & 28: Meet Abi the dog during Pet Therapy Day. • Jan. 11 & 25: Exercise your brain during Brain Games.

• Jan. 12: Wayne Miller entertains @ noon.

• Jan. 13: Sew dresses for women and girls in Africa.

• Jan. 20: P.A.W.S. • Jan. 27: Board meeting @ 10:45 a.m.

The center will be closed on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy.

Center activities include a walking club @ 8 a.m. (join and get a free t-shirt), quilting day (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), Mahjongg on Wednesdays @ 1 p.m., Tai Chi class (Mondays and Fridays @ 10:30 a.m. for a $1 suggested contribution), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10 a.m.), card games @ 9 a.m., and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). Play Pickleball Fridays from 9 to 10:15 a.m. During Bingo, we have baked goodies from Baker’s or Panera to give away as prizes.

For meal reservations and more information, please call 402-546-1270.

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NARFE

he National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz.

For more information, please call 402-292-1156.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-3424351.

January 2016

Physicians assistants play a vital role in today’s healthcare system

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ith more than 11 million newly insured Americans, an aging baby boomer population, and a growing number of chronic conditions, the American healthcare system is expected to make some major changes to accommodate the increasing number of people seeking healthcare.

In the past, your physician was probably the only provider you saw regularly, but as healthcare delivery has evolved, newer types of providers are taking on important roles in healthcare teams which are delivering higher quality and more efficient care.

Team-based medicine is the next generation of healthcare delivery and one of the professions at the forefront of this trend is physician assistants or PAs. Many people have seen and been treated by a PAs whether they know it or not, but unless you’ve seen a PA as your primary care provider, you might be surprised to know PAs are fully licensed medical providers with graduate degrees.

They diagnose and treat their own patients by prescribing medications, ordering and interpreting tests, performing medical procedures, and even assisting in surgery.

They can be found throughout healthcare from hospitals to urgent care clinics to ER, as well as in your family provider’s office.

“PAs are uniquely equipped as medical practitioners and play an important role in today’s healthcare system,” said Jeff Katz, PA-C, DFAAPA. “For nearly 50 years, PAs have improved patient outcomes and elevated patient satisfaction. There is a wealth of clinical research and real-world evidence from hospitals and patients, demonstrating the high-quality and breadth of PA care,” he added.

With all of this, it’s no surprise PAs are among the most in demand professions in the United States. In a recent American Academy of Physician Assistants survey conducted by Harris Poll, a Nielsen company, 91 percent of respondents agreed PAs improve health outcomes for patients and 91 percent agreed PAs improve the quality of healthcare.

In addition, according to national health care search firm Merritt Hawkins, demand for PAs has increased by more than 300 percent over the last three years, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of PAs to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2022.

As you consider alternative approaches for a healthcare provider, keep this advice in mind: • Find a provider that has the right education and training. Educated through intense, graduate-level medical programs that include at least 2,000 hours of clinical practice, PAs are often educated alongside medical students in medical schools and academic medical centers. They gain the skills necessary to perform medical procedures, diagnose and treat patients, order and interpret tests, prescribe medication, make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes, and assist in surgery.

• Feel good about checkups, testing, and surgery.

Seek a provider who can answer a wide range of healthcare needs. PAs practice medicine in all medical and surgical settings and specialties including primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, oncology, orthopedics, psychiatry, radiology, pediatrics, and more.

To learn more about PA and how they can assist with your health care needs visit aapa.org.

(Family Features provided this information.)

Read it & eat

By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com

Healthy recipes to begin 2016 Start the New Year with cookbooks full of helpful ideas and delicious recipes for healthy living.

The Anti-cancer Diet

By David Khayat, M. D. (Norton, $26.95) From 30 years of experience and research battling cancer as a doctor to developing the National Cancer Plan for France, Khayat’s goal is to treat cancer patients. This is a terrific read and a user-friendly guide to help reduce your cancer risk through the foods you eat.

From St. Martin’s Press: The Shred Diet Cookbook

By Ian K. Smith, M.D. ( $27.99) The bestselling author of the Shred and Super Shred diets writes his first cookbook. “Shreddies” are invited to start cooking. There’s lots more than celery and carrots.

The Hungry Girl Diet Cookbook by Lisa Lillien ($27.99) A companion to the New York Times bestseller with 200 mix-and-match recipes to help you drop the pounds.

Meals, snacks, tips ‘n tricks, a go-to guide, and a weightloss program.

500 Best Quinoa Recipes (Robert Rose, $27.95) This ancient grain packs the highest protein of any grain and was celebrated as a superfood by the Incas. Recipes for appetizers through desserts with tips and variations.

From DaCapo: Good Morning Paleo by Jane Barthelemy ($18.99) Recipes from the diet named for the Paleolithic period, mimics the hunt-and-gather food of our ancestors.

The Cheesy Vegan By John Schlimm ($19.99) More than 125 plant-based recipes.

Vegan With a Vengeance

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz ($22.99) Omaha restauranteer (Modern Love) shares winners for weight losers with more than 150 cheap, animal free recipes for brunch, little meals/finger foods/Sammies, to desserts. Be careful not to overcook this easy, quick recipe.

Balsamic-Glazed Portobello Mushrooms (Serves 4)

3 medium-size portobello caps, sliced 1/4 inch thick 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Pinch of salt 2 cloves garlic, minced Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.

Cook the mushrooms in a tablespoon of the olive oil in a single layer for about five minutes (until they have released moisture.) Turn them over and cook for another two minutes.

Add the vinegar and salt; saute for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and the remaining tablespoon of oil, and saute for three more minutes (just until tender.)

Please support New Horizons advertisers Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart

January 2016 events calendar 10 Omaha Symphony I Hear America Sing Joslyn Art Museum 2 p.m. $33 402-345-0606 17 Omaha Symphony Places to Go and Things to See Holland Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. $12 402-345-0606

23 The Sleeping Beauty featuring The Moscow Festival Ballet Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m.

402-345-0606 30 Shemekia Copeland Performs Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m.

402-345-0606 Omaha Symphony Now Playing on Broadway Also January 31 Saturday @ 7:30 p.m.

Sunday @ 2 p.m.

Holland Performing Arts Center $19 to $85 402-345-0606

22 Omaha Symphony Russian Music Festival Also January 23 Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. $19 to $85 402-345-0606

r u o y d e e n e W

! t r o p p su

I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.

ENOA

$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults. $75 = 17 meals or 4.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 4 bath aide services for frail older adults. $150 = 35 meals or 9.5 hours of in-home homemaker services or 8 bath aide services for frail older adults. $300 = 70 meals or 19.25 hours of in-home homemaker services or 16 bath aide services for frail older adults.

Other amount (please designate)__________________________ Please contact me. I would like to learn more about how to include the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging in my estate planning.

33 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 6790 Grover Street • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68106 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 cdorwartjd@dorwartlaw.com

Traditional funding sources are making it more difficult for ENOA to fulfill its mission. Partnership opportunities are available to businesses and individuals wanting to help us.

These opportunities include volunteering, memorials, honorariums, gift annuities, and other contributions.

Please ma il with thisyofour donation rm to: Eas

tern Office oNebraska n Aging Address:___________________________________ Attention : Jef Name:_____________________________________

City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________ Phone:____________________________________

January 2016

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4223 Ce f Reinhardt Omaha, nter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402

New Horizons

) 444-665

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Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • Jan. 6: Presentation by Nye @ 10 a.m. Music by the Link Duo @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 11: Blood pressure checks @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 13: Music by Joyce Korchia @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 14: Presentation by registered dietician Michelle Ring @ 10 a.m. followed by Bingo.

• Jan. 19: Rich Hirshman will show slides of his New York trip @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 20: Pianist Wally @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 26: Movies with Larry @ 10:30 a.m.

• Jan. 27: Board meeting @ 9:30 a.m. followed by music

by Paul Siebert.

The center will be closed on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy.

For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.

Camelot Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • Jan. 6: Nurse visit @ 11:45 a.m.

• Jan. 8 & 22: Movie @ 12:15 p.m.

• Jan. 13: Birthday Bash • Jan. 14: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m.

• Jan. 15: Line dancing @ 12:15 p.m.

• Jan. 25: Chair volleyball @ 10:15 a.m.

• Jan. 26: Music by the Links from the Merrymakers @ 11:45 a.m.

• Jan. 27: Crafts @ 10:15 a.m.

The center will be closed on Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day and on Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Day. Other activities include Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, crafts, candy making, and scrapbooking.

The Camelot Friendship Center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy.

For reservations or more information, please call Amy at 402-444-3091.

AARP offering driving course AARP is offering a new four-hour, research-based Smart Driver Course for older adults.

By completing the course, participants will learn research-based driving safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having an accident; understand the links between the driver, the vehicle, and the road environment, and how this awareness encourages safer driving; learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and health-related issues affect driving ability and ways to allow for these changes; increase confidence; know how to share the road safely with other drivers, and learn the newest safety and advance features in vehicles.

The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonAARP members.

No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply. Here’s this month’s schedule:

Friday, Jan. 29 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Metro Community College 9110 Giles Rd. To register, call 402-457-5231 Page 16

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Experimental Alzheimer’s medication may have anti-aging effects in animals

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alk Institute researchers have found that an experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer’s disease has a host of unexpected anti-aging effects in animals.

The Salk team expanded upon its previous development of a drug candidate, called J147, which takes a different tack by targeting Alzheimer’s major risk factor—old age.

In the new work, the team showed the drug candidate worked well in a mouse model of aging not typically used in Alzheimer’s research.

When these mice were treated with J147, they had better memory and cognition, healthier blood vessels in the brain, and other improved physiological features as detailed in a recent issue of the journal Aging.

“Initially, the impetus was to test this drug in a novel animal model that was more similar to 99 percent of Alzheimer’s cases,” says Antonio Currais, the lead author and a member of Professor David Schubert’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at Salk.

“We did not predict we’d see this sort of anti-aging effect, but J147 made old mice look like they were young, based upon a number of physiological parameters.”

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder, recently ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States and affecting more than five million Americans.

It’s also the most common cause of dementia in older adults, according to the National Institute of Health.

“While most drugs developed in the past 20 years target the amyloid plaque deposits in the brain (which are a hallmark of the disease), none have proven effective in the clinic,” says Schubert, the senior author of the study.

Several years ago, Schubert and his colleagues began to approach the treatment of the disease from a new angle. Rather than target amyloid, the lab decided to zero in on the major risk factor for the disease—old age. Using cell-based screens against old age-associated brain toxicities, they synthesized J147.

Previously, the team found J147 could prevent and even reverse memory loss and Alzheimer’s pathology in mice that have a version of the inherited form of Alzheimer’s, the most commonly used mouse model. However, this form of the disease comprises only about 1 percent of Alzheimer’s cases.

For everyone else, old age is the primary risk factor, says Schubert. The team wanted

to explore the effects of the drug candidate on a breed of mice that age rapidly and experience a version of dementia that more closely resembles the age-related human disorder.

When these mice were treated with J147, they had better memory and cognition, healthier blood vessels in the brain.

In this latest work, the researchers used a comprehensive set of assays to measure the expression of all genes in the brain, as well as over 500 small molecules involved with metabolism in the brains and blood of three groups of the rapidly aging mice. The three groups of rapidly aging mice included one set that was young, one set that was old, and one set that was old but fed J147 as they aged.

The old mice that received J147 performed better on memory and other tests for cognition and also displayed more robust motor movements. The mice treated with J147 also had fewer pathological signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains.

Importantly, because of the large amount of data collected on the three groups of mice, it was possible to demonstrate that many aspects of gene expression and metabolism in the old mice fed J147 were very similar to those of young animals. These included markers for increased energy metabolism, reduced brain inflammation, and reduced levels of oxidized fatty acids in the brain.

Another notable effect was J147 prevented the leakage of blood from the microvessels in the brains of old mice. “Damaged blood vessels are a common feature of aging in general, and in Alzheimer’s, it is frequently much worse,” says Currais.

Currais and Schubert note while these studies represent a new and exciting approach to Alzheimer’s drug discovery and animal testing in the context of aging, the only way to demonstrate the clinical relevance of the work is to move J147 into human clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease.

“If proven safe and effective for Alzheimer’s, the apparent anti-aging effect of J147 would be a welcome benefit,” adds Schubert. The team aims to begin human trials next year.

ENOA’s offering volunteer opportunities The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, and Ombudsman Advocate Program are recruiting older adults to become volunteers.

Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions must be age 55 or older, meet income guidelines, have a government issued identification card or a driver’s license, able to volunteer at least 15 hours a week, and must complete several

January 2016

background and reference checks.

Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour stipend, transportation and meal reimbursement, paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave, and supplemental accident insurance.

Foster Grandparents work with children who have special needs while Senior Companions work to keep older adults living independently.

Ombudsman advocates work to ensure residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities enjoy the best possible quality of life.

Ombudsman advocates, who must be age 18 or older, are enrolled through an application and screening process. These volunteers, who are not compensated monetarily for their time, must serve at least two hours a week.

For more information, please call 402-444-6536.

Study: Physicians underutilizing RA treatment, or switching patients’ medications too quickly

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University of Nebraska Medical Center rheumatologist revealed study results at a major national conference held recently which showed physicians are underutilizing methotrexate, the leading drug for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or not keeping patients on the drug long enough before switching them to more expensive biologic drug options.

James O’Dell, M.D., Bruce Professor of Internal Medicine and chief of the UNMC divisions of rheumatology and immunology, delivered the message at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.

“There are some major concerns here,” Dr. O’Dell said. “It shows we’re not doing all we should with methotrexate, our No. 1 therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.”

Methotrexate is the anchor drug for a class of drugs known as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The DMARDS are much less expensive than the other class of drugs used to treat RA called biologics. Previous studies have shown the DMARDs produce the same clinical benefits in the majority of RA patients as the biological treatment.

To better understand how methotrexate is utilized for RA treatment in the United States, Dr. O’Dell’s research team performed an exhaustive review of anonymous claims data on 274 million patients, representing 92 percent of all prescription drugs written in the U.S. From this data, researchers were able to follow the treatment course of 35,640 RA

Do

you

about

patients between 2009 and 2014. The key findings were: • 15,599 (43.8 percent) continued treatment with oral methotrexate.

• 17,528 (49.2 percent) added or switched to a biologic treatment.

• A biologic was added at a median of 170 days and 41.5 percent of patients added a biologic agent within 90 days of the initiation of oral methotrexate.

• Only about 7 percent of patients followed were switched from oral to subcutaneous administration of methotrexate.

If oral methotrexate is not producing the desired results, Dr. O’Dell said the next step should be to try patients on subcutaneous methotrexate at a higher dose.

“What we found in patients who made a treatment change was that 87 percent added a biologic instead of trying subcutaneous methotrexate,” he said. “Patients switched to biologics too quickly – 41 percent switched in three months or less.”

Dr. O’Dell said switching to subcutaneous methotrexate can prevent the need for – or significantly extend the time to – a biologic.

The study found 72 percent of patients who switched from oral to subcutaneous methotrexate stayed on this treatment for five years. The other 28 percent eventually needed a biologic, at a median of 289 days on subcutaneous methotrexate.

“The bottom line,” Dr. O’Dell said, “is that more appropriate optimization of methotrexate could lead to better control of RA and produce significant cost savings.

Oral methotrexate is underdosed in clinical practice, and subcutaneous methotrexate is underutilized.

(UNMC provided this information.)

?

have questions

aging services

in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, or Washington counties?

Log on to

See on page 3

New Horizons Club gains new members $25 Vivian Kelley Jacqueline Ann Loth $15 Nancy Miller $12 Rita & Jim Sullivan $10 Mary Jackson Barbara Lynch $5 Robert Hug Joyce Davis D.A. England, Lt. Col USAF (retired) Steven Wilson

Reflects donations through 12/18/15

Legal Aid is offering free phone access line for older Nebraskans

L

egal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older.

Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing.

The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide.

This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity.

For more information, log on to http://www.legalaidofnebraska.com/EAL. VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO

www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,893 • Against: 90

A Caring Community Called HOME!

enoa.org

Independent & Assisted Living

• No Entrance Fee • Medicaid Waiver Approved • All Utilities & Housekeeping Included • Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about: • • • • • • • • • • •

Bath aides Care management Chore services Community education Durable medical equipment Emergency food pantry Emergency response systems ENOA facts and figures ENOA Library ENOA senior centers

24 hours a day, • Homemakers 7 days a week!

• Information & assistance telephone lines • Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha • Legal services • Meals on Wheels • Medicaid Waiver • New Horizons Grandparent Resource Center • Nutrition counseling

Ombudsman advocates Respite care Respite Resource Center Rural transportation Senior Care Options Support of adult day facilities • Volunteer opportunities

• Please vote today to address hunger.

• • • • • •

49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com

January 2017

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New Horizons

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Pick up your free copy of New Horizons each month The New Horizons is available at locations throughout eastern Nebraska.

Stop by and pick up a free copy each month at one of the following: Adams Park Senior Center 3230 John Creighton Blvd.

Evans Tower 3600 N. 24th St.

Life Care Center 6032 Ville de Sante Dr.

Ridgewood Apts.

6801 Spring St.

Aksarben Manor 7410 Mercy Rd.

Florence Home 7915 N. 30th St.

Livingston Plaza Apts.

303 S. 132nd St.

Rorick Apts.

604 S. 22nd St.

The Ambassador 1540 N. 72nd St.

Florence Senior Center 2920 Bondesson St.

Louisville Senior Center 423 Elm St.

Royal Oaks/House of Hope 4801 N. 52nd St.

American Red Cross 3838 Dewey St.

Fremont (Neb.) Friendship Center 1730 W. 16th St.

Lutheran Home 530 S. 26th St.

St. Bernard Church 3601 N 65th St.

Mangelsen’s 84th & Grover streets

St. Bridget Church 4112 S. 26th St.

Maple Crest Condos 2820 N. 66th Ave.

St. Joseph Tower 2205 S. 10th St.

Mercy Care Center 1870 S. 75th St.

St. Joseph Villa 2305 S. 10th St.

Millard Manor 12825 Deauville Dr.

St. Mary’s Church 811 S. 23rd St. Bellevue

Arlington (Neb.) Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St. Bank of Nebraska 7223 S. 84th St. Bellewood Court Apts.

1700 Lincoln Rd. Bellevue Bellevue Library 1003 Lincoln Rd.

Friendship Program 7315 Maple St. GOCA 3604 Fowler Ave. Gold Coast Square 1213 Gold Coast Rd. Papillion Hallmark Care Center 5505 Grover St.

Millard Montclair Senior Center 2304 S. 135th Ave.

Bennington (Neb.) Senior Center 322 N. Molley St.

Heartland Family Service Senior Center 4318 Fort St.

Mission Vue Apartments 406 E. Mission Ave. Bellevue

Benson Tower 5900 NW Radial Hwy.

Hickory Villa 7315 Hickory St.

Bickford Cottage 11309 Blondo St.

Hillcrest Care Center 1702 Hillcrest Rd. Bellevue

Monarch Villa 201 E. Cedardale Dr. Papillion

Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave.

Dora Bingel Senior Center 923 N. 38th St. Blumkin Home 333 S. 132nd St. Camelot 6 Apartments 9415 Cady Ave. Camelot Friendship Center 9270 Cady Ave.

Hooper (Neb.) Senior Center 208 N. Main St. Immanuel Courtyard 6757 Newport Ave. Immanuel Medical Center 6901 N. 72nd St.

Montclair Nursing Home 2525 S. 135th St. Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition 2240 Landon Ct. New Cassel 900 N. 90th St. Nehawka (Neb.) Senior Center North Bend (Neb.) Senior Center

Carter Lake Senior Center 626 Locust St.

Immanuel Trinity Village 522 N. Lincoln St. Papillion

Central Park Tower 1511 Farnam St.

Immanuel Village 6803 N. 68th Plz.

Oak Valley Apts.

12425 Krug Ave.

Christie Heights Senior Center 3623 P St.

Intercultural Community Senior Center 3010 R St.

OEA Apts.

122 S. 39th St.

Chubb Foods 2905 N. 16th St. W. Dale Clark Library 215 S. 15th St. Corrigan Senior Center 3819 X St. Croatian Cultural Society 8711 S. 36th St. Crown Pointe Retirement Center 2820 S. 80th St. Crown Tower 5904 Henninger Dr. deFreese Manor 2669 Dodge St. Dodge (Neb.) Senior Center 226 N. Elm St. Douglas County Housing 5449 N. 107th Plz. Durham Booth Manor 3612 Cuming St. Eagles Club 23rd & L streets

Jackson Tower 600 S. 27th St. Kay Jay Tower 25th & K streets Kohll’s Pharmacy 50th & Dodge streets Kohll’s Pharmacy 4230 L St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 2923 Leavenworth St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 12739 Q St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 3427 S. 84th St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 617 N. 114th St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 1413 S. Washington St. Papillion Kubat Pharmacy 4924 Center St.

Oak Grove Manor 4809 Redman Ave.

OEA Manor 320 N. 22nd St. OJ’s Mexican Restaurant 9201 N. 30th St. Omaha Nursing Home 4835 S. 49th St. The Orchards at Wildwood 7454 Gertrude St. Papillion Senior Center 1001 Limerick Ave. Park East Tower 539 S. 26th St. Park Tower North 1501 Park Ave.

St. Mary Magdalene Church 1817 Dodge St. St. Vincent DePaul 5920 Maple St. Sarpy County Courthouse 1261 Golden Gate Dr. Seven Oaks at Notre Dame 3439 State St. Skyline Manor 7300 Graceland Dr. Snyder (Neb.) Senior Center 2nd & Elm streets Social Security Office 7100 W. Center Rd. Suite 200 Social Settlement 4868 Q St. South Omaha Eagles 6607 Sunshine Dr. Southview Heights 49th & streets Swanson Library 9101 W. Dodge Rd. Joe Tess Restaurant 5424 S. 24th St. Thrift Store 7328 Maple St. Trinity Cathedral 18th Street & Capitol Avenue Twin Tower Apts.

3000 Farnam St. Underwood Tower 4850 Underwood Ave. Veterans Hospital 4101 Woolworth St.

Petrow’s Restaurant 5914 Center St.

Ville de Sante Terrace 6202 Ville de Sante Dr.

Phil’s Foodway 3030 Ames Ave.

Village Inn 309 N. Fort Crook Rd. Bellevue

Phil’s Foodway 4232 Redman Ave. Pine Tower 1501 Pine St.

Eagle (Neb.) Senior Center 509 4th St.

LaVista (Neb.) Senior Center 8116 Parkview Blvd.

Plattsmouth (Neb.) Senior Center 308 S. 18th St.

Elmwood (Neb) Senior Center 144 N. 4th St.

Leo’s Diner 6055 Maple St.

Ralston (Neb.) Senior Center 7301 Q St.

Elmwood Tower 801 S. 52nd St.

Leo Vaughn Manor 3325 Fontenelle Blvd.

Remington Heights 12606 W. Dodge Rd.

JC Wade Manor 3464 Ohio St. Walgreen’s Pharmacy 5038 Center St. Weeping Water (Neb.) Senior Center 101 E. Eldora St. The Wellington 501 E. Gold Coast Rd. Papillion

There’s more to treating winter skin than using creams, lotions

A

s winter weather visits us once again, so does the problem of “winter skin”- that dreaded skin dryness on the face, hands, and feet. For many of us, winter skin means more than just an uncomfortable, tight, dry feeling. Our skin becomes so moisture-deficient it begins to chap, flake, and crack.

“The low outdoor humidity and the dry, heated indoor air combine to rob the moisture content from our skin,” said Dr. Michael A. Smith, M.D. senior health scientist with Life Extension.

“This moisture loss not only results in dryness and cracking, it also can contribute to the development of fine lines and wrinkles on the complexion.”

Dr. Smith said the process for successfully increasing skin moisture levels isn’t as simple as applying a cream or lotion. To understand how we can best repair and even prevent winter skin, Dr. Smith said we need to first understand what skin ceramides are and how they affect skin composition and moisture levels.

“Skin ceramides are a type of skin fat, a major component of the skin’s surface, and they reside in the top skin layer called the epidermis,” he said. “If you think of your skin as a brick and mortar wall, the bricks would be the skin cells and the mortar would be the matrix that holds the skin cells together, of which the ceramides are part.

“If that mortar or matrix begins to break down because you start losing some of the components, such as the ceramides, the skin cells will begin to separate, rupturing the skin’s moisture barrier and allowing rapid moisture loss. This is when we start to see and feel the effects of dryness and aging

on the skin, which can be especially noticeable in the winter months when humidity is low.”

D

r. Smith said there are several factors that reduce the skin’s ceramide levels and destroy the skin’s ability to retain moisture. The first factor is the aging process.

“As we get older we don’t produce enough of many substances in the body, including these special types of skin fats,” he said. “Other reasons for low skin ceramide levels include lifestyle issues like poor diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, chronic stress, and exposure to environmental toxins.”

Dr. Smith said clinical studies show a new ceramide food supplement developed in Europe made from wheat germ oil called Advanced Skin Repair with Ceramides can significantly increase skin ceramide levels and boost skin moisture.

A

2011 study published in The International Journal of Cosmetic Science found, for women with dry and very dry skin, the supplement was effective in reducing skin roughness and itchiness while improving uniformity of complexion, facial skin hydration, suppleness, and the skin’s overall state.

“Ceramides can be found in many plants and animals, but the ceramides most resembling the ceramides found in human skin are found in wheat germ oil,” said Dr. Smith. “Studies show the most effective method of application is to orally ingest these ceramides daily in a supplement form, building the skin’s moisture barrier from the inside out.”

Maplewood Estates Lifestyle • Community • Convenience • Family Values

Move-in Specials Get 6 months of FREE lot rent for moving a single wide home Amenities include: into the park, or $3,500 for • Playground • Off street parking doublewide for moving expenses. • Clubhouse • Pool • RV’s welcome Call for more information.

He said skin’s moisture levels will remain elevated as long as the body’s ceramide production is complemented daily with the ceramide supplement.

“While these supplements can be taken at any time to improve skin hydration and appearance, right now would be a good time to start building your ceramide levels to keep your skin’s moisture content high not only during the dry winter months but year-round,” said Dr. Smith.

Get more information by calling 1-866-857-4110 or going online and visiting www.LESkinRepair.com.

CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE Selection of knitting needles. Various sizes.

Call Florence at 402-333-3671

HOUSE CLEANING

EVERYONE Deserves a Clean House!

Lamplighter II

Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad POOL TABLES

Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking.

Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, tear down. Used slate tables.

We pay CASH for slate pool tables.

Tree Trimming Beat the falling flakes!

OLD STUFF WANTED

Big Red Billiards 402-598-5225

93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921

Chipping & removal.

Your prunings chipped.

Experienced & insured.

Senior discount.

REFRESH CLEANING SERVICES JUDY: 402-885-8731

(before 1975)

Military, political, toys, jewelry, fountain pens, pottery, kitchen ware, postcards, photos, books, and other old paper, and garden stuff, tools, old household, etc.

Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389

402-894-9206

Please support New Horizons advertisers

Call 402-444-4148 or 402-444-6654 to place your ad.

GET RID OF IT!

REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC.

Johansen Brothers

Senior Citizens (62+)

• Remodeling & Home Improvement

Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses.

• Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms

402-312-4000

TOP CASH PAID Best & honest prices paid for: Nice old vintage and costume jewelry, old watches, vintage toys, Fenton glassware, old postcards, advertising items, military items, pottery, and antique buttons.

Also buying estates & partial estates.

Call Bev at 402-339-2856

• Painting Interior & Exterior

Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882 Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Managed by Kimball Management., Inc. We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

• Handyman Services • Senior Discounts • Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured Quality Professional Service Better Business Bureau Member

402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0

Haul away, garage, basement, rental clean out…

Call Frank

deFreese Manor

Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $25,500 (1 person) or $29,150 (two persons) 2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622

ENOA Aging

402.493.6000

Call: 12801 Spaulding Plaza www.maplewoodestatesonline.com Omaha, NE 68164

January 2016

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New Horizons

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Page 19

Dancing Wednesdays

Access information via 211 network

T

he 211 telephone network has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and human ser-

vices.

By dialing 211, consumers can access information about: • Human needs resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, etc.

• Physical and mental health resources.

• Employment support.

• Support for older Americans and persons with a disability.

• Support for children and families.

• Volunteer opportunities and donations.

The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at www.ne211.org.

Y

ou’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from

1 to 4 at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2.

For more information, please call 402-392-0444.

Providing peace of mind and security while enhancing independence and quality of life at home.

PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS* Push a button on a pendant worn on your wrist or around your neck and get connected to someone who can summon help for you in case of a fall or an emergency 24/7. * Telephone landline and electrical outlet are required.

NO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS MediGUARD USA also offers home monitoring services and other customized products.

is ad Mention th e and receiv

FREE

ON INSTALLATI Y in JANUaluAe R

$25 v dius) (25 mile ra

402-891-9700 www.mediguardusa.com Locally owned

A subsidiary of American Electronics • 4760 S 135th Street • Omaha, NE 68137

Dr. T’s new book outlines his weight loss program

A

t age 48, a dangerously out-ofshape Florida medical doctor decided to get serious about his own life-long weight problem. Nearly 10 years later and looking like a gold medal gymnast, Dr. Francisco Torres (Dr. T) is sharing his secrets to weight loss success in his new book, Dr. T’s Drop the Fat Diet: 12 Steps to a Leaner You Forever.

The inspirational guide for dieters reveals how Dr. T leveraged the science of nutrition and exercise to transform his own body from round to ripped (8 percent body fat) and keep it that way for eight years.

His lifestyle changes have also led to increased energy, clearer thinking, and a balanced, healthy metabolism.

“I remember very vividly the feelings of frustration and inadequacy while growing up,” says Dr. T. He was in his 40s before he realized his weight and dietary habits were killing him slowly. In fact, Dr. T says it took a trip to the emergency room and the realization he was already a candidate for cardiac catheterization to jolt him from his complacency. He knew he needed to make a drastic lifestyle change.

“The change I made was to develop a passion for fitness and nutritional excellence,” says Dr. T. “That change led me on an incredible 10-year fitness journey which transformed my body and my life. With this book,

Your home. Your care. Your pace.

Your home is best and Immanuel Pathways’ goal is to help you continue living in your home as long as possible.

Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, transportation and so much more to our participants. Services are provided in the home, at the PACE Center and in the community.

I hope to encourage others to take that same incredible journey.”

One of the major messages Dr. T wishes to impart isn’t about obtaining quick weight loss; it’s about obtaining sustainable weight loss and building a functioning, healthy metabolism through diet and exercise.

“There’s a science to health and wellness. Everyone can achieve the same incredible fitness results I have obtained if they are willing to have patience and take one step at a time.”

Dr. T’s Drop the Fat Diet: 12 Steps to a Leaner You Forever features a repertoire of knowledge and experience that has taken him decades to develop.

Outlining his professional regimen for jumpstarting a slow metabolism, the book also explains how to flush away body toxins with nutritional medicine and lays out exactly which foods you should avoid.

His plan stresses the importance of protein at all meals and the need for balance. He gives his readers examples of fat-burning meal plans, describes the role of healthy oils and fats, and outlines tips for breaking the “hi-carb cycle.”

Readers will receive practical advice on how to calculate meal times and sizes depending on activity level, from couch potatoes to accomplished athletes.

Dr. T’s book also goes into the importance of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, and managing rest and stress for optimal fat loss. Perhaps most revelatory are the tricks and tips for maintaining your new body once you reach your goal.

“My personal physical transformation has given me renewed desire to help make this world a bit better by sharing what has helped me to become stronger, healthier, and happier.”

For more information or to order Dr. T’s Drop the Fat Diet; 12 Steps to a Leaner You Forever, visit www.dropthefat.diet.com.

VOTES WANTED

For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330.

PLEASE GO TO

www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,893 • Against: 90

5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152

www.immanuelpathways.org

PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services.

Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.

Page 20

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New Horizons

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January 2016

• Please vote today to address hunger.