Lifestyles After 50 Suncoast February 2014 edition

www.lifestylesafter50fl.com • Suncoast • FREE

A F T E R 50

Vol. 25 • February 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE u Florida Cancer Specialists Celebrates 30 Years u Romantic Movie Night u Heart Attack To Do List

Sailing For Absolutely Everyone

BY ANNE MCKAY GARRIS

O

n a breezy day, Clearwater Bay, as seen from the Clearwater Pass Bridge, is a charming sight, liberally sprinkled with sailboats— big ones, medium-sized, child-sized.

And just beyond the bridge on Sand Key island is the source of all that delight, the Clearwater Community Sailing Center. Everyone even remotely interested in sailing, or for that matter, stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing, can quickly become waterborne at the Center.

Contrary to what some people think, This is not a private, members only club. It’s for the community and one-day rates get you in a boat, with an instructor, if you wish.

Even memberships are only $350 a year, providing opportunities to race, participate in all the activities and become friends with other sailing enthusiasts.

Geared to provide sailing for everyone, there is the Sailability Program with special boats equipped to put even the most challenged person at the tiller.

Or, as one director stated, “If you can do no more than blow in a straw, we can have you out sailing.” Many events for the “Wounded Warrior” The Clearwater Community Sailing Center program for veterans have It spread throughout United States demonstrated the truth of this boast. sailing communities after Rich White Then there’s the summer and vacation of the Center pioneered a sailing sailing camps where children as young program that improved the adaptabilas seven begin their sailing careers in ity of one youngster on the spectrum. the Opti Pram classes. Many go on Located on wide waters a short walk to become effective competitors on from a beautiful beach, near quality the Clearwater award winning teams, hotels, the Clearwater Community competing throughout the U.S. and Sailing Center is a popular spot for the world. Several Clearwater Sailing sailing and canoeing competitions.

Center youngsters have advanced In November of 2013 they hosted the to international competitions. local Carlisle Classic with 114 boats Last year, Camp Awesome, a program registered including Optis, Windmills, for children with autism, began at the Lasers, 420s and even Windsurfers.

Clearwater Community Sailing Center.

Among other recent activities at the Center were the Junior Olympic Entry Level Regatta and the Never Say Never Pirate’s Camp where, on one unforgettable weekend, amputee youth advanced from swabs to swashbucklers to first mates to “Never Say Never Pirates.”

Still ahead for the Center is the excitement of hosting the 2016 World Championships of the 49er and 49erFX class, featuring the top international competitors.

It will be the last event for this fleet before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The City of Clearwater will co-host the event.

From international sailing champions to boys and girls enjoying a healthy hobby, and everyone in-between, the Clearwater Community Sailing Center offers it all with a cheerful bonhomie and welcome to all. The phone number is 727-517-7776.

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 2

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Valentine’s Day: He Said…; She Says…

Celebrate the Other Person!

Dear Readers,

H

allmark, red hearts, roses, dinner reservations, love, romance and $1.6 billion worth of candy— Janice Doyle, Valentine’s Day. Editor “Everybody loves somebody…” Well, maybe so, but by this age, we know that Valentine’s Day is not always a huge success. It’s not always filled with romance, chocolate and eating dinner out. What to think? What to do? It’s a modern dilemma.

Most men have a love/hate relationship with Valentine’s Day. Women, being hardwired to desire romance, want to know they’re special to someone. And if a woman is alone, it can be a fairly brutal and lonely day.

David and I married four years ago, each of us the survivor in a marriage which had ended in a spouse’s death. We recently reminisced about our long histories with Valentine’s Day, starting with those decorated elementary school boxes stuffed with dime store Valentines.

He said…

David said, “We’ve been bombarded with a high level of expectation. I’m like a lot of guys and the whole thing doesn’t have traction for me. I gave Linda a card and helped the kids pick out a card and a gift for her. Nothing more.”

Translation: He’s lost in this new commercialized Valentine’s Day. Further translation: He makes notes to himself to remember to splurge on me for that day.

I say…

There was one Valentine’s Day when I opened my husband Tom’s gift of a small box of chocolates and found the candy wrappers all askew. He had showed it to our three young sons the night before, fallen prey to their begging and had let them each eat a piece of the candy. When I opened it, there were three sets of eyes waiting for permission to choose from the remaining candy and one very “Sorry ‘bout that” set of eyes begging my forgiveness.

The next year he brought in a card—a very plain and unromantic card—and he’d put some cash in it with the message: “Go buy yourself a new dress next week. You know I don’t know how to shop for you.”

Translation: He had good intentions but…

Further translation: He’d forgotten the first Valentine he gave me. It was a silly little card, but he had written a long, personal love poem to go with it. And that was all I needed again!

He said…

“That was today?” Yes, Tom actually did that once. He forgot

the holiday. We laughed about it, and he promised to make up for it by taking me to a newly released romantic comedy—some day.

Translation: Valentine’s Day isn’t about following a script. If a man is giving his best in a relationship or marriage, he doesn’t lose anything if he fails to conform to the hordes of those who follow the Hallmark script.

Further translation: Most women will take the real romance of love and attention in the daily routine of life and can even absorb forgotten holidays.

I say…

Now, let’s get serious and talk about expectations for Valentine’s Day. Translation: It’s a woman’s holiday and women like to be doted on, to be celebrated.

Further translation: The fact is, everyone wants to be celebrated, even for just a few minutes! Make February a month for celebrating others. Write a note to someone who needs to be doted on, male or female. Take someone a flower. Or chocolate. Or yourself.

And if love and romance factor in, so much the better!

Pinellas/Pasco Edition Published monthly by News Connection U.S.A., Inc General Manager Dave Tarantul dave@lifestylesafter50.com Publisher/Director of Events & Marketing Kathy J. Beck kathy@lifestylesafter50.com Editor Janice Doyle janice@lifestylesafter50.com Accounting/Office Manager Vicki Willis vicki@lifestylesafter50.com Production Supervisor/Graphic Design Kim Burrell kim@lifestylesafter50.com Associate Editor/Production Assistant Tracie Schmidt tracie@lifestylesafter50.com Customer Service 1-888-670-0040

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FCOA Attention Readers: The articles printed in Lifestyles After 50 do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editor or the staff. Lifestyles After 50 endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we cannot be held responsible by the public for advertising claims.

Lifestyles After 50 reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. Our advertising deadline for the Mar. 2014 issue is Feb. 15, 2014. Magazines are out by the 7th of each month. All rights reserved.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 3

DISCOVER THE PAST. DISCOVER THE FUTURE. DISCOVER THE FUN!

.Senior Discount Days Feb. 10 9am-9pm Feb. 11, 12 & 13 10am-9pm

.Country Gold Tour Feb. 12, Shows at Noon & 4pm

.Senior Day Seminars .Taste of the Fair Feb. 10,

.110 FREE Things to Do* .Horiculture & Agriculture .Arts & Crafts .Competitive Exhibits .Expo Hall Shopping .Mildred W. & Doyle E. Carlton Jr. Cracker Country

Leroy Van Dyke, Narvel Felts, T.G. Sheppard, Suzy Bogguss & More!

VIP-$15, Reserved seats-$10 (Fair Admission Not Included)

Tickets ages 55+ only $7 in advance, $9 at the gate

Sample Portions at Promotional Prices

.Heroes Day Feb. 6, Presented by Lazydays

All active or retired military, law enforcement, fireman & first responders recieve FREE Fair admission with valid ID

.Livestock & Petting Zoo

Living History Museum

Advance discounted tickets on sale through Feb. 5. Purchase Online at www.FloridaStateFair.com, AAA Auto Club or at participating

February 6-17, 2014

Florida State Fairgrounds at I-4 and US HWY 301

Tampa, FL

Always Free Parking! *with the price of admission

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 4

iss Don’t m

110 freedo* things to

Around Town

W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 4

7

Guitar masters Franky Vignola and Vinny Raniolo perform. 8 pm at the Largo Cultural Center. Tickets at LargoArts.com or 727-587-6793.

8

Warhol Yourself: Self-Portrait Workshop. Your photos will be taken, printed out in black and white and then you color or paint them. Each portrait takes one hour to create. 3 pm at Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg. Price: $15 per portrait. 727-822-7872, ext. 2110.

8

and 9 2Cool Art Show. 38 juried artists will show and sell their work at Gulfport Casino, 5500 Shore Blvd., Gulfport. 10 am to 5 pm.

Free parking/admission. Info: www. pavaartists.org or 727-916-0105.

8

and 9 Clearwater Beach Uncorked, food and wine festival. Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa. 1 pm. $85/day, $125 VIP. 954-960-6083.

11

Golden Baton Award presentation to Marsha and Jay B Starkey, Jr. by The Florida Orchestra Guild of St. Petersburg in Mahaffey Theater. 6 to 9 pm. Dinner buffet and silent auction; cash bar. 727-896-5097.

12

Financial Fitness Workshop. Twopart class for people who want to live better on less. 6 to 9 pm at Pinellas County Housing Authority. Largo. 2nd class: Feb. 19. Free. 727-446-3532.

15

Grandma Goes Off Her Rocker. The play explores how today’s seniors deal with life and love.

Includes cast meet and greet with hors d’oeuvres, champagne and chocolates. $20. 6:30 pm at Temple B’nai Israel, Clearwater. Tickets: 727-531-5829.

15

Tweed Ride and Shuffle. Wear your finest tweed on a bike ride through downtown St. Pete. After party at St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. Refreshments and dancing. $15. Register/3 pm, ride/4 pm, party 5 pm to 9 pm. 727-822-2083.

15

Sunken Gardens Plant Talks.

Author Monica Brandies shares tips to make gardening easier for both residents and snowbirds.11:30 am

at Sunken Gardens, St. Petersburg. $6/seniors. 727-551-3102.

21

Ringling Museum of Art Day Trip. Bus will depart from and return to the Hale Senior Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave. in Dunedin.

Cost is $45, lunch is on your own.

Must pre-register. 727-298-3299.

23

Guided Nature Walk and Bird Tour. 10 to 11 am at Fort DeSoto Park, St. Petersburg. $5 parking. Pre-register at 727-552-1862.

26

The Odd Couple – a comedy by Neil Simon. 7 pm at The Hale Senior Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. $10. 727-298-3299.

26

St. Anthony’s Hospital Auxiliary Annual Card and Game Party. Join friends for whist, bridge and more to benefit hospital programs. $12. 11:30 am at St. Anthony’s Hospital, St. Petersburg. 727-866-3158.

28

“Memories of Elvis” with tribute artist Chris MacDonald.

Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg.

8 pm – 10 pm. 727-822-3590.

28

Mame. Set in New York City, this musical chronicles how a wealthy, eccentric aunt and her orphaned nephew cope with the Depression. 8 pm at Francis Wilson Playhouse, Clearwater. Tickets/info: 727-446-1360.

M

ar. 1 Classic Car and Truck Show. Music, awards, prizes and 50/50 raffle to support local charities. Free. 8:30 am at Main Street and Broadway, Dunedin. 727-433-2300.

M

ar. 1 and 2 Calusa Wood Carvers 32nd Annual Show and Sale. 10 am to 3 pm at Veterans Memorial Park, 14330 Hicks Rd., Hudson. $3 admission. 727-376-2180.

Send Around Town news to News Connection USA, Inc., P.O. Box 638, Seffner, FL 33583; fax 813-651-1989 or email calendar@srnewsconnection .com. News must be received by the 10th of the month prior to event (i.e.

February 10 for March event.)

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 5

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 6

Make February 14 a Romantic Movie Night

F

rom can’t-miss classics to newer releases, these flicks are all worthy of watching on Valentine’s Day, or any other time you feel like a romantic date night with your loved one. In no particular order —and with some favorite quotes—here are some options:

• The Notebook (2004) starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands, and James Garner.

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s going to be really hard; we’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, every day. You and me…every day.”

• When Harry Met Sally (1989) starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.

• Pride and Prejudice (1995) starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle “Perhaps I didn’t always love him as well as I do now, but in such cases as these, a good memory is unpardonable.”

• Love Story (1970) with Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

• Pretty Woman (1990) with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard “You’re afraid to stick out your chin and say, ‘Okay, life’s a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that’s the only chance anybody’s got for real happiness.’”

• Sleepless in Seattle (1993) starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

• An Affair to Remember (1957) starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Favorite Quote: “There must be something between us, even if it’s only an ocean.”

• Love Actually (2003) starring Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Keira Knightley. “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport.

It seems to me that love is everywhere…fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends.”

• Casablanca (1942) starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

“I can’t fight it anymore. I ran away from you once. I can’t do it again.”

• While You Were Sleeping (1995) starring: Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. “Do you believe in love at first sight? Nah, I betcha don’t, you’re probably too sensible for that.”

• Dirty Dancing (1987) starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. “Me? I’m scared of everything…and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.”

• Shakespeare in Love (1998) starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes.

“Love knows nothing of rank or riverbank! …So tell my lady, William Shakespeare waits for her in the garden!”

• A Room with a View (1985) starring Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, and Julian Sands.

• Out of Africa (1985) starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. “I don’t want to find out one day that I’m at the end of someone else’s life.”

• Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson. “The moon looks different now …You didn’t ruin it, you just changed it, I guess.”

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 7

Legendary Branson Performer Coming to Strawberry Festival

BY JANICE DOYLE

N

stage at our theater on the road with us, but we will bring all of the show’s elements with us, as well as the same people we work with in Branson.”

Well, folks, you may not miss the lavish sets as you fall under the spell of his superb showmanship and the allure of seeing his many glitzy jackets.

Shoji Tabuchi

Keeping his edge!

Tabuchi hosts two shows a day six days a week during Branson’s 9-month performance season.

I asked him how he stays healthy and fit with that schedule, and he said, “I do several things. I try to eat healthy, including lots of fish.” The problem, he went on, “…is that I love fried catfish.” He also said that performing two shows a day keeps him moving, a good way to get exercise.

He’s also an avid golfer and fishes the local lakes.

How does he stay cool wearing the elaborately decorated jackets under the hot lights? He says he’s used to it and that on his own stage he typically stands under an air conditioner vent. He added with a chuckle that “because they are heavy, wearing the jackets offers me another way to get good exercise.”

“Working with so many young entertainers keeps me young. Our whole group is contagious,” said Tabuchi.

“And our audiences have remained very loyal and supportive and because of them I love performing.” Christine’s participation and creativity, he says, is bringing in younger audiences.

“This past season we did Michael Jackson stuff, and they loved it.”

o matter where he entertains, Shoji Tabuchi says, “I have a fresh audience every performance.”

And now the iconic Branson performer is bringing his show to an audience at the Strawberry Festival at The jackets!

3:30 pm February 27.

At first you may not be aware of Tabuchi’s story is the it, but as the show goes on, you stuff of classic Americertainly note the many times can legends: How he Tabuchi changes jackets. If he was born in WWII enters the stage in ruby sequins, he Japan, began playing may soon sport birds-of-paradise a violin at age 7 and rhinestones before two as a teenager heard attendants assist him in Roy Acuff fiddling in Tokyo. changing to glittering Tabuchi went on to become a green or black. You’ll see country Western fiddler in his 10 or more jackets during own country before coming to a show full of country, America with $500 in his pockpolka, gospel, Cajun, et. Tabuchi went to Nashville Hawaiian, rap, rock, and and was granted a spot on the patriotic music (and a Grand Ole Opry in 1968 folshiny stars and stripes lowed by gigs around jacket). He typically ends the country. Over 30 the show in an elegant years ago he moved and blinding white jacket. to Branson, married His gentle jokes, his his producer wife light-hearted, often selfDorothy and built his deprecating, humor—all own 8 million dollar, are a part of every 2,000 seat theatre. show. So is his flawToday, The Shoji less fiddling, dancing Tabuchi Show is and singing. Daughter hands-down the Christina is present Branson show that for more and more has it all—the glamPictured above: Top - Young of each show, having our of Hollywood, the Shoji Tabuchi; Center - Tabuchi performed on stage with spectacle of Vegas, the and his wife, Dorothy; Bottom: her dad since she was 4. production elements Tabuchi’s daughter Christina performs with him on stage. of Broadway and the family fun of Branson.

Under daughter Christine’s creativity, audiences enjoy leading-edge production, choreography, costuming, special effects and a supporting cast including one of the best bands in Branson.

In a recent phone interview about his upcoming Strawberry Festival performance, Tabuchi (68) said, “We’ll play all kinds of music. There is no way we Tabuchi has missed his Branson shows only twice in over 20 years when he was invited to the White House to perform for the two Bush presidents. can bring the set pieces we have on Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 8

I mentioned that as we age we often like to go back to our roots. Does Tabuchi do that? He said, “I have been back to Japan several times, and I do like to think about home and family. When my mom and dad were alive, I went to spend time with them.” He has taken his American family back on an extended visit as well as going back to those important high school and college reunions to see how everyone turned out.

Trivia: The exotic restrooms at the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre in Branson are a tourist attraction in themselves. Every week the Ladies Room is filled with fragrant exotic flowers. The Mens Room holds a $35,000 billiards table.

His bucket list!

Does Shoji Tabuchi have a bucket list? Of course! He has said he’d like to spend more time as an artist and would love to do landscaping, but at the top of his list is “…taking my whole cast to do shows in Japan.”

But before he does that, be sure you seeing the Shoji Tabuchi Show at the Strawberry Festival on Feb. 27. To get tickets, call 813-754-1996 or go online to flstrawberryfestival.com.

Great Entertainment At The Strawberry Festival

G

et ready for the stars to come out this year at the Florida Strawberry Festival Feb. 27 through March 9.

Over 24 headline entertainment artists perform every year. Just a few of those in 2014: Opening day will feature Branson’s Shoji Tabuchi and rock group STYX. Look for Ronnie Milsap, Charley Pride, Josh Turner, Brenda Lee, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Oak Ridge Boys 40th Anniversary Tour.

So much more with Boyz II Men, Dustin Lynch, Crystal Gaye, Easton Corbin and The Band Perry.

Advance tickets for admission and for headline entertainment shows are on sale now online at www.flstrawberryfestival.com and over the phone at 813-754-1996.

Free seating for each concert is also available in the grandstand located at the back of the Wish Farms Soundstage and is available on a first come, first seated basis.

Ronnie Milsap, Brenda Lee and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra are just a few of the entertainers in this year’s Strawberry Festival.

Each year, over 500,000 visitors enjoy the Festival’s headline entertainment, youth livestock shows, exhibits of commerce and, of course, its world-famous strawberry shortcake.

Save $2.00 on Adult & $1.00 on Youth General Admission Tickets at Publix Super Markets!

FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL ®

Florida’s Best Family Recipe!

FEB. 27 - MAR. 9, 2014 • PLANT CITY, FLORIDA Artists Appearing on the Soundstage:

Shoji Tabuchi

Jimmy Sturr

STYX

Thu. Feb. 27, 3:30 $15 & $20

Thu. Feb. 27, 10:30 FREE

Little Big Town

Thompson Square Sun. Mar. 2, 3:30 $25

Sat. Mar. 1, 7:30 $40

Ronnie Milsap

Thu. Feb. 27, 7:30 $25 & $30

Fri. Feb. 28, 3:30 $15 & $20

Rascal Flatts “LIVE & LOUD” Tour 2014 Sun. Mar. 2, 7:30 $55

Colt Ford

Fri. Feb. 28, 7:30 $15 & $20

Charley Pride Mon. Mar. 3, 3:30 $15 & $20

Love Is In The Air

F

rom races with crazy costumes to elegant dinners and dances, it’s the month to celebrate all things romantic. Have fun with your sweetheart—or meet a future one—at these events:

8

Spring Valley School Valentine 5K. Family friendly 5K race and one mile run/walk with guest celebrity host. Valentine costume contest, age group awards and prizes. 8 am at Spring Valley School, Palm Harbor.

Register by Feb. 7 at springvalley school.com. 727-781-1234.

8

Valentines’ Day Soiree, 6 – 9 pm, presented by the Tarpon Springs Historical Society. Info: 727-943-4624.

8

Flowers for Valentines. The African Violet Society of Pinellas’ annual Valentine Sale. 9 am to 3 pm, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin. Free entry. Flower and garden Q&A. 813-920-7270.

14

Big Hearts for Little Hearts.

Dress in red and bring your sweetheart for a formal night of desserts and dancing to live music. at 9 pm. Upgrade to VIP for a pre-dance buffet dinner (7:30 pm).

Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg.

Price: $32.50, $100 VIP. 727-893-7832.

The Matinee Opera Players will present love songs from Broadway, pop and opera at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center, 4951 78th Avenue N., Pinellas Park. 3 pm.

Parking is free; donations welcome.

Intermission raffle. 727-547-0396. ar. 1 “A Starry Starry Night” Adult and Senior Prom. Live music, dancing, hors d’oeuvres, dessert, prom photo and King and Queen crowning! Semi-formal. 7 pm at Largo Community Center. $15/ person or $25/couple; tickets on sale at the center, or call 727-518-3131.

23 M

Brenda Lee Tue. Mar. 4, 3:30 $15 & $20

Kellie Pickler Tue. Mar. 4, 7:30 $15 & $20

Third Day Thu. Mar. 6, 7:30 $15 & $20

Crystal Gayle Wed. Mar. 5, 3:30 $15 & $20

John Anderson Fri. Mar. 7, 3:30 $15 & $20

Lee Brice Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Wed. Mar. 5, 7:30 Thu. Mar. 6, 10:30 $20 & $25 FREE

Boyz II Men Fri. Mar. 7, 7:30 $20 & $25

Caroline Kole Sat. Mar. 8, 1:00 FREE

Love and Theft Sat. Mar. 1, 3:30 $15 & $20

Josh Turner Mon. Mar. 3, 7:30 $20 & $25

Oak Ridge Boys 40th Anniversary Tour Thu. Mar. 6, 3:30 $15 & $20

Dustin Lynch Sat. Mar. 8, 3:30 $15 & $20

Free Grandstand Jerrod Niemann Sat. Mar. 8, 7:30 $20 & $25

Easton Corbin Sun. Mar. 9, 3:30 $15 & $20

#berryfest

Seating at 3:30 & 7:30pm is on a first come, first seated basis.

The Band Perry Sun. Mar. 9, 7:30 $40

Concert dates and times are subject to change

Visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com or call 813-754-1996 and get your tickets for the best seats available!

While online, check out the Free Entertainment, Midway Specials, Discounted Days, and Full Schedule of Festival Events.

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 9

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 10

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Win/Loss Statement Insurance Discounts Documents Your Play For Mature Drivers

YOU BELONG AT THE BEAU

BY MARK PILARSKI

D

ear Mark: Because I don’t keep track of my wins and losses when I play, my accountant has asked me for a win/loss statement from the casino where I play so I might be able to write off some of my gambling losses. How do I go about getting one? —Jim D.

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Video keno games, Ellen, are just as When you use your player’s card, random as if you were playing slots or it documents your play. If you flip video poker. Like the cards displayed it over, there should be a telephone in video poker or symbols of a slot number on the back side. Just ask machine, a random number generator the rep when you call that you (RGN) determines all numbers drawn would like a win/loss statement in video keno. All 80 numbers on sent to you. Likewise, if you visit a keno game have the same chance the casino often, you can also drop of being drawn. The RNG doesn’t by the slot club booth and request know what has happened in the a statement. They probably can past. It just keeps picking random print it out for you straight away. and the odds are the same You, or inYour this case your accountant, Take Class Online! numbers, on every play. As for catching a will report your gambling winnings solid 8/8, your chances are 230,114 Study your a day, 7 days a week. on •a 1040 taxatform on leisure, the Other24 hours to one.

Those,and Ellen, are pretty long • Simply read theany course materials online then answer Income line. You report gambling odds. Have you ever thought about lossesa on Schedule A, line 28, few quiz questions. playing video poker instead?

Miscellaneous Deductions.

• There is no need toYour attend boring orme listen to Thatclasses said, allow to suggest accountant is looking to offset your some advice when playing the long lectures. tax liability on your wins by reporting virtual version. First, search for • After of course we will issue a state-certified your losses.completion, If you keep impeccable the highest-paying paytable. The records while you play, the IRS will certificate for you to turn intohigher your the insurance company to payouts for the spots you accept a written log detailing the receive your discount for a three period. play,year the lower the house edge. Play date of your wagers, the location, fewer spots so that the odds against amount of the bet, type of gaming, hitting a winning ticket are not so Your Mature Driver Course On The Internet! andTake wins and losses as documentation. astronomical. Deliberately play at a If you don’t, a win/loss statement leisurelyand pace, because the slower If you have a Florida Driver’s License are 55 years of from the casino definitely helps. you play, the less of your hard-earned age note: or older, you are now to complete motor vehicle Quick Gambling losses can eligible money finds its way into the casino’s accident course thatcoffers. will allow you to receive a only be used toprevention counterbalance Finally, use your slot club gambling winnings during thaton same mandatory reduction your insurance rate three years. card to offset thefor losses YOU WILL tax period. They cannot be carried experience on this high negativeforward or back toFlorida any other tax year. of Department Highwaygame.

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Motor Vehicle Dear Mark: I usually&play a fiveor Approved Course Gambling Wisdom of the Month: an eight-spot ticket when playing video keno. I have hit five-spot tickets “Vegas looks like somebody multiple times, but I have never hit an took one of Liberace’s jackets eight-spot. Does the machine make and made a city out of it.” sure that one or two of my numbers – Lance Humble, Ph.D., and won’t come up because the payoffs are Carl Cooper, Ph.D, “The World’s so much larger for an eight-spot ticket Greatest Blackjack Book” (1980). versus a five-spot one? —Ellen G.

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 11 12/31/13 10:00 AM

Retirement Plans: Include Financing Travel for Healthy Aging

W

hen asked “What’s on your Bucket List,” over half of Americans 50+ would include travel somewhere near the top. Americans love to travel, whether on short or long trips, and whether to visit family or just to sight-see. Moreover, studies now tell us that for modern retirees, travel plays a critical role in personal physical and mental well-being.

A new study exposes a clear disconnect between perception and reality: while boomers dream big about travel in retirement, many are unprepared financially to ensure that their dreams come true. Simply stated, they are not saving sufficiently to make these goals a reality. Even more specifically, only 15 percent have placed a high priority on saving for travel. When it comes

to taking action, less than one-in-five have specifically factored travel into their financial strategy for retirement.

“Retirees were asked how they would have prepared differently for travel in their retirement. Of those with regrets, more than half wish they would have saved more,” said Catherine Collinson, president of Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. “People of all ages need to plan and save to make their retirement dreams of traveling a reality.”

“…navigating new places, meeting new people and learning about new cultures can help delay the onset of degenerative disease.”

Travel as a Path to Healthy Aging Travel—and the activities associated with travel—have now been shown to have positive health outcomes, including decreased risk of heart attack and

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 12

depression and even the promotion of brain health—health issues that are of increasing concern as we age.

“Travel is good medicine,” explained Dr. Paul Nussbaum, Ph.D., president and founder of the Brain Health Center, Inc. and a clinical neuropsychologist. “Because it challenges the brain with new and different experiences and environments, it is an important behavior that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan.”

The phenomenon of longer lives today requires us to think, plan and act differently and that includes planning for both our physical and mental well-being as well as having social connections. Travel can be a huge part of that plan.

Americans who travel are more satisfied physically, emotionally and financially, and report greater satisfaction with their physical health and well-being than those who don’t travel.

Travel also has cognitive benefits.

Destination Healthy Aging reports that the novel and complex stimuli associated with travel, including navigating new places, meeting new people and learning about new cultures, can help delay the onset of degenerative disease.

“It is intuitive that if we stay healthy we will be able to travel in old age, but it is now becoming apparent that the reverse might also be true: travel and the numerous physical and mental benefits associated with it are drivers of health across all stages of life,” said Michael W. Hodin, Ph.D., Executive Director, Global Coalition on Aging. “Investing in travel could also be a worthwhile investment in healthy aging.”

Start saving and planning today for good mental and physical health!

Information from the study: Journey to Healthy Aging: Planning for Travel in Retirement by The Global Coalition on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.

18

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 13

Life is too short to be

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Effective stem cell treatments for

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Before my treatment, I couldn't even think of walking down end.

Now I look forward to fishing with my grandson every week Thank you Lung Institute!

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FREE Consultations Available • Call (855) 313-1150 TODAY! Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 14

Beginning of an Era: Stem Cell Treatments for Lung Disease Go Mainstream

T

here’s no denying that stem cells have been a topic surrounded by ambiguity in recent years. Many people have a misguided understanding of stem cell therapies and their potential, often recalling the controversy surrounding stem cell usage in clinical settings mandated by the United States government and even the Catholic Church. Let’s take a moment to separate fact from fiction and dispel the myths surrounding this scientific breakthrough.

There are two primary categories of stem cells: 1. Embryonic stem cells – These stem cells are derived from a four or five-day-old embryo that is in the blastocyst phase of development. It is this type of stem cell that has been the subject of extensive controversy.

2. Adult stem cells – Also referred to as somatic stem cells, adult stem cells are found throughout the body in different types of tissues such as brain, bone marrow, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin and liver.

Drawing many parallels to the public debate on the topic of abortion’s legalization, the harvesting of embryonic stem cells for medical use has been a hotly debated issue, with one side citing ethical concerns with destroying a conceived (or cloned) embryo for the sole purpose of utilizing its stem cells.

However, this controversy does not apply to adult stem cells as they are safely derived from adult tissue. As a result, the potential regenerative qualities of adult stem cells used in clinical settings is inarguable, and people with a variety of diseases, including lung disease, are reaping the benefits of adult stem cell therapies worldwide.

How are adult stem cells being used to treat lung disease?

Once viewed as an alternative treatment for lung disease, adult stem cells have emerged in the last ten years as a viable treatment option for conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphy-

sema, chronic bronchitis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis.

Lung Institute, a stem cell provider located in Tampa, Fla., has harnessed the potential of adult autologous stem cells—meaning those derived from a patient’s own body—for the treatment of lung disease. Since the stem cells come from the patient, there is very little chance of rejection and these procedures are considered quite safe.

What are the results?

Patients who have undergone stem cell therapies at Lung Institute are depending on the use of supplemental oxygen less, Gary Barnard, walking further and patient breathing easier.

Gary Barnard, a Lung Institute patient and COPD sufferer from Spring Hill, Fla. reports that his quality of life has improved drastically.

“I’ve had four treatments and they went very well. I went from not being able to breathe to being able to breathe without oxygen for quite a while,” Barnard said. “I’m now able to play golf—which I couldn’t play for a long time—and now I’m back playing and enjoying it.”

Lung Institute has gained national and worldwide attention for their innovative stem cell therapies, and patients have visited from places as far away as South Africa, Canada and the Philippines. Dr. Burton Feinerman, Lung Institute’s Medical Director, has been practicing medicine for over half a century and is considered an expert in the field of stem cell therapy.

Remember, there is no cure for lung disease, but stem cell therapy is offering people a chance to get back to the things they used to do and enjoy life again. If you or someone you love suffers from the life-altering symptoms of lung disease, call Lung Institute today at 1-855-469-5864 or visit LungInstitute.com for more information.

Discover The Springs South Pasadena’s Hidden Treasure

Welcome to The Springs at Boca Ciega Bay, located in beautiful South Pasadena on the campus of The Fountains at Boca Ciega Bay. We’re not your typical skilled nursing facility.

We are a 109 bed Medicare certified Rehab Center offering a variety of health care services: • Skilled Nursing • Wound Care • Social Services • Full scale beauty salon • Individualized activities • State-of-the-art Rehab.

We offer Customized Rehab programs 7 days a week both in-patient and out-patient including Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy.

We specialize in: • Orthopedic • Stroke/Neuro • Cardiac programs by utilizing state-of-the-art equipment including Anodyne therapy and Natilus equipment, just to name a few.

We make admissions easy! We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our experienced and licensed Nurse Liaison, will meet you at hospital bedside or in your home. If you have a surgery planned, why not come in for a tour and take the mystery out of the admission process. Call (727) 599-1390.

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 15

Your Heart Attack “To Do” List

W

hen chest pain strikes, don’t delay in calling 911.

The risk of a heart attack is real. More than one million people in the U.S. suffer a heart attack each year. You need to respond to symptoms within an hour.

Save your life or the life of someone you love with this information.

• Other pain relievers won’t help.

(Advil, Tylenol)

1. Recognize the symptoms 2. Call 911 immediately 3. Chew an aspirin while waiting for EMS Don’t Drive. Call 911 for an ambulance. Your treatment will begin much faster with the emergency team!

• Know the signs of a heart attack • Heart patient? Ask about nitroglycerin • Family member at risk? Learn CPR • Always have aspirin on hand • Alert family and friends to warning signs and calling 911

About Taking Aspirin • Take within 30 minutes of symptoms • Chew slowly • Take a 325 mg adult dose (a full aspirin) • Uncoated is best

Top reasons people delay calling 911 • Embarrassment or fear of “looking silly” • Denial or confusion • Responsibilities – don’t want to “stop their lives”

Survive a Heart Attack

“Time is muscle. If you don’t get to a hospital immediately, a larger portion of your heart muscle is damaged.”

— Steven Nissen, MD, Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

Be Prepared

Don’t Delay

• Don’t recognize symptoms • Expect a dramatic “chest-clutching” event • Mistake symptoms for heartburn

no chest pain at all. And women wait four times longer than men to go to the ER. Don’t ignore your symptoms!

Know the Symptoms

• Exercise regularly • Eat a heart-healthy diet • Don’t smoke • Find stress reduction activities that work for you • Know your family’s heart health history • Talk to your doctor about your risks

Everyone is different. You may only have one or two.

• Sudden, increasing chest pain/ pressure (angina) • Pain spreading from jaw, throat, arm, back or belly • Sweating/cold sweat • Nausea/vomiting • Dizziness • Shortness of breath • Feelings of indigestion/heartburn • Rapid or irregular heartbeats • Extreme fatigue/weakness

Prevent a Heart Attack

10 minutes of brisk exercise a day can reduce your risk of heart attack by almost 50 percent!

Information from the Cleveland Clinic (clevelandclinic.org/HealthHub)

Attention Women!

While chest pain is the most common symptom, some women have reported

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 16

Veterans Corner

Great Ways to Support the Troops

BY EVELYN MACKEY

I

f you’re looking for ways to communicate your support to our troops, take a look at just a few available opportunities.

The website troopsupport.com is a good place to start looking for a good fit. Here is a sample of what volunteer groups across our country are doing for American troops in today’s military.

Adopt A US Soldier— this non-profit group connects civilians and deployed troops. The group’s easy-to-use website includes testimonials, a photo gallery and ways to get connected. www.adoptaussoldier.org.

HUGS—a top-rated Nonprofit in 2013— successfully gets care packages overflowing with snacks, hygiene items, DVD’s and CD’s, Oreos, socks and other much needed items to service members in Afghanistan. They encourage helping by either sending items to pack, or with monetary donations to help with the cost of shipping boxes.

Their website includes a list of needed items for the care packages and a donation page. And if you sew, the website include patterns for items you can stitch up to put in the boxes (fingerless gloves and more). All donations go directly to the supplies and care package items. www.thehugsproject.com.

Hugs for Heroes—sends ongoing shipments of essential items and notes of love and appreciation to troops. The website has instructions for organizing a collection of items to send as well as tips for writing notes that go into the shipments. School involvement with this project is impressive. www.hugsforheroes.org.

Operation Holiday Stocking—is a busy group that knits, packs and ships hundreds (about 5,000 in 2013) of Christmas stockings to troops overseas. Their website guides those who want to make their own stockings (including knitting directions) as well as those who can donate money toward the shipping costs and the cost of what fills the stockings. You can even purchase a stocking at the store and send it to be stuffed. A great list of stocking stuffer ideas is on the site as well. www.operationholidaystockings.com.

Cold Sore Research

If you experience 2 or more cold sores per year, you may qualify to participate in a cold sore research study.

Hill Top Research is seeking adult men and women to test the effectiveness of an investigational medication designed to prevent the development of cold sores.

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A Note from a Soldier: “I just wanted to say thank you! What a great surprise to have received the hats the other day.

I came back from a mission dirty, hungry and tired; you brought a great smile to all of our faces. I think most of my soldiers slept with your hats on the same day/night. God bless you all; thank you for what you do.” – SFC K. F

Warmth for Warriors— gives an opportunity to pick up knitting needles and start a project.

Directions for the hats are on the group’s website. The group distributes hats to active duty soldiers overseas, to medical units where soldiers are leaving for hospitals in Germany and to VA hospitals here in the States. A warm wool hat, made with love, provides both physical comfort and a ‘hug of thanks,’ according to the website. http://warmthforwarriors.com/.

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Transportation for MRI Walk Ins Welcome Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 17

Curbing Digestive Upsets Caused by Medications

BY DUSTIN JAMES, MD,

M

ost of us take medications to help us feel better. Sometimes, though, they have side-effects that make other parts feel worse.This is especially true for the digestive system.

The good news is that there are tips you can follow to curb side-effects.

Here are some of the most commonly prescribed medications and ways to ward off potential digestive upsets.

NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-

inflammatory medications)—includes Advil®, Aleve®, Ibuprofen, Excederin®, Asprin, Naprosyn and Celebrex®. These pain and inflammation relieving medications soothe aches and pains, but they are also the #1 cause of bleeding ulcers in the United States, as well as causing stomach pains from gastritis and diarrhea.

Side Effects: The best way to avoid these side-effects is to avoid taking them regularly. If you need to take them daily, antacids called protonpump inhibitors, such as Prilosec OTC® can protect the upper part of your digestive system from their bad effects. Some brands of NSAIDS are enteric coated. Unfortunately, medical studies show that this coating does not prevent side-effects.

Blood pressure/heart medications, especially calcium channel blockers—includes Amlodipine, Verapamil and Diltiazem—reduce your blood pressure by relaxing muscles in your circulation. Unfortunately, they also slow down the muscles in your digestive system, leading to constipation.

Side Effects: The best initial approach is to keep things moving in your colon with plenty of fiber and water. I recommend my patients take 25 grams per day with at least 8 cups of water. And no, coffee and soda don’t count as water! If you can’t get enough fiber in your diet, try Citrucel® powder (one tablespoon in 8 oz of water daily to twice daily). If that’s still not enough, try Miralax®.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 18

That medication gets its name “Miracle Laxative” for good reason.

Antibiotics—especially clindamycin, levaquin, and azithromycin—are notorious for causing diarrhea by killing off good bacteria in your colon along with the bad ones. Some antibiotics like azithromycin cause severe cramps a couple of hours after you take them. Clindamycin and levaquin carry the highest risk of causing the potentially life-threatening colon infection called C. dificile.

Side Effects: The best way to curb diarrhea is to make sure you’re taking daily probiotics. I recommend my patients start with one to two yogurts a day, preferably Greek. If you are yogurt-averse, then consider pills like Align®. Be sure to talk to your physician right away if you develop horrible fatigue and/ or fever with diarrhea, as these may be the first signs of C. dificile.

Antidepressants—includes Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Citalopram, Venlafaxine and Trazadone, to name a few—almost always cause some degree of digestive upset such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea and pain.

Side Effects: Digestive upsets can be minimized by slowly increasing the medications to their goal dose.

Most digestive upsets improve over time. When they don’t, be sure to talk to your doctor about dividing the dose into twice daily, or changing the medication. For instance, people are more likely to have diarrhea with sertraline (Zoloft®) and nausea with Paroxetine (Paxil®). If nausea is a problem, ginger and peppermint, such as a tea brewed double strength or tummydrops, can be very helpful.

To your happy tummy.

Dustin James MD, The Tummy Doc, is author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Digestive Health.” (Be sure to consult with your physician regarding your health related issues before initiating or changing any medicines.)

Do You Have A Cold Or Is It Allergies?

T

o knock out either a cold or an allergy, knowing the difference between the two is important when planning your attack!

The similarities between them can lead to confusion about which you are suffering from.

One can easily mistake an allergy for a cold, and vice versa. The main difference between a cold and an allergy is the length of time the symptoms last. A cold will generally last a week; allergies last for a longer period of time. Yet, left untreated, allergies can cause more serious conditions such as sinusitis or ear infections.

Frequently, patients say, “I never had allergies before… why now?” or “I had allergies as a child and thought that I outgrew them.” You do not inherit an allergy toward any particular allergen; instead you inherit a tendency to develop allergies when exposed to allergens. Most allergies develop in childhood, but an allergy can develop at any time.

Many times you will outgrow an allergy only to develop another.

Common allergy symptoms – • Rashes or Hives • Hay fever • Itchy full ears • Dark circles under eyes • Watery, burning and itchy eyes • Fatigue • Headache • Congestion • Throat clearing • Clear drainage • Sneezing • Impaired sense of smell and taste How will your allergies be diagnosed?

Once your ENT Associates physician has determined that

you are a candidate for allergy testing, you will meet with one of our specially trained, licensed Allergy Nurses who will discuss your allergy history with you. There will be time dedicated to education on allergy triggers, environmental avoidance measures and cross-reactions between foods and outside factors.

This discussion will be tailored to your individual needs. The allergy testing panels will include trees, grasses, weeds, molds, insects, animal dander, egg, milk, wheat, yeast and soybean to start.

What to expect during your allergy test… A combination of Percutaneous and Intradermal testing is the method used to test the skin for a local response to specific allergens. A drop of each allergen extract is placed on the skin. Then the top most layer of the skin under the drops is lightly broken.

This allows the extract to seep into the skin. Testing is done on the lower and upper arm. At the end of your testing session, you will know exactly what you are and are not allergic to and to what degree of sensitivity.

Should you respond to one or more of the allergens tested, you have several treatment options available.

• Avoidance Therapy – Once it has been determined what allergens you are allergic to, a plan can be created to avoid these allergens if at all possible.

• Pharmacology – Your physician may recommend a different medication or medication combination to manage your allergy symptoms.

• Immunotherapy Allergy Injections – This form of treatment decreases and most often desensitizes the sensitivity to allergens and often leads to a lasting relief of allergy symptoms even after treatment has stopped.

• Sublingual Therapy (SLIT) – This variation of immunotherapy delivers an allergen solution under the tongue rather than an injection.

To learn more, please call ENT Associates at 727-791-1368 or visit their website at www.ENTflorida.com.

ALLERGIES… Are they disrupting YOUR life? We can HELP!

O

ur 10 Board Certified Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists and dedicated Allergy Nursing Staff together can care for your allergies so that you do not miss the important things in your life such as work, school, indoor and outdoor activities, foods that you love and pets.

A combination of Percutaneous and Intradermal testing is the method used to test the skin for a local response to specific allergens. At the end of your testing session, you will know exactly what you are and are not allergic to and to what degree of sensitivity. Our treatment options include Avoidance Therapy, Pharmacology, Immunotherapy Allergy Injections and Sublingual Therapy (SLIT).

If allergies are left untreated, they can cause more serious conditions such as sinusitis or ear infections!

Please call or visit our website today: www.ENTflorida.com (727) 791-1368 to schedule your allergy evaluation!

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 19

At the dawn of its 30th year...

Florida Cancer Specialists sets the benchmark for community oncology

pinellas County physicians

Jose Alemar, MD Thyag Ananthakrishnan, MD Jennifer L. Ball, DO Gregoire Bergier, MD Kerry E. Chamberlain, DO Michael Diaz, MD Robert L. Drapkin, MD Vivian Griffin, MD Andrew E. Hano, DO Vu Tran Ho, MD Nuruddin Jooma, MD,MPH Geetha Kamath, MD Richard A. Knipe, MD Don D. Luong, MD Joseph R. Mace, MD Idelfia A. Marte, MD Arthur J. Matzkowitz, MD Edgar G. Miranda, MD Jeffrey L. Paonessa, MD Hitesh Patel, MD J. Andrew Peterson, MD Lane D. Ziegler, DO

FCS physicians with patients and staff (Clockwise from above): Dr. Gregoire Bergier, Dr. Richard Knipe, Dr. Jeffrey Paonessa

F

rom its humble beginnings in February 1984, Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) has always placed the highest priority on: • Providing exceptional patient care • Personalized attention • Customized treatment protocols • Treating patients — and their loved ones — as family

“In the beginning,” says FCS Founder and President Dr. William Harwin, “when I opened my Fort Myers practice to treat local oncology patients, it was just my wife Marilyn and me in the office.”

As his original practice quickly grew, Dr. Harwin soon recognized that he and other nearby small, independent hematology/oncology practitioners could help save more cancer patients’ lives if they pooled their resources. And thus — from a single, family-run, “mom and pop” doctor’s office

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 20

— was born a group that is now the largest independent oncology/hematology practice in the United States with nearly 200 physicians, 100 nurse practitioners and more than 70 clinical sites around the state. Today, FCS serves patients on the Gulf Coast from Naples to the greater Tampa Bay area, north as far as Tallahassee, in Orlando and surrounding Central Florida communities, on the East Coast in Daytona/Palm Coast and now in Palm Beach County.

IntegrAted network of ComprehensIve CAre What makes FCS so unique is that every doctor affiliated with the organization is committed to an identical goal: providing world-class cancer care using cutting-edge technologies, in a setting where patients can be close to home and surrounded by family and friends.

The team of folks at FCS knows how physically and emotionally challenging a cancer diagnosis is.

That’s why extraordinary efforts are made to keep the ancillary and/or preventable challenges at a minimum.

There’s nothing “institutional” about the FCS facilities, or the people who staff them.

Rather, all FCS offices are positive, upbeat, welcoming places of healing and compassion.

Several locations in Pinellas County offer onsite integrative oncology services such as yoga, massage and nutritional counseling. FCS physician Dr. Andrew Hano said, “We approach every patient in a holistic manner and take into consideration personal details of the patient’s life. Providing services that complement a patient’s medical treatment plan has been shown to reduce stress and give the patient a way to participate in their recovery.”

From the administrative and support staff to the nurses and doctors, every FCS location is committed to positive patient outcomes.

What’s more, the remarkable integration of this statewide network enables FCS to offer services other oncology entities simply can’t.

Among them: • On-site specialty pharmacies for oral oncolytics • On-site radiation facilities • On-site pathology laboratories • Access to Phase 1 clinical trials in our Drug Development Unit • Opportunities to participate in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in many FCS locations These efficiencies not only assist in patient recovery, they also avail every patient to every service provided within the FCS network.

For instance, when FCS began partnering a decade ago with the Nashville, Tennessee-based Sarah Cannon Research Institute, it opened up a vast

FCS facilities feature cutting-edge technologies.

array of clinical-trial opportunities for patients.

Clinical trials offer patients access to new drugs not yet approved by the FDA in combination with standard, approved therapies. FCS has over 100 clinical trial options available for its patients.

groundbreaking clinical trials in an environment designed for healing right here in Pinellas County, so that patients no longer have to travel far from home to receive world-class cancer care.”

Over the years, countless FCS patients have benefited from earlier access to cutting-edge medications before they were approved by the FDA.

From the time Dr. Harwin founded his thenone-person practice to the current-day iteration of FCS, cancer treatment protocols — and, more importantly, outcomes — have become extraordinarily advanced.

Indeed, when FCS first expanded into Pinellas County in 2011, the practice was able to offer comprehensive services, including radiation oncology, to patients all under one roof in most locations. Today, FCS has eight convenient locations in Pinellas County, including communities such as St. Petersburg, Largo and Clearwater, to name a few.

Jose Alemar, MD, who is an executive board member of Florida Cancer Specialists, said, “Our goal is to provide our patients the latest breakthroughs and state-of-the-art technologies, combined with the highest quality of personalized care. Community oncology is experiencing a time of unprecedented advancements, as well as the development of many new and exciting services. It is very gratifying as a physician to be able to offer patients streamlined cancer care with

remArkAble AdvAnCes

Long gone, says Dr. Harwin, are the days of “bombing” patients with dosages of chemotherapy drugs in hopes in destroying malignant cells and tumors.

Rather, notes Dr. Harwin, “Because we understand the biology of cancer so much better now than we did then, we’ve been able to develop more effective, targeted medications that kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. What this means for our patients is that cancer is now a far more manageable disease — one that you live with, not die from.”

And now the vast medical resources and expertise of Florida Cancer Specialists are available at eight conveniently located facilities throughout Pinellas County. n

florIdA CAnCer speCIAlIsts - pInellAs County loCAtIons Axelrod - 400 Pinellas Street, Ste 300 Bardmoor - 8787 Bryan Dairy, Ste 210 Clearwater East - 1417 S. Belcher Road, Ste A Highland - 100 Highland Avenue

Mease - 3280 N. McMullen Booth Rd., Ste 200 Pasadena - 1615 Pasadena Avenue South, Ste 400 St. Anthony’s - 1201 5th Avenue North, Ste 505 St. Pete - 5767 49th Street North

for more information, visit flCancer.com Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 21

World Class Medicine.

Hometown Care.

Recognized nationally. tRusted locally.

Caring for patients in 16 Greater Tampa Bay Area communities Tampa Bay Area Physicians Jose Alemar, MD

Mamta T. Choksi, MD

Andrew E. Hano, DO

Edgar G. Miranda, MD

Ramesh K. Shah, MD

Rand W. Altemose, MD

Julia Cogburn, MD

Vu Tran Ho, MD

Magda Melchert, MD

Shalin R. Shah, DO

Jorge Ayub, MD

Michael Diaz, MD

Nuruddin Jooma, MD, MPH

Jeffrey L. Paonessa, MD

Ron D. Schiff, MD

Jennifer L. Ball, DO

Robert L. Drapkin, MD

Craig S. Kitchens, MD

Janelle Park, MD

Gerald H. Sokol, MD

Gregoire Bergier, MD

Matthew A. Fink, MD

Richard A. Knipe, MD

Y. K. Peter Park, MD

R. Waide Weaver, MD

Sawsan G. Bishay, MD

Gustavo Fonseca, MD

Julio Lautersztain, MD

Hitesh Patel, MD

David Wenk, MD

Rafael W. Blanco, MD

Sunil Gandhi, MD, FACP

Don D. Luong, MD

J. Andrew Peterson, MD

David D. Wright, MD

Kerry E. Chamberlain, DO

Larry Gandle, MD

Joseph R. Mace, MD

V. Upender Rao, MD, FACP

Gail Lynn Shaw Wright, MD

Hafeez T. Chatoor, MD

Christopher B. George, MD

Idelfia A. Marte, MD

Mark S. Robbins, MD

Egberto J. Zayas, MD

Marion T. Chirayath, MD

Vivian Griffin, MD

Arthur J. Matzkowitz, MD

Joseph Sennabaum, MD

Lane D. Ziegler, DO

855.550.LIFE (5433) Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 22

•

FLCancer.com

Make Your Salads Heart-Healthy With Avocados

A

vocados add creamy texture and exceptional flavor to your salads, burgers and favorite dishes while contributing nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to your diet. Avocados also are one of the few fruits that deliver “good” monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Nutritionists recommend substituting avocados for things like mayonnaise, butter and sour cream in traditional get-together dishes to improve their fat profile.

For more tips like these and delicious summertime recipes, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com.

California Avocado Macaroni Salad 3 c macaroni 3 ripe avocados, halved, peeled and seeded 1/2 c low-fat plain Greek yogurt 1/4 c fresh basil, packed 1/4 c fresh mint, packed 3 Tbsp olive oil 3 Tbsp lemon juice, divided 1 tsp lemon zest 1 small clove garlic Salt & pepper to taste 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 1 c fresh corn kernels

Directions: Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Cool completely.

To make dressing, place an avocado half in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the yogurt, basil, mint, olive oil, two-thirds of the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper and process until smooth and creamy.

Stir the dressing into the pasta. Meanwhile, cut the remaining avocados into 3/4 inch dice. Gently stir into the pasta with the tomatoes, corn and the remaining lemon juice. Season to taste, garnish.

Quinoa Avocado Salad 1/2 cup quinoa 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup more olive oil 3 avocados, cut in half and seeded 1/3 cup diced ripe tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes 1/3 cup peeled, seeded and sliced cucumber 1/4 cup orange segments 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions: Cook, rinse and drain quinoa according to directions. Cool. Combine garlic, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, vinegar and salt and let sit for 30 minute to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove the garlic and whisk in remaining olive oil. Combine dressing with remaining ingredients and toss well.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 23

The Perfect Fit Can Ease Your Pain

Don’t let pain stop you now.

Y

We call it the perfect fit. Our customers call it a life changer. Isn’t it time you consult a Foot Solutions fit expert?

Foot Solutions’ highly trained professionals, advanced technology, stylish comfort footwear and custom-fitted, custom-crafted arch supports have helped thousands of people live pain free. Consult a Foot Solutions fit expert today and start living your life to the fullest.

We can help you if you have foot, back or joint pain from foot related issues like: Plantar Fasciitis High/Low Arches Ball-of-Foot Pain Heel Spurs Hammertoes Bunions Diabetics Athletes

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our feet are the foundation and support for the rest of your body. It is vital that each foot be properly supported and held straight during all phases of each step you take.

“Body alignment starts with the feet,” explains Lauretta Fernandez, licensed certified pedorthist and owner of Foot Solutions. “Improper body alignment and posture can result in foot, knee, hip and back pain.

That’s why shoes that fit properly can help keep your feet healthy and provide the stability and comfort you need to do the things you enjoy.”

In addition to shoes, Custom Arch Supports provide the stability needed to keep the entire body balanced.

By supporting your arches and distributing your weight across the entire foot, they help you absorb pressure naturally—the way your feet were designed to—and provide a foundation for correct balance, helping reduce pain and discomfort.

“A properly fitted, comfortable shoe, combined with a custom arch support, can put your feet in balance and improve the alignment of the rest of your body,” concluded Fernandez. “So you can do the things you have to do—and the things you love to do—without worrying about pain.”

Foot Solutions’ stylish comfort footwear and custom-fitted, customcrafted arch supports have helped thousands of people live pain-free.

The staff at Foot Solutions is trained in foot pathology, problem analysis and correct fitting. They use their knowledge and advanced assessment technology to address each client’s particular foot shape and problems.

Then they provide each client with individualized solutions to help them step into the perfect fit.

Foot Solutions stores are in Largo (727-474-8299) and St. Petersburg (727-345-3668). For more info, please go to TampaBayFootSolutions.com.

State-Of-The-Art Vein Care D

r. Mackay Vein and Circulation Specialist is proud to announce the expansion of their practice with an additional location in Largo. The new office address is 2051 West Bay Dr., Largo, FL 33770; 727-581-8346.

Dr. Edward Mackay—who’s widely considered as one of the country’s leading vein specialists and boardcertified vascular surgeons—successfully treats vein abnormalities and venous diseases right here in the Tampa Bay area, with offices in Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg. The practice offers complimentary, educational leg vein screenings at any of the three locations.

Treatments Dr. Mackay specializes in state-ofthe-art vein treatment options including endovenous ablation with vascular Venefit™ (formerly known as VNUS Closure); endovenous laser therapy, or EVLT; microphlebectomy; and ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy.

“All treatments are minimally-invasive, Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 24

quick and less painful, and are performed in-office without the need for a hospital stay,” explains Dr. Mackay.

“By successfully performing these treatments, we’ve been able to help thousands of patients with venous disease.”

About Dr. Mackay In addition to being the first vein expert in Florida to perform the groundbreaking RF closure procedure in 1999 as well as the ClariVein® procedure in 2013, he was also the first in the Tampa Bay area to perform the innovative endovenous laser treatment for varicose veins. Dr. Mackay also serves as CoDirector of the International Vein Congress. He’s a world-renowned author, trainer and speaker for vein treatments.

Medicare and most health insurance policies cover these treatments. To schedule an appointment or complimentary leg screening, call Dr. Mackay Vein & Circulation Specialist today at (800)-527-VEIN (8346). For info on vein disease, visit www.DrMackay.com.

Speaking of Love, There’s a New Heartthrob in Town

BY SY ROSEN

E

very Sunday afternoon in my mom’s assisted living facility, an accordion player, Ramon, comes to entertain. He is fifty, good looking, Latin and is the heartthrob of the facility—and he definitely knows it.

He struts, he prances, he winks and the ladies all put on an extra dab of rouge when Ramon is there. Lately, however, Ramon seems bored and is just going through the motions like he would rather be somewhere else.

When he played his half-hearted version of “You Send Me,” he was really sending everyone to sleep.

Humor I was sitting next to my mom last week and I could see that half of the seniors were dozing but Ramon didn’t seem to care. He knew he was the only game in town.

And then the game changed! My daughter Ann arrived with her 8-month-old baby, Summer. Even at eight months she was making a fashion statement with her bow matching her outfit. Ann put my granddaughter Summer in my mom’s lap. And there they sat, both of them smiling away.

And then a strange thing happened.

All sixty gray heads in the lobby turned in unison to watch my granddaughter with her great grandmother.

Ramon was momentarily forgotten.

The heartthrob had been replaced.

So what could the accordion player do? Of course he stepped up his game to recapture the audience. Nobody was going to steal his thunder. He started to play faster and louder as he bounced around the room, desperately trying to get everyone’s attention.

He played “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “Great Balls of Fire.” Both songs were crowd pleasers and the seniors turned towards him, but then Summer giggled and the audience turned back to her. It was like the seniors were watching a championship ping pong match. Their heads turned right and left.

Ramon played his accordion faster and faster. He would crescendo and decrescendo. Everyone stared at him. Summer would answer with a coo and a gurgle and everyone would then stare at her.

Ramon’s fingers flew across the accordion. And then he did something he hadn’t done in years—a quadruple bellow shake.

In the space of one beat he hit a note four times. It was breathtaking and everyone watched him. Summer then made a sound, “boeleebboobbaa” and everyone turned towards her.

Finally Ramon decided it was time to stop fooling around and establish his superiority. He had to squash Summer and once again become the King of Assisted Living. And he tried to do it by playing “Bolero.” That’s right, he was going for the tango!

He didn’t just play “Bolero.” He also grabbed one of the ladies from her seat and somehow danced with her while keeping his accordion at full blast.

Everyone watched. And then Summer did something miraculous. She yelped, “Whoooo, whooooo” and wiggled her body as though she were dancing.

Game. Set. Match. Summer had defeated Ramon. She had clearly become the Queen of Assisted Living.

Ramon had no choice but to acknowledge her superiority and decided, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

He danced over to Summer while playing “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby.” All eyes were now on Summer and Ramon. But really, they were just looking at Summer. All hail the Queen.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 25

Take Time to ICE Your Phone S

ince life is uncertain, be sure you ICE your cell phone.

That means you load emergency contacts in your phone with the word ICE in front of the emergency contacts’ names. That’s so when someone finds a senior in trouble they know who to call In Case of Emergency.

If you can’t do it yourself, find a neighbor, someone at your library or senior center. Emergency workers know to open a cell phone and look for ICE phone numbers by simply pressing the letter ‘I’.

How to ICE a Phone:

• Under ‘I’ in the cell phone contact list, load the In Case of Emergency contact names, beginning with the word ICE (ie: ICE Heather).

• Make sure the emergency contact(s) agree to be an ICE partner.

• Include every phone number (home/ cell/work) of the ICE partner.

• ICE partners should know the seniors’ medical conditions, doctors’ names and medications they’re taking.

Do it now and encourage your friends and family members to ICE their cell phones.

Crooners Take The Stage

6

16

12

The Temptations and The Four Tops sing 50 years of hits. 8 pm at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Tickets: $45 to $89. 727-791-7400.

Johnny Mathis sings, 7:30 pm at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. Tickets: $49 - $95. 727-791-7400.

185A Oakdale Road, Toronto ON M3N 1W4 Toll Free: 1-888-236-7686 Office: 416-638-0001 www.snowbirdsautoconnection.com

Living legend Tony Bennett will perform live with special guest Antonia Bennett. 7:30 pm at Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. Tickets: $65 - $150. 727-892-7832.

Bobby Vinton sings, 7:30 pm at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Tickets: $30 - $60.

For more info, call 727-791-7400.

21 27

Art Garfunkel, 7:30 pm at Capitol Theatre, Clearwater. Audience Q&A following. Price: $39.50 - $75. 727-791-7400.

Visit Yosemite at 150

Y

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 26

osemite and its surrounding gateway communities are celebrating 150 years as a national park this year. Historians, artists, photographers, rangers, naturalists and just plain citizens will participate in many special events from now through September. Visit the iconic park and share the lure and lore of Yosemite this year. Information at nps.gov/yose/anniversary.

BRIDGE BITES

From The American Contract Bridge League

BY BRIAN GUNNELL

T

his month’s deal features the Scissors Coup, so-called because it cuts communications between the two defenders.

East’s 4♦ was preemptive, showing long Diamonds and not much else.

As West, what’s your opening lead?

It would be reasonable to lead ♣K, attempting to set up a Club trick while you still have the ♠A entry.

That doesn’t work on the actual deal because of Declarer’s Club singleton.

A more promising plan might be to lead the singleton Heart, later

The Scissors Coup

winning the ♠A, then underleading the ♦A to East’s hoped-for ♦K, and getting a Heart ruff for down one. As you can see, that plan is the winner.

Well, not quite, because there is a clever counter-measure. How can Declarer deprive West of his ruff?

Enter the Scissors Coup. Declarer wins the Heart lead in Dummy, and before touching trumps she cashes ♣A and leads another Club, pitching a Diamond when East plays low.

By this maneuver Declarer trades a Diamond loser for a Club loser, in the process thwarting West in his plan to reach East with the ♦K. Now, with the defensive communications snipped, Declarer loses only the ♠A and a Club (but there is no Diamond loser and no Heart ruff).

Post Script: As West you no doubt found that well-thought-out Heart opening lead. Then as Declarer you made a clever play to bring home the 5♠ contract.

Next, imagine that you hold the East cards, but with the ♣6 replaced by the ♣J. Now, after Dummy’s ♣A has been cashed, when a second Club is played, we are quite confident that you would alertly hop up with that ♣J, foiling the Scissors Coup. Nice play!

Visit acbl.org for more about the fascinating game of bridge or email marketing@acbl.org. To find a bridge club in Florida, go to district9acbl. org/D9Clubsmap.htm. Bridge article provided courtesy of St. Petersburg Bridge Club: www.stpetebridge.org.

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Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 27

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e-mail: Russell.Elvis@yahoo.com • website: www.russellelvis.com Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 28

SHARE and Save on Area Attractions H ere’s a great deal!

We have all the wonderful museums and attractions in the area and now there’s a way to save money on entrance fees during 2014. The Armed Forces History Museum in Largo offers the SHARE program with memberships starting at just $35. That includes free admission to the museum for one full year, as well as numerous other amenities and discounts there for the year and discounts at 24 other area locations.

Other participating museums with discounts of from $1 to $4 include: • American Victory Ship Mariners Museum • Bok Tower Gardens • Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens • Crowley Museum and Nature Center • Dinosaur World • Dunedin Fine Arts Center

• Dunedin Historical Museum • Florida Holocaust Museum • Florida Railroad Museum • Glazer Children’s Museum • Henry B. Plant Museum • Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art • MOSI • National Armed Services & Law Enforcement Memorial Museum • Pinellas County African American History Museum • Polk Museum of Art • St. Petersburg Museum of History • South Florida Museum • Sunken Gardens • Tampa Bay History Center • Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum & 1883 Safford House Museum • Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Florida Aquarium – 50 percent off admission with SHARE membership.

To become a member, complete an application at the museum or visit armedforcesmuseum.com.

Bring Hollywood Giants To Your Dinner Table

I

f you wouldn’t miss seeing the stars February 24 during ‘The Oscars,’ you’ll love Frank DeCaro’s book, The Dead Celebrity Cookbook: A Resurrection of Recipes from More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen. The author spent years collecting the favorite recipes of past Hollywood icons.

He took the time to create hilarious names for the recipes. Each one is laced with uproarious commentary that brings a whole new dimension to cooking!

Frank has treats from Tinsel Town’s Rock Hudson, Mae West, John Ritter, Bea Arthur and Liberace. Look for Lucille Ball, Liz Taylor, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Bogart.

“I miss those days when celebrities still had mystery about them, and a glimpse inside their radar ranges seemed, for any fan, like a window into the world of glamour and excitement, which is why I put together this book,” says Frank. DeCaro is the former movie critic for The Daily Show.

The Dead Celebrity Cookbook reminds us that before there were celebrity chefs there were celebrities who fancied themselves as chefs! For anyone who loves Hollywood memorabilia, is an entertainment junkie and loves to eat and cook—they will “relish” Frank’s great cookbook.

For more information, please go to: www.deadcelebritycookbook.com.

And now...

HEEEERE’S JoHnny! ny!

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Plus, you’ll laugh all over again at some of the all-time greatest stand-up comedians including Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, Roseanne Barr, Robin Williams, Ray Romano, Eddie Murphy, and Drew Carey, many of whom made their first national television appearance on The Tonight Show.

Enjoy rare bonus features including a trip home with Johnny to his native Nebraska, a classic Johnny Carson special before he took over The Tonight Show, and a special look behind the scenes of The Tonight Show.

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• Three Decades of Timeless Entertainment • The Final Two Episodes • Hilarious Stand-Up Comedy • Animal Hijinks • PBS American Masters Special Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 29

The Florida Orchestra: A Valentine’s Day Pops and More

BY HENRY ADAMS

C

The Florida Orchestr a T Tampa, St. Pete & Clearwater

Raymond James Pops

An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein Feb 14-16

Tampa Bay Times Masterworks

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Feb 21-23

Special Concert

Charlie Chaplin: The Gold Rush

oncertgoers can enjoy complimentary coffee and doughnuts at The Florida Orchestra’s next morning Coffee Concerts with James Feddeck conducting a program titled “Something Old, Something New.” This program showcases how composers have revisited earlier musical themes, “updating” them to their times. The program includes highlights of works

by Vivaldi, Piazzola, Bach, Grieg, Haydn, Brahms and others on Feb 12 at 10 am, Ruth Eckerd Hall and Feb. 13, 11 am, Mahaffey Theater.

At the next Raymond James Pops concerts, “An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein,” it’s a Valentine’s Day weekend of best-loved songs from Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music and State Fair. Featuring Broadway vocalists Sandra Joseph and Ron Bohmer with the Master

This Month At Hale Senior Center F W 8 T 10 W

Feb 28 & Mar 1

or fun classes, exercise, concerts and movies, check out what’s going on this month at Hale Senior Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave., Dunedin.

To learn more, call 727-298-3299.

Raymond James Pops

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

uesdays and Thursdays Tai Chi, 9:30 – 11 am. $4.

Mar 7-9

eds. Gulf Coast Community Services free professional

Tickets Start at $15

Ballroom Dance ake a pre-dance lesson before hitting the 5,600-square-foot dance floor for open ballroom dancing at Largo Community Center, February 6, 13, 20 or 27 at 6:45 pm.

Price: $8. Call 727-518-3131 for info.

T

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 30 TFO-Lifestyles-February.indd 1

Counseling. 9:30 – 12:30 pm. To make an appointment, call 727-479-1826.

eds. Movie Series. $2 includes screening, popcorn and drink. 3 pm.

International Chorale presents “Love Makes the World Go Round.” 3 pm. $5.

and 17 Digital Photography for Beginners. 9 – 11am. $20.

Just Dance!

727.892.3337 or 1.800.662.7286 www.FloridaOrchestra.org

© Wolfgang Gonaus

Chorale of Tampa Bay, Stuart Malina conducts on Feb. 14, 15 and 16 in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

American pianist Andrew von Oeyen performs Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini at the next Tampa Bay Times Masterworks concert in a program that includes Michael Daugherty’s salute to Superman with his Red Cape Tango and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. Daniel Hege conducts these concerts at the Mahaffey Theater, Feb. 21 at 11 am; Feb. 22 at 8 pm; Feb. 23 at 7:30 pm. at Ruth Eckerd Hall.

Silent film fans can enjoy the comic antics of Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp in The Gold Rush. The Florida Orchestra performs the “live soundtrack” to accompany the film, on Feb. 28 at the Tampa Theatre in Tampa and on March 1 at The Palladium in St. Petersburg. Both at 8 pm.

For tickets, and information, call 727-892-3337 or 1-800-662-7286 or visit www.floridaorchestra.org.

© Christian Steiner 1/9/2014 9:44:58 AM

Big Band Ballroom Dance Move your feet with a tribute to Harry James and the Andrews Sisters

at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, Feb. 15 from 7 pm to 10 pm. $23; bring your own drinks and snacks if desired. Tickets: 727-892-5202.

Bay Area Singles Dance Dress to impress and meet up to 150 other singles of all ages.

Couples welcome. Feb. 9, 16 and 23 at 6 pm, Largo Community Center.

Price: $8. Phone: 727-518-3131.

The Best of Europe :

BY CHUCK AND DENA BINGHAM

A

hoy, Mates! It’s time to put a European river cruise on your Bucket List. I’m talking about the Legendary Blue Danube River Cruise by Mayflower Tours.

The only thing a mega ship/mega crowd Caribbean cruise has in common with the Legendary Danube River Cruise is, frankly, the word “Cruise.”

We recently took the Danube River cruise as a celebration event with my brother and his wife. He was turning 70 and the two of them were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

My wife Dena and I worked with Colette Florido of Mayflower Tours to coordinate the tour beginning the cruise in Budapest, Hungary.

Travel Did you know that Buda and Pest are actually two cities that lie on opposite sides of the Danube River and together form the city known as Budapest?

Our first afternoon in Budapest we took a guided tour of the city’s 20 centuries of history. We spent the next day in Budapest strolling on our own.

This city is clean, vibrant and alive with energy, having thrown off the shackles of Communism in 1956.

We shopped local stores for handembroidered table linens and a handsome beer stein. In the evening we were greeted by the captain as we boarded our ship, the MS Bolero. The 100-stateroom ship holds 850 cruisers and crew on its four decks.

A river cruise is all about relaxing and enjoying the scenery and magnificent architecture of 2,000 years of history as the ship travels past Baroque churches, cathedrals, hillsides covered with vineyards and forests and old castles and medieval towns.

Up a Lazy River on a Land Tour and River Cruise

The MS “Bolero,” our home for the Danube River cruise.

The ship’s accommodations were impeccable and our tour package included three meals a day on board. Meals were tailored to each day’s region with unlimited beer and regional wine served at dinner. English speaking guided tours were available at almost every port of call.

900 pupils attend the centuries-old Melk Abbey.

The cruise passes through the confluence of three rivers in Passau, Germany.

Our first port call was Bratislava, Slovakia. Again, we were in a beautiful city, rich in history and culture. If you cross one of the several bridges over the Danube, you are in Austria. Six miles downriver and you are back in Hungary. In fact, Bratislava was the capital of Hungary for more than 300 years. We enjoyed little cafés and large pedestrian-only shopping plazas tailored to meet every budget. Coming aboard that evening, a quintet of local young women musicians serenaded us.

The next day’s port call was the culturally and historically rich city of Vienna.

However, it is arguably best known for the famous composers who were, at one time or another, citizens of the city—Strauss, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and others. During the day we toured Schonnbrunn Palace and at night we enjoyed a private concert of Strauss and Mozart compositions performed by a 20-piece orchestra.

Street performers in Linz, Austria, added to the charm of the city.

The 1,000-year-old Bratislava Castle is a National Cultural Monument.

The Danube meandered through the picturesque Wachau valley and on day five, we stopped in the tiny village of Durnstein, Austria. Look up “quaint” in the dictionary; you’ll see a picture of this beautiful hillside hamlet.

Later that day we toured the monasteryfortress Melk Abbey. Founded in the 11th century, its current construction dates back to 1702. It still functions as a Benedictine Abbey with over 900 pupils.

Farther upstream, on day six, we docked at the city of Linz, Austria.

This dynamic city is the third largest in Austria and boasts a significant heritage. Street performers and outdoor cafes in the city’s Hauptplatz (Main Square) added charm to our day.

After sailing northwest, our next stop was Passau, Germany, which is at the confluence of three rivers, making it a major gateway to Austria and beyond.

A trip to the mountaintop monastery overlooking the town was a must-see.

We downed locally brewed beer and ate hearty sandwiches while enjoying the dramatic view of the city below.

That evening we said farewell to our captain and crew and joined a motorcoach tour to Prague, Czech Republic, for an afternoon tour of the city. Beautiful architecture, castles and cathedrals dominate the cityscape. At night the city comes alive with sidewalk cafés, street musicians and shopping until late in the evening.

Our final day in Prague was spent window shopping along an endless array of high-end establishments and restaurants. It was there that I pried my wallet out of its resting place in my back pocket; Dena has the most gorgeous garnet and silver earrings, necklace and bracelet to match—a fitting way of remembering this vacation of a lifetime.

Put the Legendary Blue Danube River Cruise from Mayflower Tours on your Bucket List. Visit Mayflower Tours at MayflowerTours.com.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 31

Word Search February

In the grid below, twenty answers can be found that fit the category for today. Circle each answer that you find and list it in the space provided at the right of the grid. Answers can be found in all directions – forwards, backwards, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. An example is given to get you started. Can you find the twenty answers in this puzzle?

Word Search Answers From January

Send your answers along with your name, address and telephone number to: News CoNNeCtioN UsA, iNC. P.o. BoX 638, seFFNeR, FL 33583

The first correct answers selected from the drawing on February 21 will win.

Mystery Prize!

WIN! WIN! WIN! GREAT PRIZES!

Mystery Prize!

(Puzzles must be received by Feb. 21, 2014.)

The Florida State Fair— As American as It Gets!

Last Month’s Answers

January Sudoku

T

Oona Stephens is last month’s winner!

Congratulations!

Win Great Prizes!

New winner selected each month

Ms. Berkana is last month’s winner!

Congratulations!

Good Luck!

Feb. Sudoku

Sudoku requires no arithmetic skills.The object of the game is to fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers. Each row and each column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Each 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9 as well. Good luck! The first correct answers selected from the drawing on Feb. 21 will win.

Send your answers along with your name, address and telephone number to: NEWS CONNECTION USA, INC. P.O. BOX 638, SEFFNER, FL 33583

WIN! WIN! WIN! GREAT PRIZES!

Sudoku muST bE REcEIvEd by FEb. 21, 2014

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 32

he Florida State Fair returns to the Fairgrounds in Tampa February 6 – 17, 2014!

Senior Days – February 10, 11, 12, 13, offering special senior seminars; tickets are $9 at the gate.

General gate admission is: Mon. – Fri. $11; Sat. – Sun. $13. Children 5 and under are free.

Now, Think FREE!

You’ll find hundreds of things to do and see free at the State Fair.

And, there’s free parking with the cost of Fair admission.

On Heroes Day – February 6 – all active, reserve or retired military veterans, law enforcement, firemen and first responders are admitted free

with valid identification.

Taste of the Fair – February 10, Fair visitors can enjoy small samples of Fair foods from participating vendors.

Free Concerts

Feb. 6, America 7 pm Feb. 13, Sister Hazel 7 pm Feb. 17, 17 Uncle Kracker 7 pm NOCKAIR F.M.X. Extreme Motor Cross Show by Nock Entertainment Group (free).

More info at floridastatefair.com or call 800-345-FAIR(3247).

Senior Talent Show 2014: Pinellas February 12, 2014 – 7:00 p.m.

Largo Cultural Center (LCC) 105 Central Park Drive Largo, FL 33779 Tickets: $8.00 individual and $7.50 groups of 10 or more

Senior Talent Show 2014: Hillsborough February 15, 2014 – 3:00 p.m.

Spoto High School 8538 Eagle Palm Drive Riverview, FL 33578 Tickets - $6.00

Senior Talent Show 2014: Pasco/Polk/Hernando/Citrus February 15, 2014 – 2:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts River Ridge High School 11646 Town Center Road New Port Richey, FL 34654 Tickets - $6.00

SENIOR IDOL SHOW – APRIL 22, 2014 – 7:00 p.m.

Ruth Eckerd Hall 1111 McMullen Booth Road • Clearwater, FL 33759 727-791-7400 Tickets $7

For Information call: Pinellas: 727-329-2618 – Susan Juhl and Nicole Woodring Hillsborough: 813-436-2296/813-436-2114 – Andrea White and Chrissy Crumpton Pasco/Polk/Hernando/Citrus Show: 727-326-1255 – Vicki Chansler

A F T E R 50

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 33

Splat Marks the Spot at Nickelodeon Suites Resort Nick Hotel is a Great Spot for Grandparents and Grandkids to Connect

F

or the grandkids, Nickelodeon Suites Resort, the world’s only Nick Hotel, is the place for a family vacation. From sliding down one of 13 water slides and flumes to engaging in interactive shows, families connect through the Nickelodeon experience.

Every day is a play day at this action-packed destination.

Nick Hotel offers endless activities to entertain the entire Kathy Beck, publisher of Lifestyles After 50 family. The 4-D Experience magazine, and hubby offers a variety of shows for Bill spent a weekend all ages and allows viewers with grandkids to enjoy a sensory overload Nicholas and Christa. of wind, water, bubbles, They gave Nick Hotel scents and slime while At the Lagoon Pool, a thumbs up! journeying along with the families get soaked likes of SpongeBob SquarePants and by a 400-gallon bucket of slime at Patrick Starfish, all in the comfort the daily mass sliming. Families also of a state-of-the-art theater. enjoy poolside games and crafts, live

Nickelodeon entertainment and themed parties. Private Cabanas offer a tranquil and secluded oasis with a well-stocked mini fridge, cozy lounge chairs and personal poolside service.

At the Kid’s Spa, girls are pampered with manicures, pedicures and hair wraps, and boys are inked with temporary tattoos. The 3,000-square-foot arcade offers the latest electronic games and prizes.

There’s also family-friendly competition at poolside billiards, mini golf and multi-level basketball.

EAT: It’s in character—there’s something for ALL KIDS (no matter how young or old). From fruits and vegetables to fresh seafood and classic kids’ favorites, every appetite is

satisfied at a variety of hotel restaurant outlets. Nicktoons Café offers a popular Character Breakfast that invites families to dine on a bountiful buffet while singing and dancing with the ultimate Nickelodeon characters. Families can also hang out and order room service or stock up on snacks in their mini kitchen.

Families look forward to a “suite” experience with kid-inspired rooms and private master bedrooms. The resort has 777 suites featuring popular two-bedroom Nickelodeon-themed KidSuites. Each family suite contains a parlor area with a 32-inch LCD flat screen television, pullout sofa and game table, and an adult bedroom with a king or queen-sized bed. Kids’ rooms feature twin or bunk beds and a 20-inch television. One- and three- bedroom suites are also available with a full kitchen.

For more information about the Nick Hotel, visit www.nickhotel.com or call (877) NICKKID.

Increase Balance, Confidence While Biking

BY BASSEL MOUKADDEM, EZ Trainer Enterprises, Inc.

P

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540 Second Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 34

oor balance performance increases with aging. More than half of people 62 years and older have a fear of falling. Such fear makes it harder to maintain vitality through physical activities since many people decide to stop their favorite sports.

The cycling industry faces this reality.

With age, a large number of cyclists avoid riding, fearing they might fall.

Some will turn to alternative solutions like the use of a tricycle. Others will select rigid side wheels restraining the possibility to lean when riding.

The real cycling experience is lost and so is the pleasure, leading to lack of motivation and high drop-out rates.

The Adult Stabilizer Wheels designed

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• What a great product! At Bike-On. com we cater to adults and children who have limited abilities. We have found the Stabilizer Wheels to be a perfect fit for our customers who have some balance limitations. The Stability Wheels provide just the right amount of balance assist which makes for a confident cyclist—a great product! —Scott from Bike-On • These training wheels help the rider to gain confidence back. Very innovative way to retrofit your bike without spending a fortune on a trike bike. —Patrick from Lambert

Love Is In The Air On g n i d d e W Muriel’s ht g i N t s a About L ry o t S e d i West S y m A g n i s Cha ey n o M k l i M

MOR-TV.COM FREE MOVIES 24 HOURS A DAY Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 35

Seniors Getting Together attention SgTers!

Screen respondents carefully. Always meet in public places and have your own transportation. Don’t divulge your home address. Be sure to provide a way for your correspondent to respond to you – phone number, e-mail address or Post Office Box address. Contact the authorities if you feel threatened or harassed by an individual. Be patient and careful – a good relationship and your personal safety are worth the wait!

Women Seeking men 4119 Seeking chriSTian genTLeman Former airline stewardess and model, 5’4”, 104 lbs., widow, slender, white with Ph.D. in healthcare. Fulbright scholar, eats healthy and exercises. Likes sports and animals. Loves the Lord. Florida.

4349 LeT’S make muSic TogeTher Petite JW from

NY searching for NS/ND gentleman for LTR. 5’5” – 5’8”.

HWP 70 – 76, dinner, movies, the arts, travel, etc. Seminole.

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Send your ad, stating what category you would like it placed in, your edition(s), along with a $6 fee for 30 words (25¢ for each additional word, abbreviations not charged) to the News Connection USA, Inc. address listed above. Ads received by the 15th of the month will appear in the following issue. No more than three ads will be accepted each month per person. The editor reserves the right to edit any ads for space or content. In order to protect our readers’ privacy, we will not include phone numbers, e-mail or home addresses in the ad copy. City or area included at no charge.

Weight Proportional, R-Retired, P-Professional, FF-Friendship First, TLC-Tender Loving Care.

To reSponD To an aD

Write a letter to the person you want to contact. Place that letter in a stamped envelope and write the ad number on the bottom left hand side of the envelope. Place your stamped, numbered envelope(s), along with $2 for each letter enclosed, into another envelope and address it to: News Connection USA, Inc. Seniors Getting Together P.O. Box 638,Seffner, FL 33584

Pinch A Penny Spa Store Seminole City (No Charge):

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If more room is needed, please use separate sheet. Mail this form along with $6 for each ad per month (add $4 for each additional edition/market in the same month).

We cannot accept your ad without it. This information is confidential.

Name: Address: City: Phone:

State: E-mail:

Zip:

MAIL TO: ATTN. / SENIORS GETTING TOGETHER, NEWS CONNECTION, USA, INC. • P.O. BOX 638., SEFFNER, FL 33583

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 36

Seminole 9686 Seminole Blvd • 727-397-6817 Lic# CPC1457336

Visit our website at www.pinchapenny.com/local/seminole

Last Month’s Answers

Enter

Last Month’s to Win! Winner Is Larry Thaxton Congratulations!

illions of Americans visit online dating websites every year, hoping to find a companion or even a soulmate. The FBI wants to warn you that criminals use these sites, too, looking to turn the lonely and vulnerable into fast money through a variety of scams.

These criminals—who also troll social media sites and chat rooms in search of romantic victims— usually claim to be Americans traveling or working abroad. In reality, they often live overseas.

Their most common targets are women over 40 who are divorced, widowed and/or disabled, but every age group and demographic is at risk.

This month’s winner is

Myron L. Guisewite Congratulations !!!

Last Month’s Answers

Retirement Living

FILL IN ANSWERS & WIN MONEY!

Send your answers for a drawing. First correct answers selected from the drawing on Feb. 19 will receive $20 cash!

Send to: News Connection USA, Inc., P.O. Box 638, Seffner, FL 33583

I want information on: Travel / Cruises Recreation / Leisure Entertainment / Events

Insurance Elder Law / Financial Housing Options Reverse Mortgages

Personal Health & Fitness Home Improvements Automobiles

Name Address City

Age

Phone

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BY DARRELL FOXWORTH, FBI San Diego

M

Enter To Win!

Looking for Love? Beware of Online Dating Scams, Says FBI

Sun

FILL IN ANSWERS & WIN MONEY!

Send your answers for a drawing. First correct answers selected from the drawing on June 19th will receive $20 cash! Send to: Mature Lifestyles, 220 W. Brandon Blvd., Suite 203, Brandon, FL 33511

Here’s how the scam usually works.

You’re contacted online by someone who appears interested in you. He or she may have a profile you can read or a picture that is e-mailed to you. For weeks, even months, you may chat back and forth with one another, forming a connection. You may even be sent flowers or other gifts. But ultimately, it’s going to happen—your new-found “friend” is going to ask you for money.

So you send money…but rest assured the requests won’t stop there. There will be more hardships that only you can help alleviate with your financial gifts. He may also send you checks to cash since he’s out of the country and can’t cash them himself, or he may ask you to forward him a package.

So what really happened? You were targeted by criminals, probably based on personal information you uploaded on dating or social media sites. The pictures you were sent were most likely phony and lifted from other websites. The profiles were fake as well, carefully crafted to match your interests.

In addition to losing your money to someone who had no intention of ever visiting you, you may also have unknowingly taken part in a money laundering scheme by cashing phony checks and sending the money overseas and by shipping stolen merchandise (the forwarded package).

In another recently reported dating extortion scam, victims usually met someone on an online dating site and then were asked to move the conversation to a particular social networking site, where the talk often turned intimate. Victims were later sent a link to a website where those conversations were posted, along with photos, their phone numbers, and claims that they were “cheaters.” In order to have that information removed, victims were told they could make a $99 payment— but there is no indication that the other side of the bargain was upheld.

While the FBI and other federal partners work some of these cases (in particular those with a large number of victims or large dollar losses and/or those involving organized criminal groups) many are investigated by local and state authorities. We strongly recommend, however, that if you think you’ve been victimized by a dating scam or any other online scam, file a complaint with our Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).

Before forwarding the complaints to the appropriate agencies, IC3 collates and analyzes the data looking for common threads that could link complaints together and help identify the culprits.

This helps keep everyone safe.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 37

Technology Simplified – Bigger and BeTTer

Wow! The Computer Designed for You, Not Your Grandchildren!

Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in!

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Have you ever said to yourself “I’d love to get a computer, if only I could figure out how to use it.” Well, you’re not alone. Computers were supposed to make our lives simpler, but they’ve gotten so complicated that they are not worth the trouble. With all of the “pointing and clicking” and “dragging and dropping” you’re lucky if you can figure out where you are. Plus, you are constantly worrying about viruses and freeze-ups. If this sounds familiar, we have great news for you. There is finally a computer that’s designed for simplicity and ease of use. It’s the WOW Computer, and it was designed with you in mind. This computer is easy-to-use, worry-free and literally puts the world at your fingertips.

Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 38

From the moment you open the box, you’ll realize how different the WOW Computer is. The components are all connected; all you do is plug it into an outlet and your high-speed Internet connection. Then you’ll see the screen – it’s now 22 inches. This is a completely new touch screen system, without the cluttered look of the normal computer screen. The “buttons” on the screen are easy to see and easy to understand. All you do is touch one of them, from the Web, Email, Calendar to Games– you name it… and a new screen opens up. It’s so easy to use you won’t have to ask your children or grandchildren for help. Until now the very people who could benefit most from Email and the Internet are the ones that have had the hardest time accessing it. Now, thanks to the WOW Computer, countless older Americans are discovering the wonderful world of the Internet every day. Isn’t it time you took part?

Call now, and a patient, knowledgeable product expert will tell you how you can try it in your

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• Send & Receive Emails • Have video chats with family and friends • Surf the Internet: Get current weather and news • Play games on line: Hundreds to choose from!

Call now and find out how you can get the new WOW! Computer.

Mention promotional code 51413 for special introductory pricing.

1-877-759-6002 © 2014 by firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

80756

“I love this computer! It is easy to read and to use! I get photo updates from my children and grandchildren all the time.”

– Janet F.

Money-saving Tips for Today

I

t’s easy to get careless and spend more money than we need to.

We think we’re hungry so we drive through a fast-food place. We’re in a hurry so we don’t think about how many paper towels we use to clean up a mess. Here are some money-saving tips from various online sites: 1. Bottled water is expensive. Take your own water to the gym/sports, outings of all kinds.

2. Eat less! You’ll get used to it and will start slimming down substantially.

Finance 3. Make your coffee/ tea at home and take it with you.

4. Develop a hobby and save money on “going out” for leisure activities. Or maybe figure out a way to make extra money doing what you love to do. Instead of playing golf for exercise, go for walks and hikes in interesting places.

5. Don’t buy candy. A bag of chocolate chips is much cheaper than a bag of chocolate candies. And instant pudding is easy to make and much cheaper than prepackaged.

6. Put yourself in a “Use It Up” mode for lotion, shampoo, cosmetics and cleaning items. Search your cabinets.

7. Find free or inexpensive social groups such as clubs, church, senior centers, etc.

8

Healthcare Act Meeting. 10 am at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2001 Rainbow Drive, Clearwater, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of North Pinellas County. 727-559-7498.

If you’ve ever had Chicken Pox, ask your Walgreens Pharmacist about the Zostavax vaccine recommended for those 50 years and older to help prevent shingles.

Our Pharmacies Offer Services and Programs that Save You Time and Money! Inquire About:

8. Use up what’s in the pantry or freezer before buying another BOGO deal.

9. Two words to remember when buying something online: Promotion Code. (Google the name of the vendor you’re buying from and add in the phrase “Promotion Code.” For example Google “Famous Footwear Promotion code” Even when you buy on sale, you can almost always find a promotion code that will take an additional 10 – 25 percent off or free shipping or both.

10. Only wash with cold water.

Remember that the detergent does the cleaning, not the temperature of the water. Exception: To kill dust mites you need a high temperature.

Otherwise you just give the critters a bath and put them back on your bed!

Healthcare Questions Answered 10 D

o you have questions about the Affordable Healthcare Act, how it affects you and how you can enroll?

Professional Affordable Care Navigators can help at these free meetings:

Walgreens now offers the Zostavax vaccine for shingles at all of its locations!

and 13 Navigators will present Healthcare.gov options and benefits available to those who do not have health insurance, who are underinsured or who are not old enough for Medicare. Presentation followed by a general Q&A session. Feb. 10 at 6:30 pm at the James Weldon Johnson Community Library. Feb. 13 at 2 pm at the South Community Library, Pinellas. Info: 727-893-7928.

• • • • •

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Happy

Valentine’s Day! From all of us at Feb. 14 Lifestyles After 50 Lifestyles After 50 • February 2014 • page 39

Canadians in Florida can find a TD Bank as easy as they can find a beach.

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No-fee wire transfers of up to $100,000 daily between your Canadian and U.S. based TD accounts over the phone.1

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View your Canadian and U.S. based TD accounts on the same webpage or mobile device.

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Pay your U.S. bills online or on your mobile device.

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Use your Canadian and U.S. assets,2 income and credit history to apply for a U.S. mortgage3 or a U.S. credit card.4

To open an account, visit a TD Bank Store near you or call 1-877-700-2913 anytime.5 TD Bank is TD Bank, N.A., a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. Member FDIC. Accounts issued by TD Bank, N.A. are not insured by Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation. 1 Money transferred by wire transfer only. Incoming wire fees may apply and will be rebated the next business day. Foreign exchange conversion rates may apply. 2 Assets are only considered for mortgage applications. 3 Subject to credit approval and other conditions. Mortgages limited to property located in U.S. state where TD Bank, N.A. has locations. Equal Housing Lender . 4 Credit cards issued by TD Canada Trust or TD Bank, N.A. Subject to credit approval. Applicants for a TD Bank, N.A. issued card must have a U.S. address within the TD Bank, NA footprint (PA, NY, NJ, CT, NH, ME, MA, FL, VT, DE, MD, DC, NC, SC, VA or RI). Other restrictions apply. 5 TD Bank, N.A. is located in the United States and its support line, Stores, products and services are primarily serviced in English. ® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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