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June 2015

Vol. 12 No. 6

Shall We Dance? Octogenarian Passes ’50s-Era Dance to New Generation of Swing Enthusiasts By Jason Tabor Ivan Kerns turned 83 last September, but he hasn’t let that keep him off the dance floor. “If you want to stay young, hang out with young people and others who think young,” he says. Kerns is the president of the Central Pennsylvania Swing Dance Club, a volunteer-run organization comprising swing dance enthusiasts. He’s not just the president, however. He’s also an instructor. Swing dancing is the energetic form of dance named after the “swing” style of jazz music made popular in America in the 1920s to 1950s. It is associated with dancers lifting, spinning, or flipping their partners into the air in time to the music. Kerns has been dancing for most of his life. A congenital heart condition sidelined him from sports during high school, and that’s when he got involved in dancing “to have something to do” that was physically active but wouldn’t pose a risk to his health. As a result of his heart condition, Kerns underwent a new, radical openheart surgical technique in 1950 to fix the problem. His doctors informed him he was one of the first 10 people to undergo this revolutionary procedure. “I do believe that I am a world’s record, which I cannot prove—but think I am the world’s longest surviving open-heart surgery patient,” says Kerns. “Sixty-five years later, still here and kicking.” After graduating from high school, he accepted an offer from Arthur please see DANCE page 12

Photo credit: Jason Tabor

Dance instructor Ivan Kerns doing the East Coast Swing with one of his students.

Inside:

Getting Around When You No Longer Drive page 4

What to Buy — Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet? page 10

Salute to a Veteran

The Seabees Moved Liquor in Pontoons, Beer in Wooden Crates Robert D. Wilcox rand-new Navy Ensign Myron (Mike) Geller landed on the Philippine island of Samar in June 1945. If he had been there only a few months earlier, he would have found himself in the middle of an enormous battle, since Samar was smack in the center of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history. Historians also call it one of the greatest military mismatches in naval history. Admiral Halsey had been lured into taking his powerful 3rd Fleet after a decoy fleet, leaving only three escort carrier groups of the 7th Fleet and their destroyers, which had been repurposed to attack ground targets and thus had few of the torpedoes they would normally carry. The northernmost of the three groups, Task Unit 77.4.3 (“Taffy 3”) found itself facing a large force of Japanese battleships and cruisers. Although Taffy 3 destroyers had neither the firepower nor armor to do so, they attacked the huge Japanese fleet in order to permit the safe retreat of their slow “Jeep” carriers. Planes from those carriers then strafed, bombed, torpedoed, rocketed, and depth-charged the Japanese forces, sinking or disabling three cruisers and causing the Japanese force to turn tail and fail to take part in the further battle in Leyte Gulf. That was then. But now Geller was assigned to the 29th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees). And he found himself on Samar, facing a huge

collection of all 1,000 Japanese kinds of equipment merchant and used by Seabees: warships moored bulldozers, trucks, there awaiting cranes, drag-lines, further deployment. etc. However, our As cargo officer, submarines had it was his effectively cut off responsibility to sort supplies from Japan, it all out and get it with supply convoys securely off the receiving nearly 90 island. We had percent losses en dropped the two Aroute to Truk. bombs on Japan, And in February and the Japanese 1944, we put had finally together a huge surrendered Ensign Myron (Mike) Geller in New York armada of top-line after graduation from midshipman unconditionally. But carriers, battleships, school in January 1945. we still had cruisers, destroyers, equipment to take and submarines for care of and men to support. attacks that reduced Truk to rubble, with One special concern was the large more than 70 shipwrecks, 400 aircraft stock of liquor and beer they had to destroyed, and the base no longer a move. Experience was clear that no threat to our forces. matter how well you guarded anything Starvation had killed many of the alcoholic, it somehow managed to soldiers before the complete surrender of disappear. the base in 1945. So they solved that by filling pontoons When Geller and his convoy reached with the bottles of liquor and then Truk, he got the additional job of water welding the pontoons shut. The beer officer, since water was a key need of our went into large wooden crates they soldiers, sailors, and Marines there. He fashioned and carefully padlocked. supervised the maintaining of procedures The destination was Truk, halfway that were essential for purifying the across the Pacific. It had once been the drinking water on the main island. largest Japanese base in the Pacific. The Did he lose any of the liquor or beer deep lagoon was 40 miles wide, with on the voyage from Samar? high islands and an encircling barrier “Well,” he grins, “there was some of reef. the beer that came up missing, but the Often there had been more than welded pontoons did a good job of

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June 2015

50plus SeniorNews

keeping the liquor safe.” By that time, Geller had accrued enough points to go home. So he caught a Navy flight to Guam and another to Hawaii. Then it was by ship to San Francisco and a commercial flight to New York, where he was discharged. Before he ever joined the Navy, he had been studying at City College of New York when he decided to join the Navy’s V-12 program that sent him to Cornell University and permitted him to graduate there before he became a Navy ensign. Now, after returning from the Pacific, he was able to use the G.I. Bill to get a master’s degree in industrial management at Columbia University. He wrote his thesis on the power crane and shovel industry and was careful to send a copy of it to manufacturers in that industry. That got him an interview—and a job as sales rep—at the Bucyrus Erie Company upon graduation. He worked his way up in several other companies before becoming vice president of sales at Dynapac, where he worked until his retirement in 1986. He then used his computer to search for the kind of retirement home he thought he would like and found just what he wanted in Central Pennsylvania. He feels very comfortable in retirement there and often thinks of those formative years in the Navy and how they helped him so well in choosing the rewarding civilian career he’s had. Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.

Here’s to You, Dad Father’s Day started with a dedicated woman: Sonora Smart Dodd, the daughter of a widowed Civil War veteran who had raised her on his own. Dodd came up with the idea for a special day celebrating fathers when listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. She held her own special tribute for her father on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Wash., and began a campaign for an official celebration thereafter. The idea of Father’s Day initially met

with some skepticism, but in 1919, President Calvin Coolidge expressed support for the holiday, and in 1926 a National Father’s Day Committee was formed in New York City. In 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day, but it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon officially recognized it as a national holiday. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Nostalgia Road

Death of a Barber Dick Dedrick ax Freeman died last week, at the age of 94. He was the town’s oldest barber. Younger men would get their haircuts at Bobbie’s Beautee Bar. But we older guys were still customers. I watched myself grow up in the mirrors at Max’s: “Mom said I could get a crew cut!” “Flat top, Mr. Freeman. Leave the sides, so I can comb ’em back to a duck tail. Yeah!” “Just a trim—not that much left to

cut, Max.” The barber pole in front of his shop stopped turning years ago. A faded sign on the front window read, “Three Chairs, No Waiting.” But Max was the only barber, as far back as I recall. Old magazines, piled around, and the smell of Lucky Tiger

Resource Directory Chiropractic Care Upper Cervical Chiropractic Neurology Centers 533 W. Uwchlan Ave., Suites 101 & 201 Downingtown (484) 593-0328 Disasters American Red Cross Greater Brandywine (610) 692-1200 Chester County Emergency Services (610) 344-5000

American Heart Association (610) 940-9540 Arthritis Foundation (215) 665-9200 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (800) 232-4636 Coatesville VA Medical Center (610) 383-7711 Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233 National Osteoporosis Foundation (800) 223-9994

Salvation Army West Chester (610) 696-8746

PACE (800) 225-7223

Central PA Poison Center (800) 521-6110 Office of Aging (610) 344-6350/(800) 692-1100 Financial Services Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-3676 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania 4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg (800) 722-8200 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (800) 272-3900 www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Visit NostalgiaRoad.com

Housing Assistance Community Impact Legal Services (610) 380-7111 Housing Authority of Chester County (610) 436-9200 Housing Authority of Phoenixville (610) 933-8801 Legal Services

Senior Healthlink (610) 431-1852 Social Security Administration (800) 772-1213 Southeastern PA Medical Institute (610) 446-0662 Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY

Physicians Gateway Medical Associates Locations in Coatesville, Downingtown, Lionville, and West Chester (610) 423-8181 Real Estate Keller-Williams Real Estate Kelly Steyn (215) 646-2900 Senior Centers

Lawyer Referral Service (610) 429-1500 Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (610) 436-4510 Medical Equipment & Supplies

Coatesville (610) 383-6900 Downingtown (610) 269-3939 Great Valley (610) 889-2121

Medical Supply (800) 777-6647

Housing

“Doin’ fine—growin’ like a weed,” he’d say. The last picture of his son was taken in Vietnam, along with three other soldiers. Max was old school. He’d take his time. Step back, take a look, massage your scalp, and lightly brush your neck, with flair, like he was putting the finishing touches on you. Finally, he’d help you on with your coat. Nobody does that any more, do they?

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American Cancer Society (800) 227-2345

Salvation Army Coatesville (610) 384-2954

Emergency Numbers

tonic in the air; Max’s barber’s license on the wall, next to snapshots of his son. I’d heard his wife left him during the Depression and took their little boy with her. But each year she’d send a new photo. “How’s the little guy doing, Max?” someone would ask.

Nutrition Meals on Wheels Chester County Inc. (610) 430-8500 Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center (800) 366-3997 Office of Aging Chester County Department of Aging Services (610) 344-6350 Pharmacies

Kennett Square (610) 444-4819 Oxford (610) 932-5244 Phoenixville (610) 935-1515 Wayne (610) 688-6246 West Chester (610) 431-4242

CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

Eastwood Village Homes, LLC 102 Summers Drive, Lancaster (717) 397-3138

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

50plus SeniorNews

June 2015

Savvy Senior Corporate Office: 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL VICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING EDITOR Christianne Rupp EDITOR, 50PLUS PUBLICATIONS Megan Joyce EDITORIAL INTERN Jason Tabor

ART DEPARTMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR Renee McWilliams PRODUCTION ARTISTS Janys Cuffe Lauren McNallen

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie McComsey Jacoby Amy Kieffer Ranee Shaub Miller ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Christina Cardamone Robin Gamby Jennifer Schmalhofer SALES & EVENT COORDINATOR Eileen Culp EVENTS MANAGER Kimberly Shaffer

CIRCULATION PROJECT COORDINATOR Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Duvall Member of

Winner

50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community. On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

June 2015

50plus SeniorNews

Getting Around When You No Longer Drive Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Where can I find out about alternative transportation options for my elderly mother? She needs to give up driving, but before she does, we need to figure out how she’ll get around. – Searching Daughter

national nonprofit that has 27 affiliate transportation programs in 23 states. With this program, seniors pay membership dues and fees based on mileage. And, most programs will let your mom donate her car in return for credits toward future rides.

Dear Searching, Alternative transportation services vary widely by community, so what’s available to your mom will depend on where she lives. Here’s what you should know. Transportation Options For starters, it’s important to know that while most urban areas offer seniors a variety of transportation services, the options may be few to none for those living in the suburbs, small towns, and rural areas. Alternative transportation is an essential link in helping seniors who no longer drive get to their doctor appointments, stores, social activities, and more. Depending on where your mom lives, here’s a rundown of possible solutions that can help her get around, along with some resources to help you locate them. Family and friends: This is by far the most often used and favorite option among seniors. So make a list of all possible candidates your mom can call on, along with their availability and contact information. Local transportation programs: These are usually sponsored by nonprofit organizations that serve seniors. These services may charge a nominal fee or accept donations and often operate with the help of volunteer drivers. Also check out the Independent Transportation Network (http://itnamerica.org), which is a u

Private program services: Some hospitals, health clinics, senior centers, adult day centers, malls, or other businesses may offer transportation for program participants or customers. And some nonmedical home-care agencies that bill themselves as providing companionship and running errands or doing chores may also provide transportation. Mass transit: Public transportation (buses, trains, subways, etc.), where available, can also be an affordable option and may offer reduced senior rates.

Demand response services: Often referred to as “dial-a-ride” or “elderly and disabled transportation service,” these are typically governmentfunded programs that provide doorto-door transportation services by appointment and usually charge a small fee or donation on a per-ride basis. Many use vans and offer accessible services for riders with special needs. Taxi or car service: These private services offer flexible scheduling but can be expensive; however, they’re cheaper than owning a car. Some taxi/car services may be willing to set up accounts that allow other family members to pay for services, and some may offer senior discounts. Be sure to ask. Another option to look into is ride-sharing services, which connect people who have cars with people who need rides. Uber (www.uber.com), Lyft (www.lyft.com), and Sidecar (www.side.cr) are three of the largest companies offering services in dozens of cities across the U.S.

Hire someone: If your mom lives in an area where there are limited or no transportation services available, another option to consider is to pay someone in the community to drive her. Consider hiring a neighbor, retiree, high school student, or college student who has a flexible schedule and wouldn’t mind making a few extra bucks. Where to Look To find out what transportation services are available in your mom’s community, contact the Rides in Sight national toll-free call center at (855) 607-4337 (or see http://ridesinsight.org) and the Eldercare Locator at (800) 6771116, which will direct you to her area agency on aging for assistance. Also contact local senior centers, places of worship, and retirement communities for other possible options. And check with her state department of transportation (www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm) and the American Public Transportation Association (www.publictransportation .org). Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

The Green Mountain Gardener

Watch for These Tomato Problems Dr. Leonard Perry f your tomato plants and fruits aren’t looking as healthy as they should, perhaps with leaf spots or diseased fruits, they may have one of several diseases.

Late blight. The disease that flared up a few years ago in the Northeast, destroying many home and commercial tomato plantings, was late blight—the same fungal disease that gets on potatoes and caused the famous Irish potato famine in the mid-1800s. If you had tomatoes with this, you may recall the nickel-sized or larger spots, olive-green to brown, on leaves. Sometimes the border of these spots is slightly yellow or appears water-soaked. Soon, brown to black lesions grow on stems with brown spots on fruit. Late blight is often around, but conditions aren’t primed for it to spread and get out of control. If it is present, sprays are available but must be applied early in the season. Once leaves are more than about 10 percent affected, sprays do little good, so plants should be destroyed. Before doing this, make sure you have this disease by checking with the state agriculture department specialists. Early blight. Much more common on tomatoes (and potatoes) is early blight, a different fungal disease. It causes leaf spots, stem lesions, and fruit rots. The name is deceiving, as it more often develops not early but rather on mature leaves. It usually progress up the plant, starting first with older leaves near the base. Spots may have concentric rings, giving a target or “bulls-eye” appearance. Stem lesions often are sunken with lighter centers. On older fruits, the dark and leathery sunken spots are often on the end attaching to the stem. Rotating other crops for a couple of years in the same spot, particularly smallgrain cover crops, corn, or legumes, can help with disease control. Some cultivars (cultivated varieties) have resistance to www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

early blight (sometimes seen as Alternaria blight). Keeping up with weeding and fertility, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, and watering early in the day so leaves dry quickly all can help in avoiding early blight. Sprays are available and ideally should be started early in the season. Septoria leaf spot. Another fungal disease, this occurs under similar conditions as early blight does and has similar controls. Its spots are often gray or tan with darker margins and have dark, pimplelike structures in the center that are fairly easily seen. These dark fungal structures are absent from early-blight lesions, nor do the spots have the targetlike appearance. If the fruits rot on the ends opposite the stems, this is likely the common blossom-end rot. It is not actually caused by a disease, but by the growing conditions—uneven watering and a calcium deficiency. This rot can develop if conditions are hot and dry and are then followed by heavy rain or watering, as the plant can’t absorb enough calcium. Other factors to try to avoid through culture include low potassium or calcium levels; excess magnesium or nitrogen, which causes rapid plant growth; root damage; or high relative humidity. Balanced watering and fertility, and perhaps calcium sprays to foliage, should keep this under control on tomatoes, as well as on squash and peppers.

in the fruit, it causes a softening decay. To avoid this disease, grow plants on well-drained soils, keep up with weeding, avoid excessive overhead watering, and rotate crops yearly. If this fungus is

present, you may need to resort to sprays. Dr. Leonard P. Perry is an extension professor at the University of Vermont.

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Verticillium wilt. These fungi are in the soil and, if present, can cause plants to wilt, beginning with lower leaves. Lesions on leaves have a v-shape, widest on the leaf margin. Leaves die, and eventually the whole plant can die. As there aren’t easy controls for this, practice crop rotation and control weeds, as many host this disease. Anthracnose. This is a fungal disease of green, but especially of ripening, fruit. Small, slightly sunken, and water-soaked spots appear, which grow larger and become dark in the centers. As it spreads

50plus SeniorNews

June 2015

Assisted Living Residences/Personal Care Homes Bethany Village — MapleWood

Homewood at Plum Creek

325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-766-0279 • www.BethanyVillage.org

425 Westminster Avenue • Hanover, PA 17331 717-637-4166 • www.homewood.com

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Residence: Yes Private: 100 Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 98 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: One-bedroom suites; secured memory support neighborhood; skilled nursing – The Oaks.

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Excellent care in a lovely environment. Call to schedule a visit.

Colonial Lodge Community

Lakeview at Tel Hai Retirement Community

2015 North Reading Road • Denver, PA 17519 717-336-5501 • www.coloniallodgepa.com

1200 Tel Hai Circle • Honey Brook, PA 19344 610-273-9333 • www.telhai.org

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 70 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes* Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: *SSI depends on availability. A veteran-approved “home for heroes” facility, all in a beautiful, rural setting.

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Discover our newly renovated accommodations and homelike environment with the security of 24-hour nursing care.

Heatherwood Retirement Community

Mennonite Home Communities

3180 Horseshoe Pike • Honey Brook, PA 19344 610-273-9300 • www.heatherwoodretire.com

1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 717-393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 82 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 150 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Private balcony or patio; no wait for availability; no buy-in; simple month/month lease.

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Supportive, encouraging environment. Various room types and suites available. Secure memory care offered.

Homeland Center

The Middletown Home

1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-221-7727 • www.homelandcenter.org

999 West Harrisburg Pike • Middletown, PA 17057 717-944-3351 • www.middletownhome.org

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 50 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 64 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Exemplary care in a caring, beautiful environment has been provided for more than 147 years. Our continuum includes a hospice program.

Serving from the Heart in the Spirit of Friendship, Love, and Truth

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Beautifully appointed apartments overlooking the garden terrace with the safety and security of 24-hour nursing care.

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

June 2015

50plus SeniorNews

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Assisted Living Residences/Personal Care Homes Moravian Manor

St. Anne’s Retirement Community

300 West Lemon Street• Lititz, PA 17543 717-626-0214 • www.moravianmanor.org

3952 Columbia Avenue West Hempfield Township, PA 17512 717-285-6112 • www.stannesrc.org

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 55 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: Yes* Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No** Comments: *Or applied to final bill. **Pet visitation only.

Pleasant View Retirement Community 544 North Penryn Road • Manheim, PA 17545 717-665-2445 • www.pleasantviewrc.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 96 Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes* Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: *Three-year private pay spending. Maintain independence in an enriching and supportive environment; now offering respite stays.

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Fly Old Glory with Pride on Flag Day Flag Day became an official national celebration in 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 Flag Day to commemorate the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by the Second Continental Congress on that day in 1777. The idea of setting aside a special day to celebrate the U.S. flag wasn’t new, though. One of the earliest observances of Flag Day occurred in Hartford, Conn., in 1861, at the suggestion of George Morris, to pray for the preservation of the Union at the beginning of the Civil War. In 1885, a Wisconsin schoolteacher named Bernard J. Cigrand held a formal www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

observance of what he called “Flag Birthday” at his school. Cigrand went on to become a passionate promoter of Flag Day, delivering more than 2,000 speeches on the subject, and he is generally considered to be the “Father of Flag Day.” In 1914, Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane delivered a Flag Day speech in which he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.” In 1949, President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress formally establishing June 14 as National Flag Day.

Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Minimal Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: No Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Pending Approval Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Select rooms currently available! Call for details.

Volunteer Spotlight VA Volunteers Recognized for National Volunteer Week The Coatesville David Turner Sr., Joy Veterans Affairs (VA) Turner, and Samantha Medical Center hosted Turner received the Hazel its volunteer P. Harnish Memorial recognition luncheon Award for Excellence in and ceremony Volunteering, which recently. commemorates the service Approximately 120 of longtime volunteer Hazel Harnish. volunteers and other Gary W. Devansky, VA Alfred Gerhardt with guests attended the Medical Center director, the American Legion Post annual event held in left, with Anna Walters. 422 and Disabled celebration of American Veterans National Volunteer Chapter 90 received the Week, April 12 to 18. 10,000-Hour Award. At the Coatesville Anna Walters with the VA Medical Center in American Legion Auxiliary 2014, 661 volunteers Post 185 and James gave more than Porrecca with the Military 43,000 hours of Order of the Purple Heart service to veterans Post 1777 received while donors Devansky, left, with James Porrecca. Outstanding Service contributed more than Awards. $650,000 in gifts and Anyone who is interested in donations. At the luncheon, volunteers received volunteering or donating items for veterans can call the Coatesville VA national hours of service awards Medical Center Voluntary Service ranging from 100 hours to 10,000 Office at (610) 383-0228 or visit hours; outstanding service awards; and www.coatesville.va.gov. special contribution awards. Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others? Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus Senior News’ Volunteer Spotlight! Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged. Email preferred to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus Senior News, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.

50plus SeniorNews

June 2015

Traveltizers

Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel

An Off-Beat Food Adventure in New Orleans Café Reconcile shirts are cooking, waiting tables, cleaning up. In short, they’re he food is tasty, the service running the restaurant. outstanding, and the money the “Most of these young people, who are best we’ve ever spent. Café between 16 and 22 years old, have seen Reconcile is New Orleans’ most unusual nothing but poverty and violence. Many restaurant. have mental health concerns, substance While the French Quarter is exciting, abuse issues—and the vast majority have after a few days my husband and I found had run-ins with the juvenile justice it both too expensive system. We help them and too frenetic for get on track and our taste. Therefore, become self-sufficient we’d moved to the members of society,” Whitney, a charming explains Kelder historic hotel in the Summers, one of the Central Business café’s directors. District. Our server brings My husband asked us our order: shrimp a gentleman who etouffée with salad for works at the hotel for me; fried catfish with a restaurant that two sides for my Working at Café Reconcile teaches caters to locals rather husband ($10.99 young folks the skills necessary to than tourists. each). He’s landing decent jobs. “There’s a place deferential, a bit about a mile from here where they train tentative, but determined. I ask him why impoverished youth to work in the he joined the program at Café Reconcile. tourist industry. Can’t get much more “Because I want to turn my life local than that. New Orleans has lots of around,” he says. tourists and lots of impoverished youth,” If the concerned folks who run Café he answered. Reconcile have their way, he’ll be able to And thus began our offbeat New do just that. Orleans Food Adventure. After completing a short apprenticeship at a New Orleans Big Dreams at a Small Café restaurant, they’ll help him find a job and When we arrive at Café Reconcile track him for a year, offering him advice almost every table is filled, some with and support if he feels overwhelmed. By families, others with businessmen and this time he should have the life skills as women who are enjoying their lunch well as the work skills to break the cycle break. A bevy of young adults sporting of poverty. (www.cafereconcile.org)

By Andrea Gross

is commemorating the 70th anniversary of V-J Day with a special spread in its August issue! Share your memories of Aug. 14, 1945, and help us honor the legacy of the Greatest Generation. Name: _______________________________________________ Current town of residence: _____________________________ Your memories of 8/14/45. Where were you? How old were you? What sights, sounds, and feelings do you recall? (150-word limit): ______________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Entries may be edited for space and grammatical accuracy.

Contact information (phone and/or email): _______________ _____________________________________________________ All information will be kept confidential and is for OLP’s use only.

Deadline for entries is July 15, 2015. Please include a photo of yourself, from either today or circa 1945! (Not required.)

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Info and photo may be emailed to mjoyce@onlinepub.com, uploaded to www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com/VJDay, or mailed to:

• Spec home and pre-owned homes available to inspect •

If you would like your photo returned, please include a SASE.

June 2015

50plus SeniorNews

Sunday, June 14th 1 to 3 p.m.

50plus Senior News 3912 Abel Drive Columbia, PA 17512

Please join us at our

Directions: Rt. 30E – Greenfield Road exit, Right onto Greenfield Road to Fallon Drive. Right onto Fallon Drive; follow signs to Sales Center.

Eastwood Village Homes LLC 102 Summers Drive Lancaster, PA 17601

717-397-3138

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The Intersection of Culture and Cuisine We only have to walk across the street and down the block to reach The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, 16,000 square feet dedicated to the culinary heritage of the South, both in toto and in all its regional variations. There are Coca-Cola bottles from Georgia, fishing nets from Louisiana, a ham-smoking rack from Virginia, and an entire wall that explains the history of the American cocktail. In addition, behind closed doors but accessible to the public, there’s a library of more than 15,000 books. Most are cookbooks but some are manuals for old appliances. Finally I may learn how to work my mother’s vintage blender! The museum’s restaurant, Purloos, which is named after a traditional Lowcountry dish, serves Southern regional fare such as Cape Hatteras clams and Delta corn tamales, as well Swamp Pop, a made-in-Louisiana soft drink to which I soon become addicted. With a Swamp Pop Satsuma Fizz in hand, we look at a special exhibit highlighting the oldest continuously operated, family-owned restaurant in the United States, which just happens to be back in the French Quarter. (www.southernfood.org)

At the Southern Food and Beverage Museum each of the 15 Southern states has a display that honors its own culinary traditions.

People flock to Café du Monde for its café au lait and beignets.

175 Years of French-Creole Food I know exactly what I want when I walk into Antoine’s: Oysters Rockefeller, the restaurant’s signature dish of fresh

Smile of the Month This month’s smiles belong to, from left, Barb, Ethel, Arlene M., and Arlene Y. of Phoenixville, friends for more than 60 years.

Send us your favorite smile—your children, grandchildren, friends, even your “smiling” pet!—and it could be 50plus Senior News’ next Smile of the Month! You can submit your photos either digitally to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or by mail to:

50plus Senior News Smile of the Month • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Please include the following information: Your name____________________________________________________________ Your town of residence ____________________________________________________ Names(s) of those in photo _________________________________________________ Their town(s) of residence __________________________________________________ Their relationship to you (e.g., daughter, brother, grandson) __________________________________ Digital photos must be at least 4x6'' with a resolution of 300 dpi. No professional photos, please. Please include a SASE if you would like to have your photo returned.

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Servers at Antoine’s often inherit their positions.

Mother’s Restaurant is known for po’ boys that are packed with ham, roast beef, debris, and gravy.

Gulf oysters topped with a rich green sauce. Its name is a tribute to the “rich” Rockefellers who, like the oysters, were

awash with “green”—albeit in the form of money rather than spinach. These were exactly the kind of folks that Antoine Alciatore hoped would patronize his restaurant when he immigrated to New Orleans in 1840. By that time, the 18-year-old boy had spent 10 years as an apprentice for a master chef in a ritzy French hotel, and he was familiar with the preferences of the upper class. He knew they would want more than the simple boiled dishes that were the staple of other Louisiana restaurants. Thus he added French flair in the way of sauces and seasonings and, voilà, a new regional cuisine and one of New Orleans’ most renowned restaurants were born. As we leave, my husband and I both have the same thought. Nearly 200 years ago, a young boy named Antoine learned kitchen skills from a master chef in France in order to ensure a more secure future for himself and his family. Today, another young man is learning kitchen skills at a small café in New Orleans for much the same reason. Fingers crossed that he has similar success. (www.antoines.com) Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).

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50plus SeniorNews

Light Moderate Heavy Brief/Diaper Pull-ons Pads/Liners Skin care June 2015

Calendar of Events

Chester County

Support Groups

Free and open to the public

June 1, 7 p.m. GriefShare 14-Week Series Calvary Fellowship of Downingtown 95 W. Devon Drive, Downingtown (610) 363-7171

June 8, 7 p.m. Town Hall Meeting Coatesville VA Medical Center 1400 Blackhorse Hill Road Coatesville (610) 384-7711

June 9 and 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bereavement Support Group Jennersville Hospital Conference Room B 1015 W. Baltimore Pike, West Grove (610) 998-1700, ext. 226

June 2, 2 p.m. Grief Support Group Phoenixville Senior Center 153 Church St., Phoenixville (610) 327-7216

June 8 and 22, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Caregiver Support Group Adult Care of Chester County 201 Sharp Lane, Exton (610) 363-8044

June 10, 1:30 p.m. Family Caregiver Support Group Sarah Care 425 Technology Drive, Suite 200 Malvern (610) 251-0801

June 9, 7 p.m. Hearing Loss Support Group Christ Community Church 1190 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester (610) 444-445 www.hearinglosschesco.com

June 16, 6 p.m. Family Caregiver Support Group Sunrise of Westtown 501 Skiles Blvd., West Chester (610) 399-4464

June 2 and 16, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bereavement Support Group Brandywine Hospital Conference Room 2N 201 Reeceville Road, Coatesville (610) 998-1700, ext. 226 June 3, 6 p.m. Memory Loss and Dementia Support Group Sunrise Assisted Living of Paoli 324 W. Lancaster Ave., Malvern (610) 251-9994

June 9 and 23, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Bereavement Support Group Main Line Unitarian Church 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon (610) 585-6604 phoenixbereavement@yahoo.com Nondenominational; all are welcome.

Programs & Events

June 24, 6 p.m. Living with Cancer Support Group Paoli Hospital Cancer Center 255 W. Lancaster Ave., Paoli (484) 565-1253

June 6 and 20, 5 to 10 p.m. Bingo Nights Marine Corps League Detachment 430 Chestnut St., Downingtown (610) 429-8174

June 4, 7:30 p.m. Compassionate Friends Valley Forge Chapter Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 132 E. Valley Forge Road King of Prussia www.tcfvalleyforge.org

June 9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chester County 50plus EXPO Church Farm School 1001 E. Lincoln Highway, Exton (610) 675-6240 www.50plusexpopa.com

Great Valley Senior Center – (610) 889-2121 47 Church Road, Malvern June 11 and 25, 10 a.m. – Canasta June 18, 2:30 p.m. – History Book Club: The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott June 25, 2:30 p.m. – Metaphysical Group: The Devachonic Plane Kennett Area Senior Center – (610) 444-4819 427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square – www.kennettseniorcenter.org June 6, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. – KASC Yard Sale June 9, 2:30 to 4 p.m. – Tea Party: Celebrate Our Flag June 13, 6 p.m. – Disco Night Please contact your local center for scheduled activities.

June 12, 13, 19, 20, 8 p.m. Passion Play: The Power and the Glory Hopewell United Methodist Church 852 Hopewell Road, Downingtown (610) 269-1545 June 15, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. How to Protect Senior Assets Sunrise of Westtown 1045 Wilmington Pike, West Chester (610) 399-4464

Chester County Department of Parks and Recreation www.chesco.org/ccparks June 6, 9 to 10 a.m. – Dog Walk in the Park, Springton Manor Farm June 6, 9 to 10:15 a.m. – Family Fishing at Chambers Lake, Hibernia County Park June 7, 2 to 3 p.m. – Hike for the Physically Challenged, Black Rock Sanctuary

Chester County Library Programs Downingtown Library, 330 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, (610) 269-2741 June 14, noon to 4 p.m. – Images of Spring Garden Tour June 18, 6:30 p.m. – Downingtown Library Writers Group June 25, 6:30 p.m. – Reading the Classics June 2015

Coatesville Area Senior Center – (610) 383-6900 22 N. Fifth Ave., Coatesville – www.coatesvilleseniorcenter.org June 9, 12:45 p.m. – Coffee Hour: Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits June 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream Senior Prom June 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Kickoff to the Fourth of July Picnic

Free and open to the public

June 2, 11:30 a.m. West Chester University Retirees Luncheon For restaurant location, please email darsie@verizon.net

Senior Center Activities

50plus SeniorNews

Paoli Library, 18 Darby Road, Paoli, (610) 296-7996 Mystery Book Club – Call for dates/times

Don’t Skimp on Knee Care Taking care of your knees is important to your mobility and your overall health. It’s also beneficial to your bank balance. Avoid undue stress in all those areas with these three tips, from the Nerd Wallet website: Surgery is expensive. Even if your insurance covers most of the cost, you could end up paying thousands of dollars for surgery or replacements. The average price tag is reportedly more than $50,000. You’ll stay healthy longer. Strong knees allow you to exercise and maintain a healthy weight, which can hold off some of the side effects of old age (like dementia) and help you remain independent as you grow older, cutting back on the need to pay for assistance in daily activities. Bad knees contribute to other problems. Problems in the knees can cause pain in your back, hips, and other areas, requiring other kinds of expensive and time-consuming treatment: medication, hip replacement surgery, and so forth. Keeping your knees in good shape can pay off for your entire body.

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Such is Life

May I Have Your Help? Talent Show Revives USO-Style Entertainment

Saralee Perel didn’t realize until I got home that I had left my cane in my cart at the supermarket. It was the first time in the 12 years since my spinal cord injury that I was without it. I panicked. After I drove back, I held onto parked cars and outside walls to get in the store. Like a fool, when five shoppers offered to help me, I didn’t accept. I think that when many of us are offered help, such as to carry things or to borrow anything or for a ride to pick up something we need, we say no. I feel so badly for my husband, Bob. It breaks my heart that he helps me so much. Earlier that day, he was washing dishes. I cried, “I’m sorry I don’t wash my tomato juice glass.” He said, “It’s hard for you to stand at the sink.” He put his arms around me. “I love helping you. Wouldn’t you want to help me?” Of course I would. While shopping that day, a woman offered to pick up the bag of popcorn I had dropped. I said, “Thanks so much, but I can do it.” But once I knelt down, I couldn’t get back up. So I held onto a store fixture in order to stand. Who do I think I am? Am I a stronger person for refusing help? No. That’s ridiculous. Apparently I think that asking for help makes me inferior, dependent, and needful. Well, the reality is, I am in need. Most of us are at some point. Is that a sin? Accepting help would show some real strength. There were samples of sandwiches at the deli counter. I tried but couldn’t reach one because I have no balance. I thought, “So what if I’m hungry and can’t reach a sandwich?” A shopper reached one for me. She said, “Please take this sandwich. The world is full of people who want to help.”

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

With thoughtful tenderness, she handed me the sandwich and then got one for herself. We quietly enjoyed our snacks. “Oh, it’s delicious,” I said, grateful for more than the sandwich. I stood next to her, cherishing this sweet, touching moment of a stranger who cared about me. We all have pitfalls: a loss of a relationship, avoidance of public speaking, fear of being alone, a bad shoulder. Who is perfectly capable in all ways? Nobody I know. When I left my cane at the store, I felt I had lost an attachment of me. My cane is a part of me, like a real limb. Of course I could get another cane, but this one’s been with me for so long. We had become— sort of—family, my cane and me. Constantly interconnecting with each other. I wanted my cane back so badly. When I saw it behind the store’s service counter, I told the store worker I could get it myself. Then, when I saw the obstacles that would make that hard, I asked a simple question that would change my life. “Would you please get it for me?” Naturally, he reunited me with my cane. I knew then that I’d never turn back. I’m not inferior. I’m not in the way. I’m not bothering anyone. And if I am, whose problem is that? I may be physically impaired, but my greatest handicap has been in not accepting the helping hands of others. Of that, I am no longer disabled. Saralee Perel is an award-winning, nationally syndicated columnist. Her new book is Cracked Nuts & Sentimental Journeys: Stories From a Life Out of Balance. To find out more, visit www.saraleeperel.com or email sperel@saraleeperel.com.

Atria Woodbridge Place in Phoenixville recently hosted their annual community talent show to a packed house. This year’s theme was based on the USO’s history of entertaining and honoring the troops. More than 20 residents participated, the oldest at age 95. Many are veterans themselves, including three World War II vets. The evening consisted of songs from the World War II era, such as “This is the Army, Mr. Jones” and “When the

Lights Go on Again”; chair dancing; and a “Bob Hope” comedian. The night concluded with recognition of all branches of the military and the playing of their service songs.

Center Growth Spurs Need for Volunteers Coatesville Area Senior Center needs volunteers to continue its mission of helping Chester County seniors to “live vibrantly.” A nonprofit, CASC began in 1977 in a Coatesville bank. Now located at 22 N. Fifth Ave. in Coatesville, the center has grown significantly in recent years. Last year, it grew 25 percent; event attendance increased 70 percent. Recently, CASC hired Kim Skinner to recruit and train volunteers and direct a program called Neighbors in Action. CASC’s Neighbors in Action program will match screened

volunteers to a qualifying senior’s need. As Coatesville celebrates its centennial, this program presents an opportunity to actively build community among neighborhood residents. Skinner recruits people interested in helping with programming and activities at the center as well as for Neighbors In Action, where volunteers carry out tasks at a senior’s home. Please contact her at (610) 3836900 or kim@coatesvilleseniorcenter.org for more information.

DASC Looking for Good Neighbors The Downingtown Area Senior Center at 983 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, seeks volunteers for the intergenerational Neighbors in Action program and for its food-delivery program. Neighbors in Action matches volunteers with homebound seniors or anyone who needs help with activities of daily living. Volunteers will provide: transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping, and stores; minor home repairs and maintenance; help with yard work, reading, and writing; assistance with forms and services; and light housekeeping. Potential volunteers must complete an in-person interview and application

and undergo background checks, which are paid for by the county. Volunteers with a truck or SUV are urgently needed to deliver 40-pound food boxes to residents of St. James Place, 350 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Downingtown, on the second Thursday of each month. Volunteers must come to the center to pick up packages and deliver them to recipients at St. James Place. Volunteers will work in teams to deliver the packages and ensure that recipients sign for delivery. For more information on either program, contact Janice Tehie, volunteer coordinator, at (610) 2693939, ext. 102, or email janice.tehie@downingtownseniors.org.

If you have local news you’d like considered for

Around Town, please email mjoyce@onlinepub.com 50plus SeniorNews

June 2015

DANCE

from page 1

Murray Dance Studio to teach ballroom dancing on weeknights and weekends, which included swing dancing. During this time, he met his future wife, Leona, and decided to get married and start a family, thinking it “prudent to give up the dancing part” of his life. He and Leona had three daughters, Vicki, Kathy, and Cindy, and Kerns took a fulltime job at AMP Inc. (now Tyco) as a die engineer, where he worked in management before retiring in 1995. In 2001, after 49 years of marriage, Leona passed away from cancer, and Kerns began looking for activities and organizations to keep him occupied and active. He heard about the Central Pennsylvania Swing Dance Club and decided to put on his dancing shoes and check it out. “Turned out that their swing dancing was right up my alley, so I started going each week,” says Kerns. “In 2004, they asked me to become their president.” As president, Kerns guides board meetings and keeps the club moving forward. That same year, the club obtained its own venue for holding dances, and

Kerns began teaching swing dance to students again, 50 years after his retirement from Arthur Murray. The swing dance club celebrated its 10year anniversary last year. The club holds dances each week on Photo credits: Jason Tabor Tuesday and Saturday Kerns volunteers as a dance nights and also holds instructor “to pass the ’50s-era special dance events dancing on to future generations.” with live bands throughout the year. Dancers can attend a “beginner’s” lesson before each dance, taught by Kerns and other instructors at the club. “The officers and instructors are A mural celebrating the swingvolunteers and do this dance era brightens up the dance because of our love of studio where the club meets. dance and our desire to pass the ’50s-era dancing on to future generations,” says Kerns. The dances attract about 50 dancers

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and fun.” Kerns is also active outside of the dance studio. For 25 years, he was the president of his table-tennis club. He has won medals in the state and national Senior Games and competed in various USA Table Tennis-sanctioned tournaments. In addition, he is a volunteer at an organization providing support for the homeless, working overnight at a shelter and serving as president and a member of the governing board. He also volunteers at a local theater, where he ushers patrons at live shows. Kerns enjoys spending time with his family—now numbering three children, six grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren—and traveling. He has traveled all around the world and visited most of the continents along the way. “When you retire, retire from work,” says Kerns. “Do not retire from life.” For more information about the Central Pennsylvania Swing Dancing Club and a schedule of their events, visit their website at www.centralpaswing dance.org or call (717) 218-9846.

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most nights, from high school and college students to seniors, many with various diverse backgrounds but all with a love for swing dancing. “To keep things interesting, we teach various forms of swing dance,” including East and West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and the Charleston, says Kerns. “We love it that all ages come to dance. Our advice to beginners is to learn the basics well first, as all other steps are developed from that firm foundation, and it makes intermediate and advanced learning much easier

50plus SeniorNews

Code CSN

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is once again offering vouchers through its Farmers Market Nutrition Program. These vouchers, worth $20, can be used to purchase Pennsylvania-grown fruits and vegetables at area farmers markets. Eligible individuals must be at least 60 years of age, reside in Chester County, and have an annual income of less than $21,775 for one person, $29,471 for two people, and $37,167 for three people. People living in residential facilities where meals are provided are not eligible. Those unable to travel to the distribution sites can still obtain vouchers through a proxy, provided a signed form and photo identification of the older person is presented. Distribution sites for 2015 are: Coatesville Area Senior Center, Inc. 22 N. Fifth Ave., Coatesville (610) 383-6900 Tuesday and Thursday, 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. Downingtown Area Senior Center, Inc. 983 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown (610) 269-3939 Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.

Kennett Area Senior Center 427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square (610) 444-4819 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday through June 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oxford Area Senior Center 12 E. Locust St., Oxford (610) 932-5244 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Phoenixville Area Senior Center 153 Church St., Phoenixville (610) 935-1515 Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon Monday and Wednesday, 1 to 2 p.m. Surrey Services for Seniors 60 Surrey Way, Berwyn (610) 647-6404 Mondays in July and August from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. West Chester Area Senior Center 530 E. Union St., West Chester (610) 431-4242 Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Is This Thing On?

What To Buy – Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet? Abby Stokes an you picture yourself sitting in your backyard watching the roses bloom while “surfing the ’Net”? Or perhaps you’re traveling on a plane with your tablet tucked into your carry-on luggage. Maybe you’re even snuggled up all comfy in your bed answering emails. On the other hand, you might be sure you’ll use the computer only in the warmth of your den and have no intention of moving it. Read on to help you decide whether a desktop, laptop, or tablet best suits your needs. A desktop and a laptop function in exactly the same way, using the same software and allowing you to access the Internet. They both have the same basic hardware (monitor, keyboard, and mouse). They also have the capability of being plugged into a printer or other peripherals using ports. A desktop, which is not portable, comes at a significantly lower price point than a laptop computer. Smaller technology equals higher prices.

What’s the difference between a notebook and a laptop computer? I once posed a similar question to a farmer when visiting the Berkshires. “What’s the difference between a pig and a hog?” I asked. “Way you spell it,” he answered. That is the same answer for the difference between a notebook and a laptop computer. Two names for the same thing. A netbook (don’t mistake it for a notebook) is a small, lightweight, and inexpensive laptop. A netbook averages 2 to 3 pounds and the screen is quite small—they measure between 5 and 10 inches. Netbooks are less expensive than laptops and can be purchased for as little as $200. How does a tablet compare to a computer? A tablet is a computer. The distinction is that a tablet is fully contained in a single panel and it utilizes touch-screen technology. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

So instead of using a mouse to navigate, you simply tap the screen to take an action. The keyboard is even integrated into the touch screen. A tablet can do pretty much anything a desktop or laptop computer can do, but the only option for adding software (referred to as apps) to a tablet is by downloading it from the Internet (there is no CD or DVD drive). The other significant difference is portability. As small and light as a laptop may be, a tablet can be slipped into a handbag or even a large pocket. The sacrifice that you make for something portable like a laptop or tablet is that everything is smaller. You may find some laptop screens difficult to view. If a laptop screen feels too small for you, a tablet screen might seem impossible. And if your hands are large, you may feel cramped using the keyboard or mouse on a laptop or the touch screen on a tablet. But for some people, it is infinitely more important that they can take their technology with them, even if it is a little harder to see or type. So why not buy a tablet if you want something portable? If you’re working with complex spreadsheets, heavily designed documents, or lots of typing, the smaller format of a tablet can make the task more difficult to manage than it would on a laptop. Also, if you need to use a particular software program, be sure there is a version available online for a tablet. The best way to decide is to test drive each choice for yourself. It’s your eyes that need to be able to see the screen and your hands that will be tapping on the keyboard. Go to http://tinyurl.com/ AAStestdrive for a printable test-drive form to bring with you. Abby Stokes, author of “Is This Thing On?” A Friendly Guide to Everything Digital for Newbies, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming and its companion website, AskAbbyStokes.com, is the Johnny Appleseed of Technology, singlehandedly helping more than 300,000 people cross the digital divide.

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Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available To become a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact your account representative, call (717) 285-1350, or email info@onlinepub.com

www.veteransexpo.com 50plus SeniorNews

June 2015

Delayed Retirement: Are There Some Advantages? returned to the workplace found that 54 percent worked full time, and 19 percent put in more than 41 hours a week. Among the potential economic advantages:

“

Baby boomers delaying retirement may be a good thing for the U.S. economy.

“

The prospect of more and more baby boomers delaying retirement may be a good thing for the U.S. economy, according to the Fiscal Times website. In 2013, 18 percent of the over-65 population of the U.S. were still on the job, up from 11 percent in 1993; a 2008 study of 50-and-older retirees who had

• Increased tax revenue, with positive (though small) effects on the nation’s deficit.

• Lower government expenditures, as workers delay taking Social Security past traditional retirement age. • More talent in the workforce, since the aging U.S. population means fewer young people are available for jobs.

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maiL 50plus Senior News attn: Classifieds 3912 abel drive Columbia, Pa 17512

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June 2015

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Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori

Yard Sale Tips from the Expert Lori Verderame have been advising people about yard sales for decades. Here are my top tips for those of you who love yard sales—as buyers and as sellers. Many of us have spent a weekend driving around your favorite neighborhoods to shop on other people’s lawns. Typically, you end up buying a few things that you really don’t need, but you just can’t leave a neighbor’s lawn without a watering can, a vintage poster, and a bunch of napkins. You spend $17 and call it a day.

Tips for Sellers There are many things that people don’t know about yard sales, the first of which is that yard sales are big business. You think it is just small-time stuff with neighbors cleaning out the basement of old junk, but in reality, yard sales are the source of objects that command sixfigure price tags in other markets … markets far away from the front yard. That’s right; the high-priced auction and Internet markets for art, antiques, and collectibles use yard sales as a major source for inventory. And, many of the major auction houses and smaller estate auction houses regularly send out people known as pickers to get some of their auction inventory from yard sales. These people are sent to neighborhoods where the homes have reached the 50-year mark, assuming that their original owners are ready to move on to assisted living facilities or downsized residences. Most unknowing yard-sale hosts think that they are just offering their items to naïve shoppers and fellow neighbors— well, be warned. You are competing with the pros out there. These buyers know what you’ve got, what it is really worth, and where to sell it for top dollar, and they are not in the game to tell you that you just made a big mistake putting out that Eastlake table or vintage Guerlain perfume bottle on the front lawn. And your price is all wrong too! These www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

guys are going to get you down on the asking price and take away something very valuable that was once in your house and was once a treasured family heirloom. Know what you’ve got before you schlep it out to the front lawn. At my mobile website (www.drloriv.com), you can send a photo of an object from a yard sale, and I will tell you its value before you buy it. This is how technology will help you cash in. Here is an example that will have you thinking twice before you have that yard sale. Recently, a $425,000 floral still life painting that now hangs in the Houston Art Museum was originally sold at a California yard sale for $18. Yep, the original owner’s family didn’t know that they had a priceless piece of fine art, so they unknowingly offered it at a yard sale for $20. The picker working for the auction house got them down to $18, and the auction house later sold it to the Texas museum for a whopping $425,000. That could happen to you. Find out first. Tips for Buyers Ok, so you get my point, but you aren’t hosting a yard sale. You want to know about buying at yard sales. Here are my tips for buyers. • Bring cash as it will help your negotiating power.

• Bring a magnifying glass, loupe, or at least your reading glasses. • Ask the yard-sale seller about the item’s background. Even if they don’t know a lot about the item, they still probably know more than you do about it.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and former museum director, Dr. Lori hosts antiques appraisal events worldwide. Dr. Lori is the star appraiser on Discovery channel. Visit www.DrLoriV.com/Events, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

19th Annual

12th Annual

CHESTER COUNTY

LANCASTER COUNTY

June 9, 2015

Sept. 23, 2015

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Church Farm School

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spooky Nook Sports

1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton

2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim (Just off Rt. 283 at the Salunga exit)

13th Annual

16th Annual

YORK COUNTY

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Sept. 30, 2015

Oct. 21, 2015

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. York Expo Center

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Carlisle Expo Center

Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Avenue York

100 K Street Carlisle

• Establish a budget and stick to it. • Be polite, but always negotiate. This isn’t friendship; this is business.

Exhibitors • Health Screenings Seminars • Demonstrations Entertainment • Door Prizes

• Celebrity items bring big value. • If it is in poor condition, leave it on the lawn. • If there is a box of old jewelry that looks like junk, there is probably something overlooked in that box, like a piece of 14-karat gold or sterling silver.

Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available (717) 285-1350 • (717) 770-0140 • (610) 675-6240

www.50plusExpoPA.com 50plus SeniorNews

June 2015

FREE EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

Who wants to Reverse their Diabetes? How America’s “Medical Monopoly” promotes a modern day epidemic and what you can do to protect yourself

Tuesday, June 23rd at 6 p.m. or Tuesday, June 30th at 6 p.m. Presented by International Speaker, Author, and Leading Wellness Expert

Dr. Stephen A. Conicello, PSc. D. Free Admission and Light Refreshments Discover a proactive, functional wellness approach to your health. It deals with primary prevention and underlying causes of chronic disease rather than simply removing or masking symptoms once they arise.

Call Now! ere is Limited Seating Available for this Event!

RSVP to (484) 593-0328 Ext. 3 Guests welcome, however this is an adults only event.

www.agapeinstitute.info 16

June 2015

50plus SeniorNews