50plus LIFE Dauphin County February 2017

Complimentary | Dauphin County Edition

Feb. 2017 • Vol. 19 No. 2

Special travel Section: Tours and Trips page 10

new medication copay for vets page 6

what you should know about eye care page 14

Fragments of History

Fascinating Facts about U.S. Presidents Victor Parachin

Father,” and exited immediately.

collapsing in the president’s arms.

Julia, an attractive woman from one Presidential of New York state’s embrace. On Feb. 28, 1844, Sen. David oldest families, had shocked New York Gardiner and his society by modeling daughter, Julia, were as “the Rose of invited guests of Long Island” for a President John Tyler department store ad. on the USS Princeton, For some time, the Navy’s first screw propeller steam ship. the widower President Tyler, 30 The highlight was years Julia’s senior, to be the firing of the had been interested new naval gun called Photo by Leon A. Perskie; Gift of Beatrice and Dr. Stanley Foxman in a relationship “The Peacemaker.”

Official 1944 Campaign It exploded, killing with her, and he Portrait of Franklin D. comforted Julia Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt Abel Upshur and in the wake of her father’s death. In Sen. Gardiner. At the June 1844, they were married. blast, a frightened Julia backpedaled,

Kennedy in the confessional booth. President John F. Kennedy was private about his Roman Catholic faith but did make an effort to attend confession regularly.

However, he worried that as president a priest might recognize him and someday reveal the contents of his confession.

In order to conceal his identity he would be driven to a church with a group of Catholic Secret Servicemen.

At the church he would find an inconspicuous place in the middle of them as they lined up for confession.

Though the attempt was admirable, it didn’t work.

On one occasion, the moment Kennedy stepped into the confessional, the priest greeting him with: “Good evening, Mr. President.”

Kennedy replied, “Good evening,

Presidents’ Day is Feb. 20

WA NTED 20 Volunteers in the Month of February to Experience Some of the Latest Hearing Technology on the Market

America’s largest stamp collection owned by a president.

As a boy living in New York’s Hyde Park, Franklin Delano Roosevelt began collecting stamps from exotic places.

His fascination with faraway destinations was stirred by his mother, whose side of the family included merchant shippers, sailing across the Pacific to Asian ports. His collection continued through student days at Harvard and later as assistant secretary of the Navy.

Knowing of his interest in stamps, royalty and heads of state often gave him stamps as gifts while he was president. Many of those were rare first-release stamps.

On his death in 1945, his collection—which was America’s largest—was sold for $200,000.

A History of Caring ...

A Commitment To Excellence Since 1867.

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431 East Chocolate Avenue Hershey, PA 17033 www.enhancedhearing.net

CALL TODAY! (717) 298-6441

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February 2017

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life on your own terms.

Pursue your favorite hobbies or engage in our many activities.

Options for independent and supportive care available.

Our residents are the honored guests of the best resort in town!

It’s not about giving up;

It’s about giving hope.

Hope for pain-free time together.

Hope for dignity and respect.

Live every moment.

Find the hope in hospice.

717-221-7902

717-221-7890

1901 North Fifth Street Harrisburg, PA 17102

2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115 Harrisburg, PA 17110

www.homelandcenter.org

www.homelandhospice.org

www.50plusLifePA.com

Is This Thing On?

There’s an App for That Abby Stokes

The term application software is often shortened to software when referring to programs added to a computer. The nickname app (short for application) is most commonly used when referring to software added to a smartphone or tablet.

Apps are downloaded directly from the “store” on your smartphone or

tablet. For example, if you own an iPad or iPhone, which is an Apple product, you visit the App Store to purchase an app.

If you have an Android (that is any non-Apple smartphone or tablet), you will visit the Play Store, which is owned by Google. Microsoft has an App Store too.

Apps can be free or purchased for as little as 99 cents or as much as $999.

I’m super frugal and very rarely pay for an app.

Whether you plan to make a purchase or not, you won’t be able to download or add any apps to your smartphone or tablet, even free ones, without filling in the credit card

information requested.

There are apps for almost anything you can imagine, with more than 1 million available to date. Your smartphone and tablet will come with a dozen or so preinstalled, including a clock, camera, GPS, calendar, and weather app, to name a few. please see APP page 9

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away.

Cremation Zimmerman Auer Funeral Home, Inc. 4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 545-4001 Dental Services Eichman Family Dental 348 Beech Ave., Hershey (717) 534-1750 Emergency Central PA Poison Center (800) 521-6110

Arthritis Foundation – Central PA Chapter (717) 763-0900

Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging (717) 780-6130 Floor Coverings Gipe Floor & Wall Covering 5435 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 545-6103 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Dauphin County (800) 720-8221 Funeral Directors Hooper Memorial Home, Inc. 3532 Walnut St., Harrisburg (717) 651-1000

Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531 Healthcare Information PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Enhanced Hearing Solutions, LLC 431 E. Chocolate Ave., Hershey (717) 298-6441

Zimmerman Auer Funeral Home, Inc. 4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 545-4001 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (717) 757-0604 (800) 697-7007 PACE (800) 225-7223 Social Security Information (800) 772-1213

Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home Care Services Senior Helpers (717) 920-0707 Home IMPROVEMENT Grand Opening Windows & Doors 46 Warwick Circle, Mechanicsburg (717) 691-5670 Hospice Services Homeland Hospice 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115, Harrisburg (717) 221-7890

Housing/Apartments B’Nai B’rith Apartments 130 S. Third St., Harrisburg (717) 232-7516 Housing Assistance Dauphin County Housing Authority (717) 939-9301 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902 Personal Care Homes Greenfield Senior Living at Graysonview 150 Kempton Ave., Harrisburg (717) 558-7771 Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Realtors Brokers Realty (888) 774-8488, ext. 753 – Office (717) 608-1284 – Cell Services Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging (717) 780-6130

The Salvation Army Edgemont Temple Corps (717) 238-8678 Toll-Free Numbers American Lung Association (800) LUNG-USA Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555 Meals on Wheels (800) 621-6325 National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046 Social Security Office (800) 772-1213 Veterans Affairs (717) 626-1171 or (800) 827-1000 Transportation CAT Share-A-Ride (717) 232-6100 Travel AAA Central Penn (717) 657-2244 Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771

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

www.50plusLifePA.com

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High Pain Tolerance May Mask Heart Attack Symptoms

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

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artists Lauren McNallen Janys Ruth

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Account Executives Angie McComsey Jacoby Ranee Shaub Miller Account Representatives Itan Cooke Tia Stauffer Sales & Event Coordinator Eileen Culp Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Mariah Hammacher

CIRCULATION

Project Coordinator Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

Member of

Awards

50plus LIFE 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.

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Heart attacks may go Researchers used ECG results was stronger in women than unrecognized among individuals and participants’ hospital records in men, and statistically with high pain tolerance, putting to determine heart attack status significant in women only, them at an increased risk for (recognized, unrecognized, or no but the sex difference was not poor recoveries, according to new heart attack). statistically significant. research in Journal of the American They found: Heart Association, the Open The larger difference in pain Access Journal of the American • Overall, 8 percent of tolerance between unrecognized Heart Association/American participants were classified as and recognized heart attack in Stroke Association. having silent (unrecognized) women may be because women A heart attack does not always heart attacks and 4.7 percent recognized with a heart attack have obvious symptoms, such as of participants as having might be those women most pain in your chest, shortness of recognized heart attacks. sensitive to pain, presenting with breath, and cold sweats. the most severe symptoms, Ohrn In fact, a said. heart attack “The can happen ‘silent’ in a without silent heart a person attack is the realizing it. complicating It is called a factor—often, silent heart a silent heart attack, due attack is to what is discovered a medically while after referred to the acute as silent incidence at ischemia (lack the doctor’s of oxygen) office or the to the heart hospital, by muscle. coincidence, February is American Heart Month “It is if an ECG unknown is recorded,” why some people experience • Those with silent heart attack Ohrn said. “In that case, it is heart attacks without symptoms. endured the cold pressor test very important to screen for One possible explanation for the significantly longer and were cardiovascular risk factors, such as absence of chest pain is high pain less likely to quit the test than hypertension and cholesterol, and tolerance. To our knowledge, those who recognized heart treat these rigorously according to no previous study has examined attack pain. existing guidelines. the relationship between pain “Also, it is important to think sensitivity and recognition of • Women had fewer heart of a silent heart attack if a patient heart attacks,” said Andrea Ohrn, attacks than men (7 percent presents with signs such as heavy M.D., study lead author and vs. 19 percent), but a larger breathing and swollen legs. These Ph.D. fellow at University of proportion of heart attacks can be symptoms of heart failure Tromsø in Norway. were silent in women than because of a previous heart attack Researchers from Norway in men (75 percent vs. 58 even though there is no record of studied 4,849 adults who percent). one.” underwent a cold pressor test and The high prevalence and poor electrocardiogram.

• More women aborted the cold prognosis associated with silent The cold pressor test measured pressor test compared to men heart attack make this a hidden pain tolerance as participants (38 percent vs. 23 percent). public health issue that constitutes placed their hand in ice-cold a larger proportion of women’s water at 3 degrees Celsius (about • However, the association heart disease.

37 degrees Fahrenheit) for as long between silent heart attack Source: American Heart Association as possible, up to two minutes. and lower pain tolerance www.50plusLifePA.com

Notable Numbers for Black History Month To commemorate and celebrate the equivalent. The District of Columbia contributions to our nation made by had the highest percentage (50 people of African descent, American percent), followed by Mississippi (38.3 historian Carter G. Woodson percent). established Black History Week. The • 1.3 million – The black first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, population in Cook County, Illinois 1926.

(Chicago), in 2015, the largest of For many any county. years, the Claiborne second week of County, February was Mississippi, set aside for this was the county celebration to with the highest coincide with percentage in the birthdays the nation (85.1 of abolitionist/ percent). editor Frederick • 108,473 – Douglass and The estimated Abraham number of Lincoln. black-owned In 1976, employer firms as part of in 2014. the nation’s February is National • 2.2 million bicentennial, African-American History Month – The number the week was of black expanded to military veterans in the United States a month. Since then, U.S. presidents have proclaimed February as National in 2015.

African-American History Month.

• 84.7 percent – The percentage of the black population age 25 and over • 46.3 million – The black with a high school diploma or higher population, either alone or in in 2015. combination with one or more other • 20.2 percent – The percentage of races, on July 1, 2015, up about 1.3 the black population age 25 and over percent from July 1, 2014. with a bachelor’s degree or higher in • 74.5 million – The projected 2015. black population, either alone or in • 1.9 million – The number of combination, of the United States black people age 25 and over that (including those of more than one attained an advanced degree in 2015. race) on July 1, 2060. On that date, • 2.8 million – The number of according to the projection, the black people enrolled in undergraduate black population would constitute college in 2015.

17.9 percent of the nation’s total population.

• 11.1 million – The number of black people who voted in the 2014 • 3.8 million – The black congressional election. population in New York on July Source: U.S. Census Bureau 1, 2015, the largest of any state or

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Reach Active, Affluent Boomers & Seniors!

Reserve your space now for the 18th annual

Sponsor and exhibitor applications are now being accepted!

May 9, 2017 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Hershey Lodge 325 University Drive, Hershey, PA

Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars Entertainment • Door Prizes

Why Participate?

It’s the premier event for baby boomers, caregivers, and seniors in Dauphin County • Face-to-face interaction with 2,500+ attendees • Strengthen brand recognition/launch new products

For sponsorship and exhibitor information:

(717) 770-0140 &

www.50plusExpoPA.com 50plus LIFE H

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CCRC Continuing Care

Retirement Communities Designed with their residents’ changing needs in mind, CCRCs offer a tiered approach to the aging process. Healthy adults entering a CCRC can live independently. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can transition to personal care, assisted living, rehabilitation, or nursing care facilities.

Some CCRCs have designated dementia areas that address the progressing needs of people who have any form of dementia. In addition, some communities have sought out and earned accreditation from CARF International, signifying they have met CARF’s stringent set of quality standards. CCRCs enable older adults to remain in one care system for the duration of their lives, with much of their future care already figured out—creating both comfort and peace of mind.

The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.

Bethany Village

325 Wesley Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Stephanie Lightfoot Director of Sales & Marketing (717) 766-0279 www.bethanyvillage.org

Calvary Fellowship Homes

Chapel Pointe at Carlisle

Cross Keys Village The Brethren Home Community

Homeland Center

502 Elizabeth Drive Lancaster, PA 17601 Marlene Morris Marketing Director (717) 393-0711 www.calvaryhomes.org

Cornwall Manor

1 Boyd Street, P.O. Box 125 Cornwall, PA 17016 Jennifer Margut Director of Marketing (717) 274-8092 info@cornwallmanor.org www.cornwallmanor.org

2990 Carlisle Pike New Oxford, PA 17350 Amy Beste Senior Retirement Counselor (717) 624-5350 a.beste@crosskeysvillage.org www.crosskeysvillage.org

770 South Hanover Street Carlisle, PA 17013 Linda Amsley Director of Marketing/Admissions (717) 249-1363 info@ChapelPointe.org www.ChapelPointe.org

1901 North Fifth Street Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 Barry S. Ramper II, N.H.A. President/CEO (717) 221-7902 www.homelandcenter.org

The CCRCs listed are sponsoring this message. This is not an all-inclusive list.

New Regulation Decreases Medication Copay for Most Vets The Department of Veterans Affairs is amending its regulation on copayments for veterans’ outpatient medications for non-serviceconnected conditions.

VA currently charges non-exempt veterans either $8 or $9 for each 30-day or less supply of outpatient medication, and under current regulations, a calculation based on the medication of the Medical Consumer Price Index would be used to determine the copayment amount in future years.

“Switching to a tiered system continues to keep outpatient medication costs low for veterans,”

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Dr. David J. Shulkin, VA undersecretary for health, said.

“Reducing their out-of-pocket costs encourages greater adherence to prescribed outpatient medications and reduces the risk of fragmented care that results when multiple pharmacies are used—another way that VA is providing better service to veterans.”

This new regulation eliminates the formula used to calculate future rate increases and establishes three classes of outpatient medications identified as tier one, preferred generics; tier two, non-preferred generics including over-the-counter medications; and

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tier three, brand name.

Copayment amounts for each tier would be fixed and vary depending upon the class of outpatient medication in the tier.

These copayment amounts will be effective Feb. 27, 2017: • $5 for a 30-day or less supply – tier one outpatient medication • $8 for a 30-day or less supply – tier two outpatient medication • $11 for a 30-day or less supply – tier three outpatient medication These changes apply to veterans without a service-connected condition or veterans with a disability

rated less than 50 percent who are receiving outpatient treatment for a non-service-connected condition and whose annual income exceeds the limit set by law.

Medication copayments do not apply to former prisoners of war, catastrophically disabled veterans, or those covered by other exceptions as set by law.

Copayments stop each calendar year for veterans in priority groups 2–8 once a $700 cap is reached.

For more information on the new tiered medication copayment, call the Department of Veterans Affairs at (877) 222-8387. www.50plusLifePA.com

CCRC Continuing Care

Retirement Communities Designed with their residents’ changing needs in mind, CCRCs offer a tiered approach to the aging process. Healthy adults entering a CCRC can live independently. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can transition to personal care, assisted living, rehabilitation, or nursing care facilities.

Some CCRCs have designated dementia areas that address the progressing needs of people who have any form of dementia. In addition, some communities have sought out and earned accreditation from CARF International, signifying they have met CARF’s stringent set of quality standards. CCRCs enable older adults to remain in one care system for the duration of their lives, with much of their future care already figured out—creating both comfort and peace of mind.

The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.

Homestead Village

Landis Homes

Pleasant View Retirement Community

St. Anne’s Retirement Community

1001 East Oregon Road Lititz, PA 17543 Sarah Short Director of Residency Planning (717) 381-3549 sshort@landishomes.org www.landishomes.org

Enhanced Senior Living 1800 Marietta Avenue P.O. Box 3227 Lancaster, PA 17604-3227 Christina Gallagher Director of Marketing (717) 397-4831, ext. 158 www.homesteadvillage.org

544 North Penryn Road Manheim, PA 17545 Amanda Hall Sales & Marketing Manager (717) 664-6207 ahall@pleasantviewrc.org www.pleasantviewrc.org

Willow Valley Communities

Serving from the 999 West Harrisburg Pike Heart in the Spirit of Friendship, Love, Middletown, PA 17057 and Truth Andrea Henney Director of Residential Services (717) 944-3351 www.MiddletownHome.org

“A Catholic-Centered Community, Honoring All Faiths”

3952 Columbia Avenue West Hempfield Township, PA 17512 Toni La Pann Marketing & Sales (717) 285-6112 www.StAnnesRC.org

600 Willow Valley Square Lancaster, PA 17602 Ric Myers Director of Sales (717) 464-6800 (800) 770-5445 www.willowvalleycommunities.org

The Middletown Home

Woodcrest Villa Mennonite Home Communities

If you would like your CCRC to be featured on this page, please contact your account representative or call (717) 285-1350.

2001 Harrisburg Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 Connie Buckwalter Director of Marketing (717) 390-4126 www.woodcrestvilla.org The CCRCs listed are sponsoring this message. This is not an all-inclusive list.

Genes May Control Your Coffee Intake The amount of coffee you drink may be based on your genetic makeup.

A study by an international team of researchers, written up in the journal Scientific Reports, identified a gene that regulates the expression www.50plusLifePA.com

of other genes connected to caffeine metabolism.

The gene, PDSS2, hampers cells’ ability to break down caffeine, which causes it to remain in the body longer.

Thus, people with the gene will feel the effects of caffeine longer, reducing

their desire for more.

The scientists examined genetic data from two groups of people in Italy, and they asked participants to record how many cups of coffee they drank each day.

People with a variation in their

PDSS2 gene tended to drink less coffee than those without the variant.

The study was replicated in a similar study carried out in the Netherlands.

So if someone ever tells you that you’re drinking too much coffee, you can blame it on your genes.

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Calendar of Events

Dauphin County

Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

Mondays, 6:30–8 p.m.

Grief Support Group Mohler Senior Center 25 Hope Drive, Hershey (717) 732-1000

Friendship Senior Center – (717) 657-1547 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8–9 a.m. – Light Aerobics Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. – Mah Jong Fridays, 9:30 a.m. – Bridge Classes with Mr. Henning

Feb. 1 and 15, 7–8:30 p.m.

ANAD Eating Disorders Support Group PinnacleHealth Polyclinic Landis Building, Sixth Floor, Classroom 1 2501 N. Third St., Harrisburg (717) 712-9535 Feb. 8, 6–7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Brookdale Harrisburg 3560 N. Progress Ave., Harrisburg (717) 671-4700 Feb. 14, 6–7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group Greenfield Senior Living at Graysonview 150 Kempton Ave., Harrisburg (717) 561-8010 Feb. 15, 1:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group on East Shore Jewish Home of Harrisburg 4004 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 441-8627

Feb. 16, 6–8 p.m.

Harrisburg Area Parkinson’s Disease Caregiver Support Group Giant Food Stores – Second Floor 2300 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 580-7772 Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m.

Support Group for Families of Those with MemoryRelated Illnesses Frey Village 1020 N. Union St., Middletown (717) 930-1218 Feb. 22, 7–8 p.m.

Connections Support Group: Families of Memory Impaired Ecumenical Retirement Community Building 3, Second Floor 3525 Canby St., Harrisburg (717) 561-2590

If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

Community Programs Free and open to the public Feb. 1, 7 p.m.

World Culture Club of Central PA Meeting Penn State Hershey Medical Center Fifth Floor, Lecture Room B 500 University Drive, Hershey www.worldcultureclubpa.org

Feb. 22, 7 p.m.

Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Middletown St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Spring and Union streets, Middletown (717) 915-5555 gsk1308@gmail.com

Feb. 2, 7 p.m.

Central Pennsylvania World War II Roundtable Meeting Grace United Methodist Church 433 E. Main St., Hummelstown (717) 503-2862 charlie.centralpaww2rt@gmail.com www.centralpaww2roundtable.org

Feb. 28, 6 p.m.

Susquehanna Rovers Volksmarch Walking Club Bass Pro Shop – Hunt Room Harrisburg Mall 3501 Paxton St., Harrisburg (717) 805-9540

Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Roundtable Meeting Vietnam Veterans of America, Michael Novosel MOH Chapter 542 8000 Derry St., Harrisburg (717) 545-2336 centralpavietnamrt@verizon.net www.centralpavietnamroundtable.org

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PARKS & RECREATION Feb. 5, 10–11:30 a.m. – Mindfulness Hike, Wildwood Park Feb. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Great Backyard Bird Count, Wildwood Park Feb. 19, 1–2:30 p.m. – Cabin Fever Walk, Wildwood Park

Rutherford House – (717) 564-5682, www.rutherfordcenter.org Mondays, 10 a.m. – Line Dancing Tuesdays, noon – Circuit Exercise with Personal Training Fridays, 11 a.m. – Chair Yoga Just a snippet of what you may be missing … please call or visit their website for more information.

Library Programs East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg, (717) 652-9380 Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m. – Tell Your Story Feb. 22, 6 p.m. – African-American Oral History Film Feb. 26, 2 p.m. – Crazy for Coloring Elizabethville Area Library, 80 N. Market St., Elizabethville, (717) 362-9825 Tuesdays through April 11, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

– AARP Tax-Aide Help by Appointment Feb. 14, 6 p.m. – Tell Your Story Feb. 23, 6 p.m. – African-American Oral History Film Johnson Memorial Library, 799 E. Center St., Millersburg, (717) 692-2658 Feb. 11, 11 a.m. – That’s (P)interesting: A DIY Club Kline Branch, 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-3934 Feb. 16, 6 p.m. – Couponing Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. – Friends of Kline Library Meeting Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, 2410 N. Third St., Harrisburg, (717) 232-7286 Feb. 6, 6 p.m. – Crazy for Coloring Feb. 21, noon – Movie Mania McCormick Riverfront Library, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-4976 Wednesdays in February, 11:30 a.m. – Midday Getaway Northern Dauphin Library, 683 Main St., Lykens, (717) 453-9315 Feb. 13, 6 p.m. – Crazy for Coloring Feb. 16, 6 p.m. – Tell Your Story William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, 200 W. Second St., Hummelstown, (717) 566-0949 Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. – Build a Better Menu Feb. 8, 6 p.m. – Second Wednesday Cinema Feb. 15, 6 p.m. – Tell Your Story www.50plusLifePA.com

Volunteers Needed for Meals on Wheels Volunteers are needed for the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging’s Meals on Wheels Program, which serves seniors 60 or older throughout Dauphin County.

The home-delivered meal helps keep seniors in their homes and communities by providing nutritious food and social contact.

On an average, more than 650 seniors participate in the agency’s Meals on Wheels program. Program volunteers are essential in providing caring and compassion to seniors in need of nutrition assistance.

To volunteer, call the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging at (717) 780-6130.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Traditional Funeral Service t Cremation Options Pre-Planning for Peace of Mind t Veteran’s Benefits Dale A. Auer, Supervisor

t

Amanda J. Seiders, Funeral Director

Convenient Colonial Park Location Just Off I-83

(717) 545-4001

APP from page 3 After you’ve gotten comfortable with those, branch out and investigate the other apps available … apps for entertainment (Netflix, Hulu, TED), education (Lumosity, Duolingo), and apps that allow you to monitor the utilities in your home (TempStick).

Plus, there are apps for news (BBC, CNN, NPR), sports (ESPN, 365Scores), health (Sworkit, iFirstAid), and every hobby you could endeavor.

You can get a compass, flashlight, calorie counter (LoseIt, MyPlate), movie theater finder (Fandango, ShowTimes), tide chart, and games, games, games (CheckWord, Temple Run, Pokemon Go).

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Skype, Instagram, and LinkedIn are all available as free apps.

You might want to search your app store for good research apps, such as Google, Wikipedia, and Merriam-Webster.

For travel, there are international translator apps (iTranslate), flight trackers (Flight Gate, Flight), restaurant/hotel reviews (TripAdvisor, Yelp), and nearly every airline has an app that enables you to get your boarding pass on your smartphone or tablet.

Dragon is an app for your smartphone or tablet to take dictation and transcribe your words. Some other dictation apps are Dictadroid and Speech to Text.

Trust. Honor. Integrity. Service.

There are some great music apps as well. Apple Music allows you to livestream anything your heart desires from Apple’s 30-million-song library for a fee (at present, $14.99 a month).

Spotify has a great free option to livestream single tracks or entire albums.

Pandora provides personalized online radio. As you listen to music, you indicate your likes and dislikes, and Pandora will start to filter songs accordingly. It creates the equivalent of a radio station based on your favorite artists.

With Shazam, as you hear a song playing, hold up your phone, and the Shazam app will detect the song in a matter of seconds, giving you the title and lyrics, along with purchasing or streaming options.

Amazing, right? You name it, and there’s an app for it!

Ask your friends to recommend apps to add to your smartphone, and be sure to check out the list of 100 free recommended apps under “helpful guides” in the video tutorials dropdown menu on AskAbbyStokes.com.

Happy apping!

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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February 2017

9

Tours and Trips Savvy Senior

SPRING 2017 Trips Thursday, March 23 Washington D.C.

The International Spy Museum and the National Portrait Gallery Member $156/Nonmember $166

Thursday, April 27 Bedford County

Flight 93 Memorial & Tour of Historic Bedford Springs Hotel Member $156/Nonmember $166

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February 2017

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Jim Miller

Health Tips and Advice for Older Travelers

Dear Savvy Senior, My husband and I are recently retired and would like to do some traveling both in the United States and abroad, but we worry about health issues, such as insurance, finding a good hospital if we get sick, etc.

What tips can you offer healthconscious mature adults who want to travel?

– Older Travelers

vaccinations and/or preventative medications are recommended.

See the CDC’s Travelers Health page (www.cdc.gov/travel) or call (800) 232-463 to get this information.

Check your insurance: If you have health insurance or

Dear Travelers, A dream vacation can turn into a real nightmare if you get sick or injured while you’re away and aren’t prepared.

Before setting out, here are some simple steps to help ensure a safe and healthy trip.

Talk to your doctor: If you have a medical condition or health concerns, a good first step is to talk with your doctor now about what precautions you need to take before traveling.

You should also have your doctor’s contact information with you when you travel, as well as a list of your medical conditions and the medications you’re taking in case you need emergency medical care while you’re away.

If you’re traveling outside the U.S., you need to find out the health conditions of the country you’re visiting and what, if any,

a Medicare Advantage plan through an HMO or PPO that covers in-network doctors only, check your plan to find out what’s covered if you need medical care when traveling outside your geographic area.

Beneficiaries that have original Medicare are covered everywhere in the U.S. But if you’re traveling abroad, you need

to know that original Medicare does not cover medical expenses beyond the border except in rare circumstances, although some Medicare Advantage plans and some Medigap supplemental policies do.

And, many private health plans don’t pay healthcare costs outside the U.S. either. Be sure to check.

If you need coverage when traveling abroad, get a comprehensive travel medical insurance policy that covers medical care, medical evacuation, and trip-cancellation coverage.

See InsureMyTrip (www. insuremytrip.com) and SquareMouth (www. squaremouth.com) to shop and compare policies.

Locate healthcare: Before your trip, find out what health and urgentcare facilities are near the areas you’re visiting.

Your hotel can help you with this, or see Urgent Care Locations (www. urgentcarelocations.com) or U.S. Hospital Finder (www.ushospitalfinder. com) for U.S. facilities.

If you’re traveling abroad, the U.S. consulate or embassy in the countries you’re visiting is a good place to get a referral. Enroll your trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (www.step.state.gov).

Or join the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (www. iamat.org), which provides its members access to a worldwide network of physicians who speak www.50plusLifePA.com

Tours and Trips English and have agreed to affordable prearranged fees. Membership is free.

Pack your meds: Make sure you have a sufficient supply of medications to last the entire trip.

If traveling by air, you need to pack your medicine in your carry-on bag, so if your checked luggage gets lost or misdirected, you won’t be without.

It’s best to keep your medications in their original containers to get through airport security

without delays. It’s also a good idea to bring along a note from your doctor that explains why you take these medications, especially if syringes or other medical supplies are involved.

For airport security requirements, visit the Transport Security Administration’s website (www. tsa.gov) and click on “Disabilities and Medical Conditions.” You can also call TSA Cares at (855) 787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures, and what to expect at the security checkpoint.

What’s Safer: Food and Beverage Safety for the International Traveler Unclean food and water can cause travelers’ diarrhea and other diseases. Travelers to developing countries are especially at risk.

In otherwise healthy adults, diarrhea is rarely serious or life-threatening, but it can certainly make for an unpleasant trip. Take steps to avoid diarrhea when you travel.

What’s Safer • Pasteurized dairy products like milk • “Dry” food like bread or crackers • Water, sodas, or sports drinks that are bottled and sealed (carbonated is safer) • Hot coffee or tea • Hard-cooked eggs • Food that is cooked and served hot • Meat that is cooked all the way through • Food from a factory-sealed package or container • Fruit and vegetables you have washed in clean water or peeled

Seek mobility aids: If mobility is an issue and you’re flying to your destination, call your airline before you leave and ask them to supply you a wheelchair to use while you’re in the airport.

And when booking hotel reservations, ask for an accessible room that accommodates wheelchairs and walkers.

Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www. savvysenior.org

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February 2017

11

Tours and Trips Traveltizers

Tasty Traveling

By Andrea Gross

Sometimes we watch sausage being stuffed or ice cream being swirled.

Other times we amble through markets, take a food class, or attend a wine festival. One way or another, food nearly always is an important part of our travels.

And why not? Culinary travel is about more than what people eat; it’s about how they live.

Here, food-based experiences in three diverse spots: Georgia, Wisconsin, and Washington.

Shrimpin’ in Georgia Captain Larry Credle powers up the Lady Jane, an authentic shrimp trawler that’s been refurbished to hold 49 passengers.

“Let’s go shrimpin’,” he says with a grin as we leave the pier in Brunswick, Georgia, to go on a shrimp-catching cruise (www.shrimpcruise.com) in St. Simon Sound.

The crew lowers a huge net until it lies near the bottom of the sound.

Then the boat moves forward at about 2 knots an hour while the net drags along behind, scooping up everything in its path. (Note the origin of the word dragnet.)

After about 15 minutes, the crew raises the net and dumps the contents onto a big table.

Passengers crowd around to touch and hold the catch, which includes shrimp, bluefish, jellyfish, horseshoe crabs, and even a small stingray, a mini-version of the one that doomed Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter).

Then we return them to the water or toss them to the seagulls that are hovering nearby.

Midway through the cruise, First Mate John Tyre brings out a huge pot of boiled shrimp. We dig in with abandon, knowing that we’ll never again enjoy shrimp this much.

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February 2017

an experience that we can truly take home, both around our hips and in the form of recipes for later!

Vendors at Pike Place Market stress that overnight shipping is available.

With Linda Harding’s help, amateur cooks are able to whip up a tasty meal.

From Farm to Table in Wisconsin Linda Harding isn’t satisfied just teaching folks how to cook. She wants them to understand food, to know what’s gone into the growing as well as the preparing of it.

It’s for that reason that my husband and I find ourselves standing in an organic vegetable garden at Blooming Hill Farm (www.thekitchensage.com) in Plum City, Wisconsin.

As owner Mary Maier-Abel walks us through the fields, Harding, who has an extensive culinary background, extols the virtues of farm-fresh produce.

“Food that’s freshly picked and simply prepared allows the flavor to

50plus LIFE H

shine through,” she says.

After a thorough but all-too-short tour of the farm, we head back to Harding’s home, a delightful 1902 house that she’s refurbished to be both comfortable and efficient.

Under her guidance the five of us, all admitted novices, have no trouble whipping up a masterful meal from local foods: wild mushroom duxelle on crostini; farm-fresh salad with beets and blue cheese; rosemary- and garlic-roasted leg of spring lamb; oven-roasted heirloom potatoes and vegetables; and a positively yummy apple crisp with black walnuts.

Afterward, we sit down and enjoy our efforts. This, we agree, has been

Going to the Market in Seattle Seattle’s Pike Place Market (www. pikeplacemarket.org), one of the oldest continuously operated farmers markets in the nation, is colorful, crowded, and caffeinated, as befits the prime attraction in the city that birthed Starbucks.

There are men hawking fish that, they promise, can be delivered to your home before spoiling, performers strumming guitars, people talking in a multitude of languages.

And while the odor of fish predominates, it’s mixed with the strong smells of curry, kimchi, coffee, and chocolate. As for color, the flowers, which change seasonally, are startlingly bright, the vegetables are overwhelmingly supersized, and the fruit is incredibly sweet.

We let ourselves be swept along with the crowd, and as we do, vendors ply us with samples: a handful of dried fruit, a slice of apple, a chunk of cantaloupe, a taste of jam, and the best chocolatecovered cherry I’ve ever tasted.

We’re not really hungry, but in the name of research we order a halibut sandwich from the Mixed Grill.

Delicious! Four hours later we decide we must try some fish and chips from Lowell’s. Incredible.

We think we’ve seen it all, but just to make sure, the following day we take the Savor Seattle Tour (www. savorseattletours.com). In a space of two hours, our guide serves up bits of market history as well as tastes of more than 20 foods, from freshly made doughnuts to several kinds of piroshky.

I roll home thoroughly sated.

Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (www. andreagross.com).

www.50plusLifePA.com

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘Ruby Tuesday’ Randal Hill

The first Rolling Stones single of large double bass that had bassist Bill 1967 listed the “A” (main) side as Wyman plucking the notes while lead “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” a guitarist Richards drew a bow across rollicking, electric piano-fueled tune the strings and Jagger delivered such that lead singer Mick Jagger attacked lines as: with gleeful abandon.

Predictably, though, radio Don’t ask her why she needs to be so programmers instantly yanked the free controversially titled offering from She’ ll tell you it’s the only way to be their playlists.

Still, grumpy old Ed Sullivan hired The ballad was a lyrical sketch of the Stones to sing the song on his a free-spirited young groupie who top-rated Sunday night variety show once hung around the band. At least but insisted that’s what most that Jagger thought. Some substitute cited actress the words Tuesday Weld “some as being the time” for inspiration. “the night” Others when he claimed that performed Richards’s lyrics live. spoke abstractly In Rolling of the Zen ideal Stone later, of living in the “Ruby Tuesday” Jagger “here and now,” The Rolling Stones insisted, “I being conscious February 1967 never said of the moment. ‘time.’ I Some declared really didn’t. I said—mumbled—‘Let’s it a paean to hippie-era female spend some mmmmm together.’” independence.

But a YouTube clip of that night’s Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong. performance clearly shows him “Ruby Tuesday” was actually about singing ‘Let’s spend some time Richards’s one-time girlfriend, Linda together’ twice as he rolls his eyes.

Keith, who had left him for another (Gotcha, Mick!) superstar rocker and sent him into an London Records began promoting emotional tailspin. the single’s “B” (secondary) side, a In Life, his autobiography, he says, wistful Keith Richards ballad called “Basically, Linda [Keith] is ‘Ruby “Ruby Tuesday.” (As with Beatles Tuesday.’ … She went back to New John Lennon and Paul McCartney York and took up with Jimi Hendrix, sharing writing credits, the majority who may have broken her heart, as she of Rolling Stones tracks list the broke mine.” composers as (Mick) Jagger and He had written “Ruby Tuesday” a (Keith) Richards.) year earlier, alone and in a reflective “That’s a wonderful song,” Jagger mood in a Los Angeles motel room. said in Rolling Stone. “It’s just a nice “Ruby Tuesday” soared to No. 1 melody, really. And a lovely lyric. on the Billboard singles charts; “Let’s Neither of which I wrote, but I always Spend the Night Together” stalled at a enjoy singing it.” lowly 55.

Highlighted by the haunting Later, in According to the Rolling recorder (it sounds like a flute) of Stones, Keith Richards further Brian Jones, “Ruby” also featured a please see ‘RUBY TUESDAY’ page 19 www.50plusLifePA.com

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February 2017

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Seeing is Believing: What You Should Know about Eye Care

By Lori Myers

of Pennsylvania aid in the healing Retina process since If you’re over 50, and particularly Specialists, P.C., retinal tissue does if you’re over the age of 65, it may with offices in not naturally look to you like the skies are cloudy, regenerate.

Lancaster, York, or words are blurry on a printed page.

Hershey, State “The macula is But there might be nothing wrong College, and a very specialized with the weather or the printing Camp Hill. It is portion of the quality of that novel you’re reading; it retina,” he says. a leading cause of may be problems with your eyes.

“It provides us central vision loss Diseases such as age-related in people over 50. with our best macular degeneration (AMD), sighting vision “The ‘wet’ macular puckering, or cataracts may form of AMD, and is responsible be the culprit. or neovascular for most of our Both AMD and macular puckering color perception.

AMD, results in are diseases of the retina—the lining vision loss from If you think February is Age-Related Macular of the inside of your eyes. of the retina new, abnormal Degeneration Awareness Month “It’s like the film inside a camera,” blood-vessel as a target, the explains Gary S. Kirman, O.D., macula would be growth under the of Hummelstown. “The retina is the bull’s eye of the retina. The retina retina, which bleed or leak fluid into responsible for receiving light that is the macula,” Ho says. is 10 cell layers thick, but only the focused by the cornea (the clear front According to Kirman, this leaking thickness of tissue paper in total.” surface of the eye) and the lens (inside of blood can happen at any time, the eye). The retina then processes the Age-Related Macular Degeneration and central vision loss can occur light into an image that is transferred very rapidly and be permanent if not (AMD) to the brain via the optic nerve.”

There are two forms of AMD: treated immediately.

According to Kirman, retinal Dry AMD is an atrophy of the “dry” AMD and “wet” AMD, problems need prompt attention to macular tissue that occurs as a result according to Lawrence Y. Ho, M.D., of restriction of nutrients to the sensitive macular tissue, says Kirman.

When that tissue is disrupted, there is a visible distortion and blur of the central vision; straight lines become wavy or broken.

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“The disease is generally slowly Hershey Lodge progressive, impairing more and more 325 University Drive of a patient’s central vision,” Kirman Hershey DAUPHIN COUNTY says. “Night-vision impairment is an early warning sign of AMD. Dry AMD may convert later in the disease process to wet AMD.” 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

There are risk factors that Shady Maple Conference Center contribute to AMD, including Smorgasbord Building smoking, ultraviolet light exposure, 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl LANCASTER COUNTY high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heredity. About 85 percent of AMD cases are of the dry type, and 15 percent are the wet type.

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Macular Pucker A macular pucker is the development of a semi-translucent fibrocellular tissue that has formed on the surface of the retina inside of the eye. The disease gets its name due to the wrinkling or puckering of the inner layers of the retina as a result of fluid accumulation between the cell layers of the macula.

Other names for a macular pucker that you may hear upon visiting your doctor include epiretinal membrane or ERM, surface wrinkling retinopathy, cellophane maculopathy, preretinal membrane, or preretinal macular fibrosis, says Ho. “The location of this membrane is over the macula, which is the area of the retina responsible for your central visual acuity,” Ho adds.

“Many patients do not have any symptoms when the membrane initially forms, but if it progresses, patients will usually complain of blurry central vision, distortion of images, monocular diplopia, and misropsia, where images appear smaller than normal.”

While a person’s average age of diagnosis of a macular pucker is 65 years old—and the condition can be age related and from a separation of the vitreous from the back of the eye—there are other factors that come into play, according to Ho. The condition can also develop with a history of trauma, retinal vascular diseases, ocular inflammation, retinal tears or detachments, or after intraocular surgery.

“Increased lighting is helpful to improve vision,” says Kirman. “Most times the distorted vision is not improved with new glasses.”

Cataracts Most of us have heard of or have already had cataracts. It’s part of the natural aging process of the lens inside our eyes.

“It is like the old plexiglass rear windows of the old convertible cars made in the ’60s and ’70s,” Kirman explains. “When you bought the car, the window was clear, but a decade later the window was yellowed and clouded.”

The symptoms to watch out for include poor vision at night, glare from headlights, and difficulty reading or watching television. Often, a glasses prescription will change due to the hardening of the lens.

“There are several types of cataracts, but the most common is called a nuclear sclerotic cataract,” says Erik Chotiner, M.D. F.AC.S., www.50plusLifePA.com

a fellowshiptrained corneal, cataract, and refractive surgeon at Memorial Eye Institute in Harrisburg. “This type typically develops slowly as we age.”

According to Chotiner, cataracts are monitored in their early stages with yearly exams as long as the patient’s visual needs are adequate.

with antiseptic medication to minimize discomfort and risk of infection.

“These injections are usually given at time intervals, ranging from every Erik Chotiner, M.D. F.AC.S. month to three months based on disease activity,” Ho says.

According to Chotiner, cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure Treatment performed under Dry AMD is topical anesthesia Gary S. Kirman, O.D. treated using highthat is one of dose multivitamins the safest and formulated most beneficial specifically for surgeries in all of the retina, says medicine. There Kirman. Studies are no stitches, proved the and patients see effectiveness of improved vision vitamin therapy as early as the day to reduce the after surgery. progression of dry The newest Lawrence Y. Ho, M.D. AMD. advancement in “Early detection the treatment of dry AMD is very important so of cataracts involves the use of that vitamin therapy can be initiated femtosecond lasers to remove the for the patient,” Kirman says. cataract and treat corneal refractive Specifically, these studies showed errors to help patients see better that mineral and antioxidant without glasses, says Chotiner. supplementation may reduce the There are also new intraocular risk of progression for certain types lens implants now available that may of dry AMD along with vitamins give patients the ability to see at all such as vitamin C, vitamin E, betadistances without glasses. carotine, zinc, and copper.

“Modern cataract surgery has “If a patient is a current smoker, merged in many ways with refractive we advise that they should not take surgery, as many of our cataract beta-carotine as this may slightly patients want not only to have their increase the risk of lung cancer in cataracts removed, but also the these patients,” Chotiner says. “These ability to see without glasses after vitamins are available in prepackaged cataract surgery,” Chotiner says. commercial forms.”

Patients with wet AMD are Technology and medical advances treated with intravitreal injections, have enabled us to maintain our which are given into the eye vision, despite our age. Remember during a routine office visit. The the song “I Can See Clearly Now”? eye is anesthetized and disinfected Now we can say we can!

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February 2017

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Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18 SUDOKU

brainteasers

Singers of the Top Songs of the ’60s Find the last names of the singers of these top songs of the ’60s: 1. “King of the Road,” 1965 – Roger __________r 2. “What’s New Pussycat,” 1965 – Tom __________s 3. “Eve of Destruction,” 1965 – Barry __________e 4. “What the World Needs Now,” 1965 – Jackie __________n 5. “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” 1966 – Nancy __________a 6. “Respect,” 1967 – Aretha __________n 7. “It Must Be Him,” 1967 – Vicki _________r 8. “The Dock of the Bay,” 1968 – Otis __________g 9. “This Guy’s in Love with You,” 1968 – Herb __________t 10. “My Cherie Amour,” 1969 – Stevie __________r Words and Phrases Created in the ’60s Find these words and phrases that came into existence during the ’60s. Some of them lasted well beyond the ’60s: 1. C _ b _ _ te _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n 2. C _ u _ t _ _ cu _ t _ _ _ 3. C _ _ b d _ _ _ h 4. D _ _ fu _ 5. Ge _ _ _ _ c co _ _ 6. Hi _ _ i _ 7. I _ s _ a _ _ r _ p _ _ _ 8. J _ _ _ ag 9. S _ _ co _ 10. N _ _ Y _ _ _ m _ _ _ _ e Written by Alan Stillson. Please see http://stillsonworks.com

Across 1. Soft drink 4. Attention getter 8. Rear 12. Saintly topper 13. Dollar bill 14. Circumvent 16. Contributes 17. Highest degrees 18. Answer 19. Attempts 21. Reckless 23. Major League actress Russo 24. Envision 25. Rel. image 27. Increases Down 1. San Diego athlete 2. Song of yore 3. Sit for a picture 4. ___ Arbor 5. Fast car 6. Hawke or Allen 7. Disarray 8. Soap measure 9. Swears 10. Make do 11. Oven 12. Bonnets 15. Coloring material 20. River mud 22. Wrecked ship 26. Demure

29. Trudge 30. Inventor Whitney 31. Distant 34. Refuge 37. Garden tool 38. Beer relative 39. Trumpet 40. Write down 41. Heartthrob 42. Singleton 43. Knife 45. Dairy cow 47. Damp 48. Haul 49. Bogus 50. Athletic facility

51. Father 52. Network inits.

55. Beloved 58. Warbled 60. Gastropod 62. Celestial path 64. Mortgage company’s forte 66. Killer whale 67. ___ de cacao 68. Nimbus 69. Appear 70. Toboggan 71. Discontinue 72. Second sight

28. Pastry 29. Writing implement 30. Consume 31. Crazes 32. Health-giving plant 33. Depend 34. Movie 35. First-rate 36. Worry 37. Steal 40. Face part 41. Anger 43. Eye infection 44. Gobblers 45. Cookie holder 46. Augments

49. Barber of Seville character 50. Filth 51. Beak 52. Feels concern 53. Muscle 54. Bridge term 55. Medical man, for short 56. Slips up 57. Eve’s son 59. Regrettably 61. Proboscis 63. Turner or Williams 65. Snooze

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Quilt of Valor Presented to Col. Robert Wilcox Rose Quilters Col. Robert Guild, D. Wilcox, represented World War at the II Air Force presentation veteran and

by Dorothy longtime Shuman and veterans Dina Cerase. columnist for 50plus LIFE, was Wilcox has served awarded a Quilt With Col. Robert Wilcox’s the MOAA of Valor during Quilt of Valor are, standing, from left, since 1988 a recent meeting Dorothy Shuman, Red Rose Quilters of his local Guild, and Randy Wilcox, Col. Wilcox’s in various capacities, chapter of the son, and seated, from left, including Military Officers J.J. Bentman and Col. Wilcox.

Association. chapter president, member, newsletter editor, Quilts of Valor are awarded and other roles. to deserving veterans and active He also penned 50plus LIFE’s service members for their service to monthly Salute to a Veteran column the nation. The Quilt of Valor is a for more than 16 years, preserving lifetime award. and illuminating the personal Wilcox’s quilt was approved by the national Quilt of Valor wartime stories of more than 200 veterans. Fifty of those stories were Foundation and produced by the published in book form in 2016.

Quilt of Valor team from the Red

Stories of ordinary men and women called to perform extraordinary military service.

Since 1999, writer and World War II veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox has preserved the firsthand wartime experiences of more than 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— selected by Wilcox himself—are available to own in this soft-cover book.

Simply complete and mail this form with your payment to the address below to order Salute to Our Veterans.

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On Life and Love after 50

The Single Women of Central Pa. Tom Blake

This past December, a Harrisburg woman, whose nickname is Neet, was in the reception room of her doctor’s office. She started leafing through the December issue of 50 plus LIFE. An article I had written, “Men Have Trouble Meeting Women,” intrigued Neet. Right there, while sitting in the chair, she emailed me.

Neet wrote: “As I opened the paper, bam—I must admit I was very surprised to read that older single men have trouble meeting women.

“I am 59; the group of ladies that are in my circle range in age from 50-68. Whether they be divorced, widowed, never married, co-workers, church members, classmates, childhood friends, or neighbors, we all have the same issue as the men—meeting single members of the opposite sex is difficult.

“I was even ready to relocate until I read your article. If I could, I would introduce single men to single ladies in Harrisburg. I’m open for new

suggestions for 2017!”

I thought about Neet’s email and began to think, wow, what if I did an article introducing her group of single women in Harrisburg to the older single men of Pennsylvania? Wouldn’t it be cool if some of the women met single men in the area?

Neet and I spoke on the phone. She told me about her group members and the activities they do together.

She said: “We’ve done church events, ladies’ retreats, wine tours, casino nights, cookie exchanges, paint-and-create sessions, on-andoff-Broadway plays, bus trips, and cruises. If single men in their 50s to 70s can’t meet women, come join us for an event or two. We will have fun together.”

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February 2017

Tom’s comments: I think it is wonderful that a group of approximately 40 women, most in their 50s and 60s, get out and do things together. Why aren’t they meeting men?

There may be two reasons: One, they may be pursing activities that men aren’t interested in, so the men don’t go to those places. For example, men don’t go to ladies’ retreats or cookie exchanges, and most don’t attend paint-and-create classes.

Second, older single men often tell me that when they see women out and about, the women are usually in groups, and approaching them is just too intimidating. The women are having fun by themselves and the men feel ignored, so they are hesitant to approach them.

I sent a copy of my book, How 50 Couples Found Love After 50, to Neet.

The book’s purpose is twofold: one, to inform by showing singles how 100 singles across North America found love after the age of 50.

Two, to provide hope to singles that finding love later in life is possible and they should never give up. Some of the book’s couples found love in their 70s and 80s. It’s never too late.

If people (women or men) have questions about the wonderful women in Neet’s group or the events they have planned, her email is sweetneet2000@ yahoo.com. Neet would enjoy hearing from them.

Wouldn’t it be nice for some of them to find love in 2017!

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to www.

FindingLoveAfter50.com.

Brainteasers

Puzzles shown on page 16

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Casinos they’ve visited include the Hollywood Casino in Grantville and the Maryland Live Casino in Arundel Mills, Maryland.

Neet’s group of traveling friends includes nearly 40 women. Some she’s known since relocating to Harrisburg in the eighth grade. Others attend the same church, and some are co-workers. A few are retired.

She added, “I’ve been divorced for 15 years. I’ve dated, even been engaged, but they weren’t the right one! Being in my late 50s, if I had just one wish, it would be to find true love before I leave this earth. So, I’m putting myself out there once again in 2017.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Neet added.

“I enjoy spending time with girlfriends (because they are the laughs), but the topic ‘the lack of available men’ seems to always come up when we’re out and about.”

Singers of the Top Songs of the ’60s 1. R oger Miller 2. T om Jones 3. Barry McGuire 4. Jackie DeShannon 5. Nancy Sinatra

6. A retha Franklin 7. Vicki Carr 8. Otis Redding 9. Herb Alpert 10. Stevie Wonder

Words and Phrases Created in the ’60s 1. Cable television 2. Counterculture 3. Crib death 4. Doofus 5. Genetic code

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6. Hippie 7. Instant replay 8. Jetlag 9. Sitcom 10. New York minute

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The Beauty in Nature

Raccoons: Intelligent and Adaptable Clyde McMillan-Gamber

cities, where they can be pests at times. There they consume garbage from trash cans, food from outdoor cat or dog dishes, and vegetables from gardens.

Good climbers, many raccoons live in tree hollows in woods and maturing suburbs. But some dwell in hollow logs, in crevices between boulders, in abandoned woodchuck holes in the ground of woods and pastures, and under utility sheds.

Although raccoons are inquisitive—which, to me, is a sign of intelligence—adult coons are also wary and ready to defend themselves. They are vicious fighters when need be, clawing their opponents with sharp teeth and claws, accompanied by loud screeches and snarls.

Some young coons, however, fall victim to bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, bears, eastern coyotes, and bobcats.

In fall, raccoons have long fur and layers of fat that will see them through winter. They are active all winter, except during times of extreme cold or deep snow, when they stay in their dens for a few days until weather conditions improve.

Raccoons are common, interesting mammals in Central Pennsylvania, as elsewhere across the United States.

And, although they are mostly nocturnal, some are noticed going about their business during the day.

Although they are mostly nocturnal, I have heard and seen many raccoons in our area over the years.

I’ve seen at least a few mother coons with their litters along waterways in midsummer. I’ve seen some crossing roads, a few looking out of tree hollows, and a couple dumped out of trash cans.

I saw one big male go down a female’s home in a large drainage pipe under a country road during their February breeding season. And I’ve seen several dead raccoons on country roads.

Raccoons are one of the most adaptable, intelligent, and interesting of mammals, all reasons for their success as a species and abundance here and across most of the United States.

Little cousins of bears, raccoons weigh 12–26 pounds as adults; have chunky, hump-backed bodies; and have a black mask over the eyes and dark rings on their tails. And they have five sensitive fingers on each front paw they use to feel for food.

Raccoons eat frogs, crayfish, freshwater mollusks called mussels, and other aquatic creatures along waterways in woodlands and farmland.

But being omnivorous, they also eat birds’ eggs, fruit, berries, field corn in the “milk” stage, mice, carrion, and anything else edible they find in their nightly travels.

Some coons live in suburbs and

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‘ruby TUESDAY’ from page 13 explained his composition: “That’s one of those things. Some chick you’ve broken up with. And all you’ve got left is the piano and the guitar … and it’s goodbye, you know.

“And so it just comes out of that, www.50plusLifePA.com

and after that you just build on it … and for a songwriter, hey, break his heart and he’ll come up with a good song.”

Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

Greenfield Senior Living at Graysonview 150 Kempton Ave. | Harrisburg, PA 17111 Phone: 717-558-7771

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