Issuu

Lebanon County Edition

September 2013

Vol. 8 No. 9

And the Winner (Still) Is … Outgoing Idol Reflects on Yearlong ‘Reign’ By Lori Van Ingen Newly named 2012 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL Vickie Kissinger thought it had to be a prank call on her voicemail. Someone claiming to be a producer from NBC wanted her to return the call. But it was no joke. NBC had seen a clip of Kissinger at the PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competition and sought her out for their new reality show, The Winner Is ... Over a period of five days, Kissinger passed auditions and interviews for the new show, which features the pairing of six contestants or groups of all ages who perform a song of their choice and let 101 voters decide who did better and would go on to compete for a chance to win $1 million. “They wanted a diverse age group,” Kissinger said. But after getting the green light from each of her interviewers, Kissinger declined to be part of the new television series because her first grandson was due at the same time the show was taping. “That was the hitch. It was just not good timing,” Kissinger said. “But it was thrilling. It was very flattering that NBC sought me out.” Besides the call from NBC and her new grandson, Kissinger said this past year since winning the PA STATE SENIOR IDOL has been “fantastic.” Kissinger has been kept busy with a move to downsize her home and with please see WINNER page 15 2012 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL Vickie Kissinger performing at the Northern Lancaster County 50plus EXPO in Lititz in April.

Inside:

Music Therapy for Alzheimer’s Patients page 12

Happy Birthday, Rose Marie page 14

The Way I See It

About September Mike Clark m I the only one who gets a little melancholy when August comes to an end? How is it, with three weeks of summer left, I start reminiscing about the season, practically implying that it’s over? I seldom think of the next three weeks as still being summer (the calendar says so, though). Cool, foggy mornings; warm afternoons without stifling humidity; and noticeably shorter days lead us to concede that autumn is surely on its way. My wife and I often take day trips to the beach in September. We live close enough to our favorite shore points that our jaunts are relatively easy and inexpensive. Well, they were until recently. Gas prices have precluded us from taking these trips as frequently as before, and my eyes give me some trouble when trying to drive home at night. Oncoming headlights are so piercing that negotiating winding roads

and turns is challenging. So now we leave early in the morning, spend the day, and try to get home before nightfall; it is so much easier on my aging peepers. Parking at the shore is easier and sometimes free, the beaches are not crowded, and the traffic is lighter in September. Overall, it is quieter. But the truth is that I miss the high-spirited atmosphere of youth. The college kids and new high-school graduates fill shops, amusement rides, hotels, and restaurants, either as consumers or employees. They project a vitality and exuberance that can make you feel younger, or sometimes older, depending on your

attitude and outlook on life. I choose to feel younger; there are enough things in my life that make me feel older. Another thing I miss seeing at the shore in September is the delight on the faces of families as they romp about on the sand and frolic in the seawater. I love to watch as they gather later for lively family dinners. They’ll settle on one of the countless pizza parlors or steak-and-seafood joints along the boardwalks and main thoroughfares. Seemingly, money is no object. But having experienced all of it many years ago, I appreciate how they saved their money over many months to be

able to relish these significant moments together. I know of the sacrifices, believe me. By September, most of that vacation excitement has faded. Kids are back in school, and the folks are already stashing away whatever extra coins they can spare for next year’s trip. That’s how we did it. School busses are now rolling twice a day, and they will be for at least the next nine months. I’m no longer on the clock, which means I can choose to avoid the big, yellow obstacles. Even if I am on the road at the same time as the busses, I’m usually in no hurry, so I can be patient. I remember once being so relaxed and patient that I drifted off into a power nap. Which is somewhat troublesome if you have just only risen from bed within the last two hours. I was thankful that the person behind me had a quality car horn and please see SEPTEMBER page 5

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Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available 717.285.1350 717.770.0140 610.675.6240

September 2013

Join the 2013 One Book, One Community campaign by reading The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

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One Book, One Community Get a copy at your local library or area bookseller

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Emergency Numbers Poison Control Center (800) 222-1222

Hearing Services Hearing & Ear Care Center, LLC 200 Schneider Drive, Suite 1, Lebanon (717) 274-3851

Housing Assistance Hope (Helping Our People in Emergencies) (717) 272-4400

Melnick, Moffitt, and Mesaros 927 Russell Drive, Lebanon (717) 274-9775

Housing Assistance & Resources Program (HARP) (717) 273-9328

Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY

Lebanon County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities (717) 274-1401

Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging Meals on Wheels (717) 273-9262

Hospitals Good Samaritan Hospital 252 S. Fourth St., Lebanon (717) 270-7500

Insurance Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833

Salvation Army (717) 273-2655

Medical Society of Lebanon County (717) 270-7500

Legal Services Pennsylvania Bar Association (717) 238-6715

Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020

Hotlines Energy Assistance (800) 692-7462

American Cancer Society (717) 231-4582

Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Hotline (800) 541-2050

Food Resources Food & Clothing Bank (717) 274-2490 Food Stamps (800) 692-7462 Hope/Christian Ministries (717) 272-4400

American Diabetes Association (717) 657-4310 American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association (717) 207-4265

IRS Income Tax Assistance (800) 829-1040 Medicaid (800) 692-7462

American Lung Association (717) 541-5864

Medicare (800) 382-1274

Arthritis Foundation (717) 274-0754

PA Crime Stoppers (800) 472-8477

Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (717) 787-7500

PennDOT (800) 932-4600

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400

Recycling (800) 346-4242

Kidney Foundation (717) 652-8123

Social Security Information (800) 772-1213

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (717) 652-6520

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (800) 827-1000

Lupus Foundation (888) 215-8787

Retirement Communities StoneRidge Retirement Living (717) 866-3204 Senior Centers Annville Senior Community Center (717) 867-1796 Maple Street Senior Community Center (717) 273-1048 Myerstown Senior Community Center (717) 866-6786 Northern Lebanon County Senior Community Center (717) 865-0944 Palmyra Senior Community Center (717) 838-8237

Neurosurgery & Physiatry Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates 1510 Cornwall Road, Lebanon (717) 454-0061 or (800) 628-2080

Senior Center of Lebanon Valley (717) 274-3451 Southern Lebanon County Senior Community Center (717) 274-7541

Office of Aging Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging (717) 273-9262

Veterans Services Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681

Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771

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50plus SeniorNews

September 2013

Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori 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 ARTIST Janys Cuffe PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Jessica Johns WEB DEVELOPER Kahla Livelsberger

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Karla Back Angie McComsey Jacoby Valerie Kissinger Doug Kline Susan Krieger Ranee Shaub Miller Lori Peck Sue Rugh SALES & EVENT COORDINATOR Eileen Culp

CIRCULATION PROJECT COORDINATOR Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Duvall Member of

Awards

How to Tell Crystal from Glass Dr. Lori hen it comes to glassware, most people think that the best way to spot quality is to ting a glass and listen. If you educate your eyes to spot a high-quality piece of crystal, you can give your ears the day off. Why? The sound of a ting from a piece of glass is subjective, and it may not actually tell you anything about the quality of that piece of stemware. The idea that a highpitched sound will result in the identification of a high-quality and valuable piece of crystal is not always valid. Most people do not think that their commonplace orange-juice glass is a piece of crystal. Most glass in our everyday world is something called soda-lime glass, a combination of lime, silica (sand), and soda. It is a cheap glass used for products such as windows, drinking glasses, etc. Crystal is made of silica (sand), lead oxide, and soda, and it is known to be beautiful and strong. Crystal is a term used to describe any glassware that looks fancy or is used in the service of champagne, wine, or spirits. Crystal is the choice for spirits and wine connoisseurs because it allows the drinker to assess the color and viscosity of the wine or liquor. If your piece of crystal is very clear, it probably has a greater amount of lead content than its cloudier counterpart. When it comes to crystal, its reflective quality and the 24 percent

lead content are the most important characteristics. Crystal shows more clarity than a typical piece of sodalime glass, and its reflective quality is why crystal is used for chandeliers, fine wine glasses, and jewelry pendants. Very fine crystal—like those pieces made by high-quality firms

Photo courtesy staff of www.DrLoriV.com

Crystal dish by the French collectibles firm Lalique.

such as Waterford—may even exceed the 24 percent lead content requirement and provide products that are upward of 30 percent lead content or more. The confusion surrounding crystal is based in history and chemistry. First of all, despite its name, crystal does not have a crystalline structure. And, crystal is a term (cristallo) coined by Italian glassmakers in the famous Murano glassblowing center near Venice to define quality glassware that did not meet the European lead-content standard.

It is easier to sculpt glass with a high lead content—the lead lowers the working temperature of the glass. It also extends the time that the glassblower has to sculpt a piece. In order to tell the difference between soda-lime glass and crystal, look for the following attributes of crystal: 24 percent lead content; bright, reflective quality; clear overall appearance; silver or silver/purple color hue; rainbow prism effect when held up to the light; thinner than regular soda-lime glass; and heavier than soda-lime glass. In fact, high-quality crystal with a lead content over 35 percent will actually sparkle. If you are trying to tell if you have a piece of cut crystal, place your thumb into the incised or cut design of the piece, and if you move your thumb around and you feel as if you will get cut, then you have a piece of cut crystal. Crystal will take on the properties of sharp cutting. Fine glassware may contain some lead content, but if the 24 percent lead content level is not reached for a specific piece of glassware, then a manufacturer cannot by law call that piece “crystal.” Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, awardwinning TV personality, and TV talk show host, Dr. Lori presents antiques appraisal events nationwide. Dr. Lori is the expert appraiser on Discovery channel’s hit TV show Auction Kings. Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

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.

September 2013

50plus SeniorNews

Walking or Running — Which is Better? Walking and running are two of the simplest ways to exercise. Aside from a good pair of shoes, you don’t need any training or fancy equipment, just some space and time. But which is better for you? In some senses, according to a study reported in USA Today, they’re equally beneficial, depending S

on how much time you’re willing to invest. Two scientists studied data from more than 33,000 runners and 15,000 walkers, monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other vital health indicators over six years. They found that, although

walking requires more time than running an equal distance, the health effects come out the same as long as the amount of energy expended is equivalent. Running does burn more calories in less time, but a long, brisk walk can be just as healthy—and easier on your knees. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Survey Finds Older Motorists Practice Safe Driving Nine in 10 older drivers buckle up when they get behind the wheel and more than a third have taken driver improvement courses, according to data surveying more than 7,000 seniors. Survey findings, collected by AAA, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and AARP, also reveal that twice the number of women attended driver safety courses despite the fact that older men drove more often than older women by 12 percent. AAA is promoting the data to help debunk the perception that older drivers are a menace on the road. “The silver tsunami is often unfairly dubbed as risky and dangerous. These

SEPTEMBER

data tell us that they practice safe driving behaviors and that more than a third of older drivers have actively sought out and participated in programs to improve their skills,” says Jenny M. Robinson, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. The findings were collected from drivers who participated in CarFit, a free program offered by AAA, AOTA, and AARP. Typically offered at community

events, CarFit runs drivers and their vehicles through a 12-point checklist with trained technicians who assess the fit of a driver’s car by checking for optimum and safe settings, such as distance from and sight line above the steering wheel and proper mirrors settings. According to CarFit participant data, the top four “fit” challenges for older drivers included improper distance from steering wheel (59 percent); adequate and safe

views from side mirrors (32 percent); improper seat height (28 percent); and improper head restraint height (21 percent). After a run through the CarFit program, 97 percent of participants’ issues were resolved. Other survey data revealed that more than half (52 percent) of drivers 65 and older typically drive seven days a week. “Even when they’re driving every day, seniors do not pose a disproportionate threat on the roads,” said Robinson. “In fact, drivers in their mid-to-late 80s have lower crash rates per mile driven than drivers in their early 20s and roughly half the crash rate of teenagers.”

help to mitigate my impatience. September is not the time to take a break from yard work. Actually, my wife told me that. Just mowing the grass and sprinkling a little bit of mulch here and there does not prepare the lawn and garden for winter. I was pretty sure it did. It’s hard to imagine, but I guess I was wrong. I’m not sure what she has in

mind—I just know that there will be sweat. I’ll take the canvas patio awning down in a couple of weeks. That is another thing that adds to my end-of-summer sadness. OK, by then it really will be the end of summer. Also, by then I’ll start anticipating the upcoming color change in the autumn foliage.

With that and football being in full swing, summer memories will probably have fully faded, and my melancholia will be cured. I just hope the yard work is finished.

from page 2

was willing to use it. But I do remember when getting behind a school bus could bring out my irascible side. When some little bugger heading toward the bus door failed to muster a reasonable sense of urgency, I would mutter unspeakable things through my clenched teeth. It never made the kid move any faster, but it did

Whether they’re looking for a new home Or the help needed to stay in their old one — Will your services come to mind?

Call now to reserve your space!

Mike Clark writes a regular column for The Globe Leader newspaper in New Wilmington, Pa. He lives outside Columbia, Pa., and can be contacted at mikemac429@aol.com.

ONE GIANT STEP FOR MANKIND! This may not be the same story you’re thinking of. This one’s about a young, itinerant engineer with job assignments in two states: Decorah, Iowa, and Lancaster, PA.

Closing date: Nov. 8, 2013 • Active adult and residential living • Independent and retirement living communities • Assisted living residences and personal care homes • Nursing and healthcare services • Home care, companions, and hospice care providers • Ancillary services

In print. Online at onlinepub.com. To include your community or service in the 2014 edition or for a free copy of the 2013 edition, call your representative or (717) 285-1350 or email info@onlinepub.com Your key to choosing the right living and care options for you or a loved one.

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The step he is considering is marriage! Bob Hansen is smitten by two young women in Iowa, and one in Lancaster, PA. But he has to find a full-time job and decide which of the three young women to pursue.

Pick up or order Choices and Decisions at Masthof Bookstore – 219 Mill Road, Morgantown, PA 19543 ($13.95 plus 84¢ tax and $4 shipping) 610-286-0258 www.Masthof.com

— or — Available on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle Use a gallon of gas and take a beautiful 9-mile trip through Amish and Mennonite farm country on Route 23 between Blue Ball and Morgantown. This stretch of road, which follows an old Native American trade route, was declared “The Conestoga Ridge Road Heritage Byway” in the fall of 2012. Stop off in Morgantown at the Masthof Bookstore (first road after Old Village Inn) and pick up a copy of Choices and Decisions and a local history book.

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September 2013

Salute to a Veteran

He Regularly Bombed German Targets from His B-17 … with No Bomb Sight Robert D. Wilcox obert Singleton says he had always wanted to fly. But, when a friend took him for a hop in his Piper Cub in 1942, that sealed the deal. It was an experience he would never forget. Somehow, he was going to have to learn to fly. The Army Air Corps must have been reading his mind, because only weeks later he spotted a newspaper ad recruiting applications for aviation cadets. The Air Corps was looking for men to become pilots, navigators, or bombardiers. And college experience was no longer a requirement. After promptly sending in his application, he passed the physical in September 1942 and was sworn in. But it wasn’t until five months later that he got his orders and was off for basic training and screening at Fort Berry Hill near Nashville, Tenn.

He was to the right, selected for then to the flying left. He training clearly and wasn’t happy shipped to about how San they were Antonio made, but it for was only preflight later that and then Singleton to El Reno, found that Okla., for the check Robert L. Singleton in his Bob Singleton with a model pilot had primary combat flight clothes. of the B-17s he flew in. flight washed him training. out. Cadets were being washed out right and At that point he felt that the bottom left, because so few pilots were needed, had fallen out of his life. and his turn was soon to come. But later he found out that he was at On his final check flight, the civilian least able to train in aerial gunnery. So it check pilot wound up the check ride by was off to gunnery school at Laredo, having him do two-and-a-half-turn spins Texas, where he learned everything about the .50 caliber M-2 Browning machine gun that was the primary weapon to defend heavy bombers against fighter attacks. It fired half-inch diameter rounds at an ear-splitting rate of 800 per minute. He was taught not only to fire it, but in order to graduate, he also had to be able to take apart and reassemble the gun’s more than 100 component parts … and to do it blindfolded. 50plus Senior News is available There was much time on the gunnery each month near the entrance range, and there was air-to-air training, where students learned to fire a machine of your local CVS/pharmacy. gun at tow targets while in flight. Pick up a free copy with your Singleton excelled at that, finishing shopping basket! second in his class. As a result, he was selected for a tour as gunnery instructor. Then, finally, he got his orders to ship overseas. A Liberty ship took him from New York on a 15-day voyage to Southampton, England. He didn’t know it yet, but he was on his way to the 381st Bomb Group at Great Yeldham, England. As he checked in, the charge of quarters growled, “You’re one of those gunnery instructors. We need those around here.” To himself, Singleton was thinking, “These guys have been flying combat missions—and I’m gonna tell them how to shoot a gun?” As he entered his Quonset hut, another man, who was also a gunnery

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September 2013

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instructor, introduced himself and asked him where he was from. When Singleton said, “Pennsylvania,” the guy looked surprised and said, “So am I.” Turns out that the man, John Rutherford, was actually from the same county as Singleton. So each had found a friend that he’d be bunking with. Singleton soon found that he’d first fly six missions and then would be flying two a month. He’d be instructing all the rest of the time. When he flew, he was assigned to whatever aircraft needed him most, and he at some time or another had served at all the machine gun positions in the B-17 except for the ball turret position that required a particularly small man. He also served as the togglier, toggling his bombs when he saw bombs falling from the group’s lead ship that carried the famed Norden bomb sight and the bombardier to operate it. Singleton well remembers a mission to Lutzkendorf, when weather caused the group’s aircraft to scatter. His B-17 had 10 500-pound bombs aboard that they now had to unload on any target of opportunity. But, of course, they had no bomb sight, since they had expected to toggle on their lead airplane. His pilot then told Singleton to toggle, one bomb at a time, on any target he felt he could hit. He did so, with results that were completely unexpected. He destroyed so many targets that his other toggliers nicknamed him “No-Sight Singleton.” On another mission to Koblenz, the rest of the crew was surprised to see him exit the plane after the mission. A chunk of flak the size of a soccer ball had entered his position and lodged in his flight bag, some 4 inches from him without his even knowing it. By the time the war ended, Singleton had flown 24 missions, one fewer than the number that would have brought him home anyway. He returned to the U.S. and was discharged. His father, who had run their store, Singleton Shoes, suffered a fatal heart attack, so Singleton came to manage the store for the next 40 years. Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.

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The Squint-Eyed Senior

Footnotes to the Family History Theodore Rickard

ike a lot of us, my ancestors arrived in this country on the dead run. One set of forebears fled the press gangs; the other, starvation. None of my ancestors ever looked back with anything like nostalgia. As far as they were concerned, it was “good riddance” to the Old Country and the quaint customs of impressment, bonded servitude, and nothing to eat. Today, despite the allure of colorful illustrations in slickpaper travel brochures and the security of now being several generations removed from the terror of it, I still have no desire to seek my “roots.” I feel no inner tug of tribal instinct to go clink frosty beer mugs with the happy peasants of the Rhineland, nor to link arms in bouncy step dance across the shamrocks of the village green with apple-cheeked maidens in elfin-quaint little villages. I’m not carrying a grudge about it, but neither would I go out of my way to visit the scene where Lord What’s-His-Name did the evicting or the derelict castle of a long-forgotten elector of the Palatinate whose henchmen did the round-up. Somebody must have told one of my ancestors to “get over it”—and he did just that. Somehow I can find a secret satisfaction in being the descendent of refugees who were nobodies, especially since we’ve pretty well remained nobodies. We’ve been schoolteachers, blacksmiths, farmers, lawyers, salesmen, clerks—the kind of people everybody else is. We boast no members of the U.S. Senate, no heroic Confederate generals on horseback, no millionaire entrepreneurs, no inspired preachers, nor people of any particular genius or distinction. Taking this as OK, I’m not being perverse, just comfortable. If I had an ancestor who had once homesteaded a square block of what is now downtown Chicago, I couldn’t help being resentful every time I visited State

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Street, especially knowing that the same ancestor would undoubtedly have sold off the property when he found it too swampy to grow potatoes. The past could readily overwhelm me with a sense of entitlement, and I’d probably end up shoplifting—and get arrested for it. Or what if a great-grandparent had actually led the charge at Gettysburg—on whichever side? Would this have affected me when it was my turn as a warrior? I became known as the champion deepfoxhole digger. This lacks the panache of sword-waving while astride a white charger, but it sure worked well for me. On the plus side, if we had any ancestral major criminals, we don’t know about them, either. Entwined in the family tree, there were any number of things that “we don’t talk about,” and I think they were pretty much the same things in everybody else’s family, too. There were no ax murderers, train robbers, etc.—at least as far as I know, but it’s hard to be certain. Some things didn’t get talked about at all—not even in the tree house in the empty lot behind Mullins Hardware Store. About as close as we came to notoriety in our family was a cousin who, I believe, was my mother’s cousin only by marriage, which would hardly seem to count. Out of the blue, Cousin Matthew phoned one day from a downtown hotel and invited my mother and father to join him for dinner. At first, he grandly included us kids, but Mother graciously declined for us since it was obvious that Matthew didn’t know how many of us there were. Even overhearing only half the telephone conversation, it was obvious that Cousin Matthew did not insist, and I began to wish most heartily that I were an only child. I never did meet this shirttail cousin face to face. Several years later, he was caught up in some sort of problem with the account books where he worked, which got him fired, and this made me feel a lot better about the whole dinner-

invitation thing. Anyway, cousin-by-marriage Matthew is one of those people who, to this day, we don’t talk about. Not in my family, we don’t.

A collection of Ted Rickard’s family-fun essays is titled Anything Worth Knowing I Learned from the Grandkids. It is now available in paperback on Amazon.com.

Celebrate Those Strongly Tied Knots!

Are you or is someone you know commemorating a special anniversary this year? Let 50plus Senior News help spread your news—for free! We welcome your anniversary announcements and photos. Anniversaries may be marking any number of years 15 and over. (Fields marked with an * are required.) *Anniversary (No. of years) _________________________________________ *Contact name __________________________________________________ E-mail ________________________ *Daytime phone ___________________ *Husband’s full name _____________________________________________ Occupation (If retired, list former job and No. of years held)___________________ _____________________________________________________________ *Wife’s full maiden name __________________________________________ Occupation (If retired, list former job and No. of years held)___________________ _____________________________________________________________ *Couple’s current city and state __________________________________________ *Marriage date_____________ Location ______________________________ Children (name and city/state for each)_________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Number of grandchildren________ Number of great-grandchildren___________ Photos must be at least 4x6'' and/or 300 dpi if submitted digitally. Completed information and photo can be emailed to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mailed to:

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September 2013

Social Connections Most Important for Seniors Relationships with friends and family outweigh financial concerns among older Americans seeking fulfillment in their senior years, according to the second annual United States of Aging Survey. When asked what is most important to maintaining a high quality of life in their senior years, staying connected to friends and family was the top choice of four in 10 seniors, ahead of having financial means (30 percent). For the 2013 edition of The United States of Aging Survey, the National Council on Aging, UnitedHealthcare, and USA TODAY surveyed 4,000 U.S. adults, including a nationally representative sample of seniors ages 60 and older. This year, for the first time, the survey also included a nationally representative sample of adults ages 18-59 to provide contrasting perspectives on aging and explore how the country could better prepare for a booming senior population. The Importance of Connectivity Nationally, more than half of seniors (53 percent) indicate that being close to friends and family is important and only 15 percent report occasional feelings of

isolation. Eighty-four percent of seniors nationally cite technology as important to their ability to connect with the world around them. Low-income seniors also face challenges. While they cite technology as important to staying in touch with family and friends (81 percent), issues of technology access persist, with 47 percent of lowincome seniors reporting cost as a barrier to using more technology, and 48 percent indicating they have trouble understanding how to use technology. Health Management Improves Outlook Eighty-six percent of seniors say they

are confident about their ability to maintain a high quality of life, and 60 percent expect their health to stay the same during the next five to 10 years (compared with 53 percent of adults ages 18-59). The survey also finds that women and AfricanAmericans are among the most optimistic about growing older. Seniors focused on taking care of their health are more optimistic about aging. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of optimistic seniors have set one or more specific goals to manage their health in the past 12 months, compared with 47 percent of the overall senior population.

While 65 percent of seniors report having at least two chronic health conditions, less than one in five has received guidance in the past year to develop an action plan for managing their health. Additionally, 26 percent of seniors indicate they exercise less than once a week for 30 minutes or more. Communities Responsive but Not Doing Enough Most seniors (71 percent) feel the community they live in is responsive to their needs, but less than half (49 percent) believe their city or town is doing enough to prepare for the future needs of a growing senior population. Seniors give low ratings to the quality of public transportation and job opportunities in their city or town: just 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively, rate their community’s transit and employment offerings as “excellent” or “very good.” Changing Economics of Retirement Nearly half (47 percent) of retired seniors have access to pensions, and among seniors that are not yet retired, 41 percent plan to rely on Social Security as

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September 2013

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their primary source of retirement income. In contrast, just 23 percent of adults ages 18-59 plan to rely primarily on Social Security. Forty-eight percent of adults ages 18-59 say they will live mostly off of their personal savings and investments in their senior years. While most seniors are able to pay their monthly expenses, many express concern about the financial impact of living longer.

Though two-thirds (66 percent) of seniors believe it to be very easy or somewhat easy to pay their monthly living expenses, more than half (53 percent) are somewhat to very concerned that their savings and income will not be sufficient to last them for the rest of their lives. For complete survey results, visit www.ncoa.org/UnitedStatesofAging.

Does Your Health Plan Provide These Benefits?

Free Career Development Classes Offered If you are currently unemployed, underemployed, or just dissatisfied with where you are in your career path, P.R.O.B.E. (Potential Re-entry Opportunities in Business and Education) will be offering a free, fourweek career development class beginning Sept. 17 and running through Oct. 10. During those weeks, classes will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 900 Cumbler St., second floor, Steelton.

The classes aim to help you to “probe” what makes you tick, what your real career passions are, and what types of positions would be the best fit for you. To make an appointment to see a career counselor or to register for this class or a future session, call the P.R.O.B.E. office near you. Dauphin, Cumberland, or Perry County: (717) 939-2260 Lebanon or Berks County: (717) 273-2090

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Melnick, Moffitt & Mesaros ENT Associates bring Baha 3 System to Lebanon County for those with special hearing needs Do you only hear from one ear? Have you tried a hearing aid without success? The Baha 3 System may help you! Unlike a hearing aid, the Baha 3 System is an implantable boneconduction hearing system that uses the body’s natural ability to conduct sound. Bone, like air, conducts sound vibrations. Typical hearing aids rely on air conduction and a functioning middle ear. But in cases where the middle ear is blocked or damaged, a bone-conduction system may be a better option. The Baha implant is surgically

placed behind the non-functioning ear. After approximately three months for adults, or six months for children, it bonds with the bone around it — forming a permanent structure with the living bone. Once this occurs, a sound processor is attached that enables the recipient to hear. Melnick, Moffitt & Mesaros ENT Associates, in Lebanon, is able to evaluate and fit candidates with the Baha 3 System. The doctors and staff have been providing excellent healthcare for 23 years. Call Melnick, Moffitt & Mesaros at 274-9775 to learn more about the Baha 3 System.

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274-9775

Call 717.866.3553 for information.

Independent Living — Personal Care Short-Term Rehab — Long-Term Nursing

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September 2013

We’re on the Move to End Alzheimer’s September commemorates World Alzheimer’s Month, and within that month is World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21. There is a lot to stop and pause for during September, but the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter does the opposite—we make people get up and move! The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the association’s largest annual awareness and fundraising event, which occurs during September and October.

The money raised allows our chapter to contribute to research—breakthroughs that we hope will one day be lifechanging for people with dementia. The funding will allow for increases in the accurate and timely diagnosis of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As well, added dollars will ensure we have a significant increase in affordable, high-quality care and support for people with the disease and their caretakers. And while we know what the walk means for us, we are keenly aware that it

September 14, 2013

Morgan Cousler Park, York Registration at 9:30 a.m. • Walk at 11 a.m.

World Alzheimer’s Day September 21, 2013 City Island, Harrisburg

is personal for many of you. Some walk to honor and remember those they have lost. Some walk to share stories of living with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Some walk so that future generations won’t have to face the debilitating and devastating effects of the disease. Some walk because they want to help make a difference and fight back. For our Greater Pennsylvania Chapter board chair, Debra Pierson, this walk is a walk toward breaking the chain of young-onset Alzheimer’s that has dramatically linked itself in her family. In a recent meeting, she was asked to jot down a personal goal. From there, she was told to imagine that the goal was accomplished, and then posed with the question, “Now what is possible?” This is how Deb responded: “Imagine a world where every child has a committed, active grandparent or great-grandparent to love them, encourage their gifts, and pass on values, family, and cultural history. Imagine if our seniors had the funds available in their retirement accounts to travel and enjoy life. Imagine when our government has billions in extra funds per year to allocate to the greater good. What you’ve

just imagined is a world without Alzheimer’s.” The Greater Pennsylvania Chapter can imagine it. Can you? Join us in the move toward a world without Alzheimer’s. Let’s transform our imagination into realization. Register today at www.alz.org/walk or call our Helpline, available 24 hours, seven days a week, at (800) 272-3900. Your local walks include: Saturday, Sept. 14 York, Morgan E. Cousler Park Registration at 9:30 a.m. Walk at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 Harrisburg, City Island Park Registration at 8:30 a.m. Walk at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 Lancaster, Long’s Park Registration at 8 a.m. Walk at 10:30 a.m. For more information on your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit www.alz.org/walk or contact Katie Warner at (717) 561-5020 or kwarner@alz.org.

The Beauty in Nature

Registration at 8:30 a.m. • Walk at 10:30 a.m.

Jerusalem Artichokes

September 28, 2013 Long’s Park, Lancaster

Registration at 8 a.m. • Walk at 10:30 a.m. Registration brochures, team packets, and sponsorship packets available. Please call (717) 651-5020 or email kwarner@alz.org • Easy online registration at http://www.alz.org/walk • Volunteer opportunities available. • Teams and individuals welcome.

Chapter Sponsors Katie Warner, Volunteer Coordinator Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 kwarner@alz.org Alzheimer’s Association 2595 Interstate Drive, Suite 100 • Harrisburg, PA 17110

September 2013

50plus SeniorNews

Clyde McMillan-Gamber

erusalem artichokes are wild members of the sunflower family that are native to the eastern United States and Canada, including southeastern Pennsylvania. These 10-foottall, perennial sunflowers inhabit roadsides, hedgerows, and the edges of fields. Each stately plant has a thick, hairy stem and big, broad leaves that are rough to the touch. Three or four deep-yellow flowers clustered at the top of its sturdy stalk bloom during the last two weeks in September. Each golden blossom is about

3 inches across, making those lovely flowers obvious, which adds beauty to local farmland during harvest time. A variety of bees and other insects visits those handsome blooms to sip nectar and ingest pollen, fertilizing the flowers in the process. Rodents and small birds eat some of the resulting seeds. The magnificent Jerusalem artichokes— plus corn, certain kinds of beans, and pumpkins—were originally cultivated by Native Americans. Today those crops are major food sources, big business that employs many people, and reminders of Native people. Native Americans raised this sunflower www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Calendar of Events

Lebanon County

Lebanon County Department of Parks and Recreation All events held at the Park at Governor Dick unless noted.

Sept. 1, 1 to 4 p.m. – Music on the Porch: Bluegrass and Country Music Jam Sept. 22, 2 to 3:30 p.m. – Wildflower and Bird Walk

Lebanon County Library Programs Annville Free Library, 216 E. Main St., Annville, (717) 867-1802 Lebanon Community Library, 125 N. Seventh St., (717) 273-7624 Matthews Public Library, 102 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, (717) 865-5523 Myerstown Community Library, 199 N. College St., Myerstown, (717) 866-2800 Palmyra Public Library, 325 S. Railroad St., (717) 838-1347 Richland Community Library, 111 E. Main St., Richland, (717) 866-4939

Programs and Support Groups

Free and open to the public

Sept. 25, 6 to 7 p.m. – Personal Care Family Support Group, Linden Village, 100 Tuck Court, Lebanon, (717) 274-7400 If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

What’s Happening? Give Us the Scoop! Please send us your press releases so we can let our readers know about free events occurring in Lebanon County! Email preferred to: mjoyce@onlinepub.com help you get the word out!

Let

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to harvest the firm, sweet-potato-like tubers the species produces underground. Those roots are gnarled, 3 to 4 inches long, up to 2 inches thick, and vary from beige to red or purple. Native Americans cooked and ate the roots as we would consume potatoes. Jerusalem artichoke tubers are crisp

when eaten raw. Or they can be boiled or steamed. However served, they have a sweet, nutty taste that makes them popular, nutritious treats. This sunflower species is planted by breaking tubers into sections and placing them a few inches deep in the soil, as we plant potatoes. Each part with a sprout

Senior Center Activities

Annville Senior Community Center – (717) 867-1796 200 S. White Oak St., Annville Sept. 9, 11 a.m. – Introduction to the Pennsylvania Yellow Dot Program Sept. 18, 10 a.m. – Amateur Talent Show at Levitz Memorial Park Sept. 27, 11:30 a.m. – Meeting Judy Weimer: What an Ombudsman Does Maple Street Community Center – (717) 273-1048 710 Maple St., Lebanon Sept. 4, 9 a.m. – Tai Chi Class Level 1 Sept. 6, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Bus Trip: Mystery Trip Sept. 11, 18, 25, 4:30 p.m. – Ballroom Dance Classes Myerstown Senior Community Center – (717) 866-6786 51 W. Stoever Ave., Myerstown Sept. 17, 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Bus Trip: Menopause, the Musical at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre Sept. 18, 11:30 a.m. – Myerstown Center Picnic – Hebron Banquet Hall Northern Lebanon Senior Community Center – (717) 865-0944 335 N. Lancaster St., Jonestown – www.jonestownpa.org/senior.html Sept. 4, 4 p.m. – Mini Golf at Kauffman’s BBQ Restaurant Sept. 16, 10 a.m. – Annual Picnic at Community Pavilion Sept. 27, 12:30 p.m. – Pinochle Club Palmyra Senior Community Center – (717) 838-8237 101 S. Railroad St., Palmyra Sept. 6, 11:30 a.m. – Lunch Club at Olive Garden Sept. 9, 9:30 a.m. – Healthy Steps for Older Adults Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m. – Annual Center Picnic Southern Lebanon Senior Community Center – (717) 274-7541 Midway Church of the Brethren, 13 Evergreen Road, Lebanon Privately Owned Centers Senior Center of Lebanon Valley, Inc. – (717) 274-3451 710 Maple St., Lebanon Washington Arms – (717) 274-4104 303 Chestnut St., Lebanon Please call or visit the centers’ websites for additional activities. grows a tall plant that blooms by fall. This sunflower’s interesting name is derived from girasole, an Italian word for sunflower. Samuel de Champlain, an early French explorer in Canada, stated that tubers of this plant tasted like artichokes. The name continues to this day.

Look for these majestic legacies of Native Americans along roadsides, hedgerows, and field edges in local farmland. They are large plants with big, golden blossoms that make local cropland more beautiful during the latter half of September.

Delayed Retirement: Are There Some Advantages? 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 www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

job, up from 11 percent in 1993; a 2008 study of 50-and-older retirees who had 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: • Increased tax revenue, with positive (though small) effects on the nation’s deficit

50plus SeniorNews

• 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 S

September 2013

Savvy Senior

Music Therapy for Alzheimer’s Patients Jim Miller

Panzanella/Bread Salad By Pat Sinclair The first time I heard about panzanella, I didn’t think it sounded very appetizing. But that was before I tasted it! A simple salad, panzanella takes advantage of fresh, ripe tomatoes; cucumbers; and fresh basil. Adding fresh mozzarella turns it into a main dish, perfect for a hot summer night. Use chewy, firm bread such as Italian or ciabatta.

Serves 2 1 1/2 cups firm bread cubes, crust removed and cubed 3/4 inch 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled (about 1/2 to 3/4 pound) 1/2 clove garlic or to taste 6 ounces fresh mozzarella bocconcini, cut into cubes 1/2 cup cucumber, diced 1/2 inch 2 tablespoons finely chopped red or mild white onion 2 tablespoons yellow or red bell pepper, cubed 1/2 inch, if desired 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste 2 or 3 fresh basil leaves, shredded Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. I usually stir once in the middle of baking. Cool to room temperature. Place one tomato and the garlic in a small food processor and puree. Place in a medium bowl and stir in bread cubes. Season to taste with salt. Allow to stand 15 minutes to absorb juices. Cut the remaining tomato into cubes. Add tomato, mozzarella, cucumber, onion, and yellow pepper to the bread and toss gently. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad and toss gently. Garnish with basil.

Cook’s Note: Peeling fresh tomatoes is easy using a soft fruit peeler. (I use it for peeling pears and peaches also.) If you don’t have this peeler, you can drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds and then plunge into cold water. The skins will slip right off. The tomatoes don’t have to be peeled but puree better when the skins are removed. Copyright by Pat Sinclair. Pat Sinclair’s second cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking (Pelican Publishing), has a color photo of every recipe. Her first cookbook, Baking Basics and Beyond (Surrey Books), won the 2007 Cordon d’Or from the Culinary Arts Academy. Contact her at http://PatCooksandBakes.blogspot.com

September 2013

50plus SeniorNews

Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about music therapy for Alzheimer’s patients? I’m helping my dad take care of my 80-year-old mother, who has mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease, and thought it might be something worth trying. How do we proceed? – Unmusical Mary Dear Mary, Music has amazing power, especially for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown that listening to familiar music can significantly improve mood and alertness, reduce agitation, and can help with a number of behavioral issues that are common in the middle stages of the disease. Even in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, a person may be able to tap a beat or sing lyrics to a song from childhood. Sitting and listening to music together can also provide a way for you and your dad to connect and bond with your mom, even after she stops recognizing your names and faces. Here are a few tips to help you create a music therapy program for your mom. Create a Playlist Your first step is to identify the music that’s familiar and enjoyable to your mom. Does she like jazz, classical, or Frank Sinatra? What songs make her want to get up and dance? Then go back to the era when she was a teenager through her early 20s. Research shows that music during this time period seems to get the best response and triggers the most memories. If you need some help creating a playlist, the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (www.music therapy.imnf.org) provides a suggested list of top songs by era and genre on its website. Click on “Outpatient Services” and then on “Top 10s for Memory.” The website Pandora (www.pandora.com) will also tailor a radio station to match your mom’s musical taste when you select an artist, song, or genre. And Music & Memory (www.musicandmemory.org) offers a free guide to creating a personalized playlist. You can also get help from a music therapist. The American Music Therapy Association (www.musictherapy.org) offers a national directory of more than 6,000

therapists to help you find someone in your area. To keep things fresh, it’s best to create a diverse playlist of numerous artists, with no more than five to 10 songs per artist. It’s also important to keep tweaking their playlist. Every week or so, ask your mom which songs she likes and which ones are just so-so. Remove the so-so ones, and build on the successful ones so you end up with 100 or 200 songs that all resonate. Music Delivery There are a number of ways you can deliver your mom’s favorite music: a digital listening device, a CD player, a computer or tablet, or even an old record player. If you don’t have any music and are on a tight budget, check with your local public library. It may have CD selections you can check out. Digital listening devices like an iPod or MP3 player are the most convenient and widely used options among music therapists for delivering music because it’s easy to add and remove songs. The Apple iPod Shuffle (www.apple.com/ipod-shuffle) and SanDisk Sansa Clip MP3 Player (www.sandisk.com), which require headphones, and the Peapod SweetPea3 MP3 Player (www.sweetpeatoyco.com), which has an external speaker, are three excellent devices that are extremely simple to use and very affordable. Another option to consider for listening to music together is through an Internet radio service like Spotify (www.spotify.com) and Rhapsody (www.rhapsody.com). These services will let you create a customized playlist (for free or a small monthly subscription fee) that your mom and you can listen to via computer, mobile device, home entertainment system, or a home Internet radio like the Logitech UE Smart Radio (ue.logitech.com), which is a great alternative that’s simple to use and compatible with most online radio services. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 14

WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

Across 1. Elementary particles 6. Fuel 9. Thin Man character 13. Perspicacity 14. Actor Tognazzi 15. Tablet 16. Zoos 18. Foodfish 19. Ireland 20. “___ Lang Syne” 21. Brand 22. TV station 23. Augmented 24. Sepulcher Down 1. Astringent 2. Surcoat 3. Asian country 4. Actress Ryan 5. Gym shoe 6. Social club 7. Like fine wine 8. Letters of distress 9. State in N. India 10. Drooled 11. Sob story 12. Norwegian mathematician Niels ____ 13. Prayer ending

25. Playing cards 26. Metallic element 27. More than one 14 Across 30. Mortgage holder, for one 33. Egest 35. Shallot 36. Body of water 37. Ranks 38. Kitchen appliance 40. Diacritical marks 41. Pindaric 42. Bon ____ 43. Some actors 17. Regrets 21. See 27 Across 23. Type of downturn 24. Poetic contraction 25. At the apex 26. Sp. aunt 28. Fiend 29. Cape 30. Extinct bird 31. National Velvet author Bagnold 32. Cutting 33. E. state (abbr.) 34. Lipids 36. Day (abbr.)

44. 46. 47. 50. 52. 53. 54. 55. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62.

Card game word Colliery Sports group (abbr.) Loft Chromatic color Soft drink Conceited Mediterranean nut trees Sea eagles Bring to bear Macaque Storm Needlefish Accede

39. Weep 40. Drinking vessel 43. Clue 45. Wash cycle 46. Tightwad 47. Racket 48. Staff of life 49. Young lady 50. Verify 51. E. Ireland village 52. Galileo’s birthplace 53. Cordon bleu 55. Small dog 56. Evita role

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September 2013

Tinseltown Talks

Happy Birthday, Rose Marie Nick Thomas est known for her role as Sally Rogers in the ’60s CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, Rose Marie turned 90 in August. “I don’t feel it,” she admitted when I spoke with her recently. “I feel 60 and still keep busy.” In the past year, that included voiceover work for The Garfield Show on the Cartoon Network. “I love it. You don’t have to dress up or put on makeup. All you have to do is show up! Although I can do many different voices, the producer wanted my voice so people would know ‘that’s Rose Marie.’” Audiences have known Rose Marie for nine decades, since she began performing at an age when most children would still be potty training. Her phenomenal singing voice as a child (see www.missrosemarie.com) rocketed her to fame overnight. “I have no idea where that voice came from; I think God just gave me a wonderful gift,” she said. “When I was 3, I won an amateur contest, and my family took me to Atlantic City. We saw a showgirl named Evelyn Nesbit perform, and I started singing along. She invited me up on stage to sing with her; then, people began throwing money.” Backstage, Nesbit suggested changing her name to Baby Rose Marie, and her career soon took off. “I had my own radio show coast to coast on NBC when I was 5.” But there were also doubters. “Unlike other child singers, I sang

Rose Marie poses with a hair bow and shoes from her Baby Rose Marie days, donated to the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History in 2008. To this day, she wears a bow in her hair, which has great significance for her, but she has refused to explain why in any interview throughout her life. “It’s a very personal thing,” she said.

A huge fan, Johnny Depp personally invited her backstage during a screening of the 2007 film Sweeney Todd at Paramount, where he introduced her to Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and others. Later, she said it was one of the best nights of her life.

With cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show

Baby Rose Marie

Puzzles shown on page 13

Puzzle Solutions

adult songs with adult phrasing and mannerisms. People would write to the station in disbelief saying that no child could sing like that, and I must have been a midget. So NBC sent me out to play theaters to prove I was a child.” As her fame grew, the famous wanted to meet her. President Franklin Roosevelt invited her to the White House when she was just 6. “After I sang for him, we played tiddlywinks with some poker chips I found in his office.” She caught the attention of the infamous, too. While working with Milton Berle in Chicago, a visitor came backstage. “It was Al Capone, and he wanted to invite me to dinner! He picked me up the next day and we went out to eat with all the mob.” Years later as a young adult, she was invited to perform at the opening of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1946, along with Jimmy Durante, bandleader Xavier Cugat, and other stars of the day. The invitation came from notorious mobster and hotel owner Bugsy Siegel. “We became friends and he was very good to me. I just didn’t think of those guys as gangsters.” At age 10, Rose Marie met Morey Amsterdam, who would become an important influence in her career and later her co-star on The Dick Van Dyke Show. “He was a popular writer for comedians like Fanny Brice and Fred Allen and became a comic himself,” she

September 2013

50plus SeniorNews

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recalled. “We met when I guest starred on a radio program. He also wrote most of my nightclub material and become a lifelong friend. I actually got him the Dick Van Dyke Show job.” As for Dick Van Dyke, she says it was a joy to work with someone so talented and has only fond memories of Van Dyke and the cast. “We were a close group and genuinely liked working together. Everyone came to work happy, and oh, did we laugh!” Speaking from his Malibu home, Dick Van Dyke recalled meeting Rose

Marie for the first time. “I knew she had been in show business since she was 3 but never met her until the first reading of the script,” he said. “She just knocked me over. She probably had the most razor-sharp sense of timing of anybody I ever worked with. She was a delight and still is.” Thomas’ features and columns have appeared in more than 300 magazines and newspapers, and he is the author of Raised by the Stars, published by McFarland. He can be reached at his blog: http://getnickt.blogspot.com

17th Annual

WINNER

from page 1

many performances and concerts. SENIOR IDOL “has opened up the performance aspect for me. I’ve gotten quite a few shows as a result,” she said. Among her performances, Kissinger sang at several 50plus EXPOs this year. “Everyone has been so good to work with at On-Line Publishers. They’ve always been kind and accommodating,” she said. Kissinger grew up loving music, a trait she got from her grandparents, who took her for organ and piano lessons. By age 13, she was playing in church, and by 15, she was substituting for two different congregations. After high school graduation, she was offered an organist position. As a young woman, Kissinger also sang at local gigs such as restaurants, banquets, and clubs, but she took a hiatus from her musical pursuits to focus on raising her family after her husband was killed in an auto accident in 1991. When Kissinger decided it was time to get back to her musical roots, she earned a music education degree from Millersville University. She now has been a private vocal, piano, and beginning-strings instructor with a specialization in special-needs students for more than 15 years. Kissinger’s vocal performances are her way “to express who I am. I get to express me,” she said after winning the 2012 SENIOR IDOL title. At last year’s competition, Kissinger wowed the judges and audience alike with her powerhouse renditions of Etta James’s “At Last” and “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. For winning the 2012 SENIOR IDOL contest, Kissinger received a trip for two to New York City via limousine for dinner and a Broadway show. “I went to see Wicked on Broadway. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

It was fabulous. I loved it. I just had a great time. It was nice to be chauffeured all over New York City. I went in midSeptember and had really nice weather. I had a wonderful time. I’m amazed that a year has already passed.” Kissinger will perform one last time as the reigning PA STATE SENIOR IDOL to open the 2013 finals on Oct. 14 at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster. Kissinger’s advice for the upcoming PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competitors comes from her years as a vocal instructor. “What I tell my students when they go audition is that you have to pick a song that you can sing with all your heart. You have to shine. Sing the song you love and tell the story,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be complex, but do it really well so the listener knows you are doing it with your heart and soul.” She also advises them to choose music that shows the judges their range and then deliver it, telling the story. “Nerves always play a part (in competitions), but that comes with experience,” Kissinger said. After her reign comes to an end, Kissinger said she plans to work on a CD and continue on with her performances. An upcoming show will be a Relay for Life concert with one of her voice students, Dr. Jun Chon, on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Ephrata Legion ballroom. For tickets, call Cindy Mellinger at (717) 733-6006, ext. 2551. Kissinger also is taking on new students of all ages at her private studios. She can be reached at (717) 354-6575 or through her website (www.vkmusicstudio.com). For more information on the 2013 PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competition, visit the official website (www.SeniorIdolPA.com) or call (717) 285-1350.

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September 2013

1 in 3 with heart disease. Also has PAD.

Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is a serious condition that restricts blood flow in your legs and head. It is caused by the same plaque that builds up in the arteries of your heart that can cause a heart attack. PAD is a silent killer, but can be treated. Many people have no symptoms while others may experience leg pain, fatigue and stroke. If you currently see a cardiologist because of heart disease or have a family history of heart disease, you may also have PAD and should be evaluated. Good Samaritan Heart and Vascular Associates offers many treatment options for PAD from medication and exercise programs to minimally-invasive procedures and surgical reconstruction. Talk to your doctor about PAD or call Good Samaritan Heart and Vascular Associates at 717.270.3751 for an evaluation. Powerful medicine and comforting care. Only at Good Samaritan.

Good Samaritan Heart and Vascular Associates | 717.270.3751 | comfortingcare.org 16

September 2013

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