The Bridge - Whidbey Bridge April 2016 Edition

WHIDBEY

BRIDGE

FOR WHIDBEY ISLAND’S OVER-50 CROWD

CARVING CREATIONS

page 2

HUMANITARIAN: Age is irrelevant to Gene

White. It’s what you do with the time given in life that White, a humanitarian for most of her adult life, values.

White is a 94-year-old Clinton resident and Ohio native who has lived and breathed this philosophy for years … Page 3 APRIL • 2016

Free

A Whidbey News Group publication

A collaboration of the Whidbey News Group, Senior Services of Island County and Oak Harbor Senior Center Supplement to the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record

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WHIDBEY BRIDGE

CREATIVE CARVINGS

April • 2016

Woodworker shares years of experience with senior classes

By KATE DANIEL

kdaniel@whidbeynewsgroup.com

After 46 years of carving, Dick Weber still manages to find ways to challenge himself as a woodworker.

Weber took up carving in 1970 after watching a 132-foot totem pole being carved while on a trip to Haines, Alaska. At the time, he was teaching junior high social studies in the Shoreline School District, and remarked to his wife that carving could be a good hobby, and a means of stressrelief after a long day in the classroom.

Several years and hundreds of completed pieces later, Weber continues to educate, teaching pupils at the Anacortes Senior Center. For over 10 years, Weber had led classes at the Oak Harbor Senior Center, though that class was canceled due to a lack of enrollment.

When he isn’t teaching, he’s carving, both solo and in collaboration with fellow woodworkers

including Harley Refsal and Tom Newell.

For the first 10-15 years, Weber worked solely in the Northwest Native style, inspired by the totem pole that had provided the catalyst of inspiration for his newfound passion.

It was when he began teaching a woodworking class in the continuing education program at North Seattle Community College that he was prompted to expand his repertoire and begin carving in a variety of styles.

In his 46 years, he has created works of all sorts, from old-world characters carved in the Scandinavian flat-plane style to cottonwood bark houses, multitudinous examples of which line the walls and shelves of his Coupeville home.

One of his most wellknown and oft-viewed collaborative efforts is displayed at the Coupeville Wharf. Weber was one of six carvers to lend a hand in cre-

Photos by Kate Daniel

Coupeville resident Dick Weber has been carving for 46 years. For the past six years, he has focused his attention on creating lifelike renditions of birds, such as those pictured. He will be showing these pieces at the Columbia Flyaway Wildlife Show in September.

ating the Whale Wheel, built in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Penn Cove Water Festival.

Each of the whales is symmetrical in shape and size, but contains details, signatures of their respective carvers, which make them distinct.

For the past six years, Weber has focused his efforts on carving various species of birds, guided by the expertise of Newell, whom he carves with once weekly in La Conner.

It’s the challenge of carving avians that keeps Weber interested in that particular subject matter.

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In addition to birds, Weber has created hundreds of other pieces over the years, including these cowboy characters.

my and color challenged when it comes to birds,” he said.

For the past five years, Weber has entered birds in competition at

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the Columbia Flyaway Wildlife Show, at which he noted modestly he has received accolades for his work.

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birds in the September 2016 show.

As for his next project, Weber said, “I need to find something to challenge me.”

In that regard, he is aiming to continue honing his skills in avian carvings, including a possible collaborative effort to carve a non-feathered flyer: a WWI aviator. n Weber’s classes at the Anacortes Senior Center take place from 9 to noon Mondays. All skill levels are welcome. Call 360293-7473 for more information.

March • 2016

WHIDBEY BRIDGE

Page 3

Age makes no difference to local humanitarian

By EVAN THOMPSON South Whidbey Record

Age is irrelevant to Gene White. It’s what you do with the time given in life that White, a humanitarian for most of her adult life, values.

White is a 94-year-old Clinton resident and Ohio native who has lived and breathed this philosophy for years.

She’s actively worked to help developing countries establish school feeding programs. She’s also helped direct federal and state child nutrition programs in the United States that serve 2.5 million meals to children in schools and other agencies daily.

“Everybody has an opportunity, in some ways, to decide how they want to use their lives,” White said. “Learn to know yourself. Learn to know your life and see what you want to give, see what you can share with others. That isn’t just to do good things; it’s a way to build a society in which there is respect and care for those who are on the human journey.”

Her work with the U.S. Agency for International Development and United Nations World Food Programme has taken her all over the world to poverty-stricken countries such as Tunisia and Paraguay. She still checks up on the countries she’s helped as if they were old friends.

“We’re not in here alone,” White said.

“We’re on this planet together right now and we have some pretty serious needs.”

When White traveled to Tunisia as a budding and well-prepared dieti-

Photo by Evan Thompson

Gene White, a 94-year-old Clinton resident, has dedicated much to helping establish school feeding programs in developing countries.

cian years ago, she was hopeful she could make a difference. She was tasked with traveling to an oasis village to assess the nutritional condition of the children living there.

She took with her a bag of animal crackers she had bought at a nearby store as a snack for the journey. When she arrived to the village, 75 starving children crowded her vehicle. White tried to share as many of the crackers as she could by splitting them in half, but even then, there

weren’t enough. It’s a moment in her life that still pulls at her heart. It’s also when she knew her calling.

“I knew then, that day in that village, that it had to be something of a life’s work,” White said. “That is when I knew I would never stop working. And I haven’t. That was a tragic thing that would happen to anybody.”

White feels reaching out to help one another is a basic tenet of humankind. She encourages everyone to find some way to become involved

in humanitarian work.

Though the idea of volunteering may sound grand and heroic, the reality is that the work is hard and the living conditions are rough.

“It’s not easy, it’s not a fun thing to do,” White said. “You don’t go for a luxury vacation. I think it’s very important to live with the people.”

“I think we have a chance in our lives to share what we have and that can be whatever.

We all have gifts or we wouldn’t be here. The question is how can we

use those gifts to reach out and help other people, realizing there is huge need in the world right now,” she added.

Humanitarian work also has its dangers. She said in order to be an effective volunteer, one must take care of themself and stave off chances for disease and other life-threatening illnesses.

White regularly vaccinates herself at Virginia Mason Medical Center before she leaves the country.

“I have been immunized for almost any

disease (for which) you can have an immunization,” White said. “There are huge, uncontrolled diseases.”

White is also a registered dietician and a school nutrition specialist. She earned her undergraduate degree in food and nutrition from Miami University in Ohio and a master’s degree in nutrition from Ohio State University.

She’s lived on Whidbey Island for 20 years and also works with students in the South Whidbey School District who are interested in humanitarian work.

“Here on Whidbey, we have a very, very caring community,” White said.

“It’s incredible the way we care for each other.

That doesn’t happen many places.”

Lynn Willeford, board president of South Whidbey at Home, believes White has set a standard that most could never hope to meet.

“In her nineties, she still travels the world, often living in local accommodations in rural areas and riding local buses, at a pace most people abandon in their sixties,” Willeford said in an email. “She is as comfortable talking with the highest levels of government as she is with the poorest villager.”

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WHIDBEY BRIDGE STAFF Executive Editor & Publisher............................KEVEN R. GRAVES Associate Publisher.................................... KIMBERLLY WINJUM Editor.................................................................MEGAN HANSEN Staff Reporters.........................KATE DANIEL, EVAN THOMPSON Admin..................................... HEATHER SCHMIDT, JILL LIGHTY

Assistant Advertising Manager.......................... TERI MENDIOLA Ad Sales............ PHIL DUBOIS, NORA DURAND, TABITHA LONG Creative Artists........MICHELLE WOLFENSPARGER, JEN MILLER, CAITLIN FROST Circulation Manager........................................ DIANE SMOTHERS

WHIDBEY BRIDGE IS FREE OF CHARGE. COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE OAK HARBOR SENIOR CENTER, SENIOR SERVICES OF ISLAND COUNTY, SENIOR THRIFT AND NUMEROUS OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS WHIDBEY ISLAND PO Box 1200 | 107 S Main St, Suite E101, Coupeville, WA 98239 360-675-6611 | Fax 360-679-2695 Copyright © 2016, Sound Publishing

READER INFORMATION: ADMINISTRATIVE: The Bridge is a monthly publication of Sound Publishing, and is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, the National Newspaper Association and Suburban Newspapers of America. Advertising rates are available at the Whidbey News Group office. While The Bridge endeavors to accept only reliable advertisements, it shall not be responsible to the public for advertisements nor are the views expressed in those advertisements necessarily those of The Bridge. The right to decline or discontinue any ad without explanation is reserved. DEADLINES: Display Ads – Contact the office for deadlines.

Page 4

WHIDBEY BRIDGE

April • 2016

Author giving voice to ‘marginalized’ individuals

By KATE DANIEL kdaniel@whidbeynewsgroup.com

When Cynthia Trenshaw first stepped into the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin, she toted the weight of her own apprehension and uncertainty just as the ill-reputed district’s weary residents carried the weight of their own.

Trenshaw, a Freeland resident, had crossed the threshold into society’s margins before, working in such positions as suicide hotline manager and hospital chaplain. But the gray streets of the Tenderloin, an area she describes as “a twentyblock triangle of concentrated deprivation, grime and human suffering,” were entirely foreign.

Trenshaw, a licensed massage therapist and hospital chaplain, was attending Berkeley, pursuing her post-graduate degree in theology. She

had recently rekindled a friendship with Mary Ann Finch, founder and director of the Care Through Touch Institute, an innovative program through which masseuses offer free massage therapy to impoverished and marginalized people.

It was Finch who accompanied Trenshaw on this first day of many she would spend amongst those whom society had cast away, offering a healing touch to those who were invisible to most.

It was a day that would alter Trenshaw’s life and perspective in innumerable ways.

Though she had ventured into this, as into other marginalized places previously, with the intention of extending compassion and healing, she found that the benefits were reciprocal.

In addition to a healing touch, Trenshaw has

of fered these and other individuals a voice through her book, “Meeting in the Margins: An Invitation to Encounter Society’s Invisible People.”

It is being sold at most independent bookstores,

WH I

“local people serving local people”

THE

P OU

EW EY N S GR DB

not have seen, let alone interacted with, before.

Trenshaw is not only writer, but a collector of stories.

She first got the notion that she would be effective working with marginalized people when she realized one of her most powerful skills: the ability to listen deeply.

“If I stopped at the ‘don’t walk’ sign, someone would tell me their story,” Trenshaw said.

She was initially immersed into work with marginalized people when she took a position at a suicide hotline center, work through which she expounded upon her natural talent for listening well and interacting with as well as Amazon and those rendered invisible Barnes and Noble. by mainstream society.

In the text, Trenshaw A few years later, she gives readers an oppor- earned her bachelor’s tunity to tune into the degree and began work exchanges between as a hospital chaplain. herself and her clients, “I was immersed in as well as her internal death and dying and pain conversations and reflec- and fear, and I found I tions. loved it,” she said.

This dialogue extends While working as beyond the book’s pages, a chaplain in 1994, as Trenshaw invites Trenshaw received her readers to question their “call to initiation” to perown perspectives, and to form massage in the become more familiar Tenderloin.

Trenshaw recalled with individuals they may

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that her interactions with an AIDS patient named Charlie led her to recognize her desire to delve deeper into the world of holistic healing.

She recalled that other professionals, and even family members, who interacted with Charlie declined to touch him, “except as a clinical necessity.”

She recounted that, holding the dying man’s hand in hers, she intuited the effect this compassionate touch had on him. “I desperately wanted for my hands to learn indefinably ‘more’ and to offer it to Charlie,” she wrote.

It was at this time Trenshaw decided to learn massage therapy.

Though many individuals within mainstream society may be forced to see the ailing, they may opt not to see those who live on the streets, Trenshaw said.

“We all want to be seen,” she said.

Though she no longer works as a masseuse, she has assisted in teaching others the art of compassionate touch, and continues to work with the ill and dying, both as a volunteer at Enso House in Freeland, and as a guardian ad litem for three counties. She will also be presenting a workshop to mental health care workers, based on the content of “Meeting in the Margins.”

Though Trenshaw said religion is not a significant part of her worldview, spirituality is integral. “There is divinity that permeates everything and everyone,” she said. “Those streets are holy.”

It is this understanding that Trenshaw said will be most beneficial to those hoping to help those on the outskirts of society.

“The biggest help they can give people is to see their own mix of divinity and humanity and see that in other people,” Trenshaw said.

April • 2016

WHIDBEY BRIDGE

Page 5

Plenty of activities to tackle at senior center

By EVAN THOMPSON South Whidbey Record Lenora Ecker t doesn’t know exactly how long bingo night at the South Whidbey Senior Center has been around. She does know, however, one thing that sheds light on the popular event held every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.

“The people who come all the time really enjoy it,” Eckert said.

“They love bingo and the companionship of one another. It makes for a fun evening and they can win a little money on the side. It’s a win-win operation.”

Eckert is the manager of event. She said there are plenty of benefits to participating, such as winning the blackout prize, which totaled more than $600 when someone won the grand prize recently.

She added that the event typically averages around 30 people, but that they are looking for more people to join in the fun.

Ages range from young to old, permitting a wide range of conversation topics and energy in the room.

“They’re all friends.

It’s like their second family,” Eckert said.

“They love bingo and they love each other. It makes for a real fun evening.”

Bingo night is among the many activities senior citizens can participate in. Held in the center’s dining and fireside rooms are a wide variety of games and activities. Those looking for a chance to socialize, get out of the house and have a good time can do so during any one of the center’s free events.

One of the newer activities is cribbage, held on Tuesdays from 1:30-4 p.m. and Fridays from 6:30-9 p.m. No prior experience is necessary, says Morley

Curtis, the manager of the event.

“For most people who play the game, it’s a very fun game,” Curtis said. “Of course you get together with people who have similar interests and sit and swap some tales.”

Curtis said the group is averaging around three participants with a high of seven. Since it’s only a month old, Curtis isn’t surprised by the slow start.

“It’s kinda what I expected,” Curtis said.

“I’m just going keep trying it though.”

Like many of the other activities offered, Curtis feels it’s a good way to get out of the house. He encouraged people to attend.

A more seasoned group comes in the form of Monday morning bridge group, led

by Earl Mitchell, and meets from 9 a.m. to noon.

Mitchell said there’s no pressure to know the new conventions of the game.

“It’s a social gathering where people can be with other people and play,” Mitchell said. “You don’t need a partner, you just simply show up.”

Mitchell said the group is looking for four or five additional members.

“There should be no reservations about coming,” Mitchell said. “It’s a very welcoming group and we look forward to any new members.”

A men’s bridge group also meets on Thursdays from 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Photo provided

The Fun Band, led by Barbara Carr is currently looking for new members, which performs and rehearses every Friday in the Fireside Room at the South Whidbey Senior Center. Practice is from 9-10:30 a.m. and dancing is from 10:45-11:45 a.m.

Another group meets later Thursday evening from 6:30-9:30 p.m. in the Evergreen Room.

Potential attendees are encouraged to call first before attending.

Other events to partake in include chess, meeting Mondays, 6:30-10 p.m.; mahjong, meeting Mondays, 1-3 p.m.; Mexican train dominoes, meeting Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m.; Scrabble, meeting Fridays, 6:30-9:30 p.m.; and the senior striders, who walk through trails around the community every Thursday from 9-11 a.m.

A ping pong table, piano, big screen television and DVD player, projector and movie screen provide a substitution to the available activities.

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WHIDBEY BRIDGE

April • 2016

4 tips to live better in retirement The conceptions and realities of retirement have changed a great deal over the past several decades, giving many seniors misgivings about the future. But your golden years can be happy, healthy and productive, experts say.

“For many individuals, confusion, fear and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness accompany the prospect of growing old in America.

The good news is that we have power to address these concerns,” says Scott Page, author of the new book “It’s Never Too Late: Getting Older, Wiser, and Worry-Free in our Golden Years.”

Are you retired or approaching the end of your working life? Are you concerned about an older parent or loved one? Here, Page offers expert tips on living better:

Living Ideas Reducing housing expenses can have an extra upside. For example, downsizing your empty nest offers you the benefit of less house to maintain. Moving to a region of the country cheaper than your current area may take you somewhere sunnier, warmer and better suited for aging.

Photo provided

Consider different living arrangements, opportunities and activities for a better retirement.

Another popular way to live more frugally is to consider taking in a roommate.

Make Money You can rake in extra income that doesn’t feel like work. Review your talents and hobbies. Are you an excellent baker, a talented woodworker or musician?

“Seniors often have a lot of time on their hands, and they may be able to transform hobbies or interests into a way to make a little money,” says Page, who points out that such activities can also be an excellent way to stay engaged and active, keeping minds and bodies vibrant.

Saving Tips

determine which objects to keep and which to discard or sell.

Connect Consider planning meals with a support network.

“Maybe Sally takes Monday nights, Judy takes Wednesday nights and Sarah takes Friday nights,” says Page.

“Cooking for more than one person encourages community, and can be cost-effective if everyone is sharing in the responsibility.”

Maintain an active social media presence online to stay connected to friends and family.

With smart strategies you can free yourself from worry about aging, while getting wiser over time.

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Don’t be shy about using the age card. After all, you have worked hard for it.

Senior discounts are available at restaurants, stores, on travel, adult education classes and gym memberships, and sites like Restaurant. com or Groupon have special bargain days for seniors.

You can also save by eliminating unnecessary expenses. For example — do you still need that landline telephone? Can you bundle certain services to help reduce costs?

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April • 2016

WHIDBEY BRIDGE

SOUTH WHIDBEY SENIOR CENTER

Senior Services’ April menu

CLASSES Beginning Clogging: Thursdays, April 7, 14, 21, 28

nnn FRIDAY, APRIL 1

MONDAY, APRIL 18

Salmon caesar salad

Cranberry meatballs

MONDAY, APRIL 4

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

Turkey a la King

Salad Bar w/variety of vegetables

TUESDAY, APRIL 5 Salad bar w/variety of vegetables

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 Chicken cordon bleu casserole

THURSDAY, APRIL 7 Chef’s choice

Advanced Tai Chi: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m., Tuesdays, April 5-26 Beginning Tai Chi: 10-11 a.m., Tuesdays, April 5-26

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 Turkey enchiladas

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Vegetable lasagna

Chicken strip basket

MONDAY, APRIL 11 Rosemary chicken

TUESDAY, APRIL 26

TUESDAY, APRIL 12 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

Tune In – Tone Up with the Ukulele Tuesdays: 10:30-11:30 a.m., April 5-26 Painting with Deon Matzen: 1-4 p.m., Wednesdays, April 13, 20, 27 (no class April 6). 1-4 p.m., Fridays, April 15, 22, 29 (no class April 8) Laptop Pre-Flight Check — Windows, Mac, iPads: 12:30-1:30 p.m., Monday, April 25 iPads for Seniors: 1:30–2:30 p.m., Monday, April 25, and Tuesday, April 26. Note: iPads only. Register by April 22

Buddies for Buddies Café: 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the Dining Room, Host: Jerry Mader: “Creativity & Mutual Admiration” Getting Ready for Medicare: Free.

No pre-registration required. 9:30 a.m., Saturday, April 23 at South Whidbey Senior Center Social Security Basics: Free.

No pre-registration required. 1 p.m., Thursday, April 14 at South Whidbey Senior Center Senior Exemption ProgramProperty Taxes: Free presentation by Kristina Mayhew of the Island County Assessor’s Office. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Thursday, April 21 Community Preparedness Education by the American Red Cross: 2:30-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20. Free to the public

COUPEVILLE HUB

Fish tacos w/salsa

Cobb salad

Sign Language — Beginners: 5:306:30 p.m., Tuesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26

50 Plus Yoga: No yoga classes the first week of April, 4:45-6 p.m., Tuesdays, April 12-26. 4:45-6 p.m., Thursdays, April 14-28 Beginning Line Dance: 9-10 a.m., Wednesdays, April 6-27

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Line Dancing – Improver/ Intermediate: 10-11:30 a.m., Wednesdays, April 6-27

Chef’s choice

Spinach ravioli w/marinara

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

Page 7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 Southwest chicken salad

Pork tenderloin w/apples

THURSDAY, APRIL 28

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Chef’s choice

Chef’s choice

FRIDAY, APRIL 29

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Salmon patties and rice pilaf

All activities begin at 1 p.m. at the Coupeville United Methodist Church on Main Street. Lunch is served very Wednesday at noon. Contact Glenda Cantrell, 360-720-2955 or Glenda@ islandseniorservices.org

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 1 p.m., Bingo 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., information & assistance will be available

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

Seafood fettuccini

The Nutrition Program depends on 133 volunteers who drive for Meals on Wheels or assist in the dining rooms and kitchens. Volunteer drivers provide connection to the community for isolated homebound participants, while dining room volunteers help in the busy dining rooms, cleaning and serving. Meals are served at South, Central and North Whidbey locations. For volunteer information, call 360-321-1600.

Falls and injury prevention, SAIL exercise class, led by Mary Waters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 “Senior Property Tax Exemption” with a county tax accessor. Learn property tax exemptions and new tax laws

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 Broken Banjo, Deirdre Fairfax and

Larry Mason are Back! Talented musicians playing and singing a wide scope of tunes

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 Falls and Injury Prevention, SAIL Exercise Class, led by Mary Waters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 “Aging in Place Specialist” Charles Locke of “Back in the Woods Works,” will speak on accessing senior’s homes to make them safer and more accessible

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 1 p.m., Bingo 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., information & assistance will be available

THURSDAY, MAY 5 Falls and Injury Prevention, SAIL Exercise Class, Led by Mary Waters

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 Erick and Steve Harada, of Harada Physical Therapy, will speak on how therapy helps, especially with pain and balance issues

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 “Senior Abuse Issues,” will be discussed with Casey Scott Mitchell of Citizens Against Domestic Abuse.

Topics will include possible senior abuse, physically, financially and emotionally

THURSDAY, MAY 19 Falls and injury prevention, SAIL exercise class, led by Mary Waters

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 Captain Mark Saia will present info and a slide show about the 1925, one-ofa-kind schooner SUVA.

Hearing Loss May Be Affecting Your Quality Of Life GET A 3-WEEK HEARING AID TRIAL* Your hearing loss may seem insignificant now but studies have linked untreated hearing loss to real-world consequences1: • Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety • Greater risk of developing dementia • Fatigue, tension, stress and depression

(360) 678-1423

www.CoupevilleHearing.com *Per Doctor’s suggestion. **See store for details. © 2016 Starkey. All Rights Reserved. 3/16 43791-16

Contact us today to schedule your FREE Hearing Screening

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Locally Owned & Operated

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107 S. Main Street A102 Coupeville, WA 98239

BEST OF

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DR. KRISTINE JARRELL Board Certified Audiologist

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WHIDBEY BRIDGE

April • 2016

Home design tips for Baby Boomers generation There are about 76.4 million Baby Boomers in the United States, according to the Population Reference Bureau. As this population ages, it will become important that features in their houses promote safety, are easy to maintain, and last a long time.

Whether building from the ground up or remodeling a current home, take “aging in place” into consideration every step of the way. Here are some great projects to consider with strong payback.

Brands like Mansfield Plumbing are accommodating the Boomer population by offering selections of SmartHeight toilets, pedestal, under counter and wall mounted sinks. A popular product, Restore walk-in tubs, come with whirlpool and inline heater options to sooth aching muscles and joints. With many high-design fixtures and fittings available, a safe bathroom does not need to be just a utilitarian one.

Durable Roof

A Better Basement When building a new home, choose your foundation carefully. Not only is an uninsulated basement a major source of heat loss, it’s throwing away potential space that can enhance your life.

A “liveable basement” can be designated as a “grandkid zone,” an athome office or crafting workshop.

You can use a pre-cast insulated concrete foundation system, such those from Superior Walls, to create an energy-efficient damp-proof basement.

This foundation will help reduce utility bills for long-term savings.

Reinforced concrete walls create a permanent barrier against water, and

Photo provided

A walk-in tub, pedestal sink, and raised-height toilet are key bathroom safety features. pre-engineered access for wiring or plumbing features are a key element to whatever vision you have for this subterranean space.

First Floor Privacy Many seniors opt to spend more of their time at home on the easy-tonavigate ground floor.

But don’t compromise

privacy in pursuit of accessibility.

Privacy windows can alleviate concerns you have about neighbors seeing you go about your business. For example, those from Hy-Lite are offered in numerous styles and designs, including opaque decorative glass, acrylic block and true glass block windows. Silkscreen glass designs can complement the overall style of the

home. From your master suite to your bathroom to the main rooms of your home, avoid prying eyes with this crucial component of stylish first floor living.

Safe, Comfortable Bathrooms As mobility and coordination decline, slips and falls can make bath-

rooms a hazardous place.

Think of the years ahead by seeking out bathroom features that are ADAcompliant.

“Taller toilets that are easier to rise from, pedestal sinks that allow wheelchair and walker access, and walk-in tubs that promote easy entries and exits are all bathroom features people may need as they age,” says Jean Dimeo, a certified aging in place specialist.

When choosing a roof for your home, seek out long-term durability without compromising beauty.

Slate and shake polymer roof products from brands like DaVinci Roofscapes are lowmaintenance, offer lifetime limited warranties, and come in a variety of color options that have the authentic look of natural materials. Impactand fire-resistant, these hardworking roofs offer boomers both peaceof-mind and long-term value.

By upgrading key home features during construction and remodeling efforts, aging in place is not only possible, it can be preferable.

(StatePoint)

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FAMILY DERMATOLOGY CO

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“Voted Best Dermatology Clinic 2015”

BEST OF

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Robert Mizen

Reese Bliek

MSN, ARNP

MPAS, PA

Ron Wheeland MD

Charles Frosolone MD

Mary Kay Graves RN, FNP

Voted Best Dermatology Provider 2015

Please call to make an appointment at 360-682-5024 205 S Main Street, Bldg B, Coupeville

275 SE Cabot Drive, Suite A3, Oak Harbor

www.familydermco.com

1804 Scott Road, Suite 106, Freeland