Four chaplains remembered,
February 2024
Volume 26 Issue 9
page 11
‘The Way We Were,’ page 6
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I do, again!
Upcoming Expos in February and March BY JEFF NAVIN Don’t be surprised to see a giraffe poke its head out of seemingly nowhere as the Bluewater Creative Group conducts its All You Need Is Love Senior Expo and Valentine’s Day Party. It will be held at the Nyami Nyami River Lodge at the Brevard Zoo, just left of the Brevard Zoo entrance. Meerkats, a tiny member of the mongoose family, also will be scurrying about inside a glass habitat during the Expo, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 14 at the River Lodge. The Expo, sponsored by Health First and VIPcare, is free. Admission to the Brevard Zoo is not included. “We are so ecstatic to spend Valentine’s Day with our readers and Expo friends,” said Jill Blue, the publisher of Senior Life. “A lot of people don’t go out for the special day and a romantic dinner. This brings them out to celebrate with each other. They can make new friends. We want to spoil you.” Dress in red for the occasion, which is not limited to couples. A flower will be given to all women, sponsored by CarePlus. A photo wall with hearts will be available for sweet selfies. Zechariah Donley, a disc jockey, from
SENIOR EXPOS continued on page 8
SENIOR LIFE Keith Betterley
Mary and Tom Denni share a kiss during the 2015 Senior Life vow renewal at the Nyami Nyami River Lodge.
Couples ready to renew their vows on Valentine’s Day BY R. NORMAN MOODY Tom and Mary Denni were married in a simple ceremony in 2013. So, they jumped at the opportunity to renew their vows two years later during the 2015 Senior Safari: Senior Life’s Boomer Guide Expo & Caribbean Beach Party. “It was fun,” Mary Denni said. “It was different.” Tom Denni had retired in 2004 and moved from New York to Brevard County. When she moved to Brevard in 2013, after retiring, they became neighbors. They were
Love stories
Check out other love vignettes on page 15. soon married. Renewing their vows two years later was exciting. An event Feb. 14 will give couples married more than 25 years the opportunity to renew their vows during the All You Need Is Love Senior Expo and Valentine’s Day Party at the Nyami Nyami River Lodge at the Brevard Zoo. “That makes it more special,”
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Mary Denni said. “Go for it.” The event is free, but admission to the Zoo is not included. The Lodge is independent of the Zoo. The wedding vow renewal will include a cake and digital photos for the couples renewing their vows. The deadline for the vow renewal will be Feb. 5. Call Sylvia, the office manager for the Bluewater Creative Group, at 321-242-1235 to secure a reservation. The event includes more than 40 exhibits of interest for boomers and seniors, whether single, a couple or friends, and entertainment. SL
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When you think of celebrations and observances in February, one of the first that comes to mind for many is Valentine’s Day. Yes, there is also Presidents’ Day and Groundhog Day, but Valentine’s Day has a special meaning for a lot of people who want to celebrate love. Check out our story in this edition of an event coming Feb. 14 — All You Need Is Love Senior Expo and Valentine’s Party. All you need is love, love, love, love, as in The Beatles song, celebrates the Valentine’s Day event at the Brevard Zoo hosted by Bluewater Creative Group, the parent company of Senior Life and Viera Voice. Also, in this edition of Senior Life, you can read the love stories of long-married couples from Brevard County. We are presenting story vignettes of several couples. The story vignettes, along with the expo, promises to be a fun and entertaining celebration. Along with entertaining articles, we have stories in this edition that will guide and inform you on health and fitness and tell you about our veterans. Would you know the signs of someone close to you having or about to have a stroke? The experts will tell us in a story what are some of the signs during that crucial time before a stroke. If you know, it could make a big difference in the outcome for someone close to you. We always aim to tell you about health and fitness and some of the things you can do to improve or protect your health and stay fit. We have compiled a series of stories telling you about different activities that might help to keep you physically fit. This month in the series we call Keep Moving, you can learn about Pilates and the benefits it brings. Remember Desert Storm and the Persian Gulf War? It’s hard to believe it has been more than 32 years since U.S. and allied forces drove out Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi force that had invaded and was occupying Kuwait. It took about six weeks and it was over. Iraqi forces had been neutralized. Many of the Iraqi troops simply stopped fighting, abandoned their posts and surrendered. There are many other stories in this edition that we believe will capture your attention. And as always, we look forward to hearing from you. SL
on page 22
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BY NANETTE HEBDIGE The 11th Parade will annual Light Up Viera Holiday community bring joy and cheer to on Dec. 2 and Christmas as it rings the in the holidays season. The first parade was held in been a different 2013. There the festivities theme each year has to compleme . “This year’s nt theme can mean somethin — Sounds Laurie Widzgows g different to of the Season — ki, the marketingeveryone,’’ said coordinat or it may bring for the Viera Company. and events with family memories of caroling “For some, collection and friends, listening or singing of to your favorite highlighting holiday music, attending the sounds our fabulous symphoni a concert of the laughter es or simply and joy filling PARADE, the air Continued on page 33
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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February 2024
Publisher Jill Blue Editor R. Norman Moody Office Manager Sylvia Montes Copy Editor Jeff Navin Art Department Jorjann Blake Feature Writers Ed Baranowski Ernie Dorling Mike Gaffey Randal C. Hill Linda Jump Barbara Jean Mead Betty Porter Flora Reigada Maria Sonnenberg
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CELEBRATING 17 YEARS
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2023 EDITION • NO. 17
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Senior Life of Florida is published on the first of each month. The entire contents of this newspaper are copyrighted by Senior Life of Florida with all rights reserved. Senior Life of Florida is not liable for errors or omissions in editorial, advertorial or advertising materials. Distribution of this newspaper does not constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.
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Seashell Festival proves to be big hit on Space Coast this year BY BETTY PORTER Sea shells in all shapes, colors and sizes — some crafted into intricate figurines and large figures — were a big draw for the Space Coast Seashell Festival. The 44th annual festival, held Jan. 20 and 21 at the Eau Gallie Civic Center sponsored by the Astronaut Trail Seashell Club, brought in a reported record crowd — more than 3,000. Volunteer greeter for the event, Dave
SENIOR LIFE Betty Porter
Sandy Powell created Keeley, a mermaid statue, from sea shells. It finished in first place.
Thornton, said he had never seen so many visitors to one of the festivals. “I was the greeter last year as well and the total was about 200 for both days,” he said. “This year, there were over 1,600 that came in the door by 11 a.m. Sunday and they are still pouring in.” Thornton and his wife, Elaine, were exhibitors at the event and have been since moving to Brevard County four years ago. “We love participating,” Dave Thonton said. “We’re among the folks that don’t want to be couch potatoes in retirement.” Thornton told visitors entering the exhibit about the distinct areas of the show, which included collectors with displays, vendors with items for sale, a middle section of the room with members’ displays and tables displaying award-winning shell art. Sea shells from around the world in all shapes, sizes and colors were on display through the many scientific and artistic displays. The many vendor displays included sea shell jewelry and collectibles as well as shell art for home décor. Artist, illustrator and muralist Andrea Castaneda Castro of Indialantic painted a picture of a large shell on canvas as festival goers looked on. There were a large number of intricately made pieces of shell art, including a 6-foot tall representation of a man made entirely of shells. The firstplace winning piece was of a mermaid made with dazzling shells. The event included a table for children to decorate provided sea shells
with watercolor markers. Brothers Rion Vickers, 7, and Riker Vickers, 5, of St. Cloud colored their shells as their father looked on. Adult and youth volunteers from Boy Scouts Troop 309 of Satellite Beach helped with the event. The event co-chairs B.J. Shouppe of Palm Bay and Vicky Reiordan of Satellite Beach, said the cool weather with temperatures in the 50s and the advanced publicity may have brought a lot of people to the indoor event. First-time festival goers Tina Collins of Vero Beach and Darlene Herbert of Titusville saw the advance publicity about it and decided to meet in Eau Gallie for the event. Both are avid beachcombers, with Collins walking three miles per day on the beach in Vero Beach.
“It was very informative and very much worth the drive,” Herbert said. The Astronaut Trail Seashell Club was founded in 1966 by a group of beachcombers, educators and marine scientists. Its mission is to perpetuate the health, beauty and diversity of earth’s sea life through active participation. The Club sponsors the Space Coast Festival annually on the third weekend of January. The event is free. The group meets at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month from September through May at the Satellite Beach City Hall. Annual membership is $15 and includes beach walks, social events and an annual holiday party. For more information visit spacecoastseashells.com. SL
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KEEP MOVING THE SIXTH FEATURE IN A SERIES ON EXERCISE
Pilates provides effective workout for boomers, seniors BY MIKE GAFFEY For people 50 and older who want to get fit in 2024, Pilates could be the perfect choice. The low-impact exercise program strengthens core muscles, improves flexibility and can be done at home, at a senior center or a Pilates studio. Cara Bonney, the lead instructor at Club Pilates in Viera, said, “We have members from teenagers to 87 at our studio. There are a lot of over 50s, myself included as an instructor, and I’ve been doing Pilates for over 20 years. It’s something that doesn’t hurt my body and it keeps me active and fit and pain-free.” Developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates and practiced worldwide, Pilates focuses on a series of movements to strengthen muscles and improve joint mobility. Participants can sit on a mat during their workouts or use an exercise device called the reformer that uses spring resistance for workouts. “It’s a carriage bed that moves like a skateboard on rails,” Bonney said of the reformer. “It kind of looks like a leg press in a way but it has springs so that we can control the tension, and there’s
hand straps and leg straps and a footbar for pressure. You can get a full-body workout on that.” Participants also can exercise
standing up with springboards that have arm and leg springs. A participant can adjust the resistance by standing closer or farther from the equipment, Bonney
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said.” It works for all bodies without having to change out dumbbells all the time,” she said.
“It protects your back and provides core strength. I love it. To me, it’s like therapy.” —Kateri Genna
For Lynn Bohn, 57, Pilates enabled the Suntree resident to continue exercising regularly after hip replacement surgery 3½ years ago. “It was just the best thing for my hip and my recovery,” said Bohn, who attends 50-minute classes four to five times a week and recently took part in her 400th Pilates class. “I love it. I’m addicted.” Satellite Beach resident Kateri Genna, 59, who has two herniated, degenerative discs, said she was told by her physical therapist that she should try Pilates if she wanted to stay active and continue to play tennis and work out. After 10 years of Pilates, Genna has drastically reduced her number of visits to her physical therapist. “It protects your back and provides core strength,” she said. “I love it. To me, it’s like therapy. You tap out for an hour because it’s so mental. There’s a strong mental aspect.” Older newcomers to Pilates should check with their doctors to make sure the exercise program is right for them. SL E
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Behind the By Randal C. Hill
Beat
‘The Way We Were’ — Barbra Streisand
Marvin Hamlisch, who was responsible for writing the music for Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were,” used to utter an unusual prayer. Starting in 1964, when he was 20 years old, he would privately plead, “Please, God, let Barbra Streisand sing one of my songs.” A piano-playing prodigy at age five, Hamlisch graduated from New York’s Queens College in 1967. The first job he landed soon afterward was as a rehearsal pianist for “Funny Girl,” with — of all people — Streisand. One day years later, Hamlisch got a phone call from a friend about possibly writing a song for a film that would star Robert Redford and Streisand. Thrilled by the possibility of his prayer actually paying off, Hamlisch resolved to capture the movie
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“The Way We Were” was originally omitted from the film version, but after a test screening including the song, Barbra Streisand brought the audience to tears. script in a single song. “I wanted to reflect all of the sorrow and despondency
and pain of their relationship, the star-crossed nature of it,” he explained later. But knowing that his tune would be custom-created for Streisand gave Hamlisch pause. “No matter what I was doing, I could hear Barbra’s voice in my head and recall how wonderful she sounds when she holds certain notes. I wanted to let her soar. I was determined not to write something drippingly sentimental.” Hamlisch eventually came up with what was, to him, a perfect composition: “I’d been trying minor key melodies but thought they might have told you too much in advance that Streisand and Redford were never going to get together. So, I wrote a major key melody that was sad but also had a great deal of hope in it.” Enter the lyric-writing
couple Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who a few years earlier had garnered an Academy Award for penning the words to “The Windmills of Your Mind” from the film “The Thomas Crown Affair.” As a fitting complement to Hamlisch’s work, the duo created poignant word images that succinctly captured the essence of the RedfordStreisand tale:
Memories light the corners of my mind Misty watercolor memories of the way we were Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were Hamlisch and the Bergmans performed the song for Streisand at her home. Although she was reluctant at first — she initially proclaimed it too sentimental — Streisand finally agreed to
record what would become the Academy Award-winning classic for Columbia Records. But all of Hamlisch’s hard work almost didn’t matter, as Streisand’s song was omitted from the original film version of the “The Way We Were.” The determined Hamlisch, however, convinced Columbia’s studio moguls to hold two test screenings. The first audience sat unmoved by the final scene (with no song), where Streisand and Redford realize they have no future together. The next screening included Streisand’s tune. Hamlisch recalled, “I heard a woman start to cry. And then another. And within minutes, there wasn’t a dry eye left. I knew I was right.” One assumes that Hamlisch probably soon became a proponent for prayer. SL
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF DOCTOR
A local doctor provides truly compassionate care and proven solutions for chronic pain and complicated conditions.
Care Rooted in Empathy and Experience Do you ever wonder what it is that makes some doctors so incredibly compassionate while others have a bedside manner better suited for the DMV? In the case of Dr. Andrea Izquierdo, LAc of Bodhi Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is a case of true empathy. “I suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in my teens and 20s.” In other words, GERD is chronic longterm acid reflux. “I had severe acid reflux three to five days a week that were so intense I was often bedridden and would become physically sick.” Being that GERD is one of those complicated conditions that is difficult to treat, Dr. Andrea’s options were prescription medications that often did not work and to make lifestyle changes to limit triggers that often cause acid reflux. “It was no way to live,” she shares. “I was young and should’ve been living a bright, vibrant life. Instead I was monitoring my daily caffeine intake, sleeping with extra pillows under my head and doing my best to avoid foods that triggered the acid reflux. As you can imagine living with a burning roller coaster from the stomach to the throat was not easy. Managing meal times, triggers and food amounts was rough!” It wasn’t until she tried acupuncture that she found real relief. “This is why I often refer to my practice as ‘The Last Resort With The Best Results.’ You’ve been everywhere else and been given the same disheartening prognosis, prescribed the same medications and told 'this is just something you’re going to have to learn to live.” Soon after her incredible experience with the healing arts she made the life changing decision to abandon her Western Medicine studies and pursue her master's degree in acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. “Acupuncture quite literally saved my life and I wanted to share that with the world.” she proclaims.
Your Golden Years Should Be Golden
her neuropathy treatments gave me my life back,” and “it’s a miracle she treated my fibromyalgia, I don't know how else to explain it.”
While in school she watched as her grandmother began to suffer from peripheral neuropathy.
Dr. Andrea Izquierdo has a long personal history in complicated, difficult-to-understand conditions and understands how tragic it can all be if left untreated.
“Your golden years should be golden, not plagued with insufferable pain while doctors and specialists tell you there is nothing they can do.” Understanding that Eastern Medicine excels where Western Medicine fails, Dr. Izquierdo set forth to develop treatment protocols for all variations of Peripheral Neuropathy (including diabetic and chemotherapy induced) and now has a 90% success rate in treating the symptoms of this once difficult to manage condition. “I was tired of seeing the older generation suffer unnecessarily,” shares Dr. Izquierdo. “Diagnosing them as just getting older and giving them a treatment plan of ‘you’re just going to have to get used to it’ has never sat well with me so I wanted to offer them a real option for treatment and care.”
The Magic of Compassionate Care And what do those in her care have to say? “Dr. Andrea looked me in my eyes and wanted to know about me, not just my condition. I feel like a person, not just a patient,” Mary said. “In fact, I don’t think she ever used the word patient.” Others proclaim, “She saved my life,
“I have sat where my patients sit. I’ve experienced their pain and suffering in a very real way. I know the frustration of feeling hopeless on an intimate level. It’s why I practice the brand of medicine I do and why I’ve made it my life’s mission to treat the ‘untreatable.’ It brings me such incredible joy when. I get to say ‘I can help you!’” Furthermore, Dr. Andrea isn’t opposed to more modern medical solutions. “It’s in blending the time-tested science of acupuncture with recent innovations in medicine that get me the best results.” One of those advancements is ATP Resonance BioTherapy™, originally developed by NASA it aids nerves in regeneration by providing them the nutrients they need to repair and renew, “very similar to what water does for a plant!” Dr. Izquierdo and her staff specialize in treating chronic pain, complicated neurological conditions and autoimmune diseases that leave other professionals scratching their heads. Ready to schedule? Call (321) 312-0771 for a comprehensive consultation today. For more information about Dr. Izquierdo and what she treats, visit BodhiTCM.com.
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SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
7
TECH KNOW TIDBITS Cordless lavalier mics might be ideal for cell phone videos
BY R. NORMAN MOODY If you have ever tried to create a video that captures the sound of the voice of your subject standing just a few feet away, you know you are unlikely to record good audio. A cell phone recording simply does not pick up the voice of someone speaking from across the room. And, a corded microphone, well, just won’t reach that far and could be cumbersome. The solution: cordless lavalier mini microphones that are becoming more popular, probably because of their ease of use and convenience. They come with a transmitter that attaches to a phone. It can send the signal to more than one mic. The system often comes with two microphones that connect automatically. A person can speak in a normal
SENIOR EXPOS continued from page 1
Winterhawk Entertainment will play popular love songs to dance and sing along to, adding to the festive atmosphere. “Singles, couples, friends and families can come and have fun,” Blue said. “Having the giraffe habitat in view is a bonus.” Exhibit booths will include: health, medical research, healthcare, volunteer opportunities, finance, hospice, West Volusia Tourism and others.
conversational voice into the lavalier mic from across the room while being clearly recorded on the cell phone. The mini microphones usually have technology that reduces ambient sound for a better recording and have a sponge sock to reduce wind sounds. The sets come with USB cords to charge the mics. The built-in batteries can last about two to four hours or more of use before recharging. Once charged, plug the transmitter into a phone, turn on the mics and start recording a video or doing a live feed. These mics are good when recording at a distance. Some can get a clear signal up to 50 feet away from the phone. Their compact size makes it easy to carry, whether on a day out or on vacation. Prices range from about $10 for a single mic. A pair of mics can cost up to $35 or more, depending on the quality. SL
Cordless lavalier mini microphones are becoming more popular because of their ease of use and convenience.
A limited number of couples will renew their wedding vows at the All You Need Is Love Senior Expo and Valentine’s Day Party. A champagne toast, a professional portrait and a wedding cake will be provided. The deadline for the vow renewal will be Feb. 5. Call Sylvia Montes, the office manager for the Bluewater Creative Group, at 321-242-1235 to secure a reservation. “Choosing to say I do again is something special,” Blue said. “We feel
so fortunate to spend the day with them. I am so happy to share a toast with these wonderful people that have such amazing relationships and love stories to share.” The BoomerFest! Boomer Guide Expo will be held Friday, March 29 at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. During the free Expo, the 2024 Boomer Guide will be launched and distributed to all attendees. The award-winning guide is the premier information source for Brevard County
SENIOR LIFE R. Norman Moody
residents. It’s the go-to magazine to find clubs, organizations, resources, support groups, meetings, senior centers, hurricane emergency information, sports clubs, veterans resources and much more. The festive event will have music, demonstrations, food, exhibitors and other activities to be announced. “This will be our first Expo in Cocoa Beach,” Blue said. “We will be surrounded by water, nature and one of the most beautiful golf courses in Brevard County. We should have come here a long time ago.” SL
History — Then and Now
History – Then and Now features Space Coast historic landmarks or sites in pictures and what those same areas look like today in photographs.
Then 1920s
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Brevard County Historical Commission
A wooden bridge over the Indian River once connected Melbourne to Indialantic. It was replaced by a concrete bridge and later by the Melbourne Causeway.
8
SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
Now 2023
SENIOR LIFE Elaine Moody
The three bridges of the Melbourne Causeway, which connect Melbourne and Indialantic, were built between 1979 and 1985.
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Join Us!
MOVIE MATINEE sponsored by Rhodes Law, PA Thursday, Feb. 8 • 2 p.m. “While You Were Sleeping” with Sandra Bullock RSVP at 321-751-6771 One Senior Place, 8085 Spyglass Hill Road, Viera
321-242-1235
ESTATE AND MEDICAID PLANNING SEMINAR presented by Ruth C. Rhodes, Esq. Wednesday, Feb. 21 • 10 a.m. RSVP at 321-751-6771 One Senior Place, 8085 Spyglass Hill Road, Viera
SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
9
STRIP STRI PES
Brevard Veterans News
Foundation lifts veterans, families by working behind scenes
There are many organizations in Brevard County that advocate for veterans and military families. Some of those organizations rely on other charitable entities to assist them in helping veterans in need. Community Foundation for Brevard with its Veterans Fund is one that assists some of those organizations helping the most vulnerable. Grants from the Veterans Fund provide the support that some of those nonprofit organizations rely on to provide services for veterans. “It works to enhance the lives of veterans and their families,” said Alexandria Heirston, the engagement coordinator for the Community Foundation for Brevard. The goal of the Veterans Fund is to provide support for the needs of
veterans, with priority for those who are isolated, underserved or otherwise marginalized. It fosters education about veterans issues and creates connections between veterans and the general community. Some of the nonprofits use grants from the Veterans Fund to help the homeless, to prevent homelessness, counseling and legal issues, among other things. While the Community Foundation
for Brevard awards the grants to charitable organizations through the fund, its work to assist veterans is only a part of the work of the Community Foundation for Brevard. The initial Veterans Fund was established in 2014 and became an endowed fund in 2020 after a contribution from the Transitioning Patriots of Brevard, which was formally known as Sentinels of Freedom Space Coast. The endowment means that the fund will forever support veterans in the community. The fund has supported the following organizations including: Welcome Home Vets, Brevard County Legal Aid, Space Coast Habitat for Humanity homes for disabled female veterans and Volunteers of America of Florida for basic needs support
for vulnerable veterans in Brevard County. “It’s a joy to support and learn of the work they are doing,” Heirston said of the organizations. Community Foundation for Brevard offers competitive grants of up to $10,000. In 2023, grants totaling more than $379,000 went to 65 organizations that assist veterans and their families. The Foundation connects charitably minded people to the causes that matter most to them. The foundation was formed in 1981. It serves as a source and leader for philanthropic individuals and organizations. It welcomes gifts of all kinds to the Veterans Fund. To help, call 321-7525505 or visit CFBrevard.org. SL
Military service led to interesting career in the space industry BY MARIA SONNENBERG Before he even had graduated from high school, Richard Georg already had two supply missions to Korea as part of his military resume. The Long Island native joined the Air Force Reserve in 1953, just shy of graduation. “My mom had to sign for me because I wasn’t old enough,” said Georg, who now lives on Merritt Island. Georg’s eagerness to join the service stemmed from his brother, who had been drafted; Georg preferred to have options. He enlisted in May, graduated high school in June and turned 18 a couple of weeks later. As history turned out, he joined up when the war was winding down and missed the fighting, unlike his uncle Al, a Marine, who was on the front lines more than enough for the entire family. “He was a hero of Guadalcanal and was in Iwo Jima the day they put the American flag up, but he was all sutured up, with 129 stitches,” Georg said. During his eight years with the Air Force, Georg performed 120 jumps after paratrooper school and also a attended a school for electronics and radar, the latter an education that would serve him well in civilian life. He would later join Northrop Grumman in New Mexico as part of the team tasked with the construction of the Apollo 13 Lunar Module, as well as the module that was featured in the Tom Hanks film of the beleaguered third mission to attempt a moon landing. “I helped build the real one and the
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Richard Georg
Richard Georg signed up for the Air Force well before graduating from high school.
one for the movie,” Georg said. His former employers are a who’s who of the space industry. In addition to Grumman, Georg worked for Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed Martin after he migrated to the Space Coast in 1966, in the process becoming friends with space pioneers such as Wally Schirra, one of the original seven of the Mercury astronauts. By 1979, Georg was ready to join the military once again, this time in the Coast Guard Reserve unit in Cape Canaveral. Until his retirement 16 years later, Georg served as a weapons instructor. A widower twice, Georg lives at
10 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Richard Georg
Richard Georg joined the military a second time and served as a weapons instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. The Lenox at Merritt Island retirement community. Both his son and daughter are not far and both have enjoyed careers in the space and defense industry. The former drummer can still wield
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Chaplains who gave their lives to save others still remembered BY MARIA SONNENBERG It is natural for chaplains to help save souls, but four very special men of faith gave up their lives to save others. A monument at the Veterans Memorial Center in Merritt Island honors the memory of Lieutenants George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington and Clark Poling, chaplains aboard the United States Army Transport Dorchester. Fox was a Methodist, Goode was a rabbi, Washington a Roman Catholic priest and Poling belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church in America. Their religions differed, but their passion for ministering to the 902 service men, merchant seamen and civilians aboard the Dorchester was identical. When the ship was sunk in just 20 minutes by a German torpedo while on its way to Greenland at 12:55 a.m., Feb. 3, 1943, the four men displayed an amazing act of heroism. As the ship began to take in water, the chaplains helped calm the frightened, tended to the wounded and prayed for the dying. “Their voices were the only thing that kept me going,” said Private William Bednar, who floated in 34-degree, oil-smeared water, the bodies of the dead around him. The chaplains also distributed life jackets they had found in a storage locker, and when the supply ran out, removed their own to give to the frightened young soldiers. Survivors on rafts later saw the four men, their arms linked, praying as their ship sank. Cocoa Beach artist and Gold Star mother Jeanne Weaver drafted the bronze Four Chaplains monument
Remember the Immortal Four Chaplains Ceremony 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4
Brevard Veterans Memorial Plaza 400 S. Sykes Creek Pkwy. Merritt Island at the Veterans Memorial Center. “Jeanne designed it to honor the four immortal chaplains and all chaplains since the Revolution,” said her husband, Donn Weaver, one of the most recent inductees into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. Donn Weaver also did his part for the monument, raising the $28,000 needed by American Bronze of Sanford to create the bronze work. A major donation of $10,000 was provided by the family of the late Col. John Howard, who helped launch the Veterans Center in 1978 and whose grandfather led all Army chaplains during World War II. The monument was installed on Memorial Day of 2018 and has since served as a rallying point for events celebrating the courage of these men of God. In 2019, the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, an organization that promotes interfaith understanding, named Weaver’s creation an official monument that honors the valor and faith of these four heroes. The nonprofit was created to encourage selfless service in “unity without uniformity.” Weaver had also created an original oil painting of the four chaplains, using local veterans as models. The
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SENIOR LIFE Jorjann Blake
George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington and Clark Poling, chaplains aboard the United States Army Transport Dorchester, were the inspiration for the Four Immortal Chaplains monument at the Veterans Memorial Center.
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Troops recall Persian Gulf War more than three decades ago BY MARIA SONNENBERG James Turman Jr., still remembers the Vietnam-era soldiers in his group after sirens directed them to bunkers during Operation Desert Storm, 30plus years ago. Turman, then 22 and a newly minted sergeant, realized the incidents dredged up painful memories with his older colleagues. “You could see the fear in their eyes because they remembered Vietnam,” the Melbourne resident said. For Veterans Memorial Center volunteer Ray Norman, the recollections of Desert Storm bring up lighter memories. An intelligence officer during the conflict, Norman was a mission commander aboard a small Beechcraft intelligence intercept plane used to gather information. “A young, good-looking Saudi interpreter was sandwiched between me and the other U.S. operator, but he kept nodding off during the flight,” Norman said. Norman kept nudging the interpreter and eventually inquired what was going on. The man told him he was newly married and his wife, a little too eager to pursue romantic adventures, had kept him awake. “I told him to go back to sleep and I would wake him up when I needed him,” said Norman, who lives on Merritt Island. Operation Desert Storm, considered to usher in the “First Space War,” was the first major military operation
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of James Turman Jr.
Operation Desert Storm ushered in the “First Space War,” which was the first major military operation to use space-enabled capabilites such as GPS, critical in helping the U.S. and Coalition forces win the ground war after only four days of combat. to make use of space-enabled capabilities such as GPS, critical in helping the U.S. and Coalition forces win the ground war after only four days of combat. Satellite communications provided 80 percent of communications in a vast area without a previous communications infrastructure. Additionally, Friendly
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Force Tracking gave ground commanders unprecedented situational awareness and control of forces across the battlefield. Thanks to all the technology, President George H.W. Bush’s war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation was short, successful and relatively light on casualties. Only 43 days in duration, Desert Storm, which started Jan. 17, 1991 and concluded on Feb. 28 of the same year, remains a valuable learning lesson for modern strategy and tactics to this day. Although quick and to the point, Desert Storm still affected the health of troops. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans of the conflict are at risk of health problems caused by toxic chemicals and other hazardous materials in the environment. Gulf War Syndrome is a cluster of symptoms caused by sarin, released after the bombing of Iraqi chemical weapons storage and production facilities. “The air quality was terrible,” said Norman, who has buried six friends in the past five years from issues he suspects began during the Gulf War. The number does not include fellow soldiers who committed suicide. Troy Stanley, pastor at First
SENIOR LIFE Jorjann Blake
A monument at the Veterans Memorial Center honors those who served in Operation Desert Strorm. Christian Church of Cocoa Beach, worked in fire control aboard the USS Curts in the Persian Gulf. “We were basically floating around in an oil spill because Saddam Hussein kept dumping oil in the Gulf,” he said. SL
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Moving for Moore Justice honors Mims civil rights martyrs BY MIKE GAFFEY
Moving for Moore Justice
An event honoring the memory of slain Brevard County civil rights activists Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore will take place from 9:30 to noon Saturday, Feb. 3 at Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore Memorial Park & Museum in Mims.
9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 3 Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore Memorial Park & Museum 2180 Freedom Avenue Mims
“When I learned how much civil rights history we have here in Brevard County and where the name of the courthouse stemmed from, I thought we needed to promote that.”
The event starts at the pavilion, walking or bicycling at your own pace on the nearby East Central Rail Trail
— Jessica Travis
Moving for Moore Justice, presented by the Brevard County Bar Association and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in celebration of Black History Month, promotes awareness of the namesakes of the Viera Courthouse, said attorney Jessica Travis, a member of the BCBA’s board of directors. “When I learned how much civil rights history we have here in Brevard County and where the name of the courthouse stemmed from, I thought we needed to promote that,” Travis said. During the free, inaugural event at the historic landmark, visitors to the nearly 12-acre community park and museum at 2180 Freedom Ave. can walk or ride their bikes along a nearby Central Brevard Rail Trail before enjoying breakfast and watching a historical presentation at the 5,000-square-foot Moore Cultural Center, which opened in 2004. The park and museum are built on the original homesite of the Moores, who were killed when a bomb exploded under their home on Christmas Day 1951. A replica of the family home stands on the property, which also features a library, a pavilion with kitchen, a gazebo, and a Walk of Freedom paver walkway with reflecting pools and a fountain. “It’s really beautiful there,” Travis said. Sonya Mallard, the cultural center’s coordinator, said walking into the replica home is like “walking back
SENIOR LIFE photo
This is a replica of the Moore’s house that stands at the Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore Memorial Park & Museum in Mims. into time,” when the Moores, who founded a Brevard County NAACP chapter in 1934, were targeted by Ku Klux Klan members for their efforts
to register black voters and increase black teachers’ pay during the early days of the civil rights movement. “It’s just like it was on Dec. 25,
Serving Brevard County since 1966
1951,” Mallard said of the home. “Guests can go throughout the house and see the things that were inside. And then when they come out, they’re going to move around our civil rights trail. As you go around the property, we have kiosks with different Florida state history throughout the park.” For more information, check out brevardbar.org/events/ or call 321-254-8801. SL
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13
Sharing wisdom in love BRISK WALKING
STORIES BY BETTY PORTER
continued from page 4
Bruce and Betty Streger
Alan and Karen Williams
Steve and Charlene Baber
Bruce and Betty Streger started dating after meeting in the subway on their way to a Bear Mountain boat ride sponsored by their college in Brooklyn, New York in 1966. They saw each other every day thereafter and got married on June 15, 1968 (two years and 15 days later). This June, they will be married 56 years. On Valentine’s Day, they will renew their vows at the All You Need Is Love Senior Expo and Valentine’s Day Party at the Brevard Zoo. After about 51 years in Farmingville, Long Island, New York, they moved to Rockledge on March 23, 2021.
Robert Delserro and Kim Frances
Robert Delserro and Kim Frances of Melbourne met at a catering venue dance for young professionals in 1991. This Valentine’s Day, they will renew their marriage vows during the Senior Expo & Valentine’s Day Party at the Brevard Zoo. “To this day, we celebrate the day we met as our true anniversary,” Kim Frances said. “The minute Rob and I met, there was a strange tug at our hearts.” She recalls that event where they met, and said Rob’s eldest son was there, too. “Seeing the love between father and son was all the proof I needed that this was the man of my dreams,” Kim Frances said. “The family joke is that his son was his wing man.” The couple are pleased to renew their vows. “With love and respect for each other as individuals, we have happiness.”
Alan and Karen Williams of Merritt Island will renew their wedding vows on Feb. 14, just two weeks shy of their 48th anniversary. The couple got married on Feb. 28, 1976. They both grew up in Rockledge and met through a friend. Alan was 15 and Karen was 12 at the time. They married five years later and had their first daughter, Heather, 10 months later on Dec. 31. They have three other children, Jared, John and Daniel, 20 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The Williams are both volunteer chaplains and enjoy attending their church, Georgianna. Alan Williams led
the Motorcycle Ministry for eight years at their prior church. Until recently, they both enjoyed riding motorcycles. The couple collect children’s bicycles throughout the year to repair and restore and then they donate them at Christmastime to Operation Hope in Fellsmere. They have been doing this for the past 14 years. Karen said, “It’s such a blessing to see the joy in the children’s faces when they choose their bike.” “We enjoy spending time together as a couple and are even more in love now, 48 years later! ” Karen said.
I was a 20-year-old single woman living in Dallas, Texas and working at the Army and Air Force Exchange Headquarters in Oak Cliff. My boss asked me to go with his daughter to a USO dance in Fort Wolters, Texas. We met in downtown Dallas at the USO Headquarters and took a bus to Fort Wolters with other single ladies. We were all so excited and it seemed like we danced with all of them. But among those young soldiers was one named Steve. He asked me to dance and we even won a dance contest. He was the only one I gave my phone number to. It was an enchanting evening and all of us laughed and talked about it on the bus ride back to Dallas. Well, that young soldier called me and I agreed to a date. He took
14 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
They are very much involved in their Judaism faith. Bruce was president of their temple for nine years and serves as a chaplain in the Boy Scouts and the New York City Transit. Their youngest daughter Jill, 42, and their son-in-law James Cayer of Merritt Island will attend the vow renewal ceremony. They have three other children, Sheryl, Jared and Heather, and seven grandchildren. Their words of wisdom: Love each other, always kiss goodnight and say I love you, respect each other, share decisions, do things together, make your spouse happy, go out to eat a lot, talk a lot and forgive the small stuff.
the bus to Dallas and my older sister and her husband went with me to pick him up. We went to a drive-in diner. This was during the Vietnam era and Steve was training to be a helicopter pilot. From then on, it was a whirlwind romance. We married and our first assignment together was Fort Rucker, Alabama. I had never been out of Texas. The next 20 years, we spent in the military together all over the south and him on his own two years in Vietnam, a tour in Turkey and one in Korea. Fifty-five years later, we are still going strong together. BY CHARLENE R. BABER
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15
HEALTH & WELLNESS
If your doctor orders an MRI, you should get one BY ERNIE DORLING
Have you had an MRI, also known as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, lately? Have you tried scheduling an MRI? Getting an MRI scheduled in a timely manner is not easy. Of course, there are exceptions to everything such as those requiring emergency MRIs. For the rest of us who are simply going through the many steps required to satisfy the insurance companies, the process, (especially if you’re suffering from some targeted pain that you hope to get treated for quickly, such as a back injury that is preventing you from playing golf), it can be frustrating. I saw my doctor, who prescribed muscle relaxers and meds to reduce the inflammation. I then started physical therapy, which didn’t help. Then my doctor ordered X-rays, which revealed some issues in my back, including scattered degenerative endplate changes in the lumbar spine and lower thoracic spine along with a mild anterior Listhesis L3L4. I still don’t know exactly what any of this means or, where exactly my L3-L4 is, but apparently a lot of people have problems with their L3 and L4. If you have problems with your L3 and L4, you’re going to have back issues. My doctor also referred me to a
pain management specialist. I’m now eight weeks into this insurance mandated process, knowing that at some point, I’m going to need an MRI before the pain doctor can try to fix my back. And so, began the frustrating process. After waiting a week for the folks to call to schedule my appointment, I called them. “Hi, I’m calling regarding my doctor referring me for an MRI,” I said. “Oh yes, I have it here,” the lady replied. “The earliest I can get you in is in about six weeks.” “Six weeks,” I replied. “I can barely walk. Did I tell you I’m having problems with my L3 and L4? Isn’t there anything you can do?” “Your L3 and L4? You should have told me that. Let me see what I can do. If you’re willing to go to Palm Bay, I can get you in in two weeks.” “I’ll go anywhere,” I replied. “Please; my L3 and L4 are killing me. “Good.” “Good that my L3 and L4 are killing me?” I asked. “No, that you’ll go to Palm Bay. I just need a little information. How much do you weigh?” “210,” I replied. “Oh, that’s going to be a problem.” “Why is that?” I asked, frustrated.
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Getting an MRI might not seem as daunting after seeing the machine and having the process explained thoroughly. “That particular MRI machine has a weight limit of 200 pounds.” “You mean I’m 10 pounds over the limit?” “I’m afraid so,” she replied. “I have to find another location for you.” “Please,” I begged. “I’m trying to get an appointment with a pain management doctor. Do you know how far out those people are booked?” “I understand,” the nice lady replied. And so, she finds another MRI opening for me the week following. “Are you claustrophobic?” she asks. “Yes, I am,” I replied. “Why do you ask?” “Some people have a problem going into the MRI tube.” “Tube, what tube are you talking about?” “The MRI is a long tube that you go into. There isn’t much head room once you’re inside.” “I had no idea what this MRI involved,” I said. “You’re telling me you’re going to put me into a long tube with little to no head room?” I said. “Actually, the tube is called a bore. And, yes. And you have to remain completely still during the procedure.” “How long do I have to do this for?” I asked.
“About 40 minutes,” she replied. “You’re telling me they’re going to put me into a confined round tube, and I can’t move for 40 minutes?” “Remember, it’s called a bore. And they glide you into it.” “I don’t care what you call it. Is there any other way around this?” I asked. “None that I’m aware of,” she said. “But I’m claustrophobic,” I said. “So, you said. We can give you a blindfold. Will that help?” she asked. “A blindfold; that’s what they offer condemned prisoners before they’re shot. Are you going to let me have a cigarette too before you lock me into this bore, or do I have to bring my own?” “You’ll be fine. The technician will give you a panic button to push if you have a problem.” “I think I’m panicking now,” I said. If you haven’t had a full body MRI and you’re claustrophobic, you might consider a host of options to deal with this alien-like experience. A few that come to mind include meditation. Although I tried meditating during the MRI experience and found that the constant
drum beating of the machine which sounds like the hammering against metal you hear sailors trapped in a submarine making in the hopes of being rescued in old war movies, makes meditating impossible. If that analogy doesn’t work for you, think of the sound you’d hear if you were stuck in an aluminum trash can and someone was hitting it with a cookie sheet. You can also try deep breathing exercises, drinking lots of Scotch (get the good stuff, Single malt only) and getting your medical marijuana card beforehand and taking some gummies before you are glided into the bore. Comedian Billy Crystal claims to have taken four gummies before his MRI. He did, however, hit the panic button during the procedure because he got hungry and asked the technician to bring him a couple of tacos. Some people, I’m told, have used a combination of all of these and found that the MRI went smoothly. But I wouldn’t know. I do know that I never had to push the panic button. And whatever you do, if your doctor prescribes an MRI for you, get one. It’s not as bad as someone will have you believe. SL
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The most anticipated event of the year! News & Senior Expo Leader
! t s e F r e m o o B SPACE COAST
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Epic Expo & Classic Car Show Seminars, Demonstrations, Activities and Music Events added daily. See March Senior Life for the latest details.
Friday, March 29 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. COCOA BEACH COUNTRY CLUB
5000 Tom Warriner Blvd. Cocoa Beach
CELEBRATING 17
Car Show with Bill Antonetz
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F EBRUA RY SUNDAY SUNDAY
MONDAY MONDAY
TUESDAY TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
1
National Dark Chocolate Day
"Conductor's Choice" 7 p.m. Presented by the Melbourne Community Orchestra Melbourne Auditorium 625 Hibiscus Boulevard Melbourne 321-285-6724
4
National Thank a Mailman Day
Second annual All European Car Show 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hosted by MG Car Club of Florida and benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. American Muscle Car Museum 3500 Sarno Road Melbourne 321-427-8846
11
National Make a Friend Day
18
World Whale Day
Daniel Tenbusch Quartet 2 - 4 p.m. Jazz concert presented by the Space Coast Jazz Society. Brevard Veterans Memorial Center 400 S. Sykes Creek Parkway Merritt Island 321-453-1152
5
Free Liver Scans 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Fibroscans by ClinCloud. Call to schedule. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771
7
Hand Dyed Silk Scarf Wednesday Evening Workshop Pickleball 10 a.m. 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Learn the basics of quick- Ladies pickleball, set silk dyes and create beginners welcome. an 11 x 60 silk scarf. McLarty Park Presented by the Cape 790 Barton Blvd. Canaveral Pen Women. Rockledge Tropical Tea with One Senior Place 321-633-1870 Mrs. Michael Gordon 8085 Spyglass Hill Road 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Viera, 321-751-6771 Chair Dance Travel back to the 1913. 1 - 2 p.m. Suntree Viera Library North Brevard 902 Jordan Blass Drive Senior Center Suntree, 321-255-4404 909 Lane Ave. Titusville, 540-220-4831
12
13
National Wingman Day
19
20
National Muffin Day
Galentine's Day 5:30 - 7 p.m. Female-focused event to celebrate friendship. Brevard Zoo 8225 N. Wickham Road Viera, 321-459-2200 Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement 6 p.m. Galen Abdur-Razzaq. Cape Canaveral Library 201 Polk Ave. Cape Canaveral 321-868-1101 Presidents' Day
Eye of the Dragon Birding with Jim Meyer 10K & Trail of the 2:30 p.m. Lizard 2 mile. Cape Canaveral Library 7 a.m. 201 Polk Ave. Race benefits the Cape Canaveral Christian Lake Memorial 321-868-1101 Scholarship Fund. Eau Gallie Civic Center 1551 Highland Ave. Melbourne 321-751-8890
25
6
26
14
Happy Valentine's Day
Yappy Hour: Puppy Love All You Need Is Love Senior Expo and 5 - 7 p.m. Sips, snacks, photo ops in Valentine's Day Party Central Park. Reserve a Celebrating seniors, ticket for a pet bandana. singles and couples. The Avenue Viera 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 2261 Town Center Ave Brevard Zoo’s Viera, 321-634-5390 Nyami Nyami River Lodge Valentine Bingo 8225 N. Wickham Road 6 - 8 p.m. Viera, 321-242-1235 Fundraiser. Arc of Space Coast 1694 Cedar St. Rockledge, 321-690-3464
Veterans Benefit Seminar 10 a.m. Presented by William A. Johnson, elder law attorney. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771
27
18 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
Gastropalooza IV 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Featuring live music, local makers and a culinary showdown. 28 North Gastropub 2250 Town Center Ave. Viera, 321-241-1159
3
Four Chaplains Day
Moving for Moore Justice 9 a.m. Event honors the namesakes of the Viera Courthouse — Harry T. & Harriet V. Moore. Moore Memorial Park 2180 Freedom Ave. Mims, 321-254-8801
Single, Separated, Widowed and Divorced Ashley Breaux at Lizettes's (SSWD) Group 7 - 9 p.m. Noon Carrabba’s Italian Grill Mardi Gras, traditional cajun and popular music. 60 Palmetto Ave. 2447 N. Wickham Road Merritt Island Melbourne 502-299-8949 321-622-5281
8
9
National Boy Scouts Day
Winter Art Show & Sale 9 a.m. Feb. 8, 9 and 10 Presented by the Central Brevard Art Association. Cape Canaveral Public Library 201 Polk Ave Cape Canaveral 972-795-7065
15
Single, Separated, Widowed and Divorced (SSWD) Group Noon Potluck lunch. Church of Our Saviour Angel Room 5301 N. Atlantic Ave. Cocoa Beach 502-299-8949
21
22
28
29
National Toast Day
Special National Operations Pancake Day Forces Day Travel Around the AARP Smart Driver Coin Talk with Bob “An Evening of World Concert 6 - 7:45 p.m. Romance” Course 3 p.m. Bring your old coins and 7 p.m. 9 a.m. Presented by the Central A driving refresher course speak with Bob about Feb. 28 and 29 Florida Winds. what they may be worth. Concert presented open to drivers of all Suntree United 902 Jordan Blass Drive by the Melbourne ages. Call to schedule. Methodist Church Suntree, 321-255-4404 Municipal Band. 7400 N. Wickham Road One Senior Place Melbourne Auditorium 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Suntree 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd. Viera, 973-607-7996 Melbourne 321-405-2359 321-724-0555 Letter to an Elder Day
National of NationalDay Wear Commuy Service Red Day
SATURDAY SATURDAY
Brevard Authors Critique Group 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Suntree Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404
National Walk Your Dog Day
Sit-n-Stitch Group 1 - 3 p.m. Suntree Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive 321-255-4404 Yappy Hour 4 - 8 p.m. Collaborating with Tito’s Vodka & Riley’s Rescue. Dogs welcome. Urban Prime 2435 Metfield Drive Viera, 321-499-1188
2
FRIDAY FRIDAY
Viera East Travel Club Meeting 6 - 8 p.m. Join Karen and Richard Jutras and speaker Kim Foy of Collette Vacations to learn about the 20242025 vacation calendar. 1805 Blue Heron Drive Viera, RSVP to 321-890-3522
National Pizza Day
Somewhere in Time Gala 6 - 11 p.m. The Grand Manor 1450 Sarno Road Melbourne 321-306-8635
10
1950s Sweetheart Sock Hop 5 - 8 p.m. Kiwanis Island Center 951 Kiwanis Island Park Road Merritt Island 321-455-1380
Hearts Dance 6 - 9 p.m. Chief Cherry Live Music by Mike 4 - 9 pm and Carolyn. Chief Cherry & 11 pc. North Brevard Brass band Senior Center Urban Prime 909 Lane Ave. 2435 Metfield Drive Titusville, 321-268-2333 Viera, 321-499-1188
16
National Caregivers Day
17
National Random Acts of Kindness Day Dueling Pianos 8 - 11 p.m. Club 52 1100 N. Wickham Road Melbourne, 321-259-9800
Five Movements to Better Mobility 8:30 a.m. Bring a towel. RSVP One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771 Second annual Back Brevard Heroes Car Show Jerry Zee 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 4 - 8 pm Brevard Veterans Center Live stylings of local 400 S. Sykes Creek saxophonist/ vocalist. Parkway Urban Prime Merritt Island 2435 Metfield Drive 321-453-1152 Viera, 321-499-1188
23
24
Floating Lantern Day
The Garden Party Fashion What’s Cooking? Show, Sale and Luncheon A cooking 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. demonstration Cocoa Beach Country Club and tasting from 5000 Tom Warriner Blvd. local senior living communities. February Cocoa Beach 321-652-1951 will feature Palm Cottages Chef Thomas Melbourne Beach Gurley. Must RSVP Nature Day One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Ryckman Park Viera, 321-751-6771 509 Ocean Ave. Melbourne Beach
BCSO Shred Event 9 - 10:30 a.m. Stop by to safely shred your sensitive documents for free. Two-box limit of personal shredding only. Port St. John Fay Park 6315 Depot Ave. Port St. John 321-264-7755
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Zonta Club’s Chocolate Festival raises funds to benefit women BY BARBARA JEAN MEAD Donna Melcher was immediately inspired at her first meeting and joined Zonta Club in Melbourne in 2005. “I was so impressed with how much these women were doing to improve the lives of women and girls locally and around the world,” she said. The Zonta Club of Melbourne, which continues fundraising to help women and girls, celebrated 40 years of service in 2023.
Zonta takes its name from the Lakota Sioux Native American word meaning honest and trustworthy.
The Zonta Club of Melbourne will hold its 19th annual Chocolate Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. March 3 at The Grand Manor at 1450 Sarno Road in Melbourne. Brevard’s best chocolatiers will use slave free/fair trade chocolate in their creations. Proceeds benefit local scholarship programs, community service programs and the local and international fight against human trafficking and violence against women. Attendees will be treated to samples of chocolate confections, cakes and desserts. Each guest votes to select the winner of Brevard’s Best Chocolate Fix of 2024. Sarah Smith of Southern Caramel confections was last year’s winner with a Chocolate Caramel Tart, and Dana’s Cupcakes & More won the Competitor’s Choice Award with her
Brownie Berry Delight. Guests can purchase tickets for raffle baskets. Winners need not be present to win. The tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. To purchase tickets, check out zontaspacecoast.org/ fundraising. Zonta was founded in 1919 in Buffalo, New York by a group of business women. It takes its name from the Lakota Sioux Native American word meaning honest and trustworthy. With more than 27,000 members in 63 countries, the Zonta mission is to build a better world for women and girls. In 1926, Amelia Earhart became a member and, in 1938, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship was established. It is awarded annually to women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace-related fields. The fellowship awards $10,000 to 35 recipients each year and has awarded grants to 1,044 women from 70 countries around the world. The projects that are a focus of Zonta include: education, health care, economic opportunities and safe-living conditions for women. Ending child marriage, ending violence against women and ending human trafficking are among the causes supported by Zonta. For more information, go to Zontaspacecoast.org or email Melcher at zontaclub.melbourne.fl@gmail.com. To become active in the Zonta organization, join them at a business meeting at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery at 8200 N. Wickham Road in Melbourne. SL
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of the Zonta Club
Zonta raises funds through its Chocolate Festival for scholarships and community programs for women.
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19
BCOA NEWS Brevard Commission on Aging
BCOA meetings are open to the public and are held the second Thursday of each month at the government center in Viera. For information, contact Cindy Short at 321-6332076, FAX 321-633-2170, cindy.short@brevardfl.gov, brevardf l.gov/HumanServices/CommissionOnAging or at 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, B-106, Viera, FL 32940.
Make sure to get early detection health screening annually Most resolutions focus on improving health, quality of life and becoming more active. The resolution most leave out may well be one of the most valuable approaches to maintaining health — early detection health screening. Many diseases that cause the most pain, disability and even death can be prevented or reduced in severity through early health screening. Screening tests, vaccinations and regular visits with a healthcare provider can help people live longer and healthier lives. The American Heart and American Stroke Associations recommend taking your blood pressure regularly to alert you to unhealthy blood pressure swings. Knowing your numbers and working with your doctor to keep your blood pressure normal is an effective way you can avoid or lessen heart disease and stroke. Blood pressure monitors are easier to use and more accurate than
in the past. Approximately 38 million Americans have diabetes and 90 to 95% of them have Type 2 diabetes. These figures included 28 million seniors 65 or older. Ask your physician for an A1C blood test that will give your blood sugar average during the past three months. This is a simple and effective test to determine if you have diabetes or prediabetes. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recommends memory screenings as a significant first step toward finding out if a person may have a memory problem by providing baseline information for the provider. A memory screening is a simple and safe evaluation tool that checks memory and other thinking skills. It can indicate whether an additional checkup by a qualified healthcare professional is needed. It takes about 30 minutes and is confidential. Early recognition of mild cognitive
Many diseases that cause the most pain, disability and even death can be prevented or reduced in severity through early health screening. impairment and memory loss provides an opportunity for healthcare professionals to treat this condition and possibly slow down the changes in memory and other thinking skills. The Health First Memory Disorder Clinic provides memory screens free to anyone in the community 18 years or older. If you would like to schedule a free memory screening, call 321-434-7614 for more information. Another important screening for Floridians is skin cancer detection. According to Tampa General Cancer Institute Oncologist Dr. Sujal Shah, “Florida is a unique outlier compared to most of the country. We see a much higher caseload of skin cancer, specifically melanoma.”
In fact, the American Cancer Society said Florida has the secondhighest rate of new melanoma cases, and about 630 people die in the state each year from it. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Solution? Get screened annually. There are many other early detection health screenings such as these that will help you understand your risk of health issues. Ask your doctor what tests are recommended for someone your age and gender. Take charge of your health now since we all know: “If you don’t love yourself, how can you take care of yourself or others.” SL
HISTORIC TITUSVILLE MAIN STREET KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
Brevard’s Premier Senior Retirement & Assisted Living Communities
A
Alura Senior Living
B
Sonata East at Viera
C
The Brennity at Melbourne
D E
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR STATION
777 Roy Wall Blvd., Rockledge 32955 321-549-3980 AluraSeniorLiving.com 4206 Breslay Drive, Viera 32940 321-326-9995 SonataVieraEast.com
B A
7300 Watersong Lane, Viera 32940 321-253-7440 BrennityMelbourne.com
Chateau Madeleine
205 Hardoon Lane, Suntree 32940 321-701-8000 SuntreeSeniorLiving.com
Buena Vida Estates
2129 W. New Haven Ave., W. Melbourne 32904 321-724-0060 BuenaVidaEstates.org
C
D
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE
Palm Shores MELBOURNE AIRPORT
E
These are the top senior living facilities on the Space Coast. All of these wonderful places offer amenites to live a comfortable life in retirement.
The Boomer Guide features the Senior Living Tour Pick up the new 2024 Boomer Guide March 29, go to Myboomerguide.com
20 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
myseniorlife.com
CROSSWORD Crossword
Solution on page 26 by Margie E. Burke
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS 1 Read quickly 15 16 14 5 Unlikely to bite 18 19 9 Type of squash 17 14 Actress Faris 22 20 21 15 Mosque leader 23 24 16 French composer Erik 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 17 Fishing gear 18 Slush pile item 34 35 32 33 20 Bridge support 36 37 38 39 40 22 Coin flips 23 Match, as 44 45 41 42 43 clothes 47 48 49 46 25 Buzzing 27 Yemeni city 50 51 52 28 Soon, to a bard 53 54 55 56 57 58 32 Library patron 34 Calming drug 61 59 60 36 Martini ingredient 63 64 62 37 Small bite 39 Faulty 66 67 65 firecracker 40 Just out Copyright 2024 by The Puzzle Syndicate 41 Quick look 44 Certain horses 67 Lower limbs 12 Mature 38 Anti-fur org. 46 Abound 13 Butterfly 42 Drained 47 Time anagram DOWN catchers 43 Take a breath 49 Oscar winner 1 Mystery writer 19 Seinfeld 45 Warning word Duke Paretsky specialty 48 Lee of "The 50 Agreeable 2 Door feature 21 Oscar winner Dirty Dozen" remark 3 Conductor for "West Side 51 1974 title role for 53 Kitchen gadget property Story" Dustin Hoffman 56 Things kept 4 Bone near the 24 Have to have 52 Hockey legend under wraps? ear 25 Jargon Cam 59 Grammatical 5 Kitchen gadget 26 Louvre's river 53 Pesky insect case 6 Peet or Plummer 29 Beer bottle num- 54 Part, in pictures 61 New York island 7 "Praying" ber, in a song 55 Encircled by 62 Sci-fi staple insects 30 Out in the open 57 Calc. 63 Seed covering 8 Big bird 31 Full of the latest prerequisite 64 Part of ICU 9 High-class tie 33 Mediterranean 58 Places for props 65 White House 10 Baby shower hot spot 60 Little bit nickname gift 35 Copes with 66 Disavow 11 Redding of song change
All European Car Show returns SPECIAL TO SENIOR LIFE The European Car show was such a success in raising funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital that it is returning for its second year. The second annual All European Car Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4 at the American Muscle Car Museum at 3500 Sarno Road in Melbourne. Austin Healey, Volkswagen, Porsche “It’s a different kind of a car show,” and Volvo. said Linda Knoblock-Raupp, a past The outdoor show, on the front president of the MG Car Club — lawn of the museum, is free to the Florida, which is the sponsor of the public. Bluewater Creative Group - Issueinformation 22 event. For more contact Among some of the vehicles that Bob Parks at 321-427-8846 or are expected to be on display are europeanbritishcarshow@gmail.com. MG, Jaguar, Triumph, Aston Martin, SL
Sudoku
SUDOKU
Edited by Margie E. Burke
Difficulty: Medium
9 5 7 1 9 8
4 8 7 5
1 6 3 9 6
2 1 3
6 4 2
5
6 4
8 2 5 1
HOW TO SOLVE:
Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
Solution on page 26
(Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)
Copyright 2024 by The Puzzle Syndicate
CROSSWORD Solution to Sudoku:
9 3 5 1 6 2 4 8 7 7 1 4 9 8 3 6 2 5 6 2 8 7 4 5 1 9 3 1 6 3 4 5 8 2 7 9 8 9 2 6 3 7 5 1 4 4 5 7 2 9 1 3 6 8 5 7 6 3 1 9 8 4 2 3 4 9 8 2 6 7 5 1 2 8 1 5 7 4 9 3 6
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SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
21
TIME TO TRAVEL
LEGOLAND not just for children, it offers plenty for adults BY MARIA SONNENBERG During the past holidays, Martha Gray headed to LEGOLAND Florida with nary a child in tow. Could the Maryland senior tourist find fun in the Winter Haven attraction? “While LEGOLAND is designed for kids, there is plenty for adults to enjoy, even those of us who grew up in the Erector Set and Lincoln Logs generation,” she said. Grownups accustomed to the frenzy of Central Florida theme parks will find that the gentler attractions of LEGOLAND brings out the kid in them and that the park’s history connects them with a very different Florida. Built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens, LEGOLAND integrates the legendary botanical gardens and water ski shows with its own distinctive brand of entertainment. Development of the site began in 1932, when consummate showman Dick Pope Sr. saw a business opportunity in the marshy land by Lake Eloise. “Someday, we’ll build a garden and attract visitors to Winter Haven,” he said, and walked the talk by doing it. He didn’t know a marigold from a zinnia, but his wife Julie did, and the couple slowly began gathering specimens for Mr. Pope’s dream gardens. In early 1936, the gates
Built on the former Cypress Gardens, LEGOLAND connects visitors with old Florida. opened to the showplace, and Pope made sure the press, and the world, would continue their interest in Florida’s first theme park. In 1938, he added electric boats that would glide through the tropical canals. When a 1940 frost killed the vines that would greet visitors, Mrs. Pope asked a staff member to “put on an old-fashioned dress that will be warm without looking warm and we’ll put a shawl on your shoulders, then you go stand by that dead vine and
flirt with everybody that comes in so hard that they don’t see the vine.” The stunt worked and the Cypress Gardens’ iconic Southern Belles were born. The Garden’s world-famous water ski shows began in 1943, when folks arrived expecting a water show after a local newspaper ran an image of water skiers being pulled by a boat by the gardens. Even though no show existed, Julie Pope rounded up her kids and their friends to stage the park’s first water ski show. Next
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22 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
SENIOR LIFE Maria Sonnenberg
SENIOR LIFE Maria Sonnenberg
The tradition of the former Cypress Garden’s ski show continues at LEGOLAND.
weekend, 800 people showed up and the rest is history. LEGOLAND continues the traditions, albeit with a Lego twist. Cypress Gardens’ botanical park thrives, now adorned with an assortment of Lego pirates and colorful critters. “The added detail of LEGO flamingos and toucans among the lush vegetation along the canals emphasizes the beauty of the gardens,” Gray added. One of the park’s newest rides is based on one of Cypress Gardens’ oldest, the canal boats. Pirate River Quest journeys — with a crew of rowdy LEGO pirates — go through the uncharted waters of Cypress Gardens canals on a 20-minute treasure hunt. The Southern Belles are still there, although in LEGO brick form, and the water ski show continues to thrill, with brick buccaneer-themed aquatic acrobatics and epic water stunts such as barefoot skiing and the pictureperfect human pyramids. The Miniland section of the park delights young and old with pintsized detailed versions of cities and sites, from the Big Apple to the Kennedy Space Center, and rides like the Coastersaurus, reinvented from Cypress Gardens’ original wooden roller coaster, never grow old, even for folks with six or seven decades to their age. “One doesn’t have to be a kid who wants to spend their day on rides to enjoy the many things LEGOLAND has to offer,” Gray said. For more information, visit legoland.com/florida. SL
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Not a complete list of life events to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. CarePlusHealthPlans.com Brevard and Indian River counties. CarePlus is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in CarePlus depends on contract renewal. The Part B Giveback Benefit pays part or all of your Part B premium and the amount may change based on the amount you pay for Part B. Important: At CarePlus, it is important you are treated fairly. CarePlus Health Plans, Inc. complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, age, marital status, religion, or language in their programs and activities, including in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, their programs and activities. The following department has been designated to handle inquiries regarding CarePlus’ non-discrimination policies: Member Services, PO Box 277810, Miramar, FL 33027, 1-800-794-5907 (TTY: 711). Auxiliary aids and services, free of charge, are available to you. 1-800-7945907 (TTY: 711) CarePlus provides free auxiliary aids and services, such as qualified sign language interpreters, video remote interpretation, and written information in other formats to people with disabilities when such auxiliary aids and services are necessary to ensure an equal opportunity to participate. This information is available for free in other languages. Please call our Member Services number at 1-800-794-5907. Hours of operation: October 1 - March 31, 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 1 - September 30, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. You may leave a voicemail after hours, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays and we will return your call within one business day. Español (Spanish): Esta información está disponible de forma gratuita en otros idiomas. Favor de llamar a Servicios para Afiliados al número que aparece anteriormente. Kreyòl Ayisyen (French Creole): Enfòmasyon sa a disponib gratis nan lòt lang. Tanpri rele nimewo Sèvis pou Manm nou yo ki nan lis anwo an. H1019_MKBNDMFNPRphoneringer2024_M
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SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
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NORTH BREVARD
News for Titusville, Mims & Port St. John
Valentine’s Day is different for some — treasure the memories BY FLORA REIGADA It seems only appropriate that Yvette Kling of Titusville would have been born in France, a nation known for romance. Her husband, Tom, was an incurable romantic, like herself. Kling immigrated to the United States at age 11. She met the handsome Navy seaman on a blind date and immediately knew he was the one. The attraction was mutual, and they married. Each Valentine’s Day, he would woo her with flowers and candy. “There was also a special something that had meaning for me, such as a gift or dinner,” she said. “The Valentine’s Day gift I treasure most is a porcelain teapot, which he filled with candy.” But since her husband died in 2006, Valentine’s Day and other holidays have lost their luster. “The hard part is that Tom is no longer with me,” she said. The couple were married for 45 years. They have two children and four grandchildren. Many will remember Tom Kling as the pastor of
SENIOR LIFE David Reigada
Yvette Kling cherishes the memories of her late husband Tom.
the Grace Bible Church in Titusville. “He was very kind, with a heart to help others,” she said. Kling’s Christian faith sustains her, as does having her children and grandchildren nearby. Teaching line dancing at the North Brevard Senior Center has proven therapeutic. “Dancing has helped me find the joy of living again,” she said. Valentine’s Day has also changed for Honore Starnes since 2019 when she lost Bill, her husband of 46 years. “Everyone else has
SENIOR LIFE Dan Reigada
Since being widowed, Yvette Kling of Titusville, center, has found purpose and joy in teaching line dancing classes at the North Brevard Senior Center. someone,” she said. “I pray and get by day to day.” Being a part of the North Brevard Widows/Widowers Group provides camaraderie with those who understand. “We have a monthly breakfast and lunch at local restaurants, a monthly game
day, we visit the Titusville Playhouse, the Cocoa Playhouse and museums,” said Dottie Bell Russ, who coordinates the group. Starnes’ children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren help her look to the future.
“I don’t want to stay in the past. Bill wouldn’t want that,” Starnes said. For information about North Brevard Widows/Widowers, visit Facebook.com/groups/ northbrevardwidows widowersgroup. SL
Construction at old Titusville mall property begins to take shape BY FLORA REIGADA Changes have come to the aging Titusville Mall, and more are on the way. The abandoned Sears department store and old Regal Theater have been demolished to make way for a diverse, mixed-use development — Titusville Resort and Destination, of which Jessie Wright is the CEO. The leveling so far has cleared about 12 acres of the 22-acre property. The project will rise in three phases. Phase 1, the residential, will include a seven-story apartment complex, a sixstory independent senior living facility and restaurants. Each building offers its own amenities. Phase 2, the hospitality, involves a six-story Cambria Hotel, complete with an outdoor pool and an observation deck for launch viewing. Phase 3, a commercial power center, will feature medical offices, business and retail space. “Each phase will take
about two years to complete and the entire project should take about five years,” Wright said. Erin Akin, the president of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce, discussed the project’s benefits. “It should create about 2,000 new jobs and add an estimated 28 million dollars to North Brevard’s economy,” she said. “Ultimately, it will offer a unique shopping experience similar to Titus Landing.” For now, most businesses will remain, along with a proposed health club. Antique lovers can take comfort. The Titusville Antique Mall will remain at its present location for about two years, before moving to a nearby site. However, Valentino’s New York Style Pizza and Restaurant, and the Titusville Performance Center are working on stand-alone buildings. Valentino’s plans to relocate to the corner of U.S. 1 and Knox McRae Drive, and the Performance Center will move to U.S. 1 in South Titusville.
24 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Jessie Wright
This is a rendering of the Titusville Resort and Destination mixed-use development, which is slated to rise in place of the Titusville Mall.
The abandoned Sears department store and old Regal Theater have been demolished to make way for a diverse, mixed-use development — Titusville Resort and Destination. An indoor flea market at the former Bealls Outlet recently held its grand opening. “It creates a covered venue for home-based businesses to display their goods,” Akin said.
The flea market is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. each Sunday. Built in 1966 as the Searstown Mall, the property later became the Titusville
Mall. Located at 3550 S. Washington Ave., it is being renovated to serve Titusville in a new and different way. For information, check out Titusvilleresortand destination.com. SL
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25
Cape Canaveral wants your stories as part of the city’s history BY LINDA JUMP Remember cutting out and decorating Christmas cookies in Grandma’s kitchen in Cape Canaveral the year of a widespread frost? Or riding in a car for days to watch an early missile launch? The city wants similar first-hand stories to preserve and display at its first public arts center, dubbed the CAPE Center and slated to open to the public in March.
Bluewater Creative Group - Issue
“Community participation will be key to the success of the exhibit.” —Amyleigh Foster, recreation leader
“I want everybody’s stories, from people who have lived, worked or visited, and not just the stories that have already been told,” said Molly Thomas, the parks and recreation and community affairs director. Stories of less than 1,000 words and up to three accompanying photographs or graphics can be uploaded at the city’s web site, which also includes suggested topics and prompts. Approved stories will be retyped and laminated, then rotated for a permanent display and placed in File
SUDOKU
SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of City of Cape Canveral
Stories and photographs from people who lived, visited or worked in Cape Canaveral will be displayed in the CAPE Center, Difficulty: Medium which is expected to open in March. 1.9, an actual file cabinet in the CAPE Center at the city’s original city hall, 105 Polk Ave. “Community participation will be key to the success of the exhibit,” said Amyleigh Foster, the recreation leader. Unfortunately, she said, no stories have been shared yet. Thomas said the exhibit is designed to preserve a record of local social and environmental changes, global connections, and “enrich the lives of the citizens of Cape Canaveral and
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celebrate Cape Canaveral’s unique history, character and values.” The CAPE Center stands for culture, arts, preservation and enrichment, Thomas said, and the first-hand accounts “will be part of the city’s local history exhibit.” An invitation-only soft opening for artists at the CAPE Center was scheduled for Jan. 26, when officials expected to announce the March date for a grand opening. Short story topics can include
to Age 100 Ed Baranowski special activities. Plastic was golden; no cash or checks were accepted. Upon arrival, we received a plastic card with flashing capabilities. Flash it or touch it! Prior to departure, we reserved our check-in time coordinated with our arrival at the parking garage near the terminal. Safety protocols were presented on a large screen in our stateroom. We completed safety tasks and reported to our Muster Station to be cleared. No longer masses of people wearing cumbersome life jackets rushing to assigned places on the decks. Throughout our cruising adventure, we used our app to access our daily activities planner. We were introduced to a robotic bartender; we dodged many senior scooters, and we found the ship’s crew most accommodating to low-tech types. This was a new-age cruising challenge. A bigger ship is coming in 2024. SL Ed Baranowski is an awardwinning writer, artist, speaker and seminar leader. He can be contacted at fast75sr@gmail.com.
26 SENIOR LIFE • FEBRUARY 2024
CROSSWORD
of Living
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2
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8 S K I M 6 T A M E A C O R N 2 I M A M S A T I E A N N A R O D4 S M A N U S C6 R I P T5 1 T O S S E S A B U T M E N T C O O R D I N A T E 4A N O N 2 5 A S T I R A D E N Solution to Crossword:
Copyright 2024 by The Puzzle Syndicate
S E D A T I V E R E A D E R N I P D U D N E W G I N O N C E O V E R P A C E R S T E E M I T E M P A T T Y P L E A S A N T R Y G R A T E R P R E S E N T S F I R E N O M I N A T I V E A R I L U N I T A L I E N D E N Y L E G S T E D D Y
Puzzle on page 21
Solution to Sudoku:
SUDOKU
Challenges
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change, nightlife and the social scene, storms, family lore, military life, world events and local urban legends. Storytellers can submit as many original stories as they want, but each story’s size is limited to 500MB. Not all submissions will be selected, she said. For information or to submit a story, go to cityofcapecanaveral.org/ community/public_art_program/ current_calls_for_artists/index.php. SL
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Cruising in new age could challenge the not-so-technically savvy
Life is a journey! My wife and I decided to cruise the Caribbean on the largest cruise ship in the world based at Port Canaveral. What challenges could seniors face on a ship 1,188 feet long, 210 feet wide and requiring 30 feet of water depth to float? Gina went online to make reservations. The process seemed simple enough. When we received an electronic reservation, we found we were linked with a remote travel agency. There was no cabin number or dining time assigned. A few weeks later, we received notice that all reservations for boarding, dining, shore excursions and activities should be made with the ship’s app. My 7-year-old iPhone would not work. I visited the iPhone store and found it could not handle the app. It’s all in the gigs. Whatever that meant, we traded our iPhones for new technology. With the new updates, we completed our profile, took our photo to send to the cruise line for our onboard security access, and almost daily updates. There was no fancy wallet sent from the cruise line with our tickets, boarding passes, baggage tags and other information. We were now slaves to the app. We had to print our colored baggage tags. We made reservations for shore excursions, specialty restaurants, dining slots, drink packages and other services. What could be missing on a ship that has 18 decks, 24 guest elevators, a passenger capacity of 7,000 and an international crew of 2,300? We electronically prepaid our gratuities, parking ramp fees and
Edit
9 3 5 1 6 2 4 8 7 7 1 4 9 8 3 6 2 5 6 2 8 7 4 5 1 9 3 1 6 3 4 5 8 2 7 9 8 9 2 6 3 7 5 1 4 4 5 7 2 9 1 3 6 8 5 7 6 3 1 9 8 4 2 3 4 9 8 2 6 7 5 1 2 8 1 5 7 4 9 3 6 Puzzle on page 21 myseniorlife.com
H
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(A
1955 Chevrolet Nomad Wagon
Owner: Christopher Gates
Christopher Gates bought this 1955 Chevrolet Nomad 17 years ago. It sat for years before Gates did a complete, frame-off restoration with the help of Doug Branch. The vehicle has a 350 Vortec engine and 4L60e automatic transmission. The very first time he entered it in a car show, it was selected as Best of Show.
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