Senior Life, May 2020

KEEPS THEM LAUGHING

Page 13

VOLUME 23

ISSUE 1

May 2020

OF FLORIDA

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Virtual tours, parades now the rage

SENIOR LIFE Adam Palumbo

Tony Wall, the nephew of Helen Hutten, waves to his aunt during Chateau Madeleine’s visitation parade. The banner was designed by a young relative. Stories, pages 11 and 15

Fear spurs sales, page 3

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Brevard residents adjust to life during the coronavirus I hope that you are coping well as you follow the guidelines to practice social distancing.

We trust that the variety of feature stories in this edition of Senior Life will give you something interesting and useful to read as the television news about coronavirus overwhelms you. We broach the subject with stories about what people are doing to cope with the isolation of social distancing and things that you can do in dealing with it.

Did you know that olive trees could one day soon occupy old abandoned orange groves? Check out the latest in our series on agriculture on the Space Coast. We’ve already told you about the struggles of the citrus growers in Brevard County and how some still are growing oranges, but on a much smaller scale. Growers are searching for what’s best for them to grow on their properties. They are experimenting and researching to see if olives can successfully be grown here.

Video conferencing has become so commonplace, allowing employees to cut down on the time and expense of traveling to a location for meetings or presentations. Some of the same systems also can be used by families, especially when we are required to stay away from crowds.

If your travels take you on U.S.1 past Titusville High School, you will notice the construction going on across the highway. It is the new River Palm Condominiums that are on the property that once was the site of the long-gone Howard Johnson hotel.

We also explore the increasing sales of bicycles that started shortly after the coronavirus landed in the United States.

Think about this question and see how others answered it in our Sentiment Question of the Month: What is one of the first things that you want to do once the social distancing guideline is lifted?

In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy. SL

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Fear and anxiety might be the reason for a surge in gun sales.

Coronavirus linked to increase in gun, ammunition sales

BY ERNEST ARICO

“This one wasn’t political. This one is completely different. It’s affecting the psyche of American society.”

The spread of the coronavirus has created a run of both guns and ammunition the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the eve of the 2016 presidential election.

According to Ammo.com, an online retailer of ammunition, there have been massive increases in its ammo sales during the past month (as compared with the month prior, when the coronavirus was still a bit of a theoretical threat to most Americans).

In Colorado, it says, its ammunition sales were up more than 1,000 percent. That number was as high as 945 percent in Arizona and 897 percent in Ohio.

“While people have stockpiled toilet paper, hand sanitizer and pantry essentials, they’ve also purchased ammunition at an unprecedented rate,” according to the website.

The answer, Bonham believes, is fear — although maybe not the same fear that has driven past booms in gun and ammo sales.

Gun shop owners have never seen such a surge in sales — not after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, not in reaction to mass shootings, not even when Category 5 hurricanes threatened to flatten parts of Florida.

Fear and uncertainty about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic are motivating people to buy guns and ammunition.

“A lot of first-buyers are buying guns,” said Jonathan Bonham, one of the owners of Red Dot Shooting in Rockledge. “I’ve never seen anything like this. People who would never own a gun are coming in and buying one. They are worried there will be social disintegration and unrest across the board.”

During March, more than 2.4 million guns were sold across the nation. In fact, the United States is the home of the world’s largest gunowning population per capita, where 40 percent of Americans say they own a gun or live in a household with guns.

Even so, concern about the accelerating spread of COVID-19 is causing a spike in sales, according to data from gun-tracking agencies, such as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which saw a doubling of checks on applicant buyers last month.

Bonham said his busiest sales week at his Richard Road store was during the week in March when President

By Attorney Donald Trump announced the TRUMAN SCARBOROUGH national lockdown 239 Harrison Street, Titusville, FL and emergency stayFor A Complimentary Copy at-home policy.

“This is more Phone 321 267 — 4770 than your basic right to bear arms,” Bonham explained.

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“This coronavirus pandemic strikes at security all across the board,” Bonham said. “People are worried they will be victims of higher crimes.”

In a recent Monmouth University national poll, almost 6 in 10 Americans said the coronavirus was the “biggest concern facing their family right now.” (Job security/ unemployment was the second biggest concern, registering 35 percent.)

Seen through that lens, buying guns and ammo appears to be a way for many Americans to address the

fear and anxiety they are feeling as the country faces down a virus that we have never seen before.

“In my 12 years in the gun sales business I’ve never seen anything like this,” Bonham concluded. “The way people have responded to this (coronavirus pandemic) is amazing.

I don’t know if we will ever see anything like this again.”

For more information about Red Dot Shooting, go to reddotshooting. com or call 321-821-3388.. SL

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Table of contents Volume 23, Issue 1 Senior Life of Florida 7350 Shoppes Drive, Suite 102 Viera, FL 32940 321-242-1235

©2020 Bluewater Creative Group, Inc. All rights reserved

8 TECH KNOW TIDBITS 10-11 SENIOR LIVING

Publisher Jill Blue

Editor R. Norman Moody

Art Director Adam Palumbo Copy Editor Jeff Navin

Feature Writers Ernest Arico Ed Baranowski Chris Bonanno Marcia Booth Sammy Haddad Chloe Ho Jennifer H. Monaghan Flora Reigada Maria Sonnenberg John Trieste George White

5-6 COVID-19

7 NEIGHBORS

myseniorlife.com jill@myseniorlife.com

Office Manager Sylvia Montes

MAY 2020

myseniorlife.com We encourage organizations to contact Senior Life by the 15th of each month prior with information and dates regarding upcoming community-oriented events by email and mail.

Edition 2020 No. 14

FREE SENIOR RESOURCE MAGAZINE

12-13 STRIPES VETERANS

18-19 HEALTH & WELLNESS 20-24 COLUMNISTS

27-29 NORTH BREVARD NEWS

31 BOOMER SENIOR SENTIMENTS

COUPONS & DISCOUNTS ART

Celebrating 23 Years

GALLERY OF VIERA

Boomer Guide —the best resource guide in Brevard!

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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The Brevard Federated Republican Women (BFRW) is sponsoring two local tribute scholarships.

One scholarship will be given in memory of the former BFRW legislative chairperson — The Lillian Banks Legislative Memorial $1,000 Scholarship. The other is in memory of the former BFRW treasurer — The Barbara Davis Leadership $1,000 Scholarship.

A new scholarship this year is a $500 opportunity for a trade school student. Complete scholarship information can be found on the BFRW website at brevardfederatedrepublicanwomen. org.

Applications with attachments, if applicable, must be submitted to Diane Norwood-Steven, the chairperson, no later than 5 p.m. June 19.

For information, call 321-507-4609 or go to grandkids80@gmail.com. SL

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COVID-19

Helpful Articles & Resources

IMPORTANT CONTACTS: BREVARD COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WEBSITE: brevardfl.gov/emergency-event/status-reports PHONE: 321-637-6670 BREVARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WEBSITE: brevard.floridahealth.gov PHONE: 321-454-7111 CDC CORONA VIRUS PAGE: WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS DISASTER DISTRESS HELPLINE: 800-985-5990 FLORIDA HEALTH CORONA VIRUS RESOURCES WEBSITE: www.floridahealthcovid19.gov PHONE: 850-245-4111 GOVERNMENT UPDATES WEBSITE: www.whitehouse.gov PHONE: 202-456 -1111 NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-799-7233 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: www.who.int

COVID-19 makes saying goodbye a difficult task

BY DR. MARCI HANKS It was a surreal time due to COVID-19. We ended up having online family gatherings for three consecutive weekends — a funeral, a baby gender reveal party and Easter celebrations.

At the same time that all of this was happening, as a college director of Academic Success Centers, I helped to transition all of the tutoring services online. We needed to make sure that we still could help students to be successful and adjust to the new online classes.

My hope is to help others learn to use online technology to live their lives as close to normal as possible during COVID-19. That could be grieving the loss of loved ones or celebrating the joys of life with families and friends.

My family lives in two countries, three states and one province.

COVID-19 wasn’t the reason my father was dying. He was dying due to a heart condition, diabetes and underlying medical conditions. He was 73.

He wanted all of his children and grandchildren to be together one last time for one special last meal. We bought our airline tickets and made travel arrangements.

But suddenly, before we really understood what was happening, COVID-19 brought travel to a halt. That dashed our plans.

My dad then passed away suddenly.

Because of COVID-19, we had to learn how to come together online to grieve and plan his online funeral and memorial service.

Online funeral and memorial service We did most of our planning through Zoom meetings, while sharing our screens, documents and files.

Through Google Drive, family members and the reverend shared different parts of the services such as recordings and pictures. I have taught online for years, so I am fortunate to have high quality equipment.

My husband and I used my Blue Yeti microphone, Logitech webcam and laptop to record my son singing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, A Capella.” My brothers and sisters also used their computers or their phones to make

321-242-1235

SENIOR LIFE photo

Dr. Marci Hanks and her family were forced to use technology to deal with death during the COVID-19 pandemic. recordings.

The reverend used his iPhone on a tripod to record his sermon and opening and closing prayers. It felt like we were inside of the church with him. We made a beautiful PowerPoint presentation decorated with lilies to embed everyone’s roles, recordings and pictures.

My son used GeForce Experience’s desktop capture to compile everyone’s files and the PowerPoint presentation into one video recording. GeForce Experience can record the laptop’s desktop and computer audio.

For the opening PowerPoint slides, we played an audio recording on the computer of my son’s music. He played an Italian guitar composition to celebrate my dad’s heritage. My dad moved to Canada from Sicily when he was 11 years old.

Later in life, he moved to the United States. As the music played on the computer, three pictures came in sequence — my father in his teenage years, his middle-age years and in his final days.

A picture of the street with the church in the far background came next. That’s where his funeral would have taken place in Canada, if not for COVID-19.

Then, there was a close-up picture of the outside of the church and then pictures of the inside of the church.

Recordings of everyone’s scripture readings, hymns, the eulogy and the sermon were followed by the closing prayer and hymn.

A memorial PowerPoint presentation honored my dad. Each family member had a slide, and some had pictures of themselves with my father.

Children and grandchildren wrote poems, spoke about him, made drawings, played music, sang songs and wrote scripture as a tribute.

Since we could not gather, everyone used cellphones or computers to record these pieces separately. My brother provided an audio file to play in the background throughout the many slides.

Using iMovie, my sister combined everyone’s contributions into one video.

We posted the combined funeral and memorial service on YouTube and Facebook. We had more than 1,300 views for the online funeral service and memorial.

Having the online funeral and memorial service allowed more people to attend than would ever have been deemed possible for an in-person service.

Despite COVID-19 and travel restrictions, friends and family from all over the world were able to have closure.

Baby gender reveal party Recently married in November and living in California, my niece and nephew are expecting their first child.

They wanted to have family members gather for a gender reveal party.

But, due to COVID-19, their plans had to change. During an online Zoom meeting, family and friends got to see each other. Some hadn’t talked in years.

My nephew smashed open a piñata to reveal the baby’s gender as pink items fell to the ground. It’s going to be a girl!

Easter celebrations My dad’s dying wish was to have one last family meal with all of his children and grandchildren on Easter Sunday. He dreamed of serving us barbecued Alaskan salmon and Alaskan King Crab.

The whole family had purchased

airplane tickets and made travel arrangements. Sadly, COVID-19 and travel restrictions rendered my dad’s dying wish impossible.

My father died before Easter. He realized that it would be impossible for everyone to get to see him because of COVID-19.

It is with tears and regret that I wish we would have thought about having an online meal with everyone before he passed away.

But, it was not too late for my 70-year-old mom or my husband’s 84-year-old mom, who recently was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, to have all of their children and grandchildren together on Easter.

Therefore, we decided to organize Zoom Easter gatherings for both my family and my husband’s family.

My mother had every child and grandchild present at her Easter gathering. My husband’s mother had most of her children present.

We each took turns telling our mothers our favorite memories with them through the years. We had many laughs and enjoyed celebrating Easter together.

The nice thing about Zoom is you can easily record these keepsake memories. I was able to send family members Easter Party screenshots of all of us together in the video chat gallery.

Although living life online is not always ideal, we do not have to miss out on sharing important life events with those we love and cherish. Online events have their benefits as well, making it possible for those far away to participate.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, in order to continue living our lives, we have to be creative, discover new ways to make things work and find ways to be together online.

Biography Dr. Marci Hanks enjoys living on Florida’s Space Coast. She is the director of the Academic Success Center at Eastern Florida State College. Hanks is dedicated to helping students to be successful. She is a published author.

She was an adjunct faculty member at Florida Tech. She also was an online instructor for many years. SL

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

5

COVID-19

Helpful Articles & Resource

Proactive measures can help stave off depression during quarantine

BY GEORGE WHITE Since 1949, the month of May has been observed as Mental Health Month in the United States. In 2020, since COVID-19, the official designation is more poignant than ever worldwide because of the virus quarantines and an uncertain future.

If not mindful and proactive during this crisis, the negative news and ominous projections can cause feelings of being overwhelmed, confused, fearful, numb and detached. Those with a history of a mental health diagnosis can present worsening or recurrence of symptoms.

Tips for keeping it together while shut in at home have been compiled

by Dr. Mayra Abelleira. She serves as medical director and attending psychiatrist for the inpatient hospitalization and outpatient programs at Palm Point Behavioral Health in Titusville.

The collective anxiety and depression during a disaster such as the current global virus outbreak, she says, is causing a sense of risk to our well-being and the well-being of our loved ones. The goal is to learn how

to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, threats or significant sources of stress, which might include family, health or financial stressors.

Her suggestions: • Maintain communication with loved ones. “Even if we are physically distant, we should ensure that we are not emotionally isolated.”

• Practice diaphragmatic breathing or deep breathing. It reverses the stress produced by the fight and flight mechanism.

• Get enough rest and sleep, eat regularly and stay hydrated.

• Choose activities that help you relax such as walking, singing, exercising, praying and playing with your children. Get outside and notice nature at least once a day.

• Find safe ways to help others during the crisis.

• Organize your home, get rid of clutter and create open spaces, modify windows or curtains to allow as much natural light as possible and consider artificial or natural plants. The color green provides a sense of peace and calmness.

We’re more than just a home health care company

SENIOR LIFE photo

Dr. Mayra Abelleira of Palm Point Behavioral Health in Titusville offers tips to fight depression during the quarantine.

• Establish a routine. Avoid sleeping all day, working all the time without rest, isolating yourself emotionally from friends and family, neglecting personal

Parrish Healthcare begins testing in North Brevard SPECIAL TO SENIOR LIFE

For 20 years, the VNA has focused on caring for patients and our community • • • •

Chronic disease management Post-surgical nursing care Physical therapy Medication management

• Free community blood pressure and sugar screenings • Community flu shot clinics

hygiene, using drugs, smoking or drinking alcohol, or being violent.

For information, go to palmpointbehavioral.com SL

Parrish Healthcare, in collaboration with OMNI Healthcare, has opened North Brevard’s first COVID-19 drivethrough test collection site at its Parrish Health & Fitness Center located at 2210 Cheney Highway (Hwy. 50) in Titusville.

Testing will be done by appointment only. Pre-registration is required to schedule an appointment.

For fast and easy pre-registration text “covid test” to 321-204-1966, or go to parrishhealthcare.com/ COVID19Registration. Individuals who do not have ready access to a mobile device or computer can call

the answering service at 321-2686139.

Once registered, you will be given an appointment time to arrive at the Parrish Health & Fitness Center drive-through location.

Insurance information will be requested; however there will be zero out-of-pocket expense for this test.

Parrish Healthcare providers will administer the test. Once the test is administered, it will be processed using the RT-PCR test approved by the FDA. Test results are expected within 48-hours. A Parrish Medical Group physician will review the results with each patient via Telehealth (virtual) services and provide next steps.

Stay connected with us!

Go to Facebook/SeniorLife

321.710.9345 www.vnatc.com

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SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

License# HHA299991471

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Neighbors Volunteer drivers deliver meals during pandemic

BY ERNEST ARICO PHOTOS BY JILL BLUE Meals on Wheels and Meals with Love, two programs that deliver meals to homebound and needy adults and seniors in Brevard County, are in dire need of more volunteer drivers and donations because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marty Mercado, the director of advancement with Aging Matters in Brevard, the agency that oversees the Meals on Wheels program, said many of their drivers are 65 years of age and older, and some have underlying medical conditions and are afraid to deliver meals because of the threat of catching and spreading the deadly virus.

As a temporary stopgap, Mercado said the program is getting by because it has reached out to the community and enlisted the help of students over 21 years of age and furloughed workers.

“We have more than 300 temporary volunteers that we call our SWAT team,” Mercado

said. “This is a new subset of volunteers and we’ve been doing OK, but we need more volunteer drivers because we go through that list pretty quickly.”

Meals on Wheels delivers more than 1,500 meals a day through several routes of Brevard’s 72 mile stretch. In addition, the program delivers 200 to 300 meals for Club Esteem in Melbourne and a hot meal and a box (each box contains 10 days of frozen meals) to its 12 Senior At Lunch sites.

“The psychological impact can be very difficult because some of the temporary drivers get burned out or can’t afford it anymore,” she said.

One of Meals on Wheels temporary drivers is Beverly Squires Wiggins of Palm Bay. Wiggins, who works for Home Instead Senior Care in Melbourne, volunteers two days a week to deliver meals.

“My job entails me to visit clients in their homes, but because of the coronavirus my workload is lighter,” she said.

“So to make up some of the time, my boss thought it was a good idea to help out and deliver meals.”

Besides volunteer drivers, Mercado said the program also needs donations — gloves, face masks, hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes. “This is a marathon and we’re feeling it,” she said.

Tim Timmermann, the executive director of Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, the agency that oversees the county’s Meals With Love program, said his drivers are delivering 450 meals a day to disabled adults ages 18 to 59 or any person 60 years of age and older.

During this coronavirus pandemic, Timmermann said his staff of 65 employees is processing 30 to 50 new applications a day. “We are very busy,” he said.

For more information on how to volunteer as a driver, go to agingmattersbrevard.org or mealsoflove.org. SL

Beverly Squires Wiggins, the marketing director for Home Instead Senior Care, volunteered to be a driver for Meals on Wheels during the crisis.

Alice Winkler

Beverly Squires Wiggins

Sheila Spultz

Kathleen Kohller

Marty Mercado

Genevieve Cason

Janet Roediger

Susan Houts

Brock Tucker

Carol Snyder

Mary Boehm

Marilyn Webster

John DeStefon

Jim McIntyre

Jean McIntyre

Tommy Sokola

Diane Keith

Frank Giaramita

Pat Camp

Peter Vaughn

Next ,month Senior Life will feature Titusville volunteers.

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SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

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Tech Know Tidbits Zoom makes online meetings easier than ever

BY CHLOE HO With more and more people working from home, online meetings are becoming much more common.

One of the most popular ways for people to have online meetings is through Zoom. Zoom doesn’t only have to be used for work-related meetings, it also is a great way to chat with big groups of friends and family.

First head to www.zoom.us to get started. Once you have gotten to the Zoom website, click sign up for free and follow the onscreen instructions to create your account. To create a meeting, click the schedule a meeting button. There will be a prompt to create a title for the meeting as well as a time for the meeting to take place.

You also will have the option to add a password to your meeting. You also can select if you, the host, will have video for the meeting, meaning the meeting participants can see you through your webcam. You also can change this setting for the other meeting participants. After completing the form, click save at the bottom of the screen.

To share the meeting, scroll down

There’s no need to travel for a meeting when Zoom can be used to set them up at your convenience. to the Join URL section. Click Copy the Invitation. Here you can customize the invitation. Once you are ready, click Copy the invitation. Now is when you can paste this message into an email to share your meeting. Once

you are ready, click Start Meeting and follow the onscreen instructions to start the meeting.

Once the meeting has started, you can turn your microphone, as well as camera, on and off by clicking the

SENIOR LIFE Shutterstock

respective icons in the bottom left corner. There are several features to explore here. Once you’re ready to end the meeting, click End Meeting.

SL

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Senior Living

Assisted living facilities practicing social distancing by offering virtual tours

BY CHRIS BONANNO Senior living facilities are offering virtual tours because COVID-19 is making in-person tours unavailable to prospective residents and their families.

For example, Jason Rodriguez, executive director for Cedar Creek Life Center in Merritt Island says that the facility offers a tour over FaceTime of the amenities and rooms that the center has to offer.

“They basically go over the same tour path as you would a normal tour,” Rodriguez said.

The tours at the various facilities can be extensive and detailed, such as is the case at Victoria Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care in Melbourne.

“We walk you through the

website. All of our floor plans are on our website,” said Lindsey Deaton, marketing concierge and social media director at Victoria Landing. “…We have done it before because there’s some people who don’t live in town.”

Mike McBride, spokesperson for RiverView Senior Living Resort in Palm Bay, said the production to put together their virtual tour, which can be accessed via the virtual application on the resort’s website, was quite involved.

“There’s a whole crew that comes in with all kinds of equipment that maps the environment. For a place like Riverview that takes an entire day,” said McBride, who also said RiverView offers FaceTime tours as well. “Once they have it, they have a virtual 3D-environment that people can just

wander through on their computers.”

Some facilities had these measures in place prior to the outbreak of the virus. ”We’ve done it a small handful of times over the last year or so to where it was something familiar with us,” Rodriguez said.

Yvette Jenkin, director of sales and marketing at Chateau Madeline in Suntree, said that the tours with Chateau Madeline, could become more prevalent moving forward.

“We actually see doing it more and more even after all of these COVID-19 results hopefully have been resolved,” Jenkin said. She added that the tours have been primarily conducted over Zoom but could be done over other applications as needed. “….We have been successful with the virtual tours.”

In these extraordinary times, a sense of continuity can be refreshing.

Courtneay Springs Village in Merritt Island has taken that tact.

Dan Maggard, a spokesperson for the facility, said that personnel there can utilize Facetime, Skype or Facebook messenger as they “go through our normal process and we walk everybody through the steps that we would have here in person and that would be the most optimal way cause then we can live-time answer questions and give feedback as we go.”

He also added that they have a second option of sending videos that people can view on their own time.

“For us, we try to keep it as normal as possible,” Maggard added. SL

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Two centenarians celebrate 100th birthday at Brennity

BY JENNIFER H. MONAGHAN Armand Riopelle and Mary Estes have new favorite numbers.

The staff and residents of Brennity at Melbourne Senior Living joyfully celebrated a milestone for two of its residents — Riopelle and Estes — who both were born in 1920. Riopelle’s 100th birthday fell on April 22, and Estes’ on May 8.

“Don’t do anything to excess,” is the secret for his longevity, Riopelle shared with Brennity staff.

Estes credited her long life to luck.

“There’s no secret. Just enjoy life as it comes along,” she said.

Originally from Wisconsin, where he was born and lived until retirement, Riopelle relocated to Florida in 1996 for the “warm sunshine and sandy beaches” he fondly recalled. He enjoys golf, bocce ball and cornhole.

Riopelle served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, was on active duty during World War II and retired at the rank of

321-242-1235

SENIOR LIFE photo

SENIOR LIFE photo

Rip Riopelle lived most of his life in Wisconsin before moving to Florida in 1996.

Mary Estes, who will celebrate her 100th birthday on May 8, met her late husband in Japan.

lieutenant colonel in 1970. His postmilitary career was with the Wisconsin Housing Finance Authority, helping to

obtain housing for thousands of lowincome families.

Estes and her husband Raleigh, now

deceased, retired to Florida for, “just warm weather.” Although they had no particular destination planned, they ultimately chose Melbourne as their home to be close to a friend. She and her husband enjoyed playing golf with many friends, but now Estes prefers less active pastimes such as watching television.

Estes was born in Michigan and began her career in the medical secretarial field with the government, which led to an assignment in Japan in 1949. That’s where she met her husband, an Army officer.

Back in the States, Estes is pleased to have worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for many years. There, she had the opportunity to meet many political figures.

“The favorite president I met was Jimmy Carter,” she told friends. “He’s a great man — none any better.”

Both Riopelle and Estes also enjoy participating in activities with the other residents at Brennity. SL

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

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SeniorLife

STRIP STRI PES

Brevard Veterans News

Brevard County veterans step up during crisis As the world struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, medical personnel in some areas are facing shortages of personal protective equipment.

Military veterans in Brevard County have stepped in to help some of the area’s first responders by providing them with face masks, paper gowns and paper booties to help protect paramedics and firefighters as they respond to suspected coronavirus cases.

Veterans of Foreign Wars District 8 and the Brevard Veterans Council delivered supplies to first responders and hospitals such as Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

While others have pitched in to help wherever they can as the fight against the virus ramps up, I knew veterans

serves as chairman of the Brevard Veterans Council.

“I wanted to be sure first responders were taken care of,” he said.

“Normally, whatever anybody needs I get it to them.”

Pearsall said the group contacted different fire stations and asked if they needed any of the items and distributed accordingly.

The stash of supplies are part of the District 8 Disaster Response and Recovery stockpiled to respond in the aftermath of hurricanes, tornados or other disasters.

VFW Florida Department Commander Tony Purdy embraced the idea of the emergency response team when Pearsall presented it to him.

The organization has tents, generators, Meal Ready to Eat (MRE), blankets, cots, sleeping bags, tarps

Veterans’ Advocate R. Norman Moody

would step in as they always do. I imagine that this is just one way that one group of veterans is taking on part of the struggle. Others also are doing their part.

VFW District 8, a part of the Department of Florida, along with the Brevard Veterans Council, also provided 2,500 masks, 1,000 gowns and a box of paper booties, said Don Pearsall, the director of VFW Disaster Response and Recovery who also

and dozens of other items to help a community recover after a disaster.

“A lot of it comes from the Florida Department of Emergency Management, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the Red Cross,” said Pearsall, a Vietnam veteran who also is the director of Veterans Connections to a New Life.

The group distributed thousands of MREs in the past two years, responded with supplies to the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Michael and made several trips with supplies to the Bahamas, following Hurricane Dorian last year.

Pearsall and Bob Doyle, deputy director of the relief team, are in the process of building disaster relief training programs for 14 other states in the southeastern United States. SL

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Serving country is family affair for new MOAA president

BY MARIA SONNENBERG Family get-togethers seem more like an Armed Forces conference when the family is Timothy Pishdad’s.

The new president of the Cape Canaveral Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, Pishdad is understandably proud of a family tree that includes several branches of the military.

The chain of command at the Pishdad household starts with Maj. Pishdad’s wife, retired Lt. Col. Cynthia Watkins. One son serves in the Marines Corps and another in the Air Force. A third, now a Brevard County paramedic, was in the infantry deployed to Afghanistan.

Pishdad’s father, Amir Sr., is retired from the Army, as is Cynthia’s dad.

His brother, Amir Jr., is a retired Navy Seal.

In 2008, Tim and Cynthia moved to Six Mile Creek near Indian River Colony Club, where his father lives.

“We had visited the area several times to visit my parents and really liked it,” Pishdad said.

Tim met Cynthia in Fort Lee, Virginia when he was working as a logistics specialist for a military

contractor. She was working in the transportation side of logistics.

Cynthia is in demand for her singing skills and has sung the National Anthem at the Capitol in Tallahassee during Military Appreciation Day. A 1978 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Pishdad joined the Army upon graduation and retired in 1995, serving in the Medical Service Corps as a quartermaster officer and as a parachute rigger. His civilian career included a stint in Afghanistan, where he worked for logistics contractor Patricio Enterprises.

“You worked 24/7,” he said.

He still is working hard since being president of one of the largest and most active MOAA chapters in the country is almost the equivalent of a full-time job.

“I spend at least 30 hours a week on MOAA business since we have 20-plus committees and two 501(c)(3) organizations, and are involved in almost every aspect of the community,” said Pishdad, who nevertheless still makes time to volunteer at the National Navy UDTSEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, as well as with several ministries at the

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Timothy Pishdad

Retired Maj. Timothy Pishdad. left and his wife, retired Lt. Col. Cynthia Watkins, are dedicated to the Cape Canaveral chapter of the MOAA. Patrick Air Force Base Chapel, where Cynthia serves as the Protestant parish coordinator.

“When you grow up around the culture of service, you are drawn to it,” Pishdad said. SL

Indian River Colony Club resident keeps everyone laughing

BY MARIA SONNENBERG Military retirees usually turn to industry when beginning a second career. Louise Carnesale turned to clowning, a choice that last year earned her top honors in the Single Skit Competition at the 37th annual World Clown Association Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The first-time attendee, to her surprise, excelled against seasoned professional clowns, including Ringling Brothers and Cirque Du Soleil jokesters.

Life was not always about clowning around for Carnesale, who grew up on her grandparents’ farm in upstate New York and joined the Air National Guard to afford nursing school. She later became part of the U.S. Air Force, but left to start a family with her first husband. When he passed away, Carnesale became the breadwinner for a family of seven.

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Louise Carnesale

Louise Carnesale sees parallels between nursing and being a clown.

“Having lived a life that has seen more than its share of heartbreak and tragedy, I know the value of a smile,” she said.

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One of her jobs included public speaking on the foster care initiative for the New York Governor’s Office.

When a boss suggested her delivery was too serious, Carnesale enrolled in a clowning class at a local community school.

While there, her humorous but empathetic alter ego, LuLu, was born.

She later joined a Clown Alley to bring smiles to patients at hospitals and similar facilities.

“LuLu is a very caring clown,” Carnesale said.

After moving to Viera in 2014, Carnesale continued her love of clowning by leading the formation of the Colony Clowns at Indian River Colony Club. Part of the troupe is LuLu’s romantic interest, Spare Parts, aka Peter, Carnesale’s second husband. A 36-year Army veteran who served in Vietnam, Peter started as a somewhat reluctant clown substitute when regular troupe members couldn’t

make it.

“We were doing so many shows, we needed someone who could do several characters,” Carnesale said.

Described by his wife as a multifaceted, serious yet comical clown, Peter proved to be a natural. He has since attended school to hone his clowning skills and added a room to their home to store clown paraphernalia.

The couple and their fellow Colony Clowns have a busy schedule that includes regular appearances at nursing facilities and Christian day centers. Carnesale considers clowning to be a ministry.

“I love making young people happy and making elderly people feel young again,” she said.

She believes her nursing background dovetails well with her LuLu persona.

“Laughter is the best medicine,” she said. SL

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Parade allows relatives to say hello to residents, staff

BY ERNEST ARICO Friends and relatives got the opportunity to say hello to loved ones and staff during a drivethrough, isolation and visitation parade April 17 at the Chateau Madeleine Senior Living and Memory Care facility in Melbourne.

Several family members decorated their cars with all sorts of signs, teddy bears and pictures for the residents in order to say hello to their loved ones.

Eric Hardoon, the executive director at Chateau Madeleine, said the facility is all about spreading positive messages during rough times.

“It’s about getting a whole community together and really having a good time,” Hardoon said.

“This is the best place in the world,” said Judy Ebert, one of dozens of community residents that lined up in front to watch the parade.

“It really is the best place because we are so well-loved and so cared for.”

Ebert’s family lives in New York and Missouri but said she loved seeing the car parade because it was just the medicine she needed.

Residents of Chateau Madeleine enjoyed a drive-through and visitation parade on April 17.

“We have parties every day and stuff like this,” Ebert said.

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Many family members used to visit the residents every day but because of COVID-19 guidelines, they had to find other ways to say hello.

At the end of the event, seniors voted on their favorite car from the parade.

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k u n o a h T Y

TO OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS

Cecilia Nowell, left, Victoria Phillips and Yilmarie Rivera are nurses at Victoria Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care.

Michael Ducote, left, and Rik Culp prepare to deliver meals to residents at Victoria Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care.

Carrie Van Ness, center, poses with her children Micah, left, and Mya. Van Ness works in the medical records office at the Viera del Mar Rehabilitation Center.

Leslie Friedman, left, enjoys a moment with her daughters Chloe, center, and Jasmine Burns.

Friedman is the director of nursing at Viera del Mar.

Rachal Horsley is an LPN at Viera del Mar.

Leeann Williamson, left, Thalia Brown and Trellani Dyson are CNAs at Viera del Mar.

Rotary Club of Suntree helps local heroes SPECIAL TO SENIOR LIFE PHOTOS BY JILL BLUE The Rotary Club of Suntree, which is one of the sponsors of the annual Great Taste at Suntree, wants to reward local heroes who are helping to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to help local restaurants, which are struggling to make money with takeout and drive-through-only orders due to the shutdown throughout

the state of Florida, the Rotary Club of Suntree has bought gift cards from local restaurants. The program has been named the R&R program.

The gift cards will be given to nurses and other healthcare professionals, and members of the fire department. Members of the sheriff’s department are not allowed to accept the gift cards, but Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said that he would distribute the gift cards to those in need throughout the county.

“This started in Suntree, where the club is based,’’ said Bill Slover, the president of the Rotary Club of Suntree. “When we told other business members, my company (Allen & Company) said that’s a great idea.

We’ll match that. The program’s going to go further than that. Debbie’s (Williams) company (Buena Vida Estates) said, ‘we like that, too.’ We stayed initially with this (Suntree and Viera) area.’’

Williams, who also is the treasurer

Brevard County Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer accepts gift cards on behalf of first responders.

321-242-1235

for the Rotary Club of Suntree, is enthusiastic about the program.

“We want to give back to the restaurants that have supported us in the Great Taste at Suntree. We want to thank our first responders, who have done a wonderful job every day.

They’re special in this critical time. … People are so appreciative and they want to do something and let these people know, hey, you’re appreciated, not only today but always.’’ SL

Debbie Williams, the treasurer of the Rotary Club of Suntree, gives out restaurant gift cards to a deserving healthcare worker.

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

15

THE FIFTH IN A SERIES ON BREVARD COUNTY AGRICULTURE

Olives could bloom where Florida citrus failed

BY MARIA SONNENBERG The cure for Florida’s ailing citrus industry might be in a martini. No, it’s not the alcohol, but rather the olive that typically accompanies this popular libation.

Hardy, pest resistant, drought tolerant, sun loving and easy to care for, the fruit seems a no-brainer to grow. If the members of the Florida Olive Council have their wish, olives, the oldest known cultivated crop in the world, could one day happily populate the hundreds of thousands of damaged

“There are 1,200 varieties of olives and they’ve adapted to growing anywhere from Nepal to Saudi Arabia.”

– Michael O’Hara Garcia

citrus groves languishing in Florida.

“The University of Florida has been working on commercially viable alternatives to citrus, and olives are one of the crops being researched,” said Sally Scalera, the UF/IFAS extension agent in Brevard County.

Currently, California is responsible for 98 percent of the country’s olive crop. It stands to reason that if olives grow in the warmth of California, they also should thrive in the Sunshine State, right? Not quite.

Olives need to chill out, literally, and some cultivars more than others.

Cultivars from California originate from Mediterranean varieties grown in 41-degree North latitudes with 300

annual chill hours at 32 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. They can adapt to northern Florida and southern Georgia, where Swiss corporation Agrigrada planted a 4,000-acre olive grove just 40 miles north of Tallahassee. However, olives don’t flower or fruit much south of the I-4 corridor and its 28-degrees North climate, where chill-hour accumulation is a mere 100 to 120 hours a year.

Before COVID-19 disrupted plans, the Florida Olive Council was planning a trip to the Canary Islands and Morocco, areas at approximately 28-degrees North to study various cultivars that might provide the rootstock necessary for Central and South Florida farmers to develop a reliable cash crop.

“There are 1,200 varieties of olives and they’ve adapted to growing anywhere from Nepal to Saudi Arabia,” said Michael O’Hara Garcia, the president of the Florida Olive Council.

The industry, Garcia said, is still in the research stages, but the future looks promising. Hobby growers and small farmers are experiencing success in counties that include Volusia and Brevard.

“Olives are all over the place,” Garcia said.

The United States Department of Agriculture notes that citrus production in Florida has declined by more than 75 percent in two decades, leaving orange grove owners with the alternative of selling the land for development, although they would prefer not to go that route. Perhaps, olives can save the day.

“We have to have agriculture and grow food closer to home,” Garcia said. SL

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Florida Olive Council

Some say that Dan Mueller, a Marianna resident, is the godfather of Florida olives.

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Florida Olive Council

Mary Tracy grows olives near the Villages.

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Florida Olive Council

This rooted cutting comes from Cyprus.

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SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Florida Olive Council

Olives come to a bloom in St. Augustine.

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Health & Wellness Senior Life

Family copes with added challenges to self isolate

BY JENNIFER H. MONAGHAN As Peggy Woods prepared for selfisolation, she knew that for her family their challenges would be far greater than purchasing food and toilet paper. In early March, her husband George was diagnosed with cancer. Treatment was scheduled to start later in the month.

Suspension of various transportation services to the VA facility compounded her family’s challenges as they did their part to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Woods, a Palm Bay resident and retired healthcare worker from New York, is very cognizant of the importance of social distancing. She practices with friends and family, including her son who lives in New York whom she barred from visiting for Easter.

She and her husband, however, have had to make exceptions as they relied on others outside their home for transportation when necessary.

Woods’ husband is a wounded Korean War veteran. A 20-year cancer survivor, a recurrence at age 90 was

SENIOR LIFE photo

Peggy, Michael and George Woods have made sacrifices during the pandemic.

disconcerting. In light of the coronavirus crisis, the Woods family had to assess the risks versus benefits as to whether to delay her husband’s treatment or to proceed as scheduled.

Despite Woods’ emotional anguish, there are bright moments in her day.

Video calls with her son and the kindness of neighbors, including Sandra Hamilton, have been a steadfast source of comfort.

Woods effused with gratitude for Hamilton.

“Sandra is unbelievably wonderful, caring, giving,” Woods said. “She’s there for me. She cries for me. She cries with me.”

Hamilton said she is glad to provide rides for the Woods family.

“They are elderly and somebody needs to take them shopping and doctors’ appointments,” Hamilton said.

“They are good people. I do it from the kindness of my heart. They would do it for me.”

Woods agreed.

“If we take care of each other, we’ll make it.” SL

Adopting new routine helps families cope with social distancing

BY JENNIFER H. MONAGHAN

Melinda Bolen and Sharon Thomas and her husband Trevor filled their vehicles with gas, stocked their pantries with groceries and other personal necessities and organized projects they planned to do during isolation.

Both families are following the guidelines established to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Bolen of Palm Bay, a lifelong piano teacher and church musician, is a widow who lives alone. Her days usually were filled by interacting with students, family and her church.

“Lots of people would be coming in and out,” she said. “Now, I don’t have anyone. It’s different. I don’t see my family. I stay put in my home.”

Today, her routine is so different.

“I’m playing a lot of music (on the piano); I’m working on technology and different teaching methods,” she said.

“I limit my outings pretty much. I did curbside pickup. I buy online. I have home delivery.”

Bolen conceded the slower pace has been beneficial.

“I’m a thinker and sometimes my days had been so scheduled I’d go from one thing to the next; but now, I can think.”

“Faith is my guiding foundation and will lead to peace and joy. We still have so much to be thankful for,” Bolen said.

Her family celebrated her grandson’s birthday with a caravan drive-by waving and honking at 11-year-old Noah. It was a hit.

Thomas and her husband live in Viera. As a recently retired nurse,

18

Thomas’ primary focus is personal accountability in maintaining good healthy habits, with respect to diet, exercise, hygiene and emotional wellbeing.

“We must take care of ourselves and each other,” she said. “We police each other.”

“When Trevor comes home (from an essential errand), I help to disinfect items he brought in and I remind him to wash carefully,” Thomas said. “We disinfect the mail before it’s brought into the house.”

Each also works on their individual projects.

The Thomases maintain a diet emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables and they take long walks daily. SL

Trevor Thomas plays dominoes with his wife.

Noah Bolen enjoyed a drive-by celebration for his birthday.

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

SENIOR LIFE photo

SENIOR LIFE photo

myseniorlife.com

Rockledge Medical Center tests plasma treatment

BY GEORGE WHITE The use of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients’ blood is being tested at Rockledge Medical Center for use as a treatment in the fight against the virus for others by Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Saima Abbas.

While a vaccine for COVID-19 may be months away, the hospital, as a partner with OneBlood, already is providing convalescent plasma treatments for appropriate patients.

The plasma treatments were administered to two patients April 22 with positive initial results, said Charles Biondo, the hospital’s

laboratory director. It may take one to two weeks to see the full impact of the treatment, he said.

“We are cautiously optimistic that this will save lives,” Abbas said.

People who recover from the infection often develop antibodies that remain in the plasma portion which can be given to patients with moderate to severe symptoms to target and neutralize the virus.

The treatment is considered experimental but has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on an emergency basis for the sickest COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit and for clinical trials,

Abbas said.

Eligible plasma donors must meet three criteria: Prior diagnosis of COVID-19 documented by an FDA-approved laboratory test.

Must be symptom-free for at least 14 days prior to donation.

Must have a negative FDAapproved test or complete resolution of symptoms at least 28 days prior to donation.

Once identified, donors complete a pre-donation form through OneBlood, which contacts them within 24 to 48 hours to verify that they have met the criteria and to schedule a collection of blood.

OMNI Healthcare opens immunity testing in Melbourne

BY CHRIS BONANNO OMNI Healthcare, which earlier this month began drivethrough testing for COVDI-19 at its Melbourne facility, has now also started testing for virus immunity at the facility located off Apollo Boulevard.

“We went ahead and moved from testing for the presence or absence of the virus to immunity testing because many, many people would like to know if they’re infected,” said Craig Deligdish, president and CEO of OMNI Healthcare.

According to a release from the company, a fingerstick test is conducted to determine whether people have previously had the virus and who now, under most circumstances, have immunity from COVID-19.

Deligdish said that the process is quick, as the “entire interaction is expected to take about 15 minutes” and that those who take the test will find out the results on-site.

Patients will be given an option to either be tested for the virus itself or for immunity testing. Only those who have previously tested for the virus will be available for the finger stick testing, the company’s release said.

Testing will be billed to third party payers, the company said. The cost for the test is $100 for those without insurance.

321-242-1235

OMNI already has been busy at its testing site, Delgdish said. He noted that as of April 22, OMNI has “tested over 5,000 people for the virus itself and has “tested over 500 people for immunity to the virus.”

Those interested in having the immunity testing can have it set up via appointment much in the way they can to whether they have

the virus or not by calling 321802-5515 or by e-mailing covid@ omnihealthcare.com.

“We have nine teams each made up of anywhere made of two to five people. We have approximately 50 people that have sacrificed themselves to work seven days a week, 10 hours a day,” Deligdish added. SL

Pinnacle Eye Center Please stay safe in these turbulent times Thank you to our health care providers, first responders, essential personnel and all of you for observing guidelines to keep our community safe.

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The plasma from the blood, after additional testing, can be transfused to an infected patient within 24 hours.

The next step is obtaining authorization from the FDA for emergency use for individual cases.

Currently patients that are hospitalized are receiving supportive care to treat their symptoms but “there are no available medications specifically attacking the virus,” Abbas said.

The key is to try to give convalescent plasma treatment to patients earlier in the course of the disease and ideally before they require the use of a respirator. SL

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SENIOR LIFE Klinton Landress

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The Indian River Lagoon will thank you if you give your fertilizer a vacation this summer. In fact, Brevard County regulations prohibit spreading fertilizer on lawns and yards from June 1 to Sept. 30. The fine can be up to $500.

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Lagoon Straight Talk From the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition

fertilizer spread during the summer is more likely to wash into the lagoon.

That causes more algal blooms than vegetation growth.

Before the regulation was passed, more than 127,000 pounds of nitrogen and 12,000 pounds of phosphorous nutrients entered the waters each year. With the regulations in 2014, nitrogen dropped by 36 percent and phosphorous by 74 percent. By ensuring that lawn care companies comply, we’ll even do better.

In addition to banning spreading from June to the end of September, the ordinance specifies that only fertilizers with zero phosphorous and at least 50 percent slow release nitrogen are allowed in Brevard County. Also, avoid fertilizing within 15 feet of water bodies.

Why? Because these nutrients contribute to algae blooms in the Indian River Lagoon. So, we need to be sparing.

Most of Brevard’s soils already are rich in phosphorous (it is actually mined nearby). And, using slow release nitrogen means your plants aren’t overfed. They enjoy the nutrition during a longer period.

While the regulations don’t ban stores from selling fertilizers during the summer, some responsible retailers, such as ACE Hardware in Titusville, have pulled the product from their shelves during this period.

All stores are required to post signs reminding shoppers not to fertilize during the summer blackout and to remind them about the types of fertilizer that are allowed in Brevard from October through April.

For some tips on what you can do to help the Lagoon, go to tinyurl.com/ HowToHelpLagoon. SL

myseniorlife.com

Behind the

Beat

By Randal Hill

‘Everything is Beautiful’—Ray Stevens It’s hard to imagine a millionselling 1970 song opening with the voices of a second-grade class singing Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world But that’s precisely what happened with a man who had gained renown during the 1960s for recording clever novelty ditties. *** Ray Stevens began life as Harold Ray Ragsdale in 1939 in Clarkdale, Georgia. During his childhood, he was influenced by music from the family radio and from 45s blasting from the jukebox at the local swimming pool.

That’s where Stevens and his pals spent their summers. From the time he began taking piano lessons at age 7, he

knew that he would follow music as his career path. Nothing else interested him.

After graduation from high school, Stevens enrolled at Georgia State University, where he studied classical piano and music theory. But he dropped out during his junior year after being offered a contract with Mercury Records as a pianist arranger and a recording artist. He had quite a fine voice.

What followed was a series of catchy novelty and radio-friendly original singles such as “Ahab the Arab,” “Harry the Hairy Ape” and “Guitarzan.”

Nothing Stevens had recorded, though, had ever reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. That was about to change with the new decade.

In 1970, pop singer Andy Williams launched the Barnaby record label,

and Stevens became its first artist after he had won praise singing on Williams’ NBC-TV variety telecast.

The Georgian also was offered “The Ray Stevens Show” as a summer replacement broadcast.

“I needed a very special tune for the program,” Stevens recalled on mybestyears.com. “I went down in my basement for about three days. I had crumpled paper all over the place. And suddenly the idea for the song came to me. I wrote it in maybe 45 minutes. It was a very special song and one that a lot of people still remember and sing along with when I do it in shows.”

He recruited his two daughters and the second-grade class at Nashville’s Oak Hill Elementary School to introduce his creation, which segued into Stevens’ uplifting melody that included such significant lyrics as We shouldn’t care about the length

of his hair Or the color of his skin Don’t worry about what shows from without But the love that lives within Dismissed by some naysayers as cornball pap, “Everything is Beautiful” nonetheless reached the peak of the Billboard chart and earned Stevens a Male Vocalist of the Year Grammy Award. For years, it was his signature song.

In 1974, lightning struck a second time for Stevens when he read about streaking, a college-campus fad in which students would strip naked and run past slack-jawed onlookers.

He was thus inspired to create his second Barnaby Records winner, “The Streak.” It was a novelty that streaked to the pinnacle of the Billboard hit list.

SL

laws. Number One: “A Scout is Trustworthy.” To really trust, I had to be obedient, follow the rules and build a relationship.

Famous football coach Lou Holtz recently released a book “Three Rules for Living a Good Life.” His message: “Without trust, there is no relationship. Without trust, you don’t have a chance.” The three rules: “Do the best you can. Do the Right Thing.

Show people you care — Trust.”

In recent months, we recognized the need to trust doctors, nurses, viral disease specialists, governmental leaders, news broadcasters and internet websites. As we sorted

through the 24/7 reports, we wondered whom we could trust. Political campaign messages, social media, photo-shopped images and political action committee messages dampen our trust.

As we make choices, we can look to the Old Testament Psalm 33: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” SL Ed Baranowski is president of Topics Unlimited, a Melbourne-based education, seminar and consulting company. He can be contacted at topicsed@aol.com.

Trust still important in troubling times

Whom do you trust? Just pick up the quarter coin and on the left of the image of George Washington you can read “In God We Trust.”

The founding fathers of the United States had a strong belief in God. They included words about trust in our country’s documents.

In our youth, we learned whom we could trust — parents, relatives, teachers, preachers, neighbors, friends, coaches, scout leaders and the list goes on endlessly.

Suddenly, something happens. Our trust is betrayed. During our dating years, we learn to trust that special someone. Oops! The relationship goes

Challenges of Living to Age 100 Ed Baranowski downhill. Trust is lost.

Marriage results in vows that bind two persons in a covenant of trust.

Trust is earned, not given.

When I joined the Boy Scouts at age 12, I had to learn the scout

Pandemic for people might be a gift for Mother Earth The world has become a little smaller and the streets a little quieter this past month.

With a stay-at-home order issued April 3, Florida joined many other states and countries that already had slowed down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The New York Times, 95 percent of the population in the country is under instructions to stay at home and orders for a lockdown have been issued all over the world.

We are indoors and most activities are paused — a change that is allowing the Earth to heal.

“A satellite that detects emissions in the atmosphere linked to cars and trucks shows huge declines in pollution over major metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Chicago and Atlanta,” The New York Times reported.

NASA announced that “March 2020 shows the lowest monthly atmospheric nitrogen dioxide levels

321-242-1235

BEYOND the CURB Marcia Booth

President & Founder, Recycle Brevard

of any March during the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) data record, which spans 2005 to the present.”

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a key ingredient in smog, is as NASA explains, “primarily emitted from burning fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation” and it can be used as an indicator of changes in human activity.

The Washington Post reported air quality improvements not only in the United States, but also in Asia and Italy. UCLA’s Fielding School

of Public Health Professor Yifang Zhu compared EPA’s Air Quality Index that measures multiple air pollutants, including NO2 and PM2.5 (fine particulate matter, smaller than a strand of human hair), from before stay-at-home orders were issued and now. The numbers are conclusive — the index “has improved by about 20 percent and recorded the longest stretch of ‘good’ air quality in March since at least 1995.”

Other parts of the world are recording the same type of change.

According to National Geographic, “In India, where air pollution is among the world’s worst, people are reporting seeing the Himalayas for the first time from where they live. In Delhi, where air is normally choking, levels of both PM2.5 and the harmful gas nitrogen dioxide fell more than 70 percent.”

The same temporary slash in air pollution levels around the world has been documented by CNN, The Guardian, USA Today, Forbes and

many other news outlets. The drop has been simply amazing.

Paul Monks, a professor of air pollution at the University of Leicester and former chair of the UK government’s science advisory committee on air quality, posed an intriguing question quoted in The Guardian: “Are we looking at what we might see in the future if we can move to a low-carbon economy?”

Are we?

While we have been adjusting to our new reality and creating new routines, scientists have been busy recording observations and gathering numbers. They must probably have their thinking cap on right now trying to discover ways to make the blue skies last a while longer — or not go away at all. That would be the perfect gift to Mother Earth.

Stay safe, healthy and have a happy Mother’s Day! SL Email Marcia Booth at Marcia@ RecycleBrevard.org.

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

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CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Fresh 5 Canine command 8 Sis’ sib 11 Chills 12 Troop group 14 Stick up 15 Expense 16 Wight or Capri 17 Yes vote 18 Sand bar 20 No matter what 22 Acorn 23 Pickling herb 24 Magazine stand 27 Tread 29 Courtroom vow (2 wds.)

30 Widespread 34 Emulate Gregory Hines (2 wds.)

37 Promissory note 38 Aboard ship 39 European river 41 Cheer 43 All-purpose truck 44 Romeo’s girl 46 Lascivious looks 49 Luau instrument 50 Get by effort 52 Sped off 54 Wear 55 Urgent appeal 56 Summit 57 Off — — tangent 58 Music buys 59 Buzz

DOWN

1 Boot liner 2 Id companions 3 Hurry 4 Wyoming range 5 Muscular 6 Coast Guard off.

7 Arizona river 8 Noisy fight 9 Queenly 10 Toe the line 13 Watched over 19 Puffin’s kin 21 Cry of fright 24 Tool set 25 Mont. neighbor 26 Comics caveman 27 Pet lovers’ grp.

28 Be even 30 Compass dir.

31 1,002, for Caesar 32 Am — — time?

33 Pool hall item 35 “Soft Watches” artist 36 Dozing 39 Hwy. 40 Laugh rudely 41 Sgt. Preston’s beat 42 Helen, in Spanish 43 Arm bones 44 Karate kin 45 Chalky mineral 47 Wealthy 48 Long-distance hauler 51 Blushing 53 Bonn article

Crossword solution on page 31

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Industry legend Piper Aircraft offers walking tours This month, let me introduce you to an educational walking tour of the Piper Aircraft manufacturing facilities at nearby Vero Beach Municipal Airport in Vero Beach.

Here, you will enjoy a wonderful learning experience that the whole family can enjoy, including inquisitive youngsters of all ages and out-of-town guests.

This guided tour will take you through manufacturing and assembly from scratch to the finished airplane.

Piper Aircraft has more than 12 manufacturing buildings adjacent to the Vero Beach Airport. Piper employs more than 1,000 highly skilled workers on three shifts at this location. Piper has produced and sold more than 164,000 aircraft during the past 80 years.

Piper Aircraft is truly an industry legend. Piper manufactures small prop and turbo­prop airplanes used by individuals and small business all over the world. Recently, it had an order from China for 152 aircraft.

This year, L3 Commercial Aviation, which merged this year with Harris Corporation, will take delivery of up to 240 new aircraft through the next 10 years. L3Harris is the new merged name.

Wear comfortable shoes, long pants or slacks on the tour. Your walking tour will take more than one hour escorted by knowledgeable Piper tour guides.

For a guided tour of Piper’s manufacturing facility and experience where William T. Piper’s dream

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A single turboprop aircraft flies in the blue clouds.

Touring the Town

John Trieste

became a reality and how his vision lives on today, call 772-567-4361.

Tours are by reservation only. Piper Aircraft is located at 2926 Piper Drive in Vero Beach. For information, go to tours@piper.com.

Getting to the Piper facilities is easy.

Take U.S.1 south and, upon entering North Vero Beach, make a right turn at Aviation Boulevard. Proceed west on Aviation Boulevard for about 1 mile.

The plant will be on your right. Follow

SENIOR LIFE Shutterstock

signs to the Piper Visitors Center.

Before or after your tour, visit Piper’s new gift shop at the Visitors Center.

Have lunch with wonderful airport runway views at C. J. Cannons Restaurant at the Airport at 3414 Cherokee Drive in Vero Beach. For information, call 772-567–7727 or go to cjcannonsrestaurant.com.

Once again, I want to remind readers that all of our day and overnight trips from Brevard County stress that they be educational, inexpensive and family friendly. We now have an outstanding collection of more than 150 marvelous trips from Brevard County that you can take your family, friends and guests from the north. Take advantage of all the many educational destinations that are located just an hour or two from home.

SL

Let’s hope for a quick toast to end of all things corona Up until recently, the only time I dealt with Corona was with a lime and Jimmy Buffett music playing in the background.

The last time I sang at my usual Friday night spot, they told me coming in the door they had four cases of Corona in the bar.

As I was racing out the door, they screamed that two cases were Light and two cases were Extra.

Oh. That night, they ran out of Corona. When they announced there was no Corona in the bar, people actually were upset.

Then, the stock market crashed.

When it comes roaring back, where shall I invest all the cash I saved from not going to restaurants, bars and baseball games?

Well, with all the workaholics stuck in their homes, with all the badly behaved school children now being home schooled by the parents that never taught them discipline before, and with all the married couples getting to know each other again, I am torn between investing in either alcohol or horsewhips.

So, since I spent so much time talking to all my new family members this past month, I decided to ask all of them what they thought I should do when this is all over.

Funny thing is...

Sammy Haddad New family members you ask?

Yeah, like the fridge that told me to just chill out. The dryer told me to recycle my old life, while the iron reminded me that I always was pressed for time. So, the oven suggested I cook up a new scheme which the pool thought would make a real splash when I return to normal.

Well, I was a little leery about making a life plan on the suggestions of inanimate objects until the vacuum told me to suck it up while the coffee maker said to let ideas percolate for a while.

But when the couch told all of them to sit on it and I heard the TV turn on them, I started to feel the tension in the house.

Just before all-out war started, I rolled over and woke up. Another nightmare ended. Hope this one does, too.

So, grab a Corona and a lime and let’s toast a return to normal. SL

myseniorlife.com

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myseniorlife.com

Senior Life

News for Titusville, Mims & Port St. John

North Brevard

Tiny homes fill an affordable option for seniors

BY GEORGE WHITE

Tiny Homes, either on wheels or built on foundations to satisfy the hurricane code, could fill an important niche for seniors on the Space Coast.

Just look at the early success of Braveheart Properties of Brevard at the 35-acre Peace Wind development at 200 Sandpiper Drive in Cocoa. It’s Brevard County’s first tiny home community.

The nonprofit Braveheart offers from tiny to traditional home ownership, home rentals and home lot sales at Peace Wind. It is marketed to the employed or those with a stable income who can’t afford to live in other options such as apartments or homes at the current market value.

Programs such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 8, personal subsidies, and community donations enable tenants to pay rent of no more than 30 percent of their income. Applicants are vetted by Family Promise of Brevard, the South Brevard Sharing Center, the Sharing Center of Central Florida, the Brevard Homeless Coalition, the VA and area churches.

Company founder Jinkie Echols believes the community with gardens and educational opportunities could serve as a model countywide as opposed to increasingly costly apartments or repairs to aging family homes.

There are a lot of tiny homes on wheels, but they are not rated for sheltering in place during a storm.

However, tiny homes on foundations at Peace Wind meet all hurricane codes and are affordable to maintain.

“Tiny homes are cute, they’re novel and we understand they are not a great answer for everyone. But, it’s a great answer for many,” Echols said.

“It’s going back to basics and energy efficiency as a necessity. We have to think outside the box for housing for aging seniors. They need affordable,

SENIOR LIFE Shutterstock

Peace Wind offers tiny homes in its Cocoa development. safe and small options.’’

Braveheart currently has 13 homes, mostly tiny, on the 86-site phase one of Peace Wind with a waiting list of 125, she said. Tiny homes in the development range from about $40,000 to up to $127,000 with lot.

Tiny homes for seniors actually is not a new idea. Mobile homes and manufactured housing have filled the same niche since the 1950s. What is new is the quality of the structures and the unique hometown feel of the communities, Echols said.

For information, go to Braveheartproperties.org. SL

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New riverside condominium will offer variety of housing options

BY FLORA REIGADA Long gone is the 1960s style Howard Johnson hotel along the Indian River in Titusville.

The hotel was demolished in 2014 and, until recently, the land was

undeveloped.

Things are changing, however.

Today, people can see and hear the buzz of construction as the River Palms Riverfront Condominium is built at 1805 to 1825 Riverside Drive. It boasts hundreds of feet of waterfront property.

SUDOKU

“The project consists of two buildings, with 50 units and a variety of floor plans in each. A recreation building and heated swimming pool will be between the buildings. Street level parking will be available under the buildings,” said Maurice Kodsi, the founder and president of Tricon Development of Brevard.

Private balconies will offer panoramas of the Indian River Lagoon and Kennedy Space Center, as well as unobstructed views of launches.

Lindsay Sanger, a broker at Re/ Max Solutions, spoke with future homeowners in mind.

“The River Palms Condominiums will provide affordable riverfront living, offering a spread of prices,” she said.

“Naturally, some units, such as those on corners will be a little more, but this project meets the need to provide a diverse group of people with affordable living.”

Marcia Gaedcke, the president of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce cited another important perspective.

“Projects such as this improve Titusville’s tax base and adds revenue to municipal and county budgets for schools, roads and other improvements,” she said. “It also offers more diversity in housing options.”

For information about River Palms Riverfront Condominiums, call Sanger at 321-848-8379, or a sales team member at 321-622-2730 or go to riverpalmsriverfront.com. SL

Opening Fall 2018 The mission at Palm Point Behavioral Health is to provide quality treatment to children, teens, adults and older adults whose behavioral health or chemical dependency symptoms are interfering with their daily lives. We offer both inpatient and SENIOR LIFE Solution on page 31 River Palms, a riverfront condominium, is being built in Titusville. outpatient services tailored to specific needs.

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SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020 For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website.

Physicians are on the medical staff of Palm Point Behavioral Health but, with limited exceptions, are

The mission at Palm Point Behavioral Health is to provide quality treatment to children, teens, adults and older adults whose behavioral health symptoms are interfering with their daily lives. We offer both inpatient and outpatient services tailored to individual needs.

myseniorlife.com

Boys and Girls Club prepares to settle into historic Carter home

BY FLORA REIGADA The nine children of Patricia and Brig. Gen. Ellerbe Winn Carter once filled the Carter Family Home with their footsteps and laughter. The family moved there in 1946 when he retired from the Army. Built in 1915 at 126 Grannis Ave. in Titusville, the house has been granted historic status.

Thanks to the Carter family, which donated the house to the North Brevard Charities Sharing Center, it will ring again with children’s laughter, as the Titusville branch of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida. The last family member to live there collected angel figurines, hence the club’s name, Carters Angel Corner.

Restoration is underway.

Joe Robinson, the executive director of North Brevard Charities, and Titusville City Council member JoLynn Nelson spearheaded the project.

The club will inspire young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential.

“Youth needs leadership,” Robinson said. “After growing up in a family of 18 children and serving 25 years in the United States Coast Guard, I have learned that leadership is important and focusing.”

The project has become a community effort. Many local businesses, organizations and individuals have

Titusville’s historic Carter House is being renovated for use as a Boys and Girls Club. contributed resources and labor.

“People have been kind, generous and giving. Everyone we asked for help responded,” Nelson said.

Improvements include a new roof, the leveling of the house and restoration of its porch.

Once a community hub, the house served as Titusville’s first free public library and a shelter for those in need.

The family hosted dinner parties,

weddings, family gatherings and teen parties. But times have changed.

“I have great respect for technology, but it does not teach youth to interact,” Robinson said. “Our social skills are diminishing. The Boys and Girls Club will help fill that void.”

Nelson said that when she volunteers, people drop by to share fond memories of the house.

“Neighbors will bring lawn chairs

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SENIOR LIFE Dan Reigada

and cheer us on,” she said.

With an estimated completion in the fall, volunteers still are needed, especially those skilled in plumbing, electric, drywall and insulation.

Financial contributions also are welcomed.

For information, call the North Brevard Charities Sharing Center at 321-269-6555 or go to northbrevardcharities.org SL

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Tuesday Night

• Certified Golf Club Repair • Senior & Military Discounts • Pickup and Delivery

28 Regular Games 3 $250 Jackpots

Call for Appointment Ask for Keith

634 Barnes Blvd, Rockledge FL

Doors Open 4:30 PM Early Birds 6 PM Regular Games 6:30 PM

(321) 338-2954

Pull Tabs • Stinger • Shamrock Games Hall Rentals • Kitchen Open

(In Tradewinds Plaza)

3450 Kilmarnoch Lane

Monday-Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM

321-268-2764

Health

Hearing

TEE TO GREEN

719-290-6506

slvt2greenclubcare@gmail.com

Health

CALL TODAY! FREE Hearing Test including FREE In Office Demo of Latest Technology in Hearing Aids!

You Deserve Better Hearing

NOW MAKING HOUSE CALLS IN-HOME EVALUATION* *small service charge

Free Immunization Assessment by our Pharmacy Team

321-253-6310 Make your immunization make a world of difference.

8085 Spyglass Hill Rd., Viera (inside One Senior Place)

Shingles, pneumonia, and more available now!

SERVING ALL OF BREVARD Financing available, Insurance accepted

Seniors Day is the first Tuesday of each month.

SANDRA WAGNER BC-HIS

*20% off Regular Price Merchandise with bonus points 55+ with Balance Reward Card

PersonalHearingSolutions@outlook.com PersonalHearing.org

*Some restrictions apply

Home Care

Moving

Realty

Serving Brevard County.

AEROSPACE REALTY

Call Sara Today! 321-794-9001 3230 Murrell Rd., Rockledge, FL 32955

Moving people forward®

to all the senior care heroes protecting our loved ones.

twomenandatruckmelbournefl.com

Your Seniors Real Estate Specialist SaraForstGriffin@Remax.net

321.242.7742

Sara Forst Griffin

Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

U.S. DOT No. 1479936 | Fla Mover Reg No. IM18

BK665439

Sewing

Restaurant

Thrift Store Come See Us at Our Sharing Center Boutique!

Monday - Saturdays:10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Closed Sunday

2850 South Hopkins Ave.

321-383-1616

Nature’s Market Health Foods Brevard’s Health Food Store

Check out the Q&L website for class schedule and events.  We are an authorized, full line retailer for Baby Lock®,

Brother®, Koala ®, Floriani ,® & Anita Goodesign®  Full-time, on-site, factory certified service engineer We try our best to ‘under-promise and over deliver’

701 S. Apollo Blvd. Melbourne

321-724-6923

NaturesMarketMelbourne.com

30

Walgreens Brother®, Koala ®, Floriani ,® & Anita Goodesign®

 Full-time, on-site, factory certified service engineer

We try our best to ‘under-promise and over deliver’ 7720 N. Wickham Rd. Suites 111Now’s & 112a good & 113 time to service or update your machine to Check out the Q&L website for class schedule and events.

7720 N. Wickham Rd. Melbourne, 32940 keepFL up with increased sewing time! We are here for you.

Suites 111 & 112 & 113  We are an authorized, full line retailer for Baby Lock® Phone: (321)service 622-8602, Fax: (321) 622-8574 Please call before planned visits.

Curbside available.

Melbourne, FL 32940 , M,W,Th,F: 10am - 5pm, Tue: 12N - 7pm,

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

Sat: 10am - 2pm, Sun: CLOSED

Brother® Koala ®, Floriani ,® info. & beth@quiltsandlace.com Visit website for ,classes and events or call for more www.quiltsandlace.com

Store next to Toyo

Check out the Q&L website for class schedule and events.  We are an authorized, full line retailer for Baby Lock®,

Interlachen Rd

Sunday – Thursday: 9am-9pm Friday & Saturday: 9am-10pm

N Wickham Rd

Anita Goodesign® Phone: (321) 622-8602, Fax: (321) 622-8574

M,W,Th,F: 10am - 5pm, Tue: 12N - 7pm,

Suntree

20% isOAffd

With th Sharing Center of Central Brevard

www.quiltsandlace.com and on-site, Service available onSat:site 10am - 2pm, Sun: CLOSED Full-time, factory certified service engineer  Repair beth@quiltsandlace.com

Publix

We tryN.our best to Rd. ‘under-promise and over deliver’ 7720 Wickham Suite 111

Melbourne, FL 32940 321-622-8602

7720 N. Wickham Rd. Suites 111 & 112 & 113 Melbourne, FL 32940

www.quiltsandlace.com • beth@quiltsandlace.com

M,W,Th,F: 10am - 5pm, Tue: 12N - 7pm, Sat: 10am - 2pm, Sun: CLOSED

7720 N. Wickham Rd., #103, Melbourne

Sharingcenter.org

Phone: (321) 622-8602, Fax: (321) 622-8574 www.quiltsandlace.com beth@quiltsandlace.com

321-425-3334

myseniorlife.com

BoomerSenior

Sudoku Solution Puzzle on page 28

Sentiments

What is one of the first things that you want to do once the social distancing guideline is lifted?

Photos by Ernest Arico

Beverly Lancaster

“I want to go on my European trip that was canceled in April.”

John Gulla

“I want to see my granddaughter in North Carolina for her high school graduation.”

Crossword Solution Crossword on page 23

Jackie Gulla

“I would like to see my 100-plus-year-old mother who is the Town Square (assisted living facility) in Viera. I haven’t seen her in four weeks.”

Margie Phipps

“I want to hug my loves ones, especially my nephew Larry.”

time machine In May...

May 1, 1707

Great Britain is formed from a union between England and Scotland. The union includes Wales, which had already been part of England since the 1500s.

The United Kingdom today consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

May 20, 1862

President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, opening millions of acres of government owned land in the West to “homesteaders” who can acquire up to 160 acres by living on the land and cultivating it for five years, paying just $1.25 per acre.

May 18, 1980

Mount St. Helens volcano erupts in southwestern Washington State, spewing steam and ash over 11 miles into the sky. This is the first major eruption since 1857.

May 11, 1893

Modern dance pioneer Martha Graham (1893-1991) is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She begins her dance career at age 22 in the Greenwich Village Follies. In a career spanning 70 years, she creates 180 dance works. She performs until the age of 75.

321-242-1235

May 30, 1783

The Pennsylvania Evening Post becomes the first daily newspaper published in America.

SENIOR LIFE • MAY 2020

31

THE 2 GRAN COUPE

THE 2

GRAN COUPE

THE BMW X4 THE BMW X4

THE BMW X5

THE BMW X5

Your Neighborhood BMW Dealership 1432 S. Harbor City Blvd. | Melbourne, FL 32901 WWW.BMWINMELBOURNE.COM â&#x20AC;¢ (321)727- 3788