May 2024

Published Locally Since 1980 Vol. 44, No. 5

Online at www.theseniorvoice.net

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The Senior Voice is locally owned and has been published the first of each month since 1980 for residents in Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and nearby areas.

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No material may be reproduced by any means without permission of the Senior Voice. William and Peggy Lambdin Founders, 1980

Ahead of her Time: Mae West

By Peggy Hall

“I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.”

“It’s not the men in my life that counts. It’s the life in my men.”

Those were the kinds of quips that made Mae West the most popular entertainer in America during the early 1900s.

She was also the highest paid woman in the country–and the second highest paid person. Only newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst made more money, and he tried to get Congress to pass legislation banning her performances.

Hearst thought she was immoral. He made that judgment though he was married and living with a mistress.

Mae was actually more moral than many of the people who criticized her. But she knew what it took for a woman to get ahead.

She was an intelligent business woman who made millions investing in Los Angeles real estate. She was also an excellent writer, composing most of her own dialogue for Broadway shows and movies.

And she wrote the quips that made her famous, like:

“Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution.”

“Between two evils, I always pick the one I haven’t tried before.”

Born in New York City in 1893, she spent years doing vaudeville and Broadway shows before making her first movie in 1932, “Night After Night.” She had paid her dues and was nearly age 40 when she made that film.

She appeared in her last movie at age 85, just two years before she died in 1980. It was only a brief appearance, but it showed some of the stamina this remarkable woman had throughout her life.

Mae had to fight for everything she got as an entertainer. Censors cut her movies to pieces. Critics panned her. Self-appointed moralists raged against her. But the public loved her.

Show business then was dominated by men who viewed female entertainers simply as sex objects. Mae realized that and was intelligent enough to use it to her advantage.

She combined female sexuality with humor, writing witty dialogue that showed women often had the upper hand and that sex should be fun. Critics now see that in her movies, but it was too subtle for early moralists.

“Brains are an asset—if you hide them,” she said.

That appeared to be just a flippant remark, but it said a lot about the predicament of women. So did another quip:

“I always say keep a diary and one day it will keep you.”

She wasn’t flaunting sex. She was flaunting the stupid, sexual stereotypes of her day. And she was one of the first entertainers smart enough to turn criticism to her advantage.

When police jailed her for ten days “for corrupting the public morals,” she had her agent publicize the incident instead of trying to cover it up. She knew the pub-

lic would see through the official nonsense and realize that morality should not be determined by police-state mentalities.

While she was making jokes, William Randolph Hearst was initiating the Spanish-American War in order to sell more newspapers and advocating political assassination just a few months before President McKinley was shot by an anarchist.

If you watch Mae West’s early movies today, you probably won’t find them funny. That’s because censors butchered the plots and omitted most of the good dialogue Mae wrote.

Fortunately some of her one-liners that appeared in print have survived.

“I’ve always had a weakness for foreign affairs.”

“She’s the kind of girl who climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong.”

“I only like two kinds of men, domestic and foreign.”

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”

Mae West was ahead of her time.

COVER PICTURE: Mae West.

Mae West.

MEDICARE BROKE?

Medicare and Medicaid in 2024 had some changes. Medicare Part A. Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital charges, skilled nursing facilities expenses, hospice costs, and some home healthcare services expenses. There is no premium charged for Part A benefits for those who have 40+ quarters of Medicare-covered employment (99% of Medicare beneficiaries.) The Part A deductible will increase by $32 from 2023 to $1,632 per stay. However, those with Medical Advantage Plans will need to check with their insurer to know their hospital charges. Hospital and skilled nursing copays will increase slightly in 2024. Medicare Part B. Medicare Part B applies to the costs of hospitalizations, some home health care service expenses, and hospice expenses. It also applies to the costs of diagnosing and treating health conditions, including preventative care like docSummer Market starts May 4th at a NEW downtown location!

tor checkups and flu shots. It also covers expenses including durable medical equipment, mental healthcare, and ambulance services. The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase $9.80 over 2023 to $174.70 per person. The yearly part B deductible will increase from $226 in 2023 to $240 in 2024. Medicare Part D. Medicare Part D applies to prescription drug cost coverage. In 2024 the Part D premium is expected to decrease slightly from $56.49 to $55.50. Plus, there is a new cap on catastrophic drug expenses. Also, all adult vaccines that are covered by Medicare will be available for free to those covered. The cost of insulin is capped at $35.

Join us this summer on 7th Street, just north of Lincoln Park.

Memorial Day Services

Monday, May 27th

8:45 AM

Edora Park Veterans Memorial

10:15 AM

Grandview Cemetery 1:30 PM

Roselawn Cemetery

These are the traditional Fort Collins services to honor those that gave all.

MEDICAID PROBLEM

By Phil Galewitz

Nearly a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid in the past year say they are now uninsured, according to a survey released Friday that details how tens of millions of Americans struggled to retain coverage in the government insurance program for low-income people after pandemic-era protections began expiring last spring.

According to CBS News, The first national survey of adults whose Medicaid eligibility was reviewed during the unwinding found nearly half of people who lost their government coverage signed back up weeks or months later — suggesting they should never have been dropped in the first place.

While 23% reported being uninsured, an additional 28% found other coverage — through an employer, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace, or health care for members of the military, the survey by KFF found.

“Twenty-three percent is a striking number especially when you think about the number of people who lost Medicaid coverage,” said Chima Ndumele, an associate professor of health policy at the Yale University School of Public Health.

Going without insurance even for a short period of time can lead people to delay seeking care and leave them at financial risk when they do.

Seven in 10 adults who were disenrolled during the unwinding process say they became uninsured at least temporarily when they lost their Medicaid coverage. Of adults enrolled in Medicaid before the unwinding, about 35% who tried to renew their coverage described the process as difficult,

and about 48% said it was at least somewhat stressful.

About 56% of those disenrolled say they skipped or delayed care or prescriptions while attempting to renew their Medicaid coverage.

“People’s current insurance status is likely to be very much in flux, and we would expect at least some of the people who say they are currently uninsured to reenroll in Medicaid — many say they are still trying — or enroll in other coverage within a short period of time,” said Jennifer Tolbert, a co-author of the KFF report and the director of KFF’s State Health Reform and Data Program.

The survey didn’t include children, and the KFF researchers said their findings therefore couldn’t be extrapolated to determine how the Medicaid unwinding has affected the overall U.S. uninsured rate, which hit a record low of 7.7% in early 2023. Nearly half of enrollees in Medicaid and the related Children’s Health Insurance Program are children.

The unwinding, in which states are reassessing eligibility for Medicaid among millions of Americans who enrolled before or during the pandemic and dropping those who no longer qualify or did not complete the renewal process, won’t be completed until later this year. Enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP grew to a record of nearly 94.5 million in April of last year, three years after the federal government prohibited states from cutting people from their rolls during the covid-19 public health emergency.

SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES

(Editor’s Note: The following information was published by the United States Office of the Social Security Administration in April, 2024.)

The one thing you can count on with Social Security is that something will change every year — and just about every working or retired American will feel the impact. That will be the case in 2024, with several changes slated for the new year. Most changes give people financial lifts, but a couple will have the opposite effect

The biggest change, announced earlier this month, is a cost-of-living increase (COLA) that will boost Social Security payments beginning in January 2024. Because of this year’s declining inflation rate, the 2024 COLA will be much less than the 8.7% increase Social Security re-

cipients have enjoyed in 2023.

That’s just one of several changes coming to Social Security in 2024. Here’s a look the others, and who will be affected the most.

The COLA for 2024 will be 3.2% — a decline of nearly twothirds from this year’s adjustment but still above the 2.6% average over the past couple of decades. All Social Security recipients will feel an impact, though it varies depending on factors such as your type of benefit and when you claimed it.

For Social Security retirement beneficiaries, the 3.2% increase will boost the average monthly payment by $55. Those with long-term disabilities will see an average increase of $48 a month. The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax will increase to

$168,600 in 2024 from $160,200 in 2023, which will mainly impact those with high salaries. Workers pay a 7.65% FICA tax from their paychecks, with 6.2% of that going to Social Security. About 6% of workers who pay Social Security taxes have earnings above the taxable maximum each year, CNBC reported, citing Social Security Administration data.

If you also continue to work after filing for Social Security retirement benefits, you might be subject to an earnings test if you earn a certain amount of money. According to the SSA, the earnings exempt from the retirement earnings test increases to $22,320 from $21,240 the year before. For every $2 in earnings above that limit, $1 in benefits will be withheld. These earnings rules no longer apply once you hit full retire-

ment age.

Spousal and Disability Benefits Will Be Bigger. Widowed mothers with two children will see average benefits increase to $3,653 a month in 2024 from $3,540 in 2023, according to the SSA. For aged widows and widowers living alone, average benefits will rise to $1,773 a month from $1,718. For a disabled worker with a spouse and one or more children, the average monthly benefit will increase to $2,720 from $2,636.

Higher SSI Payment Standards. For individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits in addition to Social Security, the SSI Federal Payment Standard will rise to $943 a month in 2024 from $914 in 2023. For couples, the standard will increase to $1,415 a month from $1,371.

MORE ON SOCIAL SECURITY

In a welcomed relief for American seniors, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a reduction in penalties for overpayments, potentially resulting in increased payouts for recipients in 2024.

Traditionally, errors leading to the overpayments in Social Security benefits have incurred severe penalties, including significant cuts to future benefits or even suspension until the overpaid amount is fully repaid.

Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley confirmed this shift, signaling a departure from previous practices, offering respite to seniors who have been overpaid.

Under the new policy, failure to respond to notices from the SSA will no longer result in the withholding of 100% of the payout. Clawbacks will be eliminated, with overpayment errors

leading to a mere 10% reduction in Social Security benefits instead of complete cessation.

Commissioner O’Malley highlighted the injustices faced by individuals experiencing financial hardship due to abrupt benefit stoppages to recover decades-old overpayments, underlining the need for reform. Among the changes underway are:

Accountability: The SSA will assume responsibility instead of burdening recipients with proving fault for overpayments.

Simplified Repayment: Beneficiaries will have easier options to repay excess payments over five years instead of the current three-year period.

Waiver Requests: Recipients can request waivers if they believe they were not at fault for the overpayment.

Improved Customer Ser-

vice: Efforts to reduce the average 38-minute wait time for customer service and expedite benefit processing for those with impairments are also in progress.

Alex Beene, speaking to Newsweek, noted that most overpayment errors stem from SSA mistakes, disproportionately affecting low-income Americans. While acknowledging some exploitation of overpayment situations, it’s emphasized that errors predominantly result from SSA accounting flaws.

Looking ahead, Commissioner O’Malley hinted at potential limits on the timeframe for repayment requests based on overpayments. It’s crucial to note that while adjustments take effect this month, outstanding amounts owed may not necessarily change.

Seniors and individuals with disabilities receiving Social Secu-

C u rio s ity Never Retire s

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rity benefits are advised to contact the SSA directly for updated repayment terms. The SSA adjustments could aid seniors facing budget challenges, especially for those heavily reliant on Social Security payments.

Also, a new law authorizing a $2,600 payment for seniors receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits has been approved, announced the SSA. Scheduled for 2024 disbursement, this additional payment will be based on the December cost of living adjustment, benefitting eligible seniors across various programs. Even those who did not file taxes in 2019 or 2018 may still qualify for the stimulus payout, subject to additional criteria outlined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

or jug 24 Canyon in northern Colorado 26 Literary greats T.S. and George, for two

Strong man Charles

Transportation in the movie Roman Holiday (1953)

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain proclamation of 1938: “Peace _____ _____ _____.” 37 CSA General Robert _____ _____

Toro product 42 Letters or design on a steer’s rump

“I shared _____ _____ with my visiting friends from out of state.”

44 Oscar winner of 1963:_____ Portier

45 Otero County town

48 Yin counter force

50 Abe Lincoln sobriquet: _____ Splitter 51 Boulder mascot 56 Western Asia country, briefly 57 _____ _____ _____ _____ joy at the Easter Sunrise service (Choir member’s reflection)

61 One of two at a casino

Climate phenomenon: El _____

4 My wife _____ _____ visit her family in the fall.

5 Wife of Chief Ouray 6 Square meter measure 7 Prefix meaning “not”

Pismire 9 “I’m tired. Let’s call _____ _____ day.”

Texter’s acknowledgment of humor

Park community with a Moose Visitor Center

Judy Garland film: “_____ _____ is Born”

Rio Blanco County site in northwest part of the state

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ELECTRIC CARS AND THE ELECTION

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as an increasingly partisan issue in recent years, as Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to take away their gas-powered cars and Democrats focus on policies to address the global threat of climate change.

President Biden, a self-described “car guy,” has visited EV manufacturing facilities and taken an electric pick-up truck for a test drive. His administration has increased funding to promote EV manufacturing and charging infrastructure, updated EV tax incentives, and has a goal of EVs making up half of new car sales by 2030.

A Gallup poll published recently found that, while EV ownership has increased, fewer people report considering an EV purchase in the future. About 16% of respondents either currently own or are seriously considering buying an EV, and 35% might consider the purchase in the future – down

from 43% last year.

It’s a trend that Trump is sure to capitalize on – especially as some autoworkers express concerns about the transition to EVs, which require less labor to assemble than combustion engine cars.

“First of all, they don’t go far, they cost too much, and they’re all going to be made in China,” Trump told CNBC about EVs in March.

Trump may be right about at least one of those things: cost. A recent survey from Edmunds found that EV shoppers were seeking prices well below current EV costs.

But both candidates must consider that their vastly different

approaches to the subject could alienate independent voters in key battleground states. The Gallup survey found that independents run pretty much in the middle of Democrats and Republicans on the topic of EV ownership.

While Biden must consider whether the demand is really there, Trump’s biggest problem is that –regardless of what he does – most major auto companies are moving toward EVs, with battleground states like Michigan and Georgia leaning into their production.

The transition to EVs is coming with or without the support of federal policies, says Alan Taub,

the director of the Electric Vehicle Center at the University of Michigan, and we run the risk of EVs being an imported product, he says.

“Do we want the United States to lead in the design, engineering and manufacturing of electric vehicles? Because we are in a global competition, both with Europe and Asia, and so there’s a race going on,” Taub says. “It is moving at a pace that’s faster than the automotive industry has ever experienced.”

He says there could be consequences if the U.S. doesn’t lead in that race.

“Independent of party and administration, the federal government has a role to incentivize the transition up to the tipping point,” Taub says. “The exact policies you put in place to do that, that’s a function of government officials. But if we don’t incentivize it, if we don’t target to lead in it, we’re putting the entire domestic automotive industry at risk.”

LEARN HOW YOU CAN GET 1 MONTH FREE!*

The best way to see what life is really like at a Brookdale community in the Denver area is to visit us. Schedule your visit at any one of our many locations and be sure to ask about our special offer for new residents to get one month free. It’s a limited-time offer you don’t want to miss.

Fort Collins Loveland

50 YEARS OF BREAKFAST

BACK UNDER FAMILY OWNERSHIP

We are pleased to announce that The Loveland Breakfast Club and Breakfast Club in Fort Collins are back together under family ownership! We (Dakota and Michelle Soifer) bought the Loveland Breakfast Club from Angela Hertrich back in October of 2022, and now, the Fort Collins location from David Hakes as of Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Together, we have decades of restaurant experience and also own Café Aion in Boulder, where we live with our kids Zaya (16), Leon (4), and Odessa (2). In 1990, David Hakes founded The Breakfast Club at 121 Monroe Drive in Fort Collins and it quickly became a place for folks to find a great meal that is fairly priced and made well. Over the next 30 years, The Breakfast Club expanded and grew into a bustling

town staple. Today, you’ll find regulars who have been coming devoutly, some for over 20+ years, for omelets, pork green chili, crispy hash browns, or for Dave’s famous lunch specials like homemade Beef Stroganoff.

In 2000, Dave and his then wife, Angela, opened The Loveland Breakfast Club at 1451 Boise Avenue. With almost identical décor, menu, and friendly service, the Loveland location quickly became a hit with the locals—another bustling success.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the two locations back under one family ownership. We feel so lucky to have such amazing teams in place at both restaurants. Many of our staff members have been employed for one or two decades!

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

IN COLORADO

As our federal government officials deal with drugmakers to lower the price of 10 expensive drugs for Medicare patients, impatient legislators in some states are trying to go even further.

Leading the pack is Colorado, where a new Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board is set to recommend an “upper payment limit” for drugs it deems unaffordable.

In late February the board selected Enbrel, Amgen’s blockbuster drug for autoimmune conditions (list price $1,850 per week), as the first medication that would go through its process. Novartis’s Cosentyx and Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara (both treat autoimmune conditions) will undergo affordability reviews later this year.

Enbrel and Stelara are also on the list of drugs whose prices the federal government is negotiating

— but only for Medicare patients. Prices may be published Sept. 1 — in time for President Biden to cheer the results in his reelection campaign. But they won’t take effect until 2026, while the drug industry pursues a raft of lawsuits to stop the initiative.

Colorado’s plan is, in many ways, both broader and more prescriptive than the feds’, covering all patients and potentially fixing an upper price limit rather than squabbling with the industry over an acceptable figure.

Colorado’s government said it anticipates similar litigation. A spokesperson for the state’s Division of Insurance, which oversees the program, declined to make anyone available for an interview.

The state has already said 604 drugs met the first criteria to undergo an affordability review.

Estate Planning Estate Planning

By Ron Rutz, Attorney

Q: What is your opinion about companies who will alert you if a fraudulent deed has been recorded transferring your property?

A: As I recall from various ads the advertiser promises to alert you of activity that appears suspicious but leaves it up to you to act on the notice. Anyone can check their property by going to the County Clerk & Recorder’s website where the property is located.

You can bring up the “chain of title” (list of all documents recorded against the property) and see for yourself if any fraudulent deeds or questionable recordings appear. Except for a handful of counties, like Yuma County, this access is free and easy to do.

Fort Collins Realtor, Jan Bertholf, actually called and talked with Tina Harris, Larim-

er County Carly Koppes, Weld County Clerk & Recorder, who all said that they did not know of any such fraudulent recordings happening in their respective counties.

In fact Larimer County has started a free service called the Recording Notification Service which will notify you. Weld County is working on a similar free service. You just need to sign up for it.

Remember to sell property or to borrow money, the title company involved or the lender will do their own search for their purposes and may also spot something and demand further proof of ownership.

You need to decide if the extra $10 to $20 a month is necessary.

Email rutz@ronaldrutz.com. Call 970.223.8388 in Loveland.

BEWARE OF SCAMS

Here are the latest scams senior citizens encounter.

Medicare scams: Scammers claiming to be Medicare representatives call their victims to “verify” their Medicare number. If you oblige, they’ll use it to steal your health benefits (i.e., medical identity theft). Or, they might claim that the victim needs to pay a fee to receive a new card or special treatments and ask for their credit card numbers.

IRS scams: During tax season, scammers will call elderly people claiming to be from the IRS and saying there’s an issue with their return. They’ll collect information to “secure” your tax file, but in reality, they’ll use it to file phony tax refunds and commit identity theft.

Social Security scams: In this scam, the imposter claims your SSN has been suspended due to an alleged crime. In order to re-

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instate it, they will demand payment usually in the form of gift cards.

FBI or law enforcement scams: Scammers will even call claiming that there is a warrant out for the victim’s arrest. If they don’t pay a fee or relinquish their financial information, they could go to jail.

Covid scams: Fraudsters take advantage of the fear and uncertainty of the pandemic to trick seniors into giving up sensitive data — such as bank accounts or health insurance information.

Tech Support Scams: The scammer masquerades as a tech support representative from a company you trust like Apple or Microsoft. Sometimes, the goal is to trick the victim into downloading what they think is helpful software.

YOUR TAXES

Tax season is never fun. But some tax filers this year face an added complication: Their returns are being rejected because they failed to provide information about Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage they didn’t even know they had.

While the concern about unscrupulous brokers enrolling unsuspecting people in ACA coverage has simmered for years, complaints have risen in recent months as consumers discover their health insurance coverage isn’t what they thought it was.

Now such unauthorized enrollments are also causing tax headaches. Returns are getting rejected by the IRS and some people will have to pay more in taxes.

“It’s definitely gotten worse over the past year. We’ve helped three to four dozen people this year already,” said Erin Kinard, director of systems and intake for the Health and Economic Oppor-

tunity Program at Pisgah Legal Services in North Carolina, which helps low-income families enroll in ACA plans and get tax help.

Unauthorized sign-ups can happen in several ways, Kinard and others said. Some rogue agents troll online enrollment portals that are accessible only to brokers but are integrated with the healthcare.gov website. When those agents open a new policy or switch an already enrolled policyholder to a different plan, they garner the associated monthly commissions.

Other consumers unwittingly sign up when they respond to advertisements touting gift cards or government subsidies then are transferred to agents who enroll them in health coverage. It’s happening even after new rules were put in place requiring agents to get written or recorded consent from clients before making changes.

2024 ELECTION

President Joe Biden is counting on outrage over abortion restrictions to help drive turnout for his reelection. Donald Trump is promising to take another swing at repealing Obamacare

But nearly 3 in 4 adults say they are worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills (74%) and the cost of health care services (73%).

Nearly a quarter (23%) of adults who say they were disenrolled from Medicaid since early 2023 report being uninsured now. Overall, 19% of adults who had Medicaid prior to the start of unwinding say they were disenrolled at some point in the past year. Of this group, a large majority (70%) were left at least temporarily uninsured, while 30% already had another form of health coverage in place.

Most (58%) people with health insurance say they encountered at least one problem using their coverage in the past year, with even larger shares of people with the greatest health care needs reporting such problems, according to surveys of consumer experiences with health insurance.

Such problems vary across types of insurance but include such things as denied claims for care they thought was covered, difficulty finding an in-network doctor or other provider, and delays and denials of care that involved an insurer’s prior authorization.

At least half within each of four major types of health coverage – employer, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, and Medicare – say they had a problem using their coverage in the past year.

Hip or Knee Replacement? You Need Power Training.

Unleash Strength and Resilience for an Enriched, Active Life

In the ever-evolving landscape of orthopedic rehabilitation, a paradigm shift is occurring in the realm of post-hip/knee replacement recovery: power training! This specialized form of exercise is proving to be a game-changer: helping individuals not only regain strength, but also enhance overall physical performance and, consequently, quality of life.

Statistical insights underscore the benefit of integrating power training into rehabilitation program, showcasing promising results and bolstering the overall strength and agility of post-surgery patients. Dr. Emily Turner, a distinguished rehabilitation specialist, explains “Power training involves retraining the neuromuscular system for optimal efficiency. By integrating high velocity movements into rehabilitation, we not only fortify strength, but also enhance coordination and balance, which are crucial for a comprehensive recovery.”

A study published in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity further states, “Research suggests that muscle power is a more critical determinant of physical functioning in older adults than muscle strength”.

Power training differs from conventional strength training by incorporating dynamic, high- velocity movements, allowing for activation of multiple muscle groups at once. While traditional resistance training increases only strength, power training places a premium on speed and force of muscle contractions, simultaneously developing strength, balance, and mobility.

Kirk Bemis, a Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fort Collins Based Fit-Rx,

states “For our clients who have had hip or knee replacement surgeries, this methodology proves pivotal in being able to add physical activities such as pickleball, hiking, and travel back to their bucket list.“

Bemis further explains, “Typical power training includes exercises such as: plyometrics, box jumps, sprints, ball slams,

etc., and while effective for athletes and the younger population, high impact activities are generally discouraged for those with joint replacements.” So, how do we promote power training for this unique group of individuals, making access to a pain-free and power-driven life equally attainable for those from twenty to ninety?

With the right equipment and programming, “power training” can be almost zero impact, very safe, and incredibly effective for any individual. Fit-Rx Fort Collins makes this possible through equipment and programming unavailable elsewhere in Colorado, and provide guided 1:1 personal training to foster optimal results in a private, comfortable environment. Fit-Rx clients include not only the healthy and active, but also those with chronic conditions like Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and post-rehab stroke and joint replacement recovery.

Call 970-803-2710 or visit www.fit-rx.net to schedule your complementary consultation today!

He Loved the West

By James Skeen

Charlie Russell’s art captured the Old West as it ended in the late l800s.

Living in Montana, Russell knew the freedom of the frontier, loved the beauty of its unspoiled lands, and depicted the spirit of that time in over 4,000 paintings and sculptures he produced from l880 to l926.

A book that contains an excellent biography of him and many colorful photographs of his work is “Charles M. Russell: Printed Rarities from Private Collections.” It’s by Larry Len Peterson, a retired physician and art collector. If you like the early West, you’ll enjoy this large-format coffee table book.

Peterson said Russell was born in l864 to a well-to-do family in St. Louis, Missouri. As a boy, he disliked school and spent his time sketching cowboys and Indians.

At age l6 he set out for the West and got a job herding sheep in Montana Territory. It was l880, just four years after the Custer massacre at the Little Big Horn.

Russell acquired a reputation as an ornery, undependable kid and found himself living for a while in the backwoods with a trapper named Jake Hoover, who taught him much about surviving on the frontier.

Charlie enjoyed the stories the trapper told and years later incorporated them into his art and writing. He eventually got a job with a cattle outfit and for the next ten years worked as a night wrangler. This suited him because working nights left his days free for sketching the action of cowboy life around him.

Charlie was not making a living with his art then. He was more interested in living the carefree life of a cowboy.

But by l892, when he was nearly 30, he began to realize he was getting too old for that hard life and turned more to his art. He wasn’t entirely serious about making a living with it, however, and often waited until he was broke before he took a painting to town and sold it for food or drinks.

He later recalled, “I was a wild young man, and when I drank it was no secret.”

In l896 when he was 32, he married Nancy Cooper, a pretty girl of 18 who made him realize that he needed to settle down and take his art seriously. She was ambitious, and she knew Charlie had great talent.

He had only $15 to his name when they married, and she had even less. They lived in a oneroom cabin, but they were deeply in love and happy. Nancy later recalled their first Christmas that

year:

“I stepped out and got my stocking and crawled back into bed. I found some nuts, an orange and the same kind of little hard, bright colored candies we always had as children. And way down in the toe of my stocking, I found a $5 bill...”

Charlie probably sold a painting to a local store or friend to buy his new, young wife the gifts.

Nancy quickly became his business manager, arranging exhibits and sales. Because of her

help, he later achieved great success. He and Nancy built a nice home in Great Falls, Montana, where Russell produced paintings and sculptures until he died in l926.

The Old West ended during his time, and he knew it. He seemed to be aware that his works might be among the few remaining legacies of that time, and he expressed a sentiment that many who lived then shared: “The West is dead. You might lose a sweetheart, but you won’t forget her.”

LAUGHTER: BEST MEDICINE

A grandfather took his 7-yearold granddaughter for a car ride every Sunday morning.

One day he had a cold; so his wife took the girl for a ride. When they got home, he asked the little girl if she had a good time.

“Yes,” she said, “and we didn’t see a single s.o.b. or damn jerk the whole time.”

6

A woman was remodeling her bedroom and needed a small night stand by her bed; so she put a want-ad in the newspaper:

“Wanted. One night stand.”

She got some strange phone calls.

6

An eagle was sitting in a tree when a rabbit on the ground

looked up and said, “I’d like to be like you, Mr. Eagle.”

“What do you mean?” asked the eagle.

“Just sit and do nothing.”

“Well, why don’t you?”

So the rabbit did. But a fox came along, jumped on the rabbit and ate him.

Moral: You must be high up to sit and do nothing.

6

Definition of an Irishman: He hasn’t kissed his wife in 20 years, but he will kill any man who does.

Murphy told his friend, “My wife is driving me to drink!”

His friend said, “You’re lucky. Mine makes me walk.”

Mike told his buddy, “My mother wanted me to become a

Who are the most in uential consumers in Northern Colorado?

People over age 50.

• ey have twice the spendable income of other consumers.

• ey account for 51% of all consumer demand.

• Colorado has had a 65% increase in this age group in the past seven years—the largest in the nation.

priest, but I didn’t. Can you imagine giving up your sex life, then every week listening to people describe theirs in detail?”

6

Clifford Roberts was considered the man who years ago did the most to make the Masters golf tournament successful.

He seldom took no for an answer. One year he wanted to move the tournament date to a week earlier in April but was told the players would be finishing on Easter Sunday.

Roberts said, “Well, find out who’s in charge of Easter and get them to move it.”