Douglas County SR by Sunflower Publishing

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for lifelong love

senior golf

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SOSWEE HO U RI N T ZO D NS S

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your best years

OFFICIAL 40TH ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATION OF

DOUGLAS COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES

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Sr DOUGLAS COUNTY

The Douglas County SR, a publication to commemorate the 40-year anniversary of Douglas County Senior Services, is released in fall 2012 as a partnership between Douglas County Senior Services and Sunflower Publishing, which assumes editorial responsibility for the content. In order to provide community listings, the Douglas County SR will refer to outside publications and websites. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for outside information, errors or omissions. Any inaccuracies, changes or suggestions can be directed to Sunflower Publishing.

Editor

Nathan Pettengill Graphic Designer

Jenni Leiste Photography

Jason Dailey writers

Melinda Briscoe Mary R. Gage Cathy Hamilton Suzanne Heck Cheryl Nelsen illustrator

Steve Willaredt Copy Editor

Christy Little account executive

John Kramer Ad Designers

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fOr LifeLONG LOve

senior golf

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YOUr beST YeArS

iversary Sto

Jenni Leiste Wade Kelly Publisher

Bert Hull

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Keeping Up with the Seniors 40

Annivers

ary

OFFICIAL 40TH ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATION OF

DOUGLAS COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES

on the cover The new Horizons band

40 years feature story Page 26

DCSS

by the numbers

Page 32

Sunflower Publishing 645 New Hampshire St. Lawrence, KS 66044 (888) 497-8668 www.sunflowerpub.com

Matthew J. Brown AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA

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• CusTom heAring proTeCTion - Law Enforcement - Carpentry - Motorcycle Riding - Loud Hobbies - Band Members

State of the art treatMent with a hoMetown feel

Senior Life in Douglas County 08 A Better Spot Rough politics, greasy diners and tough customers were the easy parts of Art Lamb’s adventurous life

14 The Big, Bold Sound of New Horizons Right here, in River City, it’s Towner with a capital ‘T’ and his talented tribe of musicians

18 In the Long Run … A nationally acclaimed counselor focuses on the difficulties—and rewards—for couples trying to create a love ever-lasting

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Anniversary 22 Forever and a Round Competitive golf pro Randy Towner touts his sport as a classic for all ages

35 Ark of Ages Taking a romantic cruise once your children have left home is meant to be a highlight of the early senior years to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated … but do you really want to feel that young again?

40 Senior Events Plan a Douglas County outing for groups of seniors and younger generations

07 Letters 44 Calendar

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Kenny Massey / Mike Wildgen

dcss

From the Chair of the DCSS Board of Directors …

For 40 years, or approximately 14,600 days or 350,400 hours, DCSS has been in existence. In 1972, I was a sophomore in high school and totally oblivious to the needs of senior citizens within Douglas County. To be quite frank, I never paid much attention to this portion of our population until the last several years. My attention to the needs of senior citizens finally awakened as my grandparents grew older, then my parents. Now here I am at age 55 and eligible for “senior discounts.” Just to consider the changes within our society over the past 40 years is mind-boggling.

In October of 1972, Douglas County Planning Council on Services for the Aging Inc. came into existence. This rather long name quickly transformed to Council on Aging or COA. In 1988, the agency became known as Douglas County Senior Services Inc. or DCSS. Since the beginning, regardless of its name, two functions have always been at the forefront of meeting the needs of seniors in Douglas County – transportation and meals. These were the first services offered by DCSS and continue to be two vital needs of our seniors. DCSS strives each day to be diligent in meeting the needs of those requesting assistance. DCSS staff and board members realize the needs of our senior citizens continue to evolve into a much broader spectrum of requirements. As our senior population grows, we must prepare to meet ever-changing needs. As an example, more seniors are using computers, the internet and technology to stay in touch with family members and remain abreast of current events. DCSS is upgrading the technology used day to day within the agency and seeking to meet the technological requirements of those we serve. Our new interactive website launch will coincide with our 40-year anniversary celebration in October. With the dedication of many current and past staff members, board members and volunteers, our agency has grown from a one-room organization to a multifaceted service delivery organization. Much progress has been made, and we continue to evolve as we explore new possibilities. As I have stated in the past, there can’t be any status quo in today’s environment; an agency is either moving forward or going backward. We are pushing forward at a controlled pace, with all eyes on the future of this very important agency. DCSS continues to seek private monetary donations and volunteers to assist us in reaching our goals and fulfilling our mission statement. Please feel free to contact a DCSS staff member or board member if you would like to donate funding or volunteer your services. Exciting times are ahead of us. Stay tuned.

Kenny Massey Current Board Chair Douglas County Senior Services Inc.

From the DCSS Interim Director … Douglas County Senior Services Inc. (DCSS) has been working to meet the needs of seniors throughout the county since 1972. Over the past 40 years, the agency has seen many changes—changes in name, staffing, programming and the seniors we serve. Through it all, one thing that has remained constant is the dedication of staff members, board members, volunteers and donors. This dedication, along with the support of city and county officials, is the cornerstone in the foundation that has been laid for our future. The recently completed report from the Lawrence Retiree Attraction and Retention Task Force has shed light on the needs and desires of those reaching retirement age. This information will help us set our course. There is much work to be done. Everyone at DCSS is committed to meeting the challenges that lie ahead. We invite you to join us in this endeavor.

Mike Wildgen Interim Director Douglas County Senior Services Inc. 2012 Douglas county sr

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Story by Melinda Briscoe • Photography by Jason Dailey

a better

spot Rough politics, greasy diners and tough customers were the easy parts of Art Lamb’s adventurous life The son of an absentee father and a mother who died at a young age from tuberculosis, Art Lamb made his own way in the world. “I was an orphan by the age of 12. That is what many people find fascinating about my story because I came from nothing and made a decent life for myself,” says Lamb, now 88, a father of eight and grandfather of 15, and retired in Lawrence. After spending a year at Clifton Hughes Home orphanage in Denver, the young Lamb was placed in the custody of his impoverished grandparents in Indianapolis. Like many youngsters who grew up in the Depression, Lamb learned survival skills that he would apply throughout life and some habits that he would battle with through his adult years. Hanging out with a group of neighborhood children dubbed the Raymond Street Gang, Lamb turned to alcohol. “It was in the company of these kids that I learned to drink at the age of 16,” he says. “And I learned it well.” Nonetheless, Lamb kept his studies on track, and after attending the University of North Carolina, where he

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lettered as a distance runner in cross-country and track, he served during World War II and became a naval officer. After the war, Lamb married, became a father and moved to his wife’s hometown of Independence, Missouri. There, in the post-war boom years, he opened his first restaurant, Sandwich U. Being a young husband, father and business owner carried a certain amount of stress. And Lamb’s old nemesis, alcoholism, was still hovering about. “Most people I knew didn’t know I had a drinking problem,” he says. “I was able to hide it sufficiently.” Lamb would leave his suburban neighborhood and drive to Kansas City, where few people knew him, to indulge. Though he tried to go fully sober by 1978, the drinking had taken a toll on his marriage, which fell apart in the early 1980s. “It was a desperate time in my life,” Lamb chronicles in his book, Sanderson’s Lunch, “and that may help to explain how I became involved with Sanderson’s Lunch, why I happened to own the place.”

Art lamb

2012 Douglas county sr

Profile

page

Sanderson’s Lunch was an iconic diner located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. “Sanderson’s served good ol’ American homestyle food,” Lamb recalls. “People would travel for miles to eat our ox tails.” There were no tables or booths, only one long lunch counter with 20 stools. People would wait in lines that would many times trail down the sloping sidewalk. From its inception in 1912, the diner had hosted a cavalcade of characters: working stiffs on their lunch breaks, young lovers grabbing a post-picture show snack, teeny-boppers getting a quick burger and fries, socialites, vagabonds, drunkards, prostitutes, pimps, professional wrestlers, drifters, mobsters, law officers and carnival workers. And those were just the customers—some of the most colorful people to take up space in the tiny diner were its employees. Lamb spent most of his life those years working with his staff. Because Sanderson’s was an all-night diner, when the new owner was not in the diner, then he was on call literally 24/7. Lamb says he was jostled from his bed more times than he can count by employees who called him to fix an antiquated piece of equipment or stand in for a sick or MIA dishwasher. That particular job, he quickly discovered, sounded infinitely easier than it was. As owner, Lamb also became a counselor and arbitrator when personal drama threatened to erupt in the diner. As a recovering addict himself, Lamb was sympathetic to those crushed by alcohol or drugs, and he found himself intervening in situations such as when an employee’s estranged, intoxicated, gun-wielding husband threatened to harm the waitress, who at the time was working the night shift. Lamb drove the fellow around KC’s dark streets that night, trying to keep the man from harming his employee and at the same time doing his best to soothe and calm the hostile man’s shattered psyche. page

2012 Douglas county sr

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“I was an orphan by the age of 12. That is what many people find fascinating about my story because I came from nothing and made a decent life for myself.” -art lamb

After another episode involving the same married couple, Lamb says he finally came to the end of his patience and strength. “I found myself having trouble doing the simplest of things like getting dressed and washing my face. I was scared. I wasn’t able to snap back from the craziness at Sanderson’s anymore like I had so many times before.” He called a dear friend, and she took him on a long drive to calm his nerves. “She knew I was in trouble.” She drove him to Lawrence, where they had a peaceful picnic in South Park. “She couldn’t have found a better spot for my wounded soul.” He felt revived and ready to face another day. It wasn’t long after he made some firm decisions about the diner and, shortly thereafter, turned it over to a new owner. Parallel to his business career, Lamb had been quite successful in local politics. He was on the city council and later served as acting mayor of Independence. “I never made a penny out of politics, and that is something I am very proud of,” he says. During this period in his life, he met political players like Henry Kissinger and F. Lee Bailey, whom he describes as “a very ordinary, average type of guy.” Lamb also had occasion to meet several presidents. He had lunch with Jimmy Carter (“A nice and very religious person,” notes Lamb) and was present at the home of former President Harry Truman when Richard Nixon visited in 1969. That was the meeting where Nixon sat down at the Truman piano and played “The Missouri Waltz” to honor the Show-Me State president. Lamb watched as Truman leaned over to a local reporter who had won Truman’s trust and whispered in her ear. Lamb retells what he later learned from the reporter—the anecdote that he had promised not to tell for as long as Truman lived—that Truman uttered: “What the hell is that man playing?” Leaving his political and restaurant career behind him, Lamb worked for a short time with the University of Kansas, married schoolteacher Marjorie Gamble and moved to Lawrence, where he blended loyalties old and new. “I’m definitely a KU fan, and I love the town itself,” he explains. “But I also still like UNC.” In the community, he volunteered with the local Alcoholics Anonymous by assisting dozens of people who have walked similar paths. And retirement has allowed Lamb, now a widower, to realize childhood dreams of walking on the Great Wall of China and riding a camel to the Great Pyramids of Giza. He believes that being a disadvantaged youth made him strive to overcome. Being parentless, poor and addicted was never an enviable path, but then again, it never stopped him from accomplishing so much.

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Bulldog Bob Brown Illustration courtesy Steve Willaredt www.battleroyalewithcheeze.blogspot.com

…Then he turned his attention to Big Mary, who was cooking. “Mary, whoever told you that you were a cook? I’ve had better food than this when the power went off and the food sat in the refrigerator for a week when I was out of town.” Mary had been waiting for him to notice her. “If you don’t watch your mouth,” she said smiling happily, “I’m going to pour hot grease in your coffee.” “What’s the difference? You have grease on everything else you touch.” … And so the steady exchange continued as long as he remained at the counter. Finished eating, he got up and started for the cash register. “I’ll probably be sick for a week from eating here,” he said, and then he rushed back to give a generous tip to his waitress and the cook, going out the door to a chorus of goodbyes from Mary, Joni and from his fans among the customers. … One day we decided to have fun with Bulldog’s loud complaints about the quality of the food and the prices by making him a personal menu. The printer who did our regular menus agreed to a rush job, and here is the result.

BOB BROWN SPECIAL MENU 108 East Dumb Wrestler Avenue Anywhere, USA Note: These special prices and items are only available for a big, bull-headed, bull-necked, profane wrestler named Bulldog Bob Brown.

Breakfast Professional wrestlers in the Kansas City area had been frequenting Sanderson’s for many years before I bought the place. They still came in often, and our favorite was An excerpt from Bulldog Bob Brown, who lived Sanderson’s Lunch by Art about a mile away on Quality Lamb (Leather’s Publishing Hill. Bulldog also gave us plenty Production, 1998) of publicity. There was a show on television on Saturdays, and Bulldog Bob rarely failed to mention that he ate at Sanderson’s, a favor for which he always refused any kind of payment, even a free meal. Bob weighed in at over 240 pounds, and he loved our breaded chops and cream gravy or the fried chicken. With his close-cropped hair and square jaw, there was a possible resemblance to an English bulldog. His publicity stills were usually taken in a menacing stance with his lower jaw extended. The purpose of the promotion, of course, was for him to look a[s] ferocious as possible. Actually, Bulldog had a friendly “good ole boy” face when it was in repose, and his smile was both warm and boyish. His behavior was also boyish, and he seems never to have grown up. One of his favorite pastimes was teasing the waitresses, who adored him and attended most of his local matches. Any waitress felt neglected if he failed to make a loud complaint against her for poor service. “This is the worst food I have ever eaten,” he would boom out to the nearest waitress. Or, “Do you call yourself a waitress?” he would yell at Joni Hernandez. “No, I call myself a loud, stupid-ass wrestler,” Joni answered. Bob kept it up. “Don’t be smart with me. A waitress as bad as you are is lucky to have a job.” Then he pounded a huge fist on the counter, causing utensils and plates to rattle on both sides of him. Many times, a stranger to Sanderson’s would look up, wondering why the management tolerated such outrageous conduct.

bulldog bob brown

Limp bacon, 2 overripe eggs, burned toast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.20 Fertile eggs with embryos, aspirin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.85 Rancid sausage, 2 scrambled ostrich eggs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.20 Lumpy oatmeal, sour cream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.30 Three-day-old coffee, per cup, no refills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Fresh coffee, if available, per cup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.50

Dinner Hash made from customers’ leftovers – Baked. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.30 Cold pork chops, congealed mashed potatoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.85 Alligator steak, with skin and turtles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.50 Week-old hamburger and stewed tree bark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.00 Slightly sour macaroni and butt cheese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.40 Broiled fish heads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.15 With eyes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.20

Wrestlers Special Large platter of raw pie dough, fat meat strips, half-cooked beans, soft tomatoes, peanut butter and whale blubber, covered with a sauce of melted goat curd and dried rabbit droppings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100.00 No substitutions, please. We reserve the right to refuse service or insult our customers. Please do not harass our waitresses. They are harder to keep than loudmouthed customers. As you may guess, Bulldog was elated. He passed a copy around for everyone who would look at it, and then he had a special frame for one to hang in his office. (Reprinted with permission from Art Lamb)

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Story by Suzanne Heck • Photography by Jason Dailey

The Big, Bold Sound of

New Horizons Right here, in River City, it’s Towner with a capital ‘T’ and his talented tribe of musicians Vitality, zest and a … one and a two … are the best ways to describe the New Horizons Band, a group of approximately 40 senior musicians who get together to perform for the community. One of a network of 206 chapters in the New Horizons International Music Association, the local group brings together musicians ages 50 to 95, with various levels of experience. During its September-April season, the group rehearses at the Douglas County Senior Services building the first three weeks of every month and then performs on the fourth Friday at various retirement centers in Lawrence. Occasionally, New Horizons will also play to larger audiences in concert halls such as Free State High School. Giving performances across town was the brainchild of the band’s director, John Towner, who moved to Lawrence nine years ago to be closer to his family after a career as an instructor of music in the Shawnee Mission School District. Towner is the third director the band has had since it was founded in

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September 1996 by Clyde Bysom and a few others like John Bechen and Robert Friauf who are still active with the New Horizons Band. Towner says the original core members continue bringing in new musicians, with seven members joining this past year after hearing about the band through word of mouth. Most of the musicians come from Lawrence and Douglas County, though a few travel in from towns such as Osawatomie, Olathe, Topeka and Winchester. The band is divided into instrument sections, including a large group of woodwinds, percussionists, and saxophone and clarinet ensembles, which are sometimes featured during a particular song. Towner says his job as director is to coordinate the sound of the instruments just right to ensure some of the sections don’t overpower the others. “With this group it can be difficult because we have so many good players,” he says, adding that senior musicians have more overall experience but are just as powerful in playing their instruments as his former groups of young students.

Art lamb

2012 Douglas county sr

Profile

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The new horizons band

The 2012-2013 New Horizons Band includes Robert Wolfersberger on trumpet, above, John Towner as conductor, following page, Ed Judd on baritone and tuba, far left, Lois Hatton on bass clarinet, center, and John Bechen on alto saxophone. New Horizons Band practices September through April, Fridays, 4-5 p.m. at the Douglas County Senior Services building at 745 Vermont Street. Prospective musicians should contact John E. Towner by phone, (785) 865-3519, or by email, towner@sunflower.com page

2012 Douglas county sr

new horizons band

Profile

“With this group it can be difficult because we have so many good players.” -john towner

The New Horizons Band specializes in music loved by the generations of musicians it represents. It performs well-known songs from musicals such as Oklahoma and is presently working on songs for next season that will include numbers from The Music Man and West Side Story. The band also plays several marches, Towner’s favorite musical genre, including five marches that Towner has written specifically for the band since he came on board. One of these is the “Golden Oldies March” that Towner wrote and dedicated to the New Horizons Band in 2005. The group also frequently performs John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which Towner describes as his all-time favorite and one that gets listeners’ toes a-tapping. Towner likes to balance upbeat tunes with soft songs such as the lyrical “Shenandoah” and the hardhitting “Yellow Rose of Texas” or the nostalgic hometown favorites of “Home on the Range” and “I’m a Jayhawk.” In preparing for the concerts, Towner says the group follows a philosophy set by Roy Ernst, Eastman School of Music, who founded the New Horizons International Music Association: “Your best is good enough.” Towner says the band is ideal for individuals who want to return to playing music after setting it aside to develop careers and raise families. But the main requirement is simply a desire to play music— no matter what age. “I don’t even like the term senior band for the group,” Towner says. “We’re just older people that just want to play.”

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2012 Douglas county sr

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Story by Mary R. Gage • Photography by Jason Dailey

in the

Long Run… a Nationally acclaimed counselor focuses on the difficulties—and rewards—for couples trying to create a love ever-lasting Harriet Lerner’s guidance and counsel has helped many perplexed people navigate life’s choppy seas. Known as an expert on women’s issues and family relationships, the Lawrence-based psychologist became a New York Times best-selling author in 1987 with the publication of The Dance of Anger (HarperCollins). Twenty-five years and several books later, Lerner’s latest work, Marriage Rules: A Manual for the Married and the Coupled Up (Gotham Books, 2012), responds to what she sees as a need for a different type of marriage book. “What inspired me to write it,” says Lerner, “is the need for a user-friendly book that gives reassuring and wise answers to the question ‘But what do I do?’ The book covers all the hot spots in long-term relationships and shows us that it takes only one person to turn a relationship around.” Lerner’s advice is packaged into “rules” distilled from her long years of experience, both professional and personal. She and husband Steve, originally from the East Coast, moved to the Midwest in the early ’70s and joined the staff of Menninger Clinic in Topeka. When the clinic relocated to Texas, they remained in the area, opening a private practice in Lawrence in 2002. Lerner is well-positioned to know first-hand the intricacies and difficulties of long-term relationships. Her voice is filled page

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with warmth and pride when she speaks of the 40-year wedding anniversary she and Steve will celebrate this year, and of the two sons, Matt and Ben, they have raised. Her professional expertise is grounded in deep personal experience. She often illustrates her advice with specific situations drawn from her life and those she’s worked with. As she peppers the pages of her books with some of the challenges and struggles she’s faced in her own marriage and as a parent, readers feel an inherent camaraderie in her counsel. When asked about the stresses couples face today, Lerner says, “Each stage of the life cycle brings unique challenges whether it’s a baby entering the picture, the empty nest, caring for elderly parents, or dealing with your own or your partner’s illness and disability. It’s anybody’s guess which phase of the life cycle is going to present the greatest crises for a particular couple. I can only assure you that if you stay together over time, the universe will plunk great challenges in your path— including many that you didn’t raise your hand to sign up for.”

Harriet lerner

2012 Douglas county sr

Wellness

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2012 Douglas county sr

Lerner insists there is hope even for longstanding relationships that seem to be slowly disintegrating. Relating the instance of a couple who was growing apart due to the husband’s emotional distance, she says, “He was basically missing in action for about thirty years. His wife was also disengaged from the relationship. Then the wife’s mother became very ill and moved to Reno, Nevada, where they lived. The husband stepped up to the plate in a spectacular way. He began to do a huge amount for his mother-in-law and was very supportive to his wife as she dealt with her mother’s illness and ultimate death. She developed a newly found love and respect for him. He developed more self-esteem by taking the high road. Their marriage flourished.” With the prospect of living long, healthy lives lasting eight or even nine decades, many of us are faced with the challenge and opportunity to cultivate enduring relationships. Commenting on the benefits of nurturing a long-term relationship, Lerner draws from personal experience. “I’ve been with my husband for forty-three years. It’s hard to put into words how precious our long, shared history is,” she says. “Among other benefits, I know I can count on him no matter what. There’s something grounding, growth-fostering and safe about any relationship—say with a dear friend or family member—when you’ve gone through good and bad times, and you’re still there for each other and you really ‘get’ each other.”

advice

What advice do area couples in longtime relationships have to share? We asked two couples, both of whom have been together well over the 50-year anniversary mark, to share one memorable moment and a few short words of wisdom.

STEPS TO MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE EVEN BETTER

H ar

riet Lerner’s

We asked Harriet Lerner to select 10 rules particularly appropriate for senior couples who have shared many years together (and hope to share many more). Below are her choices … 1} Warm your Partner’s Heart. Make a concerted effort to focus on the positive. Do three little things every day that make your partner feel loved, valued and special. 2} Dial Down the Criticism. People become more allergic to criticism over time. Remember this: No one can survive in a marriage (at least not happily) if they feel more judged than admired.

Bob and Kay Wells, 65 years

Married: April 26, 1947, in Great Bend, Kansas. A Memorable Moment: Attending Truman Capote’s Black & White Ball in 1966 after becoming acquainted with him and Harper Lee during their research for In Cold Blood in Garden City. Words of Wisdom: It’s important to keep active and involved and interested in things, and to have a sense of humor. We are fortunate to have a close family, and we enjoy our friends of all ages.

3} Apologize. You can say, “I’m sorry for my part of the problem,” even if you’re secretly convinced that you’re only 28 percent to blame. 4} Don’t Demand an Apology. Don’t get into a tug-of-war about his failure to apologize. An entrenched nonapologizer may use a nonverbal way to try to defuse tension, reconnect after a fight, or show he’s in a new place and wants to move toward you. 5} Stop Being So Defensive. Defensiveness is the archenemy of listening. The next time your partner has a criticism, try to listen only to understand—that is, no interrupting, offering advice, defending your position or correcting facts. Save your defense for a second conversation. 6} Say it Shorter! Your partner may avoid conversation because it feels awful to him. Sometimes the culprit is the sheer number of sentences and the intensity in our voice. Slow down your speech, turn down the volume and make your criticism in three sentences or less. 7} Sweat the Small Stuff. When you say you’ll do something, do it! Never assume that your overall contribution to the marriage compensates for failing to do what you say you’ll do, whether it’s picking up your socks or moving the boxes out of the garage by Sunday. 8} Know Your Bottom Line. Be flexible in changing for your partner 84 percent of the time, but don’t sacrifice your core values, beliefs and priorities under relationship pressures.

Lois and Chuck Mead, 57 years

Married: March 15, 1955, in Nevada, Missouri. A Memorable Moment: Fiftieth wedding anniversary trip to New York City with our children and attending the David Letterman show and eating at Carmine’s. Words of Wisdom: You’ve got to respect each other and be a team. Good communication is very important, and we just enjoy each other’s company. And you have to keep a little romance in your marriage.

9} Be self-focused. Connect with friends and family, pursue your interests and be of service of others. If your primary energy isn’t directed to living your own life as well as possible, you’ll be overfocused on your partner in a worried or critical way. 10} Choose happiness over winning the argument. Your partner’s happiness and the tone of your marriage mean a whole more than who is right and who is to blame. Don’t lock yourself into negativity at the expense of your happiness and well-being. Step aside from old anger and hurt. 2012 Douglas county sr

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Story by Becky Bridson • Photography by Jason Dailey

Forever and a Round Competitive golf pro Randy Towner touts his sport as a classic for all ages First, he’d probably tell you to let out a little waggle. Then, he’d press for a steady address. Depending on the shot, he’d suggest a fade, draw, chip, chop or carry. If a sandy happened to travel cleanly over the lip and into the cup, he’d know he’d taught you well. Whether the result’s a dub or a deuce, a flub or an ace, Randy Towner, general manager and golf professional at Firekeeper Golf, Mayetta, loves teaching, loves people and loves his game. page

2012 Douglas county sr

randy towner

Wellness

Towner’s Golf Tips on page 25

“Golf is a game that gets you in so many places,” says Towner. “It’s like having a doctorate degree in business or speaking a foreign language. I’ve had the opportunity to do so many fun things just because I could hit a golf ball.” Towner, 59, has been playing the golf pro circuit since the early 1980s and won the title of Kansas Club Professional Champion in 1995. Moving into the senior circuit has allowed him to accumulate even more honors: qualifying for the National Senior Club Professional championship for 20072011 and winning the title of PGA Midwest Section Golf Professional of the Year in 2010. These days, Towner mainly handles the business side of the sport, but he continues to educate other golfers as a golf pro instructor, a role he also played in Prairie Village and for 22 years at Alvamar, Lawrence. “I enjoy people,” says Towner. “I like to know people. Being a golf pro is kind of like being the hairdresser. You have the male equivalency of knowing everything about everybody. “Some of the most fun guys were the old guys that would be our first players out at Alvamar in the mornings that I’d have coffee with. We’d solve all the world’s problems.”

Although he misses the closeness and camaraderie Alvamar provided, Towner has enjoyed the challenges of managing a staff of 35 and a brand new course. Located on the Potawatomi Reservation as an amenity to the Prairie Band Casino and Resort, and described by Towner as “the quietest place in the world,” Firekeeper was named the best public access golf course in Kansas in Golfweek magazine’s 2012 annual rankings. Towner’s love for the game and, in turn, career may not have been possible had it not been for the love and support of his father, John, a retired instrumental music teacher, whom Towner refers to as his “hero.” (See article about John Towner and his band on page 14.) As a youth growing up in De Soto, Towner played a lot of organized sports, but he also spent countless hours playing and competing with his dad. “As he grew up, he liked games a lot, any kind of game,” says John. “We used to go down and play pingpong all the time, and I used to beat the socks off of him. He’d want me to stay and play another game until he could beat me, so he was pretty competitive even then. After a while, I wanted to get out of there because he started beating the socks off of me by the time he was in junior high.”

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2012 Douglas county sr

Art lamb

“I’ve had the opportunity to do so many fun things just because I could hit a golf ball.”

Wellness

Tips for Senior Golfers

(and one for a ‘killer first date’)

Randy Towner’s We asked golf pro Randy Towner to share advice for seniors who play golf. Below are his thoughts and his top 10 tips. My tips are less about technique and more about just having fun and enjoying a great game—truly a game of a lifetime. I know my game is not the same as it was a few years ago, but my expectations are not the same as they were a few years ago. Something about growing old and learning life lessons (Dang, I sound like a senior!) has made me enjoy the game so much more. I can laugh at a bad shot and cherish the memory of a really good one. I’ve had nine hole-in-ones but can remember only a couple, whereas I can remember all the births of our children and their children. For me, golf began with the family. I have been so blessed because my father let me tag along on the golf course years ago and encouraged me to play all sports, especially golf. This is a game that continues to take me to fantastic locations and introduce me to truly interesting people. 1} Select the right set of tees for your skill level. We play golf for fun and relaxation. Tee it forward. You deserve it. If the shortest tees are too long, start at the fairway or the 150-marker. 2} It’s OK to only play nine holes. 3} Hit a few balls to loosen up before play. Share a bucket with your buddy.

Towner developed his interests in teaching and working with people from both dad and mom, Jean, but joy for the game of golf blossomed mainly due to John’s influence. At age 3, Towner began following his father’s lead on the links. “I’d go along with my dad, and he’d let me hit a couple,” says Towner. “I’d look for golf balls. That’s what we did during the summers. That was our time together.” Gradually, Towner caddied less and played more. He and his dad both realized early on the youngster had a gift. The family made sacrifices to help young Towner hone his skills, even finding a way to afford golf memberships on an already stretched budget. As he mastered the game, some of the younger Towner’s skills rubbed off on his dad, who even now at age 84 shoots his age or under several times a year. “My dad and I don’t throw footballs in the front yard anymore, but we can play golf together,” says Towner. Off the course, Towner values his time with his family, which includes wife, LeAnn, daughters Libby, Katie and Abby, and four grandchildren. But you’ll still find him on the course each day, passing on his knowledge to new generations—and a few generations that have been around the course before him. “I pretty much like all golfers,” says Towner. “I don’t really lump them as age-specific. I think that’s one of the beauties of golf. You can do it forever.”

4} Stay hydrated. We dry out faster when we’re old. Water during golf, wine and beer after golf. 5} Take advantage of the weekday mornings and evenings. Really the best time to play. Usually the best rates! 6} Stretch before you play. It gets a little harder each year. 7} Make sure you have the right equipment. Whippier shafts, bigger club heads and new grips (they come in all sizes and colors) can improve your enjoyment of the game. 8} Take a friend out to the golf course and just putt. It’s usually free and a fun way to improve your game. It’s even a killer first date. 9} Play different golf courses and take your friends with you. Golf is one of the most social activities that includes even the nongolfers such as spouses or friends. 10} If you have a desire to get better, take a series of lessons. Most courses offer senior-specific group lessons. You might meet some great golf partners.

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Story by Cheryl Nelsen â&#x20AC;˘ Photography by Jason Dailey

Keeping with

the seniors

Forty years since its founding, Douglas County Senior Services works to provide and adjust services for one of the most dynamically changing generations

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Portraits of DCSS regulars:

Previous page, top row from left: Ray Buckingham (Senior Meals Program manager), Susan Pomeroy (Zumba instructor), Darrell C. Shuck (driver), Charles H. Benedict (volunteer provider of sweets); previous page, bottom row from left: Carole Peters (Downtown Tuesday Painters), Tina Roberts (DCSS Resource Development Manager), Ken Wehmeyer (DCSS pool hall); from left Felix Shutt (DCSS pool hall), Billy Detherage (DCSS pool hall), Delbert Bradley (DCSS pool hall); bottom right: Taki Ebey (Zumba participant)

Dcss Facts page

Lunch Is Served

Active Activities

The meal program, or the “nutrition program,” began with homedelivered meals in 1974. The first communal meal site was established at the Ballard Center in North Lawrence in 1978.

A list of group activities available through DCSS reflects the “aging healthier” trend for seniors. For example, seniors at DCSS are participating in classes such as bellydance, Zumba, Pilates, pickleball and contra dancing.

2012 Douglas county sr

My Name Is The organization was incorporated in 1972 as the Douglas County Planning Council on Services for the Aging Inc. The process for changing its name to Douglas County Senior Services Inc. began in 1979 and was formalized in 1988.

Clack! “Good shot.” The sounds of a seriously contested pool game intersperse with the banter of the six players who gather three days a week on the second floor of Douglas County Senior Services, 745 Vermont Street. Along with the game, the men discuss everything from politics to the University of Kansas to the weather. And as the games wind down, they hold nothing back. “He was in a conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln,” jokes one man about another’s reputation—and his age. Obviously, he’s not that old, and even though some of the services offered by the nonprofit Douglas County agency are limited to those over 60, people of all ages consult the center for assistance or gather there for fellowship. The pool players, for example, range from age 55 to 88. Another example of the wide range of ages is found in the caregiver support program. “You don’t have to be a senior. We do everything we can to support those who support seniors,” says Tina Roberts, resource development manager. Anyone caring for a senior adult can consult community services program manager Janet Ikenberry, who says she first would find out what are the caregiver’s needs and stresses before suggesting available options. “I would talk to them about services like home health, hiring help in the house to get some relief, some respite,” Ikenberry says. This emphasis on services for caregivers reflects a huge trend in senior services over the past 40 years—moving from providing basic nutritional and health needs to offering services for lives that are active and long-lived and creating a community support network that taps agencies, private organizations and family. Also available to caretakers are publications and a resource library made possible through donations from the local Altrusa group.

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One of the better-known programs “growing by leaps and bounds,” according to Roberts, is the senior meals program. An average of 280 noontime meals Monday through Friday is served to homebound seniors and to those who go to sites at the Lawrence Senior Center, Babcock Place, Baldwin City and Eudora. Another popular program is Senior Wheels, which provides rides for a fee within the city limits of Lawrence and Baldwin City. Limited services are available in Eudora and Lecompton. Roberts says over the past two years, the program has grown from a monthly average of 400 to 650 rides. Funding for such programs comes from Douglas County, federal, The Downtown state and private grants Tuesday Painters and donations. Sometimes gathers painters as such funds are based on well as sculptors and specific or seasonal needs, other artists each such as the Westar Energy Tuesday at the DCSS Lawrence Senior employees’ donation of Center to work, as fans this summer. And, of well as to provide course, the agency relies advice and support on volunteers. for fellow artists of “We’re really working on various levels of the volunteer structure,” experience. Some says Ikenberry. “That’s the of the artists include way we’re going to grow Wilma Lutz, center and serve. Everyone is left, and Wm. R

Painters

Grubbs, bottom left.

asking for money, but the main thing we need to ask for is volunteers that are very interested in our whole mission.” That mission is to help older Douglas County residents to be as independent as possible while creating and nurturing their connections with others. Some of the programs that help seniors accomplish the agency’s mission are exercise classes and special events. Additionally, seniors can get legal advice from an attorney from Kansas Legal Services and Medicare counseling on site at the center. The counselors who schedule appointments with seniors for Medicare counseling are in demand because the baby boomer generation is aging into that program. Ikenberry says when that program started the appointments were sporadic, but now a steady line of people are signing up. In the 20 years Ikenberry has worked at the center she has observed changes in the center and the people it serves. “Seniors 20 years ago were different than seniors are today. That’s mainly because they’re aging healthier. Sixty isn’t what it was 20 years ago.”

On The Go

DCSS provides mobility to seniors with a small fleet of transport vans and drivers (right). For seniors who prefer to drive themselves, DCSS adapts its core programs, such as providing a “Grab & Go” lunch program for seniors age 60 and over who prefer to come into the Lawrence Senior Center and DCSS partnering sites to pick up their lunch meals. See more information on the transport and meal programs on pages 32-33.

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More About

Douglas County Senior Services Information Provided by DCSS Volunteers

Location, Location...

1,100 An average of

The agency’s original location was in a single rented room above Robert’s Jewelry Store at 833 Massachusetts Street before moving to a one-room basement office in the basement of the Community Building at Eleventh and Vermont. It has been at its present location, 745 Vermont Street, since 1979.

volunteer hours are used each month including Meals, Wheels, AARP Tax Aid, Leisure and other programs.

Ride Program

Douglas County Senior Services

ACTIVITIES average attendance

POOL PLAYERS

downtown TUESDAY PAINTERS

ZUMBA

Approximately 6 Full-Time Employees Approximately 18 Part-Time Employees

“Bus “Bus62” 62” The first ride program, a mini-van named “Bus 62,” began service on

August 14, 1973 25c /day 1 Per Ride

LAWRENCE SENIOR CENTER

DCSS

IN 2008

THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM WAS RENAMED TO “SENIOR WHEELS”

senior wheels in 2012

$3 100x

Per Ride page

/month

2012 Douglas county sr

medical trips doctor, physical therapy, dentist, adult day care, etc.)

vans

40%

buses

5 Part time drivers

8 volunteer drivers

10%

50%

nutritional trips (dining centers, grocery store, etc.) personal trips (banking, salon, club meetings, etc.)

Senio rs

MORE SENIORS,

LIVING LONGER

general population

According to data from the 2011 U.S. Census

Meal Sites

A 40-year difference

d i n i ng c e nt e r locat i ons Lawrence

Eudora

of the total county population is seniors 60 years and over

Budget:

additional

13%

2012 Annual Budget $964,718 1972 Annual Budget $49,991

Babcock Place Dining Center 1700 Massachusetts, Lawrence (785) 842-6976

Americans 70

71.2

years

78.2

estimated by The World Bank

1972

2012

60newsletter & Better

3,000 newsletters

The Seaver Award

Eudora Dining Center Pine Crest Apartments 924 Walnut, Eudora (785) 760-2102

Baldwin City

average life of

distributed to households and businesses

Baldwin Senior Center 1221 Indiana, Baldwin City (785) 594-2409

years

Named in honor of its first recipients, Jim and Virginia Seaver, The Seaver Award is presented annually by Douglas County Senior Services to an individual in the Douglas County community who has worked or volunteered to improve the lives of area senior citizens.

2007

Lunch is Ready! the menu:

Chicken salad, with side of carrots, peaches and crackers

Southern Accent Catering of Lawrence has been contracted to provide meals for DCSS since 2011. We asked co-owners Terri and Tyler Stewart to break down one DCSS lunch menu by ingredients.

Dr. Jim and Virginia Seaver For countless hours and miles delivering meals to seniors across the community.

2008

Dr. Paul Getto For providing countless hours as a DCSS volunteer in many programs, including the Coupons for Caring program.

2009

Seasoning – Normally, the Southern Accent chicken salad recipe would include some salt or celery salt, but the Stewarts say they hold off on adding any sodium to any of the recipes they use in preparing DCSS meals. For this recipe, they add 4 ounces of celery seed for the seasoning. “A little bit of that goes a long way,” explains Tyler.

Hank Booth For donating his talents to charity events across the community and for his professional work in creating a vision for Lawrence as a senior-friendly community.

2010

celery

5 lbs

craisins

5 lbs

grapes

30 lbs

chicken breast

75-80 lbs

canned peaches

70 lbs

Don and Bev Gardner For their role in creating community exercise programs and as living examples of healthful senior lifestyles.

2011

Dr. Kenneth Audus For partnering University of Kansas School of Pharmacy students with area seniors to benefit education and the senior community.

2012

onions

sour cream

crackers

mayonnaise

carrots

8 red onions

10 lbs

12 boxes

2.5 gallons

25 lbs

Molly Wood For providing legal expertise to the senior community.

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2012 Douglas county sr

travel

Senior Cruise

Story and photography by Cathy Hamilton

Ark of Ages My betrothed and I recently took the trip of a lifetime, a 12-day cruise on a luxurious ship named “Marina,” she of the Oceania fleet. Dubbed “Legends of the British Isles,” our itinerary included England, Scotland and Ireland, allowing us to delete several destinations from our bucket list: London, Edinburgh and Dublin, to name a few. Despite consistently inclement weather, it was an unforgettable holiday during which I experienced awe-inspiring vistas, lively conversations with colorful locals and one lifechanging revelation: Being on a cruise is a lot like being in grade school. Except for the fact that the median age of our fellow passengers was 60 years older than the median age of a third-grader, there

were so many parallels to my years at St. Ann School in the 1960s, it blew my Anglo-Saxon mind. We embarked in Dover, England, and, except for the famous white cliffs portside, it could very well have been enrollment day in St. Ann’s cafeteria. Boarding the ship with luggage in tow (think book bags and school supplies), we signed a document swearing we were free from communicable diseases (school physical form). Then, we stood in line according to the first letter of our last name, H to M, and waited to register. Presenting our passports (birth certificates), we received our official Oceania World Card (meal ticket) and posed for a requisite photo (picture day!)

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Photograph courtesy Oceania Cruises

Taking a romantic cruise once your children have left home is meant to be a highlight of the early senior years to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated … but do you really want to feel that young again?

… and one life-changing revelation: Being on a cruise is a lot like being in grade school.

1} Like grade school, the cruise had a dress code; fortunately, “country club casual” is suspended poolside. 2} Tender boats bring passengers between port and ship—“If you’re not back on time, the bus (tender) will leave without you!” 3} Better than a packed-lunch juice box, a scotch and soda from the ship’s bar alleviates the sting of a pile of losing bingo boards. 4} Cruise passengers queue for the shuttle bus in Dublin, just before the scene turns ugly. Photograph {1} courtesy Oceania Cruises.

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That evening was the mandatory lifeboat drill, called “muster,” which harkened back to the dreaded fire drills I endured once a month for seven, long years. First, came the alarm, with a sound so deafening I had to cover my ears with both hands. That would have been fine, except according to the captain’s instructions, I was supposed to put on my lifejacket and proceed, without grabbing my personal belongings—“Not even my iPad?!”—to Muster Station D. “Oh, forget it,” I said to my husband, whose hearing loss conveniently prevented him from grimacing in pain. “I’m just going to carry mine.” (Sister Michael Mary always said I didn’t follow directions well.) We gathered at Muster Station D on the starboard side of the Grand Dining Room. Picture the most expansive, elegant hall you’ve ever seen, each chair occupied by a Social Security recipient enveloped in a Day-Glo orange personal flotation device. I started to giggle uncontrollably, like when Sister Anna Mary used to shush me, and say, “No talking!” Then, an announcement came over the PA system: “The muster drill has concluded. All passengers and crew are dismissed. Thank you for your cooperation and, don’t forget, BINGO in the Horizons Lounge starts in ten minutes.” Speaking of announcements, there were three every day, at least. But instead of hearing stern Sister Mary Evangeline, St. Ann’s principal, we listened to the indefatigable voice of cruise director Willie Aames. Yes, that Willie Aames, 1980s child star of “Eight is Enough” and “Charles in Charge.” Although I’m not sure if he was “Charles”—i.e. in charge—since I was too busy raising babies to watch it.

Thank you for 40 years of dedicated service to Douglas County seniors!

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Senior Cruise

travel

All comparisons to grade school field trips aside, the British Isles cruise does offer a chance to explore the picturesque. This is a view from the shore of Portree, Scotland, with Marina visible in the distance.

Mr. Aames was most definitely in charge of Marina, and his morning announcements, simulcast on closed-circuit TV and the ship’s PA system, would have made the tinny-voiced Evangeline green with one of those seven deadly sins. Starting around 8 a.m. or so, Willie would come on, remind us where we were in the world—don’t laugh, there were days when I wasn’t sure—and explain the debarkation procedure of the day. Now, you’d think one would simply walk down a gangplank, off the ship onto the dock and make one’s way into town. But, sometimes, as it turns out, a ship is too large to parallel park at the pier. So, one must “tender,” take the lifeboat to shore. This involves a process not unlike the annual spring field trips at St. Ann’s School. First, we reported to the lounge (Parish Hall) to get a colored tender ticket (name tag with group number) from the attendant (safety patrol). Then, we would wait until our color (group number) was called and proceed to the tender boats (school buses). Once ashore (art gallery, zoo or miniature museum), we were reminded that the last tender boat would return to the ship at 5:30 p.m. “Please note that whoever misses the last tender will personally incur the cost of traveling to the ship’s next port.” (“If you’re not back on time, the bus will leave without you!”) In their haste to return to the ship before curfew, some passengers became—how do I put this nicely?—zealous. In Dublin, a pier port, we relied on shuttle buses to take us to and from the city center. Maybe it was because the rain was really coming down that afternoon but, by the time we arrived back at the bus stop, the natives had become restless. “Go to the back of the LINE!” one cried. “No cuts!” another chimed in. When the bus finally turned the corner and stopped half a block away, the line quickly morphed into a mob, think Lord of the Flies, and I feared the entire motorcoach might be swallowed whole. Speaking of Lord of the Flies, have you ever seen a hoard of hungry septuagenarians rush a buffet (school cafeteria)? It isn’t pretty. Of course, we’re not talking tater tots and mystery meat, but you’d be amazed at what a seemingly civil gent will do to get the biggest piece of lobster. There were other similarities to primary school: the ship’s “country club casual” dress code (uniforms), rainy day games and activities (7-UP, chicken fat song), musical revues (talent shows), arts and crafts classes (arts and crafts classes). And that’s the beauty of cruising, especially when you’re an upperclassman: You’ll come home feeling as young as a kindergartener.

travel

Art lamb

an 35 years Caring for more th

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senior

eudora

events Plan a Douglas County outing for groups of seniors and younger generations

Maple Leaf Festival – Baldwin’s largest annual event pays tribute to the fall colors with a parade, carnival, walking tours, country music performances, a gospel music concert, Ferris wheels and funnel cakes. Organizers provide special access parking and golf cart shuttles to anyone who might have mobility requirements. www.mapleleaffestival.com Black Jack Battlefield –

Tour the site where abolitionist John Brown fought off Missouri forces in a small battle with big implications in the years leading up to the Civil War. Park is open yearround with special days set aside for re-enactments and guided tours. www.blackjackbattlefield.org

Photography courtesy of Matt Bovat

lecompton

Pre-seniors: Why go over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house? After all, she would probably rather be out and about at one of these Douglas County events. Catch up with her, if you can. And seniors: Go ahead and indulge younger members of your family from Generation X and Generation Wii with plenty of activities that won’t cramp your style. Here are some highlights of a few events from each community that might be particularly attractive for a mixed family group of seniors, adults and children.

Photograph courtesy Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau

Guided Historic Tours – Tour locations such as Constitution Hall and the Territorial Capital Museum, both sites deeply connected to the debate on slavery and Kansas’ entry into the Union that led to the Civil War. Special rates with prepared meals are offered for groups over 20, but smaller groups can also reserve guided tours in advance. www.lecomptonkansas.com

baldwin city

Bald Eagle Rendezvous – Held in September, the free family event features arts, crafts, songs and reenactments of the time when European settlers began to arrive in this region. www.lecomptonkansas.com

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Photograph courtesy Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau

2012 Douglas county sr

Scenic River Road – Best traveled during autumn, when scenic vistas of the Kaw River combine with gorgeous fall colors, this stretch of road actually begins in Lawrence, but the best views pick up in Lecompton and continue until Tecumseh. Exit Lecompton traveling west on North 2100 Road, turn right at East 500 Road, which joins North 2190 Road as Kansas Capital Trail and offers a gentle climb. Doable on bikes, but the gravel roads and absence of bike lanes means it should be left to serious cyclists. Pack the car and stop often to enjoy the sights.

senior events

EudoraFest –

Held when the weather is perfect for leisurely strolls through the downtown district, this annual festival on the first Saturday in October features art, music, food, a parade and displays of vintage tractors and classic cars. A community-wide talent show, with its 19-and-older category, allows seniors to show young kids how it’s done (and take away their prize money).

Horsethief Run –

This annual 5k run benefits the Eudora cross country team and takes runners through the city, ending in a community concert and celebration. Senior categories include age groups of 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75-99. www.eudoracrosscountry.com

Family Fun Night –

A new event added in 2012 and a big favorite for family groups of all ages, says City of Eudora management analyst Collin Biesler. These weekend events begin at 7:30 p.m. at Laws Field with vendors and free community games (think human-sized hamster-ball races) with a free, outdoor movie showing starting at 9:30 p.m. www.cityofeudoraks.gov

Also consider –

The granddaddy of Eudora celebrations, the Cattlemen’s Protective Association (CPA) picnic. Held on the third or fourth weekend of July, this event features parades, concerts and carnival rides for the entire family. The Eudora Quilt Show, held in July on oddnumbered years, allows seniors to show young generations how people kept warm in style before the advent of Snuggies. The Eudora Holiday Extravaganza features crafts, baked goods and silent auctions for holiday trees. www.eudoraquiltshop.com and www.cityofeudoraks.gov

travel

lawrence Day on the Hill – A trip to the University of Kansas campus

in the center of Lawrence offers a range of activities for mixed groups of all ages, including the Natural History Museum, the Spencer Museum of Art, bowling at the student union, musical or theater performances and—of course—a KU sporting event from the tremendously popular KU men’s basketball games in the packed Allen Fieldhouse, to lateevening softball games under the open skies. Check the calendar for special family-friendly events at the Lied Center and lectures/ presentations at the Dole Institute of Politics. www.ku.edu, www.lied. ku.edu, www.doleinstitute.org

Haskell Indian Art Market –Held each fall at

Haskell Indian Nations University, the market brings together artists and craftspeople and features free performances of traditional Native music and dances. www.haskell.edu/art_market

Parade Day – Whether it is an old-fashioned parade of horse-drawn wagons, a flying-saucer shaped motorized gizmo, Elvis impersonators, a Mardi Gras musical assembly or some of the state’s most rousing marching bands, there is very possibly a parade set to go down Lawrence’s central Massachusetts Street in the near future. Bring chairs to enjoy the view from the sidewalk or stake out a table along one of the street’s many great outdoor eating venues. And, above all, cheer for the tuba players—they’ve got a tough job. www.visitlawrence.com/events and www.downtownlawrence.com

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Bike It! –

Lawrence’s bike trails offer smooth routes ideal for those pulling a child trailer and rough hauls over challenging trails. See the city’s official bike trail map at www.ci.lawrence.ks.us/lprd/parks

Lawrence (continued)

Lakeside relaxation – Clinton Lake, an Army Corps of Engineers site on the southwest of Lawrence, offers boating, fishing, camping, picnic areas, grills, trail walks and rides and even beach volleyball. A perfect day destination for groups of mixed ages. Catch a play – Lawrence offers a range of

family-friendly performances at Theatre Lawrence and the Lawrence Arts Center. www.theatrelawrence.com and www.lawrenceartscenter.org

Talk to the Crow –

Lawrence’s Prairie Park Nature Center provides trails and an animal-filled showcase dedicated to understanding and preserving the natural environment of Douglas County. The free, city-sponsored facility also has a small aviary of rescued birds, including a bald eagle, a golden eagle and one cheeky crow. lawrenceks.org/lprd/ppnc

Photograph courtesy Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau

c Warren -M e lWain Mortuary and Cremation Services

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2012 Douglas county sr

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2012 Douglas county sr

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2012 — 2013

events

calendar

The Douglas County Senior Services provides an ongoing calendar of events through its newsletter, “60 & Better,” and through a website calendar found at www.dgcoseniorservices.org. Here is a sampling of major DCSS events in the coming year with information provided by DCSS, but be sure to check the online calendar or the monthly newsletter for final, detailed information on events.

2012 October 11

DCSS’s Gala 40 Anniversary Celebration Join Douglas County Senior Services as it celebrates four decades of providing services to improve the lives of senior residents of Douglas County. 3-6 p.m. Lawrence Senior Center October 15

(through December 7)

Medicare enrollment events Trained volunteers provide assistance and advice for seniors seeking to enroll in or educate themselves about Medicare options.

November

Citywide Holiday Program DCSS partners with other community organizations in the Holiday Bureau program to provide area low-income seniors with gifts of needed personal items. The program works with volunteers to match donation abilities to requested needs and accepts assistance through mid-December.

2013 January (date TBA)

New Board

New DCSS board convenes.

February 4

(through April 15)

Tax filing

October 20

DCSS Chili supper and Cook-Off Area chefs and foodies compete for the title of top chili chef at this fundraising event at the Lawrence Senior Center. Time and ticket price TBA.

Trained volunteers through the American Association of Retired Persons and the Internal Revenue Service provide assistance and advice in filing federal and state income taxes. Services are offered free to those 60 years or older with low or moderate income. Volunteers are available on a first-come, firstserved basis at the Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont Street, 1-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Seniors are to bring all forms and information, previous year’s tax returns, a photo ID and Social Security card or other proof of SSN.

Janet Ikenberry Community Services Manager / Editor of DCSS “60 & Better”

April

September

Senior Employment Expo

Lifelong Learning Courses for 2013-14

(date TBA)

Prospective employers meet with area seniors interested in changing careers, looking for a job or learning more about senior employment possibilities. Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont Street. Time TBA.

April

(date TBA)

Jazz it Up

DCSS’s annual black-tie fundraising gala featuring vintage jazz music, food and the presentation of the annual Seaver Award (see information about the award on p. 33). Time and location TBA.

DCSS unveils its new lineup of continuing senior learning courses, including classes on computer skills, estate planning, acrylic painting and more. DCSS partners with area agencies such as the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department and the Spencer Museum of Art to provide additional classes such as tai chi, Zumba and lectures on one great work of art.

September (date TBA)

New Horizons Band

New and returning band members are welcomed to the first weekly rehearsal for the New Horizons Band 2013-14 performance year. Date and time TBA (see related story on p. 14).

ty Senior Services

esy Douglas Coun

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Photograph court

2012 Douglas county sr