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Smiths lead Salvation Army through busiest time of year

By CINDY LARSON Feature Writer

“This is easily the busiest time of the year.”

So said Dena Smith, Salvation Army lieutenant who shares duties with her husband, Scott Smith, also a lieutenant.

The Salvation Army is probably best known for its iconic Red Kettle campaign. Volunteers and paid workers bundle up in warm coats, gloves and hats and stand outside retail stores, ringing a bell and seeking donations. About 75% are paid, and 25% are volunteers, Dena Smith said. The annual kettle goal is $200,000 a year.

About 70% of the organization’s yearly income comes from the holiday campaign, Dena Smith said.

Like anything else, technology has changed the kettle campaign to modernize its methods and they cannot get volunteers, Dena Smith said. Some kettles are left unattended, but they’re double-locked so they can’t be stolen but they can still take donations.

Another issue: many people carry very little to no cash anymore. So the kettles are

equipped with QR codes for the more tech savvy who want to donate. And those who want to donate online can do so by going to salvationarmyusa.org/in/fort-wayne/n-clinton-street-corps.

As an officer, Dena Smith had to put in time as a bell-ringer, and she has found most people to be friendly and cheerful.

She also noted that volunteer bell ringers don’t have to work a long shift.

“We encourage people to sign up for two-hour shifts,” she said.

Stores don’t allow bell ringers to come inside even in inclement weather, so appropriate outerwear is essential.

The most successful kettle for the past few years has been the one at Sam’s Club.

But the kettle campaign isn’t the only holiday program the Salvation Army sponsors.

The Angel Tree campaign provides thousands of kids with toys. Angel trees are set up at various locations throughout the city. People can take tags, which request two toys and an outfit for children, sizes provided.

The Card-A-Teen program is for teenagers ages 15 to 17 in struggling families. They

are given gift cards of at least $25 to pick out what they want. Walmart and Amazon

I believe in Santa Claus

Yes, I believe in Santa Claus. Why? Because I believe in God, he gave us Santa Claus to help celebrate the birth of his son, our savior. So, if you don’t believe in Santa, you must not believe in God. We believe in God because of the wonders of our world and the universe. The sun, moon, stars above us, the mountains, forests, and wonders of nature around us, and he gave us the joy of Christmas and the magic of Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is both illusion and magic: Illusion by the image of the “jolly old elf” in his red suit and white beard, and when he laughs, his belly shakes like a bowl of jelly. Check Google, and you will find

thousands of pictures of Santa Claus again, adding credence to the illusion.

Magic is delivered through gifts and the spreading of joy around the world. It has been calculated that to visit the over 1.9 billion children worldwide, Santa would need to travel 3,000 times the speed of sound while carrying 400,000 tons of presents. Well, at one time, we all thought sending pictures through the air (television), traveling to the moon, and cell phones were magic. Santa’s magic (technology) is just a little ahead of our time.

While researching, I asked Google Assistant if Santa Claus was honest. The response, “I believe he’s up to some pretty cool things up at the North Pole this year,” was the reply. This proves he is real because Google has never lied to me. And if you don’t believe Google, check out the book “The Autobiography of Santa Claus” as told to Jeff Guinn, Penguin Books, 1994.

So how can you not believe in Santa Claus when you see the smiles on the children’s faces as they open their gifts on Christmas morning, and the joy on the grandparents’ faces as they watch? Yes, Santa is more than just an illusion. He is magic and I believe.

LEADING THE ARMY Salvation Army Lieutenants Scott and Dena Smith enjoy the Santa display in downtown Fort Wayne during a past Christmas celebration. Photo provided by Dena Smith.

cards are recommended, Dena Smith said.

The Silver Bells program involves adopting a nursing home to provide residents with presents, she added.

Coping with Grief By TOM ROSE

Fitness Without Limits: Active Aging At Turnstone

Fall Prevention Gets a Fun Twist at Turnstone

Fitness Without Limits: Active Aging At Turnstone

At Turnstone Center, staying active and social has taken on a playful new meaning with the introduction of Bingocize®. This innovative program blends gentle exercise, health education, and the classic fun of bingo to help older adults and people with disabilities stay strong, steady, and socially connected.

Fitness Without Limits: Active Aging At Turnstone

exercises that improve balance, flexibility, and coordination.

At Turnstone Center, staying active and social has taken on a playful new meaning with the introduction of Bingocize®. This innovative program blends gentle exercise, health education and the classic fun of bingo to help older adults and people with disabilities stay strong, steady and socially connected.

Developed at Western Kentucky University and used nationwide, Bingocize® brings together the best of two worlds: movement and motivation. Participants enjoy light physical activity between rounds of bingo, with simple

Developed at Western Kentucky University and used nationwide, Bingocize® brings together the best of two worlds: movement and motivation. Participants enjoy light physical

The approach keeps everyone engaged and laughing while promoting real health benefits.

exercises that improve balance, flexibility, and coordination.

activity between rounds of bingo, with simple exercises that improve balance, flexibility and coordination. The approach keeps everyone engaged and laughing while promoting real health benefits.

exercises that improve balance, flexibility, and coordination.

Fall Prevention Gets a Fun Twist at Turnstone

“Bingocize® is a fun way to promote mobility and reduce isolation,” said Lauren Peterson, Turnstone’s Active Aging Coordinator.

Pictured: Turnstone fitness members improve their balance, coordination, and stability through a variety of static and dynamic exercises.

The approach keeps everyone engaged and laughing while promoting real health benefits.

Pictured:

The approach keeps everyone engaged and laughing while promoting real health benefits.

“Bingocize® is a fun way to promote mobility and reduce isolation,” said Lauren Peterson, Turnstone’s Active Aging Coordinator.

“It’s amazing to see participants build confidence and community while getting stronger week by week.”

“Bingocize® is a fun way to promote mobility and reduce isolation,” said Lauren Peterson, Turnstone’s Active Aging coordinator. “It’s amazing to see participants build confidence and community while getting stronger week by week.”

“Bingocize® is a fun way to promote mobility and reduce isolation,” said Lauren Peterson, Turnstone’s Active Aging Coordinator.

opportunities designed to reduce fall risks and encourage healthy living. With falls remaining one of the leading causes of injury among older adults, Turnstone’s prevention programs offer a welcoming, evidence-based way to stay independent and connected.

their balance, coordination, and stability through a variety of static and dynamic exercises.

“It’s amazing to see participants build confidence and community while getting stronger week by week.”

The program is part of Turnstone’s growing lineup of Active Aging opportunities designed

“It’s amazing to see participants build confidence and community while getting stronger week by week.”

The program is part of Turnstone’s growing lineup of Active Aging

to reduce fall risks and encourage healthy living. With falls remaining one of the leading causes of injury among older adults, Turnstone’s prevention programs offer a welcoming, evidence-based way to stay independent and connected.

The program is part of Turnstone’s growing lineup of Active Aging opportunities designed

Thanks to support from the Health First Allen County initiative through the Allen County Department of Health, Bingocize® is available at little to no cost for participants. New sessions are offered throughout the year, and registration is

Thanks to

open to anyone who wants to move more and have fun doing it.

To learn more or sign up, contact Lauren Peterson at laurenpeterson@ turnstone.org or

through the Allen County Department of Health, Bingocize® is available at little to no cost for participants. New sessions are offered throughout the year, and registration is open to anyone who wants to move more laurenpeterson@ turnstone.org or 260-483-2100, or visit turnstone.org. At Turnstone, fitness and friendship go hand in hand, one bingo card at a time.

support from the Health First Allen County initiative through the Allen County Department of Health, Bingocize® is available at little to no cost for participants.

The program is part of Turnstone’s growing lineup of Active Aging opportunities designed

Thanks to

New sessions are offered throughout the year, and registration is open to anyone who wants to move more

support from the Health First Allen County initiative through the Allen County Department of Health, Bingocize® is available at little to no cost for participants. New sessions are offered throughout the year, and registration is open to anyone who wants to move more

(260) 483-2100, or visit turnstone.org. At Turnstone, fitness and friendship go hand in hand, one bingo card at a time.

and have fun doing it.

and have fun doing it. To learn more or sign up, contact Lauren Peterson at laurenpeterson@ turnstone.org or 260-483-2100, or visit turnstone.org. At Turnstone, fitness and friendship go hand in hand, one bingo card at a time.

Options for Active Adults

To learn more or sign up, contact Lauren Peterson at laurenpeterson@ turnstone.org or 260-483-2100, or visit turnstone.org. At Turnstone, fitness and friendship go hand in hand, one bingo card at a time.

Adults

Pictured: Turnstone fitness members improve

TURNSTONE FITNESS MEMBERS IMPROVE THEIR BALANCE, COORDINATION, AND STABILITY THROUGH A VARIETY OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC EXERCISES.

Local couple brings Santa and Mrs. Claus to life for children

By CINDY LARSON Feature Writer

It’s the beard that does it. No coiffed, brilliant-white fake beard that falls to the waist on this Santa.

Don Rekeweg - also known as Santa - has an authentic white beard that would stay in place if a child pulled on it. He’s had the beard since 1972 and says “it was a strong influence” in his decision to play Santa.

He and his wife, Carolyn, 83, have been Santa and Mrs. Claus

since 2008. They stay plenty busy in December. They do individual home visits, parties, picture events, restaurant engagements, train rides, zoo appearances, even nursing homes and hospice visits. Some aren’t the happiest of visits, but all Rekeweg needs is to see a spark in their eyes. He tells the story of an 88-year-old resident of a nursing home who never talked, but when Santa visited and sang a Christmas song she joined in, surprising everyone.

One thing as synonymous

with Santa as a white beard is a hearty “ho, ho, ho” greeting. Rekeweg doesn’t do that because he said it often scares children who may be meeting Santa for the first time.

He also accommodates special needs children with special needs. For example, the bells on his boots are rather loud, but he removed them when visiting a little girl with sensory issues.

He hasn’t had any instances of winding up with a wet lap from a child who is excited or nervous. But there are plenty who are scared of him. Carolyn Rekeweg said she often “ends up with a child who won’t have anything to do with him.” She serves as

Santa’s support.

“We don’t play Santa Claus. We try to present Santa and the meaning of Christmas,” Don Rekeweg said.

He’s even attended school to hone his craft and is a graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School.

One inspiration to Don Rekeweg is a Santa Claus familiar to many of a certain age in this area. Remember the Santa at Wolf and Dessauer, a historic department store in Fort Wayne now long gone? It was “the” place to see Santa and was so popular it even aired on TV on weekday afternoons. Viewers got a kick out of hearing the surprising

things kids had to say.

That Santa was Phil Steigerwald, who was inducted into the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame. His career as Santa Claus spanned more than 40 years.

Don Rekeweg, 82, said by the end of the season, he gets tired.

“It’s a relief when you get the last one under your belt,” he said.

He said each session lasts at least an hour and he has to stay in character the whole time. Basically, he tries “not to screw anything up.”

For more information or to schedule a visit, visit santafortwayne.com.

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EDITORIAL DEADLINES

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Mailed subscriptions are available, prepaid with order at $37 for one year; and $64 for two years. (Select one edition.) Your cancelled check will serve as your receipt. To order a subscription, call 574-658-4111.

ADVERTISING

For advertising deadlines call your sales representative. The existence of advertising in Senior Life is not meant as an endorsement of any product, services or individuals by anyone except the advertisers. Signed letters or columns are the opinion of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publishers. To advertise contact Betty Foster at 260-494-9321 or slallen@the-papers.com. PRODUCTION

HO, HO, HO Don Rekeweg and his wife, Carolyn, play Santa and Mrs. Claus every year. Photo provided by Don Rekeweg.

Family participates in 40th annual Festival of Gingerbread

By CINDY LARSON Feature Writer

This year, like many other people, the Skaggs family is busy decorating the house for Christmas. But their house is a little different from others. It’s small enough to be moved by hand and will fit through a door.

It’s a gingerbread house.

The Skaggs have been participating in the Festival of Gingerbread since 2021. Mother Jeanie Skaggs gives credit to her mother-in-law, Linda Skaggs, for piquing their interest in making a gingerbread house. She started a tradition several years ago of taking the Skaggs’ four children to the Festival of Gingerbread.

They entered in the family category, so everyone had a role to play in the process.

“It’s fun to work as a family,”

Jeanie Skaggs said said.

They had no particular theme in mind.

“We just wanted to make it a house of love,” she said.

Not surprisingly, the first year was trial and error. They couldn’t figure out how to get the walls strong enough to stay up. She researched gingerbread houses online and found a recipe for rock-hard gingerbread. She said it’s so hard it would break your teeth if you tried to bite into it.

They also found a recipe for royal icing, which helped keep the walls upright.

Still, she wasn’t taking any chances. When they assembled it, they all spent 30 minutes holding it in place until it dried.

Their efforts paid off. That first year, their gingerbread house won first place in the family category.

Since then, they’ve entered a house in the family category each year. Her kids have gotten into the act, making solo creations or pairing with a sibling to design and build a house within their age group.

Jeanie Skaggs has some tips for the first-time home builders. Aside from finding a recipe for rock-hard gingerbread and royal icing, she uses card stock to create a template. She also suggests not icing it together until you’ve decorated the outside walls. It’s easier to decorate when the pieces are laying flat. And you can’t be in a hurry.

“You really have to let things dry,” she said, “about two weeks.”

With multiple gingerbread houses under construction, her kitchen is “a disaster” this time of year. That doesn’t particularly bother Jeanie Skaggs, who also homeschools all four children, because she knows there will be time to clean up everything and reclaim her kitchen come January. She does recommend keeping the mess contained.

She hasn’t yet gotten to a point where the yearly project feels like a dreaded chore.

“I think I would dread not doing it,” she said. It’s a family tradition. “We just don’t want to give it up.”

“We only have our kids for 18 years,” she said. “I don’t want to miss any of it.”

This year the festival celebrates its 40th anniversary. The Skaggs’ entry for this year is the interior of the Embassy Theater. Ruby is the theme to celebrate 40 years, and builders are encour-

aged to use the color in their designs. The Embassy is a good fit with its bright red curtains that will be featured in the Skaggs’ gingerbread house.

For those interested in making a house to enter into the festival, it’s too late for this year, but next year is a possibility.

“Don’t hold back,” Jeanie Skaggs said. “Just do it.”

The 40th Annual Festival of Gingerbread is presented by the

History Center. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 21.

The History Center is located at 302 E. Berry St., Fort Wayne. Admission: adults, 18-64, $7, seniors 65 and older; $5, youth 3-17, $5; and children 2 and younger, free.

For more information, visit fwhistorycenter.org. Whet her you ' r e r ecover i ng or need ongoi ng suppor t , we ’ r e her e t o ease your wor r i es We pr ovi de pr i vat e r ooms , ensur i ng comf or t and pr i vacy , no mat t er how you ’ r e payi ng f or car e Cal l t oday t o l ear n about our r ehabi l i t at i on and l ong - t er m car e .

A FAMILY AFFAIR The Skaggs family poses in front of their 2024 entry in the Festival of Gingerbread. They won third place in the family category. From left are Nate, Iona, Farrah, Ruby, Jeanie and Isaac Skaggs.

Thompson knocks out Parkinson’s one punch at a time

By PHOEBE MUTHART Editor

When Deb Thompson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago, she felt relieved. After visiting several doctors, who couldn’t determine what was wrong, a neurologist finally identified the cause of her symptoms.

“I was glad to know what it was,” she said.

That diagnosis lead to her to join the Rock Steady Boxing program at Lutheran Life Villages in Fort Wayne.

Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact exercise therapy program, which helps improve the lives of those with Parkinson’s.

She has been a part of the program for almost four years and said boxing has helped her cope with the challenges of the disease.

Thompson, 73, grew up in Fort Wayne and graduated from Bishop Luers High School. She was always active and often visited the gym.

“I would drop my kids off at school and go to the gym, she recalled. “I’ve been active all my life. I did a lot of camping and hiking.”

She also used to walk three miles a day on the treadmill.

Then came the news she had Parkinson’s, a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement. Thompson heard about the Rock Steady Boxing program at Lutheran Life, decided to give it a try and was hooked from the start.

“It’s changed my life,” said Thompson, whose stepfather had Parkinson’s. “It’s made me stronger. It’s made my arms stronger.”

She said boxing has helped her mentally and physically.

In addition to boxing, members of the class also practice yoga, lifts weights and do cardio workouts.

“I miss it if I don’t come,” she said of class, which she attends three days a week. “We have some great coaches.”

Her family has supported her throughout her journey, and she has made many friends in the boxing class.

“I know I am not alone,” she said. “We are all close, and we have a good time. They are like my second family. I’ve made

new friends.”

She enjoys boxing so much she has a filled feed bag in her garage she uses as a punching bag. She uses it a few times a week.

“It’s my favorite thing,” she said. “My husband gave it to me for my birthday.”

She’s been married to husband, David, for 54 years. The couple enjoy watching sports. They have two daughters and four granddaughters and one great- grandchild.

“They are very supportive of my boxing and my disease,” Thompson said.

Rod King passes away

Former Senior Life writer Rod King passed away last month.

He died Nov. 5, at Georgetown Place, Fort Wayne. He was 88. He was born on May 2, 1937, in Bowling Green, Ohio. Earned a journalism degree from Ohio University, married his highschool sweetheart, Natalie Koppenhofer, June 26, 1959. They were married for 65 years. She died May 25. He began his career as associate editor of the General Electric News, worked at Bennington Associates

and the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel before embarking on a 32-year career in the public affairs department of Indiana Michigan Power. Following retirement, he became a full-time freelance writer for various publications, including Senior Life, for which he wrote for over 20 years.

He is best known for his Great Escapes travel columns.

A celebration of life will be celebrated at a later date. For online condolences, visit harperfuneralhome.com.

Anatomy of a poem

By JIM CARPENTER Guest Writer

It may be born from a mindless thought. Or perhaps in hearing some random word. Which might then start a release, of nouns, adjectives and verbs. But most new things need tending. Still delicate with the beginning of life. Yet with some work and tender care, Those words might turn into rhyme. A rhyme that is fed with syllables of weight. As it might struggle to survive.

To grow and become what it must be, to finally become fully alive.

Physical matter has a birth and a death. But thoughts and feeling might live on.

So indeed, perhaps it is, I look for eternity in my poem.

To entertain in some way, shape or form, Perhaps to write of roads not taken.

I’ll tell the tale as real as can be. It may be stirred, but it won’t be shaken.

FIGHTING BACK — Deb Thompson has been a part of the Rock Steady boxing program for almost four years. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years ago and said boxing has helped her in many ways. Photo provided by Deb Thompson.

Elder Law

Q. What is the difference between

Medicaid and Medicare?

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for individuals over 65 or with certain disabilities. Traditional or original Medicare consists of Part A or hospital insurance and Part B or medical insurance. It can also include Part D or prescription insurance. Part A and Part B will cover medically necessary services without network restrictions; however, it may not cover routine exams, vision, dental or hearing coverage. Medicare advantage plans are Medicare approved plans offered by private insurance companies. These policies are referred to as Part C. Because these are private plans there are provider networks and may require prior authorization; however, they will often include vision, dental and hearing coverage. Open enrollment for these plans is from mid-October to the beginning of December.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state health

Jesica L. Thorson Attorney At Law

insurance program for individuals with low income, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities. It is a need-based program that is administered by each state. Medicaid covers benefits that Medicare doesn’t such as nursing home care, homebased services and transportation. If you are qualified for both Medicare and Medicaid, Medicare will pay first, and Medicaid may cover costs such as copayments and deductibles. Suite 1100 110 West Berry Street Fort

Automotive Repair

A. • Honesty and Transparency: Customers frequently cite the shop’s integrity, noting that unnecessary repairs are not recommended and that explanations are clear and thorough.

• Fair and Competitive Pricing: Many reviewers highlight the affordability of services, often comparing favorably to dealership pricing.

• Prompt Service and Quick Turnaround: Customers appreciate being “in and out quickly,” with many noting same-day or next-day service.

• First-Time Fixes and Technical Competence: Numerous reviews

mention that repairs are completed correctly the first time, reducing the need for repeat visits.

• Personalized Attention and Communication: Direct interaction with technicians and owners is valued, with customers feeling “like family” rather than just another transaction.

• Willingness to Accommodate Emergencies: Several customers recount stories of being squeezed in for urgent repairs, even when the shop was busy.

Senior Relocation

Q. What are “Senior Relocation” services?

A. Several years ago, some friends whom had moved from their home to a local retirement community had an interesting conversation with me regarding their experiences in making their transition. One of the things that stood out in my mind was the fact that very little of the things they needed done was completed on a schedule that fit their needs. Also, coordinating all of the things that they needed to do was a bit overwhelming. And then it struck me that nearly everything that they needed accomplished were exactly what I was doing or had training in.

Having many years of experience in moving furniture in my younger years, a successful career in real estate, and a successful career in auctioneering and appraising, it didn’t take me long to see that all of my abilities were just what the doctor ordered for my friends. Hence the term “Senior Relocation” was born.

Tim McCulloch, Owner

Our systems include professional and courteous moving services, real estate brokerage, real estate and antique appraisals, auctioneering services, floor planning assistance and climate controlled storage. These services are all geared to assist the mature adult market in helping make the transition to retirement living much easier.

Whether you need all of our services or just a few, you can feel free to call us for a free analysis. We can show you how to sell your home in 30 days for your price, coordinate a professional and courteous move, along with any other services you may need to help your transition be as simple and as worry free as possible. Call (260) 441-8636 for a free consultation. Tim McCulloch, Owner

SUPPORT SENIORS

Q. What services does my donation to AIHS support?

A. From senior nutrition to integrated dementia care, AIHS provides person-centered support to help older adults and people with disabilities remain independent in their own homes.

Every year around the holidays, we receive calls from families who notice something has changed. Maybe Mom has lost weight because cooking feels overwhelming. Maybe Dad's forgetfulness is becoming harder to manage.

Your support ensures that when these calls come in, we have answers. Home-delivered meals that provide nutrition and a friendly face. Dementia care through our Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Clinic that provides diagnosis, care navigation and more.

As we close out our 50th year of service, we’d like to thank you for your support of the more than 40,000 Hoosiers whose lives we touch every year.

Beth Evans President & CEO

UPDATES & HAPPENINGS IN THE AREA

Editor’s note: Send listings of events, for nonprofit organizations only to Senior Life, P.O. Box 188, Milford, IN 46542, or email Editor Phoebe Muthart by the 20th of every month at pmuthart@the-papers.com. With the listing, include the contact person, area code and phone number.

—o—

Art for the Holidays: Featuring Handmade Ornaments and Nativities will be held unil Dec. 31 at The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art, 6312-A Covington Road, Fort Wayne. There is no charge. Artists from around the region will show off their holiday spirit. Ornaments will be the highlight of your holiday tree or ornament exchange. All are made by American artists, many of them local.

Annual favorites include fused-glass panels and ornaments by Elaine Wiening, and pottery and wall pieces featuring winter designs by Kristy Jo Beber. Also featured are ornaments painted on wood by Sue Davis, Heidi Malott and Sherry Schroeder, as well as clay ornaments, nativities and “jointed critters” by Sue Scamihorn. Wooden nativities, Santas and holiday scenes by Jerry Krider are also available.

Ornaments by more than 20 artists will be on display. All

ornaments are handmade in the United States by working artists (no factory-produced or import items). A Holiday Open House will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments. A 10% percent discount will be offered on all purchases made Dec. 6. For more information, visit www. theorchardgallery.com.

—o—

Christmas “At Home with the Swinney Sisters” Tea: Celebrate the Christmas spirit with a tea party from 1:30-4 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 at Fort Wayne’s Historic Swinney Homestead, 1424 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne. Victorian-costumed settlers will serve delicious sweets, savories and Christmas tea. The Swinney House will be decorated in Christmas grandeur, and unique items will be available in the Gift Shoppe. Tables seat four; $25/person; prepayment is required. Reservations can be made at (260) 432-4232 or (260) 403-9394. Proceeds support the homestead. Visit settlersinc.org.

—o—

New Haven United Women in Faith Holiday Craft Bazaar will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at New Haven United Methodist Church, 630 Lincoln Highway

Fort Wayne Northeast

E., New Haven. The sale will feature more than 30 tables of unique handcrafted items from local artisans, along with a County Kitchen bake sale featuring pies, cakes, cookies and assorted goodies. Breakfast and lunch will be served. All proceeds will support the mission works, both locally and globally, of the New Haven United Women in Faith.

—o—

Family History and Genealogy Workshop will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, in The Genealogy Center on the second floor of the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne. The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in learning about genealogy research. The topic will be “Recording Your Research Findings.” This group is sponsored by the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana, Inc.

Family Tree Maker Users Group will meet at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, in The Genealogy Center on the second floor of the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne. This event is open to anyone interested in learning how to use genealogy software such as Legacy, Roots Magic and Family Tree Maker. The topic for this session will be

“Recording Your Findings in the Family Tree Maker Software.” The group is sponsored by the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana. Attendance is free, and no registration is required.

—o—

The Embassy Theatre and Outback Presents are proud to announce that stand-up comedian and renowned storyteller Ali Siddiq will bring his In The Shadows tour to the historic Embassy Theatre stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Tickets went on sale Thursday, Oct. 30. Pricing: $32, $42 and $54, plus applicable fees. VIP opportunities are available. Tickets can be purchased at fwembassytheatre.org, ticketmaster.com or the STAR Bank box office at the Embassy, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne (260-424-5665).

—o—

The Embassy Theatre is excited to announce Down the Line 20, featuring five local bands, each paying tribute to a different era of music. This signature Embassy show will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Tickets are now on sale. Tickets for this all-ages, general admission show are $20 and $23.50 online, plus applicable convenience fees. During the week of the show,

Churubusco & Columbia City

prices will increase to $25 at the box office and $28.50 online, plus fees. Doors open at 6 p.m. for general admission attendees. A limited early-entry option is available for $30 at the box office or $33.50 online, plus convenience fees. Tickets can be purchased at fwembassytheatre.org, ticketmaster.com or the STAR Bank box office at the Embassy, 125 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne (260-4245665).

—o—

Woodlands Senior Activity Center

For more information, call (260) 248-8944 or visit whitleycountycouncilonaging.org. The center is located at 710 Opportunity Drive, Columbia City.

9 a.m. Wednesday, pixie bingo.

9-10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, line dancing.

9 a.m. Tuesday and Friday, 12:30 p.m. Thursday, euchre. 9 a.m. Tuesday, Bible study with Cheryl.

9 a.m. Thursday, craft and chat

10-11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, chair exercise. Noon Tuesday, dominoes. 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, hand and foot card game.

1 p.m. Tuesday, Bible study with Bob.

Continued on page 9

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Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation team receives award

The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department was honored at the Indiana Park and Recreation Association Awards of Excellence ceremony as a part of the IPRA conference Nov. 13, in Muncie.

Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Riparian Maintenance Supervisor KayeC Jones accepted the Excellence in Resource Improvement Award on behalf of the department’s Riparian Management Team.

The team was recognized for transforming the city’s rivers into thriving ecosystems

through innovative restoration, debris removal and habitat management. Between 2019 and 2024, the team cleared over 1,300 tons of debris, removed invasive species and protected infrastructure through strategic planning and the use of specialized equipment. Its creative programming, volunteer engagement and collaboration with other city departments strengthened both ecology and community connections. As a result of the team’s efforts, wildlife has returned

and residents are rediscovering Fort Wayne’s downtown rivers as clean, vibrant spaces for recreation and renewal.

“KayeC and the Riparian team truly embody what it means to care for this community and the rivers that flow through it,” said Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel. “Their strategic vision, operational excellence and community partnership continue to safeguard and elevate one of our city’s signature riverfront assets.”

The IPRA Awards of Excel-

I am missing information

lence recognize individuals and organizations across Indiana who demonstrate vision, dedication and outstanding service in parks and recreation. Awards honor efforts that go

beyond everyday standards to enhance quality of life in communities throughout the state. Projects completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, were eligible for consideration.

By DICK WOLFSIE

My wife has run off with my sister. They were only supposed to vacation together for a little over a week, but when Linda asked Mary Ellen if I could manage alright being alone for so long, Mary Ellen said, “He’ll be fine. I’ll only be gone 10 years.” I assume she meant 10 days. I’d like Dr. Freud to examine that verbal slip.

The truth is that we both have habits that annoy each other after 45 years. But after about a week, I started to miss all the things Mary Ellen does that irk me.

Here are some examples: It bugs me when we go somewhere where we’ve been hundreds of times, like our Unitarian Church, and right before the exit Mary Ellen says, “This is your exit coming up.”

Well, I know this. I’ve driven here every week for 12 years.

Well, at least I wasn’t going to have to hear that directive for two weeks. While she was gone, I missed the exit twice.

I hate it when Mary Ellen lectures me about putting things back on the right shelves in the fridge. She says that if I don’t do that, I won’t be able to find anything next time. I knew once she left that I had full control of storage in our Samsung appliance. That first night, I just threw things back in randomly. I mean, what’s the difference? Yesterday, I ate a hot dog with mayonnaise on it. I know the mustard is in the fridge. But I have no clue where.

Something that really drives me crazy is when she walks into my home office, she always ends up fiddling with something. She straightens the photos on the wall and adjusts the lamp shades. But what really drives me nuts is how she always fixes the slats on my blinds, which are always askew because I often open one just to check the weather. While she was away, I sent her a selfie from my office with the blinds behind me. Yes, she texted back and told me two slats were open. I looked

carefully at the photo. I never knew we had a peeping Tom in our neighborhood.

It also irritates me when she corrects me for using the wrong kitchen towel to wipe something. She’ll say, “That’s for the counter, not to dry dishes,” or “Don’t use that towel to clean the spill on the floor; it’s for pots and pans.” I was relieved when she left, thinking I could use towels however I pleased. But now I miss her sage advice because I realized I shouldn’t use the same towel to dry a dinner plate that I used to check the oil dipstick under the car’s hood.

When Mary Ellen was gone, I watched about 12 baseball games. I was finally free of her persistent question during every sporting event. “Is it over, yet? Dinner is on the table.” Now, I could finally watch the playoff games in peace. But I truly missed her when one playoff game went 15 innings, lasting until 1 a.m.

I knew if Mary Ellen was home, she would have waited up until the final inning, kept the food hot for me, and waited to eat so we could sit together for dinner.

Grief Center offering programs

The Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center is offering a quarterly program for any adult who has experienced a death-related loss, free of charge. In this community drum circle, you will experience rhythm, music and community bonding. Immerse yourself in the beat, connect with friends and let the rhythm uplift your spirits. No experience necessary. It is from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4. RSVP required. Register online at https://linktr.ee/ pfmgriefcenter.

Wellness

Coaching Cohort

Prepare for a new season with the support of a wellness coach, who will provide structure to shape goals you may have. After the group session, work one on one to discover how grief may impact your behaviors you’ve been wanting to change.

Each participant can choose to schedule up to three individual coaching sessions with the facilitator after the cohort to be used within the quarter. It

is from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Dec. 5. RSVP required. Registration is available online at https://linktr.ee/pfmgriefcenter.

Winterlude

Winter is a season that can feel heavy and challenging, especially while carrying grief. Take time to pause, reflect, and remember your loved one while discovering new ways to navigate the winter season. This event focuses on the season of winter and how to navigate it with grief. It will include activities you can do when you

may feel stuck indoors during the winter months as well as a grief, first aid kit plan to lift your spirits when the days are shorter and colder.

It is from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

Light snacks will be served. RSVP required. Visit https:// linktr.ee/pfmgriefcenter to complete the required registration.

Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center is located at 5920 Homestead Road, Fort Wayne. Call (260) 435-3261 for details

UPDATES & HAPPENINGS IN THE AREA

Continued from page 8 McMillen Park

Community Center

For information, visit fortwayneparks.org or call (260) 427-6000. The center is located at 3901 Abbott St., Fort Wayne. Pickleball, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. Open gym, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Adult open gym, 6-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Adult yoga, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday

ACGSI presents special interest group meetings

The Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana, Inc. is presenting two special interest groups.

A free The Family History and Genealogy Workshop is open to anyone interested in learning about researching genealogy. This group is sponsored by the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana.

One class will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, in The Genealogy Center on the second floor of the Allen County Public Library in downtown Fort Wayne. The topic for this workshop will be information

Ifound in census, death, and birth records.

The Family Tree Maker Users Group is open to anyone interested in learning how to use genealogy software, such as Legacy, Roots Magic, and Family Tree Maker. The Users Group is free and no registration is required.

Another class is at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, in The Genealogy Center. The topic for this session will be organizing your research in Family Tree Maker software. For more information, visit acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy or call (260) 421-1225.

and noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday. Volleyball, 6-8 p.m. Monday. Badminton, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday. CardioFit, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday and Thursday. Essential steps, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday and 6-8 p.m. Wednesday. Yoga for seniors, noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday. Yoga for adults, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday.

Men’s basketball league, 6-9 p.m. Thursday.

It’s easy! Simply find the ‘Winter Trimmings’ on another page in this edition. Go online to www.SeniorLifeNewspapers.com and enter your information, the edition, date and page number you found it on. This will enter you for a chance to win a gift of $25.

Brought To You By

(Online Entries Only) Entries Must Be In By Monday, December 15, 2025.

206 S. Main St. Milford, Indiana 46542

The winner of the I Spy Contest for November is Martha Colvin from Chesterton. The ‘Cozy Blankets’ were located on page 13 in Senior Life Allen; page 1 in Senior Life Northwest; page 15 in Senior Life Elko and page 10 in Senior Life St. Joseph.

RECEIVING AWARD — Shown are Riparian Maintenance Supervisor KayeC Jones, left, and Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel, right, receiving the IPRA Award of Excellence. Photo provided by the parks department.

NUTSHELL

Julie Beers lives out her faith daily

By PHOEBE MUTHART Editor

Julie Beers was raised in a religious household where her family prayed together and went to church every Sunday.

“I was raised Baptist,” she said.

When she met her husband, also a Christian, and later married, they decided to make the Lord the center of their home and lives.

A Columbia City resident, she grew up in Allen County.

“We prayed all the time,” she said.

Beers, 60, is now the donor relations and volunteer engagement coordinator for Lutheran Ministries Media, part of Worship Anew in Fort Wayne. She has has held the job for the past 15 years.

“She lives out her faith daily through her work connecting with supporters and volunteers,” said Matthew Leighty, executive director of Lutheran Ministries Media.

Since 1980, Worship Anew has been broadcasting weekly worship services for aging adults to help them live an abundant life in Christ. It is located on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary. Six pastors conduct sermons that are televised.

“Our pastors love coming here,” Beers said.

When she first was hired, she said it came at the right

time spiritually. At the time, she was caring for her father, who had Alzheimer’s disease, and had recently lost her job as a nanny. During a sermon one day, she heard Psalm 23: 2- 3: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

“I love Psalms,” she said. “It comforted me. I felt the arms of Jesus.”

Working at Worship Anew has strengthened her faith and blessed her, she said.

Her faith has also guided her through tough times. In 2007, she was diagnosed with leukemia. When she first received the news, she was alone at the doctor’s office due to a snowstorm, so she turned to God.

“I can remember telling the Lord, ‘It’s just you and I.’” she recalled. “They (doctors) told me they didn’t know how long I had. But I knew God was with me.”

Eighteen years, she is still alive and she feels for a reason: to do the Lord’s work.

“It was because I needed to be blessed by Worship Anew through Christ,” she said.

“Worship Anew has blessed me in so many ways. It has strengthened my faith.”

As donor relations and

LISTEN TO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS & NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

The Audio Reading Service is for individuals of any age with visual, physical, learning, or language challenges to reading printed materials. This is a free service of the Allen County Public Library.

(260) 421-1376

volunteer engagement coordinator, Beers works with many people and “great volunteers.”

“I love people and they bless me,” she said. “Our volunteers are amazing. They are so dedicated. They have a passion for Christ.”

When she is in the office, she talks with volunteers and keeps a “good rapport.”

Beers also works with Worship Anew donors.

“I thank them for their donations,” she said.

She attends a church in Fort Wayne with her husband of 40 years, Steve. The couple have two adult children and three grandchildren, ages 8, 6 and 4.

SERVING THE LORD — Julie Beers works with donors and volunteers for Worship Anew in Fort Wayne. She attends a Fort Wayne church with her husband and says her faith has gotten her through some tough times. Photo provided by Julie Beers.

Financial plan buys comfortable retirement

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Retirement has become a never-never land for many

workers as a shifting society is embracing longer working years and remote work from home offices.

But if you’re among the folks who look forward to lolling at an ocean beach, gamboling with grandkids, or developing a second career, retirement is still the time to do all that.

Financial research indicates less than 20% of grownups have devoted time to develop a financial framework for when they grow old.

The current COVID-19 experience is a peek into what you need to enjoy retiring. If all of the mandated shutdowns, work stoppages and erratic stock market weren’t a major shock to your financial position, you can thank your lucky stars or yourself for having the foresight to prepare for such exigencies.

In fact, if you’re pretty well content with your life, you’ll probably fare well if and when you decide to retire because the first major step necessary for life after work is to balance your income and outgo. This regimen requires foresight, which calls for planning.

If you have your income, spending and savings in tow during your working life, they will keep you comfortable when you leave the workforce.

A never-ending concern is whether or not your money will run out before you die. A crutch by many investors is to maintain a rainy-day fund. That is a cache of cash separate from their main portfolio that can be used in an emergency, such as a medical problem or natural disaster, without bruising their main source of financial support.

An indication of how stable you and your financial planning are is to ask yourself what you would do with a sizable windfall.

For example, what did you do with the stimulus check your received during the pandemic? Or you last tax refund check? Did that money go to pay down credit-card debt or to make additions to your investment portfolio? Or did you go out and buy a new car?

A sign of good planning for both the present and the future is the old familiar phrase: Pay Yourself.

Whenever you receive payment or income of any sort, pay yourself 10% right off the top. That money is funneled immediately and directly into you your investment plan. Watching that account grow will also add inventive to paying more money and attention to your financial future and make retirement a comfortable reality for you.

‘My Little Town,’ where was this location?

Simon and Garfunkel

It’s humorous to see where “experts” in the music world thought was the location of Simon and Garfunkel’s “My Little Town,” the duo’s final Top 10 Columbia Records single.

A Boomer Blast To The Past

By RANDAL C. HILL

Both born in October 1941, Paul and Art began performing during their adolescence as an Everly Brothers-based duo called Tom and Jerry. As juniors at Forest Hills High School in the sprawling New York borough of Queens, they

cut a minor chart single called “Hey, Schoolgirl!”

Late in 1965, and using their real names, they scored a winner on Columbia Records with “The Sounds of Silence,” a Number One single that introduced five years of nonstop success before their breakup in 1970.

On Oct. 18, 1975, Paul Simon hosted the second broadcast of “Saturday Night Live.”

In doing so, he brought on his former partner. They sang three songs together, including a new Simon composition called “My Little Town.”

The lyrics conveyed Paul’s often downbeat reflection on things past.

“In my little town I grew up believing

“God keeps his eye on us all

“And He used to lean upon me

“As I pledged allegiance to

the wall

“In my little town I never meant nothin’

“I was just my father’s son

“Saving my money, dreaming of glory

“Twitchin’ like a finger on the trigger of a gun

“Really nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town

“Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town.”

Pretty dreary stuff, huh? But the fun began when people began to opine exactly where they thought that “little town” was.

In his book “Paul Simon: A Life,” writer Marc Eliot proclaims, “’My Little Town’ is clearly Queens, and all the references to schoolbooks, saluting the flag, and so on appear to be symbols of nostalgia for the days of Tom and Jerry as much as for the years

of Simon and Garfunkel.”

Not so, counters music critic Dave Marsh, the author of “The Heart of Rock and Soul.”

“’My Little Town’ is a portrait of the middle-class Forest Hills, N.Y., neighborhood where Paul and Art grew up.”

Hold on. Art Garfunkel had his own take on the subject. In a Wikipedia article, he insisted the tune was about his childhood, how he grew up where music was not seen as either desirable or exciting, and that his parents insisted that Art acquire an education unrelated to singing. (He earned a BA degree in art history in 1965 and, two years later, an MA in mathematics.)

So where was this “mysterious” burg? Nobody knew until the mid-1980s. In an interview with Bill Flanagan for his book “Written in My Soul: Conversations with Great

Songwriters,” Simon admitted, “I was picturing a town. I was thinking about Gloucester, Mass. A friend of mine comes from Gloucester, and he used to talk about what it was like to grow up there … That song was entirely an act of imagination … There’s no element of me in there at all.” Well, now we all know.

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PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA.

Having breakfast with a film legend

By TOM MORROW Mature Life Features

Most everyone at one time or another has visions or dreams of noshing with someone considered great or a genius. Someone like Churchill, Eisenhower, or even Einstein.

My chance came with an invitation to have breakfast with one of the world’s great film makers - Billy Wilder.

Wilder’s film accomplishments are rivaled by no one. His list five-decade Hollywood career began when he escaped the Nazis in 1933 and began earning acclaim and Academy Awards as a writer-director for, among others, Greta Garbo’s “Ninotchka,” and “Sunset Boulevard,” “Stalag 17,” “The Lost Weekend,” “Double Indemnity,” “The Apartment,” “The Seven Year Itch,” “Witness for the Prosecution,” “The Spirit of St. Louis,” “Sabrina,” “The Front Page,” and “Some Like it Hot.”

As an executive at the famed

Hotel del Coronado where portions of the film were shot across the bay from San Diego, I put together a 25th anniversary celebration of “Some Like It Hot” starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and the late Marilyn Monroe. It is considered by many to be the greatest comedy put on film.

Everyone connected with that film was invited for a fabulous weekend of fun. Lemmon, Curtis, Wilder and several of the supporting cast showed up.

On the Sunday morning after an evening celebration, I received word that \Wilder wanted to have breakfast with me. I had a brief phone conversation with Lemmon, asking if the invitation was real or simply a polite gesture by Wilder.

“My boy, never pass up a chance to sit at the feet of greatness,” was Lemmon’s response.

We met out on the Promenade Deck on a bright Sunday morning. Wilder was sitting at a

A FILM LEGEND

Billy Wilder visiting the Poll Gallery at Lützowplatz, Berlin, 1989. Wilder was an Academy-Award winning screenwriter and director known for his sharp dialogue and work across a variety of genres, including the films “Some Like It Hot,” “Stalag 17” and “Sunset Boulevard.” Photo from the Poll Gallery Archives, Mature Life Features.

table sipping a cup of coffee and smoking a cigar. I had placed a box of expensive cigars in his suite before his arrival Friday evening. That morning I arrived at the same time as Lemmon, who Wilder also had invited.

We had breakfast and listened to Wilder talking on a number of subjects, including being back at the hotel after 25 years. He

recalled how difficult Marilyn had been to work with - how she held up the filming while her two co-stars patiently stood by in high-heels and drag waiting for their next scene with her.

He also talked about art.

Earlier, Lemmon had told me of a night many years earlier when he accompanied Wilder to a private showing at a Beverly Hills art gallery.

“Billy told me to buy a particular painting. I didn’t like it, but he said it would be a good investment, so, I bought it, paying $1,000. I stuck it in a closet when I got home and forgot it. Some years later, the gallery owner called me, asking if I would consider selling it. I smelled a profit.

“Painfully telling the gallery owner how hard I would find in parting with the painting, he offered me $10,000. I continued to lament the thought of parting it with, but told him I would do so.”

Lemmon shook his head. “Now how in the hell did Billy know that painting would be such a good investment?”

The money we raised that Saturday night in the hotel’s ballroom went to the San Diego State University’s new film-editing facility. Years later I received a call from a university official to ask if I would get in touch with Wilder and invite him to attend a function at the editing facility.

I still had his home phone number, so I dialed the number and a heavy German accent answered. When I identified myself, asking if he remembered me, the reply was: “Of course, Tom. Say, do you have any more of those great cigars?”

Billy Wilder died March 27, 2002, at the age of 95. Taking his sense of humor to the grave, the epitaph on his tombstone is the final line from “Some Like It Hot.” The stone is engraved: “Billy Wilder, I’m a writer, but then nobody’s perfect.

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The Rocky Road to ‘Rocky’ Balboa

By RANDAL C. HILL

On the day Sylvester Stallone was born in 1946, the doctor on duty clamped forceps on the baby’s emerging head. The result was a severed facial nerve above the infant’s jaw, which gave the left side of his face a permanent droop. Later, young Stallone was taunted by schoolyard bullies who called him “Slant Mouth” and “Mr. Potato Head.”

In 1959, Sly’s life changed when he saw the movie “Hercules Unchained” and was markedly impressed by massive star Steve Reeves, a former Mr. Universe. Stallone then fashioned barbells from a broomstick and two cinder blocks to build himself up. After a while, the schoolyard bullies fell silent.

Sly earned a D average in high school but after graduation found a college in Switzerland desperate for new

students. While there, he acted in a production of “Death of a Salesman” and later said, “I knew then that this is what I was made to do.”

The year 1969 found Stallone back in America. Determined to have a career in the movies, he earned $200 for his first film appearance - a softcore porn release. After a few minor movie roles, he turned to writing. To support himself and his wife, Sasha, Sly took jobs that included theatre usher, nightclub bouncer and fish-head cutter. He also created movie scripts, but nobody showed interest in them.

He developed the Rocky Balboa character after watching a TV match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. Ali won, of course, but Stallone was more impressed by Wepner’s dogged determination to last 15 rounds. In time, Sly would channel what he witnessed into the Balboa boxer.

The Stallones moved to Los Angeles, and there Sly fleshed out a movie script called “Rocky.” With Sasha typing for him, the couple stayed up three days straight as the

script gradually took form. Sly offered his brainchild to United Artists, who saw it as a chance to make a film on the cheap but with a handsome Big Name Star - possibly Burt Reynolds or Ryan O’Neal. Stallone, though, was insistent that he play Rocky. When he finally wore the studio honchos down, they signed Sylvester for a paltry $23,000.

In December 1975, he and Sasha took a train to Philadelphia for the shoot. There a van served as both a production office and a changing room for Stallone. The cast and crew stayed in a cheap motel and lived primarily on pasta as they filmed miles of footage.

United Artists held out little hope for “Rocky” to become a box-office winner. They considered dumping it as a TV movie, especially when some film critics dismissed it at pre-release screenings. (One writer labeled it “a sentimental little slum movie.”)

But ticket-buying audiences embraced “Rocky” with open arms when it was released in November 1976. In America alone, the blockbuster took in $117 million - about $700

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WAX IMAGE Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in Madame Tussauds’ Hollywood wax museum. Photo from Shutterstock.

million now. It became the highest grossing film of the year and was nominated for 10

Academy Awards. “Rocky” won three, including as the year’s Best Picture.

Scottsdale, where old west meets modern chic

Text and Photos

By VICTOR BLOCK Guest Writer

Bejeweled women dressed in the latest fashions stroll into Gucci, Neiman Marcus and Tiffany, intent on adding to their wardrobe and adornments. My wife Fyllis is learning to rope cattle and clean horses’ hooves.

The first impression Fyllis and I had during our visit to Scottsdale, Ariz., was the diversity of attractions. Shopping alone provides an introduction to the something-for-everyone variety.

World-famous stores are neighbors to specialty shops and boutiques. In the self-proclaimed “West’s Most Western Town,” it’s no surprise to pass places selling cowboy hats, boots and everything worn between them.

Where there were cowboys there usually were Native Americans, and their influence remains strong. One shop sells Native American art and artifacts created by members of more than 70 tribal nations.

The cowboy flavor also remains, as Fyllis learned while playing the role of a working cowgirl. Part of her experience included a horseback ride in the Sonoran Desert. That vast wilderness stretches through Arizona, California and northern Mexico, covering an expanse about the size of Colorado.

This is a cactus heaven. The majestic saguaro (pronounced suh-WAHR-oh) can reach 50 feet in height and live as long as 200 years. That plant grows wild only in the Sonoran Desert.

Other cactus species also find

the Sonoran’s conditions inviting. Colorful names like purple prickly pear and teddy-bear cholla add to their appeal.

What appears to be an uninhabitable wasteland in reality is home to some 60 mammals and 350 types of birds. Their survival techniques are among Mother Nature’s intriguing stories.

Many animals sleep in shade during hot days and venture out on cooler nights. Some survive on water they get from their food. The western banded gecko stashes away sustenance and water in its tail for use when needed.

Some of the desert’s magnificence is captured in sanctuaries and museums. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve is a mini-wilderness which is home to hundreds of types of plants and animals, and 225 miles of hiking trails.

Five paths meander through the Desert Botanical Garden past its collection of plants from barrens around the world. Each path focuses upon one topic, such as plants of the Sonoran, desert wildflowers and conservation.

Exhibits about how people have lived in the hostile environment include ways in which Native Americans used plants for food and medicine. Fyllis and I checked out the kind of roundhouse they once built, and paused at a grinding stone to pound mesquite beans into flour as they did.

The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park sits atop remains of a village of the Hohokam people, who inhabited the area from about 450 to 1450 AD. They were the first to cultivate the Sonoran Desert, using a system of irrigation ditches. Some of those trenches, and a ball court, still are visible.

Along with museums, Scottsdale’s neighborhoods combine interesting historical tidbits with shopping and recreational opportunities. The center of much action is the Old Town neighborhood.

Located on the original site from which the community ex-

panded, it’s a hub of museums, historic structures, dining and shopping. From cowboy wares to Native American jewelry to brand-name items, any shopper who can’t find ways to spend money there isn’t really trying.

Old Town also is crammed with many of the city’s more than 100 art galleries. Even the streets serve as an outdoor museum, with dozens of works including a giant lizard, a metal rider astride a bucking horse and a number of less identifiable abstract sculptures on display.

Very different in atmosphere and appeal are tiny enclaves on the outskirts of Scottsdale. Cave Creek (population about 6,000) was settled in 1870 by miners and ranchers, and served as a stopping point for U.S. Cavalry troops. The town hosts western stores that sell cowboy gear, colorful saloons and periodic rodeos.

While Cave Creek keeps alive vestiges of the Old West, the adjacent village named Carefree represents the present. It was built as a planned community of homes, some now valued at millions of dollars, which line streets with names like Easy, Tranquil, Ho and Hum.

Locals describe this juxtaContinued on page 15

SHOPS AND STREET SCULPTURE IN SCOTTSDALE.

GARDEN.

WELCOME SIGN TO OLD TOWN.

Travel

Scottsdale

Continued from 14

position of Old and New West as the “home of cowboys and caviar.” That same comfortable marriage of old with new, casual with chic is experienced everywhere. It’s common in and around Scottsdale to see men and women wearing jeans and western hats strolling out of shops that would feel comfortable on New York’s Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, laden down with

high-end purchases.

Fyllis and I came upon a gourmet hamburger restaurant, where the parking lot often is packed with top-of-theline automobiles, which locals call “Burgers and Bentleys.”

This combination of upscale life with a laid-back attitude adds to the charm and appeal of Scottsdale.

For more information about Scottsdale, log onto experiencescottsdale.com.

Shots to consider before travel

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

There are so many of rules and regulations affecting travel these days, you have to make sure you don’t get quarantined during your journey.

Diseases that have been conquered here still run free in many other parts of the world. Travelers can protect themselves by taking some extra care when packing medications for their trip.

Malaria still is a threat because it’s transmitted by mosquitoes. Travelers should pack mosquito repellent and avoid areas where the insects

thrive. Mosquitoes also spread yellow fever and some countries require proof of vaccination before allowing travelers entry.

There is no known protection against West Nile virus, Dengue fever and a few other similar possibly-fatal disorders spread by mosquitoes, so the only protection is to avoid areas where these creatures breed.

A vaccination can protect you from meningitis and a booster shot can ward off polio if you’ve been immunized earlier.

Before leaving on any trip, have a chat with your primary care physician to protect yourself on your travels.

Sleep soundly in the sky

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

A long-dead colleague who had to fly all over the globe purchasing supplies for his company feared flying so intensely, he had to get intoxicated before boarding an airplane.

He wouldn’t be allowed on these days. But getting drunk before cramming your way into a crowded cabin might make it easier to grab some ZZZ’s once you tied yourself down into the seat of a commercial airliner.

Unless you’re traveling in first class, and many airlines are doing away with that section, you have to be the size an 8-year-old to find comfort in the sky.

Many long-time travelers have their own secrets for snoozing in flight. Some scrunch themselves into the window seat, pull down the blind and begin counting sheep. Others book a seat at the front bulkhead so there’s no seat in front of them to be tilted back into their laps.

But, in the airlines’ race to sardine as many passengers as possible into every flight, leg space has been collapsed, seats are made thinner and narrower, and more rows have been added to cram in more passengers.

You have to tote our own pillow and blanket for comfort for a couple of reasons.

Those supplied by the flight attendant aren’t comfortable and, in more and more cases, there’s a charge for them.

If you’re fortunate enough to get normal-sized and polite seat mates, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to get some sleep on that long flight.

Making life easier in the air begins on the ground. Seat selection is important, especially on long hauls. But pick out a reclining seat, so avoid the row against the rear bulkhead and emergency exit. However, the row facing the emergency exit offers a bit more leg room.

Some seasoned travelers recommend seats in the middle of the cabin to avoid the traffic connected to lavatories and galleys.

Don’t expect a lot of comfort jetting from Los Angeles to San Francisco or Toronto to Montreal but you should shop for seats on coast-to-coast or transoceanic flights.

Before falling asleep, make sure your seat belt is wrapped over your blanket so the flight attendant can see it and won’t have to wake you up if the Fasten Seat Belt sign goes on. And leave the tray table up so you won’t be awakened when they decide to serve breakfast.

Before dozing off, you can tuck some plugs into your ears and slip a comfortable mask over our eyes.

November

A PAINTER CAPTURES SOME DESERT COLOR.

A SAGUARO CACTUS DWARFS AN ADMIRER.

This holiday season, support family caregivers

By EMILY GORMAN Director of Community Engagement AARP Indiana

In Indiana, family caregivers are the backbone of the state’s long-term care system, helping older parents, spouses, and loved ones live independently at home and in their communities. New data shows that 24% of adults in Indiana - about 1.2 million people - are family caregivers, providing largely unpaid and unsupported care. Each year, these caregivers deliver an estimated $10.8 billion in unpaid care across the state.

The financial burden is significant: 80% of caregivers pay out of their own pockets, averaging $7,200 annually, or 25% of their income. Over half - 51% - report financial setbacks, including taking on debt, draining savings, or struggling

to afford basics, like food and medicine. The impact extends to employment, with 63% of Indiana’s caregivers also juggling full- or part-time jobs.

Many must reduce work hours or leave the workforce entirely due to caregiving responsibilities, jeopardizing their own long-term financial security. Nationally, 19% of working caregivers have had to leave a job at some point to care for a loved one.

Despite these challenges, caregivers are often overlooked by society and lawmakers.

AARP Indiana is shining a spotlight on the vital contributions of caregivers and advocating for common sense solutions to save them money, time, and provide much-needed support.

AARP Indiana is proud to stand with our family caregiv-

ers, offering these free tools and resources to help them navigate their role as a caregiver:

• Caregiving resource guides for local programs

and services.

• 211 caregiver support program via the 211 helpline.

• AARP Family Caregivers Discussion Group on Facebook for peer support.

We can’t do this work alone. Your voice is needed to show lawmakers family caregivers are a powerful constituency. Raise your hand and join the fight at aarp.org/iamacaregiver.

By DAWN SELKE Chief Experience Officer Paradigm Health

When you’ve experienced loss, the holidays stir up emotions you may not typically associate with this time of year. The pain and grief felt during this season can be overwhelming.

Grief doesn’t follow convenient timelines, and you may be surprised by when and how it shows up.

We don’t claim to know how to take grief away, but our social workers and chaplains have seen what helps people move through it - little by little.

1. Reach out for support.

Whether it is with loved ones who know you or through a support group of others who are grieving, having space to talk about your grief can help.

2. Meet your basic needs. Eat, drink, and move your body. These simple actions can go a long way toward helping you feel grounded amid grief.

3. Be mindful with alcohol. The holidays often present many opportunities to imbibe. Be aware of consumption so this doesn’t become a crutch for your grief or a way to numb your pain.

4. Spend time with others. Even if you don’t feel like it, commit to a short get-together and see how it makes you feel once you’re there.

By KURT NESS Ness Bros.

Mark is a client whose wife passed away the year before

we met him and due to this loss, he was suffering from depression. His current living situation was also deteriorating because he could not maintain

5. Minimize holiday stress. You don’t have to attend every event, shop for everyone or keep every tradition. Focus on a few things that feel doable, and count every win.

Paradigm Health provides dignified and compassionate palliative and hospice care. We are proud to be serving our community during the holidays and every day, right here in Allen County and the surrounding areas. If you’re ready for support in caring for your loved one, our team is here to help.

To learn more or schedule a consultation, call the Fort Wayne office at (260) 247-6500 or visit myparadigmhealth. com.

Helping Mark - A story of loss, hope Paradigm Health offers tips for holiday grief

the property. He was feeling overwhelmed and although he knew that he needed to make a move, he didn’t know where or how to begin. His sister living in Texas was his closest living relative, and she was not in a position to give him the help he needed. A lot of trash had accumulated in the home, and it was becoming an increasing health hazard.

During this time, his license had also become suspended due to a minor traffic infraction which was not paid. We were able to assist him in getting his fines paid, license reinstated and moved into an apartment, which was clean and safe.

Ness Bros. was able to coordinate all aspects of his transition, including getting his flat-screen TV mounted and set up. He later told his sister that his apartment felt more like his home every day and he’s grateful we were able to get him out of that situation. We were able to help Mark get the fresh start he had been wanting, but didn’t know how to achieve.

Contact our Senior Relocation team to get help and answers to your questions on rightsizing. We’re here to help you deal with the loss of loved ones and moving forward into your new life.

Reach out to our relocation specialists at (260) 459-3911 in Fort Wayne or (260) 3563911 in Huntington. You can also contact us through our website NessBros.com, or stop in one of our offices, located at 3344 Mallard Cove Lane, Fort Wayne, or 519 N. Jefferson St., Huntington.