Senior Life - NorthWest Edition - November 2025 by The Papers Inc.

Early risers wanted at Valparaiso Sunrise Kiwanis

By CARRIE STEINWEG Feature Writer

Back in 1988, a couple of men who worked in education were interested in being part of Kiwanis Club, but the mid-day meeting time wasn’t conducive to their work schedules, so they created a second group to complement the child-focused nonprofit organization. Lonnie Steele, a school principal, and George Nash, a school food service director, had the idea of scheduling a branch of this international civic organization that would meet in early morning, giving an opportunity for more individuals to get involved and give back to their community.

That group is still thriving today, meeting weekly at the Viking Chili Bowl in Valparaiso at 7 a.m. for a general meeting and to hear a speaker, usually from a local nonprofit organization; in addition to working toward raising funds for their mission, partnering with schools for the Builder’s Clubs and K-Clubs and serving the community in a number of other ways toward their mission: “Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.”

At their most recent meeting, they welcomed Ivy Tech Valparaiso Campus Chancellor Aco Sikowski - who informed the members about dual credit programs, a new mobile learning lab and upgrades at the campus - and presented him with a check to go toward a scholarship for a graduating Valparaiso High School senior.

Members were recruited to volunteer at a mission kitchen

Continued on page 4

BUSY IN THE KITCHEN Barb Dukes, a member of the Valparaiso Sunrisers Kiwanis Club, preps dessert at the Hilltop Mission Kitchen. Photo provided by Valparaiso Kiwanis.

MAKING THE SIDES — A member of the Valparaiso Sunrisers Kiwanis Club stirs two pans of cut up zucchini for a side dish. Club members were preparing a meal at the Hilltop Mission. Photo provided by Valparaiso Kiwanis.

WEEKLY MEETING — Phil Hahn, right, looks over the sign in sheet to see if there are any guests at the start of the Valparaiso Sun-

risers Kiwanis Club meeting. Hahn is the club’s president. Photo by Carrie Steinweg.

Museum curator loves questions as means of growing

Text and Photos

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer

Even with all the nearby Duneland Family YMCA construction, the Westchester Township History Museum in Chesterton remains open. Curator Serena Ard encourages the public to visit.

“We’re very friendly. We love it when people ask questions,” Ard stressed. “When people ask questions, they make us think about things we didn’t think of before.”

She added, “When new people come with their questions, we get to look at things from a different perspective. It’s very important to keep our research moving positive.”

Among the more common questions are the derivation of the town name and the meaning of a township. After explaining how government operates on the latter, Ard said the best answer for the town name may be taken from Westchester.

In her 14th year as curator, Ard manages the museum and oversees the staff and volunteers; does research; works on exhibits; manages the gift shop; and handles donations. She has a staff of four, with nine volunteers.

Growing up in Dyer, Ard attended the University of Texas and taught middle and high school English and history. Moving to North Carolina, she returned to college, earning a master’s degree in U.S. history, with a minor in museum studies.

After doing a two-year internship at the Westchester museum, Ard was encouraged by retiring curator Jane WalshBrown to apply for the job.

The Liberty Township resident, who loves meeting with visitors, said, “I love doing research. I love talking to people and hearing their stories.”

Ard also loves that local history museums “get to tell the stories of everyday, average people. These people have importance to the life of the community. They make it what it is.”

Ard cited the example of WGN Radio broadcasting a program from Chesterton during World War II called “ThreeFifths of a Town.” The name reflected the fact that 60% of the town’s male population was serving in the war effort.

“In a small-town community, that kind of thing happens a lot,” Ard said.

The curator also proudly states that the Westchester museum combines a historic house, exhibit museum and archives.

The museum in housed in the 140-year-old Brown Mansion, the former site of the Duneland School Corporation’s administration building.

George Brown, a local farmer, businessman and landowner, intended the structure as a retirement home. He and his wife Charity had 10 children.

The mansion is an example of the Queen Anne architectural style, popular in the U.S. and England in the late 19th century. With its imported doorknobs and hinges and hand-carved fireplace, the mansion is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Since 1963, the mansion served as the central office for Duneland Schools. In 2005, the local historical society moved into the building, with the Westchester Public Library renting it from the school system. In September 2024, the library purchased the building from the schools.

Today the museum features permanent and rotating exhibits, tracing the township’s history from glaciers to the present. Research is also available on area properties, local history topics, obituaries

and genealogy.

The museum also hosts programs for community and school groups. As an extension of the library, Ard said she and others take the museum on the road for schools and others. The musical group The Flashbacks also performs monthly at the mansion.

The museum is open Wednesdays and the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call (219) 983-9715 or email museum@wpl.lib.in.us.

DOING RESEARCH Serena Ard, curator of the Westchester Township History Museum, stands in the museum’s research room. Ard prides herself on the museum’s capacity for exhibiting local history and providing research information.

ANCIENT BONE Serena Ard, curator of the Westchester Township History Museum, stands beside the lower leg bone of a mastodon, on loan from the Porter County History Museum. Ancestors of the elephant, mastodons lived around 3 million years ago. This bone was found in a field in Hebron.

Attorney entreprenuerartist inspired by beauty of Beverly Shores

By CARRIE STEINWEG Feature Writer

Born and raised in Chicago, Steven Schwab has worn many hats as a practicing attorney, entrepreneur, artist and photographer. He earned his law degree from Northwestern University and has served as a Great Lakes Commissioner from the State of Illinois, a member of the transition team for Governor Walker, Chairman of the Committee on Illinois Government and served

on legal aid boards.

Photography has become a big part of his life and he has had photos published of political figures, civic events and nature in the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News. He’s also an avid Cubs fan and has enjoyed capturing exciting moments at games over the years. In 1998, he took the definitive photograph of Sammy Sosa’s 61st and 62nd home runs, which were selected by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for their permanent collec-

CORPORATE OFFICE

tion, displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. and published in the book “Baseball: 100 Classic Moments in the History of the Game” and other books. They were also exhibited at the Chicago Historical Society in 1999 and the 61st home run was painted by famous New York artist Andy Jurinko and made into 600 numbered lithographs.

Much of his photography has also centered on the natural landscape and wildlife in Beverly Shores, where he spends time on the weekends with his camera - capturing shots of egrets and great blue herons, sunsets and impending storms over the lake.

In addition to photography, his work as an artist includes intricate dioramas.

“My dioramas stem from a fascination with creating scenes that invite multiple interpretations,” he said. “Some pieces lean toward the whimsical, while others may seem more direct, but all are shaped by the objects I discover and how I perceive them.”

As an entrepreneur, Schwab developed a high end home pizza-making kit that included a deep dish pizza stone, cutter, spatula and recipe booklet in a take out pizza-style box. “Crate and Barrel picked it up and it was one of their top-selling items that Christmas,” said his wife, Nancy. “We also got into the food business, developing gourmet olive oils, pizza crust mixes,

Early risers

Continued from page 1

and drive for Meals on Wheels, to dine at Red Robin where a portion of the meal cost would be donated to the club and to donate food items for the upcoming 500 Turkeys project.

The club also hosts an annual spelling bee, has donated toward playground equipment at Butterfly and Tower Parks and offers scholarships to local students among its initiatives.

as members.

pizza sauces, spices, pasta sauces and imported pastas from Italy. We even distributed gorgeous air laid table linens from Italy for restaurant and home use.”

That work took the couple all over the world developing new products for the line and travel is something Schwab continues to enjoy. He has been married for 35 years and has four children and six grandchildren.

looking to do something good for someone else, you can get it done faster and more efficiently,” she said. “It’s also hard for one person to get in the door. It’s easier to get involved as club. It is a group platform to be of assistance to someone.”

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and

“I really enjoy the club,” said Connie Westerhausen, who has been a member for about eight years. “It’s about kids and providing funds to support kids in the community.”

Mary Ann Claesgens was a founding member of the club in 1988, which she said was the first year women were accepted

“It was started for educators. There were principals and teachers who didn’t want to join noon club and be away from school on their lunch hour, but wanted to support Kiwanis and support children,” she said. “The first meetings were held at Brown’s Dairy, which is now Valpo Velvet. They didn’t have a breakfast menu, but Mr. Brown made breakfast for us those first few months.”

Claesgens herself wasn’t in education. She was a bank teller, but liked that she could attend meetings as still be at her desk by 8:15 a.m. “I have two hands and two hands don’t get a lot done, but when you go in with a group of people

Carol Short has been a member of Sunrise Kiwanis for 13 years. “I still love how the members support each other and welcome a variety of nonprofit speakers each week, but most importantly, give from the heart for our elementary K-Kids and middle school Builder Clubs.”

The club welcomes new members and visitors who want to learn more about the club. For more information, find Valparaiso Kiwanis on Facebook.

MAN OF MANY TALENTS Steven Schwab, resident of Beverly Shores and Chicago, has displayed his art at several Northwest Indiana galleries, including this one at Ancillaerie in Chesterton. Photo by Carrie Steinweg.

Important information about nursing homes

Nursing homes are expensive and without careful planning, an extended stay can easily bankrupt your family. The average cost of a nursing home in the U.S. is nearly $10,000 a month. That’s nearly $120,000 per year. You’re looking at a bill of $200,000 to $1 million for your family member with Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia and Alzheimer’s can result in a nursing home stay of two to 10 years or more!

What most people don’t realize is that the government will only pay the nursing home

bill for a single person after they have spent down to $2,000. Medicare will only cover you for a maximum of 100 days, if they will even cover you. Social Security won’t pay nursing home bills at all. However, Medicaid will cover nearly all the costs - if you get your ducks in a row now! My new 2025 book, “How To Protect Your Family’s Assets From Devastating Nursing Home Costs,” sets forth in plain English what the rules are and how you can qualify for Medicaid coverage yet still protect your home and life savings. Find

By CLIFFORD J. RICE Elder Law Attorney Valparaiso

out how Medicaid will even cover the cost of care while you can remain living in your own home! Also, married couples should be sure to ask us about the new Safe Harbor Trust which can save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Receive your free copy of my book when you do planning with Rice & Rice during the month of November.

At Rice & Rice Attorneys, we count almost 25 separate Medicaid planning techniques that can be used to save money from the nursing home for married

couples, and almost as many such valuable techniques for single persons.

Legal help is available at Rice & Rice Attorneys, 100 Lincolnway, Suite 1, Valparaiso. Call (800) 303-7423 to schedule an appointment for a free consultation or to attend one of our Medicaid Planning seminars at: Hilton Garden Inn, Chesterton, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5; or Pesto’s, Valparaiso, Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Reservations required, seating is limited! Call now at (800) 3037423, or visit riceandrice.com.

UW Northwest Indiana presents $10,000 check to support healthy communities

United Way Northwest Indiana presented a $10,000 check to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana in support of their vital work to fight hunger and strengthen access to healthy food options across the region. This partnership highlights the shared commitment of both organizations to building healthier communities through collaboration and compassion.

“At United Way Northwest Indiana, we believe that when we come together as a community, we can create lasting change,” said Chris White, CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana. “Food insecurity touches the lives of too many of our neighbors, and we are proud to stand alongside the Food Bank of Northwest

Indiana to ensure families have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.”

According to United Way’s A.L.I.C.E. Report, more than one in three households in Northwest Indiana struggle to afford basic needs such as housing, childcare, healthcare and food. Many of these families earn above the federal poverty level but not enough to cover the rising cost of living - making them especially vulnerable to food insecurity.

“This generous gift from United Way Northwest Indiana strengthens our mission to provide nutritious food to those who need it most,” said Victor A. Garcia, CEO of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.

“Strong partnerships like this demonstrate the power of community in tackling hunger and creating healthier futures for families across our region.”

United Way Northwest Indiana’s investment in the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana underscores its commitment to building healthy communities, one of the organization’s core pillars. Through collaboration with local nonprofits, businesses, and residents, United Way continues to connect resources to the people who need them most.

For more information on how to get involved with United Way North or the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana visit unitedwaynwi.org or foodbanknwi.org.

THE FOOD BANK United Way of Northwest Indiana recently presented the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana with a check for $10,000 to support the food bank’s vital work in fighting hunger and strengthening access to healthier food options across the region. Shown from left are Kristina Fry, vice president of development, United Way Northwest Indiana; Victor A. Garcia, president and CEO, Foodbank of Northwest Indiana; and Chris White, president and CEO, United Way Northwest Indiana. Photo provided by United Way of Northwest Indiana.

ASSISTING

FASTOR PROCESSING Social Security provides faster processing of disability claims for those with Alzheimer’s. Learn more by checking out the Compassionate Allowances program. Photo provided by Social Security Administration.

Faster processing of disability claims for people with Alzheimer’s disease

By DANIEL SUMMER, MA

Public Affairs Specialist

Social Security Administration

Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It is a brain condition that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Since the onset of Alzheimer’s can occur in younger people before they retire, it may affect their ability to work as the disease progresses.

Our benefits and services are especially vital to people with early-onset Alzheimer’s who are unable to work and may have no other source of income. They may want to apply for So-

cial Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. Our Compassionate Allowances program provides faster processing of disability claims for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and several other neurodegenerative (brain degenerative) disorders.

More than a decade ago, Social Security added early-onset Alzheimer’s disease to our Compassionate Allowances program. You can learn more about our Compassionate Allowances program at ssa.gov/ compassionateallowances. Share this information with friends and family.

Cash in on your home

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Everyone’s home is their castle, but for some it can be their bank.

The equity in your domicile has been rising over the years and is like stuffing cash under your mattress. It isn’t doing you any good if you aren’t using it.

There’s a catch here. You don’t want to re-mortgage your house just to pay off credit-card debt or climb aboard a cruise around the world. It makes sense only if you need to bolster your retirement income, or if the property needs repair or can be enhanced to increase its selling price.

Much touted for folks in this frame of mind are reverse mortgage.

Originally designed for cashpoor people, they have hidden costs and clauses that can make you homeless.

Providers of these loans do the appraisal and let you know how much you can borrow. They proclaim all you have to do is maintain insurance coverage, keep up the maintenance on its condition and appearance, pay the taxes and utility bills, and keep on living in it. If you move out, you repay the loan.

The means, should you or your spouse become debilitated and have to move into a senior-care facility, you have to repay the loan. Which, in most cases, means you won’t have enough money to afford the senior-care living.

A more financially sound and manageable plan is to arrange

a home-equity loan. Again, only if you need the money. Augmenting your monthly-living income is a sound reason. Talk with your financial advisor and do the arithmetic to make sure you borrow enough to make the payments on the loan, known as servicing the loan out of the loan.

Or you can arrange for a line of credit to be tapped into only if a cash crunch hits.

If interest rates drop a good chunk lower than your current rate, you might consider refinancing.

Some financial gurus suggest you go for the longest rate, which lowers the monthly

payments you have to make. Then, some of them say, you can make a 13th payment every year. This plan calls for making an extra principle-only payment each year, which cuts down both the life of the mortgage and amount of debt you repay.

Compare interest rates. If the percentage between a 30-year mortgage and a 15-year loan is minuscule, take advantage of the longer-term financing. And don’t worry about making extra payments to shorten its life. However, make sure there is no prepayment penalty on any type of loan you obtain.

Identity theft can be costly

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

It’s become a fact of daily living that anybody can know where you are and what you’re doing in today’s highly technological world.

Our computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones are doorways into your daily lives.

Hackers can move into your existence and walk off with your identity. Then they can wipe you out financially.

More than 1 million cases of some form of identity theft were reported last year.

The actual total number of such cases is unknown because many victims are too ashamed to report them or are unaware they’ve become a victim.

The loss is in the billions of dollars and is attributed primarily to what is defined as application fraud — criminals use your identity to open a new account or take over your existing account, including insurance policies and rewards accounts with merchants, airlines and hotels.

That’s why you should

review your financial picture and change your passwords regularly as well as watch for unfamiliar transactions or transfers.

There are other ways crooks can make use of your identity — giving police your name when pulled over for a traffic stop, for instance.

The instant you suspect someone has stolen your identity, the Federal Trade Commission recommends you report identity theft with them first and take that report to the police so they can open a police investigation. Get a copy of the police report and make copies of both it and the FTC report to show lenders, banks and credit-card issuers.

Besides changing all your passwords, including those used to control the appliances in your high-tech home, have your bank change your account numbers and get yourself new credit cards.

If you’re fortunate enough to spot the theft early, many credit-card issuers will wipe the debt if it’s not too large.

La Porte hosting Christmas Candlelight Tour Dec. 6-7

Preserve Historic La Porte is hosting a Christmas Candlelight Tour of historic homes. Tour Chairperson Pam Ruminski stated the tour will be held, as usual, the first weekend in December. It will be from 4-8 p.m. Dec. 6 and from 1-5 p.m. Dec. 7.

There will be a total of seven buildings open for self-guided touring. Live musical entertainment will be provided at most or all locations, and refreshments will be served at the church.

Ruminski noted that this was the 30th year of the tour, with the first one being held in 1996.

The sites on this year’s tour include:

Bethany Lutheran Church, 102 G Street, built in 1883.

Home of Cindy Weiner, (The Judge Alfred Link House), 616 C Street, built in 1912.

Home of Dr. Jim and Christie Edwards, 2114 Woodlawn Drive, built in 1940.

Home of Joe and Kellie Woods, 106 Franklin Court, built circa 1910.

Home of Timothy Stabosz, 1501 Michigan Ave., built in 1894.

The La Porte Railroad Depot, 809 Washington St., built in 1910.

Carmel Chapel, 6200 West 50 South, built in 1872.

Ruminski continued, “We are especially excited to announce, through the graciousness of the City of La Porte, that the storied La Porte Railroad Depot, which the city recently came into possession of, will be open for viewing, on our tour, for the first time since the station closed as a public building decades ago.”

The solid brick station, built in 1910 in the Prairie style, with its highly-visible tile roof, was restored just over 15 years ago.

Preserve Historic La Porte is the area’s not-for-profit citizens group. It seeks to raise awareness of the quality of life and economic development benefits of preserving and protecting La Porte’s unique and special historic built environment.

Besides the Candlelight Tour, the group seeks to promote local historic designations, engages in educational training, and directly saves or restores historic

Save time and air fare

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

Flying from hub airports can save you time, money and airport discomfort.

If you live in San Diego, for example, it can be cheaper and faster to take the train or drive to LAX in Los Angeles if you’re looking to fly across the country or over the Pacific or Atlantic oceans.

This applies to anyone living close to such major hubs as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix and St. Louis.

structures through grants or outright purchase.

Ruminski stated, “For those willing to buy tickets in advance, which aids in our planning, the cost is only $25 per person. Day of tour tickets cost $30, and are available at Bethany Lutheran Church, during tour hours only.”

Tickets are available from these establishments, during regular business hours: La Porte: Coachman Antique Mall, CO-OP Shoppes, Freckle Farm Primitives, Hot Spot Cafe, La Porte County Historical Society Museum, Meridian Title, Thode Floral, Town & Country Florist.

Michigan City: The Antique Market, Hoity Toity. New Buffalo: Meridian Title. New Carlisle: Historic New Carlisle.

Valparaiso: Meridian Title. For questions, contact Ruminski at (219) 363-2094 or p_ruminski@yahoo.com; or Tim Stabosz at (219) 363-7485 or tstabosz@yahoo.com.

CANDLELIGHT TOUR The home of Timothy Stabosz, 1501 Michigan Ave., a restrained Queen Anne-style home on this year’s Candlelight Tour, was built in 1894 for Orran and Adele Fox. The house’s architect, Franklin Burnham, was also the winning entrant to design the 1889 Georgia State Capitol Building, his most notable commission. Photo provided.

Veteran sports writer takes his skills to high school

Text and Photos By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer

These days for Tom Keegan, there is no such thing as a “typical” week. On a given Saturday in Northwest Indiana, he might have a cross country meet in the morning, followed by soccer and volleyball games later in the day. And that does not include high school football the previous evening.

As student activities reporter at Chesterton High School, Keegan, 66, is contracted by the Duneland School Corporation to cover all 22 Trojan boys’ and girls’ sports, along with some club extracurriculars.

After covering school activities, Keegan said, then comes the real challenge - posting it all online. Keegan’s work, including photos, can be seen at onwardtrojans.com.

“On a ‘typical’ day,” Keegan explained, “there may be a game that day. In the case of multiple games, I make decision which is the ‘best’ to cover, like a conference game. If I have not done that sport in a while, I try to balance coverage.”

Keegan also does features on CHS young people.

“I’ve always liked telling stories,” said Keegan, who’s covered pro and college sports.

After years of dealing with professional organizations and collegiate sports information directors, Keegan likes the access he now has to high school athletes.

“Plus, I like seeing how kids grow as athletes and people,” he noted. “A student who was a bashful sophomore developing into someone who really opened up.”

Having started his contracted role at CHS since January, Keegan did not realize “how many opportunities

PUBLISHED AUTHOR — Tom Keegan is the student activities reporter at Chesterton High School. He is shown here with the three books, all on baseball, he has penned. At CHS, he covers all 22 Trojan boys’ and girls’ sports as well as some non-sport extracurriculars.

high school students have at the school. Here’s there’s something for everyone. It’s incredible. Nobody is invisible. There’s so many clubs students can join.”

Away from the playing fields, Keegan covers extracurriculars such as academic team and CHS’ celebrated speech and debate program.

Growing up one of 10 children in Rochester, N.Y., Keegan attended Marquette University. Working in California, he covered the Dodgers. That led him to Chicago and Baltimore, working for the Baltimore Sun and covering the Orioles.

Then came stints with the New York Post and ESPN, losing his job in the latter to Stephen A. Smith. He later worked in Lawrence, Kan., and then for the Boston Herald before COVID hit.

Keegan and wife, Angie, bought a house in Michigan City, where he freelanced a few years, including time at the now-closed Chesterton Tribune. The Keegans have four children and six grandchildren.

Keegan said his favorite sports is probably basketball, but he also cites track, cross county, baseball and football.

“I try to write about people,”

he said.

Among his favorite athletes is retired slugger Reggie Jackson, “the brightest guy I ever interviewed.”

Another top athlete, but perhaps less known, is Elden Auker, a pitcher in the 1930s and ‘40s for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns. “(Dodgers manager) Tommy Lasorda encouraged me to write about him,” Keegan recalled.

Auker was featured in “Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms,” one of three books Keegan penned. The other two are “The First Baseman,” based on interviews with those position players, and

“Ernie Harwell: My 60 Years in Baseball,” about the longtime Tigers announcer. Not one for autographs, Keegan prizes handshakes. Over the years, he has pressed flesh with Michael Jordan, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and even Pope John Paul II.

This year, Keegan has met some talented young athletes and they have come to know him.

“Some kids may have performance anxiety or feel unworthy of an interview,” Keegan said, “but this community cares about sports.”

Penny earned no longer worth it

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

The penny may soon be only in our thoughts only, to paraphrase an old adage.

The wisdom of producing pennies is being questioned because the coin costs more than 2 cents to produce.

Canada quit making pennies more than a decade ago because it was costing 1.6 cents to produce 1 cent.

This relinquishing of the penny is a reminder of the pressures being exerted to do away with cash.

Promoters of a cashless society argue that maintaining

automated teller machinescurrently paid for by the banks - is costly while retailers and other businesses report accepting cash takes more time and money than payments made by store card, debit card, credit card or cryptocurrency.

And don’t forget that handy-dandy contactless-pay-

ment tool in your hand - the cell phone.

The pressures for change are not going away.

Next in the line of sight of those who want to abolish coins is the nickel. Their argument sounds familiar. It costs more than five cents to make it.

TROJANS ARE HIS BEAT — Tom Keegan is shown in the office he shares at Chesterton High School. As student activities reporter, he covers all 22 CHS Trojan sports, along with some school club extracurriculars.

Linda Ronstadt has sold over 100 million records, earned 11 Grammys, three American Music Awards, an Emmy, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

By RANDAL C. HILL

And yet, she has never considered herself a very good singer.

“I had a pretty normal life at home,” she recalls. “I listened to country music and Mexican songs on the radio. (Her father was Hispanic.) I never wanted to be anything but a singer.

(But) I thought that I would be singing at pizza parlors or Holiday Inns or places like that.”

At age 18, she left Arizona with $30 and her father’s

guitar: “I had to get where the music was, and it was not in Tucson but in L. A.”

Once settled in Hollywood, she and two male pals formed a trio called the Stone Poneys, the name coming from a Charlie Patton blues song. It didn’t take long to find work. (“We got gigs in little beatnik dives.”)

Sometimes the band earned as little as $30 a night.

Each Monday, Hollywood’s hip Troubadour folk-music club offered an open mic night, which served as a way for singers to audition and to be heard and seen by record company executives, managers and agents.

The Stone Poneys signed with Capitol Records and cut a Top 15 single called “Different Drum,” which had been written by future Monkee Mike Nesmith. But follow-up Poney tracks tanked, and the outfit split up. Ronstadt then toured as an opening act for such diverse artists as Neil Young, the

Doors and Jackson Browne. She eventually formed her own backup group, mostly comprised of Troubadour music friends who would, in time,

United Way Northwest Indiana announces Day of Caring 2026

United Way Northwest Indiana is excited to announce its Day of Caring 2026 will take place on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. This event will once again unite people from across the Region to roll up their sleeves and create meaningful change for not-forprofit partners all across the area.

United Way Northwest Indiana looks to build on the tremendous success of Day of Caring 2025, where more than 650 volunteers worked at 83 project sites and donated over $4.4 million of time and labor to nonprofits across Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties.

Volunteers painted classrooms, cleaned parks, supported nonprofits and improved neighborhoods - all in one powerful day of action.

“Day of Caring 2025 reminded us just how much can be

accomplished when our community comes together,” said Chris White, president and CEO of United Way Northwest Indiana.

“We are so excited to build on that success and have our 2026 Day of Caring be even more impactful. It’s more than volunteer hours - it’s about neighbors helping neighbors and proving that our community can come together when it’s needed most. “

“Day of Caring shows the incredible power of unity in action,” said Evelyn Harris, director of volunteer services for United Way Northwest Indiana.

“When our community comes together, real change happens.

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re not just organizing another volunteer day, we’re growing a movement of service and compassion.”

Registration for volunteer teams and project sites will

Helmets work, too

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

Seniors who still ride their bicycles should also wear a helmet.

It’s simple to get one that fits comfortably.

Don the helmet so it sits low on your forehead - a couple of finger widths above your eyebrow - and evenly over your ears.

When you’ve found one that sits easily in that position, tuck in foam pads to make it fit more snugly but still feel comfortable.

Adjust the junctions of the front and back straps so they sit just under your earlobes, then tighten the chin strap until you can put just one finger between it and your chin.

open in early 2026. Sponsorship opportunities will also be available. Community members can stay informed by signing up for United Way’s email updates at unitedwaynwi.org.

become the Eagles.

Capitol Records signed Linda as a solo act, but she later switched to the more progressive Asylum label, claiming that staid old Capitol never really “got who I was.”

Ronstadt hit her stride in the 1970s, releasing million-selling albums and hit cover singles by such iconic artists as the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and Motowners Martha and the Vandellas, and Smokey Robinson’s Miracles.

Ronstadt racked up countless miles on the tour road, which she often found boring and lonely. She also waged personal battles against stage fright and discouragement, especially when performing at large venues. “Playing at Madison Square Garden is

something you just endured,” she has admitted. “You can’t hear yourself. The crowd is restless. They’re out buying hot dogs. It’s not a really artistic experience.”

Around 2000, she noticed that her voice was giving her problems. “I saw my throat doctor every year for a checkup, but everything was fine. But I knew it was something. The top end of my voice kept slipping away.” The culprit was Parkinson’s disease.

No longer performing, she currently spends her free time knitting, gardening, sewing and reading. (“I do everything that I didn’t have time to do when I was on the road.”)

How would she like to be remembered? “That I wasn’t very good,” she says, “and I got better.”

LINDA RONSTADT

John Denver

Many creative people seem to have a muse that provides much-appreciated guidance. But what happens when that same muse goes AWOL - and at a moment when it’s needed the most?

After creating musical odes to America’s natural wonders, John Denver selected a new subject for his final RCA Records winner; “Calypso,” and it also became the singing poet’s last visit to Billboard’s Top 10 singles listing.

The haunting ballad was released as the B side to “I’m Sorry,” which briefly topped the Billboard chart. But when that song slid out of first place, “Calypso” emerged as the preferred offering, and is now the better-remembered of the tunes.

Oceanographer and documentary filmmaker Jacques Cousteau inspired an entire generation to take an interest in the world’s waters. As a youngster, a near-fatal car wreck had left Jacques with two broken arms. For his rehabilitation, he began swimming in the Mediterranean Sea - and quickly became fascinated with all things ocean.

He co-invented the Aqua-Lung, in use to this day in SCUBA-diving. He eventually acquired a World War II British minesweeper which, in time, became the Calypso and a floating research laboratory and movie studio.

Denver met Cousteau in Belize and was so impressed with what he saw that, on the spot, Denver felt inspired to write “Calypso,” a ballad meant to honor Jacques’s ship and the good being done on it. Denver took his acoustic guitar (which he always carried with him) and quickly created a rousing chorus.

“Aye, Calypso, the places you’ve been to

“The things that you’ve shown us, the stories you tell

“Aye, Calypso, I sing to your spirit

“The men who have served you so long and so well.”

Then, somehow, Denver slammed into an artistic brick wall, as the words simply stopped flowing. Discouraged and embarrassed, he returned home to Colorado and spent some sleepless nights trying to conjure the remaining lyrics he sought. He always drew a blank.

What had happened to the muse from his past that had inspired him to create such works as “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High” and “Sunshine on My Shoulders”?

Strangely, Denver’s lyrics about honoring Cousteau’s oceangoing vessel eventually came to him while he was skiing near his Aspen home. While on the slopes, Denver experienced an electric-like “zap” that demanded his return home to bring the remainder of “Calypso” to a proper finish.

The rest of the words flowed effortlessly to him as he drove 25 minutes to his house. By the time Denver pulled into the driveway, the uplifting lyrics were finished.

“To sail on a dream on a crys-

tal-clear ocean

“To ride on the crest of the wild raging storm

“To work in the service of life and the living

“In search of the answers to questions unknown

“To be part of the movement and part of the growing

“Part of beginning to understand.”

Denver would declare, “It’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written,” and he often closed later concerts with “Calypso.”

Thank you, muse.

JOHN DENVER

Top 10 singles

Discovering Your

Roots: A beginner’s genealogy workshop scheduled for Nov. 15

A beginner’s genealogy workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov 15, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 503 Burlington Beach Road, Valparaiso, and on Zoom.

Presented by the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society in partnership with the Valparaiso Family History Center, learn how to unlock the mysteries of your family history at this free multi-session seminar.

Whether a student, adult or senior, this exciting opportunity will teach participants the essential tools and techniques to explore their ancestry. Led by experienced genealogists and historians, attendees will gain valuable insights into genealogical research methods. Come to one class or stay all day.

• 9 a.m. — Check in starts.

• 9:30 a.m. — Instructions and NWIGS business meeting.

• 9:45 a.m. — Genealogy Basics.

• 10:45 a.m. — The Research Process.

• 11:45 a.m. — Keeping Track of Your Sources.

• 12:45 p.m. — Lunch Provided.

• 1:45 p.m. — Finding Vital Records.

• 2:45 p.m. — Census Records.

• 3:45 p.m. — Online Databases.

• 4:45 p.m. — Using a Family History Center. RSVP at eventbrite. com/e/discover-

ing-your-roots-a-beginner-genealogy-workshop-tickets-1681309585229?aff=oddtdtcreator to attend in person.

It was a good experience

By JIM CARPENTER Guest Writer

I took piano lessons once. Actually, I took them twice Nothing much ever came of it.

But the experience was nice. And then I bought a new guitar.

Thinking this might work for me.

Loving that old time rock and roll.

Perhaps a rock star wannabee.

Well, I took guitar lessons once.

Actually, I took them twice. Nothing much ever came of it.

But the experience was nice. Minimal skill but still a gain, my musical skills were not found.

I do still blow an old harmonica, but only when no one is around.

Now my kinfolk in Texas convinced me.

The ukelele is here to stay. So I bought one and I love it. Unfortunately, I have yet to play.

The passing of cash

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

Cash used to be king.

But the gradual disappearance of hard-earned money was accelerated by the COVID-19 shutdowns and mandates that has led to retail outlets refusing to accept cash. The growing acceptance and usage of online purchasing has also diminished the value of cash.

Credit and debit cards, cellphone apps that transmit payments, and electronic storage of money are just a few of the more familiar methods of money management.

Not recognizable by many folks is the mushrooming trade in cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, which processes financial transactions in cyberspace.

A Boomer Blast To The Past

By RANDAL C. HILL

FICTIONAL FATHERS

ACROSS

1. Ice cream treat, pl.

6. Albanian money

9. Desertlike

13. Like Bananas Foster

14. Paleozoic ____

15. O. Henry’s specialty

16. Printer brand

17. Always, to a poet

18. Extended family member

19. *”Breaking Bad” father

21. *”The Lion King” father

23. Unit of length of yarn

24. “____ Me Maybe”

25. *____ Anderson, he knew best?

28. The Supremes, e.g.

30. Subject matter, pl.

35. Same as ayah

37. Plural of #14

Across

39. Like less processed grain

40. Kind of shark

41. U.S. Airline

43. Short for “and elsewhere”

44. Opposite of digest

46. Flabbergast

47. Like Gulf Stream

48. Most achy

50. Not much (2 words)

52. Reggae’s cousin

53. Rapunzel’s abundance

55. Maintenance closet staple

57. *____ Rock of “Everybody Hates Chris”

60. *”Finding Nemo” father

63. Golfer’s sun protection

64. Aloha prop

66. Only daughter of Michael Jackson

68. Not active

69. Emergency Medical Services

70. In the cooler (2 words)

71. *Opie’s father

72. Egyptian boy king, for short

73. Button on electrical outlet

DOWN

1. Nth degree

2. Not many

3. Turkish money

4. Online troublemaker

5. Mike Brady’s children, e.g.

6. Malicious look

7. Before, in the olden days

8. Culture Club 1983 hit “____ Chameleon”

9. Solo at LaScala

10. Fish eggs, pl. 11. Cuzco valley empire

12. Yellow #5, e.g.

15. Stream of revenue

20. Dog-____ pages

22. Final, abbr. 24. Medicated shampoo ingredient (2 words)

25. *____ Evans Sr. of “Good Times”

26. Idealized image

27. “Prepare to meet your ____!”

29. Wraths

31. Exclamation in a stinky room

Brain Boosters

32. Smidgins

33. *”National Lampoon” father

34. 1965 march site

36. Garden staple

38. Half a ticket

42. Carl Jung’s inner self

45. Casual top

49. T, in Greek

51. Lethargy

54. Speck in the ocean

56. Heathrow craft

57. Same as genie

58. Pre-owned

59. Type of parrot

60. Atomizer output

61. Van Gogh’s famous flower

62. On Santa’s gift list

Pumpkin Pie Nice Cream

Can’t get enough pumpkin spice and pumpkin? Get those fall flavors you love in this dairy-free and vegan ice cream alternative made with bananas and pumpkin puree. This easy and healthy dessert contains no added sugar, unless you use the optional maple syrup--which is a delicious touch. Add some chopped pecans to make it really special.

8 servings; Prep 5 min.; Total Time 5 min.

INGREDIENTS:

4 ripe medium bananas, peeled, halved and frozen 1 (15 ounce) can unseasoned pumpkin puree, chilled 1-1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see Tip)

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for garnish (Optional)

Toasted chopped pecans for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Place bananas, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup (if using) in a food processor; process until smooth. Drizzle with additional maple syrup and garnish with pecans, if desired.

You can find pumpkin pie spice with the other spices at the grocery store, or simply combine some pantry spices to make your own. To make your own, combine 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves and 1/2 tsp. ground allspice (optional) in a small bowl and use as directed.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

72 Calories, 0g Fat, 18g Carbs, 1g Protein

63. Roman road 65. Down Under runner 67. Group of dishes

Retired teachers staying busy, living their faith

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer

A school bus driver asked Barbara Geiss what she would do once she retired. Silly bus driver - Geiss and her husband have found plenty to do at their church.

Barbara and Charles “Biff” Geiss have their hands - and voices - in a number of ministries at St. Paul Catholic Parish in Valparaiso, a large congregation with plenty to offer members.

Barbara Geiss, 83, has been a Eucharistic minister and lector, and in registration assistance, funeral luncheons, linens ministry (washing altar cloths and purificators), and Society of St. Vincent dePaul, helping the needy.

Biff Geiss, 85, has also been active in the Vincentians, along with choir, cantor, a Bible as literature program, parish book club, English language teacher, and in That Man in You, a program for males teaching them to be better family members.

Both are retired teachers. Barbara Geiss taught grades K-1 in Washington Township, while Biff Geiss taught foreign languages at Valparaiso High School. Married 61 years, the couple has three children and six grandchildren.

For Biff Geiss, service started after college, when he volunteered 30 years to coach in a park district summer baseball league. After that, he taught English as a second language and joined the St. Paul choir. Then came more parish involvement.

“I always felt this was a community,” he said, “but, sadly, we didn’t know people’s names.”

Barbara Geiss, who retired at age 80, noted, “I know I have a purpose every day.”

She began volunteering at the Valparaiso Family YMCA. She also taught religious instruction for 25 years at St. Paul.

“I always felt I needed to be involved,” she said.

Biff Geiss added, “St. Paul has over 3,000 families. If you’re not involved, you don’t feel like you belong.”

The Geisses have been St. Paul parishioners since the early 1960s.

“We’ve liked all the pastors we’ve had,” Biff Geiss said.

“We feel a connection,” Barbara Geiss added. “You get to know the priests and deacons on a personal level. We value them and they value us.”

Through their ministries, the Geisses have come to know many parishioners and have

learned something about the needs in their community. As Vincentians, they respond to calls for help with rent, utilities, food and gasoline.

“In the last 13 years, our eyes have been opened,” Barbara Geiss confessed.

The parish also works with government agencies offering additional assistance.

“Our township trustee is very much in line with what we do,” Biff Geiss said, “and the people of St. Paul have been very generous.”

The couple sees living one’s faith as being active and empathizing with those in need.

“No one has walked a mile in the shoes of the people we help,” Biff Geiss said.

“Being involved, not just being a spectator,” Barbara Geiss said. “God is keeping us healthy for a reason. The least we can do is help others.”

When it comes to inspiration, Biff turns to a passage in three Gospels, including Mark 2:1-12. While Jesus is in Capernaum, four men bring a paralyzed man for healing. The men cannot reach Jesus in the crowd, so they make a hole in the roof of a building and lower the man down to Jesus, who subsequently forgives and heals the paralytic.

“God asks us to be inven-

tive,” Biff said, “sometimes even break the law to help others.”

Barbara draws inspiration from the homeless Jesus bench statue at Valparaiso University.

“It’s easy to walk past a homeless person,” she said. “That image jolts me into realizing they represent the face of Jesus.”

ServSafe Food Manager class and exam offered Dec. 10

A ServSafe Food Manager 1-Day Class and examination will be held in Lake County on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

ServSafe educates food service workers about food safety.

ServSafe Food Protection Manger is the highest certification. It satisfies Indiana requirements to become a certified food protection manager and focuses on five aspects:

• Foodborne microorganisms and allergens.

• Personal hygiene.

• Purchasing, receiving and storage.

• Preparing, cooking and serving.

• Facilities, cleaning/sanitation and managing pests.

The full one-day training includes a manual and proctored exam. Participants must score 70% or higher to earn the certificate. The certification is

valid for five years. A photo ID with signature is required to take the exam: driver’s license, state ID, student ID, military ID, employee ID, U.S. green card or valid passport. Register at cvent.me/RvEKZg. The registration deadline is Dec. 12. The class will be held at the Lake County Extension Office, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point.

Training manual and proctored exam is $165; manual and proctored exam is $115; proctored exam is $65. Registration opens at 8 a.m. with training held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the exam being held at 3 p.m.

If you are in need of accommodations or an interpreter or translator to attend this program, contact Linda Curley prior to the meeting at (219) 755-3240 or lcurley@purdue.edu by Friday, Nov. 14.

ACTIVE FAITH LIVES — Charles “Biff” and Barbara Geiss are active members of St. Paul Catholic Church in Valparaiso. Both retired teachers, their ministries include cantoring, lecturing, teaching and reaching out to those in need. Photo by Steve Euvino.

By TOM MORROW Mature Life Features

Long before Elon Musk produced his all-electric Tesla - the car that was designed to do right - to an awaiting world, there was a revolutionary car created a more than half a century ago by automotive visionary Preston Tucker.

He conceived and built the forerunner of safety features that are commonplace in today’s transportation.

His 1948 Tucker sedan, nicknamed the “Tucker Torpedo,” introduced many features that became adapted for modern cars.

Tucker was born Sept. 21, 1903, and grew up near Detroit. He became obsessed with automobiles from an early age and, during World War II, linked up with Andrew Jackson Higgins, builder of Liberty ships, PT boats and landing craft. He moved to New Orleans to serve as a vice-president of Higgins Industries in charge of the Higgins-Tucker Aviation division. This entity produced gun turrets, armament, and engines for torpedo boats.

After the war, the public was ready for a new car but Detroit’s Big Three automakers, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, had been busy producing wartime vehicles. They hadn’t developed any new models since 1941 and were in no hurry to introduce any new ones.

That attitude gave an independent automaker the opportunity to break into the market.

Tucker’s first design appeared in Science Illustrated magazine in December 1946, showing a car with a hydraulic drive system. The motoring public became excited.

Tucker’s specifications for his revolutionary car included a rear engine, a low-RPM 589 cubic-inch engine with hydraulic valves instead of a camshaft, fuel injection, direct-drive torque converters on each rear wheel (instead of a transmission), disc brakes, the location of all instruments within the easy-to-reach diameter of the steering wheel, a padded dash-

THE AUTOMOBILE MAN

Preston Tucker, automotive innovator and subject of the 1988 film, “Tucker: A Man and His Dream.”

board, and self-sealing tubeless tires.

These were never-before-conceived innovations for cars, but he ran out of time to develop the 589-cubic-inch engine and settled on a modified aircraft engine

His design also included independent springless suspension, a chassis that protected occupants in a side impact, a roll bar within the roof, a laminated windshield designed to pop out during an accident, and a center “cyclops” headlight which would turn when steering to improve visibility around corners during night driving.

But production of the Tucker ‘48 was shut down in 1949 amidst controversial accusations of stock fraud. The 1988 movie “Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” starring Jeff Bridges, is based on Tucker’s ordeal surrounding the car’s production.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, was embittered after small automaker Henry J. Kaiser was given millions of dollars in grants towards development of his new Kaiser and Frazer cars, but reportedly squandered the money. While Tucker took no money from the federal government, the SEC kept him under close scrutiny.

His SEC trial began Oct. 4,

1949, and his factory was closed the same day. Only 38 Tucker Torpedos had been built. However, a corps of 300 loyal employees returned to the factory (some without pay) and finished assembly of another 13 cars for a total of 51 vehicles.

The SEC contended Tucker never intended to produce a car. Throughout the trial, the SEC report on Tucker was classified as “secret” and, while his attorneys were never allowed to view or read it, the document was leaked to the press.

The prosecution and defense debated until the judge demanded prosecutors “get down to the meat of the case and start proving the SEC conspiracy charge.”

Tucker’s defense attorneys surprised everyone by refusing to call any witnesses. Defense attorney Daniel Glasser told the court, “It is impossible to present a defense when there has been no offense.” Kirby invited the jury to take a ride in one of the eight Tucker ‘48s parked in front of the courthouse. The verdict quickly came in “not guilty” on all counts.

Preston Tucker’s reputation rebounded after his acquittal. His optimism was remarkable; after the trial was over, he was quoted as saying, “Even Henry Ford failed the first time out.”

Despite the outcome of

the trial, speculation became widespread that the entire Tucker enterprise was a sham. The Tucker Automobile Club of America has amassed more than 400,000 drawings/blueprints, corporate documents, and letters suggesting Tucker was, in fact, planning to mass-produce the Tucker ‘48. He had hired more than 1,900 employees.

While Tucker may have been

a carmaker with foresight, he was financially short-sighted and his lack of financial backing forced his company into foreclosure. His assets were auctioned off, but two remaining Tucker 48s were given to him and his mother. He died of lung cancer on Dec. 26, 1956, at the age of 53, and is buried in Flat Rock, Mich.

Fraud difficult often to avoid

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Crooks see seniors as prime targets because a major portion of them have a nest egg or retirement program that can be picked clean.

A tried-and-true rule to paste on your fridge is: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Should a phone call or email sound enticing, hang up and check with your tax preparer or attorney or financial advisor if whatever was offered seems to fit into your planning.

An innocuous scam that’s among the many that keep prevailing is the invitation to a free meal to learn about attractive financial opportunities in real estate, reverse mortgages, living trusts, or a variety of other fields.

In many cases, the credentials of the presenters are overstated and the sales force that descends upon the gathering are determined to sell you unsuitable investments or products or even try to convince you to replace your existing portfolio.

AN INNOVATIVE VEHICLE A Tucker Torpedo, part of a small line of innovative vehicles designed by Preston Tucker following the second World War, with features such as a roll bar, turn-activated headlight and a windshield that popped out in collisions.

Medical mistakes in the millions

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Medical mistakes rank as the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

So it behooves you, as elderly academicians are prone to proclaim, to get a second opinion when faced with a medical crisis of any sort.

A neighbor’s wife under-

went surgery not too long ago after she was diagnosed as having a spinal nerve disorder and was left with several inches of metal in her backbone that limited the use of her right arm and hand. It was later revealed that all this was unnecessary because she was diagnosed with having spinal cancer that radiation would have been used to cure.

More than 12 million people die from medical misdiagnoses each year, according to most surveys dealing with this matter. Autopsies reveal that 20% of the bodies inspected died of causes other than those reported.

Medical annals are cluttered with cases of mistaken diagnosis of disabilities and disease. Even within medical ranks.

Ways to snore no more

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

Snoring can ruin your partner’s sleep as well as your own. Almost half the population snores at some time in their lives. One out of four people snore regularly. Only half of the people who snore admit to snoring.

The sound of snoring has been reported to hit as high as a car horn or low-flying jet.

Folks who snore regularly are five times as likely to suffer heart disease than those who only snore now and then.

It’s the third major reason given for getting a divorce, following infidelity and financial issues.

A little exercise can help you

avoid snoring or, if you’re already a snorer, cut down on its effect on you and those around you.

You don’t have to get any special equipment or join a gym. These exercises can be done while you’re standing, sitting, or lying down. You can do them in the shower, when walking the dog, or while watching television.

Developers of these exercises call them throat sit-ups. They report that patients who face surgery or have been wearing mouth guards to curb snoring have been able to discard the devices or avoid surgery after doing these exercises, which take about five minutes, three times a day for six weeks.

The first is a simple tongue

press. Push the tip of your tongue firmly behind your upper teeth and drag it tightly back along the roof of your mouth as far as you can. Try saying the five vowels –a,e,i,o,u – at the same time.

While saying the vowel sounds again, suck your entire tongue up against the roof of your mouth.

Now try raising the back of the roof of your mouth and, if you can’t get the vowel sounds, say aaah.

Repeat each of these throat sit-ups about 20 times.

You should discuss your situation with your primary care physician, who can recommend therapies or specialists as needed.

Strokes strike anyone anytime

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

Recognizing a stroke in its early stages can save the life of the victim, which could be yourself or someone nearby.

There are several tell-tale signs that blood flow to your brain has been cut off, which causes brain cells to die and affects your awareness and activity.

The most common cause of a stroke is a blood clot that plugs a blood vessel in the brain. Strokes can also occur when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds into the brain. The victim may feel nothing, some numbness or severe pain. The result can be minor or debilitating, striking the whole

body with long-term mental and physical paralysis.

It’s the third leading cause of death.

Getting treatment within an hour of the attack can prevent much of the damage and disability it inflicts. Restoring blood flow to the brain as quickly as possible lowers the chance of serious permanent injury.

Those most likely to have a stroke are the elderly and risk factors include hypertension, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, sickle-cell disease and a family history of stroke.

Indications that you’re having a stroke are stumbling as you try to walk, weakness on one side, trouble seeing and difficulty speaking. Most peo-

ple do not recognize they’re having a stroke so it’s up to someone nearby to recognize the signs and call 911 immediately.

What you will notice is the stroke victim is confused and has trouble talking to you and understanding what you are saying to them. They might suddenly have trouble seeing you out of one or both eyes.

You could notice a sudden drooping, especially of one side of their face and body. They might complain of a sudden headache and dizziness while losing some of their physical coordination.

If you notice anyone with just one of these signs, call 911.

For example, a nurse complaining of a severe headache that radiated down her shoulder to her waist was diagnosed by a doctor as having tensions headaches and was prescribed some pain medication.

When she collapsed a few days later, doctors discovered she had a ruptured blood vessel in her brain.

This event mirrors what thousands of folks suffer after visiting a doctor - they receive treatment that doesn’t cure the cause and can die or become permanently disabled.

Doctors, like all humans, make mistakes.

Take charge of your health issues. Write down an outline of your medical history as well as a list of the symptoms of whatever condition you’re seeking help for. Also write down the diagnosis so you’ll have it correctly to show the second doctor after they’ve given you their opinion of your malady.

If you still haven’t been satisfied or assured of a positive outcome, get a third opinion.

Even common and widespread health problems such as high blood-pressure and fractures are misdiagnosed. No matter what your doctor tells you at your next visit, get a second opinion. If your doctor balks at the suggestion, change doctors.

Time and rest battle colds

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Colds have been compared to, among other things, hangovers — the only thing that cures both of them is time.

Youngsters catch a half-dozen or so colds a year, while adults average a couple or so.

During these complex COVID-19 times, it’s difficult to tell if you’ve been attacked by the original virus or a variant, or if you’ve contracted the flu, or if you have a cold.

If you and your doctor have narrowed down your event to the common cold, what do you take for it?

Home remedies abound.

Many oldsters may remember the mustard plaster: a poultice of mustard-seed powder pressed between two towels and placed over the chest while you slept. It’s was supposed to sweat the ills out of your body and stop the cough accompanying your cold.

It’s still being used.

Also on the cure-yourself list is to totter off to bed with a box of tissue handy for blowing your nose. To help you sleep, a shot of brandy, straight or in a glass of warm

water, is often recommended.

Staying hydrated has become more popular and so has gargling a warm salt-water solution to relieve a scratchy throat.

A world-wide cure for almost anything is a nice warm bowl of chicken soup. Supporters of this remedy concede it may not always help, but it can’t hurt.

The array of cold remedies at your nearby pharmacy have been rated no better than what you can come up with at home.

For example, combining honey, lemon and ginger in a jigger of warm water is a tasty bit of relief. Adding a bit of whisky or rum doesn’t hurt.

Garlic in any form is regarded by many cultures as a hefty weapon against the common cold.

How can anyone resist the offer of a nice cup of warm tea while wrapped in a shawl and seated in a recliner beside a warm stove.

And, back to the beginning, getting rid of a cold takes nothing but rest and time. Everything else you do is an effort to be comfortable. Don’t do anything without consulting with your doctor.

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Assisted Living & Memory Care in beautifully renovated community. Parkinson’s Disease Certification. Studios to two-bedroom apartments available.

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1000-114th Street, Whiting, IN 46394 (219) 659-2770

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Rehabilitation Unit, Skilled Licensed Nursing, Semi-Skilled Nursing, Therapies: Speech-Occupational-Physical, Long Term Care, Temporary Care, Respite Care, Hospice Care, JCAHO Accredited, Private/Semi-Private Rooms, Pet Visitation Allowed, Medicare and/or Medicaid

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2775 Village Point, Chesterton, IN 46304 (219) 304-6700

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Post Hospital Rehabilitation & Care, Physical, Occupational, Speech, Stroke Recovery, Cardiac Care, Pulmonary Rehab, Wound Care, Infection Management, Renal Management, Resort-Style Senior Living, New & Impeccably Designed Facility

Ignite Medical Resort of Crown Point

1555 S. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307 (219) 323-8700

www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Ignite Medical Resort of Dyer 1532 Calumet Avenue, Dyer, IN 46311 (219) 515-4700

www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Lake Park Residential Care

2075 Ripley Street, Lake Station, IN 46405 (219) 962-9437 • www.assistedlivingfacilities.org

Assisted Living, Long Term Care, Temporary Care, Private/Semi-Private Rooms, Residential Care, Mental Health Services, Activities, Pet Visitation Allowed, Medicare and/or Medicaid

Life Care Center of The Willows

1000 Elizabeth Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46385 (219) 464-4858 • www.lcca.com

Rehabilitation Unit, Skilled Licensed Nursing 24/7, Ready Set Go Program for Rehab to Home; Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies; Exceptional Wound Care; Respite Care; Pallitative and Hospice Care; Long-term Care; Private/Semi-Private Rooms; Pet Visitation Allowed; Medicare, Medicaid, Most Insurances, Private Pay Accepted

Life Care Center of Valparaiso

3405 N. Campbell, Valparaiso, IN 46385 (219) 462-1023 • www.lcca.com/Valparaiso

Rehabilitation Unit, Skilled Licensed Nursing, Ready Set Go Rehab Program, Inpatient/Outpatient Physical, Occupational, Speech, Respiratory, Therapy, Wound Care, Respite And Hospice Care, Private/Semi-Private Rooms, Pet Visitation Allowed, Facility Van, JCAHO Accredited, Medicare, Insurance, Medicaid Accepted

Residences at Coffee Creek

Experience Our Unique Approach To Senior Living & Memory Support 2300 Village Point, Chesterton, IN 46304 (219) 921-5200 • ResidencesSeniorLiving.com

Retirement Living, Assisted Living, Dedicated Memory Support, Respite Care, Therapy Available, Pet Friendly and VA Benefits Accepted

Residences at Deer Creek

Experience Our Unique Approach To Senior Living & Memory Support 401 E. U.S. 30, Schererville, IN 46375 (219) 864-0700 • ResidencesSeniorLiving.com

Retirement Living, Assisted Living, Dedicated Memory Support, Respite Care, Therapy Available, Pet Friendly and VA Benefits Accepted

Anthony 203 Franciscan Drive. Crown Point, IN 46307 (219) 661-5100

MajesticCare.com

Assisted Living, Private Rooms, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing, Long Term Care, Respite Care, Rehabilitation Services (including Physical, Occupational, Speech and Respiratory Therapy), Pet Visitation, Accepts Most Payer Sources. *Saint Anthony is no longer affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the Diocese of Gary or the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago.

Saint

‘Autumn Leaves & Bunco

Agnes scholarship program

Agnes Adult Day Center hosted its first “Autumn Leaves & Bunco Please” fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 12. The event was held at St. Agnes with access to the beautiful Serenity Garden. The event sponsoring its scholarship program for low-income individuals was a huge success; tickets were sold out!

It was an afternoon with good food provided by Pesto’s Italian Restaurant. Prizes were from Family Express, Albanese Candy Factory and JLR Salon. Many came with friends and left with new friends, requesting it be done again next year.

St. Agnes specializes in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. It is a day facility open weekdays,

except Thursday at present. The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendance can be once a week or four days a week and can come anytime between business hours.

Two snacks and lunch provided by Meals on Wheels are provided during the day. The mission is to provide structured activities, nurture relationships, and professional care for body, mind and spirit.

Services promote equality, dignity and independence for adults with disabilities, regardless of race, religion, gender or financials to keep guests functioning at highest potential for as long as possible. The volunteers run activities

and move people from room to room throughout the day providing physical stimulation as much as mental stimulation.

St. Agnes has two support groups. A mixed group of men and women caregivers meets at 3 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at Porter County Community Foundation in Valparaiso. The other support group is for men caregivers and meets at 8:30 a.m. the first Wednesday of the month at Viking Chili Bowl in Valparaiso; and again at 8:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at Porter County Community Foundation.

St. Agnes aims to make the golden years brighter for our older friends!

A switch in time

“What time is it?” I asked my wife.

“It’s exactly 5 o’clock,” she replied as she glanced at the grandfather clock (grandpa, from now on) in our living room.

By DICK WOLFSIE

“It can’t be, Mary Ellen. It was precisely 5 o’clock 20 minutes ago. Come to think of it, it’s been 5 all day. Isn’t it only supposed to be 5 o’clock twice a day? I do like it, though, because whenever I look at the clock, it’s time for an aperitif.”

That’s when we realized our favorite antique had ceased to function. It wasn’t that we depended on it; we both have digital watches and a microwave that tells the time, but this was a fixture in our home with a long history in Mary Ellen’s family.

Just to annoy my wife, I suggested getting rid of grandpa. Understandably, this made her angry.

“Get rid of it? Get rid of it? This is a family heirloom, over 100 years old. It’s timeless.”

“I know it’s timeless. That’s the problem.”

We finally found a repairman to come to our house. There are very few repair women who fix grandfather clocks. But there are also very few grandmother clocks. By the way, the big difference between a grandmother clock and a grandfather clock, according to Wikipedia, is that a grandfather clock is taller and has a much longer pendulum.

The repairman was very knowledgeable about the history of the antique, informing us it was over 100 years old

and of German origin. I wondered if I could fix it myself with a little intimidation. I tried my best German accent: “If you don’t start verking, vee can make you tock.”

The repair was successful. We were delighted grandpa was back in working order. Not only was he keeping time, but his chiming ability had been restored. Recently, he hadn’t celebrated each hour with a tuneful outburst but simply ticked away. Mary Ellen and I were eager to hear him and also see if his dinging and donging would awaken us at night.

The repairman left at 4:20 p.m., so we had to wait until 5 p.m. to see if the old guy was really operating. It was like waiting for a pot to boil: 4:55, 4:56, 4:57, 4:58, 4:59, 5, 5:01, 5:02, 5:03. Nothing. Mary Ellen wanted to wait a little longer. Grandpa was over 100 years old; he deserved a little time to get up to speed. Ironically, for most of his life, he was fast.

“I’m not sitting here another hour,” I said.

But, of course, I did.

At 7 p.m. he chimed, but he didn’t at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., he was right on target. Not at 10 p.m. So, we figured that he only chimed on odd hours, which seemed, well, very odd. The next day, he chimed at 9 p.m. again but only eight times. Should we believe the clock or the number of chimes? The following day, he dinged whenever he wanted: 5, 5:50, 6:45, and 11:20. At noon, he chimed. We threw our hands up, just like grandpa does at noon and midnight.

Now, a week later, for reasons we will never understand, grandpa is functioning perfectly with a melodious sound right on the hour with the proper number of chimes. How long will this good fortune last?

Time will tell.

1859 Harrison Blvd. Valparaiso, IN 46385 (219) 477-5433

www.stagnesvalpo.org

Email: barbkubiszak@gmail.com

Monday-Friday 8-5 p.m.

Structured Activities, Safe & Secure Surroundings, Health Monitoring “Help make their Golden Years shine a little brighter.”

FUNDRAISING EVENT A HIT St. Agnes Adult Day Care Services recently held is first Autumn Leaves & Bunco Please fundraiser. Shown are some of the participants having a great time at the event.

Photo provided by St. Agnes Adult Day Care Services.

NUTSHELL

HEALTH CARE

HealthLinc

Multiple locations throughout Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke and St. Joe Counties (888) 580-1060

healthlincchc.org

Providing quality medical, dental, optical, behavioral health, pharmacy, podiatry, chiropractic and much more.

HEARING AID SVCS.

CLEAR EAR HEARING AID CENTER

827 W. 45th Avenue Griffin, IN 46319

(219) 934-9747

www.clearhearingaid.com

FREE Hearing Evaluations

FREE 3 Year Warranty & More

Many Insurance Plans Accepted Call For Details (Nursing Home & In-Home Appointments Available)

See Our Ad In This Issue

HOME HEALTH CARE

VISITING ANGELS HOME CARE

2340 Cline Ave., Schererville, IN 46375 (219) 322-6100

www.visitingangels.com

Nationally respected, non medical, home care service. Providing CNA’s, HHA’s & Companion Care.

* Assist w/Hygiene

* Meal Preparation

* Medication Reminders

* Light Housekeeping

* Transportation

* Hourly, 24-hour Care & Overnight Alzheimer’s / Dementia Care / Palliative Care

LICENSED * BONDED * INSURED

HOSPICE CARE

DUNES HOSPICE

(888) 602-9004

4711 Evans Avenue

Valparaiso, IN 46383 1417 N. Michigan Street Plymouth, IN 46563

duneshospicellc.com

A 5 Star hospice. Dunes Hospice has the highest visit frequencies in the area for nurses, CNAs, Social Workers, and Spiritual Counselors. We serve with dignity, honor, and above all, compassion.

HEART TO HEART HOSPICE OF NORTHERN INDIANA

402 Wall Street, Suite 22 Valparaiso, IN 46383

Phone: (219) 462-6529 Fax: (219) 462-9017

www.HTOHH.com

Compassionate care from our heart to yours.

Volunteers needed.

CHAP Accredited

HOSPICE OF THE CALUMET AREA MUNSTER

www.hospicecalumet.org (219) 922-2732 / (219) 736-2422

• Serving Lake, Porter and Bordering Illinois Communities Since 1981

• Hospice Services Are Covered 100% For Patients Who Are Medicare Eligible

• Not-for-profit

• Care Provided In Your Home Or In Our Hospice House

Our Ad In

UNITY HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE

Serving Porter, Jasper & Newton Counties in Indiana. (219) 769-8648

Greater Illinois area (312) 427-6000 www.unityhospice.com

Family owned & operated hospice

MEALS ON WHEELS OF NORTHWEST INDIANA 8446 Virginia St., Merrillville, IN (219) 756-3663 www.mownwi.org

A non-profit nutrition provider offering Chef Prepared Hot Lunches delivered daily (M-F). All meals are heart healthy & low sodium. Specialized diets are also available, as well as 5 or 7 packs of frozen meals.

Serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke & Pulaski counties.

MEDICAL CLINIC

NORTHSHORE HEALTH CENTERS

Locations in Portage, Lake Station, Chesteron, Merrillville, Hammond, LaPorte & DeMotte By appt. or walk-ins welcome. (219) 763-8112 or (888) 459-2349

www.northshorehealth.org

Affordable medical and urgent care regardless of ability to pay. Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance accepted. Discounted self-pay option.

IGNITE MEDICAL RESORTS

2775 Village Point Chesterton, IN (219) 304-6700

1555 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN (219) 323-8700 1532 Calumet Avenue Dyer, IN (219) 515-4700 www.ignitemedicalresorts.com

Orthopedic Rehabilitation, Stroke Recovery, Cardiac Care, Pulmonary Rehab, Wound Care, Infection Management, Renal Management

VNA HOSPICE NWI

501 Marquette St. Valparaiso, IN 46385

Additional Office In: Crown Point, IN (219) 462-5195 (219) 531-8181 Fax www.vnanwi.org

A not-for-profit organization for over 50 years. Accepts all hospice eligible patients, regardless of ability to pay. Veteran specialty hospice program. Serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton and Starke Counties. Making Best Days Possible

Offering premier end-of-life care For over 25 years at no cost to you, Because we care. See

MEMORY CARE

Breathtaking Palm Springs aerial tramway

Text and Photos

By FYLLIS HOCKMAN

Mature Life Features

The world’s larges rotating cable car suspended alongside the California mountain overlooking Palm Springs doesn’t sound appealing to someone like me, who isn’t all that happy about heights.

But safely enclosed as it slowly climbed to the top, I was able to fully appreciate the surroundings and prepare for even a more spectacular view awaiting me at the summit. And enjoy several attractions not usually associated with mountain tops.

The tramcar travels 2.5 miles along the cliffs of Chino Canyon to a height of more than 8,500 feet, offering 360-degree panoramic views of the desert below and the rugged mountain landscape.

As I focused on the scenes unfolding above me and below me, I overheard several people saying, “Okay, that’s high enough.” The popping in my ears alerted me to the increase in attitude. And then the experience began.

A restaurant and, as expected, a gift shop and 360-degree views, of course. Add a couple of theaters and a natural history nestled within 50 miles of hiking trails from easy to moderate to strenuous.

You could live up there. But keep in mind that temperatures can be as much as 30

degrees cooler than the city below.

Stunning views are everywhere. And looking down offers a very different perspective than looking up. The high-elevation patchwork of meadows, granite peaks and conifer forest is hard to turn away from.

You don’t often get a chance to look down upon the famed San Andreas fault - which Californians are always waiting to erupt into a dreaded earthquake. The sign at the viewing area warns the fault is moving almost 2 inches a year, suggesting that in a million years, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be neighbors.

Back at the restaurant a number of big-horn sheep straddled the mountainside right outside our table-side window.

One movie theater describes how to negotiate the mountain to best preserve the habitat, animal life and rangers in the San Jacinto wilderness. Two hundred species of wildlife, including coyotes, mountain lions, deer and bobcats roam the park. The other film tells the inspiring story of the creation of this monumental architectural “building of a dream” almost four decades ago. And then there’s the nature museum featuring all the plants and animals in the park, which is the largest wilderness area in southern California.

Escorted tours offer safety, mobility

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

Travel in any form can be rewarding, whether its hitch-hiking solo around the world or cruising the Caribbe-

an in a luxury liner loaded with hundreds of folks.

In most cases, people seem to enjoy traveling with other people. Cruise lines, tour operators, travel agents and the internet offer endless choices

Travel By Bridget, LLC

October 7th-16th, 2027

R/T Transportation to the airport from Knox or Plymouth, R/T Air with airport transfers from Honolulu to the hotel with 2 nights in Deluxe Accommodations on Waikiki Beach, Oahu at Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel or similar.

7 night cruise - departs from Oahu and stops at Kahului, Maui, Hilo, Kailua-Kona, and Nawiliwili, Hawaii with some overnights. 3 Excursions ... Honolulu excursion that includes a city tour, Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona, Luau Kalamaku in Kauai, and Oahu’s North Shore.

Breakfast daily, all meals during the 7 night cruise on board the ship (unless another specialty restaurant is chosen and not in

on destinations, levels of comfort, length of time, variety of activities, and type of lodgings.

If you wish to avoid the crowds participating in most of the above, you can seek out an escorted tour that is tailored more closely to your tastes.

They can make travel much simpler because your trip is preplanned and you have the safety and security of traveling in a group. When any problem arises, the tour escort handles it.

These group travelers no longer have to spend their trip

packed into a bus between stops to take photos of their sites.

Now they feed the animals on the farm they visit if they wish and have plenty of free time to tour the villages they visit on the back roads they travel.

An attraction right off is that the cost of such a tour is an all-in-on package that’s much cheaper than booking all the components yourself. The price includes transportation, meals, lodgings and activities on your schedule.

Among the major attractions of an escorted group tour is the ability to focus on a particular destination, event or activity.

You can be part of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem or to the Olympic games in a country you’ve always wanted to visit.

Or you can be among a group that settles comfortably into Tuscany or southern France for a few days to sip and sample their wines.

You can do almost anything and visit anywhere you wish, but don’t have to go it alone.

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.

WILDLIFE IN THE HIGH LIFE Bighorn sheep wander outside the a Palm Springs Aerial Tramway restaurant.

VERTIGO Palm Springs’ rotating cable car system, the world’s largest, offers panoramic views of the mountainsides and canyons below.

What’s happening at your local library

Below are all the adult programs, events and classes for the month of November at the Lake County Public Library.

Cedar Lake 10010 W. 133rd Ave.

Crochet @ Your Library, 4:306:30 p.m. Nov. 5, 12, 19.

Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Health Foundation of LaPorte restore Ambler Flatwoods Boardwalks

Thanks to the generosity of the Health Foundation of La Porte and the dedication of local volunteers, visitors to the Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve, Michigan City, can now enjoy 537 feet of newly-restored boardwalk, well beyond the original 400-foot goal.

The preserve’s clay subsoil often holds water on the trails, making its network of boardwalks essential for year-round access. Years of weather and fallen trees left many sections in need of repair.

With a $22,000 grant from the Health Foundation of La Porte, Shirley Heinze Land Trust set out to restore these sections of the boardwalk system and was supported by dedicated volunteers and community partners to get it done.

Corporate teams, civic groups, and dedicated individuals turned out for multiple workdays. These included GAF, a long-time supporter of Ambler Flatwoods, NWI Women’s Hive, Cleveland-Cliffs, Applied Specialty Underwriters, the Northern Indiana Chapter of Hiker Babes, SUM, and SWCA Environmental Consultants.

“We believe that all community members should be able to enjoy our preserves regardless of physical abilities,” said Kris Krouse, executive director of Shirley Heinze Land Trust. “Ambler Flatwoods is a beautiful preserve, and we’re incredibly thankful to the Health Foundation of La Porte and the many volunteers, who have made this preserve accessible for community members, who may not have otherwise been able to fully enjoy it.”

Shirley Heinze Land Trust plans to continue improving accessibility at Ambler Flatwoods and throughout the other preserves it protects across northwestern Indiana.

Since 1981, Shirley Heinze Land Trust has been dedicated to the preservation and restoration of significant natural areas throughout northwestern Indiana. Today, approximately 4,000 acres across Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Marshall, and Starke counties are permanently protected, and most of these nature preserves are open to the public to explore and enjoy.

Inflation is a four-letter word

By CECIL SCAGLIONE

Mature Life Features

There’s a lot of talk about inflation these days.

No one can pin point its cause nor can they really explain what it means. One generally accepted description is “Too much money chasing too few goods.” An economic term describes it as a general increase in prices and a fall in the purchasing power of money.

However you say it, it still means things cost more than they used to.

We’ve heard about the higher prices of cars, lumber, homes, and everything on the supermarket shelves.

But higher prices alone do not mean we should hyperventilate about inflation. They’re one of the elements that create inflation but the real culprit is the decline of your money’s purchasing power.

Just because the price of air fare goes up because everyone’s going on vacation doesn’t mean we’re being hit by inflation.

Money mavens are interested more in why prices rise. A rainy season can ruin a crop, boosting its price until regular seasonal

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/cl.htm or call (219) 374-7121.

Dyer-Schererville

1001 W. Lincoln Highway (US 30)

Crafters Gathering, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6.

All Ability Cute House Key Holder, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Mahjong Open Play, 1-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, 28.

Between the Lines Book Discussion, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20.

Morning Mix, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

New Parent & Caregiver Meet Up, 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/ds.htm or call (219) 322-4731.

Griffith-Calumet

1215 E. 45th Ave.

Thursday Threaders, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 6, 13, 20.

Mystery Loves Company Book Discussion, 1-2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

All Ability: Popsicle Scarecrow, 6-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17.

Medicare and You: 2026 Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Book Buddies, 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24.

All Ability: Gaming, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25. Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/gr.htm or call (219) 838-2825.

Highland

2841 Jewett St.

Once Upon a Crime Mystery Book Club, 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6.

All Ability: Fall Washi Tape Art, 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12.

supply can be resume. Supply-chain breakdowns can cause sudden but short-lived surges in the price of certain products.

Those events are not to be confused with inflation.

There are those who wail when the Federal Reserve Bank prints more money to meet demand because that lowers the value of currency.

Money supply is important, but so is the demand for money. If you lose confidence in the future of your currency, you’re likely to seek something else that will maintain its power to purchase what you need and want. Dumping dollars for gold and silver is one common practice, as is buying another country’s currency.

Like so many economic theories and multi-syllabic words, inflation is not easy to define.

When prices rise when consumers change their behavior or supply chains get snarled, that’s not inflation.

But when prices climb because there’s a shift in the supply of and demand for money, that’s when inflation starts to become a problem.

Mature Life Features

Stitch’n Time, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Medicare 101, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3.

Healthcare 101, 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Protect Your Identity & Credit Score, 6-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Paint’n Time, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, 25.

Revisiting Our Childhood: Friendship Bracelets, 5:306:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 .

Hobart Book Chat, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Whodunit? Adult Mystery Club, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24. Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/ho.htm or call (219) 942-2243.

Lake Station

2007 Central Ave. Hobby Hour, 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6

LEGO Night for Adults, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Knitting & Crochet Club, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 15. Craft and Chat, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. Tuesday Time Out, 1:302:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18. Mah Jongg Meet Up — Open Play, 1-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

Bingo at the Library!, 3-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/lsnc.htm or call (219) 962-2409.

Merrillville

1919 W. 81st Ave. (US 30) Keep Me In Stitches, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 1. Citizenship Class, 10:3011:30 a.m. Nov. 3, 5, 10, 12.

to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6.

Medicare 101 with Cliff Havens, 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Circle of Readers Book Discussion, 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Genealogy: End of the Year Genealogy Hangout, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.

ESL Conversation Club, 1011:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. All Ability: Fall Macrame Rainbow, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17.

AARP Smart Driver Course, 1-5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18. Monthly Resume Workshop, 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. Medicare Open Enrollment Event with S.H.I.P. Counselor, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

Senior Planet Lecture Series: How to Choose a New Computer, noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

Board Meeting, 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/cnl.htm or call (219) 769-3541.

Munster

8701 Calumet Ave. Monday Night Adult D&D, 6-8 p.m. Nov. 3, 24.

Adult Dungeons and Dragons, 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, 20.

Genealogy 10: Colonial Records, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Munster Book Discussion, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20.

Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/mu.htm or call (219) 836-8450.

St. John

Zero Waste Gift Wrapping, 3-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22. Fact or Fiction Book Club, 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25. Registration required for all programs: visit lcplin.org/ branches/hi.htm or call (219) 838-2394.

Hobart

100 Main St.

LGBTQ+ Considerations in Dementia Care, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3. A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls, 2-4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3.

English as a Second Language, 6-8 p.m. Nov. 3, 5, 10, 13, 17, 20.

Afternoon Euchre, 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25. Dungeons and Dragons for Adults, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Medicare Workshop, 11 a.m.

450 Wicker Ave. (US 41)

A Silent Book Club, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3. Off the Hook, 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26. Brain Benders, 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Nov. 7.

Medicare 101, 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Book Discussion, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12. Registration required for all programs; visit lcplin.org/ branches/sj.htm or call (219) 365-5379.

Lake County

On March 13, I wrote a letter to a medical firm in Lake County that uses a medical billing firm in the Indianapolis area. I’ve handled billing problems with both firms in the past.

With some editing to protect privacy, here is the letter that I sent to help the client and the billing problem with these firms:

“Our client sent to our firm a bill and some papers from your firm for our review. We found some problems with your billing to our client.

The client’s Medicare supplement insurance company explained the errors in your billing toward our client. Here are some of the problems.

The bill dated Feb. 7, 2025 asks for payment of a balance of $21.39 on Account

Number XXXXX for service on 06/05/2024. Here are the problems with this bill. The original billing amount was $325. Medicare allowed $83.84. The Medicare adjustment was $219.77. That left a balance of $21.39.

The secondary insurance company saw that you obligated your firm to give a discount to clients who use an insurance company connected with XXXXXX Health Network. The insurance company sent the balance after that discount to your firm. The check was sent to you on 09/13/2024 and your firm cashed it on 09/24/2024.

The check was a bulk check for $36.99 and $17.11 of that was to be applied toward the balance for this client.

So, you did not honor your commitment to give the

By WOODROW WILCOX Senior Problem Resolution Officer Senior Care Insurance Services

discount. You did not account correctly for the $17.11 you got toward the balance. And you got the money on Sept. 24, 2024 but had not posted

the payment to the correct account by the time you sent the bill discussed dated Feb. 7, 2025. Should we call that ‘sloppy’ or ‘dishonest’ bookkeeping?

If you need help finding the money, phone the XXXXXXXXXX banking service at 855-XXX-XXXX. The insurance company will report this to XXXXXX Health Network.

If you need the insurance company’s help to correct your books, phone 800-XXXXXXX.”

All the help that I gave this client was free of charge. This insurance agency helps all our clients with this type of medical billing problem without charge. It is how we demonstrate to our clients that we really do appreciate and care for them.

Woodrow Wilcox is the senior

medical bill case worker at Senior Care Insurance Services in Merrillville, Indiana. He has saved clients of that firm over $3 million by fighting mistakes and fraud in the Medicare system. Also, Wilcox wrote the book “Solving Medicare Problem$” which is available by ordering from book stores or online.

Favorites from before

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

There probably still are 50-year-old things around the house that recall the days of yore.

How about that pair of ugly but comfortable Birkenstocks? And that packet of M&Ms tucked into the kitchen cupboard?

A constant reminder of decades past are those big square brown trucks UPS still uses, as is your color television set, which came into its own in the mid 60s.

Alex Trebek and “Jeopardy” began their amazing run about the same time as “Star Trek” ventured “where no man has gone before.”

The Big Mac and Pop-Tarts emerged back then with a healthier counterpart, Gatorade.

Both James Bond and The Beatles popped into our culture about the same time as the pill, which planted seeds for the later sexual revolution.

Mature Life Features