Senior Life - Allen County - September 2023

Ed Rahn is a railroader through and through.

Though he never worked on the railroad, he grew up in Huntington, just a few blocks from the Erie Railroad where his father and grandfather worked. His dad was a locomotive engineer and grandfather was chief clerk to the road foreman and train master in the Marion division office. What really hooked him on trains was when his dad invited him to ride in the locomotive on a run to Marion, Ohio, when he was a

third grader.

“I’ll never forget that trip,” said Rahn. “He also took my younger brother when he was that age.”

Dad built the boys a Lionel train layout that kept them occupied and out of trouble most of the time.

Today, Rahn has two operating layouts at his home in Ossian.

One is an 8-by-5 1/2 foot HO gauge set-up that can operate five trains at once on several levels. The other is a two-level O gauge Lionel layout on an 11-by-7 foot board.

Rahn adds clickty-clacking track sounds, whistles, hissing steam and control tower instructions to give the whole

...add realism to train layouts

operation a touch of realism.

He started his first train layout when he was 12 years old. It was a Lionel steam engine, which he still has.

“I sold another locomotive years later to buy HO trains because I could get more into a smaller space,” Rahn said. “I still have a soft spot in my heart for Lionel and that is why I built a train board specifically for Lionel. I like all the working accessories that make Lionel special like the watchman, who comes down the steps from the twostory control tower to check the trains as they pass for hot boxes.”

He has added operating crossing gates, flashing lights, street lights and a track-side shed where a man with a lantern steps out when the

trains pass. There’s also a trolley car running back and forth on its own track.

“There’s lots going on, and it’s fun to watch. My grandkids used to get a kick out of it, but they’re into other things now,” Rahn said.

According to Rahn, train layouts are a work in progress.

“You can always add more scenery, new track-side buildings, a house or business in the village,” Rahn said. “This is a hobby I still share with my brother, Dennis. He’s a retired Indianapolis police officer. He has a very elaborate layout utilizing the latest computercontrolled technology. He

also sells model train engines, cars and accessories online at Whistles and Growls. My layouts, on the other hand, operate on direct current. It’s strictly old school.”

The walls of his man cave/ den/TV room are covered with Erie Railroad train photos

Continued on page 3

United Way president and CEO enjoys serving the community

countless other organizations, which can meet many needs.

When you hear the term United Way, what’s your first thought? Do you know all that the agency does for the community? President and CEO Robert Haworth, Ph.D., would like to educate you, and he’s amply qualified to do so.

“I am a retired public school superintendent. After a 30year career in public education, I was looking for an encore profession that would allow me to continue making a difference and had a much narrower focus. The United Way of Allen County provided such an opportunity, as it recently identified housing stability, food insecurity, mental health access, and increasing educational opportunities as its four priorities. Throughout my career in public education, United Way has always been a key collaborator, so it seemed like a great fit,” Haworth said.

United Way isn’t the kind of agency offering just individual help. It works with

“Our ability to offer assistance is found in the desire to live united with other organizations that want everyone in Allen County to thrive,” Haworth said. “The United Way of Allen County has a vision to transform through measurable impact. To make that vision a reality, the United Way collaborates with a number of nonprofits throughout the community that want to end homelessness and hunger, while increasing educational opportunities for everyone.”

Haworth said his favorite part of being the CEO of United Way is coming to work each day.

“I am blessed to work with a team committed to boldly impacting critical community issues,” Haworth said. “I am encouraged daily by a staff working diligently to provide services and the resources to ensure neighbors receive a hand up. I am also humbled to work for a volunteer execu-

tive board that freely gives their time, treasure, and talents. These two groups team together to make a difference, and I am honored to be associated with their impact.”

Historically, the United Way served as the community chest of Allen County.

“We would collect donor dollars from throughout the community and deploy them in various areas. Although that model still exists, we are

evolving into an organization that wants to attack specific critical issues as identified by the community. Through recent meetings and surveys, the community identified housing, food insecurity, mental health access and educational opportunities as the current priorities for the United Way,” explained Haworth.

In the near future, Haworth would like to see the United Way leading measurable impact.

Currently, there are multiple food deserts within Allen County.

“It would be my hope that in the near future, you would see a reduction in the number as a direct result of United Way and its collaborative partners,” Haworth said. At the end of the last school year, nearly 1,800 school-age children were identified as homeless.

“In the near future, can we put together effective programs and long-term strategies that provide homes

for our most vulnerable?” Haworth asked.

There is much you can do, too.

“I would suggest giving time to the service of others,” Haworth said.

In 1992, about 250 volunteers gathered to help spruce up what was then the YWCA campus on North Wells Street. This event has now grown into an opportunity for thousands of volunteers to come together to make Allen County a better place to live and work.

“On Aug. 23, we celebrated our 31st anniversary of the Day of Caring. More than 1,500 volunteers participated in over 60 community service projects in Allen County,” Haworth said.

Day of Caring projects include various tasks, such as cleaning, landscaping, painting, and general maintenance. The completed work this year was done at nonprofit agencies, schools, private residences, trails, and other community areas.

Jeff ‘JJ’ Shaw, Attorney at Law

Celebrating an anniversary?

There are many people who will be celebrating special wedding anniversaries in the coming months. Senior Life would like to include pictures and information on those persons celebrating 40 years of marriage or more. In addition to including your names, address, date of marriage, children and date of celebration tell us something about you and your spouse. If you have a special or unique story of how you met and dated, share it with us and the rest of our readers.

Send us your anniversary information and photo by the 20th of every month.

Anniversary information should be e-mailed to dpatterson@the-papers.com, or mailed to Senior Life, P.O. Box 188, Milford, Indiana, 46542-0188. If you include a self-stamped addressed envelope, we will be glad to return your photo.

Continued from page 1 and memorabilia, including clocks, switch keys, calendars, brass uniform buttons, plaques, plates and rail passes. Some of it was collected by his father and grandfather.

After retiring as a printer from the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette after 36 years, he did some part-time work on railroads in the west as a wide-load expeditor. He’s been volunteering as a presenter in the Indiana Operation Lifesaver program for 22 years, informing people on railroad safety and the dangers encountered at railroad crossings. He’s happy to give free presentations anywhere.

“I’m also a member of the Lionel Collector Club of America,” he concluded.

Lois Smith inspired to become author, starts publishing company

have benefitted.

Lois Smith unexpectedly conceived a children’s book during the pandemic, then founded a publishing company. As a result, entire classrooms of students

Smith was enjoying a slower pace and looking out of her window with her young granddaughter, when inspiration struck.

“The idea of writing a children’s book came to me in April

2022 shortly after the words, ‘Once upon a robin,’ came out of my mouth, while watching the robins with my not quite 2-yearold granddaughter,” she said. “The rest of the text came to me over the next few days. . . .”

Her son-in-law connected the dots that she might be an author. His former intern, Hannah Scheele, came on board as illustrator. “Once Upon a Robin: A Story of Hope,” was released April 26.

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Smith’s varied background likely helped her to pivot into becoming an author of rhyming books. She became a musician as a young child, had broad previous work experience, and had taken time off to spend time with her children. Although she studied elementary education extensively, her bachelor’s degree is in business administration. A brief stint as a personal assistant to Mike Douglas, the host of the daily TV show by the same name started in the 1960s, and her role as a financial analyst at Johnson and Johnson during the, “Tylenol poisoning era of 1982,” are career highlights.

“Because of my business background, and my husband’s, as well, I was able to navigate the decisions regarding starting a business and publishing the book,” she said.

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Her son-in-law designed the Robin House Press logo. Rhyming words are a main feature in her books. She now has three more rhyming texts written.

To publish her book, Smith studied extensively, met with friends who had published books and joined Facebook groups, including the “Self Publishing Support Group.”

“The other great source of information was the Allen County Public Library. Not only are the resources there in book form, but the librarians are more than happy to assist,” Smith

said. “We called the Aboite branch study room our ‘cocoon’ because we met there so often. I perused many picture books for format and ‘production’ decisions.”

One Sunday in church, an acquaintance casually asked her, “What have you been doing with yourself lately?” She mentioned the book and before long, she was meeting with her.

“We arranged a home-school, co-op reading and a reading in a kindergarten class at Abbett Elementary School in Fort Wayne, which turned into four kindergarten classes,” she said.

Additionally, she read in all the classrooms at Turnstone’s Kimbrough Early Learning Center, which was delightful.

“Hannah and I did a joint event at Grace Point’s Kiddie Prep, with two large groups from ages five through 12 years old,” she said.

Smith hopes her publishing company will spread awareness of how rhyming improves vocabulary, spelling and reading. The book is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble. com, and walmart.com; price is $9.99 for paperback and $15.99 for hardcover.

Her advice to others?

“Start to read online or go to the library. Google: ‘how to write a fill-in-your-genre-here book.’ Be inspired by Habakkuk 2:2, which said, ‘Write the vision so those who read it can run with it,’” she said.

Bob Fruchey: ‘Tuesday and Thursday mornings are for playing tennis’

Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. are special for Bob Fruchey. He can be found on the tennis courts at Cherry Hill in the summer and at Wildwood Racquet Club September through April.

“I look forward to playing,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to get in some good exercise, be with some long-time friends, enjoy the camaraderie and do some trash talking. I started playing doubles with this bunch (Happy Days Lawn and Tennis Club) back in the late 1970s. It has been a great association. For the past four or five years, we’ve even been gathering at different restaurants for lunch on Tuesdays.”

A new player, who joined the group this summer, told Fruchey after his first match that he thought his style of play fit in well with the group and he felt comfortable. However, the new player said, “I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with the constant trash talk and joking around.”

Fruchey added, “Playing summers at Cherry Hill is great. You can’t beat the fresh air, the

blue skies, the bright sunshine and the nice views. There are, however a lot of distractions, like cars, walkers, joggers and bikers going by, and we occasionally get rained out. The courts there are right next to the golf course’s ninth tee, so if a ball happens to go over the fence, the golfers are always happy to stop and toss it back. I take my leaf blower along to clear the leaves and little sticks that fall out of the nearby trees. The biggest advantage is there’s no cost.”

Now that they are playing indoors through next April, weather is not a factor. The only distractions are the players in the next court and some errant balls.

“The best thing is that the background is consistent so visibility is always good,” he said. “You’d think that would make us better players, but that isn’t necessarily the case.”

Two of Fruchey’s grandsons have taken up the game. Greg, a junior at Canterbury High School, is a beginner on the tennis team and Tim, a sixth grader at Leo Junior Senior High School, is learning to play.

“I’ve taught them to take

advantage of their opponent’s weaknesses. They’ve learned that I don’t particularly like to run, so they’ve gotten pretty good at hitting the ball to the empty court, so they can watch me dash back and forth to return their shots,” Fruchey said.

His wife, Kathy, played a lot of tennis until COVID hit so, he said, “We’re thinking about doing some doubles with the boys.”

The Leo native first picked up a tennis racket in high school and continued to play recreationally at Purdue University, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. Following graduation, he returned home to work at Don R. Fruchey, Inc., the company founded by his father. He served as president from 1981 until he retired seven years ago.

“Golf used to be my passion, but it has taken a back seat to tennis,” said Fruchey. “Now, I only get out on the course three or four times a season, mostly for special outings. Back in high school at Leo, I played on the golf team and during my four years on the team, our match record was around 80 wins and 10 losses.”

Mature travel matters

Travel Through Time

As you motor around the country, visiting the grandkids or getting to see the sites on your to-do list or heading back for a class reunion, you can also travel back through time to trace your ancestry.

When you get to your home town, you can leaf through local records to trace your forebears back as far as they lived in that location. Having pored through your lineage online or through family files,

you can stop on the way there or the way back home in towns and cities mentioned in your chronicles.

It’s a good way to see America as well as trace your ancestors.

On a grander scale, you can visit the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island Foundation to view the names of some 65 million immigrants who were documented at the island from 1820 to 1957.

If your forebears immigrated here, the travel back through time in their native lands can be even more interesting and fun.

Manners Make Travel More Enjoyable Listening to travelers complain about how they were treated in some foreign land is akin to hearing kids complain about their teachers.

First off, keep in mind that travelers are guests where they are. Just because the locals don’t understand English is no reason to harp about their rudeness. You might discover that travelers have no concept what language was spoken in the country they visited. They didn’t try to learn a few vital words in that language, such as “please” and “thank you.”

Ignorance of one’s surroundings is an all-too-common trait of travelers.

A small sample of such mindlessness occurred not long ago. A member of a small group ahead of us, strolling along in the shadow of St. Peter’s in Vatican City, proudly

proclaimed how thrilled she felt “walking in the footsteps of Jesus.”

She then complained loudly to her tour guide that the Pope’s noon blessing from his high-up window was too far away to tell if it was really him.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

1. Ostoscopic Examinations

A video inspection of your ear canal and eardrum will determine if wax is causing sound to be muffled.

2. Speech Understanding Assessment

Find out how well you understand conversational speech.

3. Familiar Voice Test

Bring a loved one to your appointment: we’ll check your hearing and understanding of his or her voice.

4. Baseline Audiogram

Find out which sounds you’re hearing and which sounds you’re not.

Elder abuse: combating injustice

for unusual changes in behavior around:

• Family members.

• Staff at inpatient facilities.

• Sudden changes to a will.

• Unusual changes in money management.

Elder abuse is the intentional mistreatment or harming of an older person. An older person is defined by the Social Security Act as someone over age 60. This abuse takes many forms — including physical, emotional, and sexual harm, neglect, and financial exploitation.

More than 1 in 10 older adults experience some form of abuse each year. That number is likely much higher because elder abuse is often underreported — especially in underserved communities.

Abuse victims typically show emotional and behavioral red flags, such as depression, unusual fear or anxiety, or intentional isolation. Many victims are abused by someone they know or trust. It’s important to look

• Hired or volunteer caregivers.

• People in positions of trust like doctors or financial advisors.

You can also help make a difference by checking in with older loved ones. Looking for warning signs of mistreatment is the first step to preventing abuse. Signs of physical abuse include bruises, burns, or other unexplained injuries.

There may also be signs of neglect like:

• Poor nutrition or hygiene.

• Lack of necessary medical aids like glasses or medications that a caretaker should be providing.

There may also be indications of financial abuse. These may include:

• Unpaid rent.

• Large, unexplained financial transactions.

• Mortgages despite sufficient financial resources.

• Allowing someone new to access bank accounts.

If you suspect that someone is a victim of elder abuse, don’t ignore it! If you or someone you care about is in a life-threatening situation, call 911. If you suspect that something isn’t right — but nobody seems to be in immediate danger — contact: Your local Adult Protective Services at napsa-now.org/helpin-your-area.

The National Center on Elder Abuse at (855) 500-3537 (ELDR).

You can also find additional local resources by searching the Eldercare Locator for your community at eldercare.acl.gov/

Public/index.aspx.

Take some time to call or visit with an older adult. Ask if they are okay and listen to what they tell you. Pay attention to signs of

Trouble is brewing at home

I don’t remember the last time I cleaned out the fridge in our basement. It’s kind of my fridge. Mary Ellen keeps her distance. She has her own upstairs. I’ve been heaving leftovers in the old appliance for a decade, like it is some kind of trash compactor. I don’t believe in wasting food, so it was just killing me yesterday to throw away

perfectly good six-month-old tomatoes and what must have once been a very crisp cucumber.

It was when I finally removed one of the vegetable bins for a quick hosing that I first set my eyes on it. Now I know the excitement Richard Leakey must have felt when he gazed upon the skeletal remains of our early human

ancestors. There, wedged behind every Hidden Valley Ranch on the bottom shelf, was an unopened bottle of Three Stooges Beer. Moe, Larry and Curly were grinning at me after several years chilling out in the back of our Whirlpool. Yes, gentlemen, there once was a Three Stooges Beer. No longer. No Curly Light or Moe Extra Dry, either. Sorry.

The bottle was part of an assortment of exotic brews I received years ago for emceeing a fundraising event. Why didn’t I know about this beer when I was in college? Why would I sprawl out on my dorm room bed with a can of

Budweiser when I could have drunk myself stupid with the world’s funniest threesome?

So, what happened to Three Stooges Beer? Forgive me, but I blame the ladies. Stranded in the Sahara Desert, mouth parched, near death, no woman would drink a Three Stooges Beer. You know this, of course. We all instinctively recognize that women hate anything that has to do with The Three Stooges. If they won’t laugh at them, they certainly won’t chug them. You might as well offer them a Jerry Lewis Chablis. In fact, that’s why most of you men have never even heard of Three Stooges Beer. For years, a dedicated band of women were buying this product and dumping it at chemical waste sites.

When women shop for food, they prefer brand names like Mrs. Paul and Sara Lee. But honestly, ladies, did your Aunt Millie or Mama Mancini ever make you laugh?

abuse or unusual behavior. Most of all, don’t be afraid to report instances of suspected abuse. Share this information with those who need it.

So, in my opinion, more food should be named specifically after old-time comedians. Sadly, I don’t think Madison Avenue would take the chance of alienating women shoppers. I asked my wife if she’d ever buy Abbott and Costello Jello.

“Not a chance, Dick. I don’t want my food to taste funny. But I would buy Brad Pitt Olives. And I’d love some Idris Elba Macaroni. I already have stocked away 14 bottles of Paul Newman’s Own salad dressing.”

Personally, I’d buy Laurel and Hardy Beef Stew. Doesn’t John Cleese Cream Cheese sound good? And wouldn’t a bottle of Betty White Vinegar look good on your pantry shelf?

I know what you are wondering: “Dick, will you open that rare treasure and guzzle what might be the last bottle of Three Stooges Beer? I might. But I’ll regret it. And then I’ll smack myself upside the head.

Mark Shuler Medicare Specialist

Elder Law

Q. What is an Estate’s Personal Representative and how is one appointed?

A. A personal representative is the individual appointed by the Court to oversee the management of a decedent’s estate. Their duties often include simple tasks such as bill pay, but also sometime include the difficult duty of marshalling, locating, and organizing, the decedent’s property. This individual typically works closely with an attorney who helps them throughout the probate process.

A personal representative must be appointed by the Court and file with the Court their oath to fulfill their duties pursuant to Indiana law and any directives set out by the decedent in the last will and testament. With that

Senior Relocation

A. Wanting to downsize from your home to a retirement community can be an overwhelming experience. Many times people want to move, but end up not doing so because of the many things that must be done.

A few comments that I have heard over the years include:

1) I have to spend money to fix up my home before I sell it.

2) My attic and basement are full of stuff; I will have to have a garage sale.

3) I have to pack and move all of my belongings.

Looking at this list of concerns would cause anyone to just say “Forget It!”

This is where we can help!

Our services include selling your home

Ryan M. Gardner Attorney at Law and Partner

said, most decedents designate their preference for whom should serve as personal representative in their will. This designation is not always dispositive and a person other than whomever was appointed in a will may be appointed to serve as personal representative, but a designation in a will is typically heavily relied upon by a Court when making an appointment for a personal representative.

Medicare Insurance

Q. Do my prescription drug costs count toward my out-of-pocket maximum on Advantage plans?

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A. Medicare Advantage plans that include Prescription Drug coverage (MAPD) do have a Maximum Out-ofPocket (MOOP) for Medicare Part A & Part B services. Some prescription drugs (typically those that require administration by a physician) can be covered under Part B, and would count toward the MOOP on your MAPD plan. Prescription drugs that you fill through a retain or mail-order vendor will generally NOT apply toward the MOOP on your MAPD plan.

PDP plans do have stages that impact how much a Medicare Beneficiary will be required to pay for their meds.

Over the course of the next few years,

Michelle Walters Executive Vice President

we will begin to see some dramatic changes in how Medicare Prescription Drug plans will operate — including a maximum out-of-pocket for prescription drugs coming as early as 2025. Have question? Give us a call. Our consultation and education services are FREE!

Harriet Stennfeld heart and soul of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church

years and am now just one of the class members.”

Harriet Stennfeld, 90, is a bundle of energy and an active, stalwart member of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Waynedale.

Three days a week, she leads a group of nine walkers around the church parking lot from 7:30-9 a.m. She heads the annual church rummage sale, she helped serve families after funerals, is part of the Altar Guild, and she is president of Sunshine Circle.

“I don’t do these things for my own personal satisfaction. These are all activities that are vital to God’s work and the life of the church. I feel that those who just come for Sunday services and leave are missing out on sharing some wonderful experiences with some really wonderful people,” she said.

She added, “I grew up in this church. My parents were charter members when it was formed in 1928. I was baptized here, taught Sunday school here from age 13 to 26, when I married my pastor husband, Fred Stennfeld (deceased). I also taught Bible class for 40

When the church was starting to form and enlist members, meetings were held in her grandmother’s living room. The original church was located on lower Huntington Road.

“It was a sad day when the old church was torn down. It was such a big part of our lives,” she said.

Being short in stature, she attended the public school close to the family home because the Lutheran school her older siblings went to was a considerable walk. The family moved closer to the Lutheran school a couple years later and she transferred. Stennfeld recalled that her school friends named her father the “sheriff of Waynedale” because her father was a deputy sheriff.

“I enjoyed being a pastor’s wife and being totally involved in the life of the church,” Stennfeld said. “Fred first served as pastor of a Lutheran church in Columbus, and then one in Buckley, Illinois.”

The town had just 700 residents, but the church congregation had more than 1,000 people.

“People came from all the farming communities from miles around. It was a very active church, and I have wonderful memories of my friends there and our life there. We also served at churches in Fort Wayne,” Stennfeld said.

She wrote some poetry when she was in high school. Later, her husband asked her to write a poem he could use to close a sermon he was working on.

“I began contributing poems regularly for his sermons and for the back of the church bulletin and later I selfpublished a 200-page book of poetry. I also contributed poetry for Buckley anniversaries, and submitted one to Hope Publishing Company, which actually paid me $100,”

She also writes devotions for Hopeful Living magazine, which is published on the Lutheran Seminary Campus in Fort Wayne.

The Stennfelds had four children, three girls and a boy. Her son followed in his father’s footsteps to become a pastor, two daughters are teachers and one is a pastor’s wife. None of her children have taken to writing poetry, but her pastor son, John, has

written 350 hymns.

“I think about our years in Buckley often and probably refer to that time more than my friends care to hear. My

daughter recently took me back there, and she thought she was in Mayberry. I’m happy to be back at Mount Calvary,” she added.

Pickpockets feast on travelers

Traveling with or moving in and out of a crowd may make you feel safe, but packs of people also hide the cunning who can make off with your wallet or purse.

Oddly enough, Vatican City is reportedly high on the list of most dangerous place for visitors as pickpockets mingle freely with the more than 6 million pilgrims that visit each year.

In any crowd, women should carry their purse in front of them and men keep their wallet in a side or front trouser pocket.

Being aware of your surroundings is step number one to protect yourself from these vultures. Don’t look lost or bewildered and don’t stop passersby to ask for directions. Step into a building — a store, restaurant or museum — and ask a staff member for the information you seek.

edges of the crowd as

Stay on

tour the Prado or leave the Louvre. Thieves are more likely to work the muddled middle of the

Visually-impaired artist enriches lives through painting classes at Heritage Pointe

Several residents of Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne, a senior living community, gather weekly to participate in art classes taught by one of their fellow residents.

The class is unusual in one significant respect: the teacher, Tom Nuss, is legally blind.

“I have about 10% vision,” said Nuss, 91, who nonetheless is teaching a small group to paint sailboats, barns, and anything else that strikes his or her fancy.

Nuss, who worked for 45 years for Navistar International, started painting in the 1960s when he took classes at an art school in Fort Wayne.

“I always liked to paint,” he said. “I had some illustrations in my head I wanted to put down on canvas.”

Painting, he found, was a means of relaxation, and he enjoyed painting scenes featuring covered bridges, mills and other items found in rustic country settings.

Over the years, his vision deteriorated due to glaucoma and detached retinas, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to share his hobby with others.

Today, he sketches a drawing for his classes, and then his students copy and paint it with acrylic paint.

“I visualize it in my head, and then I do a sketch that I can see if I hold it real close,” he said.

He also helps students unleash their inner Picassos by giving them painting tips. They

are currently working on paintings of a sailboat.

“I tell them what brushes to use or suggest what colors to use,” Nuss said.

He also encourages his students and lets them know it is never too late to learn a new skill.

“I will tell them, ‘I’m sure Rembrandt’s first painting wasn’t hanging in an art gallery,’ and they should do it for their own enjoyment,” he said.

Nuss is right to encourage his fellow residents to learn a new skill, especially since studies show challenging your brain can slow cognitive aging.

Even while they are doing it for their own fun, Nuss said he and his students, who meet in the craft room at Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne, also like to exhibit their artwork in the community occasionally.

“We have quite a few paintings, and we’ll put them on display,” he said.

Nuss, and his wife, Mary Ann, who passed away last year, lived in independent living at Heritage Pointe for 12 years before moving into an assisted living apartment, where Nuss now lives. He has high praise for the staff at Heritage Pointe, who encourage residents to participate in art classes and other activities that enrich their minds and lives.

“We have an activity director who is very good,” he said. “Whatever one wants to do — within limits — is possible. They

Lions hosting pulled-pork dinner

Monroeville Lions Club will host a pulled-pork dinner at 11 a.m. until gone, Sunday, Oct. 8.

This is a drive-thru event only. It will be held at Monroeville Fire Station, 205 W.

South St., Monroeville. Menu includes pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw, and a cookie. Cost is $10 per dinner. Pork is prepared by Doc’s BBQ. This is a fundraiser to benefit Heart Beat of Hoagland Foundation.

are very supportive.”

He’s also happy with the care he receives at Heritage Pointe, which is allowing him to continue to create artwork and teach.

“With my limitations, they take very good care of me,” he said. “They clean my apartment. They do my laundry and assist me with my bathing needs. If I need to go to the doctor, they arrange for a medical van.”

Still able to continue to do what he loves, he said his overall assessment of assisted living at Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne is: “It is a premiere senior living community.”

To learn more about Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne, visit www. HeritagePointeOfFortWayne.org.

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

(Online Entries Only) Entries Must Be In By Monday, Sept. 11, 2023.

Brought To You By y

206

S. Main St. Milford, Indiana 46542

The winner of the I Spy Contest for August is Betty Straub of Columbia City. The beach chair was located on page 14 in Senior Life Allen; page 6 in Senior Life Northwest; page 18 in Senior Life Elko and page 23 in Senior Life St. Joseph.

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

—o— Woodlands Senior Activity Center

The center is located at 710 N. Opportunity Drive, Columbia City. For more information or to make reservations, call (260) 248-8944 or visit whitleycountycouncilonaging.com/seniorcitizens-center.

Euchre — 9-10 a.m. every Tuesday and Friday.

Dominoes — Noon to 1 p.m. every Tuesday.

Pixie Bingo — 9:30-10:30 a.m. every other Wednesday.

Afternoon Euchre — 1-2 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday.

Bible Study w/ Cheryl — 9-10 a.m. every Thursday.

Mah Jongg — 3:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11.

Board Meeting — 9-10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11.

Line Dancing — 9-10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

All-you-can-eat fish fry and pork tenderloin, sponsored by Fort Wayne Maennerchor/ Damenchor, at Park Edelweiss, 3355 Elmhurst Drive, Fort Wayne, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 8, Oct. 13 and Nov. 3. Cost is $13 adults, $6 children. The meal includes scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, dessert and coffee. Full-service bar available with German and domestic beer, wine and other beverages and soft drinks; carry-out is available.

—o—

The public is welcome to visit Fort Wayne’s Historic Log House at the Swinney Homestead in Swinney Park, 1424 W. Jefferson Blvd. The Log House and Settlers’ Herb Garden will be open for walk-thru tours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10. Free. Members of Settlers’ will share the history of the Log House. The Log House is not handicap accessible. Call (260) 637-8622

Costumed artisans will demonstrate historic hand arts in Settlers’ Pioneer Village at the Johnny Appleseed Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16-17, at Johnny Appleseed Archer Park, 1502 Harry W. Baals Drive, Fort Wayne; free shuttle bus.

Fort Wayne Northeast

Settlers’ Log House Candlelight Harvest Dinner, from 5-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 14. Dinner will be in the 1849 Log House at the Historic Swinney Homestead, 1424 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne; Cost: $50/person; prepaid reservations by Oct. 1 by calling (260) 432-7314 or (260) 432-4232; doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner served at 5:30 p.m. A table seats four; limited seating. Park by the tennis courts. Proceeds from this event support the maintenance of the Historic Swinney Homestead. Visit settlersinc.org.

—o—

Fish fry and tenderloin drive-thru fundraiser, 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 2417 Getz Road (near Times

Corner), Fort Wayne. Cost is $13 per meal.

—o—

Acrylic paintings by Kathy Funderburg and Nuno “Felted Wearable Art” by Patti Barker. Artists are always evolving and moving forward. Recently, however, Kathy Funderburg has found that ideas from her past are sparking a whole new, lighter and happier vision for her most recent acrylic paintings. Patti Barker presents her unique nuno felt wearable art. New fabric and the garment are created simultaneously using wool, silks, soapy water and her hands. Treat yourself to a oneof-a-kind garment this fall. Open Sept. 2-30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday; closed Labor Day. Tri-Lakes Lions Fish and Tenderloin Fry will be from 4-7 p.m. (or sold out) Saturday, Sept. 9, at Tri-Lakes Lions Hall, 2935 E. Colony Ave., Columbia City. Cost for this drive-thru only event is $13 for a meal or meat only and $5 for a quart of potato salad.

—o— Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Soest), 9909 Wayne Trace, Fort Wayne, will host a rummage and bake sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 20. Friday is a bag sale. The church is located southeast of the I-469/ Wayne Trace overpass at the corner of Wayne Trace and Emmanuel Road.

Volunteer Center hosting designer purse bingo fundraiser Sept. 15

The 4th Annual Designer Purse Bingo, hosted by the Volunteer Center, will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15. The fundraiser will be held at Ceruti’s Summit Park II, 6601 Innovation Blvd., Fort Wayne,

with purse bingo games beginning at 7 p.m.

The event will feature 20 games of bingo with 24 highend designer purses from Kate Spade, Dooney and Bourke, Valentino and Michael Kors and

more to be awarded as prizes. Dinner is included as well as a large silent auction, raffle, 50/50 and more. Tickets are sold individually at $50 each or $500 for a table of eight. Visit

Continued on page 11

Fort Wayne Southwest

Huntington teen produces Eagle Scout project for Heritage Pointe

A Huntington teen produced an Eagle Scout project for residents of Heritage Pointe of Huntington Senior Living Community.

Of all Boy Scouts of America members throughout the country, only 6% become Eagle Scouts. It is the highest rank in scouting and requires hard work, leadership and dedication in order to complete the mandatory service project.

Ethan Meyer of Huntington is perfectly suited to those criteria. A student at Huntington North High School, Ethan has been a member of Boy Scout Troop 130 since fifth grade. He works at Heritage Pointe of Huntington, where he is a dining room server for the residents.

About a year ago, Meyer asked Brad Fuller, activities director for Heritage Pointe of Huntington, if there was a service project he could do for the residents of the senior living community. Fuller said

Volunteer

Continued from page 10

volunteerfortwayne.org or call

(260) 424-3505 for details.

Executive Director Ani Etter stated, “This event promises a night of fun with friends and family, a chance to take home a fabulous purse, all while assisting a great cause. Attendance will help support the Volunteer Center’s signature programs, strengthening nonprofits, and empowering volunteers to address critical needs affecting low to moderate income families.”

The Volunteer Center is a nonprofit agency, which has been a part of the Fort Wayne Community since 2004. From special events to longterm commitments, volunteers are able to share their unique skills and abilities, filling meaningful community roles. To become a volunteer, visit volunteerfortwayne.org to fill out an online application and find information about volunteer opportunities. Interested parties may also stop by the Volunteer Center’s office at 3401 Lake Ave., Suite 4, Fort Wayne, or call (260) 424-3505 to learn more.

raised garden beds would make it easier for residents to garden within the courtyard area. He carefully planned the project; two raised garden beds were built and installed this month.

“We have several residents who are already thinking of what types of plants and vegetables they would like to see out there,” said Fuller. “It will be wonderful to see our residents out working in the raised gardens and enjoying the experience.”

Fuller concluded, ‘Ethan is a very special young man. For him to plan, organize and follow through with this project shows me how much he cares for our community.”

Heritage Pointe of Huntington is situated in an area of small-town charm, only 20 min-

utes from Fort Wayne. Heritage Pointe of Huntington provides assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, outpatient therapy, and longterm health care on its beautiful campus. Heritage Pointe of Huntington is owned and operated by The United Methodist Memorial Home, an Indiana nonprofit founded in 1907. To learn more about Heritage Pointe of Huntington, visit www.HeritagePointeOfHuntington.org.

SPOTLIGHT ON 2023

Senior Information Fair

Information And Resources Which Enable And Empower Seniors To Live Healthy And Safe Lives

2023 marks the 22nd year of helping seniors enrich their lives by providing an event for them to receive information and resources which enables/ empowers them to live healthy and safe lives.

The 2023 Senior Information Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, September 21 at Turnstone Plassman Athletic Center located at 3320 N. Clinton, Fort Wayne.

New for 2023 is a completely free vaccination clinic which will provide flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccines to seniors or anyone over 18 years of age. All co-pays or anyone without insurance wanting to receive a vaccine can do so at no cost.

The vaccine clinic and cost is being underwritten by a grant Aging & In Home Services received to establish the Northeast Indiana Vaccination Collaborative. However, if you do have insurance, please bring your information with you.

Three featured speakers will be on the docket in order to offer two morning and afternoon sessions each to attendees.

Attorney Janell Sprinkle, from the elder law firm of Beers Mallers, LLP, will provide a presentation at 9:45 a.m. on the topic of Preserving Assets for the Future. At 10:30 a.m.

Josh Robinson with Runestad Financial will speak about retirement, investments and more. An afternoon session features Attorney Troy Kiefer with Beers Mallers, LLP speaking on Elder Law Basics at 12:30 p.m., and again at 1:15 p.m. Josh Robinson will speak.

Everyone of any age is welcome to attend Senior Information Fair, especially seniors, their families, caregivers and individuals looking for services to assist with in-home care, legal services, relocation, senior residential communities, leisure activities and anyone looking forward to retirement years.

Over 90 vendors will be available with their information and to answer your questions. Free parking on site at any one of the three lots at Turnstone, or overflow parking will be at Glenbrook Mall near Coldwater Road where a CTN shuttle will transport you to and from Senior Information Fair. Anyone riding the Citilink bus to the stop near Glenbrook’s food court can also be transported to and from Turnstone by a shuttle.

Several vendors will also be offering health screenings at their booths. Screenings such as mammograms provided by Francine’s Friends, blood pressure checks, osteoporosis, hearing exams and diabetes are just a few and available the entire time. There will also be tours of the Turnstone aquatic center, fitness area and other activities throughout the day.

Visitors can enjoy a free

lunch while listening and enjoying the day’s entertainment provided by Joe Justice, a well known local musician who specializes in classic hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s and into the 90s. The annual free lunch will be served starting at 11:30 a.m., while the supply lasts.

Plan now to attend Senior Information Fair on Thursday, Sept. 21 at Turnstone Plassman Athletic Center. There will be something for everyone

with a lot of valuable information and resources. You can also fill out a visitor survey and turn it in at the welcome table before you leave, which will automatically enter you to win

one of several gift cards. Some vendors may also offer entries to win door prizes, so be sure to check at each booth. We hope to see you there.

It was 50 years ago

— ‘Delta Dawn’ a gift to songwriter’s mother

Helen Reddy

When we hear certain songs, we may wonder what the event was that inspired a songsmith to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Sometimes, though, what we learn about that inspiration is so painful that we may find ourselves reaching for the Kleenex.

Songwriter Alex Harvey explained “Delta Dawn” was about his mother, a Mississippi Delta-born hairdresser in Alex’s hometown of Brownsville, Tenn. At 41, she had given herself over to drink when a man who had promised her the world disappeared from her own, leaving her to stumble along Brownsville streets, suitcase in hand, looking for a “mansion in the sky.”

When Harvey was 15 years old, he played in a band. “We had just won a contest, and we were going to be on a TV

show in Jackson, Tenn.,” he recalled. “My mother said she wanted to go. I told her that I thought she would embarrass me. She drank and sometimes would do things that would make me feel ashamed, so I asked her not to go that night.”

When Alex returned home later from the TV taping, his world crumbled when he learned that his mother had died in a car wreck after running her vehicle into a tree.

Harvey suspected her death wasn’t an accident but had been a suicide. Devastated, he turned deep inside his music as the only form of therapy that brought him any solace.

Several years later, Alex was at a fellow songwriter’s house. It was late, and everyone there had fallen asleep except Harvey, who had stayed up to noodle on his guitar. That’s when he experienced a life-altering vision: “I looked up, and I felt as if my mother was in the room. I saw her very clearly. She was in a rocking chair, and she was laughing.”

Instantly, two song-lyric lines wafted into Alex’s consciousness:

“She’s 41 and her daddy still calls her ‘Baby’

“All the folks around Brownsville say she’s crazy”

He woke his friend and fellow songwriter Larry Collins and breathlessly poured out his story. Together, the two composed “Delta Dawn” in 20 minutes.

Alex recorded the song first, followed by Tanya Tucker, Bette Midler and Australianborn Helen Reddy, with Helen’s version catching the rocket ride to the peak of the Billboard chart and becoming her second No. 1 single after “I Am Woman.”

Much of the success of “Delta Dawn” resulted from a combination of Reddy’s muscular vocals and that of the uplifting gospel background, dynamic and thunderous and sounding straight out of a southern tent-revival meeting.

“Delta Dawn” brought Alex Harvey blessed relief from the guilt that had shrouded him concerning his mother’s demise: “I really believe that my mother came into the room that night, not to scare me, but to tell me that it’s okay, that she made her choices in life, and it had nothing to do with me. I always felt like that song was a gift to my mother—and an apology to her.”

Time to wrangle fabric stash

The Fort Wayne Chapter of the American Sewing Guild will provide solutions to one of the biggest problems sewers face when member and long-time quilter, Jenny Draper, presents “Stash Management Strategies.” The event will be held during its monthly public meeting from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 21, at the UAW Local 2209 Union Hall, 5820 East CR 900 North, Roanoke (near the GM plant).

The talk will feature ways to sort, organize, and tame fabric yardage, scraps, and notions.

What sewer doesn’t have a fabric stash? The larger the textile collection becomes,

the more difficult it is to store and to keep track of its contents. Draper will show how to keep fabric neat, visible, and ready to sew at a moment’s notice. There will also be a brown bag challenge with participants selecting scraps from brown paper bags sorted by darks and lights. They will sew their quilt blocks at home. There is no admission charge. There is always a free table of sewing-related goodies and everyone is invited to bring one or two items for show and tell.

American Sewing Guild is a national organization made up of 130 chapters and over 1,000 neighborhood groups,

creating a network of sewing friends with all levels of sewing experience. The Fort Wayne Chapter boasts several neighborhood groups, each with a different focus, including quilting, garment sewing/ fitting, machine embroidery, community service, and more. It serves northeast Indiana and the Van Wert, Ohio area.

To find out more, visit www. asg.org or the chapter’s website at www.asgfortwayne.org. Find its Facebook page at American Sewing Guild Fort Wayne IN Chapter.

People may also email asgfortwayne3@gmail.com or call Debbie Morgan at (260) 710-1379.

salt has. That is pretty amazing. Green salt is 100% dehydrated salicornia, a superfood with a salty taste, sometimes called sea asparagus. Salicornia absorbs minerals in sea water like magnesium, potassium, and niacin. Have you heard of the foody word umami? Umami is being called the fifth taste group after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The taste is a savoriness, an independent taste unlike the other four taste groups.

Salicornia is used fresh in fine dining restaurants throughout the world and also dehydrated into green salt which has a shelve life of 2-3 years.

I decided to give green salt a try. I put it in a small saltshaker, and added it to my bowl of soup each day — delicious. Then I added it to vegetables at the end

of cooking — delicious. Watermelon — delicious. See where I’m going. It adds that little — what’s in this taste and it’s all good. Plus, there is half the sodium of salt.

If you have high blood pressure, check with your doctor. If not, I recommend enjoying it now. I ordered it online at trygreensalt.com, but I don’t see it on Amazon.

It’s all about the small steps and I see this as a simple way of consuming less sodium. It’s up to you to get you where you want to be.

The your health!

Cat Wilson lives in South Bend and transitioned from a vegetarian diet to eating a plant-based diet over two years ago. She may be contacted at cwilson@thepapers.com.

that will be available for the following calendar year.

These plans includes: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage, and even stand-

alone prescription drug plans. New elections can be made between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7. Any new enrollments submitted during this period would start Jan. 1, 2024. But how do you wade through all the different plans?

Medicare beneficiaries have a few different ways to review the new plans available for each AEP:

• Medicare.gov is a selfguided tool available to everyone.

• A licensed/certified broker. Brokers are individuals living in our community that certify with a variety of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans to ensure that individuals have access to all available options.

• A licensed/certified agent. Agents are individuals who work for a specific insurance

company and would be limited to promoting only that carrier’s options.

• Contacting a carrier directly.

• State Health Insurance Program. SHIP counselors are available to assist Medicare beneficiaries with plan selections.

If you are aging into Medicare, or simply want to learn more about Medicare insurance, attend one of our Medicare education sessions. They are every second and third Thursday, beginning in January. Call (260) 484-7010 to reserve a spot.

Sixties Flashback —

Paul McCartney confessed ‘It wasn’t fun anymore’

On the chilly, foggy Tuesday of December 27, 1960, several hundred British teenagers sardined into the spacious Litherland Town Hall in north Liverpool. Promotional posters had promised a grand night of rock ‘n’ roll and dancing to three local outfits and included the “debut” of the Beatles (billed as being ‘Direct from Hamburg’).”

Concertgoers that night, who assumed the quartet came from Germany, would remark later how good the band’s English skills were when the musicians chatted with the audience between songs.

Actually, all four Beatles had grown up in Liverpool. For the previous several months, though, they had been honing their musical chops by playing long sets of American Top 40 hits in smokefilled dives in Hamburg’s gritty Reeperbahm district. In doing so, they had morphed from a ragtag bunch of minimally talented music cats into a respectable “cover”

band that drew increasingly larger crowds each week.

That night at Litherland, as the Beatles waited behind a curtain drawn across the dancehall stage, the emcee snapped the crowd to attention with,

“And now, everybody, the band you’ve been waiting for! Direct from Hamburg —” But before he could utter the word “Beatles,” an adrenaline-fueled Paul McCartney burst through the curtain to begin shrieking his favorite Little Richard hit:

“I’m gonna tell Aunt Mary ‘bout Uncle John

“He said he had the mis’ry but he got a lot of fun.”

“Long Tall Sally” instantly stopped the dancing as the crowd rushed to the stage to revel in the Beatles’ half-hour set as the black-leather-jacket-clad young artists staked their claim to music history.

“Beatlemania” was ushered in that night.

Within two years, the Fab Four became UK stars. Their fame spread throughout Europe in 1963, and by 1964 they ruled the international world of pop music.

Flash to Aug. 29, 1966. The Beatles are scheduled to play a concert at San Francisco’s vast Candlestick Park stadium, the

home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Fans at that performance don’t realize this will be the final live show of the quartet’s stellar career; the announcement will be kept secret until the band members return home to England.

Who could blame the Beatles for their decision? Worldwide fame had robbed them of everything enjoyable about performing before an audience. The

quartet’s powerful Vox amplifiers had become all but ineffective against the screamfest that rolled over the band like a tsunamic tide during each show.

So pronounced was John Lennon’s malaise that he began calling the Beatles’ live act a “freak show.” Ringo Starr was equally negative. (“Nobody was listening at the shows.”) Even normally positive Paul McCartney confessed, “It wasn’t fun anymore.”

That night at Candlestick Park, the Beatles played on an elevated platform erected over second base and were surrounded by a chain-link fence. Essentially, the world’s leading rockers, amid chilly swirls of fog, performed their final concert in a cage. Their show ran 32 minutes and included 11 tunes, the last featuring Paul McCartney doing “Long Tall Sally.”

Rolling around England

Buckingham Palace and so many more venues you’ve read or heard about.

You need wheels to travel through England’s heart and history.

We started with a rather sizeable one — the giant London Eye — a gondola-garlanded Ferris wheel overlooking this hub of history clinging to the Thames.

As you clamber aboard for a 30-minute flight, you’re carried slowly up a football field and a half with a view directly toward Cleopatra’s Needle and Charing Cross Station with Waterloo Bridge a bit farther upriver. And you soak in Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square,

Your descent presents a clear view of Big Ben and the New Palace of Westminster, better known as the Houses of Parliament. A royal palace has existed on these grounds since Britain was in the hands of the Viking King Canute. But it was Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror who enlarged it in the 11th century to its currently dynamic proportions — 1,200 rooms covering eight acres.

After debarking, a short walk across Westminster Bridge got us to the renowned abbey of the same name enroute to Victoria

Continued on page 17

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Rolling around England

Station to board our most-used wheels during our visit in Britain — the train.

It trundled us back to the George Hotel in Crawley, less than an hour’s ride south of The City. The train station is one stop from Gatwick Airport and a five-minute walk from the hotel, nestled among a sizeable shopping mall, pubs that date back to the mid-1400s, and the 800-year-old Parish Church of St. John the Baptist that serves as a shortcut, parking lot and quiet stopover for those who wish to talk to God or listen to history whisper from the walls.

The George has been around since the 15th century. It became a major half-way house after the London-Brighton

Road was built through Crawley in the late 1600s. Queen Victoria stayed there and Charles Dickens acted there.

It was a third set of wheels that got us out into the countryside. Grahame and Frauke Leon-Smith, who graciously served as both hosts and guides, took us on a couple of quick jaunts we would never have tried to drive on our own. Besides having to drive on the “wrong” side of the thoroughfares, signs are difficult to see because many of the roads through this region — Sussex, Surrey and Kent — are pavedover country lanes winding through leafy forests.

At Windsor Castle we stood in front of the tower built in 1056 by William the Conqueror across from what is now a

curving street burgeoned with Burger King, Pizza Hut, McDonald, Starbucks and Haagen-Dasz.

Minutes later, we crossed the Thames into Eton and strolled past the Cock Pit Restaurant, which was established on the site in 1420.

Then we slid by Ascot, the playground of royalty, and Runnymede, where King John signed the Magna Carta. “This is where democracy was born,” said Grahame. “For the first time in history, people were ruled by law, not the whim of the king.”

On our last day, we visited Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s home in Kent.

“Churchill bought this house — it had 80 acres at the time and he added to it later — in

1922 for 5,000 pounds with proceeds from his first book” said our guide. “He earned his money from royalties as a writer. He used to say, ‘If your outgo outdoes your income, increase your income.’ ”

We also learned that Winston Spencer Churchill’s middle name was Leonard. But no one could explain

why he dumped it in favor of Spencer, his mother’s family name.

“He used to sign some of his letters with the drawing of a pig,” Hatter said. “He said, ‘I like pigs; cats look down on human beings, dogs look up to them, but pigs just treat us as their equals.”

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

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No cars and fudge make Mackinac Island special

Mackinac Island is another one of those places where time stands still.

Shanks horses (walking), horse and buggy/wagon, horse and saddle or bicycle is still the only way to get around its 4.35 square miles. Since it’s totally surrounded by water, the best way to get there is by boat. There is an airport, but it’s for private planes.

Star Line and Shepler’s ferries from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace dock just a block from the center of town. That’s were all the action begins. The Tourism Bureau Information Office/ticket booth is smack dab in the middle of it all. Pick up a

map and set out to see just what makes this island so special.

Hundreds of bicycles and lines of horse-drawn wagons wait to take visitors around the island.

Historic Market Street is where most of the delis, diners, coffee shops, bars and restaurants are located. Also, 13 fudge shops.

If exercise is your thing, a bike ride on the eight-mile-long Lake Shore Boulevard circling the island provides an up-closeand-personal look at Lake Huron and the flora and fauna that covers most of Mackinac Island State Park. That’s right, 80 percent of the island is a state park. It’s also a Michigan State Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A wide variety of architectural styles exist throughout the island and many of them have undergone preservation and restoration. The VictorianContinued on page 19

Nov. 9-11, 2023 ............................... Timeless Holiday Treasures

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March 13, 2024 .........“Beautiful” — The Carole King Musical Beef and Boards, Indy

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August 20-24, 2023 .... Mountain Rails and Appalachian Trails

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Oct. 22-30, 2024 .....................................Great Plains Adventure Kansas & Oklahoma ... Including a visit to Pioneer Woman

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No cars

Continued from page 18

style Grand Hotel with its iconic tall columns is the focal point. However, unless you’re a guest at the hotel, you’ll have to be satisfied with taking photos of its long porch and stately facade from outside the fence. Of course, you can pay $10 ($5 for children 5-17) to walk the porch and enjoy the vista that includes a good portion of the

island, Historic Market Street and the Mackinac Bridge in the distance.

The island was originally settled by indigenous cultures centuries ago. When the Odawa Indians came, they named it Michilimacinac (Great Turtle) because its shape reminded them of an enormous turtle rising out of the water. The British later shortened the name to

Mackinac Island. They gained control of the Straits of Mackinac shortly after the French and Indian War.

Prior to Mackinac Island becoming a popular tourist destination in the late 19th century, the island was a strategic center for fur trading. Fort Mackinac, which is open for touring, was built by the British in 1781 during the American Revolutionary

War. It was never attacked and was decommissioned in 1895. Wagon tours take visitors to the fort, and it’s all downhill from there to the center of town. Two battles were actually fought here during the War of 1812 before it became a U.S. territory. The Treaty of Ghent in 1815 returned the island and the surrounding mainland to the United States. During the Civil

War, it hosted three prisoners who were Confederate States of America sympathizers. Put Mackinac Island on your bucket list. For more information on how to get there, what it costs to get there, how to get around, what to do, which places to see, where to eat and the location of the fudge shops, check it out at mackinacisland. org.

Matrimonial money pact protects partners

Separate economics from your emotions if you’re considering marriage, especially if this is not the first time around. You’re not likely to establish a business partnership without some sort of legal agreement to protect your assets from the dangers and possible dissolution of the joint operation. Yet you are likely to stroll blindly into a marriage partnership with no thought to the financial ramifications.

Take time before your marriage to determine how you want your financial assets handled after matrimony.

If you’ve been through a divorce, you know a financial settlement can cause vicious and long-lasting scars. If your spouse has died, you must have seen there is more than just emotional loss to consider after death. There are money matters that require immediate attention, regardless of how comprehensive

your spouse was in his or her instructions for the distribution of the estate.

Even if you’re already married, consider how you want your property divided in the event of divorce or death.

If you have dependent children from a previous marriage or relationship, you should give serious thought to a prenuptial agreement, especially if one of the partners-to-be has significantly larger holdings than the other. If you want to leave everything you own to your new spouse-to-be, put it in writing.

A prenuptial agreement should cover two basic areas:

• State clearly what stake each partner has in the other’s estate.

• Determine how the assets are to be divided if there is a divorce.

State laws vary, but property acquired during a marriage is generally considered to be shared equally in community-property states — Arizona, California,

Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. In the remaining states, property usually belongs to the individual holding the title.

A prenuptial agreement can allow each partner to waive rights to the other’s property. To protect your assets, list the property you want kept separate. Such an agreement can protect both partners and their respective children, just as a living trust does in an estate plan. In fact, a prenuptial pact can be the basis for a revocable living trust.

You can state in a pre-marriage contract that your partner, in case of your death, though not the legal owner of the family home, can live in it until he or she dies before it is passed on to your children. Some financial planners suggest each partner retain sole ownership of the property they owned before the marriage. They concede joint ownership only of a home and joint banking account.

Prenuptial agreements should be reviewed and revised regularly to meet changing needs and circumstances. There are more than stocks and silverware to consider. The couple should look at projected income. For example, alimony income received by a spouse-to-be will cease as soon as they remarry.

You also should consider who will pay bills, who will contribute to savings and investment plans, and who will be in charge of taxes. If both partners are sophisticated in stock market manipulation, they may wish to maintain separate stock and bond accounts. Each should be fully aware of the components and status of the other’s investment portfolio.

After you decide a prenuptial agreement makes sense, get legal help.

Each partner should obtain his or her own attorney. Make total and complete disclosure because this is an agreement designed to protect both you and the person

you intend to marry.

Stick to financial issues. Make sure you check the status of such an agreement in your state, or any state you intend to move to. Once you’ve drafted, drawn up and signed your declaration, share the information with your adult children so everyone will know what to expect in the event of a death or divorce.

Then everyone can have fun at the wedding.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Oppenheimer: ‘The Destroyer of Worlds’

After more than a half century nearly forgotten in history books, the name of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, primarily responsible for the development of the atomic bomb, has been re-introduced to the public by way of a big-screen Hollywood film.

Oppenheimer, a nuclear physicist, is arguably one of history’s most controversial figures. Some historians list him as saving the world from armed conflicts, while others regard his work as that of the devil, forever plaguing the planet with instant destruction.

Born April 22, 1904, Oppenheimer was director of the highly secret Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico during World War II. He is credited as being the “father of the atomic bomb” for his leadership in creating the first nuclear weapons.

Not only was he controversial for his role in the development of atomic energy, Oppenheimer was also suspected of having communist leanings. Although he never openly joined the Communist Party, he did pass money to leftist causes by way of acquaintances who were alleged to be party members. Various associations Oppenheimer had with people and organizations affiliated with the Communist Party led to the revocation of his security clearance in 1954.

On October 9, 1941, two months before the United States entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a crash program to develop an atomic bomb. In June 1942, the U.S. Army established the Manhattan Engineer District to handle its part in the atom bomb project. Brig. Gen. Leslie Groves was appointed director of what became known as the Manhat-

tan Project. He selected Oppenheimer to head the project’s secret weapons laboratory. This choice surprised many because of Oppenheimer’s left-wing political views and the fact that he had no record of leading large projects. Groves was impressed by Oppenheimer’s singular grasp of the practical aspects of designing and constructing an atomic bomb.

As a military engineer, Groves knew this would be vital in an interdisciplinary project that would involve not just physics, but chemistry, metallurgy, ordnance, and engineering. Groves also detected in Oppenheimer something many others did not: overwhelming ambition. Groves reckoned that quality would supply the drive necessary to push the project to a successful conclusion. Fellow scientist Isidor Rabi considered Oppenheimer’s appointment “a real stroke of genius on the part of General Groves, who was not generally considered to be an ‘intellect.’”

Oppenheimer and Groves decided that for security and cohesion they needed a centralized, secret research laboratory in a remote location.

They selected a spot in northern New Mexico not far from the scientist’s ranch. The Los Alamos Laboratory was built on the site of a boys’ school, taking over some of its buildings. Many new buildings were quickly constructed.

Los Alamos was initially supposed to be a military laboratory, so Oppenheimer and other researchers were to be commissioned into the Army, but some of the scientists balked at the idea. Groves and Oppenheimer compromised whereby the laboratory would be operated by the University of California under contract to the War Department. Oppenheimer had underestimated the magnitude of the project, as Los Alamos grew from a

Senior Relocation Program

few hundred people in 1943 to more than 6,000 in 1945.

In 1943, there was anxiety among the U.S. scientists that Germany might be making better progress on an atomic weapon than they were. Oppenheimer discarded a proposal to use radioactive materials to poison German food supplies. He questioned whether enough strontium could be produced to poison enough food “to kill a half a million men.”

The scientists at Los Alamos produced the world’s first nuclear explosion, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. Oppenheimer had given the site the code name “Trinity.” Years later he said a verse entered his head at that time that translated as “I have become death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Among those present with Oppenheimer in the control bunker at the Trinity site were his brother, Frank, and Brig.

Gen. Thomas Farrell. When Frank Oppenheimer was asked what Robert’s first words after the test had been, the answer was, “I guess it worked.” A month later, atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which brought about the end of World War II. The public was not aware of the top secret Manhattan Project until after the war. By 1946, the public was made aware of secret U.S. atomic bomb plans being passed by Russian spies, which resulted in the Soviet Union becoming a nuclear power.

In October 1945, Oppenheimer was granted an interview with President Harry S. Truman, who was not made aware of the Manhattan Project until he became president upon Roosevelt’s death in April 1945. Oppenheimer told Truman he felt as though he had “blood on my hands.” The remark infuriat-

Why should you downsize?

ed Truman, who quickly ended their meeting. Truman later told Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson, “I don’t want to see that son of a bitch in this office ever again.”

After the war, Oppenheimer became chairman of the newly created U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. He lobbied for international control of atomic power to avert a nuclear race with the Soviet Union.

At his 1954 security clearance hearings, he flatly denied being a member of the Communist Party but did identify himself as a “fellow traveler,” which he defined as “someone who agrees with many of communism’s goals but is not willing to blindly follow orders from any Communist Party apparatus,” for which he was stripped of his security clearance.

He died Feb. 18, 1967, at the age of 62.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Why do others downsize?

Most of the time, people assume it is only due to severe health complications that someone is forced to consider downsizing. However, there are many reasons to downsize and many benefits of doing so.

One main reason is that a person is able to free up cash that is tied up in their home. With today’s real estate market, many people are surprised

at the amount of money that they can get if they decide to sell their home. This extra money can be used for things like travel – or just having a bigger nest egg.

With a smaller home, you may have a smaller yard to maintain, lower utility bills and less home upkeep in general, like cleaning, maintenance and repair. Less can be best. This would give you more time to focus on yourself and your wellbeing rather than draining yourself physically trying to keep up with

the never-ending list of chores around the house.

Stairs can also be an obstacle for many people. Your home should not feel like an anchor that slows you down from living the life you have dreamed of. Gaining freedom to do the things that you really want to do should be a priority as you age. Having this extra time is what you’re going to remember – those special times with loved ones, not the house. Don’t exhaust yourself stressing about a house that takes up all your time!