Senior Life - Elko Edition - March 2023

For most people, transportation is something taken for granted. Whether it’s a trip to the grocery store, an appointment with a doctor or a visit to the bank, it’s assumed they can jump in the car or be picked up by a friend or relative to get to and from where they need to go.

However, it’s not quite that simple for some seniors. Whether because of health or mobility issues, or a lack of funds to own their own vehicle, every trip from their home can be a challenge requiring planning and forethought.

For seniors in Elkhart County, the Council on Aging of Elkhart County is ready to step in to assist with their transportation needs. The CoA maintains a fleet of 14 vehicles, including two

buses, available to pick county residents up at their front door and get them where they need to be.

Its team of drivers, many of whom are seniors themselves, make sure their passengers not only get to their destination but are also properly checked in for their appointment.

“We will take any resident of Elkhart County anywhere they want to go,” said CoA Executive Director David Toney. “We service Medicaid and many different insurances. If they don’t qualify through Medicaid or insurance, we go through and look through our grants to see what services they might be able to receive.”

A small percentage of trips are privately paid. Toney also noted about a third of their trips involve dialysis. Most runs include doctors appointments and visits to the pharmacy. Trips to the

store also are possible, but only account for around 2%, as medical needs take priority.

“All of our vans and buses are wheelchair accessible,” Toney said. “Our drivers are the most trained drivers in the county. We get our vehicles through an INDOT grant. As a result, the drivers have to take certain training and classes INDOT says they have to go through to drive. They’re more trained than anyone else around.”

Toney said CoA schedules more than 1,400 trips each month. “Some days are busier than others. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are usually the busiest because of dialysis schedules.”

The service has been in operation for 12 years. When Toney started with CoA eight years ago, they had four vehicles — a bus and three vans. The trips are

coordinated through advanced computer software to maximize the efficiency of the operation. Sometimes the driver who drops off the client isn’t the same one who will pick them up at the end of the visit.

“Our services are uniquely designed to provide for the aging senior in Elkhart County, with awareness of their specific need for reliability, trust and security,” said Toney. “All our drivers are trained in CPR, first aid and transporting safety practices. It is our goal for every passenger to easily recognize they are in the care of individuals who truly care for their well-being.”

CoA’s chief financial officer, Tina Fraley, noted the money received from Medicare and insurances does not cover the costs associated with the trips made. That has been exacerbated by the high price of fuel that has

taken a bite out of everyone’s budget. She said the gap between costs and reimbursement is as much as $20 per trip.

CoA receives limited funding through community development block grants from both the City of Elkhart and City of Goshen. The rest of its operating costs are derived from donations and fundraising efforts.

“We wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing without the support of the community,” said Fraley. “It’s not just us writing grants. We need to look to the community and our partners to make it possible.”

Transit is available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on a limited basis on Saturdays. People can apply for transportation by visiting elkhartcoa.org. They also can call (574) 295-1820 for further information and assistance.

Key Positions

Seney helps promote tourism in Kosciusko County

During the past nine years, Sandra Seney’s role and responsibilities within the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau have steadily increased.

However, the mission to which she is committed remains the same — promoting Kosciusko County to people who are visiting or might be interesting in relocating.

Seney came to KCCVB after the 2013 retirement of her former boss at Ginter Electric in Warsaw. She was working with Indiana Workforce Development, which paired her with an opening at the visitors bureau.

“I’m a very organized person, detail oriented,” she said. “I like to plan to be sure what’s going on. At that time the executive director, Mary Kittrell, was looking for someone who could organize her files and do some planning. I had an interview and was hired in January 2014.”

Her initial job responsibilities included working with travel groups that came to the county. She would contact local businesses to arrange different activities for the groups while they were in the area. Additionally, Seney helped sell ads for the CVB’s visitor’s guide. A nonprofit organization, the KCCVB is funded by the innkeeper’s tax in Kosciusko County.

In 2015, Kittrell left the CVB, and was replaced by Jill Boggs. The new director wanted to

stop outsourcing the organization’s finances. Seney had some experience in that area in her previous job and was thus given the additional responsibilities of managing the CVB’s books.

She and Boggs took a QuickBooks course together, after which it was decided to bring payrolls and all other financial aspects of the business in-house, with the exception of taxes.

Boggs also worked to rewrite everyone’s job descriptions and convert each to a salaried employee. As part of the change, Seney earned the new job title of operations manager. She continued to perform many of her former tasks while adding new responsibilities along the way. In 2020, due to COVID, two other positions at the CVB were eliminated, which added to the duties of the remaining three employees, including Seney.

In January 2022, Boggs took a new job and was replaced the following April by Cori Humes. Shortly after that, Mitchell Randall, the CVB’s marketing coordinator, also left for a different opportunity, and was replaced by Laura Rothhaar. This left Seney as the CVB’s longest serving staff member.

Seney shared that when asked to be interviewed for this article, she asked Humes, “Why my job, what do I do?” Humes replied, “Well, you keep the place running, and without you, we can’t operate.”

“So I do keep them all on track, who’s got appointments,

schedule appointments and make sure we’re all going,” Seney said. “I make sure the building is open and we have everything we need for the building. I do all of that and if Cori or Laura needs help with something, it’s usually passed on to me.

“Tourism has a big economic impact on the county. Our main goal here is to promote Kosciusko County for visitors to come in for leisure. But we also want people to visit our area, like our area, then come back and either bring their business here or come here and change jobs to work here and live and enjoy what Kosciusko County has to offer.”

Seney added that in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Her husband, Scott, serves as a guidance counselor at Warsaw Community High School. Together they share three adult children and four grandchildren.

The KCCVB is located at 111 Capital Dr, Warsaw. For further information, stop by or call (574) 269-6090.

Update cash beneficiaries

The individuals or institutions benefiting in your will might not benefit from your bank, mutual-fund and brokerage accounts if they aren’t named on them, too. If the information on those is out of date, the wrong peo-

ple may inherit the money if the beneficiaries and co-signers on those accounts differ. Check all your accounts to make sure the proper beneficiaries are listed with their Social Security numbers, addresses and dates of birth. Make sure their contact information also is up to date. Mature Life

McCammon captures moments that live in the heart

“To me, art is a way of capturing a moment that lives on in our hearts forever,” stated Warsaw artist and writer Darla McCammon. “Whether I’m writing a book or painting a picture, I’m expressing things that are deep inside of me.

“I’ve always loved writing. When I was a sophomore in high school, I won a prize for my composition ‘A Tale of Two Cities.’ It was actually a newsy piece about two cities: One pristine and clean, the other careless and dirty. When I won the competition, I knew I had a talent for writing.”

After graduating from high school, McCammon thought she might like to be a teacher. She went to Indiana State University in Terre Haute, majoring in education. However, after she got married, she moved to California. Her husband Ed was an art major.

“I’d look at some of his artwork and think to myself, ‘I can do better than that,’” she said.

California is perfect for creating art. “The ocean and climate are wonderful,” Mc-

Cammon added. “Because of the beautiful surroundings, there are art shows on every corner. I’d walk down the aisle of the mall and admire the artists’ work. But I’d also see that some of the artwork that sold was really not very good.”

McCammon got involved with two art associations in California. “I got to meet many great artists who were generous in sharing their knowledge. One of the high points of my involvement was watching professional Violet Parkhurst, the artist who sold a painting to President Nixon when he was in office, complete a painting as a guest artist one evening.”

Although she enjoys drawing, McCammon has done a lot of painting through the years. She has worked in oils, acrylics and watercolors and has been featured in many area juried shows. Her latest painting, featuring two of her daughters on a California beach in their sunbonnets when they were young, is at Honeywell Center, Wabash.

“My first book was on the history of Winona Lake. I was working with a photographer,” she said. “I did the history

of the area, and he took the pictures.”

She and her husband, John, love to go fishing in Canada. “When we fish, I have a lot of time to dream of fiction plots. That’s what inspired me to write the book ‘Diamond Bait.’

It’s an adventure novel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. It features a girl trying to survive in the wilderness alone. The story is a Christian romance with a bit of historical fiction involving the Canadian Indians.”

The book is featured on Kindle and was published by Westbow Press, a Christian organization.

“Every writer has to be a harsh taskmaster on themselves,” McCammon said. “We need to recognize things that don’t fit in our story and take them out, even if we like that part. It’s always great to get the opinions of others, too.”

McCammon is no stranger to readers of ‘the PAPER,” a sister publication to Senior Life. She has been a columnist in the newspaper for ten years.

“My column is titled ‘Art in Action.’ It highlights artists and gives valuable tips on doing artwork,” she said.

Tips for tippers

“I don’t tip,” a table-mate made clear during a travel conversation recently. “I pay for service,” he said.

This primarily North American trait has sneaked its way into some countries but not all of them. Chinese and Japanese can take offense if you try to add a tip to their charge. Most European nations add a service charge so you don’t have to leave them a tip. Italian restaurants do appreciate it if you round out the total on the bill.

But what about paying for service, as our colleague said earlier. He still travels a lot and was referring primarily to housekeepers who attend to the cleanliness of his room when he’s on the road.

This has become significant as reports keep mounting of hotels, inns, B&Bs and the assortment of publicly provided quarters not cleaning their guests’ rooms every day.

If my buddy happens to land in a facility that does not clean its rooms every day, he never leaves a tip. Instead, he leaves that hostelry to find another inn that does clean up daily.

His tip depends on the level of service.

Housekeeping is a dirty, messy but invisible job. If it isn’t done right and regularly, the customer suffers.

If the shower curtain isn’t wiped down, that lowers the tip. Is there still dust under the bed? A smaller tip. How

about those dirty windows? If they’re not cleaned, that may be enough to send him on the hunt for temporary quarters elsewhere.

So do sticky TV remotes and a shortage of towels.

If he asks for an extra blanket or more ice, he’ll toss in an extra gratuity when they’re delivered.

He’s also learned tipping staffers early helps guarantee good service for the remainder of his stay. When a request is granted, a thank-

you note is wrapped around the tip.

Since he and his family rarely book high-end luxury resorts where tipping can slip over $10 a night, his normal range for a tip is $2 to $5 a day.

He still checks on the tipping rules for whatever region he visits. Some countries still frown on tipping and he wants to avoid offending the service people he counts on to make his visit comfortable.

“Hobbies keep people from suffering depression in the winter months,” McCammon concluded. “We need to be doing something we enjoy and

continue to enjoy doing it in all seasons.”

In her free time, McCammon loves to travel, fish, sew and crochet.

Falls are meant to be avoided

medical complications and a decrease in long-term mobility and independence.

It can happen slowly. Once it starts, it’s a slippery slope

You hear a crack in your back when you get out of bed. Then you can’t pop up out of your chair like you used to. Along with our average body aches and creaks, our sense of balance weakens as we age increasing our risk of falling.

This is accompanied by a risk of fractures, which can lead to

Typically, there will be some warning signs. You’ll stumble, having near falls, or fall without a fracture. These are red flags.

If you or a loved one are experiencing these red flags, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician immediately.

Decaying vision, loss of hearing, shaky balance, pain and many other age-related conditions can contribute to falling.

Discuss these concerns with your doctor and ask about any additional solutions, such as an assessment by a specialist, physical therapy, or medication.

In addition to meeting with a doctor, there are some fall-prevention tips you can tape to your refrigerator door.

Keep all pathways clear. Remove all furniture and rugs that are in your way to avoid tripping as you go about your daily routine.

Use assisting devices. Put up handrails in your bathroom

and along stairways and install floor treads in your shower and bathtub. Get yourself a cane or walker if your balance is unsteady.

Exercise regularly to strengthen your muscles, bones and balance. Swimming, walking, biking, yoga, and tai chi are just a few of the activities that help you fight falling.

Vitamins and supplements can help. For example, Vitamin D and calcium help maintain bone strength, which reduces your risk of fractures if you fall. Before

What Seniors Think

taking any such dosage, talk the matter over with your doctor. And ask what effect your current medication may have on your balance.

Be prepared for an emergency. Place emergency numbers near your home phone and list them in your cellphone. Schedule regular appointments with specialists, such as eye and hearing doctors.

Wear sturdy and comfortable footwear. And don’t do anything quickly.

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“Where is some place you’ve visited/vacationed that you would — or wouldn’t — recommend to others?”

SHARON

KNEPP ELKHART

KELLY VORHIS NAPPANEE

MIKE RAMSEY WARSAW

KYLE JOHNSON GOSHEN

DAN GARCIA ELKHART

DENISE DICK WARSAW

Sixties Flashback —

When the greatest met the greatest

“Gorgeous George” was born George Raymond Wagner in 1915. He grew up in a tough Houston neighborhood, where he learned to wrestle at the local YMCA and soon established himself as a freestyle champion.

He later became a self-promoting professional wrestler and the sport’s first superstar villain. After growing his blond hair long and dyeing it platinum, Wagner began calling himself Gorgeous George. And that was just the beginning.

The savvy showman also started making entrances that could be labeled bona fide spectacles. Amid catcalls and jeers from the sellout crowds, George, bathed in a purple spotlight, would stroll slowly down the aisle in a red velvet gown on a red carpet amid the booming strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Once inside the ropes, his valet would spray a scented mist around the ring. After loudly proclaiming his greatness to the people there, George would then usually proceed to vanquish each challenger.

In the late 1940s, in the early days of television, he helped bring professional wrestling — with all its well-rehearsed antics — into America’s living rooms. By the 1950s, George was the best-known wrestler in the world, raking in over $100,000 a year (when the hourly federal minimum wage was $1) and becoming one of the highest paid athletes of his time.

One day in June 1961, at a Las Vegas radio station, he met a rising young boxer from Kentucky named Cassius Clay. Each was there to give an interview to promote an upcoming event in their respective fields at the nearby Convention Center.

Clay went first, calmly and politely answering questions about his future opponent, a Hawaiian named “Duke” Sabedong.

Things changed when George, who was there to wrestle “Classy” Freddie Blassie, took the mic. Asked what Gorgeous

Brentwood at Elkhart — Providing consistent, high-quality care

At Brentwood at Elkhart assisted living, we believe there’s a direct correlation between the length of time our staff has been with us and the quality of the care we provide our residents.

Our team has a combined 190 years of service at our community, with more than 65 years from our leadership team alone. With one of the lowest turnover rates in the area, our team continually works together to learn and share best practices and strives to truly get to know you and your unique needs.

Don’t just take our word for it, though. In the past few years, we’re proud to have earned:

• Consistently deficiencyfree surveys, which constitutes a perfect score in evaluation of care and safety;

• Recipient of our Top Clinical award in 2023;

• Top scorer on resident and family satisfaction surveys out of all 70-plus Integral Senior Living communities in 2023.

We’re also proud to have had no agency staffing in over two years, meaning the team serving you has a chance to truly get to know your individual needs and how to care for you best.

These team members work together to operate our Vibrant Life and Elevate dining programs, which provide each resident with enriching

George would do if he lost to his opponent, the aging showman thundered, “I’d crawl across the ring and cut my hair off! But that’s not going to happen, because I am the greatest wrestler in the world!”

After the interviews, the 46-year-old George gave the 19-year-old Clay some sage advice: “Boxing, wrestling, it’s all a show. A lot of people will pay to see someone shut your mouth. So keep on bragging, keep on sassing, and always be outrageous!”

Cassius took the words to heart. As the Louisville Lip, he began boasting that he was the greatest boxer ever. (Like George in his prime, he had the skills to back up those boasts.) Clay would also offer such witticisms as “I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked!”

George’s star eventually dimmed, and on the day after

Christmas 1963, he died anonymously at 48 of a heart attack.

Two months later, on Feb. 25, 1964, Clay, at age 22 a 7-to-1 underdog, defeated heavyweight boxing champ Sonny Liston. That night, Cassius — soon

to become Muhammad Ali — echoed the words of the man who had changed his future and bellowed to the ringside press, “Eat your words! I am the greatest!” And, truly, he was.

and fun activities on a regular basis and three flavorful, nutritious meals each day. All of this comes together to help you live a worry-free lifestyle at Brentwood at Elkhart Assisted Living.

Call us at (574) 266-4508 or visit BrentwoodAtElkhartAssistedLiving.com to schedule a tour and meet our team today. Brentwood at Elkhart is located at 3600 E. Bristol St.

Here’s

How It Works:

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column or box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Slam the scam:

How to spot government imposters

tial scammer:

• Hang up right away or ignore the message.

• Promise a benefit increase in exchange for money.

Do you know how to spot a government imposter scam?

Knowing how to identify potential scammers will help safeguard your personal information.

There are common elements to many of these scams. Scammers often exploit fears and threaten you with arrest or legal action. Scammers also pose as Social Security or other government employees and claim there’s a problem with your Social Security number or your benefits. They may even claim your SSN is linked to a crime.

When you identify a poten-

• Never give personal information or money.

• Report the scam immediately to our Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/scamawareness/report-the-scam.

If you owe money to Social Security, we’ll mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights. We only accept payments electronically through pay.gov, Online Bill Pay or physically by check or money order through our offices.

We will never do the following:

• Threaten you with arrest or legal action because you don’t agree to pay us money immediately.

• Ask you to send us gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, internet currency, cryptocurrency or cash through the U.S. mail.

Scammers continue to evolve and find new ways to steal your

money and personal information. Stay vigilant and help raise awareness about Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams. For more information on scams, visit ssa.gov/scam.

Tell your friends and family about government imposter

scams. Let them know they don’t have to be embarrassed to report if they shared personal financial information or suffered a financial loss. The important thing is to report the scam right away.

Together, we can “Slam the Scam!”

Five common estate planning mistakes to avoid

Trust and estate planning is an important part of ensuring the security of your family’s future. Here are five common trust and estate planning mistakes and how to prevent them.

1. Not Planning Ahead

Failing to have an estate plan in place can be a costly mistake. Without a valid will or trust, assets may not be distributed according to your wishes when you pass away.

Without an estate plan in place, it’s likely that probate proceedings will take much longer than if one had been created beforehand, resulting in increased legal costs for those involved.

2. Failing To Update

Your Plan Regularly Laws and regulations change over time, and without updating your estate plan, parts of it could no longer be valid or effective. Changes in life circumstances also affect how you achieve estate planning goals.

3. Not Including Funeral And Burial Wishes

If you don’t include funeral and burial wishes in your estate plan, your family may struggle to make important decisions about your service or memorial. Without these instructions, family members often feel overwhelmed and unsure about how to honor their loved one’s memory.

4. Neglecting Tax Considerations

When it comes to trust and estate planning, one of the most important considerations is taxes. Estate planning professionals can determine what strategy is

best to reduce taxes, such as setting up trusts, donating money/property to charitable organizations, or distributing assets to family members with lower tax brackets.

5. Failing To Plan For Incapacity

Incapacity planning is an often overlooked but essential part of the estate planning process. Without this important step, you could be leaving your loved ones with a difficult decision in the event you cannot make decisions for yourself.

DISCLOSURE

This information is not designed, meant, or constitute the rendering of legal or tax advice. One should consult with an attorney or tax advisor before implementing any strategy discussed here.

Trust services provided by Members Trust Company are not federally insured, are not obligations of or guaranteed by the credit union or any affiliated entity and involve investment risks, including the possible loss of principle. Members Trust Company is a federal thrift regulated by the office of the comptroller or the currency.

Sports Parr enjoys volunteering with Upward Basketball league

Chuck Parr was born in Indianapolis. His parents moved to this area in 1968 after his father retired from RCA. They lived on the Barbee Chain. Parr moved back to Wabash about 20 years ago. He still has a lakehouse here.

Parr is a longtime volunteer with the Upward Basketball league, a North Webster United Methodist Church program.

“I’m one of the referees. I’ve been doing it for 20-plus years. It’s a great organization. It’s all Christian based. It’s not AAU. They share inspirational stories during practice. At halftime of each game, they give a devotional type message to the athletes.

“I have enjoyed watching the kids grow up through our program. Many of the kids go on to play sports at Wawasee and Warsaw. I’ve been in sports all of my life. I still play softball at the CCAC in Warsaw. We play for the churches of North Webster: The North Webster Church of God and North Webster United Methodist Church,” said Parr.

“Kindergarten through first grade, second through third and fourth through fifth graders progress from tucking the ball and running with it to dribbling and shooting the ball.

“On the devotional side, there are quite a few families to come through the program who have probably never been to church. Some just come on Sunday to visit and see if this is something they want to do. We’re not actively recruiting, but we’re just trying to introduce them to Jesus and the Bible,” he said.

“Our associate director of the Upward Basketball

league, Chris Strombeck, had a group of kids come in over the summer. They were practicing and then had a break for devotional time before they were getting ready to practice some more. The group practiced and then started their devotional.

“Chris was taking them back into the gym to resume practice and they told him they wanted to learn more about the devotional story he was giving before they resumed their practice,” said Parr.

“One of the reasons I’ve stayed involved is because of the kids. The smiles on their faces says it all. They’re learning about the Bible. They’re learning about basketball.

“Many of the kids coming in don’t have much of a skill set. It’s more of a learning league. It’s a mixture of young athletes who have never touched a basketball and some who have basketball roots in their family and they are thrown into the mix as well.

“Being a referee is fun because it’s not like being a regular referee. I also do Special Olympics. If they are doing something they shouldn’t be doing, during breaks we will tell them what they’re doing wrong and teach them the correct way to play the game of basketball,” said Parr.

“We make the trek up here to the gym every Saturday. The league is an eight-week league that starts in January and is finished the second week of March. At the end of the season, they have a large party for the kids. They have entertainment. Local merchants will donate prizes.

“Each athlete receives a raffle ticket and their name is drawn out of a hat for a prize. It could be a camp adventure or any different number of

prizes. They have a cruise on the Dixie boat. Basketballs are given away.

“Entertainment is always Christian-based. There is a guy who throws paint onto

a canvas sheet and it turns into a beautiful piece of art.

I’m not sure his name, but his work is fantastic. He shows the kids how he practices his art,” he added.

“It’s not like refereeing a high school game. Fans don’t insult your calls. Parents and athletes will thank you for refereeing the games. It’s very rewarding,” said Parr.

Never too old for an allergy

A neighbor who recently became an octogenarian just reported she’s allergic to peanuts. She broke out in hives one evening while munching her favorite snack.

There are several reasons for allergic breakouts among oldsters. Seniors are moving from colder climates to warmer and then back again. Everyone has become cleanli-

ness conscious and rely on such external precautions as masks and hand sanitizers that some science indicates weakens our natural protection.

The sources of allergies seem to have multiplied — seafood, dairy products, an array of vegetables, beef, latex, pet dander, you name it.

Allergies can manifest themselves in several ways, the aforementioned hives, itching, difficulty breathing,

sneezing, itching and tingling of the mouth and face, and red blotches, just to mention a few.

When any untoward feeling occurs, make of list of what you’ve eaten last, record the symptoms and make an appointment with your primary care physician. If your reaction is serious, such as an increasing shortness of breath, call 911 and get emergency treatment.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

IIt’s easy! Simply find the chick 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.

I Spy February winner is Teresa Heckler. The groundhog was located on page 5 in Senior Elko, page 18 in Senior St. Joseph, page 15 in Senior Allen and page 18 in Senior Northwest.

Elder Law

Q: In estate planning, what is the reason for tension over control vs. tax planning and other long-term benefits?

A: Estate planning is often a struggle between giving up control and receiving tax savings or other long-term benefits. For instance, to obtain the full benefit of the federal unified estate and gift tax credit (currently $12,920,000.00) or the annual gift tax exclusion (currently $17,000.00 per person per year), you must relinquish all incidents of ownership over the assets you wish to use to take advantage of such credits and exclusions. In other words, you must give up legal control over that particular asset (whether it is cash, stock, real estate, or anything else).

Senior Assisted Living

Kurt R. Bachman, Partner Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. and a Veterans Affairs Accredited Attorney

Also, to take advantage of the Medicaid eligibility rules to fund long term care needs, there must be relinquishment of legal control over all countable resources more than $2,000.00 (subject of course to the current 5-year lookback). The good news is that this struggle over whether or not to give up control to obtain tax and/ or Medicaid benefits can be addressed with careful planning with an Elder Law attorney.

Q. Did you know that social isolation is linked to an increased risk of dementia?

A. Socially isolated older adults have a 27% higher chance of developing dementia than older adults who aren’t.

Social isolation is defined as having few relationships and few people to interact with regularly. The study measured this based on whether participants lived alone, talked about “important matters” with two or more people in the past year, attended religious services or participated in social events.

DISCLAIMER: Kurt R. Bachman and Beers Mallers, LLP Attorneys At Law, appreciate the opportunity to provide insight into legal topics of interest. The content of this article is designed to provide information of general interest to the public and is not intended to offer legal advice about specific situations or problems. Kurt R. Bachman and Beers Mallers, LLP Attorneys At Law, do not intend to create an attorneyclient relationship by offering this information, and anyone’s review of the information shall not be deemed to create such a relationship. You should consult a lawyer if you have a legal matter requiring attention. Kurt R. Bachman and Beers Mallers, LLP Attorneys At Law, also advise that any information you send to this Newsletter shall not be deemed secure or confidential. Please visit our office to ensure complete confidentiality.

Sue Roesner, MSOL Community Relations Manager

Over the course of nine years, researchers periodically administered cognitive tests. Overall, about 21% of the study participants developed dementia. But among those were who were socially isolated, about 26% developed dementia – compared to slightly less than 20% for those who were not socially isolated. This is encouraging because it means simple interventions may be meaningful.

425 Chinworth Court Warsaw, IN 46580 574-267-3873 www.enlivant.com

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Dining/Leisure/Entertainment

Let the glycemic index be a guide

lates to 1 cup of pasta, but it also translates to 7 cups of carrots, so you need to consider the food groups.

The GI can also change based on the ripeness of fruit, whether an item is cooked and even whether it is overcooked, as that breaks down the cellular structure causing the food to be more easily digested.

For vegetables: Low GI

Broccoli, 10

Some people insist “a calorie is a calorie” and it doesn’t matter if you are eating 1,500 calories of marshmallows or 1,500 calories of vegetables, to which I would say, “Not so fast.”

Our bodies convert what we eat to energy — glucose, and since marshmallows are already sugar, which is at the top of the glycemic index, our body very quickly converts the calories into glucose, which makes blood sugar soar. Conversely, 1,500 calories of vegetables slowly digest without blood sugar spiking, as it would with sugar or refined carbohydrates like bread and baked goods.

The GI is based on 50 grams of whichever food,with a measurement of how high the blood glucose peaks two hours after consumption. That trans-

Cabbage, 10

Mushrooms, 10

Chillies, 10

Lettuce, 10

Red peppers, 10

Onions, 10

Eggplant/aubergine, 15

Cauliflower, 15

Tomatoes, 15

Green beans, 15

Raw carrots, 16

Frozen green peas, 39

Boiled carrots, 41

Frozen sweet corn, 47

To the high end: High GI

Pumpkin, 75

Parsnips, 97

Let’s look at bread: Medium GI

Pita, white, 57

Hamburger bun, 61

Wholemeal Rye, 62

Croissant, 67

High GI White, 71 Bagel, 72 French baguette, 95 And beans: Low GI Lentils, red, 21 Lentils, green, 30 Haricot/navy beans, 31 Yellow split peas, 32 Butter beans, 36 Chickpeas, 42 Pinto beans, 45 Black-eyed beans, 50 Kidney beans (canned), 52 And snack food:

High GI Donuts, 76 Water crackers, 78 Puffed crispbread, 81 Pretzels, 83 Rice cakes, 87 Scones, 92

Do you see where I’m going here? Two pieces of toast for breakfast, a sandwich and chips for lunch and pizza for dinner has never been ideal. Planning out your day will always serve you better. Knowledge will always serve you better. Commitment will always serve you better. As a guideline, low GI is 55 or less, medium GI is 56-69 and high GI is 70 or more. Sweet potato over white potato, corn over flour, 100%

whole wheat over white flour. And, of course, whole food over processed.

To 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@the-papers.com.

Ladders can be hazardous

Ladders can be mighty helpful but they also can be hazardous to your health and well-being. Just like stepstools.

Whether it’s cleaning the eaves or taking down the Christmas-tree decorations, you’re just a slip away from a fall.

The first thing you have to see to is setting the ladder

(or stool) on a firm and level foundation. If the ground or floor is uneven, use boards or furniture-feet coasters to provide a safe setting. Make sure the climbing angle is safe and then climb slowly and carefully. Never stand on the top of any ladder. Stop three runs form the top of a straight or extension ladder. If you have to reach to get the job done, climb back down and reposition the ladder.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Winn shows the love of Jesus by giving of his time

“People show the love of Jesus in different ways,” stated Bill Winn, Winona Lake. “They might help clean a person’s house or bring them a meal when they’re sick. I enjoy watching people learn. I think we show the love of Christ most when we give of our time.”

Winn did not go to church as a child. “My parents had a lot of struggles in their lives. I went to live with an aunt when I was 15. It was then that I started to go to church regularly.”

After he graduated from Butler University with a pharmacy major, he and his wife Sherry moved to Warsaw in 1974. “We were both pharmacists. As I was working at Brennan’s Pharmacy, a coworker asked us to attend his Presbyterian church. We’ve been going to Warsaw Presbyterian Church ever since, almost 50 years. We raised all three of our children there.”

However, Winn admits that even when he joined the church, he didn’t understand totally what it meant to truly serve Jesus Christ. “It was

when Sherry and I were in a small Bible study group that we began to understand what being a Christian was all about. I was always the one who questioned what I read in the Bible. But my teachers were very patient with me. I began to see that Christianity places the world’s system on its head. It’s a paradox, the very opposite of our human logic.”

Winn began to realize Christianity wasn’t about being happy, or even loved by people in return. “Jesus tells us in order to save our lives we must lose them. It’s not other people’s job to make us happy. It’s our job to make others happy. It’s also our job to love others more than ourselves, even if that love is not reciprocated.”

He also learned he couldn’t do this in his own strength. “Jesus gives us a template for our lives. He sets standards by which we need to live. He teaches us that instead of craving material wealth, we need to share with others. His way of life is impossible for a person to achieve in their own strength. It’s only in walking in relationship to Him that we are able to get closer and closer to

the mark. And as we continue our walk, things will be well taken care of.”

Over the past 49 years, Winn has occupied almost every office in his church. He was a deacon, an elder and has taught children and youth Sunday school classes.

“I especially enjoy teaching junior and senior high kids and hearing how they process Christianity, hearing their world views. I always thank them for allowing me to teach them. When I dig into my Bible to prepare a lesson, I am learning even more than they are. It’s a privilege.”

Winn has always had a special place in his heart for young people. He was part of the Lunch Buddies program at Lincoln Elementary School for two years. He has also been a volunteer in the Homework Club at the school, where he helped students with their lessons. His latest endeavor is teaching an adult to read through the Project Read program.

“Spending time with people lets them know we value them … that we believe they’re special.”

Hapless headlines from newspapers

from embarrassment by those who wrote them and from laughing by those who read them.

Many sneaked through the

editorial staff at papers I worked for, others hit the streets in competing pages, a lot were sent to me by colleagues, and the rest I just read in papers picked up here and there.

Some of you must have seen some of them.

Like:

Police launch campaign to run down jaywalkers

Panda mating fails, veterinarian takes over

Miners refuse to work after death

Juvenile court to try shooting defendant

War dims hope for peace

New study of obesity looks for larger test group

Astronaut takes blame for gas in spacecraft

Kids make nutritious snacks

Homicide victims rarely talk to police

Marijuana issue sent to a joint committee

China may be using sea to hide its submarines

Federal agents raid gun shop, find weapons

Man kills himself and runs away Bugs flying around with wings are flying bugs

Bridges help people cross rivers

Girls’ schools still offering “Something Special” — Head Man arrested for everything Tiger Woods plays with his own balls, Nike says Rooms with broken air conditioners are hot

State population to double by

Continued on page 13

Long, long ago —

Down on Grandpa’s farm and into Grandma’s kitchen

Where have all the years gone since my youth on Grandpa’s farm? My paternal grandfather rented out most of his 40-acre farm after World War II was over to a “reformed” Amishman. This next door neighbor then planted his wheat, corn and soybeans in rotation to confuse the worms and insects.

It was an educational experience to watch the seeds being sown and see them sprout into young plants and grow to harvest time. It was an experience that no public school could teach a young country boy back 70 some years past.

One beautiful fall month when the corn was harvested, several dozen sandhill cranes landed in one of the fields, where they began to devour the corn the picker missed. Slowly and quietly I walked within 50 yards of these majestic birds and snapped some fairly close photos of them.

I recall one warm summer when the wheat heads became ripe. We kids would pick several heads just before the kernels became hard. Rubbing heads around in our palms to extract the “treats” inside, we’d then blow away the chaff and found ourselves left with homemade chewing gum. Not big on taste, if there was any, but sufficient for a child’s generic chew. Trouble was, you couldn’t blow bubbles.

An almost endless list of memories are stored in the recesses of my mind: chasing winter rabbits in the old apple orchard, chattering with the squirrels as they gathered their fall walnuts and then scampered up Grandpa’s black walnut trees, not to forget the boundless gifts of all seasons that were free for the eyes and nose to enjoy.

Any information welcome to: Dr. Greg Lawson, 1801 E. 3rd St., Mishawaka, IN 46544. Lawson is a long-time writer laureate of area history and human interest stories.

Pesky persistent pain

More than 25 million Americans deal with some level of pain every day, according to the Alliance for Aging Research.

Persistent, or chronic, pain is ongoing or recurrent pain that lasts beyond the usual course of acute illness or injury. It can last several months or many years.

Persistent pain doesn’t mean a person is always in pain. It can be mild to severe, complex to manage, and caused by injury, arthritis, cancer and other diseases. Persistent pain also can cause physical distress and seriously impact one’s quality of life.

If you turn to medications to help manage your pain, it’s important to choose and use them safely. There are a variety of medications that can help manage different pain needs. They also have different risks and benefits you need to consider. It’s important that you choose the right pain medication and know how to use it safely and appropriately.

Discuss this matter seriously with your primary care physician, who may even refer you to a specialist if the situation requires.

You may turn to over-thecounter medications, which are

Hapless

Continued from page 12

2040, babies to blame

Greenland meteorite may be from space

Students cook & serve grandparents

Woman missing since she got lost

Man found dead in graveyard

City unsure why the sewer smells

Planes forced to land at airports

Statistics show that teen

available without a prescription. You may also turn to prescription pain medications, sometimes referred to as opioids, that are designed to manage moderate to severe pain. Other prescription medications like steroids, muscle relaxants, antidepressants and anticonvulsants can also help manage your persistent pain. Prescription pain-medications can be very effective when used under the supervision of a healthcare professional. However, some can be habit-forming, addictive, and lead to an overdose if abused or used incorrectly.

Non-drug therapies can be used as alternatives or alongside your pain medications to relieve your pain and can include mindbody exercises like yoga and meditation, acupuncture or massage, regular exercise routines and physical therapy, and even pain-management devices.

You should talk with your healthcare provider about developing a pain-management plan that sets goals like spending more time with family, getting back to hobbies, exercising more, and managing pain while healing. It should also include a review of all medications, non-drug therapies, and other interventions you are using or thinking of using to manage your pain.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

pregnancy drops significantly after 25

Hospitals resort to hiring doctors

Diana Was Still Alive Hours Before She Died

One-armed man applauds the kindness of strangers

Most earthquake damage is caused by shaking

And my all-time favorite: Cold wave linked to temperatures.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Aging is more than a numbers game

several chronic illnesses.

Claiming age is just a number doesn’t add up.

What number is it? Do you pick a favorite number and use it forever? Or is it the number of days you’ve been alive and alert? A sizeable number of folks wonder what age they’re going to be in heaven. A wrong number could be hell.

No matter how we regard our age, we have come to understand that aging increases the risk factor for many diseases, including cancers and degenerative disorders such as dementia, and the likelihood of suffering

Genes have long played a role in how we age. If your parents lived relatively healthy lives and edged close to the century mark before dying, your chances of living a lengthy and relatively healthy life are pretty good. If you take care of yourself.

While the global search for the Fountain of Youth is still in full force, diet and lifestyle are a couple of traditional tools you can use to stretch out your time here on Earth.

Not everyone agrees on what attributes contribute to successful aging. Some are vegetarians, others sweat through regular

gym sessions. Many work as long as they can and keep busy by volunteering when they leave the labor force.

Science has opened up several doorways we explore to slow down the process that changes our body as we age.

Fasting has become one of the most popular. The benefits of intermittent fasting have been found to be favorable in tests and studies among both animals and humans. Varying the times and types of one’s food intake has shown signs of slowing own the attacks of metabolic disorders and some common age-related liver diseases. A word of caution to everyone.

Be healthy, stay happy

When you’re healthy, you can be happy. If you’re happy, you’re probably healthy.

So be happy. But you need energy to maintain a happy and healthy life and lifestyle.

The more you think about all this, you’re wasting time and energy that should be devoted to staying happy and healthy that is maintained easily by developing a simple regimen.

You can start increasing your energy to live happier and healthier by eating properly. A well-balanced diet is a start, and we don’t mean one designed for weight loss. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables, lean-protein, lowfat dairy and whole grains gives you an optimal level of

energy to help you enjoy life and living as well as cope with unanticipated problems and activities over which you have no control.

Then get to sleep seven or eight hours every night. A good night’s sleep not only gives your body time to relax and recuperate, it also brightens your mood and lowers your risk of disease.

When you’re out and about, pick your friends. Hang around with people you enjoy rather than those you don’t relate to or who have negative outlooks, complain often, or make poor choices.

Time spent with enjoyable company will help you avoid news overdose, especially in these days of non-stop political acrimony, looming wars around the globe, and wild

cultural theories taking over the telecasts.

It will also help you keep thinking good thoughts about the folks around you, even the ones you find trying. Compassion for your fellow humans helps maintain your peace of mind, which helps conserve your energy.

This might lead to another peaceful action — doing something you enjoy, such as building yourself a big salad or going roller skating. You can also bring order and peace to your life by straightening out the things around you. Just don’t try to do it all at once.

If your kitchen is in disarray. Pick one cabinet to straighten out and get it done this week. Don’t tackle the next one until next week.

And finally, but not last, get yourself some regular exercise.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Pick something you can enjoy. Swimming, hiking, biking, running, skipping rope, and tennis are just a few options. Contrary to what you might believe, this will add to your energy, not subtract from it. Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

North Woods

Before making any changes to diet or daily-living habits, always discuss your situation and plans with your primary-care physician.

Researchers also are delving into ways to revitalize one’s immune system, which diminishes over time. They’re targets are cells that can be replenished to combat everything from wrinkles to cancer.

Maintaining healthy bones slows down the aging process.

Folks past their 50s should test their bone measurement and mass regularly. Ask your doctor about dietary supplements and foods that can slow down bone loss.

As you read this, scientists, lab workers and researchers are working diligently in such exotic fields as tissue rejuvenation and cellular senescence and regeneration to keep us, as well as themselves, aging gracefully.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Placebo power works

Your mind is a powerful tool.

If you set your mind to do something, you’re likely to get it done. If you set it to cure you when you’re sick, your chances of feeling better are multiplied.

This is where placebos come into play. A placebo is a substance or treatment with no therapeutic value but the patient is told it has. It can be inert tablets, inert injections, and even sham surgery.

A placebo cannot cure you but it can make you feel better. It can’t reset a broken bone, but it can make you believe it takes the pain away.

There’s a report of a World War II surgeon who ran out of morphine and substituted a pre-surgery injection of a saline solution. It worked because his patients believed they were being injected with an anesthetic.

This placebo effect is effective in up to half of the cases in which it is applied, but depends on several factors.

The more bells and whistles involved, the more effective the response, according to a recent Annual Review of Clinical Psychology report. According to the report, placebo pills and injections were effective in about one-quarter of the cases in which they were applied compared with a 50% response rate to placebo surgery.

The condition being treated also is a factor. Placebos work best for treating pain, itch-

ing and fatigue and are not as effective for symptoms such as fever, high blood pressure and abnormal heart rate.

Mental health disorders such anxiety, depression and panic attacks respond well to placebos. While they can reduce the pain from a tumor, they can’t stop it from growing.

Medical research indicates more patients are experiencing relief from placebos, even when they know they’re being given placebos. A 1996 clinical-trial group reported a 27% difference between the effectiveness of placebo and active drugs. The difference reported in a 2013 test was less than 10%.

Despite this seeming effectiveness of placebos, doctors cannot prescribe them without telling their patients what they are. Studies show when patients are told they are getting a placebo and also told what placebos work, they get a positive placebo response. A solution is what’s called open-label placebos, which have been used to successfully treat migraine headaches, knee pain, cancerrelated fatigue, and irritable bowel syndrome, among other ailments.

The placebo power is in our minds — we don’t need to be hoodwinked into using it, we just have to start believing in it.

Modern medicine has come to believe in what Hippocrates knew: “The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force for getting well.”

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

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Gilbert adds a new face of Phoenix

And it’s easier to do things here.

By the time you get to Phoenix, you may have heard of Gilbert.

This community of almost 300,000 was facing an impossible task just a couple of years ago. This fourth largest community in the Valley of the Sun was preparing to mark its 100th birthday as the fastest growing city in the country. But it was — and still is — a town.

With a population more than twice the size of Topeka, Kan., it can claim to be the fastest growing town in the nation, and maybe even the biggest town on Earth. It’s the rapid rate of growth that is responsible for its quandary. With a population of less than 2,000 in 1970, it’s grown too fast to give local politicians time to take care of the resolutions and paper work required to call itself a city.

Many of the locals like it that way. It’s more neighborly and friendlier than a city, they say.

To take advantage of the baseball interest spurred by the annual spring training of some 16 teams in the Valley — and the period of benevolent weather — the town renovated a former sports facility and reopened it last year as Cactus Park, a home for youth baseball tournaments, adult softball and kickball leagues with replicas of eight baseball stadiums from around the country.

They can cheer for their favorite local players in Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field, jeer them at St. Louis’ Sportsman’s Park, have a hot dog at Angel Stadium, or grab a pretzel at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks a few miles from the original in downtown Phoenix.

Downtown Gilbert has become a diner’s delight with offerings ranging from zesty ribs to tantalizing tacos. The renovated Heritage District is easy to find. Just head for the town’s trademark water tower, which also straddles the weekly farmer’s

market alongside the railway tracks that still carries bellowing diesel-towed trains through the heart of Gilbert.

In 1902, the Arizona Eastern Railway asked for donations of right of way to establish a rail line connecting Phoenix with Florence, the Pinal County capi-

tal about 60 miles southeast of the state capital.

A rail siding was established on property owned by William “Bobby” Gilbert. The siding, and the town that sprung up around it, became known as Gilbert.

It was a prime farming center, fueled by the construction of the

Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals in 1911. So prosperous was the community that it became known as the “Hay Capital of the World” until the late 1920s.

Gilbert began to take its current shape during the 1970s

Continued on page 17

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Adventures on my Caribbean cruise

Mary Ellen and I just returned from a wonderful Caribbean cruise. But no one wants to read a humor column about how much fun we had. So instead, I’ll put on my grumpy old man hat and describe everything that went wrong.

On our first day, we went snorkeling. It took us about an hour on a catamaran to reach the reef, but the fish in Saint Thomas must have seen us coming, because by the time we put on all of our gear and dove into the bay, there was nary a minnow in sight.

The guide tried to paint a rosy picture of our pricey excursion.

“Have you ever seen so many fish?” he asked.

I answered honestly: “Yes, on the wall of Red Lobster.”

Later, on board the ship, one of my hearing aids stopped working.

“Which one?” asked Mary Ellen.

“Starboard side,” I said.

My wife was impressed that I

had adopted the proper nautical terminology. But when I turned around to walk toward the lunch buffet, my broken hearing aid was now on the port side of my head. This created a real problem: Mary Ellen never knew which ear to yell into.

Getting on the elevator required us to scan our room card. I kept swiping but the elevator door didn’t open. A fellow passenger walked by.

“You’re scanning the hand sanitizer dispenser,” he told me.

I complained to the front desk that both pools on the ship lacked a shallow end. They were 5 feet, 9 inches deep everywhere, an inch over the top of my head. Who designed these pools? Retired NBA players?

“Am I the only person to complain about this?” I asked the cruise director.

“No, Mr. Wolfsie, but you are the tallest.”

One night, I carried the TV remote onto the veranda outside our room that overlooked the ocean. The device slipped out of my hand when the ship rocked and it landed in the Atlantic.

“That’s never happened before,” said the steward. “What were you doing when you dropped it?”

“I was channel surfing,” I told him.

Our room safe required us to choose a security code. I used our old house number. But I must have entered it incorrectly when I programmed it, because I could not unlock it with those same digits later that night. Panicked, I called the security desk.

“How did I get locked out of my own safe?”

“Wait a second, aren’t you the guy who griped about the snorkeling, swiped the hand sanitizer with his key card,

complained that the pool has no shallow end and lost his remote in the Atlantic? And did you ever get your hearing aid fixed?”

Wow, word travels fast at sea.

On the way home, I went to the deli at the airport to get a bite to eat before boarding the plane. All they had was a stale-looking chicken sandwich with wilted lettuce and slimy American cheese. I bought one along with a bottle of water.

Gilbert adds

Continued from page 16

when it annexed some 50 square miles of county land and envisioned growth much like the neighboring communities of Tempe, Mesa and Chandler.

Getting around this area has been made easy because of foresight and farsighted planning. Major streets are one mile apart forming a grid throughout the East Valley that makes it simple to determine distances between venues.

Locals have grown used to seeing vacant land as opportunities for corporate buildings, shopping complexes and residential developments to spring up almost as fast as cotton, corn, oranges and olives did a few decades ago.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Mary Ellen took a pass.

“That will be $25,” said the cashier.

“$25? At Costco right here in San Juan, I could get five whole rotisserie chickens for $25.

“Good luck fitting them under your seat, sir.”

Again, despite what you have read, I had a wonderful time. I especially liked our last glorious day in Puerto Rico. As David Letterman would have said, “It was 75 and sunny. Just like me.”

Cruising the Great Lakes —

Enlightening and relaxing

Editor’s

Note: This piece on Cruising the Great Lakes will serve as an introduction to the places the ship stopped and for the next six months those destinations will be highlighted.

Greencroft Community Center Tours

Cruising the Great Lakes is just as enjoyable as doing the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. In fact, it has some advantages that make it very attractive.

For starters, it’s closer to home. Then, it’s less crowded because ships only carry around 200 people. And, they stop at familiar places like Niagara Falls, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Detroit, Mackinac Island, the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Holland, Mich.

Along the way, it docks in places most people have probably never heard of or would probably never go to, like the world’s deepest natural freshwater port at Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay or Midland with more than 30 beautiful murals.

The Great Lakes are pretty much taken for granted by Midwesterners. On board the Pearl Seas Mist, passengers learn how important they are to the health and welfare of

Continued on page 19

Upcoming Tours

Feb. 6 – Jayco

RV Factory Tour, Middlebury, IN

Feb. 27 – Studebaker Museum/SB Chocolate Factory, South Bend, IN

Mar. 6 – Shopping in Shipshewana, IN

Mar. 22 – Fair Oaks Farm, Fair Oaks, IN

Apr. 12 – Gerald Ford Museum & Chaffe Planetarium, Grand Rapids, MI

May 4 – Sauder Village & Quilt Show, Archbold, OH

June 13-15 – Chicago

June 23 – Biblical Gardens and Warsaw Glass Co., Warsaw, IN

For full information on any of these tours, or to make a reservation, please call 574-537-4090

1820 Greencroft Blvd. Goshen, IN 46526 www.greencroft.org

ANSWERS:

S & S TRAVEL

Experience Chicago Aug. 22-24

Do you on occasion need to drive to O’Hare Airport (and dread it) or maybe to ball

game? That’s not the same as experiencing Chicago. Join us for a two-night, three-day luxury motorcoach trip to Chitown, Aug. 22-24.

Branson Holiday Show Extravaganza 2023

November 13-18, 2023

The trip includes:

• Motor coach transportation.

• Two nights lodging in the Chicago area.

• Four meals: two breakfasts and two dinners.

• A visit to the Museum of Science and Industry.

• A visit to the world famous 360 Chicago Observation Deck, formerly the John Hancock Observatory.

• A skyline cruise on Lake Michigan.

• A visit to the historic Navy Pier and Field Museum of Natural History.

• A night of dinner with entertainment.

All this for only $355 per person, double occupancy. We are going to have good summertime fun and hope you will join us. Just pay a $75 deposit to hold a seat.

Visit grouptrips.com/ddresales for details, videos and to sign up.

If you have any questions, call Dennis at (574) 220-8032.

Enlightening

Continued from page 18

this area and the entire country. Eighty-four percent of North America’s fresh water comes from the Great Lakes, and they hold one-fifth of the world’s fresh water.

The 11-day cruise we took last August departed from Toronto, crossed Lake Ontario and passed through several canals and locks to Niagara Falls. There we donned red plastic ponchos and rode to within 30 yards of the base of Horseshoe Falls. Water crashing off the rocks filled the air with mist.

Cleveland was next on the itinerary and a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to listening to classic performances by many of the hall’s inductees, passengers viewed memorabilia from the stars, including Prince’s famous purple coat and Elvis’s motorcycle.

One section highlighted the fact that when the rock ‘n’ roll revolution hit, parents were concerned it was corrupting their youngsters and actually petitioned to have it banned from the airwaves.

In Detroit, we visited Greenfield Village and rode the steam locomotive around the property before walking to specific buildings. Coal particles from the engine covered everyone in the open viewing cars. Station employees advised to shake rather than brush. Riding in a 1923 Model T Ford was the highlight.

At Sault Ste. Marie, the ship docked next to a 1917 freighter that is now a maritime museum. Passengers could take a narrated ride through the Soo Locks into Lake Superior and back. In town, a 210-foot tower afforded an overview of the locks, which control the world’s busiest inland shipping channel.

At Mackinac Island, the ship moored just a block from the center of town where horse-drawn wagons and carriages are available to take visitors past Victorian homes,

17 fudge shops, the historic fort and the Grand Hotel. Only people staying at the hotel are allowed to wander the grounds, enjoy the view from its long porch or enter the lobby.

Though tulips were not in season, the city of Holland, Mich., was festooned with flowers of all kinds. One stop was at Windmill Gardens to see a working mill purchased in the Netherlands, disman-

tled, shipped to Holland and reassembled.

A demonstration of an antique street organ donated

by the people of Holland to honor the U.S. servicemen during World War II was a real treat.

For 30 Days For A

1 Column x 1 Inch Ad

It was 50 years ago — ‘Rocky Mountain High’ became controversial

John Denver and his wife, Annie, moved to Aspen, Colo., in December 1970, hoping to purchase a home in the couple’s favorite part of their favorite state. What they discovered was that everything cost much more than they could afford. The two thus bought land in a nearby scenic valley, with plans to build a house the next year — if John’s career continued its ascent.

The success of “Rocky Mountain High” would put their minds at ease.

“He was born in the summer of his 27th year.

“Comin’ home to a place he’d never been before.

“He left yesterday behind him,

“You might say he was born again.

“You might say he found the key for every door.”

In his autobiography, “Take Me Home,” Denver stated, “I remember, almost to the moment, when that song started

to take shape in my head.” He recalled how he and Annie and some friends had hiked up to Lake Williams to camp below the stars and watch the Perseids meteor showers. (They are called the Perseids because the point from which they appear to hail lies in the constellation Perseus.)

“Imagine a moonless night in the Rockies in the dead of summer and you have it. … We were right below the tree line, just about 10,000 feet. … Around midnight, I got up and could see the shadow from the starlight, there was so much light from the stars. I went back and lay down in front of our tent, thinking about how in nature all things, large and small, were interwoven, when swoosh, a meteor went smoking by. … It got bigger and bigger until the tail stretched out all the way across the sky and burned itself out. It was raining fire in the sky.”

He began work on a folk tune about the experience with friend Mike Taylor, an acoustic guitarist who had performed with Denver and had also moved to Aspen. The result was Denver’s autobiographical “Rocky Mountain High.” After Denver tweaked it for several months, the

resulting RCA Records single became a Top 10 classic.

“The Colorado Rocky Mountain high.

“I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky.

“The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby.

“Rocky Mountain high.”

However, his creation became controversial when some listeners thought the word “high” referred to drug use. (Nine times we hear “high in Colorado” in the background whenever the line Rocky Mountain high is sung.)

This led Denver to testify before a Senate hearing. “My song ‘Rocky Mountain High’ was banned from many radio stations as a drug-related song,” he said. “This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains and also had never experienced the elation, celebration of life or the joy in living that one feels when observing something as wondrous as the Perseides meteor shower.”

End of discussion.

In 1915, “Where the Columbines Grow” became Colorado’s state song. In 1973, “Rocky Mountain High” was added as the official second one.

Tax breaks

folks 51 to 60 can deduct up to $1,690.

Long-term-care insurance premium costs are deductible as a medical expense but vary for difference age groups. Taxpayers 71 and older can claim up to $5,640, seniors 61 to 70 can claim up to $4,510, and

You can also get a tax break if you pay extra for a vehicle license plate that advocates a charitable cause.

Check with you tax preparer to see how much you qualify for in any of these instances.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Jeff ‘JJ’ Shaw, Attorney at Law