Senior Life - NorthWest Edition - November 2023

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Living Life After 50

Elder Law and Medicaid Planning

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Cliff Rice

Elder Law Attorney

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Northwest editioN reachiNg seNiors iN illiaNa: cook, lake & Porter couNties

November 2023

Vol. 27, No. 8

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Lake County Public Library —

Detective ‘GENIES’ connect dots to locate

ANCESTRY GENEALOGY WORKERS — Vicki Jackson, right, reference and genealogical librarian for Lake County Public Library, and Sharon Heavner, a reference clerk, are seated in the Genealogy Room in the LCPL’s main branch in Merrillville. Their department has printed and online materials to link patrons with their ancestry.

Text and Photos

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer Do you think genealogy work is dull, unexciting? Think again.

Sharon Heavner, a reference clerk for Lake County Public Library’s genealogy department, shared two stories of unusual but successful searches.

A woman said her mother swore that in 1956 she touched what she thought was a suspended football dummy, only to discover it was a human body. Through research, Heavner found newspaper clippings of a suicide hanging victim in the area the woman’s mother had described.

Second, a man requested a listing of all male births on a certain day at a Gary hospital in 1969. His brother was born that day, but the man later learned that babies were switched and he wanted to connect with his real brother. Heavner went to work, researching births and potential high school graduations 17-18 years later.

Going through yearbooks, Heavner found some male graduates corresponding to that original birth date. After seeing the yearbook photos, the man claimed one was his biological brother. He planned to reunite with the sibling, but Heavner never heard back.

Still, Heavner said, “you feel so good when you connect the dots.”

“You’re a lot like a detective, taking the pieces and connecting the dots,” said Vicki Jackson, reference and genealogical librarian for LCPL. “It’s that ‘a-ha’ moment. Bingo — you’ve found it.”

Jackson, Heavner and Marilyn VanBerg, another reference clerk, work to connect people with their ancestry.

Although some ancestry data is available online at any of the nine LCPL branches, the Merrillville branch has the hardware and the hard copies to help patrons.

As Jackson explained, patrons generally ask for obituaries or help finding a specific person, newspaper clipping, historical event or help starting their family tree.

“Every case is different,” Jackson said. “It depends on the person.”

The search also starts with the person, Jackson and Heavner noted.

They recommend that patrons start with personal papers, write down what materials they have and then start their search. Materials, they said, may include a family Bible.

The LCPL genealogy staff has two rooms with valuable search tools. The Genealogy Room on the middle level contains items for genealogical research, including local and U.S. history. The Indiana Room on the upper level is a closed collection for staff only and contains unique, rare and older items.

Locally, the genealogy department

ALWAYS SEARCHING — Vicki Jackson, reference and genealogical librarian for Lake County Public Library, looks through papers related to northwest Indiana. The LCPL has a variety of tools to assist patrons searching for someone or something from their past.

has access to records from Lake and Porter counties and parts of LaPorte County.

Overall, the genealogy department offers classes, one-on-one help in the Genealogy Room, and an open genealogy collection for research, including books, microfilm newsletters, obituaries, newspapers, naturalization and military records, yearbooks, local history, scanning equipment and information on local communities and school districts.

Classes, which resume in February, include beginner genealogy, vital records

research in Indiana, German genealogy, wills and probates, Indiana State Library resources and interview tips with family members.

Using their library card, patrons can access various genealogy databases.

LCPL is a FamilySearch affiliate library, giving patrons access to about 400 million original records in a digital format.

The LCPL’s Merrillville branch is located at 1919 W. 81st Ave. For more information, call (219) 769-3541 or visit lcplin.org.

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Porter County Office:506 Evans Avenue Lake County Office:

County 1st Office: Lake Plum County Office: 409Porter E. Lincolnway, Floor Creek Center Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 57 Street, Suite 203 409Franklin E. Lincolnway, 1st Floor Creek Center Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 222Plum Indianapolis Blvd., Suite 207 Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 222 Indianapolis Blvd., Suite 207 Phone: (219) 548-0980 Phone: (219) 548-0980 Schererville, Indiana 46375 Schererville, Indiana 46375 , LLC Phone: (219) 548-0980Fax: (219) 548-0993 Fax: (219) 548-0993 Phone/Fax: 227-4884 Fax: (219) 548-0993 Phone/Fax: (219)(219) 227-4884 *Certified as an Elder Law Attorney the National Elder Law Foundation *Certified as an Elder Lawby Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation

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2 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

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Key Positions

50 years later, collection keeps growing on campus

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer Two educators just wanted to save old church records before they were lost forever.

Fifty years later, the former Calumet Regional Archives is still gathering, with some 500 collections.

After five decades, Dr. James Lane is still around, occasionally visiting, showing collections.

Today the Indiana University Northwest Archives & Special Collections continues to serve as a resource for academics, family researchers and anyone else.

“There still isn’t anything like it in the area,” Lane, 81, said during the anniversary celebration of the archives located on the third floor of IUN’s Library Conference Center.

Lane, who retired after teaching 37 years at IUN, still visits every week from his home in Chesterton. He’s always happy to show people around the archives and explain each piece’s significance.

“I consider this [archives] and Steel Shavings my two legacies to Gary and the university,” Lane said, referring to the magazine-style collection of writings about IUN and the region. “I’m very proud of it.”

For the record, archives are not museums. Archives are defined as “a collection of records documenting the history of an institution, organization, people or region.”

Archives may contain historical pieces, but they are more about paper records, not dinosaur bones.

“We’re different from a museum,” Lane explained. “We

collect papers, not museum pieces.”

Archives include school collections, environmental issues, politics, labor unions and the Indiana Dunes.

Also on display are mementos from Gary’s Midtown area, including Vee-Jay Records, which before Motown was this country’s largest Black-owned record company.

Also featured is the political career of former Gary Mayor Richard G. Hatcher, among the first Black mayors of a major American city.

IUN Chancellor Dr. Ken Iwana praised Lane, Cohen and other archivists as “keepers of a magnificent flame” for their efforts to preserving the “ensuing viability of our present and future.”

IUN hired Lane in 1970 as an urban historian. Lane Continued on page 4

FOUNDER HONORED — Dr. James Lane, left, a professor emeritus of history at Indiana University Northwest and co-director of the Calumet Regional Archives, stands with IUN Chancellor Dr. Ken Iwama during a 50th anniversary celebration of the archives on the Gary campus. Lane and fellow professor the late Ronald Cohen founded the archives in 1973. Photo by Steve Euvino.

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IGNITE MEDICAL RESORTS Ignite Medical Resorts has acquired two Symphony Network facilities and is expanding its unique model of uncompromising luxury and rapid rehabilitation to Indiana, a new state for the company.

Ignite, which specializes in short-term rehabilitation and nursing care, offers varied clinical specialty programs and enhanced services in a five-star medical resort environment termed “LuxeRehab.”

The company’s dedicated team of in-house therapists use the latest technology to create customized rehab plans, helping people get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

The two Symphony facilities in Dyer and Crown Point are now known as Ignite Medical Resorts.

“We’re excited to build on the culture and vision of Dyer and Crown Point with the leadership teams, as we share the same vision of offering top-tier hospitality and care to our guests and an unmatched culture for our employees,” said Tim Fields, CEO and co-founder of Ignite Medical Resorts. “We look forward to working with the Dyer and Crown Point teams to continue to make these resorts the preferred place to go after a hospital stay or surgical procedure and the preferred place to work.”

The facilities in Dyer and Crown Point are about eight Continued on page 5

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November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 3

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Spotlight

Golden founded creative educational organization for kids

By CARRIE STEINWEG Feature Writer Great things happen when someone sees a need and then works to fill it. That is what happened with Michelle Golden of Hammond. The artist started a non-profit organization in 2000 called Books, Brushes & Bands for Education. It stemmed from the lack of music education in her sons’ elementary school.

“My father, Michael Golden,

was a professional musician and wanted his grandsons to learn to be in a band,” she said. Without an elementary band program in their school, there were few options. “It was my decision to do something I felt was needed for my sons which I could not find in the community.”

Twenty three years later, Golden said they are “still working, still impacting kids with all sorts of literary, visual and musical programs.”

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The programming has shifted a bit over the years. Prior to COVID, 106 kids were enrolled in the organization’s community music programs from 29 different schools in 30 different zip codes. The programs are open to kids age 5 to 17.

“We look forward to rebuilding our enrollment and know that what we do is needed,” she said. “Our low cost, tuition-based music programs are run with monies raised through private donations, grants and in-kind rehearsal spaces.”

Many kids have benefited from the organization over the years. “Thousands of kids later, we now have our students looking for places to give their children a place to learn and belong outside of school,” said Golden. “If the student is home schooled, we may become part of their curriculum. There are no auditions for the music programs, which run October to May annually.

Our Midwest Youth Programs are currently enrolling for the Midwest Youth Choir. There are 28 classes with three concerts scheduled this year.”

One of the performances is the annual Spring Tea fundraiser, taking place April 24.

Visit bbb4e.org or call (219) 932-3232 to find out more.

Golden’s current role with BBB4E is the artistic director of programming, which involves overseeing the details of implementation.

“Impacting the community by our efforts with BBB4E is part of my artistic work, which continues even though my children have long since

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been involved. It is rewarding,” said Golden. “I can be having a slow day or feel not excited about things and someone in a store or restaurant will come to me with a story about when their child or they themselves were in the choir or band and share what that meant to them growing up. It’s all about how it made them feel. That is what keeps me going on gloomy days.”

She also continues her career in fine arts. “I am still producing work which I submit to juried shows,” said Golden. “My work has been accepted locally into the Salon Show in Munster over the years, but just before the pandemic, my work, ‘Freedom Wheel,’ was accepted in the Hoosier Women’s Exhibit at the Indiana Statehouse.”

Born and raised in Hammond, Golden attended Hammond High School and graduated from Purdue University with a degree in painting, drawing and printmaking.

She worked for several years doing hand lettering for certificates and other documents and she ran a business started in 1992 called The Golden Studio.

She and her husband have two sons (who are both planning weddings in the near future) and a goldendoodle named Pumpkin. She is involved in the Hammond Rotary Club, Tri Kappa’s Hammond Chapter and is on the board of Hammond Reads.

She enjoys sewing, reading, playing the piano, baking and making homemade soups and jams.

hood House, damaged by fire.

They preserved some documents and brought them to their office on campus.

Later they went after Lake County land transfer papers which reportedly were to be destroyed. Then they contacted former U.S. Rep. Ray J. Madden, who had lost his reelection bid, about his congressional papers. Madden not only shared his papers but also threw in his office furniture.

That memorabilia may now be found in the Madden Room in the archives.

“There were no other archives at the time,” Lane recalled.

The archives co-director said the facility continued to grow because it “met a pressing

need” and because of the cooperative IUN administration.

Eventually the school hired a full-time archivist, first by Stephen McShane for 38 years and the current archivist-curator, Jeremy Pekarek.

McShane explained that the archives exist to collect and preserve data and make that information available to the public. Researchers, he said, come from all over the world.

Dr. Heather Calloway, Indiana University director of university collections system, said Gary is the only one of the nine IU sites that collects both regional and university history.

She called the IUN archives “one of the most valuable collections” in the system.

50 years Continued from page 2

Senior Life newspapers are monthly publications dedicated to inform, serve and entertain the senior citizens in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan . Each of the four editions focus on local information for each area . Senior Life is privately owned and published by The Papers Incorporated .

MICHELLE GOLDEN

credited Cohen, who died in 2022, for starting the archives.

Early on, they tried to rescue papers from Gary Neighbor-

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November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 5

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Rice & Rice —

As You Plan For The Holidays We are soon coming up on the holiday season. Will you be getting together with your loved ones and family?

Will you be seeing your children

By CLIFFORD J. and grandRICE children?

Elder Law The holiAttorney days are a Valparaiso wonderful time and it is a fun thing to be around the people that we love. Right now, you might want to give some thought to those people, and to your personal situation. Do you have an estate plan in place?

A good estate plan should include a living trust, which will pass assets probate free to your children someday when you die. That same living trust, if properly prepared, could have language to help you stay in your own home and to avoid unnecessary placement in a nursing home. You may not be aware that nursing home costs are continuing to rise and now are averaging over $10,000

per month in this area.

In addition to avoiding probate and helping you remain in your own home as long as possible, a good estate plan can also include things like a living will, to make sure you’re not forever hooked up to machines when there’s no hope of recovery. It can include a HIPAA waiver, so that it’s not a felony for your doctor, nurse or a healthcare provider to share your medical information with your spouse or children.

It should also include an advance medical directive so that the children know, and the doctors know, who is to have the legal authority to make medical decisions on your behalf when you are someday incapacitated.

A good estate plan can also include a funeral planning declaration so that your spouse or children will know how to handle your final arrangements. This alone could save many thousands of dollars and a great deal of confusion and uncertainty in the future.

If you work with an elder law attorney, it is very likely that you will receive a Medicaid Agency Agreement, which can enable your loved

ones to help you qualify for Medicaid, and potentially save your home, and your life savings, from being spent down for nursing home costs, in the event of a long-term catastrophic illness. Unless you have nursing home insurance, the right kind of elder law planning is critical, right now, so that you don’t lose everything you worked for your entire life simply because you someday have a stroke, break your hip or suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia.

The average person with Alzheimer’s is likely to be in a nursing home an average of five years, which would burn through nearly $600,000.

One of the wisest and kindest things you could possibly do would be to schedule an appointment with an experienced professional who can help you get your personal and legal affairs in order. For your sake. For your spouse’s sake. For the sake of your children and the ones you love.

At Rice and Rice, estate

planning and elder law is all we do. We have been doing it for over 50 years.

Call today for a free consultation, or to attend one of our dinner workshops 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 8, at The Dish, 3907 Calumet Ave., Valparaiso; or 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Kelsey’s Steakhouse, 2300 Morthland Drive, Valparaiso. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Call now: (800) 303-7423 or visit our website at riceandrice.com.

Ignite Medical Continued from page 2

years old and feature beautiful amenities, décor and private rooms. Ignite will help add enhancements including clinical and therapeutic technological advancements, robotics equipment and a LuxeCafe, proudly brewing Starbucks coffee.

With the acquisition, Ignite now operates 21 resort locations across seven states and employs over 3,000 people. The organization’s positive employee culture and relentless focus on hospitality and clinical care are key to creating an environment of recuperation.

“Our goal is to help our guests quickly get their spark back and return home to their loved ones,” Fields said. “We look forward to bringing our enhanced environment of engaged employee culture, a

hospitality-centered focus and superior rehabilitative nursing and therapy care to Indiana.”

To learn more about Ignite and local job opportunities, visit IgniteMedicalResorts. com/join-team-ignite.

You Are Not Alone. . .

Over 70% of All Americans Over Age 65 Will Need Long-Term Care or End Up in a Nursing Home...

At A Cost of Up To $10,000 Per Month.

That Means 7 Out Of 10 Adults Could Lose Much Of Their Life Savings or Even Their Own Homes. Now You Have Help.

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or

The Dish 3907 Calumet Avenue Valparaiso, IN

Wednesday, November 15th 6:00 p.m.

Kelsey’s 2300 Morthland Drive Valparaiso, IN

You will discover the best methods of: • How to make transfers to family members that won’t disqualify you from Medicaid.

• How To Protect Your Home – How you can lose your home if you’re not careful!

• The single document that can make a huge difference in your planning, possibly saving your family thousands of dollars!

• What to change in your will to save thousands of dollars if your spouse ever needs nursing home care.

For more information visit www.MedicaidSecrets.com.

K. GABRIEL HEISER is an attorney with OVER 25 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE in the field of elder law and estate planning. A long-time member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, he has personally counseled hundreds of clients, helping them save thousands of dollars in nursing home costs.

CLIFFORD J. RICE is licensed to practice in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan.

He is a partner in the law firm of Rice & Rice, Attorneys at Law, LLC. His practice is limited to Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, and Elder Law for clients who seek asset preservation and probate avoidance. He has been actively practicing for over 50 years. Mr. Rice is a frequent lecturer and trainer on estate planning and has received the Martindale-Hubbell AV Rating, the highest peer rating given to attorneys ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills and ethical standards.

Reservations Required 2023 Edition: Expanded, revised, and completely updated to incorporate all changes in the law as of January 1, 2023

Call Now To Reserve Your Seat!

U.S. $49.00

219.462.0809

K. GABRIEL HEISER, ATTORNEY | CLIFFORD J. RICE, ATTORNEY

Wednesday, November 8th 6:00 p.m.

Join Us! For Persons 65 or Older.

Seating is Limited.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY’S ASSETS FROM DEVASTATING NURSING HOME COSTS

Free Workshops

Nursing Home Costs Now Average Over $108,000 per year!

This book is a financial and legal guide to the ins and outs of the only government program that will pay for the long-term nursing home care of your family member: MEDICAID. The bills of over 50% of all nursing home residents are currently being paid by Medicaid.

However, many people are forced to spend down nearly all of their money before they can even qualify. You don’t have to be poor, destitute or broke to have Medicaid pay the bills!

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Helping Seniors For 50 Years

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6 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

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Finance

Social Security is thankful to serve you

By MONA HARTER District Manager, South Bend Social Security Office Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the blessings we have in our lives and to share memories with our loved ones. We are thankful because we can provide you and your family with services, benefits, tools, and informa-

tion to help you throughout life’s journey.

Social Security is more than just a retirement program. We provide services that assist many families across this country. We are there for joyous moments like the birth of your child and issuing their first Social Security card. We are there during times of hardship and trag-

edy to provide disability and survivors benefits. And we’re there to help you celebrate your retirement, too.

We’re here to serve you online, by phone, and in person in our local offices. You can learn more on our website at ssa.gov.

Please share this information with those who need it.

Happy holidays!

‘Light the Night’ with a gift to Meals on Wheels MEALS ON WHEELS OF NORTHERN INDIANA Each year, Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana “Lights the Night” with donations from our community. These gifts ignite a star on our Trees of Light that shine all season long at Meals on Wheels — a bright, beautiful representation of generosity.

Imagine you are a Meals on Wheels client, like Anna.

Anna is a diabetic, who spends most of her time alone at home with limited resources to shop and cook meals that will provide the nutrition she needs to keep her healthy.

Anna relies on Meals on Wheels to deliver a low-cost,

nutritious meal to her daily.

Anna learned just how special our Meals on Wheels volunteers are on the first day she began receiving our meals. Longtime volunteer Diane was happy to see she had a new client on her route. When she arrived at Anna’s home, she called to announce herself and knocked on the door. But there was no answer. As she started to walk back to her car, she heard someone faintly calling out, “Help me.” Diane knew she couldn’t leave. She called Meals on Wheels client services and explained the situation. She was guided to call 911 while the client services representative called Anna’s

emergency contact. Diane stayed until paramedics arrived, who found Anna on the floor, unhurt. She slipped out of her chair and couldn’t get up. The paramedics assisted Anna back into her chair.

When you give, you help us deliver so much more than a meal. You provide a wellness check and nutrition support to seniors’ health and independence. You provide opportunities for friendship and connection — the joy of the holidays all year long.

This year, when donors give a gift of $100 or more, Centier Bank will provide a matching gift up to $5,000! You can give securely online at mownwi. org.

Pack up your troubles for a trip

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features The vacation of your dreams can turn into a nightmare just as your time on a tropical beach can turn terrible.

A hurricane, a fractured wrist, a traffic accident, lost luggage, a missed transporta-

tion connection — any of these or many other reasons can be the cause.

Being a bit paranoid when planning your trip can ease some of the pain should anything happen.

Make sure someone in your family knows where you’re going, what you plan to do and

how long you’ll be away. Have that person or someone else be aware that they’ll be called should anything happen to you.

And don’t forget to have someone keep an eye on your apartment, house and property while you’re gone.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

A GRANDFATHER WITH HIS GRANDCHILDREN AT A PUMPKIN PATCH

Retiring abroad requires extra work

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Some folks look forward to retiring to their lakeshore cottage after resigning from the labor force. Others plan on moving closer to the grandkids when they sell the house as soon as they retire.

And there are those who dream of sipping cooling refreshments by a tropical beach or strolling into a village nestled into the hillside just below their Alpine villa.

While their dreams are more exotic than most soon-to-beretirees, their planning is a bit more involved because of the financial arrangements and conditions they face.

The costs of everything will probably change after they leave home. Appliances, utilities, groceries, healthcare, automobile maintenance and everything else will be paid for in a foreign currency.

It’ll take a while for your brain to quickly translate and compare the local price for coffee or a cab to what it was back home. In most cases, it’s likely you’ll find day-to-day living is cheaper, which is probably one of the reasons you chose to move in the first place — climate and cost.

Before you move anywhere, you should visit and spend some time there. Not long ago, a move within this country served as a cautionary tale to

anyone retiring to a new locale.

The individual sold their house and belongings in southern California and relocated in Oregon “because everything looked so green all the time.” In less than a year, they returned to their California hometown “because it rains up there all the time.” They had never set foot in Oregon before ripping out all of their California roots.

Before tumbling holus-bolus into a Caribbean cabana, take a few trips there for a couple of weeks at a time at different time of the year to find out if the climate if what you’ve dreamed it is.

You might even establish a financial presence to make your transition easier. Open a bank account and use your credit cards to make purchases.

Get referrals for and set up relationships with an attorney, loan officer, insurance salesperson and real estate agent.

You’ll need medical services, so check out how medical insurance works there. Make an appointment with a doctor you plan to use and visit a local clinic to make a list of services it provides.

Go shopping in the locale so you’ll know where to go for the goods and services you’ll need when you live there.

Will language be a problem and will your television set, computer and cell phone work there?

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 7

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life. on purpose.

A Healthy Lifestyle as You Age

Healthy Reminders

for Adults over 50!

1. Take Your Medication as Directed

All medications, whether over-the-counter or prescribed, include directions for safe use. Be sure to follow all printed guidelines and the advice of your doctor to ensure that the medicine works safely and effectively.

2. Don’t Overdo It

Using alcohol and medications unintentionally or to cope with big life changes is called substance misuse. Help can begin with diagnosis, addressing chronic health issues, rebuilding support systems and starting treatment.

3. Check in with Your Mood

Feeling persistently sad or that you don’t have value can indicate depression, especially when these feelings affect your daily routine. Depression can be treated with talk therapy and/or medication. You can also lower the risk of depression when you prepare for major life changes, stay physically active, and share how you are feeling with family or friends.

4. Find Purpose Each Day

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8 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

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Sports

Scheub blows whistle for patience, thick skin

By STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer Fred Scheub had a busy week. After four straight days of volleyball officiating, he reffed high school football on Friday. Heading into winter, he works prep basketball, and in the spring he has girls’ softball.

A steel retiree, Scheub has donned the referee’s shirt for nearly four decades. The Valparaiso resident has officiated football 39 years; volleyball, 36; basketball, 39; and softball, seven. He had umpired baseball for 32 years, but switched to softball after getting two new knees.

“I keep busy pretty much all year long,” said Scheub, 69. “I play softball and take a month off in January and February to get away from it all.”

He got started working

volleyball, thinking he would focus on junior high and middle school games. In his second year, he moved up to varsity. He cited the mentoring of longtime officials Deb Glass, his current partner, and Shirley Dunne as keys.

As to football, Scheub points to the camaraderie of working with a crew.

“It’s all the guys you work with,” he explained. “It’s fun to do and we go out for pizza after a game and socialize.”

The Indiana High School Athletic Association named Scheub the state’s volleyball official of the year in 2015. Six years later, he received the honor for football.

Scheub has worked 12 IHSAA state finals tournaments. That includes six in volleyball, four in football, and one each in baseball and girls’ basketball finals.

After working all these

READY TO PLAY – Fred Scheub, far left, meets with Highland volleyball team members prior to a September match at Hobart High School. Scheub has officiated prep volleyball for 36 years. Photo by Steve Euvino

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games, Scheub cites three essentials for sports officials: patience, communication and, especially nowadays, having a thick skin.

“That’s probably what’s causing a lack of officials,” Scheub said. “Young people don’t like getting yelled at.”

Scheub doesn’t mind criticism from coaches. He knows he’s human and he’ll make mistakes.

“You can’t be afraid. You just admit your mistakes.

It happens. I try to listen to coaches,” the veteran official said. “Do they have a question, or are they just yelling to be yelling? We’re not going to communicate if they’re just yelling.”

Much of this tolerance, Scheub confessed, comes after years of experience.

“I like being around the kids and the other officials,” he said. “This is a way of socializing and communicating and doing things. When you get older, things get a little harder to do, but I don’t do much during the day. Here I get to talk to people.”

Some of those people, especially newer, younger coaches, recall having him as an official during their playing days.

A former track and cross country runner at Merrillville High School, Scheub was in Las Vegas for a late-summer softball tourney.

For the past six years, Scheub has worked with Deb Glass, his former mentor.

“It’s easy. We’re both pretty experienced,” he said of working with Glass. “We communicate well.”

Of her partner, Glass noted, “He’s a great guy to work with. Very dedicated to his officiating.”

To those thinking about donning officials’ gear, Scheub encourages them to keep an open mind.

“It’s going to be difficult, and you’re probably not used to getting yelled at,” he said.

“You have to be patient and be able to communicate.”

November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 9

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Dining/Leisure/Entertainment

You can change your life by deciding to From My Table To Yours

By Cat Wilson According to Science Journalist, Max Luavere, a recent study found that being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in your 30s shaves 14-16 years off

of your life. Diagnosed in your 50s, lose six years of life.

Type 2 diabetes is a food disease — a preventable food disease.

You may respond with — “my doctor didn’t say that,” and you would be right. Sadly, our healthcare system is more of a sick-care system. We go into the system when we are sick, not when we are well and wanting to remain so, and certainly not for nutritional information.

I’m not blaming the doctors; the protocols they trained under were to respond a certain way based on the symptoms presented.

The standard American diet is currently: 54% processed products, 32% animal products, 10% veggies, fruits & nuts and 4% whole grain.

The 10% veggies, fruits and nuts says it all for me. Flip these numbers and you’ve got it right. I find it amusing that we’ve become so conditioned to eating unhealthy that whole foods plant based eating is considered dieting, disordered eating or just weird.

Whole Food equals food without an ingredient list; veggies, fruits, raw nuts & seeds.

Plant-based — it grows

intact from the ground, a tree, a hothouse or hydroponically, greens, beans, mushrooms, onions, brown rice.

We are coming up on the holidays folks and you can decide to eat your way through it because it’s only six weeks long and: I hate vegetables. I hate salad. I hate mushrooms.

I hate beans. I can’t give up cheese.

You either see opportunities or obstacles — it’s always been your choice.

Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Fall in love with the path of healing. Fall in love with becoming the best

version of yourself and respect your journey.

You are a product of your decisions — yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.

Do your research, find a buddy, move every day, write down what you eat and take a look at it. Remember the GBOMBS: Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds.

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.

Dashing through the snow – no, no

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features “Wintertime, and the driving gets queasy,” to give new lyrics to a long-time favorite and focus attention on what’s just down the road.

While the next few months embrace such enjoyable activities as the holiday season and tropical getaways, they also harbor the annual hazardous driving season.

It even affects no-snow portions of the land as snowbirds clog the highways and byways in their scramble for a place under the warm sun. Stay-athome recreation seekers add to their odds of motor mishaps after commuting to work all week and picking up their weekend groceries by heading to the slopes to ski, snowboard and snowmobile over the latest snowfall.

So it’s time to sit back and go over your wintertime road rules as you sip your morning coffee.

Wherever you live, always check the weather forecast before getting behind the wheel

of your car. Sandstorms and monsoons can make driving in warm climates just as treacherous as blizzards and black ice in snow country.

If you haven’t already, take your auto in for its annual checkup. Have all belts and fluids topped off. Install winter tires and make sure their air pressure and tread are up to par.

Toss a blanket and warm hat or cap in the back seat and check your disaster kit to make sure it has a flashlight and batteries, first-aid kit, candle and matches, gloves and snacks. Tuck a windshield ice scraper and snow brush under the front seat. Check the trunk to see if you have battery jumper cables and road flares.

A pair of tire chains might also be handy along with a short shovel.

During the winter, don’t let your fuel level drop below half a tankful. And don’t venture out when the weather’s bad.

When you do head for a drive, brush and scrape off all ice and snow from the windshield, windows, mirrors, hood,

bumpers, cameras and any other sensors on the vehicle.

Let the engine run a few moments before backing out of the driveway.

Take it easy. Avoid quick stops and sudden turns that can slip/slide you into trouble.

Keep social distancing in mind and give traffic around you plenty of room.

If you’ve grown up in this

type of weather, remind yourself how to relax during a skid on icy roads – take your foot off the gas and don’t slam on the brakes. Remember that, if the back end fishtails, steer into the direction of the skid. Then, after some slowing down, you pump the brakes gently to gain control.

Staying home is the healthiest way to avoid a driving

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Partying into the wee hours of the morning are events of the long ago for most seniors as they become accustomed to bedtimes shortly after the evening news.

Hosting night-time festivities for friends and family decreases as a result, so why not invite everyone over for Sunday — or Saturday — brunch. Or Tuesday — or Thursday — afternoon tea.

You’re likely to get better responses since everyone will be able to drive home in daylight.

And you’ll probably save money on the food and refresh-

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Walking beats taking pills when it comes to maintaining your health as you age.

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Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Take a walk

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Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Save on socializing

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disaster during winter cold, but using your head can help make a trip through the snow a more pleasant experience.

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A daily 10-minute walk around the block, down in the park or around your apartment building may not add years to your life, but it will keep you much healthier while you are alive. Add five or 10 minutes to that walk every other day or so to make you even healthier.

Now speed it up.

While strolls can be satisfying, a brisk pace while swinging your arms will not only make you healthier, it should make you feel younger.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 11

www.seniorlifenewspapers.com

S. O. S. - Speaking Of Seniors —

Helped son with his mother’s bill

By WOODROW WILCOX Senior Problem Resolution Officer Senior Care Insurance Services Editor’s note: Woodrow Wilcox is the senior medical bill case worker at Senior Care In-

surance Services in Merrillville.

He has saved clients of that firm over $3 million by fighting mistakes and fraud in the Medicare billing system. Also, Wilcox wrote the book “SOLVING MEDICARE PROBLEM$,” which is available through book stores and online.

On Thursday, Oct. 26, I wrote a letter to a medical billing firm to help resolve a bill for a client who had passed away. I was working with the son of our client to resolve a bill. With some editing to protect privacy, here is the letter that I sent.

Flyers should ‘dress to impress’

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Flying used to be fun.

Narrower seats, shortened leg space, screaming babies, oversized carry-ons stuffed under your feet, and unruly passengers all add up to discomfort in the air.

Some seasoned travelers have observed that seatmates who erupt and cause disorder usually appear to show little concern for their attire before boarding an airline, leading to some thinking that perhaps airlines should require a dress code for their ticket buyers.

As it is, conditions listed in the fine print on most airline tickets ban boarding in bare feet, if you have a bad odor or poor hygiene, or if you’re wearing obviously offensive clothing. But what’s offensive? T-shirts? Shorts? Tightfitting leggings? And tops?

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying there has been a rise in the number of disruptive people that, in many cases, delay a flight or cause it to be detoured to an unscheduled stop to eject the problem passenger.

There were more than a third more of these incidents reported last year compared to 2021.

There was one incident for about every 570 flights.

That’s a lot when you figure there are some 30,000 flights

every day in this country alone.

To lower these occurrences, some airlines prohibit economy class passengers from reclining their seats, to lessen the chance of the passenger behind you getting irate.

And most flying companies think a dress code would also help, because folks who dress better are more likely to behave better.

Many passengers remember a day before airline deregulation when passengers voluntarily dressed up to fly.

They wore their Sunday best — coats and ties for the men, dresses for the women.

An obvious benefit of dressing appropriately is getting better treatment onboard.

The better-dressed, polite passengers get more upgrades, freebies, latitude and respect from the cabin crew.

Coming up with a dress code for airline passengers would be difficult but not impossible. Many other businesses require proper attire for their customers.

Some fine dining restaurants require jackets and collared shirts for men and dressy attire for women. So do many nightclubs. Country clubs have some of the strictest dress codes. In the travel industry, some luxury hotels require elegant resort wear in public areas.

Neighborhood dictates lifestyle activities

By JAMES GAFFNEY Mature Life Features People who live in neighborhoods with good lighting, trustworthy neighbors and plenty of parks and playgrounds are more likely to walk and get regular exercise, according to a survey conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina.

Folks who had physically active neighbors and sidewalks in their community and who used a nearby mall for walking were more likely to be regular walkers.

Regular walkers were those who reported walking 30 or more minutes at any pace five or more days per week.

Residents were considered physically active if they reported 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity

five or more days a week or 20 minutes or more of vigorous physical activity three or more days a week.

Overall, nearby neighborhood features — those within a half-mile radius or 10-minute walk from home — were more likely to affect physical activity and walking than were community features like swimming pools or bike trails within a 10mile radius or 20-minute drive from the home.

Younger residents also were more likely to be physically active.

The findings suggest programs to encourage more physical activity should target nearby locations, such as private recreational facilities, parks, playgrounds and sport fields, as well as adequate lighting.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Other than the basic instructions cited on their tickets, airlines don’t tell passengers what to wear.

They do, however, offer some guidance for employees who are traveling off-duty.

For example, Southwest Airlines advises passengers using a non-revenue guest pass to “dress to impress.”

It adds, “While Southwest’s dress code is relaxed and casual, you will be expected to present a clean, well-groomed and tasteful appearance.”

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

The family of our late client asked me to check the bill that your firm sent to her on Sept.

4. That bill sought a balance of $130 for services on Aug. 5. The invoice number of the bill is XXXX-XXXXX. On Oct. 4, we contacted Medicare to request the Medicare EOB regarding your bill. Instead, Medicare sent claims filed during July 2023. We phoned Medicare again today to request the MSN. Please, be patient to allow this. Your bill to our client shows no payments or adjustments by Medicare. Did you file a claim with Medicare or not? If you did, and you already have the Medicare EOB, please send both the original billing information and the Medicare EOB information for this claim directly to the secondary insurer. Our records show that she had a policy with XXXX/XX. Thank you.

All the help that I am giving to the son is free of

WOODROW WILCOX charge. His mother was our client. If she were alive and had a medical bill problem, I would help free of charge.

This agency helps all our clients with such medical bill problems to demonstrate that we really care about our clients. If your insurance agent or agency does not give such a high level of customer service, why not switch to this insurance agency?

12 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

www.seniorlifenewspapers.com

Faith

Brown making an impact with Valparaiso church group

By CARRIE STEINWEG Feature Writer Thomas Brown has been a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso for 40 years, where he has become heavily involved with his church and its outreach projects through a group called I.M.P.A.C.T. “I.M.P.A.C.T. stands for Immanuel Members Practicing Acts of Caring Together “It really got its roots almost 20 years ago when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and several of us decided to go down and help rebuild,” Brown explained. “Immanuel volunteers visited New Orleans and Biloxi at least eight times over the course of five years. It inspired us to do service projects closer to home and abroad.”

Following those trips, the group began working to do

projects in northwest Indiana.

“We help maintain the Immanuel facilities, assist individuals in need on Immanuel’s staff and members, members of the community through Project Neighbors and Habitat for Humanity,” he said. “We have also traveled to Panama, Guatemala and Mexico to help the churches down there with repair and/or building projects.

It has been a very rewarding experience for those who have participated resulting in very close friendships.”

Brown is one of the founders of the I.M.P.A.C.T. group and the unofficial leader. The friendships he has made through the project and through the church, in general, is something he values and the people, along with the school and sermons, are what drew him to the church initially.

“I love the people I have

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met and I’ve befriended and the pastors,” said Brown.

“It’s an environment that has helped me grow spiritually.”

A current project that I.M.P.A.C.T. is involved with is helping Project Neighbors build a new three-unit affordable apartment building on 206 Monroe St. in Valparaiso.

They’ve also been helping install a kitchen in Redeemer Church in Lake Station, recently obtained by Immanuel’s Hispanic ministry.

“It is fun working with Immanuel members and friends side by side for a worthwhile cause and we have learned a lot of construction skills by working with experienced people,” said Brown. “We have a great time.”

The group also does different maintenance and improvement projects within the church, including installing electric motors in Immanuel’s gym to raise the bank boards and replacing all 2,000 florescent light bulbs in the church and school with LED. Soon they will purchase and set up the church’s 18-foot Christmas tree.

Brown also enjoys study-

THOMAS BROWN ing the Bible with other church members. “I am involved in several Bible studies that provide an opportunity to learn and grow and to learn about and to be more like Christ,” said Brown. “My faith means more and more to me every year. It helps me through life’s ups and downs, gives me purpose and shows me a right way to live. It also gives me confidence that one day I will be in Heaven.”

A retired Purdue engineer, his career was spent mainly in the environmental field work-

ing for GE Water Technologies. “I grew up in Brookston, Indiana, and graduated from Purdue in Aeronautical Engineering. I had hoped to be an astronaut but failed the physical. I’m kind of glad I didn’t make it.”

Brown and his wife, Amy, have been married for 53 years.

Their daughter, Carey, lives in Traverse City, Mich., and son, Jeff, is in Sidney, Australia. The couple has six grandchildren.

Brown enjoys sailing, traveling, cooking and exercising.

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first to mention hospice. However, in the next breath he also mentioned something about one more trial to think about.

The family of course grasped onto that last straw with hope — diluted as it may have been.

He said he would return in a couple of days to discuss it more while they waited to see if the current treatment would help stabilize her. It didn’t.

And he never returned as she rapidly declined and passed before he could come back to talk about the “Hail Mary” option.

As she slipped into an unresponsive state and the outcome became obvious, the family asked for hospice. Before the hospice nurse could even get to the hospital to start the admission she quietly passed, heavily sedated with family still scrambling to arrive.

Did the family do anything wrong? Of course not. They

were making the best decisions they thought they could with the information they had under the pressures applied.

They did their best and our loved one appreciated all of the heroic decisions they made.

The lesson learned here, however, is when a hospitalist or oncologist mentions hospice, the period of true benefit of hospice care has likely already lapsed. The true benefit of hospice is when it is started as early as possible when real comfort care, family support and time is the priority.

It is often the patient or family who is the first to consider hospice, yet they are often afraid to verbalize it.

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It Was 50 Years Ago —

‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ Elton John’s seventh MCA album Elton John Due to a combination of iron and lime, yellow brick roads were fairly common at one time in parts of America.

Such routes A Boomer Blast To The Past obviously

By RANDAL inspired C. HILL L. Frank Baum in 1900 when he wrote “The Wizard of Oz” and set his whimsical characters on such a path as they searched for the enchanted land of Oz. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” became Elton John’s seventh MCA Records studio album. It sold 20 million copies, and his two-disc set is now considered his magnum opus with such iconic tracks as “Bennie and the

Jets” and “Candle in the Wind.”

And, of course, the title track, which reached Number Two on Billboard.

Just three years after John and his lyric writer Bernie Taupin had found fame and fortune, Taupin was already tiring of the high-pressure celebrity madness. His early 1970s lyrics sometimes reflected the sentiments of someone who has basked in the spotlight long enough and now yearns to return to a simple past. Taupin’s words tended toward autobiography; he was raised on a farm in northeastern England, where he and his family lived without electricity until Taupin was 5 years old.

John has said, “Bernie was always the more thoughtful one. I was always the one that said, ‘Let’s go out!’ We both burned the candle at both ends, but I did it far more than he did … I was just the guy who wrote the melodies; that was my job.”

I am a broken man I am retired. So, I don’t work.

Neither did anything in our house on Thursday of last week.

The problem began about 2 a.m.

IN A One of the NUTSHELL fire alarms

By DICK started makWOLFSIE ing a weird chirping sound. We assumed it was the batteries, but this is not an easy fix. It required one of us to get up on a high ladder and replace one of those nine-volt puppies. We needed a volunteer to take on this risky task, so I offered to hold Mary Ellen in case she fell. The next morning, the alarm was still chirping.

Our next-door neighbor is a former New York City fireman.

I called him.

“Paul, it’s Dick next door. Our fire alarms won’t stop beeping.”

“Well, Dick, it’s one of two things. Either all the batteries need changing, or...

“Yes, yes, or what?

“Or your house is on fire.”

Paul thought that was pretty funny. He came over and replaced all the batteries.

Later, Mary Ellen and I went for a walk and when we returned the garage door wouldn’t open. Mary Ellen asked me if I put in the right code.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s the date of our anniversary, isn’t it?”

“Oh, dear. I wish you had used a number you could remember.”

Paul came over and taught us how to reset the code, but now to open the door we have to remember Paul and Karen’s anniversary.

All this made me realize that I needed additional keys to the front door. At one mega-hardware store, there is an auto-

matic key machine. No humans required; not that you can find one in a place like that.

Later, I realized two things.

First, the company now had in its computer both a copy of our front door key as well as a copy of my credit card. But it didn’t matter. None of the three keys worked. Paul later showed me his locksmith’s key duplicator in his garage. Now, I have all the keys I need.

That same afternoon, Mary Ellen wanted to edge the lawn.

She hates mowing the grass, but she enjoys edging it. And then she wants me to come up from my basement office and tell her what a great job she’s done. A woman shouldn’t ask a married man to come up and see her edgings. But the weed whacker wasn’t working. The string line kept breaking. Paul came over and explained that the cord I was using was the wrong thickness. He had several types in his garage, where he has a complete workshop, so he made the necessary replacement. Someday, if you move, move next door to a retired New York City fireman.

Just after Mary Ellen finished manicuring our lawn, she informed me the ice maker and the lights in the laundry room weren’t working. I checked the circuit breakers and then made sure those little weird things in the garage and on the bathroom walls (whose name I don’t know) hadn’t popped out. Paul saw me in the garage and showed me I was not pushing down on the button long enough or hard enough. Suddenly, the lights and the ice maker went to work. When the dryer finally started, I went out to buy Paul a case of beer.

Later, the cable went out and the water softener wasn’t working. I knew both these things could be easily fixed, but this late at night, I didn’t want to bother Paul.

John then added, “I just loved writing to Bernie’s lyrics, (but) I really don’t analyze them much.”

Success with John earned Taupin incredible wealth, but the former farmhand has remained grateful that — unlike his professional partner — he has been able to stay relatively anonymous. “My name does still get recognized,” Taupin says with a sigh. “I go places and give a credit card or give my name at the airport, and someone will recognize me, and the gushing begins. But I couldn’t live Elton’s life. I would rather drill myself in the head with a nail gun than do what he does.”

Taupin continues, “There was a period when I was going through that whole ‘got to get back to my roots’ thing … I don’t believe I was ever turning my back on success or saying I didn’t want it; I think I was just hoping that maybe there was a happy medium way to exist successfully in a more tranquil setting.”

ELTON JOHN. PHOTO BY TONY NORKUS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM “Goodbye yellow brick road “Where the dogs of society howl “You can’t plant me in your penthouse “I’m going back to my plow.”

Taupin realized his goal in 1992 when he bought, not a duplicate of the hardscrabble English farm of his youth, but a 30-acre ranch near trendy Santa Barbara, Calif., in the

ultra-pricey Santa Ynez Valley, where numerous A-list Hollywood personalities have owned property. Here Taupin now enjoys painting and riding horses.

“I finally decided my future lies “Beyond the yellow brick road.”

P.S. In 2008, Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road became a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor.

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14 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

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Health & Fitness

Obesity also weighs heavy on elderly

By JAMES GAFFNEY Mature Life Features

AK

Qu

associated with poor perception of health, physical functioning and social functioning among women.

In a British study of more than 4,000 men aged 60 to 79, the obese subjects had a doubled risk of major cardiovascular disease and were three times more likely to have diabetes, as were older

men at a normal weight.

Vascular problems posed by obesity and related syndromes like hypertension and type-2 diabetes are important influences on the risk of vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia.

More than 15% of individuals older than 85 are considered to

have a poor diet.

Only one-third of adults older than 65 get the daily recommended level of exercise, according to one study. Another 35% of individuals in this age group do not get enough exercise, and 28% get no exercise at all.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Forget the ‘diet’ in diet soda

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features During her annual medical checkup recently, a relative was told by her primary care physician that he would like to convince her to junk junk drinks.

His target was soda, pop, carbonated liquid candy — those refreshments that advertisers have made look so tantalizingly eye- and taste-appealing for most of the last 100 years.

The recommendation was made at about the same time pop producers reported a soda sales slump for the first time in a couple of decades.

Even diet soda is said to impede rather than assist weight loss because of chemical imbalances that get too complicated to explore.

A RK R P E

ESIDENTIA

Among the healthier alternatives researchers recommend are tea and coffee, and even booze. Several reports indicate moderate drinkers live healthier lives than heavy or non-drinkers.

However, while alcohol reportedly helps slow the absorption of food and keep blood sugar levels in check, it also lowers inhibitions, making it harder to resist tasty temptations.

Coffee is America’s number one source of antioxidants, according to the American Dietetic Association.

The bean brew has been lauded by some researchers for lowering the risk of several diseases. Lacing it with sugar and cream outweighs any benefits.

Milk, on the other hand, has long been considered a fountain

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When people think of poor health among older adults, images of frail and underweight individuals often come to mind.

But older Americans have not escaped the obesity epidemic, according to nutritionists and health-care professionals.

Obesity in children and younger adults has attracted a great deal of attention, but the prevalence of obesity in adults aged 60 and older has increased steadily since the turn of the century.

But the problem of a few extra pounds can pale in comparison for many people when they consider such other old-age issues as chronic disease, lifestyle limitations, and money woes.

Physicians may avoid talking about obesity with their older patients because they think it may be too late to encourage a change in health behavior.

Here are some facts: One in four people older than 50 is considered obese.

Sarcopenic obesity, a change in body composition associated with a reduction in muscle mass during aging and accumulated intra-abdominal fat, are prevalent obesity-related conditions

among the elderly.

There has been a steady increase in the prevalence of Americans between the ages of 50 and 69 who have difficulty bathing, dressing or just walking across a room.

In a study of some 7,000 people aged 65 and older, obesity was

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of nutrients — the containers from the low- or non-fat shelves, of course.

Some forms of tea have been proclaimed to promote weight loss while most energy drinks and vitamin waters just lighten your wallet. The former can contain as much sugar and empty calories as soda and the latter

command a higher price under the aegis of being “healthy.” So what’s left? The most beneficial and bountiful beverage known globally: water. You can add a slice of lemon to a glass of water, or a vitamin supplement, or even get it carbonated and not have to worry about calories.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Technology helps keep you at home

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features As the aging population grows, so grows the need for facilities and workers to provide senior care.

Complicating matters is the fact that many folks intend to grow old at home.

Technology may have come to the rescue for folks who are still alert and physically unchallenged.

Camera and sensor systems can be installed that link with their children, siblings

or caregivers who monitor the household. There are devices available to dole out the proper medication at the proper time.

When seniors leave the house, they can use cellphones, wristwatches and global position systems to help monitors keep track of their moves.

Medical alert bracelets help seniors get help when they fall, sensors can be installed to automatically turn off stoves, and devices can be installed to prevent bathtub overflowing.

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November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 15

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UPDATES & HAPPENINGS IN THE AREA Send listings of events, hosted by nonprofit organizations, to Senior Life, P.O. Box 188, Milford, IN 46542 by Nov. 27 for December events. With listing, include contact person and a phone number.

Maria Reiner Center Monday — Stretch class level 1, 9 a.m.; ukulele, 10 a.m.; cardio strength with Janice, 10 a.m.; bocce ball, 10 a.m.; smart phone class Androids, 10:30 a.m.; smart phone class I-phone, 11:30 a.m.; oil painting, noon. Pickleball: intermediate, 8-10:30 a.m., advanced, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., open play, 12:30 p.m. to close.

Tuesday — Breakfast served from 9-11 a.m. for $5. Dominos, 10 a.m.; pool tournament, 10 a.m.; senior cha cha cha, 11 a.m. Pickleball: beginner drills, 8:30-9:30

a.m., beginner and low intermediate, 9:30-11:30 a.m., open play, 11:30 a.m. to close.

Wednesday — Experienced art class, 8:30-11 a.m.; stretch plus level 2, 9 a.m.; bocce ball, 10 a.m.; hand and foot, 10 a.m.; beginner’s art class, 11:30 a.m.; euchre, 12:30 p.m. Pickleball: intermediate, 8:30-10:30 a.m., advanced, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., open play, 12:30 p.m. to close.

Thursday — Lunch served from noon-1 p.m. for $5. Bridge, 10 a.m.; pool tournament, 10 a.m.; dominos, 10 a.m.; Bible as literature, 1:15 p.m.; Happy Hookers and Naughty Knitters, 1 p.m.; Scrabble, 1 p.m.; meditation, 1 p.m. Pickleball: beginner and low intermediate, 8:30-11:30 a.m., open play, 11:30 a.m. to close.

Friday — Yoga, 10 a.m.; bocce ball, 10 a.m.; bingo (every second and fourth Friday), 12:30 p.m.; bunco (every first and third Friday), 12:30 p.m. Pickleball: intermediate, 8:30-10:30 a.m., advanced, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., open play, 12:30 p.m. to close.

Plus many special classes and presentations. Computer “Ask the Doc” technology Zoom classes on the first Thursday of each month from 2-4 p.m. Book Club on the third Thursday of every month. Call for more information. Membership $30/ year for Hobart residents and $50/year for outside Hobart residents. $3 daily visitation fee for non-members. Call (219) 9471864 or visit 705 E. Fourth St., Hobart. For more information,

visit www.hobartseniors.com.

St. John Lions Club Seeking donations of old eyeglasses, sunglasses, hearing aids. Drop-off sites: Community Outpatient Clinic, 9660 Wicker Ave. (Route 41); St. John Library, 9450 Wicker Ave.; Boric Religious Supply Store, 10951 Thiel St.; St. John Town Hall, 10955 W. 93rd Ave.; VFW Post 717, 10400 W. 93rd Ave.; Clear Vue Eyecare, 9270 Wicker Ave.; Dr. Weisman Ophthalmology, 10220 Wicker Ave. # 3; Kolling School, 8801 Wicker Ave.; Metropolitan Eye Care, 9488 Wicker Ave.; Moses Eye Care, 7974 Wicker Ave.; Strack & Van Til, 9825 Wicker Ave.; Vision Boutique, 8319 Wicker Ave.; Welch’s Stop and Shop, 11333 W. 95th Ave.

Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month (September to June) at Roma Grill, 9543 Wicker Ave., St. John. Questions, contact Lion Al at (219) 201-9103.

Whiting Lions Club Seeking donations of old eyeglasses, sunglasses, hearing aids.

Drop off in yellow collection box on 119th Street, Whiting.

Highland Lions Club Seeking donations of old eyeglasses. Drop off sites are: Town Hall, 3333 Ridge Road; Lincoln Center, 2450 Lincoln St.; Centier Bank, 9701 Indianapolis Blvd.; McColly Realty, 2002 45th St.; Dr. Ligget, 2940 Highway Ave.; Family Eye Care, 8417 Kennedy Ave.; and Johnson Opticians, 8128 Kennedy Ave., Highland.

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16 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

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Don’t miss the boat on Mississippi River

By FYLLIS HOCKMAN Mature Life Features If you’re a teetotaler, this may not be the cruise for you. The “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” rule does not even begin to apply. Bloody Mary’s abound in the morning.

The 3 o’clock lecture features a rum punch. And you gotta love a cruise that offers Bailey’s with your morning coffee!

And with all of this, no tipping.

I’ve been on several boat trips — a barge cruise in France, a Danube River cruise, a sail along the Nile — and the accommodations have always been lovely.

But the American Cruise Lines’ Mississippi River Cruise from Memphis to New Orleans reached luxurious.

The American Symphony stateroom had it all. Lots of closet space, check. Flat-screen TV, check. Vases of fresh flowers, check. Private balcony, check.

Sumptuous robe, check. It was so comfortable we almost hated leaving it. But both food and excursions beckoned.

The gourmet meals were accessible by the half-portion and some form of edibles was available around the clock. Candy baskets welcomed us back from excursions. Delicious pastries awaited us on our dresser.

Warm cookies show up every day at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We could select from a menu separate from the dining room between

6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Sky Lounge. Of course, there was a daily cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres preceding dinner.

Heaven forbid you should go to dinner hungry.

Not exactly a spa vacation.

There was a fitness room but one crew member explained, “it’s the cleanest room on board!”

Multiple excursions were offered daily, from walking tours of the different cities to visits to a myriad of museums, historic homes, national parks, gardens, plantations, cultural outings and outdoor adventures. Onboard there were daily lectures, interactive games galore, guest speakers, music and multiple places to just get away from it all in which to drink, read, isolate, socialize or just ponder life.

Every night there was entertainment from the 1950s and ‘60s sing-alongs to blues bands, C&W combos, comedians and more.

You could be as social or antisocial as you liked. There was the option at every meal to dine alone or with others but everyone was friendly, interesting and well-traveled.

The al fresco upper deck was a delightful place to read or just watch the river world pass by.

And if you’re anything of a Civil War buff, this trip resembles heaven — every town involves a Civil War Museum, Civil War history, military encampments, Civil War forts. And once back

on the boat? An assortment of lectures on Civil War something.

But other options prevailed.

Think about the Great River Outdoor Adventure. Driving an All-Terrain Vehicle around the Double C Ranch seemed innocuous enough at first. We initially saw a herd of cows cavorting the countryside, forming a very close welcoming committee — literally — as we were able to pet them from the vehicle. We also stopped to pet Fred, a very imposing 1,700-pound Brahma bull.

Next stop was an archery range. I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment as I “killed” the target bear — three hits out of three. Then onto fly fishing and tomahawk throwing.

Then, we were instructed to put our ATV into four wheel drive and we started flying over treacherous terrain, through deep mud puddles, up and down steep ravines. Just surviving the ride was the goal.

Another non-Civil War getaway? The Cajun Swamp Pride Tour. Instructions ahead of time?

If your hat or phone falls into the water, don’t retrieve it. No one needed to be reminded twice as the waters were strewn with alligators. And why not? The captain feeds them marshmallows from the boat.

We also stopped to view a herd of wild pigs on the shore— as well as an array of adorable raccoons, rewarded with some corn

CAJUN SWAMP PRIDE TOUR — Instructions ahead of time? If your hat or phone falls into the water, don’t retrieve it. No one needed to be reminded twice as the waters were strewn with alligators. And why not? The captain feeds them marshmallows from the boat. Photo provided by Fyllis Hockman.

THE AMERICAN SYMPHONY meal for showing up.

Alligators obligingly ate their marshmallows. It was almost more like a zoo than wildlife encounters, until the captain opened a gate leading to a perch attached to the boat.

From there he fed the alliga-

tors chicken, which he encouraged them to jump up out of the water to retrieve.

For more information, visit americancruiselines.com/cruises/mississippi-river-cruises/ lower-mississippi-river-cruise.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Plan your search for a financial planner

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Choosing a financial advisor is a major life decision. It can determine your financial trajectory for years to come, so your choice is important.

Plodding ahead without one can dim your financial future.

A recent Northwestern Mutual study revealed that two-thirds of U.S. adults admit their financial planning needs improvement.

That means only one-third of Americans work with a financial advisor.

While advisors are prohibited by law from making promises of returns, research suggests that people who work with a financial planner feel more at ease about their finances and could end up with 15% more money to spend in retirement.

The value of professional investment advice varies with each individual circumstance

and portfolio composition. When searching for a financial advisor, consider carefully your investment objectives and risk factors.

Perform your own due diligence before making your choice.

Hiring an advisor who is not a fiduciary means they could recommend decisions that may not be in your best interest.

A fiduciary is defined as an individual who is ethically bound to act in another person’s best interest. Registered fiduciary

financial advisors must avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts of interest to clients.

It’s not always a good idea to hire the first advisor because they’re used by your brother-inlaw or to take on the first one you meet. Take your time and interview a handful until you feel you’ve found one who understands your goals and needs.

Look for a financial advisor with a speciality that works for

you. Many specialize in retirement planning while others work best with small-business owners or individuals with high net worth. Then check their strategy.

Do they prefer aggressive trading in growth stocks or do they prefer to spread out their investments in stocks, bonds and mutual funds?

During your meeting, ask to see their credentials and licenses, then have them explain how they’re paid.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

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November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 17

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18 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ November 2023

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Travel

ACTION PLAZA — Mallory Square along the waterway where cruise ships dock comes to life around 5 p.m. every evening when street vendors and performers appear to entertain crowds gathered to watch the spectacular sunsets.

HEMINGWAY HOUSE — Visitors line up to tour the house once owned by Ernest Hemingway from 1931 to 1941, which is considered the time period when he did his most prolific writing.

Chickens rule the roost in Key West Roosters can be heard crowing throughout the length and breadth of Key West, Fla., at all times of the day GREAT and night.

ESCAPES The colorful Text and Photos birds frolic

By ROD KING on the sidewalks and chase each other across Duval Street, the town’s busiest street. They’ll strut right into an open-air restaurant just like they had a reservation. They fit right in with the millions of tourists coming to the island town, but they’re protected.

The whole chicken thing goes back to the early 1800s when a revolution in Cuba sent Cubans fleeing to Key West by the thousands. They brought their cigar-making skills with them, plus their love of cock fighting. Key West’s government frowned on the “sport” and outlawed it. So, the Cubans turned them all loose and they’ve been roaming free ever since.

They’re as famous as the six-toed cats inhabiting the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. The famous author was given a white, six-toed (polydactyl) cat by a boat captain. Kittens of Snow White all had extra toes and were extremely good mousers. Today, nearly 60 live at the house and are cared for by local

I It’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. Thiss will enter you for a chance to win a gift of $25.

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The winner of the I Spy Contest for October is Fran Blocker of Elkhart. The glass of cider was located on page 13 in Senior Life Allen; page 13 in Senior Life Northwest; page 19 in Senior Life Elko and page 9 in Senior Life St. Joseph.

veterinarians. When outside cats wander in, they’re unceremoniously chased off by the resident felines. Hemingway bought the house in 1931. The next decade turned out to be his most prolific writing period.

Tours of the home and gardens are available.

Sloppy Joe’s Bar, Hemingway’s favorite watering hole, was opened in 1933 as the Blind Pig. It was Hemingway who convinced owner Joe Russell to change the name of his establishment to Sloppy Joe’s after a bar they frequented in Havana, Cuba. In 1938, Russell got into an argument with his landlord over a $1-amonth raise in his rent, closed down the bar and moved it lock, stock and barrel a halfa-block away to its present location on Duval Street.

Also on Duval Street is the late, great Jimmy Buffett’s very first Margaritaville Bar and Restaurant. He opened it more than 30 years ago and people have been flocking to it searching for that ‘lost jigger of salt’ ever since.

President Harry S. Truman’s Little White House is a must-see. He and his family came here to work and enjoy the warm Florida temperatures during winter months.

The home, which is open for tours, was built by the U.S. Navy in 1890 and is full of Truman’s original furniture and memorabilia.

Mallory Square, which is just a few blocks north of the Little White House, is a hopping place every afternoon around 5 p.m. when street vendors and performers appear suddenly out of nowhere to entertain huge crowds gathered to watch the spectacular sunsets.

Key West’s original residents were Calusa Indians, who fished the surrounding waters.

It was occupied by transient

SIX-TOED CATS — Nearly 60 six-toed (polydactyl) cats reside at the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West. Local veterinarians care for them.

DOWNTOWN ROOSTERS — Chickens roam throughout downtown Key West and even enter outside eateries. Cubans who came to the island in the 1800s loved cock fighting, but it annoyed the local government. When it was outlawed the Cubans turned them loose.

Today they’re protected.

Cuban fishermen in the late 1700s.

In 1821, the Florida territory was annexed, along with Key West, from Spain by the United States in reparations for war debts. It became the seventh city in Florida in 1828. Three years later, political unrest in

Cuba caused William Wall to relocate his cigar factory there and opened the floodgates to Cuban migrants seeking freedom and employment.

The island was long a mecca for salvagers, who brought up treasures from ships sunk by powerful storms.

November 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 19

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60s Flashback —

Making Mary with Uncle Walt On an August night in 1964, 1,200 people packed Hollywood’s legendary Grauman’s Chinese Theater

By RANDAL for the C. HILL premiere of what would become Walt Disney’s biggest film success to date: “Mary Poppins.” When the curtain dropped after the final reel had spun, audience members rose together to offer a thunderous, five-minute standing ovation.

But not everybody stood to cheer that night; one holdout was a prim lady in her mid-60s.

Her name was P. L. Travers, and she was the creator of the iconic Mary Poppins tales.

Travers was born Helen Lyndon Goff in 1899 in Australia.

She began writing as a teenager and later adopted Pamela Lyndon Travers as her pen name. (Travers was her father’s first name, and to Helen the name “Pamela” had a rather delightful lilt.)

In 1926, P. L. published a short story called “Mary Poppins and the Match Man,” which introduced her legendary nanny character, as well as Bert the street artist.

Seven years later, Travers began work on a full-length Mary Poppins narrative. The resultant book became P. L.’s first literary success the following year — 1934 — with numerous successful sequels to follow later.

When Walt Disney’s daughters Diane and Sharon were children, they both loved Travers’ books. Urged on by the girls’ enthusiasm, Walt spent 20 years in pursuit of P. L.’s approval to allow her creation to become a flesh-and-blood movie character. Disney even paid Travers a visit at her London home.

Finally, in 1961, Walt earned a reluctant “yes” from P. L., but only after offering her a huge-at-the-time $100,000 advance, 5% of the film’s gross and script approval (although Disney would actually have the final say).

At the “Mary Poppins” premiere, P. L. Travers despised what she saw on the screen and what Disney and company had done to her now-iconic character. Especially concerning to Travers was that Mary’s rougher edges had been smoothed out; in the author’s mind, the fictional nanny had always been one who avoids mawkishness and fanciful behavior as she seriously went about her tasks. (“She never

MARY POPPINS. PHOTO BY WILLIAM BARTON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM wastes time being nice!”)

P. L. was also ambivalent about the movie’s original music, which she labeled lightweight and disposable. She especially disliked Dick Van Dyke’s dancing among a group of animated penguins.

Travers decided to speak her mind. At a party following the movie, she loudly announced

to Disney, “Well, the first thing that has to go is the animation sequence.”

To which Walt calmly replied, “Pamela, the ship has sailed.”

“Mary Poppins” won Hollywood’s heart and brought the Disney outfit five Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Julie Andrews (in her first movie role) and Best Visual

Effects. “Mary Poppins” became Disney’s first movie to earn a Best Picture nomination.

In 1977, a more mellow P. L. Travers agreed to discuss Walt’s release on a BBC radio interview. “I’ve learned to live with it,” she said. “It’s glamorous and it’s a good film on its own level, but I don’t think it is very like my books.”

Northwest Indiana residents receive Golden Hoosier Award

By KEITH KNEPP Editor Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch remarked, “It is my pleasure to honor our recipients of the 2023 Golden Hoosier Award, the highest honor I can bestow upon an older Hoosier on the state of Indiana. Since 2008, Hoosiers have been recognized for service to their communities with the Golden Hoosier Award. It is not just one act of community service, but rather a lifetime of community service and commitment to serving others that are honored with the award.

As the 52nd Lt. Governor of Indiana, it is my privilege to continue this great tradition of expressing our appreciation to

these fine Hoosiers.”

Crouch continued, “The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Aging and I, along with our cohost, AARP Indiana, are thrilled in recognizing these deserving individuals receiving their awards this year. They are heroes from every corner of our state and serve their communities in many capacities.”

This year’s Golden Hoosier Award recipients include area residents: • Mike Andree Sr., Griffith, Lake County.

• Phillip Griffith, Valparaiso, Porter County.

• Clorius Lay, Gary, Lake County.

• Jeanne Wease, Crown Point, Lake County.

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When the clouds were just right

By TOM MORROW Mature Life Features

The first television program I saw was in 1951. I was around 12 years old.

I grew up in the southeast region of Iowa where buying a TV set was a gamble at best.

There were no TV stations in the entire state. The nearest stations where in Omaha, about 190 miles away, and Kansas City, about the same distance.

It was far enough to guarantee a snowy picture. If the clouds were just right, we’d get a clear picture. Sound was usually better than whatever picture, but not always.

The first full program I experienced was a 15-minute “Perry Como Show” over WOW-TV in Omaha. This is the station where future TV star Johnny Carson got his first job as a staff announcer.

Unlike radio at the time, TV newscasts were relegated to no

more than two 15-minute slots a day. The first TV news I saw was in 1952 from Omaha’s KMTW. No live news reader, just a camera set up in front of a teletype machine so viewers could read reports as they were ticked out.

TV could have been available for home consumption as early as 1939. Demonstration units were only display at the 1939 World’s Fair, but World War II put the new medium on hold until 1946.

Radio Corporation of America began building TV sets and telecasting equipment. National Broadcasting Company was TV’s first big network and became entertainment central in 1947.

Its biggest comedian was Milton Berle, host of the “Texaco Star Theater” that was so popular it induced thousands of folks to buy TV sets.

NBC dubbed Berle “Mr. Television” while viewers called him “Uncle Milty.” The network gave him an unprecedented 30-year

contract in 1951 that paid him $200,000 a year whether he appeared on TV or not, a business decision network execs would later regret. By 1956, Berle’s weekly comedy hour was off the air but Uncle Milty continued drawing his annual salary.

In station availability, those of us living in hinterland America were at least two years behind the East and West coasts.

In the ‘50s, the price of TV sets averaged about $600.

Screen size grew gradually from eight inches up to 17 inches and, by 1955, the standard was 21 inches. That dimension became the most popular size until the 21st century when present-day flat screen home TVs dominate and have grown to 80 inches and more.

By the mid-50s, nearly every major city had at least one station. The NBC network was followed by Columbia Broadcasting System. The American Broadcasting Company was on the air

MILTON BERLE

by 1951. Color TV became easily available by 1965.

Popular TV programming for us kids included “The Lone

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Ranger,” “Howdy Doody” and “Captain Video.” Boxing, wresting and professional football on Sunday offered popular sports programming. Radio crossovers such as the weekly “Your Hit Parade” were highly popular.

Daytime programming included radio-style soap operas, along with early game shows such as “The Price is Right.” Many stations didn’t go on the air until 4 p.m., when the test pattern was popular fare for us kids, who rushed home to marvel at the magic of the television. Imagine, a picture floating in the air and into our homes ... for free!

Early newscasters included John Cameron Swayze on NBC, Douglas Edwards on CBS, and Howard K. Smith, who moved from CBS to the fledging ABC. Special news programs such as Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” and more sophisticated programs such as “Omnibus” appeared.

From the early ‘50s, TV’s most popular program was “I Love Lucy,” starring Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz. To this day, it’s still being offered in syndication. CBS’s popular new program, “60 Minutes,” started in 1968, hosted by Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner.

The longest-running program is NBC’s “Tonight Show.” The programs concept began in 1951, as “Broadway Open House,” hosted first by Morey Amsterdam and later Jerry Lester.

In 1954 it was revised as “The Tonight Show” starring comedian and songwriter Steve Allen.

In 1957, Allen stepped aside for Jack Paar’s more cerebral guest discussions. In 1962, the show’s most popular host, comedian Johnny Carson, began a 30-year run. When Carson retired in 1992, comedian Jay Leno took over until 2014. To this day the show continues with comedian Jimmy Fallon as its host.

Television has become a necessary part of our daily lives.

The number of homes without a TV set is negligible. The “Boob Tube” is as commonplace to us as turning on a water faucet.

Cable and satellite TV ensures nearly every set worldwide can receive a crystal clear picture.

The clouds no longer figure into the equation.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023