Senior Life - NorthWest Edition - September 2023

Engaging Brains —

Keeping your head in the game of life

It looks so simple, so basic. And yet it’s so important to good brain health.

For one hour each week, participants in the Engaging Brains program at the Duneland Family YMCA put their cognitive skills to the test. They’re working on a math problem; doing word association; and “dancing” to music by Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte and early ragtime tunes.

The aim of this program is to keep people ages 60-plus feeling younger longer. It combines dancing with engaging exercises to keep seniors happy and their brains healthy.

According to instructor Carlota Hursey, a cognitive simulation therapist, as people age, so do their brains. Also, older people may not be as active as in their youth. That inactivity, Hursey explained, impacts the brain.

“We want to create a cognitive reserve,” Hursey said. “We want to awaken the neurons and keep the brain active.”

The class, she continued, is designed to improve brain connections, increase the ease in performing everyday tasks, enhance moods and help seniors maintain their autonomy.

Engaging Brains is part of the Active Older Adults offerings at the Duneland Y. Nancy Zlamal, AOA coordinator, is also a class member.

“Not everyone is able to do

these activities,” Zlamal said. “Here, they can interact and laugh with other people.”

Hursey, who keeps the class directed but lighthearted, noted, “This has made a difference in my life. I love to be here.”

The point of the class, Hursey stresses to participants, is “you have to keep trying. Everything here is fun and you’re working your body. In this class, your brain has no time off.”

That lack of time off extends to outside the YMCA, as Hursey includes homework in the curriculum. One typical worksheet involved one main image, with participants completing other images to match the main design.

Following preliminary exercises, Hursey’s students sit in a

circle and engage in “movement and groovement.” They listen to different tunes and exercise different muscles while using their brain power.

Music selections include “Hello Dolly,” “Banana Boat,” and, for those whose memory goes way back, “Twelfth Street Rag.”

Hursey reminds students there is no right or wrong way to move and groove. “If you’re doing something different,” she said, “think of it as ‘doing a variation.’”

This movement constitutes the biggest part of the class, Hursey said. “They’re working on their memory, focus, laterality, rhythm and different movements,” she explained. “Plus, there’s mood enhancement. There’s socialization.

Continued on page 2

Cliff Rice Elder Law Attorney

Key Positions

NEO programs offer students ‘community of care’

Rebecca Reiner recounted a Californian who, despite having advanced college degrees, never graduated from high school. He enrolled at New Vistas High School through Neighbors’ Educational Opportunities in Portage and earned that cherished diploma.

Not every student is like that Californian, Reiner said, but his story reflects the learning center’s new catch phrase: “You are unique. That’s what we like about you.”

Started in 2011 after Portage Township Schools dropped adult education for financial reasons, NEO has grown over the years to impact 7,700 individuals.

In addition to New Vistas High School, NEO offers adult basic education, college and career prep, English as a second language classes, citizenship prep and TASC testing.

Reiner is the founding executive director of NEO, which opened classes Aug. 28 for adult education and Aug. 24 for New Vistas. About 55% of those students come from Porter County, with 44% from Lake County. NEO students range in age from high school teens to older adults.

Students attend New Vistas

for varied reasons, the director said. Some are looking for a smaller, more personal environment where they are not overwhelmed by larger class sizes. Some are falling behind in their studies or may be at-risk for dropping out. Upon graduation, students receive a Core 40 high school diploma.

“Students feel a sense of purpose and belonging when they come here,” Reiner said.

“They’re not lost in the shuffle.

They participate in a community of care.”

Last year’s student body was 52% Caucasian, 23% Hispanic and 20% African-American.

Reiner’s staff reflects that diversity, and it makes a difference.

“Our diversity is like a realworld atmosphere,” Reiner said.

“That’s not something you find at most schools, and students resonate with that. They see people who look like them.”

New Vistas is housed at the Portage site. Adult education has satellite centers in Lake Station, Gary, East Chicago and at Porter County Jail in Valparaiso. Adult education classes meet year-round, day or evening, but each student should commit to 12 hours a week.

A Valparaiso resident, Reiner was assistant director of Portage Adult Education when Portage Township Schools

Keeping your

Continued from page 1

They’re all smiling.”

This class, which Hursey hopes will grow, has been running for one year. Participants enjoy the moving and grooving.

“It makes you think,” said Loretta Maar of Chesterton. “You’re connected, not sitting around.”

Pam Vankosky of Chesterton added, “I like having fun. We laugh a lot. The class can be

challenging, but it’s a fun challenge.”

Another Chesterton woman, Judy Goins noted, “I love the challenge of teaching my brain to do different things. You really feel like you’re doing something. Even if you mess up, it’s fun.”

For more information on Duneland Family YMCA Active Older Adults programs, contact Zlamal at (219) 926-4204 ext. 213.

decided to discontinue the program. Reiner went to work, organizing NEO and securing a high school charter from Ball State University. New Vistas opened Sept. 4, 2012, to an estimated 400 students.

The program started in the former PAE building but eventually needed a new home. NEO purchased the former Camelot Bowling Lanes in April 2016, and five months later the 70,000 square-foot bowling alley was transformed into a school.

More is in the works, Reiner noted. With an $850,000 grant from Porter County, NEO has plans for a 10,000 square-foot expanded career training center and on-site childcare.

Located on 30 acres off US 6, NEO has a one-acre solar field that Reiner wants to see developed for sustainable energy source. New Vistas science classes are also actively

engaged in conservation work, including air quality.

“We will do everything we can to support you on your journey,” Reiner stated. “Our programs are designed to pro-

vide multiple opportunities and support systems to reach your destination.”

For more information on NEO programs, visit neoadulted.org.

S. O. S. - Speaking Of Seniors — Helped Polish woman from Highland

Editor’s note: Woodrow Wilcox is the senior medical bill case worker at Senior Care Insurance Services in Merrillville. He has saved clients of that firm over three million dollars by fighting mistakes and fraud in the Medicare system. Also, Wilcox wrote the book “SOLVING MEDICARE PROBLEM$” which is available through book stores and online.

On Aug. 16, 2023, a Polish immigrant client brought a bill to our office to ask if she should pay the bill. The client is from Highland. I checked it for her and wrote a letter to the biller. With some editing to protect her privacy, here is the letter I wrote and sent to the medical biller.

Our client brought a bill from your firm to our firm for our review. The bill seeks a balance of $250.18 on Account Number XXXXXXXX for services ren-

dered on 12/27/22, 01/03/23 and 01/19/23.

I phoned the client’s Medicare supplement insurance company to learn what it knew of these claims. It reported that medicare

never sent the claim information about these claims to it. That is not the fault of the patient, nor her insurance company, nor your firm. It is the fault of Medicare.

To fix this problem as fast as possible, please send both the original billing information and the Medicare EOB information that you have for these claims directly to the secondary insurer. Here is the contact information for you.

All the help I gave to this client was free of charge. The Medicare system is not perfect. Problems occur. Since we know the system better than our clients, we help with billing problems without charge to demonstrate to our clients that we care about them. If your insurance agent or agency does not give this high level of customer service, why don’t you switch to a firm that does — like this one?

VNA Hospice of NWI — Providing a solution for ‘the gap’

There’s a hole in health care where seniors often languish for weeks, months and sometimes even years. It’s that time period when regular primary care is no longer enough and until end-of-life decisions are made. I call it “the gap.” It typically looks like this:

Mom is in her early-80s, living alone, but her memory is getting worse and she can no longer take full care of her daily needs such as arranging her medications, preparing meals or driving to appointments. The closest daughter wants mom to move in with her family, but she works full time and can’t really afford any sort of home health care for mom, so she asks to flex her work hours. Mom has a number of specialists and has to go to the pharmacy several times a month, but there is no reliable transportation to get her there during the day. She signed up for one of those Medicare plans she saw “The Fonz” advertising on television, but daughter has no idea how to navigate it.

Welcome to “the gap.” It’s a vortex of confusion where there is often little communication between doctors, very few answers to important questions, increasing medical debt, transportation and logistic nightmares, family stress and above all else, sadness as mom’s health continues to fail. Who can you turn to? The VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana’s Palliative Care program can help. We provide care coordination, consultation and support to the patient and caregiver through these confusing times. We have nurse practitioners, nurses, and social workers all ready to assist however needed. Visit our website atvnanwi.org for more information, or call (219) 462-5195.

IUN program helps ‘seniors engage with seniors’

Imagine a classroom with nothing but seniors. The course may address gardening, computers, brain health or even jazz.

In some cases, you don’t even have to attend in person.

Since 1998, Indiana University Northwest in Gary has offered free, non-credit courses to people ages 55-

plus. In 2012, the program came under the umbrella of IUN’s Center for Urban and Regional Excellence, which has expanded class offerings year-round.

Under the direction of Dr. Ellen Szarleta and Amanda M. Smith, CURE offers outreach programs for lifelong learning and positive interaction between IUN and the community.

Sample classes now offered

include community gardening, graphic design, public speaking, resume writing, career training and dementia.

Coming later this fall are classes in job-search strategies, misinformation and “fake news,” communication with dementia patients, healthy brains, computers, and jazz with Billy Foster, a jazz musician and IUN faculty member.

“This has been a really rewarding experience,” said Szarleta, CURE director. “We establish a relationship with the community and a better understanding of what seniors need and how to address those needs. We help seniors engage with seniors. They develop skills and relationships for a better sense of community.”

“We’re here to help [seniors] adjust, to help them retool in their personal lives and with employment and see if they wish to volunteer in other areas,” Szarleta added.

Szarleta and Smith both cited Senior University’s vision to “be a recognized model of lifelong learning that inspires, empowers and enriches seniors.”

The program continued even during the pandemic.

IUN turned to the Zoom format until fall 2021, when inperson classes resumed. Some seniors prefer the distance format, and some classes are now concurrently Zoom and traditional classroom setting.

According to CURE’s annual report, 205 individuals participated in Senior University classes from January through September 2022. During that same time, Senior University

provided 182 hours of free classes through 122 sessions. Most classes are held at IUN. Others, because of required learning materials, take place elsewhere, including the Crown Point Public Library and Valparaiso’s Banta Center.

Community partnerships for these classes include banks, housing and career development authorities and health care professionals

“We want to offer multiple modes,” said Smith, the assistant director, “so as many people as possible can access this free learning opportunity.”

CURE evaluates each class upon its competition. Through Zoom, a class can have 200300 participants. Most inperson classes, Smith said, could have 1520 senior students. Classes range from one to several

days to 4-6 weeks.

Most Senior University students come from Lake and Porter counties. Some classes, including Foster’s jazz classes, attract an international Zoom audience, from as far away as Canada and Brazil.

Another popular class is watercolor painting taught by Deb Weis, a longtime art history educator.

“We want to empower seniors to utilize their skills to be a teacher, too,” Szarleta noted.

CURE will also engage in a survey to determine needs and concerns of northwest Indiana seniors and compare that data with the AARP national survey.

To learn more about IUN’s Senior University, visit northwest.iu.edu/cure and click on programs and initiatives or go to events.iu.edu/cure for the class schedules.

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U.S.

News & World Report recognizes Community Healthcare System

Community Healthcare System’s Community Hospital has been named by U.S. News & World Report to its list of 2023-24 Best Hospitals, the highest distinction a hospital can earn. The rankings assist patients and their doctors in choosing the right hospital for them.

Community Hospital ranks fourth in Indiana in the 202324 Best Hospitals rankings.

“Community Healthcare System is proud of the quality of care we provide the residents of northwest Indiana,” said Don Fesko, president and CEO of Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana, Inc., parent company of Community Healthcare System.

“We are honored to receive these accolades from U.S. News & World Report. We will continue to offer the best and most advanced care to our community.”

U.S. News & World Report evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions; only 12 percent of

evaluated hospitals earned a Best Hospitals ranking. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care and patient experience.

Community Hospital also has received high-performing status in colon cancer surgery and treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; kidney failure; stroke; heart failure; heart attack; and COPD.

The honors did not stop there for Community Healthcare System. The system’s St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart and St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago also earned high honors. St. Mary Medical Center received highperforming status in treatment of heart failure; kidney failure; stroke; and COPD. St. Catherine Hospital received the same status for the treatment of heart failure.

“This acknowledgement represents our unwavering commitment to provide the best health care and support to our communities in north-

west Indiana,” said Dr. Alan Kumar, COO of Community Healthcare System. “Our doctors, nurses and staff are dedicated to improving the health, longevity and quality of life for every patient who enters our doors.”

The annual Procedures & Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures.

“For 34 years, U.S. News has provided data-informed rankings to help patients and their doctors find the best hospital to treat their illness or condition,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.

For more information on the services offered through Community Healthcare System, visit COMHS.org.

For more information on the U.S. News Best Hospitals, explore Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BestHospitals.

Americans invited to wave the flag on Sept. 12

Volunteers, Gold Star families, veterans, first responders and their families will all participate in a national flag-waving event intended to recapture the American pride and unity felt on September 12, 2001.

National nonprofit Wreaths

Across America is calling for the nation to join them in flag waving between 9-10 a.m. ET Tuesday, Sept. 12, to remind

all Americans of the feeling we had — the pride in country, the unity and patriotism — which was expressed on the days following Sept. 11, 2001. The event will be hosted live on WAA’s official Facebook page and broadcast over Wreaths Across America Radio.

The broadcasts will include interviews and stories from volunteers, supporters, Gold

Star families, veterans, first responders and members of the next generation. WAA gathers every Tuesday morning from 9–10 a.m. ET to raise the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance from the Freeport Flag Ladies Monument, located on Route 1 in Jonesboro, Maine, near the ‘tip lands’ where balsam is harvested to make veterans’ wreaths

for placement on National Wreaths Across America Day each December. The monument was built by WAA in partnership with its founder, Morrill Worcester, in September 2019, after the Freeport Flag Ladies retired following 18 years of waving the American flag each Tuesday since 9/11.

“Now, more than ever, it is so critical for communities to

Rice & Rice — Don’t lose your home to nursing home costs

There are unique opportunities for married couples when it comes to protecting assets from nursing home spenddowns. If advance planning is done with an experienced attorney in the field of Medicaid law, the assets of the first spouse to die can be placed in a special type of trust, which has sometimes been referred to as a “Safe Harbor Trust.” The technical term is an “Irrevocable Testamentary Special Needs Trust.” Assets passing to provide for the care of the surviving spouse in this way can be fully protected from nursing home spend-downs. They are available for care and needs during the lifetime of the surviving spouse, and they may also be better protected from death taxes and

probate fees when they pass to the children at the time the surviving spouse passes away.

Think about the implications of this … with proper advanced planning, a married couple can shelter forever hundreds of thousands of dollars of assets from the effects of long-term catastrophic illness.

Other techniques, notably the Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, can be available not only to married couples, but also to single persons.

This type of proactive planning is extremely valuable and offers an incredible return on investment.

Do you have a long-term care policy? The average person age 65 will have to pay almost $2,940 per year

for long-term nursing care coverage. For married couples, that is almost $6,000 per year. If each lives to life expectancy and there are no increases in premiums, that total payout could exceed $120,000 or more! Many clients either cannot afford such an investment, or they are not eligible at all because of medical conditions. For perhaps 1/10th or 1/20th of that amount, estate planning and Medicaid planning can give substantial protection not available through any other means.

Because we are an elder law firm, we can even help save you or your life savings from nursing home spend-down. Want to learn more? Call (800) 303-7423, stop by our office at

paraiso, or visit our website at riceandrice.com for a free, noobligation consultation or to

come together to remember all those who served and honor their service and their family’s service, especially those who volunteered during the war on terror following the events of Sept. 11, 2001,” said WAA Executive Director Karen Worcester. “But more than anything, we must teach our children about these men and women and the courage and commitment it takes to be a part of the small number of Americans who protect all our freedoms. Please join us on Sept. 12, as we wave the American flag proudly like we do each Tuesday morning, and never forget that freedom isn’t free and must be protected.”

WAA encourages the American public to join this weekly tradition starting on Sept. 12 by sharing their pictures and videos on social media using the hashtag #FlagsAcrosstheCountry. You can also submit videos and photos easily on the following link: http://WreathsAcrossAmerica.memfox.io/ flagwaving. Follow WAA on Facebook, share where you are participating and share on your own social channels.

This year, National Wreaths Across America Day will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16. To sponsor a $17 wreath for an American hero or learn more about volunteering, visit

Elder abuse: combating injustice

• Hired or volunteer caregivers.

• Allowing someone new to access bank accounts.

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

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

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

• Family members.

• Staff at inpatient facilities.

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

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

There may also be signs of neglect like:

• Poor nutrition or hygiene.

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

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

• Unpaid rent.

• Sudden changes to a will.

• Unusual changes in money management.

• Large, unexplained financial transactions.

• Mortgages despite sufficient financial resources.

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

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

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

Take some time to call or visit with an older adult. Ask if they are okay and listen to what they tell you. Pay attention to signs of abuse or unusual behavior. Most of all, don’t be afraid to report instances of suspected abuse. Share this information with those who need it.

What is the difference between a will and a trust?

effect immediately.

National nonprofit invests in Humane Indiana

Humane Indiana received a $10,000 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love during a special celebration at Highland Petco in support of their lifesaving work for animals throughout northwest Indiana.

terms of your trust.

Many use the terms “will” and “trust” interchangeably, but they are very different. In many cases, it’s wise to have a will and trust as components of an estate plan.

Both a will and trust allow you to make your wishes known, choose a person to settle affairs, and decide who receives assets.

The differences are:

A will does not take effect until death, whereas a trust takes

If you become incapacitated and have only a will, the court will appoint a guardian to manage your affairs.

Trusts allow you to serve as trustee during your lifetime. If you become incapacitated, your named successor manages assets.

Upon death, wills are submitted to the court for administration. Probate is the process that distributes assets to your named beneficiaries.

If you have a trust, your trustee will manage and distribute assets according to the

It’s important to work with a professional to determine how best to protect your assets and beneficiaries.

Disclosure

This information is not designed, meant, nor does it constitute the rendering of legal or tax advice. You should consult with your attorney and/ 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, 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.

Petco Love is a national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $350 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. And Petco Love helps find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations — like ours — across North America, with 6.7 million pets adopted and counting.

“Our investment in Humane Indiana is part of more than $15M in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut,

president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us. We recently launched Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database that uses patented image-recognition technology to simplify the search for lost pets.”

“We are honored to have Petco Love’s partnership for our mission, helping pets and people live their best lives,” said Jessica Petalas, Humane Indiana shelter director.

Humane Indiana provides significantly discounted care to 7,000 animals in the shelter, crisis foster, a pet food/supply pantry, a veterinary clinic, surrender prevention programs and free care to more than 10,000 injured or orphaned wildlife each year. It also provides STEM education, with a total person impact of 30,000 people every year throughout all northwest Indiana.

For more information about Humane Indiana, visit humaneindiana.org. Learn more about Petco Love at petcolove.org.

Faith

Glover has been teaching Sunday school nearly six decades

Trudy Glover of Schererville has been teaching Sunday school for almost 60 years. She started out as a teen teaching in Tucson, Ariz., under her mother’s leadership. She worked with third graders and also taught in the church’s summer Bible school.

That early experience became a passion and she continues teaching today, now at Lake Hills Baptist Church in Schererville, where she has been a member for 36 years. Over the years she has taught nearly every age.

“I taught ages 9 to 11 the longest, next to adult mentally handicapped for 20-plus years,” she said. “Currently, I am blessed to teach a wonderful ‘Ladies Class’ in all stages of life. Most of the ladies are middle-aged to 90s.”

Her favorite part about the role is getting to know those in the classes and establishing friendships. “I also enjoy studying for the lessons and seeing how God leads to present it in truth and with enthusiasm. ‘Owning’ the lesson is essential for me first before teaching it to others. It’s my strong belief that if your students cannot remember the

lesson afterward, then true teaching did not occur. My goal is to have truly taught.”

While the Ladies Class is her current focus, she’s been involved in many ways in church over the years - also singing in a quartet, mentoring, teaching during vacation Bible school and working with the Grief Share program. “My favorite was teaching Bible lessons through an interpreter on a church mission trip to Guatemala.”

Glover graduated from Durham Business College in Arizona and has worked as a secretary in law firms, schools and as church secretary for nine years. Currently, she is a part-time secretary working with her husband, Voyle, who is a semi-retired lawyer and author. The couple has one son, two daughters and four grandchildren.

Her hobbies include gardening and reading. “I love reading medical books, Christian historical fictions, missionary biographies and animal stories,” said Glover. “I took the master gardener’s course and found I love gardening, especially being in the garden alone early in the mornings.

I won first place one year in the Illinois Farmer sponsored Paint Your Garden contest. I

have great joy in eating my own fresh, organic veggies and tending beautiful godcreated flowers. Imagine, from a simple seed I can have the beauty of a cone flower or petunia growing in my yard yearly.”

Glover had a life-changing experience at age 20, when she “traveled around the world alone staying with various missionaries as I prayed about where God might want to use me. I stayed a few months in central India working at the Katara Leprosy Hospital helping in surgery with a national doctor,” she said. “I learned many things there. Humility and thankfulness are two. Also, we can be truly happy on very little so-called luxuries of life.”

Beyond attending business college, she also attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. “My faith is everything in my life. My personal faith in Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s word forms my whole world view,” she said. “I am assured Jesus loves me. He’s not angry at me. He provided salvation from sin through His death on the cross and resurrected to show me, I too, with faith in Him, can be resurrected to eternal life with Him, in heaven, one day.”

Mature money matters

Save On Socializing Partying into the wee hours of the morning is something of the long ago for most seniors as they become accustomed to bedtimes shortly after the evening news.

Hosting nighttime festivities for friends and family decreas-

es 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.

You’ll also probably save money on the food and refreshments since your guests will likely down less wine with the array of less expensive finger food you prepare for them.

Another Senior Scam Crooks have been focusing on health fairs that are in-

creasing in popularity among the growing seniors crowd.

Scammers offer free genetic screening. All they need, they say, is a cheek swab and your Medicare number to pay for the screening.

The crooks then bill Medicare several thousands of dollars, which it normally rejects, and the person being screened is billed.

If you feel you could use or would benefit from genetic screening, take up the matter with your family doctor.

Yoga transformed life of cancer survivor Candelaria

Rey Candelaria of Munster is living a much different life than he was a few years ago. Life was high stress with a demanding work schedule, but it all changed when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Candelaria had been a paramedic and then a military paramedic with the 82nd Airborne Division. He later worked in hospitality, running night clubs and restaurants, including a fine dining facility at the Shedd Aquarium and a gambling facility operated by Churchill Downs. He then decided to return to the medical field, this time on the administrative side.

“I went from being in hospitality and entertainment, having fun in restaurants. And then I remembered why I’m here — to help people heal,” he said. “Managing a business is managing a business, but I went back to my true love.”

He set up clinical training for continuing medical education for clinicians and was instrumental in obtaining grants for several ambulatory health clinics in the south suburbs.

“Then I got sick,” he said. “And I decided to help others in a different way — through yoga.”

In 2013, Candelaria was diagnosed with stage three throat cancer and underwent radiation treatments along with chemotherapy.

“After I went into treatment, I realized that there was no way I could go back to that high -stress life,” said Candelaria.

While undergoing treatment, Candelaria said his wife asked him if he wanted to take a hot yoga class with her, and he agreed. “I noticed I felt better at the end of class. I went back and I felt better again. Each time I went, I found something that was a little bit better,” he said. “It was completely life changing.”

He gradually went from doing a yoga class once a week to every day. He added in meditation and massage therapy. “I went from a very much type-A personality of always wanting to do more to someone who my kids actually like. I was that dad who had his laptop out at the kitchen table and when my kids asked me a question, I’d tell them to hold on while I finished an email. I became more present. Yoga made me feel human again.”

Fast forward to 2018. Candelaria and his wife, Frances, opened Shanti Wellness Center in Munster. He now spends time teaching yoga and helping others become the best version of them-

Professional Services

Q. What is a Trust?

A. People set up trusts to help manage their assets during their lifetime and after death. In the event of death, trusts make sure that your beneficiaries receive your assets according to your wishes. They can assist you in caring for dependents that may struggle with financial inexperience, addiction, or illness. In the event of incapacity, they also ensure that you get the type of care you need.

A trust involves a grantor, a person or institution that has assets and creates a trust. A trustee is appointed by the grantor to manage the trust for a beneficiary or beneficiaries. The grantor can choose a corporate trustee, relative, or other person to manage the trust. If the trustee is a financial institution, a trust officer will be assigned to administer the trust account.

A beneficiary is a person or institution that receives distributions of trust assets. Beneficiaries can be children, spouses,

selves that they can be.

“I’ve found yoga kind of opens a door to the self — the real self,” he said. “The great gift that cancer gave me is it reminded me how brutally short life is. We have to be here in the moment. Yesterday’s gone. Tomorrow’s not promised. So we really only have this present moment and nothing else.”

Candelaria said he’s always been an avid athlete, trying out almost every sport at one point. “I’ve done racquetball and tennis. I love golf. I love disc golf — it’s something that anyone can do. I just started pickleball in February and I love it. I’m a 4.0 pickle baller. I do yoga. I have three black belts in Okinawa karate,” he said.

In June he also became an official yoga provider for the Chicago White Sox and taught a class for 350 on the field.

He and his wife have been married for 20 years. Together, the couple has three children, two dogs and a 20-pound Savannah cat they rescued earlier this year.

Professional

Forum

Q. What is the likelihood I will get a response if placing an ad in Senior Life?

Ryan Hahn Trust Administrator

other relatives, charities, or any other entity named by the grantor.

In preparing for the future, trusts can be an essential part of your long-term financial plan. It’s important to meet with a qualified estate planning attorney or trust officer about how to best protect your assets and beneficiaries. Contact me for more information.

DISCLOSURE: This information is not designed, meant, nor does it constitute the rendering of legal or tax advice. You should consult with your attorney and/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, 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.

For Information On How To Advertise Call 219-254-2345

ACROSS

1. Relating to Vatican’s

Perk up basic chicken breast and whole-wheat orzo with the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean, like lemon and olives. This load-and-go recipe makes a complete and satisfying meal; just add a green salad.

4 servings; Active 15 minutes; Total 2 hours, 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

3/4 cup whole-wheat orzo

1/3 cup quartered black or green olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1

Cut each chicken breast half into 4 pieces. Combine the chicken, broth, tomatoes, onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on High for 1 hour, 30 minutes or on Low for 3 hours, 30 minutes. Stir in orzo and olives; cover and cook until the orzo is tender, about 30 minutes more. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups

Per Serving: 278 calories; protein 29.1g; carbohydrates 29.5g; dietary fiber 6.9g; sugars 3.1g; fat 4.7g; saturated fat 1g; cholesterol 62.7mg; vitamin a iu 724.8IU; vitamin c 17.9mg; folate 22mcg; calcium 40.2mg; iron 1.6mg; magnesium 34mg; potassium 451.4mg; sodium 433.8mg; thiamin 0.1mg.

Exchanges: 3 lean protein, 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable

Heritage Quilters names Margaret Tzitz as featured artist

Margaret Tzitz, 92, a lifelong resident of northwest Indiana, will have a select collection of her quilts in a featured exhibit at the 17th biennial quilt show, “Welcome Home to Quilting” hosted by the Guild, Heritage Quilters of Crown Point. Her broad interests will be on full display at the 2023 show, with quilts ranging from traditional to modern, and sometimes a blend of both. Tzitz has been “quilting up a storm” for more than fifty years; her works have won numerous awards and are treasured by family and friends.

When asked why she quilts, Tzitz said, “I find it fascinating to imagine patterns and colors and how they might fit together. It’s a very tactile art: I like to feel the fabric and consider color combinations. Working with shapes and colors is part of the fun.”

For Tzitz, fabric, thread, scissors and needles are all she needs to create a work of art. A lifelong needle and fiber artist, Tzitz found an artistic outlet in quilting. Quilting fabric comes in a dizzying array of colors and patterns. The artistry lies in selecting colors and designs that create a quilt that is creative and appealing to the eye. With exquisite attention to detail, Tzitz selects her fabrics and quilt patterns to bring her vision to life.

When asked to recall her

earliest memories of quilting, Tzitz recalled a childhood memory of a neighbor who was making and selling quilt tops to earn money for her family. She remembers her mother purchased one of these tops from this neighbor. Many years later, that top was found in a trunk. Tzitz decided to bring that top to life, adding batting, backing, binding and lines of hand-sewn quilting stitches to put the project together. Since

that time, she estimates that she has made more than 200 quilts, varying in size from a place mat to a queen-sized bed. Quilting runs in the family. Tzitz’s mother was a quilter, doing hand applique and hand quilting. Her daughter (a weaver) and one of her granddaughters (a knitter) have also tried their hands at quilting.

In addition to membership in the Crown Point quilt guild, Continued on page 11

Murder mystery dinner in Valparaiso

The Knights of Columbus Council 12149 will host “Murder at the Cantina,” a Mexican dinner and “who did it” mystery. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, with the mystery and dinner beginning at 6 p.m. It will take place at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Hall, 356 W 700N, Valparaiso.

Tickets are $25 per person

with a maximum of seven people per table. Dinner will include your choice of tacos or chicken fajitas, rice, beans and all the fixings. Soft drinks are sold seperately. This is a “BYOB” event.

For reservations, call Bill Parnell at (219) 962-8828 or Victor Zielinski at (219) 7595398.

HERITAGE QUILTERS of CROWN POINT Presents “WELCOME HOME TO QUILTING” 2023 Quilt Show & Gift Shop

FEATURED QUILT RAFFLE CLASSIC COUNTRY by Lynette Jensen 77” x 97” - QUILT BLOCK EXCHANGE - QUILTS FOR SALE

Saturday, October 7, 2023 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday, October 8, 2023 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Admission: Adults - $5, Children ages 6-12 - $1, under 6 - Free

Dining/Leisure/Entertainment

It was 50 years ago —

‘Delta Dawn’ a gift to songwriter’s mother

Helen Reddy

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

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

ville streets, suitcase in hand, looking for a “mansion in the sky.”

When Harvey was 15 years old, he played in a band. “We had just won a contest, and we were going to be on a TV show in Jackson, Tenn.,” he recalled. “My mother said she wanted to go. I told her that I thought she would embarrass me. She drank and sometimes would do things that would make me feel ashamed, so I asked her not to go that night.”

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

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

Several years later, Alex was at a fellow songwriter’s house. It was late, and everyone there had fallen asleep except Harvey, who had

Vox Fortura to perform in Munster

Britain’s Got Talent semifinalists and international touring sensation Vox Fortura will be showcasing the jawdropping sound that skyrocketed them to fame at Munster High School auditorium at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18. Single tickets will be available on the day of the performance for $30. Vox Fortura is the newest classical crossover group from the United Kingdom.

Heritage

Continued from page 10

Tzitz also shares her talents with the Heritage Quilters of South Suburbia of South Holland, Illinois.

The Heritage Quilters of Crown Point will host their 2023 Quilt Show & Gift Shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Lake County Fairgrounds Industrial Building, 889 Court St., Crown Point. Three hundred quilts will be exhibited. Also included is a vendor mall, silent auction, raffles and demonstrations. A pop-up gift shop of home sewn and handmade items for sale, including quilts, will highlight the show. A bed turning by well-known local long arm quilter Donna Zelesky will happen at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. All this is included in the admission fee of $5.

For more information, visit their Facebook page by searching for “Heritage Quilt GuildMeetings in Crown Point, Indiana.”

stayed up to noodle on his guitar. That’s when he experienced a life-altering vision: “I looked up, and I felt as if my mother was in the room. I saw her very clearly. She was in a rocking chair, and she was laughing.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

demise: “I really believe that my mother came into the room that night, not to scare me, but to tell me that it’s okay, that she made her choic-

es in life, and it had nothing to do with me. I always felt like that song was a gift to my mother—and an apology to her.”

Monitor automatic bill payments

As recent semifinalists of “Britain’s Got Talent,” this show-stopping group stormed the competition with a powerhouse display of vocal panache and sheer class. Described by fans as “the next Il Divo,” Vox Fortura is bringing classical vocals back into the mainstream. Filling every wow-factor performance with personality and style, their ability to perform almost any era or genre of music in their iconic crossover style touches on everything from Elgar and Bizet’s “Pearl Fishers” to David Bowie, John Legend and Ed Sheeran.

Munster High School is located at 8808 Columbia Ave.

“Delta Dawn” brought Alex Harvey blessed relief from the guilt that had shrouded him concerning his mother’s

Paying bills by automatic withdrawals from your bank

Seasonal savings

As summer approaches closing time, it’s time to stock up on T-shirts, shorts and swim suits. Of course, you already picked up your parkas and snowboards as spring slipped by a few months ago.

Post-season shopping can save you money and still keep your closet comfortably

stocked with new clothing. A simple example of this method of saving is the annual trip to the shopping mall the day after Christmas to stock up on gift-wrapping paper for next year.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

account can save you from late payments as well as cut back on your postage and mailing costs.

Some folks prefer to have the monthly payments withdrawn from a credit card, which is paid off with a single monthly payment from their bank account. In either case, you should make a list of such payments that can be reviewed by survivors after your death to make sure all payments are made and scammers have not added charges to your accounts.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Economic exercises for fiscal fitness

There’s a myth perpetuated in the saying, “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.”

Nonsense.

Even the wealthiest nabobs want to know the price of a product or service they’re buying.

It does not mean they won’t spend the money. They want to know what value or return they’re getting for their money.

That’s one of the reasons they have money. They keep an eye on it.

Most people don’t know how much money they’re carrying on

them in their pockets or purses. Even more have no idea how much credit they have on their cards. Those who know how much credit remains on their credit cards at any particular moment are pretty well nonexistent.

So how do they expect to win at any financial game, which is measured in dollars, when they don’t even know the score? There are some simple economic exercises you can take to become fiscally fit.

For one thing, you can look at your credit cards to determine just how much credit they add up to. Then subtract the debt against them to find out how

much credit you have left. Stay on top of this figure. Then look at how much money you have in your checking account and in your savings account. Did you know what the totals were before looking? You shouldn’t have had to check. You should have known before looking.

If you didn’t know any of the above figures, it’s like playing a game of baseball, football, hockey, golf, you name it, and never knowing the score. How can you expect to be a winner?

All this is aimed at making you take account of every penny you spend. Do you leave the television set running while you take a

shower? Or while you’re out cutting the lawn? Do you switch off the light when you leave a room? Why do you have two lights on in the same room?

All this costs money that you can save by simply flicking a switch.

It focuses attention on the money game.

Another exercise is the simple one your mother probably taught you – “gluing” the final small sliver of soap to a new bar. You can cut down the soap usage around the house if you wear those pair of casual jeans one day longer than you had planned. Same with that fleece vest. This cuts down on the amount – and cost – of

laundry detergent you use.

Each morning you can use the same spoon that’s been rinsed and wiped clean to stir your coffee and to eat your cereal. This doesn’t’ make you a miser. It makes you a money manager.

These moves of economy stretch out to other areas. Why spend big bucks on movies when you can rent them inexpensively to watch at home and eat much less expensive popcorn?

These simple moves should leave you with a clearer picture of what the money game is all about and lead you to more powerful exercises to help boost your financial fortunes.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Fountain View Apartments —

When does life and living begin?

When does life and living begin? After much discussion, some people say it’s when the last kid leaves home and the dog dies.

Right about that same time, we start thinking about our retirement options. We could move to Florida, but really, we would miss those kids too much. Then there is all that work with taking care of the house.

We are getting tired out on all that stuff!

What should we do? Well, these are really big considerations.

There is a solution. Sell that

house, get rid of all that work and move into a safe, inexpensive apartment community — an adult community. One in a nice community, with nice people.

Fountain View Apartments offers a very inexpensive, very quiet, very safe active adult community. Our location in “nostalgic” Crown Point offers proximity to grocery stores, churches and banks, all within walking distance. Every apartment has a balcony or patio. Our people enjoy sitting out and chatting with each other, planting flowers or strolling the sidewalks.

The Fountain View Apartments are exceptionally maintained and exten-

sively remodeled.

Each apartment has central air conditioning and individual gas heats. Each apartment is being remodeled with plank flooring, new bathrooms and stainless steel appliances.

They are beautiful! See for yourself at fountainviewrentals.com.

Our rents are very reasonable, ranging from $1,150 to $1,350 per month.

Our office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are located off Merrillville Road and 96th Avenue. Our telephone number is (219) 663-8228. The address of our model and office is 9614 Dona Court, Apt. 35, Crown Point. Call today and schedule an appointment.

Humane Indiana offers tips to keep pets home safe

Shelter Animals Count, the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, encourages pet owners to take precautions to keep their pets home and safe.

According to SAC’s Industry Trends Dashboard, data from January-May 2023 has shown a 4% increase in stray intake compared to 2022, and an increase of nearly 18% compared to 2021. This trend has been especially dramatic for dogs.

Over the past two years, the stray intake rate for dogs has increased significantly across the nation. Data from January-May 2023 shows a 10% increase in stray dog intake compared to 2022, and an increase of 30% compared to 2021. Fortunately, cats saw a 1% decrease in stray intake compared to 2022.

For each of the past three years, only about 10% of animals entering shelters are returned to their owners.

The need is especially great at Humane Indiana, which has a 30% increase in strays taken into the shelter this year — higher than the nation’s 10% increase.

Humane Indiana also leads the community in partnering with local animal control agencies to help stray animals reunite with their families if lost, or find a new home.

Jessica Petalas, Humane Indiana shelter director, called on the community to

help by adopting a pet from Humane Indiana, becoming a HI dog foster parent, or donating to Humane Indiana.

“Foster parents — especially for medium-sized dogs and large dogs — help stray animals become socialized and allow us to learn their personality and needs to help them find the right home, while opening up space at the shelter to help even more animals,” said Petalas. “Donations are also essential to support our lifesaving programs.”

Information on fostering is available at humaneindiana. org/shelter-fostering. or by calling (219) 922-3811, ext. 205. Donations can be made at humaneindiana.org.

Petalas also encouraged owners to ensure their dogs are microchipped in case they become lost, so they can be quickly reunited with their families and kept out of shelters. Humane Indiana’s Clinic offers reduced-cost microchipping for incomeeligible people and all residents of East Chicago, Gary, Hammond and Merrillville. Appointments can be made at (219) 922-3811, ext. 212.

No matter how careful we are, pets can still get loose, so it’s best to be prepared. Here are tips to help keep pets home and out of shelters: Make sure your pet is microchipped and wearing a collar with identifying information, including a phone

number. This helps them to be quickly and easily reunited with you should they become lost. Make sure tags are current and microchip information is updated with the veterinarian or shelter that implanted the chip. Ensure you have current photos of your pet from all angles. These can be used to make flyers and post on neighborhood apps and lost pet pages if the pet gets lost.

If your pet gets lost, start looking in your neighborhood right away. Carry a leash or carrier with you, and make sure to have your cell phone in case someone calls you while you’re out looking.

Call your local shelter and visit their website to learn

how to file a lost pet report. Many animal control officers strive to return pets to their owners while still in the neighborhood, avoiding a trip to the shelter.

Check local social media pages and neighborhood apps and post a photo of your lost pet. These resources are extremely helpful for posting lost and found pets in real-time. Many happy reunions have occurred quickly because of the power of social media.

Visit the shelter the first day if possible, and at least every other day to look for your pet in person. People’s perception of breed and description can vary, so relying on someone who doesn’t

know your pet to find it in the shelter may not be effective.

Create posters with a clear photo of your pet, with a brief description and a cell number. Place the flyers around your neighborhood and at any local businesses.

Don’t give up! Lost pets have been found weeks, months or even years after they’ve been lost.

If you find a lost pet, try to find their owners by walking the neighborhood and checking neighborhood apps/social media groups before taking them to a shelter. Many pets are reunited with their owners within minutes or hours without ever leaving the neighborhood.

Made from Salicornia is half the sodium of table salt

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

Then I added it to vegetables at the end of cooking — delicious.

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

If you have high blood pressure, check with your doctor.

up to you to get you where you want to be.

The your health!

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

Has a Doctor ever told you to lower your salt intake? Too much sodium can affect your blood pressure in a bad way and even if you’re not shaking it on your food, processed and restaurant foods are high in sodium to a fault.

Green Salt is green, not white, or pink. It is a salt alternative with 50% of the sodium that table salt has. That is pretty amazing. Green salt is 100% dehydrated salicornia, a superfood with a salty taste, sometimes called sea asparagus. Salicornia absorbs minerals in sea water like magnesium, potassium, and niacin. Have you heard of the foody word umami? Umami is being called the fifth taste group after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The taste is a savoriness, an independent taste unlike the other four taste groups.

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

If not, I recommend enjoying it now. I ordered it online at trygreensalt.com, but I don’t see it on Amazon.

It’s all about the small steps and I see this as a simple way of consuming less sodium. It’s

Trouble is brewing at home

I don’t remember the last time I cleaned out the fridge in our basement. It’s kind of my fridge. Mary Ellen keeps her distance. She has her own upstairs.

I’ve been heaving leftovers in the old appliance for a decade, like it is some kind of trash compactor. I don’t believe in wasting food, so it was just killing me yesterday

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

It was when I finally removed one of the vegetable bins for a quick hosing that I first set my eyes on it. Now I know the excitement Richard Leakey must have felt when he gazed upon the skeletal remains of our early human ancestors. There, wedged behind every Hidden Valley Ranch on the bottom shelf, was an unopened bottle of Three Stooges Beer. Moe, Larry and Curly were grinning at me after several years chilling out in the back of our Whirlpool. Yes, gentlemen, there once was a Three Stooges Beer. No longer. No Curly Light or Moe Extra Dry, either. Sorry. The bottle was part of an assortment of exotic brews I received years ago for emceeing a fundraising event. Why didn’t I know about this beer when I was in college? Why would I sprawl out on my dorm room bed with

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

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

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

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

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

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

I know what you are wondering: “Dick, will you open that rare treasure and guzzle what might be the last bottle of Three Stooges Beer?

I might. But I’ll regret it. And then I’ll smack myself upside the head.

Preserve it now … enjoy it later

Join Purdue Extension master home food preservation instructors to learn the basics of pressure canning through education and a hands-on workshop.

The event is a research-based food preservation workshop on pressure canning. Participants will learn the importance of food

safety using a pressure canner, the necessary equipment and supplies, and the proper method to safely preserve in a pressure canner. Research-based publications and recipes will be shared during this workshop. Participants will go through the processing steps, preparing a pressure canner recipe to take

home and enjoy.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Purdue ExtensionLake County, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point.

The cost is $30 per person. For further information or to register online at https://cvent. me/319y9Z.

Help is all around you

Helping each other is part of our genes, whether we know it or not or like it or not.

We help our aging parents, neighbors and friends as they become frail and their abilities to cope with the world around them fade.

Our children learn how to walk and cope with the world around them with our help.

But, whether it’s because of macho or manners, there seems to be resistance to ask for help.

Just think about the cliché

couple in a car looking for an address. They waste much time driving around proclaiming it should be just around the corner when all they would have to do is stop and ask directions from a passerby or shop owner who’s familiar with the neighborhood.

They claim they don’t want to look stupid, so they act stupidly.

As we age, many of us think we’ll look like we’re losing it if we ask for help. You read of seniors dying of heart attacks shoveling snow from their driveway. And you hear oldsters complain about their aching back as they heft heavy grocery bags into and out

of the trunk of their car.

They should be asking someone for help with these chores. For example, shopping trips can be coordinated with a family member, friend or neighbor who can help with the loading and unloading.

This means you should quit caring about whether or not you look self-reliant or lazy.

While “Please” and “Thank You” should be atop your list of vocabulary used on a daily basis, you can slip “I need your help” right behind them.

Get used to this phrase. Use it when you walk up to a cashier in

the supermarket. Instead of just dumping our purchases on the moving belt, tell them, “I might need your help with some of this stuff.”

You’ll find the cashier’s attitude friendlier and a bit less business-like because you’re asking for their help — because studies reveal people actually do want to help each other. All they need is to be asked.

Asking for help most likely will start with members of you family — brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and in-laws — and expand to friends, colleagues, co-workers and neighbors.

You might be looking for someone to help with your taxes or get you to medical appointments or find the right kinds of plants to make your yard easier to maintain. Be very clear on what you need and when you need it.

Let the person you’re asking know right off that they can say no if they can’t help you. You don’t need or want an explanation.

Thank them for listening and ask if there’s someone they know who might be able help you. Then ask if there’s anything you can do to help them. Mature Life Features

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

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

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Life Care Center of The Willows

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

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

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

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606 Wall Street, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (219) 464-4976

Oppenheimer: ‘The Destroyer of Worlds’

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

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

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

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

On October 9, 1941, two months before the United States entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a crash program to develop an atomic bomb.

In June 1942, the U.S. Army established the Manhattan Engineer District to handle its part in the atom bomb project. Brig. Gen. Leslie Groves was appointed director of what became known as the Manhattan Project. He selected Oppenheimer to head the project’s secret weapons laboratory. This choice surprised many because of Oppen-

heimer’s left-wing political views and the fact that he had no record of leading large projects. Groves was impressed by Oppenheimer’s singular grasp of the practical aspects of designing and constructing an atomic bomb.

As a military engineer, Groves knew this would be vital in an interdisciplinary project that would involve not just physics, but chemistry, metallurgy, ordnance, and engineering. Groves also detected in Oppenheimer something many others did not: overwhelming ambition. Groves reckoned that quality would supply the drive necessary to push the project to a successful conclusion. Fellow scientist Isidor

Rabi considered Oppenheimer’s appointment “a real stroke of genius on the part of General Groves, who was not generally considered to be an ‘intellect.’”

Oppenheimer and Groves decided that for security and cohesion they needed a centralized, secret research laboratory in a remote location. They selected a spot in northern New Mexico not far from the scientist’s ranch. The Los Alamos Laboratory was built on the site of a boys’ school, taking over some of its buildings. Many new buildings were quickly constructed.

Los Alamos was initially supposed to be a military laboratory, so Oppenheimer and other researchers were to be commissioned into the Army, but some of the scientists balked at the idea. Groves and Oppenheimer compromised whereby the laboratory would be operated by the University of California under contract to the War Department. Oppenheimer had underestimated the magnitude of the project, as Los Alamos grew from a few hundred people in 1943 to more than 6,000 in 1945.

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

The scientists at Los Alamos produced the world’s first nuclear explosion, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. Oppen-

heimer had given the site the code name “Trinity.” Years later he said a verse entered his head at that time that translated as “I have become death, the destroyer of worlds.”

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

In October 1945, Oppenheimer was granted an interview with President Harry S. Truman, who was not made aware of the Manhattan Project until he became presi-

dent upon Roosevelt’s death in April 1945. Oppenheimer told Truman he felt as though he had “blood on my hands.” The remark infuriated Truman, who quickly ended their meeting. Truman later told Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson, “I don’t want to see that son of a bitch in this office ever again.”

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

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

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

Mature Life

2023

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No cars and fudge make Mackinac Island special

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

Shanks horses (walking), horse and buggy/wagon, horse and saddle or bicycle is still the only way to get around its

4.35 square miles. Since it’s totally surrounded by water, the best way to get there is by boat. There is an airport, but it’s for private planes.

Star Line and Shepler’s ferries from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace dock just a block from the center of town.

That’s were all the action begins. The Tourism Bureau Information Office/ticket booth is smack dab in the middle of it all. Pick up a map and set out to see just what makes this island so special.

Hundreds of bicycles and lines

of horse-drawn wagons wait to take visitors around the island.

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

If exercise is your thing, a bike ride on the eight-milelong Lake Shore Boulevard circling the island provides an up-close-and-personal look at Lake Huron and the flora and fauna that covers most of Mackinac Island State Park. That’s right, 80 percent of the

island is a state park. It’s also a Michigan State Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. A wide variety of architectural styles exist throughout the island and many of them have undergone preservation and restoration. The Victorian-style Grand Hotel with its iconic tall columns is the focal point. However, unless you’re a guest at the hotel, you’ll have to be satisfied with taking photos of its long porch and stately facade

from outside the fence. Of course, you can pay $10 ($5 for children 5-17) to walk the porch and enjoy the vista that includes a good portion of the island, Historic Market Street and the Mackinac Bridge in the distance.

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

Continued on page 19

Get busy to do nothing

You might want to start practicing.

on a bench and stare into the pond or at the overhead clouds.

Most people have figured out what they’re going to do when they retire.

Travel, visit the kids, play golf, grab some coffee with old friends, and go fishing are high on the list of plans.

But most people haven’t figured out what they’re going to do when there’s nothing left they want to do.

There’s an art to doing nothing when you know you can do anything you want to do whenever you want to do it for as long as you want to do it.

Recent studies indicate doing nothing — giving your brain a rest — can actually stimulate your mind. Sitting back and doing nothing for a spell can refresh your brain and enhance your creative abilities. When boredom sets in, your brain is actually daydreaming, and those dreams can be productive.

However, doing nothing all the time can calcify your thinking process.

To start doing nothing, get away from your television set, mobile phone, book, jigsaw puzzle or whatever else around you that can draw your attention.

Some experts suggest you start doing something boring, like counting cars streaming by your window or stroll down to the nearby park to stretch out

Killing time by wandering through the internet, meditating or checking messages doesn’t work because they don’t allow your mind to wander, to daydream. The idea is to eliminate all stimulation and activity so your body, mind and emotions can do nothing.

Even listening to music can be a distraction when you’re trying to do nothing.

If you have to be doing something, try coloring in a coloring book — something that keeps your hands busy but doesn’t require any brain work.

These do-nothing periods can not only boost your awareness as you proceed through the day, they can help develop more creative pastimes to help you enjoy the times when you’re not doing nothing.

No cars

Continued from page 18

The British later shortened the name to Mackinac Island. They gained control of the Straits of Mackinac shortly after the French and Indian War.

Prior to Mackinac Island becoming a popular tourist destination in the late 19th century, the island was a strategic center for fur trading. Fort Mackinac, which is open for touring, was built by the British in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War. It was never attacked and was decommissioned in 1895. Wagon tours take visitors to the fort, and it’s all downhill from there to the center of town. Two battles were actually fought here during the War of 1812 before it became a U.S. territory. The Treaty of Ghent in 1815 returned the island and the surrounding mainland to the United States. During the Civil War, it hosted three prisoners who were Confederate States of

For 30 Days For A

1 Column x 1 Inch Ad

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

Sixties Flashback —

Paul McCartney confessed ‘It wasn’t fun anymore’

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

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

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

crowds each week.

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

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

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

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

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

“Beatlemania” was ushered in that night.

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

Flash to Aug. 29, 1966. The Beatles are scheduled to play a concert at San Francisco’s vast Candlestick Park stadium, the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Fans at that

performance don’t realize this will be the final live show of the quartet’s stellar career; the announcement will be kept secret until the band members return home to England.

Who could blame the Beatles for their decision? Worldwide

fame had robbed them of everything enjoyable about performing before an audience. The quartet’s powerful Vox amplifiers had become all but ineffective against the screamfest that rolled over the band like a tsunamic tide during each show.

So pronounced was John Lennon’s malaise that he began calling the Beatles’ live act a “freak show.” Ringo Starr was equally negative. (“Nobody was listening at the shows.”) Even normally positive Paul McCart-

ney confessed, “It wasn’t fun anymore.”

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

Take Part in the Art of Wine and Food Pairing While Aiding Neighbors in Need

The 2023 ‘Sip Savor Support’ wine and food pairing experience will be held Friday, Oct 13, at Trinity Banquet Hall, 640 N. Calumet Road, Chesterton.

This deliciously memorable event also will include live and silent auctions. Proceeds from the event will help to support the human services programs of Catholic Charities Diocese of Gary.

After kicking off at 6:30 p.m., the expected 240 guests and sponsors will mix and mingle while investigating the wide variety of offerings on display for the live and silent auctions. Guests will then gather to be welcomed by Terry Seljan, executive director of Catholic Charities, and board members. This will be followed by what the event’s Sommelier, Patrick Cullers, refers to as “The Culinary Wine Pairing Experience,” featuring five different wines — one selected to be served with each course of the meal.

Following this culinary wine pairing experience will be the live auction, led by entertaining auctioneer Brian McDaniel.

“Sip Savor Support is such a fun event and a wonderful way to support all of the amazing work

that Catholic Charities is doing in our community,” stated Beth Casbon, attorney and partner with Komyatte & Casbon PC in Highland. “Our law firm is thrilled to be a ‘Strive & Thrive Sponsor’ for Sip Savor Support for the third straight year.”

Catholic Charities Diocese of Gary programs and services include emergency assistance, Tabor House affordable housing program, Isaac Program pathway to U.S. citizenship, Women’s Care Center, Catholic Charities Pantry and Mobile Food Pantry, financial workshops and much more.

The nonprofit organization serves residents of Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties, providing its services to anyone in need without discrimination, no matter the person’s race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation. Military veterans are encouraged to contact Catholic Charities when needs arise.

As an example of impact, since Jan. 1, Catholic Charities has served 6,460 households in northwest Indiana. Visit catholiccharities.org/events to register as a guest or sponsor for the Sip Savor Support event and have fun while helping your northwest Indiana neighbors in need.