Vol 21: #15 • Baseball Greats • (4-6-2025) Tidbits of Coachella Valley by Tidbits of Coachella Valley

TIDBITS CHEERS FOR SOME

BASEBALL GREATS

by Kathy Wolfe

March 28 marked the Opening Day of Major League Baseball, and this week Tidbits pays tribute to some of the greatest baseball players of all time with some interesting on- and off-diamond facts you likely never knew.

WILLIE MAYS

• When Willie Mays passed away at age 93 in 2024 as the oldest living Hall of Famer, only five other MLB players had hit more home runs than he had. With 660 homers and 3,293 hits, after 23 seasons, the Alabama-born Mays retired with a batting average of .301.

• Mays was the 1951 Rookie of the Year, played in 24 All-Star games and four World Series, and led the National League in home runs four times. The only player to do so, Mays earned a combination .300+ career batting average with 600 home runs and 12 Gold Gloves.

CARL YASTRZEMSKI

• Carl "Yaz" Yastrzemski is in second place for the most career MLB games played with 3,308, and

TRIVIA NEWSFRONT

(Answers on page 16)

1. TELEVISION: In the sitcom “Modern Family,” Gloria is from which country?

2. LITERATURE: Which author wrote “The Kite Thief” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns”?

3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the deepest lake in the world?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which first lady’s nickname was Lady Bird?

5. ASTRONOMY: How many stars make up the Big Dipper?

6. MOVIES: Which famous Hollywood couple played lead roles in the film version of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”?

7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of skunks called?

8. GEOMETRY: How many sides does a decagon have?

9. ART: Which American artist focused on women and children in her paintings?

10. ANATOMY: What substance gives skin its color? Answers

Situated at the southern tip of New York State’s Otsego Lake, the small village of Cooperstown, population about 3,000, is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, one of America’s most popular tourist destinations.

• The Hall became an idea in 1935, when plans were formed to celebrate the upcoming centennial celebration of baseball in 1939. At that time, Cooperstown was considered the birthplace of baseball, the site where American army officer and Cooperstown native Abner Doubleday had developed the game in 1839. (That story was later discredited by historians.)

• The Hall was officially established by Stephen Carlton Clark, heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune. Clark’s idea was to bring tourists to the community that had been deeply affected by the Great Depression and Prohibition. He was responsible for its construction, and the building was dedicated on June 12, 1939.

• The first five inductees into baseball’s Hall of Fame were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson, all chosen in 1936. About 20 more were selected before the Hall’s official opening.

• Ty Cobb received more votes than any of the other first four inductees, with 98.2% of the votes. Ruth and Wagner collected 95.1%, Mathewson 90.7%, and Johnson at 83.6%. No other inductee received as high of a percentage as Cobb until Tom Seaver received 98.84% in 1992. Ken Griffey passed up Seaver’s record in 2016 with 99.32%,

• Only about 0.6% of MLB players have been elected to the Hall of Fame since 1936. It’s not always an easy task to be elected – it took Joe DiMaggio three times on the ballot.

• The Baseball Writers Association of America is

the organization responsible for electing Hall of Fame members.

• About 450 writers participate every year. Each writer may vote for up to 10 players. As of January 2025, there are 351 members of the Hall, including 277 former players. 118 members have been inducted after their death, including four who died after their selection was announced. Players, managers, umpires, executives, and baseball pioneers are all eligible for induction.

• A player must be named on at least 75% of the voters’ ballots. If a candidate is named on at least 5% of the ballots cast, he is eligible to be named again, but will be removed if he has been on the ballot 10 times without election. The player’s name is also removed if he has been retired 15 years.

• Until 1945, all players were eligible, including active ones. In 1946, a waiting period of one year after retirement was instigated. Since 1954, a player must be retired five years and have 10 years of major league experience to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. The five-year waiting period was waived for Roberto Clemente, who had played for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 18 seasons. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame in March 1973, about 2 ½ months after his death in a plane crash enroute to Nicaragua.

• Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig was elected to the Hall of Fame in a special election in 1939 following his diagnosis of ALS.

• Only one baseball player has ever been elected unanimously, Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera in 2019. Eight others have achieved over 98% -Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Ty Cobb, George Brett, and Ichiro Suzuki. Suzuki was elected in 2025 with 99.7%, just one vote shy of unanimous. 

Q: A man quickly leaves home, takes three left turns, and is on his way back home when he sees two men in masks waiting for him. Who are they?

A: The catcher and the umpire!

Colombia. 2. Khaled Hosseini. 3. Lake Baikal, Russia.

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Week of April 6, 2025

Baseball Greats: (from page one)

third place overall for number of at-bats, at 11,988. He played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox from 1961at age 21 until his retirement at age 44 in 1983, during which he achieved 3,419 hits (8th place in career hits), 452 home runs, and 18 selections to the All-Star Game. He remains the Red Sox’s all-time leader in career RBIs, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and also has the record for the most games with a single team.

NOLAN RYAN

• In his 27 seasons in the MLB, Nolan Ryan pitched in four different decades, racking up a record number of strikeouts, at 5,714, and a record 7 no-hitters. He played first for the New York Mets, followed by the California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers. The Angels, Astros, and Rangers have retired Ryan’s uniform number.

• His first no-hitter was in 1973 while pitching

for the Angels. His final no-hitter came along in 1991 when as a Ranger. In 1979, Nolan Ryan was the highest-paid MLB player, with a fouryear, $4.5 million contract with the Astros. The Mets drafted Ryan when he was 19 and he retired at age 46 with the Rangers in 1993. He still holds 51 MLB records.

LOU GEHRIG

• Lou Gehrig was the first MLB player to have his uniform number retired. The New York Yankees retired No. 4 six months after the slugger’s retirement following his diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , now commonly referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”

• During his 17 seasons with the Yanks, he played in 34 World Series games as winner in 6 out of 7 Series. Gehrig still holds the record for the most seasons with at least 400 total bases, a feat achieved five times. In 1932, he was the first 20th-century player to hit four home runs in a game. He was a seven-time All-Star, a two-time MVP, and had a career batting average of .340.

• Gehrig began experiencing symptoms of ALS midway through the 1938 season, and his performance began to steadily decline. By the end of April 1939, he had an astounding record of 2,130 consecutive games, (the previous record was 1,307), but on May 2, he benched himself, in his words, “for the good of the team.” He never played another game. ALS claimed Gehrig’s life in 1941, 17 days before his 38th birthday.

TY COBB

• Not only did the legendary Ty Cobb hit .300 in 23 consecutive seasons and reached .400 three times, his record career batting average of .367 still stands. There was only one year that Cobb didn’t bat .300, his rookie year (.238) when he was mourning the death of his father. Cobb’s father named him after the ancient city of Tyre, now part of modern-day Lebanon.

• Cobb played 24 seasons in the majors, 22 of them with the Detroit Tigers. During that time, he set 90 MLB records, and still held 43 of them when he retired in 1928. His combined total of runs scored and RBI’s (4,065) remains the highest, as does his record of 54 times stealing home.

HANK AARON

• Hank Aaron was 40 years old when he broke the career home run record set by Babe Ruth in 1935. Ruth’s record of 714 was shattered by Aaron on April 8, 1974 when the famed Milwaukee Brave hit his 715th before a crowd of 53,775 spectators,

attendance record for the Braves stadium. During the previous off-season, “Hammerin’ Hank” had received hate mail and death threats from fans who did not want to see Ruth’s revered record broken.

• Aaron ended his 23-year MLB career with 755 homers, including 16 grand slams, a record that would endure for 33 years. He continues to hold the record for the most RBIs with 2,297, extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856), as well as the most All-Star selections with 25.

TED WILLIAMS

• With 2,654 hits, 521 home runs, and a career

By Lucie Winborne

* Rocker Chuck Berry had a degree in hairdressing.

* A single strand of spaghetti is called a “spaghetto.”

* Beer cans in Japan have braille on them so blind people don’t confuse alcoholic drinks with soft drinks.

* If you spent only one day on each of the islands in the Philippines, it would take you nearly 21 years to visit all of them.

* A party boat carrying 60 men and women capsized in Texas in 2012 after all the passengers rushed to one side as the boat passed a nude beach.

* The world’s first underwater mailbox was installed just off the shore of Susami, Japan.

* Vertebrates with larger brains and more neurons, such as humans and owls, tend to have longer yawns, which help cool the brain and support cognitive function.

* The term “scientist” didn’t come into usage until 1834, when it was coined by University of Cambridge historian and philosopher of science William Whewell, who wanted to create a unifying noun for people engaged in various scientific fields.

* Citizens of the small town Kamikatsu in Japan’s Tokushima prefecture are expected to separate their recycling into no fewer than 45 different categories.

* The Atlantic bluefin tuna can experience such high bursts of muscular activity while fighting a fisherman that it cooks its own flesh.

* Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were originally named “Penny Cups” after the amount they cost at the time.

***

Thought for the Day: “Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.”

-- Douglas MacArthur

by Mary Hunt

Simple Strategies to Improve Your Credit Score

PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME

Making your credit payments on time is one of the most important contributing factors to your credit scores. Delinquent payments have a major negative impact. If you have missed payments, get current and stay current. The longer you pay your bills on time, the better your credit score.

KEEP BALANCES LOW

Everyday CHEAPSKATE

by Mary Hunt

A credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 generated by a mathematical algorithm (a mostly secret formula) based on information in your credit report, compared to information on tens of millions of other people. Like it or not, the resulting number is said to be a highly accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay your bills.

If it sounds boring and unimportant, you couldn’t be more wrong. Credit scores are used extensively these days. If you rent an apartment, get braces, buy cellphone service, apply for a job or call to get utilities connected, there’s a good chance your report and score will be critiqued to qualify.

If you have a credit card, the bank or issuer of that account is likely to regularly look at your credit score and payment history to decide whether to decrease your credit limit or charge you a higher interest rate.

The higher your score, the better you look to lenders. People with the highest scores get the lowest interest rates. And they’re getting the jobs.

KNOW YOUR SCORE

You know you can get our credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Now you can check your credit scores anytime, anywhere and never pay for them at the Credit Karma website. You will need to create a password-protected account, no credit card required. Plan to get hit up to buy all kinds of things and apply for all kinds of new credit. Just be strong: Get your free score, and move on.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORES

Current estimates are that you have at least 57 credit scores out there -- but only a handful of them are important to anyone. Most lenders look to your FICO score in their decisionmaking process. But even that is complicated because credit reporting agencies now have their own branded scores, which are based on the FICO model. So you might see that you have an "Experian FICO" score, for example.

Using more than 30% of your available credit on your credit cards -- individual accounts and also collectively, if you have multiple accounts -- brings down your credit score. Increasing the gap between your credit limits and your total revolving debt will improve your score.

DON’T CLOSE UNUSED CREDIT CARDS

Closing accounts might sound like a great short-term strategy to raise your score, but it’s not if you are carrying revolving credit card debt. This will close the gap between your outstanding debt (the amount of credit you are using) and the total amount available.

DON’T OPEN NEW ACCOUNTS

More credit might seem wise in order to increase your available credit-to-debt ratio, but it will be seen as a negative to your score. New, or “young,” accounts are not useful in credit scoring because they dilute your average account age. Unless it’s a dire emergency, do not open new credit accounts.

GET HELP!

If you are having trouble making ends meet, contact your creditors, or see a legitimate credit counselor. This won’t rebuild your credit score immediately, but if you can begin to manage your credit and pay on time, your score should increase over time. And seeking assistance from a credit counseling service will not hurt your credit scores. But beware: There are lots of shysters out there masquerading as negotiators, settlers and credit counselors.

NFCC

You can find a legitimate, certified credit counselor at The National Federation for Credit Counselors, the nation’s first and largest nonprofit dedicated to improving people’s financial well-being. Go to www.NFCC.org to get immediate help online, or call (800) 388-2227 to be connected with a counselor near you.

FILLERPAGE2

2Q08-WEEK19

MAY4-MAY10

If you want to look to the gold standard of credit scores, you want to track your FICO score. It is available to you for a few bucks at the website myFICO.com.

PRESENTS

TRIVIANEWSFRONT™

The National Federation for Credit Counselors is legit. In fact, it is the only credit counseling organization I recommend and endorse. It has been around for many years and has earned the highest reputation. It is a wonderful organization you can trust that has come to the rescue of thousands of my readers over the years. It is ready to help you too!

1.ErnieK-Doe

byKaraKovalchik&SandyWood

byKaraKovalchik&SandyWood

1.Whohada#1hitin1961withthesardonic “Mother-in-Law”?

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https:// www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”

2.Accordingtotheproverb,whatis“the motherofinvention”?

3.WhatwastherealfirstnameofAfricanAmericancomedienneMomsMabley?

4.Whatfilmactorwantedto in1987?

5.Whofoundedtheorganizationknownas

2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

BASEBALL

• Although Pete Rose holds the record for the most at-bats (14,053), the most games played (3,562), and most hits (4,256), this Cincinnati Reds slugger nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” was permanently banned from baseball, including induction into the Hall of Fame for gambling on baseball. During his career from 1963 to 1986, Rose was Rookie of the Year, a 17-time All-Star, and 3-time World Series winner. Pete Rose and Ty Cobb are the only MLB players with more than 4,000 hits.

• In 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to tax evasion and served five months in a Marion, Illinois minimum security prison. Pete Rose was banned from Hall of Fame induction, but the Hall contains several exhibits of Rose’s baseball career.

• Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games held for 56 years. Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr., broke it in September 1995. Between 1981 and 2001, Ripken played in 3,001 games, and set the record of 2,632 consecutive games, a record he still holds.

• The Yankees drafted shortstop Derek Jeter out of high school, and he played four seasons in the Minors before his MLB debut in 1995. Jeter is in 6th place in career hits with 3,465. During

his 20-year career with the Yanks, the team qualified for the postseason 17 times, and Jeter played 158 postseason games, an MLB record. During his 2000 season, he was both the AllStar Game MVP and the World Series MVP. When this five-time World Series champion was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020, he received 396 of 397 possible votes.

• Only five MLB players have hit five home runs in one game –Pete Schneider (1923), Lou Frierson (1934), Cecil Dunn (1936), Dick Lane (1948), and Parker DePasquale (2023).

• In 1974, Nolan Ryan recorded MLB’s fastest pitch, 100.9 mph, a record that would hold until 2010. That speed was topped when the Cincinnati Reds’ Aroldis Chapman threw a fastball that was recorded at an astonishing 105.8 mph

• The record for all-time home runs in a single season is held by Barry Bonds, with 73. Bonds also has the record for career home runs with 762, although several observers dispute this due to speculation that Bonds used performanceenhancing drugs during his career. Bonds surpassed Hank Aaron’s record of 755 in 2007.

• Only two other players have surpassed 700 –Babe Ruth and Albert Pujols. Yankee slugger Aaron Judge broke Roger Maris’ 1961 record of 61 single-season home runs in 2022. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had beaten Maris’ record in 1998 and 1999, but the two were also named in baseball’s steroids scandal.

• In 1975, Pittsburgh Pirate Rennie Stennett made history when he had seven hits in his seven atbats in a nine-inning game. The Pirates trounced the Chicago Cubs 22-0 that day. In 2016, another player, Brandon Crawford of the San Francisco Giants, had a seven-hit game, but the game went into extra innings, leaving Stennett’s record intact.

• Only two MLB players have spent their entire career with one team for at least 23 seasons –Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox and Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles.

• Three players have a record of hitting a home run in eight straight games – Pittsburgh Pirate Dale Long in 1956, New York Yankee Don Mattingly in 1987, and Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993.

• Only “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Happy Birthday” outrank “Take Me Out to the Ball

Game” as America’s most-recognizable songs. It was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, neither of whom had ever attended a baseball game. Fans still sing along during the seventh-inning stretch of MLB games. 

Interested parties must posess a responsible work ethic, furnish their own vehicle and auto insurance, and have a friendly demeanor when dealing with the public. Interested couples call Erik at 760-320-0997 for more details.

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

by Dana Jackson

Q: Is it true that Meryl Streep is dating Martin Short? I thought they were just friends, but apparently they’re in love? -- S.J.

A: Yes, the two stars became an item after their on-screen love on the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” turned into an off-screen courtship. Short was left heartbroken after losing his wife Nancy to ovarian cancer in 2010, while Streep has been separated from her husband, Don, since 2017.

Since their “OMITB” characters, Loretta and Oliver, tied the knot last season, Streep will likely be featured in the upcoming fifth season of the hit whodunit series. Streep joined the show in season 3 as a recurring character.

The new season, which is currently in production, will feature guest stars Téa Leoni (“Madame Secretary,” Keegan-Michael Key (“Wonka”) and two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.

Q: I know that Donnie Wahlberg is an actor on a successful TV series, but whatever happened to his fellow boy band member Joey McIntyre? Is he still acting? -- K.W.

A: Yes, Donnie Wahlberg and Joey Mc-

Intyre have both made a successful transition into acting since their days of singing and dancing with New Kids on the Block, a wildly successful boy band from the ‘90s. Wahlberg made the leap to film and TV with small roles in “The Sixth Sense” and “The Practice” before landing his big break, the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.”

He later appeared in the horror movie “Saw II” and two of its sequels before being cast in the hit CBS police drama “Blue Bloods,” which ended last year after 14 seasons. The network has a lot of faith in him and his character, Danny Reagan, because they’re building a spinoff series around his character. “Boston Blue” will launch during the 2025 fall TV season.

As for McIntyre, he starred in the shortlived CBS sitcom “The McCarthys” a decade ago and has worked steadily ever since, mostly in TV movies like “V.C. Andrews’ Dawn” and the recent Roku Christmas movie “Jingle Bell Love.”

Don’t write off New Kids on the Block, however. Four of the five original band members, including McIntyre, will be performing in their very own Las Vegas residency called “The Right Stuff” beginning this June. Visit NKOTB.com for more info.

***

Q: I read that Gwyneth Paltrow is going to be in something with Timothée Chalamet. I thought she retired from acting to focus on her lifestyle website. What happened? -- J.A.

A: In 2017, Gwyneth Paltrow announced that she was taking a break from acting to focus on

her business, Goop, but she didn’t close the door completely. Her last major role was in the Netflix series “The Politician,” which starred Ben Platt (“Dear Evan Hansen”) and was co-produced by her husband, Brad Falchuk. That was back in 2020. She’s been selective about her next projects, which she has the luxury of doing. She’s back on the set in 2025 with not one but two films, both comedies. First up is “The Miracle on 74th Street” with Drew Barrymore and Christine Taylor, and then “Marty Supreme,” which she’s currently filming with Timothée Chalamet and Sandra Bernhard. * * *

King Features News Syndicate

Actress Meryl Streep dating on-screen love interest.

Good Recipes from

Healthy Bean Chili

This bean chili goes with just about anything, from sliced mango to mixed greens.

1 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)

1 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 15.5-ounce can low-sodium black beans

1 cup canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes

2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Toppings

1/3 cup sliced mango

1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds

lime wedge

1. Cook chopped bell pepper and white mushrooms with chopped onion in olive oil in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Add garlic cloves (finely chopped), chili powder, chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo

and cumin and cook, 1 minute.

3. Stir in one can low-sodium black beans and canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes.

4. Simmer until flavors develop, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

5. Garnish with chopped mango, pumpkin seeds and a lime wedge.

Minty Pesto Pasta Salad

1 box corkscrew pasta

1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves

1 box frozen peas

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

3 cup shredded leftover chicken

Toasted pine nuts

1. Prepare pasta as package label directs. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine mint leaves, peas, Parmesan and salt; pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, pour in oil and water in a slow, steady stream until mixture is pureed and pesto is thick.

2. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot; add pesto and shredded chicken. Pour reserved pasta cooking water into the empty food processor or blender and swirl to loosen any remaining pesto; add to pasta mixture and toss to combine.

Holidays & Observances This Week

4/6 National Army Day

4/7 Metric System Day

4/8 National Library Workers Day

4/9 P.O.W. Recognition Day

4/10 Salvation Army Founding Day

4/11 Barbershop Quartet Day

4/12 Passover (Begins at sundown)

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty

By Matthew Margolis

The Truth About Aggressive Dogs

Remember that classic scene from “A Few Good Men,” the one that featured Jack Nicholson, decked out in full military regalia, on the witness stand, puffing his chest and bellowing, “You can’t handle the truth!”? Well, there are times when I can relate. Take the following letter from a reader:

“I have two dogs: a lab-pit mix I raised from 8 weeks old, who has no problems with other dogs or people, and Augie, a German shepherd I picked up at 4 months of age who I believe was subjected to some abuse before I got him.

“Augie weighs 95 pounds and has an aggressive personality. I’ve studied and tried all of the aggressive dog tests on your website, and he does not seem to fit any of them. He is not objector food-possessive. The closest would be dominantaggressive. However, he does not challenge or fear me in any way I can measure using your tests.

“He can be aggressive with strangers, but will back off at the command ‘no’ from me or even from them. I can put him on his side in a park full of active strangers, and as long as no one gets too close, he will stay down until I give him the command to get up.

“I once dog-sat a friend’s small dog, and Augie was very aggressive in his reaction to the other dog the first day. After 24 hours, I was able to let the two dogs meet and interact. By the end of that day, they were fast friends playing like puppies. Augie isn’t mean; he’s just not socialized and may be fear-aggressive with other dogs.

“At home, there are no problems. Both of my dogs walk without pulling and heel on leash. We walk through the park for about 40 minutes nearly every day. When walking in the park, both dogs are fine except when another dog appears. If the strange dog is closer than 50 feet, Augie goes into aggressive bark mode. I’ve tried a couple of the ‘wrong’ methods to resolve this problem and failed due to his complete focus on the other dogs. Based on an Uncle Matty PBS segment, I’ve lately been using a mister bottle with plain water to distract him and get his focus off the other dog. Once I get his focus on me, he almost always listens -- but

Cody's Corner: Turn to Page 10

(CryptoQuip Solution on page 12)

SENIOR NEWS LINE

by Matilda Charles ©

Is a 55+ Community Right For You?

The first thought we have about those over 55 communities is sure, the others there will be like us, our every want and need will be taken care of. But is that always true?

There is, of course, quite a list of good things about living in a seniors community. In most cases there will be activities with lots of social opportunities. Depending on the community, there might be a pool, a golf course and tennis courts, a fitness center with classes, scheduled activities, excursions and trips.

For the most part, homes in these communities are smaller since many of us will be downsizing anyway and outdoor maintenance and yardwork will be done by others, and some even offer the option of house cleaning services. Sounds great, right?

There is another side, though, to the 55+ communities, and some of the negatives are fairly significant.

For example, variety in social opportunities may be very limited. After all, everyone there will be our age with few opportunities to interact with younger people.

If your family situation changes and you need to move your child and grandchildren in with you, it likely won’t be possible in a 55+ only community, and even visits will likely have a set time limit you must adhere to.

And there’s the issue of inheritance: If you want to leave your home to a child in your will, they couldn’t live there.

If you ever decide to sell, your target buyer pool will be limited to other 55+ seniors. Even renting, if that’s allowed in the community, will be limited to senior occupants.

Then there are the high fees to cover all the amenities, HOA and taxes -- expenses that can go up at any time. Even in the beginning, your monthly costs could be in the thousands of dollars.

Before buying into a 55+ community, get advice -- a lot of it. Ask questions, get feedback, visit a potential community more than once and talk to people who live there, if possible.

* * * Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@ gmail.com.

not if the other dog is also aggressive. He understands and obeys the basic commands as long as there isn’t something significant distracting him.

“I believe that with better training and the correct muzzle and halter I could eventually work with him in areas where lots of other dogs and people are active and get him successfully socialized. I’d like some advice on methods of training and the optimal tools for control when socializing him.”

The world is full of distractions, and this country alone is populated with millions of strangers. If Augie’s daily life is going to include walks in the park and exposure to other public places, professional training is a must. Right now, he’s a 95-pound ticking time bomb; not a bad dog, but an aggressive dog. And an inadequately trained aggressive dog is a dangerous dog, unfit for any public arena.

The fact that Augie will only listen when there are no external distractions means he requires additional training. A trained dog listens and obeys. Period. A dog that will only listen under certain ideal circumstances determined by him is not a trained dog.

Augie’s owner used the word “aggressive” to describe Augie seven times in as many paragraphs. But he wasn’t about to hear it from me. We spoke on the phone, and I hope he takes my advice to hire a professional trainer. His heart is in the right place, but sometimes too much heart is the problem. Right now, he’s in the emotionality business. And I, like Jack, am firmly rooted in the reality business.

Woof!

Dog trainer Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis is the co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and the host of the PBS series “WOOF! It’s a Dog’s Life!” Read all of Uncle Matty’s columns at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com.

YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

by Tom Margenau

Social Security Fraud Allegations Clarified

There is so much misinformation about the Social Security program and the conduct of the Social Security Administration that I simply cannot keep up with it. I feel bad because I’d like to write my normal columns in which I help my readers understand the intricacies of the program so that they can make the right choices when they file for Social Security benefits. But because of all the misinformation out there right now, I just feel compelled to respond. Besides, more than a few readers have asked me to help them sort through all the craziness.

Today I’m going to address two recent allegations of supposed fraud or malfeasance. One involves alleged direct deposit fraud. The other involves incorrect payments to Social Security beneficiaries. As you will see, in both instances, the allegations have been blown way out of proportion.

Let’s start with the direct deposit issue. I want you to read the following statements and tell me which one you think is true.

“Government officials report there is $100 million in Social Security direct deposit fraud each year.”

“Government officials report Social Security direct deposit fraud is at a low rate of only onesixteenth of 1%.”

Both statements are correct, because they both say the same thing. In other words, yes, there was $100 million in Social Security direct deposit fraud last year. But that represents only 0.00625% of Social Security’s $1.6 trillion annual payments to beneficiaries, almost all of which are made through direct deposit.

You would think that government officials would be patting themselves on the back for having such a tiny amount of fraud in the direct deposit processes, but not in today’s world of Department of Government Efficiency oversight. The acting commissioner of Social Security citing the “$100 million” fact is claiming there are big problems with the Social Security Administration’s current policies for requiring people to identify themselves when calling the agency’s 800 number or using its online services when doing any kind of business with the agency. Beginning at the end of March, he will be requiring most people who want to file a claim for benefits or conduct most other businesses with the agency (such as changing their direct deposit account) to go into their local Social Security office and provide proof of identification in person.

Even though $100 million is a lot of money but a tiny fraction of Social Security’s overall budget, it’s still $100 million. Steps should be taken to fix the problem, but these are too drastic. It would be as if your car had issues and needed a simple tune-up, but instead, you replaced the entire engine.

The second recent accusation of fraud involves an alleged $9 billion in incorrect payments to Social Security beneficiaries. Once again, I will have you read two statements.

“Officials report $9 billion in incorrect Social Security payments made last year.”

“Officials report less than 1% of Social Security payments are made incorrectly.”

Once again, both statements are correct. More than 99% of the time, Social Security benefits are sent to the right person and in the right amount. But because the Social Security budget is so huge (it makes up about one-fourth of all federal spending), even a less than 1% error rate represents a lot of money.

And of course, $9 billion is a lot of money. (I’m reminded of former Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen’s quote about the federal budget: “A billion here and a billion there and pretty soon we’re talking about real money.”)

But here is the deal about those $9 billion in incorrect payments each year. Most of it is not the result of bureaucratic incompetence. Rather, most of the incorrect payments happen because beneficiaries fail to report important information to the Social Security Administration which affects the amount of their monthly benefits.

And most of that is the result of one antiquated law -- the “retirement earnings penalty.” This is the law that puts a limit on the amount of money a Social Security beneficiary under full retirement age can earn. The rules are complex, but here they are in a nutshell. “For every two dollars you earn over an annual limit ($23,400 in 2025), one dollar must be withheld from your annual benefits.” Sounds simple, right? Believe me, it’s not. Here is a typical example of how that law plays out and why it leads to so many incorrect payments.

Bob files for Social Security at age 62 in early 2025. He is working part-time but says he will make less than $23,400. So the SSA starts paying him regularly. Then halfway through the year, Bob starts working overtime and now expects he will make about $30,000. After a few months, he finally tells the SSA about this. So now he has been paid incorrectly. He is charged with an overpayment and his future benefits are adjusted. But then Bob gets laid off and now his anticipated earnings are back to less than $23,400. So once again, Bob has been paid incorrectly and his benefits are adjusted a second time. Then at the beginning of 2026, Bob calls the SSA and says, “Oh, I forget to tell you that I got hired back around the holidays and I ended (Answers on page 16)

up making $31,000 in 2024.” So once again, Bob has been paid incorrectly and for a third time, his benefits are corrected.

And guess what? There are millions of “Bobs” out there being incorrectly paid every single year. If Congress would simply repeal the “retirement earnings penalty” law, a big chunk of the $9 billion in annual incorrect Social Security benefits would be eliminated.

* * *

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

1. The book of John 3 is found in the a) Old Testament b) New Testament c) Neither

2. How did God identify Himself when speaking from the burning bush? a) Your God b) Lord of Lords c) Redeeming Spirit d) I am who I am

3. Which of these was not one of the 10 plagues in Egypt? a) Locust b) Frogs c) Skin turned to stone d) Water to blood

4. 2 Kings 19 and which other book and chapter are almost alike word for word? a) Jeremiah 50 b) Job 16 c) Isaiah 37 d) Deuteronomy 7

5. Which judge of Israel had 30 sons? a) Samson b) Jair c) Ephriam d) Gideon

6. What king dug wells in the desert? a) Abner b) Saul c) Jair d) Uzziah

or more

Trivia go to www.TriviaGuy.com

Hip and Leg Pain Persist After Active VacationTrip

DEAR DR. ROACH: In 2022, I took a trip to France to visit friends and sightsee. My hip/leg pain started after I spent my days walking around and climbing stairs in Paris. (I walked 16 miles one day!) I rested during the evening and took ibuprofen before going to bed. I did not stop my activities because this was a special trip.

Later during my vacation, I hiked trails in the Alps. There are stairs everywhere in France with very little adjustments for those who have mobility issues. It was very debilitating. When I came home, my doctor ordered an X-ray, then diagnosed me with hip bursitis on both sides.

I was in physical therapy for many weeks. Every now and then, if I pursue activities like hiking or long walks, I can feel some pain. I don’t like limiting my activities because I am relatively healthy.

Now I am 60 years old and returning to France. What can I do to prevent this pain from happening again without restricting my activities? Or what can I do to alleviate the pain if it occurs? I don’t want to become sedentary. -- J.M.C.

ANSWER: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is still mostly called “trochanteric bursitis,” despite the fact that the hip bursa really isn’t inflamed. But this condition does sound like your diagnosis. It is caused by the overuse of

My wife told the counselor I never buy her flowers. I never even knew she sold flowers.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

the muscles and tendons in the hip, particularly those of the gluteus medius and minimus muscles.

Stair and hill-climbing are the activities that are most likely to cause a recurrence of your symptoms.

However, you may be able to prevent symptoms from recurring. The muscles you want to strengthen are your hip abductors (those that move your leg away from the midline of your body).

By strengthening these muscles, the abnormal forces on your gluteal muscles and tendons can be avoided. Your physical therapist can show you how to do this, either with a spring-resisted sliding platform or an elastic resistance band. This should prevent the recurrence of GTPS.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

VETERANS POST  

by Freddie Groves

Rust on the Surgical Instruments?

Good grief. Just how many deficiencies can one Department of Veterans Affairs facility have? A recent VA Office of Inspector General report itemized just how many when they inspected one particular hospital.

Starting at the door of this facility, there was the small problem of signs leading to the emergency room, which the facility no longer had. Other outdoor signs were so faded they were difficult to read. Interior navigational signs were inaccurate. Add to that, there was no place to sit once one got through the door, only in the vending machine area down the hall, described as “dirty and disorganized.”

Two employees were designated as toxic exposure navigators, staff meant to give the screenings to veterans. It was determined that over 450 screenings had not been done. Another disturbing deficiency at this particular facility concerned the delays in notifying patients of abnormal test results.

The VAOIG had dinged this facility a few years ago for that same problem and saw there had been no improvement. The plan: Develop a process to ensure prompt communication of test results. Target date for that: July 31, 2025.

And then we have the areas where biohazardous materials were stored, yet there was no sink nor hand sanitizer, no warning signs about the “potentially infectious material” -- along with cracks in the floor, holes in the walls, dust on the bed rails and handbooks that were years out of date.

The biggest problem unearthed by the VAOIG concerned the continued improper sterilizing processing of reusable medical equipment, something the VAOIG had reported on the previous year. The facility claimed that improvements had been made, yet during the inspection itself, even more problems with the sterilizing process came to light -- including surgical instruments with visible rust.

It’s gut-wrenching to read VAOIG reports like this and know that some veterans have no choice but to seek their health care at facilities with serious deficiencies like those at this VA facility.

I only hope the new VA secretary seriously reads these reports when they cross his desk.

* * *

opponent

Freddy Groves regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com. (c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

-- by Jim Miller

How Seniors Can Save on Auto Insurance

DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: Can you offer any tips to help seniors save on their auto insurance? I recently turned 70 and got hit with a 25 percent premium increase on my car insurance and am looking for ways to save. -- Older Driver

Dear Driver: As auto insurance rates across the country continue to rise for all drivers, seniors can face an even bigger price hike, once they reach their 70s and their driving skills begin to decline. Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce your premiums. To find out what discounts may be available to you, contact your auto insurer and inquire about these options.

Increase your deductible: Paying a higher deductible could save you big on premiums. For example, raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can bring your annual premiums down by 15 to 20 percent, on average.

Adjust your coverage older vehicle, you may want to consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage if your premium is more than 10 percent of the car’s value. Collision insurance covers damage to your car if you’re involved in a crash (or if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run) and comprehensive covers damage caused by acts of nature (such as storm damage), vandalism, theft or fire. But if you’re scaling back to liability coverage, make sure you have enough to pay for damages out of pocket if you’re in an accident or your car sus tains damage due to weather, theft or another non-collision event.

Take a defensive driving course: insurance companies offer defensive driving dis counts – between 5 and 15 percent – to drivers who take a refresher course to brush up on their safety skills. Organizations such as AARP ( driversafety.org), AAA (aaa.com/stop National Safety Council (nsc.org classes, for around $20 to $30 and they can be

taken online.

Report your milage: Most insurers offer discounts to customers who drive limited miles each year, which is usually beneficial to retirees who drive less because they don’t commute to work every day. These discounts usually kick in when your annual milage drops below 7,500 or 10,000 depending on your provider.

Bundle policies: If your auto insurance policy is issued by a different company from the one insuring your home, call each insurer and ask if bundling the policies would be cheaper.

Sign up for driver monitoring: Some insurers offer discounts based on how and when you use your car. They will monitor things like your acceleration, braking habits, driving speeds and phone use, via smartphone app or a device that plugs into your car’s diagnostic port. Drivers can be rewarded anywhere from 10 to 30 percent for safe driving.

In addition, many insurance providers also offer discounts to drivers who do not have any violations or accidents for three or more years.

Ask about membership discounts: Many insurers offer discounts through professional

good credit scores, typically 700 or above.

Comparison shop: To find out if your current premium is competitive with other insurers, shop around through insurance marketplace websites like TheZebra.com, Insurify.com, Lemonade.com or Policygenius.com. Or use an independent agent (see trustedchoice.com/ agent) to help you compare.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Baseball

batting average of .344, it’s no surprise that Ted Williams is considered one of the best hitters in the history of baseball. Williams played his entire career, 1939 to 1960, with the Boston Red Sox. In 1941, he achieved a batting average of .406, and is the last player to have a batting average over .400 in a single season, a feat that remains unsurpassed to this day.

• Ted Williams’ baseball career was voluntarily interrupted twice, the first time to serve as a Marine Corps pilot during World War II, and then again as a combat aviator in the Korean War when he returned from a mission and successfully landed a crippled and burning airplane riddled with bullet holes. In 1958, at age 40, this 19time All-Star was the AL batting champion for the sixth time.

• Following his retirement from baseball, Williams became a renowned fisherman, authoring three books on the subject and hosting numerous TV shows. Upon his death in 2002, Williams donated his body to science.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.

• When Ken Griffey, Jr. was 3 years old, the Griffey family had moved to Cincinnati where Ken Griffey Sr. was playing for the Reds. In 1989, Ken Griffey Sr. joined the Seattle Mariners, creating the first father/son duo to play side-byside in MLB. One week after his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey, Jr. hit the first of his 630 home runs. He had been the first overall pick in the 1987 MLB draft.

• The pair were teammates for 51 games between 1990 and 1991, and hit back-to-back home runs in a 1990 game against the California Angels. Junior became a Cincinnati Red in 2000 and remained there until 2008.

• He finished his career back with the Mariners, after a 22-year career of honors, including 13 times as an All-Star selection, 10 Gold Glove Awards, 1992 MVP of the All-Star Game, and 1997 AL MVP. When he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, he achieved 99.3% of the vote on his first ballot.

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

• Fifteen-time All-Star Roberto Clemente had recorded 3,000 hits, two World Series championships, and four NL batting championships by the end of the 1972 season, during 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• On Dec. 31 of that year, the 38-year-old set out on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua, which had been devastated by a powerful earthquake. The nation's cruel dictator Somoza had refused to offer government aid to the thousands of victims, and many were perishing as a result. Clemente was determined to offer his own help by flying in badly needed supplies. His chartered plane, heavily loaded with food and medical supplies for the victims, crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff, tragically taking the lives of all five souls onboard. 

by Jason Jenkins

It’s often mentioned that a routine is the connection between the physical and the mental part of golf. Random actions approaching the shots usually lead to random results. By establishing a good routine, you’re allowing all the hard work on the range to show up on the golf course.

Many great players have employed the Right Foot Step In routine, where the right foot leads the initial step into the address position.

It is easier to get up at 6:00 am to play golf than at 10:00 am to mow the lawn.

If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, he probably shot an eight or nine.

If there's a storm rolling in, you'll be playing the best game of your life.

The clubhead is aligned to an intermediate target along with the step in before any other measures are taken. This allows the player a chance to realign before going any further. It’s helpful to face the ball with your chest and belt buckle in this phase to prepare your body for proper alignments. After taking a step left and right to create stance width, there shouldn’t be too much more to be concerned with other than the shot you’re intending to hit.

By creating a routine, you’ll eventually be less concerned about how you’re doing things and more aware of the target you’re trying to

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