Remembering Pearl Harbor Pershing DeVore heard about Pearl Harbor just hours before Japanese bombers attacked Clark Air Force Base. Page 7. Giving Club A new club in the Grand Valley imple- ments a simple way of giving to a deserving local nonprofit. Page 26. BEACON wins national awards for excellence in writing, photogra- phy, design, web content and more. Page 24. Financial Planning Medicare Retirement Living Medical Equipment Medical Services Home Care Senior Living Nursing Home Hospice Bereavement Assisted Living 2015 RESOURCE DIRECTORY ™ in agInG INSIDE: Transi- tions in Aging Our annual Resource Directory has a new face and name. Find yours inside. DECEMBER 2014 Vol. 28 No. 12 Photo by Cloie Sandlin Western Colorado’s Monthly Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 34,020 Readers. If yes, you may suffer from venous reflux disease. Venous reflux disease is a progressive condition caused by incompetent vein valves in the leg. Outpatient procedure done in office! >> See what the VENEFIT procedure can do for you “One highlight of my year was varicose vein surgery. Being able to be more active again has not only improved my disposition and attitude, it has improved my health as well.” -Judy A. Surgical Associates of Western Colorado • 2373 G Road #280, Grand Junction • 970-243-9340 Do you have varicose veins? >> FREE initial consult. Call for appointment Brad Baldwin, D.O. 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE that make a difference “Maybe Christmas…doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… means a little bit more!”
Transcript
Remembering Pearl HarborPershing DeVore heard about Pearl Harbor just hours before Japanese bombers attacked Clark Air Force Base. Page 7.
Giving ClubA new club in the Grand Valley imple-ments a simple way of giving to a deserving local nonprofit. Page 26.
BEACON wins national awards for excellence in writing, photogra-phy, design, web content and more.Page 24.
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2015
RE SOURCE DIREC TORY
™in agInGINSIDE: Transi-tions in AgingOur annual Resource Directory has a new face and name. Find yours inside.
DECEMBER 2014 Vol. 28 No. 12
Photo by Cloie Sandlin
Western Colorado’s Monthly Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 34,020 Readers.
If yes, you may suffer from venous reflux disease. Venous reflux disease is a progressive condition caused by incompetent vein valves in the leg. Outpatient procedure done in office! >> See what the VENEFIT procedure can do for you
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>> FREE initial consult. Call for appointmentBrad Baldwin, D.O.30 years of experience
that make a difference“Maybe Christmas…doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com EDITORIAL 3
Seniors want your presence, not your presentsBy Kevin K. VanGundy
During this season of generosity, the best gift that you can give a
senior is your presence. I mentioned that a couple of years ago in this column and then one morning when I was checking the BEACON’s voicemail, a gruff gentleman’s voice exclaimed, “Bullsh*t! I want a new television for Christmas.”
Okay, so a few would rather have presents.
A lesson that I have learned during my time with the BEACON is that people love to be heard. Often, older people long to connect with someone.
For many of us who are still raising families and working, life has be-come super busy. We rush here and there, with little time for our selves, let alone others. In addition, take into account the business of the holiday
season itself and it becomes much easier to give a loved
one a present instead of your presence.
Or perhaps, after you deliver a new television to your favorite senior, you can sit down and
actually watch it with them.
Merry Christmas,
Kevin K. VanGundy ■
Free December Estate Planning Workshop
Wills, Trusts & Powers of Attorney - Beyond the Basics -
Wednesday, December 10, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Held at our office at 1250 E. Sherwood Drive in Grand Junction.
Learn the difference between will and trust estate plans and how powers of attorney can be used effectively to help en-sure your wishes are followed.
Registration is Required. Visit our website for more infor-mation. Call our office at (970) 243-8250 or register at:
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Happy Holidays from Brown & Brown, P.C Knowledgeable and Compassionate Estate Planning Assistance
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Treatment for both internal & external deformed veins requires internal (endo) laser, where the laser fiber is placed inside the abnormal veins to “weld” them closed, plus schlerotherapy (chemical treatment) done at the same time. Anything less will invite re-occurrences. All treatment is by local anesthesia and in our JCAHO Nationally Accredited, private in-office operating room. IV sedation can be added as an option.
Unlike treatment by others, Dr. Merkel offers a one stop, one treatment session to correct the entire system; not by repeated injections. And yes, some insurances do cover part of the treatment. We’ll check it out for you.
4 COVER STORY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Roice-Hurst Humane Society
Couseling & Education Center Kids Aid
Foundation for Cultural Exchange
By Melanie Wiseman & Cloie Sandlin
The Alterna-tive Christ-
mas Fair, hosted by Grand Valley Peace and Justice (GVPJ) in conjunction with Alterna-tive Gifts Inter-national (AGI), featured repre-sentatives from 51 nonprofits who sought to educate fair-goers about their goodwill projects, hop-ing to inspire them to purchase meaningful, life-changing alternative gifts in honor of the true spirit of
the season. “The Alternative Christmas
Fair gives you the chance to walk around, see the projects, talk to people
at the booths and see what projects would be meaningful to support for yourself or as a gift,” GVPJ Executive Director Julie Mamo said. “Why not give
a meaningful gift that makes a differ-ence instead of a tangible gift they may not need?”
In return for your gift or donation, you receive customized holiday cards to give to the person you bought for, letting them know about the projects to which you gave in their honor.
Another way that community mem-bers could support some of the local organizations at the fair was bidding
on the trees at the Christmas Tree Silent Auction.
“It’s a fund-raiser for the organizations,” Mamo said. “It’s a great part of the fair that allows organiza-tions to earn a little extra money and to incorporate who they are into a tree.”
Eight trees were auctioned off at the fair. Each tree was creatively deco-rated and had its
own special story and connection to the orga-nization that decorated it.
A star tree with a storyThe tree auctioned off with the
highest bid was a live tree in the shape of the star, which was deco-rated by the teens of Neural Activ-ity, a program that unites adventure activities with teen drug education and peer-to-peer mentoring.
Leigh Fitch founded Neural Activ-ity 1 1/2 years ago and in 2013, the
There’s still time to give!If you missed the Alternative Christmas Fair, don’t worry. You can continue shopping through Monday, December 15 by
• Shopping online using your credit card at www.gvpeacejustice.org.
• Filling out the shopping list and sending it along with your check made out to Grand Valley Peace & Justice, 740 Gunnison Ave., Grand Junction, CO 81501. Include your phone number and address.
• Stopping into Grand Valley Peace & Justice or call 243-0136.
Mark your calendars for next year’s fair, Sunday, November 22, 2015.
The story behind Neural Activity’s star tree
The Starfish StoryOriginal story by Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking
something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”
that make a difference
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com COVER STORY 5program started with eight drug-free mentors.
“That quickly turned into 18 teens, all drug-free,” Fitch said.
Fitch said the peer-to-peer struc-ture of the program is key when teaching younger kids about aware-ness and prevention.
“It’s more impactful coming from a teen than any adult,” she said.
Teens mentor trust, teamwork and giving alternatives. Monthly activi-ties and seasonal workshops focus on building self-confidence and leadership training. At the fair, teens hoped to garner sponsorships to send mentors to Neural Activity’s seasonal workshop and to sponsor activity/drug prevention trainings.
“It’s the first time the kids are do-ing their own fundraising,” she said. “They feel that kids who want to be drug free shouldn’t have to pay for it.”
The program’s tree was inspired by “The Starfish Story,” a tale about how one simple act by one person can make a difference.
“The tree is a live plant which the buyer can plant in the yard, forever to remind them of the difference they’ve made to teens in the Grand Valley,” Fitch said.
A tree that speaks wordsThe staff at the Counseling and
Education Center’s (CEC) booth aimed to promote the organization’s affordable counseling services.
At first glance, the CEC’s tree looked traditional yet classy, adorned with glittery golden ribbon, and red and gold ball ornaments. But upon
closer inspection, you’d see that there were words written on the ornaments.
Development Coordinator Mary Ca-wood said clients were asked to take an ornament and to write one word on it that describes how counseling has helped them.
“Our tree represents the words of our clients,” Cawood said.
Words such as “Hope, confidence, forgiveness, learning, happy, insight and self-worth” were inscribed on the ornaments.
“It’s an empowering message and a reflection of what we do and why we are here,” Cawood said. “We had a lot of fun decorating it and hope the community enjoys it.”
A tree of educationThe Foundation for Cultural Ex-
change (FCE) is no stranger to the Alternative Christmas Fair, having attended for the last 10 years. But this was only the second year the founda-tion auctioned off a tree.
The FCE facilitates a sister-city relationship between the people of Grand Junction and El Espino, El Salvador. The FCE aims to promote cultural understanding and solidar-ity between the two cities through a number of projects.
“Our main goal is to seek spon-sors for scholarships awarded to deserving students in El Espino,” FCE President Anna Stout said, adding that education is rarely obtainable for these students after eighth grade. The FCE believes that education is crucial towards lasting economic and
social development in El Espino. The FCE’s tree of education re-
flected that goal. It was decorated with hand-painted ornaments from Salvadoran artists. Blue and white ribbon, the colors of the Salvadoran flag, snaked through the branches, which were embellished with doves made from recycled dictionary pages (a symbol of peace achieved through education), solidarity bracelets—one for each of the 10 years the FCE has been at work in El Salvador—and photos of the FCE’s 24 scholarship students “to serve as reminders of hope for the future,” Stout said.
A Thanksgiving treeSome people think it’s silly to put
up the Christmas tree before Thanks-giving. But what about a tree for Thanksgiving?
“It’s a tree of thankfulness,” Center for Independence Executive Assis-tant Tami Walter said, emphasizing the importance of being grateful and adding that CFI is grateful to serve the community.
CFI offers a variety of programs and services at no charge to assist people with disabilities to live more independently.
“We have participated in the Alter-native Christmas Fair for 10 years,” Executive Director Linda Taylor said. “We are grateful for every donation. We auction a tree, have a booth and this year we were fortunate to be the food vendor.”
The Thanksgiving tree, decked in shades of orange, gold and brown, was complete with pumpkins hang-
Cover PhotoCharlie Blackmer, left, and Anna Stout, right, adjust some deco-
rations on the Foundation for Cultural Exchange’s Tree of Edu-cation, which was auctioned off at Grand Valley Peace & Justice’s recent Alternative Christmas Fair.
Publisher ....................... Kevin K. VanGundyFounding Publisher .................. Susan CappsEditor ....................................... Cloie SandlinGraphic Design ............................. Heidi GrafProduction ............................... Karen JonesAccount Representative ..............Sue BowenAccount Representative ...........Sidney JayneProofreader ................................ Jan WeeksCustomer Service ..................Kelli WakefieldCheerleader .............................Genevra ShalDelivery ............................ Solomon Herrera
The BEACON is published at the beginning of the month. Our goal is to inform and inspire the 50+ community in Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Garfield counties.
Publication of advertising does not necessarily constitute endorse-ment. Columns are opinions of the writers, not necessarily the opin-ion of the publisher. Display advertising rates are available upon request. Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication.
Homeward Bound Center for Independence Grand Valley Peace & JusticeNeural Activity
6 COVER STORY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
ing from the branches and nestled under the tree.
A tree for pet lovers“People have too much stuff,”
Roice-Hurst Humane Society board member Elaine Johnson-Craig said. “That’s not true for both the two-legged and four-legged recipients of the donations the fair helps generate.”
Roice-Hurst had a booth at the fair to raise funds to help with food and shelter for a homeless animal and for spaying and neutering. The little white decorated tabletop tree that was auctioned off at the fair was perfect for anyone with little space or little energy to decorate, or who had an empty tabletop begging for a dose of holiday style. Nestled under the tree were small bags picturing differ-ent breeds of dogs.
A Charlie Brown tree“Our tree is a Charlie Brown tree
because Kids Aid serves children that don’t have a lot,” Kids Aid Executive Director Mary Beth Luedtke said.
Leudtke referred to the sad-looking tree in the Christmas classic, “A Char-lie Brown Christmas.” In the movie, the tree was nothing more than a branch with a single red Christmas ornament and Kids Aid’s tree was of the same likeness but came with little kid-size mittens and other trinkets under the tree. It also came with the movie soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
Kids Aid provides sacks of food to local children to take home over the weekend and serves over 2,049 sacks a week to kids from all 47 schools in the district.
“It’s about those kids who are disenfranchised and don’t have the support they need or are trying to do it on their own, much like Charlie Brown did,” Luedtke said. “It’s en-lightening that kids are fending for themselves and any little bit helps.”
A pathway home for the snowman tree
Homeward Bound’s snowman tree found its home when it was auc-tioned off at the fair.
Acquisition Coordinator Megan Kemmis posted a request on the
community homeless shelter’s Face-book page for a tree to be donated and an anonymous donator had one waiting for her the next day.
“We didn’t want the tree to be Christmas specific,” Kemmis said. “The idea was finding the snowman a home just like we are always encour-aging a pathway home for our clients at Homeward Bound.”
Kemmis also solicited design ideas and local interior designer Kay Albright donated her services and decorated the tree.
“We live in such a generous com-munity and we want to thank them,” Kemmis said.
A peace treeGrand Valley Peace and Justice’s
tree, decorated with doves, green peace signs and silver bows, em-bodied the organization’s message of advocating for social justice and working for the common good.
“It’s a peace tree,” Mamo said. “And you can’t have peace without justice. That speaks to who we are in trying to promote love and harmony in our community. [The decorations] are just symbols but those symbols mean a lot to us. So we’ve made them part of our tree.”
The tree was one of the two live trees at the fair.
“You can actually take it out of the bin that it’s in and plant it in the ground and it will grow,” Mamo said. “It’s a miniature spruce so it’ll be with you for as long as you want it to be.”
Most of the trees are auctioned off to individual supporters of the orga-nizations, but for future fairs, Mamo hopes to encourage more businesses to bid on the trees so that they will become part of the community.
“That way people can walk into a business and see these beautiful trees and it shows the business’ support for these organizations,” Mamo said.
Even though all the trees auctioned off have found homes, it’s not too late to support these organizations and to find a great gift for that person who has everything. See the story sidebar to see how you can continue shop-ping through December 15. ■
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com FEATURE STORY 7By Terri Benson
Quentin Pershing DeVore, 95, is a survivor—a survivor of World
War II, of the Bataan Death March, and of years in Japanese POW camps.
DeVore’s family had a farm in Wray, Colorado. In 1938, at age 21, he joined the Army Air Corps, training at Ft. Logan, Lowry Field, San Anto-nio, St. Louis and Langley. Trained in armament, he was assigned to the 7th Material, 19th Bomb Group and shipped out to Clark Air Force Base on Luzon in the Philippine Islands, where a U.S. military presence was expected to deter a Japanese attack.
En route to Luzon, DeVore be-friended another soldier, Ben Steele.
DeVore was in the control tower at Clark on December 7, 1941 when reports of Pearl Harbor came in. The only planes that made it off the ground at Clark were the few pilots who bucked General Douglas MacAr-thur’s threat of court martial if they took to the air. DeVore said the B-17s might have intercepted the Japanese invasion force at sea if they’d been allowed to take off.
The Japanese bombers arrived at Clark four hours later.
“I took off down the stairs, but didn’t quite make it,” DeVore said. “A bomb hit and blew me about 16 feet.”
He woke up next to a lieutenant who’d lost his leg. DeVore helped him to the hospital and stayed to un-load more wounded. He met Steele, who had found DeVore’s watch and was relieved to know his friend hadn’t been blown to bits.
Clark Field was evacuated Christ-mas Eve 1941 but DeVore and six others manned gun emplacements to cover the evacuation. They were promised Bronze Stars, but DeVore said, “It took 40 years before I got it.”
The defenders didn’t have much more than three 50-caliber turret guns from the B-17s mounted on welding carts for anti-aircraft guns.
In April 1942, the line was overrun. DeVore and Steele were separated. Then began the death walk of nearly 100 miles in 100-degree tempera-tures with no food or water. Shells from the U.S. guns at Corregidor fell around them, killing some POWs.
Unbearably thirsty, DeVore drank water from a ditch, resulting in dys-entery. He found some beans spilled on the road and gathered a handful to eat. When a medic shed his kit, DeVore pocketed the quinine. The survivors of the walk were packed like sardines into rail cars bound for Camp O’Donnell. In DeVore’s car, everyone stayed calm, rotating frequently to give each of them a few minutes of fresh air by the door.
At O’Donnell, DeVore met up with Steele again. Both suffered from malaria, sharing DeVore’s stash of medicine. The only way to get more food was work.
“One day Ben and I volunteered,” DeVore said. “But I had a bad feeling and backed off. Ben ended up having to build a road through the jungle us-ing shovels and wheelbarrows.”
Once Corregidor fell, the POWs were shipped to Camp Cabanatuan, where all men worked burial de-tails, no matter how sick. DeVore was down to 100 pounds and could barely stand, but he still served his 30 days. Starvation contributed to beriberi, scurvy, malaria, dysentery,
blindness and more. Around 2,300 Americans died. DeVore developed pneumonia, pleurisy, dengue fever and tuberculosis.
DeVore was interrogated about what kind of training he had.
“I didn’t want to reveal my arma-ment training, so I told the truth,” he said. “I was a farmer.”
He was shipped to the island of Mindanao, where he worked a farm, driving an International-H Farmall tractor. Access to vegetables, fruit and rice allowed him to put on 30 pounds. If he plowed up a sweet potato or cassava root, he’d pretend to do repairs and put the food on the engine to cook while he drove. The tractors ran on pure sugar cane alco-hol instead of gasoline.
The camp was run by an English-speaking, American-educated Japa-nese named Uke. He was quick to punish transgressions. If one member of a 10-man burial squad tried to es-cape, the entire squad was executed.
“I watched two squads killed,” he said. “Once, a whole 10-man burial detail managed to escape. The rest of us got 30 days of rice, salt and water,
and confinement to the barracks.” The POWs were allowed musi-
cal instruments and entertainment once a week. Their favorite lyrics were “We’re the battling bastards of Bataan; No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam; No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces; No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces. And nobody gives a damn.”
When American troops started making headway against the Japa-nese, DeVore’s group was moved to Bilibid Prison in Manila. He met up with Steele, but his friend was sent to Japan to work in a coal mine. All of-ficers from DeVore’s squadron were put on another ship to Japan, but the Americans sank the ship.
Because DeVore had TB, he was sent to Cabanatuan again. He started seeing dog fights between American and Japanese planes. In January 1945, many guards from the camp were sent to the front lines and the POWs were given run of the camp, includ-ing the Japanese side where they found storerooms of food. DeVore put on nearly 20 pounds in a month.
The night of February 1, Army rangers and Filipino Ghost Soldiers broke into the barracks, located 25 miles behind enemy lines, giving the shocked POWs 10 minutes to get to the front gates, where 510 POWs were rescued. Out of a squad of 360 men, 26 made the trip home. DeVore and Steele were two of them.
“I remember thinking I had man-aged to stay alive, but would prob-ably fall off the gangplank and break my neck,” DeVore quipped.
The POWs were treated to a ticker tape parade in San Francisco, din-ner at the Cow Palace, and a raise in rank, making DeVore a buck sergeant. He headed to Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, near his family. He met and married his late wife of 64 years, Dorothy, and raised three boys.
Steele lives in Billings, Montana.“I threw my memories [of the war]
over my shoulder and moved for-ward,” DeVore said, “so I didn’t have some of the problems other soldiers had.” ■
Above: Quentin Pershing DeVore at 95. Photo by Ashley Bernal.Right: DeVore before shipping out to the Philippines in 1941.
DECEMBER 7, 1941
A SURVIVOR’S STORY
8 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Servings: 8 2 Maple Leaf Farms Whole Ducks (5 lbs each), thawed if frozen 2 c chicken broth 1 c water 1 onion, unpeeled and quartered 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-in chunks 2 small sprigs fresh sage 1 large bay leaf 1 t dried thyme leaves 1/2 t black peppercorns 3/4 c dry vermouth or dry white wine 1/4 c all-purpose flour Salt and pepper, to taste
Remove giblets and orange sauce packets from ducks and reserve for another use. Rinse ducks; pat dry with paper towels. Place breast sides up on rack in large shal-low roasting pan. Roast according to package directions.
Place remaining duck giblets and necks in large saucepan. Add broth, water, onion, carrots, sage sprigs, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer gently, uncovered, 1 hour. Strain broth; set aside giblets and discard remaining solids. If broth measures less than 2 c add water to equal 2 c.
Remove roast ducks from oven and transfer to rack of broiler pan. Preheat broiler. Pour off and reserve drippings from roasting pan. Add vermouth to pan and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture is reduced by about half, 2–3 minutes.
Spoon off 1/4 c fat from reserved drippings; transfer to medium saucepan. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, 1 minute. Add 2 c strained duck broth and wine mixture to saucepan. Add drippings to saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until gravy thickens. Chop reserved giblets and add to gravy. Simmer 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Broil ducks 5–6 in. from heat source until skin is well browned and crispy, 6–8 minutes. Cut each duck into quarters and transfer to serving plates. Pass gravy separately. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com ASK THE OLD BAG 9
Send your questions to the Old Bag in care of the BEACON, or email [email protected].
By Gayle Lagman-CreswickDear Old Bag: In the past you
received a letter from someone who had a friend who talked incessantly. My problem is similar, only the per-son who talks constantly is my wife. We have been married just over 50 years. I was able to tune her out for all those years. Now I find that it is getting on my nerves so bad that I have to escape to my room. Maybe I am selfish, but once in a while I would like to talk. She is a good person and is good to me. Some-times I think I will go crazy and bop her one. What is wrong with me? Signed, Wearing ThinDear Wearing Thin: First of all, I don’t believe anything is wrong with you. I do believe something is wrong with your wife. It sounds as if she is a
Ask the Old BagAdvice Column for the Over 50 Crowd
compulsive talker, which is a condi-tion that may require counseling. The thing I wonder is did you ever tell her that she talks too much? I am reminded of a young nurse I em-ployed years ago. Several of the other nurses came to me and complained that they could not get their work done because Margie (fake name) talked too much. They were afraid they would make a medication error because of this. I had to speak to Margie about the excessive talking. Her response was, “In all of my 34 years, no one has ever told me that I talked too much.” I said, “I’m sorry, but I feel that I must tell you because I care about you and your future.” I am happy to report that the exces-sive talking ended right there. It may not be that easy with your wife, but maybe no one has ever told her. It is touchy to speak to someone about their intimate personal habits, but it is best addressed by someone who
cares about them. Good luck.
Dear Old Bag: It’s that time of year when gift giving becomes a problem for some of us who are on a fixed income. Any suggestions? Thank you, Low on $Dear Low on $: I have received many good suggestions from my readers on this subject and will pass them on to you. Give a gift of food that keeps on giving throughout the year. One reader baked a pie for her dad once a month for the whole year. He loved it. Begin giving away your prized possessions to your family. Write a little note with the article telling what it meant to you and how you came to own it. Write a story about your childhood that will get lost if you do not write it down. You could probably do a story each month for the year! These are a few ideas that might spark other ideas for you.
Dear Old Bag: I’m afraid I’ve made a mistake. I talked my mother into moving into an independent re-tirement community. She has lived
there for two weeks and every time I see her she is crying and wants to move back to her home. She has paid a sizable amount of money to live there and it is a wonderful place. It is not so much that she hates it there; it’s that she misses her home, her neighbors and driv-ing. She had to give up driving be-cause of her vision problems—the reason we wanted her there. They have transportation. HELP! Dear HELP: She has not lived there long enough to get adjusted. Loss is hard to overcome, even in the healthiest person. She has lost her home, her car, her driving. Be patient with her, and please go to the ad-ministration and tell them how your mother is doing. There are many forms of support they can give her. I bet in three months she will like her new life. Please let me know! ■
10 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com HEALTH & WELLNESS 11
If you are healthy, shingles usually goes away without complications. It is unlikely you’ll ever get it again.
The NIH website states that as seniors “our natural immunity gradu-ally loses its ability to protect against infection. The shingles virus can take advantage of this and become active again…Conditions that weaken the immune system can also put people at risk for shingles…. Shingles is especially dangerous for anyone who has had cancer, radiation treatments for cancer, HIV/AIDS, or a transplant operation.”
The shingles blisters are so sensi-tive to pain that even the touch of clothing is extremely painful.
Taking a cool bath or using cool, wet compresses on your blisters may help relieve the itching and pain.
According to WebMD: Avoid picking at and scratching
blisters. If left alone, blisters will crust over and fall off naturally. Use cool, moist compresses if they help ease discomfort. Lotions, such as calamine, may be applied after wet compresses.
Apply cornstarch or baking soda to help dry the blisters.
Use nonprescription pain medi-cines, such as acetaminophen, aspi-rin or ibuprofen, to help reduce pain during an attack of shingles or pain caused by post herpetic neuralgia.
If you are already taking a prescrip-tion pain medicine, talk with your doctor before using any over-the- counter pain medicine. Some pre-scription pain medicines have acet-aminophen (Tylenol), and getting too much acetaminophen can be harmful.
If home treatment doesn’t ease the pain, see your doctor. Getting your pain under control right away may prevent nerve damage that may cause pain that lasts for months or years.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that anyone over age 60 get the shingles shot even if they have had shingles because the virus can come back. ■
By Tait Trussell
Half of all Americans will have had excruciatingly painful
shingles by age 80, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The pain of shingles can be debili-tating. If it is severe and persists for months or even years, it is called post herpetic neuralgia. Unfortunately, persistent pain is a common symp-tom in people over 60.
As you probably know, shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus that causes shingles is a herpes virus. Once you have this virus it stays with you as long as you live. If you had chick-enpox as a child, the virus is still in your body, waiting to spring.
A shot called Zostavax blocks the virus. When the shingles virus comes to life, the affected nerves and the skin they lead to become inflamed. A burning, stabbing pain ensues.
According to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Senior Health, the name comes from the Latin word “cingulum,” which means belt or girdle (because it appears on one side of your body). The scientific name for the virus that causes shingles is varicella zoster.
Shingles isn’t contagious, but the fluid from shingles blisters can give you chickenpox if you come in con-tact with the fluid.
Bacterial infection of the open sores can lead to scarring. In a very small number of cases, bacteria can cause more serious conditions, including toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infec-tion that destroys the soft tissue under the skin.
The burning waves of pain, loss of sleep and interference with basic life activities can cause depression.
According to NIH, “In patients with immune deficiency, the rash can be much more extensive than usual and the illness can be complicated by pneumonia. These cases are more serious, but they are rarely fatal.”
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12 HEALTH & WELLNESS www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s reduced by vitamin DBy Tait Trussell
Vitamin D deficiency can sub-stantially increase the risk of
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people. The risk is twice as great as scientists had expected. This important finding by an international team of doctors was led by Dr. David Llewellyn at the University of Exeter Medical School in southwest Eng-land. It discovered that study partici-pants who were severely deficient in vitamin D were more than twice as likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The team determined that elderly Americans who took part in the cardiovascular study who were mod-erately deficient in vitamin D had a 53 percent increased risk of develop-ing dementia of any kind. Strikingly, the risk increased to 125 percent in those who were severely deficient in vitamin D.
Similar results were found for Alzheimer’s disease, with the mod-erately deficient group 69 percent more likely to develop this type of dementia, jumping to a 122 percent increased risk for those severely defi-cient in vitamin D.
The study was partially funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the results were published in “Neurolo-
gy,” the medical journal of the Ameri-can Academy of Neurology.
The scientists examined 1,658 adults aged 65 and over, who were able to walk unaided and who were free of dementia, cardiovascular disease and stroke at the start of the study. The participants were then followed for six years to investigate who went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
“Clinical trials are now needed to establish whether eating foods such as oily fish or taking vitamin D supplements can delay or even prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” Dr. Llewellyn said. “We need to be cautious at this early stage, and our latest results do not demonstrate that low vitamin D levels cause dementia. That said, our findings are very encouraging, and even if a small number of peo-ple could benefit, this would have enormous public health implications given the devastating and costly na-ture of dementia.”
Previous research established that people with low vitamin D levels are more likely to go on to experience cognitive problems, but this study confirms that this translates into a substantial increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Vitamin D comes from three main
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sources—exposure of our skin to sunlight, foods such as oily fish and bananas, and vitamin supplements. Older people’s skin can be less ef-ficient at converting sunlight into vitamin D, making us elders more likely to be deficient and reliant on other sources.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is naturally present in few foods, but available as a dietary supplement. It is produced from within when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D ob-tained from sun exposure, food and supplements is biologically inert and must undergo two oxidative process-es in the body for activation.
The multi-organization study also found evidence that there is a thresh-old level of vitamin D circulating in the bloodstream below which the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease increases. The team had previously hypothesized that this measurement might lie in the region of 25-50 nmol/L. Their
new findings confirm that vitamin D levels above 50 nmol/L are most strongly associated with good brain health.
Alzheimer’s Society Director of Research and Development Dr. Doug Brown said, “Shedding light on risk factors for dementia is one of the most important tasks facing today’s health researchers.”
While earlier studies have suggest-ed that a lack of the sunshine vita-min is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, this study found that people with very low vitamin D levels were more than twice as likely to develop any kind of dementia.
During the heat of summers, hit-ting the beach for just 15 minutes of sunshine is enough to boost your vitamin D levels. However, scientists aren’t ready to say that sunlight or vitamin D supplements will reduce your risk of dementia. Large-scale clinical trials are needed to deter-mine whether increasing vitamin D levels in those with deficiencies can help prevent dementia from developing. ■
14 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Anne Ashley
I can recall the delivery of our very first family television. It was an
impressive piece of furniture with foldaway doors on the front and a turntable/stereo system on top of the cabinet (albeit under a lift-up panel) and oh, yes, the television in the middle.
I can also recall that the impos-ing thing, with all its features and magnificence, seemed to dwarf the purpose of the screen as it took up practically one full wall from one end to the other, but the actual screen represented no more than a quarter of its entire span.
Nevertheless, we were thrilled with the state-of-the-art addition to the family. I can also remember the excitement as we waited for the tube to warm up and the picture to come into view for the very first time. We were instantly trained on how to change channels, each given an op-portunity to prove that we had been paying attention by having to dem-onstrate turning the knob slowly as it clunked from one selection to the next. Following that, we were ad-vised that the volume was to remain on number 4 or lower (there were 10 volume options), or we would lose watching privileges.
I can tell you, regardless that none of us even knew what programs were available to us at that time, or
if volume number 4 was even sufficient, we all solemnly pledged to abide by the volume rule. We knew nothing of remote controls in those days. To be fair, the room hardly accommodated this latest addition, as
it was already competing for space with an oversized couch, a coffee table, two chairs and a bookcase. No room or need for a remote. I always got the impression that my parents felt they lived in a much larger house when they shopped for fittings and furnishings.
Anyway, further excitement fol-lowed when we realized how many channels we had to choose from—five! I mean, five stations! Our little minds were blown away with such overindulgence.
We eventually settled into a rou-tine where Mom chose evening shows and afternoon viewing was determined by what was left after homework and before dinner was served. Incidentally, I used to race home from school, throw homework together so I could watch a particular program and I can’t even remember what that program is now.
For years, we maintained our awe, our reverence, a near worship for our weekly programs that came into our home from somewhere in Television-land. How could we not? We were enlightened and taught how to solve family problems (in less than half an hour, mind you) by mentors of the day such as Donna Reed, Robert Young or the Beaver. We enjoyed special occasions with what was to become traditional television view-ing. At the time, it wasn’t tradition, it was just Christmas with Rudolph,
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Charlie Brown and The Andy Wil-liams specials. There were nonsen-sical programs, too. I mean, who didn’t love the antics of “The Beverly Hillbillies” trying to adjust to palatial grandeur from their previous pover-ty? In addition, the original “Friends” of yesteryear on “Gilligan’s Island?” Hilarious stuff!
On a somber note, we watched the assassination of President Ken-nedy and the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald just days later. Sadly, we also witnessed the assassination of Bobby Kennedy and all that followed. Regardless of your political persua-sions, these tragedies dumbfounded the world.
In due course, I watched as the Vietnam War played out nightly on our now much smaller-encased, yet larger screened television. I also watched the Watergate scandal take its toll on President Nixon and cli-max with his resignation. I doubted anything could ever be as adrenaline-charged as those days of entertain-ment, news bulletins and history-making events.
Was I wrong?Today we have over 1,000 chan-
nels to choose from, no restriction on viewing times, the ability to record, replay and edit to our own specifica-tions and pay-per-view. We have flat screens, wide screens, mini-mobile TVs that allow you to view your fa-vorite shows in even the most awk-ward of locations.
And what do we watch with all this modern technology and endless avail-ability? Rage and conflict. Whether it’s teens from 90210, tots and their ti-ara tantrums, chefs and their inability to cook and be nice at the same time, women from Jersey, pawn shop own-ers or prickly party planners, every single show on television today is focused on rage and conflict. More-over, no resolution, just rage to be continued next week where someone is even nastier than this week. Oh yes, and new conflict!
I dare say, had television viewing been this pointless and irritating in my youth, I’d have been a better student. ■
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16 LAUGHING MATTERS www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Laughing MattersWhy a Christmas tree is better than a woman Submitted by Nancy Castella
A Christmas tree doesn’t get jealous around other Christmas trees.
A Christmas tree doesn’t care if you watch football all day.
A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you tie it up and throw it in the back of your pickup truck.
It doesn’t ask you to have little Christmas trees.
Why a Christmas tree is better than a man Submitted by Nancy Castella
You can throw a Christmas tree out when it wears out.
You don’t have to put up with a Christmas tree all year.
You only have to feed and water it once a week.
It’s always there to light up your life.
It always smells nice.
Forgive your enemies Submitted by William Hayashie
The subject of the preacher’s Sunday sermon was “forgive your enemies.” After a long sermon, he asked the congregation how many were willing to forgive their enemies. About half held up their hands. Not satisfied, he harangued for another 20 minutes and repeated his ques-tion. This time he received a re-sponse of about 80 percent.
Still unsatisfied, he lectured for another 15 minutes and repeated his question. With all thoughts now on Sunday dinner, all responded except one elderly lady in the rear.
“Mrs. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?”
“I don’t have any,” she said.“Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual.
How old are you?” “Ninety-three,” she said. “Mrs. Jones, please tell the congre-
gation how a person can live to be 93
and not have an enemy in the world.”“It’s easy,” she said. “I outlived
them all.”
Christmas stamps Submitted by A. Byers
A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas card envelopes. She says to the clerk, “May I have 70 Christmas stamps?”
The clerk says, “What denomina-tion?”
The woman says, “Lord help us. Has it come to this? Give me eight Catholic, 12 Episcopalian, eight Meth-odist, nine Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran and 22 Baptists.”
’Twas The Day After Christmas Submitted by Karen Jones
’Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house, every creature was hurting, even the mouse.
The toys were all broken, their bat-teries dead; Santa passed out, with some ice on his head.
Wrapping and ribbons just covered the floor, while upstairs the family
continued to snore. And I in my T-shirt, new Reeboks
and jeans, went into the kitchen and started to clean.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the curtains, and threw up the sash.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a little white truck, with an oversized mirror.
The driver was smiling, so lively and grand; the patch on his jacket said “U.S. Postman.”
With a handful of bills, he grinned like a fox, then quickly he stuffed them into our mailbox.
Bill after bill after bill, they still came. Whistling and shouting he called them by name:
“Now Enstrom’s, now Walmart, now Pennys and Sears, here’s Home Depot and Target and Pier 1—all here!
To the tip or your limit, every store, every mall, now chargeaway, charge-away, chargeaway all!”
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18 TRAVEL www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Sandra Scott
As Colorado weather gets colder, my writing wanders off to
warmer places. Hawaii is like no other state. It is
located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is of Polynesian heritage. There are only seven inhabited islands, each offering unforgettable experiences.
1. Pearl Harbor. The World War II
Hawaii. The North Shore of Oahu is known for its big waves, especially during the winter, but surfers will find thrills on all the islands. Wan-nabe surfers will find places to take lessons and practice on more gentle
waves. Surfing is also a spectator sport, especially at Oahu’s Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline.
6. Volcanoes. There are cur-rently three active volcanoes in Hawaii. For the biggest thrill, head to Hawaii Volcanoes Nation-al Park on the Big Island. Near Hilo
is Kilauea, one of the earth’s most active volcanoes, called “the world’s only drive-in volcano.” The Crater Rim Drive, a 10.6-mile loop, takes visitors to the main attractions.
7. Plantations visits. On Oahu visit the Plantation Village Museum and the Dole Pineapple Plantation. The Big Island is home to the Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation. Maui is the place to learn about producing sugar, tropical fruits and flowers. Kauai is home to a sugar plantation and rice mill. On Molokai visitors can learn about taro and take the Molokai Coffee Plantation Estate Tour.
8. Halawa Valley. The Halawa Val-ley is where the first civilization in Hawaii began around the year 500. Anakala Pilipo and his family, who have been living in the valley for
10 unforgettable things to do in Hawaii
Traditional Hawaiian greeting.
official surrender to the U.S. that ended World War II.
2. Polynesian Cultural Center. The Polynesian Cultural Center lets you experi-ence villages in Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Hawaii, New Zea-land and Samoa. At 5 p.m. head to the Hale Ku’ai for a fabulous luau. After dinner there is time to amble over to the eve-ning show “Ha: Breath of Life,” a circle of life story.
3. Snorkel-ing. Enjoy the colorful under-water parade of fish, especially the bright yellow tangs and the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (hu-muhumu for short, also known as reef triggerfish), the Hawaiian state fish. Dive above a turtle-cleaning sta-tion where the surgeon fish clean the algae off the turtles. The most excit-ing snorkel trip is the night dive with the manta rays.
4. Whale watching. Every winter the humpback whales return to bear their young and put on a great show of breaching, fin slapping and tail waving. While these behemoths of the sea can be 40 to 45 feet in length, weigh up to 40 tons and can eat a ton of food a day, they can leap nearly their body length out of the water.
5. Surfing. The surf is always up in
Valor in the Pacific National Monu-ment is the place to learn about the beginning and end of World War II. A 23-minute documentary in the Pacific Memorial Theater relates the attack that led to the U.S. declaring war. Visitors then proceed to the me-morial built over the sunken battle-ship Arizona. A shuttle bus takes visitors to the recently refurbished battleship Missouri, the site of Japan’s
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com TRAVEL 19
50 generations, are preserving the ancient culture of Hawaii. The lush valley is the place to hike to some stunning waterfalls.
9. Father Damien. The former lep-rosy colony is located on Molokai where victims of this now curable disease were isolated. Until the ar-rival of Father Damien, there were no amenities or help for the ill. In 1873 Father Damien, a Catholic mission-ary, arrived and dedicated his life to
improving conditions for the patients.10. Getting around. Several airlines,
including Hawaiian and Mokulele Air-lines, offer quick, efficient connec-tions between the islands. Looking for a luxurious, all-inclusive cruise to the Big Island, Maui, Lanai and Molokai? Consider Un-Cruise’s Safari Explorer. For more information, visit www.gohawaii.com and www.un-cruise.com. ■
A fabulous luau takes place at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
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20 FUN AFTER 50 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
To register for these programs, call the Grand Junction Parks and
Recreation Department at 254-3866 or visit www.gjparksandrec.org.
December 6 Candy Cane Hunt The 14th annual Candy Cane Hunt features holiday crafts, cookies and cocoa. Mesa County Library will ren-der a holiday-themed puppet show for your entertainment. MJ Thomas Photography can capture a holiday family photo with Frosty the Snow-man. Photo packages begin at $15. This free event is from 10 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. at Lincoln Park Barn.
December 9 Holiday Light Tour for 50+ Get in the holiday spirit while you relax and enjoy the hidden gems of the city’s best light displays. Enjoy hot chocolate and goodies before you go. Register early. This event always fills. Cost is $5. Event is from 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. Meet at Lincoln Park Barn.
December 12 Chocolate Walk Experience down-town Grand Junction’s holiday charm during a walking tour of beauti-ful Main Street, featur-ing your choice of an Art on the Corner Tour or history tour. All paid participants receive a special commemorative mug filled with Enstrom’s hot chocolate. An adult must accompany children under 12. Cost is $10. Meet at Enstrom Can-dies at 5:30 p.m.
December 13 Jingle Bell Run 5K Show up at Canyon View Park with bells on—jingle bells, that is. The all-ages 5K begins at 9 a.m. Cost is $24 if you preregister. Cost is $29 if you reg-ister the day of. Roice-Hurst Humane Society will be accepting donations of dog and cat food, and cat litter. Great prizes will be raffled off.
DANCEMondays Intermediate Line Dance Continue with the benefits of danc-ing and improve your line dancing skills by learning new dances with a little more difficulty. Class is from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $34 for a 10-punch pass or $5 to drop in.
HEALTH & FITNESSTues. & Fri. (through Dec. 16) Gentle Active Yoga This class teaches flexibility of mind and body in a fun and supportive environment. Students must be able to get up and down unassisted. Class is 8 a.m.-9 a.m. at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $7 to drop in or $50 for a punch pass.
SPORTSDrop-In PickleballWhen the weather turns cold, keep
on playing! There will be three indoor courts available at Lincoln Park Barn. Equipment is avail-able to borrow at the Parks and Recreation office, located south of the pool. Courts are available from 8:30
a.m.-11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. They are also available from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Cost is $5 to drop in. A 10-punch pass can be purchased for $30.
SRC SPECIAL EVENTSDecember 18 Christmas Party Dancing starts at 10 a.m. with meal at 11:45 a.m. at the Senior Recreation Center. Cost is $3 if you preregister and $5 at the door. Call 243-7408 to reserve a spot. Bring a wrapped gift for a member of the same gender. ■
Fun after 50Activities offered by GJ Parks and Recreation
The Senior Recreation Center offers activities for seniors age 50 and older. The center is open Monday - Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Annual membership is $10.
Se n i o r re c re a ti o n ce n te r Mo n th ly ca le n d a r o f ev e n tS
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com HOME & HEARTH 21
edge or experience specific to your project? For example, when consider-ing a remodel that focuses on acces-sibility, ADA compliance or the need for accessibility equipment, consider a contractor that is certified and edu-cated in that area. In this instance, check with organizations such as Accessible Home Improvements of America, which offers a Certified En-vironmental Accessibility Consultant (CEAC) certification.
It’s standard for a contractor to request a reasonable down payment in order to start the job and then col-
lect the remaining balance upon completion. But watch out for contractors requesting down pay-ments exceeding one-third to one-half of the project. Never put down money prior to signing a contract or without a detailed esti-mate. Also, feel free to ask the contractor to explain the estimate. (A good
contractor will do that without being asked.)
Check your contractor’s reputa-tion and references. Ask neighbors, friends, churches or other organiza-tions if they have heard of the con-tractor in question. When selecting a contractor, compare multiple esti-mates. Saving money is important but selecting a contractor who is unable to meet these criteria could cost you more in the long run. ■
Remodeling your home? What to look for in a general contractor
Hiring a licensed and insured con-tractor avoids opening yourself up to significant liability as a homeowner.
By Shelley Clennin, Paragon Restoration & Building, Inc.
When it comes to remodeling your home, it’s important to
choose a reputable contractor who is professional and who will give you a good price estimate, has the right ma-terials and references, communicates well and is licensed and insured.
Licensing is not required in all areas but hiring a licensed and insured contractor avoids opening yourself up to significant liability as a homeowner. Having a license is a good indication that he or she is familiar with local building codes and enables him or her to attain a permit or inspec-tion if required. Licens-ing can be determined by contacting your local building and planning department.
General liability and workers compensation insurance are essential. Does the contractor carry insurance? You could be liable for injuries to your contractor or his employees, or you could find yourself having to bear the cost of repairing damages to your property caused by the contractor in the course of work. The cost of insurance is a significant factor to the contractor’s cost of operation, but it also protects the homeowner.
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22 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Teresa Ambord
Except for the lights on the Christ-mas tree the house was dark.
I sat on the floor with my back against the couch, admiring the red, green and white twinkle lights. They were one of my favorite things about Christmas. Beside me on the floor were two boxes of decorations, most of which would not make it onto the tree at all. I was determined to keep it simple for once, especially be-cause this would be my first Christ-mas as an empty nester. My only child had moved too far away to come home for the holidays.
Christmas might be a little lonely this year, I thought as I sipped some decaf coffee. I knew that on Christ-mas afternoon I’d go to my sister’s house, but until then, it would be just me and my dog and cat. It would be nice to have a little bit of compa-ny. I didn’t know then that I would come to regret that thought.
A noise at the back door caused me to look up and see Gracie hop through the kitty door.
“Come here, baby,” I said. My cat stopped and took a
long look at the Christmas tree as if to ask how an outside tree got inside the house. Then she sauntered over to al-low me to pet her.
“Have you been rolling on the wet ground? You’re damp,” I said. “Oops, Gracie, you’ve got a leaf or something stuck in your hair. Let me pull it off.”
Removing the thing proved harder than I expected, since it had worked its way into Gracie’s long hair. With it
on my finger, I walked to the dark-ened kitchen to toss it in the trash. As I walked, I noticed it felt odd. Hmmm, this is no leaf, I thought. I flipped on a light and brought my hand up to my eyes for a better look. Then I realized, I was eye to eye with a fat brown slug. My beautiful Gracie had brought a slug into my home, in-stantly destroying my peace of mind.
I shrieked, probably scaring the slug more than he scared me. In my panic, my hand shot out as a way to get him off of me. No sooner did Sluggo detach and fly off of me that I realized that was a big mistake.
What have I done? I thought, smacking my forehead. Now there was a slug somewhere in my house and I had no idea where. I had vi-sions of myself walking across the carpet and squashing him with my new Christmas socks. Or maybe Gra-cie or my dog would find him and think he was an interesting toy or worse, a treat. Moments earlier I had wished for some Christmas company, but this was not what I had in mind.
I had to find him, so I estimated the trajectory of my hand when I propelled Sluggo into oblivi-on. Then I followed the path I
thought he must have traveled, eager to expel the unwanted, ugly
visitor. No luck. I got down on all fours and surveyed the carpet. For the first time, I regretted
my choice of new carpet in multiple shades of brown,
including the ever-pop-ular “Slug Beige” tone. I wasn’t sure which would be worse, find-ing him, or not finding him. Would I stand up and discover he was pasted to my knee?
The idea of having
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com 23to peel a slug pancake off my pant leg made me shiver.
Face it, I told myself. There is no good ending to this situation.
When Sluggo did not turn up anywhere else, I realized he had to be in one of two places. Either he had flown into one of the boxes, still filled with decorations, or he was buried in the boughs of my Christ-mas tree. Methodically I emptied the boxes, examining every ornament. No sign of Sluggo.
With no other choice, I got out my big flashlight, and began to go over the tree, inch by inch. I’d been so happy with this tree, but suddenly I was regretting how dense and prick-ly it was. I wanted Sluggo gone, but I sure didn’t want to find him impaled on my Christmas tree like some kind of weird ornament.
At the end of the evening, an ex-haustive search failed to turn up my unwanted guest. I knew there was little chance of Sluggo finding his own way out of the house. But I was at a loss. I had no choice but to give
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up and face the fact that I would be sharing my house and my Christmas with a fat, slimy, brown slug that had accidentally hitched a ride on my un-suspecting Gracie. Or did he do it on purpose? Maybe he was lonely too.
Ah, well, I decided. Somehow life will go on.
As I expected, Christmas was lonely that year. But thanks to Sluggo, it was certainly more interesting. He never made another appearance, and for all I know, he could still be here somewhere. He was without a doubt, the ugliest Christmas guest anyone ever had. On the other hand, he was quiet and undemanding. In previous years I’d had human guests who were noisy, clumsy and less than grateful for my hospitality.
Come to think of it, some of them even resembled Sluggo’s gelatinous, blob-like appearance. When I looked at it that way, as Christmas guests go, it could have been worse.
Yes, it could have been much worse. ■
24 NAMPA AWARDS www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Cloie Sandlin
Christmas comes early every year for the BEACON staff when our
publisher, Kevin VanGundy, returns from the annual North American Ma-ture Publishers Association (NAMPA) convention.
This year’s convention took place in Shreveport, Louisiana. Aside from seeing the sights with other senior publishers from across the coun-try, a highlight of the convention is the awards banquet, where senior publications big and small vie for top honors in a variety of categories. Pub-lications are independently judged on the quality of their written content, editing, design, photography, web content and more by the prestigious Missouri School of Journalism. The best are then commended for their efforts with awards.
This year, your BEACON Senior Newspaper and its staff were nomi-nated in the following categories:
General Excellence• BEACON Senior Newspaper, Colorado
Column Review• “Ask the Computer Guy” by Daniel
Ashurst
• “Garden Smarts” by Kathy Kimbrough
Profile• “Dancer keeps moving beyond boundar-
ies” by Brenda Evers (July 2013)
• “The Iron Maiden” by Carrie Kellerby (March 2014)
• “Artist finds inspiration at fast food res-taurant” by Carrie Kellerby (May 2014)
• “‘When you read my obit, you’ll know I’ve quit’” by Melanie Wiseman (January 2014)
• “Globe-trotting Doris” by Melanie Wiseman (October 2013)
• “Nancy Lewis’ life-changing journey” by Melanie Wiseman (July 2013)
How-To Feature• “Be publishing savvy: 3 tips to keep
from getting scammed” by Patti Hoff (September 2013)
• “Searching for a sweetheart? 9 tips for senior dating” by Jan Weeks (February 2014)
• “10 ways to get your home and garden ready for spring” by Melanie Wiseman (March 2014)
• “How to speak fly-fishing” by Jan Weeks (July 2013)
Feature Writing• “Firefighters of Western Colorado” by
Sandi Cameron (July & August 2013)
• “History, legends and lore of the Hotel Colorado” by Sandi Cameron (September & October 2013)
• “Snowbirds head south for the winter” by Carla Johnson (October 2013)
• “Women changing the face of military vets” by Adele Israel (November 2013)
• “Rethink your Christmas giving?” by Cheryl Currier & Rebecca Sanders (December 2013)
BEACON SENIOR NEWSPAPER wins national awards
BEACON Senior Newspaper wins national awards
• “All aboard! Model trains take over Cross Orchards during the holidays” by Terri Benson (December 2013)
• “How I became an outdoor woman” by Jan Weeks (August 2013)
• “The perfect tree” by Jan Weeks (December 2013)
• “Driving dogs on the Grand Mesa” by Cameron Jones (January 2014)
• “The Avalon Theater – Cornerstone of our community’s culture” by Marsha Kearns (January & February 2014)
• “Local Wall of Heroes honors our veter-ans” by Marsha Kearns (May 2014)
• “Staying young, having fun at Powder-horn” by Cloie Sandlin (March 2014)
• “Meeting new friends? Looking for love?” by Carrie Kellerby & Liesl Greathouse (February 2014)
• “Offroading for the young at heart” by Liesl Greathouse & Melanie Wiseman (June 2014)
• “Steadfast Steeds” by Melanie Wiseman (August 2013)
• “The experience of being alive” by Melanie Wiseman & Carol Inglis (September 2013)
Special Section• Senior Summer Traveler & Festivals
(June 2014)
• Happy Holidays (November 2013)
• Create a Legacy (March 2014)
Front Cover Photo• Senior Games Program (July 2013).
Photo by Lorie Gregor
• Grand Junction BeaconFest Program (April 2014). Photo by Cloie Sandlin. Photo features Mary Lee Bowen and Ellen Roberts.
• Create a Legacy (March 2014). Photo by Melanie Wiseman. Photo features Susan Alvillar in a vintage Girl Scout uniform.
• April 2014 BEACON, “Fun, friendship, freedom” Photo features Friends for the Fun of It, a local chapter of the Red Hat Society.
• Senior Summer Traveler & Festivals (June 2014). Photo features BEACON reader Mike Hill holding up March’s BEACON in front of a cathedral in Ireland.
• June 2014 BEACON, “Offroading: Your ticket to adventure” Photo features Western Slope ATV Asso-ciation members Jerry and Susan Norton crossing West Divide Creek on their ATV.
• September 2013 BEACON, “Yeehaw! I’m 90!” Photo features Al Inglis falling through the sky, documenting his skydiving adventure to ring in his 90th birthday.
Front Cover Illustration• February 2014 BEACON, “Where do
seniors find love?” by Heidi Graf.
Feature LayoutAll layouts by Heidi Graf.
• “Dancer keeps moving beyond boundar-ies” (July 2013). Story by Brenda Evers.
BEACON staff and writers. Back row, left: Daniel Ashurst, Lauren VanGundy, Kevin VanGundy, Cloie Sandlin, Heidi Graf, Genevra Shal, Liesl Greathouse and Clay Greathouse. Front row, left: Brenda Evers, Kathy Kimbrough, Karen Jones, Jan Weeks, Sue Bowen, Terri Benson, Virginia Carlile and Cheryl Currier.
www.BeaconSeniorNews.com NAMPA AWARDS 25• “History, legends and lore of the Hotel
Colorado” (September & October 2013). Story by Sandi Cameron.
• “The Avalon Theater – Cornerstone of our community’s culture” (January & Febru-ary 2014). Story by Marsha Kearns.
• “The experience of being alive” (Septem-ber 2013). Story by Melanie Wiseman & Carol Inglis.
• “Searching for a sweetheart? 9 tips for senior dating” (February 2014). Story by Jan Weeks.
• “10 ways to get your home and garden ready for spring” (March 2014). Story by Melanie Wiseman.
• “What’s so funny about growing old?” (April 2014). Story by Melanie Wiseman.
• “Cattle and sheep men of Western Colorado” (March & April 2014). Story by Sandi Cameron.
• “11 tips for staying safe on the water” (June 2014). Story by Melanie Wiseman.
Best Overall Use of Photography• BEACON Senior Newspaper, Colorado
Best Overall Design• BEACON Senior Newspaper, Colorado
Website General Excellence• BEACON Senior Newspaper, Colorado
And the winners are…
Column Review• 1st Place - “Garden Smarts” by Kathy
Kimbrough
• 2nd Place - “Ask the Computer Guy” by Daniel Ashurst
Profile• 1st Place -
“Nancy Lewis’ life-changing journey” by Melanie Wise-man (July 2013)
How-To Feature• 3rd Place - “How
to speak fly-fishing” by Jan Weeks (July 2013)
Feature Writing• 2nd Place - “The
experience of
being alive” by Melanie Wiseman & Carol Inglis (September 2013)
Front Cover Photo• 3rd Place - September 2013 BEACON,
“Yeehaw! I’m 90!” Photo features Al Inglis falling through the sky, documenting his skydiving adventure to ring in his 90th birthday.
Front Cover Illustration• 2nd Place - February 2014 BEACON,
“Where do seniors find love?” by Heidi Graf.
Website General ExcellenceFor the second year in a row!
• 1st Place - BEACON Senior Newspaper, Colorado
Congratulations to you all!
Putting together a BEACON isn’t easy. It takes novel ideas, creative design and photography, careful editing, intriguing and well-written stories, supportive advertisers, and a dedicated staff.
I believe that the number and qual-ity of the local articles we publish in the BEACON make us stand out at such competitions. Many of our award-winning stories about local
people and local issues might never have been written if it weren’t for our wonderful, local writers. Thank you!
But above all, the BEA-CON would not be where it is today if it weren’t for you, our readers. As always, thank you for reading the BEACON. ■
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26 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Melanie Wiseman
What would you do if someone knocked on your door and
handed you $10,000? This scenario has become a reality
for nonprofits in Mesa County. A pas-sionate and eclectic group of women appropriately named The Giving Club is on the move.
Long-time leader in the nonprofit community and fifth generation Western Colorado native Illene Rog-gensack lit the fire behind the group.
“The Giving Club is modeled after something that many communities around the country have called ‘100 Women Who Care.’ It’s a great idea and easy enough to put together,” Roggensack, 54, said. “I got a hold of seven other women in town whom I know can make things happen and we were off and running.”
The club sought 100 or more women who enjoy coming together in downtown Grand Junction for a quarterly early evening gathering. After just two meetings, the group already touts 108 members and more are welcome.
From 5:15 p.m.-7 p.m., women en-joy social and networking time, bev-erages and great food. The highlight of the evening is when members nominate local nonprofits to receive The Giving Club members’ philan-thropic support.
The names of three organizations are randomly drawn and an enthu-siastic endorsement is given by the each organization’s respective nomi-nator. Members vote and one chari-table group is awarded the evening’s pledges: $100 per person, which equals over $10,000.
The Giving Club had its first quarterly meeting in August with 78 initial members and donated $7,800 to the Western Slope Center for Children. At the November meeting, Roice-Hurst Humane Society was selected to receive that evening’s pledges totaling $10,800.
“It’s organized random acts of kindness,” Jacque Chappell-Reid said about the club. “It’s simple and fast.
A simple way of givingOne hundred percent of the pledges go to a nonprofit. In one hour we give away over $10,000.”
“There are so many deserving nonprofits in Mesa County,” Sharon Currie-Mills said. “All nonprofits are trying to raise money. This is great for smaller organizations without the staff to write grants and plan fund-raising events.”
“It is a wonderful meeting of wom-en with commitment, purpose and a goal,” Marilee Langfitt said.
“I was so excited to see how this small community of 100-plus women can make such a big difference,” Gail Gnirk said. “I don’t come to nominate a nonprofit; I come to learn about organizations others are nominating. One hundred dollars once a quarter is not a hardship and The Giving Club’s donations can make a big dif-ference.”
Roggensack is thrilled with the club’s early success.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet new people while doing something worthwhile in giving a gift. It’s very much aligned with the trends we’re seeing today in Americans’ chari-table giving,” she said. “As someone who works with a lot of nonprofit organizations, I can tell you that this appeals to me personally because it doesn’t require the selected organiza-tion to jump through a lot of hoops to get a very substantial donation.”
All quarterly $100 pledges are tax deductible, and must be cash or checks. An annual $100 hospitality fee covers wine, beer and soft drinks as well as an appetizer spread at each meeting. Next meetings are at the Springhill Suites, 236 Main St. in Grand Junction on February 2, May 4, and August 3, 2015.
Roggensack said many women tell her it may not feel like you can make much of a difference with $100, but collectively it has the potential to make a real impact.
To get involved, contact Judy Vanderleest at [email protected], call 260-6140 or visit www.gjgivingclub.org. ■
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As a prosthodontist, I primarily deal with the replacement of missing or worn teeth. Whether it’s just one or all 32 of them, I can help you achieve a comfortable bite and a beautiful smile. And remember, it’s important to get your dentures checked annually!
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com RESOURCE DIRECTORY HIGHLIGHT 27
By Cloie Sandlin
Merry Christmas from the BEA-CON! As a gift from us to you,
you should find a copy of the BEA-CON’s annual Resource Directory stuffed somewhere inside this December issue. If you haven’t found it already, I thought I should give you a heads up be-cause it looks a little different this year.
That’s because it has a new name and a new look. Now called Transitions in Aging, this trusted tool for area seniors, their families and those who assist them, has only gotten bigger and better. In ad-dition to the new name and overall design, it’s also printed on some nice sleek paper.
The new name comes from the fact that our directory is full of resources that we may need as we age and as we transition along the continuum of care. We have better organized the listings under different phases of care, from retirement planning to assisted living to end of life. But of course, our directory has many other helpful resources, such as clubs, churches, genealogy resources, pet vets and shelters, support groups and volunteer opportunities. Don’t worry. They’re all still there.
Transitions in Aging contains hundreds of listings and hard-to-find phone numbers in Mesa, Delta, Mon-trose and Garfield counties. We’ve taken great care to make sure that each listing is accurate and up to date. Each year, every listed phone number is called and personally verified.
Though geared for seniors, many households keep the directory on hand throughout the year. As our community grows, so does our direc-tory. Many listings are added every year. This year, there are about 800
listings in our Mesa County section, 460 in the Delta-Montrose counties section and 365 in Garfield County. If you can’t find a service or product in your particular area, try looking
in one of the other counties. It’s not un-common for Western Slope seniors to live in one place, shop in another, or even visit a doctor in another county.
Got technology?For even more con-
venience, our web-site, www.Beacon SeniorNews.com, hosts a virtual for-mat of Transitions in Aging for seniors
and their family members who live outside of the area. It’s senior friendly and can be turned page by page with just a click of the mouse. You can search for keywords, zoom in and out, and click on an advertiser’s weblink to be automatically directed to its website.
Monthly highlightsEvery month, the BEACON high-
lights a local club or organization listed in the directory. It’s a great way for readers to become better involved with organizations in the community. (This month, Transitions in Aging is what we are highlighting.)
Get your free copy of Transitions in Aging
If your copy isn’t in this issue of the BEACON, or if you’d like to request additional copies, call us at 970-243-8829 and we will mail them to you.
We widely distribute Transitions in Aging in Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Garfield counties. It can be found at numerous doctors’ offices, senior centers, hospitals and more.
Businesses are able to call and request them in bulk and we will deliver them personally and with a smile. ■
BEACON Resource Directory now called Transitions in Aging
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Stop by for a cup of coffee at The Artful Cup coffee shop, at: 3090 North 12th St., Grand Junction, 970-623-9665, Wednesdays between the hours of
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28 FAITH MOVES www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Rev. Brad Barton, First Christian Church
I will always remember the first Christmas Eve I spent back home
with my family after having gone off to college.
I had purchased a new book to read and as I sat on the bed in my room reading the book, I just couldn’t fall asleep. I spent those hours reading and considering the crossroads of life where I found myself—at the intersection of youth and adulthood. I was so caught up in the anticipation of Christ-mas, but I couldn’t figure out why. As a child, I dreamed about the presents under the tree, but as a young man, those gifts didn’t concern me. As I look back, I realize that it was on that night that I finally discovered the true meaning of Christmas.
Now many years later, I get just as full of anticipation as I did on that Christmas Eve long ago. Sometimes I feel too tired to put up and decorate the Christmas tree. Sometimes the memories of Christmases past haunt me. I wish I could go back in time to be with people who are no longer on this earth. I wish I could go back to a time when I was a younger man and had more energy. And yet, there is still this anticipation as Christmas approaches.
And so I remember that night. I remember the discovery of the thing that makes Christmas so amazing. It wasn’t the stuff I dreamed of as a child: toys, candy, fancy decorations and a break from school. Christmas is the best reminder of how much God loves me. It’s also a reminder of how this crazy world has gotten away from that.
God’s son, my King, was born in a lowly manger and was first wor-shipped by lowly shepherds. I find
joy in knowing that God loves me enough to send his son to show me that God’s way is not the way of the world.
So I stretch out the holiday season for as long as possible, find-ing ways to remind my-self of what Christmas is all about. I listen to and sing Christmas mu-sic, I read the prophe-cies about Jesus and the Christmas story, I
make simple paper chains to deco-rate, I go to special worship services, and I reminisce about the wonder of the life I’ve lived and consider the wonder of what God has left for me.
It’s not quite the same as wonder-ing whether or not I’m going to get a G.I. Joe doll under the tree like I did when I was a kid, but actually, it’s so much better. It almost makes me wonder if I’ll be able to get any sleep at all this Christmas Eve. ■
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Christmas is the best reminder of how much God loves me. It’s also a reminder of how this crazy world has gotten away from that.
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com ASK THE COMPUTER GUY 29
Ask the computer guyBy Daniel Ashurst, Alpine Computer Solutions
’Tis the season to be jolly! Now if only there
was a magic wand that we could wave over our computer and other devices to prevent Scrooges from stealing our holiday cheer. But since there isn’t one, here are some practical ways we can traverse the holiday season and keep peace with the technology in our homes.
Say no to inbound phone calls promis-ing support and solutions to alleged computer woes that have projected themselves across the Internet to their “support center.” These scoundrels have no good tidings for you or your family. They are after your greenbacks. An appropriate reaction would be to give them a prominent raspberry over the phone and hang up.
Say no to toolbars and software solu-tions that may appear in your email or are peddled through websites. General cleanup of your computer can easily be done without any software tools. There are a few good tools out there, but few of the good ones cost much, if anything.
Say no to TV ads promising quick and painless cures for PC problems. There’s no one-click lasting solution. There is an art to keeping your PC fast and error free, and you don’t have to be a rocket
Don’t let technology woes bring gloom to your holiday
scientist to perform the steps.
Say yes to maintenance, good record keeping and orga-nization. Have a place for your computer passwords and the disks used to install
each device. Many times when I make house calls, it is to
retrieve a lost Wi-Fi password or to load a printer because the customer has lost their disk. Having one box to store everything related to your computer would serve you greatly.
Say yes to investing in your computer. If you enjoy browsing Facebook or reading the online news, embrace the fact that you are more than a casual user of the computer. I find that people who put more thought and strategy into their buying decisions for the long-term use of their technology are generally bet-ter served because they tend to buy a higher quality system that lasts longer and has fewer problems. Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s going to save you money in the long haul.
May this holiday season find you full of eggnog and empty of technology woes. ■
Email your questions to Daniel Ashurst with Alpine Computer Solutions at [email protected] or mail them to the BEACON at P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502. For professional assistance, call Daniel at 234-1011 or Alpine Computer Solutions at 257-1011.
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30 FINANCE www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Teresa Ambord
Whether you are well off or barely making it month to
month, there always seems to be someone lower on the food chain who wants to borrow your money. A family member, a friend, maybe even a coworker or acquaintance. Too often they’ll promise you anything, accept any terms or conditions, until they get the money. Then good luck getting repaid.
Don’t let yourself be pressured into lending money you can’t afford to do without for the duration of the loan. But if your money is languish-ing in the bank collecting almost no interest, you might do well to make a private loan to someone you feel confident can and will pay you back. Chances are the borrower will also get a better deal from you than he or she could from a bank. Just make the decision with a cool head and what-ever you do, don’t go into it lightly. If you decide to make the loan and you structure it properly, it could be a win/win situation.
Before you turn over a single dol-lar, follow some practical rules from financial experts.
Put it in writing. If this makes you squirm, I recommend that you don’t make the loan until you’ve watched a week’s worth of Judge Judy. It’s the same story over and over: Mama scraped together $2,000 out of her Social Security so 34-year-old Junior could buy the jalopy of his dreams. He’d pay her back out of his tax refund, he said. But after he blew it on a Vegas weekend, there was noth-ing left. Junior’s defense: “She never said nothin’ about no loan. It was a gift. I can’t believe my mama hauled me into court!” That’s why you need to put the loan on paper and get all parties to sign it. If the borrowers complain you are acting like a bank, remind them that they are treating you like an ATM.
Other compelling reasons to for-malize the deal are as follows.
Can you lend me a few bucks? I’ll pay you back.
• If the loan is structured properly and you do not get repaid, you may be able to write the loan off as a non-business bad debt. You not only need to have the loan in writing, but you must also make a good faith attempt to collect. Otherwise if you are audited, the IRS may disallow your deduction. Generally a bad loan can be treated as a short-term capital loss on your tax return. On the flip side, if the loan is not documented and you write it off and undergo an audit, the IRS may deem it to have been a gift and disallow your deduc-tion. Depending on the amount, you could also be hit for not filing a gift tax return.
• If there is real estate involved, you may also need to consult an attorney and get the documents recorded.
Don’t be afraid to charge interest. But how do you set the interest rate? If the loan is below $10,000 it’s usually acceptable to charge whatever inter-est rate you are comfortable with. If the loan is for $10,000 or more, you’ll need to follow IRS rules, so talk it over with your tax adviser to avoid penalties.
Let’s say you are lending $9,000 to your brother-in-law for some minor home repairs. He’ll probably expect low or no interest. But of course it’s your money and it could be earning some sort of return, so if you’re giv-ing up the use of your own money you need a reward. Banks charge higher interest for higher-risk bor-rowers. You should do the same. Take an honest assessment of how risky it is to lend this guy money. Higher risk equals higher interest. The longer the loan life, the greater the risk, and therefore the higher the inter-est should be. On the other hand, if your brother-in-law is a stand-up guy and you have reason to believe you’ll get repaid fairly quickly, you could give him a low rate compared to a bank loan and still outdo the interest income a bank would pay you.
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com FINANCE 31ing interest. It’s your money and even assuming you are fully repaid, you are giving up the use of it for a time. The more businesslike you keep this, the better you’ll fare if you do have to drag your brother-in-law before Judge Judy.
Keep emotion out of it, family or no family. Don’t ever lend what you can’t afford to lend (and possibly lose) and don’t lend if you have no realistic expectation of getting paid back. Better to just call it a gift than to ruin a family relationship and end up a Rolaids junkie.
Notice that when your loving niece comes, hat in hand, asking for a loan, she’s willing to make any deal, do anything, swear to be your most de-voted fan forever. That gratitude may fade quickly after the money is spent and you want to be repaid. So before the ink is dry on the check you write, take advantage of the borrower’s pre-funding willingness and get it in writing.
A scrap of paper signed by both parties is better than nothing but this is your money. Take a little extra time to do it right. Type it up, set an inter-est rate, schedule payments, and take your borrower to visit a notary public to get the agreement notarized. Nota-ries are easy to find and the process is quick and inexpensive.
How to charge interestIf you do lend a substantial amount
of money interest free, you could end
up with tax and gift consequences. Before you lay down the first dollar, talk to your financial adviser. A good adviser will likely tell you to forget interest free and charge applicable federal rate (AFR). Each year, you’ll need to report the interest you receive on your tax return, and your borrower may be able to claim the interest expense (depending on how the proceeds of the loan were spent).
Your adviser can tell you what the current month AFRs are. If the loan is a “term loan,” meaning it has a specific end date like a 5-year loan, you can use the same rate for the life of the loan. For example, here are the AFRs for December 2014:
0.34 percent for short-term loans of
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three years or less.1.70 percent for mid-term loans of
more than three years but no more than nine years.
2.70 percent for long-term loans more than nine years.
So let’s say that in December 2014 you lend your daughter $60,000 for a business venture, and set up a 10-year monthly repayment plan. The AFR to use is 2.70 percent and this will apply until the loan is paid off.
On the other hand, suppose you set up a “demand loan,” meaning you can demand the money back at any time. For demand loans, the AFR does not last the life of the loan. It must fluctu-ate as the short-term rate listed above fluctuates. ■
32 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Joni Karp, CaregiverCARE, LLC
For most families the holidays are about spending time with loved
ones and celebrating. But for people with a disability and those who care for them, the holidays can be chal-lenging.
Be sure to provide family and friends with updated information about the person. This is espe-cially important if changes have occurred, such as general decline, changes in appearance, in-creased memory loss and behaviors. Be honest. The purpose is to main-tain dignity, avoid embarrassment, and create a calm and comfortable environment.
Recognize agitation, stress and
discomfort. Signs include withdrawal and seeking isolation, repetition in behaviors and speech, pacing and
outbursts. If your person is self-isolating, allow them that time. Avoid continued coaxing, as this may lead to agitation and undesired behaviors.
Don’t overwhelm.• Consider having family and friends
visit in small groups rather than in one
big gathering, or consider scheduling
the gathering at a time that is best for the person you are caring
for, such as the time of day or evening when they are most alert and at their best.
• Be sure to serve foods that your person likes, will recognize and will be easy to eat.
• Include level-appropriate activities that your person can participate in
Tips for caregivers: How to make it through the holidaysso they feel included.
• When dealing with memory issues, ensure that people introduce themselves and state who they are in relation to that person.
• Wear nametags.• Avoid saying “Remember...”• Dementia doesn’t mean deaf. Be
aware of the tone of your voice. Speak slowly and clearly and allow the person time to respond.
• Follow and engage in their conversation and what they are saying.
• If the person is in a wheelchair, get down to their level. Do not talk down to them.
• Make eye contact.• Choose music that is soothing.• Limit holiday decorations. Avoid
clutter and possible tripping hazards.
• Ensure proper lighting and room temperature.
• When assisting with personal needs, whisper in their ear to
preserve dignity.• Above all, be patient.
Tips for caregiver preservation.• Join a support group.• Don’t take anything personally. • Don’t get stuck in tradition. Make
new memories and create new traditions.
• Breathe deep and allow family and friends to provide you with moments of respite during this time. Step away, mingle and enjoy.
• When others ask if or how they can help, don’t be shy. Tell them.
• If guests ask what they can bring, suggest gifts that really will help, such as frozen prepared foods, an IOU for caregiving that offers you respite time, an offer to run specific errands, etc.
• Take photos and videos, and record special and humorous moments.
• Above all, love, laugh and enjoy. Cherish every moment. ■
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com 33
• Tour the area’s premier assisted and independent living communities including The Commons, The Fountains and The Cottages of Hilltop
• Learn about Hilltop Home Care’s unique medical and non-medical services for seniors who want to remain safe and secure in their own homes
• Talk to a dementia and Alzheimer’s care specialist
• Learn about Senior Daybreak, a day program for those affected by memory loss
For more information call (970) 434-2111
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• Friendship Force meets monthly at 6:15 p.m. on the second Thursday at Community Hospital’s lower confer-ence room. Call 260-4653 or visit www.thefriendshipforce.org.• Western Slope Coin Club meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday at the VFW Post #1247. Get a free coin/currency evaluation at 5:30 p.m. Call 241-1770 or visit www.gjcoinshow.com.• Grand Valley Knights meets at 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Saturdays at Spoons Bistro & Bakery with their sport and classic vehicles. Call 462-6762 or visit www.grandvalleyknights.com. • Mesa County Genealogical Society meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday at The Commons of Hilltop and at noon on the fourth Wednesday at the Museum of West-ern Colorado. Help sessions are at 1 p.m. on the first Friday at a library branch. Call 640-2388.• Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays at the Masonic Center. Call 261-1670.• Vestafjell Lodge, Sons of Norway meets at 2 p.m. on December 14 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Call 858-6702 or visit www.vestafjelllodge.org.• Happy Feet Rounds offers basic choreographed ballroom dancing at the Masonic Center on Sundays (beginners from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and intermediate from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.) and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Mondays (Phase 3 and 4 dancers). Call 243-5858.• Grand Valley Woodcarvers meets monthly at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 523-5965.• Grand Valley Woodturners meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesdays at Redlands United Method-ist Church. Call 245-8817. • Levis & Lace Square Dance Club meets monthly on the second and fourth Fridays at the Masonic Center. Rounds at 7 p.m. and square at 7:30 p.m. Call 434-6541.
• Art Jewelers’ Guild meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday at the Grandview Apartments, 1501 N. First St. Call 243-1220.
• Stamp Collectors meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday at White Star Electric. Call 986-1502.
• Western Slope Non-Smoking Singles meets monthly at 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month at Starvin’ Arvin’s in Clifton for lunch and games. For more activities, call 434-0803.
• Mesa Fiberarts Guild meets monthly at noon the first Wednesdays at First Presbyterian Church and at 6 p.m. the first Thursdays at the Center for Independence. Call 243-3598 or visit www.mesafiberartsguild.org.
• Blue Lodge Masons meets monthly at 10 a.m. the first Saturday at the Masonic Center. Call 245-5312.
• Bookcliff Duplicate Bridge Club plays at 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at 2923 North Ave. Call 243-7874.
• Western Colorado Decorative Artists meets monthly at 9 a.m. on the sec-ond Saturday at First Congregational Church. Call 640-2751.
• Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) Branch 244 meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the VFW Post #3981. All former, retired and active sea service, U.S. Navy, Marines or Coast Guard welcome. Call 434-0868.
• Grand Junction Toastmasters meets at 7:10 a.m. Tuesdays at St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 242-4863.
• Talk of the Town Toastmasters meets at noon Thursdays at the Business Incubator Center. Call 250-3969.
• Western Slope Rovers RV Club meets monthly at the Egg and I for breakfast on the first Thursday. Call 858-3907 for time and details.
• High Desert Diamonds is a plus-level square dance club that dances from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on the first and third Fridays monthly at the Masonic Center. Call 241-7457. ■
Mesa County Club Activities
34 CROSSWORD PUZZLE www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Crossword PuzzleAcross1 Igor’s load5 Kellogg-Briand and Warsaw10 Mlle. La Douce14 On the Marmara15 Special Forces group16 Novelist Uris17 Former Senate majority
leader20 Texas leaguer?21 Type of spray22 Madison Ave. output23 Lady with a title?25 Wish undone27 1863 Chancellorsville event30 On the ball33 Matador motivator34 ___ the word37 Pileup39 Female representative?43 Artist’s pigment44 Cameo stone45 Black-eyed item46 Walks with one’s head up?48 Be to come51 Gov’t agency52 One of a New Testament twelve54 Ship pronoun57 Drop a swatted fly, e.g.59 Cuckoo houses63 Home business of sorts66 Entertainer Moffo67 Reduced, as tension68 One preparing for the prom69 Rifle sight70 Head lock?71 Org. since 1960
Down1 Second City sound2 Exploits3 Advance ending4 Repeat after me5 Associate6 Turn away from sin7 Chest material8 Sale sights9 Vilifies jam?10 Dock worker’s org.11 “The Ballad of John McEntire” singer12 It may be contentious or cheerful13 Dance if they’re in your pants18 Distressful sound, as heard in a kennel19 Coop crowd24 Jules Verne character
26 New currency27 Greets with courtesy28 “A Lesson From ___” (Athol Fugard)29 Wiggle a carrot in front of30 Grayish31 Oyster shade32 City near the Ruhr and Rhine35 Certain saucers36 Rockies abbr.38 Froth on beer40 Graces partner41 Ill feeling42 Take one’s leave47 Object of attack49 Diner’s card50 Magical word52 Aplomb53 Beach birds54 Line crosser55 Make a point?56 Sicilian hot spot58 Raise60 “That’s one small ___…”61 Genealogical diagram62 Harmony64 Drop in the ocean65 Driller’s deg.?
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The Community First Foundation and FirstBank announce the fifth
consecutive Colorado Gives Day on December 9. Donors come together as part of this movement to give to nonprofits in their community and throughout Colorado. Coloradans have raised $58.1 million for Colo-rado nonprofit organizations in past years.
The purpose of Colorado Gives Day is to raise money. Another
important goal is to raise awareness of nonprofit organizations that are providing critical services each and every day to supplement the work of government and the for-profit sector. Colorado Gives Day also supports the benefits of online giving, making it easy for donors to give to their favor-ite nonprofit organization.
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Mesa County CalendarCompiled by Liesl GreathouseDecember 5 Spirit of Christmas Celebration This year’s 19th annual Spirit of Christmas Walk expects over 300 entertainers to rove and perform on Main Street and inside downtown Grand Junction retail shops from 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Performers include a variety of musicians, fire dancers, bar-bershop quartets, choirs, jazz bands, clowns, poets, hula dancers, theater groups, dance groups and more. Santa and free horse-drawn carriage rides will also be part of this event.
December 5 Medicare Open Enrollment Event Senior Health Insurance Assistance Project (SHIP) Navigators are offering free Medicare help during the Medi-care annual open enrollment period. This is the last opportunity to receive personal help before open enroll-ment ends. Medicare-trained SHIP navigators will help Medicare ben-eficiaries compare coverage options from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Mesa County RSVP in the lower level of the US Bank building, 422 White Ave. Bring your complete list of prescriptions, including dosages, and insurance cards. For details, call 243-9839.
December 5 Altrusa Soup Fundraiser Altrusa International of Palisade invites everyone to stop in for a “Cup of Warmth” at 5 p.m. at the Slice O’Life Bakery, 105 W. Third St., be-fore Palisade’s Olde-Fashioned Christ-mas parade. The parade starts at 5:45 p.m. Altrusa will have a delicious variety of five or more kinds of soup to make you and your family full and warm for the parade. The soup is $1 a cup and will be served until it runs out. For details, call 261-1998.
December 5 Lions Club Chili Supper & Cake Raffle The Redlands Lions Club members and volunteers will be hosting their annual Chili Supper and Cake Raffle 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Redlands Middle School cafeteria, 2200 Broadway.
Chili or potato soup will be served and guests can also purchase raffle tickets for cakes. A separate drawing will be held for a handmade afghan. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for stu-dents age 7-17, and children 6 and under are free. For tickets, call 589-2124 or 201-8432.
December 6 Writers’ Forum Christmas Western Colorado Writers’ Forum welcomes the public to come and hear a professionally rendered version of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” and other seasonal favor-ites starting at 7 p.m. at 740 Gunni-son Ave. in Grand Junction. Cookies will be provided while you listen. For details, call 256-4662.
December 6 Grand Villa’s annual Craft Fair Come do your holiday shopping 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Grand Villa Assisted Living, 2680 N. 15th St in Grand Junc-tion. There will be a variety of ven-dors offering cupcakes to purchase, sweatshirts, holiday decorations, wreaths, lighted Christmas items, candy plates, and more. For details, call 241-9706.
December 6 & 13 Santa Photos Fundraiser Come get a photo with Santa Claus from 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. both days at the Bibs to Cribs Store, 2923 North Ave. in Grand Junction. Cost is just $5 for the first photo and $2 for each additional photo. Proceeds support the Grand Junction Veterans Golden Age Games Team. All proceeds will assist team members to travel to the 2015 National Golden Age Games in Omaha, Nebraska in July. For more information, call 242 2520.
December 7 Centennial Band Holiday concert The Grand Junction Centennial Band proudly presents its holiday concert, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at 3 p.m. at the Avalon Theater, 645 Main St. Adults and kids age 6 and up are $7 and children under 6 are free. Tickets can be purchased
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com MESA COUNTY 37from any band member or at the door. To commemorate Pearl Harbor Day, veterans can attend for free. For more information, see their ad on page 6 or visit www.gjcentennialband.com.
December 12 & 14 Michael Gott concert and workshop Michael Gott is a recording artist, performer and speaker who speaks and sings purely from the soul. He will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Decem-ber 12 at the Two Rivers Center for Spiritual Living, 251 Colorado Ave. in Grand Junction. Tickets are $20 and include dessert. For tickets, call 433-7799. He will also lead a “Living On Purpose” workshop from 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. on December 14 at the Two Rivers Center for Spiritual Living. This class offers specific tools to put you in touch with your inner wisdom and your own divine spark that will lead you to a new understanding of Jesus’ statement: “Don’t you know? You are the light of the world.” For details, call 433-7799.
December 13 Fruita Lioness Club Chili Supper The Fruita Lioness Club will be host-ing its 18th annual Chili Supper from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Fruita Commu-nity Center, 324 N. Coulson St. Chili, cornbread and dessert will be served. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for children.
December 14 Sons of Norway Christmas Vestafjell Lodge will celebrate Christ-mas at 2 p.m. at Shepherd of the Val-ley Lutheran Church, 3133 F Road in Grand Junction. Spellbinders will tell Christmas stories and Duane Helge-lien will lead a holiday sing-along. Bring an unwrapped toy, gift card or cash donation for the Salvation Army, and Christmas cookies to sell, and a side dish or dessert. Call 242-3396.
December 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration Dance Come enjoy food, fun, a cash bar and live music starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Adobe Creek Golf Course, 876 18 ½ Road in Fruita. The JLRJ Band will perform live. Tickets are $25 per per-son. This event benefits the Sacred Heart Church Building Fund. For tickets, call 858-9605 or 858-3137. ■
River City Singles December 2014 Activity Schedule
“Young-at-heart adults getting together for fun and friendship!”
Fridays at 5 p.m. - Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) meets in the lounge at the Travelodge (formerly the Country Inn), 718 Horizon Drive. The first FAC meeting of the month is the business meeting. Cards and games will follow the meeting.
Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. - Early Start Breakfast at Denny’s on Horizon Drive. Visitors welcome. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details.
Wednesdays at 5 p.m. - Dine out at the following locations every week. Visitors wel-come. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details.
December 3 - Dos Hombres (Redlands)
December 10 - Texas Roadhouse
December 17 - Rib City Grill (Grand Junction)
Sundays at 12:30 p.m. - Bowling Sunday and card games at Orchard Mesa Lanes, 295 27 Road. RSVP to Bob Lewis at 263-8462.
Saturday, December 6 at noon - Enjoy billiards, games of pool and lunch at Bank 8 Billiards, 2460 Patterson Road. Call Mary Wynn at 255-7370.
Saturday, December 6 - RCS Christmas Party in the Colorado/Canyon Room at Travelo-dge. Cocktails (cash bar) at 4 p.m. Potluck at 5 p.m. Music by Remember When. RSVP to Jim at 424-2545.
Thursday, December 11 at 11:30 a.m. - Fun Lunch Bunch meets at Spoons Bistro & Bakery, 3090 N. 12th St. RSVP to Penny at 712-2588.
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38 MESA COUNTY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Compiled by Liesl Greathouse
Weight loss surgery seminarIf you are considering weight loss surgery, attend a free education session presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Sur-gery Center. Learn how the different types of surgery work, who qualifies, and how St. Mary’s will support you as you change your life. Sessions take place at the St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road in Grand Junc-tion. Call 298-6400 to register.• December 10 - noon to 1:30 p.m.• December 17 - 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
Grand Valley Model Railroad Club show at Cross OrchardsThe Grand Valley Model Railroad Club puts on its Christmas show at Cross Orchards, 3073 F Road in Grand Junction, on the weekends of December 13 and 14, December 20 and 21, December 27 and 28, and January 3 and 4. The show is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Admis-sion is $1 for children, $4 for adults and $7 for a family.
New store opens for holiday season shoppingTreasures from the Past opened a new antique and collectibles mall in the Enterprise Park Shopping Center, 2923 North Ave., just in time for the holiday season. The store offers a 10 percent discount to seniors age 50 and older on a purchase of $20 or more. The vendor mall offers a great selection from different collections and makes a great alternative to shop-ping at traditional malls. The store is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Museum of Western Colorado Activities• December 6 - Breakfast with Santa at 9 a.m. at Dinosaur Journey, 550 Jurassic Court in Fruita. Cost is $8 per person. Reservations required. Call 242-0971, ext. 201 to reserve your seat.• December 11 - Changing Land-scapes of Science lecture at 7 p.m. at
Mesa County Beacon Bitsthe Whitman Educational Center, 248 S. Fourth St. Topic is “Wines: It’s All About the Acids.” Cost is $5 for mem-bers and $10 for nonmembers. • December 18 - Oral History Pre-sentation at noon at the Whitman Educational Center, 248 S. Fourth St. • December 19 - Behind the Scenes Tour at the Museum of the West, 462 Ute Ave. Starts at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per person.
Giving Trees help needy during holiday seasonThrough December 15, Mesa County Libraries and Grand Valley Catholic Outreach are working together to help local needy families during the holidays with Giving Trees. Giving Trees are decorated with gift re-quests from underprivileged Mesa County residents of all ages and are available at the Central Library in Grand Junction and library branches in Clifton, DeBeque, Fruita and Pali-sade. Stop by and select a tag describ-ing a gift to purchase. On the smaller portion of the tag, provide library staff with your contact information. After you have purchased the gift, bring it to the library unwrapped and with the Giving Tree tag attached. Gifts are meant to be about $25 or less. For details, call 683-2437.
Support groups• The National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) is offering support groups in Mesa County for adults diagnosed with mental illness and their families. In Fruita they meet 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at Family Health West, 228 N. Cherry Street. Call 462-3989.• GriefShare is a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Mondays. Call Vicci at 628-1453 for details. • Low Vision Peer Support Group, Western Slope Visionaries, meets from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call Joanne or Cathy at 241-0315. • Mending Hearts Support Group is for any adult who has experienced
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com MESA COUNTY 39the death of a loved one. This group meets from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St. Call 248-8844 for more information.• Caregiver Connections is open to all caregivers and meets from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St.• St. Mary’s Stroke Support Group meets from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on the third Friday of each month in the Grand Mesa Room of St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 298-1929 for details.• Breast Cancer Support Group meets from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the Reflection Room (Entrance 25). Call 298-2254 for details.• MACHO Men, a cancer support group, meets at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at St. Mary’s Hospital’s Java City Café. Call 298-2351 for details.
Volunteer opportunities• Mesa County RSVP seeks volun-teers for its Fund Development Com-mittee. Members of this committee
collaborate with the RSVP board and staff to evaluate and implement fun-draising opportunities and develop and strengthen donor relations. To apply, visit rsvpgrandjunction.org• Mesa County SOS needs volun-teer drivers to give seniors rides to grocery shopping, pharmacy and medical visits once a week. SOS will reimburse for mileage. Call 248-2746. • HopeWest seeks volunteers for a variety of positions. Volunteering can be as simple as one hour a month. Call 623-8816 for details. • Operation Interdependence in-vites you to write notes for deployed troops around the world. Notes don’t have to be lengthy—just a simple thank you will do. They are also in need of Slim Jims, beef jerky, gum, snack bars, Chapstick, toothbrushes, etc. Call 523-4217 for drop-off loca-tion.• Gray Gourmet needs several adult volunteers to deliver a weekday lunch to homebound seniors. Vol-unteers are also needed to work at one of their senior dining sites. Call 243-9844. ■
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
729 373/10 Rd.(970) 464-5333
40 DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Compiled by Liesl Greathouse December 4 Taize-Style Services Taize-style services of music, prayer and meditation on scripture are offered at 7 p.m. at the Montrose United Methodist Church, 19 S. Park Ave. in Montrose. All are welcome. For details, email secretary@montro seumc.org or call 249-3716.
December 5 Cookie Walk The Delta United Methodist Women will host Cookie Walk Plus from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Delta United Methodist Church, 477 Meeker St. in Delta. Come by to purchase your hol-iday cookies. There will also be craft vendors to help with your Christmas shopping. Or just stop by and have a cup of coffee and cookies with us. For details, call 874-9501.
December 5 Mac & Cheese Cook-off Senior CommUnity Care PACE pres-
ents the inaugural Mac & Cheese Cook-Off to benefit the Abraham Connection Homeless Shelter Build-ing Fund during the Delta Parade of Lights. The cook-off will be from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the Coffee Thera-pist, 326 Main St. in Delta. Enter the cook-off for $15 or help us decide a winner by taste testing for $5. To enter and for details, call 361-8905.
December 5-6 Holiday Art Fair in Paonia The 22nd annual Holiday Art Fair will be 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Sage Curtis Hall, 226-228 Grand Ave. in Paonia. The Holiday Art Fair is an event pro-duced by local artists for the benefit of the community and the artists. All items are local and handmade, and make excellent gifts. For details, call 527-7243.
December 6 Winter Festival Open House Come try some Frybread, bid in a silent auction, and visit booths from
Delta/Montrose CalendarSafety.
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES 41arts and craft vendors for free from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Ute Indian Muse-um, 17253 Chipeta Road in Montrose. Enjoy 40 percent off all silver and tur-quoise Indian jewelry from 9 a.m. to noon and 30 percent off everything in the gift shop all day. There will also be raffles and drawings for an original oil painting by Mike Simpson called “Summer of the Utes,” valued at $1,600. For details, call 249-3098.
December 6 & 7 Valley Symphony “Christmas By Candlelight” concert Come enjoy the special music of the holiday season with a candle-light concert from 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Friday at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. This program features an array of popular Christmas carols and holi-day pieces (old and new). For tickets, visit www.valleysymphony.net.
December 7 & 8 Magic Circle Players auditions The Magic Circle Players in Mon-trose will hold auditions at 6:30 p.m. both evenings for Yeston and Kopit’s “Phantom” to be performed in May 2015. There are singing and non-sing-ing roles. Auditions take place at the Magic Circle Theatre, 420 S. 12th St. For details, call 596-9007.
December 9 Wills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney Learn about will and trust estate plans at this workshop sponsored and presented by Region 10 and
Brown & Brown, P.C. Workshop takes place at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade Ave. in Montrose. This workshop includes basic information about spe-cialized trusts, including pet trusts, how to protect your special needs child using trusts, asset protection trusts, how to protect your heirs us-ing trusts, and more. The workshop is 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Registration required. To register, call 249-2436 or visit www.region10.net.
December 14 Montrose Community Band Christ-mas Concert Montrose Community Band presents “A Family Christmas,” a free concert at 3 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive in Montrose. The band members have selected their fa-vorite Christmas songs to share with you and the new jazz band will play some swinging favorites as well. For more information, visit www.mon troseband.com or call 596-1188.
December 14 & 31 Dances at the Montrose Pavilion The Montrose Pavilion Dance Club hosts dances at the Montrose Pavil-ion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. On Decem-ber 14, from 2 p.m.-5:30 p.m., there will be music by Country Plus. Ad-mission is $5. On December 31 there will be a New Year’s Eve dance from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m., with music by the Ghost River Band. Admission is $10. For more information, call 252-7172.
December 18 Weight loss surgery seminar If you are considering weight loss surgery, attend a free education session presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center at 5:30 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, 1391 S. Townsend Ave. Call 298-6400. ■
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42 DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
Compiled by Liesl Greathouse
Events for veteransThe Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. in Montrose, has the follow-ing events scheduled for veterans this month. If you have not previously registered with the Warrior Resource Center as a veteran, bring a form of military ID with you. For more infor-mation, call 765-2210.• All veterans are invited for coffee from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. every Thursday.• All military spouses (of any branch or era) are invited to a lun-cheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on the last Friday of every month. • The public is invited to eagle head cane presentations at 1 p.m. the first Thursday of every month. Beautiful eagle head canes created by Black Canyon Wood Carvers and Wood Workers Guild of Western Colorado are presented to veterans.
Montrose walking events• First Friday Stroll - On the first Friday of each month, stroll along downtown Montrose and see artist demonstrations, enjoy free wine tast-ings and in-store promotional events from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.• Meet Me Downtown Montrose - Bring your girlfriends to downtown Montrose from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month for a day of shopping and fun. Visit participating shops, galleries, sa-lons, spas and restaurants for special events and deals.
Garden of Lights at Montrose
Delta/Montrose Beacon BitsBotanic GardensThe Garden of Lights at the Mon-trose Botanic Gardens will be from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. December 12-14 and 19-21 at 1800 Pavilion Drive. Santa will be there, along with storytellers, hayrides, hot cocoa, coffee, snacks, ornament kits for kids, and music. Cost is $2 for children, $4 for adults and children 4 and under free. For details, call 249-1115.
Support groups• Veterans PTSD support group meets at 10 a.m. Thursdays at the Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. Veterans must provide a copy of their DD214 as verification of eligibil-ity of services. Call 765-2210. • Stroke Support Group meets 11 a.m. to noon, twice a month, at Montrose Memorial Hospital’s Acute Rehab Unit. For details and meeting days, call 318-2028.• Bosom Buddies Breast Cancer Support Group meets from noon to 1:15 p.m. Wednesdays at 645 S. Fifth St. in Montrose. • Caregiver Support Group meets 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays at Cross-roads Assisted & Independent Living model cottage at 1380 Aspen Way in Delta. Call 773-4214.• Caregiver Support & Network-ing Group meetings are structured to be an all-inclusive group for care-givers who care for someone with dementia or any disability or illness in any living environment. For more information and to register, call 249-2436, ext. 203.
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES 43• Mending Hearts Support Group, offered by HopeWest, is open to adults who have experienced the death of a loved one. The group meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thurs-days in the Bosom Buddies Room, 645 S. Fifth St. Call 240-7734.
Volunteer opportunities• HopeWest in Delta and Montrose is seeking volunteers for a variety of positions. In Delta, call 874-6823 for more information. In Montrose, call 252-2642.
Club activities• Western Slope 4 Wheelers meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the first Tues-day at the Montrose Rod & Gun Club’s indoor range, 1211 6450 Road in Montrose. Call 275-0754.
• Black Canyon Camera Club meets monthly at noon on the sec-ond Tuesdays at the First Church of Christ, 1102 Howard St. in Delta. Visit www.blackcanyoncameraclub.org.
• Black Canyon Classics is a clas-sic car club and meets monthly on the first Tuesdays at the Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors Building, 155 Mer-chant Drive in Montrose, during the winter months and at various loca-tions in the summer. For times, call 249-6051.
• Wild Bunch 4WD club is an outdoor club that meets monthly on the second Monday of the “odd-num-bered” months. For dates, times and locations, email [email protected].
DELTA SENIOR ACTIVITIESThe following activities are offered at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530
Gunnison River Drive in Delta. To register for any of the following ac-tivities or for a full list, call 874-0923.
• Community Evening Dance - 7 p.m.-10 p.m., December 6. Cost is $4 per person. Bring a snack to share
• Holiday Craft Show - 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., December 6. There will be over 50 vendor booths with Christ-mas décor, stained glass, pottery, jewelry, fleece, hats, hand-painted glassware, candles, quilts and more.
MONTROSE SENIOR ACTIVITIESThe Montrose Recreation District has the following activities scheduled for seniors 50+ this month. Register one week ahead. Events take place at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive, or transportation departs from the Montrose Pavilion. Please arrive at each event at least 15 minutes early. For more information on the following activities, call 252-4884.
• Hike - 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., December 2. Hike Colorado National Monu-ment. Cost is $18.
• Shopping trip to Grand Junction - 8:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m. December 9. We will travel to stores not found in Montrose. Cost is $20. Bring money for lunch and for shopping.
• Holiday Lights and Dinner - 4:45 p.m. December 16 & December 18 (same trip repeats). Montrose community members have a great display of lights for the holidays. Join us for an evening of dining at the Camp Robber and Christmas light viewing. If you are not able to drive or don’t drive at night, we’ll pick you up! Cost is $25. ■
44 CLASSIFIEDS www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
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Skilled Handyman Services Fast, reliable handyman services available. No job too big or too small. We are licensed and insured and have over 35 years’ experience. We are ADA (Special Needs), CAPS (Aging in Place) and NHBA (National Home Builders Association) certified to meet your individual needs. All services include carpentry, plumbing, electrical and misc. services. Western Interior Builders, LLC. Call 241-2029 for appointment.
Professional Flooring Installer Insured and bonded. You purchase the tile, laminate, hardwood or vinyl, and I provide everything else. Special discounts. Call Bill for a free estimate. 245-3344.
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December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com CLASSIFIEDS 45
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Help WantedThe Counseling and Education Center has a part-time opening for a L.C.S.W. or a LPC with three or more years of clinical experience. CEC is a non-profit counseling agency. For more information: www.cecwecare.org and/or email [email protected]. If interested, submit a cover letter and a resume to Penny Frankhouser – CEC, 2708 Patterson Road; GJ, CO 81506.
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46 KUDOS & KVETCH www.BeaconSeniorNews.com December 2014
By Sy Rosen
I went to the dentist last week be-cause I had a cracked side tooth—a
bicuspid. Anyway, my dentist, a self-important man in his mid 40s, asked if I just wanted to leave it.
I thought that was an odd question and asked, “Don’t I have to chew with it?”
“You can chew around it,” he curtly responded.
“For the rest of my life?” I thought. And then it occurred to me that
this pompous dentist’s strange sug-gestion had to do with my age. I was at a point in my life when sometimes you just don’t fix things in your body. It’s like when your car has 175,000 miles on it, you don’t bother fixing that rattle. Is that what the dentist was saying? I was an old rattling car?
Okay, maybe his suggestion shouldn’t have irritated me so much. After all, there are a few things going wrong with my body that I haven’t bothered dealing with. I’ve got gray hair, wrinkles, brown spots, jiggly arms and a turkey neck. I try to hide these imperfections, of course. Long-sleeved shirts, turtlenecks, and an oc-casional scarf and cap have become a way of life. If something goes wrong at our house, like a crack or a stain, we just hide it with a plant. That’s kind of what I’m doing with my body.
However, I’m hiding cosmetic flaws. A damaged tooth is medical. Telling me to ignore a cracked tooth is almost like saying there’s some-thing wrong with my spleen but I should just leave it.
I decided to confront my dentist about this and asked, “If your patient was 30 years old, would you tell him to just leave it?”
“You’re not 30,” he answered.
“Okay,” I replied, “but do you have a 30-year-old-patient who has a cracked bicuspid?”
“I can’t reveal the condition of my patients,” he said.
I didn’t realize that a tooth was privileged information but I pressed on.
“Okay, let’s say you have a hypo-thetical patient who was hypotheti-cally 30 years old. Would you tell him to leave it?”
“I can’t comment on hypotheti-cal patients,” he said, dismissing my question.
I decided to confront him directly: “Why did you tell me to leave it?”
“A lot of different reasons,” he said. I could tell that I had broken through his arrogance and he was starting to get a little nervous.
“Like what?” I asked.“You know,” he said. Sweat started
to drip down his face.“No, I don’t,” I replied, backing him
into a corner. “It’s because…” He started to de-
velop a tic.“Because why?” I pressed.“Because you’re old!” he yelled, los-
ing control. It’s strange watching a dentist
lose it. He got all red in the face, his hands were shaking, and he started mumbling almost incoherently about how he should have gone to law school. I was afraid he was going to collapse into his spit tank. He finally gathered himself together and told me if I mentioned this to anyone he would deny it.
I felt victorious as I walked out of his office. Unfortunately I haven’t found a new dentist and still have the crack in my tooth.
Oh well, maybe I’ll just leave it. ■
Maybe I should just leave it “I would like to commend Terri Benson and Liesl Greathouse for the well-written articles (October and November BEACONs) on our area Elks Lodges. The material was accurate and put forth a very positive image of the Elks and the good work we do. The Grand Junction secretary told me that they have added several new members because of your article.” - Robert Kapus, District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler
Kevin: Wow! That’s what we live for—telling good stories that get our readers out and about doing good stuff! Thanks for letting us know about your success.
“What a handsome man Dick Ball is. He made for a great photo on the cover of your recent paper (November BEA-CON). Do you have his phone number? I also noticed that the Free Press had Dick on their front cover as well.” - Lauren T., Grand Junction
Kevin: Dick Ball is indeed a handsome man and I wish that I could take credit for that photo, but it was submitted to us by the parade organizer, Greg Mer-schel. I actually don’t have Mr. Ball’s number, but good luck with that. As for the Free Press, the November issue of the BEACON Senior Newspaper came out a week before theirs, but you know what they say about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.
“I wanted to thank the local RSVP group for their annual help with Medi-care. When it’s time for me to re-sign with my health plan, the first thing I do is go visit them.” - Barbara W., Grand Junction
kudos\ku·dos
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2580 US Hwy. 6&50 Grand Junction (Next to Chrysler-Dodge)
Mon–Sat, 10–6
December 2014 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com 47
P R E M I E R S E N I O R L I V I N G C O M M U N I T I E S
L O C A L L Y O W N E D A N D O P E R A T E D B Y H I L L T O P - M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E F O R P E O P L E O F A L L A G E S
Visit Hilltop’s independent and assisted living communitiestoday and discover a world of gracious living, personalized
care and unsurpassed amenities.
n On-site physician visits and medical transportation
n 24-hour emergency response
n Personal assistance, room service & pet walking
n Luxurious apartments featuring great views & spacious floorplans
n Temporary assisted living stays
n Social activities and trips
n Restaurant-style dining
Now Renting Studio, 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments
The Fountains(970) 243-88003203 N. 15th Street
www.TheFountainsGJ.org
The Commons(970) 243-3333
625 27 1/2 Roadwww.TheCommonsGJ.org
The Independence we wantand the Support we need.
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE AND SALEWednesday, December 38:00 am–8:00 pm Wooden Horse Gift ShopSt. Mary’s Hospital, Entrance 1
10 percent off all merchandise, except candy and flowers Cash and credit cards acceptedSorry, no checks.
TREE AND WREATH SILENT AUCTIONFriday, December 59:00 am–2:00 pm St. Mary’s Hospital, Entrance 1
Make the winning bid and take home a wreath or table-top tree beautifully decorated by St. Mary’s associates.
Take the covered walkway from our parking garage to the Main Floor lobby.
Y ou might not think of shopping for Christmas decorations and gifts at a hospital, but you should. Just inside the front door of
St. Mary’s Hospital is an unusual little shop— The Wooden Horse. Operated by the Friends of St. Mary’s, the hospital’s auxiliary group, the shop is managed and staffed by volunteers. Not only is the shop’s merchandise special, but where the store’s profits go is special, too. The shop’s proceeds are donated to St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation and used to support a patient care project or program. Gift shop customers say they like knowing their purchase helps patients because they appreciated the care they or a family member received at St. Mary’s. In addition to baby gifts, flowers, cards, jewelry, fashion accessories, plush toys, and other gifts, the shop carries items handmade by
volunteer crafters and artisans who meet
once a week to create blankets, hats, scarves, and
Weight Loss Surgery SeminarsLearn how weight loss surgery works and who qualifies at a free seminar presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center. Call 970-298-6400 to register.
GRAND JUNCTION St. Mary’s Life Center Wed., Dec. 10, Noon–1:30 pm Wed., Dec. 17, 5:30–7:00 pm
MONTROSE Holiday Inn Express Thurs., Dec. 18, 5:30–7:00 pm
“I used to have to think about my diabetes 100 percent of the time. Now, no more pills, no more insulin. I’m free again.”
–Tom Ballard, Glade ParkGastric bypass surgery patient
Living with DiabetesNext class starts January 6 Four-week series for people with type 2 diabetes. Learn to live your best, healthiest life through weight management, diet, and current technology. Call 298-2582 for information and to schedule an initial appointment with a diabetes educator prior to the class. A physician referral is required. Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans provide a diabetes education benefit.
St. Mary’s Life Center Tuesdays, Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27 1:00–3:00 pm 2686 Patterson Road
News flash! St. Mary’s diabetes self-management education program has been awarded continued Recognition from the American Diabetes Association. This designation helps people with diabetes identify a high quality education program. St. Mary’s diabetes education program has been continuously “recognized” since 1995.
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