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Maria Romano Marcinko stands with a couple of feral cats inside theSteelton Community Cats program’s headquarters, now located in a
century-old renovated bank building on Front Street in Steelton.
The Beach at the End
of the Trail
page 6
Ergonomic Tools that Can
Ease Gardening Pains
page 8
Inside:
By Rebecca Hanlon
Maria Romano Marcinko is severely allergic to cats.The itchy skin and shortened breaths would send most people running
from these critters.But Marcinko can’t stay away.The 58-year-old Steelton woman founded the Steelton Community Cats
program in 2010 shortly after being appointed to a seat on the boroughcouncil.
The first item on the agenda that was handed to her in September 2009was for a municipal contract with the Humane Society in Dauphin County.Thousands of taxpayer dollars were being spent each year for the care of strayanimals. More than 85 percent of those were feral cats.
“I’ve always been an animal lover,” Marcinko said. “They hoped thatbecause I had experience in dog rescue services that maybe I could help withthe overwhelming cat population that Steelton suffered.”
The challenge was “staying outside of the box,” Marcinko said. She tried to understand the concerns of residents who became attached to
the cats, while at the same time relating to the frustrations of neighbors whowanted strays to stay off their lawns.
Feisty feral cats can damage plants, outdoor furniture, and flowerbeds, shesaid. But there was a solution.
please see FELINES page 12
Councilwoman Heads SuccessfulFeral-Cat Program
For the Love of
Felines
Dauphin County Edition August 2014 Vol. 16 No. 8
2 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
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he letter began: “Dear Saralee,I’ll get right to it. We arecousins.”
When I first read Robin’s words, Ididn’t believe her. How could I have a firstcousin I knew nothing about?
She found me by Googling my name. “I would love to speak with you and
share family memories,” she wrote. So Icalled her at her home in Pennsylvania.
Sure enough, her mother was my AuntRebecca. I never even knew my aunt had achild.
When Robin and I spoke, it was liketalking to a sister. We used the sameexpressions, laughed and cried alike,related like we’d never been apart, andeven described ourselves in the same goofyway: as lunatics.
Her children’s careers are in writing andpsychology, just like my professions. Weboth sign our emails: “Love, me.” And weeach include our dogs in the family photos
we send.Together, we figured out
why we never knew eachother existed.
I haven’t thought about mymother’s melancholia in awhile. Oh, how I blamemyself for waiting until it wastoo late to make things better.
Mom’s history was one ofneglect and abuse. She wantedso desperately to be loved, buther fury at her parents wasunrelenting. So she took it out on themost important people in her world—theones she held closest to her heart.
Most of her family wouldn’t speak toher. She didn’t understand that byconstantly hanging up on relatives aftershouting at them, they’d stop calling.
She didn’t understand that being meandidn’t solve problems; it just alienatedpeople.
And I didn’t understandthat when Mom slammedher door each time I’d leave,it was because she wantedme nearby, in her home andin her heart.
My poor mother crippledher own life when all shetruly wanted was thecloseness she never had.How immature and selfishof me, as an adult, not tosee the love she so deeply
longed for. When I told Robin that Momended her own life, she was not surprised.
And so, Aunt Rebecca and herhusband, my uncle Jack, were included inthe sad picture of estranged relatives.Therefore, I had no idea Robin existed—until now.
Sadly, everyone, other than my brother,stopped talking with me when they gaveup on my mom. Although I’ve tried to
reconnect, no one has responded. Butnow, I’ve been accepted into a new family,with all the richness that goes along withfeeling welcomed by loved ones with ashared past.
In her first email, Robin wrote, “I wasawake all last night thinking of us. I findit unbelievable but wonderful andastounding! If you tried to write it, theywould call it fiction.”
I said, “I’m so happy you found me.”“So am I.”My mother would have treasured being
a part of this extraordinary reunion. Afterall, the love I found is all she ever wanted.
The truth is—my mother loved me asintensely as I loved her.
If only I had said, “I love you, Mom. Ididn’t mean to hurt you so much,especially when I left for college. Younever meant to hurt me. You just wantedme to always be with you because youloved me in the purest sense. I should
Such is Life
Saralee Perel
Finding a Family Again
Saralee and her motherin 1977.
T
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 3
Zimmerman Auer Funeral Home, Inc.4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg(717) 545-4001
Central PA Poison Center(800) 521-6110
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Zimmerman Auer Funeral Home, Inc.4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg(717) 545-4001
Alzheimer’s Association(717) 651-5020
American Diabetes Association(800) 342-2383
Arthritis Foundation – Central PA Chapter(717) 763-0900
CONTACT Helpline(717) 652-4400
The National Kidney Foundation(717) 757-0604(800) 697-7007
PACE(800) 225-7223
Social Security Information(800) 772-1213
Tri-County Association for the Blind(717) 238-2531
PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council(717) 232-6787
Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hardof Hearing(800) 233-3008 V/TTY
3-D Consultants(717) 651-5133
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Homeland Hospice2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115, Harrisburg(717) 221-7890
B’Nai B’rith Apartments130 S. Third St., Harrisburg(717) 232-7516
Dauphin County Housing Authority(717) 939-9301
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Apprise Insurance Counseling(800) 783-7067
New York Life Insurance Co.William Gumbinger(717) 230-0648
Daley Zucker Meilton & Miner, LLCAttorneys at Law635 North 12th Street, Lemoyne(717) 724-9821
Homeland Center1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg(717) 221-7902
Homeland Center1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg(717) 221-7902
CVS/pharmacywww.cvs.com
Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging(717) 255-2790
The Salvation ArmyEdgemont Temple Corps(717) 238-8678
American Lung Association(800) LUNG-USA
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Meals on Wheels(800) 621-6325
National Council on Aging(800) 424-9046
Social Security Office(800) 772-1213
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Lebanon VA Medical Center1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon(717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771
Veterans Services
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have known this.” I wish I had told her that even though
we didn’t shop, talk on the phone, orshare secrets and laughter the way many
mothers and daughters do, we still lovedeach other profoundly—as strongly asrivers can flow and birds can soar.
Maybe, oh maybe, somewhere in her
tender, aching heart, she knew.
Saralee Perel is an award-winning, nationallysyndicated columnist. Her new book is
Cracked Nuts & Sentimental Journeys: StoriesFrom a Life Out of Balance. To find out more,visit www.saraleeperel.com or [email protected].
All I have to do to get mygrandkids’ eyes rolling is talkabout the good old days.
No, I don’t tell ’em how far I walkedto school (school was only a block away).But I might say I remember when, if youwanted to change channels on the TV,you had to get up, walk over, and turn aknob.
Then I’ll tell them how you had to
adjust the rabbit ears to get a betterpicture. They’re not curious enough toask me what rabbit ears were, or howgreat The Colgate Comedy Hour was.They don’t care.
They don’t care if I never had atelephone that took pictures. Or howwe’d send film into Kodak and get printsback in a week. They’re too busy texting.And they never heard of Kodak. I
remember when text was not a verb andtexting was not a word.
Yes, I have a cell phone. I’m not aLuddite. “Does it have a crank on it?”you’re probably asking. No, it doesn’t. It’sa TracFone. No, it’s not smart, but itonly costs me $7 a month. When you’reon a fixed income (a euphemism forbeing broke), things like that matter.
I have given up on getting my
grandkids to join me in a game ofcheckers, dominos, or pickup sticks. ButI’ve learned to get their attention byasking them to show me their latestvideo game—a game that interests meabout as much as my games interestthem.
We do have that in common.
Visit www.nostalgiaroad.com
Nostalgia Road
Dick Dedrick
When I Was Your Age
4 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
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Hyperthermia: Too Hot for Your Health
During the summer, it isimportant for everyone, especiallyolder adults and people withchronic medical conditions, to beaware of the dangers ofhyperthermia. The NationalInstitute on Aging (NIA), part ofthe NIH, has some tips to helpmitigate some of the dangers.
Hyperthermia is an abnormallyhigh body temperature caused by afailure of the heat-regulatingmechanisms in the body to dealwith the heat coming from theenvironment. Heat stroke, heatsyncope (sudden dizziness afterprolonged exposure to the heat),heat cramps, heat exhaustion, andheat fatigue are common forms ofhyperthermia.
People can be at increased riskfor these conditions, depending onthe combination of outsidetemperature, their general health,and individual lifestyle.
Older people, particularly thosewith chronic medical conditions,should stay indoors, preferably withair conditioning or at least a fanand air circulation, on hot andhumid days, especially when an airpollution alert is in effect.
Living in housing without airconditioning, not drinking enoughfluids, not understanding how torespond to the weather conditions,lack of mobility and access totransportation, overdressing, andvisiting overcrowded places are alllifestyle factors that can increase therisk for hyperthermia.
People without air conditionersshould go to places that do have airconditioning, such as senior centers,shopping malls, movie theaters, andlibraries. Cooling centers, whichmay be set up by local public health
agencies, religious groups, andsocial service organizations in manycommunities, are another option.
The risk for hyperthermia mayincrease from:
• Age-related changes to the skin,such as poor blood circulation andinefficient sweat glands
• Alcohol use
• Being substantially overweight orunderweight
• Dehydration
• Heart, lung, and kidney diseases,as well as any illness that causesgeneral weakness or fever
• High blood pressure or otherhealth conditions that requirechanges in diet. For example,people on salt-restricted diets maybe at increased risk. However, saltpills should not be used withoutfirst consulting a physician.
• Reduced perspiration, caused bymedications such as diuretics,sedatives, tranquilizers, and certainheart and blood pressure drugs
• Use of multiple medications. It isimportant, however, to continue totake prescribed medication anddiscuss possible problems with aphysician.
Heat stroke is a life-threateningform of hyperthermia. It occurswhen the body is overwhelmed byheat and is unable to control itstemperature.
Heat stroke occurs whensomeone’s body temperature
increases significantly (above 104degrees Fahrenheit) and showssymptoms of the following: strong,rapid pulse; lack of sweating; dry,flushed skin; mental status changes(like combativeness or confusion);staggering; faintness; or coma.
Seek immediate emergencymedical attention for a person withany of these symptoms, especiallyan older adult.
If you suspect someone issuffering from a heat-related illness:
• Get the person out of the heatand into a shady, air-conditioned,or other cool place. Urge the personto lie down.
• If you suspect heat stroke, call911. Apply a cold, wet cloth to thewrists, neck, armpits, and/or groin.These are places where blood passesclose to the surface of the skin, andthe cold cloths can help cool theblood.
• Help the individual to bathe orsponge off with cool water.
• If the person can swallow safely,offer fluids such as water or fruitand vegetable juices, but avoidalcohol and caffeine.
The Low-Income Home EnergyAssistance Program (LIHEAP)within the Administration forChildren and Families in the U.S.Department of Health and HumanServices helps eligible households payfor home cooling and heating costs.
People interested in applying forassistance should contact their localor state LIHEAP agency or go tohttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap.
ER vs. Clinic: Which to Choose?Hospital emergency rooms are
stretched thin by almost 130million visits a year. Many of thesevisits are triggered by complaintsthat could be handled moreefficiently at same-day clinics orpharmacy care centers.
How do you know which tochoose?
Go to the emergency room (orcall an ambulance) if you or a friendexperience any of these serioussymptoms:
• Persistent chest pain• Persistent shortness of breath• Severe pain, especially in the
abdomen or the lower back• Loss of balance or fainting• Difficulty speaking or thinking
clearly• Sudden, severe headache
On the other hand, most same-day clinics are able to treat theseroutine health problems:
• Fever (except in the case of anewborn infant)
• Minor trauma such as cuts andsprains
• Urinary tract infections• Severe sore throat• Nausea and vomiting• Minor eye irritation
A clinic will also be able to adviseyou to go to the emergency room ifyour condition is more serious thanyou realize.
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 5
EAST COAST GOSPEL BEST 2014Singles gospel singing competition
Aug. 30 & Sept. 6, 2014Audition in person on Aug. 9
Auditions on CD accepted until Aug. 16All ages welcome!
Registration fee – $25
For more information, event tickets, or audition guidelines, contactValerie Waller at (717) 233-2364 or [email protected]
www.eastcoastgospelbest.com
Hosted by New HopeLiving Baptist Church
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Your Changing Eyes
By Rebecca Mills
The primary cause of blindness in theUnited States, cataracts occur as the lensof the eye naturally breaks down withage. By the time you reach age 65, thereis a 50 percent chance you already have acataract.
Most people are born with a crystal-clear lens, and it stays relatively clearthroughout most of your life. Over time,this crystalline lens becomes more opaquebecause the water and protein that makeup the lens begin to clump together.
When looking at the pupils ofsomeone withcataracts, it looks liketiny clouds insidetheir eyes. Just asclouds block out ourvision of the sky,these small cloudsinhibit a person’sability to see clearly.
The symptoms ofa cataract can bequite subtle at first,only causing minimaldisruption to yourvision. Small parts ofyour field of view may be fuzzy and outof focus. Cataract sufferers often believetheir prescription is just changing, sothey opt for stronger glasses or lenses.Unfortunately, getting a strongerprescription only puts a temporarybandage on the problem.
Other symptoms may include: glarearound lights, double vision, poor nightvision, and poor color recognition.
While researchers are unsure whetheror not cataracts can be prevented, thereare steps a person can take in order tolower the risk of developing them. Theseinclude:> Wearing protective sunglasses> Not smoking> Reducing alcohol use> Maintaining a healthy weight> Including fruits and vegetables in your
daily diet
An optometrist can do some routineprocedures to determine whether apatient has cataracts. These include avisual acuity test, looking into the eyewith a light, and dilating the pupils tolook closely at the lens.
If cataracts are found on the lens, talkto your eye doctor about your optionsand see whether surgery would be thebest choice for you. Cataract surgery isrecommended if your life is beginning tosuffer. Many people decide to opt out ofthe surgery initially and then undergo itlater once their vision deterioratessubstantially.
The goodnews is thatcataract surgeryis a fairly simpleprocedure. Thesurgery involvesmaking a smallincision in thelens, removingthe cataract, andreplacing thelens with anartificial one.
Normally thedoctor will only
do the surgery in one eye at a time,waiting a month or so between the firstand second eye. As with any procedure,the surgery does come with a risk ofinfection and bleeding.
As many as 85-92 percent of adultswho opted to have cataract surgery weresatisfied with the results of theprocedure, and many of those whoweren’t satisfied had other preexistingeye conditions.
The surgery itself has a 95 percentsuccess rate, and the people who havetheir cataracts removed are relieved to beable to keep their vision for years tocome.
If you think you may be developingcataracts, please contact your eye careprofessional. For more information oncataracts, visit the National Eye Institutewebsite at www.nei.nih.gov.
More Seniors Documenting
End-of-Life WishesThe percentage of senior citizens with
living wills was 72 percent in 2010, arecord number and a substantial increasefrom 47 percent in 2000.
The figures come from a studypublished in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society, examining data fromthe Health and Retirement Studyconducted by the University ofMichigan Institute for Social Researchon behalf of the U.S. National Instituteon Aging.
6 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
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Traveltizers Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel
By Andrea Gross
Lewis and Clark traveledmore than 4,000 milessearching for a water
route that would span theAmerican West. Where did theyend up? On a small stretch ofsand near Seaside, Ore., 80miles west of Portland.
Today Seaside is a popularrecreational community,attracting visitors who wantsurf-perfect waves, abundanttide pools, good hiking, and thechance to follow the Lewis andClark Corps of Discoveryduring the last days of their journey tothe Pacific.
My husband and I walk throughtown, heading toward a bronze statuethat immortalizes the area’s flirt withfame. The streets are filled with people.
Some are simply strolling, enjoyingthe sea-fresh air, while others areshopping in an eclectic assortment of
stores, many of which are arrangedaround an old-fashioned merry-go-round in the aptly named CarouselMall.
Of course, we intersperse ourmeanderings with food—a fish taco atFirehouse Grill, homemade root beerand ice cream at Flashback’s, and a cupof the clam chowder that Bon Appétit
dubbed “one of America’s top 10 soups”at Norma’s.
To work off the calories, we go toWheel Fun Rentals, where we debatewhether to rent a surrey (elegant), atandem bike (easy, especially for me), ora regular bicycle (exercise for both of us).
We finally opt for bikes so we canexplore areas on the outskirts of town as
well as pedal the Promenade, a1.5-mile concrete path that runsparallel to the sea.
There, at the point where theProm intersects Broadway, is thebronze statue of the twoexplorers. It’s larger than life, asbefits the men it depicts, and isbacked with a sign that reads,“the END of the LEWIS &CLARK trail, 1805-1806.”
The next morning we set outto learn why and how Seasidebecame the last stop of theLewis and Clark expedition.
We begin at CapeDisappointment, 30 miles
northwest of Seaside. “Since this is one of the foggiest
places in the country, it’s almost certainthat you’re having the same weather asdid the Lewis and Clark team,” says aranger. “But they were too elated toworry about the weather; they hadfinally reached the Pacific Ocean.”
We forego the beachcombing for
The Beach at the End of the Trail
A bronze statue of Lewis andClark stands near the beach in
Seaside, Ore.
People relax on the bench near thePromenade, the 1.5-mile concretewalkway that parallels the beach.
Men from the Lewis and Clarkexpedition first spotted the PacificOcean near Cape Disappointment.
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www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 7
which the 1,900-acre park is famous,instead spending our time at theinterpretive center and hiking a trail thatwas used by the corpsmen as theyexplored the area.
Although the men were eager toreturn home after achieving their goal,many a snow-covered mountain stoodbetween the Pacific Ocean and theirstarting point in St. Louis. They neededa hunkering place for the winter, andthey found a suitable spot on theOregon side of the Columbia River,midway between the Cape and Seaside.
Today that spot, Fort Clatsop, is aNational Historical Park that features afull-size replica of the original fort,ranger-led programs, an exhibit area, anda bookstore that will please even themost devoted Lewis and Clark fans.
As we walk through the fort, acostumed interpreter explains what lifewas like during the winter of 1805-06.In short, it was hard. The men werealmost out of food, and they spent muchof their time hunting elk, deer, and smallgame.
On one occasion, hearing that awhale had washed ashore, they hikedover Tillamook Head to the beach inwhat is now Ecola State Park. To theirdismay, by the time they arrived, theAmerican Indians had picked the whaleclean.
We consider following the explorers’footsteps until we read that Clark calledTillamook Head “the steepest, worst &
highest mountain I ever ascended.” Figuring that he was undoubtedly in
better shape than we are, we hop in the
car for a 15-minute drive to Ecola. Fromthere it’s a comparatively easy trek to thebeached whale site.
But the men not only had to getfood, they also had to preserve it; and todo that, they had to extract salt from theocean.
Therefore, five corpsmen established asmall outpost on a nearby beach. Theymade ovens from rocks, found branchesfor fuel, and boiled seawater for twomonths, collecting enough preservativeto safeguard their food for the rest oftheir trip.
A month later the corps headed east,and the abandoned salt works thusbecame the expedition’s westernmostcampsite. Today the reconstructed site isjust a few blocks from the statue thatproclaims Seaside as the end of the Lewisand Clark trail.
We sit on the Prom, the ocean infront of us, the statue behind us. While Isuspect Lewis and Clark were happy toreturn home, they couldn’t have found amore beautiful place to end theirjourney.
As for us, we’d like to stay forever.www.seasideor.com
Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted;story by Andrea Gross(www.andreagross.com).
Fort Clatsop consisted of two rows of hutsseparated by a central gathering spot.
An old-fashioned merry-go-round repletewith 24 fanciful animals dominates the
Carousel Mall.
Broadway Street is a perfect place to shop,snack, or just have a relaxing stroll.
Tillamook Head is at the southern endof Seaside Beach.
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CAREGIVERSOLUTIONSCAREGIVERSOLUTIONS
Dear Savvy Senior,Can you recommend some good
ergonomic gardening gear for seniors? I ama 72-year-old who loves to work in thegarden, but I have been plagued by variousgardening injuries this year.– Looking for Solutions
Dear Looking,There’s no doubt that gardening can
be tough on an aging body. Garden workoften requires a lot of repetitive stooping,squatting, kneeling, gripping, and lifting,which can lead to back and knee pain,carpal tunnel syndrome, and variousother injuries.
To help make your gardening chores alittle easier is a slew of new andimproved gardening gear that’slightweight, comfortable to use, andergonomically designed to help protectyour body from the physical strains ofgardening.
Here are severalthat can help.
Gloves: Thereare a number ofspecially designedgloves that canimprove your gripand protect yourhands while youwork.
Two of the bestare the “AtlasNitrile TouchGarden Gloves”(available atAmazon.com forless than $6),which are coatedwith a flexible,synthetic rubber.
And the“ReliefGrip
Gardening” gloves(www.bionicgloves.com, $35) have extrapadding in the palmand finger joints,which can improvegrip and cause fewercalluses and blisters.
Digging tools:There are ergonomictools that can helpprotect your wristsby reducing thebending andtwisting wristmovement that oftencomes with diggingand weeding.
Some goodoptions includeRadius Garden tools(www.radiusgarden.com), which
make a variety of curved-handle handtools (scooper, weeder, transplanter,cultivator, and trowel) and shovels thatrun between $10 and $50.
And check out Corona tools(www.coronatoolsusa.com), which makesthe ComfortGEL and eGrip hand gardentools.
Another excellent product is the“Cobrahead Weeder and Cultivator”(www.cobrahead.com), an all-purposedigging and weeding tool, available in ashort-handle version for close-up workfor $25 and a long handle for standingwork for $60.
Knee and back aids: Kneepads andgarden seats can also protect your kneesand save your back when working closeto the ground.
Some popular products sold todaythrough the Gardener’s Supply Company(www.gardeners.com) are the “GardenEase
Ergonomic Toolsthat Can Ease Gardening Pains
Savvy Senior
Jim Miller
A raised garden table is an optionfor more ergonomic gardening
(Your Garden Solution).
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 9
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Presenters:
Home Repairs – Clean Up – Lawn Mowing
717-545-8747www.SeniorHomeRepairs.com
Harrisburg, PA – PA029774
Yard Clean Up
Lawn Mowing
Replace Electrical Outlets and
Switches
Hang Pictures, Curtain and
Shower Rods
Repair Leaky Faucets and
Toilets
Install Hand Rails and Grab Bars
Install Handicap Fixtures and
Access Ramps
Painting Interior and Exterior
Tile Re-grouting and Sealing
Small Building and Remodeling
Projects
Dedicated to helping the senior generationlive independently in their homes.
Patch or Repair Drywall
Install Window AC Units
Repair or Replace
Windows/Doors/Screens
Replace Locks and Door Knobs
Repair Fencing and Gates
Clean & Repair Gutters and
Down Spouts
Pressure Wash Home and Deck
Seal and Stain Deck
Trim Shrubs, Hedges, and Small
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Weeding and Planting
Mulch Flower Beds
Prep Home For Sale/We Buy Homes
Sweating BulletsOver Your
Home Repairs List?WE CAN HELP!
New York Life Insurance Co.3401 North Front St.Harrisburg, PA 17110
Jeffrey Dresely – Reg. Rep.717-230-0629
Craig Watford – Agent717-221-4313
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Life InsuranceCollege Funding
InvestmentsRetirement Funding
Long-Term Care Insurance
Kneeler” ($70), which is a kneelingpad with support handles; the “GardenKneeler” ($35) that’s a kneepad/gardenbench combo; and the “Deluxe TractorScoot with Bucket Basket,” which is aheight-adjustable, swivel garden seaton wheels ($90).
Pruning tools: Fiskars (www.fiskars.com) makes some of the finestergonomic pruning tools that have alsoearned the Arthritis Foundation’s Easeof Use Commendation because of theirpatented PowerGear mechanisms thatincrease leverage to make cutting threetimes easier than traditional pruners.
The Fiskars PowerGear handpruners, loppers, and hedge shears allrun between $25 and $48.
Bahco and Corona also make a niceline of ergonomic pruning tools andhandsaws that you can see atwww.bahcostore.com or www.coronatoolsusa.com.
Watering: To help make yourwatering chores a little easier, there arelightweight garden hoses, soaker ordrip hoses that can be snakedthroughout the garden, and hose cheststhat can automatically rewindthemselves.
Some good companies that makethese products include Water RightInc. (www.waterrightinc.com), whichmakes a variety of super lightweightgarden and coil hoses; the DIG Corp.(www.digcorp.com), which makesconvenient drip-irrigation kits andmicro sprinkler kits; and Suncast(www.suncast.com), the leading makerof self-winding hose reels and hosecarts.
Container gardening: Raisedgarden beds, trellises, and containergardening are also easier ways to growplants and flowers because it brings thegarden to you, eliminating moststooping, squatting, and kneeling.
The Gardener’s Supply Company(www.gardeners.com) offers a widerange of raised beds and gardencontainers at prices ranging anywherebetween $10 up to $350.
Locally, Your Garden Solution(www.yourgardensolution.org, (717)919-1010) offers raised beds andgarden tables in a similar price range.
Jim Miller is a regular contributor to theNBC Today show and author of The SavvySenior Book. www.savvysenior.org
The listings with a shaded background have additional informationabout their center in a display advertisement in this edition.
CCRCs offer a tiered approach to the aging process, accommodating residents’ unique and often changing needs.
Healthy adults entering a CRCC are able to live independently in a home, apartment, or condominium of their own withinthe community. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can move into personal care, assisted living,rehabilitation, or nursing care facilities. Some CCRCs have designated dementia areas within the community. These unitsaddress the progressing needs of people who have any form of dementia.
With a wealth of available resources, these communities give older adults the option to live in one location for the durationof their lives, with much of their future care already figured out — which equals both comfort and peace of mind.
The CCRC Communities listed are sponsoring this message. This is not an all-inclusive list.
CCRCContinuing Care
Retirement Communities
Bethany Village325 Wesley DriveMechanicsburg, PA 17055Stephanie LightfootDirector of Sales & Marketing(717) 766-0279www.bethanyvillage.org
Chapel Pointeat Carlisle770 South Hanover StreetCarlisle, PA 17013Linda AmsleyDirector of Marketing/Admissions(717) 713-2201www.chapelpointe.com
Church of God Home801 North Hanover StreetCarlisle, PA 17013Sherry HeimDirector of Development/PR(717) [email protected]
Cross Keys VillageThe Brethren Home Community2990 Carlisle PikeNew Oxford, PA 17350Amy KirkpatrickSenior Retirement Counselor(717) 624-5350a.kirkpatrick@crosskeysvillage.orgwww.crosskeysvillage.org
Garden Spot Village433 South Kinzer AvenueNew Holland, PA 17557Megan FarberSales and Marketing(717) [email protected]
Calvary FellowshipHomes502 Elizabeth DriveLancaster, PA 17601Marlene MorrisMarketing Director(717) 393-0711www.calvaryhomes.org
Charles Wilson grew up in a smalltown near Bel Air, Md. Thoughhe didn’t know it then, he was to
spend a lot of time over the broadPacific on the opposite side of the worldfrom his home.
In January of 1943, he enlisted in theArmy Air Corps and entered the aviationcadet program. After basic, he went toclassified, where he passed all therequirements to become either a pilot, anavigator, or a bombardier. He chose tobecome a pilot and started pilot trainingat Albany, Ga.
He soon discovered that there were
lots of ways to “washout” of pilot training,and he then went tonavigator training atSelma, Ala. There, inDecember 1943, he wonhis navigator wings and acommission as secondlieutenant.
The Air Corps waslooking for navigatorswho had also qualifiedto be bombardiers, so hevolunteered to attendbombardier school at
Roswell, N.M. He thereearned his bombardierwings before beingassigned to a B-25 crewat Greenville, S.C.
The standard B-25crew was made up ofeight men: pilot, copilot,navigator, bombardier,radio man, two waistgunners, and a tailgunner. In his case,however, it was onlyseven men, since heserved as both navigator
and bombardier.Their route to combat took them to
California, Hawaii, and New Guinea.How did they find their way across thosegreat expanses of the Pacific?
“That’s where I came in,” he grins.“By looking down through the Nordenbombsight, I could see the waves, andthat helped me estimate the directionand force of the wind.”
And where did he learn to do that? “In Selma,” he says, “right out of the
textbook.” But without any real waves to see? “Yeah,” he says airily, “but it worked
In WWII in the Pacific, There Was a Lotof Water to Fly Over Between Islands
Robert D. Wilcox
Salute to a Veteran
2LT Charles A. Wilson in 1943as he earned his navigator
wings and commission.
10 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
The CCRC Communities listed are sponsoring this message. This is not an all-inclusive list.
CCRCContinuing Care
Retirement Communities
Willow Valley Communities600 Willow Valley SquareLancaster, PA 17602Kristin HambletonDirector of Sales(717) 464-6800(800) 770-5445www.willowvalleycommunities.org
Woodcrest VillaMennonite Home Communities2001 Harrisburg PikeLancaster, PA 17601Connie BuckwalterDirector of Marketing(717) 390-4126www.woodcrestvilla.org
Normandie RidgeSenior Living Community1700 Normandie DriveYork, PA 17408Joyce SingerDirector of Sales & Marketing(717) 718-0937www.normandieridge.org
Homeland Center1901 North Fifth StreetHarrisburg, PA 17102-1598Barry S. Ramper II, N.H.A.President/CEO(717) 221-7902www.homelandcenter.org
Homestead Village Enhanced Senior Living1800 Marietta AvenueP.O. Box 3227Lancaster, PA 17604-3227Susan L. DoyleDirector of Marketing(717) 397-4831 ext. 158www.homesteadvillage.org
The Middletown Home999 West Harrisburg PikeMiddletown, PA 17057Andrea HenneyDirector of Residential Services(717) 944-3351 www.MiddletownHome.org
Serving from theHeart in the Spirit of
Friendship, Love,and Truth
If you would like to be featured
on this important page,
please contact your
account representative or call
(717) 285-1350.
St. Anne’sRetirement Community3952 Columbia AvenueWest Hempfield Township, PA 17512Christina GallagherDirector of Marketing(717) 285-5443cgallagher@stannesrc.orgwww.stannesretirementcommunity.com
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 11
out just fine when you had real waves tolook at. And,” he adds, “I was able to‘shoot the sun’ to judge our speed overthe water.”
With a smile, he says, “It had towork, because I didn’t even know how toswim.”
After bombing the Japanese on NewGuinea and nearby islands, he and hiscrew were relocated to Morotai Island,where it rained for a solid month.Everything—their clothing, theirbedding, everything they had—wascontinually soaked.
Although they flew missions throughthe weather, everybody got “jungle rot.”Their hands swelled up with the tropicalinfection so that they couldn’t even write.Fortunately, the medics had an ointmentto treat it, but it was an experience thatWilson would prefer to forget.
The crew moved again, this time toPalawan Island in the Philippines, where
they bombed Luzon and nearby islands.Wilson says all the island settlementswere on the edge of islands, close to thewater. So they would circle over theland, then, at treetop height, dropbombs on the facilities on their waytoward the water so that, if they werehit, they’d be able to ditch in the waterrather than crash on the land in Japanesehands.
Not all missions involved bombs,though. The Japanese planted crops onsome of the islands they captured. Thefood they produced was needed, becausere-supply from Japan was so precarious.Wilson remembers flying missions tospray those crops with oil and destroythem.
On another kind of mission entirely,their B-25s were fitted with auxiliaryfuel tanks, and they flew a 16-hourmission, leading P-38s to a rendezvouswith B-24s off the coast of China,
aircraft that went on to bomb Japanesebases in China.
On one other key mission, they wereto fly to Leyte Island to cover GeneralMacArthur’s return to the Philippines.They ran into a huge monsoon theytried to climb over, but every time theyneared the top of the clouds, they foundthat the clouds were climbing faster thanthey were. So they had to abort theirshot at history being made.
Did he ever get shot up in combat? “No,” he says. “The closest we came
was when we were supporting theinvasion of Borneo. I saw the B-25 tothe left of us go down in flames. Thenthe same thing happened to the plane tothe right of us. But we came through itwithout a scratch.
“Then, after I had flown 53 missions,my tour was over, and I returned to theU.S. on a converted ocean liner. Justbefore we reached California, we got
news that the A-bomb had beendropped on Hiroshima. And the newsthat the Japanese had surrenderedreached us on the day that I musteredout of the Air Corps at Fort Meade.”
Wilson then entered the University ofMaryland on the G.I. Bill and in 1950graduated with a B.A. in mathematics.He taught high school mathematics for acouple of years, and then worked forthree years at Aberdeen Proving Groundsusing wind tunnels to study the effect ofwind on missiles.
For many years thereafter, he wrotecomputer programs for a major financecompany.
He often thinks of—but rarelydiscusses—all those hours he flew in thePacific with nothing below him butwater.
Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber inEurope in World War II.
12 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
Everyone likes to read good news, so tell us what’s happeningin your part of the world so we can share it with others!
Here are some ideas of what we hope you will contribute:
• a birthday or anniversary milestone
• a volunteer who should be recognized
• a photo of a smile that begs to be shared
• a groundbreaking event
• community activities
• support programs
• local news
We would love to consider your submissionfor an upcoming issue of 50plus Senior News*.
Please note: submissions must be received bythe 10th of the month prior to insertion.
* Submissions will be included as space permits.
For more information or to submit your happenings,
email Megan Joyce at [email protected] or mail to:
50plus Senior NewsMegan Joyce
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Help 50plus Senior Newsspread your local news!
In just months, Marcinko wouldbecome closer to the felines that causedher to sniffle.
To solve the problem of wasted taxdollars and control the growing catcolonies, Marcinko adopted a populartrack, spay/neuter, and return program.Instead of euthanizing feral cats, as theHumane Society often had to do,Marcinko and a crew of volunteers took amore personal approach.
Marcinko develops relationships withthose who feed and come to love the straycats.
Their first case was a woman pleadingfor help with the50 cats who hadcongregated in heryard. It startedwhen her little boydidn’t like thecrust on his peanutbutter and jellysandwiches.
Tossing thescraps out in theyard for the birdsended upattracting a straycat. The familycontinued to feed it but soon found theyhad attracted an entire colony of hungryfelines.
What seemed like a cute way to helpone feral cat turned into an overwhelmingpopulation of hungry felines.
While they want the problem fixed,the last thing on their minds was hurtingthe animals.
“Most of these people are older andthey don’t have anything else,” she said. “Iused to take my business card and throwit in a mailbox and run, hoping that theywould call me. It’s a program that requiresa lot of patience and understanding.”
Marcinko learned to pour outcompassion for the people who longed tohelp the animals but didn’t want to losethem.
Entire colonies are taken to theSteelton Community Cats clinic at thecaretaker’s permission.
“You can’t just take one or two at atime,” Marcinko said. “It doesn’t work tolet everyone else stay behind to have funand make more cats.”
They are then spayed or neutered by avolunteer veterinarian, kept for severaldays to recover, and released where theywere found.
Grant money and donations pay forthe medical care, while volunteers shellout hundreds of hours a month to keepthe program running. PetSmart Charitieshas been a big supporter, allowing themto renovate an old bank for the surgeries.
In about four years, Steelton savedenough money to hire two police officers.Marcinko, who retired from DauphinCounty parole and probation, is able toget 200 community service hours amonth from people going through thesystem for non-violent crimes.
Some of them have been doctors,lawyers, and even veterinarians whoreturn to help even after completing theirrequired community service hours.
And even though the programprimarily caters to controlling thepopulation, Marcinko can’t resist helpinga hurt cat.
Sometimes thecats come to theclinic with brokentails or missingeyes from fightswithin thecolonies. Pregnantcats might also besent to theHumane Society,so the kittens havea chance atavoiding the ferallife.
More than3,300 cats have been spayed or neuteredsince 2010 in Steelton and Highspireboroughs, as well as Swatara andSusquehanna townships, causing thepopulation to drop by about 75 percentin that time.
Since January 2010, Steelton has notsent one cat to the Humane Society,Marcinko said.
“I feel really alive when I do this,” shesaid. “None of us is getting younger, but Ihope I can continue to do this, continueto help the community, even as I age.”
While the program avoids adoptingthe cats (most wouldn’t be happy in ahome anyway, Marcinko said), the lovefor these animals is evident.
“The reason why this program keepsgoing is because people love it,” Marcinkosaid. “Even when I’m in there with mymask on, trying not to handle them, thereis love.”
Not the type to sit at home in herretirement, Marcinko hopes she cancontinue to keep busy with the SteeltonCommunity Cats and maybe watch it beadopted by other municipalities.
“My mother is 94 years old and livesby herself, and we travel together,”Marcinko said. “I’m just hoping I haveher blood and can keep doing this as longas she keeps running circles around me.”
For more information on the SteeltonCommunity Cats program, visitwww.steeltoncats.org or call (717) 877-4146.
FELINES from page 1
In a single midsummer day, more than70 feral cats await care from volunteer
veterinarians inside the program’s facility.
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 13
WORD SEARCH
SUDOKU
Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 14
Your ad could be here on this popular page!Please call (717) 770-0140 for more information.
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fabrics55. Insectivores56. Saw logs, noisily58. Headdress59. Sp. title62. Immense64. Inventor Elisha65. Absorbed68. Child
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14 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
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Dear Mark: Your recent columnabout someone who found credits in aslot machine brought to mind anincident that happened to me a fewweeks ago at the MGM Grand inDetroit.
I accidentally left my $97 voucheron the bar. When I came back from therestroom, it was gone. I reported myloss to security.
Within an hour, they caughtsomeone on “the eye in the sky”cashing the ticket in. This is one timethat I lost my money at a casino andthey gave me my money back. – James B.
Contrary to some mailbag responsethat didn’t quite believe what a casinodoes with the left-behind credits orvouchers, I must reiterate, it really isn’tsmart customer service for a casino topocket lost loot.
Returning player winnings to itsrightful owner is one of many ways acasino builds on customer loyalty. Heck,handing a player $97 that justly belongsto him can keep him yanking handles intheir casino forlife.
From thecasino’sperspective,customer loyaltycomes throughhaving a strongrelationship withits players.When a playersees them as afriend and ally, they are reluctant tojump ship to another casino, even if itmeans they can get a sweeter dealelsewhere.
Given the competitive nature of thegambling business, casinos protect their
customers as a mother bear does hercubs.
Customers will decide whether totrust a casino based upon their day-to-day behavior. Handing you back your
$97 builds onthat trust.
Make thattype of behaviorconsistent overtime—and hereis where manycasinos fallshort—and themanagementknows you canbe counted on as
“their” patron. If their behavior becomesunpredictable, you, the consumer, willfind another joint to which you takeyour money.
James, getting your $97 back was ano-brainer for the casino.
Dear Mark: Are you aware of a goodvideo poker program that will run on aMacintosh laptop? I had Bob Dancer’sprogram on my old PC, which I likeda lot, but it is not available in a Macversion. I would like to find a similarproduct, but I am not having any luck. – Charlie P.
Unfortunately, Charlie, though I havebeen in the Mac world since its infancy, Itoo have yet to find software comparableto Dancer’s Video Poker for Winners! It isspecifically for that reason that I keep anold PC laptop lying around, as youshould too.
Besides using VP for Winners! as avideo poker game that replicates the IGTmachines you see in a casino, you canalso use it as a tutorial, create strategies,focus on problem areas, check unusualhands, figure slot club paybacks, and awhole lot more.
The Casino ReturningLost Loot is a No-Brainer
Deal Me InBy Mark Pilarski
www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews August 2014 15
Dauphin County
Calendar of EventsPrograms and Support Groups
Dauphin County Library Programs
East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg,(717) 652-9380Aug. 26, 9:30 a.m. – Friends of the East Shore Area
Library Meeting
Kline Branch, 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-3934Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m. – Friends of the East Shore Area
Library Meeting
William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library,200 W. Second St., Hummelstown, (717) 566-0949Aug. 5, 6 p.m. – Novel Thoughts Book ClubAug. 19, 1 p.m. – Novel Thoughts, Too! Book Club
Free and open to the public.
Senior Center Activities
Aug. 12, 6 to 7 p.m.Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support GroupGraysonview Personal Care Community150 Kempton Ave., Harrisburg(717) 561-8010
Aug. 20, 1:30 p.m.Parkinson’s Support Group on East ShoreJewish Home of Harrisburg4004 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg(717) 441-8627
Aug. 26, 6 p.m.Susquehanna Rovers Volksmarch Walking Club Gander Mountain5005 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg(717) 991-5232
Aug. 27, 7 p.m.Piecemakers Quilt Guild of MiddletownSt. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran ChurchSpring and Union streets, Middletown(717) [email protected]
Aug. 9 and 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Mohler SeniorCenter, 25 Hope Drive, Hershey, (717) 533-2002
Aug. 14, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. – Jewish CommunityCenter, 3001 N. Front St., Harrisburg, (717) 236-9555, ext. 3115
Mohler Senior Center – (717) 533-2002,www.hersheyseniorcenter.comAug. 1, 5 to 9 p.m. – Oldies Dance Party
Rutherford House – (717) 564-5682,www.rutherfordhouse.orgMondays, 10 a.m. – QuiltingMondays, 11:30 a.m. – Sign LanguageWednesdays, 9 a.m. – Computer Assistance
Please contact your local center for scheduled activities.
If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to [email protected] for consideration.
AARP Driver Safety Programs
For a Safe Driving Class near you, call toll-free (888) 227-7669 or visit www.aarp.org/findacourse.
One of my favorite features of thissoftware program is the ability to printout game-specific strategy charts that youcan take to the casino with you. Themoney you save by never having to payfor another strategy chart alone will morethan pay for the cost of the $50 program.
In addition, I like that VPW allowsyou to change pay tables and thenanalyze that game’s overall expectedreturn. Finally, I like the ability todetermine what your bankroll needs areto avoid going broke.
There is no better way to master
video poker than with this softwareprogram. I recommend, Charlie, thatyou stick with it.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “To bea winner, you have to really want to be awinner.” – Avery Cardoza, How to Play
Winning Poker (1987)
Mark Pilarski is a recognized authority oncasino gambling, having survived 18 years inthe casino trenches. Pilarski is the creator ofthe bestselling, award-winning audio bookseries on casino gambling, Hooked onWinning. www.markpilarski.com
By John Johnston
To help combat the rising threat offraud and identity theft, SocialSecurity will no longer issue
Social Security number printoutsbeginning in August 2014.
If you need written confirmation ofyour Social Security number—perhapsyour new employer needs verification—and you can’t find your Social Securitycard, you can apply for a replacement.
But do you really need a replacement?
In most cases, you don’tneed your card as longas you know yournumber.
For all intents andpurposes, your numberis your card. Usuallyproviding your numberand identifyinginformation is enough.
In the event you really do want orneed a replacement card, either foryourself or for a child, you can find all of
the details you need atwww.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.
The “Social SecurityNumber and Card”page providesinformation on how toobtain a replacementcard and what specific
documents you need to provide. Whether you need a Social Security
card for yourself or a child, it’s easy—andfree—to apply for one.
But consider whether a new SocialSecurity card is really in the cards foryou. It may be that your “card” is alreadywith you—in your head.
While you’re at the website, open yourfree “my Social Security” account atwww.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. It canhelp you plan for retirement, check yourearnings history, request your SocialSecurity statement, and more.
John Johnston is a Social Security publicaffairs specialist.
Is a New Social Security Card in Your Cards?
Social Security News
16 August 2014 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com