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February 2015 Best Times

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    Nurse practitioner joins Ebola fight

    Eyewitness to J. Edgar Hoovers FBI

    Retired? Not quite

    Bountiful Baskets

    February 2015

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    February 2015 2

    Savvy Senior ............................................Page 3

    Opinion ....................................................Page 4

    Bookshelf .................................................Page 5

    Volunteering .............................................Page 19

    On the Menu ............................................Page 20

    Calendar ...................................................Page 21

    Strange But True ......................................Page 22

    INSIDE

    News Lite

    Woman gets bag full of cashat Burger King drive-thru

    ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) A New Hampshire woman got asurprise at a Burger King drive-thru: a bag full of cash instead offood.

    Janelle Jones says she discovered on the way home that the bagdid not contain the sweet tea and junior spicy chicken sandwichthat she had ordered recently at the Rochester fast-food restaurant.

    Fosters Daily Democrat reports that Jones called her husbandand they decided to return the $2,631, which was a Burger King

    bank deposit.Matthew Jones says the couple briefly considered keeping the

    money, which they certainly could have used. But he says he andhis wife are Jehovahs Witnesses, and that Jehovah sees every-thing.

    The newspaper reports that the restaurant confirmed the cou-ples account but had no comment on it.

    Holy mackerel! Belfast residentswarned not to eat free fish

    BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) This fish tale might be awee bit hard to stomach.

    Belfast City Council is advising its citizens: Dont eat fishfound lying on the roadside. Theyre too fishy.

    The recent health warning follows the accidental dumping ofthousands of mackerel on to the busy Ravenhill Road, apparentlyby a delivery truck with a loose back door. Locals grabbed bagsto haul in their catch before passing cars could turn the stranded

    school to pulp.Tommy Bardsley says he bagged 25 mackerel and deemed

    them off-the-boat fresh. I know fish, the 61-year-old declared.The council says Bardsley and other opportunists dont know

    microbiology, because they dont know where the fish camefrom, and they could be contaminated by automotive pollut-ants.

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    Dear Savvy Senior,

    What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for

    retirees this tax season? I didnt have to file last year, but I

    picked up a little income from a part-time job in 2014, and

    Im wondering I need to file this year.

    Part-time Retiree

    Dear Retiree,Whether or not you are required to file a federal income

    tax return this year will depend on how much you earned(gross income) and the source of that income as wellas your filing status and your age. Your gross incomeincludes all the income you receive that is not exempt fromtax, not counting your Social Security benefits, unless youare married and filing separately.Heres a rundown of the IRS filing requirements for this

    tax season. If your 2014 gross income was below thethreshold for your age and filing status, you probably wonthave to file. But if its over, you will.

    Single:$10,150 ($11,700 if youre 65 or older

    by Jan. 1, 2015).

    Married filing jointly:$20,300 ($21,500 if

    you or your spouse is 65 or older; or $22,700

    if youre both over 65).

    Married filing separately: $3,950 at any age.

    Head of household:$13,050 ($14,600 if age

    65 or older).

    Qualifying widow(er) with dependent

    child:$16,350 ($17,550 if age 65 or older).To get a detailed breakdown on federal filing require-

    ments, along with information on taxable and nontaxableincome, call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mailyou a free copy of the Tax Guide for Seniors (publication554), or see irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p554.pdf.

    Special requirementsThere are, however, some other financial situations that

    will require you to file a tax return, even if your grossincome falls below the IRS filing requirement. For exam-ple, if you had earnings from self-employment in 2014 of

    $400 or more, or if you owe any special taxes to the IRS

    such as alternative minimum tax or IRA tax penalties,

    youll probably need to file.

    To figure this out, the IRS offers a tool on their website

    that asks a series of questions that will help you determine

    if youre required to file, or if you should file becauseyoure due a refund.

    You can access this page at irs.gov/filing click on Do

    you need to file a return? Or, you can get assistance over

    the phone by calling the IRS helpline at (800) 829-1040.

    You can also get face-to-face help at a Taxpayer Assistance

    Center. See irs.gov/localcontacts or call (800) 829-1040 to

    locate a center near you.

    Check your stateEven if youre not required to file a federal tax return this

    year, dont assume that youre also excused from filing

    state income taxes. The rules for your state might be verydifferent. Check with your state tax agency before conclud-

    ing that youre entirely in the clear. For links to state and

    local tax agencies see taxadmin.org click on State Agen-

    cies/Links on the menu bar.

    Tax prep assistanceIf you find that you do need to file a tax return this year,

    you can get help through the Tax Counseling for the Elder-

    ly (or TCE) program. Sponsored by the IRS, TEC provides

    free tax preparation and counseling to middle and low-

    income taxpayers, age 60 and older. Call (800) 906-9887 or

    visit irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep to locate a service nearyou.

    Also check with AARP, a participant in the TCE program

    that provides free tax preparation at more than 5,000 sites

    nationwide. To locate an AARP Tax-Aide site call (888)

    227-7669 or visit aarp.org/findtaxhelp. You dont have to

    be an AARP member to use this service.

    Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box

    5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.

    Jim Miller, creator of the syndicated Savvy

    Senior information column, is a longtime

    advocate of senior issues. He has been featured in

    Time magazine; is author of The Savvy Senior:

    The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family and

    Finances for Senior Citizens; and is a regular

    contributor to the NBC Today show.

    February 2015 3

    Do you need to filea tax return in 2015?

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    A trip to a family reunion in the Midwest underscored again

    how far behind the times I am in my technological gadgets.

    To keep in touch on my trip, I took along my flip-top cell-

    phone, manufactured sometime around, oh, the early Bronze

    Age. I would have preferred to have taken a cool smartphone,

    but when faced with the choice of buying groceries or paying

    for the smart phone data package, I opt for food every time.

    Along the way, I was struck by how smartphones have prettymuch taken over the world. I never saw a single flip-top. I knew

    lots of folks often used their smartphones to present their board-

    ing passes for flights, but I didnt know howmany. Every other

    person was doing it. I burned with shame as I contemplated my

    wrinkled paper boarding pass every time I boarded a flight.

    I wonder what would have happened if Id have laid my flip-

    top phone on the boarding pass scanner. It probably would have

    resulted in an international security incident, so its good thing I

    didnt try it.

    Anyway, I should try and keep up. Im always behind the tech-

    nological curve. Like with my cars, when everyone started driv-

    ing vehicles with CD players, I still had a casette tape deck in my

    car. By the time everyone was buying cars with USB ports for

    their iPods and iPhones, I had just gotten a car with a CD player.

    Ah, well. I heard a while back Indianapolis Colts quarterback

    Andrew Luck has a flip-top phone. Maybe Ill give him a call

    on mine and ask him if his car still has a CD player.

    Dwight HarrimanMontana Best Times Editor

    February 2015 4

    Opinion

    Trip highlights my ancient phone technology

    Dwight Harriman, Editor Tom Parisella, Designer

    P.O. Box 2000, 401 S. Main St., Livingston MT 59047

    Tel. (406) 222-2000 or toll-free (800) 345-8412 Fax: (406) 222-8580

    E-mail: [email protected] Subscription rate: $25/yr.

    Published monthly by Yellowstone Newspapers, Livingston, Montana

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    ByMontana Best Times Staff

    Montana is not just cattle country. Its also farmingcountry. And a new book, Lentil Underground: Rene-gade Farmers and the Future of Food in America, byLiz Carlisle, gets at a growing issue, one could say arenegade way to farm.

    As soon as journalist Carlisle joined United States Sen-ator Jon Testers team as Legislative Correspondent forAgriculture and Natural Resources, she immediately start-ed getting calls from his fellow sustainable farmers, whowere clearly up to amazing things out in desolate centralMontana, a news release from publisher Gotham Bookssays.

    Early on, Liz realized she had to figure out how some guyin Conrad, Montana had turned a crash course with bankruptcy intoa million dollar business, the release says. And thats when shejoined the Lentil Underground, and met that guy, Timeless Seedsfounder, David Oien.

    The Lentil Underground is a group of renegade farmers whoshare in their dedication to a common task: patiently building thesubterranean ecology of an entirely new type of business, croppingsystem, and future. And when David Oiens Timeless Seeds farm-ers did ultimately open their homes and their financial records andtheir family birthday dinners to Carlisle, it was because she sharesthat dedication, too, the release says.

    As told throughout, Carlisle, Dave and the renegade farmers areall working toward a common task: patiently building an entirelynew type of business, cropping system, and future for Americanagriculture. In Lentil Underground, Liz addresses these topics, aswell as, according to the release:

    The debate about how to feed the world, offering evidence thatwe can produce adequate quantities of healthy food, take care of

    the environment and develop rural economies at the same time. How agriculture can be more resilient to climate change and

    use less water, which is key at a time when water shortages presenta critical challenge to our food system and society as a whole.

    How to fix the food system in the belly of the beast theAmerican grain belt. This world of family farm agriculture is farremoved from the farmers markets of coastal cities, but its whatwill have to change if were really going to fix the problems withindustrial food, the release says.

    Liz Carlisle is a fellow at UC Berkeleys Center for DiversifiedFarming Systems. She holds a bachelor or arts from Harvard Uni-versity and received her Ph.D. from the Department of Geographyat UC Berkeley. Before graduate school, Carlisle served as legisla-tive correspondent for agriculture and natural resources in theoffice of United States Sen. Jon Tester, an organic farmer from herhome state of Montana. A former country singer who once openedshows for Travis Tritt, LeAnn Rimes and Sugarland, Carlislebrings a populist flair to her writing, which has appeared in theSmithsonian Magazine and Harvard Independent.

    Bookshelf

    February 2015 5

    Lentil Underground

    By Liz Carlisle

    Gotham Books 2015

    Hardcover 298 pages

    6 x 8 1/2

    ISBN: 978-1-592-40920-4

    New book features

    renegade approach

    to growing food

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    By Jamie Ausk Crisafulli

    Montana Best Times

    GLENDIVE From Eureka to Ekala-

    ka, Montanans throughout the state aregetting their fill of fruits and vegetables

    year-round through Bountiful Baskets, a

    food cooperative in which participantsmay purchase baskets of produce and aselection of specialty items every other

    week.There are nearly 100 Bountiful Baskets

    drop sites in Montana.Sally Stevens and Tanya Jolly started

    Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op in May of2006. According to the Bountiful Basketswebsite (www.bountifulbaskets.org),BBFC has grown from two sites and anaverage of 120 families a cycle partici-pating to hundreds of sites in 16 statesand countless participating families.

    Each registered site receives basketsevery other week. Some cities have more

    than one drop and therefore have a Boun-tiful Baskets drop every week.

    The co-op offers a conventional pro-duce basket that is generally half fruit andhalf veggies. The most recent basket inGlendive offered rainbow chard, pota-toes, spaghetti squash, romaine lettuce,blueberries, strawberries, apples, orangebell peppers, broccoli, pineapple andgrapefruit. Baskets vary every week.

    Getting involvedThe first Bountiful Basket drop in

    Glendive took place in February of 2012.Susan Slehofer, a Glendive site admin-

    istrator, originally heard about BountifulBaskets from someone who was partici-pating in another town. She decided to dothe research and see what she could do toget a stop in Glendive. When she contact-ed the Montana administrator, she foundout that someone already had the ballrolling.

    Slehofer said she made the decision toshow up to help at the first BountifulBaskets offered in Glendive and she has

    been involved ever since. Slehofer, CoralCampbell and Steve Zorn share the bulkof the administrative work it takes tokeep the Glendive site going. Slehoferestimates her total volunteer time perdrop-off to be two and half hours. Admin-

    istrators are responsible for paperwork foreach drop and being onsite to unloadtrucks and distribute the produce.

    The time put in is well worth it to Sle-hofer.

    I just like doing it, being with the people

    February 2015 6

    Food cooperative provides bounty of affordable fruits and veggies

    Coral Campbell and Steve Zorn add

    potatoes to each basket during the Boun-

    tiful Basket drop in Glendive on Jan. 4.

    MT Best Times photos by Jamie Ausk Crisafull

    Bountiful Baskets

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    visiting with people and I like the produce we get, she said.Bountiful Baskets is run completely by volunteers. Local admin-

    istrators volunteer their time and participants are asked to volunteerat least occasionally at drop sites.

    Unique varietyAn avid gardener in the summer, Slehofer said she was initially

    drawn to Bountiful Baskets by the low cost of the produce, particu-larly the fruit, and because the co-op idea seemed intriguing.

    What she has grown to appreciate about the Bountiful Basketsexperience is the unique variety of items offered. She has been find-ing ways to use some items like persimmons and fennel that

    she may not have tried if it werent for the program.She said some of the participants will see something in their bas-ket and give it away, saying they will never use it.

    I wish they would at least try it at least once, she said.Campbell said she also likes to see participants get the opportuni-

    ty to try new items.She said during one of the drops, a participant complained about

    the rotten pears in her basket. It turned out those pears were actu-ally avocados, something she hadnt purchased before.

    How it worksEach Bountiful Baskets site is limited to 96 baskets per drop.

    Those who wish to participate must go to the website between 10

    a.m. on Monday and 10 p.m. on Tuesday before the drop.When it was first offered in Glendive, the basket limit wasreached in 10 minutes. Now, participation varies and the limit israrely reached. The drop times change occasionally as well. Sle-hofer said that can affect the number of participants.

    With the current 11 a.m. drop in Glendive, the numbers are a littlelower. When there was an early morning drop, numbers were up.Cold weather forecasts also seem to affect the number of peoplewho are willing to come out to get baskets, Slehofer said.

    The monetary contribution for one basket is $15 plus a transac-tion fee ($4.50 per order in Montana) and is generally worth $50retail, according to the co-op website. Participants can order up tothree baskets and several add-ons under one transaction fee. Organic

    baskets can be purchased for $25. Campbell suggested individualswho want to participate order together so they have to pay only onetransaction fee.

    The money is well worth the items received each week, Zornsaid. While others have compared the cost of the exact produce at a

    regular grocery store, Zorn said he usually compares about three ofthe items and gets to the basket fee of $15, and counts the rest of theitems as bonuses.

    In addition to www.bountifulbaskets.org, information about theco-op can also be found by searching for Bountiful Baskets onFacebook. Local sites often have Facebook pages as well, whichprovide information about the drops as well as suggested ways touse produce found in the baskets each week.

    Reach Jamie Ausk Crisafulli at [email protected] or

    (406) 377-3303.

    February 2015 7

    Right:The most recent Bountiful Basket in Glendive included

    romaine lettuce, oranges, spaghetti squash, rainbow chard,

    potatoes, orange bell peppers, apples, strawberries, blueber-

    ries, pineapple and broccoli. The baskets are generally 50 per-

    cent vegetables and 50 percent fruits.

    Top:Bountiful Baskets offers more than just the fruit and

    veggie baskets. Every week there are add-on items available,

    including granola, bread and tortillas.

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    Call (406) 248-9117 1439 Main Street Billings, MT

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    By M.P. Regan

    Montana Best Times

    DILLON Patricia Carrick enjoys hik-ing, camping and skiing in the beautiful,peaceful, mountains around her Dillonhome.

    But for her first trip following her retire-ment at the end of last year, the 67-year-old nurse practitioner chose to head toAfrica and what is right now one of themost difficult and dangerous places onearth the city of Kailahun in SierraLeone. There, she rejoined the battleagainst Ebola, the deadly, fast-movingvirus that in the past year has killed thou-sands of people.

    You couldnt keep Pat away from a sit-uation like that she sees a need and hasto help, said Pam Mussard, case managerat the Southwest Montana CommunityHealth Centers Dillon Clinic, where sheand Carrick have worked together sincehelping get the facility up and running in2002.

    The situation in Sierra Leone is stillterrible, and now I have some experienceto contribute, explained Carrick, shortly

    before she left Montana on a chilly Jan. 4for another trip to the hottest of theworlds Ebola hot spots.

    As one person, you cant do much. Butwhen youre part of an organization thatcan put one person on top of one personon top of one person and build something that has an effect, said Carrick of herwork in Africa with the organization Doc-tors Without Borders (aka MSF, the acro-nym for its French name, Mdecins SansFrontires).

    Carrick knew full well the limitations,

    difficulties and dangers of providinghealth care in Kailahun, where she previ-ously worked from mid-September to mid-October last year treating Ebola patients over half of whom died in a make-shift health care facility set up a fewmonths earlier.

    Its one thing to have one patient in anintensive care unit; its another to havehundreds of patients in a series of tents,said Carrick, comparing how the handfulof Ebola patients who have turned up in

    the U.S. have been treated compared to the

    tens of thousands who have been strickenin Sierra Leone, the small impoverished

    African nation that was still recoveringfrom a lengthy civil war when last year itbecame the country hardest hit by historysbiggest Ebola outbreak.

    Work clothesOne of the challenges faced by health

    care providers treating Ebola patients inSierra Leone is simply getting dressed for

    work in the countrys often swelteringheat, a process Carrick detailed in a blogshe has been writing during her time in

    Sierra Leone.I was in the high risk area of the treat-ment center yesterday, where the patients

    with known Ebola infection are and wherewe do a great deal of our work thoughin very small increments, Carrick wrote

    in a Sept. 17 post titled A slow raceagainst time, for her blog on the MSFwebsite.

    The dressing in personal protectiveequipment (PPE) is a time-consumingoperation that feels for all the world like

    pouring little kids into their hockey uni-

    forms. And just like the little kids, nosooner am I suited up than I need to pee. Imust grudgingly acknowledge that thereare a few disadvantages to this business ofaging.

    Anyway, once you are wearing thenon-breathable plastic suit, double gloves,over-the-head mask, fogged-up goggles,and heavy rubber boots, its a slow,galumphing race against time in the 90+degree ambient heat of the afternoon. Youhave to move with great deliberation inorder to prevent any contact that could

    jeopardize the integrity of your protectivegear or that of your partner no falls, notears, no wasted movements, no rush but you must still work to get the most outof your time to accomplish as many of thenecessary tasks as possible.

    Everything must be done before youmelt or pass out from the heat in the total-ly non-breathable outfit.

    In December, back in Montana reflect-ing on her first trip to Sierra Leone, Car-rick said that, as uncomfortable as it was,the PPE outfit was a relatively minor

    inconvenience in a world of life-and-deathconsequences.

    The suit is an issue. But the crux of theproblem is: How do you provide the bestcare to the most people with the limitedresources available? explained Carrick ofperhaps the most daunting challenge oftreating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.

    Clinically, youre always faced withhuge challenges in the Third World thatyouve never seen before, with very fewresources with which to deal with them,she said.

    Her life in rural Montana has helped heraddress some of the challenges of workingin Africa with MSF, Carrick said.

    A lot of my experience in the outdoorshas been particularly helpful to me work-ing in the Third Word because I can man-age in pretty simple circumstances. As aresult of being a hiker and camper, Ivelearned to do with less. Thats been ashelpful as my clinical background, saidCarrick, who also likes to read and gar-den.

    February 2015 8

    Dillon nurse practitioner joins fight against Ebola

    Photo courtesy of Doctors Without Borders

    PATRICIA CARRICK

    Into Africa

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    Back in time, back in MontanaAccording to her work colleagues in

    Montana, Carrick played a key role inexpanding medical services to underservedpeople in Beaverhead County, through herefforts in 2002 to help establish the DillonClinic of the Southwest Montana Commu-nity Health Center.

    Pat was there from start she was

    instrumental in getting the Southwest Mon-tana Community Health Center in Dillongoing, said Tammie Frost, who has alsoworked at the Dillon Clinic since its 2002founding, and summarized the clinics mis-sion as helping patients who are uninsuredget medical health care at an affordable price.

    As a nurse practitioner, Pat was able tosee patients starting day one. She is verymethodical about what she does and veryconcerned about her patients. Its her com-passion, added Frost, who works in theclinics billing department.

    I kind of came with the project, smiledCarrick, who had worked for three years atthe Southwest Montana Community HealthCenter in Butte before starting at the DillonClinic.

    You do a little bit of a lot of things and not a lot of anything, said Carrick, ofperforming health care work in a rural set-ting like Dillon.

    Its a really broad practice alwaysbroad and interesting and challenging. Youdont have a lot of repetition. Every case issomething new, every person presents aconstellation of challenges youve never

    seen before, added Carrick, who grew upin New Hampshire, New York and Vermont,where her family owned a farm.

    Carrick moved to Montana in 1977, whenthe vehicle she was driving decided itwasnt going to move any further.

    It got me this far, then it was nothing buttrouble. It broke down and Dillon was as faras they could haul it, and we never got itgoing again, recalled Carrick of the red Fordpickup truck that brought her to Montana.

    I couldnt afford to leave Dillon at first,but I loved it here instantly, said Carrick,

    who at that point in her life had alreadyearned bachelors degrees in filmmakingand psychology.

    I got a job moving irrigation pipe. I hada job and then I had another job, and then Ihad a daughter and needed a way to supporther, so I went back to college, recalled Car-rick of her decision to earn a nursing degreeat Montana State University in Bozeman,where she later returned and also earned agraduate degree.

    Ive always been service oriented, andnursing seemed like something that fit for

    me. And I wanted to work in my own com-munity, said Carrick, who early in lifebegan to realize that her sense of communi-ty and commitment extended beyond localor even national borders.

    I better do it nowCarrick said she became aware of Doctors

    Without Borders in the 1970s, when theorganization was founded by physicianstreating victims of famines in Biafra andBangladesh.

    I began to hear about Doctors WithoutBorders in my 20s, and it became like abackground noise that over the years justgot louder and louder, until almost 40 yearsdown the road I started working with them,said Carrick, who was just shy of 60 whenshe started with MSF, on a mission in theAfrican country of Malawi.

    When my mother didnt need me any-more and my daughter, Jess, went off to col-lege, I thought, I may be older, but if Im

    going to do it, I better do it now, said Car-rick of her thought process before joining onwith Doctors Without Borders, while alsocontinuing to work in the Dillon Clinic.

    So I applied, and they actually acceptedme, she said.

    Back to AfricaCarricks current trip marks her fifth jour-

    ney to Africa with Doctors Without Borders.She travelled to Malawi in 2007 to helpwith the organizations efforts on behalf ofpeople infected with HIV and twice to

    Sudan, in 2010 and 2012, to aid victims offamine.

    I keep thinking that Ill tell them Imavailable again and theyll say Im too old,but it hasnt happened yet, said Carrick,who plans to keep working with DoctorsWithout Borders as long as she can aid itsefforts and those of Sierra Leonesnational staff health care workers.

    The heroism of the national staff in Sier-ra Leone is inspiring. They go home everyday to communities in the midst of epidem-ic, with family members and neighbors get-

    ting sick and dying, and then they wouldcome to work and take care of people allday, putting themselves at risk in both set-tings when an option would be to closethe doors of their houses and stay inside andsend somebody out for food once in awhile, commented Carrick, who said thecurrent Ebola outbreak in West Africa hasgiven cause for everyone in the world toreconsider their relationships with everyoneelse in the world.

    This has forced us all to look at the extentof our responsibility to one another globally,

    when we have whole nations without thecapacity to deal with this, she said. Its nev-er been put into such acute perspective weve never been so scared for ourselvesover something going on so far away. We cansee how that does have an impact on us.

    Carrick says working in Sierra Leone,you can see the impact of your efforts rightin front of you, in the most important anddramatic way.

    We had a 36 percent survival rate when I

    arrived at the Sierra Leone treatment center,and it was up to 46 percent by the time Ileft, said Carrick, who explained that everypatient cured of the Ebola virus becomes acause for celebration.

    Its wonderful. We throw a party. Theyare greeted by everyone who is around,cheering, she said.

    Carricks fellow staffers in the DillonClinic said she made certain they could takeon all her patients without any of them suf-fering a break in care, before she retired a relative term in her case.

    We have a very strong staff there twoyoung doctors and a nurse practitioner. Soits a great time for me to step back a bit,said Carrick, who has agreed to return to theDillon Clinic in the spring to cover a mater-nity leave.

    I guess if youre immersed in your workin one form or another, you can call it retire-ment, said Carrick. But its only retire-ment in a certain sense. Its retirement froma job, but not from life.

    Reach M.P. Regan at mregan@dillontri-

    bune.com or (406) 683-2331.

    February 2015 9

    Photo courtesy of Patricia Carrick

    Carrick, right, and a co-worker are pic-

    tured at work against the Ebola virus

    in Sierra Leone last year.

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    By Amorette Allison

    Montana Best Times

    MILES CITY Richard Coffmans lifereads like the script for a motion picture.

    His mother died of tuberculosis when hewas child in the Depression years. He waseducated in one-room schools in the Mid-west, had his first crushes, discovered heloved reading including news maga-

    zines for information about world affairs and found himself, like everyone of hisgeneration, facing World War II. Thencame a pretty girl from a small town inMontana, and working for the FBI.

    I had the luckiest life in the world,Coffman said during a recent interview.

    Last summer, his story of that lucky,fascinating, lucky life, Eyewitness to J.Edgar Hoovers FBI, was published.

    Origins of the bookThe book had it origins in a box Coff-

    man received after his stepmother died.The box contained items that had belongedto his father that his stepmother assembledbefore her death. Among those items,which Coffman had never seen before,was his mothers diary. She had died whenhe was a young child.

    Coffman decided to write up the diaryfor a history of the Missouri county hegrew up in that was being compiled by thelocal historical society. He also sent thepages to a journalist friend.

    The friend said the story was so power-

    ful it deserved to be published, if not on itsown, then as the basis for a novel.

    Coffman, however, couldnt see how afew pages could be made into a book, andhe certainly didnt see himself as a novel-ist. However, the experience hadimpressed upon him the importance of

    February 2015 10

    Montanans book sheds light on unique time in American history

    Richard Coffman is pictured holding his

    new book, Eyewitness to J. Edgar

    Hoovers FBI, recently.

    MT Best Times photo by Steve Allison

    Eyewitness toJ. Edgar Hoovers FBI

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    recording family history, and he decided to write a little of hisown lifes story including his days for his children sonBruce, born in 1952 and daughter Buffy, born in 1956.

    It was a life that included his days as an FBI agent during the J.Edgar Hoover era.

    After 10 years of adding a bit here and there and doing genea-logical research, Coffman had an 800-page book. He decided thatwas a bit long and spent two years editing it down until it ranaround 500 pages. Then he found a publisher, and more time wasspent in editing and proofreading before his book was publishedby XLibris Publishing in 2014.

    While the title talks about Coffmans days with the FBI, much

    of the book concerns his childhood and youth, and his life aftermeeting and marrying Miles City native Wilma Jean Trzcinski.

    They met while both were attending different schools in thesame Missouri town. Coffman soon learned that the first namewas not popular with his new girl and that she preferred to becalled Jeanne. And so she was for the rest of their lives.

    With the FBICoffmans adventures included time in Japan right after

    World War II during which he wrote regular letters toJeanne. After marrying Jeanne, his adventures included being aprivate pilot along his wife, who was an avid flyer. They were

    also sports car fans.His time with the FBI covered a number of important historical

    events, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.Coffman has insider insights on this and other events during histenure.

    Coffmans book confirms stories about Hoover and his viewsof the FBI office in Butte: Hoover thought Butte was the end ofthe earth, he said.

    At one time, there was a move to close the Butte office.Montanas U.S. Senator Mike Mansfield made an agreementwith Hoover and the office stayed open. Oddly enough, many

    of the agents, once they were sent to Butte for punishment,found they liked the rural area, with its hunting and fishing,and the punishment wasnt as effective as Hoover might haveexpected.

    Coffmans book covers a broad span of years and a broad spanof adventures, both happy and sad. He tells about Margery, thelove of his early years, who never returned from her service as anurse in World War II. He also touches on his war experience inthe Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), which included a stint inJapan just after the surrender.

    Another novel-like moment in the book describes how his lifeas an FBI agent begins he as departs Missouri where he and hisbride were living: With a suitcase containing my wedding suit,

    fortunately dark blue, a few white shirts (all dress shirts thenwere white) a tie or two a London Fog raincoat and a newishsnapped brim hat, I boarded railway coaches of the MissouriPacific.

    The details of those years include brief biographies of charac-ters like Miss Gandy, who was Hoovers secretary; Big Irish,senior agent in Boston; and the Soviet chauffeur known as Tar-zan and another Soviet Coffman called Felix.

    His postings with the FBI included Boston, Washington, D.C.,and, by preference, Salt Lake City as a way to move back Westand get away from the big city life of Washington, D.C., or WDCas Coffman calls it.

    Settling in Miles CityAfter living a life of adventure and excitement, and day-to-day

    bringing up the kids, and picking out an airplane for his wife tofly, Richard and Jeanne Coffman decided to retire to either Butteor Miles City. Jeanne found Butte was no longer the Butte shehad visited when she was young, so they settled in Miles City.

    Jeannes gone now. The kids live on opposite coasts. Coffmandoesnt get out as much in icy weather, but he still considers hislife to be the luckiest anyone ever lived.

    Eyewitness to J. Edgar Hoovers FBI is available at amazon.com.

    Reach Amorette Allison at [email protected] or (406

    234-0450.

    February 2015 11

    Coffmans book confirms storiesabout Hoover and his views of theFBI office in Butte: Hoover

    thought Butte was the end of theearth, Coffman said.

    Shown is the cover of Richard Coffmans new book.

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    By Doreen HeintzMontana Best Times

    LEWISTOWN After 35-plus years ofteaching, one could hardly blame Jim andMary Jo Hamling if they did actuallyretire after decades in their math class-rooms in Lewistown.

    Mary Jo taught math at Fergus HighSchool, while Jim was a math teacher atLewistown Junior High.

    I retired from teaching on June 2, 2007,at approximately 3 p.m. after being in theclassroom for 38 years Jim quipped. I

    knew it was time. I still really enjoyedteaching, but I wanted to be done before Ididnt like it anymore.

    Like Jim, Mary Jo also retired in 2007.But its hardly been retirement. The

    Hamlings have gone from being full-timeteachers to shifting gears and serving theLewistown community in other ways much of it still involving students.

    Still involved in mathJim began his teaching career in Moore.

    I got my first job because I could hit ajump shot, Jim joked about making aname for himself as a basketball player atWibaux. The person who hired me knewme when I was in high school in Wibaux.

    Following three years at Moore, Jimtaught in Shelby for five years, and thenhe came to Lewistown. He spent fouryears teaching at Fergus High School andhis final 26 years teaching at the juniorhigh. Jim also was an assistant basketballand assistant track coach for several years.

    Jim is very proud of the math studentshe has taught over the years. He workedhard in the classroom getting his studentsto understand math. He also began thevery popular MATHCOUNTS extracurric-ular program at Lewistown.

    According to the MATHCOUNTS web-site, the program strives to engage middleschool students of all ability and interestlevels in fun, challenging math programs.In addition, MATHCOUNTS provides stu-dents with kinds of experiences that fostergrowth and transcend fear to lay a founda-tion for future success.

    There were no programs in Montanaduring the first year of MATHCOUNTS,Jim said, and in the second year, we did nohave a program in Lewistown, but we havehad a very competitive program ever since.

    Even though Jim has retired from teach-ing, he still works with students in MATH-COUNTS. Current junior high math teach-er Katherine Spraggins is the head of theprogram at the junior high, with Jim as herassistant.

    We begin working with the students inan extracurricular setting twice a week usu-ally just after teachers convention, saidJim. Once we get close to the chapter com-petition, we may begin working three timesa week. For competition, a team of four stu-dents are selected based on how they do onmath tests. We can take a total of 10 stu-dents to the competition with the other sixscored as individuals. We usually havebetween nine and 20 kids who competeeach year. The top 25 percent of the teams athe chapter competition qualify for state.

    In spite of competing against schoolstwice our size, we have done amazingly

    February 2015 12

    Retired teachers continue to serve community in many ways

    Mary Jo and Jim Hamling are pictured at their home in Lewistown. MT Best Times photos by Doreen Heintz

    Retired? Not quite

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    well over the years.In 2007, Jim was named the MATHCOUNTS Hero for the

    state of Montana and attended the national MATHCOUNTS con-vention in Fort Worth, Texas.

    During his years of teaching, Jim was active in the MontanaCouncil of Mathematics Teachers, serving as president in 2008.He taught many sectionals at MCMT conventions and attendedmany of those gatherings over the years.

    Attending these conventions really helped me get out in theworld, said Jim.

    Teaching Title 1 and mathFollowing graduation from Granite High School in Philipsburg

    and college, Mary Jo began her teaching career in Deer Lodge atthe junior high. After four years there, Mary Jo came to Lewis-town and began teaching Title I in what locals call the old highschool the building used before the new Fergus High facilitywas completed in 1986.

    In 1981, the enrollment at Fergus dropped dramatically. Jimand Mary Jo both lost their positions, with Jim moving to thejunior high and Mary Jo teaching in Thompson Falls. After twoyears, Mary Jo moved back to Lewistown to teach Title 1 mathand regular classroom math classes at Fergus High School.

    It was after she returned to Lewistown that Mary Jo and Jimwere married.

    Teaching in other waysMary Jo and Jim have remained important members of the

    Lewistown community since their retirement, but one thing theydo enjoy is not having to be at work every morning and havingmore free time

    About three times a year, the couple team up to teach theAARP driver safety course.

    The program was updated in January 2014, said Jim. Wenow have all new videos, and the program is very well organized.

    The program, for drivers over 50, is called Smart Driver.

    We think it is a very worthwhile program, added Mary Jo.Roundabouts and how to get in and out of them are included inthe new video, along with new signs that are seen on our high-ways. The program is only four hours in length, but it is a greatrefresher for older drivers.

    The Hamlings said insurance companies give discounts to driv-ers over 50 who take the course.

    Another important service the Hamlings provide to students inthe community is helping them with the math review for the ACTtest each year.

    Currently, in Montana every junior in high school is given theopportunity to take the ACT test free on a set Tuesday in April.Before that date, the Hamlings provide five days when they give

    freely of their time to help students with the math review. If a studentdecides to retake the ACT as a senior, the Hamlings always welcomeworking with the student for a review before retaking the test.

    It may be that a student has not had any geometry for a couple ofyears, explained Mary Jo. These reviews provide them with theopportunity to go back over math concepts they may have forgotten.

    They also offer practical tips on taking the test.For example, the math portion of the ACT test is 60 questions

    in 60 minutes.We remind students to only do questions they can answer or

    solve in one minute, said Jim.The Hamlings also tutor students who might be having trouble

    in math.

    From snowplowing to track meetsAnd during the winter, Jim stays busy with other tasks as well

    like snowplowing neighborhood sidewalks.I have 26 sidewalks that I snowblow between 30 and 35 times

    a year, said Jim.Jim shifts gears in the summer to mowing lawns.I presently have 28 lawns I mow each summer, added Jim. I

    dont mow them all every week, but usually average about 15 aweek. Many of them have underground sprinkler systems, so theyeven need mowed during August.

    In addition, Jim runs the clock at FHS home volleyball matchesand is the marshal at local track meets.

    I dont know much about volleyball, so I just watch the refereewhen to give a team a point, said Jim, But we have had a lot ofgood volleyball teams over the past years, and they are fun to watch.

    Marshaling a track meet involves getting the athletes ready foreach heat of the different running events.

    Jim has enjoyed being a runner over the years and was head ofthe annual Chokecherry Run for over 20 years. During most ofthose years, he was also the starter for the races.

    MentoringMary Jo has served the Central Montana Mentoring Program

    for many years. The mentoring program involves matching highschool students with elementary students in the LewistownSchool District. The high school mentor spends time with a stu-dent each week. The program has a large group activity once amonth for the mentors and students.

    It is a great program for both ages of kids, said Mary Jo. Iwas one of the faculty sponsors when I was teaching at the highschool. Once I retired from teaching, I served on the board ofdirectors for the program.

    Mary Jo was the chairwoman of the board from 2010 to 2013.She just stepped down from the board in 2014.

    Jim and Mary Jo have one son who works in Missoula and is amember of the Helena Symphony. Jim also has three other chil-dren Jeff, a minister in Bozeman; Debbie, who lives in LasVegas; and Kim, who lives in Miles City. The couple also haveseven grandchildren.

    Reach Doreen Heintz at Doreen Heintz sports@lewistown-

    news.com or (406) 535-3401.

    February 2015 13

    Keeping the clock and score at Fergus High School volleybal

    matches is one of the many volunteer jobs Jim Hamling

    right, enjoys after retiring from teaching.

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    By Carlos Frias

    The Palm Beach Post/TNS

    Sounds of delight welcome Don Chester wherever he goes.And it usually has little to do with him.

    A solid 10 seconds before anyone ever says hello to him

    before they even notice him, really adults turn on baby voicesand fawn over the blonde at his side.

    Pollyanna is a real chick magnet, Chesters wife said. Somuch so that Chesters wife started requiring her husband only half-jokingly to wear his wedding ring whenever heleaves the house with her.

    Its been 10 years since he started this affair with his platinum-blond assistant. But everyone seems willing to overlook theindiscretion of another female invited into the Chesters homebecause of what shes meant to all their lives.

    It was 10 years ago that Don Chester, 68, left his home for an

    early morning run and didnt return for six months.

    When he finally did, Pollyanna came with him. And she hasnever left.

    Chester was hit by a car on Christmas Eve of 2004 as hetrained for a triathlon. His spinal cord was severed and he wasparalyzed from the chest down. An electric wheelchair perma-nently replaced his running shoes. He could still use his arms butlost the dexterity in his hands.

    His wife, Sally, a lifelong nurse, became his rock. His employ-er, St. Marys Medical Center, where he has worked as an admin-istrator and community liaison since 1973, not only saved his lifewhen he was rushed there after the accident but accommodatedhis surroundings so he could return to work two years later.

    But even with their support, Chester feared he would never beindependent again.

    At first, I thought Id prefer to die of thirst than to ask some-one to open a bottle of water for me, Chester said.

    Then along came Polly.Sally researched everything her newly disabled husband would

    February 2015 14

    Madeline Gray/Palm Beach Post/TNS

    Don Chester pets his service dog, Pollyanna, as she carries her bowl around waiting to be fed.

    Don and Polly:Man who was hit by car and his

    service dog have a unique friendship

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    need, and at the top of the list was a service dog.And so, in September 2005, Pollyanna her litter of Labrador

    retriever pups was named for Disney characters came to theChesters.

    She is what was missing.Pollyanna, an almost-white yellow Lab, became part compan-

    ion, part tool. She has been trained to turn on lights, open andclose doors, go for help, warn Don of obstacles and, above all,retrieve:

    The remote. A dropped house key (fitted with a tassel she can

    grab with her mouth). Even a business card, stepping on one cor-ner and grabbing the other with her teeth.

    Thankfully, shes not much of a drooler, Chester jokes.The Chesters had been dog owners dog lovers before

    Polly. They always had at least two rescues at home.But not until Polly did they fully realize what she would mean

    to someone like Don fiercely independent, highly competitive,infinitely social adapting to life with a handicap.

    On an average Wednesday morning nearly 10 years to the datesince he was paralyzed, Chester wheels down the corridors of St.Marys hospital, where he has worked for 43 years, with Polly athis side.

    Hes lucky, he says. Uses the actual word.

    Not everyone who is paralyzed can return to the very job theywere doing before the accident.

    A roofer would have to be trained into a whole new profes-sion, Chester said.

    And how many return to a job at a hospital, where every door-way and elevator, every ramp and bathroom, is compliant withthe Americans with Disabilities Act?

    He rarely thinks about the actual accident. The woman who hithim was never charged with a crime. Don was told she dideverything she was supposed to do: stopped immediately, calledfor help and stayed until the ambulance arrived. He has neverasked her name or sought her out. He only knows she was on herway to work in Palm Beach that morning.

    To me, it was an accident. Thats all it was, he says. I dont

    blame anybody.And he has never sought out the medical records, which are

    kept at St. Marys, and he has told the records clerks to ask him,Are you sure you want to see these? if he ever asks.

    Its good not to have memories of that, because Im sure itwasnt a pleasant time, he said.

    Hed rather focus on where he is now, which, at the moment, isin the midst of giddy catcalling.

    Oh, look at her. Just look at her! one of Chesters co-work-ers, Michele Ritter, says.

    Shes the sweetest ... says another.And another, Oh, shes so awesome ...!Co-workers who see Don and Polly every single day are loving

    on the attention-hound like they havent seen her in months.Polly has turned her body to lean against Ritters legs, staring

    up with those always-soulful Lab eyes and is that a smile?Because it sure looks like a dog smile.

    Polly? Hey Pol? Come, Polly. Pol, cmon... Chester is callingwith a half-smile. Shes not going anywhere until after a fewmore belly rubs.

    Polly has been taught a command make a friend thatChester has scarcely had to use.

    You have to have no ego, he jokes. Pretty much everybody

    will say hello to her first.In his office, Don is seated at the U-shaped desk adapted for his

    use.His wheelchair glides up to and under it where his hands can

    float over the keyboard. He wears a pair of cuffs over his handswith a pointer attached to each palm that he uses to tap away atthe keyboard, swiftly like a hunt-and-pecker.

    He prefers to do as much as he can to keep himself active, fromtyping instead of using the slick dictation system with a micro-phone, to walking Polly instead of asking an office assistant totake her out twice a day.

    Still, the microphone is a big part of his life. Using a programcalled Dragon Dictation, he can reply to emails and using his

    iPhones functionality can send texts. He even has it set to flash

    February 2015 15

    Don Chester rides a hand-cycle bike around his

    neighborhood. Ten years ago, the former

    triathlete was hit by a car and paralyzed from

    the chest down. As a result of his injury, he no

    longer sweats, so when he rides his bike, he often

    wears ice collars and must constantly be aware

    of his temperature.

    Madeline Gray/Palm Beach Post/TNS)

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    an LED light when he receives a call or text. He keeps it face-down in his lap and defuses the blinking by telling people notto mind his flashing crotch.

    Rather than be frustrated at not being able to do things theway he used to, Don has adapted things around him to his newcondition. Because his hands are paralyzed into a permanentkarate-chop stiffness, he and Sally have improvised gadgets.

    Theres a plastic hook stuck to the back of his iPhone casethat he can loop a finger through to pick up. The mail-ordercuffs with the pointers can also be fitted with a pen.

    My handwriting was bad before, he jokes.Another set of cuffs is fitted with a fork and spoon.We dont let him have knives too often, Sally jokes.His method for getting things done has changed, but he gets

    them done all the same.Learning to accept help, though, was the biggest adjustment.I knew I wasnt going to be able to be with him 100 percent

    of the time, Sally said.Now, in the mornings, his assistant, Lissette Tamargo, pours

    him water and keeps his cup filled throughout the day. Afterthe accident, one of the nerves that controls his ability to sweatwas permanently damaged so he has to remain hydrated and becareful of overheating.

    Sally found cups with handles wide enough so he can slip hishands through with a top and a straw.

    Tamargo opens his eyeglass case in the mornings and polish-es his lenses and puts them back at the end of the day.

    His day-to-day job, as the hospitals government relationsliaison, is unchanged. Most of the time, Polly lies under hisdesk, dozing unseen, like George Costanza.

    Shes invisible until shes necessary, St. Marys CEODavide Carbone said after his daily morning meeting in apacked conference room with Don, Polly and the rest of theadministrative staff.

    Chesters smile and good nature lure you in, his sense ofhumor breaking down the barriers that often exist between the

    handicapped and those who arent.What set Chester apart and brought out everyone from thecommunity, including such politicians as Lois Frankel andMark Foley, to donate to a fund to retrofit his modest homesouth of Forest Hill Boulevard is his personality.

    He remembers peoples names, loves to engage them withstories. In a place like the hospital, which can be cold, sterile,impersonal, its a ray of sunshine.

    Chester has worked here for 43 years. He knows everyonefrom the head pastor to the newest cashier. He knows everyhallway and whats behind every storage closet, down to thelocation of the transfer switch to alternate to generator powerin case of an outage, from his time as the physical plant man-ager.

    The man knows this place, these people.Before Polly, all he had worked for was in jeopardy.He learned the hard way that others have a hard time relating

    to people with disabilities. They look away. Give them a wideberth in hallways. Stand awkwardly in elevators.

    Polly changed all that.New Horizons Service Dogs provided her after months of

    interviews and several meetings with Don, Sally and their dogsat the time. Now, she fits in perfectly with their four-leggedfamily, dogs Comet, Shadow and JP.

    She came running in the house and I remember thinking shewas the most beautiful dog Id ever seen, Don said.

    Whenever he wheels along with his blonde bombshell at hisside, hes immediately the center of attention. Well, maybe justoutside the center, since Polly loves the spotlight.

    She erases the distance. People notice the dog instead of thewheelchair.

    You bring Polly with you, and thats the icebreaker, Ches-ter said. People see her, and they feel good.

    February 2015 16

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    Madeline Gray/Palm Beach Post/TNS

    Pollyanna wears her official St. Marys Medical Center badge

    as she accompanies Don Chester around the hospital in West

    Palm Beach, Florida.

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    By Diane Mastrull

    The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

    ROXBOROUGH, Pa. Surrounded by vintage milkshakemachines, waffle irons, Pyrex bowls, percolators, toasters, refrig-erators, pizzelle makers, blenders, radios, clocks, electric frypans, colanders, sifters, pots, lids, aluminum ice cube trays, and6,000 to 8,000 Life magazines, among other things, Rich Boris

    had a candid explanation for the origin four years ago of hisKitch-n Collectibles shop in Roxborough.

    Its called hoarding, he said with a laugh.That, combined with this practical thought as Boris, a retired

    Philadelphia firefighter, headed into his 60s: Once youre oldenough to start collecting Social Security, you have to start sell-ing stuff.

    He has a long way to go.

    February 2015 17

    Clem Murray/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

    Rich Boris, 63, owner of Kitch-n Collectibles in Philadelphia, stands amid his wares restored old appliances that are

    celebrated and purchased by consumers who arent impressed with the modern appliances.

    Decluttering and divesting atKitch-n Collectibles in Roxborough, Pa.

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    Now 63, Borisconfided thatwhats on displayin his crammed,yet orderly,1,000-square-footstore on RidgeAvenue at GreenLane is just athird of what hehas amassed.

    The rest including twodozen refrigera-tors from the1930s and 40sthat a local bodyshop will cus-tom-paint forbuyers is instorage in twogarages and the

    basement of an apartment building.You start buying and cant stop, said Boris, who just used his

    late mother, Matildas, Model 7 Sunbeam Mixmaster, a weddinggift from 1946, for his Christmas baking.

    He blames his late father, James, also a firefighter, for his aver-sion to discarding.

    My dad would take things and fix them, he said. His eldersphilosophy: You never throw anything out until its really dead.

    And the way things were made back then, they lasted a longtime on undisputable display inside Kitch-n Collectibles,where everything leaves the store in working order and is guaran-teed for a minimum of 30 days after purchase.

    Promoting their continued use is part nostalgia for Boris.You look at this stuff, and you see a time when we built things

    in the United States, he said, mentioning the rich Ohio clay thatwas the basis of Fiesta ceramic dinnerware, and the prime silicathat made New York a natural setting for Corning Ware andPyrex.

    There was also RCA in Camden and appliance king Philco at G& Tioga Streets in Philadelphia, Boris noted.

    His collecting began with Life magazines dating back to 1936more than 25 years ago, followed by the cooking gadgets thatnow line the shelves, windowsill, ceiling, and walls of Kitch-nCollectibles, named by his partner because he thought it was akitschy kind of place.

    From the time back problems forced his retirement from thefire department in 1991 until about 2000, Boris said, he was fid-

    dling around fixing these things, realizing I wasnt making anymoney.

    He turned to the Internet. Soon, he was selling 10 to 20 ads amonth from his Life archive for $7 to $10 each. Meanwhile, hekept picking up household items at flea markets and yard sales.

    In 2010, a friend was opening a consignment shop on MainStreet and offered Boris some sales space. In six months, she tri-pled his rent because he was outselling her, Boris said. The Rox-borough natives thoughts turned uphill, to a once-thriving com-mercial strip.

    I remember what Ridge Avenue used to be, he said, bemoan-ing the loss of shoe retailers, mens shops, and even the Penn Jer-sey Auto Parts store that stood where Kitch-n Collectibles does

    now.But with a monthly rent of $1,500 and tax bills amounting toan additional $300, sales are not enough to make money, hesaid, declining to disclose revenue specifics from the store andhis website (www.kitch-n.com, which was not accessible becauseBoris was changing hosts).

    The street has been difficult because weve lost I cant tell youhow many stores, he said. The economics are difficult.

    Boris did say 2014 provided one of our best fourth quarters,with sales up 40 percent to 50 percent over Q4 2013. In-storesales increased year over year about 10 percent to 15 percent, hesaid.

    Hes especially heartened to see repeat customers, affirmationto Boris that hes filling a need beyond his own to divest anddeclutter.

    One of those customers is Judy, 66, a retired bank employee,who did not want her last name used because she didnt wantpeople to know she collects antiques.

    Its fun to reminisce walking through that store, she said.Among the reminders of the past she has brought home: a

    Hamilton Beach blender and a Sunbeam electric coffeemaker,both from the 1940s, and a Delta toaster from the 1950s thatemits slices from both sides at the bottom.

    In Judys house, coffee takes about 15 minutes to percolate.She wouldnt have it any other way:

    Im just an old-fashioned-type gal, I guess.

    February 2015 18

    Clem Murray/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

    Above: These are two of the approximately 8,000 Life

    Magazines stored in Rich Boris store.

    Below:A Sunbeam Mixmaster Junior from the late 1950s.

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    February 2015 19

    Custer & Rosebud counties- Clinic Ambassador: Need volunteer to

    greet patients and visitors, providing direc-tions and more.- Custer County Food Bank: Volunteers

    needed for food distribution Tuesdays,

    Wednesdays and Thursdays.- Custer County Network Against Domestic

    Violence: Crisis line volunteer needed.- Historic Miles City Academy: Volunteers

    needed to assist in thrift store and mainte-nance.- Holy Rosary Health Care: Volunteer

    receptionists needed at the front desk.- Kircher School: Volunteer to deliver

    lunches from Miles City to school, 2-3 timesper week, lunch provided and mileage paid.- Soup Kitchen: Volunteers needed to greet,

    serve and/or wash dishes, and make sand-wiches.

    - St. Vincent DePaul: Volunteers to assist inseveral different capacities.- WaterWorks Art Museum: Volunteer

    receptionists needed, 2 hour shifts Tuesdays-Sundays.If you are interested in these or other volun-teer opportunities contact: Betty Vail, RSVPDirector; 210 Winchester Ave. #225, MT59301; phone (406) 234-0505; email:[email protected].

    Dawson County- Local Farm to Table Store: Someone to

    help in and during store hours, 11 a.m.-6p.m.- RSVP Program: Looking to establish

    Telephone Reassurance program entailingvolunteers (needed) calling shut-ins on aregular basis to check on their welfare.If you have a need for or a desire to volun-teer somewhere in the community, contact:Patty Atwell, RSVP Director, 604 Grant,Glendive, MT 59330; phone (406) 377-4716; email: [email protected].

    Fergus, Judith Basin counties- America Reads program: Local schools

    need reading tutors.- Boys and Girls Club: Need volunteers to

    serve as tutors.- Community Cupboard (Food Bank): Vol-

    unteers are needed to help any week morn-ings as well as with deliveries.- Central Montana Fairgrounds: Would

    welcome volunteers with experience inoffice work to help with miscellaneous cleri-cal duties, up to five hours per week.- Council on Aging: volunteers needed to

    assist at the Senior Center (Grub Steaks) andwith home delivered meals and senior trans-portation.- Library and Art Center: Volunteer help

    always appreciated.- ROWL (Recycle Our Waste Lewistown):

    Recruiting volunteers for the third Saturdayof the month to help sorting, baling andloading recyclables- Treasure Depot: Thrift store needs volun-

    teers to sort, hang clothes and put other itemson display for sale.- Always have various needs for your skills

    and volunteer services in our community.Contact: RSVP Volunteer Coordinator

    Sara Wald, 404 W. Broadway, Wells FargoBank building, (upstairs), Lewistown, MT59457; phone (406) 535-0077; email: [email protected].

    Gallatin County- American Cancer Society-Road to

    Recovery: Drivers needed for patientsreceiving treatments from their home to thehospital- American Red Cross Blood Drive: Two

    volunteer opportunities available: an ambas-sador needed to welcome, greet, thank andprovide overview for blood donors; andphone team volunteers needed to remind,recruit or thank blood donors. Excellent cus-tomer service skills needed, training will beprovided, flexible schedule.- Befrienders: Befriend a senior; visit on a

    regular weekly basis.- Belgrade Senior Center: Meals on

    Wheels needs regular and substitute drivers,before noon, Monday-Friday, to delivermeals to seniors.

    - Big Brothers Big Sisters: Be a positiverole model for only a few hours each week.- Bozeman and Belgrade Sacks Thrift

    Stores: Need volunteers 2-3-hour shifts onany day, Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.6 p.m.- Bozeman Deaconess Hospital: Volunteers

    needed for the information desks in the Atri-um and the Perk, 8 a.m.-noon, noon- 4 p.m.- Bozeman Senior Center Foot Clinic:

    Retired or nearly retired nurses are urgentlyneeded, two days a month, either 4- or8-hour shifts.- Community Caf: Volunteer needed, 2-3

    hours at the beginning and end of the month,to enter computer data into Excel spread-sheets.- Galavan: Volunteer drivers needed Mon-

    day-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CDL requiredand Galavan will assist you in obtaining one.Also volunteers are needed to make remind-er calls and confirm rides for the followingday.- Gallatin Rest Home: Volunteers wanted

    for visiting the residents, sharing yourknowledge of a craft, playing cards or read-ing to a resident.- Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Volunteers

    needed to deliver commodities to seniors in

    their homes once a month. Deliveries in Bel-grade are especially needed.- Gallatin Valley Food Bank Huffing For

    Stuffing: Volunteers needed for race registra-tion and water tables.- HRDC Housing Department Ready to

    Rent: Offering a comprehensive curriculumfor families and individuals who have rentalbarriers such as lack of poor rental history,property upkeep, renter responsibilities,landlord/tenant communication and financiapriorities. Call or email Kate at 585-4856 [email protected] for more informa-tion.- HRDC Vita Program: Volunteer Income

    Tax Assistance Program: Volunteers neededto help with paperwork beginning at the endof January, training provided.- Habitat for Humanity Restore: Belgrade

    store needs volunteers for general help, sort-ing donations and assisting customers.

    - Heart of The Valley: Compassionate vol-unteers especially needed to love, play withand cuddle cats.- Help Center: Computer literate volunteer

    interested in entering data into a social ser-vices database. Also volunteers needed tomake phone calls to different agencies/pro-grams to make sure database is up to date andmake safety calls to home bound seniors.- Jessie Wilber Gallery at The Emerson:

    Volunteers needed on Wednesdays, Thurs-days, and Fridays to greet people at the maindesk, answer questions and keep track thenumber of visitors.- Museum of the Rockies: Variety of oppor-

    tunities available such as helping in the giftshop and more.- RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to quilt,

    knit, crochet and embroider hats for chemopatients, baby blankets and other handmadegoods once a week (can work from home).- Three Forks Food Bank: Volunteer needed

    on Mondays and/or Thursdays to help withadministrative duties, including answerphones and questions, some paper and com-puter work. They will train.- Warming Center: Volunteers are needed

    for overnight shifts at the center, training isprovided.

    - Your unique skills and interests are need-ed, without making a long-term commit-ment, in a variety of ongoing, special, one-time events.Contact: Debi Casagranda, RSVP Pro-

    gram Coordinator, 807 N. Tracy, Bozeman,MT 59715; phone (406) 587-5444; fax (406)582-8499; email:[email protected]

    Musselshell, Golden Valley &Petroleum counties- America Reads: Tutor students in the

    See RSVP,Page 21

    Below is a list of volunteer openings available through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) incommunities across southern Montana. To learn more about RSVP, call (800) 424-8867 or TTY (800) 833-3722;or log on to www. seniorcorps.org.

    RSVP

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    On The MenuWith Jim Durfey

    February 2015 20

    Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

    2 large carrots, peeled and sliced about a half inch thick

    2 large red or green bell peppers, cut into half inch chunks

    3 cloves garlic, finely minced

    4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

    1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated or minced

    1 tsp. salt

    1/2 tsp. pepper

    8 oz. orange juice concentrate

    Orange segments from one orange for garnish

    2 green onions, chopped, for garnishHot cooked rice

    Put carrots, peppers and garlic in slow cooker. Add, chicken,

    ginger, salt, pepper and frozen orange juice. Cover and cook

    on low four to six hours. Serve chicken on hot cooked rice.

    Top with orange segments and green onions. Serve chicken

    liquid in gravy boat, if desired.

    If youre looking for a new cocktail to serve guests in

    February, the one below is very refreshing. It also has a red

    blush which is an appropriate color for a drink thats served

    around Valentines Day.

    Cranberry & Elderflower Liqueur

    Sparkler1 cup vodka

    3 oz. elderflower liqueur1/2 c. cranberry juice

    1 1/2 c. club soda

    Put all ingredients in pitcher with lots of ice. Stir until well

    combined. Serve in cocktail glass with a few ice cubes.

    Serves four to six. Warning: This drink goes down almost

    too smoothly. Sip it slowly.

    February - time for fast food Shes been married to me for over 35 years. Sinceshes had to put up with me and my personality defects

    for that length of time, its no surprise that my wifekicks me out of the house most evenings and tells me toget lost. Thats how I became involved with Cub Scouts, BoyScouts and the Yellowstone Ballet Company. Acquain-tances of mine have told me my devoting time and effortto these nonprofit groups is commendable. Little do theyknow I show up at many committee meetings, Scoutmeetings and board meetings because I have nowhereelse to go. February of 2015 will be extra busy. There is the CubScout Blue and Gold Banquet, the Scouting for Foodevent, which is a benefit for the Livingston Food Pantry,while the ballet company will hold a Valentine Tea at the

    Depot Center. With many meetings in early February,

    Ill have to prepare meals that feature fast food. With alittle planning, its possible to put a delectable meal on

    the table thats quick to fix. The recipe below is one example. The ingredients canbe assembled in the morning and put in the slow cookeron a lunch break. All thats needed to complete the meallater in the evening is to cook the rice and make a veg-gie dish. Some of my other favorite fast food dishes are spa-ghetti with a homemade sauce and turkey gumbo. Ifreeze the spaghetti sauce in serving size containers. Tomake the meal, all thats necessary is to cook some pas-ta, thaw out the sauce and make a tossed salad. I like tomake enough turkey gumbo to feed a small army. All Ihave to do is to cook some white rice, thaw out somegumbo and make a veggie dish. Thats a pretty quick

    meal, too.

    Suspected burglar falls through ceilingHOUSTON (AP) Authorities say a mans plans to break into a

    Houston store fell through, after he crashed through the ceiling andlanded in front of police.Houston police say the man climbed a tree and onto the roof of a

    Family Dollar store early one morning, then managed to break ahole in the roof and enter the building.But after making his way into the store, the man fell through the

    ceiling just as a police officer arrived in response to a call about apotential burglary.KHOU-TV reports that the officer ordered the unidentified man

    to stay on the floor. The man was later arrested.Authorities believe the man was trying to steal cigarettes.

    Hawk makes itself an unwanted house guestROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) A red-tailed hawk has cleared out

    after making itself an unwanted house guest in suburban Detroit.Ann Duke tells columnist Neal Rubin of The Detroit News her fam

    ily initially thought their cat or even a burglar caused damage afew weeks ago at their Royal Oak home. A glass orb from an art decosculpture was shattered and crystal candlesticks were scattered about.Then they spotted the hawk perched on a lamp. They say it

    spread its wings but stayed put.Duke called 911, but that wasnt the right place for help. She

    called animal control and a pest removal company but theycouldnt assist. So Duke, her husband and her daughter openeddoors and windows and shoed it out of the house with a bath towel.

    News Lite

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    Wednesday, February 4

    Big Sky Big Grass Bluegrass Festival,through Feb. 8, Big Sky Resorts MountainVillage, Big Sky

    Friday, February 6

    Billings Symphony Orchestra: ScottishSymphonic Fantasy, Alberta Bair Theater,Billings

    Ice Skating, weekends through Feb. 28,Bannack State Park, Dillon

    Cowtown Beef Breeders Show, Miles City

    Saturday, February 7

    Polar Bear 4D Barrel Race and 2D PoleBending, 10 a.m.-noon, 7215 MossmainLane, Laurel

    Sunday, February 8

    Big Sky Symphonic Commission, 7:30p.m., Warren Miller Performing Arts Center,Gallatin Gateway

    National Barrel Horse Association Winter

    Series, 9:30 a.m.-noon, 7215 MossmainLane, Laurel

    Friday, February 13

    Race to the Sky Sled Dog Race,noon,through Feb. 17, Helena

    Polar Bear 4D Barrel Race and 2D PoleBending, 5:30-8 p.m.,7215 MossmainLane, Laurel

    Always Patsy Cline Dinner Theater,through Feb. 14, Park Place, Miles City

    Saturday, February 14

    Rope N Run, 9:30 a.m., Rope at 10:30a.m., 7215 Mossmain Lane, Laurel

    Open Rodeo, 7215 Mossmain Lane, Laurel Buckaroo Bash, 6 p.m. no host cocktails, 7p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. auction, MCC Centra,Miles City

    Sunday, February 15 MHP Youth Rodeo, Noon, 7215Mossmain Lane, Laurel

    Saturday, February 21

    Miles City Cowboy Poetry Gathering,4-5:30 p.m. poetry/music, 5:30-6:30 p.m.meal, 6:30 p.m. open mic, Range RidersMuseum, Miles City

    Sunday, February 22

    National Barrel Horse Association WinterSeries, 9:30 a.m.-noon, 7215 Mossmain

    Lane, Laurel

    Friday, February 27

    Great Rockies Sport Show, weekendsthrough March 22, Friday 1 p.m.-8 p.m,Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-3p.m, Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds,Helena

    Polar Bear 4D Barrel Race and 2D Pole

    Bending, 5:30-8 p.m., 7215 MossmainLane, Laurel

    Saturday, February 28

    Cottonwood Equestrian and MillersHorse Palace Team Roping Series, 10 a.m.rope 11 a.m., 7215 Mossmain Lane, Laurel

    February 2015 21

    February Calendar 2015

    RSVP,from Page 19

    important skill of reading. Other tutoringis intertwined with this program.- Food Bank: Distribute food commodi-

    ties to seniors and others in the communi-ty; help unload the truck as needed.- Meals on Wheels Program: Deliver

    meals to the housebound in the communi-ty, just one day a week, an hour and a half,meal provided.- Nursing Home: Piano players and sing-

    ers needed on Fridays to entertain resi-dents, also assistant needed in activitiesfor residents to enrich supported lifestyle.- School Lunch Program: Help serve and

    supervise children in the lunch room, mealprovided.- Senior Bus: Volunteers to pickup folks

    whom are unable to drive themselves.- Senior Center: Volunteers are needed to

    provide meals, clean up in the dining roomand/or keep records; meal provided.

    - RSVP offers maximum flexibility andchoice to its volunteers as it matches thepersonal interests and skills of olderAmericans with opportunities to servetheir communities. You choose how andwhere to serve. Volunteering is an oppor-tunity to learn new skills, make friendsand connect with your community.Contact: Amanda Turley, South Central

    MT RSVP, 315 1/2 Main St., Ste. #1,

    Roundup, MT 59072; phone (406) 323-

    1403; fax (406) 323-4403; email:

    [email protected] ; Facebook:

    South Central MT RSVP.

    Park County- Big Brothers Big Sisters: Mentor and

    positive role model to a boy or girl, onehour a week. Also needed is a CommunityProgram Mentor, who matches children

    and adults to find that perfect fit for both.- City of Livingston: Needs volunteers tohelp with mailings and other work stationsthat do require standing and walking.- Fix-It-Brigade: Needs volunteers of all

    skill levels for 2 hour tasks on your sched-ule to help seniors or veterans with smallhome repairs, such as changing a lightbulb, shoveling snow, or weatherization.- HRDC VITA (Volunteer Income Tax

    Assistance Program): Volunteers tax pre-parers and greeters needed beginning endof January, training held Jan. 12 and 13.- Links for Learning: Help needed with

    1st-5th graders, one hour a week on Tues-day or Wednesday, after school, with read-ing, homework, or playing games.- Livingston Health and Rehab: Activity

    volunteers needed weekends for bingocallers and movie showings, Mondaythrough Friday, 9-11 a.m.; for coffee andreading the local news, Tuesdays andThursdays 7 p.m. movie night.- Loaves and Fishes and/or Food Pantry:

    Many volunteer opportunities available.- RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to knit

    and crochet caps and scarves for each

    child at Head Start, also as gifts for chil-dren of prenatal classes, Thursdays at 1PM at the Senior Center.- Senior Center Main Streeter Thrift

    Store: Someone who enjoys working withthe public. Come help greet customers,ring up purchases, tag and hang clothesand accept donations.- Shane Center: Friendly volunteers need-

    ed to greet, answer questions and showpeople around the center on Tuesdays andFridays. Also a need for volunteers toresearch the old East Side School buildingcollecting stories and finding pictures ofpast teachers, students and the buildingitself.- Stafford Animal Shelter: Volunteers

    needed to play with the cats and kittens,and to walk the dogs.- Transportation: Volunteer drivers need-

    ed to help patients keep doctor appoint-

    ments. Some gas mileage assistance maybe provided.- Yellowstone Gateway Museum: Volun-

    teers needed for a variety of exciting proj-ects.- Various other agencies are in need of

    your unique skills and help in a variety ofongoing and one-time special events,including help with mailings needed.Contact: Deb Downs, Program Coordi-

    nator, 206 So. Main St., Livingston, MT

    59047; phone (406) 222-8181; email: deb

    [email protected]

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    Q. Sports trivia nuts, whats the

    average lifespan of an NHL hockey

    puck, what do ice-skaters skate on, how

    many rotations does a pitched

    knuckleball make en route to home

    plate, and where did the golfers

    warning cry of Fore! originate?

    A.Its seven short minutes for the life of

    hockey pucks, which either fly into thestands or are removed because frictionwarms them up too much, causing them tostart bouncing on the ice, say Harry Brightand Jakob Anser in Thats a Fact, Jack!Game pucks chilled to -10 degrees F are kept in a freezer in the penaltybox.

    Did you know that ice-skaters skate onwater, not ice, because at 32 degrees F, icehas a liquid surface barely a fewmillionths of an inch thick. Below -31degrees F, the liquid layer becomes so thin

    that a skaters blades would stick ratherthan glide across the ice.

    Ideally, the knuckleball shouldcomplete less than a single rotation on itsway to the plate. The pitchs dancingerraticisms are due to the air moleculespushing differently on the balls seams andsmooth surfaces.

    Finally, the Fore! in golf owes creditto the English military: Back whensoldiers fired rifles in lines, the commandBeware before! was a signal for the frontline to kneel or risk getting their heads

    blown off.Q. What can be the driving force

    behind a whale of an explosion?

    Literally.

    A. When a whale dies at sea and thenwashes up on shore, the decomposingcorpse may bloat with gasses like methaneand hydrogen sulfide, says JessicaHullinger in Mental Floss magazine.But the animals weight may seal thebodys orifices and lead to gas buildup,which can be further exacerbated by the

    suns heat. Now the whale turns into ablubber balloon ripe for popping, thoughnot all popping goes as planned. When a45-foot, eight-ton whale washed up on theOregon shores in 1970, officials used ahalf-ton of dynamite to blow it up,hoping most of the detritus would blastinto the ocean. Instead, the explosion sent

    hundreds of pieces of whale confetti flyingas far as a quarter of a mile, smashing onecar to bits.

    Q. How you feel can affect whether

    youre smiling or not. But how about

    the reverse? Can putting on a smile

    affect how you feel?

    A. Actually, body position, postures,gestures and facial expressions caninfluence how we think, feel and evenbehave, reports the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, Wellness Letter.

    One classic study found that activatingsmile muscles made people rate cartoonsas funnier, while a second study in thejournal Emotion showed that justlowering eyebrows (in effect, frowning)had an immediate negative effect onmood.

    These are a few of the complex body-mind interactions we humans experience.In their research, scientists have focusedon expansive (or power) poses involvingopen positions such as standing uprightwith chest thrust out in contrast toclosed postures with the body slumpedover, legs or arms crossed. Intriguingly,power poses may help lessen pain. A studyfrom the Journal of Consumer Researchshowed that subjects who contracted theirleg muscles or clenched their fists hadmore self-control when drinking a nastyhealth tonic or keeping their hands inicy water.

    Yet some caveats apply here, especiallyregarding different cultural attitudes: In astudy of Americans and East Asians, bothgroups felt more powerful with hands

    spread on the desk, but the East Asians didnot respond favorably to the feet-on-the-desk power pose since they valuemodesty and restraint. Likewise, Arabcultures did not react positively since theyconsider it an insult to show the bottomsof their shoes.

    Q. NASA researcher Christopher

    McKay, in discussing the possibility oflife beyond Earth, recently pronounced:

    If we go through a checklist and, bang-

    bang-bang-bang, weve got it all, this is

    incredibly exciting. Then we have a

    compelling case for a planet with life.

    What points were on his list?

    A.In assessing the habitability ofexoplanets, astronomers usually follow thewater, says Lisa Grossman in NewScientist magazine. Exoplanets withrocky surfaces are declared habitable iftheyre far enough from their star topotentially host oceans. Even planetswith barely any water could host life,McKay explains. Cyanobacteria, forexample, live on rocks in the Atacamadesert in Chile, which gets only a few daysof rain and fog each year.

    Then, too, adequate light or geothermalenergy for driving vital processes isessential, but not a lot is needed. Somedeep-sea plants can grow even whilereceiving only 1 percent of the sunlighthitting the oceans surface. And anotherkey requirement is nitrogen to build amino

    acids, because life is almost certainlygoing to use them.

    However, Saturns moon Titan offers acautionary tale with liquids on its surfaceand an atmosphere. Its seas are filled withmethane and ethane, and its atmosphere isa choking haze of nitrogen and methane.Though seemingly inhospitable, Titanpossesses complex molecules that may bebuilding blocks for life. Says McKay, Ifwe discover something new, well have torewrite this chapter.

    February 2015 22

    By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, Ph.D.

    SendSTRANGEquestions to brothers Bill and Rich at [email protected]

    Life span of a hockey puck:7 MINUTES

  • 8/9/2019 February 2015 Best Times

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    Q. A puzzling situation: When students

    of neuroscientist Jeffrey Mogil were inves-

    tigating how the presence of a human

    researcher affected a lab mouses pain

    response, they found that sometimes

    someones presence reduced the pain, oth-

    er times it made no difference. Something

    fishy seemed to be going on. What was

    it?

    A. When the students reevaluated theirdata controlling for the researchers gender,they discovered that the mice exhibited asmuch as 36% less pain when the studentpresent was male, says David Grimm inScience magazine. (Pain was measured byvideoing a mouses face and using a 3-pointgrimace scale.) Female mice were slightly

    more sensitive to the effect than male mice.

    The key was odor, which held up whether the

    scent stimuli came from the students

    T-shirts, or bedding material of unfamiliar

    male mice, or pet beds of (unsterilized) male

    cats and dogs. Further testing showed the

    rodents exposed to male odors were actually

    feeling less pain, rather than simply hiding

    the pain they were in, Grimm notes. Themale aroma ramped up their stress levels,

    which deadened the hurt.

    Question for further investigation: If a

    male doctor injects you with a new kind of

    pain medication, do you feel better because

    of the drug or because hes a he?

    Q. You can think on it all you want

    because your allotment of pent-up think

    ers is 100,000,000,000, and your thinker

    to-thinker connectivity encompasses fully

    100,000,000,000,000. Do you have the

    brainpower to know what were talking

    about?

    A. You certainly do, since were talkingabout the roughly three-pound organ that isyour brain and its 100 billion normal neuronsthat are wired into the 100 trillion neuralconnections that make up your staggeringlycomplex thinking mind, says Andre Appletonin Think: The Magazine of Case WesternReserve University. Thats the normalhuman brain, whose dense and intricate wir-ing has yet to be mapped in its entirety.

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    9Sharpens14Lindbergh nickname16Goat __: chaotic situ-ation, in slang17European travel pass18You Must Love Memusical19NYC travel org.20Trig function22West end?23Internal walls26Lizard that can shedits tail27Passing event?28Book ending30Like 23 of Haydnssymphonies31Standing losses?32Signifies35What have wehere?!36School hallway warn-ing38Fingers39Media section40Anthologies

    41Project42Number of single-syllable U.S. states43Cosmo, for one

    44One Direction singerZayn __46Kirkuk native50Every MomentCounts gp.511965 Nobel PeacePrize recipient53Vow taker548-Down and others56A carve turn may betaught in one59Bring forth60S-shaped sofa

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