Senior - Vilas County News-Review · Tips offered for maintaining healthy lifestyles Meet area...

W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 7

Area organizations attract senior volunteersTips offered for maintaining healthy lifestyles

Meet area seniors staying active in retirement

SeniorA Special Publication of the Vilas County News-Review and The Three Lakes News

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Page 2 Senior Focus — Winter/Spring 2017

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ACE IS THE PLACE

Senior Focus — Winter/Spring 2017 Page 3

The Kalmar Senior Community Center inEagle River continues to be an oasis for areaseniors looking for weekly activities. Whatbegan as an idea in the 1960s and ‘70s hasbecome a passion for many in the NorthWoods.

The Kalmar Center is the largest seniorcommunity center in the Eagle River area. Itis entirely run by volunteers and receives nocity, state or federal funding.

“All of us here at Kalmar are hard-work-ing volunteers, continuing the dreams of ourfounders, which is to do for others and tohave a place where people can become in-volved and stay active in their later years,”said Kalmar Coordinator Sandy Anderson.“You do not need to be a member to volunteerand do not need to volunteer to be a member.”

The Kalmar Center is located at 1011 N.Railroad St. in Eagle River and is open Mon-days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. November to April,and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. May to October; Tues-days from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Wednes-days from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The center is also home to Senior EagleRiver Volunteer Enterprise (SERVE), a non-profit charitable organization that headsfundraising efforts on behalf of the center.

“Our members are all volunteers whohelp with fundraising events or help with theeveryday operations of the center.” Andersonsaid. “Our doors are open to the public,where adults can meet to enjoy various ac-tivities, socialize and make new friends.”

The center helps to raise money for vari-ous charities with its Christmas Cookie salein November. It also provides high schoolscholarships for Northland Pines studentsthrough proceeds from a salad luncheon andcard party in April. Other events, such asTrash N’ Treasure in August, brat fries andbake sales throughout the summer, and theirbiggest fundraiser of all, Kalmar Bingo, raisemoney to help with the costs of running thecenter and its buses. There are also vendoropportunities for the center’s major craftshow events. For more information or to joinSERVE and participate in an activity, call(715) 479-2633.

Weekly activitiesWeekly gatherings for those looking to

play cards are also held at the Kalmar Cen-ter. Badger Bridge meets Mondays at 12:30p.m.

“If you are a bridge player or would like tolearn the game, feel free to come in Mondaysto get involved with this group,” Andersonsaid. “Informal classes are held Mondaymornings at 10 a.m., leading into the bridgesession in the afternoon. No registration isrequired.”

Cribbage is also played at the center onMondays at 12:30 p.m. January to April,changing to Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. from Mayto December. Cribbage is open to singles anddoubles and beginners as well as experiencedplayers. All are welcome without registra-tion.

The Kalmar Quilters meet at the centerWednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“If you wish to learn quilting or would like

to help with a quilting, embroidery or otherproject, feel free to join this group,” Andersonsaid. “No experience is required and the pub-lic is welcome.”

The quilters have made quilts for home-less shelters and Head Start children and forraffles to raise funds for the Kalmar Center.Embroidery projects also are made to sell asfundraisers.

The Northwoods Carvers meet Wednes-day at 12:30 p.m. They are currently lookingfor people who would like to learn wood carv-ing or people who are experienced to join inand share ideas or techniques.

Wednesday afternoon is also card partyday. The public is welcome to join games ofsheepshead, canasta, bridge, rummy, 313,mahjong, dominoes or board games. Coffeeand treats are served.

From January to April, the center offersWinter Bingo on Tuesday at 1 p.m. Wiscon-sin bingo laws do apply. Everyone of any ageis welcome to attend.

From May through October, including hol-idays, Kalmar Monday Night Bingo is heldwith sessions at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. A progres-sive jackpot game is held during the secondsession. Sandwiches, snacks and beveragesare available for purchase as part of the cen-ter’s fundraising efforts.

Through the months of March throughNovember, the center offers trips to IslandCasino in Harris, Mich. These trips are also a

fundraiser for the center.“We try to offer the lowest rates possible

for the public to participate in these trips,”Anderson said. “The trips to the Island arevery popular and are a great way to meetother people.”

For more information, or to sign up for atrip, please call (715) 479-2633.

Brittany Beyer, from the Eagle River ArtCenter - The Warehouse, will be holding Cre-ative Movement Exercise classes at theKalmar Center on the first and third Tues-days of every month from 10 to 11 a.m.Classes are $5 each on a pay as you go basis.

“If you have movement issues or just wantto break into gentle exercise, these classesare for you,” Anderson said.

For more information, call (715) 479-4060.The center also has a free lending library

of CDs and books, which include large printbooks for people to enjoy.

“We only ask that if you take out a book,please return a book,” Anderson said. “Thereis also a puzzle corner where guests can stopby and put in a piece or two. There are alsothe occasional trips for shopping in other ar-eas.”

The Kalmar Center has a meeting roomavailable for rent and houses the Vilas FoodPantry. It also oversees the Senior CraftShop located at 211 N. Wall St. in downtownEagle River.

“Our Kalmar Quilters sell some of their

items at the shop, and we also have many lo-cal area seniors that sell their wares there,”Anderson said. “Stop by and check out themany handmade items in the shop.”

Anderson said with so much happening atthe Kalmar Center, she hopes to see manynew faces in the future.

“We would like to extend an invitation toeveryone to stop by and see our center,” shesaid. “Come in, have a cup of coffee, chat withus a while, or join in some activity.”

Kalmar Center connects area seniors

The Northwoods Carvers meet each Wednesday at the Kalmar SeniorCenter in Eagle River. The activity is open to people who would like to

learn to carve wood or for those who already carve and want to shareideas and techniques. —Staff Photos By DOUG ETTEN

The Kalmar Senior Center hosts a card play-ing day each Wednesday.


Respect and CompassionPhelps Care WI, LLC is a cozy assisted-living facility nes-tled on the fringe of the Nicolet National Forest in thequaint little town of Phelps, WI. We are in a beautiful loca-tion with wildlife grazing our grasses and birds singing theirlovely songs on a daily basis.

Our residents are like family and enjoy daily activities, andevery meal is homemade. We don’t buy from big compa-nies nor feed our people boxed food. We grocery shop andprepare our meals with love, just as you do at home for yourloved ones.

We are staffed 24 hours a day with people who love theirjobs and love making our facility your loved one’s home.Please feel free to come tour Phelps Care and see for your-self what a lovely place our residents call home!

You can’t get any better care than Phelps Care. We areequipped with care for Alzheimer’s residents, diabetics, andmany other ailments that affect the elderly. Our residents aretreated with love and respect. We wouldn’t have it any otherway!

NEW UPDATES • CARING STAFF

Phelps Care of Wisconsin, LLC4288 S. Maple Drive, Phelps, WI 54554

(715) 545-3144email: [email protected]

Phelps Care of Wisconsin, LLCPhelps Care of Wisconsin, LLC

Kirby D. Redman, O.D. • Michel P. Gelinas, M.D. • Benjamin K. Redman, O.D.

141 B South Willow Street — Eagle River(715) 479-9390

Toll Free (800) 441-0717 Optical (715) 477-1602NorthwoodsEyeCare.com

Woodruff Office: 715-356-2262 • Park Falls Office: 715-762-2300

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Published by Eagle River Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 1929, 425 W. Mill St. at Eagle River, WI [email protected] • vcnewsreview.com ~ Phone 715-479-4421 • Fax 715-479-6242


The Pines Community Wellness Cen-ter at Northland Pines High School of-fers a wide variety of classes gearedtoward the active older adult.

The Total Body Senior class is formen and women of any age that needchallenging strength training, en-durance, stability and flexibility, coordi-nation and no impact cardio.

Instructors for this class are Julia andKevin Schweer, who are certified per-sonal trainers. Many participants whohave rehabilitated injuries, replacedjoints, medical conditions and special cir-cumstances are taken care of with twocertified personal trainers instructingthe class. This is a class for active, expe-rienced adults.

The Pines Community Wellness Cen-ter also offers the Strong Women/StrongBones Program, a 10-week exercise pro-gram for middle-aged and older women.The program is in its third year at thecenter.

The Strong Women Program has be-come so popular that there are now twoclasses being taught on Tuesdays andThursdays from 11 a.m. to noon andfrom 1 to 2 p.m. An optional 30-minutewalk on the indoor track has been imple-mented before the start of each class.

The series is led by Julie Anderson,Becky Jefferson and Sandy LeBiedz,who have been trained in the StrongWomen Program. The Vilas County Pub-lic Health Department is working inconjunction with the Pines CommunityWellness Center to offer this program tothe community.

The winter series of the StrongWomen class began Tuesday, Jan. 10,and will run through Thursday, March16. The spring class will begin on Tues-day, April 4, and run through Thursday,June 8. Each class includes progressiveweight training, flexibility and balanceactivities. The cost of the program is $50for the 10-week session.

Bellyfit Sage™ is a holistic fitnessclass for women that combines easy tolearn cardio moves from belly dance,East Indian, Polynesian and Africandances with the sculpting and toning ofa Pilates-inspired core workout. This canbe done seated, with a deep, relaxingyoga-inspired stretch and meditation.

Other classes offered by the WellnessCenter are Bellyfit®; Cardiostix; CircuitBreaker; Friday Fitness Challenge; Hip,Hop, Step and Stomp; Saved by the Bell;

Spinsanity; and Yoga – Chair and Basic. The current Winter 1 class session be-

gan on Dec. 12, 2016, and will runthrough Feb. 4, 2017. The Winter 2 classsession will begin Feb. 6 and runthrough April 1. As always, anyone mayattend their first class for free to see ifthey may enjoy the class.

Free Senior Day is the third Wednes-day of every month for those individualsages 62 and older (does not includeclasses).

There also are reduced membershiprates for senior citizens as follows:

Senior citizen (62-plus), single an-nual, $240, includes one free eight-weeksession per year.

Senior citizen (62-plus), singlemonthly, $20.

Senior citizen (62-plus), family an-nual, $400, includes two free eight-weeksessions.

Senior citizen (62-plus), familymonthly, $35.

One of the strongest programs offered

through the Wellness Center is the Sil-verSneakers® Fitness Program whichcurrently has more than 160 members.

Members of participating Medicarehealth plans join the SilverSneakers®Fitness Program to take charge of theirown health and well-being. To qualify,participants must be a Medicare-eligiblemember of a health plan that offers theSilverSneakers® Fitness Program.

In addition to the benefits of ahealthy lifestyle, a SilverSneakers mem-bership offers use of the Pines WellnessCenter and walking track. There may bea fee for services not included in a basicmembership, such as personal trainingor classes. Once a person enrolls in a Sil-verSneaker participating site, they canvisit any SilverSneakers location in thecountry. But the primary membershipwill remain at the location where theperson originally enrolled.

The Pines Community Wellness Cen-ter also is now affiliated with the Silverand Fit Program designed for older

adults. Health plans offer the Silver andFit program to eligible Medicare Advan-tage/Supplement beneficiaries andgroup retirees. Contact the WellnessCenter to see if you are eligible for theSilver and Fit program.

The Pines Community Wellness Cen-ter has been operated by the NorthlandPines School District since March 1,2014. The community-based fitness cen-ter is located on the upper level of theNorthland Pines High School and can beaccessed through Entrance 16 from theback parking lot. There is elevator accessto the upper level through the main en-trance of the high school.

For more information on any of theprograms, contact Becky Jefferson at(715) 479-4473, ext. 3351 or 479-4473,ext. 3350.

The Northland Pines High School islocated at 1800 Pleasure Island Road inEagle River. The website for the PinesCommunity Wellness Center is npsd.k12.wi.us/wellnesscenter.

Pines Community Wellness Centeroffers classes for active older adults

The Pines Community Wellness Center offers the Strong Women/Strong Bones Program, a 10-week exercise program for middle-aged

and older women. The program is in its third year at the Wellness Cen-ter. —Contributed Photo


Most working Americans have onlyone source of steady income before theyretire: their jobs.

When you retire, however, your in-come will likely come from a number ofsources, such asretirement ac-counts, SocialSecurity bene-fits, pensionsand part-timework.

When decid-ing how to man-age your variousassets to ensurea steady retire-ment incomestream, thereare two mainstrategies to consider: the total returnapproach and the investment pool — orbucket — approach.

The total return approachWith the total return approach, you

invest your assets in a diversified port-folio of investments with varying po-tential for growth, stability andliquidity. The percentage you allot toeach type of investment depends onyour asset allocation plan, time hori-zon, risk tolerance, need for income andother goals.

The objective of your investmentportfolio generally changes over time,depending on how close you are to re-tirement.

• Accumulation phase. During theaccumulation phase, your portfolio’s ob-jective is to increase in value as muchas possible, with a focus on invest-ments with growth potential.

• Approaching retirement-agephase. As you near retirement, yourportfolio becomes more conservative,moving toward more stable and liquidassets in order to help preserve yourearnings.

• Retirement phase. Once you re-tire, the idea is to withdraw from yourportfolio at an even rate that allowsyou to enjoy a sustainable lifestyle.

Traditionally, a widely quoted with-drawal rate for the first year of retire-ment has been 4%. Ideally, that 4%should be equal to the amount left overafter you subtract your yearly retire-ment income (e.g., pensions, Social Se-curity and so on) from your total cost ofliving, including investment manage-ment fees.

Each year, you will most likely in-crease your withdrawal percentage tokeep up with inflation. Keep in mind,however, that the appropriate with-drawal rate for you will depend on yourpersonal situation as well as the cur-rent economic environment.

The bucket approachThe bucket approach also begins

with a diversified portfolio, followingthe total return approach throughoutmost of the accumulation period.

Then as retirement approaches, youdivide your assets into several smallerportfolios (or buckets), each with differ-ent time horizons to target specificneeds. There is no “right” number of

buckets, but three is fairly common. Ina three-bucket scenario:

• The first bucket would cover thethree years leading up to retirementand the two years following retirement,providing income for near-term spend-ing. It would likely include investmentsthat have historically been relativelystable, such as short-term bonds, CDs,money market funds and cash.

• The second bucket would be usedin years three through nine of retire-ment. Designed to preserve some capi-tal while generating retirementincome, it would include more assetswith growth potential, such as certainmutual funds and dividend-payingstocks.

• The third bucket, designated toprovide income in year 10 and beyond,would contain investments that havethe most potential for growth, such asequities, commodities, real estate andalternatives. Although the risk profileof this bucket is typically higher thanthe other two, its longer time horizoncan help provide a buffer for short-termvolatility.

As you enter the distribution phase,you draw from these buckets sequen-tially, using a withdrawal rate based onyour specific lifestyle goals in a partic-ular year.

The big pictureMany people are familiar with the

total return approach, but the bucketapproach has been gaining popularityrecently, thanks in large part to its sim-plicity. It also accounts for differenttime periods during retirement, poten-tially allowing you to allocate money

more effectively based on your personalsituation.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of thebucket approach is that it can help pro-vide a buffer during times of marketvolatility. For example, if the value ofthe investments in buckets two andthree suddenly fluctuates due to mar-ket conditions, your immediate cash in-come is coming from bucket one, whichis likely to be less volatile. This mayalso alleviate the need to sell invest-ments that have lost money in order togenerate retirement income.

Of course, while the bucket approachhas its advantages, some investors sim-ply feel more comfortable using the to-tal return approach. Remember, thebest strategy for your retirement isunique to you and your personal prefer-ences and needs.

However you choose to pursue yourretirement dreams, it’s important towork with a financial professional whocan help you create the most appropri-ate strategy based on your goals andsituation.

Contact a professional today to learnmore about the different paths youmay take to pursue a sustainable andenjoyable retirement.

Diversification does not assureagainst market loss, and there is noguarantee that a diversified portfoliowill outperform a non-diversified port-folio.

Ronald Patterson is an investmentconsultant at Patterson Investment &Retirement Solutions in Eagle River. Hecan be reached at (715) 337-2424.

Retirement income planningThe total return approach vs. the bucket approach

Oneida County senior din ing sitesOneida County Department on Aging

— 100 W. Keenan St., Rhinelander, WI54501, (715) 369-6170 or 1-(800) 379-7499. Various lunch settings throughoutthe area provide delicious hot meals forthose 60 or older and their spouses.There are no income requirements butdonations are appreciated. Call the din-ing site one day in advance for reserva-tions.

Locations, service days and the num-ber to call for reservations are as follows:

• Oneida Senior Center, Rhinelander— Mondays-Fridays, (715) 369-6170.

• Holy Family Catholic Church,Woodruff — Mondays-Fridays, (715) 892-

4045.• Reiter Center, Three Lakes — Mon-

days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, (715) 490-2798.

• Ray Sloan Community Building,Lake Tomahawk — Mondays andWednesdays, (715) 490-2875.

• Cassian Town Hall, Cassian/Har-shaw — Tuesdays and Thursdays, (715)277-4190.

• Nokomis Town Hall, Nokomis —Mondays and Wednesdays, (715) 966-1602.

• Sugar Camp Town Hall, SugarCamp — Tuesdays and Thursdays, (715)499-5027.

Vilas County senior dining sitesVilas County Commission on Aging

— 521 Wall St., Eagle River, WI, 54521,(715) 479-3625 or 1-(800) 374-1123. Var-ious lunch settings throughout the areaprovide delicious hot meals for those 60or older and their spouses. There are noincome requirements but donations areappreciated. Call the dining site one dayin advance for reservations.

Locations, service days and the num-ber to call for reservations are as fol-lows:

• More Than A Meal Café, EagleRiver — Tuesdays-Fridays, Jennie John-son, (715) 891-1221.

• Fibber’s, St. Germain — Mondays

and Tuesdays at 4 p.m., and Fridays atnoon, Verdelle Mauthe (715) 542-2951.

• Northern Exposure Restaurant,Phelps — Mondays, Wednesdays andFridays, Judi Heikkinen, (715) 545-3697.

• Gateway Lodge, Land O’ Lakes —Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays,Anna Moore, (715) 547-6076.

• Boulder Beer Bar, Boulder Junc-tion — Mondays, Wednesdays andThursdays, Carol Young, (715) 617-0744.

• Lac du Flambeau Wellness Center,Lac du Flambeau — Tuesdays, Wednes-days and Thursdays, Mary Samuelson,(715) 588-4388.

___________BY RONALD PATTERSON

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-REVIEW___________

RONALD PATTERSON


There are many service organiza-tions in the North Woods that attractpeople who want to make a differencein their communities.

Those organizations include the lo-cal Lionss/Lioness clubs, with a major-ity of the members being older adults.

Lions and Lioness members underthe direction of St. Germain LionessClub member Cris Sprister, recentlyheld student vision screening at six lo-cal facilities: St. Germain Family DayCare Center, Christ Lutheran School,Land O’ Lakes ElementarySchool/SOAR, St. Germain Elementary,Eagle River Elementary and NorthlandPines Middle School, and Phelps Ele-mentary School.

A total of 917 children werescreened at these six facilities. Lionsand Lioness members from St. Ger-main, Phelps-Land O’ Lakes andSayner-Star Lake volunteered 186.5service hours to accomplish the screen-ings.

Bill Reckling, of the Phelps-Land O’Lakes Lions Club, has been a LionsClub member for over three years andknows the meaning of giving back.

“It is our great pleasure that we canhelp our communities and school dis-tricts in this manner,” said Reckling.

There are no tax dollars available toschools for student vision and hearingtests, so the Lions program is impor-tant. The prekindergarten throughfirst-grade students are tested with aWelch Allyn SPOT scanner. The testtakes seconds. Students in secondgrade and up read a Snellen Chart onthe wall as letters are pointed to by avolunteer. Those students whosescreening indicates an area of concernare referred to have professional eyeexams.

Brian Blank, who has been a Phelps-Land O’ Lakes Lions Club member forthree years, said he has learned a lotthrough the program.

“I found it to be very fulfilling andeducational, talking with students fromkindergarten through eighth grade,”said Blank. “I enjoy using the SPOTscanner. The technology is truly amaz-ing.”

Rollie Alger said the Lions Club isabout more than raising funds.

“I have been with the Phelps-LandO’ Lakes club for six years and most ofthose years we were engaged in fund-raising activities and then writingchecks for worthwhile community ac-tivities,” said Alger. “After attending avision screening training session at ourdistrict convention three years ago, Isaw a way to more fully engage in thereal mission of Lions.

“A couple of us felt the same wayand we partnered with the St. GermainLions and Lioness clubs to assist themwith the vision screenings of elemen-tary and middle school students in theEagle River area,” said Alger. “Today,we assist with all the screenings andhave taken a leadership role with thevision screening for the Phelps School.Personally, I have found this to be themost rewarding aspect of being a mem-ber of the Phelps-Land O’ Lakes LionsClub.

“I felt similarly years ago as a mem-ber of another Lions Club when Itransported eye tissue from centralWisconsin to Froedtert Hospital in Mil-waukee,” said Alger. “While selling tick-ets, running raffles and sponsoringfund-raising events are very important,participating directly in giving back to

my community is truly service aboveself.”

Wisconsin Lions organization are di-vided into 10 districts throughout theBadger State and the northcentral partof Wisconsin is in District 27-C2. Spris-ter is the 27-C2 District chairperson forPreservation and Eye Health and hasbeen a Lioness Club member for morethan 10 years.

“There are 45 clubs within our 27-C2district and we own four SPOT scan-ners. They were purchased under theauspices of the Wisconsin Lions Foun-dation through a partial grant from Li-ons Clubs International,” said Sprister.“Through the grant, the final cost was$7,500 each, which is much lower thanthe actual cost. The clubs paid for thescanners through fundraising projects.”

All Lions Clubs in the state have “vi-sion health” as a mission given to themas a charge by Helen Keller, who re-ferred to the clubs as “Knights ofSight.” Most of the Lion/Lioness Clubvolunteers conduct vision screeningprograms and they are trained throughthe auspices of Prevent Blindness Wis-consin.

“The Lions/Lioness organization isawesome — all of their values coincide

with mine,” said Sprister. “It is ourgreat pleasure that we can help ourcommunities and school districts inthis manner.”

The 27-C2 District also is very activein adult vision screening and uses addi-tional screening machines to pick upeye diseases such as glaucoma andcataracts. The SPOT scanner screensfor normal eye deficiencies such asastigmatism, anisocoria, ani-sometropia, gaze asymmetry or gazedeviation, hyperopic and myopia. Spris-ter notes that the scanner does not di-agnose, but does indicate “areas ofconcern.”

The Lions-Lioness Clubs also collectused eyeglasses through the Recycle forSight Program. The recycling centervolunteers sort the glasses by prescrip-tion strength and package the glasses.The recycled eyeglasses are distributedto people in need in low and middle in-come communities.

People can drop off usable eyewearat Lions-sponsored collection boxes inarea communities or check with a localLions Club member.

“Your unused pair of eyeglasses canchange another person’s life,” saidSprister.

Student vision screening programfulfilling for Lions-Lioness members

Volunteers at a recent students vision screening at Phelps Schoolwere, from left, Brian Blank, Cris Sprister, Bill Reckling, Rose Futrell,

Dan Adams, Mike Shulski, Rollie Alger and Jerry Gifford. Reckling isholding the SPOT scanner. —Photo By Sharon Gifford

___________BY SHARON GIFFORD




Some people love to volunteer andTerri St. Catherine of Sugar Camp isone of those people.

St. Catherine was recently namedthe Volunteer of the Year of the YMCAof the Northwoods in Rhinelander.

“Terri is an incredibly selfless personwho shares her time and talents tostrengthen the community in whichshe lives,” said Marilyn Duschl, coordi-nator of the Active Older Adults (AOA)program at the YMCA.

St. Catherine received the awardfrom the YMCA of the Northwoods be-cause she supports the Y in so many ca-pacities, according to Duschl.

“She is a baker, a vote counter forthe Not So Scary Halloween Trail, a fileorganizer and a scanner for the frontdesk. She is the committee chair-woman for the AOA senior advisorycommittee,” said Duschl. “She touchesevery program and event at the Y withher humor and organizational skills.”

St. Catherine also is an active olderadult who works out at the Y, regularlyswimming laps, strength training anddoing cardiovascular work.

“I get physical strength and wellbe-ing from working out,” says St. Cather-ine, “but I receive spiritual andpersonal growth when I am helping

others.” St. Catherine devotes countless

hours volunteering in the North Woods.“In addition to her generous contri-

bution to the YMCA, Terri’s passion forproviding a helping hand, encourage-ment and support to those in need inthe community is shown through herother volunteer efforts,” said Duschl.

For the past 10 years, St. Catherinehas been sewing, stuffing, dressing anddistributing more than 1,500 SojournBears to cancer patients in the area.Many of the cancer patients take theirbears to their treatment appointmentsto offer comfort.

“I enjoy making bears,” said St.Catherine, “because I am a cancer sur-vivor and feel it is a way of giving backor paying it forward.”

St. Catherine has been a volunteerfor the American Red Cross and Com-munity Blood Center drives in the areafor more than 10 years, helping to pro-vide life-sustaining resources.

She also has been a Salvation Armybell ringer for over five years and a vol-unteer shopper for the Warm The Chil-dren program, sponsored by the VilasCounty News-Review, to provide newwinter clothing to children in need inthe area. She is very active at St. Kune-gunda Catholic Church in Sugar Camp.

St. Catherine has lived in SugarCamp for 27 years and previous to thatfor 20 years in Three Lakes. She andher husband George have been married27 years and have three children, Val,Randy and David, and two step-chil-dren, Luanne and Kash. George St.Catherine is the former district admin-istrator for the Three Lakes School Dis-trict and also is a YMCA volunteer andsupporter.

Duschl said it’s people like Terri St.Catherine who make the YMCA andthe community better places.

“Passion like Terri’s makes otherswant to be part of the Y and the com-munity,” said Duschl. “The Y is so muchbetter because of her wonderful senseof caring, honesty, respect and respon-sibility that represent the Y’s core val-ues. The North Woods is a strongercommunity because of Terri St. Cather-ine.”

The YMCA of the Northwoods is lo-cated at 2003 E. Winnebago Street inRhinelander. For more informationabout Y programs, call (715) 362-9622or visit ymcaofthenorthwoods.org.

Working to strengthen the communityVolunteer Terri St. Catherine makes YMCA stronger

Terri St Catherine of Sugar Camp, a YMCA of the Northwoods volunteer, holds a SojournBear that she made for cancer patients. —Contributed Photos

Terri St. Catherine, right, performs a randomact of kindness for the shopper at a localgrocery store.


521 E. Wall Street, downtown Eagle RiverMailing address:

330 Court Street, Eagle River, WI 54521(715) 479-3625 or 1-(800) 374-1123

www.co.vilas.wi.us/coa

Help when you need it most!

W H O I S E L I G I B L E F O R S E R V I C E S ?Generally, any person age 60 or older may use services. A few programs have more specific guidelines.

Funding for services is provided through federal, state and county governments, private contributions and partici-pant donations. Programs through the Federal Older Americans Act do not have fees, but donations are vital tothe success of our programs and are greatly appreciated. No one is denied service because of inability to do-

nate.E L D E R B E N E F I T S P E C I A L I S T

The Elder Benefit Specialist helps cut the red tape involved with health care and public benefits, such as:

• Medicare • Medicare Supplemental Insurance • Medical Assistance• Benefit Counseling • SeniorCare Prescription Coverage • Judicare Information• Consumer Concerns

Insurance Puzzle workshops — First Tuesday of the month, 1 p.m., at Commission on Aging Office

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S P R O G R A MProvides informational programs on health and wellness to enrich the quality of life of our seniors.

• Powerful Tools for Caregivers program provides caregivers with tools and strategies to betterhandle caregiver challenges.

• Stepping On is a program proven to reduce falls and build confidence in older people.• Living Well is a workshop for people who have one or more chronic health conditions.• Healthy Living with Diabetes program helps people better manage their diabetes.

C A R E G I V E R S U P P O RT P R O G R A M SThe Alzheimer’s Family Caregiver Support Program provides information and/or funding to caregiversof family members who have Alzheimer’s disease or other closely related irreversible dementia andare financial ly eligible. The National Family Caregiver Support Program provides family and informalcaregivers with information assistance, support, respite care and supplemental services.

N U T R I T I O N P R O G R A MServes hot and nutritous meals at congregate sites which provide socialization, educational and recreationalactivities. The following sites are located throughout the county: More Than a Meal Cafe - Eagle River area;Wellness Center - Lac du Flambeau area; Gateway Lodge - Land O’ Lakes Area; Northern Exposure - PhelpsArea; Fibber’s Restaurant - St. Germain area; Boulder Beer Bar Restaurant - Boulder Junction area

Home-delivered meals prepared at the nutrition sites are delivered to eligible homebound peoplethroughout Vilas County.

Meal reservations are required 24 hours in advance. Donations are encouraged to maintain the viability ofthe program, but are not required.

C A R E G I V E R S U P P O RT G R O U PThe Caregiver Support Group provides support to those in a caregiver role. The group meets the thirdThursday of each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Vilas County Commission on Aging building.

C H O R E S E R V I C EMatches workers with people needing light housekeeping. Our chore workers will provide other servicessuch as shopping or laundry depending upon the needs of the individual.

V O L U N T E E R O P P O RT U N I T I E SOur volunteers are an integral part of the Commission on Aging Programs. If you or someone you know isinterested in volunteering for one of our programs, please call our office at (715) 479-3625.

We need drivers to be• Transportation Drivers • Home-Delivered Meal Drivers

M E D I C A L & P E R S O N A L T R A N S P O RTAT I O NVolunteer drivers provide rides for people unable to drive themselves to medical appointments andpersonal business. Call (715) 479-3625, two business days in advance to arrange a ride.

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IS AVAILABLE.


Cora Mollen, a St. Germain resi-dent since 1971, has a passion forfungi, the family name of plants mostoften associated with mushrooms.

Mushrooms themselves are just asmall part of the fungi kingdom thatincludes molds, mildews, smuts, rusts,and yeasts. They can take the shapeof finger-like plants growing from theground (Stinkhorn); shelves growingon the sides of trees; and little“shrooms” that help decaying trees re-turn to the earth (dirt) from whichthey came.

Mollen’s interest in fungi grew af-ter she attended seminars at KempBiological Station in Woodruff begin-ning in 1996. Ten members of thefungi seminar joined with her to formthe Northstate Mycological Club atthe Plum Lake Town Center inSayner. It presently has more than205 individual members and over 60active members.

During the summer and particu-larly during wet months, the North-state Mycological Club members go onweekly walks in the forests to locate,count, collect and identify samples oflocal fungi.

“This was a great summer for fungibecause it was so wet and on one of

our forays, we found 40 differentfungi,” said Mollen.

Fungi interested Mollen because ofthe various shapes and color combina-tions they can display in the wild.They are also part of the larger envi-ronment and help return other plantsto the ground from which they grew.

Mollen said there is a circle of lifein the forest, from the trees that formthe canopy to the lower-growingplants and down to the world of thefungi which support the life of the for-est.

“It’s a wonderful world of wonder towalk on a trail and be walking onthousands and thousands of threadsof fungal material,” said Mollen.“When it comes to the forest and theplants and the fungi, each one is im-portant to the other. We need to do ourbest not to pollute the environmentand work for clean air and clean wa-ter. We need to protect the climate aswell.”

While some fungi reproduce fromspores, others grow from microscopicfilaments which spread through thesoil. This is called the mycelium andmay extend up to 2,400 acres, such as

one identified in eastern Oregon(Wikipedia).

While fungi are associated with theregeneration of forests, they are alsoassociated with the production ofmedicines such as penicillin, thingshumans eat and the transmission ofillnesses (blastomycosis and others).

Mollen indicated that some fungiare edible and others are potentiallylethal. One locally occurring fungi, theAmanita, is capable of killing an adulthuman.

“After a person eats just oneAmanita, they begin to feel sick andafter a while they feel better, butthat’s when the real damage is doneto the liver, often resulting in death ifa liver transplant is not available,”said Mollen.

The Amanita is a stalk mushroomwith a red top and white spots. Otherspecies include the Death Cap, theDestroying Angel and the Fool’sMushroom.

“If you are going to become familiarwith local fungi, you will benefit froman abundance of woodland trails,”Mollen said.

Trails and fungi go together in the

world of Mollen, who worked at theAwassa Lodge for Wisconsin PublicService (WPS), and at their requestlaid out and blazed the Awassa trails.The trails were designed to give resi-dents and visitors an opportunity tohave a close-up look at the local floraand fungi.

WPS also encouraged Mollen to de-velop a trail with a more solid surfacefor those people with disabilities.

In conjunction with the WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resources(DNR), Mollen re-blazed trails devel-oped by the Civilian ConservationCorps on the Fern Ridge property. Thetrails were blazed and brushed againat a later date by the St. GermainCampfire Girls.

Recently offered for sale to St. Ger-main by the DNR, the town purchasedthe Fern Ridge property with an eyeon additional trail development. Thepurchase guarantees that the hikingtrails on that parcel will be main-tained.

Anne Small, Mollen’s daughter, alsohas an interest in maintaining trailsin the St. Germain area. She chairsSt. Germain’s Non-motorized TrailsCommittee and has exercised leader-ship in regard to the Bike and HikeTrail, Awassa Trails and the futuretrails on the Fern Ridge property. Thecommittee has developed town prop-erties for hiking, cross country skiing,snowshoeing and fat tire biking.

“I am so pleased with the group ofpeople who are working with mydaughter, Anne, and the town board,to revitalize the trails once again,” re-marked Mollen.

Mollen also has been an organizerand speaker at the Sayner-St. Ger-main Fish and Wildlife Club. She alsoco-authored the book, “FascinatingFungi of the North Woods,” now avail-able in a second edition with addi-tional descriptions of fungi andexpanded notes on edibility. Co-authorLarry Weber is a teacher in Min-nesota and contributed to the scien-tific elements in the book whileMollen described the plants.

Small is the webmaster of theNorthstate Mycological Club and thewebsite includes a link to amazon.comfor purchasing a copy of “FascinatingFungi of the North Woods.”

For additional information aboutthe club, visit northstatemycological-club.org.

St. Germain woman has passion for fungiCora Mollen helps start Northstate Mycological Club

Cora Mollen of St. Germain displays her book, “Fascinating Fungi of the North Woods.” It in-cludes descriptions of many mushrooms found here. —Photos By Wally Geist

___________BY WALLY GEIST


The stinkhorn, an index finger-size fungi,grows in the shade. The name comes fromthe smell of the liquid produced in the redportion of the fungi.


When most people begin their career,retirement is the farthest thing fromtheir mind. Instead, they focus on tryingto purchase a home, start a family orperhaps save money for travel.

Retirement seems so far away formany younger people that they delayputting aside money. However, it’s veryimportant to save for the future — if youwant to enjoy it.

An employer-sponsored retirementplan or 401(k) can be a useful way to setaside funds for retirement, especially ifyour employer offers matching funds onwhat you invest. If you don’t work for anemployer that offers this type of plan,there are many other plans designed tohelp you save for retirement.

From solo 401(k)s to traditional andRoth IRAs, there are programs designedto fit a multitude of budgets. The earlieryou start to save, the more funds you’llhave ready for retirement.

In addition to traditional programs,

the U.S. Department of the Treasurynow offers a retirement savings optioncalled myRA. There’s no minimum toopen the account, you can contributewhat you can afford and you can with-draw funds with ease. To learn moreabout myRA, visit myra.gov.

And, as always, there is Social Secu-rity, which is funded by taxes you paywhile you work. To get estimates of fu-ture benefits and check your earningsrecord for accuracy, you can create a mySocial Security account at socialsecu-rity.gov/myaccount.

Prepare for your future and start sav-ing — and planning — today!

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Nicolet College’s Learning in Retire-ment (LIR) program will feature an-other fun-filled, learning-inspiredcollection of offerings for springsemester that will include many newclasses along with fresh takes on tradi-tional favorites.

“For more than 20 years LIR mem-bers have been putting together excit-ing and engaging classes and I’mhappy to say that tradition will con-tinue with the next round of upcomingofferings,” said LIR President NancyBrissee.

In all, LIR will feature 40 differentofferings, starting Jan. 17 and runningthrough May 17.

Some classes will meet only once fora couple of hours while others will bepart of a series that meet once a weekover several weeks.

The hallmark of each class is learn-ing just for the fun of it.

“There are no tests or grades; simplygroups of people getting together tolearn new things and share a commoninterest,” said Brissee, who helpedfound the program in 1995.

Upcoming offerings will cover abroad range of subjects.

One of many unique topics will bethe history of baseball with KyleRogers as he takes a look at this na-tional pastime, focusing on oddballfacts and the quirky characters whoshaped the early years of the sport.

For those with a green thumb, RuthHempel will offer tips and tricks forgrowing vegetables, fruits and herbs ona back porch or patio.

On the political front, Judge RobertKinney will take a look at Robert LaFollette, his role in making the Pro-gressive Party once a force in state pol-itics and how current-day dynamicshave impacted the Progressive move-ment.

Travel enthusiasts will delight intwo travelogues, one with LouiseSchotz and her journey through South-east Asia with vicarious stops in Thai-land, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Brian Jones will be back with one ofhis highly entertaining, make-believebus rides, this time along the RiverThames. Participants will tour the cityof Oxford, take in the maritime events

of the Henley Regatta, negotiate theworld-renowned maze at HamptonCourt Palace and experience themajesty of Windsor Castle.

Art lovers will have plenty to pickfrom with guided tours of exhibits atArtStart in downtown Rhinelander;understanding and creating mandalas,which are geometric patterns, as a pathto inner peace; and, for those who liketo sing, participating in the LIR chorus.

Tours will include a guided visit toKemp Station, an epicenter of environ-mental research in the North Woodsoperated by the University of Wiscon-sin-Madison, a tour and introduction tothe recently remodeled Nicolet College

Library with its many digital technol-ogy improvements, and a look insideEagle Recycling to see how recyclablesare sorted and prepared for reuse.

Long-time favorite classes such asCed’s Nature Series, Current Eventsdiscussions and a look at world affairsin the Great Decisions series also willbe held.

Outdoor activities will include aValentine’s Day sleigh ride and a bicy-cle adventure from Eagle River toThree Lakes and back on the Three Ea-gle Trail.

Classes will be held throughout theNorth Woods in Rhinelander, EagleRiver, Three Lakes, Woodruff, Toma-

hawk and Irma.Membership is $40 annually and

open to anyone who is retired or semi-retired. Members can take as many of-ferings as they desire. To join, for acomplete listing of classes or to registerfor classes, visit nicoletcollege.edu/lir.

For more information about LIR orto receive a printed schedule, contactthe Nicolet College Learning in Retire-ment Office at (715) 365-4491 or 1-800-544-3039, ext. 4491: TTY 711 or1-800-947-3529.

Terry Rutlin is the communicationsspecialist at Nicolet College in Rhine -lander.

Nicolet College’s new LIR classeskeep North’s retirees active, engaged

Nicolet College’s Learning in Retirement program features 40 differentclasses for spring semester for senior citizens, including a bicycle ride

from Eagle River to Three Lakes and back on the scenic Three EagleTrail Thursday, May 4. —Contributed Photo

___________BY TERRY RUTLIN



How many people suffer from hearingloss? Here are some general guidelinesregarding the incidence of hearing loss:

— Three in 10 people over age 60have hearing loss;

— One in six baby boomers (ages 41-59), or 14.6%, have a hearing problem;

— One in 14 Generation Xers (ages29-40), or 7.4%, already have hearingloss;

— At least 1.4 million children (18 or

younger) have hearing problems; and— It is estimated that three in 1,000

infants are born with serious to pro-found hearing loss.

How do you know if you have a hear-ing loss? It can affect a person socially,emotionally and medically.

Socially, one or more of these situa-tions may be common if you have hear-ing loss: require frequent repetition;have difficulty following conversationsinvolving more than two people; thinkthat other people sound muffled or likethey’re mumbling; have difficulty hear-ing in noisy situations, like conferences,

restaurants, malls or crowded meetingrooms; have trouble hearing childrenand women; have your TV or radioturned up to a high volume; answer orrespond inappropriately in conversa-tions; have ringing in your ears; andread lips or more intently watch people’sfaces when they speak with you.

Emotionally, some of these character-istics may be common if you have hear-ing loss: feel stressed out from strainingto hear what others are saying; feel an-noyed at other people because you can’thear or understand them; feel embar-rassed to meet new people or from mis-understanding what others are saying;feel nervous about trying to hear andunderstand; and withdraw from socialsituations that you once enjoyed becauseof difficulty hearing.

Medically, these are also signs of pos-sible hearing loss: have a family historyof hearing loss; take medications thatcan harm the hearing system (ototoxicdrugs); have diabetes, heart, circulationor thyroid problems; and have been ex-posed to very loud sounds over a long pe-riod or a single exposure to explosivenoise.

Hearing aids workResearch by the National Council on

the Aging on more than 2,000 peoplewith hearing loss, as well as their signif-icant others demonstrated that hearingaids clearly are associated with impres-sive improvements in the social, emo-tional, psychological and physicalwell-being of people with hearing loss inall hearing loss categories from mild tosevere.

Specifically, hearing aid usage is pos-itively related to quality of life. Hearingloss treatment was shown to improveearning power, communication in rela-tionships, intimacy and warmth in fam-ily relationships, ease incommunication, emotional stability,sense of control over life events, percep-tion of mental functioning and physicalhealth.

For those who believe they may havehearing loss, have a complete hearingevaluation by a licensed provider.

Jim Ogurek is a national board certi-fied hearing instrument specialist andowner of Beltone Hearing Solutionsserving central and northern Wisconsin.

Hearing loss can be helped

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Patterson Investment & Retirement Solutions930 Highway 45 South, P.O. Box 1747, Eagle River, WI 54521Phone (715) 337-2424 | Fax (715) 337-2466 | [email protected] | www.patterson-invest.comRonald K. Patterson is a financial advisor located at Patterson Investment & Retirement Solutions at 930 Highway 45 South, P.O. Box 1747, Eagle River, WI 54521. He offers securities andadvisory services as an Investment Advisor representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor. He can be reached at715.337.2424 or at [email protected].

© 2016 Commonwealth Financial Network®Ronald K. PattersonInvestment Consultant

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What does a retired philosophy pro-fessor do in Upper Michigan when hedoesn’t hunt, fish or snowmobile?

In the case of David DeRoche ofIron River, Mich., he researches hisFrench-Canadian family. He found sixfamilies in Quebec who were the de-scendants of one of the original set-tlers in Quebec City, Canada, datingback to the 1600s, named Hebert (pro-nounced A’bear).

He worked with a man in Salt LakeCity, Utah, using a list of French-sounding names in Iron County priorto 1875. There were 28 names found.From that list, they were able to trackdown the six families.

DeRoche has published a five-vol-ume set of his research and donated acopy to the Iron County Museum inCaspian, Mich., one to the HarborHouse Museum in Crystal Falls,Mich., and to the libraries in IronRiver, Dickinson, Marquette, Deltaand Houghton counties in UpperMichigan.

In doing his family history, he wasable to find eight families in the Que-bec area dating back to the 1500s inFrance. He has visited with six peoplein Quebec four or five times.

Three or four generations back, De-Roche said he found a great uncle withan interesting story.

“He was arrested for stealinghorses. He was sentenced to threeyears’ exile in Wisconsin,” DeRochechuckled. “This was before Wisconsinwas a state.”

DeRoche was born in Ishpeming,Mich., attended school in Crystal Fallsuntil seventh grade, then went to Al-pha, Mich., where he graduated in1956. From there he spent a year atYale University and at the same timeserved in the U.S. Air Force. He stud-ied Far Eastern Language where helearned the Mandarin dialect of Chi-nese. He served as an interpreter forfour years.

After his service in the Air Force, heattended Loyola University inChicago, earning his B.A., M.A. andPh.D. in philosophy. He taught Con-temporary French for two years atLoyola as a graduate teaching assis-tant.

From 1970 to ’79, he taught philoso-phy at Gogebic Community College-Ironwood in Iron River, Mich.

DeRoche switched careers in 1979to become a computer programmer.

“There wasn’t enough money inteaching,” he said.

In 1979, he married ShirleyKolonoski who was born and raised inDetroit. It was the second marriage forboth. He has two sons and one daugh-ter. She has two adopted daughters.They have nine grandchildren andthree great-grandchildren.

“They are scattered all over thecountry,” DeRoche said. “Nebraska,Upper and Lower Michigan, and Illi-nois. One of my sons is a reporter forthe Iron County Reporter.”

Among his many interests, DeRocheplays bridge at the Kalmar SeniorCenter in Eagle River every Mondayand has a special parrot — called arainbow lorikeet — named Luca who

is 22 years old.“There’s no record of how long lorys

live,” he said. “He might outlive all ofus.”

Lorikeets are native to Australiaand are found throughout the SouthPacific. Their habitat is rain forest andwoodlands and as noted in their name,are brightly colored.

At one time, DeRoche had 12 lorysand had to add a special room to hishouse for them, which included a highceiling and large windows for sunlight.

Lorys are unusual in that theydon’t eat seeds, according to DeRoche.

“They have a very special tonguethat has ridges along the sides whichmove in and out,” he said. “Much like ahummingbird, they insert the tongueinto a flower retrieving nectar andpollen from it, then retract the tongueback into their mouths.

“Since we don’t have access to freshflowers, we obtain powder and nectar

from California to feed him,” contin-ued DeRoche.

His lory is called a “chattering lory”and is an excellent mimic. Luca hasthe ability to call the cat, mimickingShirley’s voice.

“It’s so convincing, the poor cat isconfused most of the time,” said De-Roche.

In addition to the parrot, he has acat and two dogs, all rescued fromshelters.

When DeRoche’s children weresmall, they begged for snowmobiles,but he wasn’t in favor of them so in-stead he built a dog sled and trainedfive Samoyeds to race.

“They became more popular withthe kids than snowmobiles,” he said.

He and his wife still enjoy watchingthe dog sled races on Sunset Lake,where they now live.

“If it isn’t too cold, we go out andwatch,” DeRoche said.

DeRoche, retired philosophy professor,stays busy with genealogy, bridge, parrot

David DeRouche of Iron River, Mich., is a retired philosophy professorand now has an interest in genealogy, playing bridge with friends in

Eagle River and his rainbow loikeet parrot called Luca. At one time hehad 12 of the parrots. —Photo By Kevin Zini

___________BY MARGE BAERENWALD



Glaucoma impacts an estimated 3million plus Americans (according tothe Glaucoma Research Foundation),and yet, understanding and awarenessof this detrimental disease remains lowin the public eye.

Because of a lack of early-onsetsymptoms, many who are affected byglaucoma are unaware that they evenhave the disease. This is especially con-cerning, given the consequences of un-controlled and untreated glaucoma.

According to the American Optomet-ric Association (AOA), glaucoma is thesecond leading cause of blindness inthe United States.

Frequently, glaucoma attacks an in-dividual’s eyesight without the pres-ence of early warning signs, accordingto officials with the Wisconsin Opto-metric Association (WOA).

“Glaucoma is often referred to as the‘sneak thief of sight,” explains Dr.David Nelson, 2017 WOA presidentand Madison area optometrist. “By thetime symptoms do appear, it may be toolate to save those affected from suffer-ing permanent vision loss.”

Vision lost cannot be regained,which is why it is so important for peo-ple to protect their sight by receiving a

comprehensive, dilated exam per-formed by their eye doctor, duringwhich glaucoma can be diagnosedearly, according to Nelson.

Although glaucoma is not pre-ventable and has no current cure, it canbe controlled if diagnosed and treatedearly by a licensed eye doctor.

Glaucoma is a group of eye disordersthat lead to progressive damage to theoptic nerve. People with glaucoma canlose nerve tissue, resulting in visionloss.

The most common form of the dis-ease is primary open-angle glaucoma,which develops slowly and usuallywithout symptoms. In primary open-angle glaucoma, the fluid pressure in-side the eye increases. This increase inpressure may result in progressivedamage to the optic nerve and loss ofnerve fibers, causing possible visionloss.

Untreated, glaucoma can cause sig-nificant vision loss and even blindness.The disease can accelerate quickly, andcan affect patients at different stagesof life.

“A common misperception is thatglaucoma only affects older adultswhen, in reality, it can happen at any

age. In fact, it’s most commonly de-tected in people in their 40s,” acknowl-edges Nelson.

Risk factors, treatmentAs is the case with many diseases,

factors such as age and race can in-crease an individual’s risk for develop-ing glaucoma.

According to the Glaucoma ResearchFoundation, glaucoma is six to eighttimes more common in African-Ameri-cans than in Caucasians. In addition,at greater risk for glaucoma are thosewho have a family history of the dis-ease, existing medical conditions andare adults over the age of 60.

Treatment for glaucoma includesprescription eye drops and medicationto reduce pressure in the eyes. In cer-tain cases, surgery may be effective inreducing pressure.

Nelson says that diagnosis is thefirst step in preserving a person’s vi-sion; however, the only way to guaran-tee detection of this condition isthrough a comprehensive eye examwith a licensed eye doctor.

The WOA recommends annual com-prehensive eye exams for adults andchildren. Visit woa-eyes.org/members

for a list of licensed eye doctors in thisarea.

“The early detection and treatmentof glaucoma is crucial in saving vision,”said Nelson.

Early detection, treatment protects against glaucoma

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The best way to detect glaucoma is througha comprehensive eye exam with a licensedeye doctor. —Contributed Photo


Since 1944, Trees For Tomorrow inEagle River has been introducing chil-dren from around the Upper Midwest tothe flora and fauna of the North Woodsby getting them out into our forests andonto our lakes throughout the schoolyear.

But children are not the only oneswho come to Trees For Tomorrow forunique, hands-on transformative educa-tional experiences and adventure. Fordecades, Trees has been host to up to 10week-long adult programs offered annu-ally through the Road Scholar program.

Taking advantage of the knowledgeand enthusiasm of the Trees For Tomor-row educators, adults from aroundNorth America come to the North Woodsto be introduced to the beauty of thewoods and waters we call home.

All instructors are carefully selectedbased on their knowledge, experienceand ability to teach adult groups, andstaff members have taken courses ineach area of instruction to provide par-ticipants with the highest-quality learn-ing experience.

This time of year, our Road Scholarvisitors can be found on the cross-coun-try ski and snowshoe trails windingtheir way through snow-laden trees.Come spring, they can be found seekingout the hundreds of native and migra-tory birds that serenade the woods withtheir songs. Throughout the summer,our participants adventure out by ca-noe, bicycle and hiking boots to get awayfrom the hustle and bustle of their dailylives and immerse themselves in theserenity of our national forests andwilderness areas. There is no shortageof exciting experiences awaiting roadscholars who take part in programshosted by Trees For Tomorrow.

On the edge of downtown EagleRiver, just a few blocks from thebustling activity of Wall Street and bor-dered by the river to the north, theTrees For Tomorrow campus is situatedon 30-plus quiet acres of U.S Forest Ser-vice land. The campus is recognized onthe National Register of Historic Placesand was constructed by the CivilianConservation Corps in 1937.

Accommodations at Trees includerustic dormitory-style rooms, centralbathroom facilities and a lounge with afireplace. Each room is equipped with

bunk beds, a dresser, a coat rack and asmall desk to pen postcards or jot downyour adventures at day’s end. Guestscan request a private room for an addedfee, or may choose to share a room withanother participant.

The grounds also boast hiking trails,fire circles and a dock on the EagleRiver Chain of Lakes, and are withinwalking distance of the municipal beachand shops and restaurants of downtownEagle River. Meals are served in TreesFor Tomorrow’s historic dining hall, andare among the experiences lauded byour visitors. Kitchen staff preparehome-cooked meals, using local and sus-tainable food products whenever possi-ble.

A social hour is held during mostworkshops so guests have an opportu-nity to relax and discuss the day’s excur-sions with their fellow participants.

A complete list of programs offered atTrees For Tomorrow is available attreesfortomorrow.com/programs/road-scholar. The national Road Scholar pro-gram requires all participants toregister for the programs with the na-tional office in Boston, Mass., at 1-(877)426-8056 or roadscholar.org. Tree ForTomorrow would be happy to help withregistration or answer any questionsyou might have about our program orfacilities. Call us at (715) 479-6456 orcontact us by email at [email protected].

To register for one of the programsavailable, and receive a complete RoadScholar catalog, write Road Scholars, 11Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA02111-1746, or call 1-(877) 426-8056.

Trees For Tomorrow has been offer-ing natural resources education work-shops to students, teachers and adultsin the heart of Wisconsin’s North Woodssince 1944. We look forward to hostingyou for some of the most interesting, ed-ucational and fun Road Scholar offer-ings anywhere!

Trees For Tomorrow is located in Ea-gle River, about six hours north ofChicago, five hours from Minneapolis,and seven hours from Cedar Rapids,Iowa. Commercial air service is avail-able to Rhinelander, just 30 miles fromthe Trees campus. Car rentals and taxiservice are available in Rhinelander.

Road Scholar programs for senior citizensoffered at Trees For Tomorrow campus

The Road Scholar program at Trees For Tomorrow in Eagle River offers a variety of activities,including a spring session on seeking out the hundreds of native and migratory birds that ser-enade the woods with their songs. —Contributed Photo

___________BY ROBIN GINNER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TREES FOR TOMORROW___________


Arthritis is a leading health issue forpeople 65 and older.

According to the Center for DiseaseControl (CDC), it affects 49.7% of alladults over 65 and leads to pain thatcan lower the quality of life for seniors.

The CDC notes arthritis and otherrheumatic conditions are a leadingcause of disability among adults in theUnited States, and has been a leadingcause of disability among U.S. adults forthe past 15 years.

Adults with arthritis were also 2.5times more likely to have two or morefalls and suffer a fall injury in the past12 months compared with adults with-out arthritis

“Although arthritis pain discouragesmany seniors from leading a healthy,physically active lifestyle, you shouldwork with your health care provider to

minimize the effects of arthritis,” saidJill Brunstad, P.A., Family Medicine,Marshfield Clinic Eagle River Center.“Every individual is different so youneed to work together with your healthcare provider to individualize a treat-ment plan that can keep you active andhealthy.

Osteoarthritis is the most commontype of arthritis, according to Brunstad.

“People with osteoarthritis usuallyhave swelling in the joints and thatleads to pain and stiffness,” said Brun-stad. “We often see this in the knees,hands, spine and hips.”

Osteoarthritis is a chronic conditionthat typically gets worse over time.Treatments aim to help reduce painand other symptoms, letting a personstay active longer.

According to Brunstad, weight loss isimportant to decrease the work thejoint has to perform. Even a 10-poundweight loss improves symptoms by upto 50%.

Exercise and physical therapy help

improve range of motion, according toBrunstad.

“The goals of exercise programs inosteoarthritis include reduction of painand, in functional impairment, protec-tion of both involved and at-risk joints,”she said. “We want to prevent disabilityrelated to inactivity.”

If these measures fail to provide re-lief, then over-the-counter pain medica-tions can be used as initialpharmacotherapy to help improve func-tion, according to Brunstad.

“Going further than this with medi-cation therapy must be individualizedand all medication should be discussedwith your medical provider,” said Brun-stad.

For more information, call theMarshfield Clinic Eagle River Center at(715) 479-0400 or 800-782-8581, ext.30400.

Amber Weldon is the MarshfieldClinic Northern Division public rela-tions and marketing specialist.

Managing arthritis can help older adultslead a healthy, physically active lifestyle

Managing Diabetes? We Can Help.Rediscover personal service and care you can count on.We’re here to help you in every aspect of managing your diabetes including up-to-date advice on simple changes youcan make to feel more confident and stay healthy. We partner with your doctor to make sure you get the best care.

We can help you to live better with diabetes.•We’ll listen, provide answers and take the time to get to know you.•We bill Medicare, Medicaid and private plans for diabetes supplies.•We have a wide selection of diabetes shoes, inserts and socks.•We host diabetes education sessions.•We’ll help you understand what your numbers mean and how

your diet, physical activity and medicine affect your levels.

Come in and talk to us today.

Health Care Pharmacies Inc.“Caring for you,

your family and ourcommunities since 1929” NATIONAL NETWORK

4,400+ PHARMACY

Member

WALL STREET HEALTH CARE PHARMACY123 E. Wall St., Eagle River 715-479-4282

LAND O’ LAKES HEALTH CARE PHARMACYHwy. B, Land O’ Lakes 715-547-3788

ST. GERMAIN HEALTH CARE PHARMACY252 Hwy. 70 E, St. Germain 715-479-7608

Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home& Alpha Crematory

A FULLY EQUIPPED & LICENSED FACILITYLocally Owned and Operated

ON-PREMISE CREMATORYFree pre-arrangement service available.

Cemetery Marker SalesContact Tom, Joe Busha or Jessica Baril

304 Division St., P.O. Box 698, Eagle River, WI 54521Ph. 715-479-4777 www.gaffney-busha.com

Their memory care services include a high staff-to-resi dent ratio and 24-hour care in a homelikeenvironment. They know each person is uniqueand special, and the services each senior requiresare never exactly the same. Their person-centeredapproach to living helps residents maintain theirindepen dence and dignity.

Options Residential Care Center715-337-2244

26 E. McKinley Blvd. • Eagle River, WI

• 1- & 2-bedroom apartments• Assisted living• Services available• Amenities:• Handicap accessible • Pets allowed• 24-hour security • Laundry facilities• Outdoor patio • Computer room• Library • Exercise room• 4-season sunrooms • Dining room• Beauty shop • Indoor mailboxes• Underground parking • Air-conditioned facility

Call (715) 358-5541 for more information

Wood CourtAPARTMENTS

917 3rd Avenue • Woodruff◆

Low-income housing for elderly and/orhandicapped individuals (HUD subsidized)

ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENTSHUD-Subsidized rent includes heat, electric, water and sewer.

Building amenities include one-floor living, security lockedbuilding, indoor mailboxes, on-site laundry, community room,

gazebo and patio, 911 pull cords, monthly rent meeting and localmanagement agent. Building tours available upon request.

INTERESTED PERSONS SHOULD CONTACT:Kathy McCaughn, Housing Manager, 715-358-5541

(TDD for the hearing impaired is 715-356-8016)Wood Court Apartments does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the admission or access to,or treatment or employment in, its federally assisted programs and activities. The person named above has beendesignated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the Department ofHousing and Urban Development’s regulations implementing Section 504 (24 CFR Part 8 dated June 2, 1988).

___________BY AMBER WELDON


JILL BRUNSTAD, P.A.


720 E. Wall Street, Eagle River, WI 800-236-4060

PATTI KUBACKILicensed Hearing Instrument Specialist ~ 25 Years

• Credentialed member of theWisconsin Alliance of Hearing Professionals

• State licensed since 1988• Graduate of Western Illinois University

Your Hometown Hearing Solution

YOUR HEARING SOLUTION

HEARING SOLUTIONS INC.

CALL NOW for Your APPOINTMENT!800-236-4060

www.beltone.com309 S. Courtney Street

Rhinelander, WI103 Elm Street(corner of J and 51)Woodruff, WI

• FREE HEARING EVALUATIONS• QUALITY BELTONE PRODUCTS• 60-DAY 100% MONEY-BACK TRIALS• 3-YEAR WARRANTIES,

LOSS COVERAGE AND BATTERIES• FREE SERVICE ON ALL MAKES

& MODELS• LIFETIME FREE SERVICE AT

OVER 1,400 LOCATIONSTHROUGHOUT U.S.

• SERVICE BY A FAMILY-OWNEDCOMPANY SERVING THE AREAFOR 36 YEARS

Rennes Health and Rehab Center isdedicated to providing the most innovative short-term

rehab program and meeting the needs of the community.

“Rennes is unique in providing outstanding amenities at no extra charge.Included are transportation at admission, private rooms, wireless internet,

private phone, and cable TV. We provide an extensive list of amenities coupledwith quality nursing and rehab specialties to ensure a positive experience of

attentiveness and true caring.”~ Kelsy Bontz, Administrator

Rehab & Nursing Specialties• In-house Staff Therapists

• One-to-One Patient-to-Therapist Treatment

• Outpatient Therapy

• Available to Attend Orthopedic Appointments

• Extensive Discharge Planning

and Many, Many More!

We invite you to tour our

beautiful facility and experience

the Rennes difference.

Experience the Rennes Difference...

1970 Navajo StreetRhinelander, WI 54501

715-420-0728CHECK US OUT AT: www.rennesgroup.com

4184

702-

01

Services & Amenities• 24-hour RN Nursing Care

• Short-term Intensive Therapy

• Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy

• IV Therapy and Wound Care

• Private Rehab Rooms Available

• Complimentary Cable TV, Phone & WiFi

• Religious Services and Select Menu


Locatednext to the

2nd tee of theEagle River Golf

Course

Help with dailyliving comes withtasty perks.At Dianne’s Home in the North Woods, we knowhow important mealtime is in people’s daily lives— the taste, the color, the company. In fact,Dianne insists that any time a family membervisits, they join us all to eat at no additionalcharge. In addition to great home cooking,our cozy assisted living offers:

• Trained health care providers• A high staff-to-resident ratio• Regular supervision, plus 24-hour security

and emergency response team• Daily housekeeping• Available transportation• Home cooked meals• Laundry services• Beauty salon services• Medication management and administration• Personal care assistance• And great desserts!

Contact us for a tour to see how our locallyowned and operated home fits your lifestyle,or that of someone you love.

717 Indiana St., Eagle River • (715) [email protected]

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK

Adult assisted living . . .Where residents become family.

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