Dauphin County 50plus Senior News Nov. 2011 by On-Line Publishers, Inc.

Dauphin County Edition

November 2011

Vol. 13 No. 11

(Re)Making the Sale Exceptional Volunteer Maximizes Profits for Library Book Sales By Megan Joyce To say that Pat Ditzler has a knack for organization is like saying Bill Gates knows his way around a computer. Ditzler has volunteered with the Friends of the Lancaster Public Library for almost 30 years and chaired its enormous used book sale nine times. One of the largest and most well-attended book sales in the country, it raises vital funds for Lancaster Public Library. Much of that success in recent years is due to Ditzler, a retired accountant who has used her organizationally inclined mind to develop procedures for researching and pricing rare books, training volunteers to sort books, implementing Internet book sales, and honing book-sorting and display strategies. In fact, she has been so successful and her system so revolutionary that Ditzler was honored with the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from Pennsylvania Citizens for Better Libraries. Though she has lived in Central Pennsylvania since 1960, this selfdescribed “Army brat” was born in Monterey, Calif., but moved around frequently, actually graduating high school in Naples, Italy. An avid library goer as a child, Ditzler remembers frequenting the library at the NATO base. “It just seemed like a wonderful place—the smell of the books, the feel of please see SALE page 20 Library volunteer and book-sale expert Pat Ditzler will soon see her own book on display when A Book Sale How-to Guide becomes available this fall.

Inside:

Price Fixing Online page 17

New Flu Vaccine Offers Better Protection page 23

The Green Mountain Gardener

Cranberries for Thanksgiving Dr. Leonard Perry urkey without cranberry sauce? For most Americans, that’s as unthinkable as Thanksgiving without turkey! In fact, even the Pilgrims enjoyed this versatile, perennial fruit with their first Thanksgiving meal. The cranberry was a staple in the diet of Native Americans, who called it the “bitter berry.” They introduced this food to the early settlers and taught them how to make “pemmican” by pounding the cranberries together with dried meat and fat. The settlers also made meat sauces with cranberries and mixed them with maple sap to make a sweet breakfast syrup. The cranberry is a Native American wetland plant that is grown in open bogs and marshes from Newfoundland to western Ontario and as far south as Virginia and Arkansas. Although stems (actually they are vines) are rather sensitive to cold, they’ll withstand such

submersion well. The vine-like plant grows from 6 inches to 2 feet long and has small, evergreen leaves and pinkish flowers. The berries are harvested in October, just in time for Thanksgiving. Massachusetts is the leading producer (with about half of the total U.S. crop), followed by Wisconsin and New Jersey. Production of cranberries requires a large amount of water—the equivalent of about 200 inches of rainfall a year for irrigation, frost protection, harvest, pest control, and winter protection. About 90 percent of the cranberries are wet harvested. Bogs are flooded just prior to harvest and then a floating

harvester moves through the bog to separate the berries from the vine. The hollow fruit rises to the surface, where it is collected and corralled in a section of the bog. The fruit is moved from the bog to the waiting trucks by elevator and then taken away for processing. Fruit that is harvested by this method is processed into juice, sauce, and other cranberry products. The rest of the crop is dry harvested with a picking machine, which resembles a large lawnmower. Although this method is less efficient, growers receive a higher price for dry-harvested fruit. These cranberries usually are packaged and sold as fresh, whole berries in

grocery stores. Berries can be stored in their original container in the refrigerator for up to a week or washed and frozen in a freezer container for later use. They do not need to be thawed before using them in a recipe. In addition to the traditional jelly or sauce, cranberries can be used for pies, muffins, quick breads, puddings, and sherbets. Cranberry juice, both regular and sugar-free, has become a popular drink in recent years, especially in combination with other juices. If you want to try growing some at home, you’ll need a cool, moist soil with plenty of organic matter, such as peat moss. Grown in full sun, cranberries will make an attractive and low-maintenance evergreen groundcover less than 1 foot high and 2 to 3 feet wide. Dr. Leonard P. Perry is an extension professor at the University of Vermont.

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November 2011

Caring for Both of You Corporate Office: 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Christianne Rupp EDITOR, 50PLUS PUBLICATIONS Megan Joyce EDITORIAL INTERN Laura Farnish

ART DEPARTMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR Renee Geller PRODUCTION ARTIST Janys Cuffe

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie McComsey Ranee Shaub Miller Chrissy Smolenski ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE Emily Horn SALES COORDINATOR Eileen Culp

Caring for a parent or loved one, especially someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, can be one of the most challenging tasks you’ll ever undertake. As the disease progresses, patients slip deeper and deeper into a mental fog, but they can continue living at home for a long time if they have someone to manage things for them. Here’s some advice for maintaining your loved one’s comfort—and your own sanity—for as long as possible:

Minimize distractions. Keeping the TV on while you’re talking can overload an Alzheimer’s patient with more stimulation than he or she can handle. Try to keep the environment quiet and calm so focusing is easier.

November is

Use simple language. Don’t treat the person like a child when talking, but use short words and sentences that are easy to understand and follow. A long, complicated request can be difficult for someone with an impaired memory to fully grasp.

National Family Caregivers Month

Structure your days. A reliable routine is comforting to someone with Alzheimer’s and helps you keep life organized. Do the same activities at the same time—getting up, eating meals, etc.—to keep the day moving along. Keep activities simple. Limit the

patient’s choices—give a man two neckties to choose from instead of standing him in front of a closet filled with dozens. Give instructions one step at a time so the person doesn’t become confused or forget part of the task. Involve the person. Let your loved one help in setting the table for meals, folding a few pieces of laundry, cleaning a corner of the kitchen, and so forth. Patients who see activity but aren’t allowed to join in grow depressed and lethargic.

Be patient and flexible. Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s can be frustrating. Concentrate on staying calm and changing plans when necessary. If a task is beyond the person, give him or her something else to do instead of insisting that it be done “right.” Both of you need to adapt to changing circumstances.

CIRCULATION PROJECT COORDINATOR Loren Gochnauer

About Our Company

ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Elizabeth Duvall Member of

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50plus Senior News is a monthly newspaper serving the interests of the 50+ community in Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties. On-Line Publishers, Inc., the parent company, is based in Columbia, Pa. Additionally, the company publishes the 50plus Resource Directory, the “50+ yellow pages,” and 50plus LIVING, a guide to residences and care options in the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys. On-Line Publishers, Inc. presents events for the 50+ community. Six 50plus EXPOs are hosted annually for the communities of Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster (two) and York counties. Each EXPO provides citizens an opportunity to research and talk with experts in a variety of fields in one location. On-Line Publishers produces b magazine, Central Pennsylvania’s premier publication for baby boomers. b magazine reflects on the past, recalling the proactive and history-changing decades of the 1960s and ’70s; it also examines where baby boomers are today and identifies the issues they face now—all with a mind toward representing the mid-state’s own boomer community. The company also conducts the PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competition each spring. This is a chance for those over 50 to come to a regional audition site to sing, dance, or perform any kind of talent at which they excel. Fifteen semifinalists are then chosen by a panel of local celebrity judges, and those semifinalists vie for the title of PA STATE SENIOR IDOL during the finals competition, held in June at a popular venue. On-Line Publishers, Inc. was started in 1995. Our staff is dedicated to serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the community. For more information, contact our corporate office at (717) 285-1350 or visit www.onlinepub.com. ( ((

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50plus SeniorNews is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community. On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

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New Success in Hunt for Causes of Alzheimer’s Efforts to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease early have been hampered by lack of a definitive test that enables doctors to distinguish the condition from other forms of dementia. But two different teams of researchers are making progress on blood tests that may change that. At the University of California – San Diego, scientists following a group of elderly patients measured levels of betaamyloid in the volunteers’ blood over a nine-year period. Beta-amyloid is a protein that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients; lower levels in the blood suggest that the protein has been

deposited in the brain, where it interferes with the normal function of nerve cells. The scientists found that participants with the lowest levels of betaamyloid had

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

lost cognitive function at almost twice the rate of those with higher amounts, indicating that beta-amyloid levels may be a sign of risk for oncoming dementia. Meanwhile, at Scripps Research

Institute in Jupiter, Fla., scientists have had some success in using synthetic molecules—peptides—to find antibodies produced by the body’s immune system to fight disease. In a small pilot study, Scripps researchers were able to identify peptoid-antibody pairs in the blood of six Alzheimer’s patients, pairs that weren’t present in patients without dementia. The result suggests that doctors may be able to use peptides to diagnose Alzheimer’s. Both studies will require more testing, but the results so far seem promising.

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Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 Legal Services Keystone Elder Law PC (717) 691-9300

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November 2011

Beyond the Battlefield

He Served in the Air Transport Command in N. Africa and Iran Alvin S. Goodman arold Yates, 88, of Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, was one of those unsung heroes of World War II who served in the Air Transport Command (ATC) of the Army Air Corps. Their job was to make massive movement of cargo planes, men, and materials to and from airfields near combat zones. Yates spent about two years in various North African countries and also a brief time in Iran furnishing supplies to the Russian army. A native of New York City, Yates graduated high school in The Bronx. During the summer of 1942, he heard that the government would be drafting 18- to 19-year-olds. Having turned 19 on June 16, he decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps rather than wait to be drafted, as Yates wrote in a detailed diary of his career in the military. “I was sworn in and given three days

to report to Grand Y’s, they had run out of Central Station to be inductees’ tents. Three of taken to Camp Upton (in us were taken to a tent in upstate New York). When another area.” we arrived there, we went A soldier in the tent to a quartermasters told Yates he was lucky building to be issued because the tent was for clothing. They never “permanent party” asked what size you wore. personnel who worked on They looked at you and the base. “Being in this decided whatever size they tent, you will never get KP thought you were. They (kitchen patrol) or guard gave me a shirt size 14 ½, duty, as they do not come 33-inch sleeve-length into permanent party tents Harold Yates, World War II veteran shirt, and I was a 15 ½, to disturb the occupants,” 34-35. They had no the soldier said. jackets my size and said I would get it “So started my good luck to have the next place I went to. name Yates. The fellow in the bunk next “After getting our clothing, they told to me said he worked in personnel at us to line up in formation alphabetically. base headquarters and asked me where I Being Y, I was at the end of the line. would like to spend the winter. They were going to assign us to tents, no Thinking it was a joke, I said Miami barracks there. When it got down to the Beach. A few days later he said to me,

‘You’ve got it. You’re going to Miami Beach for basic training.’ “One morning, getting up it was a pouring rainstorm, so I put on my raincoat and got into formation. The sergeant approached me and asked why I had a raincoat on. Of course I said, ‘Because it’s raining.’ ‘Take it off,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you when it’s raining.’ I’m lucky I didn’t laugh. “One day we were told we had to get GI haircuts. So we marched and sang down to a store that served as a barbershop. As the line progressed, I could see four soldiers and one civilian giving haircuts. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The civilian was the barber from the Laurel Country Club on Sackett Lake. I had taken many haircuts from him. “I let other fellows go in front of me till I was the one who would get my barber.”

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He gave Yates a regular haircut German Field Marshall Rommel instead of a crew cut, and when he through North Africa and supported the looked in the mirror, Yates said, “My Allied troops as they marched north sergeant will kill me.” The barber said through Italy into Europe. Yates taught not to worry. “‘As long as I gave you the himself to drive a jeep, a weapons carrier, haircut, it is official.’ The sergeant never and other trucks—even a motorcycle— said a word to me about my hair.” and was issued a military operator’s He had the choice of attending one of license. three schools: administration, radio, or Yates had one close call. His CO, a photography. He chose administration captain, invited Yates to accompany him and was sent to Camp Logan, near as a crew member on a plane to where Denver, Colo., for administrative The Yalta Conference was to be held, training, skipping basic training. When over the objection of the pilot, and the he got there, he was running a fever and same thing happened on the return trip. was taken to the base hospital, suffering Had Yates remained to catch the next from the early stages of pneumonia. He flight back, he would have been on a missed the plane that start of his crashed on class. landing at his “While base, killing recuperating, four of the five we weren’t men aboard. allowed to From Iran, lay around. Yates was sent They gave us to the U.S. to chores. I got expedite the to clean the movement of Sgt. Harold Yates (behind the wheel) is shown with men’s troops to the other members of his ATC unit in Tunisia, North Africa. South Pacific. bathroom.” After However, his discharge from the hospital, Yates orders were canceled and he returned enrolled in the next administration class from Sacramento to New York. He and, after graduating, was assigned to received four ribbons and a Certificate of the Army Administration School at the Leadership from the North African University of Mississippi in May 1943. Division ATC 1260th AAF Base Unit. Yates was discharged from the Army Since a soldier had to be a Air Corps at a base in Newark, N.J., in noncommissioned officer to attend it, November 1945 with the rank of staff Yates was promoted to corporal. “Only three months in the service, no basic, no sergeant. He went to work in a men’s shirt factory in New York City and was then KP or guard duty, and they made me a manager of another men’s shirt plant, the corporal!” Dormar Manufacturing Company in At the university, he slept in a dorm, two men to a room. His first-floor room Gratz in northern Dauphin County, for 29 years. near the building entrance became a Yates started to lose his hearing in the hangout for the men called Yates’ Pool service and it deteriorated into a total Hall. He went to Palm Beach, Fla., for another school, and was then sent to Las disability. His wife, Florence, whom he married Dec. 16, 1951, said Yates loves Vegas. music and misses the ability to hear it. At times, Yates showed his ingenuity. But she said his deafness did not deter Right before being shipped overseas, he him from socializing with family and was given a complete uniform but was friends. He became proficient at lip told each person was limited to 32 reading and enjoys telling stories and pounds of baggage when flying. Any jokes, she said. excess clothing was to be thrown onto a Yates is a past president of the Selfpile. Rather than discard clothes he had Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH), now just signed for, he took some of the known as the Hearing Loss Association of heaviest items, went to the Railway the Capital Region. His hobbies include Express office, and shipped them home. writing poetry and collecting books about In Tunisia, Yates saw a number of American lyricists. VIPs pass through, including President Our hats off to Sgt. Yates and those Franklin D. Roosevelt and his son, FDR servicemen in the ATC for a job well Jr.; England’s Prime Minister Winston done. Churchill; French Gen. Charles De Gaulle; Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek; If you are a mature veteran and have and U.S. aviation pioneer Gen. Jimmie interesting or unusual experiences in your Doolittle, among others. military or civilian life, phone Al Goodman The Air Transport Command at (717) 541-9889 or email him at supplied the U.S. Army as it chased klezmer630@comcast.net. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

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November 2011

The Search for Our Ancestry

Records from the United Kingdom Angelo Coniglio have discussed methods of obtaining genealogical records or help from various online sources. While those methods are generally applicable for any place of origin, some places have more complete online records than others.

This month, I’ll begin my review with the source of the ancestors of the greatest number of Americans, the United Kingdom. The good news is that because of its long history of civilization and its

Braintwisters 1. Legendary businessman and Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn was born with what name? A. Samuel Goldfish B. Schmuel Gelbfisz C. Frederick Austerlitz D. Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm 2. What famous tycoon bought the Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas after management attempted to evict him from his room? A. Ted Turner B. Howard Hughes C. Hugh Hefner D. Larry Flynt 3. What business celebrity began his illustrious career by collecting and selling lost golf balls? A. Rupert Murdoch B. Howard Hughes C. Warren Buffett D. Michael Dell 4. What celebrity was sued by a group of cattle producers in 1996 after discussing mad cow disease on television? A. Oprah Winfrey B. Rosie O’Donnell C. David Letterman D. Jay Leno 5. Which of the following celebrity entrepreneurs originally wanted to be a racecar driver? A. George Lucas B. Ross Perot C. Larry Ellison D. Alan Greenspan Source: www.usefultrivia.com

This month’s answers on page 24

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associated record-keeping, there are loads of sources, many well indexed, for civil and church records from the U.K. The bad news is that, while information on the availability of sources may be found online, many of the actual records must be ordered and purchased in hard copy. The free Mormon site FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org) may be used as you would for many other locations, by searching the catalog for the place name in the U.K. to obtain a list of civil and church records for that place. These may indicate microfilms or microfiches that can be rented from the Mormon Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, to obtain photocopies of the records at a nominal price. Valuable records may be found in this way; however, the searches may be tedious and the results, though valuable, may be spotty. Similarly, at the Mormon website, you can “browse by location” for “Europe” and then “England” to find a list of church records, census records, and so on. These may be searched by an ancestor’s name and will usually display transcribed details without an actual image of the document. England and Wales are combined in many databases, while Scotland and Ireland are treated separately. In England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, the General Register Office (GRO) is the government agency responsible for civil registration—the recording of vital records such as births, marriages, and deaths (BMD). The director of a GRO is the registrar general. For England and Wales, indexes of births, deaths, and marriages for 1837 through 2005 are available online, under a special free arrangement with Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.ca/ search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspx). When you begin your search, you’ll be prompted to register for a free account for this purpose only. One hundred thirty-four million GRO U.K. birth-record indexes for England and Wales dating from 1837 to 2005 are fully searchable by name, registration date, and district. Every name in the GRO birth indexes is

individually searchable; however, the indexes do not give details such as birth dates, parents’ names, etc. Instead, they give the three-month period of a given year in which the birth was recorded, the name of the registration district, and the volume and page number of the actual birth record, which then must be ordered from the GRO. Marriage and death indexes are presented similarly to the birth indexes for the same date ranges. This Ancestry.com page also offers links explaining how to search the indexes. For 1837-1915, actual images of BMD indexes are shown. For 19162005, information is presented in a transcription, with no image of the original. You need the information found in the index to request a copy of a birth, marriage, or death certificate for the individual referenced. Once the name, date, volume, and page number for your ancestor’s record are known, go to the certificate ordering page (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/ content/certificates/default.asp) to order the certificate from the GRO. The cost of the certificate, shipped, is between 9.25 and 23.40 English pounds (approximately $15 to $38) each, depending on the desired speed of delivery. For England and Wales, church records (baptisms, marriages, burials) and census records can be found on findmypast (http://www.findmypast.co. uk), a paid site where images of the actual documents can be accessed by subscribers. England and Wales censuses are also available to paid subscribers of Ancestry.com. U.K. censuses are available every 10 years, from 1841 through 1911, and are searchable by name or can be browsed by town and enumeration district. They generally give name, gender, age, occupation, and birthplace. Next: more on England and Wales. Angelo Coniglio encourages readers to contact him by writing to 438 Maynard Drive, Amherst, NY 14226; by email at Genealogytips@aol.com; or by visiting www.conigliofamily.com/ConiglioGenealogy Tips.htm.

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Turkey Tamale Pie By Pat Sinclair

Serving East and West Shores

Because Thanksgiving is a holiday for family and sharing, few couples are alone on this national feast. We often share dinner with family and friends but miss having lots of leftover turkey. If you are lucky enough to have some leftover turkey, or cook a small turkey yourself, here’s an easy recipe for the day after that’s almost a complete meal. Just add a salad or serve with a green vegetable.

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Makes 2 servings 2/3 cup cornmeal 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 2 cups cubed cooked turkey 1 cup corn kernels 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce 3/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 cup shredded cojack or cheddar cheese

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Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 1-quart casserole dish (9x5 inches) with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the cornmeal, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick. Pour into the prepared dish. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add the turkey, corn, tomato sauce, and chili powder and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or combine flavors. Pour over the cornmeal. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

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Cook’s Note: If you like this recipe, try some variations. Leftover turkey is perfect for this dish but you can use other meats. I’ve made it with 8 to 10 ounces of ground turkey that I cooked before adding the onion and pepper. When I purchase a roasted chicken, I make a second meal using chicken instead of turkey for this casserole. You can use either a small can of drained corn or 1 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed). Polenta is actually very similar to cooked cornmeal and can be used as a base, eliminating a step. Pat Sinclair announced the publication of her second cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking (Pelican Publishing), in February 2011. This book has a color photo of every recipe. Her first cookbook, Baking Basics and Beyond (Surrey Books), won the 2007 Cordon d’Or from the Culinary Arts Academy. Contact her at http://PatCooksandBakes.blogspot.com

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November 2011

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St. Anne’s Retirement Community 3952 Columbia Avenue Columbia, PA 17512 717-285-5443 www.stannesrc.org

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November 2011

My 22 Cents’ Worth

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lesson could be learned about cultural oscillations when considering our past and current perceptions of pirates—the pirates who steal loot from seagoing vessels, not the leeches who illegally reproduce copyrighted songs, books, movies, art, and software. The pendulum of public opinion has swung a full stroke in the past two centuries regarding seagoing pirates. Until the early 1800s, Barbary pirates (so named after the Latin word for “foreign”) were the bane of European and American shipping vessels. These pirates plied their trade in Mediterranean waters off North African countries that today are Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The problem was ended by the British and American navies as well as the capture in Algiers (1830) of the last pirate base by the French. In the Caribbean, and along the coasts of Virginia and the Carolinas, pirates in the early 1700s, including the famed English pirate Blackbeard, captured seagoing booty and raided coastal towns. American culture later adopted a romantic view of pirates, perhaps beginning in 1891 when the professional baseball team, the Pittsburgh Alleghenies, changed their name to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They did so after being accused of “pirating” a key player from the Philadelphia Athletics. The notion of pirates as entertaining characters continued with Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, the comic strip Terry and the Pirates, and the Fox Broadcasting Network’s series called Peter Pan and the Pirates. We were drawn to the mystique of swashbucklers, buccaneers, buried

treasure, and peg-legged fellows with an eye patch and a parrot on their shoulder, sailing under the flag of the “Jolly Roger” (skull and crossbones). Such images helped launch more than 300 movie titles that included the word pirates from 1900 to 2010. Now nations are faced with a new era of high-seas piracy, almost all of which is based in the approximately 1,900 miles of Somalia’s coastline. The Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau reports that from 1991 through 2010, some 445 ships have been commandeered by pirates, not for their cargo but for ransom of crew members. This is the same period of time in which Somalia has had no central government. Public perception no longer views pirates as appealing rascals. They are violent kidnappers who threaten the sea lanes of international commerce. The public-opinion pendulum regarding other institutions is also moving. During America’s war of national independence, most American colonists—but not all—were contemptuous of the British monarchy (President John Adams estimated onethird of Americans were crown loyalists). Today the monarchy appears to be viewed with a higher level of affection in America than in Great Britain. The Republican Party, reviled during the Great Depression of the 1930s for its free-market permissiveness, came roaring back in the 2010 congressional elections with similar economic views. American-built cars, enjoying dominant market support prior to and immediately after World War II, fell in disrepute beginning in the 1980s but enjoyed growing consumer acceptance in 2010. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Railroads were indispensable transportation modes before Henry Ford’s mass-produced, gas-powered vehicles. Passenger service on the railroads after World War II deteriorated badly as the rail companies seemed to purposely annoy passengers in order to concentrate on freight haulage. Now that other nations have shown what can be achieved with high-speed

rail, and as our airports become overcrowded with flights, some political leaders are advocating up to 17,000 miles of track capable of train speeds reaching speeds of 220 miles per hour.

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Walt Sonneville is a retired market-research analyst. He enjoys writing and reading nonpartisan opinion essays. Contact him at waltsonneville@earthlink.net.

Annual Crèche Exhibit Returns in December

Friendly faces, helping hands, warm hearts. That’s what we at Safe Haven bring to our clients.

24/7/365 Colonial Park United Church of Christ will host their 11th Annual Crèche Exhibit in early December. Last year, more than 500 nativities from around the world were on display for public viewing, and new and unique crèches are added each year. The public is invited to view the exhibit during the following dates and times: • Friday, Dec. 2 – 1 to 7 p.m. • Saturday, Dec. 3 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Sunday, Dec. 4 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rev. Charles Hull, an avid crèche collector, will present “Searching for the Perfect Creche” on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. There is no charge for the crèche exhibit or the presentation, but freewill donations will be accepted. Colonial Park United Church of Christ is located at 5000 Devonshire Road, Harrisburg. For more information, contact the church office at (717) 545-3782.

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Book Review

Baby boomers and seniors – the largest buying group in America.

How Warm It Was & How Far By Dr. Robert O. Kan

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My Pictures of Our Wars

em “In Flanders Fields” As a child I learned the po erans that wars yield, And had that picture of vet diers who gave their lives, With rows of graves of sol ildren and wives. Leaving at home many ch g and brave, th pictures of soldiers stron wi m Na et Vi d an rea Ko Then came ay grave. but were buried in a faraw Who did not come home to see, e me more vivid pictures We then had TV that gav ed very near to me. en pp shooting ha te Sta nt Ke the of e tur And the pic ds far away, very strange battles in lan th wi r wa nt rre cu r ou r day, Fo of soldiers sent there every es tur pic ing ak bre art he I now see other, families torn one from an I see too many pictures of many a father and ly a son, but a daughter, For now they send not on even a mother.

Silent Guns The guns became silent tha t November day. The long war had ended for which folks did pray. But many a doughboy jus t didn’t survive. Yet others served nobly an d came home alive. The war to end all wars wa s over and so, Would peace last forever? They wanted to know. It’s tragic but that peace did n’t last very long. There’s conflict all over, see ms something is wrong. There’s many have served well and many have died To try to accomplish real peace they have tried. We honor the brave ones for they have served well. There’s a longing for real peace wherever men dwell . May there a day come wh en wars will be past, The guns become silent, a peace that will last. By Hubert L. Stern

By Erla Stump

WAR Terrible, Costly Killing, Shooting, Destroying, Conflict, Struggle, Love, Happiness, Cooperating, Understanding, Agreeing, Tranquil, Secure PEACE This diamante poem was written as a group effort of the Messiah Village Poetry Society.

The Veterans , Wheelchairs aligned in a long front row hair. Old men, wrinkled faces, and thin gray slow; All quietly waiting, while time passes . care who ple Pushed into place by peo

Veterans Day T’was more than sixty years ago When the whole world was aflame, That our country called for help And millions there were that came!

, Behind them sit others alert and well ; past -ago Reminded now of a long spell, Thinking of buddies they knew for a ed. Reflecting on all the time that has pass ker arose. The room became still when the spea great call; a He told of a time when there came its foes, The country sought help to fight off their all. From youths who were willing to risk Out of so many, a fraction survive; their price. The days and the years now claiming e. aliv are Of the millions who served, few ! ifice The country remembers their great sacr By John McGrath

Brave soldiers fought in Africa, And some in the faraway East. Many did their bit in Europe; They were fighting the Nazi beast.

Veterans Day Poetry

At last the war was over And back to their homes they came, To families and their loved ones, To a life that now seemed tame. Not as fast as wartime shells, Time still takes its deadly toll. Few there are to raise their hand When today we call the roll. By John McGrath

November 2011

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Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori

Price Fixing Online Dr. Lori f I had a dime for every time I advised people not to use eBay or any online auction site as a method for finding out the value of a work of art or antique, I’d be able to help out with the debt crisis. I have told folks time and time again that you can’t use an eBay listing or posted online sales results to put a value on an object. Online fraud is widespread, and that’s why you can’t rely solely on an online auction website’s sales records to provide you with an accurate appraisal. Only an honest appraiser who can analyze the market data can provide you with that critical information. Recently, an online seller using the auction website eBay was prosecuted in the United Kingdom. He admitted that he used two separate eBay accounts to bid against himself on items that he had posted for sale. He bid on his own items to increase the price. This made the

bidding soar and maintain that shill potential buyers bidding is a major think there was problem for users great interest in the of online auction object for sale. sites and some Also, he other antiquing and admitted that he collecting websites. posted positive Shill bidding is a feedback relating to big issue online. If these accounts to a person pretends positively impact that his/her his online products are worth reputation and more than they are satisfy future really worth, that is buyers that he was not on the up-anda good seller with up in the world of This Mickey Mouse radio may seem to whom to deal. commerce, generate a lot of interest at an online This type of particularly in the auction, but is that bid price really truthful fraud is not only world of eor just part of a shill-bidding scheme? reserved to online commerce. Also, auction sites, but it misrepresenting the has also become very commonplace in demand for an item by creating false the overall online sales arena. Experts bidders is beyond the boundaries of

acting in good faith. Shill is an early 20th-century word that relates to the underhanded process of presenting a decoy or informed accomplice who poses as an enthusiastic potential buyer in an effort to attract other buyers. This is only one type of trick that people use when buying and selling art, antiques, and collectibles in the online environment. Remember, you can’t use online auction sites as a source for evaluating your art, antiques, or collectibles. Get an appraisal. The next time you decide to shop or research online, remember to click with care. Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and awardwinning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide and appears on the Fine Living Network and on TV’s Daytime. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.

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November 2011

Dauphin County

Calendar of Events Dauphin County Department of Parks and Recreation

Senior Center Activities

Nov. 16, 7 p.m. – “J. Horace McFarland: The Most Famous Man You’ve Never Heard Of,” Fort Hunter Centennial Barn

Bistline Senior Center – (717) 564-5633

Weekends, Nov. 26 to Dec. 18, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. – Festival of Trees, Fort Hunter Tavern House

Edgemont Senior Center – (717) 236-2221

Weekends, Nov. 26 to Dec. 18, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. – Toy Train Exhibit, Fort Hunter Centennial Barn

Friendship Senior Center – (717) 657-1547

Dauphin County Library Programs

Heinz-Menaker Senior Center – (717) 238-7860

East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg, (717) 652-9380

Highspire Area Senior Center – (717) 939-4580

Elizabethville Area Library, 80 N. Market St., Elizabethville, (717) 362-9825 Nov. 6, 3 p.m. – “The Art of Household Budgets” Program Nov. 29, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Friends of the Elizabethville Library Book Collection Nov. 29, 6:30 to 8 p.m. – Friends of the Elizabethville Library Meeting

Hoy/Latsha Senior Center – (717) 939-9833 Hummelstown Senior Center – (717) 566-6855 Jewish Community Center – (717) 236-9555

Harrisburg Downtown Library, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-4976 Lick Towers Senior Center – (717) 233-0388 Johnson Memorial Library, 799 E. Center St., Millersburg, (717) 692-2658 Kline Branch, 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-3934 Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, 2410 N. Third St., Harrisburg, (717) 232-7286 Northern Dauphin Library, 638 Main St., Lykens, (717) 453-9315 William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, 200 W. Second St., Hummelstown, (717) 566-0949 Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. – Novel Thoughts Book Club Nov. 15, 1 p.m. – Novel Thoughts, Too! Book Club

AARP Driver Safety Programs

Lykens Senior Center – (717) 453-7985 Millersburg Senior Center – (717) 692-2657 Mohler Senior Center – (717) 533-2002 www.hersheyseniorcenter.com Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Medicare Enrollment Assistance by APPRISE Nov. 11, 11:30 a.m. – Luncheon Club: Café Campbelltown Nov. 18, 11:30 a.m. – Thanksgiving Social Royalton Senior Center – (717) 944-4831

For a Safe Driving Class near you, call toll-free (888) 227-7669 or visit www.aarp.org/findacourse. In November 2011 only, veterans and their spouses are invited to take the course free.

Rutherford House – (717) 564-5682 www.rutherfordhouse.org

Nov. 4, 8 a.m. to noon – Lower Paxton Senior Center, 5000 Commons Drive, Harrisburg, (717) 657-1547 Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Mohler Senior Center, 25 Hope Drive, Hershey, (717) 533-2002 Nov. 7 and 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Susquehanna Township Recreation Department, 1900 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, (717) 909-9227

Steelton Senior Center – (717) 939-0693 Just a snippet of what you may be missing … please call or visit their website for more information.

Programs and Support Groups

Give Us the Scoop!

Free and open to the public. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. Free Art Classes Thrive 100 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg (717) 238-1887 or cglover@jumpstreet.org

Nov. 19, 10 a.m. Teamster 776 Retirees Club Meeting Union Hall 2552 Jefferson St., Harrisburg (717) 233-8766

Nov. 17, 7 to 8 p.m. The Latest in Hernia Repair – Shorter Recovery and Less Pain Giant Super Store, Linglestown Community Center 2300 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 231-8900

Nov. 22, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Parental Loss Support Group AseraCare Hospice 75 S. Houcks Road, Suite 101, Harrisburg (717) 541-4466

If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

November 2011

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Please send us your press releases so we can let our readers know about free events occurring in Dauphin County! Email preferred to: mjoyce@onlinepub.com

(717) 770-0140 (717) 285-1350

Let Help you get the word out!

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Social Security News

Veterans Day Reminder: Military Service and Social Security Each year, on Nov. 11, America observes Veterans Day and honors the men and women who have served in our nation’s Armed Forces. Many of our Vietnam-era veterans are now nearing retirement age or are already there. It is important that they—and other American service personnel—know just what retirement benefits they can count on from Social Security as they make their financial plans. Like most of the civilian workforce, all current military personnel pay Social Security taxes and earn Social Security coverage. Earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957. Also, earnings for inactiveduty service in the reserves (such as weekend drills) have had Social Security coverage since 1988. In addition to regular military pay, Social Security adds special earnings credits to an individual’s Social Security

record when he or she serves in the depends on his or her age and the type of military. The extra earnings are for benefit. Any future Social Security periods of active duty or active-duty benefit payment depends on a person’s training. earnings, averaged If, for over a working example, a lifetime. Generally, the Many of our person served in higher a person’s Vietnam-era the military earnings, the higher between 1957 his or her Social veterans are now and 1977, he or Security benefit will nearing retirement she has been be. age or are already credited with And remember that $300 in Social Security is more there. It is important additional than retirement. If a that they know just earnings for each worker becomes calendar quarter disabled before what retirement in which activereaching retirement benefits they can duty basic pay age, he or she may be was earned. eligible for Social count on. These extra Security disability earnings may benefits. A disabled help someone qualify for Social Security worker’s spouse and dependent children or increase the amount of the Social also may be eligible for benefits. If a Security benefit. worker dies, the widow or widower and The number of credits an individual dependent children may be eligible for needs to qualify for Social Security Social Security survivors benefits.

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By Sherra Zavitsanos

If you, or someone you know, were wounded while on active duty in the military, find out more about what Social Security can do by visiting our website designed specifically for wounded warriors: www.socialsecurity.gov/ woundedwarriors. There, you will find answers to a number of commonly asked questions, as well as other useful information about disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Veterans and others who are within 10 years of retirement age should begin planning for retirement. A good place to start is with Social Security’s Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/ estimator. For more information, you can read our fact sheet, Military Service and Social Security, which is available on our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ 10017.html. Sherra Zavitsanos is the Social Security public affairs specialist in Harrisburg.

Each month, 50plus Senior News profiles one of your friends or neighbors on its cover, and many of our best cover-profile suggestions have come from you, our readers! Do you or does someone you know have an interesting hobby or collection? A special passion or inspirational experience? A history of dedicated volunteer work? If so, tell us, and we’ll consider your suggestion for a future cover story! Just fill out the questionnaire below and return it to 50plus Senior News, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512, or email your responses to Megan Joyce, editor, at mjoyce@onlinepub.com. Your name:___________________________ Your address:_________________________________________________________________________ Your phone number/email address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of person nominated (if not you): _______________________________________________________________________________________ Please receive their permission to nominate them. Nominee’s age range: 50–59

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November 2011

SALE

from page 1

the books, and the librarians were always so very nice and helpful, even to us kids,” she recalled. It was in Italy that she met her husband, a Manheim native, and came to Central Pennsylvania to pursue her accounting degree. She first began volunteering at the Lancaster Public Library’s Duke Street branch in 1983 and soon cultivated her skill for sorting, researching, and selling books for the library via the Internet. Fast forward 28 years, and Ditzler’s system for maximizing profits from used book sales is changing the way libraries across the country approach this common fundraiser. Lancaster Public Library often receives generous donations of used books from all over the local community, and each spring, about 250,000 of these used books, videos, and CDs are organized into 39 categories (mystery, children’s, non-fiction, etc.) and spread out over 320 tables at Franklin & Marshall College’s Alumni Sports and Fitness Center. But long before the merchandise hits those tables, Ditzler and her brigade of dedicated and trained volunteers have spent countless hours sorting and pricing those donated books—and a lot of that

time is spent doing research. “It’s all about finding that volunteer “We do some research for those books something they love to do,” she said. that could be very valuable,” Ditzler As for the book sale itself, Ditzler’s explained. “We’ve sold some books on methods ensure that the merchandise is the Internet for neatly sorted into over $1,000, and if categories that are we hadn’t easily identifiable researched them, by large, colored we wouldn’t have signs—a seemingly known and put obvious feature that them in the sale many libraries for $5 or $10.” hadn’t thought to Another vital implement. Just aspect to LPL’s like a clearance rack book-sale success is in a clothing store, Ditzler’s strategy of people will shop getting volunteers more successfully doing a task they when items are enjoy and at which organized, they excel. Some accessible, and volunteers just clearly priced. handle CDs and “We just built videos. Some delve Visitors perused the considerable selection [the system] over during a recent book sale at the Marshall into Internet the years, asking, Street Book Shoppe in Lancaster. research. Others ‘Hey, why don’t we prefer handling try this?’” Ditzler sets of encyclopedias or children’s books. said. “When we fill and stack boxes to go Whatever their niche, all are thoroughly to the sale, we have categories and put trained to ensure they are efficient and up a little tally sheet … that way you can accurate contributors to Ditzler’s wellset up your sale and you know what you run sorting machine. have. Many libraries didn’t even do that;

they just piled them and went to set up the sale and asked, ‘OK, how much room do we need for mystery?’ They didn’t know.” Ditzler was also instrumental in starting LPL’s two used bookstores: one in the second floor of the library on Duke Street and the other in a rented warehouse on Marshall Street in Lancaster, which also doubles as a storage facility where they work with the donated books—dozens upon dozens of huge boxes, stacked and brimming with books of all sizes and subjects. It’s here that Ditzler and the volunteers sift through the masses of volumes, eliminating those that are obsolete or those in poor physical condition and organizing the rest into smaller boxes neatly labeled by book topic or type. “These bookstores are open all year round, so people don’t have to wait for our book sales and they know they’re supporting the library—all the proceeds go to the library,” said Ditzler. “Our money goes directly to the library’s general fund and pays salaries, buys books, and keeps their doors open because library funding has been terribly cut.”

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Ditzler said they’re now working on their third million dollars, having generated about $2.8 million over the years. The book sale started in 1954 with revenue of $150; last year, they made almost $200,000. Her exploratory approach has positively affected local teachers as well. Ditzler investigated and then contacted Books for Teachers, a national foundation that gives money to book sales in the form of vouchers to be used by teachers for the purchase of books for their classrooms. Ditzler submitted the Lancaster School District for consideration and the district was granted $3,000 the first year. District teachers then received a letter that said the library would give $75 in free books for the first 45 teachers that signed up. One hundred sixty-nine teachers responded. “I mean, $75 doesn’t sound like a lot, but in our sale it goes far,” Ditzler said. “We just could not believe the response.” Ditzler has always mentored other area libraries, sharing her procedures for running a book sale, and has taken her know-how on the road, too, conducting PowerPoint presentations at several state and national library conventions across the country. There, Ditzler covers everything from the criteria to look for in choosing a sale venue to how to train sorters and utilize signage effectively. A small library in Arizona, whose book sales had been struggling, employed Ditzler’s strategies last year and generated $80,000. “We share information because when one library wins, everybody does,” she said. “We’re not in competition with each other. We want to make the most of those books that get donated to those libraries.”

And this fall, Ditzler will also become a published author with the release of her book, A Book Sale How-to Guide: More Money, Less Stress, by Ditzler and her sister, JoAnn Dumas. Published by the American Library Association, the book documents Ditzler’s methods so that even a small-scale library can model her booksale savvy. A Book Sale How-To Guide covers everything from marketing the sale and dealing with customers to keys to sorting books and recommendations for handling the money, with forms for deposits and other financial tasks, also developed by Ditzler. And to those who argue that libraries will soon be obsolete in this increasingly paperless world of handheld, digital book readers, Ditzler is quick to assert the public library’s many other helpful community resources. “I think [the library] levels the playing field because it’s free,” she said. “We give them access, no matter what their economic condition.” Access to books, to computers, and, in Lancaster’s case, to the Duke Street Business Center and the Autism Resource Center, not to mention the various youth and adult services available. “The downtown Duke Street library gets about 1,200 people every single day. It is a busy, community-center place,” Ditzler said. “They have just about something for everybody—and it’s free. You can’t be a democracy without libraries.” For more information or hours of operation for the Marshall Street Book Shoppe, call (717) 295-1950; for the Juliana Bookstore (second floor of Duke Street library), call (717) 239-2123; and visit www.lancaster.lib.pa.us.

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Let’s Talk Turkey Turkey is the traditional choice for Thanksgiving dinner (and Christmas!). As you, your family, and friends sit down to your meal, feast on these facts about this popular poultry: What’s in a name? Turkeys are native to North America. According to various sources, the word turkey comes from: its Native American name firkee; the word tuka, the Tamil word for peacock, coined by Christopher Columbus when he mistook the bird for a type of peacock (it’s actually a member of the pheasant family); and the fact that the first birds were shipped to England www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

through the country of Turkey (by the Spanish) and were mistaken for another bird with the same name from Africa. Yes, turkeys can fly. Wild turkeys, that is. Domestic turkeys are bred and raised to be so heavy they can’t take flight, but wild turkeys can fly at up to 55 mph for short distances. They can also run at a top speed of 20-25 mph. Order your turkey early. About 45 million turkeys are consumed every Thanksgiving. The average Thanksgiving turkey weighs about 15 pounds. Approximately 20 million turkeys are the main course at Christmas dinner.

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November 2011

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This Month in History: November Events • Nov. 6, 1860 – Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th U.S. president and the first Republican. He received 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote. • Nov. 8, 1895 – X-rays (electromagnetic rays) were discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany. • Nov. 26, 1789 – The first American holiday occurred, proclaimed by President George Washington to be Thanksgiving Day, a day of prayer and public thanksgiving in gratitude for the successful establishment of the new American republic.

Birthdays • Nov. 2 – James K. Polk (1795-1849), the 11th U.S. president, was born in Mecklenburg County, N.C. He served from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1849. He declined to be a candidate for a second term, saying he was “exceedingly relieved” at the completion of his presidency. • Nov. 19 – Baseball player Roy Campanella (1921-1993) was born in Philadelphia. He was one of the first African-American major-league players and was one of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ “Boys of Summer.” His career ended when an automobile accident left him paralyzed in 1958. He then became an inspirational spokesman for the paralyzed. • Nov. 29 – Little Women author Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was born in Philadelphia.

November 2011

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November Celebrates Native American Indian Heritage Another popular name in American Indian history is Sitting Bull, the leader Upon hearing the name Pocahontas, of the Sioux Indians during the Battle we often think of the Disney movie of Little Bighorn. His knowledge of character who falls in love with the Sioux warfare, and his determination to dreamy Captain John Smith as tension overcome George Armstrong Custer’s grows between the English settlers and army, proved successful as his people the Native American tribe. Pocahontas were given pardon to settle on their must use her gentle spirit to restore rightful reservations. peace among her people. Politically, Charles Curtis enriched Aside from her career on the big our history as the 31st vice president of the United States, serving under screen, Pocahontas figures in history Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933. books for her help in settling Jamestown and saving John Smith from He was the first person of Native American ancestry to his captors in the 17th century. These facts, reach one of the two however, often escape highest offices in the from our minds as we United States devour popcorn and government. Curtis soda while enjoying the endorsed a five-day fictionalized version of workweek without her life. reduced wages to In honor of her cope with important work, as well unemployment rates as that of many others, at the time. November is recognized Without writers as National American such as Sherman Indian Heritage Month, Alexie, one would be a tradition started at the without inventive and turn of the century. humorous writing Sitting Bull The efforts to gain that provides insight recognition for Native into American Indian American Indians began as an attempt life. His novel, The Business of to obtain a single day of dedication, Fancydancing, won the New York which resulted in an entire month Times’ award for Notable Book of the observed in their honor. Year. His novels have inspired movies, The first proponent was Dr. Arthur one of which Alexie co-produced. He C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who continues to add to the world of persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to literature with his most recent book of grant a day to recognize American poetry, Dangerous Astronomy. Indians. After three years, the Congress But these notable American Indians of the American Indian Association are only a fraction of those recognized adopted an American Indian Day. In this month. According to the 2000 1915, President Sherman Coolidge census, 4.1 million United States formally proposed the second Saturday residents described themselves as of May to be deemed American Indian American Indian or Alaska Native. This Day. was a 2.2 million increase from the It was not until 1990, however, that census data in 1990. President Bush approved November as Census results for 2010 show 2.9 National American Indian History million respondents indicated their race Month. as American Indian or Alaska Native. United States history would not be This accounts for 0.9 percent of the complete without the contributions of entire United States population. Those several Native American Indians, who have claimed both American including those of Sacajawea. Sacajawea Indian and Alaska Native ancestries served as the only woman guide on the totaled an additional 1.4 million. Lewis and Clark expedition, and she So, the next time you stumble upon served as an invaluable guide and the animated Pocahontas flashing across interpreter when the explorers reached the television screen, sit back, relax, and the Missouri River. She was honored on enjoy the show, remembering her the first new coin of the millennium, important historical contributions and the Sacajawea golden dollar. those of all Native American Indians. By Laura Farnish

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Savvy Senior

New Flu Vaccine Provides Better Protection

By Myles Mellor and Sally York

Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, I’ve read that there is a new extrastrength flu vaccine being offered to seniors this year.What can you tell me about it, where can I find it, and does Medicare cover it? – Flu-Conscious Connie Dear Connie, The new extra-strength flu vaccination you’re inquiring about is called the Fluzone High-Dose, and it’s designed specifically for seniors, age 65 years and older. Here’s what you should know. Fluzone High-Dose Manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur Inc., the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2009 and was first made available last flu season on a limited basis. The main difference between the Fluzone High-Dose and a regular flu shot is its potency. The high-dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen (the part of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibody) as a regular flu shot does, which creates a stronger immune response for better protection. This extra protection is particularly helpful to seniors who have weaker immune defenses and have a great risk of developing dangerous flu complications. The CDC estimates that the flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills around 24,000—95 percent of whom are seniors. As with all flu vaccines, Fluzone HighDose is not recommended for seniors who are allergic to chicken eggs or those who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past. To locate a vaccination site that offers the Fluzone High-Dose, ask your doctor or pharmacist or check the online flushot locator (www.flu.gov) for clinics or stores offering flu shots. Then, contact some in your area to see whether they have the high-dose vaccine. CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, Kmart, Rite Aid, and Kroger are among some of the www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

chains offering the high-dose shot. You’ll also be happy to know that if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the cost of your high-dose vaccination. But if you’re not covered, the cost is around $50 to $60— that’s about double of what you’d pay for a regular flu shot. Pneumovax Another important vaccination the CDC recommends to seniors—especially this time of year—is the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine for pneumonia and meningitis (the vaccine is called Pneumovax 23). Pneumonia causes more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, many of which could be prevented by this vaccine. If you’re over age 65 and haven’t already gotten this one-time-only shot, you should get it now before flu season hits. Pneumovax 23 is also covered under Medicare Part B, and you can get it on the same day you get your flu shot. If you’re not covered by insurance, this vaccine costs around $75 to $85 at retail clinics. This vaccine is also recommended to adults under age 65 if they smoke or have certain chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or sickle cell disease; have had their spleen removed; or have a weakened immune system due to cancer, HIV, or an organ transplant. Savvy Tips: In addition to getting vaccinated, the CDC reminds everyone that the three best ways to stay healthy during flu season are to wash your hands frequently with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you’re sick. For more information on the recommended vaccines for older adults, check the vaccine page on the CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov/vaccines). Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org.

Across 1. Oomph 4. Wake Island, e.g. 9. It’s a snap 14. Blvd. 15. Female demon 16. Traversed a strait, e.g. 17. McCarthy quarry 18. Elevate 19. Rechargeable battery 20. Dangerous one 23. Cuba’s ___ of Youth 24. Bad to the bone 25. Button material Down 1. Zoroastrian 2. Squares 3. Piano part 4. Downwind 5. Checker, perhaps 6. Arabian Sea nation 7. Light air 8. Carpenter’s machine 9. Anthropoid ape 10. Crack type 11. Shamu, for one 12. Some are green 13. 15 and 23, e.g. 21. Grasp Solution on page 24

30. New York Times employee 34. Bathroom installation 37. Excitement 39. Auto parts giant 40. “Everyone knows the truth!” 44. Confess 45. One step 46. 1965 Ursula Andress film 47. Fashioned anew 50. Young’s partner in accounting

52. 54. 58. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72.

22. Twelfth Night, vis-à-vis Epiphany 26. Flurry 27. French vineyard 28. Refuse visitors 29. Ham it up 31. Checks 32. Colorful fish 33. Latest thing 34. Kind of tissue 35. Cover, in a way 36. Energy source 38. Beginning to cry? 41. Restrains an infant? 42. Like some ears 43. Store posting: abbr.

48. 49. 51. 53. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61.

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Lover of Aeneas Every which way New Guinea crooners Ticket category Purposeful Cacophony Big name in grills Cut into One of 100: abbr. Catch, in a way Gunpowder ingredient 73. Prosecute Linux system Shogun’s capital Modicum As a rule Thick Willow Rogers or Chesney Wail Noodle concoction? Chafes Prefix with scope or meter 62. Buckets 63. Tease 64. Super server

November 2011

The Beauty in Nature

Small, Wintering Cropland Birds Clyde McMillan-Gamber

locks of American crows, Canada geese, rock pigeons, mourning doves, and starlings are obvious on Lancaster County’s fields in winter. But six kinds of small, camouflaged birds, adapted to open country, winter in local cropland too, but not conspicuously. Those species are: horned larks, snow buntings, and Lapland longspurs, on fields that are bare or harvested to the ground, and water pipits, Wilson’s snipe, and killdeer plovers along shallow brooks coursing through that farmland. Only wintering horned larks are abundant in local agricultural environments that offer little

Crossword shown on page 23

A few each of snow buntings and Lapland longspurs, down from the Arctic tundra for the winter, are in many lark gatherings for safety in numbers in their open habitat. But some winters, pure groups of snow buntings are seen. Buntings in Killdeer plover Snow bunting Lapland longspur winter are brown and white, like the fields they winter on. The longspurs are brown and protection from cold winds and covered by snow. And as the snow streaked, like sparrows. drifts with the wind or melts, predators. And all those species are Water pipits from the tundra, farmland is an ever-changing quilt of invisible, until they move across the snipe, and killdeer forage for active, ground or fly. brown, green, and white. aquatic invertebrates along running The extensive, seemingly barren Wintering horned larks, snow farmland brooks that stay unfrozen. fields these birds winter on are buntings, and Lapland longspurs are sparrow-sized birds that eat weed and These birds reduce competition for patchworks of brown soil and green food among themselves by seeking vegetation under a big, uninterrupted grass seeds, bits of corn, and tiny different-sized insects, worms, and sky. But occasionally the fields are stones in the fields. If snow buries snails in a variety of niches along those foods and grit, the birds get those small waterways. Pipits eat tiny them from fields swept clear of snow critters from the edges of the water. by wind and along roadsides scraped Killdeer grab larger invertebrates by snow plows. They also consume from the surfaces of the muddy or chewed, but undigested, bits of corn stony shores and the top of the water. in manure spread over the snow. And snipe poke their long beaks into Horned larks are permanent mud under shallow water to pull out residents on local fields. In winter, food. they form flocks of scores or These interesting and attractive hundreds; each bird is brown with a birds wintering in local cropland are black-and-yellow face pattern that usually overlooked because of their makes it distinctive. The larks are visible when they bound low over the small sizes and camouflage. But they are spotted when flying or walking fields in flight, seeking fresh feeding over the fields. places.

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November 2011

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Famous last words: 1. Are you sure the power is off? 2. Don’t unplug it; it will just take a moment to fix. 3. Don’t worry; it’s not loaded. 4. He’s probably just hibernating. 5. I can make this light before it changes. 6. I wonder where the mother bear is. 7. I’ll hold it, and you light the fuse. 8. It doesn’t look like the bridge is out. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Preventive Measures

Just the Flax, Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;am Wendell Fowler ince man stood upright, tiny but mighty flaxseeds, with their fibrous mojo and health-sustaining oil, have been a cultural keystone. Composer Claude Debussy even wrote a lovely melody comparing a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful, flaxen hair to the shiny, brown seed. The omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) oil and cleansing dietary fiber are indispensible for upholding health and a happy colon. Friends often come for dinner, and once I received a hilarious â&#x20AC;&#x153;thank youâ&#x20AC;? courtesy call the next day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wendell, dinner was awesome, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty sure some things came out of me this morning I ate when I was 6.â&#x20AC;? I enlightened him that the flaxseed I sprinkled on everything was â&#x20AC;&#x153;RotoRooteringâ&#x20AC;? his backed-up colon. Both plant and seed have been used for centuries to weave fibers for clothing and housing. Ancient Egyptians carried flaxseed in their medical bags. During the eighth century, King Charlemagne passed laws requiring the consumption of flaxseed. Linen made from flaxseeds composed Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swaddling infant clothes and were used to make the Shroud of Turin. EFA omega-3 deficiency is associated with chronic diarrhea, Crohnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or IBS, ADD, irritability or nervousness, dry mouth, throat, skin that dries or cracks behind the ears, emphysema, asthma, chronic lung disease, chronic joint pain or arthritis, kidney, bladder or prostate problems, and infertility, impotence, or a history of repeated miscarriages. Fibrous flaxseed contains significant amounts of omega-3 and naturally

occurring plant estrogens called lignans, which prevent bone loss, reduce the risk of colon cancer and estrogen-related breast cancer, and diminish symptoms of menopause. Omega-3 balances production of prostaglandins, which help regulate blood pressure, blood clotting, nerve transmission, allergic responses, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract functions, and the production of hormones. This miracle of nature helps prevent heart disease, improves mental function, and cools inflammation related to asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, and osteoporosis. Inflammation, by the way, accelerates aging and causes about 70 percent of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diseases, whereas omega-3 soothes inflammation, decreasing disease risk. Smell what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? Because Americans adore dead, processed foods, they eat way too much â&#x20AC;&#x153;6â&#x20AC;? and too little â&#x20AC;&#x153;3.â&#x20AC;? A diet high in omega-6 causes destructive internal inflammation, especially if the diet lacks magnesium and B vitamins. These overly used fats are used in many bodily functions, but less is more. The greatest source of the overabundance of omega-6 fats in the American diet comes from popular

cooking oils like sunflower, safflower, corn, cottonseed, walnut, and soybean oil, which are all high in omega-6 fatty acid. I repeat: Less is more. Omega-3 naturally occurs in coldwater fish, walnuts, and green, leafy vegetables. DHAâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;brain foodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;also comes from fish oil, salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines, chicken, and eggs. Check with your doctor first, but my formula for success is to ingest 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds with 2,000 IUs fish oil daily, in addition to a handful of plain walnuts. Try flaxseed over your morning fruit and cereal. Refrigerate ground flaxseed in a tightly

sealed container and then grind a small handful before serving. Please note the need to grind the fibrous seed in a coffee grinder in small batches and then sprinkle them on everything you eat. Once ground, the seeds quickly lose their nutritious properties; store whole seeds in the refrigerator. At home, my wife and I put it on everything; even the dogs are set-yourclock regular. The mere gravity of getting out of your morning bed will arouse a truly moving experience even before the chilly, white car seat has a chance to warm up. Wendell Fowler is a retired chef turned motivational speaker and the author of Eat Right, Now! and Earth Suit Maintenance Manual. Contact him at chefwendellfowler@gmail.com.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once in a blue moonâ&#x20AC;? Two full moons in the same month are extremely rare, though they do happen. A second full moon has come to be called a blue moon because the Maine Farmers Almanac used to list the date of the first moon in red text and the second moon in blue.

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November 2011

Older But Not Wiser

The Secret Sy Rosen e men do it in the dark of night or in the early-morning hours when most of the city sleeps. It is something we do not discuss with the outside world. We have made a silent pact with our loved ones to keep this act of intimacy a secret. I’m talking about helping our wives dye their hair, of course. We are there for the back part of the hair, the part she can’t reach. The part where the gray roots sprout out like a neon sign saying, “I’m back! Did you miss me?” The first step is putting on the thin, plastic gloves. I feel like a surgeon, except my gloves are drastically undersized. These are not “manly” gloves and, although the box advertises “one size fits all,” they must have been referring to parakeets. As I begin applying the dye, my wife

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gives many instructions. I think this is her way of getting back at me for all the backseat driving I have done through the years. Or maybe it is because I’ve given her too many instructions on how to properly load a dishwasher (I actually typed them out). She tells me to part her hair every inch and get to the roots. “Too wide,” she says. “You’re missing spots,” she complains. “Don’t waste it,” she yells. I want to say, “There’s no way to waste it. Wherever I put the dye, it’s hitting gray.” However, I decide discretion is the better part of staying alive. We finally get into a rhythm, and my wife seems somewhat content. I am lulled into a false sense of security when she makes the seemingly innocuous comment that maybe she should stop dyeing her hair. I’m not sure why, but suddenly my senses are on overdrive. A

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Unfortunately, I linger on the name Marisa Tomei a split second too long, and my wife notices. “You have a crush on that actress Marisa Tomei.” “I do not,” I answer. However, a little drop of sweat starts to drip down my forehead. “Yes you do,” she insists, with an edge in her voice. And partly inspired by truth and partly by fear, I come up with this reply: “Yes, I have a little crush on her, but only because she reminds me of you.” My wife again smiles and I am safe. I finish dyeing her hair, and later that morning she comes downstairs and asks me how I think it turned out. I try for a little joke. “You look beautiful, Marisa.” She punches me, but not too hard.

little voice inside of me is saying, “Danger, danger.” I ask why she would want to stop and she replies, “I’m afraid my face is just too old for brown hair. Doesn’t it make me look like I’m trying too hard to be young?” And there, of course, is the landmine, right below my feet. A question that is reminiscent of, and just as dangerous as, “Does this dress make me look fat?” I tell her she’s being ridiculous. “Look at all those actresses like, uh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, and Meg Ryan. I’m sure they all dye their hair and they all look great.” “Yeah, but I’m not as young as them,” my wife responds. “You look younger and prettier,” I answer. And I really do mean it. My wife smiles and I go on to say, “And I’m sure Marisa Tomei dyes her hair.”

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Calendar Girls Celebrate Life with Humor By Laura Farnish “It’s worth every nickel!” And nickels, dimes, and dollars are what the residents at Bethany Towers need. In order to raise thousands of dollars, the community has completed various fundraising ventures. Their latest project, a 2012 calendar, has the residents of Bethany Towers hopeful for success. This calendar is unlike anything expected of a typical retirement community. All participants in the calendar are women, ranging in age from 74 to 87. All of the participants are volunteers without modeling experience. And, all of the participants are undressed, covering themselves with items ranging from books and stuffed animals to gardening supplies. Bethany Towers, a senior retirement community in Mechanicsburg, provides their residents with an extensive schedule of events. Their days are spent engaged in activities such as Bible studies, stretch aerobics, armchair yoga, drawing classes, holiday parties, and community outings. But, the key ingredient for the community outings – transportation – is dwindling.

The community uses a 23-year-old van the project, led the community to a for transportation to any offsite location. fundraising idea: a calendar. This van, however, is a hazard to anyone “I’m thinking, ‘Oh, a calendar … who buckles their seatbelt and prepares boring,’” said Judy Wenberg, activities for the ride. With a sliding door that no director for Bethany Towers. “Little did I longer closes and the threat of a know what [Montgomery] had up her breakdown, the van sleeves.” is designed for The calendar idea outings within a 10was based off the mile radius of the 2003 movie, retirement Calendar Girls, where community. Thus, women produce a trips to Lancaster, nude calendar to raise Gettysburg, and money for leukemia other, more distant research. After places are impossible. showing the movie to Months ago, their the residents and ability to raise gaining the board of All 12 of Bethany Towers’“calendar enough money for a directors’ approval, girls” posed with photographer Dennis new bus also seemed Montgomery asked Baker for the calendar’s cover shot. impossible. The new for volunteers. wheelchair-accessible “I could not vehicle costs $58,200. Through previous believe how quickly women stepped up to fundraising, the community had raised volunteer to bare [themselves],”said $29,000 but needed a new idea, as minds Montgomery. were running low on gas. “None of the calendar girls were handThus, the Bethany Towers New Van picked. They come in all different shapes Committee formed to raise money and sizes,” added Wenberg. “Because of needed for a new mode of transportation. the photographer, everyone looks Violet Montgomery, the coordinator of fabulous!”

Each month of the calendar features a photograph of a member of the community, their age, and a humorous caption relating to the image. In just two and a half months, all photographs, design, and layout were completed. “They have had nothing but laughs and fun,” said Montgomery of the volunteers. “In fact, they have asked me for another project.” For now, the residents are focusing their efforts on successful completion of their current project. The 2012 calendars are being sold for $10, and there are various ways to obtain one. The calendars will be sold at Bethany Towers’ Holiday Bazaar on Nov. 5, taking place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bethany Towers retirement community. Additionally, calendars can be purchased from the Bethany Towers front desk at (717) 5918300. The community is also accepting donations. Anyone interested can mail contributions to the Bethany Towers New Van Fund at 335 Wesley Drive, Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17055. “We calendar girls are like the van,” said Montgomery. “We’re old, with new parts.”

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Share the Care. Highmark Blue Shield is making it easier for people with Medicare to navigate the sometimes confusing health care system with the new Health Partner Program. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Highmark Medicare Advantage member enrolled in our FreedomBlue PPO, now you can designate a health partner who can access all the resources necessary to support you in managing your health and making life a little easier for both of you. For more information or to get started today, just call the toll-free number on the back of your membership ID card and find out how easy it is to share the care. The Health Partner Program from Highmark Blue Shield. Helping you have a greater hand in your health.

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