BEACON - January 2015

JANUARY 2015

Vol. 29

WINTER 2015

Health &Wellness Dave Morison “hammering at the edge” of the overhang near Twin Lakes, 1966. Page 2

Reminiscing wards off depression

Chicken soup cuts the cold

page 6

Produced by the BEACON’s Advertising Team

page 12

Your Guide to a Healthy Mind & Body

Now on the web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

No. 1

Western Colorado’s Monthly Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 34,650 Readers.

Your health and wellness are sure to get a boost after reading this month’s insert.

Price of Security Helen Keller said life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. What risks are you willing to take in 2015? Page 6. Mesquite: a newer version of an older Vegas A Mesquite vacation is reminiscent of what a trip to Las Vegas used to be. Page 24. Still swingin’ and singin’ Music keeps these musicians active well past the time most seniors have resorted to recliners. Page 10.

aking up business B Meet boomers and seniors who are aiming to improve business locally. Page 4.

Photo by Ashley Bernal.

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January 2015

Jed Clampett doesn’t work here, but I do By Kevin K. VanGundy

Don’t Miss these Free Estate Planning Workshops!

M

ind Springs is the area’s leading mental health facility, but I question those in charge of their marketing and/or mail department. For months now they have been trying to woo someone from our office with the mental health benefits they provide, even going so far as inviting Jed Clampett to one of their parties. As I have explained in the past, Jed Clampett does not work for the BEACON Senior Newspaper. As far as I know, he is only a fictional character from the popular 1960s television series “The Beverly Hillbillies.” I also mentioned that Buddy Ebsen, the actor who portrayed Jed, passed away in 2003. Yet the letters continue.

What do you think? Shall I mention to Mind Springs that Jed Clampett isn’t real? I have heard where some people believe that everything on television must be real, including reality shows. Perhaps it would be healthier for their world construct to believe that he does work here. While I am unsure about what to do, I am certain that they are crazy for not advertising in the BEACON Senior Newspaper. If only Jed Clampett did work here, I am sure he could convince them.

Happiest of New Years! Can you imagine what 2015 could be like if you and I were to take all that life has taught us and apply it with enthusiasm to our new year? Can it be done? Has it ever been done?

Health & Wellness insert Well, in this month’s health and wellness insert you’re going to

EDITORIAL 3

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Estate Planning Q & A January 14, 2015. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Here’s your chance to pose the questions you’ve always wanted to ask to an estate planning attorney. The discussions will be solely based on your questions. Sign up now for this unique workshop!

Handling Estate Matters after Someone Dies January 28, 2015. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Have you lost a loved one recently? Do you have questions on how to administer their estate? Would you like to know how your own estate will be administered? It may not be as easy as you think! Registration is Required. The workshops are held at our office at 1250 E. Sherwood Drive. Sign up by calling (970) 243-8250 or go to our website at:

www.brownandbrownpc.com Phone: (970) 243-8250 meet Dave Morison, who at 91 years young, may very well have accomplished this task. Getting older has never sounded so appealing as his story suggests. La bella vita!

An evening of fun and perhaps, romance Throughout my years with the BEACON, I’ve heard recurrent grumblings, “Where can a single senior go to meet someone?” And “Where is a good place for a mature couple to go dancing?” Fret no more. This Valentine’s Day, the BEACON Senior Newspaper will again team up with Hilltop Senior Life Options to put on our very own senior social and dance, featuring Clark Gault’s Swing City Express playing the best music of the big band era. Dancers can glide across a real wooden dance floor in a ballroom decorated with a romantic ambience. A delectable presentation of hors d’oeuvres will be served, along with beer, spirits and wine. Last year, we sold out of tickets and expect to sell out again. So don’t delay, call Kelli at 243-8829. P.S. If you’re like me and can’t dance, please show up just to have fun. If you can dance and would like to be a guest instructor, we could use your help. ■

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4 COVER STORY

ocal entrepreneurs l trump aging and enrich economy www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

By Jan Weeks, Terri Benson, Cloie Sandlin & Liesl Greathouse

B

elieve it or not, the largest contingent of entrepreneurs is made up of seniors. According to an article published by the Huffington Post, author and 90-year-old entrepreneur Jack Nadel wrote, “Society should definitely not underestimate the role seniors currently play in our economy.” Nadel noted that in February 2014, the Senate Special Committee on Aging indicated there are currently 34 million senior entrepreneurs, a number that will surely grow. According to the Kauffman Foundation, an organization that fosters

Thinking about starting your own business? The Business Incubator offers these classes in January to help kick start your business. To register, call 2435242.

Pumping up the Dream: Starting a Business in Western Colorado Take advantage of the opportunity to receive step-by-step guidance as you start your new business in western Colorado. This class covers the most commonly asked questions, including how to do a trade name search, choosing the right legal structure, registering with the state, local licensing requirements, the business planning process and options for financing your business. Cost is $50 and includes training materials and membership in the Fast Trac Business Basics program. • 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Thursday, January 8 • 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m., Friday, January 29

January 14 - Bookkeeping Boot Camp

ship with more working knowledge, experience, discipline and capital than younger people, making them ideal business owners.

From brickyards to bagels The scent of Cuban espresso mingles with spice overtones from the fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls as customers line up to order at Main Street Bagels, located at the corner of Sixth and Main in Grand Junction. Baristas and bakers hustle to keep up, while owners Mark and Missy Smith oversee operations. Twenty years ago, the Smiths lived in Santa Cruz, California where Mark, then 43, worked as a masonry contractor and Missy, then 48, plied her skills as a nurse. “Then we decided we wanted something different,” Mark said. A friend who ran a bagel shop taught the Smiths the basics. They loved the process, and Mark enrolled in the San Francisco Baking Institute to learn to bake artisan bread. The Smiths decided they’d like to own their own bagel shop and began searching for an appropriate location. Grand Junction was their last stop. “When [the Realtor] called and told us this building was available, we decided to jump in,” Missy said. They sold everything they owned, took out a small business loan, and headed east. In July of 1995, they opened for business on Main Street. At first they sold only bagels and cookies. Then their tasty repertoire expanded, and the space did, too, when they took over the empty space next door. Now they offer 15 kinds of bagels, several muffins, and seven artisan breads, as well as several varieties of granola and trail mix. Salads, sandwiches, freshsqueezed juices, smoothies and cap-

Main Street Bagels

Learn how to set up and track business accounting records and what types of expenses are deductible. Gain better control of your business by learning how balance sheets, income statements and cash flow projections are prepared and what they can tell you about your business. Class is from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost is $75 (includes lunch).

economic independence by advancing education and entrepreneurship, Americans ages 55-64 start new businesses at a higher rate than those in their 20s and 30s, a statistic that has been true every year since 1996. New businesses are important to strengthening today’s economy. New businesses produce more goods and services, and create more jobs. Older people often approach entrepreneur-

January 2015

puccinos, mochas and regular coffee round out the menu. “Our coffees are direct trade,” Mark emphasized, “which means we work directly with the farmers. Our products have no hydrogenated oil and our flours are never bleached or bromated. We make everything from scratch every day.” That locavore mentality shows up in their seasonal dishes, especially during the summer months when fruit and vegetables ripen. “Our products may not be the cheapest but they’re the highest quality,” Mark said. Main Street Bagels is about more than just feeding customers. “We want to create a sense of community,” Missy said. Regulars and newcomers alike are free to linger, hook up to the free Wi-Fi, chat with friends, and browse the Aspen Photo Gallery, which features the work of Larry Bennett, the Smiths’ neighbor. The Smiths tried expanding a couple of times, first to a strip mall near 25 Road and Patterson, then to a space at North Avenue in the Colorado Mesa University retail/dorm building. Running remote locations had its drawbacks, and now they employ over 20 workers at the Main Street location only. It seems that the Smiths’ leap of faith has turned in to what they envisioned all those years ago: an independent family business that makes their patrons feel like family, too.

Coaching entrepreneurs, boosting business Whether you’re starting a business because you just want a change or you’re retired and bored, it’s important to seek out people and resources that can encourage you. Jeff Parker may be a retired banker, but he hasn’t retired from life—far from it. He keeps his hat in the business arena by volunteering at the

January 2015

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com of what he does is to caution potential entrepreneurs to slow down and plan ahead. “I recommend everyone get all the knowledge they can in running a business before they start,” Parker said. “It’s a very satisfying outcome to coaching when you talk with people you feel really have a good chance of their new business succeeding.” Parker spends about three hours a week coaching. He said most of his clients need help with marketing, accounting, bookkeeping, websites and social media. Some entrepreneurs also might need help with social and interpersonal skills. “I think the client needs to have concrete steps they can take away from the meeting, and they should have some measure of positive feedback before they leave,” he said.

Business Coach Business Incubator Center (BIC) as a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Business Coach, and currently works with High Performance Consulting, Inc., a firm that provides profitability analysis for community banks throughout the country. Parker came to the Grand Valley in 1981 to start working at the United States Bank of Grand Junction and stayed for nearly three decades, working for the same company under its various permutations. He was a business banker, going back to 1978, so he has considerable experience talking to business owners about financial issues. Five years ago, another volunteer SBDC coach suggested Parker might enjoy working with entrepreneurs. “It’s been a learning experience,” Parker said. “I’ve really learned how much I didn’t know. There are a lot of factors and pitfalls in starting a business that I hadn’t realized as a banker.” And while Parker’s experience is heavily financial, he also assists potential business owners with general business advice. “It’s different seeing someone trying to start a business early on,” he said. “It’s made me more sensitive to their difficulties.” He’s seen a lot of small businesses have a hard time getting credit. He thinks the most common obstruction to starting a business is a lack of capital. But he is also surprised of how little basic financial knowledge some startups have. As a coach, a lot

Computer business on wheels Having a business no longer requires an office or brick and mortar storefront. There are many websites that allow you to sell products or perform services online. One Montrose business owner runs his business out of a nontraditional storefront of his own. With a handson approach to fixing computers, Dennis Freed, 63, works to help people with their computer problems from his Volkswagen van-based business, Computer Tune-Up, in Montrose. The business began in Montrose after Freed and his wife lived as full-time RVers for 21 years. He worked on the road conducting repair services for a major restaurant chain, and fixed computers remotely on the side. He and his wife returned to

Montrose to take care of his aging parents and Freed turned his side job into a full-time occupation. With the majority of his customers being seniors, Freed knows how to speak the language of a generation that wasn’t raised with computers. He provides an easy alternative to clients so they don’t have to worry about disconnecting and hauling their computer to a store. He drives his van directly to clients’ homes and works on their computer while they watch. “They get to see what I’m doing, so there is no mystery to it,” he said. “I talk with them, walk them through it, and show them the tools that their computer already has and how to use them. I love to leave my customers happy with the fact that their computer is working the way it is supposed to again.” The discipline that comes with being self-employed comes naturally to Freed. “I have a hard time working for people,” Freed said. As a senior who works with computers, Freed is often asked how he learned his trade. “I was self taught,” he said. “I learned by doing, reading and I learned by my actions.” Freed’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to listen for people who say, “I wish I knew how to do that” and to find something that people are looking for and do it. Contact Freed at 596-4510. ■

Computer Tune-Up

COVER STORY 5

National & Regional Award-Winning Publication Publisher ........................ Kevin K. VanGundy Founding Publisher................... Susan Capps Editor........................................ Cloie Sandlin Graphic Design.............................. Heidi Graf Production................................ Karen Jones Account Representative...............Sue Bowen Account Representative............Sidney Jayne Proofreader................................. Jan Weeks Customer Service...................Kelli Wakefield Cheerleader..............................Genevra Shal Photography ........................... Ashley Bernal Delivery ............................. Solomon Herrera Delta-Montrose Bureau Assistant Editor...................Liesl Greathouse Account Representative.......... Virginia Carlile Account Representative........... Michael Dunn Delivery..........................................JR Milner Beacon Mascot Bogart.......................................................... P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502 970.24 3.8 82 9  800.536.7516 fax Website: www.BeaconSeniorNews.com E-mail: Beacon@ PendantPublishing.com The BEACON is published at the beginning of the month. Our goal is to inform and inspire the 50+ community in Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Garfield counties. Publication of advertising does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Columns are opinions of the writers, not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Display advertising rates are available upon request. Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication. © Copyright 2015 • All Rights Reserved

Cover Photo Mark Smith went from brickyard to bagels when he and his wife, Missy, moved from California to Grand Junction to start Main Street Bagels. This little bagel shop has seen its trials but is a growing and thriving part of the community.

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SECURITY

is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. – Helen Keller

January 2015

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6 FEATURE STORY

January 2015

The Price of

Security ddddddddd By Akaisha Kaderlie

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ecently I have been reading a book called “Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown. You may have heard of it. The theme of the book is about being vulnerable, taking risks and being willing to expose ourselves to possible failure. It’s an enlightening read. I bring this up because what I want to share with you is that security has a price. Everyone speaks about how risk is dangerous and sometimes unthinkable. It seems that everyone wants unmitigated surety—the 100 percent guarantee. But security never makes one courageous nor does it make a person’s heart sing. We all want our bases covered, and none want to be starving or out in the land of the lost. But there is an energy about taking a risk with the possibility of failure that adds dimension to our lives and creates memories that we share with our children and grandchildren and we can ruminate over when we become old. Having everything laid out, fully unchallenged with no adversary to overcome makes for a dull story. To make my point, I want to share with you a couple of big risks I took with my life direction over the years. In 1971, I was 19 years old and my then 20-year-old boyfriend wanted to make an extensive summer motorcycle trip across the country from the Midwest through a semi-southern route, up the coast of California to Alaska and back again via northern roads. This sounded like the most exciting thing I could imagine in my life at that time. I had $400 saved and a vinyl, fleece-lined coat my father had given me. My boyfriend had $500 and a good pair of warm gloves he let me wear when it snowed or rained. We

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com owned sleeping bags and a tent. He had a 550 Triumph, was a good driver, and gasoline was 40 cents per gallon. What could go wrong? We ended up traveling thousands of miles in heavy wind, rain, fog and unbearable heat but also on perfectly crisp mornings and amazing sunlit days. We traveled the Alaskan pipeline before it was completed and helped a friend build a log cabin on his property in British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands. We tested our mettle and we tested our relationship. Everything survived. The memories of that summer didn’t fade into oblivion like the summers I worked in the department store and ate pizza on Friday nights. I took the courage I garnered from this trip forward with me into my future. I found out that I was not a lightweight and that quality of spirit has served me many times over the years. Similarly, after a six-month trip to Europe almost a decade later, my husband Billy and I purchased a restaurant with some creative family financing. Everyone told us we should not pursue this venture and that we had surely overreached. We were 27 years old and our financial futures were on the line. Failure wasn’t an option. Our blood, sweat and tears paid for that restaurant and it certainly was not an easy career choice. We did not have holidays off, a 401k program or an employee-sponsored pension. We paid for our own health care. But on the other hand, we matured young and built a sense of self-reliance that money can’t purchase. We still hold the perspective that if there is a choice between taking a chance that will enrich your life or staying put in entrenched security, one should take the chance. If you were to look back on your life, the colorful, most outstanding memories are the ones where you reached for the stars, where you put yourself on the line and took a personal or professional chance. I guess my point is that risk has a price, but so does security. I think risk pays better. ■

FEATURE STORY 7

Senior Homecare by Angels

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~ Turkey Taco ~

M o n day - T h u r s day u n T i l 6 p M

Early DinE

January 2015

Lettuce

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Ingredients: 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey 1 c onions, diced 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 c frozen corn (or canned) 15 oz can diced tomatoes 4 oz tomato sauce 1 1/2 T taco seasoning 2 cloves garlic, minced and grated 1 T extra virgin olive oil Leaves of lettuce (Boston, Bibb, Butter) Salt and pepper, to taste

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Spoon into washed/dried lettuce leaves; serve. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and green onions, if desired.

Strawberry Limeade-tini Ingredients: Strawberry Limeade mixture: 1 c strawberries, sliced 2 limes, sliced 1 c vodka 1/2 c sugar Cocktail 1 1/2 oz Strawberry Limeade mixture 1 oz Lemon-lime Perrier (or 7UP)

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January 2015

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Ask the Old Bag

ASK THE OLD BAG 9

Advice Column for the Over 50 Crowd By Gayle LagmanCreswick Dear Old Bag: My father has fallen three times this year. He lives alone in his home of 40 years. We have tried to get him to sell and move into an assisted living facility, but he will not hear of it. He says we will have to take him out of his house when he is through with this life. I worry about him all the time. His memory is good so far, and he is a pretty good cook. His vision is not so good, although he still drives to the store. How do I get him to see he is not safe in his home anymore? Signed, Worried Dear Worried: You are describing a common problem—a problem that I saw like you are seeing it when I was younger. Now that I am older, I see it differently. Now I believe that one of the privileges of age is to make choices for myself, even if they may be risky for my health or safety. For example, if I want to stay in my house and fall occasionally, I should be able to make that choice. I would wear a pendant to call for help if I have a serious fall, and if it weren’t serious, I would get up and go about my business. There are some wonderful assisted living places now, but please understand that they cannot keep your father from falling. Of course, if he fell, there would be help readily available. What I am saying is that the right answer for you may not be the right answer for your father. You do not need to feel guilty for letting him do things his way. If his health greatly deteriorates, he may not be able to continue his choices. OB Dear Old Bag: I have a comment that I want to say to someone who can get the word out, and you are elected. My partner and I have been together for 40 years. You can only imagine what it was like 40 years ago to be labeled a lesbian. After all these years together we

were able to get married and come out of the closet and go fully public. Years ago we told everyone we were sisters so we could keep our jobs. We moved away from family because they disowned us. It has been a crazy life, but we finally feel accepted. I just want to say thank you to all who have accepted us as we are. Signed, Finally Accepted

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Dear Finally Accepted: Congratulations! I wish you continued happiness. OB Dear Old Bag: In your column last month, you suggested giving away some of your prized possessions in lieu of buying presents. The young people today have no desire to own some of our prized possessions. They are so involved in electronics and new-fangled inventions that they seem to have no sentimental mentality at all. All they care about is money. “Give me money so I can buy some more stuff.” That is what it seems to me. Agree? Signed, Disenchanted Dear Disenchanted: I get it that this may be your experience. I do not believe it is always that way. Many young people love to have something of Grandma’s or Grandpa’s. After the grandparents pass on they will have something to remind them of the person they knew and loved—that is assuming, of course—that it was a loving relationship. I am always surprised to hear how many grandparents frown upon their grandchildren because of superficial things like piercings, tattoos, dying hair, crazy hairdos and short dresses. We must get beyond those things and see the beauty within. ■

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Home care beyond the expected

Senior musicians still swingin’ and singin’ By Jan Weeks

I ME CAREDICAL AVAI ALSO LABL E

Companion care for you and your companion Just two of our unique home care services At Hilltop Home Care we realize that remaining safe and secure in your own home requires more than just medical care, that’s why we offer a wide-range of non-medical services including: n Personal care & grooming n Companionship services n Downsizing & relocation n Handyman services n Transportation for errands & shopping

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January 2015

f you were one of the lucky people who attended last year’s Valentine’s Dance sponsored by the BEACON Senior Newspaper and Hilltop, you remember the terrific band Clark Gault’s Swing City Express that made the evening. You may have also noticed that most of the members were part of the senior set. Since the BEACON caters to seniors, we thought you might like to know more about some of our swingin’ seniors. There are too many musicians over 50 to include in one story, so we’ll concentrate on swing and big band music makers. Walt Smith made his Grand Junction debut in 1980. A classically trained pianist, he turned to big band and swing during college. He began playing at age 6 and by the time he was 15, he had played in half a dozen bands.

“The war (World War II) was on,” Smith said, “and there were no players available, so I got a lot of experience. All the other players were older, in no danger of being drafted.” During college he played for fraternity and sorority parties at CU. After graduating from college, he became a fixture in elegant restaurants and smoky bars throughout the west, gaining fame in Denver and the Colorado ski areas. Leon Uris, author of “Exodus” and many other books, set up an audition for Smith in Hollywood, but Smith was living in Aspen and didn’t want to leave the mountains, so he passed up the chance and has never regretted it. Whether playing a bossa nova or “Jersey Bounce,” Smith sets toes tapping and couples dancing. Pianist and vocalist Jeanie Thomas has also played around the area for more years than she cares to count.

Clark Gault’s Swing City Express at last year’s Valentine’s Dance at The Commons of Hilltop.

January 2015 She took her first piano lesson at age 5, then majored in music at Chadron State College in Nebraska. She also plays organ and accordion. She and late husband Chuck, also a multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, sax, clarinet and more), began playing together in Denver, then relocated to Grand Junction, where they played almost every venue, from nightclubs to churches to civic organizations. “Music is a gift, and I’m so grateful that I’m able to play and to keep playing,” Thomas said. “Chuck and I traveled all over the country and made wonderful friends everywhere. We had the best life together.” Since losing Chuck two years ago, she has kept busy on keyboards and baby grands, soloing and playing with other swingin’ musicians, as well as teaching adult tap dancing at the local community college. Paul Schneider instructed the Grand Junction High School band before moving on to Mesa Junior College (now Colorado Mesa University) in 1969, where he worked as director of bands until retiring in 2009. Both

DON’T MISS the BEACON and Hilltop’s second annual

V

alentine’s Day Dance

7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. on February 14, 2015

at the Commons of Hilltop,

625 27-1/2 Road

in Grand Junction. Advance tickets are $15 per person. Call 243-8829 for tickets. classical and pop flow from his saxophone, smooth and mellow. “My dad played sax and started me on lessons,” Schneider said. “I’ve played with The Dixie Dudes, The Western Colorado Jazz Orchestra, the Gary Smith Quartet, and the Beaux Arts Trio.” He also played with the Grand

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Bregar Orchestra and plays in Rock and Swing, a five-piece band that plays a whole bunch of everything, from foxtrots to tangos to Texas twosteps. His father had a polka band, so at age 5, Bregar began playing accordion. He moved on to saxophone and clarinet, and became a vocalist. For a while, he taught high school music in Pueblo and was the music director in Fowler, Colorado. Then he moved into real estate. Later he worked for the state of Colorado and spent 27 years in the division of property taxation, teaching appraisal methods. Thirty years ago, the state transferred him to Grand Junction and when he retired from his day job, he began playing regularly. Music seems to be in the blood of these popular musicians, keeping them swingin’ and singin’ well past the time that most seniors have resorted to golf clubs and recliners. You might say they march to the beat of different drummers, be it Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, or Chick Webb. And that’s great news for all us dancers and toe tappers. ■

Junction Symphony for 10 years. “I have no intention of retiring,” Schneider said. “Music is too much a part of me.” Ron Bradley learned to play trumpet when he was 10 and for over 60 years has honed his skill. He attended San Francisco State, where he majored in music. After joining the Army, he played with the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco and with the Eighth Army Band while in Korea. After leaving the service, he studied linguistics at UC Berkeley. In addition to playing he opened his own school to teach native English speakers how to teach English to foreign students. “My graduates have their TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification,” Bradley said. “I also bring foreign students to CMU to study English.” As if that weren’t enough to keep him busy, Bradley also played with the Grand Junction Symphony for 14 years. Frank Bregar is another who has no plans to retire. He has the Frank

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January 2015

Feeling like a VIP in an NPS uniform By Melanie Wiseman

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’ve always been intrigued by the way people act around those in uniform. I got a taste of what it was like to be the person in uniform when I recently accepted a fulltime seasonal interpretive ranger position with the Colorado National Monument. To me, donning a National Park Service uniform would make deciding what to wear each morning extremely easy. I learned Ranger Wiseman quickly that to the rest of the world, it meant something else. Parents told their children to listen to what I had to say because I was important. I found myself part of visitors’ Facebook pages, family photos and a piece of their travel memories. I had my own paparazzi. At the end of my two months, I hope I lived up to the expectations people have of those who wear the NPS uniform. The uniform seemed to give people a level of comfort and confidence to ask me questions on just about any topic, and to trust that my answer was knowledgeable. My favorite ranger experiences involved meeting people from all over the world. They were all eager for the best possible experience in the Colorado National Monument and surrounding areas. Helping them achieve this goal required studying and sharing information about Colorado National Monument’s history, geology, trails, plants and animals. Visitors helped whet my appetite for traveling to more places than I will ever have the time or money for. They all had their stories. I met 15 women, all age 74, who were friends from a small college in Oklahoma. They graduated 52 years ago and were still enjoying taking trips to-

gether every two years. I spoke with a man from Tucson who is a coordinator for the Southern Arizona Honor Flights. So far he has organized and escorted 15 planeloads of World War II veterans and their companions to Washington, DC to see the World War II Memorial. Four people from Belgium were the highlight of my visitor experiences. I learned several things about them. One was that they loved our bathrooms in the U.S. because they were clean and you didn’t have to pay to use them like you do in Belgium. I also learned they connected with some Native Americans near Monument Valley two years ago, raised $600 back in Belgium, and brought with them two large suitcases of new clothes to give to the children of the families. At the end of our time together, one woman ran to their camper and came back with a box of Belgian chocolates. She explained that each time they go on vacations, they bring four boxes of chocolates to give to people along the way who made a positive difference to their travel experience. I was fortunate enough to be a recipient. Many visitors age 62 or older used their NPS Senior Pass to get in to the Colorado National Monument. The Senior Pass is a lifetime pass for a one-time cost of $10. The pass provides access to all national parks and federal recreation sites that charge an entrance fee and provides a discount on some amenity fees. To inquire about being a seasonal ranger with the Colorado National Monument or any of the other 400 park service units, visit www.nps. gov. ■

January 2015

You can win big at new RedCliff Bingo and help nonprofits By Carrie Kellerby

N

ova Tucker and her father, Leroy Winter, are not just about fun and games. They are also serious about bingo. In October they opened RedCliff Bingo in the RedCliff Pointe shopping mall at 2650 North Ave. in Grand Junction, as a venue designed to give established nonprofit entities a fun (and potentially very effective) way to raise money to help support their causes. The business model reflects a public demand for games of chance by providing a legal opportunity to take home some big cash prizes. RedCliff Bingo provides the hall—over 10,000 square feet of space, as well as all the bingo apparatus and supplies for a successful bingo session, and offers a professional kitchen providing a full range of snacks and meals, from chicken and burgers to Mexican foods and salads. For a nonprofit organization looking for new ways to raise money this could be a great option. RedCliff Bingo charges for the rental of the hall and makes money on the kitchen concessions, but all of the proceeds raised by the bingo sessions go directly to the hosting nonprofit organization. Tucker, 42, estimated that it was possible for a nonprofit who sponsored a once-a-week bingo session to make as much as $75,000 in a year. The biggest money can be raised for a nonprofit by running what is known as a progressive, a game that runs over a period of time where the nonprofit reserves a portion (generally half) of the proceeds from each individual bingo session and sets it aside for a future jackpot, one that’s significantly larger than the normal prize. According to state law, jackpots

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can’t go above $15,000, but an opportunity to win a bingo jackpot of $2,000-$5,000 is a very enticing draw. The opportunity to win these “must go” jackpots attract big crowds, eager for a chance to win, which in turn, brings in more revenue for the hosting nonprofit. Tucker said the chance of winning one of those prizes entices players to buy more bingo cards in order to increase their odds of winning, which in turn, brings in more revenue for the nonprofit. The technicalities of the bingo lotteries can be a little daunting, but Tucker has taken to the business and its intricacies like a duck to water. It helps that she’s a big fan—being an avid bingo player for over 20 years. She gets the ins and outs of the game and the personalities of those who love to play. RedCliff Bingo is the only commercial bingo hall in Colorado with Las Vegas-manufactured high-end equipment. She was happy to quote one of the licensing inspector’s recent comments that RedCliff Bingo was “hands down the nicest facility in the state.” Currently the hall has only one regular session-hosting nonprofit on its schedule. The VFW Post 3981 sponsors sessions at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 1 p.m. Fridays. Tucker is looking for additional nonprofits to fill out the schedule. Ultimately, there will be 19 sessions available each week, including afternoon and evening sessions as well as two late-night sessions on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to the bingo sessions, the hall can also be rented out during non-session times as a space for private parties and corporate events. For more information about RedCliff Bingo, call Tucker at 644-5764. ■

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Coming home from Afghanistan: Musician performs concert to heal By Jan Weeks

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January 2015

rian Gregor laughs easily and often, his grin infectious behind a graying goatee. Only the shadows that lurk deep in his eyes hint at his experiences as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan. Those experiences shaped the songs he wrote as he huddled in “hooches,” as the huts that were his dwelling places are called. “I’ve been playing guitar and singing all my life,” he said, “and that’s what kept me sane in an insane place.” In 1984 he moved to Colorado from Ohio to become the next John Denver. “Didn’t happen,” he said with a chuckle, “but it got me to Colorado.” That’s where he began his career in law enforcement, spending five years as a police officer in Vail, then 10 years on the Grand Junction force, as a patrol officer and public information officer. That experience served him well overseas. His job was to liaise with the police there and train them in how to apprehend insurgents. “It’s a whole different culture,” he said. “They don’t really want to be trained. They’ve been invaded by so many different entities who want them to obey that they’ve pretty

much given up on following orders or advice.” Life in the tribal culture of Afghanistan was hard, compounded by the ongoing war. “We drove around in an armored pickup truck,” he says. “Wherever we went, we drove at Mach 10. You didn’t dare slow down or stop. If you did, insurgents could easily slip an explosive under your vehicle or detonate one beside you.” He was armed but never felt safe. The constant menace left him unable to let down his guard, even after he came home. One example of the stress contractors work under happened when he was in Ghazni. A Polish unit was stationed there, but the cooks were American. “A mortar smashed through the roof of the cook tent but fortunately didn’t explode,” he said. “The cooks were so traumatized that they left for the States right away.” As a Department of Defense employee, he was embedded with both Army and Marine units, scouting for Al Qaeda terrorists, accompanied by police and an interpreter. The Afghan military is not allowed to search for the bad guys. Only local police can

The Dirty Hat Band, from left: Brian Gregor, Thad V’Soske, Sofia Benham, Sam Benham and Jared Shaw

January 2015

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do that. Gregor’s job was to help the drivers. He looked at them and local cops ferret out suspects. Only thought, “What am I doing? Who am I?” He came back to Colorado and after the locals gave the okay could immersed himself in music and art, he contact the military. painting in acrylic and working with He signed a confidentiality agreepen and ink as well as pencil. ment when he went to work for the Gregor’s mission is to bring attenDepartment of Defense, so he can’t tion to the contractors who experigive details of his assignment. All enced the same dangers and traumas he’ll say is that he was a police advias military personnel, yet have no sor/mentor to local police forces in access to health care through the places like Kabul, Ghazni and Jalalabad. He also won’t talk about the hor- Veterans Administration, even if they offer to pay for it themselves. Civilian rors he saw and experienced. psychologists who had never expe“I just don’t want to be like one of rienced armed conflict have no idea those ‘war stories’ kind of guys,” he how to treat patients who have. said. He calls his music alternative folk, He does admit to being banged and a throwback to the influence of bruised by IED Bob Dylan, his attacks. Howfavorite artist. In ever, anyone who The Dirty Hat 1980 he produced has watched the Band January 24, 7 p.m. at an album called evening news can “Poor World.” He the KAFM Radio Room picture what he insists his music went through. So is not political. why did he want His original song, to go into a war “We Always Come he didn’t have to Home,” tells how fight? Americans fighting overseas always “I wanted to help,” he said. “Also, come home, one way or another. the money was good.” Even though he composed it, for Louis Armstrong’s song, “It’s a Wonmonths he was unable to sing it withderful World,” got him through some out crying. hard times. He had to keep reminding He and wife Lorie have lived in himself that the world was more than Fruita for 13 years. Their son is a firemortars smashing through homes, fighter in Eagle. gunfire raking the streets and anyone Gregor plays full time in his band, in them. This was brought home to The Navigators, which features him, him while he was in Jalalabad. Shull Cooper, and Sam Benham on “I looked up and could see kites guitar, and Alex Stockum on drums. soaring over the houses, and I could He’s also formed The Dirty Hat Band hear kids playing nearby,” he said. especially for his gig at the KAFM “It reminded me of the book, ‘The Radio Room, a venue in which he Kite Runner.’ I realized that kids are has always wanted to play. Joining the same the world over. They don’t Gregor are Sam Benham on lead care about religion, race or cultural guitar, 13-year-old Sofia Benham on differences. They just want to play drums (“She’s the best drummer I’ve and have fun, even when the world is ever seen, bar none,” Gregor said.), collapsing around them.” Thad V’Soske on guitar, Jared Shaw After two years, he came home. on bass, and Robyn Shaw singing Adapting to normal was incredibly backup vocals. hard. Gregor and The Dirty Hat Band will “I couldn’t go back into law enperform his songs on Saturday, Januforcement,” he said. “I had changed. ary 24, at 7 p.m. in the Radio Room, And I had PTSD (post-traumatic stress 1310 Ute Ave. in Grand Junction. disorder) along with depression.” Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at So he decided to become an overthe door. Purchase tickets by callthe-road trucker. Out in California, ing 241-8801, ext. 202 or visit www. he was with a group of other truck kafmradio.org. ■

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16 LAUGHING MATTERS

Laughing Matters Life lessons

Submitted by Terry Yordt A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon, so he placed four worms into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol, the second was put into a container of cigarette smoke, the third was put into a container of chocolate syrup and the fourth was put into a container of good, clean soil. At the conclusion of the sermon, the minister found that the worm in the alcohol was dead, the worm in the cigarette smoke was dead and the worm in chocolate syrup was dead, but the worm in clean soil was alive. The minister asked the congregation, “What did you learn from this demonstration?” Maxine was sitting in the back and quickly said, “If you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms.”

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Pool of sharks

Submitted by Charles Craig A millionaire throws a massive party for his 50th birthday. During this party, he grabs the microphone and announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool containing two great white sharks. “I will give anything of mine to the person who swims across that pool,” the millionaire said. The party continues with no events in the pool until suddenly there is a great splash and all the guests of the party run to the pool to see what has happened. In the pool, a man is swimming as hard as he can and makes it to the other end, barely missing one of the sharks. He gets out of the pool, tired and soaked. The millionaire grabs the microphone and says, “I am a man of my word. Anything of mine I will give—

S E N I O R

January 2015

my Ferraris, my house—absolutely anything, for you are the bravest man I’ve ever seen. So, sir, what will it be?” The guy grabs the microphone and says, “Why don’t we start with the name of the jerk that pushed me in!”

Football dreamin’

Submitted by Charles Craig After spending all day watching several football games on TV, a man fell asleep in his lounge chair, spending the entire night there. The next morning his wife woke him up and said, “It’s 20 to seven.” He replied sleepily, “In whose favor?”

Shoe-off

Submitted by Karen Jones One day a man drove his secretary home after she fell quite ill at work. Although this was an innocent gesture, he decided not to mention it to his easily jealous wife. Later that night the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant. Suddenly he looked down and spotted a high-heel shoe half hidden un-

L I V I N G

der the passenger seat. Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car. With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. That’s when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat. “Honey,” she said. “Have you seen my other shoe?”

Next of kin

Submitted by Rose Brown An Irish priest was transferred to Texas. Father O’Malley rose from his bed one morning on a fine spring day in his new west Texas mission parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a breath of fresh air and noticed there was a donkey lying dead in the middle of his front lawn. He promptly called Senator Cruz’s office. “Good morning, Senator Cruz’s office. How might I help you?” the secretary answered. “And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O’Malley at St. Ann’s

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January 2015 Catholic Church. There’s a jackass lying dead in me front lawn and would ye be so kind as to send a couple o’yer lads to take care of the matter?” The secretary thought she would have a little fun with the priest so she replied, “Well now, Father, it was always my impression that you people took care of the last rites.” There was silence on the line for the moment then the father replied, “Aye, ‘tis certainly true. But we are also obliged to notify the next of kin first, which is the reason for me call.”

Frozen windows

Submitted by Kimberly Ray One cold winter morning, a wife texts her husband: “Windows frozen. Won’t open.” The husband texts back with, “Pour some lukewarm water over it.” Five minutes later, the wife texts back: “Computer really screwed up now.”

You know you’re addicted to coffee when… Submitted by Charles Craig Your eyes stay open when you sneeze. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee. You’ve built a miniature city out of plastic stirrers. Instant coffee takes too long. You name your cats Cream and Sugar. You’re offended when people use

The Hands that Tell Life’s Stories in Stone

LAUGHING MATTERS 17

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com the word “brew” to mean beer. You get drunk just so you can sober up. You introduce your spouse as your “coffee-mate” You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can. You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.

Do you know who I am?

Submitted by George Wheeler An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row, please,” she answered. “You really don’t want to do that,” he said. “The pastor is really boring.” “Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired. “No,” he said. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” the usher asked. “No,” she said. “Good,” he answered. ■

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January 2015

Learning to play video games By Lois Greene Stone

H

appy 2015. Remember when we wondered how we’d pronounce the 2 as we wrote 1999? Would it be twenty-00, or twothousand? Now it’s familiar. Also currently comfortable is my mini Ms. Pac-man video game. I load some AA batteries into the small joystick, affix a plug, and my TV screen becomes a personal arcade. It wasn’t so simple once. I need you to first remember those compositions in school where the teacher required you to write an essay on “How I Spent My Vacation.” Didn’t you detest those assignments? Me too, and I used to teach college-level advanced composition. I wonder, however, what some of my students would’ve thought if I’d told them how I spent one New Year’s Eve. As I watched the ball fall in New York City proclaiming another post1984, I realized George Orwell had foreseen very much but not the room in which I’d ushered in a new January. My husband and I and our youngest son went to a golf resort in southern Florida during Christmas break. With uncooperative-foroutdoors weather, we devised ways to use indoor time. A round game room in

the main building had a Ping-Pong table, jukebox-type record player, and video games that circled the room. Small children and pre-teens clad in sneakers and jeans waited for turns at machines. Players often uttered words common in movies and by stand-up comedians, as they banged their hands on the sides of the noisy boxes. My son thought we should try our hand at using a joystick. I could never manage the flippers on pinball and felt a personal affront when the machine laughed at me, figuratively, as it announced TILT. These arcade games appeared to be easier, yet I felt like looks might be deceiving. I was initiated into the realm of video games. Because it was New Year’s Eve, the coin slots were covered and all play was free. Our son took us to Pac-man where he played and easily gobbled up computerized dots, turned circles blue, racked up points, and saw boards shift. So that’s how his college expense money was used, we mused. Well, how hard could it be to manipulate one fat stick? My Pac-man was devoured before I figured out how to make him run away. My husband fared somewhat better. For free, we’d seriously try to learn. Small children scooted in front of us for their turn at the machine. We watched them manipulate joysticks with confidence, yet noticed no tabulated score was really as high as their goals.

Missile Command had me moving both hands as I rolled a ball. On-screen bullets shot and I tried to defend my cities. This wasn’t fun; it was work. I didn’t want my cities to be shot down, destroyed. “Run away,” I demanded, as I tried to maneuver, but the video always set up obstacles I could not overcome. My husband and son competed in a two-player game where a blip was bent on terminating the human icon. After an hour, I was determined to complete the first board of Ms. Pacman...not a master goal but a possible one. Each time the game outwitted me. Hostility and a greater urgency to once again beat a computer chip cropped up. Reluctantly we gave turns to those who stood behind us. We then occupied space at their backs, short as they were, for our next position in line. The ball dropped. Another year was history and I was standing behind a tiny child hoping he’d finish Pac-man so I’d have another turn at it before my hand got sorer than it already was. This wasn’t fun! Frustration and defeat is never easy. Even if I’d scored enough to enter my initials into the computer’s memory for high points,

another eventually would erase that accomplishment by earning a digit or two better. “I can be more successful than a man-made metal rectangle,” said the ego. Reality ruined that esteem. When I got home, I decided if I didn’t have my mature image to protect, I’d toss a coin into a machine in the lobby of the local movie theater as I’m sure if I tried again, NEXT time, I’d…nah. One of my students might be walking by and wonder what a college teacher was doing in an arcade. Time has taken care of that problem. Plug a couple of cables right into my private television set, and that distinctive music begins. I haven’t any short people to wait behind, the successes or failures are for my eyes only, and I’ve the luxury of a joystick that is so personal it isn’t even used by anyone else. ■

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January 2015

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Taking refuge in creativity: Former attorney turns to the arts

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By Jan Weeks

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hen asked when he plans to retire, Carroll Multz, an adjunct professor of business law, and law and ethics in journalism at Colorado Mesa University, looks you in the eye and says, “I don’t.” A quiet demeanor hides a rebel’s heart, a heart that always has had an affinity for the underdog and seeing that justice is done, and Multz followed his heart in a decades-long career as prosecuting attorney, defense attorney and judge. In college Multz studied pre-med and pre-law and got a bachelor’s degree in business before deciding to become a lawyer. Besides briefs, he authored 13 legal books and over 50 published articles, including the “Colorado Criminal Law Handbook” and “Colorado Civil Law Handbook: Peace Officers’ Edition.” He also hosted a radio and a television show called “The Law Today.” When he retired from practicing law, he took up teaching, a job he obviously loves. The love spills over into his other career, that of a crime novelist. “I write to inform, inspire and educate,” Multz said, pointing to his six published novels. Each of the titles takes an area of law and teaches legal principles through fiction. His latest three novels do all three. “Chameleon” follows an undercover cop as he searches for his father’s murderers. “The Devil’s Scribe” reveals the underbelly of small-town corruption and drugs through the eyes of a reporter caught between truth and threats. “Shades of Innocence” is a multi-generational tale of love, jealousy and murder set in San Francisco.

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Carroll Multz is a man of many talents. A former attorney and judge, Multz is a college professor, a published author, a composer, game inventor and more.

“I was so bored with school I took refuge in creativity.” Beginning in grade school, he wrote stories and poems while he was supposed to be doing classwork. “Today I’d probably be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder,” he said. “I was so bored with school I took refuge in creativity. I conformed to fit in, but I’ve always been a renegade.” If he runs out of ideas for novels, which seems unlikely, he can draw on his musical background to keep him busy. Coming from a musical family, Multz began playing piano in grade school and now composes at the baby grand in his living room. He

has produced two albums of original songs and has also invented two card games: Coterie and Finagle. An accomplished athlete, he played college football and baseball, ran track in high school, lettered in basketball, golfed with his father and uncle, and boxed for two years. His athleticism isn’t just about rough and tumble. He’s a downhill skier, ice skater, and marathon runner, which he started doing for charity while living in Steamboat Springs. Add “stunt rider” to his resume, too. Years ago, he met Troy Donohue’s sister, who was so struck by his resemblance to her brother that she urged him to apply to be Donohue’s stunt double. He didn’t double for Troy but was hired to ride in Donohue’s movie, “A Distant Trumpet,” which also starred Suzanne Pleshette and Diane McBain. His advice to BEACON readers: Don’t slow down, and look for the good in life. “Everything has always been a joy to me,” he said. “That’s what inspires me to try new things.” Multz’s novels are available at Hastings and Amazon.com. All his products can be bought at the Colorado Mesa University Bookstore and Crystal Books. ■

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20 FUN AFTER 50

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Friendliest Bike Shop in Town All Demo Bikes

January 2015

Fun after 50

Activities offered by GJ Parks and Recreation

 Yeti Cycles  DeVinci Cycles Accessories, gear, clothing

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o register for these programs, call the Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department at 254-3866 or visit www.gjparksandrec.org.

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January 9

Public Art Reception The Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture hosts rotating art exhibits at City Hall. The public is invited to meet and greet the artists and enjoy the refreshments. This free event takes place from 5:30 p.m.7 p.m. at City Hall.

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Senior Recreation Center

January 21

Garden Talk: Orchids

550 Ouray Avenue - 970 243-7408

The Senior Recreation Center offers activities for seniors age 50 and older. The center is open Monday - Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Annual membership is $10.

S e n i o r R e c re a ti o n C e n te r M o n t h ly C a le n d a r

of

Ev e n ts

Monday

9:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.

Cribbage Cards Computer Classes Gray Gourmet Card Bingo & Dominoes Singles Pinochle (1st & 3rd Monday)

Tuesday

9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m.

Cribbage & Pool Tourney Gray Gourmet Bingo

Wednesday

9:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.

Ladies Pool & Cribbage Jack & Jill Pool Tourney Free Blood Pressure Clinic (3rd Wed) Gray Gourmet Pinochle & Canasta

Thursday

9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

Cribbage & Dominoes Dance w/Music (1st Thursday) Membership Meeting Pokeno (Starts at 1 p.m. on 1st Thursday) Dance

Friday

9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:45 p.m. 1:00 p.m.

Painting Class & Pool Tourney Gray Gourmet Bible Study Bridge Canasta

Saturday

9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

Bridge Bingo

Sunday

1:00 p.m.

Dance (1st & 3rd Sunday)

Deb Foster with the High Desert Orchid Society will teach you the basics of orchid culture and how to keep that orchid alive. Class takes place at noon at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens. Cost is $5. January 30

Murder Mystery Dinner: Honky Tonk Homicide The body of Bubba Angus was found in his Texas bar and you must solve the murder before the killer strikes again. Party takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Senior Recreation Center. Cost is $19. Register by January 19.

Senior Dances with Live Music Dance to live music from 7:30 p.m.10 p.m. every Thursday and from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month at the Senior Recreation Center. Cost is $3.

HEALTH & FITNESS January 23

Facts & Tracks Join wellness experts for a focused 30-minute lecture on various topics that can make a positive impact on your life. Then spend the next 30 minutes walking the Riverfront Trail. Event costs $5 and takes place from noon to 1 p.m. at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.

Aqua Aerobics These aerobic classes are for novice to intermediate individuals. Moderately intense activities incorporate noodles, hand paddles, water weights and more. Class is 8:15 a.m.-9:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Orchard Mesa Pool. Cost is $4.25 to drop in or $44 for a 12-punch pass.

SPORTS Drop-In Pickleball

Experience a great time learning fun dances that will improve your balance and coordination, strengthen your heart and stimulate your mind. No partner or previous dance skills needed. Class is at 12:15 p.m. Mondays at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $15.

There are three indoor courts available at Lincoln Park Barn. Equipment is available to borrow at the Parks and Recreation office, located south of the pool. Courts are available from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. They are also available from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Cost is $5 to drop in or purchase a 10-punch pass for $30.

Mondays

Fun after 50 Softball

Intermediate Line Dance

This program is open to both men and women age 50 and older, and is an excellent avenue for exercise and friendly competition. Call Carl at 255-6688.

DANCE Mondays (Jan. 12-Feb. 9)

Beginning Line Dance

Continue with the benefits of dancing and improve your line dancing skills by learning new dances with a little more difficulty. Class is 1 p.m.2:30 p.m. Mondays at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $5 to drop in or $34 for a 10-punch pass.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Be an ambassador for the Riverfront Trail System. Call 254-3876. ■

January 2015

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Partnerships provide clients with total-package service By Shelley Clennin, Paragon Restoration & Building, Inc.

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hen it comes to aging in place, it’s important to consult professionals that work together to ensure a well-developed life care plan. Paragon Restoration & Building is passionate about partnering with other industry professionals to ensure that plan is accomplished. While Paragon’s work to create a functional living environment through home accessibility is important, it’s only one aspect of the plan. Another significant phase of the plan, for example, is supplying clients with mobility equipment to help them stay safe and enjoy a higher quality of life. Many of our clients who are aging in place require some form of mobility equipment and Grand Mesa Medical Supply is a company we partner with that offers solutions. Once they have supplied a client with the proper equipment to improve their mobility, it’s our job to create accessibility solutions and adapt our clients’ homes for the equipment they use. “From the moment the customer leave their physician with orders, we take them through the entire process,” Grand Mesa Medical Supply’s Kevin Braa said. “We work closely with all ordering professionals, such as occupational therapists, which allows us to provide the highest level of care required for optimum independence.”

Braa told the story of one client with cerebral palsy whose life was dramatically impacted by the company’s services. “He was holding down a retail job but he always felt like he was at a physical disadvantage with his customers since he was sitting in the wheelchair,” Braa said. “Due to the fact that he had physically grown and his present wheelchair was worn and failing, his doctor prescribed a new power wheelchair.” GMMS assembled a rehab team, which included a physical therapist, occupational therapist and doctor. After evaluating his lifestyle and physical needs, it was determined that a standard power wheelchair would be inadequate. The team recommended a standing power wheelchair, which allowed him to extend from a seated to standing position while remaining in the wheelchair. “His first activity was to extend the wheelchair to a standing position and give his father a big hug, face to face,” Braa said. “His job is also benefiting from the multiple functions his wheelchair can accomplish. Shelves are no longer a barrier and he feels a better connection to his customers.” Braa said working with Paragon provides a better service for the customer and accomplishes multiple goals. Such partnerships help build a comprehensive plan, creating peace of mind for clients. ■

HOME & GARDEN 21

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22 LOCAL LORE

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January 2015

Eagles soar to great heights By Jan Weeks

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n December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers flew into history with their 12-second, 120foot flight over a windswept North Carolina beach. Two months later, The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) #595 soared into Grand Junction and has been gliding along ever since, surviving through the “war to end all wars,” the Great Depression and World War II. Members have voted in 26 presidential elections, served in every war and conflict, and kept on flying through at least three local booms and busts. This month, the local Aerie will celebrate its 111th anniversary. The FOE is an international nonprofit organization, united fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope. Its motto is “For home, for country, and for God.” The parent organization was started by six theatre owners gathered in a Seattle shipyard in February 1898. They were discussing a musicians’ strike. After they had talked

the matter over, they agreed to bury the hatchet and form The Order of Good Things. As all good things do, this one attracted more and more members. The group selected the bald eagle for its official emblem and changed the name to The Fraternal Order of Eagles. In 1927, the national women’s auxiliary was formed. The Grand Junction auxiliary came into being just two years later, in 1929, and is the oldest continuously operating auxiliary in the country. The original Grand Junction Eagles lodge was located on Main Street between Second and Third Streets. Then it moved to the east end of North Avenue, where it operated until 1998, when it moved into the old Taylor’s Market building on the corner of Highway 50 and Santa Clara Avenue on Orchard Mesa, at the top of the Fifth Street hill. While there, the Eagles constructed the new building that now houses the lodge on the same lot, just north of the market. In addition to creating a beautiful new space, they continued to donate thousands of dollars to those in need. This Aerie has, in a real way, added

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January 2015

early that helping greatly to the well others brings great being of Grand satisfaction to the Junction as a comgivers. Many of the munity and the kids are fourth genmany people the eration Eagles. Eagles have come in Becky Smith, contact with. Each the daughter of an month a different Eagle, has raised charity is chosen to three children in benefit from FOE the lodge, and now fundraising, which those children are is done through dobringing their own nations, raffles and children into the dinners. The local Eagles family. Aerie works hard to “The best part of raise funds for diabeing an Eagle is betes research and feeling like we’re all to support CASA, part of an extended the court-appointed special advoErnest Park and Violet Jones decorate the family,” Smith said. cacy program that Aerie Home for Christmas, Dec. 12, 1971. Jim Rinderle, also the son of an Eagle, matches volunteers with children in need of a supportive has been a member for 44 years since adult to walk them through the court joining in 1966 when he was 21. “What I like best is that this is a system. In fact, the third annual golf real family organization, not a bar scramble raised $4,256 for CASA. scene,” he said. “There are lots of Perhaps the cause dearest to local activities for everyone, and we all Eagles’ hearts is the Maxine Kovacic respect each other.” Children’s Shopping Spree. For over Betty Schull is also a long-time 20 years, about 80 middle school member. children, accompanied by members, “Everyone who works here, except have gone to K-Mart to do their the lodge manager, is a volunteer,” Christmas shopping in December. Each child receives $100 to spend on she said. She pointed out the dining room, whatever he or she needs or would which can be rented for private parlike. The Aerie also fills Christmas baskets every year for 30 to 40 needy ties, as well as the upstairs meeting and conference rooms, which are families with food and toys for the available for rent, too. She also tends children. Those who benefit from these acts of kindness do not have to bar in the dining room during the Sunday brunches that are open to the be members of the lodge. public from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Eagles are community leaders. “We have a real good menu, from The FOE has played a key role in the creation of Mother’s Day, Social Secu- biscuits and gravy to eggs, pancakes and more on Sunday,” she said. rity, Medicare and more, thanks to a There’s more to the Eagles than just dedicated membership base, working daily throughout the U.S. and Canada philanthropic endeavors. Open daily, the Aerie has a full bar, dance floor to help friends and neighbors in and dining room. Tacos and Trivia on need. To this end, the international organization raises nearly $10 million Wednesdays is a real draw, as is Friday night karaoke. Football games air annually in order to award grants to in the lounge. Guests are welcome, local and international organizations as long as they come with a current to aid in patient care and prevention member. for a variety of causes. Two words come up over and over The FOE is a real family organiwhen talking to Eagles: family and zation. Locally, Junior Eagles raise service. For them, that’s what life is funds for charity through yard sales all about. ■ and other activities, thus learning

LOCAL LORE 23

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24 TRAVEL

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

January 2015

Mesquite, Nevada By Kevin K. VanGundy

Photo: Richard Termine

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Fall in love with The Beatles LOVE…only in Vegas

By Cloie Sandlin

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eatles superfan or no, The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil will have you spellbound from start to finish. While the show greatly varies from other Cirque du Soleil performances, which often attract spectators eager to see performers challenge death through whimsical acrobatic feats, the performers generate an energy about LOVE that encompasses the viewer and excites the senses—putting you in an almost hypnotic trance. The LOVE Theater in The Mirage is the perfect venue to perceive such an experience. The circular theater makes it seem like there’s no bad seat in the house. The “nose bleed” seats ensure you don’t miss a moment. But a seat below makes you a prospect for one of the show’s interactive effects. While the show still features plenty of aerialists flying gracefully through the air, most performers entrance viewers while dancing on two feet (and sometimes hands). The sound, lights, outfits and effects are glorious. The show entwines world events and periods of Beatlemania with songs from the Beatles’ entire repertoire, beautifully executed into one dazzling and must-see show. Purchase tickets at www.cirquedusoleil. com/love or call 1-800-963-9634.

anda Bird was a well-known waitress in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. She was fun, personable and efficient in her work, and earned above-average tips because of it. Once a year, she and my grandfather Charlie, a truck driver by trade, would load up the car with their luggage and a grandkid or two, usually me, and head to Las Vegas, Nevada, to gamble away the change my grandmother had squirreled away in various piggy banks hidden throughout their home. Back then children could hang out in the casino as long as they didn’t gamble (we often did anyway). I remember standing on a chair, clutching a roll of pennies in my left hand while my right hand worked the handle of the One-armed Bandit, a game that came long before the electronic screens and push buttons of today’s machines. I miss the feel of pulling down on the slot machine lever and sending those mechanical reels spinning, each reel making a solid ker-chunk sound as it would come to a stop: bell, bell, orange. D**n! I was so close. From the Mint, the Pioneer Club and the 4 Queens of downtown Las Vegas, my grandparents gradually migrated to the Stardust, the Silver Slipper and the Sands on the Las Vegas Strip, eventually settling in at the Westward-Ho. My grandmother would spend the evening wrestling a small profit from the machines inside while my grandfather and I would sit on one of the benches underneath the garishly lit umbrellas outside and watch the parade of people. A lot has changed since then and I’m sure my grandparents would not recognize the Las Vegas Strip today. But one place I feel certain they could still enjoy is Mesquite,

Nevada. Located just a little over an hour’s drive on I-15 northeast of Las Vegas, this small town has about a half-dozen resort-casino properties that take you back to a time when you could still park your car close to your room. I recently spent a few days exploring the area and here’s what stood out to me. I prefer to stay at CasaBlanca (casablancaresort.com), a resort with an exceptional pool that forms a semi-circle facing a large rock wall with water cascading into the clear pool below. There’s also a small waterslide for the grandkids (but I like it, too). The obligatory deck for sun worshipers is surrounded by rounded mounds of green grass intermittently shaded by palm trees. Unlike some of the larger Vegas resorts, you can actually use this lawn to picnic on, play a game of toss, or read a book. Given a couple of piña coladas, I could thoughtlessly spend a day relaxing here, but only after stocking up on a delicious lumberjack-sized breakfast for just a few dollars at the resort’s Casa Café. CasaBlanca’s spa and salon is top notch, featuring most of the treatments and services you’d expect at a bigger world-class facility. With a half-hour massage at less than $50, you can easily afford to treat yourself to some TLC. In the evening, after a hard day of relaxing, you’ll want to have dinner at Katherine’s, CasaBlanca’s signature restaurant, which serves aged steaks, fresh seafood and a few Italian dishes

Don’t miss these event January 16-18

Mesquite Motor Mania! These classic cars shimmer in Mesquite’s desert sunshine like medallions of polished eye candy. CasaBlanca brings the sounds of the Beach Boys to the era of great cars. This free car show will take place in designated parking areas of the CasaBlanca, Eureka and Virgin River. There will be cash and prize drawings! If you have a car you’d like to show off, visit www.mesquitecar shows.com to enter. Cost is $60

ts in Mesquite! By Scott Dunford January 24-25

Mesquite Balloon Festival Witness the sight of 40 hot air balloons in flight over Mesquite’s perfect blue skies, then make your way to the CasaBlanca grand showroom to see “Squawk.” Adults are treated to a champagne tasting party and the festivities continue with a “Balloon Night Glow” in the south parking lot, where the flames will be choreographed to music. There will be another balloon launch Sunday. Visit www.mesquitegaming.com.

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com in a classically dim setting. The restaurant manager told me of the owner’s penchant for Florida Stone Crab, which when in season, is flown in fresh daily. I particularly enjoy a good rack of lamb and on this recent trip I had the same meal at three different restaurants: Gordon Ramsay’s new pub and grill at Caesar’s Palace, Chef’s Table at the Bellagio, and Katherine’s at CasaBlanca. While all of the meals were very good, the rack of lamb at Katherine’s was the best, and like most other things in Mesquite, still affordable. Speaking of affordable, the best value in lodging is at the Virgin River Hotel and Casino (virginriver. com). A decent room can still be had there for just $20 a night on occasion. They have a nice casino, a 24-hour restaurant that serves a New York steak for just $4.99, a few small swimming pools and my family’s favorite, an arcade with an awesome bowling alley. For you bingo players they offer eight sessions a day with the chance to win over $100,000. Love the outdoors? Then you’ll love Mesquite. If there’s one thing that Mesquite offers that Las Vegas will never have, it’s the proximity to some of the best outdoor adventures in the southwest U.S., an embarrassment of riches, really. This little town has six excellent golf courses. Per capita I imagine that Mesquite has more yards of play than anywhere else in the world. Their best known course, Wolf Creek Golf Club, has been described as, “one of the most remarkable and most visually spectacular courses in the world,” and many of my golf buddies agree. Nearby are the Virgin River Gorge, Zion National Park and my favorite, Bryce Canyon National Park, where you can witness thousands of brilliantly colored rock spires that took nature eons to create. For the more adventurous, there are skydiving, mountain biking and shooting ranges. In Mesquite, the pace is a bit slower, the people a bit more friendly and the crowds a lot smaller. In the

TRAVEL 25

casinos, you can still have free drinks while you play, live entertainment on a nightly basis and the personalized service that you’ve come to expect from a smaller, more intimate setting. The weather ranges from lukewarm in the winter to blazing saddles hot in the summer. Therefore, I suggest that you travel there during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall. If I summed up a Mesquite vacation in one word it would be “value.” Mesquite still offers many of the deals that once made Las Vegas so popular. About a year before my grandmother passed, she asked me if I would drive her, a couple friends and my Aunt Sis for an extended weekend in Las Vegas. We were to meet up with my mother and her new husband who were driving in from California. Being in my late 20s and working for a living, I had little time and even less money for such a trip. Not to mention, the thought of spending what little time and money I had escorting a group of elderly women around Las Vegas was not my idea of fun. But reluctantly, I agreed. One evening, I pushed my grandmother in a wheelchair to the entrance of the Westward-Ho, where they had one of those giant 10-foot high slot machines that are so notorious for taking in way more money than they ever payout. I left her and my aunt there as I made my way out to the warm evening air of the strip. A few hours later I returned to find a small group of people gathered at the entrance to the Westward-Ho cheering on my grandmother, who by some small miracle had managed to rise to her feet and stay standing as she waged battle against her oversized opponent. By some greater miracle she was ahead several thousand dollars. And perhaps the greatest miracle was that I had one of my favorite vacations. The Westward-Ho and the Las Vegas of its day are long gone, but now for a while at least, you can capture a taste of what made Las Vegas legendary with a vacation to Mesquite, Nevada. ■

A $20 beer poolside By Kevin K. VanGundy

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his isn’t my grandma’s Vegas anymore. Don’t get me wrong; Las Vegas is a world-class vacation destination, but come with full pockets ’cause it’s going to cost you. The days of 99-cent hot dogs and nickel beers are over. No longer are you given generous coupon books at the state line for free dice and kitschy shot glasses.

Celine Dion’s voice rang clear at the Colosseum at Caesars’ Palace, but at a couple hundred dollars, I’m thankful that I wasn’t the one paying. Take a ride on the Big Apple Coaster that goes through the New York New York Hotel. At $14 for just under three minutes of fun, you’ll be taken for a ride all right. The pricey alternatives go on ad infinitum. There are a few good deals left. Most of the hotel rooms at the mega resorts are a good value and at times they are a steal. But watch out for the resort fees, as they are sometimes more expensive than the room itself. If you go to Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock Hotel and ask for the special, you’ll get a steak dinner for just $7.77. You can gamble your way to discounts, but be sure and join the casino’s players club. Usually, this is to your benefit, even if you don’t gamble much. I belong to the MGM Player’s Club and I get emails with decent offers. On the other hand, I’m a diamond member in the Caesars’ Players Club and they don’t give me jack. My grandfather would think that Vegas is still a good deal, as he and I usually sat and watched people. That’s still free and more entertaining than ever.

26 FINANCE

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

January 2015

What you need to know before reading new Social Security statements By Jason Alderman

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o matter how far away you are from retirement, it’s important to understand your Social Security benefits—and there’s a particularly good reason to do it now. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is bringing back annual paper benefits statements for the first time in three years. It stopped in 2011 to save money on printing and postage, but Congress and consumer advocates complained that workers needed better access to their data. In September, the agency reversed its decision and announced it’s resuming

the practice of mailing paper statements to workers in two categories. • Those who are not receiving benefits and are within three months of turning 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. (After age 60, workers will receive a statement every year.) • Those who still haven’t registered for a My Social Security (www.ssa. gov/myaccount/) online account. Why is this important? First, if you’ve paid into the Social Security and Medicare system, you should understand the benefits you’ve earned.

Second, the SSA has been closing field offices and reducing services to the public despite the fact that baby boomers are starting to flood the system. It’s a good time to confirm and correct benefits due to the longer wait times on the agency’s toll-free telephone line and field offices. Start by waiting for your next paper benefits statement or sign up at My Social Security website to review your current data. Here’s a quick overview of what your statement tells you: 



Introduction and your estimated benefits. This section covers four categories. The first is your retirement benefits, which are based on your age when you start drawing them. The calculations are based on three critical ages as examples: 62 (the earliest age you can draw retirement benefits), 67 (the full retirement age for anyone born after 1960) and age 70 (the oldest anyone can start drawing benefits, generally at the highest level if you can wait). The second is disability, which refers to the amount of your monthly disability benefit if you qualify. Third, your family/survivors benefits if a loved one dies. And lastly, your Medicare eligibility and the particular facts to support that conclusion. Your earnings record. This is a summary of your earnings that you need to verify for accuracy. Pull your annual tax returns as

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I

far back as you can to confirm this information, and if you work with a tax or financial planning professional, double check their conclusions if you plan to challenge any errors with the SSA. 

Some facts about Social Security. Provides additional definitions and guidelines to better understand your statement and includes key contact information. Most experts will tell you that when it comes to retirement, time is your biggest ally because it gives you the opportunity to invest, save and adjust your plan strategy. Use your statement to do the following: • Spot and correct errors. If you and your tax professional spot disparities in your benefit statement, make careful notes, gather your evidence and consult the SSA’s contact page (www.ssa. gov/agency/contact/) to start the correction process remotely or in person. • Blend Social Security into a broader retirement plan. Most experts agree Social Security alone won’t provide a comfortable retirement. It’s never too late to plan.

Even if you’re years away from retirement, make sure you understand your Social Security benefits, and that they’re accurate and fit into a broader financial plan for your retirement. ■

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January 2015

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Get into shape with square dance By Liesl Greathouse

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f your New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds or get back into shape, don’t just head for the gym. Instead, check out the Black Canyon Twirlers Square Dance Club for exercise, friendship and fun. The club is the oldest square dance club on the Western Slope, having been around for 55 years. With 45 members, the club is mostly made up of seniors, but 20-year member Ervin Wyatt, 53, said they are interested in attracting people of all ages. “It is a friendly, fun and welcoming group,” Wyatt said. “We welcome visitors like they are regular members.” Wyatt, a quarterly president, became interested in square dancing when he was 15 years old and has been dancing ever since. He also met his wife while square dancing. Members dance Main Stream and Plus to a variety of music from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at the Lions Clubhouse, 602 N. Nevada in Montrose. The club caller is Naaman Moorehouse from Fruita, but the club also hosts guest callers. In addition to regular meetings, the club conducts demonstrations at various events around town. Starting this month, it will feature square dance lessons on Tuesdays.

Although it’s not usually the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of exercise, square dancing has many benefits. “Square dancing helps seniors physically, mentally and socially,” Wyatt said. “You are moving in a fast walk and it helps prevent memory loss because the caller will call out a command, and the participants have to remember moves in order to respond in the dance.” Wyatt said many members in the club become friends and meet outside of regular meetings. “I have gone camping with members and some couples go down to Arizona in the winter together,” Wyatt said. “We do birthday parties and a Christmas get-together, and we also include the Delta Square Dance Club in our gatherings.” Wyatt hopes that people will come and check out the group to see how square dancing is actually done. “People think that square dancing is just a dance they did back in junior high school, or even grade school,” he said. “But it is really for everybody, of all ages. I wish people would come out and observe and learn more about it. You can just show up or give me a call and I would be glad to talk to you about it.” For more information, call Wyatt at 5964252. ■

RESOURCE DIRECTORY HIGHLIGHT 27

28 FAITH MOVES

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January 2015

Reaching out to congregations of all ages in 2015 By Pastor David Huslig, Bethel Assembly of God s the pastor of Bethel Assembly Church for the past 35 years, my mission is simple: to do the best I can to prepare people for eternity. That said, I believe that preaching the gospel along with prayer and help from the Holy Spirit makes my job rather unique. Let me explain. Pastoring a church today is not the same as it was when I first began back in Kansas in 1972. For one thing, people are different. For a church to appeal to them, there has to be something that motivates and inspires them to come. We have to be able to do more than to just meet their spiritual needs; we have to be able to minister to the whole family. To do that, we offer a variety of programs geared to reach people of any age, from age 3 to 93. We offer outreaches that will help families, such as those who need groceries and back-to-school supplies. We also put on coat drives and feeding programs. In February, we invite couples to a Valentine’s Day banquet and comedy show. Our Easter program attracts between 200 and 300 people. We minister to moms on Mother’s Day

A

and dads on Father’s Day about how important their roles are to their families, and we give them a small gift to honor them for all they do throughout the year. Our annual Church Picnic takes place in June, and 2015 marks the church’s 60th anniversary. We aim to reach more than 250 families that day. We also offer Royal Rangers (ministry for boys), M-Pact Girls (ministry for girls), youth ministries and mid-week Bible Study. One of our largest outreaches is the Back-to-school Giveaway, where we supply 300-500 community children with notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, rulers, etc. One year, we supplied over 200 coats to school-aged children during our coat drive. Our last big program of the year is our Children’s Christmas event, where children perform plays, skits, songs and black-light puppet shows. My heart’s desire is to offer people a place to be fed, filled, blessed and refreshed. Then if I’m given the opportunity to preach to them, I will share the word of God so that they may receive the necessary message to help them decide their spiritual destiny. ■

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January 2015

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Getting attached to technology can be costly Ask the computer guy By Daniel Ashurst, Alpine Computer Solutions

I

t’s no mystery that rates for computer repair are high. High rates are largely due to the abundance of information technology and the cost of finding someone who has a good grasp on how that information can be turned into power for your home or business. When IT bills become too costly, it’s important to weigh the cost and the value of your product in need of services. Perhaps it’s time to start 2015 fresh with new technology.

advice is to be analytical when it comes to the equipment around you. Keep a spreadsheet or a notepad with all of your equipment listed, including the purchase date, purchase price and any warranty details that could help you down the road. Many people end up buying extended warranties on equipment and then lose the paperwork or forget they bought it, so when the machine acts up, that service does not fulfill its purpose.

Today the life cycle of a computer and any attached accessories is three years at most.

Allow me to elaborate. Today you can buy a full-color printer that prints high-resolution pictures for a whopping $79 at your local box store. I get many service calls where I am to repair a 2- or 4- or even 7-year-old printer, the repair bill costing the owner double the price they spent on the printer.

In such case, the computer professional should be committed to serving the client’s best interest and should perhaps recommend new products. But often, the owner is bent on getting every last print out of that printer, which poses a challenge to the computer professional because the owner is attached to it (most likely because of the price they paid for it). These product owners should realize that years ago, appliances could last for 10-15 years, sometimes even longer. Today the life cycle of a computer and any attached accessories is three years at most. (Some people get lucky and have their products for longer.) Computers and other material items should not hold power over us. My

Divide the cost of the printer over the time that you have owned it and perhaps that will help you cut ties with it if need be. Or it may show that additional support or warranty expectation is reasonable.

With the example the $79 printer, when expensed over 36 months, it comes out to $2.19 per month. So after 18 months of use, you have used up $39.50 of that printer and likewise have $39.50 of value left. A repair bill of anything over that amount is cost prohibitive. Start today and release any older items that aren’t serving you. Alpine Computer Solutions can collect them and recycle them for you. They make new ones every day and they are usually faster, lighter and less expensive. ■ Email your questions to Daniel Ashurst with Alpine Computer Solutions at solutions@alpinepc.com or mail them to the BEACON at P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502. For professional assistance, call Daniel at 234-1011 or Alpine Computer Solutions at 257-1011.

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Sports nut (not)

January 2015

By Elise Seyfried

S

ports spectating is not, as they say, my bag. I watch with detached amusement as grown men scream and jump up and down, curse, high five each other and spill beer on themselves as they view the Avalanche or NugSurely I would be gets or Rockies or Broncos. swept up in the Who cares? excitement when my the ref, who happened to Well, my husbe a friend from church, son PJ took to the band, for one. . actually came over to me er ck We have a field as place ki and informed me that photo, taken in sin di lly ta to ill Rosie had just made a Nah. St 1986, of us with ng iti basket (her very first, in wa ill st , World Series terested fact), and that I should al fin 1980 pitcher impatiently until the pretend later to have seen Tug McGraw. le blew, until the ist wh it. I gave an Oscar-worthy (Tug had his lled. ca s wa t ou st performance at halftime, la own segment on oohing and aahing at her Action News in athletic prowess. those days and Knowing Rose, was covering my husband Steve’s she probably children’s theatre performance at a wasn’t fooled school.) Steve was thrilled. I was for a minunthrilled. Sure, Tug was a nice ute, but she guy, but what was the big deal? gave me the If I care not a whit for profesbenefit of the sionals who play the games, you doubt. can imagine my keen lack of interest I kept thinking in sports even back when my own that my attitude would children played. None of them were improve as they grew older. Surely exactly kindergarten standouts, so a middle-school baseball tournawhat I recall most were the baseball ment with my son Sheridan on the games that lasted well into the night pitcher’s mound would be more (on unlit fields I might add), when engrossing than watching the same the frenzied dad-coaches swore child at age 5 swing vainly away at they could still see the ball and we T-ball. Surely I would be swept up could go one more inning. in the excitement of the other high I also remember the arctic school football spectators when chill of late-fall evening soccer. my son PJ took to the field as place When our team was behind, kicker. Nah. Still totally disinterested, I secretly hoped our opstill waiting impatiently until the ponents would crush us final whistle blew, until the last out quickly so we could all was called. I viewed watching my go home. Confession: kids’ games as my motherly cross to During my daughter bear, and counted the days until I Rose’s early basketwould be off the hook forever. ball game, I was Well, guess what? It’s happened. totally engrossed I am no longer contractuin conversation ally obligated to sit on any with my friend bleachers, anywhere. And Holly. At one point

January 2015 you know what? I kind of miss it. Not the sports themselves, of course, and not the sports-crazed parents. (One parent of a boy on my son’s team was given to shrieking at the children, even following them out to the parking lot afterward to rant and rave.) I do, however, miss being an important game-watcher—important to my kids, that is—even when I was rooting for a field hockey player I could have sworn was my daughter Julie and wasn’t. My offspring never got mad if I cheered their adversary’s goal by accident; they just wanted me physically present for them. So our college man PJ came home for Steve’s birthday last April and needed to go back to Millersville University for a lacrosse game. The team he played on was doing very well and was on its way to a national championship. On an impulse Steve and I decided to fly out and watch his game. It was all so uncomfortably familiar— the bitter cold, the hard bleachers, and the requisite bizarre screaming fan.

(This guy wore a full yellow body suit.) But attending PJ’s game gave me another chance, maybe one of my last chances ever, to stand up and cheer for my child at play. The years are flying by at a ridiculous pace, and there’s no getting around it. My brood is all grown up. Someday soon, it will be their turn to stand on the sidelines and watch their own offspring score that basket, or (if they take after their grandma), miss hitting that T-ball. Meanwhile, though, I could still watch PJ racing down the field. I actually enjoyed myself that evening. College lacrosse is, I must admit, very fast moving and I guess, even a little bit exciting. But best of all, PJ was genuinely happy we had come. And just because of that, I was happy, too. I may still be an ignorant numbskull when it comes to understanding even the rudiments of most sports, and I still wouldn’t pay 10 cents for tickets to anything at the Pepsi Center or the Sports Authority Field. But as long as my kids are glad to see me, anytime, anywhere, I’ll be there. ■

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January 2015

18 habits to make 2015 your most positive year yet By Jon Gordon

S

ure, most of us start each New Year intending to make it a good one. But even when the universe is helping out by providing things like a growing economy and job security, creating a positive life for you is easier said than done. Here are 18 real-life positivity tactics you can put into practice throughout 2015—and beyond. 1. Become a selective listener and focus on the positive.

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2. Zoom focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask, “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions. 3. Watch where you’re directing your energy. We all have a finite amount of energy. Don’t waste yours on gossip, issues of the past, or things you cannot control. 4. Focus on “get to” vs. “have to.” Each day, focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. 5. Talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself. 6. Choose faith instead of fear. Faith turns adversities and dead-ends into detours to a better outcome than you thought possible. 7. Don’t chase dollars or success. Decide to make a difference and build meaningful relationships, and success—specifically, lasting and meaningful success—will find you. 8. Take a morning walk of gratitude. Wake up your body and mind by taking a “thank-you walk” each morning. As you walk, challenge

yourself to list things you’re grateful for. 9. Switch your portion sizes. Make your first meal the biggest and your last meal the smallest. 10. Get more sleep. 11. Tap into the three greatest success strategies of all: love, serve and care. When you love, serve and care about those around you, you’ll attract greater success, and you’ll stand out in a world where most people don’t love, serve or care. 12. Focus on your purpose every day. Remember why you do what you do. 13. Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. 14. Implement the “no complaining rule.”

15. Read more books than you did in 2014. 16. Don’t seek happiness. Yes, you read that correctly. The truth is, the things we think will make us happy often don’t. Instead, decide to live with passion and purpose, and happiness will find you. 17. Do a positivity assessment exercise. Each evening either mentally or in a journal: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished____________. 18. Smile and laugh more. There’s no need to be stoic and serious at every turn. Jon Gordon is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller “The Energy Bus,” “The No Complaining Rule,” “Training Camp,” “The Shark and the Goldfish,” “Soup,” “The Seed,” and “The Positive Dog.” He is also coauthor of “One Word That Will Change Your Life.” ■

January 2015

Mesa County Club Activities Compiled by Liesl Greathouse

• Friendship Force meets monthly at 6:15 p.m. on the second Thursday at Community Hospital’s lower conference room. Call 260-4653 or visit www.thefriendshipforce.org. • Western Slope Coin Club meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday at the VFW Post #1247. Get a free coin/currency evaluation at 5:30 p.m. Call 241-1770 or visit www.gjcoinshow.com. • Two River Sams, Good Sam RV Club, meets at noon on January 10. For location, call 523-5625. • Grand Valley Knights meets at 7 a.m.9:30 a.m. Saturdays at Spoons Bistro & Bakery with their sport and classic vehicles. Call 462-6762 or visit www. grandvalleyknights.com. • Mesa County Genealogical Society meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday at The Commons of Hilltop and at noon on the fourth Wednesday at the Museum of Western Colorado. Help sessions are at 1 p.m. on the first Friday at a library branch. Call 640-2388. • Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays at the Masonic Center. Call 261-1670. • Vestafjell Lodge, Sons of Norway meets at 2 p.m. on January 11 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Call 858-6702 or visit www. vestafjelllodge.org. • Happy Feet Rounds offers basic choreographed ballroom dancing at the Masonic Center on Sundays (beginners from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and intermediate from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.) and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Mondays (Phase 3 and 4 dancers). Call 243-5858. • Grand Valley Woodcarvers meets monthly at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 523-5965. • Grand Valley Woodturners meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesdays at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 856-3632. • Levis & Lace Square Dance Club

meets monthly on the second and fourth Fridays at the Masonic Center. Rounds at 7 p.m. and square at 7:30 p.m. Call 434-6541. • Art Jewelers’ Guild meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday at the Grandview Apartments, 1501 N. First St. Call 243-1220. • Stamp Collectors meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday at White Star Electric. Call 986-1502. • Western Slope Non-Smoking Singles meets monthly at 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month at Starvin’ Arvin’s in Clifton for lunch and games. For more activities, call 434-0803. • Mesa Fiberarts Guild meets monthly at noon the first Wednesdays at First Presbyterian Church and at 6 p.m. the first Thursdays at the Center for Independence. Call 243-3598 or visit www.mesafiberartsguild.org. • Blue Lodge Masons meets monthly at 10 a.m. the first Saturday at the Masonic Center. Call 245-5312. • Bookcliff Duplicate Bridge Club plays at 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at 2923 North Ave. Call 243-7874. • Western Colorado Decorative Artists meets monthly at 9 a.m. on the second Saturday at First Congregational Church. Call 640-2751. • Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) Branch 244 meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the VFW Post #3981. All former, retired and active sea service, U.S. Navy, Marines or Coast Guard welcome. Call 434-0868. • Grand Junction Toastmasters meets at 7:10 a.m. Tuesdays at St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 242-4863. • Talk of the Town Toastmasters meets at noon Thursdays at the Business Incubator Center. Call 250-3969. • Western Slope Rovers RV Club meets monthly at the Egg and I for breakfast on the first Thursday. Call 858-3907 for time and details. • High Desert Diamonds is a plus-level square dance club that dances from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on the first and third Fridays monthly at the Masonic Center. Call 241-7457. ■

MESA COUNTY 33

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Mesa County Calendar Compiled by Liesl Greathouse January 3

Downton Abbey Season 5 Preview Screening Be the first to view the Season 5 premier episode of Downton Abbey at an exclusive screening hosted by Allen Unique Auto Museum, 2285 River Road in Grand Junction. There will be live music and appetizers by Bin 707. Period costume is encouraged. Cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple. All proceeds benefit Hilltop Community Resources, United Way of Mesa County and Rocky Mountain PBS. For tickets and more information, call 244-0420. January 3

High Desert Opera presents: The Secret Garden High Desert Opera brings the brilliant musical style of composer Lucy Simon and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman to the

Grand Junction stage, presenting the Broadway musical “The Secret Garden” at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Robinson Theatre at Colorado Mesa University, 1100 North Ave. in Grand Junction. Tickets begin at $10. Call 523-9605 or drop by Roper Music for tickets. January 5

Wild Horses of the Little Book Cliffs Marty Felix, known as “the wild horse lady,” will host a slideshow presentation called “Wild Horses of the Little Book Cliffs” at 7 p.m. in the Whitman Education Center, 248 S. Fourth St. in Grand Junction. Felix has been observing the wild horse herds in the Little Book Cliffs for more than 41 years, and she has taken thousands of photographs that illustrate the magnificence of our very own treasured herds. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mustangs, a local organization that helps the BLM

manage the horses and their range, the presentation will educate the public on the mustangs, periodic gathers, fertility control and range management. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, call 275-1740. January 5

Grand Junction Senior Theatre auditions Auditions for the 2015 production of “Lucky Dollar, Private Eye” will be at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 3940 27 1/2 Road in Grand Junction. Performances will take place at Grand Junction High School on March 20 and 21. The Grand Junction Senior Theatre is a group of adults age 50 and older who wish to live an active, creative and healthy lifestyle by expressing themselves on stage. For more information, call 234-1828. January 8

Mesa Fiber Arts Guild Event Learn about Navajo style weaving from local Mesa Fiber Art Guild weaver Carolyn at 6 p.m. at the Center for

January 2015 Independence, 740 Gunnison Ave. in Grand Junction. Navajo weaving uses wool yarns traditionally spun from the Churro sheep and a tapestry-type loom. Carolyn will bring one of her own looms to show us what she is working on and will be available for questions. For more information, call 773-1916 or visit www.mesafiber artsguild.org. January 8-11

“Truth and the Muse” women’s retreat The ninth “Writing the Sacred” women’s retreat will be held by Grand Junction writer Sandra Dorr and Fruita yoga teacher Susan Crosby at the Redstone Inn in the White River National Forest. “Truth and the Muse” will focus on how the muse draws nearer as writers age, becoming more visible in their work and resulting in a richer, deeper state of being. Writers, artists and yogis of all ages are welcome. There will be daily meetings, optional morning and afternoon yoga and meditation, an Ayurvedic self-care body session, and

January 2015

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MESA COUNTY 35

month at Clifton Hall. For more information, call 241-2498. Starting February 2

Free help with your taxes VITA is a group of local and trained volunteers that provides free, confidential and secure tax preparation and e-filing of federal and Colorado state income taxes for low-income taxpayers or those who qualify. In 2013, VITA helped 4,700 Grand Valley residents file their tax returns. See their schedule below. • Wells Fargo Bank, 2808 North Ave. Open 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

The members of the Sit-N-Fit Class meet at 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at St. Mary’s Life Center. hours for writing, resting, xc skiing or hot tubbing among beautiful lodging and quality cuisine. Cost is $450. Partial need-based scholarships available. To register and for more information, call 433-6800 or visit www.

River City Singles

sandradorr.com. January 31

Clifton Lions Chili Dinner Come enjoy a delicious chili or potato soup dinner (with dessert) provided by the Clifton Lions Club at

January 2015 Activity Schedule

“Young-at-heart adults getting together for fun and friendship!” Fridays at 5 p.m. - Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) meets in the lounge at the Travelodge (formerly the Country Inn), 718 Horizon Drive. The first FAC meeting of the month is the business meeting. Cards and games will follow the meeting. Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. - Early Start Breakfast at Denny’s on Horizon Drive. Visitors welcome. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details. Wednesdays at 5 p.m. - Dine out at the following locations every week. Visitors welcome. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details. January 7 - Dragon Treasure Chinese Restaurant January 14 - Chili’s January 21 - Rockslide Brewery January 28 - Red Robin Saturday, January 3 at noon - Enjoy billiards, games of pool and lunch at Bank 8 Billiards, 2460 Patterson Road. Call Mary Wynn at 255-7370. Thursday, January 8 at 11:30 a.m. - The Fun Lunch Bunch meets at Rockslide Brew Pub, 401 Main St. RSVP to Penny at 712-2588. Saturday, January 10 - Join us on a day trip to the Ouray Ice Festival. RSVP to Jim Spiegel at 464-0578.

4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at Clifton Hall, 126 Second St. in Clifton. There will also be a cake raffle. Proceeds go toward funding Lions activities. Clifton Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the

• NEW SITE! (The former US Bank site has relocated) Wells Fargo Bank Annex Building, 359 Main St. Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays • Alpine Bank, 125 N. Park Square, Fruita Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays ■

36 MESA COUNTY

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Mesa County Beacon Bits Compiled by Liesl Greathouse

St. Mary’s offers Living with Diabetes series St. Mary’s Living with Diabetes education series teaches people with diabetes to use self-care techniques and current technology to manage their condition. The four-week series for people with Type 2 diabetes and their families is based on the American Association of Diabetes Educators 7 Self-Care Behaviors. Participants meet from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. January 6, 13, 20 and 27, at St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road in

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Grand Junction. A physician referral is required. For more information and to schedule an appointment with a diabetes educator prior to the class, call 298-2582.

Weight loss surgery seminar If you are considering weight loss surgery, attend a free education session presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center. Learn how the different types of surgery work, who qualifies, and how St. Mary’s will support you as you change your life. Sessions take place at the St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road in Grand Junction. Call 298-6400 to register. • January 7 - 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. • January 21 - noon to 1:30 p.m.

Spoons welcomes new executive chef Spoons Bistro & Bakery is excited to introduce its new executive chef, Jackson Oviatt. Oviatt brings a wealth of experience as a chef and a

Dr. Steve TerLouw, Veterinarian February is national Dental Month. Come in for a FREE dental exam! WELL VISITS  DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES SURGERY  DENTISTRY  BOARDING

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504 Fruitvale Ct.  970 523-2060

great passion for food. He attended classes at Western Colorado Community College in the Colorado Culinary Academy and has traveled near and far to showcase his culinary skills. Stop in to 3090 N. 12th St. and give the food a try.

Museum of Western Colorado Activities • January 8 - Changing Landscapes of Science lecture at 7 p.m. at the Whitman Educational Center, 248 S. Fourth St. Topic is “Our Water, Your Water: The Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant Story.” Cost is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. • January 15 - Oral History Presentation at noon at the Whitman Educational Center.

HopeWest receives $100,000 grant HopeWest announced today that it has received a $100,000 Daniels Fund grant to further the HopeWest mission to profoundly change the way our community experiences serious illness and grief. HopeWest will use the funds to support HopeWest Care, a program designed for people with a serious illness, regardless of life expectancy. This program centers on relieving pain and other physical symptoms, coordinating between health care providers, helping patients and families to make informed choices about their care and treatment, and providing resources to address practical and financial needs. Last year, 678 patients were served by HopeWest Care. For more information, call 241-2212.

Local veterans art competition starts with community forum Artistic military veterans and the general public are invited to an informative program at 6 p.m. on January 5 at the Mesa County Public Library Central Branch. This event will kickoff the local competition of the annual National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary. The deadline to participate in the

January 2015 local NVCAF competition is January 10. Interested veterans can obtain information and applications at the January 5 forum. For more information, call 720-272-7394 or 242-0731.

St. Mary’s offers free cholesterol screen with blood donation Do something good for your community and for yourself this January. St. Mary’s Regional Blood Center will provide a free cholesterol screening when you donate blood at the Blood Center on the second floor of St. Mary’s Advanced Medicine Pavilion, or at any of our donor coach blood drives through January 31. This is not a fasting cholesterol screening because we want donors to drink lots of liquids and eat before donating blood, but it will give you a good idea of your overall cholesterol level. Your results will be mailed to you within a few days. The donor center at 750 Wellington Ave. is open 7 a.m.5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays. For details, call 298-7847.

Home Care of the Grand Valley named top agency of the 2014 HomeCare Elite Home Care of the Grand Valley has been named a top agency of the 2014 HomeCare Elite, recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the U.S. Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience, quality improvement and consistency, and financial performance. Out of 9,994 agencies considered, 2,501 are elite. HCGV is one of only 164 agencies in the nation that have won the award every year since it has been offered. For more information, call 263-0202.

AARP 2015 Colorado legislative priorities Caregiving and keeping older adults independent and in their homes is at the top of the list of AARP priorities. The strategic plan will study the unprecedented demands being placed

January 2015 on public and private systems that serve Colorado’s seniors and their families. AARP also supports initiatives that give nurses increased ability to serve patients in underserved communities. In addition, the Office of Consumer Counsel is up for sunset review. AARP supports the OCC’s work and efforts to give it more autonomy to represent consumers in front of the Colorado Legislature. AARP will support efforts to increase the number of working Coloradans enrolled in retirement plans and will oppose any proposed legislation that would threaten the Public Employees Retirement Association’s (PERA) solvency. For more details, please call 303-764-5988 or 303-764-5990 or visit www.aarp.org.

Support groups

• The National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) offers support groups for adults diagnosed with mental illness and their families. In Fruita, they meet from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at Family Health West, 228 N. Cherry St. Call 462-3989. • GriefShare is a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Mondays. Call Vicci at 628-1453 for details. • Western Slope Visionaries, a low-vision peer support group, meets from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call Joanne or Cathy at 241-0315. • Mending Hearts Support Group is for any adult who has experienced the death of a loved one. This group meets from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St. Call 683-4921 for more information. • Caregiver Connections is open to all caregivers and meets from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St. Call 248-8844 for more information. • St. Mary’s Stroke Support Group meets from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on the third Friday of each month in the Grand Mesa Room of St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 298-1929 for details. • Breast Cancer Support Group meets

from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the Reflection Room at St. Mary’s Hospital (Entrance 25). Call 298-2254 for details. • MACHO Men, a cancer support group, meets at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at St. Mary’s Hospital’s Java City Café. Call 2982351 for details. • Healing Hearts Cardiac Support Group meets from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the Grand Mesa Room of St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 298-2769 for details.

Volunteer opportunities

• Mesa County RSVP seeks volunteers for its Fundraising and Fund Development or Volunteer Relations Committees. Members of these committees work in collaboration with RSVP Board and staff. To apply, visit rsvp grandjunction.org • Mesa County SOS needs volunteer drivers to give seniors rides to grocery shopping, pharmacy and medical visits once a week. SOS will reimburse for mileage. Call 248-2746. • HopeWest seeks volunteers for a variety of positions. Volunteering can be as simple as one hour a month. Call 623-8816 for details. • Operation Interdependence invites you to write notes for deployed troops around the world. Notes don’t have to be lengthy—just a simple thank you will do. They are also in need of Slim Jims, beef jerky, gum, snack bars, Chapstick, toothbrushes, etc. Call 523-4217 for drop-off location. • Gray Gourmet needs several adult volunteers to deliver a weekday lunch to homebound seniors. Volunteers are also needed to work at one of their senior dining sites. Call 243-9844. • St. Mary’s Foster Grandparents seeks volunteers to work with children in Mesa County and Delta County schools. Volunteers mentor kids in classrooms under supervision of a certified teacher. Volunteers may be eligible to receive a non-taxable hourly stipend, mileage reimbursement, annual wellness exam and other great benefits. Call Tanya at 298-9091. ■

MESA COUNTY 37

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There’s A New Prosthodontist In Town! I’m Jake R. Atwood and although I am new to town, I am not new to Prosthodontics. I served in the United States Air Force where I polished my skills and learned the value of self-sacrifice and service. As a prosthodontist, I primarily deal with the replacement of missing or worn teeth. Whether it’s just one or all 32 of them, I can help you achieve a comfortable bite and a beautiful smile. And remember, it’s important to get your dentures checked annually! Having 4 kids, I know what it’s like to want the best for the ones you love. That’s why it’s not just about teeth. It’s about providing the best care in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. So, come on over, get to know us, and leave feeling like one of the family! *Dr. Atwood is the only Prosthodontist in the Western Slope of Colorado.

ATWOOD PROSTHODONTICS Jake R. Atwood DMD, MS

1317 N 3rd Street

241-2430

Grand Junction

Medicare Moment

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR FLU SHOT YET? PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY! Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. If you have Medicare, you can protect yourself for free. As part of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare covers immunization for Seasonal Influenza. The goal is to prevent, detect and treat disease before more serious complications occur. An annual flu vaccine may be the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through your community. Call the RSVP SHIP for information on these immunizations and other free Medicare wellness services. Brought to you by the Mesa County RSVP Senior Health Insurance Assistance Project (SHIP) Sponsored by the Association of US West Retirees (AUSWR) and Mesa County RSVP

QUESTIONS? Call SHIP! 243-9839

38 DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES

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Delta/Montrose Calendar Compiled by Liesl Greathouse January 5

Green burials

Trust is knowing someone is there to catch your fall. It’s knowing someone will be there when you need a shoulder to cry on. It’s knowing a promise made is a promise kept. Trust is something we earn everyday

Valley Voices presents a seminar on “green burials.” Death is part of life. Do not come to it unprepared. Know what to do if your loved one dies at home suddenly. Know your options for a less expensive green funeral and/or burial. Set yourself up to be treated the way you want to be treated in the event of a terminal illness. Bring your note pad to this free event from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts, 226-228 Grand Ave. in Paonia. For more information, call 527-7243. January 8

Delta Listen & Learn Series: Hearing loss seminar

Funeral Service & Crematory Mesa View Cemetery 682 1725 Road • Delta (970) 874-9988 105 S.E. Frontier, Suite F • Cedaredge (970) 856-3232 209 Bridge Street • Hotchkiss (970) 872-3151 311 Grand Avenue • Paonia (970) 527-3836 www.taylorfuneralservice.com

This seminar will talk about how to protect your hearing and what to do about hearing loss you already have. Topics to be discussed: treatments for hearing loss, hearing loss prevention, what to ask your doctor, and more. This program is designed to help support elders and those with disabilities. The class takes place from noon to 1 p.m. at the Hotchkiss Senior Center, 276 W. Main. Registration required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436.

January 9-24

“Talley’s Folly” at Magic Circle Theatre “Talley’s Folly” tells of the unlikely romance of Matt Friedman, a Jewish bachelor and Sally Talley, a Protestant woman 11 years his junior. When they met a year earlier, Matt was forever changed and has wooed Sally with a daily letter although her single reply gave no romantic encouragement. Risking everything, he bravely comes uninvited to her home in Missouri on July 4, 1944 to ask her to marry him. “Talley’s Folly” opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 9 at Magic Circle Theater, 420 S. 12th St. in Montrose and continues Friday and Saturday evenings through January 24. Matinees at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 11 and 18. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for seniors 60 and older. For more information and tickets, call 249-7838.

January 2015

sions, which convey vital, regionally specific agricultural information in areas including maximizing crop and livestock production, innovative agricultural marketing and management strategies, and specialty crops. To find a list of complete topics and speakers, and to register, visit www. foodfarmforum.org or call 249-3739. January 10 & 24

Montrose Pavilion Dance Club Dances The Montrose Pavilion Dance Club is hosting two dances in January at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive, from 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. On Saturday, January 10, music will be provided by the Knuckleheads. On Saturday, January 24, music will be provided by Country Plus. Admission is $5 per person. Bring refreshments to share if you wish. For information, call 252-7172.

January 10

January 13

The Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum, the state’s premier gathering of small-scale farmers and ranchers, and others involved in the small farm community, will be held this year at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. The conference has a wide array of breakout ses-

“Handling Estate Matters After Someone Dies” is a free workshop that will cover probate vs. non-probate, creditor claims, how and when to distribute the assets, what taxes may be owed, wills, family quarrels, involving the court and more. The small

Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum

Free legal education program: Handling Estate Matters After Someone Dies

Custom Engraved:

Home appointments available

• Headstones • Stone Signs • Address Rocks • Sandblasting • River Rocks • Gifts & More

970-323-6658

Please call for an appointment

www.facebook.com/ MorrisMonument

morrismonument.com

1630 South Main Street, Delta

Life’s Legacy in Stone

January 2015 classroom size allows you to get your questions answered in a casual setting. Class takes place from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436. January 14

Meditation 101 After the holiday season, learn to unwind and de-stress by learning the basics of this ancient tradition at this free event from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the HopeWest Conference Room, 195 Stafford Lane in Delta. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. This class will be taught by HopeWest RN and Certified Clinical Aromatherapist Penny Rubala, who has studied meditation for many years. Registration required. To register, call 874-6823. January 19

Seniors Night Out Potluck Get ready for a fun evening at the Montrose Pavilion Senior Center. At 4 p.m. choose to play a game of bingo for Montrose Bucks vouchers or participate in a jam session. Bring a dish to share for the potluck at 5 p.m. and play games of pinochle. At 5:45 p.m., there will be games of hand and foot, or billiards. Then line dance from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for $2. January 20

Long-term Care Legal Planning Seventy percent of all people over the age of 65 will need some form of long-term care during their lifetime. That means there’s a high likelihood you or one of your loved ones will need care. Join us to learn about payment sources, including private pay, long-term care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and more. The more you know, the better prepared you will be. Class takes place from noon to 1 p.m. at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436.

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 20

Write On! Anthology competition deadline The Write On! program is an annual writing competition for residents of Delta County. Winners are published in the annual “Write On! Anthology.” 2015 marks the eighth annual competition. Submissions are scored by Western State University Masters in Writing students. The competition culminates in the popular Write On! Anthology Reading event in May, where the published book is unveiled and top-scoring writers read their winning entries. Submission deadline is January 20. To submit your work and for contest rules, visit www. bluesage.org. January 27

Transportation Gaps and Opportunities Transportation is always an ongoing concern for older adults and persons with disabilities. Sarah Curtis will discuss free mobility orientation on how to use public transportation, gaps in service, public transportation, dial a ride and volunteer transportation program. Class takes place from 11 a.m. to noon at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436. January 31

Virtuoso Flute While generally known as a composer of operas, Gaetano Donizetti also composed many other works, including chamber and orchestral music. The beautiful “Sonata in C Major” for flute and piano demonstrates that Donizetti’s command of the exquisite vocal line was not confined solely to his operas and that he could also write in a carefree, infectiously Rossinian vein. Concert takes place from 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts, 226-228 Grand Ave. in Paonia. Tickets are $10. Reserved seating is $20. For details, call 527-7243. ■

If you have an event or photo you would like to have appear in the BEACON, send it to: beacon@pendantpublishing.com.

DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES 39

40 DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES

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Montrose’s Own Magic Circle Players PRESENTS

Established 1959

Delta/Montrose Beacon Bits Compiled by Liesl Greathouse

Events for veterans

JANUARY 9 – 24, 2015 Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 PM Sunday Matinees 2:30 PM

“Talley’s Folly” tells of the unlikely romance of a Jewish bachelor and a “younger” Protestant woman and his attempts to marry her. Call 970 249-7838 for information and reservations Box Office is open Tuesday – Thursday and two hours before curtain time 420 S. 12th Street Montrose, CO 81401 www.magiccircleplayers.com

The Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. in Montrose, has the following events scheduled for veterans this month. If you have not previously registered with the Warrior Resource Center as a veteran, bring a form of military ID with you. For more information, call 765-2210. • All veterans are invited for coffee from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. every Thursday. • All military spouses (of any branch or era) are invited to a luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on the last Friday of every month. • The public is invited to eagle head cane presentations at 1 p.m. the first Thursday of every month. Beautiful eagle head canes created by Black Canyon Wood Carvers and Wood Workers Guild of Western Colorado are presented to veterans.

Montrose walking events

MONTROSE ORAL SURGERY AND DENTAL IMPLANT SPECIALISTS • Specialist Implant Surgeons with Advanced Training • Most experienced implant team in our area • Implants for denture stability & implants for individual tooth replacement • Do your surgery asleep or awake • We work with your general dentist • Conventional, Mini & Orthodontic Implants Craig T. Cayo D.D.S., Dorcha W. Boisen D.D.S.

www.montroseoms.com

970.240.4485 • 600 S. Park Avenue • Montrose, CO 81401

January 2015

• First Friday Stroll - On the first Friday of each month, stroll along downtown Montrose and see artist demonstrations, enjoy free wine tastings and in-store promotional events from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Support groups • Veterans PTSD support group meets at 10 a.m. Thursdays at the Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. Veterans must provide a copy of their DD214 as verification of eligibility of services. Call 765-2210. • Stroke Support Group meets 11 a.m. to noon, twice a month, at Montrose Memorial Hospital’s Acute Rehab Unit. For details and meeting days, call 318-2028. • Bosom Buddies Breast Cancer Support Group meets from noon to 1:15 p.m. Wednesdays at 645 S. Fifth St. in Montrose. • Caregiver Support Group meets 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays at Crossroads Assisted & Independent Living model cottage at 1380 Aspen Way in Delta. Call 773-4214.

• Caregiver Support & Networking Group meetings are structured to be an all-inclusive group for caregivers who care for someone with dementia or any disability or illness in any living environment. For more information and to register, call 249-2436, ext. 203. • Mending Hearts Support Group, offered by HopeWest, is open to adults who have experienced the death of a loved one. Montrose group meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays in the Bosom Buddies Room, 645 S. Fifth St. Call 240-7734.

Volunteer opportunities • HopeWest in Delta and Montrose is seeking volunteers for a variety of positions. In Delta, call 874-6823 for more information. In Montrose, call 252-2642.

Club activities • Western Slope 4 Wheelers is made up of off-road enthusiasts who enjoy four wheeling and who work to protect four-wheeling rights on our public lands. Meetings are at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Montrose Rod & Gun Club’s indoor range, 1211 6450 Road in Montrose. Call 275-0754. • Montrose Amateur Radio Club has been active for over 50 years and is an ARRL-affiliated, general interest club serving beautiful southwestern Colorado. Meetings are at 7 p.m. on the third Friday of every month at the Olathe Community Center. Call 417-6142. • Black Canyon Camera Club is a group of avid photographers in Delta County and along Colorado’s western slope. Meetings are at noon on the second Tuesday of each month at the First Church of Christ, 1102 Howard St. in Delta. Call 399-3674. • Black Canyon Classics is open to anyone interested in classic cars, street rods, trucks and all other forms of automotive transportation. Meetings are the first Tuesday of each month at the Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors Building, 155 Merchant

January 2015 Drive in Montrose, during the winter months and at various locations during the summer months. For times and details, call 249-6051. • Black Canyon Audubon Society was formed in 1990 and is one of 11 National Audubon Society chapters in Colorado. Its members are committed to the conservation of natural resources through birding, conservation and educational activities. For dates and times of meetings, call 249-6761, ext. 14. • Black Canyon Twirlers Square Dance Club dance Main Stream and Plus and welcome all visitors. Meetings are at 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at the Lions Clubhouse, 602 N. Nevada Ave. Call 596-4252 for details.

DELTA SENIOR ACTIVITIES The following activities are offered at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 Gunnison River Drive in Delta. To register for any of the following activities or for a full list, call 874-0923. • Community Evening Dance 7 p.m.-10 p.m., January 3. Cost is $4 per person. Bring a snack to share.

MONTROSE SENIOR ACTIVITIES The Montrose Recreation District has the following activities scheduled for seniors 50+ this month. Register one week ahead. Events take place at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion

Drive, or transportation departs from the Montrose Pavilion. Please arrive at each event at least 15 minutes early. For more information on the following activities, call 252-4884. • Ouray Ice Climbing Festival and more - 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., January 10. The Ouray Ice Festival is the biggest ice festival in North America. We will watch the mixed elite climbing competition then take a guided tour of the Box Canyon Lodge and Hot Springs. Learn about their efforts in protecting the environment and becoming more “green.” We will eat lunch in Ouray. Cost is $18. Bring money for lunch. • The Merry Widow - 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., January 17. This is a live opera performance transmitted in highdefinition video via satellite from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to the Canyon View Stadium 14 Theater in Grand Junction. The great Renee-Fleming stars as the beguiling femme fatale who captivates all Paris in Franz Lehar’s enchanting operetta. Cost is $37. Bring money for lunch.

DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES 41

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Seniors are reading the BEACON. Shouldn’t your ad be here? Call Michael Dunn for ad rates.

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• Snowshoeing at Ironton Park 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., January 27. If you haven’t been before, don’t worry. The beauty of snowshoeing is its simplicity. Just strap on a pair of snowshoes to your favorite snow boots and start walking. We take frequent rests. ■

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These seniors are competitive but enjoy helping people of the open road learn the of the freedom ce game Experien pickleball. likeonto “let it all go!” it’sStory and what page 6.

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Kelli Hepler with Delta County Tourism and Colorado AgTourism facilitates a discussion with conference attendees during the 2014 Food and Farm Forum. Don’t miss the third annual Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum on January 10 at the Montrose Pavilion. Photo by MJ Martin Photography.

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Concern, Caring and Compassion

Grand Valley Funeral Homes

Offering our community Family-Owned & Operated Funeral Homes with professional services at an affordable price Fruita Funeral Home 455 Kokopelli Blvd. 970-858-3933

Grand Junction Funeral Home 1022 Grand Ave. 970-549-1114

Cremations Starting at: $800.00

Burials Starting at: $1,200.00

Veterans, Military, Police, Fire, EMS Receive 15% Off Services We Honor and Accept Pre-Arranged Funeral Plans from Other Funeral Homes www.GrandValleyFuneralHomes.com

Confused By Medicare Plans? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to meet with someone local who can: • Provide you with the information you need, so you may determine which plan is right for you. • Show you how to find the best drug plan for your current situation.

Stop by for a cup of coffee at The Artful Cup coffee shop, at: 3090 North 12th St., Grand Junction, 970-623-9665, Wednesdays between the hours of 9 am to 12 pm on the following dates: Jan 7, Jan 14, Jan 21 and Jan 28. I will be happy to talk with you, or if you cannot make it to the coffee shop feel free to give me a call.

Lew Barr Insurance Agent 970-773-0220 gvsb65@gmail.com

WESTERN SLOPE DENTAL CENTER BRANDON S. BERGUIN D.D.S. AND ASSOCIATES 514 28 Road • Grand Junction, CO 81501

241-3483

GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

DENTURES, CROWNS, VENEERS, BRIDGES, FILLINGS, ROOT CANALS, EXTRACTIONS, IMPLANTS • • • • •

Brandon S. Berguin D.D.S. SENIOR DISCOUNTS

ALL FEES QUOTED BEFORE TREATMENT INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED DENTURE REPAIRS & RELINES EMERGENCIES WELCOME NO INTEREST PAYMENT PLANS

Crossword Puzzle

Across 1 Go with 5 Bay window 10 Knight’s group 14 Oscar-winner Jannings 15 Last name in fashion 16 Involving the ear 17 Links lover’s mag 19 Earthen pot 20 “___ you for real?” 21 “…Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it’s…” 22 “Catch-22” author 24 Balkan native 26 Pianist John 27 Real finish 28 Edith Head’s area 32 Sprinted 34 Building beam 36 Early serfs 37 Timer sounds 39 Grade-school ltrs. 40 K-Mart, e.g. 41 Underway 42 and ___ 44 Outdated records 45 Browbeats 47 Unclose, to Byron 49 Shampoo ingredient 50 Boot your Mac 54 Spahn or Beatty 57 Cart away 58 Incumbents 59 Corrupt 60 Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, e.g. 63 Mag section 64 Derby winner 65 Actress Powers 66 Nightstand jug 67 Doesn’t fold 68 From the top Down 1 “Jockeys in the Rain” artist 2 Dean Martin song topic 3 Wall worker 4 Wee toy maker 5 Japanese paper art 6 Lear’s daughter 7 “___ de Castro” (John Clifford play) 8 Tabloid aviators 9 Shaping tools 10 Fast Eddie, for one 11 “___ have to do” 12 Stack of chips

January 2015

13 Fall souvenir 18 Place to start the roast? 23 Mr. Kefauver 25 Where granny goes on Tuesday nights? 26 Yanks’ manager 28 Pre-marathon meal? 29 L’s four followers 30 Chariot endings 31 Pilot’s dir. 32 Rampant 33 Shortly 35 React to the cop with the radar gun 37 Ham’s dash 38 Ancient Roman burial stone 43 Formula One cars 46 Spiral shells often used as horns 48 ___ Beach, Fla. 50 Sarah Vaughan’s nickname 51 Enormous two-staged missile? 52 “___ Buck” (1989) 53 “Don’t give me that rot!” 54 “___ number one!” 55 Declare openly 56 Marriage, e.g. 57 Queen of Olympus 61 It starts “under the collar” 62 Docs’ grp.

January 2015

Depression: not normal but common in older folks By Tait Trussell

A

quarter century ago, Prozac came to America. It was seen as a feel-good medication that anyone could pop into his or her mouth and all would be hunky-dory. Now we have learned that Prozac is much different. Clinical depression is common among older adults. The National Institute of Mental Health considers depression in people 65 and older a major public health problem. But depression is not a normal part of aging. Sadness is not the main symptom. They may have less obvious symptoms of depression or they may not be willing to talk about their feelings. So doctors may be less likely to recognize that their patient has depression. Meanwhile, many classes of anti-depression medications have developed since Eli Lilly won FDA approval of Prozac in 1987. The current regular treatment for depression involves a drug class known as selective serotonin. Scientists think depression is caused by a lack of the chemical serotonin in the brain. The most common forms of depression involve serotonin inhibitors. Some people may experience only a single episode within their lifetime, but more often a person may have multiple episodes. Others face dysthymic disorder—depressive symptoms that last two years or more—a mild but chronic form of depression. Minor depression is similar to other forms of depression. Symptoms, however, are less severe and may not last as long. According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, depression in older persons is closely associated with dependency and disability, and causes great distress for the individual and the family. Depression in the older population often goes untreated because many people think that depression is a normal part of aging—a natural reaction to chronic illness, loss and social transition. For the elderly population, depres-

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sion can come in different sizes and shapes. Many elderly people and their families don’t recognize the symptoms of depression, aren’t aware that it is a medical illness, and don’t know depression often responds to treatment. The outcome is usually better for people who have access to social services and family and friends who can help them stay active and engaged. The most worrisome complication of depression is suicide. Men make up most suicides among the elderly. Divorced or widowed men are at the highest risk. Families should pay close attention to elderly relatives who are depressed and live alone. Many older persons think that depression is a character flaw and are worried about being humiliated. They may blame themselves for their illness and are too ashamed to get help. Others worry that treatment would be too costly. Yet research has also shown that treatment is effective and in fact, changes the brain when it works. Researchers continue to study Prozac’s effects on the body and new information about potential complications is still coming to light. One of the biggest concerns is that the drug is over prescribed, unnecessarily subjecting patients to adverse side effects and possible withdrawal symptoms. Patients taking Prozac may experience a host of side effects, including sexual dysfunction, dry mouth, nausea, headache, diarrhea, nervousness, restlessness, agitation, increased sweating, weight gain, insomnia and drowsiness. Although antidepressants like Prozac are not technically considered to be addictive, at least in the sense of inducing cravings in patients, doctors say they make users dependent. Drug dependency means that the body has adapted to a chemical to the point that it requires steady doses to function normally. ■

43

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44 CLASSIFIEDS

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To Place a Classified Ad...

3 EASY STEPS!  Write your ad: ....................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................

For Sale Complete Cremation Package for Two All cremation services are inclusive along with an attractive oak companion urn and eye-level glass front niche inside Memorial Garden’s Chapel. $2,900 OBO 255-0043.

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Skilled and unskilled homemaking and/or personal care. Skilled nursing, specialize in wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, CNA, social work, pre-op, post-op services. PASCO/SW carriers certification for Mi, children’s hospice and Tbi waivers. Please call for courtesy evaluation of your home care needs. Serving: Archuleta, Delta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel

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QUESTIONS? Call Kelli M-TH, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 970 243-8829 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Be Clutter-Free Love your home again! Let me help you: *Lose hundreds of pounds without going to the gym. *De-clutter *Organize, simplify, repurpose *Reduce stress *Sell or donate unwanted items *Decorate on a budget *Call Melanie, 985-5897. You’ll be glad you did! Reliable Estate Sales Are you in the midst of a stressful relocation or passing of a loved one? Let us handle the burden of personal property liquidation from start to finish. Contact Mark Bluhm at 260-2327, cash4@bresnan.net or www.reliableestatesales.net. Antiques, Appraisals, Estate Sales With over 30 years in the antique, appraisal and estate sale business, Great American Estate Sales is the valley’s leader in appraisals and estate liquidation. Settling an estate, moving into a smaller home or just simplifying your lifestyle? Great American Estate Sales can provide a worry-free and quick solution. Free consultation. 216-8236.

January 2015 Professional Flooring Installer Insured and bonded. You purchase the tile, laminate, hardwood or vinyl, and I provide everything else. Special discounts. Call Bill for a free estimate. 245-3344. Accessibility Services Grab bars. Walk-in tubs/showers. Licensed plumber/handyman. Serving Western Colorado since 1989. Free estimates. Compare and save! 985-1403. Black Canyon Home Services Small repairs, maintenance, housekeeping, second home care. Visit our website at www. blackcanyonhomeservices.net. Montrose area. Call John 209-2095. Tree Service Get ready for winter – Tree trimming, tree removal, stump grinding. FREE hauling, boom truck to 85 feet, FREE estimates. Licensed and insured. Chris 260-0222. Skilled Handyman Services Fast, reliable handyman services available. No job too big or too small. We are licensed and insured and have over 35 years’ experience. We are ADA (Special Needs), CAPS (Aging in Place) and NHBA (National Home Builders Association) certified to meet your individual needs. All services include carpentry, plumbing, electrical and misc. services. Western Interior Builders, LLC. Call 241-2029 for appointment.

Pet Services AT HOME PET CARE While you’re away, your pets stay comfortably in your home. We provide LOVE, Feeding, Walking, and Insurance. 243-2069. Mention ad for FREE VISIT. References available.

Hunting Pheasant Hunting! Open now. www.BrokenSpokeGameRanch.com. 241-3949.

Wanted to Buy BUYING OLD CLOTHING Costume jewelry, purses, sewing patterns and perfumes (pre-1970s). Call Linda 234-4736 or 1-800-5727670.

January 2015 USED BOOKS BUY, SELL OR TRADE Gently used books on hundreds of subjects. Westerns, Romance, Mysteries, Suspense, Kids, Young Adult, Inspirational, and many others. Large print. Special orders. 242-3911. Twice Upon a Time Bookshop, 2885 North Ave., Ste. B. Located in front of North Ave. Walmart and next to Subway. 10-6 Mon-Sat, 11-4 Sunday. **Bring this ad in for $10 Trade Credit** CASH Paid for Old Stuff Wind-up men’s wrist/pocket watches, gold and silver jewelry, pocket/ hunting knives, antique firearms, fishing gear, toys, BB guns, old Colorado bottles, old motorcycles, radios and amps, railroad, military, mining items. www.cash4oldstuff. net. Mark 260-2327.

Real Estate for Rent

National Classifieds  January 2015

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sales person wanted The BEACON Senior Newspaper is growing and we’re looking for a mature, loving sales person to come grow with us. Send your letter and resume to beacon@pendantpublishing.com

writers wanted The Beacon Senior newspaper is looking for writers in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties. Send your letter and resume to beacon@pendantpublishing.com

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APARTMENTS FOR RENT RETIREMENT APARTMENTS, ALL INCLUSIVE. Meals, transportation, activities daily. Short Leases. Monthly specials! Call (866) 338-2607 AUTOS Need Car Insurance? Lowest Down Payment Canceled? State Letter/SR71? Accidents? Tickets? DUI? Instant Coverage! www.InsureACar.com TollFree 1-888-358-0908

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Help Wanted Wendy’s NOW HIRING! Shift Supervisors and Crew Members. We are looking for smiling faces and positive attitudes. We offer competitive pay, discounts and a great working environment. Full-time and part-time employment available. Please apply at your nearest location in Grand Junction.

CLASSIFIEDS 45

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GET CASH TODAY for any car/truck. I will buy your car today.Any Condition. Call 1-800-864-5796 or www.carbuyguy.com

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Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. “You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.” – Joan Lunden

(800) 217-3942 A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner communities, so our services are completely free to families.

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46 KUDOS & KVETCH

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January 2015

kudos\ku·dos Retirement Planning: The Ridiculous kvetch\kfech Expectations of the Middle Class  “I can relate to William Mikus’  “I was so thankful for Kevin VanGundy’s recommendation of ‘A Higher Call’ by Adam Makos with Larry Alexander [in November’s BEACON]. I could hardly put the book down! I have passed it on to another retired officer’s family. Many thanks and happy holidays.” - Anonymous Caller  “‘A Higher Call’ (by Adam Makos) that you wrote about [in November’s BEACON] was a remarkable story.” - Alan K., Grand Junction

 “Thank you for writing about the book ‘A Higher Call’ (by Adam Makos). My wife observed how I couldn’t put the book down and has since read it for herself. We both think that it would make an incredible movie.” - Terry R., Grand Junction

Kevin: At one time there were plans to make a movie. In the meantime, I suggest that you get the book on audio as it is superbly narrated. You can order it from Out West Books located on Main Street in downtown Grand Junction.  “I’d like to thank the City of Grand Junction for the beautiful display of wreaths and the red lights in the lampposts on Seventh Street. How delightful!” - Sally J., Grand Junction  “Have you ever tasted a love cookie from Main Street Bagels? It’s made of quinoa and is healthy for you, too. I got a dozen of them for Christmas.” - Jody H., Grand Junction

 “My wife and I attended the Centennial Band Concert at the Avalon Theater in early December. It was a great way to celebrate the season and we enjoyed it thoroughly. As a veteran I got in free and I understand that you sponsored it. Thank you.” - Jeremy G., Grand Junction Kevin: I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. They told me that it was their bestattended holiday concert ever. Yes, the BEACON Senior Newspaper was a sponsor of the show, but by no means the only sponsor. Thank you for your service.

PART 1 of 2

Louisiana.

By Brian Stoffel Reprinted with permission of the Motley Fool

P

erhaps you’ve heard that we have a pretty serious problem with retirement planning in the United States. Over half of all baby boomers have less than $250,000 saved in retirement accounts -- a sum that by itself would only allow for $833 in cash per month. At the same time, some pretty alarming trends are pinching America’s middle class. As calculated by Bard College economics professor Pavlina Tcherneva, the bottom 90% of U.S. workers have largely missed out on the economic expansions since 1982. Having said that, these larger trends don’t excuse a complete lack of financial common sense by some of us occupying the middle class. The recipe for retirement planning remains the same as it ever has: spend less than you earn and invest the difference. Do this your whole working life, and things should turn out just fine.

• The family spends roughly $110,000 per year. While explaining the family’s budget, the wife said: We have NO savings ... none for college for our kids; none for retirement. Used to be ... $100K a year was a GOOD salary ... The “middle class” is being killed. I cannot work any harder. Looking through the detailed budget provided, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This family doesn’t need to work harder. It needs its expectations to come in line with reality. Thousands of families out there really are in a pinch. They deserve our attention. In order to differentiate those who have real financial problems from those who simply need to adjust their ridiculous expectations, I came up with a handy set of rules. Next time you want to complain about your money problems, make sure your family doesn’t fall under any of these categories.

Some pretty alarming trends are pinching America’s middle class.

Stupid spending and extreme expectations It was, therefore, with great frustration that I read a piece by Bob Sullivan of Money Talk News. Sullivan wrote the article as part of his investigation for what a “normal” American life costs today (the article has since been taken down, but is still viewable in its cached version). One family in particular stuck out, and it provides an example of the outrageous expectations middle-class folks sometimes have. Before we dig into the details, here are a few key details about this family: • There are four people: mom, dad, and two college-age daughters. • Mom and dad live in central

Everyone in your family has a car The family in question has a car for mom, dad, and each of the two daughters. When money is tight, that’s absurd. Millions of families all over the world get by just fine on far less. If mom and dad need a car for work, so be it. But getting your driver’s license or going off to college is by no means a right of passage for which you should receive a personal car. If the parents in question taught their daughters a valuable lesson in paying for their own car, getting rides with friends, biking, or using public transportation, they would likely cut $6,400 from their yearly spending. Read part 2 in next month’s BEACON. ■

rebuttal (in the November BEACON) in regard to homesteaders. My family—a great-great-grandmother, five greatgreat-uncles, cousins and my grandmother—all homesteaded in this valley beginning in 1882. But I had to chuckle over the American Dream not being about buying stuff. Free market capitalism is about buying stuff. Seventy percent of our economy is about buying stuff. Always has been. There is no ‘right to work.’ The Constitution allows the attempt to feed yourself. Working helps with that. Steel workers at the turn of the 20th century couldn’t afford to buy guns and they lost their jobs every couple of years because that’s how often depressions occurred back then. The saddest thing about ‘welfare’ is that it keeps what many consider undesirable work competition out of the way. The Libertarian South rakes in the most federal welfare dollars. Poverty can only be seen as the ‘good old days’ when working hard pulled you out of poverty. One of my greatest peeves is the mantra, ‘If you work hard you will be rewarded.’ Baloney. Many, many people work at more than one job and never manage to pull themselves out and all they get is Social Security, Medicare and continuing poverty.” - Eileen O’Toole, Grand Junction

Wanna give a shout out? Pass out a compliment? Wanna pitch a fit? Write us at Beacon@PendantPublishing.com.

January 2015

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47

Personalized, physician-guided tobacco cessation services available at St. Mary’s St. Mary’s tobacco cessation services and resources St. Mary’s is proud to offer clinical tobacco cessation visits at our Regional Cancer Center. Visits are oneon-one with

Paula Marchionda, MD, MPH, BSN

our board-certified preventive medicine physician, Paula Marchionda, MD, MPH, BSN. Using proven methods and local specialists, Dr. Marchionda will help you develop your personalized plan for success.

Call (970) 298-7500 to schedule an appointment.

E

veryone knows using tobacco is a serious health risk and that quitting is one of the best things you can do. And everyone who’s tried to quit knows it’s not easy. It’s so challenging that tobacco users make an average of eight attempts to quit. They use many tools and methods with varying degrees of success. The most successful are those who have all the tobacco cessation methods available to them and professional guidance to help find what works. Quitting tobacco means overcoming an addiction and changing ingrained habits and behaviors. St. Mary’s tobacco cessation services start with an appointment with our physician board certified in preventive medicine and specially trained in helping people become tobacco free. An assessment of smoking history, habits, and lifestyle helps patient and physician devise a personalized plan for quitting.

Upcoming Events Free cholesterol screen with blood donation St. Mary’s Regional Blood Center will provide a free cholesterol screening when you donate blood in January. Visit the Blood Center on the second floor of St. Mary’s Advanced Medicine Pavilion, or donate at any of our donor coach blood drives. This is not a fasting cholesterol screening because we want donors to drink lots of liquids and eat before donating blood, but it will give you a good idea of your overall cholesterol level. St. Mary’s Regional Blood Center 750 Wellington Avenue Monday–Friday, 7:00 am–5:30 pm Saturday, 7:00 am to noon No appointment needed. Visit www.stmarygj.org for donor coach blood drive times and locations.

Weight Loss Surgery Seminars Learn how weight loss surgery works and

who qualifies at a free seminar presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center. Call 970-298-6400 to register. GRAND JUNCTION St. Mary’s Life Center Wed., Jan. 7, 5:30-7:00pm Wed., Jan. 21, noon-1:30pm RIFLE Grand River Hospital District Thurs., Jan. 15, 5:30-7:00 pm

COMMIT TO QUIT Worried about gaining weight? Talk to our dietitian. Social situations make you anxious? Our counselor can help with tips and strategies. Suffer a setback? Your St. Mary’s partners will share their expertise, resources and support to help you reach your goal without having to do it alone. 970-298-CARE (2273) www.stmarygj.org 2635 N. 7th Street Grand Junction, CO 81501

Stroke Support Group Stroke recovery education, relaxation, therapies, and discussions for those recovering from stroke and their loved ones. No charge. Third Friday of each month, 1:00-2:30 pm Grand Mesa Room, St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road Call 970-298-1929 for more information. NEXT MEETING: Friday, January 16, 1:00–2:30 pm Relaxing dulcimer musical presentation by Betty Rosenthal stroke survivor caregiver