Lebanon County Edition
May 2014
Vol. 9 No. 5
Build a Suitable Nest and They Will Come By Lori Van Ingen
Birder Cletus Benjamin loves watching the bluebirds that now nest in the birdhouses that he and fellow residents at a local retirement community built and maintain. “Bluebirds are an attractive bird to have around,” Benjamin said. Eastern bluebirds are known for their vibrant colors and sweet songs. The males are a brilliant royal blue on the back and head, and warm red-brown on the breast. Blue tinges in the wings and tail give the grayer females an elegant look. But by the last half of the 20th century, the numbers of bluebirds had seriously declined. According to Wildlife Habitat Management Institute, the decline was due to factors such as the proliferation of the European starling and English house sparrow, the increased use of harmful pesticides, replacement of wooden fence posts with metal posts, clearing of field borders and fence rows to increase cropland acreage, and a growing human population. Now with the help of nest boxes and bluebird trails, eastern bluebirds are a more common sight. For the last four years, Benjamin and his fellow residents have been involved in maintaining a bluebird trail — from building the birdhouses in the woodshop, to driving in the stakes and putting the birdhouses up, to monitoring the trail for bluebird fledglings and keeping records. “We figured we had a few bluebirds here now, so let’s put a whole bunch more nests up,” said Benjamin, who initiated the project. please see NEST page 14 Cletus Benjamin in the workshop where he and fellow birders build their bluebird houses.
Inside:
Special Focus: Better Hearing & Speech page 10
The Wacky Worlds of Eccentric Geniuses page 18
The Way I See It
Good Coffee Mike Clark
Lancaster County
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an it be that hard to make good coffee? If you say it depends on the bean and its origin, the type of roast (light, medium, dark), the coarseness of the grind, and a spotlessly clean brewing system, you would be correct. Oh, and efficient flavor extraction requires proper water temperature (195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit) and a specific amount of time for the coffee grounds to be in contact with the hot water, which depends on how bold you want the flavor to be. It is also recommended that you use filtered or bottled water if your tap water is a bit unpleasant. The chlorine and calcium and everything else that comes from the tap are not particularly beneficial to the taste or the brewer. It can be a lot of fuss getting a great cup of coffee, and many people think it’s worth the effort. Some people, like my friend Betty, just go to the local convenience store at the same time every morning to buy their coffee already prepared. I think I can produce a good cup of brew without a chemistry degree and hocus pocus, however. My interest in good coffee began inadvertently about 25 years ago in my humble row-house kitchen. When I lived in town, my father-in-law came to visit just about every Sunday morning; so did my brother. My 12-cup drip brewer was always in action as our caffeine-fueled conversation and razzing sometimes persisted nonstop. It was a subtle remark by my father-inlaw and my brother’s subsequent jeering that inspired me to do a better job at producing a good cup of the black potion. On that particular day, I asked my father-in-law if he wanted another refill. He balked and said, “I think I’ve had about enough of that batch.” I asked him what was wrong with it. “I don’t know what you did to it, but it’s not so great.” I replied, “Carl, you wouldn’t know a good cup of coffee.” He smiled and said, “Maybe not, but I sure know a bad cup.” He and my brother then laughed uproariously at the putdown. I snickered
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as I felt the blood of humiliation fill my face. To this day, when we are all together, my brother pulls out the sharp dagger of degradation to stab me in the heart. Ever since that day I have made some pretty good coffee. My experiments at variation have often bombed, though. A guy at work always cut back on the amount of coffee grounds he used. He thought that using the recommended recipe was wasteful. The flawed reasoning was that you could get all the flavor from two scoops that you could from six or eight. In an attempt at frugality, I bought into that just long enough to see my coffee go bad again. The thought of another family flogging was too much to bear. I quickly reversed my destructive thought process and have since stuck with convention. After all, the road less traveled does not always lead to enlightenment. A couple of years ago I started using a French press. My brother had used one for quite a while, and he told me how much he loved it. Once I got the process and proper ratio of coffee to water figured out, I also embraced it. My friend Frank and his lovely wife, Lynne, have a morning ritual of grinding fresh-roasted beans and French pressing. Frank is even contemplating the idea of roasting his own beans. Have at it, my friend. I now use a single-cup brewing system that uses premeasured cups. You know which one I mean. If I serve a bad cup of coffee now, I can blame it on everything but me. I like that. These premeasured cups also have great names like Breakfast Blend, Donut Shop, and Fog Lifter. I’ve been looking for others such as Waist Slimmer, Bicep Builder, Hair Grower, and Mind Reviver. If you know a supplier of such concoctions, let me know soon; I’m almost at the point where none of them will help. The best coffee, however, is always served at a table with good friends and family. Mike Clark writes a regular column for The Globe Leader newspaper in New Wilmington, Pa. He can be contacted at mikemac429@aol.com.
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Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being.
Emergency Numbers Poison Control Center (800) 222-1222 Food Resources Food & Clothing Bank (717) 274-2490 Food Stamps (800) 692-7462 Hope/Christian Ministries (717) 272-4400 Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging Meals on Wheels (717) 273-9262
Hearing Services Melnick, Moffitt, and Mesaros 927 Russell Drive, Lebanon (717) 274-9775 Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Hospitals Good Samaritan Hospital 252 S. Fourth St., Lebanon (717) 270-7500 Medical Society of Lebanon County (717) 270-7500
Salvation Army (717) 273-2655
Hotlines Energy Assistance (800) 692-7462
Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020
Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Hotline (800) 541-2050
American Cancer Society (717) 231-4582
IRS Income Tax Assistance (800) 829-1040
American Diabetes Association (717) 657-4310
Medicaid (800) 692-7462
American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association (717) 207-4265
Medicare (800) 382-1274
American Lung Association (717) 541-5864 Arthritis Foundation (717) 274-0754 Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (717) 787-7500 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 Kidney Foundation (717) 652-8123 The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (717) 652-6520 Lupus Foundation (888) 215-8787
Housing Assistance & Resources Program (HARP) (717) 273-9328 Lebanon County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities (717) 274-1401
Maple Street Senior Community Center (717) 273-1048 Myerstown Senior Community Center (717) 866-6786 Northern Lebanon County Senior Community Center (717) 865-0944
Insurance Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833
Palmyra Senior Community Center (717) 838-8237
Legal Services Pennsylvania Bar Association (717) 238-6715 Office of Aging Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging (717) 273-9262 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Retirement Communities
Senior Center of Lebanon Valley (717) 274-3451 Southern Lebanon County Senior Community Center (717) 274-7541 Veterans Services Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681 Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771
StoneRidge Retirement Living (717) 866-3204 Senior Centers Annville Senior Community Center (717) 867-1796
Volunteer Opportunities RSVP of Capital Region, Inc. (717) 847-1539
PA Crime Stoppers (800) 472-8477 PennDOT (800) 932-4600
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Recycling (800) 346-4242 Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (800) 827-1000 Housing Assistance Hope (Helping Our People in Emergencies) (717) 272-4400
Simply mail this form and $15 for an annual subscription to: 50 plus Senior News • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Or, subscribe online at www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com! Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________ City:__________________________State: _____ Zip: _________________
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Social Security News
Q and A’s
Corporate Office: 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com
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50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community. On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.
May 2014
very month I receive questions from people all over Pennsylvania about all aspects of the Social Security program. I offer this column to share some of those questions and answers with the readers and to strengthen their understanding of Social Security.
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Question: How long do I need to work to become eligible for retirement benefits? Answer: Everyone born in 1929 or later needs 40 Social Security credits to be eligible for retirement benefits. You can earn up to four credits per year, so you will need at least 10 years of work to become eligible for retirement benefits. During your working years, earnings covered by Social Security are posted to your Social Security record. You earn credits based on those earnings. If you become disabled or die before age 62, the number of credits needed to qualify for Social Security benefits depends on your age at the time you die or become disabled. A minimum of six credits is required to qualify for Social Security benefits regardless of your age. You can create a my Social Security account to check and periodically monitor how many credits you have. Just go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount. Question: I have children at home, and I plan to retire next fall. Will my children be eligible for monthly Social Security payments after I retire?
Awards
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By John Johnston
Answer: Your children may get monthly Social Security payments if they are: • Unmarried and under age 18; • Age 19 and still in high school; or • Age 18 or over and became severely disabled before age 22 and continue to be disabled. For more information, read Benefits For Children available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
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Disability Question: Is there a time limit on how long you can get Social Security disability benefits? Answer: No. Your disability benefits will continue as long as your medical condition has not improved, and you cannot work. We will periodically review your case to determine if you continue to be eligible. If you are still receiving disability benefits when you reach your full retirement age, your disability benefits will automatically be converted to retirement benefits. The amount you receive will remain the same. Learn more about disability benefits at www.social security.gov/disability. Question: Why is there a five-month waiting period for Social Security disability benefits? Answer: Social Security provides only longterm disability, so we can only pay benefits after you have been disabled continuously for a period of five full calendar months. Social Security disability benefits begin with the sixth full month after the date your disability began. You are not entitled to benefits for any month during the waiting period. Learn more at our website: www.socialsecurity.gov/ disability. Supplemental Security Income Question: My grandfather, who is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), will be coming to live with me. Does he have to report the move to Social Security? Answer: Yes. An SSI beneficiary must report any change in living arrangements before the 10th day of the following month. If you do not report the change, your grandfather could receive an incorrect payment and have to pay it back, or he may not receive all the money that he is due. Failure to report a change to us could result in the deduction of a
penalty from his SSI benefits. Your grandfather also needs to report the new address to us to receive mail from us. You can report the change by mail or in person at any Social Security office. Call us toll-free at (800) 772-1213 (TTY: (800) 3250778). You can get more information by reading Understanding SSI at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi. Question: I want to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but I don’t know whether I qualify since I own my own home. Can I still get SSI? Answer: Yes, it is possible for you to qualify for SSI even if you own your own home. To be eligible for SSI, you cannot own more than $2,000 in resources for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. However, we do not count the house you live in as a resource. Of course, if you are disabled, you must file an application and wait for a medical decision on your claim, unless you are over the age of 65. There are other requirements you must meet as well. Learn more by reading You May Be Able To Get SSI, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Medicare Question: I found out that my daughter submitted incorrect information about my resources when she completed my Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs. How can I get my application changed now to show the correct amount? Answer: You can call (800) 772-1213 (TTY: (800) 325-0778) and let us know. We will match information on your application with data from other federal agencies. If there is a discrepancy that requires verification, we will contact you. For additional information about Medicare prescription drug plans or enrollment periods visit www.medicare.gov or call (800) 6334227. John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.
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Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers Bethany Village – The Oaks
Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 766-0279 • www.bethanyvillage.org
1000 Claremont Road • Carlisle, PA 17013 (717) 243-2031 • www.ccpa.net/cnrc
Number of Beds: 69 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Number of Beds: 290 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes
Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: CARF/CCAC; Eagle, LeadingAge PA Comments: Maplewood Assisted Living also available.
Homeland Center
Maple Farm
1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 (717) 221-7902 • www.homelandcenter.org
604 Oak Street • Akron, PA 17501 (717) 859-1191 • www.maplefarm.org
Number of Beds: 92 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Number of Beds: 46 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: AAHSA, LeadingAge PA (PANPHA), NHPCO, PHN, HPNA
Comments: A beautiful, full-service continuing care retirement community with a 146-year history of exemplary care.
Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: No Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Claremont provides quality skilled nursing and rehabilitation services for short- and long-term stays.
Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: LeadingAge, LeadingAge PA, Mennonite Health Services Comments: Maple Farm puts the person first so your choices matter. Enjoy the comforts of home with country kitchen, private bedroom, full bath, and great views.
Mennonite Home Communities
The Middletown Home
1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org
999 West Harrisburg Pike • Middletown, PA 17057 (717) 944-3351 • www.middletownhome.org
Number of Beds: 188 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Number of Beds: 102 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes
Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: Equal Housing, LeadingAge PA Comments: Person-centered care with reputation for compassion and excellence. Established in 1903. Respite care available w/minimum stay.
Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Our campus offers skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, personal care, and independent living residences.
Mt. Hope Nazarene Retirement Community
Pleasant Acres Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
3026 Mt. Hope Home Road • Manheim, PA 17545 (717) 665-6365 • www.mthopenazarene.org
118 Pleasant Acres Road • York, PA 17402 (717) 840-7100 • www.yorkcountypa.gov
Number of Beds: 50 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes
Number of Beds: 375 Rehabilitation Unit: No Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Physical, Occupational Respiratory Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: No 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes
Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: No Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: Leading Age, Lancaster Links, LCF, MC Chamber Comments: A church mission dedicated to great care in a loving Christian environment for low-income seniors.
Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: No Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Elm Spring Residence Independent Living on campus.
This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.
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Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers Spring Creek Rehabilitation & Health Care Center
StoneRidge Retirement Living
1205 South 28th Street • Harrisburg, PA 17111 (717) 565-7000 • www.springcreekcares.com
440 East Lincoln Avenue • Myerstown, PA 17067 (717) 866-3200 • www.stoneridgeretirement.com
Number of Beds: 404 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes
Number of Beds: 194 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: A charming campus offering short-term rehab, specialized respiratory services to include vents and tracs, Alzheimer unit, and long-term skilled care.
Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Continuing care retirement community with two Myerstown sites convenient to Lebanon, Berks, and Lancaster counties.
Tel Hai Retirement Community
Transitions Healthcare – Gettysburg
1200 Tel Hai Circle • Honey Brook, PA 19344 (610) 273-9333 • www.telhai.org
595 Biglerville Road • Gettysburg, PA 17325 (717) 334-6249
Number of Beds: 139 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: CARF, MHS Alliance, Leading Age Comments: Dedicated short-term rehab neighborhood with Tel Hai’s own therapy department dedicated to intensive therapy with goal of returning home.
Number of Beds: 135 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes
Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: PHCA, PACA Comments: Fully staffed Transitions Healthcare employees in skilled nursing and sub-acute rehab. Tours are encouraged!
Twin Pines Health Care Center 315 East London Grove Road • West Grove, PA 19390 (610) 869-2456 Number of Beds: 120 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: No Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes
Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: AHCA, PHCA Comments: Beautiful, brand new facility. Top-quality skilled nursing and rehab. Immediate openings!
If you would like to be featured on this important page, please contact your account representative or call (717) 285-1350.
This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.
Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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Savvy Senior
The Often-Ignored Warning Signs of a Mini-Stroke Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, How can a person know if they’ve had a stroke? My 70-year-old husband had a spell a few weeks ago where he suddenly felt dizzy for no apparent reason and had trouble talking and walking because his left side went numb, but it went away after a few minutes and he feels fine now. – Seems Fine Dear Seems, It’s very possible that your husband may have had a “mini-stroke,” also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), and if he hasn’t already done so, he needs to see a doctor pronto. Each year, more than a quartermillion Americans have a mini-stroke, but only about half of them realize what’s happening. That’s because the symptoms are usually fleeting (lasting only a few minutes, up to an hour or two), causing most people to ignore
them or brush them off as no big deal. But anyone who has had a ministroke is 10 times more likely to have a full-blown stroke, which can cause long-term paralysis, impaired memory, loss of speech or vision, or even death. A mini-stroke is caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain and can be a warning sign that a major stroke may soon be coming. That’s why mini-strokes need to be treated like emergencies. Who’s Vulnerable? A person is more likely to suffer a TIA or stroke if they are overweight or
inactive or have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, or diabetes. Other factors that boost the risks are age (over 60), smoking, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and having a family history of stroke. Men also have a greater risk for stroke than women, and African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk than those of other races.
They include:
Warning Signs The symptoms of a mini-stroke are the same as those of a full-blown stroke but can be subtle and short lived, and they don’t leave any permanent damage.
Anyone who is having any of these symptoms should call 911 immediately. Or, if you’ve had any of them and they went away, ask someone to drive you to the emergency room or nearby stroke
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
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LANCASTER COUNTY
May 5, 2014 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
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center as soon as possible and tell them you may have had a stroke.
estimate his risk of having a major stroke in the very near future.
Take This Quiz More than one-third of mini-stroke sufferers will eventually have a fullblown stroke, unless their underlying conditions are treated. If your husband did have a ministroke and did not get medical treatment, this self-assessment quiz (known as the ABCD2 tool) can
Age: If over age 60 – one point. Blood pressure: If his systolic blood pressure (top number) is higher than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) is higher than 90 – one point. Clinical features: If he had weakness on
Duration of symptoms: If his symptoms lasted for 10 minutes to an hour – one point. If they lasted an hour or longer – two points.
If his score is three or less, his risk of having a major stroke within a month of his TIA is 2 percent. A score of four or five indicates about an 8 percent risk for stroke within 30 days and a 10 percent risk within 90 days. And a score of six or seven estimates a 16 percent chance of stroke in 30 days and around 20 percent within 90 days.
Diabetes: If he has diabetes – one point.
Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org
one side of the body during his ministroke – two points. If he had a speech disturbance without weakness – one point.
Books: A Great Lesson in History Edward Bonekemper is a Civil War speaker, author, editor, and writer. He has published four Civil War books since 1998: Grant and Lee: Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian; McClellan and Failure: A Study of Civil War Fear, Incompetence and Worse; A Victor, Not a Butcher: Ulysses S. Grant’s Overlooked
Military Genius; and How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War. Civil War history buffs can purchase his books online at www.amazon.com or email Mr. Bonekemper at ebonekemper@comcast.net. Edward Bonekemper
Lebanon County Senior Games The Lebanon Valley Family YMCA is organizing the 29th annual Lebanon County Senior Games. If you are age 50 or over, you are invited to participate. Your registration fee of $10, due by May 11, enables you to compete in an unlimited number of events. (Note: There is an additional fee for the 18-hole golf tournament.) The games start on Wednesday, May 28, and run through Wednesday, June 4. There are a variety of activities for all levels of mobility held at various venues throughout the county. The opening ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. on May 28 at the Main YMCA. Wed., May 28 Table Tennis – 11 a.m. – Main YMCA 100-meter swim – Noon – Main YMCA Pickleball – 1:30 p.m. – Lebanon VA (YMCA) Thurs., May 29 1½-mile walk – 8 a.m. – Lions Lake (Water Street Entrance) ½-mile walk – 8 a.m. – Lions Lake (Water Street Entrance) Miniature golf – 9:30 a.m. – Watering Hole Golf Course (Coleman’s Park) Bowling – 1:30 p.m. – Cedar Lanes Fri., May 30 Golf – 8 a.m. Shotgun Start – Blue Mt. View Golf Course www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
Bingo – 1 p.m. – The Senior Center Building Mon., June 2 Cards (Pinochle) – 8:30 a.m. – The Senior Center Building Billiards – 9 a.m. – The Senior Center Building Shuffleboard – 1 p.m. – The Senior Center Building Tues., June 3 Badminton (singles and doubles) – 8 a.m. – Lebanon VA (YMCA) Basketball foul shooting – 10 a.m. – Lebanon VA (YMCA) Softball throw – 11 a.m. – Lebanon VA (YMCA) Bocce ball (Ages 70-79 and 80+) – 12:30 p.m. – Lebanon VA (YMCA) Bocce ball (Ages 50-59 and 60-69) – 2 p.m. – Lebanon VA (YMCA)
seniors as possible to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and exercise.
To request a registration form or for more information, contact The Lebanon Valley Family YMCA at (717) 273-2691.
Register Now! May 28– June 4 For Lebanon County Residents Age 50+ Registration Deadline: May 11
Many events ... various locations ... immeasurable enjoyment!
Wed., June 4 Horseshoes – 11 a.m. – Lebanon VA Picnic Grove The Closing Ceremony will be held in the Lebanon VA Picnic Grove on Wednesday, June 4 at noon. Registration forms are available at various locations throughout the county as well as the Lebanon Valley Family YMCA and The YMCA at the VA. We are dedicated to promoting healthy and active lifestyles for athletes age 50 and over and encourage as many
Compete in favorites such as bocce, table tennis, shuffleboard or bowling, just to name a few. Or participate in the golf tournament scheduled to begin May 30!
Call now for more information or to register:
717-273-2691
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May is Better Hearing & Speech Month Diabetes and Hearing Loss damage to the Signs of small blood vessels Hearing Loss in the inner ear, • Frequently asking Hearing loss is twice similar to the way others to repeat as common in in which diabetes themselves. can damage the people with eyes and the • Trouble following diabetes as it is in kidneys. But more conversations that research needs to involve more than those who don’t be done to discover two people. have the disease. why people with diabetes have a • Thinking that higher rate of others are mumbling. hearing loss. Since it can happen slowly, the • Problems hearing in noisy places such symptoms of hearing loss can often be as busy restaurants. hard to notice. In fact, family members and friends sometimes notice the hearing • Trouble hearing the voices of women loss before the person experiencing it. and small children.
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Diabetes and hearing loss are two of America’s most widespread health concerns. Nearly 26 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and an estimated 34.5 million have some type of hearing loss. Those are large groups of people, and it appears there is a lot of overlap between the two. A recent study found that hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don’t have the disease. Also, of the 79 million adults in the U.S. who have prediabetes, the rate of hearing loss is 30 percent higher than in those with normal blood glucose. Right now we don’t know how diabetes is related to hearing loss. It’s possible that the high blood glucose levels associated with diabetes cause
• Turning up the TV or radio volume too loud for others who are nearby. What should I do if I suspect a hearing loss? Talk to your primary care doctor. You may then want to seek help from hearing specialist like: an audiologist, a licensed hearing aid dispenser or a doctor who specializes in hearing problems. From a full hearing exam, you’ll learn more about your hearing loss. You will also be told what can be done to treat it. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association. Copyright 2014 American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org
Melnick, Moffitt & Mesaros ENT Associates Bring Baha 3 System to Lebanon County Do you only hear from one ear? the bone around it — forming a Have you tried a hearing aid without permanent structure with the living bone. success? Once this occurs, a sound processor is The Baha 3 System attached that enables may help you! the recipient to hear. Have you tried a Unlike a hearing Melnick, Moffitt & aid, the Baha 3 System Mesaros ENT hearing aid is an implantable Associates, in Lebanon, without success? bone-conduction is able to evaluate and hearing system that The Baha 3 System fit candidates with the uses the body’s natural Baha 3 System. The may help you! ability to conduct doctors and staff have sound. been providing excellent Bone, like air, healthcare for 23 years. conducts sound vibrations. Typical Call Melnick, Moffitt & Mesaros at hearing aids rely on air conduction and a 274-9775 to learn more about the Baha functioning middle ear. But in cases 3 System. where the middle ear is blocked or damaged, a bone-conduction system may ELNICK OFFITT be a better option. The Baha implant is surgically placed ESAROS SSOCIATES behind the non-functioning ear. After 927 Russel Drive, Lebanon approximately three months for adults, or six months for children, it bonds with (717) 274-9775
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Howard B. Melnick, MD • John J. Moffitt, MD Glen J. Mesaros, MD • Donald Short, M.A., FAAA • Sharon K. Hughes, M.S., CCC-A
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May is Better Hearing & Speech Month Good Samaritan Helps You Connect With Your World Hearing and speech are vital to communicating with the world around us. The effects of age, illness, or injury can cause losses to hearing and speech that are either slow and progressive or sudden. It is hard to put a value on hearing and speech until you experience a loss of ability. When that loss is slow, you may find yourself beginning to withdraw from your normal activities without even realizing it because you are struggling to communicate. The Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon offers evaluation and treatment options for hearing loss, speech issues, and even swallowing problems to help you connect with your world. If you or a loved one are missing conversation or avoiding activities you once enjoyed, hearing loss may be to blame. Trust the expert Good Samaritan audiology team to evaluate your hearing and determine if a hearing aid can
reconnect you with the people and world around you. Hearing evaluations are conducted at The Good Samaritan Hospital and can be conveniently scheduled by physician referral or by calling (717) 270-7812. If it is determined that your hearing loss requires a hearing aid, Good Samaritan prescribes nationally recognized, currentmodel hearing devices from the leaders in hearing aid research. And you will get a fair deal, because our staff doesn’t earn commission and all discounts are passed on to you. Unlike many others who sell hearing aids, our state-licensed audiologist, Dr. Carla Pielmeier, AuD, has both a master’s and doctorate in audiology, so she understands what causes hearing loss and prescribes the right hearing aid for your condition. She then ensures the customized settings are performing properly for you with computerized
verification of the hearing aid fitting. The clinic also offers assisted listening devices, customized hearing protection, and swim plugs as well as repair of hearing aids. In addition to comprehensive diagnostic audiological evaluations, The Good Samaritan Hospital Audiology/ Speech Clinic provides other services such as speech/cognition therapy following a stroke or accident, treatment for swallowing difficulties including VitalStim® Therapy, and voice therapy to improve weak voice or sound of your voice. Our speech/language pathologists at Good Samaritan are licensed by the state of Pennsylvania to treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. If hearing or speech problems are keeping you from doing the things you love or communicating with the world around you, let the Good Samaritan team help you reconnect. Good
Samaritan has advanced technology and treatment options and a team that cares about you and your concerns. That’s powerful medicine and comforting care. Only at Good Samaritan. To learn more about Good Samaritan’s hearing and speech services, please call (717) 270-7812 or visit us online at www.comfortingcare.org.
The Good Samaritan Hospital Audiology/Speech Clinic Lebanon
(717) 270-7812
The gift of hearing. And expert hearing care. If you or a loved one are missing conversation or avoiding activities you once enjoyed, trust the expert Good Samaritan Audiology team to evaluate your hearing and determine if a hearing aid could reconnect you to the people and world around you. • Hearing evaluations • Computerized verification of hearing aid fittings • Hearing devices from the leaders in hearing aid research • State-licensed Doctor of Audiology • Get a fair deal - no commissions and all discounts passed on to you Good Samaritan makes sure your hearing device fits your unique lifestyle, so you can hear everything you’ve been missing. Powerful medicine and comforting care. Only at Good Samaritan.
Powerful Medicine. Comforting Care. Good Samaritan Audiology | The Good Samaritan Hospital, Lebanon | 717.270.7812 | www.gshleb.org
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The Search for Our Ancestry
Censuses and Enumeration Districts on Ancestry.com Angelo Coniglio
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Now you can fill out the form doesn’t have some information found on displayed on the left, with specifics—an earlier censuses, like age at first marriage, ancestor’s name and other known date of immigration, or whether alien or information— naturalized. and begin your It did add some search. I questions, including Even though especially like the “Where did you live Ancestry.com is a 1940 census in 1935?” and “Is because it’s the there a radio in the paid site, its 1940 first one in which household?” census can be I (born in 1936) As with all have my name records, be wary of accessed free from recorded, and errors in the original any computer with what’s more, I spelling of the Internet capability. can search it name, dates given, throughout my etc., as well as in the old neighborhood transcription of the and find the names of boyhood friends. record by the Ancestry.com indexer. Note The 1940 census asked many of the that these latter errors, if they involve the same questions as those from 1910, names you are searching for, may prevent 1920, and 1930: address; name, gender, you from finding your relative’s names. and age; relationship to the head of the If that is the case, try various phonetic household; and country of birth. But it spellings of the name, use initials for
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ontinuing with newer features of the subscription genealogy site Ancestry.com, consider the 1940 U.S. federal census. This census was released to the public 72 years after its compilation, in April 2012, and was quickly indexed by numerous online sites. Even though Ancestry.com is a paid site, its 1940 census can be accessed free from any computer with Internet capability. Go to Ancestry.com and click on “Search.” On the drop-down menu, select “Census and Voter Lists.” Under “Narrow by Category,” select “U.S. Federal Census Collection.” (At this point, you could start searching all U.S. censuses by individuals’ names, but continue as described here to go specifically to the 1940 census.) Scroll down the page, and select “1940 United States Federal Census FREE!”
given names, etc. Be creative—you’d be surprised how a name could by mangled by a marginally literate enumerator, taking information from an illiterate citizen, speaking a foreign language! Sometimes no number of permutations of a name will have success. If that’s the case but you know the address where your relatives lived, one trick is to search for the name of a nearby neighbor (if you know them) of your family, possibly neighbors whose name was not misspelled by the enumerator or the indexer. If you find the neighbors, inspection of nearby entries may yield the information recorded for your relatives. If you don’t know the neighbors’ names but know the address, or at least the neighborhood, there’s another approach: searching by enumeration districts. please see CENSUSES page 19
Calendar of Events
Lebanon County
Programs and Support Groups
May 8, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Free Digital Planetarium Program for Senior Citizens: Black Holes Full Dome Show Cedar Crest High School 115 E. Evergreen Road, Lebanon Reservations at (717) 272-2033, ext. 5412
Free and open to the public
May 28, 6 to 7 p.m. Personal Care Family Support Group Linden Village 100 Tuck Court, Lebanon (717) 274-7400
What’s Happening? Give Us the Scoop! Please send us your press releases so we can let our readers know about free events occurring in Lebanon County! Email preferred to: mjoyce@onlinepub.com Let
help you get the word out! (717) 285-1350
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Senior Center Activities
Annville Senior Community Center – (717) 867-1796 200 S. White Oak St., Annville May 3, 10:30 a.m. – Mother-Daughter Luncheon May 20, 9 a.m. – Penny Bingo and BYO Picnic Lunch at Memorial Lake May 31, 3 p.m. – Country Western Night at Ono Fire Hall Maple Street Community Center – (717) 273-1048 710 Maple St., Lebanon May 2, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Game Day May 9, 9:30 a.m. – Breakfast Myerstown Senior Community Center – (717) 866-6786 51 W. Stoever Ave., Myerstown May 7, noon – Mother’s Day Luncheon, Off-Site May 29, 4 p.m. – Dinner and Miniature Golf, Off-Site Palmyra Senior Community Center – (717) 838-8237 101 S. Railroad St., Palmyra May 9, 11:30 a.m. – Mother’s Day Lunch, Off-Site May 19, 10:30 a.m. – 39th Center Anniversary and Entertainment Please contact your local center for scheduled activities.
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The Beauty in Nature
Feathered Competitors for Nesting Cavities Clyde McMillan-Gamber everal kinds of small, common birds in South-Central Pennsylvania, including eastern bluebirds, tree swallows, Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, house wrens, great crested flycatchers, and house sparrows, compete for limited nesting cavities. The hollows they use to raise young are caused by woodpeckers, wind breaking off tree limbs, decaying fence posts made of wood, and bird boxes erected by people concerned about bird populations. Each bird species’ allegiance to a specific habitat lessens competition for nesting sites among those birds. That loyalty to a certain environment brings order to where breeding birds will rear offspring. Bluebirds and tree swallows are most imprinted on meadows and fields that have some tall grass, shrubbery, and trees.
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And the swallows prefer habitats near water where flying insects are more abundant. Little gangs of tree swallows work together to chase lone pairs of bluebirds away from cavities. However, some male bluebirds, working alone, valiantly defend nesting hollows. But most of the confrontations between bluebirds and tree swallows end in favor of the swallows. However, tree
Your key to choosing the right living and care options for you or a loved one.
18th Edition Now Available!
Call today for your free copy! (717) 285-1350 In print. Online at onlinepub.com.
Eastern bluebird
swallows nest once a year, with their young leaving the cavities toward the end of June. Some pairs of bluebirds hatch babies after the young swallows fledge those nesting places, enabling the bluebirds to raise a brood. Chickadees, titmice, whitebreasted nuthatches, house wrens, and great crested flycatchers nest in holes in trees in woodlands and in cavities and nest boxes in older suburbs with their
many tall trees. These birds compete for nesting sites, but not completely. Chickadees and titmice hatch youngsters before the wrens and flycatchers return north in spring. But house wrens are aggressive, destroying the eggs of small, cavity-nesting birds, which discourages them from nesting where the wrens want to. And because the flycatchers are larger than chickadees and titmice, the latter two species can hatch young in cavities too small for the flycatchers’ use. The aggressive house sparrows compete with small birds for nesting spots, but these non-native weaver finches from Eurasia stay close to human-made structures. Therefore, they are little threat to birds nesting in hollows away from buildings. Look for cavity-nesters this spring. And, maybe, some readers could erect houses for these birds.
Support, assistance, and services for today’s caregiver — Let them know there’s help View the 2013 edition onlin at BusinessWomanPA.com e
Why advertise? • Your focused message reaches its targeted audience • Multi-venue promotion — online, in print, and social media platforms • Year-round distribution — annual women’s expos and 50plus EXPOs, local offices of aging, and other popular venues Articles • Directory of Providers • Ancillary and Support Services
CAREGIVER A key resource for individuals who SOLUTIONS work and provide care to a loved one. Deadline to Reserve Space is May 16, 2014 Inserted into the July issue of BUSINESSWoman magazine.
Call your representative or 717.285.1350 or email info@businesswomanpa.com. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com
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Book Review
Why Normandy Was Won: Operation Bagration and the War in the East 1941–1945 By Kenneth C. Weiler n June 1944, the German Wehrmacht had more than 217 combat divisions fighting in Europe. Fifty-seven were in Normandy, Belgium, and Holland—where were the others? Why were they there? Who and what kept them away? These questions and others are answered by author Ken Weiler in his book, Why Normandy Was Won. The Allied return to Europe in northwestern France was fully expected by the Nazi armies, but when they landed on D-Day,
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why was only a fraction of German fighting divisions there waiting, and why were many not staffed with ethnic Germans? This new look at the crucial struggle in northwestern France and western Russia for the first time connects the two most important fronts in Europe: the Western Front and the Russian Front. It discusses and explains
why the best and brightest of the German armies were not where they should have been, defending the beaches at Normandy, but instead deep in the heart and borderlands of Russia. About the Author Ken Weiler, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Army with the Department of Engineering and Military Science at Fort
Belvoir, Va., was also the legislative liaison NCOIC with the Army’s SAFEGUARD anti-ballistic missile program at the Department of Defense in Arlington, Va. He has written several articles on historical preservation and identification and is a member of the Hanover Historical Society and co-chairman of its museum committee. He is also a trustee of the Eisenhower Society and a volunteer curator at the Eisenhower National Historic Site, both in Gettysburg.
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The residents invited Joan Watroba, of the Pennsylvania Bluebird Society and editor of “Bluebird Trails & Tales” newsletter, to talk with them about starting their trail. “She was quite helpful,” Benjamin said. For instance, Watroba told them about monofilament lines (fishing line) that could be added to the front of birdhouses to keep undesirable birds, like the house sparrows, from entering and taking over the nest. Watroba also suggested where and how to place the birdhouses, such as having the openings pointing to the east, he said. Originally, the residents installed 40 birdhouses, but have since expanded them to 52 houses. They retrieved some old barn boards from local farmers, but soon realized it
would be easier to his wife Dorene, just buy new began monitoring the lumber instead of trail. trying to square up They use the the old boards. Pennsylvania While building Bluebird Society’s the bluebird houses, forms to keep track Benjamin said the each week of what residents decided kind of nest is in the they should hold a house, how many fundraiser with eggs there are, them to benefit the whether there are community’s adults sitting on the auxiliary. They were nests, and whether sold for $40 a pair, any eggs have with $32 going to hatched. But, he said, A finished bluebird house the auxiliary and they don’t open the ready to be posted. the rest to pay for nest to look. the building After the first eggs materials, he said. have hatched and fledged, there is often a Once the birdhouses were installed, second couple that will build a nest in the residents, including Benjamin and the house the same year to raise their
~Congratulations~ to the winner of the Best Bites survey and a $50 gift card from Giant:
Sharon Gettel Thank you to all who participated!
own brood, he said. During the first year of the trail, 22 bluebirds fledged, the second year 44 bluebirds fledged, and last year there were 62 fledglings. “We feel pretty happy with it,” Benjamin said. Besides the bluebirds, other birds such as chickadees, wrens, and tree swallows also build nests in the birdhouses, he said. “But there are so many variables concerning other species. Some stay all winter; others are picking out their houses (in March),” Benjamin said. Benjamin hopes the bluebirds get to their nests early enough to beat the wrens and other birds to them. With as many fledglings as they had last year, “I hope the fledglings come back this year and take the houses around campus before anybody else,” he said.
Time is a Priceless Gift Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others? Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus Senior News’
Volunteer Spotlight!
Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged. Email preferred to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus Senior News, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.
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Elder Law Attorneys
Specific areas of elder law in which the firm specializes:
Blakey, Yost, Bupp & Rausch, LLP David A. Mills, Esquire
17 East Market Street, York, PA 17401 717-845-3674 fax 717-854-7839 dmills@blakeyyost.com www.blakeyyost.com
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The Elder Law Firm of Robert Clofine 120 Pine Grove Commons, York, PA 17403 717-747-5995 fax 717-747-5996 clofine@estateattorney.com www.estateattorney.com
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Robert Clofine is the former president of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys. Medicaid; nursing home asset protection; estate planning; estate settlement.
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Daley Zucker Meilton & Miner, LLC 635 North 12th Street, Suite 101 Lemoyne, PA 17043 717-724-9821 fax 717-724-9826 ppatton@dzmmlaw.com • www.dzmmlaw.com
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Keystone Elder Law 555 Gettysburg Pike, Suite C-100, Mechanicsburg 43 Brookwood Ave, Suite 1, Carlisle 717-697-3223 toll-free 844-697-3223 karen@keystoneelderlaw.com www.keystoneelderlaw.com
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Salute to a Veteran
What’s a submarine commander doing with the likes of Doris Day and Mary Martin? Robert D. Wilcox orman “Red” Stein says, “In New Kensington High School, near Pittsburgh, I was a lot more interested in football, basketball, boxing, and girls (not necessarily in that order) than I was in study.” His parents seemed to have noted that, too, and he was soon enrolled as a sophomore at Valley Forge Military Academy. He says, “That absolutely changed my life. It introduced me to a life of discipline and study.” He still played sports, of course, competing in football, boxing, and track. He also participated in three years of Army ROTC. He remembers that in his sophomore year, he won the school’s championship, boxing against the captain of the football team, which gained him much respect on campus. But it was his play as a halfback on the school’s first undefeated football team that helped win him a scholarship to North Carolina State University. There he played one year before deciding to try for a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy. He was fortunate enough to land that, and he played sports there, winning the boxing crown
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LCDR Norman “Red” Stein (far right) with Doris Day aboard the submarine Blackfin, where he was executive officer.
at 155 pounds as a Plebe. He also played jayvee and varsity football before suffering a knee injury that ended his football career. At the Academy, he met Dusty Dornin, a much-medaled hero submariner of WWII, who impressed him by picturing life in submarines as providing the inclusiveness and fraternity of an infantry platoon. So, when graduating from the Academy in 1952, submarine service was much on his mind. However, he was required to first have a year in surface ships. Assigned to an amphibious landing ship, he headed for the Pacific.
In Flanders Fields In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky, The larks, sill bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago, We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved and now we lie, In Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe To you, from failing hands, we throw, The torch, be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us, who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow, In Flanders Fields. —John McCrae
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Photo courtesy of Jeremy Hess Photography
Red Stein today, in retirement, with his Husky, “Balti.”
He especially remembers their serving as station ship in Hong Kong for 20 days, their role being ready to evacuate U.S. citizens as might be needed. He also recalls with affection knowing the owner of Hong Kong Old Mary’s shop, where seamen from everywhere bought cloth for civilian suits that were tailored for them overnight. Then he got his wish for the submarine duty that was to occupy him for 19 years. Leaving from Key West, he started by patrolling the North Atlantic, where his sub was once hit by the most vicious storm he had ever seen. They had to surface to recharge the sub’s batteries, and he says, “The seas were so high that, on the surface, we couldn’t use the air intakes to get air to the engines. We had to use our snorkel, and were barely able to avoid its being awash. We lost all our communication antennas, all radar, and one periscope. When we submerged, we were still rolling 15 degrees even at a depth of 150 ft. That Atlantic duty was followed by two years as an instructor at the Submarine School at Groton, Conn. Then it was off to the Pacific Northwest, making patrols off Okinawa, Japan, and other islands. He remembers one time in 1963, however, when they returned to Long Beach and were picked to be the sub to appear in a Doris Day movie, “Move Over, Darling,” where Doris played the role of a wife whose passenger plane goes down in the Pacific and who is marooned on a Pacific Island for five years before being picked up by a
submarine and returned to the U.S. And, surprisingly, that was not Stein’s only touch with Hollywood. Once, when his sub pulled into Okinawa, Mary Martin was touring with the entire cast of “Hello, Dolly.” It packed a huge field house. Stein and his crew enjoyed the show. Then he sent Mary a card inviting her and the whole cast to tour his submarine, the Sea Fox. She sent a kind note, explaining why the schedule wouldn’t permit that, and Stein sent her a certificate making her an Honorary Member of the Sea Fox crew. Mary later sent him an autographed playbill cover for the show, writing on it, “Hello, Red, from an Honorary Crew Member of the Sea Fox, Mary Martin.” Years later, when Mary was starring on Broadway with Robert Preston in “I Do! I Do!” Stein sent her a note saying, “The commanding officer of a submarine has the right to visit honorary members of his crew at any time.” Mary’s husband then called Stein to say that tickets for him and his wife Lonnie would be waiting for them at the box office. They, of course, attended. And after the show, he and Lonnie were ushered backstage to visit with Mary. Stein says, “You can’t believe how warm and cordial she was to us.” Stein spent his last Navy years at the Pentagon, where he was responsible for the administration of the Submarine Intelligence Program. He remembers once going to the White House to conduct a briefing for a Strategy Committee. How did that go? “Well,” he says, “I got to make Henry Kissinger laugh, so I guess it went OK.” Stein retired from the Navy as a captain in 1978 and spent 12 years working in his dad’s insurance business and “playing a lot of golf.” He and Lonnie then moved close to Annapolis and built a home there. In 2007, another Navy captain friend invited him and Lonnie to look at a retirement community in South-Central Pennsylvania. They came, found it suited them perfectly, and they’ve lived there with their Husky, Balti, ever since. Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.
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CROSSWORD
Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18
WORD SEARCH
Across
SUDOKU
1. 5. 11. 13. 15. 17. 18. 19. 21. 22. 24. 25.
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Traveltizers
Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel
The Wacky Worlds of Eccentric Geniuses By Andrea Gross was blown away the first time I encountered visionary art, and I mean this literally as well as figuratively. I was standing in an open field, looking at 30 or more “things” that rose 50 feet in the air. They were made of cast-off machine parts, painted in vivid colors and covered with thousands of small reflectors. Suddenly the wind came up, some of the parts started to spin, and I began to feel dizzy. It was all part of the experience of visiting Vollis Simpson’s “garden.” Since that time, I’ve become a fan of the wacky worlds created by eccentric geniuses. They remind me that with passion and imagination, anything is possible. Here, three of the best:
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New Mexico’s Tinkertown is the life work of skilled woodcarver Ross Ward.
Wisconsin’s Dickeyville Grotto incorporates shards of glass, fossilized fish, and parts of Model T cars.
folk-art aficionados. His smaller pieces can be seen at various places, including the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Many of his massive structures have been relocated from his property in Lucama, N.C., to the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park (www.wilsonwhirligig park.org) in nearby Wilson. Phase one of the 2-acre park opened to the public in November 2013.
Dickeyville Grotto – Wisconsin Father Mathias Wernerus started small. In 1925 he decided to honor the three men in his parish who were killed during World War I by building a soldiers’ monument at the edge of the church cemetery. The project grew as Wernerus expanded his vision. He would, he decided, build a roadside attraction in order to promote the two values he felt
Tinkertown – New Mexico “Ideas,” said Ross Ward, “are everywhere. Pick them like flowers.” That Ward did, becoming inspired by the Western movies he loved as a child, by the carnivals and circuses where he worked as a traveling painter, and by materials he found along the way. Now, more than 1,500 miniature carvings, as well as a host of collectibles that include arcade machines and Route 66 road signs, are on permanent display in a rambling 22-room museum outside of Albuquerque.
Puzzles shown on page 17
Puzzle Solutions
Whirligig Garden – North Carolina Vollis Simpson, who passed away May 31, 2013, at age 94, made his first spinning contraption during World War II when, in addition to his regular job repairing highways, he was asked to fix a broken washing machine. His make-do invention worked, thus foreshadowing his post-retirement hobby of turning scrap material into gyrating gizmos. Some folks call Simpson’s creations “windmills,” others call them “whirligigs,” and some just call them weird. But what’s for sure is that they spin in a breeze, whirl in a wind, and shine like the stars when, at night, they’re caught in the glare of a car’s headlights. Since we met him 20 years ago, Simpson has become an icon among
Vollis Simpson’s whirligigs are in Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum and the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park , but their first home was on his property in Lucama, N.C.
were essential to a person’s well-being: love of God and love of country. In the following five years before he died at age 58 of an undiagnosed illness, he turned the small plot of land next to the staid Holy Ghost Church into a wonderland of shrines using found and discarded materials: shards of colorful glass, stones from costume jewelry, bits of petrified wood, fossilized sea urchins, starfish, and even the round balls used on top of the gearshifts of old Model T’s. He worked passionately, first gathering rocks from the bluffs of the nearby Mississippi River for the foundation; then making forms from wood and wire, coating them with mortar; and finally, encrusting them with the decorative materials that he collected from around the world. He involved parishioners to help with the building and worked nearly round the clock. He never used a blueprint, yet he was able to use the color and shapes of his materials to create structures that are expressive, balanced, and completely enchanting. www.dickeyvillegrotto.com
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But the real magic in Ward’s makebelieve world is a series of incredibly detailed dioramas that represent the Old West of Ward’s imagination. Five mini-folks sit on the porch of a ramshackle house strumming guitars; men in horse-drawn wagons deliver water to the Monarch Hotel; shopkeepers hawk Native American rugs and relics to passersby; and Perry’s Polar Pantry promises to keep residents well fed while the Lucky Nugget Saloon guarantees to keep them well lubricated. There are also circuses populated with clowns, acrobats, elephants, and caged tigers as well as carnivals peopled with freaks and oddities.
By the time I get to the minicemetery, I’m so immersed in Ward’s imaginary world that even the carefully carved angels ascending to heaven seem perfectly plausible. www.tinkertown.com Other Wacky Worlds: Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, Calif., www.winchestermystery house.com Abita Mystery House – Abita Springs, La., www.abitamysteryhouse.com Castle Island – Junction City, Kan., www.kansastravel.org/krachtcastle.htm
Exhibitors • Health Screenings
15th Annual
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Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).
Seminars
DAUPHIN COUNTY
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May 27, 2014
Demonstrations CENSUSES
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from page 12
FREE!
Entertainment
Enumeration districts were subdivisions of localities, established so that a manageable area could be assigned to each census enumerator, or recordtaker. Before the computer age, if you wanted to search a census, you would go to library for a (paper) map that outlined the enumeration districts (EDs) for the city or town you wanted. You’d find the number of the enumeration district for the street address of the subject of your research and then go to a (paper) copy of the census and page through to the right ED to look for the information. A tedious process, but now it can be done online if direct searches by an individual’s name fail to give results. On Ancestry.com, you can click on “Search” and select “Card Catalog.” In the “Title” box, type (exactly) “U.S. Enumeration.” Then hit “Search” and click on “U.S. Enumeration District
Maps and Descriptions, 1940.” Then, under “Browse this Collection,” enter the appropriate information, and you’ll find a map of your target city, with ED numbers superimposed on the neighborhoods. Now you can return to the 1940 census search described above, but this time use the right side of the form to enter the state, county, city, and enumeration district. There could be 10 to 20 pages to go through, but you may be rewarded with the 1940 census records of your ancestors. Write to Angelo at genealogytips@aol.com or visit his website, www.bit.ly/AFCGen. He is the author of the book The Lady of the Wheel (La Ruotaia), based on his genealogical research of Sicilian foundlings. See www.bit.ly/ruotaia or www.amzn.to/racalmuto for more information.
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325 University Drive Hershey
11th Annual
12th Annual
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CHESTER COUNTY
YORK COUNTY
June 10, 2014
Sept. 17, 2014
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. FREE! Church Farm School
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. York Expo Center FREE!
1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton
Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Avenue York
15th Annual
18th Annual
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
LANCASTER COUNTY
Oct. 22, 2014 FREE!
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One of America’s top hospitals.
The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality ® Measures 2012
Right here in Lebanon County.
• Heart Attack • Heart Failure • Pneumonia • Surgical Care
The Good Samaritan Hospital is recognized by The Joint Commission as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® for achieving excellence in performance on its accountability measures during 2012 for Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Surgical Care.
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Out of the 3,343 eligible hospitals submitting accountability measure data to The Joint Commission, The Good Samaritan Hospital was one of 1,099 to meet or exceed the target rates of performance. High-quality healthcare that cares for our community. That’s powerful medicine and comforting care. Only at Good Samaritan.
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