50 plus - january 2011
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The magazine for active, mature lifestylesTRANSCRIPT
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ORALSTORYTELLINGPRESERVESHISTORY 4Recording our stories to createand preserve family identity andhistory.
CREATE APERSONALPENSION PLAN 5Tips and options to plan for yourfinancial future.
FEATURE STORY:
BUILDINGFUTURES 8Wakefield the Face of LocalHabitat for Humanity Chapter
50plus!
2 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Oral Storytelling Preserves History
Table
ofContents
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2 . JaJanu
Make A Note to Yourselfto be Grateful Each Day 3
Oral StorytellingPreserves History 4
Create a PersonalPension Plan 5
Exercise, Drink Tea toPrevent Dementia 6
Things To Do 7
Savvy Senior 11
On the Cover:BUILDING FUTURES 8Jean Wakefield, executive directorof Manitowoc County Habitat forHumanity, poses inside the livingroom, with the kitchen in thebackground, of the latest home thechapter built, at 2401 S. 21st St.,Manitowoc, for the Vue Xiong family.Sue Pischke/50 Plus
StaffPat Pankratz, 50 Plus! [email protected]
James Maurer,Advertising [email protected].
50 Plus! is published monthly bythe Herald Times Reporter. It also isdistributed to select businesses inManitowoc County.
50plus!Judy Rank | For 50 plus!
As 2010 draws to an end, there is nobetter time than now to reflect on themany blessings bestowed upon us duringthis year. While there are some who mayhave fallen upon difficult times this year,Manitowoc County is abundant withresources and generous people willingto help those less fortunate. As 2011approaches, take the opportunity to lookat ways of helping yourself and otherswho may need your support.
The Aging and Disability ResourceCenter (ADRC) is very grateful forthe many individuals who have chosento share their time and expertise withthe agency to help fulfill its mission ofproviding information and resources tothe elderly and disabled that allow themto maintain a healthy lifestyle in thecommunity. This past year the ADRC,with the help of nearly 20 very caringand committed volunteers, was able toestablish transportation opportunities forour rural elderly population.
With the delivery of two minivans fromthe Department of Transportation, thevillages of Kellnersville, St. Nazianz,Valders, Reedsville and Mishicot have adesignated day during the week in whichindividuals who are elderly and disabled,andwho lack transportationopportunities,may utilize the van service into the cityof Manitowoc for just $3 one way. Thisprogramwill expand toother communitiesduring 2011. More information about theprogram is available by contacting LindaGrider, mobility manager for the county,by calling the ADRC at (920) 683-4180.
The ADRC will be working with theDepartment of Transportation inconducting a survey to identify futuretransportation needs that will be requiredas babyboomers begin to enter retirementage. Surveys are available by contactingthe ADRC. It may become available onthe county’s website in the future. Pleasewatch for news releases that will providemore information about the survey.
The census data that has been collectedin 2010 will be helpful in identifying thenumber of households in the county thatdo not have an automobile, as well as thenumber of individuals over the age of 18who cannot drive. This information willbe combined with the survey results toestablish future transportation needs.
Family CareThe ADRC is entering its 10th monthof assisting people in acquiring longterm-care support through FamilyCare. Long term care services that wereprovided through a Community Options
ADRC Focus on Transportation NeedsProgram offered by the county’s Human ServicesDepartment has been successfully transferred toeither a managed care organization or through aself directed program called IRIS. The ADRCserves as the single entry point for long-term careservices.
Staff from the ADRC are trained to counselwith people about options that they can affordwith their own resources, as well as options thatare available for individuals who have spentthrough their resources. Individuals must beboth functionally eligible and financially eligiblebefore they can access either of these programs.
The managed care organization is operated byLakeland Care District. This program provides acase manager that helps to coordinate services.The Include, Respect, Self-Direct (IRIS)program provides an independent consultantwho can assist an individual in setting up his/her own care program. Services are available forindividuals who are developmentally disabled,physically disabled, and/or elderly.
Prevention is KeyPrevention is a key component of the ADRC’smission. Its goal is to assist people in stayinghealthy and out of expensive health careinstitutions. In 2010 emphasis was placed onexpanding Stepping On, a seven-week programthat teaches skills that can increase balance andprevent falls.
The ADRC is hoping to work with KewauneeCounty in 2011 in promoting its Living Wellprogram.This six-weekprogramhelpsparticipantswho have a chronic condition to understand theircapabilities and limits so that they are able tobetter care for themselves. Volunteers are beingsought to be co-facilitators to help expand thisprogram. Training will take place in the nextfew months. Please call the ADRC for moreinformation or to volunteer.
All of the staff of the ADRC wish everyone aHappy New Year.
Judy Rank is executive director of the ManitowocCounty Aging and Disability Resource Center.
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3 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Virtually no one writes thank-you notes anymore.That includes me. I have no excuse, other thanlaziness and horrible handwriting.
I even have a box of crisp, cream-colored Cranecards—my name engraved on top— just perfectfor dashing off a note. The box is full.
Instead, I’ll pick up the phone or send a quicke-mail to say thank you. Give me some credithere. I think that’s better than doing nothing,don’t you?
Most people these days do just that. Nothing.
Take them to a nice dinner? Nothing.
Buy them a birthday present? Nothing.
Send some money? Nothing. Maybe I’m hanging
Craig WilsonUSA [email protected]
around the wrong crowd.
I do have some friends who actually still writethank-you notes. I can count them on one hand.
There must be a special place in the afterlifefor them. I would also bet once they got there,they’d send a thank-you note to whoever it waswho gave them the upgrade. On lovely stationery,too. Written in fountain pen.
These days, I’d take any sign of gratitude, anysignal. I’d settle for smoke. Heck, I’d settle forElvis. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
For decades now writers to newspaper advicecolumnists have complained about this.
How do we know if they got the wedding
Make A Note to Yourself to be Grateful Each Daypresent, they’ll ask? We received noacknowledgment.
How do we know if the grandkids gottheir birthday cards with the moneyin it? Again, nothing. Not even aphone call.
And now, with Christmas come andgone, the same questions will beasked. Did they get the present? Did they likeit?
John Kralik has gone a bit the other way. I’mstill trying to figure out if he’s a nutcase ornot.
He spent a year writing one thank-you notea day. Yes, 365 of them. That’s the name ofhis new book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year aSimple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed MyLife (Hyperion, $22.99), out Dec. 28.
Kralik’s life was falling apart so he decided —he heard a voice! — to learn to be grateful forwhat he had by writing a thank-you note everyday — to a relative, a colleague, the barista atStarbucks. Worked for him.
When I got hit by a car earlier this year, I washumbled by the outpouring of support. Cards.Letters. Food. Flowers.
I’m ashamed to say I did not write one thank-you note. But I thanked everyone in one wayor another, mostly in person, which I think iseven better than a note.
I did not respond to the driver who hit me,though. Some things are better left unsaid.
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4 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Storytelling has traditionally been a delightfulway to engage children. Most of us remembercurling up on the lap of a parent or older relativeto hear their stories. But there are more stories,grown-up stories that are equally, and perhapseven more important.
These are our own personal stories, the storiesof our lives, of our parents’ lives and ourgrandparents’ lives.
Oral history is one of the hot topics right now and,considering the digital nature of our society, maybe one of our most important legacies. Perhapsyou are familiar with National Public Radio’sStoryCorp, anoralhistoryprogramwhose“missionis to provide Americans of all backgrounds andbeliefs with the opportunity to record, share, andpreserve the stories of our lives.”
This national program has collected 30,000 storiessince its founding in 2003 and, while it is animportant endeavor, we assume that it is nationaland has little to do with us.
Why are our own histories meaningful to ourfamilies? Our stories create a patchwork historyof personal and family identity that gives ourchildren, grandchildren and future generations aglimpse into their history; our stories give a strongsense of identity.
When you consider that you may remember yourown grandparents and can tell their stories, thathistory could reach back 100 years or more. Whata rich legacy. This type of history is not the stuffhistory books are made of, it is the stuff that reallife is made of.
Perhaps you grew up during The GreatDepression, fought in World War II or theKorean Conflict, and, if you are a baby boomer,were involved in the Women’s Movement, theHippie movement, or the Vietnam War. If youfarmed, worked in a factory, were a professional,what was that like?
This is living history, what history books donot cover, the real story in history, the fabric ofeveryday people living everyday lives.
Constructing a family history includes ourimmigrant stories, our struggles for education— or coping with the lack of it — the strugglefor equality, or keeping our families together intough times.
Often we assume our families know our stories,but they don’t and if we do not tell them, thestory is lost. That was something discoveredby student interviewers at UW-Milwaukee’sHmong Diaspora Studies Program. Children whoheard their grandparents’ stories of the Hmongemigration to the United States commented, “Younever told me,” to which their elders responded,“You never asked.”
This is an opportunity to open lines ofcommunication between generations.
In 2008, Laurel Grove Assisted Living Centerin Manitowoc began a project with the writingstudents in Professor Laura Apfelbeck’s writing
Oral Storytelling Preserves Historyclass at UW-Manitowoc. The students wereinstructed to list the historic times in the past75 years they would be interested in, and the listwas matched with the experiences of the LaurelGrove residents who participated.
What the two groups created, and continue tocreate, is a lasting gift to the community. Manystudents, when first given the assignment, feltthis was the worst task they would have in thesemester.When finished, they found that they hadlearned much from the people they interviewedabout history, about tough times, about weddingtraditions and families, and about aging.
At Wisconsin Oral History Day held at UW-Milwaukee in March 2010, Professor Apfelbecknoted that “the best stories are not the ones wehear in the living room, they’re the stories wehear in the kitchen, the real stories.”
Getting started may be daunting but, with a littlethought and organization, it is not complicated.Peggy Turnbull, librarian at UW-Manitowoc,commented at Oral History Day that what isimportant is getting started. Over-planning canweigh a project down and slow the start.
With the Laurel Grove/UW-Manitowoc project,students and faculty created an organic programthat evolved, with hurdles being addressed asthey occurred. The point is to begin collectingstories because living history is tenuous.
As time goes on, commented Turnbull, the workbecomes very precious. Essentially, to launch yourproject you need two things: a list of questionsand electronic equipment. It needn’t be elaborateand could be as simple as a tape or kind of audioplayer. Perhaps the most efficient method isusing a small digital camera with a small tabletoptri-pod to fix the camera in place at the correctheight to record and tape the interview.
This is the easiest to use and is very accessiblefor transcription and copying. Digital moviecameras, from which you can download videos toyour computer, can cost as little as $100 and smalltripods are under $20.
Prepare a list of questions before the interview.StoryCorp’s web site (www.storycorps.org)contains a good set of basic questions. Some youmay want to skip and some will give you ideasof where you can take an interview on a morepersonal or more important note.
For example, if you or your interviewee had beenon a submarine or worked at the ManitowocShipyards during WWII, that could evoke a set ofspecific questions.
A quiet place, such as the living room or thekitchen table, are perfect settings. When youbegin your interview, identify the interviewer, theinterviewee, the date and the location includingthe state to frame the interview’s place in history.Ask the foundation questions first, where theperson was born, their position in the family, thenumber of siblings, and background informationon their family.
It is important that the interviewer be almost
invisible to theviewer; theirrole is to keepthe interview ontrack, to evokeresponses andto move theinterview backto somethingthat appears to have been important and needsfilling out.
Use open-ended questions that evoke a response,questions such as “how did rural electrificationchange your life?” or “What was it like for a kidfrom rural Wisconsin to land in Italy during thewar?”
Once recorded, these family records can beburned to DVDs from your computer and makespecial family gifts. The stories of where we comefrom are important, sharing our stories is sharingour history.
Susan Frost is president of FrostMarketing Communications, Inc., amarketing, advertising, and publicrelations firm. She is an associatelecturer in the Humanities at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
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5 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Create a Personal Pension PlanSteve Ford is a State Farm agent in Manitowoc.He can be contacted at (920) 682-2997; ore-mail [email protected].
For much of the recent past, individuals enteringretirement could look to a number of potentialsources for the steady income needed to maintaina decent standard of living. They include:
■ Defined Benefit (DB) employer pensions:In these plans the employer promises topay a specified monthly amount for the lifeof the retiree and/or spouse. Very few non-governmental employers offer these plans anymore.
■ Social Security: Designed to replace only a partof an individual’s working income. Social Securityprovides a known benefit for the life of a retireeand his or her spouse.
■ Defined Contribution (DC) plans: Such as401(k), 403(b), or 457 plans, which allow forcontributions from the employee (and in somecases from the employer as well) to a retirementaccount. The funds in the account, whatever theyamount to at retirement, are used to provideretirement income.
■ Individual retirement plans: Such as TraditionalIRAsorRothIRAs.Theseare “individual” versionsof employer sponsored DC plans. The funds inthe IRA at retirement, whatever the amount, arealso used to provide retirement income.
The Changing Face of RetirementThe saying that “life is what happens when you’remaking other plans” is particularly true when itcomes to retirement income planning for severalkey reasons:
■ Fewer employer pensions: Over the past several
decades, many employers have changed fromdefined benefit to defined contribution plans.This eliminates the employer’s future liability.From 1985 to 2000, for example, the rate ofparticipation in defined benefit plans by full-timeemployees of medium and large private firmsdropped from 80 percent to 36 percent.
■ Social Security: Social Security is a “pay-as-you-go” system, with current workers supportingthose already receiving benefits. As the babyboom generation begins to retire, the numberof individuals remaining in the workforce tosupport them grows smaller. Although politicallyunpleasant, fiscal reality may force higher payrolltaxes, reductions in benefits, or both.
■ We’re living longer: A child born in 1900 had anaverage life expectancy of 47.3 years. For a childborn in 2007, however, average life expectancyhad increased to 77.9 years.
With the stable, lifetime income stream fromemployer pensions and Social Security playingan ever-shrinking role, retirement incomeplanning demands that each individual accept ahigher degree of personal responsibility for bothaccumulating and managing the assets needed topay for retirement. Andmanaging these assets hasto be done in a world where fluctuating interestrates and sometimes volatile financial markets area fact of life.
Extended life spans mean that money has to lastlonger, although exactly how long is unknown.Rampant inflation, a bad investment, majorhealth problems, or an extended period of “down”
markets could lead to outliving your assets.
One Possible AnswerLife insurance is designed to help solvethe problems created when someone diesprematurely. An annuity, on the other hand, isdesigned to protect against the possibility of livingtoo long. An “immediate” annuity is a contractbetween an individual and a life insurancecompany. In exchange for a single, lump-sumpremium, the insurance company agrees to beginpaying a regular income to you for a period ofyears or for life.
The payment amount depends on a number offactors:
■ Premium paid — The larger the payment, thelarger the income stream.
■ Age — Older individuals typically receivelarger payments.
■ Payout period selected — A shorter payoutperiod usually results in a larger payment.
Immediate fixed annuities provide the security ofa guaranteed income. Even if returns on otherinvestments slump — either because of fallinginterest rates, a weak economy, or a shaky stock
market — your annuity payments remain steady.And if you purchase the annuity outside of anIRA, a portion of each payment is considered atax-free return of your principal.
With an immediate annuity you control the termof the payout to meet your needs and protectsurvivors. You can choose income for yourlifetime, or your lifetime and the lifetime of yourspouse known as a joint and survivor annuity.You can also add a guaranteed number of yearsoption.
Immediate annuities appeal to people whoreceive a lump sum of money from a retirementplan, stock options, or inheritance, and who wantto make sure that the money generates incomefor the rest of their lives. Immediate annuitiesmay also be a smart solution for those who feeluncomfortable about managing investments ontheir own.
Annuities are not insured by the FDIC or anygovernment agency. Since an annuity may bepayable for decades into the future, dealing with afinancially solid insurer is essential. Credit ratingcompanies such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s,or Moody’s can provide an objective measure of afirm’s financial stability.
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6 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
By Mary Brophy MarcusUSA TODAY
Improved living and diet habits — includinglots of physical activity, regular tea-drinking andsufficient vitamin D levels — could reduce therisk of brain decline, according to three studiespresented recently.
“These are encouraging,” says William Thies,chief medical and scientific officer of theAlzheimer’s Association. “These types of studiesmake people think, ‘Well gosh, maybe I can dosomething about this disease.’ ”
The studies were presented at the Alzheimer’sAssociation International Conference inHonolulu.
Oneof the studies is from theFramingham,Mass.,cardiovascular risk study, in which researchersfrom Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston,among others, tracked more than 1,200 elderlypeople over 20 years, 242 of whom developeddementia.
The researchers found that participants who hadmoderate to heavy levels of physical activity hadabout a 40 percent lower risk of developing anytype of dementia. Those who reported the leastamount of activity were 45 percent more likelyto develop dementia compared with those whologged higher levels of activity.
In a second study, including data on morethan 4,800 men and women ages 65 and older,participants were followed for up to 14 years. Tea
Exercise, Drink Tea to Prevent Dementiadrinkers had less mental decline than non-teadrinkers. Those who drank tea one to four timesa week had average annual rates of decline 37percent lower than people who didn’t drink tea.
Coffee didn’t show any influence except at thehighest levels of consumption, researchers say.AuthorLenoreArab ofUCLA says, “Interestingly,the observed associations are unlikely to berelated to caffeine, which is present in coffee atlevels two to three times higher than in tea.”
In a third study, British researchers looked atvitaminD’s effect on brain health. They examineddata from 3,325 U.S. adults ages 65 and olderfrom the NHANES III study. Vitamin D levelswere measured by blood test, and cognitive testswere administered. Odds of cognitive impairmentwere about 42 percent higher in those deficientin vitamin D, and 394 percent higher in peopleseverely deficient.
“Vitamin D is neuro-protective in a numberof ways, including the protection of the brain’sblood supply and the clearance of toxins,” saysauthor David Llewellyn of the University ofExeter Peninsula Medical School.
“More and more studies are suggesting thatlifestyle changes may be able to silence theexpression of risk genes, a phenomenon calledepigenetics,” says Duke University’s MuraliDoraiswamy, an expert on aging. He says learninghow to tap into that is going to be a high priority.
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7 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
THINGS TO DORummage-A-RamaJan. 8 at the Manitowoc County Expo.Perfect for selling or buying items like crafts, antiques,collectibles and Amish bakery. Concessions areavailable, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fee charged.
Adult Education Series:The Wonder of It All Snow Shoe HikeJan. 12 at Woodland Dunes, rural Two Rivers.Enjoy an easy hike along a conifer trail to explore thelandscape and learn winter survival strategies. Noon.Free. (920) 793-4007
SweetWater Sea Concerts/Red StarExpress | Jan. 15 at 620 Park St.One block east of the Rahr-West Art Museum. Solidharmonies and splendid instrumentals from a giftedcore of players. 7 p.m.
Pine Needle Basket Weaving ClassJan. 16, Woodland Dunes.Bring a small scissors, a thimble, and reading glasses,and join Linda Conroy to learn this traditional artform. Noon to 4:30 p.m. (920) 793-4007
UW-Manitowoc Lakeshore Big Band“The Biggest of the Big Bands: The Bestof Broadway”Jan. 22, Capitol Civic Centre.Selections include A Broadway Journey: 25 Years ofGolden Musical Classics, Cole Porter on Broadway,Brass on Broadway, and Phantom of the Opera,7:30 p.m. (920) 683-4733
“Deer Camp: The Musical”Jan. 29, Capitol Civic Centre,Four buddies from Elmwood take a hunting trip andthe only ones that are safe in the woods are the deer!Hilarious songs. 7:30 p.m. (920) 683-2184
Candlelight Ski & HikeJan. 29, Point Beach State Forest.Ski and hike on wooded, candlelit trails. Warm up inthe lodge in front of a blazing fire while listening to livemusic and enjoying food and refreshments.5 p.m. (920) 793-3860
“Deer Camp: The Musical”Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m.Capitol Civic Centre50 Plus file photo
Michael Arendtwill lead the
UW-ManitowocLakeshore Big Band ina tribute to the hits ofBroadway on Jan. 22,
at the Capitol CivicCentre.
50 Plus file photo
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8 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
BUILDING FUTURESWakefield the Face of Local Habitat for Humanity Chapter
By Debra Horn50 plus! Correspondent
Jean Wakefield has been the executive directorof Manitowoc County’s chapter of Habitat forHumanity since March of 2001. Even after 10years, her passion for the organization has notwaned. In fact, she said it has grown even strongerover the years. She has hopes and dreams for theorganization that she hopes to make a reality.
Before Wakefield and her husband moved to
Bill Leist, right, a ManitowocCounty Habitat for Humanityvolunteer, works with soon-to-be-homeowner Vue Xiong toframe a window of the newestHabitat home, located at 2401S. 21st St., Manitowoc. Inthe background painting isvolunteer Pete Wagner fromKiel.
Debra Horn | 50 Plus!
Manitowoc, she was executive director of thePrairie Arts Council in Indiana, a nonprofitarts council. When Habitat for Humanity wassearching for an executive director, it was hopingto find someone with nonprofit experience andfound what they were looking for in Wakefield.
She is the local chapter’s only employee. Shewearsmany hats and is the “face” of the organization.She works in the office, writes grants, goes tovarious meetings, does the bookkeeping and
works with homeowners.
“It’s a lot,” she said. “It’s a full-time job, plus.”
Wakefield, 59, is also a member of the FamilySelection Committee, which includes four otherpeople, including two members of the board ofdirectors. They go through the applications thatare submitted and choose the families to be futurehomeowners. They usually receive between 10and 30 applications annually.
Many VolunteersThere is also a volunteer committee that helpsrecruit groups to come to build sites to helpconstruct Habitat homes. This has includedRoncalli High School students, the Lincoln HighSchool Building and Trades Class, church groups,Girl Scout troops, and Washington Junior HighSchool students. They have also worked with theRestitution Program, the RSVP program and JobService.
9 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
“We have a core volunteer group that comesout every time we work,” Wakefield said. “Wework three days a week, Tuesday, Thursday andSaturday. We average about 12 to 15 volunteersper day.
“We’ve got people that are really passionate aboutHabitat, so they’re out there every time there’s awork day, which is great, fantastic.”
She added that many of the volunteers areretirees.
For instance,LeeFischer, 70,hasbeenhelpingoutthe past five years. He has no prior constructionexperience but has learned on the job.
Paul Schmid worked for a contractor for aboutfive years after retirement and decided to put hisexperience to work for Humanity the past fewyears because, he said, “people need help.”
Ron Ratajczak, also retired, has been helping outfor a few years also. “Life has been good to me soI can return some things,” he said.
Bill Leist, 61, is retired and is putting his time andconstruction experience to good use for the localHabitat for Humanity.
“I’ve got the time,” he said. “I’ve got the talent.It’s a worthwhile cause and needs to be done.” Heplans to continue to help for many years.
Pete Wagner from Kiel is a newcomer, havingstarted last summer.
“I wanted to do something for the community.I’ve been wanting to help out Habitat for sometime, so I talked to Jean. She said, ‘Come on over,’and they put me to work.”
There is also a site supervisor, Al Raedel, whois a general contractor. He contributes 40 hours
per week to Habitat, with 30 of those hours onsite. He has been site supervisor for the past fiveyears because, “It’s just something that needs tobe done. We can help a lot of families.”
Anyone Can Do ItWakefield at one time was the temporary sitesupervisor.
“What’s nice about this job is since I’ve been here,I have learned how to do building,” she said.“I can read blueprints now, all these differentthings that I couldn’t do before, I can do. Sowhen people call and say, ‘Hey, I’d really like tocome out but I’ve never built anything,’ we tellthem come on out because there is going to besomeone there who is going to be able to helpyou and instruct you.”
She added, “If you can pick up a hammer, youcan build.” Habitat for Humanity is a Christian-based organization that believes strongly in the“theology of the hammer.”
“In other words, it doesn’t make any differencehow wealthy you are, how poor you are, whatyour job is, whether you have a job or not, whatchurch you go to or don’t go to. People are gettingtogether for a common cause, trying to helpsomeone less fortunate become a homeowner,”Wakefield said.
“This is a good way for people to learn aboutconstruction, about house building, but they alsowork side-by-side with the families. You learnabout different people’s struggles.”
It takes three months to build a Habitat home.During that time, the family is required to put in
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350 hours of “sweat equity.” Wakefield has foundout, however, that the families end up putting inmuch more than the required hours. “They gettheir 350 hours of sweat equity in and it’s like, ‘Ican’t stop now. This is my house,’” she laughed.
Time To CelebrateAfter the house is completed and passes a cityinspection, a certificate of occupancy is awardedand a day is set aside for an open house dedication.“It’s a day where people can come in and takea look at the house to see what we have built,”Wakefield said.
The family is there that day, their friends,volunteers and board members. “It’s just a way tosay this is an important step in your life and we’rehere to celebrate with you,” she said.
“When you have an open house dedication andeverything is done and the family is standingthere and their house is being blessed and they’regiven the keys to their home, it’s like, yeah, wedid good,” said Jean.
Thirty-five families have been housed inManitowoc andTwoRivers since the localHabitatfor Humanity organization began. The first housewas dedicated in November 1989 in Two Rivers.
One of Wakefield’s dreams for the localorganization is to see it branch out to some of the
outlying communities in order to serve peoplein need in places like Valders, Mishicot, FrancisCreek or Whitelaw, for example.
“I would like to see the affiliate get to the pointwhere it’s building four, five, six homes a year.Right now, it’s doing two homes a year,”Wakefieldsaid.
That way, even more families would be helped bythe local organization.
“People come to Habitat for many, manyreasons,” Wakefield said. “My job is to make surethat they’re happy enough after visiting once thatthey’d like to come back again and help. And Ithink most are. They get a bug.”
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ANSWER:
PUZZLE
SOLUTIO
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CROSSWORDTHEME: MUSIC MAKERS
ACROSS1. Make fit for something else6. Chitchat9. m in F = ma13. Robin Hood’s companion Tuck, e.g.14. 2nd largest bird15. *Yo-Yo’s instrument16. The A in AV17. Sea in Spain18. Kitchen tear-jerker19. *”Dueling ______”21. What lawyers often do23. Pine juice24. It’s been called “a good walk spoiled”25. Piping material28. Wine country30. Card carrier35. Birdbrain37. Type of poker39. _____ 6640. ____-de-camp41. Chased up a tree43. Chills and fever44. Frown with anger or disapproval46. *Type of vest used by marching band drummer47. Skidded48. Non-physical aspect of a sport50. St. ____, patron saint of Norway52. Female suffix53. *Black Eyed ____55. Roman three57. *Popular instrument of modern heros60. Heavy windbreaker63. Explorer who served Kublai Khan64. Take more than one’s share66. *Singer-songwriter Kravitz68. Famous fabulist69. “You ___ what you eat”70. *Not mainstream71. Architectural drawing72. Recently deceased Kennedy73. Bird homes
DOWN1. School for cadets2. Beat thoroughly3. *Verdi’s famous opus4. No gains without these5. USC player6. Diamonds and rubies, e.g.7. American Medical Association8. Donkey in Mexico9. Carte du jour10. Alight, past tense11. ____ gin fiz12. Daughter’s brother15. Valuables storage?20. Abstractionism using optical illusion22. Freddy’s scary street24. Shade providers25. Colorless watery fluid of blood26. *Human instrument27. DNA strand of bases29. Actor’s role31. Extinct flightless birds of New Zealand32. *”Reveille” instrument33. Ladies’ pocketbooks34. *Woodwind mouthpieces36. Salamander38. Ardor42. Sink hole45. As opposed to desktop49. Unit of length of yarn51. *Stradivari’s instrument54. Buddhist in state of nirvana56. *”What A Feeling” singer Cara57. Celt58. Sky bear59. Desktop picture60. Matured, as in wine or cheese61. No ifs or buts either62. Make with needles63. Traveler’s helper65. Metal-bearing rock67. “Oui” in English
11 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior: I’ve heard thatMedicare will soon be offering seniorsfree health screenings. What can youtell me about this?~Searching Senior
Dear Searching:It’s true! Starting Jan. 1, as part of the new healthcare reform law, everyonewithOriginalMedicarewill have access to many important preventivehealth services, and most of them they won’t costyou a cent. Here’s what you should know.
No Cost-SharingOver the years, Medicare has covered anumber of preventive health screenings likemammograms and colonoscopies with varyinglevels of cost-sharing (that includes deductibles,coinsurance or copayments). Cost-sharing forpreventive services typically means that you,the beneficiary, pay 20 percent of the cost of theservice (Medicare picks up the other 80 percent),after you’ve met your $155 Part B deductible.
But starting Jan. 1, 2011, Medicare beneficiarieswill no longer have to pay any out-of-pocketcosts for most preventive services, includingannual wellness visits, which are being added tothe program to help keep you healthy. Here’s abreakdown of the different preventive servicesthat Medicare will soon be offering that will becompletely free.
Wellness VisitsIn addition to the one-time Welcome toMedicare physical (which new beneficiaries canget but only within their first year of enrollmentin Part B), free annual wellness visits with yourphysician will now be available. These visits willgive your doctor the opportunity to develop andmaintain an ongoing personalized preventionplan for improving your health. Each exam willinclude body and blood pressure measurements,a review your medical history including anymedications you’re taking and care you maybe receiving from other health care providers,an assessment of your cognitive condition, andestablish an appropriate screening schedule forthe next five to 10 years.
Health ScreeningsIn addition to the wellness visits, here’s a listof the free health screenings and vaccinationsMedicare will be offering its beneficiaries in2011, along with the eligibility requirementsyou’ll need to meet to get them.
■ Breast cancer: Yearly mammograms willbe offered to women age 40 and older with
Medicare.
■ Colorectal cancer: This includes the flexiblesigmoidoscopyorcolonoscopy forallbeneficiariesage 50 or older.
■ Cervical cancer: Pap smear and pelvic examsare available every two years, or once a year forthose at high risk.
■ Cardiovascular: Free blood test to checkcholesterol, lipid and triglyceride levelsare offered every five years to all Medicarerecipients.
■ Diabetes: Twice a year screening for those atrisk.
■ Medical nutrition therapy: Available to helppeople manage diabetes or kidney disease.
■ Prostate cancer: A digital rectal exam and PSAblood test is available to all male beneficiariesage 50 and older every year. You pay nothing forthe PSA test, but you’ll have to pay 20 percentfor the doctor’s visit.
■ Bone mass measurements: This osteoporosistest is available every two years to those at risk,or more often if medically necessary.
■ Abdominal aortic aneurysm: To check forbulging blood vessels, this test is available to menages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
■ HIV: Available to those who are at increasedrisk or who ask for the test.
■ Vaccinations: An annual flu shot, avaccination against pneumococcal pneumoniaand the hepatitis B vaccine are all free to allbeneficiaries.
For more details on Medicare’s preventiveservices and their eligibility requirements, seeyour “Medicare & You 2011” booklet that youreceived in the mail in October. Or you can readit online at medicare.gov.
Medicare AdvantageIf you have Medicare Advantage — theseare private Medicare plans sold by insurancecompanies that are typically available throughHMOs and PPOs — you need to know thatthe health care reform law did not requirethese plans to provide free preventive services.However, most Advantage plans already offerMedicare-covered preventive services withoutcost-sharing. You’ll need to check your plan tofind out your specific coverage.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor tothe NBC Today show and author of “The SavvySenior” books.
Medicare’s preventive services getting better
12 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
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