ip september 2012

Complimentary issue

The Nameless World

Dalton sets the pace

The Midtown Men coming

Photography: The art of capturing images

Celebrating Labor Day

and more

september 2012

www.infinitieplus.com

Faith, Family, Career, Community

Cynthia Hellen directs Belcher center’ssuCCess

The Publisher welcomes input from the public. You may write or email your comments to [email protected].

Letter from the Publishers

Labor has been in the forefront of wealth creation. Political economists such as Adam Smith argued that the wealth of a nation lies in its economic growth.

Land and labor are the initial prerequisites for economic growth. Arguably, la-bor creates the capital, which is the third element for wealth creation. Growth in economy in Smith’s argument rests in increased division of labor by workers.

Smith’s idea led to specialization of labor force; which essentially means the breaking down of large jobs into many tiny pieces or components. The

implication is that each worker becomes an expert in one isolated area of productive or operations’ systems. The idea is that each worker

becomes efficient in what he or she does leading to time and mon-ey savings. This practice allowed the Victorian factories to grow immensely in the 19th century. The settings along with various technological development favored assembly line production systems keeping each worker to focus on his or her small part of the production system.

While it is factual that labor specialization increased wealth creation, the antithesis of the position on human wellbeing on

the other hand is that performing repetitious tasks would lead to ignorance and dissatisfied work force. Smith then advocated

that governments had an obligation to provide education to work-ers. Education, according to Smith, will combat the harmful effects

of factory life. In addition to education of workers, the division of labor also implies assigning each worker to the job that suits him or her best.

Productive labor, according to Smith, fulfills two important requirements. First, it must “lead to the production of tangible objects.” Second, labor must “create a surplus” which can be reinvested into production.

Through the diamond-water paradox observation, Smith identified two differ-ent kinds of value, “use value” and “exchange value.” The concept of exchange val-ue interested Smith considerably; in particular, what puzzled him was that: Why is it that diamonds, which have very little practical use, command a higher price than water which is indispensable to life? By discovering the true source of value Smith hoped to find a benchmark for measuring economic growth. Eventually Smith settled on labor as the source of value; in other words, the number of hours of labor that a good can be exchanged for constitutes its inherent worth. The value of a good can also be referred to as the “natural price.” The natural price need not function as the actual cost of a good in the marketplace. Competition, however, was expected to push the market price towards the natural price.

Nonetheless, economic law fully support that the wages of labor be determined primarily by supply and demand or the market. It can be said that the demand

for labor irrevocably regulates labor statistical requirement just like any other market commodities. If the supply of labor greatly exceeds the demand for

labor it means the surplus might have to go into beggary or the nearest option of wage reduction. On this note labor has become a commodity

begging for buyers when the wealth of the nation starts to shrink. How does a society get out of this? Do employers value the importance of good labor today except to exploit workers?

It is important to note that even in the Christian book of instruc-tion (The Bible), Christ The Messiah recognized the importance and criticality of labor function in all societal endeavors and He consistently prayed for laborers to carry on the work He outlined.

Joycelyne and Robert

september 2012

Publishers/EditorsRobert FadojutimiJoycelyne Fadojutimi

Creative Director/DesignTherese Shearer

Office ManagerDiane Perkins

PhotographerJim King

Contributing WritersKelly BellJim King

DistributionTeddy Larose

22-24

12-14

5

Director of Belcher Center stays busy .......4, 5Photography: The art of capturing images ....................................6, 7Dalton sets the pace .......................................8The Nameless World .........................................9Four financial checkups you need to do this fall ..................................10Celebrating Labor Day ........................... 12-14

Back to school: Five ways to graduate to a healthier lifestyle .............16, 17The rising costs of healthcare .................20, 21Visit England’s charming Isles of Scilly .... 22-24Mortgage rates ..............................................25Homegating playbook ..................................26Those darn Social Security offsets ..........28, 29Go for gold ...............................................30, 31Just for chuckles .............................................31

The magazine forliving life beyond...

PLUS ONE.

www.inf in it ieplus.com

517 Mobberly AvenueLongview, Texas 75602

903.236.0406www.infinitieplus.com

OUR MISSIONTo enrich the localglobal community with the “just in time” knowledge to

assure future life successes.

OUR VISIONTo become an information oracle of

functional and constructive reports that serve the needs of all people.

The Publisher welcomes input from the public. You may write or email your comments to [email protected] magazine is not responsible for any discrepancies or changes since the publishing of this issue. At the time of publication, to the best of our knowl-edge, all information was accurate though not guaranteed. The entire contents of infinitieplus magazine are copyrighted 2012. Any reproduction or use in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. infinitieplus reserves the right to edit and make appropriate modifications. The opinions published by contribut-ing writers do not necessarily reflect the views of infinitieplus or its advertisers. Submission Deadline: The first of the month prior to month of issue.

Advertising Information Joycelyne Fadojutimi at 903.236.0406 or [email protected] Perkins at 903.236.0406 or [email protected]

from the coverCynthia Hellen, director of LeTourneau University’s S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Per-

formance Center, discusses her family, faith, and her calling in the community. Also get the details of the Belcher Center’s upcoming show, The Midtown Men on pages 4 and 5.

Meet Heather Payer-Smith, author of The Nameless World, and find out some inter-esting facts on bullying and how this book can help. Learn more on page 9.

The story of Dalton Autry, the Goodwill Ambassador for the 11th Annual Down Syndrome Buddy Walk of East Texas, as told through his parents’ eyes. Check out this heartwarming story on page 8, as well as details to participate in the Buddy Walk.

Volume 1 | Number 9

inf in i t ieplusseptember 2012 www.infinitieplus.com4

Arts and Culture

“It is growing every year. We are getting aware of what the community wants, and the community is getting to know LeTourneau University better.”

Cynthia Hellen

Faith, Family

Career, Community

Cynthia Hellen directs

Belcher center’s

suCCessBy Joycelyne Fadojutimi

[email protected]

5inf in i t ieplus september 2012www.infinitieplus.com

hen Cynthia Hel-len took over as

director of LeTour-neau University’s S.E.

Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center in

January 2006 she already had more than 20 years’ worth of experience in the public relations/marketing field. Her list of credentials is as long as her career. She has worked in Houston’s renowned Texas Medical Center as director of government affairs and director of the public relations/marketing department. She has been principal of a firm of her own, taught communications and public speaking at the Uni-versity of Houston, LeTourneau University and Kilgore College. She took her master’s degree in public relations management from the Univer-sity of Houston, and a bachelor’s degree in com-munity health from Texas A&M University. She is an alumnus of the Leadership Longview class of 2002, and the Leadership Texas class of 2009.

She presently serves in a volunteer capacity as the Longview 2020 Board President, on the Pine Tree ISD School Board, Pine Tree ISD Edu-cation Foundation Board, Pine Tree Precision Drill Team Booster Club, First United Methodist of Longview Fine Arts Council, as a sustaining

member of the Junior League of Longview, and as board secretary of the Southwest Per-forming Arts Presenters Board.

As the Belcher Center’s senior director she supervises the crucial matters of budgeting, scheduling, maintenance, technical support, program and donor development, and mar-keting. She must insure the facility is used in the most efficient manner so that it gener-ates revenue for its own support, making possible a series of events that supply the community with spiritual, cultural, social and entertaining events that enrich the lo-cal lifestyle. The director must also collab-orate productively with third parties and community organs to create a calendar of events that improve the lives and cultural fulfillment of Longview’s residents. This is all in keeping with the overall objec-tives of LeTourneau University.

Moving on to her position at the uni-versity was a family affair as her twin girls Sadie and Emma (who were only eight years old at the time she took the position) helped guide tours of the Belcher Center. Her unselfish quest for achieving personal fulfillment through helping others is apparent in her attitude.

“It was a big step,” she said. “It has been a challenging and fun job.”

LeTourneau University’s administration real-ized it was in a position to cooperate profitably with Gregg County and the city. The university needed a bigger chapel for worship services, and the city and county needed a performance cen-ter. These three local entities joined forces and planned and produced the Belcher Center. The facility serves well as a venue for the area’s spiri-tual, cultural and civic enrichment. Now that Le-Tourneau University’s S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center is in its 6th season, Hellen is upbeat about its success.

“It is growing every year,” she said. “We are get-ting aware of what the community wants, and the community is getting to know LeTourneau Uni-versity better.”

The Center is named after Shelby Elliot Belcher- an Alabama lumber tycoon. When he learned of the plans for the facility he donated the lead gift of $5 million, but passed away before construc-tion was completed. His grandson represented the Belcher family at the dedication ceremony.

By supplying an outlet for Christian music, Le-Tourneau University S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Per-formance Center has helped provide the communi-ty with a healthier soul. Southern Gospel, Bluegrass and Contemporary Christian artists such as Super-chick, Jars of Clay, Newsboys and Marc Schultz have used the facility to serenade locals on the love of our Maker. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center also educates residents on what a precious resource is available at LeTourneau University.

“It has been a great way to remind the commu-

nity that we are here and to get the community onto our campus to come and learn what we do,” Hellen said.

There is an impressive list of vital services made available because of LeTourneau University S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center:

• Business meetings. • Small luncheon meetings. • Workshops. • Special church productions. • Sit-down dinners for up to 175 people. • An auditorium seating 2000 persons. Hellen finds working at S.E. Belcher Jr. Cha-

pel and Performance Center exciting and pleas-ant. She likens working on an upcoming year’s calendar of events to a jigsaw puzzle or curating museum exhibits. She finds it an enjoyable chal-lenge, especially watching it proceed on schedule and successfully year-round. Still, she makes it clear she could never do it alone. Her co-workers, student workers, sponsors, advisory board and patrons are crucial.

“They work very hard to make it a great suc-cess,” she said.

She strives to use her many functions to im-prove the lives of others. She achieves this by making her Christian faith part of her career on a daily basis. She also makes certain her family is part of her everyday life.

“Everything I do is a family decision between my husband Thomas and our twin girls,” she said. “That includes this job and my being on the Pine Tree School Board. We are all in it together.”

THE MIDTOWN MEN at LeTourneau University Belcher Performing CenterSeptember 18 at 7:00p.m.

After a successful 2010 tour of nearly 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada, The Midtown men reunites Christian

Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer stars from the original cast of Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, in a dynamic concert featuring top hits from a Who’s Who of the ‘60s, including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, and The Four Seasons, whose story they brought to life every night as stars in the original cast of Jersey Boys.

Not a performance of, not affiliated with the show Jersey Boys.


By Jim KingThanks to ever evolving technology and man’s

continuous need and desire for improvements, we find ourselves today, living in a world of constant change. In the past 50 years, we have witnessed more change and advancements in our day to day lives than any other time period in history.

The art of capturing imagery, what we now call photography is not new. Documentation of such dates back to the Middle Ages, around 1,000AD though the actual term “photography” is credited to Sir John Herschel in 1839. Combining two Greek words, photos, meaning “light” and gra-phein, meaning “to draw” the term photography translates to “drawing with light.” Yes, there have been many changes to our art form since its in-ception, but equally so are the changes during my tenure as a photographer.

My first exposure (no pun intended) to cam-eras and photography came to me in the form of a Christmas present in 1964. I was 8 years old, and on that day, I became the proud owner of a Kodak Brownie Starmite II camera. With its 127mm roll film, fixed F11 aperture setting and what we always called the “lick and stick” flash bulbs. You actually had to replace the flash bulb for every flash exposure in those cameras (later then came out with a 4-shot “cube” that rotated) and we used to “lick” the metal ends of the bulb for contact. As primitive as that camera sounds now, I was amazed at what I was able to “create” and capture with it, and I still own this camera today. Of course looking back now, I see just how inferior the equipment and color was (by today’s standards) but in retrospect, I can easily see how it served the needs of its time.

I did my first job for money in 1975. I have been told that once you get paid to do something that you are a “professional” in that field. I think I

would have to disagree with that as I worked with my camera, learning, training, studying and yes, making mistakes with it for many years before I actually considered myself a “pro.” Still, at that time and at the age of 19, I had been involved in photography for 11 years; my skills had improved as had my equipment. No longer was I carrying around that Brownie. I was now shooting sev-eral 35mm bodies, using film that allowed me to choose between portrait or action by the “speed” of the film. We were using adjustable focal length lenses, and then there was the flash. A modern unit, top mounted to the camera, powered by a small stack of batteries and able to flash, recycle, flash, recycle again and again; up to about 20-25 flashes. It was amazing! Yes I remember that shoot well. I did a set of senior photos on location in a park. I charged the family $20 and 2 rolls of Kodak ASA400 film. My, how times have changed.

Of course there was much more to being a “photographer” back in those days. You not only had to “capture” that special moment and image, but you also had to “develop” it as well! I remem-ber the countless hours developing and printing my negatives. Not like now where you just eject a memory card from your camera, place it into a computer and “presto” you have a picture. No, in days past, it could be a somewhat arduous pro-cess. A “darkroom” was a must and for that reason, there was always a second bathroom required when house or apartment looking. A bathroom was usually windowless (or could be blacked out), it had running water supply and the bathtub was perfect for your developing trays. To develop your negatives required the use of chemicals. They had to be mixed precisely and were VERY temperature sensitive, most times having to be held within a plus or minus of 1 degree. Using the chemicals re-quired the use of rubber gloves and a mask was al-

Arts and Culture

Photography:The art of capturing images


ways a good option as to not breathe in any of the vapors. That brings to mind another great thing about having a bathroom as your darkroom; it had a ventilation fan! Once your negatives were developed you then started the print process. A quite tedious and time consuming ordeal, but it many ways I miss those days which are all but gone now. Not because of the extra work, but because in those days a photographer was com-mitted to his craft. Kodak quite making black and white film about 3 years ago and last year filed for Bankruptcy. Locally, I only know of one place in Longview, The Camera Shop, where a person can actually walk through the front door and see and purchase film and developing equipment.

In today’s world of digital photography and computer software, everything has changed. Thanks to the elec-tronic and digital age, and stores such as Best Buy, where anyone

can buy a camera and become an instant pho-tographer. Well, not exactly. My dad used to say “son you can buy a boat but that won’t make you a sailor.” He was absolutely right.

Digital imaging has been around since the 1960’s (thanks to the space program) but it was Kodak that released the first professional grade digital camera in the early 1990’s. From that time to now, there are countless companies and brands of digital cameras on the market. Each one of these cameras is capable of snapping a picture while au-tomatically adjusting the light, color and every-thing else for you. The image is recorded to a “flash card” and stays there until such time you erase it.

Of course most people take those digital cards, insert them into their computer and there is their picture. The only “developing” done anymore is with computer software such as Photoshop, Paint Shop, Lightroom, etc.. With the use of computer software, images can be altered, converted to black and white or any number of changes to the origi-nal with endless possibilities for the addition and deleting specific parts of the image.

In today’s world of photography, it has become a lot less about the original image and more about what you can create with that image. Not to say that is a “bad” thing, but the art formally known as photography has now given way to graphic de-sign. Still, I think there will always be a place for a true photographer - the person that knows how, and when, to capture those specific moments. A picture is simply an image taken. A photograph is a moment in time, captured forever.

Photography:

A picture is simply an image taken.

A photograph is a moment

in time, captured forever.


Infinitie Chronicles

Daltonsets the

The Down SynDrome BuDDy walk of eaST TexaSTeague Park | october 13, 2012 | 9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.

For more information, Parent Contact: Tra Autry, Work 903-758-9961, Cell 903-918-7762. Also visit www.etdsg.org.

Dalton Autry, the Goodwill Ambassador for the 11th Annual Down Syndrome Buddy Walk of East Texas, through the eyes of his parents.

n ovember 6, 1998 was a day that would change our life forever. This would be the day that our first born, Dal-ton, would enter this world a month shy of his due date. We were nervous of course, but when the doctors in-formed us that a C-section was necessary, it made us a bit uneasy. Our little boy had become breech, and was determined to stay that way. Little did we know that this would be the start of the stubborn streaks!

Within 24 hours of Dalton’s birth, we were told that there were some con-cerns and that some chromosome tests were being ordered. The doctors didn’t confirm that day that Dalton had Down syndrome, but deep down inside, we knew that he did. We were scared to death. Not only were we young new parents, but our precious baby boy had Down syndrome.

As days and months passed, which were filled with lots of doctor’s visits, we soon got over the fact that Dalton had the diagnosis. We were bound and determined that Dalton would accomplish the “typical” milestones. Maybe not at the pace as other children do, but rather at Dalton’s pace!

At the age of 3, Dalton started PPCD class (a preschool program for chil-dren with disabilities in the public school system). He was able to stay in this classroom for three years. This is where he learned to recognize and write his name, as well as his colors, letters, and shapes. We believe that this opportunity gave Dalton a great foundation for his learning. Dalton has been blessed not only to have had such wonderful and caring teachers, but amazing friends and peers over the past 10 years. This year he will enter the 8th grade. He’s so excited and keeps reminding us that he is now in Jr. High!

Dalton is as normal as any other teenager when it comes to time outside of school. He loves to sleep late, hang out with his friends, play video games and sports. Since becoming a teenager, we noticed how independent and mature that Dalton has become. So this summer, we decided to allow him to work at the bowling center along with his dad. His duties included greet-ing customers, busing tables and assisting customers with scoring issues. He occasionally answered the phone….this is still a work in progress!

We strive every day to make sure that Dalton has every opportunity to be as normal as possible. Most days are easy, but not all of them. Dalton has gracefully taught us to take things slowly and with a light heart. We sometimes overreact to certain situations only to find out that Dalton doesn’t even seem to be bothered by them. We have learned that no matter how hard we try to protect him, there will always be some things that we cannot control.

PaCE

Dalton Autry, the Goodwill Ambassador for the 11th Annual Down Syndrome

Buddy Walk of East Texas


Well Read

By Kelly BellThis is the best time of year to read The Name-

less World by Heather Payer-Smith. With the new school year commencing the book will strike a chord with students, parents, teachers and all readers involved in the educational experience.

The Nameless World is the chronicle of a fifth-grader named Noah who has long been bullied by a boy named Kevin. Although Kevin is also in the fifth grade he is a year older because he had to repeat kindergarten. Early in the narrative Noah experiences such desperation and frustration over the situation he hurls a rock at Kevin and hits him square in the face. This was one of a se-ries of life-changing choices Noah made that day. After finding his favorite teacher’s glasses and two additional, unrecognizable pieces Noah passes through the looking glass into a dreamer’s adven-ture of a lifetime. His travels through a strange,

About the Author:Heather Payer-Smith hails from northeastern

Pennsylvania, and presently reside in Longview. Husband Derek Peyer-Smith supports her in all her endeavors. She matriculated at Allegheny Col-lege in Meadville, Pennsylvania, New York Univer-sity and the University of Oklahoma, where she took her bachelor’s degree in media production.

Despite her fertile, productive imagination, Payer-Smith started out wanting to be not a writer, but an actress. She devoted her energies in high school and college to performing in plays and making home movies with friends. Absorbed in thesbian pursuits, she did not consider writing until later. Yearning for the stage, she would not have thought of herself as a writer ten years later, but she is. A very, very good one, too.

The idea for The Nameless World came to Payer-Smith in 2005, and the only way to get it out of her mind was to write it. After writing the outline she produced the finished manuscript in three months. As when Jack Kerouac wrote his legendary novel On the Road in just three weeks, the words gushed from her onto paper in a fruitful torrent that is still flowing as her writing career gains momentum. Her grandmother urged her to increase her learn-ing by attending writing workshops. She joined forces with Lily Ruth Publishing, which needed an illustrator. She came through in this capacity as she calls upon her endless talents to succeed in art as well as the written word. This first chapter of her career has been a whirlwind of learning about the writing and publishing industry.

Payer-Smith presently works at Longview’s Green Ad Agency. Still, her greatest sense of accomplish-ment comes from knowing readers enjoy her work. Her latest book, A New Battle, has just been released as the eagerly anticipated sequel to The Nameless World. All her books can bought on Amazon.com.

For more information on Heather Payer-Smith and her books please visit payersmithbooks.com

beautiful realm teaching him much about him-self--especially that he is no coward after all.

The story unfolds in such a way that it seems tangible to the reader, drawing him into the plots in an enjoyably literal fashion. The details of the nameless world are given in their entirety with an economy of words so as not to distract the reader from the story line. Noah’s travels are a voyage of self-discovery and fulfillment. He learns he is significant and can (and does) make crucial dif-ferences in the situations he encounters. When he returns to his earthly abode he finds that, al-though for him a considerable stretch of time has elapsed, he is coming back to his prosaic home about the same time he left. This novel juxtaposi-tion of the time element adds to the story’s allure. He learns that stoning his bane has earned him heightened esteem in the eyes of his peers, who are now more willing to stand up to the likes of Kevin. Young people reading these passages will find hope in their determination to resist school-yard bullies. Payer-Smith is writing about an an-cient problem that will never go away, but as she makes clear to the reader--there is hope.

Statistics from 2010 indicate about one in sev-en students is either a bully or has been bullied. Sometimes bullied children over-compensate for their situations and become bullies themselves in their desire to retaliate. These same stats reveal that revenge for bullying is a powerful motive for school shootings. Sixty-one percent of students believe school gunmen are bullying victims at home and/or school. Studies indicate that stu-dents of all ages as well as adults bully others, and many bullies behave the way they do at school be-cause they are abused at home.

• About 56% of all students have witnessed bullying incidents at school.• An estimated 15% of all students who do not show up for school do so out of fear of being bullied.• About 71% of all students regard bullying an ongoing problem.• One out of every 10 students either drop out or change schools because of bullying.• Among students of all ages homicide perpetrators are twice as likely as homicide victims to have been bullied.

• One out of every 20 students has seen a classmate with a gun at school.• The worst years for bullying are grades four through eight, in which a full 90% of students are bullied in some fashion.• Additional studies indicate that 54% of all students report that witnessing physical abuse at home leads to violence in school.• About 282,000 students are reportedly attacked monthly in this nation’s high schools.

the NAmeless WorldoNe boy’s jourNey from uNderdog to hero

other bullyiNg stAtistics:

Heather Payer-Smith


By Terry SavageThere’s a certain amount of energy associated with the

fall season. Maybe it’s left over from the days of our child-hood, when autumn meant new school supplies, new clothes

and the start of a new school year.Fall is also a good, uncluttered time to take a fresh look at your finances.

That gives you time to make adjustments before the frenzied holiday season.Right now, your tax preparer is bored, your insurance agent is dozing, and

your stockbroker is lonely. In other words, if you take action now, you’ll get a lot more attention from the financial professionals you need to rethink your situation and plan for the future.

Life insurance checkup

Most people buy life insurance, cringe when the premium payment notice arrives- and then forget about it. But life insurance styles and prices change frequently- just like fashion. How long has it been since you’ve had a life in-surance checkup?

While you don’t want to change policies unnecessarily because that will trigger a new “contestability” period (typically at least two years), sometimes it makes sense to update or increase your coverage.

For example, if you purchased a 20-year level term policy a decade ago, you’re getting closer to the end of that fixed price period. At the time you bought your insurance, you might have thought you’d need life insurance only until your kids graduated college, or until the mortgage was paid off. But now, getting older, you might want to extend coverage for the benefit of your spouse.

There are two possibilities. You could, if the policy allows, convert the policy to a cash value policy- without evidence of “insurability” if the policy allows. This might be the best solution if your health has changed, making it difficult to qualify for a new policy.

Or you could shop online for a new policy at a site like Accuquote or SelectQuote. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that prices have dropped in recent years. You might even price a 30-year level term policy and find it affordable.

If you have a “cash value” policy, such as universal life, it’s especially impor-

tant to ask your agent (or contact the insurance company) for an “in-force ledger”- an estimate of how the cash in your policy is growing, and how long it will help subsidize your annual premium. With these low interest rates, your policy may “run out” of money long before you run out of life! Then you could be hit with huge premium payments when you are older and can least afford it.

homeowner’s insurance checkup

The market value of your home may have dropped- but not the cost of replacing the structure and contents. This is the perfect time to contact your agent and determine the true “replacement” cost of everything you own.

It’s also a good time to tour your house with a video or “flip cam” to record specifics, such as expensive woodwork or carpet. That will help you justify the replacement cost.

Of course, you should keep the photos stored online or off premises, in case your home is destroyed by fire. More expensive items such as art work, silver and jewelry must be “scheduled” separately to receive full coverage.

Tip: Ask about discounts, such as combining home and auto insurance. Or your policy may cost less if you are now a senior driver, or if your teen has moved out and gone to college. And consider raising your deductible if you can afford it. That can also cut annual costs.

Do this now, before winter storms hit and your agent gets busy.

evaLuate your estate pLan

This is the last thing you want to think about now- and it could be the most important. You never know when fate will deal an unexpected blow to your financial plans. And if you’ve made a mistake, you won’t be

four financiaL checkups you need to do this

Money Talk


around to fix it.Making an “estate plan”- a will and

revocable living trust- doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition. But I suggest going to a professional to avoid issues after your death.

To find an estate planning professional, ask your personal banker. Seniors can search at naela.org- the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Or go to search-attorneys.com.

Fall is the perfect time to pull out that old plan and contact your attorney for an update. Your family situation may have changed in the intervening years. Surely, you don’t want money to go to an ex-spouse! And children may have grown, and have differing needs.

Before you skip this step, consider the consequences. I’m superstitious. I think that being unprepared is tempting fate.

evaLuate your 401(k) investments

I’ve saved this step for last, because it may be even more “painful” and tempting to avoid than dealing with your estate plan. But now- before year’s end- is the time to make adjustments. It’s tough to get advice on your 401(k) allocations, because brokers who are paid on commissions receive no pay-ment for decisions on investments made inside your retirement plan.

Some employer plans do offer advice through third-party advisers such as Financial Engines or Morningstar. A new report by Financial Engines shows the dramatic performance advantage for plan participants who get professional advice. A good part of that success comes from the discipline an adviser can bring to the process.

If your company does not offer this kind of advisory service, you can get a one-year free trial to Financial Engines, simply by clicking on the link at my home page at TerrySavage.com. Even if you try it just once, for a snapshot of their analysis, the insights will be helpful, I’m sure.

Fall is not the time to forget your money. It’s the perfect time to get orga-nized. And that’s the Savage Truth! Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and is on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Reach her at www.terrysavage.com.

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Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedi-cated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly na-tional tribute to the contributions workers have

Certainly, one of the more readily recogniz-able icons of labor is “Rosie the Riveter,” the in-defatigable World War II-era woman who rolled up her sleeves, flexed her arm muscles and said, “We Can Do It!” But, this isn’t the original Rosie.

In 1942, as World War II raged in Europe and the Pacific and the song “Rosie the Riveter” filled radio waves across the home front, manufactur-ing giant Westinghouse commissioned artist J. Howard Miller to make a series of posters to pro-mote the war effort. One such poster featured the image of a woman with her hair wrapped up in a red polka-dot scarf, rolling up her sleeve and flex-ing her bicep. At the top of the poster, the words ‘We Can Do It!’ are printed in a blue caption bubble. To many people, this image is “the” Rosie the Riveter. But it was never the intention to make this image “Rosie,” nor did many Americans think of her as “Rosie.” The connection of Miller’s image and “Rosie” is a recent phenomenon.

The “Rosie” image popular during the war was

Labor Day 2012

Rosie: By Any Other Name... The Riveting True Story of the Labor Icon


made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, gen-eral secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day his-tory has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the In-ternational Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union ad-opted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a com-mittee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor DayThe first Labor Day holiday was celebrated

on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was se-lected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date.

created by illustrator Norman Rockwell (who had most certainly heard the “Rosie the Riveter” song) for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943 — the Memorial Day issue. The image depicts a muscular woman wearing over-alls, goggles and pins of honor on her lapel. She sports a leather wrist band and rolled-up sleeves. She sits with a riveting tool in her lap, eating a sandwich, and “Rosie” is inscribed on her lunch pail. And, she’s stepping on a copy of Adolph Hit-ler’s book “Mein Kampf.”

The magazine cover exemplified the Ameri-can can-do spirit and illustrated the notion of women working in previously male-dominated manufacturing jobs, an ever-growing reality, to help the United States fight the war while the men fought over seas.

The cover was an enormous success and soon stories about real life “Rosies” began appearing in newspapers across the country. The govern-ment took advantage of the popularity of Rosie the Riveter and embarked on a recruiting cam-paign of the same name. The campaign brought millions of women out of the home and into the workforce. To this day, Rosie the Riveter is still considered the most successful government ad-vertising campaign in history.

After the war, numerous requests were made for the Saturday Evening Post image of Rosie the Riveter, but Curtis Publishing, the owner of the Post, refused all requests. The publishing com-pany was possibly concerned that the composers of the song “Rosie the Riveter” would hold them liable for copyright infringement.

Since then, the J. Howard Miller “We Can Do It!” image has replaced Norman Rockwell’s il-lustration as “Rosie the Riveter” in the minds of many people. Miller’s Rosie has been imprinted on coffee mugs, mouse pads, and countless other items, making her and not the original “Rosie” the most famous of all labor icons.

Who Are We Celebrating?155.2 millionNumber of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in June 2012.

Employee Benefits85.0%Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2010.

Our JobsAmericans worked in a variety of occupations in 2010. Here is a sampling:Occupation Number of employeesActors 7,835Computer programmers 389,471Cooks 1,051,896Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists 395,311Janitors and building cleaners 1,445,991Teachers (preschool - grade 12) 3,073,673Telemarketers 48,455Telephone Operators 33,057Web developers 115,56126.3 millionNumber of female workers 16 and older in management, business, science, and arts occu-pations in 2010. Among male workers, 16 and older, 23.7 million were employed in manage-ment, professional and related occupations.1.4%Percentage increase in employment in the United States between December 2010 and December 2011. Employment increased in 266 of the 322 largest counties (large counties are defined (large counties are defined as hav-ing employment levels of 75,000 or more).5.3%Percentage increase in Kern County, Calif.,

between December 2010 and December 2011, the largest increase in employment among the 322 largest counties. Harris County, Texas, had the highest level increase of 62,700 jobs.3.4%Percentage decline in employment in Benton County, Wash., between December 2010 and December 2011, the largest percentage de-crease among the nation’s 322 largest counties.5.9 millionThe number of people who worked from home in 2010.

Another Day, Another Dollar$47,715 and $36,931The 2010 real median earnings for male and fe-male full-time, year-round workers, respectively.

Early, Lonely and Long... the Commute to Work16.3 millionNumber of commuters who left for work be-tween midnight and 5:59 a.m. in 2010. They represent 12.5 percent of all commuters.76.6%Percentage of workers who drove alone to work in 2010. Another 9.7 percent carpooled and 4.9 percent took public transportation (excluding taxicabs).25.3 minutesThe average time it took people in the na-tion to commute to work in 2010. Maryland and New York had the most time-consuming commutes, averaging 31.8 and 31.3 minutes, respectively.3.2 millionNumber of workers who faced extreme com-mutes to work of 90 or more minutes each day in 2010.For detailed information on the data force, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov.

labor statistics


The idea spread with the growth of labor orga-nizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them devel-oped the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. Dur-ing the year four more states — Colorado, Mas-sachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in Sep-tember of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhib-it to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the com-munity, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their fami-lies. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic signifi-cance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopt-ed as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our tradi-tional ideals of economic and political democra-cy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.

Indira GandhiMen are made stronger on realization that the

helping hand they need is at the end of their own right arm.

Sidney J. PhillipsI'm a great believer in luck, and I find the hard-

er I work, the more I have of it.Thomas Jefferson

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

Martin Luther King Jr.Choose a job you love, and you will never have

to work a day in your life. Confucius

The man who rolls up his shirt sleeves is rarely in danger of losing his shirt.

AnonymousIf a man will not work, he shall not eat.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV)A hundred times every day I remind myself

that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must ex-ert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.

Albert EinsteinWork is no disgrace; the disgrace is idleness.

Greek proverbNo great achievement is possible without per-

sistent work. Bertrand Russell

There is no substitute for hard work. Thomas Edison

A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them.

Elbert Hubbard

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a liv-ing but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.

John D. RockefellerUnder the spreading chestnut treeThe village smithy stands;The smith a mighty man is heWith large and sinewy hands.And the muscles of his brawny armsAre strong as iron bands.He earns whatever he can,His brow is wet with honest sweat,And looks the whole world in the face,For he owes not any man.

Henry Wadsworth LongfellowThere is no labor a person does that is undig-

nified; if they do it right.Bill Cosby

Thunder is good, thunder is impressive;but it is lightning that does the work.

Mark TwainBefore the reward there must be labor. You

plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy.

Ralph RansomWork hard, but not just to please your masters

when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Ephesians 6:6-7

Labor Day 2012

labor quotes

we salute our workers. have a safe and happy labor day!


By Marilynn Preston

Post-Labor Day is always a bit of a letdown. I feel like summer is kaput, vacation is finished, and it’s time to stow my kayak, sharpen the pencils, buy new notebooks and go back to school.

Who uses pencils? And what school? I haven’t returned to the classroom since computers were the size of a two-car garage, but that’s how I’m hardwired to feel when Labor Day comes and goes. Time to buckle down.

So lesson up. Back to school isn’t just for kids. If you’re keen on living a healthier, happier lifestyle, you need to shift into your own back-to-school mode and learn new ways to be more responsible for your own well-being.

Body, Mind, and Soul

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Back to School:Ways to Graduate to a Healthier Lifestyle 5


Positive change begins with personal effort. If you’re fed up with weighing too much and ex-ercising too little, weary of feeling too stressed to enjoy life, you can alter your course. But it re-quires continuing self-education. Your path of study will vary according to your personal goals, but if you decide to learn some new strategies for improving your health and wellness, your life can begin to sparkle in remarkable ways. Here are five electives to consider:

STRESS 101. Stress happens. It’s part of life. We can’t avoid it.

You lose your job, your money or your keys, and some days you wake up in such a fog of depres-sion, it feels like you’re losing your mind.

Your assignment? Learn to deal with your stress in healthy, smoke-free ways so that when tension and anxiety grab you — and they will! — you’ll know what to do without having to call for Johnny Walker or any of his mind-numbing pals.

Discover how to calm your mind with medita-tion. Practice deep breathing for tension release. Understand that aerobic exercise — walking, bik-ing, swimming — is a magnificent way to relieve stress and depression.

LEARN TO COOKIt takes a little study, but learning to cook or

just assemble simple, tasty, healthy meals is deli-ciously rewarding. For starters, you’ll save money. It’s expensive to eat out. Dining out also tends to pack on the pounds.

At home, you can control the fats, balance the proteins and carbs, and dish out proper portions of real food instead of the usual monstrous servings you get in restaurants. Home cooking is the smart alternative to eating toxic and processed food.

And cooking with your kids is one of the best ways ever to raise healthy eaters.

How you learn is up to you: books, online, the Food Channel, classes. Keep it fun; don’t over-complicate it; rely on simple, fresh ingredients.

STUDY YOGA. Start now, and commit to six months. Don’t

worry about your grade. Yoga is not a competitive sport. When you become a student of yoga, you experience the profound link between body and mind, and the healing power of your own breath.

Yoga makes you strong, flexible, calm and com-passionate. It can alleviate low back pain, increase the flow of energy, and eliminate muscle tension and more. Be patient and curious enough to find a wonderful teacher (stay away from gym yoga, with mirrors) and proceed with caution. Yoga does have the power to transform your life. An-cient and amazing.

INVESTIGATE NEW ACTIVITIES. If you’re bored with your current exercise rou-

tine, spend this semester discovering new ways of being active. A sedentary lifestyle will kill you. Running isn’t for everyone. Neither is walking or biking. Study up on alternatives until you find an activity you love. Tango dancing? Bowling? Ar-chery? There’s a sport for everyone. When you connect with yours, you’ll never be bored with exercise again.

CARE ABOUT YOUR CARE. Become a lifelong student of your own quality

medical care. You can’t rely on our flawed and bro-ken system. Every year, preventable medical errors kill about 98,000 people, and every week 40 sur-geries are performed on the wrong patient or the wrong body part! Thousands of too trusting pa-tients are victimized by too much of the wrong care — unnecessary drugs, surgeries, scans and x-rays.

That’s why there’s a month-long initiative under-way at www.CareAboutYourCare.org, teaching you to be a pro-active partner with your doctor to get better results and fewer mistakes. The U.S. health system is not the best, it’s just the most expensive. Marilynn Preston, fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy life-style issues, is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country.


&The rising costs of

personal responsibility

By Carl I. Walters IIChief Executive Officer,

Wellness Pointe

There is ongoing talk about what we need to do as a nation to lower our healthcare costs. Some think this is the government’s responsi-bility to fix this problem. I would like to change the discussion trajec-tory to one in which we ask, “What can we do to help lower our nation’s health care cost?”, as the government alone

cannot fix this growing problem. So what are some things we can do as individuals to help lower such costs?

Body, Mind, and Soul

Carl I. Walters IIChief Executive Officer,

Wellness Pointe


Get under the care and stay under the care of a primary care clinician.

A large majority of our nation’s healthcare costs are being derived from people suffering from chronic diseases (such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high-blood pressure; etc.) and oftentimes by the time people seek care for such illnesses, the illness is out of control and thus costs more to “manage” the illness. We have a better chance of preventing and successfully managing such illnesses when/where one is under the consistent care of a primary care clinician.

Get the primary care your family needs in the riGht treatment platform.

Let’s face it; more families are getting core primary care services in emer-gency rooms and urgent care centers across the nation than ever before. Emergency rooms and urgent care centers certainly play a crucial role in our nation’s healthcare delivery system and they are to be applauded for that. However, the fact of the matter is emergency rooms and urgent care centers cost more for core primary care services pa-tients should be seeking in their primary care clinicians’ office and this dynamic is driving our nation’s healthcare costs up. We all need to become better informed about when and where we should seek emergency care and/or urgent care services and, to the extent possible, we need to use such services only where absolutely needed. We can become better healthcare system users the greater our understanding of when and where it is appropriate to utilize such services available.

Keep your primary care appointment. Annually, hundreds of thousands of patient appointments go unused be-

cause of people failing to keep their appointment. This negatively impacts patients who want to get in sooner to see their primary care clinician and it can result in our nation’s limited primary care provider base not being maxi-mized. Keeping your primary care appointment not only ensures you’re re-ceiving the medical or dental check-ups needed to help keep your family and you healthy, but you’re also being respectful of your primary care clinician’s time available to see you.

stay on your treatment plan. Getting under the care of a primary care clinician, consistently getting

annual physicals, six month dental check-ups and staying compliant with your clinician’s treatment plan is perhaps the single-most thing we can do as a nation to lower our nation’s mortality rates, as well as lowering the cost of healthcare. Preventing such diseases and being able to effectively manage chronic diseases before they get out of control is far cheaper to manage than when the illness is out of control.

Become more informed aBout how to stay healthy. Take control of your family’s health and ask your primary care clinician

(and dentist) lots of questions regarding what the family needs to do to stay healthy. An informed patient is the best kind of patient, as the more engaged you are in partnering with your primary care clinician to “manage” your family’s health, the less likely your family is to acquire chronic illnesses. We no longer live in a world where people can afford to be uninformed about their health and good health is something we all have to take personal re-sponsibility for achieving and maintaining. Get informed and stay informed about what it takes to get and stay healthy.

use your community federally Qualified health center (fQhc).

One of the primary missions of FQHCs is to help keep their community families healthy. It is the proud service mission of FQHCs that have served communities all over this nation performing for over 40 years. There was, and still is to some extent, an erroneous urban legend that FQHCs were “only there to serve poor people or uninsured people.” While FQHCs pride them-selves with offering comprehensive, compassionate, personal, cost-effective and medically appropriate medical and dental services to any community family in need of such services, increasingly FQHCs are being recognized for what they really are- professional medical groups offering high-qual-ity, cost-effective primary care services in a culturally competent manner. FQHCs do not exist to treat “those people.” We exist to treat all people who need our health systems services, and this is a service mission, candidly, we’re very proud of. If your family or you are in need of outstanding primary care services and you don’t have a medical or dental primary care provider home, the Wellness Pointe Board and Administration personally encourages you to pick up the phone and call us today as we would be honored to become your family’s medical and dental home. And taking good care of our community families is something Wellness Pointe has been doing now for over 20 years.

In closing, Wellness Pointe has and will continue to partner with our val-ued community health system colleagues and families to ensure our valued families receive the right care, at the right time and in the most cost-effective treatment platform. We have and will remain steadfast in doing our part to help keep our community healthcare costs down.

Warm regards. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Wellness Pointe today at 903-758-2610.


Travel and Adventure

By Sharon Whitley Larsen"I ’ve been in the dun-geon for 22 years!”

Thus proclaimed Dave Huddy, ex-plaining to me how

he came to live on tiny St. Mary’s (population 1,600) on the Isles of Scilly, inhabited since the Stone Age. Known as “Dungeon Dave,” his first visit to Scilly (pronounced “silly,” which means “blessed” or “holy”) was for his sister’s wedding in 1986.

Hailing from Liverpool, Huddy recalls spot-ting the island’s beauty as he arrived by ferry “for just the weekend.” Now he bartends at the popu-lar 400-year-old Star Castle hotel’s Dungeon Bar, which once housed prisoners. The walled Star Castle, built in 1593 for Scilly’s defense dur-ing Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, has been a hotel since 1933.

Barely three miles long and two miles wide, St. Mary’s is the largest of five inhabited islands (with a total population of about 2,000) among more than 200 remote islands and rocks south-west of the English mainland, 28 miles off the coast of Land’s End. It’s hard not to be charmed by this gorgeous, green area with flowers, vivid blue seas, colorful sunsets and fresh air. The is-lands thrive on a temperate climate, the warmest spot in Britain.

I had just arrived for my first visit after taking a relaxing five-hour train ride from London to Penzance, then a 20-minute taxi ride to the Land’s End Airport. Joining day- trippers and those stay-ing several days, I hopped a 16-passenger Seabus

prop plane for the 15-minute flight to St. Mary’s. Flights from several other cities in England as well as helicopter service are also available.

It was a perfect day- a magic carpet ride as we left the mainland, flew over the dramatic sea, then arrived on St. Mary’s: lush, green farmland and meadows with bright yellow daffodils. I even spotted rainbows.

“It’s a very different life here,” said Robert Fran-cis, managing director of the luxurious family-

Isles of Scilly

ViSiTing englanD’S Charming


for more information on the isles of Scilly: www.simplyscilly.co.uk www.scillyonline.co.uk/travel.html www.ios-travel.co.ukStar Castle hotel: www.star-castle.co.ukTresco abbey gardens: www.tresco.co.uk/what-to-do/abbey-garden/default.aspxDuchy of Cornwall: www.duchyofcornwall.org/aroundtheduchy_islesofscilly.htmfor general information about england: www.visitengland.comfirst great western train: www.firstgreatwestern.co.ukBritrail: www.britrail.comhotel Penzance: www.hotelpenzance.com

run Star Castle, as he drove me from the airport. “We don’t lock our houses, we leave keys in the car, children can run around.”

Sounds like paradise to me!“Scillonians are fiercely independent,” he

continued. “More of life here revolves around boats than cars. Everybody gets around by boats and walking- we just love the peace and tranquil-ity. Visitors from overseas tend to do London; this end of England- Cornwall, Scilly- really is unknown. It’s a special place.”

As we drove through the narrow streets of Hugh Town, the capital and city center (which boasts some dozen shops, a post office, museum, one co-op grocery store, two hairdressers, two banks, three police, three churches, four pubs, several restaurants), I noticed some older men lined up on a street corner wearing jackets, hands in pockets, patiently waiting for the news agent to open.

When you go


They were there to buy newspapers that arrive from the mainland every day but Sunday, when there are no flights. (There’s also no ferry service during the winter months, which, prior to regu-lar air service and the Internet, could make the islands especially isolated.)

In 2011 a new primary-secondary school was opened here by Queen Elizabeth II. It has some 200 children, ages 3-16, including secondary stu-dents who come by boat from the other islands (and board here during the week; there are three primary schools on three other islands. Those ages 16-18 attend school on the mainland, where they board). There’s also a health center, three doctors, one dentist and one vet.

St. Mary’s is dotted with artists’ studios, vacation homes, bed-and-breakfast inns and guest houses. Tourists can’t rent cars here, but “Scilly cars”- golf carts- and bikes are available to traverse the nine miles of narrow country roads. Walking trails are also a popular way to get around. I rode on colorful character Fred Elm’s 1948 school bus dubbed “Katie,” which is avail-able for an hourlong tour around the island.

“I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” said guide Elm, occasionally stopping the bus so we could jump off to take photos of the postcard-perfect views.

Originally from London, he has lived here for 35 years.

“I was fed up with traffic jams on the main-land,” he said.

We passed by several cars, a Royal Mail van and people walking their dogs.

“A pair of walking boots is all that is needed to savor the essence of St. Mary’s,” wrote Glynis Cooper in her book, “St. Mary’s: History and Legends.” She went on to say, “Part of the St. Mary’s magic is the successful blending of past and present.”

Here visitors can relax, sunbathe and read or engage in various activities that include camping, bird-watching, fishing, golfing, snorkeling. Gig-racing (six-oared boats developed in the 19th century) is a popular sport. Tourism comprises 85 percent of the economy, with more than 125,000 visitors between March and October. Since island accommodations are limited, it’s important to book ahead.

Scilly celebs over the centuries have included various royal family members, including Queen Victoria; John Wesley (who preached here); Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Prime Minister Harold Wilson (who’s buried here); and, more recently, actor Jude Law, who described it as “the best place on Earth.” Since the 14th century the Duchy of Cornwall has owned most of the land, and Prince Charles occasionally visits.

Nearby inhabited islands- visited via in-terisland boat service- are St. Agnes (and the connected Gugh, accessed by foot when low tide), Bryher, Tresco and St. Martin’s. Visitors can also do day trips to the uninhabited islands, such as the largest, Sampson, for a Robinson Crusoe

experience. We took a bumpy (but fun!) boat ride to St. Agnes.

“It’s really going back in time,” Francis noted. “Few-er than 100 people live here.” After a morning walk around the area, we stopped for lunch at the Turk’s Head pub (try the local pasty), filled with locals on a Sunday afternoon. Then we hopped aboard another boat to Tresco. This island, the second largest with 150 full-time residents, is also accessed via helicopter from the mainland. Its world-famous sub-tropical Tresco Abbey Garden, started in 1835, features an array of flowers, plants and trees from all over the world that thrive here due to the warmer climate. I did a double-take seeing palm trees in England. Even Queen Elizabeth II has visited.

“There’s no other garden like it anywhere in Britain,” said Mike Nelhams, garden curator, as he showed us around. “This is a fantastic place to live. I’ve never locked my house in 20 years. If I’m out for a walk I can pop into a neighbor’s house and make a cuppa tea.”

One evening before a delicious dinner at Star Castle (with fresh ingredients grown here and seafood locally caught) I chatted in the Dungeon Bar with Pippa and Henry Creed of Sussex.

“This is our sixth time here,” Pippa told me. “We first came here 23 years ago. We love the hotel, the islands, the people- everyone is so friendly. We like to take it all in: walk, relax, enjoy the peace and quiet, get away from everything.”

It was only my first visit, but it won’t be my last. Sharon Whitley Larsen is a freelance travel writer.

Travel and Adventure

Part of the St. Mary’s magic is

the successful blending of past and present.”


Money Talk

By Terry SavageHe (or she) who hesitates is lost!

It’s an old saying, and right now it applies to the housing market. Yes, the economic headlines are still gloomy, many are unemployed and foreclosures are actually rising. But paradoxically, those obvious facts are creating one of the best home-buying opportunities in history.

Not only have prices fallen by 30 percent or more in many locations, mortgage rates recently hit 60-year lows. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 3.5 per-cent for the first time since the 1950s. The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 2.8 percent.

Combine low rates and low pric-es, and you have an incredible op-portunity. But for most people, that opportunity will be obvious only in hindsight. We are all conditioned to remember only the recent past. And, for housing, that recent past is scary. Gone are the stories of profits made on the sale of a home. They have been replaced with eviction notices and lost equity.

Just as no tree grows to the sky, no market continues in one direction forever. But only a few people have the discipline to step back, gain per-spective and take the risk of going against the obvious current trend.

Owning your own home is still a centerpiece of the American dream. It was the dream of the pioneers who took wagon trains west, seek-ing their own land. It was the dream for the immigrants who arrived on our shores. It was the dream of the post-World War II generation who built the suburbs. It was the city condo dream for a generation of yuppies. And home ownership will once again be the dream for the next generation of American prosperity.

It’s just that the benefits of build-ing equity with a tax-deductible mortgage are less apparent now than they appeared to be just a de-cade ago, when homebuyers never dreamed that home prices could fall. That fear of losing money on a home is one of the factors making

this the time to buy — if you have good credit and a down payment. Fear helps push prices down, creat-ing the opportunity for future gains.

I have always advised that your house is not your “piggy bank.” But properly financed and under the right circumstances, the single-family home will once again become the foundation of middle-class financial security.

And for those who already own a home, and may have refinanced in the past, it’s time to do another refi-nancing and lock in these record low rates. The rest of the world has been sending money to the presumed safety of the U.S. dollar, helping the Fed keep rates low. But if Europe sur-vives as a single economic unit, or if American debt problems become overwhelming, you can be sure that dollar fears will push rates higher.

Whether you’re getting a mort-gage for a new purchase or consider-ing a refinancing, it pays to be cre-ative and to compare rates and deals online. No longer is your hometown bank the automatic place to start — although you should definitely check with your local lenders to see if they can match the best rates online.

The place to start looking is Bankrate.com. They’ll quote for both new purchases and refinanc-ings, both 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate deals. You’ll input your city and state, so they can give you quotes from lenders who can actually do your deal. And they offer quotes on mortgages with either 20 percent or 5 percent down. (The latter are more difficult to obtain.) You’ll be asked to input your credit score, as well. Bankrate.com stands behind these quotations, so you know you’re not being offered a teaser deal.

It makes absolutely no sense to take an adjustable-rate mortgage now. The slightly lower rate is not worth the upside exposure if infla-tion fears should return. The whole idea of making this purchase now is to lock in this financial opportunity.

Be sure to compare deals by using the APR — annual percentage rate, which includes the effect of points

you might pay. In fact, since banks are flush with money to lend to those with good credit, you should avoid paying any points on your mortgage and refinancing.

Remember that property taxes and insurance will add to your monthly payment. You can likely get a better deal if you purchase homeowners in-surance, paying the bills yourself us-ing an automatic debit system.

Here’s a tip from my mortgage ex-perts, one that I had never heard of before. You can do a deal with “nega-tive points.” What’s that? A very cre-ative way to avoid out-of-pocket ex-penses for a new survey, title search and appraisal.

You know that you can pay points to “buy down” your mortgage rate. People have been doing that for years, but it makes no sense in to-day’s low rate environment. “Nega-tive points” is just the reverse. After you do your deal and are told how

much you must pay upfront in clos-ing costs and fees, you can offer to pay a slightly higher rate on your mortgage — to avoid those out-of-pocket costs! And that could make enough of a difference to give you a larger down payment or make refi-nancing affordable.

Sure, there’s bad news about the economy, jobs and housing. But America will recover — and you’ll wish you had taken advantage of a once-in-a-generation opportunity. That’s the Savage Truth. Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and is on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Mortgage ratesmake this best time to buy or refinance


Grubs Up

Game day is no time to be sidelined in the kitchen. Do a little pre-game planning so you can spend less time cooking and more time cheering on the home team.

Keep it simple- Instead of taking up space with a lot of dishes to hold condiments, use muffin pans Each well in the pans can hold a different topping for your burgers, hot dogs or chili. Put a spoon in each for easy dipping. It’s simple, fun, and you’ll have fewer post-game dishes to wash.

Set up a dipping station- Have a selection of salsas and guac available so everyone can have their favorite. From Wholly Sal-sa’s classics to the new red pepper mango or roasted tomato va-rieties, fans can find a salsa to cheer about. And for guacamole lovers, try Wholly Guacamole’s all-natural, gluten free varieties. In addition to chips, set out some of these tasty dippers:• Bell pepper slices • Jicama sticks • Pita chips• Baked mozzarella sticks • Bagel chips • Shrimp• Mini rice cakes

Make sure you have enough- Don’t disappoint guests by run-ning out of munchies or drinks. Here’s how to figure out how much you need to prepare:• If you’re having 8 to 10 guests, figure on three different ap-petizers. For up to 16 guests, plan 4 or 5 appetizers. • For non-alcoholic drinks, plan on two 16-ounce cups per per-son. Plan on about two glasses of wine or three beers per person.• To have enough ice for drinks, as well as to keep drinks cold in a cooler, get about a pound and a half of ice per person.

Homegating Snackers1 tube pre-made pizza crust (thin)1 7-ounce package Wholly Guacamole dip1 red bell pepper cut into small strips

Roll out uncooked pizza dough on counter. Use football or other shaped cookie cutter to cut pizza dough and place on cookie sheet sprayed lightly with oil. Cook dough according to packaging instruc tions. Allow to thoroughly cool. When cool, spread with guacamole and use cheese shreds and pepper to create football laces and markings. Optional: Plate on a bed of shredded lettuce, and use sour cream to create field yard lines. Yield: 10 to 12

Avocado Cream Cheese Dip1 8-ounce package cream cheese1 7-ounce package Wholly Guacamole3/4 teaspoon salt, divided1 lime, juiced1 tablespoon cilantro, minced1/2 teaspoon chili powder2 cups sour cream3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed1 cup 3-cheese blend shredded cheese1/2 cup green onion, sliced3/4 cup Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced

Allow cream cheese to soften and warm to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Whip cream cheese at medium speed for 3 min utes to fluff. Add guacamole and beat for another minute. Season mix with 1/4 teaspoon salt, half of lime juice and cilantro. Transfer mixture to a 9 x 9-inch pan, and dust with chili powder. Mix together sour cream, chipotle, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the rest of the lime juice. Add to pan as the second layer. Top with cheese; garnish with green onion and tomatoes. Serves: 6

Guacamole Chicken Taquitos1 orange, juiced1 lime, juiced1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper2 teaspoons chili powder1 teaspoon ground cumin6 tablespoons canola oil, divided8 boneless skinless chicken thighs1/3 cup minced yellow onion2 tablespoons cilantro, minced1 7-ounce package Wholly Guacamole28 corn tortillas

Mix together orange juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and 3 tablespoons canola. Add to chicken and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat remaining canola oil over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade. Reserve marinade for later. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on one side. Flip over and cook for another 3 minutes. Add reserved marinade, turn heat to low, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Shred chicken into a separate pan. Coat with a little of the reduced sauce- don’t use all of it or the taquitos will be oily. Mix chicken with guacamole, cilantro and onion. Warm tortillas, between wet paper towels, in the microwave (about 5 at a time), or by dipping them into a hot pan with a few table spoons of oil. Add about 2 tablespoons filling to each tortilla. Roll up and skewer with a toothpick to hold it together. For best results, prepare deep fryer according to manufacturer’s instructions, and fry in batches for 2 minutes. When all taquitos have been fried, warm them up in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Yield: 28 taquitos

Tips to make a game day party fun for everyoneplaybook

Homegating


Social Security

By Tom MargenauI can tell from my emails that it’s

time for me to once again tackle the touchy subject of those misun-derstood Social Security offsets. And because so many people don’t understand the law, they mistakenly think they are being singled out for Social Security reductions that don’t impact anyone else. And they are simply wrong about that.

Who are these folks who think they are being cheated? They are people who will get a pension from a job not covered by Social Security. They might be teachers in Texas or California. They might be police officers in Washington State or firefighters in Ohio. They might

be retiring federal government employees still covered under the old civil service retirement system. About 10 percent of all jobs in this country are not covered by Social Security (for reasons I’ve explained countless times in past columns.)

Folks in those situations are potentially subject to a couple of offsets that impact either their own Social Security benefit (based on Social Security-covered work they did outside of their regular job) or any benefits they potentially might be due from their spouse’s Social Security record. And by the way, as a retired federal employee getting a civil service pension, I, too, am im-pacted by both offsets. But because

I understand the law, they make perfect sense to me, and I know they are fair. I will try to explain them to you.

One offset is called the “windfall elimination provision,” or WEP. This is the one that impacts your own Social Security benefit. The other is called the “Government Pension Offset,” or GPO, and it reduces any spousal benefits you might be due.

The key to understanding the WEP provision is to realize that the word “social” in Social Security means something. Unlike private and other public sector pension plans, there are social goals built into the Social Security program. One of those goals is to raise the standard of living of lower income workers in retirement. This is accomplished through a benefit for-mula that is designed to give lower-paid workers a better deal than their more highly-paid counterparts. Very low-paid workers could get a Social Security benefit that represents up to 90 percent of their earnings. This percentage is known as a “replacement rate.” People with average incomes (the middle class) generally get a 40 percent replace-ment rate. Higher-income people get a rate around 30 percent.

The problem is that people who spend the bulk of their work-ing lives not paying into Social Security are automatically treated as low-income people by the Social Security Administration’s comput-ers. That’s because there are “zeros” on their Social Security earnings record for every year they spent in their non-Social Security job. SSA’s records won’t show they were actu-ally working at the other job and earning another pension. Instead, their Social Security earnings record simply shows gaps in their work history.

So when figuring their Social Security retirement benefit, SSA’s computers automatically use the formula intended to compensate a lower-income person.

But teachers, police officers, fire-fighters, and other government em-ployees generally can be classified as people with average incomes, so they should get the same Social Security replacement rate paid to all middle-class workers. That’s why a modified formula is used to refig-ure their benefits and give them the proper — and fair — replacement rate. If you’re an employee impacted by this law, that modified formula takes you from the 90 percent (poor person’s) replacement rate to the 40 percent (middle-class person’s) replacement rate, thus reducing estimated benefits by about half.

Like me, most career teach-ers and government employees generally have just barely over the qualifying 40 quarters (10 years) of Social Security-covered work. But if you have 30 or more years of “substantial” Social Security earn-ings, the windfall provision won’t apply, and your benefit will not be reduced. If you have between 20 and 29 years of substantial earnings, your Social Security benefit will be only partially reduced. A chart giving a year-by-year breakdown of what the government consid-ers substantial earnings is avail-able at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html.

The other rule that so many people misunderstand is the gov-ernment pension offset, or GPO. In a nutshell, that law says that an amount equal to two-thirds of a non-Social Security-covered pen-sion must be deducted from any Social Security dependent’s benefits a person might be due. In effect, the law prevents most folks who work at jobs not covered by Social Security

Those DarnSocial Security Offsets


from collecting wife’s, widow’s, hus-band’s, or widower’s benefits from a spouse’s Social Security record.

What these people don’t realize is that the government pension offset law simply treats them in the same way that all other working people have always been treated. In other words, if a woman who worked at a job that was covered by Social Security gets a Social Security re-tirement pension, that pension has always offset any spousal benefits she might have been due. Before the GPO law went into effect, people getting a non-Social Secu-rity pension were the only working people in this country who could get their own retirement pension AND a full dependent’s benefit from Social Security.

And the GPO law actually gives these people a bit of a break. Social Security retirement pensions offset spousal benefits dollar for dollar. But a non-Social Security retirement pension causes only a

three-for-two offset. In other words, for each $3 you get in a teacher’s or other non-covered pension, you lose only $2 from Social Security spousal benefits.

Due to the space constraints of my column, this has been a VERY simplified explanation of a very complicated set of laws. To learn more about the government pen-sion offset and the windfall elimina-tion provision, send an email to me at [email protected] and ask for a free digital copy of my pension offset fact sheet. If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the an-swer. Contact him at [email protected].

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The key to understanding the WEP provision is to realize that the word

“social” in social security means something.


Go for

Gold!Let the Olympics inspire your personal best

By Marilynn Preston

The London Olympics are over, but the wonder lives on. The spectacular spins, twists and somersaults of Gabby Douglas, going for gold, grabbing our hearts. Michael Phelps- aka Lord of the Rings- humbled and humiliated in the first days of the Olympics but moving on to win more Olympic medals (22!) than anyone else ever. And how about Misty and Kerri, beating the sands of time, magnificent athletes who turned beach volleyball into a must-see event by being the best they could possibly be, set after set, while wearing bikinis smaller than their sunglasses?

It’s been an amazing two weeks for world-class ath-leticism. I’m exhausted. I’m giving myself a gold medal in rhythmic note-taking... and for what? For you, dear read-ers, because there are lessons to be learned from these Olympic games that will help you mightily in your every-day pursuit of a healthier, happier lifestyle.

LET NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITION STAND IN YOUR WAY. Oscar Pistorius- the South African who ran headlong into Olympic his-

tory on his two Cheetah blades- gave the world an indelible lesson: if the mind is willing, the body will find a way.

We saw this time and again, not only with Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee at 11 months old, but also with U.S. swimmer Dana Vollmer, who overcame a serious heart condition to win Olympic gold. And what about the “world’s greatest archer” from South Korea, Im Donghyu, who won gold even though he is legally blind!

Many examples, one truth: A grim medical diagnosis is a challenge, but it need not be a defeat. It’s courage and determination that separate the whin-ers from the winners.

FIND YOUR SPORT. The Olympics reminds us of the many different ways there are to build

strength, develop confidence and crush your opponent. From race-walking to rowing, from dressage to judo, there’s a sport out there that can bring out the champion in you. Hate running? Try cycling. Sick of soccer? Dive into water polo (sorry about those silly caps.) When you discover the sport that gets your juices flowing, you’ve found gold.

TRAIN YOUR MIND. Every Olympian- win or lose- knows the extraordinary power of concen-

trating, visualizing, staying in the zone. When U.S. fencing champion Mariel Zagunis- on point to win gold- blew an early match, she blamed herself for losing focus.

“She didn’t beat me. I beat myself.” Remember four-time gold medalist Missy Franklin: Learn to breathe, relax and focus, and you’ll keep redefining your personal best.

YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD. The Olympics is a young person’s game, no question, but sometimes we

see glimpses of what is possible, and we are truly inspired. Oksana Chuso-vitana, the 39-year-old gymnast from Uzbekistan, competed in her sixth Olympics in London. She’s more than twice the age of the average U.S. gym-nast, who, at 16, is only three years older than Oksana’s son! “Am I old?” she says. “I don’t feel old.”

Bulgarian gymnast Jordan Jovtchev- also competing in his sixth Olympics at age 39- isn’t quite as upbeat. He performed in London with a broken right wrist, damaged shoulders, broken biceps. “It’s difficult... my body is falling apart,” he told Juliet Macus of The New York Times. “I’m trying to find a bal-ance.” Don’t play through pain, but do find your balance, and never let age stop you from finding joy in movement.

Opinion


Just for Chuckles

BE RESILIENT. All sport comes with setbacks. Just like life. Accept it, and learn to recover

quickly. That’s what U.S. gymnast Jordyn Wieber did when she got the devas-tating news that she didn’t qualify to compete in the women’s all-around gold.

“It’s horrific,” she said, just before bouncing back. Kayla Harrison’s trauma came early. When she was 13, she was sexually abused by her judo coach. Competing at 22, in London, Kayla won gold. And what about U.S. gymnast

McKayla Maroney, the queen of the vault, who did her routine successfully 33 times in a row before she flopped in the finals and landed on her butt. At first, she pouted, withdrew, stewed in self-pity. The next day, she tweeted an apology: “Sportsmanship is so important... Please forgive me.”

Forgive me for not mentioning the lessons you learned from this Olym-pics. What are they? I await your emails. Marilynn Preston’s website, is marilynnpreston.com and she welcomes reader questions at [email protected].

No matter who you play, go out there and do the best you can."

Serena WilliamsTennis gold-medalist

ip september 2012

Documents

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