Senior Spectrum Newspaper - January 2015 Issue

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 3

January 2015CONTENTS

THIS ISSUEPage 4 - Guest Editorial Page 17 - TelecommunicationsEquipment Program at NNCILPage 22 - Sensors May SoonMonitor Medicines Page 24 - Truckee MeadowsHealthy CommunitiesConference on HealthPage 24 - Ms. Senior America

EVERY ISSUEPage 6 - Opinion: Sen. Reid Page 7 - Opinion: Sen. HellerPage 25 - CalendarPage 27 - Eclectic ObserverPage 28 - Biggest Little City0 - this ‘n thatPage 32 - Seniors4TravelPage 34 - Resources

Page 35 - CrosswordPage 36 - Tinseltown

HEALTHPage 10 - Community Giving:New Year ResolutionsPage 13 - CMS: What’s New inMedicare for 2015Page 15 - Center for HealthyAging: KISS: Keep it SimpleStupid...Be Happy! Page 18 - AARP: Top VehicleTechnologies for Safe DrivingPage 23 - Ophthalmology

FINANCIALPage 8 - Bradly Anderson, Gifting Your IRA to YourFavorite Charity - Anderson & Dorn

Senior Spectrum NewspaperP.O. Box 7124 • Reno, NV 89510

775-348-0717SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

[email protected]: Chris & Connie McMullen

Column opinions are writers, not publishers. Copyrighted publication.

3070-year-old still skiing.

If you’ve ever been a caregiv-er, you know that good com-munication from health pro-fessionals is critical when itcomes to your ability tomanage medications andperform other care tasks –especially when your familymember is coming homefrom the hospital.

That’s why AARP Nevada ispressing for legislation in2015 that aims to cut downon re-admissions and helpcaregivers be better preparedto take care of loved ones athome. Called the CaregiverAdvise, Record, Enable(CARE) Act, the bill wouldrequire hospitals to enter a

family caregiver’s name inthe medical record at thetime a patient is admitted,notify the caregiver when thepatient is due to be released,and ensure that the caregiveris instructed in any follow-upcare needed at home—suchas dressing wounds or man-aging prescriptions.

These common sense stepscan make the differencebetween a successful transi-tion home and a return tripto the hospital, or worse.

Hundreds of thousands ofNevadans are currently pro-viding unpaid care for familymembers or friends –including a third of the SilverState’s Baby Boomers.Nationwide, three out of fourfamily caregivers handlemedical tasks once per-

formed only in hospitals—but typically receive no train-ing on how to do it.

As a caregiver, have you beenin a situation where bettercommunication could havehelped your loved one makea smoother transition fromhospital to home? Or do youhave a success story wheregood after-care instructionhas made a difference in yourability to take care of a familymember? You can help fel-low caregivers by sharingyour story. AARP’siHeartCaregivers website(http://aarp.org/iheartcare-givers) celebrates and con-nects caregivers by bringingtogether personal stories,experiences and resources.Submit your Nevada caregiv-ing story today!

4 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Caregiver communication: The difference between a successful transition home

and a return trip to the hospital by Barry GoldAARP, Government Relations

Guest Editorial

Last month, theSenate took up theClay Hunt SuicidePrevention forAmerican VeteransAct. This importantpiece of legislation

would bolster resources to address thedevastating trend of suicide among ournation's veterans. Unfortunately, thislegislation has been blocked by oneRepublican in the Senate. But I will con-tinue fighting to pass the Clay HuntSAV Act to ensure our veterans haveaccess to mental health services.

The reason Clay Hunt’s name isattached to this legislation is because ofhis outstanding record. Clay Hunt was aMarine. He served two tours of duty inIraq and Afghanistan and received thePurple Heart. He was a wonderful

human being. After he got out of themilitary he went to Haiti and helpedwith the earthquake response there.But, ultimately, he was unable to over-come what happened to him on hiscombat missions, and eventually com-mitted suicide.

As many of you may know, suicide isvery personal with me. In 1972, Ireceived the shocking news that myfather had taken his own life. I knowfirsthand of the heartbreak caused bythe needless, preventable death of aloved one. Having lost my father to sui-cide, working to improve mental healthservices has been a cause I have workedon throughout my career.

I have introduced and supportednumerous legislative items to expandaccess to outpatient mental health serv-

ices under Medicare and establishgrants for senior suicide prevention andearly intervention programs. I also sup-ported legislation that will lowerMedicare coinsurance for outpatientmental health, and helped to securepassage of mental health parity laws in1996 and 2008 that will ensure thatmental illnesses are treated on par withother physical illnesses.

This bill is an important step toensure our veterans also have access tomental health services. Twenty-two vet-erans commit suicide every day. TheClay Hunt SAV Act is bipartisan legisla-tion and would commit resources toreverse that trend. I thank my col-leagues on both sides of the aisle fortheir work on this legislation and Ipledge to continue my work in theSenate to prevent veteran suicide.

Sen. Reid

OpinionSenator Harry Reid


Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act

The Cost-Of-Living Adjustment(COLA) is one way for the SocialSecurity Administration to be surethat Social Security and SupplementalSecurity Income recipients are receiv-ing a fair amount of money throughtheir benefits.

Positive news for these recipients:the Cost-Of-Living Adjustment

(COLA) will increase by 1.7 percent in 2015. This adjust-ment is revisited each year to be sure that benefits receivedare not being eroded by a rise in inflation. The COLA per-centage is based upon the inflation determined in theConsumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners andClerical Workers.

For the 64 million Americans who are on Social

Security or Supplemental Security Income, an increasedCOLA will help Nevadans as we work to get our economyback on track.

On December 31, 2014, 8 million Supplemental SecurityIncome beneficiaries will begin to receive the increase, fol-lowed by more than 58 million Social Security beneficiariesin January. This will also impact 1.96 million militaryretirees and 4 million disabled veterans.

I encourage all Nevadans to keep an eye out for thisincrease coming in the new year. I support an annualCOLA increase to be sure that my fellow Nevadans and allrecipients are given an amount that is reasonable in thecurrent economy.


OpinionSenator Dean Heller

Sen. Dean Heller

Heller Gains Clout in New Congress for Nevada with Key Committee Assignments


Gifting Your IRA to Your Favorite Charity

Brad Anderson

Brought to you byBradley B. AndersonAnderson, Dorn, & Rader, Ltd.

If you have money in an IndividualRetirement Account (IRA), you knowyou can’t take out distributions withoutpaying taxes on the money you with-draw. For many older people with largeportions of their personal wealth tiedup in IRAs and other tax-advantagedretirement accounts, the tax implica-tions of taking money out of an IRA canimpede their ability to give large sumsto the charity of their choice.

If you want to give money to a chari-ty you support, taking the cash out of

your IRA and paying the taxes on itcould eat up a big chunk of the gift youwere hoping to give. While you can takean itemized deduction for charitablecontributions, the deduction has toexceed the standard deduction before itactually becomes useful for you to claimthe money donated. Not only that, butcharitable contributions are onlydeductible up to a portion of yourincome depending upon the type ofcharity you support and the type ofproperty or assets donated. This meansyou could end up having to pay a lot

more in taxes than you get back indeductions if you take money out ofyour IRA prematurely to make a gift tocharity.

Fortunately, lawmakers haveaddressed this problem in the past andmade it possible for Americans to exer-cise their generous spirit, with an “IRAcharitable rollover, described below.Lawmakers are also working on a wayto make it possible for IRA-holders toonce again give money to a charitywithout having to pay a big bill to Uncle

The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneyswww.probatebusters.com • blog.wealth-counselors.com

Sam in return for their generosity.

Gifting an IRA to CharityTo give a gift from an IRA to charity

without having to pay taxes on with-drawals, a tax rule was introduced in2006 called an IRA charitable rollover.Under this special tax rule, a personcould give as much as $100,000 fromtheir IRA directly to the charity of theirchoice. The money was excluded fromincome, so there was no penalty formaking the gift.

However, the rule had some limita-tions, such as restricting the ability togive an IRA to charity only topeople over the age of 70 1/2 atthe time the gift was made.Furthermore, the tax exclusionapplied only to standard andRoth-IRAs and not to otherkinds of retirement plans. Still,it made it possible for peopleto contribute to causes they arepassionate about. For example,Forbes previously reported,some individuals with substan-tial IRA balances were able togive money to places like thePhiladelphia Zoo or help pro-vide funds that gave childrenaccess to museums in theirhome city.

Unfortunately, the IRAcharitable rollover rule was notmade a permanent rule at thetime it was passed. The ruleinitially allowed for donationsfrom IRAs without tax impli-cations only in 2006 and 2007.However, it has been extendedseveral times including in theFiscal Cliff deal that lawmakersreached to extend the tax breakthrough 2013. The Wall StreetJournal reported in Februarythat it was likely that the taxbreak would be extendedthrough 2014 despite the factthat it had expired, andInvestment News reported inMay that the U.S. House of

Representatives’ top tax committeeapproved a proposal that would makethe IRA Charitable Rollover a perma-nent fixture of the tax code. Legislationincluding the IRA Charitable Rolloverpassed the House Representatives inJuly.

The uncertainty surrounding thefuture of this tax break continues tocreate problems for those who want todonate part of their IRA, but the hopesare that lawmakers will recognize themyriad of benefits making it possiblefor people to give their IRA’s directly tocharity. Because of ever-changing taxrules, those who want to make a gift to

charity should be sure to talk to alawyer about their options, and call ouroffice today.

About Our Law FirmThe Law Firm of Anderson, Dorn &

Rader is devoted exclusively to estateplanning. We are members of theAmerican Academy of Estate PlanningAttorneys and offer guidance and adviceto our clients in every area of estateplanning. We offer comprehensive andpersonalized estate planning consulta-tions. For more information or attendan upcoming seminar, please contact usat (775) 823-9455 or visit us online atwww.wealth-counselors.com.


IRA / page 8


I bet you’vemade many NewYear’s Resolutionsover the years. Icertainly have; butfrankly, I haven’tkept most of themand I think it’s apretty silly notion.But my work at the

Community Foundation, and even theact of writing these columns, hasreminded me of a most important reso-lution I need to keep… updating myWill and Trust.

On my coffee table at home is astack of paper that includes notes toincorporate in this next Will revision. Itcontains copies of information and arti-

cles about living trusts, asset protection,improved medical power of attorneytemplates, lists of assets, copies ofdeeds, etc., but now I’m adding stories.My birthday is coming up shortly andwith that milestone I’m reminded thatlife doesn’t last forever.

This time I’m taking a differentapproach. I was thinking that if I couldhave a day with one of my grandparentswho have passed on, what would I askthem? It would be nice just to have abig hug and to sit and be together. Ithink I would ask them about the thingsthey’d like to share with me. The thingsthey didn’t have time to say or advicethey wanted to share. It would be greatfun to hear a personal story of theirsthat has a lesson in it for me.

We all have stories to share. In spiteof all the talking we do, we no doubthave most of our stories held in reserve.Last month I wrote about a bicycle safe-ty program I taught at elementaryschools when I was 16, and my wiferemarked that that was a story she did-n’t know about me. I’m pretty surethere are way too many stories for eachof us to tell, but to me now the mostimportant stories are the ones thatincorporate lessons for my kids andgrandkids. The defining stories arethose that tell who I am and how andwhy I became who I am. I hope theyare funny, surprising, about adventure,mistakes, and life loves.

From the moment of the birth of our(Resolution page 12)

Chris Askin

Community Giving

By Chris Askin, President and CEOCommunity Foundation of Western Nevada

It’s a New Year… What’s Your Resolution?

12 / January/ SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

kids and grandkids we all havegreat hopes for these future genera-tions. We want to teach them how tomake their way in this world withoutneeding to rely on us. And not just tosurvive, but to thrive… to learn what isimportant to them. When it comesdown to it, it is not our wealth we wishthem to have but our wisdom; we wantthem to learn.

We can improve our Wills andTrusts by looking inside and focusingon our values and what means most tous. We need to avoid the mistake offocusing on our monetary wealth. It’snot easy to do. Usually our values arethe last thing we include in these docu-ments. The process doesn’t make iteasy. We sit down with an attorney,who is detached, and who provides adetached plan… a template, on how todistribute our assets. We may make themistake of thinking that leaving asmuch as possible is more important

than using those assets now, over time,over our lives, over the formative periodof our children and grandchildren’slives, to reinforce the lessons we wantto teach.

So I ask you, what is better: to leaveindependent strong families with strongvalues and powerful work ethics and asense of responsibility and community--or assets without guidance? We mustlet our values influence the design ofour plans without letting emotions getthe better of us. Don’t we owe that toour families, our friends, our communi-ty, and our country?

In 2015 and for the rest of your life,lead by example. Do what you wantyour children and grandchildren to do.Involve them, talk with them, tell themwhat you’re doing and why. Encouragethem to become engaged in thosethings they care about most. If youhave a Will or Trust, and if you don’tthink it will have the results you wish it

to have, revise it. We all have the gift ofbeing here today. So, grab a sticky noteor a computer tablet and write downyour thoughts. It’s always the right timeto share your wisdom. Your family andyour community are waiting.

The Community Foundation ofWestern Nevada is a local public chari-table foundation that connects peoplewho care with causes that matter. Wehave helped hundreds of people just likeyou do their giving in the most effec-tive, efficient, and enjoyable way possi-ble. To find out more, visit us atnevadafund.org or call 775-333-5499.

Resolution / page 10


Good news forpeople withMedicare in 2015:Part B costs willremain the sameas in 2014.

Medicare Part Bhelps pay for doc-tor bills, outpa-

tient care, durable medical equipment,and other items. It requires a monthlypremium and an annual deductible. I’mhappy to report that Part B costs for2015 will be identical to 2014: $104.90 amonth for the premium (for most bene-ficiaries), and $147 for the deductible.

Most people with Medicare don’t payany premium for Part A, which helpscovers hospital care. But for those who

do, the 2015 premium is dropping, froma maximum of $426 per month to $407per month. The annual deductible isgoing up a little, from $1,216 in 2014 to$1,260 in 2015. Once you pay thedeductible, Medicare covers your first60 days of hospitalization with no co-insurance.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act,people with Medicare no longer haveco-pays for a long list of Medicare-cov-ered preventive health services.

Preventive shots and screenings areintended to keep you healthy and todetect disease in the earliest stages,when it’s most treatable.

Medicare’s preventive health servicesinclude vaccinations for flu and

Hepatitis B; screenings for colorectal,breast, and prostate cancer; screeningsand counseling for diabetes and depres-sion; cardiovascular disease screenings;and counseling to help you stop smok-ing or abusing alcohol.

In addition, you can get a one-time“Welcome to Medicare” visit with yourdoctor, during the first 12 monthsyou’re enrolled in Part B. During thisvisit you and your doctor can reviewyour medical and social history, andyour physician can recommend specificpreventive screenings for you, if needed.

Medicare also now covers an annual“wellness” visit with your doctor. Thisvisit is intended to develop or update apersonalized plan to prevent disease or

(Medicare Coverage page 14)

What’s New in Medicare for 2015?David Sayen, Regional Administrator

Medicare Region 9

David Sayen

disability based on your current healthand risk factors.

Another benefit of the Affordable CareAct is that it’s gradually closing the“donut hole,” or coverage gap, inMedicare Part D, the prescription drugprogram.

The coverage gap begins after you andyour drug plan together have spent acertain amount for covered drugs. In2015, once you enter the gap, you pay45 percent of the plan’s cost for coveredbrand-name drugs and 65 percent ofthe plan’s cost for covered generic drugsuntil you reach the end of the gap.

However, not everyone will enter thecoverage gap because their drug costswon’t be high enough. (There’s a fullexplanation of the coverage gap in the“Medicare & You” handbook for 2015,which is online at:

http://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf.) The gap is scheduled to becompletely closed by 2020.

Finally, Medicare has expanded its “BlueButton” feature to provide better accessto your Medicare claims and personalhealth information.

With the Blue Button you can down-load 12-36 months of claims informa-tion for Part A and Part B, and 12months of claims information for PartD. This information can help you makemore informed decisions about yourcare and give your healthcare providersa more complete view of your healthhistory. You can find the Blue Button atwww.MyMedicare.gov.

Once you’ve used the Blue Button, thereare a variety of health applications andservices to analyze your health informa-tion. Visit www.bluebuttonconnector-

.healthit.gov to learn more about theseuseful tools and how to protect yourhealth information once it’s in yourhands.

David Sayen is Medicare’s regionaladministrator for Arizona, California,Hawaii, Nevada, and the PacificTerritories. You can always get answersto your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).


Medicare Coverage / page 13

As we begin a newcalendar year, we

are full of hopes and anticipations. Doesit have to be better or can it be as goodas last year? Unfortunately, as I pointedout in my last article in December, thefuture and the unknown can create anx-iety and stress. However, the simpleryou can keep your life, the easier itflows and the happier you are.

KISS actually came from the U. S. Navyin 1960 as a design principle for aircraft.In addition, this principle has been akey and a huge success in my years ofsoftware engineering. In applying to ourown lives, a common problem we allhave today is that we tend to over com-plicate problems, their solutions, andour lives.

Typically when we are faced with aproblem, we need to break it down intosmaller pieces. Unfortunately, most ofus do not. We become overwhelmedwith the problem which increases the

stress and unhappiness. This producesno action or very complex actions forsimple problems. The result isunhealthy lives, increased illness, andlack of growth and quality.

In utilizing the KISS principle in ourlives, we will be able to solve moreproblems faster, produce higher qualitysolutions, build solutions that produceactions that are easier to maintain, bemore flexible in order to solve problemseasier, and achieve more than you everimagined.

How can the KISS principle be appliedto life? First and foremost, be humble.Don't think of yourself as asuperman/woman or genius, that wouldbe a mistake. By being humble, you willeventually achieve super genius status,and even if you don't, who cares! Breakdown your ‘big’ problems into several‘small’ problems. Each smaller problemshould be able to be solved with veryfew steps. Break down your tasks to

solve the problem into sub-tasks thatare doable – and can be done in shortorder. If the problem/task you’re tack-ling still seems overwhelming or tootime consuming, break it down, again.Then do it, step by step.

After just experiencing the holiday sea-son with the tremendous focus onmaterial goods with Grey Thursday,Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc., it isno wonder why we lead such complexlives. Do we really need more materialgoods and gifts? Sure, we have basicneeds but capitalism is our answerto….What? Happiness? I think not! Weneed to try minimalism. Purge yourselfof unnecessary material stuff and makeyour life simple.

I am referring to minimalism here as anumber of different voluntary practicesto simplify our lifestyle. For example, inorder to create simple living the prac-tices may include reducing our material

(Life to Years page 16)


Larry Weiss

“Adding Life to Years”

Dr. Larry WeissCenter for Healthy Aging

KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid…Be Happy!

possessions or increasing our self-suffi-ciency. Simple living is characterized bybeing satisfied with what we have ratherthan what we want. Minimalism or sim-ple living is distinct from those living inpoverty, as it is a voluntary lifestyle

choice. Those who choose minimalismand create a simple living life may do sofor a variety of personal reasons, suchas spirituality, health, increase in qualitytime for family and friends, work-lifebalance, personal taste, or reducing per-

sonal stress and increasing happiness.

Over the holiday, I watched a news briefabout a ‘Secret Santa’ in Kansas City.The private donor was giving away$100,000 in $100 bills. He had done it

himself in past years, but, thisyear wanted to simplify. Hechose to work with the localsheriff ’s office because of allthe bad press police have beengetting lately.

He gave $100 bills to thedeputies to distribute to peoplein the community. The resultbrought tears to all those whoreceived the money. Certainlysimplifying how to give awaymoney is only available to aselect few, but what a greatexample of simplicity, sharing,and giving unconditionally tobring happiness to the officer’sand the recipients – as well asthose who watched the newsbrief!

Even though this new year andholiday season seems to behectic and complex, manythings can be achieved throughthe KISS principle. You have towork hard to keep it simple andstill have meaning. If we focuson the real important aspectsof our lives and never stopdoing the little things that areimportant to others such astelling them that you lovethem, giving a hug, or simplysharing a smile, then those littlesimple things will occupy thebiggest part of our hearts and“add life to years.”

Lawrence J. Weiss, Ph.D. isCEO of the Center for HealthyAging. Dr. Weiss welcomesyour comments on this col-umn. Write to him [email protected] orc/o Center for Healthy Aging,11 Fillmore Way, Reno, NV89519.


Life to Years / page 15

The Northern Nevada Center forIndependent Living (NNCIL) has part-nered with the Southern Nevada Centerfor Independent Living (SNCIL) and theDeaf and Hard of Hearing AdvocacyResource Center (DHHARC) to offertelecommunications equipment to thehard of hearing in Northern Nevada.

Equipment available includes:• Amplified Telephones: Gives peoplethe ability to adjust the volume and tone tohelp them hear better.

• Captioned Telephones: State-of-the-art technology that displays written cap-tions of everything that is spoken during atelephone conversation.

• Teletypewriters: Enables people totype messages back and forth rather than

talking.

• CapTel Internet (high speed required):Works like any traditional telephone, but italso connects to the Internet to show writ-ten captions during telephone conversa-tions.

• Ring/Light Signalers: Notifies indi-viduals of an incoming call by flashing alamp on and off.

• Voice Carry Over Phones: Allows aperson who can hear, but not speak, to lis-ten directly to the standard telephone user’sconversation and respond by typing.

• Big Button Phones: Large, easy-readbuttons and amplified decibels aid seniorsand the elderly in making calls, hearing andbeing heard on the line.

The equipment is available for free toany Nevada resident who is: • Deaf or with qualifying hearing loss withlow vision and/or speech impairment, and;

• Whose telecommunications capacity iscreating a barrier towards independent liv-ing, community involvement or in employ-ment.

Anyone interested in the program,should contact Lorina Daviton at (775)353-3599 or [email protected].

The Nevada TEDP is a statewidetelecommunications equipment distribu-tion program funded by the Public UtilitiesCommission through the NevadaDepartment of Health and HumanServices, Aging and Disability ServicesDivision.


Free Telecommunications EquipmentDistribution Program at NNCIL


When shopping for a newvehicle, there’s a lot more toconsider than four-wheeldrive and heated seats. Withthe variety of new tech offer-ings available in today’s vehi-cles, now is a good time toreference a recent study con-ducted by AARP DriverSafety's partners at MIT AgeLab and The Hartford. The

Top Vehicle Technologies for Safer Driving

By Julie E. Lee

Julie E. Lee

study determined the mosthelpful vehicle technologiesfor drivers 50 and older, andhow well these technologiesmeet the unique needs, con-cerns and priorities of experi-enced drivers.

So the next time you upgradeyour vehicle, refer to this listof top vehicle technologies: 1. Smart Headlights:Finding a safe balancebetween the intensity of yourheadlights and the darknessof the night is a difficult task.However, smart headlightscan now help you adjust therange and intensity of lightbased on the distance of traf-fic. This reduces glare andimproves night vision.

2. Emergency responsesystems: While many driversexpect to use their cellphones to contact emergencypersonnel, it might not be thebest option in every situation.Thankfully many vehicles arenow equipped with emer-gency response systems thatoffer quick assistance to driv-

ers in the case of a medicalemergency or collision, oftenallowing emergency person-nel to get to the scene morequickly. Some systems eventurn on interior lights, unlockdoors and shut off fuel whenairbags deploy.

3. Reverse monitoring sys-tems: These systems – oftencomposed of rearview cam-eras and sound alerts – helpa driver judge distances andback up safely. These toolsare especially helpful for driv-ers with reduced flexibilitywho may have trouble turn-ing their bodies around to seeout of rearview mirrors prop-erly. Additional research fromThe Hartford and MIT AgeLab reveals that exercises likechest and shoulder expan-sions can help drivers main-tain their flexibility. Althoughdrivers shouldn’t solelydepend on this reverse moni-toring system, along withrearview mirror checks it canhelp the driver better assessthe environment aroundhis/her vehicle.

4. Blind spot warning systems: Blindspots create challenges for all drivers,especially when trying to change laneson major highways or park in a crowd-ed lot. These systems help you consis-tently monitor your blind spots withouttaking your eyes off the road. However,you should also take steps to limit yourvehicle's blind spots. Make sure yourrearview mirror is properly adjusted sothat you can see your entire rear win-dow. You will know your left and rightmirrors are properly adjusted when youcan barely see the left and right back ofyour vehicle as you look through themirrors respectively.

5. Drowsy driving alerts: Did youknow drowsy driving can be just as dan-gerous as driving under the influence ofalcohol? According to a poll by theNational Sleep Foundation, nearly 60percent of adult drivers admit to havingfallen asleep behind the wheel.Moreover, the National Highway TrafficSafety Association reports that drowsy

driving is responsible forover 100,000 crasheseach year. For this rea-son, drowsy driver alertsare premiering in newvehicles to prevent driv-ers from falling asleep atthe wheel. This newtechnology monitorsdrivers’ inattentivenessand alerts them whenthey might be dozingoff.

For the full list of top technologies andto watch demonstrations of how theywork, visit AARP's Driving ResourceCenter.

We must remember the driver is stillthe most critical part of the drivingexperience. While new systems areintended to help reduce human errorand make the driving experience easierand more enjoyable, it's critical that, asdrivers, we refresh our knowledge and

skills. An AARP Smart Driver™ coursecan help you stay current with changesto technology and the driving experi-ence. To find a course in your commu-nity, visit www.aarp.org/safedriving orcall 1-877-846-3299.

Julie E. Lee is Vice President andNational Director of AARP DriverSafety in Education and Outreach. Shedirects the driver improvement coursefor drivers age 50 and older.


Ever been lost on a new trail on ahike? Or confused between north andsouth in a new city? Or after a certainage, unsure if you really took that anti-cholesterol pill last night, or was it theblood pressure pill? They kind-of lookthe same.

The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention report that about 50 percentof patients take their medications asprescribed and that almost 40 percentof adults older than 65 were taking fiveor more prescriptions a day.

New technology will help seniors totake the correct dose of medications asprescribed or keep track of the amount

they take daily.Managing real and poten-

tial medication conflicts andconfusions is more pressingas 10,000 baby boomers turnsixty-five every day, and 90percent suffer at least onechronic illness. Manyboomers are now swallowinga cocktail of medications pre-scribed by various specialists:pain medicines for achingbacks, antidepressants, pro-ton pump inhibitors, vitaminsand other over-the-countersupplements. With families sometimes far away

and many older people unable toafford personal caregivers, companieshave searched for a technologicalsolution to monitoring medicine.

The newest body monitors are astiny as BBs. These so-callednanomeds, miniscule sensors embed-ded in a placebo pill that you swallow,set up shop in your gut. As they slow-ly work their way through your sys-tem, these “ingestibles” – which areactually not digested – are switchedon by contact with saliva and/or gas-tric juices. The signal is picked up byanother sensor which looks like aBand-Aid and is worn on the chest.

This system records medicineintake as well as other measures, suchas heart rate. The information showsup on the smartphone or tablet, viaBluetooth and can automatically goto your doctors, family members orcaregivers, with your permission.

“We are entering the commercialera of the Internet of Things (IoT) –your car, your clothes and increasing-ly your personal care products aregoing to be connected,” says AndrewThompson, CEO of Proteus Digital

(Sensors page 23)22 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Sensors May Soon Monitor Medicines From Inside Your BodyFrank Browning

Kaiser Health Newswww.kaiserhealthnews.org

Ingestible Wearable Mobile Computing (Courtesy Proteus Digital Health)

Each year, morethan 2.5 million eyeinjuries occur in thiscountry, resulting in50,000 people losingat least a portion oftheir vision.

The most commontype of such injuries is scratching thatoccurs when a foreign body enters theeye and a person rubs the eye in anattempt to remove the irritation.Whether scratches to the outer portionof the eye (cornea) are caused by air-borne debris or a poke in the eye, theresultant scratch poses a potentiallyserious problem.

Either fungal or bacterial infectioncan set in, requiring immediate treat-

ment. It is best to have scratches andother eye injuries assessed by the eyedoctor. In the meantime, it pays to wearprotective eyewear.

It should be noted when a piece ofdebris enters the eye, resist the tempta-tion to rub the eye. Instead, try to flushthe foreign object from the eye by posi-tioning the head under running water.

If you would like further informa-tion on today’s topic, please call myoffice at (775) 882-1726.

We are conveniently located at 3839N. Carson Street, in Carson City,89706.

Hours open are 8-5 p.m., Mondaythrough Friday by appointment.Master Card, Visa, and MedicareAssignment are accepted.


Ophthalmology

Just Scratching the Surface

Michael J. Fischer

Dr. Michael J. Fischer, M.D.Nevada Eye Surgery Center

Health, which makes these “ingestibles.”He adds that the goal is to connect

major health systems to consumers “toallow them to switch on their ownhealth care, creating critical informationthat can be used to ensure they andtheir doctors make positive decisionsabout use of medicines and personalhealth choices.”

Proteus was named after the subma-rine Proteus, in the 1966 sci-fi classicFantastic Voyage. A super-miniaturizedsub and its a crew were injected into ablood vessel to fix a brain clot. And thatwas named after the Greek sea godProteus, resulting in the adjective pro-tean which has “had positive connota-tions of flexibility, versatility and adapt-ability.”

The Food and Drug Administrationapproved these devices in 2012, butthey’re not on the open market yet.They’re still being tested in pilot proj-ects, including with England’s NationalHealth Service.

Sensors / page 22

Reno resident Elizabeth Purtee is arole model and great example of healthand fitness extending one’s longevity.

Purtee emerged from a field of 42contestants to finish in the top ten ofcontestants vying for Ms. SeniorAmerica 2014-2015. The Ms. Senior

America Pageant, was held at ResortsCasino Hotel, in Atlantic City. Purtee, aWooster High School graduate, was thefirst runner-up in this year’s Ms. Senior

Nevada pageant, held August 20th, 2014in Las Vegas. In an interesting twist, atalent scout from the national pageantwas in the audience and encouraged herto consider representing another statethat was looking for a talented contest-ant. Elizabeth represented the EvergreenState of Washington in the nationalfinals.

Reached for comment, Purtee said “Iwant to inspire and motivate people ofall ages to realize that age is no barrier inthe pursuit of your dreams. There areendless possibilities at any age ... we justhave to reach out and pursue thosedreams."


Ms. Senior America Pageant Finalist

Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities inaugural conference on health and wellness

Truckee Meadows HealthyCommunities (TMHC) will host a one-day conference on January 8, at theUniversity of Nevada to begin conversa-tions about building a culture of health inthe region.

“The Truckee Meadows HealthyCommunities conference will bringtogether individuals who share a visionof enhancing the health of our region,”said Phyllis Freyer, chair of Truckee

Meadows Healthy Communities.First lady, Kathleen Sandoval will

serve as honorary chair during the con-ference. The goal of the conference is thestart of an action plan that addresseslocal health disparities and furtherengages the community to implementprojects that improve health and qualityof life in the Truckee Meadows. To learnmore, visit TruckeeMeadowsHealthyCommunities.com.

Jan. 5 - Puppy and DogObedience Training, 7-8p.m., Sparks Parks andRecreation Gymnasium, 98Richards Way, (775) 353-2376.

Jan. 7 - City of Reno SeniorAdvisory Committee &Washoe County SeniorServices Advisory BoardJoint Meeting, 3, EvelynMount Northeast CommunityCenter.

Jan. 7 - Memphis TheMusical, Pioneer Center forPerforming Arts, 2 p.m.

Jan. 7 - Neil Road’sVeterans InformationPresentations, VeteransResource Centers, 11:30-2:30p.m., free.

Jan. 8 - 2 Kings Show at

Harrah’s Reno, Elvis andMichael Jackson, $52, dinnerand show.

Jan. 10 - School ofMedicine, Free StudentOutreach Clinic, general clin-ic, 8-noon, UNR campus,Family Medicine Center.

Jan. 12 - AARP DriverSafety Class, 9-2 p.m., RenoSenior Center, 1155 E. NinthSt., Reno, (775) 328-2575.

Jan. 13 - Stroke Support,Renown Rehab, 4-5 p.m.

Jan. 14 - April 19 - MadameHoudini, EldoradoShowroom, $24.95, (800)879-8879.

Jan. 14 - Jefferson Starship,Harrah’s South Shore Room,Lake Tahoe.

Jan. 15 - Brunch and aMovie, City of Reno Parks

and Recreation SeniorPrograms.

Jan. 15 - Food Truck(CSFP), third Thursday ofeach month 9:30-11 a.m.,Food Bank of NorthernNevada, (775) 331-3663.

Jan. 15 - 26th AnnualHuman Services Awards,Capri Grand Ballroom,Peppermill Resort andCasino, 8-10 a.m.

Jan. 15 - Brunch and aMovie, Eldorado Casinobrunch, $20, Reno Parks andRecreation, EMNCC at 8:30a.m., TPPAC at 8:45 a.m.,NRCC at 9 a.m.

Jan. 17 - George Lopez, 8p.m., Silver Legacy Resort,$68.75 - $89.50.

Jan. 18 & 20 - RenoPhilharmonic Orchestra,Jeffrey Kahane guest conduc-

tor, the Classix Four concertset, Pioneer Center for thePerforming Arts, Reno.

Jan. 20 - Senior ServicesMonthly Food Pantry,Gross Maximum Income --1person - $1,245 per month; 2 people - $1,681 per month,60 or older (or have spouse60+), two bags per house-hold, 300 participants, ID andproof of Income, 9 a.m., RenoSenior Center.

Jan. 22 - Renown Lecture:Increasing Function Whenin Pain, Nicholas Tannous,MD, physiatrist with RenownMedical Group, 12-1 p.m.,NRRC, free.

Jan. 22 - Silver OakVineyards Wine Dinner,Bistro Napa, Atlantis, Reno.

Jan. 23 & 24 - The StringCheese Incident, GrandSierra, Reno.


CALENDAR

Jan. 23 - Melodies of Love,Broadway Comes to Reno,Pioneer Center for thePerforming Arts, Reno.

Jan. 27 - UNR vs. UNLVBasketball Game, LawlerEvents Center, $22.

Jan. 24 - School ofMedicine Women’s Clinic, 8-noon, Family MedicineCenter, UNR campus.

Jan. 24 & 25 - Rain: ATribute to the Beatles,Pioneer Center for thePerforming Arts, Reno.

Jan. 30 - So You Think YouCan Dance, 8 p.m., SilverLegacy Resort.

Feb. 6 - Dancing With TheStars, 8 p.m., Silver LegacyResort, $67.75 - $77.75.

Feb, 6 8 Memphis,

Broadway Comes to Reno,Pioneer Center for thePerforming Arts, Reno.

Feb. 2 - AARP Driver SafetyClass, 9-2 p.m., Reno SeniorCenter; Feb. 28, 9:30-2 p.m.,Neil Road Recreation Center.

Feb. 3 - Sanford Center forAging DistinguishedSpearker Series, AliveInside, 6:30 p.m., NightingaleConcert Hall, register by Jan.27, at http://aliveinsidereno.eventbrite.com.

Feb. 2 - 14 - 2015 SeniorWinter Games, Circus Circusrooms, registration, Archery,Baggo, Beanbag Baseball,Bowling, Cards (Cribbage &Poker), Cross Country Skiing,Hockey Slap Shot, IceSkating, Pickleball, Ski &Snowboard Racing,Snowshoeing and TableTennis, www.reno.gov/seniorgames.

Feb. 7 - Todd Snider,Nugget, Sparks, $39.

Feb. 9 - Senior Day atNevada Legislature,Commission on Aging, 7:30-5p.m., Legislative Bldg., room3100.

Feb. 10 - Senior TaxPreparation Assistance, 9-11:15 a.m., NRRC, (775) 762-7146.

Feb. 13 - 20th Annual BrewHaHa, Sierra Arts, Nugget, Rose Ballroom, 20 micro-breweries, tickets $50, VIP$65.

Feb. 17 - Senior ServicesMonthly Food Pantry, GrossMaximum Income --1 person -$1,245 per month; 2 people -$1,681 per month, 60 or older(or have spouse 60+), twobags per household, ID andproof of income, 9 a.m., RenoSenior Center, 1155 E. 9thStreet.

Feb. 19 - Food Truck(CSFP), Food Bank ofNorthern Nevada, thirdThursday of each month 9:30-11 a.m., (775) 331-3663

Feb. 19 - Rockapella Singsthe Hits, Harrah’s Reno, din-ner and show, 6 p.m., RenoSenior Programs.

Feb. 21 - Los Lobos,Harrah’s South Shore Room,Lake Tahoe.

Feb. 23 - Nevada Women’sLobby/Grass Roots LobbyDays, 7:30-5 p.m., LegislativeBldg., room 3100.

Feb. 27 - Nevada Health Dayat Legislature, LegislativeBldg., room 3100, 7:30-9 a.m.

Feb. 31 - AARP DriverSafety Class, 9:30-2 p.m.,Neil Road Recreation Center,3925 Neil Rd, Reno.


Calendar / page 25

This is column number 200.Back in February 1998, Icontacted Senior Spectrum

Editor Connie McMullen aboutthe possibility of writing for herpublication. At the time I was stillemployed as a ReferenceLibrarian by Washoe County atthe Sparks Branch Library. InApril of that year Connie pub-lished my first column, appropri-ately titled "Nevada LibrariesOffer Vast Resources" using mysuggested heading, The EclecticObserver. (The heading was cho-sen so I wouldn't be limited to asingle topic. Subsequent columnshave covered everything fromcooking with rhubarb, G.I. Dogsand travels in Denmark, to Voguemagazine.)

Looking back at the originalcolumn I find advances in tech-nology have made some hugechanges in our Nevada Libraries.The old card catalogs are longgone, along with videos, audioand music cassettes, typewriters

Branch Library where I stocktwo sections of shelvingdevoted to the sale of donat-ed, gently-used books, paper-backs, CDs, DVDs, andvideos. Proceeds from allpurchases are used to supple-ment the Library's materialsbudget. Sparks' sale shelvesare available to browse andbuy whenever the Library isopen. In contrast, theFriends of Washoe CountyLibrary have huge book salesthroughout the year that fea-ture collectible books, by-the-bag bargains and variousmedia. The Northwestbranch maintains a charminggift shop, appropriatelynamed "Secondhand Prose".

If you have yet to visit alibrary close to you, make it aNew Year's resolution toexplore a new and excitingvenue for enlightenment,education and entertain-ment.


THE ECLECTIC OBSERVERby Janet Ross

for public use, banks of telephonebooks and phonograph records. Intheir place you'll find rows of comput-ers dedicated for public use withaccess to the Internet. Many of theold, paper-based reference sources arenow computerized either through theLibrary's own system, or the endlessoptions on offer via the Internet.Washoe County Libraries have self-checkout stations that have largelyreplaced the one-on-one contact at acheckout counter, butInformation/Reference desks are stillstaffed by helpful library employees.

Regardless of all the changes inlibraries over the past sixteen years,they remain an invaluable asset to thecommunities they serve. Chances arethere's a library within a few miles ofyour home, whether public, academ-ic, or special interest (think theNevada Historical Society or WashoeCounty Law Library).

I currently volunteer at the Sparks

Since this monthmarks the 70thanniversary of

my first trip to Reno,it might be well to

recall the names of the many individualswith whom I interfaced over thedecades before they are lost to memory.

The first voice I heard upon my arrivalwas that of crusty football coach JimAiken. I had awakened him in a post-midnight call from the Greyhound busstation. Since my bus was some sevenhours late to arrive, there had been noone to meet me at the station. Thecoach advised me to take a cab toLincoln Hall where I had my first physi-cal encounter with Dean of Men,Robert Griffin. Aroused from a soundsleep, he told me to find a vacant bed

wherever I could. The nextmorning I met my first room-mate, George Vucanovich.Most of my other acquaintanc-es that semester included ath-letes like Buster McClure,Smoky Smolenski, Cliff France,Alf Sorensen, Ken Sinofsky andfellow Floridian BobbyDurham.

Downtown Reno familiar fig-ures included printer HarryFrost, restaurateur Nick Abelman and anumber of Wolf-Pack boosters.

Returning to Reno in 1947, following across-country auto trip with PetePridgen and Bill Geohegan, the three ofus hooked up with Harold Hayes,another fellow Floridian. The four of us

finally found housing in the crowdedReno market on the second floor of Dr.Wesley Hall’s building. Our other tworoommates were “Goldy” Farnsworthand Brunson Harris.

Legendary journalism Professor Al (Biggest little City page 29)


Biggest little CITYBy Harry Spencer Names to Remember

Higginbotham was my primaryinstructor in a class that includedHayes, Mark Curtis, Billy JoeMcFarland and Ted Scripps.

Playing ball for the University wasunder famed coach Jake Lawlor.Subsequent housing, Junior andSenior years was at the home of Peterand Linda Burke along with their sonBob. Opting for City League basket-ball, we had marvelous sponsors likeHam McCaughey, Gene Rissone andBill Stremmel.

As a part-time men’s clothing sales-man while finishing up school, I hadoccasion to work with CappyJohnson, Hugh Herd, Charlie Short,Ted Short, John Owings and JackTullet.

On one occasion a fellow journalismstudent, Rev. Maurice Welsh, aCatholic priest, showed up at thestore. When I informed him that wedid not stock cleric garb, he said thathe didn’t come in to buy but he need-ed an associate editor for the state-wide Catholic newspaper of which hehad just been named managing edi-tor.

Thus began my full-time journalismcareer that had started when I moon-lighted in college for Ty Cobb at theNevada State Journal.

At the paper Welsh and I worked inthe Chancery office under the direc-tion of curmudgeon-y BishopThomas Gorman and his successorBishop Robert Dwyer. Other notableworkers in the building were VincentBurke, Father Joe Baldus and IrvinDeroy.

During that time Ty Cobb started anorganization known as the “SierraNevada Sports Writers andBroadcasters Association”.Prominent among its members wereLink Piazzo, Carl Digino and LenCrocker.

That takes us to 1957. A few moreyears to come.


As

I writethis there

are chain controls on Highway80 and “there’s snow in themthar hills,” which is wonderfulbecause we desperately needthe moisture. It’s also wonder-ful for skiers and once upon atime, long, long ago, I was oneof those. Or I attempted to be.

The Army had stationed usin Germany where seeminglyeveryone was skiing. Theytalked so incessantly about tripsand trails and types of boots

and weekend plans to hit theslopes that we really felt exclud-ed. Then someone suggestedwe go on a “Learn to Ski” week.

My idea of exercise is turn-ing the pages of a book. Mynose runs when I get cold, mybladder gets anxious, speed ofany kind terrifies me and I keptremembering Erma Bombeck’spolicy: “I do not participate inany sport with ambulances atthe bottom of the hill.”Nevertheless, I soon foundmyself in a charming pensionin a tiny village in Austria. Ourfellow lodgers were fellowlearners but if there was a knot

of terror in anyone else’stummy no one mentioned it.Maybe I was wrong to be soapprehensive; maybe thiswould be fun. Maybe.

Monday morning came toosoon. When purchasing mynew ski attire I had envisionedmyself as a chic snow-bunnybut the reflection in the mirrorbore a resemblance to a marsh-mallow and I kept tripping overmy ski boots. I stuffed mypockets with tissues and hopedthere were restrooms on theslopes.

The ski school was justacross a meadow but I wasexhausted by the time wejoined the assembled crowd.Those with any experiencewere dispatched to one side tobe tested; beginners to theother. Our instructor’s firstwords were: “this is a ski andthis is a pole.” Once we’d mas-tered that, we spent the nexttwo hours walking slowly in acircle and by noon I was feelingsmugly self-confident. Whosaid I didn’t have any athleticability? My instructor, that’swho. After lunch we were tolda new class was being formedfor “select” students. I was thefirst candidate.

The rest of the week wasmiserable. I spent my dayswiping my nose and fightingtears of frustration as childrenraced past me. My arms achedfrom wrestling with a rope towintended to pull me upwardbut dumping me, instead, intopuddles. Meanwhile, my hus-band was number one in hisclass, finishing admirably in therace on Saturday. So much for

togetherness on the slopes.Another year, another

Monday morning. My hus-band joined those to be testedwhile I again learned the differ-ence between the ski and thepole. I excelled at circle-walk-ing, hung in there with getting-up-correctly and managed tostay the beginner’s class until Iwas again demoted onWednesday.

Day one, year three: Withboth dread and determination Imade my way forward with theother beginners to hear aboutthe ski/pole. The head of theski school peered at me:“haven’t I seen you here before?”This year it was different. Thisyear I was the star of the class.All day Monday. By Tuesdaythey caught up with me and byWednesday they had overtakenme, but I was still part of thegroup. On Thursday we werescheduled to go to the top ofthe mountain to ski a newlyopened area. My husbandwould be up there with hisadvanced class. I spent a sleep-less night trying to figure howto avoid participating withoutbeing exposed as the coward Iwas.

It was clear and sunny thatmorning down in the village,but the mountain-top area wasenveloped in thick clouds, visi-bility being no further than afew yards. The plan was toleave our lunches in the bus,ski a short while and returnthere at noon but, feeling asudden intense attachment tomy little brown bag, I chose totake mine along and another(To Ski page 31)


this ‘n that By Anne Vargas [email protected]

Anne Vargas

To ski or not to ski, that was the question

classmate did the same.The area had been open

only a few weeks and encom-passed both the Austrian andthe German sides of themountain. Karl, our instructor,admitted he had been thereonly once but assured us therewere gentle slopes we wouldall enjoy once we reachedthem. After listening to hisinstructions to follow closelylest we lose sight of one anoth-er, off we went.

He led us down what hethought was the trail leading tothe easy area--except it wasn’t.So we tried an interconnectingslope and ended up in amound of moguls. Everyone’spatience was tried as I slippedand slid around them,approaching each with panic.Every time I fell I longed to justclutch the ground but I could-n’t because the whole class hadto wait for me. By now thewhite stuff was thicker, the daywas darker and everyone washungry.

Certain he now had hisbearings, Karl said all we need-ed to do to get back to the buswas take a T-bar. I had nevermanaged to ride one withoutfalling off and this one pulledits riders straight up the moun-tainside, then down andaround curves, straight upagain. The beckoning ditchesappeared at least 30 feet deepand I clung to that bar for dearlife, ignoring my dripping noseand swelling bladder, as I envi-sioned landing in one. Whyhad I persevered? If I’d beendemoted to the “special class”again I wouldn’t be in thismess! When we reached thetop, the only thing awaiting uswere “black runs” tagged forexpert skiers. Huddling undera clump of trees, the 12 of usshared two lunches.

It was dark when my hus-band returned to our cozypension. Fresh snow wasfalling and the fire was invit-ing. Everyone was gathered at

the hearth, sipping hot wineand swapping stories. Hejoined them in time to hearsomeone say: “they just sent theski patrol out for a class that gotlost on the mountain.”

All of this happened yearsago; rope tows and T-barswould be totally alien terms totoday’s skier. In fairy tales,Prince Charming usually ridesup on a white horse to rescuethe damsel in distress andeveryone lives happily after. I,too, was a damsel in distressand I was rescued. My Prince

Charming arrived with threefriends on skis, wearing abright orange parka and carry-ing a torch light.

I lived happily ever afterbecause I knew my life as askier was finished. My PrinceCharming probably also livedhappily ever after because heeventually managed to get mesafely off the mountain in thedark, an experience as horrificfor him as it was for me. Thethree other ski patrol membershad effortlessly guided every-one else down, leaving him to

be solely responsible for me.He may have talked about ithimself over the years and thestory might have started likethis: “have I ever told you aboutrescuing the worst skier I evermet?”

To ski or not to ski wasnever again a question for me.My idea of exercise is still turn-ing the pages of a book and formany years I have done thatwhile contentedly waiting bythe fire for my other PrinceCharming, the one who toldme I could.


On abeau-tiful

morning withbrilliant sunlight shining through the

wall of glass, one hundred one WWIIveterans came into the auditorium,some in wheelchairs assisted by lovedones, others wearing their original mili-tary uniforms…. All obviously proud to

be at the dedication ceremony of Roadto Berlin: European Theater Galleries inthe new wing of the National WorldWar II Museum. Other invited guestsfound seats around the perimeter of theVIP seating area. We stood as theColor Guard did the flag presentation,and dignitaries including LouisianaGovernor Bobby Jindal and NewOrleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu filedonto the stage for the ribbon-cuttingceremony. Meanwhile the militaryband played on.

Although it was our second trip toNew Orleans in as many months, theinvitation to Robert (having served inthe European Theater during WWII) toattend the ceremony was one we wereproud to be part of.

Shortly after we were in NewOrleans, we understand many otherRenoites were in The Big Easy for theNew Orleans Bowl game. Hopefully,you found time to visit the museumthat is now rated as the Number Onetourist attraction of the city.

For more information, call (877) 813-3329 or visit www.nationalww2museum.org.

The rest of our stay in NOLA wasslow paced and relaxing. We wereimpressed with the friendliness ofeverybody we met. And, we foundsome interesting restaurants, such asthe following:

Houston’s Jazz Restaurant1755 St. Charles Ave.New Orleans, LA 70130Telephone: (504) 524-1578Houston’s gets high marks from us notonly for the food, but the exquisitelydesigned décor and a four-piece, livejazz band every evening. It also hap-pens to be within walking distance ofthe Avenue Plaza Hotel, our home-away-from-home.

Zea Rotisserie & Grill1525 Saint Charles Ave.

(Seniors4Travel page 33)32 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Happy New Year! Robert Boyd & Carolyn Prusa


New Orleans, L A 70130Telephone: (504) 520-8100On the restaurant’s website, Zea isdescribed as “a polished casual restau-rant serving classic American fareinfused with mouth-watering interna-tional flavors”. We noted several barbe-cued rib and chicken entrees as well asbeef, pork, veal, pasta dishes andseafood. But the Cajun and Creoleitems were of most interest to us. TheShrimp & Grits (roasted corn grits,shrimp, andouille, etouffee sauce) was ahit with Carolyn. And, we recall withfondness the Sweet Potato BreadPudding.

The Trolley Stop Café1923 Saint Charles Ave.New Orleans, LA 70130Telephone: (504) 523-0090From day one, the Trolley Stop becameour breakfast place. We’ve tried theeggs every which way with various meataccompaniments, all to satisfaction.The baking powder biscuits are a stand-out. Grits we never quite got used to.

Mr. B's Bistro201 Royal StreetNew Orleans, LA 70130Telephone: (504) 523-2078Considered the original New Orleansgourmet bistro, Mr. B's Bistro is ownedand managed by Cindy Brennan, amember of the legendary New Orleans'Brennan Family. It was mid-afternoonwhen we wandered in. While therestaurant wouldn’t reopen until dinnertime, we sat at the bar and had the verytastiest fried oysters ever, with our bev-erages of choice – a bloody mary gar-nished with several veggies for Robert,and a glass of crisp Oregon pinot grisfor Carolyn.

Ugly God Saloon and BBQ401 Andrew Higgins Dr.New Orleans, LA 70130Telephone: (504) 569-8459 (UGLY)We went for lunch to the Ugly DogSaloon, just a few blocks from theNational World War II Museum. Inaddition to the specialty slow cookedribs, the menu offered a number of

sandwiches and side dishes, includingthe most unique cabbage coleslaw we’veever had. We leave you with the recipe,should you dare to make it.

Ugly God Saloon and BBQ ColeslawIngredients1/4 cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)1 tablespoon garlic pepper seasoning3/4 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon black pepper2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon molasses, plus1 teaspoon molasses3 cups red cabbage, very coarselychopped (or both) or 3 cups green cab-bage (or both)

DirectionsIn small bowl, blend all ingredients,except the cabbage; whisk to combinethoroughly.Chop cabbage into 3/4 to 1 inch chunks(authentic Ugly Dog Style!). Combine with dressing.Serve immediately or chill for an hour.

For many, the title “King ofRock and Roll” is reservedfor one man: Elvis Presley.

Had he lived, the King wouldhave celebrated his 80th birth-day on January 8, 2015.

Unlike most departedsingers who are rememberedlargely for their music, Elvislives on through a phenomenalnumber of appearances inscripted motion pictures – 31in all – beginning with “LoveMe Tender” in 1956 and ending13 years later with “Change ofHabit” in 1969. His movies pro-vide a unique glimpse intoanother dimension of one ofthe Twentieth Century’s great-est entertainers.

Although his films wereoften dismissed due to weakand predictable scripts, criticsgenerally regarded Elvis as asurprisingly good actor. Butwhat did costars think aboutworking with Elvis?

In 1966, 10-year-old DonnaButterworth costarred in“Paradise, Hawaiian Style,” thesecond Elvis film set in Hawaii.

“My mom and dad took meto see ‘Blue Hawaii’ when I wasjust a little girl and I fell in lovewith him right then and there,”said Donna. “I used to listen tohis records and I couldn’t getenough Elvis.”

Donna recalls filming herfirst scene on the cliffs of

Makapuu, on Oahu.“I had to run up into Elvis’s

arms and call out ‘Uncle Rick,Uncle Rick.’ But I had only methim a few minutes before that.So when the director called‘action,’ I ran up and got in hisarms and his face was about 4inches from my face. After allthe anticipation of meetingElvis Presley and working withhim, I just froze. I couldn’tbelieve I was so close to thisbeautiful man! All the crewcracked up because they knewI was so enamored. In fact,Elvis laughed the hardest – hejust loved to laugh.”

Unlike Donna, 7-year-oldSusan Olsen wasn’t an Elvisfan when she brieflyappeared in the talent con-test audition scene in Elvis’ssecond last film, “TheTrouble with Girls” (1969).

“I couldn’t understand allthe hype over him and I did-n’t even think he was good-looking!” said Susan, whowent on to play youngestdaughter Cindy on the popu-lar ‘60s TV show, “The BradyBunch.”

(Elvis page 37)

Tinseltown TalksBy Nick Thomas

Costars Remember Elvis the Actor


Donna Butterworth and Elvis in Paradise, Hawaiian Style.

Marlyn Mason and Elvis in Trouble with Girls.

That changed after their first briefencounter.

“I remember that a bunch of thekids’ mothers suddenly started scream-ing. Elvis had come out of his dressingroom and they crowded around him forautographs. So I thought ‘What theheck! I’ll get one too.’ So I went up tohim – and I’m not making this up –when he looked at me I thought, ‘Oh, Iget it! I see why they like him so much.’He had this special aura about him. Iwas just dumbstruck, I couldn’t say any-thing. He signed the photo, handed it tome, and said ‘Here ya go darling.’”

Elvis’s leading lady in “The Troublewith Girls” came away with more thanjust an autograph. Marlyn Masonsnagged an on-screen kiss.

“It was a comedy kiss,” said Marlyn,indicating that the only fireworks werethe real ones in the movie scene.

She took an unusual approach to getthe required reaction from Elvis. Justafter the fireworks scene, Elvis comesup behind her and starts rubbing hershoulders.

“I just turned around, off camera,and started undoing Elvis’s belt andtrousers!” Marlyn recalled. “Well, I did-n’t get very far because it wasn’t a longscene. Elvis got this funny look onhis face which you can see in thefilm. He was great fun to work with,because I could throw anything athim and he’d just throw it rightback.”

She also recalls a privatemoment when Elvis sharedthoughts about his acting.

“The saddest thing Elvis said tome was ‘I’d like to make one goodfilm because I know people in thistown laugh at me.’ I’ll never forgetthat,” she said. “But he was alwaysdown to earth and comfortable withhimself. Some of that dialogue wasso corny, but he managed to bring arealness to it. And I think that’s justhow he was in real life. He was anatural comedian, and his timingwas just impeccable. I just foundhim to be a very genuine person.”

Despite his fame, Will Hutchinssays Elvis didn’t play the celebrityalthough he was usually accompa-nied on most of his films by pals –

the so-called Memphis Mafia.“On the set, Elvis was like

a host – a Southern gentle-man – making sure everyonewas having a good time,” saidWill, who first worked in“Spinout” (1966).

The follow year hecostarred with Elvis in“Clambake” which featured alot of ad-libbing and foolingaround on the set.

“It was more-or-less adefacto stag party becauseElvis was getting marriedsoon after the filming wasfinished,” recalled Will. “Elvis and hisbuddies would set off firecrackers. Itwas pretty wild, but a lot of fun. For thedirector’s birthday, they had a cake andpushed it right in his face!”

Wilda Taylor appeared in three ElvisPresley films, but strutted into Elvismovie history as exotic dancer LittleEgypt in “Roustabout” (1964).

“We rehearsed for about two weeks,”said Wilda. “Elvis was in and out ofrehearsal hall every so often betweenhis other busy filming days for the otherscenes. He knew his material and musicwell, and I grew to admire him a great

deal. It’s amazing, through the years,how many people know about me andLittle Egypt from that film. Oddlyenough, I really didn’t know muchabout Elvis before we worked together,but I found him to be a lovely, darlingperson, and I was just pleased to be asmall part of his life.”

With each passing decade since hisdeath in 1977 at age 42, the Elvis legendand legacy continue to grow. Even whenviewed in the context of the often zany‘60s TV and film period, it is gratifyingthat there exists such an extensive filmlibrary of the most celebrated entertain-er in history.


Wilda Taylor as Little Egypt with Elvis in Roustabout.

Senior Spectrum Newspaper - January 2015 Issue

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