Senior Spectrum Newspaper - September 2013 issue

Over Half of ExpertsSay Seniors Do NotHave Right Resourcesto Pick FinancialAdvisors; MostEffective Ways to Stop Victimization Seen as Face-to-FaceEducation and Help.

Investment fraud andfinancial exploitation target-ing older Americans is amajor problem today andmost seniors do not have theinformation they need topick a financial advisor tohelp them protect their sav-ings, according to a majornew survey of 756 expertsconducted by the InvestorProtection Trust (IPT) andInvestor Protection Institute(IPI) in response to ques-tions posed by theConsumer FinancialProtection Bureau (CFPB).

The online poll of adiverse group of state securi-ties regulators, financialplanners, health care profes-sionals, social workers, adultprotective services, lawenforcement officials, elderlaw attorneys, academics andothers found that about twothirds (65 percent) of thosesurveyed deal with elderlyvictims of investmentfraud/financial exploitation.Three out of four expertssaid that such swindles are a"very serious" problem inAmerica today and an evengreater number – 78 percent– said older Americans are"very vulnerable" to invest-

ment fraud/financialexploitation.

Other key IPT/IPI surveyfindings:Most common abuses? Thetop three financial exploita-tion problems identified bythe experts are: (1) "theft ordiversion of funds or proper-ty by family members" (79percent); (2) "theft or diver-sion of funds or property bycaregivers" (49 percent); and(3) "financial scams perpe-trated by strangers" (47 per-cent).

What works? As for the"financial education, coun-seling, or personal financemanagement programs …best tailored to the uniquefinancial needs of olderAmericans and their familiesor caregivers," the expertsidentified the following: (1) "programs delivered bylocal professionals, such ascaregivers, adult protectiveservices workers, lawenforcement agencies, andhealth care professionals" (71percent); (2) "programsdelivered through seniorcenters and other facilitiescatering to older Americans"(65 percent); and (3) "pro-grams delivered by seniororiented national and localorganizations" (55 percent).

Don Blandin, presidentand CEO, InvestorProtection Trust, said: "Ournew survey shows thatfinancial swindles targetingolder Americans are a biggerproblem today than everbefore and that seniors needmore help.

September • 2013 • 3

Contentspage 3 - Financial Exploiters of Older Americanspage 4 - Opinion: Working Across Party Lines to Restore the Lake Tahoe Basinpage 5 - Opinion: Protecting Medicarepage 6 - Public Alerted to be Watchful of Scamms page 6 - Home Health Addresses Medicare Cuts

Every Issuepage 15 - Eydie Scher - Excerptspage 16 - Calendar page 17 - Eclectic Observerpage 21 - Alzheimer’s Team Tops Facebook Likespage 22 - Top 10 Things About the Affordable Care Act page 23 - Tinseltown Talkspage 24 - Biggest Little Citypage 26 - this ‘n thatpage 27 - Crossword page 29 - Community Resourcespage 30 - Be Italian for 2 Days!page 31 - Seniors4Travel

Healthpage 10 - CMS: Medicare Covers Ambulance Servicespage 12 - The Power of Adult Play:Dr. Lawrence J. Weiss, Ph.D., Center for Healthy Agingpage 14 - Ophthalmology: Dr. Michael Fischer, M.D.

Financial page 7 - Proper Planning Protects Your Vacation Home:Bradley B. Anderson, Anderson, Dorn, Rader - Wealth Advisors

September

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

(775) 348-0717e-mai l : S eniorspectrumnv@aol . com

S eniorspectrumnewspaper. comPublishers: Chris & Connie McMullen

Senior Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain.Publication of advertising contained does not constitute endorsement. Signed columns

are the opinion of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publishers. Copyrighted publication. All rights reserved.

Survey: Family Members,Caregivers and Swindlers are

Top Financial Exploiters of Older Americans

MarkTwain oncedescribedLake Tahoeas “thefairest pic-ture thewhole earthaffords,” and

I could not agree more. Asmany of you know, I’m fromCarson City, so I grew upwith Lake Tahoe in my back-yard. No matter how manytimes I come over SpoonerSummit, I’m always in awewhen I catch that first sightof the lake.

Any visitor to Lake Tahoecan attest to its beauty andthe need to preserve this

valuable resource for genera-tions to come. Preventingcatastrophic wildfires, stop-ping invasive species,increasing lake clarity andproviding for critical infra-structure are important toolsthat will help foster the long-term ecological health of theTahoe Basin.

Responsibility to protectthis natural treasure belongsto Nevada and California,which is why I was pleasedto work across party lineswith Senators DianneFeinstein (D-CA), Harry Reid(D-NV), and Barbara Boxer(D-CA) by introducing theLake Tahoe Restoration Actof 2013.

Our bill will prompt sig-nificant investments in thehealth of Lake Tahoe and theTahoe Basin by authorizing$415 million over 10 years toimprove and protect one ofNevada’s finest treasures.

The fact that Senatorsfrom both California andNevada were able to cometogether to protect LakeTahoe sends a strong mes-sage. I am proud to callNorthern Nevada my homeand certainly look forward toworking with everyone whocares about Lake Tahoe tosecure a healthy and pros-perous future for the Lakeand the entire Basin.

To contact Sen. Heller,

write to: Bruce ThompsonFederal Building, 400 S.Virginia St., Ste. 738, Reno,NV 89501, or fax: (775) 686-5729. In Carson City writeto: 305 North Carson St., Ste.201, Carson City, NV 89701.

4 • 2013 • September

Sen. Dean Heller

Opinion Working Across Party Lines to Restore the Lake Tahoe Basin

U.S. Senator Dean Heller


Throughoutmy tenure inCongress, Ihave been anadvocate forNevada’s sen-iors and I amcommitted to

ensuring they are providedwith affordable access to theprescription drugs they needin order to stay healthy. I amproud that, as a result of theAffordable Care Act, over 6.6million seniors and peoplewith disabilities on Medicarehave saved over $7 billion onprescription drugs.

In Nevada, 25,000 seniorsreceived a $250 tax freerebate in 2010, when they

reached the Medicare cover-age gap known as the “donuthole.” Since the healthreform law was enacted,Nevadans on Medicare havesaved almost $41 million onprescription drugs in thedonut hole – an average of$611 per beneficiary last yearalone. They can expect evenmore savings when the donuthole is closed completely in2020, putting more moneyback into the pockets ofNevada’s seniors.

And there is more goodnews: aside from Medicarebeneficiaries nationwide sav-ing $7 billion on prescriptiondrugs, Medicare Part D pre-miums are projected to

remain stable in 2014 for thefourth year in a row, up just$1 from $30 in 2013, to $31next year. And the Part Ddeductible is projected to beeven lower next year than itis now, falling from $325 to$310. These projections helpto ensure that more andmore of Nevada’s seniors canrest assured that they willhave access to the prescrip-tion drugs they need to stayhealthy.

Protecting Medicare isamong my highest prioritiesas a U.S. Senator. We mustcontinue to do all we can tomake sure that the benefitsseniors have earned, and onwhich they depend, are guar-

anteed, so that those whohave spent a lifetime con-tributing to our nation canretire in dignity. I remaincommitted to fighting forNevada’s seniors and work-ing to develop programs thatwill allow those in their gold-en years to live independent-ly and enjoy an active, securelifestyle.

For more information, orto receive the Reid Report E-Newsletter, visit SenatorHarry Reid’s website athttp://www.reid.senate.govor write Sen. Reid at theBruce R. Thompson FederalBldg., 400 S. Virginia Street,Ste. 902, Reno, NV 89501, orfax: 775-686-5757.

Sen. Harry Reid

Opinion

U.S. Sen. Harry ReidProtecting Medicare


The Northern NevadaCyber Center and WashoeCounty Sheriff 's Office arealerting the community of apossible fraudulent scam tar-geting consumers pocket-books.

The Washoe CountySheriff 's Office DetentionFacility has seen an increasein calls by individuals report-

ing they were notified that afriend or family member hadbeen arrested and neededmoney for bail.

These scams usuallyinvolve someone claiming tobe a representative of a lawenforcement agency, a friendof the alleged arrestee, orsomeone posing as the per-son arrested. They often ask

for wire transfers throughservices such as WesternUnion.

“We encourage the publicto be cautious and alwaysverify requests such as these.”The Sheriff 's Office does notaccept services such asWestern Union and does notnotify family of arrests.

“Always be cautious and

conduct any transactionsdirectly through governmen-tal agencies or licensed bailbonds companies.”

To report an incident offraud, contact your local lawenforcement agency orreport the incident to theInternet Crime ComplaintCenter at www.ic3.gov.

Public alerted to be watchful for scammers asking to wire bail money for a friend or relative

Home HealthLeaders AddressMedicare Cuts

The National Associationfor Home Care and Hospice(NAHC), Visiting NurseAssociations of America(VNAA), and Partnership forQuality Home Healthcare(Partnership), say a new analy-ses demonstrates the impactthe proposed Home HealthProspective Payment System(HHPPS) rule issued by theCenters for Medicare andMedicaid Services (CMS) isprojected to have on thenation's home health deliverysystem, and 3.5 millionMedicare home health benefi-ciaries, if finalized in its cur-rent form.

The proposed rule cutsMedicare payments for homehealth by an unprecedented14 percent over the next fouryears. Compounding theseproposed payment reductionsare $72.5 billion in Medicarecuts made since 2009.Community representativesand patient advocates haveexpressed concern that theproposed cuts to Medicarehome health funding willdirectly impact vulnerablepatients and small businesses,especially those in rural andunderserved areas.

A vacation home is a spe-cial place for a family. Youbuy a beach house or a cabinat the lake with visions of thelong, lazy summer days andholidays you’ll spend withyour children…and eventual-ly your grandchildren. Youdream of the memories you’llmake, and you look forwardto passing the home on toyour children and grandchil-dren so that they can do thesame.

Sadly, without a well-drafted estate plan, thesehopes can turn to disappoint-ment.

For instance, if you leavebehind a Will, your estatewill be subject to probate.

Probate is the court processof changing the title from adeceased person to the right-ful beneficiaries. Dependingupon the state, it may beexpensive or time consuming.If the property is located inanother state, it would neces-sitate yet another proceedingin that other state, calledancillary probate. This is aseparate probate proceeding,complete with its owntimetable, fees, and paper-work that must be completedin the state where the vaca-tion property is locatedbefore the property can bedistributed to the beneficiar-ies named in your Will.Probate, including ancillary

probate, can be avoided byestablishing a revocable trustthat then includes your vaca-tion property. This strategycan save your loved onestime, money, and hassle,because property held by atrust does not have to gothrough probate.

Even if you avoid probate,how can you ensure that yourvacation home will remain inyour family – and that it willnot become a source of con-flict for your children andgrandchildren? Consider acommon scenario:

Your daughter is financial-ly stable and looks forward tousing the property on a regu-lar basis. Your son, however,

has creditors to worry aboutand sees the cash value ofyour vacation home as ameans for paying off his debt.In this situation, leaving theproperty to your children inequal shares invites conflict.

If your son, already indebt, decides that he cannotafford the maintenance andtaxes on the property, hecould decide to go to court toforce its sale. This mightleave him with enoughmoney to pay his creditors,but it would be the end ofyour dream, leaving yourdaughter and your grandchil-dren without a family vaca-tion home full of cherished

(Vacation page 8)

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

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

Proper Planning Protects Your Vacation Home



memories.One way around this prob-

lem might be to leave thevacation home to your daugh-ter while leaving other assetsof equivalent value to yourson. Even if both of yourchildren want to keep, main-tain, and use the vacationhome – and you should askthem about their wishes – it iswise to include specific termsfor its use in your estate plan.

Another option is, at yourdeath, to have your revocabletrust keep the vacation homeand sufficient funds for itsupkeep in a continuing trust.That way, your son in theexample above, could notforce the sale of the vacationhome to pay off his creditors.An experienced estate plan-ning attorney can help youexplore all your options forkeeping your vacation home

in the family, protecting itfrom threats like creditors anddivorce, and for including itin a plan to minimize anyestate or gift taxes you mayowe. With a solid plan, yourvacation home can continueto be a source of peace, relax-ation, and fond family memo-ries for years to come.

The Law Firm ofAnderson, Dorn & Rader,Ltd. is devoted exclusively toestate planning. We are mem-bers of the AmericanAcademy of Estate PlanningAttorneys and offer guidanceand advice to our clients inevery area of estate planning.We offer comprehensive andpersonalized estate planningconsultations. For more infor-mation, please contact us at(775) 823-9455 or visit us atwww.wealth-counselors.com.

Vacation / page 7


I certainly hope younever need an ambu-lance, but at somepoint you may have totake one during amedical emergency.

If you have OriginalMedicare, your Part B(medical insurance) cov-

ers ambulance services to orfrom a hospital, critical-access hospital, or skillednursing facility only whenother transportation couldendanger your health.

In some cases, Medicare

may cover ambulance servic-es from your home or amedical facility to get carefor a health condition thatrequires you to be transport-ed only by ambulance.Medicare may also coverambulance services to orfrom a dialysis facility if youhave End-Stage RenalDisease and other trans-portation could jeopardizeyour health.

Emergency ambulancetransportation is providedafter you’ve had a suddenmedical emergency andevery second counts to pre-

vent your health from gettingworse. Here are some exam-ples of when Medicare mightcover emergency ambulancetransportation:· You’re in severe pain,bleeding, in shock, or uncon-scious;· You need oxygen or otherskilled medical treatmentduring transportation.

Medicare will only coverambulance services to thenearest appropriate medicalfacility that’s able to give youthe care you need. If youchoose to be transported to a

facility farther away,Medicare’s payment will bebased on the charge to theclosest appropriate facility. Ifno local facilities are able togive you the care you need,Medicare will help pay fortransportation to the nearestfacility outside your localarea that’s able to give youthe care you need.

Medicare may pay for anair ambulance (airplane orhelicopter) if your conditionrequires immediate and rapidtransportation that a groundcarrier can’t provide, andyour pickup location is

David Sayen

How Medicare Covers Ambulance Services

David SayenRegional Administrator, Medicare Region 9

either: 1.) hard to get to by groundtransportation; or 2.) long distances or heavytraffic could keep you fromgetting care quickly.

Non-emergency ambu-lance transportation may becovered when you need it todiagnose or treat your condi-tion and any other mode oftransportation could endan-ger your health.

In some cases, Medicare covers limited non-emer-gency ambulance transporta-tion if you have a statementfrom your doctor or othercare provider stating thatambulance transportation isnecessary due to your med-ical condition. For example,Medicare may cover a non-emergency ambulance forpeople confined to bed ifother types of transportcould endanger their health.

If the ambulance compa-ny believes Medicare maynot pay for non-emergencyservice because it isn’t med-ically necessary or reason-able, they must give you anAdvance Beneficiary Notice(ABN).

The ABN has optionboxes that allow you tochoose whether you want theservice and explains yourresponsibility to pay for it. If

you indicate that you’ll payfor the service and sign theABN, you’re responsible forpaying if Medicare doesn’t.You may be asked to pay atthe time of service.

If you’re in a situation thatrequires an ambulance com-pany to give you an ABN andyou refuse to sign it, thecompany will decide whetherto take you by ambulance. Ifthe company decides to sendyou in an ambulance eventhough you refused to sign,you may still be responsiblefor paying for the trip ifMedicare doesn’t pay.

You won’t be asked tosign an ABN in an emer-gency situation.

You can appeal ifMedicare doesn’t pay for theambulance trip and youbelieve it should have.

If Medicare covers yourtrip, it will pay 80 percent ofthe Medicare-approvedamount after you’ve met thePart B deductible ($147 in2013). You pay the remaining20 percent.

How do you know ifMedicare didn’t pay for yourambulance? You’ll get aMedicare Summary Noticeexplaining why Medicaredidn’t pay.

David Sayen isMedicare’s regional adminis-

trator for Arizona,California, Nevada, Hawaii,and the Pacific Territories.

You can always get

answers to your Medicarequestions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).


Medicare / page 10

I, like most adults,have placed work as more

important and separate from anythingresembling play. They are mutuallyexclusive! However, since I have left theuniversity and have my own non-profit,I have adopted play as a crucial part ofmy work. Let’s explore the power ofplay, first with children and then asadults.

The pediatric research literature onchildhood play cites that play is crucialfor social, emotional and cognitivedevelopment. Imaginative “free play,” asopposed to games or structured activi-ties, is the most essential type. “Freeplay” is critical for becoming sociallyadept, coping with stress, creativity, andbuilding cognitive skills such as prob-lem solving. The creative aspect is keybecause it challenges the developingbrain more than following predeter-

mined rules does. In free play, kids usetheir imagination and try out new activ-ities and roles.

Even research with animals showsthat their behavior confirms the bene-fits and establishes its evolutionary his-tory in how play provides animals andhumans with the important skills thathelp them survive and reproduce.

Kids and animals that do not playwhen they are young may grow intoanxious, socially maladjusted adults.Work by Brown, et.al, over four decadesof research on children’s play has foundthat a lack of opportunity for unstruc-tured, imaginative “free” play can keepchildren from growing into happy, well-adjusted adults.

Historically, at least in my childhood,kids did not have the technology oftoday and learned to play with mostanything and each other, call it free play.

But today free play may be losing itsstanding as a staple of youth. Accordingto a paper published in 2005 in theArchives of Pediatrics and AdolescentMedicine, children’s free playtimedropped by a quarter between 1981 and1997. Today, parents are more con-cerned about getting their kids into col-lege and are sacrificing playtime formore structured “learning” activities.Kid’s after-school hours are now beingfilled with music lessons and sports, inturn reducing time for imaginative freeplay.

Other studies support Brown’s con-viction that the lack of free play inchildhood disrupts normal social, emo-tional and cognitive development in ani-mals and humans. He and other psychol-ogists worry that limiting free play inkids may result in a generation of anx-ious, unhappy and socially maladjusted


Adding Life to Years

Larry Weiss

The Power of Adult PlayDr. Larry Weiss

Center for Healthy Aging

adults. But it is never too late to change.Play promotes mental and physical well-being. It facilitates learning and prob-lem solving, and social relationships,especially intimacy with adults.

How do these “free play” activitiesbenefit us? Perhaps most importantly,play appears to help us develop strongsocial and communication skills, as welearn to keep interactions and behaviorsfriendly. The research also suggests thatplay is critical for emotional health,since it helps us work through anxietyand stress. Relieving stress and buildingsocial skills may seem to be obviousbenefits of play. But research hints at athird, more counterintuitive area ofinfluence and that is play actually makesus smarter.

Animal researchers believe that playserves as a kind of training for the unex-pected. “Play is like a kaleidoscope,”says evolutionary biologist Marc Bekoffof the University of Colorado atBoulder, in that it is random and cre-ative. Bekoff maintains that play encour-ages flexibility and creativity and that isadvantageous in the future with unex-pected situations or new environments.

For years parents have been toldabout the importance of play for theirchildren, but what about the importanceof play for adults? The National Institutefor Play believes that play can dramati-cally transform our personal health, ourrelationships, our ability to learn, and thecapacity of our corporations to innovate.

How do you play? Our stereotype ofaging is that adults, especially olderadults, are too old to play. There is actu-ally strong evidence that this could notbe further from the truth. Play may bethe very thing that keeps you vibrant andhealthy. In fact, studies show that a lifelived without play is at increased risk forstress related diseases, mental healthissues, addiction and interpersonal vio-lence. Play generates optimism, seeksout novelty, makes perseverance fun,leads to mastery, enhances the immunesystem, fosters empathy, and promotes asense of belonging and community.

Despite the power of play, some-where between childhood and adulthood,many of us stop playing. We exchangeplay for work and responsibilities. Whenwe do have some leisure time, we'remore likely to zone out in front of the

TV or computer than to engage in cre-ative, brain-stimulating play. By givingourselves permis-sion to play withthe joyful abandonof childhood, wecan continue to reapits benefits through-out life.

Instead of look-ing at play as awaste of precioustime, consider it agreat investment inyour wellbeing.Play has to bereframed and seennot as an oppositeto work but ratheras a component ofwork. Imaginationand creativitythrough play arelike muscles, usethem or lose them!What a better wayof adding life toyears than to play.

Lawrence J.Weiss, Ph.D. isCEO of the Centerfor Healthy Aging.

Dr. Weiss welcomes your [email protected]


Life to Years / page 12


A con-ditionknown as“hystericalblindness”

involves some type of emo-tional or psychological trau-ma that leads to a temporaryloss of sight. Recovery isoften slow and uncertain, buta treatment first proposed

nearly a hundred years agohas been validated by recentresearch.

The therapy calls forpatients suffering from hys-terical blindness to read acard that shows the letter “E”in various positions. Patientsare asked to point outwhether the letter E’s threeprotrusions are pointing up

or down or to the left orright. Over a period of daysor weeks, the treatment con-tinues until the patients areable to correctly identify theprotrusions’ direction up to20 feet away. Progress indi-cates a return of sight.

It should be noted, untilnow, there has been no stan-dard care for hysterical

blindness, which was gener-ally believed to disappearwith time.

If you would like furtherinformation on today’s topicor an appointment, pleasecall my office at (775)882-2988. We are convenientlylocated at 3839 N. CarsonStreet, Carson City. M/C,Visa and Medicare accepted.

Ophthalmology

Michael Fischer

Overcoming Hysterical BlindnessMichael J. Fischer, M.D.

Eye Physician & Surgeon

Summersizzles.Thephonereminds

me of the appointment.David made that appoint-ment months ago. It was thefirst one available. Gee,colonoscopies must be the inthing since those doctors areso busy. The consult waseasy. The doctor jokes thathe’d give me 3 at once since Inever had one before.

Years and years of bug-ging me just makes meresolve not to get one evenstronger. Pleasant is not aword associated with it. Ofcourse, the antonym is.

I met my new regulardoctor when we moved here.The first words out of hismouth were, “Did you get acolonoscopy?” The nextdoctor. Amazingly, he greetsme with the same phrase.Oh gee, I now have to face athird doctor just when I amgetting used to fielding thequestion. It’s not only doc-tors. It’s friends and Davidwho has had 2 and intro-duced me to the perils of theprocedure first hand.

This is not a subject thatfits under a rug. It is openlydiscussed and debated. Sohere I am reading the heavypacket of instructions. I onlyhave a weekend to prepare.Sunday will be my day ofdoom before the Mondayprocedure.

The list of “no’s” exceedsitself each day. The last realfood is eaten on Saturday.Sunday dawns with Jell-O for

breakfast. Apple juiceaccompanies it as does water.Can’ I just take that crapystuff now and get on with it?No, it says 6 p.m. The day isa drag. Chicken broth pre-tends its lunch. I wonderwhat they call this diet. Thescale announces that 4pounds are sliding off me.Hey, you might want to trythis diet though I seriouslydoubt it.

A growling stomach isconstant. It’s 5:45 p.m. andI’m going for it. David mixesthe concoction. A few deepbreaths and I guzzle it downwith nary a pause. If I stop,I’m afraid I won’t start again.A second bottle of cold watersits waiting a turn. Okay,how long before my firstbathroom trip? The wordsponder in my head as theother part of my anatomyinforms me, it’s NOW. Mybathroom and I are bonding!

Soft toilet paper feels likesteel wool. I try getting upand it’s a screeching returnto the toilet that is my bestfriend for the time being.

Water is consumed asnoted. I crawl into bed earlyand pray the night does notlinger too long. He pushesme awake. Ah, ha, I did

sleep a bit. It's 5:30 a.m. andyou what that means. It istime for my second dose.What do they want from mybody? It must be an emptyshell after last night. Downit goes plus more water.Everything stops. No morewater, no more Jell-O, and nomore gook. Not even a pieceof gum can slake my throat.Hang on I tell myself. I’vemade it this far and they saythe rest is easy.

We arrive early and sitand wait. A funny segmentof the Live with Kelly andMichael show about Sumowrestling makes David laughand me smirk. Please callmy name. Yes, I’m in.

Surprise, the gown opensto the back. A bed iswheeled in my cubicle andagain I wait. The curtainflurries but no one enters.Then a doctor walks in andintroduces himself. Now I’mglad I put on that dab ofmake-up. He did see my facefirst before the other part.I’m being wheeled down thecorridor. A line of bedsinforms me that I’m not theonly one going through this.Wow, this is a busy place.Did I mention the IV in myarm that the nurse put in on

her first try? Something ispoured into it. I ask when I’llbe put out. I am being shak-en awake. I didn’t feel athing and I don’t rememberanything other than glancingat the clock. Forty-five min-utes have elapsed.

Is the world spinning abit? My lips sink into a cupof water. Please may I havesome more? I slip into myclothes and there he sitssmugly watching and thenhugging me. Two polyps areremoved and being sent offto a lab. I did okay. I’mdone. Feed me. I scavengeanything I see and eat like apiggy. Instructions includetaking it easy today and notto make any big decisions. Iwonder why that is. Myhead still spins but my desig-nated driver steers me home.My dogs think everything’sperfectly normal.

I did it and I am good foryears. They were right aboutthe easy part. That I handledwell. Of course, David tellseveryone what an awfulpatient I was and how it wasmuch harder on him. Giveme a break!

I wanted to write aboutthis procedure since myoncologist said that coloncancer is a really nasty one.I’m not going to preach likeyour doctors or family might.I just want you to know thatI came through it and ofcourse, I’m happy it’s over.Your health comes first soplease take care of it. I needmy readers!

Comments always appre-ciated: [email protected]


Eydie’s Excerpts My husband got a new truck, a new lawnmower, and a fishing trip to Alaska. I got a Colonoscopy

by Eydie Scher

Sept. 1-13 - Exhibition of Glass,Tyler Kimball & Jack Hedrick,crafted glassware and figurativesculpture, Metro Gallery, lobby,Reno City Hall.

Sept. 11 - Carson City SupportGroup, Alzheimer’s Association,Carson Tahoe Cancer CenterConference Room, 1535 MedicalPkwy., Carson City, (775)786-8061.

Sept. 12 - Alzheimer’s AssociationSupport Group, Coventry CrossEpiscopal Church, 1631 EsmeraldaPlace, Minden, (775)786-8061.

Sept. 13 - Workshop for Seniors, 1-3 p.m., Nevada Museum of Art.

Sept. 14 - Walk in Memory Walkfor Hope: Help us Stop Suicide.Register online atwww.NVSuicidePrevention.org

Sept. 15 - Sunday Music Brunch,Doug Coomler Quartet, 11-1p.m., Nevada Museum of Art.

Sept. 15 - Edible Pedal 100:Bowers Mansion, WashoeValley. Cyclists ride three routes,10 miles, 50 miles, or 100 miles.A fundraiser for the Rotary Clubof Reno Sunrise. Register atwww.ediblepedal100.org

Sept. 16-17 - AnnualObservance of ConstitutionDay, San Francisco journalist SethRosenfeld, 6-9 p.m., Sept. 17,Mathewson-IGT KnowledgeCenter, UNR. Visitwww.unr.edu/constitutionday or call Extended Studies at (775) 784-4046.

Sept. 18 - Alzheimer’s AssociationSupport Group, Fernley SeniorCenter, 1170 West Newlands Dr.,Fernley, (775)577-9347.

Sept. 18 - Colored PencilTechniques Workshop, BreweryArts Center, Carson City.

Sept. 18 - Renown Health Lecture,Memory Delirium and Dementia,Dr. Frances Stokes, Dir. of Nursing,10-11 a.m., Neil Rd. Rec. Center.

Sept. 19 - Food Pantry, WashoeCounty Senior Services, first 300people, income restrictions, (775) 328-2575.

Sept. 22 - American HeartAssociation Northern NevadaDivision’s Heart & Stroke Walk,and Running Red For Heart 5K,Scheels, (775)322-7065.

Sept. 25-26 - Aging and DisabilitiesServices Conference, Las Vegas.Conference information at:nvadsd.com or (702)486-2438.

Sept. 26 - Healthy Habits -Inpatient Rehabilitation, Dr.George Mars, No. NV MedicalCenter, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Neil Rd.Rec. Center, $.50 drop in fee.

Sept. 27 - Board of Examiners ofLong-Term Care Administrators,Industry Fair, 11-3 p.m., BradyIndustries, 7055 Lindell Rd., LasVegas, (702)486-5445.

Sept. 27-29. Lake Tahoe Marathon,3 days of running, swimming,kayaking, cycling and speed golf.Competitors range from toddlersto octogenarians. Contact LesWright (530)544-7095.

Sept. 28 - Genoa Candy Dance,two day event, Genoa.

Oct. 10 - Aged to Perfection,KNPB, 5:30 to 9 p.m., Silver LegacyResort Casino, honoring Gail andJohn Sande, III. www.knpb.org/events/agedtoperfection.


September Calendar

According to TheEncyclopediaAmerica (remember?

a source other thanWikipedia), “Harvest festi-vals are among the earliest ofwhich we have writtenrecords, and human sacri-fices were often used onthese occasions to propitiate

the appropriate gods.”Today’s harvest festivals maynot be as bloody, but theycontinue to exist. In GreatBritain harvest festivals arelargely a function of church-es, with the altars decoratedwith agricultural bounty. Inthis country harvest festivalshave often morphed intocounty fairs at summer’s end.

An easy ride over theSierra in the next month ortwo will provide an opportu-nity to participate in a pair ofunique harvest festivals.First up is the EggplantFestival in Loomis scheduledfor Saturday, October 5th.This historic town producesa small, family-friendly eventand you don’t have to likeeggplant to enjoy a home-grown celebration complete

with parade, children’s activi-ties, food, fun and games.For details and a locationmap, check the website atwww.loomischamber.com/eggplant-festival.

Auburn is the location forthe annual MountainMandarin festival, scheduled

(Eclectic page 20)


E C L E C T I C O B S E RV E Rby Janet Ross

Apple Hill in Placer County (Hwy 50)

for mid November. This isthe place to enjoy aMandarin Screwdriver, sacksof freshly harvestedMandarins and Clementines,entertainment, crafts andfamily activities. Like theEggplant festival, there hasn’tbeen an admission charge,but it’s pay parking on the

large lot adjacent to the fairgrounds. More informationis available at www.moun-tainmandarins.com/festival.htm.

Apple Hill in PlacerCounty (Hwy 50) is the sitefor numerous apple-relatedevents. September 22ndthere’s a Johnny AppleseedDay and a Chestnut Festival

on November 2nd. Applesare available beginning inSeptember with the make-a-perfect-pie Gravensteins.Jonathan and Gala areSeptember favorites as well.They’re followed intoOctober by the GoldenDelicious, McIntosh, andRed Delicious. Octoberbrings Mutsu, Empire, RedGold, Honey Crisp, Pippin,Winesap, Granny Smith,Fuji, and Pink Lady varieties.You’ll have to wait untilNovember for the prizedArkansas Black, though. (Join Apple Hill’s email listfor ripening bulletins atwww.applehill.com and acomplete schedule of specialevents, grower locations anda route map.)

Our area Farmer’sMarkets provide their owntype of harvest festival, fea-

turing fresh produce fromthe surrounding countryside.Several markets continueinto late September andinclude the following: TheSummit on Tuesdays from 9a.m.-2 p.m.; TamarackJunction Casino on Fridaysfrom 8 a.m.-1 p.m.; TheVillage Center on Saturdaysfrom 8 a.m.-1 p.m.; CarsonCity at 3rd and Curry Streetson Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Dayton’s CommunityRoots Nursery on Thursdaysfrom 3 to 6 p.m.; and inTruckee on Tuesdays atTruckee Regional Park from8 a.m.-1 p.m. (More informa-tion on the Reno markets atwww.ShirleysFarmersMrkets.com.)


Eclectic / page 17


Alzheimer's Team, the onlineFacebook community dedicated toadvancing new Alzheimer's treat-

ments through clinical trials reached100,000 Facebook 'Likes' in September,marking a great start to Alzheimer'sAwareness month in the U.S.

Alzheimer's Team Facebook page(www.facebook.com/AlzheimersTeam)serves up the latest news, allows the audi-ence to interact, and fosters a greaterunderstanding of the clinical trials process.

"Over the past year, we've continued toexperiment within the Facebook space andlisten to what the caregivers of Alzheimer'spatients want," said Liz Moench,MediciGlobal's President and CEO. "Theresult is a robust, engaged community thatis consuming and sharing experiences,photos, tips and the quest for knowledge."

MediciGlobal is a company dedicated to

informing patients and their families aboutclinical research opportunities. Along withAccess to Patients, their digital marketingsubsidiary, Medici administrates theAlzheimer's Team page as well as Facebookpages for a range of other medical condi-tions. Epilepsy, lupus, gout, endometriosis,interstitial cystitis, constipation, and celiacdisease are among the areas Medici holdsstrong community support within. Alltold, MediciGlobal has over half a millionFacebook 'likes' across its pages.

"Alzheimer's patients and their care-givers are eager to find an effective treat-ment that can actually arrest the progres-sion of the disease, since no such treatmentis currently available today," adds Moench."Our Facebook page is encouraging peopleto learn more about the emerging scienceabout Alzheimer's including the role of theTau tangles in Alzheimer's." According to

Moench, Alzheimer's Team is playing animportant role in sharing new researchopportunities among the Alzheimer's com-munity. The page has informed membersabout one such clinical trial that could pro-vide the first definitive data on a disease-modifying and preventative treatment ofAlzheimer's, supported by TauRxTherapeutics. A video link fromAlzheimer's Team to TauRx Therapeutics'website informs visitors that a 90 percentreduction in the rate of disease progressionwas achieved in its Phase 2 clinical trialover a two year period, and that a Phase 3clinical trial involving 1,330 patients in 21countries is now getting underway.Patients and caregivers are invited to signup for study updates on the study websiteat www.AlzheimersStudies.com.

Alzheimer's Team Tops 100,000 Facebook 'Likes'Caregivers, family members and patients with mild dementia giveAlzheimer's Team a great start to Alzheimer's Awareness Month!

Walk to End Alzheimer!sSeptember 28,8 a.m.

Sparks Marina

Now that the Affordable Care Act(ACA) is the law of our land, you maywonder, “What’s in it for me?” Here are tenthings you should know:

1. Breathe easy. You are now pro-tected against unfair treatment dueto an illness or disability. Healthinsurance companies can no longer drop

your health coverage if you become sickor disabled.

2. Insurance companies cannotdiscriminate against you. Healthinsurance companies can no longercharge you more simply because of yourhealth condition or gender.

3. Our children are better offnow that insurers cannot denyhealth insurance to anyone underage 19 because of a pre-existingcondition. In 2014, Americans of allages will have this protection.

4. The days when insurancecompanies could stop paying foryour health care—if you spent acertain amount during a year orover your lifetime—are over.Insurance companies can no longerlimit how much they will pay for yourmedical benefits.

5. Staying healthy just got easier!Preventing illness with the right vaccina-tions and screenings is simpler and lessexpensive. Most insurance plans, includingMedicare, now must cover preventive ben-efits.

6. If you are uninsured, findingaffordable health coverage is sim-pler through Nevada Health Link,our state’s health insurance market-place. Information about coverageoptions through the marketplace will beginin October. In the meantime, visitwww.NevadaHealthLink.com orwww.HealthLawAnswers.org.

7. Your children can stay on yourfamily policy until they reach age26. Health insurance providers cannotforce young adults off their parents’ poli-cies once they reach 18 or 21, or graduatefrom college.

8. You can sleep well knowing thatyour guaranteed Medicare benefitsare safe. Your guaranteed Medicare ben-efits are protected. This includes doctor

visits, and rehabilitation servic-es.

9. The doughnut hole isgoing away. If you reach theMedicare Part D doughnut holethis year, you will get a 52.5 per-cent discount on brand-nameprescriptions, and a 21 percentdiscount on generic prescrip-tions. Visit Doughnut HoleCalculator:www.aarp.org/doughnuthole.

10. There’s help to pay forinsurance coverage.Starting in 2014, if your job doesnot offer health coverage andyou have a limited income, youmay get a tax credit to help payfor insurance coverage throughthe state’s health insurance mar-ketplace.

More Protections andBenefits. The law also pro-vides more protections for peo-ple in nursing homes and forsmall businesses. 22 • 2013 • September

Top 10 Things about the Affordable Care ActBarry GoldDir. of Government Relations

You won’t seeStuart Whitman’sname listed in

the closing credits forthe 1951 sci-fi classic,“The Day the EarthStood Still.” But he’sthere, if only for a fewseconds, in an uncredit-ed role as one of thesentries guarding thealien spaceship.

Such was the hum-ble beginning of manyyoung actors in the 50s,appearing anonymouslyin bit parts hoping ulti-mately to be “discov-ered.” It took about adecade, but critics and audi-ences eventually noticed the

handsome, dark-haired (Whitman p. 25)

Stuart Whitman, Rio Conchos, 1964


Tinseltown Talks

Stuart Whitman: A Class Actor

By Nick Thomas

While there are manyoutstanding individ-uals connected with

the Reno Air Races, none wasmore important than Reno cardealer Ben Scott. For manyyears one of the main sponsorsof the races was Buick MotorCompany. The Buick factorywould send a fleet of Buicksedans for the use of the pilotsand other important dignitariesof the event. Once the raceswere over the cars would betransferred to the Scott MotorCompany where they would besold at a substantial discount tothe public.

Because of this Scott servedmany years on the Air RaceBoard. Other notable nameson that board would includethe late Pat Brady, the late RoyPowers and T. J. Day.

The board itself wasextremely active andresponsible for therapid growth of theevent whose long-termExecutive Director wasThornton Audrainbefore turning thereigns over to the cur-rent boss MikeHoughton. UnderHoughton’s leadershipthe Races have enjoyedtheir greatest expansionand recent popularity.

Last monthHoughton was the fea-tured speaker at theregular meeting ofG.O.D. (Good Old Days) Club.He gave a brief overview of theupcoming show and said thathe expected in excess of200,000 fans to attend the only

spectacle of its kind in theworld. Houghton attributedmuch of the continuing successof the Air Races to the effortsof more than 2,000 volunteerswho perform many of the

essential duties. Healso noted that theBreitling watch com-pany had doubledtheir sponsorship. Heurged all of his listen-ers to try to attend theraces this year since itis the 50th GoldenAnniversary of theshow.

Another item ofinterest is the fact thatlast week at the regu-lar monthly meetingof the Reno SparksNew Car DealersAssociation, veterancar dealer Ben Scottwas honored on hisretirement.Scott had been theowner operator ofScott MotorCompany, a long timefamily business thatwas started in 1929.On the occasion of hisretirement he received

a proclamation from the Mayorof Reno, Bob Cashell, and aplaque from his fellow car deal-ers at the RSNCDA.

Also present at the car deal-ers meeting was GovernorBrian Sandoval who participat-ed in the presentations anddelivered the principle talk atthe meeting.

Scott, who was very active inmany civic and communityendeavors during his time asfranchise car dealer forCadillac, Buick and Land Rover,said that he would be wearingLevis on a daily basis now on.

Ryan Dolan of the Dolanauto group who is President ofthe RSNCDA congratulatedScott on his many years of serv-ice and business ethics.

It has been said that an indi-vidual’s greatest achievement inhis professional life is therespect and admiration inwhich he is held by his peers.Certainly when it comes to thecareer of Ben Scott this hasproven to be exceptionally true.In recognition of his profes-sional excellence, communityand civic endeavors, he will belong remembered in the Renocommunity.


CELEBRATING BEN SCOTT DAY IN RENO. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, retired cardealer Ben Scott and President of the Reno Sparks New Car Dealers Association Ryan Dolan.Scott was honored by the RSNCDA for his long tenure as head of Scott Motor Company.

More Reno Air Races BIGGESTlittleCity by Harry Spencer

Whitman. While waiting for that big

break, young Stuart bought andhired out a bulldozer to helppay the bills. But it wasn’t anentirely odd employmentchoice. “My dad was a realestate developer, and I helpedhim out before I was put undercontract with UniversalStudios,” he told me during aJune interview.

His patience and persever-ance paid off with a Best ActorOscar nomination for his per-formance in the 1961 film, “TheMark.” Shot in Ireland with co-star Rod Steiger, it was a con-troversial film for the time, withWhitman playing a recoveringsex offender.

“I didn’t see the script until Igot to my hotel room inLondon,” he said. “My firstthoughts were ‘I can’t do this’and tried to think of an excuseto get out of it. Later, I got a callfrom Steiger who wanted tomeet and rehearse at his place.We worked our way throughand it turned out fine.”

After the film’s release hesays coworkers told him“Stuart, you’re going to get anOscar, or at least nominated.”They were partly correct. “Iwas living in North Hollywoodand heard the nomination onthe radio while driving. I wasshocked and almost crashedthe car!”

But he didn’t win. Quite like-ly, the film’s sensitive themeturned off some Academy vot-ers. He was also up against stiffcompetition that year includingSpencer Tracy, Paul Newman,and Charles Boyer. The awardwent to Maximilian Schell in“Judgment at Nuremberg.”

Ironically, Schell’s sister,Maria, was Whitman’s co-starin “The Mark.”

“Maria told me she didn’tknow who to vote for thatyear!” he recalled.

Whitman’s charm andcharisma made him a natural

for western roles including theshort-lived but popular TVseries, “The Cimarron Strip” in1967, and films such as “TheComancheros” co-starring withJohn Wayne in 1961.

“Director Michael Curtizwanted me for the part of PaulRegret in the film, but said ithad already been cast. He sug-gested I go talk to Wayne,” saidWhitman. “I found him on theParamount lot coming out ofhis trailer. I’d never met himbefore, but walked right up tohim and spent 20 minutespitching for the part. Finally hesaid ‘Okay kid, you’ve got it.’That’s the kind of power JohnWayne had. Duke loved to playchess between scenes and wehad many games. His strategywas strange because he wouldgive up major pieces just tosave his pawns!”

Whitman’s most well-knownfilm is probably “ThoseMagnificent Men in TheirFlying Machines” in 1965.“That was the first big money Imade in a movie – $300,000,”he said.

Money, however, was neveran issue for much of his latercareer. From his humble bull-dozing beginnings, Whitmanwent on to make millions fromreal estate investments. “I didn’tneed to act to make a living,but had a real passion for it – Ijust loved to act.”

After some 200 film and TVroles, Whitman, now 85,retired to his 30-acre ranch inSanta Barbara. “I’ve lived therefor 45 years, in between themountains and the ocean. It’s abeautiful spot.”

In 2006, he married his thirdwife, Julia, a Russian. The twomet when Whitman traveled toSt. Petersburg to be best man ata friends’ wedding. “Afterreturning to the U.S., I got aphone call from her saying shewas in Pasadena and could wemeet. I’m sure glad I said‘absolutely!’”

Nick Thomas is a freelance

writer and the author of Raisedby the Stars. He can be

reached at his blog: http://get-nickt.blogspot.com.


Stuart Whitman and John Wayne, The Comancheros, 1961

Whitman p. 23


My hus-band’s lectureschedule had uscruising peace-fully for tenweeks throughEgypt, Jordanand theMediterranean,

concluding with a tranquiltransatlantic crossing to NewYork.

We were on the deck beforedawn as we sailed past theStatue of Liberty on the morn-ing of September 7th, 2001,experiencing emotion as wepassed America’s symbol offreedom. We spent a few daysin the city before heading toReno on the 11th of September.

The crisp, sunny sky glisten-ing over Manhattan with thewhisper of autumn in the airmade us reluctant to get in thecab; it was such a beautiful

morning we didn’t want toleave. Only the increasinglyinsistent sirens marred theserenity as we headed to JFK

“There might be a slightdelay; there seems to be a prob-lem”, the airline agent said.Then the horrifying news alongwith terse announcements thatall flights were cancelled, theairport was to be evacuated.Travelers were swiftly herdedinto the street. There was acomplete airport lockdown;roads were closed and all formsof public transportation hadceased. We were stranded andpeople began to panic.

We stood on the streetamong the throng for a longwhile before an overcrowdedshuttle bus arrived to take us tothe Ramada Inn, situated onairport grounds. The hotel wasnot prepared for what theywere to face.

Pandemonium in the lobby.Our names were added to awaiting list. More busloads ofpeople streamed through thedoors. Cell phones didn’t work.Public phones were jammedbut everyone was remarkablypatient and considerate ofthose waiting in line.

A Red Cross truck arrivedwith 500 hundred cots andblankets. The lobby, corridors,patios and parking lots werelined with people camping outon whatever they could find,even newspapers, once the cotswere all taken. We wereamong the very fortunatebecause we were given the keyto a room. Under other cir-cumstances it may haveseemed slightly shabby but nowit seemed sumptuous and wefelt more than a little guilty atthe luxury of a bed. A mid-night trip to the phone booths

sent me quickly back to theroom to get our bedspreads;not everyone downstairs had ablanket.

Wednesday: The lockdowncontinued, roads remainedclosed. Those of us who hadrooms offered the opportunityof a shower to those who didnot. Toiletries were sold out atthe hotel shop so everyoneshared soap, shampoo andtoothpaste with strangers. Thehotel staff did their best; thetwo public restrooms were keptamazingly clean.

Nearly half of us were fromfar flung corners of the world; italmost resembled a mini-United Nations with all mannerof cultural garb. It was touch-ing to see people reach out toone another in reassurance andconcern, exchanging smilesdespite lack of a commontongue. (this ‘n that p. 28)

this ‘n thatby Anne [email protected]

Anne Vargas

The Summer of Our Innocence


Answers page 28

By nightfall faces werefamiliar; the elderly woman ina kimono who wouldn’t movefrom her cot next to the palmplant; the little man in a turbanwho spoke no English butsmiled broadly and waved anx-iously to everyone, the beauti-ful woman in the blue Sari,traveling alone, going fromperson to person offering com-fort with her gentleness. Oneman played soft tunes on thelobby piano, soothing theweary waiting in the lengthyline for the dining room.

Meals were handled buffetstyle; platters starchy stuffstreamed from the kitchen.“Comfort food”, and comfortwas exactly what we needed.Everyone was grateful for shel-ter and seeming safety.

Thursday: The airport wasto open on a limited basis butwithin two hours of thatannouncement the flights werecancelled. The airport androads remained closed, thecots remained occupied.

Friday: The airport opened,taxis began to arrive. Peoplewere hugging new friends,some huddled in group prayer.

We made it to our daughter’sapartment in Manhattanwhere we waited through twodays of re-scheduled flights.We joined thousands of can-dle-bearers walking the streetsin silence before carefully plac-ing their flames at the Tomb ofthe Unknown Soldier.

Saturday: A gentle atmos-phere prevailed in the city.People greeted strangers, said“hello, how are you?” and reallywanted to know. Flags were inevery doorway, atop every car.

A Sunday evening flight toSan Francisco. The airportwas eerily empty but we weregreeted with reassuring smilesfrom the crew. Five hours laterthe Bay Bridge sparkled belowand thundering applause rever-berated throughout the air-craft.

The enormity of the eventsof 9/11 continues to grip ournation. Nothing will ever bethe same as we face new fearsbut we will always rememberbeing part of a group ofstrangers bound together in acrisis, assisting and caring forone another in mutually fright-ening circumstances.


Crossword p.27

this ‘n that / page 26


• NEVADA INFORMATION ...............211• AARP INFO. CENTER .............328-2506• ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION1301 Cordone Ave, Suite 180, Reno-786-8061• CARE CHEST7910 N. Virginia Street, Reno..............829-2273• COMMUNITY SERVICESAGENCY, 1090 East 8th, Reno.......786-6023• ELDER PROTECTIVE SERVICESADSD.….........................................................688-2964• FOOD BANK (TRUCK)...............331-3663• FOSTER GRANDPARENt...358-2768• HAWC CLINIC, 1055 S. Wells,Reno.................................................................329-6300• MEDICATION MANAGEMENt,Sanford Center for Aging......................784-1612• NV STATE WELFARE..............684-7200• CENTER FOR INDEPendent LIVING, 999 Pyramid Way, Sparks............................................................................353-3599• RTC ACCESS TRANSPORTATIONInformation..................................................348-0477• RENOWN MED. LOW INCOMECLINIC, 21 Locust, Reno...................982-5270• RSVP, Reno..............................................784-1807• RSVP, Rural CountiesCarson City...................................................687-4680• SANFORD CENTER FOR AGING,UNR.................................................................784-4774• SENIOR COMPANION............358-2322• SENIOR Community Services Employment, AARP, 1135 TerminalWay, Reno......................................................323-2243Job Connect, Reno....................................284-9600Sparks..............................................................284-9520• SENIOR LAW PROJECT.........328-2592• SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES............................................................................784-7506• SENIOR SAMPLER (Assist. League)1701 Vassar St., Reno...............................324-2003• SHIP (State Health Ins. Adv. PGM)....................................................................800-307-4444• SilVER COLLEGE, 5270 Neil Rd.,Reno…….........................................................829-9010• Social Security1170 Harvard Way, Reno..............888-808-5481• Veteran’s Administration1000 Locust Street, Reno.......................328-1293• Veteran’s Benefits5460 Corporate Drive, Reno.......688-1653, X1(Source: Washoe County Senior Services)

RESOURCES

For 32 years, theEldorado has broughtthe sights, sounds and

flavors of Italy to downtownReno during the EldoradoGreat Italian Festival. Thefestival, held each year overColumbus Day weekend, is acelebration of Italian cultureand traditions.

Set for October 12 and13, the festival transformsdowntown Reno into LittleItaly with a grape stomp,sauce cookers competition,an Italian farmer’s market,bocce ball, kids’ gelato eatingcontest, Ferrari car display,Italian Buffet and incredible,free, live entertainment allweekend long.

Joining the Italian Festivalthis year is Michael Barimo,who sings in English, Spanishand Italian. His original popmusic incorporates elementsof Neapolitan songs and adistinct 'pop latino' sensitivi-ty. Michael is also known forhis world-class whistling tal-ent, that he incorporates inhis performances. Thiswhistling has led him to per-form as the musical guest onthe Late Show with DavidLetterman, at Carnegie Halland as the musical star of thechildren's TV series '3rd andBird!' on the Disney Channeland BBC.

The “Ambassador ofItalian Music to America,”Moreno Fruzetti, will alsobring his golden voice andbig personality back to Reno.Playing in concerts and festi-vals across the globe, he hasbeen able to share his pas-sion for all genres of music.Italian Festival attendees willhear selections that rangefrom the 1940s to presentincluding songs from theGolden Era of Italian music.

Martin Bonventre willjoin the Italian Festival line-up with his big, warm, open-hearted voice that audienceswon't soon forget.

(Italian page 32)30 • 2013 • September

Be Italian for 2 Days!The Great Italian Festival

Eldorado Italian Fest worker stirs up a batch of Polenta.

We weretold to expecta calm

descending upon us the moment weentered the City of Ten ThousandBuddhas.

After a whirlwind three-day visit toUkiah, California and its environments,plus a rather hectic morning of repack-ing the car in anticipation of our returntrip to Reno, we’d saved our visit to theCity of Ten Thousand Buddhas for last.Having never visited a Buddhist com-munity, we didn’t know what to expect.And, frankly, we debated whether tojust skip it and hit the road. But, thatpromised sense of calm beckoned us.

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhasproved to be just what the doctorordered (as they say), before our fivehour drive home.

Arriving through the entrance, agilded, three-arch gate surmountedby a pagoda-looking roof, we’d cometo a peaceful, scenic locale.Sycamore trees everywhere, rollinghills in the background, a quietpond.

And then we heard it…..SCREECH! Followed by another,startling us out of our reverie. Wewere being greeted by peacocks(obviously excused from a life ofsilence as practiced by some of themonks). As we parked our car atthe administration/visitor center,one by one, the beautiful creaturesjoined us. Accustomed to people,the resident peacocks are quitetame, and we got the distinctimpression they were expecting tobe fed. One determined guy seemedwilling enough to jump into the carand forage for himself.

We spent time at an informativeexhibition hall, and Robert boughthis requisite postcards at the giftstore. We then walked around thecampus, followed by our new best

friends, the pea-cocks. We noticedstreets with angel-ic sounding namessuch as "JoyousWay" and "ProperSpeech Way". Weencountered anoccasional monk,a couple of nunsand a motherescorting herthree young chil-dren off to school.In the distance,people were tend-ing a garden.

Although it islocated in a liberalarea of California, the City of Ten

Thousand Buddhas is a strict Buddhist (Buddhas page 32)


City of Ten Thousand BuddhasBy Robert Boyd and Carolyn Prusa

Seniors4Travel

City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Photo: Kungming

Buddhas from page 31monastery adhering to the traditionalAsian monastic culture. Different sec-tions of the campus are designated formen or women, and generally the gen-ders do not co-mingle. Smoking, druguse, and the consumption of meat prod-ucts and alcoholic beverages are prohib-ited. The monastics eat only one meal aday and only before noon. Their daybegins at 3:30 a.m. and ends at 10:30p.m.

The property comprises 488 acres,of which 80 acres are developed. Therest of the land includes meadows,orchards, and forests. The mainBuddha hall, monastic facilities, educa-tional institutes for all ages, Jyun KangVegetarian Restaurant, supportingstructures and residential houses are alllocated in this complex.

The Dharma Realm BuddhistAssociation purchased the site in 1974and established an international centerthere by 1976. Originally the propertyhoused the Mendocino State MentalHospital, founded in 1889. We read

somewhere that the monks had tochant round the clock for weeks to purify the property of its negative ener-gy. While we have no way of verifyingthat, you have to admit the insane asy-lum aspect is intriguing.

Don’t leave without stopping at theJeweled Hall of 10,000 Buddhas. It’s thebuilding with a 20-foot Buddha perchednearly at rooftop level. Go inside thespacious ornate prayer hall and look atinterior walls lined with thousands andthousands of delicate gold Buddhas.Rows of prayer mats cover the floor,and the scent of incense is pervasive.

A few cautions: Neat, modest dressis required. Park at the visitor center,check in and enjoy your walk aroundthe common areas permitted for visi-tors. Open daily, 8 – 6 p.m.

To enter the City of 10,000 Buddhas,exit Hwy 101 at the Talmage Rd. exit.Go east and enter on Talmage Rd. Address: Phone: 707-462-09392001 Talmage Road Ukiah, CAWebsite: www.cttbusa.org


Italian Fest Show Schedule:Saturday, October 12ROME Stage – 4th and Virginia Streets9:30-10:15 - Nevada Opera10:30-12 - Michael Barimo12:30-2 - Tre Bella2-2:15 - Grease2:30-4 - Moreno Fruzzetti4:30-6 - Ray Massa’s EuroRhythms

VENICE Stage – 3rd and Virginia Streets10:30-11:30 - Martin Bonventre12:00-1:30 - Ray Massa’s EuroRhythms2:00-3:30 - Bella Ciao4:00-5:30 - Capuano n’ T Rock, from Italy

Sunday, October 13ROME Stage – 4th and Virginia Streets9:30-11 - Bella Ciao11:30-1 - Michael Barimo1:15-1:30 - Grease1:45-3:15 - Ray Massa’s EuroRhythms3:45-5:15 - Moreno Fruzzetti

VENICE Stage – 3rd and Virginia Streets10:00-11:30 - Primo Basso Band12:00- 1:30 - Tre Bella2:00-3 - Martin Bonventre3:30-5 - Capuano n’ T Rock, from ItalyVisit: www.eldoradoreno.com

Senior Spectrum Newspaper - September 2013 issue

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Transcript of Senior Spectrum Newspaper - September 2013 issue