beacon - january 2015

Price of SecurityHelen Keller said life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. What risks are you willing to take in 2015? Page 6.

Mesquite: a newer version of an older VegasA Mesquite vaca-tion is reminiscent of what a trip to Las Vegas used to be. Page 24.

Still swingin’ and singin’Music keeps these musicians active well past the time most seniors have resorted to reclin-ers. 0.

Now on the web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Produced by the BEACON’s Advertising Team

Reminiscing wards off depression page 6

Chicken soupcuts the cold

page 12

Dave Morison “hammering at the edge” of the overhang near

Twin Lakes, 1966. Page 2

Your Guide to a Healthy Mind & Body

Health &WellnessWINTER 2015 Your health

and wellness are sure to get a boost after reading this month’s insert.

JANUARY 2015 Vol. 29 No. 1

Photo by Ashley Bernal.

Western Colorado’s Monthly Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 34,650 Readers.

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Baking up businessMeet boomers and seniors who are aiming to improve business locally. Page 4.

The Beacon & Hilltop Senior Living Communities Present

For Those Age 55 and Better!

FOR TICKETS CALL 243-8829

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HILLTOP GARDEN ROOM625 27 1/2 ROAD, GRAND JUNCTION

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MUSIC BY CLARK GAULT’S SWING CITY EXPRESS

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com EDITORIAL 3

Jed Clampett doesn’t work here, but I doBy Kevin K. VanGundy

Mind Springs is the area’s leading

mental health facility, but I question those in charge of their market-ing and/or mail depart-ment. For months now they have been trying to woo someone from our office with the men-tal health benefits they provide, even going so far as inviting Jed Clampett to one of their parties.

As I have explained in the past, Jed Clampett does not work for the BEACON Senior Newspaper. As far as I know, he is only a fictional character from the popular 1960s television series “The Beverly Hillbil-lies.” I also mentioned that Buddy Ebsen, the actor who portrayed Jed, passed away in 2003. Yet the letters continue.

What do you think?Shall I mention to Mind Springs

that Jed Clampett isn’t real? I have heard where some people believe that everything on television must be real, including reality shows. Perhaps it would be healthier for their world construct to believe that he does work here.

While I am unsure about what to do, I am certain that they are crazy for not advertising in the BEACON Senior Newspaper. If only Jed Clam-pett did work here, I am sure he could convince them.

Happiest of New Years!Can you imagine what 2015 could

be like if you and I were to take all that life has taught us and apply it with enthusiasm to our new year? Can it be done? Has it ever been done?

Health & Wellness insertWell, in this month’s health and

wellness insert you’re going to

meet Dave Morison, who at 91 years young, may very well have accom-plished this task. Getting older has never sounded so appealing as his story suggests. La bella vita!

An evening of fun and perhaps, romance

Throughout my years with the BEACON, I’ve heard recurrent grum-blings, “Where can a single senior go to meet someone?” And “Where is a good place for a mature couple to go dancing?” Fret no more. This Valentine’s Day, the BEACON Senior Newspaper will again team up with Hilltop Senior Life Options to put on our very own senior social and dance, featuring Clark Gault’s Swing City Express playing the best music of the big band era. Dancers can glide across a real wooden dance floor in a ballroom decorated with a romantic ambience. A delectable pre-sentation of hors d’oeuvres will be served, along with beer, spirits and wine. Last year, we sold out of tickets and expect to sell out again. So don’t delay, call Kelli at 243-8829.

P.S. If you’re like me and can’t dance, please show up just to have fun. If you can dance and would like to be a guest instructor, we could use your help. ■

Phone: (970) 243-8250 1250 E Sherwood Dr.

Grand Junction, CO 81501

817 Colorado Ave., #206 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601

Baird Brown ♦ Clara Brown Shaffer ♦ Jamie Roth ♦ Paul M. Smith ♦ Shauna Clemmer

Don’t Miss these Free Estate Planning Workshops!

Estate Planning Q & A January 14, 2015. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Here’s your chance to pose the questions you’ve always wanted to ask to an estate planning attorney. The discussions will be solely based on your questions. Sign up now for this unique workshop!

Handling Estate Matters after Someone Dies January 28, 2015. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Have you lost a loved one recently? Do you have questions on how to administer their estate? Would you like to know how your own estate will be administered? It may not be as easy as you think!

Registration is Required. The workshops are held at our office at 1250 E. Sher-wood Drive. Sign up by calling (970) 243-8250 or go to our website at:

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Our Passion is to help seniors and other adults live an independent, quality life.Call to schedule a FREE in-home consultation!

Congratulations to our Caregiver of the year!

Comfort Keepers wouldlike thank our very ownKaren Trevino-Goldenfor her devotion and

dedication in making apositive difference in the

lives of her clients.lives of her clients.

4 COVER STORY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

By Jan Weeks, Terri Benson, Cloie Sandlin & Liesl Greathouse

Believe it or not, the largest contin-gent of entrepreneurs is made up

of seniors.According to an article published

by the Huffington Post, author and 90-year-old entrepreneur Jack Nadel wrote, “Society should definitely not underestimate the role seniors cur-rently play in our economy.”

Nadel noted that in February 2014, the Senate Special Committee on Aging indicated there are currently 34 million senior entrepreneurs, a number that will surely grow.

According to the Kauffman Foun-dation, an organization that fosters

economic independence by advancing education and entrepre-neurship, Americans ages 55-64 start new businesses at a higher rate than those in their 20s and 30s, a statistic that has been true every year since 1996.

New businesses are important to strengthening today’s economy. New businesses produce more goods and services, and create more jobs. Older people often approach entrepreneur-

ship with more working knowledge, experience, discipline and capital than younger people, making them ideal business owners.

From brickyards to bagelsThe scent of Cuban espresso min-

gles with spice overtones from the fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls as customers line up to order at Main Street Bagels, located at the corner of Sixth and Main in Grand Junction. Baristas and bakers hustle to keep up, while owners Mark and Missy Smith oversee operations.

Twenty years ago, the Smiths lived in Santa Cruz, California where Mark, then 43, worked as a masonry contractor and Missy, then 48, plied

her skills as a nurse.“Then we decided we

wanted something different,” Mark said.

A friend who ran a bagel shop taught the Smiths the basics. They loved the process, and Mark enrolled in the San Francisco Baking Institute to learn to bake artisan bread. The Smiths decided they’d like to own their own bagel shop and began searching for an ap-propriate location. Grand Junc-tion was their last stop.

“When [the Realtor] called and told us this building was available, we decided to jump in,” Missy said.

They sold everything they owned, took out a small busi-

ness loan, and headed east. In July of 1995, they opened for business on Main Street. At first they sold only bagels and cookies. Then their tasty repertoire expanded, and the space did, too, when they took over the empty space next door. Now they offer 15 kinds of bagels, several muf-fins, and seven artisan breads, as well as several varieties of granola and trail mix. Salads, sandwiches, fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies and cap-

puccinos, mochas and regular coffee round out the menu.

“Our coffees are direct trade,” Mark emphasized, “which means we work directly with the farmers. Our products have no hydrogenated oil and our flours are never bleached or bromated. We make everything from scratch every day.”

That locavore mentality shows up in their seasonal dishes, especially during the summer months when fruit and vegetables ripen.

“Our products may not be the cheapest but they’re the highest qual-ity,” Mark said.

Main Street Bagels is about more than just feeding customers.

“We want to create a sense of com-munity,” Missy said.

Regulars and newcomers alike are free to linger, hook up to the free Wi-Fi, chat with friends, and browse the Aspen Photo Gallery, which fea-tures the work of Larry Bennett, the Smiths’ neighbor.

The Smiths tried expanding a couple of times, first to a strip mall near 25 Road and Patterson, then to a space at North Avenue in the Colorado Mesa University retail/dorm building. Running remote locations had its drawbacks, and now they employ over 20 workers at the Main Street location only.

It seems that the Smiths’ leap of faith has turned in to what they envi-sioned all those years ago: an inde-pendent family business that makes their patrons feel like family, too.

Coaching entrepreneurs, boosting business

Whether you’re starting a business because you just want a change or you’re retired and bored, it’s impor-tant to seek out people and resources that can encourage you.

Jeff Parker may be a retired banker, but he hasn’t retired from life—far from it. He keeps his hat in the busi-ness arena by volunteering at the

Thinking about starting your own business?The Business Incubator offers these classes in January to help kick start your business. To register, call 243-5242.

Pumping up the Dream: Starting a Business in Western Colorado

Take advantage of the opportunity to receive step-by-step guidance as you start your new business in western Colorado. This class covers the most commonly asked questions, includ-ing how to do a trade name search, choosing the right legal structure, registering with the state, local licensing requirements, the business planning process and options for financing your business. Cost is $50 and includes training materials and membership in the Fast Trac Busi-ness Basics program.

• 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Thursday, January 8

• 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m., Friday, January 29

January 14 - Bookkeeping Boot CampLearn how to set up and track business accounting records and what types of expenses are deductible. Gain better control of your business by learning how balance sheets, income state-ments and cash flow projections are prepared and what they can tell you about your business. Class is from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost is $75 (includes lunch).

local entrepreneurstrump aging and enrich economy

Main Street Bagels

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com COVER STORY 5

Business Incubator Center (BIC) as a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Business Coach, and cur-rently works with High Performance Consulting, Inc., a firm that provides profitability analysis for community banks throughout the country.

Parker came to the Grand Valley in 1981 to start working at the United States Bank of Grand Junction and stayed for nearly three decades, working for the same company under its various permutations. He was a business banker, going back to 1978, so he has considerable experience talking to business owners about financial issues.

Five years ago, another volunteer SBDC coach suggested Parker might enjoy working with entrepreneurs.

“It’s been a learning experience,” Parker said. “I’ve really learned how much I didn’t know. There are a lot of factors and pitfalls in starting a business that I hadn’t realized as a banker.”

And while Parker’s experience is heavily financial, he also assists po-tential business owners with general business advice.

“It’s different seeing someone try-ing to start a business early on,” he said. “It’s made me more sensitive to their difficulties.”

He’s seen a lot of small businesses have a hard time getting credit. He thinks the most common obstruc-tion to starting a business is a lack of capital. But he is also surprised of how little basic financial knowledge some startups have. As a coach, a lot

of what he does is to caution potential entrepreneurs to slow down and plan ahead.

“I recommend everyone get all the knowledge they can in running a business before they start,” Parker said. “It’s a very satisfying outcome to coaching when you talk with people you feel really have a good chance of their new busi-ness succeeding.”

Parker spends about three hours a week coach-ing. He said most of his clients need help with

marketing, accounting, bookkeep-ing, websites and social media. Some entrepreneurs also might need help with social and interpersonal skills.

“I think the client needs to have concrete steps they can take away from the meeting, and they should have some measure of positive feed-back before they leave,” he said.

Computer business on wheelsHaving a business no longer re-

quires an office or brick and mortar storefront. There are many websites that allow you to sell products or per-form services online.

One Montrose business owner runs his business out of a nontraditional storefront of his own. With a hands-on approach to fixing computers, Dennis Freed, 63, works to help people with their computer prob-lems from his Volkswagen van-based business, Computer Tune-Up, in Montrose.

The busi-ness began in Montrose after Freed and his wife lived as full-time RVers for 21 years. He worked on the road con-ducting repair services for a major restau-rant chain, and fixed computers remotely on the side. He and his wife returned to

Montrose to take care of his aging parents and Freed turned his side job into a full-time occupation.

With the majority of his customers being seniors, Freed knows how to speak the language of a generation that wasn’t raised with computers.

He provides an easy alternative to clients so they don’t have to worry about disconnecting and hauling their computer to a store. He drives his van directly to clients’ homes and works on their computer while they watch.

“They get to see what I’m doing, so there is no mystery to it,” he said. “I talk with them, walk them through it, and show them the tools that their computer already has and how to use them. I love to leave my customers happy with the fact that their com-puter is working the way it is sup-posed to again.”

The discipline that comes with be-ing self-employed comes naturally to Freed.

“I have a hard time working for people,” Freed said.

As a senior who works with com-puters, Freed is often asked how he learned his trade.

“I was self taught,” he said. “I learned by doing, reading and I learned by my actions.”

Freed’s advice to aspiring entrepre-neurs is to listen for people who say, “I wish I knew how to do that” and to find something that people are looking for and do it.

Contact Freed at 596-4510. ■

Cover PhotoMark Smith went from brickyard to bagels when he and his

wife, Missy, moved from Cali-fornia to Grand Junction to start Main Street Bagels. This little bagel shop has seen its trials but is a growing and thriving part of the community.

Publisher ....................... Kevin K. VanGundyFounding Publisher .................. Susan CappsEditor ....................................... Cloie SandlinGraphic Design ............................. Heidi GrafProduction ............................... Karen JonesAccount Representative ..............Sue BowenAccount Representative ...........Sidney JayneProofreader ................................ Jan WeeksCustomer Service ..................Kelli WakefieldCheerleader .............................Genevra ShalPhotography .......................... Ashley BernalDelivery ............................ Solomon Herrera

Delta-Montrose Bureau

Assistant Editor ..................Liesl Greathouse Account Representative ......... Virginia CarlileAccount Representative .......... Michael DunnDelivery .........................................JR Milner

Beacon Mascot

Bogart .........................................................

P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502970.243.8829 800.536.7516 fax

Website: www.BeaconSeniorNews.comE-mail: [email protected]

The BEACON is published at the beginning of the month. Our goal is to inform and inspire the 50+ community in Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Garfield counties.

Publication of advertising does not necessarily constitute endorse-ment. Columns are opinions of the writers, not necessarily the opin-ion of the publisher. Display advertising rates are available upon request. Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication.

© Copyright 2015 • All Rights Reserved

National & Regional Award-Winning Publicationlocal entrepreneurs

Business Coach

Computer Tune-Up

6 FEATURE STORY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

SECURITY is mostly a supersti-tion. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright

exposure.Life is either a

daring adventure, or nothing.– Helen Keller

ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com FEATURE STORY 7

①②③

By Akaisha Kaderlie

Recently I have been reading a book called “Daring Greatly” by

Brené Brown. You may have heard of it. The theme of the book is about be-ing vulnerable, taking risks and being willing to expose ourselves to pos-sible failure. It’s an enlightening read.

I bring this up because what I want to share with you is that security has a price. Everyone speaks about how risk is dangerous and sometimes unthinkable. It seems that everyone wants unmitigated surety—the 100 percent guarantee.

But security never makes one cou-rageous nor does it make a person’s heart sing.

We all want our bases covered, and none want to be starving or out in the land of the lost. But there is an energy about taking a risk with the possibility of failure that adds dimension to our lives and creates memories that we share with our children and grandchildren and we can ruminate over when we become old. Having everything laid out, fully unchallenged with no adversary to overcome makes for a dull story.

To make my point, I want to share with you a couple of big risks I took with my life direction over the years.

In 1971, I was 19 years old and my then 20-year-old boyfriend wanted to make an extensive summer mo-torcycle trip across the country from the Midwest through a semi-southern route, up the coast of California to Alaska and back again via northern roads. This sounded like the most exciting thing I could imagine in my life at that time.

I had $400 saved and a vinyl, fleece-lined coat my father had given me. My boyfriend had $500 and a good pair of warm gloves he let me wear when it snowed or rained. We

owned sleeping bags and a tent. He had a 550 Triumph, was a good driver, and gasoline was 40 cents per gallon. What could go wrong?

We ended up traveling thousands of miles in heavy wind, rain, fog and unbearable heat but also on perfectly crisp mornings and amazing sunlit days. We traveled the Alaskan pipe-line before it was completed and helped a friend build a log cabin on his property in British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands.

We tested our mettle and we tested our relationship. Everything sur-vived.

The memories of that summer didn’t fade into oblivion like the summers I worked in the department store and ate pizza on Friday nights.

I took the courage I garnered from this trip forward with me into my future. I found out that I was not a lightweight and that quality of spirit has served me many times over the years.

Similarly, after a six-month trip to Europe almost a decade later, my husband Billy and I purchased a restaurant with some creative fam-ily financing. Everyone told us we should not pursue this venture and that we had surely overreached. We were 27 years old and our financial futures were on the line.

Failure wasn’t an option.Our blood, sweat and tears paid for

that restaurant and it certainly was not an easy career choice. We did not have holidays off, a 401k program or an employee-sponsored pension. We paid for our own health care.

But on the other hand, we matured young and built a sense of self-reli-ance that money can’t purchase.

We still hold the perspective that if there is a choice between taking a chance that will enrich your life or staying put in entrenched security, one should take the chance.

If you were to look back on your life, the colorful, most outstanding memories are the ones where you reached for the stars, where you put yourself on the line and took a per-sonal or professional chance.

I guess my point is that risk has a price, but so does security. I think risk pays better. ■

The Price of

Securityddddddddd

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8 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Ingredients:

Strawberry Limeade mixture:1 c strawberries, sliced2 limes, sliced1 c vodka1/2 c sugar

Cocktail1 1/2 oz Strawberry Limeade mixture1 oz Lemon-lime Perrier (or 7UP)

ADD all to a large container or cocktail shaker and seal. Shake, making sure sugar dissolves.

REFRIGERATE for at least an hour, but the longer the better.

ADD mixture to martini glass, stir, garnish and serve.

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1 1/4 lbs ground turkey 1 c onions, diced15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed1 c frozen corn (or canned)15 oz can diced tomatoes 4 oz tomato sauce1 1/2 T taco seasoning2 cloves garlic, minced and grated1 T extra virgin olive oilLeaves of lettuce (Boston, Bibb, Butter)Salt and pepper, to taste

ADD the olive oil to a heated pan on medium-high heat. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and the turkey and cook on one side for 2 minutes.

SPRINKLE the meat with the taco seasoning, mix well and allow the turkey and onions to cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the corn, canned tomatoes, and tomato sauce, mix well. Continue to cook until the turkey is done through, about 5 minutes.

TASTE for seasoning; add salt and pepper, more taco seasoning if needed. Gently fold in the black beans and heat through.

Spoon into washed/dried lettuce leaves; serve. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and green onions, if desired.

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com ASK THE OLD BAG 9

Send your questions to the Old Bag in care of the BEACON, or email [email protected].

By Gayle Lagman-CreswickDear Old Bag: My father has

fallen three times this year. He lives alone in his home of 40 years. We have tried to get him to sell and move into an assisted living facility, but he will not hear of it. He says we will have to take him out of his house when he is through with this life. I worry about him all the time. His memory is good so far, and he is a pretty good cook. His vision is not so good, although he still drives to the store. How do I get him to see he is not safe in his home any-more? Signed, WorriedDear Worried: You are describ-ing a common problem—a problem that I saw like you are seeing it when I was younger. Now that I am older, I see it differently. Now I believe that one of the privileges of age is to make choices for myself, even if they may be risky for my health or safety. For example, if I want to stay in my house and fall occasionally, I should be able to make that choice. I would wear a pendant to call for help if I have a serious fall, and if it weren’t serious, I would get up and go about my business. There are some won-derful assisted living places now, but please understand that they cannot keep your father from falling. Of course, if he fell, there would be help readily available. What I am saying is that the right answer for you may not be the right answer for your father. You do not need to feel guilty for letting him do things his way. If his health greatly deteriorates, he may not be able to continue his choices. OB

Dear Old Bag: I have a com-ment that I want to say to someone who can get the word out, and you are elected. My partner and I have been together for 40 years. You can only imagine what it was like 40 years ago to be labeled a lesbian. After all these years together we

Ask the Old BagAdvice Column for the Over 50 Crowd

were able to get married and come out of the closet and go fully pub-lic. Years ago we told everyone we were sisters so we could keep our jobs. We moved away from family because they disowned us. It has been a crazy life, but we finally feel accepted. I just want to say thank you to all who have accepted us as we are. Signed, Finally AcceptedDear Finally Accepted: Con-gratulations! I wish you continued happiness. OB

Dear Old Bag: In your column last month, you suggested giving away some of your prized posses-sions in lieu of buying presents. The young people today have no desire to own some of our prized possessions. They are so involved in electronics and new-fangled inventions that they seem to have no sentimental mentality at all. All they care about is money. “Give me money so I can buy some more stuff.” That is what it seems to me. Agree? Signed, Disenchanted Dear Disenchanted: I get it that this may be your experience. I do not believe it is always that way. Many young people love to have something of Grandma’s or Grandpa’s. After the grandparents pass on they will have something to remind them of the person they knew and loved—that is assuming, of course—that it was a loving relationship. I am always sur-prised to hear how many grandpar-ents frown upon their grandchildren because of superficial things like piercings, tattoos, dying hair, crazy hairdos and short dresses. We must get beyond those things and see the beauty within. ■

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“The war (World War II) was on,” Smith said, “and there were no play-ers available, so I got a lot of expe-rience. All the other players were older, in no danger of being drafted.”

During college he played for frater-nity and sorority parties at CU. After graduating from college, he became a fixture in elegant restaurants and smoky bars throughout the west, gaining fame in Denver and the Colo-rado ski areas.

Leon Uris, author of “Exodus” and many other books, set up an audition for Smith in Hollywood, but Smith was living in Aspen and didn’t want to leave the mountains, so he passed up the chance and has never regret-ted it. Whether playing a bossa nova or “Jersey Bounce,” Smith sets toes tapping and couples dancing.

Pianist and vocalist Jeanie Thomas has also played around the area for more years than she cares to count.

By Jan Weeks

If you were one of the lucky people who attended last year’s Valentine’s

Dance sponsored by the BEACON Senior Newspaper and Hilltop, you remember the terrific band Clark Gault’s Swing City Express that made the evening. You may have also no-ticed that most of the members were part of the senior set. Since the BEA-CON caters to seniors, we thought you might like to know more about some of our swingin’ seniors.

There are too many musicians over 50 to include in one story, so we’ll concentrate on swing and big band music makers.

Walt Smith made his Grand Junction debut in 1980. A classically trained pi-anist, he turned to big band and swing during college. He began playing at age 6 and by the time he was 15, he had played in half a dozen bands.

Senior musicians still swingin’ and singin’

L O C A L L Y O W N E D A N D O P E R A T E D B Y H I L L T O P

(970) 208-1345 • HilltopHomeCareGJ.org

Home care beyond the expected

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Companion care for you and your companion - Just two of our unique home care services

At Hilltop Home Care we realize that remaining safe and secure in your own home requires morethan just medical care, that’s why we offer a wide-range of non-medical services including:

n Personal care & groomingn Companionship servicesn Downsizing & relocationn Handyman servicesn Transportation for

errands & shopping

n Housekeepingn Meal preparation & delivery

n Emergency Response Monitors

n Pet care & customized services

All caregivers screened & insured

Clark Gault’s Swing City Express at last year’s Valentine’s Dance at The Commons of Hilltop.

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com 11She took her first piano lesson at age 5, then majored in music at Chadron State College in Nebraska. She also plays organ and accordion. She and late husband Chuck, also a multi-in-strumentalist (mandolin, sax, clarinet and more), began playing together in Denver, then relocated to Grand Junction, where they played almost every venue, from nightclubs to churches to civic organizations.

“Music is a gift, and I’m so grate-ful that I’m able to play and to keep playing,” Thomas said. “Chuck and I traveled all over the country and made wonderful friends everywhere. We had the best life together.”

Since losing Chuck two years ago, she has kept busy on keyboards and baby grands, soloing and playing with other swingin’ musicians, as well as teaching adult tap dancing at the local community college.

Paul Schneider instructed the Grand Junction High School band before moving on to Mesa Junior Col-lege (now Colorado Mesa University) in 1969, where he worked as director of bands until retiring in 2009. Both

classical and pop flow from his saxo-phone, smooth and mellow.

“My dad played sax and started me on lessons,” Schneider said. “I’ve played with The Dixie Dudes, The Western Colorado Jazz Orchestra, the Gary Smith Quartet, and the Beaux Arts Trio.”

He also played with the Grand

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Junction Symphony for 10 years. “I have no intention of retiring,”

Schneider said. “Music is too much a part of me.”

Ron Bradley learned to play trum-pet when he was 10 and for over 60 years has honed his skill. He attended San Francisco State, where he majored in music. After joining the Army, he played with the Sixth Army Band at the Presidio in San Francisco and with the Eighth Army Band while in Korea. After leaving the service, he studied linguistics at UC Berkeley. In addition to playing he opened his own school to teach native English speakers how to teach English to foreign students.

“My graduates have their TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification,” Brad-ley said. “I also bring foreign students to CMU to study English.”

As if that weren’t enough to keep him busy, Bradley also played with the Grand Junction Symphony for 14 years.

Frank Bregar is another who has no plans to retire. He has the Frank

Bregar Orchestra and plays in Rock and Swing, a five-piece band that plays a whole bunch of everything, from foxtrots to tangos to Texas two-steps. His father had a polka band, so at age 5, Bregar began playing accor-dion. He moved on to saxophone and clarinet, and became a vocalist. For a while, he taught high school music in Pueblo and was the music director in Fowler, Colorado. Then he moved into real estate. Later he worked for the state of Colorado and spent 27 years in the division of property taxation, teaching appraisal methods. Thirty years ago, the state transferred him to Grand Junction and when he retired from his day job, he began playing regularly.

Music seems to be in the blood of these popular musicians, keep-ing them swingin’ and singin’ well past the time that most seniors have resorted to golf clubs and recliners. You might say they march to the beat of different drummers, be it Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, or Chick Webb. And that’s great news for all us danc-ers and toe tappers. ■

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Advance tickets are $15 per person.Call 243-8829 for tickets.


Feeling like a VIP in an NPS uniformBy Melanie Wiseman

I’ve always been intrigued by the way people act around those in

uniform. I got a taste of what it was like to be the person in uniform when I recently accepted a full-time seasonal in-terpretive ranger position with the Colorado National Monument.

To me, donning a National Park Service uniform would make deciding what to wear each morn-ing extremely easy. I learned quickly that to the rest of the world, it meant some-thing else. Parents told their children to listen to what I had to say because I was important. I found myself part of visitors’ Facebook pages, family photos and a piece of their travel memories. I had my own paparazzi.

At the end of my two months, I hope I lived up to the expectations people have of those who wear the NPS uniform. The uniform seemed to give people a level of comfort and confidence to ask me questions on just about any topic, and to trust that my answer was knowledgeable.

My favorite ranger experiences involved meeting people from all over the world. They were all eager for the best possible experience in the Colorado National Monument and surrounding areas. Helping them achieve this goal required studying and sharing information about Colo-rado National Monument’s history, geology, trails, plants and animals.

Visitors helped whet my appetite for traveling to more places than I will ever have the time or money for.

They all had their stories. I met 15 women, all age 74, who were friends from a small college in Oklahoma. They graduated 52 years ago and were still enjoying taking trips to-

gether every two years. I spoke with a man from Tucson

who is a coordinator for the Southern Arizona Honor Flights. So far he has organized and escorted 15 plane-loads of World War II veterans and their com-panions to Wash-ington, DC to see the World War II Memorial.

Four people from Belgium were the high-light of my visitor experiences. I learned sev-eral things about them. One was that they loved our bathrooms in

the U.S. because they were clean and you didn’t have to pay to use them like you do in Belgium. I also learned they connected with some Native Americans near Monument Valley two years ago, raised $600 back in Belgium, and brought with them two large suitcases of new clothes to give to the children of the families. At the end of our time together, one woman ran to their camper and came back with a box of Belgian chocolates. She explained that each time they go on vacations, they bring four boxes of chocolates to give to people along the way who made a positive differ-ence to their travel experience. I was fortunate enough to be a recipient.

Many visitors age 62 or older used their NPS Senior Pass to get in to the Colorado National Monument. The Senior Pass is a lifetime pass for a one-time cost of $10. The pass pro-vides access to all national parks and federal recreation sites that charge an entrance fee and provides a discount on some amenity fees.

To inquire about being a seasonal ranger with the Colorado National Monument or any of the other 400 park service units, visit www.nps.gov. ■

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com 13

can’t go above $15,000, but an opportunity to win a bingo jackpot of $2,000-$5,000 is a very enticing draw. The op-portunity to win these “must go” jackpots at-tract big crowds, eager for a chance to win, which in turn, brings in more revenue for the hosting nonprofit.

Tucker said the chance of winning one of those prizes entices players to buy

more bingo cards in order to increase their odds of winning, which in turn, brings in more revenue for the nonprofit.

The technicalities of the bingo lotteries can be a little daunting, but Tucker has taken to the business and its intricacies like a duck to water. It helps that she’s a big fan—being an avid bingo player for over 20 years. She gets the ins and outs of the game and the personalities of those who love to play.

RedCliff Bingo is the only commer-cial bingo hall in Colorado with Las Vegas-manufactured high-end equip-ment. She was happy to quote one of the licensing inspector’s recent com-ments that RedCliff Bingo was “hands down the nicest facility in the state.”

Currently the hall has only one regular session-hosting nonprofit on its schedule. The VFW Post 3981 sponsors sessions at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 1 p.m. Fridays. Tucker is looking for additional nonprofits to fill out the schedule. Ultimately, there will be 19 sessions available each week, including afternoon and evening sessions as well as two late-night ses-sions on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to the bingo sessions, the hall can also be rented out dur-ing non-session times as a space for private parties and corporate events. For more information about RedCliff Bingo, call Tucker at 644-5764. ■

By Carrie Kellerby

Nova Tucker and her father, Leroy

Winter, are not just about fun and games. They are also serious about bingo.

In October they opened RedCliff Bingo in the RedCliff Pointe shopping mall at 2650 North Ave. in Grand Junction, as a venue designed to give established nonprofit entities a fun (and po-tentially very effective) way to raise money to help support their causes.

The business model reflects a pub-lic demand for games of chance by providing a legal opportunity to take home some big cash prizes. RedCliff Bingo provides the hall—over 10,000 square feet of space, as well as all the bingo apparatus and supplies for a successful bingo session, and offers a professional kitchen provid-ing a full range of snacks and meals, from chicken and burgers to Mexican foods and salads.

For a nonprofit organization look-ing for new ways to raise money this could be a great option. Red-Cliff Bingo charges for the rental of the hall and makes money on the kitchen concessions, but all of the proceeds raised by the bingo sessions go directly to the hosting nonprofit organization. Tucker, 42, estimated that it was possible for a nonprofit who sponsored a once-a-week bingo session to make as much as $75,000 in a year.

The biggest money can be raised for a nonprofit by running what is known as a progressive, a game that runs over a period of time where the nonprofit reserves a portion (gener-ally half) of the proceeds from each individual bingo session and sets it aside for a future jackpot, one that’s significantly larger than the normal prize.

According to state law, jackpots

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Coming home from Afghanistan: Musician performs concert to heal By Jan Weeks

Brian Gregor laughs easily and often, his grin infectious behind

a graying goatee. Only the shadows that lurk deep in his eyes hint at his experiences as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan. Those experiences shaped the songs he wrote as he hud-dled in “hooches,” as the huts that were his dwelling places are called.

“I’ve been playing guitar and singing all my life,” he said, “and that’s what kept me sane in an insane place.”

In 1984 he moved to Colorado from Ohio to become the next John Denver.

“Didn’t happen,” he said with a chuckle, “but it got me to Colorado.”

That’s where he began his career in law enforcement, spending five years as a police officer in Vail, then 10 years on the Grand Junction force, as a patrol officer and public informa-tion officer.

That experience served him well overseas. His job was to liaise with the police there and train them in how to apprehend insurgents.

“It’s a whole different culture,” he said. “They don’t really want to be trained. They’ve been invaded by so many different entities who want them to obey that they’ve pretty

much given up on following orders or advice.”

Life in the tribal culture of Afghani-stan was hard, compounded by the ongoing war.

“We drove around in an armored pickup truck,” he says. “Wherever we went, we drove at Mach 10. You didn’t dare slow down or stop. If you did, insurgents could easily slip an explosive under your vehicle or deto-nate one beside you.”

He was armed but never felt safe. The constant menace left him unable to let down his guard, even after he came home.

One example of the stress contrac-tors work under happened when he was in Ghazni. A Polish unit was stationed there, but the cooks were American.

“A mortar smashed through the roof of the cook tent but fortunately didn’t explode,” he said. “The cooks were so traumatized that they left for the States right away.”

As a Department of Defense em-ployee, he was embedded with both Army and Marine units, scouting for Al Qaeda terrorists, accompanied by police and an interpreter. The Afghan military is not allowed to search for the bad guys. Only local police can

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The Dirty Hat Band, from left: Brian Gregor, Thad V’Soske, Sofia Benham, Sam Benham and Jared Shaw

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A true devotion to healing.

do that. Gregor’s job was to help the local cops ferret out suspects. Only after the locals gave the okay could he contact the military.

He signed a confidentiality agree-ment when he went to work for the Department of Defense, so he can’t give details of his assignment. All he’ll say is that he was a police advi-sor/mentor to local police forces in places like Kabul, Ghazni and Jalala-bad. He also won’t talk about the hor-rors he saw and experienced.

“I just don’t want to be like one of those ‘war stories’ kind of guys,” he said.

He does admit to being banged and bruised by IED attacks. How-ever, anyone who has watched the evening news can picture what he went through. So why did he want to go into a war he didn’t have to fight?

“I wanted to help,” he said. “Also, the money was good.”

Louis Armstrong’s song, “It’s a Won-derful World,” got him through some hard times. He had to keep reminding himself that the world was more than mortars smashing through homes, gunfire raking the streets and anyone in them. This was brought home to him while he was in Jalalabad.

“I looked up and could see kites soaring over the houses, and I could hear kids playing nearby,” he said. “It reminded me of the book, ‘The Kite Runner.’ I realized that kids are the same the world over. They don’t care about religion, race or cultural differences. They just want to play and have fun, even when the world is collapsing around them.”

After two years, he came home. Adapting to normal was incredibly hard.

“I couldn’t go back into law en-forcement,” he said. “I had changed. And I had PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) along with depression.”

So he decided to become an over-the-road trucker. Out in California, he was with a group of other truck

drivers. He looked at them and thought, “What am I doing? Who am I?” He came back to Colorado and immersed himself in music and art, painting in acrylic and working with pen and ink as well as pencil.

Gregor’s mission is to bring atten-tion to the contractors who experi-enced the same dangers and traumas as military personnel, yet have no access to health care through the Veterans Administration, even if they offer to pay for it themselves. Civilian psychologists who had never expe-rienced armed conflict have no idea how to treat patients who have.

He calls his music alternative folk, a throwback to the influence of

Bob Dylan, his favorite artist. In 1980 he produced an album called “Poor World.” He insists his music is not political. His original song, “We Always Come Home,” tells how

Americans fighting overseas always come home, one way or another. Even though he composed it, for months he was unable to sing it with-out crying.

He and wife Lorie have lived in Fruita for 13 years. Their son is a fire-fighter in Eagle.

Gregor plays full time in his band, The Navigators, which features him, Shull Cooper, and Sam Benham on guitar, and Alex Stockum on drums. He’s also formed The Dirty Hat Band especially for his gig at the KAFM Radio Room, a venue in which he has always wanted to play. Joining Gregor are Sam Benham on lead guitar, 13-year-old Sofia Benham on drums (“She’s the best drummer I’ve ever seen, bar none,” Gregor said.), Thad V’Soske on guitar, Jared Shaw on bass, and Robyn Shaw singing backup vocals.

Gregor and The Dirty Hat Band will perform his songs on Saturday, Janu-ary 24, at 7 p.m. in the Radio Room, 1310 Ute Ave. in Grand Junction. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Purchase tickets by call-ing 241-8801, ext. 202 or visit www.kafmradio.org. ■

DON’T MISS The Dirty Hat Band January 24, 7 p.m. at

the KAFM Radio Room

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16 LAUGHING MATTERS www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Laughing MattersLife lessons Submitted by Terry Yordt

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon, so he placed four worms into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a con-tainer of alcohol, the second was put into a container of cigarette smoke, the third was put into a container of chocolate syrup and the fourth was put into a container of good, clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the minister found that the worm in the alcohol was dead, the worm in the cigarette smoke was dead and the worm in chocolate syrup was dead, but the worm in clean soil was alive.

The minister asked the congrega-tion, “What did you learn from this demonstration?”

Maxine was sitting in the back and quickly said, “If you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms.”

Pool of sharks Submitted by Charles Craig

A millionaire throws a massive par-ty for his 50th birthday. During this party, he grabs the microphone and announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool containing two great white sharks.

“I will give anything of mine to the person who swims across that pool,” the millionaire said.

The party continues with no events in the pool until suddenly there is a great splash and all the guests of the party run to the pool to see what has happened.

In the pool, a man is swimming as hard as he can and makes it to the other end, barely missing one of the sharks. He gets out of the pool, tired and soaked.

The millionaire grabs the micro-phone and says, “I am a man of my word. Anything of mine I will give—

my Ferraris, my house—absolutely anything, for you are the bravest man I’ve ever seen. So, sir, what will it be?”

The guy grabs the microphone and says, “Why don’t we start with the name of the jerk that pushed me in!”

Football dreamin’ Submitted by Charles Craig

After spending all day watching several football games on TV, a man fell asleep in his lounge chair, spend-ing the entire night there.

The next morning his wife woke him up and said, “It’s 20 to seven.”

He replied sleepily, “In whose favor?”

Shoe-off Submitted by Karen Jones

One day a man drove his secretary home after she fell quite ill at work. Although this was an innocent ges-ture, he decided not to mention it to his easily jealous wife.

Later that night the man and his wife were driving to a restaurant. Suddenly he looked down and spot-ted a high-heel shoe half hidden un-

der the passenger seat. Not wanting to be conspicuous, he waited until his wife was looking out her window before he scooped up the shoe and tossed it out of the car. With a sigh of relief, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

That’s when he noticed his wife squirming around in her seat.

“Honey,” she said. “Have you seen my other shoe?”

Next of kin Submitted by Rose Brown

An Irish priest was transferred to Texas. Father O’Malley rose from his bed one morning on a fine spring day in his new west Texas mission par-ish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a breath of fresh air and noticed there was a donkey lying dead in the middle of his front lawn. He promptly called Senator Cruz’s office.

“Good morning, Senator Cruz’s office. How might I help you?” the secretary answered.

“And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O’Malley at St. Ann’s

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com LAUGHING MATTERS 17Catholic Church. There’s a jackass ly-ing dead in me front lawn and would ye be so kind as to send a couple o’yer lads to take care of the matter?”

The secretary thought she would have a little fun with the priest so she replied, “Well now, Father, it was always my impression that you people took care of the last rites.”

There was silence on the line for the moment then the father replied, “Aye, ‘tis certainly true. But we are also obliged to notify the next of kin first, which is the reason for me call.”

Frozen windows Submitted by Kimberly Ray

One cold winter morn-ing, a wife texts her hus-band: “Windows frozen. Won’t open.”

The husband texts back with, “Pour some lukewarm water over it.”

Five minutes later, the wife texts back: “Computer really screwed up now.”

You know you’re addicted to coffee when… Submitted by Charles Craig

Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.

You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.

You’ve built a miniature city out of plastic stirrers.

Instant coffee takes too long.You name your cats Cream and

Sugar.You’re offended when people use

the word “brew” to mean beer.You get drunk just so you can

sober up. You introduce your spouse as your

“coffee-mate”You want to be cremated just so

you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can.

You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.

Do you know who I am? Submitted by George Wheeler

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly

usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps.

“Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely.

“The front row, please,” she answered.

“You really don’t want to do that,” he

said. “The pastor is really boring.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired.

“No,” he said.“I’m the pastor’s mother,” she re-

plied indignantly.“Do you know who I am?” the

usher asked.“No,” she said.“Good,” he answered. ■

Send your funniest jokes to: [email protected]

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By Lois Greene Stone

Happy 2015. Remember when we wondered how we’d pronounce

the 2 as we wrote 1999? Would it be twenty-00, or two-

thousand? Now it’s familiar. Also currently comfortable is my mini Ms. Pac-man video game. I load some AA batteries into the small joystick, affix a plug, and my TV screen becomes a personal arcade. It wasn’t so simple once.

I need you to first remember those compositions in school where the teacher required you to write an essay on “How I Spent My Vaca-tion.” Didn’t you detest those assign-ments? Me too, and I used to teach college-level advanced composition. I wonder, however, what some of my students would’ve thought if I’d told them how I spent one New Year’s Eve.

As I watched the ball fall in New York City proclaiming another post-1984, I realized George Orwell had foreseen very much but not the room in which I’d ushered in a new Janu-ary. My husband and I and our young-est son went to a golf resort in south-ern Florida during Christmas break.

With uncooperative-for-outdoors weather,

we devised ways to use indoor time.

A round game room in

another eventually would erase that accomplishment by earning a digit or two better. “I can be more successful than a man-made metal rectangle,” said the ego. Reality ruined that esteem.

When I got home, I decided if I didn’t have my mature image to pro-tect, I’d toss a coin into a machine in the lobby of the local movie theater as I’m sure if I tried again, NEXT time, I’d…nah. One of my students might be walking by and wonder what a college teacher was doing in an arcade.

Time has taken care of that prob-lem. Plug a couple of cables right into my private television set, and that distinctive music begins. I haven’t any short people to wait behind, the successes or failures are for my eyes only, and I’ve the luxury of a joystick that is so personal it isn’t even used by anyone else. ■

Learning to play video gamesthe main building had a Ping-Pong table, jukebox-type record player, and video games that circled the room. Small children and pre-teens clad in sneakers and jeans waited for turns at machines. Players often uttered words common in movies and by stand-up comedians, as they banged their hands on the sides of the noisy boxes. My son thought we should try our hand at using a joystick.

I could never manage the flippers on pinball and felt a personal affront when the machine laughed at me, figuratively, as it announced TILT. These arcade games appeared to be easier, yet I felt like looks might be deceiving.

I was initiated into the realm of vid-eo games. Because it was New Year’s Eve, the coin slots were covered and all play was free.

Our son took us to Pac-man where he played and easily gobbled up computerized dots, turned circles blue, racked up points, and saw boards shift. So that’s how his college expense money was used, we mused. Well, how hard could it be to manip-ulate one fat stick? My Pac-man was devoured before I figured out how to make him run away. My husband fared somewhat better. For free, we’d seriously try to learn.

Small children scooted in front of us for their turn at the machine. We watched them manipulate joysticks with confidence, yet noticed no tabu-lated score was really as high as their goals.

Missile Command had me moving both hands as I rolled a ball. On-screen bullets shot and I tried to defend my cities. This wasn’t fun; it was work. I didn’t want my cities to be shot down, destroyed.

“Run away,” I demanded, as I tried to maneuver, but the video always set up obstacles I could not overcome.

My husband and son competed in a two-player game where a blip was bent on terminating the human icon.

After an hour, I was determined to complete the first board of Ms. Pac-man...not a master goal but a possible one. Each time the game outwitted me. Hostility and a greater urgency to once again beat a computer chip cropped up.

Reluctantly we gave turns to those who stood behind us. We then oc-cupied space at their backs, short as they were, for our next position in line.

The ball dropped. Another year was history and I was standing be-hind a tiny child hoping he’d finish Pac-man so I’d have another turn at it before my hand got sorer than it already was.

This wasn’t fun! Frustration and defeat is never easy. Even if I’d scored enough to enter my initials into the computer’s memory for high points,

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By Jan Weeks

When asked when he plans to retire, Carroll

Multz, an adjunct professor of business law, and law and ethics in journalism at Colo-rado Mesa University, looks you in the eye and says, “I don’t.”

A quiet demeanor hides a rebel’s heart, a heart that always has had an affinity for the underdog and see-ing that justice is done, and Multz followed his heart in a decades-long career as pros-ecuting attorney, defense attorney and judge.

In college Multz studied pre-med and pre-law and got a bachelor’s degree in business before deciding to become a lawyer. Besides briefs, he authored 13 legal books and over 50 pub-lished articles, including the “Colorado Criminal Law Handbook” and “Colorado Civil Law Handbook: Peace Officers’ Edition.” He also hosted a radio and a television show called “The Law Today.”

When he retired from practicing law, he took up teaching, a job he obviously loves. The love spills over into his other career, that of a crime novelist.

“I write to inform, inspire and edu-cate,” Multz said, pointing to his six published novels. Each of the titles takes an area of law and teaches legal principles through fiction. His latest three novels do all three.

“Chameleon” follows an undercov-er cop as he searches for his father’s murderers. “The Devil’s Scribe” reveals the underbelly of small-town corruption and drugs through the eyes of a reporter caught between truth and threats. “Shades of Inno-cence” is a multi-generational tale of love, jealousy and murder set in San Francisco.

Beginning in grade school, he wrote stories and poems while he was supposed to be doing classwork.

“Today I’d probably be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder,” he said. “I was so bored with school I took refuge in creativity. I conformed to fit in, but I’ve always been a ren-egade.”

If he runs out of ideas for novels, which seems unlikely, he can draw on his musical background to keep him busy. Coming from a musical family, Multz began playing piano in grade school and now composes at the baby grand in his living room. He

Taking refuge in creativity: Former attorney turns to the arts

has produced two albums of original songs and has also invented two card games: Coterie and Finagle.

An accomplished athlete, he played college football and baseball, ran track in high school, lettered in basketball, golfed with his father and uncle, and boxed for two years. His athleticism isn’t just about rough and tumble. He’s a downhill skier, ice skater, and marathon runner,

which he started doing for charity while living in Steamboat Springs.

Add “stunt rider” to his resume, too. Years ago, he met Troy Dono-hue’s sister, who was so struck by his resemblance to her brother that she urged him to apply to be Donohue’s stunt double. He didn’t double for Troy but was hired to ride in Dono-hue’s movie, “A Distant Trumpet,” which also starred Suzanne Pleshette and Diane McBain.

His advice to BEACON readers: Don’t slow down, and look for the good in life.

“Everything has always been a joy to me,” he said. “That’s what inspires me to try new things.”

Multz’s novels are available at Hastings and Amazon.com. All his products can be bought at the Colo-rado Mesa University Bookstore and Crystal Books. ■

Carroll Multz is a man of many talents. A former attorney and judge, Multz is a college professor, a published author, a composer, game inventor and more.

“I was so bored with school I took refuge in

creativity.”

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20 FUN AFTER 50 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

To register for these programs, call the Grand Junction Parks and

Recreation Department at 254-3866 or visit www.gjparksandrec.org.

January 9 Public Art Reception The Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture hosts rotating art exhibits at City Hall. The public is invited to meet and greet the artists and enjoy the refreshments. This free event takes place from 5:30 p.m.- 7 p.m. at City Hall.

January 21 Garden Talk: Orchids Deb Foster with the High Desert Or-chid Society will teach you the basics of orchid culture and how to keep that orchid alive. Class takes place at noon at the Western Colorado Botani-cal Gardens. Cost is $5.

January 30 Murder Mystery Dinner: Honky Tonk Homicide The body of Bubba Angus was found in his Texas bar and you must solve the murder before the killer strikes again. Party takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Senior Recreation Center. Cost is $19. Register by January 19.

DANCEMondays (Jan. 12-Feb. 9) Beginning Line Dance Experience a great time learning fun dances that will improve your bal-ance and coordination, strengthen your heart and stimulate your mind. No partner or previous dance skills needed. Class is at 12:15 p.m. Mon-days at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $15.

Mondays Intermediate Line Dance Continue with the benefits of danc-ing and improve your line dancing skills by learning new dances with a little more difficulty. Class is 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $5 to drop in or $34 for a 10-punch pass.

Senior Dances with Live MusicDance to live music from 7:30 p.m.- 10 p.m. every Thursday and from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month at the Senior Recreation Center. Cost is $3.

HEALTH & FITNESSJanuary 23 Facts & Tracks Join wellness experts for a focused 30-minute lecture on various topics that can make a positive impact on your life. Then spend the next 30 minutes walking the Riverfront Trail. Event costs $5 and takes place from noon to 1 p.m. at the Western Colo-rado Botanical Gardens.

Aqua AerobicsThese aerobic classes are for novice to intermediate individuals. Moder-ately intense activities incorporate noodles, hand paddles, water weights and more. Class is 8:15 a.m.-9:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Orchard Mesa Pool. Cost is $4.25 to drop in or $44 for a 12-punch pass.

SPORTSDrop-In PickleballThere are three indoor courts avail-able at Lincoln Park Barn. Equipment is available to borrow at the Parks and Recreation office, located south of the pool. Courts are available from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednes-day and Thursday. They are also available from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Cost is $5 to drop in or purchase a 10-punch pass for $30.

Fun after 50 Softball This program is open to both men and women age 50 and older, and is an excellent avenue for exercise and friendly competition. Call Carl at 255-6688.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESBe an ambassador for the Riverfront Trail System. Call 254-3876. ■

Fun after 50Activities offered by GJ Parks and Recreation

Senior Recreation Center550 Ouray Avenue - 970 243-7408

The Senior Recreation Center offers activities for seniors age 50 and older. The center is open Monday - Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Annual membership is $10.

Se n i o r re c re a ti o n ce n te r Mo n th ly ca le n d a r o f ev e n tS

Monday 9:00 a.m. Cribbage 9:30 a.m. Cards 10:30 a.m. Computer Classes 12:00 p.m. Gray Gourmet 1:00 p.m. Card Bingo & Dominoes 5:30 p.m. Singles Pinochle (1st & 3rd Monday)

Tuesday 9:00 a.m. Cribbage & Pool Tourney 12:00 p.m. Gray Gourmet 1:30 p.m. Bingo

Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Ladies Pool & Cribbage 9:30 a.m. Jack & Jill Pool Tourney 10:00 a.m. Free Blood Pressure Clinic (3rd Wed) 12:00 p.m. Gray Gourmet 1:00 p.m. Pinochle & Canasta

Thursday 9:00 a.m. Cribbage & Dominoes 10:00 a.m. Dance w/Music (1st Thursday) 10:30 a.m. Membership Meeting 12:00 p.m. Pokeno (Starts at 1 p.m. on 1st Thursday) 7:30 p.m. Dance

Friday 9:00 a.m. Painting Class & Pool Tourney 12:00 p.m. Gray Gourmet 12:30 p.m. Bible Study 12:45 p.m. Bridge 1:00 p.m. Canasta

Saturday 9:00 a.m. Bridge 1:00 p.m. Bingo

Sunday 1:00 p.m. Dance (1st & 3rd Sunday)

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com HOME & GARDEN 21

By Shelley Clennin, Paragon Restoration & Building, Inc.

When it comes to aging in place, it’s important to consult

professionals that work together to ensure a well-developed life care plan. Paragon Restoration & Building is passionate about partnering with other industry professionals to en-sure that plan is accomplished. While Paragon’s work to create a functional living environment through home ac-cessibility is important, it’s only one aspect of the plan.

Another significant phase of the plan, for example, is supplying cli-ents with mobility equipment to help them stay safe and enjoy a higher quality of life. Many of our clients who are aging in place require some form of mobility equipment and Grand Mesa Medical Supply is a company we partner with that offers solutions. Once they have supplied a client with the proper equipment to improve their mobility, it’s our job to create accessibility solutions and adapt our clients’ homes for the equipment they use.

“From the moment the customer leave their physician with orders, we take them through the entire pro-cess,” Grand Mesa Medical Supply’s Kevin Braa said. “We work closely with all ordering professionals, such as occupational therapists, which allows us to provide the highest level of care required for optimum inde-pendence.”

Braa told the story of one client with cerebral palsy whose life was dramatically impacted by the com-pany’s services.

“He was holding down a retail job but he always felt like he was at a physical disadvantage with his customers since he was sitting in the wheelchair,” Braa said. “Due to the fact that he had physically grown and his present wheelchair was worn and failing, his doctor prescribed a new power wheelchair.”

GMMS assembled a rehab team, which included a physical therapist, occupational therapist and doctor. Af-ter evaluating his lifestyle and physi-cal needs, it was determined that a standard power wheelchair would be inadequate. The team recommended a standing power wheelchair, which allowed him to extend from a seated to standing position while remaining in the wheelchair.

“His first activity was to extend the wheelchair to a standing position and give his father a big hug, face to face,” Braa said. “His job is also bene-fiting from the multiple functions his wheelchair can accomplish. Shelves are no longer a barrier and he feels a better connection to his customers.”

Braa said working with Paragon provides a better service for the customer and accomplishes multiple goals. Such partnerships help build a comprehensive plan, creating peace of mind for clients. ■

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22 LOCAL LORE www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

By Jan Weeks

On December 17, 1903, the Wright

brothers flew into history with their 12-second, 120-foot flight over a wind-swept North Carolina beach. Two months later, The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) #595 soared into Grand Junction and has been gliding along ever since, surviving through the “war to end all wars,” the Great Depression and World War II. Mem-bers have voted in 26 presidential elections, served in every war and conflict, and kept on flying through at least three local booms and busts. This month, the local Aerie will celebrate its 111th anniversary.

The FOE is an international non-profit organization, united fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope. Its motto is “For home, for country, and for God.”

The parent organization was started by six theatre owners gath-ered in a Seattle shipyard in February 1898. They were discussing a musi-cians’ strike. After they had talked

the matter over, they agreed to bury the

hatchet and form The Order of Good Things. As all good things do, this one

attracted more and more members. The group selected the bald eagle for its official emblem and changed the name to The Fraternal Order

of Eagles. In 1927, the national women’s auxilia-

ry was formed. The Grand Junction auxiliary came

into being just two years later, in 1929, and is the oldest

continuously operating auxil-iary in the country.

The original Grand Junction Eagles lodge was located on Main

Street between Second and Third Streets. Then it moved to the east end of North Avenue, where it oper-ated until 1998, when it moved into the old Taylor’s Market building on the corner of Highway 50 and Santa Clara Avenue on Orchard Mesa, at the top of the Fifth Street hill. While there, the Eagles constructed the new building that now houses the lodge on the same lot, just north of the market. In addition to creating a beautiful new space, they continued to donate thousands of dollars to those in need.

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com LOCAL LORE 23greatly to the well being of Grand Junction as a com-munity and the many people the Eagles have come in contact with. Each month a different charity is chosen to benefit from FOE fundraising, which is done through do-nations, raffles and dinners. The local Aerie works hard to raise funds for dia-betes research and to support CASA, the court-appointed special advo-cacy program that matches volunteers with children in need of a supportive adult to walk them through the court system. In fact, the third annual golf scramble raised $4,256 for CASA.

Perhaps the cause dearest to local Eagles’ hearts is the Maxine Kovacic Children’s Shopping Spree. For over 20 years, about 80 middle school children, accompanied by members, have gone to K-Mart to do their Christmas shopping in December. Each child receives $100 to spend on whatever he or she needs or would like. The Aerie also fills Christmas baskets every year for 30 to 40 needy families with food and toys for the children. Those who benefit from these acts of kindness do not have to be members of the lodge.

Eagles are community leaders. The FOE has played a key role in the creation of Mother’s Day, Social Secu-rity, Medicare and more, thanks to a dedicated membership base, working daily throughout the U.S. and Canada to help friends and neighbors in need. To this end, the international organization raises nearly $10 million annually in order to award grants to local and international organizations to aid in patient care and prevention for a variety of causes.

The FOE is a real family organi-zation. Locally, Junior Eagles raise funds for charity through yard sales and other activities, thus learning

early that helping others brings great satisfaction to the givers. Many of the kids are fourth gen-eration Eagles.

Becky Smith, the daughter of an Eagle, has raised three children in the lodge, and now those children are bringing their own children into the Eagles family.

“The best part of being an Eagle is feeling like we’re all part of an extended family,” Smith said.

Jim Rinderle, also the son of an Eagle,

has been a member for 44 years since joining in 1966 when he was 21.

“What I like best is that this is a real family organization, not a bar scene,” he said. “There are lots of activities for everyone, and we all respect each other.”

Betty Schull is also a long-time member.

“Everyone who works here, except the lodge manager, is a volunteer,” she said.

She pointed out the dining room, which can be rented for private par-ties, as well as the upstairs meeting and conference rooms, which are available for rent, too. She also tends bar in the dining room during the Sunday brunches that are open to the public from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.

“We have a real good menu, from biscuits and gravy to eggs, pancakes and more on Sunday,” she said.

There’s more to the Eagles than just philanthropic endeavors. Open daily, the Aerie has a full bar, dance floor and dining room. Tacos and Trivia on Wednesdays is a real draw, as is Fri-day night karaoke. Football games air in the lounge. Guests are welcome, as long as they come with a current member.

Two words come up over and over when talking to Eagles: family and service. For them, that’s what life is all about. ■

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24 TRAVEL www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

By Kevin K. VanGundy

Wanda Bird was a well-known waitress in Glenwood Springs,

Colorado. She was fun, personable and efficient in her work, and earned above-average tips because of it. Once a year, she and my grandfa-ther Charlie, a truck driver by trade, would load up the car with their lug-gage and a grandkid or two, usually me, and head to Las Vegas, Nevada, to gamble away the change my grandmother had squirreled away in various piggy banks hidden through-out their home.

Back then children could hang out in the casino as long as they didn’t gamble (we often did anyway). I remember standing on a chair, clutching a roll of pennies in my left hand while my right hand worked the handle of the One-armed Bandit, a game that came long before the electronic screens and push buttons of today’s machines.

I miss the feel of pulling down on the slot machine lever and sending those mechanical reels spinning, each reel making a solid ker-chunk sound as it would come to a stop: bell, bell, orange. D**n! I was so close.

From the Mint, the Pioneer Club and the 4 Queens of downtown Las Vegas, my grandparents gradually migrated to the Stardust, the Silver Slipper and the Sands on the Las Vegas Strip, eventually settling in at the Westward-Ho. My grandmother would spend the evening wrestling a small profit from the machines inside while my grandfather and I would sit on one of the benches underneath the garishly lit umbrellas outside and watch the parade of people.

A lot has changed since then and I’m sure my grandparents would not recognize the Las Vegas Strip today. But one place I feel certain they could still enjoy is Mesquite,

Nevada. Located just a little over an hour’s drive on I-15 northeast of Las Vegas, this small town has about a half-dozen resort-casino properties that take you back to a time when you could still park your car close to your room. I recently spent a few days exploring the area and here’s what stood out to me.

I prefer to stay at CasaBlanca (casablancaresort.com), a resort with an exceptional pool that forms a semi-circle facing a large rock wall with water cascading into the clear pool below. There’s also a small waterslide for the grandkids (but I like it, too). The obligatory deck for sun worshipers is sur-rounded by rounded mounds of green grass intermittently shaded by palm trees. Unlike some of the larger Vegas resorts, you can actually use this lawn to picnic on, play a game of toss, or read a book. Given a couple of piña coladas, I could thoughtlessly spend a day relaxing here, but only after stocking up on a deli-cious lumberjack-sized breakfast for just a few dollars at the resort’s Casa Café.

CasaBlanca’s spa and salon is top notch, featuring most of the treat-ments and services you’d expect at a bigger world-class facility. With a half-hour massage at less than $50, you can easily afford to treat yourself to some TLC.

In the evening, after a hard day of relaxing, you’ll want to have dinner at Katherine’s, CasaBlanca’s signature restaurant, which serves aged steaks, fresh seafood and a few Italian dishes

Fall in love with The Beatles LOVE…only in VegasBy Cloie Sandlin

Beatles superfan or no, The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil will have

you spellbound from start to finish.

While the show greatly varies from other Cirque du Soleil performances, which often attract spectators eager to see performers challenge death through whimsical acrobatic feats, the perform-ers generate an energy about LOVE that encompasses the viewer and excites the senses—putting you in an almost hypnotic trance.

The LOVE Theater in The Mirage is the perfect venue to perceive such an experi-ence. The circular theater makes it seem like there’s no bad seat in the house. The “nose bleed” seats ensure you don’t miss a moment. But a seat below makes you a prospect for one of the show’s interactive effects.

While the show still features plenty of aerialists flying gracefully through the air, most performers entrance viewers while dancing on two feet (and sometimes hands). The sound, lights, outfits and effects are glorious. The show entwines world events and periods of Beatlema-nia with songs from the Beatles’ entire repertoire, beautifully executed into one dazzling and must-see show.

Purchase tickets at www.cirquedusoleil.com/love or call 1-800-963-9634.

Mesquite, Nevada Mesquite, Nevada

January 16-18Mesquite Motor Mania! These classic cars shimmer in Mesquite’s desert sunshine like medallions of polished eye candy. CasaBlanca brings the sounds of the Beach Boys to the era of great cars. This free car show will take place in des-ignated parking areas of the CasaBlanca, Eureka and Virgin River. There will be cash and prize drawings! If you have a car you’d like to show off, visit www.mesquitecar shows.com to enter. Cost is $60

Don’t miss these events in Mesquite! By Scott Dunford

Phot

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www.BeaconSeniorNews.com TRAVEL 25in a classically dim setting. The res-taurant manager told me of the own-er’s penchant for Florida Stone Crab, which when in season, is flown in fresh daily. I particularly enjoy a good rack of lamb and on this recent trip I had the same meal at three different restaurants: Gordon Ram-say’s new pub and grill at Caesar’s Palace, Chef’s Table at the Bellagio, and Katherine’s at CasaBlanca. While all of the meals were very good, the rack of lamb at Katherine’s was the best, and like most other things in Mesquite, still affordable.

Speaking of affordable, the best value in lodging is at the Virgin River Hotel and Casino (virginriver.com). A decent room can still be had there for just $20 a night on occasion. They have a nice casino, a 24-hour restaurant that serves a New York steak for just $4.99, a few small swimming pools and my family’s favorite, an arcade with an awesome bowling alley. For you bingo players they offer eight sessions a day with the chance to win over $100,000.

Love the outdoors? Then you’ll love Mesquite. If there’s one thing that Mesquite offers that Las Vegas will never have, it’s the proximity

to some of the best outdoor ad-ventures in the southwest U.S., an embarrassment of riches, really. This little town has six excellent golf courses. Per cap-ita I imagine that Mesquite has more yards of play than any-where else in the world. Their best known course, Wolf Creek Golf Club, has been described as, “one of the most remarkable and most visually spectacular

courses in the world,” and many of my golf buddies agree.

Nearby are the Virgin River Gorge, Zion National Park and my favor-ite, Bryce Canyon National Park, where you can witness thousands of brilliantly colored rock spires that took nature eons to create. For the more adventurous, there are skydiv-ing, mountain biking and shooting ranges.

In Mesquite, the pace is a bit slower, the people a bit more friendly and the crowds a lot smaller. In the

casinos, you can still have free drinks while you play, live entertainment on a nightly basis and the personalized service that you’ve come to expect from a smaller, more intimate setting. The weather ranges from lukewarm in the winter to blazing saddles hot in the summer.

Therefore, I suggest that you travel there during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall. If I summed up a Mes-quite vacation in one word it would be “value.” Mesquite still offers many of the deals that once made Las Vegas so popular.

About a year before my grandmoth-er passed, she asked me if I would drive her, a couple friends and my Aunt Sis for an extended weekend in Las Vegas. We were to meet up with my mother and her new husband who were driving in from California. Being in my late 20s and working for a living, I had little time and even less money for such a trip. Not to men-tion, the thought of spending what little time and money I had escorting a group of elderly women around Las Vegas was not my idea of fun. But reluctantly, I agreed.

One evening, I pushed my grand-mother in a wheelchair to the en-trance of the Westward-Ho, where they had one of those giant 10-foot high slot machines that are so notori-ous for taking in way more money than they ever payout. I left her and my aunt there as I made my way out to the warm evening air of the strip. A few hours later I returned to find a small group of people gathered at the entrance to the Westward-Ho cheering on my grandmother, who by some small miracle had managed to rise to her feet and stay stand-ing as she waged battle against her oversized opponent. By some greater miracle she was ahead several thou-sand dollars. And perhaps the great-est miracle was that I had one of my favorite vacations.

The Westward-Ho and the Las Ve-gas of its day are long gone, but now for a while at least, you can capture a taste of what made Las Vegas leg-endary with a vacation to Mesquite, Nevada. ■

January 24-25Mesquite Balloon FestivalWitness the sight of 40 hot air balloons in flight over Mesquite’s perfect blue skies, then make your way to the CasaBlanca grand showroom to see “Squawk.” Adults are treated to a champagne tasting party and the festivities continue with a “Balloon Night Glow” in the south parking lot, where the flames will be choreographed to music. There will be another balloon launch Sun-day. Visit www.mesquitegaming.com.

Don’t miss these events in Mesquite! By Scott Dunford

A $20 beer poolsideBy Kevin K. VanGundy

This isn’t my grandma’s Vegas anymore. Don’t get me wrong; Las

Vegas is a world-class vacation des-tination, but come with full pockets ’cause it’s going to cost you. The days of 99-cent hot dogs and nickel beers are over. No longer are you given gen-erous coupon books at the state line for free dice and kitschy shot glasses.

Celine Dion’s voice rang clear at the Colosseum at Caesars’ Palace, but at a couple hundred dollars, I’m thankful that I wasn’t the one paying. Take a ride on the Big Apple Coaster that goes through the New York New York Hotel. At $14 for just under three minutes of fun, you’ll be taken for a ride all right. The pricey alternatives go on ad infinitum.

There are a few good deals left. Most of the hotel rooms at the mega resorts are a good value and at times they are a steal. But watch out for the resort fees, as they are sometimes more expensive than the room itself. If you go to Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock Hotel and ask for the special, you’ll get a steak dinner for just $7.77.

You can gamble your way to discounts, but be sure and join the casino’s players club. Usually, this is to your benefit, even if you don’t gamble much. I belong to the MGM Player’s Club and I get emails with decent offers. On the other hand, I’m a diamond member in the Caesars’ Players Club and they don’t give me jack.

My grandfather would think that Vegas is still a good deal, as he and I usually sat and watched people. That’s still free and more entertaining than ever.

26 FINANCE www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

By Jason Alderman

No matter how far away you are from retirement, it’s important

to understand your Social Security benefits—and there’s a particularly good reason to do it now.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is bringing back annual paper benefits statements for the first time in three years. It stopped in 2011 to save money on printing and post-age, but Congress and consumer advocates complained that workers needed better access to their data. In September, the agency reversed its decision and announced it’s resuming

What you need to know before reading new Social Security statementsthe practice of mailing paper state-ments to workers in two categories.

• Those who are not receiving benefits and are within three months of turning 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. (After age 60, workers will receive a statement every year.)

• Those who still haven’t registered for a My Social Security (www.ssa.gov/myaccount/) online account.

Why is this important? First, if you’ve paid into the Social Security and Medicare system, you should un-derstand the benefits you’ve earned.

Second, the SSA has been closing field offices and reducing services to the public despite the fact that baby boomers are starting to flood the sys-tem. It’s a good time to confirm and correct benefits due to the longer wait times on the agency’s toll-free telephone line and field offices.

Start by waiting for your next paper benefits statement or sign up at My Social Security website to review your current data. Here’s a quick overview of what your statement tells you:

Introduction and your estimated benefits. This section covers four categories. The first is your retirement benefits, which are based on your age when you start drawing them. The calculations are based on three critical ages as examples: 62 (the earliest age you can draw retirement benefits), 67 (the full retirement age for anyone born after 1960) and age 70 (the oldest anyone can start drawing benefits, generally at the highest level if you can wait). The second is disability, which refers to the amount of your monthly disability benefit if you qualify. Third, your family/survivors benefits if a loved one dies. And lastly, your Medicare eligibility and the particular facts to support that conclusion.

Your earnings record. This is a summary of your earnings that you need to verify for accuracy. Pull your annual tax returns as

far back as you can to confirm this information, and if you work with a tax or financial planning professional, double check their conclusions if you plan to challenge any errors with the SSA.

Some facts about Social Security. Provides additional definitions and guidelines to better understand your statement and includes key contact information. Most experts will tell you that when it comes to retirement, time is your biggest ally because it gives you the opportunity to invest, save and adjust your plan strategy. Use your statement to do the following:

• Spot and correct errors. If you and your tax professional spot disparities in your benefit statement, make careful notes, gather your evidence and consult the SSA’s contact page (www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/) to start the correction process remotely or in person.

• Blend Social Security into a broader retirement plan. Most experts agree Social Security alone won’t provide a comfortable retirement. It’s never too late to plan.

Even if you’re years away from re-tirement, make sure you understand your Social Security benefits, and that they’re accurate and fit into a broader financial plan for your retire-ment. ■

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com RESOURCE DIRECTORY HIGHLIGHT 27

By Liesl Greathouse

If your New Year’s resolution is to shed a few pounds or get back into

shape, don’t just head for the gym. Instead, check out the Black Canyon Twirlers Square Dance Club for exer-cise, friendship and fun.

The club is the oldest square dance club on the Western Slope, having been around for 55 years. With 45 members, the club is mostly made up of seniors, but 20-year member Ervin Wyatt, 53, said they are interested in attracting people of all ages.

“It is a friendly, fun and welcoming group,” Wyatt said. “We welcome visi-tors like they are regular members.”

Wyatt, a quarterly president, be-came interested in square dancing when he was 15 years old and has been dancing ever since. He also met his wife while square dancing.

Members dance Main Stream and Plus to a variety of music from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at the Lions Clubhouse, 602 N. Nevada in Montrose. The club caller is Naa-man Moorehouse from Fruita, but the club also hosts guest callers.

In addition to regular meetings, the club conducts demonstrations at various events around town. Starting this month, it will feature square dance lessons on Tuesdays.

Get into shape with square dance

Although it’s not usually the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of exercise, square dancing has many benefits.

“Square dancing helps seniors physically, mentally and socially,” Wyatt said. “You are moving in a fast walk and it helps prevent memory loss because the caller will call out a command, and the participants have to remember moves in order to respond in the dance.”

Wyatt said many members in the club become friends and meet out-side of regular meetings.

“I have gone camping with mem-bers and some couples go down to Arizona in the winter together,” Wy-att said. “We do birthday parties and a Christmas get-together, and we also include the Delta Square Dance Club in our gatherings.”

Wyatt hopes that people will come and check out the group to see how square dancing is actually done.

“People think that square danc-ing is just a dance they did back in junior high school, or even grade school,” he said. “But it is really for everybody, of all ages. I wish people would come out and observe and learn more about it. You can just

show up or give me a call and I would be glad to talk to

you about it.” For more information,

call Wyatt at 596-

4252. ■

28 FAITH MOVES www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

By Pastor David Huslig, Bethel Assembly of God

As the pastor of Bethel Assembly Church for the past 35 years, my

mission is simple: to do the best I can to prepare people for eternity.

That said, I believe that preaching the gospel along with prayer and help from the Holy Spirit makes my job rather unique. Let me explain.

Pastoring a church today is not the same as it was when I first began back in Kan-sas in 1972. For one thing, people are different. For a church to appeal to them, there has to be something that motivates and inspires them to come. We have to be able to do more than to just meet their spiritual needs; we have to be able to minister to the whole family. To do that, we offer a variety of pro-grams geared to reach people of any age, from age 3 to 93.

We offer outreaches that will help families, such as those who need groceries and back-to-school sup-plies. We also put on coat drives and feeding programs.

In February, we invite couples to a Valentine’s Day banquet and comedy show. Our Easter program attracts between 200 and 300 people. We minister to moms on Mother’s Day

and dads on Father’s Day about how important their roles are to their families, and we give them a small gift to honor them for all they do throughout the year. Our annual Church Picnic takes place in June,

and 2015 marks the church’s 60th anniver-sary. We aim to reach more than 250 fami-lies that day.

We also offer Royal Rangers (ministry for boys), M-Pact Girls (ministry for girls), youth ministries and mid-week Bible Study.

One of our largest outreaches is the Back-to-school Giveaway, where we supply 300-500 community children with notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, rulers, etc.

One year, we supplied over 200 coats to school-aged children during our coat drive.

Our last big program of the year is our Children’s Christmas event, where children perform plays, skits, songs and black-light puppet shows.

My heart’s desire is to offer people a place to be fed, filled, blessed and refreshed. Then if I’m given the op-portunity to preach to them, I will share the word of God so that they may receive the necessary message to help them decide their spiritual destiny. ■

Reaching out to congregations of all ages in 2015

My heart’s desire is to offer people a place to be fed, filled, blessed and

refreshed.

8:45am…Contemporary Serv. 9:30am & 10:00am…Sunday School 10:50am…Traditional Serv.We offer a growing number of ministries for adults 50+, including: Weekly coffee and conversation at Burger King on North Avenue…Tues., 9am Baby-Boomer-friendly contemporary worship and Traditional Worship Christ-centered Small Groups about things like: dominoes, pinochle, grief support, healthy living, book studies, crafts, and more. Bible Studies - daytime and evening PLUS, our building is accessible and on one level…no steps!

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com ASK THE COMPUTER GUY 29

Ask the computer guyBy Daniel Ashurst, Alpine Computer Solutions

It’s no mystery that rates for computer repair are

high. High rates are largely due to the abundance of informa-tion technology and the cost of finding someone who has a good grasp on how that information can be turned into power for your home or business.

When IT bills become too costly, it’s im-portant to weigh the cost and the value of your product in need of services. Perhaps it’s time to start 2015 fresh with new technology.

Allow me to elaborate. Today you can buy a full-color printer that prints high-resolution pictures for a whop-ping $79 at your local box store. I get many service calls where I am to repair a 2- or 4- or even 7-year-old printer, the repair bill costing the owner double the price they spent on the printer.

In such case, the computer professional should be committed to serving the cli-ent’s best interest and should perhaps recommend new products. But often, the owner is bent on getting every last print out of that printer, which poses a challenge to the computer professional because the owner is attached to it (most likely because of the price they paid for it).

These product owners should realize that years ago, appliances could last for 10-15 years, sometimes even longer. Today the life cycle of a computer and any attached accessories is three years at most. (Some people get lucky and have their products for longer.)

Computers and other material items should not hold power over us. My

Getting attached to technology can be costly

advice is to be analytical when it comes to the equipment

around you. Keep a spread-sheet or a notepad with all of your equipment listed, including the purchase date,

purchase price and any war-ranty details that could help you

down the road.

Many people end up buying extended warranties on equipment and then lose the paperwork or forget they bought it, so when the machine acts up, that service does not fulfill its purpose.

Divide the cost of the printer over the time that you have owned it and perhaps that will help you cut ties with it if need be. Or it may show that ad-ditional support or warranty expectation is reasonable.

With the example the $79 printer, when expensed over 36 months, it comes out to $2.19 per month. So after 18 months of use, you have used up $39.50 of that printer and likewise have $39.50 of value left. A repair bill of anything over that amount is cost prohibitive.

Start today and release any older items that aren’t serving you. Alpine Computer Solutions can collect them and recycle them for you. They make new ones every day and they are usually faster, lighter and less expensive. ■

Email your questions to Daniel Ashurst with Alpine Computer Solutions at [email protected] or mail them to the BEACON at P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502. For professional assistance, call Daniel at 234-1011 or Alpine Computer Solutions at 257-1011.

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By Elise Seyfried

Sports spectating is not, as they say, my bag. I watch with detached

amusement as grown men scream and jump up and down, curse, high five each other and spill beer on themselves as they view the Ava-lanche or Nug-gets or Rockies or Broncos. Who cares? Well, my hus-band, for one.

We have a photo, taken in 1986, of us with World Series 1980 pitcher Tug McGraw. (Tug had his own segment on Action News in those days and was covering my husband Steve’s children’s theatre performance at a school.) Steve was thrilled. I was unthrilled. Sure, Tug was a nice guy, but what was the big deal?

If I care not a whit for profes-sionals who play the games, you can imagine my keen lack of interest in sports even back when my own children played. None of them were exactly kindergarten standouts, so what I recall most were the baseball games that lasted well into the night (on unlit fields I might add), when the frenzied dad-coaches swore they could still see the ball and we could go one more inning.

I also remember the arctic chill of late-fall evening soccer. When our team was behind, I secretly hoped our op-ponents would crush us quickly so we could all go home. Confession: During my daughter Rose’s early basket-ball game, I was totally engrossed in conversation with my friend Holly. At one point

Sports nut (not)

the ref, who happened to be a friend from church, actually came over to me

and informed me that Rosie had just made a

basket (her very first, in fact), and that I should pretend later to have seen it. I gave an Oscar-worthy performance at halftime, oohing and aahing at her

athletic prowess. Knowing Rose,

she probably wasn’t fooled for a min-ute, but she gave me the

benefit of the doubt.

I kept thinking that my attitude would

improve as they grew older. Surely a middle-school baseball tourna-ment with my son Sheridan on the

pitcher’s mound would be more engrossing than watching the same child at age 5 swing vainly away at T-ball. Surely I would be swept up in the excitement of the other high school football spectators when my son PJ took to the field as place kicker. Nah. Still totally disinterested, still waiting impatiently until the final whistle blew, until the last out was called. I viewed watching my kids’ games as my motherly cross to bear, and counted the days until I would be off the hook forever.

Well, guess what? It’s happened. I am no longer contractu-ally obligated to sit on any

bleachers, anywhere. And

Surely I would be swept up in the excitement when my son PJ took to the field as place kicker. Nah. Still totally disin-terested, still waiting impatiently until the final whistle blew, until the last out was called.


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you know what? I kind of miss it. Not the sports themselves, of course, and

not the sports-crazed parents. (One parent of a boy on my son’s team was given to shrieking at the children, even follow-ing them out to the parking lot afterward to rant and rave.) I do, however, miss being an impor-tant game-watcher—important to my kids, that is—even when I was rooting for a field hockey player I could have sworn was my daughter Julie and wasn’t. My offspring never got mad if I cheered their adversary’s goal by accident; they just wanted me physically present for them.

So our college man PJ came home for Steve’s birthday last April and needed to go back to Millersville University for a lacrosse game. The team he played on was doing very well and was on its way to a national championship. On an impulse Steve and I decided to fly out and watch his game. It was all so uncomfortably familiar—the bitter cold, the hard bleachers, and the requi-site bizarre screaming fan.

(This guy wore a full yellow body suit.) But attending PJ’s game gave me another chance, maybe one of my last chances ever, to stand up and cheer for my child at play.

The years are flying by at a ri-diculous pace, and there’s no getting around it. My brood is all grown up. Someday soon, it will be their turn to stand on the sidelines and watch their own offspring score that basket, or (if they take after their grandma), miss hitting that T-ball. Meanwhile, though, I could still watch PJ racing down the field.

I actually enjoyed myself that eve-ning. College lacrosse is, I must admit, very fast moving and I

guess, even a little bit exciting. But best of all, PJ was genuinely happy we had come. And just because of that, I was happy, too.

I may still be an ignorant numb-skull when it comes to understand-ing even the rudiments of most sports, and I still wouldn’t pay 10 cents for tickets to anything at the Pepsi Center or the Sports Author-ity Field. But as long as my kids are glad to see me, any-time, anywhere, I’ll be there. ■

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By Jon Gordon

Sure, most of us start each New Year intending to make it a good

one. But even when the universe is helping out by providing things like a growing economy and job security, creating a positive life for you is easi-er said than done. Here are 18 real-life positivity tactics you can put into practice throughout 2015—and beyond.

1. Become a selective listener and focus on the positive.

2. Zoom focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask, “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distrac-tions and focus on these actions.

3. Watch where you’re directing your energy. We all have a finite amount of energy. Don’t waste yours on gossip, issues of the past, or things you cannot control.

4. Focus on “get to” vs. “have to.” Each day, focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do.

5. Talk to yourself instead of listen-ing to yourself.

6. Choose faith instead of fear. Faith turns adversities and dead-ends into detours to a better outcome than you thought possible.

7. Don’t chase dollars or success. Decide to make a difference and build meaningful relationships, and success—specifically, lasting and meaningful success—will find you.

8. Take a morning walk of grati-tude. Wake up your body and mind by taking a “thank-you walk” each morning. As you walk, challenge

yourself to list things you’re grateful for.

9. Switch your portion sizes. Make your first meal the biggest and your last meal the smallest.

10. Get more sleep.

11. Tap into the three greatest success strategies of all: love, serve

and care. When you love, serve and care about those around you, you’ll attract

greater success, and you’ll stand out in a world

where most people don’t love,

serve or care.

12. Focus on your purpose every day.

Remember why you do what you do.

13. Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight

success.

14. Implement the “no complaining rule.”

15. Read more books than you did in 2014.

16. Don’t seek happiness. Yes, you read that correctly. The truth is, the things we think will make us happy often don’t. Instead, decide to live with passion and purpose, and happiness will find you.

17. Do a positivity assessment exercise. Each evening either men-tally or in a journal: I am thankful for __________. Today I accom-plished____________.

18. Smile and laugh more. There’s no need to be stoic and serious at every turn.

Jon Gordon is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller “The Energy Bus,” “The No Complaining Rule,” “Training Camp,” “The Shark and the Goldfish,” “Soup,” “The Seed,” and “The Positive Dog.” He is also coauthor of “One Word That Will Change Your Life.” ■

18 habits to make 2015 your most positive year yet

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com MESA COUNTY 33

Compiled by Liesl Greathouse• Friendship Force meets monthly at 6:15 p.m. on the second Thursday at Community Hospital’s lower confer-ence room. Call 260-4653 or visit www.thefriendshipforce.org.• Western Slope Coin Club meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday at the VFW Post #1247. Get a free coin/currency evaluation at 5:30 p.m. Call 241-1770 or visit www.gjcoinshow.com.• Two River Sams, Good Sam RV Club, meets at noon on January 10. For location, call 523-5625. • Grand Valley Knights meets at 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Saturdays at Spoons Bistro & Bakery with their sport and classic vehicles. Call 462-6762 or visit www.grandvalleyknights.com. • Mesa County Genealogical Society meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday at The Commons of Hilltop and at noon on the fourth Wednesday at the Museum of West-ern Colorado. Help sessions are at 1 p.m. on the first Friday at a library branch. Call 640-2388.• Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays at the Ma-sonic Center. Call 261-1670.• Vestafjell Lodge, Sons of Norway meets at 2 p.m. on January 11 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Call 858-6702 or visit www.vestafjelllodge.org.• Happy Feet Rounds offers basic choreographed ballroom dancing at the Masonic Center on Sundays (beginners from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and intermediate from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.) and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Mondays (Phase 3 and 4 dancers). Call 243-5858.• Grand Valley Woodcarvers meets monthly at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 523-5965.• Grand Valley Woodturners meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesdays at Redlands United Methodist Church. Call 245-8817 or 856-3632. • Levis & Lace Square Dance Club

meets monthly on the second and fourth Fridays at the Masonic Center. Rounds at 7 p.m. and square at 7:30 p.m. Call 434-6541.• Art Jewelers’ Guild meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday at the Grandview Apartments, 1501 N. First St. Call 243-1220.• Stamp Collectors meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday at White Star Electric. Call 986-1502.• Western Slope Non-Smoking Singles meets monthly at 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month at Starvin’ Arvin’s in Clifton for lunch and games. For more activities, call 434-0803. • Mesa Fiberarts Guild meets monthly at noon the first Wednesdays at First Presbyterian Church and at 6 p.m. the first Thursdays at the Center for Independence. Call 243-3598 or visit www.mesafiberartsguild.org. • Blue Lodge Masons meets monthly at 10 a.m. the first Saturday at the Masonic Center. Call 245-5312.• Bookcliff Duplicate Bridge Club plays at 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at 2923 North Ave. Call 243-7874.• Western Colorado Decorative Artists meets monthly at 9 a.m. on the sec-ond Saturday at First Congregational Church. Call 640-2751.• Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) Branch 244 meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the VFW Post #3981. All former, retired and active sea service, U.S. Navy, Marines or Coast Guard welcome. Call 434-0868. • Grand Junction Toastmasters meets at 7:10 a.m. Tuesdays at St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 242-4863.• Talk of the Town Toastmasters meets at noon Thursdays at the Business Incubator Center. Call 250-3969.• Western Slope Rovers RV Club meets monthly at the Egg and I for breakfast on the first Thursday. Call 858-3907 for time and details.• High Desert Diamonds is a plus-level square dance club that dances from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. on the first and third Fridays monthly at the Masonic Cen-ter. Call 241-7457. ■

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34 MESA COUNTY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Mesa County CalendarCompiled by Liesl GreathouseJanuary 3 Downton Abbey Season 5 Preview Screening Be the first to view the Season 5 pre-mier episode of Downton Abbey at an exclusive screening hosted by Al-len Unique Auto Museum, 2285 River Road in Grand Junction. There will be live music and appetizers by Bin 707. Period costume is encouraged. Cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple. All proceeds benefit Hilltop Community Resources, United Way of Mesa County and Rocky Mountain PBS. For tickets and more informa-tion, call 244-0420.

January 3 High Desert Opera presents: The Secret Garden High Desert Opera brings the bril-liant musical style of composer Lucy Simon and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman to the

Grand Junction stage, presenting the Broadway musical “The Secret Gar-den” at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Robinson Theatre at Colorado Mesa University, 1100 North Ave. in Grand Junction. Tickets begin at $10. Call 523-9605 or drop by Roper Music for tickets.

January 5 Wild Horses of the Little Book Cliffs Marty Felix, known as “the wild horse lady,” will host a slideshow presentation called “Wild Horses of the Little Book Cliffs” at 7 p.m. in the Whitman Education Center, 248 S. Fourth St. in Grand Junction. Felix has been observing the wild horse herds in the Little Book Cliffs for more than 41 years, and she has taken thousands of photographs that illustrate the magnificence of our very own treasured herds. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mustangs, a lo-cal organization that helps the BLM

manage the horses and their range, the presentation will educate the public on the mustangs, periodic gathers, fertility control and range management. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, call 275-1740.

January 5 Grand Junction Senior Theatre auditions Auditions for the 2015 production of “Lucky Dollar, Private Eye” will be at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 3940 27 1/2 Road in Grand Junc-tion. Performances will take place at Grand Junction High School on March 20 and 21. The Grand Junction Senior Theatre is a group of adults age 50 and older who wish to live an active, creative and healthy lifestyle by expressing themselves on stage. For more information, call 234-1828.

January 8 Mesa Fiber Arts Guild Event Learn about Navajo style weaving from local Mesa Fiber Art Guild weav-er Carolyn at 6 p.m. at the Center for

Independence, 740 Gunnison Ave. in Grand Junction. Navajo weaving uses wool yarns traditionally spun from the Churro sheep and a tapestry-type loom. Carolyn will bring one of her own looms to show us what she is working on and will be available for questions. For more information, call 773-1916 or visit www.mesafiber artsguild.org.

January 8-11 “Truth and the Muse” women’s retreat The ninth “Writing the Sacred” women’s retreat will be held by Grand Junction writer Sandra Dorr and Fruita yoga teacher Susan Crosby at the Redstone Inn in the White River National Forest. “Truth and the Muse” will focus on how the muse draws nearer as writers age, becom-ing more visible in their work and resulting in a richer, deeper state of being. Writers, artists and yogis of all ages are welcome. There will be daily meetings, optional morning and afternoon yoga and meditation, an Ayurvedic self-care body session, and

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com MESA COUNTY 35

4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at Clifton Hall, 126

Second St. in Clifton. There will also

be a cake raffle. Proceeds go toward

funding Lions activities. Clifton

Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the

second and fourth Tuesdays of the

River City Singles January 2015 Activity Schedule

“Young-at-heart adults getting together for fun and friendship!”

Fridays at 5 p.m. - Friday Afternoon Club (FAC) meets in the lounge at the Travelodge (formerly the Country Inn), 718 Horizon Drive. The first FAC meeting of the month is the business meeting. Cards and games will follow the meeting.

Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. - Early Start Breakfast at Denny’s on Horizon Drive. Visitors welcome. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details.

Wednesdays at 5 p.m. - Dine out at the following locations every week. Visitors welcome. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details.

January 7 - Dragon Treasure Chinese RestaurantJanuary 14 - Chili’s January 21 - Rockslide Brewery January 28 - Red Robin

Saturday, January 3 at noon - Enjoy billiards, games of pool and lunch at Bank 8 Billiards, 2460 Patterson Road. Call Mary Wynn at 255-7370.

Thursday, January 8 at 11:30 a.m. - The Fun Lunch Bunch meets at Rockslide Brew Pub, 401 Main St. RSVP to Penny at 712-2588.

Saturday, January 10 - Join us on a day trip to the Ouray Ice Festival. RSVP to Jim Spiegel at 464-0578.

The members of the Sit-N-Fit Class meet at 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at St. Mary’s Life Center.

month at Clifton Hall. For more infor-mation, call 241-2498.

Starting February 2 Free help with your taxes VITA is a group of local and trained volunteers that provides free, confi-dential and secure tax preparation and e-filing of federal and Colorado state income taxes for low-income taxpayers or those who qualify. In 2013, VITA helped 4,700 Grand Val-ley residents file their tax returns. See their schedule below.

• Wells Fargo Bank, 2808 North Ave. Open 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

• NEW SITE! (The former US Bank site has relocated)

Wells Fargo Bank Annex Building, 359 Main St.

Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays

• Alpine Bank, 125 N. Park Square, FruitaOpen 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays ■

hours for writing, resting, xc skiing

or hot tubbing among beautiful lodg-

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mation, call 433-6800 or visit www.

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January 31

Clifton Lions Chili Dinner Come enjoy a delicious chili or potato soup dinner (with dessert) provided by the Clifton Lions Club at

36 MESA COUNTY www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Compiled by Liesl Greathouse

St. Mary’s offers Living with Diabetes seriesSt. Mary’s Living with Diabetes education series teaches people with diabetes to use self-care techniques and current technology to manage their condition. The four-week series for people with Type 2 diabetes and their families is based on the American Association of Diabetes Educators 7 Self-Care Behaviors. Participants meet from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. January 6, 13, 20 and 27, at St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road in

Mesa County Beacon BitsGrand Junction. A physician referral is required. For more information and to schedule an appointment with a diabetes educator prior to the class, call 298-2582.

Weight loss surgery seminarIf you are considering weight loss surgery, attend a free education session presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Sur-gery Center. Learn how the different types of surgery work, who qualifies, and how St. Mary’s will support you as you change your life. Sessions take place at the St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road in Grand Junc-tion. Call 298-6400 to register.• January 7 - 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.• January 21 - noon to 1:30 p.m.

Spoons welcomes new executive chefSpoons Bistro & Bakery is excited to introduce its new executive chef, Jackson Oviatt. Oviatt brings a wealth of experience as a chef and a

great passion for food. He attended classes at Western Colorado Commu-nity College in the Colorado Culinary Academy and has traveled near and far to showcase his culinary skills. Stop in to 3090 N. 12th St. and give the food a try.

Museum of Western Colorado Activities• January 8 - Changing Landscapes of Science lecture at 7 p.m. at the Whitman Educational Center, 248 S. Fourth St. Topic is “Our Water, Your Water: The Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant Story.” Cost is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. • January 15 - Oral History Presenta-tion at noon at the Whitman Educa-tional Center.

HopeWest receives $100,000 grantHopeWest announced today that it has received a $100,000 Daniels Fund grant to further the HopeWest mis-sion to profoundly change the way our community experiences serious illness and grief. HopeWest will use the funds to support HopeWest Care, a program designed for people with a serious illness, regardless of life expectancy. This program centers on relieving pain and other physical symptoms, coordinating between health care providers, helping pa-tients and families to make informed choices about their care and treat-ment, and providing resources to address practical and financial needs. Last year, 678 patients were served by HopeWest Care. For more informa-tion, call 241-2212.

Local veterans art competition starts with community forum Artistic military veterans and the general public are invited to an infor-mative program at 6 p.m. on January 5 at the Mesa County Public Library Central Branch. This event will kick-off the local competition of the an-nual National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary. The deadline to participate in the

local NVCAF competition is January 10. Interested veterans can obtain information and applications at the January 5 forum. For more informa-tion, call 720-272-7394 or 242-0731.

St. Mary’s offers free cholesterol screen with blood donationDo something good for your com-munity and for yourself this January. St. Mary’s Regional Blood Center will provide a free cholesterol screening when you donate blood at the Blood Center on the second floor of St. Mary’s Advanced Medicine Pavilion, or at any of our donor coach blood drives through January 31. This is not a fasting cholesterol screening because we want donors to drink lots of liquids and eat before donating blood, but it will give you a good idea of your overall cholesterol level. Your results will be mailed to you within a few days. The donor center at 750 Wellington Ave. is open 7 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays. For details, call 298-7847.

Home Care of the Grand Valley named top agency of the 2014 HomeCare EliteHome Care of the Grand Valley has been named a top agency of the 2014 HomeCare Elite, recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the U.S. Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available perfor-mance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience, quality improvement and consisten-cy, and financial performance. Out of 9,994 agencies considered, 2,501 are elite. HCGV is one of only 164 agen-cies in the nation that have won the award every year since it has been offered. For more information, call 263-0202.

AARP 2015 Colorado legislative prioritiesCaregiving and keeping older adults independent and in their homes is at the top of the list of AARP priorities. The strategic plan will study the un-precedented demands being placed

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January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com MESA COUNTY 37on public and private systems that serve Colorado’s seniors and their families. AARP also supports initia-tives that give nurses increased abil-ity to serve patients in underserved communities. In addition, the Office of Consumer Counsel is up for sunset review. AARP supports the OCC’s work and efforts to give it more autonomy to represent consumers in front of the Colorado Legislature. AARP will support efforts to increase the number of working Coloradans enrolled in retirement plans and will oppose any proposed legislation that would threaten the Public Employ-ees Retirement Association’s (PERA) solvency. For more details, please call 303-764-5988 or 303-764-5990 or visit www.aarp.org.

Support groups• The National Association for the Men-tally Ill (NAMI) offers support groups for adults diagnosed with mental illness and their families. In Fruita, they meet from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at Family Health West, 228 N. Cherry St. Call 462-3989.• GriefShare is a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Mondays. Call Vicci at 628-1453 for details. • Western Slope Visionaries, a low-vi-sion peer support group, meets from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call Joanne or Cathy at 241-0315. • Mending Hearts Support Group is for any adult who has experienced the death of a loved one. This group meets from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St. Call 683-4921 for more information.• Caregiver Connections is open to all caregivers and meets from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St. Call 248-8844 for more information.• St. Mary’s Stroke Support Group meets from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on the third Friday of each month in the Grand Mesa Room of St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 298-1929 for details.• Breast Cancer Support Group meets

from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the Reflec-tion Room at St. Mary’s Hospital (En-trance 25). Call 298-2254 for details.• MACHO Men, a cancer support group, meets at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at St. Mary’s Hospital’s Java City Café. Call 298-2351 for details.• Healing Hearts Cardiac Support Group meets from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month in the Grand Mesa Room of St. Mary’s Life Center. Call 298-2769 for details.

Volunteer opportunities• Mesa County RSVP seeks volunteers for its Fundraising and Fund Develop-ment or Volunteer Relations Commit-tees. Members of these committees work in collaboration with RSVP Board and staff. To apply, visit rsvp grandjunction.org• Mesa County SOS needs volun-teer drivers to give seniors rides to grocery shopping, pharmacy and medical visits once a week. SOS will reimburse for mileage. Call 248-2746. • HopeWest seeks volunteers for a variety of positions. Volunteering can be as simple as one hour a month. Call 623-8816 for details. • Operation Interdependence invites you to write notes for deployed troops around the world. Notes don’t have to be lengthy—just a simple thank you will do. They are also in need of Slim Jims, beef jerky, gum, snack bars, Chapstick, toothbrushes, etc. Call 523-4217 for drop-off location.• Gray Gourmet needs several adult volunteers to deliver a weekday lunch to homebound seniors. Vol-unteers are also needed to work at one of their senior dining sites. Call 243-9844.• St. Mary’s Foster Grandparents seeks volunteers to work with children in Mesa County and Delta County schools. Volunteers mentor kids in classrooms under supervision of a certified teacher. Volunteers may be eligible to receive a non-taxable hourly stipend, mileage reimburse-ment, annual wellness exam and other great benefits. Call Tanya at 298-9091. ■

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR FLU SHOT YET? PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY!Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people

can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. If you have Medicare, you can protect yourself for free.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare covers immunization for Seasonal Influenza. The goal is to prevent, detect and treat disease before more serious complications occur.

An annual flu vaccine may be the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through your community.

Call the RSVP SHIP for information on these immunizations and other free Medicare wellness services.Brought to you by the Mesa County RSVP Senior Health Insurance Assistance Project (SHIP)

Medicare Moment

Sponsored by the Association of US West Retirees (AUSWR) and Mesa County RSVP

QUESTIONS? Call SHIP! 243-9839

I’m Jake R. Atwood and although I am new to town, I am not new to Prosthodontics.

I served in the United States Air Force where I pol-ished my skills and learned the value of self-sacri-fice and service.

As a prosthodontist, I primarily deal with the replacement of missing or worn teeth. Whether it’s just one or all 32 of them, I can help you achieve a comfortable bite and a beautiful smile. And remember, it’s important to get your dentures checked annually!

Having 4 kids, I know what it’s like to want the best for the ones you love. That’s why it’s not just about teeth. It’s about providing the best care in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere.

So, come on over, get to know us, and leave feeling like one of the family!

*Dr. Atwood is the only Prosthodontist in the Western Slope of Colorado.

1317 N 3rd Street 241-2430 Grand Junction

There’s A New Prosthodontist In Town!

ATWOOD PROSTHODONTICS

Jake R. Atwood DMD, MS

38 DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Compiled by Liesl Greathouse January 5 Green burials Valley Voices presents a seminar on “green burials.” Death is part of life. Do not come to it unprepared. Know what to do if your loved one dies at home suddenly. Know your options for a less expensive green funeral and/or burial. Set yourself up to be treated the way you want to be treat-ed in the event of a terminal illness. Bring your note pad to this free event from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts, 226-228 Grand Ave. in Paonia. For more information, call 527-7243.

January 8 Delta Listen & Learn Series: Hearing loss seminar This seminar will talk about how to protect your hearing and what to do about hearing loss you already have. Topics to be discussed: treatments for hearing loss, hearing loss preven-tion, what to ask your doctor, and more. This program is designed to help support elders and those with disabilities. The class takes place from noon to 1 p.m. at the Hotchkiss Senior Center, 276 W. Main. Registra-tion required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436.

January 9-24 “Talley’s Folly” at Magic Circle Theatre “Talley’s Folly” tells of the unlikely romance of Matt Friedman, a Jewish bachelor and Sally Talley, a Prot-estant woman 11 years his junior. When they met a year earlier, Matt was forever changed and has wooed Sally with a daily letter although her single reply gave no romantic encouragement. Risking everything, he bravely comes uninvited to her home in Missouri on July 4, 1944 to ask her to marry him. “Talley’s Folly” opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 9 at Magic Circle Theater, 420 S. 12th St. in Montrose and continues Friday and Saturday evenings through Janu-ary 24. Matinees at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 11 and 18. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for seniors 60 and older. For more information and tick-ets, call 249-7838.

January 10 Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum The Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum, the state’s premier gathering of small-scale farmers and ranchers, and others involved in the small farm community, will be held this year at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. The conference has a wide array of breakout ses-

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Trust isknowing someone is there to catch your fall.It’s knowing someone will bethere when you need a shoulder to cry on. It’s knowing a promise madeis a promise kept. Trust issomething we earn everyday

sions, which convey vital, regionally specific agricultural information in areas including maximizing crop and livestock production, innovative agricultural marketing and manage-ment strategies, and specialty crops. To find a list of complete topics and speakers, and to register, visit www.foodfarmforum.org or call 249-3739.

January 10 & 24 Montrose Pavilion Dance Club Dances The Montrose Pavilion Dance Club is hosting two dances in January at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive, from 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m. On Saturday, January 10, music will be provided by the Knuckleheads. On Saturday, January 24, music will be provided by Country Plus. Admission is $5 per person. Bring refreshments to share if you wish. For information, call 252-7172.

January 13 Free legal education program: Handling Estate Matters After Someone Dies “Handling Estate Matters After Some-one Dies” is a free workshop that will cover probate vs. non-probate, creditor claims, how and when to dis-tribute the assets, what taxes may be owed, wills, family quarrels, involv-ing the court and more. The small

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES 39classroom size allows you to get your questions answered in a casual setting. Class takes place from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436.

January 14 Meditation 101 After the holiday season, learn to unwind and de-stress by learning the basics of this ancient tradition at this free event from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the HopeWest Conference Room, 195 Stafford Lane in Delta. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. This class will be taught by HopeWest RN and Certi-fied Clinical Aromatherapist Penny Rubala, who has studied meditation for many years. Registration required. To register, call 874-6823.

January 19 Seniors Night Out Potluck Get ready for a fun evening at the Montrose Pavilion Senior Center. At 4 p.m. choose to play a game of bingo for Montrose Bucks vouchers or par-ticipate in a jam session. Bring a dish to share for the potluck at 5 p.m. and play games of pinochle. At 5:45 p.m., there will be games of hand and foot, or billiards. Then line dance from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for $2.

January 20 Long-term Care Legal Planning Seventy percent of all people over the age of 65 will need some form of long-term care during their lifetime. That means there’s a high likelihood you or one of your loved ones will need care. Join us to learn about pay-ment sources, including private pay, long-term care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and more. The more you know, the better prepared you will be. Class takes place from noon to 1 p.m. at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436.

January 20 Write On! Anthology competition deadline The Write On! program is an annual writing competition for residents of Delta County. Winners are published in the annual “Write On! Anthology.” 2015 marks the eighth annual com-petition. Submissions are scored by Western State University Masters in Writing students. The competition culminates in the popular Write On! Anthology Reading event in May, where the published book is unveiled and top-scoring writers read their winning entries. Submission deadline is January 20. To submit your work and for contest rules, visit www.bluesage.org.

January 27 Transportation Gaps and Opportunities Transportation is always an ongoing concern for older adults and persons with disabilities. Sarah Curtis will dis-cuss free mobility orientation on how to use public transportation, gaps in service, public transportation, dial a ride and volunteer transportation program. Class takes place from 11 a.m. to noon at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 249-2436.

January 31 Virtuoso Flute While generally known as a compos-er of operas, Gaetano Donizetti also composed many other works, includ-ing chamber and orchestral music. The beautiful “Sonata in C Major” for flute and piano demonstrates that Donizetti’s command of the exquisite vocal line was not confined solely to his operas and that he could also write in a carefree, infectiously Ros-sinian vein. Concert takes place from 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Blue Sage Cen-ter for the Arts, 226-228 Grand Ave. in Paonia. Tickets are $10. Reserved seating is $20. For details, call 527-7243. ■

If you have an event or photo you would like to have appear in the BEACON, send it to: [email protected].

40 DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Compiled by Liesl Greathouse

Events for veteransThe Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. in Montrose, has the follow-ing events scheduled for veterans this month. If you have not previously registered with the Warrior Resource Center as a veteran, bring a form of military ID with you. For more infor-mation, call 765-2210.

• All veterans are invited for coffee from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. every Thursday.

• All military spouses (of any branch or era) are invited to a luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on the last Friday of every month.

• The public is invited to eagle head cane presentations at 1 p.m. the first Thursday of every month. Beautiful eagle head canes created by Black Canyon Wood Carvers and Wood Workers Guild of Western Colorado are presented to veterans.

Montrose walking events• First Friday Stroll - On the first

Friday of each month, stroll along downtown Montrose and see artist demonstrations, enjoy free wine tastings and in-store promotional events from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Support groups• Veterans PTSD support group meets at 10 a.m. Thursdays at the Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. Veterans must provide a copy of their DD214 as verification of eligibil-ity of services. Call 765-2210.

• Stroke Support Group meets 11 a.m. to noon, twice a month, at Montrose Memorial Hospital’s Acute Rehab Unit. For details and meeting days, call 318-2028.

• Bosom Buddies Breast Cancer Support Group meets from noon to 1:15 p.m. Wednesdays at 645 S. Fifth St. in Montrose.

• Caregiver Support Group meets 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays at Cross-roads Assisted & Independent Living model cottage at 1380 Aspen Way in Delta. Call 773-4214.

Delta/Montrose Beacon Bits• Caregiver Support & Network-ing Group meetings are structured to be an all-inclusive group for care-givers who care for someone with dementia or any disability or illness in any living environment. For more information and to register, call 249-2436, ext. 203.

• Mending Hearts Support Group, offered by HopeWest, is open to adults who have experienced the death of a loved one. Montrose group meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays in the Bosom Buddies Room, 645 S. Fifth St. Call 240-7734.

Volunteer opportunities• HopeWest in Delta and Montrose is seeking volunteers for a variety of positions. In Delta, call 874-6823 for more information. In Montrose, call 252-2642.

Club activities• Western Slope 4 Wheelers is made up of off-road enthusiasts who enjoy four wheeling and who work to protect four-wheeling rights on our public lands. Meetings are at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Montrose Rod & Gun Club’s indoor range, 1211 6450 Road in Montrose. Call 275-0754.

• Montrose Amateur Radio Club has been active for over 50 years and is an ARRL-affiliated, general interest club serving beautiful southwestern Colorado. Meetings are at 7 p.m. on the third Friday of every month at the Olathe Community Center. Call 417-6142.

• Black Canyon Camera Club is a group of avid photographers in Delta County and along Colorado’s western slope. Meetings are at noon on the second Tuesday of each month at the First Church of Christ, 1102 Howard St. in Delta. Call 399-3674.

• Black Canyon Classics is open to anyone interested in classic cars, street rods, trucks and all other forms of automotive transportation. Meet-ings are the first Tuesday of each month at the Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors Building, 155 Merchant

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JANUARY 9 – 24, 2015 Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 PM

Sunday Matinees 2:30 PM

“Talley’s Folly” tells of the unlikely romance of a Jewish bachelor

and a “younger” Protestantwoman and his attemptswoman and his attempts

to marry her.

Call 970 249-7838 forinformation and reservations

Box Office is openTuesday – Thursday

and two hours before curtain time

420 S. 12th Street420 S. 12th StreetMontrose, CO 81401

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Montrose’s OwnMagic Circle Players

PRESENTS Established 1959

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com DELTA/ MONTROSE COUNTIES 41Drive in Montrose, during the winter months and at various locations dur-ing the summer months. For times and details, call 249-6051.

• Black Canyon Audubon Society was formed in 1990 and is one of 11 National Audubon Society chapters in Colorado. Its members are com-mitted to the conservation of natural resources through birding, conserva-tion and educational activities. For dates and times of meetings, call 249-6761, ext. 14.

• Black Canyon Twirlers Square Dance Club dance Main Stream and Plus and welcome all visitors. Meetings are at 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at the Lions Clubhouse, 602 N. Nevada Ave. Call 596-4252 for details.

DELTA SENIOR ACTIVITIESThe following activities are offered at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 Gunnison River Drive in Delta. To register for any of the following ac-tivities or for a full list, call 874-0923.

• Community Evening Dance - 7 p.m.-10 p.m., January 3. Cost is $4 per person. Bring a snack to share.

MONTROSE SENIOR ACTIVITIESThe Montrose Recreation District has the following activities scheduled for seniors 50+ this month. Register one week ahead. Events take place at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion

Drive, or transportation departs from the Montrose Pavilion. Please arrive at each event at least 15 minutes early. For more information on the following activities, call 252-4884.

• Ouray Ice Climbing Festival and more - 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., January 10. The Ouray Ice Festival is the biggest ice festival in North America. We will watch the mixed elite climbing competition then take a guided tour of the Box Canyon Lodge and Hot Springs. Learn about their efforts in protecting the environment and becoming more “green.” We will eat lunch in Ouray. Cost is $18. Bring money for lunch.

• The Merry Widow - 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., January 17. This is a live opera performance transmitted in high-definition video via satellite from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to the Canyon View Stadium 14 Theater in Grand Junction. The great Renee-Fleming stars as the beguiling femme fatale who captivates all Paris in Franz Lehar’s enchanting operetta. Cost is $37. Bring money for lunch.

• Snowshoeing at Ironton Park - 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., January 27. If you haven’t been before, don’t worry. The beauty of snowshoeing is its simplic-ity. Just strap on a pair of snowshoes to your favorite snow boots and start walking. We take frequent rests. ■

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theBeaconSeptember 2012 Vol. 26 No. 9

Photo by Heidi Graf

What’s Inside

Advice and Ideas ............................ 7

Classifieds .................................... 40

Crossword .................................... 29

Delta/Montrose County ................ 35

Finance ......................................... 26

Garfield County ............................. 38

Health & Wellness ......................... 10

Laughing Matters ......................... 16

Local Lore ..................................... 20

Mesa County ................................. 30

Parks & Recreation ....................... 22

River City Singles.......................... 31

Travel & Recreation ...................... 18

Local LoreBlacksmiths have

a rich history in the

Grand Valley. Story

page 20.

Summer down under

A Montrose

woman crossed off

an item from her

bucket list when

she visited Bris-

bane, Australia.

Story page 18.


Zippity Do DogsThis fun club pro-

motes agility training

for both dogs and

their owners. Story

page 9.

Why do men

and women

experience pain

differently?

Find out in our

Health & Well-

ness insert.Now on the web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Produced by the BEACON’s

Advertising Team

Why do women hurt more? Pain and gender

differencespage 2

Your Guide to a Heal thy Mind & Body

Health &Wellnessfall 2012

Boomers and their bikes

Experience the freedom of the open road

and what it’s like to “let it all go!”

october 2012 Vol. 26 No. 10

Photo submitted by Terry Eakle

What’s InsideAdvice and Ideas ............................ 9Classifieds .................................... 44Crossword .................................... 40Delta/Montrose County ................ 36Gardening ..................................... 28Garfield County ............................. 41Health & Wellness ......................... 10Laughing Matters ......................... 18Local Lore ..................................... 22Mesa County ................................. 32Parks & Recreation ....................... 17River City Singles.......................... 33Travel & Recreation ...................... 20

Local LoreRead about how one local man keeps the blacksmith’s trade alive in the Grand Valley. Story on page 22.

Cruise to Alaska Join the BEACON

staff on our first reader cruise to Alaska. Read about what wonders await. Story on page 20.


Pickled pinkThese seniors are competitive but enjoy helping people learn the game of pickleball. Story on page 6.

2012 is the year for estate planning. Find out why in our Financial Planning insert.

Now on the web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Produced by the BEACON‘s Advertising Team

How do Alaskan trust laws benefit your Colorado

estate planning?page 2

William Kain and the estate planning experts at Kain & Burke, PC give great, little-known advice on why you should start planning today.

Trivia question: Is this photo of Colorado or Alaska?

Your Guide to Year End Financial Planning

Travel the world

Terry Eakle has led so many tours, she can’t keep track. At 72, traveling keeps her and her many repeat travelers active and loving life. Where will she go next?

wi th Terry

AuguSt 2011 Vol. 25 No. 8

Photo by Heidi Graf

What’s InsideAdvice and Ideas ............................... 9Classifieds .......................................36Crossword .......................................35Delta/Montrose County ................... 32Faith Moves ....................................... 7Fruita ...............................................22Garfield County ................................34Health & Wellness ........................... 10Kvetch ..............................................38Laughing Matters ............................ 14Local Lore ........................................ 20Mesa County .................................... 28River City Singles ............................29Travel & Recreation ......................... 16

Some friends have scalesRead about how this small reptile made an impact on one Mon-trose couple’s lives.

Long-Term CareWhat everyone needs to know about long-term care. Read more in this month’s special insert.

Western Colorado’s Monthly Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 30,450 Readers.Give a pet a home! Adopt a furry friend from Roice-Hurst. Read more on page 26.

Local LoreThe library has had many faces and has been many places. Read more about its 110-year history inside this issue.

Now on the Web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.comProduced by the Beacon’s

Advertising Team

Family moments such as Pirate Day

at Eagle Ridge of the Grand Valley

impact quality of life more than

anything else. With a staff like this

to care for you, long-term care may

not seem so bad afterall.

Your Guide to Senior Housing & Long Term Care

Long-Term Care Birds of a featherCome with us as we take a closer look at local people and their pets. From everyday “pound puppies” to the exotic birds above.

Seniors are readingthe BEACON.Shouldn’t your ad be here?

Call Michael Dunn for ad rates.243-8829

Kelli Hepler with Delta County Tourism and Colorado AgTourism facilitates a discussion with conference attendees during the 2014 Food and Farm Forum. Don’t miss the third annual Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum on January 10 at the Montrose Pavilion. Photo by MJ Martin Photography.

42 CROSSWORD PUZZLE www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

Crossword PuzzleAcross1 Go with5 Bay window10 Knight’s group14 Oscar-winner Jannings15 Last name in fashion16 Involving the ear17 Links lover’s mag19 Earthen pot20 “___ you for real?”21 “…Jumpin’ Jack Flash,

it’s…”22 “Catch-22” author24 Balkan native26 Pianist John27 Real finish28 Edith Head’s area32 Sprinted34 Building beam36 Early serfs37 Timer sounds39 Grade-school ltrs.40 K-Mart, e.g.41 Underway42 and ___44 Outdated records45 Browbeats47 Unclose, to Byron49 Shampoo ingredient50 Boot your Mac54 Spahn or Beatty57 Cart away58 Incumbents59 Corrupt60 Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, e.g.63 Mag section64 Derby winner65 Actress Powers66 Nightstand jug67 Doesn’t fold68 From the topDown1 “Jockeys in the Rain” artist2 Dean Martin song topic3 Wall worker4 Wee toy maker5 Japanese paper art6 Lear’s daughter7 “___ de Castro” (John Clifford play)8 Tabloid aviators9 Shaping tools10 Fast Eddie, for one11 “___ have to do”12 Stack of chips

13 Fall souvenir18 Place to start the roast?23 Mr. Kefauver25 Where granny goes on Tuesday nights?26 Yanks’ manager28 Pre-marathon meal?29 L’s four followers30 Chariot endings31 Pilot’s dir.32 Rampant33 Shortly35 React to the cop with the radar gun37 Ham’s dash38 Ancient Roman burial stone43 Formula One cars46 Spiral shells often used as horns48 ___ Beach, Fla.50 Sarah Vaughan’s nickname51 Enormous two-staged missile?52 “___ Buck” (1989)53 “Don’t give me that rot!”54 “___ number one!”55 Declare openly56 Marriage, e.g.57 Queen of Olympus61 It starts “under the collar”62 Docs’ grp.

Brandon S. BerguinD.D.S.

SENIORDISCOUNTS

241-3483GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

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WESTERN SLOPE DENTAL CENTERBRANDON S. BERGUIN D.D.S.AND ASSOCIATES514 28 Road • Grand Junction, CO 81501

Concern, Caring and CompassionGrand Valley Funeral Homes

Offering our community Family-Owned & Operated Funeral Homeswith professional services at an affordable price

Fruita Grand JunctionFuneral Home Funeral Home

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Cremations Starting at: $800.00 Burials Starting at: $1,200.00Veterans, Military, Police, Fire, EMS Receive 15% Off Services

We Honor and Accept Pre-Arranged Funeral Plans from Other Funeral Homeswww.GrandValleyFuneralHomes.com

Confused By Medicare Plans?Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to meet with someone local who can:

• Provide you with the information you need, so you may determinewhich plan is right for you.

• Show you how to find the best drug plan for your current situation.

Stop by for a cup of coffee at The Artful Cup coffee shop, at: 3090 North 12th St., Grand Junction, 970-623-9665, Wednesdays between the hours of

9 am to 12 pm on the following dates: Jan 7, Jan 14, Jan 21 and Jan 28.

I will be happy to talk with you, or if you cannot make it

to the coffee shop Lew Barrfeel free to give me a call. Insurance Agent

[email protected]


2395 H Rd Grand Junction www.beehivehomes.com

We Provide For You• Medication Monitoring • HoMe cooked dietitian approved Meals

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Stop in for a tour and refreShmentS

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quality assisted living in a residential setting

$3500 OFFnext repair.Check and clean one (1) heating unit, parts or repairs not included. Please show this ad at time of service.

For the comfort in your homeWhy call separate companies to perform your plumbing and cooling service work? At Airstream Plumbing & Heating we pride ourselves hiring trained plumbers and EPA certified HVAC technicians. When it comes to the comfort in your home, trust us to keep you covered.www.gjairstream.plumbing970-434-5348

By Tait Trussell

A quarter century ago, Prozac came to America. It was seen as

a feel-good medication that anyone could pop into his or her mouth and all would be hunky-dory.

Now we have learned that Prozac is much different. Clinical depression is common among older adults. The National Institute of Mental Health considers depression in people 65 and older a major public health prob-lem. But depression is not a normal part of aging. Sadness is not the main symptom. They may have less obvi-ous symptoms of depression or they may not be willing to talk about their feelings. So doctors may be less likely to recognize that their patient has depression.

Meanwhile, many classes of anti-de-pression medications have developed since Eli Lilly won FDA approval of Prozac in 1987. The current regular treatment for depression involves a drug class known as selective sero-tonin. Scientists think depression is caused by a lack of the chemical sero-tonin in the brain. The most common forms of depression involve serotonin inhibitors.

Some people may experience only a single episode within their lifetime, but more often a person may have multiple episodes. Others face dys-thymic disorder—depressive symp-toms that last two years or more—a mild but chronic form of depression.

Minor depression is similar to other forms of depression. Symptoms, how-ever, are less severe and may not last as long. According to the National Al-liance for Mental Illness, depression in older persons is closely associated with dependency and disability, and causes great distress for the indi-vidual and the family. Depression in the older population often goes un-treated because many people think that depression is a normal part of aging—a natural reaction to chronic illness, loss and social transition.

For the elderly population, depres-

Depression: not normal but common in older folks

sion can come in different sizes and shapes. Many elderly people and their families don’t recognize the symptoms of depression, aren’t aware that it is a medical illness, and don’t know depression often responds to treatment. The outcome is usually better for people who have access to social services and family and friends who can help them stay active and engaged.

The most worrisome complication of depression is suicide. Men make up most suicides among the elderly. Divorced or widowed men are at the highest risk. Families should pay close attention to elderly relatives who are depressed and live alone.

Many older persons think that depression is a character flaw and are worried about being humiliated. They may blame themselves for their illness and are too ashamed to get help. Others worry that treatment would be too costly. Yet research has also shown that treatment is effective and in fact, changes the brain when it works.

Researchers continue to study Prozac’s effects on the body and new information about potential compli-cations is still coming to light. One of the biggest concerns is that the drug is over prescribed, unneces-sarily subjecting patients to adverse side effects and possible withdrawal symptoms.

Patients taking Prozac may experi-ence a host of side effects, including sexual dysfunction, dry mouth, nau-sea, headache, diarrhea, nervousness, restlessness, agitation, increased sweating, weight gain, insomnia and drowsiness.

Although antidepressants like Pro-zac are not technically considered to be addictive, at least in the sense of inducing cravings in patients, doctors say they make users dependent. Drug dependency means that the body has adapted to a chemical to the point that it requires steady doses to func-tion normally. ■

44 CLASSIFIEDS www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

For Sale Complete Cremation Package for Two All cremation services are inclusive along with an attractive oak companion urn and eye-level glass front niche inside Memorial Garden’s Chapel. $2,900 OBO 255-0043.

Home Care

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Home ServicesBe Clutter-Free Love your home again! Let me help you: *Lose hundreds of pounds without going to the gym. *De-clutter *Organize, simplify, repurpose *Reduce stress *Sell or donate unwanted items *Decorate on a budget *Call Melanie, 985-5897. You’ll be glad you did!

Reliable Estate Sales Are you in the midst of a stressful relocation or passing of a loved one? Let us handle the burden of personal property liquidation from start to finish. Contact Mark Bluhm at 260-2327, [email protected] or www.reliableestatesales.net.

Antiques, Appraisals, Estate Sales With over 30 years in the antique, appraisal and estate sale business, Great American Estate Sales is the valley’s leader in appraisals and estate liquidation. Settling an estate, moving into a smaller home or just simplifying your lifestyle? Great American Estate Sales can provide a worry-free and quick solution. Free consultation. 216-8236.

Professional Flooring Installer Insured and bonded. You purchase the tile, laminate, hardwood or vinyl, and I provide everything else. Special discounts. Call Bill for a free estimate. 245-3344.

Accessibility Services Grab bars. Walk-in tubs/showers. Licensed plumber/handyman. Serving Western Colorado since 1989. Free estimates. Compare and save! 985-1403.

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Tree Service Get ready for winter – Tree trimming, tree removal, stump grinding. FREE hauling, boom truck to 85 feet, FREE estimates. Licensed and insured. Chris 260-0222.

Skilled Handyman Services Fast, reliable handyman services available. No job too big or too small. We are licensed and insured and have over 35 years’ experience. We are ADA (Special Needs), CAPS (Aging in Place) and NHBA (National Home Builders Association) certified to meet your individual needs. All services include carpentry, plumbing, electrical and misc. services. Western Interior Builders, LLC. Call 241-2029 for appointment.

Pet ServicesAT HOME PET CARE While you’re away, your pets stay comfortably in your home. We provide LOVE, Feeding, Walking, and Insurance. 243-2069. Mention ad for FREE VISIT. References available.

HuntingPheasant Hunting! Open now. www.BrokenSpokeGameRanch.com. 241-3949.

Wanted to BuyBUYING OLD CLOTHING Costume jewelry, purses, sewing patterns and perfumes (pre-1970s). Call Linda 234-4736 or 1-800-572-7670.

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Start running my ad in the month of .....................................................................

For this many months ......................

deadline: 20th of the preceding month

Pay for it: Rates: $29 for 30 words or less. Additional words $1 each.

cash check credit card # ............................................................... name on card ............................................................... exp. date ..................................... cvc ........................

Send it in: BEACON, PO Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502

fax: 1 800 536-7516email: [email protected]

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QUESTIONS? Call Kelli M-TH, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 970 243-8829www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

To Place a Classified Ad...

3 EASY STEPS!

January 2015 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com CLASSIFIEDS 45

USED BOOKSBUY, SELL OR TRADE Gently used books on hundreds of subjects. Westerns, Romance, Mysteries, Suspense, Kids, Young Adult, Inspirational, and many others. Large print. Special orders. 242-3911. Twice Upon a Time Bookshop, 2885 North Ave., Ste. B. Located in front of North Ave. Walmart and next to Subway. 10-6 Mon-Sat, 11-4 Sunday. **Bring this ad in for $10 Trade Credit**

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Help WantedWendy’s NOW HIRING! Shift Supervisors and Crew Members. We are looking for smiling faces and positive attitudes. We offer competitive pay, discounts and a great working environment. Full-time and part-time employment available. Please apply at your nearest location in Grand Junction.

sales person wantedThe BEACON Senior Newspaper is growing and we’re looking for

a mature, loving sales person to come grow with us.

Send your letter and resume to [email protected]

writers wantedThe Beacon Senior newspaper is looking for writers in Mesa, Delta

and Montrose counties.Send your letter and resume to

[email protected]

Real Estate for Rent

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SUPPORT our service members, veterans and their families in their time of need. For more information visit the Fisher House website at www.fisherhouse.org

Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be.

(800) 217-3942A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral

information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner communities,

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46 KUDOS & KVETCH www.BeaconSeniorNews.com January 2015

“I can relate to William Mikus’ rebuttal (in the November BEACON) in regard to homesteaders. My family—a great-great-grandmother, five great-great-uncles, cousins and my grand-mother—all homesteaded in this valley beginning in 1882. But I had to chuckle over the American Dream not being about buying stuff. Free market capital-ism is about buying stuff. Seventy percent of our economy is about buying stuff. Always has been. There is no ‘right to work.’ The Constitution allows the attempt to feed yourself. Working helps with that. Steel workers at the turn of the 20th century couldn’t afford to buy guns and they lost their jobs ev-ery couple of years because that’s how often depressions occurred back then. The saddest thing about ‘welfare’ is that it keeps what many consider undesir-able work competition out of the way. The Libertarian South rakes in the most federal welfare dollars. Poverty can only be seen as the ‘good old days’ when working hard pulled you out of pov-erty. One of my greatest peeves is the mantra, ‘If you work hard you will be rewarded.’ Baloney. Many, many people work at more than one job and never manage to pull themselves out and all they get is Social Security, Medicare and continuing poverty.” - Eileen O’Toole, Grand Junction

kvetch\kfech

PART 1 of 2 By Brian StoffelReprinted with permission of the Motley Fool

Perhaps you’ve heard that we have a pretty serious problem with

retirement planning in the United States. Over half of all baby boom-ers have less than $250,000 saved in retirement accounts -- a sum that by itself would only allow for $833 in cash per month.

At the same time, some pretty alarming trends are pinching America’s middle class. As calculated by Bard College economics professor Pavlina Tcher-neva, the bottom 90% of U.S. work-ers have largely missed out on the economic expansions since 1982.

Having said that, these larger trends don’t excuse a complete lack of financial common sense by some of us occupying the middle class. The recipe for retirement planning remains the same as it ever has: spend less than you earn and invest the difference. Do this your whole working life, and things should turn out just fine.

Stupid spending and extreme expectations

It was, therefore, with great frus-tration that I read a piece by Bob Sullivan of Money Talk News. Sul-livan wrote the article as part of his investigation for what a “normal” American life costs today (the article has since been taken down, but is still viewable in its cached version).

One family in particular stuck out, and it provides an example of the outrageous expectations middle-class folks sometimes have. Before we dig into the details, here are a few key details about this family:

• There are four people: mom, dad, and two college-age daughters.

• Mom and dad live in central

Louisiana.

• The family spends roughly $110,000 per year.

While explaining the family’s bud-get, the wife said:

We have NO savings ... none for college for our kids; none for retire-ment. Used to be ... $100K a year was a GOOD salary ... The “middle class”

is being killed. I cannot work any harder.

Looking through the detailed budget pro-vided, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. This family doesn’t need to work harder. It needs its expectations to come in line with reality.

Thousands of fami-lies out there really are in a pinch. They deserve our attention. In order to differentiate those who have real financial problems from those who simply need to adjust their ridiculous expectations, I came up with a handy set of rules.

Next time you want to complain about your money problems, make sure your family doesn’t fall under any of these categories.

Everyone in your family has a carThe family in question has a car

for mom, dad, and each of the two daughters. When money is tight, that’s absurd.

Millions of families all over the world get by just fine on far less. If mom and dad need a car for work, so be it. But getting your driver’s license or going off to college is by no means a right of passage for which you should receive a personal car.

If the parents in question taught their daughters a valuable lesson in paying for their own car, getting rides with friends, biking, or using public transportation, they would likely cut $6,400 from their yearly spending.

Read part 2 in next month’s BEACON. ■

Retirement Planning: The Ridiculous Expectations of the Middle Class

“I was so thankful for Kevin VanGundy’s recommendation of ‘A Higher Call’ by Adam Makos with Larry Alexander [in November’s BEACON]. I could hardly put the book down! I have passed it on to another retired officer’s family. Many thanks and happy holi-days.” - Anonymous Caller

“‘A Higher Call’ (by Adam Makos) that you wrote about [in November’s BEACON] was a remarkable story.” - Alan K., Grand Junction

“Thank you for writing about the book ‘A Higher Call’ (by Adam Makos). My wife observed how I couldn’t put the book down and has since read it for herself. We both think that it would make an incredible movie.” - Terry R., Grand Junction

Kevin: At one time there were plans to make a movie. In the meantime, I sug-gest that you get the book on audio as it is superbly narrated. You can order it from Out West Books located on Main Street in downtown Grand Junction.

“I’d like to thank the City of Grand Junction for the beautiful display of wreaths and the red lights in the lamp-posts on Seventh Street. How delight-ful!” - Sally J., Grand Junction

“Have you ever tasted a love cookie from Main Street Bagels? It’s made of quinoa and is healthy for you, too. I got a dozen of them for Christmas.” - Jody H., Grand Junction

“My wife and I attended the Centen-nial Band Concert at the Avalon Theater in early December. It was a great way to celebrate the season and we enjoyed it thoroughly. As a veteran I got in free and I understand that you sponsored it. Thank you.” - Jeremy G., Grand Junction

Kevin: I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. They told me that it was their best-attended holiday concert ever. Yes, the BEACON Senior Newspaper was a sponsor of the show, but by no means the only sponsor. Thank you for your service.

kudos\ku·dos

Wanna give a shout out? Pass out a compliment? Wanna pitch a fit? Write us at

[email protected].

Some pretty alarming trends

are pinching America’s

middle class.


Crossroads at Delta1380 Aspen WayDelta, CO 81416

(970) 874-1421

Crossroadsalc.org

Call us today for a tour and enjoy a complimentary lunch!

The Premier Choice In Senior Living

Crossroads offers a caring and loving environment for seniors. At Crossroads, we’ve carefully designed every detail to provide a healthy lifestyle without the worries, so you can feel secure.

Crossroads offers:• Life-enriching activities• Home-style meals• Laundry and housekeeping services• Caring staff

• Respite care• Independent living• Memory Care opening Spring 2015

St. Mary’s tobacco cessation services and resourcesSt. Mary’s is

proud to offer

clinical tobacco

cessation visits

at our Regional

Cancer Center.

Visits are one-

on-one with

our board-certified preventive

medicine physician, Paula

Marchionda, MD, MPH, BSN.

Using proven methods

and local specialists, Dr.

Marchionda will help you

develop your personalized

plan for success.

E veryone knows using tobacco is a serious health risk and that

quitting is one of the best things you can do. And everyone who’s tried to quit knows it’s not easy. It’s so challenging that tobacco users make an average of eight attempts to quit. They use many tools and methods with varying degrees of success. The most successful are those who have all the tobacco cessation methods available to them and professional guidance to help find what works. Quitting tobacco means overcoming an addiction and changing ingrained habits and behaviors. St. Mary’s tobacco cessation services start with an appointment with our physician board certified in preventive medicine and specially trained in helping people become tobacco free. An assessment of smoking history, habits, and lifestyle helps patient and physician devise a personalized plan for quitting.

970-298-CARE (2273)

www.stmarygj.org2635 N. 7th Street


Upcoming Events

Weight Loss Surgery SeminarsLearn how weight loss surgery works and who qualifies at a free seminar presented by the staff of St. Mary’s Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center. Call 970-298-6400 to register.

GRAND JUNCTION St. Mary’s Life Center Wed., Jan. 7, 5:30-7:00pm Wed., Jan. 21, noon-1:30pm

RIFLE Grand River Hospital District Thurs., Jan. 15, 5:30-7:00 pm

Personalized, physician-guided tobacco cessation services

available at St. Mary’s

Free cholesterol screen with blood donationSt. Mary’s Regional Blood Center will provide a free cholesterol screening when you donate blood in January. Visit the Blood Center on the second floor of St. Mary’s Advanced Medicine Pavilion, or donate at any of our donor coach blood drives. This is not a fasting cholesterol screening because we want donors to drink lots of liquids and eat before donating blood, but it will give you a good idea of your overall cholesterol level.

St. Mary’s Regional Blood Center 750 Wellington Avenue

Monday–Friday, 7:00 am–5:30 pmSaturday, 7:00 am to noon

No appointment needed.

Visit www.stmarygj.org for donor coach blood drive times and locations.Paula Marchionda,

MD, MPH, BSN

Call (970) 298-7500 to schedule an appointment.

Stroke Support GroupStroke recovery education, relaxation, therapies, and discussions for those recovering from stroke and their loved ones. No charge.

Third Friday of each month, 1:00-2:30 pm Grand Mesa Room, St. Mary’s Life Center, 2686 Patterson Road Call 970-298-1929 for more information.

NEXT MEETING: Friday, January 16, 1:00–2:30 pm

Relaxing dulcimer musical presentation by Betty Rosenthal stroke survivor caregiver

Worried about gaining weight? Talk to our dietitian.

Social situations make you anxious? Our counselor can help with tips and strategies.

Suffer a setback? Your St. Mary’s partners will share their expertise, resources and support to help you reach your goal without having to do it alone.

COMMIT TO QUIT

beacon - january 2015

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