mature times - june 2010

Published by E.P. MASS MEDIA ADVERTISING INC.

VOL.III No. 22 JUNE 2010VOL.III No. 22 JUNE 2010

SEE PAGE 2

MGNS PHOTO

Debi Anderson pourssugar in the maple syrupmaking process.

MATURETIMES JUNE 2010 PAGE 2

By Jeffrey Simmons

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Mother Nature is sweet;just ask the Andersons. For 10 years — the last two

on a larger, commercialscale — the Bland County,Va., family has been tappingtrees to harvest the sugarysap that flows freely in latewinter. A lot of lifting, pour-ing, filtering and boilinglater, the clear, natural liquidis transformed into puremaple syrup — an amber del-icacy that enlivens the mak-ers’ oatmeal, biscuits and, ofcourse, pancakes.

“This is what we eat; we’respoiled,” said R.B. Anderson,the self-described muscle ofthe Whackertown Drivefarming operation that also

includes his wife, Debi; son,Rath, and his wife, Michelle. According to Debi, a retired

high-school chemistry

teacher, she learned the“sugaring” art from thelate Virginia Hounshellwho was well-versed inmany of the old-fash-ioned skills that helpedrural families survive. “She taught it all to

me,” Debi said, includ-ing gardening, canningand jelly making.

While Debi startedout making smallbatches of maple syrupfor friends and family,she decided to increase pro-duction last year. The fin-ished product was a big hit atthe local farmers market. “It was eye opening to see

how fast all our syrup andjelly left,” said Rath, who alsohelps raise and sell chickensand their eggs. “That’s where we want to

go — local, sustainable agri-culture,” Debi added. The Andersons’ product line

also includes grass-fed beef,which it markets through itswebsite — www. an-

dersongrassfed.com. When the nights are cold

and the days start warming,though, it’s maple syrup thatbecomes the family’s focus. It takes that combination of

conditions for the sap to startflowing in the 35 sugar mapletrees that the Andersonstapped in late February ontheir 100-acre farm at theBase of Walker Mountain. To collect the liquid, they

drill small holes in the treesand pound in small, metal

spouts called “spiles.” As the sap begins dripping

from the holes, it is collectedin plastic bags and galva-nized buckets attached tonails on the spiles.

R.B. empties these contain-ers into 5-gallon plastic buck-ets and carries the buckets tothe house where outdoorpropane stoves are used toevaporate the water andbegin condensing the sap intosugar. Continues on page 6

SYRUP

MGNS PHOTOS

LEFT: The Anderson’s maple syrup.BELOW: R.B. Anderson works onhis farm.


MGNS PHOTO

ABOVE: Tim Jackson Jr. and his wife AnnJackson.

By Mary Giunca

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

Step onto the iStep 5000 footscanner and Ann and TimJackson Jr. will give you atour through the geography ofyour feet. They can show you where

the blues and greens mark thepoints of content and the red,orange and yellow points ofpressure, and even pain. They use that information to

explain exactly why your feethurt, and how to make themfeel better in a hurry. The Jacksons are the

founders of the Camj StyleShoes Just for Me company.The “j” is silent in Camj,which stands for CatherineAnn McClure Jackson, AnnJackson’s full name. The couple set up their com-

pany in December after work-ing for several diabetic supplycompanies. Their company hastwo divisions, one that fur-nishes a range of diabetic sup-plies and one that customizes

shoes for diabetics, as well asteachers, barbers and otherswho are on their feet a lot. “We’ve heard ladies say

when they wear shoes theyget accustomed to a pain intheir foot,” Tim Jackson said.“They think that’s the way ashoe is supposed to feel.” Shoes for diabetics have

more padding and arch sup-port than commercial shoesand they offer different toeshapes. Two trips to the Caribbean

last year have also led thecouple to open up anotherventure — selling shoes inHaiti, where diabetes ratesare high and people oftenhave their feet or legs ampu-tated because of poor footcare. They are working with aclinic there, the Haitian Foun-dation for Diabetics and Car-diovascular Diseases, to offerthe shoes on an installmentplan. Continues on next page

One couple

makes amark

throughpeople’sshoes


Social Security Column

THIS FATHER’S DAY, TEACHAN OLD DAD A NEW TWIST

Who says you can’t teach an old dad

new twists? All across the nation this Fa-

ther’s Day weekend, people are telling their

fathers, grandfathers, and other special men

in their lives about a new “twist” in the law

that may help them qualify for extra help

paying for costs associated with their pre-

scription drugs.

When you’re spending time with Dad this

weekend, ask him if he can use some help

paying for his prescription drugs. If so, tell

him about the Medicare Prescription Drug

Plan and the extra help available through

Social Security.

If Dad is covered by Medicare and has lim-

ited income and resources, he might be eligi-

ble for extra help to pay for his monthly

premiums, annual deductibles, and prescrip-

tion co-payments. The extra help is worth

an average of $3,900 per year.

If you’re met with a resistant, “No, I’ve

looked into it before and I don’t qualify,”

then let him know the law changed in Janu-

ary 2010. As volunteer spokesman Chubby

Checker will tell you, a new “twist” in the

law makes it easier than ever to qualify for

the extra help.

Thanks to this new "twist" in the law, we no

longer count any life insurance policy he has

as a resource, and we no longer count as in-

come any financial assistance he receives

regularly from someone else to pay his

household expenses like food, mortgage or

rent, utilities or property taxes.

Don’t take our word for it, see Chubby

Checker’s rocking message at

www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

To qualify, he must be receiving Medicare

and:

•Have income limited to $16,245 for an indi-

vidual or $21, 855 for a married couple liv-

ing together. Even if his annual income is

higher, he still may be able to get some help

with monthly premiums, annual deductibles,

and prescription co-payments. Some exam-

ples in which income may be higher include

if he or his wife:

—Support other family members

who live with them;

—Have earnings from work

•Have resources limited to $12,510 for an in-

dividual or $25,010 for a married couple liv-

ing together. Resources include such things

as bank accounts, stocks, and bonds. We do

not count his house or car as resources.

You can help Dad fill out an easy-to-use on-

line application at

www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

To apply by phone or have an application

mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-

772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask

for the Application for Help with Medicare

Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020).

Or go to the nearest Social Security office.

You and your dad can learn more about the

Medicare prescription drug plans and special

enrollment periods. Visit www.medicare.gov

or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227;

TTY 1-877-486-2048).

Maybe it’s been a few years since Dad did

the Twist. But saving an extra $3,900 a year

on prescription drugs may help put a new

spring in his step.

By Ray Vigil

Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in El Paso, Texas

Continued from page 3

Diabetics buy most of the Jacksons’shoes, but they said that almost everyonecan benefit from shoes that fit properly. Di-abetic shoes cost $500 to $600 a pair, Jack-son said. Medicare pays for one pair ofdiabetic shoes every six months.

The Jacksons said that they work withteachers and other people who are not dia-betic to provide the shoes at a more reason-able cost. Tim Jackson, 60, knows what many of his

clients are going through because he suf-fers from peripheral neuropathy in his feetafter he slipped on some black ice in 2003.Continues on page 10

MGNS PHOTO

ABOVE: Ann Jackson demonstrates how amachine works that measures the pressure distri-bution on your feet, which in turn helps themdetermine which shoes will give you the mostsupport.


By Ann Weber SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

Take one adult who didn’tlike science as a kid, toss in afew common household items,some life experience and a lit-tle showmanship, and just likethat you’ve got Grandma Sci-ence.This mistress of the Glob,

Outrageous Ooze and otherscientific razzle-dazzle is other-wise known as Dawn Shock, aretired communitylibrarian/branch manager forthe Monroe (Ohio) County Li-

brary System. Using staples ofdaily life including eggs, corn-starch, baking soda, food color-ing and vinegar, and ordinaryitems such as balloons and ahair dryer, she proves that sci-ence isn’t some distant conceptthat dwells in a lab.“Everything we do is sci-

ence,” declared the 60-year-oldTemperance, Ohio, residentwho with her husband, Alvin,has six children, 23 grandchil-dren and nine great-grandchil-dren. Scientific principles are

at work all around us, she said.For 13 years, she’s been prov-

ing her point through experi-ments that explain why, forexample, a Whoopee cushion

makes noises that kids (and,OK, grown-ups) find excruciat-ingly funny. (It’s because vibra-tion and air create sound.Continues on page 7

Down to a

SHNS PHOTOS

Dawn Shock demonstrates how air currents can keep a ball afloat.

‘GRANDMA SCIENCE’ MAKES LESSONS FUN


Heart Healthy exercises at homeThis summer, love your heart by

making lifestyle adjustments.

If you need a little motivation to

exercise, remember these encour-

aging words from the National In-

stitute on Aging: “Exercise builds

muscles, improves heart and lung

function, helps prevent osteoporo-

sis, and improves mood and over-

all well-being. Exercise is good for

those who are already healthy, and

it can improve the health of people

with chronic conditions, including

hypertension, diabetes, arthritis,

obesity, and cardiovascular dis-

ease.”

Motivated? Here are some guide-

lines to use from about.com:

•If you are new to cardio exercise,

or have been inactive, consult with

your physician to make sure that

cardio exercise is safe for you.

•Stretch after your activities, when

your muscles are warm.

•If you're just starting a cardio ex-

ercise program or you have been

inactive for a long time, start your

cardio exercise program slowly

and build your endurance gradu-

ally. It may take months to do

some of the activities suggested

here.

•You can start with as little as 5

minutes of cardio activities at a

time. As your endurance improves,

add more time.

•Drink water before, during and

after exercise: 8-10 glasses of

water every day.

•Examples of moderate endurance

activities for the average older

adult: walking briskly on a level

surface, swimming, gardening,

mowing, raking the lawn, cycling

on a stationary bicycle and bicy-

cling outdoors on a level surface

•Your goal is to work your way up

to a moderate-to-vigorous level

that increases your breathing and

heart rate. It should feel somewhat

difficult to you, but not painful.

•Once you reach that goal and feel

your heart rate and breathing in-

crease, you can divide your exer-

cise into sessions of no less than

10 minutes at a time, as long as

they add up to a total of at least 30

minutes on most or all days of the

week.

•Doing less than 10 minutes at a

time won't give you the desired

cardiovascular and respiratory sys-

tem benefits you are looking for.

•Having companions to share exer-

cise with will help motivate you

and make the activity more fun.

The National Institute on Aging of-

fers some great suggestions for

“Getting Fit for Life” at

http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthIn-

formation/Publications/exercise.ht

m.

Whatever heart healthy habits you

decide to adopt stretch them to the

year, the decade and finally, a life-

time. Your heart will certainly love

you back.

Edward Juarez MD

Internal Medicine

East Side Medical Care Center

1721 N Lee Trevino

Physicians Health Choice

www.PHCcares.com

Edward Juarez MD

Continued from page 2Before the sap is boiled,

however, it’s filtered througha sieve to remove any bark,bugs or other impurities. Thesyrup gets another filteringlater on in the process. According to R.B., it takes

about 2.5 gallons of sap tomake one eight-ounce bottleof syrup. A good tree, accord-ing to Reader’s Digest’s“Back to Basics,” will pumpout between 15 and 20 gal-lons of sap each season,which can last up to sixweeks, Debi said. Following the initial cook-

ing, the sap is further con-densed on an indoor wood orelectric stove.

Debi uses a hydrometer tomeasure the syrup’s densityto determine when it’s readyfor bottling. “It helps to have a chemist

as part of your farm team,”R.B. said.

Asked about the finishedproduct’s shelf life, Debi hadthis response. “It never lasts that long,”

she said, adding that sheeven uses the syrup in placeof sugar in some recipes. The Andersons plan to sell

this year’s bottles — with la-bels fashioned by Michelle, amarketing-savvy VirginiaTech biologist — at localfarmers markets.

Demand, however, willlikely exceed supply for atopping that tastes much likehoney blended with butter-cream frosting. “The taste is more pure,”

said Rath when talking aboutthe differences betweenhomemade and some store-bought syrup that containsartificial flavors and colors.

To help meet the demand,the Andersons plan onadding a sugar shack to theiroperation this year. Basicallya well-ventilated outbuilding,the shack will allow them tocook off more sap withoutworrying about the stickymess that comes with it. The Andersons also try not

to worry much about all thelabor that goes into one bot-tle of pure Bland Countymaple syrup. Continues on page 10

SYRUP


7812 Gateway Blvd East, Ste 120 • 915-598-3888�

We are very excited to announce to the El Paso Community that Dr. Stephanie Han

of Radiation Oncology has recently moved her practice to Cancer Radiation and Specialty

Clinics of El Paso located at 7812 Gateway Blvd East.

The state-of-the-art Cancer Center now has medical oncology, radiation oncology and

breast surgical oncology under one roof. In addition, we also have comprehensive diagnos-

tic imaging services including a 64-slice PET/CT scan which provides molecular imaging

necessary of tumor staging and treatment planning as well as brain PET for the workup and

management of dementia.

We provide comprehensive oncology care for the patients in a warm and caring environ-

ment. Dr Stephanie Han is the director for Radiation Oncology Services. She completely

her residency at Yale and worked at prestigious institutions in New York prior to relocating to

El Paso. Our facility is equipped with state-of-the-art Trilogy Linear Accelerator for radiation

therapy, which has the capability for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image

guided radiation therapy (IGRT). We are also in the process of implementing stereotactic

radiosurgery/radiotherapy, and stereotactic body radiotherapy.

We accept all types of insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. We provide

comprehensive oncology services and will ensure the best quality services to the patients in a

timely fashion. We are virtually always available for same day consultations for the patients.

Cancer Radiation & Specialty Clinics of El Paso

Dr. Stephanie Han


When someone sits on theinflated Whoopee cushion, airis forced through the narrowrubber neck, causing vibrationof the end flaps and producingwhat sounds like a humanbackfire.)“We make it fun so we grab

their attention,” Shock said.The more amusing, surprisingand gross, the better.Another activity demon-

strates how far germs canspray from a sneeze or cough.For the “simulated sneeze,”Shock puts pieces of confettiinto a balloon that she theninflates and knots at the end.When she pops the balloonwith a safety pin she wears onher “Grandma Science” T-

shirt, the little pieces of papershoot through the air.Her life as Grandma Science

goes back to when she wasrunning family story-time at alibrary in Monroe. She hadused music, crafts and movies

to enliven the programs, andwas looking for other ele-ments to add.“I wanted them to learn

something different,” she said,so she began researching andcollecting easy science experi-ments. After about a year anda half, she had filled a note-book with them and began

thinking it would be fun toshare what she had with peo-ple at other branches.The graphic artist at the li-

brary system christenedShock and her program“Grandma Science,” and “I’ve

been doing it ever since.”She doesn’t devise her own

experiments. “All my stuffcomes out of books,” Shock ex-plained, citing works by Texasauthor Janice VanCleave. Thetwo women have developed afriendship, and Shock has puta link to the author’s Web site(scienceprojectideasforkids.co

m) on her own site (grandma-science.com). Grandma Sci-ence also is on Facebook.Continues on page 12

SHNS PHOTOS

Dawn Shock demonstrates howcarbon can fill a balloon.

Grandma Science

“We make it fun so we grabtheir attention,” Shock said.


Do you want to save money every

month? Have you considered re-

ducing your monthly energy con-

sumption as a way to increase your

savings? If so, then you should

check out one of the City’s newest

programs -- The Weatherization

Assistance Program (WAP). If you

qualify, the program will be at NO

COST to you. Yes, you read cor-

rectly. The program is FREE to eli-

gible homeowners and renters.

Now that’s a great deal worth con-

sidering!

So what exactly is the WAP?

The EP WAP is a federally-funded

program that is administered by

the Texas Department of Housing

and Community Affairs (TDHCA)

and the City of El Paso to assist

low-income families (especially

the elderly, people with disabili-

ties, and children) reduce their

household energy consumption by

improving their dwelling’s energy

efficiency. This is known as

‘weatherizing’ your home.

What is weatherization? Weath-

erization is the practice of protect-

ing a building (such as a house)

and its interior from the elements,

particularly from sunlight, heat,

cold, precipitation, and wind. This

is usually accomplished by modi-

fying and optimizing the energy

efficiency of the home to reduce

the home’s energy consumption,

which includes but is not limited

to:

•Adding weather-stripping around

doors

•Applying window caulking

•Replacement of certain types of

irreparable or inefficient appli-

ances

•Replacing incandescent light

bulbs with energy-efficient light

bulbs

•Adding attic and wall insulation

•Repairing broken window panes

Why Should I Participate in the

EP WAP?

Weatherizing your home can have

several benefits for you and your

family. For instance:

•It’s free. There is no cost to you to

have your home weatherized. All

repairs, upgrades, or modifications

made to your home will be per-

formed by City-approved contrac-

tors.

•You save money. By participating

in this FREE program, the energy

consumption of your home will be

reduced. This means lower elec-

tricity and/or gas bills each month

which, in turn, means more money

in your pocket.

•You improve the comfort of your

home. It is a fact that children im-

prove their school performance

when they live in a warm, safe

house. In addition, people in gen-

eral are happier when living inside

a comfortable residence.

•It improves overall health and

safety. Weatherizing your home

decreases the risk of fire damage.

It also increases the life of the

home and helps improve the over-

all air quality of our local area. It

can protect us by reducing harmful

air emissions, and can mitigate car-

bon, lead, asbestos, and other envi-

ronmental pollutants.

What kinds of residential units

qualify for the program?

•Single homes

•Condominiums

•Duplexes

•Mobile Homes

•Multi-family homes including

apartment buildings with 5+ units

•Rental Units

Can you tell me what is required

to receive service? There are two

conditions that must be met in

order for you to qualify for this

program: 1) your household in-

come must be at or below 200% of

the area’s poverty income level as

established by the federal govern-

ment; and 2) you must live within

the city limits of El Paso.

Here is the income eligibility table

at 200%:

To qualify for this program, all

household members employed

must have a combined gross in-

come that does not exceed the

amounts listed in the table

above.

You will also be required to

provide the following:

•Proof of income for each

household member 18 years or

older for the last 30 days;

•Copies of current identification

for each household member;

•Copy of recent electric bill;

•Copy of recent gas bill;

•Signatures on all appropriate

forms in the application packet.

How Do I Sign Up?

The process to register for the EP

WAP is simple.

•Fill out the application, available

at www.ci.el-paso.tx.us/com-

mdev/weatherization.asp;

•Sign all appropriate forms in the

application;

•Bring or send completed applica-

tion with required documents to

the City of El Paso.

Once we receive your application,

we will determine and confirm

your eligibility by using the crite-

ria listed in the application. It is

important to note that in some

cases we may require additional

documentation to determine eligi-

bility.

What happens after my applica-

tion has been approved?

After eligibility has been estab-

lished and your application has

been approved, we will call you to

schedule an appointment to con-

duct an initial assessment of your

home, which will require a visit by

one of our inspectors to conduct

some tests.

Continues on page 10

City of El Paso Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

2009 POVERTY LEVEL GUIDELINESFamily Size 200% Monthly 200% Annually

1 $1,805.00 $21,660.002 $2,428.33 $29,140.003 $3,051.67 $36,620.004 $3,675.00 $44,100.005 $4,298.33 $51,580.006 $4,921.67 $59,060.007 $5,545.00 $66,540.008 $6,168.33 $74,020.00


By: “Doppler” Dave Speelman

WEATHER 101

“Doppler" Dave Speelman is the chief meteorologist

at KVIA-TV in El Paso. You can watch his forecasts

at 4, 5, 6 and 10 pm on ABC-7 (channel 6 cable). If

you would like Doppler Dave to address

(explain) any weather issues you can email him at

[email protected].

June…Our Hottest Month!The month ofJune is thehottest monthof the year in ElPaso. We aver-age a daily tem-perature of 95.This is typicallythe month thatwe also witness

record setting temperatures in thetriple digits! Hot weather meansactivities and fun under the sunbut it can also lead to heat sick-ness.

Normally, the body has ways ofkeeping itself cool, by letting heatescape through the skin, and byevaporating sweat (perspiration).If the body does not cool properlyor does not cool enough, the vic-tim may suffer a heat-related ill-ness. Anyone can be susceptiblealthough the very young and veryold are at greater risk. Heat-relatedillnesses can become serious oreven deadly if unattended.

Preventing Heat-Related Illness

•Dress for the heat. Wear light-weight, light-colored clothing.Light colors will reflect awaysome of the sun's energy. It is alsoa good idea to wear hats or to usean umbrella.•Drink water. Carry water orjuice with you and drink continu-ously even if you do not feelthirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine,which dehydrate the body.•Eat small meals and eat more

often. Avoid foods that are high inprotein which increase metabolicheat.•Slow down. Avoid strenuous ac-tivity. If you must do strenuous ac-tivity, do it during the coolest partof the day, which is usually in themorning between 4:00 a.m. and7:00 a.m.•Stay indoors when possible.

•Take regular breaks when en-gaged in physical activity onwarm days. Take time out to find acool place. If you recognize thatyou, or someone else, are showingthe signals of a heat-related ill-ness, stop activity and find a coolplace.Stages of Heat-Related Illness

Heat-related illness usually comesin stages. The signal of the firststage is heat cramps in muscles.These cramps can be very painful.If you are caring for a person whohas heat cramps, have him or herstop activity and rest. If the personis fully awake and alert, have himor her drink small amounts of coolwater or a commercial sportsdrink. Gentlystretch thecramped muscleand hold thestretch for about20 seconds, thengently massagethe muscle. Re-peat these steps ifnecessary. If thevictim has noother signals ofheat-related ill-ness, the person

may resume activity after thecramps stop.The signals of the next, more seri-ous stage of a heat-related illness(often called heat exhaustion) in-clude--

•Cool, moist, pale skin (the skinmay be red right after physical ac-tivity).•Headache.•Dizziness and weakness or ex-haustion.•Nausea.•The skin may or may not feel hot.

General Care for Heat Emer-

gencies

1. Cool the Body

2. Give Fluids

3. Minimize Shock

For heat cramps or heat exhaus-

tion: Get the person to a coolerplace and have him or her rest in acomfortable position. If the personis fully awake and alert, give ahalf glass of cool water every 15minutes. Do not give liquids with

alcohol or caffeine in them, asthey can make conditions worse.Remove or loosen tight clothingand apply cool, wet cloths such astowels or wet sheets.

For heat stroke: Heat stroke is alife-threatening situation! Help isneeded fast. Call 9-1-1 or yourlocal EMS number. Move the per-son to a cooler place. Quickly coolthe body. Wrap wet sheets aroundthe body and fan it. If you have icepacks or cold packs, wrap them ina cloth and place them on each ofthe victim's wrists and ankles, inthe armpits and on the neck tocool the large blood vessels



His nerves were damaged by an un-treated back and neck injury from thefall. His wife, Ann, who was a dialysis con-

sultant Bowman Gray School of Medi-cine, in Winston-Salem, N.C., nursed himthrough a painful recovery. At one time,he was taking 17 medications for pain,but he is down to two pain pills a day, hesaid, and he uses an electronic devicethat allows him to block pain signals tothe brain. In 2008, Ann Jackson looked into sell-

ing diabetic supplies in order to spendmore time taking care of her husband.She talked him into taking the test forthe job as well. Both of them passed andbegan working for the same company.Tim Jackson was not back to full health,but working together allowed his wife tokeep an eye on him, he said. The couple worked for several diabetic

supply companies and Tim Jackson, who

had retired in 1999 as the head of theEast Winston Library, immersed himselfin the study of diabetes. He wrote apaper about the increase of diabetes inHaiti, Trinidad, Dominican Republic andTobago that got the attention of a dia-betic supply company that wanted tosend him to the region. Jackson went to the Caribbean in Sep-

tember. He was moved by what he sawand returned to Haiti in November. Hestayed for eight days and fitted people

for shoes at the clinic. Half of the children diagnosed with dia-

betes in Haiti die of the disease, he said.Women often must decide whether tospend their money on medicine for theirdiabetic child or to buy food for the restof their children. When Jackson returned to Winston-

Salem, he and his wife learned that thecompany they were working for hadclosed its Winston-Salem office. Continues on page 12


Based on those tests, our inspectors will deter-

mine what types of improvements will be

made to your home to improve its energy effi-

ciency. A work order will be developed and

we will schedule a mutually-acceptable date

when weatherization construction can begin.

All repairs, upgrades, and/or modifications

conducted to the home will be performed by

City-approved contractors and all work will

be determined on a case-by-case basis and

may differ for each residential unit.

What improvements will be made to my

home?

Improvements to the home are governed by

two things: 1) an initial assessment of the

home that will be conducted by the City of El

Paso, and 2) the expenditure limit that has

been imposed by the federal government per

unit. The initial assessment will determine the

weatherization improvement priorities of the

home. Improvements made to the home will

be based on that priority list, and the aggre-

gate improvements cannot exceed $6,500 per

unit, which includes costs for labor, materials

and inspections. Participating homeowners

should also be aware that the homeowner does

not determine what improvements will be

made to their home. All improvements, as

mentioned earlier, will be dependent and de-

termined by the initial assessment.

Here is a sample of allowable expenditures for

your home under the EP WAP:

•Installation of ceiling, wall, and floor insula-

tion,

•Replacement of appliances and heating and

cooling units with energy efficient items,

•Measures to reduce air filtration: replacement

of doors, repairing of windows, repairing of

holes, and caulking, etc.

•Weatherization materials and labor for heat-

ing and cooling system tune-ups, repairs,

modification, or replacements if such will re-

sult in improved energy efficiency.

•New electronic thermostats (SMART thermo-

stats)

So, you see, there is nothing to lose (except

energy and spending waste) if you decide to

participate in the EP WAP. In fact, there is

much to gain if you do…savings and comfort.

If you are interested in registering for the pro-

gram, please download the application and

follow the instructions contained in it. If you

have questions about the application or the

program, please contact Zulema Jamis at

(915) 541-4244, Yolie Cedillo at (915) 541-

4077, or Raul Gonzalez at (915) 541-4897.

We are ready to help you in your journey to

get your home “WEATHERIZED”.

Please send or hand-deliver completed

applications to:

City of El Paso

Department of Community and Human

Development

Weatherization Assistance Program

2 Civic Center Plaza – 8th floor

El Paso, TX 79901

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

SYRUPContinued from page 6“I don’t want to know,” said R.B.

when asked how many hours it takesto get a container ready. The time-consuming process,

though, isn’t enough to deter themfrom keeping alive a tradition thatsome say goes back to the AmericanIndians. “A lot of people are buying nostal-

gia,” Rath said.

Jeffrey Simmons writes for theWythe News in Virginia.

Happy feet


By Mark Brunswick

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

What began as a casual hall-way conversation between twoMinneapolis lawyers hasturned into a small-scale in-ternational search for Danishfishermen who helped rescueJews during World War II.The obstacles include the

passage of time — 67 years tobe exact — and a well-de-served cultural reputation forstoicism and modesty.In October 1943, in German-

occupied Denmark, DanishJews were about to berounded up and deported toconcentration camps. But, inone of the few upbeat chaptersof the Holocaust story, an un-derground network rallied tocoordinate a massive boatliftof 7,200 Jews from Denmarkacross the Oresund Strait tonearby neutral Sweden.Danish fishermen risked

their lives by cramming Jew-ish families into the holds ofhundreds of small fishingboats. It’s estimated that allbut about 450 Jews foundfreedom.The legend of the Danish

boatlift has resonated withJews. Children in Hebrewschool learn that they shouldappreciate the Danes, even ifthey are not clear why. One ofthe most famous boats used inthe rescue — the “02” — ispart of the permanent exhibi-tion of the U. S. Holocaust Me-morial Museum inWashington.It’s also a reason Mark

Savin had a Danish flag in hisgarage in St. Paul, Minn. Heread about the boatlift in an

article in the New Yorker mag-azine and decided to hold aparty to commemorate theevent, as a celebration and ac-knowledgement of the Danes’sacrifices.“It was a way to say, ‘Thank

you,’ to the Danes as one Jew,”said Savin, 64, an attorney.He got to talking with fellow

lawyer Rikke Dierssen-Morice,47, who has been working asthe co-chair of the fundraisingcommittee for the local DanishAmerican Community Center.Gustav Goldberger, was a 9-

year-old boy when he fled inthe darkness with his parentsand three brothers, wadingout into the frigid October wa-ters to stow away in the holdof a tiny boat. Continues on next page

Danes who helped Jewsescape Nazis are sought for thanks

SHNS PHOTO

Gustav Goldberger was a 9-year-old in Copenhagen in 1943 whenDanish fishermen boat-lifted himand his family to Sweden as part ofan effort to protect Danish Jewsfrom the Nazis.


Continued from page 7Her programs last 45 min-

utes to an hour, and she haspresented them throughoutMichigan and Ohio, primarilyat public libraries as part ofsummer reading programsbut also at schools, churches,meetings, birthday partiesand festivals.In the beginning, she pre-

sented her programs prima-rily to children inkindergarten to fifth grade,she said. “Now it’s kids of allages. I find grandparents likeit as much as the kids.”She uses eggshells to

demonstrate the strength of

domes, ashape thatowes itsmight tothe evendistributionof pressure.To preparefor the ex-periment,

Shock has drained and rinsedtwo eggs and cut them cross-wise. She positions the halves,open end down, as thoughthey were four corners of arectangle. She then places abook on top of the half-shells.Then another, and another.“I have gotten as high as 38

books,” Shock said. Some-times the pile topples over be-fore the shells break.One of her crowd-pleasing

concoctions is called Outra-geous Ooze: cornstarch, waterand a little food coloring.Combine them and stir tothicken.If you pick up the ooze and

squeeze it, she explained, itwill hold its shape. But if yourelease the pressure, it willrun through your fingers.“It shows that something

can be a solid and a liquid —and that science is fun!” shesaid.

Grandma Science


A trip that normally took anhour lasted three times aslong as the fisherman maskedhis actions to appear that hewas going about his dailybusiness. They never learnedhis name and never saw himagain.To this day, freedom smells

like fish for Goldberger.“We were helped from that

hole and my father, being acantor, started to sing aprayer of thankfulness forbeing in Sweden,” said Gold-berger, now 75 and a retiredMaryland attorney. “We didn’tknow it then, but it was verywell planned by the local Gen-tiles in the community. Here’sa country where they couldhave treated the Jews likethey did in Poland and else-where, with total disrespect.“But in Denmark it was just

the reverse. This was Den-mark’s way of telling the Ger-mans to go to hell. ‘TheDanish Jews are Danes and

we’re going to take care ofthem,’ and that’s exactly whatthey did.”Now, the search is on for a

fisherman or a relative to telltheir side of the boatlift story— and to accept the gratitudefrom a receptive audience.The local Danish center has

a small amount of money tobring someone to Minneapolis.They’ve made attempts to lo-cate a participant, hoping thatthe longevity of the Danesmight mean a young fisher-man in 1943 might still bealive.Even in the age of the Inter-

net, their attempts so far haveproved fruitless. They’ve pub-lished requests for survivorsand participants in the Dan-ish Pioneer, a U.S. newspaperpublished for Danish immi-grants. They’ve met with thecurators of museums in Den-mark who have agreed to pro-vide materials for thecelebration but have been un-able to locate rescuers.“Finding people who actu-

ally participated in 1943 hasbeen really tough,” Dierssen-Morice said. “Obviously, theage of those who participatedis a huge challenge for us.”For many years, the Danes

appeared reticent to discusstheir role in the boatlift, evenas organizations such asThanks to Scandinavia (withentertainer Victor Borge, aDanish Jew, as one of thefounders) emerged to piece to-gether and tell the tale.In 1993, the Washington

(D.C.) Hebrew Congregationfeted Frode Jakobsen, a Dan-ish author and politician whowas remembered for his workwith the Danish resistanceduring World War II. Jakob-sen reflected the sentiment ofDanish homogeneity in an in-terview with the WashingtonPost:“When we are praised by the

Jews from Israel or America, Iprotested,” he said. “SomeDanes helped some otherDanes who were in danger.”Anelise Sawkins, honorary

Danish consul in Minneapolis,was a young girl in Denmarkduring World War II and re-members the sentiment.“No one saw anyone as a

Jew or not a Jew,” she said.“We were all Danes.”


In December, they decidedto form their own company. David Mount, the director

of community outreach part-nerships and patient advo-cacy at the Maya AngelouInstitute, said that he workswith patients and had invitedthe Jacksons in for a seminarlast fall. The foot scanner wasan excellent way for people tounderstand what was goingon with their feet. “What this technique does,

and what Tim and Ann aredoing, is helping people feelempowered,” he said. After his patients looked at

the images of their feet onthe scanner, they had a bet-ter understanding of how dia-betes was affecting their feet,he said. They also had a newsense of urgency about buy-ing the right shoes. Having the right shoes

means eliminating foot pain,which makes it easier forpeople with diabetes to par-ticipate in the physical activi-ties that help manage theirillness, he said. The Jacksons’visit was so successful thatpatients asked for them tocome back.

Mary Giunca writes for theWinston-Salem Journal inNorth Carolina.

Happy feet

Grateful...


Calendar of upcoming events for El Paso/ Southern New Mexico for June 2010If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHT’S Out & About section, please send all your relevant data by e-mail to: [email protected]

NoRTHEAST/

CENTRAl

La Fe 5K — The 16th annual

Father’s Day Community Health

5K Run and 5K Walk Saturday,

June 19, at La Fe Child and Ado-

lescent Wellness Center, 721 S.

Ochoa. Information: 534-7979.

Jazz on the Rocks — The

monthly live jazz music series

continues 8 p.m. Thursday June

10 at McKelligon Canyon, featur-

ing “Big Band Night” with Eklec-

tic Big Band and El Paso Youth

Jazz Ensemble. Tickets: $9 in ad-

vance; $10 day of show (Ticket-

master). Information:

jazzelpaso.org.

El Paso Diablos Baseball —Cohen Stadium in Northeast El

Paso. Game time is 7:05 p.m. In-

formation: 755-2000 or

diablos.com. • June

1-3: Shreveport-

Bossier Cap-

tains • June

4-6: Grand

Prairie Air

Hogs • June 15-

17: Pensacola Peli-

cans • June 18-20: Lincoln

Saltdogs. (June 20 game at 6:05

p.m.)

‘Viva El Paso!’ — The sum-

mertime pageant returns to McKel-

ligon Canyon Amphitheatre for its

33rd season at 8:30 p.m. Fridays

and Saturdays, June 4-Aug. 7.

Tickets: $18.20 general admission.

Dinner show: $24.35 ($14.05 age

12 and younger). (Ticketmaster)

Information: 231-1165 or viva-

ep.org.

EASTSIdE

Homegrown El Paso Expo— The expo featuring locally pro-

duced goods is 1 to 5 p.m. Thurs-

day, June 3, at EPCC’s Adminis-

trative Service Building, 9050

Viscount. Admission is free. Infor-

mation: contactme@home-

grownelpaso.com.

YWCA Race Against

Racism – The 10K race and 2K

fun walk are 7:30 a.m. Saturday,

June 5, at the YWCA Joyce

Jaynes Branch, 1600 Brown. Infor-

mation: 478-5663, 472-5879 or

ywcaelpaso.org. Online registra-

tion (by 6 p.m. June 4) at racead-

venturesunlimited.com.

WESTSIdE/

doWNToWN

Alfresco! Fridays — The an-

nual outdoor concert series is 5:30

p.m. Fridays at Arts Festival Plaza

(between El Paso Museum of Art

and Plaza Theatre). Admission is

free. Information: 541-4481, 536-

0600. • June 4 – Fungi Mungle

(70’s rock/disco/funk) • June 11

— Karma (rock) • June 18 —

Windy City (“Chicago” tribute) •

June 25 — Brown Betty (classic

rock)

Barbara Driscoll School of

Ballet — The school’s annual

gala recital is 7 p.m. Saturday,

June 5, at the Plaza Theatre. Ad-

mission is free. Information: 584-

9903.

‘The Brothers Grimm Spec-

taculathon’ – Kids-N-Co., 1301

Texas, presents tribute to the

world’s best-known storytellers

through June 6. Performances are

7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $7

($5 children, students, seniors, ac-

tive military) at the door. Informa-

tion: 351-1455 or kidsnco.org.


‘Pretty Belles and

Carousels’ — The Ballet Centre

School of Classical Dance’s 26th

annual recital is 2:30 p.m. Sunday,

June 6, at UTEP’s Magoffin Audi-

torium. Admission is free. Infor-

mation: 544-4348 or

balletcentre.us

‘The Wizard of Oz’ – Broad-

way in El Paso Series concludes

with the Broadway hit based on

the 1939 movie at 7:30 p.m. June

7-8, at the Plaza Theatre. Tickets:

$30, $45 and $55 (Ticketmaster).

Outdoor Concerts at the

Plaza — Free concerts are noon

to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at San Jac-

into Plaza, 111 Mills, Downtown.

Information: 240-3310. • June 9

— Shelby Acosta • June 16 —

Memento Mori • June 23 —

Patrick Kell • July 7 — Jacqueline

Mata.

loWER VAllEy

El Paso Patriots Soccer —

Home games are 8 p.m. at Patriot

Stadium, 6941 Industrial. Tickets:

$4 ($3 military; $1 ages 12 ad

younger). Information: 771-6620

or elpaso-patriots.com. • Friday,

June 11 — Dallas Fort Worth Tor-

nados • Friday, June 25 — Rio

Grande Valley Bravos

Music Under the Stars —

The 27th summer concert series,

Music Under the Stars World Fes-

tival, presented by the City of El

Paso Museums and Cultural Af-

fairs Department, features local

and international performers 7:30

to 9:30 p.m. Sundays, June 13-

Aug. 15, at the Chamizal National

Memorial amphitheater, 800 S.

San Marcial. Admission is free. In-

formation: 541-4481 (MCAD),

532-7273 (Chamizal) or elpasoart-

sandculture.org.

SoUTHERN

NEW MExICo

AmBank Wild Wild West

Pro Rodeo — The 20th annual

PRCA Rodeo is June 1-4, at

Southwest Horseman’s Park, U.S.

180 East, Silver City. Perform-

ances begin at 8 p.m. Thursday-

Sunday. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Ticket information: (575) 534-

5030. The city’s annual Cowboy

Days events begin at 8 a.m. Satur-

day, June 5, at Gough Park. Ad-

mission is free. Information: (575)

538-3785.

Gold Rush Day — White Oaks,

N.M. will host a celebration of its

mining heritage Saturday, June 5.

Information: (575) 648-5618 or

whiteoaksnewmexico.com.

‘Chance’ — No Strings Theater

Company presents a collaborative

performance of local songwriters,

dancers, filmmakers and visual

artists June 11-27 at the Black

Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown

Mall, in Las Cruces. Tickets: $10

($9 students and seniors age 65

and older). Information/reserva-

tions: (575) 523-1223.

‘Joseph and the Amazing

Technicolor Dreamcoat’–Las

Cruces Community Theatre, in the

city’s Downtown Mall, ends its

season with the musical by An-

drew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice

June 11-27. Tickets: $8-$9. Infor-

mation: (575) 523-1200 or lc-

ctnm.org.

Raft the Rio Festival — The

Southwest Environmental Center’s

13th annual event is Saturday,

June 12, in Las Cruces. A kids’

race starts at 10 a.m. and the 3-

mile open race at 10:15 a.m. at La

Llorona Park on Picacho and ends

at the Calle de Norte (Mesilla)

Bridge. Information: (575) 522-

5552 or wildmesquite.org.


Luna Rossa Art & Wine

Festival - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat-

urday and Sunday, June 12-13, at

Luna Rossa Winery in Deming.

Admission is free. Information:

(575) 546-1184

[email protected].

Tailgate 2010 — The annual

outdoor jazz concert series in

Alamogordo, N.M., begins at 8

p.m. on various Saturdays in the

upper parking lot at the New Mex-

ico Museum of Space History. In-

formation: (575) 437-2202 or

flickingercenter.com. • June 12 —

Michael Francis Trio • June 26

— Steve Smith Trio

Hafla at the Grapevine —

The Grapevine, 3900 W. Picacho,

Las Cruces, will host its 10th an-

nual night of Middle Eastern,

African and Indian music, dance

and food 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday,

June 13. Tickets: $8 ($5 ages 4-

12). Information: Azadeh, (575)

644-4156.

High Rolls/Mountain Park

Lions Club Cherry Festival— The 44th annual festival is 9

a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 4

p.m. and Sunday, June 19-20, at

the High Rolls Community Center,

56 Cottage Row. Information:

(575) 682-4590, 682-3260 or hrm-

plions.net.

Kars of Kids — The 11th an-

nual Kiwanis Kars for Kids is Sat-

urday, June 19, at Young Park,

Las Cruces. The event includes an-

tique, classic and custom cars,

trucks and motorcycles. Admission

and parking is free. Information:

(575) 532-1751 or (575) 644-7758.

Summer Celebration — The

summer outdoor festival is 11 a.m.

to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at

Ruidoso Downs Race Track and

Casino, featuring horse racing, live

music, food, merchandise, service,

theater, dance and arts and crafts.

Admission is free. Information:

(575) 257-7395 or

ruidosonow.com.

Robin and Linda Williams— The “Prairie Home Compan-

ion” perennial favorites perform a

house concert at 8 p.m. Saturday,

June 19, in Las Cruces. Cost: $40.

Reservations required; BYOB. In-

formation: (575) 541-1992 or

(915) 592-5122.

By Kim Underwood MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

At 82, Sarah Brooks is stillgoing full tilt. She tap dances and teaches

others to tap. She bowls. Shepaints landscapes. She takesphotographs. She works out.She sings. She writes poems.She volunteers. She cooks.She arranges flowers. Shegives motivation speeches. Acouple of years back, she evensnagged a small part in amovie madehere. To show

how limbershe is, Brooksdid threekicks highenough tomake a Rock-ette envious. “I can still

do my highkicks,” she said. “I feel fabu-lous.” I first wrote about Brooks

12 years ago when she wasMs. North Carolina Senior’98. At that time, her nick-name was the Eveready Lady,and, as far as I could tell, shehasn’t slowed down a bit.

Recently, her already-packed schedule became evenfuller when she began partici-pating in the Piedmont PlusSenior Games. During thattime, people 55 and older willbe running, shooting pool,swimming, playing tennis andgiving people a chance toenjoy their poems, quilts, ce-ramics and other creations. “More people should be

aware of the Senior Games,”Brooks said. “You don’t have

to be an expert. It’s just to goout and have fun and meetpeople.” As part of the Senior

Games, Brooks will competewith the Snappy Tappers, aseniors tap-dance group spon-sored by the Winston-SalemRecreation & Parks Depart-ment. And she will bowl bothin singles competition — heraverage is 143 — and in dou-bles with her partner MargieBohannon, whom she met

some years backwhen both sangin a productionof Handel’s Mes-siah. As long as they

win a medal,which qualifiesthem for a trip tothe state gamesin Raleigh, N.C.,they don’t care

whether it’s gold, silver orbronze.

Brooks is also showing offsome of her artistic skills byparticipating in the games’arts competitions. She hassubmitted an oil painting of awaterfall and a photographthat she took of a neighbor’syard covered with fresh snow. “I was standing in the door-

way in my jammies lookingacross the street,” she said. Brooks, a retired principal of

an alternative school for preg-nant teenagers, was raised ina family that went to churchtogether and that believed itwas important to take a posi-tive approach to life. “I was not allowed to use the

word ‘can’t,’ ” she said. Continues on page 23

Still Going Strong: For Sarah Brooks, 82,‘staying active’ would have to mean slowingdown

“I was notallowed to

use the word‘can’t,’ ” she said.


TEEING OFF

Pretty much everyone knows you

have to practice to get better at golf,

but not many know how to practice. I

use the words “practice” and “learn”

almost interchangeably because they

are intimately related.

One reason golf is so hard to learn

is that students think repetition is the

key. They believe if they work hard

and hit balls, they’ll learn the golf

swing.

But the role of repetition in learning

a motor skill is a bit more complicated

than just hitting a bunch of balls. As

leading researchers in the field of

motor learning wrote in an article ti-

tled “Effects of Practice Conditions on

Motor Skill Acquisition”:

“The physical act of repetition is

only part of the process undertaken

during a repetition of an action. Of

considerable importance are the cog-

nitive processes that determine, and

are affected by movement repetition.”

Continues on next page

Phil Mickelson



So not only did Ben Hogan “dig it

out of the dirt,” but he also figured

out how to practice what he dug out.

When you watch great players like

Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson

practice, it appears they are simply

repeating the same act time after

time, but their brains are running

software — they are problem-solv-

ing on each trial — and it is this

proper use of the “cognitive process-

es” that unlocks the power of the

human brain to learn a motor skill

like the golf swing.

Thus Hogan, Woods, Mickelson, et

al, are not only the best players, they

are the best learners in a game that de-

mands good learning. They have

structured their learning (practice) en-

vironment correctly, usually with the

help of a coach but sometimes on

their own.

Talent isn’t everything The

newest research proves that it isn’t

natural talent or inborn genius that

makes a good golfer. For every

physical body like Tiger’s there are

three like Paul Goydos. At your

own course, Bob is overweight,

overscheduled and overworked, and

he’s a 5-handicap. Jane has a bad

grip, a long loopy swing, fatty tissue

where a triceps should be, and she’s

the club champ.

The good news is if they can do it,

so can you. The bad news is that if

you are serious, you need to change

the overall way you learn.

In the following weeks, I’ll outline

the secrets of learning the game. This

series goes to the heart of why “they”

can play and you can’t, with conclu-

sions based on research from the field

of motor learning and my teaching

experience in the trenches where the

laboratory theories meet the students

head-on, and results rule the road.

Next week: What you have to do to

learn golf.

BIRDIES AND BOGEYS

When Jim Thorpe was convicted of tax evasion, he wasbanned from the Champions Tour. Thorpe, one of golf’snice guys, once donated his winner’s check — $247,500from the FedEx Kinko’s Classic in 2005 — to his churchin Lake Mary, Fla.

Now Soren Hansen has been convicted of tax evasionand will pay nearly $1.1 million in restitution. The 36-year-old Hansen has represented Denmark in the WorldCup five times.

The question is, if tax evasion makes Jim Thorpe persona non grata onthe American tour, will Hansen also be barred from play-ing on the PGATour? Note the PGA Tour runs the Champions Tour so effectively theyare one and the same.

HANSEN

Car

yn L

evy/U

S P

GA

TO

UR

DON’T MISS IT

Ben Hogan disliked putting so much he lobbied

to have the hole made bigger. Maybe he should

have used the No 3-Putt training device that makes

the real hole look bigger after practice with a

smaller hole. This cup reducer fits inside the hole

to make your practice cup smaller, giving you the

benefit of the target-shooters mantra: “Aim small,

miss small.” This effect can be a very powerful

confidence-builder on those crucial 2-footers. The

No 3-Putt is $15 at www.golfaroundtheworld.com.

ASK THE PRO

Below are answers to questions

I’ve received about a number of

rules over the last three months:

• You may repair an old hole plug

or damage to the putting green

caused by the impact of a ball even

if your ball does not lie on the green.

If the ball is moved in the process of

repair, replace it without penalty.

• A ball on the putting green may

be lifted and cleaned, but the ball

should be replaced on the spot from

which it was lifted, so you should al-

ways mark it. Wiping your ball on

the green to clean it is OK.

• The line of your putt may not be

touched except

that you can move sand

and loose soil on the putting green

and other loose impediments (such

as leaves) by picking them up or

brushing them aside with your hand

or club without pressing anything

down.

• During the play of a hole, you

can’t test the surface of the putting

green by rolling a ball or roughening

or scraping the surface, but you can

touch the palm of your hand behind

the ball to help judge if the green is

wet, as long as the line of the putt

isn’t touched.

• You can’t take a stroke on the

putting green from a stance astride,

or with either foot touching, the line

of the putt or an extension of that

line behind the ball. (You can’t putt

as if you’re playing croquet!)

• When any part of the ball over-

hangs the lip of the hole, you are al-

lowed enough time to reach the hole

without unreasonable delay and an

additional 10 seconds once you ar-

rive to determine whether the ball is

at rest. If by then the ball has not

fallen into the hole, it costs another

stroke to hole out.

(To Ask the Pro a question about

golf, e-mail him at:

[email protected].)

Greenlight activities on the greenGOLF SPOKEN HERE

Who’saway vs.

readygolf

According to the rules,the player in the group who isfarthest from the hole after thetee shot is “away,” and playsfirst. In “ready golf,” to speed

up play, the player who is readyfirst plays first. Unless you’re

in a tournament, play ready golf!


By Dr. Marty Becker

and Gina Spadafori

Universal Uclick

Modern veterinary care is not inex-

pensive.

Every day we hear from readers

who remember when “Good ol’

Doc Jones” patched up their cats

for next to nothing.

These days, readers complain,

many veterinarians want to use

available diagnostics to see what’s

really going on (and reduce risk

during anesthesia), suggest newer

procedures to fix things that were

fatal not that long ago, and pretty

much try to do the best job they

can with all the advances of the

last couple of decades.

Go figure.

Costs for everything have gone up,

and “Good ol’ Doc Jones” is pay-

ing more to keep the hospital doors

open, even before you consider all

the new options veterinarians can

offer today. The good news: If you

practice good preventive care with

your cat — which should, of

course, include neutering — you

can really keep costs down.

Top strategy for doing so: Close

the door on your cat’s wandering.

A lot of cat lovers hate hearing

this. They’ve always let their cats

roam, and they’re reluctant to

change. A free-roaming cat seems

easier to care for, especially if the

outdoors serves as a litter box (a

policy that’s never fair to or popu-

lar with the neighbors).

But the things that can happen to a

free-roaming cat can really cost

you at the veterinarian’s. Outdoor

cats are at high risk for poisoning,

infectious disease, accidents and

attacks, all of which can mean mis-

ery for your pet and expensive vet-

erinary costs for you. Tips on

converting your cat to a happy in-

door life can be found on The Ohio

State University Veterinary Hospi-

tal’s Indoor Cat Initiative’s website

(www.indoorcat.org). Other strategies for preventive

cat care:

• No more yearly shots. The em-

phasis has shifted away from auto-

matic annual combination boosters

to tailoring the kind and frequency

of vaccines to an individual cat.

Some vaccines are now given at

longer intervals — every three

years is common — and some are

not given at all to cats who are not

at high risk for a particular disease.

Skipping annual shots isn’t an ex-

cuse to skip regular “well-pet”

exams, which are a cornerstone of

a preventive-care program. You

can discuss which vaccines are

right for your cat during the visit.

• Keep your cat lean. Too much

food and not enough activity puts

the pounds on a pet. Excess weight

is attributed to any number of

health issues in cats, especially

arthritis and diabetes.

Continues on next page

Good preventive care can

mean less money spent on

expensive illnesses and acci-

dents.



•Don’t crash-diet your cat — it

can be deadly. Instead, talk to your

veterinarian about a healthy diet

that will trim down your cat be-

fore the pounds really add up. Add

in activity with daily play sessions

using a laser-pointer or cat-fishing

pole, whatever gets your cat

going.

• Don’t forget the teeth. It

doesn’t hurt to get into a regular

routine of brushing or swiping

your cat’s teeth, and many cats can

learn to enjoy or at least tolerate

the practice. If their teeth are left

alone, cats develop dental prob-

lems that can shorten their lives

and lessen their quality of life.

• Practice good grooming. Basic

brushing, combing and flea con-

trol are a must for preventive care.

Keeping your pet parasite-free

will make living with your animal

much more pleasant (after all,

fleas bite people, too). Regular

brushing can also help build the

bond between you and your cat,

and will allow you to notice skin

problems and lumps and bumps

early.

Five tips for nine lives, all of them

guaranteed to save you money and

spare your cat. You can’t beat that!

• Is the troubled business of high-volume dog breeding being out-sourced? A report on dvm360.compoints to an increase in puppiesshipped into the United States asone sign that overseas puppy millsare a growing concern. Californiaattorney John Hoffman told theveterinary website that moreFrench Bulldogs are imported intothe United States than are bredhere because artificial insemina-tion and delivery by caesarean canbe done more cheaply without theassistance of licensed veterinari-ans. Health certificates must besigned by a veterinarian for pup-pies to be shipped, but activistssay documents can be forged andpuppies are being shipped tooyoung to get them in front of po-tential buyers at their most appeal-ing age. The increase may be inpart a response to crackdowns ondomestic substandard breedingoperations. Officials in Californiahave also noted an increase inpuppies smuggled in illegally. Inaddition to cruelty concerns, offi-cials worry about potential healthproblems for pets, people andlivestock that such imports pres-ent. • A fund established in March by

Betty White and the Morris Ani-mal Foundation to help wildlifeafter disasters proved to be timelyin the wake of the oil-rig explo-sion in the Gulf of Mexico. TheBetty White Wildlife Rapid Re-sponse Fund is intended to give

wildlife researchers monetary aidto respond to unexpected events,such as natural disasters andemerging diseases, that result inthe immediate need for animalhealth research. The Emmy-win-ning star and lifelong animal loverwill match all donations up to$25,000. You can donate at First-giving.com/MAFrapidresponse.• A cat’s heart normally beats be-

tween 140 and 220 times perminute, with a relaxed cat on thelower end of the scale. It’s not un-usual for a heartbeat to be high atthe veterinarian’s, since most catsdon’t like being away from home,and they certainly don’t like beinghandled in such settings.— Dr.Marty Becker and Mikkel BeckerShannon

Increased puppy importshave many worried.

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by

“Good Morning America” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker

and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are

also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there’s more information on

pets and their care, reviews of products, books and

“dog cars.” Contact Pet Connection in care of this

newspaper by sending e-mail to

[email protected] or by visiting

PetConnection.com.

About Pet Connection

Why not considerpair of adult cats?

Q : We are looking for two kittensto adopt. We are having troublefinding what we want. We don’twant to pay breeder prices, and theshelter doesn’t seem to have muchselection. We are looking for twokittens from the same litter. Do youhave any suggestions? — A.N., viae-mail

A: Prime kitten season peaks inlate summer, but depending onwhere you live, you’ll start seeingkittens in shelters soon. By August,most shelters will be swimming inkittens, with seemingly endlesschoices when it comes to coat typeand markings. There will be toomany kittens, really, because eachyear many more kittens will beborn than can possibly be adopted.(Which is one reason why the con-stant effort of humane and animal-rescue groups to spay and neuterpets is so important.)You can wait for more selection,but I have a better idea: Adopt apair of adult cats. If you don’tmind cats who are not siblings, youcould also adopt an adult cat nowand a kitten or cat later.

The choice is yours, of course. Butmy advice is to seriously consideradopting a bonded pair of adultcats. Since you want to end up with twosiblings, adopting adult littermateswho are already comfortable witheach other seems to me to be theperfect solution. If you’re really in-terested in adopting siblings, Ihave no doubt you can find that ina bonded pair of adult cats. Justcheck around with area sheltersand rescue groups.

Once the kit-tens startarriving,theoldercatshave ahardtimecom-petingfor attention.Why not give a couple of great catsa second chance? — GinaSpadafori(Do you have a pet question? Sendit to [email protected].)

Q&A


SHNS PHOTOS

LEFT TO RIGHT: A picturesque100-year-old barn continues thefarming tradition at Orchard Coun-try Winery and Cider Mill in FishCreek, Wis.

The Cana Island Lighthouse nearBaileys Harbor, Wis., is an icon ofthe nautical heritage of the GreatLakes. It was built in 1869. By Linda Lange

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

Silence shrouds Green Bay.A path unfurls like a ribbonthrough the hardwood forestof Peninsula State Park andleads to the bay’s rocky shore.The earthen trail thenswerves along cliff edges andcuts through fern groves.Peninsula State Park offers

a rich tableau: hiking trails,bike paths, golf course, picnicareas, campsites and boatramps. The 3,776-acre park isWisconsin’s largest. Spectacu-lar scenery, such as thepanoramic overlook of islandsspeckling the bay, is a pri-mary reason to visit ever-pop-ular Door County.The Door Peninsula is a slab

of dolomite limestone thatthrusts into Lake Michigan.Seventy-five miles long and13 miles wide, the peninsulais a leading vacation destina-tion in the whole Great Lakesregion. Natural beautyabounds in this part of Wis-

consin, a statethat gave us AldoLeopold and JohnMuir, two ofAmerica’s firstand finest conservationists.Ten lighthouses stud the

peninsula’s jagged, 300-mileshoreline. Together with mar-itime museums, these her-itage attractions illuminatethe importance of commercialshipping and recreationalboat travel on Lake Michiganand Green Bay.The Cana Island Lighthouse

located just north of BaileysHarbor warned sailors of dan-gerous shoals since 1869. Thered-roofed lighthouse is one ofthe most photographed on theGreat Lakes. Displays in theattached dwelling depict thelifestyles of dedicated keepersand their families, referencingthe harsh, stormy weather ofnorthern Wisconsin.Inland, fruit orchards edge

the roadways. Family-oper-ated farm markets and winer-

ies sell fresh produce, condi-ments, baked goods and finefruit wines. At Orchard Coun-try Winery and Cider Mill inFish Creek, tours crisscrossMontmorency cherry or-chards. “Each tree will have7,000 cherries, enough for 28pies,” says tour leader KatieBrandt. In the market, peoplesip fruity wines, such asCherry Blossom, and samplejuice, dried fruits and fudge.Across the street at SweetiePies Bakery, Cathy Mazurekoversees a kitchen where fruitpies are baked each day. Cus-tomers enjoy pie slices withtea or coffee at patio tablesunder shade trees.In agriculturally rich Door

County, chefs take to heart afarm-to-table philosophy.Restaurants serve innovative,fresh, flavorful cuisine. Continues on page 23

Wisconsin hasa bevy of

beautiful sitesto see

while on vacation


ACROSS1 Related on grandfather’s side5 Steep declivity10 TV waitress13 Ceremonial covering14 Pub potable15 Soho apartment16 Premium of exchange17 “Goodnight, ___”18 Musical hiatus

19 Couldn’t turn back22 Type of car23 Jennies24 Lemon27 Aweigh31 ___ Bakr: 1st caliph ofMecca34 Break in hostilities37 Part of roof38 Make a decision42 Therefore

43 British politi-cal party44 D.C.’s time45 Allen orLawrence47 Canals be-tween Huronand Superior48 NotableHowe52 Deadens57 Hotly dis-cussed matter62 Corn lily63 Jeer64 O’Hara’shaunt65 A-one66 Dodge67 Mid-Easternpotentate68 Poet’s word69 Counsels:arch.70 Stand

DOWN1 Members ofOPEC2 Fashion3 ___ in the

hand4 A Helmsley5 Did a glissade6 Beloved, in Castile7 Rocket8 Lacoste’s namesakes9 Iron10 Kind of market11 Cobbler’s need12 Baseball Mel’s family

15 Finished a cake20 ___ end: a row21 An Arthur25 Tea server26 Contest28 Fury29 Burl30 One who annoys31 Lincoln, and the like32 Lancaster, of films33 Encourage35 Civil War monogram36 Wanes39 Devotions40 Down under animal41 Handcuffs46 Wallach or Whitney49 Lead-in for faith or face50 Amaryllis51 Vice ___53 Say54 Amerind55 Mr. Spassky56 Certain drum57 Dentist’s concern58 Caesar’s wife59 Ready to eat60 Wavy: her.61 Soissons seasons


Continued from page 21Dining choices include Ital-

ian at Villaggios, authenticOaxacan at Mojo Rosa’s Can-tina, both in Egg Harbor, andfresh lake perch at the SecondStory, a restaurant overlook-ing Ephraim’s Eagle Harbor.Many vacationers partici-

pate in a traditional fish boil.Dinner guests encircle a cast-iron kettle over an open woodfire defying the adage that a“watched pot never boils.” Boilmaster Earl Jones fills thelarge pot with water, and onceit boils, he lowers wire baskets

of onions, red potatoes andwhite fish from Lake Michi-gan into the boiling water. Abit of a showman, he deftlyadds a small amount ofkerosene to the fire. Flamesdramatically envelop the pot,causing a sudden “boil over.”The savory meal is ready forthe table.The picturesque landscape of

Door County gives inspirationto artists. David and JeanneAurelius, owner of Clay BayPottery, established their en-terprise in 1976. The galleriesshowcase hand-thrown pottery

and tiles, plus jewelry, photog-raphy and woodcuts. At Edge-wood Orchard Galleries inFish Creek, sculpture, glassart, clay work, paintings andjewelry go beyond the quotid-ian. It features the work ofmore than 100 artists. Estab-lished in 1969, the art centeris one of the most respectedgalleries in the Midwest.

Nearly 100 galleries and stu-dios are sprinkled across DoorPeninsula. They are inter-spersed with boutiques, bak-eries, bike shops and bistros insmall towns, creating a cul-tural atmosphere that is com-plemented by concerts andcommunity-theater produc-tions.Ephraim, population 323, is

a charming village with manypleasurable amenities forleisure travelers. White clap-board buildings, many listedon the National Register ofHistoric Places, line thecoastal two-lane road. A wa-terfront promenade withwooden benches leads vaca-tioners to Wilson’s Restaurantand Ice Cream Parlor. In busi-ness since 1906, the restau-rant serves sundaes andhome-brewed root beer whiletunes drift from jukeboxes.With ice-cream cones in hand,patrons often stroll over to An-derson Dock. Boaters signtheir names on the exteriorwalls of a warehouse now oc-cupied by the Francis HardyGallery. The graffiti is itself acommunity work of art. “Graf-fiti is encouraged by the vil-lage,” says Tad Dukehart, avolunteer with the EphraimHistorical Foundation.A guided walking tour of

Ephraim reveals its blendedNorwegian and Moravian her-itage. It was founded in 1853as a Moravian religious com-

munity. The Door County His-torical Museum and the DoorCounty Maritime Museum,both in Sturgeon Bay, sponsorother history programs andactivities.Several of the peninsula’s

other towns offer guided ex-cursions. Door County TrolleyTours weave through FishCreek. A Trolley of theDoomed Tour entertains peo-ple with stories of mysterioushappenings, shipwrecks andhaunted lighthouses. An an-nual lighthouse walk featuressix mainland beacons. Light-house lovers can view sen-tinels on nearby islands bytaking narrated boat cruises.

For more information, con-tact the Door County VisitorBureau at 800-52-RELAX(73529) or visitwww.doorcounty.com.Continued from page 16

Sunday is her only semi-laid-back day. After cominghome from church, where shedoes readings and helps withcommunion, she takes it easyfor the rest of the day. “That’s my relaxing day,”

she said. On Monday, her schedule

cranks up. During the courseof the week, she both re-hearses and performs withthe Snappy Tappers, which isopen to men but doesn’t haveany at the moment. “We could use some men,”

she said. “The men wouldhave a whole harem to them-selves.” She teaches both beginning

and intermediate tap-danceclasses. On days that shedoesn’t dance, she works outin her home gym. She bowls in a league. The

day I was over, her score cardshowed games of 169, 147and 157.

On any given week, shemight be volunteering withthe Little Theatre or N.C.Black Theatre Festival ortaking care of her responsi-bilities as vice president ofthe local chapter of theHampton University alumniassociation. In among the so-cial activities, she takes careof personal business, whichincludes zipping back homebetween engagements to takethe insulin she needs as in-sulin-dependent diabetic andchecking all the newspapercirculars and shopping wher-ever she finds the best bar-gains. “I’m a senior citizen on a

fixed income,” she said. “Youhave to make those penniescount. I figure the money isjust as good in my pocket asin theirs.”

Kim Underwood writes forthe Winston-Salem Journalin North Carolina.

Sarah Brooks...

mature times - june 2010

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