contentsppcmoaa.org/upload/2015-12-newsletter.pdf · tips to de-stress the holidays 18 dollar cost...
TRANSCRIPT
Contents President’s Report 4
Communications 5
Monthly Events 6
Veterans Affairs 7
Chaplain’s Corner 8
TOPS 9
Legally Speaking 10
Holiday Dinner
Dance
11
Investment Club 13
MOAA Singles/
Cemetery Update
14
PA Report 15
Gift-giving for Sen-
iors
17
Tips to De-stress
the Holidays
18
Dollar Cost Averag-
ing
19
Legislative Watch/
Scholarship Report
20
Profile 20
Volume 54 Issue 12 Dec. 2015
Upcoming Events
Scholarships! 21
Upcoming Events 22
App of the Month
Each month we will be looking at an app that may be of use to our members.
MOAA does not endorse the apps featured here, but is merely alerting you to their
presence.
If you suffer from insomnia, you may want to check out
CBT-i, an app to help improve symptoms of insomnia. It
has a sleep diary and exercises for slowing down and
calming your mind. It is free and available at the iTunes
store.
Mon, Nov 30 – Chapter Board meeting, IHOP, 6005 Constitution Ave, 1700
Thu, Dec 3 – PPCMOAA Holiday Dinner & Dance, Antlers Hilton, cocktails
1730, dinner 1830
Wed, Dec 2 - ROWC Luncheon, PAFB Club, 1100
Mon, Dec 7 – Singles Luncheon, The Tavern at the Broadmoor, 1100
Tue, Dec 8 – Investment Club, Wells Fargo Bldg/Merrill Lynch conference rm,
90 S. Cascade, 1430
<div xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" about="http://stockarch.com/images/objects/food-and-drink/christmas_biscuits.jpg"><a
Pikes Peak Chapter - MOAA
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Elected Officers Appointed Officials Associated Organizations
PRESIDENT CHAPLAIN PERSONAL AFFAIRS SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Lt Col Stewart Laing, USAF (Ret) Col Bob Mossey, USAF (Ret) CAPT Stephen Lucks USN (Ret) COL Jeff Wetjen, USA (Ret)
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT EAGLE EDITOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
John Carrigan USA former CW2 Jennifer Marsh BG Brad Butler, USA (Ret) - Acting CCoC
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT VETERANS OUTREACH LEGAL ADVISOR Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret)
Vacant Col Skip Morgan, USAF (Ret)
AUXILIARY REP VETERAN AFFAIRS FINANCIAL ADVISOR ROWC
Elisabeth Haase Col Phil Andreski, USAF (Ret VACANT Sheryl Brundage, President
SECRETARY MOAA SINGLES
CDR Bunny Blaha, USN (Ret) WEBMASTER Geri Jeffers, President
ASST SECRETARY Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret) INVESTMENT CLUB
Maj Bob Green, USAF (Ret) HISTORIAN ASST WEBMASTER COL Owen Knox, USA (Ret)
TREASURER CPT Max Borysko, USA (Ret) VACANT
Col Miles Montgomery, USAF R TRAINING OFFICER SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
ASST TREASURER COL Nanette Mueller, USA (Ret) VACANT
Dan Miller, MAJ, USAR JROTC PHOTOGRAPHER
MEMBERSHIP Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret) Warren Pearce, USAF (Ret)
LTC Peter Mueller, USA (Ret) TOPS MENTORS
ASST MEMBERSHIP Col. Nanette Mueller, USA (Ret)
Carla Stephany, USAF former MAJ
IMMED PAST PRESIDENT
Col Mike Lee, USAF (Ret)
TRI-LAKES SATELLITE
John Carrigan USA former CW2
Pikes Peak Chapter
Military Officers Association of America
P.O. Box 15319 Colorado Springs, CO 80935-5319
www.PPMOAA.org
MOAA Outstanding Chapter MOAA Chapter Newsletter Contest Award: 1990, 2000, 2001, 2005, National Winner: 1987, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 & 2010 2011, 2012, 2013 Co-Winner: 1997 1st Runner-Up: 1998, 1999, Runner-Up: 1997, 1998, 2004 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012 2nd Runner-Up: 2013
National Website Winner Winner: 2003 1st Runner-Up: 2010, 2012
To contact MOAA Headquarters:
Web Site: www.moaa.org
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: 800-234-6622
****************************************
The Eagle Newsletter is pub-
lished by the Pikes Peak Chap-
ter, which is an affiliate of the
Military Officers Association of
America (MOAA). MOAA and its
affiliated chapters and councils
are non-partisan. The adver-
tisements that appear in this
publication also do not reflect an
endorsement by MOAA or its
affiliate.
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 2
PAGE 3 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
President’s Report Lt Col USAF (ret) Stewart Laing
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 4
Hello Pikes Peak Chapter Members,
It recently came to my attention that in 2015, our chapter reached its 55th Anniversary. This may have been only 6 years
after the first MOAA chapter was affiliated in 1954 in San Diego, CA. According to our chapter history, “In June, 1960,
COL Raymond A. Nelson, USA, and CW04 Joseph K. Petre, USA, compiled a list of area retirees and invited them to a
meeting to organize a local Retired Officer's group. On 1 September 1960, COL Nelson was elected President of the
group with CW04 Petre as Secretary. At that time an application for affiliation was submitted to the National Re-
tired Officer's Association (TROA) in Washington, D.C. On 26 October 1960, National TROA approved our application
for affiliation as the "Central Colorado Chapter" with an initial membership of 52 members. In 1963, the Chapter
changed its name to the "Pikes Peak Chapter".
As our 55th year draws to a close, I’m proud to be associated with the chapter and am even more proud to have had the
privilege of serving as chapter president. Due to the great support and efforts of many talented volunteers, this year our
chapter has created an integrated strategic plan, earned another Level of Excellence Award, balanced the chapter
budget, and increased donations to worthy veteran’s causes such as the Veteran’s Trauma Court and the Veteran’s
Stand Down. We can all stand tall in saying that we stand for and promote the preservation of benefits for those that
have, are, and will serve the people of our nation; a strong national defense; and the wellbeing of the veterans, active
duty and military families in our local area.
Wishing you all well through the Holidays and into the New Year,
Lt Col Stewart Laing, USAF (Ret.)
2015 President
Pike’s Peak Chapter, MOAA
Lt Col USAF (ret) Stewart Laing receiving
Level of Excellence award for Pikes Peak
MOAA Chapter.
Communications John A. Carrigan, 1st VP
(719) 445-0054
PAGE 5 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
As we approach the end of 2015, we have much to be thankful for and much work we need to do to prepare for next year. The chapter has been well led this year by Stewart Laing and we have grown as a result of his strategic plan and organizational skills. Our membership has grown this year under the leadership of Pete Mueller and his membership team to over 1,100 members. Our communication team and newsletters have improved in content and readability under the guidance initially of Mike Humphreys and now Jennifer Marsh. So, we have had a good year. As we roll into 2016, there will be a new leadership team consisting of;
President, John Carrigan, CW-2 (Prior), US Army
1st VP, Carl Nasatka, Maj. (Ret.), US Army
2nd
VP, Scott MacDonald, LTC. (Ret.), USAF
Secretary, Susan McGovern, Lt Commander (Ret.), US Navy
Asst. Secretary, Bob Green, Maj. (Ret.) USAF
Treasurer, Robert M. Smith, Colonel (Ret.), USAF
Asst. Treasurer, Dan Miller, Maj., USAR
Eagle Editor, Jennifer Marsh
Auxiliary (Surviving Spouses) Elisabeth Haase
Membership Chair, Pete Mueller, LTC. (Ret.), US Army
Asst. Membership, Carla Stephany, Maj. Prior, USAF
Legislative Affairs, Phil Andreski, Col. (Ret.),USAF
Personal Affairs, Stephen Lucks, Capt. (Ret.), US Navy
Chaplain, Bob Mossey, Col. (Ret.), USAF
Legal Advisor, Skip Morgan, Col. (Ret.), USAF
TOPS Mentor, Nanette Mueller, Col., (Ret.) US Army
ROTC/JROTC, Bob Nelson, LTC. (Ret.), USMC We have some lofty goals that we intend to achieve. We will keep growing and increase our membership by at least 10%. We will remain profitable and will generate sufficient funds to enable us to communicate with you members, grow our membership, support our scholarship fund, continue to provide support to the ROTC/JRROTC programs and help other organizations that support the veteran community. While all of us in the leadership team are committed to achieving these goals, in order to do so we will need your continued support and guidance. If we work together, we will continue to make the PPC MOAA the finest veterans organi- zation in the region.
Membership Luncheon: There is no membership luncheon scheduled in December. Instead, we have sched-uled the December 3
rd Holiday Dinner and Dance at the Antlers Hotel. This will be a great time to catch up with one
another as well as a chance to meet other members’ spouses. There will be a cash bar, good food and great music. Plan to let your hair down, kick up your heels and have some fun. So, if you haven’t done so already, please go on line and register.
Business Professionals: There is no Business Professionals meeting in December. As we have done in the past, we take a break for one month due to the crush of social activities on each of our calendars. Our next event will be on January 28
th.
Learn more about these events at our website and Facebook site, www.PPCMOAA.org and www.facebook.com/PikesPeakChapterMOAA. Also, be sure to like us when you check in on the FB page.
Monthly Events
John A. Carrigan, 1st VP
(719) 445-0054
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 6
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 7
On September 30th, the U.S. House and Senate
authorized an amendment an additional $625 M to com-
plete the Rocky Mountain VA Medical Center in Denver.
Both Houses also passed a continuing resolution appro-
priation bill to complete the financial support for con-
struction. The funding also authorizes the Army Corps of
Engineers to award a long term contract to complete the
needs state-of-art facility for Veterans of Colorado and
nearby states. Included in the Senate measure is a pro-
vision that would put the Army Corps of Engineers in
charge of any VA project expected to cost $100M or
more. This policy change was made in direct response
to budget problems at the Denver construction site and a
few other new VA facilities.
Colorado Congressional Representatives recently Future
topics are veteran employment opportunities, mental
health, federal vs. state and the role of each in providing
services. If you read the November issue of the MOAA
magazine, page 69 shows how Colorado compares to
other states in providing educational assistance to veter-
ans and their spouses/children. We lag behind many
states and I plan to bring this up as an issue. If you have
any recommendations/issues you would like the caucus
to look at please let me know.
Also: Free Veterans Wellness Clinic
Healing Warriors Program clinic presents a day of free
non-narcotic therapies for pain and post traumatic stress
open to all service members, any branch, any era, and
their spouse/partner.
Therapy Services Offered: Acupuncture • Craniosacral
Therapy • Healing Touch Therapy
Time: 9 am - 1 pm Where: National American University
(front entrance) 1915 Jamboree Dr., Colorado Springs,
CO 80920 Refreshments provided
For more information call 970-776-VETS (8387)
www.HealingWarriorsProgram.org
Healing Warriors Program is a VA registered vendor and
501c3 nonprofit providing acupuncture, craniosacral and
healing touch therapy at their Fort Collins clinic located
at 1136 E. Stuart St, Suite 4202, Ft. Collins. CO
Contact us at 970-776-8387
The Chapter currently has 1061 members:
Regular members: 390
Life members: 436
Auxiliary members: 65
Life auxiliary members: 170
TAPS
IN MEMORIAM
Regular/Associate Members Died
Lewis J. Neyland, Col USAF LM#548 10/13/15
Robert Doverspike, Capt USA LM#376 10/31/15
Auxiliary Members Died
Nancy Carolyn Sylvester, Aux. 10/04/15
HELPING HANDS
Please notify us about a family member or
friend who is ill, in a hospital, or care facility.
We need your help so we can extend care
for them. Call Chaplain Bob Mossey at 576-
6010, Gail Farrar at 592-0297 or any
Chapter Board Member.
VA Affairs Col. Phil Andreski, USAF (Ret) 481-5837;
philmar26@centuryl;ink.net
Chaplain’s Corner: A Time to be
Prayerfully Thankful
Chaplain (Col) Bob Mossey
(719) 576-6010
PAGE 8 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
This Holiday Season the citizens of our USA are in turmoil and are having some very dark days. But so are mil-
lions of good people all around the world! A growing enemy has been slowly but surely invading peaceful countries and has finally declared war on them. Indeed, we in the United States have taken for granted that no enemy would attack our peaceful shores, yet a small group of terrorists did attack New York City, the Pentagon and an area of Pennsylvania on 9/11 leaving behind over 3,000 dead. Just this last week another small group attacked a theater, some restaurants and a soccer stadium in Paris leaving behind hundreds dead and wounded. This terrorist group has taken credit for these attacks and has made a threat that Washington, D.C. is next! Is it possible that our citizens will celebrate the forthcom-ing holidays without some misgivings?
Our troubled times today are not unlike those that our Founding Fathers faced. It is a matter of written history that they prayed together and urged the early citizens to pray for success in their deliberations and for the security of those early colonies. Would that are country’s leaders stop playing games with our citizens and truthfully lead us back to being the strong nation that our veterans fought to uphold! Millions of Americans must rise up and demand through their votes and their concerted efforts that we are being threatened and need our leaders to acknowledge that these enemies are real and must be stopped! During our Nation’s past most troubled times millions of Americans prayed regularly in their churches, synagogues and other places of worship. I urge you to join them, praying in private and together for our na-tion’s leaders who need God’s light, guidance and fortitude. Pray that they will be open to God’s direction during these times of conflict and turmoil. Pray with all your might!
Earlier this month millions of marchers and bystanders paid tribute to our military veterans of the United States. Great words of praise and tribute were written and spoken about those valiant women and men who gave their lives for this country and the principles and ideals upon which this great nation was founded. Many tears were shed as we recalled our association with those heroes and heroines. We vowed once again that they will not have died in vain. Thus, in the name of our Veterans we have pledged to continue the good fight to keep America strong and to preserve the values that have made us the envy of peoples worldwide.
As all of you gather this Thanksgiving Day with family and friends, give thanks for all of God’s blessings upon you, your families and this great nation. During this Thanksgiving season let us celebrate the character and faith of the women and men who built this nation with its blessed freedoms. It has taken generations of dedicated people of all races, creeds, colors, and economic resources to make this a great nation. Our nation under God has and shall survive de-spite the negative, self-aggrandizing efforts of a few who persist in perpetuating hate, divisiveness and amoral behavior. May all who join hands and hearts around their thanksgiving tables this year pledge to love one another and to thank God for His countless blessings. And, Please pray for all our women and men in our Military fighting against terrorists and for the freedom of the people in oppressed lands.
Have faith! God will continue to bless America!
May you and your loved ones be blessed abundantly according to your needs. May those less fortunate be blessed ac-cording to their needs and dreams.
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
Transitioning Officer Placement Service Doug Bonebrake
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 9
The TOPS group meets 0700 – 0800 every Tuesday at the TREA Building at 834 Emory Circle, vicinity of Murray Blvd and Galley Rd. Whether you are looking for talent, looking for a job opportunity, or just looking for a good breakfast; come and join us. For more infor-mation, visit our web site at http://www.ppcmoaa.org/TOPS. If you have questions about the program, please contact Nanette Brede Mueller, COL, USA (Ret).
The Accomplishments List
One or our most significant challenges when making the transition from the military into the civilian workforce is learning the art of the resume. While we may receive excellent instruction as a result of career transition programs, as with any new skill, proficiency requires comprehension of technique as well as practice.
As we prepare to draft or revise our resume, we must reflect upon our career and assess what we seek to sell to a pro-spective hiring manager. We must avoid the temptation of looking at the resume as a biography. While we are likely to have many achievements of which we are proud, we must select and promote only those which are relevant to demon-strating our ability to generate the value of interest to a prospective employer. Our objective is to communicate those accomplishments which demonstrate how we have applied our skills to solve problems and work as part of a team to generate value.
As we prepare to draft our resume, the temptation is to find a format and fill it in as if we were filling in a form. While se-lecting a format is an important task, to assist our writing, we must gather together our history and distill it into the com-ponents which will become the meat of the document. Two important steps are to make a list of our skills and a list of our accomplishments which demonstrate our proficiency, efficiency and the value we bring to a team. We must remember, mission accomplishment is only a partial objective in business. What hiring managers want to see is not only our ability to achieve an objective, but to do so in a manner which optimizes profit and customer satisfaction.
As we begin to document our accomplishments, we should review such documents as awards, letters of appreciation and evaluation reports which will help refresh our memory of accomplishments from years past. We should then brain storm and list those things where we can communicate the magnitude of the challenge we faced and how we applied our skills to achieve successful results. The result of our brainstorming should be an unconstrained list of our accomplish-ments which we will refine into a list of candidate bullets for our resume.
The accomplishments should be grouped under the associated job positions they supported and cross checked against our skills list. Our objective is to document the experience and education which demonstrate our ability to apply the skills we are marketing.
Our accomplishments list becomes a working document from which we will develop a generic and targeted resumes. Employing the power of word processing, we can select from this list the accomplishments which best support the job for which we are applying. We want to select from the list the accomplishments which are most relevant to the skills outlined in the job announcement.
The accomplishments list is not a one and done exercise. Just like the resume process it supports, we must periodically revisit it such that over time we optimize the statements into concise bullets which will grab the attention of hiring manag-ers. With periodic reviews, we strengthen our capability to produce increasingly powerful and attention grabbing re-sumes.
Legally Speaking:
Deeds ID’d, Indeed
Col Skip Morgan, USAF (Ret)
www.skipmorganlaw.com 473-1986/
PAGE 10 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
Recently I’ve had to reopen long-closed probate cases because it turned out that real property that was thought to be held by a surviving spouse was actually still shown on the County Assessor’s page as owned by the surviving spouse and the estate of the deceased spouse. This comes to light when the title company does a title search in antici-pation of a sale closing and discovers the title defect. Everything gets put on hold while the probate is re-opened so that the title can be vested in the surviving spouse.
There is a bewildering array of deeds that roughly correspond to similarly complex types of ownership. Herewith (the Double Secret Lawyers’ Code requires me to use that word) a primer:
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship: Most married couples hold the marital residence and other real prop-erty, and often even their banking, checking, and investment accounts as joint tenants (which usually but not always means “with right of survivorship.”) That means that each spouse owns an undivided whole interest in the property. Upon the death of the first joint tenant, title can be perfected in the survivor by filing a death certificate and a supple-mental affidavit with the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder.
Tenancy in Common: In Colorado it is presumed that a conveyance to more than one person is as tenants in common unless the deed specifically says that the grantees (purchasers) are to take as joint tenants. A tenancy in com-mon means that each spouse owns an undivided one-half interest in the property, but that interest is alienable, meaning that one or the other can sell his or her half interest to a third-party. It also means that interest will pass in accordance with the deceased owner’s will or the laws of intestacy and not automatically. More important for our purposes is that it means that upon the death of the first spouse a probate must be opened so that the deceased’s half interest can be conveyed to the beneficiary(ies) named in the will with a . . .
Personal Representative’s Deed: The personal representative, or executor, must be appointed by the El Paso County probate registrar or by the probate magistrate incident to the opening of a probate case. With a warrant entitled “letters testamentary” the personal representative is given the power to sell, transfer, or rent property in the same way as the deceased owner could have. When the personal representative sells the property or transfers it to one or more ben-eficiaries of the estate, it is done with a personal representative’s deed.
General Warranty Deed: Sellers (or Grantors) ordinarily sell their real estate using a general warranty deed. This means that they are warranting that they have legal ownership, that the property is as legally described, and that there are no undisclosed, known defects in title.
Deed of Trust: When the purchasers take a mortgage on the property, the mortgage lender will have them exe-cute a deed of trust and record it with the property records. This provides the lender with a security interest in the prop-erty and, depending upon who records first, establishes the seniority of the lender should there be foreclosure or a short sale.
Quitclaim Deed: Sometimes there is a dangling thread of ownership clouding title that needs to be resolved. The grantor of a quitclaim deed is saying, “whatever interest I may hold in the property, I’m giving it to the grantee(s). I’m not saying I even have any interest or nothin,’ but if I do, I’m surrendering it.”
For many years it was an article of faith that married couples purchased real estate, particularly the marital residence, as joint tenants with right of survivorship. They would hold most if not all of their banking, checking, savings, and invest-ment accounts the same way. Avoiding probate, particularly at the death of the first spouse, was a touchstone consider-ation.
For various reasons, not least of which was the Federal estate tax, in the 80s and 90s some estate planners counseled changing joint tenancies into tenancies in common, the idea being that it facilitated something called a disclaimer or re-nunciation trust (grist for another month), thereby saving estate taxes. Couples may have changed the ownership on their property without fully appreciating its meaning or understanding that the significant increase in the estate tax threshold (from $600,000 in 1995 to $10.4 million today) mooted the value of a tenancy in common for many couples.
If you’re not sure how you own your property, it’s worth your time to check and make sure. Going online to the El Paso County assessor’s site at http://land.elpasoco.com/ can tell you who the Assessor thinks owns the property, and a trip to the Clerk and Recorder’s office can get you a copy of the latest deed. Better to find out now than on the eve of closing.
(see ad p. 20)
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
THE EAGLE
PAGE 12
Pikes Peak Chapter/Military Officers Association of America
invites you to a
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Antlers Hilton Hotel
Cocktail Hour 5:30 pm Dinner 6:30 pm
Music by the
New Century Big Band
Semi-formal Attire/Business Suit Formal Attire/Uniform Equivalent optional
Meal Options: Braised Beef Short Ribs Mediterranean Chicken
Pasta Primavera (Vegetarian)
Reservations Required by Nov 30 $35 per Person
$40 after Nov 20 www.ppcmoaa.org/upcoming-events
or mail coupon and check payable to PPCMOAA to PPCMOAA PO Box 15319 Colorado Springs, CO 809035-5319
Questions? Call Bunny Blaha at 471-8527
PPCMOAA Holiday Dinner & Dance Dec 3, 2015 Reservation Request due by Nov 30
Name ____________________________________ Meal Selection: ___ Beef ___ Chicken ___Vegetarian
Name ____________________________________ Meal Selection: ___ Beef ___ Chicken ___Vegetarian
Name ____________________________________ Meal Selection: ___ Beef ___ Chicken ___Vegetarian
Name ____________________________________ Meal Selection: ___ Beef ___ Chicken ___Vegetarian
$35/person ($40 after 11/20) x ___ persons = $ ______ total (Enclose check payable to PPCMOAA)
THE EAGLE
PAGE 12 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
Investment Club COL Owen Knox, USA (Ret)
689-2355 /[email protected]
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 13
The November 10th meeting of the Pikes Peak MOAA Investment Club was attended by
seven members
Minutes of our October meeting were read by the Secretary, Dave Wintermute, and were approved.
Our Treasurer, Jim Kennedy, presented the financial report for the month of October which was approved without
change. The total valuation for the club as of the end of October was $141,482.28. This figure represents the total value
of our stocks plus cash on hand. Our stock portfolio has recovered from the losses suffered as a result of the major cor-
rections in the US market overall in the months of August and September.
Jim Kennedy, our Portfolio Manager, provided reports on the status of the 15 stocks the club now holds. The perfor-
mance of these stocks was presented for the entire period that we have held the stock and how they have performed
since the beginning of the year. The year to date performance showed a gain of 1.72% which compared somewhat
mixed with the Dow at -0.52%, the Nasdaq at +7.59% and the S&P 500 at -0.96%. To put these results in perspective,
the value of our stocks has increased since the date of purchase by 28.27%. For those who have been following the
performance of our 160 shares of Apple stock (AAPL), the price per share recovered sufficiently in the month of October
to show a profit of 8.76% since the beginning of the year 2015. The total value of our holdings of this stock has increased
by 48.36%since our purchases in 2012, 2013 and in March 2015. (Please stay tuned).
Because of the conflicting evidence and uncertainty concerning the market at this point and the likelihood that the Feder-
al Reserve may announce an increase in their interest rate it was decided that we would hold our portfolio at current lev-
els for this month. Stocks now held by the Club are: Apple Inc. (AAPL), Alaska Airlines Inc. (ALK), First Solar (FSLR),
Gilead Science (GILD), Corning Inc. (GLW), Honeywell Intl. Inc. (HON), Intl. Paper Co. (IP), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), J
P Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI), Southwest Airlines (LUV), Marine Harvest ASA (MHG),
PayChex Inc. (PAYX), Procter Gamble (PG), and Skyworks Solutions (SWKS).
Dave Wintermute briefed us on his initial efforts to develop a systematic method for screening stocks to qualify them for
further analysis. This project will continue over the coming months.
Jack Artman volunteered to fill the vacant Vice President position. His offer was accepted by unanimous vote.
If you would like to join us, all are welcome to attend our regular scheduled meetings that are held on the second Tues-
day of the month at 2:30 in the Merrill Lynch conference room. The Merrill Lynch office is located in downtown Colorado
Springs on the 6th floor of the Wells Fargo Building, 90 South Cascade Avenue. Park in the underground garage and
have your ticket validated in the ML office for free parking. If you have any questions please call Owen Knox at 689-
2355.
MOAA Singles
Sharon A. DeVaney, MOAA Surviving Spouse
Advisory Committee
719-488-6687/[email protected]
PAGE 14 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
Come join us for lunch in The Tavern on Monday, December 7th. This is always a great time to explore the beautiful Christmas holiday decorations around the Broadmoor Hotel. Geri Jeffers will be hosting the event at 11:00. Entrees will be chosen from the menu. Reservations are due to Clara Remele 473-4515 on Thursday, the 3rd. You don’t want to miss this! Come enjoy. Merry Christmas to all.
According to an update put out by Congressman Doug Lamborn’s office, the Southern Colorado VA Cemetery is on schedule in the design phase. This phase must be completed before it can move to the budget phase, which it is scheduled to do in 2017. Below are concept drawings; the final design may be different.
Front entrance:
Public information center and administration building:
Committal Service Center
Cemetery Update
PA Report Capt. Steven Lucks USN (Ret)
208-521-1980/[email protected]
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 15 THE EAGLE PAGE 15
Survivors and Dependents Assistance The VA offers benefits and programs to the survivors and children of veterans who are totally disabled. There are two main GI Bill programs offering education assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans: The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship http://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Fry_scholarship.asp is available for children and spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program, http://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/DEA.asp offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or of Veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.
Other Help for Students: The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) has been offering students a chance to help pay for college through its A-OK Student Reward Program since 1997. The A-OK Student Reward Program offers all qualified students to participate in a quarterly drawing for monetary awards of $2,500, $1,500, $1,000 or $500 for a total of $5,500 per quar-ter. Learn more at A-OK Student Reward https://nexcom-www-uat02.speedfc.com/nex/enterprise-info/a-ok-students .
The Marine Corps, http://www.mymcx.com/index.cfm/myshopping/savings/has a similar program. The dead-line for this year has passed, so keep this in mind for 2016.
Learn about AAFES "You Made the Grade"http://
www.aafes.com/about-exchange/you-made-the-
grade/ program for students.
Are you sure you are getting all your benefits? Check it all
with MOAA.
ROTC / JROTC Donations
PAGE 16 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
Would you like to see your name here? Support
the Chapter and our ROTC/JROTC Scholarship
Program with a Tax Deductible Do-nation.
Please see http://www.ppmoaa.org/members/ and
click the “Make a Donation” link
Please support your Chapter and join fellow members for a good time visiting
with friends, good food and dynamic speakers. See your Eagle newsletter for
more details on each breakfast/ luncheon/dinner and the reservation process.
Don’t miss the PPCMOAA Holiday Dinner & Dance, Antlers Hilton
Cocktails 1730, Dinner 1830
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 17
Gift-giving season is either the best time of the year (if you love shopping and always have tons of ideas for everyone on your list) or the thing you dread most about winter (if you can't think of a thing for anyone on your list). The challenges of gift giving are often increased when shopping for seniors. While some seniors still delight in receiving presents, others are in a stage of getting rid of, rather than acquiring, things. We've pulled together some ideas for from-the-heart, non-space-taking, useful ideas for both seniors who still love opening presents and seniors who beg you not to get them anything at all. Consumables Gifts that can be eaten or used (and don't need to be stored) are often a great bet for seniors. Some ideas that keep the principles of healthy diet found in Home Care Assistance’s Balanced Care Method™ in mind are:
Filet of smoked salmon (with rye or pumpernickel bread and whipped cream cheese for the full effect)
Selection of green and herbal teas, with a few tea biscuits and whole-grain cookies
Membership to a CSA (community supported agriculture) or produce delivery service for regular supplies of farm-
fresh fruits and vegetables
Basket with an assortment of whole grain pastas, canned tomatoes, jarred anchovies, high quality olive oil, flavored
vinegars, marinated artichokes, olives, capers, or dried porcini mushrooms Gift Certificates Gift certificates for special items that a senior wouldn't normally treat himself to can be a great present. While gift certifi-cates to places or for services they normally use can be useful, and may be more appropriate for some people, bumping it up just a notch can add an element of fun for the giver and the receiver.
Gift certificate to a specialty store, deli, or take-out counter
Credit to spend at the hairdresser's or a nail salon. Homebound seniors appreciate a traveling professional – many
salons offer home treatments.
Spa services such as massage or facials. Again, many spas offer home service for an additional fee.
Membership to a museum, which provides a year's worth of free visits and outings
Tickets or subscriptions to the theater or symphony (along with a ride there and back!)
Movie passes
Subscription to audio books or credit on an iTunes account
I.O.U.s Special outings, household chores, favorite meals – they all make great "gifts" when written down as a personalized gift certificate someone can redeem later in the year. Try to think of things that really are special, like:
Major yard work like trimming hedges or mulching gardens
Major housework tasks such as painting a room, cleaning gutters, or organizing a closet
Chauffeur services, either a 10-pack for short trips or one big journey, perhaps to visit a friend or family member the
person doesn't get to see very often
A visit to a favorite restaurant together or a home-cooked meal of the person's choice
Home Care Assistance is a national leader in senior care. We have certified caregivers who are available 24/7 to pro-vide experienced, trustworthy care to help with meal preparation, companionship, activities, transportation, socialization, and specific Alzheimer’s care services. Visit http://www.homecareassistancecsprings.com/ for more information.
Gift-giving Ideas for Seniors Dorothy Silvanic, Col (ret), USAF
Owner Home Care Assistance
719-258-0573
PAGE 18 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
Thanksgiving is here and Christmas, right around the corner. This tends to be the most stress-
ful time of the year for most people. The military community tends to experience even more stress due to separations
from extended family and deployments. Here are our tips to ease the stress this holiday season:
Perspective
Remember what the holidays are really about. Family togetherness, spiritual enlightenment and camaraderie with
friends are far more important than the overwhelming details. Stop to appreciate all your blessings. If your spouse is de-
ployed don’t give up on the holidays. Make travel plans to be with family or create a “makeshift” family with other military
spouses near you.
Be grateful
Wake up every morning and start the day by writing down 5 things you are grateful for. Gratitude has been attributed to
happiness, better relationships, better health, improved productivity and much more.
Give to others
If the holidays make you feel empty or lonely, try giving to others. The best way to get filled up with the holiday spirit is to
give. Fill up your heart by helping those who are less fortunate. Let’s not forget our deployed troops. A great project
would be to get with your local base and get a list of all deployed troops and send Christmas cards to them. Let’s make
mail call a really joyful time for our troops.
Read 6 minutes a day & listen to music
Reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by 68% according to
cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis. In the same study listening to music reduced stress by 61%.
Make a list & shop early
Don’t wait to the last minute start shopping now. Make a list of all the gifts you need to purchase and as gifts are pur-
chased cross them off the list. Money is a big stress of the holidays; by making a list it’s easier to budget and not over-
spend. Include preparing your holiday menu ahead of time and list the groceries needed. This will eliminate last minute
trips to the store for forgotten items.
Shop online
Avoid the crowds and save time by purchasing your gifts online. Just about anything can be purchased online at Ama-
zon and other websites.
Lastly, use a service to get your holiday cards done
One of the biggest time commitments and stressors of the holidays is getting your Christmas or New Year’s cards done.
Did you know there is a company that allows you to create your holiday cards online with family pictures and even a fam-
ily letter? The company we are affiliated with will print your custom cards, stuff them in envelopes, address them, put a
stamp on them, and then mail them for you. Check out hugsandkissescards.com and give us a call at 719-331-1525.
We can show you how to quickly and easily get your holiday cards done without all the hassle.
Wishing you a Stress-Free Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year filled with Happiness, Health & Abundance!
Tips to De-Stress the
Holidays
Michael and Brenda Sanchez, Major (ret), USAF
Hugs and Kisses Cards
719-331-1525/719-440-6477
Dollar Cost Averaging Lt Col USMC (Ret) Skip Fleming, CFP
685-0600
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 19
Despite all the hype, we only truly know two certain things when it comes to investing. The stock market tends to
rise over the long run and it fluctuates in the in the short term. Dollar Cost Averaging is a strategy that takes advantage
of these two known facts. A rising market may create euphoria, inspiring investors to buy; a falling market can lead to
fear that often discourages investors. With dollar-cost averaging, you can take advantage of the very moves that freeze
others with indecision. It is an investment strategy that is made for uncertain markets. Dollar Cost Averaging works as
well for beginners as it does for experienced investors. It is a simple concept summed up in a few words: Invest the
same amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of market fluctuations.
This strategy has several benefits. It tends to lower the average cost of your investments. When investing a fixed
amount, you buy more shares when prices are lower and fewer shares when prices are higher. The result is usually a
lower average cost per share than the average price, assuming the market is moving in both directions.
Let’s look at the chart to see how this works. In this hypothetical example, we invest the same amount each month into
this hypothetical mutual fund. We’re keeping it simple just to illustrate a point. In reality, this is a long term investment
strategy used over a period of many years.
Dollar Cost Averaging
Average Share Price: $8.67; Average Cost per Share: $8.27 ($1,800/217.63) (Examples are for illustration only and not
intended to represent the performance of any single investment.) It’s important to remember that no strategy is perfect.
Dollar Cost Averaging will not guarantee you a profit or protect you against a loss if you have to sell your investment in a
down market.
t is a strategy that imposes discipline, since you keep investing the same dollar amount every month or pay period; no
matter what happens in the market. It helps to remove the temptation to stay out of the market when conditions are un-
certain or volatile. In fact, Dollar Cost Averaging works best in fluctuating markets. It also helps to eliminate the tempta-
tion to time the market.
Market timing, which is selling when the market reaches a peak and buying back in when it hits bottom, is impossible to
execute successfully on a consistent basis. With Dollar Cost Averaging, your investments are made every pay period or
every month like clockwork. It can help to overcome investment inertia by investing smaller amounts on a regular basis,
it’s easy to start an investment plan and stay with it, even when markets are unpredictable. With the long-term growth of
the markets, even small investments made regularly can make a difference.
(Skip Fleming CFP® is an investment advisor representative of and offers investment advisory services through Garrett Investment
Advisors, LLC, a fee-only SEC registered investment advisor. 103 E. Van Buren, #357, Eureka Springs, AR, 72632. Tel: (910) FEE-
ONLY [333-6659]. He does business as Lodestar Financial Planning in Colorado Springs.)
Month Investment Amount Share Price Shares Purchased Total Shares
Jan $300.00 $10.00 30.00 30.00
Feb $300.00 $6.00 50.00 80.00
Mar $300.00 $8.00 37.50 117.50
Apr $300.00 $11.00 27.27 144.77
May $300.00 $7.00 42.86 187.63
Jun $300.00 $10.00 30.00 217.63
Totals: $1800.00 217.63
Legislative Watch Jennifer Marsh, editor
360-265-8718/[email protected]
PAGE 20 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
TRICARE will see an increase of over 20% in the cost of premiums for those with TRICARE Young Adult cov-
erage as of January 1, 2016. Click here for more information. If you are interested in the defense bill and its impact on
co-pays, retirement and military pay, commissaries and TRICARE, click here. If you are interested in Agent Orange
legislation like H.R. 3423, click here. Also, if you are interested in seeing NPR’s database of military personnel and
family members exposed to mustard gas, click here. If you were unable to attend MOAA’s 2015 annual meeting, click
here for the recap. How does Colorado stack up against the rest of the union regarding service members and veter-
an’s benefits? The annual state by state report card is here.
Scholarship Report
A BIG “Thank you” to these generous chapter members who recently donated to the Scholarship Fund: Mrs. Clara Remele, Col Benny and Cheryl Johnson, Dr. Sharon DeVaney, and Col Skip Fleming (winner of the 50-50 drawing in November who donated all his “winnings”.)
Without your continued support we would not be able to provide $2000 in scholarships to the UCCS Army ROTC cadets
and $5500 in scholarships to the top senior cadets ($500 each) of the 11 Junior ROTC units in the region.
(For photos of the ROTC student recognition, please turn to p. 21.)
“Wills,
Trusts,
Estate Planning,
Probate
and
Military Law”
Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret)
Clip and Mail
Save Time – Go Online and pay with PayPal or your credit card for Luncheon or Dinner http://www.ppcmoaa.org/Upcoming-Events
OR
For Luncheons - Mail reservation form (below) with check payable to PPCMOAA
To PPCMOAA, Attn: Reservations PO Box 15319 Colorado Springs, CO 80935-5319
to arrive by 1400 on the Monday prior to the luncheon. OR
To make/cancel reservation
call Nina Brokaw at 719-232-7389 or e-mail [email protected]
NLT 1600 on the Monday prior to the luncheon.
UPCOMING MONTHLY CHAPTER EVENTS – RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
December 3 Holiday Dinner & Dance 5:30 pm Thursday
In lieu of Membership Luncheon See event flyer for details
In honor of Karin Manning
Antlers Hilton Hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave..
Price: $35 ($40 after November 20)
Menu: Braised Beef Short Ribs, or Mediterranean Chicken or Pasta Primavera (Vegetarian)
December NO Business Professionals Dinner due to the holidays
January 7 Membership Luncheon 11:30 am Thursday
_location TBD_ Installation of 2016 Board of Directors
Price: _TBD Menu: _TBD_
Speaker. _TBD_
January 21 Business Professionals Dinner 5:30 pm Thursday
The Club at Flying Horse, 1880 Weiskopf Pt.
Price: $25 Menu: Buffet
Speaker: _TBD_
Membership Luncheon Reservation
January 7 at 11:30 am _location TBD_
$__ per person
Number of Persons ______ Total enclosed $_______
Names:
Menu Choices:
_____________________________________________________ _____________
_____________________________________________________ _____________
PAGE 22 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12
Pikes Peak Chapter Membership Renewal Form
Chapter dues are paid annually (Jan – Dec) and separate from MOAA National dues.
Save time and postage: Please use the secure PayPal (credit card) feature to pay your
Chapter dues at www.ppcmoaa.org , or you can cut out this form and mail to: Pikes
Peak Chapter–MOAA, Attn: Membership, P.O. Box 15319, Colorado Springs, CO
80935. Make check payable to: PPC-MOAA. Thank you for your support!
Full Name ______________________________________________________ Rank __________________
Branch _______________Retired / Active / Former____________________________________
MOAA Nat’l # ____________________ Email ________________________________________
REGULAR MEMBER DUES
□ 2015 - $24 □ 2 YEARS - $48 □ 3 YEARS - $72 LIFE MEMBER: □ Under 70 - $250 □ 70 & Over - $200
AUXILIARY DUES
□ 2015 - $12 □ 2 YEARS - $24 □ 3 YEARS - $36 □ LIFE MEMBER - $125
*** Life Memberships can be paid in 4 equal installments during the year.
Donation to the JROTC/ROTC SCHOLARSHIP FUND $_____________(tax deductible ID# 84-1301955)
Pikes Peak Chapter Membership Renewal Form
Chapter Dues are paid annually (Jan – Dec) and separate from MOAA Nat’l dues
Mail to: Pikes Peak Chapter –MOAA Check payable to:
Attn: Membership PPC-MOAA
PO Box 15319 Thank you
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-5319 for your support!
https://www.facebook.com/PikesPeakChapterMOAA. Act Now Preserve Your Promised Benefits
Go to the MOAA Website
http://MOAA.ORG
Click on Issues & Legislation
Action Alert
VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12 THE EAGLE PAGE 23
PAGE 24 THE EAGLE VOLUME 54 ISSUE 12