A foundation of faith and family

EE
FR
Inside:
Fun & Puzzles
Medicare Assistance
Bathroom Humor
Sept.
2015
Savvy Senior
a publication of The Columbia Press
A foundation of faith and family
Emma Edwards and her new friend, Button.
By Gary Nevan
When you walk into Emma Edward’s apartment in Warrenton, you instantly notice ladybugs everywhere. Not the live
bugs (which are actually beetles), but ladybug pictures, mugs,
clocks, magnets, almost anything you can imagine relating to
ladybugs.
Emma loves ladybugs. But the reason for her fondness of
the colorful insect has to do with her late husband, Bill.
“Bill loved to find ladybugs,” says Emma. “He had large
hands and he would carefully put a ladybug in the palm of his
hand if he found one in the house and let it fly away outside.
When I came home from the memorial service after Bill died,
I found a ladybug in my house. Then my kids started getting
me everything related to ladybugs. They remind me of Bill. It’s
a comfort thing for me.”
Emma was born in Detroit, Michigan, the motor city of the
world back then. She remembers that her uncle was a good
friend of Henry Ford.
“The first Ford car ever built was made in my uncle’s garage
in Dearborn, Michigan,” she says. “The first garage door was
made there, too, because they had to get the car out somehow.
Thomas Edison was a neighbor down the street also.”
Emma met her future husband in high school. They fell in
love and after having a few chaperoned dates, Emma’s parents
wanted to meet Bill to see if he was worthy of spending time
with their daughter.
“Dad approved of Bill,” says Emma. “The only negative
thing he said was that Bill had blue eyes. Dad always said that
you can never trust a man with blue eyes. All of my children
have brown eyes!”
Emma and Bill decided they wanted to get married. Both
were only 18 years old and both sets of parents thought they
were too young.
“Bill’s parents offered him a full education if he didn’t get
married,” remembers Emma. “But we were in love and wanted
to be married so we did.”
The young couple moved to Richmond, Mich. , and started
Continued on page 5
SHIBA volunteer takes the
scare out of Medicare
by Trish Nevan
Liz Blacker, of Warrenton, is the kind of woman you want to be around when you’re feeling anxious. With her calm and steady demeanor, she exhibits a quiet kind of confidence. A nurse by training, she retired from working as a geriatric community nurse in 2009; she has worked as a home
health nurse and hospice nurse at Suzanne Elise Assisted Living in Seaside.
In 2010, with her husband approaching retirement, she knew that he would have to enroll in
Medicare. She also recognized that he wasn’t exactly inspired about trying to figure it all out.
She says, “With my husband nearing retirement, I thought, ‘I want to learn more.’’’
That’s how she became involved with the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA)
program. SHIBA uses certified volunteer counselors to help people with Medicare make health insurance decisions. The program is funded by a federal grant and offers free services to people with
Medicare, their family members, caregivers and advocates.
Liz was so impressed with the program that in 2010 she decided to take the training classes and
become a certified SHIBA volunteer. Nowadays, Liz, along with Charles Dice, are Clatsop County’s
two trained SHIBA volunteers, helping seniors understand their choices and options when it comes
to the complexities of Medicare.
Continued on page 4
Liz Blacker is
ready to help.
News for seniors loving life on the Oregon North Coast
2 North Coast Senior september 2015
One Woman’s Opinion:
Did you find
a typo?
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, typos and
grammatical gaffs happen. So, bring out your red
markers and let your inner English teacher get
to work while you read this issue of North Coast
Senior. If you’re the first person to spot a typo,
send us an email to [email protected],
let us know where you found it and we’ll send you
a small token prize (TBD) for your efforts. One
entry per person (hopefully).
Have a
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Things that make you go “Duh!”
by Trish Nevan, editor
Public restrooms used to be pretty straight-forward affairs.
Standard equipment included one or more toilets or urinals,
toilet paper, sinks, soap dispensers and a way to dry your hands.
Just add water and you’ve pretty much got the picture.
But then, on the way to building a better mousetrap, things
got technical—which is just another way to say complicated.
Paper towel dispensers used to be easy to understand: just
pull one or more sheet out of what was basically a large Kleenex
box, dry off and toss it in the trash. Then someone got the bright
idea to conserve paper and fabric roller devices came into vogue.
I remember they were popular when I was in school. That is,
until somebody somewhere managed to get themselves tangled
or strangled in one, forcing companies to attach disclaimers for
users not to hang from the towel loop.
Additional incarnations have paper towels that automatically
feed off of rollers, or require users to give the edges a little tug
(use both hands, they sternly warn) to get the feeder started.
Lately, I’ve noticed more dispensers that are motion activated,
allowing users to simply wave their wet hands like magicians
and—abracadabra—a towel appears for your convenience.
Air dryers are also showing up more and more. Seems like a
smart idea in the paper- and trash-saving department. Just stick
your hands under or in a device with the sound and force of a
jet taking off for a quick dry. (The air pressure can also remind
you of what your hands used to look like before the wrinkles
took over.) They work great if you don’t mind a little hearing loss.
But before you get to the hand-drying part of the public
restroom experience, you have to run the gauntlet of what can
be a confusing adventure.
Some toilets (and urinals, my male source confirms) have
gone higher tech, too, using sensors that automatically flush for
you. While it’s rather a nice feature, it’s also a little creepy (just
how do “they” know when you’re done?). And sometimes the
timing is off, leaving one to awkwardly wait to see if the flush
is going to happen or searching for some sort of manual override button.
Once the flushing has been accomplished, there’s the sink to
deal with. Faucets and soap dispensers can also be automated,
but not always. And therein lies the confusing aspect of restrooms in the modern world. Because it’s not an all-or-nothing
proposition. In fact, public restroom amenities are often a
mixed-bag of familiar old-school convenience and newfangled
equipment that seem to inspire “duh” moments.
I imagine that I’m not the only one who has stuck my hand
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under a soap dispenser waiting for the “sploosh” of liquid soap
to appear, only to realize after a long moment that it requires
me to push or pull on a lever. There have been times when it has
taken me a longer-than-reasonable amount of time to figure out
just where I need to wave my hands around under an automatic
faucet to find its sweet spot just to get it going. Oftentimes I have
to go through the motions all over again once the timer on the
water source shuts off before the soap is rinsed off.
And then it’s back to the hand-drying conundrum. With so
many configurations out there, it is possible that your hands will
be dry before you figure out how to get the actual dispenser to
operate. Should one push, pull, turn, grasp or gesticulate? Honestly, I’ve had to remind myself at times like this that I really am
a reasonably intelligent human being; I mean, I’ve managed to
assemble furniture with foreign instructions and have installed
various computer thingamajigs, but trying to get a single piece
of scratchy paper towel to emerge from a box on the wall has
occasionally gotten the best of me.
I can, however, picture this as a new reality TV show, as contestants race against the clock to complete a series of bathroom
tasks, while navigating a maze of new and old bathroom fixtures.
Maybe they could call it Rush to Flush or Cutthroat Commode.
Don’t get me wrong; as the owner of a set of aging internal
pipes I am thankful for public restrooms and flushing toilets and
running water and soap and all the various hand-drying apparatus available to those of us living at this point of history. I am
also highly appreciative of the ingenuity that goes into making
the public bathroom visit as convenient and sanitary as possible.
But still, sometimes I wonder if the folks who spend their
days coming up with automated flushers and motion-sensing
dispensers are just a tad bit passive aggressive, delighting in
confusing us with their random configurations of old and new
technology. No matter. I’ll continue to adjust to modern engineering in the bathroom department (with occasional moments
of “duh!”), and as they say, just go with the flow.
Are you a “Lollie?”
Long before the internet claimed the acronym LOL
(“laugh out loud” for those non-texting traditionalists
out there), my mother and her friends at the local senior
center declared themselves “Lollies.” Used in a sentence,
an example would be: “Mary and I are going to join the
lollies for dinner tonight.” Have you guessed its meaning
yet? Lollies stands for “little old ladies.”
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North Coast Senior 3
It’s Medicare Open Enrollment time
There can be a bit of confusion about just when a person is
officially a senior. AARP welcomes members beginning at age
50, and various stores, restaurants and lodgings seem to make
up their own arbitrary rules for senior discounts. Social Security
benefits can kick in anywhere between age 62 to age 67. In Oregon, public senior programs are generally for those who are over
65, except sometimes when 60 is considered okay. Simple, eh?
I’ve started referring to those in the 50 to 64 age bracket as
“junior seniors” because it’s not until you reach the golden number 65 that you get to sit at the grown-up’s table and become
a member of the Medicare club. And Medicare is a big deal.
They say that as you age you should keep your mind active
by doing puzzles and brain teasers. Fortunately, the U.S. government initiates a flurry of brain challenging exercises each year
during Medicare’s open enrollment period which runs from
October 15 through December 7.
You may have already begun finding solicitations for Medicare supplemental plans arriving in your mailbox—and the
deluge is just beginning. It’s enough to make your head spin.
Michelle Lewis, community programs supervisor at NorthWest Senior & Disability Services (NWSDS) says it is important for people with Medicare to review their current Medicare
health plan and prescription drug coverage during the open
enrollment period.
It’s important, she notes, because details within individual
plans can and do change every year—and costs also often increase. Those who simply let their current plans automatically
renew may be in for some unhappy surprises when January 1
rolls around.
Lewis notes that it is definitely worth shopping around for
coverage, but knows that it can be daunting for many.
Fortunately, free, non-biased help is available in making
sense of the many options and choices out there. The first step
is to recycle all that Medicare advantage and prescription plan
junk mail. The next step is to pick up a copy of the 2015 Oregon
Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans, second edition (available
online at oregonshiba.org or at the NWSDS office in Warrenton at 2002 SE Chokeberry Avenue). This guide is a wealth of
information without all the hype. You can compare prices and
plans available in Oregon and Clatsop County, as well as find
answers to common questions, and lists of helpful resources.
Still, many people are overwhelmed by the complexity of the
Medicare system and could use some additional help navigating
the multiple options out there.
If you’ve just gotten your Medicare card (or don’t know
how to get one), if you need help understanding how Medicare
works and what it covers, or have questions about how to enroll,
please consider attending one of the Get a Grasp on Medicare,
plus classes offered by NWSDS and Senior Health Insurance
Benefits Assistance (SHIBA). The two-hour program promises
“no sales presentations; no special offers. Just free, non-biased
Medicare information.”
Topics include: summary of Part A and Part B benefits;
Medicare choices; 2015 Medicare updates and Affordable Care
Act; Part D benefits and how to enroll; helpful resources; and
avoiding health care fraud.
Additionally, if you still find yourself with questions or in
need of help choosing the best benefit plans for you, trained
SHIBA volunteers are ready and willing to meet one-on-one
with individuals to help assess all the options available. There
is no cost to meet with a SHIBA volunteer.
All classes are free and no registration is required. To meet
with a SHIBA volunteer, please call 800-722-4134 or visit oregonshiba.org. For more information on the Get a Grasp on
Medicare, Plus seminar, call Michelle Lewis at 503-861-4202
or visit nwsds.org.
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SHIBA volunteer helps make sense of Medicare
Continued from page 1
Caption this! Send in your best and wittiest caption
for this photo of an elk to [email protected].
We’ll share our favorite responses in the October issue.
(Photo by Trish Nevan)
Joe Amicarella from Seaside sent us this note regarding
Signs of the Times: I heard some young men were unable
to steal a vehicle due to it being a stick shift…
He also enclosed a Mallard Fillmore comic strip in which
a young sales clerk is flummoxed by Mallard’s handing over
$3.02 for a $2.97 purchase in order to get a nickel return.
Sound familiar?
Have a sign of the times to share? Send it to editor@
northcoastsenior.com.
She says, “I enjoy working with this population,” and notes,
“Medicare to most folks is daunting. It’s not complicated to me,
but I understand how it can be. This is a concrete, well-defined
way to help people. It’s hugely satisfying to me—and people are
so appreciative.”
She knows that Medicare can be overwhelming for many,
noting, “People get anxious; it’s just a lot.”
She’s been known to go the extra mile, admitting she often
gives people her home phone number and would be willing to
make housecalls to help clients.
She explains that Medicare is often misunderstood. “It’s different than insurance; an individual has to put more effort into
it than private insurance.”
Liz also says people don’t always realize that Medicare is not
free. “They can be shocked at the cost. Folks are disappointed
because they’re not understanding all the parts; that can be
challenging.”
In particular, she says some people don’t pay attention and
don’t get Part B and Part D—not realizing that unless they
qualify to delay enrollment in Parts B and D, they could face
lifetime penalties later for not enrolling during the seven-month
period surrounding their 65th birthday.
As a SHIBA volunteer, Liz is trained to help individuals find
their best options within the Medicare system and suggests that
people review their choices during the open enrollment period
(October 15 through December 7). With approximately 10,000
people turning 65 every day in the U.S., she says that it’s important for them to realize that their lives will change in the next
20 years and plan with an eye to the future.
“Everybody should know their options,” she says, “It’s not
one size fits all.” (For example, she points out that the new Advantage TV ads on Portland stations do not apply to us on the
coast.) “Realistically, you should review it every single year.”
So what should you do if you’re new to and/or confused
about Medicare?
A good place to start is by taking one of the local classes
offered (see schedule on page 3) during the open enrollment
period. But if further assistance is needed, just call to schedule
a free appointment to work one-on-one with a SHIBA volunteer. (You’ll need to bring a list of medications and your Medicare card.)
“The more people that know about us, the more we can help,”
she states. She also stresses that the SHIBA program is about
education: “We don’t sell anything.”
Liz says being a SHIBA volunteer is worthwhile and that the
program welcomes and encourages volunteers from all backgrounds. Training can be done online or in a two-day class.
“I like helping people. I enjoy listening to their stories.” She
says the SHIBA program itself offers a supportive environment
as well. “It’s very rewarding and not hard once you get it; not at
all stressful. Don’t be afraid to volunteer.”
With the open enrollment period gearing up, seniors are beginning to be bombarded with options. If you’re feeling anxious
about the array of Medicare choices, you’re not alone. Fortunately, help is readily available through the local SHIBA program.
Call 800-722-4134 or visit oregonshiba.org to schedule an
appointment. With a little help from volunteers like Liz Blacker,
you’ll be feeling better in no time.
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North Coast Senior 5
Emma Edwards loves life, ladybugs and the Lord
their family. Bill worked for Sears and Roebuck while retirement facilities. But one more move was in their
Emma worked for Household Finance. Both of them future. “We decided to move back to the coast because
originally wanted to have eight children and eventually Bill always said he wanted to die on the Oregon Coast,”
Emma says.
wound up with six.
They bought a fifth wheel trailer and parked it at
“Our first four kids were named Bill Jr., “she says with
a laugh. “We thought each one was going to be a boy but their daughter and son-in-law’s place in Warrenton.
Bill’s health started in deteriorate
each one was a girl. The fifth one
around 2000, and in 2004 he was
was a boy, Bill Jr.”
diagnosed with Stage 4 Hopkins
Bill was raised in a Baptist
Lymphoma. He died shortly after
church while Emma was an
at the age of 72.
Episcopalian.
One year before Bill’s death,
“A Baptist minister kept comthe couple was driving in Warrening over to our house inviting
ton and saw a black blob in the
us to church,” says Emma. “He
middle of the road.
just kept coming so we decided
“It was a little dog, full of
to go to the local Baptist church.
brambles,” Emma says. “Bill and
“But Bill started dragging his feet
I always wanted a Cocker Spaniel
about going to church. I rememand my granddaughter, Ashley,
ber coming home from work
who was with us said, ‘Grandma,
one night and Bill was sitting in
that’s your Cocker Spaniel’. So we
his chair with the Bible open on
took the little dog home and after
his lap. He said, ‘What’s the use?
advertising about a found dog, no
There’s nothing else I want to do’.”
one contacted us. We named him
Bill decided he wanted to beGeorge Dolphin. He was a woncome a minister so the family
moved to Minnesota so Bill could Emma Edwards with her dog, George. derful dog and he did so much
for me after Bill died.”
attend a Bible college.
After George passed, Emma enjoyed the company of a
“We had a nice home, a car and a comfortable life,
but I said okay,” Emma says. And that began her life as Chihuahua named Jinkies and now she has a five-pound
Chihuahua named Button that keeps her busy.
a pastor’s wife.
“Button gets me moving every day,” Emma says. “She
“I didn’t realize I wanted to be one but I really enjoyed
it,” she says. “I felt called to be one. When a woman would is wonderful company for me.”
Nowadays, Emma’s life is full. She leads a Bible study
confess something terrible to me, I had to learn to brush
it off so that it wouldn’t bother me too much. It was hard for women, enjoys playing pinochle with her friends, she’s
a member of the local TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly)
to do at first.”
Bill eventually helped start a Bible college in Minne- club, and writes the weekly Warrenton senior luncheon
sota and then received a call to be the pastor of a church news for the Columbia Press. She is an avid reader, enjoys
in Kalamazoo, Mich. In 1962, the couple moved to Port- baking and growing African violets, and playing brain
land so Bill could attend the Western Conservative Baptist building skills games online.
Besides having six children (Lynn, Kim, Karen, Lori,
Seminary and he completed his college education. The
couple then was offered a position with a Baptist church Bill Jr. and Howard) and their spouses, Emma has 21
grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
in Cannon Beach.
“I like to say ‘I know I will live on forever through my
“They checked us out and liked us,” says Emma. “Bill
progeny’,” she says. “I must mention how giving and carwas paid $86.50 a week to be their pastor.”
The couple stayed there for three years before moving ing all six of my kids and their spouses are. They promised
their dad on his deathbed to take good care of me and
to Aromas, Calif., where they stayed for ten years.
Eventually, Bill and Emma retired from the ministry they certainly have. I think I am about the most blessed
and moved to Salem where they managed homes for mom in the world!”
Continued from page 1
Naturally, religion is a vital part of Emma’s life.
“Prayer is a responsibility I take very seriously,” she says. “I maintain a
prayer journal and write out prayers, thoughts and situations to remember on
a daily basis. These days she is particularly drawn to Psalm 71:18: Now also
when I am old and silver-haired, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare
Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.
6 North Coast Senior september 2015
Dealing with chronic pain
Adjusted Flu Vaccine
Options Available to
Seniors This Year
Dear Savvy Senior,
What can you tell me about this year’s flu
shot? Last year’s vaccine was ineffective at preventing the flu, especially among seniors. What
options are available to me this year?
—Seeking Protection
Dear Seeking,
You’re right. Last season’s flu shot was not
very effective at preventing the flu. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), people who got the
shot were just 19 percent less likely to visit the
doctor for flu than people who did not get the
shot. In good years, flu shot effectiveness is in
the 50 to 60 percent range.
The reason for the shot’s ineffectiveness last
year was because the vaccine was mismatched
to the circulating flu viruses, which can genetically shift from year-to-year.
This year, U.S. health officials have tweaked
the flu vaccines to include last year’s missing
strain, which will hopefully provide better protection. But a flu shot is still your best defense
against the flu. So, depending on your health,
age and personal preference, here are the flu
vaccine options (you only need one of these)
available to older adults this year.
Standard (trivalent) flu shot: This traditional
flu shot has been around for more than 30 years
and protects against three different strains of
flu viruses. This year’s version protects against
two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2), and one influenza B virus.
Quadrivalent flu shot: This vaccine, which
was introduced two years ago, protects against
four types of influenza – the same three strains
as the standard flu shot, plus an additional new
B-strain virus.
High-dose flu shot: Designed specifically
for seniors, age 65 and older, this trivalent vaccine, called the Fluzone High-Dose, has four
times the amount of antigen as a regular flu
shot does, which creates a stronger immune
response for better protection. However, note
that the high-dose option may also be more
likely to cause side effects, including headache,
muscle aches and fever.
FluBlok vaccine: Created for adults 18 and
older who have egg allergies, this is a trivalent
flu vaccine that does not use chicken eggs in its
manufacturing process.
Intradermal flu shot: For those who don’t
like needles, the intradermal flu shot uses a
tiny 1/16-inch long micro-needle to inject the
vaccine just under the skin, rather than deeper
in the muscle like standard flu shots. This trivalent vaccine, however, is recommended only to
adults, ages 18 to 64.
To locate a vaccination site that offers these
flu shots, visit vaccines.gov and type in your
ZIP code. You’ll also be happy to know that if
you’re a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the costs of any flu shot, as
long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy
agrees not to charge you more than Medicare
pays. Private health insurers are also required
to cover standard flu shots, however, you’ll need
to check with your provider to see if they cover
the other vaccination options.
Pneumonia Vaccines
Two other important vaccinations the CDC
recommends to seniors, especially this time of
year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia each year, and about
50,000 people die from it.
The CDC is now recommending that all seniors, 65 or older, get two vaccinations –Prevnar
13 and Pneumovax 23. Both vaccines, which
are administered just once at different times,
work in different ways to provide maximum
protection.
If you haven’t yet received any pneumococcal vaccine you should get the Prevnar 13 first,
followed by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months
later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with
Pneumovax 23, wait at least one year before getting the Prevnar 13.
Medicare Part B covers both shots, if they
are taken at least 11 months apart.
Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today
show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.
Warrenton resident Phyllis Shatto knows all about chronic,
persistent pain. She has been dealing with pain for years as a result of degenerative disc disease and arthritis in her lower back.
Sometimes it’s so bad she can’t walk, or function at all. She says
she’s looking forward to surgery on her lower back in a couple of
weeks that she hopes will relieve the pain.
In the meantime, Phyllis has been attending ten weekly sessions
at the North Coast Pain Clinic—now located in Warrenton—to
learn how to manage her pain symptoms and live a full life.
“Nothing short of surgery is going to stop my physical pain,”
Phyllis says. “But I learned that I can change my perception of
pain. We learned how to not focus on the pain by using other
Phyllis Shatto
techniques, including aroma therapy, music, relaxation and other
techniques. The classes were so valuable. We also learned about
body mechanics, like rising from the floor without causing further injury. I can’t believe how
much I didn’t know about my pain.”
Phyllis was also relieved to meet other people in the sessions who are dealing with chronic pain
issues. She said that it helped her emotionally to know that she wasn’t alone in her predicament.
“I want to tell you though,” Phyllis said, “the best part was when I learned that laughter truly
is the best form of medicine in class. I now spend a lot of time laughing.”
Columbia Pacific CCO sponsored and supported the creation of the North Coast Pain Clinic.
It purchased the curriculum on which the treatment is based from Mid Valley Pain Clinic, then
hired an external contractor specializing in pain treatment to help guide the project. The CCO’s
own transformation specialist also served as an internal project manager. By funding the cost of
the curriculum and all startup and operational costs for the first six months of operations, Columbia Pacific CCO made it possible for the clinic to become one of the county’s key resources.
More than 90 percent of patients graduating from the clinic’s program report that they
thought the program was very helpful, another nine percent thought that the program was
somewhat helpful.
The North Coast Pain Clinic is located at 65 North Highway 101, in suite 208. The clinic may
be contacted by phone at 503-501-4774. For more information, please visit www.colpachealth.org.
Read North Coast Senior
online at northcoastsenior.com
september 2015
North Coast Senior 7
Word Search: Something’s Fishy!
E T D A Q X G S V M S A B A C F
GW O A L D R S H Q D U T Z O N
MN G Z E A G A A U L V R F I O
B S F H R H V B C L M F H L T E
U A I H E S L A H U B J R Z K G
H F S O K A R E D S N A P P E R
C O H O C R A S E T M S C H K U
R L H N A D K C U T T H R O A T
E A A B M I N N OW S E O N R S
P Y K F P N A N P I D N C H P E
O N E P Y E O Y F N I H A E Q A
S M E L T M B K U H O L T R J H
Y R L D L A C O C V I Z F R O O
R H O A E A L H Y B T I I I N R
F C S M L F W C U S N C S N P S
D J L B I D A T R O U T H G Q E
Albacore
Anchovy
Barracuda
Bass
Blackfish
Bullhead
Catfish
Chinook
Chub
Cod
Coho
Cutthroat
Dogfish
Flounder
Hake
Halibut
Herring
Mackerel
Marlin
Minnow
Mudskipper
Perch
Redsnapper
Salmon
Sardine
Seabass
Seahorse
Shad
This recipe is from the 1965 edition of Tried and True Recipes compiled by the
St. John’s Mothers Club in Seattle and is credited to Karen Money. Enjoy!
Chocolate Covered Grasshoppers
6 children
1 cup chocolate
100 grasshoppers
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
Take the six children and have them catch 100 grasshoppers.
Meanwhile, back at the kitchen, heat the oil. Wash grasshoppers
thoroughly (and the children). Fry till crisp in hot oil
(the grasshoppers, not the children). Melt chocolate and add
sugar. Dip each grasshopper individually (holding by hind
legs) into chocolate mixture. Roll in nuts, if so desired,
and serve with Vodka Martinis.
Answers
on
page 8
Smelt
Sole
Steelhead
Sturgeon
Trout
Tuna
Walleye
..
Looking ahead: Planning for Long Term Care with Options Counseling
We plan for most all our major expenses in life whether it’s buying a new
home, paying for a new car or helping our children through college. We may
even consider what we might leave our children in our estates after we pass.
However, we rarely plan for the possibility of needing extended long term
care as we age.
Yet, we see the need everywhere. We watch and sometimes even assist
our neighbors, friends or family members as they age and begin needing
more care at home, move to assisted living facilities, adult family homes or
nursing homes.
The costs of this type of care can easily exceed those of houses, cars or
college, but we often do not plan for those expenses.
For instance, care in a nursing facility can often exceed $7,000 per month.
Three years of care would cost over $250,000!
There are many situations in which nursing home care is the best solution but
sometimes there are other options that provide quality care at a lesser price.
Options Counselors at NW Senior and Disability Services are available to talk
to you about what types of care are available and what they might cost. They
can help you come up with a plan to most efficiently use your resources for
your care. They can also help you understand if/when you might be eligible
for state assistance.
For more information just call the ADRC at 866-206-4799 and ask to speak
to a local Options Counselor.
This information provided by:
Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon (ADRC)
Northwest Senior and Disability Services (NWSDS)
2002 SE Chokeberry Ave., Warrenton, OR 97146
Clatsop County (Warrenton office): 866-206-4799 or 503-861-4200
8 North Coast Senior september 2015
CCC hosts Conference on
Extraordinary Living
Clatsop Community College, with sponsorship from Columbia Memorial Hospital, Providence Seaside Hospital, Northwest
Senior and Disabilities Services and ENCORE, will host its second annual Conference on Extraordinary Living addressing the
interests and challenges of adults in our community.
This one-day conference will take place on the CCC main
campus, 1651 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, on Saturday, September 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A suggested donation for the conference is $10 at the door.
Lunch is included. Pre-registration is recommended by calling
503-894-0187 or email [email protected]. For details,
visit www.clatsopcc.edu/community/summer-programs.
I am a Seenager (senior teenager)
I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only
60 years later. I don’t have to go to school or work.
I get an allowance (pensions). I have my own pad. I
don’t have a curfew. I have a driver’s license and my
own car. I have ID that gets me into bars and the beer
store. The people I hang around with are not scared of
getting pregnant. And I don’t have acne. Life is great.
Solution to Something’s Fishy puzzle on page 7
E T D A Q X G S V M S A B A C F
GW O A L D R S H Q D U T Z O N
MN G Z E A G A A U L V R F I O
B S F H R H V B C L M F H L T E
U A I H E S L A H U B J R Z K G
H F S O K A R E D S N A P P E R
C O H O C R A S E T M S C H K U
R L H N A D K C U T T H R O A T
E A A B M I N N OW S E O N R S
P Y K F P N A N P I D N C H P E
O N E P Y E O Y F N I H A E Q A
S M E L T M B K U H O L T R J H
Y R L D L A C O C V I Z F R O O
R H O A E A L H Y B T I I I N R
F C S M L F W C U S N C S N P S
D J L B I D A T R O U T H G Q E
Published by The Columbia Press
Trish Nevan, editor
Contact us at: 503-861-3331
P.O. Box 130, Warrenton, OR 97146
[email protected]
We welcome readers’ stories and input!
All contents are copyright. ©2015
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ENCORE offers new programs and updates website
ENCORE (Exploring New Concepts of Retirement Education) is a seniors-in-retirement educational program designed
for people 50 years of age and older. Events and classes are offered to members and are usually free unless there are special
expenses. Classes are usually taught by members, but also by
visiting college faculty or other experts in their field.
Social events include a holiday “bash”, a St. Patrick’s celebration, monthly “Lunch Bunch” get-togethers at local restaurants, and there are often exciting and interesting trips
that always have an educational element. Membership also
includes our quarterly Class Act Newsletter.
Annual dues are $50 per person. A diverse mix of classes
are gearing up now, ranging from Aquanastics and folk dancing to discussions of scientific topics, archeaology, documentary films and more. The ENCORE website has been updated
and revised recently and is now more intuitive and easy to
manipulate. Take a look at encorelearn.org. You can also learn
more by calling 503-338-2566.