August 2015 Gazette - JKV Media Official Site

ENLIGHTEN t ENRICH t ENGAGE
Inside
Words &
Letters .............. 2
Headline
Scramble .......... 2
Sudoku ............. 2
You & Your Health
Cancer Cells Found
To Be Vulnerable In
Unique Way ........ 3
Life At John Knox
Village .............. 4
The Carb Question
It’s Simple: Complex
Is Better . .............. 4
August 2015
How The Grubbiest Grub Changed The World
The Unassuming Potato Has A Dramatic History
C
onsider the lowly potato. Dug
the Smithsonian
up from the earth, linked with
Magazine by
the decidedly unflashy Idaho, and
Charles C. Mann
long a staple of the American diet
(“How The
— ‘meat and potatoes’ being almost
Potato Changed
synonymous with ‘routine and basic’
The World”).
— it does not have a very glamorous
From its earreputation.
liest (and someIf you prompt someone to say what what grudging)
comes to mind
accepwhen you mentance
tion “potatoes”
“The potato … into the
and “history,”
Western
fueled
the
rise
of
the most comdiet in
the
West.
”
mon response
the 18th
you’ll likely get
century,
will include the
it has
words “Ireland” and “famine.”
grown to become virtually ubiquitous around the world today as the
Groundbreaking Impact
fifth most important crop. By greatly
The words you probably won’t
improving Europe’s ability to feed
hear are “epoch-making” or “worlditself at a critical point in history, it
changing” … and yet that’s exactly
had a world-changing geopolitical
what it was, according to an article for impact.
Wikipedia notes that “According to
conservative estimates, the introduction of the potato was responsible for
a quarter of the growth in Old World
population and urbanization between
1700 and 1900.”
“The potato, in other words, fueled
SEE “SPUD” ON P. 6
Myth-Busting: “My Current Home Is The Best Place
To Live In My Retirement Years”
Residents Lured By
Fishing Fun . ........ 4
Check It Out
Website Gets
Makeover ............. 4
An accomplished writer and dedicated grandmother, Ann ­Burnside
Love lives at a retirement community
in Maryland. Here is her perspective
on life at a continuing care retirement
community (CCRC).
Resident Recognition
Silver Angel
Honored For
Dedication ........... 5
Cocoon
‘Senior SciFi’ Film
Still Charms . ....... 7
American Hustle
1970s Con Artists
Get Caught In
‘Crossfire’ ............. 7
A Look At John Knox
Village
The Area’s Best
Retirement! .......... 8
Artist Of The Month
Actor Still Draws
Fans At John Knox
Village .................. 8
Speakers Bureau
Community Ties
Strengthened ....... 8
“M
y current home is the best
place to live in my retirement
years.”
How many of you have thought
that’s true? How many of you are sure
there is no better option for you than
remaining in the
home where you’ve
spent decades living? After all, this
is where you raised
your children,
hosted parties for
friends and family,
celebrated holidays, planted your
annual gardens and
stored decades of
fond memories.
Often, when looking back, our minds
gloss over the negatives, choosing
to remember the happy times and
moments.
What You Really Need?
If you are still living in this
home, you have to consider that it is
also where you had to pay holiday
rates to a plumber because your son
wanted to see if his toy car would
flush down the toilet. It’s where you
had to pay to have the leaking roof
repaired just after you paid for your
daughter’s first year of college. It’s
where you had to pay to have the
fence repaired, the swimming pool
liner replaced, and let’s not forget
that you still have to make dinner,
SEE “HOUSE” ON P. 2
Audi Produces A Carbon-Neutral according to a recent article by Fiona
MacDonald at Science Alert (“Audi
Fuel For Cars
Audi, the German car manufacturer,
has created a carbon-neutral diesel fuel,
Has Successfully Made Diesel Fuel
From Carbon Dioxide And Water”).
The fuel is created from carbon
dioxide taken from the atmosphere and ordinary water. Using
renewable energy sources, the
water is split into pure oxygen
and pure hydrogen. Carbon monoxide is created from the carbon
dioxide. The oxygen, hydrogen,
and carbon monoxide are then
combined at high temperatures
and pressure to create the new
fuel, dubbed ‘blue crude.’
Though not yet available
commercially, the fuel has been
SEE “HOPES” ON P. 6
John Knox Village of Florida, Inc.
651 S.W. Sixth Street
Pompano Beach, FL 33060
Getting Hooked
The John Knox Village Gazette
Page 2
August 2015
Once Ideal, Your House May No Longer Suit Your Needs
community, and what they found may surprise
put away the leftovers and clean the kitchen
you: The average person age 65 or older spends
every night.
two hours, 48 minutes per day shopping and
With all that considered,
doing household work,
your home — as chock
as compared to the one
“Where you were in your hour, five minutes spent
full of good times as it has
been — may not be the
by residents at a senior
younger
years
might
not
best home to spend your
living community. Their
necessarily
be
the
place
retirement years.
survey also discovered
you can spend the rest of differences in the amount
Freeing Up Your Time
of time spent socializing
your
years …”
Imagine that you live
and the amount of time
in a place where a handyspent learning or particiman fixes a stuck window before you’ve had
pating in educational activities. The average perthe chance to catch an evening draft. Where you son aged 65 or older spends only 35 minutes per
don’t have to cook dinner (but still get to eat it!) day socializing, and less than one minute per day
Where you can make a mess, and have someone learning or participating in educational activielse willingly clean it up. Where you have trans- ties. The average resident of the senior living
portation to personal appointments.
community surveyed spends three hours, seven
If your eyes are still closed, open them: this is minutes per day socializing and two hours, three
senior living; these are
minutes learning or parall benefits that come
ticipating in educational
with living in continuactivities.
ing care retirement
Personal Testaments
communities (CCRCs).
Residents report
Current residents of
that moving into a
CCRCs are happy to
CCRC has alleviated
discuss the benefits of
common stressors and
leaving their longtime
freed up time for them
homes and moving to
to pursue more fula community. Letty
filling purposes. Age
Caplan, a resident of
Wave, a research and
Whitney Center in
consulting company,
Hamden, Conn., said,
conducted a survey
“I lived in my home 47
featuring residents of
years but it was never
a leading senior living
a love affair between
that house
and myself.
Whereas for
my husband,
he adored
that house. It
was difficult
for him. But
I knew that I
was not going
to be spending my old age
in that house.
I was happy
the moment
I walked
Ann Burnside Love
through the
[Whitney
Center] lobby.”
Bill Leach, a resident at Lakeview Village in
Lenexa, Kan., said, “Where you were in your
younger years might not necessarily be the place
you can spend the rest of your years; upkeep of
the property, lawn mowing … all those things
are things that you could do when you were
younger, but as you get older, you may feel like
you don’t want to do all that yard maintenance.”
So—take another look around your current
home. Is it really is the best place for you to live
in your retirement years?
Carry on!
FROM “HOUSE” ON P. 1
WORDS & LETTERS
30 ___ms: Popular video game
franchise
2 “Christmas” alternative
3 ___ Paulo
Most of the clues here are solved in the usual crossword fashion. Clues
that begin with a bullet (“•”), though, indicate the answer is not a 4 Ego companion?
word, but simply a string of letters. You’re given the letters, but you
5 Approaches
will have to divine their correct order.
6 Dances mesmerisingly
24 What an oblivious person
ACROSS
7 Basic
might lack (2 words)
1 Gossiper who means more
8 ___ personality
25 Essential part of most URLs
than s/he says
disorder
27 ___inable: Not
8 Expand
11 Egg-like
environmentally friendly
9 Cookie
12 Prepares to fire again
29 Common in big cities and
10 Loved
low-res photos
13 Wh___: Buffy creator
31 Vital programming word
32 Responsibility assigned
to managers of public
17 Sport that’s going downhill?
companies
18 P___g: American general
19 Omar ___
21 Make up
DOWN
26 M___ skills
1 ___tant: Distraction
28 AP competitor
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23 Europe ravager
28
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Answer on page 6
S
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20 Stuck to an icy hut?
How many words (of 5+ letters) from this issue’s headlines can
you find embedded below? (There are 12.)
P
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8
16 Fashionable
15 • D, E, I, R, U, V
22 British meal (2 words)
1
Answer on p. 6
14 ___l: Stream
You can read more from Ann at her blog,
“Love Notes: Inside Retirement L
­ iving,” at:
BloggingForRetirees.blogspot.com
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August 2015
The John Knox Village Gazette
Page 3
Researchers Exploring Promising
Avenue For Generalized Approach For
Treating Cancer
Science Daily reports on intriguing research
into a possible avenue for a generalized cancer treatment approach (“Potential New Class
Of Cancer Drugs Developed In Lab,” June 27,
2015).
The head of the pharmacology and physiology departments of St. Louis University, Dr.
Thomas Burris, has found a drug which exploits
a potential vulnerability present in cancer cells
but not present in normal, healthy cells.
Cancer cells appear to be much more dependent on two specific types of metabolism than
normal cells, according to the article. Glycolysis
and lipogenesis allow the cancer cell to get the
energy it needs for rapid growth and the creation of more cancer cells. Glycolysis makes
the cancer cell heavily
dependent on glucose,
while lipogenesis
limits the cancer cell to
producing its own fat
molecules instead of
taking in fat from the
outside.
“Cancer cells look for
metabolic pathways to find
the parts to grow and divide.
If they don’t have the parts,
they just die,” Dr. B
­ urris
says.
He and his colleagues discovered that a chemical compound, SR9243,
suppresses cells’ ability to create their own
fats and impedes glycolysis. This helps
infects the eyes it can cause permanent blinddestroy the cancer cells while leaving most
ness, and shingles episodes can leave some
normal cells — which can absorb fats from
sufferers — especially older ones — with
the outside — undamaged.
prolonged pain.
“It works in a
“By the time you get to
wide range of can80 you’ve got a 50 percent
Cancer cells appear to be
cers both in culture
chance of getting shingles,
and in human tumors
much more dependent on two and if you do get shingles
developing in animal
about a 20 percent chance
specific types of metabolism of getting this nasty promodels,” Burris said.
“Some are more
longed pain that can cause
than normal cells …
sensitive to it than
depression and also lead to
others.”
your admission to a nursThe full article can be read at www.Scienceing home,” Dr. Tony Cunningham told Health
Daily.com.
Report.
The current vaccine (by Merck) was shown
New Shingles Vaccine May Provide
to reduce the incidence of shingles by about 50
Discovery Of Cancer’s ‘Achilles
Heal’ May Lead To Widely
Effective Treatment
Plus:
New Shingles Vaccine Found
Superior In Protecting Seniors;
‘Biopsychosocial Model’ Deployed
Against Chronic Back Pain
Seniors With Improved Protection
A medical study of a new shingles vaccine
developed by GlaxoSmithKline has been shown
to be significantly more effective in older adults
than the one currently used, according to Health
Report, the Australian medical news podcast.
Shingles is a painful and occasionally dangerous re-emergence of the chickenpox virus in
adults. According to Wikipedia, 99 percent of
adults over the age of 40 have the virus, which
remains dormant for most. However, when
immunity wanes (from age, stress, disease, or a
combination of these factors), it can re-emerge
to create a painful rash which lasts for days. If it
Early detection can often keep
a minor physical problem from
turning into a serious medical issue
… which is why the residents of
John Knox Village appreciate the
many on-site health care programs
and resources helping them stay
active and informed.
by Bert Meisel
percent among those 60 and older, and to reduce
the prolonged pain incidence by over 60 percent,
according to Wikipedia.
The new vaccine was significantly more
effective, according to Dr. Cunningham, a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline and one of the
authors of the study.
“[W]e are now seeing 97 percent effectiveness, not only in 50-year-olds but also in those
over the age of 70,” he told Health Report.
Unfortunately, the new vaccine also produced
significantly more incidents of side effects,
including arm soreness and general achiness.
Further testing will be required to evaluate
how long the new vaccine provides its protective
benefits before it can be marketed to the public,
Dr. Cunningham noted.
Broader Approach Taken To Help
Combat Persistent Back Pain
Back pain can be debilitating, and chronic
back pain can have a major impact on your
ability to live actively and independently. Unfortunately, current tests cannot always locate an
underlying physical source of chronic back
pain, even when the initial cause was clearly
a physical incident. Some health professionals
are taking a broader therapeutic approach which
includes psychological and social factors.
The efficacy of many approaches to chronic
back pain is “disappointing,” Professor Richard
Deyo recently told Health Report, and that has
led to clinicians taking this broader view.
“It turns out that exercise may be one of the
mainstays of therapy for people with chronic
back pain, and the challenge really is helping people to understand that they can do the
exercise without causing themselves harm,” he
explained.
Cognitive therapy can also help, he said.
“The idea is to help people to change lifestyle
in a way that helps to guarantee less pain, so better muscle relaxation, better sleep, less anxiety,
less fear about their injury, those sorts of things
that can make an important difference in the long
run,” Richard noted.
The ‘social’ aspect of the biopsychosocial
approach can mean workplace interventions that
would help reduce back strain and help maintain
the patient’s ability to live productively.
The full interviews with Dr. Tony Cunningham (“A Novel Shingles Vaccine”)
and Professor Richard Deyo (“Evidence
In On Model For Treating Back Pain”)
can be heard in the podcasts available at
www.ABC.net.au/RadioNational/Programs/
HealthReport/.
The John Knox Village Gazette
Page 4
August 2015
The John Knox Village Gazette
August 2015
Page 5
Fishing The Gulf Stream Aboard The ‘Reel Bandit’
John Knox Village Residents Enjoy Charter Fishing Adventure
O
Life at
John Knox
Village
Carbohydrates: Simple Or Complex?
I
t seems whether or not to eat carbohydrate (carb) foods can be
a complex decision. Should we limit sugar, avoid white flour
or eat low carbs? The list of questions goes on and on.
The answer is really yes and no. We need carbohydrates in our
daily diet to provide energy. Making smart carb choices helps to
improve overall health.
Carbohydrates are one of the three major macronutrients of
food. They are usually classified as simple or complex. Complex
carbohydrates consist of starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn and
peas), beans and grains. Simple carbohydrates, also known as
simple sugars, are found in foods such as fruit, milk and dairy
products, and foods containing sugar. Both of them affect your
blood sugar levels, but how they affect those levels depends on
both the amount and type of food you eat.
Foods That Contain Carbohydrates:
• Breads, cereals, pasta and grains
• Rice, beans and starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, peas, etc.)
• Fruit and fruit juices
• Milk and yogurt
• Regular soda, fruit drinks, jelly beans and gumdrops
• Cakes, cookies and candy
In a nutshell, all carbs are broken down into simple sugars,
and the sugar is used as a source of energy. Complex carbs are
often recommended because they are digested more slowly,
therefore raising blood sugar (blood glucose) more gradually.
The more gradual the blood sugar levels rise, the better blood
sugar control we have overall. Foods with refined sugar and
white flour cause quick spikes in blood sugar, and then quick
dips. Many junk foods fall into this category. They may taste
good going down, but they can have a dramatic and unhealthy
impact on our blood sugar levels.
So how many carbohydrates are in the foods we eat?
ur group cruised out of the Hillsboro Inlet in Northern Broward County on a hot
July day for an afternoon of ocean fishing aboard the charter sport fishing boat
Reel Bandit.
Captained by Scott Young, the 46 foot Hatteras is an experienced fishing boat having plied the waves between Boston and Port Canaveral under the name The Jester.
Rechristened two years ago when Captain Scott took ownership, Reel Bandit is available for charter fishing trips out of the Hillsboro Inlet.
We settled in for our ocean entrance and trip to the Gulf Stream hoping for wahoo,
mahi mahi and blackfin tuna. On board were John Knox Village residents Joe Reid,
Frank Perkins, John Mandt and David Thomson. All have enjoyed fishing adventures
over the years. In fact, Joe Reid spent a life in the maritime business.
Four New Friends Enjoy a Shared Passion
Joe is a native of Scotland, where he joined the British Merchant Marine and
trained as a Marine carpenter. From the UK, he made his way to the U.S. and plied
his trade in Stanford, Connecticut working on 12-meter “America’s Cup”-styled
wooden sailing boats. Moving
from the Northeast down to
John Mandt works the tackle in
Fort Lauderdale in 1990, he
the REEL BANDIT’S fighting chair.
worked for Broward Marine
building 80- to 90-foot yachts.
He then worked for Bradford
Marine as the shop supervisor,
where he renovated many 120
- 140 foot luxury cruisers.
Joe enjoyed boating on
the Atlantic and Intracoastal
aboard his 28 foot Chris Craft.
He was a regular weekly fisherman — targeting dolphinfish (mahi mahi) on the waters
off Fort Lauderdale.
Frank Perkins also was a
boat owner before moving to
John Knox Village. A native
of Virginia, Frank remembers
spending many days in his
youth around the water.
“My parents and I were members of a freshwater fishing club,” Frank said. “We
thoroughly enjoyed weekends at the clubhouse, fishing in Petersburg, Virginia.”
After relocating to South Florida, Frank owned a boat for family enjoyment for
about ten years. “We had an 18 foot boat and did a little bit of fishing and water skiing, but mostly sightseeing — going place to place. We went fishing once or twice
each season, mostly for mahi mahi. The biggest fish I caught was a 40 pound wahoo.”
The third member of our group was John Mandt, a native of West Virginia and a
one-year resident of John Knox Village. Growing up, John spent his summers in Huntington, West Virginia working in the family-owned restaurant, Stewart’s Original Hot
Dogs. His winters were spent in the Miami area, where he went to school and spent
many days fishing the piers with occasional fishing trips to Islamorada with his father.
David Thomson rounded out the quartet. David has been a long-time resident of
South Florida having moved to the area from New Jersey in 1960. He recalls fishing
since he was 14 or so. “When we moved to Davie [Florida], we also had a place in
Frank Perkins, Joe Reid, John Mandt and
David Thomson on board the REEL BANDIT.
Grams Of Carbohydrates Per Serving:
• Starch, grains, and fruit ................................. 15 grams
• Milk .................................................................. 12 grams
• Vegetables .............................................. 5 grams or less
• Protein-rich foods (like chicken) ..................... 0 grams
• Fatty foods (like olive oil) ................................. 0 grams
Here we see that most carbs come from starches, grains, fruit
and milk products. Vegetables contain very little while most
meats and many sources of fat are carb-free. (Mixed or processed foods — like potato chips — do contain carbohydrates, of
course.)
It’s generally recommended to get 30-45 grams of carbohydrates per meal … or about 2-3 servings. (For example: one cup
of whole grain pasta and a small fruit.)
Balance is what it is all about. Include the right amount of
carbohydrates, protein and fat at each meal and focus on the food
choices you include. Choose carbohydrates high in fiber. Load up
on those carb-free vegetables, and include lean protein choices.
Next time you think about carbs, make it simple, but keep it
complex: vegetables, grains and whole fruits.
—Pamela Ofstein, MS, RD, LD/N
J
Key Largo and a 24
foot fishing boat for
almost 20 years,” he
said.
Captain Scott
guided the Reel Bandit out of the Hillsboro Inlet. Trolling
the Atlantic in 100200 feet of water, it
was not long before
David got the first
‘hit’ and landed the
first dolphin.
To The Gulf Stream
Orville and Marie Brink.
Joe Reid (left) lands a small
dolphinfish aboard the REEL BANDIT.
The Reel Bandit
made its way to the
Gulf Stream, where Captain Scott found a weed line and a big floating log about eight
miles offshore in 800 feet of water. At that point the captain stopped trolling, so the
fishermen could start casting. The new fishing buddies hooked dolphinfish and a variety of other fish and proceeded to land their catches.
At the end of our four-hour adventure, we turned and headed back to the Hillsboro
Inlet after an afternoon of recreation, adventure and forming new friendships.
John said the trip was outstanding. “The captain and the mate were excellent. We
enjoyed a lot of camaraderie and a lot of action. It was a great time.”
The fishing trip was also a celebration of David’s 79th birthday. “This was one of
the best birthdays ever,” David said. “The boat, the crew and the fishing were great. I
had a wonderful birthday, and I am already looking forward to my next fishing trip.”
—Marty Lee
South Florida Fishing: Opportunity For Fun
A
Florida Residents 65+ Enjoy License Exemptions
ccording to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (www.
myfwc.com/fishing), “Florida is recognized as the ‘Fishing Capital of the
World’ based on the number of freshwater and saltwater anglers, amount of time
spent fishing, economic impact, diversity of recreational species, international
fishing records set in the state and tourists who use the resources.
“The most recent National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Related
Recreation (U.S. Department of Interior, 2006) ranked Florida No. 1 in in-state
anglers, angler expenditures in state, economic impact, angler-supported jobs
and state and local taxes generated by sport fishing.
“In addition, approximately 35 percent of all International Game Fish Association records in the U.S. come from Florida. The state even has more record
catches than the next highest country, with 18.5 percent of all IGFA records
worldwide.”
Fishing offers seniors a great opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation and
catch some tasty meals in the process. Florida seniors aged 65 or older are not
required to purchase most recreational licenses. However, wildlife officers may
ask seniors for proof of age and residency.
Our saltwater access offers great opportunities for pier fishing, drift boat fishing or charter boat fishing. The benefit for those under 65 is that most piers and
charter fishing boats include a license — which means no license worries when
you are on one of these fishing platforms.
Northern Broward County has three ocean fishing piers: the Deerfield Beach
Pier, the Pompano Beach Pier and the Anglins Ocean Fishing Pier in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. You will have to supply your own tackle and bait.
If you do not have your own fishing equipment, consider a drift fishing
adventure. The Helen S. and Fish City Pride are drift fishing boats leaving from
the Hillsboro Inlet. All the equipment is included. Four-hour ocean fishing
excursions cost $40 per person including tackle, bait and license fee.
For the ultimate experience, you can hire a sport fishing charter like the Reel
Bandit described in the accompanying story. Costs vary and many will take up
to six fishermen (and women) for the cost of the charter.
New John Knox Village Website Promotes Fun Lifestyle
ohn Knox Village has given a new look to its website (www.JohnKnoxVillage.com).
The updated design focuses on the incredible South Florida lifestyle enjoyed by
seniors, as well as the benefits of moving to a continuing care retirement community.
“South Florida offers the ability for area seniors to enjoy a wide range of activities,
from attending a professional sporting event or theatre, to dining at nearby restaurants,
to walking the beaches and parks, to even playing golf and fishing,” says Christopher
Miller, John Knox Village Public Relations Manager. “Our own John Knox Village
residents maintain similar active lives both on and away from our campus.”
Informative … And Interactive
The website also offers more interactive features, including videos, photo galleries
and virtual tours of the 70-acre campus and popular nearby venues, as well as apartment and villa floor plans.
Since more seniors and their adult children are using social media, the community
made sure its website included links to those sites, including its Facebook page
(www.Facebook.com/JohnKnoxVillage), Twitter account (@JohnKnoxVillage) and
YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/JohnKnoxVillage).
“We are starting to see more visitors to our website coming from tablets, smart
phones and other handheld devices,” notes Tom
Roe, Media Production
Manager at John Knox
Village. “Therefore, it
was essential to make
our new website mobile
and user friendly.”
According to the
Pew Research Center, up to 59 percent
of adults age 65 and
greater are using the
Internet. Once seniors
are online, it becomes
a regular part of their
daily lives, as 71 percent are on the Internet each day.
Silver Angel Of The
Month: Orville Brink
For eight years now, John Knox Village has bestowed Silver
Angel Awards on deserving seniors who have selflessly aided
others with their time, talents and efforts. This honor celebrates
people who quietly go about their good works in a true sense of
humanitarian charity.
In June, John Knox Village honored 11 outstanding senior
volunteers who were nominated by their places of worship for
this important recognition. In the coming months, THE JOHN
KNOX VILLAGE GAZETTE will highlight the good deeds of each individual recipient.
“O
ver the years, I developed a love for teaching and helping others develop leadership skills for spiritual ministry
in our church,” says Orville Brink, the only recipient of this
year’s Silver Angel Awards who is also a resident here at John
Knox Village.
Since 1962, Orville has faithfully attended First Baptist
Church of Fort Lauderdale. He served as superintendent of Sunday school for a decade, and continues to teach a Bible class.
Over 50 Years Of Dedication To The Church
Orville also became a deacon, which is similar to serving
on a Board of Directors. He was the chairman of deacons and
led an appointed search committee for the current Pastor Larry
Thompson, who came to First Baptist Church in 1992.
“Orville is a faithful brother in Christ!” says Pastor Thompson. “His wisdom and godly spirit, his devotion to his Savior
and his fellow believers, his heart to reach the unsaved and his
enthusiasm for the Word of God are something to which we
should all subscribe. Orville is an inspiration to all.”
Orville has also been an active booster of the annual Fort
Lauderdale Christmas Pageant. It is one of the more spectacular Christmas story shows during the holiday season in South
Florida. Thousands of people attend the performances, which
are held at the church. (This year’s pageants will take place
from November 27 through December 14.)
Making A Positive Impact In The Lives Of Others
Besides his involvement with First Baptist of Fort Lauderdale, Orville has devoted much of his time and efforts toward
other worthy causes. For 23 years, he served on the Board of
Directors here at John Knox Village, where he and his wife,
Marie, moved in 2012.
He also is proud of his work with Civitan International
(www.Civitan.org), an organization of volunteer service clubs
across the world dedicated to assisting people in their own
communities.
Orville helped start numerous clubs. However, his proudest accomplishment was serving as chair of the committee that
eventually founded the Civitan International Research Center,
which is located at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The Center focuses on the research and treatment of developmental disabilities, especially for people who have central
nervous system disabilities.
For his efforts, Orville received the Civitan International
Honor Key, one of the highest award given by the organization.
Orville also served as chairman of the Superintendent Commission on Public Education that made over 100 recommendations to improve the quality of education in our local schools.
When asked what advice to give others, Orville brings up
the importance of prayer in our everyday lives. “There is great
power in prayer. I know from personal experience that if you
call upon God, he will answer you,” he said.
For more information about First Baptist Church of Fort
Lauderdale visit www.FirstFortLauderdale.com.
John Knox Village is a non-denominational continuing care
retirement community in South Florida. We offer services each
Sunday in the Village Centre Chapel. In addition, we support
our diverse residents and their beliefs by providing bus transportation to ten area places of worship.
—Christopher Miller
Public Relations Manager, John Knox Village
The John Knox Village Gazette
Page 6
August 2015
The Lowly Spud Sparked Western
Ascendancy And Spurred The
Modern Age
FROM “SPUD” ON P. 1
the rise of the West,” Charles
explains.
The potato originated in the
mountains of the Andes in South
America. It is something of a misnomer to think of “the” potato,
Charles points out. While Americans might think of two varieties of
potato (‘white’ and ‘sweet’), in the
land of its origin, there are actually
thousands of different varieties in
the Andes, most of which are considerably more flavorful than the
white potato so common here.
The spread of the potato did
more than enrich the Western diet.
It also helped spawn modern farming, Charles says.
The Birth Of Modern Agriculture
The discovery of the potato in
the diets of native South Americans
was coupled with the later exploitation of that same region’s abundant
reserves of bird guano, a nitrogenrich substance that was unparalleled
in its effectiveness as a fertilizer.
This alone had a significant impact
on the productivity of Western
farming. Its
widescale
use in the
19th century
set the stage
for modern
intensive
infested plants. It worked.”
farming techniques dependent
The paint, it turns out, contained
on the systematic use of fertilizer
arsenic, and the modern pesticide
supplements.
industry was soon born.
The potato also heralded the
Today the
extensive use of pestipotato is firmly
cides. As deployed in
embedded in our
the West, potatoes were
The spread
Western diet, but
planted in large, singleof
the
potato
not without some
crop fields
controversy.
which were
… helped
particularly
spawn modern No Respect?
vulnerable
It’s nutritious
to molds and
farming …
and filling, but also
insect pests.
has a high glyceOne mold
mic index. It has virtually no fat on
would eventually devasits own, but of course some of the
tate the potato crops in
tastiest ways to serve it — mashed
Ireland in the mid 19th
century, with well-known potatoes with butter or gravy, french
fries, potato chips — contain a lot
consequences.
of fat.
Another pest — an
Senators from a potato-producinsect — would plague
ing state got into a tiff recently with
farmers in the 1860s.
the administrators of a supplemental
“Desperate farmers
federal program which provides
tried everything they
small additional monies to mothers
could to rid themselves
to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
of the invaders,” Charles
says. “Eventually one man The white potato was the only
fresh vegetable not covered by the
apparently threw some
leftover green paint on his program.
New Tech Hopes To Solve Environmental Challenges On Earth And Mars
son, deputy director of DARPA’s new Biologisuccessfully produced by a partnership of Audi cal Technologies Office, addressed a recent
conference on the agency’s focus on rapidly
and the ‘green’ tech company Surefire, and is
cataloging the genetic
currently being used
maps of many differby Germany’s Federal
Minister of Education
“For the first time, we have ent organisms. The
goal is to be
and Research to run
the
technological
toolkit
to
able to extract
her car, Fiona reports.
the capabiliRemarkably, the
transform not just hostile
of different
fuel is projected to
places here on Earth, but to ties
organisms in
cost between €1.00 €1.50 (euros) per liter,
go into space not just to visit, order to create
new organisms
which is less than the
but
to
stay.
”
that might, for
current cost of diesel
example, be
in Britain (€1.67) and
comparable to the costPofCdiesel
D L L able
M Hto survive in a harsh environment
B N inAmany
I I other
European countries (though
L the
L Ecost
E Son Earth.
T R Cmore
H Athan
N G here
a manmade or natural disaster,
of diesel in the U.S.). D L O E R E T A T T B “After
T
we
can
think
about recovering the enviE U C N F I D L E I R I
she said. “These are the tools
Defense Agency Foresees
Y E O O Creating
M N
R F E U D D ronment,”
L L O
U R E S V N that,
I Ofor the first time, are allowing us to
Man-Made Organisms
ToGHelp
M that problem.”
Transform Mars W E N N E N I C C A goV after
But
O C Y I U L B I T B I N it takes little imagination to see
The Defense Advanced
ProjL P Research
D Ithose same capabilities might be
O H G D
E N R I how
ects Agency (DARPA)OisEexploring
useP M I deployed
on Mars to help make its enviV U
U S U the
V F
of genetic engineeringMtoEproduce
more ‘human friendly.’ Bacteria
T I Rbacteria
O V A F E ronment
H E
which could help terraform
Mars
into
a
more
might
be
released that could take solar energy
N R H F F C H R O N I C
human-hospitable environment, according to
and the nutrients available there to produce
an article by
Jason Koebler at
Answer to Sudoku
Answer to Headline Scramble
the tech website
Motherboard.
At the
C H A L L E N G E S
moment, that
A
T
O E
isn’t the primary
C
E I
F
focus of the
Y
O
F
D
N
genetic research
L
E
O G
N I
the agency
W
N N E N I C C A V
is pursuing,
Y I
T B
O
but it is being
L
I
O H
N
eyed as a real
U S
U
V
possibility.
E T I R O V A F
E
Jason reports
H F F C H R O N I C
that Alicia JackFROM “HOPES” ON P. 1
gases for a viable atmosphere, for example.
“For the first time, we have the technological
toolkit to transform not just hostile places here on
Earth, but to go into space not just to visit, but to
stay,” Alicia told the conference.
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29
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32
Answer to Words & Letters
I
B R
O R
R I
D
E R
R
L
I
N O
E
N S I N U
O A D E N
E O
A D
L
R U
C
S L
S H I
A
H I G H T
A C L U E
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U N S
I S E
F I D U C
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U
O R E D
V E D I
A L O M
T O N E
E A
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D O T
U S T A
P
O R
I A R Y
August 2015
The John Knox Village Gazette
Page 7
Fountain Of Youth From Outer Space Discovered In Cocoon
F
inding movies that feature seniors is not
The men’s girlfriends
Jessica
always easy. It’s even more difficult to find
and wives enjoy their mates’
Tandy, Maureen
movies that actually center on senior characters, newfound vitality, but learn it
Stapleton, and
as opposed to simply including them as a part
comes with some downsides
Gwen Verdon
of some variation on the adult-child-works-outas well.
do well as the
issues-with-parent story.
girlfriends/
Surprising
Touches
That scarcity is one of the reasons that 1985’s
wives of the
Cocoon still stands out as a minor achieveCocoon won’t keep you
men, but the
ment. This Ron Howard film focuses on a small on the edge of your seat,
story could
group of retirees
but there’s a
have given
— all residents at
lot more intelthem more to
The
effects
of
a Florida retireligence and
work with. It’s
ment community
depth at work
a shame; Jestheir swim are so
— who unwithere than you
sica in parremarkable
it’s
clear
to
tingly stumble on a
might expect.
ticular was still
source for youthful
lighting up the
them there’s ‘something Ron does a nice
rejuvenation.
job of avoiding
screen whenin the water.’
cliché, and the
ever she was
Reinvigorated
story has a numon it.
The source for that rejuvenation, we quickly
ber of unexpected turns and
Jack Guillearn, is literally out of this world. A tiny group
thought-provoking dilemmas.
ford deserves
of aliens has embarked on a kind of rescue misJack (Steve Guttenberg)
special mention
sion in the area, and the private pool they’re
plays the down-on-hisas Bernie, a
using inadvertently provides three men from the heels boatsman whose luck
neighbor of the
retirement community with a shot of vitality.
changes when he meets a
trio who never
Ben (Wilford Brimley), Art (Don Ameche, in man named Walter and his
overcomes his
an Oscar-winning role), and Joe (Hume Cronyn) friends. They hire him out for a month to take
skepticism about his friends’ newfound youth.
are the adventuresome trio who take a dip in the them ocean diving. When Jack stumbles on the
At first, we tend to see him as something of a
pool at what appears to them to be the unused
true nature of his new associates, he struggles
fuddy-duddy, but towards the end of the film
estate of some shady characters. The effects
with feeling both terror and an odd attraction to
it’s hard not to respect his firm stand on prinof their swim
one of the female-appearing mem- ciple. When he eventually parts ways with his
are so remarkbers of the crew.
neighbors, it’s clear his affection for his pals is
able it’s clear
Brian Denehy brings a surprisheartfelt.
to them there’s
ing dignity to his role as Walter,
All in all, I found Cocoon to be intelligent and
‘something in
the avuncular leader of the human- pleasantly entertaining. I wouldn’t quite put it
the water.’ When
appearing aliens. In lesser hands,
on my personal list of all-time faves, but judging
they find the
his scenes could easily have
from the reviews of people
estate isn’t as
generated unintentional
posting their thoughts at the
See page 8 for the
unused as they
mirth, but he carries them off
Internet Movie Database,
story of one COCOON
thought, they
quite well. When his crew
there are a lot of people who
actor who is now a
ignore the risks
suffers an unexpected loss,
would.
John Knox Village
and continue to
it’s hard not be touched by
—Bert Meisel
resident.
return.
his alien-but-human reaction.
Con Artists Fall In Love, Fight For Their Lives In AMERICAN HUSTLE
I
probably shouldn’t have been surprised at how good American Hustle
was. It won several Golden Globes and
had been nominated for more than a
half-dozen Academy Awards.
Hustle hit theaters the same time
as The Wolf of Wall Street and mined
something of the same emotional territory: the criminality of delusional greed.
I had assumed Hustle had the same kind
of over-the-top sensibility Wolf seemed
to have, and shied away.
In fact, American Hustle is sharp and
nuanced.
A Good Con
Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, a highly successful small businessman in 1970s New Jersey whose
success owes more than a little to his
lifelong penchant for running lucrative
cons. He meets Sydney Prosser (Amy
Adams) at a party and realizes she’s the
love of his life: a woman who shares his
love of Duke Ellington and conning the
desperate.
Unfortunately for them both, Irving
is already married to Rosalyn (Jennifer
Lawrence), the mother of his son and
something of an emotional con artist
herself. Though unaware of Sydney,
she harbors her suspicions and makes
it clear to Irving that should he ever
divorce her, one of them would end up
losing everything, and it wasn’t going to
be her.
So Irving and Sydney continue
their frustratingly blissful adultery and
extraordinarily successful con artist
partnership until they find themselves
on the wrong end of someone else’s
con, and their world topples. They’re
soon in way over their heads as pawns
in a covert war between the FBI and the
mob, and they struggle to remain both
alive and out of jail.
started hitting the market.
The acting is across-the-board
superb. Christian Bale does his usual
fantastic work. Jeremy Renner is great
as the Atlantic City mayor trying to
revive his dying town (and coincidentally grease his own pockets in the
process). Bradley Cooper is equally
compelling as the low-level FBI agent
whose uncontrollable ambition drives
him to take risks in his operations, and
The 1970s Vibe
who cares little if his decisions put the
Like The Wolf of Wall Street, Amerilikes of Irving and Sydney in somecan Hustle was inspired by real events,
body else’s crosshairs. The comic Louis
but (unlike Wolf), Hustle doesn’t really
C.K. plays it straight as the stodgy FBI
aspire to be more than just a riveting
supervisor that stands in his way. Both
story. (The
Jennifer Lawrence
movie makes
and Amy Adams
They’re soon in way over
the rather unasgarnered Golden
suming claim
Globe wins and
their
heads
as
pawns
in
in its opening
Oscar nominations
a
covert
war
between
the
that “Some of
for their flawless
the events in
performances of
FBI
and
the
mob …
this film really
complex roles.
happened.”)
There isn’t
The story may be more fiction than
much violence shown in the movie,
fact, but it doesn’t really matter. Ameri- though of course it lurks just offscreen,
can Hustle is one of those rare movies
and its menace drives much of the story.
whose plot is so compelling that it just
What Hustle does offer is a provocative
sweeps you along for the ride.
battle of wits where good and evil aren’t
There are authentic touches. The
nearly as clear as they ought to be, and
movie does a great job of capturing the
where sometimes you’ll be challenged
mid-1970s zeitgeist with little details,
to stay on top of what’s really going on.
from Sydney’s plunging necklines to
If that sounds intriguing, you’ll likely
Rosalyn’s reference to the new “science enjoy watching American Hustle.
ovens” (microwaves) which had just
—Bert Meisel
The John Knox Village Gazette
Page 8
August 2015
John Knox Village Artist Of The Month: Hal Bergman
‘Disdain’ Turns Into
Lifelong Acting Career:
Roles In COCOON, THE
FINAL COUNTDOWN,
DAWSON’S CREEK, MIAMI
VICE Among Highlights
cloth or authority-type figure, and I fit that
need.”
Breakthrough
Hal’s first movie role came in 1980 in
the WWII film The Final Countdown, starring Kirk Douglas, in which a modern-day
aircraft carrier was thrown back in time
to a day before the Pearl Harbor attack.
“You see me hitting the deck, getting shot
by a Zero [Japanese airplane] and dying
in Chuck [Charles] Durning’s arms,” Hal
recalled.
Other offers soon followed including
his role as a reverend in the 1985 science
fiction film Cocoon (see sidebar below and
review on page 7).
After his movie debut, Hal remained
busy for 30 years with work in all genres
and with many household names including
James Garner in the James A. Michener
mini-series Space, Andy Griffith in Matlock, Don Johnson in Miami Vice and Burt
Reynolds in B.L. Stryker to name a few.
H
arold “Hal” Bergman is
living proof the friends
with whom you associate can
change your life. When he
entered the University of Illinois his focus was solely on
earning a degree in psychometrics — the combining of psychology and statistics to measure peoples’ skills, knowledge
and personality traits.
“It was the right and responResident Hal Bergman, a veteran actor who has appeared in movies
sible type of profession to
and on television, is always a favorite act in John Knox Village’s Annual
explore,” said the nine-year
Spring Scene every March.
John Knox Village resident.
But once in school, Hal began
degree in testing and measuring thousands of
Recognition
gravitating towards college chums who were in
soldiers), he earned a law degree from the UniEach month, THE
the theater department.
versity of Florida and worked jobs as an attorHis acting work
GAZETTE features a John
“Until college, I disney, investment banker,
offered some wonKnox Village resident or
dained actors — the lot
stock broker and “other
derful travel opporemployee who showcases
“All that changed when
of them — guys dressed
boring jobs,” as a means
tunities, but Hal
his or her creativity
likes girls trying to get
to
allow
him
to
continue
always
returned
to
I started hanging out
through art, photogralaughs,” he said. “All that
performing.
the South Florida
phy, music, literature or
with the acting crowd
changed when I started
Having moved to
arts scene. In 1977
performing arts.
hanging out with the actCoconut Grove in 1964
he won one of
at
school.
The
first
olive
ing crowd at school. The
to raise his four daughthe area’s Second
was
let
out
of
the
bottle,
first olive was let out of
ters, “I worked during the Annual Carbonell Awards for his performance
the bottle, and I never
and I never looked back.” day to support my nights in the one-man play, Clarence Darrow, based
looked back.”
and weekend passion of
on the writings of famed defense attorney.
acting.”
But after 50 years of professional entertainA Means To An End
With a thin, 6-foot-1 frame and dashing
ing, Hal decided to retire after filming an epiHal was realistic enough to realize he had to
good looks, Hal found that many stage plays
sode of Dawson’s Creek in 2000.
keep his day job, though. After stints in WWII
and certainly most movies and television shows
“I played the elderly reverend — of course,”
and the Korean War (utilizing his psychometrics “needed a banker, lawyer, judge, man of the
he joked, “and I told [wife] Mary, who was with
me for the filming in Wilmington, North Carolina, that I was done.”
Resident Emerges From Cocoon To Introduce Favorite Film
His only regret from the decision? “I came
home
from the shoot, and my granddaughter was
rior to John Knox Village showing Cocoon in
so angry that I didn’t get autographs from the
May as part of Older Americans Month, resistars,” he laughed, referring to the wildly popudent Hal Bergman offered interesting back-stories
lar actors at the time: Katie Holmes, James Van
to the filming of the movie and his involvement.
Der Beek and Michelle Williams, among others.
Hal described working with director Ron HowThe well-liked resident has not completely
ard (of Opie Taylor fame) and meeting members
abandoned his acting, routinely participating
of the cast and crew.
in Spring Scene and offering his expertise with
The 96-year-young Bergman revealed the
other John Knox Village work.
movie earned over $85 million, that he was paid
“My aforementioned disdain has allowed me
“a delicious amount of money for two days’ work,”
the wonderful opportunity to live at John Knox
and that residual checks “still roll in, but they are
Village,” he said. “It has been a great run.”
more like a trickle these days.”
P
To see a history of Hal’s movie and television body of work check out his IMDb (Internet
Movie Database) page at the following link: www.IMDB.com/name/nm0074784.
—Rob Seitz
Public Relations Specialist, John Knox Village
A Presence In The
Community
W
hether hosting an organization or event
on our 70-acre campus or speaking at
engagements in the surrounding community,
John Knox Village continues to build positive
awareness of the services and lifestyle enjoyed
by our residents.
One of those initiatives is our Speakers
Bureau, which is designed to provide informative and educational presentations on a variety
of topics of interest to seniors, their families and
caregivers.
Sharing And Caring In Action
In the past, John Knox Village has been
invited to give presentations at area Rotary
Clubs’ meetings, for the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Broward County Retired
Educators Association, Fort Lauderdale Garden
Club and others.
In addition, John Knox Village has welcomed
several organizations to our campus, including
the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Broward.
Recently, our Sharing and Caring Program
hosted a Nonprofit Breakfast. More than 20 area
nonprofit organizations gathered to network and
John Knox Village President Robert Scharmann (center) was a guest speaker in early June for the weekly
membership luncheon of the Boca Raton Central Rotary Club at The Capital Grille in Boca Raton.
Robert is pictured with Club President Matt Bryant (right) and Dr. Doug Rolfe.
discover ways to work together. Sharing and
Caring is an outreach effort to area social organizations that depend on financial and volunteer
support to keep their programs and services
thriving.
Assisting Many Who Are In Need
John Knox Village continues to assist a variety of recipients, including: grandparents raising
grandchildren; veterans; schools; seniors struggling to provide in-home care to loved ones;
sports programs geared to teaching leadership
skills to our youth; and support programs for
those who are homeless, hurting and in need of
hope.
We continue to seek more opportunities, especially with the opening of our new health center,
The Woodlands at John Knox Village, approaching in 2016. For more information or to book a
guest speaker for your organization’s program,
please contact our Marketing Department at
(954) 783-4040 or e-mail ([email protected]).
—Christopher Miller
Public Relations Manager, John Knox Village