September 2012 - Council On Aging

SONOMA
SENIORS
COUNCIL ON AGING
September 2012
“A Bag of Rice, a Bag of Coffee and a .38”
For Joan Weir Dayton, the fun begins in retirement
by Bonnie Allen
S
he’s been arrested for petty theft, robbed
and shot in a Columbine-style massacre.
It’s all part of a day’s work for Joan
Weir Dayton, 83, who works for the police and
fire departments and the S.W.A.T. team as a role
player for trainees.
Dayton volunteered for the job. “I’ve wanted
to be an actor all my life, and now I am!” At
some point, Santa Rosa Junior College began
paying her, probably for insurance reasons, and
now she is gainfully employed in what must be
one of the most fun jobs in the county.
When she’s the culprit in the scenario, she
loves to stand with her back turned to the
rookie cop. When the cop says, “Ma’am...” she
turns around and says in her most hardened
voice, “Whaddaya want?”
“I just love their expression,” she says.
“They don’t expect a little old lady.”
Dayton started her performance career
early, singing Kate Smith’s “When the Moon
Comes Over the Mountain” for Chicago’s
WBBM at age 2. When she was 3, she won a
baby contest at the Chicago World’s Fair. But
the fun stopped when her mother died in
childbirth with her seventh child when Dayton
was 4. Off came the Shirley Temple ringlets,
and she was relegated to the background in a
mostly male household of five brothers.
Perhaps that beginning has given Dayton
her sense of adventure, nurtured internally over
the years of raising seven of her own children
before finding the love of her life, John Dayton,
in her later years.
“I had three of the most wonderful years of
my life with him,” she recalls. Toward the end,
she nursed her husband through Alzheimer’s
disease, a hard task that she immortalizes in her
poem (right) that won a poetry slam in Windsor.
After a career that included being a quality
control technician in a microcircuit factory on
contract with NASA, Dayton received her first
Social Security check at age 62. Right then, she
says, “I made up my mind I was going to play
for the rest of my life. It’s an attitude I’ve kept.”
So she did. All her life she had sought
refuge from her life as a mother with an
absentee husband by gathering the children,
getting in the car and driving. Driving was her
escape from loneliness. Now she was ready for
the big road trip. She replaced the front seat of
her almost-new Toyota with a plywood board
long enough to sleep on. She put up curtains,
hung a lantern from the roof, and used the back
seat as a backrest to sit up in bed. Security
consisted of her .38 pistol. She bought a
collection of 100 classics on tape and listened to
them every night before she went to sleep.
“I was so interested in everything at this
time. My brain was opening up. I had no kids
Continued on page 7
I stop talking to you
You are not listening
You don’t talk
You’re in your head
I can’t reach you anymore
You are here with me
But you left me some time ago
I wash the dishes
And you stand behind me
You shadow me these days
You are afraid
To stay in the other room alone
You ask me with your patient smile
When those folks in the other room
Are going to go home
There is no one in the other room
I live with this now
Day after day
You become more agitated
As the sun begins to set
You know something is wrong
But you don’t know what it is
You start to pace the floor
Your fists are clenched
I stop what I am doing
And coax you onto the day bed
To talk away your fear
I hold your hands in mine
You smile
You’re all right now
30 Kawana Springs
RoadSanta Rosa, CA 5404
Alzheimer’s
by Joan Weir Dayton
You are not alone
I am with you
I will take care of you
You are calm now
I leave the room
When I return you are trying
To put your pajamas on
You have forgotten how to do this
I can’t find your trousers
For two days I look
You have carefully folded them
And put them under the bed
In a storage box
Inside the folded trousers
Are your missing glasses
Your watch and keys
We thought lost
I can’t find your pajamas
As I help you undress
Your pajamas are on
Under your shirt and trousers
When I point this out
You look bewildered
I laugh
And then you laugh
I pray for more patience
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
Permit No. 341
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Permit No. 341
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
PAID
Joan Weir Dayton
and her book, Who’s Too Old?
The book can be ordered online
at tinyurl.com/WhosTooOld
PAID
We sit in the kitchen
And watch the sunset
The silence takes over
There is no more eye contact
We go shopping
We use the bathrooms
I wait for you to come out
I go in
You are not there
I panic
I run to the window
I spot your military stride
Some distance from the store
You are looking for me
Maybe
I miss you so much
The reading we shared
The nature films we enjoyed
Hiking the headlands
Fishing
The oneness
The passion
The sun is down
I sit on the side of the day bed
Holding your hands
Calming your fear
And you say to me
I know this is embarrassing
But
What is your name
4
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Sonoma Seniors Today
In Loving Memory
S
published monthly by
adly, Council on Aging bids farewell
to Carol Martin, Information and
Referral Specialist since 1979. For the
past 33 years Carol worked with seniors
and their families in connecting them with
available services in their area. Her focus, as
is the focus of Council on Aging, was to
help seniors remain in their homes.
Her knowledge, her commitment to the
community and her humor will be missed
by those she served and the staff and board
of Council on Aging.
If you wish to make a donation for
Senior Services in Carol’s memory, you may
send it to Council on Aging, 30 Kawana
Springs Rd., Santa Rosa 95404.
30 Kawana Springs Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-525-0143 • 800-675-0143
Fax 707-525-0454
www.councilonaging.com
President and CEO
Marrianne McBride
Carol Martin
1934- 2012
Council on Aging Legal Seminars 2012
Thursday, September 27, 1–2 pm
“Successor Trustees and Estate Administration for
Adult Children and Other Nonprofessionals”
Featured Speaker: Roy Johnston, Attorney at Law
Thursday, October 11, 1–2 pm
to
en lic
p
“Distressed Mortgages and Foreclosures”
O
pub
e
Featured
Speaker: Ryan F. Thomas, Attorney at Law
h
t
EE!to
R
F en
Op ublic
p
the
of Santa Rosa Ave., south of Costco shopping center)
RSVP: 525-0143 X 142
There really is such a thing as a
Free lunch
Join us in any of our Senior Dining Rooms for lunch, Monday thru Friday.
Present this coupon and your lunch is FREE.
(a $4.00 donation per meal is normally requested.)
Bring a friend, and your friend’s lunch is free, too.
Reservations required 24 hours in advance.
One coupon per day.
525-0383
Editor:
Bonnie Allen, (707) 763-2544
[email protected]
Contributors:
Bonnie Allen, Sylvia Bailin, Marrianne McBride
Council on Aging—G.K. Hardt
Conference Room
30 Kawana Springs Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (first driveway east
Board of directors
Jeff Beeson, Chair
Corrine Lorenzen, Vice Chair
Bonnie Burrell, Dena Lash, Chuck McPherson,
Jeanne Miskel, John Pearson,
Kathy Pinkard, John Reyes, Deborah Roberts,
Debby Roumbanis and David Vacini
Valid for seniors 60 and older.
Proofreading Assistance:
Steve Della Maggiora
Distribution Manager: Stacee Shade
Advertising & Subscriptions:
Kerrie Kennedy, 525-0143, ext. 112
[email protected]
Sonoma Seniors Today is a publication of
Council on Aging, 30 Kawana Springs Road,
Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 525-0143
[email protected]
www.councilonaging.com
Sonoma Seniors Today strives to share a variety
of viewpoints on subjects of interest to a broad
range of its readership. Opinions and viewpoints
expressed by contributors and those interviewed
for articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Council on Aging. Readers are invited to share
their ideas, opinions and viewpoints by writing to
this publication. Suggestions for improving this
publication are given careful consideration, and
letters to the editor are welcomed. Photographs
may also be submitted.
Editor’s note: Publication of all material is at the discretion of the editor; originals become the property of
SST and cannot be returned. Mail all submissions to
Sonoma Seniors Today c/o Council on Aging, 30
Kawana Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, or email
to [email protected].
All rights reserved.
© 2012 Council on Aging
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page 2 ◆ September 2012 Sonoma Seniors Today
Council on Aging Donors
Many thanks to our generous donors who made gifts to Council on Aging’s
programs and the 2012 Annual Appeal from July 10 through August 8
Annual Appeal
$5,000
John B. Russell
$100–$500
Leslie J. Agnew
Michele Bernard-Barnes
Paul and Karen Bowles
John T. Brayton
Caroline and Edward Broll
Dennis and Maurine Caplinger
Rich Corwin
Nichole Duncan
Evelyn Ellison
Wesley J. Farmiloe
Mark and Alexandra Grandy
Robert and Lesile Hall
Alana C. Kelly
Nona Merrill
Kathleen A. Mouat
Carol and Emilio Ricci
Richard and Ellen Rosenquist
Nancy and John Schiller
Walter Selig
James T. Spahr, Jr.
Sandra Olsen and Herbert Wandel
Horace Lee Willis
$1–$99
Robert and Robin Allard
Dee Almanzo
Marlene J. Alves
Edward and Yvonne Ashton
Brooks and Andrea Austin
Sonia and Vito Badalamenti
Bernice Baxter
Helen and Brad Blodow
Christine Castle
Mrs. Glenn Coxe
Thomas and Susan Daly
Carole A. Davis
Pamela J Deming
Jackie and Frank Dono
Dave and Sharon Dowdy
William E. Dudley
Steven J. Smith
Ann Eckelhoff
Barbara and James Southard
Joan E. Edwards
Frances Waite
Margery and Ross Egge
Mark and Sandra Walheim
Robert and Dolores Evans
Mark A. Walters
Martin H. Gerber
Carleen Watts
Luana J. Gerhardt
Shirley Wilcox
Jack W. Heard
DeAne Wilson
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Henry
John and Laura Wilson
Scott and Stacy Iversen
Lisa Wolper
Susan Powers Kane
Thomas and Kathy Woodville
Edward A. Keech, Sr.
Dennis and Beverly Wright
Lorraine and Ed Kenny
H. Bruce and Connie Rector Kinnison
eals on
heels
Kiwanis Club of Cloverdale
Agnes and Kolya Klebe
$1–$500
M. L. Konrad
Mary Ann and Gary Leon Cates
Jeff and Roberta Kunde
Debra S. Colmar
Wendy Laby
Katheryn Mann
Richard and Julie Landen
Fern C. Naber
Claudine and Robert Latchaw
Nephrology Associates Medical Office
Shirley LeBlond
Dennis Rhodes
James and Laura Lee
Sylvia Thorne
Phyllis Leveen
Judith Levy
enior ining ooms
Patricia S. Lewis
Hired Hands Inc.
Henri Masse
Frank and Helen Michetti, Jr.
ocial
inancial
Raymond and Helen Miller
David and Mary Montijo
ervices
ase
Carolyn Moscone
Joseph and Gloria Menchini
anagement
Laurina and Stanley Nelson
Robert and Norma Newell
Barbara Segedin
Beverly O’Brien
Dolores and Michael Otten
Richard Peters
Allen and Sharon Pisenti
Douglas W. Price
Any errors or omissions in these
Robert and Susy Raful
Mattie P. Rudinow
listings are inadvertent. If your name
Larry W. Ruminson
was omitted in error, please accept
Daniel and Diane Ryan
our apologies and let us know. We will
Betty L. Schnabel
Helen and Len Silva
print a cor­­­rection in a future issue.
June M. Silva
M. J. and Teresa M. Smith
M
W
S
D
S
S
M
&F
:C
R
Scam: U.S. Veterans Affairs Benefit Fees
Memorial Gifts
In Memory of James Herbert Brennan
Timothy and Susan Cummings
Thomas Diamantine
Meghan Eisberg
Steve and Marcia Emslie
The Fahey Family
David and Ellen Foote
Gary and Tonya Guisso
Alicia and Manuel Lopez
Ernest and Grace Sanchez
Steven and Trudy Shelby
In Memory of Wade Vore
Dolores Huyler

General Fund
$1-$200
Tammera and Paul Campbell
Cheryl C. Cummins
Lori Gates
Susan Hagen
Donna and Gerald Hardy
Albert and Kathleen Mazza
Cora Neal
Patti O’Brien
Susan Savonis
George D. Solomon
Robert J. and Mary Klein Thompson
Gordon Zlot
Special Gifts
Marion Arnot
Beatrice Keram
Nancy Marquis
Julia and Kathleen Mietz
Lenora Muller
Patricia Reese
Robert and Margaret Uboldi
California Association of
County Veterans Service Officers
Target: Elder Veterans
U
nauthorized and non-accredited
organizations may not be acting in
your best interest when assisting
you with your VA benefits and/or your
confidential information. They call
themselves “advocates” and are sending
representatives to your senior center,
assisted living facility, nursing home or
community center or even calling you on
the telephone or sending you flyers.
The United States Department of
Veterans Affairs and the Center for Elder
Veterans Rights warn that these groups
have strategies designed to charge you
unnecessary fees and obtain your
confidential information. If you receive a
request to
purchase
financial or
legal services
to make
yourself
eligible, or if
someone
Sonoma Seniors Today
asking you for your confidential
information:
Do not provide any information!
Contact your local VA immediately!
Federal law states that there are only
three types of individuals recognized to
help Veterans with their benefits. These
individuals must be accredited to represent
Veterans by the VA General Counsel and
include:
• Attorneys,
• Agents, and
• Representatives of VA recognized
service organizations.
Your local County Veterans Service
Offices offer Federally compliant, fully
accredited representatives. They are your
one-stop contact for VA benefits, designed
to assist Veterans and their families with the
application and receipt of their benefits and
any other available services. Your local VA
is able to provide you with accurate
information regarding your claim. They
will never charge a fee, these are your
benefits! You may find your local office by
visiting www.cacvso.org and click the
“Contact Us” link to locate your county.
If you think you may be a victim of a
scam, contact your local CVSO office listed
under “Contact Us” at www.cacvso.org or
your local police department.
Beware of companies charging fees! The
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs will
never charge you fees!
September 2012 ◆ page 3
Bessie and Me
A mother-in-law fondly remembered
by Sylvia Bailin
W
henever Lou even hinted at some
direction our grown children should
take, I heard echoes of Bessie, my
admirable mother-in-law. She managed as
many lives as she could reach—always “for
your own good.” A half-century ago, Marty,
Lou’s buddy and a violist in the ensemble I
played in, warned me before introducing me to
Lou. “Bessie is a Sherman tank: built low to the
ground and strong.” A fitting metaphor.
Short, brown wavy hair topped a five-foot,
broad-beamed frame. Her hazel eyes hinted at
an Asian fold and were set in a round, high
cheek-boned Russian peasant face. I wondered
what genetic fragments the Mongols had
scattered across the Georgian steppes ages ago.
She emitted an energy I felt as I approached,
hand extended. Her hands were broad, fingers
thick, unpolished nails short, ready to run up a
seam, pull weeds or chop liver.
In the early 1900s, Bessie fled the cruel
restrictions of Eastern Europe, “the Old
Country.” America flexed its industrial muscles
and welcomed cheap labor. She was as tightlipped about her harsh beginnings as soldiers
are about their wars. Why revive ugliness?
She quickly learned to sew in the steamy
lofts of New York. An idealist in a time of
roiling change, she landed in jail during a
demonstration for decent working conditions.
There she met Isadore, an immigrant metal
page 4 ◆ September 2012 smith. They and others shared a
cell overnight. Such idealistic
bonding led to marriage and my
Lou.
One long summer, camping
across our open, unrestricted
plains, they migrated to
Southern California. There they
had two more children. After
years of strenuous labor, they
managed to buy a house in Santa
Monica near the beach where Bessie
went to enjoy the expansive view of
the Pacific.
On those warm seductive sands in Sep­
tember 1943, Marty introduced me to Lou, one
of a gaggle of UCLA students who met week­
ends to match wits and flirt. Nobody swam.
Lou had first seen me on stage, sawing
away on my cello. Marty had forced a ticket on
Lou for a concert in which we performed. I had
a crush on Marty. He was thrilled to introduce
me to Lou.
A mantle of urgency enveloped our world.
The war in Europe was drawing to a close.
America was developing secret weapons and
Lou’s science talent made him a prime draft
target. By December, Lou and I were “serious.”
Marty would be best man. We decided to tell
Bessie, who by then had probably guessed.
I’ll always remember that cold February
Isadore and
Bessie Bailin
evening. We stood
before bed-ridden
Bessie, runny-eyed,
red-nosed and
defenseless. Maybe
that’s why Lou chose
that time.
“Ma, Syl and I
plan to get married
next month.” He
squeezed my hand.
Prolonged silence. I
saw alarm in her eyes. Did
she want to ask delaying
questions but, in her weakened
condition, decide it was useless?
We waited. Finally, she gathered up the
fragments of good will. “Nu,” she said. Nu is a
versatile Yiddish word. It can express
impatience, doom, joy or the eternal
questioning of fate. In this case, I think it was
resignation.
When I smiled and asked, “Can I call you
Mom?” I got a chilly “All right.” I knew I had a
way to go.
But when Harold, Lou’s kid brother,
married a non-Jew, I ascended a rung up her
esteem ladder.
In the ‘70s, Dianna, the youngest, married
and moved out. Bessie maintained the house on
the hill like a racer who breaks the finish tape
but can’t stop running. “Come and live with us
at the Jewish Home in Reseda,” friends urged
but she’d reply, “I like the beach.” Her
declaration of independence.
But, typically, her own weariness persuaded
her. Those 32 steps became too numerous, too
steep. She sold the house on the hill and I
helped her move to a senior residence. And
another. And another. There was always some
reason.
I packed her up, helped her into our Ford.
We were belted in and I almost turned the
ignition. I was tired. My husband worked at
least two jobs, I taught school, we had three
children and a house.
When I turned my head, her profile looked
troubled. “Ma, what’s wrong?” Silence. “Ma,
you know the next place will be like the rest.
Why don’t I take you to the Home in Reseda?
They told Lou they have an apartment for you
and I’ll bet Anna will bake you a lemon
meringue pie.”
I watched her bristle. “You want to know
why? I’ll tell you why. They want all my assets
before I move in. That’s why.”
Some inner Ma discovery lay here. “So?”
“So? That’s the children’s inheritance!”
I sat back, stunned. “Ma, that’s for your old
age.” She stewed over that, jaw muscles
working. “All your life you worked for us. Now
it’s your turn.” I let that sink in. She fidgeted
with the clasp of her purse.” For once you got it
wrong, Ma. We’d rather you were happy.”
“But I’m not my own boss.”
“No, Ma. But you’ll be living with your
friends.”
That hung in the air for a long time.
“Should we drive there now and settle in?”
I was surprised when she nodded. “Enough
with the moving already.”
“You’re sure?”
She turned to look at me and smiled.
“You’re a good daughter.”
I turned the ignition key.
Sonoma Seniors Today
Engage in Dialogue about Positive Aging Volunteers Meet
We’d like to hear from you
the Nicest People
by Marrianne McBride, CEO
S
o often we are limited by our own
perceptions. Perceptions we formed at
a young age, when forty seemed old
and seventy was practically knocking at
deaths door, affect the way we embrace or
deny our own aging process. Despite those
perceptions, there are more and more
individuals who live their lives with the
belief that age is only a number. Increasingly
we see healthy active seniors highlighted
for their accomplishments in the media, and
television commercials and magazine ads
that show a more positive image of aging.
Is it enough? Are perceptions changing?
COPA (Collaborative on Positive Aging)
is holding several focus groups, discussing
the questions below and gathering the
responses to serve as a guide for future
direction.
1. What are your beliefs about aging?
2. What (do you think) are the cultural,
social and environmental barriers
involved with aging, if any?
3. Have you done anything in recent years
that you had previously thought
impossible? What challenges did you
face and what contributed to your
success?
4. What have you wanted to do or be but
Sonoma Seniors Today
felt held back?
5. How do you continue your personal
develop­ment and your social network?
6. What would be most helpful to you in
maximizing your own version of positive
aging?
7. What are your plans for the next chapter
of your life?
Do you have a bridge group, a book
club, or friends that meet for lunch? Would
you be willing to invite friends, family or
neighbors over
to respond to
the questions?
We would love
to hear the
responses and
will be pub­
lishing some of
them in future
Sonoma
Seniors Today
issues. At the
Photo from Wine Country Senior Games
very least,
conversations in living rooms and back
yards across Sonoma County could go far
in promoting positive aging.
If you are willing to capture responses,
please send them to Council on Aging,
COPA, 30 Kawana Springs Rd., Santa Rosa,
CA 95404 or email to information@
councilonaging.com.
A
re you ready to meet some wonderful
people and help make a difference in
Sonoma County’s senior community?
Council on Aging needs volunteers in the
following areas. Numbers needed are in
parentheses:
(5-6) Volunteer nutritional assessors to reevaluate our Meals on Wheels clients in
Rohnert Park & Cotati, West County,
Windsor, Healds­burg & Cloverdale. Flexible
hours.
(10) Chef prep volunteers at the Santa Rosa
main kitchen / Monday–Friday
Meals on Wheels drivers:
(4) Santa Rosa
(1) Guerneville
(4) Windsor
(1) Rohnert Park
(5) Meals on Wheels delivery volunteers at
Townview Apartments in Santa Rosa
(1) Healdsburg Social Club assistant
(1) Sonoma Social Club assistant
(1) Healdsburg Kitchen assistant
(4-5) Entrée pack-up with (1) supervisor at
our main kitchen
(3) Silvercrest dining site helpers
(12) Senior peer supporters—12-week
training begins in September
(2) Dietary Interns (College students
welcome)
To volunteer, call Michele Leonard,
Director of Volunteers, at 525-0143, ext. 147.
September 2012 ◆ page 5
15th Annual Senior Art Show
E
njoy coffee and cookies while artists
Department (HSD) and the Area Agency on
demonstrate their talents during the
Aging jointly founded and host this free
reception for the 15th Annual Senior
annual event.
Art Show on September 27, 1–4 pm, at the
Diane Kaljian, Director of the HSD
Finley Center in Santa Rosa. If you can’t
Adult and Aging Division explains the HSD
make the reception, the ex­
commitment to this event.
hibit runs Sept. 25 to Nov. 15.
“Our mission is to help
The Senior Art Show
older people and adults
celebrates more than 100
with disabilities live
Sonoma County artists over
independent productive
age 60, some of whom have
lives. The Senior Art Show
been practicing their talents
highlights the talent and
for many years and others
creative abilities that older
who are relatively new to
adults have despite
their artistic endeavors.
disability and frailty.”
Artist:
Bonnie
Soule
Karlsen
Mediums on display and/
Adds Pamela Moniz,
or demonstrated will
HSD social worker and Art
include oils, water-colors, charcoal portraits,
Show Committee founder and Co-Chair, “It
photography, clay, sculpture, and basketenhances seniors’ lives by encouraging
weaving.
them to create art for the sheer joy of it!”
The Sonoma County Human Services
For more information, call 565-5950.
Senior Center
Highlights
Petaluma Senior Center
211 Novak Dr, Petaluma, 778-4399
cityofpetaluma.net/parksnrec/senior.html
• Friday, Sept. 14, 8-10 am: Car Fit. Free
checkup for those over 50 who own a
registered vehicle. Trained professionals lead
you through a 30-minute, 12-point checklist
and recommend vehicle adjustments and
adaptations that could make your vehicle “fit”
better and enhance your safety, comfort and
control. Our goal is to keep you driving safely
for as long as possible! Call for appointment.
• Thursday, Sept. 20, 2–3 pm: Annual Fall
Prevention Awareness Week. Stand together
to prevent falls! Did you know: Most falls are
preventable? Presentation and discussion by
John Johnson, certified Fallproof Balance and
Mobility Specialist Instructor. Fall prevention
literature and refreshments available. Free.
Rohnert Park Senior Center
6800 Hunter Dr., Rohnert Park, 585-6780
• Fridays, 1–2:30 pm: New Writers Workshop.
Share your creative writing with other writers
in a supportive group setting. All types and
styles of writing are welcome. Join us in ongoing encouragement, constructive critique,
and writers’ discussions designed to expand
your creative process. The facilitator will be
our new volunteer Jan Francis. Suggested $1
donation. Please sign up on the interest list at
the Front Desk so we know you plan to attend.
• Tuesdays, 1–3:30 pm: Acrylics &
Watercolors. The basics of color mixing, how
to use color to the best advantage, the different
effects of brushwork, texture, layering. How to
compose a painting to get a dramatic effect.
Subjects include still life, landscape, personal
imagery. Individual expression encouraged;
those more advanced can bring in own
projects. Lots of individual attention! Instruc­
tor Sasha Pepper has been teaching painting &
drawing classes for many years in various
venues; she taught art through the SRJC
program for seniors the last 8 years. You can
see more about her at www.sashapepper.com.
Fee: $8/class, payable by month; $10 drop-in.
Please sign up at the Senior Center Front Desk.
Sebastopol Senior Center
167 N High St, Sebastopol, 829-2440
www.sebastopolseniorcenter.org
• Friday, Sept. 14, 2 pm: “Looking at
Contemporary Art.” Art historian and
curator Jennifer Bethke will introduce some
themes of contemporary art and how to
explore and enjoy it. Bethke is the curator of
art at the Sonoma County Museum in
downtown Santa Rosa and has taught at
universities and museum schools. Free,
with refreshments. RSVP appreciated.
• Friday, Sept. 21, 3–4 pm: Senior Citizens/
Youth Poetry Readings. Writers from our
creative writers’ group and from our
biographical writing class will read their
poetry alternately with youth poets from
West County. You will be surprised at what
young people are doing and what seniors
are doing. Free, with refreshments.
Windsor Senior Center
9231 Foxwood Drive, Windsor, 838-1250
• Tuesday, September 11, 10:30–11:30 am:
Medicare and Your Options. Julie Bennett,
page 6 ◆ September 2012 Sonoma Seniors Today
Community Outreach Specialist, covers
how HICAP helps you with your Medicare
needs; Medicare explained and other
insurance options; and how to prepare for
Medicare changes in 2013. Free.
• Tuesday, September 18, 10:30–11:30 am:
Living Trust Seminar for Seniors. Ann
Thomas, attorney, will cover these topics: If
you have a will, why should you have a
living trust? Controlling assets in a living
trust. How to transfer assets into a living
trust. Should a corporate trustee be
considered? Defining a fiduciary. Definition
of a living will. How beneficiary problems
may cause financial plans to go awry. Free.
Dayton, continued from page 1
to take care of, no husband to take care of. I
could do what I wanted for the first time in my
life.” Dayton traveled 15,000 miles around
America, camping every night and meeting
interesting people who invited her to dinner.
She visited her old family summer cottage in
Wisconsin. She thrilled to the sounds of
Dixieland jazz with her morning coffee in New
Orleans. She’d still be on the road today if her
car were newer.
But Dayton is not ready for the rocking
chair. She has just published a book about her
travels and is working on her autobiography.
Wear­ing her signature turquoise hat, she
participates in writing groups and plans to join
an open mic group to indulge her love of
singing. She has been a student at Santa Rosa
Junior College for 25 years. And she has logged
thou­sands of hours of volunteer work,
including a stint as a senior peer counselor for
Council on Aging, and continues to volunteer
for the police, fire and sheriff’s departments.
“I’ve found,” she concludes, “it’s a gift to
make people happy. I can make people happy.”
Collaborative on Positive Aging (COPA) presents a
groundbreaking new series on “Issues of Aging”
Historical Perspective on the
Psychology of Aging
September 20, 10 am–Noon
at
30 Kawana Springs Rd, Santa Rosa
(Extra parking available at Trader Joe’s across the
street)
This free seminar is for mental health and
medical professionals and the general
public. It’s designed to introduce you to
some important historical concepts of
aging and their impact on how we
experience aging today. Professionals
may earn 1.5 CEUs at no charge.
To register, contact Gabrielle Trubach
at 565-5366 or gabrielle.Trubach@
sonoma-county.org.
September Crossword Puzzle
1
Across
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Charlemagne’s father
N.A. Indian
Language for the deaf
Tosca and La Boheme
Persian country
Accountant, for short
Temple
Cat comments
Lawman
At hand
Council on Aging need
Drug doer
Chances of winning
Toboggan
Sheepskin holder, for short
Mets’ former home stadium
Complies with
North Am. country
Dog food
Pair
Duke subordinate
Offensive soccer position
Vase
Evils
“To the right!”
Bitter
Free-floating ice
Double
Senior ___ support (volunteers
needed)
Kind of necktie
Volunteers needed for this
Set up for use
Painter of melting clocks
Healdsburg-Calistoga dir.
Fancy event
Shelters
Fish
False god
Blood disease
Epoch
First name in Republican politics
Honestly
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Down
___ Warner, youth football league
Gov. environmental grp.
“___ o’ My Heart”
Did a laundry chore
Lowest point
Masculine pronoun
Potato brand
Lowly chess pieces
Type of org.
Gain (interest)
Squishy
Slips
Droop
Hostess creation
Jostle
___ Major or ___ Minor
France & Germany river
Curmudgeonly thoughts...
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www.CrosswordWeaver.com
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Solution on page 8
Ever notice that people who are late are often much
jollier than thepeople who have to wait for them?
If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come
nothing is free yet?
When I’m feeling down, I like to whistle. It makes the
neighbor’s dog that barks all thetime run
to the end of his chain and gag himself.
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Condensation
Chiclets, for instance
Lower leg
Belonging to us
Whey’s partner
‘96 presidential candidate
Short whip
Fill with water
Fever and chills
Harvest
Dolores ___ Rio
Ailing
For each one
Disallow information
Destination for Bessie
Shadow
Volunteers needed for this
Leaf of grass
Opposite of 39 down
Against
Expression of surprise
Computer key
Flightless bird
Zilch
Utter
Supply the missing numbers so that every row,
column and 9-digit square contain only one of
each number. No math skills are required, and
no guesswork. For hints on doing Sudoku
puzzles, visit www.websudoku.com, or send a
stamped, self-addressed envelope to Sonoma
Seniors Today, 30 Kawana Springs Rd., Santa
Rosa, CA 95404. (Solution on page 8.)
Space is limited. Registration
deadline: September 13
Sponsored by Council on Aging, Drug Abuse
Alternatives Center, Sonoma County Department
of Health Services–Healthy Communities,
Petaluma People Services Center, Jewish Family
& Children’s Services, Seniors-at-home and
Sonoma County Senior Resources at Home.
Sonoma Seniors Today
September 2012 ◆ page 7
Save the date...(Events are free unless otherwise indicated)
◆ Sept 12: Redwood Stitchers’ 3rd
Annual Open House. 11 am–2:30 pm at
Working for You
Information & Assistance/
Case Management:
Do you need help with senior resources? Call us any time
for information, assistance and case management services.
Call 525-0143, ext. 101. Sebastopol sen­iors only: call the
Russian River Senior Center at 869-0618.
Senior Financial Services:
Our bonded and insured counselors assist seniors who
are unable to handle bill paying, checkbook reconciliation, eligibility documentation for retire­ment programs,
and other financial needs relative to their daily money
management. This program is especially designed for
the forgetful senior or the senior with poor vision and
often protects them from financial abuse and late fees
associated with forget­ting to pay their bills. For peace of
mind, call Connie Aust, Director, at 525-0143, ext. 108.
Senior Peer Support:
This program is to help seniors struggling with seri­ous
mental illness access services and programs that help
them develop skills and social support, leading to a more
constructive and satisfying life. After an assessment visit
by CoA case managers and a licensed marriage and
family therapist, clients are matched with trained volunteers for 12 weekly sup­port sessions to develop a care
plan solution with the client’s approval, then follow-up
with progress notes. Sponsored by the Department of
Mental Health Services. Call Michele Leonard, Director
of Volunteers, 525-0143, ext. 147, for information.
Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center, 2050
Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa. Members will
display needlework and upcoming projects.
Free Huck embroidery class at 1 pm.
Advanced registration advised. Bring
scissors and tape measure. Refreshments
will be served. For more info or to register:
544-8016 or [email protected].
◆ Sept 20: Historical Perspective on
the Psychology of Aging. 10 am–Noon
at Council on Aging. A seminar with Rabon
Saip. See page 7 for details.
◆ Sept 22: Sonoma County Book
Fair. A joyful gathering of book lovers,
global and local authors, poets, children’s
performers and writers and book sellers. 10
am–4 pm, Central Library (211 E. St.) and
Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa). 523-1977
or www.socobookfest.org.
◆ Sept 27: Successor Trustees and
Estate Administration for Adult
Children and Other Nonprofes­
sionals. Sponsored by Council on Aging.
See page 2 for details.
◆ Sept 27: 15th Annual Senior Art
Show. Reception, Finley Center, Santa
Rosa, 1–4 pm. See page 6 for details.
◆ Tuesdays: Movies on the Green.
Windsor Town Green, 701 McClelland
Drive. 6:30–10:30 pm. 838-1260.
◆ Thursdays: Laughter Yoga. Silver­crest
Senior Apartments, 1050 Third St, Santa
Rosa, 2 pm. Walkers, wheel­chairs & all ages
welcome. 546-4439. For more info on
laughter yoga, see www.laughteryoga.org.
Thursdays: Square Dance Beginners
Class. Learn to square dance; make new
friends! No dancing experience necessary.
All ages welcome. Monroe Hall, 1400 W.
College Ave, Santa Rosa, 7:15–8:45 pm. First
class free, then $5/class. 573-8155.
◆ Saturdays: Call Kira About Aging.
2–3 pm on KSRO Radio, 1350am. Eldercare
advisor Kira Reginato interviews experts on
aging and answers your questions. 636-1350
during showtimes, or ask questions online
at www.callkira.com/call-kira.
◆ First Tuesdays: Santa Rosa Stamp
Club. Monthly meeting, 7 pm, Lodge at
Paulin Creek, Building D, 2nd floor, 2375
Range Ave, Santa Rosa. 538-9294.
◆ First Thursdays: Kidney Support
Group. Monthly meeting at the Cosmetic
Services Conference Room, 3333 Mendocino
Ave, Ste. 130, Santa Rosa, 6–7:30 pm.
Caregivers also invited. For info call
Michael Beery at 393-4301 or visit www.
kidneycrowd.org.
Lawyer Referral Service:
If you are 60 years old or older and need an attor­­­ney,
you will be referred to a panel of elder law attorneys experienced in working with seniors. An initial half-hour
consultation is $30. If you retain the attorney for further
services, fees will be at the attor­ney’s usual rate. The
service is certified by the California State Bar, Certification #0111. Call 525-1146.
Senior Meals:
Meals on Wheels delivers fresh meals to temporarily
home-bound or chronically ill seniors. Ten dining sites
provide meals and companion­­s­hip. Therapeu­tic meals
and nutri­tional counseling are available for special
needs. Call 525-0383 for information on home delivery
or dining site locations.
Senior Social Club:
This service has helped hundreds of people to recon­nect
with others through our Social Club Activities program,
offering the opportunity to gather for meals, exercise,
entertainment, companionship, and arts and crafts. The
programs are held in Healdsburg, Sonoma, Sebastopol
and Santa Rosa. Call Laurel Anderson at 525-0143, ext. 103.
Senior Legal Services:
Legal consultation and representation in matters of
housing, consumer fraud, Social Security and SSI, MediCal and Medicare, and elder abuse are provided. Also
available are simple trusts, wills and durable powers of
attorney for health care and finance. Call 525-0143, ext. 140.
Senior Care Coordination:
Our experienced staff provides advocacy-based longterm care management for seniors who are having difficulty navigating the local senior service delivery system.
Our Senior Care Coordinator creates an individualized
and thoughtful care plan no reflect and preserve the senior’s values and lifestyle choices, while maximizing opportunities for positive change and maintaining quality
of life. We work in collaboration with home health care
agencies and provide integrated services through other
Council on Aging services. Our fees are very competitive with private care managers in our community. Call
Donna Myers at 525-0143, ext. 117.
Council on Aging Mission Statement:
To enhance the quality of life for Sonoma
County’s aging community by providing
services that promote well-being and
maintain independence.
page 8 ◆ September 2012 P E P I N
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Sonoma Seniors Today