Dauphin County 50plus Senior News January 2013

Kidney transplant recipient Carole Fair is now an author as well as an active

organ-donation advocate with the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania.

Pirates and More

in Tampa

page 6

Eye Care Coverage and

Services for Retirees

page 15

Inside:

By Lori Van Ingen

Chronic kidney disease affects one in nine Americans, and millions more

are at risk. More than 105,000 people are on the National Kidney Transplant

List in the United States.

“Every day, 18 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ,

such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung, or bone marrow,” said Carole

Fair, an organ-donation advocate with the Kidney Foundation of Central

Pennsylvania for nearly two years.

Because of the lack of available donors in this country, 4,573 kidney

patients, 1,506 liver patients, 371 heart patients, and 234 lung patients died

in 2008 while waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, Fair noted.

“I’m hoping that with more awareness of transplantation and the

generosity of others, these numbers could certainly decline,” said Fair, who

recently spoke at events at Holy Spirit Hospital and Hershey Antique Auto

Association.

Fair is a circuit speaker at civic clubs, women’s organizations, and

churches. She helps people become aware of transplantation, clears up

misconceptions, and promotes organ donation in general.

“I get asked the most basic questions, like, ‘Where is my kidney located?’

and ‘Is the old kidney removed during a transplant?’” said Fair, who also is a

please see ADVOCACY page 13

Transplant Recipient Helps Others through

Book and Organ-Donation Advocacy

A Woman with2 Birthdays

Dauphin County Edition January 2013 Vol. 15 No. 1

2 January 2013 50plus SeniorNews e www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Best Wishesfor a Happy

2013!from

Book Review

ho has a stronger sense of

tradition than the Amish?

In Amish Folk Tales and

Other Stories of the Pennsylvania Dutch,

we find anecdotes that have been passed

down in families. In the retelling of these

stories we find that each has been given a

special patina as it has been lovingly

handed down from generation to

generation.

“Amos Trades Up” follows the comical

misadventures of a young Amishman.

Paid off after his year of indentured

service, Amos starts walking home. But

along the way he meets temptation after

temptation—and he pursues them all.

“Eilenshpiggel and His Shenanigans”

tells of the willful, mischievous rogue

who’s a legend among the Pennsylvania

Dutch people.

In “John the Blacksmith,” we learn of

the native intelligence of this character

and of how he manages to outwit an

emissary from the devil himself.

“Tales Tall and Taller” is a collection

of exaggerations that make for wonderful

reminiscences. For

example, what happened

to the man from Ephrata

whose dentist pulled his

tooth, then somehow let it

slip off the tongs and

travel down the patient’s

throat?

Read “Graven Images

and the Legends that

Grow Around Them” to

find out about burial

customs among the

Pennsylvania Dutch and to

learn what the emblems

on grave markers signify.

“Pennsylvania German Humor” is

filled with traditional stories that bring

laughter to the people of southeastern

Pennsylvania.

The book even offers “A True Ghost

Story.” This is a fast-moving tale of

murder and its eerie consequences. It

asks you to explain what happened, if

you can.

An appendix,

“Forearmed in Bilaspur,”

tells of two Lancaster

County men who link up

to hunt tigers in India. This

is all we’ll tell you about

this story, which has a

surprise twist at the end.

The book is richly

illustrated with color

photographs depicting

items made by

Pennsylvania Dutch

craftsmen: tall clocks,

furniture, Conestoga wagon

hardware, quilts, guns, and Amish toys.

Amish Folk Tales and Other Stories of

the Pennsylvania Dutch is available at

local bookstores or from Schiffer

Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Road,

Atglen, Pa. 19310 or (610) 593-1777.

About the AuthorGene Moore, a former navy officer, is

a graduate of Auburn University who

earned a master’s degree from Florida

State University. He retired as director of

public relations from Armstrong World

Industries, Inc. A previous book, How

Armstrong Floored America: The People

Who Made It Happen, 1945-1995, was

published by the Lancaster County

Historical Society. He and his wife, Jan,

make their home in Lancaster.

Amish Folk Tales and Other Storiesof the Pennsylvania Dutch

By C. Eugene Moore

W

Calling All Authors

If you have written and published a book

and would like 50plus Senior News to

feature a Book Review, please submit a

synopsis of the book (350 words or fewer)

and a short autobiography (80 words or

fewer). A copy of the book is required for

review. Discretion is advised.

Please send to: On-Line Publishers, Inc.,

Megan Joyce, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia,

PA 17512. For more information, please email

[email protected].

4500 Oakhurst Blvd. • Harrisburg, PA 17110

717-540-1895 • www.themanoratoakridge.com

RSVP to any event

by calling

717-540-1895

today!

Ring in the New YearWith Us!

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Sunday, January 6 at 2:30 p.m.

Manager’s Reception — Looking for a FIXED

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See the many models—limited time offer. Join

us for an Informational Reception.

Tuesday, January 8

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The Laugh’s on US! Drive yourself happy!

Learn the health benefits of laughter and

make some new friends. Laugh specialist

Helen Szollosy.

Thursday, January 10

3–4 p.m.

Keystone Elder Law Presents — “Getting Your

House in Order for New Year.” Topics

covered: changes in the laws, document

prep—directives, wills, DNR.

Wednesday, January 16

11 a.m.– 3 p.m.

Wii Tournament — 4 top winners receive

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Saturday, January 26

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MARY KAY MAKEOVER! Open to the public.

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3–5 p.m.

Monte Carlo Afternoon Delight — Join us for

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while enjoying Mocktails (non-alcoholic

drinks) and appetizers.

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews e January 2013 3

Zimmerman Auer Funeral Home, Inc.(717) 545-4001

Central PA Poison Center(800) 521-6110

Dauphin County Office of Aging(717) 255-2790

Gipe Floor & Wall Covering(717) 545-6103

Zimmerman Auer Funeral Home, Inc.(717) 545-4001

Alzheimer’s Association(717) 651-5020

American Diabetes Association(800) 342-2383

Arthritis Foundation – Central PA Chapter(717) 763-0900

CONTACT Helpline(717) 652-4400

The National Kidney Foundation(717) 757-0604(800) 697-7007

PACE(800) 225-7223

Social Security Information(800) 772-1213

Tri-County Association for the Blind(717) 238-2531

PA Healthcare Cost Containment Council(717) 232-6787

CareMinders Home Care(717) 454-0159

Safe Haven Quality Care(717) 238-1111

Visiting Angels(717) 652-8899

Homeland Hospice(717) 221-7890

B’Nai B’rith Apartments(717) 232-7516

Dauphin County Housing Authority(717) 939-9301

Property Tax/Rent Rebate(888) 728-2937

Apprise Insurance Counseling(800) 783-7067

Lincoln Heritage(484) 945-3213

Colonial Park Care Center(717) 657-1520

Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc.(717) 458-8429

CVS/pharmacywww.cvs.com

Homeland Center(717) 221-7902

The Middletown Home(717) 941-3351

Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging(717) 255-2790

The Salvation ArmyEdgemont Temple Corps(717) 238-8678

American Lung Association(800) LUNG-USA

Bureau of Consumer Protection(800) 441-2555

Meals on Wheels(800) 621-6325

National Council on Aging(800) 424-9046

Social Security Office(800) 772-1213

Veterans Affairs(717) 626-1171(800) 827-1000

CAT Share-A-Ride(717) 232-6100

Lebanon VA Medical Center

(717) 228-6000

(800) 409-8771

Veterans Services

Transportation

Toll-Free Numbers

Services

Retirement Communities

Pharmacy

Orthotics & Prosthetics

Nursing/Rehab

Insurance

Housing Assistance

Housing/Apartments

Hospice Services

Home Care Services

Healthcare Information

Health & Medical Services

Funeral Directors

Floor Coverings

Emergency

Cremation

This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made

an extended commitment to your health and well-being.

Resource Directory

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

By John Johnston

If you’re in your 60s, you probably

know that the age to receive full

retirement benefits has changed. But it’s

important to remember that the age to

begin receiving Medicare has not—it is

still 65. Even if you have decided to wait

until after you are age 65 to apply for

retirement benefits, most people should

start getting Medicare coverage at age 65.

If you would like to begin your

Medicare coverage when you first

become eligible, we suggest that you

apply within three months of reaching

age 65. You can do it online in as little as

10 minutes at www.socialsecurity.gov/

medicareonly.

At the website, you’ll find more than

just the online Medicare application.

You’ll also find information about

Medicare and have

the opportunity to

watch some short

videos about

applying for

Medicare online.

One is a family

reunion for the cast

of The Patty Duke

Show. In another,

Patty Duke and

George Takei go

boldly where you

should be going—

online.

Why go online to apply for Medicare?

Because it’s fast, easy, and secure. You

don’t need an appointment and you can

avoid waiting in traffic or in line. As long

as you have 10

minutes to spare, you

have time to

complete and submit

your online Medicare

application.

People who started

receiving Social

Security retirement

or disability benefits

before age 65 do not

need to apply; they

will be automatically

enrolled in Medicare.

There is no additional charge for

Medicare hospital insurance (Part A)

since you already paid for it by working

and paying Medicare tax. However, there

is a monthly premium for medical

insurance (Part B). If you already have

other health insurance when you become

eligible for Medicare, you should

consider whether you want to apply for

the medical insurance.

To learn more about Medicare and

some options for choosing coverage, read

the online publication, Medicare, at

www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html

or visit www.medicare.gov.

To learn more about applying for

Medicare only using the online

application, please visit www.socialsecurity.

gov/medicareonly.

John Johnston is a Social Security public

affairs specialist.

The Medicare Age is Still 65

Social Security News


50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc.

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serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish

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Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters

are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of

advertisements for products or services does not constitute an

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Corporate Office:3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512

Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360

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Member of

If you like vintage architecture

from the 1960s, you’ll like the

surroundings of the Pro Football

Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The building was ultra-modern

in its day with its interior spiral

ramp (like the one designed by

Frank Lloyd Wright for the

Guggenheim Museum in New York

City), glass curtain wall (a nod to

the urban office-building

architecture of Mies van der Rohe

and Philip Johnson), and football-

shaped roofline

indicative of mid-

century modern

American

architecture.

Canton, Ohio,

was chosen as the

site for the Hall of

Fame for many

reasons. However,

we focus on

football’s legacy

there as opposed

to some other

locale because of

the Native

American athlete

named Jim

Thorpe, who

signed a football

contract there. Thorpe, the star of

the 1912 Olympic Games, signed

his first contract to play football

with the Canton Bulldogs in 1915.

While the vintage building is

good looking, the museum is in the

midst of completing a major

construction/

expansion project to host more

football fans. The completion of the

museum expansion will coincide

with the Hall of Fame’s 50th

anniversary in 2013. The new

facilities will not only host a world

of football fans, but they will also

offer the Ralph Wilson Jr. Football

Research and Preservation Center,

the researchers’ reading room, an

event center, and a meeting room.

In addition, there will be

exhibition galleries focusing on the

history of the game dating back to

the early 1900s, state-of-the-art

interactive displays featuring game

footage and player videos, the

Lamar Hunt Super Bowl exhibition

gallery with the Vince Lombardi

trophy on display, the Super Bowl

ring display (for the jewelry lover in

the family), and the popular Hall of

Fame gallery.

While the Super Bowl ring

display was one of my favorites

(who doesn’t like all those

diamonds?), the Hall of Fame

gallery speaks to the core of the Hall

of Fame. The gallery houses

interactive displays and an

impressive assemblage of fine-art

bronze portrait busts of the Hall of

Fame inductees through the years.

The bronze busts are the work of

Utah sculptor Blair Buswell and

they capture the likeness of each

football great. As a display, the

gallery is awe inspiring as visitors

search for their favorite Hall of

Famer.

At the Pro Football Hall of Fame,

exhibits trace the history of

professional football with unique

objects like the Baltimore Colts

marching band’s bass drum, press

wood posters announcing the 1962

AFL championship game between

the Houston Oilers and the Dallas

Texans, and early helmets worn by

various players.

The exhibits highlight player

uniforms from the Pro Bowl as well

as equipment and apparel worn by

Walter Payton, Joe Namath, and

Dan Marino, among others. The

exhibits also focus on the impact of

stars like O.J. Simpson and the

Buffalo Bills’ Electric Company.

Some displays show a player’s

love of the game by focusing on

great plays made by Chicago Bears

running back Brian Piccolo or

Dallas Cowboy Troy Aikman. And,

who could forget the famous

Immaculate Reception

made by Pittsburgh

Steelers fullback Franco

Harris (a fellow Penn

Stater) on Dec. 23,

1972? The museum,

through its diverse

exhibits, shows visitors

the heart of the game

of football.

I discovered one last

interesting thing about

sports museums during

my visit to the Pro

Football Hall of Fame.

No matter how much

information is available

to a visitor in a sports

museum, fans always

search for more. I

noticed many visitors standing in

front of very good, informative

displays—even interactive

displays—who were still searching

for additional stats on their cell

phones. I even found myself doing

it.

As a former museum curator and

director, I bet you think I’d be

appalled by this but, in fact, I think

when a museum’s displays prompt

visitors to find out more, that’s a

pretty cool and quite interactive

museum. Plan a visit.

Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and

award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori

presents antique appraisal events

nationwide. Dr. Lori is the expert

appraiser on the hit TV show AuctionKings on Discovery channel, which airs

Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Visit

www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/

DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

Big Plays on Display at thePro Football Hall of Fame

Art and Antiques by Dr. Lori

Dr. Lori

Exhibition Gallery at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio.


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The Middletown HomeAn Odd Fellows Home of Pennsylvania

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NurseNews

Gloria May, M.S., R.N., CHES

Bunions (those swollen, painful

bumps on the inside of the foot

at the base of the big toe) are so

closely associated in our minds with

women, and with fashionable but often

ill-fitting shoes, that the question I was

asked last week as to whether or not

men even get bunions was not at all

unreasonable.

While it’s true that 90 percent of

bunions occur in women and that more

than 50 percent of women in America

have them, gender and shoe choice are

not entirely to blame. Yes, men do get

bunions, but children can also develop

bunions and even folks who live in

mostly shoeless societies have bunions,

so there’s obviously more to bunions

than just women’s ill-fitting shoes.

In medical lingo, a bunion is a hallux

valgus. It’s an enlargement of the bone

or the tissue

around the base

of the big toe,

which, in turn,

pushes the big

toe out of

alignment and

causes it to slant

toward the

second toe.

The

underlying cause

of bunions,

according to Dr. Zachary Chattler of

Johns Hopkins University, is the foot’s

genetic structure and how it causes us

to walk. Bunions do run in families,

but it is the foot type we inherit (low

arches, for example) that causes the foot

to turn outward (“pronate”) when we

walk and that encourages the formation

of bunions; we do not inherit the

bunions themselves.

However, shoe choice does play a

large role. Narrow, pointed-toe, sky-

high heels can cause a bunion to

develop more quickly and even play a

role in its recurrence after surgery.

How do you know if your shoes fit

properly? Seems many folks believe that

their feet haven’t grown since their teen

years (is that similar to the belief that

our belt sizes haven’t changed?), but in

truth, as our foot ligaments loosen and

our arches flatten over time, our feet do

get bigger.

One source I read suggests that in

order to tell if you are buying the

correct size shoe, you should stand

barefoot on paper, have a friend trace

the outline of your feet, and then place

your shoes on top of each outline to see

if your foot is wider than the shoe. The

idea seems reasonable, given that we no

longer (thankfully) have those shoe-fit

x-ray machines prevalent in shoe stores

in the ’50s. Remember those?

If you have bunions, you may

require surgery, but there are solutions

to try first:

• Make sure your shoes are the right

size.

• Ask your doctor if either over-the-

counter or custom-made orthotics—

inserts that prevent your feet from

“over-

pronating”—are

for you.

• Consider taking

an anti-

inflammatory

medication, such

as ibuprofen, but

ask how much

you can safely

take in one day.

• Inquire if

steroid injections might help with the

pain.

• Stick to low-impact exercises

(walking, swimming) as they are kinder

on your feet.

If surgery is your only option, there

are a number of procedures available to

correct the misaligned joint and remove

the bump. Bunion surgery

(bunionectomy) is usually done on an

outpatient basis, but understand that

healing can take months and yes,

bunions can come back, especially if

you just cannot resist those Manolo

Blahniks.

Gloria May is a registered nurse with a

master’s degree in health education and a

certified health education specialist

designation.

Beating Bunions

“The underlying

cause of bunions is

the foot’s genetic

structure and how

it causes us to walk.

“


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Traveltizers Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel

By Andrea Gross

“There it is!” The child who is

standing next to me jumps up and

down, accompanying each jump with

an ear-splitting shriek. I look in the

direction he is pointing. It is indeed a

scream-worthy sight.

There, sailing toward us, in a slow

but steady manner, is a giant pirate

ship, with masts that pierce the sky

and bright flags that wave in the

breeze. The name of the ship is

emblazoned on its side: José

Gasparilla.

The deck is crowded with

hundreds of men, some with black

triangular hats adorned with a skull-

and crossbones insignia, others with

colorful rag-wrapped turbans. The

men blast cannons, brandish swords,

and whoop and holler as the ship,

surrounded by a flotilla of small

boats, prepares to invade the city of

Tampa.

The ship docks and the pirate

captain disembarks and approaches the

mayor, demanding the key to the city of

Tampa. The mayor complies; the party

can begin.

Tampa’s annual pirate fest, which will

take place this year on Jan. 26, honors

José Gaspar, the bold buccaneer who, in

the late 1700s and early 1800s,

captured hundreds of ships off the coast

of Florida.

Today the Gasparilla Festival has

become a major event, and the stolen

treasure is being returned in the form of

tourist dollars.

Gasparilla combines the legend of

Gaspar with the magic of Mardi Gras.

Following their successful takeover of

the city, the merry pirates (a.k.a., civic

leaders who are members of Ye Mystic

Krewe of Gasparilla) strut through

downtown in true swashbuckling style,

accompanied by more than 100 floats

and marching bands.

At the same time, merrymakers fill

the streets, where there’s nonstop

entertainment and an abundance of

Pirates and More in Tampa

The pirate ship José

Gasparilla approaches

the city of Tampa.

Tampa residents get into

the spirit of Gasparilla.

After the invasion, the

pirates parade through

town, tossing treasures to

the waiting crowd.


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B’NAI B’RITHAPARTMENTS

130 South Third Street • Harrisburg

(717) 232-7516

When you

patronize our

advertisers,

please let them

know you saw

their ad in

Columbia Restaurant, established in

1905, is Florida’s oldest restaurant.

Hand-rolled cigars are still

made in Ybor City.

Ybor City is a National

Historic District that

commemorates the city’s

Latin heritage.

food stands. The partying continues

until 10 p.m., at which time the

victorious pirates retreat, letting Tampa

return to the 21st century.

Of course, Tampa is more than

pirates. Its attractions include great

beaches (nearby St. Pete Beach was

voted No. 1 by TripAdvisor), a

temperate climate (average summer

temps are in the low 80s; average winter

ones are in the low 60s), and a historic

district that reflects the city’s Latin

heritage.

We start our exploration in Ybor City

(pronounced EE-bore), the historic

neighborhood named after the Cuban

cigar manufacturer who made the region

a mecca for hardworking immigrants.

Less than 100 years after Gaspar pillaged

the region, workers from Cuba were

joined by workers of other nationalities,

and together they produced

approximately 700 million hand-rolled

cigars a year.

Today the area is filled with eclectic

shops and trendy nightclubs, but traces

of the past remain. Old, red-brick

buildings with wrought-iron grillwork

line streets bordered with spindly palms;

master cigar rollers continue to practice

their craft; and the Columbia

Restaurant, Florida’s oldest and the

world’s largest Spanish restaurant,

features a full array of Cuban food, as

well as the “original Cuban sandwich” (a

long loaf of soft, white bread filled with

layers of ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese,

pickles, and mustard).

Walking through the restaurant is

almost as interesting as tasting its food.

Amidst the wrought iron and bright

tiles, there’s a royal dining room, a

Spanish courtyard, and a flamenco

nightclub.

The Tampa Bay History Center, a

60,000-square-foot facility that opened

in January 2009, tells us more about

Ybor City and the entire Tampa Bay

region. Various exhibits highlight people

from the Seminole Indians and Spanish

conquistadors to the “cowmen and

crackers” who were part of Florida’s

cattle-ranching past.

To see a bit of Tampa’s natural

history, we go to the 240-acre Lettuce

Lake Park, so named because the

surrounding greenery reminded folks of

a lunchtime salad. Rather than renting a

canoe or kayak, we pick up a map and

brochure at the visitors center and

explore on foot. There are 3,500 feet of

boardwalk, more than a mile of paved

pathways, and an abundance of well-

maintained nature trails that lead us

though groves of cypress and ferns and

past two alligators, a few turtles, and an

untold number of birds.

That evening we arrive early for our

flight home and are relaxing at the

mojito bar when a gentleman tells us

that the best place to see a Florida sunset

is from the top of the airport parking

garage. We take the elevator to the top

floor and there, against a red sky, we can

almost see a fully rigged pirate ship

sailing into the bay.

With a smile and a toast to José

Gaspar, we go down to catch our plane.

www.visittampabay.com

Photos © Irv Green; story by Andrea Gross

(www.andreagross.com).


(717) 545-4001

A Legacy of Service

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Life at Home is theKey to IndependenceSM

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Providing excellent, professional,

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regardless of sex, race, sexual

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Each CareMinders® Home Care office is

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by providing in-home servicescustomized to your needs.

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industry, the gold seal of accreditation from the Joint Commission.

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Phone: (717) 454-0159

Fax: (717) 450-5976

www.careminders.com

F.M. Richard Simons, 87, of

Harrisburg, has had a

distinguished career in the

military during World War II and in

community service afterward. He was

an insurance agent and served as city

treasurer and a member of city council.

A native and lifelong resident of

Harrisburg, Simons was the only child

of George and Esther Simons. His

father owned the London Clothes Shop

in the former Senate Theater Building

on Market Square and his mother was a

clerk in her brother-in-law’s drug store,

operated by Harry H. Buch at North

Second and State streets.

He attended Steele Elementary

School and Camp Curtin Junior High

School and graduated in 1943 from

William Penn High School, where he

was a member of the swim team. He

attended Dickinson College in Carlisle

for one semester before enlisting in the

U.S. Army and serving in Italy as a

member of the 10th Mountain Infantry

Division.

A yearbook Simons has, which

details the history of the 87th Mountain

Regiment (Italy 1945), states that the

10th Mountain Division played an

important part in defeating the 26

German divisions in Italy during World

War II.

“The 10th chewed up more German

divisions than any other Allied division

during the entire Italian campaign,” the

yearbook says.

“Against all odds, America’s ski

troops pushed the Nazis out of Italy’s

high country and helped bring WWII

to an end.”

Simons sustained a broken leg when

he dove into a foxhole during enemy

fire. As a result, he was reassigned to the

His Army Unit HelpedDefeat the Nazis

Beyond the Battlefield

Alvin S. Goodman

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American Expeditionary Radio Station

at Livorno (Leghorn), Italy, as a disc

jockey, playing recorded music of the

big bands and popular

American vocalists.

He was awarded

the Combat

Infantryman Badge,

the Good Conduct

Medal, and the

Bronze Star. He was

also eligible to receive

the Purple Heart but

decided not to pursue

it because he felt his

broken leg, while

combat related, didn’t

compare with the

serious injuries

suffered by other

servicemen.

He returned home

in September 1945

and, after his

discharge from the

Army, resumed his

education under the

GI Bill at Dickinson

College, receiving a

BA degree in political

science and history in

1949.

Simons formed his

own insurance firm,

Simons and Co.

Affectionately known

as “Mr. Insurance” in

the Harrisburg area,

Simons also decided

to run for public

office. He served as

city treasurer from

1976 to 1980 and as

a member of

Harrisburg City

Council from 1985 to 1989.

He married Elaine Yaverbaum in July

1952. She died in December 2007.

Simons has four daughters: Lynn, a

speech pathologist; Leann, a

nutritionist; Ruth, who joined her

father’s insurance

business in 1985;

and Rhea Amy,

who stayed at home

until her death

three years ago. He

has six

grandchildren.

Simons was

active in the Boy

Scouts and served

as a Scout leader for

25 years. He was an

actor at the

Harrisburg

Community

Theater and had

roles in Dial M for

Murder and

Detective Story with

his wife.

He is a now a

resident of a local

retirement

community, where

he enjoys watching

TV, reading, going

out to lunch, and

socializing with his

fellow residents and

friends.

All things

considered, Simons

said, “I consider

myself to be a lucky

person. I went

through a lot and

the good Lord was

with me.”

If you are a mature

veteran and have

interesting or unusual

experiences in your military or civilian life,

phone Al Goodman at (717) 541-9889 or

email him at [email protected].

Simons serving as a disc jockey at the

American Expeditionary Radio

Station at Livorno (Leghorn), Italy.

Simons today.


• Breakfast with Ben Barber and News with Dennis Edwards

• John Tesh with Music and Intelligence for Your Workday

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WE PLAY OVER1500 GREAT SONGS!

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Central Pennsylvania’s

Award-Winning

50+ Publication

Creativity Matters

Judith Zausner

Food is trendy. It is no longer about

TV dinners and microwave

popcorn. The following chefs

began their journeys many years ago to

transform good eating into a fine art, a

nutritious experience, and big business.

Cecilia Chiang, 91, Chinese – Raised

in a very wealthy family in Shanghai, she

was not allowed in the kitchen. As a

young woman, Chiang escaped occupied

China and, years later, traveled to San

Francisco to visit her sister.

Serendipitously, she met a friend there

who planned to open a restaurant and

then reneged, but Chiang went forward

with the lease since she had already

written a large, nonrefundable check to

the landlord on behalf of her friend. And

so her restaurant Mandarin began and

remained active for more than 40 years.

Chiang has taught Julia Child, James

Beard, Alice Waters, and Danny Kaye.

MadhurJaffrey, 79,Indian – Born in

Delhi, India, she

did not cook at

home when she

was young and

traveled abroad to

study in London

at the Royal

Academy of

Dramatic Art.

After marrying she

moved to New

York City and, in

1973, she

published her first

cookbook, An Invitation to Indian

Cooking.

Jaffrey has written numerous

cookbooks of Indian, Asian, and world

vegetarian cuisines, and has won James

Beard Foundation

awards for some

of her books. As a

result of the

success, Jaffrey

also developed a

unique line of

mass-marketed

cooking sauces.

DianaKennedy, 88,Mexican – Born

in the United

Kingdom, she

arrived in Mexico

with her husband,

who was a New York Times

correspondent. She traveled throughout

Mexico researching cooking techniques

as well as the history of Mexican cuisine.

Craig Claiborne urged her to give

Mexican cooking lessons in New York

City and then, in 1972, Kennedy

published her first book, The Cuisines of

Mexico, and eight more books would

follow.

Jiro Ono, 86, Japanese – Born in

Japan, he is considered the world’s

greatest sushi chef. After his father left,

the 9-year-old Ono left home and never

returned. He has been mastering sushi

for the past 76 years and now is the

subject of a documentary, Jiro Dreams of

Sushi.

Ono’s tiny restaurant, Sukiyabashi

Jiro, is in Tokyo, where he holds the

Guinness Book of Records title for being

the oldest three-star Michelin chef.

Reservations are not easy; you are

encouraged to book up to a year in

Photo courtesy of David Sifry

Alice Waters at dinner with friends.

Legendary Chefs at Age 60+


advance with a cash deposit of about

$368.

Jacques Pépin, 76, French – Born in

France to restaurateurs, he learned to

appreciate food at an early age. In the

1950s he was the personal chef to

Charles DeGaulle and then moved to the

United States in 1959. He has appeared

on numerous television shows and

received a Daytime Emmy award in

2001 for his show Julia and Jacques

Cooking at Home with Julia Child.

Today he serves as dean of special

programs at the French Culinary

Institute, teaches an online class for

Boston University, and writes a quarterly

column for Food & Wine magazine.

Georges Perrier, 69, French – Born

in France and although not from a poor

family, he began working at 14 and then

moved to the United States when he was

21 years old. In 1970 he opened Le Bec

Fin (French colloquial translation: fine

palate) in Philadelphia, which gained a

five-star reputation and was known as

the leader of the “Philadelphia restaurant

revolution.”

In January 2009, the French

government awarded Perrier the Legion

d’Honneur. In February 2012, Perrier

announced his retirement from Le Bec

Fin by selling it to a former Le Bec

manager. Perrier still maintains

ownership/interest in other restaurant

venues.

Wolfgang Puck, 63, Austrian – Born

in Austria and trained in France, he

learned much of his cooking skills from

his mother, who had sometimes worked

as a pastry chef. At 25, he moved to Los

Angeles where, 15 years later, he opened

the award-winning Spago restaurant.

Now he has a gastronomic empire

under his name that includes more than

20 fine restaurants, catering services,

more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express

operations, and kitchen and food

merchandise, including cookbooks and

convenience foods. He is the official

caterer for the Academy Awards and his

favorite food is macaroons.

Alice Waters, 67, American – Born

in New Jersey, she moved to California

to attend college. It was during her study

abroad time in France that she began

purchasing fresh foods directly, and it

was this experience that resonated with

her and led to the development of her

food-fresh sustainable beliefs.

In 1971 she opened the Chez Panisse

restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., which

quickly became famous for its organic,

locally grown ingredients and is ranked

among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Waters created the Chez Panisse

Foundation with a mission to transform

public education by using food to teach,

nurture, and empower young people.

In 1992, Waters was the first woman

to be awarded Best Chef in America by

the James Beard Foundation and has

received numerous other awards, written

about a dozen cookbooks, and is a board

member of relevant institutions. Waters

is an internationally acclaimed food

activist who has inspired the organic

food revolution.

Judith Zausner can be reached at

[email protected].

Maintaining your abode can be

costly, but putting off a needed repair

can be even more expensive in the long

run.

Here are a few problems that should

be nipped in the bud:

Water leaks. Any water leak

can cause severe damage over

time: dry rot, mold, termite

infestation, etc.

Dim lights. If your lights

flicker or dim when you open

the fridge or use the

microwave, it could be

due to bad wiring or an

overload of appliances on

one circuit. Your best bet

is to have an electrician

update your wiring.

Air conditioning. Make sure your

filters are clean and in good repair.

Dirty or missing filters can lead to fire

or an air conditioner breakdown. An

inexpensive filter can preserve a costly

AC system.

Home Repairs: Don’t Procrastinate on These

Ihate to admit it—or, at least, I

should be somewhat bashful about

admitting it—but there is a certain

smug satisfaction in being retired.

First of all, there is an inner

contentment, somewhat akin to a sense

of triumph, in not being awakened by

the clock radio. For years the little white

cube was set for the same time and the

same unctuous and annoyingly happy

voice told us what the local weather was.

This information was a loser either

way. If the weather was bad, it meant a

rush to leave early enough to allow for

the inevitable traffic snarls. If the weather

was good, the call to duty and the reality

of a second mortgage engendered painful

resentments.

In the first few months of not having

to go to work I’d call the bank to see if

the pension deposits had actually been

made. The patient lady (her name is

Alice) at the local branch would recite

the figures—the same numbers every

month. Something tells me I was not the

only one doing this just to make sure.

Alice never

sounded

surprised at

the request.

At our

house the

lifetime

spousal

comptroller

and treasurer

dealt with

none of this

uncertainty.

With

sublime

confidence

in the world of finance, she’d go ahead

and write the checks for the condo

assessment, telephone bill, and all those

essential etceteras of living. I admire her

faith in the banking system even after all

the bad press that bankers have been

getting.

And

especially

since our own

local financial

institution is

now in its

fourth name

change, and

we hear it’s

been acquired

yet again,

although

neither of us

can remember

either its last-

year name or

its current name or this year’s slogan.

Only Alice has remained the same

throughout the bank’s successive

identities. Her continued presence gives

us some sense of a stable housing for our

modest deposit balance. I keep

wondering what’s going to happen when

Alice retires, but I’ve stopped calling her

every month to see if the money is

actually there.

And we sleep later in the morning. Or

I do, anyway. Sometimes I awaken to the

scent of coffee freshly brewing. This

means we’re going shopping today.

“Shopping” entails me finding a place to

sit down while the lifetime spousal

purchasing agent provides whatever we

need to survive both the immediate and

the distant future.

These needs are heavily weighted with

grandchildren’s birthdays, graduations

(including play school), and the next

Yuletide, however many months away it

might be.

Occasionally I do the “guy thing.” For

some reason, this almost always involves

the car. For example, our somewhat aged,

mid-sized sedan gets a regular oil change.

This requires man-to-man talk with

“Angie” at the local service station.

Usually we decide that the brakes are

“good for another 20,000, but we better

keep an eye on the muffler” and “we’ll

want to replace all four tires before we

get snow.”

Actually, it is not “we” doing any

deciding here. Angie’s voice may be

muffled coming as it does from

someplace deep underneath the chassis,

but his diagnosis is unmistakable. This

might be because it’s the same thing he

said the last time we changed the oil.

I know it sounds somewhat mean-

spirited of me, but the best retirement

days are those when the dawn brings a

downpour—a rainstorm enough to

frighten Noah. I don’t need that

artificially cheerful radio voice to tell me

about it. I can hear the water lashing

against the windows even though the

blinds are drawn tight.

All that I have to do about it is to roll

over and go back to sleep. I’m somewhat

ashamed to admit I do so with barely a

twinge of sympathy for those wage

earners, including our own offspring,

who have to slog through the day to earn

their daily bread and cough up their

Social Security taxes.

Selfishly sleepy as I may be, I hope

they are successful. And I make a mental

note to call Alice just to make sure.

A collection of Ted Rickard’s family-fun

essays is titled Anything Worth Knowing ILearned from the Grandkids. It is now

available in paperback on Amazon.com.

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Church Farm School1001 East Lincoln Highway, Exton

May 28, 20139 a.m. – 2 p.m.Hershey Lodge

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April 25, 20139 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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Limited SponsorshipOpportunities Available

The Squint-Eyed Senior

Theodore Rickard

Warmed in the Glow of My Golden Years


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kidney transplant recipient. Fair said her

new kidney is in the right lower quadrant

of her stomach, attached to the artery in

the leg and bladder.

“If you have uncontrollable

hypertension, they will remove the (old)

kidney, but I only had mild hypertension,

so mine wasn’t removed,” she said.

She also gets asked how it feels to have

someone else’s kidney. But Fair doesn’t

think of it that way, she said. She only

thinks about how good it is to no longer

be on dialysis, 10 hours every night, seven

days a week.

“I’m so glad to be rid of it because of

the donation,” Fair said. “Many think of it

as their new birth date. Mine was Feb. 21,

2011. It’s a new life.”

Organ transplants are based on supply

and demand and, currently, the demand is

far greater than the available supply, Fair

said. When there were no airbags in cars

and fewer people were saved from

accidents, there were more cadavers

available. But because airbags are saving

lives, those cadavers are no longer an

option for transplantations.

Therefore, organ donors are needed

more than ever before. In 1987, those in

need of a kidney transplant only had to

wait seven months after first being placed

on the transplant list, Fair said.

But by 2012, the wait had lengthened

to four to six years.

Twelve thousand people meet the

criteria for needing a kidney transplant,

but fewer than half get donors.

“That statistic really struck home,” Fair

said.

Transplant recipients are looking more

and more to living donors since people can

live with only one of their two kidneys. At

Harrisburg Hospital, more than 50 percent

of kidney transplants are due to living

donors, Fair said, quoting Dr. Harold

Yang, a hospital surgeon who helped save

her life.

While kidney disease can be from

hypertension, diabetes, or polycystic

kidney disease, Fair’s kidney problem

stemmed from a birth defect in her

sphincter muscle.

“There was a surgery that could be

done by age 5,” she said, but her diagnosis

at age 21 put her well beyond that point,

and her kidneys slowly deteriorated over

the years.

Fair began journaling about her

experiences with kidney disease in

September 2007. By the fall of 2010, she

needed to go on dialysis, and she

continued writing.

“I had no idea if I would even receive a

kidney, and if I did, how would I get

through the surgery? The recovery period?

Would there be a happy ending? All these

questions remained unanswered,” Fair

said.

“Although I had excellent medical care

... I could not have gotten through this

time in my life without my faith,” Fair

said. “Faith is a choice—it comes from the

heart. You either want to believe or you

don’t. I so believed in God and knew that

he would see me through this most

difficult time. After all, (God) is the

physician of all physicians.”

Fair’s earlier kindness to a young girl

reaped benefits to not only herself, but

another kidney transplant recipient as well.

Because Fair had sponsored Janette

“Jay” Diaz into Milton Hershey School,

Diaz wanted to repay her kindness by

donating her kidney to Fair. But after

testing, the two weren’t a match.

Instead, they were put on the Paired

Donor List for a live match. Diaz matched

a woman in Pittsburgh, and that woman’s

friend, Marlane, matched Fair for a four-

way swap.

“So exciting!” Fair said.

On Feb. 21, 2011, Marlane’s kidney

was flown from the Thomas E. Starzl

Transplant Institute of the University of

Pittsburgh Medical Center to Harrisburg

Hospital, where Fair was waiting for the

lifesaving surgery.

After an excellent recovery, Fair decided

to compile her journal entries and craft

them into a book, Transplanted to Better

Health.

“I wanted to offer hope and

encouragement to patients who were

suffering from kidney failure, or anyone

suffering from a serious illness in general,”

Fair said.

In her memoir, Fair describes the good

and bad days, the ups and downs of

dialysis treatment, waiting for a lifesaving

kidney transplant, and the road to

recovery.

“My story will be familiar for anyone

who has been down the road with kidney

failure, and will uplift and empower those

who are just setting foot on that path,” she

said. “My book is like one patient talking

to another patient.”

But what sets Fair’s book apart from

others is the details in her journals that

only a person with a medical background

would include. Fair is a medical technician

who worked in a doctor’s office.

A signed copy of Fair’s book may be

purchased from Fair by emailing her at

[email protected] or through

Amazon.com as a book or an e-book. To

receive a signed copy, send a check payable

to Fair Book Publishing for $18, which

includes shipping, to: FBP, 1522

Collingdale Circle, Mechanicsburg, PA

17050. To engage Fair as a speaker, contact

her at the above email address.

ADVOCACY from page 1


Dauphin County

Calendar of Events

Dauphin County Library Programs

Dauphin County Department of Parks and Recreation

Jan. 6, 1 to 4 p.m. – Photography Contest Reception, Wildwood Park

Jan. 15, 7 to 8:30 p.m. – Wildwood Winter Lecture Series: “Tall Timber,” Wildwood Park

Jan. 29, 7 to 8:30 p.m. – Wildwood Winter Lecture Series: “Ruins in the Wilderness – The Coal Mining

Patch Towns of Stony Valley,” Wildwood Park

Programs and Support Groups

East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg, (717) 652-9380

Elizabethville Area Library, 80 N. Market St., Elizabethville, (717) 362-9825Jan. 3, 6 p.m. – Friends of Elizabethville Area Library Meeting

Harrisburg Downtown Library, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-4976

Johnson Memorial Library, 799 E. Center St., Millersburg, (717) 692-2658

Kline Branch, 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-3934

Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, 2410 N. Third St., Harrisburg, (717) 232-7286

McCormick Riverfront Library, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-4976

Northern Dauphin Library, 683 Main St., Lykens, (717) 453-9315

William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, 200 W. Second St., Hummelstown, (717) 566-0949Jan. 8, 6:30 p.m. – Novel Thoughts Book Club

Jan. 15, 1 p.m. – Novel Thoughts, Too! Book Club

Free and open to the public.

Senior Center Activities

Jan. 16, 1:30 p.m.Parkinson’s Support Group on East Shore

Jewish Home

4004 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg

(717) 441-8627

Jan. 17, 1:30 p.m.Hershey Area AARP Meeting

Spring Creek Church of the Brethren

335 E. Areba Ave., Hershey

(717) 832-3282

Jan. 19, 10 a.m.Teamster 776 Retirees Meeting

Union Hall

2552 Jefferson St., Harrisburg

(717) 233-8766

Jan. 22, 6 to 7:30 p.m.Parental Loss Support GroupAseraCare Hospice

75 S. Houcks Road, Suite 101, Harrisburg

(717) 541-4466

Jan. 29, 6 p.m.Susquehanna Rovers Volksmarch Walking Club

Gander Mountain

5005 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg

(717) 991-5232

If you have an event you would like toinclude, please email information to

[email protected] for consideration.

Give Us the Scoop!

Please send us your press

releases so we can let our

readers know about

free events occurring in

Dauphin County!

Email preferred to:

[email protected]

(717) 770-0140

(717) 285-1350

Let

Help you get the word out!

Bistline Senior Center – (717) 564-5633

Edgemont Senior Center – (717) 236-2221

Friendship Senior Center – (717) 657-1547

Heinz-Menaker Senior Center – (717) 238-7860

Highspire Area Senior Center – (717) 939-4580

Hoy/Latsha Senior Center – (717) 939-9833

Hummelstown Senior Center – (717) 566-6855

Jewish Community Center – (717) 236-9555

Lick Towers Senior Center – (717) 233-0388

Lykens Senior Center – (717) 453-7985

Millersburg Senior Center – (717) 692-2657

Mohler Senior Center – (717) 533-2002,www.hersheyseniorcenter.com

Jan. 2, 9:15 a.m. – Beginner Tap Class

Jan. 2, 12:30 p.m. – Shuffleboard/Wii

Jan. 21, noon to 2 p.m. – Mohler Soup Cook-off

Royalton Senior Center – (717) 944-4831

Rutherford House – (717) 564-5682,www.rutherfordhouse.orgWednesdays, 12:15 p.m. – Free Aerobics

Steelton Senior Center – (717) 939-0693

Dear Savvy Senior,

Does Medicare cover eye care? I had

excellent vision insurance through my

employer for many years but lost it when I

retired, and now I am confused as to what

Medicare actually covers. What can you tell

me?

— Living on a Budget

Dear Living,

Many retirees are confused with what

Medicare will and won’t cover when it

comes to eye

care. Here’s a

breakdown of

how Medicare

handles

different types

of vision care

services, along

with some

additional tips

that can help

you get

affordable care

when needed.

MedicareCoverage If you have

original

Medicare (Part

A and B), it’s

important to

know that

“routine”

vision care like

eye exams, eye

refractions,

eyeglasses, or

contact lenses

are generally

not covered. But, “medically necessary”

eye care usually is. Here’s a list of what is

covered:

• Eye surgeries: any surgical procedure

that helps repair the function of the eye

like cataract removal, cornea transplant,

glaucoma surgery, etc.

• Eyeglasses or contacts: only if you’ve

had cataract surgery.

• Medical eye exams: only if you’re

having vision problems that indicate a

serious eye condition like macular

degeneration, retinopathy, glaucoma, or

dry eye syndrome.

• Glaucoma screenings: annual screenings

for those at high risk (diabetics, those

with a family history of glaucoma, or

those who are African-American or

Hispanic).

• Diabetic eye exams: if you have

diabetes, yearly exams for diabetic

retinopathy.

• Macular

degeneration:

certain

treatments are

covered.

You also

need to be

aware that of

the eye care

services that are

covered by

Medicare, you’re

still responsible

for 20 percent

of the cost—

Medicare pays

the other 80

percent.

To help with

this out-of-

pocket expense,

some Medigap

supplemental

policies provide

gap coverage.

Or, if you have

Medicare

Advantage, some

plans provide eye care benefits. Be sure

you check with your plan administrator.

Ways to SaveIf you find your eye care needs aren’t

covered, or you can’t afford the 20

percent out-of-pocket that Medicare

doesn’t cover, there are other ways to

save.

For starters, if you need a refractive

eye exam or a new pair of eyeglasses,

many optometrists and eyeglass dealers

offer discounts—usually between 10 and

30 percent—to seniors who request it.

Memberships in groups like AAA and

AARP can also provide lower rates.

Another way to get low-cost eye care

is at an optometry school. Many offer

affordable care provided by students that

are overseen by their professors. See

www.opted.org for a directory of schools

and their contact information.

Assistance ProgramsDepending on where you live, there

may also be some local clinics or

charitable organizations that provide free

or discounted eye care or eyeglasses.

Put in a call to your local Lions Club

to see what’s available in your area. To

reach your local club, visit

www.directory.

lionsclubs.org or call (800) 747-4448 to

get the number to your state Lions Club

office, which can refer you to your

community representative.

Or, if you need medical eye care,

check into EyeCare America. This is a

national program that provides

comprehensive medical eye examinations

to seniors age 65 and older and up to

one year of treatment at no cost. They

accept Medicare or other insurance as

full payment. And if you don’t have

insurance, care is free. To learn more or

to find out if you qualify, visit

www.eyecareamerica.org.

If you’re under age 65, some other

services that can help include Mission

Cataract USA (www.missioncataract

usa.org), which provides free cataract

surgery to low-income people who don’t

have insurance. And Vision USA

(www.optometryscharity.org/vision-usa,

(800) 766-4466) provides free vision care

to uninsured and low-income workers

and their families.

Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the

NBC Today show and author of The SavvySenior Book. www.savvysenior.org.

Eye Care Coverage and Services for Retirees

Savvy Senior

Jim Miller

January is GlaucomaAwareness Month


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