vv10-16

Charlie Christy - Executive Director
Thirty-One Years & Counting!
Adrea Nairne-Barrera
Is That Music?
60’s to 60
How proud Patti would be to see how
we’ve grown! When she founded the Ms
Senior Nevada Pageant in 1985, it was
to give seniors a voice and a platform to
continue serving and entertaining, while
promoting health and happiness in
the “Age
of Elegance.”
T h i s
“lofty
ideal”
has grown
into a
program
that is
now a
year-long
production
serving
the
community.
Our
Ms Senior
Nevada
family
entertains at assisted living homes and
service clubs from one to five times each
month.
These gals are all volunteers and provide
their own costumes and transportation
to perform for others; sometimes
to remote areas of the state like Eureka
and Austin. We raise money for “Meals
on Wheels” and other worthwhile senior
programs.
We represent the senior community at
our state capitol, attend the Legislative
session when it is in session, meet with
our governor annually; all while keeping
the focus on what seniors have done, are
doing and what more needs to be done.
That brings up Guardianship. The
abuses that were being perpetrated are
everyone’s concern as we age. Our “golden
years” should be a time for reflection
and enjoyment, but the extent of the
Guardianship scandal in our state has
been deplorable.
This disgrace is slowly being corrected
with the exposure of the abuses and the
energy of some very courageous people
spending endless hours bringing this to
the public’s attention. The Vegas Voice’s
Rana Goodman has spent countless
hours on this issue and due to her efforts,
was honored by Ms Senior Nevada as our
“Woman of the Year” at our Pageant
held at the South Point Hotel in August.
Congratulations Rana, our “Ms Senior
Nevada Woman of the Year” for her dedication
and selfless service to the senior
community.
Back to
Ms Senior
Nevada.
Our new
Queen is
Ms Terri
MacTaggart.
Not
only is
she a delightful
representative
of
gracious
ageing,
but she
exemplifies
what
a senior woman is and can be - accomplished
and giving.
She is a pilot, flew acrobatic airplanes
and was also an accountant. Terri doesn’t
limit herself and her energy is boundless.
She works with Special Olympics,
founded a project for at-risk teenagers
and has just organized a Ms Senior
Nevada team for the annual Alzheimer’s
walk. “Walk the Walk” is October 8 th .
Registration begins at 7:00 am, the
ceremony at 8:30 am and the walk begins
at 9:00 am. Come and join our team:
http://act.alz.org/goto/WalkWithTerri.
Or organize a team yourself. Contact
Albert Chavez 702/248-2770 to help put
an end to this scourge. So much is being
done, but so much remains undone. Join
us in helping to find a solution.
Ms Senior Nevada is alive and well and
still serving seniors. In this age, where
anyone can buy a crown, have a banner
printed and run up and down the Strip
taking pictures with tourists, it is refreshing
to know our senior family is still
helping others while enjoying ourselves.
Yes, Patti Hoganson Ogren, we thank
you for bringing Ms Senior Nevada to
life 31 years ago. For more information:
www.msseniornevada.com.
Pix caption: (L to R) Dottie Reed, Ms Senior Nevada Pageant
Coordinator, Rana, Joan Schaumburg, Queen 2015-2016,
Terri MacTaggart, Queen 2016-2017, Charlie Christy, CEO &
President
My parents
came from
backgrounds in
classical music
and opera. I was
never a fan of
opera.
No way to
be kind about
it. It bored me
crazy when my
father sat at the
kitchen table,
cranked up the
Zenith needle
dial radio and
listened to Milton
Cross and the Metropolitan Opera
every Saturday morning.
But Saturdays were to be spent with
my father and every week he took me
someplace special in the afternoon.
Usually we went to the movies, Radio
City Music Hall, a museum or out to
lunch. While my mother taught piano
every Saturday, my days with Daddy
were special.
My parents were sometimes considered
intellectual snobs, or so it seemed
as a child, and the oncoming new music
and trends were quite a contrast to
their interests. Mind you, they were far
from prudish. They were very progressive
thinkers, but my Dad’s parents
were opera performers and music appreciation
never included the likes of
rock & roll.
Entering my early double-digit years
meant American Bandstand rating the
beat and taking swing dancing to a
whole new place. Yahoo!
Saddle shoes were still in but poodle
skirts had already passed. Soap operas
were fun too and so I developed teen
tastes of the time.
There was “a whole lotta shakin’ going
on” all the way to the peppermint
twist, Bobby Rydell, Frankie & Annette
singing about the beach and the ultimate
of all ultimates, Elvis. Very little
made sense to anyone’s parents.
Ed Sullivan was only showing the
upper half of Elvis because of censors.
Even Lucy & Ricky had to sleep in separate
beds. Oh, the shame of it all!
Now we’re in a new century with new
music. I think it’s music. They tell me
it’s music.
Every station on the radio screams
noise to me and if a rap song comes
on, I cannot understand even one word!
The loud banging makes heavy metal
of 20 years ago sound classical. What
happened?
Since when did expressing yourself to
the world through the arts become so
violent? You never hear of an old fashioned
country singer being murdered
but we have news stories about rapper’s
murders.
The music culture of today needs to
make another swing back to calmer,
soothing tones. We are craving the
harmonies of Earth, Wind & Fire, the
amazing creativity of Kenny Loggins,
Barry Manilow, The Beatles and Frank
Sinatra’s music arranged by Nelson
Riddle.
It’s not about reviving the old; it’s
about writing music that flows through
your brain with some sense of continuity.
The banging and fierceness of
today’s noise is upsetting and actually
makes you nervously jumpy when you
listen.
The world is ever changing, so the
inevitability of new noises we don’t
understand is actually understandable.
But whatever that sound of the future
may be, I really pray it sends a message
of calm and slower rhythms so the
banging will stop.
My stepdaughters used to call my
music “Mom Rock.” I hope it comes
back soon.
16 www.thevegasvoice.net