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February 20<strong>17</strong><br />

Oct. 2012<br />

...for<br />

today’s active<br />

seniors!<br />

Entertainment and<br />

Travel Options for<br />

all Valentines<br />

Guys, Gals...,<br />

don’t forget your<br />

sweethearts!<br />

HEY LAS VEGAS,<br />

Happy Valentine’s Day!<br />

Save the<br />

Date!<br />

See Page 27


Accept my invitation<br />

and receive a complimentary<br />

$100 Meal Card to either Flemings, or<br />

Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis!<br />

Many people are concerned today about the market and the direction<br />

it will be heading - big deficit, potential for inflation and possible<br />

future market downturns similar to those we experienced back in 2001 and<br />

again in 2008, unrest in the Middle East…the list goes on and on. If you’re<br />

like most Americans, you have questions and concerns regarding these critical<br />

issues and the impact they could potentially have on your lifestyle, your future<br />

and your legacy.<br />

REDEFINING YOUR RETIREMENT<br />

The world is changing, the economy is changing and the rules<br />

are changing every day.<br />

Please accept our personal invitation to attend a Private Financial Workshop<br />

where we can discuss these important issues that could potentially<br />

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This Private Financial Workshop is being offered to you at NO COST<br />

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• Educate you on investment choices and help guide you on<br />

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• Show you what you are really paying your advisor in<br />

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• “Stress Test” your current portfolio, to determine the<br />

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• Discuss tax efficient retirement planning - where you will learn<br />

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Intention of this workshop is to educate - Nothing Will Be Sold.<br />

This Private Educational Workshop can provide a unique opportunity to learn how some very simple steps can help<br />

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in<br />

f<br />

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Choose one of the available dates and times for this no obligation, complimentary<br />

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2 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

Rick<br />

Veteran / Republican<br />

WORKMAN<br />

For Henderson Mayor<br />

REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE -- TESTED, PROVEN LEADER<br />

20 Year Military Veteran 23 Year Public Safety Service<br />

- Noncommissioned and<br />

Commissioned Officer<br />

- Nuclear Weapons Manager,<br />

Inspector and Technician<br />

- F-1<strong>17</strong> Stealth Fighter aircraft<br />

maintenance commander,<br />

operation Desert Storm<br />

- Managed nuclear weapons<br />

and aircraft over $2.5 billion<br />

LEADERSHIP NEEDED<br />

Community Safety - Henderson has suffered a rise in burglary, home<br />

invasion, robbery and other crimes. Rick will make our community safety<br />

a top priority to help prevent unnecessary victims of crime.<br />

Property Taxes - Stop any efforts to raise annual property taxes, while<br />

avoiding opportunities to eliminate waste and inefficient practices.<br />

Friends and Family Plan - Stop awarding contracts, paying consultants,<br />

and granting positions to friends and family.<br />

Paid for by Committee to Elect Rick Workman<br />

- Developed and manages the<br />

Henderson Police Department<br />

crime lab and Crime Scene<br />

Investigation (CSI) section<br />

- Obtained international accreditation<br />

for the forensic lab (October 2016)<br />

- Former police officer<br />

www.RickWorkman.com<br />

3


Are You Intimidated<br />

By Art?<br />

by Crystal Czerkas Sarbacker<br />

Art is meant to be enjoyed by people<br />

Crystal Czerkas-<br />

like you and me.<br />

Sarbacker<br />

Y<br />

ou’re entitled to have your own likes and dislikes.<br />

Whatever your tastes, whether it’s Andy Warhol’s “Campbell<br />

Soup Can”, the infamous “Dogs Playing Poker”, or Monet’s “Water Lillies”, you’ll<br />

find countless styles and subject matters to delight, challenge, inform or entertain<br />

you. So relax. Art should be fun. There are some simple techniques which can really<br />

enhance your viewing experience, too.<br />

For starters, don’t stand too close to a painting or even a sculpture. When I was<br />

a little girl my Dad, the artist known as Czerkas, told me to stand back from a<br />

painting about six to eight feet. He said, “if you stand too close, you may see the<br />

actual brush strokes, but you won’t be able to take in the whole scene and might<br />

miss something.” He continued that “this is especially important when you’re<br />

looking at modern artworks or impressionistic paintings”, like those he painted.<br />

And I found he was right. Up close many of his artworks looked to me to be just a<br />

colorful jumble of strokes. Though when I stepped back a few feet, I was amazed at<br />

how clearly I could see people, landscapes, waterfronts, buildings, or even portraits<br />

emerge from the watercolor or oil painting.<br />

And there’s another little trick my Dad taught me. If you’re in a cramped space<br />

California Strolling<br />

with no room to step back to get a better<br />

view of an artwork, just squint your<br />

eyes and you’ll get almost the same<br />

effect. That’s the technique modernists<br />

and impressionists often use when they<br />

are painting so they can visualize how<br />

the finished painting will look without<br />

having to step away from their easels. In<br />

fact, the American colonial genius, Ben<br />

Franklin, used this concept when he invented<br />

an early pair of spectacles made with narrow horizontal wood slats instead<br />

of glass lenses. You would think they would have blocked the wearer’s vision.<br />

Instead, they made him squint and amazingly he could see better. You might try the<br />

squinting technique by looking at a painting in your house when you’re quite close,<br />

but don’t try it while you’re moving about. Remember this is a trick and you don’t<br />

want to stumble over something.<br />

For more information on my Dad, Victor Czerkas, please call Ray Sarbacker at<br />

702-463-0966 or go to www.Czerkas.com.<br />

Ship Shape<br />

You shouldn’t be…<br />

Watercolor<br />

Watercolor<br />

2880 BICENTENNIAL PKWY. SUITE 100-244<br />

HENDERSON, NEVADA 89044<br />

Phone 702.251.4441 . Fax 702.666-0427<br />

Volume 13, Issue 12<br />

PUBLISHER/EDITOR . Dan Roberts<br />

PRESIDENT . Ray Sarbacker<br />

VP MARKETING . Debbie Landry<br />

POLITICAL EDITOR . Rana Goodman<br />

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR . Evan Davis<br />

NIGHT LIFE EDITOR . Sam Wagmeister<br />

TRAVEL EDITOR . Stu Cooper<br />

TV HOST . Rich Natole<br />

GRAPHICS EDITOR . Michael Roberts<br />

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE . Lou Lozitsky<br />

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE . Helen Britas<br />

PROJECT DIRECTOR . Bill Caserta<br />

Marty Allen<br />

Adrea Barrera<br />

Richard Black<br />

Yvonne Cloutier<br />

Dianne Davis<br />

www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS<br />

Chuck Dean<br />

Alice Edwards<br />

Jan Fair<br />

Linda Gomez<br />

Ali Guggenheim<br />

Mike Landry<br />

dan@thevegasvoice.net<br />

ray@thevegasvoice.net<br />

debbie@thevegasvoice.net<br />

rana@thevegasvoice.net<br />

evan@thevegasvoice.net<br />

lou@thevegasvoice.net<br />

helen@thevegasvoice.net<br />

bill@thevegasvoice.net<br />

Kathy Manney<br />

Kyo Mitchell<br />

Mary Richard<br />

Crystal Sarbacker<br />

Victoria Seaman<br />

Marilyn Sirna<br />

The Vegas Voice is mailed/delivered to all residents in:<br />

Anthem Country Club<br />

Country Club Senior Apts.<br />

Destinations Centers<br />

Horizon Pines<br />

Las Vegas Meadows<br />

Quail Estates<br />

Seven Hills<br />

Jim Valkenburg<br />

Pat Warren<br />

Beverly Washburn<br />

Devon Wickens<br />

Vicki Wentz<br />

James White<br />

Siena<br />

Solera @ Anthem<br />

Solera @ Stallion Mtn.<br />

Sun City Anthem<br />

Sun City Aliante<br />

Sun City MacDonald Ranch<br />

Sun City Summerlin<br />

The Vegas Voice is also distributed throughout the Vegas Valley; from<br />

North Las Vegas to Boulder City - including select local casinos,<br />

bookstores, coffee shops, and all libraries and community<br />

centers.<br />

What Do You Think?<br />

Do you agree with our columnists? Did anyone get you angry, make<br />

you think or simply put a smile on your face?<br />

Please tell us by forwarding your comments, thoughts or suggestions<br />

to Publisher Dan at: dan@thevegasvoice.net.<br />

And whatever you do, don’t forget our <strong>web</strong>site. Read about the latest<br />

information about us grown-ups so you can keep up to date with<br />

everything going on.<br />

4 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED<br />

BY OUR COMMUNITY<br />

“In terms of what you want in a Mayor, Debra March is the real deal – the<br />

complete package. It is a trifecta. Debra is intelligent, thoughtful and she<br />

is fair. In my opinion any community in the country would be proud to<br />

have Debra March as their Mayor.”<br />

THE HONORABLE RICHARD BRYAN<br />

“If I had to typify Debra March’s career, it is one of caring. She is a natural<br />

leader who listens to people and wants to do what is right for people.”<br />

STATE SENATOR JOE HARDY<br />

“Debra has demonstrated great leadership. The people’s interests have<br />

been Debra’s interests. She believes public policy should be transparent.”<br />

THE HONORABLE BRUCE WOODBURY<br />

“Debra March is very knowledgeable and works tirelessly to create<br />

public policy that benefits the future needs of our people. She is the<br />

embodiment of a dedicated public servant.”<br />

CLARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER LARRY BROWN<br />

COMMUNITY ENDORSEMENTS<br />

PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF DEBRA MARCH FOR MAYOR<br />

PAID FOR DebraMarch.com<br />

BY FRIENDS OF DEBRA MARCH FOR MAYOR<br />

5


On My Soap Box<br />

Rana Goodman<br />

Have You Done Your Part?<br />

Dan Roberts<br />

It’s the Hypocrisy<br />

Roberts Rules<br />

We really hoped<br />

that the start<br />

of 20<strong>17</strong> would<br />

herald the start<br />

of big changes in<br />

guardianship reform.<br />

However, as in the<br />

last two plus years,<br />

the wheels of justice<br />

move much slower<br />

than we who fight<br />

for “lady justice”<br />

would like.<br />

Therefore, once<br />

again we are taking<br />

the fight to the<br />

Nevada legislature.<br />

We are counting on<br />

you, our readers,<br />

to back us up by<br />

submitting the<br />

(that could have been purchased<br />

guardianship reform petition on this in a single visit), and the many bad<br />

page.<br />

jokes that he thought were, oh so<br />

We are not asking for much - just funny. For him, it was extra time that<br />

the blessing of the legislature to put we spent together. For me, I would<br />

our volunteers to work doing what love to have that time back with him<br />

no one else wants to do - Looking today.<br />

out for our own!<br />

The very idea that someone I love<br />

As of this writing, we have over could end up in guardianship - where<br />

500 such petitions. Also I want to that guardian has the right to make<br />

add that we are very grateful for your vital decisions, (which they do), - not<br />

support and kind words in our Vegas only financial, but also health care<br />

Voice guardianship reform efforts. and end of life decisions, terrifies<br />

Last month, tucked in with a me. And it should make you feel that<br />

petition was a note from a reader. It way too.<br />

simply read, “Thank you for all you do, Despite such ridiculous<br />

but it must be very hard hearing only the contentions, we are not trying to<br />

echo of your own voice.”<br />

scare people. But it is so important<br />

The response to that question is for seniors to have a reality check.<br />

a resounding YES. It is however, Everyone needs to make sure every<br />

when I hear that echo, I also hear the I is dotted and T crossed in their<br />

question I am so often asked: “Why advanced directives and to make sure<br />

do I keep doing this?”<br />

that your FAMILY has copies of<br />

I always get mental pictures of what you want, and who you want to<br />

my parents, and especially of my care for them, in the event that the<br />

grandfather pictured here who worst-case scenario occurs.<br />

passed away a long time ago. I The Vegas Voice continues to<br />

adored him. As much as he was provide a guardianship nomination<br />

assigned the job of being my “caretaker”<br />

the first year I was in college; to do is go to our <strong>web</strong> site (www.<br />

forms FREE to anyone. All you have<br />

I became his during the last years of thevegasvoice.net) and down load<br />

his life.<br />

it, fill it out and have your signature<br />

It was from this dear man that notarized.<br />

I learned to ignore the repetitions And please be sure you lend your<br />

of the stories seniors tell, the many name to the guardianship petitions.<br />

trips to the grocery store for items Let’s end the guardianship scandal<br />

once and for all!<br />

6 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

“It’s not the BS that drives me nuts, it’s<br />

the hypocrisy,” I shouted. Even I was<br />

surprised by my loud reaction.<br />

For loyal readers, it’s no secret<br />

that The Vegas Voice (despite my oftmentioned<br />

reservations) continues to<br />

press for guardianship reforms. While<br />

the political editor (and my Ladylove)<br />

Rana Goodman remains ever vigilant<br />

in her Don(na) Quixote quest to<br />

clean up this cesspool, I did not want<br />

this newspaper to be labelled as the<br />

“guardianship paper.”<br />

It remains our mission that the<br />

publication be much more than that;<br />

namely: to be the voice for your health, wealth<br />

& good times.” As one example - our<br />

entertainment shows that are nothing<br />

short of phenomenal.<br />

We are not talking amateurs on<br />

stage, but first rate, Las Vegas Strip<br />

entertainers. Credit goes to our<br />

entertainment and nightlife editors<br />

Evan Davis and Sam Wagmeister.<br />

They have strongly suggested that<br />

although the guardianship issue<br />

is “somewhat” important, it’s the<br />

entertainment and the performers that<br />

should be the paper’s main focus.<br />

And then there’s our travel<br />

columnists, Stu Cooper, Crystal<br />

Sarbacker and now Marilyn Sirna.<br />

What other “senior paper” provides<br />

fantastic travel opportunities they<br />

ask? From bus trips to “bucket list”<br />

destinations, they continuously urge<br />

Yours Truly to focus The Vegas Voice on<br />

vacation locations.<br />

But with Rana’s “pillow talk”<br />

advantage, she keeps bringing me<br />

back to guardianship. To make matters<br />

worse, she doesn’t argue, yell or<br />

demand. Rana simply shows me some<br />

paperwork and asks, “What do you<br />

think?”<br />

Hence my opening sentence. This<br />

time, it was in response to two press<br />

releases from Nevada Attorney<br />

General Adam Laxalt.<br />

We have previously and will continue<br />

to call Laxalt “Mr. Irrelevant” for his<br />

guardianship (non) actions. Despite<br />

The Vegas Voice (and others) presenting<br />

his office with compelling and<br />

numerous victims (along with a ton of<br />

medical and financial documentation)<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

Attorney General Adam Laxalt, “Mr.<br />

Irrelevant”<br />

the Attorney General still refuses,<br />

or remains paralyzed to touch the<br />

guardianship scandal in Clark County.<br />

In all candor, if it wasn’t for his<br />

hypocrisy, I would leave it alone.<br />

However, his “look-at-me” insistence<br />

that he is working for seniors is<br />

disgraceful.<br />

You can only imagine the other New<br />

York words I used when Rana handed<br />

me the press release from the Attorney<br />

General last month. In it, Mr. Laxalt,<br />

proclaimed how “thrilled” he was in<br />

announcing his “record-breaking”<br />

campaign report.<br />

He reported he now has a $1.5<br />

million campaign war chest. Laxalt also<br />

reiterated that despite speculation as to<br />

whether he will run for Governor in<br />

2018 (he states that he has not made<br />

a decision, but, SPOILER ALERT:<br />

he’s running) the Attorney General<br />

had the audacity to advise, “…I will<br />

continue to fight on behalf of all<br />

Nevadans to protect our state and our<br />

citizens.”<br />

This announcement came one week<br />

after the AG, without any shame<br />

had the gall to release the following:<br />

“Attorney General Announces Third<br />

Elder Exploitation Guardianship Abuse<br />

Prosecution.”<br />

While Laxalt pats himself on<br />

the back for such action, I remain<br />

astonished that these cases are all in<br />

Northern Nevada – as if all the noise,<br />

public outcry and scandal is unheard<br />

of in the Las Vegas Valley. “Is there a<br />

guardianship problem in Clark County?” he<br />

must be asking his staff.<br />

By the way, the total amount of<br />

money stolen in these 3 cases combined<br />

are what private guardians April<br />

Parks and Jarad Shafer and their coconspirators<br />

call “pocket change.” Such<br />

prosecutions are not just “low-hanging<br />

fruit” but crumbs on the ground.<br />

Mr. Attorney General: If you<br />

don’t have the guts to go after the<br />

real bad guys; the ones that caused<br />

you and your office to ever hear of<br />

guardianship problems in the first<br />

place, spare us the “good news” of<br />

prosecuting two-bit, BS cases.<br />

And if “Mr. Incompetent”, Clark<br />

County District Attorney Steve<br />

Wolfson is not capable or smart<br />

enough to do his job, just let him<br />

continue to appear and smile before<br />

the various TV cameras. Do what’s<br />

right for the Clark County families<br />

financially and emotionally destroyed<br />

by the still corrupt and rigged<br />

guardianship system.<br />

Oh, and one more thing. Kindly<br />

stop promoting that “$400,000 of<br />

non-taxpayer” monies you were able<br />

to transfer to the Legal Aid Center<br />

of Southern Nevada to “boost their<br />

capacity to fight guardianship abuse.”<br />

First of all, that amount of money<br />

(which is already gone) would have<br />

funded approximately four years’<br />

worth of our proposed budget to<br />

totally resolve and erase guardianship<br />

as an issue. More importantly, unless<br />

this money came from your $1.5<br />

million campaign war chest, or,<br />

perhaps some loose change under your<br />

seat cushions, ALL money from your<br />

office is taxpayers’ money.<br />

Until then, good luck in your<br />

Governor’s campaign, but I’m begging<br />

you to drop the hypocrisy of asking us<br />

to believe and trust you. Believe me - if<br />

you stop, I’ll get Rana to back-off and<br />

The Vegas Voice will concentrate on our<br />

entertainment and travel stuff.<br />

7


Robert Telles<br />

Seeking Assistance for a Ward<br />

Vicki Wentz<br />

The Post-Christmas Letter<br />

Vicki’s Voice<br />

You may have a friend who has had<br />

a guardianship ordered over him or<br />

her. This person may have complained<br />

about the fact that he or she did not<br />

have the opportunity to ask why the<br />

guardianship was ordered.<br />

In my own practice, I have come<br />

across circumstances where people<br />

over whom a guardianship was awarded<br />

never actually received the opportunity<br />

to object to the guardianship.<br />

This can result from a doctor’s erroneous<br />

opinion that the person could not<br />

speak his or her own opinion in court.<br />

This may result from the doctor’s<br />

belief that the person would not have<br />

the physical ability to attend court,<br />

would be unable to voice his or her<br />

opinion, or for some other reason.<br />

However, the guardianship court is<br />

concerned with ensuring that any person<br />

over whom a guardianship has<br />

been ordered have the ability to speak<br />

to the court.<br />

Really, only those who should be excused<br />

from attending court hearings<br />

would be a person who is unable to<br />

safely leave a hospitable bed or is truly<br />

a danger to him or herself or others.<br />

Those who have had a guardianship<br />

ordered over them are known as wards<br />

or protected persons. These folks are<br />

those who have shown to be a danger<br />

to him or herself or to others.<br />

This may include an inability to<br />

manage one’s own financial affairs or<br />

the inability to adequately maintain his<br />

or her own health without the assistance<br />

of others. This often includes<br />

those who have unfortunately been<br />

diagnosed with a disorder that erodes<br />

the memory, such as Alzheimer’s or<br />

dementia.<br />

Other circumstances may involve<br />

something more physically severe,<br />

such as an illness that confines that<br />

person to a hospital bed. The former<br />

circumstances, Alzheimer’s and dementia,<br />

may not necessarily call for an<br />

immediate confinement to involuntary<br />

commitment in a memory care unit.<br />

A memory care unit is a place where<br />

people are placed and are monitored<br />

on a 24-hour basis. As previously<br />

mentioned, this may not be the first<br />

option.<br />

Often times, the protected person<br />

has the money and the health necessary<br />

to continue living at home. Unfortunately,<br />

even loved ones can jump<br />

the gun and determine that the first<br />

option should be commitment to a<br />

memory care unit.<br />

What can be done? If you know<br />

someone who has not had the opportunity<br />

to address the court in his or her<br />

guardianship, that person can contact<br />

an attorney who can petition the court<br />

to allow the protected person to speak<br />

to the court. This can often result in a<br />

re-evaluation of the case and whether<br />

that person meets the necessary criteria<br />

to return home or a less confining<br />

arrangement.<br />

Unfortunately, even well-meaning<br />

family can jump the gun and move<br />

straight to a restrictive living arrangement<br />

for that person even when that<br />

person might be able to live in his or<br />

her own home with the assistance of<br />

some paid help.<br />

If you believe you know someone<br />

living in restrictive living arrangement<br />

unnecessarily, be sure to have that person<br />

contact a qualified guardianship<br />

attorney.<br />

Rob Telles is the founder of Accolade Law, a law firm that serves clients in<br />

guardianship, estate planning and probate. His office can be reached at (702) 337-<br />

3000<br />

Dear Santa:<br />

Thank you so much for all of the<br />

wonderful things I received for Christmas<br />

in 2016. Having said that, even though<br />

it’s been a month (or two), I thought you<br />

should know:<br />

When I asked for clothes, I kind of<br />

meant something…well…nice? I do<br />

love the Christmas sweater that my little<br />

girl gave me because she asked to go<br />

shopping with her Dad and picked it out<br />

by herself.<br />

The fact that it’s a Petite Small and I<br />

could only wear it as a hat isn’t important;<br />

she obviously sees her mother as a Petite<br />

Small, and I have no argument with that!<br />

And, I will wear that sweater one day - or<br />

there’s no God in heaven.<br />

My husband gave me a lovely dress…<br />

(he was just standing over my shoulder<br />

reading this, but he’s gone now) …which<br />

would be perfect for his MOTHER!<br />

Honestly, it looks like one of my<br />

grandmother’s old “brunch coats”, you<br />

know? Like a glorified robe with short<br />

sleeves, and it’s about 3 sizes too big for<br />

me.<br />

Is that how HE sees me? A fat old grayhaired<br />

un-sexy robe-wearing walker-using<br />

grandmother? I mean, I pay attention<br />

to his sizes, don’t I? And to his personal<br />

style - somewhere between big hunk<br />

woodsman, affluent Wall Street banker,<br />

and hot sexy rock star?<br />

And, that is NOT easy, Santa! But, when<br />

it comes to my own style preferences, it’s<br />

not: “Well, maybe she’d like a dress like<br />

Mom’s!”<br />

And, Santa, speaking of grandmothers,<br />

can you even believe what his mother gave<br />

me? “How to Be the Perfect Homemaker<br />

in 10 Easy Steps?” Seriously? She gives her<br />

son a new grill and a flat-screen TV for his<br />

office.<br />

Our children get the latest electronics<br />

and toys. Me? I get a book on how to be<br />

better at cleaning, cooking, decorating, and<br />

sewing everything by hand!<br />

(The last thing I sewed myself was<br />

a dress in a Singer Sewing class in 7th<br />

grade, and all I remember is the sound of<br />

the teacher screeching repeatedly, from<br />

all points in the room, “Victoria, you’re<br />

holding the scissors backwards AGAIN!”<br />

Never mind that it took me several<br />

minutes to figure out what she meant…I<br />

mean, I knew you weren’t supposed to<br />

hold them by the blades…right?)<br />

I should have figured that my adorable,<br />

morose, reclusive middle-schooler - who<br />

would rather be dropped naked into Mt.<br />

Vesuvius than be seen as attached to an<br />

actual family - would give me something<br />

that reflects his own style, but Santa,<br />

purple nail polish and lipstick? Really? Has<br />

he EVER seen me in purple lipstick?<br />

Has he ever seen any color on my nails<br />

except Pale Pinky Pearl? Does he even<br />

look at me? I doubt he could even pick<br />

me out of a lineup.<br />

And, then there’s my stupid sister,<br />

Kathy, who’s been married all of twenty<br />

minutes, giving me “The Marriage Go-<br />

Round” - a book on how marriage is like<br />

a carnival ride…please. The fact that she’s<br />

been “riding high on love” for a whole sixand-a-half<br />

months, I mean, doesn’t that<br />

take some huge brass, Santa?<br />

You know, at six months, your spouse<br />

can leave toothpaste all over the sink,<br />

throw his dirty clothes on the floor<br />

BESIDE the hamper every night, and<br />

sip his coffee like a dog slurping from the<br />

water bowl, and you will think he is the<br />

most delightful, enchanting sex-god in the<br />

universe.<br />

But, after 13 years, some of that<br />

“enchantment” will wear off, Sis. At<br />

some point, I promise you, he will lose<br />

that “new car smell”, if you know what I<br />

mean.<br />

Suddenly, his impromptu stabs at<br />

cleaning the kitchen won’t be funny, you<br />

will be seriously ticked off that he did the<br />

laundry and now all your clothes are babypuke<br />

green, he will stop telling you that<br />

you look fantastic and start demanding<br />

that you be simply on time…or, he’ll<br />

buy you a dress that reminds him of his<br />

mother.<br />

Hoping for just a little better Christmas<br />

this year, Santa, please…<br />

Love, Vicki<br />

Vicki Wentz is a writer, teacher and speaker living in North Carolina. Readers may<br />

contact her - and order her new children’s book! - by visiting her <strong>web</strong>site at<br />

www.vickiwentz.com.<br />

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8 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

9


Beverly Washburn<br />

Shane, Shane Come Back<br />

Hollywood Memories<br />

Well here it is, February already. I’d like<br />

to wish all of you a Happy Valentines’ Day<br />

and I’m hoping your 20<strong>17</strong> is starting out<br />

on a positive note.<br />

I thought I’d write this month about<br />

another favorite film of mine: “Shane.” For<br />

those of you who have seen it, how could<br />

you not remember those famous words:<br />

“Shane, Shane, come back.” It was spoken<br />

by the wonderful child actor Brandon De<br />

Wilde playing the part of Joey.<br />

The year was 1952, and I was cast as one<br />

of the Lewis children whose father was<br />

Edgar Buchanan. That’s me, the little girl<br />

on the right in the photo.<br />

Although I only had a small part, it was<br />

a thrill for me since we filmed most of<br />

it in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We were<br />

on location for three months. It was so<br />

beautiful with the Teton Mountains.<br />

Everything about the movie serves as<br />

one of my most treasured memories. The<br />

film was released in 1953 and has remained<br />

Sam Wagmeister<br />

one of the most popular Westerns of all<br />

time.<br />

It was directed by the legendary George<br />

Stevens - but as I have mentioned in prior<br />

columns, working with such a famous<br />

director had no meaning to me at the time<br />

as I was only nine years old. It wasn’t until<br />

my later years as an adult, that I realized just<br />

how fortunate I was to have been directed<br />

DaSilva Mystifies Bally’s Audiences<br />

Six afternoons a week, about 225<br />

people enter the “Twilight Zone.” After<br />

experiencing Fredric DaSilva’s 90-minute<br />

family-friendly “Paranormal” show, some<br />

don’t ever completely escape.<br />

Categorized as a magic show (although<br />

rabbits don’t appear and nobody gets<br />

sawed in half) audiences are drawn into<br />

the powers of DaSilva’s mind.<br />

“Santa brought me a magic box when<br />

I was five,” DaSilva says in his thick<br />

French accent. “I started performing<br />

immediately.”<br />

Thirteen years later, a trip to Las Vegas<br />

inspired his goal to perform on The Strip,<br />

“But I didn’t know how. I had to find<br />

something that nobody else can do,” he<br />

said of his “mind reading magic.”<br />

Audiences who flock to traditional<br />

magic shows ultimately know most tricks<br />

are illusions of lights, mirrors, smoke and<br />

technology. DaSilva’s participants, chosen<br />

randomly by tossing Frisbees into the<br />

audience, often are skeptics at first.<br />

Reducing the show to this printed page<br />

diminishes the astonishment DaSilva<br />

creates and can’t approach its impact.<br />

“Paranormal” must be experienced.<br />

“Tricks” come rapid fire with audiences<br />

breathless as one astonishment after<br />

another fires from his cannon of<br />

mysticism. DaSilva adds new twists to<br />

old standards leaving audiences thinking<br />

first, “I’ve seen that” …then the “holy<br />

mackerel” moment explodes with a<br />

creative new element.<br />

“A magician tells you to pick a card. I<br />

tell you to think of a card.” Even DaSilva<br />

says, “If I didn’t create that, I would be<br />

by such a movie icon.<br />

The film starred Alan Ladd, and as a<br />

little tidbit, I thought I’d share something<br />

with you. On our day off, we all decided<br />

to go up the mountain on a chair lift. Well,<br />

apparently Alan Ladd was afraid of heights<br />

and once he got up to the top, he refused<br />

to go back down.<br />

The studio had to send a helicopter<br />

to pick him up! Here he was, Alan Ladd,<br />

this famous, macho western hero and he<br />

was too afraid to go back down!<br />

What made matters worse is that the<br />

next day, the entire cast and crew kept<br />

teasing him and then added: “Little Beverly<br />

didn’t seem to have a problem.” I was<br />

totally embarrassed by that and was afraid<br />

he would be upset with me.<br />

Thankfully he took the ribbing in stride.<br />

And he even gave me a hug. I was so<br />

relieved! He was so nice and I’m grateful to<br />

have been a part of such an iconic film.<br />

Sadly, Brandon De Wilde was killed<br />

in an accident in 1972 at the age of 30.<br />

He was such a typical, little boy when we<br />

were filming - always pulling at my pigtails<br />

and teasing me.<br />

He was nominated for an Oscar for that<br />

role as best supporting actor and I’m sure,<br />

had he lived, that he would have gone on<br />

to major stardom. It makes us all realize just<br />

how fragile life can be.<br />

Until next time, remember: “It only takes<br />

a smile to make a dark day seem bright.”<br />

Beverly Washburn graced the silver screen as a child actress and is the author of Reel<br />

Tears which can be bought online at Amazon.com or ordered through Barnes &<br />

Noble bookstores. You can contact Beverly at: bjradell@hotmail.com. Check out her<br />

awesome, new <strong>web</strong>site: www.beverlywashburn.com.<br />

fooled.”<br />

At 13, DaSilva received a government<br />

permit to perform in the pubs, lounges<br />

and restaurants near his small French<br />

village. “It allowed me to buy props and<br />

advertise.”<br />

He climbed the show business ladder<br />

in France. Hosting a television interview<br />

program provided him with contacts,<br />

recognition and opportunity.<br />

Fifteen years of trans-Atlantic flights<br />

finally brought an opportunity that nearly<br />

bankrupted him. DaSilva was swindled<br />

out of $25,000 by a fake promoter. News<br />

of the fraud leaked out, offering him yet<br />

another break, a meeting with Bally’s.<br />

Ken Walker, owner of the Windows<br />

Showroom at Bally’s, signed DaSilva.<br />

“Ken told me, ‘I threw you to the sharks<br />

and waited for you to die; you just learned<br />

how to swim.’”<br />

People & Places<br />

The show struggled, selling just two<br />

tickets its first week with comps filling the<br />

other seats. “I did six shows a week,” he<br />

remembers, “four in Las Vegas and then<br />

flew back to France for two shows before<br />

5,000 people each.”<br />

Those French shows covered the<br />

Vegas costs. Now, nearly five years later,<br />

“Paranormal” ranks #8 on TripAdvisor’s<br />

Top 10 Las Vegas list with near sellout<br />

audiences daily.<br />

“Each time I think about the struggle I<br />

get emotional. It was really, really hard.”<br />

DaSilva’s stage is barren of props that<br />

could cause skepticism of electronic<br />

assistance. Controlling the environment<br />

- lights, music, sound is the key. “I put<br />

people in a trance when they think they<br />

are awake.”<br />

Windows Showroom at Bally’s, 4 pm.<br />

Dark Tuesdays.<br />

Sam Wagmeister, a local Realtor specializing in Las Vegas senior communities, covers<br />

the hidden gems of Las Vegas Entertainment for The Vegas Voice. He would love to<br />

hear what you think. Contact Sam at: GreatLasVegasMusic@Gmail.com or (702) 245-6556<br />

10 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

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11


Marty Allen<br />

Marty’s Valentine’s Dozen<br />

1. I got a telephone call from my<br />

friend Paul. He told me: “Sex, sex,<br />

sex! Everywhere I go is sex. The<br />

only place I’m safe is at home.”<br />

2. Ladies: Sometimes the easiest<br />

way to get your husband to do<br />

something is to simply suggest that<br />

he’s too old to do it anyway.<br />

3. Many couples break<br />

up because it looks like<br />

the marriage is going to<br />

last forever!<br />

4. Love is the wine of<br />

life...and marriage is the<br />

morning after.<br />

5. There is only one way to handle<br />

a woman. The trouble however, is<br />

that nobody knows what it is.<br />

6. In the circus, the acrobat<br />

told everyone that he married the<br />

tattooed woman because if he woke<br />

up in the middle of the night and<br />

couldn’t sleep, he would turn and<br />

Hello Dere<br />

just look at the pictures.<br />

7. I know a guy who left his wife<br />

because of another woman - her<br />

mother!<br />

8. All marriages are happy. It’s<br />

the living together afterwards that’s<br />

tough.<br />

9. I have another friend who<br />

really has a problem. He<br />

does not know how to<br />

get his car started in the<br />

morning...and his wife<br />

at night.<br />

10. Sex before<br />

marriage is okay if it doesn’t<br />

interfere with the ceremony.<br />

11. Everybody has to get married<br />

sometime. After all, you can’t go<br />

through life just being happy.<br />

12. When a man holds a woman’s<br />

hand before marriage, it’s really<br />

love. After marriage, it’s called selfdefense.<br />

For over the past decade, Marty Allen has performed with his on and off stage<br />

singing partner Karon Kate Blackwell.<br />

Bill Caserta<br />

You Gotta Laugh<br />

In honor of Valentine’s Day,<br />

I have prepared a quick list of<br />

guidelines and reminders for all<br />

husbands, significant others and<br />

loving men to follow so that they<br />

may happily live in harmony with<br />

their mate.<br />

1. Never make your woman mad.<br />

She can remember stuff that hasn’t<br />

even happened yet.<br />

2. If your woman says: “First<br />

of all…” during an argument, run<br />

away as quick as you can, as she has<br />

prepared research, data and charts -<br />

and will destroy you.<br />

3. Every time you talk to your<br />

woman, your mind should always<br />

remember that “This conversation will<br />

be recorded for training and quality<br />

purposes.”<br />

4. Arguing with your woman is<br />

like reading the software license<br />

agreement. In the end, you just have to<br />

ignore everything and click “I agree.”<br />

5. Behind every angry woman,<br />

stands a man who has absolutely no<br />

idea what he did wrong.<br />

And from my perspective: Some<br />

things are indeed just better left unsaid.<br />

And unfortunately for me, I usually<br />

realize it right after I say them!<br />

(A big Bill Blurb thank you to Marcia<br />

Kosterka for her contribution)<br />

True Valentines: The old man<br />

ordered one hamburger, French<br />

fries and a drink. He unwrapped the<br />

hamburger and carefully cut it in half,<br />

placing one in front of his wife.<br />

He then carefully counted out the<br />

fries, dividing them into two equal<br />

piles and placed one pile for his wife.<br />

He took a sip of the drink, his wife<br />

took a sip and then set the cup down<br />

between them.<br />

As he began to eat his few bites of<br />

hamburger, the people around them<br />

were looking and thinking, “That poor<br />

old couple. All they can afford is one<br />

meal for the two of them.”<br />

As the man began to eat his fries,<br />

someone came to the table and<br />

politely offered to buy another meal<br />

Bill’s Blurbs<br />

for the elderly couple. The old man<br />

said they were just fine. They were<br />

used to sharing everything.<br />

People soon noticed the old lady<br />

hadn’t eaten a bite. She sat there<br />

watching her husband eat and<br />

occasionally taking turns sipping the<br />

drink.<br />

Again, someone came over and<br />

begged them to let him buy another<br />

meal for them. This time the old<br />

woman said: “No, thank you. We are<br />

used to sharing everything.”<br />

Finally, as the old man finished and<br />

was wiping his face neatly with the<br />

napkin, a third person again came over<br />

to the old lady who had yet to eat a<br />

single bite of food and asked: “What<br />

is it you’re waiting for?”<br />

She answered: the TEETH.<br />

(A big Bill Blurb thank you to Renee<br />

Riendeau for her contribution.)<br />

Why, Why, Why? Why do we<br />

press harder on the remote control<br />

when we know the batteries are getting<br />

weak?<br />

Why do people constantly return<br />

to the refrigerator with hopes that<br />

something new to eat will have<br />

materialized?<br />

Why is it that whenever you attempt<br />

to catch something that’s falling off<br />

the table you always manage to knock<br />

something else over? AND<br />

And whatever happened to<br />

Preparations A through G?<br />

Evan Davis<br />

Performers and Venues<br />

It’s time to watch 20<strong>17</strong> fly by just like<br />

2016 did. As we get up in age, it seems<br />

that the months and years get shorter. So<br />

why wait until next year? Do it now.<br />

Go out and experience life and what<br />

Las Vegas has to offer. That’s probably<br />

why you’re reading my article now; to see<br />

what you could do to stay active.<br />

Although most of the activity would<br />

be sitting at a bar listening to music and<br />

saying “Wow, that was great.” That’s<br />

about as active as I’m going to get too,<br />

although I do have to visit many bars,<br />

restaurants and clubs to bring you this<br />

information.<br />

A tough life I have, I know, but<br />

someone has to do it! Let’s follow a few<br />

of my favorite performers and some new<br />

venues in town.<br />

I stopped by the newest hotel/casino<br />

called the Lucky Dragon. An Asian<br />

inspired hotel and casino with a half a<br />

dozen delightful restaurants where you<br />

will find a price range for lunch or dinner<br />

that will fit any budget.<br />

Starting to perform there is the<br />

charming and gracious singer Rita Lim.<br />

She is also performing at places like<br />

Osaka Japanese Bistro in Henderson<br />

every 1st and 2nd Tuesdays of the<br />

month, the Bootlegger Bistro located<br />

on the south side of the Strip on<br />

Wednesdays, and the El Cortez Hotel<br />

every Friday night (along with Joey<br />

Ugarte and the Jazz Vibrations). All her<br />

performances are at an early start time.<br />

But what about the night owls that<br />

are out there? Las Vegas is definitely a<br />

24/7 city. Catch late night jazz at The<br />

Dispensary, at Ferraro’s Italian restaurant,<br />

in the Golden Tiki, at Fuso Nightclub,<br />

Legend’s Bar & Grill, plus numerous<br />

other restaurants, clubs and bars.<br />

All have no cover or a one drink<br />

minimum. Oh yeah, FREE parking to<br />

boot. That’s another subject for another<br />

time.<br />

You can also see wonderful entertainers<br />

at places like the Suncoast Hotel, the<br />

Rampart Casino, Rocks Lounge in the<br />

Red Rock Hotel, Salute, which is also<br />

in the Red Rock Hotel, Siena Italian<br />

Restaurant on Sahara and now Blue Fire<br />

on Durango. You can hear Jazz, Pop,<br />

the Great American Songbook and just<br />

about every other genre.<br />

Other places to check out would be<br />

The Barrymore, E-String, Piero’s, (where<br />

Pia Zadora, my favorite entertainer<br />

I Know a Place<br />

makes everyone feel at home) Cabo<br />

Lounge in Fiesta Rancho, Texas Station,<br />

Piazza Lounge in the Tuscany, Eastside<br />

Cannery, the Lounge at the Palms… and<br />

the list goes on and on.<br />

I also have to mention that The<br />

Vegas Voice will be scheduling over a<br />

dozen shows this year in places like<br />

The Silverton’s Veil Pavilion, the Siena<br />

Community in Summerlin and Sun City<br />

MacDonald Ranch in Henderson. I will<br />

be producing the shows as well as hosting<br />

them.<br />

We are actively seeking other venues<br />

so that we can bring you the best in live<br />

entertainment to our readers. Ideas?<br />

And in next month’s article, I will be<br />

exploring some of the restaurants, bars<br />

and clubs on Downtown Freemont<br />

Street. I know a place, do you?<br />

Evan Davis is the entertainment editor of The Vegas Voice. You can read his<br />

entertainment blog and sign up to receive his free email weekly Calendar of Events at<br />

www.EvanDavisJazz.com. You can also email him at: evan@thevegasvoice.net.<br />

Bill Caserta is the Project Director for The Vegas Voice and has a very “unique” sense of<br />

humor. He welcomes all funny submissions at: billbuck52@hotmail.com.<br />

12 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

13


Rich Natole<br />

Looking for a Great Show?<br />

This month I’d like to shed the spotlight<br />

on some of my personal favorite shows in<br />

Las Vegas.<br />

One of the great things about this town<br />

is that the shows are always changing. A<br />

tourist can return here in six months and<br />

see totally different shows then they did on<br />

their previous visit.<br />

I think however, there are some shows<br />

worth seeing again. Donny & Marie would<br />

be one I would highly recommend.<br />

While seeing their show, you will clearly<br />

see why this brother and sister duo<br />

have proven to be one of the greatest<br />

entertainment acts in the world. They<br />

perform regularly at Flamingo on the strip.<br />

Beatles Love is another great show. I’ve<br />

seen this show 3 times and enjoy it equally<br />

each time. Even the two living Beatles,<br />

Paul and Ringo along with Yoko gave it a<br />

thumbs up. The show plays at the Mirage.<br />

If it’s Elvis you like, come see All Shook<br />

Up, A Tribute to The King in the upstairs<br />

Dianne Davis<br />

Wayne Newton - Mr. Las Vegas. “This<br />

show is not about me,” Wayne Newton<br />

says, “It is about Las Vegas.”<br />

This icon of Sin City is not in Bally’s<br />

Windows Showroom to belt out songs,<br />

rather to talk about stories and history.<br />

Wayne Newton is an integral part of that<br />

history.<br />

It really is Wayne Newton – Up<br />

Close and Personal. The 230 seat<br />

theater gives you the feeling of sitting in<br />

the living room listening as Wayne shares<br />

memories and insights about the people<br />

he knew in the entertainment world.<br />

Wayne expertly weaves his life story<br />

with the history of Las Vegas. He tells us<br />

that his family moved to Phoenix due to<br />

his bronchial asthma.<br />

He recalls that he and his brother<br />

performed in a lounge act in Vegas,<br />

but flew back to Phoenix where Jackie<br />

Gleason saw them and invited him to be<br />

on his variety show. The story is especially<br />

poignant as Wayne shows us numerous<br />

Hanging out with Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton<br />

theatre in the Miracle Mile Mall at Planet<br />

Hollywood. Travis Allen does a great job<br />

of recreating both the 50s through 70s<br />

Elvis. I emcee and perform comedy and<br />

impressions a night (or two) a week in this<br />

show as well.<br />

If it’s magic you’re into, David<br />

Copperfield seems to be a mainstay at<br />

the MGM Grand. He has built a quality<br />

reputation as one of the greatest magicians<br />

Wayne Newton Shares Memories<br />

pictures of Gleason from the early days.<br />

If you are a fan of the man known as<br />

“the Midnight Idol” and a lover of Las<br />

Vegas, a visit to this show is time well<br />

spent. The vintage photos and film clips<br />

alone are worth the price of admission.<br />

A video of a very young Wayne<br />

Newton and the legendary Jack Benny<br />

is priceless. Photos and footage from his<br />

trips to entertain the troops are precious<br />

with memories of so many famous<br />

entertainers.<br />

Wayne spends a good portion of the<br />

show answering questions. He mentions<br />

of all time. Go see his show and you’ll see<br />

why.<br />

Chris Angel is also very popular. He<br />

performs his magic show at the<br />

Luxor. Murray Sawchuck AKA The<br />

Celebrity Magician offers a great afternoon<br />

show of magic in the Sin City Comedy<br />

room at Planet Hollywood.<br />

If you would like to see the best female<br />

magician look for Ariann Black. She will<br />

dazzle with unbelievable illusions.<br />

Of course there’s “Mr. Las Vegas”<br />

- Wayne Newton. Wayne is currently<br />

performing a few nights a week in<br />

the upstairs Windows Showroom at<br />

Ballys. His show takes you on a nostalgic<br />

journey through his extraordinary career.<br />

Another show I would recommend<br />

in the Windows Showroom at Ballys<br />

Bobby Darin and Glen Campbell and<br />

tells us that they were not competitors<br />

back in the old days. There is a wonderful<br />

story about what Bobby Darin did for<br />

Wayne Newton, but you’re going to have<br />

to go hear it for yourself.<br />

Along with Gleason and Darin, Jack<br />

Benny played a crucial role in Wayne’s<br />

career. See this show and learn more<br />

about these iconic entertainment stars<br />

and numerous others that are mentioned<br />

during the evening including on Don<br />

Rickles, Louie Prima, Sophie Tucker,<br />

Jayne Mansfield, the Rat Pack, especially<br />

Frank Sinatra.<br />

It is no secret that Wayne’s singing<br />

voice doesn’t approach what it once was.<br />

But it is still a treat to be there as he sings<br />

along with a video of his younger self<br />

is The Bronx Wanderers. This band is<br />

Hot! They seem to be catching on quickly<br />

in Las Vegas as they play nightly to packed<br />

houses.<br />

Legendary Impressionist Rich Little<br />

is always a crowd pleaser. He performs<br />

nightly at 7 pm at The Tropicana<br />

Hotel. He incorporates great video clips as<br />

well as live bits for all to enjoy.<br />

And if you like stand-up comedy, The<br />

Laugh Factory at The Tropicana would be<br />

my pick. Three different stand-ups each<br />

week.<br />

Whatever your entertainment needs<br />

may be, Las Vegas seems to have a wide<br />

variety of choices. I hope to interview<br />

many more of these star acts as we plan<br />

to launch our new “Watching The Vegas<br />

Voice” Podcast TV Show.<br />

Rich Natole is a comic/impressionist headlining entertainer & host of The Vegas Voice<br />

Television/Podcast Show. For more information visit: www.richnatole.com. You can<br />

also contact Rich at: rich@richnatole.com.<br />

That’s Entertainment<br />

and does a duet with a video of Sammy<br />

Davis, Jr.<br />

Wayne plays thirteen instruments and<br />

you are sure to get a sample of a few<br />

during the evening. And yes, you’ll hear a<br />

bit of Danke Schoen.<br />

Wayne Newton might just be the last<br />

of the great Las Vegas entertainment<br />

icons. I have seen the show more than<br />

once and can say that although the<br />

format is the same, the film and video<br />

clips and comments about various<br />

performers differ. You will leave feeling<br />

like you’ve had a great visit reminiscing<br />

with a pal about mutual friends.<br />

For ticket information and dates,<br />

visit https://www.caesars.com/ballyslas-vegas/shows/Wayne_Newton#.<br />

WIfzLLYrJ-U or call 702-777- 2782.<br />

In addition to The Vegas Voice, Dianne Davis is a reporter for Sun City Anthem TV (SCA-<br />

TV) specializing in entertainment and is a columnist for www.lasvegasroundtheclock.<br />

com. She is the Las Vegas Editor of lasvegassplash.com , She also bowls, hikes, scuba<br />

dives, travels with her husband Burt, and works on her standup comedy routines.<br />

PRESENTED BY<br />

Musical Director<br />

Philip Fortenberry<br />

Sat, Feb. 25, 20<strong>17</strong><br />

MacDonald Ranch<br />

Tickets: $ 20 in advance<br />

$<br />

25 at the door<br />

A Tribute to<br />

Robert Goulet:<br />

Broadway<br />

Beyond&<br />

Starring<br />

Randal Keith<br />

• Lead Singer of “Showstoppers”<br />

• Jean Valjean from “Les Miserables”<br />

• Star of “The Phat Pack”<br />

Special performance by The Phat Pack<br />

For more info/purchase tickets:<br />

Call/Text Evan Davis 702/630-6111<br />

The Vegas Voice 702/251-4441<br />

www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

Sun City<br />

Doors open at 6:30pm Show begins at 7pm<br />

Community Center<br />

14 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

15


Charlie Christy - Executive Director<br />

Adrea Nairne-Barrera<br />

60’s to 60<br />

Something to Think<br />

About<br />

It’s time to start thinking about our<br />

annual Ms Senior Nevada Pageant (our<br />

32 nd year), to be held August 23, 20<strong>17</strong>.<br />

Applications will be available mid-month<br />

and we urge all senior ladies that have<br />

reached the “Age of Elegance” to<br />

consider joining this<br />

event.<br />

It is a great<br />

opportunity to meet<br />

other active seniors<br />

and make new<br />

friends. We regularly<br />

do events at assisted<br />

living centers.<br />

It is a total “winwin”<br />

as our pageant family members<br />

donate their time and talent and the<br />

residents see a great show. We provide<br />

lots of music, dancing, comedy and<br />

story-telling.<br />

Being a senior is a special time of life.<br />

Most have finished or at least “dialed”<br />

back on their work life allowing time to<br />

travel, volunteer and reassess what is and<br />

isn’t important.<br />

As seniors we know serving our fellow<br />

man is vital. We know the joy we give is<br />

also the joy we get from being able to<br />

brighten another’s day.<br />

Ms Senior Nevada<br />

also travels the state<br />

and will again attend<br />

the legislative session<br />

in Carson City and<br />

time permitting (his,<br />

not ours) meet briefly<br />

with our Governor.<br />

We plan to make<br />

it a longer trip this<br />

year allowing time to visit the Nevada<br />

Historical Museum and other museums.<br />

If you have reached the “age of<br />

elegance”, (that’s 60 years or better)<br />

consider being part of something that<br />

brings out the best in you. Please contact<br />

me at: charlieclasvegas@aol.com. Check<br />

us out at www.msseniornevada.com.<br />

Feeling Inspired (Sort Of)<br />

Back in the good old 60s age of<br />

hippies, free spirits and an occasional<br />

diet pill, you could fake a natural size<br />

7 and moments of great inspiration<br />

were easy. If you hadn’t eaten in<br />

3 days and were a little goofy, a<br />

creative surge could happen.<br />

Now we refer to it as delusion and<br />

irresponsibility. We now say that if<br />

you remember the 60s, you weren’t<br />

there. Either way, I had a few of<br />

those moments back then.<br />

As I was doing another one of my<br />

great sorting projects, I found poetry<br />

written by me. It was so profound<br />

that I can’t understand it, although I<br />

was able to remember the exact day<br />

I wrote it.<br />

Tedious and much too long,<br />

double digit pages, handwritten, I<br />

sat by the window in a 10 th floor<br />

apartment in New York City on<br />

a fairly pleasant afternoon. I lived<br />

in that apartment on the upper<br />

east side of Manhattan with two<br />

roommates and my whole NYC<br />

future was looking pretty good.<br />

As I’m sure everyone knows by<br />

now, I am not a professional writer.<br />

I have ideas about things and get<br />

motivated to express myself as each<br />

new chapter unfolds in my life.<br />

They’re interesting to me and a<br />

few friends, but I think the most fun<br />

is when I discover things I’ve written<br />

20+ years ago.<br />

I can sometimes picture where<br />

I was, and other times, I have<br />

absolutely no idea who wrote it or<br />

why. It’s strange how time alters<br />

your memories and perspective -<br />

even when it’s a personal expression<br />

captured on paper.<br />

Decade by decade I wrote in<br />

different styles.<br />

When my parents passed, I found<br />

boxes of memorabilia that now,<br />

some 20 years later, I am finally<br />

sorting. Among the collections, I<br />

discovered letters to my parents and<br />

Godmother sent from my boarding<br />

school in Switzerland. (And no, I<br />

was not a trust fund baby!)<br />

Apparently I wanted comic books<br />

and American candy bars. Not much<br />

has changed on the candy bar front,<br />

but the comic book thing didn’t last<br />

very long. That was 1959 and for the<br />

life of me I will never know why I<br />

wanted candy bars when I was sitting<br />

in Swiss chocolate country!<br />

My sister found some old letters<br />

from the 60s and even has the only<br />

photo of me ever taken in a 2-piece<br />

bathing suit. It was yellow with big<br />

orange polka dots, but since I wasn’t<br />

“itsy bitsy,” neither was the bathing<br />

suit. It’s amazing how I thought I<br />

was fat at the time and the truth is I<br />

looked pretty good!<br />

The one collection of writings I<br />

did find and will treasure forever<br />

brought back memories of my<br />

parents and how I would write to<br />

them as life events were happening.<br />

Long distance calls were expensive<br />

back then. The letters, the<br />

handwriting and the choice of paper<br />

are so telling when I look at them<br />

now.<br />

Reading all those little gems is a<br />

great way to spend an evening.<br />

Mike Landry<br />

Golf Fore Ever<br />

Improving Your Game<br />

We all want to improve our golf<br />

game but how? We can take lessons,<br />

we can buy gadgets that are advertised,<br />

and we can purchase clubs that are said<br />

to provide more accuracy off the tee<br />

etc. but guess what? You still need to<br />

practice! Practice! Practice!<br />

We all know what the pros do to<br />

prepare for a tournament, but what<br />

can the average golfer do to improve<br />

his/her scores, to build confidence and<br />

ultimately enjoy the game more?<br />

Some golfers need to improve their<br />

tee shot; others may need to improve<br />

their 2 nd or approach shots. All are<br />

important parts of the game and none<br />

should be ignored.<br />

No matter the issue, if you wish to<br />

shave strokes off your score card and<br />

improve the quality of your game,<br />

the quickest way to get there is by<br />

improving your putting and chipping.<br />

Golfers are expected to hole out<br />

2 putts every hole for 36 per round.<br />

A golfer can improve by lagging<br />

long putts to the hole for tap ins and<br />

occasionally make a ten footer and<br />

avoid the dreaded 3 putts.<br />

Chipping is another area of the<br />

game that can be improved relatively<br />

quickly by chipping once to each green<br />

and avoid chipping twice to get to the<br />

green. While at the practice facility,<br />

challenge yourself and make your<br />

practice sessions fun and you’ll see a big<br />

difference in scoring in short order. I<br />

promise!<br />

See you on the links!<br />

Mike Landry is a retired airline manager of maintenance residing in Sun City<br />

MacDonald Ranch and a 40-year resident of Las Vegas. Hobbies are golf, day trading<br />

and brewing craft beer. He can be contacted at: airmikel1@cox.net.<br />

16 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

<strong>17</strong>


New device stops a cold before it starts<br />

USA — New research<br />

shows you can stop a cold<br />

in its tracks if you take one<br />

simple step with a new device<br />

when you first feel a<br />

cold coming on.<br />

Colds start when cold<br />

viruses get in your nose.<br />

Viruses multiply fast. If<br />

you don’t stop them early,<br />

they spread in your airways<br />

and cause misery.<br />

But scientists have<br />

found a quick way to kill a<br />

virus — touch it with copper.<br />

Researchers at labs<br />

and universities worldwide<br />

all agree — copper<br />

is “antimicrobial.” It kills<br />

microbes, such as viruses<br />

and bacteria, just by touch.<br />

That’s why ancient<br />

Greeks and Egyptians used<br />

copper to purify water and<br />

heal wounds. They didn’t<br />

know about viruses and<br />

bacteria, but now we do.<br />

Researchers say microbe<br />

cells have an internal<br />

electric charge which<br />

copper’s high conductance<br />

short-circuits. This destroys<br />

the cell in seconds.<br />

Tests by the Environmental<br />

Protection Agency<br />

(EPA) show germs die fast<br />

on copper. So some hospitals<br />

switched to copper<br />

touch surfaces, like faucets<br />

and doorknobs. This<br />

cut the spread of MRSA<br />

and other illnesses by over<br />

half, and saved lives.<br />

The strong scientific<br />

evidence gave inventor<br />

Doug Cornell an idea.<br />

When he felt a cold coming<br />

on he fashioned a<br />

smooth copper probe and<br />

rubbed it gently in his<br />

nose for 60 seconds.<br />

“It worked!” he exclaimed.<br />

“The cold went<br />

away completely.” It<br />

worked again every time<br />

he felt a cold coming on.<br />

He reports he has never<br />

had a cold since.<br />

He asked relatives and<br />

friends to try it. They said<br />

New research: Copper stops colds if used early.<br />

it worked for them, too,<br />

every time. So he patented<br />

CopperZap and put it on<br />

the market.<br />

Soon hundreds of people<br />

had tried it and given<br />

feedback. Nearly 100 percent<br />

said the copper stops<br />

their colds if used within<br />

3 hours after the first sign.<br />

Even up to 2 days, if they<br />

still get the cold it is milder<br />

than usual and they feel<br />

better.<br />

Users wrote things like,<br />

“It stopped my cold right<br />

away,” and “Is it supposed<br />

to work that fast?”<br />

“What a wonderful<br />

thing,” wrote Physician’s<br />

Assistant Julie. “Now<br />

I have this little magic<br />

wand, no more colds for<br />

me!”<br />

Pat McAllister, age 70,<br />

received one for Christmas<br />

and called it “one of<br />

the best presents ever. This<br />

little jewel really works.”<br />

People often use CopperZap<br />

for prevention,<br />

before cold signs appear.<br />

Karen Gauci, who flies<br />

often for her job, used to<br />

get colds after crowded<br />

flights. Though skeptical,<br />

she tried it several times<br />

a day on travel days for 2<br />

months. “Sixteen flights<br />

and not a sniffle!” she exclaimed.<br />

Business owner Rosaleen<br />

says when people<br />

are sick around her she<br />

uses CopperZap morning<br />

and night. “It saved me last<br />

holidays,” she said. “The<br />

kids had colds going round<br />

and round, but not me.”<br />

Some users say it also<br />

helps with sinuses. Attorney<br />

Donna Blight had<br />

a 2-day sinus headache.<br />

When her CopperZap arrived,<br />

she tried it. “I am<br />

shocked!” she said. “My<br />

head cleared, no more<br />

headache, no more congestion.”<br />

Some users say copper<br />

stops nighttime stuffiness<br />

if they use it just before<br />

bed. One man said, “Best<br />

sleep I’ve had in years.”<br />

The handle is sculptured<br />

to fit the hand and<br />

improve copper contact.<br />

Tests show it kills germs<br />

on fingers to help you stay<br />

well and not spread illness<br />

to your family.<br />

Copper may even help<br />

stop a flu if used early and<br />

for several days. In a lab<br />

test, scientists placed 25<br />

million live flu viruses on<br />

a CopperZap. No viruses<br />

were found still alive soon<br />

after.<br />

The EPA says the natural<br />

color change of copper<br />

does not reduce its ability<br />

to kill germs.<br />

CopperZap is made in<br />

the U.S. of pure American<br />

copper. It carries a 90-day<br />

full money back guarantee<br />

and is available for $47 at<br />

CopperZap.com or tollfree<br />

1-888-411-6114.<br />

Linda Bateman-Gomez<br />

There’s the old saying: “You are what<br />

you eat.” If that’s the case, I’m currently a<br />

giant piece of pie.<br />

When we’re younger, foods often<br />

affect growth and development. Sugar<br />

and caffeine are obviously not good for<br />

growing youngsters and when young, you<br />

may not need the daily caffeine boost.<br />

As we age, however, that morning cup<br />

of coffee can be our biggest reason for<br />

getting out of bed! Luckily for us, getting<br />

older has its perks.<br />

Recent studies have shown caffeine<br />

to be beneficial for us grown-ups. From<br />

reductions in cardiovascular disease and<br />

diabetes, to psychological pick-me-ups, it’s<br />

proving to be quite curative!<br />

While many of our nutrition habits are<br />

often established in childhood, as adults,<br />

we have much more information for<br />

easy ways to be healthier and adapt better<br />

habits! These habits can improve our<br />

physical as well as our mental health.<br />

Sugar is one of the biggest saboteurs<br />

to our good intentions and unfortunately,<br />

seems to pop up in anything that doesn’t<br />

grow out of the ground. It’s a plague for<br />

those at risk for diabetes or struggling<br />

with weight gain.<br />

And while it’s easy for some to suggest<br />

cutting it out altogether, it’s sometimes<br />

easier to figure out what “good” you<br />

can add to your diet, rather than subtract<br />

from it. So, what are some things we can<br />

Timeless Beauty<br />

You Are What You Eat<br />

all easily do to get results from the inside<br />

out this year?<br />

Here are a couple of tips to make you<br />

feel and look better for 20<strong>17</strong>, without<br />

needing a gym membership or a crash<br />

diet!<br />

Grab an Omega-3! Aside from the<br />

amazing brain-boosting properties (like<br />

helping to reduce Alzheimer’s risks and<br />

depression) fatty acids are also connected<br />

to lowering heart disease and raising<br />

Vitamin D levels.<br />

If that wasn’t enough, it contributes to<br />

the healthy skin and shiny hair we all want<br />

more of! Adding one or two servings a<br />

week of fish (like Salmon) into your diet<br />

can provide all these worthwhile results<br />

without any giant lifestyle changes.<br />

Take an evening stroll after dinner<br />

and enjoy the winter season. If you’re a<br />

foodie, find a way to try out some things<br />

that are making the news.<br />

Many swear by anti-aging fruits like<br />

papaya which helps breaks down proteins<br />

and ease digestion. And the currently<br />

popular coconut oil and avocado have a<br />

whole host of uses and benefits.<br />

Obviously diet is a huge factor for<br />

weight, so if you just want to start<br />

somewhere, change just one thing at<br />

a time and go slowly. Maybe ditch the<br />

soda at lunch or replace your morning<br />

doughnut with a quinoa-oatmeal blend.<br />

Over time, little changes add up!<br />

Linda Bateman-Gomez has an international beauty company based in Las<br />

Vegas that specializes in cosmetics and other beauty products. She would love to<br />

hear from you with questions, ideas or tips you’d like to share! Contact Linda at<br />

TimelessBeauty2020@gmail.com or through her <strong>web</strong>site www.fullips.com.<br />

18 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

I’m encouraged to see U.S. House of<br />

Representative Speaker Paul Ryan and<br />

our new President Donald J. Trump<br />

willing to take on Obama Care, as I have<br />

heard from so many business owners<br />

and individuals that health insurance<br />

is not more affordable under the<br />

Affordable Care Act. It is hurting jobs<br />

and our economy.<br />

Now I hope that the President and<br />

Speaker will take on another issue that<br />

adversely impacts our economy: Federal<br />

tax reform.<br />

Nevada is seeing a slow but steady<br />

economic recovery. But there is one<br />

thing that could really help stimulate<br />

job growth here: reforming the overlycomplex<br />

and confusing Federal Tax<br />

Code.<br />

Everyone in Washington, D.C. agrees<br />

that tax reform is necessary, but nobody<br />

seems to agree on what it should look<br />

like. This is especially frustrating for<br />

businesses, because the path forward<br />

is so clear to those of us outside the<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

Victoria Seaman<br />

Federal Tax Reform Needed<br />

Capitol beltway: simplify the code and<br />

lower the corporate rate!<br />

But taking on corporate lobbyists who<br />

love their tax loop holes has allowed<br />

politics to get in the way of tax reform.<br />

Every day that goes by without<br />

meaningful tax reform is another day<br />

that Nevada companies fall further<br />

behind their global competition. At<br />

39%, the United States has the highest<br />

corporate tax rate among Organization<br />

for Economic Cooperation and<br />

Development (OECD) nations. That<br />

means Nevada businesses pay higher<br />

corporate taxes than similar companies<br />

in notoriously high-tax nations like<br />

France and Sweden.<br />

In the marketplace, this means U.S.<br />

products and services are often too<br />

expensive to compete with those made<br />

in other countries. This fact - multiplied<br />

millions of times every year isn’t just<br />

hurting these companies’ bottom lines,<br />

it’s hurting our overall economy and job<br />

growth<br />

At the same time, our gargantuan tax<br />

code creates additional costs for U.S.<br />

businesses. Massive, convoluted, and<br />

even contradictory, it seems designed to<br />

ensnare honest businesses and hit them<br />

with fines and other penalties.<br />

That is why most small businesses pay<br />

for expensive tax preparation services<br />

or hire tax attorneys and CPA’s. For<br />

businesses that are already paying the<br />

highest taxes in the industrialized world,<br />

Victoria’s Corner<br />

this is a cost that they simply can’t<br />

afford.<br />

The path ahead is clear: lower the<br />

corporate tax rate down to the OECD<br />

average of around 25%, if not lower.<br />

Simplify the tax code so that it isn’t so<br />

costly for businesses to comply. Make<br />

the tax code more favorable to the small<br />

businesses that create the vast majority<br />

of jobs in this country.<br />

If the President and Congress take on<br />

meaningful tax reform, we could finally<br />

unleash the massive, pent-up economic<br />

forces that currently lie dormant,<br />

waiting to create millions of jobs. If we<br />

don’t, Nevada will continue to suffer<br />

from lackluster growth and an anemic<br />

economy as our competitors dominate<br />

an ever larger portion of the global<br />

commercial marketplace.<br />

Victoria Seaman is a former Nevada Assemblywoman, businesswoman and currently<br />

a Realtor in Las Vegas. She and her daughter, Tatiana are managing partners for 2<br />

Vegas Chicks, a full event planning business catering to any type fundraiser or event<br />

worldwide. You can contact Victoria at: victoria@victoriaseaman.com.<br />

19


Yvonne Cloutier<br />

Stan Kenton was Artistry in Rhythm<br />

Musical Moments<br />

Stan Kenton, a remarkable band<br />

director named his band, “Artistry in<br />

Rhythm.”<br />

He featured a strong brass section<br />

with trumpets, trombones, clarinets<br />

and a strong drumbeat. Along with his<br />

own piano skills, the music made them<br />

sound like a “Wall of Sound.”<br />

Metronome magazine said “kids<br />

are going haywire over the sheer<br />

noise of this band. Its a danger of<br />

an entire generation growing up<br />

with the idea that jazz and the atom<br />

bomb are, essentially, a sane natural<br />

phenomenon.”<br />

He kept the swing sound, but<br />

Kenton had a vision. It was not of a<br />

swing dance band, but of a concert<br />

band featuring progressive jazz, using<br />

unusual rhythms and harmonies.<br />

Kenton was developing a new<br />

era. Band members came and went.<br />

Amongst them were Maynard<br />

Ferguson, Stan Goetz, and Buddy Rich.<br />

In the 1930s, Kenton played in<br />

several big bands. In 1940s, amongst<br />

his many hits, he had success with<br />

Ali Guggenheim<br />

Every February 14th, all over the United<br />

States (and a handful of other countries),<br />

people celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day by<br />

spending billions of dollars. Nearly 50% is<br />

spent on candy alone.<br />

Last year, an estimated 1 billion cards<br />

and 198,000,000 roses were bought - not<br />

to mention the gifts, romantic getaways,<br />

dinners, etc., all in the name of St. Valentine.<br />

But, wait! Does anyone really know who or<br />

what we’re celebrating?<br />

St. Valentine’s Day’s history is yet another<br />

historical event that’s shrouded in mystery<br />

and has many versions of its evolution. One<br />

theory claims that Valentine’s Day, evolved<br />

from the Pagan, Roman, “Lupercalia Fertility<br />

Festival.”<br />

Others attribute it to “Juno Day”, the<br />

Queen Goddess of women and fertility.<br />

Both of these holidays began on February<br />

“Eager Beaver” followed by having<br />

his new singer, June Christy, (replacing<br />

Anita O’Day, whom he married) come<br />

out with “Tampico” and “Across the<br />

Alley.”<br />

His hits helped him finance his many<br />

ambitious projects. Kenton also owed<br />

much of his success to Pete Rigolo, his<br />

chief arranger.<br />

His “Peanut Vendor” was radically<br />

different from other band’s swing<br />

music. He also delved into a Cuban<br />

beat such as his “Machito”, “Cuban<br />

Fire”, and arrangements for “West Side<br />

Story” and “Send in the Clowns.”<br />

Celebrating St. Valentine<br />

14th and were observed for an entire month.<br />

Ritualistically, young maidens’ names were<br />

written on slips of papers and placed in a jar.<br />

The men would pick their evening’s mate<br />

from the jar. This love partnering could last<br />

a night, up to a year, and at times, even led to<br />

marriage.<br />

Pope Gelasius banned the Lupercian<br />

festival (494-96). However, he retained the<br />

lottery and replaced the women’s names with<br />

Saints.<br />

Once picked, both men and women<br />

were expected to live up to their chosen<br />

saints’ attributes for an entire year. As time<br />

progressed, more and more Romans strayed<br />

from this custom.<br />

Instead, young men wrote notes to the<br />

girls of their choosing. It became a tradition<br />

to give the beloved and admired one<br />

handwritten messages of enamored and<br />

He did a beautiful rendition of<br />

“Laura” for that film. Joe Green wrote<br />

the lyrics for his hit songs such as<br />

“And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine” as<br />

well as “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You<br />

Cryin’.”<br />

Kenton experimented with<br />

mellophoniums, (similar to bugles or<br />

French horns,) but had trouble with<br />

keeping them on pitch. He worked<br />

with young musicians, gave them his<br />

charts, taught them in seminars, wrote<br />

music for school bands, and employed<br />

many young musicians in his bands.<br />

He also left his music collection to the<br />

University of North Texas.<br />

Kenton was born “out of wedlock”<br />

in 1911, not 1912 as often cited. His<br />

parents kept it a secret, even from Stan,<br />

until years later. He learned to play the<br />

piano at age 4.<br />

Kenton was consistently<br />

controversial - a polarizing pianist/big<br />

band leader. Although a top jazz cult<br />

figure, he couldn’t last with Bob Hope<br />

as his backup radio band, but was<br />

beloved on college campuses.<br />

Kenton had a new vision. Young<br />

people latched onto his sound and it<br />

started a new era.<br />

Stan Kenton had three marriages and<br />

they all ended in divorce. His second,<br />

to Ann Richards, his singer for a while,<br />

shot herself at age 46.<br />

Kenton also had a long battle<br />

with alcoholism. In 1977, he fell and<br />

fractured his skull. He died two years<br />

later in 1979, after a stroke. He had<br />

three children.<br />

Stan Kenton, who has a star on the<br />

Hollywood Walk of Fame, is also in the<br />

Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.<br />

Yvonne Cloutier, a former teacher/principal, with a music background, specializes<br />

in ragtime piano. She is an author and has written an easy-to-read book on Scott<br />

Joplin. She reports about music on SCA-TV.com/Anthem Alive! You can contact her<br />

at www.mytimeisragtime.com.<br />

romantic intention, containing St. Valentine’s<br />

named inscribed.<br />

There are many more versions to the<br />

Valentine’s Day story. In fact, the Roman<br />

Catholic Church counts at least eight saints<br />

by the name of Valentine, three of the eight<br />

having February 14, as their feast day.<br />

The most popular lore comes from the<br />

third century in Rome where Emperor<br />

Claudius II was defeated by a humble<br />

Christian martyr, Priest Valentinus. The<br />

Emperor was convinced that single men,<br />

without emotional anchors, made better<br />

soldiers. So he outlawed marriage for young<br />

men.<br />

Priest Valentinus thought this to be wrong<br />

and unfair. He therefore continued to<br />

Psychic Phenomenon<br />

secretly wed young couples.<br />

Emperor Claudius II became enraged<br />

when he found out and had Priest<br />

Valentinus beheaded. Legend states that on<br />

the day he died, February 14th, Valentine<br />

left a note for one of his many supporters,<br />

thanking her for being there for him. He<br />

signed it, “Love from your Valentine.”<br />

We will never know for sure the exact<br />

details of how this legend transpired. What<br />

we do know is that in 1969, the Roman<br />

Catholic Church removed Valentine’s Day<br />

from their list of holidays.<br />

If you do not have someone “special”<br />

to celebrate this year, don’t despair! Instead,<br />

celebrate you! After all, the world will always<br />

treat you, the way you treat yourself.<br />

To learn more about Ali, spiritual consultations, coaching, classes, workshops, and<br />

readings, call, give her a call: 702/373-9081.<br />

20 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

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21


Crystal<br />

Merryman-Sarbacker<br />

The Travel Company Designed Especially for for Active Seniors!<br />

Enrich your life in 20<strong>17</strong>!<br />

Have you ever wondered what it it would be<br />

like to to be in in the Spotlight?<br />

Find out with Collette Vacations…<br />

One of my clients, who has traveled all over the world, recently selected a<br />

9 day “Spotlight On Tuscany” vacation from Collette. She’s been to Italy<br />

before, but she was really attracted to the “Spotlights” concept, which<br />

focuses on a more inclusive, more relaxed style of traveling. And she was<br />

really pleased to find that throughout her entire trip, she’d be staying in a<br />

four star hotel in one of Tuscany’s famous spa resort towns, Montecatini<br />

Terme... Seven nights of Italian bliss and she would only have to unpack once.<br />

Que Bella!<br />

Tuscany<br />

Find yourself in Tuscany on this<br />

relaxing sojourn through the Italian<br />

countryside. Experience its rolling<br />

hills with sprawling vineyards,<br />

medieval hill towns and enchanting<br />

cities steeped in Tuscan history,<br />

culture and legend.<br />

Starts at<br />

$ 1399. pp dbl.<br />

occ.<br />

Air avail., but<br />

not included<br />

She was also impressed with the terrific itinerary which<br />

includes personal time to explore the area, as well as tours<br />

to Florence, Lucca, Siena, Pisa, and San Gimignano.<br />

Collette has arranged for local guides to provide all the<br />

interesting background information that only they would<br />

know. And then, of course, her Collette tour manager will<br />

also be available throughout her vacation to handle any<br />

special concerns or requests, like “which spa is the best<br />

in Montecatini?” just in case she wants to enjoy an afternoon<br />

or even a day of luxury.<br />

Could this visit to Tuscany get any better?<br />

Only if you want to experience the optional excursions<br />

which are amazingly well priced. You can choose from a<br />

Dinner and Entertainment at a Tuscan Villa, a Tuscan Cooking<br />

Class & Dinner in Montecatini, or a picturesque day<br />

trip to legendary Cinque Terre, or why not choose all three?<br />

Call 702-419-0550 for more information on this exciting<br />

“Spotlight on Tuscany” and all of the other 16 “Spotlights”<br />

featuring City Stays & Quick Getaways from Collette including:<br />

London, 7 days; Christmas in London, 7 days; Paris, 7 days;<br />

Paris Holiday, 7 days; French Riviera, 8 days; Rome, 7 days;<br />

Venice in Winter, 7 days; Madrid, 8 days; Barcelona, 7 days;<br />

New York City, 5 days; New York City Holiday, 5 days; Washington,<br />

D.C., 6 days; San Antonia, 5 days; San Antonio Holiday,<br />

5 days; New Orleans, 5 days; South Dakota, 7 days.<br />

*All prices subject to change.and are based on per person, double occupancy. Single room<br />

upgrades available at extra cost. MasterCard, VISA, Amex accepted or private checks.<br />

Collette’s latest booklets are available now.<br />

Call Crystal now for your copy at<br />

702 419-0550<br />

22 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

23


Stu Cooper - Travel Editor<br />

Options, Options, Options<br />

Happy Destinations<br />

As I previously advised, the most<br />

popular program we have at the<br />

Vegas Voyagers is our “Bus to the<br />

Boat.” We have been doing it for<br />

close to 15 years and always have<br />

between 15 to 50 Voyagers on our<br />

bus.<br />

This wonderful coach<br />

transportation takes everyone<br />

right to the pier of the cruise we<br />

are promoting. It’s a “HUGE” (a<br />

la President Trump) hit with our<br />

Vegas Voyagers.<br />

However, not far behind in<br />

popularity, is the array of exotic, if<br />

not downright unique cruises we<br />

also offer. For example, we are now,<br />

for the second year offering a 23<br />

night trans Pacific cruise on Royal<br />

Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas.<br />

This is a cruise departing October<br />

6, 20<strong>17</strong> from Seattle, Washington<br />

and arriving 24 days later in Sydney,<br />

Australia. Along the way there will<br />

be stops in Hawaii, Fiji and various<br />

other South Pacific Islands. It’s<br />

unique (to say the least) and just<br />

about sold out.<br />

Over the years, we have also had<br />

great success with trans-Atlantic<br />

cruises, commonly known as<br />

repositioning cruises. We’ve known<br />

about them for a long time and now<br />

the rest of the cruising world has<br />

jumped “on board.” They also sell<br />

out quickly.<br />

Typically speaking they start in<br />

Europe, (usually Rome, Barcelona or<br />

London) and end<br />

somewhere along<br />

the east coast of<br />

the U.S. or the<br />

Gulf coast. We<br />

are always looking<br />

for great value for<br />

these cruises as<br />

well.<br />

Possibly the<br />

most exotic of<br />

all was the cruise<br />

a few years ago<br />

that started in Rome and ended<br />

in Singapore. We had a very nice<br />

group that transited the Suez Canal,<br />

and then visited Dubai, India and<br />

Indonesia.<br />

I wish I could have escorted this<br />

group but I got a firsthand report<br />

from possibly our best traveled<br />

Vegas Voyager Harkley Boak who<br />

viewed it as a trip of a lifetime. And<br />

during his life he traveled all over the<br />

world.<br />

It is these types of unique voyages<br />

that the Vegas Voyagers will<br />

continue to be on the lookout for.<br />

Our good friends at Princess Cruise<br />

Lines as well as Royal Caribbean and<br />

Celebrity offer these longer cruises<br />

that are always a lot of fun.<br />

**Our next Vegas Voyager<br />

meeting will be Friday, March 10th at<br />

9:30 am at Buckman’s Restaurant at<br />

the Revere Golf Course in Anthem.<br />

Continental breakfast will be served.<br />

At this meeting we will introduce<br />

a number of new trips and cruises<br />

for 20<strong>17</strong> and even 2018. We are<br />

even working on a number of<br />

exotic destinations that might be of<br />

interest. Please RSVP by emailing to<br />

fairtravel@aol.com or calling 1-800-<br />

698-1101.<br />

I will also be speaking at The Vegas<br />

Voice Elder Empowerment Event<br />

on Thursday, March 9 th at Sun City<br />

McDonald Ranch. The topic of my<br />

presentation will be “Don’t leave<br />

your brain at home when you go on<br />

vacation.”<br />

This informative talk will give you<br />

all the tools you need to enjoy a fun<br />

and safe vacation. Come on by and<br />

say “hello.”<br />

24 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

25


Kathy Manney<br />

Needn’t Be a Swinger to Enjoy Savory Date<br />

Around Our World<br />

Regale Harris<br />

Caregiver Burnout<br />

Your Kindred Team<br />

Date palms are commonly seen<br />

in Southern Nevada and Southern<br />

California, therefore many have<br />

probably heard of the Date Farm<br />

near Tecopa, California or the annual<br />

Riverside County Fair and National<br />

Date Festival and probably don’t<br />

consider a name misunderstanding for<br />

either.<br />

But what comes to mind if you are<br />

not familiar with date palms?<br />

I was texting with my cousin in<br />

Oregon recently, mentioning that my<br />

husband and I were going to attend<br />

the annual “Date Festival.” Quickly,<br />

she texted back, “Date?” I replied,<br />

“Yes, dates like the ones you eat.”<br />

She texted again and was glad I<br />

clarified this. She was wondering if<br />

“Date” meant that we were swingers.<br />

John and I had never thought of<br />

the Date Festival or the Date Farm in<br />

that context, but if you aren’t familiar<br />

with date palms, understand how the<br />

word “date” could be confused with<br />

something other than food.<br />

Savory delights wait at China Ranch<br />

Date Farm where date milkshakes and<br />

freshly baked date nut bread can be<br />

purchased. As you round the last curve<br />

on Furnace Creek Road, soon after<br />

leaving Old Spanish Trail, the road<br />

abruptly ends. You have arrived at an<br />

extraordinary refuge on the fringe of<br />

Death Valley.<br />

“Hidden Oasis” the sign reads.<br />

China Ranch is an oasis where date<br />

palms not only grow, they thrive. It is<br />

the largest producer of dates in the<br />

United States.<br />

Like apples, dates come in different<br />

varieties. A single tree can have as<br />

many as 300 pounds of fruit per year<br />

and can live one-hundred or more<br />

years. Date palms have been cultivated<br />

since about 6000 B.C. for their sugary<br />

fruit.<br />

A tree started from seed takes<br />

about seven years to produce fruit.<br />

It requires one male tree to pollinate<br />

fifty female trees. Their pollen<br />

usually carried by wind or insects, but<br />

growers’ hand pollinates their groves<br />

to assure a crop.<br />

Dates are rich in antioxidants, fiber<br />

and potassium. California’s Date<br />

Industry covers 8,500 planted acres.<br />

“Palmeros” are the people who are<br />

hoisted into the trees to cut the ripe<br />

fruit, while workers below shake off<br />

the dates into bins.<br />

Though Death Valley’s average<br />

annual rainfall is little more than<br />

2-inches, the Armagosa River Valley<br />

offers a surprise near China Ranch.<br />

In this barren desert, a river runs year<br />

round despite scorching temperatures.<br />

It ranks among the few rivers in<br />

the world flowing below sea level.<br />

Originating near Beatty, the river<br />

What a pleasure it is to write this<br />

travel article for The Vegas Voice.<br />

My name is Marilyn Sirna and I am<br />

the Activities and Fitness Director at<br />

Sun City MacDonald Ranch.<br />

My husband and I have been<br />

married for 50 years, and yes I was<br />

a child bride! And I have been so<br />

fortunate to have travel much of the<br />

world.<br />

I am happy to share my love of<br />

adventure and travel with Vegas<br />

Voice readers. Most of our travels<br />

are done by bus and we have lots of<br />

fun on these trips.<br />

We have some awesome travel<br />

adventures in the works. Take a look<br />

for yourself. And such opportunities<br />

are not just for Sun City MacDonald<br />

residents - they’re for all Vegas Voice<br />

readers.<br />

We hope this helps in planning<br />

future trips. Remember: these trips<br />

winds southward through the valley,<br />

then disappears into the ground.<br />

The Riverside County Fair and<br />

National Date Festival is located in<br />

Indio, California and held annually in<br />

February. The Fair and Date Festival<br />

began more than 70-years ago to<br />

celebrate the end of the region’s date<br />

harvest.<br />

Ironically, the Date palms are not<br />

native. They were transplanted here<br />

in 1903 from Algeria. Today, the<br />

“Date Festival” portion of the fair has<br />

diminished and disappoints as there<br />

are few vendors selling fresh dates and<br />

date items.<br />

But if you enjoy the fairground<br />

atmosphere or have never been to<br />

a county fair with their grand stand<br />

entertainment, exhibits, rides and food<br />

vendors, this is a good place to come<br />

and visit.<br />

Bon appetite to your next date.<br />

Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an Adventure Diva. Her<br />

“Must See” travel journeys continue - always with enthusiasm.<br />

Marilyn Sirna<br />

Let’s Go With Marilyn<br />

Let’s Go!<br />

are open to all Vegas Voice readers.<br />

March 21 & 22 – Verde Canyon<br />

Railroad<br />

This is a 2-day trip. Cost is $219<br />

Dbl. occupancy and $279 pp single.<br />

The price includes bus fare, railroad<br />

ticket, admission to Montezuma’s<br />

Castle National Monument Hotel<br />

and one breakfast.<br />

June: Yosemite National Park,<br />

Solvang and Santa Barbara<br />

July: Hearst Castle<br />

July: Del Mar Race Track, La<br />

Jolla, California and San Diego<br />

August: Pageant of the Masters –<br />

Laguna Beach, California<br />

September: Temecula Winery<br />

Tour<br />

Give me a call and I’ll be happy<br />

to get you all the information. I can<br />

be reached at 702/270-7006 or:<br />

msirna@scmronline.org.<br />

Come on, let’s go!<br />

You probably know all the details<br />

about the health of the person for<br />

whom you’re caring. You’re on top of<br />

what medications must be taken, you<br />

can even spot minor changes in their<br />

mood and attitude.<br />

Are you as aware of what’s going on<br />

with you? When caring for a loved one,<br />

it’s easy to forget about your own needs.<br />

1.The rollercoaster of emotions.<br />

Whatever you call it - second-hand stress<br />

or the more serious caregiver burnout,<br />

the mix of physical and emotional<br />

exhaustion strikes many caregivers.<br />

The fix: Your life has changed in<br />

profound ways, so it’s natural to feel<br />

frustrated and to grieve for what you<br />

have lost. You can’t take good care of<br />

anyone if you don’t take of yourself.<br />

Remind yourself that while you are<br />

doing everything you can, you will never<br />

do everything; and that’s OK too.<br />

2. You catch every bug that comes<br />

your way. Stress can take a toll on your<br />

immune system. If you are getting sick<br />

DON’T<br />

MISS IT!<br />

2 LOCATIONS!<br />

Sun City MacDonald Ranch<br />

Thursday, March 9th, 10am-12 noon<br />

Sun City Anthem<br />

Saturday, March 18th 10am-12 noon<br />

Learn about new technology in staying safe<br />

• Safety tips from the experts<br />

• New Nevada programs to keep safe<br />

Speakers will include experts on all aspects of<br />

staying safe including:<br />

• Henderson Police Department<br />

• Henderson Fire Department<br />

• Nevada Regional Transportation Commission –<br />

“Yellow Dot Program”<br />

• Guardianship Protection – Nomination forms<br />

so you or your loved one will never be taken.<br />

• Travel Safety – “Don’t Leave Your Brain at<br />

Home While on Vacation”<br />

• Latest tools to protect you and your home<br />

more often, your body is trying to tell<br />

you something.<br />

The fix: Eating a nutritious diet<br />

and getting proper sleep boosts your<br />

body’s natural<br />

defenses.<br />

3. You’re<br />

snapping at<br />

everyone.<br />

When you feel<br />

helpless and<br />

overwhelmed, you’re<br />

more likely to overreact to the things<br />

people do, or don’t do. You need a<br />

timeout.<br />

The fix: Don’t set the bar so high that<br />

you can never meet it. Try to find ways<br />

to ease the tension.<br />

4. You know you should exercise;<br />

you don’t have the time. No one can<br />

function well in crisis mode day after<br />

day. Caregiving is a marathon, not a<br />

sprint.<br />

The fix: Force yourself to get moving.<br />

Exercise is the best stress reliever.<br />

For more information and to RSVP for seats,<br />

contact The Vegas Voice at 702/251-4441 or<br />

www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

5. You can’t remember the last<br />

time you met a friend for dinner or<br />

a movie. Everyone needs a break from<br />

time-to-<br />

time, so why<br />

don’t you give<br />

yourself one?<br />

The fix: We are<br />

not suggesting a twoweek<br />

Caribbean cruise,<br />

though that would<br />

be lovely, right? A few<br />

hours while you read a<br />

book or watch reruns of your favorite<br />

sitcom, can be restorative. NOTE:<br />

Taking a break doesn’t mean running<br />

errands or doing chores. It’s YOU time.<br />

6. You’re the go-to caregiver. This<br />

may be the hardest job you’ll ever have,<br />

and it can take time to adjust and come<br />

to terms with it. Don’t try to do it alone,<br />

you’ll hit bottom.<br />

The fix: Establish a network of<br />

relatives, friends or people you can call<br />

on. Schedule a family meeting or video<br />

chat about who does what and who pays<br />

for it.<br />

Let everyone know you will not be<br />

available to host activities that you’ve<br />

normally handled. Keep a to-do list with<br />

you and whip it out when others ask if<br />

they can help.<br />

Your neighbor might be happy to<br />

spend a few hours at your house while<br />

you go to the gym. A friend can buy<br />

groceries when she’s at the store.<br />

Meanwhile, join a local or online<br />

support group.<br />

If you would like to speak directly<br />

with a Registered Nurse about how<br />

Kindred can help, just call our Kindred<br />

team. Our telephone number is:1.866.<br />

KINDRED.<br />

Regale Harris is the Manager of Volunteer Services and Community Liaison for<br />

Kindred. She welcomes all questions and inquiries and can be reached at: regale.<br />

harris@kindred.com.<br />

26 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

27


Jim Valkenburg<br />

Auto Insurance Premium Part I<br />

Insurance Insight<br />

Here are the top 3 things that<br />

determine your auto insurance premium.<br />

The other two will be printed next<br />

month.<br />

1. YOU. Your age, gender, marital<br />

status, driving record, and record of prior<br />

claims play a major role in determining<br />

your risk level and therefore, the premium<br />

you will pay.<br />

Traditionally, males under 25 years<br />

of age represent the highest risk, while<br />

married, middle-aged, non-smoking<br />

couples represent the lowest. The second<br />

highest rates go to drivers 75-80 and<br />

older.<br />

The most favored rates and the target<br />

market of all insurance companies are<br />

drivers aged 50-64. Statistically they have<br />

the fewest incidents and incidents.<br />

Drivers under age 25 are involved in<br />

more accidents than any other age group,<br />

and car crashes remain the leading killer<br />

of people ages 15 to 20. And amid these<br />

accident-prone younger drivers, it’s the<br />

male drivers who tend to cause more of<br />

the accidents. Therefore, young males pay<br />

higher rates than young females.<br />

Many people say that male drivers drive<br />

more than female drivers but for statistics,<br />

insurance companies use 1,000,000 driven<br />

miles for each category. Unfortunately, the<br />

young men have not only more accidents,<br />

but dramatically more accidents causing<br />

deaths than young females. It’s based on<br />

data, not prejudice.<br />

2. WHERE YOU LIVE AND<br />

DRIVE. The country is broken down<br />

into areas and every insurance company<br />

keeps statistics on the number of claims<br />

reported in what geographical areas. The<br />

Post Office broke our country down<br />

geographically by zip code – and that is<br />

generally what insurance companies use.<br />

As the claims go up in certain zip<br />

codes, the rates follow. But the change<br />

isn’t instantaneous.<br />

In most states (like Nevada),<br />

the insurance company has to file<br />

proposed rates with the state insurance<br />

commissioner and they have to be<br />

approved before they can change. So, it<br />

might take many months or even years<br />

for rates to change dramatically.<br />

Rates also tend to be higher in urban<br />

areas because of the higher density of<br />

traffic, increased likelihood of theft and<br />

vandalism, and greater incidence of fraud.<br />

The risk factors vary, of course, but if you<br />

lived in places like Detroit, Philadelphia or<br />

Los Angeles, you would pay much higher<br />

rates that you would in rural Montana.<br />

As insurance claims rise, they are<br />

followed by legal battles. Nevada has one<br />

of the highest litigious costs per capita in<br />

the nation and is therefore in the top 10<br />

states for highest insurance rates.<br />

Your zip code matters! If you move<br />

across the street and find yourself in a<br />

different zip code your rate can increase<br />

or decrease. Many insurance companies<br />

can actually narrow down claim incidents<br />

by city blocks within zip codes.<br />

3. THE TYPE OF VEHICLE<br />

YOU DRIVE. This is a very important<br />

element and one that is often overlooked<br />

when car shopping. Vehicles that have a<br />

high frequency of claims or are expensive<br />

to repair are prone to higher premiums.<br />

Jim Valkenburg is a retired military officer and insurance executive. He and his wife<br />

owned and operated their own insurance agency for over 16 years. His primary<br />

purpose is to give out real information that can be used to make intelligent insurance<br />

decisions.<br />

Happy Birthday June!<br />

June Gordon was born<br />

January 16, 19<strong>17</strong> in New<br />

York City. She lived in New<br />

York until 1948 and was<br />

married 44 years to the<br />

love of her life, Harvey<br />

Gordon.<br />

June is an amazing<br />

woman who looks at least<br />

20 years younger than she<br />

is. She attributes this to the fact that<br />

she worked until the age<br />

95 as a manicurist. She still<br />

does nails for her friends at<br />

Atria Sunlake.<br />

June has spent most of<br />

her life traveling, shopping,<br />

and being a friend to many.<br />

June is a real lesson to all<br />

of us that you can live to<br />

be 100 and still be vibrant,<br />

active and full of energy.<br />

28 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

29


Kyo Mitchell<br />

A Healthier You<br />

Shoulder & Arm Pain<br />

Mary Richard<br />

Health Fitness<br />

Save & Work Your Heart!<br />

James J. White, D.D.S<br />

Cheap Dentistry Will Cost a Fortune<br />

If you are<br />

experiencing pain<br />

in your upper arm<br />

and/or your neck and<br />

you cannot lift your<br />

arm through its full<br />

range of motion, you<br />

may have a problem in the<br />

shoulder. One of the easiest<br />

ways a doctor can check this<br />

is called the “Hawkins<br />

Test.”<br />

The doctor will bring<br />

your arm up so that it is parallel<br />

with the floor and then bend your<br />

elbow to ninety degrees so that<br />

your fingers are facing forward<br />

and your palm is facing down. The<br />

doctor then starts to rotate the<br />

The inflammation<br />

irritates the local nerve and<br />

since the nerve also passes<br />

down through the neck<br />

and arm, the pain may<br />

radiate here as well.<br />

For anyone who<br />

has experienced<br />

shoulder<br />

impingement<br />

syndrome, this<br />

problem can be<br />

both painful and<br />

debilitating. It can become chronic,<br />

making it painful to use the arm<br />

during the day and painful to sleep<br />

at night.<br />

Patients may be given drugs or<br />

advised to have surgery. Yet, in<br />

Since February is “Heart Month”<br />

here are some medication-free<br />

strategies to help prevent heart<br />

disease.<br />

Heart disease may be a leading<br />

cause of death, but that doesn’t<br />

mean you have to accept it as your<br />

fate. Although you lack the power to<br />

change some risk factors - such as<br />

family history, sex or age, there are<br />

some key heart disease prevention<br />

steps you can take.<br />

You can avoid heart problems in<br />

the future by adopting a<br />

healthy lifestyle today.<br />

Some heart disease<br />

prevention tips to get<br />

you started:<br />

1. Don’t smoke or<br />

measures, such as maintaining a<br />

healthy weight, the payoff is even<br />

greater.<br />

Physical activity helps you control<br />

your weight and can reduce your<br />

chances of developing other<br />

conditions that may put a strain<br />

on your heart, such as high blood<br />

pressure, high cholesterol and<br />

diabetes. It also reduces stress,<br />

which may be a factor in heart<br />

disease.<br />

Try getting at least 30 to 60<br />

minutes of moderately<br />

intense physical activity<br />

most days of the week.<br />

However, even shorter<br />

amounts of exercise<br />

A denture technique so sophisticated,<br />

shoulder joint so that your hand/ many cases shoulder impingement<br />

offer heart benefits, so<br />

forearm move in a downward/back syndrome can easily be resolved in use tobacco. Smoking<br />

if you can’t meet those<br />

ward direction.<br />

a matter of weeks without surgery or using tobacco is one of<br />

guidelines, don’t give up. You<br />

If you experience pain, it is or drugs.<br />

the most significant risk factors can even break up your workout<br />

highly likely you have what is As stated previously, the problem for developing heart disease. time into 10-minute sessions.<br />

called “Shoulder Impingement is that the arm bone is too close Chemicals in tobacco can damage And remember that activities such<br />

Syndrome.” Shoulder impingement to the shoulder bone. Exercises your heart and blood vessels, as gardening, housekeeping, taking<br />

syndrome is fairly easy to<br />

can be given to strengthen certain leading to narrowing of the arteries the stairs and walking the dog all<br />

understand.<br />

muscles (Infraspatus, teres minor (arteriosclerosis), which can count toward your total.<br />

Your upper arm bone (humerus) and subscapularis) which pull the ultimately lead to a heart attack. 3. Eat a heart-healthy diet.<br />

hangs down from your shoulder arm down away from the shoulder In addition, the nicotine in Eating a diet with foods that are low<br />

bone (the acromion aspect of the bone.<br />

cigarette smoke makes your heart in fat, cholesterol and salt which<br />

scapula). There are two structures Massage may also be necessary work harder by narrowing your is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole<br />

between these two bones which for certain muscles (trapezius and blood vessels and increasing your grains and low-fat dairy products<br />

are the tendons of a muscle called rhomboids) which, when they are heart rate and blood pressure. can help protect your heart. Beans,<br />

supraspinatus and a bursa which too tight, will pull the shoulder Carbon monoxide in cigarette other low-fat sources of protein and<br />

serves as a cushion between the bone downward decreasing<br />

smoke replaces some of the oxygen certain types of fish also can reduce<br />

bone and the tendon.<br />

the space between the arm and in your blood.<br />

your risk of heart disease.<br />

When these structures are all in shoulder bones.<br />

This increases your blood pressure 4. Maintain a healthy weight.<br />

the proper places, the shoulder Where exercises and massage by forcing your heart to work harder As you put on weight in adulthood,<br />

joint moves easily. If, however may help open the space<br />

to supply enough oxygen. Even socalled<br />

“social smoking” - smoking than muscle. This excess weight<br />

your weight gain is mostly fat rather<br />

something happens to decrease the between the arm and shoulder<br />

space between the arm bone and bones, additional measures<br />

only while at a bar or restaurant can lead to conditions that increase<br />

the shoulder bone, the tendon and may be necessary to resolve the with friends is dangerous and your chances of heart disease, high<br />

bursa get squeezed every time you inflammation and reduce the pain. increases the risk of heart disease. blood pressure, high cholesterol and<br />

raise your arm.<br />

Anti-inflammatories in the form of 2. Exercise for 30 minutes on diabetes.<br />

Over time, this movement will drugs or herbs and acupuncture can most days of the week. Getting As always, if you have any health<br />

damage the tendon and bursa help in this regard.<br />

some regular, daily exercise can issues, it is wise to discuss any<br />

causing inflammation resulting in While shoulder impingement reduce your risk of fatal heart exercises with your physician.<br />

tendonitis or bursitis. (Any word syndrome may be a painful<br />

disease. And when you combine POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND<br />

ending in “itis” means inflammation problem, it need not be a<br />

physical activity with other lifestyle HAPPY HEALTH TO ALL!<br />

of that structure.)<br />

permanent one.<br />

Dr. Kyo Mitchell served as faculty at Bastyr University in Seattle and Wongu<br />

University in Las Vegas for over a decade. Dr. Mitchell practices in Summerlin and<br />

can be reached at 702-481-6216 or rkyomitchell@gmail.com.<br />

Mary Richard was crowned Ms. Senior Nevada 2006, was first runner-up for Ms.<br />

Senior America 2006 and is a life-time dancer. She is one of the original columnists<br />

for The Vegas Voice. She is now an aerobics instructor throughout Las Vegas/<br />

Henderson. Mary can be reached at mary-vegasvoice@cox.net.<br />

When you’re in need of dental<br />

work, one question may come to<br />

mind: How much is this going to<br />

cost?<br />

Rest assured that if you put it off<br />

or try to get it done on the cheap,<br />

that decision could come back to<br />

haunt you in the end. If you’re<br />

thinking about shopping around for<br />

a better price on dental work, here<br />

are some things to consider.<br />

1. Dental care is a professional<br />

service. Although it is based on<br />

science, dentistry is much more than<br />

that. It is also an art, and many artists<br />

are less than stellar.<br />

Some paintings are ones that sell<br />

for $25 at a flea market. You may not<br />

object to hanging junk art on your<br />

wall, but don’t your teeth deserve<br />

better?<br />

2. The quality of the lab the dentist<br />

uses can vary. Their costs will reflect<br />

the quality of their output. And if<br />

you care about the caliber of what<br />

DENTAL BENEFIT MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM<br />

FOR SENIORS WITHOUT DENTAL INSURANCE<br />

This program is offered at the office of:<br />

James J. White, DDS<br />

1140 N.Town Center Dr., #<strong>17</strong>0<br />

Las Vegas, NV 89144<br />

Annual fee: $280.00<br />

Includes: • 2 routine cleanings<br />

• 2 periodic examinations (including<br />

periodontal & oral cancer exam)<br />

• 1 set of diagnostic x-rays<br />

• 1 consultation<br />

• 5% discount on ALL restorative services<br />

• 5% discount on automatic annual renewal<br />

If you are one of over 100 million Americans<br />

without dental insurance, call now:<br />

702/ 562-8833<br />

www.jameswhitedds.com<br />

ends up on your mouth, you must<br />

pay a little more.<br />

3. For anyone running a dental<br />

practice, the overhead costs are<br />

greater than you think. Between<br />

60-80% of an ordinary charge goes<br />

toward the cost of office space<br />

rental, payroll expenses for assistants,<br />

supplies, health insurance and more,<br />

not to mention the cost of keeping<br />

up with the latest technology.<br />

A less-expensive dentist may skimp<br />

on these important costs with an<br />

adverse effect on the health of his<br />

patients.<br />

4. You may have dental coverage,<br />

but before long you’re sure to<br />

learn that it doesn’t compare to<br />

health insurance. Most plans are<br />

maintenance-only. They will cover<br />

occasional x-rays and cleanings.<br />

They may also partially pay for a<br />

crown, but if your needs are greater<br />

than that, their assistance on your<br />

behalf will check out after you’ve<br />

reached the first $1,000 to $1,500 of<br />

your maximum coverage allotment.<br />

5. The fact that your insurance<br />

won’t cover 100 percent of a certain<br />

procedure doesn’t mean that it’s<br />

unnecessary or that you don’t require<br />

it. It simply means that your insurer<br />

is hoping you decide to skip it<br />

entirely.<br />

6. Every bite you take while<br />

chewing subjects your teeth to 200<br />

pounds of pressure per square inch.<br />

Can inadequate dental restorations<br />

stand up to this kind of assault?<br />

Wouldn’t you be willing a pay a little<br />

more for ones that you know can<br />

meet the challenge?<br />

7. When you visit the least-costly<br />

dentist around or put off having<br />

dental work done because you’d<br />

rather save the money, you’re just<br />

setting yourself up for a larger<br />

expense down the road. Cavities and<br />

abscessed teeth cannot get better<br />

on their own, and it will always cost<br />

less to fix a dental problem early on<br />

before it becomes far worse. While<br />

a simple filling might cost a few<br />

hundred dollars, the cost of a larger<br />

one could run into the thousands.<br />

In dentistry as in everything else,<br />

you’re going to get what you pay for.<br />

Everyone’s mouth is different, and<br />

as such, every bit of dental work we<br />

perform is unique from one patient<br />

to the next.<br />

30 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

31


Chuck Dean<br />

A New Day<br />

Vet 2 Vet<br />

Alice Vo Edwards<br />

Is Your Home Fat Proof?<br />

Now that we live in a state where<br />

cannabis is legal to consume, what do<br />

the thousands of veterans who find<br />

relief with health issues by using it need<br />

to know in order to seamlessly slip into<br />

this new reality?<br />

The first and most important fact is<br />

that the VA will not approve of its usage,<br />

since they operate totally within the<br />

confines of federal regulations. The feds<br />

still list cannabis as a schedule one drug.<br />

Just because Nevada says its legal does<br />

not mean your primary care physician or<br />

other VA providers will even consider<br />

prescribing it.<br />

Once upon a time, when wartime<br />

traumatic issues went from shell shock,<br />

to delayed stress syndrome, to finally<br />

being called post-traumatic stress<br />

disorder (PTSD), the only answer to the<br />

nightmares, the depression, and hyperanxious<br />

reactions to life, etc. was to give<br />

veterans strong medicine in the form of<br />

psychiatric pharmaceuticals. However, a<br />

pill to take care of this only led to taking<br />

another one that countered the effects<br />

of the first one.<br />

It was a vicious cycle. In reality, the<br />

prescribers at the VA had no idea<br />

what was going on. They figured that<br />

numbing the veteran out was the best<br />

solution.<br />

Well, this led to a bunch of zombies<br />

running around, and even worse -<br />

suicide victims by the droves. “No cure<br />

for PTSD? Let’s just keep these guys<br />

under control before something bad<br />

happens.” Well it did happen - in far too<br />

many cases.<br />

Things have not changed much. The<br />

VA, under the constraints of folks like<br />

the DEA, still push pills in massive<br />

amounts and hope for the best.<br />

It takes little imagination to realize<br />

how much the drug companies have<br />

their fingers in the pie. And yet,<br />

something as harmless as marijuana (that<br />

seems to actually work for many vets,<br />

and can be grown at home) remains<br />

illegal and unavailable through VA<br />

channels.<br />

It defies any semblance of sanity.<br />

On a state-level, Nevada medical<br />

marijuana has been available to those<br />

patients possessing a state issued card for<br />

more than a decade. PTSD has been one<br />

of the prevailing conditions that civilian<br />

physicians determine and sanction<br />

cannabis usage by their patients.<br />

So here we are. It is now legal, and<br />

Nevada veterans can use it for both<br />

medicinal and recreational purposes, but<br />

they cannot talk openly to their doctor<br />

about it.<br />

VA providers and clinicians simply<br />

have to chalk up a veteran’s cannabis<br />

usage to self-medication - and cannot<br />

legally condone it. So be it.<br />

There’s certainly far more harmful<br />

forms of self-medication out there than<br />

marijuana; like opiates (prescribed) that<br />

kill an average of 150,000 Americans<br />

yearly, or alcohol consumption.<br />

Both are legal, but much more<br />

destructive. Look at it this way: when’s<br />

the last time you heard of someone<br />

dying of a cannabis overdose, or a<br />

veteran beating their spouse under the<br />

influence of marijuana?<br />

I’m glad that self-medication is finally<br />

getting a better rap. Hats off to the<br />

voters of Nevada for making it happen.<br />

Chuck Dean served as an Army paratrooper in Vietnam and through that experience<br />

was led to address the many transitional issues veterans struggle with. In 2008 he was<br />

the recipient of the prestigious Hirsch Foundation Leadership Award for his writing and<br />

work in support of veterans and their families. He is the author of several important<br />

books for veterans. All can be found on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/author/<br />

chuckdeanbooks<br />

“A man’s health can be judged by<br />

which he takes two at a time – pills<br />

or stairs.” - Joan Welsh.<br />

I don’t remember when it started,<br />

but I’m at that place in life where<br />

I take my ibuprofen two (or<br />

three) at a time and bounding up<br />

staircases is a flimsy memory. My<br />

lack of enthusiasm for exercise has<br />

inevitably led to weight gain.<br />

In researching healthy habits<br />

to begin reversing that trend, I<br />

read the work of a fascinating<br />

food psychologist I want to share<br />

with you. Dr. Brian Wansink, who<br />

works at the Food and Brand Lab<br />

at Cornell University, has proven<br />

in multiple research studies that<br />

many of our issues with overeating<br />

are caused by unintentional<br />

environmental factors that<br />

contribute to overeating -which can<br />

be reversed by applying some simple<br />

psychology tricks.<br />

Dr. Wansink suggests that rather<br />

than worrying about complex<br />

diets, people could change the<br />

environment they eat in simple<br />

ways to shave 100 or more calories<br />

from their daily diets. By doing this,<br />

people could lose 5-10 pounds per<br />

year effortlessly. Sounds great, right?<br />

Knowledge is power so I’ve taken<br />

the 100 point home-assessment in<br />

his book “Slim By Design: Mindless<br />

Eating Solutions” and created a<br />

mini-quiz so you can rate the fatpromotion<br />

factor of your home.<br />

Ready?<br />

Healthy Home Fat-Buster Quiz<br />

Questions & Points<br />

2+ fruits easily accessible on the<br />

kitchen counter +1<br />

Baked goods, breads, and chips are<br />

out of sight +1<br />

Fruits and veggies are at eye level<br />

and packaged within the fridge +1<br />

Toaster not visible +1<br />

Kitchen walls neutral, soothing<br />

color (but not white) +1<br />

TV in kitchen -1<br />

Blender on counter +1<br />

10-inch dinner plates +1<br />

12-inch or larger dinner plates -1<br />

12-oz cereal/soup bowls +1<br />

14-oz or larger cereal/soup bowls<br />

-1<br />

I often buy packaged foods bulk at<br />

Costco/Sam’s Club/Walmart -1<br />

Candies are out of sight, in opaque<br />

containers +1<br />

No snacks or sweets kept in the<br />

home office area +1<br />

Scoring: If you score 8-10,<br />

pat yourself on the back. You’re<br />

amazing. If you score 5-7, you may<br />

want to read the book. If you score<br />

less than 5, please, please, read the<br />

book.<br />

Before I read the book, I would<br />

have scored a -2 (This was an ahha<br />

moment for my weight gain<br />

problem). I would currently score as<br />

a 4, with further improvements in<br />

the works.<br />

As always, I’d love to hear your<br />

thoughts, opinions (and scores) so<br />

feel free to reach out.<br />

Our Columnist’s New Book<br />

“Amongst Other Gods” is a<br />

collection of short stories by<br />

our Chuck Dean. He is also the<br />

author of “Nam<br />

Vet: Making Peace<br />

with Your Past”<br />

and “Some Came<br />

Home: A Story of<br />

Returning.”<br />

His new book<br />

is an absorbing<br />

portrayal of life<br />

from the inside out<br />

- living amongst<br />

us lesser gods.<br />

From a senior<br />

divorcee trying to<br />

decide whether to<br />

re-marry for love<br />

or for money, a<br />

drunk sailor luckily<br />

finding refuge in Bernice’s Bar, or<br />

a wounded soldier trying to escape<br />

the horrors of friendly fire, each<br />

page is full of the human soul:<br />

Some sad, some hilarious, and<br />

others very close to home.<br />

Frame after<br />

frame, each<br />

vignette has a<br />

message that<br />

everyone can<br />

identify with.<br />

Perhaps what is<br />

written here is what<br />

we all have wanted<br />

to say from time<br />

to time, but never<br />

had the words to<br />

express it.<br />

Available now<br />

in paperback or<br />

digital (Kindle)<br />

formats at: www.<br />

amazon.com. Or<br />

visit Dean’s author’s page: http://<br />

www.amazon.com/author/<br />

chuckdeanbooks.<br />

Rotary Club of Green Valley<br />

The Rotary Club of Green Valley,<br />

a proud participant of Rotary’s<br />

Rose Parade<br />

Float Committee<br />

was awarded<br />

the Princesses’<br />

Trophy in the<br />

20<strong>17</strong> Tournament<br />

of Roses<br />

Parade. Green<br />

Valley Rotarians,<br />

Dave Jockman<br />

and Larry Skaggs<br />

& wives were totally involved in this<br />

38th consecutive Rotarian entry.<br />

The float, representing Rotarians<br />

traveling worldwide, create and<br />

complete projects serving people in<br />

six areas: promoting peace, fighting<br />

disease, providing clean water, saving<br />

mothers and children, supporting<br />

education, and growing local economies.<br />

The spectacularly colorful dragon,<br />

proudly wore a medallion marking<br />

“100” years of Rotarians worldwide<br />

and carried luggage<br />

decorated<br />

with symbols of<br />

these focus areas.<br />

The Rotary<br />

Rose Parade<br />

Float Committee,<br />

comprised<br />

of Rotarians<br />

primarily from<br />

southern California<br />

and Nevada, is supported entirely<br />

by voluntary contributions from<br />

Rotary districts, clubs and individuals<br />

across the US and Canada. It was<br />

a gift to Rotary International, The<br />

Rotary Foundation, and the 1.2 million<br />

Rotarians continuously “serving<br />

humanity” each and every day.<br />

If you’d like knowing more or<br />

joining the Green Valley Rotary, visit:<br />

greenvalleyrotary.org.<br />

Alice Vo Edwards is the author of “My Best Friend Died” and “Put Away The Razor,”<br />

and founder of the Lift Up Vegas project for inspiring Happiness and Wellbeing in Las<br />

Vegas. Contact Alice at alice@liftupvegas.org<br />

32 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

33


Jan Fair<br />

A No-Brainer Minute<br />

Exercisae Your Brain with Fun February Storytelling<br />

THE VEGAS VOICE<br />

SERVICE DIRECTORY<br />

AIR CONDITIONING / HEATING<br />

Chazell A/C & Heating 702/647-3355<br />

Servicing the valley since 1992.<br />

www.chazellac.com. LIC#005365<br />

ALARMS/SECURITY<br />

Alarmco, Inc.<br />

Nevada’s oldest/largest<br />

locally owned and operated systems provider /<br />

monitoring center since 1950. Burglar/Fire Alarm<br />

systems. Access control, CCTV, Guard Services and<br />

Locksmith Services. LIC#0008024/NPILB #608.<br />

GARAGE DOORS<br />

All Access Garage Door Co 702/882-1320<br />

Honest pricing. No gimmicks. Broken springs<br />

replaced. Full service on doors and motors. $15<br />

off for readers of the Vegas Voice. LIC#0066752A.<br />

MEDICARE PLANS<br />

Rae Rocco 702/897-9929<br />

Independent Agent, No charge for consultations.<br />

PET AND HOME SITTERS<br />

Toni’s Pet and Home Sitters<br />

702/499-8606<br />

Care for all needs, loving and<br />

dependable. VET recommended<br />

for 14 yrs. Henderson / surrounding<br />

areas.<br />

PLUMBING<br />

Sanderson Plumbing<br />

702/610-7236<br />

Very dependable. Lic. #78397.<br />

To place your business listing, contact Advertising Sales<br />

A great<br />

(and affordable)<br />

way to build your<br />

business!<br />

702/592-4818<br />

New in the neighborhood?<br />

You’re gonna’ need these guys...!<br />

Power NV Energy www/nvenergy.com<br />

Customer Service 702-402-5555<br />

Outage Reporting 702-402-2900<br />

Gas Southwest Gas Corp. swgas.com<br />

Main Line 877-860-6020<br />

Phone<br />

Many providers including:<br />

AT&T<br />

att.com,<br />

Century Link tm centurylink.com,<br />

Cox Communications cox.com,<br />

Equiinet<br />

equiinet.com,<br />

Nextiva<br />

nextiva.com,<br />

Sprint<br />

sprintcom,<br />

Verizon Wireless verizonwireless.com<br />

Trash Republic Services General or recycling<br />

702-735-5151<br />

Clark Co. Sanitation cleanwaterteam.com<br />

TV Century Link tm 702-222-4444<br />

Cox Communications 702-933-9811<br />

Dish 800-823-4929<br />

Direct TV 888-795-9488<br />

34 www.thevegasvoice.net<br />

february <strong>17</strong><br />

35

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