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“ASK LAURA ABOUT REAL ESTATE”<br />
‘Aging in Place’<br />
Laura Harbison<br />
Broker/Owner<br />
Seniors Real Estate Specialist ® (SRES)<br />
Accredited Buyer Representative ® (ABR)<br />
Graduate, REALTOR ® Institute (GRI)<br />
Equator Platform Platinum Certification<br />
Equator Short Sale Agent Certification<br />
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)<br />
Advanced Evaluations Certification<br />
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)<br />
Broker Price Opinion Resource (BPOR)<br />
NVS Institute BPO Certification<br />
Five Star BPO Designation<br />
Certified Distressed Property Expert ® (CDPE)<br />
Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist<br />
(RSPS)<br />
NAWRB Certified Delegate Spokeswoman<br />
Distinguished Real Estate Broker ® (DRB)<br />
Laura@HarbisonRealEstate.com<br />
www.LauraHarbisonRealEstate.com<br />
Call Laura Today!<br />
702-777-1234<br />
As the baby boomer generation has aged, it has also stayed put. And for all the<br />
innovations that builders and product manufacturers have come up with to help<br />
seniors “age in place,” they may have also made it difficult for would-be<br />
homebuyers, causing a lack of overall housing inventory.<br />
This year we will see a significant shortage of available homes here in the United<br />
States, failing to meet housing needs by more than 2 million homes. At the same<br />
time, millennials are buying fewer homes at this point in their lives compared<br />
with previous generations at similar periods.<br />
As seniors continue to prefer to stay in their homes to live out their remaining<br />
years, housing inventory has tightened nationally. For people between the ages<br />
of 67 and 87, homeownership rates dropped by almost 12 percent for previous<br />
generations but less than 4 percent for the current generation of seniors.<br />
New advances in information technology may be the main influencing factor, as<br />
well as accessibility to better healthcare and education, with those advancements<br />
boosting and extending the housing demand among seniors. So, it's no<br />
surprise that the current senior generation has become much slower in<br />
transitioning out of homeownership than prior generations.<br />
While this may not bode well for home shoppers today, it will likely boost<br />
spending on home renovations. It makes sense that the demand for<br />
homeownership from seniors aging in place will increase the relative price of<br />
owning versus renting, making renting more attractive to millennials. However,<br />
those in a position to purchase the limited number of homes available may well<br />
see their property values increase more quickly than anticipated. That is good<br />
news for the property values in our age-qualified 55+ communities. That may be<br />
the 'silver lining' that homeowners in these communities are happy to see.<br />
Are you curious about your home's value? Call or email me today for a<br />
confidential analysis of where you stand in today's market. I'm looking forward<br />
to hearing from you!<br />
Sharing your goals,<br />
Laura Harbison<br />
ABR, AHWD, BPOR, BS, CDPE, CRS, DRB, GRI, RSPS, SRES<br />
Broker/Owner<br />
Realty Executives Southern Nevada Properties<br />
770 Coronado Center Drive, Ste. 100<br />
Henderson, NV 89052<br />
Office: 702-777-1234<br />
2<br />
March 2019
Sold Is Our Favorite Word...Let Us Make It Yours!<br />
Laura Harbison<br />
ABR, AHWD, BPOR, BS, CDPE, CRS, DRB, GRI, RSPS, SRES<br />
Broker/Owner<br />
770 Coronado Center Dr., Suite 100<br />
Henderson, NV 89052<br />
Office (702) 777-1234<br />
Laura@HarbisonRealEstate.com<br />
www.LauraHarbisonRealEstate.com<br />
Realty Executives Southern Nevada Properties<br />
Is Independently Owned and Operated<br />
379 Cascade Mist Ave<br />
AGATE GILESPIE Spacious 3BR, 2 BA, 2 car garage<br />
townhome w/ approx. 1535 sqft located in a gated<br />
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pantry. Master w/ 2 closets. Community amenities<br />
include pool, spa and tennis courts! $295,000<br />
2306 Valley Cottage Ave<br />
SUN CITY ANTHEM Gorgeous Lincoln model in<br />
gated community w/ 2BR, 2BA, approx. 2096 sqft<br />
and 2 car garage. Island kitchen w/ corian counters,<br />
breakfast bar, pantry and recessed lighting.<br />
Master w/ door to patio, walk-in closet and sitting<br />
area. Too much to list! $425,000<br />
2285 River Grove Dr<br />
SUN CITY ANTHEM 1 Story upgraded Madison floorplan<br />
with views! , 2BR, 2 BA, 2 car garage w/ approx. 1836 sq<br />
ft. Kitchen w/ granite countertops, nook, breakfast bar.<br />
Master bedroom w/ walk-in closet. Master bath has<br />
dual sinks, shower and separate tub. Covered patio,<br />
BBQ stub and much more! $389,000<br />
2182 Tiger Willow Dr<br />
SUN CITY MACDONALD RANCH Upgraded 2 BR+den/ 2<br />
BA, 2307 sqft Grand floorplan on a premium view lot and<br />
2 car garage! Island kitchen with nook and breakfast bar.<br />
Living room with coffered ceiling. Den with double doors<br />
and recessed lighting. Master suite with door to patio.<br />
Junior master suite with door to courtyard. $428,800<br />
2746 Craigmillar St<br />
ANTHEM HIGHLANDS Beautiful 2 story, 3BR, 2.5BA,<br />
1898 sqft home w/ 2 car garage. Kitchen features<br />
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and pantry. Formal living room w/ vaulted ceiling.<br />
Master has walk-in closet and balcony. Much more!<br />
$312,500<br />
16 Rue Mediterra Dr<br />
LAKE LAS VEGAS Spectacular views from this .80<br />
acres custom lot in guard gates Marseilles at<br />
South Shore Lake Las Vegas! Golf course<br />
frontage, panoramic views! The developer<br />
spared no expense when creating Lake Las Vegas.<br />
$799,900<br />
2408 Ozark Plateau Dr.<br />
SUN CITY ANTHEM Popular Jackson Model! 2BR, 2<br />
BA, 2 car garage in approx. 2012 sqft. Island kitchen<br />
w/ granite counters, pantry and pot shelves. Master<br />
suite w/ walk-in closet, ceiling fan, and door to patio.<br />
Plantation shutters, raised panel doors, tile on diagonal.<br />
Too much to list! $419,800<br />
2503 Libretto Ave<br />
SUN CITY ANTHEM 2 BR/2BA, 1160 sqft 1 Story Home<br />
with gated courtyard. Sunny kitchen w/ pot shelves,<br />
recessed lighting and eating nook. Master suite w/<br />
window seat, ceiling fan and walk-in closet. Covered<br />
patio w/ BBQ stub. Mountain views! $275,000<br />
200 Huntly Rd.<br />
CHARLESTON RAINBOW Upgraded 1180 sqft<br />
single story home w/ RV parking, 3BR, 1.75BA, 2 car<br />
oversized garage. Spacious great room, dining area.<br />
Stepsaver kitchen w/ tile flooring and breakfast bar.<br />
Master w/ mirrored doors and private bath.<br />
Premium corner lot! $265,000<br />
3
Volume 16, Issue 1<br />
BRINGING<br />
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HOUSE CALL<br />
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NIGHT LIFE EDITOR<br />
TRAVEL EDITOR<br />
RADIO HOST<br />
GRAPHICS EDITOR<br />
DIGITAL MEDIA<br />
PROJECT DIRECTOR<br />
Adrea Barrera<br />
John Bielun<br />
Yvonne Cloutier<br />
Jerry Creed<br />
Dianne Davis<br />
Chuck Dean<br />
Jan Fair<br />
Howard Galin<br />
Linda Gomez<br />
OUR FANTASTIC COLUMNISTS<br />
PROUD<br />
MEMBERS OF:<br />
Ali Guggenheim<br />
Morris Heldt<br />
Dan Hyde<br />
Mike Landry<br />
Heather Latimer<br />
Joey Kantor<br />
BJ Killeen<br />
Kathy Manney<br />
Kyo Mitchell<br />
Dan Roberts<br />
dan@thevegasvoice.net<br />
Ray Sarbacker<br />
ray@thevegasvoice.net<br />
Debbie Landry<br />
debbie@thevegasvoice.net<br />
Rana Goodman<br />
rana@thevegasvoice.net<br />
Evan Davis<br />
evan@thevegasvoice.net<br />
Sam Wagmeister<br />
Stu Cooper<br />
Rich Natole / Jon Lindquist<br />
Michael Roberts<br />
Ross Roberts<br />
Bill Caserta<br />
bill@thevegasvoice.net<br />
Judy Polumbaum<br />
Mary Richard<br />
Crystal Sarbacker<br />
Jim Valkenburg<br />
Beverly Washburn<br />
Vicki Wentz<br />
Earl Wilson, Jr.<br />
About The Vegas Voice<br />
In 2018, The Vegas Voice received 9 national awards from the<br />
North American Mature Publishers Association for our publication<br />
- including our guardianship special efforts, editorial and column<br />
reviews, front page<br />
graphics, overall design<br />
and “General Excellence.”<br />
We proudly agree with the<br />
Judge’s decision that The<br />
Vegas Voice is “a brisk,<br />
bold, upbeat and<br />
effective publication.”<br />
4<br />
March 2019
Her New Windmill, My New Mistress<br />
By: Dan Roberts / Roberts Rules<br />
“<br />
Don’t blame me! It was your idea.” That<br />
was what my Rana claimed as she, oh so<br />
sweetly smiled.<br />
Last month, The Vegas Voice published its “Guardianship Special<br />
Feature”; proclaiming victory in our 4+ years effort to investigate,<br />
clean-up and ultimately reform this scandal. I slowly gazed into the<br />
political editor’s eyes, gently held her hand and lovingly suggested that<br />
it might be time for Don(na) Quixote to “look for and start chasing<br />
another windmill.”<br />
I really meant committing herself into making home-cooked meals.<br />
But after much pillow talk discussions, she decided to “throw her<br />
hat into the ring” for the Board of Directors in our Sun City Anthem<br />
community.<br />
“Are you out of your mind?” I raised my voice in response. But as<br />
only my Rana can, she rattled off the various reasons why she “had to<br />
run.”<br />
Make no mistake, I’m the first to claim that she’s crazy. But I also<br />
thought she was insane over the guardianship problem and look what<br />
she did in that regard. Only difference this time is that while I will of<br />
course support her, she will chase that windmill without her live-in<br />
“Sancho Panza.”<br />
No need for this publisher to list her issues and causes to make SCA<br />
a better place to live. My Ladylove is more than capable in doing that<br />
herself.<br />
Now I know what you’re thinking. How is yours truly going to<br />
spend his days and evenings without my PILL (partner in love & life)<br />
constantly by his side? After pushing the hamster in my brain to spin<br />
that little wheel to the point of exhaustion, I came up with a fantastic<br />
answer.<br />
I’m taking a mistress.<br />
No kidding, a new unconditional love for me. Her name is Sam. Last<br />
name, Sung. And even Rana admits she has quite the body.<br />
Sam Sung is an 82 inch 4k UHD QLED LCD TV. Truth be told, I still<br />
don’t know what all that means, but when she’s “on” I can stare at her<br />
all day.<br />
And to add to my macho fantasy becoming reality, Sam has a<br />
family member more than willing to make it a threesome during the<br />
upcoming Golden Knights hockey playoffs and major league baseball<br />
season – Cousin Vizio.<br />
Cousin Vizio is a 5.1.2 home theater sound system with Dolby Atmos.<br />
I don’t know what this means either but I can listen to her for hours.<br />
Her measurements include a 36 inch sound bar, two upward firing<br />
speakers, six inch wireless subwoofer and two rear surround speakers.<br />
Talk about your male chauvinistic dreams coming true!<br />
Once again and as always, I will need our Vegas Voice Project<br />
Director, Sir 5B (Bronx brother, best buddy Bill) Caserta to very, very<br />
slowly teach me how to work the remotes so I don’t break anything.<br />
However sooner or later, and definitely before the football season kicksoff,<br />
I’ll get the hang of it.<br />
While I thank readers for your concerns about Rana leaving me due to<br />
her (assuming she wins the election) endless duties and responsibilities<br />
to improve residents’ lives, between all the sports, Netflix and that<br />
Amazon stick, I’ll be fine.<br />
So as she returns the never ending phone calls, answers emails and<br />
participates in monthly Board meetings, you’ll happily find me on my<br />
big-butt recliner selecting that evening’s take-out food… especially if<br />
they deliver.<br />
Run Rana run!<br />
What the….<br />
Our Las Vegas Valley received a rare surprise last month – snow!<br />
Unlike my former New York home town, it was all gone by midafternoon.<br />
Best of all - no shoveling required.<br />
5
6<br />
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BOOK A VISIT<br />
NeonMuseum.org<br />
March 2019<br />
Deadly Terms Used by Women<br />
By: Bill Caserta / Bill’s Blurbs<br />
Now that we are past the Valentine’s Day<br />
“fluff” permit me to remind all men as to<br />
the “real definitions” from their better half.<br />
FINE: This is the word women use to end an<br />
argument when she knows she is right and you<br />
need to shut up.<br />
NOTHING: Means something and you need to be very worried.<br />
GO AHEAD: Warning! Warning! This is a dare, not permission.<br />
Don’t do it!<br />
THAT’S OKAY: This is when she is thinking long and hard on how and<br />
when you will pay for your mistake – and trust me, you will.<br />
WOW: Don’t be fooled. This is not a compliment. She is expressing<br />
her dismay as to how you can be so stupid.<br />
WHATEVER: The scariest word used by women. It is her way of saying<br />
“screw you.”<br />
*A wife got so mad at her husband she packed his bags and told him<br />
to get out. As he walked to the door she yelled: “And I hope you die a<br />
long, slow and very painful death!”<br />
He turned around and replied, “So you want me to stay?”<br />
*And Finally: Do you ever wake up, kiss the person sleeping besides<br />
you and feel glad that you are alive?<br />
I did and apparently will not be allowed on this airline again.<br />
Bill Caserta is the Project Director for The Vegas Voice and<br />
has a very “unique” sense of humor. He welcomes all funny<br />
submissions at: bill@thevegasvoice.net.
The Man With 3,000 Pens<br />
By: Sam Wagmeister / People & Places<br />
Cooperstown has the Baseball Hall of Fame,<br />
Hollywood has its Walk of Fame and now<br />
Las Vegas has its Wall of Honor paying tribute to<br />
a growing number of the city’s current and up and coming movers<br />
and shakers. Since arriving in Las Vegas three years ago, caricature<br />
artist Neal Portnoy has parodied and honored the likenesses of scores<br />
of entertainers, politicians and others including Mayors Oscar and<br />
Carolyn Goodman.<br />
“He thought it was the best drawing ever done of us,” Portnoy recalls<br />
Her Honor saying of her husband’s reaction. Vera Goulet promised<br />
to hang the Portnoy work of her and late hubby Robert next to the<br />
Hirschfelds’ that appeared in the New York Times.<br />
“I get more joy from the response to my artwork,” he says, a fact<br />
borne out by the surprised faces in coffee shops and cafes around town<br />
when an across-the-room diner is surprised with their likeness on a<br />
placemat or napkin.<br />
Unlike Hirshfeld’s intricate black and white line drawings, Portnoy’s<br />
studio works are full color, created from his collection of over 3000 felt<br />
tip pens…Magic Markers. Portnoy’s works have appeared on hundreds<br />
of media guide covers, fund raiser and athletic programs and 197 times<br />
in the Las Vegas Review-Journal including the front page presidential<br />
inauguration issue judged one of the country’s 10 best.<br />
His passion for the art began at five years old copying newspaper<br />
photos. Early in<br />
his career, he<br />
enlarged photos by<br />
hand for an east<br />
coast newspaper,<br />
sometimes spending<br />
100 hours with pen<br />
and ink. “It gave<br />
me an opportunity<br />
to develop my<br />
illustration skills.”<br />
Neal Portnoy and wife Dorothy<br />
The original artwork and numbered lithographs of Portnoy’s<br />
program cover illustration of Duke University’s basketball coach Mike<br />
Krzyzewski helped raise $473,000 for Children’s Miracle Network. His<br />
four illustrations for the Mandarin Oriental’s lounge menu illustrate<br />
four decades of Las Vegas history.<br />
Portnoy travels the country helping companies draw crowds to trade<br />
show booths, offering drawings and patter to lure attendees to view<br />
product lines. He also produces commissioned works of people, pets,<br />
buildings and events.<br />
The Portnoy Gallery… “It’s really a museum,” he says is at 1537 W.<br />
Oakey, Las Vegas. (702) 685-2929.<br />
Sam Wagmeister is The Vegas Voice Nightlife Editor. He loves to<br />
hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact him via email:<br />
LasVegasHomeTeam@Gmail.com.<br />
Tell Your Kids the<br />
Guest Room is Taken<br />
It takes a special person to open their heart and home<br />
to an animal in need. Foster care is a lifeline for animals<br />
who may be having difficulty adjusting to shelter<br />
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No special skills are needed.<br />
You provide the love and care, we provide everything else.<br />
Apply now at<br />
animalfoundation.com<br />
(702) 384-3333 | animalfoundation.com |<br />
655 North Mojave Road,Las Vegas, NV 89101<br />
©2019 The Animal Foundation<br />
7
Xavier Mortimer’s Magical Dream<br />
By: Dianne Davis / That’s Entertainment<br />
Mortimer’s Magical Dream will keep<br />
you wide awake as you think, “How<br />
does he do that?” The show, which opened last<br />
month in Bally’s 250 seat Windows Showroom is<br />
a delight for all ages. It’s 6 pm time slot means early risers and children<br />
can enjoy the sense of wonder and delight that this multi-talented<br />
Frenchman brings to the stage.<br />
Xavier Mortimer is more than a magician. He brings unique<br />
illusions that you most likely have not seen previously. He is an artist<br />
who combines illusions, music, comedy and a bit of drama.<br />
The thin plot line of a man who pursues a woman works well, as<br />
talented performer Allie Sparks, aka Belle, his dream girl and love<br />
interest, crosses paths with him throughout the show.<br />
If you have seen Mortimer’s previous show (Planet Hollywood) go<br />
see him again. He has brought many new segments of magic, music<br />
and fun to the new production. Along with some traditional tricks.<br />
This young man honed his skills as part of Cirque du Soleil’s Michael<br />
Jackson One. He brings a myriad of talents to the showroom.<br />
I was not surprised to discover that the magician studied ballet as I so<br />
appreciated the way he moves gracefully about the stage as he astounds<br />
us with his sleight of hand. And he brings his musical talents as well on<br />
various instruments.<br />
There are no lions or tigers or bears, but I love the hand in the suitcase<br />
that has a life of its own - actually two hands. You’ll understand when<br />
you see the show.<br />
Mortimer has brought along the white screen from his previous<br />
production. He appears at various times on both sides, as does Belle, as<br />
they slide gracefully from reality to dreams and back.<br />
His levitation and jump rope routine renders me speechless. It’s gotta<br />
be magic.<br />
The 70 minute show flies by in this well-paced presentation. Some<br />
audience participation adds to the fun. And don’t rush off. He’ll be there<br />
to take photos and chat as well.<br />
Dianne Davis is also a reporter for Sun City Anthem TV (SCA-<br />
TV) specializing in entertainment, and LV Associate Editor of<br />
lasvegassplash.com. She hikes, travels with her husband Burt, and<br />
works on her stand-up comedy.<br />
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9
Entertainers along with Vegas Voice guys at our February “Vintage Vegas Variety Show” at Sun City MacDonald Ranch. The show was<br />
spectacular and we will do it again at Starbright Theater in April.<br />
So Many Great Shows<br />
By: Evan Davis / Entertainment Editor<br />
It’s now March and the first quarter is almost<br />
over. Our first show of the year was just a few<br />
weeks ago and our next one is only a few days<br />
from now, March 8 th at the Italian American Club.<br />
Michael Shapiro has put a terrific group called “Reckless in<br />
Vegas” that consists of singers and dancers. An extraordinary evening<br />
of rockin’ renditions of the best Las Vegas acts and songs ever written.<br />
Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis, Tom Jones,<br />
Frankie Valli, Sonny & Cher, and many more!<br />
There are many other wonderful performers that are world class and<br />
are right here in our little town. Angela Teek, the grand prize vocalist<br />
on the original “Star Search” has been playing at many venues around<br />
town, and I’m hoping she will be able to do a show for The Vegas Voice<br />
soon.<br />
Her resume includes opening for Don Rickles at the Golden Nugget,<br />
singing in a musical called “Beehive” at the Sahara Hotel, performing<br />
the leading roles in “Sophisticates Ladies”, the world premiere of “Ray<br />
Charles Live” and the list goes on.<br />
Another world class performer is from Venice, Italy Giada Valenti.<br />
Her career started in Europe where her recordings climbed to the top<br />
of the charts.<br />
She has received critically acclaimed awards, such as the prestigious<br />
San Remo Giovanni Talenti Nel Mondo and Festival di Castrocaro.<br />
That’s a mouth full, but you get the idea.<br />
She’s been featured on morning shows, cooking shows and has a new<br />
PBS special. You can see her perform at The Smith Center on March<br />
28 th . I hope she’ll have some time to make a guest performance on our<br />
next variety show in April at the SCS Starbright Theatre.<br />
Other show you can expect to see, presented by The Vegas Voice and<br />
produced by yours truly: Love Songs by the Great Songwriting Duos<br />
starring Michelle Johnson and Jeff Neiman at Sun City MacDonald<br />
Ranch on Saturday, May 18 th . On June 7 th at the Italian American Club,<br />
Randal Keith and Philip Fortenberry will astound you with their<br />
Robert Goulet show.<br />
And for a sneak peek into the summer look for our Woodstock 50 th<br />
Anniversary Show. IT WILL BE BIG!<br />
You can read Evan’s entertainment blog and sign up to receive<br />
his free email weekly Calendar of Events at www.EvanDavisJazz.<br />
com. Email him at: evan@thevegasvoice.net.<br />
Community Service Award<br />
Red Rock Canyon Chapter Regent, Susan Gormley; Community<br />
Service Award Recipient, Tony Fountain; Community Service<br />
Award Chapter Chairman, Katie Henzel<br />
Anthony “Tony” Fountain, founder of the Las Vegas-based<br />
nonprofit, “Support America’s Teachers,” was recently awarded<br />
the 2018-2019 Community Service Award by Red Rock Canyon Chapter,<br />
National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. This award<br />
is presented to worthy individuals and organizations for outstanding<br />
voluntary achievements in cultural, educational, humanitarian,<br />
patriotic, historical, citizenship or environmental conservation<br />
endeavors.<br />
Tony Fountain lives in Las Vegas and is a retired Senior Vice President<br />
Business Operations, Project CFO and Business Manager for URS<br />
Corporation. He has received multiple awards for his commitment to<br />
the community, including the 2018 University of Pittsburgh Volunteer<br />
Excellence Award in October.<br />
With a mission to promote historic preservation, education and<br />
patriotism, the Daughters of the American Revolution is composed<br />
of nearly 185,000 members, all descended from a Revolutionary War<br />
patriot. The DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service<br />
organizations.<br />
The State of Nevada is home to 15 DAR Chapters. To learn more<br />
about the Nevada DAR, visit http://nssdar.org.<br />
10<br />
March 2019
11
Little Inconveniences<br />
By: Adrea Nairne-Barrera / 60s to 60<br />
We all have little things that irritate us every<br />
day. We get used to them and find ways to<br />
either problem solve - or just ignore it all.<br />
If you have your nails done regularly (and have acrylics) you cannot<br />
pick up a coin from the floor. And you absolutely have no chance of<br />
picking up a business card either. However, if you take a business card<br />
from your desk, you can slide it under the coin on the floor.<br />
If your hair has changed texture over the years, or a new cowlick has<br />
sprung up, no matter how much time you spend, a bad hair day is a<br />
regular thing. In fact, a good hair day is a cause for celebration.<br />
Whatever hair style you may have had for umpteen years doesn’t<br />
work anymore. If you decide to let your hair grow, you chance looking<br />
ridiculous for your age. I tried and my friends made that clear, so I cut<br />
over 8 inches off after the summer.<br />
As for body sculpting for all those unwanted bulges if you’re young<br />
and you still have elasticity in your skin, you have a pretty good shot at<br />
success. If you’re older and have folds from on-again off-again diets,<br />
your chances diminish greatly. I’m part of the last group so it’s not an<br />
option.<br />
12<br />
March 2019<br />
And have you seen the price list for a treatment? Takes investing in<br />
your body to a whole new level!<br />
On to body hair. I cannot speak for men but after the dreaded change,<br />
I can certainly speak for women. For most of my life I’ve done the usual<br />
shaving in the normal places and then, without warning, the places<br />
began to change. Hairs sprouted up out of nowhere and the places that<br />
always had them don’t anymore. Go figure.<br />
The worst for me is the pillows under my eyes. I investigated that too<br />
and was told by a family member who is a doctor that laser surgery<br />
doesn’t always produce lasting results. That was a big letdown since I<br />
actually would spend the money to get rid of them.<br />
Now it’s looking like I am what I am. Pillows, hairs, folds and all<br />
topped with perfectly manicured nails that can’t pick up anything.<br />
Adrea Nairne-Barrera writes of celebrations, observations &<br />
complaints of life in the 60s to being in your 60s.
What’s In a Name?<br />
By: BJ Killeen / Down the Road<br />
As cars become more technologically<br />
advanced, understanding that technology<br />
becomes more difficult. To make matters worse,<br />
each manufacturer has created its own set of names for these new<br />
technologies.<br />
According to a recent report from AAA, out of 34 different vehicle<br />
brands sold in the United States, there are over 40 unique names for<br />
automatic emergency braking, and 18 unique ones for automatic high<br />
beams. And that’s just those two.<br />
While we applaud all the new technology, if you’re new-car shopping,<br />
trying to understand which features are called what will send you<br />
screaming from the room (or the dealership, if that’s how you shop).<br />
AAA is proposing a set of standardized names and definitions to describe<br />
these advanced driver-assist systems, something I have been advocating<br />
for years.<br />
I can understand why the manufacturers want to claim their own<br />
names; it builds brand identity; and while most of these systems are<br />
nearly identical, there are small differences that are unique to each<br />
manufacturer.<br />
If these systems weren’t so important, it would almost be comical. I’d<br />
love to be in the room when the marketing team decided what to call<br />
some of these technologies.<br />
For example, Adaptive Cruise Control at Mercedes-Benz is called<br />
Active Distance<br />
Assist - DISTRONIC;<br />
at BMW, it’s Active<br />
Cruise Control,<br />
and at Infiniti it’s<br />
Distance Control<br />
Assist. No wonder<br />
people are confused.<br />
And don’t get me<br />
started on car color<br />
names!<br />
AAA has identified<br />
the segments: Automated Driving Tasks, Collision Alerts, Collision<br />
Mitigation, Parking Assistance and miscellaneous Driving Aids, as well<br />
as uniform definitions for each feature in these segments. As more new<br />
vehicles arrive and new technologies introduced, AAA will update the<br />
list to make sure everyone who purchases a new car understands what<br />
the technology means across all vehicle makes and models.<br />
We agree that this is a good idea but have yet to hear from the<br />
manufacturers if they choose to go along with the suggestion. Car<br />
branding a big business, and no company will want to give up what it<br />
perceives as an advantage quite so quickly.<br />
BJ Killeen has been an automotive journalist for over 30 years.<br />
She welcomes all questions and inquiries, and can be reached at<br />
bjkdtr@gmail.com<br />
13
By: Yvonne Cloutier / Musical Moments<br />
Ernesto Lecuona’s composing and pianistic<br />
styles were compared to George Gershwin’s.<br />
His compositions influenced recognition of the<br />
Latin American world, raising Latin music to classical status.<br />
This most important Latin/American musicologist, composer and<br />
entertainer of the early 20th century was born in Cuba in 1895. As with<br />
so many composers and musicians, he was a child prodigy.<br />
At age 3, his<br />
oldest sister gave<br />
him piano lessons;<br />
by 5 he gave his<br />
first piano recital;<br />
at 11 composed his<br />
first song; age 16,<br />
graduated from the<br />
Havana National<br />
Conservatory with<br />
a gold medal for<br />
interpretation; and<br />
at 24, composed his first operetta - eventually composing 50 staged<br />
musicals. They ran the gamut of musical styles.<br />
Early on, though trained classically, Lecuona’s interest in pop<br />
music led him to compose La Comparsita. It was a beginning of his<br />
amalgamating Spanish/European music using Cuban and African<br />
rhythms (similar to ragtime) in blending this music.<br />
He then became a prolific composer of song/music for stage and<br />
film, composing over 600 musical pieces. His greatest hit, Always in<br />
My Heart, was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Irving<br />
Berlin’s White Christmas.<br />
Some of his other hits were: Sibone and The Breeze and I. Its<br />
music taken from Andulucia, was made famous by the Jimmy Dorsey<br />
Orchestra. His renowned piano piece, Malaguena, was written in a<br />
Flamenco dance style.<br />
A possible influence on Ernesto’s pop interest was when his father<br />
died. In helping support the family, he worked playing the piano at<br />
silent movie bistros.<br />
Lecuona founded the Havana Symphony Orchestra; helped set up<br />
a piano roll factory of Cuban music; started a copyright company for<br />
preservation of Cuban music; founded the Cuban Institute of Musical<br />
de la Habana and wrote the magnificent Rapsodia Cubana.<br />
Lecuona became a wealthy man, didn’t drink alcoholic beverages,<br />
never married and owned and maintained a farm in Cuba. He moved<br />
to the U.S. when Castro took over Cuba.<br />
In 1963, at 68, Lucuona died of an asthma attack. He was inducted<br />
into the 1997 Songwriters Hall of Fame. His 1954 Ultimate Collection<br />
album is a collection of his own well-known piano recordings.<br />
Yvonne Cloutier, a former teacher/principal, with a music<br />
background, specializes in ragtime piano. She researches and<br />
reports about music on SCA-TV.com/Anthem Alive! You can<br />
contact her at www.mytimeisragtime.com.<br />
14<br />
The Cuban Gershwin<br />
March 2019<br />
A Classic Film<br />
By: Beverly Washburn / Hollywood Memories<br />
thought I’d write this month about a strange<br />
I little film I did in 1964 called “Spider Baby.”<br />
It was a very low, (and I mean low) budget film.<br />
Right around eleven dollars. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but it was about<br />
$65,000.00 which in the film world is nothing!<br />
It was filmed in only 13 days. The reason I opted to do this film was<br />
because it starred Lon Chaney Jr. I was a big fan of his and thought it<br />
would be fun to work with him.<br />
Boy, was I right! He was wonderful and I adored him.<br />
There is a scene where he is supposed to cry, and should you ever<br />
see it, those were REAL tears! He was passionate about doing this little<br />
film, but sadly he never got to see it because he died before it was ever<br />
released.<br />
And I kid you not, a couple of weeks ago, they actually showed Spider<br />
Baby on Turner Classic television. Can you believe it?<br />
I would hardly call it a “classic” given the fact that the budget was<br />
so low, the time frame of making it was so short and it was all very<br />
“campy” and “tongue in cheek.” In fact, if you Google “Spider Baby<br />
the movie” you’ll see the trailer and in it, they even left in an “out take”<br />
of me making a face - which they also left in the movie!<br />
Spider Baby featuring (left to right) our Beverly, Sid Haig, Jill<br />
Banner and Lon Chaney,<br />
The movie sat dormant for many years until Quentin Tarantino saw<br />
it. He is a friend of Jack Hill, the writer/director and he was instrumental<br />
in getting it released.<br />
It now has a huge cult following, along with its own website. They<br />
have even made Spider Baby t-shirts, dolls, cartoons etc. and to my<br />
surprise, has fans from all over the world! Who knew?<br />
Interestingly, without doubt, one of the most classic and memorable<br />
films of all time “Casablanca” received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97.<br />
And Spider Baby received just under that, at 92! What?<br />
At any rate, Spider Baby remains one of my favorites, simply because<br />
of working with Lon Chaney Jr. I am blessed indeed.<br />
Until next time, remember you’re not fully dressed without your<br />
smile.<br />
Beverly Washburn graced the silver screen as a child actress and<br />
is the author of Reel Tears. You can contact Beverly at: bjradell@<br />
hotmail.com. Check out her awesome, new website: www.<br />
beverlywashburn.com.
Presents<br />
Beverly Washburn<br />
&<br />
MOVIE, RADIO & TV STAR!<br />
Magic Moments<br />
Hollywood<br />
Memories<br />
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Join us for a delightful evening filled with<br />
Conversation, Clips and Chuckles with<br />
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Hosted by Jay Nagle<br />
702 755-3799<br />
www.thevegasvoice.net/tickets<br />
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Sat. Mar. 23, 2019<br />
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15
Remembering Marty Allen<br />
By: Earl Wilson, Jr. / Golden Age of Show Business<br />
Publisher’s Note: One year ago Marty<br />
Allen, our Vegas Voice columnist,<br />
national treasure and my “uncle” passed<br />
away. Marty touched so many lives in so many<br />
ways. The following is another (previously<br />
exhausting.<br />
unknown) story involving our new columnist Earl Wilson, Jr.<br />
was<br />
Comedian Marty Allen had created a successful TV and stage comedy<br />
emotional.<br />
act that booked in major clubs worldwide. What people didn’t know about<br />
Marty was that he was a very patriotic and generous man. He put his<br />
especially<br />
money where his heart was.<br />
In the late sixties, there was virtually nobody visiting the veteran’s<br />
hospitals to entertain and comfort wounded veterans returning from<br />
Vietnam. While entertainers were eager to bring shows to the troops in<br />
the field (a wonderful thing to do), the men suffering through their<br />
were<br />
wounds were left forgotten.<br />
Except Marty Allen.<br />
Marty decided to take it on himself to tour veteran’s hospitals across<br />
the United States, spending his own money. He invited me to join him,<br />
and I eagerly accepted.<br />
I really don’t know why he invited me. Perhaps Marty was prescient<br />
enough to realize how important an experience it would become for<br />
me; one I’ve treasured over the decades of my life.<br />
Marty and I spent<br />
a month traveling<br />
from one hospital<br />
to another six days<br />
a week, visiting<br />
with hundreds<br />
of wounded vets<br />
confined to their<br />
beds. Marty would<br />
tell a joke, then I<br />
would sing a song,<br />
strumming my<br />
guitar.<br />
Along<br />
the way we would<br />
bring local beauty<br />
queens to cheer<br />
the men. It was<br />
It<br />
incredibly<br />
It was funny…<br />
when<br />
Marty would ball out<br />
some general about<br />
the poor medical<br />
treatment the vets<br />
receiving.<br />
Marty was fearless;<br />
generals would hover in a corner because Marty didn’t hold any<br />
automatic respect for them when he witnessed inadequate care.<br />
We would make our way from ward to ward and often be told that<br />
some of the soldiers were not expected to survive the day. We’d be the last<br />
person or two they would see. We saw burn victims who had received<br />
divorce notices because their wives couldn’t deal with the incredibly<br />
difficult wounds their husbands had suffered.<br />
Every day was a draining encounter. We went back to our hotel rooms<br />
in the evenings ashamed that most Americans had forgotten our vets.<br />
I was especially sensitive to them because I was in the New York<br />
Army National Guard. But I never encountered one vet who looked<br />
at me with an angry, “Why am I here… and you’re not?” attitude.<br />
On the contrary, they were delighted to be visited by people who were<br />
passionate about them.<br />
One Friday afternoon, toward the end of our tour, I entered a private<br />
infirmary with a soldier who was blind. (In order to reach more vets,<br />
Marty and I had agreed to split the visits, each going off to different<br />
wards.)<br />
Realizing that the wounded veteran was completely without sight, I<br />
introduced myself and asked if he’d like a song. He replied, “Sing The<br />
Battle Hymn of the Republic.”<br />
I didn’t realize the effect the song would have, until I started to sing<br />
it while I looked at the sun setting out the window. How did he know to<br />
ask for that song?<br />
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…<br />
I could barely get the words out as I felt myself tearing up. By the end<br />
of the song, I was destroyed. I sat with him quietly for a few moments<br />
and then wished him well. I thanked him.<br />
Then I left. I was never quite the same.<br />
Earl’s Pearls: Isn’t it a shame that future generations can’t be here<br />
to see all the wonderful things we’re doing with their money?<br />
16<br />
March 2019<br />
Earl “Slugger” Wilson, Jr., son of Earl Wilson — archivist, author,<br />
playwright, raconteur, song stylist and Grammy-nominated<br />
composer/lyricist singing his truth. Truth needs to be sung.
17
Handicap Parking Placard<br />
By: Heather Latimer / Heather’s Self-Help Tips<br />
Attaching the handicap placard on the<br />
post behind the car’s rearview mirror can<br />
be a bugbear to those suffering from painful<br />
shoulders, arthritic fingers and/or poor eyesight.<br />
In their fumbled attempts, the hook part of the cardboard placard often<br />
becomes crumpled or torn.<br />
Caregiver Bobbi Ellis, who drives patients to medical appointments<br />
has listened to many of the above complaints. One day she hit upon a<br />
solution. She:<br />
(1) Noticed a sturdy rubber band on a bunch of asparagus;<br />
(2) Attached that band to her rearview mirror vertically and on the<br />
far right;<br />
(3) Placed the placard hook through the rubber band so the hook<br />
was protected between the band and the mirror.<br />
You can also purchase a handicap parking holder from Amazon. It’s<br />
made of plastic and has a sturdy hook for fitting over the mirror post.<br />
Perfect? Yes - if you have good dexterity. And yes in cooler states; not<br />
year-round in Nevada and Arizona. Our scorching temperatures cause<br />
the body-part to crumble and the hook to break off.<br />
As you know it’s illegal to display the placard when there’s no disabled<br />
person in the car. It’s also forbidden to keep the placard visible while<br />
driving. This latter isn’t enforced often but it’s a possibility.<br />
Heather Latimer is a nationally recognized specialist in making<br />
difficult subjects easy and author of 17 books.<br />
“A Fabulous Night Out”<br />
By: Carol Chapman<br />
The Foundation Assisting Seniors, in<br />
association with The Independent<br />
Senior Foundation, is pleased to invite you to<br />
join us for our Inaugural Gala on March 16,<br />
at 6 p.m. at M Resort Spa Casino in Henderson.<br />
This event promises to delight, and we look forward to coming<br />
together for a truly fabulous evening. Our vital work for the<br />
seniors of the Las Vegas valley depends on fundraising, and what<br />
better way to show your support than a night out with friends<br />
benefitting The Foundation Assisting Seniors.<br />
The event includes live and silent auctions, dinner and<br />
entertainment by Mark OToole and culminates with the<br />
presentation of the Centenarian of the Year award. The Foundation<br />
Assisting Seniors was founded with the mission of improving the<br />
quality of life for the senior community by assisting them in times<br />
of illness, recovery, confinement at home, coping with the loss<br />
of a loved one and other senior challenges, as well as providing<br />
assistance with everyday tasks such as household maintenance<br />
and transportation. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation<br />
has responded to more than 100,000 requests for assistance<br />
services.<br />
To purchase individual tickets for $100 or to donate<br />
auction items, please call the office at 725-244-4200 or visit<br />
FoundationAssistingSeniors.org/inaugural-gala.<br />
In association with The Independent Senior Foundation<br />
Cremation benefits and services available for<br />
United States Veterans and their families.<br />
Call today<br />
for special discounts & promotions<br />
(702) 407-0848<br />
11 South Stephanie Street , Suite 140<br />
Henderson, NV 89012<br />
Peter Prah, Sales Manager<br />
www.NationalCremation.com<br />
Presents the<br />
INAUGURAL GALA<br />
Honoring the<br />
CENTENARIAN OF THE YEAR<br />
Dinner & Show with<br />
Mark OToole<br />
M Resort Spa Casino<br />
Milan Ballroom Cocktail attire 6:00 PM<br />
MARCH 16, 2019<br />
VIP Table for eight $800, Dinner & Show for one $100<br />
For tickets call 725-244-4200 or go online to<br />
FoundationAssistingSeniors.org/inaugural-gala<br />
18<br />
March 2019
Quantum Communication & Consciousness<br />
By: Ali Guggenheim / Psychic Phenomenon<br />
In the film Quantum Communication it<br />
mentions the Solvay Physics Conference<br />
(1927) in Belgium which was attended by the<br />
world’s greatest physicists. In hopes of resolving<br />
the inexplicable behaviors over Quantum Mechanics, a new proposal<br />
of “mind over matter” was submitted for discussion.<br />
Physicists Heisenberg and Bohr approached Albert Einstein,<br />
theorizing that the minds of the researchers were affecting the results of<br />
the experiments. They claimed, “the mathematics of predictability was<br />
unrepeatable and unreliable enough to explain what was happening.”<br />
Einstein responded that: “Because it violated all mathematical<br />
models, he couldn’t accept their theory.” This should not surprise<br />
anyone, because most scientists are very uncomfortable with not<br />
knowing how things work.<br />
However, a few years later Einstein announced that: “Anyone who<br />
becomes seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced<br />
that there is a spirit manifest in the laws of the Universe; a spirit vastly<br />
superior to that of man.”<br />
Dr. Claude Swanson, M.I.T. physicist explains, “The wave function<br />
that in mathematical construct describes the waviness of probabilities<br />
of events at the quantum level, collapses when consciousness waves<br />
interfere. Like a bull in a china store, it destroys all the information and<br />
basically forces the wave to start-up again from zero.”<br />
“Our physics is incomplete,” he continues. “This goes back to when<br />
Quantum Physics<br />
was originally built<br />
(approx.1910 -1930’s).<br />
When an observer is<br />
in the ‘loop’, it has<br />
a chaotic effect on<br />
trying to describe the<br />
outcome.”<br />
This is why scientists<br />
are separated from<br />
their experiments and<br />
cannot even observe them. They must wait for their completion before<br />
re-entering the lab.<br />
Unfortunately, when it comes to these consciousness and mystical<br />
theories, most scientists remain skeptical, insisting that there is “no<br />
conclusive evidence to support such claims.” Luckily, some scientists<br />
insist on more research.<br />
Author Dean Radin (Entangled Minds and senior scientist at<br />
the Institute of Noetic Sciences) has stated, “I have little doubt that<br />
the scientific worldview will eventually expand to comfortably<br />
accommodate those experiences we now call psychic,”<br />
So with the understanding that consciousness waves impact over all<br />
things, what does it say about our personal and collective consciousness?<br />
To learn more about Ali, spiritual consultations, coaching, classes,<br />
workshops, and readings, call, give her a call: 702/373-9081.<br />
Endorsed by Firefighters and Police<br />
PAID FOR BY FRIENDS FOR DAN K. SHAW<br />
19
By: Joey Kantor / Vegas Retrospective<br />
Grant Philipo is a tall man, 60, with jet black<br />
hair pulled back into a pony tail. He has a<br />
piercing stare aided by what seems to be a touch<br />
of mascara.<br />
He comes from the world of the most fabulous<br />
aspect of old Vegas; the world of the showroom spectacular where<br />
showgirls reigned supreme. It is mostly gone now, cheesy imposter<br />
shows selling sex but not sexy, according to Philipo.<br />
He has been a producer and designer and is now the keeper of one<br />
of the most important museum collections in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas<br />
Showgirl Museum has over 40,000 artifacts, a collection worth millions.<br />
“We are the only showgirl museum in the world. There is no other.<br />
We knew how important showgirls and showboys are and we didn’t<br />
want that to die,” Philipo said, sitting in his living room/museum<br />
surrounded by the cloth, feather and bejeweled reasons for some of Las<br />
20<br />
The Showgirl Must Go On<br />
March 2019<br />
Vegas’s most shining<br />
moments.<br />
The museum is in his<br />
six-bedroom house and<br />
open by appointment<br />
only. The collection<br />
is worthy of a bigger<br />
venue and he dreams<br />
of the day when his<br />
pieces can be displayed<br />
for everybody to see.<br />
Upon entering you<br />
are seduced into the<br />
fabulousness of it<br />
all. Throughout the<br />
museum are outfits<br />
from some of the<br />
greatest spectaculars<br />
ever produced;<br />
including those from the Las Vegas versions of Lido de Paris, Folies<br />
Bergere, Hallelujah Hollywood, Jubilee and others.<br />
Philipo believes Vegas shows today simply cannot compare. “Most,<br />
not all, but most showgirls were topless. So you had to not only be a<br />
trained professional dancer, but you also had to look flawless without<br />
clothing. And there were restrictions on their breast size, their body<br />
types and their body size and everything else,” he said.<br />
“A showgirl can wear a costume valued anywhere between $5,000<br />
to $50,000 for one costume. And of course in a show she’s wearing<br />
probably up to fifteen to twenty costumes. So you start doing the math<br />
and you realize there is a difference.”<br />
But the museum is not only showgirl costumes. Walk through this<br />
sacred space and you’ll see Shirley MacLaine’s favorite dress - wireless<br />
mic and all, a costume from Donny and Marie’s television show in the<br />
1970s, Omar Sharif’s costume in the film Hidalgo, draperies from Las<br />
Vegas showrooms of old, Carol Channing’s necklace in Thoroughly<br />
Modern Millie, a hand-made gown for Ann Margret and designed by<br />
Bob Mackie, a wax Greta Garbo.<br />
A crop of world class designers filled the need for more and more<br />
fabulousness: Bob Mackie, Michael Travis and Jose Luis Vinas were a<br />
few of the names. The shows mesmerized Philipo as a young man,<br />
basically charting his course.<br />
“If you would have been here in the 1970s, you’d have had no idea<br />
how they did what they did.”<br />
He remembers the flying carpet with the beautiful woman atop it,<br />
white steeds running at full speed on stage, a waterfall with thousands<br />
of gallons of water gushing wildly towards you before disappearing at<br />
the last minute down a chute just inches from the audience.<br />
“You never left a show where you didn’t feel a million times better<br />
than when you went in.”<br />
Joey Kantor is a journalist and novelist. He writes fiction<br />
under the name Fargo Kantrowitz. His Las Vegas based novel,<br />
Babybirds, is available at Lulu.com.
21
Desert Willow Golf Course<br />
By: Mike Landry / Golf Fore Ever<br />
decided to do something a little different in<br />
I my column and write about a golf course<br />
that is near and dear to my heart.<br />
Desert Willow (DW) Golf Course at Sun City MacDonald Ranch<br />
(SCMR) is where I live and play golf so it’s only fitting that I speak to<br />
it. I recently met with the Director of Golf Operations Doug Sipe and he<br />
provided some interesting information.<br />
Opening in 1997, Desert Willow is a challenging 3,811 yard par 60<br />
course designed by Billy Casper and Greg Nash. The course features<br />
22<br />
March 2019<br />
elevation changes rising and falling from tee to green.<br />
Don’t think for a minute that because it’s an executive course that it<br />
will be easy - it’s not. I have seen low handicap players struggle the first<br />
time they play the course.<br />
With plenty of strategically placed sand and grass bunkers, water that<br />
comes in play on holes 5, 9 and 18, accuracy is a must. Fast, undulating<br />
greens with the valley effect puts a premium on putting.<br />
Another aspect I like about Desert Willow is how well players are<br />
received by their top notch professional staff. Everyone is always<br />
informative, helpful and friendly.<br />
DW’s policy to allow non-SCMR resident players to participate in<br />
leagues and tournaments is another key to its success. I know players<br />
from Anthem and other parts of the valley enjoy being involved in these<br />
events. If interested, check in with the pro shop and they will guide you.<br />
Finally, I wanted to touch on the fact that DW is being groomed to<br />
perfection by new course superintendent, Steve Smith and his assistant,<br />
Greg Stevens. With 20 plus years of world wide experience, Steve and his<br />
crew have made a positive mark with manicured landscape and some<br />
of the best greens in the valley.<br />
Keep it up guys; the course is in great shape. Doug: you deserve a lot<br />
of the credit for your vision and guidance.<br />
See you on the links!<br />
Mike Landry resides in Sun City MacDonald Ranch and is a member<br />
of both the Nevada State Seniors Golf Club and Winterwood Men’s<br />
Group. He can be reached at: airmikel1@cox.net
Shoe Solutions!<br />
By: Linda Bateman-Gomez / Timeless Beauty<br />
As an inventor, people often ask me how<br />
I came up with my Fullips lip plumpers<br />
and the answer is: necessity! So when I run across<br />
other types of products that are simple and solve a problem I face, I<br />
can’t help but wonder, why didn’t I think of that?<br />
And one area where I tend to run into plenty of issues is with my<br />
shoes. I love, love, love shoes, but just because they look great doesn’t<br />
always mean they feel or fit great!<br />
Heels (especially pumps) are my favorite, but they often slip off my<br />
feet while walking which is never a graceful situation. I add those<br />
commonly sold inserts, but many times they don’t make enough of a<br />
difference, so the shoes just sit in the closet.<br />
Recently my daughter gave me the perfect solution. They’re shoe<br />
straps that wrap around the bottom of the shoe and then around your<br />
ankle, instantly turning pumps into shoes with an ankle strap.<br />
Or, you can wrap it twice around the top of the foot and shoe creating<br />
a cute strappy look. Simple, effective, and inexpensive too!<br />
They can be found at www.closecret.com and also sell on Amazon for<br />
$10.99 for 2 pair. The straps come in black and beige leather and they<br />
also offer clear, but I’m not really a fan of those.<br />
A quick little extra tip that I had not heard of before - hair spray. Give<br />
your heel and/or the inside of your shoe a light spray for some extra<br />
tackiness to keep you in your heels.<br />
My second new<br />
find is an upgraded<br />
gadget to the<br />
traditional shoe tree<br />
called Forme Shoe<br />
Shapers. Shoes too<br />
tight? Numb toes,<br />
wrinkled shoes?<br />
These Forme are<br />
great!<br />
Unlike the old<br />
shoe tree, this one is<br />
designed to expand<br />
as much or as little<br />
as you need with the<br />
push of a button. So<br />
for the shoes you just can’t break in or those that easily lose their shape,<br />
you can easily do it at home with these.<br />
They are a little pricey at $48.95 for the pair, but if you own shoes<br />
you have invested good money in just sitting there, these just might be<br />
worth the investment! Their website is www.formecomfort.com.<br />
Linda Bateman-Gomez has an international beauty company<br />
based in Las Vegas that specializes in cosmetics and other beauty<br />
products. Contact Linda at TimelessBeauty2020@gmail.com or<br />
through her website www.fullips.com.<br />
Endorsed by Firefighters & Police<br />
Paid for by Committee<br />
to elect Dan Stewart<br />
23
Watch What You Say<br />
By: Rana Goodman / On My Soapbox<br />
Before you pick up that phone, think of the<br />
possible ramifications.<br />
This incident happened to a Henderson senior.<br />
It was traumatizing to say the least and it could have been avoided with<br />
a simple discussion. Instead it became two days of hell for her.<br />
Imagine if you were in her place.<br />
During a conversation with a friend back east, our lady was ranting<br />
about some political issues that were frustrating her. Commenting that<br />
she sounded depressed, her friend advised that she was going to call the<br />
police. Our lady stated that she was not depressed, she was just venting.<br />
Once off the phone, she continued going about her normal routine.<br />
She cared for her pets and tidied the home, but then came a knock on<br />
the door. Answering the door, she found herself face to face with two<br />
police officers.<br />
The three chatted a while and suddenly our lady spotted an<br />
ambulance through the screen door parked directly behind the police<br />
car. “What is the ambulance for” she asked. The officers told her that<br />
she needed to go with them willingly - or she would be carried to the<br />
gurney.<br />
It was a short ambulance ride to the hospital and as she waited, she<br />
asked a nurse how long she needed to be there since she had pets that<br />
had to be cared for. “Just until the doctor arrives to speak with you” she<br />
said. “It should be by 3:00 pm.”<br />
The doctor finally arrived at 11:00 pm and they spoke for a while.<br />
Previous and Current Chief Judge of Henderson Municipal Court<br />
Founded Henderson Veterans Treatment Court in 2011<br />
Past President of Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction<br />
Marine JAG/Defense Attorney & Company Commander<br />
VFW, American Legion, Military’s Officer Association<br />
“You certainly don’t belong here” he said, “but I<br />
cannot sign off on this. You need to go to Seven<br />
Hills (a mental facility) to talk to their doctor.”<br />
Arriving at that facility via ambulance, she<br />
was checked in as a patient and again told she<br />
must wait for the doctor. By then it was the wee<br />
hours of the morning. Worried about her pets,<br />
she asked to use the phone. “No, you have to<br />
wait until 6:00 am” the nurse replied.<br />
No sleep came that night and promptly at 6 am she walked out to the<br />
nurse’s station and again asked to use the phone. A neighbor, with a key<br />
to her home was called and took care of her pets.<br />
Two doctors eventually came and one by one they interviewed her.<br />
Both agreed that there was no reason to hold her and they would sign<br />
the release papers immediately.<br />
The problem was “a legal 2000” (mental evaluation) had been<br />
issued. Under this procedure, they were legally required to hold her for<br />
48 hours.<br />
Bottom line: that friend had called the police claiming that she feared<br />
the senior might try to take her life. Yet, with no doctor’s verification,<br />
no interview by a mental health professional, the police jumped the<br />
gun and apparently got the paperwork resulting in an unnecessary<br />
mental hold.<br />
This stress could have been avoided if the police were accompanied<br />
by such a professional on the first visit to her home. Meanwhile, trying<br />
to be helpful, her friend from thousands of miles away, forged ahead<br />
and made a phone call, in the process, leaving a painful scar on a<br />
senior that she will never forget.<br />
Again, I ask: What would you do if it happened to you?<br />
You can contact Rana by email: Rana@thevegasvoice.net. Also<br />
check out her blog about life in Sun City Anthem at:<br />
Anthemtoday.com<br />
Favil West, Foundation<br />
Assisting Seniors<br />
Chairman with our<br />
Rana Goodman.<br />
The Foundation<br />
surprised Rana with<br />
their “Special Award<br />
Presentation” for her<br />
efforts in protecting<br />
seniors at their<br />
annual appreciation<br />
dinner last month.<br />
Congratulations<br />
Rana!<br />
FAS Special Award<br />
24<br />
March 2019
25
Eat or Medicate<br />
By: Dan Hyde / Call to Action<br />
As hard as it is to believe, one in three seniors<br />
in this country routinely have to choose<br />
between eating or taking their doctor’s prescribed<br />
medications on a daily basis!<br />
In this land of “plenty”, nobody should be forced to make that choice.<br />
When a doctor prescribes a specific medication, the cost of the drug is<br />
so outrageously high, the patient cuts the pill in half (or in quarters)<br />
so that they can still have a meal for the day.<br />
Obviously, the drug’s ability to cure the patient fails and the senior<br />
continues down a sickly path. This can in extreme cases, requires a<br />
senior’s hospitalization, which results in much higher costs!<br />
This begs the question: WHY? The drug companies that profit from<br />
our medical maladies and have a monopoly and control all drug<br />
pricing, are the culprits. This is no surprise to anyone as we are aware<br />
of these stories for decades.<br />
The question then is, WHAT THE HELL CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?<br />
The answer: Holding your elected officials’ feet to the fire by legislating<br />
action and force the drug companies to do what should be apparent to<br />
anyone.<br />
My Magic Carpet Ride<br />
By: Sandy Lewis / Guardianship<br />
My incredible adventure with Dan Roberts<br />
and Rana Goodman began about five<br />
years ago. Rana called and asked if I would like to<br />
accompany them to the Grant Sawyer Building to hear testimony from<br />
two women who were the adult daughters of two guardianship victims.<br />
Both experienced the horror of parents being “legally abducted” and<br />
placed into guardianship by private guardian April Parks.<br />
After hearing their shocking testimony, I felt horrified, numb and<br />
then angry. I knew then that I wanted to be part of their journey.<br />
Up close, I began to see the clever and somewhat genius ideas Dan<br />
& Rana formed to amend and reform Nevada’s guardians laws. These<br />
two kind and brave people took on the worst and scariest people I had<br />
ever heard of.<br />
The next stop was the Clark County Commission meeting, chaired<br />
by our now new governor, Steve Sisolak. Both Rana and I gave a three<br />
minute speech to the commission, which ended with the removal of<br />
Judge Charles Hoskin and Hearing Master John Norheim from hearing<br />
adult guardianship cases.<br />
Over the next two years, I allowed my life to revolve around Dan and<br />
Rana. I became their eyes, ears and research person. I assisted whenever<br />
needed. I watched Dan deliver petitions to the legislature in Carson City<br />
and assisted in their Vegas Voice seminars all over the Las Vegas Valley.<br />
All of us have seen their amazing results.<br />
How could I facilitate recognition for these two magnificent people?<br />
I nominated Rana for Senior Citizen of the Year 2016 and she won that<br />
I certainly<br />
understand<br />
the profit<br />
motive of a<br />
drug company<br />
and of course,<br />
be profitable<br />
to stay in<br />
business! But<br />
when a drug<br />
patent ends<br />
that company has had ample time to not only recover their investment<br />
costs but reap huge profits.<br />
It should be law, that when a patent runs out, these drugs must revert<br />
to generic status with a guaranteed cost to the patient not to exceed $10.<br />
That is not only the right thing to do, it is the most humanely thing<br />
to do.<br />
Those we elect are there to serve US. So far, they seem to be serving<br />
the interests of those who profit from our misery.<br />
Dan Hyde is a passionate and effective advocate for the senior<br />
community. He can be reached at: dhyde9@cox.net.<br />
With my friend Rana<br />
award. Dan was later recognized and honored by the state and national<br />
media for their Vegas Voice reporting of the guardianship scandal.<br />
In closing, let us all continue to support the reform efforts by The<br />
Vegas Voice and Dan & Rana - The Guardian Gladiator and her<br />
Knight.<br />
26<br />
March 2019
27
I’ll Take a Dull Day<br />
By: Judy Polumbaum / Our View<br />
It started mid-morning with sounds of<br />
commands being barked through police<br />
loudspeakers.<br />
Then piercing gunfire? In our placid little suburban enclave?<br />
I sprinted upstairs and looked out a front window. A team of sturdy<br />
men in helmets, body armor, and behind shields was pointing heavy<br />
weaponry at a car in a driveway across the street.<br />
It turned out that detectives had tracked a man suspected of “violent”<br />
crimes to a house that faces mine. Ordered to produce himself,<br />
the suspect instead came backing out of the garage in a red sedan,<br />
slamming several times into unmarked vehicles that were blocking the<br />
end of the driveway. That’s when officers opened fire.<br />
An arm emerging from the car hung limply out the driver’s open<br />
window. The loudspeakers continued to squawk instructions. The arm<br />
remained inert.<br />
The team gradually edged its way up to the car. Two officers reached<br />
into the open window and hauled out the clearly incapacitated driver.<br />
An ambulance arrived and took him away.<br />
The loudspeakers ordered anybody else in the house to exit. The<br />
woman who lives there and her grown son and another man came out<br />
with hands up. They were cuffed and taken aside.<br />
The Greatest Sunset<br />
By: Morris Heldt / A Senior’s P.O.V.<br />
Having just experienced a terrifying event<br />
with my wife’s health (a huge blood clot in<br />
her right lung) and then just waiting for several<br />
days as I watched the sun set from her hospital window I remembered<br />
back to another time. My wife and I have been very fortunate and lived<br />
in a beach house in southern California for over 25 years.<br />
We were given the gift of watching the sun set into the ocean from<br />
our deck every evening. At that precise moment when the sun slowly<br />
disappeared into the water where the sky met the ocean, I remember<br />
thinking I alone had discovered an oasis in my mind nestled in the<br />
sanctity and security of my own psyche.<br />
Unlike Hollywood’s ability to replicate it on film through special<br />
effects, the actual event demonstrates natures’ power over us . . . and<br />
the gift we have to witness it.<br />
When I phoned police to ask what I should do, dispatch sent an<br />
officer to my door. Politely, he told me I could get escorted out on foot<br />
but could not drive out. Or I could “shelter in place.” The area would<br />
be bottled up at least into the afternoon.<br />
“I’m just an old lady who moved here from Iowa,” I said. “I never<br />
expected this!” His response, delivered with confidence, made me feel a<br />
bit better: “It’s not common.”<br />
More Metro officers arrived; CSI folks photographed, measured,<br />
took notes. Given the “officer-involved shooting” the investigation was<br />
especially involved. It was after dark when the crime tape came down.<br />
The next morning, I was free to walk or drive out as I pleased. I still<br />
felt rattled.<br />
Several Las Vegas natives assured me that indeed it’s unusual for<br />
a quiet residential street to become a war zone. Then I figured it out:<br />
Nothing happens in Las Vegas that couldn’t happen elsewhere in these<br />
United States. It just happens more dramatically.<br />
Judy is a professor emerita of journalism and a transplant to<br />
Las Vegas from New England via China, the West Coast and the<br />
However, the greatest sunset of all was when I was allowed to bring<br />
my wife home from the hospital and we watched the sun set from our<br />
small patio in Green Valley. There was no dramatic moment of the<br />
sun disappearing into the ocean, but rather simply going behind a<br />
mountain.<br />
Nevertheless being with one you have loved for over 48 years, that<br />
sunset was equally magnificent.<br />
I can only suggest that the next time you have a chance to watch the<br />
sun set on this country’s breath-taking landscape with someone you<br />
love, do so. Like me, it might bring a perspective to life.<br />
In these trying times, with so many changes for “we” seniors it’s<br />
reassuring that the sun still rises and sets. Nature is more powerful<br />
than governments or individual dictators.<br />
Regardless if it’s on a wheat field, a mountain range or skyline of one<br />
of our many cities, enjoy that moment. Take that time to enjoy what<br />
was given to you.<br />
Remember the people that came before you and the ones that will<br />
come after you. Because that is what creates a great country, a better<br />
world - the sun setting on generations of families as time goes on. The<br />
power of sunsets.<br />
Morris Heldt is a retired award winning film and television<br />
producer and published author. He and his wife moved to the Las<br />
Vegas valley from the beach in 2004.<br />
Midwest.<br />
28 March 2019<br />
28
What is C.L.U.E.?<br />
By: Jim Valkenburg / Insurance Insight<br />
C<br />
.L.U.E stands for Comprehensive Loss<br />
Underwriting Exchange and its<br />
information affects each and every one of us who<br />
drive a car or owns property.<br />
Back in “the day” the only thing that really mattered on our auto<br />
insurance was our tickets and if we got one, we paid for it. And, worse, it<br />
“counted” on our auto insurance for the next 3 years. Well, times have<br />
changed!<br />
Those 3 years are now 5 for the majority of insurance companies.<br />
Every (and I mean every) claim made on your auto insurance shows<br />
up on C.L.U.E. An example would be an at-fault accident where you<br />
rear-end someone, the vehicles are damaged and the occupants are<br />
hurt. C.L.U.E. could show:<br />
BI (bodily injury) - $50,000; PD (property damage to others) -<br />
$7,500; CO (collision) - $6,000;<br />
RR (rental reimbursement) - $350.<br />
If you keep letting those kids at the car wash call in a claim for a<br />
windshield chip, it would be reported as “CP” for comprehensive. I’ve<br />
seen as many as 25 comp claims on one report which effectively kept<br />
me from insuring that family.<br />
Frequency is more important to an insurance company than severity.<br />
Your company will not cancel or non-renew your insurance if you have<br />
a not-at-fault accident that cost them $20,000, but they will cancel/<br />
non-renew for 3 small claims totaling $1,000.<br />
I once had a<br />
lady call saying<br />
she was being<br />
non-renewed<br />
because of 3<br />
claims; none of<br />
which exceeded<br />
$250. Her<br />
statement was, “that’s<br />
why we have insurance.”<br />
To be candid, you have<br />
insurance for the things you cannot<br />
afford to fix yourself. So when I dented my<br />
car, I fixed it. If you report it to your company,<br />
it will go on C.L.U.E. even if nothing is paid so be<br />
very careful. Even those zero paid claims “count.”<br />
C.L.U.E. is also used for property claims. When<br />
looking to purchase a home, have your agent order a report to see if<br />
that home has had claims. Many companies also count claims you<br />
have had on property you have owned in the past and those claims<br />
follow you even when you move.<br />
Jim Valkenburg is a retired military officer and insurance executive.<br />
He and his wife owned and operated their own insurance agency for<br />
over 16 years. His primary purpose is to give out real information<br />
that can be used to make intelligent insurance decisions.<br />
29
The Growing Season Begins<br />
By: Howard Galin / Happy Gardening<br />
March brings us the start of our growing<br />
season. It is also the time when desert<br />
gardeners begin to spruce up the appearance of<br />
their yards.<br />
Since we no longer grow “real” grass in our yards, we use instead<br />
“inorganic (rock) mulch, synthetic grass or a combination of both.<br />
Each choice presents us with both positives and negatives. Before<br />
making this decision, we should fully understand these options.<br />
Most homes in Southern Nevada use varieties of rock mulch. Let<br />
us look at the choices presented when using this form of landscaping<br />
material.<br />
Rock mulch comes in varying sizes and shapes. The best material<br />
is crushed granite rocks. This material can be found in sizes ranging<br />
from 1/8” or 1/4” pieces used as a base to larger chucky rocks (2” to<br />
4”) to augment or contrast areas of your yard.<br />
These rocks are usually sold by the ton and come in various muted<br />
colors (the most common being Rebel Red or Vista Gold). Large<br />
“boulder sized” rocks can also be used to focus attention to specific<br />
parts of your landscaping.<br />
The small crushed rocks cost between $25 to $40 a ton depending<br />
on the size, shape and coloring and it lasts between 5-10 years before<br />
augmenting. Larger rocks and boulders are priced by the pound at the<br />
point of purchase.<br />
It is important to get a “weigh receipt” from the landscaping supplier.<br />
This is obtained by weighing the truck before and after being loaded at<br />
the facility.<br />
How much do you need? One ton will replenish 1” depth for 240<br />
square feet; 2” depth for 120 square feet, etc. The drawback of rock<br />
mulch is that the rocks are hard to rake clean and the rocks get<br />
extremely hot in the summer sun reaching over 160 degrees!<br />
Synthetic grass is another alternative. It ranges in price from $1.25<br />
to $3.00 a square foot plus installation. The more expensive “grass”<br />
reflects the sun’s heat well while the cheaper brands do not (heating up<br />
into the mid 100 degrees during the hot summer afternoons).<br />
Have a gardening question? Contact me at: ThePlantWhisperer28@<br />
gmail.com.<br />
Howard Galin, a/k/a: “The Plant Whisperer” is a retired NYC<br />
school administrator, transplanted in Las Vegas who devotes his<br />
time to communicating with and lecturing about our native<br />
plants.<br />
30<br />
March 2019
31
When Sciatic Pain is Not<br />
Sciatic<br />
By: Kyo Mitchell / A Healthier You<br />
Many people have suffered from sciatica.<br />
It is usually a sharp pain in your lower<br />
back, buttocks, thigh, lateral leg or foot.<br />
For anyone who has had to endure this, you never forget it. Simple<br />
tasks like walking to another room or turning over in bed can be<br />
extremely painful. What’s even worse is when your doctor does X-Rays<br />
or an MRI and then tells you that they do not know why you are<br />
experiencing sciatica.<br />
One potential cause for this type of pain that will not show up on<br />
an X-Ray or an MRI is called Piriformis Syndrome. The syndrome<br />
is named after the piriformis muscle which is found underneath<br />
the muscles of your buttocks stretching from your sacral area (just<br />
above your tailbone) to your lateral hip area. The sciatic nerve passes<br />
through the piriformis muscle.<br />
If you spend a fair amount of the day in a sitting position, the<br />
piriformis muscle can tighten up and begin to squeeze and irritate<br />
the sciatic nerve; giving rise to pain. One of the indications that the<br />
pain is due to piriformis syndrome is that the “sciatic” pain gets worse<br />
when you go from a seated to a standing position.<br />
This is due to the fact that the piriformis muscle is used to help<br />
you stand up. As you do, the muscle squeezes the nerve even harder<br />
increasing the level of pain.<br />
Because this is a muscle, it will not show up on an X-Ray or MRI.<br />
A Piriformis Test can check for this but many times it is not done on<br />
patients. Most painkillers will not work since the problem is not one<br />
of inflammation, but rather the nerve being squeezed and irritated.<br />
The goal is to get the muscle to relax. While medical treatment may<br />
help, many times there is a simpler solution.<br />
When you sit or lay down, get a soft tennis ball and place it just<br />
behind your hip bone (where it is sore) so that your body weight is<br />
pressing the ball against this painful area. If this is due to piriformis<br />
syndrome, the pain should begin to ease up in about 5 minutes. If this<br />
does not work, seek out medical help.<br />
Dr. Kyo Mitchell served as faculty at Bastyr University in Seattle<br />
and Wongu University in Las Vegas for over a decade. Dr.<br />
Mitchell practices in Summerlin and can be reached at 702-481-<br />
6216 or rkyomitchell@gmail.com.<br />
32<br />
March 2019<br />
It’s Never Too Late!<br />
By: Mary Richard / Health Fitness<br />
If you made some “New Year’s Resolutions”<br />
and didn’t keep up with them, it’s not too late<br />
to begin again with your goals. Sure, it’s tough to<br />
lose some weight, but begin slowly.<br />
Try not to set goals too high or you will become discouraged. I’ve<br />
been there - so I know it well! If you want to lose 10-15 (or more)<br />
pounds, start off slowly and reach for 1-2 pounds. You will find that you<br />
will not set yourself up for failure if you do this.<br />
Another item that I struggle with on a daily basis - getting a good<br />
night’s sleep! Do you find yourself having difficulty falling asleep? A<br />
good night’s sleep can also help decrease the risk of dementia.<br />
How much sleep is enough? There is no magic number, but the<br />
National Sleep Foundation suggests adults aim for at least seven hours<br />
of uninterrupted sleep per night.<br />
First, make sure you are setting yourself up for bedtime success.<br />
Stick to a regular schedule, trying to get to sleep and waking up at<br />
approximately the same time each day.<br />
If sleep escapes you, don’t toss and turn in bed. Get up, read a book,<br />
or listen to some soothing music until you feel sleepy. Avoid eating or<br />
drinking anything with caffeine or highly acidic foods at least two to<br />
three hours before bedtime.<br />
Exercise is terrific, but if you work out too close to bedtime, you may<br />
find it interferes with falling asleep.<br />
Still wide awake? If you experience chronic insomnia, make sure to<br />
tell your doctor of your concerns so that you may be able to rule out<br />
more serious causes, such as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a breathing<br />
disturbance that wakes the sufferer throughout the night and can<br />
cause some serious consequences.<br />
When you sleep poorly, your mood, memory, creativity and problemsolving<br />
capabilities suffer.<br />
Try different methods to relax at least a few hours before bedtime and<br />
with proper sleep, you’ll wake up more refreshed, feel better and have a<br />
greater lookout on life.<br />
POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND HAPPY HEALTH TO ALL!<br />
Mary Richard is a long term supporter of senior fitness. She<br />
teaches Zumba, toning and dance classes throughout the Las<br />
Vegas Valley. She can be reached at zumbaqueen@cox.net.
Supplemental Needs Trust<br />
By: Jerry Creed / Trust Jerry<br />
It sucks, and there is no easy way to say it…<br />
In a marriage, chances are one of you is<br />
going to die before the other. Even worse, in most<br />
marriages it’s going to be the man that is going to die first.<br />
One of the top worries for a man is will my wife have enough money<br />
to get to the end of her days without running out of money?<br />
What if my wife gets Dementia, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s and has<br />
to go into a memory care facility or skilled nursing facility and I’m no<br />
longer around to see she is taken care of. They cost an average of $8,000<br />
a month or about $100K a year.<br />
Medicaid will help but only after my surviving spouse had spent<br />
down to less than $2,000 in assets. My wife will be impoverished before<br />
the government helps.<br />
Is there a way to protect your spouse, a way to ensure she never runs<br />
out of money before she runs out of days? Is there a good way to protect<br />
your spouse against creditors, bankruptcy, Medicaid?<br />
Good news! There is a way, and if you’re married, you’ve already<br />
taken the hard step. Most married couples should take advantage of<br />
this Medicaid loophole, but haven’t yet.<br />
There is a Medicaid provision that allows a Supplemental Needs<br />
Trust created by a testamentary instrument by a spouse for the<br />
surviving spouse to be exempt from the 5 year look back and from<br />
Enhanced Medicaid Recovery.<br />
Said in nonlawyer<br />
speak,<br />
your estate plan<br />
should be based<br />
on a revocable<br />
living trust and<br />
a pour over Will.<br />
The pour over<br />
Will can create<br />
a supplemental<br />
or special needs<br />
trust for your<br />
wife using your half of the community assets when you die. This is a<br />
Trust created by you, for your wife’s benefit.<br />
Your wife’s creditors can’t reach the assets because the assets in the<br />
Supplemental Needs Trust are not your wife’s they are your assets set<br />
aside to be used for your wife, not “controlled” or “owned” by your wife.<br />
Better yet, if your wife needs to go onto Medicaid to pay the memory<br />
care or skilled nursing bill, Medicaid doesn’t count those assets when<br />
your wife is trying to qualify and will not be able to recover those assets<br />
when your wife dies. Your assets will be there for your wife and then go<br />
to your children or heirs.<br />
To learn more, contact an Elder Law Attorney or come to one of my<br />
free seminars.<br />
33
Parkinson’s Disease (Disorder)<br />
By: Eric Farbman, M.D. / Friends of Parkinson’s<br />
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic<br />
and progressive neurological movement<br />
disorder, meaning that symptoms will worsen<br />
over time. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder.<br />
Over one million people in the United States are living with<br />
Parkinson’s Disease. In most cases there does not appear to be a genetic<br />
component. There is a slight male predominance.<br />
The exact cause of PD is unknown, but it involves the death of brain<br />
cells, particularly cells in the area of the brain called the substantia<br />
nigra. These cells produce a chemical called dopamine.<br />
When enough of these brain cells are lost, the motor symptoms of PD<br />
begin to develop and include the following:<br />
1. Tremor, mainly at rest, usually in the limbs. The tremor will often<br />
disappear when the patient uses the limb but will re-emerge upon the<br />
cessation of movement;<br />
2. Bradykinesia – this is slowness of movement such as reduced<br />
facial expression and/or reduced arm swing when walking;<br />
3. Limb rigidity – this is seen as stiffness in the affected side;<br />
4. Gait/balance problems – this is often more of a problem later in<br />
the disease course.<br />
The symptoms slowly develop over years and are often different<br />
between patients. Usually the presentation is asymmetric, although<br />
there does not appear to be any pattern as to which side of the person<br />
is affected.<br />
Although there is no cure,<br />
treatment options include<br />
medications and surgery, and<br />
these can greatly improve<br />
the quality of life. While PD<br />
itself is not fatal, the disease<br />
complications can be serious.<br />
PD does not shorten life<br />
expectancy; however, it can<br />
create a decline in the quality<br />
of life. Exercise can help the<br />
quality of life in PD, and studies suggest that it may also work on the<br />
brain to slow the progression of the disease.<br />
Throughout the course of the disease there may be non-motor<br />
symptoms. Loss of smell is often one of the first symptoms. Depression is<br />
very common. The physician will assist in the treatment of both motor<br />
and non-motor symptoms.<br />
Although nobody wants to be diagnosed with anything, there are<br />
reasons to be optimistic with PD. There are many treatments currently<br />
available, and there are many research trials examining future<br />
medications and interventions.<br />
Eric Farbman, M.D., is the Associate Professor of Neurology, Chief<br />
of Movement Disorders at Roseman University.<br />
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35
A Strait Shooter<br />
By: Chuck Dean / Vet 2 Vet<br />
got more than an amazing concert by George<br />
I Strait last month at T-Mobile Arena. I’ve<br />
never seen any entertainer use his intermission<br />
time the way he did.<br />
Most always they head to the dressing room for rest and refreshment,<br />
but not George. He took that time to present a mortgage-free home to a<br />
disabled veteran and his family.<br />
He stole my heart again with more than his timeless music, and we<br />
just can’t let this cowboy ride away any time soon. George himself spent<br />
3 years in the U.S. Army.<br />
It was incredible when he introduced Retired Lt. General Leroy Sisco,<br />
the CEO of the non-profit organization, Military Warriors Support<br />
Foundation. The General came on stage and joined George in honoring<br />
Staff Sergeant Christopher Hardesty for his service and sacrifice to this<br />
country.<br />
When George handed Hardesty the key to his new home in Colorado<br />
there was not a dry eye around. There on that stage I witnessed many<br />
things, and compassion and love were at the top of the list.<br />
I think Willie once sang a song titled, “My Heroes have Always Been<br />
Cowboys.” I now have a new hero and he wears a Stetson, ropes calves<br />
in his spare time and gives houses to disabled veterans.<br />
I found out that each year George raises millions for wounded warriors.<br />
Now he is partnering with Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support<br />
Healing Through Faith<br />
By: Thomas Mammaro / Vet Voice<br />
“<br />
One year in Vietnam stained my life with<br />
pain and deep scars, 10 days with Heroes<br />
to Heroes in Israel brought me home for the<br />
first time.” Joe Walters<br />
Many of our brave men and women are returning home from<br />
combat with invisible wounds. Not knowing how to heal or reintegrate<br />
into civilian life, some resort to taking medications, others bottle up<br />
their feelings inside, while some resort to taking their own life.<br />
This led New York City area businesswoman, Judy Isaacson Elias,<br />
to do something about it. Inspired by her father, a U.S. veteran of<br />
WWII, and her own faith experiences, she founded Heroes to Heroes<br />
Foundation 501(c)3 in March of 2010 to heal combat veterans through<br />
spiritual trips to the Holy Land (Israel).<br />
“Israel provides outlets to put perspective on what they (military<br />
veterans) were asked to do by their government. It’s where they can<br />
reconnect with themselves, others, and their Creator. If God can forgive<br />
them, they can forgive themselves. People who are connected with their<br />
faith and attend any church, synagogue, or mosque are five times less<br />
likely to die by suicide than the rest of the country.” Elias said.<br />
Each 10-day Heroes to Heroes trip is led by professional tour guides<br />
and coaches, which consists of 12 American veterans who are joined by<br />
Israeli Defense Force (IDF) veterans. Participants get to visit famous<br />
religious sites, as well as sites related to Jewish, Zionist, and IDF<br />
36<br />
March 2019<br />
Foundation with their<br />
Homes4WoundedHeroes<br />
program to make homes<br />
available for them as well.<br />
Hats off to him for not<br />
taking that refreshment<br />
break so it could happen.<br />
It’s an example of what a<br />
caring heart can do with<br />
what they have been blessed with.<br />
Not all of us have the money and influence that George has, but we<br />
do have other valuable gifts to give - even if it’s our time. General Sisco<br />
may be retired and could be spending all his time on the golf course,<br />
but he has chosen to continue serving those who serve to keep us free. I<br />
salute the man in a special way.<br />
As a final note: Military Warriors Support Foundation has several<br />
other important programs for our veterans in their transition from<br />
war to peace. Seems like a pretty good outfit to support. https://<br />
militarywarriors.org.<br />
Chuck Dean served as an Army paratrooper in Vietnam and<br />
through that experience was led to address the many transitional<br />
issues veterans struggle with. He is the author of several important<br />
books for veterans. All can be found on Amazon at: http://www.<br />
amazon.com/author/chuckdeanbooks<br />
history. Participants also have the<br />
opportunity to get baptized in the<br />
Jordan River.<br />
To date, 244 American combat<br />
veterans suffering from moral injury<br />
have taken the journey. When asked<br />
about the trip, the most common<br />
phrase spoken by alumni is “lifechanging.”<br />
The all-expenses-paid<br />
trip is made possible only through<br />
tax-free donations.<br />
Moral injury: damage done<br />
to one’s conscience or moral<br />
compass when that person<br />
perpetrates, witnesses, or fails to<br />
prevent acts that transgress their<br />
own moral and ethical values or<br />
code of conduct.<br />
If you or someone you love<br />
is suffering from moral injury<br />
or to learn how you can help a<br />
wounded veteran, go to http://www.<br />
heroestoheroes.org/ or call 201/851-<br />
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37
38<br />
This is one of my favorite classic movies. And why<br />
not? The film is full of Italian style and grace. The<br />
scenery is breathtaking. The villages are lovely. The<br />
people are charming..., And the pasta, and wine...<br />
Delicioso!<br />
Early Bird<br />
Special!<br />
$ 3499.<br />
Air included<br />
pp dbl. occ<br />
So when my husband Ray and I decided<br />
to host a European tour, Collette’s Spotlight on Tuscany<br />
tour with Florence, Lucca, Siena, and more was a<br />
natural choice. Plus, we’ll actually be under the Tuscan<br />
Sun, and there’ll be no pesky packing and unpacking.<br />
We’ll be staying in the delightful spa resort town<br />
of Montecatini in a four star hotel just a short walk<br />
from the charming city center. In fact, one of my best<br />
friends, Iris Newman, who already had the good sense<br />
to take this trip, has told me that exploring Montecatini,<br />
meeting its locals, and enjoying spontaneous casual<br />
gatherings at the end of the day were unexpected trip<br />
highlights. This is the perfect place to relax and enjoy<br />
the Tuscan lifestyle. Call us at:<br />
702/463-0966.<br />
Wow! Local professional airport transfers<br />
provided by Vegas Vacationers for every<br />
Collette Vacation with air!<br />
March 2019<br />
Join Us<br />
“Under The<br />
Tuscan Sun”!<br />
Don’t be left out...<br />
only 10 seats<br />
remaining!<br />
Ready, Set, Go!<br />
By: Crystal Merryman-Sarbacker /<br />
Out & About<br />
Don’t miss your reunions or dream vacations<br />
just because you’re not as strong or vital as<br />
you used to be. Today few people even notice other’s disabilities. So, find<br />
a trip which pleases you, and is available soon.<br />
Touring and cruising companies encourage making reservations up<br />
to two years in advance. But unless you currently need medical care,<br />
you are less likely to cancel due to unforeseen health issues, if you<br />
consider going as soon as possible.<br />
There are always last-minute availabilities, which are great for<br />
seniors. A land trip like one of Collette Vacations “Spotlight” tours has<br />
stays of four to seven days in America’s or Europe’s most exciting cities.<br />
Daily sightseeing is included, and here’s the best part. Each itinerary<br />
uses a single 4-star hotel throughout, so there’s no packing and<br />
unpacking!<br />
Or you might try Globus’ Monogram Tours, which offer private<br />
vacations in very popular locations. You get the services of a local guide<br />
who provides your trip orientation, escorts you to your luxury hotel,<br />
and may help you with special needs.<br />
Speaking of special needs, regardless of the trip you select, don’t<br />
be embarrassed to request help with devices necessary to your health.<br />
Special needs items are rapidly becoming travel essentials, so rental<br />
companies now provide and set up the personal health items you need<br />
in your hotel or cruise ship.<br />
Motorized scooters and wheelchairs are in demand, along with<br />
portable oxygen tanks, raised toilet seats, and hospital style beds. And<br />
the number of available items and serviceable locations is expanding<br />
rapidly.<br />
One unforeseen complication is hotels and cruise lines have trouble<br />
keeping up with the demand for special needs accommodations, and<br />
regular hotel and cruise ship doors may not be wide enough to allow<br />
wheelchairs or scooters. NCL’s “Pride of America” circles Hawaii every<br />
week with over 1,000 passenger staterooms but only 64 are wheelchair<br />
accessible. Guess which staterooms are being booked first?<br />
Next month we’ll take an in-depth look into innovations that can<br />
really enhance senior travel.<br />
Crystal Merryman-Sarbacker is the Vacation Editor and<br />
the President at Vegas Vacationers. She can be reached at<br />
Merryman2@aol.com
39
40<br />
CARNIVAL PANORAMA<br />
INAUGURAL SAILINGS<br />
www.Vegasvoyagers.Com<br />
Email: Fairtravel@Aol.Com<br />
A Visit to Israel<br />
By: Stu Cooper / Happy Adventures<br />
have travelled all over the world. At<br />
I last count, I’ve been to just about<br />
every state with the exception of some<br />
of the “deep” south states. I have been all over Europe,<br />
including Luxemburg and Iceland. And in 2020 I hope to<br />
finally get to Australia and New Zealand.<br />
However, my favorite travel destination in the whole world is Israel.<br />
There is just no other place like it. I started traveling there when I was 16<br />
years old and honeymooned there in 1981.<br />
I have also escorted a number of interfaith groups over the years. All<br />
my visits to Israel have been magical.<br />
And<br />
ROYAL<br />
I will admit<br />
CARIBBEAN<br />
I am not a religious person.<br />
CRUISE<br />
You don’t<br />
LINE<br />
have to be to<br />
go to Israel. The history, all by itself is enough to make it<br />
interesting and dynamic.<br />
If you are a person of faith and are Christian, Jewish or<br />
Muslim, than Israel takes on a different, special atmosphere.<br />
Some of the most holy, if not holiest western religious sights<br />
can be found in Israel.<br />
Whether it’s the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy<br />
Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock, or the Western Wall, all<br />
western faiths look to Israel and Jerusalem for wisdom, guidance and<br />
strength.<br />
This is why, with Bruce Ewing (music minister at Lutheran Community<br />
BUS TO THE BOAT<br />
CARNIVAL MIRACLE<br />
14 NIGHT HAWAIIAN ISLANDS<br />
OCT. 19 - NOV. 2, 2019 • BALCONY $2,499 pp<br />
7 NIGHT MEXICAN RIVIERA<br />
JAN. 25 - FEB. 1, 2020<br />
INSIDE $999 • BALCONY $1,299 pp<br />
Call Stu<br />
March 2019<br />
800 698-1101<br />
Church and a member of the Phat Pack) hosting our Vegas Vacationers,<br />
we are planning a trip to Israel from September 2-13, 2019. We will visit<br />
Tel Aviv, Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea, Masada and of course<br />
Jerusalem.<br />
We’ll be stopping at all the major religious and historical sites along<br />
the way. We even have a two night stop at a Dead Sea spa for wellness and<br />
relaxation.<br />
Take a look at the next page, and if you need more information, we<br />
can email or “snail” mail a full six page detailed itinerary. Of course, feel<br />
free to call at 1-800-698-1101 if you’d like to speak with me about this<br />
wonderful trip. Given the opportunity, I could talk about Israel all day<br />
long. Happy adventures<br />
to all.<br />
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINE<br />
Sept. 6 - 16,<br />
2019<br />
ADVENTURE<br />
OF THE SEAS<br />
10 NIGHT<br />
FALL FOLIAGE<br />
NORTHBOUND CRUISE<br />
Departs Cape Liberty, NJ, visiting Bar Harbor, Portland,<br />
St John, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, disembark<br />
Quebec City<br />
800 698-1101<br />
Inside Cabin<br />
Ocean View<br />
$1,739 pp<br />
$2,029 pp<br />
www.Vegasvoyagers.Com<br />
Email: Fairtravel@Aol.Com Balcony Cabin $2,289 pp<br />
Prices are per person based on double occupancy, subject to availability and<br />
includes your cruise, all port charges, taxes, fees and roundtrip air fare from Las<br />
Vegas to New York and back from Quebec City and airport transfers in New<br />
York and Quebec City. A deposit of $450 per person is due at the time of booking<br />
and is fully refundable until June 1, 2019 when the final payment is due.
41
42<br />
March 2019
43
RUBY PRINCESS 12 NIGHT<br />
ALASKA - BUS TO BOAT<br />
APRIL 23 -- MAY 5, 2019<br />
FROM $ 2,119<br />
CORAL PRINCESS 19 NIGHT<br />
PANAMA CANAL CRUISE R/T from<br />
Los Angeles - BUS TO BOAT<br />
Sept. 29 -- Oct 18, 2019<br />
FROM $ 2,859<br />
ROYAL PRINCESS 7 NIGHT<br />
PACIFIC COAST - BUS TO BOAT<br />
R/T FROM LA - NOV. 9 -16, 2019<br />
FROM $ 1,099<br />
STAR PRINCESS 15 NIGHT<br />
HAWAIIAN ISLAND CRUISE<br />
BUS TO BOAT<br />
Dec. 4 --15, 2019<br />
FROM $ 1,979<br />
CALL STU<br />
1/800-698-1101<br />
BUS TO THE BOAT<br />
Wagons Ho! The Oregon Trail<br />
By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World<br />
Thousands of pioneers with dreams of riches<br />
made the perilous journey westward on the<br />
Oregon Territory. The first migrant wagon train<br />
formed in 1836.<br />
Their determination and willingness to endure hardship set western<br />
territory expansion into motion. And this year Oregon celebrates<br />
160-years of statehood.<br />
The Oregon Trail ended<br />
at Fort Vancouver. Forts<br />
along the trail employed<br />
females as laundresses.<br />
Most were single, but some<br />
were married with families.<br />
Their stories are<br />
historically obscure, yet<br />
their job essential. Few<br />
soldiers liked washing<br />
and mending uniforms,<br />
making the laundress a<br />
crucial component on the<br />
frontier.<br />
Laundresses were the only women officially recognized and supported<br />
by the United States Army in the 19th century. Their work included<br />
washing and mending clothing, nursing the sick, cleaning cabins and<br />
lending an air of civilization to remote fort life.<br />
Fort Vancouver’s laundry work was challenging. At dawn, she<br />
chopped wood, hauled river water and then heated gallons of water in<br />
large tubs before shaving lye soap from bars that she made.<br />
Ironing involved a heavy flatiron heated over a fire. Though a soldier<br />
might earn $13.00 a month, an industrious laundress could make up<br />
to $40.00.<br />
The Army officially rescinded laundresses in 1878. When one<br />
commander was asked his opinion, he replied, “Of course these women<br />
cost money – most women do! But I think it will be found that they, like<br />
the generality of their sex, are worth all they cost.”<br />
The National Park Service reconstructed the Hudson’s Bay<br />
Company portion of Fort Vancouver and many buildings. They offer<br />
demonstrations showing what life was like in the Oregon Territory,<br />
which comprised segments of present day Oregon and Washington and<br />
other stretches of the Northwest.<br />
Up to and during World War I, Fort Vancouver was the chief military<br />
headquarters for the Pacific Northwest. Vancouver Barracks (now in<br />
Washington State) remains an operative base.<br />
Among the notables stationed here was future president Ulysses<br />
S. Grant, who served as quartermaster. Officers Row includes the<br />
refurbished Grant house, the first residence built at the fort. A National<br />
Historic District, Officers Row is open daily to the public.<br />
Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an<br />
Adventure Diva. Her “Must See” travel journeys continue - always<br />
with enthusiasm.
Spring Cleaning & Uncluttering is Good for Your Brain<br />
By: Jan Fair / A No-Brainer Minute<br />
A<br />
ccording to a terrific book by Eric R. Braverman, M.D. (see below), stress kills brain<br />
cells. He says, "cleaning up & uncluttering is one of the easiest ways to decrease stress<br />
and increase your ability to cope during stressful times." He says it'll boost your brain health.<br />
So how about cleaning out those closets, drawers & boxes you never unpacked! And if you<br />
have gently used business attire, please consider donating them to Dress for Success.<br />
Dress for Success<br />
This international<br />
organization, founded in<br />
1997, provides business<br />
clothes, accessories, and<br />
cosmetic/toiletry items to<br />
disadvantaged women<br />
looking for work. They<br />
also provide a network of<br />
support and career<br />
development tools to help<br />
them thrive in the<br />
workplace. Go to:<br />
www.dressforsuccess<br />
southernnevada.org/<br />
3400 West Desert Inn, #25<br />
702-684-6412<br />
Jan Fair is a writer, consultant & public speaker who has published over 40 books PLUS the<br />
No-Brainer Brain Games series. Sign up for her FREE newsletter at www.JanFair.com<br />
Mental Minutes<br />
“Donations”<br />
1. In one minute, name<br />
things you can donate to<br />
"Dress for Success".<br />
2. Make an alphabetical list.<br />
Attache case,<br />
Business clothes,<br />
Casual or dress shoes, …<br />
A No-Brainer Pick<br />
Younger Brain, Sharper Mind<br />
A 6-Step Plan for Preserving<br />
& Improving Memory<br />
& Attention at Any Age<br />
by Dr. Eric Braverman<br />
March 2019<br />
45
STEVE SOLOMON’S GUIDE<br />
TO PUTTING ON A ONE-MAN SHOW<br />
Steve Solomon has a trusted secret to keeping his voice during<br />
repeat performances of a one-man show.<br />
“Lots of throat lozenges, and lots of water,” he says.<br />
The actor/comedian has built his career around writing and<br />
performing one-man shows, beginning with the three-time award<br />
winning “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in<br />
Therapy,” which he’s followed with two sequels.<br />
There’s much more to a comedic one-man show than simply telling<br />
jokes on stage, he says. “Some critics say it’s just stand-up. No, it’s<br />
a theatrical piece,” he says. “There’s a process, there’s a set, there<br />
are characters.”<br />
STRETCHING AN IDEA INTO A SHOW<br />
Creating a one-man show must start with an interesting topic —<br />
something Solomon has no shortage of.<br />
With each of his shows based on his unpredictable family, he plays<br />
up to 30 characters on stage, including his doting Italian mother<br />
and elderly Jewish father.<br />
His family provides endless material, he explains. “Growing up in<br />
an Italian/Jewish environment was hysterical,” he says. “I’m also<br />
blessed with my memory. I can repeat dialogue from years ago.”<br />
Taking stories and transforming them into a full show takes work,<br />
however.<br />
Solomon starts developing a show by penning several pages of<br />
memories and jokes, then works with his long-time director Andy<br />
Rogow to find a common thread and craft a script.<br />
“I come up with the content, and (Andy) creates storylines,”<br />
Solomon says. “He’s quit 100 times and I’ve fired him 10,000<br />
times, and we love each other.”<br />
NEVER FINISHED<br />
A one-man show must be constantly refined to remain fresh,<br />
Solomon says. He changes something for every performance, and<br />
constantly drafts new material.<br />
“Every single night I’m up there, I’m tweaking. I’m adjusting what<br />
I say, adjusting the emphasis of what I’m trying to put out there.<br />
Every word is critical.”<br />
“Steve Solomon’s From Brooklyn to Broadway in Only 50 Years!”<br />
runs from April 5th – 7th at The Smith Center. For tickets and more<br />
information, visit TheSmithCenter.com.<br />
From the three-time award winning star<br />
and creator of “My Mother’s Italian,<br />
My Father’s Jewish & I’m In Therapy”<br />
STEVE SOLOMON’S<br />
FROM BROOKLYN<br />
TO BROADWAY<br />
IN ONLY 50 YEARS!<br />
APRIL 5 - 7<br />
Troesh Studio Theater<br />
groups get perks<br />
Call 702.749.2348 or email groups@thesmithcenter.com<br />
VISIT THESMITHCENTER.COM TO SEE THE FULL LINEUP<br />
702.749.2000 | TTY: 800.326.6868 or dial 711 | 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106<br />
46<br />
March 2019<br />
THIS IS AN ADVERTORIAL PAID FOR BY THE SMITH CENTER
47
Speaking to and for Las Vegas<br />
Valley Seniors since 2003