active living february 2012

February 2012

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012

www.messengernews.net

www.freemanjournal.net

-Photo by Jesse Helling

Marilyn Johnson, right, and Donna PilcherMarilyn Johnson, right, and Donna Pilcher

are two of the dozens of people who walkare two of the dozens of people who walk

regularly at Crossroads mall in Fort Dodge.regularly at Crossroads mall in Fort Dodge.

The mall is a popular exercise destinationThe mall is a popular exercise destination

for people who are looking for an for people who are looking for an

all-weather workout.all-weather workout.


Fitness enthusiastsgather at

Crossroads Mall

HavenFriendship

If you have questions, call (515) 573-6705www.friendshiphaven.org

By JESSE HELLING

page 2

All Seasons

A walk for

Retail therapy.

A trip to the mall can be cathar-tic for those who find pleasurethrough purchase.

But shopping centers can be acomponent of physical well-being— slimming waistlines as well aswallets.

Each morning at the CrossroadsMall in Fort Dodge, dozens ofpeople gather to exercise.

Leaving their winter coats onthe benches at the center of themall, walkers march alone or withfriends around the perimeter of thestructure.

Walking several laps around themall helps burn calories and buildmuscle in a weather-controlled en-vironment.

Neither the heat of summer northe cold of winter deter mall walk-ers like Kitty Nilles of FortDodge.

“I try to come out every day,”Nilles said.

She typically does two cyclesaround the mall, she said.

One big advantage, according toNilles: “There’s no ice to fall on.”

A safe surface is also a huge ad-vantage in Louise Winter’s book.

“The floor is smooth under yourshoes,” she said.

Winter is often joined by Evelyn

Johnson of Fort Dodge.

Johnson started an exercise reg-imen because, in her words, “Ineeded to.”

“You just feel better when youexercise,” she said.

The Center for Disease Controland Prevention advocates 150minutes of moderate-intensityphysical activity per week.

According to a study conductedby Harvard University, walkingimproves circulation, helpsbreathing, combats depression,bolsters the immune system, helpsprevent osteoporosis, helps pre-vent and control diabetes andhelps control weight.

In other words, a daily walk pro-vides a wealth of benefits withoutthe need for extensive equipment.

Marilyn Johnson of Fort Dodgeis among the most recent additionsto the Crossroads Mall walkers.

She and her friend, Donna Pilch-er, started morning walks in Feb-ruary.

“I needed to get out and dosomething,” Johnson said.

They both plan to walk at leastthree to four times a week.

page 3


Benefits of Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is one of the most importantthings you can do for your health. It can help:

∫ Control your weight∫ Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease∫ Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syn-

drome∫ Reduce your risk of some cancers∫ Strengthen your bones and muscles∫ Improve your mental health and mood∫ Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent

falls, if you’re an older adult∫ Increase your chances of living longer

Start slowly. Cardiac events, such as a heart attack, are rareduring physical activity. But the risk does go up when yousuddenly become much more active than usual. For exam-ple, you can put yourself at risk if you don’t usually getmuch physical activity and then all of a sudden do vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, like shoveling snow. That’s whyit’s important to start slowly and gradually increase yourlevel of activity.

If you have a chronic health condition such as arthritis, di-abetes, or heart disease, talk with your doctor to find out ifyour condition limits, in any way, your ability to be active.Then, work with your doctor to come up with a physical ac-tivity plan that matches your abilities. If your conditionstops you from meeting the minimum Guidelines, try to doas much as you can. What’s important is that you avoid be-ing inactive. Even 60 minutes a week of moderate-intensityaerobic activity is good for you.

The bottom line is the health benefits of physical activityfar outweigh the risks of getting hurt.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Consider these six mistakes re-tirees commonly make with their fi-nances, offered by retirementlifestyle expert Julia Valentine, au-thor of “Joy Compass: How to MakeYour Retirement the Treasure ofYour Life:”

∫ Take financial advice fromfriends and family over that of pro-fessionals. Even the most well-inten-tioned and insightful advice does not

replace that of an investing expert,accountant or other retirement fi-nance authority to aide with criticaldecision making that will impact theentirety of your life, for the rest ofyour life.

∫ Underestimating inflation. Ifyour nest egg is not earning enoughto stay ahead of inflation and taxes,your retirement lifestyle is likely toget scrambled well ahead of its time.It’s key to establish the appropriateblend of risk and return necessary tomaintain short-term purchasingpower in working toward your long-term goals.

∫ Withdrawing too much moneyearly on in retirement and runningout of resources later on in life. Sur-

veys show that the typical Americanis not knowledgeable about healthcare costs, life expectancy, incomeneeds, and other risks.

∫ Lacking a financial plan that in-cludes estate planning, budget, etc.for both the short and long term toavoid problems and capitalize on allfinancial opportunities. According tothe National Association of Un-claimed Property Administrators,state treasurers currently hold $32.9billion in unclaimed bank accountsand other assets. According to theU.S. Department of Labor, $850million in 401(k) assets go un-claimed each year.

∫ Failing to adjust the asset allo-cation of investment vehicles in

your portfolio with time (i.e., “stageof retirement” relative to life ex-pectancy), and having an inappropri-ate mix of investments for one’slifestyle goals, timeframes and risktolerance.

∫ Failing to educate oneself aboutfinancial scams — 1 out of 5 Amer-icans over 65 has been a victim of afinancial scam, according to theWashington-based non-profit In-vestor Protection Trust. More than7.3m seniors are taken advantage offinancially through inappropriate in-vestments, high fees or fraud, at acost of more than $2.6 billion ayear. Four in five cases are not re-ported, according to the MetLifeMature Market Institute Study,March 2009.


page 4

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Every day we hear people use many phras-es such as, “Bless your heart!” “It does yourheart good!” “He or she is so good hearted!”As we age we also start to pay attention towords like heart healthy or heart smart. Weknow what foods to avoid, what pills totake, and what kinds of exercise to do tostrengthen this very important muscle. Vol-unteers also know what kinds of activitiesto do that will bless their hearts, do theirhearts good, and help them to be viewed asbeing good hearted.

Many important studies prove that peoplewho volunteer stay healthier than those whodo not. This is due to the fact that volun-teers stay connected to their community.They feel needed and appreciated. Volun-teers feel a purpose and know that theywould be missed if they didn’t give of them-selves.

You don’t have to look very far in ourcommunity to find a volunteer opportunity.Many local organizations could not functionwithout volunteer support. Donate food fora food pantry or cook a meal for one of theshelters. Don’t they say the way to some-one’s heart is through their stomach?

Church communities need volunteers—many behind the scenes activities seem ef-fortless on Sunday because volunteers workhard during the week to make it happen.Check out the volunteer opportunities atTrinity Regional Hospital. They have very tal-ented volunteer services staff members whocan help you find a place to make a differ-ence for a patient or a family member.

Become a volunteer coach through theParks and Recreation Department. Manyyoung people depend upon caring adults to

teach them sportsmanship and the rules ofthe game. Don’t think that this is a job justfor parents—many people age 50 and olderbring patience to coaching that parentshaven’t mastered yet. Another opportunityto volunteer through Parks and Rec is byleading an exercise class for older adults atCitizen’s Central. Training is provided andyou’ll improve your own health while helpingothers do the same.

Volunteer at a school—and if you’d like toearn a little extra money while doing so—check out the Foster Grandparent Program.As Director of Foster Grandparents it is mypleasure to help caring older adults to be-come tutors in local classrooms. FosterGrandparents on average earn about $2,000per year as a cost reimbursement in returnfor serving a regular schedule of at leastfifteen hours per week. Not one of them willever be wealthy from this activity—but theirheart will be blessed by the love and hugsthat they receive from children served. Wecurrently have a need for foster grandpar-ents in several local pre-school classroomsand in a few kindergarten classrooms. Don’twait for a new school year to become in-volved—today is a perfect day to join!

February is heart month so ask yourself ifyou are doing something good for yourheart health. The chances are good that ifyou become a volunteer, you will feel betterand others will also see how “good hearted”you are.

For more information on volunteering inthe community, please give us a call at 576-5401. We’ll be happy to put you in contactwith volunteer coordinators who will helpyou to get involved.

Jeanine Nemitz, Coordinator

Fort Dodge 55+ Volunteer Initiatives

The Foster Grandparent Program

617 Central Ave.

Fort Dodge, IA 50501

576-5401

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FebruaryThursday — 9

500, 9:30 a.m., WebsterCity Senior Center.

n

Webster County Ge-nealogical Society, 11 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Fort DodgePublic Library, 424 Central

Ave., Room 134n

Blood pressure check,11 a.m. to noon, RSVP,

Webster City. n

Bingo, 1 to 3 p.m., Citi-zens Central.

n

SHIIP counselors, byappointment, Van Diest

Medical Center. n

Hamilton County PHSfoot clinic.

Friday — 10Bingo, 10 a.m., Algona

Senior Center.n

Community Bingo, 2p.m., Fort Dodge Rehabili-

tation and Health Care(formerly Careage of Fort

Dodge).n

Birthday party, 2 p.m.,Eagle Grove Senior Cen-

ter.n

Rabiner Bingo earlybirds 6:30 p.m., regularsessions 7:15 p.m., 2253

Second Ave. N. n

Cards, 7 p.m., Emmets-burg Senior Center.

Saturday — 11Blood drive, 8:30 a.m.

to 12:30 p.m., SacredHeart Parish Center.

n


Second Ave. N.

Sunday — 12Potluck, 12:30 p.m., Ea-

gle Grove Senior Center

Monday — 13Cribbage, 9:30 a.m.,

Crestview Senior LivingApartments.

n

Bingo, 10 a.m., AlgonaSenior Center.

n

500, 1 p.m., CrestviewSenior Living Apartments.

n

Bingo, Eagle Grove Sen-ior Citizen Center, 6:30

p.m.

Tuesday — 14Webster City Diamond

K Kiwanis, 8:30 a.m. break-fast, 9 a.m. meet.

n

River Valley Wood-carvers, 9 a.m., Citizens

Central.n



Ave., Room 134n


n

Senior Bowl, 1 p.m.,

Webster City Bowl.n

Bridge, 1 p.m., WebsterCity Senior Center.

Wednesday — 15RSVP Workday, 9 a.m.

Senior Center, WebsterCity. n

Golden K Kiwanis, 9:30a.m., Citizens Central.

n



Ave., Room 134n

500 cards, 1 p.m., Algo-na Senior Center.

n

Senior Citizens 500, 1p.m., Webster City.

Thursday — 16500, 9:30 a.m., WebsterCity Senior Center.

n



Ave., Room 134n


Webster City. n


n


Medical Center. n



Senior Center.n


Second Ave. N. n


Saturday — 18Boone River Valley

Woodcarvers, 9 a.m. tonoon, RSVP building,

Webster City.n


Second Ave. N.

Sunday — 19



n


n

Penny bingo, 1 p.m.,Crestview Senior Living

Apartments. n

Bingo, EagleGrove SeniorCitizen Center,

6:30 p.m.

Tuesday — 21Webster City Dia-

mond K Kiwanis, 8:30a.m. breakfast, 9 a.m.

meet.n


Central.n



Ave., Room 134n


n

Senior Bowl, 1 p.m.,Webster City Bowl.

n





n



Ave., Room 134n


n



n



Ave., Room 134n


Webster City. n


n


Medical Center.


Senior Center.n



Dodge).n

Rabiner Bingo early

birds 6:30 p.m., regularsessions 7:15 p.m., 2253

Second Ave. N. n


Saturday — 25Rabiner Bingo early

birds 6:30 p.m., regularsessions 7:15 p.m., 2253

Second Ave. N.

Sunday — 26



n


n

500, 1 p.m., CrestviewSenior Living Apartments.

n


p.m.



n

River ValleyWoodcarvers,9 a.m., Citizens

Central.n

WebsterCounty Ge-

nealogical Society,11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fort

Dodge Public Library,424 Central Ave., Room

134n


n


n





n



Ave., Room 134n


n


March


n



Ave., Room 134n


Webster City. n


n


Medical Center.


Senior Center.n


Second Ave. N. n


Saturday — 3Senior potluck,

noon, Webster CitySenior Center

n


Second Ave. N.

Sunday — 4



n


n

Penny bingo, 1 p.m.,Crestview Senior Living

Apartments. n


p.m.



n


Central.n



Ave., Room 134n


n


n


Wednesday — 7

RSVP Workday, 9 a.m.Senior Center, Webster

City. n


n



Ave., Room 134n


n


(The following days willbe included in the MarchALA50. Included if you

need extra stuff.)


n



Ave., Room 134n


Webster City. n


n


Medical Center. n



Senior Center.n



Dodge).n

Birthday party, 2 p.m.,Eagle Grove Senior Cen-

ter.n


Second Ave. N. n


Saturday — 10Blood drive, 8:30 a.m.

to 12:30 p.m., SacredHeart Parish Center.

n


Second Ave. N.

Sunday — 11Potluck, 12:30 p.m., Ea-

gle Grove Senior Center

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Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 February Calendar

page 8

What do Checkers, Buddy, Mac-

aroni, Bo, Socks, Fala and Mrs.

Beasley have in common? That’s

right. You got it. Each is the

name of a first family pet.

From George Washington to

Barack Obama, there have been

animals in the White House. I

would guess in the early years of

this country before the days of

pest control products, some un-

invited beastly critters and ver-

min took up residence in the

homes of the first families, but

checking through a couple of

books and the trusted internet, I

found that most every one of

our Presidents had pets by

choice. A few are famous and

there are a couple of them, with

a little human help, even pub-

lished a book. First family pets

have always been popular, so

much so that some have received

a lot of fan mail. In some cases

requiring a secretary specifically

designated to send out answers

to their admirers.

I am sure our first president

loved his animals and they can

be classified as pets, but his 40

or more coon hounds, a donkey,

plus his own horse Nelson were

also working members of their

master’s household. William Taft

kept a cow who paid for her

keep by providing the President

with fresh milk and Woodrow

Wilson kept a flock of sheep to

keep the grass down on the

White House lawn. Vice President

Gore would be proud of him.

Some of these lucky first fami-

ly creatures have been of the

common variety, animals that

we would have in our own homes

and neighborhoods. Some have

not been so ordinary. A goat

named Whiskers and a Turkey

named jack. Possums, snakes

and badgers. Pigs, alligators,

and white mice.

Some really unusual pets in-

cluded silk worms kept by John

Quincy Adams. James Buchanan

had two elephants given to him

by the King of Siam (now Thai-

land). They ended in a zoo as did

the two tiger cubs of the Van Bu-

rens.

Some of the pets really got the

royal treatment. Warren Hard-

ing’s dog Laddie Boy had birth-

day parties on the White House

lawn.. All the neighborhood dogs

were invited and they shared a

cake made of dog biscuits.

Laddie Boy also had his own

chair in the president’s office so

he could sit in on important

meetings. It is probably a good

thing that dogs can’t talk or his

page 10


Presidential pets


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presence would have been

considered a dangerous se-

curity risk.

It would be impossible to

mention all of the presiden-

tial pets in this space.

George Washington had 40

hounds. Teddy Roosevelt tied

with a mixed managerie of

at least 40 pets, Calvin

Cooledge is said to have had

25 different animals and

President Kennedy had a White House zoo of 20 pets for Carolyn

and John John and many other presidents had more than a couple

animal members of their households.

I know that the day to day care and well being of the animals are

taken care of by qualified staff;. I suppose it is good presidential P.

R. to have animals around to present an image of being a lover of

animals as long as we the tax payers receive assurance that we are

not footing the bill, but Presidents and their families are so busy

with so many important responsibilities one might wonder why have

them in the first place. I suppose for the same reasons that we the

people have them. Pets don’t judge us . They love us as we are and

they don’t criticize or talk back. Pets are known to lift up our spirits

and relieve stress and tension. Who needs this support more than

our President. His pet may be the only being that he can truly trust.

These things are definitely important benefits for the leader of the

free world.

A goat named Whiskers, a Turkey named Jack. So many Presidents,

so many pets. Please don’t call or write to me if I got mixed up here

and there. I think most of this is pretty accurate.

Now go back and take another look at the first seven names at

the beginning of this article. Can you place the pet names with the

proper president? I bet you already did that.

Last assignment. Name all of the U S presidents from George

Washington to Barack Obama in the order they served. Only kidding.

Have a happy and patriotic Presidents’ Day. Remember that the

Post Office is closed for this occasion.

God Bless America and God Bless you.

Sixty & thenSome

mary Feldmanis a freelance writer

living in emmetsburg

Last year, 2011, marked the begin-ning of a national strategy to addressthe epidemic of Alzheimer’s Diseasethe most common cause of memoryloss and confusion in old age. The Na-tional Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPAPublic Law 111-375) was passed unan-imously by both houses of Congressand was signed into law by PresidentObama on Jan. 4, 2011. The law creat-ed a national strategic plan to ad-dress the rapidly escalatingAlzheimer’s Disease epidemic. It willcoordinate efforts across the federal

government including outcome-drivenobjectives, recommendations, imple-mentation steps and accountabilityto fight Alzheimer’s. The law requiresan updated national plan to Congress,recommendations for actions to im-prove health outcomes for those withAlzheimer’s and lower costs to fami-lies and government programs, and areview of all federally funded re-search, care and services and theiroutcomes annually. To quote the sup-porters of this legislation;“Alzheimer’s Won’t Wait”.

In late summer of 2011 input ses-sions were held which allowed stake-holders/participants an opportunityto express their greatest challenges ,frustrations and concerns as this na-tional strategic plan is developed. Thesessions were conducted nationwideincluding several in Iowa. I attendedthe session conducted in Des Moineson August 11th which was made up ofvictims of Alzheimer’s Disease, theirfamily members and friends, and

health care professionals. Also at-tending were Congressmen LeonardBoswell and Representative MaryGaskill. It was moving to listen to theexperiences especially those of sever-al younger people suffering from ear-ly onset dementia. They eloquently ex-pressed the impact the disease hashad on their lives and the lives oftheir families.

At the one year anniversary of thislegislation Jan 4, progress is beingmade. The Advisory Council has beenestablished and is made up of stake-


page 12

Addressing Alzheimer’s epidemicDiane Rollins, a Social Worker, Nursing Home Administrator and Certified Dementia CarePractitioner, is Manager of The Gardens Assisted Living at Friendship Haven


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holders from across the Alzheimer’s community as well asrepresentatives from several federal agencies withAlzheimer’s initiatives and which is charged with provid-ing recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Hu-man Services to inform the development of the nationalplan.

The Advisory Council has been meeting and on January18th in-depth discussions took place about goals andstrategies. The Department of Health and Human Servicesalso outlined its timetable for the development of a na-tional Alzheimer’s plan with the first draft targeted formid-February and a final plan to be unveiled this spring.Advisory Council members working in three sub commit-tees are sharing their recommendations on what shouldbe included in an effective national strategic plan for thefollowing areas; research, clinical care, long term servicesand support.

The Research Advisory Council subcommittee is recom-mending an increase to $2 billion for research initiativesand designation of an office or individual with responsi-bility and accountability within the federal governmentfor implementation of the plan.

A second Advisory Council subcommittee is focusing onImproving clinical care and on steps to improve early de-tection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, care planning forfamilies and building a health care workforce that istrained to meet the unique needs of those living withAlzheimer’s and dementia. The third subcommittee ischarged with identifying ways to improve long-term serv-ices and support including individuals with early onset

Alzheimer’s disease. They also detailed the importance ofestablishing standards of care for people with Alzheimer’sthroughout the different stages of the disease and in allcare settings. The next meeting of the Advisory Council isscheduled for April 17.

It’s exciting to see the progress of NAPA. We can all con-tribute to this important cause by supporting the NAPAlegislation. One way of showing your support is signing apetition at alz.org that will be sent to President Obama inFebruary as he releases his upcoming budget to Congress.The petition asks for his support to fulfill the potential ofthe National Alzheimer’s Project Act because “Alzheimer’sWon’t Wait.”


page 14

By BILLIE SHELTONSTANHOPE — If you be-

lieve that there’s really nothinggoing on in a little town likeStanhope, Wayne Romp is hereto tell you that’s not the case.

And he won’t just tell you;He’ll show you Neighbors andFriends, the 20-page book ofphotographs he self-publishedas documentation of what’shappening in his hometown.

“I had this idea of trying tophotograph the hometown in2010, starting in the middle ofwinter with snow street scenes,”he said. “Then virtually every-thing going on I wanted to get inand take a picture.”

That included activities asvaried as a farmland auction andvisiting politicians to fundrais-ing for the new library, a 4-Hclub meeting and the annualEaster egg hunt.

Then there’s a picture of thelocal tumbling studio and the pi-

ano studio in action on mainstreet, a Stanhope Lions Clubmeeting and Watermelon Dayand each business on a regularday.

The last thing in the book isthe groundbreaking for the newlibrary in December 2010.

You could call it a day in thelife of a small rural community,but for Romp it’s a chance tomake an interesting historicaldocument.

“I figured that someone some-time down the road would say,‘I remember that,’ or ‘I remem-ber when he worked in the postoffice or she worked in thephone company’,” said Romp,whose interest in photographygoes back to when he graduatedfrom Stanhope High School in1957 and took a correspon-dence course in photography.

Soon after, he took a job at theNational Disease Lab in Ames,where he spent his career and

Wayne Romp seeks to

document happenings

in his home town

-Photo by Billie SheltonWayne Romp tackled a big photographic proj-

ect a few years ago. He took photos of the Stan-hope High School class composites, editing andeven repairing images, and then compiled theclass pictures into a book. The Stanhope AlumniAssociation then sold the books as a fundraiserwith proceeds going to the library fund.

Neighbors and friendsNeighbors and friends


page 15

retired in 1994 as visual informationofficer, which included biomedicalphotography.

Although he was able to do so,Romp realized that age 55 is tooyoung to retire, and he had all theequipment necessary to open his ownphotography business — but decidedagainst it.

“Digital cameras came in aboutthen, and I decided to let someoneelse do it,” he said, adding that soonafter retirement he was office assis-tant for five years in the Stanhopecity office.

Still, even though he admits thatthere’s a lot to learn with digitalequipment, that transition in photog-raphy fascinated the retiree. He canstill often be found with his digitalcamera in hand. “I’m more comfort-able now with digital photography,”he said, “but still not real comfort-able with computers, changing oper-ating systems and things like that.

“This is just something to do tokeep me out of trouble,” is howRomp sees his hobby. Yet it fills aniche in a little town where traditionsand history often get lost in thesebusy times. Newer residents don’tknow or just aren’t interested in thehistory of their new hometown.

Take the project Romp tackled afew years back, when he decided todigitally photograph each of the com-posite class pictures from StanhopeHigh School. The pictures were pre-served in the Stanhope library. Romptook each picture, shot it, reduced itfrom 2-inches by 3-inches to 8.5inches by 11 inches, repaired somedamaged pictures, edited everythingfor accuracy, and had 250 copiesprinted and bound in book form.

Then the books were donated to theStanhope Alumni Association, whichsold them all and made a donation tothe Stanhope Library fund.

“That was a fun project because Ifigured people would appreciate it,”said Romp. “It kept me busy all win-ter!”

For now, Romp doesn’t have aphotography project in the works, buthe still takes pictures. What has helearned from his volunteer endeavorsbehind a camera lens and at the com-puter screen.

Most of all, he knows his home-town — like many communities,

with a declining population — is stillalive.

“I learned there is lots of activity inthis little town,” he answers. “ And Ilearned that this is something I cando that I enjoy doing.”

-Photo by Billie SheltonWayne Romp pages through his two self-published books of photographs at the Stanhope Library. Romp has compiled

historic photos, images of festivals and events, as well as shots that document every day life in the small community.

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Experience ReSound Alera for Yourself Thursday & Friday, February 16th & 17th

Test Drive these aids in your own environment for 21 days at NO CHARGE. Call today, appointments are limited.

Sound that Sparkles Hear their happiness! ReSound Alera ™ delivers a rich and clear surround sound experience. You’ll really appreciate it when you’re deep in conversation and there’s alot going on around you.

• Understand speech better, even when there’s background noise. • Experience a phone call or a hug without whistling or buzzing in your ear • Enjoy music that’s clear and pure as it’s supposed to sound • Connect directly to your TV and phone

active living february 2012

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crossroads mall walkers

mall walkers

dozens of people

evelynjohnson of fort

donna pilchermarilyn

rareduring physical

jesse hellingmarilyn

risk of cardiovascular