The Senior Voice - April 2008

The Senior

I O C V E April 2008

Local Attractions • Scenic Places • History • Money • Health • News

Lost Ghost Gold Town Mine In Northern In North Colorado Colorado

Mesa Longs Verde Peak The Women Pioneer Who Saved It Climbers

Tribute Outlaws In to Early Cowboys Colorado In the Early West

Skiing Cover Steamboat Picture: Springs Poudre

Canyon

2 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

2008 Seminar Schedule Month April May June July August 6th August September October November December

Topic Long Term Care Q&A Retirement Investment Strategies Estate Conservation Investment Fundamentals 101 Client Appreciation BBQ Retirement Plan Distributions Income for Life Beyond Boundaries/Global Opportunities Charitable Giving/Legacy Planning Focusing on Energy within Your Portfolio

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nother research study says the PSA test (prostate specific antigen) may not be an accurate indicator of whether a man has a lethal prostate cancer, according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. An earlier study at Harvard Medical School reached similar conclusions. The problem, said researchers, is that the PSA is simply not accurate enough to detect a cancer that needs serious treatment. In many cases involving older men, doctors take a wait-and-see attitude because most men are more likely to die “with” a prostate cancer than “from” it. Such cancers can spread so slowly that men die from something else rather than the cancer. Many doctors still rely on the PSA test, however, because they believe that a sudden rapid rise in the PSA level might indicate a prostate cancer that needs treatment. Researchers are working on a new prostate cancer test they hope

will be more accurate. Called a prostate cancer antigen (EPCA-2), the test focuses on a blood protein produced by prostate cancer. Levels of that protein may give a more accurate indication of the presence of cancer. Information on the new test was reported recently in the medical journal Urology. Researchers say the test can distinguish between cancers that are confined to the prostate and those that have spread outside the gland. The older PSA test is more general and sometimes indicates cancer when there is none. The PSA also may not indicate a cancer when there actually is one. The uncertainty causes many unnecessary biopsies for men. Over 1 million American men currently have such biopsies each year, to find only about 200,000 cancers. Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men. More than 27,000 American men die from it each year. If caught early, it can be successfully treated and often cured. ■

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 3

The Senior

Lost Gold Mine on the Poudre VOICE Published Locally Since 1980 VOL. 28, NO. 5

email [email protected] www.theseniorvoice.net PUBLICATION INFORMATION The Senior Voice newspaper has been published locally the first of each month since 1980 for residents age 50-plus.

ADVERTISING For rates, call 970-229-9204; or see www.theseniorvoice.net. Ad deadline is 20th of month.

Wolfgang Lambdin Advertising Director Associate Publisher Fort Collins (970) 229-9204

Profile Rock in the upper Poudre Canyon, looking east. Some people see two faces here. Senior Voice photo. than ever, figuring the prospectors bled upon. By Bill Lambdin The next day, the boy said he had found a rich vein. But the next time the prospec- picked up a bleached bone near s there a lost gold mine up the the cabin and put it in his saddle tors came down, things had Poudre Canyon west of Fort changed. They said a bear had bag. He followed a trail from the Collins? killed their ox. They traded gold cabin to a mine. He entered the Some pioneers said there was, and a 1914 Rocky Mountain News for liquor as usual, but they quar- mine and discovered a large bear article recalled the story, which reled with each other, drinking with cubs. The bear came after him, and involved an accidental hanging heavily for several days. Then one night, they fought. the boy barely escaped with his and a lost boy who was nearly Michael hit Hans with a pistol butt life, managing to get to his horse killed by a bear. and killed him. He may not have and ride blindly down the canyon. In the 1860s, two prospectors Some of the local men realized intended to kill him; both were known as Hans and Michael that the bone the boy brought back showed up at the military town of very drunk. The locals figured this was their was from an ox. They figured he Camp Collins. They had gold with them and used it to buy liquor for chance. They seized Michael and had accidentally found the mine of a spree that lasted several days. threatened to hang him if he didn’t Michael and Hans. But the boy had been so lost and frightened that he share his secret. Then they left. He refused to talk; so the men could not remember where the Other men at Camp Collins thought nothing of it until the put a rope around his neck, threw cabin was. No one ever reported finding the rope over a tree branch and prospectors showed up again with the mine, and the tale may be pulled him up for a few seconds. gold. The locals asked where they They intended only to scare nothing more than a fabrication. It had found it. Hans and Michael him. But when they let him down, is typical of the “lost gold mine” refused to say. Even when drunk, he was dead. The locals quickly stories that circulated in early they would tell no one. lost interest in the gold because of Colorado. One of the locals followed the Most historians don’t mention prospectors. He lost their trail the incident. the story. But it might have been A few years later, a boy because of a snow storm but reported they headed up Poudre became lost in Poudre Canyon hushed up because of the hanging. If the mine is up there, it might while hunting alone. People Canyon. The next time the prospectors searched for him, but within a be near a dilapidated log cabin and arrived, they had considerably couple of days he came riding in some bleached ox bones. ________________ more gold with them, and they on his own. He had been scared out of his COVER PICTURE: The Poudre traded their burro for an ox. They loaded more mining supplies than wits. While wandering through the River in the upper canyon, near canyon, he said he had spent a the Big South access area. Senior usual in a wagon and left. The locals were more interested night in an old log cabin he stum- Voice photo. ■

I

SALES OFFICES:

Ft. Collins and Greeley (970) 229-9204 Loveland and Estes Park (970) 482-8344 EDITORIAL DEADLINE Announcements and stories must be received by the 10th of the month. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Senior Voice welcomes readers' letters and contributions. Enclose a self-addressed envelope and return postage to: The Senior Voice, 1471 Front Nine Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, or email [email protected]. The Senior Voice assumes no responsibility for damaged or lost material submitted by readers.

© Copyright 2008 The Senior Voice EDITORIAL OFFICE:

1471 Front Nine Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 223-9271 email [email protected] www.theseniorvoice.net No material may be reproduced by any means without permission of the publisher.

Dr. William Lambdin, Publisher

4 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

A Tribute to Early Cowboys Editor’s Note: Greeley historian Hazel Johnson wrote this story years ago. By Hazel Johnson

E

arly Greeley resident Charles Jackson described a cowboy named Jesse Gale and offered a tribute to the cowboy’s way of life: “By heritage,” said Jackson, “Jesse Gale was endowed with the outstanding characteristics of the typical New Englander, handed down in a straight line from Puritan ancestors. “The heritage of a rugged constitution, clear vision, the ability to think straight and act straight, and an abiding love for all creatures and nature were his. “I wish I had the gift to be able to recount the story of his long, active life—to tell you of one who took up the management of a large cattle outfit. As the story unfolded, you would hear of Texas longhorns from

Ogallala to Julesburg, a tale of days of blistering heat, stifling dust and maddening thirst. “You would learn of the terrors of fearful storms and of the dangers of the deadly stampede of hundreds of fear-crazed cattle, of the men who rode out the storms, who repeatedly risked life rather than forsake their charges. “But life on the range was not always the bitterness of storms, nor was the misery of worn out men and animals the most enduring of memories. “It was also days of sunshine, the thrill of rides with nothing surrounding you but space. The shimmering prairie, the silent rush of the wind. “The smell of the earth, the grass and flowers. The water holes and the sound of lowing cattle, the hustle of riders saddling up and pulling out at dawn, and at day’s end the whiff of aroma from the coffee pot. “The sweet smell of the sage brush

around you and a big blanket of stars over all as Mother Earth soothed your tired aching body. And weariness vanished in profound, peaceful sleep. “Jesse Gale loved the range, just as

many other cowboys loved the freedom and space of the great plains in the West. “And no wonder. It must have been something to behold.” ■

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 5

Buffalo Bill’s Personal Life M

y fascination with Buffalo Bill Cody began when I was a small girl in Casper, Wyoming. My mother’s good friend, Marie Niethammer, had an uncle and aunt who worked for Cody throughout most of his Wild West show career. The uncle and aunt wrote many letters to their niece. It was only a few years ago that I discovered Cody’s divorce papers in the Wyoming state archives, and I began to realize the true dimensions of this Western icon. At his death, he was recognized as the first worldwide celebrity. In 1907 he filed for divorce from his wife, Louisa. He was strapped for money to get his Wild West show on the road for its summer tour, and Louisa refused to allow him to mortgage their North Platte, Nebraska, ranch to finance the new season. She believed her husband was in deep financial trouble and might be unable to repay the loan; and she would lose her home. A letter from Cody’s daughter, Arta, written in 1885 from her school in Chicago, showed that he had

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she has always looked on the dark and bleak side. I cannot feel angry with her. She is dearly loved by me, yet she loves me not and refuses to write to me.” Later she added, “Do not say, dear papa, that you will go to Europe and never return, for that is not right. You know that you love your native land and will be glad to come back to it when you are covered with victory.”

Cody and his wife. Wyoming History Museum. contemplated divorce for many years. She wrote, “To my darling papa, I would give anything if our home was bright and cheerful, but do not blame or feel angry toward dear momma as

By Margaret Laybourn

Then she referred to the vow he had taken never to touch liquor again. “I love you with my whole heart and may God protect and help you to keep this beautiful vow.” According to historians, it wasn’t until years after the judge refused his divorce and gave him a terrible tongue lashing, and after the death of his beloved daughter, Arta, that Cody finally was free of liquor. ■

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6 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

Inflation and the Declining Dollar By Scott Burns Financial Writer

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Q: I believe inflation is getting out of hand and the dollar will continue to decline. I think a good way to protect my savings against inflation would be to buy a larger and more expensive home in a nicer subdivision, pay cash, have no mortgage, and keep our current house as a rental. If inflation runs crazy and the dollar continues to decline, real estate will be the only thing that could protect our savings. In five or six years, when the price of the new home goes up at the rate of inflation and devaluation, we could sell it and (if needed) return to our rental home. What is worth $400,000 today will be worth $800,000 by then. Do you think this is a good idea? A: Concern about inflation and the decline of the dollar is now virtually universal. Unfortunately, buying a larger house isn’t a good way to find a safe haven. Here are some of the reasons this path won’t work. Houses are consuming assets. That means it costs money to own and operate a house, even if you have no mortgage. When you buy a larger house, you are committing to greater expenses. Higher energy prices, for instance, will be reflected in higher utility bills. Similarly, real estate taxes are likely to grow faster than wages, putting you in a squeeze. Worse, the same inflation will limit the number of buyers for your house when you want to sell it. Remember, the real pain from inflation comes when prices rise faster than earned incomes. That’s when people are forced to make hard choices, like buy gasoline or have meals out, heating or cooling part of the house rather than all of it, etc. Another thing you’re not considering is liquidity. Houses seem reassuringly real, unlike financial assets; but you can’t sell an extra bedroom or an empty closet when you need some cash. And you can’t put in a sell order and have cash in a few days.

The most reliable measure of security and safety we have is a very simple one: How long will your liquid resources (cash in the bank, short-term CDs, short-term Treasury obligations, etc.) support you if you have no other sources of income? If your regular monthly expenses are, say, $4,000 and your liquid resources are $6,000, then you are secure for about six weeks. Surveys regularly show that most Americans will be in trouble very quickly, i.e., in a matter of a few weeks. My suggestion: Look for ways to reduce your spending and increase your liquid resources. ________________ Scott Burns is a longtime financial writer for The Dallas Morning News and other papers. He does not sell investments. You can send questions to: [email protected]. ■

Remembering Our Mothers Please join us as we celebrate and honor the lives of mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, and all mothers. This event includes a catered lunch, music, poetry, and a time to share stories and remember. Colorado poets, Veronica Patterson and Lisa Zimmerman, will recite selected poems and other readings.

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 7

The Women Who Saved Mesa Verde By Bill Lambdin

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esa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado was saved from ruin by two women who, in 1906, convinced Congress to make the area a national park and keep vandals from destroying the cliff dwellings we see today. Virginia McClurg and Lucy Peabody gave lectures, wrote articles, organized groups, and proded Washington officials for over 10 years to create the park that would preserve the centuries-old Indian dwellings. The women get little recognition today, but they should be remembered as visionaries who saw the cliff dwellings as an important part of America’s history that needed to be preserved. Thanks to them, visitors from throughout the world can see exactly how some of America’s earliest people lived. Although Mesa Verde is considered one of the most amazing historical finds on earth, in the late 1800s people were digging up the dwellings to find pots, spear points and other artifacts they could sell to museums and collectors around the world. Virginia McClurg was born in 1858 in New York City, came to Colorado Springs in 1879 as a teacher and writer for various newspapers, and married Gilbert McClurg in 1889. She wrote for influential publications such as “Cosmopolitan” and Denver papers,

and her articles on the cliff dwellings were widely read. She also formed the Colorado Cliff Dwellings Association, a group of influential women who helped put pressure on politicians to create the park. Her strongest associate, Lucy Peabody, was born in 1863 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Denver in the 1880s with her husband, a retired military officer. Lucy had worked in Washington, D.C., for the federal Bureau of American Ethnology and had a good background in archaeology and anthropology. Her Washington connections were invaluable in creating the park. She was described as a “charming, cultured woman” who knew how to get things done with government bureaucrats. Virginia McClurg first saw the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings in 1886, riding horseback and walking long distances in the hot, dusty canyons. Other people had seen them earlier, including famed photographer William Henry Jackson, who took the first pictures of them in 1874. Danish nobleman Gustaf Nordenskiold spent several months among the ruins in 1891 and was fascinated by them. He published the first scholarly book about them. Many people knew about the dwellings, but no one did anything to preserve them until Virginia and Lucy came on the scene. Virginia worked for nearly 20 years to finally get a bill that

One of Mesa Verde’s many cliff dwellings. Colorado Historical Society. President Theodore Roosevelt signed in 1906 creating the park. Virginia did not like the first park superintendent, and for good reason. Hans Randolph was a political appointee who misappropriated funds, drank too much and knew nothing about archaeology. The most knowledgeable and dedicated early superintendent was Jesse Nusbaum, an archaeologist from Greeley. Virginia wanted the park to be under local control, and she was upset that Washington took it over. But in the end, that was best because only the federal government had enough money to build

the roads and things the park needed to become a world famous exhibit for American heritage. At the same time Mesa Verde opened, a group of fake cliff dwellings was built in Manitou Springs near Colorado Springs. Many tourists visit that because it is conveniently located near Denver. Manitou Springs city officials deliberately mislead people and call their cliff dwellings “authentic,” though stones were hauled in from southwestern Colorado, and the dwellings were built as a tourist trap. Mesa Verde is the real thing, and it is magnificent. ■

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8 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

Questionable Research By Bill Lambdin

A

recent news report in the New York times about medical research at universities shows how corporations can secretly affect research and how so-called experts can mislead people. In October 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Dr. Claudia Henschke, a faculty member and researcher at Weill Cornell Medical College. She said her research showed that 80 percent of lung cancer deaths could be prevented through widespread use of CT scans. Such a conclusion could benefit cigarette companies because they could say smokers getting CT scans could catch lung cancers early enough to get treatments and cures— thus making smoking less dangerous. In fact, a cigarette company, the Liggett Group, provided $3.6 million in grants for Dr. Henschke’s research. But she did not disclose that in her published report. If she had, Journal editor Catherine DeAngelis said she would have seen a conflict of interest and would not

have published the study. The cigarette company’s grant to the college was given through a group called the Foundation for Lung Cancer: Early Detection, Prevention and Treatment. The cigarette company’s name (Liggett) was not used. But the New York Times learned that the foundation was funded by the Vector Group, a corporation that owns Liggett. Dr. Henschke contended that the cigarette company’s connection did not affect the outcome of her study and that there was no conflict of interest. But most researchers disagree with her. “Her research is tainted,” said Dr. Paul Bunn with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Such conflicts of interest among university researchers is common, according to Dr. Jerome Kassirer, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. He said, “The problem is that universities, because they’re so conflicted themselves, ignore the conflicts of interest of their faculty.” ■

A Service of Remembrance, Reflection and Hope Thursday, April 17, 2008 6:30 pm

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 9

Rafting the Vail-Aspen Area By Lois Hall

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afting near Vail is available on the Eagle River, which begins near Leadville and Colorado’s highest mountain, 14,433-foot Mount Elbert. One of the few free-flowing rivers left in the western United States, it runs north from Leadville to Minturn, through the town of Eagle and into the Colorado River above Glenwood Springs. It is good for a wide range of equipment and abilities, from kayaks to canoes and from beginners to experts, and offers many miles of floating. The best season is May through July. The most popular stretch is through the towns of Avon, Edwards and Wolcott. But you can float all the way west through the town of Eagle and on to the Colorado River. The upper part of the Eagle

River should be run only by expert kayakers. A good put in for them is at the town of Red Cliff, where Homestake Creek joins the Eagle. It is Class IV water through the town of Minturn, and several people have drowned running the Minturn Chutes. A less dangerous stretch runs from Interstate 70 below Minturn west to the town of Eagle. A good run for beginners starts just below Eagle and runs to Dotsero. Check locally to see which sections are open. The Colorado River flows through beautiful Glenwood Canyon a few miles west of Vail. This is a very popular section, for both large rafts and individual floaters. Most people put in at Grizzly Creek. Farther west on the Colorado River you will find easy canoeing and rafting all the way from New Castle through DeBeque Canyon near Grand Junction.

For rafting near Aspen, most people use the Roaring Fork River. It begins in the high peaks above Aspen and flows northwest to the Colorado River at Glenwood Springs, passing through the small towns of Basalt and Carbondale. The Roaring Fork is one of Colorado’s most popular kayaking rivers, especially the treacherous, expert stretch from Slaughterhouse bridge just west of Aspen to the Woody Creek bridge about five miles downriver. Below Basalt, all the way to Glenwood Springs, there is good water for less experienced kayakers,

canoeists and rafters. Beginners often float the river right in Aspen, before it reaches Slaughterhouse bridge. The smaller Fryingpan River joins the Roaring Fork at Basalt and, depending on water levels, can be good kayaking from Reudi Reservoir to Basalt. The Crystal River, from the town of Marble to the Roaring Fork, has several good runs for expert to intermediate floaters, with Class IV and V stretches. Less experienced paddlers can put in at the Fish Hatchery bridge or Rocky Mountain School west of Carbondale. ■

Can’t Sue Drug Makers?

D

rug companies want the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that Americans cannot sue them, and it appears the court might do so, says The New York Times. Drug companies argue that, if the FDA approves a medicine, state courts have no right to second guess FDA “experts” and allow a jury to say a medicine caused harm and that the manufacturer should pay damages. The Supreme Court recently

declared that is the case with medical devices approved by the FDA. Americans can no longer sue manufacturers of medical devices. The logic is that, if FDA experts say a drug is safe, then consumers have no right to question its safety or sue for harm it might do. Many analysts find this disturbing. Before the Bush administration, FDA officials supported the public’s right to sue drug companies. Now they do not. ■

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Manipulating Drug Prices

T

he price of drugs usually goes down considerably when generic versions come on the market, and consumers benefit. But that is happening much less lately because drug companies have found a way to keep generics off the market. Brand-name drug companies are paying generic companies not to sell the cheaper drugs, says Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member Jon Leibowitz. That is supposed to be against the law, but drug companies have

found a way around the law. The generic companies are accepting millions of dollars in payoffs to withhold cheaper drugs from the market, and brand-name manufacturers continue to make their millions by having monopolies on high-priced drugs. Who pays those millions? “Consumers, employers, insurers and the government,” says Leibowitz. The FTC will propose legislation to stop the practice, but there is no guarantee the legislation will pass. ■

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10 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

The Real Pony Express By Bill Lambdin

T

he Pony Express is viewed today as one of the most romantic chapters in the history of the West, but the reality was quite different. It lasted less than two years and was never intended to be anything more than a public relations ploy. Its purpose was to gain a government contract for mail delivery. It failed at that and ruined the lives of its originators. The Pony Express started in 1860, and by the following year telegraph service was available to the West Coast, making the Pony Express obsolete. Why did it start? The story goes back to the Santa Fe Trail and the Overland Stagecoach Line that once ran through northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. In 1855 three men formed a business to haul freight in ox-drawn wagons from Missouri over the Santa Fe Trail to New Mexico: William Russell, William Waddell and Alexander Majors. They got a government contract to haul military supplies to forts along the trail, and that contract made their business successful. Without it, they probably would have failed. When the Colorado gold rush began in 1859, Russell decided they should start

One of the buildings at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in the 1800s. The Pony Express route went post the fort. Wyoming History Museum. hauling freight to Denver on the South Platte River overland trail in northeastern Colorado. Russell believed they could do it

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without a government contract. He borrowed heavily and soon was sending wagons and ox teams along the Overland Trail to Denver and all the way to Salt Lake City. It was a financial disaster from the beginning. Russell’s partners realized they needed a government contract to survive and began scheming to get one. At that time, the government’s $600,000 mail contract for West Coast delivery was with the Butterfield Stage Line that ran through Arizona to California. Russell and his partners set out to convince the government that using the Overland Trail route across Nebraska and Wyoming would be shorter and faster. To convince officials, they established the Pony Express. They bought 500 fast ponies, established 190 relay stations and hired daring young riders like William F. Cody to race

through Indian territory from Missouri to California in just ten days. The Pony Express was a highly publicized enterprise but a doomed business from the start. The partners didn’t get a government contract. Within a year and a half, they had lost everything, and the Pony Express rode off into the sunset. In 1862, Ben Holladay bought the bankrupt company’s assets and expanded his Overland Stage Line. Holladay’s stages ran through Colorado, Wyoming and other areas until 1866 when he sold out to Wells Fargo & Company. By 1870, the transcontinental railroad was completed to the West Coast, and overland stagecoaches and freight wagons became obsolete. Russell and his partners died penniless. They never knew that their last-ditch business venture, the Pony Express, would capture America’s imagination for years to come. ■

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Bonnell. A local optometrist referred Elaine to Dr. Kirk because cataracts were keeping her from enjoying life to its fullest. “From the very first visit, I knew that a small town, supportive atmosphere existed here at Kirk Eye Center. Dr. Kirk put me at complete ease. His skill at removing my cataracts was excellent. And, his concern continued after I got home – he personally called to check on my progress following my surgery.” Elaine could not believe the difference cataract surgery made. She could see detail. She had learned to live without it. “Dr. Kirk gave me the most wonderful Christmas gift ever! I started a new book today and I intend to finish reading every last word.”

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 11

Colorado Crosswords

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Kenosha or Muddy Ness’s foe Folds under pressure Site of #1 down County home of the Air Force Academy Corporate honchos Carmelo’s org. “At the ___ ___ sounding stupid...” Some shirts Comet’s path across the sky The Little Pittsburg’s output Grow in wisdom Glenwood Springs or Pagosa Springs The Blake Street boys Something placed on a table in Black Hawk Colorado’s oldest tribe Cornerstone inscription in the year 2600 Still in force, as a license, say Off-roader, briefly Longs and Meeker, for two Restroom, to a Londoner How the Arapahoe and Cheyenne regarded #30 across Ostrich-like bird He is celebrated on the 3rd Monday each January Powerful lobby group composed largely of hunters and sportsmen Diva’s tantrum, perhaps (2 wds.) Souffle ingredient They’re on the watch for “smokies” Camera type (abbr.) Narrow river inlet This may precede the meal at a celebratory dinner Lamar ___ ___ of Las Animas (2 wds.) Channel 6 or 12, e.g. Former CU coach Rick Neuheisel’s team Today’s communications, often According to myth, he flew too close to the sun and his wings, made of wax, melted

ANSWERS

64. Gunnison County locale of early mining origin re-energized in the 50’s when Denver radio host Pete Smythe claimed that his general store was located there. 65. Giant’s Hall of Famer, Mel. 66. Bulletin board material?

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 16. 18. 20. 22. 25. 26. 28. 31. 32. 35. 38. 41. 43. 46. 49. 50. 51. 53. 55. 57. 58. 60.

This oldest hotel in Colorado dates back to 1860 I agree! Go bad Twin ___. These peaks below 12,000 ft. lie northeast of Longs Peak Common sign on doors Word before Lake or Creek EMT skill Bane of farmers CIA forerunner Mythical flute player of the southwest Call at home, maybe J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhatten get together, say Something heard at the state house ___ Paulo Large city transport Gp. Which “always gets its man” (abbr.) Gov. agency which might offer advice, maybe even a loan to a Mom and Pop enterprise ___ Springs (I-70 turnoff to Mt. Evans) Moffat and Eisenhower, are two examples Jefferson County site just west of Denver Feeding or cleaning up after the pooch (2 wds.) The car that cried? Both Oprah and Martha have one (abbr.) This “beat” writer wrote of Denver in his classic On the Road ___ Shorty (1995 DeVito and Travolta film) A combining form relating to a portion of the lower back Garfield County locale between Rifle and New Castle on I-70 Jacob’s twin brother ___ facto Derogatory remark Cable movie channel Former House Speaker, O’Neill’s nickname Make a lap?

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12 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

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Can’t Trust Wall Street By Scott Burns and Laurence Kotlikoff Financial Writers

I

f Enron and the subprime crisis have taught us anything, it’s that Main Street can no longer trust Wall Street. We can’t trust its accounting. Nor can we trust it to keep its own risk at prudent levels. Wall Street has repeatedly taken risk to levels that threaten our entire financial system. The stock market has been tanking. Consumer confidence is plunging. Home values are sinking. The Federal Reserve is responding by preparing to bail out the entire financial sector. The gamble here is gigantic. Wall Street risk-taking has put all of us on a knife edge between asset collapse and rampant inflation. The Fed has pledged $330 billion to shore up banks, investment companies, hedge funds and quasigovernmental lenders. This is a pittance measured against the $10 trillion in mortgages or mortgage-backed securities held by these institutions. If home prices keep falling and delinquencies keep rising, the Fed will

have a terrible choice: Let these institutions fail, or print trillions of dollars. The first course could leave the financial system and economy in free fall. Yes, the Fed is coming up with part of the $330 billion by issuing Treasury bonds. But our government is already hocked (figuratively and literally) to China. Uncle Sam doesn’t have the tax revenue, either now or in the future, to pay back federal debt, cover the $1 trillion-and-rising bill for Iraq, and meet soaring Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security costs. Issuing more Treasury bonds just means printing more money in the future to cover the government’s principal and interest payments. We’ve got a problem. ________________ Scott Burns is a longtime financial writer for The Dallas Morning News and other papers. Laurence Kotlikoff is professor of economics at Boston University, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. ■

Local Events and Exhibits Greeley Museums Centennial Village history park opens April 15. Meeker House Museum opens May 1. Call 350-9216. Red Feather Lakes Library Colorado Bluebird Project presentation on birds. Free computer classes. Writers’ workshop. Free yoga classes. Call for dates and times 881-2664.

The Wexford Independent Living for Seniors WELCOMES Lynn Hayden-Ugarte, Manager “Serving the older adult community and providing them with quality life experiences has been my passion for over 23 years. I look forward to working with the older adults and their families at The Wexford.” 1515 W. 28th Street, Loveland, Colorado 80538 970-667-1900 • Fax 970-622-0547

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Berthoud Library Author Sandra Dallas discusses her book “Tallgrass.” PBS documentary “Amache” on Japanese American internment camps in Colorado during

WWII. Call 532-2757. Fort Collins Libraries Presentations on Antarctica, Mayan ruins, Marie Curie, and Fort Collins Symphony. Call 221-6740. History Awards The Wyoming State Historical Society is encouraging nominations of individuals and organizations that have helped preserve and interpret Wyoming history. Email linda@dance wyoming; or write Judy Musgrave, 850 Sibley Circle, Sheridan, WY 82801. ■

How Much Calcium Do We Need?

M

ature people may need much less calcium than previously recommended, according to a report in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” In fact, too much calcium supplement might increase the risk of hip fractures by reducing the phosphate absorption needed to build calcium into bone, said the researchers. They said vitamin D might be more beneficial. “It may well be that current recommendations are too low

for vitamin D and too high for calcium,” said the report. Current recommendations call for 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day for mature adults. But the researchers said that might be twice as much as is needed. They added that no previous studies have actually determined just how much calcium mature adults need. The researchers looked at the records of nearly 180,000 women and 70,000 men over age 40. ■

The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 13

Sheepherders

By Arlene Ahlbrandt

C

onflict raged between sheepmen and cattlemen in early Colorado and Wyoming. Cattlemen said sheep ate the grass too close to the ground and overgrazed pastures. An early newspaper headline proclaimed “Sheep Raid: Violence Flares” when masked men stampeded some sheep off a cliff, burned the sheep wagon and killed two sheep herders. But by the 1920s, cattlemen and sheepmen had learned to live together. Sheep raising and lamb feeding became an important industry for Larimer County. During the hard times of the Depression in the 1930s, sheep sold for as little as five cents a head. But the market was good in the 1940s and 1950s.

I remember Sammy, a sheepherder who worked for the Munroe Ranch north of Fort Collins. His best friends and companions were his sheep dogs that helped control the flocks. When Sammy whistled once, the dogs would assume an upright stance. When he whistled twice, they would run from side to side to make sure the flock didn’t split up. The dogs guarded the sheep at night and warned when coyotes approached. To pass the time, herders often piled up rocks that we called sheepherders’ monuments or cairns. Inside their wagons, they usually had a small bed, stove, table and kerosene lamp. Some had an old guitar or battery-operated radio. Some sheepherders seemed to enjoy their solitary life. ■

Treatment for Heart Attacks

M

any heart attack victims have a family member or friend drive them to a hospital instead of calling 911 to request an ambulance. That’s a mistake, says UCLA professor Dr. Ivan Rokos, who did a nationwide survey of heart attack victims. Paramedics with the ambulances are trained to deal with heart attacks, and most have equipment on the ambulances to determine if a person is having a

heart attack. More important, a patient arriving at a hospital in an ambulance is likely to receive treatment quicker than those who walk in. The sooner you receive treatment, the less likely severe damage to the heart will occur. The American College of Cardiology recommends that victims receive treatment such as angioplasty within 90 minutes of a heart attack to avoid irreversible damage. ■

 

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14 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

Overseas Surgeries D

on’t be surprised if some day in the future your health insurance company sends you overseas for an expensive medical procedure. A heart operation that costs $100,000 in the United States might cost only $10,000 in India or another country. Insurers are discovering that and will be sending patients overseas for some procedures, say the Medical Tourism Association and other groups. In some cases, insurance companies will pay travel expenses and make the trip a vacation for patients and family members. Insurers say many overseas hospitals are inspected and approved by the same agency that inspects them in the U.S. But skeptics question those inspections. They also say it’s nearly impossible to sue for malpractice overseas if something goes wrong. Skeptics are also concerned that U.S. insurance companies using foreign hospitals might limit benefits in the U.S. or charge high deductibles for procedures done here, forcing patients to go overseas whether they want to or not. The British journal “Which”

found problems with some overseas medical treatments when it surveyed medical tourists who combine treatments with vacations in foreign countries. Over 25 percent said they did not receive follow-up care, and nearly 10 percent had to seek emergency help when they got home. Experts say it’s especially important to check the qualifications of foreign doctors and the success rate of hospitals and surgical teams for the surgery you might have done. Savings can be considerable. For instance, dental implants might be one-third or even one-fourth of the cost in the United States. A tummy tuck might cost half as much. “Which” editor Neil Fowler said people considering foreign treatment “must do their homework before jumping on the plane, and avoid rushing back (home) too quickly, if they want to avoid potential problems. “Ask the right questions beforehand,” he said. “Speak to (local) health professionals, and don’t assume you’ll have a safety net if things don’t go according to plan.” ■

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imports than it did. In 1973, it did nearly 35,000 food inspections; in 2006, it did only 7,780. In 2007, it inspected only about 1 percent of more than 3,000 foreign drug plants and far less than 1 percent of the 190,000 foreign food plants. Many of those plants, both food and drug, are in China. At least 80 percent of America’s drugs are imported, said the GAO, as are most of our foods. ■

The Human Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University is studying the effects of aging on muscle blood flow control in humans.

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 15

Laughter is the Best Medicine T

he world’s shortest fairy tale: A man asked a woman, “Will you marry me?” She said, “No.” He lived happily ever after. When Forrest Gump arrived in heaven, St. Peter said, “Welcome, Forrest. You must answer three questions before entering.” “Golly, I hope they aren’t hard,” said Forrest. “The first is, what two days of the week begin with the letter T?” “Today and tomorrow.” “Well, that’s not exactly what we had in mind, but it could be considered correct. So, okay. The next question is, how many seconds are in a year?” “Twelve.” “How did you arrive at that?” “There’s the second of January, second of February…” “I see what you mean. That’s not the answer we had in mind, but I can see where it could be considered correct. Now, the last question is, what is God’s first name?” “Andy.” “How in the world did you come

up with that?” “I learned it from the song: Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me…” St. Peter opened the gates and said, “Run, Forrest, run.” A man at the track saw a priest bless a horse just before the race. When the race was over, the one the priest blessed had won. The man saw the priest bless another horse before the next race, and the man bet on the horse. Sure enough, he won. The next horse the priest blessed was a long shot, but the man bet on him, and he also won. The man was very excited and decided to bet everything he had on the next horse the priest blessed. That turned out to be an old nag that appeared to be on its last legs. But the man bet everything he had. The horse came in last. The man was very upset. He found the priest and said, “What happened? Every other horse you blessed won.” The priest said, “That’s the trouble with you Lutherans. You

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Take the antidote until WORK is eliminated from your system.

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Advantages to being over 60: There is nothing left to learn the hard way. Kidnappers are not interested in you. No one expects you to run— anywhere. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either. ■

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16 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

Major Indian Battles in Colorado

An early Indian camp. Colorado Historical Society. By Bill Lambdin

H

ere are some of the important Indian battles in early Colorado. 1854, about 100 Utes and Apaches attacked the few settlers at what is now Pueblo in southern Colorado on Christmas day, killing 15 men, stealing about 200 horses, and carrying off one woman and two children. 1855, Kit Carson guided Colonel Thomas Fauntleroy’s troops into the San Luis Valley where they hunted Indians that had been attacking settlers. They found a band in the area now known as Poncha Pass. On April 29, the Indians were doing a war dance around a bonfire at night when the troops opened fire. They killed 50 Indians; no soldiers were killed. 1864, June 11, a band believed to be Arapahos killed and mutilated Nathan Hungate and his family on their ranch about 30 miles southeast of Denver. Someone brought the mutilated bodies into Denver, causing

the citizens to demand revenge against the Indians. This incident, called the Hungate Massacre, prompted Colonel John Chivington to lead troops against Indians the following November in what came to be called the Sand Creek Massacre. 1864, November 29, the Sand Creek Massacre occurred when Colonel John Chivington’s troops killed over 130 Arapahos and Cheyennes camped on the plains southeast of Denver (north of Fort Lyon). The troops scalped and mutilated the bodies, many of which were women and children. A congressional investigation condemned the action. The event infuriated Indians elsewhere and probably prompted many subsequent attacks on pioneers. About 15 soldiers were killed at Sand Creek. 1864, Captain David H. Nichols and 40 troops found a band of six warriors with women and children on the plains southeast of present-day Sterling. The troops killed all of them.

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1865, large bands of Cheyenne and Lakota attacked Julesburg in January and February, killing 14 soldiers and four civilians. They stole and destroyed nearly everything in the town. These were among several Indian attacks along the Overland Trail in northeastern Colorado, prompted in part by the Sand Creek Massacre. 1865, about 100 Cheyenne and Lakota attacked the American Ranch south of present-day Sterling, burning the buildings, killing seven men and a young boy, and taking the rancher’s wife, Sarah Morris, with them. This was one of several ranches in the area that were attacked in 1865. 1865, Holon Godfrey’s ranch south of Sterling was one of the few that was not destroyed by Indians this year. When 130 warriors attacked in January, they found that Godfrey had a six-foot-high adobe wall around his house, a tower with fire ports next to the house; and he had large stashes of ammunition, food and water. During the two-day attack, women and children loaded guns and put out fires while the men shot 17 Indians. They put up such a fierce defense that the Indians gave up and named Godfrey “Old Wicked.” No whites died. Thereafter, Indians called the ranch Fort Wicked. 1868, the Battle of Beecher Island is remembered as one of the worst in Colorado, when over 500 Cheyenne pinned down Major George Forsyth’s 50 frontiersmen on a small island in the middle of the Arikaree River near the present town of Wray in northeastern Colorado. For five horrible days, the troops fought from behind

dead horses, which they also were forced to eat to keep from starving. Two men sneaked out at night, and reinforcements finally arrived. Six troops were killed, 18 wounded. About 30 Indians were killed. Forsyth was shot twice but lived. Lt. Frederick Beecher, for whom the battle was named, was second in command and was killed. 1869, the Battle of Summit Springs about 15 miles south of present-day Sterling was the last Indian fight in eastern Colorado. Major Eugene Carr ’s 300 troops attacked Chief Tall Bull’s camp of 400 Cheyennes where two white women were held captive. During the fight, the Indians killed one of the women, Susanna Alderdice, and wounded the other, Maria Weichell, who lived to be rescued. No soldiers were killed, but 52 Cheyenne died. 1879, the Meeker Massacre in western Colorado near the present town of Meeker was the last Indian battle in Colorado, when 19 soldiers and civilians were killed, and 37 Ute warriors died. Indian agent Nathan Meeker angered the Utes by trying to force them to become farmers. They killed him and the five other white men at the agency. Major Thomas Thornburgh was headed for the agency from Fort Steele, Wyoming, with 178 troops when about 300 Utes pinned them down at Milk Creek. The vicious fighting lasted six days, until more troops arrived. After this, the Utes were forced onto reservations in Utah and an area near Durango, Colorado. The Indian wars in Colorado were over, and atrocities had been committed on both sides. ■

The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 17

Questions About Second Marriages By Ron Rutz, Attorney Legal Correspondent Q. You previously wrote about pre-nuptial agreements for second marriages. But if having an agreement is not an option, what can a person do? A. There are two areas that need to be discussed. First, what would happen if the second marriage ends in divorce? Property that one person brought to a marriage does not immediately become marital property that is divided at the time of a divorce, provided certain precautions are taken. First, property that remains only in one person’s name without the other ever being a part owner would not ordinarily be included in the property division. Second, such property should not have been “tainted” either. Thus, if separate property is sold or money received from outside sources, such as a gift or inheritance, the checks should not be deposited in a common account, even if immediately thereafter the funds are then transferred or used to purchase something. Separate means separate, including deeds, titles, band accounts, etc. But be aware that after a period of time, appreciation or even income generated by such assets that were kept in one name only may be considered as marital property for divorce purposes. Such rules are more complicated in the real world, but it is best to start with these general

rules: keep things separate and never “taint” an asset. The second area to be considered is death. At one time, the moment two people married, a woman was entitled to inherit half of the male’s property (either by statute or under common law dower rights) and a man was entitled (sometimes after the first child was born) to inherit from one-third to one-half of the new wife’s property. These concepts, at least in Colorado, have seen changes; so there is not an immediate vesting of up to half of the other’s property at marriage. But over time, there is a phase-in percentage of vesting in the other’s property, even if title remains with the other; so that after about ten years, each is then entitled to inherit half of the other’s assets. Do not be fooled. Unlike in community property states such as California, and to a lesser extent Texas, a living trust will not necessarily shield assets from an inheritance claim. In conclusion, in the absence of a pre-nuptial agreement in a second marriage, there are still protections available but many are tricky at best and may be changed or affected over time. ________________ Attorney Ron Rutz will answer questions of general interest concerning estate planning and other legal subjects. Send questions to 2625 Redwing Road, Suite 180, Fort Collins, CO 80526; phone 970-223-8388; email [email protected]. ■

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18 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

Naughty Boys in the White House By Gwen Gibson

T

he sex scandals plaguing the American presidency are nothing new. Our nation’s history has been spiced with scandals since founding father Ben Franklin published accounts of his extensive womanizing. George Washington wrote love letters to Sally Fairfax, the wife of his closest friend. Alexander Hamilton was subjected to sexual blackmail because of an extramarital affair. Thomas Jefferson had affairs with two married women, and some historians believe he fathered children by slave Sally Hemmings. Those are but a few examples of how politics makes strange bedfellows. No period in our history has been completely free of political peccadilloes. What has changed is the manner in which the press covers them. Some public figures, notably

Franklin, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, have been given special dispensation. Others, like Bill Clinton, felt the heat of the spotlight. Presidential candidate Grover Cleveland was pilloried by the press when it was learned he had fathered an illegitimate child. Republicans took to the street chanting “Ma! Ma! Where’s my pa?” Cleveland confirmed the stories, noted that he was supporting the child, and was elected president. And the Democrats had their rejoinder: “Gone to the While House. Ha, ha, ha!” Later, however, the media chose to ignore affairs of President Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding. The private lives of presidents were considered off limits from the start of Franklin Roosevelt’s first administration through the LBJ years. “It was a man’s world,” said United Press veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas. “And there was an unwritten gentleman’s agreement that the moral lapses of the

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For years, the press ignored JFK’s affair with Marilyn Monroe. president should not be exposed.” Rumors about JFK’s philandering were so persistent that a beautiful blonde reporter once caused an uproar when she walked into the While House press room with a copy of Theodore White’s book, “The Making of the President,” cradled in her arms. The title was hilariously suggestive under the circumstances. Those who covered the White House in those days passed Kennedy gossip with the canapés at Washington cocktail parties. They knew, for instance, that the young and sexy president liked to swim nude in the White House pool with two shapely secretaries code-named Fiddle and Faddle by the Secret Service. They also knew that he was intimate with a number of gorgeous movie stars, including Marilyn Monroe. But they didn’t write about or investigate the rumors. Many were so caught up in the Camelot myth that they couldn’t see Kennedy the man in perspective. That was a mistake because they missed a story with bombshell implications—Kennedy’s affair with Judith Campbell Exner, mistress of notorious gangster Sam Giancana. The media also kept its kid gloves on in the Johnson years, although LBJ was a womanizer who often boasted to reporters of his amorous adventures. A favorite “inside” anecdote involved Johnson’s surprise call on a gorgeous White House secretary asleep at the Texas ranch. Johnson, clad in a night shirt, awakened the startled aide with a

memorable line: “Move over, this is your President.” Not until 1988, when Ballantine Books published journalist Shelly Ross’ book, “Fall from Grace,” did such tales go on the record. Ross believed the press dropped its handsoff policy following the Chappaquiddick tragedy involving Sen. Edward Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne. But it was the Watergate scandal that ultimately stripped the presidency of any aura of invulnerability and led to the media’s no-holds-barred attitude. The press flexed its muscles during the 1989 presidential campaigns by scrutinizing the private lives of candidates. Particularly aggressive was the Miami Herald’s coverage of Gary Hart and Donna Rice. It was not the press coverage, however, that wrecked Hart’s presidential race. It was the candidate’s convoluted explanations. Such coverage raises the old question: When is reporting muckraking and when is it the public’s right to know? Perhaps it has never been answered better than by Alexander Hamilton, himself a victim of muckraking, who took a stand for the public’s right to know. “The truth must not be used wantonly if for the purpose of disturbing the peace of families,” said Hamilton. “But if it is within the domain of what the public should know to behave responsibly at the polls, then the truth should be printable without fear of retribution.” ■

The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 19

Breast Cancer Tests W

omen who have breast cancer or are at high risk of developing it should have MRI scans in addition to mammograms, said researchers in a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. The American Cancer Society also makes the same recommendation. But it does not apply to most women, those who have only an average risk of developing breast cancer. Women at high risk include those who have a close relative with cancer and those who have certain genetic mutations. Researchers admit it will be difficult for doctors to determine, in many cases, which women are at high risk. The average risk for women in the United States is about 12 percent. High risk of developing breast cancer over a lifetime is 20 percent or higher. Experts recommend MRI scans and mammograms once a year starting at age 30 for high-risk women. Researchers admit that the MRI recommendation will be criticized

by many medical professionals for several reasons. First, MRIs are much more expensive than mammograms—about ten times more, ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 each. Some MRIs may not be covered by insurance. MRIs are not available in many rural areas of the United States, and to date not enough technicians are adequately trained in MRI breast cancer screening. MRIs are much more sensitive than mammograms and, consequently, find many suspicious growths that turn out to be benign. In the meantime, women with the suspicious growths are subjected to numerous scans, biopsies and unnecessary worry. Those “false positive” findings are a serious drawback to MRI scans and may make many women reluctant to submit to such tests. But experts note that MRIs can find tumors in the breast that mammograms miss—which will be important to some women and their doctors. ■

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20 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

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ountain Valley Health Care’s Hospice Division is hosting a Community Memorial Service open to the public for anyone who has lost a loved one. No previous connection with hospice is required to attend the service, which will be held April 17 at 6:30 pm at the Union Colony Civic Center-Hensel Phelps Theatre in Greeley. “Many people take comfort in remembering the loss of a loved one in the presence of a community of fellow grievers,” said Chaplain Larry Kilpatrick of Mountain Valley. “This event offers an opportunity to remember and grieve with others who also have experienced loss.” Over 100 patients and their families received hospice care from Mountain Valley in 2007. Mountain Valley is the only agency that provides both home care and hospice services to the Northern Front Range including Weld, Larimer, Boulder, Broomfield and Adams counties. The theme for the service will be

“Remembrance, Reflection and Hope.” The service will feature a “Faces We Love” slide show as well as special music, military tribute and readings. Community members wanting to have a photo of their loved one included in the slide show are encouraged to provide the photo no later than April 11. The photo can be dropped off at Mountain Valley’s Windsor office at 1180 Main St. #9, or sent via e-mail in the “jpeg” format to [email protected]. The photo should be labeled with return address, contact information and the name of the loved one. Photos will be returned at the memorial service. Each family attending will receive a packet of wild flowers to plant in commemoration of their loved one. Also, Mountain Valley’s Hospice Division staff and bereavement counselors will be available to community members throughout the service and afterwards during a dessert reception. For more information concerning the event, contact Steve at 970-346-9700. ■

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The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 21

Cowboys and Dudes in Old Cheyenne By Peggy Hunt

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heyenne was established in 1867 on the transcontinental railroad when railroad officials decided to make the place a winter headquarters and supply point. Rancher John Wesley Iliff got a contract from the railroad to provide beef for the workers. His cow camp was a few miles outside of town, next to Crow Creek, which was the water supply for the town. Crow Creek was bigger then than now, but not much. Someone said it should not be left out at night, lest a stray dog lap it all up. Iliff hired Charles Goodnight to drive cattle up from Texas, establishing the famous GoodnightLoving Trail. One of the cowboys who worked for Goodnight was Robert Clay Allison, a crazy drunk who, someone said, one day walked around Cheyenne wearing nothing but his hat, boots and gun. Some said Allison attacked a local dentist who treated his toothache. The dentist accidentally began drilling on the wrong tooth. Allison threw him in the chair and set about pulling all of the dentist’s teeth. People heard the

A Cheyenne street about 1869. Wyoming History Museum. screams and saved the poor dentist from the crazy cowboy. In 1873 female traveler Isabelle Bird said, “Cheyenne is described as a God-forsaken, God-forgotten place. That it forgets God is written on its face…A short time ago, it

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was a perfect pandemonium, mainly inhabited by rowdies and desperadoes, the scum of advancing civilization.” Isabelle Bird was the wealthy British woman who climbed Longs Peak near Estes Park and made Rocky Mountain Jim famous through her book, “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains.” She disliked most of the frontier towns she saw; so it’s not surprising she would find Cheyenne a “God-forgotten place.” Another female traveler, Miriam Leslie, also disliked the town when she was there in 1877: “Only jack rabbits and lizards inhabit this bleak land. Never on earth have I seen such loneliness. It will be a million years before Wyoming is ever settled.” She was wrong, of course. Wyoming was settled in just a few years, apparently by hardier people than Ms. Leslie. Being on the railroad, Cheyenne had many well known people stop there, like the famous entertainer Lillie Langtry, who performed in the town’s opera house. Author Owen Wister spent time there writing “The Virginian,” the most popular early Western novel in America. Wister dedicated the novel to his friend Teddy Roosevelt and wrote him about the changes in Cheyenne between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Wister was sad to see that the West he had known was disappearing: “It is a vanished world…The mountains are there, far and shining, and the sunlight, and the infinite earth, and the air that seems forever the true fountain of youth. But where is the buffalo, and the wild antelope, and

where the horseman? ...he will never come again.” Cheyenne has changed even more since then. But there are still places in Wyoming where you can look across vast landscapes and feel the presence of an infinite earth. ■

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22 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

Some Who Served in World War II By Lois Hall

I

n World War II, many Hollywood actors served with distinction in the military even though, in some cases, they would not have been required to serve. James Stewart joined the Army Air Force as a private and was later promoted to colonel as a bomber pilot. He led more than 20 missions over Germany and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, France’s Croix de Guerre and seven Battle Stars. After the war, he was an Air Force reservist until he retired in the late 1950s. Clark Gable was beyond draft age but enlisted as a private. He attended officer’s school, became a second lieutenant and an aerial gunner with the 351st Bomb Group. He flew in B17s over Europe until 1944. Lee Marvin earned a Purple Heart as a Marine in Saipan, where he was wounded.

Charles Durning was an Army Ranger at Normandy. He earned a Purple Heart and a Silver Star. Charles Bronson was a tail gunner on B-29s in the 20th Air Force in Guam, Saipan and Tinian. George C. Scott was a highly decorated Marine. Eddie Albert was awarded a Bronze Star for heroic action as a Naval officer at a fierce battle on the island of Tarawa in November, 1943. Robert Ryan served as a Marine with the OSS in Yugoslavia. Tyrone Power was a Marine pilot who flew wounded soldiers out of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Audie Murphy was the most decorated soldier in the war, earning the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, Legion of Merit, two Purple Hearts, and several other medals. He was five-feet, five-inches tall and weighed 110 pounds. He starred in several Western movies. ■

Important Lawsuit A

recent lawsuit in California reveals how some health insurance companies cancel people’s insurance if they start costing the company money—leaving people with no insurance in the middle of a serious illness. The Los Angeles Times reported that Health Net Inc., cancelled 52year-old Patsy Bates’ policy after she began chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. Ms. Bates sued Health Net, and the trial revealed how the company decided to cancel her insurance: It paid company employees to find people who might cost the company money because of serious illnesses. Once identified, the company cancelled such people’s insurance, and the company employees who identified the people received bonuses. Health Net tried to keep such information from being revealed at the trial, but the judge said, “This clearly involves very significant public interest, and my view is the arbitration proceedings should not be confidential.” This was the first time an insur-

ance company had been forced to reveal such information. In the past, courts have allowed companies to hide the way they decide whose policies to cancel. One Health Net employee identified nearly 300 policies that were cancelled in 2005, saving the company an estimated $6 million in claims it didn’t have to pay. The Times said, “The revelation that the health plan had cancellation goals and bonuses comes amid a storm of controversy over the industry-wide but long-hidden practice of rescinding coverage after expensive medical treatments have been authorized.” Other health insurance companies have employees who are paid to identify policy holders for cancellations, said the Times. Sometimes those employees recommend cancellations for legitimate reasons such as fraudulent claims. But this case revealed that, in many instances, the cancellations are made simply so the company can avoid paying high medical bills. California law says bonuses cannot be paid for that reason. Ms. Bates was awarded $9 million in the lawsuit. ■

James Stewart was among numerous actors who served.

Quality Control for Drugs

Q

uality control is very poor at some drug manufacturing plants, according to a recent investigation by the Associated Press. Investigators examined U.S. Food and Drug Administration records concerning Puerto Rico plants that produce 13 of the 20 best-selling drugs in the U.S. They found numerous cases of contamination and poor quality control. In one case, pills contained the same kind of paint that was on factory walls. In another case, medi-

cine contained minute particles of metal. Machinery pins were found inside bottles of Effexor, a treatment for depression. In other cases, laboratories were not kept clean or sterile. “People would be shocked to find this whole variety of contamination,” said Dr. Sidney Wolfe with the Public Citizen consumer group in Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico produces $35 billion worth of medicines annually. Most of them are sold in the U.S. ■

Treatment of Knee Problems

S

ome of the commonly used treatments for knee arthritis don’t work, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Researchers said there is little evidence that arthroscopic surgery benefits people who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. Arthroscopic surgery is used to clean the knee of debris and loose cartilage. Researchers also said injections of hyaluronan substances that are

supposed to lubricate the joints probably do not work for most people. Nor do dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin. “Millions of Americans seek relief from the pain and reduced mobility caused by osteoarthritis of the knee,” said the researchers. “However, they should work with their clinicians to decide the best course of treatment for them based on what has and has not been proven to work.” ■

Another Medicare Issue

C

osts of the Medicare program are skyrocketing since local government agencies and businesses began shifting their retired employees to Medicare Advantage plans, say Robert Reischaur and other economists. Advantage plans are run by private insurance companies that receive Medicare subsidies for each enrollee. The plans usually offer benefits not available through regular Medicare, such as dental care, eye care, etc. The plans now cover 9 million

retirees and are rapidly increasing taxpayer costs of Medicare, which is already threatened with bankruptcy in the not too distant future say some observers. “It’s a runaway train,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota). AARP, the American Medical Association and other groups say the Advantage plans must be curtailed or they will make Medicare so expensive most retirees won’t be able to afford it. ■

The Senior Voice • April 2008 • 23

Investment Expenses By Scott Burns Financial Writer Q: We are rolling over my wife’s $160,000 lump sum retirement into a managed account with our bank, Wells Fargo. She is 55. Wells Fargo charges 1.5 percent a year and a 1.5 percent load for the Wells Fargo fund we are going into. We’re not too experienced with investing and aren’t sure where to put the rollover. We will need about $950 a month from that money. Are the costs in line with other banks? A: You need to rethink this before the account is rolled and suffers commission expenses from transactions. First, you should check that you understand exactly what you are going to be charged. If you are choosing one of the bank’s adviser-managed programs, the 1.5 percent annual management fee will be in addition to the expense ratios of the underlying mutual funds. If it uses Wells Fargo funds,

you’ll find that this could add another 1.2 percent a year or so to the total expense. That would be a total cost burden of 2.7 percent a year—a heavy cost to bear when safe 10year Treasury obligations are yielding only 3.65 percent. Add that to the withdrawal rate you are seeking, 7.1 percent, and your investments would have to provide a gross return of about 9.8 percent a year to break even. That isn’t very likely, so you’ll probably run out of money at about age 75. You can increase your odds of success by doing two things. First, find a far less expensive way to invest the money. Dodge and Cox Balanced fund (ticker: DODBX), a star long-term performer, was recently reopened for new investment. Its expense ratio is only 0.52 percent. That’s less than half of the expense of the comparable Wells Fargo fund, and you won’t have the 1.5 percent management fee, either. Another long-term star per-

former to consider is Fidelity Puritan (ticker: FPURX), with an expense ratio of 0.60 percent. Fidelity has the additional advantage of brick-and-mortar offices and people trained to help you complete the rollover. Still another is Vanguard Wellington (ticker: VWELX), with an expense ratio of 0.30 percent. Note that each of these paths will save you at least 2 percent a year in expenses—expenses that are subtracted from the return on YOUR money. The second step is to reduce your spending to a level that the portfolio can survive. It is unlikely to survive a 7 percent withdrawal rate, regardless of who manages it, particularly if future withdrawals are adjusted upward to preserve your purchasing power. You can read about withdrawal rates and portfolio survival on my web site: www.scottburns.com. ________________ You can send questions to: [email protected]. ■

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24 • April 2008 • The Senior Voice

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