The Senior Voice - August 2007

The Senior

I O C V E August 2007

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

Indian Ghost Attack Town Meeker Massacre in In Northern 1879 Colorado

Scenic Longs Drives

Peak

In Colorado

Pioneer Climbers

Wyoming Pioneers Outlaws the InOnEarly Oregon Trail Colorado

Estate Skiing Planning Steamboat Plus Health Springs And News

2 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Veteran’s Services h/NLINEBANKINGISMY &IRSTLINEOFPROTECTIONv

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olorado’s veterans will soon gain better access to the health care they deserve. In late June, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee authorized the construction of a state-of-the-art veterans care facility at the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora. This a major leap forward towards completion of what will undoubtedly become a “crown jewel” for veterans’ health care in the United States. As a former farmer in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, I am aware of the inequities that exist between veterans who reside in rural, as opposed to urban, settings. That is why I fought to include a number of initiatives in the Veterans Affairs legislative package which I believe will help to significantly improve the lives of rural veterans. Access to health care is not solely a

By U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

problem experienced by our nation’s veterans, but also by a number of America’s seniors and low-income families. That is why I am pleased to announce that La Plata County in southwestern Colorado has been designated a Health Professional Shortage Area, which will make doctors in the county eligible for Medicare bonus payments, possible re-payment of medical school loans and other incentives—which should attract health care professionals to the area. This opens the door for better health care access for the low-income residents who are currently forced to travel to Grand Junction. I look forward to continually working on behalf of people throughout Colorado. ________________ You can call Sen. Salazar’s Fort Collins office at 224-2200. ■

Calls to Medicare Hotline

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ome people wonder how many Medicare participants have success when they call the Medicare hot line for information, 1-800Medicare. Senator Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) had his staff call the phone number numerous times recently. They reported long delays for responses, and they received answers to questions that varied widely, according to a New York Times report. The average waiting time for someone to answer was 12 minutes,

but numerous calls never got through at all. The staff received what they called “a dizzying array” of responses to questions. Medicare officials said their own tests show much shorter waiting times. Calls that don’t get through may be due to local phone service problems, they said. As for confusing answers to questions, Medicare spokesman Jeff Nelligen told investigators that the agency takes reports of problems seriously and works to resolve them. ■

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rug-resistant infections (like staph) that patients get during hospital stays kill more people each year than diabetes or Alzheimer’s—100,000— according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But studies show that hospitals can virtually eliminate the infections by doing simple, inexpensive things such as testing all patients for infections when they enter the hospital. Why don’t all hospitals do it? Many think nothing can be done or that they don’t have a problem—even though the infections have increased

22 percent since 1995 and cost America’s hospitals billions in extra treatment. Hospitals that have done something include the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Pittsburgh, which cut its infection rate by nearly 80 percent by doing things like testing each patient, providing hand sanitizers in every room and discarding blood pressure cuffs after using them. Only one-fourth of U.S. hospitals take such measures. Several European countries have all but eliminated such infections. ■

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 3

Indian Attack 1879 By Bill Lambdin

VOICE Published Locally Since 1980 VOL. 27, NO. 9

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t began as a beautiful September day in 1879, but it ended in horror with the last Indian uprising in Colorado—the Meeker Massacre. Arvilla Meeker was in the kitchen at the Indian agency her husband ran. She was washing dishes when she heard the shots. She looked out the window and saw the men of the agency running and shouting. The Utes were shooting everyone, setting fire to the buildings. Bodies began falling before her eyes. Gunshots were everywhere, filling the air with a deafening noise. She grabbed her young daughter, Josephine, and yelled to the other woman, Flora, to get her children and run for the milkhouse. It was the only building with thick walls. The Indians were shooting into all the buildings, screaming in high, wild voices that rang out above the hail of bullets. Arvilla hoped the thick walls of the milkhouse might stop the bullets. The women reached it and huddled in a corner. Terrified, they didn’t dare look out the window. They could only listen to the slaughter outside. It went on for five hours. Arvilla heard the screams of the men when they were shot, then more screams when they were scalped or ripped open by knives. She heard the buildings collapse as they burned, horses running and falling when shot, screams from the animals rising with those of the men. When it finally ended, the Indians dragged the women from the building. Every white man at the agency lay dead or in the agony of death. Arvilla saw her husband dead on the ground. He had been shot through the head at close range, then scalped. A stake was driven through his mouth, pinning him to the ground. “My God!” she thought. “What has happened? Why did they do it?” It seemed to happen without warning. But she should have seen it coming. The Meeker Massacre was the result of misguided intentions and poor judgment—white people trying to suddenly change the way Indians

The Senior

www.theseniorvoice.net PUBLICATION INFORMATION The Senior Voice newspaper has been published locally the first of each month since 1980 for 40,000 residents age 50-plus.

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Greeley founder Nathan Meeker in the late 1800s. Hazel Johnson Collection. had lived for centuries. Nathan Meeker had founded the town of Greeley in 1870, then become the government agent at the White River Indian Agency in western Colorado. He was an honest, highly principled man. But he didn’t understand the people he was supposed to help. He insisted the Utes give up their way of life and become farmers. Without realizing it, he threatened them in many ways. Meeker forced the Ute men to walk behind plows, a supreme humiliation for them in front of their wives and children. He plowed up their horseracing track and did other things they considered threatening. When he requested a cavalry troop be dispatched to the agency, the Utes figured they would be killed or forced from their land. They attacked the

agency on September 29, 1879. The only survivors were the women—Meeker’s wife Arvilla and daughter Josephine, a woman named Flora Price and her two small children. They were later rescued by cavalry troops. Eleven white men died at the Meeker Massacre. It was the last major Indian uprising in the United States, and it never should have happened. The site is marked in western Colorado near the town of Meeker, named for Nathan Meeker. ________________ COVER PICTURE: American Goldfinch, taken by Fort Collins professional photographer Gregory Mayse. See his photos at the Poudre River Arts Center and Benson Gallery in Fort Collins, plus the Art Center of Estes Park, and at www.gregorymayse.com. ■

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]. Typed, single-spaced manuscripts are preferred. Manuscripts will be treated with care, but The Senior Voice assumes no responsibility for damaged or lost material submitted by readers.

© Copyright 2007 The Senior Voice EDITORIAL OFFICE:

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

Dr. William Lambdin, Publisher

4 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Letter from a Greeley Pioneer (Editor’s Note: Greeley historian Hazel E. Johnson wrote the following story years ago.) By Hazel Johnson

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hen Willard Darling of Independence, Iowa, read Nathan Meeker’s “Call” in the New York Tribune in 1869, proposing “to establish a Colony in Colorado Territory,” Darling’s wife exclaimed, “That’s where we want to go.” Darling arrived at Greeley in May of 1870 with the first group of Union Colony settlers. His wife and children came in the spring of 1871. Following are excerpts from letters written by Darling to his wife. They show both the enthusiasm and disappointment he and many other Greeley settlers felt: “May 15, 1870. I am in the promised land. Between 40 and 50 tents and houses are scattered around. There are between 400 and 500 people, a good many women and children. “The first night, we went to a little house called a hotel. We all lay on the floor and paid 25 cents each, nothing but two blankets to lie on. “May 23, 1870. I never was so disappointed in my life. Nothing as it was represented. I do not believe there ever was anything gotten up where so many were disappointed. A good many others do not know what to do. “I think the Colony will amount to something after a while, but no one ought to have come until next year, except a few and made a place for the rest.

Someone said early Greeley “looked like a bunch of dry goods boxes scattered over the backyard of the Almighty.” Photo Hazel Johnson Collection. “I would not stay 24 hours, but I think there will be good schools and a good society. I cannot see much to make a big town. There is no water power, no timber nearer than the mountains. “July 10, 1870. They had quite a time here on the 4th. The colonists are doing a great deal to make the town handsome and attractive. There have been two lakes made in Central Park, very handsome trees set all around them and water is

brought from the canal. Little streams of water run by the sides of the streets all over town. “There is a great deal of work being done grading the streets. Greeley will be a beautiful place in time.” Later, Mr. Darling’s wife and children arrived in Greeley. The family stayed and became substantial members of the community. Mr. and Mrs. Darling celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in Greeley.

During their early days in the colony, their two sons would take the cattle herd up the hill south of town to graze each day (where the University of Northern Colorado now stands). Exactly at 4 p.m., Mrs. Darling went upstairs and hung out a black skirt, a signal for her sons to bring the herd back to town. Life was not easy. But the pioneers hung on, making Greeley and the West what they are today. ■

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The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 5

Local History Book

UAL N N A 3RD

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 9 am-4 pm NORTHERN COLORADO’S LARGEST SENIOR EXPO Charlene Tresner’s father, Charles Tresner (left), with Clair Dixon in 1914 in a grocery store delivery truck. Fort Collins Public Library. By Bill Lambdin

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he Streets of Fort Collins” by Charlene Tresner is a fine local history book originally published in 1977. It was out of print for years, but a new updated edition was recently published by Susan Hoskinson, historian and former Triangle Review newspaper publisher. Tresner established the local history section of the Fort Collins Public Library and served as its director from 1973 until she retired in 1985. She was a fifth generation Larimer County resident, born in 1918 on a farm five miles north of town. She graduated from Colorado State Agricultural College (now CSU) where she was features editor for the school’s newspaper and later wrote articles for magazines while serving as a home demonstration agent. She also wrote history articles for The Senior Voice when at the library. Tresner knew many early Fort Collins residents and included valuable information from them in her book. For instance, she said of pioneer Elias Whitcomb: “In 1873, Whitcomb Street was the western border of Fort Collins. It derived its name from a member of the Agricultural Colony (that founded the town), Elias W. Whitcomb. He came to this area in 1865 from Massachusetts.” Whitcomb lived for a while in a tepee near the army fort that established Fort Collins, according to one of Tresner’s sources. But he rapidly became successful. “Within three or four years, he

owned a substantial log ranch home on the Boxelder…Still later he enjoyed an elegant town house in Cheyenne…For a boy who freighted along the Western trails in the 1850s and walked a thousand miles barefoot, much of the way through prickly pear cactus because he had lost his only boots, this was quite an achievement.” In Cheyenne, Whitcomb invested in ranching and became involved in the infamous Johnson County War of 1892 by joining powerful, wealthy ranchers who hired over 50 gunmen to wipe out small farmers who were settling grazing lands. That was the time gunman Tom Horn was hired and later hanged for allegedly killing a farmer’s young son. Tresner did not say how active Whitcomb was in that range war, which resulted in the big ranchers being sent to trial after federal troops stopped the killing. None of those ranchers was ever prosecuted; they had so much power that people were afraid to testify against them. But Tresner did say that Whitcomb was struck by a bolt of lightning on his Wyoming ranch and killed in 1915. Whitcomb is just one of the many interesting pioneers whose names appear today on Fort Collins’ streets, and Tresner includes virtually all of them. The 110-page book has many historic photographs and is available for $24.95 at local bookstores and the Fort Collins Museum. Or you can order it from Patterson House Publishing, 121 Grant Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, phone 970-484-7137, email: [email protected] ■

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6 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Pioneers on the Oregon Trail By Robert Munkres

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n 1852, when the Scott family left their home in Illinois and started for the Oregon Trail, they first had to cross the Illinois River by ferry at Peoria. At this point, it was discovered that the family dog, named “Watch,” was still with them. Mr. Scott put the dog off the ferry and told it to “go back home and stay with grandfather.” More than half a century later, Harriet Scott (who was 11 years old at the time), remembered that she “looked back and saw our old dog howling on the distant shore.” Some six months later, with the family settled in Oregon, Harriet’s older sister wrote, “We had a letter to the effect that the poor dog went back...to the family house and refused food, and in a short time he died.” Elsewhere, Harriet A. Loughary (1864) and her party stopped briefly

one morning at a “camping place where grass and water was found, but the first object that met our eyes was a newly made grave by the roadside, with the following notice written on a slip of paper and tacked on (a) piece of bark at the head of the grave: “Killed by Indians last night...His faithful dog, which had not been captured, was watching the grave and could not be induced to leave with food or coaxing.” Mrs. Loughary’s party stopped “long enough to get feed for our stock and breakfast for ourselves. In about two hours Capt. Smith ordered the train to move.” One can only wonder what fate eventually befell the faithful furry friend whose loyalty went to the grave and beyond. Ike and Shorty Shadler owned a black Labrador that accompanied them everywhere, sleeping at their feet at night. The two brothers were part of the

A wagon train on the Oregon Trail. Wyoming History Museum. “The Shadlers had been 1874 party of buffalo hunters who viciously defended by their big camped at a trading post called black Labrador...and after the Adobe Walls. A Comanche attack at Indians killed it, they recognized its dawn caught the brothers sleeping in bravery by cutting a fur scalp from a wagon instead of in the main its side.” building. ________________ They were discovered by the Robert Munkres, Ph.D., lives in attacking warriors and killed. What Estes Park and has written extenhappened to the dog was described sively about early Wyoming and the by James Haley in his book, “The West. ■ Red River War”:

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 7

Your Questions on Estate Planning By Ron Rutz Legal Correspondent Q: We just moved to Colorado and have been swamped by estate planning solicitations. We went to one presentation and got the scare of our lives. If we had only known how expensive and complicated it is to die in Colorado, we would never have relocated. A: It’s not expensive. If your wills were good in your home state, they are valid in Colorado, along with Durable Powers of Attorney (DPOA), although DPOAs are more likely to need changes just because of your move. In Colorado for a married couple with $2 million or less of taxable worth, all that is needed is a standard will, durable powers of attorney, possibly a living will, and titling everything either in joint tenancy or having each other named as beneficiary or payable on death. All of the basic documents will probably cost less than $300 for each spouse to set up.

For both federal and Colorado estates, there is no tax until $2 million of taxable value has been accumulated. That figure is going up to $3.5 million in 2009. There is no tax in 2010 on any amount. In 2011, the exemption drops back to $1 million. Thus, for a couple currently with no tax exposure, just doing wills would be a rational choice for the time being. If tax planning is needed for defensive planning, a tax will versus a tax living trust is a viable alternative in Colorado, costing anywhere from one-half to one-fifth the amount usually paid for a living trust. I might suggest redoing the Durable Powers of Attorney even though your out-of-state powers should work in Colorado. Often it is easier for the agent to use the wording and the format that is familiar in Colorado. I also prefer to sign four original DPOAs in case the principal becomes incapacitated and can’t sign additional DPOAs. The cost is usually under $100 for each set of

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Part D Medicare Drug Plans

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esearchers at Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports magazine) support a proposal in Congress that would require Medicare officials to put low-income retirees in low-cost Part D insurance plans instead of randomly assigning many of them to expensive plans that sometimes don’t cover the drugs they need. Currently about 6 million lowincome Part D participants are randomly assigned to insurance plans. But researches have found that the plans often don’t fit the participants’ needs. In fact one-fourth of the plans surveyed did not cover some of the most common drugs needed by participans—including Lipitor for high cholesterol, Celebrex for arthritis, Actonel for osteoporosis, and furosemide for high blood pressure. A U.S. House of Representatives proposal would require Medicare officials to be more selective in choosing Part D plans that are suited to participants’ needs. ■

four Powers. Remember, durable powers of attorney are still needed even with living trusts in place. I might also suggest that you replace any out-of-state living wills (the “shut off the machines” document) since the Colorado form is free at any hospital and in my opinion has less of a chance of being rejected. Joint tenancy with right of survivorship and having each of you as the other’s payable on death rounds

out the Colorado estate plan. At the first death, there is no probate. At the second death, using unsupervised administration, the cost to run the estate through court is less than $300 if no attorney is involved. ________________ Attorney Ron Rutz will answer questions sent to 2625 Redwing Road, #180, Fort Collins, CO 80526, email [email protected], phone 2238388. ■

8 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Dealing with the Prison Problem By Scott Renfroe State Senator

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t’s no secret that prisons in our state are overcrowded. There is no easy solution to the problem. But our current crisis could be alleviated with the introduction of more privately-run prisons. I know there are critics of privatization, but this should not deter the Department

of Corrections (DOC) and state lawmakers from looking at the private sector for help. Unfortunately, whenever this problem is publicly debated, private prisons are often pitted against public ones.This is an unfair assessment of the situation. It simply cannot be viewed as one or the other as the only way to alleviate population pressure and improve

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conditions. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the courageous men and women who work at the DOC from the top down. They are the unsung heroes in our government and I have always worked to promote legislation that makes their lives easier. I am hopeful that recentlyappointed DOC head, Ari Zavaras, as a former lawman himself, will make the livelihood of prison workers one of his top priorities. These men and women risk their lives every day to keep the citizens of our state safe from the worst of criminals. It is a tragedy when any one of these individuals is put in unnecessary harm’s way, such as a riot due to a crowded prison. Mr. Zavaras is indeed going to have to be aggressive when looking for funding to help bolster his beleaguered department. Sadly, prisons are an issue that is difficult to garner attention for, and therefore it is even harder to get most lawmakers to pay

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attention to it. Privatization is only one piece to solving this puzzle. We must also strive to lower the recidivism rate through improved rehabilitation programs. I would advocate allowing more incentives for faith-based programs in prisons and jails. While educational programs in jail are completely necessary, they simply are not enough; the soul needs to be healed in order to ensure total rehabilitation. The problem of prisons in our state is something that has no easy fix. I hope the newly empowered Democrat-controlled executive and legislative branches will not balk at allowing more private prisons in Colorado. I will continue to be a supporter and champion of all the corrections’ workers, public and private, and will strive to make prison conditions better for all involved. ________________ You can call Sen. Scott Renfroe in Greeley at 356-8749. ■

Jim Saulnier, CFP®

Meet Jim Saulnier, a successful Certified Financial Planner™ professional specializing in Retirement and IRA issues. Jim’s retirement planning is fee-only and is not motivated by earning a commission, selling you investment products or annuities. Initial consultations are complementary. To schedule your personal meeting phone his office at 970-530-0556 or visit his website at JimHelps.com. Jim is pictured above with his two dogs, Mosby and Corbett, in the foothills of Livermore, Colo.

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he Food and Drug Administration was considering withdrawing the popular diabetes medicine Avandia from the market in view of recent FDA studies that show the drug might cause serious heart problems and death. Avandia is especially dangerous to diabetes patients who take insulin, said FDA researchers. The drug has been very popular with sales of nearly $3.5 billion last year to more than a million patients. Just a few months ago, in June, some FDA officials had said Avandia was safe. Now FDA officials are contradicting that report. They also said research results given by Avandia’s maker, GlaxoSmithKline, to get the drug approved were misleading. FDA researchers called the company’s tests unreliable and invalid. The FDA says GlaxoSmithKline tried to intimidate a doctor who warned of Avandia’s risks in 1999. Lawsuits could be filed against the drug maker. ■

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 9

Scenic Drives at Grand Junction By Bill Lambdin

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imrock Drive in Colorado National Monument at Grand Junction is often missed by travelers because they don’t realize Colorado has, in addition to mountain routes, some of the West’s most spectacular high canyon drives. This is one of them. It runs along prime dinosaur country, through 2billion-year-old rock formations, past soaring cliffs and spectacular geological formations. The area was once a primeval ocean floor, then an immense swamp full of dinosaurs and other exotic creatures. In 1901 paleontologist Elmer Riggs discovered skeletons of an Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus at the base of the Monument. Many other finds have been made nearby, and active excavations continue today at Rabbit Valley and other sites. At a stop in the Monument called Devil’s Kitchen, you can walk a short half-mile trail and see ancient Indian rock drawings carved in a stone slab. At Cold Shivers Point, you’ll catch your breath standing on red rock cliffs that drop hundreds of feet below you. Serpents Trail is a pioneer roadbed that was once called the crookedest road in the world. On a six-mile walk along Monument Canyon Trail, you hike through a billion years of geologic history. At nearby Rattlesnake Canyon, you can backpack into Colorado’s most remote canyon area, which is full of large, natural rock arches and deep, hidden canyons that few people ever see. If you want true backcountry hiking and camping away from vehicles and crowds, Rattlesnake Canyon is the place. Spanish explorers saw this area in the 1700s in their search for a route from Santa Fe to California. In 1906 an outdoorsman named John Otto arrived and wrote: “I found these canyons, and they feel like the heart of the world to me. I’m going to stay and build trails and promote this place, because it should be a national park.” Some locals thought Otto was a crazy hermit. He lived in a tent and spent all his time hiking in this huge, unexplored region of isolated canyons and giant rock monoliths. He was actually a dedicated naturalist, finding and building trails so this unique area could be opened to future generations. And he was successful. In 1911 President Taft signed a bill creating Colorado National Monument. John Otto was

Colorado National monument near Grand Junction. Senior Voice file photo. named its custodian. He accepted a salary of $1 a month. You can walk some of the trails he built. John Otto’s Trail is a short quarter-mile hike across a high, narrow promontory to a fine view of some of the Monument’s most unusual rock formations. He also built the trail that begins at Monument Canyon Trailhead. It is a six-mile walk that drops 600 feet to the valley floor, through a billion years of geologic history, soaring rock towers and spectacular canyon scenery. This is one of the most popular hikes in the Monument. Scenic overlooks include the one at Independence Monument, a 500foot-high rock monolith rising from the top of a huge sandstone cone. Otto first climbed it on Independence Day, 1910; hence the name. The park’s visitor center contains excellent information and offers ranger-led walks. Unaweep Scenic Byway is a different, very remote canyon drive southeast of Grand Junction to the small towns of Gateway and Naturita. You will see fewer people on this road than on most Colorado highways. The drive takes you through huge canyon valleys surrounded by high cliffs and along isolated plateaus that have no roads and no civilization near them. It begins 15 miles south of Grand Junction on Highway 50 at the town of Whitewater, where you take Highway 142 southwest toward Gateway. The road follows an Indian trail that later became a stagecoach route. You soon enter Unaweep Canyon,

which Spanish explorers first saw in 1776. Unaweep is an old Ute word meaning “canyon with two mouths,” referring to two rivers that met here. Millions of years ago, the Colorado River and Gunnison River ran through this canyon, before geologic forces lifted the land and changed the rivers’ courses. Some of Colorado’s oldest exposed rocks are in Unaweep Canyon, nearly 2 billion years old, and the place is considered a geological treasure. The nearby Uncompaghre Plateau was part of an ancient Rocky Mountain range that existed 250 million years before the present Rockies were formed. If you like to climb 500-foot cliffs and rocks, try the Quarry Wall just past Divide Road or the Sunday Wall farther west at the American Alpine Club’s access area. Near Thimble Rock, you’ll see the stone remains of Driggs Mansion, built in 1914 by a wealthy New York lawyer who, for some reason, never lived in the house. It had chandeliers and very expensive decor. Later it served as a hunting lodge for some years but has long been abandoned, except for an occasional bear or mountain lion that may amble through it. Beyond the town of Gateway, you drive below a high mesa with the curious name of Sewemup Mesa (sew ‘em up). It’s called that because for years a cattle rustling gang brought stolen cattle here, cut off their brands and sewed up the hide before attaching their own brand. There are many scenic overlooks on this drive where you have fine views of

the distant La Sal Mountain Range in Utah and the snow-capped San Juan Mountains that cover much of southwestern Colorado. Another drive, east of Grand Junction, takes you to the world’s largest flat-top mountain, Grand Mesa. Take Interstate 70 east to Highway 65 and climb past Powderhorn Ski Area to the 11,000foot summit of this unusual mesa formed 10 million years ago from volcanic lava flows. This is a beautifully forested mesa with nearly 300 lakes on its broad summit and many fine hiking trails leading to grand vistas. Some of the larger lakes offer good fishing. They were formed ages ago by glaciers, but the Indians had a more colorful explanation for their origin: The Utes believed the lakes were formed when great Thunderbirds killed a giant serpent that had eaten the birds’ young. The angry Thunderbirds attacked the serpent, ripped it into hundreds of pieces and dropped the pieces from the sky onto the mesa. Those pieces hit so hard they formed holes that filled with water, creating the lakes. If you’re on Grand Mesa, be sure to see the view from Lands End. You can see all the way to Utah’s desert canyon country and the surrounding San Juan Mountains in Colorado. You can take Lands End Road back to Grand Junction if you like hair-raising switchbacks along 1,000-foot dropoffs. Otherwise, you can return through Cedaredge and Delta, the largest fruitgrowing region in Colorado. ■

10 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Remembering Andy Williams Editor’s Note: Gwen Gibson wrote the following story several years ago. By Gwen Gibson

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ould a pop singer with a smooth, citified act find success in an Ozark Mountain tourist town where country music was king? Singer Andy Williams proved it could happen in 1992 when he opened his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri, the little town that became a mecca for bigtime country music performers. Williams, known for his mellow voice and easy Crosby style, opened his 2,000-seat theater May 1 of that year. Located next door to the 4,000-seat Grand Palace of Country Music, Williams’ place was the first along Branson’s neon-lighted theater strip to feature a non-country singer.

“Most of the people who come here are country music fans, but that doesn’t mean they don’t listen to other music,” Williams said then. He had netted 17 gold records for his renditions of standard pop songs like “Moon River,” “Born Free,” “Lips of Wine” and “Days of Wine and Roses.” He said he first visited Branson in 1991 when he attended the opening of country singer Ray Stevens’ Branson theater. Williams’ brother, Don, was Steven’s manager. “After the show,” Williams recalled, “when the lights came up, somebody saw me in the audience and yelled out my name, and hundreds of people turned around and started yelling up at me, ‘Why don’t you come to Branson?’ And I realized these were some of the same people who came to see me in Tulsa, Chicago, Minneapolis and the other cities where I toured.”

See it on the Internet www.theseniorvoice.net Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming Since 1980

Andy Williams in the 1990s. Photo Maturity News Service. Williams also realized that Branson, with its population then of about 4,000 permanent residents, was expected to draw over six million visitors in 1992. Within 10 months, the entertainer had packed up his homes and businesses in Los Angeles and New York and moved to the Ozarks. His welcome to “hillbilly heaven” was marred, however, when he found himself accused of “slamming” his new hometown. The furor started when Williams gave an interview to a reporter for the Nashville “Tennessean” newspaper. Two statements by the big city singer, which were reprinted in the Springfield, Missouri “News Leader,” raised the hackles of longtime residents of Branson, which saw itself as a close-knit family town. In the first statement, Williams asked, “Why would anyone want to build a theater in Branson?” In the second, he used the word “crap” in criticizing the equipment in some of Branson’s older theaters. He didn’t dispute the quotes but argued that they were taken out of context when used in the Springfield newspaper. “I did question why anyone would build in Branson when my brother first made the suggestion,” he said. “I had never been to the Ozarks. But as the original story said, once I visited Branson I fell in love with the whole area. It’s really quite beautiful. Why else would I spend all that money and change my whole

life around if I didn’t think highly of the town?” Williams insisted that his quote about the technical aspects of Branson’s theaters was not a reflection on other entertainers. “All the performers in Branson are top rate,” he said at the time. Martha Hoy, editor of the “Branson Beacon,” said local resentment died down after her newspaper carried Williams’ explanations. Underlying the brouhaha was the rivalry, real or manufactured, between urban Nashville, the capital of country music, and rural Branson, the new center of live country music shows. The Branson boom started in 1983 after “Hee Haw’s” Roy Clark opened a theater in the tuneful town. Many other top country performers soon followed—Mickey Gilley, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Mell Tillis and Reba McEntire. Williams later built a restaurant, a 200-room hotel and a new home adjacent to his Moon River Theater. The veteran singer committed himself to an exhausting schedule of two, two-and-one-half hour shows six nights a week backed by an 11piece orchestra. He offered a bevy of familiar standards from his albums and award-winning television show, which ran from 1962 to 1971. He said at the time, “I may sing a song from my Nashville album, but I won’t do any other country music. Garth Brooks has nothing to worry about.” ■

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 11

Colorado Crosswords

Rocky Mountain Travel King

By Tony Donovan

FALL CARIBBEAN CRUISES

November 30-December 8, 2007. Aboard the Crown Princess. 7 Day, Southern from San Juan. Air Denver San Juan RT. 7 Day cruise, transfers, taxes & 1 nt. hotel. ALL-INCLUSIVE: INSIDE ( JJ) $1419 PP • BALCONY (BB) $1649 PP

PANAMA CANAL CRUISE

November 29-December 10, 2007. Aboard the Coral Princess. All-inclusive fares: airfare, pre-hotel, transfers, 10 day cruise, taxes. INSIDE $1793 PP • OUTSIDE (H-G) $1849 PP • BALCONY (BC) $2149 PP (Hosted by Sylvia Mucklow)

CANADA & NEW ENGLAND CRUISE

September 15, 2007. Aboard the Crown Princess. NYC/NYC 7-day “guaranteed”. FROM: $599 PP INSIDE STANDARD • $649 PP OUTSIDE FULL OBSTRUCTED Other dates: September 22 & 29; October 6 & 13, 2007

MEXICO CRUISES

ACROSS 1. 4. 9. 11. 12. 14. 17. 18. 19. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 27. 29. 32. 33. 36. 37.

38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 44. 46. 47. 48. 49.

___ Chance, Colorado, is about 35 miles equidistant from Brush, Strasburg and #4 down Enos Mills is said to have climbed this mountain close to 300 times Heat source? Nat’l. Anthem preposition Slightly open Pungent, colorless compound with the symbol NH3 Total or complete Go down hill as on a sled Air Force rank of an NCO above Airman 1st class (abbr.) The Concorde, for one (abbr.) Bichette of the early Rockies ___ Carson who died at Ft. Lyon, Colorado in 1868 Johnny follower Doe or cow Spitfire group of WWII fame Pigtails, for one What “E” on a gauge might mean Popular Denver bookstore, with “The” Chips or cheese lead-in Lake ___ was created by the Colorado-Big Thompson Water Diversion Project and named for a Missouri born gold seeker and later rancher named Joel Something to do in Summit County after a lift Advertising slogan “Nothing runs like ___ ___ Joe Sakic’s org. Mid April letters of note La ___ County is home to Durango Student’s concern, briefly Movie mutt of the movies’ Nick and Nora Charles Inquisitive one The “D” in DEA Jack Dempsey’s Colorado home

ANSWERS

51. Obtain through effort 52. Diamond gal of the West 53. ___ Springs is in Crowley County near Ordway 54. Star gazers tool (2 wds.) 55. “Too bad!” sounds

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. 13. 15. 16. 20. 22. 23. 26. 28. 30. 31. 34. 35. 36. 42. 43. 44. 45. 47. 48. 50.

Frog moves Elizabeth who was abducted in Utah in June ’02 and found alive nine months later New Belgium mainstay, Fat ___ See #1 across Old West cattle rustler’s fate, often Lady’s counterpart, briefly ___ Lanka Ma and Pa of 50’s movies fame (with “the”) Eerie and sinister Response to “How much sugar do you want in your coffee?” Colorado’s most famous madam who ran brothels in Georgetown and Denver and later retired on a ranch in Wray Isaac of Science Fiction notoriety “Overland” and Wells Fargo, to name two They’re mentioned in the “Lord’s Prayer” 10,000 ft. pass on U.S. 285 southeast of Breckenridge Douglas County site of the Renaissance Festival See yourself in the mirror (literally and figuratively) Word before “you” indicating a question. When it follows “you” it could be a question or statement This would help prevent West Nile disease but it’s too harmful to allow use Aries, to an astrologer ___ City is home to the Teller House Indian word of vague origin which denotes an area of W. Loveland Hymn or sacred song Noted fabulist Turns, as seniors’ hair Lake ___ is near the Nokhu Crags in the Never Summer Range Deep blue color; indigo West Nile virus preventative ingredient Pie — mode link

Colorado Crosswords are created exclusively for The Voice by Tony Donovan, who lives in Loveland.

October 14, 2007 - Mexico 7-Day. Aboard the Dawn Princess. $$ off early booking discount. FROM: $499 PP INSIDE STANDARD • $599 PP OUTSIDE FULL OBSTRUCTED Other dates: October 7, 21 & 28; November 4, 11 & 25, December 2 & 9, 2007 September 29, 2007 - Mexico 7-Day. Aboard the Golden Princess. Best available. FROM: $549 PP INSIDE STANDARD • $599 PP OUTSIDE FULL OBSTRUCTED Other dates: October 6, 13, 20 & 27; November 3, 10 & 24, December 1, 8 & 15, 2007

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12 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

First Settler By Arlene Ahlbrandt

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ntoine Janis came to northern Colorado in the early 1800s as the first white settler in the Poudre Valley. He was born in 1824 at St. Charles, Missouri and first came here at age 12 with his father and a group of French trappers. They buried a keg of gun powder in a pit near the present village of Bellvue in order to lighten their load over the mountains. And that is how the Cache la Poudre River got its name. “Cache” meant hide; “poudre” meant powder. In 1842 Janis scouted for John Fremont’s government expedition. In 1844 Janis returned to LaPorte, built a cabin and lived with his Indian wife, an Ogala Sioux said to

be the daughter of Chief Bold Wolf. Janis often traded at Fort Laramie in Wyoming and sometimes served as an interpreter for that army post. He adopted a Sioux name meaning “Yellow hair all messed up.” His brother also married an Indian woman. In 1866, President Andrew Jackson reportedly signed the first Larimer County homestead land patent to Janis. In 1878 he moved with his wife to the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, where he died in 1890. He once said that he thought the Poudre River Valley was “the loveliest place on earth.” Years later, in 1936, there were plans to get rid of the old

Antoine Janis’ cabin, built in 1844, still stands on the Fort Collins Museum grounds. Senior Voice photo. cabin Janis had built at LaPorte. But the Indian Relic and Hobby Club in Fort Collins saved it by paying $200, having it restored and placed in Lincoln Park near the city museum, where it still stands.

In 2000, a larger-than-life bronze statue of Janis was placed on the corner of Shields and West Horsetooth in Fort Collins. Commissioned by Bill Neal and made by Shelley Kerr, it is a tribute to the area’s fist settler. ■

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The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 13

Events and Exhibits Fort Collins Historic Homes Tour “Friday Night at the Diner” will kick off the 23rd annual Fort Collins Historic Homes Tour. Tickets are on sale now for the “Nifty Fifties” diner party, 5-9 pm, September 7; and the tour, 10 am to 5 pm, September 8. This Poudre Landmarks Foundation (PLF) fundraiser begins at the Silver Grill, 218 Walnut St. Proceeds benefit the PLF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving historic structures. Five vintage homes will be on the tour, plus a flapjack breakfast, Victorian tea demonstrations, and a Masterpiece Birdhouse silent auction. Call 484-7137 for costs and information.

• August 4, 2 pm, author LeAnn Thieman, writers’ workshop. • August 9, 10 am, library volunteers workshop. • August 11, 2 pm, several writers talk on endangered Poudre River. • August 15, 2 pm, free computer class. • August 16, 6 pm, Friends of the Library annual potluck dinner. • August 22, 9 am, library trustees’ meeting. • August 25, 2 pm, author Linda Masterson talks about bears. • Ongoing programs: Ruth’s Art Gallery, Story Hour, Knit and Stitch, Writers’ Group, Beading Class. For information, call Sarah Myers, 8812664.

Greeley Libraries • August 3, Farr Film Discussion Group. In connection with the 2007 High Plains Chautauqua, the Weld Library District is showing “The Crucible” based on the famous Arthur Miller play. This discussion will be co-hosted by Ron Edgerton and Gail Rowe, 6:30 pm, Farr Library, 1939 61st Avenue, call 506-8526. • August 13, Centennial Park Evening Book Club discussion on “The Painted Drum” by Louise Erdrich, 6:30 pm, Centennial Park Library, 2227 23rd Avenue, call 506-8614. • August 16, Mystery at Lunch Bunch. Bring your lunch and join us for discussions of your favorite mystery novels, 11:30 am, Centennial Park Library, call 506-8624. • August 15, Farr Evening Book Club. Farr Library, 6:30 pm, call 506-8530. • August 21, Farr Afternoon Book Club. Farr Library, 1:30 pm, call 5068534.

Poudre Canyon Quilts and Crafts The Upper Poudre Canyon Association will be holding its annual craft fair and quilt show, September 15, 9 am to 4 pm, at the Upper Poudre Canyon Church and Community Center, located 34 miles up Poudre Canyon from Ted’s Place, near marker 88.5 on Highway 14. Ladies of the canyon will have many quilts on display. Men are involved with some of the crafts that will include fleece clothing, furniture, scroll work, bead/glass, silver jewelry and more. There will also be a bake sale; and the local volunteer fire fighters will serve hamburgers and hot dogs. Weather permitting, there will be a car show. Call Chuck or Janet Rugh at 970-881-2465.

Red Feather Lakes Library • August 3, 9:30 am, author Maggie Sefton meets with Knit and Stich group.

World’s Tallest Horse at JAX The world’s tallest living horse, Radar, will be at JAX Farm and Ranch store August 12, 10 am to 4 pm. Radar is a Belgian draft horse standing over 19 hands (6 feet 7-1/2 inches) and weighing over 2,400 pounds. For information, call Penny Malsch, 221-0544 ext. 130. ■

FDA Approves Hip Procedure

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he U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hip re-surfacing surgery as an alternative to total hip replacement. Re-surfacing is often recommended for people under age 65. It makes it easier to do a total hip replacement in the future if needed. Re-surfacing also preserves more of a patient’s thigh bone and may result in quicker recovery and a greater range of motion, according to some researchers. Others say people

over 65 should probably stick with the older procedure of replacement. Re-surfacing costs about the same as replacement, $25,000 or more. Currently about 15 percent of the 300,000 Americans a year who get hip replacements would be good candidates for re-surfacing, said researchers. The problem is training enough surgeons to do the procedure and educating other doctors as to which patients would most benefit from it. ■

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14 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

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By Margaret Laybourn

Early soldiers at Fort Russell in Cheyenne. Wyoming History Museum.

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amp Carlin, the most remote army supply center in the United States, was established in 1867 near Fort D.A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The official name was Cheyenne Depot, but even government records listed it as Camp Carlin, named for Colonel Elias B. Carlin, who chose the site and built the camp. It supplied 12 army posts along 400 miles of a perilous frontier. Tons of supplies were unloaded and transferred to other military establishments — food, guns, ammunition, clothing, everything. There were 16 huge warehouses and deep root cellars to store potatoes, vegetables and other perishable items. One hundred wagons and five pack trains operated from Camp Carlin. Nothing is left of the camp now, but it was a marvel in its heyday, with hundreds of horses, mules and oxen in large stables. It contained blacksmith shops, wheelwright shops, carpenter

shops, and saddle and harness repair stations. Cook houses and barracks fed and housed the men. Can you imagine the wonder of mountain men who had been out in the wilds of Wyoming when they saw the camp? It must have been overwhelming to see such activity transplanted to the prairie. And it really was a beehive of activity—unloading the supplies, reloading the wagon trains with frantic haste. Teamsters formed a big part of the camp’s population. Famed pioneer police chief T. Joe Cahill was born in the camp to Irish immigrant parents. His father was a teamster; and after the closing of the camp, he worked excavating for the capitol building in Cheyenne. Historians credit the rapid growth of Cheyenne to the abundance of laborers, craftsmen, merchants and roustabouts that came from Camp Carlin. ■

Anemia Drugs Over-Prescribed

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any kidney dialysis patients with Medicare have been given more anemia drugs than they need simply because healthcare providers make more money when they over-prescribe the anemia drugs, according to recent hearings at the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington. Recent research shows that high doses of anemia drugs can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Senator Pete Stark (D-Calif.) said, “The current Medicare reimbursement

system creates incentives for higher dosing of anemia drugs, which lead not only to health risks but also come at a higher cost to taxpayers.” Stark wants changes that will limit incentives to over-prescribe the anemia drugs. Medicare administrator Leslie Norwalk agreed that the overprescribing has occurred and that Medicare officials have known about it for some time. He said he believes Medicare can take steps to discourage the practice. ■

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 15

When Toys Were Made to Last By Bill Jones

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aking a realistic toy was a dream Bob Smith had when he mustered out of the military after World War II. He had flown P-40s in China with the Flying Tigers—the planes decorated with sharks’ teeth behind the propellers in an attempt to frighten invading Japanese. The Flying Tigers were headed by a retired U.S. Army flyer who was hired by Chiang Kai-shek in 1937 to be an air advisor to the Chinese air force when the Japanese began bombing the country.

turing of metal parts. The toy trucks became an instant hit because they were so accurate in scale to a real Mac truck. There was even a miniature bulldog as a hood ornament. For the big double trailers of the semi trucks, they used polished aluminum with official company names of freight haulers printed on the sides. Many toy companies used replicas of existing vehicles: Buddy L made their trucks look just like the International trucks. Keystone toy trucks looked just like a Packard, and Tonka followed a Ford design. In 1947 Bob Smith left the scene

A Smith-Miller drawing for their toy fire truck. The advisor was Claire Chennault, and at first he helped the Chinese pilots; but they ended up destroying all their planes with bad landings. Chennault went to America to obtain aid and came back with 100 obsolete P-40 fighters and some American pilots. The invading Japanese were turned around. Because the U.S. was not at war with Japan at that time, the Chinese government offered the Americans a bonus of $500 for each Japanese plane they shot down. When Bob Smith mustered out, he had accumulated $10,000 from his accurate shooting in China. With this money, he financed the new toy company of Smith-Miller. Matt Miller was a partner Smith teamed up with because of Miller’s design skills. The prototype toys were made of wood before moving on to sand casting and the actual manufac-

after selling his interest in the company. The big toy trucks sold for an average of $20 each. It was an expensive toy, but they were well built and took a lot of punishment from the hands of little boys in the sandbox or back yard. Many of the toys exist today in carefully protected collections. The company spent $65,000 just for the molds of a special fire ladder truck, and that truck is a choice item in collections today. By 1952 problems plagued the company. Someone wanted to make the toys out of plastic to cut costs, and then the company named changed to Miller-Ironton. The letters MIC were gone, and the little bulldog disappeared from the hood. The toys were still durable, but the company had lost in its struggle to make quality toys by 1955; and they were broke.

In 1978 Fred Thompson took over the remnants of the toy factory and began assembling toys from stock left over from more lucrative days. He sold the toy trucks for $700 for a set of two. Fred is proud that the tough old Smith-Miller trucks are still in existence and being enjoyed by collectors. They are a good example of a lasting product in these days of throw-away

plastic toys. Another of Fred’s proud possessions are the two wooden prototypes that were left with the factory. They tell the story of a dream of a quality toy and of two men—Bob Smith and Matt Miller—who provided many hours of make-believe for many kids years ago. _________________ Bill Jones lives in Fort Collins. ■

16 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Estes Park Settlers in the 1800s By Peggy Hunt

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n 1884, William Hallett thought he was a goner when he fell into a glacier crevasse above Estes Park. He was alone. The crevasse was 30 feet deep and two feet wide. Its bottom was filled with water, and its sides were sheer, slippery ice. Luckily, he was a strong, young man. Through extreme exertion, he managed to climb out and get down off the glacier. Hallett was one of the first men on Rowe Glacier. In spite of that experience, he climbed many mountains and helped form the first mountain climbing club in Colorado. In fact, he was the star climber of the Rocky Mountain Club. Well known Halletts Peak southwest of Estes Park was later named for this early engineer who came to Colorado in 1878 after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had a cattle ranch west of Loveland and grazed his herds in

William Hallett, standing by horse, at his home in Estes Park. Colorado Historical Society the mountains near Estes Park during summer months. In 1882 he helped form the Powder River Livestock Company, which ran over

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24,000 head of cattle in Wyoming— until the severe winter of 1886 killed all but 8,000 head. After that, Hallett was a manager for a mining company and lived in Denver. But he spent every summer in Estes Park with his wife and children. They lived in a house they built, called Edgemont, near Mary’s Lake, and Hallett spent every free moment climbing the high peaks in the area. He loved the mountains so much that, when he married in 1879, his idea of a honeymoon was to take his bride on a horseback ride from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Hallett did not discover Rowe Glacier where he fell into the crevasse. Israel Rowe (rhymes with ‘how’) found it in 1880 due to an unusual circumstance. That year, great clouds of grasshoppers flew across the plains, into the Rockies and died in the mountains. Bears consider grasshoppers a delicacy, and many bears around Estes Park went after the hoppers. Rowe was a bear hunter. While pursuing one, he discovered the glacier later named for him. Rowe and his wife came to Estes Park in 1875 to help build a road. She had two small children but helped earn the living by cooking for the road gang—out of a tent,

over an open campfire. And that’s how two of Estes Park’s famous landmarks got their names. ■

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Historic Homes Tour

“Everything Old Is New Again!” $25 in advance ($30 day of tour)

Ticket Outlets: • Avery House, 328 W. Mountain (open 1-3 p.m., Weds. and Sun.) • Clay’s Ace Hardware, 1001 E. Harmony • The Collective, 109 S. College • Downtown Ace, 227 S. College • Fort Collins Nursery, 2121 E. Mulberry • Poudre Valley Co-op, 225 NW Frontage • Perennial Gardener, 154 N. College • Silver Grill, 218 Walnut

Also selling advance tickets to “Friday Night at the Diner” –– a First Friday event at the Silver Grill, 218 Walnut St. Return to the “Nifty Fifties,” for food, fun, and frolic, 5-9 p.m., Sept. 7. $20 per person advance purchase or at the door.

For information, call Susan at (970) 484-7137.

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 17

STRUGGLE TO BATHE?

Your Questions WALK-IN BATHTUB About Investing SAFETY

By Scott Burns Financial Writer Q: I am retired and 69 years old. I have an IRA account with Putnam, which I opened in 1993. It has a current value of about $100,000. The account consists of Class A shares in Putnam Voyager fund and another Putnam fund. The expenses of both funds are above average. The returns are below average. I am considering moving the account to another IRA. My plan is to take only the required annual distributions when necessary. Do you feel the Vanguard 500 Index fund is a good choice for the transfer? Can you recommend any other funds you feel would be better? Is it better to use a broker like Schwab, or go directly to Vanguard or Dodge and Cox? A: Moving is a good idea. Performance has been poor. Voyager fund, one of the big-time losers in the 2000-2003 crash, has been a consistently poor performer over the usual measuring periods in the last 10 years. In the 12 months ending May 31, for instance, it trailed the S&P 500 index by 7.46 percent. It also trailed 76 percent of its competition. You have to go to a 15-year investing period before its performance was in the top 50 percent (47 percent, to be precise). Even then it trailed the S&P 500 index by 1.72 percent a year for 15 years. But you have another reason to change funds. You’re taking too much

risk. You’re approaching the need to take required minimum distributions (RMDs), and you should change your investments accordingly. The simple path is to buy shares in a balanced fund, preferably a low-cost index portfolio of stocks and bonds. One candidate is Vanguard Balanced Index (ticker: VBINX), which is 60 percent total U.S. market and 40 percent total U.S. bond market. Its current yield, about 2.9 percent, will go a long way toward meeting your coming RMD requirement. A better (but still simple) path would be to create your own balanced fund. Buy two separate funds, an equity index fund such as Vanguard Total Stock Index (ticker: VTSMX), which duplicates the entire U.S. market, and a bond fund such as Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities (ticker: VIPSX). Having two separate funds would allow you to draw money from the bond fund when equities were having a bad year. And you could draw from the equities fund when they were having a good year. Since that’s a basic Couch Potato portfolio, you could also diversify further by using my Couch Potato Building Blocks. This can be done at Vanguard without the commis sion

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costs for buying Vanguard funds through a Schwab account. ________________ You can send questions to: [email protected]. ■

Research on Staph Infections

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ver 1.2 million U.S. hospital patients have drug-resistant staph infections each year—about 10 times more than previously estimated. That was the finding reported at the recent annual meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology held in San Jose, California. The report was written by William Jarvis, former acting director of the hospital infections program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). He said the CDC previously estimated that

126,000 patients had staph infections. The latest study surveyed over 1,200 hospitals and nursing homes. If the study is accurate, researchers estimate that nearly 120,000 patients annually could die of staph infection. Lisa McGiffert with Consumers Union said not enough is being done to protect patients from the infection: “Hospitals are going to have to do more. They have to be more aggressive, and it’s just not happening.” ■

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18 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

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By Michael Hollis Social Security Office, Greeley

H

ere is some Social Security information you might find helpful as you plan for retirement. For the average wage earner, Social Security replaces about 40 percent of pre-retirement earnings. The amount of your retirement is based on your age at retirement and on your earnings averaged over most of your working lifetime. Your benefit can increase in two ways. First, each additional year you work adds another year of earnings to your Social Security record, and higher lifetime earnings may result in higher benefits when you retire. Second, your benefit increases by a certain percentage when you delay retirement. For example, if you were born in 1936, your benefit increases 6 percent each year you delay retirement, up to age 70. The maximum Social Security benefit in January

Dealing with Signs of Stroke

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ver 20 percent of hospital workers give the wrong advice to patients who call and ask what they should do if they might be having a stroke. And most Americans confuse the warning signs of a stroke with those of a heart attack. Those were the findings of a study reported in the medical journal “Stroke.” Hospital workers often advised people to see their family doctor. They should have told them to call 911 and

Margaret Rado, OD Contact Lens Specialist

get to a hospital quickly, said researchers. Stroke treatment needs to begin as soon as possible when warning signs appear. It could take considerable time to reach a family doctor. When researchers asked people— and hospital workers–for the warning signs, most gave those for a heart attack (chest pain, etc.) instead of a stroke (numbness on one side of the body, trouble speaking, severe headache, etc.). ■

Combining Drugs with Aspirin

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2006 for a worker retiring at full retirement age was $2,053. Social Security benefits are considered taxable income for beneficiaries whose countable income exceeds certain limits. Countable income includes adjusted gross income, tax-exempt interest income, and part of Social Security benefits. The amount of Social Security benefits subject to federal income tax is (1) up to 50 percent for people with annual incomes from $25,000 through $44,000; and (2) up to 85 percent for people whose incomes exceed $34,000 and joint tax filers whose incomes exceed $44,000. For more information about Social Security and retirement planning, see Social Security’s website at www.socialsecurity.gov. Or you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY, 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the publication “Retirement Benefits.” You can also call your local Social Security office. ■

f you take low doses of aspirin to avoid heart problems, be careful what other pain killer you combine it with. That’s the conclusion of a report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Researchers concluded that naproxen is the best pain killer to combine with aspirin. Other pain killers such as ibuprofen might interact unfavorably with aspirin. The researchers were looking at pain killers commonly used

by rheumatoid arthritis sufferers and others seeking pain relief. “Traditional NSAIDSs, and ibuprofen in particular, do have the potential to interact with the effects of aspirin,” said Dr. Michael E. Farkouh at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He added, “For patients at high cardiovascular risk, naproxen is the drug of choice. It has the best overall safety record.” ■

The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 19

Charles Lindbergh’s Colorado Connection By Lois Hall

F

amous aviator Charles Lindbergh was associated with an interesting story in northern Colorado. In 1923 a Boulder man named Fred Fair was promoting local tourism and offered $1,000 to any pilot who could land a plane on the St. Vrain Glacier in the high mountains just west of Boulder. Several glaciers had been discovered in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, and Boulder businessmen thought the airplane stunt would bring national publicity to the area. Some pilots considered trying the stunt. But after examining the region and looking at the dangers, none of them wanted to try it— except a young, lanky barnstormer called Slim Lindbergh. He flew his plane to Boulder one day and told Fair he would land anywhere for $1,000. Fair was

  

excited—until he saw Lindbergh’s plane. It was a beat up, rickety thing held together mainly by bailing wire. Fair decided that, if the plane crashed, Boulder would get the wrong kind of publicity. So he told Lindbergh he didn’t think he could make a safe return trip. Lindbergh pointed out that the offer said nothing about a return trip. “I don’t plan to fly out,” he said. He was simply going to skid onto the glacier and leave the plane—probably ruined anyway by the landing—on the mountain. He figured he could buy another one for $1,000. The Boulder promoters turned him down. But just four years later, Slim Lindbergh made the first transAtlantic flight from New York to Paris and acquired a new nickname, Lone Eagle, for the daring journey he made alone. That nickname was later given to

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Charles Lindbergh. Colorado Historical Society. a 12,000-foot mountain above Boulder when Lone Eagle Peak was named for Lindbergh. It still bears that name. When he was trying to raise money for his Paris flight, Lindbergh landed in a meadow near Lake Granby in western Colorado, where a wealthy man from St.

Louis, Missouri, had a ranch. Knight Ridge by Lake Granby was named for Harry Knight, who helped finance Lindbergh’s flight in 1927. Because Harry Knight was from St. Louis, Lindbergh’s plane was called The Spirit of St. Louis. So there was a Colorado connection to that historic flight. ■

20 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Great Hikes at Steamboat Springs By Peggy Hunt

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arkview Mountain Trail is a moderate ten-mile roundtrip, day hike east of Steamboat Springs and about 35 miles southwest of Walden. You climb to the 12,300-foot summit of Parkview Mountain and along the highest point of the Rabbit Ears Mountain Range. You should see elk and fewer hikers here than in many other parts of Colorado. You also have fine views of North Park and Middle Park, huge ranching valleys between the mountain ranges of northern Colorado. You can see most of the Continental Divide that runs through northern Colorado here. If the weather is clear, you can see all the way to Wyoming’s Medicine Bow Range and, with binoculars, the sand dunes at the south base of that range. To the east lie the Never Summer Range and the high peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park. Also to the east is the Walden area, which contains the largest moose herds in Colorado. To reach the trailhead, go south of

The mountains at Steamboat Springs. Walden on Highway 125 to the top of Willow Creek Pass. Just over the pass about one-half mile, you can park along the second timber road on your right, walk up the road to a small stream, turn right, then left where the road forks, and start your climb. Another hike, the Wyoming Trail, is a long 40-mile hike along the Continental Divide, north from Buffalo Pass through the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area and into the Medicine Bow National Forest just

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across the Wyoming border. This trail is above treeline much of the way and difficult to follow in places. So get a good map from the Hahns Peak Ranger District. You can shorten the hike by going only part way to Seedhouse Road near the village of Clark. Local ranchers use part of the Wyoming Trail, and you might see cattle as well as deer and elk. You will certainly see some of Colorado’s finest backcountry and enjoy views of mountain ranching and hunting areas. This part of the state is especially colorful in autumn when the aspen turn gold and the oakbrush deep red, transforming entire mountain sides into bright, living canvases. Other good hikes in the Steamboat area include the one to Luna Lake, where you will find good fishing in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area. Many trails take off from Seedhouse Road (Forest Service Road 400), including those leading to Gilpin Lake, Gold Creek Lake and Three Island Lake. The trail to Dome Lake is an especially good backpacking trip where you can climb an 11,740-foot giant monolith called the Dome. Fish Creek Falls near Steamboat is a spectacular 283-foot waterfall that many people drive to. You can view it from above by hiking Fish Creek Falls Trail, which also continues along the Continental Divide to another group of waterfalls and some good camp sites. The Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area north of Steamboat offers many less crowded trails. Hikes here include those to Gold Creek Lake, Iceland Lake and Mica Lake, all of which offer good fishing and wildlife viewing. ■

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The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 21

By Bill Lambdin

M

any Medicare participants still have trouble determining which drug plans cover the medicines they need under the Medicare Part D program, according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Nearly 60 percent surveyed say they have had trouble getting a prescription filled. Many take a prescription to a pharmacy and discover that their Part D insurance plan does not cover the medicine they need. That’s mainly because there are so many drug plans—more than 1,800—and neither patients nor their doctors have time to sort through all of them. And even after patients pick a plan, they may discover that after a few months the plan no longer covers the medicine they need. Insurance companies can drop or add medicines they cover, leaving patients scrambling to find another plan. Part D needs to be much simpler, say analysts. “With the amount of money we are putting into this

program, people in Medicare and the American taxpayer should be getting far better health care,” said Robert Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a consumer advocacy group in New York. Analysts say information is not readily available to doctors; so they can’t help patients decide which plan to choose. Nearly 20 percent of the doctors surveyed said some patients were unable to get a prescription filled because of Part D complications and bureaucratic blunders. That resulted in serious medical consequences for their patients, said the doctors. Complications arise in part because every Part D insurance company has its own list of drugs it will cover (called formularies). Some companies cover the brand name version of a drug; others cover only the generic. Some require a high copayment for a certain drug; others do not. And there are numerous other things a patient must try to figure out. Part D needs a lot of simplification, say Hayes and other analysts. ■

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Get to the Right Hospital

I

f you or someone in your family has a heart attack or another serious medical problem, try to get to a hospital capable of dealing with the problem, not just any hospital. Many hospitals do not have the equipment, doctors or drugs to handle things like stroke, serious heart attack or high-risk birth. Researchers at Health Grades and other groups say you should plan ahead because you might have trouble convincing an ambulance driver to take you to the

C

system saves money by having government control of prescription drug prices and administrative cost savings that aren’t possible under the U.S. system. The study did not deal with delays some Canadians experience in receiving health care, which other studies have cited. But researchers said, in many cases, the outcomes for Canadian patients were actually better than for American patients. ■

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“The entire staff at Kirk Eye Center is so caring. I have become friends with everyone here.”

hospital you need. Ambulances will usually take you to the nearest hospital. You might need a helicopter to get to the right one, especially if you live in a rural area. You also want treatment by an experienced doctor who has done hundreds of the procedures you need. To find such hospitals and doctors, see HealthGrades.com; JointCommission.org; HospitalCompare.hhs.gov. ■

— Claude Earl Kissack Berthoud

Earl Kissack doesn’t let his struggle with diabetes keep him from experiencing life. His home in rural Berthoud allows him to enjoy gardening, farming and working with his horses. Making sure that his eye health is taken care of is an essential and regular process.

Canada’s Health System anada spends much less per person on health care than the United States, but the results are just as good, according to a research report in the medical journal “Open Medicine.” Researchers said Canada, which has a government-run health care system, spends about $3,000 per person a year. The United States spends $7,100 per person each year under its system run by private insurance. The researchers said Canada’s

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Another eye doctor who wasn’t experienced to handle the problems caused by diabetes referred Earl to Dr. Kirk. Once a month Earl comes in to have his eyes checked. He also meets with another specialist who comes to the Kirk Eye Center to help keep Earl’s eyesight stabilized.

“Dr. Kirk really takes time to get to the bottom of any problems that I am having. He has done several laser surgeries for me, and takes the time to make sure that I have the best eyesight that I can. The staff calls to check on me regularly. The quality of treatment, the commitment to optical health and the respect for patients at Kirk Eye Center is absolutely the BEST!” If you’d like to see your future more clearly choose Kirk Eye Center as your eye care provider. You’ll be glad you did.

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Medicare Problems

22 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

Laughter is Still the Best Medicine

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woman applying for a job picking lemons in Florida appeared over qualified, and the foreman asked, “Have you had any experience picking lemons?” She said, “Yes, I’ve been divorced three times.” Why is it so hard to solve a redneck murder? All the DNA is the same. The reason congressmen try so hard to get re-elected is that they know they couldn’t make a living under the laws they’ve passed. When the bride approached the alter with her father, she put something in his hand before he sat down. Guests in the front row laughed, and the preacher smiled. He gave her away in marriage, and she gave him back his credit card. A man climbed to the top of Mount Sinai and asked the Lord, “What does a million years mean to you?” “A minute.” “What does a million dollars mean to you?”

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“A penny.” “May I have a penny?” “In a minute.” Watch for these mergers: Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R.Grace Company will merge and become Hale Mary Fuller Grace. 3M will merge with Goodyear and become MMMGood. FedEx will merge with its competitor, UPS, and become FedUP. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will merge and become Knott NOW! Errors in newspapers and advertisements: Notice: If you are one of hundreds of parachuting enthusiasts who bought our Easy Sky Diving book, please make the following correction: On page 8, line 7, the words “state zip code” should read “pull rip cord.” Correction to the story about the Deep Relaxation development program: The program will include meditation, not medication. Just to keep the record straight, it was the famous Whistler’s Mother, not Hitler’s, that was exhibited. There

It’s Not How Fast Or Slow You drive The question Is how You arrive. –Burma Shave

is nothing to be gained by trying to explain how this error occurred. We inadvertently left out the word “sheep” in the following sentence: “Woodrow Wilson’s wife grazed on the front lawn of the White House.” In yesterday’s Food Section, an inaccurate number of jalapeno peppers was given for Jeanette Crowley’s southwestern chicken salad recipe. The recipe calls for 2, not 21, jalapeno peppers. From Mark Twain: When angry, count to 100. When very angry, swear. When I reflect upon the number of

disagreeable people I know who have gone to a better world, I am moved to lead a different life. Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example. Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand. Man is the only animal that blushes—or needs to. Familiarity breeds contempt—and children. ■

Dietary Supplements By Bill Lambdin

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he U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs to meet guidelines that supposedly will ensure the supplements actually contain the ingredients listed on their labels and are safe. Previously, supplements were basically unregulated by the FDA because they were not considered foods or drugs. But the FDA initiated regulations after it tested some supplements and found that they contained lower amounts of vitamins and other elements than the labels claimed. Some also contained ingredients that were not listed, such as erectile dysfunction drugs. The FDA requirements will not be effective for some time, however. Large supplement manufacturers have at least a year to comply; small manufacturers have up to three years. Critics say the new requirements are not enough. They “will not do anything to ensure that dietary supplements are safe or effective,” said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Public

Citizen Health Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. Janell M. Duncan with the Consumers Union said, “Consumers still (will) have no idea if a given product works or whether it is dangerous.” Consumers Union publishes Consumer Reports magazine. Such critics point out that the FDA does not consider supplements as drugs, though many consumers use them as drugs to treat themselves for health problems. Critics also note that the new rules allow manufacturers to be exempt from some testing of ingredients. Manufacturers generally support the new rules which, they say, will give consumers more confidence in supplements. “We are optimistic that these new dietary supplement good manufacturing practices will enhance consumer confidence in these popular products by raising the bar on production standards, helping ensure quality, and leveling the playing field for all dietary supplement companies,” said Steve Mister, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, which represents manufacturers. ■

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The Senior Voice • August 2007 • 23

Retirement Investing By Scott Burns Financial Writer Q: I can’t stand the thought of putting my retirement funds in the stock market. All I hear and read is that I will be sure to starve if I don’t. However, what is wrong with maxing out my 401(k)—which would be approximately $15,000 a year— and investing this sum in the U.S. Treasury securities that my Federal Employees TSP offers? These securities pay about 5 percent a year and there is no risk. I even get a 5 percent match on my contributions. The thought of an extended down market, just when I want to retire, is just too scary. Why not settle for a lower return and just save more money? What do you think? A: You’re ahead of the crowd. Events regularly prove that most people don’t truly understand risk until they experience a large loss. Many people, for instance, were wildly overconfident in the late 1990s as the stock market

soared year after year. They went into retirement early with lots of money and then got clobbered by the 2000-2002 crash. The losses permanently reduced their standard of living. Others get talked into taking risk because it’s the only way they can hope to have the income they want in retirement. Rather than set more modest spending goals, they ask their money to work harder. The investment business encourages this kind of thinking because the fees are higher. You, however, could max out your 401(k) and invest in Treasurys as you suggest. The one flaw in your approach is that even Treasurys have risk—interest rate risk. You can overcome that when you retire by establishing an IRA rollover brokerage account and buying a series of TIPS (individual Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) with different maturities. Then you would enjoy a safe, inflation-protected return of nearly 3 percent. ■

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Published since 1980, The Senior Voice is your locally owned newspaper serving residents age 50-plus. We thank our readers and advertisers for their support.

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24 • August 2007 • The Senior Voice

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