The Senior Voice - January 2009

The Senior

I O C V E Januar y 2009

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

Ghost Ghost Towns Town Tincup and In Northern Saint Elmo Colorado

Poudre Longs Canyon

Peak

Early Travel

Pioneer Climbers

Blizzard of 1913 Outlaws North Colorado In Early

Colorado

Estate Planning, Skiing Health, Steamboat and Springs News

2 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

About Medicare By U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

O WHEN IT’S TIME TO MAKE

a change...

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ur health care system is broken, and Americans are feeling the pain. Washington needs to address this. We can start with some practical solutions that members of both political parties should agree on. First, we should expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Right now millions of children are uninsured. We should immediately pass bipartisan legislation to help cover them. Second, we should grant Medicare the ability to negotiate with drug companies to bring down the cost of medicines. This will help contain the spiraling costs of that program. Third, we need to give consumers information needed to make wise health care decisions. To that end, I’ve introduced consumer protection legislation that would require insurance companies to have a standardized description of benefits. Just like the sticker you see

when buying a car, you should have straightforward information on the health care plan you’re choosing. Fourth, we should reduce costs by deploying electronic health records and making better use of information technology. In many ways, health care bureaucracy is stuck in the dark ages. Fifth, we should allow the reimportation of prescription drugs to lower costs for consumers. It is an outrage that Americans don’t have access to the same high-quality, safe prescription drugs that are available for far less in Canada. I will be active in these efforts in Washington. I hope you will look at my website, www.salazar.senate.gov, and share your ideas with me. It will take courage to fix our health care system, but we I believe we can do it. ________________ You can call Sen. Ken Salazar’s Fort Collins office at 224-2200. I

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Major Change in Medicaid

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new federal regulation now allows states to charge lowincome Medicaid patients premiums and higher co-payments for their health services. Co-payments will not be much for the poorest patients, only about $3.50 for a doctor visit, for instance. But some Medicaid patients with incomes above the poverty level will pay up to 20 percent co-pays for services. Some will pay $30 for a $150 drug prescription. Critics say this will discourage many such patients from getting

medical services. State and federal officials agree but say the change is needed to control rapidly rising Medicaid costs and discourage patients from using emergency rooms for routine care. Many Medicaid patients are immigrants. The program also covers children of low-income families and poor retirees. Government officials expect the change to affect 13 million people (about one-fifth of all Medicaid recipients). The change could reduce Medicaid costs by several billion dollars over the next few years. I

Medicare Coverage Varies

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any Medicare patients do not know that the program will pay for some treatments in one state but not another. For instance, a new prostate cancer treatment called CyberKnife is covered by Medicare in New Hampshire but not across the border in Vermont. This mainly affects new treatments like CyberKnife, which is not covered in Colorado, Wyoming and 15 other states. States decide if the treatment is too experimental and does not have a long enough history of success.

CyberKnife is a new radiation treatment for prostate cancer that is more convenient than traditional procedures, requiring only five days of treatment instead of eight weeks. Some doctors say it is a great improvement; others say we do not know enough about its safety or long-term effects and consider it “investigational.” Each state has a Medicare contractor that determines what treatments will be covered. The contractors are units of private insurance companies. I

The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 3

Colorado Ghost Towns

Published Locally Since 1980 VOL. 29, NO. 2

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

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

SALES OFFICES:

Ft. Collins and Greeley (970) 229-9204 Tincup in the late 1800s. Colorado Historical Society. By Bill Lambdin

C

olorado has many ghost towns that are fun to discover when you’re hiking or driving in the mountains, and they can put you in touch with the state’s colorful past. Two of them are Tincup and Saint Elmo. Tincup is northeast of Gunnison, about 12 miles south of Taylor Park Reservoir on the Cumberland Pass Road (or 26 miles north of the town of Pitkin). Tincup was a wild, wicked mining town controlled entirely by owners of the saloons, gambling halls and whorehouses. The town went through seven sheriffs in a few short years. The first sheriff, known as Old Man Willis, was told: “See nothing, hear nothing, do nothing. The first arrest you make will be your last.” Willis soon resigned because he received no pay. His successor, Tom Lahay, jailed several people and was fired. The third sheriff was gunned down by Lahay. The fourth was shot by the owner of Frenchy’s

Saloon, one of the most notorious dives in early Colorado. The fifth sheriff, Jack Ward, quit to become a preacher. The sixth, Sam Micky, went insane and was committed to an asylum. The seventh was shot. Only the eighth sheriff managed to last out his term. It was 1860 when, according to early residents, a prospector named Jim Taylor dipped his tin drinking cup in a stream here and saw flakes of gold in the cup. Some people said that was how the town of Tincup got its name. By 1882 Tincup had 3,000 residents, 20 saloons and enough whorehouses for an army. Business was booming, especially at the undertaker’s place. The town had four cemeteries. One visitor was awakened one morning when someone fired eight shots into his tent. He never knew why. The mines began to play out quickly, and by 1890 Tincup was in decline. It slumbered for years, but it was located in such a scenic area that people began building summer cabins there in the 1900s,

and today it is a popular vacation spot. Saint Elmo was over the Continental Divide east of Tincup, southwest of present Buena Vista and 17 miles west of the town of Nathrop. Founded in 1880, Saint Elmo was both a mining camp and supply town for other camps in the area. In the mid-1880s, its population reached nearly 2,000 but declined rapidly after a fire destroyed much of the town in 1890. In its heyday, Saint Elmo was so crowded that men slept on saloon floors and any place they could get out of the weather. One visitor recalled asking a hotel owner for separate rooms for himself and a friend. The owner replied, “I’ll give you a bed, and you can draw a chalk mark around it for a room.” Early Colorado was a tough, hardscrabble place. ________________ COVER PICTURE: Two young foxes in the mountains. Courtesy of the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce. See their website at www.grandlakechamber.com. I

Loveland and Estes Park (970) 482-8344 EDITORIAL DEADLINE Announcements and stories must be received by the 10th of the month.; ads by the 20th 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 2009 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 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

A Blizzard in Greeley, 1913 (Editor’s Note: Greeley historian Hazel Johnson wrote the following story years ago.) By Hazel Johnson

“G

reeley Isolated By Worst Snowstorm in Its History” was the headline December 5, 1913. Business was at a standstill— traffic paralyzed, wires down, trains running hours behind time. All social events were cancelled. It started snowing on December 1 and kept at it until December 5. Greeley wound up with a total of nearly 33 inches of snow. Heavy and wet, it caused considerable damage to buildings. The telephone company used a gas engine to keep service going.

Street car service was abandoned, the streetcars left standing where they stopped. The fire truck, loaded with apparatus, would have been unable to reach a fire quickly, if at all. Out at Roggen where the John Klug ranch was located, 500 cattle were starving after being marooned from a herd of 1,100. Cowboys tied four horses, one in front of the other, and managed to break a trail for the cattle, saving 495 of them. A “nice miserable” snow was the way Stow Witwer of the SLW ranch described it. No blizzard with it—snow so crusted that you could ride a horse over it. Snow was up to the second wire on a three-wire fence, so you could step over the top wire.

Pioneers in a sod house on the plains. Photo Hazel E. Johnson Collection. Antelope and jackrabbits gathered around haystacks for food. By December 6, the sun was shining and trains were creeping through. Greeley businessmen turned out with picks and shovels to clear the streetcar tracks.

They made a fun time of it. Merchants modeled snow in front of their businesses, built tunnels and displays that entertained shoppers. It was a tough winter, but not as tough as the early residents who made Greeley what it is today. I

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The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 5

Early Poudre Canyon By Peggy Hunt

T

ravel up the Poudre Canyon in the 1800s was difficult and sometimes dangerous. It was a day’s ride by horse or wagon from Fort Collins to Livermore, and another day to reach the canyon at Rustic. A road was not cut through the narrow rock walls of the lower Poudre until 1920; so early travelers had to go to The Forks and Livermore, take the the Red Feather Lakes Road west, then go south over Pingree Hill to reach Rustic and the upper Poudre Canyon. Shortly after 1880, Luke Voorhees began operating a stage line on that route from Fort Collins toward Walden. He did it because the mining towns of Lulu City and Teller City had been established west of Cameron Pass. Vorhees ran a daily stagecoach pulled by six horses. By changing teams every 12 or 15 miles, the stage could make the trip over Cameron Pass in one day. But it was a long day and a rough ride.

Women’s Heart Attacks

W

oman who have a severe heart attack are twice as likely to die in a hospital as men with the same condition. That means women are “under treated” for severe heart attacks by hospital doctors, said a report in the medical journal Circulation. Researchers studied more than 78,000 heart attack victims in 420 U.S. hospitals. They found that women were less likely to receive beta blocker drugs, reperfusion therapy to restore blood flow, or angioplasty within 90 minutes of arriving at a hospital. They were also less likely to receive aspirin. The type of heart attack studied was a myocardial infarction involving a complete blockage of a coronary artery. For that, women often do not have the chest pain or pressure men experience, and the lack of such warning signs might be one reason women are under treated. But the study should be a wakeup call to hospitals, said researchers. I

Pioneer Norman Fry recalled that, even for good stage drivers, the trip was a tricky business: “The onetrack wagon road was nothing to brag about...just literally the width of a wagon track...It was quite an art to drive a single rig over the road without upsetting.” The stage also delivered mail to several post offices. Livermore post office opened in 1871. Another opened at Chambers Lake in 1880, Rustic in 1880, and Kinnikinik in 1882. Stages could not run in deep winter snows, so mail had to be delivered by men wearing snowshoes or riding on a bobsled pulled by a horse. In 1881, John McNabb often snowshoed from Chambers Lake post office, over Cameron Pass, to Teller City near Gould to deliver mail to miners. It was a hazardous trip in those high mountains where an avalanche or wild animal could mean sudden death to a man walking alone. Freezing to death could be equally threatening. McNabb lived through it, mainly because he was a strong,

Cameron Pass above Poudre Canyon. Senior Voice photo. determined pioneer. In 1913-1914, a blizzard isolated Poudre Canyon from December until May. All roads were closed, and the small mountain settlements were cut off from the rest of the world for months, except for snowshoe or bobsled travel. Things were better when Stanley Steamer automobiles came along in the early 1900s. But not always. In 1912, a group of travelers pulled their car onto the edge of the canyon road to let a team and wagon pass. The car slid off the side and tumbled down, spilling its passengers over the cliff. Today we still follow the same Poudre Canyon route pioneers did in

the 1800s. In fact, Indians used the route centuries before white settlers arrived, and prehistoric Folsom people used it 10,000 years ago. The Folsom people hunted with stone spear points attached to wooden shafts, hoping to see a deer or elk that would feed their family. They also paused sometimes to admire the river as it tumbled down this magnificent canyon and glistened in the sunlight below clear, blue skies. They listened to the breeze gently blowing through the pine trees, and they felt the warm sunshine on a beautiful summer day, just as we do. We travel an ancient trail up the Poudre. I

6 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

Buy Long-Term Care Insurance? By Ron Rutz, Attorney Legal Correspondent Q: I met with several long-term care insurance salespeople, but I am confused about what I have been told. Any suggestions? A: Two basic questions need to be answered: Is the fear of losing everything because of nursing home expenses realistic? Is the cost of long-term care insurance premiums

worth the protection gained under the policy? If you are over age 70, the odds of being in a nursing home are about 20 percent you never will be in one; 20 percent you will stay for three months or less; 20 percent you will stay for six months or less; 20 percent you will be in a nursing home for a year or less; and 20 percent you will stay for more than a year.

Take this opportunity to interact with an income expert who has been helping people create the retirement they choose for over 15 years! Glen will focus on Overcoming the Obstacles to Securing Your Future Retirement Income and the current resources and opportunities available for that purpose. One of the many issues to be discussed is the effect the shrinking dollar has on the way we plan for retirement, as well as the realistic amount of income that can be potentially drawn from one’s retirement assets.

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The high cost of keeping up with inflation Amount required to maintain $100 in purchasing power over the period 1978 – 2008.

Source: June 2008 – U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation Calculator, www.bls.gov/cpi/.

The average stay in a nursing home is about 14 months. Thus for about 80 percent of the population over 70, nursing home exposure will be for less than a year. However, for the other 20 percent, the stay is significantly longer, pulling up the average to 14 months. Medicare will pay for up to three months of skilled nursing home care. Thus many people qualify for at least part of that assistance period. Let’s say that a person is in a nursing home for 14 months, qualifies for two months of Medicare help, has a monthly income of $3,000, and the nursing home costs $6,000 a month. That person could end up paying $40,000 for the 14month stay. However, remember that for 80 percent of the population over the age of 70, the amount will be less, since the odds are that they will be in a nursing home for less than a year. Thus, I recommend coverage for two years, depending on the health and assets of a person. Also,

depending on income, an average monthly coverage of around $3,000 to $4,000 should work. I recommend that you exceed the foregoing only if you have reason to believe that you will be part of the 20 percent who will have a nursing home stay of more than a year, or if you are a belt-and-suspenders type of person who feels the need to be prepared for the worst and can afford to spend your money that way. Many people will not benefit from nursing home insurance, especially those with low incomes and few assets, and those with high incomes and many assets. Those with low incomes will get Medicaid. The wealthy won’t need help. If you purchase long-term care insurance, try to have some in-home expenses covered. ________________ Attorney Ron Rutz will answer questions sent to 2625 Redwing Road, Suite 180, Fort Collins, CO 80526, email [email protected], phone 223-8388. I

Information on Medicare Benefits By Michael Hollins, Director Social Security Office, Greeley

I

f you are eligible for Medicare Part B but you didn’t sign up for it when you first became eligible for Medicare, you will have another opportunity to apply. Open season for Medicare Part B enrollment runs from January 1 until March 31, 2009. If you miss this deadline, you will have to wait until 2010 to apply. Part B covers some medical expenses not covered by Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), including doctors’ fees, outpatient hospital visits, and other medical services and supplies. When you first become eligible for hospital insurance (Part A), you have an initial enrollment period of seven-months in which to sign up for Part B. After that, you have to pay a higher premium unless the reason you declined Part B was because you were covered through

an employer’s group health plan. You are given another opportunity to enroll in Part B during the general enrollment period each year from January 1 to March 31. But for each 12-month period that you are eligible for Part B and do not sign up, the amount of your monthly premium increases by 10 percent. • Medicare is made up of four parts: • Part A helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, some home care, and hospice care. • Part B helps pay for doctors’ services and many other medical services and supplies that are not covered by the hospital insurance. • Part C (Medicare Advantage) allows you to receive all of your health care services through one provider. This is available in certain areas. • Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage) helps pay for prescription medicines. Some low-income people can get help paying for Part D premiums and medicines. I

The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 7

Colon Cancer Tests M

ost people over age 75 should not have routine colonoscopies for colon cancer tests, according to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The recommendation came from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group of medical experts. They said risks outweigh benefits of such tests because of the possibility of a perforated colon, infection, and reactions to sedatives in people over age 75. A person’s medical history and other factors might warrant having the test, but not in most cases. The task force also studied three new colon cancer screening tests and recommended more research be done on them before they are approved. The screenings are an X-ray called a virtual colonoscopy, a CT colonography, and a stool DNA test. For people 50 to 75, the task force recommends an annual screening with a blood test, a colonoscopy every 10 years or a combination blood and

flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years. A sigmoidoscopy is less invasive than a colonoscopy. Elsewhere, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine that a new DNA stool sample test is much more effective than an older version of DNA testing for colon cancer. “This is a very important finding,” said Dr. David Ahlquist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It could encourage many more people to have a test for colorectal cancer because the stool test is much less invasive than a colonoscopy. The colonoscopy is still the most accurate test, but the new DNA stool sample is much improved. In studies, it detected 40 percent of cancer cases and serious polyp growth. The older stool test detected only 20 percent of cancer cases. The new test is available now and will be improved even more within the next year or so, said researchers. More than half of American adults have not had a colorectal cancer test. I

False Claims of Cancer Cures

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he U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued consumer warnings about products advertised as cancer cures, and the FTC told several companies they cannot mislead people with false claims of cures. Products named by the FTC for making false claims include essiac teas, black salve, laetrile, and mushroom extracts. “There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure or treat cancer of any

kind,” said FTC official Lydia Parnes. The FTC has issued warning letters to more than 100 companies, mostly those advertising products on the Internet. Millions of Americans use products that have not been adequately researched, said Parnes. Some products that seem harmless can actually do considerable damage, say researchers at the American Institute for Cancer Research. Antioxidants, for instance, can interfere with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I

New Test For Staph Infection

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he U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new test that can quickly detect the infection MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureas, or staph infection) that causes so much trouble for hospital patients. The test, called Xpert, works in less than an hour. Previous tests took up to three days. This “will enable clinicians to make real-time decisions as to the best course of treatment,” said John Bishop, chief executive officer of

Cepheid, the California company that makes the test. In the past, hospital patients who acquired MRSA required an average of 18 additional days in the hospital, according to the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Doctors hope the new test will allow them to treat MRSA cases sooner, shorten stays and save money. About 800,000 patients contract MRSA annually after surgery, costing the U.S. health care system over $9 billion a year. I

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8 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

Unusual Pioneer Woman By Margaret Laybourn

E

ula Wolfjen was born in 1872 and rode a horse on her father’s Texas ranch before she could walk. At age 7, the spunky and precocious little pioneer told John Kendrick, a handsome young cowboy working for her father, “I’m going to marry you when I grow up.” John, an orphan like Eula’s father, assisted the rancher in trailing cattle from Texas to Colorado and Wyoming. John later kept in close touch with the family who befriended him. In 1891 at Greeley, Colorado, when she was 17, Eula married John Kendrick, who at age 34 owned his own ranch. After a honeymoon to Niagara Falls and Washington, D.C., they returned to an isolated ranch 55 miles from Sheridan, Wyoming. There were no electric lights, no regular mail service, no female companionship. But the plucky Eula was happy riding horses and helping

her husband. She set her mind on educating herself and her husband, who had only gone to grade school. She learned German from the bunkhouse cook, science from books, and read classics aloud to John every night. John’s ambition was limitless, also; and his vision was his greatest asset. He saw the days of open range ranching disappearing, and he diversified his investments to include oil development and coal mining. Two children were born to Eula and John (Rosa May and Manville). Eula taught them to read, ride, shoot, swim and to think for themselves. When it was time for the children’s schooling, the family moved into Sheridan. Before moving, Eula studied “small talk” because she felt that her years of isolation on the ranch might put her at a disadvantage in Sheridan society. In their 18 years on the ranch, Eula and John had acquired the equivalent of a college education through home study. Fortune had smiled on them,

Senior Seniority

and the home they built in Sheridan reflected their affluence, with French silk wall hangings, mahogany woodwork and stained glass windows. Their house in Sheridan was called Trail’s End and years later was featured on TV’s “American Castles.” In 1914 John was elected Wyoming’s governor. Eula became one of the most gracious and accomplished first ladies to occupy the governor’s mansion in Cheyenne. In 1916 John was elected to the U.S. Senate and they moved to Washington, D.C. where the handsome couple from the West took the capital by storm. Then prominent writer Francis Parkinson Keyes said of Eula: “I do not know a woman more generous in action and outlook, more efficient, more attractive or more active.” John was also respected, and a Senate colleague said of him: “I would defer to his opinion and accept his judgment on any given question.” John died while still in office at age 76. But before he died, rumors of

By Margaret Laybourn

Eula’s Sheridan home, now the Trail End Historic Site. his earlier affairs with women began to surface back in Wyoming. Eula returned to Sheridan. Effects of the rumors were so great, and her humiliation so severe, that she retreated to Trail’s End and lived in seclusion until she died in 1961. I

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The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 9

Stories About Steamboat Springs By Bill Lambdin

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f you like Steamboat Springs, you’ll enjoy Deborah Olsen’s book, “Steamboat Springs Legends.” It has many stories about pioneers and famous Olympic skiers like Billy Kidd, Buddy Werner and his sister Skeeter Werner. Here’s an excerpt about a day, years ago, when the Werner’s mother, Hazie, met Robert Redford before he became an actor: “The sales girls were all atwitter when a rugged, blond man walked through the door of...Hazie Werner’s ski shop. “He sauntered up to the counter and asked politely if someone might tell him where he could find Loris Werner (Hazie’s son), a ski buddy he had met. “With a motherly instinct to protect her son from strangers,...Hazie told the young man to leave his name. She’d see to it that Loris got the message, and if he wanted to talk to the man, he’d give him a call. “Bob Redford,” the man replied, and Hazie dutifully wrote it down. “The other clerks barely breathed

as he walked out the door. ‘Bob’ and Loris touched base at the ski area later that day... “Robert Redford was one among thousands of people who stopped in for a visit with Hazie, Steamboat’s consummate hostess,” said writer Deborah Olsen. That incident might have occurred when Redford was attending the University of Colorado after 1954. Today, Hazie’s restaurant on the ski mountain is named in remembrance of the woman whose sons, Buddy and Loris Werner, were Olympic skiers and won many events in the 1950s. So did their sister, Skeeter, who wrote a fine remembrance for the “Legends” book: “Our family moved here in 1941...I was a very lucky little girl, growing up in the best of two worlds: we lived on a ranch in the mountains, and I came into town for school... “I cherish the friendships I made as a child...and some of my fondest memories are of going out with my father to feed the cattle. In the winter, I followed along behind him on old hickory skis, staying in the tracks

made by his sled filled with hay. “My dad was an excellent skier. He packed down a ski hill for us at the ranch, and we’d use it for sledding on our old Montgomery Ward toboggan, too. I got my first pair of skis when I was two years old, and my little brothers weren’t far behind me... “The Yampa Valley evokes special feelings for all of us,” added Skeeter. “Every time I see it when I’m coming

down Rabbit Ears Pass, it brings tears to my eyes.” The book might be available from [email protected], phone 970-879-0880. “Steamboat Springs Legends,” a 200page book with many photographs, was written several years ago. It is available from the Steamboat Chamber Resort Association, www.steamboat-chamber.com. I

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8 DAY FALL COLOR TOUR Oct. 5-12, 2009 Rt. from Boston. Tour price includes non-strop airfare, taxes, insurance, transfers, Fort Collins airport & all tour amenities. $2200 PP 8 DAY HISTORIC EAST HIGHLIGHT TOUR Oct. 10-17, 2009 Rt. Washington D.C. Includes airfare, insurance, taxes, transfers & all tour amenities. TOUR PRICE $2249 PP We specialize in your vacation needs...Cruises & Tours. Plan Your Family Reunion with RMTK!

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10 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

“When I moved to Fort Collins, I wanted a dentist who uses the latest techniques for pain-free, quality dental care. I found this with Dr. Missirlian. "He is excellent."” – Peggy Lambdin Fort Collins

Making Medicines Expensive

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ig pharmaceutical companies are protecting their expensive brandname drugs by keeping cheaper generic drugs off the market, according to an investigation by the European Union. The companies do that through several tactics that violate antitrust laws both in Europe and the United States, said European Union official Neelie Kroes. The big companies sometimes file bogus lawsuits against generic drug makers for alleged patent violations to tie them up in court for years. They

bribe some generic makers to keep cheaper drugs off the market. And they file for patents on every active ingredient in a drug—in one case, 1,300 patents for one medicine. Such practices cost consumers and government programs like Medicare billions of dollars in higher drug prices. In the United States, officials at the Federal Trade Commission have said such practices violate antitrust laws, but apparently drug companies get by with them because violations are difficult to prove. I

Controlling Medicare Costs

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apid increases in federal Medicare costs are prompting Congress to consider ways of reducing the program’s expenses, which amounted to over $431 billion in 2007, according to Medicare officials. Analysts say future Medicare costs will be the biggest budget breaker in government if not controlled. Some suggest making wealthy participants pay more of their costs. Others suggest allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Under current law, federal

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Bogus Stem Cell Treatments

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ogus stem cell treatments are being advertised on the Internet, according to medical researchers at Case Western Reserve University. Some people who are desperate for treatment of a serious illness might try the procedures, but that would be a mistake, say researchers. Numerous clinics in China and other foreign countries claim to provide stem cell treatments for autism, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer ’s disease, and other illnesses. But so far, legitimate stem cell

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treatment is limited to a very few conditions, such as lukemia and some eye disorders, say researchers. Claims for other treatments are simply bogus. There’s no guarantee actual stem cells are used or where the cells come from. And medical procedures done by unqualified or inexperienced “doctors” can be life threatening. Researchers found at least 20 websites advertising stem cell treatments for everything from allergies to strokes. The average cost of such treatments was about $22,000. I

Hormones and Breast Cancer

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Medicare officials are not allowed to negotiate, which amounts to a financial benefit for drug companies but costs the government millions of dollars extra. Some analysts say requiring the use of more generic drugs could save millions. So could getting hospitals and doctors nationwide to use computerized records instead of paper records that often cannot be accessed quickly or accurately. Democrats in Congress are girding for a major battle on Medicare, said the Wall Street Journal. I

nother study confirms that taking hormones for menopause greatly increases the risk of breast cancer, according to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles. UCLA’s Dr. Rowan Chlebowski directed the research based on the federal government’s large study known as the Women’s Health Initiative that has been going on for years. The study of estrogen and progestin pills concluded that women who took the pills for five years doubled their risk of developing breast cancer. Their

risk increased even if they took the hormones for just a couple of years. But the good news is that, when women stopped taking the hormones, their odds improved greatly within two years. Breast cancer rates have improved dramatically in recent years, since women and their doctors learned about the danger of taking hormones to treat menopausal symptoms. The latest study was presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. I

The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 11

Early Days in Fort Collins I

n 1906 tracks and overhead electric wires for a trolley system were constructed in Fort Collins. A red brick trolley barn was built to house the trolleys at North Howes and Cherry streets. The first trolley line ran from College Avenue west on Mountain to City Park and Grandview Cemetery. The system was later extended to South College Avenue and then north to the Great Western Sugar Factory and Lindenmeier Lake. An accident occurred near the sugar factory when a steam shovel and trolley collided. The trolley was heavily damaged, and the motor man was injured. But generally, the trolleys were a safe way to travel. The old M108 trolleys were built by the Woeber Carriage Company in Denver, with seats for 44 passengers. One-way fares were five cents or six rides for a quarter. In 1919 Fort Collins voted to purchase and operate the system.

The heavy trolleys were replaced with four smaller street cars built by Birney Standard Safety Car Company. They were painted dark green and yellow, and nicknamed by some residents the “galloping goose.” For the next 32 years, the street cars transported residents; but people began driving their own vehicles, and there were fewer riders. In 1951 the city council discontinued the trolley system. Tracks and overhead wires were removed. The city disposed of three streetcars. But one old car, number 21, was donated to the Pioneer Museum. For about 25 years, it sat deteriorating at Lincoln Park. In 1976 the Junior Women’s Club began to restore the old trolley, and in 1977 the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society was organized by railroad and history buffs. It took many years of volunteer labor to complete the restoration of

Federal Employees & Retirees:

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One of the early Fort Collins trolley cars. Photo courtesy of the Fort Collins Public Library. the trolley. A new car barn was built at the end of the route on west Mountain Avenue. Today during summertime, on

Sundays and holidays, the brightly painted trolley rolls along new rails on west Mountain Avenue, providing a unique adventure for riders. I

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12 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

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Local Events and Exhibits Income Tax Assistance The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program provides free tax filing help for mature people, 372-5419 Fort Collins. Greeley Newcomers Club Meets for lunch at noon, January 13, at Contours Express Studio in Greeley. All newcomers welcome. Call 353-2777 or 336-1233. Free Fort Collins Indian Festival Exhibits and Grammy Award winning flute player Vince Red House, January 11, 2:30 pm, First Methodist Church, 1005 Stover Street.

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Call 282-7214. Red Feather Lakes Library Story hours, songs and crafts for preschoolers, January 16, 23 and 30. Free writers’ workshop, January 17. Crochet basics, January 19. Ongoing events: knitting, writers’ group, watercolor artists and more. Call 881-2664. Wyoming Historical Society The Society is offering grants of up to $1,500 to help people doing historical books, articles, oral histories and other projects. Deadline is February 29. Call Mary Kelley, 307-685-1231. I

Conflicts of Interest

he Cleveland Clinic was recently one of the nation’s first medical centers to publish its doctors’ financial dealings with drug companies, so the public can see if there are any conflicts of interest. A New York Times report said the prestigious clinic publishes on its website the names of its doctors who receive any financial payments, consulting fees or other benefits from drug companies or medical device manufacturers. Clinic officials said they will also require their doctors to tell profes-

sional journals of financial ties when they publish research articles. The actions were taken because of recent investigations nationwide showing that many medical researchers do not disclose conflicts of interest. Cleveland Clinic officials estimate that 25 percent of its doctors have some kinds if ties requiring disclosure. Sen. Charles Grassley (RIowa) has proposed legislation that would require disclosure at all universities and medical research centers that receive any taxpayers’ money. I

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The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 13

Caroline Rhymes with Sin By Bill Lambdin

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aroline Bancroft often told people when she fist met them, “Call me Caroline. It rhymes with sin, gin or jasmine. Take your pick.” It was an unusual way of introducing herself, but she was an unusual woman. And gin might have been the appropriate pick. She drank it, and her six-foot frame could handle it. Born in 1900 in Denver, Bancroft was Colorado’s most popular early historian. You might have read some of her small history booklets about Baby Doe Tabor, Molly Brown, racy madams and other characters from pioneer Colorado. The booklets are still available in almost every Colorado bookstore even though she wrote them years ago. They’re popular history, not academic, and more people have probably learned about Colorado history from her than from academics. Bancroft was criticized for writing “fictionalized” history, which sometimes had characters speaking dialogue she made up. She admitted that. “I improve history when it seems logical,” she told a friend. “I put in the truth and the folklore, too.” Academic historians object to that. They point out that mixing fact and fiction is not legitimate history, and they are right. But few people can stand to read academic history. Anyone can enjoy Bancroft’s books because she told lively stories. And she did include factual history; she just didn’t kill it

with dullness. She became interested in history while writing for the Denver Post. Publisher Frederick Bonfils didn’t quite know what to do with her; so he suggested she interview some of Denver’s early settlers who were still living. She did, and liked it. She then earned a master ’s degree in history from the University of Denver and began traveling throughout the state to find ghost towns and people who could provide stories. She drove a jeep thousands of miles in the high country, visiting more historical sites than anyone else in her time. Along the way, she and a friend usually enjoyed some “libation stations” where they stopped and got out the gin bottle. She traveled with both male and female companions. Although never married, she had several suitors. And she moved in Denver’s most elite social circle, the “Sacred 36” headed by the wealthy Mrs. Crawford Hill. Bancroft was not wealthy, but her grandfather had been; and he was among the first socially elite in Denver. Her grandfather, Fred Bancroft, was a doctor who came to Denver by stagecoach in 1866 after serving in the Civil War. He became rich from his medical practice plus investments, and was one of the founders of the Colorado Historical Society. Caroline’s father lost that fortune through bad investments, alcohol and womanizing. So she had to find a way to earn a living. She found it by writing the little history booklets. She was one of the few writers in

Colorado who actually made a living from her writing. She sold the nearly two dozen different booklets herself to curio shops, bookstores and tourist shops throughout the state. It wasn’t a great living, but enough to allow her to do what she wanted, which was to be the grand dame of Colorado history. That gave her an identity. It also made her an authority—in her own eyes at least. She openly criticized other historians if she thought they made a mistake. That included James Michener, author of the popular book and television series “Centennial.” Bancroft said he made mistakes. Her friends included some of the most celebrated people of the time: Mary Coyle Chase, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning play “Harvey”; writer Mari Sandoz and others. She knew Evalyn Walsh McLean, who owned the famous 44carat Hope Diamond. Bancroft overcame minor battles with tuberculosis and cancer during

S

is replaced instead of the entire hip joint. In unicondylar knee replacement, only one side of the knee joint is replaced. Hip resurfacing had a revision rate of 2.6 percent. Unicondylar knee replacement had a revision rate of 2.8 percent. The researchers say their findings are consistent with those of other studies. They recommend hip resurfacing only for men and unicondylar knee replacement only for elderly patients. I

her long life of 85 years. She died in her sleep in 1985. Some historians still argue about the value of her work. But she was a self-assured, independent woman who probably would have simply laughed at them, and raised her glass. I

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This was Bancroft’s favorite portrait of herself, done when she was age 24. Colorado Historical Society.

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14 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

Colorado Crosswords

Governor’s Farm Apartments

By Tony Donovan

701 6th Street • Windsor, CO • (970) 352-5860 Designed for people 62 years of age and older, or disabled. Governor’s Farm is located in a pleasant rural community, offers affordable rent, one-bedroom ground level apartments, laundry facility, free maintenance and small pets are welcome. USDA-RD

Equal Housing Opportunity

ACROSS 1.

6. 10. 13. 14.

1525 Riverside, Suite-B Fort Collins

16. 17. 18. 19. 21. 22. 25. 27. 29. 31. 33. 35. 36. 42. 43. 45. 50. 51. 52.

SHOP WEDNESDAYS, WHEN THE CURRENT WEEK’S AD AND THE PREVIOUS WEEK’S AD OVERLAP. ENJOY A DAY OF VIRTUALLY TWICE THE AMOUNT OF SAVINGS.

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54. 55. 56. 58. 59. 62. 66. 67. 68.

County seat of Washington County named for the Ohio home town of a Burlington Railroad official’s wife Prevaricator Rival of CSU in the Mtn. West Conf. Extremely foggy Wash or lotion applied to fleece to kill vermin, often accomplished by immersing the animals in vats Jury, e.g. Trail Ridge___. Town where Hwy. 14 and 85 intersect Washington County locale’ southeast of #1 across ___ weevil Saturn model How the NL differs from the AL Top type Salt, to a chemist Environmentally sensitive people Athlete’s warm weather worry “___ lips sink ships.” (WWII slogan) Southernmost of Colorado’s four mountain parks Michael Caine played the title role in the 1966 Academy Award nominated pix with a Burt Bacharach score The Shirley___ (prominent Denver Hotel in the 60’s and 70’s) Where you can follow the exploits of George Costanza, Kramer, Elaine, et. al. (2 wds) French fries or slaw, e.g. Chaffee County town on the Arkansas River east of Poncha Springs Named for a North Park rancher, this small community lies south of Walden on Hwy. 125 Swimmer’s measure From___ to riches DEA agent, slangily Pal, down under Weld County town east of I-25 One way indicator Logan County seat and home to Northeastern Jr. College Elbert County town east of Elizabeth with an Indian name Country which touches the North Sea as well as the Baltic Sea (abbr.)

ANSWERS

69. Computer whiz 70. Weapons presented when saying “En Garde”

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 15. 17. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 26. 27. 28. 30. 32. 34. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 44. 46. 47. 48. 49. 53. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 63. 64. 65.

Cleo’s killer Campground host, initially Baseball tally Oil price setter Stocking material Weatherman’s prefix with “bar” Discoverer’s word ___Mountain Pass near Silverton These usually pay more Salmon serving Renter’s option, briefly Phillips County locale between Haxtun and Holyoke Minturn neighbor named for the colorful rock formations “Annabel Lee” poet Alternatives to English muffins Business ending, often Boat propellers “March Madness” org. ___ Pass, south of Breckenridge Chief___exit on I-70 west of Denver near Evergreen Queue after “Q” Alphabet trio Front Range city known for its sculptures and roundabouts Tartans, e.g. Forearm bone Vegas beginning Don’t hear, see or speak this Star Wars friend of Luke Skywalker ___ Pinos River in southwestern CO “Yes” spoken by Cary Cooper Tell a story Moffat County community near the Wyoming line named for a homesteader Eastwood climbed this in a 1975 film Indisputable evidence, briefly Larimer County settlement at the confluence of the North Fork of the Big Thompson and the main river Gang member Many restaurant menus deny using this Fighter in the Korean War Dir. traveled to get from Sterling to Julesburg Alcohol server’s concern Fish eggs Be in debt Used to be

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

The Senior Voice • January 2009 • 15

Laughter is the Best Medicine A

n 18-year-old Italian girl told her mother she was pregnant. The mother said, “You call that man and get him over here right now!” A distinguished middle-aged man showed up driving a Ferrari and wearing an Armani suit. He said to the parents, “If your daughter has a girl, I will give her two shopping malls and $10 million. If it’s a boy, he gets two factories and $10 million. “But if it’s a miscarriage,” he said, “what do you suggest I do?” The father said, “You gonna’ try again.” A man was at his country club for a round of golf. He began with an eagle on the first hole and a birdie on the second. On the third hole, he had just scored his first ever hole-in-one when his cell phone rang. It was a doctor telling him that his wife had been in a terrible accident and was in critical condition at the hospital. The man told the doctor to

inform his wife where he was and that he’d be there as soon as possible. As he hung up, he realized he was leaving what was shaping up to be his best ever round of golf. He decided to get in just a couple of more holes before heading to the hospital. He ended up playing all 18, shooting a 61 and shattering the course record. He was jubilant. Then he remembered his wife. He dashed to the hospital, saw the doctor in the hall and asked, “How’s my wife?” The doctor glared at him and said, “You went ahead and finished your round of golf didn’t you! I hope you’re proud of yourself! “While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself, your wife has been fighting for her life. It’s just as well you finished that round because it will probably be your last. For the rest of her life, she will require ‘round the clock care, and you’ll be her caregiver!” The man felt so guilty he broke down and cried.

The doctor snickered and said, “Just kidding. She’s dead. What’d you shoot?” Translations of Womanspeak: Fine: A word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. Nothing: Signals the calm before the storm. Nothing means something, and you’d better keep looking behind you.

Loud sigh: This is actually a statement that’s misunderstood by men. It means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time talking to you. That’s okay: A dangerous statement meaning she intends to think long and hard before deciding how you will pay for this. Go ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t do it! I

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16 • January 2009 • The Senior Voice

© 2008 HOLIDAY RETIREMENT 2909