The Best of Times December 2009

� December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com

If you answered “yes,” you need to know about the wk Hyperbaric and wound Care Center. Don’t let a foot wound keep you from doing the things you enjoy. The healing power of oxygen can make a difference.

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December 2009 � The Best Of Times


November was dizzying. The “Please Help Me, I’m Falling” issue was very well received, “The Best of Times Day” at the State Fair was a delightful good time (see page 46), the National Association of Ma-ture Publishers of America (NAMPA) showered us with 15 design and content awards (see BUZZ on page 6), Gary, my hubby and the publisher of this magazine, had a cataract operation, and our whole fam-ily gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, at my brother’s place, for Thanksgiving. Whew. What a month!

And now December is upon us and I haven’t had time to even think about the Christmas holidays.

Well, except for a wild and wonderful visit by Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, whom we pressed into service as a GIFT GUIDE coordinator

for our very first such guide. You will see his many sug-gestions (and most of them are great ideas!) starting on page 27.

BTW: He’s not as stuck-up as you might think, considering his fame. He’s really friendly, even giving Adrian (of Adrian!Cooks, page 38) an autograph (ok,

a hoof print) on the sheet music that made him famous.

As usual, this issue is packed with as much info and enter-tainment as we could squeeze

in, including that groaner of a joke there to the left.

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season.

And as for those 15 new awards, no-body said anything

about having to dust all of ‘em!

It was a dark and stormy night in the old Soviet city of Moscow in December of 1961.

Cold war raged politically and it was equally cold be-yond the flickering fire in the proud Communist couple’s fireplace.

Looking up from a book of Communist poetry she was reading by the dim light from

a fringed floor lamp, the duti-ful wife said, “It’s snowing, Rudi. The walk will need to be shoveled in the morning.”

“No, no, Svetlana, that’s rain you hear, not snow,” replied Rudi, looking up from the Manifesto he’d been studying.

Svetlana disagreed and the couple, having little else to do, began a spirited exchange on the state of the weather.

Finally, wishing to end the

debate and get to a warm bed to make some baby Communists, he moved to the window and threw back the heavy velvet drapes.

The wrought-iron street lamp clearly showed droplets, not flakes, were falling from the dark sky.

Proudly he pro-claimed: “Rudolph, the Red, knows rain, dear!”

� December 2009


Your home-town team (that would be us) swept up awards at the National Association of Mature Publishers of America annual convention this year.

The NAMPA fête was held in Nashville and before it was over The Best of Times took home 14 1st Place awards and one 2nd Place, the most won by any publication in the competition.

Our First-Prize winning ways:Attorney Lee Aronson’s “Laws

of the Land” won for the 3rd year in the Senior Issues category.Amanda Newton won for

her profile of James Burton, and for Reinvent Yourself: “Starting a Retirement Business,” (Amanda also took a 2nd Place for “Turning Over a New Leaf (At Your Age?)”

Lizzie Lyles won for “Thanks From a Grateful Nation” feature.The Caregivers Guide won in

the Special Section category.Tina Calligas won for her fun

travel articles about Branson, and Palm Springs, CA.

Mike Jameson won for his knowledgeable and very popular series of restaurant reviews.

In the Briefs & Shorts cat-egory, Medical News: STAT! won for both design and content.

Even our website got into the act by winning 1st Place for “Web-site General Excellence.”

We also won design awards, including “Best Color Ad” (Senior Olympics), and for “Best Banner” (our cover logo).

All that in addition to BEST OF SHOW! (Should we be AKC registered?) Please know we are grateful to all of our contributors, writers and staff. Winning is fun!

� December 2009


Michael J. Astrue, Com-missioner of Social Security, recently announced that the online Retirement Estima-

tor, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator, now can provide immediate and personalized benefit estimates to people who have enrolled in Medicare but have not yet filed for Social Security benefits. Previously, these “Medicare only” beneficiaries would need to contact a local office in order to obtain an estimate of their benefits. The Retirement Estimator is interactive and allows users to compare different retirement options. For example, a person can change retirement dates or expected future earnings to better determine the impact on their future benefits and decide the best time to retire. Commissioner Astrue also announced next year the Retirement Estimator will be the first of Social Security’s online services, and the first in all of government, to be made available in Spanish.

Social Security announceS new enhancementS to online retirement eStimator

Health care officials are asking citi-zens in Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, Caddo, St. Martin and Terrebonne parishes to be on the lookout for health care scams that are targeting senior citizens. In each case, the alleged fraud has been brought to the attention of the Senior Medicare Patrol, a new program that is a partner-ship between Louisiana Health Care Review (LHCR), the Senior Health Insurance Program in the Department of Insurance and the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs. The Senior Medicare Patrol program is designed to detect fraud in Medicare.

According to LHCR’s Julie Mickles, the Senior Medicare Patrol coordinator, the program teaches senior citizens how to detect and report possible scams that defraud government-run health care programs. In Caddo Parish seniors have been ha-rassed by a medical equipment company that continually calls the patients to offer them “free” arthritis equipment they do not need. The “free” equipment is paid for by Medicare. Anyone suspecting fraud or a health care-related scam should call 877-272-8720 immediately. Go to www.stopmedicarefraudla.org for more information.

medicare Scam warning alert for Senior citizenS in five louiSiana pariSheS

The older population in the United States follows the global growth pattern. By 2050, older adults

are projected to account for 25.5% of the U.S. population. Older adults in the U.S. are

increasingly seeking out opportunities to remain productive, with volunteering rates for adults

aged 65 and older reaching 23.5% in 2008.

l buddy, can you Spare a job? Buddy, Can You Spare a Job? The New Realities of

the Job Market for Aging Baby Boomers, a new study from the MetLife Mature Market Institute reports that many Ameri-cans over the age of 55 plan to work at least until age 69, but that most who look for a job face challenges in finding one. Yet, Department of Labor projections indicate that the 55+ population will account for almost 93% of the net increase in the U.S. Civilian Labor Force between 2006-2016. The study includes a section on the seven mistakes that keep aging boomers unemployed and the five keys to success for older job seekers. Buddy, Can You Spare a Job? can be down-loaded from www.maturemarketinstitute.com under “What’s New.” It can also be ordered by e-mailing, [email protected], or by writing to: MetLife Mature Market Institute, 57 Greens Farms Rd, Westport, CT 06880.

l credit card debt on the riSe among older americanS

According to a recent USA Today article and a survey by Demos, consumers 65 and older are carrying an

average of $10,235 in credit card debt, up 26% from 2005. Reduced retirement savings, rising medical costs and fixed incomes are leaving many senior citizens feeling hard-pressed for cash; forcing them

to rely on credit cards to manage day-to-day expenses. According to AARP, a quarter of the one million Americans that filed for

bankruptcy last year were age 55 and older, which implies older consumers are feeling financially vulnerable and desper-

ate. (www.moneymanagement.org)

l tranSitioning between home and other healthcare SettingS

As the number of frail elderly and chronically ill rises, so do the number of transitions between home, hospital and other community based care providers. In our fragmented health care system, transitions create the potential for cru-cial information and issues to fall through the cracks. The

United Hospital Fund created the Web site, www.nextstepincare.org. It provides fam-ily caregivers and health care provid-ers with a number of guides and tools to help navigate the various challenges of transitioning between healthcare settings.

10 December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com

inciSionleSS Surgery for Stomach ulcerS moving to human trialS

An incisionless operation to patch stomach ulcers and poten-tially other perforations in the digestive tract may soon move into human trials at the Mayo Clinic. Perforated stomach ulcers typically require an operation to close the tear, but conventional open or minimally invasive surgical proce-dures can be problematic, particularly in seniors or younger

patients with other health problems.

regeneration can be achieved after chronic

Spinal cord injuryScientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that regeneration of central nervous system axons can be achieved in rats even when treatment is delayed more than a year after the original spinal cord injury.

leukemia drug ShowS promiSing activity in ovarian cancer cellS

The drug Sprycel, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, significantly inhibited the growth and invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells and also promoted their death, a study by researchers with UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found. The drug, when paired with a chemotherapy regimen, was even more effective in fighting ovarian cancer in cell lines in which signaling of the Src family kinases, associated with the deadly disease, is activated.

nicotine patch pluS lozenge appearS beSt for Smoking ceSSation

In a comparison of five different smoking cessation medica-tions, a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge appears most effective at helping smokers quit, according to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

recovering with 4-legged friendS requireS leSS pain medication

Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from total joint-replace-ment surgery require 50% less pain medication than those who do not. Evidence suggests that animal-as-sisted therapy (AAT) can have a positive effect on a patient’s psy-chosocial, emotional and physical well being. These data build the case for expanding the use of pet therapy in recovery.

problemS managing money may Surface juSt before alzheimer’S diSeaSe SetS inNew research finds poor

money management skills may indicate that a person with mild memory problems will soon develop Alzheimer’s disease.

The study i n v o l v e d a group of older people with no memory problems and another group of older people with mild memory problems but no symptoms of dementia (mild cognitive impairment or

bioengineered Stem cellS may offer new hope for pancreatic cancer patientS

Research scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, have developed a novel bioengineered treatment that has shown promise in targeting pancreatic cancer without causing damage to healthy noncancer cells, a typical problem of chemotherapy. According to author of the study Claudius Conrad, MD, PhD, the bioengineered construct used in the treatment is made of engineered, bone marrow-derived mesen-chymal stem cells and a gene product toxic to tumor growth. The bioengineered construct, which the researchers named “Trojan Horse” mesenchymal stem cells, confuses the cancer cell to actively recruit it and then proceeds to produce a potent toxic gene product by using signals that tumor sends to supply itself with new blood vessels.

tranScendental meditation found to help heart diSeaSe patientS

Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation® technique had 47% lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to nonmeditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the an-nual meeting of the American Heart Association. The participants also had clinically significant reduction in blood pressure, psychological stress, and other risk factors for heart disease.

MCI). The participants were given a money management

t es t a t the beginning of the study and then again af-ter one year. A f t e r o n e year, almost 29% of those with MCI had d e v e l o p e d Alzheimer’s

type dementia. The scores of those people with MCI who de-veloped dementia were lower initially and dropped during the test period. (Neurology®)

Possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with 50% lower mortality rates among older

adults according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. Purpose in life

reflects the tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and be focused and intentional.

December 2009 11 The Best Of Times

1� December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com

melon compound reduceS StreSS Scientists may have uncovered a natural way to

combat stress - eat a melon. The key ingredient is an enzyme called superoxide dismutase, thought to have beneficial antioxidant properties which prevent damage to the body’s tissues. Volunteers given a capsule containing the enzyme reported fewer symptoms of stress and fatigue than those given a dummy capsule. Taking the enzyme appeared to boost concentration, cut feelings of weariness and irritabil-ity and improve problems with sleeping. (BioMed Central’s open access Nutrition Journal)

mom waS right - eat your vegetableS

As people age, their bones have a tendency to weaken and become brittle, leading to osteoporosis and an increased risk for breaks. To help avoid problems, keep your bones healthy by eating leafy, dark green

vegetables such as spinach, kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens. The high level of vitamin K in greens makes them important for the production of osteocalcin, a protein essen-tial for bone health. Studies show that the risk of hip fracture in middle-aged women was decreased 45% for those eating one or more servings per day of green, leafy vegetables compared to those eating fewer servings.

break bad habitS to loSe weight Eating healthy isn’t just about watching what you

eat. It’s also about breaking bad habits that pack on the pounds. A good tip is to refrain from watching television, reading, working, and doing other distracting activities while you eat. When you’re not focused on eating, it’s unlikely you’ll notice how much is going in your mouth and you can easily eat twice the amount you intended. And remember to eat slowly. Savor each bite and truly enjoy the taste of your food. Eating slowly gives your body time to break down the food, which can prevent post-meal indigestion and feeling bloated. You’re also likely to eat less if you eat slowly, as your stomach takes roughly 20 minutes to register that it’s full.

to booSt immunity, remember zinc

Boosting immunity during cold and flu season is especially important. A good mineral that supports immunity is zinc. You can get the zinc you need from crab, oysters, pork, poultry, beans, cashews, and yogurt. Or find a good multivitamin with less than 15 milligrams. Too much of the stuff could stop other important minerals from doing their jobs. (RealAge.com)

paSS on the Salt and the diet Soda

Individuals who consume a diet high in sodium or ar-tificially sweetened drinks are more likely to experience a decline in kidney func-tion, according to two papers presented at the American So-ciety of Nephrology’s annual meeting. One investigation reported “a significant two-fold increased odds, between two or more servings per day of artificially sweetened soda and faster kidney function decline; no relation between sugar-sweetened beverages and kidney function decline was noted”. This associa-tion persisted even after the study authors accounted for age, caloric intake, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease.

Pumpkin can be a holiday staple for many families. And for some, it may be one of the tastiest ways to enhance the body’s own natural cancer fighting ability. Pumpkins are packed with nutrients called carotenoids, which have been linked to the prevention of colon, prostate, breast, and lung cancer. It’s the bright color that gives pumpkins their rich nutrients – so look for other orange vegetables, like sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut and acorn squash. All are also high in carotenoids. (RealAge.com)

fight cancer with your fork thiS

holiday SeaSon

cup of cocoa may help keep heart

diSeaSe awayRecently, a team of Span-

ish researchers put a group of men and women on a diet that included a daily dose of unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with skim milk. After one month, those who drank the cocoa-flavored milk had lower levels of inflammatory markers associated with heart disease than those drinking the milk alone. The study’s participants were at high risk of cardiovascular

disease because they had diabetes and three or more risk factors for heart disease which included smoking,

high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, obesity or a family history of early coronary

heart disease. This research supplements prior studies which suggested chocolate may be beneficial for heart health because it contains anti-inflammatory chemicals called polyphenols. It is im-portant to note that study participants

were given non-fat, sugar-free cocoa powder and skim milk. Even then, they

gained a small amount of weight. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

December 2009 1� The Best Of Times

Some see an empty field of dirt. Robbie Brown sees bushels of homegrown tomatoes, foot-long zucchinis and some of the sweetest peas your teeth have ever had the pleasure of meeting. When he’s not driving his tractor or guiding his tiller through the garden, you’ll find him living life to the fullest in some other way. “I do anything I want to do with the legs I get from Snell’s,” Brown says confidently. “I don’t back up for nothing.” It is that same type of commitment that Snell’s licensed practitioners and technicians make to our patients every day. Our staff members take the time to atten-tively listen to the patient to determine what his or her needs truly are. Then,after careful consultation with the patient’s physician, we begin the design and fabrication process. Once the prosthesis or orthosis has been fitted, we work tirelessly with the patient to make sure that it functions correctly. Our investment in new technology and in specialized training for our staff allows us to deliver prosthetic and orthotic devices of the highest quality.Because, as Mr. Brown will attest to…what you invest in today will yieldabundant returns tomorrow.

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medicare rightS centerwww.medicareinteractive.org

Medicare private drug plan (Part D) costs will change again in 2010, and it is impor-tant to review your Medicare drug coverage to make sure that it will still cover the medications you need at a cost you can afford in the coming year. Knowing the new rates will help you avoid

surprise charges that could keep you from getting the drugs you need.

Medicare’s Part D drug ben-efit is outpatient prescription drug coverage for anyone with Medicare. Unlike Medicare Parts A and B, which can be covered under Original Medi-care, Part D is available only

medicare part d costs for 2010through private companies. If you have Original Medicare, you will choose a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP). If you have a Medicare private health plan (such as an HMO or PPO), you generally must get Part D drug coverage as part of your private health plan’s benefits package. Each Medicare prescription drug plan has its own list of covered drugs (formulary).

Part D plan costs change every year, and each private plan has different costs, so check with plans in your area to find out what you will pay this year. If you want to change your plan, remember that most people can change Medicare drug plans only during the Annual Coordinated Election Period, which runs from November 15 to December 31. Even if you are satisfied with your current plan, you should check if there is another plan in your area that offers better coverage at a lower price.

With most Part D plans you pay a monthly premium and part of the cost of each prescription (copayments or coinsurance) until total drug costs paid by you and the plan equal $2,830 (for most plans). Then you may have to pay the full cost of your drugs dur-ing the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole.” If you spend $4,550 in 2010 in out-of-pocket drug costs, you will then pay no more than 5 percent for each prescription (plus the premium). If your income is limited, you may be able to get Extra Help, the federal program that pays for most of the costs of Medicare drug coverage.


Premiums - $31.94/month national aver-age (Every plan has a different premium.)

Deductible - Up to $310 annually (Plans can choose to have a lower deductible.)

Coverage Gap Threshold - $2,830 (The amount that you and the plan must spend in total drug costs in most plans before you will hit the coverage gap.)

Catastrophic Coverage Limit - $4,550 (The amount of money that you must spend out- of-pocket before your drug costs go down significantly for the rest of the year.)

Part D is optional. If you have drug coverage now that is at least as good as or better than Medicare’s basic drug benefit, and you like it, you probably should keep it. The company that provides your drug benefits - such as an insurance company, employer or state program - should send you written notification once a year telling you whether your coverage is as good as or better than Medicare Part D (“credit-able” coverage). If you do not have other coverage that is considered to be as good as Medicare drug coverage and you do not enroll when you are first eligible, you may have to pay a premium penalty when you do enroll. (You will not have to pay a

premium penalty if you qualify for Extra Help, even if you enroll after you were first eligible).To learn more about the costs and coverage under Medicare Part D, or to find out how to qualify for Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program, which will help pay for your Medicare-related costs, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at www.medicareinteractive.org. Medicare Inter-active Counselor is a resource provided by the Medicare Rights Center, the largest independent source of health care informa-tion and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare.


Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death for women in the US. In 2009, nearly 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the disease will kill an estimated 14,600 women.

The ovaries are the small organs lo-cated on either side of the uterus. They

produce and release eggs (ovulation) and are the main source of a woman’s female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Most cases of ovarian cancer are epithelial, where the cancer grows within the cells that cover the ovaries. It may also form on the cells in the ovary that develop into eggs (germ cell tumors) or in the connective tissue that holds the ovary together and produces female hormones (sex cord-stromal tumors).

The survival rate is high for women who are treated for ovarian cancer before it spreads to other organs. Unfortunately, ovarian cancer often goes undetected in its earliest stages because of its vague symptoms - such as unexplained bloat-ing, pelvic or abdominal pain, back pain, increased abdominal size, difficulty eating, unexplained weight loss, urinary incon-

by dr. gerald f. joSeph, jr., President, The American College of

Obstetricians & Gynecologists

know the Signs of ovarian cancertinence, frequent urination, constipation, fatigue, and indigestion - which can easily be mistaken for other stomach or digestive problems

Women who regularly experience these symptoms for an extended period should be evaluated to rule out ovarian cancer as the culprit. It is also important to have yearly checkups and take note of how your body looks and feels so you can notice changes


if they occur.There are no screening tests currently

available to detect the presence of ovarian cancer early. However, some women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, including women who never had children or were pregnant after age 30; never used birth control pills; have a fam-ily history of breast, endometrial, ovarian, or colorectal cancer; are between ages 50 and 75; went through menopause after age 55; or are obese. Women who experience symptoms, have a family history, or who have a certain gene mutations (BRCA 1 or 2) that predis-poses them to cancer may be evaluated with a pelvic exam, blood tests, an ultrasound, or genetic counseling.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding may have a protective effect for some women. Using oral contraceptives may also reduce ovar-ian cancer in women who are at high risk.

Some women with BRCA gene muta-tions decide to have their ovaries removed - even if cancer is not present - as a preventive measure. If you are consider-ing this option, it is important to consult a genetic counselor and your doctor to discuss whether this is the most effective option for you. ♀

affordable monthly premiums $5 generic drugsmost major pharmacies

across Louisianacoverage for ALL Medicare

Part D approved drugs


by the medicare rightS center(www.medicarerights.org)

Dear Marci,I am over 65 and have a

family history of diabetes. Am I eligible for a diabetes screening? --Paloma

Dear Paloma,Y e s . M e d i c a r e

covers blood tests to screen people at risk for diabetes. You are considered at risk and eligible for one Medicare-covered diabetes screening ev-ery 12 months if you have hypertension, dyslipidemia, high cholesterol, a prior blood test showing low glucose tolerance or are obese (body mass index of 30 or more),

or meet at least two of the following:

you are overweight (body mass index between 25 and 30);

•

you have a family history of diabetes;you have a history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational

diabetes) or have had a baby over nine pounds;you are 65 years of age or older.

The Medicare-covered diabetes screening test includes a fasting blood glucose test and/or a post-glucose challenge test. Medicare will pay for 100 percent of its approved amount for the test even before you have met the Part B deductible.

If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, Medicare will cover two diabetes screening tests per calendar year. Having pre-diabetes means you have blood glucose (sugar) levels that are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be classified as diabetes. ~Marci

Dear Marci,Will Medicare cover the H1N1 flu vaccine? --EugeneDear Eugene,Yes. This year, in addition to the routine seasonal flu shot,

people with Medicare are entitled to the H1N1 flu vaccine (also known as the swine flu vaccine).

H1N1 vaccinations are subject to the same coverage rules and regulations as the seasonal flu vaccine. Like seasonal flu shots,

Medicare covers 100 percent of the cost of the H1N1 flu shot once every flu season with no Part B deductible required, if you go to a doctor or other health care provider who accepts assignment.

Medicare will pay for the shot no matter where you get it, as long as the health care provider agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays. (If you are in a Medicare private health plan - HMO or PPO - you may have to get your flu shot from a provider in the plan’s network and you may have a copay for this service. Call your plan to find out what you will have to pay.)

The flu season usually runs from November through April. Therefore, Medicare may cover a flu shot twice in one calendar year. For example, if you get a shot in January 2010 for the 2009/2010 flu season, you

•••

diabetes Screening, h1n1 flu vaccination and medicare prescription drug coverage


could get another shot in October 2010 for the 2010/2011 flu season.

Older adults are not among those most vulnerable to the H1N1 flu virus, unless they have underlying medical conditions. For more information about H1N1, please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm. ~Marci

Dear Marci,I was recently enrolled in Medicaid,

and I am worried about paying for my prescription drugs. How will my Med-icaid and Medicare drug coverage work together? --Bernice

Dear Bernice,If you have Medicare and Medicaid,

in most cases you must get your drugs covered by the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D).

When you become eligible for Medic-aid, you will automatically get Extra Help, the federal program that pays for most of the costs of Medicare drug coverage. Medicare will automatically enroll you in a Medicare drug plan retroactive to the date you got Medicaid unless you choose a plan and enroll in it yourself or you have certain kinds of employer, retiree or union prescription drug coverage and do not actively enroll in a Part D plan.

When you get the letter from Medicare telling you what plan you have been en-rolled in, you should call 800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov to make sure your assigned plan covers the drugs you need and that the pharmacies you use regularly are part of that plan’s network. If not, ask the counselor to help you enroll in a different plan that meets your needs. Make sure to ask whether Extra Help will cover the plan’s full premium (the amount you pay each month for coverage). Not all plans’ premiums are fully covered by Extra Help. If you have Medicaid, you have the right to change your Medicare private drug plan once a month if your current plan does not meet your needs.

In most states, Medicaid wraps around the Medicare drug benefit (Part D) to cover some drugs that are excluded from Medi-care coverage by law. For more information about how Medicaid wraps around Medi-care prescription drug coverage in your state, and how much these prescriptions will cost, visit www.medicareinteractive.org and search for “Medicaid Coordination

with Part D (By State).” ~Marci

Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center, the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. To speak with a counselor, call (800) 333-4114. To subscribe to “Dear Marci,” the Medicare Rights Center’s free educational e-newsletter, simply e-mail [email protected]. To learn more about the services that Medicare will cover, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at www.medicareinteractive.org.

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�0 December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com

by jaSon alderman, director of VisA’s financial education programs

In the midst of the holi-day hustle and bustle, try to carve out a few moments for some year-end financial housekeeping. You may be able to save enough money using available tax breaks to pay for all your holiday needs – and more.

Here are a few suggestions:Boost 401(k) savings.

You can contribute up to $16,500 to your 401(k) plan in 2009, plus an additional $5,500 if you’re over age 50. Making pretax contributions reduces your taxable income, which in turn lowers your taxes – not to mention the boost employer-matching contributions, when offered, can give to your account balance.

•

Online calcu-lators (like the o n e a t w w w .kiplinger.com/tools/401kadd.html) can help you estimate the impact additional

contributions will have on your taxes. If you’re not already maxing out, ask your benefits department if you can make additional contributions before December 31.

Use up flexible spending account (FSA) balances. If you participate in employ-er-sponsored health care or dependent care FSAs, which let you use pretax dollars to pay for eligible expenses, make sure you spend the full balance before the plan-year deadline (sometimes up to 75 days into the following year); otherwise, you’ll forfeit what’s left over.

You can use your surplus health care FSA balance for things like over-the-counter medications, glasses or contact lenses. Conversely, if your ac-

•

count is empty, consider postponing non-critical medical expenses until early next year so they can count toward your 2010 FSA. See IRS Publication 502 for a complete list of allow-able and non-allowable expenses (www.irs.gov).

To learn more about 401(k) plans and FSAs, visit Practical Money Skills for Life, Visa’s free personal financial management site (www.practicalmoneyskills.com/benefits).

Charitable contributions. If you itemize deductions on your taxes, charitable contributions made to IRS-approved or-ganizations by December 31 are generally tax-deductible. (See Publication 78 at www.irs.gov for a complete list of organiza-tions.) By accelerating donations you planned to make in 2010, you can beef up your 2009 deduction, thereby lowering your tax bill.

Tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements. You can claim a tax credit for up to 30 percent of the purchase price of certain home improvements to existing homes (including central air conditioning, furnaces, windows and water heaters), up to a maximum of $1,500 over 2009 and 2010. Check out the government’s Energy Star website for details (www.energystar.gov/taxcredits).

Sales tax deduction for new cars. If you’re already plan-ning to buy a new vehicle in the coming months, doing so before December 31, 2009, may allow you to deduct state and local sales

and excise taxes on up to the first $49,500 of the cost, even if you don’t itemize de-ductions. The deduction gradually phases out for those whose adjusted gross income is over $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly).

Other strategies that help some taxpayers include:

Prepaying 2010 property taxes by December 31, 2009

Prepaying January 2010 mortgage payment by December 31, 2009

Making annual gifts of up to $13,000 ($26,000 for married couples) per recipient without triggering estate taxes

Check with your financial advisor or a tax specialist before taking these actions to ensure they will work for you.

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. Sign up for his free monthly e-Newsletter at www.practical-moneyskills.com/newsletter.

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December 2009 �1 The Best Of Times

�� December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com

by the award-winning lee aronSon, attorney with Legal services of North Louisiana

Do you have burial insur-ance? Mr. Sims, a resident of Monroe, did. He bought it back in 1958. The policy cost one dollar and 38 cents per month. Mr. Sims paid on time, in full, for 20 years. The policy stated that after 20 years of payments, upon the death of Mr. Sims, funeral benefits would be provided, “which shall include the following: casket and out-side case, burial garments if

requested, preparation of body, funeral coach, arrangement and trans-portation of flowers, conducting of funeral, furnishing information to newspapers, cemetery equipment, chairs, use

of funeral home, acknowledg-ment cards, candelabra and a prayer bench when desired.”

Although Mr. Sims had paid the policy in full by 1978, he did not die until 2003. At that time, his wife went to the funeral home expecting that her husband’s funeral would be paid in full. Well, as you can imagine, a funeral back in 1958 (or 1978 for that matter) was significantly less expen-sive than a funeral is today. So

the funeral home told Ms. Sims that she would have to pay an extra $5,000.

Ms. Sims was in shock. She wasn’t asking for anything fancy or for any upgrades: she just wanted the services provided in the insurance contract.

Unfortunately, Ms. Sims did not realize that the burial insur-ance policy her husband bought all those years ago had something called a “face amount.” And the small print in the contract said that the absolute maximum the insurance company would pay for Mr. Sims burial was the “face amount.”

Care to guess how much the “face amount” of the burial insurance? $500. And even though a casket, outside case, burial garments, etc. cost Ms. Sims $5,500 in 2003, the insurance company would only pay the $500 maximum. Ms. Sims was

don’t forget to read the fine print

December 2009 �� The Best Of Times

responsible for the $5,000 remainder.

She thought that this was very unfair as she and her deceased husband both thought that they were buying insur-ance that “provided for a full funeral service at no additional cost.” So she sued. And the case went all the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court.

And lots of different orga-nizations weighed in with the court. The Louisiana Attorney General filed a brief. So did the Louisiana Insurers Confer-ence, the Louisiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association, the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association as well as AARP.

In the end, not all of the Louisiana Supreme Court judges could agree. But a majority of them voted that Ms. Sims would only get $500 because the insurance policy, read in its entirety, was not ambiguous and “could

only lead to one reasonable interpretation” because it “set forth in clear and unambiguous terms” that the face amount of the policy was only $500.

Bottom line: if you have burial insurance and you think it’s going to provide for a full funeral service at no additional cost, you better pull out your policy and read it again. If you qualify for help at Legal Services of North Louisiana, the law firm where I work, we will review your burial insur-ance policy for free. And I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but, please, don’t sign anything without reading it. And if you don’t understand it, don’t sign it. Have someone you trust, such as a family member, neighbor or lawyer review any papers that you don’t under-stand before you sign.

Lee Aronson’s practice areas include consumer law, housing law and health care law.


by judge jeff cox, 26th Judicial District Court Judge for Bossier/Webster Parishes, Division C

appearing for jury Service

You have received the summons in the mail and after much apprehension, the day arrives. You have to appear at the courthouse for the dreaded jury service. What happens next?

First, you and the other unlucky people who have been summonsed are ushered into a large room. You see bailiffs, clerks, and court reporters. You are asked to be seated and then you are asked to watch a film about jury service. You think to yourself “This film will

not win any Academy Awards”. After twenty minutes of watching the film, the Judge is ushered in the room to talk to you and explain what is happening and what will happen.

The Judge will usually introduce all persons in the courtroom at that time. He or she will talk about the process and what type of cases you may hear during the time you are on jury service. The Judge will also have the jury roster called by the bailiff.

When the roster is called, the Judge will ask that you answer out loud. If a person does not answer, the Judge will ask the clerk if service has been made on that person. If the person has been served either by domiciliary service

(which means at the person’s home) or by personal service, the Judge will ask that a Writ be issued for the appearance of the person. When a Writ is issued, the Sheriff’s office will go out and physically bring the person in to serve on jury service. Writs are time consuming and expensive but are necessary in order to ensure that all qualified persons are available to serve on the jury.

After the roll is called, the Judge will read the exemptions and qualifications to serve as jurors. The Judge will then ask if there is anyone who wishes to claim an exemption or does not meet a qualification to come forward and make that reason known. The Judge will do this as close to a microphone that records the proceeding but does not project into the audience. The Judge has to obtain the reasons a juror wishes to be excused but does not want to cause embarrass-ment to the juror. Judges are having to be tougher on excusing

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jurors and will only excuse the juror if they fit into one of the qualifications, ex-emptions, or have a very serious medical hardship documented by a licensed physi-cian. The rigidness in not allowing jurors to leave is due to the fact that the accused is entitled to choose jurors from a cross section of the population.

After the Judge has completed the ex-emptions and qualifications, the Judge may have the roll called again and new numbers assigned. This process allows further ran-domness in the jury selection process and allows jurors to be on call if necessary. For example, numbers 1 through 50 may be kept. The rest of the jurors can be released and told to call the clerk’s office after a certain time to determine if they will need to return for further service. By doing this, the Judges feel that we can avoid as much inconvenience to a person as possible.

After all this process is completed, the jury pool is directed to the courtroom in which they will serve. Bailiffs help to as-sist the jurors to the courtroom. Our goal is not to waste any person’s time but to make jury service as efficient and pleasant as possible. Remember, jury service is both a duty and a privilege.


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December 2009 �� The Best Of Times December 2009 �� The Best Of Times

Santa bought a spiffy new jet-propelled Caddy conver- tible (a custom built “St. Nick Limited”) from Ed Warren

at Shreveport’s ORR Cadillac. Santa’s enjoying that finned beauty so much that he’s planning to use it to deliver all the presents this year! So, he decided to give his reindeer their first Christmas season off, including, yes, Rudolph himself.

What’s a crimson-nosed caribou to do? Re- invent himself as a gift counselor, that’s what!

Rudy, as we call him, whisked us all over town to make suggestions for our first gift guide. It fea-tures “GIFT+,” a way to make certain gifts a little extra-special. (It’s a Louisiana lagniappe thing, especially nice at Christmastime.) ~Mike Jameson

Even though I’ve flown over Planet Earthhundreds of times, I’m still stunned by the beauty of it. This wonderful book is $26.37 at

AMAZON.com. The DVD set is $39.99 (½ price!) at the Discovery Channel website. Together they’re a GIFT+. Go to:

tinyurl.com/PlanetEarthBook

Tina told me that the mostappreciated gift she can

remember giving to her dad is a subscription to NETFLIX.

He loved creating his own personal film list. They send them, he returns

them as he sees fit. No late fees. With hundreds of thousands of titles in

ALL categories, it’s movie-lovers heaven.Membership is $8.99 a month.

(You can instantly stream movies, too!)

When I poked my red nose intoBEST BUY, they were offering their ownInsignia Blu-ray player for only $99.00.(This would be an appropriate “GIFT+”

with a subscription to NetFlix.)It supports 1080p output and BD-Livecontent, along with NetFlix streaming.

For the astonishingly-low price,it’s less basic than expected.

For the BD-Live and NetFlix streaming, this gift needs to be wired to the net.

Santa never drinks and flies, but he does like a long cool one on a hot day at the North Pole (any time it’s above 32°).

I’m getting him this handy selection from WORLD MARKET in Shreveport.

Ten beautiful bottles from, appropriately, around the world for only 15 bucks.

(Wait up. Bucks?)


As you may have noticed on the start page of this feature (27), Tina, Mike, and I had a wonderful time flying all over Shreveport and Bossier to nose out interesting and fun gift ideas. Let me show you more that turned my nose so red I could have guided a ‘round-the-world flight... (Sigh.)

For the readers among our readers (what?), a great gift would be the Barnes & Noble “Nook” eReader. ($259) This baby has a great color touch-screen. Download from a million book titles instantly and even lend them! In tight supply at Barnes & Noble.

At the Wild Bird Center in Shreveport we spotted the Travelocity Gnome, but he froze up and ignored me. Perhaps it was his $75 price. Gnome times are tough.

A hand-painted birdbath with wrought iron base is $133, & those cute garden stakes people are only $55. (Oh, and feed birds! It makes you and them feel better.)

Those who have lots of acreage over the Haynesville Shale could give me or Tina this handsome 20-foot Bennington Pontoon Party Barge with a 50-hp Yamaha motor. $25,999 (trailer included). Get it from our friends over at Reeves Marine in Bossier.

Or, for those of us tending to a budget, there’s the Aviva Fishin’ Buddy, a remote

control boat that catches fish all by itself (Really! And for only $39.99.) This and so much more can be found at Bass Pro Shop, but please avoid the caribou hunting section, as I did...

Create and print your own coffee-table-style photobook of your own pictures at ShutterFly.com ($10.39 - $43.99). This is a nose-glowingly wonderful gift idea.

At Bed, Bath & Beyond we found a great selection of digital frames (7-in. for $59.99, 8-in. for $89.99, and a 10.4-in. for $129.99). Giftees will wonder how they ever lived without one. For a Gift+ pre-load it with some nice pictures!


If you can’t give a couple of Inde-pendence Bowl tickets for the game on December 28, ($30 - $35 each. As a Gift+ add $25 for parking in the Silver Lot & $5 each more for the Shuttle Bus), perhaps you can make up for it with this custom made necklace by R. L. McCary. From McCary’s Jewelers, it’s a 6.60 carat aquamarine with .71 carats diamonds, on a reversible and adjustable 5mm diamond cut Omega necklace. This work of the jeweler’s art is a mere $9,675.

Lewis Gifts offers a Camouflage-designed leather-wrapped Vacuum Bottle

Mug Set with carrying case. $66. Camping / hunting enthusiasts will love this! All of Lewis Gifts makes my nose glow.

A stroll through Target Superstore also kept my nose ablaze. Think of this Sony DVD player as a gift to yourself when you give it to the grandkids. It’ll save your sanity on longer trips. $129.99.

You only thought you’ve seen every-thing. PetSmart offers a Snuggie for dogs! It’s a sure-fire $9.99 hit, especially for those with shivering dogs.

The LSU Fire Pit/ BBQ Grill at Tiger Town is $399.99. The tiger lounging on top of it is $74.99. (Hello, fellow fans!)

The Enchanted Garden has the en-chanting Elf on the Shelf, a gift best given a few weeks before Christmas. Every night the Elf moves to a new place. Kids love looking around the house for him. They tell the Elf what they want for Christmas and the he reports back to Santa. $29.95. It’s the sweetest tradition.

Another tradition is Poo-Pourri. As their slogan goes, “Spritz the bowl before you go and no one will ever know.” $9.99 - $19.99. (Nope, not kidding. And it works.)

I also sniffed out The Enchanted Garden’s Stinky Dorm Kit. It has enough deodorizing crystals to make Genghis Khan’s yurt smell like Matt Damon’s bed-room, which, having delivered presents to both, I know smells considerably better. $36.95. [THERE’S MORE]

�0 December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com�0 November 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com

Those aren’t Luciana Bozán Barroso’s hands (I’ll just graze here while you decipher that reference...), that’s Mary McGovern-Prejean, proprietress of Shreveport’s WineStyles. She’s pouring an “acceptable” red through a device called the Respirer Wine Aerator ($39.99). This great gift results in a smoother, more velvety glass

of wine. It’s quite amazing, as is the rest of this truly delightful shop, even though my antlers had an “issue” with all the glass in the place! (By the way, I’m not even going to mention how great a spirited bottle would make as a Gift+ with the aerator. Or, perhaps, a foursome of stemware. You’ll figure it out, just like you figured out that Luciana Bozán Barroso is Matt’s Damon’s wife’s name. In showbiz, that’s called a pretty hip segway...)

I had heard from my friend Jack Frost (I’m such a name-drop-per!) that a river in South America was selling books (I must have misunderstood), but we all know the best place on earth to find books is Tower Book Store in Shreveport. They’ve got a wonderfully curated selection, including books by local authors ranging in price from $17-99 to $39.95. Books make great gifts.

MindFlex, a hugely popular one-player game that’s played with your mind, not hands!

$59.99 at Toys R Us. (Hard to get.)


December 2009 �1 The Best Of Times November 2009 �1 The Best Of Times

Tubbs Hardware has more than just nuts and bolts and salt licks and

such like. (Ummm, salt licks!) They also create

“A Taste of Louisiana” custom gift

baskets, featuring Cajun

foods, hot sauce, music, and gifts. Starting at $15.99. Do they ship? You bet! (Or maybe I could deliver it for you? Okay, maybe not.)

WalMart offers this perfectly perfect Dell 10.1 inch Netbook. It comes with

Windows XP & Webcam - $328.

While I don’t think a facial would do much for me or my antlers,

Tina tells me that is one of her great “guilty

pleasures.” She has nothing to feel guilty

about. Women have been enjoying facials

since recorded history. A gift certificate to a place like, oh, let’s say, Jeanie

Mitchell’s Skin Technol-ogy (plug, plug!) would

be very nice.

You must excuse me, please. I’m on my way to Styron’s Engraving Company to get my hoof-print Thank You cards. Everyone who enjoyed this Gift Guide gets one. I had a blast doing this! Styron’s has some wonderful items that make thoughtful gifts for those who still like to write on paper with a pen. If I had an opposable thumb on this hoof I’d do that, too. ~ See you next December?

KITCHEN WORKS, that fabulously-stocked housewares store over on

Youree Drive in Shreveport, told me their exclusive Southern Belle coffee blend is the best-selling flavor. And that’s sayin’ something, as they have a staggering array of flavored coffees.

Teas, too! I lost track of how many great gift ideas are here. My, my!



by mirabai holland, m.f.a., www.MovingFree.com

managing our weight: through thick and through thin

Autumn into Winter is when many of us have trouble managing our weight.

The key elements of main-taining a proper weight are learning to control portion size, eating a balanced diet, getting in touch with your hunger and exercising on a

regular basis. Though exercise has always helped to burn calo-ries, lose body fat and keep muscle tone, exercise alone will not keep your weight in check. Eating only

when you are truly hungry can help you stay on track. Many of us engage in emotional eating: we eat when bored, depressed angry or even happy. To curb this tendency we must reckon with our inner selves. This can be getting on a scale, putting on a pair of pants that used to fit,

and writing down what we are putting into our mouths. For me, maintaining my proper weight is a constant struggle

but it is one I embrace and so can you. Remember, the real reason for food is to keep us alive and well.

Choosing healthful foods is integral to feeling good and pos-sibly preventing diabetes, cancer and heart disease and numerous other health problems. Between fast food and vending machines, it’s often a challenge to eat basic foods that are not prepared or processed with too much salt, sugar and preservatives. Yet a wealth of fresh vegetables, fruits, dried beans, whole grains and nuts are available if you just know what to look for and make time to prepare nutritious meals.

As we age, our immune systems become more vulnerable – especially if we are recovering from illness. The food and agriculture industries are allowed by the FDA to use a multitude of pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and even insect-based dyes to produce as much food as cheaply, and therefore profitably,

as possible.The movement toward organic foods and

support for local farming in the U.S. has grown as more people become aware and concerned about the untested and unlabeled additives in our food supply. Although organic foods are often more expensive, the cost can be balanced by avoiding non-nutritious prepared foods – such as snack items, candy, sugary sodas and frozen meals – while choosing fresh produce, dried beans, whole grains and a limited amount of low fat dairy and lean meat and poultry.

Here is an important meal tip; eat a healthy breakfast. Why? Because it will give you energy to last through the morning so that you are not ravenous and prone to overeating at lunch. For the longest-lasting energy, balance three types of food in your breakfast: A serving of whole grains (a piece of whole wheat toast, a half-cup of oatmeal or a serving of whole-grain cereal per size listed on the package); two servings of fruits (which can include a glass of 100 percent juice) and a bit of low fat protein – such as yogurt, an egg, reduced-fat cheese, or skim milk on whole grain cereal. In calories and nutrition, it will beat a sugary, fatty pastry any day. Studies show that women who eat a healthy breakfast each day have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is one of the leading authorities in the Health & Fitness industry. Her Moving Free approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn’t feel like work.


The Winter season will begin Monday, December 21st.

W o u l d y o u like to see a white Christmas? National Weather Service records reveal that

snow flurries were observed by the weather office at Regional Airport during the late evening of December 25, 2001. Light as it was, it was the only snowfall in Shreveport on Christmas Day since weather records were begun in Septem-ber, 1871. Shreveport’s greatest amount of snowfall was 11 inches recorded on December 21 through December 22, 1929. Our earliest snowfall of record was four-tenths of an inch on November 22, 1937. The latest snowfall of record was just a trace, not enough to measure, on April 15, 1933.

What was Christmas Day like last year? The high temperature was 57°. The low temperature was 44°. There was no rain or snow.

What do you think December has planned for us? Here are some numbers that might help you in making plans. The average daily normal high temperature is 59°. The average daily normal low temperature is 37°. Normal December rainfall is 4.55 inches.

Last December the highest tem-perature was 77° on the 20th. The lowest temperature was 23° on the 22nd. Rain-fall measured 3.14 inches.

December’s record high temperature was 84° on the 24th in 1955. The lowest temperature of record was 5° on the 23rd in 1988. The wettest of record was 15.55 inches in 1884.

Here’s an old weather saying that has a lot of truth to it. “When dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.” Here’s the reason - Dew forms when the sky is clear and there is no wind.

Al Bolton, a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, began reporting with KSLA-TV in February, 1954 and for The Best of Times in February, 2002.


by lillian carSon, d.S.w.excerpt from Grand Magazine

I never imagined I would become a great-grandmother while in my 50s. I have just learned that my 16-year-old granddaughter is pregnant. I am in shock. Such a lovely girl, good student, active in student government, plan-ning to go to college - she had everything going for her, and now her life is ruined. Her mother, my daughter, is rather punitive. I would like to be helpful but am so upset I can’t stop crying. ~Not Feeling Great

Your distress is under-

too-Soon great: my teenage granddaughter is pregnant

standable. But after the initial shock and dis-appointment, the fact that you continue to be so distraught raises a red flag. It sig-

nals that your granddaughter’s pregnancy touches on some personal issues for you. I won-der if the fact that you are such a young great-grandmother and a young grandmother implies that there is a family pattern: Were you hoping that your granddaughter would break this pattern and live out your hoped-for youth? Give this some thought, as it may lead to an aha moment that could explain your uncontrollable grief.

Your daughter’s punitive response sadly adds to the turmoil and indicates that she

has unresolved feelings of her own. Why is she angry at her daughter? Is she feeling guilty? Does she resent that her daughter followed her path with an early pregnancy?

Your granddaughter’s life is certainly not over, but it is changed. She has some seri-ous, life-altering decisions to make. Will she decide to keep the baby? Will the father be involved? Will she have the baby and give it up for adop-tion? Will she terminate the pregnancy? She needs support and levelheaded, problem-solv-ing discussions.

Until you and your daughter get a grip on your own emo-tions, neither of you are able to provide this guidance. The next best approach is counseling for your granddaughter. The impartiality of a counselor can

help her to clarify her options and make decisions.

I also urge counseling for you to understand and resolve your own reactions. Only then can you focus clearly on your granddaughter’s needs and those of the family. Lillian Carson, D.S.W., is a nationally recognized grand-parenting expert and the author of The Essential Grandparent: A Guide to Making a Difference [www.essentialgrandparent.com. This is an excerpt from the “Ask GRAND” column in the August 2009 issue of the online magazine for grandparents & the grandkids who love them. For info or to subscribe $(7.99), go to www.grandmagazine.com. Use special promotion code “senior” and receive a discount for being a reader of this publication.


by the award winningamanda newton

Joe Averett, Jr., 66, was born in Shreveport and grew up on a farm in south Boss-ier Parish. His career would ultimately take him from Houston to Washington, D.C. and finally, even to Russia.

From 1977-1978, Averett worked in Washington, D. C. in the Secretary of the Treasury’s office through the Presidential Executive Program, a program where junior executives from ma-jor companies, who were theoretically destined to be CEOs, were placed in high level positions in government for one year. It proved to be quite a year for Averett.

“It was a great experi-ence,” he said. “My office was just down from the sec-retary’s office. Sitting there in my office in the Treasury

Building, looking out over the White House, it was an incred-ible feeling for me. Here I

was a farm boy from south Bossier Par-ish, been driving a

tractor since I was 12 years old… and I am not

only in Washington but in the Treasury Department and working with the Secretary of the Treasury.”

The experience gave Averett a lot more insight

into how the government actually works, but after a year, he was really ready to go back to the private sector.

“There is no question that the experience helped me when I returned to the private sector. It gave me a dimension that I did not have before.”

As part of his responsi-bilities in Washington, Averett traveled overseas and met with heads of finance. After the year, he returned to Pennzoil and was made treasurer of the company worldwide. He said his overseas trips put him in a much better position to accomplish things in his new position.

“It would be impossible to quantify the value of that year (in Washington). I came back a different person in a good way.”

Much of Averett’s volunteer work is focused on education, an area he and his wife, Abby, feel is of vital importance. Av-erett and his wife established the $100,000 Joe and Abby Averett Endowed Professor-ship in Business at LSU-S. His interest in education goes back to his childhood and is also an area influenced by his time in Washington.

“As long as I can remember, it was preached to me that I had to go to college. I don’t think it was until I was i n t he n in th grade that I ac-tually realized that you didn’t have to go to college.”

While in Washington, Av-erett helped organize a White House conference on balanced economic growth. The group of experts at the conference only agreed on two things, he said. The first was that the one thing that had the single largest im-pact on the United States was the building of the interstate highway system.

“The second thing, but more importantly, was education. There were reams and reams

of statistics and historical data that showed in a tangible way that the quality of your educa-tion system in a community is directly correlated to the qual-ity of life in that community.”

Averett and his wife have directed their volunteer work towards public education, be-cause that is “where the real hurt is.” They were very active

in supporting the Caddo Public Education Foun-dation., which has now merged into the Alliance for Education.

Averett re-tired from the oil and gas industry as president and CEO of Crys-tal Gas Storage (formerly Crys-

tal Oil Company) in 2003. When the company was clos-ing its Shreveport offices in 1999, Averett arranged for the donation of the Crystal Oil Building to the LSUS-S Foun-dation. The foundation sold the building, valued at more than three million dollars, and those funds have been used to further the education goals of the university. To date, it is the largest unrestricted donation the university has received.


“Everybody was excited about the idea, but as they say, the devil is in the details,” Averett said. “You have to make sure ev-erything is done correctly. It probably took about six months to get all those pieces in place. Once it was all in place, it was easy. Most good things happen that way. You put a lot of effort into it, and then it happens for all the right reasons and on that day that you actually do it, it is easy.”

During his time at Crystal, Averett earned the chance to take part in the historic opening of Russia after the fall of communism. In 1992, when Russia opened its doors, those in charge of its aging oil fields hired JP Morgan Bank in New York to find a Western oil company to be a partner in rehabilitating its oil fields and drilling for new oil. Crystal was the company chosen for this venture and it turned out to be quite an experience for Averett.

On his first trip to Russia, he visited a town located in an isolated area of the country where missile silos were located and Soviet pilots had been trained.

“We were the first Americans ever allowed to go to this town…and the towns-people weren’t allowed to travel out of the

area. They hadn’t been anywhere. When we came in, the word had gotten out that Americans were coming to the town. The people could not have been nicer and more receptive, but they would come up and touch us to see what an American felt like. It was amazing and a real adventure.”

“There are just 100 different stories in my Russian experience - a lot of them very good, some frustrating.”

While he was in college and up until four years ago when he was injured, Av-erett was a badminton player, competing and winning on the national level. It is a far more challenging sport than most people think, he said. He really loved competing in the game, but when injured and told surgery could have him playing again in six months, he passed on it to devote more time to his latest passion: boating.

“The idea was to buy a boat when I turned 60 and sell it when I am 70. I am the crew, and while I love the navigation, charting, piloting and maintaining the engine room, when you get beyond 70, some of those things aren’t as easy as they were when you were 60.”

Averett took delivery of the boat, a 52-footer named “Kingfisher,” one month

after he turned 60. He and his wife are slowly making their way on the “Great Loop,” a trip that begins in the Gulf of Mexico, goes up the East Coast, through the St. Lawrence River to the Great Lakes, and then connects via several smaller riv-ers to the Mississippi, which goes back to the Gulf.

The couple has made it as far as New York and they will cruise the Great Lakes come spring.

“I love the boat and that is my real excitement right now. Most of my friends don’t believe that I will sell at 70, but that is still the plan.”

The Averetts have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. The granddaugh-ters live in Shreveport and Averett loves having his granddaughters so close.

“One of the greatest pleasures in life is grandchildren.”

Between boating, his volunteer work in the field of education, and spending time with his granddaughters, Averett is perhaps busier now than ever.

“My wife says I am supposed to be re-tired, but there is never enough time in any day to do everything. But these are good problems. I like the problems I have.”

�� December 2009 TheBestOfTimesNews.com�� December 2009


It’s a good sign for the economy when a relatively new, decidedly upscale boîte in Bossier City is chockablock with movers & shakers on the beautiful Saturday night we chose to visit for this review. What recession?

This “see-and-be-seen” destination restaurant was awash with friends, eager fans and even colleagues. Much air-kissing ensued.

Owner John Montelepre, Jr. and his son, John III, who serves as both the Sous and Pastry Chef, wisely selected Joshua Wilkinson as their Ex-ecutive Chef.

Their expertise also shows in their selection of waiters, almost all of whom are veterans of other exceedingly reputable places. Like Ron, the professional who waited on our table. Last time he brought me dinner was a decade ago at Ralph & Kacoo’s. He was stunned that I remembered him.

I was attracted to the large piano bar just inside the entrance. It looked and sounded like

a tasteful party. But our table awaited in the beautiful restau-rant, where glasses of excellent house wines led to appetizers.

That’s where we found a bit of trouble. It had to do with crab cakes almost making us crabby. There was a round of long faces at our table when we tried them here. The two cakes with Hollandaise ($10), were mushy and without flavor (even crab flavor), no matter that “Cajun spices” were supposedly lurking in the breading. These wouldn’t have made the starting lineup at the Mabry House, local crab cake masters. Strike one.

The other appetizer shared was Calamari with a house-made Thai Chili glaze ($11). The glaze gave a tiny kick, but the rings were bland, albeit crispy. We didn’t finish them. Strike two.

But then, much to our relief, the home runs began to get knocked over the fence. In fact, the Shrimp & Grits appetizer ($12) your favorite editor ordered as her entrée was a pennant winner all by itself. The three large shrimp were sautéed with Cajun tasso “ham” and the stone-ground grits were thick and creamy, somewhere between grits and a polenta. Spicy, but not overly so.

I ordered Blackened salmon with white wine reduction, fin-ished with Maytag bleu cheese and served with spinach and gently creamed red potatoes. ($22) It was a generously thick portion and a flaky, perfectly seared masterpiece. Technique tells.

The spinach wasn’t the by-now tired steakhouse cream-and-butter hyper-calorie-fest, but a barely wilted, healthy-looking, delicious alternative. The whole presentation was a home run!

A big spender in our party craved the Steak au Poivre, which the menu lists as a “Sig-nature Dish.” (At $33 it better be.) It’s a 7-ounce pepper-encrusted filet in a cognac / peppercorn cream sauce. The plate also features those great red potatoes and heart-breakingly tender and delicious asparagus. The entire dish was the apex of perfection. The chef hits another home run.

Mahi Mahi en Papillote with seasonal vegetables ($21) features what our Jewish friends call “a nice piece of fish.” Ron, operating tableside with some drama and great skill, popped the papillote (a white envelope of parchment paper) to reveal

the steamed fish. squash, onion and bell peppers. The scent of the rich white wine broth wafted over the table. Oh my! Home run.

We decided to share only one dessert and I know just enough menu French to call it Baie avec Crème à l’Anglaise (Ber-ries with English-style Cream). Call it a homer and a refreshingly sweet/tart end to a winning game of culinary fun.

2 Johns is a wonderful addition to the fine dining lineup in Bossier City. Take a seventh inning stretch, fans, you’ve got a World Series winner of a team in your town!

2 johns Steak & Seafood2151 airline dr., Ste 1500

bossier city, louisiana(318) 841-5646


820 Jordan Street, Suite 390 | Shreveport, LA 71101

www.ResCareHomeCare.com

A member of the ResCare family of companies

Call us today at: 318.678.1890

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“you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers”

Chris Shelby, MDPierremont Eye Institute7843 Youree Dr.Shreveport, LA 1105318-212-3937; www.ShelbyEye.comSee our ad on page 16.

nurSing home care

Vicki OttNurseCare Nursing and Rehab Center1736 Irving PlaceShreveport, LA 71101(318) 221-1983See our ad on page 55.

John J. Ferrell, M.D.Mid South Orthopaedics7925 Youree Drive; Suite 210Shreveport, LA 71105(318) 424-3400

ophthalmology

neuroSurgeryorthopaedicS

Dr. Ravish PatwardhanThe Comprehensive Neurosurgery Network8001 Youree Dr., Ste 970Shreveport, LA 71115(318) 797-5543www.neurosurgery.ws

hoSpice

Social Security

Should I wait for our physician to raise the possibility of hospice, or should I raise it first?

The most frequent comment hospice agencies hear from their patient’s and families is “I wish I would have known about ‘it’ sooner.” In 2008, 35.4% of those served by hospice died or were discharged in seven days or less - a timeframe way too short to realize the full benefits of hospice care. Ideally, discussions about adding the benefits of hospice services to an individual’s care regimen should begin when it appears that a cure may not be possible for a life-limiting illness and within the context an individual’s goals for treatment. It would not only be appropriate, but also prudent to initiate the conversation with your physician about hospice services.

Rick BauerLifePath Hospice Care Service8720 Quimper Place, Ste 100Shreveport, LA 71105318-222-5711; 1-866-257-5711www.lifepathhospicecare.comSee our ad on page 5.

How can people partner with health-care centers to make them a better place to live?

Visit, visit, and visit. Choose a healthcare center and indicate your interest to the Administrator, Activities or Social Services Director. Indicate if you have any special talent or gift, or if you just want to befriend someone. They can likely find a need you can fill that will give some residents a smile and a sense of gratification for you.

Who are candidates for balloon ky-phoplasty to relieve back problems?

The best candidates for balloon kyphoplasty are those who have new (within a few days or a couple of weeks) fracture. Fractures are most common in older patients with osteoporosis and the typical symptom is severe, immediate onset back pain. Kyphoplasty has to be one of the most satisfying procedures - there is practically immediate relief in most cases, and people go home with only 2 tiny needle incisions. We treat other back-related problems which affect pain down the legs of ‘fatigu-ing” down the legs, and not every patient needs surgery - just an honest assessment.

I am a 50-year-old female who has worn contacts and glasses for my nearsighted condition for years. Will the new eye procedures eliminate my need for contacts or glasses?

After age 40, most people become presbyopic, meaning you lose your near vision. There are many options for people who want to reduce their de-pendence on glasses or contacts. Some people are great candidates for LASIK, while others would benefit more from the ReStor Multifocal Lens Implant. In order to know exactly which procedure is best for you, you should be examined. Call 212-3937 today to learn about all of the options available to you.

Is Osteoarthritis (OA) hereditary?OA does have a genetic predisposi-

tion. Common forms of OA of the hands has a familial component. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for bilateral (both) knee OA and weight loss will reduce the risk of OA in the knee. Obesity, surprisingly, does not show an increased risk of hip OA, but does show increased risk of hand OA. Whether adipose tissue releases OA-causing growth factors or hormones is not known at present, but what is known is that weight loss does have an identifiable improvement in OA of the knee.

How long does it take to apply online for retirement benefits?

How long it takes depends on your specific situation. However, many people find that they can complete their online retirement application in as little as 15 minutes! There are no paper forms to sign, and usually no additional documents are required. You can learn more about Social Security retirement benefits, get an estimate of your future benefit amount, and when you’re ready, apply for retirement benefits online, by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov.

Dora MillerSocial Security Admin.Public Affairs Specialist318-676-3173www.socialsecurity.gov


Silver Screenings - Meet Me in St. Louis starring Judy Garland. Tuesday Dec. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St. in downtown Shreveport. Senior Admission: $5.75 for the movie only; $14 for movie and lunch. For reser-vations call 459-4122.

Shreveport Opera - Amahl and the Night Visitors. December 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Riverview Theatre, 600 Clyde Fant Parkway in downtown Shreveport. Tickets are $10 - $25. Call (318) 227-9503. www.ShreveportOpera.org

Texarkana Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Family Spectacular - Featur-ing holiday pops and traditional favorites. Sunday, December 20, 4:00 p.m.. Sullivan Performing Arts Center, John Thomas Theater, 221 Summerhill Road, Texar-kana, TX. Tickets are $30-$25-$15-$10. Call Box Office at 903.792.4992. www.texarkanasymphony.org

Las Vegas Night - Benefiting The Betty and Leonard Phillips Deaf Action Center. Saturday. Dec 12. 7:00 p.m. Fabulous food and open bar. Blackjack craps and Roulette (use chips at the Winners’ Auction). Live and silent auctions. Limited reservations. $175 per person. Wine Country Bistro, 4801 Line Ave., Shreveport. Call 425-7781 for tickets.

placeS2go, people2See, thingS2do

entertainmenttour

benefitmarket

driving claSSFirst Saturday Tour Series - Norton

Art Gallery lobby, 4747 Creswell Ave., Shreveport. First Saturday of every month 2 - 3 p.m. No reservation is required, though groups of 10+ are asked to call ahead. This tour, like all tours and admis-sion to the Norton, is FREE of charge.

Saturday, December 5 – The Christ-mas Tour: Gifts of the Heart. Explore the gifts their artists have given to friends, family, and the world at large with this guided tour of their permanent collection. The tour reminds us that the cost of a gift is never the measure of its value.

A Christmas Carol - Based on Charles Dickens’ novel. Presented by the Shreve-port Little Theatre. staged at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, Centenary College, Wilkinson and Woodlawn. December 17, 18, 19, 26 at 8 p.m., December 20, 24, 27 at 2 p.m. and December 25 at 4 p.m. $10 for students, $12 for seniors and active mili-tary and $15 for adults. Call 424-4439.

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown - Presented by the Shreveport Little Theatre Academy and staged at Margaret Shaffer Dickson Theater at Southfield School. December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 at 7 p.m. December 6, 13 at 2 p.m. This hip new version tells the story of an average day in the life of the famous comic strip hero. $10 - $20. Call 424-4439 for tickets.

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AARP Driver Safety Program - An 8 hour classroom refresher course for drivers age 50+ which may qualify participants for an automobile insurance premium reduction or discount. Where 2 days are listed, participants must attend both days. Participants must preregister. $14 for non-AARP members; $12 for AARP members (AARP card required at registration).

December 8 & 9 - 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Bossier Council on Aging, 706 Bearkat Dr., Bossier City. Contact #: 318-741-8302; Instructor: L. Ray Branton

December 10 - 8:30 a.m. (One day class) Kingston Road Baptist Church, 8900 Kingston Road, Shreveport. Con-tact: Doug Donley 318-687-9885; Instructor: Malcolm Parker

January 11 - 8:30 a.m. (One day class) Pinecroft Baptist Church, 8002 Jewella Ave, Shreveport. Contact: O.J. Stevens 318-687-2765; Instructor: Mal-colm Parker

West Edge Artists’ Fine Arts Mar-ket - Saturday, December 19. Presented by West Edge Artists’ Co-op. Louisiana Boardwalk, Bossier City. This one-day event will feature regional artists selling fine art in various mediums. Art lovers of every age are invited and encouraged to attend this unique art experience.

•

•

•

theatre


open houSe

partyexhibitSChristmas - A Journey in Image and

Word - December 8 - January 3. Norton Art Gallery, 4747 Creswell, Shreveport. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Celebrating the original meaning of the hol(y)days with an exhibition of religious artworks and manuscripts from the medieval period through the 19th century. As part of the festivities, Father Peter Mangum of the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans will be joining the art gallery at 2:00 p.m. on De-cember 19th to speak about the traditions surrounding the book of hours and other religious works of art. Admission to the Norton is FREE of charge. For more info call (318) 865-4201.

Triumph Over Tragedy Exhibit - Through December 29. Presented by art-space, 710 Texas in downtown Shreveport. Mondays 10 am - 2 pm, Tuesdays - Fridays 10 am - 5:30 pm, Saturdays 12 pm - 5 pm. The exhibit commemorates the people, places and events of the Great Depres-sion/New Deal Era in North Louisiana. (318) 673-6535.

Christmas Party - presented by the Krewe of Elders. Saturday, December 19. 6:00 until 11:00 p.m. American Legion Hall, 5315 South Lakeshore Dr., Shreveport. Open to public. Dinner buffet provided by members and Board of Direc-tors. Free for members that bring food or $5.00 at door. Blue Rhythm Band. Cash bar, door prizes, 50/50 raffle. Info. 635-4901, 752-9175, 518-8092.

Barnwell’s Holiday Open House - Presented by the Barnwell Garden & Art Center, 601 Clyde Fant Parkway, in downtown Shreveport. 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 3; Tuesday, Decem-ber 8; Tuesday, December 15; Thursday, December 17; Tuesday, December 22. The Barnwell Center will be decorated especially for the holidays. Holiday Laser Light Show in the Conservatory will run every 20 minutes starting at 5:20 pm! Shop at ‘The Store’ at the Barnwell for unique creations hand-made by artisans throughout Louisiana. FREE! For more information call (318) 673-7703.


So we’ve decided to call it “The Best of Times Day at the State Fair.” I mean, look at us! We’re not your grandpa’s Se-niors, that’s for sure! There’s a bounce to our step, a gleam in our eye, and a joy in our hearts. All that was on display November 5th at the Hirsch Coliseum on the grounds of the State Fair of Louisiana, as thousands of us showed up for a good time.

The event was chock-a-block with fun & games, a really great Elvis impersonator, door prizes big and small, lots of laughs, and even a contin-gent of Red Hat Ladies.

Gary Calligas, publisher of this magazine and chief of The Best of Times Radio Hour, hosted the whole shebang, including a version of “Deal or No Deal” that was a hoot!

Take a look at the beaming faces of our extended family of friends and know there’s going to be “The Best of Times Day at the State Fair” again next year. We fully expect to see you there on Nov. 4, 2010.


eaSt texaS eye doctor helpS legally blind to See againdiplomate in low vision care trains dr. larry chism to help those with macular degeneration to keep reading and driving.By Elena LombardiFreelance Writer

Carole Buckels wearing bioptic telescope driving glasses.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Donald Paquette, 72, a former assessor from Anaheim, California thought that his driving days were over. “I could not read the street signs soon enough and I couldn’t pass the vision test at the DMV office.”

Gonzalo Garcia, 74, Albuquer-que, New Mexico, wanted to be able to read and write more eas-ily. He wanted to see the nails and screws when he tried to use them in home repairs. He wanted see his grandchildren singing in the church choir. But he thought those days were over when he was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration.

California Optometrist, Dr. Rich-ard J. Shuldiner and East Texas optometrist, Dr. Larry Chism, are using miniaturized binoculars or telescopes to help people who have lost vision from macular degenera-tion or other eye conditions.

“Some of my patients consider us the last stop for people who have vision loss,” said Dr. Chism, a low vision optometrist who has just completed training with Dr. Shuldiner in California.

“Amazing!” says Donald. “I can read the street signs twice as far as I did before and even see the tele-vision better!” Dr. Shuldiner also provided special prismatic reading glasses to make the newspaper a little easier to read.

Macular Degeneration is the most common eye disease amongst the senior population. As many as 25% of those over 65 have some degree

of degeneration. The macula is one small part of the entire retina, but it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp images.

When it degenerates, Macular De-generation leaves a blind spot right in the center of vision making it impos-sible to recognize faces, read a book, or pass the drivers vision test.

The experts do not know what causes macular degeneration. But major factors include UV light from the sun, smoking, aging, and im-proper nutrition.

Vitamins can help. The results of two studies, AREDS and LAST demonstrated a lowered risk of pro-gression by about 25% when treated with a high-dose combination of vitamins.

A new, proprietary supplement based on the scientific studies is available from these doctors.

Nine out of ten people who have macular degeneration have the dry type. There is no medical treatment except for vitamins. The wet type involves leaky blood vessels that can sometimes be sealed with hot or cold laser. Unfortunately it’s a temporary fix. Newer treatments, such as Macugen injections try to prevent leakage.

“Our job is to figure out everything and anything possible to keep a per-son functioning,” says Dr. Chism. “Whether it’s driving, reading, watch-

ing television, seeing faces, playing bridge…we work with whatever is on the persons “wish list”.

Even if it’s driving. Louisiana and Texas allow the use of telescopic glasses for safer driving.

Carole Buckles, 71 of Arcadia, California came on the advise of a friend. “I wanted to be able to keep driving and do the fun things in life.” One of those fun things is baseball. “I love going to baseball games and now I can see those close plays again,” she says.

Bioptic Telescopic glasses were prescribed to read signs and see traffic lights farther away. As Carole puts it, “These telescope glasses not only allows me to read signs from a farther distance, but makes driving much easier. I’ve also used them to watch television so I don’t have to sit so close. Definitely worth the $1975 cost. I don’t know why I waited two years to do this; I should have come sooner.”

“Telescopic glasses usually cost over $2000”, says Dr. Shuldiner, “especially if we build them with an automatic sunglass”.

Not all low vision devices are that expensive. Reading glasses start at $500 and hand magnifiers under $100. Every case is different because people have different levels of vision and different desires.

Dr. Chism also provides special prismatic reading glasses to make the newspaper a little easier to read.

Dr. Larry Chism speaks to every patient on the telephone before scheduling the one hour low vision evaluation appointment.

call dr. chism, toll free, at 1-888-243-2020 for a

free telephone interview.


SUDOKU - Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every row, column, and 3 x 3 box includes all digits 1 through 9.

(Solution on page 51)

barbiebicycleblocks

candylandcap gun

chemistry setdolls

frisbeehula hoops

legoslincoln logs

matchbox carmonopolymr potato

headplay-doh

pogo StickSilly putty

SkatesSlinky

view master


By Ken Bessette; Edited by Rich Norris & Joyce Nichols Lewis Across 1 Soft drink option 8 Regal rod15 Get ready to eat?20 Blue books?21 Way over the ocean22 Overcome glossophobia23 TOG?25 Law school subject26 Pot creators27 NASA rank28 One of Jason’s men30 Country’s Acuff et al.31 Annual parade city since 189035 Like the vb. “be,” e.g.36 Shipbuilding wood38 GLIBNESS?44 H, as in “Hera”47 Multicolored49 Cantina fare50 Symphonic wind51 FELT?55 Song on the Beatles’ “Revolver” album57 Political position58 Mecca for N.Y.C. art lovers59 Penguin on skates, for short61 Nautical pronoun62 1968 self-titled folk album63 Cock and bull64 Pieces of 8?66 GOES?69 RAGE?74 Squeezes (out)75 Cancels76 Island accessories78 Monk’s address81 Shocked intakes84 “All __”: 1984 film featuring an old song of the same name85 Overly affected87 Confessions may be given under it89 SING?

92 Old Roman road93 Picked95 Silverware point96 Light period97 EARTH?101 Micro ending103 Mortgage pmt. component104 Canal locale106 B’way ticket abbr.110 “Says who?”115 Nitwit116 Mild cigar117 It’s traditionally placed to the right of the knife118 STOP?123 “Not possible”124 12:30, on a ship125 Beckett contemporary126 Stuffs127 Bargain hunter’s stop128 Like some markets

Down 1 Olive Oyl’s creator 2 Maine town named for a Penobscot chief 3 Eccentric 4 Bear witness 5 __ XII, WWII pope 6 Text-interpreting technology, briefly 7 Flattened 8 Gulf War foe 9 Poet John who translated Dante’s “Divine Comedy”10 Stumble11 Mideast political gp.12 Letter before upsilon13 Sicilian resort14 Put through one’s paces again15 Copter blades16 Curling gadget17 Legal opening?

18 Rebuke before the senate19 Cheep place to stay?24 Ambulance letters29 Welcoming ones31 Revolutionary pamphleteer32 Crowd seen at a film festival?33 Around the corner34 Marketing pro37 “Beowulf,” for one39 Indiana senator40 Beantown team, casually41 Certain PCs42 Early matchmaker43 Type of therapy44 Film feline45 Aquarium swimmer46 Riding for __: acting

overconfidently48 Yankees’ #5, familiarly52 Govt. security53 Flight training milestone54 Iowa State home56 Classy entranceway60 Metallica drummer Ulrich63 Slob’s creation65 Farm storage spots67 Ticker tapes, briefly?68 Second time to the top69 Sass70 Pollster Roper71 Warning72 Far from fragrant73 New York town on the Susquehanna75 Reagan biographer

Peggy77 Discman maker78 S&L protector79 Dr. who wrote “Sex for Dummies”80 Word after Bay, gray or play82 Magic word83 Bite-sized food85 Pavarotti, e.g.86 Metal containers88 Seaside raptor90 Member of many an idol’s fan base91 “Catch Me If You Can” star94 Trendy club98 Super Bowl XLII champs99 Act as middleman, perhaps100 It’s not important102 Liquefied by heat

105 Rock music genre107 Mrs. Gorbachev108 Spring bloomers109 Accept, as a coupon110 Egyptian fertility goddess111 Shelter org.112 Exactly113 Give an edge to114 Disney duck princess116 Support staff?119 Geom. class line part120 Airer of baseball’s Division Series121 Stephen of “Interview With the Vampire”122 Swab

(Solution on page 51)

literal tranSlationS


Ambulance Services

Balentine Ambulance service

(318) 222-5358

Artificial Limbs and Braces

snell’s Orthotics and Prosthetics(318) 424-4167

Associations and Organizations

BluePrint Louisiana(866) 483-3920

Bossier Council on Aging

(318) 741-8302

Caddo Council on Aging(318) 632-2090

shreveport Little Theatre

(318) 424-4439

shreveport Opera(318) 227-9503

The Robinson Film Center

(318) 424-9090

The Best of Times(318) 636-5510

webster Council on Aging

(318) 371-3056

Care Providers

Comfort Keepers(318) 934-0090

Family Care services(318) 671-1799

Home Assistance services

(318) 682-8182

Northwest LA INCs, LLC(318) 636-0390

ResCare Home Care(318) 678-1890

seniors Club Personal Care services

(318) 635-0010

Cemeteries/Funeral Homes

Centuries Memorial(318) 686-4334

Hill Crest Memorial(318) 949-9415

Complementary Medical Therapies

The Chiropractic Health CenterDr. Diane sino(318) 687-0881

Counseling Services

The Center for Families(318) 222-0759

Courses

Bible Correspondence Course

(318) 797-6333

Emergency Response Systems

Acadian OnCall1-800-259-1234

Financial & Estate Planning/Legal Services

Farm Bureau Financial Cheryl Andryco(318) 524-5200

serio Investments Phillip serio

(318) 221-0889

The Law Practice of Joseph Gilsoul(318) 222-2100

Flowers

Flowers Forever, LLC(318) 925-2323

Hearing Care Services

Better Hearing systems(318) 747-9191

shreve Hearing Aid service

(318) 797-7733

Home Maintenance and Repair Services

Gutter Helmet of North Louisiana

(800) 284-9777

Larry and Ray’s Handyman services

(318) 469-2814

stanley steamer Carpet Cleaner(318) 631-6655

Home Health Care (Medicare Certified)

Ark-La-Tex Home Health, Inc

(318) 747-6180

Medistar Home Health(318)742-4026

synergy Home Care(318) 550-0285

Hospice Care Providers

Hospice Compassus(318) 524-1046

LifePath Hospice(318) 222-5711

st. Joseph Hospice(318) 222-8723

Home Infusion Services

IV Plus(318) 683-5139

Hospitals

Brentwood Hospital(318) 678-7500

willis Knighton Medical Center – North shreveport

(318) 212-4000

willis Knighton Medical Center – Bossier(318) 212-7000

willis Knighton Medical Center – south shreveport

(318) 212-5000

wilis Knighton Medical Center – Pierremont

(318) 212-3000

Insurance

Humana(866) 836-7908

sterling Health Plans(866) 217-3666

Vantage Health Plan(888) 823-1910

Medical Supplies and Equipment

Fastserv Medical(318) 741-9586

Home Health Medical supply(318) 631-1466

Medtronics – XsTOP spacer

(866) 580-5242

Pet Care and Services

Airline Animal Hospital(318) 747-9150

Lil’ Rascals Pet Care(318) 573-6672

Pharmacies

Medic Pharmacy(318) 222-8477

Physician services

Cardiovascular Consultants, LLP

Dr. Phillip Rozeman(318) 631-6400

Dr. Britain P. Auer(318) 798-4623

Dr. Gary Booker(318) 227-9600

Mid south Orthopaedics(318) 424-3400

Pierremont eye InstituteDr. Chris shelby(318) 212-3937

Vision – sourceDr. Larry Chism(888) 243-2020

Radio Stations

KwKH AM 1130 Radio station

(318) 688-1130

Real Estate Agents

Century 21Judy Holland

(318) 349-6983

Restaurants and Catering

Cupcake Gallery and Coffee shop(318) 752-2253

Imperial wok Chinese Restaurant

(318) 687-6668

Senior Living Options

Azalea estates Assisted Living(318) 797-2408

Kingsley Place of shreveport

(318) 524-2100

Leslie Lakes Retirement Center

(318) 263-9581

NurseCare of shreveport(318) 221-1983

Princeton Place Rehabilitation Center

(318) 255-4400

southwood Gardens(318) 682-4022

southwood square(318) 671-1888

The waterford at shreveport

(318) 524-3300

Spas/Skin Care

Jeany Mitchell’s skin Technology(318) 347-3567

Travel Services

Cruises, Inc(318) 746-3745

Red River Coaches(318) 221-5797

Telephone Book

User-Friendly Phone Book(318) 865-1280



Hill Crest Memorial 601 Hwy. 80 East

Haughton, LA 71037(318) 949-9415

Centuries Memorial8801 Mansfield

Shreveport, LA 71108(318) 686-4334

have you made prearrangements for your family, or do you still have that to do?

leaving these decisions to your children on the worst day of their lives is a

terrible emotional burden.

Call Today To Receive a FREE Family Planning Portfolio


1 - Irma Mecom attended the Silver Screenings at the Robinson Film Center and surprised former neighbor Gary Calligas. Ms. Mecom lived across the street from Gary and his parents in the 1960s.

2 - Abby Averett celebrates her birthday with Bridge group pals (l to r) Marianne Mosteller, Brookie Walker, Abby, Chloe Thornton, Sherry Hennigan, Debbie Grand and Meg Goorley.

3 - Natalie Cunningham, Chris Robinson, and Katie McCullin at the Haynesville Shale Expo.

4 - Ann Rhoads, Carl Rhoads, Frances Jones, Mary Baggs, Janice Impson, and Rachel Spurlock at the Silver Screenings presentation of “It Happened One Night.”

5 - Wayne Homza, Dianne Coffman, Lynn Homza, Claire Homza, and Cliff Coff-man attend the performance of Camelot at the Strand Theatre.

6 - The Hearts of Helping Women Auxiliary received a Certificate of Excel-lence in support of Women’s Health and National Breast Health Awareness Month. (l to r) Sharon Vinson, Felicia Hinton & Sandy Marshall.

7 - Junior Achievement of N. Louisiana Business Hall of Fame inducted the 2009 Laureates Edward N. Henderson, George P. Fritze, and Charles E. Meehan at a banquet on October 20. (photo by Pat Harrington)

8 - Tailgating before the Auburn-LSU game are friends Norma Buteau, Karen Popwell, Tina Calligas, Susan Smelley, Karen Evans, and Diane Camp.

9 - Dr. G.E. Ghali (center) was honored as the Samaritan of the Year by the Samaritan Counseling Center on Oct. 22. With Dr. Ghali are his sleepy daughter and LSUHSC Chancellor Robert A. Barish, MD.

10 - The Foster Grandparents volunteer’s annual banquet was held on Nov. 13. (a) Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover con-gratulates the 2009 Foster Grandparent Volunteer of the Year, Margaret Henderson. (b) Elzadia Redic, Northell Wardell, Mar-garet Henderson, and Christine Shaw were finalists for Volunteer of the Year.

11 - Congressman John Fleming with Preston Friedley at the Winning Tuesday event at Superior Steakhouse.

12 - The Les Boutiques de Noel preview gala was held on Nov. 18. Welcoming the holidays are (a) Jane Lindsey and Rosemary Watts; (b) Debbie Boyd, Sylvia Beard, Earlene Boddie, and Debbie Grand; and (c) Jim and Sally Gardner.


want to replace the "confused woman" with one or more photos taken at their

Independent Recovery-Rehab Floor.

On-Site team of Physical, Occupational, Speech & Respiratory Therapists.OUTSTANDING CARE ~ Nurse Practitioner complements the daily medical oversight.

NURSECAREOF SHREVEPORT(318) 221-1983

1736 Irving Place,

Shreveport, LA 71101

“Caring Like Family

for All Your Needs”

THE NURSECARE REHAB TEAM

Vicki Ott,AdministratorVicki Ott,Administrator

An HMO with a Medicare contract. The benefit information provided herein is a brief summary, but not a comprehensive description of available benefits. Additional information about benefits is available to assist you in making a decision about your coverage. This is an advertisement; for more information contact the plan. M0006_GHA06FPESLS 10/09

Shopping for a new Medicare health plan for 2010?

Affordable monthly plan

premiums

Doctor’s office visits and

hospital coverage

Prescription drug coverage

Convenient mail-order delivery

of prescriptions

Fitness program – Gym

membership at no additional cost

Preventive coverage

Quit smoking program

24-hour nurse hotline

Emergency coverage at

home and when you travel

And more!

The Best of Times December 2009

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Transcript of The Best of Times December 2009