Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 2, 2013

11

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, March 2, 2013 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

SIMPLIFIED SMARTPHONES FOR BOOMERS & SENIORS


Dear Savvy Senior: 

Are there any smartphones specifically designed for seniors 
that you know of? I’m interested in getting one, 
but at age 69, I want to find one that’s easy to see and 
use. Semi-Smart Senior

Dear Semi-Smart:

There are actually several manufacturers who are 
now making simplified smartphones with features 
designed primarily for older users who have limited experience with modern gadgetry. Here’s a rundown 
of what’s currently and soon-to-be available. 

Pantech Flex: One of the best and most affordable age-friendly smartphones on the market today is 
the Pantech Flex (see pantechusa.com/phones/flex), sold through AT&T for only $1 with a two-year 
contract. 

This Android-powered touch screen phone has a bright 4.3-inch screen, with a fast 1.5GHz dual-core 
processor and 8 megapixel camera. But what makes this phone ideal for seniors is its Easy Experience 
mode which provides a simple, clean home screen with large fonts, clearly marked icons, and quick access 
to the phone’s most essential features – your phone, camera, messages, menu, Web, contacts, along 
with shortcuts to your favorite apps.

It also offers convenient features like voice dialing and voice commands, and SwiftKey technology that 
predict the next word you want to type to make texting faster and easier. 

Individual monthly service plans for AT&T start at $30 for 200 minutes of talk time (for customers 65 
and older), $20 for unlimited text messaging, and $20 for 300 MB of data. 

Jitterbug Touch: Offered by GreatCall Wireless – the same company that makes the Jitterbug big-button 
cell phone – the Touch is actually a Kyocera Milano smartphone that’s been rebranded and loaded with 
GreatCall’s simplified user interface software. 

It offers a 3-inch touch screen, and a full slide-out keyboard with raised, backlit buttons that makes it 
easier to type messages. And when you turn the phone on, you get a simple menu list with large fonts 
that let you access often-used features like the phone, camera, messages and pictures, along with your 
contacts and apps.

This Android phone also offers voice dialing, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and optional features like medication 
reminders, 5Star personal security service, a live nurse service to answer your health questions, 
and more. 

Available at greatcall.com or 800-733-6632, the Touch sells for $149 with a one-time $35 activation fee, 
no-contract, and calling plans that cost $15 per month for 50 minutes, up to $80 per month for unlimited 
minutes, text messages, operator assistance, and voicemail. And their data plans run between $2.50 
per month for 10 MB up to $25/month for 500 MB. 

Samsung Galaxy Note II: If a bigger screen is the most desired feature, the Samsung Galaxy Note II 
(samsung.com/galaxynoteII) has a huge 5.5-inch touch screen display and can be used with a stylus, 
which makes it easy to see and maneuver. It also offers an Easy mode feature which simplifies the home 
screen providing access only to key functions like the phone, messaging, Internet, contacts and your 
favorite apps. 

Available through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular for $300 to $370 with a two-year 
contract, the monthly service plans for talk, text and data start at around $80. 

Doro PhoneEasy 740: If you don’t mind waiting, the Doro PhoneEasy 740 (dorousa.us/experience) is 
another excellent option, but it won’t be available in the U.S. until later this year. 

This Android slider phone has a 3.2-inch touch screen and a numerical slide-out keypad with raised 
buttons for easy operation. It also offers a large-text, clearly labeled menu to frequently used features like 
the phone, email, messages, Internet, photos, games and apps. 

Expected to cost around $99, other age-friendly features include a 5 megapixel camera which can double 
as a magnifying glass, and an emergency call button that will dial and text five preprogrammed 
numbers when pressed. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is 
a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

 

FYI - COMING SOON: “Bird’s Eye View”. Pat Birdsall’s weekly 
commentary on everything under the sun will be back! 

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HELPFUL HINT: More uses for dryer sheets: (1) For a fresh odor in your vehicles, put 
a sheet of fabric softener underneath each seat. (2) Use a dryer sheet to dust your computer screen 
or your television screen. 

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FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE 

 The Smith’s were very proud of their family tradition. Their ancestors came to America on the 
Mayflower. Their line had included senators, pastors and Wall Street wizards. Now they decided 
to compile a family history, a legacy for their children. They hired a fine author. Only one problem 
arose: How to handle that great-uncle who was executed in the electric chair. The author said not 
to worry, he could handle that section of history tactfully. When the book appeared, the family 
turned to the section on Uncle George. There, they read, “George Smith occupied a chair of applied 
electronics at an important government institution, was attached to his position by the strongest of 
ties, and his death came as a real shock.”

 ~ ~ ~

 In the restroom at IBM’s Watson Center, a supervisor had placed a sign directly above the sink. It 
had a single word on it… “THINK!” The next day when he went to the restroom, he looked at the 
sign and right below, immediately above the soap dispenser; someone had carefully lettered another 
sign which read…“THOAP!”

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … March Birthdays…

 

 Karen Blachly, Carla Duplex, Ella Guttman, Viky Tchatlian, Mary Cooper, Georgina 
“Snooky” Greger, Sun Liu, Helen Wallis, Joan Crow, Nancy Fox, Nan Carlton, Martha 
Cassara, Carol Cerrina and Amy Putnam. *To add your name to this distinguished list, 
please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required.

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Quote of the Week: Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~ Chinese Proverb

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ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park 
House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.) 

All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: On the 2nd Tuesday of the month 11:00 am-12:00 pm: A nurse from 
Methodist Hospital, Arcadia volunteers to do the readings. No appointment necessary.

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm Cards are only .25c each! 

Free Chair Yoga: Every Wednesday morning from 11:00 am-11:45 am Volunteer Teryl Willis offers 
this class that focuses on senior yoga techniques. It is geared toward gentle movements, breathing 
techniques and balance improvement. No reservations are necessary.

Free Legal Consultation: Pasadena attorney Geoffrey Chin volunteers on the 2nd Wednesday of 
the

month. He focuses on estate planning, trusts, wills, probate, conservatorships and business law. 
*Appointments are a must! Please call: 626.355.7394 to make yours* Conflicting court schedules 
can 

 occasionally cause cancellations.

Free Income Tax Assistance: Wednesdays through April 10th from 1pm to 2pm Don Brunner will 
provide is available to all seniors for income tax consultation. Appointments are required, call 626-
355-7394.

Birthday Celebrations: The 2nd Thursday of the month the Senior Center celebrates the birthdays 
of our patrons at 12:30 pm. Please join us for free cake and ice cream and “celebration.” (The cakes 
are provided due to a generous donation from the Sierra Madre Civic Club.)

Game Day: Every Thursday at 1:00pm. Poker is usually the game of choice, or should I say chance? 
Board games and other card games are also available. Outside, on the patio, a beautiful, one-of-a-
kind chess table is anxious for players.

 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 1:00 pm -1:45 pm. Conducted by long-time 
volunteer, Lisa Brandley. The class utilizes light weights for low-impact resistance training. Weights 
are provided by the Sierra Madre Senior Center. It’s a great way to stay in shape and to socialize with 
your peers. (Gossip included)

Senior Citizens Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House (Senior Center). Brown bag lunch at 
11:30am; Club meeting at Noon; Bingo 12:30- 3:30 pm. Only .25c per card… For more information 
call Pat at 626.355.7290.

NEW CLASS - Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance: Starting Feb 25th, this six week introductory course will 
teach hand, hip, and feet movements for one full dance. Classes will be held on Mondays from 1:00pm 
to 2:00pm for six weeks. Sarongs and leis will be provided. Class taught by Sierra Madre resident Cheryl 
Mason.

AARP DRIVER SAFETY COURSE This class focuses on learning current rules of the road,

defensive driving techniques, and how to operate your vehicle more safely in today’s increasingly 
challenging driving environment. You’ll also learn how you can manage and accommodate common 
age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time. Manystates including California offer 
discounts on auto insurance rates for those who complete this course..

EXCURSIONS:

COMING UP: 

Jeopardy Taping at the Sony Lot Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Description: Attend a taping of America’s favorite quiz show. Test your knowledge while host Alex 
Trebek challenges the contestants.

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SENIOR MOVIE PROGRAM: FREE movies are shown on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays 
of the month. The films, one contemporary and one vintage, are chosen by the seniors themselves. 

All movies are shown in Sierra Madre’s City Council Chambers, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. 


DR. SEUSS DAY

 I love Dr. Seuss. Somewhere, my parents have a signed copy of “The Cat in the Hat 
Comes Back” signed by the author himself. My mom recalls that momentous event, 
circa summer 1986, when I was three. I try to conjure up a memory of my mom, 
grandma, and me standing in a long, sweaty line at Vroman’s in Pasadena, waiting 
to meet the living legend. To be truthful, I have no 
recollection of this occasion, but the autographed book proves it took 
place.

 Skip ahead to 2013. Theodore Seuss Griesel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, has 
been dead for over 10 years. As with all great artists, we grieve his 
passing and celebrate his contributions to literature and art. Seuss 
even collaborated on a film, “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.” The story-
line is a familiar nightmare to any child whose parents made him 
endure music lessons at a young age. It’s got all the weird, topsy-
turvy signature Seuss buildings. The story’s climax is when the young 
protagonist rebels during a recital of 500 boys simultaneously playing 
at a surreal, endless piano keyboard, which stretches into infinity. I’m 
not going to divulge any more of the film’s details; you’ll have to rent 
it for yourself. And please do, because it’s super campy! Anyone who 
loves old movies can appreciate this.

 We all know Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated many children’s books. 
But, did you know that he also did some, shall we say “un-childlike” 
paintings involving scantily clad women with provocative titles? Then 
there are several older-adult themed works chronicling the aging 
process including “Gosh, Do I Look as Old as All That?”

 Yes, Dr. Seuss was a genius. But I hope I won’t have rotten vegetables 
thrown at me for questioning whether or not his birth should be 
celebrated as a national holiday. Case in point; my cousin’s first grade 
daughter recently informed her parents that their class would be 
celebrating “Dr. Seuss Day” on Friday, March 1st, (although his actual birthday is on the 2nd). The 
children can wear free dress, as long as it is red and/or white (as in the famous cat hat.) The principal 
and several school board members are going to circulate among the primary classrooms to read favorite 
Seuss texts and quiz the children on their general Seuss knowledge.

 Don’t get me wrong, Dr. Seuss is great. But should there be a day set apart solely for appreciation 
of him? Somewhere between my childhood and today, Dr. Seuss morphed from being a humorous 
cartoonist to a 20th century sage. “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” is standard fare at commencement 
speeches. One valedictorian included this piece in their graduation speech, and suddenly the whole 
nation is following suit. This near beatification of Dr. Seuss into a saint is just a bit too much. So much 
so, that I believe Theodore would roll over in his grave if he knew the sappiness now associated with 
his work.

 I think for this March 2nd, I’ll read “Green Eggs and Ham” and egg a neighbor’s house. Just kidding. 
But I think Theodore would prefer this over some of the saccharine sweet eulogies dedicated to his 
memory. “I do not like green eggs and ham!” (because veganism is the way to go!)


IS IT 

ALZHEIMER'S 
OR NORMAL 
AGING?

By Sylvia Booth Hubbard

You've misplaced your cellphone 
— again. And last month when 
you went to the mall, you forgot 
where you parked your car. 
Are you having a couple of "senior 
moments," or do you have a 
symptom of something more serious? 
Could forgetting be a sign 
you're developing Alzheimer's?

Everyone forgets occasionally, 
say experts, and episodes usually 
increase with age. "As time 
goes on, short-term memory 
declines," says neurologist Dr. 
Richard Isaacson, author of "The 
Alzheimer's Diet." 

"While it's common for people 
as they age to occasionally forget 
things, like names, and even 
misplace objects, usually they 
are able to remember the names 
later, as well as find the missing 
objects," Dr. Isaacson said.

With normal aging, for example, 
you'll might forget where you 
parked at the mall. But with Alzheimer's, 
you may not remember 
how you got to the mall. 

Check out some common memory 
problems and see how normal 
aging differs from Alzheimer's:

• You can't remember names as 
well as you used to. If you can't 
remember the name of a casual 
acquaintance, it's a sign of normal 
aging. However, if you forget 
the name of a grandchild or other 
close family members, you may 
be developing Alzheimer's.

• You misplace items. An occasional 
misplaced object can usually 
be blamed on a hectic lifestyle 
and too many distractions, 
but putting common objects in 
obviously inappropriate places, 
such as a carton of milk in the 
laundry basket, should be a cause 
for alarm.

• You have to think to do something 
you did easily in the past. If 
you take longer to figure out how 
to program your cellphone, you 
may just be tired or stressed. But 
if you forget how to use a simple 
object such as a toaster or blender, 
you may be in trouble. 

• Taking the wrong turn. If you 
take the wrong turn off the interstate, 
you were probably woolgathering 
and not paying attention. 
But if you get lost in an area 
you've been living in for years, it's 
more than normal aging. 

• Your concentration isn't as 
good, and you don't learn as 
quickly. Concentration often 
diminishes with aging, and it's 
normal to learn more slowly. But 
not being able to concentrate or 
learn at all are warning signs of 
Alzheimer's. 

• You forget to pay a bill. Everyone 
forgets to pay a bill every 
now and then. But it's a cause for 
concern if you regularly receive 
notices of unpaid bills and can't 
balance your checkbook any 
longer. 

• You have trouble finding the 
right word. If you sometimes 
have trouble finding the right 
words to express yourself, that's 
probably normal. But stopping 
talking in the middle of a conversation 
— and not realizing a conversation 
was taking place — or 
repeating yourself over and over, 
are warning signs. 

• You forget experiences. If you 
forgot part of an experience you 
had on vacation, that's normal. 
But forgetting you took the vacation 
a definite warning sign that 
something serious is amiss. 

There are many reasons for 
memory lapses that aren't linked 
with either aging or Alzheimer's, 
including reactions to medications 
and nutritional deficiencies. 
If you're concerned, see your 
doctor.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com