Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 14, 2014

11 

THE GOOD LIFE 

 Mountain Views News Saturday, June 14, 2014 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 

TOP RATED NEW VEHICLES FOR SENIORS 

Dear Savvy Senior: 

Can you recommend any credible resources that rate the best vehicles for older drivers? My wife and 
I are both in our seventies and are looking to purchase a new automobile but could use some help 
choosing one that’s age friendly. What can you tell us? 

Car Shoppers 

Dear Shoppers: 

While there are a number of websites that rate 
new vehicles for older drivers, one of the most 
credible is Edmunds.com, a top-rated online 
resource for automotive research information. 

For 2014, they developed a list of “top 10 vehicles 
for seniors” based on user-friendly features that 
help compensate for many of the physical changes – like diminished vision, arthritis, and range of 
motion loss – that can come with aging. 

But before we get to the list, here is a rundown of different features that are available on many new 
vehicles today and how they can help with various age-related physical problems. So depending on 
what ails you or your wife, here’s what to look for. 

Knee, hip or leg problems: For comfort, a better fit, and easier entry and exit, look for vehicles that 
have six-way adjustable power seats that move the seat forward and backward, up and down, and 
the seat-back forward and backward. Also look for low door thresholds and seat heights that don’t 
require too much bending or climbing to get into. Leather or faux leather seats are also easier to slide 
in and out of than cloth seats. 

Limited upper body range of motion: If you have difficulty looking over your shoulder to back up or 
merge into traffic, look for vehicles with a large rear window for better visibility, wide-angle mirrors 
which can minimize blind spots, back-up cameras, active parallel park assistance, and blind-spot 
warning systems that alert you to objects in the way. Also, for comfort and fit, consider vehicles that 
have a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, adjustable seatbelts, and heated seats with lumbar support. 

Arthritic hands: To help with difficult and painful gripping and turning problems, features that can 
help include a keyless entry and a push-button ignition, a thicker steering wheel, power mirrors and 
seats, and larger dashboard controls. And in SUVs and crossovers, an automatic tailgate closer can 
be a real bonus. 

Diminished vision: Look for vehicles with larger instrument panels and dashboard controls with 
contrasting text that’s easier to see. And those with sensitivity to glare will benefit from extendable 
sun visors, auto-dimming rearview mirror and glare reducing side mirrors. 

Short and/or overweight: Look for six-way adjustable seats, adjustable foot pedals and a tilt-andtelescoping 
steering wheel. 

2014 Best Vehicles 

Here is Edmunds list of top 10 vehicles for 2014 listed in alphabetical order. Each offers features 
designed to support drivers coping with the conditions discussed above. Their picks include both 
sedans and SUVs, and range from top-of-the-line luxury models to those with more affordable price 
tags. 

Acura RDX SUV, Audi A8 Sedan, Ford Taurus Sedan, Honda Accord Sedan, Hyundai Sonata Sedan, 
Lexus ES 350 Sedan, Mazda CX-9 SUV, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, Toyota Avalon Sedan and 
Volkswagen Passat. 

To read more about the details of these choices visit edmunds.com and type in “Top 10 vehicles for 
seniors for 2014” into their search bar. 

AAA Resource 

Another excellent resource that can help you chose a vehicle that meets your needs is the American 
Automobile Association’s online tool called “Smart Features for Older Drivers.” 

At seniordriving.aaa.com/smartfeatures you can input the areas you have problems with – like knee 
problems, arthritic hands or a stiff upper body – and the tool will identify the makes and models that 
have the features that will best accommodate your needs. Although this tool looks at model-year 
2013 vehicles, in many cases the features shown are carried over for 2014 models. 

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 - WHEN DOES OLD AGE BEGIN? 

By Sharon O’Brien, Senior Living 

 At what age does a person stop getting older and actually becomeold? When does old age begin? 

 When researchers at the Pew Research Center put this old age question and many others to nearly 
3,000 adults, ranging in age from 18 to well over 65, the answers were revealing. Like many other 
questions in life, the definition of old age depends on who you ask. 

 As explained in Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality, the report based on the Pew 
study, if you average all of the responses together the average answer is clear: Old age begins at 68. 

 On the other hand, the average response of adults under 30 is that old age begins at 60. More than 
half of the adults in under 30 said that old age actually begins before people hit their 60th birthday. 

As People Age, Old Age Moves Back 

It’s no surprise that the older people get, the longer they think it takes for a person to reach old age: 

• On average, adults between the ages of 30 and 49 think old age begins at 69. 

• People who are currently 50-64 believe old age starts at 72. 

• Responders who are 65 and older say old age begins at 74. 

 Responses to the question, “When does old age begin?” vary by sex as well as age, with women 
taking the more generous view. On average, women say old age begins at age 70, according to the 
Pew study. Men, on average, say that old age begins at 66. 

Old Age is for Other People 

 The study also shows that only one thing is certain when it comes to old age: The majority of people 
agree that none of this applies to them. 

 Among the old age survey respondents who were 65-74, only 21 percent said they feel old. Even 
among those who are 75 and older—an age that many of those surveyed would call “old”—just 35 
percent said they feel old. 

 Maybe it’s true, as the old saying goes, that you’re as young as you feel. 

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HELPFUL HINT: What to Do For A Smelly Garbage Disposal 

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. or so of baking soda in it along with a few drops of dishwashing 
liquid. Scrub with a brush (a new toilet brush works well), getting all around the 
interior. Turn on the water and the disposal; run for a minute. For a citrus scent, throw 
in a few cut-up lemons and run through the disposal with water. 

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FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE 

An elderly gentleman who had had serious hearing problems for a number of years went to the 
doctor to be fitted for a hearing aid that would return his hearing to 100%. The elderly gentleman 
went back for further tests a month later and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family 
must be really pleased that you can hear again.” To which the gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told 
my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!” 

 ~ ~ ~ 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … June Birthdays* 

Nellie Haynes, Dorothy McKay, George Enyedi, Theresa Daley, Ann Dugerian, Marilyn 
McKernan, Pat Fujiwara, John Shier, Beth Smith-Kellock, Mary Carney, Ann Disbrow, 
Joan Ellison, Ruth Kirby, Irene Kudirka, Anne Montgomery, Trini Ornelas, Martha 
Spriggs, Pat Starkey, Kathleen Coyne, Suzanne Decker, Halcyon Koerber, Jacque Persing 
Jeanne Peterson and Grace Sanders. 

 *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: Impossible is a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools. 

 -Napoleon Bonaparte 

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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 Balance Class: Third Monday of every month 11:00 to 11:45 with Shannon Vandevelde. A 
variety of balance exercises are practiced; all ability levels are encouraged and welcomed. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: Held Second Tuesday of the month from 11:00 am-12:00 pm: No 
appointment necessary. 

 

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

Chair Yoga Update: This class has become so popular that Instructor Paul Hagen has agreed to 

offer another class. Starting Monday, April 7th chair yoga will meet twice a week on Mondays and 
Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of the month when the balance 
class is held. Due to the demand for this class and Paul Hagen’s time a suggested donation of $5 at 
one of the classes is requested, but is not required. If you have any questions please feel free to stop 
by or give us a call 626.355.7394 

Free Legal Consultation: Pasadena attorney Lem Makupson 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 

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. 

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. 

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. 

LUNCH & LEARN: THE KENSINGTON - SIERRA MADRE 

Wednesday, June 25th • 12:00 to 1:00 pm 

 The Kensington, the Senior Center’s soon to be across the street neighbor, is scheduled to open 
in November 2014 and is designed to be a home for seniors who need assisted living and memory 
care services. Hear from Brandy Valencia, Executive Director of The Kensington, about the type 
of services they will offer, the design and layout of the building, and their involvement in the 
community. 

SENIOR MOVIE: JUNE 18TH: THE BUCKET LIST (2008) 

Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in 
common, except they both have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital 
room together, they decide to make a Bucket List of all the things they have ever wanted to do before 
they die. In the process of completing the list, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, 
and ultimately find the joy in life. Rated PG-13, Start time: 1:00 pm (run time 97 minutes) Featuring: 
Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson 

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS: 

Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, CA) 

 Date: Friday, June 20, 2014 Time: 9:00am to 3:00pm 


Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $25.00 (does not include lunch)
The Aquarium features a collection of over 11,000 animals representing over 500 different species 
in exhibits ranging in size and capacity from about 5,000 to 350,000 gallons. Exhibits introduce 
the inhabitants and seascapes of the Pacific, while also focusing on specific conservation messages 
associated with each region. The Pacific Ocean is the focus of three major permanent galleries, sunny 
Southern California and Baja, the frigid waters of the Northern Pacific and the colorful reefs of the 
Tropical Pacific. You will be given a daily schedule of the shows included in the price of admission 
some of which are the care and feeding of sea otters, seals and sea lions, and sharks, the tropical 
reef dive in which divers speak from inside the 350,000 gallon tropical reef tank, and a penguins 
multimedia show. Participants are asked to bring additional money for souvenirs and lunch; there 
are a variety of restaurants nearby. Last day to register is Thursday, June 12, 2014. Level of Walking: 
Moderate 


PROMOTION! (TO 1ST GRADE) 

 Happy Father’s Day! And speaking of fathers, if you read my column last week, I 
would like to reassure you that the bird making a nest in my dad’s SUV has been 
safely relocated. So, onto the promotion! This article was printed a few years ago, 
but I figure that a new crop of students is being promoted, and the topic is still 
relevant. 

 School’s been out a couple of weeks for me. The last week is always a little 
hectic and unpredictable. There’s the 8th grade trip to Disneyland, the 8th grade dinner dance (thank 
goodness I don’t have to chaperone that!), and the 
8th grade promotion. And that’s just three of the 
last four days! The very last day includes individual 
class parties, report cards going home, and the 
Kindergarten promotion! 

 I wasn’t able to watch the whole ceremony, but 
I’ve seen many of them, and this one seemed nearly 
identical to the rest. It had all the typical graduation 
elements; “Pomp and Circumstance,” robes, 
mortarboards (of construction paper), diplomas, and 
speeches. However, in contrast to graduation from 
high school, kindergarten promotion doesn’t have a 
valedictorian speech. No one waxed eloquent about 
“closing a chapter in their lives” and “embarking on 
a brave, new future.” But since these young scholars 
range from five to six years of age, we can’t expect too 
much of them. When you’re only five, any chapters 
you’re closing are pretty short. 

 Since I missed the first half of the program, I can 
only assume that there was the customary slideshow 
of the students throughout the year. My room is 
close to the kindergarten area, so, besides the playing 
and laughter, I often hear crying, and that whiny 
intonation kids make when they are tattling on each 
other. By the first month of school, I can tell which 
students get in trouble the most. “Kyle hit me!” 
“Kyle, get back in line!” “Kyle, let go of his neck!” 
Poor Kyle, I haven’t even met him, but I know his 
whole kindergarten rap sheet. 

 Given that kindergarten is rife with crying, tattling, and children attempting to strangle each 
other, I’m always impressed by the teachers’ ability to snap nice pictures of all of their students (not 
necessary all of them at once, but at least all of them individually). But most five and six year olds are 
inherently cute, so even if they’re pulling another kid’s hair, you can crop it into a nice picture. Love 
covers a multitude of sins, and cuteness covers a multitude of heinous acts committed by children. 

 This ever-present slideshow is usually set to some saccharine sweet song like “You’ve Got a Friend 
in Me” from “Toy Story” or Jack Johnson’s “Upside Down” for “Curious George.” They probably used 
Celine Dion’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” back when that song was popular. 

 Despite the endearing pictures and stirring music, I wonder if turning the completion of 
kindergarten into a ceremony sort of cheapens the whole concept of graduation. It used to be that 
graduating was something everyone was expected to accomplish at the end of high school. Depending 
on what schools kids go to now, they can have as many as four graduation ceremonies before finishing 
high school. There’s promotion from eighth grade to high school. Some schools have sixth grade 
promotions, and if a student is retained a year in kindergarten, that makes four! But on the other 
hand, no good thing is too small to celebrate. If parents get a kick out of having their youngsters wear 
square hats and pose holing a roll of paper, good for them! 

 So I congratulate all the graduates out there, and encourage those still in school. Don’t worry; there 
is a light at the end of the tunnel –and it is called retirement. But that’s a whole other article! 


TECH TALK: TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE 

Mondays, June 9 and June 23 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM Tech-savvy youth from Sierra 
Madre Middle School will provide assistance with the operation of cell phones, 
tablets, and computers. Participants should bring the device with which they need 
assistance; computers are available at the Senior Center for general instruction. 
The class is free of charge, but registration is required. To register, or for questions 
regarding the program call 355-7394 

SENIORS ROCK! Concert in the Park 

Sunday, June 22, 2014 6:00-8:00pm Memorial Park 

Listen to the big bang sounds of Rex Merriweather & This Ain’t Your Daddy’s Big Band on Sunday, 
June 22nd from 6:00-8:00pm at the Memorial Park Bandshell, 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Music 
includes tunes from the 40s, swing, and theme songs from classic TV shows and radio. 

The concert is sponsored by the Senior Community Commission who will be giving away FREE 
popsicles while supplies last. Also for sale are “Sierra Madre Seniors Rock!” T-shirts, proceeds 
from the t-shirts support senior programs and services. Seating is on the green so remember to 
bring blankets and lawn chairs. For additional information please call the Community Services 
Department at 626-355-5278.