Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 13, 2014

11

THE GOOD LIFE

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 13, 2014 

SHARED HOUSING CAN HELP 

SENIORS IN MANY WAYS

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


SPECIAL HOLIDAY LUNCH

Thursday, December 18 at 12:00PM

The annual holiday lunch is here! Join us on December 18 as the YWCA is providing a special 
menu of Cornish game hen, fresh sweet potatoes, corn, tossed salad and apple pie. The Senior 
Community Commission will be on hand to hand out raffle prizes! Be sure to make your 
reservation early, as seating is limited. Call the Senior Lunch Cafe at 626-355-0256 to RSVP.

 ~ ~ ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … December Birthdays

Pat Karamitros, Joan Hufnagel, Mary Alice Cervera, Carol Horejsi, Shirley Anhalt , 
Mignon Grijalva, Helen Reese, Levon Yapoujian, Toni Buckner, Lottie Bugl, Pat McGuire, 
Sheila Wohler, Nan Murphy, Eleanor Hensel, Sylvia Curl, Elizabeth Levie, Gayle Licher, 
Cindy Barran, and Melissa Stute. * To add your name to this distinguished list, please 
call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required

..................................................................

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: Every 3rd Monday, from 11:00 to 11:45 am with Shannon. All ability levels are 
encouraged and welcomed.

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10:00am to 11:00am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula.

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people. Canceled on August 5th and 12th.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: Held 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am to 12:00pm. No 
appointment is necessary.

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 27th from 10:00am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. For an appointment call 626-355-7394.

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of the 
month when the balance class is held. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, 
but is not required.

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month the Hart Park House Senior Center 
celebrates birthdays of our patrons. The free birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic 
Club.

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:45pm. A regular group of seniors play poker. Other 
games available for use.

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The class 
utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are provided.

 

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS

Dear Savvy Senior:

What can you tell me about senior home-sharing 
programs? Since my father passed away last year, 
my mom, who’s 70, is interested in renting out a 
room in her house for some extra income and for 
the companionship. Is this a wise idea?

Housemate Hunting

Dear Hunting:

 It could be a great idea if your mom has the 
space and can find the right housemate/renter.

 Shared housing among older adults has gotten a 
lot of attention lately as more and more people are 
recognizing that they can use their home to get 
help with a variety of needs, such as generating 
income, getting help with household chores, and 
even finding some much needed companionship.

But home sharing isn’t for everyone. Your mom 
needs to carefully consider the pros and cons 
of renting out a room in her house, and make 
a list of what she wants (and doesn’t want) in a 
housemate/renter.

 To help her sort this out, the National Shared 
Housing Resource Center offers a 16-page 
“Consumers Guide to Home Sharing” that 
provides a self-questionnaire to those considering 
renting their home, along with a list of renter’s 
questions and important points to discuss, and 
a sample home-sharing lease agreement that lays 
out the details in writing. This guide costs $10 and 
can be ordered at nationalsharedhousing.org.

Finding a Renter

 After going through the guide, if your mom 
wants to proceed in finding a renter, a good first 
step is to contact a home-sharing program in 
her area that matches adults who are looking for 
shared housing with older adults who are looking 
to rent. 

 These programs handle background checks and 
other screenings, and consider lifestyle criteria 
when making matches. They can also help her 
with the leasing agreement that the renter would 
sign that covers issues like smoking, pets, chores, 
overnight guests, use of common rooms, etc.

 Most home-sharing programs are free to use or 
request a small donation. Others, however, may 
charge the homeowner and potential renter a fee 
for this service.

 There are dozens of home-sharing programs 
throughout the U.S. You can find a list of at 
the National Shared Housing Resource Center 
website at nationalsharedhousing.org. 

 If you don’t find a program that serves your 
area, you can also search for housemates through 
national resources like Let’s Share Housing 
(letssharehousing.com), the Golden Girls Network 
(goldengirlsnetwork.com) and Roommates 4 
Boomers (roommates4boomers.com). All of these 
programs offer national Web-based matching 
programs and charge membership fees that run 
anywhere between $30 and $39.

 If you don’t have any luck with the home-
sharing programs, put a call in to your Area 
Agency on Aging (call the Eldercare Locator at 
800-677-1116 for contact information) who may 
be able to offer assistance or refer you to local 
agencies or nonprofit organizations that offer 
shared housing help. 

 You can also check with the local senior or 
community center, church or temple that your 
mom attends to see if you can post an ad on their 
bulletin board or in their newsletter. Or, you can 
advertise in your local newspaper or online at 
roommates.com or craigslist.org.

 If your mom finds someone on her own that 
she’s interested in renting to, ask the prospective 
renter to fill out a “rental application” (see 
rentalleaseagreement.org to download and print 
one for free) and run a full tenant background 
check, and then call their references. Background 
checks can be ordered online through 
companies like starpointtenantscreening.com and 
screeningworks.com for a small fee.

 

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.


KATIE Tse..........This and That

Los Angeles Central Library (Los Angeles)

Date: Friday, January 23, 2015 Time: 9:30am to 3:30pm

Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center - Cost: $5.00 (does not include lunch)

A visit to the Los Angeles Public Library’s state of the art Central Library located in Downtown. 
A docent led tour will introduce you to the art and architecture of the Goodhue Building with 
its distinctive sphinxes and rooftop pyramid followed by a walk through the high-tech Bradley

Wing, designed by famed architect Norman Pfeiffer, where participants will gaze at the 8-story 
atrium and whimsical chandeliers. Finish the tour learning about the library’s comprehensive 
book, magazine, audio and videotape collections as well as its extensive network of formational 
databases. Lunch will be on your own at Grand Central Market where you can enjoy tasty treats 
or a leisurely meal from a variety of local vendors. Participants should bring money for lunch 
and souvenirs. Last day to register is Monday, January 12th. Level of walking: Medium to High

SIERRA MADRE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER

222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024 626-355-7394

www.cityofsierramadre.com

HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday through Thursday

11:00am-2:30pm

(closed on Fridays)

Hart Park House Office closed from

December 24 - January 2 for the holidays

Lunch Program open during regular days

except December 24 & 25 and January 1st

THE BIONIC CRICKET

We are nearing 
the shortest day 
of the year, and 
the weather has 
finally gotten cold 
enough to wear sweaters. Summer 
being a distant memory, my husband 
and I were surprised when we heard a 
cricket in our kitchen the other night. 
“I thought they only came out during 
summer,” I said. “Yeah,” my husband 
replied, “We haven’t had any in 
months.” Judging by its loud chirping, 
this sucker must’ve been huge. We 
looked in the corners and cleared away 
some of the junk that was cluttering 
our small kitchen. But the cricket was 
elusive. It also had incredible stamina, 
because it kept a steady rhythm for 
several minutes. “Oh my gosh,” I groaned, “I’m 
not going to be able to sleep with this noise.” 
Eventually the thing got tired and shut up.

 However, a few days later the loud chirping of 
our unwelcomed visitor returned. After another 
fruitless search in all the corners I happened to 
glance up and noticed a small red light blinking 
on the ceiling. “Oh!” I exclaimed, “I think it’s the 
smoke detector!” Sure enough, our super cricket 
simply turned out to be the warning signal that our 
battery was running low. We had a good laugh and 
I even mentioned it to my parents when I dropped 
by to visit.

 I’d nearly forgotten about our cricket-sounding 
smoke alarm when I was at my parents’ a couple 
weeks later. My Dad was telling me 
about a noisy cricket 
that woke him up 
early in the morning. 
It sounded very close, 
and he figured it must 
have been right outside 
the bedroom window. 
He was in the middle 
of explaining to me 
how to determine 
the ambient air 
temperature by 
counting the number 
of chirps a cricket 
makes in a given 
amount of time, when 
suddenly the monster 
itself began chirping 
loudly. 

 “There he is again!” Dad exclaimed. “Wait, it’s 
inside!” He grabbed a broom and hurried down 
the hall, intending to sweep it outside. “Don’t kill it, 
John!” my Mom called after him, always the animal 
lover. “Are you sure it’s not the smoke alarm?” I 
asked as he disappeared around the corner in hot 
pursuit. A few moments later he reemerged, smiling 
sheepishly. “Well, I guess you’re right,” he replied. 
“That makes sense, since at his rate it would mean 
that the temperature was 95 degrees!” And so the 
mystery of the bionic crickets was solved and a new 
battery was installed. So if you hear winter chirping, 
it might just be your smoke detector --”by Jiminy!”


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