Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 17, 2015

THE GOOD LIFE

12

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 17, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! � January Birthdays

 Mary Tassop, JudyWebb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary Bickel, Marlene Enmark, Ross 
Kellock, Ruth Wolter, Sue Watanabe, Sandy Thistlewaite,Bobbi Rahmanian, Fran 
Syverson, Shirley Wolff, Judy Zaretzka and Becky Evans. * 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 Caf�: 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

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

GETTING AROUND WHEN YOU NO LONGER DRIVE


Dear Savvy Senior,

Where can I find out about alternative transportation 
options for my elderly mother? She needs to give up 
driving, but before she does, we need to figure out how 
she�ll get around. 

Searching Daughter

Dear Searching,

Alternative transportation services vary widely by 
community, so what�s available to your mom will 
depend on where she lives. Here�s what you should 
know.

Transportation Options

For starters it�s important to know that while most 
urban areas offer seniors a variety of transportation 
services, the options may be few to none for those living 
in the suburbs, small towns and rural areas. Alternative 
transportation is an essential link in helping seniors 
who no longer drive get to their doctor�s appointments, 
stores, social activities and more.

 Depending on where your mom lives, here�s a 
rundown of possible solutions that can help her get 
around, along with some resources to help you locate 
them.

 Family and friends: This is by far the most often used 
and favorite option among seniors. So make a list of all 
possible candidates your mom can call on, along with 
their availability and contact information.

 Local transportation programs: These are usually 
sponsored by nonprofit organizations that serve 
seniors. These services may charge a nominal fee or 
accept donations and often operate with the help of 
volunteer drivers.

 Also check out the Independent Transportation 
Network (itnamerica.org), which is a national nonprofit 
that has 27 affiliate transportation programs in 23 
states. With this program, seniors pay membership 
dues and fees based on mileage. And, most programs 
will let your mom donate her car in return for credits 
toward future rides.

 Demand response services: Often referred to as 
�dial-a-ride� or �elderly and disabled transportation 
service,� these are typically government-funded 
programs that provide door-to-door transportation 
services by appointment and usually charge a small fee 
or donation on a per ride basis. Many use vans and offer 
accessible services for riders with special needs.

 Taxi or car service: These private services offer 
flexible scheduling but can be expensive, however, 
they�re cheaper than owning a car. Some taxi/car 
services may be willing to set up accounts that allow 
other family members to pay for services and some may 
offer senior discounts. Be sure to ask.

 Another option to look into is ride-sharing services, 
which connects people with cars, with people who need 
rides. Uber (uber.com), Lyft (lyft.com) and Sidecar 
(side.cr) are three of the largest companies offering 
services in dozens of cities across the U.S. 

 Private program services: Some hospitals, health 
clinics, senior centers, adult day centers, malls or 
other businesses may offer transportation for program 
participants or customers. And some nonmedical 
home-care agencies that bill themselves as providing 
companionship and running errands or doing chores 
may also provide transportation.

 Mass transit: Public transportation (buses, trains, 
subways, etc.) where available, can also be an affordable 
option and may offer senior reduced rates.

 Hire someone: If your mom lives in an area where 
there are limited or no transportation services available, 
another option to consider is to pay someone in the 
community to drive her. Consider hiring a neighbor, 
retiree, high school or college student that has a flexible 
schedule and wouldn�t mind making a few extra bucks.

Where to Look

 To find out what transportation services are available 
in your mom�s community, contact the Rides in Sight 
national toll-free call center at 855-607-4337 (or see 
ridesinsight.org), and the Eldercare Locator (800-677-
1116), which will direct you to her area agency on aging 
for assistance.

 Also contact local senior centers, places of worship 
and retirement communities for other possible 
options. And check with her state department of 
transportation at www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm, 
and the American Public Transportation Association 
at publictransportation.org.

 

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.


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


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

HERE�S... JOHNNY!

If you�re of a certain age, you 
know how you miss the days 
when you used to stay up past 11 
p.m. to watch Johnny Carson�s 
monologue on �The Tonight 
Show,� even though you had to 
be out of bed by 6:00 the next 
morning. My parents are in this age group, and 
recently told me about a Johnny Carson special 
they saw. Besides all the funny clips from �The 
Tonight Show� and Carson trivia, they learned 
that he willed the rights to all of his episodes to 
his alma mater, the University of Nebraska. And, 
to date, they haven�t done much with this veritable 
gold mine entrusted to them.

 While it�s not 
impossible to watch 
episodes of �The 
Tonight Show� 
(there are several 
packages available 
for purchase), the 
Carson Entertainment 
Group has made it 
very difficult. If you 
want clips from any 
of the old shows, you 
need to make a formal 
request, which may 
be denied. If your 
request is granted, 
you still need to fork 
over a fee. It must 
be nice for the Carson Entertainment Group to 
enjoy omnipotence over Johnny�s reruns, but 
they should realize that their time to profit off his 
antics is limited. What do I mean by this? Simply 
that Johnny�s fan base consists mostly of Baby 
Boomers. So, in 20 to 30 years the demand for 
these films will be gone or greatly diminished.

 Enter my modest proposal for the University of 
Nebraska and the Carson Entertainment Group. 
Right now they have a death grip on the taped 
shows, but most things can be bought if the price is 
right (no TV show pun intended). Why not create 
a reality show pitting students from different 
cinematography programs against each other in 
a competition to restore beloved, but �forgotten,� 
TV shows from the 1960�s and 70�s? Think �Peter 
Gunn,� �Bat Masterson,� and �Soupy Sales.� The 
ultimate prize would include cash, of course, and 
the honor of restoring the entire collection of �The 
Tonight Show� for modern viewing

 The format of the competition could be friendly, 
such as allowing every contestant a shot at the 
final prize. For instance, 10 students or teams 
of students could each get an episode of an old 
show to restore. The public would see clips of 
the original, and then watch the restored version. 
Next they would vote for their favorite, according 
to the quality of restoration the students achieved.

 Or, the show could take on the ever-popular cut 
throat format in which a pool of contestants get 
whittled down to a select few by a panel of judges 
(e.g., �America�s Next Top Model,� �Chopped,� 
etc.). Personally, I dislike this formulaic model. 
It doesn�t take great powers of observation to see 
that there are always 
�stock� contestants 
making up these 
groups. There�s 
always the �airhead,� 
the �nice guy/girl,� 
and �the mean guy/
girl.� Inevitably, the 
mean person survives 
until the last few 
episodes. This draws 
in viewership --no 
one can believe that 
such a jerk has made 
it this long, and are 
eagerly waiting for 
his or her expulsion 
from the game. Also, 
the judges frequently come up with lame excuses 
for eliminating contestants. When you get two 
contestants of equal skill, the judge�s critique 
becomes increasingly subjective. �Your dish was 
delicious, but I felt like you were playing it safe 
with your treatment of the ingredients.� Granted, 
I�m no foodie, but it�s just food for goodness sake! 
Both dishes probably taste great, and neither of 
them caused food poisoning. Heck, they�re both 
winners in my book! But I digress...

 Aside from what specific form this hypothetical 
show would take, it would have the public service 
benefit of reviving all these old shows which 
the media has forgotten, but the Baby Boomers 
haven�t! Come on, you know you miss �Sea Hunt,� 
�My Little Margie,� and �The Edge of Night.� So, 
when you see �Project Carson� or whatever they 
choose to name this reality show, remember... you 
read it here first!


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 � www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFELicensePendingThe Kensington promises to love and care for yourfamily as we do our own, and we�re opening soon