THE GOOD LIFE
14
Mountain Views News Saturday, September 12, 2015
SENIOR HAPPENINGS
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICES
FOR OLDER DRIVERS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …September Birthdays*
Clem Bartolai, Pat Hall, Donna Anderson, Teresa Chaure, Cathy Gunther, Esther
Macias, Sheila Pierce, Nancy Sue Shollenberger, Yvonne Osti, Patti O’Meara, Judie
Cimino, Mary Steinberg, Geri Wright, Parvin Dabiri, Denise Reistetter and Nehama
Warner.
*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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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 $3.00
for those 60 and over and $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256
Tech Talk: Held on Monday, September 21st and 28th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use
your new technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling
626-355-7394.
Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. 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.
Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. is
necessary.
Brain Games: Thursday, September 17th, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and
strengthen your brain. Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, Community Liaison for New Wave
Home care of Pasadena.
Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, September 30th from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates,
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394.
Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of
the month. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, but is not required.
Case Management: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394.
Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club.
Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) 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.
Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am.
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00.
THE GETTY CENTER (WEST LOS ANGELES)
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Time: 9:00am to4:00pm
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $10 (Does not
include lunch)
Discover the museum’s historic collection and the Getty Center’s architecture and gardens
by participating in a rich selection of engaging talks and tours that bring the Getty Center’s
unique setting and the visual art to life. There are several gardens and fountains and
landscaping for the public enjoyment. Lunch will be on your own. Chose from elegant dining
in the Restaurant (reservations are recommended, 310-440-6810), to casual meals, coffee, and
snacks at the Café, Garden Terrace Café, or the Coffee Carts. Participants should bring money
for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is September 15th. Level of Walking: High. Please
call the Hart Park House 626-355-7394.
OKTOBERFEST (HUNTINGTON BEACH)
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2015
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $16
Description: Old World Oktoberfest Celebration includes live bands playing the most
popular German Oom Pa Pah Music. The crowd is further entertained with a variety of
dancing, singing, music and our ever popular Heidi, and her contortionist act. Oktoberfest
menu includes fresh baked bread, your choice of either potato salad, red cabbage or coleslaw.
The main entrée includes bratwurst, chicken, spaetzli (German Egg Noodles) with mushroom
gravy, sauerkraut and red cabbage. Dessert and drinks include apple streusel cake, coffee and
water. Alcohol is also available for purchase. Guests get to tour the European market, offering
great selection of meats, cheeses, and deli items. Also German bakery, producing the best
breads, bakery and dessert items. Participants should bring money for souvenirs. Last day to
register is September 24th. Level of Walking: Low to Medium. Please call the Hart Park House
626-355-7394.
EXCURSION REFUND POLICY
Notification of the cancellation must be made at least 3 business days before the excursion.
A refund will only be issued 1) for a medical excuse or 2) if the Department is able to fill the
patrons spot from a waiting list. This refund will be issued in the form of a credit which will be
applied to the patron’s account with the City, less a $11 cancellation fee. The credit will remain
on your account for one year from the date issued and the credit may be used for any program
or service offered by the Community Services Dept.
Dear Savvy Senior,
I would like to get my wife and I set up with some
type of roadside assistance service in case we
get a flat tire or our battery conks out. Can you
recommend some good and affordable services for
retirees on a budget?
Too Old to Fix a Flat
Dear Too Old,
Getting set up with a roadside assistance service
you can call on day or night if your vehicle breaks
down is a smart idea, and can provide you and
your wife some real peace of mind. Here are some
different options to look into that help you find a
plan.
Already Covered?
For years, auto clubs like AAA were the only option
drivers had when it came to roadside assistance,
but today you have lots of choices. Most roadside
assistance plans provide services like towing, flat-
tire changes, jump-starting a battery, lost-key or
lockout services, fuel delivery and help with stuck
vehicles.
Before you start shopping for a roadside
assistance plan, you first need to find out if you
already have coverage, or have access to inexpensive
coverage that you’re not aware of.
For example, if you drive a vehicle that is still
under warranty, there’s a good chance you’re
already covered. Most auto manufacturers now
include comprehensive roadside assistance
coverage for free when you buy a new or certified
used car. This typically lasts as long as the basic
warranty, but not always. Be sure you check.
Also check your auto insurance provider, your
credit card issuers and cell phone service providers.
Many of these services provide different variations
of roadside assistance as add-on plans that cost
only a few dollars per year, or they’re free.
But be aware that many of these services are
limited in what they cover. When investigating
these options, find out the benefit details including:
Who’s covered (individuals and vehicles); how
many roadside-assistance calls are allowed each
year (three or four is typical); the average response
time per service call; and the towing rules on
where they will tow (to the nearest repair shop, or
one that you choose) and how far (about 5 miles for
basic plan is common, although some plans might
cap the amount they pay for a tow at $100 or less).
Auto Clubs
If you find that you aren’t covered, or you want a
better roadside plan than what’s currently available
to you, you’ll want to check out auto/motor clubs.
Most of these clubs offer two or more levels of
membership depending on how much roadside
assistance you want and are willing to pay for, and
they often provide a variety of discounts on things
like hotels, rental cars and other services.
One of the best known and longest running
clubs, AAA (aaa.com) offers comprehensive
services and has an extensive network of more
than 40,000 roadside assistance providers, which
usually means fast response times. Costs vary
widely from $48 to $162 per year depending on
where you live and the plan you choose, plus an
additional fee for adding a family member.
Some other clubs to consider that may be
a little less expensive include Allstate Motor
Club (allstatemotorclub.com); AARP Roadside
Assistance (aarproadside.com) for AARP members
only; Better World Club (betterworldclub.com); BP
Motor Club (www.bpmotorclub.com); Good Sam
(goodsamroadside.com); and GM Motor Club
(gmmotorclub.com).
On-Demand Assistance
Another new money saving option to consider is
pay-on-demand roadside assistance services like
Urgently (urgent.ly) and Honk (honkforhelp.com).
If you use a smartphone and live in their service
area, these non-membership app-based services
will let you call for help via smartphone, and will
only charge you for the assistance you need at a low
price.
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.
UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:
KATIE Tse..........This and That
HALLOWEEN ALREADY!
Every year Halloween
starts earlier. My husband
and I were at Home
Depot the other day and I
swear it looked like Party
City on October 30th!
Giant spiders, inflatable
Frankenstein, and wrinkly
motorized witches dominated the front of the
store. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before
elaborate yard decorations start springing
up around town. Aside from the people
who celebrate Christmas by festooning their
houses and yards with super-sized Santas and
mammoth reindeer, Halloween seems to be
the holiday for which people “go all out.”
Why is Halloween so popular? Of course
it’s fun for kids to dress up and binge on candy,
but why go to all the effort of transforming
your yard into a labyrinth of doom? After
careful consideration, I’ve come up with a few
possible explanations.
Halloween’s place in the order of holidays
allows for more energy to be spent on it. After the
Fourth of July, we get the rest of July and all of
August to relax. There’s Labor Day in September,
but who decorates for that? Some people might
have a BBQ, but it’s not really big on the holiday hit
parade. Columbus Day is in October, but you never
hear of Columbus parties either. (Besides, modern
culture has vilified Columbus so much that hardly
anyone even gets the day off.) So, there’s been a
lot of latent holiday energy building since the last
firework fizzled away on July 4th.
Also, Halloween isn’t a “milestone” holiday.
As kids, we all enjoyed our birthdays. But as
we get older, we chide ourselves for failing to
achieve goals. We say, “I’m [30, 40, 50...], and I’m
still not married, earned my masters, bought a
house, or [fill in the blank].” New Year is another
“celebration” famous for this kind of melancholy.
Heck, just listening to “Old Lang Zine” is
depressing enough!
But out of the calendar of holidays, you can
count on Halloween to not be sentimental. There
are no tear-jerker songs like “I’ll be home for
Halloween,” or “Have Yourself a Merry Little
Halloween.” So, deck your lawn with tombstones
and stock up on Snickers and Twix. But be sure
to save some Twix for yourself --you’ll need the
energy for Thanksgiving and all that lies beyond.
Come to think of it, you might as well save all
the Snickers, too. So many kids have peanut
allergies these days. “Happy Snacking” --I mean,
“Haunting!”
SENIOR CINEMA AT THE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER
September 16th - The Imitation Game (2014)
During the winter of 1952, British authorities entered the home of mathematician,
cryptanalyst and war hero Alan Turing to investigate a reported burglary. They
instead ended up arresting Turing himself on charges of ‘gross indecency’, an
accusation that would lead to his devastating conviction for the criminal offense
of homosexuality. Little did officials know, they were actually incriminating the
pioneer of modern-day computing. Rated PG-13. Start time: 1:00pm (run time 114
minutes)
626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953Join Us WhenJohnny Crawford ofThe Riflemanvisits The KensingtonWednesday, September 16, 2015 from 6:00pm-7:30pmat The Kensington, 245 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CAHors d’oeuvres and refreshments servedRSVP to SSciurba@KensingtonSL.com or 626-355-5700YOUR INVITATION TO AN EVENT AT THE KENSINGTONPleaseRSVP
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
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