Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 26, 2015

THE GOOD LIFE

14

 Mountain Views News Saturday, September 26, 2015 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

SPECIALIZED SERVICES THAT 

HELP SENIORS RELOCATE


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.

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

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 need to find some help with selling my elderly 
mother’s house – where she’s lived for almost 
50 years – and relocating her to an apartment or 
condo closer to where I live. Can you recommend 
any businesses or services that specialize in 
helping seniors relocate?

Overwhelmed Daughter

Dear Overwhelmed,

The process of selling a house and moving to a new 
home, or downsizing to a condo, apartment or 
senior housing facility is a big job for anyone. But 
it can be especially overwhelming for seniors who 
are moving from a long time residence filled with 
decade’s worth of stuff and a lifetime of memories. 
Fortunately, there are several specialized services 
available today that can help make your mom’s 
move a lot easier. 

Real Estate Specialist

To get help selling your mom’s home and/or finding 
her a new one, you should look into hiring a Seniors 
Real Estate Specialist (SRES) or a Certified Senior 
Housing Professional (CSHP). These are realtors 
that have received special training, making them 
better equipped to help seniors and their family 
members through the financial and often complex 
emotional issues that can come with selling a long 
time family home and relocating. 

 SRES and CSHP designees are educated and 
knowledgeable in such areas as downsizing, 
aging-in-place, senior housing options, reverse 
mortgages, as well as ways to use pensions, 401k 
accounts and IRAs in real estate transactions. And, 
if you need help from other professionals, a SRES 
and CSHP can put you in touch with qualified 
home inspectors, movers, attorneys, CPAs and 
other experts.

 To learn more or to locate a professional in your 
area, contact the SRES Council (sres.org, 800-500-
4564) which also offers a free “Moving On” guide 
that help seniors and their family members with the 
decisions and transitions that come with moving. 
And to find a CSHP see SeniorsRealEstateInstitute.
com.

Moving Manager

To help your mom get packed up and move, you 
should consider hiring a “senior move manager.” 
These are organizers who assist older people with 
the challenges of relocating, and can minimize the 
stress of this major transition by doing most of the 
work for you. 

 They can help your mom pare down her 
belongings, decide what to take and what to dispose 
of, recommend charities for donations and help 
sell her unwanted items. They also get estimates 
from moving companies, oversee the movers, 
arrange the move date, supervise the packing and 
unpacking, have the house cleaned and just about 
anything you need related to her move. 

 Costs vary depending on the services and size of 
the move, but you can expect to pay between $1,000 
and $5,000, not including the cost of movers.

 To locate a senior move manager visit the National 
Association of Senior Move Managers website 
at nasmm.org or call 877-606-2766. You can also 
search at Caring Transitions (caringtransitions.
com), the largest senior relocation and transition 
services franchised company in the U.S. 

 But, before you hire one, be sure you ask for 
references from previous clients and check them. 
Also find out how many moves they have actually 
managed, and get a written list of services and fees. 
And make sure they’re insured and bonded. 

 If you can’t find a senior move manager in 
your area, another option is to hire a certified 
professional organizer who specializes in 
downsizing and relocating. To find one, check the 
National Association of Professional Organizers 
who has a searchable database on their website at 
napo.net. 

 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

ATTRACTIVE NUISANCES

It’s strange some of the things people feel passionate 
about. Politics and religion are up there, but 
there’s a host of unusual topics that really concern 
some folks. I recall one of my friends saying that 
she knew her boyfriend was “the one” in part 
because he had numerous spools of dental floss in 
his bathroom. She probably doesn’t realize that 
the rest of us might not consider dental hygiene a 
“make or break” issue. But 
I suppose we all have our 
own priorities.

 Many of our opinions 
were developed during 
the formative years of 
childhood. My mom 
always warns me of the 
dangers of “wedge” shoes 
that were popular when 
she was young. These high 
heels originated during 
the 70’s, and have been 
experiencing a vibrant 
rebirth in modern fashion. 
Since I am as far from 
fashion consciousness as 
Kim Kardashian is from a pair of size 3 pants, my 
mom’s admonition didn’t register with me. That 
is, until one of my professors broke both ankles at 
once by tripping on the two inch sidewalk incline 
outside our classroom. She was wearing wedge 
shoes at the time, and ended up in a wheelchair 
for months. If I had any latent interest in sporting 
wedges, that incident put me off them for good!

 Other opinions come from personal experience 
and aren’t necessarily common among the general 
public. My opinion about the dangers of carpeted 
stairs is an example of this. I was having lunch 
with a friend when the topic of stairs came up. If 
you have no strong feelings about carpeted stairs, 
please let me try to dissuade you from ever, EVER 
having them. Stairs on their own are dangerous 
enough. Thank goodness for building codes 
regulating the ratio of rises 
to treads! If you’ve ever 
walked on stairs not built 
to code, you know what 
I’m talking about. It takes 
complete concentration to 
not trip down the whole 
flight. 

 Adding carpeting just 
makes stairs all the more 
slippery. And if you’re 
wearing socks and walking 
on carpeted stairs, Watch 
out! My aunt knocked 
herself unconscious one 
night when she fell down 
her friends’ carpeted stairs. 
There’s still a dent in the plaster where her head hit 
the wall. One of my friends tripped when walking 
(in socks) down their flight of carpeted stairs 
while carrying his infant son. The child made it 
out unharmed, but my friend bruised a vertebrae 
or two. 

 The take away message is clear. So for all you 
wedge-wearing, carpeted stairs-owning people 
--you’ve been warned!


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 License198601953Learn What to Expectfor You and Your Loved Onewith Parkinson’sWednesday, September 30, 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 A SPEAKER PRESENTATION AT THE KENSINGTONPleaseRSVP
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