Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 13, 2016

THE GOOD LIFE

11

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 13, 2016 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

2016 TAX FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR RETIREES


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …February Birthdays*

Cathrine Adde, Hilda Pittman, Anne-Marie Stockdale, Ann Luke, Susan 
Henderson, Jan Reed, Peter Lippincott, Georgia Lippincott, Allie Attay, Ursula El-
Tawansy, Gladys Moser, Sylvia Lorhan, Ana Ptanski, Winifred Swanson , Marian 
DeMars, Vickie Vernon, Mary Beth Knox, Sharon Lefler, Gordon Caldwell. * 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

 

 

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale daily lunch program held 
at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00 pm 
and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested donation of $3.00 
for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary, space is 
limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, January 25th 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, January 21st, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Hugo, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, January 27th 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. 

Balance Class: No Balance Class due to Martin Luther King Holiday. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. 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. 

Dear Savvy Senior,

What is the IRS income tax filing requirements going to 
be for this tax season? Due to health problems I stopped 
working early last year, so I’m wondering if I need to file.

Unintended Retiree

 Dear Unintended,

There are a number of factors that affect whether or 
not you need to file a federal income tax return this 
year including how much you earned last year (in 
2015), and the source of that income, as well as your 
age and filing status.

 Here’s a rundown of this tax season’s IRS filing 
requirements. For most people, this is pretty 
straightforward. If your 2015 gross income – which 
includes all taxable income, not counting your Social 
Security benefits, unless you are married and filing 
separately – was below the threshold for your age and 
filing status, you probably won’t have to file. But if it’s 
over, you will.

· Single: $10,300 ($11,850 if you’re 65 or older by 
Jan. 1, 2016).

· Married filing jointly: $20,600 ($21,850 if you or 
your spouse is 65 or older; or $23,100 if you’re both 
over 65).

· Married filing separately: $4,000 at any age.

· Head of household: $13,250 ($14,800 if age 65 or 
older).

· Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child: 
$16,600 ($17,850 if age 65 or older).

 To get a detailed breakdown on federal filing 
requirements, along with information on taxable and 
nontaxable income, call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and 
ask them to mail you a free copy of the “Tax Guide for 
Seniors” (publication 554), or see irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/
p554.pdf. 

Special Requirements

 There are, however, some other financial situations 
that will require you to file a tax return, even if your 
gross income falls below the IRS filing requirement. For 
example, if you had earnings from self-employment in 
2015 of $400 or more, or if you owe any special taxes 
to the IRS such as alternative minimum tax or IRA tax 
penalties, you’ll probably need to file. 

 To figure this out, the IRS offers an interactive 
tax assistant tool on their website that asks a series 
of questions that will help you determine if you’re 
required to file, or if you should file because you’re due 
a refund.

 You can access this tool at irs.gov/filing – click 
on “Do you need to file a return?” Or, you can get 
assistance over the phone by calling the IRS helpline 
at 800-829-1040. You can also get face-to-face help at a 
Taxpayer Assistance Center. See irs.gov/localcontacts 
or call 800-829-1040 to locate a center near you.

Check Your State

 Even if you’re not required to file a federal tax return 
this year, don’t assume that you’re also excused from 
filing state income taxes. The rules for your state might 
be very different. Check with your state tax agency 
before concluding that you’re entirely in the clear. For 
links to state tax agencies see taxadmin.org/state-tax-
agencies.

Tax Prep Assistance

 If you find that you do need to file a tax return this 
year, you can get help through the Tax Counseling for 
the Elderly (or TCE) program. Sponsored by the IRS, 
TEC provides free tax preparation and counseling to 
middle and low-income taxpayers, age 60 and older. 
Call 800-906-9887 or visit irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep 
to locate a service near you.

Also check with AARP, a participant in the TCE 
program that provides free tax preparation at more 
than 5,000 sites nationwide. To locate an AARP 
Tax-Aide site call 888-227-7669 or visit aarp.org/
findtaxhelp. You don’t have to be an AARP member 
to use this service.

 

 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

THE FORKS AWAKEN! (EPISODE 1)

Although “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a 
great movie that is sure to entertain, and even 
inspire, the film “Forks Over Knives” far exceeds 
it in scope and impact. “Star Wars” will keep you 
on the edge of your seat for a couple of hours, but 
“Forks Over Knives” may just save your life!

 Sometimes God sends us things that seem 
horrible at the time, but later we recognize them 
as blessings in disguise. That’s how it was when 
my Mom was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 
over ten years ago. After she painfully realized 
that the side effects of the standard pharmaceutical 
approach were worse 
than the disease itself, 
she embarked on a self-
propelled journey into 
veganism that has since 
revolutionized not only 
her life, but my Dad’s as 
well. 

 Along the way she 
has received invaluable 
advice from several 
prominent vegan 
doctors, including 
Dr. John McDougall, 
Dr. Michael Greger, 
and most notably, Dr. 
Caldwell Esselystyn, 
who has phoned her to 
talk about her concerns 
more than once (free of 
charge!). Dr. Greger’s 
site, NutritionFacts.
org, is a fabulous free 
and easy resource for 
navigating the sea of research on diet and nutrition 
--truly a great public service!

 So with the role veganism has played in our 
family, it was a thrill to attend “Healthy Taste of 
L.A.” this year with my parents! “Healthy Taste 
of L.A.,” which I lovingly refer to as “Taste of 
Torrance,” since it was held in Torrance, was a 
one-day event packed with an impressive line 
up of speakers and experts in the fields of health, 
nutrition, and fitness.

 It’s hard to distill a whole day’s worth of 
information into a few paragraphs, but I will try 
my best to condense my most vivid memories of 
the event. The first speaker was John Pierre, who 
runs a thriving support system for people learning 
to eat healthier and be more active. He had some 
very practical suggestions for “sneaking” exercise 
into daily routines through simple things like 
strategically placing sticky notes in different rooms 
reminding people to “Do 10 jumping jacks every 
time you come here!” etc. Little changes add up.

 The second speaker was Brenda Davis, who 
Chef AJ, the mistress of ceremonies, dubbed “The 
sexiest woman over 50.” And it’s true, this lady is 
amazing! At the end of the evening she dropped to 
the floor and did 57 push-ups, one for each year of 
her life. I have only one adjective to describe her 
--enviable!

 After her was Dr. Michael Klaper, who spoke 
on weight loss and diet. By this point the speakers 
were becoming more academic (but still engaging 
and understandable). Although I grasped what 
he said at the time, I can’t relay it as articulately 
as he did. He started 
off by debunking the 
commonly recited 
mantra, “Carbs 
make you fat.” 
“Carbohydrates do 
NOT make you fat!” he 
asserted, and went on 
to explain why. 

 The problem is not 
in the consumption of 
carbs (or even healthy 
fats, for that matter), 
but the pairing of carbs 
with fats. Despite 
their elimination 
of animal flesh and 
byproducts from their 
diet, some vegans 
remain overweight 
because they keep 
eating “fat on their 
carbs.” Examples of 
this include pasta with 
olive oil and peanut butter on bread. Our bodies 
can burn both carbs and fat, but burning carbs is 
much easier. Therefore, when we enjoy a bowl 
of oiled pasta, our bodies happily burn up the 
spaghetti and pack away the EVO on our bums 
for future use. He advised topping pasta with 
crushed tomatoes and saving fattier things like 
avocado for salads. Although this makes sense, I 
don’t think I’m mentally ready to forgo my PB & 
Js and pasta with olive oil!

 I still have many exciting things to share with 
you from “Healthy Taste of L.A.,” but this article 
is growing rather long, and we haven’t even gotten 
to the stars of the show, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and 
Dr. Michael Greger. Also, Dr. Esselstyn’s wife, 
Anne, and daughter, Jane, put on an informative 
and, might I say, hilarious, cooking demo. We also 
got to enjoy “AJ burritos” from Sharky’s for lunch. 
This is a great vegan burrito on the secret, “off-list” 
menu! So, with that I’ll see you here next week for 
part 2, and until then “May the Forks be with you!” 


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953At first, Dad and I didn’tsee eye to eye about moving toThe Kensington, but sincehe did, we’re both thrilledLimited Senior Living Suites Still AvailableCall or Visit to Reserve Yours Today
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