Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 10, 2016

THE GOOD LIFE

9

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 10, 2016 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

CHEAP CELLPHONE PLANS FOR 

SELDOM CALLING SENIORS


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 but you must be over 60.

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

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: Will resume in the fall. 

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

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join. 
May be cancelled if less than 5 people. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am - 12:00 pm. No appt. necessary. 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 - 11:45am. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the 
classes is requested, but is not required. 

Case Management: Meets the second 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 12:00 pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45 - 1:30 pm 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. 

SENIOR EXCURSION - 

THE GETTY CENTER (WEST LOS ANGELES)

September 16, 2016

Time: 9:00am to 4:00 pm

Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center

Cost: $ 10.00 (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. Choose 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. Level of walking: High. Please call the Hart 
Park House 626-355-7394.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the cheapest cellphone options available to 
seniors today who only want one for emergency purposes or 
occasional calls? I have a cellphone now that cost me $30 per 
month, but I hate paying for something I hardly ever use. 

Infrequent Caller

Dear Infrequent,

For seniors who don’t use their cellphone very often but 
still want one for emergencies or occasional use, there are 
a many super-cheap plans available, or depending on your 
income level you may qualify for a free cellphone. Here’s 
where to find some of the best deals. 

Super Cheap Plans

For seniors who are light/infrequent cellphone users, 
“prepaid” or “pay as you go” plans are the way to go if you 
want to save money. With these services, you buy a certain 
amount of minutes (for talk or text) that must be used 
within a specified period of time. 

 While many cellphone providers still offer these lower 
cost plans, the very best/cheapest deal available today is 
through T-Mobile’s pay as you go plan (T-Mobile.com, 
800-501-0952). 

 For just $3 per month, this plans provides any 
combination of 30 minutes of talk or 30 text messages. If you 
want more, you can pay an additional 10 cents per minute/
message when you sign up, or you can make adjustments 
later. You also don’t have to worry about overage charges 
with this plan, because once you reach your talk/text limit 
for the month, the phone stops working. And, if you have 
a compatible device, you won’t need to purchase a new cell 
phone.

 If you’re looking for a little more talk time or text messages, 
another low-cost option is Pure Talk USA (PureTalkUSA.
com, 877-820-7873), which offers a Senior AddVantage 80 
Plan. This plan provides any combination of 80 minutes of 
talk or 240 text messages for only $5 per month. Pure Talk 
also accepts unlocked phones and they don’t have overage 
fees.

Senior-Friendly Cellphone

If you would rather have a senior-friendly phone with a large 
keypad and simplified features, and an “SOS” emergency 
alert button, the Doro PhoneEasy 626 sold through 
Consumer Cellular (ConsumerCellular.com, 888-532-
5366) is the best, low-cost option. It runs $50 for the phone, 
with calling plans that start at $10 per month. 

Free Cellphones

If your income is low enough, you may qualify for a free 
cellphone through the Lifeline Assistance Program. This 
is a government-sponsored program that subsidizes 
wireless (and landline) companies who in turn provide free 
cellphones and usually between 250 and 1,000 minutes of 
free monthly talk time and texts to low-income Americans. 
(Some programs in some states charge a small monthly fee.) 

 The free phones and minutes are provided by a number 
of big prepaid wireless companies like Safelink, Assurance 
Wireless and Budget Mobile, along with a host of other 
regional carriers throughout the country.

 Most states have several wireless companies that provide 
the free phones and minutes. If you are eligible, the free cell 
phone you’ll receive is a basic phone that also offers text 
messaging, voice mail, call waiting and caller ID. 

 To qualify, you’ll need to show that you’re receiving 
certain types of government benefits, such as Medicaid, 
Food Stamps, SSI, home energy assistance or public housing 
assistance. Or, that your household income is at or below 135 
or 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines – it varies 
by state. To find out if you’re eligible, or to locate the wireless 
companies that provide Lifeline government cell phones in 
your state, visit LifelineSupport.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.


HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

THE JOY OF YOGA


EMOTIONAL CHECKPOINTS

In my opinion, one of the most admirable and attractive qualities of a yogi 
is this calm, collected, non-reactive manner. Both this mental stability and 
emotional balance drew me to yoga, wishing I had the ability to be (or at 
least appear to be) calm and let troubles roll off my back.

After a good stint of practice, this DID take place for me. I was instantly 
calmer and more balanced emotionally, just from improving and nourishing 
my physical and mental well-being. After that initial settling, I needed some additional tools of self-study, or 
svadhyaya, to continue to check my reactions and responses. 

The first step was to measure the reaction or energy given to an event (or comment or accident, or…) using 
a scale of 1-10. Where does my reaction fall on this scale? Did I break a nail and rate the reaction an ‘8’? Or 
was the event more serious, like a car accident? Was I able to regulate my reaction and lessen the amount of 
energy I gave the situation? Did I use the scale? 

Using the breath in a conscious way in a high reaction moment can help reel us in from the brink. Once there 
is energy awareness, the next step is noticing how we feel at the beginning of the day. If I know that I’m low 
on energy or overwhelmed in some way, I can pre-plan to take care of myself. Taking care of myself means 
popping into a yoga class to engage all the good, nurturing physical practice learned so far, establishing even-
smooth breath, eating well, and paying attention to my environment. 

Between these tools of measuring my reaction and cultivating personal energy awareness, I calmly – one 
day at a time – can slow down quick reactions. Deliberately, I can respond to people, places and events in a 
thoughtful way that stays true to who I am and where I am in any given day. This is living authentically and 
freely. There are always choices and options available. 

Hope to see you in class and get balanced and free! 

Namaste, 

Keely Totten

E-RYT 500, Reiki Master Practitioner, 

Teacher at Yoga Madre


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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