Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, September 9, 2017

THE GOOD LIFE

WHAT TO DO WITH CREMATED ASHES?

10

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 9, 2017 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

TOP NEW CARS FOR OLDER DRIVERS


Dear Savvy Senior,

My wife and I are both in our late sixties and are 
looking to buy a new car. Can you recommend some 
good resources that can help us evaluate and choose a 
good car for older drivers? 

Car Shoppers

Dear Shoppers,

With more than 40 million licensed drivers in the 
United States age 65 and older, many automakers 
today are designing certain vehicles that are 
friendlier for older drivers. But what makes a good 
car for seniors? For many, top priorities include 
a vehicle that’s easy to get into and out of, easy to 
adjust for fit and comfort, easy to operate and see 
out of, as well as reliable, safe and a good value. 
To help you narrow your vehicle choices, Consumer 
Reports and the American Automobile Association 
(AAA) offer some great information and tools to 
assist you.

CR Best Cars

Consumer Reports recently put out a top 25 
ranking of new cars for senior drivers. Each vehicle 
on their list offers excellent or very good ratings on 
reliability, safety, road-test performance and owner 
satisfaction. And, they offer a variety of senior-
friendly features that are extremely important to 
older divers, like:

· Easy front-seat access: Vehicles with low door 
thresholds, wider door openings, and step-
in heights that reduce the need for ducking or 
climbing, make getting into and out of a car easier 
for those with physical limitations.

· Good visibility: Being able to see well out of the 
front, sides, and back of a vehicle for tall, medium, 
and shorter drivers.

· Simplified controls: Easy-to-read gauges and 
simplified/intuitive controls for changing the radio, 
shifting gears, and adjusting the heating and cooling 
is a high priority among older drivers. 

· Bright headlights: Powerful headlights can make 
driving at night easier for people with decreasing or 
compromised vision.

 They also weighed in extra safety features 
(standard or optional) like a backup camera, 
automatic emergency braking, forward-collision 
warning and blind-spot warning. 

 Their picks include a variety of compact and 
midsized sedans and SUVs, two minivans and a 
station wagon from seven different automakers. 
Here’s their top 25 ranking, starting with one 
through 25: Subaru Forester; Subaru Outback; 
Kia Soul; Subaru Legacy; Kia Sportage; Toyota 
Highlander; Toyota Prius V; Toyota RAV4; Honda 
Odyssey; Nissan Rogue; Honda Accord; Ford 
C-Max Hybrid; Hyundai Sonata; Toyota Camry; 
Subaru Crosstrek; Toyota Sienna; Honda CR-
V; Honda Pilot; Kia Forte; Ford Escape; Toyota 
Corolla; Kia Sorento; Ford Flex; Hyundai Santa Fe; 
Hyundai Tucson.

 For more information on their top 25 list, see 

ConsumerReports.org/elderly-driving/
top-25-new-cars-for-senior-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 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

 

 

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10a.m. to 
11a.m. Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula.

Bingo Time: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! 
Everyone is welcome to join. May be canceled if less than five people.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays of the month from 11a.m. to 12p.m. No appt. is necessary.

Brain Games - *New Activity*: Join us on Thursday July 20th, at 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m for 
Scattergories. A creative thinking game by naming objects within a set of categories. Everyone is 
welcome, no experience needed. Great way to strengthen your brain and make new friends. Activities 
are facilitated by Senior Volunteers.

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 16th from 10:30a.m. to Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson 
is available for legal consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Injury. 
Appointments are required by calling 626-355-7394.

Senior Club: Meets every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown Bag Lunch at 
11:30a.m.

Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45a.m. with Paul Hagen. 3rd Mondays of each 
month, a variety of balance exercises are practiced.All ability levels are encouraged and welcomed!

*A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, but is not required.

Case Management: Case Management Services are provided by the YWCA and offer assistance in 
a variety of areas. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling the Hart Park House 
Office at 626-355-7394.

Birthday Celebrations: Every 2nd Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House, share some free 
birthday cake provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club.

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00p.m. Come join this group of Seniors in their poker game. 
Other games are offered to all.

Free Strength Training Class: Fridays from 12:45p.m. to 1:30p.m. with Lisa Brandley. This energetic 
class utilizes light weights for low impact resistance and training conditioning. All class materials are 
provided.

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:

SEPTEMBER EXCURSION

RILEY'S at Los Rios Rancho in Oak Glen

Date: Wednesday, September 27th

Time: 10:30a.m. to 5:00p.m.

Cost: $40.00 (including Lunch)

Enjoy the scenic beauty and breathe in the crisp, clean mountain air while 
enjoying your country meal at the oldest and largest ranch in Oak Glen. Lunch includes slow roasted Tri-
Tip and BBQ chicken, potato salad, biscuit with apple butter, and a slice of apple pie or crisp for dessert. 
Entertainment by Riley’s Mountaineers singing some of your favorites from bygone times. After your lunch, 
enjoy a 20 minute tour of the historic 1906 Packing House. The Farm Store will be open for shopping. Level 
of Walking: Low–Medium; Please call us at the Hart Park House for reservations at (626) 355-7394.

SENIOR CINEMA -

September 20th at 1:00p.m.

Fences (2016)

Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) makes his living as a sanitation worker in the 
1950’s. He dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player but was too old when the 
major leagues began admitting black athletes. He creates further tension in his family 
when he squashes his son’s chance to meet a College Football Recruiter. Rated PG13; 
Run time 2h. 19m.

INSURANCE RESOURCE TABLE

If you have any questions on your health plans,

please come to the Insurance Resource Table at the 
Hart Park House on Monday, September 11th from 
12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. A licensed representative will 
be available. As a Medicare beneficiary, you have 
from October 15 to December 7, 2017, to

review your coverage and make any changes for

2018. New coverage for changes made during the

open enrollment begins January 1, 2018.


DROP KICK


Working at a public school, I’m 
blessed and thankful to have the 
summers off! While I do relish 
summer vacation, the lack of 
interaction with the kids and 
my coworkers sometimes makes 
it more difficult to find things 
to write about. I’ve never been one to stay on the 
cutting edge of current events, and in the summer 
I’m doubly out of the loop. So it’s times like this that 
I can always fall back on my mom’s friend, Florence, 
for a good story or two!

 I’ve chronicled Florence’s stories in the paper 
before, but forgot which alias I gave her. So if her 
character seems familiar, that’s why. In a word 
--Florence is a riot! It’s not just that she can make 
stories sound funny; she, 
herself, attracts humorous 
situations. When my mom 
relays her friends’ stories 
to me, by the middle of it I 
can usually tell if Florence 
is the source. After their 
most recent get together, 
my mom thanked Florence 
for the laughs and said that 
now I’d have material for 
my articles. So, you may 
be reading about Florence 
for a couple of weeks 
unless I become otherwise 
inspired. I can’t promise to 
make the stories as funny 
as if Florence were telling 
them, but I’ll try. This week, it’s about a rabbit --a 
subject dear to my heart.

 Florence comes from a big family and has several 
siblings. She grew up in rural Montebello (yes, 
Montebello was fairly rural at one time). Living 
close to nature gave her family a greater connection 
with native animals. One time her sister got a baby 
rabbit, a tiny thing about the size of chicken nugget. 
I assumed, as is the case in many of Florence’s 
stories, that they had rescued it in the wild. But 
my mom corrected me that it was, in fact, from a 
local fair. Fairs being what they are, the man who 
sold it to them didn’t provide a detailed lineage of 
the rabbit. You can imagine their surprise when 
their nugget-sized bunny grew into a big, honking 
Flemish Giant!

 No, I’m not talking about Norse mythology 
(although judging by its appearance, this breed’s 
name was probably inspired by Thor or the 
Valkeries). Check out photos of these beasts if you 
haven’t already. Their heads are larger than those of 
the men holding them. They’re in the same league 
as other abnormally sized things you’d find at a 
county fair. “Here’s a cabbage as big as a wrecking 
ball, a five yard long radish, and Farmer Sven’s 18 
pound rabbit.” The pictures in which people are 
hoisting them up seem to have been taken quickly. 
They look strained, with flushed faces. “Take the 
picture already, Carl! I can’t hold her up much 
longer!”

 Needless to say, the rabbit (we’ll call him Zeus) 
was an instant family favorite. His notoriety was 
rivaled only by the infamy of one of the cousins’ 
yappy Chihahas (we’ll call him Styx). Styx was 
one of those dogs who, no matter how often you 
visit or give treats, never 
remembers you, and 
therefore barks its head 
off whenever it sees you. 
After a few years of trying 
to form a friendship with 
Styx, the family gave up 
and resigned themselves 
to his incessant yapping 
whenever his owner came 
over.

 It was at one of these 
family gatherings at 
Florence’s house that Styx 
met his match. Zeus 
didn’t move around a lot 
due to his massive size, 
but he was very observant, 
and waited until Styx was close enough to come in 
contact with Zeus’s powerful hind legs. “When an 
irresistible force meets and old immovable object... 
Something’s gotta give!” We all know about 
flying pigs, but I bet you hadn’t heard of air borne 
Chiwawa!

 The flight only temporarily jolted Styx, and he 
sustained no injuries. However, being the slow 
learner that Styx was, the Zeus-and-Styx-flying 
routine played out many more times at holidays 
and other get-togethers. I can imagine Florence 
telling her childhood friends to come and see the 
giant rabbit and the flying dog --and their surprise 
when they did see it!

 Using spell check sometimes “blocks the flow” 
when I’m writing, therefore I save it until the final 
draft. This time my proofreaders (a.k.a parents) 
laughed so hard at my horrible mis-spellings I 
decided to leave them in! 


LUNCH AND LEARN - Transit 101 Class 
Wednesday, September 27th 12:15p.m. – 1:00p.m. 
at the Hart Park House If you haven’t used public 
transportation before or it’s been a long time 
since you tried and you don’t know where to start, 
THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU! No need to stress 
over mobility or other limitations - Feel confident 
enough to go out on your own! Come join us for 
this FREE Transit Training Class

-Please call the Hart Park House at 626-355-7394.
make a reservation-


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