Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 4, 2020

MVNews this week:  Page 10

10

Mountain View News Saturday, January 4, 2020 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …January Birthdays*

 Gerald Day, Mary Tassop, Judy Webb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary Bickel, Marlene 
Enmark, Shirley Wolf, Ross Kellock, Ruth Wolter, Sue Watanabe, Sandy Thistlewaite, 
Bobbi Rahmanian, Fran Syverson, Shirley Wolff, Judy Zaretzka and Becky Evans. 

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required

HART PARK HOUSE MONTHLY PROGRAMS: 

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 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
Join the class with Instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula!

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

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays Monthly from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Brain Games: Every third Thursday of the month at 12:45-1:45pm Join us for Scattergories, a creative thinking game by 
naming objects within a set of categories; or Jenga, a block-building challenge that keeps you stacking and bal-ancing your 
tower. Everyone is welcome, and no experience is needed. A great way to strengthen your mind and make new friends... 
Games are facilitated by Senior Volunteers. 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, December 18th from 10:30 a.m. - Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson is available for 
legal consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates and Injury. Please call the Hart Park House for an 
appointment, 626-355-5278 ext. 704.

Senior Club: Meets Saturdays, Weekly at Hart Park House Brown Bag Lunch, great company and bingo at 11:30 a.m.

Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. with Paul Hagen. Classes include Yoga and balance exercises. All 
ability levels are encouraged and welcomed!

Birthday Celebration: Every 2nd Thursday Monthly at the Hart Park House. Share free birthday cake and ice cream 
kindly provided by the Senior Community Commission!

Game Day: Every Thursday Monthly 12:00 Noon come into the Hart Park House and join a lively poker game with 
friends!

Free Strength Training Class: Fridays 12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. with Lisa Brandley Light weights, low impact resistance 
training and body conditioning. Class equipment provided.

Gentle Yoga for Active Seniors: Every Monday & Wednesday from 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. with Andrea Walsh at the Hart Park 
House. Classes include complete floor relaxation, standing and floor postures, balancing, and featuring extended 
meditations on the fourth Wednesdays of the month! Call (626)-355-5278 for more information.


MEALS - ON - WHEELS PROGRAM

The Home Delivered Meals Program provides healthy meals to homebound Seniors 60 and above. Seven 
frozen meals, milk, bread and fruit are included and delivered once a week. $3 Donation per meal is 
suggested but remains completely anonymous and voluntary. Clients must be eligible and we invite you 
to contact YWCA Intervale Senior Services at 626-214-9467. SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT 
NOTICE SUGGESTED DONATION $3.00 1% LOW FAT MILK INCLUDED


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

OH, THOSE ALLURING LIZARDLY EYES

IRS INTRODUCES A TAX FORM 
CREATED FOR OLDER TAXPAYERS

Dear Savvy Senior:

A couple months back I read that the IRS will be 
offering a new senior-friendly tax form this tax 
season that will be easier to use. What can you tell me about this? Paper Filer

Dear Filer:

It’s true. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has created a new federal income-tax form specifically 
designed for senior taxpayers, age 65 and older, that should make filing a little easier this 
year, particularly those who don’t file electronically. Here’s what you should know.

 

Form 1040-SR

Created by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, the new two-page simplified federal income tax form 
is called the 1040-SR. Similar in style to the old 1040-EZ form that the IRS discontinued last year, 
the new 1040-SR has larger print and better color contrast that makes it easier to read.

In addition, it also includes a chart to help older taxpayers calculate their standard deduction, 
which may help ensure that fewer seniors neglect to take the additional standard deduction that 
they are entitled to. For 2019, the additional deduction for those 65 or older or the blind is $1,300.

The 1040-SR form also has specific lines for retirement income streams such as Social Security 
benefits, IRA distributions, pensions and annuities, along with earned income from work wages 
and tips. And, it allows a child tax credit for seniors who are still taking care of a dependent child 
or grandchild.

You can also report capital gains and losses, as well as interest and dividends on this new form. 
Any of the tax schedules available to those using the standard form 1040 may also be used with 
the 1040-SR.

You should also know that the 1040-SR doesn’t put a limit on interest, dividends, or capital gains, 
nor does it cap overall income like the old 1040-EZ form did. But, if you have to itemize because of 
state and local taxes or charitable giving, then you will not be able to use the new Form 1040-SR.

Paper Filing Advantage

Seniors who use tax-preparation software to file their taxes will be able to generate a 1040-SR, but 
the new form will provide the most significant benefit to taxpayers who still fill out and file their 
returns on paper.

Last year, about 88 percent of the 153 million individual federal tax returns filed to the IRS were 
filed electronically. About 5 percent were prepared using tax software, then printed out and mailed 
to the agency, while about 7 percent were prepared on paper.

To use the new 1040-SR tax form for the 2019 filing year, taxpayers, including both spouses if 
filing jointly, must be at least age 65 before Jan. 1, 2020. You also don’t have to be retired to use 
the form – older workers can use it too. But early retirees (younger than 65) cannot use 1040-SR.

To see the 2019 draft version of the new 1040-SR form, go to IRS.gov/pub/irs-dft/f1040s--dft.pdf.

Tax Preparation Help

If you need help filing your tax returns this year, consider contacting 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 4,800 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.


After months of planning and rearranging our schedule, the Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage fi-nally organized a little vacation time for Christmas.

It takes an awful lot of work for her and, I let her work as hard as she wants to work. 
That’s the kinda husband I am.

She scheduled us to stay for several days in St. Augustine. We always enjoy our stay there and look forward 
to going there. The people who own the motel where we stay are good friends of ours. It is great 
to get together with friends that you only see once a year.

Being exhausted from a whole year’s work, my wife and I looked forward to this time of doing nothing. 
I did not realize how much work was involved in doing nothing.

We signed in and I went to the room, sat down and just looked around to see where we would be staying 
for a few days. I looked over to the bed and on the pillow, there was something there. I did not quite 
know what it was and then I realized it was a lizard.

I love animals of all kinds. I have a hard time killing a fly, so when I saw this lizard, I was delight-ed. 
When my delight softened a little, I began to think that my wife does not appreciate the animal world 
as much as I do. This lizard would not do for her.

Looking at the lizard, I said, "Mr. Lizard, I don’t think you should be here. It’s not a good idea.”

He turned his head, looked at me with his nose up in the air, his big lizardly eyes blinked several times, 
and then looked away with his nose still up in the air.

“You can ignore me if you want to, but I’m just warning you that the worst part of your day has not 
begun.”

Again, he looked my way with his nose still up in the air, blinking his eyes most arrogantly and then 
looked away with another arrogant twist of his head. Then he took four steps away from me, his nose 
still up in the air.

“Don’t forget,” I explained to the lizard, “I warned you what was coming.”

I laughed because I was seeing a stage set for some exciting moments. I could not wait for the door to 
open and the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage walk in and see my little friend the lizard. I on-ly wish 
I had a bag of popcorn.

The wait was not long and I soon heard the doorknob twist, the door opened and in walked the lady of 
the hour. Oh, where is my popcorn?

I saw the lizard glance at her, then look back at me, again his nose was in the air and he was blink-ing 
arrogantly and then turned and looked the other way. He evidently did not know what he was in for.

Then it happened. My wife looked at the pillow on the bed and said, “What’s that?”

Before she got it out, she realized it was a lizard. Few things in life that frighten my wife, but this lizard 
did, much to my enjoyment.

When she saw the lizard, she screamed and the lizard jumped straight up in the air. When it came 
down and landed on the pillow, it glanced at me with eyes that looked a little bit frightened. Then he 
jumped off the pillow and went underneath the bed.

That was not enough for my wife. She ran somewhere, got a broom, came back. I do not believe this 
lizard has ever seen any woman with a broom in her hand coming at him. At least, not someone like 
my wife.

She came in, moved the bed and there the lizard was. She started swinging and as soon as she start-ed 
swinging, the lizard started jumping. Oh, where is that popcorn?

The last I saw the lizard, he jumped out the door and disappeared even though my wife followed him 
as far as she could go. Then she came back into the room.

She looked at me with one of "those looks" and said very sarcastically, "What are you laughing at?"

I promise you, I did my best not to laugh, but if you would've been in the room with me, you would've 
laughed too. Nothing is more exciting to me than seeing my wife jump in alarm at a little lizard more 
afraid of her than she was of him.

For the next few days, whenever my wife looked at me and saw me smiling, she would comment, 
“You’re not thinking of that lizard, are you?”

For once in my life, I was honest. “No, my dear. I was thinking of you.”

During the rest of our stay there, whenever we came into our room, my wife searched it from top to 
bottom to make sure my little friend was not there. You will never know how much I wished that he 
would have returned. But you didn't hear that from me.

Thinking of that little lizard, I remembered what David said. "Though an host should encamp against 
me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident” (Psalm 27:3).

The only thing we need to fear is 
God and that is a reverential fear. 
The fear of God dissolves eve-ry 
other fear.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of 
the Family of God Fellowship, 
1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. 
He lives with his wife in Silver 
Springs Shores. Call him at 352-
687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@
att.net. The church web site 
is www.whatafellowship.com.


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