Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 26, 2020

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Mountain View News Saturday, September 26, 2020 

HELPING SENIORS RECOGNIZE FAKE NEWS AND 
PROPAGANDA

Dear Savvy Senior:

Are there any resources that you know of that can 
help seniors detect fake news? My 75-year-old mother 
shares a lot of misinformation with her family 
and friends that she sees on Facebook. I’ve talked to 
her about it, but for some reason she has a difficult 
time deciphering real news from fake news and propaganda. 
Frustrated Daughter



Dear Frustrated:

Unfortunately, the digital misinformation problem your mom is experiencing is not uncommon. 
According to researchers from Princeton and New York University, people aged 65 and older are up 
to seven times more likely to share fake news and dubious links on social media than their younger 
counterparts.



Why?



There are several theories. The first is that many seniors started using social media sites like Facebook 
only within the past five or six years and may lack the digital literacy skills to identify false or 
misleading content.



Some other possible theories are that most seniors experience some cognitive decline as they age, 
making them more likely to fall for hoaxes. Many older Americans also suffer from chronic loneliness 
which can cause them to share misinformation as an attempt to make connections with other 
people. And studies have shown that older people are generally more trusting than younger generations, 
which can make them more gullible.



All this is particularly concerning now as we sit in the midst of a global health pandemic and a 2020 
election season, both of which are ripe with misinformation, rumors and conspiracy theories. And 
seniors are prime targets of this false/misleading information because they are much more likely 
to vote than their younger cohorts and are much more vulnerable to getting sick and dying if they 
contract COVID-19.



Where to Get Help

To help your mom detect and combat online misinformation there are several great resources she can 
turn to that offer free courses and tips.



One is MediaWise for Seniors, a project of the Poynter Institute, which offers two free online courses 
to help seniors detect and combat online misinformation – see Poynter.org/mediawise-for-seniors.



The first four-week course has already filled up, but your mom can still enroll in a self-directed course 
called “Hands-On Lessons to Separate Fact and Fiction Online.” It is hosted by Christiane Amanpour 
and Joan Lunden, and is scheduled to begin Sept. 24, but she can take the course anytime.



In addition, Poynter has worked with AARP to produce Fact Tracker interactive videos and a webinar 
on spotting and filtering misinformation at AARP.org/facttracker.



Some other free course options you should look into include Senior Planet, which is offering a one-
hour online course on “How to Spot Fake News” at SeniorPlanet.org.



The News Literacy Project that provides the Checkology virtual classroom, which was initially created 
for middle and high school students, is now offering an independent learners option that is ideal 
for older adults – see Get.Checkology.org. Their lessons will help your mom detect the difference 
between news, opinion and propaganda.



And Coursera, a free world-wide online learning platform, which offers an in-depth six-week course 
called “Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens,” which she can access 
at Coursera.org/learn/news-literacy.



There are also many good websites, like PolitiFact.com, Snopes.com and FactCheck.org that will 
let your mom fact check a story to help her identify fact versus fiction. These sites have most likely 
already fact-checked the latest viral claim to pop up in her news feed.



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.

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …September Birthdays*

Clem Bartolai, Pat Hall, Donna Anderson, Teresa Chaure, Cathy Gunther, 
Esther Macias, Sheila Pierce, Nancy Sue Shollenberger, 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


SIERRA MADRE SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

The City of Sierra Madre is following these procedures to provide current communication in light of 
COVID-19 and keep the Senior Community and families informed of essential information and resources. 
City staff are monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing 
direct engagement and practicing social distancing in the community, please note that voice messages, 
emails, and social media responses are being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner.

If at any moment additional information is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at 
(626) 355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a – 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the 
appropriate person.

For messages that may trickle in otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at 
the Community Services Department, (626) 355-5278 x702.

Community Services Department will continue email communication with Senior residents and aging 
community members.

If you know of family members or neighbors who may benefit from accessing information electronically, 
and to receive the department’s Seniors Newsletter via email but may not otherwise have been included 
on an email group list, please send your request with email address to the following team members:

Lawren Heinz Lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com and Clarissa Lowe Clowe@cityofsierramadre.com.

Community Services Department will continue Electronic Seniors Newsletter on a weekly-basis distribution.

Community Services Department will continue with mail drop-off of newsletters at the Sierra Madre 
U.S. Post Office Box (unless otherwise advised).

City Social Media will continue via Facebook as well as Instagram, and information sharing will include 
updates as details becomes available.

Mater Dolorosa - Sierra Madre Meal Pick-Up Program provides seal-packaged frozen meals, 5-per 
person every Thursday, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at Hart Park House Senior Center 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. 
Donations are accepted. Call (626) 355-5278; x702 or 704.

YWCA Intervale Meal Program - Effective Wednesday, April 1, 2020

YWCA has transitioned their distribution of take home meals at the Sierra Madre Hart Park House Senior 
Center to a home-delivery meal program. Participants previously reserved for meal pick-up as of 
Wednesday, 3/25/20 were informed that they would begin to have their meals delivered to their homes, 
beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2020 until further notice.

For any additional participants calling in that are at a high risk and need meals delivered to, please 
provide us their name, date of birth (they must be 60+), address and phone number and Community 
Services Department will for-ward this information to our County Contact.

Food Banks Support: Seniors & Families:

If someone is outside of our local area and in need of a food bank, they can find one nearest them by 
going to www.lafoodbank.org and typing in their zip code; or call from the list here:

First Church of the Nazarene-Pasadena 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. 626-351-9631

Wednesday 10:30 am-12 pm 

Pasadena Senior Center 85 E. Holly St. Pasadena 626-685-6732

Foothill Unity Center 415 W. Chestnut Ave. Monrovia 626-358-3486 Monday 1 pm-3:30 pm, 
Wednesday & Friday 9 am-11:30 am

Lifeline Community Services & Economic Development 2556 N. Lake Ave Altadena

626-797-3585 2nd and 4th Wednesday 12 pm-2 pm & 8:15 pm-9 pm

Morning Star Outreach Ministry 1416 N. Mentor Ave Pasadena 626-794-4875

2nd & 4th Saturday 11 am-1

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

SIERRA MADRE OLDER ADULTS CAN PREVENT 
QUARANTINE BOREDOM, DEPRESSION


OH TO BE CRAZY AND GET PAID FOR IT!

 During this period of quarantine, many older adults 
want to discover new interests, increase activity levels 
and prevent boredom, loneliness and depression.

 With the City of Sierra Madre’s Hart Park House Senior 
Center closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic 
and not offering classes on Zoom, the Pasadena Senior 
Center invites older adults in Sierra Madre to sign 
up for any or all of its nearly 30 autumn online Zoom 
classes. Pasadena residency and membership at the 
Pasadena Senior Center are not required.

 “We want to fill this critical need for older adults everywhere 
so they can interact with others and reverse 
the emotional and physical impacts of isolation and 
loneliness,” said Akila Gibbs, executive director of the 
Pasadena Senior Center. “Our nearly 30 Zoom courses 
are the next best thing to groups of people getting together 
in person for a common purpose, and everyone, 
everywhere is invited to participate. We even extended 
the age range to 40 and older.”

 Register no later than Friday, Oct. 9, at www.pasadenaseniorcenter.
org. Everyone who registers will receive 
email instructions for accessing Zoom classes online.

 Most courses are 10 weeks; a few are eight, five and 
four weeks. All are taught by experienced instructors 
who are certified in their respective fields. The total 
cost of each course ranges from only $40 to $85 for 
Pasadena Senior Center members and only $50 to $95 
for non-members.

 

Dance

•Zumba Gold – Mondays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
beginning Oct. 12. Low-intensity dance/fitness program 
features Latin and world rhythms.

•Beginning Tap – Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11:30
a.m. beginning Oct 13. Learn basic steps during each 
class, followed by a fun tap routine.

•Intermediate Tap – Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 13. Learn new routines 
as well as standard routines such as the Shim Sham 
Shimmy.

•Solo Ballroom Dancing – Wednesdays from 2 to
3 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. No dance partner at home? 
No problem! Learn basic patterns of ballroom dances.

•Solo Ballroom Line Dancing – Wednesdays from 
3 to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. Learn basic steps from 
foxtrot to cha cha in a line dance format.

•BollyX LIT – Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m. beginning 
Oct. 16. Low-impact, Bollywood-inspired course 
improves coordination and mind-body awareness with 
dynamic choreography,

Exercise/Fitness

•Strength Training – Mondays and Thursdays
from 10 to 11 a.m. beginning Oct. 5. Use anything that 
creates resistance, such as bottles of water, scarves and 
towels.

•Beginner/Intermediate Pep Up Your Life – Saturdays 
from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 10. Introductory 
course increases flexibility, balance, muscle 
mass and bone density.

•Beginner/Intermediate Pep Up Your Life (additional 
class) – Tuesdays from 8 to 9 a.m. beginning 
Oct. 13.

•Beginner/Intermediate Pep Up Your Life (additional 
class) – Fridays from 8 to 9 a.m. beginning Oct. 
16.

•Intermediate/Advanced Pep Up Your Life – Saturdays 
from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 10. Advanced 
course increases flexibility, balance and more.

•Mat Pilates – Tuesdays from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
beginning Oct. 13. This course improves strength, flexibility, 
balance and coordination.

•Yoga and Presence Practice/Meditation – Tuesdays 
from 11 a.m. to noon beginning Oct. 13. Combines 
balance and flexibility with mind, body and spirit.

•Yoga – Wednesdays from 9 to 10:25 a.m. beginning 
Oct. 14. Aligns asanas (poses) through careful 
sequencing. For beginning, intermediate and advanced 
levels.

•Chair Aerobics – Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:15 
a.m. beginning Oct. 14. Combines low-impact exercise 
with weights to tone muscles and increase flexibility.

•Chair Aerobics (additional class) – Fridays from
9:30 to 10:15 a.m. beginning Oct. 16.

•Qigong and Tai Chi – Thursdays from 10 to 11
a.m. beginning Oct. 15. Enhances physical and spiritual 
well-being through slow, fluid movements.

 

Hobbies and Special Interests

•Advanced Watercolors – Thursdays from 9:30 to
11:30 a.m. beginning Oct. 1. Designed for experienced 
watercolor painters.

•Advanced Watercolors (additional class) – Thursdays 
from 1 to 3 p.m. beginning Oct. 1..

•The Art and Joy of Sewing – Mondays from 8 a.m. 
to 3 p.m. beginning Oct. 12. Work with patterns, operate 
a sewing machine and more. Fabrics are included 
in the cost of the course. All skill levels are welcome.

•Creative Writing – Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to
noon. Beginning Oct. 14. Learn how to write poetry, 
memoirs, novels and more.

•Beginner French 1 – Wednesdays from 2:30
to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. With an emphasis on 
travel terms, basic grammar, present tense and French 
culture.

•Beginner French 2 – Mondays from 9:30 to 11
a.m. beginning Oct. 12. Continue to build grammar 
and vocabulary and learn additional tenses, culture.

•Intermediate French – Mondays from 11 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 12. Direct communication, 
more vocabulary, tenses and French culture.

•Advanced French 1 – Wednesdays from 11 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. Continue direct communication, 
vocabulary, literary tenses and French 
culture.

•Advanced French 2 – Wednesdays from 9 to
11 a.m. beginning Oct 14. Major grammar concepts, 
French literature, culture and more.

•Introduction to Spanish – Wednesdays from
2:30 to 3:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 14. Greetings, vocabulary 
and grammar, including class discussion and 
conversation.

•Intermediate Spanish – Wednesdays from 3:30
to 4:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 14 Grammatical skills, vocabulary 
and conversation will be strengthened.

•Making Sense of the News – Thursdays from 1
to 2 p.m. beginning Oct. 15. Why some topics make it 
to the front page while others do not, and who decides.



For more information visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.
org or call 626-795-4331.

I usually don't complain a 
lot. When I do I get caught in 
some dilemma that I can’t talk 
my way out. You think I would 
learn my lesson, but I'm still in the learning curve.

It was a long week, and the Gracious Mistress of 
the Parsonage and I had a busy schedule. She went 
her way, I went my way and the Spousal Twain only 
meets after the week’s work is done.

Some weeks are better than others, but some aren't. 
And I was having a rather dismal week with a few 
things going wrong. For one, my vehicle needed to 
go to the garage to be fixed.

I always fear taking my truck in for repairs because 
it usually ends up costing more than expected. 
However, this week, when I went to pick up my 
vehicle, it was only 1/3 of what I thought it would 
cost. I was happy. After all, who wouldn't be happy?

I drove home in time for supper, and the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage had a wonderful supper 
prepared for us, and we enjoyed our time together. I 
am a little careful because she has a way of sneaking 
in vegetables that I don’t recognize.

After supper, we took our coffee into the living 
room to watch a little bit of the news. That is always 
the wrong thing to do, and you would think I would 
know it by this time.

If there's anything positive on the news, it has 
something to do with this coronavirus. I'm a little 
weary of that.

Watching the news, my wife could see that I was 
getting a little bit agitated. I don't always get agitated, 
but when I do… I do.

“What has you all worked up,” my wife asked?

I was afraid to respond to that question. I have 
learned that every time your wife asks you a question, 
there is an agenda behind the scene that 
you can't see. I was afraid I was being set up or 
something.

Finally, I broke my silence and said, “I’m rather 
tired of all of these crazy politicians who don’t know 
their right hand from their left hand, except when 
they stick it out for donations. I’m tired of these crazy 
politicians being on television! Why can’t they 
go to the principal’s office like I had to do so often 
when I was in grade school?”

I tried to keep my rant as short as possible. I had 
a lot more that I wanted to say, but I was a little 
frustrated, so I tucked it in the back of my brain. 
Incidentally, there's plenty of room back there.

When I quieted down, I heard some chuckles 
across the room. I looked in my wife's direction, 
and there she sat giggling and chuckling and having 
a great time of it.

“What’s so funny?”

She just looked at me and continued giggling and 
then finally said, "Don't you know that those crazy 
politicians get paid for being crazy. The crazier they 
are, the more money they make."

Then she broke into one of her hysterical laughters.

“Don’t you,” she said between giggles, “wish you 
were that crazy?”

I had to think about that. I never thought of that 
before. But, as usual, my wife is right. I wish I could 
get a job where I didn’t have to do anything and get 
paid 100 times more than I’m worth.

“If you want to make money like them,” my wife 
said rather soberly, “you will have to be just as crazy 
as they are.”

That's a very good thought. Maybe I ought to look 
into this situation a little closer.

“That’s why you don’t have much money,” my wife 
explained, “you are not crazy enough!”

That was a surprise coming from my wife. I 
thought she knew how crazy I really was. But then I 
got to thinking. Perhaps she is right after all.

“Where do you suppose they get all of their 
craziness?”

Again, my wife chuckled and looked at me and 
said, "Because they have no idea what they say from 
one day to the next. They live in a bubble and have 
lost a sense of reality in this world of ours."

Again, she was spot on about this craziness in 
politics.

"They don't live in the real world," my wife began 
to explain to me. "They live in a world of their 
imagination, and their imagination creates a spirit 
of craziness."

"So," I said to her, "if I'm going to get paid for being 
crazy, I gotta quit living in the real world."

“Now you got it,” she replied.

I got it, but I’m sure not going to get it. Getting 
paid for being crazy means that I have to live in a 
bubble and not the real world, I wonder if it’s really 
worth it?

Maybe being poor and sane is the better alternative.

I must confess that there are moments when I am 
tempted towards craziness. Then, I watched some 
politician on television giving a speech, and I realized 
being that crazy is worth it for me.

How much money would be worth becoming that 
crazy?

I then thought of a verse in the Bible. “Whoever 
loves money never has enough; whoever loves 
wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too 
is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Being crazy isn’t worth all the money in the world.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 
Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage in Silver Springs Shores. Call 
him at 352-216-3025 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