Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 23, 2021

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Mountain View News Saturday, January 23, 2021 

HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE TO FILE INCOME 
TAXES?

Dear Savvy Senior:

What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for retirees 
in 2020? My income dropped way down when I was forced 
into retirement last March due to COVID, so I’m wondering 
if I need to file a tax return this year.

Unexpected Retiree

Dear Unexpected,:

Whether or not you are required to file a federal income tax return this year actually depends on several 
factors: How much you earned last year (in 2020), the source of that income, your age and your filing status. 

Here’s a rundown of this tax season’s IRS tax filing requirement thresholds. For most people, this is pretty 
straightforward. If your 2020 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 filing status 
and age, you may not have to file. But if it’s over, you will. 

• Single: $12,400 ($14,050 if you’re 65 or older by Jan. 1, 2021).

• Married filing jointly: $24,800 ($26,100 if you or your spouse is 65 or older; or $27,400 if you’re both 
over 65).

• Married filing separately: $5 at any age.

• Head of household: $18,650 ($20,300 if age 65 or older).

• Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child: $24,800 ($26,100 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 “1040 and 1040-SR 
Instructions for Tax Year 2020,” or you can get it online at IRS.gov. 

Check Here Too

There are, however, some other financial situations that can require you to file a tax return, even if your 
gross income falls below the IRS filing requirements. For example, if you earned more than $400 from self-
employment in 2020, owe any special taxes like an alternative minimum tax, or get premium tax credits 
because you, your spouse or a dependent is enrolled in a Health Insurance Marketplace (aka Obamacare) 
plan, you’ll need to file. 

You’ll also need to file if you’re receiving Social Security benefits, and one-half of your benefits plus your other 
gross income and any tax-exempt interest exceeds $25,000, or $32,000 if you’re married and filing jointly. 

To figure all 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. 
It takes less than 15 minutes to complete.

You can access this tool at IRS.gov/Help/ITA – click on “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” Or, you can get 
assistance over the phone by calling the IRS helpline at 800-829-1040. 

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 free file through the IRS at IRS.gov/FreeFile 
if your 2020 adjusted gross income was below $72,000. 

Or, if you need some help, contact the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (or TCE) program. Sponsored by the 
IRS, TCE 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 find out about services near you. 

You can also get help through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide service, a participant in the TCE program 
that provides free tax preparation in-person, online and by phone. To find out about service options in your 
area, 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.

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


SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA MADRE

CHAIR YOGA Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 am Chair yoga with Paul is coming back! Class will 
begin on Monday, August 10th and will be held in the Covered Pavilion in Memorial Park in front of the Senior 
Center. Please join us for some gentle stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxa-tion. Class size is limited 
so please call 264-8923 to reserve your spot. 

HAWAIIAN AND POLYNESIAN DANCE CLASS Every Friday, 10-10:45 am Class will also meet in the Cov-
ered Pavilion in Memorial Park in front of the Senior Center. Join the class with instructor Barbara as she leads 
you through the art of Hula. Please call 264-8923 with any questions. 

Classes will maintain a distance of 6 ft between participants. ALL participants must be wearing masks for the 
duration of the class. All equipment used will be sanitized after each use before it is stored. Each participant is 
responsible for providing their own water, masks and needed equipment or sup-plies for each class. Please call the 
Community Services Department at 355-5278 with any questions or concerns.

OCTOBER CRAFT

Wednesday, October 21, 11:00 am. Please join me as we try our hands at making Wooden Owl Orna-ments. This 
will be a new type of program as we create our masterpieces via Zoom to ensure all of our safety. I will have all the 
supplies individually packaged and ready for pickup on Monday, October 19th pickup will be between 10:00 am-
2:00 pm. I will have enough supplies for 10 participants. Reservations are required so please call 355-5278 x 704 
to secure your spot. Please note that this is an ONLINE class that will be held via Zoom. We will not be meeting 
in the Hart Park House Senior Center.

IDEAS

 Do you have any ideas for programming? Is there a class or club you would like to see in our Senior Community? 
Please call or email Lawren Heinz with ideas or questions. 626-355-5278 x 704 lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com

 City staff are monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing direct engagement 
and interfacing less with 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 time 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 per-son. 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.

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.

 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.

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


COFFEE WITHOUT COFFEE JUST AIN'T COFFEE


5 TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS CONNECTED WITH 
GRANDPARENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC

I must soberly confess that I have 
throughout my life given in to 
habits and rituals. I don't like saying 
that, but it is the truth. At this 
point, I don't know the difference between a habit and 
a ritual.

One ritual I have is when I get up in the morning, the 
first thing I do is have a nice hot cup of coffee. This is 
what really gets me going in the morning. You do not 
want to meet me before I have my morning cup of Joe.

There was a time I changed my habit and had hot 
tea in the morning. I thought that might be a different 
change in my life. Believe me when I say it was a 
change. You did not want to meet me after having my 
hot tea in the morning. In fact, I didn’t even recognize 
myself after that hot cup of tea.

Before we go to bed each evening, the Gracious Mistress 
of the Parsonage prepares the coffee pot to go 
off in the morning so it's ready when I get up. I'm not 
sure how many years she has done that, but she did it 
today, and that's all that counts.

There's something about coffee that juices my energy 
each day. I don't know what it is, but I'm okay with it 
as long as it does that.

When I was a youngster at home, I never liked coffee. 
I figured out later it was because my parents used 
instant coffee. When I got a hold of the real coffee, I 
never went back to that instant coffee nonsense.

The other morning something different happened.

I got up in the morning, as usual, I went to prepare 
my coffee. I'm not really that awake at this point in 
the day, but it's a routine, and I just went through the 
routine of getting my coffee ready and then go to my 
chair and have my morning devotions.

Everything went well until the Gracious Mistress of 
the Parsonage came into the room where I was, she 
stood there staring at me and finally said, "How's your 
coffee this morning?"

I bounced a smile back to her and said very enthusiastic, 
"It's the best coffee I've had all day."

She smiled.

When she smiles at me, I know something is wrong. 
For the life of me, I could not figure out what was 
wrong so early in the morning. Here I was, I have my 
coffee, I'm reading my Bible and she comes with this 
kind of inquiry.

“So,” she said rather hesitatingly, “your coffee this 
morning is just like normal?”

I chuckled and said, "Just like my coffee every 
morning."

“Maybe you should look at your coffee again,” she 
said.

As I looked at my coffee, it did look a little different. 
The coffee was whiter than usual, but that's all I could 
see.

“Take a sip and tell me what you think.”

I took a sip, it was hot and I didn't notice any 
difference.

Perhaps this is my problem throughout life. When I'm 
in the habit of some sort and going to a ritual, I don't 
notice what's going on. Isn't that what a habit is supposed 
to do?

"For your information," my wife said somewhat sarcastically, 
"I forgot to put the coffee grounds in the 
coffee pot last night. All you have from the coffee pot 
is hot water."

I laughed a hearty laugh. I looked at her, thinking, 
of course, she was trying to trick me into something. 
Then she brought the coffee pot in and showed me. 
Sure enough, the water in the coffee pot was water and 
not coffee.

I did not know what was going on. I just stared at her 
in a spirit of unbelief. I couldn’t understand what I did 
wrong.

She looked at me, and her smile faded, and then confessed. 
"I forgot to put the coffee grounds in the coffee 
pot. That's why the water is clear. It was my mistake."

For the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to confess 
to some wrongdoing is a moment in marital history.

I stared at her for a few moments, not knowing what 
to think, and then I broke down in hilarious laughter. 
"So, I'm not drinking coffee this morning."

Together we laughed for a few moments, then she 
went back into the kitchen and made the coffee all 
over again, and this time she did not forget to put the 
coffee grounds in the coffee pot.

As I was drinking the real coffee, I pondered the issue 
a little bit. How many times I am doing that sort of 
thing in my daily life? Maybe I’m going through certain 
rituals and habits and not realizing that I’m not 
really doing it what I think I’m doing.

Just like I thought I was drinking coffee, maybe there 
are times I think I'm doing what God wants me to do, 
and perhaps I'm not, just going through the motions.

In reading the Scriptures that morning, I read, “This 
is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou 
affirm constantly, that they which have believed in 
God might be careful to maintain good works. These 
things are good and profitable unto men” (Titus 3:8).

Each day, my goal is to make sure I'm carefully doing 
what God wants me to do for His honor and glory.

While the quarantines, 
shutdowns, and social 
distancing measures 
related to the pandemic 
have been difficult for 
everyone, the elderly 
have been particularly 
hard hit. Since seniors 
face the most health risks from COVID-19, most of 
them have been careful to avoid close contact with 
their family members, and this has left many grandparents 
unable to visit with their grandchildren for 
close to a year now. 

This loss of in-person connection for such an extended 
period of time can cause people to feel isolated 
and lonely, which can eventually lead to mental 
health issues like depression. At the same time, children 
who are unable to spend time with their grandparents 
may experience confusion and anxiety over 
their lost relationship. 

With this in mind, here are a few tips for helping 
seniors maintain a connection with their grandchildren 
during the pandemic using web-based technology 
like FaceTime, email, and instant messaging 
(IM). And though video chats, texts, and IMs will 
never replace in-person visits, they offer one of the 
most effective ways of keeping those relationships—
and everyone’s spirits—as strong as possible during 
these dark times.

1.Reading Stories

One way for grandparents to feel more connected
with their grandkids is to read stories over video chat 
or smartphone. Choose a favorite book at the grandchild's 
reading level, and take turns reading pages.
This can give the grandchild the added benefits of
improving reading skills, building their vocabulary,
and helping them develop their speaking abilities.
By picking a regular time to call and read together
each week, it can also give both of them something
to look forward to.

2.Playing Games

Even though in-person visits are too risky right now, 
family game night can still happen. Grandparents
and grandkids have many options for online gaming, 
including even classic board games, such as
Scrabble, Monopoly, and Clue. Like their traditional
counterparts, online games also help children develop 
math and vocabulary skills while they are having
fun.

3.Emailing, Texting, and Instant Messaging

Texts, emails, and IMs sent to one another on a
regular basis can help grandparents stay connected
and up-to-date with the latest developments in their
grandkids’ lives. To catch up with one another, seniors 
can talk about what is happening in their lives
and ask the grandkids to discuss the latest events in
their own lives. When grandchildren use texts and 
emails, it also helps them practice writing out their 
thoughts and work on their spelling and grammar.

4.Mailing Letters or Postcards

These days, letter writing almost seems like lost art.
But sending personal letters and postcards is a great
way for grandparents and grandchildren to connect
with one another. Handwritten letters and postcards
can also be prized keepsakes that will help grandchildren 
remember their grandparents long after
they are gone. When possible, children should be
encouraged to hand-write letters and postcards instead 
of typing and printing them out. They can also
decorate their letters or postcards with drawings and 
art.

5.Group Video Chats and Phone Calls

Tech-savvy grandparents can use video chat apps
like Skype, FaceTime, and Google Duo to visit with
the grandkids in a group setting, where everyone can 
see and interact with one another. Even extremely
young children like toddlers can participate in video
chats, which can help them bond with their senior
loved ones, even across vast distances. And if video
chats aren’t something a senior feels comfortable
with, a similar experience can be achieved simply
by using a phone. Even short, 15 to 20-minute calls
made on a regular basis can help grandparents and
grandkids feel more connected and less isolated.

For the Love of Your Family

With coronavirus infections and deaths currently 
surging to record levels, it's more critical than ever 
for parents and grandparents to ensure their estate 
planning is complete and up-to-date, including 
naming both short and long-term guardians for 
your minor children. If you've yet to name guardians 
for your kids, you should do so immediately.

In addition to ensuring your kids will be protected 
and provided for no matter what, the estate planning 
process itself can offer a unique opportunity 
to enhance your connection with your children and 
grandchildren. Communicating clearly about what 
you want to happen in the event of your death or incapacity 
(and talking with your kids about what they 
want) can foster a deep bond and sense of intimacy.

Dedicated to empowering your family, building your 
wealth and defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, 
Marc Garlett is on a mission to 
help parents protect what they 
love most. His office is located 
at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra 
Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an 
appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a 
legacy of love and financial security for your family 
by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.CaliLaw.com 
for more information.


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