Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, March 4, 2023

Mountain View News Saturday, March 4, 2023 13 Mountain View News Saturday, March 4, 2023 13 
ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING HOME? 

There are many myths about Assisted Living being like 
Nursing Homes. This is not true at all. Nursing facilities 
are for those with chronic health issues who require care 
around the clock from medical professionals. 

In Assisted Living, one will get the support as needed, 
such as getting help with showering, grooming, and 
dressing. Again, these services are based on the seniors 
needs. 

There are many reasons in working with us. At Safe Path 
for Seniors, we will assess the senior and depending on their care needs and budget, make recommendations. 
For example, we may suggest that the right fit is a Board and Care Home (normally a 6-bedroom house) as 
opposed to an Assisted Living Community or a Memory Support Facility. You will work with an experienced 
agent who 
knows the industry well and will give you recommendations. The good news is that there is no cost for this 
service. 


If you have any questions about placing a loved one, visit www.safepathforseniors.com or call Steve at 
626-999-6913 

DONATING YOUR BODY TO SCIENCE 

Dear Savvy Senior:
I am interested in possibly donating my body to science 
when I pass away. What can you tell me about 
this, and what would I need to do to set it up?
Getting Old 


Dear Getting: 

rial service, they can have one with-out the body. Or, 

If you’re looking to help advance medical research, 

some programs offer memorial services at their fa-

and in the process, eliminate your funeral and buri


cility at a later date with-out the remains. 

al costs, donating your body to science is a great op


• Body transporting: Most programs will covtion 
to consider. Here’s what you should know. 

er transporting your body to their facility within a 
certain distance. However, some may charge a fee. 

Body DonationsEach year, it’s estimated that approximately 20,000 

How to Proceed 

people donate their whole body, after death, to med-

If you think you want to donate your body, it’s best 

ical facilities throughout the country to be used in 

to make arrangements in advance with a body dona-

medical research projects, anatomy les-sons and 

tion program in your area. Most programs are of-

surgical practice. 

fered through university-affiliated medical schools. 
To find one near you, the University of Florida main-

After using your body, these facilities will then pro


tains a list of U.S. programs and their contact in


vide free cremation and will either bury or scatter 

formation at Anatbd.acb.med.ufl.edu/usprograms. 

your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to 

If you don’t have Internet access, you can get help 

your family, usually within a year. 

by calling the whole-body donation referral service 
during business hours at 800-727-0700. 

And, just in case you’re wondering, your family cannot 
not be paid for the use of your body. Federal and 

In addition to the medical schools, there are also pri


state laws prohibit it. 

vate organizations like Science Care (Sci-enceCare.
com) and Anatomy Gifts Registry (AnatomyGifts. 

Here are a few other things you need to know and 

org) that accept whole body dona-tions too. Some 

check into, to help you determine whether whole-

of these organizations will even allow organ dona-

body donation is right for you: 

tion because they deal in body parts as well as whole 

• Donation denial: Most body donation pro-
cadavers. 

grams will not accept bodies that are extremely 
obese, or those that have infectious diseases like 

Once you locate a program in your area, call and ask 

hepatitis, tuberculosis, H.I.V. or MRSA. Bodies that 

them to mail you an information/registration packet 

suffered extensive trauma won’t be accepted either. 

that will explain exactly how their program works. 

• Organ donation: Most medical school programs 
require that you donate your whole body in 
To sign up, you’ll need to fill out a couple of forms 

its entirety. So, if you want to be an organ donor 

and return them. But you can always change your 

(with the exception of your eyes), you prob-ably 

mind by contacting the program and removing your 

won’t qualify to be a whole-body donor too. 

name from their registration list. Some programs 

• Religious considerations: Most major relimay 
ask that you make your withdrawal in writing. 

gions permit individuals to donate both their full 
body and organs, and many even encourage it. If you 

After you’ve made arrangements, you’ll need to tell 

are unsure, you should consult with your pastor or 

your family members so they will know what to do 

spiritual adviser. 

and who to call after your death. It’s also a good idea 

• Special requests: Most programs will not alto 
tell your doctors, so they know your final wishes 

low you to donate your body for a specific pur-pose. 

too. 

You give them the body and they decide how to use 
it. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. 

• Memorial options: Most programs require 
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. 

almost immediate transport of the body after death, 

org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today 

so there’s no funeral. If your family wants a memo-

show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 

KEEP THE GOVERNMENT AND 

FAMILY MATTERS 

LAWSUIT HAPPY OPPORTUNISTS 
By Marc Garlett AWAY FROM YOUR CHILDREN'S 
INHERITANCE 


Most people who have a current estate plan – whether they know it or not – 
have planned to leave their assets to their children outright and unprotected 
by age 35, or maybe a little earlier. Go take a look at your estate plan and see 
what it says. And, if you don’t have an estate plan, and you have kids or other 
people you care about, consider prioritizing getting your planning handled 
now. 
If you do have a plan and it distributes your assets outright to your kids -- even 
in stages, over time, perhaps some at 25, then half of what’s left at 30, and the remaining balance at 35 (or 
something along those lines), you’ve overlooked an incredibly valuable gift you can give your children 
(and the rest of your descendants for generations to come); a gift only you can give them. And a gift that, 
once you’ve died and left them their inheritance outright, is lost and cannot be reclaimed. 
Leave your kids a nest egg protected from lawsuits, divorce, and estate taxes.
While you may think to yourself, my kids’ inheritance doesn’t need to be protected. They aren’t going 
to get sued. You may be right, but you may also be overlooking one of the most common “lawsuits” that 
causes inheritances to be lost every day, and that’s divorce. If you want to protect the money you are leaving 
to your children from any potential future divorces, even if you love their spouses or expect you will, 
in the future, you can easily do so using a protected trust. 
And, if your child is ever involved in a lawsuit, for example, stemming from a simple car accident, or if 
a business transaction goes bad, what you leave to your child can be protected from those and all other 
potential future lawsuits or claims against them. 
The best part is that if your child has their own taxable estate when they die, your planning now could 
save your family 40 cents on every dollar (or more) on what’s handed down from one generation to the 
next. 
Save your family Up to 40 cents on every dollar -- currently -- at each generation.
As of 2023, the current federal estate tax rate is 40% -- meaning that every dollar passed on over the estate 
tax exemption rate is taxed at 40%. And it has been as high as 55% in the recent past. This adds up 
fast, and can decimate your family’s financial legacy, over time. For example, every million dollars you 
leave outright to your children - if your children have a taxable estate when they die - could result in your 
grandchildren receiving only $550,000, with $450,000 going to the government ... unnecessarily. 
So, if you want to know that everything you’ve worked so hard to create will stay in your family for generations 
to come and not be lost to outsiders, leaving your assets to your children protected in a type of 
trust often called a Lifetime Asset Protection Trust, instead of outright is the way to go. And it can be 
easily built into your existing estate plan or trust, you just need to ask your attorney to help you get a 
Lifetime Asset Protection Trust added to your plan. 
But how will my kids get to use what I leave to them?
Here’s the best part about leaving your assets to your children in a Lifetime Asset Protection Trust. Not 
only is what you leave protected, but your children control what you leave them when you decide they 
are ready.
After your death, the assets you leave behind will pass to your children (and your grandchildren, great-
grandchildren, and so on for successive generations) in a Trust that your child can control, as the Trustee 
of the Trust. You can decide when your child is mature enough to act as a Trustee.
As the Trustee of the Trust, your child decides how what you’ve left is invested and what to do with the 
Trust assets. And your child will even be able to determine the amount of control vs. the amount of asset 
protection he or she wants based on his or her specific circumstances.
Is this still important if I don’t have much money?
If you only leave your children a small amount of money, this is still incredibly valuable for protection, 
if you are leaving assets that will be invested and grown, and not just spent right away on consumables. 
Some might say it’s even more important because your family has less to lose to taxes, lawsuits, and divorce 
each generation. And the impact of such losses is much greater. 

A mere $10,000 protected now can become millions for the people you love in generations to come.
Imagine that you leave just $10,000 to your child in a Lifetime Asset Protection Trust, and instead of 
spending that $10,000 or losing it in a divorce, they invest that $10,000 in creating their own business 
inside their trust, and then grow that business into a million dollar or even multi-million dollar venture 
because of how you chose to leave your child that $10,000 gift … and it’s fully protected for generations.
Secure the future of your family today by speaking to a trusted estate planning lawyer about ensuring all 
legalities are in place so generations can enjoy the benefits according 
to your wishes. Don't wait, gain peace of mind by getting started now. 

To your health, wealth, and family legacy, 
Marc Garlett, Esq.
Cali Law Family Legacy Matterswww.caliLaw.com 
626.355.4000 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …March Birthdays* 

Cathy Flammer, Clare Marquardt, Karen Blachly, Carla Duplex, Ella 
Guttman, Viky Tchatlian, Mary Cooper, Sun Liu, Helen Wallis, Nancy Fox, 
Martha Cassara, Rita Johnson, Sharon Murphy, Heather Sheets, Mercedes 
Campos, Dorothy Webster,Terri Elder, Carol Cerrina, Amy Putnam, Sally 
Contreras 

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required 
DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 11:00 am— 12:30 pm Hart Park House 

The object of the game is for a player to play all the tiles from their hand onto one or 
more trains, emanating from a central hub or “station”. Call Lawren with questions that 
you may have. 

TEA AND TALK BOOK CLUB 
Wednesday, 2/15 9:00 am Hart Park House 

Staff has launched a new book club series, Tea and Talk, which meets twice a month 
to discuss the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and so much more that each selection will 
have in store! 

FIBER FRIENDs 
Tuesday, 1/17 10:00 am Hart Park House 

If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, embroidery, needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or 
cross stitch then we have a group for you! Bring your current project, sit and chat 
with like-minded fiber friends. 

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE 
Every Friday 10-10:45 am 

Bring a lei, your flower skirt or just your desire to dance! Hula in the Park is back 
and waiting for you to join in on all the fun! Memorial Park Pavilion. 

CHAIR YOGA 
Every Monday and Wednesday 10-10:45 am 

Please join us for some gentle stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation 
with Paul. Classes are ongoing and held in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion 
or the Hart Park House. 

BINGO 

Thursday, 1/19 Hart Park House 1:00 pm-2:00 pm

Please join in a fun and lively game of BINGO. Several rounds fun will be had with 
prizes for each rounds winner. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

WHO'S BEEN FIDDLING WITH MY MIND? 

When it comes to music, I am an amateur in many regards. I signed up 

for a violin class in first grade and took lessons. After about a month, 
the teacher met with my parents and begged them to pull me from that class.
He said, “Out of deep respect for music, this boy should not play the violin.”
I can’t think of anybody in my immediate family that plays any instrument or has 
any skill in mu-sic. I thought I would be the first one, but I wasn’t. 

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage is a different story. Many people on her side 
of the family are involved in music, and her father was a great piano player and could 
play the piano with no music set before him. Also, his daughter plays the piano, organ, 
flute, and harp. As long as I’ve been a pastor, she has played the piano in all our 
church services. She is very gifted along that line, and I’m so happy. 

I confess that I am not musically inclined, and I am unanimous in that opinion.
It’s not that I don’t like music; I cannot replicate it with these vocal cords that God 
gave me. So I guess His plan was for me not to sing. Music is very relaxing for me, 
and even though I cannot sing, I can listen to music with great appreciation. 

The one thing that bugs me is early in the morning, whether it’s television or radio, 
I hear a song and can’t get it out of my head. All day, that music buzzes in my head, 
and I can’t get it to stop. 

We took a trip not long ago, and The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage drove her 
Sissy Van, while I sat in the passenger side. For some reason a song got in my head, I 
can’t remember which one, but I heard it over and over again.
I heard it so many times that I began to sing that song under my breath, which was 
not a very good thing to do. 

I have a way of humming and singing a song simultaneously, coming out naturally.
As I got to singing, suddenly, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage pulled over, 
stopped her van, looked at me, and said, “Are you having some kind of spasm?” She 
looked very serious as she said it. 

I looked at her seriously, having no idea what she was talking about.
“You’re not sick, are you?” 

I began to understand her alarm, and I cautiously said, “I’m okay; I was just singing.”
“Oh my,” she said, “it sounded like you were on your last road trip to death.”
I don’t know where that came from. 

She then encouraged me not to hum or sing along the way. 

I didn’t realize I was singing out loud. I thought it was just in my head. But being the 
kind of husband I am, I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the trip.
The only place I sing is in the shower because there’s nobody there, and nobody can 
hear me, and I can do my thing. 

The other day as I was showering, I did not realize The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
was within hearing distance. I try to take a shower when she’s not home and 
cannot hear me. There’s a reason for that. 

As so I got into my shower a song began to rumble in my head, and within a few seconds, 
I started singing. Boy, was I singing and enjoying every note.
Suddenly, I heard a rapid knock on the bathroom door and my wife saying, “Are you 
okay? You didn’t fall in the shower, did you? Do you need any help?” 

At first, I couldn’t figure out what was happening when it dawned on me that I was 
singing and she was hearing. 

Oh “No, my dear,” I said quite loudly, “I was just singing.” 

I heard a profound sigh on the other side of the bathroom door, and heard her say, 
“Don’t scare me like that again.” 

I do try to control my singing and keep it from crossing my lips.
Music does have a way of controlling me. Some music makes me sad, and some makes 
me glad. The problem is music that’s in my head controls me in some way.
I go into a store, and they’re playing music, and come out of that store with the music 
playing in my head, and I’m humming along the way. Driving home in my truck 
alone, I sing as loudly as possi-ble, knowing nobody can hear me. But, of course, 
sometimes I forget to stop and walk into the house singing, and you can only guess 
the kind of trouble it presents to me. 

If only I could remember to keep my thoughts especially those musical thoughts in 
my head and far away from my tongue I would have a happier life. 

Thinking about this all little I was reminded of what King Solomon said in Proverbs 
29:11, “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”
That wise old man knew what he was talking about. I know there’s a time to speak 
but there’s also a time to keep quiet. For me it’s a challenge to differentiate between 
the two. The quieter I am the less difficulties I encounter. 

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