Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 10, 2023

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 10, 2023 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


SAFE PATH FOR SENIORS

Steve Sciurba, Senior Placement Specialist 

There are many reasons in working with Safe Path 

for Seniors, we will assess your loved ones and make

recommendations depending on care needs and 
budget. 

With our many years of experience, we will make an

informed recommendation. 

We work with large communities to the small 6-bed, 

board & care residential homes.

You will tour with an experienced consultant who will 

work with you through the entire process. from selecting 
the right living environment to all of the necessary 
paperwork involved.

The good news is that there is no cost for this service.

If you have any questions about placing a loved one, 
visit our web site:

www.safepathforseniors.com 

or call Steve at 626-999-6913

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …JUNE Birthdays*

Joanne Thrane, Nellie Haynes, Dorothy McKay, Diane Hatfield, Georgette 
Dunlay, Elizabeth Shula Donna Doss, Mary Carney, Carol Handley, Marilyn 
McKernan, Pat Fujiwara, John Shier, Beth Smith-Kellock, Ann Disbrow, 
Joan Ellison, Anne Montgomery, Trini Ornelas, Martha Spriggs, Pat Starkey, 
Kathleen Coyne, Suzanne Decker, Jacque Persing, Jeanne Peterson, Roxana 
Dominguez, Carolyn Lanyi, Claire McLean and Grace Sanders . * To add your name to this 
distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 


SENIOR CLUB Every Saturday at Noon Hart Park House

Open to all seniors 50+ Fun - Games - And More! Call Mark at 626-355-3951 

SENIOR GAME TIME 

1st & 3rd Wednesdays 11:00 am— 12:30 pm Hart Park House

Choose from a variety of games to play! Cards, Bridge, Dominos, Chess, Checkers, 
Board Games $ More.

TEA AND TALK BOOK CLUB

Wednesday, 6/14 and 6/18 9:00 am Hart Park House

Tea and Talk, meets twice a month to discuss the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and so 
much more that each selection will have in store!

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE

 BEGINNERS - Every Thursday 10-11:00 am

 INTERMEDIATE Every Friday 10-11:00 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 Covered 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. 

HOW TO LOCATE INTERESTING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN 
YOUR AREA


Dear Savvy Senior:

Can you recommend some good organizations or 
websites for locating interesting volunteer opportunities? 
I’ve been doing some volunteer work since 
I retired last year, but most of the jobs I’ve tried 
haven’t been very fun or satisfying.

Retired Volunteer

Dear Retired:

For many retirees, finding a volunteer opportunity 
that meets your interests, utilizes your talents and 
fits your availability can be challenging. To help 
you find some interesting and satisfying volunteer 
opportunities, here are some tips and online tools 
that can help you search.

Getting Started

Volunteering is a great way for retirees to make a 
positive contribution to their community and stay 
actively engaged, not to mention it’s good for your 
health too. But how can you find the right opportunity 
for you? Start by asking yourself some basic 
questions like: What types of organizations or activities 
are you interested in? What kind of skills 
can you offer a volunteer organization? How much 
time are you willing to give? What do you want to 
gain from your experience (for example, meet new 
people, learn new skills, help those in need, exposure 
to a particular issue)? 

Once you get a general idea of what you’d like to do, 
there are dozens of volunteer websites that can help 
you search for different opportunities in your area 
and virtually.

Most sites work like search engines that let you 
choose an area of interest and type in your ZIP 
code or city and state. The sites will then give you 
a list of opportunities that you can check into. Depending 
on your interest and expertise, here are 
some top websites to help you get started.

General volunteer sites: To find a wide variety of 
volunteer opportunities in your community that 
serve causes like children, animals, seniors, education, 
health, the arts and more check out sites like 
VolunteerMatch.org, Engage.PointsofLight.org, 
IdeaList.org and UnitedWay.org. 

Retired volunteer sites: If you’re interested in opportunities 
targeting older adults and retirees, some 
good options include AARP’s CreateTheGood.org, 
along with AmeriCorps Seniors (AmeriCorps.gov/
serve/americorps-seniors), which matches retirees 
with community projects and organizations that 
need experienced volunteer help. 

AmeriCorps Seniors offers three different programs: 
RSVP, which has a variety of volunteer activities 
with flexible time commitments; the Senior 
Companion Program that brings together volunteers 
with homebound seniors who have difficulty 
with day-to-day living tasks; and the Foster Grandparent 
Program that matchers volunteers with kids 
in the community that have exceptional needs.

Niche volunteer sites: There are also a number of 
niche websites to help you look for specific types 
of volunteer opportunities in your area. For example, 
to find natural and cultural volunteer opportunities 
in places like national and state parks, 
see Volunteer.gov. If you’re interested in emergency 
preparedness and disaster response volunteer services, 
try Ready.gov or RedCross.org. If you have a 
knack for construction or have an interest in learning 
about interior design, see Habitat.org. Or, if 
you’re interested in longer-term volunteer opportunities 
check out AmeriCorps.gov and PeaceCorps.
gov/50plus, which offers three-month to two-year 
programs in the U.S and abroad.

Professional volunteer sites: If you have expertise 
in areas like business planning and development, 
marketing, communications, finance, fundraising, 
web and graphic design, or writing and editing 
there are sites like Catchafire.org and TaprootPlus.
org that can link you to volunteer opportunities 
with nonprofit organizations in need. Or you 
can help entrepreneurs and small business owners 
through the SCORE.org volunteer mentoring 
program. 

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.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

WHAT'S A WHOPPER GOT TO DO WITH 
ANYTHING?

After my heart attack, The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage enacted a dietary 
regimen in accord-ance with improving 
my health.

The theme of this dietary regimen is vegetables, 
vegetables, vegetables. I did not 
know there were so many vegetables in 
the entire world. Her primary vegetable, 
much to my disdain, is broccoli.

Even though she is quite persuasive and 
persistent I have refused to eat any broccoli. 
If there is broccoli on my dish for 
lunch or supper I refuse to eat anything 
on that dish.

My dietary regime is quite strict, and 
there are more things I can't eat than 
I can eat. I have, howev-er, suffered 
through this dietary persecution for the 
last several years.

One thing I am not permitted to do is 
go to a fast food restaurant. Particularly, 
I am not to have any cheeseburgers 
of any sort. That has been rather hard 
for me because the cheeseburger is one 
of my favorite foods. I'm expecting to 
have cheeseburgers in heaven when I get 
there.

I'm trying to keep up with her schedule; 
at least I've survived so far.

The other week something happened 
that changed my attitude along this line. 
The Gracious Mis-tress of the Parsonage 
had several lunchtime appointments 
with her friends. It's one of those girl's 
time out in which I'm not involved.

I love it when an opportunity comes 
together.

There were about three days she would 
not be home for lunch. At the beginning 
of the week, she said, "I’m going to 
be away most of the time for lunch this 
week. Can you get your own lunch?"

It caught me by surprise, and I was slow 
in responding. After clearing my throat, 
I said, "Oh, yes, my dear, I can take care 
of my lunch. Go and have fun with your 
girlfriends."

After hearing that, my head was abuzz 
with all kinds of thoughts about lunchtime 
specials.

The one thing I could not get out of my 
thinking was those delicious Whoppers 
at Burger King. I'm not sure why 
that was on my mind, but it was, and I 
couldn't get rid of it.

Some of my best times have been at that 
restaurant munching on their delicious 
Whoppers. When I’m eating it I have 
peace of mind.

Of all the fast food restaurants in my 
town, why was I thinking of Burger King 
and their Whop-pers? This is the one 
thing violently rejected on my dietary 
regime.

I'm not sure how it got into my head, 
but I could not get it out of my head. 
All I could think of was how delicious it 
would be to nibble on one of those delicious 
burgers. And then beside it would 
be French fries. Oh, what a wonderful 
thought. And then, to wash everything 
down was a large Pepsi. My heart is 
beating.

I had to be very careful because I have 
learned over the years that The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage can read my 
mind. How she does it, I don't know. But 
I been caught in many a scheme because 
of this skill.

If she knew what I was thinking then, 
boy, would I be in trouble.

In order to camouflage these thoughts, 
I began to whistle whenever she was 
around. When I was a young kid, whistling 
was one of my favorite hobbies. 
Therefore, whenever she came in view, 
I be-gan whistling, and it didn't matter 
what I was whistling as long as I was 
whistling.

My plan was to ask her each morning as 
cautiously as possible if this was the day.

On Tuesday morning, with subdued enthusiasm, 
I said, "So, you will be going to 
lunch today with your friends."

Then something happened I wasn't 
prepared for. She said, "No, we had to 
change our plans, and we won't be able 
to go to lunch until Wednesday."

I cannot tell you how much that discouraged 
my heart because I had been 
looking forward to hav-ing a big Whopper 
with all the accouterments. I tried 
to bounce a cheerful demeanor so she 
would not have any suspicions about me. 
I'll need to wait another day before indulging 
in my dietary pleasure.

Looking at me, she said, "That doesn't 
spoil your plans for the day, does it?"

Faking a smile, I told her that everything 
was okay.

I still could not get that Whopper out of 
my mind. I'm not sure what I will do if 
she doesn't have a lunch date very soon.

Wednesday came and the same message 
was given. The lunch date for today was 
canceled until Friday.

How I will last until Friday is beyond any 
expectations I might have. I have never 
been haunted by such a dietary preference 
in all my life.

Friday finally came, and as I was sitting 
at the fast food restaurant nibbling on 
my delicious Whop-per, I could never be 
happier. I guess it pays to be patient, and 
I'm going to enjoy myself.

My biggest challenge is not allowing her 
to find out my dietary plans for the day.

As I was nibbling my whopper I was reminded 
of a verse of Scripture.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye 
fall into divers temptations; Knowing 
this, that the trying of your faith worketh 
patience.” (James 1:2-3).

The development of patience in my life is 
one of the greatest challenges that I face, 
but the reward is heavenly.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL 
with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 
Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-
mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website 
www.jamessnyderministries.com

FAMILY MATTERS

DON'T LET YOUR KIDS LEAVE THE NEST WITHOUT 
SIGNING THESE 3 DOCUMENTS


As we head into summer, 
many parents will 
see their children graduate 
high school and 
prepare to leave home to 
attend college or pursue 
other life goals. This can 
be an exciting and emotional 
time, and with so 
much going on, estate 
planning probably isn’t at the front of your (or their) 
mind right now. 

However, estate planning should actually be a top 
priority for both you and your kids. 

Here’s why: Once your kids turn 18, they become 
legal adults, and many areas of their life that were 
once under your control will become entirely their 
responsibility, whether you take action or not. To 
this end, if your kids don’t have the proper legal 
documents in place, you could face a costly and 
traumatic ordeal should something happen to them. 

If your child were to get into a serious car accident 
and require hospitalization, for example, you would 
no longer have the automatic authority to make decisions 
about his or her medical treatment or the 
ability to manage his or her financial affairs. Without 
legal documentation, you wouldn’t even be able 
to access your child’s medical records or bank accounts 
without a court order.

To deal with this vulnerability and ensure your family 
never gets stuck in an expensive and unnecessary 
court process, before your kids leave home, have a 
conversation about estate planning and make sure 
they sign the following three documents. 

1. Medical Power of Attorney

The first document your child needs is a medical 
power of attorney. A medical power of attorney is an 
advance healthcare directive that allows your child 
to grant you (or someone else) the immediate legal 
authority to make healthcare decisions on his or her 
behalf if they become incapacitated and are unable 
to make these decisions for themselves.

For example, a medical power of attorney would allow 
you to make decisions about your child’s medical 
treatment if he or she is incapacitated in a car 
accident or falls into a coma due to a debilitating 
illness like COVID-19. Without a medical power 
of attorney in place, if your child suffers a severe accident 
or illness that requires hospitalization and 
you need to access their medical records to make 
decisions about their treatment, you’d have to petition 
the court to become their legal guardian. While 
a parent is typically the court’s first choice for a 
guardian, the guardianship process can be slow and 
expensive—and in medical emergencies, time is of 
the essence. 

 Not to mention, due to HIPAA laws, once your 
child becomes 18, no one—not even a parent—can 
legally access his or her medical records without prior 
written permission. However, a properly drafted 
medical power of attorney should include a stand-
alone HIPAA authorization, so you can immediately 
access your child’s medical records to make 
informed decisions about his or her treatment.

2. Living Will

While a medical power of attorney allows you to 
make healthcare decisions on your child’s behalf 
during their incapacity, a living will is an advance 
directive that provides specific guidance about 
these decisions, particularly at the end of life.

For example, a living will allows your child to advise 
if and when he or she would want life support 
removed should it ever be required. In addition to 
documenting how your child wants his or her medical 
care managed, a living will can also include instructions 
about nourishment and hydration. For 
example, if your child is a vegan, vegetarian, or 
takes specific supplements, these things should be 
considered and documented in their living will.

Additionally, given the pandemic, speak with your 
child about the unique medical decisions, particularly 
intubation, ventilators, and experimental medications. 
At the same time, your child’s living will 
should also outline their quality-of-life decisions to 
ensure their emergency medical treatment doesn’t 
end up doing more harm than good. 

Although you’ll find a variety of medical power of 
attorney, living will, and other advance directive 
documents online, your child has unique needs and 
wishes that can’t be anticipated by these fill-in-the-
blank documents. Given this, we recommend you 
and your child work with a trusted estate planning 
attorney to create—or at the very least, review—
their advance directives.

3. Durable Power of Attorney

Should your child become incapacitated, you may 
also need the ability to access and manage their finances 
and legal affairs, and this requires your child 
to grant you durable power of attorney.

Durable power of attorney gives you the authority 
to manage your child’s financial and legal matters, 
such as paying tuition, applying for student loans, 
paying rent, negotiating (or re-negotiating) a lease, 
managing bank accounts, and collecting government 
benefits if necessary. Without this document, 
you’d have to petition the court for this authority.

Start Adulthood on The Right Track

Before your kids leave the nest, discuss the value of 
estate planning and make sure they have the proper 
legal documents in place. By doing so, you are helping 
your family avoid a costly and emotional court 
process, while also demonstrating the importance 
of good financial 
and legal stewardship, 
which sets 
your kids on the 
right track from the 
very start of their 
journey into adulthood 
and beyond. 


Marc Garlett, Esq.

Cali Law Family Legacy Matters

www.caliLaw.com

626.355.4000

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