Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 18, 2015

Mountain Views News Saturday, July 18, 2015 
13THE GOOD LIFE Mountain Views News Saturday, July 18, 2015 
13THE GOOD LIFE 
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM 
MACULAR DEGENERATION 



Dear Savvy Senior, 

Is macular degeneration hereditary? My mother lost 
her vision from it before she died a few years ago, 
and now at age 65, I’m worried I may get it. What 
can you tell me? 

Nearsighted Susan 

Dear Susan, 
Having a parent or sibling with macular 
degeneration does indeed increase your risk three 
to four times. But the good news is there are things 
you can do to protect your eyesight, and a number 
of treatments that are available if you do happen to 
get it. Here’s what you should know. 


What is AMD? 
Macular degeneration, also known as age-related
macular degeneration (or AMD) is the most 
common cause of vision loss in people over age 50, 
affecting about 10 million Americans.


AMD is a progressive eye disease that damages 
the macula, the part of the eye that allows us to see 
objects clearly, causing vision loss in the center of 
your vision. This affects the ability to read, drive, 
watch television and do routine daily tasks, but it 
does not cause total blindness. 

There are two types of AMD – wet and dry. Dry 
AMD, which affects about 90 percent of all people 
that have it, progresses slowly and painlessly over 
a period of years. While wet AMD is much more 
aggressive and can cause severe vision loss in a 
matter of weeks or months. 

Factors that can increase your risk of getting 
AMD include age (60 and older); smoking; excessive 
exposure to sunlight especially if you have light-
colored eyes; certain genetic components; a family 
history of AMD; high blood pressure; obesity; and 
being Caucasian.

For anyone over the age of 60, it’s a smart idea 
to get your eyes examined by an ophthalmologist 
every year. They can spot early signs of AMD 
before vision loss occurs. Early signs, however, 
may include shadowy areas in your central vision 
or unusually fuzzy or distorted vision. The Amsler 
grid at amslergrid.org, is a good tool to check your 
eyes for AMD. 

Preventing AMD 
While there’s currently no cure for AMD there are 
some things you can do if you’re high risk. One 

option is to talk to your doctor about taking a daily 
dose of antioxidant vitamins and minerals known 
as AREDS – vitamins C and E, plus copper, lutein, 
zeaxanthin, and zinc. Studies by the National 
Eye Institute have shown that AREDS can reduce 
the risk by about 25 percent that dry AMD will 
progress.

Most drug stores sell these eye supplements 
in tablet or soft gel form over-the-counter for 
around $20 to $30, but be aware that not all eye 
supplements contain the proper formulation. 
Choose either the PreserVision Eye Vitamin 
AREDS Formula, PreserVision Eye Vitamin 
Lutein Formula, PreserVision AREDS2 Formula, 
or ICAPS AREDS. These four options contain the 
right formula mix.

Other lifestyle adjustments that may help 
prevent or delay AMD include eating antioxidant-
rich foods such as dark green, leafy vegetables, 
and cold-water fish for their omega-3 fatty acids; 
protecting your eyes from the sun by wearing 
UV protective sunglasses; controlling high blood 
pressure; exercising regularly; and if you smoke, 
quit. 

Wet AMD Treatments 

For wet AMD, there are several effective 
medications (Lucentis, Avastin and Eylea) available 
that can stop vision loss and may even restore it. 
These medications are given by injection into the 
eye, and repeated every month or two, perhaps 
indefinitely.

Note that each of these three drugs works 
equally in treating wet AMD, but there’s a big 
cost difference. Avastin costs just $50 per month, 
compared with $2,000 for the other two. So experts 
recommend Avastin as the first choice for most 
people with wet AMD, especially if you don’t have 
supplemental Medicare coverage. 

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. 

KATIE Tse..........This and That 



iSHORTHAND 


Summer is the best! It givesme a chance to work on little 
projects that typically getneglected during the school 
year. Punch needle, for one, 

has been really fun and relaxing. It’s probablythe easiest activity right after assembling peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches or surfing the Internet.
Although punch needle is useful as a therapeuticpastime, I felt compelled to do something in thearea of self improvement, so I decided to attemptto learn shorthand this summer.

 You may be wondering, “What is shorthand?”
I’m so glad you asked! Shorthand, as the name 
implies, is a method

formidable, but it is actually a slim little thing, likea pocket book. I quickly discovered that part of thereason for its diminutive size is that the practicedrills and tables of short forms don’t have answer 
keys. In other words, there are lines of shorthand 
that you, the student, are supposed to interpret,
but there’s no answer key to tell you if you’re rightor wrong! Clearly the book was written with theassumption that you’d be taking it with you toclass where you could ask a real-life, flesh andblood human all your burning questions aboutshorthand. After a while I solved this problemby downloading the same edition, but with addedtranscription keys.

 Then came the 

of writing quickly.


challenge of actually

In its heyday it was

learning the basics of

used for courtroom 

shorthand. Unlike 

stenography and 

regular writing, 

taking dictation. 

shorthand is 

Modern technology

completely phonetic.

has all but done away

This is great news for

with the need for 

me because I am the 

shorthand, but there 
are situations in which it would be helpful to be
able to “record” what people are saying in real time,
without actually recording them (e.g., meetings,
lectures, funny anecdotes from friends and family,
etc.). The script itself looks like code, so knowing
shorthand is kind of like being a member of a
secret society --in a nerdy sort of way.


These were my thoughts when I embarked onmy shorthand journey. Not all shorthand systemsare created equal, which I quickly figured out whentrying to decide which to study. Some systems areeasier to learn than others, promising proficiencyin a matter of weeks or months, while others take 
many months, possibly even years, to master. The 
tradeoff is that some of the simpler systems aren’tlikely to yield as high a rate of speed as moresophisticated ones. I mean, why settle for 80 wordsa minute when you could do 300?

 After finally settling on classic Gregg Shorthand,
the next step was to find a manual or tutor. There 
are some YouTube tutorials, but, as you canimagine, people who are immersed in somethingas antiquated as shorthand are usually just aboutas antiquated themselves when it comes to usingmodern technology in order to teach it. I watched 
several sessions by a couple of instructors, andmuch of the time was taken up with commentslike “Is this thing on?” and “I’m learning how touse this new mouse to draw the forms, so bear with 
me.” Eventually I ordered a vintage 1929 “GreggShorthand Anniversary Edition” from Amazon.

 “Great!” I thought, “Now all my shorthand issueswill be solved!” Not so. I was surprised when thebook arrived because online it looked heavy and 

world’s worst speller!
(The only reason you’re able to read this articleis thanks to the miracle of Spell Check. If youhave any doubts as to my deplorable spellingskills, check out my article from last week abouta friend’s pet Chiwawa.) So, phonetically, “hour”
sounds (and therefore looks) the same as “our.”
That’s reasonable enough I supposed. Similar 
sounds are often formed in a similar way, differingonly by length or size. So “m” is the same as “n,” 
only longer, likewise “t” and “d.” Many commonlyused words are abbreviated, resulting in “good”
looking just like “go,” in addition to “be,” “by,”
and “but” all written identical. To further muddythe water, vowels are often dropped, and there isno indication of where similar looking consonants 
start or stop. Since “m” and “n” are virtually the 
same, “minimum” looks like two long strings of“m” and “n” sounds with a vowel in the middle. 
“Okay,” I thought, “I can use the context of thesentence to figure it out.” 

 It’s all well and good to assume that a particular 
sentence is about the “rate of grain sold” if you 
correctly interpreted the preceding sentences 
as being about buying and selling in the stock 
market. But taken by itself, I might mistake 
it for telling about a “rat in the green salad!” (I 
don’t remember the exact examples I ran across 
during my shorthand folly, but you get the idea.) 
Admittedly, I haven’t invested enough time 
and effort in this endeavor yet, but until I find 
another good supplemental resource for learning 
shorthand, I think I’ll stick to punch needle for 
now! 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 



HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … July Birthdays* 

Nina Bartolai, Mary Lou Caldwell, Louise Neiby, Eunice Banis, Betty Hansen, Christine 
Durfort, Shahrzad Azrani, Jeanne Borgedahl, Janet Cox, Dorothy Montgomery, Bess 
Pancoska, Janet Swanson, Linda Thunes, Barbara Watson, Pat Alcorn, Karma Bell, Alice 

Clark, Dorothy Jerneycic, and Betty Dos Remedios. 
*To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth 
not required. 
.................................................................. 

Quote of the Week: Seize the moment. Remember all the women on the Titanic who 
waved off the dessert cart. - Erma Bombeck 


................................................... 



ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park 
House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon 
(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.)
All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256 

HAWAIIAN AND POLYNESIAN DANCE CLASS: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. 
Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 
BINGO: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people. 


FREE BLOOD PRESSURE TESTING: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. 


is necessary. 
CASE MANAGEMENT: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required and 
can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 


BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS: Every second Thursday of the month the Hart Park House Senior 
Center celebrates birthdays of our patrons. The free birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre 
Civic Club. 


GAME DAY: Every Thursday starting at 12:45pm. A regular group of seniors play poker. Other 


games available for use. 
TAX ASSISTANCE: Every Thursday February 5th through April 9th from 1:00pm-2:00pm. Don 
Brunner is available for income tax consultation. Appointments are required, call 626-355-7394. 


FREE STRENGTH TRAINING CLASS: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa 
Brandley. The class utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the 
class are provided. 


SENIOR CLUB: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00. 



UPCOMING EXCURSIONS: 

Ganna Walska Lotusland (Santa Barbara) Date: July 17, 2015 

Time: 7:30am to 5:00pm 
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $45.00 (Does not include lunch)
Description: Lotusland features an enormous diversity of exotic plants from around the globe 
arranged in nearly 20 gardens, each distinctive in design. The garden now covering the estate 
were created by Ganna Walska, a well known Polish opera singer and socialite, who owned the 
property from 1941 until her death in 1984. She spent 43 years of her life designing unusual 
display gardens with exotic plants. We will take a two hour docent guided walking tour. The tour 
includes both horticultural and historical information. There will be time to visit the Garden 
Shop at the end of the tour. Lunch will be on your own at nearby restaurants. Participants 
should bring money for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is Wednesday, July 2nd. Level 
of Walking: Medium to High 

California Science Center (Los Angeles) Date: August 12, 2015 
Time: 9:30am to 5:00pm
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $28.00 (Does not include lunch) 


Description: The California Science Center in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority 
is Proud to present the largest Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition ever mounted outside of Israel, 
featuring over 600 ancient artifact on display. We will also see Jerusalem in the IMAX Theater. 
Through breathtaking aerial footage, eye-opening personal stories and remarkable historical 
perspective, Jerusalem takes views inside the heart of the ancient city in ways never seen before. 
Lunch will be on your own. There is Trimana-Grill, or Market and Coffee Bar at the Science 
Center for you to enjoy a meal or light snack during your visit. Participants should bring money 
for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is Wednesday, August 5th. Level of Walking: High 

EXCURSION REFUND POLICY 

Notification of the cancellation must be made at least 3 business days before the excursion. 
A refund will only be issued 1) for a medical excuse or 2) if the Department is able to fill the 
patrons spot from a waiting list. This refund will be issued in the form of a credit which will be 

applied to the patron’s account with the City, less a $11 cancellation fee. The credit will remain 
on your account for one year from the date issued and the credit may be used for any program 
or service offered by the Community Services Dept. 

SEASONAL FUN AT THE SENIOR CENTER 

Need a way to keep cool during the warmer months? Paper fans are a breeze to make and a greatsummer craft project. Come and join us on Thursday, July 16th, in making paper fans and stay cool!
Craft making will begin at 11:00am. All supplies will be provided. 

Increased Fees for Senior Meals 
After several meetings of the YWCA Senior Services Advisory Council, the Council Members votedto increase the suggested donation for both group-dining meals and home delivered meals from

$2.00 to $3.00 per meal and non-senior meals from $3.75 to $5.00 per meal beginning July 1, 2015.
This was not an easy decision for the Council Members to make but unfortunately both generaloperating costs and the cost of purchasing meals from various caterers have increased significantlyover the past years. However, it is very important for you to know that we want you to continue toparticipate in our meal programs and that we want to emphasize that the suggested donation is andwill remain a voluntary and confidential donation. Anyone having questions about the suggesteddonation policy and the donation procedures may call the YWCA Senior Services Director at626-214-9466. 

Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his ex-wife, Lenore (Franke Janssen), are 

SENIOR CINEMA SHOWN AT THE HART PARK 
HOUSE SENIOR CENTER 


July 15th– TAKEN 3 (2014) 

enjoying a reconciliation with his ex-wife when she is brutally murdered.
Consumed with rage and framed for the crime and flees, Bryan goes on therun to evade the relentless pursuit of the CIA, FBI and police. For the lasttime, he channels his rage and particular set of skills into hunting downLenore’s real killers, taking his revenge and protecting the one importantthing left in his life: his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Start time: 1:00pm(run time 89 minutes) 

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!
Call Patricia at 626-818-2698 Today!
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