Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 31, 2015

THE GOOD LIFE

14

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 31, 2015 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

UNDERSTANDING REVERSE MORTGAGES: 

BEWARE OF MISLEADING ADS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …October Birthdays*

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, Ann Tyler, Pat Birdsall,

George Maurer, Dick Anderson, Barbara Cline, Eva Poet, Mary Jane Baker, Dixie 
Coutant, Cathleen Cremins, Alma Mays, Adie Marshall, Darlene Crook, Susan 
Gallagher, Maggie Ellis, Gloria Giersbach, Elva Johnson, Ellen O’Leary, Jenny 
Piangenti, Gail Ann Skiles, Anita Thompson, Linda Boehm and Angela Stella. 

 *To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 

YEAR of birth not required...................................................................

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

 

 Activities at the Senior Center

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale daily lunch program held 
at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00 pm 
and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested donation of $3.00 
for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary, space is 
limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, October 19th and 26th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use your new 
technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

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. 

 

Brain Games: Thursday, October 15th, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, October 21st from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. A suggested donation of $5 at one 
of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

 

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 at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 

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. 

ROGER’S GARDEN (CORONA DEL MAR)

Date: Thursday, November 5, 2015 

 Time: 8:45am to 3:15pm 

 Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center 

 Cost: $5.00 (Does not include lunch) 

 Roger’s Garden is a destination home and garden store for those seeking creative ideas and 
unique products for outdoor and indoor living. The outdoor environment inspires its visitors 
with beautiful foliage, flowering plants, seasonal herbs and vegetables. Roger’s Gardens indoor 
spaces present fine home furnishings and décor, gourmet foods, artisan collectibles, holiday 
décor, plein air art and brought together in a world-class creative and inspirational presentation. 
A landmark destination for more than 50 years. Lunch will be on your own at nearby restaurants. 
Participants should bring money for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is October 30th. 
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. 

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you give us a rundown of how reverse mortgages 
work? I’ve see actors Fred Thompson and Henry 
Winkler pitching them on TV, and they sound like a 
good deal. What can you tell me? 

Need the Money

Dear Need,

When it comes to celebrity spokespeople pitching 
reverse mortgages on TV, don’t believe everything 
you hear. Many of these ads are misleading and 
don’t always give you the whole story. In fact, the 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently 
issued a warning to seniors to watch out for these 
deceptive advertisements. With that said, here’s the 
lowdown on reverse mortgages.

The Basics

A reverse mortgage is a unique type of loan that 
allows older homeowners to borrow money against 
the equity in their house that doesn’t have to be 
repaid until the homeowner dies, sells the house or 
moves out for at least 12 months. At that point, you or 
your heirs will have to pay back the loan plus accrued 
interest and fees, but you will never owe more than 
the value of the house.

 It’s also important to understand that with a 
reverse mortgage, you, not the bank, own the house, 
so you’re still required to pay your property taxes and 
homeowners insurance. Not paying them can result 
in foreclosure. 

 To be eligible, you must be at least 62 years old, 
own your own home (or owe only a small balance) 
and currently be living there. 

 You will also need to undergo a financial 
assessment to determine whether you can afford to 
continue paying your property taxes and insurance. 
Depending on your financial situation, you may 
be required to put part of your loan into an escrow 
account to pay future bills. If the financial assessment 
finds that you cannot pay your insurance and taxes 
and have enough cash left to live on, you’ll be denied.

Loan Details

Around 95 percent of all reverse mortgages offered 
today are Home Equity Conversion Mortgages 
(HECM), which are FHA insured and offered through 
private mortgage lenders and banks. HECM’s also 
have home value limits that vary by county, but 
cannot exceed $625,500. 

 How much you can actually get through a reverse 
mortgage depends on your age, your home’s value and 
the prevailing interest rates. Generally, the older you 
are, the more your house is worth, and the lower the 
interest rates are, the more you can borrow. A 70-year-
old, for example, with a home worth $250,000 could 
borrow around $136,000 with a fixed-rate HECM. To 
estimate how much you can borrow, use the reverse 
mortgage calculator at reversemortgage.org. 

 You also need to know that reverse mortgages 
are expensive with a number of fees, including: a 2 
percent lender origination fee for the first $200,000 of 
the home’s value and 1 percent of the remaining value, 
with a cap of $6,000; a 0.5 percent upfront mortgage 
insurance premium (MIP) fee, plus an annual MIP 
fee that’s equal to 1.25 percent of the outstanding loan 
balance; along with an appraisal fee, closing costs 
and other miscellaneous expenses. Most fees can be 
deducted for the loan amount to reduce your out-of-
pocket cost at closing. 

 To receive your money, you can opt for a lump 
sum, a line of credit, regular monthly checks or a 
combination of these. But in most cases, you cannot 
withdraw more than 60 percent of the loan during 
the first year. If you do, your upfront MIP fee will be 
bumped up to 2.5 percent.

Get Educated

To learn more, read the National Council on Aging’s 
online booklet “Use Your Home to Stay at Home,” 
which you can download at homeequityadvisor.org.

 Also note that because reverse mortgages are 
complex loans, all borrowers are required to get 
face-to-face or telephone counseling through a HUD 
approved independent counseling agency before 
taking one out. Most agencies charge around $125 to 
$250. To locate one near you, visit go.usa.gov/v2H, or 
call 800-569-4287.

 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

APPLE MONTH!

Happy Apple Month! No, I’m not 
talking about your iPad, iPhone, 
or any other device you can’t live 
without. I’m talking about the apples 
that you eat, the apples that adorn 
kitchen counters in “Crate & Barrel” 
catalogs, and the ultra shiny red 
apples kids across the nation toss into 
the trash each day with their cafeteria lunch.

 I can understand that most kids aren’t naturally inclined 
to bite into an apple, when there are pizzas, burgers, corn 
dogs, and tater tots to be had. Also, something about the 
skin on those school lunch apples make them seem overly 
tough and impenetrable. It’s as if the apples expected to be 
thrown out, and were preparing for impact.

 Somewhere, however, far from the grocery aisles, 
school lunches, and Starbuck’s counters are apples that 
actually taste good! (Honestly, what’s the turn around 
time for fruit at a place like Starbucks? You know people 
are there for the blueberry scones, triple chocolate 
brownies, and whatever other fatty pastries they pass off 
as “breakfast items.”) Yes, there is a place where apples 
taste like apples!

 Although I’ve lived in Southern California all my life, I’d 
never been to Oak Glen before. My parents and I didn’t 
know what to expect when we went there for the first time 
last week. So, when the narrow road became lined with 
parked cars, we figured we might as well leave the car and 
walk from that point.

 We continued uphill past little tents offering handmade 
soap, sage sachets, and raw honey. There were also burly 
men handing out baskets to young kids so they could pick 
apples with their families. We admired the lovely trees and 
wondered when we’d start seeing actual apples. Then it 
dawned on us that these were apple trees, but all the apples, 
save for the ones at the tippy-top had already been plucked.

 Well, that stinks. If that was all there was to Oak Glen, 
we would’ve been sorely disappointed. But I recalled their 
website featured stores (more substantial than tents), and 
at least two or three restaurants. We backtracked to the 
car and drove on.

 At last we found “the village” and were lucky enough 
to snag a spot near the shops and restaurants. Then it was 
time to find a place to eat. All the restaurants seemed 
equally crowded, so we put our names in at the closest cafe 
and settled in for a long, long wait. My Dad held our place 
while my Mom and I explored Law’s apple stand.

 Sampling apples at Law’s was sort of like wine tasting. 
There were many “exotic” varieties we never tasted before, 
like Arkansas Black, Spartan, and Mutsu. The men behind 
the counter described each of them, cutting slices for us to 
try. I almost expected them to say, “Here’s a full-bodied 
red with a smooth mouth feel and complex finish.” Like 
wine tasting, it was a little difficult to recall the differences 
after we’d sampled about six different apples. When you 
don’t remember your favorite four out of six apples, you 
might as well buy all six types just to cover your bases. 
After all, apple season comes only once a year!

 After an hour and a half of apple tasting and poking 
around in different shops, we were seated for lunch. By 
that time we had already memorized what we wanted, and 
then sat for another 45 minutes until the food arrived. 
Any other time, I might’ve been a bit annoyed at the slow 
service. But this place was PACKED! These little cafes get 
swamped for one month in the fall, and probably starve 
for business the rest of the year. Anyway, I think the food 
tasted all the better after waiting for it so long.

 We were about to leave when we spotted a sign for 
Peddler’s Pack, specializing in alpaca yarns and unique 
gifts. My Mom is a fiber nut (as in textiles, not dietary 
fiber). How could we pass up the opportunity to see 
alpacas? We followed the signs to an enclosure with about 
a dozen docile, big-eyed alpacas. “Aw! So cute!”

 Peddler’s Pack had lovely handmade clothing and 
jewelry, but my Mom decided on a bag of very soft wool. 
The proprietress told us that the particular bag my Mom 
chose was most likely from a single alpaca, whereas the 
other bags were composites of several different animals’ 
hair. Always the sentimentalist, my Mom asked if the 
owner knew which alpaca her wool was from. She fingered 
the “roving,” inspected its color, and then said it was either 
from Quid or Stan.

 “Quid or Stan!” my Mom said, “How nice! Are they 
outside?” I wondered if the lady would break into a fit of 
laughter at the lengths to which my Mom was taking this. 
But she just replied, “Yes, they’re both out there.” Before 
leaving, we looked again at the alpacas and speculated as 
to which ones might be Stan and Quid. Driving home, we 
could now say that we’ve been to Oak Glen, tasted apples 
we’d never heard of before, and bought some lovely alpaca 
roving. Whether it was from Stan, Quid, or a little of both, 
it all made for a great time!


UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:

SENIOR CINEMA - 1st and 3rd Wednesday 

Shown at the Hart Park House Senior Center


October 21st - Bringing Up Baby (1938) 

 

Paleontologist David Husley (Cary Grant) has to make a good impression on 
society matron Mrs. Random (May Robson), who is considering donating one 
million dollars to his museum. On the day before his wedding, Huxley meets 
Mrs. Random’s high-spirited young niece, Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), a 
madcap adventuress who immediately falls for the straitlaced scientist. The ever-
growing chaos – including a missing dinosaur bone – threatens to swallow him 
whole. Rated G. Start time 1:00pm (run time 1h 42m)

LIFESAVERS PARAMEDIC SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM

The Sierra Madre Lifesavers Paramedic Subscription Program is an official program offered by 
the City of Sierra Madre which offsets the cost of emergency medical responses. The membership 
program is available to residents of Sierra Madre. Your subscription to the program will perform 
similar to a secondary insurance plan, with no out-of-pocket cost to you. Subscriptions are 
$60.00 per individual (July 1 – June 30). For additional information contact The Sierra Madre Fire 
Department 626-355-3611. 


SEASONAL FUN AT THE SENIOR CENTER 

 

Don’t miss our crafts for Halloween! On Thursday, October, 22, join us in cutting out bats, ghosts 
and pumpkins. Great way to decorate your home or it can be used to decorate the senior center. All 
materials provided. The activity will take place from 11:00am to 12:00pm at the Hart Park House 
Senior Center. 

LUNCH AND HOME DELIVERED MEALS PROGRAM

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale daily 
lunch program held at the Hart Park House. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00pm 
(participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45am). Meals are suggested donation of $3.00 for 
seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Reservations for lunch must be made at least 
24 hours in advance by calling 626-355-0256. The Meals-On-Wheels program offers hot meals 
to homebound seniors within the community. Meals are delivered at the door, Monday through 
Friday. For more information on this program, contact the YWCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale 
program at 626-214-9467.

626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953At first, Dad and I didn’tsee eye to eye about moving toThe Kensington, but sincehe did, we’re both thrilledLimited Senior Living Suites Still AvailableCall or Visit to Reserve Yours 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