Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, January 7, 2017

THE GOOD LIFE

8

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 7, 2017 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

GETTING OLD PAYS OFF


Dear Savvy Senior,

What types of discounts are available to baby boomers, at what 
age do they kick in, and what’s the best way to go about finding 
them?

Almost 50

Dear Almost,

 One of the great perks of growing older in America is the 
many discounts that are available to boomers and seniors. 

 There are literally thousands of discounts on a wide variety 
of products and services including restaurants, grocery 
stores, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail and apparel, 
health and beauty, automotive services and much more. 
These discounts – typically ranging between 5 and 25 percent 
off – can add up to save you hundreds of dollars each year.

 So, if you don’t mind admitting your age, here are some 
tips and tools to help you find the discounts you may be 
eligible for.

Always Ask

 The first thing to know is that most businesses don’t 
advertise them, but many give senior discounts just for the 
asking, so don’t be shy. 

 You also need to know that while some discounts are 
available as soon as you turn 50, many others may not kick in 
until you turn 55, 60, 62 or 65. 

Search Online

 Because senior discounts frequently change and can vary 
depending on where you live and the time of the year, the 
Internet is the easiest way to help you locate them. 

 To do a search, start by visiting SeniorDiscounts.com, 
which lists thousands of discounts that you can search for by 
city and state, and by the category you’re interested in, for free. 

 You can also look for discounts at TheSeniorList.com, 
which provides a large list of national and regional business 
chains that offer them, or you can Google them individually. 
Just go to Google.com and type in the business or organization 
you’re curious about, followed by “senior discount” or “senior 
discount tickets.” 

 If you use a smartphone, another tool is the Sciddy app (see 
Sciddy.com) that lets you search for senior discounts and can 
send you alerts when you’re at an establishment that offers 
them.

Join a Club

 Another good avenue to senior discounts is through 
membership organizations like AARP, which offers its 50 
and older members a wide variety of discounts through 
affiliate businesses (see AARPdiscounts.com). 

 If, however, you’re not the AARP type, there are other 
alternative organizations you can join that also provide 
discounts such as The Seniors Coalition or the American 
Seniors Association. Or, for federal workers, there’s the 
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. 

Types of Discounts

 Here’s an abbreviated rundown of some of the different 
types of discounts you can expect to find. 

 Restaurants: Senior discounts are common at restaurants 
and fast food establishments – like Burger King, Chick-fil-A, 
Subway, Wendy’s, Applebee’s and Golden Corral – ranging 
from free/discounted drinks, to discounts off your total 
order. 

 Retailers: Many thrift stores like Goodwill, and certain 
retailers like Banana Republic, Kohl’s, Michaels and Ross 
stores offer a break to seniors on certain days of the week. 

 Supermarkets: Many locally owned grocery stores offer 
senior discount programs, as do some chains like Albertsons, 
Kroger, Publix and Fry’s Supermarkets, which offer some 
discounts on certain days of the week but they vary by 
location. 

 Travel: Southwest Airlines provide the best senior fares 
in the U.S. to passengers 65 and older, while Amtrak offers 
a 15 percent discount and Greyhound offers 5 percent off 
to travelers over 62. Most car rental companies provide 
discounts to customers who belong to organizations like 
AARP. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival cruise lines 
offer discount rates to cruisers 55 and over. And, most hotels 
offer senior discounts, usually ranging from 10 to 30 percent.

 Entertainment: Most movie theaters, museums, golf 
courses, ski slopes and other public entertainment venues 
provide reduced admission to seniors over 60 or 65. And the 
National Park Service offers a lifetime pass for those 62 and 
up for $10 (see nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm). 

 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.

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

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

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

 



 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: Will resume in the fall. 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10:00 - 11:00am. Join instructor 
Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join. May 
be cancelled if less than 5 people. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am - 12:00 pm. No appt. necessary. 

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

Case Management: Meets the second 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 12:00 pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45 - 1:30 pm 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. 

SENIOR EXCURSION - 

Proposed 2017 Trips

JanuaryThe Broad Museum (Sold Out)

FebruarySt. Sophia’s Cathedral

MarchWalt Disney Concert Hall

AprilTanaka Farm Strawberry Tour

MayThe Getty Villa

JuneGuided Dogs of America and The Wildlife Learning Center

JulyGardens of the World

AugustGondola Getaway

September Riley’s at Oak Glen

November Japanese American National Museum

December Mission Inn

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 medical excuse or 2) if the Department is able to fill the patron’s 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 $13 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 Library & Community 
Services Dept.


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

THE WITH-US GOD

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas 
and that you truly did experience 
some of the “peace on earth” that the 
angels proclaimed at Jesus’ birth. So 
often Christmas is a frenzied time 
of preparation and anxiety brought 
about by the high standards we put 
upon the holiday. Unfortunately, New 
Years is also often fraught with overblown expectations, 
disappointment, and loneliness. 

 I think some people are more prone to loneliness than 
others. Especially in large gatherings, there can be the sense 
of isolation and disconnect. One wonders, “Why aren’t I 
having a great time? Everyone else seems to be.” Despite all 
the technological advancements in social networking, there 
are still a lot of lonely people out there. Loneliness isn’t just 
the absence of being around others. Sometimes it can result 
from a disconnection in a relationship. This is often due to a 
lack of authenticity and transparency. It’s hard to be close to 
someone you don’t feel is being real, or with whom you are 
afraid to be real. I know lots of people, but I only consider a 
handful of them “real people.” I’m guilty of this as well. We 
all want others to have a good impression of us, and it takes 
real courage and emotional security to not put up a fake front 
in hopes of maintaining that picture-perfect image.

 Not only is New Years a lonely time for many, but it is also 
depressing simply because it marks the end of another year. 
One of my pastors noted that the relentless passage of time 
feels as if we’re all steadily marching toward an inevitable 
cliff. You can see it ahead of you, but you’re powerless to do 
anything about it. Even if you aren’t lonely, have a wonderful 
life, and everything is swell, that makes no difference as far 
as time is concerned. By “time,” I mean “death.” Because 
what is time other than the reminder that we are progressing 
closer to the edge of that cliff?

 We don’t like to think about these things, which is why there’s 
so much celebration at New Years --to distract us from the 
obvious. We go about our lives, all the while silently crying out 
for something to save us from loneliness and death. Certainly 
death can’t just be part of life, like loosing your baby teeth or 
learning to ride a bike. Why do we all recoil in the face of death 
if it’s just a natural phenomenon? Why do we feel as if no time 
has passed when in fact decades have gone by? 

 It is because God put eternity in our hearts. He is eternal 
and outside of time, and because we are made in His image, 
so are we. Death is not normal and it was never part of 
His perfect design. Man brought death into the world by 
rejecting God’s plan. But even before man made this fatal 
transgression, God always had a redemptive plan to save us 
from death and reconcile us to Himself. 

 That is the miracle of the Gospel! Jesus is the answer to the 
problem of death and loneliness. In contrast to other world 
religions and human relationships, Jesus does not require 
you to clean up your act before you come to Him. He is the 
only person who will always be completely real with you 
because He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He is also not fickle, as so 
many of even the best of us are. Jesus is the same yesterday, 
today, and forever. 

 He is also the only One with whom you can never be 
anything but your real self. You can try to put up a false 
front with Him, but He knows your heart better than you 
do, so pretending is pointless. He will never be surprised by 
what you have done, because He knows the end from the 
beginning. There is great comfort and security in this. Jesus 
is Emmanuel, “God with us.” I read somewhere that the 
original Hebrew is more accurately translated “the with-us 
God.” This never ceases to amaze me. God actually wants to 
be in relationship with us! And it’s not because we’re great, 
loveable people. The Bible teaches that the heart is deceitful 
above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). No, God 
loves us because He is our Father. He created us and He has 
only the best in mind for each and every one of us. In fact, 
He didn’t even wait for us to love Him back before He made 
the greatest pronouncement of His love for us --the sacrifice 
of His perfect, beloved Son in our place. This is the miracle 
that saves us from death! Although this body may die, it can 
be transformed into a glorious new body like that of Jesus 
after He rose from the dead. 

 That is the good news of the Gospel, but you can’t really 
appreciate it unless you know the bad news it was brought to 
fix. Although we are all eternal beings and will live forever, 
it will not be in the same location. Heaven and hell are real 
places. If we could do enough good works to get to heaven, 
then God did something unnecessary by sending Jesus.

 The Bible is the record of God’s redemption of humanity, 
accomplished exclusively through Jesus. It is exclusive because 
Jesus is the only way to God and heaven, but it is also inclusive 
in that its message of hope is for all people from the beginning 
of time. God does not send anyone to hell. People go to hell 
when they fail to take hold of the only lifeline God has provided 
to save them --Jesus. Even before Jesus died, the Bible teaches 
that He was slain from the foundation of the world, and that 
God passed over the sins of those who put their faith in Him 
in the expectation that He would send a Savior.

 You cannot take a neutral stance on Jesus, you must make 
a decision. C. S. Lewis wrote that if one takes Jesus’ claims to 
be God seriously (Matt. 16:15-17, 26:63-64, Mark 14:61-62, 
Luke 22:70, John 5:18, 9:36-37, 10:30, 33, 36, 19:7, etc.) there 
are only three possible conclusions: either He was a liar in His 
claims to be God, He was a lunatic who mistakenly believed 
He was God, or He truly was God. To skirt the issue by some 
platitudes about Jesus being a great teacher is to indirectly 
choose the liar or lunatic option. 

 It is my prayer that you choose the third conclusion, 
that Jesus is Lord, and that He would become Lord of your 
life today. He is the only way God has provided for your 
salvation, and He loves you so much that He died to make 
it possible for you to be in relationship with Him. He has 
promised to never leave you or forsake you because He is the 
only with-us God!

 If you choose to accept Jesus as your savior you can pray 
this prayer and He will come into your heart and give you 
peace with God --today and forever! “Dear Lord Jesus, I 
know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I 
believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn 
from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I 
want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ 
Name. Amen.” 


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