Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 5, 2019

MVNews this week:  Page 8

8

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 5, 2019 


SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …. October Birthdays

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, George Maurer, Dick 
Anderson, Eva Poet, Mary Jane Baker, Dixie Coutant, Cathleen Cremins,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

HART PARK HOUSE MONTHLY PROGRAMS: 

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

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday Morning from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
Join the class with Instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula!

Bingo Time: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to play! Activity may 
be canceled if there are less than five people.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays Monthly from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Brain Games: Every third Thursday of the month at 12:45-1:45pm Join us for Scattergories, a creative thinking game by 
naming objects within a set of categories; or Jenga, a block-building challenge that keeps you stacking and bal-ancing your 
tower. Everyone is welcome, and no experience is needed. A great way to strengthen your mind and make new friends... 
Games are facilitated by Senior Volunteers. Will Resume in September 2019

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 14th from 10:30 a.m. - Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson is available for legal 
consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates and Injury. Please call the Hart Park House for an 
appointment, 626-355-5278 ext. 704.

Senior Club: Meets Saturdays, Weekly at Hart Park House Brown Bag Lunch, great company and bingo at 11:30 a.m.

Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. with Paul Hagen. Classes include Yoga and balance exercises. All 
ability levels are encouraged and welcomed!

Birthday Celebration: Every 2nd Thursday Monthly at the Hart Park House. Share free birthday cake and ice cream 
kindly provided by the Senior Community Commission!

Game Day: Every Thursday Monthly 12:00 Noon come into the Hart Park House and join a lively poker game with 
friends!

Free Strength Training Class: Fridays 12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. with Lisa Brandley.light weights, low impact resistance 
training and body conditioning. Class equipment provided.

Gentle Yoga for Active Seniors: Every Monday & Wednesday from 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. with Andrea Walsh at the Hart Park 
House. Classes include complete floor relaxation, standing and floor postures, balancing, and featuring extended 
meditations on the fourth Wednesdays of the month! Call (626)-355-5278 for more information.


OCTOBER EXCURSION 

THE NETHERCUTT COLLECTION (SYLMAR) 


October 17, 2019 $15.00 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

 Level of Walking: High Money for lunch and souvenirs is optional. 

 Lunch will be at Pit BBQ. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water

 The Nethercutt Collection features rare collectibles ranging from mechanical musical instruments 
and antique furniture to the true heart of the collection: over 250 American and European automobiles 
from 1898 to 1997. 

 Founder J.B. Nethercutt spent a lifetime establishing this collection of historic importance. Unique 
to automobile museums, each car on display is attentively serviced and maintained to remain as drivable 
as when the vehicle originally rolled off the showroom floor. On view are various Pebble Beach 
Concours d’ Elegance winners and cars once owned by movie stars, royalty and other personalities. 
Following a tour of the Collection enjoy an opportunity for a self-guided tour of the museum and steam 
locomotive. 

**Register Now** (626) 355-5278

Final Registration Date Tuesday, October 15, 2019


FLU VACCINES FOR SENIORS 
THAT PROVIDE BETTER 
PROTECTION

Dear Savvy Senior:

What can you tell me about the flu shots designed 
for older adults? I got sick last winter after getting a standard flu shot and would like to find out if the 
senior-specific flu vaccine is worth getting.

Approaching 80

Dear Approaching:

There are actually two different types of flu shots available to people age 65 and older. These FDA-
approved vaccines are designed to offer extra protection beyond what a standard flu shot provides, 
which is important for older adults who have weaker immune defenses and have a great risk of 
developing dangerous flu complications.

 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that during the 2018-2019 flu 
season, up to 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died because of the flu – most of whom 
were seniors.

 You also need to be aware that these senior-specific flu shots cannot guarantee that you won’t get 
the flu this season, but they will lower your risk. And if you do happen to get sick, you probably 
won’t get as sick as you would without it. Here’s more information on the two vaccines:

Fluzone High-Dose: Approved for U.S. use in 2009, the Fluzone High-Dose is a high-potency 
vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot does, which creates a 
stronger immune response for better protection. This vaccine, according to a 2013 clinical trial, 
was 24 percent more effective than the regular-dose shot at preventing flu in seniors.

FLUAD: Available in the U.S. since 2016, the FLUAD vaccine contains an added ingredient called 
adjuvant MF59 that also helps create a stronger immune response. In a 2012 Canadian observational 
study, FLUAD was 63 percent more effective than a regular flu shot. The CDC does not 
recommend one vaccination over the other, and to date, there have been no studies comparing 
the two vaccines.

You should also know that both the Fluzone High-Dose and FLUAD can cause more of the mild 
side effects that can occur with a standard-dose flu shot, like pain or tenderness where you got 
the shot, muscle aches, headache or fatigue. And neither vaccine is recommended for seniors who 
are allergic to chicken eggs, or those who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past.

If you are allergic to eggs you can ask for a Flucelvax or FluBlok shot. Neither of these vaccines 
uses chicken eggs in their manufacturing process.

All of these vaccines are covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B as long as your doctor, health 
clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays.

Pneumonia Vaccines

Two other important vaccinations the CDC recommends to seniors, especially this time of year, 
are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with 
pneumonia each year, and about 50,000 people die from it.

The CDC recommends that all seniors, 65 or older, get two vaccinations –Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 
23. Both vaccines, which are administered just once at different times, protect against different 
strains of the bacteria to provide maximum protection.

If you haven’t yet received any pneumococcal vaccine you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed 
by Pneumovax 23 at least one year later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax 23, 
wait at least one year before getting the Prevnar 13.

Medicare Part B covers both shots, if they are taken at least one year apart.

To locate a vaccination site that offers any of these shots, visit VaccineFinder.org and type in your 
location.

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.

SENIOR CINEMA - 1st & 3rd Wednesday 1:00 pm

OCTOBER 16TH “DUMBO” 

A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a 
struggling circus until it plans a new venture. Dumbo and his friends discover 
dark secrets through its shiny veneer. 


MEALS - ON - WHEELS PROGRAM

The Home Delivered Meals Program provides healthy meals to homebound Seniors 60 and above. Seven 
frozen meals, milk, bread and fruit are included and delivered once a week. $3 Donation per meal is 
suggested but remains completely anonymous and voluntary. Clients must be eligible and we invite you 
to contact YWCA Intervale Senior Services at 626-214-9467. SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT 
NOTICE SUGGESTED DONATION $3.00 1% LOW FAT MILK INCLUDED

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


A MINISTER AND A DAY OFF HIS ROCKER

I was tootling along one day last 
week, quite focused on getting my 
business for the day done. In fact, I 
was feeling good about the progress 
I was making with my “to-do list.” 
Nothing is more satisfying to me than the sense of 
being in control of my schedule. I love checking off 
items on my “to-do list.”

As the scheme of things usually develops with me, 
this euphoric situation was not long-lived. It was left 
to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to bring a 
sense of reality into my life.

“Haven’t you forgotten something?” She asked me.

This question drove me back to my daily planner. 
Frantically, I searched my schedule to see what appointment 
I had missed or what project I had overlooked 
this time. With all due respect to her, I could 
not find anywhere in my schedule, or on my calendar, 
where I had missed anything.

“No,” I cautiously said to her. “I seem to have covered 
everything.” With that, I flashed a confident smile in 
her direction.

She caught that smile and returned a menacing 
glance in my immediate direction. I caught her drift, 
which clearly undermined my previous confidence in 
my schedule.

“Don’t you recall,” my wife almost sneered, “your 
New Year’s resolution?”

This sent me into a mild panic. New Year’s resolutions, 
as everybody except my wife knows, are not to 
be taken seriously. People make such resolutions only 
because it’s the thing to do at the time. What a person 
says on New Year’s Eve should have no bearing whatsoever 
with the coming New Year.

Looking at her with all the seriousness I could muster 
at the time I said, “I really don’t know what you 
mean.”

At the time, I thought she mistook my seriousness for 
what she likes to call “my flippancy.”

“I think you know exactly what I mean,” she 
demanded.

Seeing the blank expression on my face, or more 
blank than usual, she began to realize I had no idea 
what she was talking about. Placing both hands on 
her hips, which is a warning sign to me of something 
ominous to follow, she stated her case.

“One of your New Year’s resolutions was to take a day 
off each week. When was the last time you took a day 
off?” She demanded.

Then it all started coming back to me. I did remember 
such a resolution. But if I recall it accurately, someone, 
I’ll mention no names, backed me into a corner 
forcing me into such a resolution.

At the time, the resolution was not the result of any 
serious contemplation on my part. I thought I was just 
placating her at the time. I never imagined months 
later she would be calling me on the carpet for it.

“Well,” I stammered, “there was that week in February 
when I took several days off.” Then my smile returned 
to me along with a little bit of confidence.

“You don’t mean those days you were sick in bed with 
a cold, do you? Tell me you’re not including those in 
the category of days off?”

My smile along with my confidence deserted me.

No matter what anybody says, I do sometimes think 
of taking a day off. And people should get credit for 
some of their intentions.

If, for example, I can’t actually take a day off, it should 
be enough to think about doing it. The only problem 
with this pitch is, my wife doesn’t buy it. Believe me, 
if she was buying, I would give a good discount to her.

“Okay,” I conceded. “I’ll take a day off next week.” I 
thought that would settle it and with any good luck by 
next week she will have forgotten this conversation.

This just points out one of the major differences between 
husbands and wives. When it comes to conversations, 
wives have total recall of every conversation 
they have ever had.

Of course, I don’t know if my wife has total recall 
on our conversations. There have been times when I 
thought she was making up what I said 13 years ago. I 
just had no way to prove it.

“Why not take a day off this week?” she queried.

“Let me think about it,” I tried stalling her, “and I’ll 
get back with you on the day.”

“How about tomorrow? It’s a day,” she replied.

Well, she had me there. Tomorrow was a day this 
week. My problem is I don’t like to make snap judgments 
on things affecting my schedule.

Looking back on the conversation, I can see my mistake. 
I hesitated. In my many years as a husband, I 
have noted whenever I hesitated, my wife assumed it 
was a sign of agreeing with her proposal.

“It’s settled then,” she said. “Tomorrow you will be 
taking the day off.”

This was an invitation I could not refuse. I love it 
when a plan comes together and I felt compelled to 
go along with the plan.

The Bible offers a wonderful invitation. “Come unto 
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of 
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall 
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my 
burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30.)

My advice is to take God up on his marvelous offer, 
today, not tomorrow..


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