Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 5, 2021

Mountain View News Saturday, June 5, 2021 8 Mountain View News Saturday, June 5, 2021 8 
GOLF GADGETS THAT CAN HELP OLDER GOLFERS 

Dear Savvy Senior:
Do you know of any golfing equipment that can help older golfers? 
My dad, who’s 76, loves to play golf, but arthritis in his hands 
has made griping the club challenging, and his fragile lower back 
makes stooping over to tee-up or retrieve the ball a problem too. Is 
there anything out there that can help? Golfing Buddy 

Dear Buddy:
There are actually a wide variety of adaptive golf equipment that can help older golfers who struggle with injuries, 
arthritis or loss of mobility. Here are several golfing products that may help with different needs. 

Gripping SolutionsGripping a golf club is a very common problem for seniors with hand arthritis or those who have hand or 
elbow injuries. To help alleviate this problem there are specially designed golf gloves and grips that can make 
a big difference. 

Two of my favorite gloves are the Bionic Golf Gloves (BionicGloves.com) that have extra padding in the palm 
and finger joints to improve grip. And the Power Glove (PowerGlove.com) that has a small strap attached to the 
glove that loops around the club grip to secure it in your hand. These run between $20 and $30. 

Another option is to get oversized grips installed on your dad’s clubs. These can make gripping the club easier 
and more comfortable and are also very good at absorbing shock. Oversized grips are usually either onesixteenth-
inch or one-eighth-inch larger in diameter than a standard grip, and cost around $10 per grip. You 
can find these grips and have them installed at your local golf store or pro shop. 

Or, for a grip-and-glove combination fix, check out Quantum Grip (QuantumGrip.com), which incorporates 
Velcro material recessed in the golf club grip and a companion golf glove that has mating Velcro material in the 
palm. Cost: $25 per grip, and $40 a glove. 

Upright Tools 
For golfers with back, hip or knee problems, there are a number of different tools that can eliminate the repetitive 
bending and stooping that comes with playing golf. For example, for teeing up the ball without bending 
over, consider the Tee-Up Foldaway by Zero Bend Golf. This is a 34-inch long-handled tool that has a trigger-
style handgrip and a jaw that holds the ball and tee for easy placement. It costs $70 at ZeroBendGolf.com. 

For other stoop-proof tee-up solutions, see the Tee Pal Pro ($70, TeePalLLC.com) and Joe’s Original Backtee 
($25, UprightGolf.com). 

ZeroBendGolf.com and UprightGolf.com also offer ball pickup tools and magnetic ball marker products that 
cost under $15. 

Or, if you just want a great all-around golf picker-upper, consider the Graball GrabAll Jaw – sold through Amazon.
com for $10 for a package of two. It attaches to the handle end of your putter and chipper and is designed 
to pick up golf balls, flagsticks, putters and green side chippers. 

Reflective Golf Balls 
If diminished vision makes locating the ball challenging, Chromax golf balls (ChromaxGolf.com) can help. 
These are reflective colored golf balls that make them appear larger and brighter. Cost: $10 for a three-pack. 

Easy Carts 
There are also ergonomically designed golf carts that can help older golfers tote their clubs around the course. 
If you like to walk, CaddyTek (CaddyTek.com) and Clicgear (Clicgearusa.com) has a variety of three and four-
wheeled push/pull carts that are highly rated for function and foldability. Costs typically range between $150 
and $300. 

Or, for severe mobility loss, the SoloRider specialized electric golf cart (SoloRider.com) provides the ability to 
play from a seated or standing-but-supported position. Retailing for $10,500, plus a $600 shipping fee, this cart 
is lightweight and precisely balanced so it can be driven on tee boxes and greens without causing any damage. 
Federal ADA laws require that all public golf courses allow them.

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. 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett 


JUST MARRIED? 6 ESTATE PLANNING 
ESSENTIALS FOR NEWLYWEDS 

As we head into the peak of wedding 
season, if you are a newlywed or are 
about to tie the knot, add “estate 
planning” to your do list. And 
yes, I imagine that at this happiest 
time of your life, planning for your 
potential incapacity and eventual 
death is probably the farthest thing 
from your mind, but making it part 
of your wedding planning is the 
greatest gift you can give your soon-
to-be spouse.

First, be aware of the impact 
of doing nothing. If you were to 
become hospitalized for any reason, 
the person you love most in the 
world would not have the legal 
authority to make your medical 
decisions and if you’re not yet 
married, may not even have the 
authority to see you in the hospital. 
Your beloved would have no access 
to your bank accounts and could 
even be put into a position of having 
to move out of your shared home 
abruptly in the event of your death.

Indeed, marriage transforms your 
relationship into something entirely 
different from both a legal and 
financial perspective. As such, if 
you’ve recently said “I do” or have 
plans to do so in the near future, 
here are six essential items you need 
to address in your plan. 

1. Beneficiary DesignationsOne of the easiest—and often 
overlooked—estate planning tasks 
for newlyweds is updating your 
beneficiary designations. Some of 
your most valuable assets, such as 
life insurance policies, 401(k)s, and 
IRAs, do not transfer via a will or 
trust. Instead, they have beneficiary 
designations that allow you to name 
the person (or persons) you’d like to 
inherit the asset upon your death. 
You should name your spouse as 
your primary beneficiary (if that’s 
your wish), and then name at least 
one contingent beneficiary in 
case your spouse dies before you. 
And if you have kids, remember 
to never name a minor child as a 
beneficiary of your life insurance 
or retirement accounts, even 
as a contingent beneficiary. If 
you want your child to inherit 
your life insurance or retirement 
account, you should set up a trust 
to receive those assets instead. 

2. A Will 
A last will and testament allows you 
to designate who should receive 
your assets upon your death. If 
you are newly married, you likely 
want your spouse to receive most, 
if not all, of your assets, and if so, 
you should name him or her as the 
primary beneficiary in your will. 
Additionally, although a will is an 
essential part of nearly every estate 
plan, as you’ll see below, having a 
will alone is rarely enough to ensure 
your spouse and other loved ones 
stay out of court and out of conflict 
when something happens to you. 

3. A Trust 
Upon your death, assets included 
in a will must first pass through 
the court process known as probate 
before they can be transferred 
to your spouse or any other 
beneficiary. Probate is expensive, 
can take years to complete, and may 
lead to ugly conflicts between your 
spouse and other family members. 
Furthermore, a will only governs 
the distribution of your assets 
upon your death. It offers you 
zero protection if you become 
incapacitated and are unable to 
make decisions about your own 
medical, financial, and legal needs. 
Here’s the bottom line: If your estate 
plan consists of a will alone, you 
are guaranteeing your spouse and 
family will have to go to court if you 
become incapacitated or when you 
die. 

To avoid the time, cost, and conflict 
inherent to an estate plan consisting 
solely of a will, you should consider 
creating a revocable living trust, 
along with your will. If your assets 
are properly titled in the name of 
your living trust, they would pass 
directly to your spouse upon your 
incapacity or death, without the 
need for any court intervention. 

4. Durable Financial Power of 
AttorneyAgain, estate planning is not 
just about planning for what 
happens when you die. It is equally 
important—if not even more so—to 
plan for your potential incapacity 
due to a serious accident or illness. 
If you become incapacitated and 
have not legally named someone 
to handle your financial and legal 
interests, your spouse would have to 
petition the court to be appointed 
as your conservator to handle your 
affairs. 
Though your spouse would 
typically be appointed as your 
conservator by a judge, this is not 
always the case, and the court 
could choose someone else. So, to 
ensure your spouse can make these 
decisions, you should create a power 
of attorney to give him or her this 
legal authority. A durable financial 
power of attorney would grant your 
spouse the immediate authority 
to manage all your personal 


financial, legal, and business affairs 
in the event of your incapacity. 

5. Medical Power of Attorney and 
Living WillIn addition to the durable financial 
power of attorney, you will also 
need to create a medical power 
of attorney. A medical power of 
attorney is a document that would 
give your spouse (or someone 
else) the immediate legal authority 
to make decisions about your 
healthcare and medical treatment 
should you become incapacitated 
and unable to make those decisions 
for yourself. Without a medical 
power of attorney in place, your 
spouse would have to petition the 
court to become your legal guardian 
before he or she could make medical 
decisions for you. 
While a medical power of attorney 
allows your spouse to make 
healthcare decisions on your behalf 
during your incapacity, a living 
will is an advance directive that 
explains how you would want your 
medical care handled, particularly 
at the end of life – such as if and 
when you would want life support 
removed should you ever require it. 
A medical power of attorney and a 
living will work closely together, and 
for this reason, they are sometimes 
combined into a single document. 

6. Name Legal Guardians 
for Your Minor Children 
If either you or your spouse 
has minor children from a 
prior relationship, or if you are 
planning to have kids of your 
own soon, it is imperative that 
you select and legally document 
guardians, both long-term and 
short-term, for your children. 
Guardians are people legally 
named to care for your children 
in the event something should 
happen to you and your spouse. 
A Legacy for Your New FamilyGetting married is an exciting first 
step for your new family, and you 
should start things off right by 
getting your estate plan properly 
prepared. But here is the thing 
about estate planning—it is not just 
about creating a set of documents 
and then filing them away in a 
drawer and never looking at them 
again until something happens. It’s 
an important piece of the larger 
legacy you will be building together. 

Like your family, your planning 
needs are constantly evolving, 
so you must ensure your plan is 
regularly updated as your assets 
grow, your family flourishes, and 
the laws change. And that is a solid 
foundation upon which to build 
your legacy. 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …June Birthdays* 

Joanne Thrane, Nellie Haynes, Dorothy McKay, Diane Hatfield, Georgette Dunlay, 
Elizabeth Shul 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 and Grace Sanders. * To add your name to 
this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not 
required 

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

WILL WE BE SERVED COFFEE IN HEAVEN? 

SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA MADRE 

CHAIR YOGA 

Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 amChair yoga with Paul is coming back! Class be held in the Covered Pavilion in Memorial 
Park in front of the Senior Center. Please join us for some gentle stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall 
relaxation. Classes will maintain a distance of 6 ft between participants. ALL participants must be wearing 
masks for the duration of the class. All equipment used will be sanitized after each use before it is stored. Each 
participant is responsible for providing their own water, masks and needed equipment or supplies for each class. 
Class size is limited so please call 264-8923 to reserve your spot. 

TAX ASSISTANCE 

If you are in need of assistance with your 2020 taxes please know that help is a phone call away. Don Brunner, Tax 
Saver, is not accepting in person consultations at the moment but available for a phone or email consult. Please 
call him at 626-447-8829 or email TAXSAVERD@gmail.com 

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP 

Have you ever thought about trying your hand at writing? Do you have an idea for a book and no idea how to 
begin? This program may be for you! Katy Nishimoto, Senior Editor with Random House, has graciously volunteered 
her time to lead this incredible writers workshop for seniors. Program participants will be given a prompt, 
a 10 minute writing task and a group reading. Discussions, readings and feedback to help guide your creative 
thinking into creative writing. If you have interest in writing nonfiction, a memoir, fiction or poetry then please 
call or email today to reserve your spot. Class will be limited to 10 participants. No writing skills or experience is 
required. Call Lawren Heinz at 626-355-7394 to reserve your spot and receive class information. 

MUG CRAFT 

Tuesday, May 18 at 11:00 am Join Lawren in making a delightful, colorful and artistic nail polish marbled mug! 
All supplies will be provided for you and we will meet in the Hart Park House patio. Please wear clothes you don’t 
mind getting nail polish on. To reserve your spot or ask questions please call Lawren Heinz at (626) 355-7394 or 
send an email to lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com 

IDEAS

 Do you have any ideas for programming? Is there a class or club you would like to see in our Senior Community? 
Please call or email Lawren Heinz with ideas or questions. 626-355-5278 x 704 lheinz@cityofsierramadre. 
com

 City staff are monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing direct engagement 
and interfacing less with the community, please note that voice messages, emails, and social media responses 
are being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner. If at any time additional information 
is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at (626) 355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a 

– 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the appropriate per-son. For messages that may trickle in 
otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at the Community Services Department, 
(626) 355-5278 x702. 
SIERRA MADRE SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 
The City of Sierra Madre is following these procedures to provide current communication in light of COVID-19 
and keep the Senior Community and families informed of essential information and resources. City staff are 
monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing direct engagement and practicing 
social distancing in the community, please note that voice messages, emails, and social media responses are 
being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner.
If at any moment additional information is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at (626) 
355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a – 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the appropriate 
person.

For messages that may trickle in otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at the 
Community Services Department, (626) 355-5278 x702.

Community Services Department will continue email communication with Senior residents and aging community 
members.

If you know of family members or neighbors who may benefit from accessing information electronically, and 
to receive the department’s Seniors Newsletter via email but may not otherwise have been included on an email 
group list, please send your request with email address to the following team members: Lawren Heinz Lheinz@ 
cityofsierramadre.com and Clarissa Lowe Clowe@cityofsierramadre.com.
City Social Media will continue via Facebook as well as Instagram, and information sharing will include updates 

as details becomes available. 

The last several weeks have truly 

been hectic in every sense of the 

word. Trying to catch up can be a 

never-ending job. When I think I’m 
caught up, I see another thing I need to do. 

I have learned that kicking the can down the street 
only hurts your big toe. 

With so much to do lately, it's hard to prioritize what 
should come first. The one thought rattling through 
my brain is, will anybody know if I don't do this job? 

It doesn’t have to rattle too long before I come to the 
answer to that inquiry. 

If I don't do a certain job, the one who will know would 
be the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. When it 
comes to activities, she is the queen of priority and 
completion. 

I don't have that kind of initiative, but I certainly try. 

I have discovered that one day a certain activity will 
have priority; the next day, something else will have 
priority. Life can be very confusing, especially to someone 
like me trying to sort out priorities every day. 

This week I reached a three-week milestone. I was 
delighted. 

That milestone was, I had accomplished every job that 
I needed to do. I don't have to tell you that that doesn't 
happen very often; in fact, this may be the first time it 
has ever happened to me. 

Reaching this milestone, I was utterly exhausted. I 
came home and sat in my easy chair, hoping I'll never 
have to get up again. 

As I got comfortable, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
asked, "Would you like a cup of coffee?" 

I can’t think of any time or place I would say no to that 
offer. 

She got herself a cup of coffee and joined me in the 
living room to sit back and relax after all of this work. 

Nothing calms my mind more than a delicious cup of 
coffee. My wife makes coffee in the morning and then 
fills a thermos to make coffee available all day. 

As I'm sipping that first sip, I just feel the weight of the 
world lifting off my shoulders. What would my life be 
without coffee? 

As we were sitting there, she asked a question, "Do you 
think they will serve us coffee in heaven?" 

I was not in the mood for any serious thinking because 
my brain was somewhat wavering in sobriety. Why did 
she have to ask me a question at this time? Especially 
one as serious as this? 

However, I couldn’t get this question out of my mind. 

All the good my coffee does for me would cause me to 
hope there is coffee in heaven. 

No matter what my day is like or how stressed I am, a 
nice hot cup of coffee takes my focus off of the problems 
I'm having. 

I have no idea who invented coffee, but I like to meet 
him sometime and shake his hand. No other invention 
in the world has as much value to me as coffee. 

Some people don’t like coffee, and that’s okay with 
me. They’ll have to have something else to calm them 
down. Some people want decaffeinated coffee, and 
that's okay with me, but that's not what I'm going to 
drink. 

I want my coffee strong. It doesn't have to be hot necessarily, 
but it does have to be strong. It has to be the 
kind of coffee that could take my attention away from 
the outside world. And, nobody makes my coffee better 
than the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 

Quite often, when I'm out doing things, I try to find 
a little place where they serve coffee so that I can sit 
down and relax. 

In one little café I visit, I have a strict rule, "Refill 
my coffee every five minutes." That takes care of my 
anxiety. 

Back to my wife's question, "Do you think they will 
serve us coffee in heaven?" 

For one, there is no stress in heaven like we have in our 
world today. Just when you think our world can’t get 
any more stressful, surprise! It does. 

Just when you think you have seen the worst, surprise! 
You haven't. 

Without stress in heaven, it would not be necessary to 
have coffee. However, I would be delighted to sit down 
somewhere with the apostle Paul and have a cup of coffee 
together. You learn things over a cup of coffee that 
you can't learn anywhere else. 

There's a whole list of people I would like to sit down 
with and have coffee in heaven. 

The coffee there would not be for taking care of stress 
but rather enjoying fellowship together. That is another 
aspect of a hot cup of coffee. 

Imagine if you would, a bunch of us in heaven sitting 
around the table enjoying a cup of coffee when at the 
head of the table is none other than Jesus Christ. 

Drinking coffee with friends releases a spirit of fellowship 
like none other. 

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto 
you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly 
our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus 
Christ” (1 John 1:3). 

I'm not sure about the coffee in heaven, but I do know 
we will have a stress-free time of fellowship with other 
believers as well as with Christ himself. I’m looking 
forward to that. 


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