Celebrating Central Pa’s Many Culturespage 14

Complimentary | Cumberland County edition | March 2016 • Vol. 17 No. 3

CoMbating Colon CanCerpage 7

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On Life and Love after 50

Pa. Couple Met Online Years Ago, Still Going Strong

Nearly every Friday for 15 years, I’ve published and emailed a newsletter called On Life and Love After 50. One of my longtime subscribers is Pat, who became a widow shortly after the newsletter started and lived in Shickshinny, Pa.

In 2005, Pat sent me an email saying she had met a wonderful man named Len on a website called BikerKiss.com.

She wrote, “I had not heard of that website until a girlfriend, who had just bought a motorcycle, told me about it. I went on it as sort of a joke. Len is also from Pennsylvania; however, he lives 85 miles away.”

Pat stated that Len had not dated since his wife had died two years before. She had dated, but “not very successfully,” in the 3.5 years since she had lost her husband.

“Why was he on BikerKiss.com?” I asked.

She said, “Although he’s not a biker type, he has a Honda motorcycle. After a few dates, we knew there was no turning back. Love is wonderful the second time around. We are like two kids—holding hands, laughing, motorcycling, and enjoying the simple things.”

Tom Blake

please see GOING STRONG page 6

Pat and Len in Lone Butte, British Columbia.

www.50plusLifePA.com 50plus LIFE › March 2016 3

assisteD living resiDenCesBrookdale Grandon Farms 1100 Grandon Way, Mechanicsburg (717) 730-4033

eMergenCy nuMbersAmerican Red Cross (717) 845-2751

Central PA Poison Center (800) 521-6110

Cumberland County Assistance (800) 269-0173

energy assistanCeCumberland County Board of Assistance (800) 269-0173

eye Care serviCesKilmore Eye Associates 890 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 697-1414

Funeral DireCtorsCocklin Funeral Home, Inc. 30 N. Chestnut St., Dillsburg (717) 432-5312

HealtH & MeDiCal serviCesAlzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020

American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383

Arthritis Foundation (717) 763-0900

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400

The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007

PACE (800) 225-7223

Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274

HealtHCare inForMationPa. HealthCare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787

Hearing serviCesDuncan Nulph Hearing Associates 5020 Ritter Road, Suite 10G Mechanicsburg (717) 766-1500

Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY

Heating/aC/PluMbingFarr Tech Heat (717) 889-3960 3537 Hartzdale Drive, Camp Hill

HoMe Care serviCesSenior Helpers (717) 920-0707

HoMe iMProveMentGrand Opening Windows & Doors 46 Warwick Circle, Mechanicsburg (717) 691-5670

HosPiCe serviCesHomeland Hospice 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115, Harrisburg (717) 221-7890

HosPitalsCarlisle Regional Medical Center (717) 960-1696

Housing assistanCeCumberland County Housing Authority 114 N. Hanover St., Carlisle (717) 249-1315

Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937

Salvation Army (717) 249-1411

insuranCeApprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067

intelleCtual DisabilitiesKeystone Human Services 124 Pine St., Harrisburg (717) 232-7509

nursing/reHabHomeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902

nutritionMeals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707 Mechanicsburg (717) 697-5011Newville (717) 776-5251 Shippensburg (717) 532-4904 West Shore (717) 737-3942

ortHoPeDiCsOSS Health 856 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 747-8315

Personal Care HoMesHomeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902

PHarMaCiesCVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

serviCesCumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110

toll-Free nuMbersBureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555

Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237

Consumer Information (888) 878-3256

Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233

Drug Information (800) 729-6686

Flu or Influenza (888) 232-3228

Health and Human Services Discrimination (800) 368-1019

Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040

Liberty Program (866) 542-3788

Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833

National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046

Organ Donor Hotline (800) 243-6667

Passport Information (888) 362-8668

Smoking Information (800) 232-1331

Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0217

Social Security Office (800) 772-1213

travelAAA Central Penn (717) 657-2244

Journease Travel Specialists (717) 462-4806

veterans serviCesAmerican Legion (717) 730-9100

Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681

Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771

Veterans Affairs (717) 240-6178 or (717) 697-0371

Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away.

At Your Fingertips

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

Let the Easter Eggs RollEver wonder how the tradition of

the White House Easter Egg Roll came to be? It began with Dolley Madison, first lady to President James Madison from 1809 to 1817.

Mrs. Madison was fascinated to learn that Egyptian children rolled

colored eggs on the site of the great Pyramids. She thought the children of the Washington area would enjoy the

activity as well.The first

Easter Egg Rolls were held on the Capitol grounds. In 1877 members of Congress grew

tired of slipping on the remains of boiled eggs and gave orders to ban the event.

So in 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife, Lucy, officially opened the White House grounds to the tradition.

4 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com

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the senior community.On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish

advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and

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Tinseltown Talks

Last of The Honeymooners

From I Love Lucy and All in the Family to Married … with Children and Seinfeld, structuring a sitcom around four lead characters often proved a successful formula.

“It was the perfect format for The Honeymooners,” said Joyce Randolph, who starred as Trixie in the popular 1950s series based on two tenement-dwelling couples: the Kramdens and the Nortons.

As the sole surviving member of the original series cast—which included Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and Audrey Meadows—Randolph, who turned 91 last year, continues to be identified with the show.

“I worked mostly in theater and early TV, but people still recognize me as Trixie,” said Randolph. “I’m amazed by the show’s longevity.”

The Honeymooners was originally a series of short sketches on the DuMont Network’s Cavalcade of Stars and later featured regularly on The Jackie Gleason Show at CBS.

“I had done a breath mint commercial and got a call that Jackie wanted ‘that serious actor’ to audition for a skit called ‘The Honeymooners’ and to play the sewer worker’s wife,” recalled Randolph. “It didn’t pay much and my character was less developed than the other three, but I was happy to have a job.”

Gleason soon recognized that the chemistry between himself, Carney, Meadows, and Randolph had sitcom potential and expanded The Honeymooners into a half-hour series that ran initially for 39 episodes during 1955-1956.

The show was filmed with a live audience at the Adelphi Theater in Manhattan and generally without full rehearsals.

“Jackie hated to rehearse and

wanted shows to be spontaneous, so Art, Audrey, and I would go over the script together on Saturday mornings,” said Randolph. “Jackie ran everything and nobody told him what to do.

“He was extremely talented, and for a big guy was incredibly

light on his feet doing physical comedy. For one roller-skating skit, I went with Art and Audrey to practice at a roller-skating palace here in New York. But we never saw Jackie practice. He just came out on the skates and amazed us.”

Gleason, however, was not the most convivial of coworkers.

“Jackie was a very strange man, not overly friendly and very moody,” said Randolph. “He just never sat around and talked. Audrey was very professional

and would have the whole script memorized. If Jackie forgot a line, she got him back on track.

“Art was quiet, and it was well known he had a long history of problems with alcohol, but was a wonderful and talented guy.”

And while fans like to imagine their sitcom stars from a favorite show palling around after hours, that wasn’t the case with The Honeymooners’ foursome.

“We just didn’t hang out,” said Randolph. “At 9 o’clock, when we finished filming, we all went our own way.”

Randolph continued in the role when it once again became part of a new Jackie Gleason show. But when Gleason moved to Florida and revived The Honeymooners in several TV movies and in another show from 1966-1970, Randolph wasn’t invited.

“Years later I saw Audrey, and she said Jackie had looked for me, but couldn’t find me,” Randolph recalled. “Well, that was a lot of nonsense. Jackie wanted to use his longtime friend Jane Kean to play Trixie, and that’s what he did.

“But that was fine with me because I wasn’t going to move from New York where my husband had his job, and I was happily raising my son.”

Today, when she ventures from her New York apartment of 55 years, Randolph happily greets devoted Honeymooners fans.

“Strangers still come up and want to hug and kiss me and tell me how much they love the show,” she said. “You learn to accept it, but it’s fun and people are nice. The show continues to influence my life.”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for more than 600 magazines and newspapers. Follow @TinseltownTalks

Nick Thomas

Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows,

and Joyce Randolph in The Honeymooners on CBS.

Recent Joyce Randoph photo provided by Randoph’s son,

Randy Charles.

www.50plusLifePA.com 50plus LIFE › March 2016 5

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Dear Pharmacist

5 Truly Effective Ways to Fight Cold and Flu

I think I am a real germaphobe because I get very conscious when someone sitting next to me starts coughing, especially when they don’t cover their mouth.

I’ll let the first one slide, but if it happens again, I am apt to leave or hand them a tissue. Cover it! Is it just me, or are you that way too?

If you feel like you’re coming down with something, here are five considerations:

1. Oil of oregano is a super-strong germ fighter—the essential oil of oregano sold at health-food stores and online in a little dropper bottle. Pour one or two drops in your own

“medicinal herb tea” (wink) and then drink it.

It will not taste pleasant. You will probably curse me. But it’s going to help you. Squeeze some lemon and honey into it.

The key ingredients in oregano are

carvacrol and thymol, both of which inhibit the growth of hundreds of microorganisms.

2. Probiotics should be taken daily for proper immunity, but when you feel symptoms coming on, then of course I feel like you should at least double up on the dose.

I am not afraid of taking probiotics throughout the day; I’m more afraid of feeling miserable and sick. High-quality probiotics will improve the quality and count of your

healthy, disease-fighting bacteria. Some strains will even induce

IL-10-producing regulatory T cells, which is a scientific way of saying

Suzy Cohen

please see FLU page 11

6 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com

Calendar of EventsCumberland County

suPPort grouPs Free and open to the public

March 1, 6 p.m.CanSurmount Cancer Support GroupHealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg(717) 691-6786

March 1, 6 to 7 p.m.Alzheimer’s Support GroupSenior Helpers3806 Market St., Suite 3, Camp Hill(717) 920-0707

March 3, 6:30 p.m.Too Sweet: Diabetes Support GroupChapel Hill United Church of Christ701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill(717) 557-9041

March 7, 4 to 5 p.m.Caregivers Support GroupMessiah Lifeways Meetinghouse1155 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle(717) 243-0447

March 8, 6:30 to 8 p.m.Carlisle Area Men’s Cancer Support GroupThe Live Well Center3 Alexandria Court, Carlisle(717) 877-7561sirbrady12@gmail.com

March 9, 1:30 p.m.Parkinson’s Support GroupBethany Village West – Springfield Room325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg(717) 877-0624

March 9, 6:30 p.m.Amputee Support Team MeetingHelen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital4300 Londonderry Road, Harrisburg(717) 652-3000

March 15, 1 p.m.Caregiver Support GroupMechanicsburg Church of the Brethren501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg(717) 766-8880

CoMMunity PrograMs Free and open to the public

senior Center aCtivitiesBig Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-447891 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, NewvilleFridays through April 15 (except March 25) – AARP Tax Preparation Assistance by AppointmentMarch 8, 12:15 p.m. – Emergency Preparedness

ProgramMarch 17, 1 p.m. – High School Spring Luncheon

Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg

Carlisle Senior Action Center – (717) 249-500720 E. Pomfret St., Carlisle

Mary Schaner Senior Citizens Center – (717) 732-391598 S. Enola Drive, Enola

Mechanicsburg Place – (717) 697-594797 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg

West Shore Senior Citizens Center – (717) 774-0409122 Geary St., New Cumberland

Just a snippet of what you may be missing … please call or visit their website for more information.

library PrograMsBosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642March 4, 7 p.m. – Music at BoslerMarch 7, 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. – Monday Bosler

Book Discussion GroupMarch 23, 10:30 a.m. – Engage for Health

Presentation

Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900March 7, 7 p.m . – The History of Women’s

Health in the LGBT CommunityMarch 11, 4 to 7:30 p.m. – Blood DriveMarch 15, 7 p. m. – Fredricksen Reads: Coal

River by Ellen Marie Wiseman

New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820March 8, 10: 30 to 11:30 a.m. – One Book, One

Community Program: Book Review, Gaining Ground by Forrest Pritchard

March 13, 3 to 4 p.m. – Cultural Program: Spring Wildflowers

March 23, 6 to 9 p.m. – Pennwriters Writing Group

Mondays and Wednesdays, noon to 12:45 p.m.SilverSneakers and Silver and Fit ClassesLiving Well Fitness Center207 House Ave., Suite 107, Camp Hill(717) 439-4070

March 9, 11:30 a.m.NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465VFW Post 75304545 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg(717) 737-1486www.narfe1465.orgVisitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.

If you have an event you would like to include, please email information

to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

In 2009, I included Pat and Len’s story in How 50 Couples Found Love After 50, a book I wrote that revealed how 50 couples had met later in life and to give hope to singles that finding a mate is possible.

Pat and Len’s story had two important lessons: long-distance relationships can work, and when people venture out of their comfort zones, positive results can occur.

From time to time, I follow up with the couples featured in the book to see how they are doing and to get an update on their lives. Last month, I checked in with Pat and Len.

She wrote, “Len and I are still together, into our 12th year now and still going strong. And we’re

still riding. Since 2005, we’ve covered close to 175,000 miles across the U.S. and Canada.

“Our life as a couple is one of great contentment; we spend a lot of time together but we also do things apart from each other. I’m busy with volunteering at our library. And yoga takes up a few mornings each week.

“We both love music and go to many concerts; we have eclectic musical tastes, so there is always something new and fun to listen to.

“We are truly blessed,” Pat said. “We found the right person at the right time, and life is good. The most important thing to me as I have gotten older is having someone to laugh with and enjoy all of the crazy, silly things that

life is made up of. Quirkiness is a good thing.”

Pat and Len found love where they least expected to find it, which often happens to older singles. They also met the challenges of a long-distance relationship.

And now, they are active, still on the bike and very much in love. And, BikerKiss.com is still operating.

If you see an older couple whiz by on a motorcycle, wave! It just might be Len and Pat, living the good life and happy they met nearly 13 years ago.

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to www.findingloveafter60.com.

GOING STRONG from page 2

www.50plusLifePA.com 50plus LIFE › March 2016 7

Over 50? You’re overdue for a colonoscopy.

If you’re over 50, with or without colon cancer symptoms, you need to schedule a colonoscopy soon. Because when found early, there is nearly a 90% chance for a cure. Even better news: with timely and thorough testing, colon cancer is up to 95% preventable. If you wait for symptoms, it may already be too late. Schedule your colonoscopy today.

If you’re over 50, talk to your primary care doctor about screenings, or call Carlisle Surgical Institute at 717-713-2100.

FACT: When colon cancer is found early, there is a 90% chance for a cure.

your own health and your family history so that you can choose the best screening plan for you.

90035_CARLI_COLON_5x12_5c.indd 1 2/16/16 5:57 PM

By Claire Yezbak Fadden

It’s your first physical since you turned 50, and instead of wishing you a happy birthday, your doctor hands you a referral for a colonoscopy. Not the gift you had in mind, but quite possibility the best present you can give yourself.

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), and is expected to cause about 49,190 deaths this year.

Most health experts consider colorectal cancer highly preventable, pointing to early detection and routine checkups to save lives. In fact, according to the ACS, the death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping for more than 20 years. Doctors credit the decreased numbers, in part, to screenings that detect colorectal cancer at its earliest stages when it is easier to treat and possibly cure.

Evaluating the Risk“While discussing bowel

movements and following through with an invasive procedure may be uncomfortable,” said Quan Ly, M.D., “finding colon cancers at an early stage often reduces the length, severity, and cost of cancer treatment.”

Ly, a surgical oncologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, acknowledges that the topic is difficult to broach because many people are uncomfortable talking about changes in their bowel movements, constipation, or diarrhea with their physician.

“It may take a patient some time to realize there is blood in their stool, if the initial amount is small,” said Ly.

“There are some cases where a patient may not recognize the symptom or diagnose themselves as having hemorrhoids and purchase over-the-counter products as a treatment.”

Screening OptionsDoctors agree that the single most

important thing you can do to combat colorectal cancer is to be screened.

“And to follow through to make a colonoscopy appointment when one is recommended,” reminded Ly.

A colonoscopy lets a doctor closely look at the inside of the entire colon and rectum by using a thin, flexible, hollow, lighted tube that has a tiny video camera on the end. The doctor is looking for polyps or signs of cancer. Polyps are small growths that,

over time, can become cancer.

The exam itself takes about 30 minutes. This test is recommended once every 10 years. However, depending on your individual risk factors, your physician

will determine how frequently you need to repeat it.

A sigmoidoscopy is similar to a colonoscopy; however, a doctor examines only the lower part of the colon and the rectum for signs of cancer or polyps. The scope used is about 2 feet long, enabling the doctor to see the entire rectum but less than half of the colon. This test takes between 10 and 20 minutes and is recommended once every five years, depending on your personal risk for colon cancer.

For individuals over the age of 50 with no symptoms and no family history of colon cancer, some doctors recommend using a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening kit. This is a non-invasive test, which can be done at home by collecting three stool samples on three different days. The test can detect blood in the stool and

Combating Colon Cancer

please see COLON page 9

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

8 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com

#GreatPla ceToLive#GreatPla ceToWork

1.888.265.0613integracare.com/jobs

WELCOME TO THE FAMILYImagine a place where the only things on your “To Do” list are the things you enjoy most: spending time with your family, entertaining friends or taking in a movie. Imagine yourself living at The Woods at Cedar Run without all the worries and hassles of home ownership. The Woods at Cedar Run offers residents an active social life combined with first class amenities including scenic walking paths, a movie theatre, a pool room, a pub and much more. It’s not only a wonderful place to live, it’s also an inviting destination for friends and family.

INDEPENDENT LIVING • SENIOR LIVING • MEMORY CARE

824 Lisburn Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011

An Community

volunteerspotlight

Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others? Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus LIFE’s Volunteer Spotlight! Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged. Email preferred to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus LIFE, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.

Social-Work Retiree Helps Fourth-Graders

Elaine Downing is RSVP’s March Volunteer of the Month. Downing volunteers with the America Reads program in Crestview Elementary School. She started in the fall and is devoted to the kids she sees each week.

“There are two fourth-grade boys I see nearly every week,” Downing said. “They look forward to seeing me, too. It’s a lot of fun.”

She also tells a story of having a moment of doubt as to whether she was making any difference for the kids and quickly finding the answer.

“I came in the week after Christmas and all of the kids had made me Christmas cards. They all had things like, ‘You’re the best, Mrs. Downing’ and ‘You’re my favorite.’ It was fantastic.”

Downing looked to volunteering after retiring from social work. She worked in Cumberland County

for the Office of Aging for many years. Before that she had been a stay-at-home mom and a substitute teacher. She’s lived in Central Pennsylvania for 35 years but is originally from New Jersey.

The desire to touch children’s lives is strong with Downing’s family;

her two sons and daughter-in-law are also teachers. When not volunteering, Downing enjoys time with her young grandson and planning for her upcoming trip to Japan, where one son teaches English.

“It will be my first time; I’m really looking forward to it. We’ll get to visit an exchange student I had many years ago and have kept in touch with.”

For more information about volunteering with RSVP in Cumberland County, contact Michelle Jones at (717) 541-9521 or perrycumb@rsvpcapreg.org.

Elaine Downing

Like 50plus LIFE?Then “Like” 50plus LIFE!

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free 6-month subscription!Plus, you’ll receive event updates, story links, and more!

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Get a colon cancer screening if:v You’re over the age of 50v Anyone in your family has a history of colorectal cancer v You have had pre-cancerous polyps v You use tobaccov You drink alcohol to excessv You are obese or lead a sedentary life v You have a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

some cancers; however, it doesn’t typically notice any pre-cancerous cells that may be present.

“Many people don’t consider themselves at risk for this disease,” added Dr. Ece Mutlu, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Chicago, Ill. “The truth is everyone is at risk. Some groups are just at a higher risk. Early detection and routine checkups for colon cancer can save lives.”

Just the FactsThe most recent estimates for the

number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States:

• 93,090 new cases of colon cancer

• 39,610 new cases of rectal cancer

• The lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is about one in 21. This risk is slightly higher in men than in women.

For more information, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

To learn more about advances in colorectal cancer research, visit the National Institutes of Health website at www.nih.gov/science/colorectalcancer.

COLON from page 7

10 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com

www.50plusexpoPa.com(717) 285-1350(717) 770-0140(610) 675-6240

LANCASTER COUNTY

17th

Ann

ual

DAUPHIN COUNTY

17th

Ann

ual

CHESTER COUNTY

13th

Ann

ual

neWloCation!

May 31, 20169 a.m. – 2 p.m.Hershey Lodge

325 University DriveHershey

June 8, 20169 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Church Farm School1001 East Lincoln Highway

Exton

May 18, 20169 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Shady Maple Conference CenterSmorgasbord Building

129 Toddy Drive, East Earl

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The Bookworm Sez

NFL Confidential: True Confessions from the Gutter of Football

Three points! That’s all your team needs to win. Can they make it?

You’re doing your part: You’re wearing your lucky shirt and hat. A stuffed mascot is nearby, the team logo hangs on the wall, and you had coffee this morning in the official team mug.

You’re doing everything you can for a win but, as in the new book NFL Confidential by Johnny Anonymous, other forces are afield.

Johnny Anonymous came to football later than most boys.

Looking to fill a void after his mother died, he joined his high school team as a freshman. Neither he nor his father knew a thing about football, but Anonymous learned quickly, just as he learned that he had talent for the game.

“Back in high school, football was fun,” he says, but in college, “it was a full-time job.”

College ball was serious, both mentally and physically; it was also where Anonymous began to understand what football would do to his brain and body. He suffered injuries playing college ball and he considered quitting, but going pro was a chance to “make a … ton of money.”

He was cut from his first pro team, through no fault of his own. He started as third-string at his second team and soon decided that standing on the sidelines was an easy way to make a living—but then his teammates started getting injured.

They were out. Anonymous was in, at least for awhile.

He tried to bring fun back into the game. He tried to remember that it was a game, “not World War III,” and he endured hassle from his coach and from fans.

He repeatedly lost, then found, the anger that made him good at playing offense, and he ate constantly to maintain the weight the coaches unofficially said he had to have.

He hurt everywhere, often, until his teammates returned from their injuries and Anonymous stepped back because that’s what players do.

“… This isn’t a fairytale,” he says. “This isn’t a Hollywood story. This isn’t a happy ending.

“This is the NFL.”There’s a reason

why author Johnny Anonymous has changed “names, timeline, details, the usual” in this book. “Go ahead, try” to figure out who he is. I’m sure the league would like to know, too, because NFL Confidential is TNT on paper.

But here’s the rub: It’s easy to wonder if Anonymous is hiding behind a pseudonym in order to embellish the truth—because this

book is funny, very entertaining, and more than a little smart-alecky, readers may be tempted to dismiss his words.

It would be likewise easy to say that it’s just a profanity-laced, updated North Dallas Forty, until you consider that what Anonymous describes seems to be on display, to a greater or lesser degree, each August through February: injuries, mental abuse, domestic issues, substance abuse, and more.

So … truth? Or just a good story? You’ll have your theories, but either way, I think you’ll love this book. For die-hard fans of the ol’ pigskin, NFL Confidential is a big win.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 14,000 books.

Terri Schlichenmeyer

NFL Confidential: True Confessions from the

Gutter of FootballBy Johnny Anonymous

c. 2016, Dey St.241 pages

www.50plusLifePA.com 50plus LIFE › March 2016 11

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they reduce inflammation and can help immune function as well as inflammatory disorders of the gut like painful Crohn’s.

3. FluNada is a natural, over-the-counter spray that I squirt into my throat. You can (and should) spray this product into your nose because this is the point of entry for germs.

FluNada contains a homeopathic blend of wintergreen, eucalyptus, and elderberry essential oils. It is sold at Walgreens if you need it right now, and if you’re feeling like you’re coming down with something, now is the time.

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4. If you keep rummaging around

in my purse, you will find teabags of flavored green tea.

It is common for me to ask the waitress at a restaurant for a little cup of hot water “because I have my own medicinal herbs.”

My husband affectionately scolded me once, saying, “Do you realize we live in Colorado? She thinks your little ‘medicinal herbs’ are a different kind of ‘green’ tea!”

The EGCG in green tea was shown in numerous studies, including a 2005 “Antiviral Research” article, to have antiviral effects by unraveling the viral membrane.

5. Vitamin D is a strong immune modulator and reduces susceptibility to all sorts of infections. Also, D controls the expression of more than 900 genes involved in hundreds of physiological functions. This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com

FLU from page 5

12 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com

Salute to a Veteran

This Marine’s World War II Service Took Him 15,000 Miles through the Pacific

In the first 17 years of his life, Carrol G. Smith had scarcely been outside New Jersey, where he lived in Cranford.

That changed a bit when he decided to go to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. And it changed a lot more when, at the end of his first semester and nearing his 18th birthday, he left college in 1942 to enlist in the Marine Corps.

Parris Island, S.C., where he went to boot camp, was a long trip for him. But, as he learned later, it was to be negligible in the miles he was to travel as a Marine.

Was Parris Island as tough as it was reputed to be?

“Nah,” he says, “not for me. At home I had worked in a feed store, where I was used to slinging those huge bails of feed I delivered to farmers. So I was in good shape and really enjoyed what turned out to be a real test for some of the guys.”

Another thing he did well was firing the M-1 rifle. He qualified at the coveted “sharpshooter” level that

was to mean so much to him later.

After boot camp, he dreamed of being assigned to sea duty. But he was told that he could ask for any kind of duty at all … as long as it was radar operator, since that was what the Marines needed right then.

So he was soon off to Radar Technician School at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he learned how to use radar to correct fire for artillery and to feed the azimuth, elevation, and range information for attacking enemy aircraft to the anti-aircraft guns.

Then it was to Treasure Island, Calif., by troop train coaches fitted with bunks. There, they were soon loaded on the Navy destroyer USS Thatcher to take them to Hawaii.

When they arrived in Oahu, Smith taught radar maintenance before being transferred to an anti-aircraft

battalion on the island of Kauai. The DC-6 plane that flew him there gave him the first airplane ride of his life, and there he got more training that prepared him for going into combat.

In early 1944, all their gear was loaded on the Army transport Sea Sturgeon, and they were off for a two-month trip to the Palau Islands as

they zigzagged their way across the broad Pacific.

What was that like? Smith says, “It was OK, but,

during a drill, I slipped while running to my gun position and cut the top of my head. They let an Army medic practice by sewing it up. When he messed up, they took out the stitches and told him to try again.

“As we went by the Marshall Islands, they looked great, but any time we were near land, our food was covered with flies. You had to scoop them off your food with your hand and quickly grab a bite before they were all over it again.

“The only stop we made en route was when we anchored off the Admiralty Islands, and everyone piled off to get a beer or two at Duffy’s Tavern. I’ll never forget how wonderful that beer tasted after weeks at sea,” Smith adds.

“Our next stop and destination was the Palau Island group, where we assaulted Angaur, one of the islands of the group.”

How did that go? Wagging his head slowly, Smith

says, “It was a terrible experience. I was 19 at the time and found out quickly that it made men out of boys. Throughout the island, the Japanese had built pillboxes, bunkers, dugouts, and antitank trenches.

“Our battleship, Tennessee; four cruisers; and 40 Douglas SBD dive bombers had been thoroughly

lambasting the island, but to conquer it took 36 days of fighting and blasting the Japanese from their caves with explosives, tanks, artillery, and flamethrowers.”

Smith says, “Two things about that ordeal that I’ll never forget were the first sight of tracer bullets coming at me … and nights in the jungle, before the island was secured, when we didn’t know where the [Japanese] were. We also learned to live with land crabs that were 6 to 8 inches in diameter.”

After Angaur, Smith was ordered to another anti-aircraft battalion on Guam, where he learned that he had been accepted for the Merchant Marine Academy in King’s Point, N.Y.

By that time, he had lost interest in that, however, and his next stop was to Saipan, where he trained for the dangerous job of shore observer.

Doing that, he would sneak ashore, hide, and observe where the big shells from the naval armada off shore were landing and then report by radio to the Navy ships the corrections they should make in azimuth or range.

After the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered, Smith sailed for Nagasaki, where he did occupation duty and had a chance to see the “total and absolute destruction” of the city caused by the atomic bomb.

A point system was set up to decide the order in which men would be brought home. Since Smith had been overseas for about 22 months, he was high on the list.

So he soon boarded a Liberty ship in Sasebo and sailed to San Diego. From there it was by train to Bainbridge, Md., where he was discharged as a sergeant on Jan. 7, 1946.

Summing up his wartime service, he now says simply, “It was the most tremendous experience of my life.” Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.

Robert D. Wilcox

Carrol G. Smith

Is your military hero also your spouse, child, grandchild, friend, or neighbor?

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www.50plusLifePA.com 50plus LIFE › March 2016 13

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CROSSWORD

Across

1. Month (abbr.)5. Not again! ___ vu9. Drifts14. Domain15. Dance16. Pointer17. Grotesque

ornaments19. Bush or Dern20. Mixture of soluble

salts21. Sulk23. Roadhouse24. Shoestrings

26. Lampblack28. Muffin, maybe31. Inactive34. Dross35. Jamboree38. Mexican dish39. Pelvis40. Clotheshorse,

maybe41. Land parcel42. Swear44. Solar disk45. Valley46. Common

contraction

48. Hydriodic acid salts51. Root vegetable52. Bone cavities53. Mauna ___55. Low dam57. It, in a game61. Family member63. Think65. Warheads66. Ace67. Malaria68. Resource69. Logs Z’s70. Domestic

1. Adventure story2. Epochal3. Fringe benefit4. Filipino5. Solidified carbon

dioxide6. Soft-finned fish7. Landrovers8. Likewise9. Compleat Angler

author Izaak ___10. Macaw11. Waldorf, e.g.12. Lacerated13. Aquatic bird

18. Patron saint of Norway

22. Common25. Plant disease27. Away28. Grandma’s word29. Oil type30. Some books32. Fr. school33. Fawns over36. Beverage37. Bolsheviks founder40. Dull43. Sandpiper45. Schematic

47. Most up-to-date49. Playful aquatic

mammals50. Dreary52. Stadium53. Moon goddess54. Burden56. Rel. image58. Enamored, to the

hilt59. Pocketbook60. Exploit62. Downwind64. Agent (abbr.)

Down

BRaINTEaSERS

Written by Alan Stillson. Please see http://stillsonworks.com

Novelty Songs of the ’50s and ’60sFind the names of these zany songs from the ’50s and ’60s, based on the information given: 1. 1957 – Royal Teens, clothing: Sh _ _ _ Sh _ _ _ _ 2. 1957 – Ames Brothers, baby girl: T _ _ Na _ _ _ _ _ L _ _ _ of Sh _ _ _ L _ _ _ 3. 1958 – Sheb Wooley, swinger from space: T _ _ P _ _ _ _ e P _ _ _ _ e E _ _ _ _ 4. 1958 – David Seville, wise words: W _ _ _ _ Do _ _ _ _ 5. 1958 – Playmates, little car: B _ _ _ B _ _ _ 6. 1959 – Paul Evans, loved Fred: Se _ _ _ Li _ _ _ _ Gi _ _ _ 7. 1959 – Johnny Horton, alligator shoots cannonball: Ba _ _ _ _ of N _ _ O _ _ _ _ _ s 8. 1960 – Hollywood Argyles, caveman: A _ _ _ _ O _ _ 9. 1963 – Allan Sherman, letter to parents: H _ _ _ _ Mu _ _ _ _, H _ _ _ _ Fa _ _ _ _ 10. 1969 – Johnny Cash, bad dad: A B _ _ N _ _ _ _ S _ _

Fashion of the ’50s and ’60sFind these phrases that described fashions that were popular for some time during the ’50s and ’60s:

1. P _ _ d _ e Sk _ _ _ 2. S _ d _ _ e O _ f _ _ _ 3. B _ _ _ y So _ _ _ 4. P _ d _ _ Pu _ _ _ _ s 5. C _ _ _ sk _ _ C _ _ 6. Be _ _ B _ _ _ _ ms 7. P _ t _ _ Pa _ Co _ _ _ _ 8. P _ _ _ _ _ x H _ _ 9. W _ d _ T _ _ 10. N _ _ r _ J _ _ _ _ t 72

SUDOKU

Puzzle PageSolutions for all puzzles can be found on page 14

14 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com

By Lori Van Ingen

Ukrainian-born Vlada Prymak moved to the United States more than 20 years ago looking for better opportunities for her young family.

Living in a democracy was very important to her, she said.

Prymak lived in Kyiv, only 30 miles from Chernobyl when it had its nuclear disaster in 1986.

“I saw so many terrible things happen. A lot were dead because of radiation and the aftermath of the tragedy … I wanted my life better than that.”

So after she had earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and engineering from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, she and her husband moved to start their own American dream.

Prymak—who had been a straight-A student in an English boarding school as a young child—was fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, but not in American English, so she pushed herself to learn American English from the time she arrived in the U.S.

Prymak held numerous positions after arriving in this area; she was a manager for Estee Lauder Cosmetics and Lord & Taylor. She also worked at a Volvo dealership, getting great experiences interacting with affluent people, who know how to achieve.

“It opens your mind to what they do,” she said.

Prymak is now a certified licensed insurance professional and member of her local rotary club.

“The more you put into life, the more you get. Learn always and be

an example for others. If you just sit at the computer and look at someone else’s life, you will not get a better education or life,” she said.

The mother of two children, a 24-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter, Prymak had gotten involved in the Swarthmore Parents Council when her son attended college there. But after he graduated, she wanted to do something to help her own community that she could be passionate about.

That something came along when she found World Culture Club of Central Pennsylvania.

According to its website, the World Culture Club of Central Pennsylvania strives “to foster education, understanding, and tolerance; to build a community that welcomes people of different cultures and traditions; and to promote a shared humanity and a better society.”

The club—which formed in March 2001 as the Cultural Community Club and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization when it changed its name in 2009—presents free programs the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

Approximately 60 to 110 people attend each program to learn about traditions and culture.

Five years ago, Prymak and her daughter, then aged 10, did a presentation on the Ukraine for World

Culture Club of Central Pennsylvania. From that point on, then-president Diana Carel-Diaz came alongside Prymak and mentored her.

“Diana was important to me,” Prymak said. “She prepped me a long time to be more active (in the club).”

Prymak held several positions in the club, and little by little she became ready to take over as president when Carel-Diaz retired two years ago.

“All of the board members were supportive of me through the transition,” she said.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the World Culture Club of Central Pennsylvania has been built on the traditions of “embracing diversity and overcoming intolerance, ignorance, and prejudice against other cultures, races, and traditions through educational programs,” Prymak said.

The Central Pennsylvania area—from Lancaster to Hershey, Harrisburg to Carlisle—is such a diverse place, she said.

“There is so much diversity in culture and countries. We want them to feel more welcome.”

The club initially began as a place where people from other countries could feel more comfortable and welcome and adjust to a new environment. But it evolved to become increasingly centered on the educational aspect of their programs to “help alleviate the tension and

Puzzl

e Solu

tions Brainteasers

Puzz

les s

how

n on

pag

e 13

1. “Short Shorts” 2. “The Naughty Lady of

Shady Lane”3. “The Purple People Eater”4. “Witch Doctor”5. “Beep Beep”

6. “Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)”

7. “Battle of New Orleans”8. “Alley Oop”9. “Hello Muddah, Hello

Fadduh”10. “A Boy Named Sue”

1. Poodle Skirt 2. Saddle Oxford 3. Bobby Socks4. Pedal Pushers 5. Coonskin Cap

6. Bell Bottoms 7. Peter Pan Collar 8. Pillbox Hat 9. Wide Tie 10. Nehru Jacket

Novelty Songs of the ’50s and ’60s

Fashion of the ’50s and ’60s

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Cover Story

Culture Club President Helps Blend Central PA’s Melting Pot

www.50plusLifePA.com 50plus LIFE › March 2016 15

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cultural divide among world communities,” according to its website.

The World Culture Club of Central Pennsylvania received the 2011 Penn State Hershey Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Community Service Award. And in May 2015, it received a certificate of appreciation from the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg as its founding institution.

In December, Prymak received the Diversity Champion Award for 2015 from the Campus Council on Diversity at Penn State Hershey Medical Center for her “outstanding efforts, passion, and dedication to diversity.”

“I’m not a shy girl, but I am humbled to receive such recognition,” Prymak said.

Among her duties as president, Prymak works with sponsors and donors of the club and does a lot of networking.

But she also spends a great deal of time trying to find great speakers for each meeting. She meets with potential speakers and listens to their presentations elsewhere to be sure she finds just the right speakers who would be

interesting for the World Culture Club members to hear. She doesn’t look for “boring college lectures” but presentations that are exciting, hold your attention, and open your mind.

Among the prominent speakers at the World Culture Club were Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortes and Dr. Hector Ortiz, an assistant professor at Central Penn College.

But the speakers she is most proud of are two students who spent a year in Romania and Croatia as part of a study abroad program. Their presentation, “Youth Around the World: Realities and Possibilities,” was “stellar,” she said.

Prymak was excited about bringing in the younger generation and getting them involved.

“It all starts with the children,” she said. “By understanding others’ traditions and how others live their lives, we can better accept what differences there are ... and how to solve conflicts peacefully.”

For more information on the World Culture Club of Pennsylvania, visit www.worldcultureclubpa.org.

Traditions Lifestyle Director Recognized Nationally

Karen Karkuff, lifestyle director for Traditions of America at Silver Spring, took home a silver award recently from the National Association of Home Builders’ Best of 55+ Housing Awards.

Karkuff, who has worked at the 55-and-over community in greater Harrisburg for more than five years, was recognized as one of the nation’s Best 55+ Lifestyle Directors.

Traditions of America, the developer of Silver Spring, was also named the 55+ Builder of the Year during the awards.

NAHB’s Best of 55+ Housing Awards encourage and promote quality and innovation in the 55+ housing market.

Karen Karkuff

AroundTown

If you have local news you’d like considered forAround Town, please email mjoyce@onlinepub.com

16 March 2016 50plus LIFE › www.50plusLifePA.com