Chester County 50plus Senior News January 2015

Janice Ballenger, volunteer EMT and former deputy coroner. The local ambulanceassociation was on the scene with Ballenger during the aftermath of the shooting at the

West Nickel Mines School in October 2006.

How to Fight AgeDiscriminationpage 10

Costars RememberElvis the Actorpage 12

Inside:

By Chelsea Peifer

Whenever Janice Ballenger’s name was listed on the schedule as deputycoroner, the 911 dispatchers joked that they knew they were in for ademanding day.“My initial years as deputy coroner were filled with a lot of horrific calls,”

said Ballenger. “Scenes that I can never erase from my mind.”Ballenger, 62, had been working at a bank for 23 years when she read a

headline stating a need for volunteers for emergency situations—noexperience necessary.She began volunteering as a vehicle rescue technician before becoming an

emergency medical technician and then serving as her county’s first femaledeputy coroner from 2004 to 2008.“It was quite the struggle to balance working full time, volunteering as an

EMT, and doing deputy coroner calls 24 hours a week,” Ballenger said. “Theamount of time that is required to be a volunteer is unbelievable.”Ballenger volunteered for nearly 20 years. While beginning in her 40s was

a “late start,” she said that just proves that it is never too late to follow yourdreams.Volunteers are the world’s greatest unsung heroes, and many people have

no idea how much money is saved thanks to volunteer efforts, said Ballenger.“If I could say something to those aspiring to enter any of these fields, it

please see NEW NORMAL page 14

Volunteer EMT, Former Deputy

Coroner Heals by Writing Memoir

Penning a‘New Normal’

Chester County Edition January 2015 Vol. 12 No. 1

2 January 2015 50plus SeniorNews u www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

from

Year of the Sheep

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Jan. 24 – The criminal trial of O.J. Simpson began inCalifornia. On Oct. 3, the Los Angeles jury found him notguilty of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson,and her friend, Ronald Goldman. A civil court would award awrongful-death judgment against Simpson in 1997.

April 19 – A car bomb detonated outside the MurrahFederal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla., killing 168 people.Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were later convicted ofthe antigovernment plot to avenge the Branch Davidianstandoff in Waco, Texas, exactly two years prior.

Oct. 16 – The Million Man March, a political demonstrationto promote African-American unity and family values, drewhundreds of thousands of African-American men toWashington, D.C. Louis Farrakhan organized the event;speakers included Jesse Jackson, Maya Angelou, and Rosa Parks.

Dear Readers,Notice anything different on this issue’s front cover? It’s been 20 years since

the first issue of 50plus Senior News hit newsstands, and some traces of a rich,green hue signal the arrival of our “emerald anniversary”! A lot has changed for us in two decades. 50plus Senior News has expanded

to encompass six counties in Central Pennsylvania. Its contents now “come tolife” at six annual 50plus EXPOs. This publication that began as a humble yet passionate local effort to bring

news and entertainment to Central Pennsylvania’s seniors has gone on to garnerdozens of national awards.The designs of our logo, pages, and cover have evolved over the years, but

our commitment to serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50-plus communityhas stayed the same.Keep an eye out in the coming months for some special retrospective

features as we peek back at our beginnings in 1995—while still focusing on2015 and the exciting future ahead.

Happy New Year,

Donna Anderson, President On-Line Publishers, Inc.

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews u January 2015 3

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Neurology

Centers

533 W. Uwchlan Ave., Suites 101 & 201

Downingtown

(484) 593-0328

Family Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry

1646 West Chester Pike, Suite 1,West Chester

(484) 551-3006

American Red Cross

Greater Brandywine

(610) 692-1200

Chester County Emergency Services

(610) 344-5000

Salvation Army Coatesville

(610) 384-2954

Salvation Army West Chester

(610) 696-8746

Central PA Poison Center

(800) 521-6110

Office of Aging

(610) 344-6350/(800) 692-1100

Internal Revenue Service

(800) 829-3676

Cremation Society of Pennsylvania

4100 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg

(800) 722-8200

Alzheimer’s Association

(800) 272-3900

American Cancer Society

(800) 227-2345

American Heart Association

(610) 940-9540

Arthritis Foundation

(215) 665-9200

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(800) 232-4636

Coatesville VA Medical Center

(610) 383-7711

Domestic Violence

(800) 799-7233

National Osteoporosis Foundation

(800) 223-9994

PACE

(800) 225-7223

Senior Healthlink

(610) 431-1852

Social Security Administration

(800) 772-1213

Southeastern PA Medical Institute

(610) 446-0662

Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard

of Hearing

(800) 233-3008 V/TTY

Eastwood Village Homes, LLC

102 Summers Drive, Lancaster

(717) 397-3138

Community Impact Legal Services

(610) 380-7111

Housing Authority of Chester County

(610) 436-9200

Housing Authority of Phoenixville

(610) 933-8801

Lawyer Referral Service

(610) 429-1500

Legal Aid of Southeastern PA

(610) 436-4510

Meals on Wheels Chester County Inc.

(610) 430-8500

Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center

(800) 366-3997

Chester County Department

of Aging Services

(610) 344-6350

CVS/pharmacy

www.cvs.com

Gateway Medical Associates

Locations in Coatesville, Downingtown,

Lionville, and West Chester

(610) 423-8181

Coatesville

(610) 383-6900

Downingtown

(610) 269-3939

Great Valley

(610) 889-2121

Kennett Square

(610) 444-4819

Oxford

(610) 932-5244

Phoenixville

(610) 935-1515

Wayne

(610) 688-6246

West Chester

(610) 431-4242

Rover Community Transportation

(484) 696-3854

Transportation

PhysiciansHealth & Medical Services

Hearing Services

Funeral & Cremation Services

Senior Centers

Pharmacies

Office of Aging

Nutrition

Legal Services

Housing Assistance

Housing

Financial Services

Emergency Numbers

Disasters

Dental Services

Chiropractic Care

Resource Directory This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being.

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers

in your area.

After having my DNA tested by23andMe, registering with thesite online, and seeing

preliminary results, I invited certain ofthe other participants to share theirgenomes (genetic “blueprints”) with me.My selection of those I invited was

based on several factors:

• Were the person’s haplogroup codessimilar to mine, indicating commonancestors in the distant past?

• Was the person’ssurname, or thesurnames listed inhis/her profile,familiar, possiblymatchingsurnames in mydirect ancestry?

• Were the ancestral towns listed thesame as or geographically near to mine?

• How close wasthe indicatedrelationship?

That lastcriterion bearsdeeperconsideration. Thetests run by

23andMe consider a cumulative lengthof DNA segments of 7,440 centiMorgans(cM) to represent my total genome.

The combined length of all thematching segments from another personis compared to 7,440, and anapproximate percentage of shared DNAis calculated. In theory, then, my childwould have a total matching length of3,720 cM, or 50 percent of my DNA. To give a feel for the degree of

relationships found for me so far, one ofthe “closest” relatives found has a total of

Are You My Cousin?

The Search for Our Ancestry

Angelo Coniglio

“DNA testing doesn’textend the family “tree”but may provide themeans to do so.

“

please see COUSIN page 6


50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc.and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirementcommunities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets

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

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are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance ofadvertisements for products or services does not constitute anendorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will notbe responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within fivedays of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reviseor reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may bereproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc.We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not

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PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHERDonna K. Anderson

EDITORIALVICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING EDITOR

Christianne RuppEDITOR, 50PLUS PUBLICATIONS

Megan Joyce

ART DEPARTMENTPROJECT COORDINATORRenee McWilliamsPRODUCTION ARTIST

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Member of

Winner

Pete Billis was born in Greece.His home was the island ofChios, one of those

picturesque Greek islands that todaydraw millions of tourists to sharetheir beauty.In 1970, however, his dad found

the U.S. a lot more attractive, andhe, with his wife and three children,left for Central Pennsylvania. Whyhere? “Because that’s where my dad’s

sister and friends of our family wereliving,” Billis says.The area quickly became home to

Billis, and he was soon speakingEnglish without an accent. Aftergraduation from McCaskey HighSchool in 1982, he enteredMillersville University, graduating in1986. He then “wanted to do something

for his country and to see theworld,” as he puts it. So he enlistedin the Air Force.He had basic training in Texas at

Lackland Air Force Base. Whilethere, an Air Force master sergeanthe knew suggested that he take in-flight refueling as a career field. Normally, you had to complete a

more basic assignment for three ormore years after basic training beforerequesting assignment to in-flightrefueling, but a special Air Forceprogram briefly opened the programup, and Billis took it.After air crew training at

Sheppard AFB in Texas, and thenland- and water-survival training atFairchild AFB in Washington, he wasassigned to advanced training as anin-flight fueling specialist at CastleAFB in California. Upon graduation, he was qualified

to fly in KC-135 Stratotankers asthey refueled aircraft in flight. Hewas home-based at Grissom AFB inIndiana while flying missions inmany parts of the world.The KC-135 was the Air Force’s

first jet-powered refueling tanker. Itwas needed in order to keep up withthe speed of the Air Force’s new jetfighters and bombers. Holding more than 30,000

gallons of aviation fuel, it was able to

transfer the fuel in flight that ourbombers and fighters needed inorder to extend their range for longflights or, for the fighters, to extendthe loiter time on station.The fuel was transferred through a

boom at the tail section of the KC-135, with the receiving plane onlyfeet from the tail of the tanker. Thepilot of the KC-135 and thereceiving airplane had to carefullymaintain exactly the same speed andposition throughout the refueling. The boom operator of the KC135

lay on his belly while he peered out asmall window and carefullymaneuvered the boom through asmall port near the nose of theairplane following behind and belowhim. At that time, the success of themission was literally in his hands.

Did it take a lot of skill to do hisjob? “Not according to the Air Force

after all the training they gave us,”Billis says with a grin. “But livesdepended on our ability to do itright. Both bombers and interceptorsroutinely flew missions that requiredin-flight refueling. And thathappened around the world.” Did Billis ever have a time when

things didn’t go well? “Well,” he reflects, “there was one

time when our F-16s were scrambledto meet Russian bombers off Icelandthat were trying to penetraterestricted airspace. It was nighttime,and we were at 30,000 feet when Ineeded to refuel an F-16 whose lighton the receiving port had failed, andI had to find the port in the dark. “It was touch and go, but

fortunately, I was able to handle that,and the F-16 pilot was saved from astark experience, since the F-16s,because of the foulest weather atIceland, had to fly on to England toland after the mission.”Often they were called upon to

refuel the AWACS aircraft we used inorder to conduct missions in Iranand Afghanistan. And they weresometimes tasked to fuel aircraftbeing flown in efforts to control drugtrafficking.In October 1993, Billis, by then a

sergeant, was discharged and camehome to Central Pennsylvania. Hebecame a distributor of PepperidgeFarm products, and then in 2002established his own eBay business,selling collectibles, mostly stamps andcoins.Asked what he thinks about his

years in the Air Force, he says, “Theywere wonderful years. I met some ofthe finest people in this world. Infact, one of my greatest regrets is thatI didn’t stay in until retirement. “It’s not that I’m not happy now

… but for me, the Air Force was awonderful and very special place tobe.”

Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber inEurope in World War II.

In an Air Force Plane, He Brought theGas to You … 30,000 Gallons at a Time

Robert D. Wilcox

Salute to a Veteran

Sgt. Peter Billis in the pilot’scompartment of a KC-135 Stratotanker.

Sgt. Billis on leave in 1992.


If you have local news you’d like considered forAround Town, please email [email protected]

Neighbors Help Neighbors inLocal Volunteer Program

Building community is alive andwell thanks to recent changes in theNeighbors in Action program atKennett Area Senior Center. Thisvolunteer program addresses the needsof people 60 years and older whowant to remain in their homes butlack the resources to maintain themand live safely. Some services that Neighbors in

Action volunteers provide includeminor home repairs and maintenance,yard work, transportation to medicaland other appointments, groceryshopping, light housekeeping, laundry,help with forms, and telephonereassurance/companionship.The Neighbors in Action Program

serves southern Chester County fromKennett Square to Oxford andNottingham. After a background check,

volunteers are enlisted and matchedwith consumers who need theirservices. Volunteers are able to choosethe assignment that best suits theirschedule and interests.

Volunteers usually reside in thesame or a nearby community, so it istruly a neighbors-helping-neighborsexperience. When someone needsservices beyond the scope of NIA,referrals are made to other agencies orto local vendors who are willing toprovide a discount for their service. Thanks to a grant from the

Chester County Department ofAging Services, there are no longerfees charged to people who need theservices. While there is a need toverify the income of the consumer,the eligibility for services is notdependent upon income. Additionally, the Neighbors in

Action program is partnering withlocal non-profits to provide materialsfor needed repairs in some instances. If you are interested in

volunteering for this program, or youare 60 years of age or older andwould like to receive services, pleasecontact the Neighbors in Actioncoordinator, Berta Rains, at (610)444-4143.

DASC Director SeesRespite-Services Bill Signed

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Association of Senior Centers, Ken Schreffler,executive director of the Downingtown Area Senior Center, witnessed

Governor Corbett’s signing of Bill 1702, allowing the DASC Circle of Careand the Kennett Area Assisted Senior Program to be established to operate as

community adult-respite services programs.

Did This Player Deserveto Be Tossed

from the Casino?

Deal Me InBy Mark Pilarski

Dear Mark: I know that you haveclearly stated multiple times in yourcolumn that casinos do not cheat. I amstill leery of your belief. I guess myquestion is: Who monitors the casinoto ensure their slot machines are on theup-and-up? – Jared J.

Every state that offers land-basedcasinos has some form of a gamingregulatory agency that provides you, thecasino patron, with protection fromplaying on a rigged machine.Let’s begin with the machine itself.

Each new slot machine goes throughroughly a six-month process to beapproved before it hits the casino floor.A state’s gaming regulatory agency tests

the machine to make sure that it operatesrandomly by scrutinizing how it selectsthe reel stops on a slot machine. The agency does a thorough inspection

of the machine’s source code for anypossible problems and then peeks at theprinciples behind how the randomgeneration occurs. Only then is the machine placed out

in the field (casino) for more testingbefore final approval.After the proverbial two thumbs up,

the manufacturer can then sell thatconfiguration of that slot machine to thecasino. Testing then continues once themachine is placed into operation.For starters, the machine will run self-

tests to make sure it hasn’t been tamperedwith; plus, it makes sure it runs withincertain parameters—meaning it doesn’tpay out too little or too much. These internal tests also look out for

the casino’s best interest in that they makesure the slot machine isn’t susceptible tocheating.In most (if not all) states, machines are

also subject to random spot checks inwhich someone from gaming verifies thata machine is identical to the approvedconfiguration, it has not been tamperedwith, and the chips in the machine matchthe reference chips approved by theagency.Agents in the field show up

unannounced and armed with a laptopcomputer that has a database of all thechip signatures. Each chip has a codenumber that contains all its attributes,including its return percentages.

Agents will know on the spot if thechip is legit by inserting the chip intotheir specialized laptop; it reads the chipand all its contents to certify that it is anapproved value chip. Any hanky panky (Tommy James and

the Shondells, 1966), and we’re talkingthe possible loss of a gaming license.Besides, most casinos today are publiclytraded companies not interested inexposing their gaming license to loss withany suspicion of monkey business goingon.Furthermore, in some states, casinos

can’t even access the logic boards in theirmachines. Only the gaming authority caneither make the change or witness theswap.Some states do allow casinos to make

variations to slot machines under thatstate’s regulations. By variations, I meaneither a paytable modification or a chipswap inside a machine to make it returnmore or less. As long as “approved” chips are used,

and the payback is within the minimumlimit set by each state’s law, it is legit.Another reason the slot machine is on

the up-and-up is that every machineoffered is mathematically in the casino’sfavor. It is the way they make theirmoolah—by paying you less than the trueodds on every machine on the casinofloor. Why cheat? There isn’t any need to

swindle you beyond what the statealready allows them via the casino hold.They don’t call slot machines “one-armedbandits” for nothin’.Please take into account, Jared, that

my above answer is to some degreegeneralized. Each gaming jurisdictionmay use a slightly different approach, butyou can rest assured that who’s watchingwhom is watching out for you.

Gambling Wisdom of the Month: “Slotmachines are the cotton candy and theMcDonald’s of the casino. Everyoneknows that they’re bad for you, but fewcan resist their junk-food appeal.” –Andrew Brisman

Mark Pilarski is a recognized authority oncasino gambling, having survived 18 years inthe casino trenches. Pilarski is the creator ofthe bestselling, award-winning audio bookseries on casino gambling, Hooked onWinning. www.markpilarski.com


Chester County Library Programs

Downingtown Library, 330 E. Lancaster Ave.,Downingtown, (610) 269-2741Jan. 15, 6:30 p.m. – Downingtown Library’s Writers

GroupJan. 22, 1 p.m. – Senior Book ClubJan. 22, 6:30 p.m. – Reading the Classics

Paoli Library, 18 Darby Road, Paoli, (610) 296-7996Mystery Book Club – Call for dates/times

Chester County

Calendar of EventsSenior Center Activities

Jan. 6, 2 p.m.Grief Support GroupPhoenixville Senior Center153 Church St., Phoenixville(610) 327-7216

Jan. 6 and 20, 5 to 6:30 p.m.Bereavement Support GroupMain Line Unitarian Church816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon(610) [email protected]; all arewelcome.

Jan. 6 and 20, 6:30 to 8 p.m.Bereavement Support GroupBrandywine HospitalConference Room 2N201 Reeceville Road, Coatesville(610) 998-1700, ext. 226

Jan. 7, 6 p.m.Memory Loss and Dementia SupportGroupSunrise Assisted Living of Paoli324 W. Lancaster Ave., Malvern(610) 251-9994

Jan. 12 and 26, 10:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m.Caregiver Support GroupAdult Care of Chester County201 Sharp Lane, Exton(610) 363-8044

Jan. 13 and 27, 6:30 to 8 p.m.Bereavement Support GroupJennersville HospitalConference Room B1015 W. Baltimore Pike, West Grove(610) 998-1700, ext. 226

Jan. 14, noonFamily Caregiver Support GroupSarah Care425 Technology Drive, Suite 200Malvern(610) 251-0801

Jan. 15, 7 p.m.Alzheimer’s Support GroupThe Solana Willistown1713 West Chester Pike, Willistown(610) 725-1713

Jan. 20, 6 p.m.Family Caregiver Support GroupSunrise of Westtown501 Skiles Blvd., West Chester(610) 399-4464

Jan. 28, 6 p.m.Living with Cancer Support GroupPaoli Hospital Cancer Center255 W. Lancaster Ave., Paoli(484) 565-1253

Programs & Events Free or minimal charge

Jan. 3 and 17, 5 to 10 p.m.Bingo NightsMarine Corps LeagueDetachment430 Chestnut St., Downingtown(610) 429-8174

Jan. 6, 11:30 a.m.West Chester University RetireesLuncheonFor restaurant location, pleaseemail [email protected]

Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m.Singer and Actor John Anker BowTel Hai Retirement Community Garrett Community Center1200 Tel Hai Circle, Honey Brook(610) 273-9333

Jan. 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 1 to 5 p.m.Annual Model Railroad OpenHouseSchuylkill Valley Model RailroadClub400 S. Main St., Phoenixville(610) 935-1126www.svmrrc.com

Jan. 15, 6 to 7 p.m.Powers of Attorney: What You Needto KnowHeatherwood RetirementCommunity3180 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook(610) 273-9301

Jan. 24, 9 a.m. to noonTurn Your Winter Blues intoSunshine: Depression Program,ScreeningsHeatherwood RetirementCommunity3180 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook(610) 273-9301

Support Groups Free and open to the public

Coatesville Area Senior Center – (610) 383-690022 N. Fifth Ave., Coatesville –www.coatesvilleseniorcenter.orgJan. 24, 1 to 4 p.m. – Chili Cook-Off

Great Valley Senior Center – (610) 889-2121 47 Church Road, MalvernJan. 7, 1 p.m. – Koffee KlatchJan. 14 – WinterfestJan. 15 and 29, 10 a.m. – Canasta

Kennett Area Senior Center – (610) 444-4819427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square –www.kennettseniorcenter.orgJan. 8, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Free Blood Pressure

ScreeningJan. 9, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Presentation on Alzheimer’s

DiseaseJan. 25, 1 to 3 p.m. – Sunday Dinner with Friends: Our

Happy New Year’s Dinner

Phoenixville Area Senior Center – (610) 935-1515153 Church St., Phoenixville –www.phoenixvilleseniorcenter.orgTuesdays and Fridays, 9 to 10 a.m. – Sip & SwipeJan. 16, 10:30 a.m. – Alzheimer’s Disease Nutrition TalkJan. 21, 7 p.m. – Live, Learn & Grow Workshop:

Identity Theft

Please contact your local center for scheduled activities.

If you have an event youwould like to include,

please email information [email protected] for

consideration.

COUSIN from page 3

36 cM in two segments, for a sharedDNA percentage of 0.48 percent. That’sless than one-half of 1 percent! Butaccording to 23andMe, this person is my“third to fifth cousin.”These numbers may seem miniscule,

but consider the following: 50 percent ofmy DNA should come from my father,25 percent from my grandfather, 12.5percent from my great-grandfather, and

so on. By the time I’ve counted backseven generations, I have less than 1percent of my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather’s DNA. Because of changes in DNA over the

generations due to random mutations,the actual percentage retained from eachancestor is less than the theoreticalamount. So 0.48 percent shared DNA,from my example above, can mean a

relationship as close as “third to fifthcousin.”Earlier, I pointed out that many who

have their DNA tested are reluctant toshare their names or their ancestors’surnames and ancestral towns. There are generally two reasons for

this. Folks are concerned about privacyand possible identity theft; and thosewho have developed their own paper

family trees often show a reluctance tomake those trees available to othersbecause of pride of ownership. In my view, those who have such

concerns shouldn’t bother having theirDNA tested, since those positionseffectively suppress any interaction withpotential relatives.Generally, I chose to invite (for

genome comparison) folks who shared


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ancestral surnames and/or places oforigin. My reason is that I feel thosepeople have the greatest chance ofhaving developed a paper genealogythat somewhere meshes with my own,and in that way I hope to find names,dates, and records that I have not yetincluded in my family tree.For example: My earliest known

Coniglio relative is my fourth-great-grandfather Filippo, who (from a son’smarriage record) died after Jan. 7,1770, and was probably born around1715. I know his wife’s name, VincenzaRicotta, and the names of five sons:Pasquale, Gaspare, Angelo, Amadeo,and Felice—all from Serradifalco, Sicily. Let’s say I find a person, call him Joe,

with a very small percentage ofmatching DNA but who shows anancestral town of Serradifalco, withancestors surnamed Coniglio.I contact Joe, we share genomes, and

in correspondence he tells me he’s thedescendant of Giuseppe Coniglio, bornin 1740, son of Filippo Coniglio andVincenza Ricotta. He has their baptismand marriage records and has foundthat Filippo’s father was PasqualeConiglio, born in Serradifalco in 1680. So, by having my DNA tested and

comparing it to a distant relative whohad his tested, after inspection ofsources and corroboration, I’ve foundan extension of my own family tree andthe name of my fifth-great-grandfather. DNA testing didn’t extend my “tree,”

but it gave me the means to do so.

Coniglio is the author of a novella inspiredby his Sicilian research, The Lady of theWheel. You can order the paperback or thee-book at amzn.to/racalmuto. For helpfulhints, visit his website, bit.ly/AFCGen. Forquestions or group lecture requests, emailhim at [email protected].

We may not be moving toward acashless society, but for some people,paying with plastic is the preferred wayto go. A survey from CreditCard.com found

that 51 percent of adults under 30 willuse a credit or debit card for purchasesless than $5, while 77 percent of people50 or older prefer to pay cash whenbuying something for $5 or less.

Debit cards are more popular thancredit cards among the youngergeneration by a 3-to-1 margin and hold a2-to-1 lead among users of all ages. Americans held balances on credit

cards in the amount of half a trilliondollars by the end of the first half of2014, according to the Federal ReserveBank of New York.

Disk Damage: Watch Your BackA herniated spinal disk can cause

severe pain. Spinal disks act as cushionsbetween your vertebrae, and if theybecome damaged or slip out of place,they can irritate surrounding nerves. The result: weakness, numbness,

and/or pain in arms, legs, or back. Watchfor these risk factors to assess yourvulnerability:

Age. Spinal disks degenerate over time,becoming less flexible and more likely totear as you grow older.

Weight. Extra weight puts more of astrain on your lower back.

Lifting. If your job (or your personallife) requires you to do a lot of heavylifting, be sure to pick objects upproperly and safely to avoid injury.

Genetics. The Mayo Clinic websitepoints out that some people inherit atendency to develop disks that herniateeasily.

Is Cash Losing its Cachet?

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WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 10

1. Justice Warren2. Chigger3. Recounted4. Envision5. Indiscretion6. Bread spread7. Sickbed items (abbr.)8. Weakened9. Consummate10. Bring up11. Incision12. Charity14. Dress holder17. Of birth

22. Crone23. Strikes with revulsion24. Bay State city25. Latvian port city26. Draw out27. Fabric28. Watered silk29. Exorcist actress

Burstyn30. Pakistani monetary

unit32. Rascals34. Cleaning implements36. Terminate gradually

40. Contempt42. Sign of assent43. Spar45. Auspices46. Persia, now47. Egypt river48. Goulash49. Hawaii town50. And others (Latin)51. Microbe52. Likelihood55. Genetic material

(abbr.)56. Sailor’s affirmative

Down

CROSSWORD

1. Tritons5. Thwart9. Bear dipper13. Burn plant14. Figure out15. Gimme a Break star

Carter16. Inexorable18. Cripple19. Boy20. Singer Guthrie21. Garments23. Remain

24. Bench25. Porter28. More threadbare31. Utopian32. Tree trunk33. Morose35. TV cop Peter ___36. Levered37. Dog food name38. Vitriolic39. Injure40. Make tea41. Flow out43. Panoramas

44. Forfeiture45. Footless46. Not outdoors49. Ger. title of respect50. Pride53. Hotel name54. Started57. Downwind58. Not fired up59. Unit of length60. Information61. New Mexico city62. Shade trees

Across


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Traveltizers Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel

By Andrea Gross

I’m a sucker for superlatives. Mypersonal bucket list demands that Ivisit as many “ests” as possible, places

that hold the record for being thehighest, hottest, or in some way the verybest of their category. I thought compiling the list would be

simple, especially after I limited it to theUnited States, but of course it wasn’t. Iran into myriad problems ofmeasurement and definition. Eventually I came up with my own

criteria, based as much on practicalityand desirability as on quantifiable data.Here, my recommendations for the

Best of the Ests:

Highest I have no intention of actually

climbing the tallest peak, which rules outAlaska’s Mt. McKinley (20,237 feet), yetI want to do more than peer toward theheavens. Thus I head for Colorado’s Mount

Evans. At 14,265 feet, Mount Evans is apigmy among giants, but—and this isimportant—it’s home to the highestpaved road. This means I can drive almost all the

way to the country’s highest parking lot,

walk a mere quarter mile to the summit,and voila, I’ll be standing atop thehighest reasonably accessible peak in theU.S.The highway was built between 1917

and 1927 as a means of drawing tourists.

It worked. Today, the scenic drive—atwo-lane ribbon that winds betweentowering evergreens, open meadows, andlovely alpine lakes—is one of Colorado’stop attractions. (www.mountevans.com)

Lowest Choosing the lowest spot is easy. Since

I quickly rule out deep-sea diving anddescending into a mine, I’m left withDeath Valley, Calif., which is the lowestpoint of dry land that was formed bynature as opposed to by man-and-shovel.The valley’s precise lowest point (282

feet below sea level) is near BadwaterBasin, which sits amidst nearly 200square miles of salt flats. A boardwalk lets visitors walk part

way into the basin, but most folks stepdown onto the actual flats. Thelandscape is bizarre but beautiful, apattern of interlocking shapes created bythe valley’s unique combination ofextreme heat, minimal rainfall, and lowelevation. (www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm)

A Quest for the Ests: Visiting the Extremes of the United States

Photo courtesy of National Park Service

A boardwalk at Badwater Basin leads froma parking lot to the salt flats that mark the

lowest point in the United States.

Photo courtesy of National Park Service

The salt flats of Death Valley are nothospitable to plants or animals.

People who take a short hike fromthe highest paved parking lot in theU.S. to the summit of Mt. Evans canbrag that they’ve climbed one ofColorado’s famous Fourteeners(mountains that rise more than14,000 feet above sea level).

please see ESTS page 11

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Volunteer Spotlight!Volunteer Spotlight!Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are

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Dear Savvy Senior,What constitutes age discrimination in

the workplace, and where can I turn forhelp if I think I’ve got a case?– Demoted at 64

Dear Demoted,Age discrimination has become a

much more frequent complaint in recentyears as more and more people areworking into their retirement years. But, you need to be aware that

proving it is extremely difficult to do,especially since the 2009 Supreme Courtdecision that raised the bar for the typeof legal proof that workers need to winage-discrimination lawsuits.With that said, here are the steps

you’ll need to take to fight agediscrimination if you think you’ve beentreated unlawfully.

ADEA ProtectionThe Age Discrimination in

Employment Act (ADEA) is your firstdefense against age discrimination. Thisis a federal law that says an employercannot fire, refuse to hire, or treat youdifferently from other employees becauseof your age. Some examples of age discrimination

include:

• You were fired because your bosswanted to keep younger workers who arepaid less.

• You were turned down for a

promotion,which wentto someoneyounger hiredfrom outsidethe company,because theboss says thecompany“needs newblood.”

• Whencompanylayoffs areannounced,most of thepersons laid off were older, while youngerworkers with less seniority and less on-the-job experience were kept on.

• Before you were fired, your supervisormade age-related remarks about you.

• You didn’t get hired because theemployer wanted a younger-lookingperson to do the job.

The ADEA protects all workers andjob applicants age 40 and over who workfor employers that have 20 or moreemployees—including federal, state, andlocal governments as well as employmentagencies and labor unions.If your workplace has fewer than 20

employees, you may still be protectedunder your state’s anti-age-discriminationlaw. Contact your state labor department

or your state’sfairemploymentpracticesagency formoreinformation.Another

protection forolder workersis the federalOlderWorkersBenefitProtectionAct. Underthis law, an

employer cannot reduce health or lifeinsurance benefits for older employees,nor can it stop their pensions fromaccruing if they work past their normalretirement age. It also discourages businesses from

targeting older workers when cuttingstaff and prohibits employers fromforcing employees to take earlyretirement.

What to DoIf you think you are a victim of

employment age discrimination, yourfirst step is to file a charge with theEqual Employment OpportunityCommission (EEOC) usually within 180days from the date of the allegedviolation. You can do this by mail or in person

at your nearest EEOC office

(see www.eeoc.gov/contact) or by calling(800) 669-4000. They will help youthrough the filing process and let youknow if you should also file a chargewith your state anti-discriminationagency.Once the charge is filed, the EEOC

will investigate your complaint and findeither reasonable cause to believe that agediscrimination has occurred or no causeand no basis for a claim. After the investigation, the EEOC will

then send you their findings along with a“notice of right to sue,” which gives youpermission to file a lawsuit in a court oflaw.If you decide to sue, you’ll need to

hire a lawyer who specializes in employeedischarge suits. Lawyers.com andFindLaw (www.findlaw.com) are twowebsites that can help you locatediscrimination attorneys in your area.Another option you should consider is

mediation, which is a fair and efficientway to help you resolve youremployment disputes and reach anagreement. The EEOC offers mediation at no

cost if your current or former employeragrees to participate. At mediation, youshow up with your evidence, youremployer presents theirs, and themediator makes a determination within aday or less.

Jim Miller is a regular contributor to theNBC Today show and author of The SavvySenior Book. www.savvysenior.org

How to Fight Age Discrimination

Savvy Senior

Jim Miller


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DriestHere I run into trouble. Calexico, a

small town on the California-Mexicoborder, has the lowest annual rainfall, butDeath Valley has the most consecutivedays with no rainfall. In the end I opt for neither. In my

mind, “dry” suggests a place where I canmount a camel and ride endless milesacross towering sand dunes. Calexico isdune-less, and while Death Valley hasdunes, they aren’t record-setters. For that I have to go to Great Sand

Dunes National Park in Colorado,which, although devoid of camels, has750-foot-tall sand piles, the highest inNorth America. Later I learn that the dunes aren’t

really dry. In fact, it’s the moist layer ofsand right under the surface that holdsthe upper dry sand in place. But that’s OK. At this point in my

Quest-Est, I’m more concerned withimagery than scientific accuracy.(www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm)

Wettest As for the wettest place, I must choose

between the soggiest land or the drippiestsky. Since I don’t have a pair of wet bootsbut own several umbrellas, I decide onHawaii’s Mount Waleleale.

Then I learn that the mountain’saverage rainfall exceeds 38 feet a year—afact that greatly dampens my enthusiasm(pardon the pun)—so I restrict mysearch to the contiguous United Statesand end up on Washington’s OlympicPeninsula.While the Aberdeen Reservoir is the

rainiest place, with 130.6 inches a year,Forks is the rainiest town, with 120

inches a year. More important, it’s given this

accolade not only by the NationalClimatic Data Center, but also byStephenie Meyer, who used it as a settingfor her Twilight book series. Why, I may even spot a vampire along

the shore or amidst the trees, and thismakes Forks a double superlative—winner of both the wettest and the

weirdest categories. (www.forkswa.com)

ColdestOnce I exclude non-contiguous

Alaska, Rogers Pass, Mont., holds therecord for a one-day temperature low(minus 70 F), but the peak of NewHampshire’s Mount Washington winsthe title for all-time year-around cold(annual average temperature of 27 F). In addition, with wind gusts that

sometimes reach more than 230 mph, it’salso considered the windiest place in theUnited States.Therefore, with masochistic

determination I head to the summit. Theroad is steep, narrow, and bordered withdeadly drop-offs. But am I glad I went? Absolutely. The

view on top is spectacular and, what’smore, at the Weather Discovery Centerin nearby North Conway I learn thatMount Washington holds bragging rightsto the best Est of all: Home of theWorld’s Worst Weather.It’s a perfect way to end my search.

The title of “worst” makes MountWashington the “best.”(www.mountwashington.org)

Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted;story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).

Photo courtesy of Forks Chamber of Commerce

Forks, Wash., is the gateway to therainforests of Olympic National Park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park has thetallest dunes in North America.

Photo courtesy of Mount Washington Observatory

Scientists at the Mount WashingtonObservatory work in a place that’sreputed to have the worst weatherin the world.


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For many, the title “King of Rock’n’ Roll” is reserved for one man:Elvis Presley. Had he lived, the

King would have celebrated his 80thbirthday on Jan. 8, 2015.Unlike most departed singers who are

remembered largely for their music,Presley lives on through a phenomenalnumber of appearances in scriptedmotion pictures—31 in all—beginningwith Love Me Tender in 1956 and ending13 years later with Change of Habit in1969. His movies provide a unique glimpse

into another dimension of one of the 20thcentury’s greatest entertainers.Although his films were often

dismissed due to weak and predictablescripts, critics generally regarded Presleyas a surprisingly good actor. But whatdid costars think about working withPresley?In 1966, 10-year-old Donna

Butterworth costarred in Paradise,Hawaiian Style, the second Presley filmset in Hawaii.“My mom and dad took me to see

Blue Hawaii when I was just a little girl,and I fell in love with him right then andthere,” said Butterworth. “I used to listen

to his records, and I couldn’t get enoughElvis.”Butterworth recalls filming her first

scene on the cliffs of Makapuu, onOahu.“I had to run up into Elvis’s arms and

call out, ‘Uncle Rick, Uncle Rick.’ But I

had only met him a few minutes beforethat. So when the director called ‘action,’I ran up and got in his arms and his facewas about 4 inches from my face. “After all the anticipation of meeting

Elvis Presley and working with him, Ijust froze. I couldn’t believe I was so closeto this beautiful man! All the crewcracked up because they knew I was soenamored. In fact, Elvis laughed thehardest—he just loved to laugh.”Unlike Butterworth, 7-year-old Susan

Olsen wasn’t a Presley fan when shebriefly appeared in the talent-contestaudition scene in Presley’s second-to-lastfilm, The Trouble with Girls (1969).“I couldn’t understand all the hype

over him, and I didn’t even think he wasgood-looking!” said Olsen, who went onto play youngest daughter Cindy on thepopular ’60s TV show The Brady Bunch.That changed after their first brief

encounter.

Costars Remember Elvis the Actor

Tinseltown Talks

Nick Thomas

Donna Butterworth and Elvis inParadise, Hawaiian Style

Marlyn Mason and Elvis in The Trouble with Girls


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“I remember that a bunch of the kids’mothers suddenly started screaming.Elvis had come out of his dressing room,and they crowded around him forautographs. So I thought, ‘What theheck! I’ll get one too.’ “So I went up to him—and I’m not

making this up—when he looked atme, I thought,‘Oh, I get it! I seewhy they like himso much.’ He hadthis special auraabout him. I wasjust dumbstruck; Icouldn’t sayanything. Hesigned the photo,handed it to me,and said, ‘Here yago, darling.’”Presley’s leading

lady in TheTrouble withGirls came awaywith more thanjust anautograph.Marlyn Masonsnagged an on-screen kiss.“It was a

comedy kiss,”said Mason,indicating thatthe onlyfireworks werethe real ones inthe movie scene.“He was great

fun to work with,because I couldthrow anything at him and he’d justthrow it right back.”She also recalls a private moment

when Presley shared thoughts about hisacting.“The saddest thing Elvis said to me

was, ‘I’d like to make one good filmbecause I know people in this town laughat me.’ I’ll never forget that,” she said. “But he was always down to earth and

comfortable with himself. Some of thatdialogue was so corny, but he managedto bring a realness to it. And I thinkthat’s just how he was in real life. He wasa natural comedian, and his timing wasjust impeccable. I just found him to be avery genuine person.”Despite his fame, Will Hutchins says

Presley didn’t play the celebrity, althoughhe was usually accompanied on most ofhis films by pals—the so-called MemphisMafia.“On the set, Elvis was like a host—a

Southern gentleman—making sureeveryone was having a good time,” said

Hutchins, who first worked in Spinout(1966).The following year he costarred with

Presley in Clambake, which featured a lotof ad-libbing and fooling around on theset.“It was more or less a de facto stag

party because Elviswas getting marriedsoon after thefilming wasfinished,” recalledHutchins. “Elvisand his buddieswould set offfirecrackers. It waspretty wild, but alot of fun. For thedirector’s birthday,they had a cakeand pushed it rightin his face!”Wilda Taylor

appeared in threeElvis Presleyfilms butstrutted intoPresley moviehistory as exoticdancer LittleEgypt inRoustabout(1964).“We

rehearsed forabout twoweeks,” saidTaylor. “Elviswas in and outof the rehearsalhall every sooften betweenhis other busy

filming days for the other scenes. Heknew his material and music well, and Igrew to admire him a great deal. “It’s amazing, through the years, how

many people know about me and LittleEgypt from that film. Oddly enough, Ireally didn’t know much about Elvisbefore we worked together, but I foundhim to be a lovely, darling person, and Iwas just pleased to be a small part of hislife.”With each passing decade since his

death in 1977 at age 42, the Elvis Presleylegend and legacy continue to grow.When viewed in the context of the oftenzany ’60s TV and film period, it isgratifying that there exists such anextensive film library of the mostcelebrated entertainer in history.

Thomas’ features and columns have appearedin more than 400 magazines and newspapers,and he is the author of Raised by the Stars,published by McFarland. He can be reachedat his blog: http://getnickt.blogspot.com

Wilda Taylor as Little Egypt with Elvis inRoustabout

Will Hutchins and Elvis in Clambake


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would be that these ‘jobs’ are not asglamorous as portrayed on television,”Ballenger said. “They require a hugeamount of commitment and an ever-larger amount of caring andcompassion.“They are not for the faint of heart,

but you will make a difference—andthat’s what it’s all about.”Her goal was to express empathy and

caring on every call she responded to.

“Even if itwas a man withknee pain he’dhad for threeweeks and [hethen] decides todial 911 at 3a.m.,” saidBallenger. “Intheir opinion,when they dial

911, it is one ofthe worst daysof their lives,and I respectthat.”Performing

CPR on callsfor people sheknew was verydifficult.“I literally

had to be pulled off of the one man bythe doctor at the hospital as heannounced time of death,” Ballengersaid. “A little bit of you dies with theperson.”Successful and unsuccessful suicides,

as well as calls involving children, arealways the most difficult, she said.But on Oct. 2, 2006, she responded

to a call that nothing could haveprepared her for.

NEW NORMAL from page 1

Ballenger’s copies of the local newspapercoverage of the Amish schoolhouse shooting.As one of the first responders, Ballenger was a

sought-after interview in the wake of the tragedy.


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Ballenger was one of the firstresponders to the shooting at the WestNickel Mines School, where a manentered the schoolhouse and lined up10 young Amish girls before shootingthem execution style. Five of the girlsdied; the gunman later took his ownlife.“I was one of the few to enter the

school with the dead bodies stillinside,” Ballenger said.She asked the local ambulance crew

to clean one of the girl’s faces becauseshe did not want the child’s mother tosee her face entirely covered in blood.“They said they had been told not

to touch her. I said, ‘I will take fullresponsibility and will risk my job onit,’” Ballenger recalled. “They agreedand were flawless in their work. I amforever indebted.“I was on scene from approximately

11 a.m.untilmidnight,”she said. “Istill have noidea how Imade ithome.”That

night,Ballengerhad tocompleteher reportsfrom thehauntingtragedy thatshe had barely begun to process.“As I downloaded the pictures, it all

seemed surreal,” said Ballenger.Before she could begin processing

any further, her phone began to ringnonstop. “CNN called to say they were on

their way to my home. I said,‘Absolutely not.’”Ballenger took two weeks off from

everything. She visited the ambulancecrew to thank them for everything thatthey did for the victims and families.“It was very emotional. I couldn’t

thank them enough for cleaning herface,” Ballenger said. “And I didn’t getin trouble.”She met with counselors and visited

with the Amish families who lost theirchildren on that day.“I still keep in contact with them. I

always leave their homes feeling a littlebetter,” Ballenger said.Her mind kept revisiting the inside

of the Amish school, and in an effortto find a “new normal,” Ballengerdecided to move and sell nearlyeverything that she owned.

“In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t donethat,” Ballenger said. “But I wasdesperate to try to find a normal placein my mind.”She tried crafts and other endeavors

to occupy her mind, but writing amemoir about her experiences waswhat finally gave her a greater sense ofpeace.Ballenger had been keeping journals

of her experiences since she startedvolunteering.“As I began seeing some gruesome

sights, I needed a way to vent myemotions. My brother, John, gave me alined journal and when I would returnhome from a call, I recorded myemotions in the journal—which turnedinto many, many journals,” Ballengerexplained.She spent the next two years writing

her first book, Addicted to Life &Death:Memoirs ofan EMT &DeputyCoroner.She gives

free talks inthecommunityabout herbook andexperiencesand bringsa guestspeakerwith her todiscuss

suicide and its effects on those leftbehind. She includes instructions ongiving CPR in her talks.“Some people have said, ‘I guess you

get used to seeing the things you see.’No, you never get used to it. If you do,then it is time to get out of doing thatwork,” Ballenger said. “Others ask how I could do that

work. I reply, ‘Everyone has their placeon Earth. I am blessed that I was ableto do that work for many, many years.Someone has to do it. But don’t ask meto be a dental hygienist—I could neverdo that work.”Ballenger is a still a certified EMT

but does not run on calls. She works ata skilled nursing facility near Ephrata. Ballenger is available to speak about

her experiences and can be reached at(717) 606-3494, [email protected], or at her Facebook page:www.facebook.com/AddictedToLifeDeathMemoirsOfAnEmtDeputyCoroner.Her book is available online or can

be purchased directly throughBallenger; she will sign them asrequested.

Ballenger gives talks in the community about herexperiences and about her memoir, Addicted to Life &

Death: Memoirs of an EMT & Deputy Coroner.


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Navigating You rough Life’s Storms

Chester County 50plus Senior News January 2015

Documents

volunteer emt

deputy coroner calls

initial years

volunteer efforts

femaledeputy coroner

years sincethe firs

africanamerican unity

nicole brown simpson