GoodLife September-October 2010

YOUR L IFE UP NORTH

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

2 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

00250227

GOODlife 3

featur'6 Good StuffGood To Go: Corner squats

A Good Word: Marriage encounter

Grandparenting: Hayride

8 Nod to Nostalgia1945 - The War is over

11 Good IdeaMike Schlitt shareshis love of photography

14 Good Escape Get awayto The House on the Hill

16 Good HumorJerry Rosevear reflects

18 Good HealthPain in the joints

24 Good Times Cocktailmixers, sirloin with polenta,healthy burgers

28 Cover story A new leaseon (working) life for area retirees

32 Good CentsReverse mortgages:What you must know

35 Good SamaritanLittle Traverse Civic Theatreneeds your help

38 Good ShotsPicture yourself here!

On the cover: Roy and Linda Longworth run Lavender Hill Farms on Horton Bay Road.


The moments in history that de!ne us, the excitement

of ful!lling our goals and the daily events that bind

our community together. This is what you’ll !nd in the

pages of the News-Review, Charlevoix Courier and

Gaylord Herald Times, just as in the past 134 years.

Life. Captured daily.

We were here yesterday.We were here yesterday.We’re here today.We’re here today.We’ll be hereWe’ll be here

TomorrowTomorrowNews-ReviewP E TO S K E Y

Home delivery: 231-439-9315 Home delivery: 989-732-1111 Home delivery: 231-547-6558

GOODlife 5

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2010 - Volume 2, Issue 1

PUBLISHERDOUG CALDWELL

EDITORMAGGIE PETERSON

PHOTOGRAPHYG. RANDALL GOSS

LAYOUT AND DESIGNRENÉE TANNER

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

CHRISTY LYONS231.439.9329

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ADVERTISING SALES

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© GoodLife, all rights reserved, 2010.Reproduction in any form, in whole or in

part, without express written permission, isprohibited. The views expressed herein,

whether expressed as fact, fiction, opinion,advice or otherwise, are those of the authors

and do not necessarily reflect those of theownership or management of this magazine.

The publication of any advertisementdoes not reflect any endorsement for anyproducts or services by the ownership ormanagement of this magazine unless it is

specifically stated in such advertisement thatthere is approval for such endorsement.

GoodLife is published bi-monthlyby Northern Michigan Review, Inc.

GoodLife Magazine319 State Street, Petoskey, MI 49770

GOOD STUFFGOOD TO GO A GOOD WORD

6 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH6 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

1. Find a corner in your home, andstand 6 to 8 inches out from it (youcan stand closer if you wish or need;distance away from the wall can bebuilt over time). Heels will be point-ing to the walls, feet angled out slight-ly, and the spine should be stacked

— don’t over flex your neck.

2. Begin to lower, keeping in mindyour knees should be above yourtoes, not extended over them. Armsmove upward in forward flexion (ifdesired, hands can use the wall as aguide until the motion becomes fa-miliar).

3. Continue lowering until your bot-tom touches the wall, and arms areextended out in front of you. Exhaleas you stand up, and repeat for threesets of five reps. Add one to tworeps each week until reaching 20 to25 reps.

RuthAnn Schwartzfisher, 84, of Petoskey,models a corner wall squat.

Squats can be scary, especially if balance in anissue.

But they don’t have to be, according to ToddAckerman, a certified personal trainer and certifiedfitness therapist with Tim Bondy Physical Therapyin Petoskey.

Simply adding a corner to the routine can makeall the difference, he noted, as it creates a safe andsecure environment for the exercise.

Squats are beneficial because they help strengthenthe quadriceps, or thigh muscles, which help yourise to a standing position, Ackerman said.

He added that because the exercise is weight-bearing, it helps strengthen bones, which in turnshelps prevent osteoporosis.

Corner wall squats

ey,at.

Marriageencounter

Some time in our first year of marriage, Iwas reading the Ann Landers’ column in theSunday newspaper out loud to my new hus-band.

“Wondering” wrote: Dear Ann, I know Ishould do things with my husband so we canbond, but do you think I have to go with himto shoot rats at the dump?

Ann’s reply: Dear Wondering: You doNOT have to shoot rats at the dump withyour husband.

I immediately saw this as a theme, or mis-sion statement, for our married life.

So here we are, 39 years later. On the eveof our wedding anniversary, my husband andI went to the gala 20-year celebration eventat the transfer station for recycle material. Itwas great. We took a tour, ate ice cream, lis-tened to good music and basked in the warmglow of knowing just how much good ourempty milk jugs were doing for the world. Allthis, at no cost. As we walked back to our car,my husband asked me, “!is counts, right? Imean, we don’t have to still go out to dinner?”I made him take me anyway.

!ere was an anniversary where we win-dow shopped in a mall and went into theHallmark store, and showed each other thecards we would have bought if we felt likesplurging. So we are making slow progress.It should be surprising with us both beingScotch.

I pointed out to him the synergy of theAnn Landers story and going to the transferstation, but he thought it was “all different.”

“We did not shoot rats at the dump,” he ar-gued.

I argued that a lot of words get up-grades,like buildings don’t have basements or jani-tors anymore; now they are lower levels andcustodial engineers.

I’m pretty sure we were at the dump.

— Katie MacInnis

GOOD STUFFGRANDPARENTING

GOOD THOUGHT

GOOD TO KNOW

GRANDPARENTING

GOOD THOUGHTS

GOODlife 7

W ith the world awash inwarm colors of fall, a per-fect complement to the

season is a hayride.This classic autumn activity is

friendly for all ages, and offers achance to get outside to experi-ence the colors and sights of fall.

Here are a few of the farms thatoffer the rides:

Bill’s Farm Market, Petoskey —The market offers public hayridesstarting at 2 p.m. Saturdays inOctober, and run until everyone’staken a ride. Group hayrides for10 or more people can be madefor Monday through Saturdaythroughout the month. Cost is $3per person, and includes the half-hour ride around the farm, apples,cider and a small pumpkin. Bill’sFarm Market is located at 4450 E.Mitchell Road in Petoskey. Phone(231) 347-6735 or visit www.bills-farmmarket.com.

Pond Hill Farm, HarborSprings — The farm offers hay-rides noon-4 p.m. every Saturdayand Sunday through October, androlls through fields, pastures filledwith animals, swamps, forests andmakes a stop at the trout pond tofeed the fish. Cost is $4 per per-son, and kids 10 and under arefree. Private hayrides are availableupon request for $100 per hour,up to 30 people. Phone (231) 526-3276 or visit www.pondhill.com.

Royal Farms, Atwood/Ells-worth — Hayrides are offerednoon-4 p.m. Saturday and Sun-days from mid-September to Oc-tober, weather permitting. Grouprides for 10 to 15 people, or more,are given throughout the week.The rides travel through the prop-erty and apple orchard, and offerviews of Lake Michigan. Cost is$3 per person, or $1.50 with entryto the corn maze; the corn maze is$5 for adults and $3 for children.Royal Farms is located at 10445U.S. 31 North in Atwood/Ells-worth. Phone (231) 599-3222 orvisit www.royalfarmsinc.com.

Youth is when you’reallowed to stay up late onNew Year’s Eve. Middle ageis when you’re forced to.

— Bill Vaughn

True terror is to wake up onemorning and discover thatyour high school class isrunning the country.

— Kurt Vonnegut

I never dared be radicalwhen young for fearit would make meconservative when old.

— Robert Frost

Hit the hayride


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NOD TO NOSTALGIA - 19XX

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If you have a favorite nostalgic item you’d like to share with GOODLife readers, let us know!E-mail Beth Anne at [email protected].

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Music

In the news

Movie

!e way it was

NOD TO NOSTALGIA - 1945

SentimentalJourney

“!e LostWeekend”

!eSlinky

Les Brown’s “Sentimental Journey” hits No. 1in 1945.

He co-wrote the song, which was performedby Doris Day and became a theme song forthose returning from World War II.

Brown began playing the saxophone at age 7,and went on to study at the Ithaca Conservatoryof Music after one year of high school.

Brown was well known through “Les Brown& His Band of Renown,” a term coined by theradio announcer of “Spotlight Band” in 1942.

After a long life of music, he died in January2001 at the age of 88.

— World War IIends.

— Franklin DelanoRoosevelt diesin office, and isreplaced by vicepresident Harry S. Truman.

— !e Detroit Tigers win the World Seriesagainst the Chicago Cubs in seven games.

— “Animal Farm” by George Orwell ispublished.

— !e accidental discovery by Percy Spencerreveals that microwaves can heat food,when a candy bar melts in his pocket nearthe waves.

— !e first general purpose electroniccomputer is completed and covers 1,800feet of floor space.

Released on Nov. 16, 1945, “!e LostWeekend” chronicles the four-day binge ofalcoholic and failed writer Don Birnham (RayMilland).

It was the first movie to really look at theproblems of alcoholism as a modern illness andmet much acclaim. It was adapted from the 1944novel of the same name by Charles R. Jackson.

!e film was nominated for seven Oscars,bringing home awards for Best Picture, BestDirector for Billy Wilder, Best Actor in aLeading Role to Milland, and Best Writing,Screenplay, to Wilder and Charles Brackett.

Springing to the forefront of the toy kingdomthis year was the Slinky, whose debut was madeat Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia.

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James wasworking when he dropped a tension spring on thefloor. When it began to walk, he took it home tohis wife, Betty.

!e two thought it could make for a great toy,and 65 years later they are still made on the sameequipment he created. More than 300 millionhave been sold.

In Swedish, “slinky” means stealthy, sinuousand sleek, which couldn’t describe the toybetter. It was adopted as the official state toy ofPennsylvania in 2001.

Music

In the news

Movie

!e way it was

GOODlife 9GOODlife 9


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GOODlife 11

By Matt Mikus • Photos by G. Randall Goss

Mike Schlitt started shoot-ing photographs of his twodaughters on the competi-

tive cheer team, but his hobby trans-formed into a passionate pursuit ofnature photography that drew himto locations across the country andthe world.

After owning an automotive com-pany for 18 years in the Detroit area,Schlitt retired in 1995 and moved toCharlevoix eight years ago. His fo-cus on photography shifted towardnature. His photographs range fromsunsets in Yosemite to lions, impalasand cheetahs in Africa.

“Photography has opened my eyesto nature as never before,” Schlittsaid. “I can be driving down the road

now and see a cloud formation in thesky, and just appreciate its beauty.”

His house is a personal gallery ofhis images and experiences. Wallsare lined with images of grizzly bears,silverback gorillas, elephants andmajestic sunsets. Schlitt, 59, speaksabout the story behind each image,hiking through jungles, spendingdays in the frozen tundra and simplywaiting for hours for the perfect sun-light.

Schlitt compares his photographyto the practices of a hunter, thoughinstead of the thrill of the kill, heseeks the satisfaction of the imagecapture.

“A hunter can shoot them whenthey’re looking away, or at differenttimes of the day,” Schlitt said. ”But asa photographer, you have to catch

them when they’re looking so youcan see their eyes, and you’re look-ing for that perfect light to shoot thephoto.”

He also creates custom framesfrom exotic woods, which accentu-ate elements and colors in his pho-tographs. Most of his materials arepurchased from Rare Earth Hard-woods in Traverse City.

Even though Schlitt has traveledthe world to photograph exotic ani-mals, he finds the beauty of NorthernMichigan a fascinating subject. "econtrast between summer and winterseasons, and the colors found duringthe fall, constantly inspire Schlitt. Andafter being a guest judge for a localphotography competition, he realizedthat he wasn’t the only one inspiredby the scenery of Michigan. 4

Just shoot Photographyprovides a newway to look at life

GOOD IDEA


“I was blown away by the talentin Northern Michigan,” he said. “Iwondered if there was a photog-raphy club, and I realized there(wasn’t).”

So he started the CharlevoixPhotography Club, which cur-rently has 20 members and morethan 60 participants. Membersplan shoots together and attendphotography workshops. !e clubalso provides a location to givephotographers an opportunityto edit their images, by provid-ing computers with image editingsoftware. !ey invite photogra-phers to provide workshops in theCharlevoix-Petoskey area, rangingfrom portraiture to basic equip-ment training. !e club is a part ofthe Charlevoix Circle of Arts.

“We want to make this a world-famous photography club,” Schlittsaid. “We did a lot of research onwhere success comes from. Andthe successful clubs tend to have acommon mission.”

!e mission, as announced inMay 2010, is for the next two years,club members will collaborate tocreate a portfolio book focusingon the seasons of Charlevoix andsurrounding areas. !e group willsell the book as a fundraiser, andall proceeds will go to the Circleof Arts.

!e club welcomes any photog-rapher, from the beginner to theexperienced. Schlitt also stressedthat the club isn’t just for naturephotography.

“!ere are so many differentaspects of photography, from na-ture to portraits,” he said. “Youjust have to get involved in a club,shoot with other people and see ifit’s for you.”

Contact the Charlevoix Pho-tography Club at (231) 675-3321or visit www.charlevoixphotogra-phy.com. GL

EquipmentYou can spend a lot of moneyon photo equipment nowadays.So what do you need and whatcan you wait on?

Mike Schlitt suggested:— Buy a solid tripod. “Be willing

to put some extra money intoyour tripod. You don’t want tobe setting up your camera andhave the wind knock it over.”

— Stay with Canon or Nikon.Though there are manycompanies that create cameras,

“Everything is based off of thetwo big names, Canon andNikon. They’re the standard ofthe industry.”

— Cable release. Designed totrigger the camera withoutmoving the camera, it helpsto reduce the blurriness ofan image. “I shoot almosteverything with a cable release.”

— More expensive isn’t alwaysbetter. Schlitt once took aphotograph with a pocketcamera and a tripod that wasprinted on a 5-foot canvason display in a Grand Rapidsresidential building. “It doesn’ttake that much to create greatimages.”

How to getstarted

— Attend workshops, especiallyto learn the basics, such asunderstanding light and yourequipment.

— Join a photography club. Youcan meet others who sharethe same passion and offerfriendly advice.

— Do your research. Lookthrough some how-to bookson information such asshutter speed, focal lengthsand depth-of-field. A quickGoogle search can revealsome fascinating photographywebsites.

— Take pictures. Throughoutall this, enjoy looking forinteresting photographs. Don’tbe afraid to just go out andshoot.

Just shootContinued from 11

Mike Schlitt is a Charlevoix-based photographer, seen in hishome-based digital photo lab.

GOODlife 13

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GOOD ESCAPE

By Kristin Bates • Photos by G. Randall Goss

Nestled on the shores of St.Clair Lake in Ellsworth sits!e House on the Hill, a bed

and breakfast inn.Originally built in 1896 as a farm

house and cattle barn, !e Houseon the Hill has been welcomingguests to Northern Michigan forthe past 25 years. Innkeepers Marciand Phillip Palajak, originally fromAuburn Hills, purchased the prop-erty in August 2009.

“We were interested in owning abusiness in the area. After our kidsheaded off to college, we had ouropportunity. At first, we were talk-ing about operating a grocery store.However, I really didn’t want to be

in retail. !e Realtor, who couldsense my hesitancy, told us aboutthis bed and breakfast which wasfor sale. After we did a walk throughthe property, I knew we had foundour new venture,” Marci said.

Phillip added, “I love NorthernMichigan. I love its clean environ-ment, the expansive landscapes,the elevations and waterways. Mostof all, I truly enjoy the friendly peo-ple who make up the villages andtowns. !is is the place where I’mmost inspired.”

Located on 53 acres of privateland, !e House on the Hill offersguests the chance to enjoy the out-doors as well as provides them withan atmosphere of rest and relax-ation.

“One thing we like to emphasize,in addition to our quaint rooms andpeaceful environment, is the factwe are a destination place completewith all the amenities to enjoy theoutdoors. In the summer, guestscan hike or bike our groomed trails.In the winter, they are perfect forsnowshoeing or cross country ski-ing. And, we have kayaks and a ca-noe for guests to enjoy on the lake,fishing too,” Marci said.

Guests at !e House on the Hillhave the choice of seven availablerooms located within the mainhome and the carriage house. Sur-rounded by a wraparound porch,the main house has four rooms tochoose from which include the Rose,the Birch, the Pine and the Cherry.

Off to the hill!e House on the Hill offers rest and relaxation

GOODlife 15

Room rates range from $150 to$175 a night in the main house. Inthe carriage house, there are threerooms: the Tamarack, the Mapleand the Aspen. All the rooms inthe carriage house feature a privatebath, gas fireplace and semi-privatedeck. Rates are $200 a night.

“With our wraparound porch,which is decorated with wicker seat-ing and tables, guests have the op-portunity to watch the Fourth of Julyfireworks. !ey are launched rightoff our beach front. You can’t beatthe view,” Marci said.

Included in the package, eachguest is welcomed to a gourmetbreakfast prepared by Marci, whois helped throughout the summerby her daughter, Lauren, a junior atMichigan State University. Phillipcommutes each weekend from theirhome in Auburn Hills to help. Witha wide selection of breads, muffinsand entrees served each morning,they have compiled a cookbook withmore 400 items featured at the inn.

Marci said, “I love to cook. It’sbeen a passion of mine. While Lau-ren is here, she handles all the bak-ing. In addition to breakfast, at 5:30

p.m. each night we set out a selec-tion of cheese and crackers, iced teaand ice water for the guests. !en,when they return from dinner, Lau-ren serves fresh-baked cookies.”

!e bed and breakfast has hostedmany community events as well, in-cluding a fashion show fundraiser.

Plans for the upcoming fall andwinter season include a high teaduring the month of November andoffering a painting class taught by alocal artist, where each participantwill leave with a painted canvas.

“It’s such a relaxing and comfort-able setting conducive to holdingcommunity events, and it givesthe local people the chance to visitand see what we have to offer. !ebeauty of our bed and breakfast ishaving the advantage of meetingsome fascinating people but at thesame time having the opportunityto bask in the solitude of our vastproperty,” Marci said.

!e House on the Hill is openyear-round and is located at 9661Lake St. in Ellsworth. For roomavailability, visit www.thehou-seonthehill.com or call (231) 588-6123.

Themain home:

The Rose Room, originally themaster bedroom, features a king-size bed and a view of St. Clair Lake.It is decorated in bold geometrics,a collection of Eastlake antiques anda private bath and tub for addedrelaxation.

With a gabled ceiling andwindows on three sides, theBirch Room has a king-sizebed complete with a sitting areaoverlooking the lake. Color washedwalls add to the ambiance of theroom, which includes a private bath.

Featuring a 22-foot ceiling, thePine Room has a palladiumwindow overlooking the property.It is decorated in refinished pinepieces which include a four-poster,queen-size bed and a private bath.

The Cherry Room, sister tothe Pine Room, overlooks thecarriage house with views ofthe surrounding property. It isdecorated with dark cherry furniture,a four-poster, queen-size bed anda private bath.

Thecarriage house:

The Tamarack Room, a guestfavorite, offers a wrought iron andwood king-size bed. The semi-private deck allows for wildlifeviewing with a deer feeder andwild turkeys roaming the propertyand sounds of an artesian creek.

The Aspen Room, decorated inblue and mauve colors, has widerdoorways, an iron king-size bedand has handrails in the privatebathroom facilities. There is accessto a semi-private deck.

The Maple Room has a king-sizebed and two sets of antique chairsadorning the windows, which allowfor more additional lighting as wellas a view of the outdoors. There isaccess to a semi-private deck.

Lauren ( from left), Phillip and Marci Palajak on the front porchof The House on the Hill.

GOOD HUMOR

For me some things neverchange.

So I hope there are grand-parents out there who can re-

late if they have grandkids playingyouth sports. It can be a doggonetrying situation, yet, at the sametime, a lot of fun.

Recently my wife and I attendeda Little League state tournamentdownstate that our grandson wasplaying in. !e tournament just hap-pened to come exactly 27 years afterour own son played in a state final.

What I learned is I can be justas restless today as I was back thenwhen watching a game.

In 1983 as sports editor of thePetoskey News-Review, coveringstate finals was a given. Call meone nervous father because notonly was I trying to cover the gamein general, but I was also trying tokeep a close tab on how our sonwas playing. Even today I have fansthat were there tell me what a ner-vous wreck I was.

Now let’s fast forward to thissummer, and we are getting readyto watch our grandson and histeammates. We had lawn chairsset up and we were mingling withother parents and grandparents.

!en the game started. Now, wasI going to stay calm or drift backinto that 1983 mode?

Well, grampie (not grandpa, butgrampie) was out of his chair innothing flat, pacing, standing alongthe fence in the outfield, walkingto the other side and talking with

parents and grandparents of oppo-nents, while keeping a close eye onthe diamond.

Yup, the old rush was back. Forthree games the chair would be setup but never sat in for more than aminute at a time. Finally, someoneasked our daughter that if I wasn’tgoing to use my chair, could they?

!inking back, whatever sportsour kids and grandkids were play-ing — and there have been a lot ofthem — it has been hard to just sitthere and watch. I, for one, wouldrather be on the move.

Case in point was a recent youthsoftball invitational tournamentin Petoskey that our granddaugh-ter was playing in. I was all overthe place. I admire fans, especiallygrandparents, who can sit in thestands calm and collected, game inand game out.

For our family, it all started well

over three decades ago in the early1970s with introduction to LittleLeague and other youth sports.!at lasted into the 1990s and nowhere we are today, enjoying gamesbut still feeling those old emotions.

For the record, we now have twoLittle League playing grandchildrenin Petoskey, Katrina and TrevorDaniel, and two in Lewisburg, Pa.,Sam and Grace Rosevear.

All four are involved in severalsports. !ose in Pennsylvania wedon’t get to see in action that muchbut do ask for updates and photoson how things are going. We have,however, gone east for up to 10days to watch Sam and Grace playcompetitive games (soccer, baseball,softball) and plan on doing it again.

!at also brings up the point thatgrandpas and grandmas like to hearabout success stories even if theyare unable to attend a game.

I remember when our oldest sonbegan Little League. It was a ritualto call his grandparents in Arizonato fill them in on what he had ac-complished that night or the nightbefore.

!is summer, our granddaughterexcitedly called from Pennsylvaniato tell us that she hit a home run andtripled to score the winning run; ourgrandson called, also from Pennsyl-vania, when he hit an out-of-the-park home run.

In this day and age it’s a little hard-er for grandparents to keep track ofgrandkids because, compared toyears ago, there are so many sports

Old habits die hardOR, JUST AS NERVOUS AS ALWAYS

byJerry Rosevear

16 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH16 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOODlife 17

they can participate in and sportscamps to attend. !en, when theyare finished, it’s time to go back toschool. !at little fact came to a re-alization recently when my grand-son asked, “Do you know how many(sports) camps I have been to thissummer?” My answer was, well, no,but his answer did not include thefact he missed Boy Scout Camp andCamp Daggett because of baseball

Little League district and state tour-naments.

Still, watching kids participatein sports is just a fascination I havealways had, the highs, the lows, theachievements, the fun stuff and yes,antics on the field or court. It’s justa riot how some kids react to cer-tain situations and show their ex-citement.

Hey, this grampie gets excited too,

and maybe that is why I have had anunwavering love of sports all my life.!e wife will agree with that.

On our retirement travels I can’tpass a stadium, sports complex orrecreation area without sneaking along look and her barking “Watch it.Will you keep your eyes on the road?”“Sorry, I can’t help it” is my reply!

Now the grandkids are keepingmy first love, next to the wife, alive,and I’m always ready for the nextsports season and again watchingyoungsters give it their all. Besides,all this running around to variousevents helps keep me young and Ianxiously await the next event inthese retirement years.

So, as long as the knees and legshold out I will be standing, pacingand also leaning against the fence orrailing.

It’s apparent now I can’t sit. GL

Jerry Rosevear (back) with grandkids( from left) Trevor and KatrinaDaniel of Petoskey, and Grace andSam Rosevear of Lewisburg, Pa.

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GOOD HEALTH

Painin thejointsArthritis ismore thanjust jointinflammation

GOODlife 19

By Danny Hopkins

A rthritis, in a general sense,could be defined simply asinflammation in the joints.

But it’s trickier than that.There are more than 100 dif-

ferent kinds of arthritis docu-mented. There’s gout, caused bytoo much uric acid in the bloodstream. There are types of arthri-tis connected to psoriasis and lu-pus.

But the two most commontypes are osteoarthritis andrheumatoid arthritis. Dr. IreneKazmers of Northern MichiganRheumatology in Petoskey andThe Arthritis Foundation offeredinformation about these two.

OsteoarthritisOsteoarthritis, informally called

wear-and-tear arthritis, is themost common. There are morethan 27 million Americans withthis type. It occurs when the car-tilage at the end of bones breaksdown, which can be caused byinjury, being overweight, hered-ity or by simply aging.

The loss of cartilage betweenbones causes bone-to-bone con-tact, resulting in inflammation,stiffness, pain and/or swelling,making it harder to use the af-fected joint. Osteoarthritis takestime to develop and usually be-comes apparent in a person’s late40s. It tends to rear its head in thebig joints, such as knees, hips andspine, but can also wreak havocin the fingers and toes. The bestway to stave off osteoarthritis isby maintaining a healthy weightand by staying physically active.

There’s no cure for osteoarthri-tis, and it’s progressive, meaningit gets worse as times goes on.But if diagnosed, its presence inyour life can be managed.

Over the counter anti-inflam-matory drugs can be used to

decrease inflammation and less-en pain, but the level of dosageshould be sanctioned by a pro-fessional. Acetaminophen, theactive ingredient in somethinglike Tylenol, can also be takento decrease pain. But excessiveuse of analgesics can cause liverproblems.

Some rheumatologists alsosuggest taking something calledglucosamine sulfate, an aminosugar formed in the human bodythat is key for the formation oftissues such as cartilage. It isavailable over the counter, butimprovements may not be no-ticed for months. And like mostthings at the drug store say ontheir labels: consult a doctor be-fore taking anything.

It is also important to exerciseand strength train, to keep themuscles around arthritic jointsin shape — this can also help re-duce pain. Treatment could alsoinclude a referral to an occupa-tional therapist. Occupationaltherapists help people improvetheir ability to undertake every-day tasks, from getting out ofbed in the morning to gettinginto bed tonight, and everythingin between. It’s also good to beeducated about joint protectiontechniques and the use of adap-tive equipment, which can helptake strain off problem areas.

Rheumatoid arthritisThe second most common type

of arthritis is rheumatoid, and itaffects around 1.3 million Ameri-cans. Anyone can get rheumatoidarthritis, but it is most prevalentin those 40 or older.

The cause of rheumatoid ar-thritis has yet to be discovered.It occurs when the body’s im-mune system confuses the joint’scells as hostile and attacks them,causing a build-up of fluid in thejoint, which leads to inflamma-

tion, swelling and redness. Thisprocess leads to the erosion ofcartilage. The lack of cartilagecauses the bones to rub againstone another, and this can lead tocrippling joint deformities.

Rheumatoid arthritis is char-acterized by sudden flare-upsand symptoms that change day-to-day. Symptoms vary fromperson to person and, besidesthe inflammation itself, includefatigue, weight loss and generalweakness.

Some of the treatments usedfor osteoarthritis can also beused on rheumatoid arthritis,such as anti-inflammatory drugs,analgesics and therapy. But thereare also several other options,the most common of which in-clude corticosteroids and metho-trexate.

Corticosteroids are connectedto cortisol, a steroid hormone se-creted by the adrenal gland thatis released during stress. Themedication can be used to de-crease inflammation.

Methotrexate is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, ora DMARD. Methotrexate is com-monly used to treat cancer, butin low doses, and combined withimmunosuppressive drugs, it hasbeen found to control rheuma-toid arthritis somewhat. GL

Want toknow more?www.arthritis.org

or consult your

physician.


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GOODlife 21

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GOOD TIMES Food and Entertaining

Cocktail mixers stir upinterest

Michelle LockeFor The Associated Press

Spirits have gone premium. Bar-tenders have turned artisan.Even ice has become a little

cooler.So, it only makes sense that mix-

ers are getting a makeover with up-scale versions promising to bringchic cocktails to a fridge near you.

“Consumers just seem to get itimmediately,” says Jordan Silbert,founder of Q Tonic, an all-naturalproduct introduced a few years ago.

“Why would I mix my Grey Goosewith a soda. It just doesn’t makesense.”

Silbert got the idea to make abetter mixer after drinking gin andtonics at his Brooklyn home and re-alizing the premium gin in his glasshad no business mingling with amass-market product containinghigh fructose corn syrup.

A similar epiphany struck Dush-an Zaric and Jason Kosmas, mixolo-gists at New York’s Employees Onlybar who have just released two non-alcoholic mixers — a grenadine anda lime cordial — under the name EOBrands.

“We were not so happy with whatwas commercially available outthere,” says Zaric.

!ey researched and began mak-ing their own blend for the restau-rants, eventually deciding to bottleand sell it.

Commercially available grena-

dine is mostly artificial, red dye andsweeteners, Zaric says. EO grena-dine is reduced 100 percent pome-granate juice sweetened with canesugar and accented with spices. !elime cordial is reduced lime juice(also 100 percent) with agave nectarand kaffir lime leaves for flavor andspice.

“We really went to great lengths tomake sure that this is as natural andas delicious as it can be,” he says.

Some purists say nothing com-pares to mixing your cocktails fromscratch, but says Zaric, “Ours is asclose as you can get.”

EO Brands mixers are being mar-keted to bars, online in New York

City through FreshDirect, and areexpected to be available in majormarkets soon at an upscale grocer,Zaric says.

Authenticity drove Silbert as well.He figured out the components of

tonic — quinine (a bitter that in itsnatural form comes from the barkof the cinchona tree), sweetener andcarbonated water. Next step: order abag of bark over the Internet and getto work.

He used agave nectar as a sweet-ener. But trying to create crisp, tightbubbles at home “drove me crazy,”so he found a plant in Massachu-setts where he had a couple hundredcases made. Bartenders started buy-


GOODlife 25

ing and he borrowed his father’sstation wagon to make deliveries.

“My dad actually sat in the car whileI unloaded this stuff.”

"en he got discovered by Plym-outh Gin, caught the attention ofthe New York Times and now sellsQ Tonic to almost 3,000 placesaround the country, includingWhole Foods Markets.

A pioneer in the premium cock-tail mix was Stirrings, establishedin Nantucket in 1997. "e com-pany has since been bought by Dia-geo North America, a subsidiary ofDiageo, a leading spirits, wine andbeer company.

Stirrings sells several mixers aswell as cocktail rimmers, bar sodasand a new line of liqueurs includ-ing ginger, espresso and apple, saysJody Samuels Ike, a senior brandmanager. "e company uses realfruit juice, all natural ingredientsand pure cane sugar, never highfructose corn syrup.

Victoria D’Amato-Moran, a SanFrancisco bartender, has been mak-ing her own simple syrups and oth-er mixers for years, even growingher own herbs. She likes the trendof going back to natural and organ-ic ingredients in bottled mixers. “Ifyou’re giving me a selection of 20different tonics and ales and I cango to someone that has harvestedtheir own grains and herbs, I’m go-ing to go for that.”

She was recently in New Yorkand stopped in at Employees Only,where she got the chance to trytheir wares first hand.

“I respect what they’re doing."ey’re really passionate,” she says.

"e way she sees it, uppingthe quality of your mixer is a no-brainer.

After all, “Why sacrifice a greatgin and tonic?” GL

"is highly flavorful steak is ver-satile enough to work for family-style dining, as well as a party-wor-thy appetizer. It all comes down tothe polenta.

GRILLED SIRLOIN WITHPOLENTA AND SOUR CREAMStart to finish: 1 hour (15 minutes active)Servings: 4FOR THE STEAK:1/3 cup olive oil1/3 cup balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon black peppercorns4 cloves garlic1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed of fatand very thinly slicedFOR THE POLENTA:18-ounce tube prepared polenta2 tablespoons olive oilSalt and ground black pepperGarlic powderFOR THE SOUR CREAM:1 cup sour cream1 shallot, finely minced1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

In a blender, combine the oil,vinegar, salt, peppercorns and gar-lic. Puree until smooth, then pourinto a stainless steel or other non-reactive bowl. Add the steak, mix-ing gently to coat, then refrigeratefor 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the polentainto 8 slices. Use a pastry brush tolightly coat both sides of each slicewith oil. Sprinkle both sides ofeach slice with a bit of salt, pepperand garlic powder. Set aside untilthe steak is ready to grill.

In a small bowl, whisk togetherthe sour cream, shallot and chives.Set aside.

Heat the grill to medium-high.Coat the racks with cooking sprayor oil.

Grill the polenta slices for 3minutes per side, or until boldgrill marks appear. Use a spatula tocarefully transfer the slices to serv-ing plates.

Grill the steak for 1 minute perside. Mound 1 or 2 slices on top ofeach polenta round. Top each witha dollop of sour cream.

Nutrition information per serv-ing (values are rounded to thenearest whole number): 925 calo-ries; 408 calories from fat; 45 g fat(18 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 118mg cholesterol; 83 g carbohydrate;40 g protein; 9 g fiber; 216 mg so-dium. GL

Mmmm ...

Steak

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Because the steak is so thinly sliced, it thor-oughly absorbs the marinade and cooks almostinstantly on the grill.


Jim RomanoffAssociated Press Writer

Many people mistakenly as-sume turkey burgers arelean.

But depending on the variety ofground turkey used, you can endup with more than 15 grams of fatin a 4-ounce portion. You can buyground turkey that is 99 percentlean, but you’ll end up with dry, fla-vorless burgers.

A good compromise is 93 per-cent lean ground turkey, which hasabout 8 grams of fat per serving. It’senough to keep the burgers moistand flavorful, but lean enough to

include in a healthy diet.Of course, as with any meat, less

fat means less flavor, so you’ll wanta strategy for compensating forthese losses. !ink meatloaf.

By mixing in chopped vegeta-bles — such as onions, mushroomsand celery — fresh or dried herbsand a wet component, say ketchupor mustard, you will not only boostthe flavor, but also add back much-needed moisture.

Consider adding breadcrumbsor quick cooking oats, too. !eynot only stretch the meat (whichcuts the total fat per serving), butalso help retain moisture.

!is robustly flavored stout and

onion turkey burger uses caramel-ized sweet onions and a reductionof intense, dark beer combinedwith zesty mustard and driedthyme to enhance ground turkey.Use this same flavor base to makeexcellent meatloaf or meatballs.

If you like, you can top the burg-er with some tangy, extra-sharpcheddar cheese, which makes aperfect foil for the assertivenessof the stout. By using extra-sharpcheddar you can get away with us-ing a full-fat cheese because just alittle adds a lot of flavor.

Serve these burgers with a sideof sweet potato fries and a fewcrunchy pickle spears.

HEALTHY BURGERS?Just add veggies

GOOD TIMES Food and Entertaining

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Start to finish: 1 hour (35 minutes active), Servings: 4

In a medium saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add theonions and sauté until softened and slightly golden, 7 to 10minutes. Add the stout and increase heat to high. Boil the mixtureuntil reduced by two-thirds and making syrupy bubbles, about20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl to cool for 20minutes.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal fire.Add the mustard, thyme, salt and pepper to the onion mixture.

Add the ground turkey and breadcrumbs. Gently but thoroughlycombine. Shape into 4 patties, about 3/4-inch thick.

To oil the grill grates, wet a folded paper towel with oil, hold itwith tongs and rub it over the grates.

Grill the burgers until well browned on the underside, 4 to5 minutes. With a spatula, turn the burgers carefully. Grill 4 to 6minutes more, or until the burger registers 165 F at the center. Topwith cheese, if using, during the last minute of grilling. Meanwhile,toast the buns at the edge of the grill. Serve the burgers on thetoasted buns.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded tothe nearest whole number): 468 calories; 131 calories from fat;15 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 73 mg cholesterol; 49 gcarbohydrate; 32 g protein; 5 g fiber; 966 mg sodium. GL

Stout and OnionTurkey Burger

1 teaspoon canola oil1 cup chopped Vidalia onion1 cup Guinness or other stout2 tablespoons Dijon mustard2 teaspoons chopped fresh

thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground black

pepper

1 pound 93 percent leanground turkey

1 cup panko (Japanese-style)breadcrumbs

1/3 cup shredded sharpcheddar cheese (optional)

4 whole-wheat hamburgerbuns or other small wheatbread

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COVER STORY

Anewleaseleaseon(working) life

From kindergarten toribbons to lavender

Linda Longworth has had sev-eral second careers.

Her current endeavor is Laven-der Hill Farms on Horton Bay Road,which she owns with her husband,Roy.

But the path to the fragrant fieldsstarted more than 40 years ago,when she had just graduated col-lege and was teaching kindergartenin Milwaukee, Wis. Linda was therefor three years, when she and Roy

started adding to their family oftwo.

“I decided I didn’t have enoughin me to work in a kindergarten”while raising their three children,she noted.

But when the children were oldenough to all be in school, Lindawent back to school herself. Sheearned a degree in telecommunica-tions.

Full-time editing, with its demand-ing and sporadic schedule, wasn’t go-ing to fit her life, Linda said.

Instead, three nights a weekshe edited lecture videos for theuniversity from which she earnedher degree. She was simultane-ously volunteering at a school forchildren with disabilities.

“They needed help with fund-raising, so I decided to go into de-velopment work,” Linda said.

!is led her to work as develop-ment officer for the Medical Col-lege of Wisconsin, raising funds forresearch.

But 15 years down the road, she

F or many, the career path isa straight line from first dayto retirement — companies

may change but the work stayslargely the same.

But a few others find thattheir initial path leads them to afork in road, where they can staythe course or be off on a newadventure. !ose who opt for theroad less traveled find themselveson a whole new path, new career.

Here are the stories of somelocal residents whose career pathstook them to new territory.

By Maggie Peterson. Photos by G. Randall Goss

GOODlife 29

decided it was time to move on andseek out a way to express her cre-ative side. She described the feel-ing of walking into the unknownas freeing.

“I thought ‘I don’t have to goanywhere or be any place,’ and thatfrees up your mind,” Linda said. “Iwas walking the streets trying tofigure out what I wanted to donext.”

Enter the ribbon store, Broad-way Paper, which Linda half-jok-ingly dubbed “Martha Stewart’swarehouse.” When she purchasedthe business, it was a factory outletfor a ribbon store.

Shifting the focus from justribbons to fine art papers as well,Linda said she was able to tap intothe creative side she was missingin her other jobs.

Ten years later, after Roy hadsold his company and the couplewas spending more time in his na-tive Australia, Linda’s shop wasproving too hard to manage fromafar. She sold it.

Not long after, the Longworthsmoved to Northern Michigan per-manently. A Petoskey native, Lindaand her husband settled in at theirWalloon Lake cottage.

She and her husband cameacross the property where Laven-der Hill Farms stands when a friendcalled them about it. If someonelocal didn’t buy the land, it wouldbe turned into a subdivision.

!ere were no plans to farm it,but one day Linda was searchingout deer-resistant plants to placeon their nearby property. Laven-der was chosen, and she began tonotice bees from her beekeepinghobby frequenting the plants.

Roy was on a trip to Australia atthe time, but Linda recalled a con-versation they had on the phone in

which he said, “!e world marketfor lavender is underserved.”

!e spark was lit, and after re-searching for several months thefirst round was planted. !at wasseven years ago, and the pair havebeen adding about 1,000 plants ayear since then.

“!e reason I did it was becauseit was challenging,” Linda noted. “ ...You can observe everyone else (andhow they work with lavender), butyou have to develop your own styleon your own land.”

Linda said despite having workedin so many different areas, her ex-periences have tied back to a dis-covery made during her teachingstint — see a need and fill it.

“If you can focus on the talents ofthe group you do have,” you’re ableto figure out what’s needed, shenoted.

Linda, 63, added that many aresurprised by the road she’s taken, orrather where the road has taken her.

“You’re doing what?” is a commonquestion.

“It’s just not typical,” she said. “Butthat’s one of the reasons it’s been somuch fun. What says you have tobe typical?” 4

Lavender Hill Farms is open

seasonally, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wednesday through Friday

and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday

through Sept. 15. It will also

be open by appointment

and for special events

through the end of the year.

For more information, call

(231) 582-3784 or visit www.

lavenderhillmichigan.com.

Linda Longworth has had several careers leading her to where she is now.

“I thought‘I don’t have togo anywhereor be any place,’and that freesup your mind.”

— Linda Longworth

4


From academia to artGene Reck and Joann Condino

fell into their second careers asowners of !ree Pines Studio inCross Village.

!e gallery started as a way toshowcase Joann’s art, and has beenexpanded from its original 10-by-10 dimensions into the gallery is ittoday.

!e pair moved permanently tothe area in 2000. !ey were on sab-batical in 1999 from Wayne StateUniversity, where Gene spent theprevious 35 years as a chemistryprofessor and Joann was 25 years

into her career, serving as directorof marketing.

“’I don’t want to go back to work,’”Joann recalled Gene telling herduring a conversation. “And I said,‘Oh, OK.’”

Gene said this change camewhen he looked around and real-ized that he wasn’t reaching all ofhis students, just a portion. !isin turn meant he wasn’t achievingwhat he wanted.

“I don’t want to do it because I’mnot feeling successful,” he recalledfeeling.

But after a few months of re-tirement, the couple realized theywanted to do something more thanspend their days kayaking or beingaround the house.

It was time to build a studio.Joann, 59, has been linked to

art since childhood, when her par-ents owned Condino’s Cafe, a bar/restaurant in Detroit. Her fathermade wine, and would take thelids from wooden boxes of grapesand sand them down. !ese wereher canvases. Her mother createdcolored water by boiling beets orgreens, and Joann would use theseand paintbrushes to dye the wood.!is progressed to silk painting,which she still does today.

Gene, 72, began his art careerlater in life, shortly after the pairmoved north. Joann was workingon ceramics with a neighbor, andthe two would often send Gene onmissions to roll out clay or helpwith the firing.

“I’m doing all this work — I mightas well do it myself,” he recalled.

Many people ask him, isn’t that

New lease on(working) lifeContinued from 29

Gene Reck and Joann Condino

GOODlife 31

Three Pines Studio is open

11 a.m.-7 p.m. every day but

Wednesdays, when the gallery is

closed, through October. Hours are

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Monday

in November through April. For more

information, call (231) 526-9447 or

visit www.threepinesstudio.com.

an enormous jump from scienceto art?

“I say no,” Gene said.!e elements of each are trans-

ferable, he noted. !e scientificmethod is about observation, asis art. Knowing the materials is askey to creating as it is to chemis-try, and a lab book and sketchbookserve similar purposes.

During her time at the univer-sity, Joann’s work and art were inseparate compartments, althoughboth a part of her. In this foray, thetwo merge.

“I learned from those experi-ences to never separate being anartist, and creating art (is not) stopand go ... It’s not so much a changeof career, as it is the ability to focuson certain issues, concerns,” Joannnoted. GL

There’s a huge difference in the kind ofhome care you can receive from someonewho really understands what your life is likeas a senior. The concerns you have. Theneed for independence. Someone who likeyou, has a little living under his or her belt.

Our loving, caring compassionate seniors arethere to help. We offer all the services youneed to stay in your own home, livingindependently.

• Companion Care• Housekeeping Services• Meal preparation/cooking• Personal Care• Overnight and 24-hour Care• Transportation

• Shopping• Doctor Appointments• Yard Work• Handyman Services• and more!

Now serving Petoskey andnorthern Michigan

Home Care by Seniors for Seniors

Call us today. Like getting a little help from your friendsTM.If you’re interested in becoming a provider we would like to hear from you too.

Call us at 989-448-8323 or visit our website at www.seniorshelpingseniors.com©2009 Each office is independently owned and operated. All trademarks are registered trademarks of Corporate Mutual Resources Incorporated.

One of our newest sectionsis our scattering garden.Loved ones may scattercremains here at not charge

although there is a charge to record thename and genealogical informationat the cemetery office if so desired. Agranite tablet is located near the gardenand is available for inscriptions.

For those who have chosen cremation,Greenwood Cemetery believes it isvitally important to inter cremainsin a cemetery rather than to scatterelsewhere. Because of our work with

genealogists and our role as keepersof history we know it is important forfuture generations to have a place to‘go’ to remember a loved one - perhapseven one they have never met.

The cemetery is a resource forgenealogy research since it provides arecorded history or our lives for futuregenerations. With this in mind, somefamilies have chosen to memorializetheir loved ones here at the cemeteryeven though scattering elsewhere hasalready taken place.


GOOD CENTS

ReverseMORTGAGE

By Maggie Peterson

he words “reverse mortgage”are flying around a lot these days.

But as with any loan, informa-tion and caution are needed to

make the right decision.!is piece will provide basic in-

formation about reverse mortgagesas provided by the Federal Housing

Administration (FHA) of the U.S. HousingandUrbanDevelopmentDepartment,throughwhich more than 90 percent of reverse mort-gages are transacted. !e department callsthem home equity conversion mortgages, orHECM (heck-em).

Proprietary reverse mortgages make upthe balance, and come from banking, creditunions or other financial companies; these aredesigned for very high value homes.

National Council on Aging Home EquityInitiatives vice president Barbara Stucki offeredadvantages and disadvantages of the loans.

What is a reverse mortgage?A reverse mortgage is a home loan that

converts a portion of home equity intocash. It is available to those 62 years andolder who live in the home and have paidoff the home’s original mortgage or onlyhave a small portion left to pay.

No repayment is required unless thehome is no longer the principal residenceof the borrower or borrowers. Repaymentwill be required if you die, sell the home,do not pay property taxes or insurance,permanently move to a new residence,fail to live in the home for 12 consecutivemonths, or allow the property to deterio-rate and be in disrepair.

“For the vast majority of people, thebest deal is through a HECM. And thatis because FHA provides insurance thathelps protect lenders, and that means thelenders are willing to lend more,” Stuckinoted.

$$$$

GOODlife 33

How it worksWith a reverse mortgage,

funds are paid to the borrower.There are five options throughthe housing administration

— tenure, term, line of credit,modified tenure and modifiedterm.

Tenure offers equal monthlypayments for as long as thereis one borrower living in andoccupying the home as a pri-mary residence. Term featuresmonthly payments for a fixedperiod of selected months. Lineof credit allows for withdraw-ing amounts of choice wheneverdesired until the loan amount isreached.

Modified tenure loans com-bine monthly payments with aline of credit for the length ofoccupancy in the home. Modi-fied term combines monthlypayments with line of credit fora selected, fixed period of time.

Unlike other home equityloans, the reverse mortgageloan does not need to be repaiduntil the home is no longer theprincipal residence.

!e amount of money paidis determined by a number offactors. Generally, more moneyis given the older the borrower,the more valuable the propertyand the lower the interest rate.

What’s the cost?!e cost of taking out a re-

verse mortgage loan depends onthe individual, the current inter-est rate and the appraised valueof the home or the housing ad-ministration’s mortgage limitsfor the area. Closing costs varyper lender.

RepaymentOnce the home is no longer

the principal residence, the loanmust be repaid in full. When thehome is sold, the borrower orthe estate will pay back the loanplus interest and other fees tothe lender.

!is means that if the home issold or the borrower passes away,proceeds from the sale will go topay off the loan. Whatever is re-maining is left to the borrower orthe heirs.

If the home stays in the fam-ily, it’s up to the family to pay theloan balance. Heirs often musttake out their own mortgage topay this.

Reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans, which means thatthe borrower or the estate cannever owe more than the value ofthe home. !is holds true even ifthe loan is more than the value ofthe home.

AdvantagesBarbara Stucki said there are

several advantages to reversemortgages.

— Liquidating home equitywithout making monthly pay-ments, and the ability to spendthe money however wished, forexample health care, home repairor replacing a lost pension.

— Flexibility in payment plansmeans loan payments can fityour needs. !e plan can oftenbe changed for a modest fee.

— In general, income from areverse mortgage is not consid-ered income by the Internal Rev-enue Service. It should not af-fect Social Security payments orMedicare; however, it may effectMedicaid payments.

— Reverse mortgages canprovide additional assistancefor middle-income familieswithout many other assets, or

those who do not easily qualifyfor low-income benefits. !eborrowers do not have to selltheir home or take out a conven-tional loan to get equity out oftheir home. Working paymentsinto the finances may mean be-ing able to stay in the home aslong as they want, meeting bor-rower obligations.

— Your credit doesn’t matter,as the home is secured by its ownvalue.

Disadvantages!ere are a variety of disad-

vantages when it comes to re-verse mortgages, Stucki noted.

— If you tap into your equitynow, you won’t have it for later.

— Reverse mortgages don’talways follow the conventionalmortgage wisdom, for examplewith fixed rates. Because therearen’t monthly payments to 4

Onlineresources

Several websites providehelpful information regardingreverse mortgages.

Home Equity ConversionMortgage home page: www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hecm/hecmabou.cfm

Home Equity ConversionMortgage question and answer:www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hecm/rmtopten.cfm

Reverse mortgage calculatorthrough AARP: rmc.ibisreverse.com//rmc_pages/rmc_aarp/aarp_index.aspx

National Council onAging “Use Your Home toStay at Home” downloadablebooklet: www.ncoa.org/reversemortgagecounseling


make, fixed rate is less of an is-sue. Fixed rate reverse mortgagesrequire money to be taken out ina lump sum. If the money isn’t be-ing used right away, the interest ac-crues on the lump sum, which canmean a lot of money to pay, quicklydrawing down the home equity.

— Sometimes, those who are us-ing a reverse mortgage to pay thecurrent mortgage think they arejust paying off the current mort-gage. In fact, it is just delaying thepayment. Stucki offered the follow-ing example:

• Someone has to pay $50,000on a conventional loan, whichcosts $500 per month to pay.• Taking out a reverse mort-gage, they continue to pay offthe $50,000 current loan.• This puts them $50,000 in

debt on the reverse mortgage.• The interest on the reverse,which is compounded, has to bepaid off. If interest is 5 percent,that adds on $2,500 in the firstyear. This adds up to paying 5percent on $52,500 the secondyear. As the years pass, this caneat into the equity pretty quick-ly, leaving nothing left.

Use cautionReverse mortgages can be an

important option to finance retire-ment needs, but only if used wisely,Stucki said.

Because there are many loantypes out there, there are plenty ofoptions. But this can make it hardto decide on the right one.

Shopping around is key, Stuckinoted, as closing costs and interestrates can vary per lender. "e dif-ference in 0.25 percent interest can

mean huge amounts of money, es-pecially if someone’s staying in thehouse for many years.

“What we really recommend thatpeople do, that could help themshop around, is to go to a reversemortgage counseling session. Werecommend that they do that be-fore they talk to a lender,” Stuckisaid.

In the session, which can costup to $125 currently, a counselorwill provide background informa-tion and tables including loan com-parisons and hypotheticals. Stuckinoted that the basic informationcan help when seeking out a lender.Counselor information is availablethrough the Federal Housing Ad-ministration’s website or by callingits housing counseling and referralline, (800) 569-4287. Lenders canbe found through the same website.

Stucki said common sense andcareful thinking are two musts be-fore entering into a reverse mort-gage, because once it’s done, it’sdone.

“Anybody that’s sort of doing high-pressure tactics, that’s a big red flag.Anybody who’s claiming that theyhave to pay big fees in order to getadvice, that’s illegal. Nobody shouldbe pressuring them to take out a re-verse mortgage to do home repairsor buy an annuity; nobody shouldbe required to do that. Anybodythat tells you that you can get a re-verse mortgage for life, that’s incor-rect,” she noted. GL

COUNSELOR INFORMATION

Federal HousingAdministration

portal.hud.gov

Housing andcounselingreferral line

(800) 569-4287

NationalCouncil on Aging

www.ncoa.org

Use caution anddo your researchwhen looking intoreverse mortgages.

Reverse mortgageContinued f rom 33

GOODlife 35

By Brittney Moody • Photo by G. Randall Goss

P roductions for the LittleTraverse Civic !eatre inPetoskey are swarming with

volunteers both on and off thestage.

“Our whole program is volun-teer based,” said Tonda Richey,organization vice president. “Wecouldn’t do what we do withoutthem.”

With their show season approach-ing in October, the theater is in needof many hands to help keep theshows rolling. !ere are four showsper season and seven runs per show.

“We have a wonderful volunteerbase, but we want to give them abreak — it’s always nice to bringnew blood in,” noted Tracy Ulrich,organization treasurer.

According to Richey, there areplenty of volunteer opportunitiesfor people of any age and mosttime commitments are flexible.Opportunities range from baking,to selling tickets at the box office,to ushering, to helping constructand tear down sets.

Because of budget cuts in re-cent years, more of the group’sprograms are turning toward vol-unteers, including the afterglow.

!e afterglow is a reception puton after the first night of a per-formance for the patrons. Effortsthat go into this, such as budget-ing for food and beverages, havebeen cut, and now rely solely onpeople donating hors d’oeuvresfor the cause.

Similarly, the theater is alwayslooking for people to bake fingerfoods such as cookies and browniesfor intermission. Ushers will help thebakers distribute food at intermis-sion. Other duties for an usher in-clude arriving one hour prior to theshow and providing audience mem-bers with directions to the box 4

GOOD SAMARITAN

eshowmust goon ...with yourhelp

Tonda Richey


office, seats and restrooms.“If they have an interest in the

arts and have a desire to see thecommunity theater successful, vol-unteering is a small way to supportit,” Ulrich noted.

During any show, an average of30 to 40 volunteers donate theirtime, not including the actors. Vol-unteers have the freedom to choosehow many hours and which showsthey would like to work.

“For example, some people do ev-ery show, some just an hour at willcall — it really depends on the timethey want to give,” Richey said.

All volunteers are allotted thechance to watch the productionfor free during the showing of theirchoice as well.

Richey noted that volunteers canbe trained; however, many timesthey have experience and sugges-tions that may have made a pro-duction better.

“It gives us a collaboration ofideas,” Ulrich said.

Contributing time for construct-ing sets, working the lights or soundboard, painting scenery or doinghair and makeup are among thecreative volunteer opportunities.

Many other tasks, such as selling50/50 tickets, are equally as impor-tant to the theater’s success. Ac-cording to Richey, during this pastshow season they had to pass upthe opportunity to sell at a coupleof productions because they wereshort handed.

In the case of the 50/50 tickets,volunteers would be expected tosell them a half-hour prior to theshow and stay to draw a winner atthe end of intermission.

Selling tickets at the box officeallows for those who want to workdaytime hours to come in and selltickets 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondaythrough Saturday. Sales start twoweeks prior to each production andevening sales begin one hour priorto each show.

Both Richey and Ulrich havehigh hopes for a great 2010-2011show season. "e theater is start-ing out the season better financiallythan in recent years, and if volun-teerism grows, they hope to be setfor success, the pair noted.

“We are definitely invested inpresenting the best quality showsas possible, which gets down tothe crux of why we need the volun-teers,” Ulrich said.

To volunteer, call the office at(231) 348-1850 ext. 18. GL

ShowContinued f rom 35

Little Traverse CivicTheatre 2010-2011production schedule

All shows performed at the

Crooked Tree Arts Center:

“Escanaba in Da Moonlight” —

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday

through Saturday, Oct. 14-16;

2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17; and 8 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday,

Oct. 21-23.

“Sabrina Fair” — Show times are

8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday,

Feb. 10-12; 2 p.m. Sunday,

Feb. 13; and 8 p.m. Thursday

through Saturday, Feb. 17-19.

Children’s production of “Alicein Wonderland” — Show times are


March 10-12; 2 p.m. Sunday,

March 13; and 7 p.m. Thursday

through Saturday, March 17-19.

“25th Century Putnam SpellingBee” — Show times are 8 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday,

May 5-7; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8; and


May 12-14.

Friendship Centerof Harbor Springs

231-526-6061

Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday9:30am-2:30pm

Located at Hillside Apartments, Community Room C309 W. Main St. • Harbor Springs

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GOODlife 37

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Maddison Rizzo of WashingtonTownship, Mich., and NicholasBrillati of Shelby Township, Mich.,recently built two sandcastles offthe shore of Douglas Lake whilevisiting their grandparents, Frankand Karen Spezia. It took themthree hours of straight building,putting parts on each castle. Itwas a challenging experience sincemany parts of the undergroundgarage kept falling apart. Includedwith the sand castles are minibonfire pits and mini toy ponds.

Madeline Peters, 3, of DeWitt, takes a dip off a dock on Lake Charlevoix.

ABOVE:Relaxing on

the boat.RIGHT:

Lake Michiganon Venetian

Saturday night. A view ofMackinacIsland.

Photo submitted by Frank Spezia

Photos by Karen Peters of Charlevoix

We want your really good shots of grandkids, pets,

sunsets, birds ... whatever! Tell us about your

photo and e-mail high quality jpgs to:

[email protected].

We may use your good shot in an upcoming issue.

READERS:

GOODlife 39

Connie Tanner (on tricycle), who was Petoskey School Dis-trict music teacher for many years, celebrated a Tanner fam-ily birthday party recently at her home in Harbor Springs.The party kicked off with a music lesson for her children,

grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Once the song, “Theworms crawl in, the worms crawl out,” played on kazoos andinstruments, met her satisfaction, the family marched upand down her street, led by herself on the tricycle.

The eagle is on Karen Peters’ Lake Charlevoix beach.

Photos by Karla Buckmaster of Petoskey

Photos by Karen Peters of Charlevoix

For All Your Insurance NeedsAuto, Home, Business,

Life & Health

2073 U.S. 31 N., Petoskey(231) 347-4464 I FAX (231) 348-1190

[email protected]

Wilson Insurance Agency, Inc.

GoodLife September-October 2010

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