Published by E.P. MASS MEDIA ADVERTISING INC. VOL.III No. 17 JANUARY 2010 SHNS PHOTO Peggye McNair visits with some of the camels in her herd in a pasture.
Mar 20, 2016
Published by E.P. MASS MEDIA ADVERTISING INC.
VOL.III No. 17 JANUARY 2010
SHNS PHOTO
PeggyeMcNair visits withsome ofthe camelsin her herdin a pasture.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 2
By Ann Work
ScrippS Howard NewS Service
“come on, girls!”peggye McNair stands at the
barbed wire fence at the side ofU.S. Highway 287. She hasparked her car, with its licenseplate that reads simply, “camels.”She calls to 20 of the beasts graz-ing in the distance on the Texasfield and tosses treats over thefence.
Hearing her voice, they begincoming. one, then two, then fiveand six — lope across the pasture,their large lips flapping as theyrun.
Seven, eight, nine. Fifteen, 16.Soon, 20 camels strain against thefence, stretching their long neckstoward McNair, angling for atouch and a treat. Happy to com-ply, McNair feeds cork-sized pel-let treats into their large, velvetymouths.
Their googly, golf-ball-sizedblack eyes are fringed with flirtytwo-inch-long eyelashes — ontwo sets of eyelids. with theirsplit upper lips, their giant rabbit-like faces, almost prehistoricnecks, humped bodies and eight-foot stance, they immediatelydraw attention from passersby.one by one, cars pull off the high-way to get an up-close look at asight that’s hard to match, even ina zoo: Face-to-face with 20camels who are being hand-fedand petted.
“i wondered what that lady wasdoing,” said one man fromSweeney, Texas, who pulled offthe road to gawk. He joked that hesaw the camels and thought, “idone drove too far. i’m out ofTexas!” Then he saw her“camels” license plate. “i figuredshe must know what she’s doing,”he said.
She does. This herd is McNair’s
own.She has raised the 20 camels
since each was 5 days old. Thecamels — all female except forone male, the bull — are tame asdogs, and just as appreciative ofthe stroking on their furry headsand necks.
“i was vice president of ameri-can National Bank for years,” Mc-Nair said as a camel nibbled atreat out of her hand with his fin-ger-like lips. “This is the most funi’ve ever had in my life.”
continues on page10
Camel Call
Peggye McNair with her 6-week-oldwhite baby camel.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 4
our society pokes fun of seniors and
their loss of memory in greeting cards, Tv
shows and movies……and so many of my pa-
tients approaching their 50s, 60s and beyond
are worried about losing their “mental facul-
ties.”
However—contrary to popular belief—there
are many, many studies that show that people
don’t lose that much brainpower with normal
aging; one reports that 70% of the factors influ-
encing life expectancy are due to good choices
and good luck.
But there’s a catch: we have to exer-
cise our brain to keep it in shape. The trick
is to find an activity where you have to concen-
trate intensely for about 25 minutes, several
days a week.
There are many online “brain games”
including http://www.prevention.com/brainq/
and www.sharpbrains.com.
The formula for keeping your brain sharp
doesn’t stop with mental exercises; there are
three other factors vitally important for strong
brainpower:
•physical exercise
•eating right
•positive attitude
PHYSICAL EXERCISE:Here is yet aNoTHer good
reason for you to be physically
active: The National institute on
aging states “exercise is good
for everyone, whether we are
young children or older adults.
exercise builds muscles, im-
proves heart and lung function,
helps prevent osteoporosis, and
improves mood and overall
well-being. it can improve the
health of people with chronic
conditions, including hyperten-
sion, diabetes, arthritis, obesity,
and cardiovascular disease.”
Miriam e. Nelson, phd, an associate professor
at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts
University, has found that even people in their
90s regain muscle by lifting weights 2 or 3
days a week, for minimum of 30 minutes. The
payoff: more endurance, stronger bones, less
risk of diabetes—and better sleep and thinking.
THE RIGHT FOODS:
a recent prevention Maga-
zine article offers “Nutri-
tion Tips for Your Brain:
eat fish at least once a
week; boost your antioxi-
dant intake by adding blue-
berries, cocoa, tea, and
grapes to your diet daily;
have a large salad packed
with leafy greens at lunch;
lower your saturated fat in-
take to no more than 10%
of total calories; boost your
intake of monounsaturated
fats such as avocado,
olives, oils, nuts, and
seeds; avoid trans fats.”
POSITIVE
ATTITUDE:a positive attitude also improves your memory.
Becca Levy, phd, an associate professor of
epidemiology and psychology at the Yale Uni-
versity School of public Health, states the “re-
sults of a positive outlook are measurable:
individuals with positive self-perceptions on
aging demonstrated better memory, more con-
trolled handwriting, faster walking, a stronger
will to live, and a lower cardiovascular re-
sponse to stress, compared with those with a
negative perception of aging.”
Great advice!
Dr. Michael H. Annabi MD
915-587-9455;
Primary Care Physician PHC;
Physicians Health Choice;
PHCcares.com
BraiN viTaLiTY
Dr. Michael H. Annabi MD
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 5
as Martin guitar built of rare wood made its way around theworld, a friendship developed
Harmonizing
MGNS PHOTOS
ABOVE: Wayne Dingus plays the guitar.RIGHT: The Kanekos and Dingus families finally meet.
By Laura J. Mondul
Media GeNeraL NewS Service
a vintage Martin guitar hasforged a lasting friendship thatreaches across more than 6,000miles.
eight years ago, castlewood,va., native wayne dingus decidedto sell his guitar on eBay. Hishighest bidder was atsushiKaneko, a bluegrass musician fromKyoto, Japan. Little did dingus
know where thisseemingly routinesale would lead.
The sale was un-usual from the begin-ning. The guitar is a 1941 d-28Herringbone Martin made ofBrazilian rosewood, which is anendangered species and no longerused for guitars. So, for dingus toship the rare item overseas, he firsthad to obtain certification from the
Martin co., documenting when theguitar was made. Then, dingushad to obtain import and exportpermits, entitling him to ship theguitar to Japan and allowingKaneko to receive it. The wholeprocess spanned two months: Thesale was made in July 2001, but
the guitar wasn’t shipped untilSeptember.
perhaps the lengthy transactionhelped to cement the bond betweenseller and buyer. after the sale wascomplete, dingus and Kanekostayed in touch through e-mail.
continues on page 8
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 6
it’s hard to believe that we have had nearly8 inches of snow in el paso and it’s not evenwinter yet (winter arrives officially decem-ber 21). This is a good time to think aboutsaving energy on our gas and electric bills aswinter is just around the corner and we seetemperatures on a more consistent basis onthe “chilly” side. our winter months are con-sidered december, January and February.
Here are some tips that will lower your cost of living:
-when you leave a room, turn off the light. avoid using more lightthan you need. Few activities require turning on every lamp in theroom. replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbslike compact fluorescent lights (cFLs). when compared to a 60-watt incandescent bulb, over its lifetime a cFL will last ten timeslonger and save up to $30 on electric bills.
-Moderate the temperature inside by turning the furnace downabout 5 degrees below your normal setting. For example, if you nor-mally set your temperature to 70 degrees, change it to 65 degrees.You may need to put on a sweater or thicker socks before turningdown the heat. Being conservative with your home's temperature isone of the easiest ways to save energy.
-Use less hot water. wash clothes with warm or cold water. onlyrun the dishwasher with a full load, and turn off the "heated dry"cycle; most dishes will dry naturally from the heat remaining insidethe dishwasher. Use slightly cooler water in the shower and showerquickly. wash your hands and face and brush your teeth with coldwater.
-Buy products marked with the environmental protectionagency's energy Star. products boasting the energy Star ratingmeet the strict energy saving standards of the epa and the US de-partment of energy. Using them will lower your electric bill.
-install insulation to prevent cold air from seeping in and out ofthe house. Hanging insulating drapes will save energy. wrap thewater heater in insulation and paint your ceilings and walls with in-sulating paint that reflects heat back into the room. adding insula-tion to exterior walls will definitely save energy, but requiressignificant expense. insulating just the attic is a cheaper alternativethat will cut your energy bills.
Saving Money as WinterArrives
By: “Doppler” Dave Speelman
WEATHER 101
Wheater Trivia:
What is the average wind speed pro-duced by a person sneezing?
A. 3 mph – light air
B. 10 mph – Gentle Breeze
C. 39 mph – Gale Force
D. 74 mph – Hurricane Force
E. 124 mph – Tornado Force
Answer: D – Hurricane force
“Doppler" Dave Speelman is the chief meteorologist at KVIA-TV in
El Paso. You can watch his forecasts at 4, 5, 6 and 10 pm on ABC-7
(channel 6 cable). If you would like Doppler Dave to address
(explain) any weather issues you can email him at
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 7
Question: My parents are getting older andour physician is considering homehealth for them. What should welook for in a good home healthagency?
Answer:There are quite a few home healthagencies, and it is always yourchoice to decide which one youwant. You can ask your friends,
family, physician and discharge planner who has a good rep-utation in the home health field. When narrowing down yourchoice, ask about the quality of the care givers they employ,and what designated programs they have to fit your specificneeds, definitely interview several agencies before makingyour choice.
Ask ThE ExpERT
Ann Rodriguez-McConnell
Train
enthusi-
asts find
common
bond in
museum
Choo Choo
By Joe Tennis Media GeNeraL NewS Service
when dr. Fred alsop joined thefaculty of east Tennessee StateUniversity a few years ago, henever figured part of his job wouldsomeday follow the tracks of hismost beloved hobby.
alsop, 66, has been a fan oftrains since he was a teenager,growing up along the tracks of theLouisville & Nashville railroad inHanesville, Ky.
Today, model trains are whatkeep him busy — that is, when-ever alsop, ..coNT/NeXT paGe
Richard Kimball of Atlanta watches a freighttrain pass by the Bristol Trainstation duringa recent meeting.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 8
continued from page 5
“our families got to be goodfriends,” dingus said. “we got towatch his daughter, who is now 8,grow up. we exchange gifts atchristmas.”
The Kanekos wanted some itemsfrom virginia, so dingus and hiswife, Sherry, sent them plenty of vir-ginia Tech shirts and caps, amongother items. in return, the Kanekossent the dinguses gifts from Japan,including a Japanese fan that nowdecorates an end table in the dingusliving room.
This year, the Kanekos decided tovisit america, with of course a tripto castlewood.
“i felt like i knew them already,but i never did think in my lifetimethat i’d get to meet them,” dingussaid.
The visit was in august, whenKaneko, his wife, aki, and daughter,Yuumi, arrived at Tri-cities airport,where the dinguses picked them up.as part of the visit, the Kanekoshoped to get to see the home ofralph Stanley, one of their favoritebluegrass musicians.
Little did they know what dingushad in store for them.
prior to the Kanekos’ arrival, din-gus made arrangements through afriend for the family to actually meetwith the bluegrass legend, whichwas the highlight of their visit.Kaneko even got autographs fromStanley; and the american bluegrassmusician signed his Japanese fan’sbanjo.
The dinguses hosted their overseasfriends in their home for the four-day
duration of their virginia visit. TheKanekos enjoyed Southern homecooking, including biscuits andgravy, and chili, and aki Kanekoprepared a traditional Japanese dish,though dingus admits he could notmanage to use chopsticks. dingusalso invited several fellow musiciansover for a cookout and a good old-fashioned pickin’ party.
“They are both talented musi-cians,” dingus said of Kaneko andhis wife. Kaneko plays banjo, guitarand mandolin, and aki plays guitarand sings. aki even sang several tra-ditional bluegrass songs in Japanese.
“That was really great to hear ... asong that we’d heard all of our livesin english, and then she does thesame thing in Japanese,” dingussaid. “we just had a great time. itwas a dream come true for me to getto meet them.
“it’s special that just selling an oldguitar like that, the friendship wemade, we just feel like they are partof the family, even though we justmet them,” dingus said.
dingus has been a “back porchpicker” for more than 30 years, play-ing guitar, mandolin and banjo. Henow shares his knowledge by offer-ing lessons to a handful of youngpeople in the area, lessons for whichhe refuses payment.
“wayne has never charged for alesson,” his wife, Sherry, said. “allhe ever asks is that they want to doit.”
Laura J. Mondul writes for theBristol Herald courier in Virginiaand Tennessee.
Harmonizingcontinued from page 7...a professor of biological sci-
ences, is not explaining life cy-cles to his eTSU students.
“This is a hobby that’s turnedinto a job,” said alsop, the direc-tor of the George L. carter rail-road Museum on the Johnsoncity campus of eTSU.
The museum — a space dedi-cated tomodelrail-roads —takes itsnamefromcarter, aHillsville,va., nativewho wasinstru-mental inestablish-ing coalmines andrailroadsacross theMountainempire.
carterbuilt theclinch-field rail-roadthrough275 milesof mountainous terrain to carrycoal from eastern Kentucky.
raiLroaderS
displays at the museum fea-ture historic prototype railroad
memorabilia and toy trains, plusmodel railroading locomotivesand “rolling stock” — the rail-road cars pulled by locomotives.
Like other members of theMountain empire Model rail-roaders club, alsop is responsi-ble for maintaining a48-by-30-inch section of tracklayout. it is part of the club’s 44-
by-24-footdisplayfeaturingminia-ture coaltipples,trestles, acourt-house,cars,people,trees andvariousbuild-ings.Twootherlarge op-eratinglayoutsare alsofeaturedat themuseum,includinga display
to represent Knoxville, Tenn.,built by the late Howard Bankus.
in all, the museum representsabout 150 miles of track, alsopsaid.
continues on page 16
Tom Harris of Wytheville, Va., gives a slideshow presentation ofmodel railroad photography to a group of railroad enthusiasts.
Choo Choo
MGNS PHOTOS
Dennis McCurry of Kings Mountain, N.C. looksthrough a box of HO scale rolling stock.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 9
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Holocaust survivorgains strength through
telling his story
MGNS PHOTOS
ABOVE: Eleven-year-old Alex Lebenstein and hisparents Natan and Lotti Lebenstein. BOTTOM:Lebenstein today, and him exiting from a trainHolocaust museum in Germany.
By Jimmy LaRoue
Media GeNeraL NewS Service
alex Lebenstein won’t besleeping much tonight.
every day he tells his story ofsurviving the Holocaust, it’s an-other night reliving hauntingmemories.
“why am i doing what i amdoing? do you think it’s mypleasure? do you think i’m goingto sleep good tonight? afterevery presentation, i cry inside,”
Lebenstein said. Lebenstein, 80, spoke on a re-
cent night before a rapt audienceat the Booker T. washingtoncommunity center in Staunton,va. Though troubled with laryn-gitis, he spoke for nearly twohours.
Starting his presentation, hepulled out a note:
do not look back in anger, orforward in fear, but around inawareness. Shift happens.
continues on page 16
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 10
continued from page 2
McNair was introduced to the art
of camel breeding 13 years ago
when she met, and soon married,
(a.B.) Bob Hudson in 1996.
at the time, he had more than
100 camels in a herd on each of his
nine ranches, the largest camel
breeder in the country. He had
earned over $1 million in the past
decade from the original 20 camels
that he had shipped from australia
to his ranches.
in the 1980s, he had read an arti-
cle in the Wall Street Journal about
an experiment in brush control
using camels. it piqued his interest
and spurred his purchase. He
learned there was a market for the
babies — for pets, for the movies,
for nativity scenes, for ranches,
and for a variety of odd-ball proj-
ects.
“He couldn’t understand why
more people wouldn’t do it,” Mc-
Nair said of the business.
McNair had grown up with pets
of all sorts. “But never in my
wildest imagination
would i have
thought i’d have
camels,” she said.
But McNair came
to love the 8-foot-
tall beasts. She
grew so attached to
the baby camels
that she cried every
time Hudson trans-
ported them out of
the driveway and off to a sale. See-
ing her tears, her husband, now de-
ceased, advised her to start her
own herd. So she did. Her com-
pany, called “camel Kisses,” car-
ries on his breeding business.
“i’m very selective who i sell
to,” says the woman who loves an-
imals so much that she air condi-
tions the garage for her dogs. “i
sell only to reputable people who
love animals as
much as i do.”
camels are the
only species
where the fe-
males bring
twice the money
that the males
bring. a white
camel baby —
like the one her
white bull often
produces — will
bring even more.
McNair had expected to have 16
babies this year to sell, but so far
has had only 10. She fears the
worst: that poachers have cut into
her fences and stolen some of the
newborns.
This 6-week-old baby, with his
curly Berber carpet-like coat, is
boarded at the wichita Falls Hu-
mane Society, where he has been
tended by affectionate workers
who say they have been smitten by
his curious demeanor and his exu-
berant “happy dance” — a bounc-
ing motion. He ambles eagerly
through the Humane Society’s
building, where he sucks his furry
lips on any visitor’s fingers, stands
still for stroking of his head and
humpy back, and sucks hungrily
on a gallon-sized baby bottle of
milk.
camels have gotten a bad rap,
McNair said.
Like dogs, if they are raised with
cruelty, they will be dangerous —
as they are in many other coun-
tries. But, also like dogs, if they
are raised with love, affection, at-
tention, treats and companionship
— as hers are — they will be as
tame and enjoyable as an 8-foot
dog in the back yard.
of course, there are some
caveats, she said. when she visits
the adults in the pasture, she al-
ways stays in a vehicle or sepa-
rated by a fence. She cites a story
of two women who were killed by
camels they had raised as pets
when the bull knocked them down
and planted his front feet on them
— a mating ritual.
camels are so social that when
anyone tells McNair they want to
purchase one, she always urges
them to purchase two. Bad-tem-
pered camels in zoos are often
boarded alone, stand tethered all
day, and not given space to graze,
she said. “That’s the kind of zoo i
will not sell to,” she said.
SHNS PHOTOS
Peggye McNair draws a crowd when she checks on her herd of camels.
Camel CallCamel Call
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 11
By heather Boerner
ScrippS Howard NewS Service
a leaking roof, a burst pipe or askyrocketing electric bill areheadaches no matter when theyhappen, but when you’re on afixed income and unprepared, theycan become a financial crisis.
Most people 45 and older wantto stay in their home as they age,says aarp. if you’re among them,plan for and make your repairsnow while you can still increaseyour income or make spendingchoices that allow you to pay forthe repairs comfortably.
“if you wait until a critical thinghappens to you, it’s going to bemore of a financial burden on youand your family,” says estherGreenhouse, an environmentalgerontologist.
if you plan to stay in your home,look for a licensed and insured
contractor who is a certifiedaging-in-place Specialist, orcapS, who is certified by the Na-tional association of HomeBuilders. draw up a schedule forrepairs and how you’ll pay forthem, Greenhouse says.
Get a quote now, save up for therepair and stash the money in acertificate of deposit or moneymarket fund.
Here are some things to take careof before you retire.
insulate your home
cost: Between 49 cents persquare foot and $1.50 per squarefoot.
advantage: Saves on electricbills and means you won’t useyour furnace or air conditioning asoften.
Most homes have little trouble-some cracks and holes that let hotand cool air escape. prime exam-ples: gaps around doors, holes cutthrough walls for pipes and electri-cal wiring, and deteriorating win-dow frames.
These tiny, tedious problems canmake a big difference in yourhome’s energy efficiency. But, ifyou tightly seal your house, you’llsave on energy costs when you’reon a fixed income, says John Bar-rows, a New York-based builder,consultant and co-author of “Thecomplete idiot’s Guide to GreenBuilding and remodeling.”
continues on page 15
Take care of your vital home repairs beforeyou retire to save time and money
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 12
NoRTHEAST/
CENTRAl
Texas Aggie Lunchwednesday, Jan 6 (2010) 12:00pel paso a&M
club holds its monthly luncheons at cappetto's
on Montana at noon the first wednesday of
each month. There is no cost to attend and no
reservations required. For additional informa-
tion contact club president Kristen cox at 731-
1185
I’m Not Rappaport’ – el paso playhouse,
2501 Montana, present the hit Herb Gardner
dramedy Jan. 8-30. Two old men — one Jew-
ish, one Black — spend their days on a New
York central park bench. contains adult lan-
guage. directed by chet Frame. regular show-
times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m.
Sunday. Ticket information: 532-1317, elpaso-
playhouse.com.
Provost Gun Show — The el Maida
provost Guard gun, small antique and South-
west art show is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23-24, at the el
Maida Shrine Temple, 6331 alabama. includes
new, used and antique firearms and accessories,
knives, coins, Southwest jewelry, military sur-
plus and collectibles. Food concession avail-
able. admission: $5 ($4 active military and
accompanying dependents; ages 12 and
younger free). parking is free. age 18 and
younger must be accompanied by a parent or
legal guardian. information: 241-1761.
‘Little Women’ – Kids-N-co. presents the
classic alcott tale Jan. 23-Feb. 14 at Kids-N-
co. performance Space. 1301 Texas. perform-
ances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and
2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $5-$7 at the door.
information: 351-1455.
loWER vAllEy
El Maida Shrine Circus — The 58th an-
nual high-spirited circus
featuring three rings of
wild animal acts, clowns,
aerial artistry and other
amazing acts is Jan. 7-10
at the el paso county
coliseum, 4100 paisano.
Show times are 4:30 and
8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.
and 8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday
and 11 a.m. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets:
$12 ($10 kids; $14 box seats). information:
562-1444.
California Sea Lion
Training our califor-
nia sea lions are fed
every day at 11am. we
offer educational presen-
tations prior to the feed-
ings at 10:45am. all
presentations are free
and visitors are encour-
aged to find a seat early. el paso Zoo Jan 6th
El Paso Rhino — el paso’s Junior League
ice hockey team home games are at the Sierra
providence events center, next to the coli-
seum, 4100 e. paisano. regular games times
are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5:30
p.m. Sunday. Ticket information: 479-pUcK
(7825) or elpasorhinos.com. • Jan. 8-10 —
Boulder Bison Jan. 29-31 — Tulsa rampage
Monster Truck Spectacular — The mon-
ster truck show is
7:30 p.m. Friday,
Jan. 15, at the el
paso county col-
iseum, 4100
paisano. pit party
access for all
ticketholders.
Tickets: $$20-$25 ($10-$20 children; $18 sen-
iors, miliary students; $12.50 family fun pack;
free for ages 2 and younger). (Ticketmaster).
EASTSIdE
Night of Hope Ball — el paso diabetes as-
sociation will host its 2nd annual fundraising
gala 6:30 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, Jan. 30,
at wyndham Hotel 2027 airway, with dinner,
music and entertainment. This year’s honored
guest is dr. robert christenson.
continues on next page
Calendar of upcoming events for El Paso/ Southern New Mexico for January 2010If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHT’S Out & About section, please send all your relevant data by e-mail to: [email protected]
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 13
continued from page 12
all proceeds from the event remain in el paso,
and go towards the diabetes association’s vari-
ous programs. admission: $100 (includes re-
served seating, dinner and dance). information:
532-6280 or epdiabetes.org.
WESTSIdE/
doWNToWN
UTEP Men’s Basketball -
Home games are at the don
Haskins center. Game time
is 7:05 p.m. except as indi-
cated. Tickets: $9-$25. in-
formation: 747-5234 or
utepathletics.com. • wednes-
day, Jan. 6 — SMU Saturday,
Jan. 9 — BYU 7 p.m. Saturday,
Jan. 16 — Southern Miss wednesday, Jan. 27
— Tulane
UTEP Women’s Basketball — Home
games are at the don Haskins center. Tickets:
$7 ($3 youth). information: 747-5234 or
utepathletics.com. Friday, Jan. 8 — rice, 7:05
p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10 — Houston, 2:05 p.m
Sunday, Jan. 24 — UcF, 2:05 p.m.
Kwanzaa — events honoring the values of
ancient african cultures will take place at 7
p.m. nightly, Dec.
26-Jan. 1, at the
Mccall Neighbor-
hood center, 3231
e. wyoming. infor-
mation: 566-2407.
created by dr.
Maulana Karenga as
a way to celebrate
family, community
and culture in the african-american commu-
nity, Kwanzaa focuses on Nguzo Saba (The
Seven principles), that include Unity, Self-de-
termination, collective work and responsibil-
ity, cooperative economics, purpose,
creativity and Faith.
‘National Monuments’ — el paso wind
Symphony presents a musical celebration of na-
tional pride at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at
UTep’s Fox Fine arts recital Hall. Tickets:
$12.50 ($7.50 students). information: 760-
5599.
El Paso Chamber Music Festival – el
paso pro-Musica’s 20th annual festival presents
world-class chamber musicians Jan. 6-31. con-
certs, recitals and other special events will be
offered at various venues: UTep’s Fox Fine
arts recital Hall, Trinity First United
Methodist church, western Hills United
Methodist church, el paso Museum of art,
First Baptist church, 2900 Kitchen and
NMSU’s atkinson recital Hall. Ticket prices
to be announced; free for Bach’s lunch
events and film series. information: 833-
9400 or eppm.org.
Madea’s Big Happy Family’ —Famed play-
wright, producer
and performer Tyler
perry returns to el
paso with his latest
play at 8 p.m. Mon-
day, Jan. 4, at the
don Haskins center. Tickets: $71.50, $61.50,
$51.50, plus service charge. (Ticketmaster).
Willie Nelson — The country legend per-
forms at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 7, at
abraham chavez The-
atre. Tickets: $43.11;
$53.43, $63.76 and
$74.08. (Ticketmaster).
Free Conversational English Class.every Tuesday at 1501 Sunbowl dr. centro
vida meeting room. 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. For more
information call 915- 545-5555 or 915-587-
9322.
Rock Laser Spectaculars — The popular
laser rock shows in 3-d/H-d format are 7:30
p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15-16, at abra-
ham chavez Theatre. (Ticketmaster).
El Paso Puzzler Mountain Bike Race— el paso’s only en-
durance mountain bike
race is 8 a.m. Sunday,
Jan. 17, at Bowen
ranch. Hosted by the
Border Mountain Bike
association. The 3rd
annual 50-mile single-track ride (35-mile route
also offered) with several climbs and descents.
Food and prizes distributed during the event.
registration (by Jan 1): $40. information: 845-
1097 or bmba.wordpress.com.
El Paso Symphony Orchestra – The
Symphony presents
an “all-Star cele-
bration” at 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday,
Jan. 22-23,in the
plaza Theatre, fea-
turing guest conduc-
tor alexander platt
and guest cellist
Zuill Bailey per-
forming Schumann’s
“overture, Scherzo
and Finale, op. 52,” Barber’s “Symphony No. 1
in one Movement, op. 9” and dvorák’s “cello
concerto, op. 104, B minor.” Ticket informa-
tion: 532-3776 or epso.org.
continues on next page
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 14
Nearly Neil and the Solitary
Band — Showtime! el paso pres-
ents a tribute to music legend Neil
diamond at 2:30 p.m. Sunday,
Jan. 31, at the abraham chavez
Theatre, featuring diamond tribute
artist Bobby Bruce on lead vocal
and rhythm guitar. Bruce has spent
the past 11 years rocking thou-
sands of screaming fans world
wide with his tribute to one of pop
music’s most successful
singer/songwriters. He has also
toured with both the Las vegas-
based “Legends of rock” in the
United States as well its australian
counterpart. Ticket information:
544-2022 or
Showtimeelpaso.com.
LYNX Exhibits — 300 w. San
antonio. opening Jan. 30: “ex-
treme deep: Mission to the
abyss,” featuring hands-on ex-
hibits on the technology necessary
for deep-sea exploration. informa-
tion: 533-4330 or
lynxexhibits.com.
SoUTHERN
NEW MExICo
‘Bravo Broadway’ – The Las
cruces Symphony presents its 5th
annual pops performance at 7:30
p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday,
Jan. 7-10, at NMSU’s atkinson
recital Hall. Tickets: $35, $45 and
$50. information: (575) 646-3709
or lascrucessymphony.com.
Guests anne runolfsson, doug
Labrecque and debbie Gravitte
will join the orchestra in a gala
performance celebrating Broadway
classics from “Gypsy,” “phantom
of the opera,” “My Fair Lady,”
“west Side Story,” “Mama Mia,”
“wicked,” “chicago” and “Funny
Girl.” Flickinger center for per-
forming arts — 1110 New York
ave. alamogordo. all perform-
ances at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10,
$18 and $25. information: (575)
437-2202 or
flickingercenter.com. Upcoming
shows: • Trio Solisti — Friday,
Jan. 8. The piano-violin-cello trio
has earned a national reputation for
its passionate and adventurous per-
formances.
Antique and Collectible
Show — The 23rd annual winter
nostalgia show and sale is 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7-10, at St.
Genevieve’s parish Hall, 1025 e.
Las cruces ave. in Las cruces.
Free appraisals offered and food
will be served. admission: $2
(good for both days). information:
(575) 526-8624.
Harvest Cooking ClassThis month's cooking class with
chef carol Koenig features recipes
that include walnuts, winter greens
and "whatever." pre-registration is
required.
Jan 5th New Mexico Farm and
ranch History Museum 4100
dripping Springs rd. Las cruces,
NM 88011 (505) 522-4100
Peter Mulvey – 7:30 p.m. Jan
15, at the Silco Theatre in Silver
city, N.M. part of the Mimbres
region arts council’s Folk Series.
Mulvey is known for the fullness
of his vocals and guitar. Tickets:
$5-$20. information: (575) 538-
2505 or 1-888-758-7289.
‘One-Act Play Festival’ –Jan. 15-24 . Las cruces commu-
nity Theatre presents its annual
celebration of short plays at 8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m.
Sundays. Tickets: $5 (free for sea-
son ticket holdiers). information:
(575) 523-1200 or lcctnm.org.
Daniel Rodriguez – 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22, at wNMU Fine arts cen-
ter Theater. presented by Grant
county community concert asso-
ciation. doors open at 7 p.m. Tick-
ets: $20 at the door. information:
(575) 538-5862.
Moscow Festival Ballet’s
‘Cinderella’ — 8 p.m. Jan. 30
at the Spencer Theater for per-
forming arts in alto, N.M. Tickets:
$56-$59. information: (575) 336-
4800, (888) 818-7872 or
spencertheater.com.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 15
Controversial herb salvia may have some medicinal benefits
By Justin Anthony Monarez ScrippS Howard NewS Service
purple blossoms of midnight
salvia and stems of blue chiquita
salvia adorn the Jacqueline
Kennedy Garden at the white
House and thousands of other back
yards.
The common garden flowers,
which belong to the mint family,
have a lesser-known hallucino-
genic cousin. it’s called salvia di-
vinorum, or salvia for short, and it
is the subject of controversy over
whether it should be classified as
an illegal drug. Fourteen states
have made it illegal or regulated
its use. proposed legislation in
several other states died.
packets of dried salvia leaves
cost $20 to $40, depending on the
amount and potency, in head
shops, holistic centers and online
stores.
Salvia entered the mainstream in
the late 1990s, due to its wide-
spread availability, media attention
and recreational use among young
adults.when salvia is smoked or
chewed, the Mexican native herbproduces a short but intense psy-choactive high, on par with that ofsynthetic hallucinogens. Like itscultural cousin, marijuana, salviamay have medical uses.
“There is a lot of promising evi-dence that some work on this drugcould lead to medications for a va-riety of disorders,” said Mattheww. Johnson, a substance-abuse re-searcher at the Johns Hopkins Uni-versity School of Medicine.
The drug enforcement adminis-tration, which recently listed salviaas a drug of concern, is workingwith the department of Health andHuman Services to evaluate thesubstance for possible placementon the federal controlled-substanceschedule.
continues on page 23
With the support of the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Sarah Ioannides, Music Director/Conductor
EPSOThe Symphony
An Essential Exceptional Experience!
Sponsored by:
ExhilaratingEssentially
BAILEYZuillThe Plaza Theatre, 7:30 pmJAN. 22 & 23 All-Star Celebration
Alexander Platt, Guest ConductorZuill Bailey, Cello
Goldmark Rustic Wedding SymphonyDvorák Cello Concerto, B minor, op. 104
Guest Conductor and Artist generously underwritten by Mrs. Robert M. Graham, Sr.
EssenntiallyExhila
J
Essearating
y
J
Sponsored by:
Cello Concer Dvorák ed Rustic W Wedding SymphonyGoldmark
Cello, Zuill Bailey Gue xander Platt,Ale
The E op. 104 rto, B minor r, op. 104
dding Symphony
est Conductor
SymphonyEPSO
exas Commission on the Arts. and the T e Museums and Cultural Affairs Department With the support of the City of El Paso
Grah Robert M. Mrs.. Robert M.generously underwritten by Guest Conductor and Artist
An Essential Exceptional Experience!
The Sarah Ioannides
ion on the Arts. Affairs Department
City of El Paso
. Sr ham, ritten by
d Artist
ntial Exceptional Experience!
Symphony, Music Director/Conductor nides
continued from page 11
replace your furnacecost: anywhere from $3,000 to
$10,000 for an energy-efficientmodel.
advantage: 85 percent to 95 per-cent efficient; tax rebate of up to15 percent of the cost of the fur-nace if it’s energy-Star rated.
“Getting a highly energy-effi-cient furnace pays you back everytime it does come on,” says Bar-rows.
a traditional furnace can lose upto half its heat through leaks in itspipes. The same is true for leakingair-conditioning ducts. if your fur-nace or ac unit is decades old, theloss likely is greater.
an energy-efficient furnace, bycontrast, only loses five percent to12 percent of the heat it generates.Have your contractor run a Man-ual-J assessment. it’s software thatcalculates how much heat yourhouse will need. it will allow youto buy a furnace just large enoughfor your needs.
replace your roofcost: $50 to $1,000 per 100
square feet, depending on materi-als.
advantage: better heat retention,avoidance of crises, such as waterdamaged walls and mold infesta-tions.
a leaky roof can infest the wallswith mold and hurt your health.and it can be a bear of an expenseto deal with when you’re on afixed income.
once you’ve made a plan and setaside funds, consider adding a re-flective membrane under the shin-gles so that it will reflect heat andcold. when choosing shingles,consider a light-colored shingle in-stead of the typical gray or black.
if you’re looking for a green so-lution and are willing to pay up tothree times the cost of shingles,consider a metal roof, says Bar-rows. You can get one made fromrecycled materials.
vitAl homEREPAiRS
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 16
continued from page 8The 70 members of the Moun-
tain empire Model railroadersclub, including alsop, the club’spresident, maintain the massivedisplays with practiced precision,plus lots of dusting — “very care-fully,” alsop added.
You’ll find members holdingwork sessions to maintain thetracks on Thursdays. on Satur-days, the museum is open to thepublic.
The group — also called“Mountain empire Modular rail-roaders” — formed in 1993 whena group of about 20 railroad en-thusiasts met at Gray elementarySchool in washington county,Tenn.
Since that time, the group hasgathered at several celebrations,including the biannual Toy andTrain Show at the Gray Fair-grounds.
MiNi-worKSHopS
Housed in a 2,400-square-footarea, the year-old George L.carter railroad Museum grewout of a temporary display, held afew years ago at the university’scarroll reece Museum.
periodic workshops focus onhow to make trees, shrubs,ground cover, rocks — and evenwater — to simulate tiny forestsbeside your train tracks.
Most of the trees in the mu-seum’s display, alsop said, aremade of “ground foam” — or“foam that has been ground up insmall flakes. You have a choice ofcolors, size and shape ... Themost realistic trees we have usereal wood.”
Here’s a tip: “The most detailedtrees are always in the front,”alsop said. “Trees in the back-ground don’t have the detail.”
Mirrors are used “to give agreater illusion of distance,”alsop said. “The mirrors are hid-den, so you don’t see the edges.”
with a grin, alsop pointed outintricacies of the layout, includ-ing a trestle that he built and said,“You’re only limited by yourimagination.”
Joe Tennis writes for the Bris-
tol-Herald Courier in Tennessee.
Choo Choo
continued from page 9
“it means that we all have a
chance to change,” he said.
He offered a first-hand history
lesson — from his life in his birth-
place of Haltern, Germany, to trac-
ing the roots of anti-Semitism
during world war i.
“anti-Semitism in Germany, in
those days, was kind of modest,”
he said.
when the war broke out, “people
didn’t ask if you were catholic,
protestant, Buddhist or Jewish.
You were German descent; you
fought for your Faderland. You
fought for your country.”
Lebenstein’s father fought for
the Faderland.
The people in Haltern went from
playing soccer in the schoolyard to
becoming “blood brothers.”
That didn’t matter during
Kristallnacht — the Night of Bro-
ken Glass. on Nov. 9, 1938, Nazi
soldiers began killing Jewish peo-
ple, taking them to concentration
camps and burning synagogues.
on Nov. 10, 1938, the soldiers
made their way to the Lebenstein
home.
a friend told Lebenstein’s father
he’d be all right. Just mention your
service in world war i; put on
your war medals, the friend told
him.
it didn’t matter.
“You can’t do this to me. i am a
good German,” his father screams
to the soldiers.
The Nazi soldiers spat in his fa-
ther’s face, ripped off his war
medals and stomped on them.
Lebenstein, just 11 years old at
the time, was scared.
“i became so frightened,” he
said. “it just overtook me.”
For the first time, he said, his fa-
ther felt fear — his hands were
perspiring.
after looking to the heavens,
Lebenstein recalled his father of-
fering to turn himself in to keep
his family safe.
His friend didn’t like that idea.
“i’m so disappointed in you to
think that way,” the friend said.
in silence, they hid in a trench in
a nearby cemetery, listening to
Nazi soldiers celebrating the few
Jewish people left in Haltern. The
soldiers destroyed all of the head-
stones in the cemetery.
Soon after, Nazis captured his
family, where they went from
ghettos to cattle cars, and later, to
concentration camps. He doesn’t
talk much of the camps, or of what
he saw happen to children.
of the 19 Jewish people left in
Haltern, Lebenstein was the only
survivor of the camps.
referring to the intolerance he
says he sees today — citing reli-
gious differences as the primary
factor — he says that today isn’t a
whole lot different than in the time
of adolph Hitler.
“we cannot afford to stand idly
by and allow any kind of hatred,
any kind of atrocity to occur.”
admittedly, he held hatred for a
long time, and wouldn’t return to
his hometown until receiving
heartfelt letters from children
there. His two children, he said,
suffered from it. For a long time,
he didn’t want to hear any Ger-
man; his hatred was that strong.
But after stepping out of an old
cattle car, the students had a sur-
prise for him.
They gathered in the shape of a
heart. His wall of hatred broke
down from there.
“if i have to depend on my gen-
eration, on the older people here, i
have no hope,” he said. “None.”
it has to be a new generation.
wake up; be grateful. You can
change things, he told the
teenagers in the audience.
“You have everything at the tips
of your fingers to be somebody,”
he said, raising his voice. “Go and
do it.”
Jimmy LaRoue writes for The
News virginian in Waynesboro,
Va.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 17
Let’s face it — the averagegolfer is much more accuratewith the putter than a wedge,
so when you’re just off the green,why wouldn’t you reduce your riskof chunking or blading by simplyrolling the ball toward the hole withyour putter?
The answer is pretty simple: ifyou’re like the majority of golfers,you watch the pros on Tv chipfrom off the green. They mustknow something that the averagegolfer doesn’t, right? They sure do:They know how to play theirwedges with almost unerringconsistency.
So unless you’re a great chipper,you need to keep the ball on theground anytime you can.
continues on next page
IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR GAME
pUTTwhenever youcan
If this chip looks scary to you,then don’t attempt it. Use your putter.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 18
continued from page 17
This is not to say you shouldn’t work onyour chipping, but not while you play. as BenHogan said, “Never try a shot on the courseyou haven’t practiced on the range.”
So until you’ve got those shots under con-trol, be smart. Unless your path to the hole isblocked by a hazard or some other ob stacle,roll the ball up there.
if you decide to putt it from off the green,there are a few adjustments you need tomake. Stand a little closer to the ball than foryour normal putting stroke to make your posture more upright. This raises the bottomof your swing arc off the ground so you’resure to put overspin on the ball to keep it
rolling smoothly over bumpy terrain. once you’ve adjusted your setup, make a
couple of practice strokes to ensure that theputter head bottoms out where you want it to:at the equator of the ball. You want onlyputter-to-ball contact on this shot. The putterhead should not contact any part of the grass.
Lee Westwood, winner of this year’s dubaiworld championship, putts every chance he
gets. Here he’s standing a little bit taller toapply top spin that will keep a true roll on the
ball as it travels through the longer grass.
pUTT....
Dr. T.J. Tomasi is a teachingprofessional in Port St.Lucie, Fla. Visit his Web siteat tjtomasi.com.
ABOUT THE WRITER
DON’T MISS IT
For a useful and entertaining guide tothe rules of Golf, don’t Miss “The rulesof Golf in plain english.” Lawyers andavid golfers Jeffrey Kuhn and BryanGarner teamedup, with the blessing of the USGa, toclear up the sometimes tortured language in the official rules. whatstarted in 1744 as a 338-word set of ruleshas grown to a monstrous 40,000 words over the last 21/2 centuries. Kuhn and Garner make it readable. it’s$12 from The University of chicago press(www.press.uchicago.edu).
a hard read made easy
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“i don’t think the era of the ’80s and
’90s will ever return … it’s just not
going to happen. … we’ll get back to
good days. we are not going to get
back to making a lot, a lot of money.”
— Greg Norman
on the future of the golf industry
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 19
DATE
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010
Monday, Jan. 11, 2010
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010
Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010
Monday, Jan. 18, 2010
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010
Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010
Monday, Jan. 25, 2010
Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010
pLACE NAME
Marty Robins Park
Grandview Park
Whitespur Park
Pavoreal Park
San Elizario
Socorro
Westway
Montana Vista
Horizon
Shawver Park
Album Park
Valley Pines
El Paso Hills
Chamizal Park
ADDREss
11600 Vista del Sol
3200 Jefferson
4800 Love
9301 Alameda
1325 Beverly Ann
910 Rio Vista
Zinn/De Alba
14618 Greg
13969 Veny Webb
8100 Independence
3110 Parkwood
610 Lomaland
1140 Timothy
800 South San Marcial St.
LOCATION
Parking lot between swimming pool and restrooms
Round parking lot near the office
Next to Fire Station
Parking lot at the corner of Alameda and Presa
Centro Ayuda Parking Lot
Community Center parking lot
Church Parking lot
Community Center parking lot
Parking lot
Parking lot near swimming pool
Near the recreation center
Parking lot
Parking lot
Parking lot
January 2010 Pet Care-A-Van Schedule
For more information about the pet Care-A-Van program, call (915) 842-1000.
The best way to keep floors clean is to never let themget dirty. and that means catching those muddy pawsbefore they come inside. Here are some tips:
• Use mats. put washable mats both inside and outsidethe door. a small door mat can be jumped over, so gofor something larger, at least during the rainy season.The wider the area of matting, the more chance youhave of every paw hitting the mat at least once. Try a 3-foot-by-5-foot black industrial mat on either side of thedoor: it catches lots of mud and hoses off easily outside.
• Teach dogs to wait for wiping. it’s not difficult toteach a dog to wait on the mat for a paw cleaning. ifyou’re patient and positive, you’ll be able to teach yourpet to offer each paw in turn and stand patiently whileyou towel it off.
• Save your old towels. when towels get too ratty forguests to see, save them for use with your pets. old tow-els may be ugly, butthey are great for wiping paws, drying fur and evenswiping a muddy paw print off the floor. You can alsofind super-absorbent towels and mitts made specifically
for wiping paws. ifyou do need to buypaw wipes, then checkprices on shop towels.
• Never let a messsettle in. if a muddypaw gets past you,don’t delay yourcleanup. while thisisn’t such a hard-and-fast rule for such easy-clean surfaces as tileand hardwoods, it’s anabsolute command-ment when it comes tocarpets. Keep cleaningsupplies well-stockedand at hand, and besure to jump on a muddy paw print — orany pet mess — before it can set.— Gina Spadafori
THE SCooP
Muddy paws can be tamed, even in winter
Mud and dogs are facts of lifemany months of the year.
PET TIP
Bigger pet cagesare always better
if you had to spend your life in a
cage, you’d want it to be as big as
possible, wouldn’t you? Then why
settle for a tiny cage for your bird,
reptile or small mammal?
Forget the pet store’s labels or rec-
ommendations. For them, cage size
recommendations are based on what
they believe a customer will pop for
— in other words, the cheapest op-
tion available.
Think bigger! Go one size larger
than the pet-store recommendations.
For a budgie, for example, get a
cage sized for a cockatiel, while
cockatiels should be in cages sized
for small parrots.
continues on next page
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 20
continued from page 19while you’re introducing that larger cage to your pet, don’t forget to
enrich the environment with a variety of toys (and perches, for birds). Lifein a cage isn’t natural for any animal, so the least you can do is make thatlife more interesting.— Gina Spadafori
PET TIP
Mixed-breed cats aremost popular
• reports of a flood of chihuahuas in shelters has prompted therelocation of many of these dogs to parts of the country where theyremain in demand. Newspaper reports show that chihuahuas and chimixes are the top dog in Los angeles shelters and make up one-third ofthe dogs for adoption in San Francisco shelters. why the little dogs are sopopular is a matter for speculation, but some blame the influence ofcelebrities such as paris Hilton and movies such as “Legally Blonde” and“Beverly Hills chihuahua.”
• The New York racing association will levy harsh penalties on ownersand trainers who either directly or indirectly sell a horse for slaughter,revoking the right to book stall space at the association’s tracks —aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. in the meantime, reuters reports thathorsemeat is falling off the menu in France, a trend that may finally forceNorth america to find more humane solutions to the problem of unwantedhorses.
• dog breeds atanimal shelters aremisidentified about 75percentof the time, accordingto a study by canada’scollege of veterinaryMedicine at westernUniversity. Thefindings bring intoquestion the ability ofanimal control officialsto id — and mark forkilling — shelter “pitbulls” in jurisdictionswhere they are banned.— Dr. Marty Beckerand Mikkel BeckerShannon
• Most cat lovers have never been that interested in pedigrees: plain ol’domestic cats of all backgrounds, markings and coat lengths are by far themost popular. among cats with papers, the most popular breed is the per-sian, followed by the Maine coon, the exotic (a shorthaired persian),Siamese and abyssinian. in the United Kingdom, what americans calldSH (domestic shorthair) and dLH (domestic longhair) cats go by themuch more endearing name of “Moggy.”
california shelters are reacting to a glut of
chihuahuas by sending them to regions where
small dogs are in high demand.
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 21
By Bill Wagner
ScrippS Howard NewS Service
The barbarians, who descendedupon europe after the fall of theroman empire, aren’t among thegood guys when it comes to thehistorical record. However, theydo deserve some thanks for help-ing create one of the world’sgreatest cities.
For years, those who inhabitedthe mainland, along the shores ofthe adriatic Sea, periodically fledinto the saltwater lagoon, seekinga safe haven from invaders.
eventually those people gottired of the routine and decided tosettle on the many islands in thelagoon.
From these humble beginningsaround 450 a.d., the city weknow as venice was born.
venice, the island city famous
for its gondolas, is unique. cross-
ing the street is a breeze. There
are no cars. The only way to get
around the mass of small islands
is by bridge, water taxi, gondola
and other water transportation.
while thousands come to work
daily, tourists descend in droves
on the magical city each day.
if you’re coming by land, then
piazzale roma will be the starting
point. The long ponte della Lib-
erta (“Bridge of Liberty”) con-
nects both railroad and auto traffic
from the mainland. Technically,
piazzale roma is not part of
venice, because you still have to
cross a bridge or take a water taxi
to access the city.a minor point to some, but a
matter of great importance tovenetians, since there are manysquares in venice, but there isonly one piazza — piazza SanMarco.
Getting around is easy once you
get the knack of things. Manytourists simply pick up a map andnavigate on their own. if you’regoing into venice for any lengthof time, you can pick up anacTv pass that allows you multi-ple rides within a specified timeperiod on buses and water taxis.There’s an information booth inpiazzale roma. But pick youragent well. personality and help-fulness weren’t exactly the orderof the day when my wife and ivisited a few windows looking forhelp earlier this year.
if you enjoy taking a tour tosoak up the experience,...
continues on page 23
How to go with the
flow while visiting Venice
SHNS PHOTOS
In Venice, canalsare like streets,with parked boatsinstead of cars.
Water WorksWater Works
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 22
ACROss1 Washington’s follower6 Piece of cake11 “___ Robinson”14 Wise lawgiver15 Gestation stations16 Alley ___17 Silent diner19 Spanish one20 Middle of a famed palin-drome
21 Tie the knot22 Phoenix-to-Seattle dir.23 Socialite being pompous?28 Stop start29 Queue before Q30 Maui melody makers31 Lou’s sidekick32 One of the Lesser Sundas33 Tortilla flour35 Director in a brawl?40 Johnson, of “Love at First
Bite”41 Seine tribu-tary42 MulhouseMrs.43 GoldenFleece carrier45 Letters onsome hulls46 Assist47 President indeliberation?53 Sound of dis-approval54 Last year ofCaligula’s reign55 Geologicalspan56 ___ now ornever!57 Essayistchilled to thebone?63 Formerlynamed64 ___ a time65 Ramlike66 Unconven-tional67 Usefulness68 Actress Hiller
DOWN1 Question2 Female kangaroo3 Tuscaloosa’s site, briefly4 Byrd composition5 Farm sound6 Reminder7 Call ___ day8 Food-label stat9 Bellman
10 Studier of the Upanishads11 Active Alaskan volcano12 Singer Milsap13 Gives birth to18 Infant23 College-credit unit24 Not identified, medically25 Defendant’s plea26 Motorist’s mishap27 Exclamation of reproof28 TV network32 Food preservative, familiarly33 Lasses34 Have a birthday36 Short reptile?37 Blenny or bluehead38 Participant’s comment39 Author Buntline43 Pink-eyed rat44 Raised Cain48 U-shaped river bend49 Treeless plain50 More congenial51 Not at all, vernacularly52 Jack58 Meal starter59 Utmost60 Relatives61 Not Rep. or Democrat62 French marshal Michel
MATURETIMES JANUARY 2010 PAGE 23
continuedfrompage21....thereareplentyof com-paniesofferinga widevariety oftours.
Gondolarides aren’tcheap, so if
your heart is seton a gondola ride, just pay andthen enjoy the scenery.
while there are hundreds of
small bridges that connect one is-
land to another, there are only a
few bridges that span the Grand
canal.ponte di rialto (rialto Bridge) is
the most famous. it was finished in1591. Like the ponte vecchio inFlorence, the venice bridge is
linedwith shops catering totourists. The bridge hasthree walkways — twoalong the outside and awider one down themiddle between tworows of small shops.(Take note: Thebridge is mostly steps and defi-nitely not wheelchair- or stroller-friendly.)
The spiritual center is piazza SanMarco (St. Mark’s Square). The
basil-ica of St. Mark is a wonder tobehold, with gilded mosaics cover-ing the walls and ceilings. it ishard to imagine such intricate
work being done inthe 13th century.
information onvenice is easy tocome by. Sites suchas http://europeforvisi-tors.com/venice/ areloaded with informa-tion. once you get tovenice, you can pick upa guide containing his-
torical info, explanations about thebuildings and a map or maps of thecity.
continued from page 15
“once it’s on a Schedule i list, it
will make it nearly impossible to
be researched for medicinal pur-
poses,” said Naomi Long, wash-
ington office director of the drug
policy alliance Network, which
promotes drug policies grounded
in science, health and human
rights.
Under the controlled Substances
act, Schedule i drugs have high
potential for abuse, no approved
medical use and a lack of accepted
safety.
“Until that is complete, we can-
not say what schedule it would be
in; however, Schedule i is for
drugs with no legitimate medical
purpose,” dea spokeswoman Bar-
bara wetherell said. “at this time,
it would appear that it doesn’t have
one.”
early research
has found that
salvia may treat
alzheimer’s dis-
ease, schizophre-
nia, bipolar
disorder, dementia,
pain and substance
abuse.
Johnson said pre-
mature scheduling
may deter or slow
development of
medical uses, simi-
lar to marijuana’s
footsteps, because
of legal barriers and limited re-
sources. The dea does not recog-
nize medical uses for marijuana,
although 14 states do.
“pharmaceutical companies are
not likely to
invest money
in a drug or the
modification of
a drug that is
already sched-
uled,” Johnson
said.
Toxicity and
addiction
among users is
low, according
to a report
Johnson pre-
sented to the
Maryland Gen-
eral assembly,
which did not regulate salvia.
“You compare it to something
like alcohol, and there is no com-
parison in terms of the demon-
strated harm that can be caused,”
Johnson said.
The psychedelic herb severely
impairs motor skills, alters sensory
perception and creates vivid hallu-
cinations for five to 30 minutes,
Johnson said, but there is little evi-
dence of public risk.
“This drug is so short-acting that
there’s not much time for someone
to cause themselves problems, and
that might be why we really
haven’t seen any emergency-de-
partment entries regarding this
drug,” Johnson said.
The drug abuse warning Net-
work, part of HHS, reported no
emergency-room visits attributable
to salvia from 2004 to 2006. over
those three years, the network re-
ported 192,000 emergency-room
visits linked to marijuana use.
Salvia....
SHNS PHOTO
Venice’s world-famous Rialto
Bridge spans theGrand Canal and is
lined with shops.
venice.....