Senior Living July 2016

7/25/2019 Senior Living July 2016

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INSIDE: SAVVY SENIOR MEALSITE MENUS GEAR GUIDE TEST DRIVE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

LEADER PHOTO BY GREG MELLIS

SWEET SPORT,SOUR NAME

Pickleball bringsseniors togetherfor fun, exercise

SEE PAGE 6


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THE SHAWANO LEADER2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 SENIOR LIVING

Gear Guide

Northstar Northwind Tandem CanoeThe Northstar versatile tandem canoe can be rigged for two or as

a solo. Great for day trips inspired by shing or photography, and youcan load it for a weeklong trip. Maneuverable enough to handle riversand backwaters, yet it tracks well enough to handle large lakes.

Source: Northstar Canoes

Access Mid-Arbor Fly Fishing ReelThe new Access Mid-Arbor y shing reels

take the mid-arbor concept to a new level of per-formance and do it at a price that makes it ac-

cessible to everyone. Starting at $145, the Access reel series offers a full-range of

performance features.Source: Orvis

Guide Sling Pack The Guide Sling Pack lev -

els the playing eld: you againstthat wily sh hiding on the far bank.Sling style allows the angler to wearit over one shoulder, completely outof the way, while allowing quick andeasy access to gear. Large capacitymeans a home for all your gear- yboxes, rain jackets, lunch. Weveupgraded the shoulder strap witha cushy, foam-padded, stream -lined design for all-day comfort. Abright interior allows you to eas -ily spot stray ies, while the ven -tilated, molded back panel keeps

your body cool and your mind onthe sh.

Source: Orvis

Clearwater RodPerfect for everything from secluded brookie streams to wind-

beaten western freestone rivers, the Clearwater 865-4 has the back -bone to handle large foam-bodied ies, yet is equally adept with size22 zebra midges. At this price you cant afford not to take one on yournext adventure. Youll always remember why you did.

Source: Orvis


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THE SHAWANO LEADER 3 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 SENIOR LIVING

Senior Profle

Beverly Heling a whirlwind of ambitionBy Carol WagnerLeader Correspondent

Beverly Heling collects anduses antiques, plays the piano andorgan, and three years ago start-ed painting. All of her talent andenergy is on display at her homesouth of Bonduel in the town ofHartland.

My mind is ahead of my body,she said. I like to do everything.

Heling, 75, started taking pianolessons when she was 8 yearsold. She has been giving privatepiano lessons since 1961. In 1970she called the superintendent ofthe Pulaski School District to seeif she could accompany its choirs.

He proposed that I teach pia-no, Heling said.

She used to have as many as65 students for lessons but has cutback to 25. She also coordinatesthe solo and ensemble presenta-tions for the band.

Heling has played the organat Immanuel Lutheran Church

of Cicero for 50 years and once amonth, or as needed, at Our Sav-ior Lutheran Church. She hasbeen the choir director for bothchurches for 30 years.

Heling also likes to sing at wed-dings or other events with herdaughter, Micki.

If anybody asks, we still do it,she said.

One year they sang the na-tional anthem for a Green BayPackers Bishop Charities Gameat Lambeau Field. The next yeartheir picture was on the tickets.

Right now she isnt think-ing about giving up any of thosethings.

At least ve more years, He -ling said.

Antiques are a major part ofHelings life. Every room in herDutch-style farmhouse is lled

with antiques that she uses everyday. She changes the dcor everythree months and is always on thelookout for antiques.

Maybe Im reincarnated, He-ling said. I treasure them. I likeold things. I want to save every-thing.

In January she holds a Christ-

mas open house by appointment.Heling tells stories while visitorstour her home. She has a tree inevery room and serves Christmascookies and hot chocolate.

I entertain about 65 to 70 peo-ple in January in small groups,she said.

Her perfectly decorated bed-rooms each have a theme. Thereis the Wagner Teddy Bear Room,Beilfuss Homespun room whereeverything is hand-stitched andhandmade, the Heling Victorian

room and the Heling Master Bed-room.

I play house in my house, He-ling said

Since 1965 she has been a verysuccessful Avon representative.

I went knocking on doors,Heling said.

She said she has done well be-cause of the quality of the prod-ucts and her customer service.Heling does Avon fundraisers forthe Landstad Ladies and the Sey-mour School Board. Her sister,

Carol Moede, helps her by takingorders and making deliveries.

Since that wasnt quite enough,three years ago she took a paint-ing class.

My teacher said I would havebeen famous, Heling said. Shesaid if I live long enough, maybe I

will still be.Like everything else she does,

Heling is fastidious about detailsin her original paintings. Whenshe sees a possible painting sub-

ject, she stops in her tracks and

takes a picture. Heling has wonBest of Show and many blue rib-bons at the fair.

She and her husband, Bill, aretired private and commercialpilot, have been married 58 yearsand have visited all 50 states.Heling also became a registeredpilot, saying she wanted to be pre-pared in case of an emergency.

We traveled a lot by plane,she said.

The Helings have three chil-dren and eight grandchildren.

PHOTO BY CAROL WAGNER

Beverly Heling took up painting just three years ago and has received many compliments and awards.


4/11


Having HEARING Problems?Wondering if HEARING AIDS

Will Work for You?Your Hearing Health is too important to trust to anyone

but the most Qualified, Educated and ProfessionalHearing Specialist.

An AUDIOLOGISTRobert R. Broeckert, MS CCC-A

ThedaCare Physicians - Shawano Family Medicine

Hearing ExaminationsConsultations & Hearing Aid Services

Many Hearing Aid MakesAll Sizes, Conventional t o Digital Technology

60 Day Trial Periods NO RISKSUnitedHealthCare, WEA & WREA Provider

100 County Road B, Shawano

(715) 524-2161 for an AppointmentAny Questions Call 1-888-530-4327

(Bring this ad with you and receive $100.00 off each Hearing Aid Purchase)

Beneft SpecialistsThe Shawano County

Bene t Specialist Program isavailable to advise and assistShawano County older adultsin securing various publicbene ts and entitlements. Tobe eligible, you must be 60years of age or older.

To obtain the Bene t Spe -cialist services, call the Ag -ing Unit at 715-526-4700 toarrange an appointment orcall 866-526-2130 toll free

from rural areas of ShawanoCounty.

Program participants arerequested to meet with thebene t specialist at the Ag -ing Unit of ce. Home visits aremade for homebound olderadults. Additionally, the ben -e t specialist makes monthlyoutreach contacts at thecounty meal sites.

There is no charge for thisservice, but participants may

give a contribution to assistwith the costs of the program.

Hillside Apartments, 100N. Washington St., Bonduel :11 a.m. July 5

Wittenberg Senior Cen-ter, 208 W. Vinal St., Witten-berg : 11 a.m. July 6

Shawano Civic Center,225 S. Main St., Shawano :

10 a.m. July 11

Maple View Apartments434 Main St., Birnamwood :11 a.m. July 19

Tigerton CommunityCenter, 221 Birch St., Tiger-ton : 11 a.m. July 21

Shawano Civic Center,225 S. Main St., Shawano :Senior Information Day, 8:30

a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 21

Senior MealsCongregate meal sites

provide a group dining settingfor people age 60 or older

and their spouses to enjoy a hot, nutritious meal. Planned social activities are enjoyed at each meal site, and in-formational programming is

regularly provided. Attendingthe meal sites also offer theopportunity to visit and social-

ize with other senior citizens.Reservations are required andcan be made by calling the

meal site you wish to attendone day in advance. A dona-tion of $3 is requested foreach meal. All meals include

bread, milk and butter match.This is a general diet servedto those with no diet restric-tions.

Wednesday, June 22 : Grou -per, German potato salad,carrots, fruit salad, cookie

Thursday, June 23 : Tomatosoup, grilled cheese at CivicCenter and Tigerton (ham andcheese sandwich in home-delivered meals), fresh fruit,spice cake

Friday, June 24 : Tips,whipped potatoes, creamcorn, plums, cheesecake

Monday, June 27 : Countryfried steak, baked potato,squash, Halo orange, pud -ding

Tuesday, June 28 : Cream ofbroccoli soup with crackers,meat sandwich, pineapple,strawberry, brownie

Wednesday, June 29 : Ital -ian meatballs, pasta, greenbeans, tropical fruit, apple stix

Thursday, June 30 : Herbedchicken breast, rice, cau -li ower/broccoli mix, freshfruit, cookie

Friday, July 1 : Hamburger ona bun with lettuce, tomato,onion and pickle, potatosalad, fresh fruit, patrioticJello cake

Monday, July 4 : Closed inobservance of Fourth of July

Tuesday, July 5 : Polish sau -sage, sauerkraut, red pota -toes, mixed fruits, pudding

Wednesday, July 6 : Saladbar with chopped chickenand hard boiled egg, freshfruit, cookie.

Thursday, July 7 : Bakedspaghetti, green bean salad,peaches, cherry stix

Friday, July 8 : Cold tuna onbed of lettuce with tomatoslice, cheese slice, fresh fruit,cheesecake

Monday, July 11 : Shepardspie, peaches, Jello

Tuesday, July 12 : Chickenbreast, whipped potatoes,carrots, fresh fruit, brownies

Wednesday, July 13 : Salis -bury steak, noodles, stewed

tomatoes, Mandarin oranges,lemon bars

Thursday, July 14 : Beef veg -etable soup, crackers, cheeseslice, applesauce, pudding

Friday, July 15 : Ham, yams,beets, fresh fruit, spice cake

Monday, July 18 : Pork cutlet,baked potato half, creamcorn, tropical fruit, jello

Tuesday, July 19 : Ring bolo -gna, red potatoes, creamed

peas, fruit salad, cookieWednesday, July 20 : Creamof potato soup and crackers,meat sandwich, pineapple,brownie

Thursday, July 21 : Hamburg -er or brat on a bun, broccolisalad, potato salad, water -melon, apple stix

Friday, July 22 : Grouper,German potato salad, mixedvegetables, applesauce, Jellocake

Monday, July 25 : Swedishmeatballs, noodles, broccoliwith cheese, fresh fruit, pud -ding

Tuesday, July 26 : Build yourown sandwich day at CivicCenter, chips, fresh fruit, Oreotorte

Wednesday, July 27 : Countryfried steak, yams, side salad,mixed fruit, chocolate cake

Thursday, July 28 : Tips,baked potato half, corn, freshfruit, cookie

Friday, July 29 : Egg bakewith ham, onions and greenpeppers, cheese, muf n,fresh fruit

ThedaCare provides state-of-the-art care for patientsBy Marcie LeitzkeLeader Columnist

I worked for 11 yearsin the old hospital build-ing years ago. Many of usthought it was a cryingshame when we heard thebuilding was to be torndown. We felt that such anice building could have

been used for so manythings, like assisted living,

apartments, etc. But wenow understand there isasbestos to contend with,lead pipes and other is-sues in the older parts ofthe building. All the newareas were built aroundthe old.

A recent stay in the

new hospital made meappreciate all the new

technologies and newef ciencies. Everythinggoes like clockwork. Youorder what you want toeat and it is there righton time. Everything is onthe computers, putting allthe information right attheir ngertips. Every test

is done to evaluate yourcondition.

The care by theRNs, CNAs and nursesaides was loving andperformed as ordered.Cleaning of the room andremoval of used material,dishes and waste wasefficient. The quest tofind answers for puzzling

situations was endless. All in all it was a surpri s-

ing adventure in the newmajestic hospital here inShawano.

My life on endless anti-biotics will run its course,but one comes to the endof this earthly existencesooner or later regard-less. I am thankful I could

and can share my end-less writing with you, my

faithful readers. I recentlyheard from a couple fromTulsa, Oklahoma, who

wrote that they especiallylike to read about mychildhood. Those were thedays!

Thank you, Lord, formy time on this earth.

Marcies Musings

www.shawanoleader.com


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We didnt nd an apartment. We found a lifestyle.Lifestyle. Value. Trust.

Shawano Lake Cecil, WI800.959.6637 www.threepillars.org

Post Acute & Long Term

1436 South Lincoln Street

Shawano, WI 54166715-526-6111

Savvy Senior

Great gadgets, gizmos available for older golfersBy Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,Can you recommendany products that can helpolder golfers? I love to playgolf, but at age 74, I havehip and back problems thatmake bending over to teeup or pick up the ball dif-

cult. And I have arthritisin my thumbs that makesgriping the club a problem.

Ailing Eddy

Dear Eddy,There are actually a

wide variety of nifty golfaccessories and adaptiveequipment that can helpolder golfers who struggle

with injuries, arthritis orloss of mobility. Here areseveral products for differ-ent needs.

Bending substitutesThe game of golf re-

quires a lot of repetitive

bending and stoopingthat comes with teeing upthe ball, repairing divots,marking the ball on thegreen, retrieving a ball ortee on the ground, along

with picking up a club, sandrake or ag stick off theground.

For teeing up the ball without bending over, con-sider one of the NorthcroftGolf Tee-Up devices. Theseare long-handled tools (1.5

to 3 feet long) that havetrigger-style handgrips anda jaw that holds the balland tee for easy placement.They cost between $69 and$72 and are available atNorthcroftGolf.com. Forother tee-up solutions, seethe Tee Pal ($55, TeePal -Pro.com) and Joes Origi -nal Backtee ($15, Upright -Golf.com).

NorthcroftGolf.com andUprightGolf.com also offera variety of stoop-proof ballpickup accessories, divotrepair and magnetic ballmarker products ranging

between $5 and $12.Or, if you just want a

great all-around golf pick-er-upper, consider theGraball GrabAll Jaw soldthrough Amazon.com for$10 for a package of two. Itattaches to the handle endof your putter and chipperand is designed to pick upgolf balls, agsticks, put -ters and green side chip-pers.

Gripping aidsTo help alleviate your

golf club gripping prob-lem, there are speciallydesigned golf gloves andgrips that can make a bigdifference.

The best gloves are theBionic Golf Gloves (Bion-icGloves.com) that haveextra padding in the palmand nger joints to improvegrip and the Power Glove(PowerGlove.com) that hasa small strap attached to

the glove that loops aroundthe club grip to secure it in your hand. These run be -tween $20 and $30.

Another option is to getoversized grips installed

on your clubs. This canmake gripping the clubeasier and more comfort-able and are also verygood at absorbing shock.Oversized grips are usu -ally either one-16th-inchor one-eighth-inch largerin diameter than a stan-dard grip, and cost around$10 per grip. You can ndthese grips and have theminstalled at your local golfstore or pro shop.

Or, for a grip-and-glovecombination x, considerthe Quantum Grip (Quan-tumGrip.com) that incor -porates Velcro material re-cessed in the golf club gripand a companion golf glovethat has mating Velcro ma-terial in the palm. Cost: $20per grip, plus $35 per glove.

Vision helper If vision problems make

nding the ball dif cult,Chromax golf balls (Chro-maxGolf.com) can make abig difference. These are

re ective colored golf ballsthat make them appear

larger and brighter. Cost:$10.50 for a three-pack.

Ergonomic cartsThere are also ergonom-

ically designed golf cartsthat can help you transport

your golf clubs around thecourse. If you like to walk,

the Sun Mountain SportsMicro-Cart, V1 Sport Cartor Re ex Cart are great op -tions. These are three andfour-wheeled, lightweightpush carts that fold intoa compact size for easy

transport. Available atSunMountain.com for $200,

$210 and $230.

Send your senior questions toSavvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Nor-

man, OK 73070, or visit SavvySe- nior.org. Jim Miller is a contributorto the NBC Today show and authorof The Savvy Senior book.


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6 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 THE SHAWANO LEADER 6SENIOR LIVING

NEVER A DILL

MOMENTPickleball provides social outlet, exercise for Shawano seniorsBy Brady Van [email protected]

The morning sun has yet to dry the lush green grassat Arlington Park as Stephen Dey strolls off the court.The only sounds interrupting the quiet of the park arethe laughter of Deys peers and the distinctive thwack-thwack-thwack of plastic pickleballs popping off paddles.

Asked if the friendly games will get more competitiveas the morning wears on, Dey answers with a smile, Ourmotto is: Dont leave any DNA on the court.

Pickleball, promoted as the fastest growing sport in theU.S., has established a foothold in Shawano, thanks pri-marily to the efforts of Dey and Jerry Hentges, part-timeresidents who were introduced to the sport in retirementcommunities in Arizona and Florida, respectively, aboutfour years ago.

Boasting an estimated 2.46 million players worldwide,according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association,pickleball has grown most signifcantly among seniors.The USA Pickleball Association estimates 66 percent ofits members are 60 or older.

I think it is growing in popularity because it is fun,said Dey, 67. We will just laugh sometimes because we will miss the ball or something else, and because of that we will just laugh.

Proponents say the sport also encourages exercise, isless strenuous than other sports, is relatively inexpensiveto play, is easy to learn and is a sport for all ages, enabling

family members of different generations to share thegood times.

Social sport About six to 12 area residents, mostly couples, play

regularly at Arlington Park, where the Shawano Park andRecreation Department has lined two tennis courts to pick-leball court specifcations and erected two backboards to

FYIPICKLEBALL BASICSWhat youll need 2 paddles. Competitive paddles, which cost from $20 to$150, are constructed from a high-tech composite. Woodpaddles also are available. Paddles are about twice the sizeof ping-pong paddles. 2 pickleballs (to be safe). An of cial pickleball is made ofplastic and is between 2 7/8 inches to 3 inches in diameterand weighs from .08 and 1.02 ounces. A ball costs about $2. Sneakers (unless you think youre an ace and can gobarefoot) Court. A pickleball court is 20 feet by 44 feet. The net ishung at 36 inches at the ends; 34 inches in the middle. Us-ing portable nets and posts, a court can be set up on anyhard surface for less than $300.

COVER PHOTOSue Van Schyndle and Jerry Hentges exchange a volley during a mixed doubles pickleball game in Shawano. Played on a tennis court with woodenpaddles and a plastic ball, pickleball has gained a foothold in Shawano. Pick-up games are played on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings Maythrough October in Arlington Park.

RIGHT: Craig Van Schyndle returns the ball as doubles partner Nancy Hentges watches during a pickleball game at Arlington Park.

SEE PICKLEBALL, PAGE 8

LEADERPHOTO BYGREG MELLIS


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AT A GLANCEPICKLEBALL RULES HIGHLIGHTS

Serve position: Both feet must be behind the baseline when a serve is attempted. Whencontact is made, a player is only required to have one foot on the ground, as long as thesecond foot is not within the court. Serves must be below the waist, any serve that is above the waist results in a server fault andthe loss of serve. Serves also must be diagonal, and land outside the no-volley zone (line in-cluded). Failure to serve into the area that is kitty-corner to the server will result in loss of serve. The receiving team and the server must both hit their rst shots off the bounce. After that,the ball can be volleyed except in the no-volley zone. To make pickleball a game of nesse and strategy rather than just raw power, the found-ers instituted a no-volley zone 7 feet on either side of the net. Within the zone, the ball mustbounce before it is hit. Of cial pickleball games are scored on an 11-point scale (win by 2). Only the serving teamcan score the point, and the ball is turned over to the other side in the event that the servingteam faults, unless doubles is being played, in which case the ball is turned over to the team-mate, who is given a chance to serve. The pickleball is only allowed to bounce once on either si de, a second bounce from the ballconstitutes a dead ball. Servers have 10 seconds to serve the ball after they properly call out the score.

LEADER PHOTO BY GREG MELLIS

Competition, exercise and companionship are part of the pickleball experience. Sportsmanship follows eachmatch as players meet at the net.

keep errant shots from rolling too far.It is a very social game. You have a

good time playing it, Hentges said. Itis much less competitive on a local basis,and because of that, it is an easy sport tosimply relax and socialize with.

Dey met Hentges when Dey was at thepark to play pickleball and Hentges wasthere to play tennis.

When you retire you have to worryabout what you are going to do with yourtime and who your friends are going tobe, Dey said. Pickleball is the best pos-sible solution for all of that. It gives yousomething to do, and it is a way to meetgreat new people.

Inexpensive sportCraig and Sue Van Schyndle have

joined the crew at Arlington Park to gettheir pickleball fx, which they also pickedup in Florida.

It is a game that you dont have to trytoo hard for. You do not have to be com-petitive if you dont want to be, Sue VanSchyndle said. It is a game that is meantfor fun; you dont have to leave it all on thecourt.

The Van Schyndles, who have intro-duced their grandchildren to the game,also like the relaxed atmosphere of play-ing at the park rather than in a league orathletic club.

At this age it is easier to simply goout and play rather than having to signup and pay for a league or pay to be in aclub, Sue Van Schyndle said.

Players can buy a good racket for $30to $70 (or much more if you want state-of-the-art rackets) and $2 for the ball and

PICKLEBALLFROM PAGE 6

SEE PICKLEBALL, PAGE 9


8/11


youre set, Dey said. You dont have tospend a lot of money on this game. It isntlike golf.

Communities can set up pickleballcourts relatively inexpensively, as well.

With Dey and Hentges, 66, lobbying for pick-leball facilities in Shawano, the park and recdepartment quickly and happily obliged.

Steve Dey and I, and our wives, wentto the rec department and asked for themto apply lines to the tennis courts for pick-leball, Hentges said. After they agreed,they helped spread the word to others,

with newsletters and other helpful things.The rec department was so helpful; theytruly got it all going for us.

Tom Ste , park foreman, said the workat Arlington Park was no big deal.

Spraying the lines down was easy,and it wasnt a huge expense, Ste said.I just did some research, went out to thecourts and sprayed down the lines.

Lifelong sportWith Americans learning to live health-

ier lives through exercise and better di-ets, pickleball has emerged as a sport thatpeople can enjoy throughout their lives.

Bonduel, for example, is among theschool districts that have incorporated

pickleball into their physical educationclasses in middle and high school.

Teacher James Westrich said studentshave taken to the the unique sport bear-ing the unique name.

Racket sports are sports that thekids do not really play much any more,Westrich said. Pickleball is a uniquesport, and because of that, the students

nd it fun and interesting.The youngsters nd the sport easy tolearn and can decide later whether itsa sport they want to continue playing asthey grow older.

Getting people aware of all these kinds ofsports is great, Westrich said. It is why weoffer such a wide curriculum to our students,

so they can try the sports like pickleball.

Newcomers welcome As youngsters learn the sport, the lo-

cal pickleball ambassadors will continueto reach out to young and not-so-young.

The group led by the Deys and Hentge-ses meets from about 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays at Arlington

Park, and always welcomes newcomers.We love to teach newcomers how toplay, Dey said. Within the hour they arehaving a blast and we have them knowingexactly what they are doing.

For information, call Stephen or PatDey at 920-954-5625 or Jerry or NancyHentges at 715-853-1075.

PICKLEBALLFROM PAGE 8

LEADER PHOTO BY JOHN RICCIO

The Shawano Park and Recreation Department painted lines and erected backboards to create two pickleball courts on t he tennis courts in Arlington Park.

Pickleball Talk Pickleball has developed some

unique terms in the last 50 years.Heres a sampling:

Champion Shot A ball thatdouble bounces in the no-volleyzone

DangerZone Nickname of

the no-volley zone.Dillball A ball that is in

bounds on the court, and has hitthe ground once making it cur-rently live.

Falafel Aka dead paddle, when a ball is hit with little to no

force causing the shot to be ex-tremely short.

Flabjack A midair pickleballthat must bounce on the playingsurface (return of serve, or re-turning the return)

Kitchen An affectionate

name for the no-volley zone.Opa! Often shouted after

the abjacks have been playedand open volleying begins.

Pickle! Shouted by the serv-er pre-serve to alert the playing

eld of the serve.

Pickled Losing in pickleball.Picklers Players of the

sport. Volley Llama A player at-

tacking a ball in the no-volleyzone, illegal in game play.

Source: World Pickleball Federation


9/11


Firm based in Wisconsinmakes pickleball paddles

Senior Living was able to chat re-cently with a pickleball paddle manu-facturer, Neil Friedenberg, owner ofPro-Lite Sports in Port Washington.

Friedenberg grew up in Seattleplaying pickleball with his father,Mark, who several years ago ac-quired Pro-Lite Sports. The companyhas been making pickleball paddlessince 1984.

Neil Friedenberg, who met his wife, a Port Washington native, at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire,took over Pro-Lite in 2011. He said heenjoys getaways to the Legend Lakearea and last year visited the Shawa-no pickleball courts.

SL: What is the best way for anew player to get started with play-ing pickleball?

Friedenberg: So many cities areplaying the game or at least startingprograms. The rst thing I would dois call your local park and rec depart-ment or YMCA and see if there is aprogram. If not, tell them they should

think about it. Then check the usapa.org and go to places to play. Clickon the state abbreviation and nd

your city. Its as easy as that.SL: What is the most important

rule to remember when playing thegame?

Friedenberg: Themost important ruleto remember is tolearn the soft game

rst. By far the mostimportant. This in-cludes dinking andthe third-shot drop.The of cial rules will

be different at rst, but then easy toremember once you play a couple oftimes.

SL: Where do you see the gameof pickleball going in the next three

years?Friedenberg: Where I would love

to see it go is mainstream all overthe U.S. and across the world. It isheading that direction already. I wantto see it offered at high schools as asport or, at least to start, an intramu-ral league, college activities, adultleagues, etc. I am hoping to see the

professional tour and the Olympics.Why not the Olympics? I see bad -minton, table tennis, curling. I cannot

wait!SL: What is your best advice for

someone starting to play pickle-ball?

Friedenberg: Be patient. Be opento learning the fundamentals rst.The soft game. Correct fundamentalsof each shot will lead to less errorsand a better experience. Do not beafraid to play against better playersand learn from it. Most importantly,this game will lead to great friend-ships, physical activity, better health,excellent social interaction with allages and backgrounds, and will add

years to peoples lives.SL: When choosing the right

equipment, what should a playerconsider before buying a new pick-leball paddle?

Friedenberg: First, take in mind your background. What I mean is, do you come from another sport? For ex-ample, tennis, racquetball or maybenothing at all. There are paddles outthere that are manufactured for these

very backgrounds. Typically it will leadto certain preferences and qualities in

a paddle. Second, and I think this isthe most important, are weight andfeel. How does the ball come off of thepaddle? With power or a soft touch.

John Riccio

NEILFRIEDENBERG

Pickleball History So what do you get when

you combine badminton,tennis, pingpong and a

whif e ball all played ona shrunken tennis court?

Pickleball! According to pickle-ballnow.com, pickleball

was invented in 1965 onBainbridge Island, a shortferry ride from Seattle,Washington. Three dads Joel Pritchard, Bill Belland Barney McCallum

whose kids were bored with their usual summer-time activities, are credit-ed with creating the sport.

The game started on an

asphalt badminton court inPritchards backyard. But,alas, no one could nd a fullset of rackets or the shut-tlecock. The dads quickly

improvised with pingpongpaddles, then fabricatedplywood paddles and a

whif e-type ball. As the game evolved

over the next couple of weeks, the founders deter-mined that players couldhit the ball on the bounceas well as out of the air.

They lowered the netfrom 5 feet (badmintonheight) to 3 feet (tennisheight).

So, how did the sportgets its name? The mostrepeated story is thatits named after thePritchards cocker spaniel,

as in Pickles, you bringthat ball back here rightnow!

The kids complaint,Im bored, had been re -placed by kids yelling atthe dog. When he could getaway with it, Pickles wouldfetch the ball and hide inthe bushes. He wasnt themost popular dog at theparty, but he did get thegame named after him or some would say.

Other histories, includ-ing those in the Bainbridgelocal newspaper, say Pick-les didnt arrive until a cou -ple of years after the sport,

and the sport was namedbecause the combinationof different sports remind-ed Pritchards wife, Joan,of the pickle boat in crew,

where oarsman are chosenfrom the leftovers of otherboats.

Whatever the origin, thename stuck, and pickleballtoday is played by people ofall ages in all 50 states andin several other countries.

John Riccio

Vehicle Test Drive

By Curt Blakeney

Vehicle: 2016 FordF-150

MSRP: From $26,540Curb weight: 4,049 to

5,236 poundsMPG: Up to 19 city/26highway

Horsepower: 282 to385 hp

The new Ford F150is two words: creaturecomfortable!

When Ford releasesa new model, car afi-cionados take notice.So it was no surprisethere was a heightenedatmosphere of excite-ment and anticipationas reporters gatheredin Michigan over thesummer for Fords un -

veiling o f the new F-150.The consensus: Fordhit a home run with theF-150 and, of course, itsnew Raptor version. Itsa head-turner, a hand-some truck highlightedby the new signatureFord meaty grille, L-themed headlights andbold, sculpted body styl-ing that should attractall buyers. The new 2016F-150 is powered by a2.7 EcoBoost with start-stop technology that is asilky-smooth six-speedautomatic transmission.Its also available in a3.5L EcoBoost as wellas the granddaddy 5.0LTri- VCT V8; available intwo-wheel drive (AWD)

versions.

The cabin is luxuri-ous and comfortable, asFord spared no expense

with premium materi-als and soft leathers.Cutting-edge technol-

ogy is everywhere, in-cluding the comprehen-sive multi-informationdisplay that features abackup camera, syncand much more depend-ing on how much youre

willing to shel l out.The Right On: The

Sync or Sync 3 package with hands-free t echnol-ogy along with XM satel-lite and enough chargingports to keep the wholefamily prepared for whatthe road has to bring.

Safety and con-struction: With its high-strength, military-grade,aluminum-alloy body andunique 12-sided design inthe high-strength steelfront-frame horn, theFord F-150 is engineeredto be safer than ever be-fore. Thats backed bycrash testing conductedby the National HighwayTraf c Safety Adminis -tration covering frontal,side and rollover crash

worthiness. The F-150has achieved NHTSAsoverall rating of 5 stars,the highest score pos-sible.

Curt Blakeney has been provid- ing auto reviews for over adecade for Motor Trend, NBC,

Auto Recon Radio and more. Tocontact him, send an email to

[email protected].

Keep up on the local news at www.shawanoleader.com


10/11


SEE RETIREMENT, PAGE 12

ManytakingSocial

Securitybefore fullretirementThe Associated Press

Taking Social Securitybene ts early comes with aprice, yet more than 4 in 10

Americans who are 50 andover say theyll dip into the

program before reachingfull retirement age. An Associated Press-

NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll re-cently found that 44 per-cent report Social Security

will be their biggest sourceof income during their re-tirement years.

Full bene ts begin at65 or 66 for those born be-tween 1943 and 1954. Amer-icans can begin collectingas early as age 62, but withbene ts reduced by up to30 percent, according tothe Social Security Admin-istration.

One thing we know forcertain is that claiming ear-ly can have long-term re-percussions on your scalsecurity as you age, saidGary Koenig, vice presi-dent of nancial securityat the AARP Public PolicyInstitute.

Koenig said bene tsincrease signi cantly forthose who wait, risingabout 8 percent more foreach additional year pastage 66 and up to 70, whenbene ts max out.

So we encourage peo-ple to delay as long as pos-sible, he said.

But waiting is a luxurymany Americans donthave.

Ken Chrzastek of Chi-cago began drawing SocialSecurity bene ts at age 62


11/11


RETIREMENTFROM PAGE 11

and pulled $50,000 out of anIRA after losing a retail jobtwo years ago. He has beenunable to nd even part-

time work.Hiring a 62-year-old isa liability for a company,he said.

The poll found that Americans 50 and overhave multiple sources ofincome for retirementbut that Social Security isthe most common by far.Eighty-six percent saythey have or will have So-cial Security income. Morethan half had a retirement

account such as a 401(k),403(b), or an IRA. Slightlyless had other savings.

About 43 percent had a tra -ditional pension.

The average age at which people expect tostart or have started col-lecting Social Security ben -e ts is 64. Just 9 percentsaid they would wait until

after they turned 70.While the retirement

age has been rising in re -cent years, particularlyfor women, the average

American still retires rela -tively early, at age 64 formen and age 62 for women,

according to the Center forRetirement Research atBoston College.

Charles Jeszeck, direc-tor of education, workforceand income security for theGovernment Accountabil-ity Of ce, said there is noone right answer to whenpeople should take SocialSecurity, especially sinceincreases in life expectancyare not spread out evenlybetween the rich and poor,

or between ethnic groups.Included in any discus -sion about Social Securityare lingering questionsabout its solvency.

The Social Securitytrust fund has been run -ning a surplus every yearsince 1984. Those sur-pluses are forecast to stopsometime around 2020, as

more boomers start claim -ing bene ts.

The Social Security Administration says inter -est income from the fundshould be able to bridgethis gap until 2034. At thatpoint, without changes,

payments could shrink butnot disappear.Gary Burtless, a Brook -

ings Institution economist,said that people takingbene ts early or late should have no impact onthe trust fund.

It costs the govern-ment roughly the sameamount, he said.

Among the presidentialcandidates, both BernieSanders and Hillary Clin -

ton have called for an ex-pansion of Social Security.Donald Trump said duringa debate in March, Its myabsolute intention to leaveSocial Security the way itis.

Many Americans wor -ry that they wont haveenough to live on once theystop working, the poll said.

Among those with in -comes under $50,000, 58percent say they feel moreanxious than secure about

the amount of savings theyhave for retirement. People

with higher incomes ap -pear less anxious, but still

40 percent of those with in -comes of $100,000 or more

worry whether their sav-ings will be suf cient.

Documents

Senior Living July 2016