Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 341

Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 341

Santa Rosa, CA 95401Hiring a Contractor ................

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Age of Champions ...........................page 4

Friday Brunch Menu ......................page 4

In the Soup ..................................

........page 5

Dining Site News ..............................page 6

Senior Center Highlights ..............page 7

Crossword & Sudoku .....................page 7

Save the Date ..................................

..page 8

SONOMA SENIORS

30 Kawana Springs RoadSanta Rosa, CA 5404

COUNCIL ON AGINGMay 2012

Today’s seniors, on average, live longer and are more physically and socially active than at any time in

history, demonstrating you are “Never Too Old to Play”—the theme of May’s Older Americans Month 2012 observation. The Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging will recognize Older Americans Month at a Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting in May.

Since 1963, communities across the nation have celebrated Older Americans Month to recognize the contributions and achievements of older Americans. This year’s commemoration acknowledges the value older adults continue to bring to our communities through spirited participation in social and faith groups, service organizations and other activities.

Throughout Sonoma County, seniors prove every day they are never too old to play—whether it is playing music, playing golf, playing team sports or playing with their grandchildren. Take members of the New Horizons Band of Sonoma County as a perfect example.

New Horizons, a non-profit organiza-tion dedicated to giving seniors an oppor-tunity to make music, regardless of ability or experience, describe themselves as “senior musicians making music for all ages.” There are three bands—Concert, Swing and Improv—open to the 70 or more members, who come from all parts of the county. There is also a new Start-Up band for new players and experienced players wanting to learn a new instrument. Each New Horizons member has his or her own reason for joining, but all agree it is an important part of their lives.

“Being able to make music as a senior has been a God-send,” said Lew Sbrana, 77, of Healdsburg, who is the New Horizons bandmaster and trumpeter. “It has helped me to focus on the fun of creating music with the additional rewards of mental and

physical health and the job that comes from supporting, encouraging and loving relationships.”

Bob Knapp, 80, of Petaluma agrees. Bob, who is an active member of not only New Horizons but also “A Swing and a Miss” 16-piece big band and Old Adobe Band, both senior groups, says what he loves about playing his trombone with these groups is the camaraderie, the bonding and the making of music together.

To many New Horizons members, like 78-year-old Virginia Breedlove of Petaluma, a flutist and founding member of the band, New Horizons is “like family.” Adds Muriel Robbins, 87, of Sonoma, who also plays the flute, “it adds so much to my life.”

Many of the band members came back to music after lengthly layoffs. Bill Hamilton, 89, played the baritone horn through high school but, as a young man, sold his horn for $25 to make ends meet. Fifty-nine years later, after building a career as an anesthesiologist and head of the department at University of California at San Francisco, he bought a new horn and

started playing again—in his home’s laundry room rehearsal area his wife dubbed “Carnegie Hall.” He became the 15th member of New Horizons and is still active in the now 70+ member band.

Like Bill, bassoonist Lew Bishop, 74, of Windsor, started playing music in grade school, but soon switched to football instead. He started playing music again in ninth grade and was a music major in college, but after college, he didn’t play an instrument for the next 50 years until he joined New Horizons in 2011.

He attributes his good health to oxy-genating his body with improved breath control through playing the bassoon, and brain health to playing challenging compositions, because it is “so helpful to concentrate on something that demands undying attention.” Playing with the band, Lew says, “doesn’t make you younger, it makes you feel youthful...you feel vibrant.”

Gerry Turner, 78, of Rohnert Park, who plays tuba and is active in nine musical groups, agrees with Lew. “I don’t think I would be as mentally or physically healthy if I wasn’t playing,” he said. “The spring would be gone from my step. Playing the tuba is living my passion.”

Chuck McCormack, 81, of Sebastopol, too, feels playing in the band is keeping him healthy. “Playing the trumpet helps my physical health by the vigorous workouts my lungs get as well as the mental challenge of reading music,” he says.

Also noteworthy is how the band encour ages senior attendance at their con-certs by not charging admission and holding events during the day to accommodate

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Feeling playful? The Wine Country Senior Games has extended its deadline for registration to May 20, for athletes over 50 who want to compete in 18 different sports from archery to volleyball. (See page 8 for registration info.) As an added bonus, all registered participants are invited to “A Celebra tion of Athletes,” which includes a performance by a contingent of the New Horizons Band. You might just decide you want to play in the band, as well as on the playing field!

Never Too Old to PlayFor seniors, more ways to have fun than everby Jane Eckels, Chair, Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council

Lew Sbrana, 77, New Horizons Bandmaster

See Play, page 3

page 2 ◆ May 2012 Sonoma Seniors Today

30 Kawana Springs RoadSanta Rosa, CA 95404

707-525-0143 • 800-675-0143Fax 707-525-0454

www.councilonaging.com

President and CeO Marrianne McBride

BOard Of direCtOrsJeff Beeson, Chair

Corrine Lorenzen, Vice ChairJudy Bolduc, Bonnie Burrell, Dena Lash,

Chuck McPherson, Jeanne Miskel, Kathy Pinkard, John Reyes, Deborah Roberts,

Debby Roumbanis and David Vacini

editor: Bonnie Allen, (707) 763-2544

sonomaseniorstoday@gmail.com

Contributors: Bonnie Allen, Fran Bailin-Petzel,

Jane Doroff, Jane Eckels, Marrianne McBride

Proofreading assistance: Steve Della Maggiora

distribution Manager: Stacee Shade

advertising & subscriptions:Kerrie Kennedy, 525-0143, ext. 112 kkennedy@councilonaging.com

Sonoma Seniors Today is a publication of Council on Aging, 30 Kawana Springs Road,

Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 525-0143 information@councilonaging.com

www.councilonaging.com

Sonoma Seniors Today strives to share a variety of viewpoints on subjects of interest to a broad range of its readership. Opinions and viewpoints expressed by contributors and those interviewed for articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Council on Aging. Readers are invited to share their ideas, opinions and viewpoints by writing to this publication. Suggestions for improving this publication are given careful consideration, and letters to the editor are welcomed. Photographs may also be submitted.

Editor’s note: Publication of all material is at the dis-cretion of the editor; originals become the property of SST and cannot be returned. Mail all submissions to Sonoma Seniors Today c/o Council on Aging, 30 Kawana Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, or email to SonomaSeniorsToday@gmail.com.

All rights reserved.© 2012 Council on Aging

Sonoma Seniors Todaypublished monthly by

SST Subscriptions Make GREAT Gifts (especially for yourself)A portion of each Sonoma Seniors Today subscription will go toward providing senior services. And your gift keeps giving through the year. Mail this form with check for $24 (1 year, 12 issues) or $12 (6 months, 6 issues), payable to Council on Aging, to: SST Subscriptions, c/o Council on Aging, 30 Kawana Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.

Name________________________________________Telephone__________________

Mailing Address__________________________________________________________

City__________________________ State/Zip_________ Date ___________________For additional subscriptions, please use a separate sheet of paper.

Readers: Is there a topic you’d like to see discussed in Sonoma Seniors Today? Send your suggestions to Sonoma Seniors Today, Council on Aging, 30 Kawana Springs Rd, Santa Rosa 95404; call 763-2544; or email sonomaseniorstoday@gmail.com.

What you should know about the contractorRead the CSLB publication, What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, available online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or by calling 800-321-CSLB.• Take your time before you make a decision about hiring a contractor.• Get at loast three bids and check references.• Hire only licensed contractors--anyone performing home improvement work valued at $500 or more must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board.• Get the contractor’s license number and verify it online at www.rlslb.ca.gov.

What you should know about the contract• Get your contract in writing and don’t sign anything until you understand the terms.• Ask a friend or relative to review the contract before you sign it.• Include in your contract a specific description of work to be done, materials to be used, total cost of the project, and start and completion dates.

What you should know about unscrupulous contractor scamsDoor-to-door solicitations: A solicitor offers to do roofing, painting or paving work at a reduced price. Once payment is made, little or no work is done and the project is abandoned.High pressure sales: A deceitful contractor offers to perform a free inspection, then claims that faulty wiring, bad plumbing, or a leaky roof put the homeowner in peril. The alarmed homeowner agrees to unnecessary and over-priced work.Demand for cash: A contractor demands cash payments, sometimes going so far as to drive the victim to the bank to withdraw funds. With money in hand, the unscru-pulous operator takes the money and runs. Illegally large down payments: A dishonest contractor takes more for a down payment than is allowed by law, claiming to need instant cash for supplies and to pay workers. By law, a down payment cannot exceed 10 percent of the project price or $1,000, whichever is less.Verbal agreements: a contractor states that a written contract is unnecessary--promis-ing to deliver on the verbal agreement. The shady operator takes advantage of the situa -tion to perform shoddy work or none at all.

What you should know about payments• Don’t pay cash.• Include a payment schedule in your written contract.• Don’t pay more than 10 percent of the job or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment.• Don’t let payments get ahead of the work.

What you should know about the Contractors State License Board• The CSLB provides information about a contractor’s license, bond and workers’ compensation insurance status, as well as

pending and prior legal actions.• Free consumer publications and com-plaint forms are available from the CSLB.

Reprinted from the Contractors State License Board, PO Box 36000, Sacramento, CA 95826, 800-321-CSLB, www.cslb.ca.gov

What Seniors Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor

Remember: You can do more to protect yourself before hiring a contractor than the Contractors State License Board can do to help after you’ve been harmed.

Sonoma Seniors Today May 2012 ◆ page 3

Council on Aging DonorsWe give many thanks to our generous donors who made gifts to Council on Aging’s programs and to our 2011 Holiday Appeal, March 10 through April 9, 2012

Any errors or omissions in these listings are inadvertent. If your name was omitted in error, please accept our apologies and let us know. We will print a correction in a future issue.

General Fund

$100–$250Reece and Joy ClarkMarjorie C. FosterJeanne MiskelLinda S. NorrisRichard and Joyce RoehrlPaul ScrimgeourLaura M. UpjohnWomen’s Fellowship of The

Community Church

$1–$99Paul CampbellChristina ChaseGlenn CoxeGayle CrossleyCheryl C. CumminsJay and Jody DeikeRobyn FedericksRaymond GloorSusan Hagen & Mary CaroubaRobert and Marian JonesPatti O’Brien

Susan SavonisRosalie and Frank SheaVictor Suard

Holiday appeal

$1–$99Leonard BaronRobert and Naomi BaylisJoseph and Karen BeallDominic P. BosqueGerald and Frances DixonStephen and Rosanne FischerGary FriedmanKarl FriedrichHeidi HochreinBonnie and Christopher HolmH. Bruce and Connie KinnisonCatherine and John LandisLynn McGarveyElec and Myra MillerEric J. NelsonYvonne and Eric NorrbomBeverly PennJoyce and Richard Peters

MeMorial GiFtsMeMorial GiFtsIn Memorial of Augusta Ferris

Carla Reinking

In Memory of Hugh SeatonThe Roland Seaton Family

P. Doreen ProctorSteven J. SmithWinifred L. SwansonAndrea VeenstraDeAne WilsonTara S. Zamacona

Meals on WHeels

$500–$750Nephrology Associates Medical

OfficeStaff Nurses’ Association of Santa

Rosa Memorial Hospital

$100–$250Thomas and Carin CutlerMarjorie C. FosterAnn M. LeeGib and Janice C. LinzmanMyrtleann PappasBetty PommonDennis Rhodes

$1–$99Anna Mae Barrett

Alex S. BendahanForestville Rebekah Lodge #278DeLores HatfieldBeverly Jeanne E. MagerClarice Palomares

Meals on WHeels—HealdsburGAlexander Valley Ladies AidChris and Christine Bethards

senior concerns about driving after dark—and half the donations collected at a concert are being given to the fundraising efforts to build a new senior center.

The next New Horizons concert is scheduled for 2 pm, Saturday, May 12, at the Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. Information about New Horizons is available on the band’s web site, www.nhbsc.org.

To help promote the “Never Too Old to Play” theme of Older Americans Month, the Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging and the Council on Aging are planning showings of the feature documentary Age of Champions, an inspiring story of a group of older athletes participating in National Senior Games. Whether is it a 100-year-old tennis player, an 86-year-old pole vaulter or any of the other seniors feature in the file, all show a triumphant spirit of competitors tackling the challenges of age with grace, humor and optimism.

For more information on the film, contact the SCAAA at 707-565-5950 or Council on Aging at 707-525-0143, ext. 146.

Do your part by supporting and celebrating Older Americans!

Play, continued from page 1

page 4 ◆ May 2012 Sonoma Seniors Today

Call 525-0383 for reservations (Español: 525-0143, ext. 127)

For seniors 60 and older and their spouses or caregivers, every Friday,

11:30 am–12:30 pm, at Council on Aging’s dining sites at the Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol Senior Centers, and Silvercrest (Santa Rosa) senior housing. Suggested donation: $5.

Friday Brunch

MenuMay 4

Scrambled eggs & chives OR Buttermilk pancakes Spanish coleslaw Cranberry scone Fresh fruit

Orange juice

May 11Joe’s Scramble & non-alcoholic mimosas Spring greens w/vinaigrette English muffin Strawberries

Pineapple juice cocktail

May 18Omelet bar Caesar salad

Bagels & cream cheese Fruit & jello Orange juice

May 25Scrambled eggs & chives OR Crepes w/blueberry filling Spinach artichoke pasta salad Pumpkin muffin

Tomato juice All meals served with milk, coffee & tea

q

q

Council on Aging Legal Seminars 2012Thursday, May 24, 1–2 pm

“Family Justice Center Overview & Restraining Order Procedure”Featured Speaker: Sheila Miller, Attorney

Thursday, September 27, 1–2 pm“Successor Trustees and Estate Administration for

Adult Children and Other Nonprofessionals”Featured Speaker: Roy Johnston, Attorney at Law

October: Date TBA“Distressed Mortgages and Foreclosures”

Featured Speaker: Ryan F. Thomas, Attorney at Law

Council on Aging—G.K. Hardt Conference Room30 Kawana Springs RoadSanta Rosa, CA 95404 (first driveway east of Santa Rosa Ave., south of Costco shopping center)

RSVP: 525-0143 X 142

FREE!FREE!

Open to

the publicOpen to

the public

Age of Champions is the uplifting story of five competitors who sprint, leap, and swim for gold at the

National Senior Olympics. You’ll meet a 100 year-old tennis champion, 86 year-old pole vaulter, octogenarian swimmers, and rough-and-tumble basketball grandmothers

Age of ChampionsSpecial Santa Rosa Screeningby Marrianne McBride, CEO

who all battle to overcome the limitations of age. When one athlete loses a spouse and another is diagnosed with cancer, they’re forced to dig even deeper to make their Olympic dreams come true. It’s a story about the triumph of the human spirit and a must-see for people of all ages.

Age of Champions premiered to a standing ovation at the prestigious Silverdocs Film Festival and has since shown in more than 300 cities around the world. The Washington Post called the film

“infectiously inspiring” and its characters have been featured in major media outlets including ABC, CBS, PBS, and NPR.

The public is invited to attend a free screening of Age of Champions on Wednesday, May 9, at 2 pm at the Finley Center, followed immediately by a panel discussion. Hosted by Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging and Council on Aging in honor of Older Americans Month and the upcoming sonoma Wine Country senior Games. For additional information, please call 525-0143.

Sonoma Seniors Today May 2012 ◆ page 5

He led me gently to the refrigerator.

He matched his stride to my tentative smaller steps, bent over to be closer to my ear, my small hand in his as he spoke softly to magnify the importance of the upcoming event. “We are going to make soup,” he said with a small, gleeful smile that promised an exciting mystery. But I was five. Why would he think I could make soup? Soup was only something liquidy with stuff in it I usually didn’t like. That was soup.

He opened the refrigerator door still holding my hand to focus me on the project he so often spoke of like it was a surprise birthday present or something. I knew he had a plan. I knew he was opening yet another world to me so he could reaffirm that I was a big girl. He always treated me like a big girl.

As the refrigerator door opened, we both gazed inside. I was very still so as not to miss anything. To the empty shelves inside he said, “Now let’s get out the ingredients.” There was nothing there except a bottle of catsup, a jar of yellowy liquid, and a few limp and unpleasant looking vegetables. He asked me to take out different things, naming each one as an honored known entity. The process had begun as he thanked me for each item I presented. I went along not wanting to break the big girl spell. I lifted each item up to the counter as he asked. The stove’s warmth came from overhead each time I approached the counter next to him.

Suddenly I needed to go play. As I ran for the backdoor, he called after me that the soup would be ready in an hour. I knew my Dad’s magic would come through. The soup usually came out brown and always appeared when he said it would. Some-times I’d go back and look into the refrig-erator again. Yep, still empty. I accepted the obvious: Dad’s soup came from nowhere, and that was good enough for me.

As I grew taller, being able to look down at the stovetop around soup-making time yielded another

perspective. I would see him when he began his process. Yes, there was food in the refrigerator but it never seemed to match the resulting soup. He would cook down leftover vegetables for broth and was exhilarated when there were chicken scraps or some other inedible to form his roux. “If you add a sweet potato,” he repeated through the years, “it thickens and flavors the broth.” Why would I want sweet potato in my soup if I didn’t like it on its own?

“Combining,” he said, “changes everything.”

The tasting was endless. The hot liquid burning his tongue even after he blew on it several times. “Here, taste this,” he commanded, as he’d joyfully extend the soupspoon. I learned that it was not good to

In The SoupBy Fran Bailin-Petzel

say no to the tasting because tasting was an important part of the education and it would surely be an unforgivable violation of the sacred moment. “What do you think it needs?” he would ask, as if I had any idea.

“How do I know what it needs?” I retorted.

“Because you have been tasting all these years, use your sense of it; recipes can’t give you that. Either you have a sense of cooking or you don’t—and you do.”

How did he know that? I had no choice about what he so adamantly believed.

If I stood around long enough, he would ask me to fetch something from the spice rack or the refrigerator. Still no match between the pot and the refrigerator contents. “Tell me what’s in there,” he would ask.

“There’s nothing in here, Dad. How do you still make soup out of nothing?”

He chuckled quietly never answering or turning around to look. He loved it when I said that. He loved being the soup magician. He called it his “gehockteh.” It’s Yiddish for chopped stuff.

“We were raised in the depression.” he began one day, looking intent on giving me another story linked to that time of hardship. “I waited all day in a line for cans of Spam and whatever else they had. It would be a soup one way or the other, and I had to start it before my mom got home from the dress factory.”

My first few attempts at soup making were not successful. He always told me that I had the ability “in my genes” and to keep trying until things manifested.

At first, I resorted to augmenting canned soup so I could sort of call it my own. A solo attempt came out brown and flavorless. I decided to call up my dad and for instructions, a call that became a habit with each effort. “Go to the refrigerator and tell me everything that is in there,” he instructed with the forcefulness of the college lecturer. What do you have as leftovers? Ah, you have a little ham, some potatoes, those are good; they make a tasty and thickened base.”

He went on for as long as I could tolerate, then I was anxious to fly on my own. “Let me know how it goes.” he said, sensing I was overdosing on information. “Spices are next. Call me after you have tasted a few times.”

Fran Bailin-Petzel as a child and with

her father at her wedding

There were years of soup sessions by phone. I knew I could call Dad, leave a what-do-I-do-now message and get almost an immediate response. “Smell your spices,” he’d begin, “tell me what they are and try to let your spices carry the flavor. Not salt, that’s a cop out.” He gave me some basics for what spices go with what foods. “But, in the end, spices don’t matter as much as taste. It’s how it tastes that counts. Go by your instincts and you’ll do fine.” His confidence was infectious.

Then came the day, when it was getting harder for him to cook or to travel, that I brought him one of my soups. My sense of accomplishment as he savored the first spoonful with an “um-um” grunt, was an amazing moment. “Some people have a feel for cooking and you’re one of them, kiddo.” He ate two big bowls. Rubbing his stomach and grinning, he said, “You’re a chip off the ole block, baby.”

After Dad passed in 2010, I’d pick up the phone two or three times in the midst of soup construction, freezing

with the receiver in hand, my throat filling with emerging tears, then slowly put the receiver back. Death means no more soup calls. The baton had been passed; I didn’t want to take it, but life and death are not negotiable. What he gave me was now mine to hold as I walked forward. He marched with me for sixty-five years of my life through so many soups. Could I have asked for more?

Sunday is the only day in the week I cook now. I figure I want to make one homemade meal. My semi-retired life is more about taking care of my arthritic spine than fixing food for hubby and adult children who are seldom home. It’s just Joe and me most of the time.

One rainy day, I decided to make Gumbo. How coincidental that, while picking up ingredients, I met a woman in the store, who grew up making authentic Louisiana Gumbo. I abandoned my San Francisco Chronicle recipe when the corrections she made to it were more specific than the recipe itself.

I was excited but came home to find that I bought everything but the bay leaves. Could have sworn... Got out a chair for a boost to the spice shelf, muttering with irritation that I might have to make a second trip to the store. And there it was, way in the back, a small converted medi cine bottle with a handwritten label in my mom’s writing “Dad’s Bay Leaves.” She had given me all their spices when they stopped cooking and moved into senior living.

Dad’s Bay Leaves. I stood for a moment, staring at the bottle, throat filling with yet another reminding presence. Still helping me make soup, aren’t you, Dad?

Fran Bailin-Petzel is a Kaiser-Permanente Out-Patient Social Worker. She credits her mother, Sylvia Bailin, with help help and inspiration for this story.

Kitchen scraps, a few spices and so much more

April 6 ◆ March 2012 Sonoma Seniors Today

Senior Center HighlightsPetaluma Senior Center

211 Novak Dr, Petaluma, 778-4399cityofpetaluma.net/parksnrec/senior.html

• thursday, May 10, 10–11 am: singalong! Join pianist Susan Kay Gilbert. Genres include popular, patriotic, jazz vocal standards and Broadway. Sheet music provided. FREE.• Wednesday, May 9, 1–2 pm: Workshop: don’t agonize—Organize! This free workshop will give you concrete ideas and help you to organize information and more. Tips on dealing with paper clutter, how to actually find a piece of paper or an article you might want or need; freeing up space in your office and home. Here is your chance to free yourself of the overwhelming mountain of notes and papers!

Santa Rosa Senior Center704 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, 543-4624

• saturday, May 5th, 9 am–NooN: annual Pancake Breakfast and Health fair. Co-sponsored by Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary. All you can eat. Two seatings: 9 am and 10 am, reservations required. Free to members, $5 for others. Call 545-8608 to reserve.

Sebastopol Senior Center167 N High St, Sebastopol, 829-2440 www.sebastopolseniorcenter.org

• friday, May 4, 3 pm: Cuatro de Mayo Celebration. Get a head start on the celebra tion! Sebastopol Area Senior Center honors the influences of our Latin heritage. The decorations make you feel you are sitting in a rainforest. The live music is exciting and fun. Scrumptious traditional Latin cuisine. $8. Limited seating: RSVP.• thursday, May 17, 2 pm: Wildlife Photographer and naturalist of Sonoma county, Brandon Hutchinson, has photo-graphed Northern California for 30 years. Animals have come to accept him as part of their life. The results are won derful photos with unexpectedly can did pictures of animals and wildlife of Sonoma County. Brandon has photographed five generations of Sonoma county animals in their natural environment. FREE.

Vintage House Senior Center264 First St East, Sonoma, 996-0311www.vintagehouse.org

• Tuesdays, May 1 & 8, 9 am–1 pm: aarP driver safety Program. Designed for drivers 55 years of age and above and entitles participants to an auto insurance discount upon completion. Reservations required. Costs $12 for AARP members, $14 for non-members. Call to reserve.• thursday, May 24, 7 pm and friday, May 25, 1:30 pm: Gershwin & friends. Vintage House Singers present their annual spring concerts. FREE, but donations appreciated.

Windsor Senior Center9231 Foxwood Drive, Windsor, 838-1250

• May 14–25, 4–6 pm (saturday and sunday, 1–5 pm): senior Center Pool open swim. (Note: Open swim hours are dependent upon lifeguard availability.)• Mon/Wed/fri, 2:15–3 pm: aquatic

The best kept secret in Sonoma County is that senior dining sites are open to anyone 60 years and over. The dining

sites offer a wide assortment of meals that are freshly made each day in our central kitchen, for a donation of only $4.

This past year, the Council on Aging Senior Nutrition program has worked very hard to revamp our menu items to address the changing demographics of our clients. We started by contracting with Chef Josef, and now have two chefs on staff—Charles Lindner and Stewart Potter, who each have added their fresh ideas and expertise to our menus in the main kitchen. So if you haven’t recently tried a lunch at the dining site near you, I encourage you to try it!

Our third chef, Maria Vieages, runs the Silvercrest dining site. She will present cooking demonstrations at the following dining sites at 11:30 am in May:Sebastopol 829-8381 – May 10 Cloverdale 894-4826 – May 16Rohnert Park 585-6787 – May 17Silvercrest 525-4487 – May 22Healdsburg 433-7515 – May 24

Santa Rosa 525-8608 – May 31 Please make reservations for lunch after the demonstration.

The cooking demo menu is fire-flashed chicken breast with roasted artichoke hearts and white wine reduction, and orzo with spring vegetables. Yum!

Maria started Maria’s Multi Regional Cuisine in New Orleans on February 13, 1997, and built a small café with a staff of 42, upscale takeout and catering business, catering off-premise events of up to 2,400 people. In 2005, Maria lost her business and home as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Unable to recover her investments from her insurance company or to receive government recovery assistance, Maria moved to Sonoma County a year later and brought her culinary vision with her.

Today, Maria keeps on living her dream: cooking for private groups, teaching cooking classes, catering events both large and small, and working for Council on Aging. She has a cookbook in development and has filmed with HGTV’s House Hunters on Vacation, which will be aired on June 8.

Mothers Day Brunch: On May 11, dining sites will be hosting a special Mothers’ Day Brunch, featuring Joe’s Scramble, croissants, spring greens w/vinaigrette, strawberries and non-alcoholic Mimosas. We encourage mothers to bring a child with them. Call your site for reservations.

Culinary Treats for MayCooking Demonstration & Special Mothers Day Brunchby Jane Doroff, Director of Nutrition

Sonoma Seniors Today May 2012 ◆ page 7

April Crossword Puzzle

Supply the missing numbers so that every row, column and 9-digit square contain only one of each number. No math skills are required, and no guesswork. For hints on doing Sudoku puzzles, visit www.websudoku.com, or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Sonoma Seniors Today, 30 Kawana Springs Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95404. (Solution on page 12.)

Solution on page 8exercise Classes: therapeutic exercise.If you have chronic back or joint problems or are recovering from an injury or surgery, you will benefit from this carefully designed exercise program. To participate in the Therapeutic Exercise class seniors aged 55 or older must submit a written release form, signed by a licensed health care provider. Forms are available at the Senior Center front desk, or may be mailed by calling 838-1250. All forms must be on file before the start of class, and must be renewed annually.• Mon–fri, 3–4 pm: Water fitness Classes. Water Fitness is a fun way to exercise and improves strength, endurance, flexibility and sense of well-being. Using the resis-tance of the water adds an extra “punch” to your workout.

Correction: In April’s cover story about Emma Webber, the Web site to see examples of Webber’s rugs was incorrect. The correct URL is www.flyingdoghookery.com/ew.html.

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www.CrosswordWeaver.com

Across 1 Never use this to pay contractors 5 Contractors’ org. 9 Spring flower14 Yearn15 Capital of Western Samoa16 Hindu religious teacher17 Undesirable coating18 One of a famous nautical trio19 Not illegal20 White-tailed sea eagle21 Cause giggles23 Brief letter24 Nissan’s former name26 Big truck28 Nautical dir.29 Opaque gem31 Disallow34 Enjoyment37 Slow (music)39 Like most “Save the Date” items40 Perceive41 Conduit42 Wild pigs44 College group47 Brat48 Canoe propellers50 Buck’s mate51 Soar52 Relating to the eye56 Frost59 Go aboard63 Expert64 Church building66 Dog food brand67 Chow68 Recycle alternative69 Place70 Fairy tale monster71 Legends72 Ceases73 Bluish green

Down 1 In a container 2 Capital of Ghana 3 Divert 4 Dress edge 5 Ripping teeth 6 Span’s partner 7 Join together 8 Biblical false god 9 Language for hearing impaired, for

short10 One of the New Horizons bands11 Treat in a tortilla12 Give off13 Religious ceremony21 Gerry Turner’s instrument22 Epoch25 Smile scornfully27 Unwell29 Famous sandwich cookies30 “Senior __ Support,” COA group

helping with mental illness

31 Men’s cologne32 Type of org.33 Negative34 High school dance35 Like this year36 Former Russian initials38 Adios39 Law enforcement agcy.43 __ Hurok, famed impresario45 Smelly46 “__ Around the Clock”49 Popeye’s affirmative51 New53 Big54 Car brand55 Anti-government fighter56 Damage57 Heed58 Adjoin60 Having testes or anthers61 Type of pancake62 Imitated65 Affirmative67 Achieved

Working for YouInformation & Assistance/Case Management:Do you need help with senior resources? Call us any time for information, assistance and case management services. Call Carol Martin at 525-0143, ext. 101. Sebastopol sen iors only: call the Russian River Senior Center at 869-0618.

Senior Financial Services:Our bonded and insured counselors assist seniors who are unable to handle bill paying, checkbook reconcilia-tion, eligibility documentation for retire ment programs, and other financial needs relative to their daily money management. This program is especially designed for the forgetful senior or the senior with poor vision and often protects them from financial abuse and late fees associated with forget ting to pay their bills. For peace of mind, call Connie Aust, Director, at 525-0143, ext. 108.

Senior Peer Support:This program is to help seniors struggling with seri-ous mental illness access services and programs that help them develop skills and social support, leading to a more constructive and satisfying life. After an as-sessment visit by CoA case managers and a licensed marriage and family therapist, clients are matched with trained volunteers for 12 weekly sup port sessions to develop a care plan solution with the client’s approval, then follow-up with progress notes. Sponsored by the Department of Mental Health Services. Call Michele Leonard, Director of Volunteers, 525-0143, ext. 147, for information.

Lawyer Referral Service:If you are 60 years old or older and need an attor ney, you will be referred to a panel of elder law attorneys ex-perienced in working with seniors. An initial half-hour consultation is $30. If you retain the attorney for further services, fees will be at the attor ney’s usual rate. The service is certified by the California State Bar, Certifica-tion #0111. Call 525-1146.

Senior Meals:Meals on Wheels delivers fresh meals to temporarily home-bound or chronically ill seniors. Ten dining sites provide meals and companion s hip. Therapeu tic meals and nutri tional counseling are available for special needs. Call 525-0383 for information on home delivery or dining site locations.

Senior Social Club:This service has helped hundreds of people to recon nect with others through our Social Club Activities program, offering the opportunity to gather for meals, exercise, entertainment, companionship, and arts and crafts. The programs are held in Healdsburg, Sonoma, Sebastopol and (starting in 2012) Santa Rosa. Call Laurel Anderson at 525-0143, ext. 103.

Senior Legal Services:Legal consultation and representation in matters of housing, consumer fraud, Social Security and SSI, Medi-Cal and Medicare, and elder abuse are provided. Also available are simple trusts, wills and durable powers of attorney for health care and finance. Call 525-0143, ext. 140.

Senior Transportation:The Caryl Weis Transportation Program provides rides for ambulatory seniors, 60 and older. Our volunteer drivers will bring their own personal vehicles and their friendly smiles while transporting seniors door to door. All rides within Santa Rosa are $10. Rides outside of the area are based on mileage. Payments are made in advance by check or bank card. Call 525-0143, ext. 113. If you would like to become a volunteer driver, please call 525-0143, ext. 147.

Council on Aging Mission Statement: To enhance the quality of life for Sonoma County’s aging community by providing

services that promote well-being and maintain independence.

Save the date...(Events are free unless otherwise indicated)

page 8 ◆ May 2012 Sonoma Seniors Today

◆ Attention Readers: Is there a free event you’d like to share with others? Let us know by the 10th of the preceding month, and if it’s appropriate, we’ll put it on our calendar. Call 763-2544, write Sonoma Seniors Today, 30 Kawana Springs Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95404, or email SonomaSeniorsToday@gmail.com.

◆ May 1: Candidate forum: 10th assembly district. Petaluma City Hall, 11 English, Petaluma, 6:30–8:30 pm. Sponsored by League of Women Voters.◆ May 2: Candidate forum: district 3 supervisor. Rohnert Park City Hall, 130 Avram Ave, Rohnert Park, 6–7:30 pm. Sponsored by League of Women Voters.◆ May 3: forum on Health Care reform. Petaluma Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Blvd, Conference Rooms A–D, 6–8 pm. Speaker: Herb Schultz, Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Health care reform is expected to bring significant changes to the health care delivery system. Do you have questions on how health care reform will impact you, your business, our community? Sponsored by Petaluma Health Care District. For more information, or to pre-register, contact scochrane@phcd.org, or call 285-2143.◆ May 9: age of Champions. Finley Center, 2 pm. See page 4 for details.◆ May 12: new Horizons Band Concert. Glaser Center, 547 Mendo cino Ave, Santa Rosa, 2 pm. Eclectic music by senior citizens’ band. For more information, see www.nhbsc.org, or call 799-3590.◆ May 20: new registration deadline. sonoma Wine Country senior Games registration has been extended. To register, visit www.winecountrygames.com,

◆ 3rd Fridays of the month: Hearing Loss support Group. Clubroom at the Lodge at Paulin Creek, 2375 Range Ave, Santa Rosa, 1:30 pm. This volunteer group meets to help each other improve communication and to learn more about hearing loss. We also have featured speakers who present educational programs. Join us! Info: Marion, 527-8399.

or call 525-0143, ext. 146. Games run May 31–June 10.◆ May 22: Medicare for Baby Boomers. Senior Advocacy Services office, 3262 Airway Dr, Ste C, Santa Rosa, 10:30 am–NooN. If you are turning 65 this year, do you know if you will be automat-ically enrolled in Medicare, or will you need to apply? What are the different parts of Medicare? What about gap insurance, prescription drug coverage? Sponsored by Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP). Seating is limited, so call 526-4108 or 800-434-0222 to reserve.

C A S H C S L B A S T E RA C H E A P I A S W A M IS C U M N I N A L I C I TE R N T I C K L E N O T ED A T S U N R I G

N B E O P A L B A NP L E A S U R E L A R G O

F R E E S E E D U C TB O A R S S O R O R I T YI M P O A R S D O E

F L Y O C U L A RH O A R E M B A R K A C EA B B E Y A L P O G R U BR E U S E L I E U O G R EM Y T H S E N D S T E A L