Medicare Check-up

With the year more than halfway over, now’s a great time for a Medicare check up and see if you’re up to date on your preventive care appointments.

 

 Medicare offers many preventive tests and screenings, most at no cost to you. These services can help you stay healthy, find health problems early, and prevent certain diseases and illnesses. For example, Medicare covers screenings for diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, colon and breast cancers, and more.

If you have Original Medicare (Part A and/or Part B), sign in to your MyMedicare.gov account to see a personalized calendar of your current and upcoming preventive services. Don’t have an account yet? It’s free – and easy – to sign up. Visit MyMedicare.gov to get started.

 

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, contact your plan for a list of covered preventive services. MA plans must cover all the same preventive services as Original Medicare. Some MA plans may offer additional services.

Here’s to your health!

From Task, To Activity, To Accomplishment! Strategies For Managing Common Behavior Challenges

Every dementia care journey is unique. This 1.5-hour workshop has been developed from real-life accounts from families and clients over the years. Speaker Laura Wayman will provide resources on how to:

• Share fond memories
• Spend quality time
• Get past the struggle to stay connected, engaged, and active
• Know what to talk about
• Plan activities to do
• Utilize five care approach techniques that can empower you to make your situation more manageable
• Help manage four common behavioral challenges

Wednesday, Sept. 18
7-8:30 p.m.
Easton Public Library
691 Morehouse Road, Easton, CT 06612

Free for the public – educational event for professionals, caregivers, family members, and loved ones.

Kindly RSVP to Lynn Zaffino or Front Desk at lzaffino@eastonlibrary.orgor 203.261.0134.

“The Biggest Blunder in Recent Auction History”

"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." It's Murphy's Law.  He may have been in the audience at this weekend's RM Sotheby's auction of "the first Porsche."

To begin with, this little 1939 race car wasn't really a Porsche. That brand wasn't launched until after WWII. Ferdinand Porsche, who designed the vehicle, called it his"ancestor" Porsche.

Produced to represent Nazi Germany in a Berlin to Rome race that was cancelled when war broke out, the so-called Porsche Type 64 is more like a Volkswagen, built on the chassis of what would become the VW Beetle and powered by a souped-up VW engine. Over the years the vehicle has been significantly restored and modified. Still, it's one supercool-looking pre-war race car.

On Saturday, August 17, the almost-Porsche was put up for sale, at an expected price of $20 million or more, at RM Sotheby's auction.

And so began "the biggest auction blunder."

This is the only surviving example personally driven by Ferdinand Porsche,” the evening’s emcee said, then announced that bidding would open at “$30 million,” a figure that was written on the front media screen of the auction theatre. Half of the crowd laughed; the other half cheered. After rapid bidding up to “$70 million,” with the crowd on its feet, iPhones raised, and cheering, the auctioneer announced that he had meant to say “$13 million,” and then “$17 million,” rather than 30 and 70. The media screen was quickly changed to reflect the $17 million sum.

Boos and shocked yelps and shouts ensued. People walked out.

At $70 million, the pre-Porsche would have been by far the most expensive vehicle ever sold at auction. At the actual final bid, $17 million, the reserve price was not met. So, no sale.

Originally posted on the Merrill Anderson blog by James L. Macdonal, Retired Senior Vice President.

Martha's Vineyard: Half a Century of Selling Fish Earns Flash Mob Surprise

If you have visited Martha"s Vineyard and enjoyed any of the seafood you have benefited by the Larsen's

hard work and long hours.

This story is written by Will Sennott from the Martha's Vineyard Gazette. See the link below to read the full article on vineyard gazette.com.

It’s hard to keep a secret from the Larsen family, especially if that secret has anything to do with Menemsha harbor. But early Monday the family was pleasantly surprised by the flash mob celebration of the 50th anniversary of Larsen’s Fish Market opening its doors.

Betsy and Kristine Larsen were singled out for top honors. — Albeert O. Fischer 3rd

At 7 a.m., fish market owner Betsy Larsen and her sister Kristine had already sorted through a few hundred pounds of fish when a community parade of fishermen and fish-buyers flooded the Menemsha harbor. Led by the band Missus Biskis, the entire parade sang backup vocals to You Are My Sunshine as they marched from the beach toward the fish market.

“I really was surprised,” Betsy said. “I just couldn’t believe that anyone remembered.”

Fifty years ago was the Monday following Woodstock music festival, though Betsy said that wasn’t on any of their minds as their baby sister, Kimberly, was due any day; and their father, Louis, had just decided to transition from operating a fleet of commercial fishing boats to running a commercial fish market.

Like many commercial fishermen, Louis and his brothers had to constantly adapt to an industry that was always changing. They had built a national reputation for swordfishing, lobstering when there was a moratorium on swordfish, and trawling in the off seasons. As legend has it, Louis had trouble finding a distributor for his lobster and took to selling his haul straight from the boat off Dutcher Dock. A few years later, he decided to build his own fish market and forged the first competition against the Poole family, who once had exclusive control of the Menemsha fish-selling business.

“My father had a big heart,” Betsy said. “His biggest thing in opening the fish market was to treat the fishermen well after they had been out all day, tired . . . and to sell the best fish.”

Louis Larsen came with a lobster of course. — Albert O. Fischer 3rd

Just as the Larsens of Louis’s generation gained a reputation as skilled fishermen, the Larsens of Betsy’s generation have gained an equally strong reputation as both fair and competitive wholesalers and retailers on the Island. The family tree today sprawls from the Net Result in Vineyard Haven to Edgartown Seafood and back up to the two markets off the Menemsha harbor.

“I was only nine when my dad first bought the store and back then I was probably more in the way than anything,” Betsy recalled. “But I really started working when I was 14 and running the place when I was 19.”

Over the past 50 years, Betsy and Kristine have developed strong bonds with the fishermen who sell them fish and the customers who buy it. And those connections were evident in the air of appreciation that surrounded the parade. Click here to continue reading.

From Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs has certainly had had a lot of influence shaping how we use technology today. Please take a minute to read this and learn what was important to Steve just before he died.

Steve Jobs dies a billionaire, with a fortune of $7 billion, at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer, and here are some of his last words... 

“In other eyes, my life is the essence of success, but aside from work, I have a little joy. And in the end, wealth is just a fact of life to which I am accustomed.”

“At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life, I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death. You can hire someone to drive a car for you, make money for you – but you can not rent someone to carry the disease for you. One can find material things, but there is one thing that can not be found when it is lost – “LIFE”. 

Treat yourself well, and cherish others. As we get older we are smarter, and we slowly realize that the watch is worth $30 or $300 – both of which show the same time. Whether we carry a purse worth $30 or $300 – the amount of money in the wallets are the same. Whether we drive a car worth $150,000, or a car worth $30,000 – the road and distance are the same, we reach the same destination. If we drink a bottle worth $300 or wine worth $10 – the “stroller” will be the same. If the house we live in is 300 square meters, or 3000 square meters – the loneliness is the same.”

“Your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world.  Whether you’re flying first class, or economy class – if the plane crashes, you crash with it.”

So, I hope you understand that when you have friends or someone to talk to – this is true happiness! 

Help For Senior Citizens And Veterans In Paying Local Taxes

by WALT MAYHEW | LETTER TO THE EDITOR 
Published in the Valley Independent

Pls note: The information here applies to all cities and towns in CT. Contact the Tax Assessors office in your community for more information.

At a recent public hearing in Derby, when the budget was passed and we received a 2.5 mill tax increase as a result of gross financial mismanagement by city officials, a number of senior citizens spoke of the impact such an increase would have on them and others living on fixed incomes. 

I was surprised that after these people voiced their concerns that when member of the current administration including the Mayor, Chief of Staff, Treasurer and President of the Board of Alderman rose to speak none, in compassion or out of empathy informed our seniors of a State of CT program that provides tax relief to Senior Citizens living on fixed incomes. 

The program is known as the Circuit Breaker or officially as the Elderly/Disabled (Circuit Breaker) Tax Relief Program. It’s been around for at least 40 years. It’s been changed and altered since its inception when it used to freeze the tax rate paid by seniors. It now provides a tax credit for those 65 and over provided they meet certain income requirements, which for those living on social security or other fixed income programs is very likely. 

Depending upon income, and marital status senior citizens can receive a tax credit for up to $1,250.
Details of the program will be reviewed at an informational meeting at the Derby Senior Center on Tuesday August 20th at 11:00 am for any interested in receiving more information.

Senior Citizens can also learn about the program from the State of CT website. There is a link to a Homeowner Question and Answer Booklet as well as the Application Form, which must be completed and submitted to the City Assessor biennially between February 1st and May 15th. 

Here is the link to the information about the program on the State of CT website. 

While I am at it, I would also like to make sure our veterans and disabled veterans are aware of another similar State of CT program that provides local property tax relief. It is known as the Veterans’ Additional Exemption Tax Relief Program. It provides a $1,000 property tax exemption, which lowers the assessed value of the property, for certain honorably discharged veterans who actively served at least 90 days during war time, or their survivors. It also provides additional exemptions for those who are disabled. Those who additionally meet certain income guidelines can be eligible for exemptions totaling up to $2,000. 

Here is the link to the information about the program on the State of CT website. 

Both state programs are underwritten by the State of CT and cost the City of Derby nothing. As a result I believe our elected officials should do their very best to make sure everyone in our city who can takes full advantage of these opportunities.

The writer is running on the Democratic ballot line for Derby City Treasurer.

Study: many of the “oldest” people in the world may not be as old as we think

A village mural in Sardinia, Italy. Sardinia is one of the few regions in the world with high concentration of people who live past 110.

 Massimiliano Maddanu/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A new paper explores what “supercentenarians” have in common. Turns out it’s bad record-keeping.

We’ve long been obsessed with the super-elderly. How do some people make it to 100 or even 110 years old? Why do some regions — say, Sardinia, Italy, or Okinawa, Japan —produce dozens of these “supercentenarians” while other regions produce none? Is it genetics? Diet? Environmental factors? Long walks at dawn?

A new working paper released on bioRxiv, the open access site for prepublication biology papers, appears to have cleared up the mystery once and for all: It’s none of the above.

Instead, it looks like the majority of the supercentenarians (people who’ve reached the age of 110) in the United States are engaged in — intentional or unintentional — exaggeration.

The paper, by Saul Justin Newman of the Biological Data Science Institute at Australian National University, looked at something we often don’t give a second thought to: the state of official record-keeping.

Across the United States, the state recording of vital information — that is, reliable, accurate state record-keeping surrounding new births — was introduced in different states at different times. A century ago, many states didn’t have very good record-keeping in place. But that changed gradually over time in different places. 

Newman looks at the introduction of birth certificates in various states and finds that “the state-specific introduction of birth certificates is associated with a 69-82% fall in the number of supercentenarian records.”  Click here to continue reading.

To the Old Man in the Neighborhood: So Long, See You Next Year

At 0832 last Monday morning, the entire family of Harthaven ospreys took flight. The male, who I call Old Man, sat in the tree to the west of my property overlooking Farm Pond, his normal perch from which he and I watch the sunset together most evenings. The female bird took her perch in a large pine tree to the east. Both were very vocal in their encouragement of — by my count — their four offspring swirling in the wind over the pond and my neighborhood. Then they disappeared. I wanted to see more of them so I called Liz Dengenis of the Massachusetts Audubon Society at Felix Neck.

She told me that osprey like to roam when they are first learning to fly. “So it’s hard to tell where they’re going to go. But they will return to the nest for the next couple of weeks,” she assured me.

She also said four osprey fledglings is a really good number, usually the best that a pair can do.

“The Martha’s Vineyard ospreys are prospering,” Liz said. “This year has been the fourth best year for fledglings since 1972. There are about 222 adult ospreys and we are still counting chicks and there are about 97 active pairs and 14 housekeepers, ” she said.

Mom will go south to her own nest in a few weeks and dad will stay around a few weeks more to enjoy the sunsets with me and then go south alone. Both will go to their own separate nests. The chicks will be the last to leave, sometime in September.

The chicks will stay south for two years. When they return they will make their own nests and not have babies for the first year. These are what Liz calls housekeepers. Old Man and his mate are, as Liz poetically put it, “loyal to the nest” and they will return to their Harthaven home next year. Old Man will come first and set up the nest, with mom usually due to arrive two weeks later. Click here to continue reading.

BLAIR’S COIN AND CURRENCY PRESENTATION at the Madison Senior Center

Blair Soucy has been collecting coins for over 40 years and is a professional coin dealer. He is also the President of the Bristol, CT Coin Club and Vice-President of the Litchfield County Coin Club. Blair is also an American Numismatic Association life member. Blair’s program talks about the state of the hobby today, the U.S. Mint and its products, the gold and silver bullion market, and provides a general overview of coin and currency collecting. You are encouraged to bring in any coins or currency for Blair to look at to give you an idea of value and rarity. There will also be plenty of time for questions and answers. The program is designed for everyone, whether you are an experienced collector or if you just want to know what some old coins that are lying around the house are worth. Monday, September 9th at 1pm Please register for this Free Event.

Guilford Senior Center Picnic

On Friday, August 30th, 12:00 noon, join us in celebrating our final days of warmth & sunshine in saying goodbye to summer. Chef Larry and the kitchen crew will provide a delicious barbeque picnic lunch with salads and a special seasonal dessert (Hint: August is National Peach Month). Entertainment will be a friendly game of Jukebox Bingo. Our host Keith Alan will guide players through a game that adds a new twist on an old favorite. You will listen to brief portions of popular songs and try to score bingo using unique bingo cards that have replaced the traditional numbers and letters with song titles. An opportunity to win prizes for all who play. Sign up on the lunch list. $6.50 will be collected at the door.

Money flip or flop? How to avoid falling for online scams

(BPT) - Scammers are always cooking up creative new ways to separate people from their money. The sad reality is that it often works. The latest schemes involve so-called "money flipping," and it's showing up in consumers' newsfeeds on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even via text messaging.

Keep these things in mind when you see an enticing post or are randomly approached by someone about any form of money flipping or "get rich quick" schemes:

1. Trust your gut

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You can ignore the testimonials with photos of big piles of cash, the fancy cars and the flashy jewels they displayed with captions of their "success" - scammers may tell you that they work for a money transmitter and have "tricks" on how to double your money. However, monetary systems cannot be "manipulated" by adding a few "extra 0s" to any transaction in an attempt to turn a small investment into big money in minutes. Cons claim they will keep a percentage of the profit as commission, but as soon as a victim sends the upfront investment money, they will unfriend or block you on social media, not answer texts or calls and disappear with your dough without a trace.

2. Don't be fooled by a text from a "friend"

Even if a text or SMS appears to be from someone you know, if someone's asking you for money for any reason, you should think twice before taking action. If you really think it's from a friend or a social media acquaintance, contact them directly in another way (by phone, via email or in person) to confirm the situation. Chances are that it's really a hacker who is masquerading as someone you really know to try to convince you to take the bait.

3. Use your head

Does it seem realistic that someone could turn your $200 into $2,000 by the end of the day? If it were that easy, surely everyone would be doing it. If it doesn't make sense to you, that's because it's nonsense. While common sense should tell us that this is a scam, you should also consider how it would be legal if it did work. In this instance, there is no logical, legal way that such a scam could be effective and legitimate. Never let your emotions blind you to these facts. Even if it were possible to modify the amount of a transfer, it would be criminal to defraud a legitimate business by participating in this scheme. Never invest in something you don't totally understand.

4. Remember that you don't really know who you're talking to

Even if the person posting on social media or messaging you says that they work in the financial industry, or that they've successfully made wads of cash and are just sharing their good fortune out of the kindness of their heart, remember that you have no idea who that person really is, even if they insist they want to get you a good deal or help you get rich quick.

5. Never click any links or give out personal information

Someone trying to scam you on Instagram or any other social media site will often lure you into a continuing conversation over text or SMS, then try to get you to click a link to a compromised site - or may even try to get you to reveal personal info like your bank account or Social Security number. Anyone asking you for your money or sensitive financial details is not a giver, they're just a taker.

Flip burgers, flip pancakes - just do not try to flip your hard-earned cash! Never give money to anyone promising to make you quick and easy money. There is no such thing as free money.

For more tips and awareness information about consumer fraud, visit: wu.com/fraudawareness. If you believe you may be a victim of fraud using Western Union, call the Western Union Fraud Hotline number at 1-800-448-1492.

Picture of the Day

From the Martha's Vineyard Gazette

Tony Bennett takes public shuttle to his 93rd birthday party at the Boathouse

Tony Bennett

Editors note: One of the greatest of all time!

Tony Bennett is a man of the people.

The iconic singer, who turns 93 on Saturday, celebrated his birthday this week with a party at the swanky Loeb Boathouse Central Park, Page Six has exclusively learned.

A spy told Page Six that Bennett took the public shuttle bus, which run by the Boathouse, from 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue to the restaurant, where he and 13 family members and friends celebrated. British actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett was among the few pals there.

We’re told everyone dressed casually for “a day in the park” and wore “breezy, light-colored casual clothing.”

“Tony had a great suntan,” our source said. “He wore a white, short-sleeved linen shirt.”

The group began their celebratory meal with Prosecco and then transitioned to white wine, but the “Fly Me to the Moon” crooner opted for red as he enjoyed pasta with heirloom tomatoes. The rest of the party, including Bennett’s wife, Susan Crow, ordered different items off the menu.

“Susan was very beautiful and an extraordinarily gracious lady,” our spy told us, noting she was dressed for summer in a pastel paisley sundress.

Given the very public nature of the Boathouse, we’re told it wasn’t long before other diners noticed Bennett.

“He was really enjoying himself and time with his family,” our spy said. “He’s a great guy. After lunch, he took photos with a lot of people and posed with a thumbs-up.”

The group rounded out the meal with a classic Italian cheesecake complete with candles that Bennett blew out.

“His eyes really lit up when everyone began to sing ‘Happy Birthday,'” our source told us. “He had a great time with his family.”

–– ADVERTISEMENT ––

Just as Bennett and co. arrived, they departed via the public shuttle.