fallseniors10

LIVIN’ THE

DREAMNudist resort off ers safe, comfortable retirement community

Page 4

NEW KNEESDON’T SLOWHER DOWN

Moscow womanstays mobilewith plentyof exerciseaft er surgeries

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SeniorsPalouse fall2010

A special publication of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News

2 | Weekend, September 18 & 19, 2010 | MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS Palouse Seniors Fall 2010

By Kay KeskinenSpecial to the Daily News

Those in their “golden” or senior years often wonder what they can do to main-tain as healthy and happy a life as is possible for them. Beyond going back in time and getting new parents with different genes, what

are some tips for aging well?

Research has shown, says the American Geriatrics Society’s Foundation for Health in Aging, that no matter how old a person is, there still is time to make changes to live a healthier and longer life.

The Foundation lists several tips for aging well. This article will focus on two of them — keeping your mind sharp and maintain-ing good nutrition — and how your local senior center can help.

Keeping mentally active is frequently mentioned as an important ingredient for a healthy senior. Learning something new, whether a new complex game, comput-er skills or language, can help keep your brain sharp. Having a social network, meeting new people, and engaging in lively discus-

sions or conversations are also key.

Nutrition is important at any age, but because seniors need fewer calo-ries, it becomes even more important to choose a rain-bow of nutritious foods. The

greater the variety in one’s diet, the greater the range of important nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables are critical, but often expensive. However, with farmers markets, food har-vest programs, and senior

meal sites, seniors can find many affordable options.

Where can local seniors find help in “polishing” their golden years by keep-ing mentally active and eating well? Many commu-nities on the Palouse have senior centers where one can get help with these rec-ommendations. Moscow has a senior meal site program and a senior center oper-ated by the nonprofit orga-nization Friendly Neighbors Senior Citizens Inc.

The Moscow senior meal site is a Tuesday and Thursday lunch program where seniors can enjoy a hot, nutritious meal. Lunch begins with soup and salad bar at 11:30 a.m., followed by the main meal at noon. From ham to roast beef to chicken to salmon to lasa-gna, the meals provide an

EDITOR’S NOTE:Friendly Neighbors is a group of active volunteers best known for providing twice-weekly meals at the 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St., Moscow, for those over 60. Friendly Neighbors Senior Citizens Inc., a non-profit service group, also operates the Moscow Senior Center at the 1912 Center. Friendly Neighbors is con-tributing a series of articles for this publication to help raise awareness of its work and volunteers. This is its third article for 2010.

Polishing those golden years

See YEARS, Page 11

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Photo courtesy of Kay KeskinenJan Jansen (right) manages the Wednesday afternoon Scrabble activity at the Moscow Senior Center while Helen Sasse (left) and Ellen Roskovich (middle) play.

Palouse Seniors Fall 2010 MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS | Weekend, September 18 & 19, 2010 | 3

By Vera WhiteDaily News staff writer

Not long after arriving in Moscow three years ago from Arcadia, Calif., Marian Bentz’ right knee “gave out.”

Still, the 75-year-old declares the move the “best thing that could have hap-pened to her.”

“I had started limping badly when I was in California,” she recalled. “A doctor I saw diag-nosed it as ‘just arthritis’ and sent me on my way.”

“My husband (Ernest Bentz) had passed away, and my son kept reminding me that I had no one to take care of me down there, so I decided to move here,” she said.

B e n t z pulled up stakes and moved to Moscow, buy-ing a two-story house in the Rolling Hills Addition.

After the first incident with her knee in Moscow, Bentz wasted little time in securing the services of Dr. Charles A. Jacobson, a Moscow physician who special-izes in orthopedic surgery.

“He (Jacobson) is a won-derful doctor,” she said. “Both knees were quite bad and to get me walking again he gave the right knee an arthroplasty and when that healed he started me on an exercise program.”

An arthroplasty is the medi-cal term for joint replacement or reconstruction surgery.

To that end, Bentz started walking the Latah Trail wear-ing ankle weights to build up the muscles around her knee.

Then in February, it was back to Gritman Medical Center to prepare for the left knee replacement.

“I went to Gritman Wellness Center to prepare for that sur-gery,” she said. “It took two to three months to heal after that

one.”Bentz took regular treat-

ments at both Gritman’s Therapy and Wellness cen-ters and after arriving home and with the help of her fam-ily, spent several weeks in a Constant Movement Motion Machine.

“I was in it for about eight hours a day,” she remembered. “I slept with it on under my knee because it just felt good. It’s a wonderful machine and while healing, the knee doesn’t stiffen and just keeps getting stronger.”

It was then back to a vigor-ous exercise program includ-ing water therapy at the pool to help deal with her arthritis.

“My fam-ily was good about help-ing me with my exercis-es,” she said. “ C o n s t a n t exercising is what it is all about.”

Besides her son, Clifford Todd, who’s in the forest-ry business, her family

here includes daughter-in-law Carolyn and two grandchil-dren.

Bentz has high praise for the excellent health care she has received in Moscow, giv-ing an A+ to her doctor, nurs-es, therapists and Gritman Medical Center.

“Although it has taken a whole year to do it, my knees are bending pretty good,” she happily reported.

Bentz is doing her own gar-dening and weeding; does her own cooking; walks up and down hill to her mail box; and does her own shopping.

“I also take walks around the neighborhood and to Farmers Market,” she added. “I used a walker at the begin-ning, then a cane and now a walking stick on occasion. I really recommend the stick as

Knee replacements don’t slow her downMoscow woman stays mobile with plenty of exercise after surgeries

Geoff Crimmins/Daily NewsMarian Bentz weeds her garden outside her home in Moscow on Sept. 2. Bentz had knee replacement surgery at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow on her left knee if February and her right knee in 2009.“

Although it has taken a whole year to do it, my knees are bending

pretty good.”Marian Bentz

Moscow resident

See KNEE, Page 9

A



WORLEY — Sun Meadow Family Nudist Resort appears to hold a special attraction for older folks, many of whom live there year around.

One reason might be a state-ment in one of the resort’s bro-chures: “We respect each other’s individuality and our own self-esteem is enhanced by our ability to accept ourselves as we really are.”

Tom and Katie Wells

That simple philosophy seems

to have worked for Katie Wells, a 65-year-old retired registered nurse and biofeedback therapist from Spokane who moved to the adjacent Sun Meadow subdivi-sion permanently a year ago with her husband, Tom, a retired engi-neer.

The couple have two adult chil-dren and three grandchildren.

The Wells became nudists about 15 years ago.

“Tom saw an ad about Sun Meadow, so we came for an ori-entation,” she recalled. “It was a beautiful day, and we’d only been here a short time when Tom turned around and I was buck naked. Then he stripped.”

Nudist resort offers safe, comfortable retirement

Livin’ thedream

Val Simkins (left to right), Dick Simkins and Margaret Angell play dominos in the Sun Meadow dining room.

Photo courtesy of William Woolston

“At first, it always seems to be the women who are most reluc-tant to become nudists, and then they are the ones who end up finding it the most comfortable,” she observed. “The rolls of fat and surgical scars all fade in together. We are as we should be at our

ages.”Wells said she “immediately

felt comfortable” at the facility where they have been involved for 10 years. They built a home on their property there and have settled in to enjoy retirement.

“We look for nudist colonies when we are on trips and have never felt unsafe in one, which is not the case at a lot of camp-grounds,” she said.

Wells laughingly recalled their kids thought they had lost their minds when told their parents

had become nudists.“But they have come to realize

we have more of a ‘neighborhood’ here than we’d ever had before,” she said.

Richard Peters

Richard Peters, a 75-year-old from the Chicago area, has been at Sun Meadow “going on three years.” Divorced with five adult

See DREAM, Page 8

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WORLEY — Sun Meadow Family Nudist Resort bills itself as “the best kept secret in your neighborhood.” It apparently lives up to the motto because not many people in the two-state area know there is a nud-ist colony a short distance out of the town most famous for the nearby casino.

Another sur-prising fact at Sun Meadow are the number of older people who make up the community, the oldest right now being 90.

“Seniors like it here,” manager Mike Capshaw said. “They quickly find out people accept you for what you are and are not pre-tentious.”

S u r r o u n d e d by a white fence, Sun Meadow Family Nudist Resort could pass for an upscale horse farm in the Bluegrass Country of Kentucky.

“We first opened in 2001 and have 75 acres at the resort,” said Capshaw, part owner of the facility along with his wife, Terri, and two other partners.

The Capshaws have two adult children including a daughter who will be enter-ing the University of Idaho this semester as a freshman. They have a home in the nud-ist subdivision just outside

the gate.A native

of Boise, the 4 8 - y e a r - o l d Capshaw has been a nudist since he was 21. In fact, he and his wife, who were married in 1988, met at a nudist resort.

Capshaw had a simple expla-nation for the lifestyle in which he reared his family.

“If you were on a beauti-ful beach with shoes on and you found out being without them would be a bet-ter experience, you’d take them off,” he said. “Likewise, being without clothes is a better expe-

rience.”Capshaw estimated there

were recently 40 people on the grounds.

“That number drops fur-ther when school starts,” he said. “It also varies from seniors to babies, working folks to those retired.”

Religion plays a major role in the lives of residents.

“We all go to different churches in the area,” he said, “but we occasionally offer services here for special occasions like Christmas and Easter.”

The Sun Meadow concert series is growing in popular-ity.

The next one features Portland’s Cascadia Folk Quartet on Jan. 8. Another is a special Valentine’s din-ner and concert with Nevada jazz duo Colin Ross and Mig O’Hara on Feb. 12.

“We allow first time visits at concerts, but we ask that they come an hour early to

Au naturel: Activities abound at Worley family nudist resort

Sun Meadow manager and part owner Mike Capshaw by the resort’s largeheated pool, one of the resort’s most popular attractions.

Photo courtesy of William WoolstonSee ACTIVITIES, Page 10

We bring residents, families & healthcare

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would love to have you stop by and join us

for lunch.

Anna OlsonDirector of Nursing

Vicki McKennaAdministrator

Connie BorgenAdministrator

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NeVonne JenningsOffice Manager

Dana DodgeDirector of

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Carrie HoytMedical Records Director

Erika MeeActivities Director

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Linda CardwellAdmission &

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“If you were on a beautiful beach with shoes on and you found

out being without them would be a better

|experience, you’d take them off.

Likewise, being without clothes is

a better experience.”

Mike CapshawSun Meadow Family Nudist

Resort manager



Senior customers of Regence BlueShield of Idaho, who were not yet on Medicare, were shocked to be notified a few weeks ago that their premiums would be going up as much as 40 percent effective immediately.

Asked for an explanation of the timing and the amount of the increase, Paul Lowry, a Regence individual sales execu-tive, explained by e-mail that the timing was tied to rates being filed with the Department of Insurance on a quarterly

basis.“New rates take effect

upon renewal on Jan. 1, April 1, July 1, and Oct. 1 of each year,” he wrote. “For 2010, however, the Oct. 1 effective date was pushed back to Nov. 1, because of the new health care reform law that goes into effect Sept. 23. Because we were waiting for guidance from Health and Human Services regarding the new law, we were given clearance to push the fourth quarter renewal date to Nov. 1 for this year only.”

As for the amount of the

i n c r e a s e , Lowry wrote, “ P r e m i u m increases are primarily driven by the underly-ing costs of pro-viding medical care.”

He wrote, “This includes increases in

both the price of medical ser-vices and utilization. Rate increases for individuals who buy coverage on their own, compared to those who get their coverage through their

REGENCE BLUESHIELD

Some customers hit with big increasesSeniors under 65 with individual policies particularly upset employer, are higher in some

areas of the country due to adverse selection. In these instances, a greater pro-portion of healthier, lower cost individuals choose not to enroll or drop their indi-vidual coverage due to the economic downturn. This adverse selection results in an older and sicker insured pool that is more costly to insure.”

Asked if he thought the rate increases would drive customers to other provid-ers, Lowry replied in an e-mail, “I hope that our mem-bers stay with us in times of rate increases and no rate increases. If one of our mem-bers decides to shop around for less expensive coverage, I would hope they consider all factors when making their decision and those factors include customer service, being able to see the doctor they want and getting the benefits they want.”

For those thinking about appealing the premium hike, Lowry wrote, “There is currently no appeals process in place for rate increases. However, if a member receives his or her rate increase and would like more information on how that rate was set, he or she can contact our Customer

Staff report

Apparently Regence cus-tomers here aren’t the only ones in the country concerned about rising premium costs.

According to a Sept. 7 arti-cle by Janet Adamy of The Wall Street Journal, many health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health care overhaul in coming weeks.

BlueShield plans were among those mentioned as rais-ing premiums to pay for extra benefits required under law, according to filings with state regulators, claiming Congress refashioning of U.S. health coverage in March is causing them to “pass on more costs to consumers that Democrats predicted.”

The highest increase men-tioned in the article was “more than 20 percent.”

The White House told the WSJ “insurers are using the law as an excuse to raise rates and predicts that state regula-tors will block some of the large increases.”

That doesn’t yet appear to be the case in Idaho.

Vera White can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 251, or by e-mail to [email protected].

Increases linked to health care overhaul

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By Rob MerrillAssociated Press

NEW YORK — It was Sept. 14, 1985, when NBC introduced Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty as “The Golden Girls.”

A quarter century later, the show is still No. 1 among women who watch the Hallmark Channel, which begins and ends its broadcast day with an episode.

Betty White still sounds giddy when she talks about the show. More popular than ever

following her “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig in May, hit show “Hot in Cleveland” on TV Land and a scene-stealing turn in the upcoming movie “You Again,” the 88-year-old White spoke to The Associated Press about her never-ending career.

AP: Is retirement a dirty word for you?

White: Isn’t that ridiculous? It is not a dirty word, I am just enjoying what I am doing. If they want me to retire, then stop asking me. Ask and I will say yes unless it is something I

really don’t like.AP: Looking back, did you

know when you read the pilot that “The Golden Girls” was going to be something special?

White: We all kind of did. You get a lot of scripts mailed to you and not too many of them are good, but when this one came along it just hit the spot and they sent it to each of us. They sent it to me with the idea of me doing Blanche. Jay Sandrich, who was our direc-tor for most of the “Mary Tyler Moore” shows, said if Betty plays another nymphomaniac

they are going to think it is Sue Ann Nivens all over again. He said, why don’t we switch them?

AP: Rue auditioned for Rose, right?

White: Rue on “Mama’s Family” had done the mousey sister so it was a good switch. I wasn’t sure who Rose was at first and again it was Jay Sandrich, he said, “She is a total innocent.” There is never a sarcastic word. She takes every word for its obvious meaning. There is no subtlety about her. If someone says, I

could eat a horse, she would call the ASPCA because she would think they were going to eat a horse.

AP: Once the four of you started working together, did you know right away that you had great chemistry?

White: The first table read was an experience. I had worked with Bea, I had done a couple of guest shots on “Maude.” I had worked with Rue on “Mama’s Family.” Estelle was a new one to all of

Betty White looks back on ‘The Golden Girls’

See WHITE, Page 10

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children, he is a retired chemical engineer.

Peters has been a nudist for 15 years and for him, the reason was simple.

“Not having to wear clothes is what turned me on to it,” he said. “I was always dropping stuff on my shirt. Now all I have to do when I drop something is take a shower.”

Peters lives in a trailer on the premises year round. He does his own cooking and likes to garden.

“Right now about all I have is weeds,” he said in an interview last month. “It’s new ground and takes a lot of work.”

He complained about his toma-toes which still hadn’t ripened but was making the best of it, cooking up one of his favorite dishes, fried green tomatoes.

“What I really like here are the people,” he said. “I have a

lot of friends and there is always something to do.”

Roger and Margaret Angell

One of the more remarkable couples is Roger and Margaret Angell, who moved from the

island of Oahu to Worley in 2005.Moving from Hawaii to Worley

is a bit of a stretch, but 67-year-old Roger said “they’d had their fill” of the tropical paradise.

“Things are so expensive there, and we’re glad we made the move,” said the retired infor-mation technologist.

In 2003, the Angells were in Seattle and, finding themselves with three weeks to kill, decid-ed to drive to Glacier Park in Montana.

“We stopped off for an over-night at Sun Meadow and bought a lot in the subdivision the next day,” Margaret said. “We of course now live here year round.”

The Angells found other nud-ist facilities in places such as California to be “cliquish.”

“It always seemed to be the subdivision folks vs. the RV’ers,” he said. “And in Hawaii, nudist clubs are just tolerated on Maui.”

Roger has been a nudist for more than 40 years, but the 55-year-old Margaret said she “mar-ried into the lifestyle” 35 years ago.

“My father always walked around in the nude so it was fairly natural to me,” said Margaret, who grew up in the Madison area of Wisconsin. “When I was going with Roger, he invited me to a nudist event, and my father went with us so he could chaperone. I didn’t become a nudist right away. It was not until I moved to Hawaii, but I felt comfortable even on the first day. It was not a difficult transition.”

The Angells have two chil-dren and are expecting their first grandchild in October.

Randy Crockett

Randy Crockett is a 65-year-old single man who has lived in the subdivision 10 years and has been a nudist for 15 years.

“I’ve always run to keep in shape, and in the mid-1990s, I entered the Kaniksu Ranch Bare Buns Fun Run,” he said. “I enjoyed the experience so much I decided to pursue it full time.”

Crockett finds Sun Meadow the perfect place to live.

“It is quiet and peaceful,” he said. “The people here are all good and honest, and we keep an eye on each other. There is no place to hide anything around here.”

Since moving to the Sun Meadow subdivision in 2004, 69-year-old Val Simkins has distin-guished herself with her hobby of making jewelry, lovely pieces, which several residents were wearing, and she also sells at special events on site.

“I also make all the desserts for the Saturday night dinners,” she boasted. “Pies, cakes and everything.”

Jay and Lee Jacko

Jay and Lee Jacko are spend-ing their sixth summer at Sun Meadow. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.

“We’re full-time RV’ers,” 58-year-old Jay explained. “We’re here from June through September and winter in south Texas, California or Arizona. There might be more luxurious facilities than this one, but it is better than most and certainly the friendliest.”

Jay described Lee and him as the “garbage people” in the RV Park, making sure the trash is always under control.

Lee, 57, also turns out beau-tiful handmade jewelry. She worked at Qwest for 30 years.

“There are lots of working peo-ple here and it has a good family atmosphere,” she said. “It is also a lot less pretentious than most.”


IF YOU GOWHAT: Sun Meadow Family

ResortWHERE: 30400 Sunray Trail,

outside Worley. Heading north on U.S. Highway 95, turn right on Conkling Road and go east for 3.7 miles. Sun Meadow is to the left and surrounded by a white fence. At the gate, announce your arrival using the telephone entry system.

FACILITIES: 11 Lodge hotel rooms and rental cabins, 43 full hookup RV sites ($240-$350 per month with power), tent sites. Indoor and outdoor heated pools, hiking trails, fitness center, shuffleboard and bocce courts, horseshoes, and sunning lawns. Café open seven days a week: “gourmet meals at down home prices.” Playhouse and outdoor play area for kids. Wireless Internet.

WILDLIFE: Deer, elk, wild turkeys, as well as hawks, eagles and geese.

COST: Membership costs available at (208) 686-8686 and www.sunmeadow.org; discounts through American Association for Nude Recreation

Photo courtesy of Mike CapshawThe Sun Meadows Resort, near Worley, Idaho, is gaining popularity as a retirement destination.

Dreamfrom Page 4

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it helps me keep my balance and walking upright rather than bending over.”

Without doubt, knee replacements have improved Bentz’ quality of life.

“I can now walk like a normal person and don’t even have to grab onto the railing when going up and down stairs,” she said. “I’m very comfortable now as I don’t have the constant pain.”

Bentz didn’t hesitate when asked if she’d recommend knee replacements to other seniors.

“I would definitely, but you have to do the exercises faithfully afterwards,” she said. “You’ve got to bend those muscles so you can get that range of motion in your knees.”

A native of Iowa, she had lived in California for more than 50 years. She spent half that time doing clerical work for the Santa Fe Railway Company.

Bentz said she had “settled in nicely” and made a lot of friends since moving to Moscow. She joined the United Methodist Church and Roadrunners where she recently made a bus trip with the group to the Oregon Coast and the Redwoods in north-ern California.

“When I used to visit my family here, I never liked going back home to the smog,” she said. “Now I don’t have to deal with that anymore.”


Kneefrom Page 3

Each year, more than 500,000 total knee replace-ments are performed in the U.S., according to a June study by a Minnesota Medicare group. A knee replacement is a kind of arthroplasty or joint replacement surgery.

By 2030, it projected, this procedure will increase to more than 3.48 million annually because of aging baby boomers, increased obesity and more younger patients.

The first knee replacement was performed in 1968.

Here are some frequently asked questions about knee replacements, based on infor-mation from Kelly O’Neill, Gritman Medical Center direc-tor of community relations.

How does arthritis affect your knee?

Arthritis is one of the most prevalent factors in hindering the way the knee is supposed

to function. Often times arthri-tis is a result of degeneration of the cartilage in the knee. It happens slowly, over time and the pain associated with it develops just as gradually. Normally, the knee joint will become swollen, sore and stiff and over time can lose its full range of motion.

Who is a candidate for total knee replacement?

If pain is preventing you from walking or performing daily activities and conserva-tive measures have failed to give you adequate relief, it may be time to discuss total joint replacement surgery with your orthopedic surgeon.

How long will I be in the hospital after surgery?

The average hospital stay after knee replacement is three to five days.

Who will do the surgery?Gritman Medical Center

uses a team approach for joint replacement surgery. Orthopedic surgeons, nursing, physical therapists, registered dietitians, lab, radiology, pharmacy and social services experts work together to help you regain your mobility.

What will I have to do to get ready for surgery?

Occupational therapists can survey your home and recommend ways to prepare it for your safety, comfort and convenience following surgery. Dietitians can suggest meal plans before and after surgery.

How can I learn more?To learn more about knee

replacement and other joint surgeries, talk to your doctor or call Gritman Medical Center at (208) 882-4511 or visit www.gritman.org.

Knee replacement frequently asked questions

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Activitiesfrom Page 5

PULLMAN

Gritman unit helps with Alzheimer’s walk

Raising money for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research is the goal of the upcoming Palouse Memory Walk.

Gritman Adult Day Health, which has been active in the community for many years in other areas, is helping the national Alzheimer’s Association bring its memory walks to

the Palouse this year.The three-mile team

walk along the Chipman Trail starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, beginning and ending at James Toyota, 8683 State Highway 270, Pullman.

In a prepared release, Barbara Mahoney, director of the Gritman unit, wrote that dementia affects many people.

“We are excited to have a Memory Walk on the Palouse in an effort to raise awareness,” she added. “The money raised will help our

Alzheimer’s Association chapter serve and educate our local community mem-bers.”

Local sponsors include Pullman Family Medicine and Guardian Family Homes in Pullman and Neely’s Travel, Nectar, Latah Federal Credit Union, Moscow Family Medicine and Good Samaritan Village of Moscow.

To join a team or register your own team and to learn more about the event, visit the website at www.alz.org/inlandnorthwest.

SENIOR BRIEF

us. She came from New York after her hit. We all sat down for the first table read and somebody read a line and then somebody else read a line. You better be ready when you hit it over the net because you are going to get it right back over the net. It was the most exciting ... We all began to look at each other because there wasn’t any first reading feeling about it. It was like we had been working together forever. I still get goose bumps thinking about it.

AP: Looking back, what are you

most proud of about the show?White: I send up a prayer of

thanks for the writing. We can’t do it without the writing. It has to be on the paper. No matter how much credit they try to take, actors can’t do it unless it is on that page and boy was it on that page. To get that kind of writing is such a privilege.

AP: “Golden Girls” really showed older women in a sexual light. Do you think current day older women are still allowed to be sexy in popu-lar culture?

White: I think we were just try-ing to tell it like it is. I think older women still have a full life. Maybe the writers don’t address it these days, but it doesn’t change the fact.

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allow us to give an orienta-tion and tour,” Capshaw said. “We need to make sure people are not surprised and have the right mind set to come here.”

Sun Meadow draws peo-ple from all over the world, Capshaw said, and they visit

often, “probably because we have a little something for everybody.”

In addition to 11 Lodge hotel rooms, there are 43 full hook-up RV sites, a large din-ing hall, the Lovin’ Spoonful Café, both outdoor and indoor heated pools, hiking trails, a library and other amenities. Seniors would probably find the 20-person hot tub and massage therapy center of interest as well as available

licensed therapists.Socials such as the Sunday

night potlucks usually result in a big turnout.

“People can bring food to have in the dining room or they can also order from the kitchen,” Capshaw said.

People come to Sun Meadow for extended periods of time to enjoy the rustic setting, but not many are on site year around, except peo-ple living in the subdivision, which is not considered part of the resort. The subdivision consists of 16 lots consisting of about an acre and a half. There are currently 13 homes with three lots still vacant.

The only other nudist

resort in the region is Kaniksu Ranch in the Deer Park area out of Spokane. It has been there for 75 years and most famous of late for sponsoring the “Bare Buns Fun Run.”

“We send people over for their fun run in July,” Capshaw said. “Their custom-ers are our customers. They are allies, not competitors.”

Sun Meadow is a member of the American Association for Nude Recreation, an organization that originated in 1931. The facility hosted the national convention in August, an event that drew 530 people from across the country.

Memberships to AARN are

available at Sun Meadow. The most popular is the “basic/associate” which costs $57 for an individual and $91.50 for “dual.”

“We have a lot of people traveling through who come by to check us out and see if they like it,” Capshaw said. “An AANR membership isn’t necessary to come for the day, but you do get a discount — $18.75.

As the brochure says, “Nudism is something you have to experience to appre-ciate completely.”


Service Department and we will discuss with that member why the rate is set where it is and review that member’s options with Regence.”

Regence customers in Washington also seem to be pay-ing far less than those in Idaho.

Lowry replied in an e-mail that a plan for an individual under 65 in Idaho was adminis-tered by Regence, while a simi-lar plan in Asotin or Whitman counties was administered by their affiliate, Asuris Northwest Health based out of Spokane. Each state has different guide-lines to follow through their respective state departments of insurance, so there is the pos-sibility that while benefits may appear to be similar, the pre-

miums could vary across state lines.

Lowry was asked what seniors could expect in increased health care coverage.

“The benefits added under the new health care reform law ... include no lifetime maximum, and preventive care and immu-nizations not subject to deduct-ible or cost sharing for catego-ry one and two providers,” he wrote.

Lowry wrote that Medicare supplements are “completely different products than indi-vidual policies,” those policies held by members who do not get their coverage through their employers.

“As such, they are handled in a different way,” Lowry wrote. “They are kept in a separate product pool. Only that pool’s utilization has any effect on the products within that pool. So, you could have an 8 percent quarterly increase in an individ-


Yearsfrom Page 2MOSCOW

Two classes that could trim a few dollars from your car insurance

Increasesfrom Page 6

SENIOR BRIEF

The Latah County AARP Chapter is sponsoring another round of safe driv-ing classes for people age 50 and older. This program is designed to help drivers remain safe on today’s roads.

The course helps you tune your driving skills and update your knowledge of the rules of the road, say organizers. They say you will learn about normal age-related physical changes and

how to adjust your driving to avoid problems and injury.

Many auto insurance com-panies offer a small reduc-tion to insurance premiums once you have completed the course. You must attend both sessions — a total of eight hours.

The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. Show your AARP card for the discount.

Classes meet in Moscow

at the Gritman Conference Center.

Two classes are scheduled:� 5:30-9:30 p.m.,

Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 20-21.

� 8:30 am.-12:30 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 15-16

For additional informa-tion or to sign up, contact Gritman Education at (208) 883-2232; or e-mail [email protected]

excellent source of nutrition to complement the rest of the day’s food. Those aged 60 and older are asked to donate $4 for a meal, but if a senior cannot afford that amount, there is some flexibility. All meals are served in the Great Room of the 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St. Seniors unable to attend the meal site can arrange for home delivery by calling Jenny Zorens at the Area Agency on Aging in Lewiston at (800) 877-3206.

The Moscow Senior Center, also in the 1912 Center, offers many scheduled events that help seniors keep mentally active: pinochle, bridge, bingo, jigsaw puzzles, word games such as Scrabble, a weekly sup-port group for the blind and diabetic, and a computer corner with assistance. In addition to the scheduled activities, the center is a place to meet others, use a computer, bring a laptop and use the public Wi-Fi, watch TV, read a book or magazine from the center’s library, or just

to drop-in for a cup of coffee or tea. The center is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.

For more information about Friendly Neighbors, call the Senior Center at (208) 882-1562. A web site with lunch menus, the latest Friendly Neighbors newsletters, a sched-ule of activities, and senior nutrition newsletters can be found online at users.moscow.com/srcenter.

Other “tips” for aging well offered by the geriatrics Foundation include walking (to strengthen bones, which helps prevent falls), under-standing sleep in later life (most seniors still need 7-8 hours), getting a medications check (review prescriptions and over-the-counter medica-tions and supplements with your health care provider), speaking up if you’re feeling down (research shows 1 in 5 older adults suffer from anxi-ety or depression), keeping shots/vaccines current, and finding the right health care professional to make the most of your visits.

Kay Keskinen is treasurer for Friendly Neighbors.

ual under 65 pool while hav-ing only a 2 percent annual increase in the Medigap pool. Also keep in mind that with a Medigap plan, Medicare is the primary payer and in many cases can pay a major-ity of the medical plan.”


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