All Posts in "Everything Else"

Buying a nice gift for your mother’s birthday is always a good idea. But people across the nation are discovering that the best gifts are often free.   You can show Mom how to save an estimated $4,000 a year on her Medicare prescription drug costs. Here’s how.

If your mother is covered by Medicare and has limited income and resources, she may be eligible for Extra Help — available through Social Security — to pay part of her monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. The Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,000 per year.

To figure out whether your mother is eligible, Social Security needs to know her income and the value of her savings, investments and real estate (other than the home she lives in). To qualify for the extra help, she must be receiving Medicare and have:

•   Income limited to $16,755 for an individual or $22,695 for a married couple living together. Even if her annual income is higher, she still may be able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. Some examples where income may be higher include if she and, if married, her husband:

—Support other family members who live with them;

—Have earnings from work; or

—Live in Alaska or Hawaii.

•   Resources limited to $13,070 for an individual or $26,120 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks, and bonds. We do not count her house or car as resources.

Social Security has an easy-to-use online application that you can help complete for your mom. You can find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp. To apply by phone or have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or go to the nearest Social Security office.

To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

Mom will be grateful when you give her a useful gift this year: help her save an estimated $4,000 a year on Medicare prescription drugs. It won’t cost you anything more than a little bit of quality time with her — something you and Mom both want anyway. And don’t forget, these rules apply to Dad as well.

Press Release by — May 12, 2012 in Everything Else
AAA survey finds nearly half of senior drivers worry about no longer driving

Nearly half of senior drivers worry about losing their independence and mobility when it’s time to give up their car keys, according to a recent survey by the AAA.  As 10,000 Americans turn 65 years old every day, AAA is actively working to preserve the safe mobility of seniors across America.

“Planning, skills assessment and education are key steps to maintaining the safe mobility of senior drivers,” said AAA Washington spokesperson Jennifer Cook. “The good news is that a little effort now can really help seniors extend their safe driving years.”

These issues led AAA to create a comprehensive online resource to provide expert advice and helpful resources for older adults and their families—working to support them as they tackle the challenge of balancing safety and mobility.  SeniorDriving.AAA.com provides convenient, online access to a wealth of interactive material designed to assess and improve driving skills and reduce driving risks. These free resources include:

· AAA Roadwise Review – A computer-based screening tool that allows older drivers to measure changes in their functional abilities scientifically linked to crash risk.

· Drivers 65+: Check Your Performance –A self-rating form of questions, facts and suggestions for safe driving.

· Smart Features for Mature Drivers – A guide to help identify vehicle features that can assist drivers with the visual, physical and mental changes that are frequently encountered as they age.

To view results from AAA’s survey of older drivers visit NewsRoom.AAA.com.  For more information on AAA’s free resources for senior drivers and their families, visit SeniorDriving.AAA.com

Press Release by — May 7, 2012 in Everything Else

Apollo Sunflower God, Fab-5 graffiti on the Rialto in Tacoma. Photo courtesy of Fab-5

Graffiti.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see or hear that word?  Probably for most people, whatever comes to mind is something negative, with corresponding words such as “defacing” and “vandalism.”  Private structures and public buildings, everything from dumpsters to boxcars, have been targets.

But picture this: A brick wall that faces an alley just off 6th Avenue is defaced by graffiti.  The owner of the building feels disadvantaged because every time he responds to the city’s requirement to get rid of the graffiti, the brick wall is again a target.  The owner contacts Fab-5, an urban art group he has heard of.  They have some artists ready, willing and able to turn that wall into a work of art.  They successfully meet the challenge and since that time six years ago, the art changes twice a year, but only within certain artistic bounds.

Picture this: Five years later, the west-facing wall of the Rialto Theater, 9th and Market, is painted.  A colorful mural/graffiti has a huge, stylized flower centered at the top and the rest of the painted wall is anchored by expressive graffiti.  This seven-day wonder, named “Apollo the Sunflower God” and created in August of 2010, is a spectacular result of the work and training of Fab-5.  That is, its Leadership Strategy Team and teaching artists gave local youth the tools needed for their graffiti to evolve into an urban art form by working within certain boundaries. One of the boundaries established here was that of detailed planning before beginning the project.  In this case, the planning and designing alone took 40 hours of the 107 hours spent on this project in only seven days.

Picture this:  School is out for the summer months.  Fabitat, the new Hilltop home of Fab-5, opens its doors to a diverse group of students who are looking to find and refine their creative voices. Those who choose graffiti as their focus learn how to channel their rebellious outlook and need for self-expression through “scribing” their names, often in an abstract way.  Through drafting and designing they begin to develop an individual style.  They learn through hard work to respect each other’s work.  For example, on Sundays the work that exists on the Graffiti Garages at Broadway and So. 7th can be painted over.  However, the new painter must observe two rules: the resulting new art must be clearly superior to what is there, and out of respect, the new painting must totally cover the old work.

Picture this:  I am hosted by Kenji Stoll, a teaching artist and member of Fab-5’s leadership team. We are seated in Fab-5’s new headquarters at Fabitat.  He has just given me my first assignment: he points to the graffiti design on the wall and asks me, “What does this say?”  He had just explained to me that a name is the central part of the design and I feel clever in calling out the first three letters, but hesitated until it dawned on me that it spelled “Fabitat.”  Fab-5’s current location, Fabitat, grew out of the City of Tacoma’s Spaceworks initiative to invigorate the city through building occupancy.

The teaching artists in Fab-5, whether helping to design and execute a graffiti project, or working with students in the other urban arts (hip hop, break dancing, Djing [being a disc jockey], spoken word, rap, screen printing, recording) have worked with their Leadership Strategy Team to help young people (ages 12-24) of diverse backgrounds create community through the arts.  Their community-building power began on the PLU campus and today, 12 years later, is recognized in a recent press release.  According to David Fisher of the Broadway Center who announced the second round of Voices of the City, “New to the team of teaching artists are members of Tacoma’s, Fab-5 who focus on engaging youth in creative expression and community engagement. Fab-5 has been doing amazing community-based art work since the year 2000.”

The FABITAT Expressive Art Center

1316 South Martin Luther King Ave

Tacoma WA 98405

Free, open art resource

Tuesday – Friday, 4-10 p.m.

On-going donor program is at Fab-5.org/Give   website: http://www.fab-5.org

Maggie Kelly by — May 3, 2012 in Everything Else

By Julie E. Lee

Fortunately, pedestrian accidents, like many traffic accidents, are preventable. Yet 47,000 people were killed and 688,000 were injured while crossing or walking along a street over the last decade. This means that a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle nearly every seven minutes in the U.S.

When you’re in the driver’s seat, avoid an accident by abiding by these five AARP Driver Safety tips:

1. Always be on the lookout. Pedestrians can and will be found anywhere, even places where you are not expecting them (like highways or busy, multiple-lane intersections). It is therefore crucial that you frequently scan the road ahead of you, including shoulders and sidewalks, to spot pedestrians before you approach them.

2. Stay alert and avoid distracted driving. Assuming they have the right-of-way, many pedestrians walk into the street without confirming that oncoming traffic is aware of their presence. Pedestrians—especially children—are often hidden in between parked cars or behind other objects, including stopped or turning vehicles. To avoid an accident, stay alert by avoiding distractions. Do not eat or drink, fiddle with the radio or navigation units or use a cell phone while driving.

3. Show caution. There are likely areas in your community where you can anticipate pedestrians. At crosswalks and intersections, drive slowly and stop for pedestrians looking to cross—even if they are not at a marked crosswalk. When stopping at an unmarked point, stop far enough in advance so that the drivers behind you can also prepare to stop. Furthermore, when approaching a red light, be sure to stop far enough behind the line for pedestrians to cross safely.

4. Be respectful. Do not show hostility or aggression to drivers who are yielding to pedestrians. Never honk when the driver in front of you has stopped, and do not attempt to pass the stopped vehicle in front of you.

5.Watch for children. Because of their small size, children can be difficult to spot. Drive slowly and be on the lookout in school zones and residential neighborhoods.

 Safe walking is sometimes just as important as safe driving. If you’re on the pedestrian-side* of the road, adhere to these five safety tips:

 1. Use the sidewalk. If the street is not designed for pedestrians, avoid walking on it. Do not walk on highways or in restricted zones.

2.  Obey “walk” and “do not walk” signs. Jaywalking is an illegal offense for which you can receive a ticket.

3. Do not make assumptions. Don’t assume that a vehicle will stop for you just because you are waiting to cross. Try to make eye contact with the driver before initiating crossing. Do not cross multiple lanes of traffic without making sure drivers in all lanes see you. If you’re in a busy city, do not cross without looking both ways—even when you have the pedestrian “walk” symbol—as drivers do occasionally run red lights.

4. Do not walk long distances under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Just as you should never drive under the influence, do not walk long distances or in traffic-heavy areas when you are under the influence. Call a taxi or use public transportation.

5. Be courteous. When a driver stops to allow you to cross, give him or her a quick wave to demonstrate your appreciation.

 For more resources and additional information on how to stay safe on the road, consider taking a driver improvement course, such as AARP Driver Safety’s classroom or online courses, available in both English and Spanish.  You may even be eligible for an insurance discount upon completion of the AARP Driver Safety course.  Check with your insurance agent for details.  For more information, visit www.aarp.org/driving45 or call 1-888-AARP-NOW (1-888-227-7669).

Julie Lee, Vice President and National Director of AARP Driver Safety, has more than 30 years experience in management, strategic planning, transportation and safety. With AARP for over eight years, Lee directs the largest driver improvement course designed for drivers age 50 and older.

*RCW 46.61.250-When there is no sidewalk, pedestrians must walk on the left side of the road.

srmedia by — April 30, 2012 in Everything Else