President’s Letter
Wow! We continue to be amazed and thrilled by the incredible talent we have here at LOW. Our second musical performance of the year was truly enjoyable, both musically and comically.
Boating season is fast approaching, and fishing time is just as near. Let’s all be careful in our outdoor activities—no straining too quickly—and enjoy getting into shape again. May is going to be a strenuous month for our Chapter what with the Shredder Event, and VIN Etching scheduled within a five-day period. Chapter 5239 will deserve a rest in June.
Whoops, not so fast, folks. Our annual picnic is on June 18 at the Lion George Lewis Pavilion in Sweetbriar Park. This get-together is more intimate than our meetings because members can kibbitz all they want and they don’t have to listen to me as much as in a formal meeting. I don’t know what our entertainment will be, and if I did I wouldn’t spill the beans so early. It will be a surprise that we’ll all enjoy. So let’s sign up at our May 21 meeting for the various duties required, which will make Gil and Lucy Churchill’s and Alice Grgas’s task a little easier. They deserve plaudits for their great efforts as our refreshment gurus.
You know, one downside to all the good we have here is our strained
economy. My brother and his wife were having a heated discussion about family finances. My brother exploded and said, “If it weren’t for my money, this house wouldn’t be here!” His wife replied, “Darling, if it weren’t for your money, I wouldn’t be here!”
Dick Bradie, President
Training Therapy Dogs Featured at May Program
by Carolyn Wray, Publicity, AARP
Nancy Noel, a teacher at Germanna Community College will be featured at the May 21 AARP meeting in the LOW Clubhouse. She will be speaking on dog obedience training for passing AKC’s Canine Good Citizens test, which evaluates dogs for therapy work, hospital and nursing home visits, and month-long visits at the Pentagon Family Assistance Center. She has spent seven years working in therapy dog training. Other topics will include the value of therapy dog work, the canine personality suitable for therapy dog work, and the steps in becoming certified, and local facilities where visits are welcome.
Nancy has been teaching sixteen years in Virginia high schools and six years at Germanna Community College. She is an instructor of English and is a full-time faculty member. The meeting will begin at 9:30 AM with sweets and coffee followed by the program at 10 AM. Everyone is welcome to join us for the meeting on May 21 to learn about dog training and to take an active part in this very friendly group.
Assistance for Handicapped Members
For those members who wish to go to chapter meetings but cannot get a parking place in the handicapped area, help is here! From 9:30-9:45 AM the Ervins have organized transportation from the parking lot to the Clubhouse door for those who need assistance. Park your car near the Fitness Center, stand by your car, and look for Larry Ervin.
Email reminder: If you have not been receiving the Chapter emails please send a note with your full name to aarp5239@gmail.com. There have been several undeliverable emails in the past two weeks. If you change providers you need to send a note with your name from the new provider that is all that is necessary.
May Birthdays
(Taurus and Gemini)
Mike Arnold, Patricia Batten, Pat Bisset, James Buongiovanni, Diana Calegari, Philip Carmona, Joe Diamondstein, Larry Eiben, Martha Foote, John Gamble, Alice Grgas, Gloria Hutt, Ramona Lamon, Arthur Lieb, Rani Manhard, Harvey Miller, Linda Ogletree, Zoila Ortega, Pierre Payette, Val Protiva, Edwin Roessler, Barbara Rueckert, Kathy Saladino, Michele Smith, Robert Spencer, Jean Stutz, Lillian Thompson, Lucille Tompkins, and Susan Wright
SUNSHINE REPORT
Get well cards were sent to: Vi Liberti and Dick Durphy.
If you know of a member who needs cheering up, contact Carolyn Durphy at 972-3306.
NOTES, BITS AND PIECES
Volunteers Needed
Our chapter cannot operate efficiently without member volunteers. The more volunteers there are for a job, the easier that job is to complete. Please consider volunteering where you can.
* Kathleen and Dick Bradie are retiring from TRIAD, effective April 30. Volunteers are needed to take over as liaisons to TRIAD. A list of various duties is available and volunteers can choose one or more. Contact the Bradies at 308-5507.
* Volunteers are still needed to help with set-up and break down for the chapter meetings. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Free Shredder Event
Don’t forget to gather up your outdated important papers for the Shredder Event scheduled for May 12. This is a free effort sponsored by StellarOne Bank, AARP Chapter 5239 and the OC TRIAD. The location has been set for in front of the StellarOne Bank parking lot from 9 AM to Noon.
The sponsoring organizations are concerned about keeping folks safe from Identity Theft. This free event will help immeasurably. All those old Tax forms, house sales info, etc., can be safely destroyed by Cintas who is offering this service to help our community. A donation container will be available if you care to donate. The donations will be shared by AARP Chapter 5239 and the OC TRIAD for subsequent charitable support.
Carfit – has been postponed until the Fall
Silent Auction News
Kudos to Mary Hudak and her staff of helpers for having a very profitable Silent Auction at our April meeting. Let’s keep the goodies coming in so others can buy useful items that may not fit everyone’s needs, but I’ll bet there is somebody out there who would like that platter, picture, appliance etc., that someone else never used.
Medical News
by Sandie Frame
To keep pork safe, handle and cook it properly. In a recent study from the University of Iowa, 65 % of raw pork products were found to harbor staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of food poisoning. Pork labeled “raised without antibiotics” was just as likely to be contaminated as conventionally produced pork.
That does not mean you should not eat pork, but follow these guidelines:
* As with all raw meat, keep pork separate from other foods to prevent cross contamination.
* Cook pork cuts to 145 ⁰ F. (they can still be pink in the middle) and ground pork to 160 ⁰ F.
* To avoid skin infections, take care not to handle raw pork with bare hands if you have any cutes or sores, and
* Always be sure to wash your hands and all equipment that has comes in contact with it. The latter goes for any raw meant product.
Excerpted from University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, Volume 28, Issue 9, May 2012.
Highlights of the April 16, 2012 Meeting
by Joan Albertella, Secretary
* The Lakers provided a very enjoyable and inspirational performance of gospel songs, popular “oldies” including commercial jingles and barber shop music.
* Farewell and a thank you was given to Bill and Rosemary Walker for forming the LOW AARP chapter and for all their other volunteer activities.
* Contact Kathi Martin (972-5242) or Roxanne Kessler (972-8364) for information on various trips.
* Reminders:
- Volunteers are still needed to help with set-up and break down for the chapter meetings. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.
- Photos, articles, etc. are requested for the chapter scrap book. Contact Kathleen Bradie.
- Transportation for those who need assistance to attend the chapter meetings will be available from the parking lot directly in front of Fitness Center.
- The New York Picnic will be held September 8.
- Shredder Event will be held May 12, 9 AM-Noon, at StellarOne Bank Parking lot.
- The Mets ball game will take place June 7. Tickets cost $55. Contact John Trach at -4883.
- CarFit Program will take place May 10. Volunteers are still needed and will receive training on May 9. Contact Tony Aris at -2016.
- Vin Etching will take place May 8. Bob Johnson at -4358 still needs additional volunteers to hand out paperwork to participants.
- The Lions Club is sponsoring a Cinco de Mayo picnic. Cost is $12 for adultsand $6 for children. Contact Lee Frame at -6385.
- House and Garden Tour scheduled for May 19. Tickets: Joyce Haring at –1924.
- Operation Medicine Cabinet will take place April 28, 10 AM-2 PM. Unused
medications may be dropped off at Mary Washington Hospital (Tompkins- Martin Building), Lee Hill Center, or Stafford Hospital.
* The 50/50 was won by Dick Martin.
* The next chapter meeting will be held on
Monday, May 21, 2012 at the Clubhouse, beginning with refreshments at 9:30 AM.
