"Aging in America" on HealthSmart

The half-hour program, HealthSmart: Aging in America, broadcast initially on WITF-TV (Public Television; Harrisburg, PA) on November 24, 2010, asks the question: "What does a senior citizen look like in today's world?"

This program's response:  "We all know someone who is over the age of 65 and living life to the fullest."  The program examines the demographic wave of new 65+ citizens, and then considers their lifestyles and challenges.

The HealthSmart series of broadcasts is produced and hosted by Keira McGuire:

WITF's Mid-Atlantic Emmy nominated, in-studio, locally produced 30-minute health show features the medical topics that are on everyone's mind.

Local experts give practical advice on how to beat the odds and live healthier and happier, everyday. And local survivors share their touching stories to help our audience understand various diseases and conditions. 

Intended to appeal to health-conscious viewers, HealthSmart targets anyone who is looking for practical "real life" ways to live healthier every day. The focus of the series is on useful information that can be incorporated into daily life. * * *

This episode about Aging in America highlighted the expanding class of new seniors:

Soon, the first of over 75 million baby boomers will begin to earn senior citizen status.  On the next episode of HealthSmart we'll talk to baby boomers about the future.  Are they planning to slow down?  How can they stay sharp as they age?  What should they know about Medicare? * * *

If you are interested in learning why the "baby boomers" comprise "one generation that seems to be redefining the rules of aging," then watch the program online.  The graphics are pleasing, the hostess is attractive, the factual background is simply presented, the interviews of professionals (like Penn State Professor Melissa Hardy and PA Department of Aging Secretary John Michael Hall) are insightful, and the glimpses into individual lifestyles of new-age seniors are inspiring.

The theme that I derive from the program -- consistent with the Baby Boomer generation's earlier theme sung by Bob Dylan -- could be "The Times They Are a-Changin'.  The program addresses emerging challenges and opportunities, magnified due to the size of the new Senior Class.

The program is now available online for post-broadcast viewing.  The series is underwritten by Capitol Blue Cross.

Come senators, congressmen,
Please heed the call.
Don't stand in the doorway.
Don't block up the hall.
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled . . . .

-- Bob Dylan

in The Times They Are a-Changin'

(January, 1964)

Ageing in Ireland: "Older, Louder, Stronger"

In early March, 2010, a friend of mine, Katherine C. Pearson, sent me an email message from Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she conducts her sabbatical from her position as a Professor of Law at Penn State - Dickinson School of Law, in Carlisle, PA.

In the fall of 2009, Professor Pearson was the Petersen Visiting Scholar in Gerontology and Family Studies at Oregon State University.

During the spring of 2010, she will be a scholar in residence at Queen's University Belfast, in Northern Ireland on a Fulbright grant, conducting interdisciplinary research on policies related to protection and care for older adults, with an international perspective. * * *

After relaying kind personal thoughts, she made an offer that only now -- belatedly, but gratefully -- I accept:

In case you might want a "different" sort of aging article for your blog, I'm attaching something I put together on the train while coming home for an interesting conference in Dublin.

But regardless of the attachment, I hope this email finds you -- and finds you well. I'm sending good wishes and a pot of Irish luck your way!

I note the purpose of that Irish partnership, which promotes its work under the banner "Older, Louder, Stronger":

Changing Ageing Partnership (Cap) funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies seeks to develop a robust evidence base to inform policy development with respect to older people. Research is being developed across a range of areas including: law; economics; politics; sociology; environmental planning, consequently a diverse range of methods will be used. * * *

By her participation, she is gathering ideas from the Continent and considering how we, under our American systems, might better address the concerns raised by our aging population. We will need such ideas to address our growing senior needs creatively!

The Business of Aging – or Ageing – in Ireland
Copyright © by Katherine C. Pearson
[Links added by NEH]

I have long been involved with legal professionals engaged in the business of aging, while also watching students begin their careers in Penn State Law’s Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic. With that background, I decided to attend a conference on “The Business of Ageing” in Dublin, Ireland on March 3, 2010. (“Aging” in the U.S. is spelled with an “e” in Ireland and the U.K.)

The conference was sponsored in major part by technology powerhouse Intel, which has a center of health product research in Ireland. My spring sabbatical residence is in Northern Ireland, where I am working at Queen’s University Belfast’s Changing Ageing Partnership, and that made it easy to take advantage of this opportunity.

The motto of the conference was “Turning Silver into Gold” and frankly that phrase gave me a few worries. Students in Penn State’s Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic have had a few too many opportunities to see the consequences of home repair “experts,” home lenders, hearing aid companies and insurance companies that tried to tap into the presumed riches held by older persons. Fortunately, I encountered no one trying to market financial products such as deferred pay-off annuities or reverse mortgages that have often have high commissions or hidden transaction costs.

Over 300 people attended. It was standing room only for speakers ranging from the political leader of Ireland, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, to a Harvard professor giving the latest economic and demographical profile for Europe and Ireland.

Unlike the U.S. and U.K., Ireland is still a few years away from hitting the inverted population pyramid created when older persons substantially outnumber younger workers. The extra time is the result of a longer period of high birth rates among its younger families. [See: Irish Times article, State pension age to be set at 68 by 2028 in radical overhaul of qualification structure (03/04/10).]

However, despite the grace period, the economic downturn of the last several years has hit Ireland hard. Even as Ireland’s governing head was trying to put a good face on opportunities for innovation in Ireland, the government was also announcing the need to increase the pensionable retirement age and predicting that future workers would be expected to pay a significant portion of earnings into Ireland’s pension system.

The energy in the room was substantial. I spoke to a young woman working on a PhD that capitalizes on a recent project at Intel where she matched older adults with college age students to provide one-on-one computer training. This project virtually eliminated the drop out-rate from previous efforts to bring older adults fully into the computer age. I met seasoned business people in health and technology fields who were looking to adapt U.S. models for home health and monitoring systems for the population of Ireland.

Speakers included advertising executives and the head of a venture capital company. A few speakers seemed to struggle with political correctness in the language of aging, and some admitted this was the first time they had consciously considered how to market to older adults.

Occasionally I had a renewed shiver of fear, as when one speaker compared marketing for older adults to Robin Hood’s reason for targeting the rich for his thievery, wholly ignoring the fact that at least the fictional Robin Hood was giving the money to the poor rather than lining his own pockets.

Far more impressive was the speaker from B & Q, a home and garden product retailer that has made a conscious effort in Ireland to recruit older employees. B & Q provides the same training and promotion opportunities for all employees, and its older worker profile has helped to ensure a reliable workforce.

Who was missing from the conference – at least as far as I could tell?

I did not encounter any attorneys. Although one accountant assured me, with a smile, that was a good thing.

Genealogy Traces Roots

This morning, Tuesday, April 20, 2010, WITF-FM's Radio SmartTalk focused on genealogy -- the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history -- in an episode entitled Family Trees and Genealogy:

Living in the early 21st century has its perks – among them, access to information like never before. DNA testing can help you trace your roots. Social networking sites can help you reconnect with relatives. A lot of folks are taking advantage of these and other tools to develop a family tree.

We welcome your questions about genealogy for Jonathan Stayer and Aaron McWilliams, archivists with the Pennsylvania State Archives. They'll offer some insights into how to research your family's history, track down records, and get it all organized.

We'll also talk with a couple who have just completed an extensive family tree – Radio Smart Talk host Craig Cohen's parents, Ed and Sheilah Cohen. They've compiled the tree, records, biographies, and assorted family anecdotes. They'll share some of what they turned up – including some stories and connections to history, and some of the sleuthing they did to fill in some missing pieces of their family's past.

The hour's discussion , which can be heard via the Internet using a multimedia computer, was a mixture of "how to" steps in a genealogical study using Pennsylvania's extensive and available resources, which are summarized online, and also "done that, been there" experiences and emotions shared by the host's parents, who researched their Russian ancestry into a printed book.

I listened with interest from two points of view.

First, as a lawyer, I know that, where an intestacy occurs upon a death or where a Last Will makes class bequests or invokes substitution provisions, a "family tree" will determine what interests become distributable to living heirs. But such investigations involve just a few generations. That exercise is more like a study of kinship to pass possessions or wealth.

Second, as a young man nearly forty years ago, my father presented me with a Hendershot genealogy, researched by one of my distant relatives, Alfred E. Hendershot, of Ohio. He prepared a Genealogy of the Hendershot Family in America (1961), spanning from my generation back to the immigration of an ancestor from Germany in the early 1700's (as I recall). I found it referenced online, along with a database at ancestry.com. That book traced my deep roots.

That sense of personal history -- of connection to people who lived in the past, and of our legacy of their hopes and beliefs -- is important.

I urge listening to that session.

PA Seniors in Online Wii Championship Bowl

In an article dated December 11, 2009, entitled "Wii senior league bowlers to 'spare' no mercy at Tuesday's national championship game", McKnight's Long Term Care News noted that a team of seniors from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, qualified for the finals of the National Senior League^™ (NSL)Wii Bowling Championship.

This first Senior Wii Bowling Bowl will be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009.

After months of competitive play, the “SAS Strikers” from St. Andrews Estates South in Boca Raton, FL, will face off against the “Riverside Silver” from Riverside Place in Charleroi, PA, in Tuesday's National Senior League Wii Bowling Championship Game.

More than 180 teams from 102 senior living communities in 24 states participated in the competition this year, according to NSL organizers. The regular season lasted from Oct. 19 through Nov. 23, and brought in players of all levels.

The first-ever Wii Bowling tournament wraps up Tuesday with the showdown between the SAS Strikers (ranked third) and the Riverside Silver (ranked 16th). The two teams will compete head-to-head in a live, online championship extravaganza. * * *

Riverside Place, located in Charleroi, Washington County, PA, is connected with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging, Inc. SPAAA "develops and manages the overall service system for the older adults of Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties."

It is one of the many Pennsylvania Senior Centers operating statewide with the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Association of Senior Centers and the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

As the three galleries of photographs demonstrate, SPAAA takes its mission seriously; and it appears to have developed excellence in its Wii Bowlers along the way. See: 2009 Senior Games Photos - Section 1; 2009 Senior Games photos - Section 2; and 2009 Senior Games photos - Section 3.

Wii bowling is one of the simulated sports activities available on Nintendo's Wii game machine. I noted its growing popularity in a prior posting, "Seniors Scoring on Nintendo's Wii Games" (12/26/07).

Recently, Wii bowling activities by seniors have been organized into a structured competition through at least one program -- the National Senior League, which "brings senior and assisted living communities across the country together for fun and competition!"

Presently, NSL's 2009 online statistics and standings list 32 "Conferences" and 180 seniors-only Wii bowling teams. Riverside fielded two teams -- Riverside Silver (with 9 players), and Riverside Gold (with 8). The Silver team made it to the finals.

The use of technology is fantastic. Not only are seniors bowling through software on a game machine that mimics physical equipment & facilities, using remote, hand-held controllers that mirror their body movements, but the NSL competitions between distant teams can be conducted over a webcam, so that competitors can see each other!

This trend is noticed by the media, including National Public Radio, which broadcast a segment on December 3, 2009.

Now, I am virtually rooting for Pennsylvania's Riverside Silver to take the first bowl home!

Update: 12/17/09:

I am virtually crushed. According to NSL News & Notes on December 17, 2009,
"National Championship goes to SAS Strikers" , the "St. Andrews Estates South wins National Wii Bowl title by 20 pins," citing an article dated December 16, 2009, by Brian Hamacher, posted by NBC-Miami on MS-NBC, entitled "Wii Bowling Championship for Boca Geriatrics":

A group of geriatric Wii bowlers from South Florida showed their virtual pin dropping dominance in the first ever National Senior League Championship yesterday.

Metamucil flowed like champagne and naps were aplenty after the St. Andrews South Strikers, from Boca Raton, squeaked past the Riverside Place Silver from Charleroi, PA.

The five Boca seniors bested Riverside by a mere 20 pins, and the thrilling victory had seniors like Duane Webster, 88, feeling like a kid again.

"This Wii bowling has been quite an experience," Webster told the Sun-Sentinel. "They didn't have this Wii bowling when I was young. They had that 16-pound ball...but it was not as accurate as this electronic ball."

A whopping 180 teams from 24 states participated in the five-week tournament. All players have to be over 62 and come from nursing homes, senior centers and senior-living communities. * * *

See also: "South Florida team wins Wii bowling National Senior League championship game" posted December 16, 2009, by McKnight's.

Still, the "silver" second place in the 2009 national challenge among seniors now proudly rests with the Riverside Place Silver.

"Growing Old in America" Report by Pew

On July 7, 2009, the SmartTalk radio discussion program, offered by Public Broadcasting System affiliate WITF-FM (Harrisburg, PA), presented the topic "The New Generation Gap" with guest Kim Parker, a Senior Researcher at Pew Social & Demographic Trends, of the Pew Research Center.

The generation gap. It sounds like a relic of the 1960s when young Americans rebelled against the traditions and lifestyles of their parents and anyone older than 30.

Since then, much has changed. Today, children are closer to and more open with their parents. But what has emerged recently though is a divide in attitudes, especially toward social issues, between the generations.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center finds a new generation gap when it comes to issues like gay marriage. What are the issues younger and older people differ on the most? * * *

The basis for the program was a report issued June 29, 2009, by the Pew Research Center, entitled "Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality" regarding its research conducted between February 23 and March 23, 2009, through focus groups convened in Baltimore, Maryland.

This is the "executive summary":

Getting old isn't nearly as bad as people think it will be. Nor is it quite as good.

On aspects of everyday life ranging from mental acuity to physical dexterity to sexual activity to financial security, a new Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey on aging among a nationally representative sample of 2,969 adults finds a sizable gap between the expectations that young and middle-aged adults have about old age and the actual experiences reported by older Americans themselves. * * *

AARP noted the study in its posting of an Associated Press article entitled "Study: Generation gap in US largest since 1960s" by Hope Yen (06/29/09). The article contrasted views of younger versus older people, as revealed in the Report, on such key beliefs as morality, religion, and politics:

Almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights. In contrast, just 60 percent in 1979 saw a generation gap.

Asked to identify where older and younger people differ most, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.

Religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults. About two-thirds of people 65 and older said religion is very important to them, compared with just over half of those 30 to 49 and 44 percent of people 18 to 29. * * *

As to the characteristics of the newest "generation gap," it was noted by Paul Taylor, Director of the Pew Social and Demographic Trends Project, that "[t]oday, it's more of a general outlook, a different point of view, a general set of moral values."

For prior surveys and reports by the Pew organization on the topics of demographics and population aging, see: "Reports on Generations."

The guest on the recent SmartTalk program, Senior Researcher Kim Parker, led the full Social & Demographic Trends staff in preparing the survey questionnaire and then in analyzing the findings. She also wrote Sections I, II and III of the Report. So she was a knowledgeable guest -- and a good speaker, too.

Wisconsin Public Radio had featured Kim Parker in an earlier discussion program about the same topic, broadcast on July 2, 2009; but to listen now, you must be a member.

Graciously, WITF-FM made its thought-provoking, one-hour, July 7th audio broadcast available free for the clicking on its website, here.

"There was no respect for youth when I was young,
and now that I am old, there is no respect for age --
I missed it coming and going."

~J.B. Priestly
English novelist, playwright and broadcaster (1894-1984)
(per QuoteGarden)

Blogging on the Bus

I'm riding on a bus as I write this blog entry, which illustrates, in just one trip, a few trends affecting elders (and all of us in America) -- changes in employment patterns, in technology, and in mass transit.

The bus I'm riding is a Setra, Model S-417 Luxury Coach, assembled in North Carolina by Daimler Buses North America. The operator is RDC Bus Lines, LLC, a small business headquartered in western Pennsylvania. The express luxury coach service is operated between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, PA, daily, via the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as the "Steel City Flyer."

The new service was announced in November, 2008, and was followed thereafter, by newspaper reports. See: "New Steel City Flyer service to Harrisburg begins this month" (11/07/08) by Kim Leonard, published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; "Can a luxury bus fill the gap on a dropped US Airways route?" (11/12/08) by Ben Mutzabaugh published by USA Today's Blog "Today in the Sky";"New bus service to Harrisburg expands" (01/06/09) by Tom Barnes published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; and "Bus line adds Camp Hill stop" (04/09/09) by Erica Dolson published by the Harrisburg Patriot-News (on Penn-Live).

The Steel City Flyer offers service from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh for business and leisure travelers.

One of the goals of this new stop [in Camp Hill] is to make travel more convenient for business people whose firms have a strong presence in both central Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Railroad Development Corp. president Bob Pietrandrea said.

The Steel City Flyer has also adjusted its westbound schedule to add an earlier morning departure time.

The driver today is Jim Wade, 64, of Bergholz, Ohio, who has operated or driven buses for 24 years, and who is now officially "retired." He just talked by cell phone with his supervisor, George, who is in his mid-sixties. Jim was talking about people he knew in the business who were "still goin'" in their eighties and nineties.

This is my first point: This is a business largely operated by persons near or over 60 years of age; and it runs smoothly.

This modern bus rides smoothly too while I type on my Asus Eee "netbook" connected continuously (even through the Turnpike's tunnels!) through the on-board wireless router to Verizon's high-speed 3G Wi-Fi service.

Gone are the days when a bus ride promised jolts, noise, stuffy air, and spills, but little time for productive work. Instead, on this luxury coach, I'm researching sources, adding links, and writing text in comfort and without stress, despite the curves and construction on the PA Turnpike.

My experience with this transportation service parallels that of another user (Susan D., of Pittsburgh), who posted her experiences on the Yelp! consumer review web site, rating it four of four stars. See: "Steel City Flyer" Review (02/09/09).

This is my second point: The fact that I am writing this posting enroute while riding at 55 mph (according to Jim when I asked) or higher most times, shows how transportation and technology have combined to allow greater business and personal efficiency, while conserving natural resources.

Clearly mass transportation is a trend that should be supported. Most recently, our federal government appears to favor high-speed train service.

The article "Pennsylvania part of plan for high-speed trains across the nation" (04/17/09) by Jon Schmitz, published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reported that "President Barack Obama's announcement yesterday of an ambitious plan for high-speed passenger trains connecting American cities puts Pennsylvania into a national competition for billions of dollars in federal aid."

Ten corridors, including one from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and Philadelphia, were designated as eligible for some of the $13 billion authorized in the economic stimulus legislation or proposed by Mr. Obama for high-speed rail development. * * *

A statement by Gov. Ed Rendell and state Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler did not mention the maglev project. Instead it speculated about whether money could be obtained for studies of expanding rail service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg -- currently served by just one daily Amtrak trip. * * *

"Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes," Mr. Obama said.

"Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination." * * *

This is my third point: A Change is Gonna Come to long-haul, public transportation. New modes of conveyance will bring greater efficiency, convenience, comfort, and safety, which will empower all travelers, especially those who are older.

But that vision will be some time until full realization. A Steel City Flyer representative was quoted in the article:

"Realistically speaking, it's going to be years before you see anything resembling high-speed rail extended to Pittsburgh," said Mr. Posner, who recently started a luxury bus service to Harrisburg to fill the void in train and airline service to the state capital.

"As a railroad man, I look forward to the day when the Steel City Flyer [bus to Harrisburg] will have outlived its usefulness," he said. * * *

Reading this, I'm pleased that I took the Steel City Flyer today as the best way to travel between these two cities. However, I, too, look forward to the day in Pennsylvania when it "will have outlived its usefulness."

Now, please excuse me. I've got to jaw with our driver, Jim, a bit more before I "de-bus" in Pittsburgh's Center City.

Update: July, 2009:

As of July 16, 2009, the Steel City Flyer service terminated. See: Press Release, "Steel City Flyer to End Service on July 16, 2009" dated July 10, 2009, issued by Railroad Development Corporation (PDF, 1 page). For an intelligent blog commentary and responsive reader comments, see: So Long Steel City Flyer, posted July 10, 2009, on the East Busway Blog.

Update: October, 2009:

Amtrak expressed interest in expanding passenger train service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, dependent upon government subsidies. See: Article, "Amtrak recommends new train between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg" dated October 20, 2009, by Matthew Santoni, published by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Amtrak is recommending that another train be added to the sparse service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, if state and federal legislators decide the additional ridership is worth the expense.

In a study mandated by the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, Amtrak officials looked at passenger service in Pennsylvania and decided that the potential riders and revenue were sufficient to consider increasing the Pennsylvanian route between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg from one train per day in each direction to two, adding a midday departure from Pittsburgh and a late-night arrival that could connect to trains heading west to Chicago.

"The ridership was there, and it would have a minimal impact on operations," said Steve Kulm, Amtrak spokesman. "If this is going to move forward, state and federal legislators will have to make the next step." * * *

Senior Athletes and Senior Idols

On April 14, 2009, the York (PA) Daily Record published an article entitled "Former Senior Idol competitor donates body to study" by Teresa McMinn, who reported that 92-year-old Ed Clautice recently helped "doctors study aging even after his death."

Ed Clautice believed that helping others and staying physically and socially active would help him maintain a long and happy life. Apparently, he was right.

Clautice, who died last year at age 92, competed in local events, including the PA Senior Idol contest hosted by Online Publishers and the senior games.

He also participated in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging for about a quarter-century. When he died, he donated his body to the study as an anatomical gift. * * * [Links added.]

The article noted the value of staying active bodily, and challenging the mind educationally, to maintain physical and mental health into a long life.

Studies also show that staying mentally and physically active can prevent dementia, [said Dr. Luigi Ferrucci -- Director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and editor-in-chief of Journals of Gerontology Medical Science].

"He played bridge just a week before he passed," said Ed Clautice's son, Ed Clautice "the younger."

He described finding a diary his dad started writing in the 1930s.

"He would keep track of how many hours a day he studied," the son said. * * *

Ironically, and quite appropriately given Ed's death, the 2009 Pennsylvania Senior Games, an amateur athletic competition, will be held July 20-26 in York, PA.

Another opportunity for seniors to strut their stuff on stage is underway now.

Also on April 14, 2009, the York (PA) Daily Record published an article entitled "Singers audition for PA Senior Idol" also by Teresa McMinn, who highlighted the fourth annual PA State Senior Idol competition.

It took some persuasion from his co-workers for Martin Bentley Krebs of Springettsbury Township to audition for the PA Senior Idol competition Tuesday at York Little Theatre in Spring Garden Township. But after learning he was among the top three performers and will advance to the finals, he was glad he gave it a shot.

At 50, Krebs -- who sang "The Best is Yet to Come" -- said he feels too young to be considered a senior citizen.

"I feel like the new kid on the block . . . the freshman," he said and added that he and family members close to his age recently discussed getting older.

"We seem so much younger at this age than our parents did."

About 100 seniors in five counties auditioned for the event, said Kimberly Anderson, events manager for Columbia-based On-Line Publishers Inc., which hosted the contest.

The winner of the contest, which is open to Pennsylvania residents ages 50 and older, will receive a trip for two by limousine to New York City for dinner and a show. They'll also be invited to perform at the six 50plus Expos that Online Publishers hosts in six counties each year. * * * [Links added.]

The website of the PA Senior Idol program opens with an energetic invitation:

Do You…
Dance…Sing…Play an Instrument…Perform Magic…Tell Jokes?
Have You…
Ever watched “American Idol®” and thought, “I can do that!”
Ever thought you’re good enough for the “big time”?

Here’s your chance to audition and become On-Line Publishers’
PA STATE SENIOR IDOL!!

The PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competition is a fun, motivational experience for today’s active adults. Many participants have never performed before a live audience.

Live your dream! Show the community just how much life there is after 50!

Auditions in the 2009 PA State Senior Idol competition were held in five locations throughout the region from April 7th to 15th, and are now concluded.

The Finals will be held June 8, 2009 at at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, when "friends, neighbors and relatives of the finalists as well as the general public are invited to enjoy dinner at 5:30 and the talent show at 7:00 p.m."

If interested in attending, you can call the Theatre (717-898-1900) for tickets.

"To let other people see that life isn't over at age 85
or whatever number you want to hang onto --
activity . . . is its own award."
-- Ed Clautice

Believing, and Playing College Football at 59

On Sunday, February 1, 2009, on his Hour of Power religious broadcast, Rev. Robert H. Schuller interviewed Mike Flynt, the author of "The Senior" (207 pages; Oct, 2008), which conveys the message: "It's Never Too Late to Tackle Your Dreams!"

Mike Flynt was swapping stories with some old football buddies when he brought up the biggest regret of his life: getting kicked off the college team before his senior year.

So, one of his pals said, "Why not do something about it?"

Most 59-year-olds would have laughed. Flynt's only concern was his eligibility.

He not only returned to college football, but actually made the team at his alma mater -- Sul Ross State, an NCAA division III school [and a member of the Texas State University System].

His remarkable story begins with a tough upbringing by a violent father who trained him to fight at every opportunity. His fighting habit took him in and out of jail several times, until a faith conversion turned his life around on the very day he was contemplating suicide.

Mike Flynt has much to offer others, not only through his story, but through his belief that it's never too late for God to heal your heart and fulfill your dreams. [Links added.]

Wikipedia's entry for Mike Flynt describes his difficult, even wacky, challenge in playing college football a second time around:

Mike Flynt is a linebacker for Division III Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas and wears the number 49.

Flynt is a strength coach by trade and was a conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M. He is the inventor of the Powerbase Fitness exercise equipment. * * *

Flynt has given new meaning to being a college senior. He is a grandfather and is retired. His youngest child is a freshman at the University of Tennessee. Two of his children are older than any of his teammates.He is eight years older than his own coach, Steve Wright.

He played his last collegiate game for the Sul Ross Lobos in 1970. In 1971, he was thrown out of the university. One of his original college coaches was Jerry Larned, and he has counseled him at the start of his comeback.

Despite the fact that he is two generations older than his teammates, Flynt, a career strength and conditioning coach, told Sports Illustrated that he can still do some things in the weightroom that the other players can't. Flynt says he can still do 25 consecutive pull-ups, for example. * * *

Once he plays, he will become the second oldest man to play in an NCAA game. Neither the NCAA or NAIA keeps age as a statistic, but research hasn't turned up anyone older than their mid-40s playing NCAA Football.

On August 23, 2007, ESPN posted an article entitled "Flynt, 59, making comeback with Sul Ross State University" by Mike Golic & John Siebel.

Finding out he was [still eligible to play football], Flynt returned to Sul Ross State this month, 37 years after he left and six years before he goes on Medicare.

His comeback peaked Wednesday with the coach saying he's made the Division III team's roster. He could be in action as soon as Sept. 1 [2007]. * * *

"I think it was Carl Yastrzemski who used to say, 'How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?' I'd be in my late 20s or early 30s, because that's how I feel," said Flynt, who has made a living out of physical fitness.

"That's been my approach to this whole thing. I feel that good. I'm just going to find out if I can perform and make a contribution to the team." * * *

Flynt's life was supposed to be slowing down this fall. With his youngest child starting at the University of Tennessee, he and Eileen, his wife of 35 years, are planning to take advantage of being empty-nesters for the first time.

Instead, they've moved to this remote patch of West Texas so Flynt can mend an old wound and, he hopes, inspire others. * * *

The article reported a side-effect of his effort to master a nearly-impossible challenge: "[H]e laughed about the reality that fellow Baby Boomers are getting the most out of his comeback."

"People are kind of in awe. They keep comparing me to themselves and where they are physically," he said.

"If I can help anyone out by what I'm doing, then it's all worth it."

On September 15, 2007, Sporting News reported in "'Senior' LB suits up, but 59-year-old Mike Flynt doesn't play" that, after the team's third game, "[h]is first hit, however, will have to wait another week."

The 59-year-old linebacker remained on the sideline throughout his team's 55-14 loss to Division III powerhouse Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Coach Steve Wright decided to play it safe in hopes of keeping Flynt healthy for the rest of the season, especially the home opener next weekend. Leg and shoulder problems kept Flynt from even traveling to the first two games.

He made this trip, and so did his wife and about 50 former teammates and other admirers, all hoping to see "The Senior" mix it up with kids one-third his age.

They weren't the only ones disappointed. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Mary Hardin-Baylor band chanted "We want Mike Flynt!" followed by "49! 49!" (his jersey number) and finally, "Put Mike in!"

Flynt's fan club, who've dubbed themselves the "Sul Ross Baby Boomers" and wear buttons with a picture of him in uniform, joined the chants. Later, they started their own, merely shouting his last name. * * * [Links added.]

Then, as a team member listed on the roster, he played in a game against Texas Lutheran University.

Jaime Aron reported on October 13, 2007, in "59-Year-Old Linebacker Returns to Field Posted" that Flynt first played at left offensive end on a point-after-touchdown play:

To the shreiking delight of his wife, three kids, grandson and a legion of new fans, 59-year-old Mike Flynt returned to college football action Saturday night.

His Sul Ross State teammates marched for a touchdown on their opening drive against Texas Lutheran and Flynt went in at left end on the extra-point unit. He sealed his block as the kick went through, marking his first game action in 37 years.

He remained a fixture at that spot on extra points and field goals. His first block wasn't much, but it didn't matter.

The play culminated a comeback that began almost as a dare at a reunion this summer, then was delayed by the kind of lingering aches and pains that slow most card-carrying AARP members. * * *

Texas Monthly noticed the older senior's game-play, posting a Mike Flynt multimedia feature in March 2008.

After the season, Mike wrote his book, The Senior (co-authored with a professional writer), which is available online and in stores. Portions of the book are made available online by Google Books.

You can read the text of that brief interview of Mike Flynt with Rev. Schuller on the website of the Hour of Power.

The interview concluded with Flynt's personal statement of faith.

MF: I think that people need to believe in themselves and not be afraid of failure.

I think our young people today are taught to be normal and not to step out and try things and they need understand that failure is not who you are.

Failure is just something that happens to you. But you have to step out and try. You have to believe in yourself.

You have to try and you have to trust in God.

RHS: That’s what your faith does for you.

MF: Yes sir.

* * *

"I had to try."

-- Mike Flynt, in The Senior (2008)

Steelers and Estate Tax

With the Super Bowl scheduled to be played on Sunday evening, February 1, 2009, sports fans worldwide will focus on the Arizona Cardinals and the PITTSBURGH STEELERS -- you know, that football team from PENNSYLVANIA.

Both teams are family-controlled. Owners in both families face a significant hurdle: Payment of Federal Estate Tax. Complex estate planning is in order so that the games can go on.

According to Wikipedia, "the Arizona Cardinals, founded in 1898, hold the distinction of being the oldest continuously run professional American football club in the United States." The team's history divides into the Chicago years (1898–1959), the St. Louis years (1960–1987), and the Arizona years (1988–Present). The Cardinals' current coach, Ken Whisenhunt, was hired away from the Pittsburgh Steelers -- where he served as offensive coordinator -- on January 14, 2007.

Also according to Wikipedia, "[f]ounded in 1933, the Steelers are the oldest and most championed franchise in the AFC [American Football Conference]."

The team will appear in its seventh Super Bowl on February 1st 2009 and is one of three teams to have won the Super Bowl five times.

No team has played more conference championship games and Pittsburgh has hosted more conference championship games than any other NFL franchise.

From 1974 to 1979 the franchise became the first NFL franchise to win four Super Bowl titles in six seasons, a feat which is yet to be matched.

The 2005 team was the first sixth-seeded team in NFL history to advance to a conference championship game; they went on to win the game, followed by their latest Super Bowl victory on February 5, 2006. * * *

When these two powerhouse teams meet on Sunday evening, will you be thinking about estate planning, among the many other aspects of the game? There would be reasons.

On July 11, 2008, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review published an article entitled "Estate tax threatens NFL's old guard of owners" by Kevin Gorman & Mike Prisuta, who mentioned both teams when reporting about the concentrated family ownership of the Pittsburgh Steelers that will present problems one day when subject to federal estate tax:

There have been a dozen changes of NFL ownership since 1994, with three involving family estates.

With four of the five Rooney brothers -- Art Jr., Timothy, Patrick and John -- seeking to divest their combined 64 percent interest in the club (Steelers president Dan Rooney also owns a 16-percent share), the estate-tax issue could play a prominent role in any decision. * * *

It's an issue that many longtime NFL owners will eventually have to address. The Bidwill family has owned the Cardinals as long as the Rooneys have owned the Steelers, since 1933.

The key is for family-owned teams to find loopholes in the transference of NFL ownership, which has allowed the Mara and Tisch families to maintain control of the New York Giants, and the Chicago Bears to remain in the Halas/McCaskey families. * * *

Estate planning and family cooperation were concerns of "the Chief," Art Rooney, when he wrote a letter dated March 18, 1987, to his five sons. According to a New York Times "Freakonomics" blog posting entitled "Art Rooney Saw the Steelers’ Future" by Stephen J. Dubner, the Chief (as "Dad") wrote:

Time is starting to run out on me. I am concerned, just as you are, about my Will, particularly my Stock in the football club. I would like to reach some kind of an understanding so that there will be no questions or complications regarding my estate. * * *

Matters of ownership, cooperation, and estate planning came to a head in 2008 for the Steelers, as noted in a blog posting entitled "Death, Taxes and NFL Football (Go Steelers!)" by Julie Garber posted Wednesday August 6, 2008 by About.com:

Having grown up in Pittsburgh, the recent news that my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are on the verge of being sold to an outside third party did not sit well with me.

This fifth oldest NFL franchise was purchased by Arthur Joseph Rooney in 1933 for a mere $2,500 and is still controlled today by a majority of Rooney family members.

According to a 2007 Forbes.com article, the fair market value of the team is now estimated at well over $900,000,000 and this has put the five sons of Arthur Joseph Rooney at odds over the future of the team. It seems that one son, Daniel, wants to keep the team, but the other four sons want to cash out and focus on other businesses.

Recently stepping into the middle of this family feud is a potential buyer named Stanley Druckenmiller, a billionaire Pittsburgh businessman with very deep pockets. * * *

The death tax threat to the Steelers football franchise was discounted, however, in an article entitled "Estate taxes pose little threat to Steelers ownership" (08/10/08) by Mark Roth, published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

As the Rooney family prepares to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss a possible ownership change in the Steelers, the federal estate tax may turn out to be the least important factor affecting the team's future, tax experts and some family members say.

On the surface, the estate tax seems daunting -- 45 percent on all estates above $2 million in value. With the Rooneys' 80 percent share of the franchise being valued at $800 million or more on the open market, that would seem to make the family liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax liabilities.

In reality, though, few estates pay the full estate tax rate, and there is almost no evidence that any family-owned enterprises have had to dissolve or sell out because of the federal tax, said Ben Harris, a senior research associate at the Tax Policy Center in Washington, D.C., a joint operation of the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute. * * *

Before the general election in November, 2008, levy of a succession tax on National Football League team franchises had become a "political football" kicked by the candidates, according to "NFL owners have rooting interest in election --McCain estate-tax plan would save some owners millions" by David Sweet, posted on MSNBC.

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain may obfuscate on some issues, but they are clear where they stand on the estate tax, which is levied on well-off citizens after they die.

Obama favors a 45 percent top rate after a $3.5 million exemption, while McCain embraces a 15 percent top rate and a $5 million exemption.

As the value of NFL franchises continues to soar — thanks to new stadiums, labor peace, billion-dollar television contracts and other factors — the estate tax has become a primary concern, especially as owners enter their 70s and 80s.* * *

At least for the Steelers, by early December 2008, the ownership and transfer issues appear to have been resolved, according to a posting on Sports Business Daily, "NFL Franchise Notes: Steelers Ownership Deal Nearly Finished" (12/02/08) citing a KDKA report:

CBS' Andy Sheehan cited sources as saying that details surrounding the Steelers ownership transition "should be settled by this weekend."

The sources indicated that Steelers investors Tim, Art Jr., Patrick and John Rooney, each of whom is selling all or part of his 16% ownership stake in the franchise, and their brother, Steelers Chair Dan Rooney, will stay in Pittsburgh following Sunday's Cowboys-Steelers game for a Monday board meeting, at which they "plan to ratify the deal."

Sources indicated that the deal "affixes a value to the team" of between $750-800M. In compliance with NFL rules, Tim and Patrick Rooney will "completely divest themselves of the team," as they both operate race tracks, while Art Jr. and John Rooney also will "sell shares to Dan but retain a smaller stake."

In order to purchase the shares, PNC is "loaning Dan Rooney an undisclosed sum".

With that now resolved, you can focus on Super Bowl XLIII game-play.

Go Steelers!!!

“Estate taxes make every one of us nervous.
If there’s an owner who isn’t, he has his head in the sand.”

-- Dan Rooney, quoted by Bloomberg News (2000)

Update: 02/01/09 @ 10:30 pm:

In a nerve-shattering, topsy-turvy, "incredible game" that demonstrated the tenacity, skill, focus, and passion of the titans on both teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl, 27-23.

The game will be remembered not only as the Steelers' sixth Super Bowl victory (a record), but also for the plays at the ends of the first half and the second half, which likely made football history.

Post-game, the Vince Lombardi Trophy was presented by Pennsylvania native, Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath, to Club representative Dan Rooney, in the presence of transfixed fans.

"Both teams, when they were down,
kept fightin' and comin' back."
-- John Madden
ESPN TV sports commentator, immediately post-game

"Anything's possible."
-- Ben Roethlisberger
Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, interviewed post-game

"If you believe together you can accomplish things, you can be successful."
--Ken Whisenhunt
Head Coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, interviewed post-game

In PA, Bingo's Gamblin', Poker Ain't

Gambling by seniors is a concern, not only in Pennsylvania, but nationwide, because involvement in games of chance can become additive, and the financial consequences can become dire.

Bingo is a game of chance, seniors know. But seniors who play poker in PA can be relieved: Playin' Texas Hold 'em ain't gambling.

The Senior Journal noted on November 12, 2008, in a brief posting online that "Senior Gambling [is] Getting Attention":

Gambling addiction is a significant problem in the United States impacting adults of all ages and their families.

Older adults are, perhaps, more vulnerable than other age groups given their greater dependence on fixed incomes and more limited ability to recover to secure debt or recover from gambling losses. * * *

The traditional game of chance for seniors is bingo, a pastime that serves as a recreational event in many communities.

The growth of riverboat and Indian casinos, state and national lotteries, and Internet access to off-shore sports and parlor betting, has dramatically increased access for all adults including seniors. * * *

An Associated Press article, dated April 2, 2001, entitled "Wagering: boon or blight of retirement?" reposted by Today's Senior Network, is representative of reports noting that "[a]s the number of older gamblers surges, experts worry that seniors are more vulnerable to financial ruin." See also: "Are seniors gambling away their retirement?" by Liz Weston, posted on MSN-Money, who noted that "[c]asinos, slot machines and poker parlors on seemingly every corner present high-rolling seniors a growing opportunity to lose their nest eggs."

I noted the debate in Pennsylvania in a prior posting, "Gambling, "Gray Lives" & Grief" (11/02/06); and that debate continued as licensed casinos began operation in the Commonwealth statewide.

On January 15, 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a commentary by Daniel R. Reynolds, entitled "Gaming law has been a bust." He asserted that, "[a]s Pa. officials tout a rise in revenue, they overlook the cost, and an unfair tax system."

This year will mark the fifth anniversary of Pennsylvania's gaming law, originally conceived as a way of protecting the state's horse-racing industry. Neighboring states such as Delaware and West Virginia had instituted slot-machine gaming to boost purses at their racetracks.

But the bill's initial intent got hijacked at some point. Signed by Gov. Rendell in July 2004, the bill was sold not as horse-racing protectionism, but as a tax-relief vehicle. Revenue from gaming, it was said, could be used to trim property taxes.

Written by the office of now-indicted former State Sen. Vincent Fumo, the bill expanded gaming way beyond the imagination of the framers of the horse-racing protection bill, who merely envisioned slot machines at the state's four racetracks. As it turns out, when slots casinos become operational in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will have 61,000 slot machines - more than any other state except Nevada.

State officials say they are cutting taxes with gaming revenue. In fact, they are subjecting Pennsylvanians to higher taxes.

The government says nearly $1 billion in gaming revenue has been made available to trim property taxes, but it isn't fluttering down from heaven or being printed by the Federal Reserve. It's coming out of the pockets of Pennsylvanians who are walking into casinos, putting it into slot machines, and not getting it back.

Expanding gaming in Pennsylvania is simply an additional de facto tax -- on top of the state lottery implemented many years ago. * * *

In response, some organizations have addressed "compulsive gambling" by education of consumers and training of professionals.

For example, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Its purpose is to educate and disseminate information on compulsive gambling and to facilitate referrals.

The Pennsylvania Council provides speakers, workshops, seminars, and information on this public health problem to business, industry and labor groups, schools and colleges, health care and treatment facilities, and to community and religious organizations.

In 2008, CCGP held a 2008 Statewide Conference on Problem Gambling. Its website lists weekly Gamblers Anonymous local meetings at statewide locations. Its next training sessions, "Advanced Gambling Treatment Seminars - Level II," will be offered this month and beyond by that organization "Courtesy Of The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem." [Links added.]

But, at least in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, such outreach efforts need not be directed towards poker players. Because they are not "gamblers."

It has been judicially determined, in that county at least, that participation in a game of Texas Hold 'em, even with bets, is not gambling, since it is a game of skill.

The ruling by the Court of Common Pleas of Columbia County, PA was reported on January 24, 2009, in an article entitled "A Crazy Game of Poker; Judge Rules Poker is a Game of Skill in Gambling Case" by Eric Bower, posted by BloomUToday.

Last week Columbia County Judge Thomas A. James Jr. ruled that Texas Hold’em poker is a game of skill and therefore not gambling under Pennsylvania law.

The ruling stems from gambling charges filed against Walter “Buzz” Watkins and his girlfriend Diane Dent in September.

Watkins is a manager at the Good Old Days Bar in Bloomsburg and also runs the poker tournaments held there.

In addition to hosting poker at Good Old days, Watkins also hosted cash poker games in a garage at his residence in Bloomsburg. The legality of those games soon came into question after State Police received complaints about the poker games and began an undercover investigation. * * *

The game being played at the garage was $1-$2 No Limit Texas Hold’em poker.

The undercover officer indicated that Dent was the dealer when he played. The officer reported that Dent or Watkins would exchange player’s cash for playing chips when they entered the game. Dent and Watkins would also exchange chips for cash when a player left.

No fee was taken by Watkins or Dent to play[. I]nstead, players were encouraged to tip Dent at the end of every hand based on the pot’s size, just as they would in conventional casinos. * * *

Police filed 20 charges each against Watkins and Dent on September 19th. Watkins said that around 15 officers raided his garage while poker was being played when he was arrested. Watkins also said that Dent was asleep in the residence that was also raided by police when she was arrested. * * * [Link added.]

The judge's opinion resolved the case in favor of Watkins and Dent, according to the article.

All charges in the case were dropped last week after Columbia County Judge Thomas A. James issued a 16 page opinion on the case.

The basic question, according to Judge James’ ruling, is whether poker is dominated by chance or skill.

James wrote is his opinion “Simply, if chance predominates, Texas Hold’em is gambling. If skill predominates, it is not gambling.”

In Pennsylvania, video poker machines are not allowed because their outcomes are primarily due to chance, not skill.

In the case of Texas Hold’em, however, Judge James explained that extensive literature exists that describes winning strategies to play the game.

James quoted several books on the matter including Mike Caro’s “Secrets of Winning Poker”. In an excerpt from the book James used, [the author said] “the money flows from the bad players to the strong players.” * * *

The decision issued by Judge Thomas A. James, Jr. on January 14, 2009, in the matters of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Watkin and Dent (PDF; 14 pages, plus Order) is fascinating reading.

I recommend it to poker players of all ages.

* * *

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

-- "The Gambler"
sung by Kenny Rogers

Update: 01/29/09:

The American Bar Association Journal's "Law News Now" posted an article on January 29, 2009, entitled "Is Poker a Game of Skill that is Legal? S.C. Judge Will Decide" by Debra Cassens Weiss, on this topic.

Five college buddies nabbed in a poker bust are asking a South Carolina judge to decide whether Texas Hold 'em is an illegal game of chance or a permissible game of skill.

A South Carolina law bans ''any game with cards or dice'' but state Attorney General Henry McMaster says his office interprets the statute to ban games that rely more on chance than skill, the Associated Press reports. And for years, the office has viewed Texas Hold ’em as an illegal game of chance.

Thirty-eight other states have laws that also bar games of chance, according to Colorado lawyer Chuck Humphrey.

Some poker players are beginning to claim — with some success — that the laws don’t apply to them. A Pennsylvania judge ruled Texas Hold ’em is a game of skill and acquitted a man who held poker games in his garage, according to CardPlayer.

And a Colorado jury acquitted the organizer of a poker league after a University of Denver statistics professor testified poker is a game of skill, according to a press release by the Poker Players Alliance. * * *