thunderstick archery

SOUTHSIDE
BOOMERS
On
Target
SUMMER 2016
A DAILY JOURNAL PUBLICATION
Herb Higgins fosters sport
of bow hunting through
state organization
INSIDE
Bird watcher has traveled
the whole world over
Hiking in Indiana:
Where to go
Diabetes: How to spot it,
what to do if you get it
SOUTHSIDE
BOOMERS
SUMMER 2016
Birds on Film
on the cover
Barbara Jablonski loves
to photograph birds,
wherever they may be.
SOUTHSIDE
BOOMERS
On
Target
3
SUMMER 2016
A DAILY JOURNAL PUBLICATION
Herb Higgins fosters sport
of bow hunting through
state organization
INSIDE
Fruit for Dessert
Bird watcher has traveled
the whole world over
Hiking in Indiana:
Where to go
Diabetes: How to spot it,
what to do if you get it
Refreshing berries make a
great after-dinner treat.
He and His Arrows
Center Grove man an
archery, bow hunting
enthusiast.
10
16
Photo by Mark Freeland
Southside Boomers is
published by the
Touring Alcatraz
DAILY JOURNAL
Plenty of options for you if
you’d like to visit this
famous former prison.
c/o Daily Journal
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Second Floor, Suite A
Franklin, IN 46131
editorial content, contact Paul Hoffman in the
Daily Journal special publications department at
317-736-2721 or by email at
phoffman@dailyjournal.net
14
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● For
advertising content, contact the Daily Journal
advertising department at (317) 736-2730
ALSO INSIDE
A diabetes primer...............................................3
Lori Borgman: Give generously..........................9
Make the perfect hamburger.............................11
Places to hike in Indiana..................................12
Paying for your kids to go to college................13
When it’s OK to withdraw from 401(k)..............20
Summer reading..............................................21
southside boomers I summer 2016
HEALTH
3
Diabetes: Too much sugar in your blood
By PAUL HOFFMAN
Staff writer
D
iabetes is a disease in which
blood glucose levels are above
normal. Most of the food we
eat is turned into glucose, or
sugar, for our bodies to use for energy.
The pancreas, an organ that lies near the
stomach, makes a hormone called insulin
to help glucose get into the cells of our
bodies. When you have diabetes, your
body either doesn’t make enough insulin
or can’t use its own insulin as well as it
should. This causes sugar to build up in
your blood.
Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity
amputations. According to the CDC, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death
in the United States.
Symptoms
People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for diagnosis.
They might have some or none of the fol-
lowing symptoms:
l Blurry vision
l Frequent urination
l Excessive thirst
l Unexplained weight loss
l Extreme hunger
l Sudden vision changes
l Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
l Feeling very tired much of the time
l Very dry skin
l Sores that are slow to heal
l More infections than usual
Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may
accompany some of these symptoms in the
abrupt onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes.
Types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes may account for about
5 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
l Type 2 diabetes may account for about
90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of
diabetes.
l Gestational diabetes is a type of diabel
SEE DIABETES, PAGE 23
4
southside boomers I summer 2016
HOBBIES
FOR THE
BIRDS
Barbara Jablonski checks one of her bird feeders. She has several around her Center Grove-area home. PHOTO BY AMY MAY
She searches the world over to photograph feathered friends
By AMY MAY
Staff writer
O
ne of Barbara Jablonski’s favorite quotes
is from conservationist John Muir:
“When one tugs at a single thing in
nature, he finds it attached to the rest of
the world.”
Jablonski, 68, who lives in the Center Grove area, is an
avid birdwatcher, or “birder,” as they often call themselves. She has spotted and photographed all varieties of
birds all over the world – everything from birds common
to Indiana at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis to the
majestic emperor penguins of Antarctica.
The Muir quote fits perfectly with her attitudes toward
nature and conservation. A single bird is a small thing in
nature, but it represents the whole world: the health of
the ecosystem, its variety and biodiversity and our mandate to preserve it for ourselves and all creatures, from a
giant blue whale she saw on a trip to the Arctic to the
tiniest hummingbird that visits her backyard bird feeder.
Farm background
Jablonski grew up on a Boone County farm near Elizaville.
As a child, she participated in 4-H and Junior Leaders.
“I always had to work hard as a farm kid. My parents
expected it and encouraged me to be the best student
possible and continue my education,” she said.
After graduation from Lebanon High School, she
earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in
English, then a master’s degree in library science.
She worked for 30 years at Southport High School as a
media specialist and the media director. She enjoyed the
work, even though she seldom saw her home in the daylight, she said. She helped the students with research,
reading, media retrieval, the distance learning prgoram
and a daily student-produced TV show.
She received the IPL Golden Apple award in 1997 for
her work in technology education and was also named
SHS Teacher of the Year.
She and her husband, Paul, chose to make their home
southside boomers I summer 2016
HOBBIES
5
Birds that Jablonski has photographed include, from left: A black-throated green warbler at Magee Marsh in northern Ohio on the south shore of Lake Erie. Most breed in
Canada, but pass through Indiana during migration. // A red phalarope, which breeds in the Arctic, was photographed in June 2015. Females are larger and more colorful
than the males. They lay eggs and let the male incubate, which is a reversal of typical bird behavior. They also can swim in a circle to raise food when feeding. They migrate
to warmer sea areas in the winter. // She visited Antarctica in January 2014 and photographed two molting adolescent emperor penguins on the ice. When molting, the penguins cannot enter the water as they need their mature protective feathers to stay warm in the water. // This tropical bird is the blue-crowned motmot from Costa Rica.
on a large wooded lot just west of Center Grove High
School for its proximity to Indianapolis.
She retired early when her mother became ill, traveling
to Boone County three times a week to help care for her.
Since she was driving through Indianapolis a few times a
week, she decided to take Marion County’s Master
Gardener class.
After her mother’s death, Jablonski filled her time with
a variety of hobbies and volunteer work.
“I now volunteer for three nonprofits that mean a great
deal to me,” she said.
She earned the President’s Award in 2008 for her work
with the Heartland Film Festival. She used to take students to the festival.
She also keeps busy with Master Gardeners, which completes a variety of public beautification projects. She has
also used her skills in her own yard, making it a Certified
Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation.
The wooded lot includes several bird feeders and a small
koi pond, as well as a variety of plants and bushes that
encourage wildlife to make the area home.
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6
southside boomers I summer 2016
And she organizes the silent auction fundraiser for the Amos
Butler Audubon Society – Central Indiana chapter.
“I don’t even know how long I’ve been a member of
Audubon. I’ve done the silent auction since 2005,” she said.
The Amos Butler Birdathon is an effort to raise money to
save birds. One way to do this is to purchase habitat for vulnerable species. The 2016 Birdathon’s mission includes the purchase
of 556 acres in Guatemala, which is in danger from logging.
The land is important to Hoosier birders because at least 40
species from this area winter there.
The Amos Butler Society also helps fund a Purdue University
research project on endangered warblers, which will eventually
be used to determine forest management practices to protect
them. The society also educates the public about the importance of birds through bird banding stations, visible habitat restoration and youth camps.
Jablonski organizes the Birdathon Celebration, which
includes a lunch and silent auction for members of the society
at Eagle Creek Park. She spends a lot of time building relationships with area businesses to get donations for the auction.
“We have lots of bird-related items and art, but also gift certificates to local restaurants,” she said. “It’s surprising what relationships you can create from doing that.”
HOBBIES
Jablonski earned the 2014 Donna McCarty Volunteer Service Award for her work with the Amos Butler
Audubon Society, Central Indiana Chapter. The wooden duck was crafted by John Bundy, a well-known
duck decoy and American folk artist based in Noblesville. The unique and colorful finish is a Bundy family
secret. PHOTO BY AMY MAY
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HOBBIES
She was presented the 2014 Donna McCarty Volunteer
Service Award for this work.
Jablonski became interested in birds at Eagle Creek
Park. An avid hiker, she attended weekly birdwatching
hikes with Bud Starling, who was president at the Amos
Butler Audubon Society. The local bird expert who
authored “Central Indiana Birds” and a weekly column
for the Indianapolis Star, also was a volunteer at the
park’s Ornithology Center.
Northwest Indiana a favorite spot
She began to seek out birds on her own. One of her
favorite sites is Indiana Dunes State Park and the nearby
marshes and preserves along the Indiana National
Lakeshore.
“Northwest Indiana has the most variety of habitat,”
she said. “We find many warblers, which is a beautiful
songbird. It’s just really interesting to see these beautiful
birds close up.”
She and Paul have traveled to several exotic places
to enjoy hiking, touring and of course, bird watching.
They took a National Geographic Explorer trip to
southside boomers I summer 2016
Antarctica to see penguins, seals and whales. The trip
included cruising on a ship, where they slept and ate,
and day trips in a Zodiac raft. Jablonski was taken by
the peaceful beauty of the icy landscape and water.
“You don’t realize what a place of peace it is. It’s so
quiet there,” she said.
7
“I have lots of respect for their respect and stewardship
of the land,” she said.
She’s been to Costa Rica three times. The first time
she went as the videographer with an Indianapolis Zoo
excursion to document the rain forest and its ecological
importance. It is home to thousands of exotic and
“Northwest Indiana has the most variety of habitat.
We find many warblers, which is a beautiful songbird.”
Barbara Jablonski
Last year, they visited the Arctic, where the highlight of
the trip was seeing a blue whale.
“It’s the largest animal in the world. I could’ve cried, it
was so beautiful,” she said.
They also enjoyed seeing blue footed boobies and other
animals at Galapagos Island on another National
Geographic Explorer trip.
She was especially impressed with the human inhabitants on her New Zealand trip.
unworldly, colorful birds and considered a hiker’s
mecca.
Trips she’d still like to take include Australia and
Africa.
When she’s not hiking or traveling, she brings the birds
to her home with a variety of feeders. She uses suet logs,
thistle seed feeders and even puts out a peanut butter
cake. She has some feeders affixed to her kitchen windows to get an up-close view. Small finches push each
8
southside boomers I summer 2016
other out of the way at a seed feeder, while
hummingbirds hover at their nearby watering hole.
“We get all the woodpeckers except the
red-headed. We get cardinals, titmice,
bluebirds …” she said. “Mallards come
and land, both on the pond and the
pool.”
She’s even had herons come to hunt
the fish in her koi pond. A large plastic
alligator in the pond deters them, she
said.
Despite seeing and photographing thousands of birds, many of them stunning,
professional quality close-ups, Jablonski
considers herself an amateur. A true birder is someone who might drop everything
to travel four states away to glimpse a rare
bird.
“It’s really fascinating, the people who
study and are serious birders. I’m just a
hobbyist,” she said.
She remembers hearing about a ruff
HOBBIES
in Hendricks County that drew people
from out of state to look for it.
Fortunately, she said, birders are very
respectful even when “chasing” a bird.
When approaching the site, they are
quiet, with no car door slamming or
loud talking. Photos can only be taken
from a distance with a tripod. They
want to see the bird, but do not want
to interfere with its normal activity or
scare it.
“The really good birders have been
doing it since they were kids. I was not. So
I’m not good; I’m just mediocre,” she said.
“I don’t chase birds.”
The real birders, she said, are people
like Noah Strycker, who holds the
record of seeing the most birds in one
year – 6,042. He traveled around the
world in hopes of seeing 5,000 species
and surpassed that. This type of birding
excursion is portrayed in the 2011
SEE BIRDS, PAGE 22 Jablonski at home with some of her bird books. PHOTO BY AMY MAY
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southside boomers I summer 2016
COMMENTARY
9
Lori Borgman
Mom’s lesson: Give generously
M
y mother was a giver. The woman loved to
give. The occasion never mattered — weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, Ground
Hog Day, Arbor Day or no occasion at all.
She was always thinking about who might enjoy what.
She once bought a deluxe toy firetruck that had flashing
lights, sirens and a ladder, and kept it on a closet shelf for
months until a nephew retired from the fire department.
She always wrapped her gifts with loveliness and care.
Sometimes she’d take wedding gifts to the gift wrap counter
at the department store thinking they could do a better job.
She didn’t really believe they could do a better job, she was
just checking to make sure her own skills still rivaled theirs.
Thoughtfulness and creativity went into the gifts she
gave and she appreciated a thank you note. Once she sent
out a note to family members, her own deadbeat children
and grandchildren who had not acknowledged gifts, stating that they were now on her “Fecal Roster” and would
not be removed until she had received a proper thank you.
Even if you were a cad and didn’t send a thank you,
she’d give you another gift the next chance she had. She
figured bad manners were your problem, not hers.
The funny thing is, she didn’t come from a gift-giving
background. She grew up in a large farm family during
the Depression. She said she used to dread going back to
school after Christmas because the teacher would always
have them write about what they got for Christmas. Not
being the sort to wallow in self-pity, my mother made up
some fine stories brimming with an opulence unknown
to the county.
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She taught us to give, too. She told us not to be cheap
or cut corners — and those weren’t suggestions; they were
orders.
Every time Mom and Dad drove over to visit, there would
be a ritual with all of us gathering in the driveway as they
unloaded luggage and “a few things” she threw in for the
family. There was always something for the kids, often a big
container of homemade chocolate chip cookies or a couple
of bags of candy that I said would rot their teeth and, quite
frankly, was too cheap to buy. They weren’t gifts for any particular occasion, they were simply “Isn’t life great?” gifts.
My mother wasn’t a schmaltzy person, but one spring
when they came to visit, she handed me a gift bag billowing with tissue paper. Inside was an etching on glass
SEE BORGMAN, PAGE 22
10
southside boomers I summer 2016
FOOD
Bitters
&
Berries
By Melissa D’arabian
The Associated Press
A
Serving fruit for dessert can be
both virtuous and decadent
ccording to my grandmother, fruit is
God’s candy, making it the perfect ending to a meal. I agree with Grandma —
fruit is a lovely, healthy way to end a
meal. But I’ll also confess that the dessert lover in me sometimes craves something a smidge
fancier. And by fancier, I mean with chocolate.
Berries are the perfect dessert fruit because their
flavor is concentrated and bold, and they are both
sweet and just a tiny bit tangy. Berries are gorgeous
and elegant, which is important when it comes to
pulling off fruit as a true dessert and not some sort of
healthy consolation prize (try serving sliced apples at
your next dinner party and you’ll see what I mean).
Plus, berries are rich in antioxidants, high in fiber
and low in calories. Raspberries, for instance, have
just about 60 calories per cup. And despite their
sweet taste, they pack only about 5 grams of sugar,
but a whopping 8 grams of fiber. All of which means
this dessert isn’t just tasty, it’s filling, too.
Perhaps the best benefit to making berries the star
of dessert is that there’s a little wiggle room to add a
few bells and whistles.
One of my favorite fruit dessert strategies is to whip
up a simple syrup (just water and sugar heated until
they come together in a thin syrup) with cool flavors.
Think about adding interesting spices, such as cardamom with vanilla bean and black pepper, or herbs,
southside boomers I summer 2016
FOOD
such as mint or basil and lemon zest.
Then just drizzle your way to dessert
magic.
Add a tablespoon of liqueur or wine
to the syrup — think orange liqueur or
Marsala — and the flavors really pop. A
few drops of almond extract or even
cocktail bitters also are great.
Only a tiny bit of a flavorful syrup is
needed, but be aware that you are adding a bit of (worthwhile) sugar.
Just before serving, use a vegetable
peeler to shave off a few shards of deep,
almost bitter chocolate, and you’ve just
turned simple fruit into a weekend-worthy dessert.
Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an
expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is
the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket
Healthy.” http://www.melissadarabian.net
BITTERS AND BERRIES
Start to finish: 20 minutes, plus steeping
Servings: 6
1/3 cup raw coconut sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons angostura bitters
1/2 vanilla pod, sliced open lengthwise, seeds scraped out
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
4 cups mixed fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
and/or blackberries)
Very dark chocolate bar, to shave
In a small saucepan over medium, heat the sugar and water, stirring
occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bitters, vanilla pod and seeds, orange zest and juice, then cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to
steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Discard the vanilla pod. Refrigerate if not using right away.
Divide the berries among 6 dessert cups. Spoon about 2 tablespoons
of the syrup over each berry bowl. Top with shavings of dark chocolate.
11
How to make
the perfect
burger
By ELIZABETH KARMEL
The Associated Press
I
thought I knew how to make the perfect
burger. Now I know better.
I still stand by most of my principles —
making your own blend of ground meat, a
combination of ground sirloin and ground chuck;
working and mixing the meat as little as possible
— but I recently discovered a far better way to
cook the burgers. I discovered it while attempting
to grill tiny samples of a variety of ground beefs (I
was searching for just the right blend and didn’t
want to make lots of full-size patties).
As I pondered how I was going to grill tiny patties
SEE BURGER, PAGE 22
12
southside boomers I summer 2016
fitness
Go
Take
a
Hike
State offers many nature trails
S
ometimes you just need
to go for a walk in the
woods.
A few hours on a
nature trail can do wonders for
your mental and physical health.
You don’t need any special gear
to enjoy time outdoors hiking.
Just grab a pair of binoculars,
throw a couple of bottles of
water in a backpack and lace up
your favorite boots or gym shoes.
Leave your phone at home.
You’ll survive without it for a few
hours.
There is somewhere to get outdoors
to hike or walk on a nature trail in every
Indiana county. State parks, the Hoosier
National Forest, fish and wildlife areas,
nature preserves, wildlife refuges and
many other properties offer such trails.
Here are five places worth checking out
this year.
Spring Mill State Park
Spring Mill State Park is located three
miles east of Mitchell, but worth the
drive from anywhere in Indiana.
The focal point of the unique
park is the pioneer village that
was founded in the early 1800s.
The availability of year-round
water running from springs
drew settlers to the area. The
park has numerous hiking
trails and plenty of paved
paths for walking.
There is a beautiful lodge for
anyone looking to stay on property who may not want to camp. Spring
Mill takes you back to when times were
simpler. It’s a premier destination for
BY BRANDON BUTLER
breathing in nature and recharging your
soul.
Knobstone Trail
While there are many great hiking trails
in the Indiana, none are longer or more
challenging than the Knobstone Trail.
The Knobstone is a 58-mile journey
through the hills of southern Indiana.
Elevation change is
challenging, the scenery is incredible and
the solitude is deafening.
Passing through
lands of the Clark State
Forest, Hoosier
National Forest, Elk Creek Public Fishing
Area, and Jackson- Washington State
Forest, the Knobstone Trail belongs to all
Hoosiers. This trail can be hiked in short
sections or tackled as one long through
hike. Either way, it is a must hike for any
serious Indiana outdoor enthusiast.
Hoosier National Forest
The Hoosier National Forest encompasses more than 200,000 acres. The
topography of the Hoosier varies greatly.
From deep ravines, to rolling hills, to river
bottoms, you will be able to find a terrain
that fits your desired style of hiking.
Primitive camping is allowed throughout the forest and along most roads, so
you can extend your hike into a multi-day
backpacking experience. There are many
trails in the forest, but one is free to roam
at will. Sometimes no path at all is the best
trail to take.
Morgan-Monroe State Forest
The Morgan-Monroe State Forest consists of 24,000 acres of public land.
The forest is easy to find off Highway 37,
between Martinsville and Bloomington.
This is densely wooded, rough country
with steep ridges and deep valleys and
trails running throughout.
Make sure to be in good shape before
trying to tackle the hills of this forest.
Primitive camping is available at two campgrounds, Mason Ridge and Oak Ridge.
Campsites are equipped with a picnic
table and grill, and each campground provides vault toilets and seasonal drinking
water.
Fishing during your hike is another way
to slow down and enjoy the solitude of the
forest. The Morgan-Monroe State Forest is
home to three lakes: Bryant Creek Lake (9
acres), Cherry Lake (4 acres) and Prather
Lake (4 acres).
Turkey Run State Park
Lichen-covered sandstone canyons, long
stretches of Sugar Creek scenic overlooks,
old-growth hardwood forests, a multitude
of covered bridges and a trail system to
rival any state park in the Midwest, Turkey
Run State Park is undoubtedly one of
Indiana’s must-hike destinations.
Trail highlights include passage through
Falls Canyon, ladders to take you up steep
ravines, points overlooking the creek, large
rock outcroppings, a suspension bridge
and plentiful wildlife.
Turkey Run is a popular camping destination. If you want to camp there on a
weekend, make your reservations now.
See you down the trail. B
Brandon Butler’s columns appear on Saturdays
in the Daily Journal. Send comments to letters@
dailyjournal.net.
southside boomers I summer 2016
MONEY
13
Five reasons you shouldn’t risk your retirement
to put your kids through college
By CHRIS HOGAN
GOBankingRates.com
W
hen you hold your child in your arms for the
first time, everything changes — especially
your priorities. Late-night feedings replace
late-night movies, and providing for your family outweighs that new sports car.
As a parent, you’re used to making sacrifices for your
child, so it seems natural to put aside your retirement
needs and focus on their college fund. In one survey
from T. Rowe Price, 52 percent of parents said saving for
their kids’ college trumped saving for retirement.
But that’s a really, really bad idea. Here’s why.
Retirement is guaranteed. College isn’t.
You have an almost 100 percent chance of retiring
someday, but the same can’t be said about your kid going
to college. The latest findings from the National Center
for Education Statistics show that only 65.9 percent of
students enrolled in college in the fall following their
high school graduation. And not all of those kids will get
their degrees.
I’m not trying to discourage you, but I want you to
understand fully that you will retire someday — and you
need to be prepared. In fact, you’ll probably retire earlier
than you expected. According to the Employee Benefit
Research Institute, in recent years, about half of retirees
left work earlier than they’d planned. That fact is reason
enough to put your retirement investing into high gear.
Two words: scholarships and grants
Your kids can apply for scholarships and grants to pay
for college. You can’t apply for those to fund your retirement.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Education gives out
approximately $46 billion in grants and scholarships,
according to Debt.org. On top of that, individuals, companies, foundations and other groups award roughly $3.3
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Before
billion. If your kids do the work of searching and applying for scholarships, they’re likely to find the tuition
money — or at least part of it.
Time is investing’s best friend
If you wait to focus on your retirement account until
you’ve fully funded your kids’ college savings, you’ll miss
out on the power of compound interest — which means
you’ll lose out on thousands of dollars.
Let’s say you have two children by the time you turn 30.
You decide to focus the bulk of your savings on the kids’
college fund, so you put away money for them instead of
your retirement. Then in your 40s, you begin to focus on
retirement. You put away $375 a month from age 40 to age
65 and accumulate almost $500,000. Sounds good, right?
That is, until you calculate how much you would have had
if you had started saving that much in your 30s instead.
SEE COLLEGE, PAGE 21
14
southside boomers I summer 2016
TRAVEL
Alcatraz: Get the rap on the rock
By ANGELA HILL
East Bay Times
F
or much of its cold, damp, bitter
prison life, Alcatraz was a place
you’d kill to leave, and many an
inmate tried. They plotted elaborate escapes, took shivs to cell walls,
mapped routes through crawlspaces and
risked bullets and the icy brunt of the San
Francisco Bay rather than bear another
day on The Rock.
These days, it’s a different story. People
can’t wait to get in. Since the onetime
home of Machine Gun Kelly and Al
Capone was turned over to the National
Park Service in 1972, Alcatraz has been on
the hot sheet of tourist attractions, and
it’s only getting hotter. As part of the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area,
Alcatraz sees about 1.3 million visitors —
mostly out-of-town tourists — every year,
making it the No. 1 landmark destination
in the U.S. and No. 8 in the world on
TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travelers’ Choice list.
The island’s main lure is its time served
as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to
1963. But, as the tour boat announcer
likes to say on your way over, “Alcatraz: It’s
so much more than a prison.” Indeed, it
was a harbor defense port and military
prison during the Civil War years. It’s the
site of the first lighthouse on the West
Coast, built in 1854. The American
Indian occupation took over from 1969 to
1971, making a political stand. It’s home
to 30 species of birds. There are gardens
and ghosts (debunked by tour guides) and
grisly stories galore.
There’s really only one ferry service
that’s actually allowed to dock at the
island (the others take you around it).
Tours sell out fast, especially in the summer, so book ahead. We mean it.
You’ll be fine, if you just do the time
(planning your visit, that is).
Visitors take photos while on the boat heading to the Alcatraz Night Tour on Alcatraz Island. The tour takes a few hundred visitors on activities not offered during the day. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP PHOTO
Rock and roll
For straight-up Alcatraz tours, Alcatraz
Cruises (www.alcatrazcruises.com) is the
place to go. It’s the only ferry service
allowed to dock at the island. Buy tickets
online or at their ticket booth at Pier 33
on the Embarcadero.
Ready to go?
Alcatraz is on a rock, on a hard place to
reach in the middle of the fog/wind-prone
bay, so dress in layers and wear sturdy
walking shoes — to get from the dock to
the cell blocks, you’ll be trudging up a
steep path, the vertical equivalent of
climbing 13 stories. A tram is available for
visitors with limited mobility.
Get to Pier 33 a half hour before your
boat departs. Even the ferry trip through
the brisk, salty spray is a treat. Most people rush onto the boat and climb to the
top deck for the views. But if you want to
disembark faster, stay on the lower deck.
You can still see plenty from the big windows, and there’s a snack bar there if you
want to nibble on the 15-minute trip.
You’ll be on Alcatraz at least a couple of
hours, there are no food sales on the
island (only water), and munching on
snacks you’ve brought is only permitted
near the dock area.
Tours are offered during the day, of
course, but there are two departures for
“after hours” evening tours at 5:55 and
6:30 p.m.
Day and night tours are the same, sort of
— but you really can’t go wrong. Your selection depends on your schedule and your
mood. Whichever tour you choose, make
sure you take the 45-minute self-guided
audio tour of the cell blocks, the dining
hall, the prison library and more, with
great information on history and lore, the
famous inmates and escape attempts.
The tours are available in 11 different
languages, and some of the narration —
recorded in 1985 — is from former
inmates and guards.
Audio tours make for an eerie scene as
silent visitors — ears covered with headphones — wander around like zombies.
Short guided tours and mini-lectures are
also available, provided by National Park
rangers in the daytime and by docents
from the Golden Gate National Parks
Conservancy at night. Be sure to take
advantage of the knowledgeable guides.
Like anything, there are pros and cons
to the day/night decision. During the day,
you can explore more of the island,
because more areas are open in daylight.
Con: It’s a lot more crowded. Up to 1,500
people may be wandering around at any
given time during the midday peak.
At night, the landmark is less crowded,
with only about 600 visitors at a time. And
“it’s different when it’s dark,” says history
interpreter Jim Nelson, who’s been working on Alcatraz for 18 years. “The atmo-
southside boomers I summer 2016
TRAVEL
sphere, especially when the fog comes in, it
feels like a film noir out here.”
Indeed, moonlight filters through the
barred windows, peeling paint makes
weird shadows, fog horns moan in sorrow.
Plus the hospital wing is often open (it’s
not usually open during the day), and you
can see the old X-ray and surgical rooms,
eerily lit with floor lanterns. Kids like to
make spooky “oooeeeaaooo” sounds. And
every night at 8:45 p.m., they do a mock
lockdown, slamming the cell doors — the
clang heard ’round the block.
Con: Some areas of the island, where
the terrain is rougher, are closed off at
night for safety reasons.
The last boat departs to the sparkle of
San Francisco at 9:25 p.m.
Alcatraz basics
Plan ahead! Tours sell out weeks in
advance, especially during the summer
months.
l Buying tickets: Alcatraz Cruises at
Pier 33 on the Embarcadero is the official
concessionaire for Alcatraz tours, and it’s
the only ferry service allowed to dock at
Alcatraz Island. (Note: Other cruise offers
you’ll find online either buy tickets from
Alcatraz Cruises and resell them, usually
at a higher price, or only take you on a
ferry ride around the island.)
Purchase tickets at www.alcatrazcruises.
com or at the ticket booth on Pier 33.
Photo ID is required when picking up
tickets. Basic prices range from $33-$40
for adults, with discounts for children and
seniors.
(For procrastinators, some standby tickets
come available at the ticket booth, but it’s a
roll of the dice, and people start lining up
around 5 a.m. for the booth to open at
7:30 a.m., particularly in the summer.)
l Parking: Street parking along the
Embarcadero is metered and abysmal, but
there are several commercial parking lots
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near Pier 33. Be advised, traffic along
Embarcadero is thick, especially in the
summer. And a lot of construction is
going on throughout San Francisco right
now, slowing various routes.
l Public transportation: Take BART to
the Embarcadero station, then board the
F-Line trolley toward the Ferry Building,
get off at the Bay Street stop, and walk back
a short distance to Pier 33. Or take the No.
10 Townsend bus, which stops at Pier 33.
l What (and what not) to wear: Even
on a sunny day, it gets cold and windy out
on The Rock. Dress in layers, and bring a
jacket. Wear comfy walking shoes. No sandals, flip-flops or high heels. You’ll be
trudging a steep quarter-mile path, climbing the vertical equivalent of a 13-story
building. There is an electric tram available for visitors with mobility issues.
Untilmate photo opps
A visit to Alcatraz is not complete with-
15
out getting your pic behind bars. And
guess what? There’s even a special
Instagram and Twitter hashtag just for the
occasion! It’s #cellfie.
So grimace and say, “Welcome to The
Rock!” at any of these spots:
1. Step inside the cells in D Block,
where they let you step behind the bars,
grab hold and glare.
2. Outside by the guardhouse, pose with
the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
3. Stand near the ruins of the burnedout warden’s residence, and claim you
torched it yourself.
4. If you take the night tour, there may
be no better view of San Francisco — the
glittering lights of Ghirardelli Square, the
Palace of Fine Arts — than the one from
the entry to the Administration Offices
building. It’s a sight of civilization that
would have tortured the Rock-bound
inmates. B
16
southside boomers I summer 2016
COVER STORY
STORY BY GREG SEITER
PHOTOS BY MARK FREELAND
his
MAKING
POINT
County resident
hopes to perpetuate
sport of bow hunting
B
ow and arrow usage dates to the
Stone Age and can be traced to many
regions around the world. Developed
first as an efficient option for closerange hunting, the bow and arrow is
still widely utilized for that purpose today.
However, as is the case with virtually any type of
hunting, regulatory control is seen as imperative
to not only promote the activity but to protect
both the hunted and hunters.
“The purpose of the Indiana Bowhunter
Association is to foster, expand and perpetuate the
sport of bow hunting,” said Center Grove-area
resident Herb Higgins, the organization’s treasurer. “We really try to encourage people to engage,
in some way, with the sport of archery.
“It’s not age or gender specific. Little bitty kids can
be standing next to their dad in the backyard while
shooting a bow. It’s a very family friendly sport.”
Higgins grew up in what he describes as a “very
rural” setting in Morgan County.
“My father was really into the outdoors through
hunting, fishing and trapping, and he often brought
me along,” Higgins said. “I didn’t even have a job in
high school. I made money through trapping.
“Deer count in that section of Morgan County
was very low, so I did a lot of firearm hunting for
enjoyed it tremendously. Archery is a big part of
my life.”
Joined state organization
deer but I started in with archery around 14 or 15
years old. Dad noticed my interest so for my 16th
birthday, he got me a compound bow.”
Even then, Higgins was a patient hunter.
“It took me almost a dozen years to kill my first
deer,” he said with a laugh. “But over time, I have
Hoping to connect with other bow hunting
enthusiasts, Higgins reached out to the Indiana
Bowhunter Association in the mid-1990s.
“Eight years ago, I ran for treasurer, and I’ve
held that position ever since,” he said. “I guess in
some form or fashion, I’ve done just about everything on that board.”
According to Higgins, the IBA strives to be a
statewide voice for bow hunters, but struggles in
its ability to attract members. The organization
has approximately 250 members.
“A challenge for us is that there are more than
80,000 licenses sold annually and we represent
less than 1 percent,” he said.
“Part of the problem is that hunters, themselves,
tend to not be very vocal. We go out and do our
thing but we don’t get in the face of other people.
“As an organization, we still try to do outreach
southside boomers I summer 2016
COVER STORY
17
“My father was really into the outdoors through hunting, fishing and trapping, and he often
brought me along. I didn’t even have a job in high school. I made money through trapping.”
Herb Higgins
but I hear people say all the time: ‘I didn’t
know the organization even existed.’”
Higgins believes the IBA’s membership
woes are reflective of an ever-present trend.
“Newer generations don’t seem to be as
inclined to join,” he said. “They can get
instant gratification through media outlets,
so they wonder why they should spend the
money to be part of an organization.
“I get asked a lot ‘what’s in it for me?’
and my answer is always about protecting
bow hunting in Indiana. But they seem to
believe the sport is already protected.”
Effect of technology
From an educational perspective, technology has also created challenges for the
Indiana Bowhunter Association, specifically with regard to close-range hunting.
“Too many people don’t know how to
hunt when they get close to animals. So
they get these bows that are really cranked
up for speed and distance,” Higgins said.
“Part of the problem is they see these TV
guys making it an 80- to 100-yard shot. But
archery should really be in the 20- to
30-yard range.
“Some would challenge that comment,
so I would just challenge them to learn to
hunt better.”
Higgins is insistent that television coverage
has helped create unrealistic expectations in
the minds of potential bow hunters.
“In sporting shows, they see guys go out
and kill several animals in one show. But
in reality, it has probably taken days or
even weeks to put that segment together,”
he said. “It’s just not portrayed properly.
“So millennials have grown up in a techy
world which emphasizes immediate gratification. They don’t want to go out and wait
day after day.”
Above: Herb Higgins sets up a 3-D deer target that he uses for practice. Opposite page: Higgins opens an archery book at his
Conversely, Higgins acknowledges that
home in the Center Grove area.
18
southside boomers I summer 2016
COVER STORY
technological advancements have proven to be very beneficial in helping expose people of all ages to the sport of
archery. In fact, variations of bows are now lighter than
they ever have been before.
“I can hand a Genesis bow to a first-grader and the
same bow can be used by a fifth- or sixth-grader,” he
said. “So now, we’re able to get kids involved, and the
recognition of that has really helped promote the sport.”
The availability of low-cost arrows is also a positive promotional development.
With every positive, there’s usually at least one negative.
“A lighter arrow means more speed and more arrow
speed means I can shoot from a longer distance,”
Higgins said. “That starts to cross the boundaries.
“When taking an animal, you want to be humane and
do it in the right way.
“I prefer to use a heavier arrow and bow because I want
to be precise and be close to the animal.”
Members of the IBA also concern themselves with legislation and political positioning relative to the sport.
“One of our biggest concerns has to do with the functionality of the DNR (Department of Natural
Resources),” Higgins said. “It’s a great organization with
educated people. However, there is a lot of politics that
suppresses all that and you end up with legislators who
are lawyers and they seem to think they know more than
the DNR. So, the DNR has its hands tied.
“The director is appointed, so the politics really gag
these folks and prevents them from doing what they’re
trying to do.”
“When taking an animal, you want to be humane and do it in the right way. I prefer to use a
heavier arrow and bow because I want to be precise and be close to the animal.”
Herb Higgins
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southside boomers I summer 2016
COVER STORY
19
“Archery is a recreation, but you can
get a good workout in, too. You
challenge yourself with hand-eye
coordination and you can make it as
simple as trying to shoot better against
yourself than you previously did.”
Decompression time
In addition to deer, Higgins enjoys bow hunting for turkey and a variety of small game and he
admits that, most of the time, he hunts alone.
“It gives me time to decompress and put life in
order inside my head,” he said.
Herb Higgins
“I would like to say I’m religious and being out
L I F E G E T T I N G C O M P L I C AT E D ?
in the outdoors setting really helps me see the
wonders that the good Lord has given us all.”
But Higgins is also quick to emphasize that the
sport doesn’t have to involve hunting.
“Archery is a recreation, but you can get a good
workout in, too,” he said. “You challenge yourself with hand-eye coordination and you can
make it as simple as trying to shoot better against
yourself than you previously did.
At left: Higgins show the skull of a Texas javeli“When it rains, I can shoot in my basement. I
na, a wild boar, that he harvested. Opposite
can go out and shoot in my yard and I can even
page: Positioned on a bear skin are a St. Joe
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20
southside boomers I summer 2016
MONEY
Four times it’s OK to dip into your retirement fund early
By MORGAN QUINN
GOBankingRates.com
T
aking an early withdrawal from
your 401(k) is not only costly in
the short term, it can also jeopardize your long-term retirement
goals. If you withdraw retirement accounts
before the penalty-free 401(k) withdrawal
age of 59.5, you’ll be forfeiting the benefits of tax-deferred earnings and compounding interest, which diminishes the
savings power of 401(k) accounts. These
plans are specifically designed for longterm investing, making the years work in
the contributor’s favor.
Because of the severe financial penalties,
withdrawing money early from retirement
accounts should only be done in an
extreme emergency, ideally after any emergency funds and investments have been
depleted. If you are in a financial pinch
and considering taking money out of your
401(k) or any other retirement savings
account, here are four times it’s OK to dip
into your retirement fund early.
Certain qualifying situations allow for a
penalty-free hardship withdrawal, but
employers are not required to provide
these kinds of 401(k) withdrawal rules.
Some people have to take the hit of the
penalty for withdrawing early from retirement savings just to stay financially afloat.
Emily LaRusch, founder of Back Office
Betties, which offers full-time virtual receptionists, has experienced this firsthand. “In
2010, I was days away from having my second baby when I was laid off,” LaRusch
said. “I made the decision to close my
401(k) and accept the penalties in order to
support my family while I stayed at home
for the first year with my son.”
In extreme situations like LaRusch’s,
after carefully thinking it through and running the numbers with a 401(k) withdrawal
calculator, you might find it’s still in your
best interest to make a 401(k) withdrawal
Divorce is one of the life events that may cause
you to withdraw money from your 401(k).
or other type of early distribution — even if
there are penalties. If you find yourself in
one of the following scenarios, withdrawing
money early from your retirement savings
might be financially prudent.
You become totally
and permanently disabled
You can take penalty-free distributions
from qualified plans due to a total or permanent disability. Minor or partial disabilities don’t qualify.
According to the IRS, you are considered disabled if:
l You can provide proof that you cannot
do any substantial gainful activity because
of your physical or mental condition.
l A physician determines that your condition can be expected to result in death
or to be of long, continued and indefinite
duration.
Some experts recommend first applying
for state disability insurance to make it
easier to prove your status to the retirement plan administrator. To take a 401(k)
hardship withdrawal, you must fill out
IRS Form 5329 to get out of paying the
penalty and ensure you are adhering to
IRS 401(k) loan rules.
You’re drowning in medical debt
You can withdraw from your retirement
accounts to cover unreimbursed, out-ofpocket medical expenses that exceed 10
percent of your adjusted gross income.
These expenses must be paid in the same
year you take the distribution and the distribution is not subject to penalty of tax if
withdrawn from an IRA.
The difference between these expenses
and 10 percent of your AGI is eligible for
this exception. For example, if your AGI is
$60,000 and your unreimbursed medical
expenses are $9,000, the maximum
amount that you can distribute without
penalty is calculated as 9,000 – (60,000 x
0.10) = $3,000.
You’re getting divorced
If you get divorced, you might be
required by court to divide the funds with
your former spouse or a dependent. These
distributions are usually ordered under a
property settlement under a qualifying
domestic relations order and are exempt
from an IRA or 401(k) withdrawal penalty.
You’re starting a business
Many personal finance experts will prob-
ably advise otherwise, but you might be
able to use your 401(k) and IRA funds to
finance a small business or startup. This
process isn’t simple, and there are significant legal steps you will need to take,
including rolling the money over into a corporate retirement account that allows you
to invest in the business. It’s best to consult
a financial planner or third-party retirement-plan administrator for help with this.
For some entrepreneurs, this move has
been well worth the effort and extra risk.
Jason Fisher is the owner and founder of
Waterway Financial Group, which provides
holistic financial planning. Fisher drained
his 401(k) to start his small business.
“I tapped out my entire 401(k) to begin
a small business,” Fisher said. “While it
wasn’t a ton of money, it was crucial for
my business to have as much capital up
front as possible, and the hit I took in
penalties and taxes was well worth it. The
way I look at it, I was able to compound
my money in a business much faster than
anticipated in the market, and I was correct. Obviously, the risk was greater, too.”
The bottom line
Withdrawing money early from your
retirement accounts — that is, borrowing
against your 401(k) or IRA — carries heavy
financial consequences, but sometimes the
benefit outweighs the cost of taking out a
401(k) loan. Take this opportunity to assess
your financial situation and ask yourself if
the problems you’re having are only temporary — or if they’re the sign of a much larger
issue. Make a new financial plan that will
protect you from facing this kind of difficult and costly decision again in the future.
Knowing when your situation is not a good
excuse for borrowing from your 401(k) or
IRA is important, too. Don’t use your retirement fund to pay off credit card debt, or pay
for expenses like a wedding or a car — retirement funds are not savings for a rainy day. B
southside boomers I summer 2016
READING
21
Hot new books will transport readers
By JANE HENDERSON
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
T
raveling with a new book is wonderful. But traveling through a
book provides passage over time
and space (and it’s easier on the budget
and gas tank).
This summer’s titles will take readers to
18th century Canada, 19th century Africa or
100 years in the future, when survivors of an
apocalypse try to build a new civilization.
In Annie Proulx’s first novel in 14 years,
two Frenchmen come to North America
and find an imposing forest in
“Barkskins.” “It is the forest of the world,”
they are told. “It is infinite. It twists
around as a snake swallows its own tail
and has no end and no beginning. No
one has ever seen its farthest dimension.”
Proulx’s epic, spanning 300 years and
many generations, is one of several potential best-sellers. Joining her are popular
authors such as Stephen King and Justin
Cronin, who wrap up fat trilogies with
“End of Watch” and “The City of
Mirrors,” respectively.
Here is a wide-ranging list of books coming out this summer. Some information is
from publishers or Publishers Weekly
magazine; release dates are subject to
change.
FICTION
“Barkskins” by Annie Proulx (Scribner;
June 14) — A 717-page epic, Proulx’s
novel is already being teased by Publishers
Weekly as perhaps “her finest work.”
“Charcoal Joe” by Walter Mosley
(Doubleday; June 14) — Easy Rawlins is
back, this time investigating the case of a
brilliant black physicist accused of murdering a white man in 1960s LA.
“End of Watch” by Stephen King
(Scribner; June 7) — The third in a trilogy
that started with “Mr. Mercedes,” King’s
novel brings the evil, formerly comatose
Brady back to pursue revenge against Bill
Hodges and Holly Gibney.
“First Comes Love” by Emily Giffin
(Ballantine; June 28) — Two sisters who
suffered a tragedy when young struggle
with happiness in adulthood. By the
author of “Something Borrowed.”
“The Girls” by Emma Cline (Random
House; June 14) — Debut novel about a
14-year-old California girl who becomes
involved in a Manson-like cult during the
free-love ’60s.
“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi (Knopf;
June 7) — A story of slavery and racism
begins in Ghana with two half-sisters,
one wealthy, one enslaved and sent to
America. Their descendants face war,
College
FROM PAGE 13
At age 65, your retirement fund would have topped
$1.3 million. That 10-year delay in investing penalized
you $500,000.
Your retirement years could be expensive
I’m not talking about all those cruises to the
Bahamas. Hopefully, by the time you retire, you’ll be
debt-free — including your mortgage. However, you will
still face significant costs, especially when it comes to
health care.
A recent estimate from Fidelity suggests a retired couple
can expect to spend $245,000 on health care over 20
and change, in both countries.
“Love, Sex and Other Foreign Policy
Goals” by Jesse Armstrong (Blue Rider;
June 7) — TV writer Armstrong (“Veep”)
sends a collection of do-gooders into
war-torn Yugoslavia. Comic satire of idealists trying to promote peace by performing plays from their van.
“Marked for Life” by Emelie Schepp
(Mira; June 14) — Swedish head of asylum cases is found shot in the U.S. debut
by a Swedish suspense novelist.
“The Mirror Thief” by Martin Seay
(Melville House; May) — Three stories
set in various Venices (16th century
Italian city, 1950s California and modernday Vegas casino) are intertwined in a
tale of money and magic.
NONFICTION
“Breaking Rockefeller” by Peter B.
Doran (Viking; May 24) — Turn-of-thecentury tale of how two men stood up to
Standard Oil, forming Royal Dutch Shell
and breaking a monopoly.
“But What If We’re Wrong?” by Chuck
Klosterman (Penguin/Blue Rider; June 7)
— With attitudes changing, and discoveries made, Klosterman discusses how
21st century certitudes could be proven
false — even gravity or time.
“Everybody Behaves Badly: The True
years (from age 65–85). That’s because as you age, you’re
more likely to have health problems.
Keep in mind, though, that this amount doesn’t
include dental care, over-the-counter medications and
long-term care. HealthView Services estimates that
when you consider additional health-related expenses —
including vision, hearing, dental and co-pays — the total
amount a couple can expect to pay could reach
$395,000. That breaks down to more than $1,600 a
month.
You don’t want to be a burden to your kids later on
I’ve actually had clients tell me their retirement plan
was to mooch off their kids. “I took care of them for
20-plus years, so it’s their turn to take care of me!” Really?
Story Behind Hemingway’s Masterpiece
‘The Sun Also Rises’” by Lesley M.M.
Blume (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; June
7) — After Hemingway and friends went
to see the running of the bulls in Spain in
1925, the author would write his first
novel, lose his first wife and get unexpected editing from F. Scott Fitzgerald.
“Grunt: The Curious Science of
Humans at War” by Mary Roach (Norton;
June 7) — The popular writer who can
make almost anything interesting (guts,
cadavers, etc.) now opens readers’ eyes
to the ways scientists try to make war
survivable, including oddities such as the
study of body odor and why shrimp are
more dangerous to sailors than sharks
are.
“Voyager: Travel Writings” by Russell
Banks (Ecco; May 31) — Novelist compiles nonfiction that includes traveling to
Cuba to interview Castro and to
Edinburgh to marry for a fourth time.
“William Tecumseh Sherman: In the
Service of My Country” by James Lee
McDonough (Norton; July 14) —
Sherman (buried in Calvary Cemetery)
was known for his Civil War victories, but
his personal life was plagued by debt,
worries and distance from family. B
Is that how you want your children and grandchildren to
remember that chapter in your life? And what if, God forbid, they couldn’t help you?
That’s not how I want to live out my retirement years. I
want to leave my family with memories of vacations to
Disney, trips to visit their Pop during the summer and
stories told at twilight as I sit on my front porch in a big
ol’ rocking chair. I don’t want to be worried about finances, and I certainly don’t want my family to worry about
them. B
Chris Hogan is a personal finance expert and author of “Retire
Inspired: It’s Not an Age. It’s a Financial Number.”
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southside boomers I summer 2016
Burger
FROM PAGE 11
GRILLED GRIDDLED CHEESEBURGER
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon Coleman’s Mustard powder (optional)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
6 slices American cheese
6 potato burger buns
Dill pickle chips
Being careful not to overwork the meat, in a large
bowl mix together the chuck and sirloin with the
Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and generous
pinches each of salt and pepper. Gently shape the
meat into 6 burgers, each about 3/4 inch thick. Brush
Borgman
FROM PAGE 9
that read: “A Special Daughter. So many
of the good times we remember from the
past happened because of you. You’ve
brought laughter and joy to our lives and
so much love to our hearts. The most precious things we can wish for you are the
things you have given us … Happiness
and Love.”
each patty on all sides with olive oil. Use your thumbs
to make an indent at the center of each burger.
Heat the grill to medium. Place a flat cast-iron griddle
on the grates at the center of the grill.
When the grill and griddle are hot, place the burgers
on the griddle and cook, covered, until the meat is no
longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway
through grilling time. Top each burger with American
cheese about 2 minutes before you remove them from
the grill. You want the cheese to be soft but not too melted.
Let the burgers rest 2 to 3 minutes and serve on a
potato bun with pickle chips.
Nutritional information per serving: 550 calories; 230 calories from fat (42 percent of total calories); 26 g fat (10 g
saturated; 1 g trans fats); 115 mg cholesterol; 900 mg sodium; 38 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 40 g protein.
She mentioned that she’d given one
to my sister-in-law as well.
Not long after that visit, Mom suffered a brain aneurysm and died.
Mom was a great gift giver, but the
gifts we will always remember her for
were her love for life and her love for
us. B
Lori Borgman is a columnist, author and
speaker. Email her at lori@loriborgman.com.
without them falling through the grates, I considered a
cast-iron grill platter, a thick, flat sheet of cast iron. Bingo!
We could grill the bite-sized burgers on the sizzle platter!
I placed the platter on the grill grate and started grilling
the bites. They were all delicious. But the most exciting
part was the rich, brown crust they all developed. The platter turned the gas grill into a flat grill, while the heat of
the cast-iron surface deeply caramelized everything it
touched. Because the lid was down and there were other
foods on the grill, the burgers still got that smoky outdoor
grilled flavor, but with a griddle-style crust.
It was the perfect cooking mashup of grill and griddle
for my all-American cheeseburger topped with melted
American cheese. Since that evening, it is the only way
that I grill burgers — of any size!
The recipe below is my favorite burger these days. I traded in my aged cheddar cheese for old-fashioned American,
which melts better and adds a layer of soft gooeyness on
top of the crunchy caramelized crust of the burger. To me,
this is the best condiment and I don’t need anything else
except maybe pickles, which I layer on the bottom bun so
that the cheese and the top bun stick together and become
one.
Of course, you can add any of your favorite condiments
and toppings, but try this minimalist burger at least once.
When you use the best quality beef and grill the burgers
using the cast-iron sizzle platter, you hardly need anything
besides the cheese and a soft potato bun to make it summer’s best burger. B
Elizabeth Karmel is a barbecue and Southern foods expert. She
is the chef and pitmaster at online retailer CarolinaCueToGo.
com and author of three books, including “Taming the
Flame.”
Birds
FROM PAGE 8
movie, “The Big Year, starring Steve
Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black.
“It is hilarious and is a stereotype of a
‘big year’ search for as many birds as
possible, which is competitive and
nothing like our love of travel, hiking
and seeing beauty in the world, its critters and birds,” Jablonski said.
Jablonski does not have an accurate
count of how many she’s seen since
she’s been watching them, but it’s likely
in the thousands.
She also does not have a favorite bird.
“It’s too hard to pick a favorite. There
are so many beautiful ones,” she said.
Birding is a good way to get exercise
and stay in tune with nature, she said.
“We do a lot of hiking. It’s so important to stay healthy and enjoy life.” B
southside boomers I summer 2016
Diabetes
The appearance of type 1 diabetes is suspected to follow exposure to an “environmental trigger,” such as an unidentified
virus, stimulating an immune attack
against the beta cells of the pancreas (that
produce insulin) in some genetically predisposed people.
FROM PAGE 3
tes that only pregnant women get and
develops in 2 to 10 percent of all pregnancies but usually disappears when a pregnancy is over.
l Other specific types of diabetes resultPrevention
ing from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and
Researchers are making progress in idenother illnesses may account for 1 to 5 pertifying the exact genetics and “triggers”
cent of all diagnosed
that predispose some
Diagnosed and
cases of diabetes.
individuals to develop
Treatment
undiagnosed diabetes
in the United States
(All ages, 2012)
Total: 29.1 million people
or 9.3 percent of the population have diabetes.
Diagnosed: 21.0 million
people.
Undiagnosed: 8.1 million
people (27.8 percent of
people with diabetes are
undiagnosed).
Healthy eating and
physical activity are recommended as treatments
for both type 1 and type 2
diabetes.
Insulin injections are
also used to treat type 1
diabetes. The amount of
insulin taken must be balanced with food intake
and daily activities. Blood
glucose levels must be
closely monitored through frequent testing.
Blood glucose testing is a therapy for
type 2 diabetes. In addition, many people
with type 2 diabetes require oral medication, insulin, or both.
People with diabetes should see a health
care provider who will monitor their diabetes control and help them learn to manage their diabetes. In addition, people
with diabetes may see endocrinologists,
who may specialize in diabetes care; ophthalmologists for eye examinations; podiatrists for routine foot care; and dietitians
and diabetes educators who teach the
skills needed for daily diabetes management.
Causes
The causes of type 1 diabetes appear to
be much different than those for type 2
diabetes, though the exact mechanisms for
developing both diseases are unknown.
type 1 diabetes, but prevention remains elusive.
A number of studies
have shown that regular
physical activity can significantly reduce the risk
of developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is
associated with obesity.
Cure
There is no known
cure for diabetes.
However, several approaches are under
investigation:
l Pancreas transplantation
l Islet cell transplantation (islet cells produce insulin)
l Artificial pancreas development
l Genetic manipulation (fat or muscle
cells that don’t normally make insulin
have a human insulin gene inserted —
then these “pseudo” islet cells are transplanted into people with type 1 diabetes).
Each of these approaches still has a lot
of challenges, such as preventing immune
rejection; finding an adequate number of
insulin cells; keeping cells alive; and others. But progress is being made in all
areas.
More info
Contact your health care provider or go
to the CDC diabetes website: www.cdc.
gov/diabetes/home B
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