Is anyone else getting
tired of the grey, cold skies lying over The Dalles like a wet dirty blanket? It
makes you want to visit your snow bird friends in Arizona. But wouldn't that be
cheating - admitting you aren’t tough enough to cope with weeks of inversions
and stagnations. And don’t you have to endure the tough times to enjoy the
good? But on the other hand - one more week, and you just might see me screaming
down Hwy 197 for the Arizona border!
But as we look forward
to the warmer days of spring, there are several opportunities coming our way. The
fact that heart disease can largely be prevented is the theme for this year’s “Go
Red” – which kicks off with a panel of experts discussing “Small Steps for
Big Changes” to prevent heart disease at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 31st at Water’s Edge. There
is limited seating, so call 541-296-8444 to register.
The “Go
Red” events continue on Friday at the Civic Auditorium with the Health Expo and
Noon Heart Walk from 11:00 – 2:00; followed on Saturday by the Heart Truth Walk
Run at the Kiwanis Pocket Park on Klindt Drive starting at 10:00 am.
The Center is already
receiving calls about the AARP Tax Aide Program which provides free tax
assistance to low- and moderate-income taxpayers, with special attention to folks
sixty and older. Locally, it is administered by the Mid-Columbia Community
Action Program - offering tax assistance at the following locations: Canyon Rim Manor in Maupin - 1st & 3rd Mondays from 10 am to 1:00 pm; Tygh Valley Community Center - Thursdays
from 8 am to 12 pm; and the Mid-Columbia
Senior Center - Fridays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00
am to 1:00 pm. You can also make an appointment for tax assistance at the Rufus
Community Center by calling 541-993-1054.
A dedicated cadre of volunteers will
assist you preparing basic federal and Oregon personal tax returns and can
electronically file them for you. They have gone through hours of training but are
not professional tax preparers (although several have accounting backgrounds),
so they cannot prepare more complicated schedules and forms.
Photo ID is required and you must
bring acceptable proof of social security number or ITIN for every person on
your tax return. Bring all income report forms such as W-2’s, interest,
dividend and miscellaneous income statements, social security and pension
statements, and other tax-related information such as documentation for
itemized deductions. And if you can, bring your previous year’s tax return.
I have received many
positive comments about the “Passport to Happiness” Calendar, but as I had
expected, several mistakes have been pointed out. The local phone number for
the Wasco County Veteran’s Services Office is correct (541-506-2502) but the
toll free 888 number will send you to the Veteran’s Services office in Hood
River. And there are two Father’s Days listed: the third Sunday in June and the
third Sunday in July- which the fathers in the audience might want to use to
their advantage.
I also would like to thank
the Calendar sponsors including: OSU/Wasco County Extension, Hearts of Gold
Caregivers, PacificSource, Flagstone Senior Living, Rebecca Street Physical
Therapy, Casa El Mirador, Columbia State Bank, and the Mid-Columbia Senior
Center. And the monthly sponsors including Columbia Basin Care Facility,
Kramer’s Market in Dufur, Canyon Rim Manor in Maupin, Edward Jones,
Mid-Columbia Community Action, NWC Parks and Recreation, and the Area Agency on
Aging.
And before time runs out
- playing tonight at the Center is Truman and next week Annie Lane will
perform. Music starts at 7:00, everyone is welcome and donations are always
appreciated
Last week’s “Remember
When” question was a challenge with only Joanne Scott emailing the correct
answer - “Twentieth Century”. But I was surprised when everyone else remembered
“You Were There” also hosted by Walter Cronkite, but five years earlier between
1952- 1957. (You can watch twenty
episodes of “You Were There” on the Museum of Broadcast Communications website at
www.museum.tv.)
But
this week you shouldn't have a problem. TV commercials of the 1950's featured mostly
cars, cigarettes, kitchen appliances and beers. In this popular beer commercial,
whenever anyone wanted a beer, they would call out to Mabel holding a tray of
what brand of beer? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with an
autographed picture of Jeanne Goodspeed who played Mabel for fifteen years.
Well, it’s been another
week waiting for the clouds to lift and the sun to shine. Until we meet again,
make the best of the wonders yet to come.
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