Aging Well in the Gorge February 6th 2018

It’s February, that time when you find out whether you paid Uncle Sam too much or not enough. There are many excellent tax preparers in the Mid-Columbia region, but if your tax situation is relatively simple, there is free help available through AARP Tax Aide. Since Tax Aide is supported by the AARP Foundation but also other federal and private grants that focus on helping low to moderate income persons or families equally, Tax Aide cannot give preference to any particular age group.

Tax Aide started last weekend and will continue through April 14^th. In the area, there are three Tax Aide sites: The Center from 2:00 – 6:00 on Fridays and 9:00 – 1:00 on Saturdays; Tygh Valley Community Center from 9:00 – 1:00 pm on Thursdays, and the Rufus Community Center in Sherman County on Saturdays where you’ll need to call 541-993-1054 to make an appointment.

For your Tax Aide appointment, you’ll need to bring several documents: last year’s tax return; government issued identification for both tax payer and spouse even if both are not present when the taxes are being prepared; and a Social Security identification card (original, photocopy or a photo on your smartphone) for all individuals listed on the tax return.

And finally, don’t forget the obvious: all tax documents or statements that show income received and all tax documents or itemized statement that show expense incurred by you and your family.

One benefit of getting older is that there are some things you just don’t have to do anymore. For example, I’ve met more folks my age who tell me they don’t drive at night anymore. But I’ve realized as I was driving to Portland after dark, you must be out of your mind to want to drive at night - no matter your age! Think about it. The dark stretches of road where you can only see as far as your high beams reach; the barely visible street markings, the blinding headlights of oncoming traffic, and I won’t even mention the fun of driving through the rain in the dark.

How did I ever think that was such a pleasure? And now if I don’t need to drive at night, I can say to myself, “No, I think I’ll pass” and enjoy the evening at home with my wife.

Whether you are a railroad buff or not, you should check out the second of the annual February Regional History Forums at the Original Wasco County Museum on February 10^th starting at 1:30 p.m. Retired math teacher Loren Delaney, who was born in The Dalles and raised in Wishram, will present “Fourteen Miles on the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railroad” - a tour of north shore railroad history between mile posts 94 and 108.

A couple quick reminders since I hear all too often, “I was planning on coming to (fill in the blank), but I forgot!”

The International Chicken Dinner is this Friday, February 9th from 5:00 – 7:00 sponsored by The Springs at Mill Creek and prepared by Rick Leibowitz with assistance from the Baldwin Saloon and desserts from Petite Provence. The cost is $20 per person and only 200 tickets are being sold.

And Kerry Cobb, Executive Director of the Columbia Center for the Arts, will be speaking about “The Art & History of Photography” at the Center on Wednesday, February 7th at 10:30. Learn about the origins of the photographic arts and experience the work of noted photographers.

The American who won a 1932 Olympic swimming gold medal and starred in the science fiction film serial Flash Gordon was Buster Crabbe. (I received correct answers from Sandy Haechrel, who also remembers Buster Crabbe as Tarzan, Joanne Scott and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket, Kay Tenold.)

For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the type of British-French turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet airliner that had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound and was first flown in 1969? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with a 1997 New York to London round trip ticket on this type of airliner which cost at the time only $7,995.

Well, it’s been another week, enjoying this unusually mild winter weather. Until we meet again, remember forgetfulness isn’t a memory problem, it is just a retrieval problem.

“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” Neil DeGrasse Tyson