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MEDIA KIT
Wasn’t that a party? The world was our playground and we wanted for nothing. We built enormous homes with multiple cars in multiple garages. We ate exotic foods which somehow found a way to our lavish supermarkets, and we took holidays to where those foods were common. We bought frivolously and thought we always could.. We sent our children to universities on the other side of the continent where they married and settled, but family separation didn’t worry because we could be together in a matter of hours by airplane.
All the while, however, we were nagged by nostalgia for the “Good Old Days” when we stopped at Grandma’s on our way home from school for a hot biscuit smeared with home-churned butter that was to die for …, and when we knew how to supply basic needs even when the power went out.
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If the newsmakers are right, climate change, soaring fuel costs, resource depletion, food shortages and 9/11 are fast bringing our party to an end.
Over-populated and super-heated by changing climate, the Okanagan cannot sustain current levels of water consumption. We must give up daily showers and learn to live with dusty cars. A dishpan in the sink can catch grey water for plants and toilet flushing. Drain downspouts into rain barrels. Xeriscape — use desert plants for landscaping and mulch grass clippings to both retain water and enhance the soil.
We’ll need good soil for vegetable gardens to supplement family supplies when the bounty dwindles because we paved the farmland and diverted crops to ethanol production. Compost parings for fertilizer and pray for predictable weather. Say farewell to exotics like pomegranates, papayas, kiwis, mangos and out-of-season produce because transport will be too costly. Go on the “100 Mile Diet” — cook from scratch using local foods. Fill the winter larder with home-canning. Green-leafy vegetables will come from a spinach can for most of the year. Fruit is dried. Restaurants will be for special occasions only.
Say good-bye to distance holidays and visits because flying is already an increasingly pricey ordeal with long security waits, no meals, stingy luggage allowances and no guarantee of getting to your destination in a timely manner. At the anticipated $5.00 per gallon of gasoline, cars won’t go far either. We’ll walk, bike and take public transportation. Snow birds will freeze their wings and permanently park their RVs.
Loved ones must live nearby. Multi-generational house-sharing can work to cut heating costs. Courtesy and respect helps us get along when we can’t get away from each other.
Throw out former throw-away practices. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, and do without. Make use of those Do-It-Yourself manuals. Share and take care of what you have. Get used to cold nights under warm comforters that were pieced from old clothing. Air-dry the sheets. Darn socks.
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These measures may seem draconian, but they were the norm during the “Good Old Days.” The party’s over. That may be a good thing!
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“Green Thumbs” run in this Family! |
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DML Gardens located at 316 Hyslop Drive in Penticton is a 2008 offshoot of Spartan Gardens which was established seven years ago on the West Bench.
Both gardens are owned and operated by members of the Ludington family. Mark Ludington was the head grower at Spartan Gardens, owned by brother Don.
Don has suspended operations at Spartan for one year to help Mark realize his dream of having his own nursery, DML Gardens.
Starting in 2009, Spartan will concentrate on wholesale and contract work, such as continuing to supply the cities of Penticton and Princeton with hanging baskets to decorate their downtown areas. Other contract work includes providing hanging baskets and arrangements for wineries, bed and breakfasts and fund raising events.
DML sells retail at its greenhouses on Hyslop Drive and on Saturday mornings at the Penticton Farmers’ Market. They are specialty growers, offering over 40 types of ivy and zonal geraniums. Geraniums occur in two main categories—trailing ivy-like and upright growing. Upright geraniums are produced either from seed or cuttings. Seed-produced geraniums which are used mainly for mass plantings are not sold at DML.
Cutting-produced geraniums or zonals are genetically advanced, with sturdy, stronger zoned leaves, large shatter-resistant flowers heads with semi-double florets and a wide variety of colours.
They use the Fischer brand—geraniums are patented—because they are the best. Every year they bring in new plants from certified virus-free growers around the world. Fischer, a German-based company, is the world’s largest producer and breeder of geraniums.
“I find geraniums to be the perfect plant,” said Mark, who worked for a number of years on the Niagara peninsula with Canada’s premier geranium grower.
Geraniums are often the feature plant in the multitude of beautiful hanging baskets at DML. Petunias and other small flowering plants, such as the recently developed Tiny Mice are used as basket stuffers. Tiny Mice is a Cuphea, loves full-sun plant and looks like a fuschia.
“DML Gardens is offering three centennial-themed planters in celebration of Penticton’s first 100 years,” said Patrice Lamare, plant designer and administrative whiz who has teamed up with Mark to operate DML.
The baskets range in price from $30 to $125 and $5 from the sale of each basket will be donated to the SPCA. A similar donation will be made from the sale of each flat of sunshine mix zinnias, Penticton’s official centennial flower.
“DML has an excellent reputation for high-quality plants. I recommend them to anybody,” said customer Alfons Witteman. who was purchasing a number of hanging baskets for both his home and the Lloyd’s Gallery on Front Street which he owns with his wife, Nel.
Customers can also now chose between 10 kinds of grasses at DML, including the perennial Junkus grass.
“Grasses are becoming more popular as awareness of the necessity to conserve water increases,” Patrice said, “and pond plants are also available. Water gardening can be high-tech or natural. The key is balanced biology,” said Patrice, who will be helping customers design water features in late summer.
Next year, Mark and Patrice will be offering seminars on plant growing and design.
“Rule number one is careful watering and lots of TLC,” Patrice said.
At DML each plant in the two 9 x 23 metre greenhouses is watered individually.
Mark and Patrice are assisted by Judy Martin, designer and water technician, and Irene Komar, ‘go-fer’ par excellence.
DML is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
For information call 462-4821.
Quick Facts
Geraniums are native to the dry, hot regions of South Africa and are very resistant to pests.
Most of the early breeding was done in England and later, in the 19th and 20th centuries, in Germany.
No other flowering plant has shown a greater rate of increase in dollar value to commercial floriculture and better performance to purchasers during the past 20 years.
The long-lasting flowers bloom continuously from the last frost in the spring to the first frost in the autumn.
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Making Changes and Moving On |
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Well, what a year 2008 has been, and it’s only July! Talk about living in interesting times!
It is impossible to even try to predict what the next six months will bring but one thing does seem certain – whatever the changes are, they will cost more. Newspapers, radio and TV are filled with the gloom and doom side of the high price of oil and the cost of global warming, so there is nothing new to be said there. Maybe we should look at the other side of the coin, instead.
I doubt very much that folks in the Third World lie awake at night worrying because we in North America are having to buy smaller cars and use the bus more. We all accept that there is real hardship on those who have lost jobs and those people who have to commute by car – no one disputes that there will be victims of this trend. However, we have to accept the truth that we have been living the good life here in North America for the past four decades, at least.
We have consumed and spent, shopped and thrown away, traded in and traded up – maybe changing these habits will be a good thing? It may be that town planning will come back into fashion and strip malls, with their endless acres of paved parking accessible only by car, will fade away. Dare we imagine that one day people will go downtown to shop because they can park their car and walk from store to store? Better yet, walk out of their apartment or condo and go straight into the heart of their community? Shopping downtown is a totally different experience from shopping in the big box stores. Downtown, a person can stroll from shop to shop, buying fresh produce at butcher shops and bakeries, then relax with a cup of tea or coffee at a sidewalk café, watching the people go by and greeting friends. Remind you of anywhere?
Canadians spend millions of dollars traveling to Europe and come home raving about the life style – then spend more millions creating the big box ugly landscape that is as far from the enjoyable European experience as can be imagined! Why did we ever let developers plan our cities for us? The optimists among us are saying that many of the changes that are coming will be good things.
One change that is coming to the CHOICE is that we are going to move our magazine online, and be a website magazine only. We will still welcome a buyer for the printed-paper and help them launch their version of the CHOICE – if you dream of being a publisher/editor now is your chance! We, however, are going to semi-retire and put our efforts into building up the web publication and making it into a unique online Seniors’ paper.
Our June issue contained a questionnaire on what readers liked best in our paper and we took your opinions seriously. The features that were most important to you are those that we will expand and improve on our website. More articles on Health, Legal Topics and Financial Advice, as well as daily recipes, news, etc. all with a Senior focus. More on Travel as well, and of course, jokes!
One obvious advantage of a website is that we can update stories and add news on a daily basis – so, stay tuned! There is a ‘Zoomers Blog’ that is open to everyone. Things will be happening here at a much faster pace!
No computer? No worries. Every public library offers free, or nearly free, Internet access and the library staff are always happy to get new users started. Give it a go! You’ll be thrilled with what you find. Visit our website at www.seniorschoice.com and take a look at our feature, “ Silver Surfers’ where we have set up user friendly links to over 250 sites we thought our readers might enjoy. Jump in, the water’s fine!
As the July issue will be the last one for my column I do want to thank all you great supporters who have written in over the months with suggestions, appreciation and humour – four pages letters, sometimes! Thanks are due in a big way to the sales people who made the paper possible, and the advertisers who were so loyal. Also, all the writers who have contributed their time and talent to searching out stories they hoped you would enjoy. Our questionnaire tell us that you did enjoy them, and we hope some of these folks, who write for the love of it, will join us on the website as well.
A special thank you goes to the lady who created the new look for the CHOICE newsmagazine – our graphics magician, Val Fortey. She also gets the credit for the pet pages that so many of you checked as a favorite part of the paper.
We feel we all made a good team and we produced a good product – time to retire and go on to the next chapter.
Have a wonderful Okanagan summer and be good to each other!
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RISING INCOME IMPORTANT TO COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF INFLATION |
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When you're retired, inflation is your enemy. It eats away at the purchasing power of your money, particularly when you live on fixed payments from a pension plan or other sources, or your financial life is supported by fixed-rate interest investments such as bonds.
While this may not seem like a major concern at today's low inflation rates, the reality is that inflation does take a bite out of the lackluster returns many interest-generating investments now offer. And inflation won't likely stay low; the higher it goes, the greater the threat.
Inflation in Canada, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, has recently stayed well below the annual rate of 4.1% experienced over the past 50 years. But even that average is tame in comparison with high inflation years in the early 1980s, when annual increases in the cost of living were in double digits. In 1981 the annual inflation rate hit 12.4%.
Although 4.1% may not seem like much, it will reduce the purchasing power of a dollar in half in about 18 years. In other words, a dollar in 2026 would buy just half as much as it does today. An inflation rate of 10% cuts purchasing power in half in just seven years.
It's difficult for retirees to overcome the impact of rising inflation. When you're employed you can often rely on salary increases to offset an increasing cost of living. But retirees need to boost the savings they use to generate income or the returns from investments. The first option may be impossible, and the second difficult.
One of the best ways to protect yourself in retirement is to make sure investments that give you the potential for rising income are an integral part of your investment strategy. The return on your investments should exceed the inflation rate. The difference between the two is known as the "real return."
You can position yourself for positive real returns by holding a portion of your portfolio in shares of companies - or mutual funds that hold these companies - that have a history of increasing their dividend payments. Although dividends may be increased, decreased or eliminated at any point without notice, any rising dividends you receive may help offset inflation. Growth stocks are another way to have the potential for rising income. They have historically outpaced increases in the cost of living by a comfortable margin.
However, stocks and stock-based investments such as equity mutual funds entail more risk than the conservative interest-paying investments that many retirees favour. And the last thing you want to do when retired - or approaching retirement - is to put the wealth you've accumulated at risk.
That's why it's important to not go overboard with growth investments in your later years. You need just enough to provide rising income, while keeping the rest of your portfolio in safer, less volatile holdings. Edward Jones recommends that most retirees limit their growth exposure to no more than 20% of the overall value of their investments.
Your financial advisor* can give you more information about an investment strategy that can help you maintain rising income.
Edward Jones, Member, CIPF
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Treatments for Alzheimer’s |
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By Dr. Paul Latimer
One of the first questions to arise after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) almost always deals with treatment. People want to know what treatments are available, how they work, what they will mean in terms of symptom improvement and the length of time left for the patient to live independently.
In this last article in the series on AD, I will discuss current treatments for the illness as well as treatments that are in the research stages now, but may prove successful in the future.
Three medications available for AD today in Canada are donepezil (Aricept), galantimine (Reminyl) and rivastigmine (Exelon). All have proven benefit in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
These drugs work by preventing an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase from breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is the means of communication between many neurons in the brain.
Amyloid plaques cause damage to the cholinergic areas of the brain involved in memory and learning. As these neurons die there is diminishing acetylcholine. When it can be conserved, the progression of impairment is slowed. Unfortunately, once neurons degenerate fully and can no longer produce the neurotransmitter, the drugs are useless.
This is purely symptomatic treatment and does nothing to slow the progression of the disease. It does help people with AD maintain function longer and may delay placement in a long-term care facility.
A new class of medications called NMDA receptor antagonists is now being used to treat Alzheimer’s in addition to the drugs that work to conserve acetylcholine. The first such drug – memantine – is available in the USA but not yet in Canada.
Normally, glutamate plays an important role in the neural pathways associated with learning and memory. In AD, abnormal glutamate receptor function can cause neuronal toxicity and ultimately cell death. Memantine selectively blocks the toxic effects associated with abnormal transmission of glutamate while allowing for the transmission associated with normal cell functioning.
Because this medication works by an entirely different mechanism than the cholinesterase inhibitors, there is reason to think that when used together they will have additive effects.
Many other products are also under development. What if we could block the enzyme that cuts the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to produce Abeta amyloid peptide? This would eliminate the amyloid plaques which in turn damage the neurons. Such inhibitors are already under investigation.
Because there is an inflammatory process involved in the disease, some have thought that anti-inflammatory drugs might slow down the progression. Studies are underway to test this hypothesis.
Because APOE genes are involved and involve cholesterol metabolism, it has been suggested the lipid lowering drugs such as statins might be effective in preventing AD. Studies are underway to test this idea.
Work also continues in an attempt to develop a vaccine to produce antibodies against the amyloid in plaques. This would lead to the elimination of excessive amyloid and reduction of plaques.
There is a debate about the effects of estrogen on AD. Do women have more AD because of their diminishing estrogen levels after menopause? Studies looking at the effects of hormone replacement therapy on the brain are underway. So far the results have been mixed.
One very recent study found that genetically engineered cells surgically implanted into the brain helped to revive brain activity. Brains showed increased activity afterward and the disease seemed to progress more slowly in some research subjects.
The genetically modified cells were produced from the skin cells of the patients. They were modified to produce extra nerve growth factor – a protein that prevents cell death and stimulates function.
Researchers then implanted the cells into a degenerating area of the brain. More research is needed in this area, but the results to date are promising.
As research in this field continues, it is likely that more and more effective treatments will be developed. Perhaps there will come a day when a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease will become a rarity and declining memory will no longer be accepted as a normal part of aging.
Dr. Latimer, president of Okanagan Clinical Trials and local psychiatrist, can be reached at (250) 862-8141 or by email at
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