Smart Reader 113023

Your Eye On Kenosha... Both City & County! Volume 21 - #24 November 30, 2023 RETURNS TO KENOSHA FOR A 2-WEEK RESIDENCY HARMONIX "Very, very pleased, the extra bit of personal touch was so appreciated." -Joanne J. "Very, very pleased, the extra bit of personal touch was so appreciated." -Joanne J. Visit us at 3016 75th St. Kenosha SR120122

2 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 FOR EVENT TICKETS VISIT Ask About Our $119 Stay & Play Overnight Package • Call 262-658-3281 STOP IN 1420 63RD ST., M-F 10AM-4PM OR CALL 262-564-8800 SR113023 5125 6th Ave. Kenosha “Outstanding Talent-Exceptional” - Jack & Sue Rose “The Vocalists were amazing, so glad we came to the show.” - Dan & Pam Mahachek “Great show. This group kept the audience engaged and singing along to the numerous songs they performed” - Jamie Tomasello “They put on such an awesome show. We sang to every song and even danced.” - Trevor Dupuis “We loved the song selections, especially the christmas mashups.” - Christine Large “An incredible show! Don’t Miss it!” - Jim McPhaul “Worth the time & money” - Janet & Donald Lowe “Such talent!! Loved their performance. Right here in Kenosha.” - Chris White “Wish I could give them 10 stars!” - Lisa Hazlett "Harmonix was amazing! Their voices are incredible!" - Dina Cucunato “High energy! Excellent!" - Burt Setterlund "Big town talent, in small town Kenosha." - Kayla Asleson “Saw them last week and came back with two tables (16 people).” - Carol Ann Hall “You made my day!! I brought an extra hearing aid battery. Didn’t want to miss anything!” - Doris Miller “This group is awesome. Great! People are really missing out on this great show.” - Nicole Christensen “Marvelous show! So much energy. Accapella at it’s best! I would definitely recommend this show to all my friends.” - Sharon Acerbi “Sounds like 'Pentatonix' but better!” - Diana Stewart “The Harmonix show was incredible! So talented & entertaining. Highly recommend!!” - Sue & Mike Matther “Well spent 2 hours of fun.” - Marsha Nelson “Loved it!” - Geri DeBoer “A wonderful walk down memory lane”- Dave Meyer “The whole family loved the show! Silent night gave me chills!!” - Katt James “The comedic relief was awesome.” - Jennifer Puma Ryan, Adam, Mason, Charlie and Dan return for a limited two-week residency. It's your chance to experience a holiday entertainment tradition that began last year when these five talented performers, came together to help create lasting holiday memories. Last holiday season over 600 audience members responded to our survey with 98% giving HARMONIX a 4-star review. “Excellent performance! Comparable to Pitch Perfect.” - Ellen Foreman “It’s a great mix of 60’s Doo-Wop and Christmas songs rolled into one. A truly family-friendly event, great for all ages.” - Denise Bernacki “Wonderful, wonderful show!! Sooo talented and personable” - Linda Naidiez “If I could have given more than 4 stars, I would have. Easy 5 stars out of 4. Just brilliant.” - Kyle Miskovic “High Energy Fun Time!!! Great Blast from the past” - Doug & Lorraine Longtine "Really engaging show with familiar songs & wonderful harmonies!" - Karla Newman "Excellent selection of music! Just a fun night!" - Jeff Western “Without instruments you don’t need roadies - wonderful!” - Deborah Miller “We’re glad we decided to see it! Fantastic!” - Karen Callahan "Second act is like a cup of cocoa by the fire. Brings the season home!” - Sandy Pauly “Great sound, great energy!” - Dennis Nowak "Third time and want to come back for one more performance.”- Chris & Connie Kucharski HARMONIX A Here's what some of them had to say: HARMONIX A four star show!

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 The holidays have never sounded so good. In fact, it’s going to be a Cool Yule. Discover it with your own ears and eyes Dec. 6-17 as Harmonix brings its highenergy a cappella melodies and one of-a-kind stage show back to Kenosha for two-week residency at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 5125 6th Ave. Charlie Arthur, who handles bass/vocal percussion for the group, says last year was a blast that even blew the group members away. “We were astonished by the hospitality, excitement, and commitment demonstrated by all of the incredible folks who made it out last year,” he said. “We made a great number of local friends and friendly faces, and we hope to get to see them all again this year, alongside some new faces!” That’s a likely outcome, given the nature of the shows Harmonix delivers. “These are high-energy, fun shows featuring creative arrangements of music across a ton of different genres,” says soprano Mason Van Gieson. “We're bringing a blend of holiday tunes as well as pop favorites; there's a little something for everyone, so bring the whole family.” Van Gieson and Arthur are two of the five singers who make up Harmonix. Their bandmates are Adam King, baritone and tenor; Danny Zimberg, the selfdescribed “fun and sensitive one”; and Ryan Sloan, who bills himself as the “bad boy.” How bad? He didn’t want to answer any questions for this interview, so your only chance to hear him is to attend one of Harmonix’s shows when they’re in town. Arthur says audiences can expect the unexpected throughout the group’s Kenosha run. Every Harmonix show is just a little bit different,” he explains, “so the only way you’ll see it all is by coming to EVERY SINGLE SHOW!” A cappella groups have been on the rise in recent years. What makes Harmonix unique? As Van Gieson explains it: “Harmonix is representative of a group of musicians who came of age while the a cappella music from the Pitch Perfect movies was beginning, and who as a result had opportunities to explore the style from a young age. “We've all been doing this for quite some time and have taken those skills into so many different areas of our lives as performers. As a result, we're uniquely positioned as a band to be able to utilize our unique backgrounds. That's something that's newer for a cappella music; to have professional bands comprised of young people who have been making this type of music since high school. I think it absolutely changes the dynamic of what you see onstage and allows us to reach new levels of excellence together.” Arthur agrees. “Harmonix specializes in flashy medleys, energetic choreography, engaging audience comedy bits, and unadulterated joyfulness, with a splash of tech elements and special guests for good measure,” he says. Zimberg adds “we’ve got a bunch of a cappella pros coming together with some deep experience.” “With that kind of group,” he notes, “the magic really reveals itself from the first note.” Audiences are the winners with that kind of wattage getting turned on and turned up in each unique show. “When you come to see us expect an exciting, highenergy show!” promises King. “We’ve got a great mix of classic favorites, modern hits, and, of course, plenty of Christmas tunes. There’s plenty of dancing, laughing and, most importantly, great singing. “I think we have a really unique live show,” he adds. “In particular, I can’t think of another group with the amount of choreography we do. It really elevates the show far beyond what you’d normally get from a vocal group. You’ll love the fresh take on some of our holiday songs. We also have a number of medleys and mash-ups prepared, so there are plenty of well-known songs presented in unique ways.” And the holiday aspect of the performance will indeed make for a cool yule, according to Van Gieson. “It can be unusual to find a holiday show that's engaging from a musical perspective, especially when we hear these songs over and over again on the radio as soon as our Halloween decorations come down!” she notes. “But we've made sure that the holiday portion of our show features some really unique takes on holiday favorites, which keeps things fresh, exciting, and fun for both audiences and for us.” The length of time the band is in town and the number of shows they’ll be performing is the secret sauce to a truly memorable experience for the audience, Arthur says. “It's always such a joy to spend significant time workshopping material in a singular space,” he explains. “The show and cast become much tighter as a whole, and the audience can walk away feeling like they've watched a performance reflective of the local culture and energy.” Van Gieson seconds that. “This group is made up of some truly Grade-A talents from all across the USA, and it is such a joy to be able to listen to all of these amazing voices in the same room,” she says. “But, even more importantly, it's also a group of people who are genuinely wonderful to work with. “Some members of the group I've worked with before, and others are new friends, but everyone is an absolute delight. I think that shows onstage too: our blend is tight, we're all eager to listen and move with one another - it adds that extra little sparkle to the show. “There's something special that comes with making vocal music with people you really like, and I'm lucky to get that experience every day.” How lucky will you feel when you walk out of a Harmonix show? Zimberg says the experience awaiting crowds is “Nostalgia. Laughter. To feel real warmth and joy during these cold winter months. And we guarantee that you will end the night with more than a few songs stuck in your head.” By Gary Schneeberger Tickets are available online at www.hap21it.com or at the Happenings office at 1420 63rd St., Kenosha. The price of reserved seats is $22 for ages 14 and up and $13 for ages 13 and below. Group discounts are Harmonix brings a Cool Yule back to Kenosha December 6-17! Smart Reader is published bi-weekly by Carmichael Communications Editor & Publisher/Frank J. Carmichael Assistant to the Publisher/Reanna Stockdale Sales/Kim Carmichael, Donny Stancato Editorial Manager/Jason Hedman Ad Design & Layout/Kristin Monticelli, Glen Kelly Reception/Sarah Coleman Carmichael Communications 1420 63rd St. Kenosha, WI 53143 November 30, 2023 Volume 21 Number 24 262-564-8800 • 1-800-568-6623 • www.hap2it.com Harmonix comes back to Kenosha bringing the holidays to life in a very special way.  These five talented performers begin a two week residency December 6 performing an array of popular holiday classics as well as modern favorites. It’s going to be a very cool Yule season! Visit hap2it.com for tickets! Wed 12/6 1:30pm Thu 12/7 7pm Fri 12/8 7pm Sat 12/9 1:30pm Sat 12/9 7pm Sun 12/10 1:30pm Wed 12/13 1:30pm Thu 12/14 7pm Fri 12/15 7pm Sat 12/16 1:30pm Sat 12/16 7pm Sun 12/17 1:30pm 3 SMART READER November 30, 2023 13325 Wilmot Road Bristol, WI HELP WANTED ELP WANTED Repair person needed for outdoor power equiptment. Full Time/Full Benefits Call to apply (262) 857-2225 Repair person needed for outdoor power equiptment. Full Time/Full Benefits Call to apply (262) 857-2225 13325 Wilmot Road Bristol, WI 113023 DT2023-2

4 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 For the first time, the Supreme Court of the United States has adopted a formal code of conduct. The 14-page document, issued this week and signed by all nine justices, comes after months of public pressure over alleged ethical lapses. It codifies what until now had been an informal ethical standard governing the high court. It also comes after favorable views of the Supreme Court reached an all-time low this summer, according to Pew Research Center. Whether the code’s existence itself will be enough to restore that trust remains to be seen. The code features the word “should” 53 times but is silent on what will happen if a justice veers from ethical standards outlined. And that, legal-watchers say, is a startling omission. The lack of a code is “something that has been a glaring oversight for so many years. ... But when it came time to put pen to paper, I think they fell short,” says Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan nonprofit advocating for more transparency in the federal judiciary. But it’s positive the court has responded to that public pressure, he adds. “They represent all of us in one way or another – not in how they decide cases, but as an institution. And on institutional practices, there should be public pressure.” For much of the year, the justices have faced questions about alleged ethical improprieties. The public scrutiny began with ProPublica reports detailing undisclosed gifts that Justice Clarence Thomas has received for decades from billionaire Republican donors, ranging from vacations and private jet travel to forgiven loans and tuition for a relative. Reports allege that Justice Samuel Alito also failed to disclose subsidized vacations. Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Neil Gorsuch faced questions about publishing sales and questions of recusal. While all other members of the federal judiciary are subject to the judicial code of conduct, the justices largely have policed their own compliance. The code aims to “dispel this misunderstanding,” the statement added, that “unlike all other jurists in this country, [the justices] regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules.” “It is certainly significant that the court has finally adopted a code of conduct. ... It reflects that the public pressure and public attention about the court’s ethical shortcomings is having an impact,” says Alicia Bannon, director of the Judiciary Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. But “it was a real missed opportunity for the court to really get serious about ethics.” What’s in the code? The document features five canons of conduct for justices on and off the court, including recusal standards, and a commentary elaborating on the code. The code doesn’t appear to address the central concern many have with Supreme Court ethics rules: Enforcement is for the most part left to the justices themselves. For example, a justice “should keep informed about [their] personal and fiduciary financial interests” and “make a reasonable effort to keep informed about the personal financial interests” of their spouse and children, the code states. Justices are supposed to seek guidance from the court’s Office of Legal Counsel and relevant judicial committees. There are no details on who or what would be making sure the justices make these efforts. At times, broad and vague language leaves it unclear where the line is between proper and improper conduct. There are clear examples of when a justice should recuse themselves from a case, for example, such as when someone a justice or their spouse knows is a party to the case or representing a party in the case. But a justice should also recuse themselves “in a proceeding in which the Justice’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” the code states. Lower court judges, meanwhile, must follow mandatory recusal rules. Parties in lower courts can also file a motion asking for a certain judge to recuse themselves. The general language in the code “does suggest [the justices] consider this [as] aspirational, as opposed to binding,” says Carolyn Shapiro, co-director of the Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States at the University of Chicago-Kent College of Law. “There’s an extraordinary amount of discretion involved in applying these standards,” she adds. But “I’m not sure it would be possible to write standards that don’t have that as an element.” Does the high court need more leeway? In a summary, the justices claim that the Supreme Court needs to have more relaxed ethical rules than lower courts do. Most appeals courts are made up of at least 11 judges, for example, whereas there are only nine justices. “The loss of even one Justice may undermine the ‘fruitful interchange of minds which is indispensable’ to the Court’s decision-making process,” the summary reads. “Much can be lost when even one Justice does not participate in a particular case.” The document does acknowledge that more may need to be done to firm up the new code of conduct. The court “will assess whether it needs additional resources,” it says. And the Office of Legal Counsel will “maintain specific guidance [for] recurring ethics and financial disclosure issues,” as well as provide annual training to justices and their staff. The fact the document exists at all is noteworthy. As the high court admits, many of the rules aren’t new, but they have never been formally articulated for the public. That by itself is worthy of recognition, experts say, but the code’s deficiencies are as well. “If you accept that the Supreme Court is differently situated than lower court judges, it makes it even more important to implement ethical safeguards on the front end to make sure ethical issues don’t emerge in the first place,” says Ms. Bannon of the Brennan Center for Justice. “The North Star needs to be: Are you preserving public confidence in the judicial system?” she adds. “Here there was a missed opportunity to really put in place safeguards that avoid putting justices in situations in the first instance that would undermine that confidence.” By Henry Gass Supreme Court adopts ethics code. Will it restore public trust? U.S. Supreme Court justices had no code of ethics, until now. The new document lays out no penalties, and most of the rules will be enforced ... by the justices themselves. Yet with public confidence in the court at an all-time low, doing anything is a positive step, experts say. FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 SMART READER November 30, 2023 4 $28 Eye Exam 262 - 554 -1121 • 3701 Durand Ave. Racine $18 Eyeglasses Place SR090822 Eyeglasses exam $49 without purchase of eyeglasses. See store for details. call 262.653.9132 SR032423 JR PROPERTIES 2409 - 52nd Street, Suite 3 • Kenosha 2 Bedrooms $875 Includes: FREE Cable Heat & Water John and Shelley Rogowski, Owners Kenosha Funeral Services and Crematory Prepay for your funeral now and the price will be guaranteed. 8226 Sheridan Rd. 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FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 I’ve been a master plumber for over four decades in addition to building and remodeling homes. I was attracted to plumbing because it’s a fascinating threedimensional puzzle of interconnected drain, waste and vent pipes. Most are invisible behind the walls and ceilings in your home. I also love drawing riser diagrams that show all these pipes. You need one of these to obtain a plumbing permit. Reach out to me if you need me to draw your riser diagram. Drain pipes of all sizes in your home can clog for many reasons. It’s vital the layout of the pipes have as few changes of direction as possible so the wastewater gets out of your home with minimal friction loss. One hopes your plumber installed the pipes with sufficient slope so the water and solids make it to the city sewer or your septic tank with no issues. If the pipes are not at fault for clogs, then it’s often human error or oversight that creates a clog. For example, your kitchen drain and even the primary building drain may be clogged with grease. I’ve seen grease clogs that run for 20 feet. The pipe is choked off with a disgusting semi-solid mass that resembles a shortening you might use for baking. You can prevent grease clogs with just a small amount of effort. Start saving paper towels that you might use to dry your hands or to clean a countertop. Once they are dry, store them in a box under your sink. Use these towels to sop up grease from plates, pans, skillets, bowls and so forth. Toss these greasesoaked towels in the garbage. After you wash greasecovered items, run hot water in your sink for one minute. Better yet, fill your sink with hot water and then pull out the stopper. This massive amount of hot water fills the entire horizontal branch arm pipe that drains your sink. As the water cascades down the vertical stack, it creates a turbulent whirlpool that rinses any liquid grease off the sides of the pipes. Just as the sink drains out, flush a nearby toilet to try to force all the water into the city sewer or your septic tank. Bathroom sinks commonly get clogged with hair and cosmetic ingredients. Quite often the clog is located in the short pipe between the bottom of the sink and the p-trap below in the cabinet. The sink stopper and the control rod that makes the stopper go up and down are choke points within the tailpiece pipe just under the sink. It’s easy to remove the control rod by turning a nut on the tailpiece pipe. Once you have the rod pulled out, you can pull the stopper up. Be prepared to be grossed out. The black biofilm goop needs to be cleaned off the stopper mechanism as well as the inside of the pipe between the sink and the ptrap. Use a long bottle brush that’s just slightly larger in diameter than the drain pipe. Put a piece of duct tape over the hole where the control rod entered the tailpiece. This will prevent water from entering your cabinet as you run water in the sink while you make the bottle brush go up and down. Check your progress with a flashlight until the drain pipe is nice and clean. High-quality toilet paper mixed with low-flush toilets is another common source of clogs. Drain pipes in older homes were designed decades ago with the assumption that toilets would send 3.5 gallons of water into the system to transport the waste. Now you have less than 50 percent of that. Remember your high school physics? Force equals mass time acceleration. The water mass has been reduced by half, so the force of the water moving down the pipes has, by default, been reduced as well. Low-flush toilets, in my opinion, should have never been thrust upon all of us. A vast majority of the country doesn’t have a water shortage. Cities with municipal sewage treatment plants put back into the river the same amount of water each day as is being taken out upstream for drinking water. If you choose to live in a place where it rarely rains, then you can use a low-flush toilet. As for me, I’d give my eye teeth to have my old toilets back. Should you have a substantial clog in the 4-inch primary building drain in your crawlspace or under a concrete slab, you can often remove the blockage in the pipe. You just need a pipe wrench, a 50- or 100-foot drain-cleaning snake, and a great pair of gloves. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that show you how to use a manual draincleaning snake. If you have no luck, then call in the pros who have power drain augers. If tree roots are causing your clogs, I have several great past columns on my www.AsktheBuilder.com website that show you how to stop the tree roots from entering your pipes. It’s a DIY trick that I’ve used for years that works every time. Troubleshooting and unclogging drains in your home Ask the Builder with Tim Carter Subscribe to Tim’s FREE newsletter at AsktheBuilder.com. Tim offers phone coaching calls if you get stuck during a DIY job. Go here: go.askthebuilder.com /coaching Tim Carter joins Happenings Q&A on Fri. Dec. 1st at 9:20am on AM1050 WLIP 5 SMART READER November 30, 2023 112323 Party Mary Mack Featuring a full night of non-stop entertainment! Amazing price for an all in one package! For More Information Visit Hap2it.com or Call 262-564-8800 M-F 10AM-4PM Nathan “Tricky” Allen Yesterday’s Children Overnight play & stay package starting at $119 plus tax Call 262-654-3281 5125 6th AVE. KENOSHA Yesterday’s Children Mary Mack Nathan “Tricky” Allen 7:30pm Doors Open 7:30pm-8:30pm Light Snacks 8:00pm-9:30pm Comedy Show with Mary Mack 8:30pm-12:00am DJ, Dancing & Karaoke 9:30pm-10:30pm Nathan "Tricky" Allen (Magic/Comedy) 9:30pm-12:30am Yesterday's Children (Band) 10:00pm-11:30pm Hot & Cold Hors d’oeuvres 11:00pm-12:00am Nathan "Tricky" Allen (Magic/Comedy) Comedy ONLY Option Come out for an early performance of headliner Mary Mack at 5:00pm plus feature comedian and be back at home in your PJ's before the ball drops! Ring in the new year with a fun filled night of comedy, magic, live music, karaoke, dancing plus hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. $24 $59 There is so much to do and it is all included in 1 low price! Early Bird Show ONLY Overnight play & stay package starting at $119 plus tax Call 262-654-3281 FOR EVENT TICKETS VISIT For Group Ticket Sales Call Reanna 262-564-8800 or email [email protected] Ask About Our Stay & Play Overnight Package Starting At $119 Call 262-658-3281 OR STOP IN 1420 63RD ST. M-F 10AM-4PM OR CALL 262-564-8800 5125 6th Ave., Kenosha HARMONIX ARMONIX For Group Ticket Sales Call Reanna 262-564-8800 or email [email protected] FOR EVENT TICKETS VISIT Ask About Our Stay & Play Overnight Package Starting At $119 Call 262-658-3281 OR STOP IN 1420 63RD ST. M-F 10AM-4PM OR CALL 262-564-8800 SR113023

6 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 Why 2024 could be a big year for third-party candidates Sitting in the stands at Saturday’s Boston College vs. Harvard basketball game, Max Silverman wasn’t rooting for either team. He and a group of friends had all come to the game wearing Tshirts promoting the independent presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as part of a meet-up for volunteers. A junior at Emmanuel College in Boston, Mr. Silverman calls himself a “lifelong Democrat” who leans left on most issues. But like many young people here, the politics major regards President Joe Biden as an uninspiring figure who “doesn’t represent what I believe – or what anyone else my age does.” Unhappy with the two main parties’ ironclad grip on political office, these students see Mr. Kennedy, a onetime Democrat, as the only candidate offering bipartisan solutions, in a 2024 race that is shaping up as a rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump. “They’ll tell you it’s democracy, when in reality you have no choice,” Mr. Silverman says. “Having different options and different parties and different representation is, I think, what everyone would want,” he says. Mr. Kennedy, a prominent vaccine critic and scion of one of America’s most storied political dynasties, isn’t the only independent in the race. Cornel West, a leftwing academic, has already declared his candidacy, while Jill Stein has launched a campaign again as a Green Party candidate. Then there’s No Labels, a bipartisan political group that is laying the groundwork for a potential “unity” ticket, with candidates still to be named. Given the tight margins in battleground states, any or all third-party candidates could prove consequential, say analysts, though their individual chances of victory are remote. And this election cycle could prove to be one in which independent candidates matter to a degree not seen since 1992 – when Ross Perot, a selffunded businessman, received 19% of votes cast without winning a single state. In particular, RFK Jr.’s high poll numbers in recent surveys, particularly among younger voters, have raised alarm bells for both main parties. Widespread public discontent with the direction of the country and the unpopularity of both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump could push many more voters to consider unconventional alternatives. Faced with these two men as likely nominees, two-thirds of voters in an October survey by the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll said the country “needs another choice,” while 53% said they would consider voting for a “moderate independent candidate.” “Given how close the polls look right now, it’s a volatile mix,” says Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire, who points to the large number of “double negative” voters unhappy with both major-party frontrunners. “That leaves an opening – but who fills it is, to me, the big question. Is there a bold choice, especially from a younger generation?” An opening in the middle So far, almost none of the candidates, declared or presumed, fit that exact description. Mr. Kennedy, along with most of the other third-party candidates, is past retirement age. The exception: Chase Oliver, the Libertarian candidate, who is 38.* President Biden turned 81 on Monday; Mr. Trump would be 78 by the next presidential election. And while voters may express interest in a hypothetical “moderate independent,” that’s much easier than supporting a specific candidate, says Bernard Tamas, a politics professor at Valdosta State University and author of “The Demise and Rebirth of American Third Parties: Poised for Political Revival?” That said, Professor Tamas believes there’s an opening on the center-right for a national candidate who can appeal to disaffected conservatives and potentially break through, despite an electoral system that is stacked against third parties. “The Republican Party is moving so far to the right that it would be easy to attack them from the center. But nobody’s doing it right now,” he says. That may change: No Labels has said that it may nominate a unity ticket after the main parties pick their 2024 candidates, provided it sees a realistic path to victory. “We are not in this to be spoilers,” Joe Lieberman, a former Democratic senator who co-chairs No Labels, told ABC News in July. Any such ticket is likely to be headed by a Republican from the “Never Trump” wing. Some have also speculated that Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who recently said he won’t seek reelection and is hoping to “mobilize the middle,” could join a No Labels ticket. Joel Searby is a big believer in electoral choice. In 2016, he was an adviser to the independent presidential campaign of Evan McMullin, a Never-Trump conservative who received a fifth of the vote in Utah, his home state. Mr. McMullin was among several third-party candidates who shared nearly 6% of the vote nationwide that year, as voters sought out alternatives to Mr. Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. Mr. Searby, who until recently worked as national policy director at the Forward Party, a new political party, says voters are hungry for greater choice. “The pure market demand for a new way in our politics is astronomically high,” he says. But he worries that No Labels, a well-financed group whose centrism he applauds, could be the ultimate spoiler in 2024. “They have to be taken seriously as a factor,” he says, echoing the analysis of other observers who warn that any defection among conservatives who voted for Mr. Biden in 2020 could benefit Mr. Trump. “I’m very nervous about the No Labels play contributing to the reelection of President Trump,” says Mr. Searby, who sees Mr. Trump as unfit for office. “It’s well intentioned but not well thought out.” Will Democrats come home? With a year to go before the election, polling is likely to shift as the stakes become clearer, particularly for Democrats panicked by Mr. Trump’s ascendancy, says Michael Wolf, chair of the department of political science at Purdue University. Unlike in 1992, when Mr. Perot siphoned off millions of votes from Republican President George H.W. Bush, voters today are much more motivated to stop the other side’s candidate from winning. “The fear of losing the general election is exactly what is driving up concern about Biden, in particular, but also may be what persuades Democrats to stick with him and even to embrace his record when the alternative is narrowed,” Professor Wolf says via email. Back at Boston College, after the home team sealed a 73-64 win over Harvard to extend an unbeaten record, Mr. Silverman and his friends head out into the cold fall evening. Asked whether Mr. Kennedy’s candidacy could help elect Mr. Trump, Mr. Silverman concedes it’s a risk. But he thinks it’s worth it. “I do believe that when he gets the chance to go on that debate stage with Biden on his left and Trump on his right – when the American people see that, it’s going to be a no-brainer. And I think they’ll realize ... this guy makes total sense,” he says. By Simon Montlake President George H.W. Bush (left) talks with independent candidate Ross Perot as Democratic candidate Bill Clinton stands aside at the end of their second presidential debate, in Richmond, Virginia, Oct. 15, 1992. Independent presidential candiate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event this month in Columbia, South Carolina. SMART READER November 30, 2023 6 TORCASO And So Much More... Purses • Backpacks • Belts and most leather goods 3305 60th Street • 262-654-3839 Now Open Mon. - Fri. 9:30am-5pm • Sat. 9:30am-1pm Full Service Repairs Done In House SR100622 Paula Ray Get Ready For Winter! 5403 52nd St. • 262-656-1717 Kenosha, WI 53142 • bandlofficefurniture.com Santa Just Loves His New Office Chair 112422 Locally Owned & Operated for Over 30 Years New and Like New Nice List? Ask him to bring you one. Naughty List? Stop by and we will hook you up.

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 7 SMART READER November 30, 2023 House Rep. George Santos propped his delusional selfidentity upon an ideal sacred to America: the hope and grit of immigrants. At every turn, he tapped into the fact that his parents were born outside of the United States, in Brazil. He laid that fact down like a red carpet. Then he preened and waltzed, spinning tall tale after tall tale. He’s a fraud. This much is now wellestablished about the scandalized New York representative, who may soon be formally tossed out of Congress by his fellow Republicans. Details of a report released on November 16 by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee are deeply researched, welldocumented and shocking in scale. The study is ripe with the type of deep scrutiny that Santos, until now, has tried to duck and dodge. He will not seek a second term. A favored Santos tactic, the report alleges, was his dipping into campaign coffers for his own excesses. The report reveals his trips to a casino, spending sprees on the fine leather of Ferragamo shoes, spa visits, and cosmetic treatments like Botox. The report aligns with some of the charges included in the 23-count federal indictment he also faces. Instead of being a highly successful wealthy financier, as he claimed he was, Santos appears to be nothing more than a conniving thief. None of it equals his most offensive scam. Santos used his immigrant parents to look more attractive to voters in his district. He took their story and wove it with America’s fondness for simplistic Horatio Alger storylines of upward mobility. He duped enough people to win a coveted New York seat and to open the purse strings of generous donors. There’s nothing stellar about him, not how he presents himself verbally, and certainly not in action. And it should have always been fairly apparent. So how did he fool so many people? Perhaps they simply wanted to believe him, a bit too much. He spun a tale of being from resilient immigrant stock – self-sufficiency and up-from-the-bootstraps diligence – that too often is over-simplified in America. As a nation, we measure character lazily, not by what people achieve concretely, but by what they claim they’ve done. And Santos did a lot of claiming. He’s been caught in the past lying about his education (no record of him graduating from Baruch College), employment (no record of him working at George Santos is not worthy of his immigrant stock with Mary Sanchez Readers can reach Mary Sanchez at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @msanchezcolumn. Congress just passed – and President Biden just signed – the latest shortterm government funding bill to keep the government running. The bill, which essentially kicks the can down the road, ensures that taxpayers will continue to pay for a bloated government until January, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) said: “… avoiding a (government) shutdown is so very far from mission accomplished. We have a lot of work to do after the dust settles and before the next shutdown deadline comes up.” In the past, this fake scenario of a government shutdown has meant preserving all current spending while adding new debt. It is doubtful this time around will be much different. Because this “work” is unlikely to include reforming Social Security and Medicare – the biggest driver of debt – fiscally conservative Republicans should focus on other spending to shame the profligate spenders (which sadly include too many Republicans) and inform voters that their tax dollars and borrowed money are being wasted. Thomas A. Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW.org), has come up with a list of proposed cuts that should serve as a starting point. How about cutting or eliminating $196 million for the International Fund for Ireland? The money went for projects that include pony trekking centers and golf videos. Speaking of golf, the Pentagon announced last year it would spend $5.1 million to build a new golf course at Joint Base Andrews when there are already 19 military golf courses in the Washington area. One unnecessary expense was cut. That was $440,000 for attendants to push buttons on automated elevators in the Capitol Hill complex. The National Endowment for the Humanities misspent $4.2 million to conduct a “National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity.” No one conversed with me on the topic. You? The Pentagon and CIA hired psychics, hoping they would provide special insights about various foreign threats. I had a premonition about that. Cost: $11 million. A personal favorite was a study to determine the quality of life in Hawaii. That cost us $187,042. Then there was the $40 million in phony food stamp claims. Five Floridians stole $20 million from Medicare, part of the estimated $17 billion in annual Medicare fraud. Too many Members of Congress don’t seem to care because it’s not their money they are spending. If Republicans would start at these extremes which, taken in total amount to relatively small amounts of money against the debt, they might be better positioned to trim the spending behemoths that are Social Security and Medicare. They might also encourage people to look at the U.S. Debt Clock. Morgan Stanley, the financial advisory firm, summarized the debt threat we face in a recent posting on its website: “ The current federal debt pile is already massive, at more than $33 trillion, a staggering post-WWII high representing 122% of gross domestic product (GDP). A recent Treasury report showed the government spent $659 billion in net interest payments during the fiscal year that ended in September — about 39% more than the same period in the previous year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this interest expense could double in the next decade, meaning that the U.S. government might be spending more on interest payments than on other major budget categories such as defense. Growing national debt can not only raise borrowing costs for everyone, it could also crowd out funding for other priorities.” Debt has been a major contributor to the decline and in some cases collapse of nations in the past. What makes our country think we can ignore basic economic rules and not suffer similar consequences? Solution to debt: Cut spending with Cal Thomas Readers may email Cal Thomas at [email protected]. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America" my turn Rep. George Santos (R-NY) walks back to his office after debate on the House floor on a resolution to expel him from Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Nov. 1, 2023, in Washington, DC story continues on next page

8 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 SMART READER November 30, 2023 8 Donald J. Trump is trapped in a maze of criminal and civil trials. With a total of 91 indictments against him, Trump is in extreme legal and political jeopardy that could land him in prison. If he runs for president, these cases could cost him the 2024 election. Of course, Americans are innocent until proven guilty. And juries are unpredictable. But will he avoid convictions? Trump lost a civil suit in May filed by E. Jean Carroll costing him $5 million. Carroll has him back in court on Jan. 15, the day of the Iowa Caucuses. The Trump Organization was found guilty in December of tax fraud, grand larceny and falsifying records. But the two federal and two state trials must worry Trump and his lawyers most. In Georgia, Trump was indicted for racketeering and violating the RICO statute (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Practices Act) by attempting to overthrow the 2020 Georgia elections. Three of his attorneys have obtained plea agreements. Reportedly, more are forthcoming. This can only be damning for Trump. On March 4, the day before Super Tuesday, Trump faces federal charges of attempting to overthrow the 2020 presidential election by creating a false slate of electors. The state trial, scheduled for March 25, is about falsifying records in paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels as "hush money." And what seems to be the most likely case leading to conviction is illegal possession and handling of classified documents and obstruction of justice. No trial date has been set yet. In this last case, evidence of guilt came from the president's own mouth. He volunteered that he did possess classified material; asserted he still had declassification authority, even though he did not; and wrongly argued that he had authority from the Presidential Records Act to keep classified material. Trump has been a Teflon Don in avoiding criminal and most civil prosecutions since his earliest days in business with his father. His current defenses range from pleading immunity to delay. He has tried to intimidate judges and potential jurors. In the New York fraud trial, Judge Arthur Engoron fined Trump $15,000 for violating gag orders. If Trump is re-elected president, he could selfpardon any federal convictions. Georgia is more problematic. For anyone convicted and sentenced to jail, Georgia statutes require serving a minimum of five years before pardon or commutation can be granted. The governor has no power to pardon. Because it is state law, neither does the president. The New Yorker of Trump's generation who combined celebrity status with an avalanche of trials was another Don -- the Teflon Don and crime boss John Gotti. Some readers will find the comparisons offensive. But the similarities are striking. If convicted of attempting to subvert an election, as well as failing to safeguard the nation's secrets, are these charges any less serious than those leveled against Gotti? Former FBI Director James Comey wrote in his autobiography that Trump operated in ways reminiscent of the mob. Loyalty was paramount. And Trump often operated according to his own rules, often of doubtful legality. Trump has been Teflonlike in winning. And he is as flamboyant in disregarding court instructions. Like Gotti, if convicted in the classified material trial, Trump will have admitted his own guilt. Gotti became notorious after Gambino crime boss Paul Castellano was gunned down outside the New York steakhouse Sparks before Christmas in 1985. Gotti ordered the hit and became New York's leading crime boss. Arrested numerous times and convicted of manslaughter in 1980, Gotti gained an early release. Then followed numerous trials that were media spectacles in which the Teflon Don wore $2,000 suits. Unlike other criminals, he craved media attention. Gotti eluded conviction, despite overwhelming evidence against him. And he was no less a New York celebrity than Trump. The reasons for acquittal were jury tampering, intimidation and outright bribery. These added to his image, making him a hero to some New Yorkers, despite the brutality of his crimes. Arrested in 1990 on charges of murder and other serious offenses, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He died in 2002. Key evidence that convicted Gotti came from wire taps in the apartment above the Ravenite Club, his de facto headquarters. Gotti freely admitted to all his crimes in almost casual conversations. That he failed to anticipate bugs and wire tapes that led to his downfall is an interesting question. And Trump did not need wiretaps. The next year will determine whether Trump is a Teflon or a Velcro Don. The next year will determine if Donald Trump is another Teflon Don with Harlan Ullman my turn Dr Harlan Ullman is senior adviser at Washington's Atlantic Council, the prime author of "shock and awe" and the book "The Fifth Horseman and the New MAD: How Massive Attacks of Disruption Became the Looming Existential Danger to a Divided Nation and the World at Large." Harlan Ullman joins Happenings Q&A on Thu., Dec. 14th at 9:20am on AM1050 WLIP Former President Donald Trump appears in a New York courtroom for his civil fraud trial on November 6. Citigroup or Goldman Sachs) and more personal details like a first marriage (he had a wife, for a number of years). The New York Times, in reporting on the ethical findings, noted “a tangled knot of biographic fictions, business frauds and bizarre campaign schemes.” You grasp the picture if that wording paints the image of a man desperately attempting to upgrade his class level, at the expense of honest accounting. The GOP is right to be chasing him out of the flock and far away from Congress. Kudos to the party for beginning that process, knowing that it opens a congressional seat that could eventually be taken back by Democrats. Here is how Santos’ congressional website presents himself, referencing his parents: “George’s drive, commitment and determination were inspired by the legacy set by his parents. Through hard work, tenacity, and determination they both delivered a very different life to George and his sister, allowing them the opportunity to fight for their dreams.” He gets that part right. Immigrant parents give their sons and daughters a leg up, a starting spot that is usually at least two rungs up the class scale from where the parents started. First, it’s the blessing of being born in the U.S. rather than the country where the parent or parents felt necessary to leave. Legal status by birth is huge, as is growing up either monolingual in English, or better yet, able to speak the dominant language here as well as the language of one’s immigrant group. Santos’ most ferocious henchmen stood by him in early rounds, doubling down on this immigrant line, claiming that he was exactly what Democrats hate: a Republican who shows that hard work alone can overcome all that people face, including a government that does not offer much support. As a party, Republicans in recent decades have become exquisite liars about the true valor of immigrants, while dismissing the troubles they face. Too often, they demonize immigrants for all the nation’s woes – lost jobs, economic uncertainty, crime. Yet immigrants are also put on unsteady pedestals, with the GOP refusing to mitigate the harshness of their lives. English language help, streamlining the immigration process, allowing for more legal entry and work visas – no, the GOP stands against this type of strengthening of our immigrant neighbors. Santos failed the first duty of any child of immigrants. And that is to make the most of the opportunity that your forefathers gave. They are the generation that struggled. They are the generation that suffered. My Mexico City-born father taught me this. At 35, Santos should seek a second act. He needs to stand on his own patch of North America, humbly put in some sweat equity, and begin anew. After all, that is the lesson of perseverance that his immigrant forefathers taught him. Sanchez continued from page 6

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 9 SMART READER November 30, 2023 The misleading headline, “2023 Holiday to Reach Record Spending Levels” from the National Retail Federation (NRF), might lead you to think that the 2023 holiday season will be a smash hit. Before anyone pops the early-holiday champagne corks, investment guru Barry Ritholtz has long noted how flawed the NRF survey has been. He says that there have always been problems with the annual NRF holiday projections, because “the trade group, full of biases, randomly surveys shoppers on what they plan to spend this holiday season, and what they spent last year…With stunning regularity, the forecasts turn out to be wrong.” Even if the actual NRF numbers come to pass, a sales increase of 3-4 percent in 2023 would be the slowest pace since 2019, before the pandemic. So regardless of whether or not NRF hits their target this year, the question weighing on economists and investors is whether consumer spending will pump up or peter out this holiday season. EY-Parthenon anticipates a “moderate” increase in holiday spending this year, “with risks leaning to the downside.” Part of that downside risk is due to some signals from retailers themselves, who are preparing for just a soso season. Some are bracing themselves for the reality that many shoppers have already depleted their pandemic-era savings and are struggling under the weight of high interest rates on their outstanding debt, stillelevated prices, and the resumption of student loan payments. The more downbeat forecasts believe that taken together, these facts could amount to a more muted holiday spend in 2023. Perhaps that is why holiday hiring is off from previous high levels. According to outplacementservices firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, retailers will likely add the lowest number of jobs this holiday season in a decade. One company bucking the holiday hiring trend is Amazon, which announced that this quarter, it would add 250,000 people “in fulltime, part-time, and seasonal fulfillment center and transportation roles in hundreds of cities and towns across the U.S.” The uptick is likely due to the continuing trend of holiday shopping moving from brick and mortar to online. E-Y notes that online sales represented 14% of holiday spending in 2019 and this year, they believe that online sales will represent 19-20% of the total. (Notably, when WalMart reported third quarter earnings results, it said that U.S. e-commerce sales rose 24%, which helped boost overall sales by 4.9%.) Adobe expects U.S. online holiday sales to grow by 4.8% from a year ago, with shopping on mobile devices “expected to hit a major milestone, surpassing desktop and driving over half (51.2%) of all online spending this season.” To combat the pressure on consumers, Adobe anticipates online discounts will hit record highs – “up to 35% off listed prices,” with toys, electronics and apparel leading the way with the best deals. If consumers show up for the holiday shopping season, it could further buoy the overall economy. Third quarter growth, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product, accelerated at an astonishing 4.9% annualized pace. The fourth quarter will not be as strong, with estimates ranging from 0.9 to 2.1%. Even with the deceleration, barring something terrible occurring before the end of the year, it appears that the U.S. economy has successfully avoided a recession in 2023 and grew in line with prepandemic years. As always, consumers hold the key to the question of whether or not a recession is on the horizon for 2024. So far, there is little evidence that the consumer is rolling over and retrenching, which could mean that the much hoped for “soft landing” may become a reality after all. Will holiday spending pump up or peter out? with Jill Schlesinger jill on money Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is a CBS News business analyst. A former options trader and CIO of an investment advisory firm, she welcomes comments and questions at [email protected]. If consumers show up for the holiday shopping season, it could further buoy the overall economy, writes Jill Schlesinger. Are we still talking about inflation? Yes, we are. When the government released the November Consumer Price Index (CPI), it showed progress. The headline CPI tumbled to an annualized pace of 3.2 percent, from 3.7% the month prior. The core rate, which strips out food and energy, edged down to 4%, the smallest increase since September 2021. While those numbers are markedly better than the high print from June 2022 (9.1%), the rate of inflation has not yet returned to prepandemic levels. As a refresher, it was just about two years ago, that critics of the Federal Reserve were squawking that the central bank had to act forcefully to curb inflation. It took until March 2022 before the Fed began its most aggressive rate hike campaign since the late 1970s. Recently, Bill Dudley, the former president of the New York Federal Reserve, gave the Fed a grade of “D minus” for getting a “really late” start on its antiinflation campaign. But after 11 separate actions, which pushed shortterm interest rates from zero to 5.25 -5.5%, Dudley notes that Fed officials have “definitely caught up and are either at or pretty close to where they need to be,” which earns them a grade of “A minus.” That’s not grade inflation (pun intended), rather the upgrade in Dudley’s assessment is due to the fact that Fed actions have helped cool inflation, without pushing the economy into a recession, at least so far. However, because the Fed targets 2% inflation, there is still work to be done. In the parlance of e-commerce, the Fed is now experiencing a so-called “last mile” problem. Last mile was a phrase that was coined to describe the supply chain process, which starts when your order for an item reaches a warehouse. From there, it quickly travels a great distance. But the last mile to your home can prove expensive and disastrous, especially if something goes awry. According to research from Capgemini, “the final leg of the journey where a product lands in a consumer’s hands – is now more significant than ever. A superior last-mile experience engages and retains consumers, with our research showing that threequarters are willing to spend more if they are satisfied with the delivery services.” For the Fed, consumers may not have liked peak inflation, but as CPI tumbled over the course of a year, they seemed willing to move on. But this “last mile” of progress on inflation, from the current level of 3.2% to the Fed’s desired 2%, is impacting how we feel. The preliminary reading of the University of Michigan November Sentiment Index showed that inflation expectations are elevated. Consumers are worried that high prices will stick around at least for another year and also over the longer term. This is worrying to Fed officials, who are monitoring whether those anxieties translate into a change in spending patterns, which at one extreme, could cause a more substantial economic slowdown, as people pull back on spending, and at the other extreme, cause consumers to jump in and buy before prices rise by even more. When Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell spoke at an IMF event on November 9, he said that Fed officials had a “long way to go” before they will get to 2%. “We know that ongoing progress toward our 2% goal is not assured: inflation has given us a few head fakes.” Gita Gopinath, the first deputy managing director at the IMF chimed in and said that while economists are pleased that inflation is “headed in the right direction … this mile will likely be the toughest.” The Fed’s last mile with Jill Schlesinger Fed Chairman Jerome Powell prepares to deliver remarks to the The Federal Reserve's Division of Research and Statistics Centennial Conference on Nov. 8, 2023, in Washington, D.C

10 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 SMART READER NOVEMBER 30, 2023 10 Whatever your holidays look like this year, you can help your brain stay healthy with foods that support brain health. This is a great time to start a new food tradition with immediate family -- since our traditions have already changed in the last few years. There is promising research that nutrition interventions for the holidays and beyond can help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Current research shows that it is dietary patterns -- rather than individual nutrients or specific foods -- that can prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Just what dietary patterns can help? The Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. Choose one -- or combine them -- to help your thinking. A quick primer on the diets: The Mediterranean diet consists of foods traditionally eaten in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, olive oil and moderate consumption of red wine. A whole host of health benefits have been attributed to the diet, such as reduced rate of death, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, as well as protection against cognitive decline, according to an article in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet also has shown promise in improving neurocognitive function. It focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein and low sodium. The MediterraneanDASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND, diet combines the Mediterranean and DASH diets -- with the addition of foods that have been shown to benefit cognitive health, such as green, leafy vegetables and berries. To get the most cognitive benefit from foods, add fish and seafood, green leafy vegetables, berries and olive oil to your holiday dishes. Put them together in a meal and there is a synergistic effect. The bottom line? It's important to think about what you're putting into your body -- even for brain function. Choose healthier foods and even your brain is going to benefit. Q and A Q: Are almonds as healthy as everyone says? A: It appears they are -- in the right portion. In a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, snacking on almonds daily lowered risk of cardiovascular disease by 32%. Study participants were men and women ages 30 to 70 at a high risk for developing cardiovascular disease. After two weeks of eating traditional snacks, participants were divided into two groups. One group at mini muffins for four weeks; the other ate whole almonds. Both snacks provided 20% of daily calories. At the end of the six weeks, the almond snackers lowered their lowdensity lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol and improved endothelial function, two important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian with SIU Med School in Springfield, Ill. food & recipes No More Brain Fog Nutrition News with Charlyn Fargo 1 small eggplant, chopped 1 medium zucchini, chopped 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped 1 medium red onion, chopped 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 2 garlic cloves, diced 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 cup each minced fresh basil, parsley and chives Place vegetables and garlic in an ungreased 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat; fluff with a fork. Transfer vegetables and quinoa to a large bowl. Whisk the vinegar, mustard and remaining oil; drizzle over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with herbs; toss to combine. Serves 8 (3/4 cup each). Per serving: 222 calories; 7 grams protein; 31 grams carbohydrate; 9 grams fat (1gram saturated fat); 0 grams cholesterol; 5 grams fiber; 4 grams sugar, 388 milligrams sodium; 7grams protein. Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables Serves 4 4 ounces (1 cup) frozen cranberries 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup ice 1 pound ground turkey 1 cup panko bread crumbs 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup), divided 1/2 cup mayonnaise, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 brioche buns, toasted 1. Bring cranberries, vinegar, and sugar to boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cranberries just begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and stir in ice. Refrigerate until needed. 2. Combine turkey, panko, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, poultry seasoning, and salt in a bowl. Using your hands, pat turkey mixture into four 3/4- inch-thick patties, about 4 inches in diameter. 3. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Transfer patties to skillet and cook until well browned and burgers register 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes per side. 4. Top burgers with remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack; cover; and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Transfer burgers to plate. 5. Spread remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise evenly over cut sides of buns. Arrange burgers on bun bottoms and use a slotted spoon to distribute pickled cranberries on burgers. Cover with bun tops and serve. Turkey Burgers with Pickled Cranberries

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 11 SMART READER November 30, 2023 Dear Cathy, My sevenyear-old cat is over-grooming to the point of causing bald spots. He did this as a kitten, and then it stopped, so I thought it might be stress related. I see nothing different in his life, though, so I'm at a loss for why he has started to do this again. The only thing I can think of is that I lost my husband 18 months ago, and I am experiencing a lot of stress in dealing with everything on my own. Could he be feeling my anxiety, and if so, how do I help him? — Joan, Glen Cove, New York Dear Joan, I am sorry for your loss. Losing a loved one is never easy for people or pets. Over-grooming is a symptom of stress; so yes, in addition to your cat’s grief over the loss of your husband, he may be feeling your anxiety and grief too. There are several things you can do. First, get a pheromone collar, plug-in, wipes, or spray; the latter two you can use on him and you as well. Spray the pheromones wherever he plays or sleeps – even on your lap, so that he will feel a calmer energy coming from you. Overall, pheromones can sooth him and make him help him feel more secure. Second, you can take him to the vet to discuss putting him on some anti-anxiety medication, which should help with the over-grooming. After he’s kicked that habit, the pheromones can be used as maintenance care to keep him from over-grooming again. Finally, don’t forget the two of you have each other to get through this tough time. So, spend lots of time together. Petting him gently will calm you both. Dear Cathy, We recently lost our 12-year-old English Bull Dog. We also have a sixyear-old old Corgi. Both dogs got along very well. Now the Corgi lays down where the Bully's cage was and looks sad. Is this normal? — Dave, Virginia Beach, Virginia Dear Dave, It's very normal. Dogs grieve when they lose a beloved friend, whether human or canine (or feline, etc.). Depending on a dog's personality, they may appear sad, sleep more than normal, find comfort in a new sleeping spot, eat more or less, and even bark more or less. You know they are grieving because it’s a change in behavior that you have never seen before. Pheromones, like the ones mentioned in the previous question, may help during this time. But also keep him active by taking him for walks and scheduling more playtime to distract him from missing his best friend. Dear Cathy, I adopted a 13-year-old female cat a year ago. Her previous owners said they could no longer care for her. Her medical records were very detailed. However, while reviewing them, I failed to notice that she experienced "inappropriate elimination" (their words), which had been going on for years. She was fine for several months. Then she pooped on the rug. She still uses her litterbox for urinating. She will go for weeks without having any accidents, and then will revert to the rug for a week or so. Her litter box is clean, and I use a fine textured litter, which she seems to prefer. The litterboxes are large and easily accessible. Why does she do this only occasionally? The vet is stumped. He suggested a pheromone collar, which she wears all the time. He thought she might have been traumatized at one point and prescribed mild tranquilizers, but she is a very mellow cat, and I don't want to give them to her. Tests have indicated it is not a medical issue. Other than this, she is such a good cat. Any thoughts? — Ronnie, Huntington, New York Dear Ronnie, Thank you for adopting a 13-year-old cat. Felines three years old and older tend to get overlooked at animal shelters. So, I am impressed by your openness to adopt a senior feline. From what you describe, you are doing everything right. The pheromone collar is a good idea. Pheromones help to create more mellow conditions, which often helps with litterbox issues. While it's difficult to know exactly why your cat does this only occasionally, especially since it's something that she has always done, she could just have some hard stools that are difficult to pass. When that happens, they may shy away from the litterbox. Try giving her an over-the-counter hairball gel weekly, and introduce more water into her diet through wet food or a kitty water fountain. Let me know if you see any improvement. Pet World with Cathy Rosenthal Pets do grieve when they lose a human or animal companion As well as being a recuring guest on Happenings Q&A, Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 30 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to [email protected]. Trying to scare off birds, man accidentally creates a 'god' A new South Wales, Australia, man attempted to keep birds away from his cat's food with a homemade owl sculpture, but "accidentally made a magpie god." Giulio Cuzzilla said he learned that magpies can be deterred with owl sculptures, but he didn't want to spend a lot of money on one, so he made his own out of paper mache and feathers. "I now know it doesn't really look like an owl, but a dead cat rather," Cuzzilla wrote in a comment under his TikTok video. He said the magpies initially seemed to fear his sculpture, but they eventually started to approach it and engage in behaviors Cuzzilla said seemed like "worship." "I accidentally made a magpie god," he wrote. Gisela Kaplan, an emeritus professor in animal behavior at the University of New England, said the magpies in the video aren't actually showing deference to the owl sculpture, they are making territorial calls to try to scare it away. Cuzzilla said the magpie god's reign came to an end when a storm dismantled the idol. He said he has now grown a fondness for the magpies. "When you observe their antics, you can't help but find them quite cute," he wrote. "We even named one of the babies Ricky.. West Allis firefighter helps retrieve pet snake lost inside car A rookie firefighter in Wisconsin came to the assistance of a local resident whose pet snake had gotten loose in the car and slithered up inside the passenger seat. Connor Goetzinger, who just recently marked six months with the West Allis Fire Department, was on duty when a resident drove up to the firehouse seeking help with an unusual issue. "I could tell he was walking towards us, and he was going to ask me a question or a favor or something," Battalion Chief Michael Wright told WISN-TV. "When he came up to me, he was like, 'Hey, I got my snake up in the car. Can you help me get my snake out?'" Goetzinger was called into action and used a vehicle access tool to reach the snake's hiding place. "We kind of used it to tickle the snake and not irritate it but give it some motivation to move," he said. After a few minutes, the snake was reunited with its owner. Loose llama corralled on busy Canadian highway Canada's Ontario Provincial Police and Ministry of Transportation personnel rescued a llama that escaped from its home and ended up running through traffic on a busy highway. The animal was spotted in the northbound lanes of Highway 400 in York Region about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, prompting a response from the OPP Highway Safety Division and MTO personnel. Police shared photos from the capture on social media, initially misidentifying the animal as an alpaca. "'See alpacas go slow' doesn't have the same ring as 'see snow go slow,'" OPP officials wrote. "But honesty, if you see one on the highway, slow down." The llama was returned safely to its owner. 3.5-foot lizard back home after wandering streets A 3.5-foot tegu lizard found wandering the streets of a Texas city was reunited with his family, who said they initially didn't even realize he had escaped. Sylvia Cooper, 31, of Beaumont, said her family's nearly 4- year-old red tegu, named Sylvio, has a favorite hiding place in a closet where his human family members can't reach him, so when he initially disappeared they thought he was in there. Cooper only later learned Sylvio had been found wandering near her home and was being fostered by a reptile dealer in Mauriceville. Sylvio is now back at home, and Cooper said she and her four children were grateful to the passers-by who found him and the reptile expert who took good care of him. Candy bag too sweet to pass up for Colorado bear Wildlife officials in Colorado said a bear went into a parked car to steal a bag of peanut M&M's and left behind a smelly payment in the back seat. Colorado Parks and Wildlife posted a video to social media showing an officer opening a car door to release the bear from inside the vehicle in Littleton. "Get out of here bear! Hey," the officer yells. The officer then filmed the inside of the vehicle, which had been ransacked by the bear. The seats were torn apart, trash was spread everywhere and the animal left a pile of poop behind in the back seat. Officers said the bear was apparently drawn to the vehicle by an unattended bag of peanut M&M's.

12 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 Scammers don't take break for holidays, experts warn While you're chowing down on leftover turkey this year, remember there's someone out there looking to make a turkey out of you. Scammers see the holiday season as prime time to part you from your money. And with advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, readily available, it's easier than ever. Gone are the days when the average person could spot a scam from a mile away. Nowadays, it's easier than ever to fall victim. "Every year cybercriminals are getting more creative to take advantage of consumers, and this year is no different with the rise of AI," Todd Conklin, with the U.S. Treasury Department, said. 'Don't be pressured to purchase an item or pay for a service quickly. Legitimate businesses and people will give you time to decide." It's not just the Treasury Department issuing warnings. Both the public and private sectors are reminding consumers to take off the blinders. A scam for everyone Credit card company Visa said scammers work the hardest during the holidays, between November and January, when online and inperson shopping goes up and people are distracted. Visa's hit list of favorites includes digital and ATM skimming (stealing credit card data from online stores or ATM machines) and phishing (fake emails or websites used to steal information), to name a few. "Crooks prepare all year for the holiday shopping season, taking advantage of increased activity and consumers who let their guard down searching for the perfect gift," Paul Fabara, Visa's chief risk officer, said. Amazon, as well, recently warned of an uptick in two types of scams: The first involves email attachments that warn shoppers their accounts will be suspended without immediate action. Once the shopper clicks the link, a fake website collects all sorts of personal data. The second has scammers calling, texting and emailing Prime members about bogus account issues that can ultimately lead to sensitive information being stolen. "Coming into the holiday with big deals, they send out notices that there's a problem and say contact us to straighten things out. Give us your credit card information or bank account info to verify it," Scott Knapp, Amazon's director of worldwide buyer risk prevention, told CBS MoneyWatch. You're (not) too smart to be scammed For years, consumers have been hit with scams from all sides. Since so many of these scams are obviously fake -- with ridiculous spelling errors, sketchy looking logos and questionable email addresses -- consumers assume they'll be able to sniff out a scam before they get taken. In reality, 36% of Americans have fallen victim to an online shopping scam during the holiday season, a new McAfee study found. The software security company said a new phishing site is created every 11 seconds, and AI is making it harder than ever to tell real from fake. McAfee said many Gen Z'ers and millennials trust online shopping as much as in-person but they're also the most susceptible to holiday scams, with 49% and 65% respectively becoming victims during the holidays, compared to just 12% of those over 50. "With advances in artificial intelligence making it easier to create compelling fake emails, malicious sites and text messages at scale, Americans are experiencing an onslaught of scams this festive season," Roma Majumder, SVP of Product & Design at McAfee, said. Other sneaky ways scammers are reaching victims during the holidays (and other times) include: • Shipping status texts with dubious links • Social media deals advertising wildly low prices • Secret Santa pyramid schemes that require personal information What can you do to protect yourself? Really, there's no magical elixir for avoiding scams during the holidays. Just remain as alert and aware as the rest of the year. A few other tips: • Avoid public wi-fi for shopping • Beware of deals that are too good to be true • Lock down your personal information by freezing your credit • Use a credit card rather than a debit card • Don't rely on caller ID • Use two-factor authorization And remember, "stay vigilant, be proactive, and respond quickly if you are targeted by a scammer or fraud," Conklin, the deputy assistant secretary for the Treasury Department's Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection, said. "If an online deal looks too good to be true, it likely is," he added. "Take time to think, research, and talk to someone you trust," By Amy R. Connolly SMART READER November 30, 2023 12 COMEDY EVENTS 5125 6th Avenue, Kenosha If It’s Not Live, You’re Not Living! If It’s Not Live, You’re Not Living! FOR EVENT TICKETS & MORE ACTS VISIT HAP2IT.COM STOP IN 1420 63RD ST. M-F 10AM-4PM OR CALL (262)564-8800 No Drink Minimum! UPCOMING: DEC 29 & 30 TBA JAN 26 & 27 DR. BILL MILLER • FEB 9 & 10 MR. SHOWTIME SR113023 DEC CHRIS BARNES 22/23 IT’S HIS BIRTHDAY & WE’LL BE SERVING UP A NIGHT OF MEMORABLE LAUGHS & A SLICE OF BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR EVERYONE! MARY MACK/NATHAN “TRICKY” ALLEN DWAYNE KENNEDY DEC 1/2 DEC PATTI VASQUEZ 8/9 DEC NICKY SMIGS 15/16 284K 2019 EMMY AWARD WINNER AWARD WINNING CHICAGO BROADCASTER UPCOMING: DEC 29 & 30 TBA JAN 26 & 27 DR. BILL MILLER • FEB 9 & 10 MR. SHOWTIME NYE Dec. 31

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 Lifestyle of world's oldest dog holds lessons for healthy aging If you have ever cared for a pet dog, it is a sad truth that you are likely to outlive them. So it's no wonder that people may be asking how to increase their pet's longevity following the news that a dog in Portugal lived longer than 30 years. The Guinness World Record Holder of the title of World's Oldest Dog, Bobi, recently died at 31. This is an impressive age for any dog. Smaller dogs typically live longer than larger breeds but the average dog will get to around 13 years old before age inevitably catches up with them. Bobi apparently lived a relatively unrestricted life in the Portuguese countryside, eating the same food as his human caregivers and enjoying free roam of the nearby forestland. His unusual longevity has been attributed to this lifestyle. While there is some debate about Bobi's actual age, his diet and lifestyle, unsurprisingly, has attracted much attention from canine caregivers. There is a lot we don't understand about aging but there are common factors associated with longevity for many species. These factors seem to help increase lifespans in species as varied as the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans, dogs and humans. This suggests that other species can be useful models in helping us understand our own aging process. So, what practical measures can we take to help ourselves and our dogs live as long and healthy lives as possible? Nutritious diet Bobi reportedly ate the same food as his owners. But dogs and humans have different nutritional needs. This means that feeding your dog the same food you eat is unlikely to meet their requirements and could even be dangerous. However, diet does affect aging. In humans, a diet low in saturated fat and high in fruit and vegetables supports healthy aging. For dogs, increased levels of antioxidants support energy generation in the body's cells and aid learning and brain health in older dogs. These include vitamins C and E, and nutrients such as alpha-lipoic acid (found in red meat and organ meats) and L-cartinine (also found in red meat). These nutrients are typically provided in fortified, prepared dog food. If you feed your dog a commercial diet, check it is labeled as "complete." This ensures that if you feed the recommended amount, your dog will be getting all the nutrients at the right levels to meet their needs. Homeprepared dog diets are often deficient in key nutrients, unless they are carefully prepared. Keep active Physical activity is often linked to healthy aging. Studies suggest that dogs living in rural areas and large dogs are more active than their older, smaller and urban counterparts. Interestingly, older caregivers also have more active dogs compared to younger dog owners. Walking is a simple way to support maintenance of a healthy body weight in dogs and their caregivers, leading to mutual health benefits. Age, size, breed, health and other variables will affect the amount of exercise a dog needs. For example, dogs originally bred to work and be highly active, such as collies and spaniels, are likely to need more physical activity (intensity and duration) than toy breeds such as pugs, who might be happy with a gentle wander around the neighborhood. But almost without exception, walking and other activity is good for our dogs. It can also mean that you and your dog are happier, another key factor linked to healthy aging. Healthy body weight Excess body weight is associated with reduced health and lifespan in dogs and people. Research consistently indicates that a degree of calorie restriction and a lean body weight is associated with increased longevity in a range of species. Somewhat paradoxically, photographs of Bobi suggest that he was carrying rather more body weight that would be considered healthy for a typical dog of his size. Regular monitoring of your dog's (and your own!) body weight is a good way to maintain a healthy waistline and support longevity. It is important to know what a healthy body weight and shape looks and feels like for your own dog. Many caregivers fail to recognize what a healthy, lean animal should look like and others underestimate how much excess weight their pets are carrying. With practice, you can become familiar with a healthy body shape by checking that your dog has a defined waistline when viewed from above, that you can feel (but not necessarily see) their ribs and that their abdomen tucks up when viewed from the side. You can use breed specific resources to understand more about the physical shapes of some dogs. Feeding your dog a suitable amount to meet their nutritional needs while maintaining a lean body weight can help reduce the chances they will develop painful and distressing conditions such as osteoarthritis. With some simple dietary and lifestyle interventions, we can make sure our shared lives with our dogs are as happy, healthy and long as possible. Our companion dogs might not reach 31 years old, but we can certainly make mutual longevity an aim.The Conversation By Jacqueline Boyd Bobi was the world's oldest dog at 31. 13 SMART READER November 30, 2023 rhodecenter.org 514 - 56th St. Kenosha rhodecenter.org 514 - 56th St. Kenosha SR113023 SR061622 111623 110923

14 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 ‘Tis the season to shop local! Really though – that sentiment should last throughout the year! Why? You’ll be supporting locally owned businesses that your friends, neighbors, and relatives own. You’ll be putting money back into the local economy. You’ll receive friendly and personalized customer service. You’re more likely to meet the owners – the decision makers who choose the products. They can give excellent recommendations. Numerous locally owned and independent shops can be found in Downtown Kenosha – and in neighborhoods throughout the Kenosha Area! These shops carry apparel, home décor, flowers, plants, pet products, natural health items, jewelry, sweet treats, cheese, vintage furniture, spirited gifts, books, and much more. There are museum gift shops, art galleries, and holiday markets to consider as well! I encourage you to go to VisitKenosha.com/Shop for our curated list of places to shop. Here is just a very small sampling: For pet gifts, check out Feed & Seed (owned by Jerry Smith Farm) and K9 Kibble. Head to Herbert's Jewelers for that special someone in your life. For adorable outfits and more gifts for young children (and parent gifts!), stop at Millie Bo Peep, a boutique on Sixth Avenue. You can even create a gift registry! For artists, sketchers, and those who love to journal or collect pencils, check out The Pencillarium inside Artworks in the Union Park Arts District. New and vintage pencils from around the world are available. You’ll find more than your average #2 pencil here! In addition to a wide variety of pencils, pencil-related items are available including journals, notepads, sharpeners, erasers, and pencil pouches. Outpour Fairtrade Boutique – near Simmons Field – features fair trade home décor and fashion products. Latibule is a cozy art studio and boutique gift store on Seventh Avenue. Fair trade and artisan products are featured. Go on a treasure hunt! At Lulu Birds, find vintage finds, oneof-a-kind furniture, home décor, and unique gifts. Check out Vintage Underground – a vintage, antique, and consignment shop. Gather your friends to shop Downtown on December 14 when many shops (and a few food & beverage places) are participating in the Ladies' Night Out event with extended hours and special discounts. It happens between 5 and 8 p.m. A week later, on December 21, Third Thursdays in Downtown Kenosha happens with special activities, extended hours, deals, and more at participating businesses. For Wisconsin food products and other souvenirs, check out Mars Cheese Castle or Brat Stop. A gift basket from Tenuta's Delicatessen would be a delicious present! Handcrafted gifts, tasty treats, and more can be found at the Merry & Bright Holiday Market – presented by the Kenosha Public Market – on December 2-3 at Kemper Center, as well as at the Kenosha HarborMarket Holiday Market on December 16 at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom. You can’t go wrong giving a gift from To & From Gift Shop (which has sassy gifts!), Coopers Uptown, RK News Hallmark, or Blue House Books. I could go on and on when it comes to what shops are in the Kenosha Area! Also, craft breweries carry packaged Kenosha brews and many restaurants and attractions offer merchandise. And for that hard-toshop-for person? Consider a Visit Kenosha or Downtown Kenosha universal gift card, which can be used at dozens of local shops, attractions, and restaurants. These digital gift cards can be used on a mobile device or printed as a paper certificate; go to VisitKenosha.com/Swag to purchase. Use our website VisitKenosha.com to find fun faster. Go to VisitKenosha.com/Holidays for the Merry & Bright Events Calendar and to VisitKenosha.com/Santa for Santa’s Calendar. Visit Kenosha has been Kenosha’s official travel resource since 1986. Local holiday shopping by Meridith Jumisko, Visit Kenosha Meridith Jumisko is Public Relations Director at Visit Kenosha. Contact her at [email protected] SMART READER November 30, 2023 14 DT2023-4 SR061519 30 GUARANTEED DAY LOWEST PRICE WE WILL MEET PRICE BEAT OR ANY ADVERTISED ON ANY TIRE WE SELL WITH THE PURCHSE OF 4 TIRES FREE LIFETIME ROTATIONS OVER 18 BRANDS INCLUDING BFGOODRICH, BRIDGESTONE, MICHELIN, GOODYEAR & MORE! 262-694-1500 7110 74th PL, Kenosha, WI “Located next to Menards” YOUR CERTIFIED GM SERVICE CENTER... WE USE GENUINE GM PARTS WE ALSO SERVICE ALL VEHICLE MAKES AND MODELS SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN’S LARGEST TIRE DEALERSHIP! $ 20 OFF $ 20 OFF $ 10 OFF 10% OFF Transmission or Coolant Flush PALMEN BUICK GMC CADILLAC Cannot be combined with any other coupons See advisor for details. 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FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 15 SMART READER November 30, 2023 DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 32 and have lived with a congenital heart issue since childhood. I am newly married and would like to have children, but I understand that a pregnancy might be high-risk for me. How does pregnancy affect the heart? And is there anything I can do to reduce my risk for complications if I do conceive? ANSWER: Pregnancy results in many changes that can increase the workload of the heart. During pregnancy, your blood volume increases by 30% to 50% to nourish your growing baby. Your heart pumps more blood each minute, and your heart rate increases. Rapid changes occur during labor and delivery that affect the heart, as well, and further increase the workload. After delivery, it will take several weeks for your body to return to the prepregnancy state. The increased workload during pregnancy and delivery can cause some complications. However, many women who have heart conditions deliver healthy babies. If you have a heart condition, you'll need special care during pregnancy to reduce the risk of complications to you and your baby. Maternal cardiac disease complications occur in about 1% to 3% of all pregnancies. The risks depend on the nature and severity of your heart condition. Because you were born with a congenital heart defect, your baby has a greater risk of developing some type of heart defect, too. You also might be at risk for heart problems occurring during pregnancy and/or premature birth, depending on your specific heart defect. Depending upon your specific cardiac anomaly, a pregnancy can complicate other issues you may have, including: Heart rhythm issues. Minor abnormalities in heart rhythm are common during pregnancy. They're not usually cause for concern. If you need treatment for an arrhythmia, you may be given medication. If you have a history of heart rhythm abnormalities prior to pregnancy and are taking a medication for that, you will need to discuss with your cardiologist appropriate medications to use during pregnancy. If you already have a pacemaker or a defibrillator, you still can have a healthy pregnancy. Heart valve problems. Having a heart valve that does not function normally may complicate pregnancy, depending on the severity of the valve dysfunction. Severe narrowing of the opening of the valves, or stenosis, may not be well-tolerated during pregnancy. If you have had a heart valve replaced with a mechanical heart valve, this poses a particular problem during pregnancy because the oral medication typically required to keep the valve from clotting can affect the development of the baby. There are alternative, injectable blood thinners that can be used during part of the pregnancy, but patients require close monitoring with a specialist throughout pregnancy and delivery. Congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart cannot function efficiently. If the heart cannot function efficiently before pregnancy, it will be difficult for the heart to meet the increased demands of pregnancy, and heart failure can worsen. This can lead to increased swelling, shortness of breath or exercise intolerance. In severe cases, a baby may not grow appropriately, resulting in early delivery. Aortic aneurysm. Enlargement, or aneurysm, of the aorta in women of childbearing age usually is related to a genetic condition, such as Marfan syndrome or Loeys-Dietz syndrome. If you have one of these conditions, you may be at increased risk of further aortic dilatation or aortic complications, such as dissection, during pregnancy and in the weeks after delivery. Managing these conditions during pregnancy may require imaging of the aorta at intervals during pregnancy to see if the size is changing, and medication may be required to reduce stress on the aortic wall. Before you try to conceive, you may want to schedule an appointment with a maternal cardiologist who is experienced in managing heart disease during pregnancy. This would be a specialist who would work in conjunction with the health care professional who will handle your pregnancy. A maternal cardiologist will evaluate your current heart condition, discuss the risk of pregnancy specific to you and your condition, and make recommendations for treatment changes prior to pregnancy. Certain heart conditions should be treated before pregnancy to make the pregnancy lower risk. This can include heart surgery, for example, to treat a heart valve condition such as aortic stenosis. Pregnancy is high risk for women with high lung artery pressures, or pulmonary hypertension, or severely reduced heart function. In these cases, it is advisable to avoid pregnancy. Also, since some medications can affect a baby in the womb, certain medications used to treat heart conditions aren't used during pregnancy. If you need medication to control your heart condition, the specialist can review and make any adjustments. Depending on the circumstances, your dose may need to be modified, or you may require an alternative medicine. It is important that throughout your pregnancy you take the medication exactly as prescribed. Don't stop taking the medication or adjust the dose on your own. During pregnancy, you may be referred to a maternal fetal medicine specialist, which is an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Depending on the circumstances, you also may be referred to a medical geneticist, a neonatologist and an obstetric anesthesiologist to help manage your pregnancy and delivery. Most women with heart conditions can and should deliver their baby vaginally. Cesarean delivery is reserved for obstetrical reasons and rare cardiac complications. — Sabrina Phillips, M.D., Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida Mayo Clinic Successful conception and delivery with a heart issue health Feeling depressed? Some people you know probably are, too Research suggests that more residents of the United States have been diagnosed with depression than those in other countries, and while this may be debatable, a lot of people nationally don't feel very good about themselves. More than 1 in 5 adults in the United States have a depression diagnosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- largely because access to mental healthcare services and treatments is widely available in most areas of the country, said Pavarti Singh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University. That access to care leads to "more acceptance of mental health disorders" in society here, compared with other countries, Singh, who moved to the United States from India just over a decade ago, told UPI in a phone interview. "I can tell you for sure that acceptance and tolerance of mental health disorders is higher here and the stigma is lower comparatively than it is in India, which makes it more acceptable to get treatment -- that's certainly a factor," she said. Even though there are shortages of mental health professionals in some parts of the United States, Dr. Melissa Martinez, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said people in wealthier countries generally have better access to care for disorders like depression than those living in low- and middle-income countries. One federal program, Medicare, has boosted the statistics for people who say or act like they are depressed. That's because in many parts of the United States, and for most patients, the annual Medicare wellness exam includes screening for depression. Martinez, who has developed a free online screening test for depression to assist physicians in diagnosing the condition, says the more screening, the more people can be helped. "I am a big proponent of mental health screening in primary care and other physical health settings, and this has been started to be implemented, [which] is necessary," she added. Given that the numbers are high, "It's hard to definitively say what is causing higher rates of depression in the United States," UCLA psychologist Lauren Marlotte said. "However, we do know that as we become less active, less socially connected, have poorer sleep and are more stressed, we are at higher risk for depression," said Marlotte, assistant director of training for the Nathanson Family Resilience Center within the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Although data for some countries is lacking, it's likely that depression actually is more common in regions of the world that face political conflict and widespread poverty, but these areas lack healthcare professionals and facilities to diagnose and treat these cases, Ohio State's Singh added. Social and health factors National averages indicate that about 20% of people age 18 years and older have been diagnosed with depression at some point, and as many as 1 in 3 are dealing with the condition in some parts of the country, CDC data shows. By state, West Virginia has the highest prevalence for the disorder, at 28%, while California, at roughly half that rate, has the lowest, agency figures indicate. Some of these regional disparities may be linked with socioeconomic factors, Hundreds of clinics may be using false and misleading statements in online advertising to sell off-label and unapproved ketamine -– an injectable, short-acting anesthetic -- to treat mental health conditions and pain story continues on next page

16 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 SMART READER November 30, 2023 16 Having hidden belly fat in midlife is associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, new research indicates. The research is being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago. Visceral abdominal fat, which has been linked to Alzheimer's, is the fat surrounding the internal organs deep in the belly. Researchers found that this hidden fat is related to changes that occur in the brain up to two decades before the earliest memory loss symptoms of Alzheimer's appear. It is important to understand the role of this hidden fat plays in contributing to low-grade inflammation and potentially Alzheimer disease, Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, the lead author of the study, told UPI via email. "Hidden fat in the belly is related to the earliest changes of Alzheimer's disease in the brain up to 25 years before symptoms, worse in men than in women," said Dolatshahi, a postdoctoral research associate with Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "This highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and regular physical activity to prevent obesity and the accumulation of hidden belly fat." More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association, based in Chicago. By 2050, this number is projected to swell to nearly 13 million. At age 45, the lifetime risk of getting Alzheimer's is 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 10 for men. For this study, researchers analyzed data from 54 cognitively healthy participants, ranging in age from 40 to 60 years old, with an average body mass index of 32. The participants underwent glucose and insulin measurements, as well as glucose tolerance tests, according to a news release. The volume of subcutaneous fat -- fat under the skin -- and visceral fat were measured using abdominal MRI. Brain MRI measured the cortical thickness of brain regions that are affected in Alzheimer's disease. Positron emission tomography, or PET, was used to examine disease pathology in a subset of 32 participants, focusing on amyloid plaques and tau tangles that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease, the release said. Other research has linked BMI to brain atrophy -- decrease in size or wasting away -- or even a higher dementia risk. However, no previous study has associated a specific type of fat with the actual Alzheimer's disease protein in cognitively normal people as early as midlife, Dolatshahi said. "This crucial result was discovered as early as midlife, when the disease pathology is at its earliest stages and potential modifications, like weight loss, are more effective and cost less," she said. Heather Snyder, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, who was not involved in the study, told UPI in a telephone interview that this research explores "what might be the mechanism -- the biology -- that is tying obesity and BMI to this risk" of memory changes. "Although it was a relatively small study, this type of work is so important to laying the foundation to better understand the linkages of belly fat and later life risk of cognitive decline," said Snyder, who has a doctorate in molecular biology with a focus on neuroscience. She added that "there are many studies like this that any of us could be a part of. We should all consider participating in a research study." Dr. Steven Wengel, a professor and geriatric psychiatry division director at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, told UPI in a telephone interview that this "intriguing" and "novel" study fits in with other accumulating evidence about important lifestyle risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. "We know that body fat can lead to increases in inflammation, and inflammation has been associated with Alzheimer's disease," he said, adding, "It's certainly a reasonable thing to recommend that middleaged people who are overweight lose weight on general principle, and if it reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease, it's icing on the cake." However, Dr. Richard Dupee, chief of geriatrics at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told UPI in a telephone interview that "there's no relationship between being overweight and developing Alzheimer's. The greatest risk for developing Alzheimer's is age." He added that this study "might be a good first step," in connecting the dots between excess weight's potential to promote inflammation leading to Alzheimer's. "But we need a much more rigorous study with a lot more patients." The results of this research should be interpreted with caution because it's a pilot study with few participants, Dr. John A. Batsis, an associate professor in the division of geriatric medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine, told UPI via email. Even so, "it provides some clues that visceral fat (belly fat) may lead to changes in brain volumes and imaging measures that could be indicative of Alzheimer's pathology," Batsis said. "Engaging in a healthy lifestyle to reduce this risk and decrease the degree of visceral fat is likely to reduce one's risk. This means controlling other risks that can be modifiable like high blood reassure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol," he added. "The public health concern of Alzheimer's is a real one. While conducting long-term studies is difficult, we need additional data." By Susan Kreimer Hidden belly fat in midlife linked to Alzheimer's disease, research indicates “Hidden fat in the belly is related to the earliest changes of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain up to 25 years before symptoms, worse in men than in women,” said Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, of the Washington University School of Medicine according to Texas Health Science Center's Martinez. Household incomes in California are about 50% higher than those in West Virginia, for example, based on data from World Population Review. "Social stress in general, financial stress and job stress are all factors that can drive an increase in depression symptoms," Martinez said. Better access to healthcare also may be a factor in seeing large numbers of depression diagnoses, with higher concentrations of doctors and hospitals in densely populated areas, like much of California, than in rural ones, such as many parts of West Virginia, she said. Having less access to care can contribute to poorer health, and, in turn more reports of depression. For example, between 40% and 45% of adults in West Virginia are severely overweight, while that figure is between 20% and 25% in California, CDC data shows. Research has tied obesity, which raises the risk for diabetes, heart disease and other physical health problems, with an increased risk for depression, according to the agency. "Physical and mental health conditions are linked, and individuals with physical health conditions are at greater risk for depression," UCLA's Marlotte said. "Unfortunately, depression also increases your risk of physical health conditions because it impacts your immune system." Racial disparities may also be factor, she said. Although rates of depression remain higher among White adults in the United States, at 21%, than Black and Hispanic/Latino adults, at 16% and 15%, respectively, according to the CDC, those latter figures have increased in recent years, she said. "We are seeing more depression in women and young adults as well as Black, Indigenous, People of Color so we cannot ignore the impact of racial and social injustices experienced in our country historically and particularly in the past couple of years," Marlotte said. "Race-based stress absolutely impacts mental health," she said, citing racial disparities in healthcare nationally. The prevalence of depression nationally has also increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when it was below 19%, according to the CDC. "We have all experienced increased social isolation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a risk factor for depression and other health consequences," Marlotte said. "As we become less active, less socially connected, have poorer sleep and are more stressed, we are at higher risk for depression," she said. Depression globally The pandemic may help explain why up to 30% of adults in the United States reported being diagnosed with the mental health disorder in a Gallup poll released in May. Still, that same Gallup survey found that just 19% of adults globally have been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety, two conditions that are linked with each other. That gap is much narrower than the one seen between the CDC figures and those of the World Health Organization, which estimate global prevalence of the disorder at just under 4%, and it isn't necessarily a sign that depression is more common here, though, Ohio State University's Singh said. "It may simply be a case of who has access to psychiatrists and doctors who can make diagnosis," she said. "There is an element of better screening," Marlotte said. "I am a big proponent of mental health screening in primary care and other physical health settings, and this has been started to be implemented, [which] is necessary," she added. In addition, some research suggests that depression is being over-diagnosed in some areas of the United States, particularly in wealthier communities, according to Singh. Adding to the confusion is that depression is typically based on patients "selfreporting their symptoms," she added. "There is no blood test for depression, like there is for diabetes, for example. "So, it's possible more people here are reporting depressive symptoms to their doctors." By Brian Dunleavy Depression continued from page 14

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 17 SMART READER November 30, 2023 books Absolution, by Alice McDermott Alice McDermott delivers a powerful novel of American wives stationed in Saigon, South Vietnam, with their husbands in 1963, shortly before the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. Nearly 60 years later, two of the women try to sort out what happened and whether they did the right thing. Above the Salt, by Katherine Vaz Katherine Vaz’s satisfying multigenerational saga follows Portuguese immigrant John Alves and his lifelong soulmate, plantswoman Mary Freitas, from 1840 Madeira through late 1910s America. Filled with poetic flights and freewheeling prose, the tale packs in thwarted love, the tug of family, the waste of war, and the satisfactions of art. The General and Julia, by Jon Clinch The general at the helm of Jon Clinch’s affecting novel is none other than Ulysses S. Grant; Julia is the practical, perceptive young woman he marries. As the story shifts between Grant’s arduous final days penning his memoirs and scenes from his life as war hero and president, a portrait emerges of realization, regret, and newfound humility. How To Build a Boat, by Elaine Feeney To connect with his mother – a swimmer who died when he was born – a sensitive boy dreams of building a boat. The vessel will take him away from the bullying at school. Elaine Feeney’s honest prose pilots this creative boy and his whole Irish community toward renewal. The Good Part, by Sophie Cousens Lucy Young’s 20-something London life bums her out with its cringey dates, self-centered flatmates, and dead-end job. When a wish to “get to the good part” comes true, Lucy wakes up in midlife with a husband, children, and a high-powered career. Sophie Cousens’ rom-com portrays the confusion and delights of confronting one’s future. The Liberators, by E.J. Koh Korean American memoirist and poet E.J. Koh’s exceptional debut novel is full of delicately crafted snapshots of Korean history and the Korean diaspora. Spanning four generations, this epic gracefully embraces themes of colonization, loss, and immigration. The Porcelain Maker, by Sarah Freethy In 1940s Germany, a young couple – the woman a German Christian artist and the man an Austrian Jewish architect – decide to separate for safety. When the architect is snatched up and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, he is fortunate to be assigned to the camp’s porcelain factory. His figurines serve to connect his family across time. Sarah Freethy’s impassioned storytelling captures life in wartime while highlighting loyalty and the deep bonds of love. American Vikings, by Martyn Whittock Were the Vikings the first Europeans to arrive and settle Moscow’s Metropol Hotel served as a ‘gilded cage’ for Western journalists When the German army invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the USSR and Britain became instant, if unlikely, allies. Relations between the two nations had been frosty: After World War I, Britain sent combat troops to Russia to fight the Soviets during the Russian Civil War. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had publicly denounced the Soviet Union for a long time, but he needed Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s armies to take some of the pressure off British forces. Churchill had to build public support for his decision to send war materiel to Russia when British troops still faced shortages. He believed that assigning British and American reporters to cover the conflict would help toward that goal. Stalin had a visceral dislike of democracies and a free press in general and of Churchill in particular. But Stalin’s survival depended on receiving military aid quickly, so he had no option but to agree. So it was that Western journalists found themselves on the first supply convoy to the USSR in August 1941. In The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, The Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin’s Propaganda War, Alan Philips offers a compelling description of how this marriage of convenience worked out. Engaging and fast paced, the book is based largely on an examination of secondary sources, because the official Soviet records from World War II have not been completely released. Philips explains that the journalists were sequestered in the legendary Metropol Hotel. Built near the turn of the century, it had been “witness to the seminal events of Russia’s tempestuous twentieth century history.” (Fans of Amor Towles’ novel “A Gentleman in Moscow” will recognize the Metropol as the hotel where the fictional Count Rostov lived under house arrest.) By the early 1940s, the hotel had fallen on hard times. It had a “louche reputation” and was known as a place to “hoodwink influential foreigners.” The journalists were, in theory, able to file stories, and were well fed and lived lavishly compared with most Soviet citizens. But they were given very little information, forbidden to interact with the populace, prohibited from shopping in Soviet stores, and subjected to heavy-handed censorship. Even the rare trips to visit “battlefields” were useless. According to Philips, “They never got close to the front and the censors’ blue pencil struck out any information of interest to their readers.” While the reporters fumed at being so brazenly managed, the demand for news about Stalin and the Soviet Union was so insatiable in the West that they were forced to play the game. Their newspapers made a sensation of even the smallest morsel of news. One writer was favored with “an interview” with Stalin. In reality, he got nothing more than two short and meaningless written answers to questions submitted ahead of time. But his paper in London treated it as a major scoop. Philips notes that given Stalin’s desire for the Allies to open a second front in Western Europe, it is odd that he did not use the media to build further support for his armies. While some of the journalists in Moscow are well known, such as Margaret Bourke-White, Philips focuses on lesserknown journalists who left extensive records. One reporter who plays a starring role is Charlotte Haldane. A committed Communist, she convinced a conservative British newspaper to send her to Russia because her party membership would guarantee her access to officials and maybe even get her an interview with Stalin. But she was shocked by what she found in Moscow. The poverty, harsh conditions, and limits on personal freedom under which ordinary citizens labored completely altered her views. Upon returning to Britain, she renounced her party membership. Philips also documents the role of a small number of Soviet women who acted as secretary-translators for the journalists. They were all working for the secret police, something the reporters would surely have known. Most were fanatically loyal to the regime but a few – at great personal risk – shared candid information about life under Stalin’s rule. After the war ended, some of the Western reporters published books based on the information they had gleaned from their assistants. Several of the women and their family members – their loyalty now suspect – were sentenced to long prison terms in the gulags. Philips draws together the varied accounts, illuminating daily life in the USSR during the war. It’s quite an achievement, as there are so few records from ordinary citizens. While the writing is vivid and captivating, the book would have benefited from tighter editing to reduce some repetition and to create a smoother storyline. “The Red Hotel” feels timely, although it details events from 80 years ago. As Philips notes, current Russian leader Vladimir Putin is exercising control over the media comparable to that of Stalin. The West today has a far more complete picture of the conflict in Ukraine. But not the Russians. It’s a reminder that, as Aeschylus noted some 2,500 years ago, “in war, truth is the first casualty.” By Terry Hartle In the 10 best new books, humility changes lives in the Western Hemisphere? It’s a long story that involves a little factual evidence and plenty of myths and legends. In this engaging book, Martyn Whittock analyzes what we can and cannot say for sure about the Vikings’ explorations as well as their deep, abiding presence in American culture. Gator Country, by Rebecca Renner Florida native Rebecca Renner delivers an engrossing account of wildlife officer Jeff Babauta’s two-year stint as an undercover agent for Operation Alligator Thief. The sting led to the arrest of 11 alligator poachers in the Everglades in a single day. Renner blends fine storytelling with Florida history, local lore, nature writing, and personal anecdotes. In the Shadow of Quetzalcoatl, by Merilee Grindle Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933) was the first anthropologist to accurately decipher the Aztec calendar stone. In this first published biography of the pioneering social scientist, Merilee Grindle examines the then-new field of anthropology, which employed few women. She explores how Nuttall’s dogged research contributed to our understanding of the history and culture of ancient Mexico. By Bev Potter

18 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 The US government stole Lakota land. Her Jewish family benefited It is ironic that author Rebecca Clarren’s Jewish ancestors, driven from Russia by brutal pogroms, ended up settling in the American West on land taken from Native Americans by violent force. As she sets out to examine in The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance, her family benefited from policies that encouraged hundreds of thousands of people of European ancestry to move west and claim Native American land. Clarren has reported extensively on the American West. Her book grew from a desire to understand, and possibly redress, the role her family played – directly and indirectly – in the denial of land rights to Native Americans. She took to heart advice from Abby Abinanti, chief justice of the Yurok Tribal Court and a former judge for the California State Superior Court. Judge Abinanti advised her to look into what Jewish tradition teaches about repairing harm. Clarren writes, “She told me that, if I was lucky, eventually some Lakota might trust me enough to share their own cultural concepts of contrition, for how to make something right after you’ve done a wrong.” The judge told her, “Every culture has experience with being wrong, with finding a way forward.” The book delves into the author’s wrestling with history, acknowledging harm, and seeking a path toward healing. Clarren grew up hearing stories of how her relatives found new opportunities in the West at the turn of the 20th century. Like many immigrants at the time, they received 160 acres from the government, property they could keep if they could turn the wild prairie into farmland. The author writes, “Only after years of reporting in Indigenous communities did it dawn on me” that the acreage her ancestors were given, and which they expanded over time, had been home to members of the Lakota tribe for thousands of years. Clarren began asking questions about what happened to the Lakota people before her family arrived. She researched firsthand Native American accounts of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, in which U.S. Army troops killed several hundred mostly unarmed Lakota men, women, and children. She interviewed presentday residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation, who attested to generations of harm that continues to affect their lives. Clarren’s discoveries illustrate a repeating pattern of loss and tragedy for the Indigenous communities, in the face of President Andrew Jackson’s official declaration in 1834 that the prairie land west of the Missouri River would be “Permanent Indian Frontier.” For example, in 1877, a gold-laden landscape called He Sapa – known today as the Black Hills – was taken as U.S. property by means of an untranslated, convoluted treaty. The treaty was signed by the Lakota under coercion, which included threats of cannon fire and the withholding of food rations. When members of the tribe protested the illegal nature of the agreement, they were told by Indian Office bureaucrats that they “couldn’t pursue a claim of wrongdoing without Congress passing a law allowing such action.” In the 1920s, the mountains that are sacred to the Lakota community were carved with the faces of four U.S. presidents and became Mount Rushmore. The Lakota people have long argued that the land was confiscated illegally and should be restored to them. In the 1920s, lawyers for the tribe filed suit, and in 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government owed the tribe $104 million for taking the land. But the Lakota rejected the settlement on the grounds that the land was never for sale. (The money was put into a trust, and the tribe has not touched it, on the grounds that acceptance would legitimize the government’s theft.) The tribe continues to call for the return of the territory. The legal battle for the Black Hills continues, one of the longest-running legal battles in American history. Clarren’s book concludes with possible roads for healing. She points out that the practice of public truthtelling that appears in Jewish tradition is similar to Lakota customs. It’s a way of calling forth accountability and initiating repair. Clarren’s research has now blossomed into a grassroots effort with the Indian Land Tenure Foundation to help Indigenous nations buy back their lands. In looking to the future, she writes that although “to wait for federal leadership on this issue is to delay justice indefinitely,” there’s hope that “Congress could be spurred to action if enough citizens lead by example.” By Hannah Fish PRINT & E-BOOKS NONFICTION PRINT & E-BOOKS FICTION 1. Iron Flame (Yarros) 2. Fourth Wing (Yarros) 3. The Edge (Baldacci) 4. System Collapse (Wells) 5. The Little Liar (Alborn) 6. The Exchange (Grisham) 7. The Narrow Road Between Desires (Rothfuss) 8. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (McBride) 9. Resurrection Walk (Connelly) 10. All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr) 1. Friends, Lovers, and the Big... (Perry) 2. The Woman In Me (Spears) 3. My Name is Barbra (Streisand) 4. My Effin’ Life (Lee/Richler) 5. Killers of the Flower Moon (Grann) 6. Tired of Winning (Karl) 7. Ghosts of Honolulu (Harmon/Carroll) 8. Prequel (Maddow) 9. The Wager (Grann) 10. Elon Musk (Isaacson) NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERS Hack your fridge: Delicious meals with less waste The old proverb “Waste not, want not” has renewed meaning and urgency in the kitchen, as more cookbook writers emphasize a key reason for reducing kitchen waste: the future of the planet. Beyond eating local and in-season produce, eliminating food waste has become the latest culinary step in reducing emissions. This isn’t hyperbole. In the United States alone, 30% to 40% of the food supply is wasted each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s more than 125 billion pounds of food a year that goes uneaten, according to some estimates. Further, if waste ends up in plastic bags bound for the landfill, it could take years to break down. A head of lettuce in a garbage sack, for instance, could linger as a glob of slime through the time it takes a child to grow and graduate from college. The methane gas that builds up from such food waste contributes to rising global temperatures. In October, government officials from 18 U.S. states urged the Environmental Protection Agency to phase out food waste disposal in landfills by 2040. At this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, which runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 12, food waste will be a priority. So, what can a home cook do? This season’s roundup of cookbooks provides tips, encouragement, and tasty recipes to inspire new mindfulness in the kitchen. Hand-holding for newbies Since commercial kitchens and restaurants are enormous contributors to food waste, one way to slow the tide of garbage is to cut back on dialing Uber Eats and start cooking at home. For beginner cooks, Jeremy Scheck offers simple dishes in Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes With a Side of Science. The author began cooking for himself in college on a shoestring budget. He first posted his recipes on a blog, but when he was sent home from school in March 2020, he switched to TikTok under the handle @scheckeats. And that’s where Scheck found an eager audience of people also stuck at home with nothing to do. His videos of simple roast potatoes garnered more than 20 million views. “Cooking Smarter” is a carefully curated collection of his favorite recipes, with ideas for avoiding things like a cabinet full of one-use spices (read: waste). And that bottle of maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes; it’s also flavoring for salad dressing, a sweetener in muffins, and a glaze for roasted vegetables. Scheck has your back, too. He provides guidelines to boost confidence in a short chapter, “Don’t Poison Yourself: Food Safety 101,” that includes tips for storing and freezing leftover food. Another simple conservation step: Don’t bother to peel those carrots, apples, and potatoes. It may sound like basic advice, but that’s perfectly OK for newbie cooks who also like to scroll TikTok. Scheck’s humor will keep readers laughing as they, yes, cook smarter and learn the secrets to create mom’s roast chicken. Fresh produce to the fore Everyone has forgotten items lurking in the fridge and cupboards, and even if they aren’t filling landfills now, they soon will be. Max La Manna can help you change that with You Can Cook This! Simple Everyday Recipes From What’s Left in Your Fridge. He explains how to determine if your food is still safe to eat and how to save time story continues on page 18 SMART READER November 30, 2023 18

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 Hack your fridge: Delicious meals with less waste and money by shopping in your own kitchen. But first, get organized. La Manna explains how to store perishable, semiperishable, and staple foods to maximize their shelf life. He advocates purging your fridge every two weeks, specifically those back corners. A diagram shows which shelves in your fridge should store leftovers (top shelf) and where to tuck butter and cheeses (top shelf of the door). Since fresh foods are the quickest to turn bad, La Manna offers several helpful pages in the index for storing staples like potatoes, squash, leafy greens, herbs, fruit, and dairy. He also encourages using the whole vegetable, such as in pesto made from carrot tops, broccoli stems, or other wilting greens. His recipes will satisfy more adventurous eaters while also pleasing the eye. An example is the colorful ribbons of carrots and beets bathed in a tahini balsamic vinaigrette. La Manna, who has a strong social media presence, folds in analytics to endorse his recipes. Would you believe 4 million viewers? Then check out his crowd-pleasing tofu butter “chicken” recipe. Chinese American fusion Reduced waste is good, but no waste is better. Boston sisters and business partners Margaret Li and Irene Li level things up in Perfectly Good Food: A Totally Achievable Zero Waste Approach to Home Cooking. That’s right, zero waste. Before you think that means eating garbage, the Li sisters will demonstrate the joy to be found in running a kitchen so efficiently your fridge will hum with happiness. The awardwinning Lis have operated food trucks and restaurants, and written cookbooks all with an eye toward a more sustainable food system. This cookbook, designed to teach and entertain the home cook, is based on their website “Food Waste Feast.” It’s written in a voice that sounds like your bestie and is brought to life with illustrations by Iris Gottlieb, which add humor and color. A few tips that will change your kitchen life: create an “eat me first” box in your fridge to keep the most perishable ingredients front and center, view expiration dates with an open mind, learn how to compost like a champ, and understand the difference between the vegetable crisper and fruit crisper. “Hero recipes” in the vegetable and fruit section emphasize flexibility and creativity while avoiding additional trips to the grocery store. The Lis are wizards of Chinese American fusion food, so it’s no surprise that pickling, stir-frying, and Asian-inspired recipes are recurring themes. With so much good information and recipes to absorb in this cookbook, you will turn to it again and again. Tasty and artful leftovers Even experienced cooks will find something to learn from Tamar Adler’s “The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z.” This should join the reference shelf in your kitchen as a comprehensive guide to assembling any mismatched array of food into something artful and memorable. Adler, who has an impressive résumé of cooking in the kitchens of Prune and Chez Panisse in addition to being an accomplished food writer, has captured her kitchen wisdom in more than 1,500 recipes. The book is helpfully organized into sections on vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dough and noodles. So you’ll know exactly where to turn for a recipe that uses wilted radicchio, for example. In this case, sauté the radicchio with olive oil, garlic, and beans, then top with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Ponder her lyrical musings while you breathe in the steam of savory stock broth as it simmers. In the introduction to the section on meat and tofu, she writes, “If we each bowed sometimes, in sight of our children, before ingredients as humble as animals’ feet, it might teach useful lessons about how to treat our fellow beings.” Despite her culinary pedigree, Adler hangs her oven mitts in a typical home kitchen. In the snacks section, you’ll find uses for stale cereal and snacks, such as the Fried Rice Cheeto Salad (yes, you read that right). Under “Oreos, stale,” Adler states simply, “Let’s be honest. Oreos are good stale.” By Kendra Nordin Beato continued from page 17 19 SMART READER November 30, 2023 REMINDER: PLEASE RESUBMIT AD TO RUN FOR EACH ISSUE. Maximum 3 Listings Per Person. MISC MODEL TRAIN SWAP Meet. Sunday, December 17, 9am To 1pm. Kenosha Union Club, 3030 39th Ave. For More Information Call Bill @ 262-331-0392 G E R M A N CONVERSATIONALIST GROUP - KENOSHA/RACINE If you speak German or are enthusiastic about the German language and culture, come and join us. There are no membership fees and attendance is whenever you are available to join. Meetings will be held in the Kenosha and Racine area. This is an excellent group to practice speaking German as members' language skills are from beginners to advance and we all have a good time. Please contact me if you are interested in joining - Susan Blust at [email protected]. LIONS CLUB BINGO Come have some fun! Doors open at 4:00. Raffles, pull-tabs and pregames start at 6:45. Bingo 7:00-9pm. Wednesdays. 2700 9th St., Schlader Building, Winthrop Harbor. Food Sales. FOR SALE Sears sewing machine. Model 1750. Zig zag. All attachments included. $99.00. Joan Pucazo 262-656-6048, Kenosha, WI 53140 [email protected]. BRAND NEW MEN'S CAPS: Milwaukee Brewer cap $10; Badgers cap $22. Call or text your interest to 262-902-5663. CHRISTMAS TREES: FAUX Christmas Tree $100; Ceramic Christmas Tree $50; Faux Christmas Tree $5. Many Christmas Items. Just inquire by calling or texting 262-902-5663. WINTER SPORTS: Women's ski pants $25; Women's ski pants $60; Women's Salomon SX52 Lady ski boots $235; Women's Downhill skis $140; Tingley Men's Medium Size Rubber Over The Shoe Boots $10; Men's Boots$10; Jeep Jacket $200; Boy's Figure Skates $10; Men's Figure Skates $10; Cross Country Ski Poles- 2 pairs $10 each; Men's Snow Pants $10. Call or text 262- 902-5663. Snow Blower 24” Like New 262-771-7860 Beer Cans For Sale 262-694-7573, Leave A Message. Crystal round platter 12 inch diameter $10.00 perfect condition Great for the holidays 317-764-7662 BEADS. Boxes and boxes Of New Beads. All Sorts And Sizes. $49.00 For All. Phone 262-657-6049 CHILDREN'S ITEMS: Vintage Riding Wonder Horse-$100; Eddie Bauer Beach Sport Bag With Many Sand Play Toys Included-$8; Speedo Dive Snorkel And Mask (Unopened) $15; Mini Indoor Basketball Hoop- $3; Plastic Kitchen Toys- All For $2; Many Legos- All For $3; Star Trek, The Motion Picture Vhs SeriesAll 8 Tapes-$25; Many Toys (Call With What You Are Looking For!) Call Or Text: 262-902-5663. Sports Items: Pinnacle Sports Bbb Baseball Quadcore Technology Baseball Bat With Lizardskin Grip- $25; Men's Bike Shorts-$2; Men's Brewer Cap (Gently Worn) $10; Men's Badger Cap (Never Worn)- $22 (Regularly, $30); Men's Golf Jacket (Worn Once)-$5; Men's Nb Tennies-$5; Kelsyus Inflatable Beach Mat With Mesh Backpack Bag- $20; Indoor Golf Training Aid- $3; Speedo Mask & Snorkel (Unopened)- $15; New Golf Balls- $2; Softball-$3. Call Or Text 262-902-5663. Winter Items: Women's Elan 763 Downhill Skiis-$200; Women's Ski Pant-$25; Women's Edelweiss Ski Pant-$60; Salomon Sx52 Lady Ski Boots-$235; Men's Figure Skates- $10; Boy's Figure Skates-$10; 2 Pair Cross Country Ski Poles $10 Each; Men's Snowpant-$10. Call Or Text 262-902-5663 Two Bicycles, Schwinn $100 OBO and Autobike by CSA, 6-speed $175 OBO Call 262-654-6485 Please leave message M&M Stand, large, new $60 Kewpie Doll, original $15 Rockwell Plates $10 each Air Fryer, new $50 Call 262-771-8764 VINTAGE TOYS- Many toys from the 1970s such as Sesame Street; some from the 1980s such as Tonka. If you are interested, please, call or text 262-902-5663 to find items and price BASEBALL CAPS- Brand new Badgers Cap for $22 bought for $30 plus tax; gently used Brewers Cap for $10 bought for $20 plus tax! Call or text 262-902-5663 MEN'S FOOTWEAR-New Balance Tennis Shoes gently worn $5; Tingley over-the-shoe Boot never worn $10. Both fit a size 91/2 foot. 262-902-5663 Save 50% ON Burial Plots! Private Owner Of Two (2) (Side By Side) Section H Sunset Ridge Memorial Park Kenosha, Wi. Dont’ Pay $11,390.00... I’ Selling For $5,695.00 Obo! (262)914-5977 Ed Barbie doll, remote control corvette, that fits two Barbie dolls, about 25 in long x 10 in wide, best offer. Other small auto models available from classic days. Ron 847-340-3446. Beanie Babies - large inventory, includes McDonald's line, price varies. Call 262-654-6485 - please leave message Sony Reel To Reel Tape Decks! TC-630 & TC-580 $200 OBO for both. Call Kent 262-960-0621 [email protected] Two side-by-side burial plots at Sunset Ridge Memorial Park, section H, privately owned. Willing to negotiate on price. Please call Ed - 262-914-5977 WANTED. Experienced Grill Cook Flexible Hours, Fun Atmosphere. Lakeside Deck At The Wyndham Hotel Call Kim 262-496-7182 Singer and narrator wanted for Roger Miller tribute.Call 262-554- 8205. Ask for Marv. STREET PAVER BRICKS wanted Please call 262.697.3545 and leave a message. WANTED TO BUY: Vintage Movie Posters, Comic Books, LP Records, Vintage Toys, Horror VHS, Horror Memorabilia, Science Fiction Pulps & Magazines, Video Store Promotional Items. PH 262-237- 0318. WANTED TO BUY: Old Post Cards, B&W Photos, B&W Photo Albums, Vintage Advertising, Old Hunting Licenses & Advertising, Scrapbooks, Old Misc.Paper, Old Automobile Advertising, Fountain Pens, Gillette Razors & More. Local Collector/Neutral Safe & Secure Site to meet if desired. Cash Paid. Call or Text Stan 262- 496-1822 ARCADE DRIVERS SCHOOL is looking for classroom & driver instructors. Starting pay $17.00 per hour. If interested please call 262-637-9193 or email us at [email protected] LOOKING FOR NURSES Aid for in home care. Call Barbara 262-455-3953 SERVICES. “Tax Preparation & Advisory Services. 20+ Years Experience. Virtual Or In-Person. For Appointment Call Or Text 262-496- 2208. I Will Do Seamstress Work, Run Errands, Do Shopping & Dr. Appointments., Etc.If Interested Please Call Gayle At 262-748-4748 I'M LOOKING FOR house to share for reasonable rent in exchange for household needs for a senior vet consideration. 847-340-3446 Ron. Kenosha/Union Grove area. LAWN MOWING SERVICES Reliable lawn care services in Kenosha & Pleasant Prairie. call/text 262-914-9796 [email protected] TAX & MEDICARE EXPERT. Appointments only. Se Habla Español. 262.833.7070 CHINESE LANGUAGE / CALLIGRAPHY LESSONS: Fun, fascinating and very cool. Beginning and advanced - all ages! Text Dr. Tim at 520.704.3832. FOR RENT Finished Suite private, in-home entrance, in Kenosha. For details call between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, 262-843-1630. DRUM LESSONS Private instruction. Band, orchestra, marching and drum set. Rock and many other musical styles. Learn to read music. Call Tom for details. 262-818-2869. PROFESSIONAL LED TEETH WHITENING for a fraction of the price! $99 at cabana tan spa. call to book: 262-843-2411. 20 minute session = a bright white smile! mycabanatan.com NURSING CARE /CONSULTATION: $35.00/hour. Call or text to (262)758-1974 FAST COMPUTER SERVICE including network support, spyware removal, upgrades and PC repair. For friendly service with a smile, call Vikkex today! Phone 262-694-7746 BABYSITTING YOUNG LADY good with kids can watch 1 or 2 children call 262-620-4745 House cleaning woman + a bucket - reliable, dependable. Also clean vacant houses. Call for estimates - Sandy 262-221-2289 Houses And/Or Business Sun Shine Klean Is Having A Special This Month For First Time Customers Free Upholstery Cleaning With At Basic Cleaning For Only $39.95 262-287-5103 CNAS TO JOIN wellness team at Barton of Zion, five star assisted living. Send resume [email protected] apply within at 3500 Sheridan Road Zion, IL 60099 847-872-1500 FREE HOME HEATING Fuel Oil Removal I will remove your unused home heating fuel oil for free..clean and safe . Inquire about tank removal also ... 262 818 1967 ..ask for Dave TYPING. I am an experienced legal secretary with excellent typing skills wanting to type for you at home. Please contact Alicia at 2 5 6 - 6 5 8 - 4 4 8 4 . VEHICLES0 1994 Nissan Leopard J Ferie similar to the Infiniti J30 Asking $8500 OBO Low miles and very good condition Text 808-359-8474 with questions SEE IN KENOSHA At 4121-7th. Ave. 53140 Russ 262-237-1343 Call Or Text. Awd 190k Miles 3 Row Seating $9495 3.5 Liter 6 Cly 2003 soft tail Harley Davidson 18000 miles $5000 worth of chrome added in 2006. Perfect condition Asking $7500 Call Lloyd at 262 694 7359 or 262 515 1366. Located In Pleasant Prairie 95 CAMERO convert green/tan top. many newer parts best offer will trade for other vehicle, negotiate price. 847-340-3446 Ron - dealers welcome to participate. 1997 Jaguar XK8 Convertible 75K in great condition Contact Bob: 262-484-4848 or text 262-945-9224 1973 FORD F250, Camper Special2wd,California Original, Rebuilt Motor/Trans, Auto, Ac, New Interior, Can Send Pics. $13,500 Obo. 630-945-8320. 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA See In Kenosha At 4121-7th. Ave. 53140 262-237-1343 Russ Call Or Text 212k Miles $2950 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN See In Kenosha At 4121-7th. Ave. 53140 Russ 262- 237-1343 Call Or Text Nice Car At A Nice Price $5450 174k Miles . FREE CLASSIFIEDS! E-mail your 170 character classified to: [email protected] Please include your contact information in the classified. (Name and Phone number / e-mail address) First 3 words will be boldface type. NO ANIMALS. • NO PERSONALS ALLOWED. CLASSIFIED DEADLINE IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 AT 12 NOON FREE CLASSIFIEDS! Employment/Opportunities • Lost & Found • Miscellaneous Real Estate • Rentals • Rummage Sales • Vehicles • Wanted

20 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 SMART READER November 30, 2023 20 health lifestyle community Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center news November 30, 2023 Your Kenosha ADRC Update Celebrating Family Caregivers In celebration of National Family Caregivers Month, the Kenosha County Caregiver Coalition recently treated local caregivers to an appreciation luncheon at Gateway Technical College. More than 40 caregivers signed up for the free Nov. 15 program, which included lunch catered by the Village Pub in Silver Lake, door prizes, and a program featuring support information for caregivers. Respite care, offered in a separate room to give the caregivers the opportunity to take in the program, was provided by members of the Caregiver Coalition and Carthage College nursing students. Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman presented a proclamation in honor of Family Caregivers Month, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices of those who provide care for others affected by illness, injury or disability. “They are truly angels among us,” Kerkman said. Memory Café Memory Café is a place for persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment, early-stage Alzheimer’s, or related dementia, and their care partners to socialize and have fun. Join the Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center’s Dementia Care Specialist, Susan Johnson the second Tuesday of every month, 1-2 p.m. The next meeting will be on December 12, 2023, Kenosha Southwest Neighborhood Library, 7979 38th Avenue. Registration is required for new members. Call the ADRC at 262-605-6646. Local caregivers and others line up for lunch at an appreciation event that the Kenosha County Caregiver Coalition hosted in celebration of National Family Caregivers Month. County Executive Samantha Kerkman presents her proclamation in honor of Family Caregivers Month during a recent luncheon hosted by the Kenosha County Caregiver Coalition. Pictured, from left to right, are Caregiver Support Coordinator Margaret Ricchio of the Kenosha County Aging and Disability Resource Center, Kerkman, and ADRC Dementia Care Specialist Susan Johnson. Some of the caregivers among the audience at a recent appreciation luncheon that the Kenosha County Caregiver Coalition hosted in celebration of National Family Caregivers Month

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 21 SMART READER November 30, 2023 Differences between Medicare & Medicaid Medicare Minute presentations are offered monthly by the Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center. These free programs provide information on a wide range of Medicare topics. December’s Medicare Minutes will focus on the differences between Medicare and Medicaid. The program will be offered virtually on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, from 10 – 11 a.m. Medicare Minutes are developed by the Medicare Rights Center as a State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) National Technical Assistance Center service. The Medicare Rights Center is a national, non-profit consumer service organization. They are one of the SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) National Technical Assistance Center partners. To participate and for reservations call the ADRC 262-605-6646. A Zoom link will be provided. In-person or Virtual Caregiver Coffee Club ADRC offers support group for those caring for someone with dementia Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) offers a support group to help family caregivers who care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other form of dementia. Join others engaged in helping their loved ones manage day to day living. Relax, chat and learn helpful tips and strategies. The Caregiver Coffee Club meets the first Wednesday of each month from 10-11 a.m., the next meeting will be on December 6, 2023. The support group is available in-person or virtually. Facilitated by Susan Johnson, Dementia Care Specialist with the Kenosha County ADRC. To register call 262-605-6646. Be a Volunteer Guardian! Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity? You could be a Volunteer Guardian! The Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center provides training for community members to advocate in health, welfare and/or financial issues for vulnerable adults. Volunteers are then court appointed as the legal decision maker. The program provides training, support and on-going assistance for the volunteer guardian to successfully and capably perform their responsibilities. In as little as one hour each month, you can positively impact the quality of life of an at-risk adult. For more information or to apply, call the ADRC at 262-605-6646. Someone in Your Life has Dementia A Roadmap for Care – Now offered virtually and in-person The Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center offers a regularly scheduled educational program, Someone in Your Life has Dementia: A Roadmap for Care. The presentation is for anyone caring for an individual living with a form of dementia and will be offered every other month, with the options for both virtual and in-person meetings. Dementia is a general term used to describe memory loss and the impaired ability to process information and make decisions which interferes with daily life. There are many subtypes of dementia, with Alzheimer’s Disease being the most common form, followed by Vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal degeneration, mixed dementia and others. Dementia is not a part of normal aging; however, 50 million people worldwide are living with some form of this syndrome. Susan Johnson, Dementia Care Specialist with the ADRC, has developed and will facilitate this new presentation. Johnson has a master’s degree in Gerontology and has a passion for improving quality of life for caregiving families. She offers hope and understanding to caregivers, as well as those living with dementia. The presentation will help prepare and guide caregivers, while building confidence for the road ahead. It will address common caregiver concerns, such as: • Whether recently diagnosed or not, what do you need to know about caring for someone living with dementia? • How do you know what to expect and what your person needs, as the disease progresses? Someone in Your Life has Dementia: A Roadmap for Care, will be offered virtually and in-person, the second Wednesday, every other month, noon – 1 p.m. The next class will be offered on December 13, 2023. For more information and to register, call the ADRC, 262- 605-6646. Your Kenosha ADRC Update MENU FOR SENIOR DINING CURBSIDE PICK UP AT VILLAGE PUB (Menu Subject to Change) Meals are offered for a suggested donation of $4.00 PER MEAL ($8.00 PER DAY PER PERSON). Open to anyone age 60+ and a regardless of age. Reservations must be made by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning for Wednesday lunch and 10:00 a.m on Thursday for Friday lunch. Call 262-358-5779 to make your reservation. Please pick up between 11:30 ± 1:00. All Participants Receive 2 Meals each Day (1 Hot & 1 to Heat/Eat Later) Friday, Dec 1st Wednesday, Dec 6th Friday, Dec 8th Wednesday, Dec 13th Herb Roasted Pork Cho Au Gratin Potatoes Vegetable Medley Applesauce Italian Beef Sand/Provolon Whole Grain Chips Carrot Raisin Sala d Pudding Cup Herb Roasted Pork Chops Au Gratin Potatoes Vegetable Medley Apple Sauce Meatloaf Mashed Potatoes/Gra Vegetable Medley Mea tball Stroganof Salad Jello/Frui t Bosco Stick Cheeseburger Cassero Roasted Squash/Brusse Sprouts Fresh Fruit Lasagna Garlic Bread Broccoli Tropical Fruit Cu Cheese Ravioli Lettuce Salad Garlic Bread Pudding Cup Friday, Dec 15th Wednesday, Dec 20th Friday, Dec 22nd Wednesday, Dec 27th Chicken Sandwich/Grav Mashed Potatoes Carrots Fresh Fruit RoastTurkey Mashed Potatoes/Gravy Green Bean Casserole Jellied C ranberries Closed Roasted Pork Loin /Gravy Mashed Sweet Potato Mixed Vegetables Beef Panini w /Provolone Seasoned Potato Wedges Broccoli Salad Fruit/Yogurt Cheese Tortellini Al Ceasar Salad Tropical Fruit BoscoStick Closed Spaghetti& Meatballs Broccoli Jello Cup/Fruit Toasted Garlic Brea Friday, Dec 29th Meal 1 Friday, Dec 29th Meal 2 Closed Closed

22 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 SMART READER November 30, 2023 22 Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans Kenosha County offers free assistance Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment Period ends December 7. It’s an important time of year for those on Medicare to review current coverage and see if any changes are needed for the coming year. Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plan details often change every year. Sorting through all the options to find the right plan for prescriptions can be confusing but Benefit Specialists at the Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center can assist. There are four basic reasons to check your plan: • Your plan may cost more next year • Your plan may no longer cover all your medications • Your plan may have put restrictions on some of your medications • You may be taking different medications now ADRC Benefit Specialists offer objective and reliable information and assistance. There is no charge for this service. The Benefit Specialists do not sell or endorse any insurance plans. Benefit Specialists at the ADRC are trained to carefully review current coverage and compare plans with other options based on medications and other details. Benefit Specialists also check to see if beneficiaries qualify for programs or benefits that can save money. The last class in the series will be offered at the Southwest Neighborhood Library, Rm. A 7979 - 38th Ave., Kenosha, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Your Kenosha ADRC Update Light Up Your Holiday Season with a Lake Geneva Santa Cruise As the sun sets and lights turn on for the evening every holiday season in Lake Geneva, passengers on the Lake Geneva Cruise Line Santa Cruise are treated to a magical tour of holiday light displays on the way to Santa’s Hideaway. This year’s candythemed Santa Cruise delivers sweet holiday fun for all ages and runs now through December 30. The Lake Geneva Santa Cruise lights up the holiday season for kids and adults from beginning to end with greetings from jolly characters, historic boats decked out with twinkling lights and filled with holiday music and cheer, and live narration of the story of your journey to Santa’s secret lakeside hideaway as you enjoy the variety of lighted displays along the shore. During the 40-minute Santa Cruise, family and friends are kept cozy in enclosed and heated boats as the excitement builds to see Santa’s hideaway where he and Mrs. Claus enjoy some rest and relaxation before Christmas Eve. Children are amazed as the cruise comes to a halt and Santa emerges to wave and read off all of the children’s names on the nice list. This year’s adult-only cruises are one hour long and include holiday trivia and karaoke. The Santa Cruise departs from Lake Geneva Cruise Line’s winter harbor located in Williams Bay at Gage Marine and Pier 290 restaurant (1 Liechty Drive) after ticket holders have had a chance to enjoy a stroll through Santa Cause’s Christmas Tree Festival. The Festival features trees creatively trimmed by local non-profits and opportunities to purchase raffle tickets to win incredible prizes. Patrons may also visit Santa’s bar to enjoy festive beverages that may be brought aboard the cruise. Tours run the day after Thanksgiving through December 30 (no tours 12/24 and 12/25). Regular date tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors ages 65 and older and $12 for children ages 4 – 17. Prime date tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors and $18 for children. Children 3 and under are free. Purchase tickets early at santacruiselakegeneva.com.

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 23 SMART READER November 30, 2023 A couple weeks ago, a one-time check for $90 from the Social Security Administration showed up in my checking account. I wasn't totally sure what that was all about, but I had a pretty good idea. Today, I got a letter from the SSA telling me all about the check, and it turned out my guess was right. I'll share more about that mystery check in a minute. But first I want to explain to my readers why I got a check first and an explanation a couple weeks later. And by the way, I'm not alone. I've received quite a few emails from readers telling me that an odd amount of money from Social Security landed in their bank accounts and they were wondering what it was all about. And I told them to just be patient and wait a week or two and they'd get an explanatory letter from the SSA. Why does it happen that way? Why does a letter of explanation come so many days late? It's really not a great mystery. And it's not "typical government incompetence," as one reader told me. It's simply that electronic fund transfers can happen almost instantaneously, whereas a physical letter takes a while to prepare and mail. In other words, once the SSA figured I was due some extra money, they pushed a few buttons and a check was on its way to my bank account. And then after those buttons were pushed, someone at the SSA had to prepare a letter explaining what was going on, then that letter had to go through the SSA's mailroom and then to the U.S. Postal Service and finally to my mailbox. And all of that took about 10 days or so. Over the years, some readers have remarked to me that the SSA should time the delivery of the check to coincide with the delivery of the letter. I remember many years ago, while I still worked for the SSA, being involved in meetings where that issue was discussed. And SSA officials decided that it was best to get the money out to people as fast as possible (it's their money, after all) and live with the consequences of a delayed letter of explanation. So anyway, what was my extra check for? Well, that's what the rest of this column is all about. I got a little boost in my Social Security because my 2022 earnings were finally factored into my benefit formula and it turned out those earnings caused a small increase in my monthly benefit. My monthly benefit went up by about $10, and the $90 check was paying me that extra 10 bucks retroactively to January 2023. Some seniors who continue working after they go on Social Security get an increase in their benefits, and some don't. To understand whether the earnings you have and the taxes you pay after you start getting Social Security will increase your benefits, you have to understand how Social Security retirement benefits are figured in the first place. Simply stated, your Social Security retirement benefit is based on your average monthly income, indexed for inflation, using a 35- year base of earnings. So, when you initially filed for benefits, the Social Security Administration looked at your entire earnings history. Then they adjusted each year of earnings for inflation. The inflation adjustment factor depends on your year of birth and varies from one year to the next. Here is just one example. Fred was born in 1949. And let's say that he made $7,000 in 1970. When figuring his Social Security benefit, the SSA multiplied that $7,000 by an inflation adjustment factor of 6.58. In other words, instead of $7,000, they actually used $46,060 as his 1970 earnings when figuring his Social Security benefit. (There are different inflation factors for each year of earnings and for different years of birth.) After the SSA indexes each year of earnings for inflation, they pull out your highest 35 years and add them up. Then they divide the total by 420 -- that's the number of months in 35 years -- to get your average monthly inflationadjusted income. Your Social Security benefit is a percentage of that amount. The percentage used depends on a variety of factors too complex to explain here. But for the purposes of this column, we don't need to know the precise percentage. Suffice it to say that for most people, their Social Security retirement benefit represents roughly 40% of their average inflationadjusted monthly income. So, when you are working and paying Social Security taxes after you start receiving Social Security benefits, those additional taxes you are paying will increase your monthly Social Security check IF your current earnings increase your average monthly income. In other words, if your current annual income is higher than the lowest inflation-adjusted year of earnings used in your most recent Social Security computation, the SSA will drop out that low year, add in the new higher year, recalculate your average monthly income, and then refigure your Social Security benefit. My case is a little different. Because I worked for the federal government almost all my life, and paid into the civil service retirement system and not Social Security, my Social Security record is filled with a lot of "zero" earnings years. So any income I have now (when I am paying into Social Security) will replace a "zero" year and slightly boost my Social Security check. But for this column, let me use a more typical example of someone who worked and paid Social Security taxes his or her whole career. Let's go back to Fred whom I mentioned earlier. And let's say the $7,000 he made in 1970 was the lowest year in his current Social Security computation. And let's further say that he made $35,000 last year. Fred might assume that because $35,000 is much higher than $7,000, he should get an increase in his Social Security checks. But remember, the SSA didn't use $7,000 in his benefit calculation. They used the inflationadjusted amount of $46,060. Because Fred's current earnings of $35,000 are lower than the low year of $46,060 used in his Social Security retirement computation, the additional earnings do NOT increase his average monthly income, so Fred's Social Security benefit will not go up. On the other hand, had Fred's current earnings been $70,000, for example, that would increase his benefit. The SSA would replace his low year of $46,060 with the new higher year of $70,000, recompute his average monthly wage and refigure his benefit. Then, like me, one day he would notice some extra money from Social Security in his bank account. And a couple weeks later, he'd get a letter telling him what I just explained to you in this column. social security What's That Check For? with Tom Margenau If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the answer. Contact him at thomas.margenau@comcast. net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. Tom Margenau joins Happenings Q&A on Thu. Dec. 14th at 10:20 on AM1050 WLIP. and you

24 SMART READER March 23, 2023 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 Dear Amy: My daughter and granddaughter are coming to spend 10 days with us over the Christmas holidays. I am dreading the visit because my 3-year-old granddaughter is unable to be around others without being the center of attention! If adults try to have a conversation she interrupts continuously, and if she has nothing to actually say, she just makes loud noises. It is beyond irritating. I try not to interfere with my daughter’s parenting, but I’m not sure how to survive 10 days of this, when even brief phone calls with the two of them make me crazy. Any advice? – Sad Grandma Dear Sad: It is extremely common for 3-year-old children to want to dominate their primary parent’s attention. Children learn not to do this through a combination of repeated reminders and distractions: “The adults are speaking to each other. You are interrupting. If you have something to say, you need to wait your turn.” You can also ask a 3- year-old to do a “job” for you, folding dish cloths or towels on the floor, sorting wooden spoons into different boxes, stacking blocks, or putting their favorite toy “to bed” in a shoebox. Ten days is a long visit; the holidays are highly charged and exhausting for children and their parents, and you should count on having your daughter’s full attention only during your granddaughter’s afternoon nap time and after she is asleep at night. You would not dread this visit so much if you reframed your orientation: This will not be a mother-daughter visit between you and your daughter, but a Christmastime visit with your granddaughter. I hope you will find ways to bond with this little girl that will make this visit memorable for both of you. Gentle corrections, reminders, and activities will help the child. Relaxing your expectations will help you. Dear Amy: When our son and his wife announced their pregnancy (our first grandchild) it was at an event held at her folks’ house. They announced that her mother was going to be a grandmother for a fourth time, completely leaving us out and never mentioning us, even though we were there. Later, we had a talk with them. We told them that we were upset about how the announcement was made, but we understood that they didn't mean to hurt us. We asked them to please keep in mind that their child will have two sets of grandparents. They seemed genuinely stunned and were very sorry. We forgave them, moved on, and never mentioned the episode to anyone. Her mother became more distant and cold toward us. It seems that our daughter-in-law related this episode to her mother. A few months later, when the kids announced the baby's name, it was again a showcase only on her parents. We were not acknowledged. I must have looked hurt. Her parents then exploded at us, threatening violence and calling us narcissistic. They said very mean and nasty things, and mocked me for being hurt. She told me that I would have “Hell to pay” if I ever corrected her daughter again.  This played out in front of other people, who were just as stunned as my husband and I were. Now they completely ignore us. We are no longer invited to family gatherings, changing the whole dynamic of our two families. Importantly, since the baby’s birth, our son and daughter-in-law are very inclusive. They have been very kind to us throughout. I actually feel like we are closer than we were before, even though we have never talked about what happened. We don't want to put them in the middle. I'm wondering if we should try to talk to her parents about this, or should we leave it be? – First-time Grandparents Dear Grandparents: Kudos to you and your son and daughter-in-law for handling this exclusion issue immediately and respectfully. Your honesty and discretion seems to have set this important relationship on a positive course. In terms of the other in-laws, if you can think of a legitimate or pressing reason to risk their wrath, then go ahead and wade in. But avoiding rude and volatile people is a natural and protective instinct, and steering clear is a logical consequence of their behavior toward you. You might, however, ask your daughter-in-law if she would like for you to attempt to reach out to her parents for any reason. In my view, this is not putting her in the middle of anything, but is showing her that you are sensitive and respectful. She might actually prefer keeping these bullies away from you, at least for now. Dear Amy: This seems minor, but here goes: My granddaughter is 11. She is spunky and smart. Precocious. Recently, she stayed with my husband and me for a few days. It was really a lot of fun. However – she was using her phone fairly constantly to film things, including us (of course), and our pets. Harmless stuff and I didn’t mind at all. Well … then I learned that she was posting a lot of these videos on TikTok. I learned this because she showed us. I was not happy about this – at all – and I sat with her and asked her to delete all of the videos she had posted that were filmed at our house. I watched as she did this. She’s upset, and my husband disagrees with my choice. Neither of us can decide whether to tell her mom (our daughter). – TikTok-ed Off Dear TikTok-ed Off: You did the right thing. Your granddaughter needs to learn about privacy and consent. She also should not have a TikTok account (until she is 13). Yes, you should talk to her parents. They might not even realize she has an account. Their daughter is old enough (and probably clever enough) to create and post a feature-length film. However, she is not old enough or mature enough to understand concepts like risk, privacy, and consent. This is how she will learn. ask amy Grandmother dreads Christmastime visit You can email Amy Dickinson at [email protected] or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook. seniors edition SMART READER November 30, 2023 24 5125 6th Ave. Kenosha The Holidays will never be the same when Pat McCurdy brings his ugly Christmas Sweater Celebration to the Wyndham. It's Pat McCurdy For the Holidays 113023 FOR EVENT TICKETS VISIT HAP2IT.COM STOP IN 1420 63RD ST. M-F 10am-4pm OR CALL 1-262-564-8800 Dec. 16th at 7:30pm Employment Opportunities Advertising Sales/ Event Promotions Graphic Designer We’re looking for a self starting, motivated individual who would like to join our team where no two days are alike. You will call on ad clients, help us plan events as well as assist with the operation of a successful comedy club. Qaam1050WLIP & Delivery Driver Looking for a part-time graphic designer that is familiar with Apple computers & has knowledge of design programs such as QuarkXpress & Adobe Photoshop. Must be available Wednesday afternoons & Thursday mornings plus have own vehicle & auto insurance. For the above three positions, please send your resume to [email protected] 113023

FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800 25 SMART READER November 30, 2023 Senior Citizens Receive a 10% DISCOUNT SR121720 GGlloriaoria && JJaayy Our Family has been serving great food and offering warm hospitality here for 50 years. Yes, it’s true the building is for sale... but we are absolutely here to serve you well into 2024. Please stop by & cozy up to the fireplace for a delicious meal, or give us a call to book your next gathering or holiday party! The Tradition Continues - 090723 112323 Your Ticket to Local Events wyndhamhotels.com • Kenosha Harborside 5125 6th Ave., Kenosha • 262-658-3281 HOTEL HT2021 GATHERHERE!! FAMILY COMING FAMI TO VISIT? LY COMING TO VISIT? HAPPY HOLIDAYS! It would be our privilege to host your friends and family at our beautiful lakefront hotel. We offer an indoor pool, fitness room, hot breakfast and on weekends access to our lobby bar and live entertainment including the Kenosha Comedy Club!