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April 2, 2026Volume 24 - #7WILL A RECENT LANDMARK VERDICT CHANGE THE FACE OF SOCIAL MEDIA? SR COVER.qxp_Layout 1 3/31/26 4:53 PM Page 1Visit us at 3016 75th St., KenoshaThankful for the expertise and guidance, so needed during our loss.James K.SR121825

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3 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800The global push to ban social media for kidsJimmy Kakanis surprisedhis Australian classroomwith an unusual pop quiz. Heposed a single yes-or-noquestion to his teenagestudents: Are you still usingsocial media?In December, theAustralian Parliamentbanned popular apps such asTikTok, X, and Instagramfrom hosting users underthe age of 16. It was the firstsuch law in the world.Legislative bodies in Africa,Asia, Europe, and theAmericas are now activelypursuing similar action.But in the shire town ofMurwillumbah, just akangaroo hop from the GoldCoast on Australia’s easternedge, Mr. Kakanis’ studentshad shrugged off the socialmedia ban. Only three teensout of 25 had any of theiraccounts disabled. Two wereon Snapchat and the otherwas on Instagram.“The rest had foundworkarounds,” says Mr.Kakanis, a proponent of theban, via email. “The studentswho had their accountsdisabled waited a while, thenmade new accounts withease.”News reports suggestthat this particular group of14- and 15-year-olds arehardly the only ones torebel.Even so, Australia’s socialmedia ban kicked off adomino effect, starting awidening regulatory push torestrict social media accessfor minors.Polls show broad supportfrom parents. JonathanHaidt’s 2024 bestseller “TheAnxious Generation,” whichhas been translated into 44languages, has convincedmany readers that socialmedia is “rewiringchildhood” in harmful ways.Rather than a “play-basedchildhood,” he argues in thebook, children have movedto an unregulated andaddictive “phone-basedchildhood.” Citing a numberof international and nationalstudies, he argues thatexcessive screen timediminishes children’simagination, teaches them toexpect constant stimulation,and creates harmful socialenvironments, among otherills.The issue is also showingup in high-profile courtcases.In Los Angeles, a 20-yearold woman sued YouTubeand Meta, which ownsInstagram. The plaintiffclaimed that she becameaddicted to their feeds as achild and that this was asignificant factor with hermental health. LastWednesday, a jury ruled inher favor. In anotherlandmark lawsuit, the stateof New Mexico alleged thatMeta violated consumerprotection laws bymisleading users about thesafety of its platforms,thereby enabling childexploitation. The state wonthat case on Tuesday.For politicians, the bansare a vote-winningproposition. Yet Australia’sexperience reveals that it isdifficult to make suchmeasures work in practice. Ithas also fueled debates overwhether a technocratic fix isadequate to addresssomething as complex as themental health and safety ofchildren.“Governments aremoving faster probably thanthey have the evidence tosupport that age-gatingworks,” says RamshaJahangir, a senior editor atTech Policy Press, whohelped compile a GlobalSocial Media Age RestrictionTracker. It found more than40 countries moving towardregulatory approaches.The move to blame socialmedia for teens’ woes hasbeen widespread, with thoselike Mr. Haidt positing thatonline platforms are toodangerous for many kids. Hehas more recently pointedto Meta’s internal research,made publicly availablethrough lawsuits, as proof ofInstagram’s deleteriouseffects on teens.It was Mr. Haidt’s bookthat influenced a powerfulpolitician in Australia tokick-start the country’s banon social media for teens.Critics of “The AnxiousGeneration” argue that, intrying to make the case thatsocial media harms teens, itmistakes correlation forcausation. “The data wasn’tthat good,” says Will Dobud,co-author of “Kids TheseDays: Understanding andSupporting Youth MentalHealth.”Smart Reader is published bi-weekly by Carmichael CommunicationsEditor & Publisher/Frank J. Carmichael • Assistant to the Publisher/Reanna Stockdale Sales/Kim Carmichael, Madison Giannini • Reception/Sarah Coleman Ad Design & Layout/Glen Kelly, Dylan Valenta, Francis Flex • Editorial Manager/Jason HedmanCarmichael Communications 1420 63rd St. Kenosha, WI 53143April 2, 2026Volume 24 Number 7262-564-8800 • 1-800-568-6623 •www.hap2it.comstory continues on page 4lanmwfuSatovicoThjuGinpl$6sindr$3a trThMinroNinaspechlicactescquvechmevcoawnopesinansawquMsigwchdecearsoscplhathalrmInYoopbeCNasthmArJury finds Meta, YouTube liable in landmark social media addiction caseA California jury has foundMeta and YouTube liable fornegligently designingaddictive social mediaplatforms that harmchildren, in a landmarkverdict that could havelasting implications for thetech industry.The Wednesday verdictmarks the first timetechnology companies havebeen found liable for creatingaddictive online products,amid increased scrutiny ofthe industry and a wave oflitigation.\"This jury saw exactlywhat we presented from thevery first day of trial: thatthese companies built digitalspaces designed to negativelyinfluence the brains ofchildren, and they did it onpurpose,\" Mark Lanier, leadtrial counsel and founder ofThe Lanier Law Firm, said ina statement.\"The evidence showedthat Meta and YouTube knewtheir platforms werehooking children andharming their mental health,and instead of fixing theproblem they keptdeveloping features tomaximize the time kids spenton their apps. Now a juryhas told them that is notacceptable, and you are beingheld accountable.\"UPI has contacted Metaand YouTube for comment.The verdict follows aseven-week trial centered ona now-20-year-old plaintiffknown to the court by herinitials K.G.M., who testifiedthat her use of Instagram,owned by Meta, andYouTube, an Alphabetproduct, from a young agecaused her to developanxiety, depression, bodydysmorphia and suicidalthoughts.During the trial, shetestified that the platforms'addictive design features,including algorithmgeneratedrecommendations, beautyfeatures and pushnotifications caused hersevere mental harm.\"[The plaintiff] put ahuman face on what thesecompanies have known foryears: that their platformswere engineered to hookyoung users, and that thechildren most vulnerable totrauma were the ones theywere most effectivelyreaching,\" Rachel Lanier, colead counsel and managingattorney of The Lanier LawFirm's Los Angeles office,said in a statement.In its verdict, the juryfound Meta 70% responsiblefor the harm the plaintiffsuffered and YouTube 30%responsible, and ordered theMark Zuckerberg-ownedtech behemoth and Google'svideo-sharing service to payher a combined $6 million,half for compensatorydamages and half for punitivedamages.Of the punitive damages,Meta is to pay $2.1 millionand YouTube $900,000.This was the first trial in amuch larger consolidatedcase involving more than1,600 plaintiffs seeking tohold social media companiesresponsible for the harmthey suffered from usingthose products.\"This is a major victory forthe public, for social mediausers and for child safety,\"Libby Liu, CEO of nonprofitlegal organizationWhistleblower Aid, told UPIin an emailed statement.\"Each successful lawsuitpaints a crystal clear pictureshowing that Meta is notabove the law and can andshould be held accountable.\"The verdict came down aday after a New Mexico juryfound Meta liable formisleading consumers aboutthe safety of its products,ordering the company to pay$375 million in civil penaltiesfor violating the state'sconsumer protection laws.During the trial, stateprosecutors showed thatMeta's design featuresenabled predators to engagein child sexual exploitation,while demonstrating thatMeta intentionally designedits platforms to addict youngpeople.Following the verdict inLos Angeles County, NewMexico Attorney GeneralRaul Torrez, a Democrat,celebrated it as \"anothercritical step toward justicethat puts Meta and other bigtech executives on noticethat they cannot evaderesponsibility for designchoices that jeopardize childsafety.\"\"We will seek courtmandated changes to Meta'splatforms that offerprotections for kids,\" he saidin a statement.The rulings come as moreattention is being paid to theeffects social media has onyouth, resulting withAustralia in Decemberbanning those under the ageof 16 from social media,while other countries areconsidering similarrestrictions.By Daryl CooteSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:49 PM Page 2

4 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800klonsnttrtd,edal4Within 48 hours, the legallandscape governing socialmedia and children shifted inways that will take years tofully understand and verify.On March 24, 2026, aSanta Fe jury ordered Metato pay $375 million forviolating New Mexico'sconsumer protection laws.The next day, a Los Angelesjury found Meta andGoogle's YouTube negligentin the design of theirplatforms, awarding almost$6 million in damages to asingle plaintiff.The dollar figures aredrawing headlines, but a$375 million penalty againsta company worth $1.5trillion is a rounding error.The award is less than 2% ofMeta's $22.8 billion netincome in 2025. Meta's stockrose 5% on the day of theNew Mexico verdict,indicating how the marketassessed the effect of thepenalty on the company.Fines without structuralchange are more akin tolicensing fees thanaccountability. As atechnology policy and lawscholar, I believe thequestion of whether theseverdicts will produce realchanges to the products thatmillions of children useevery day is moreconsequential than the juryawards.The answer is not yet, andnot automatically. A financialpenalty does not rewrite asingle line of code, removean algorithm or place asafety engineer in a role thatwas eliminated to protect aquarterly earnings report.Meta and Google havesignaled they will appeal,with First Amendmentchallenges to the productdesign theory the likelycentral battleground.The companies' lawyersare likely to argue, withsome justification, that thescience linking the design ofplatforms to mental healthharm remains contested, andthat the companies havealready implemented safetymeasures. In the meantime,Instagram, Facebook andYouTube will continue tooperate exactly as they didbefore the verdicts.Consumer protectionMost coverage framing theNew Mexico verdict casts itas a child safety case. It isthat, but it also presents amore technically significantdimension: a consumerprotection claim grounded inallegations of corporatedeception. New MexicoAttorney General RaúlTorrez did not sue Meta forwhat users posted, butinstead sued Meta for itsfalse statements about itsown platform safety,employing a novel legalapproach.For three decades, Section230 of the CommunicationsDecency Act has shieldedinternet platforms fromliability for contentgenerated by their users.Courts have interpretedSection 230 immunitybroadly, and many earlierattempts to hold platformsaccountable for child harmhave foundered on it.The New Mexicocomplaint, filed in December2023, was drafted withexplicit awareness of thisobstacle. It asked a singlequestion: Did Metaknowingly lie to NewMexico consumers aboutthe safety of its products?The jury's answer was yes,on all counts, and its verdictrested on three distinct legaltheories under NewMexico's Unfair PracticesAct.The first wasstraightforward deception:Meta's public statements,ranging from CEO MarkZuckerberg's congressionaltestimony claiming researchabout the platform'saddictiveness wasinconclusive to parentalguidance materials thatomitted known risks ofgrooming and sexualexploitation, qualify asrepresentations made inconnection with acommercial transaction.Users pay for Meta'splatforms not with moneybut with their data, whichMeta then converts intoadvertising revenue. NewMexico successfully arguedthat this data-for-servicesexchange constitutescommerce under the state'sconsumer protectionstatute, and thatmisrepresentations madewithin it are actionableregardless of Section 230.The second theory wasunfair practice, or conductoffensive to public policy,even if not technicallydeceptive. Here, theevidence centered on whatMeta's own engineers andexecutives knew and thenignored.Internal documentsshowed repeated warnings.These alarm bells centeredaround child sexual abusematerial proliferating on theplatforms, about algorithmsthat amplified harmfulcontent because itgenerated engagement, andabout age verificationsystems that were essentiallycosmetic. The companyoverrode those warnings forcommercial reasons.The jury was shown aspecific sequence: Metaexecutives requested staffingto address platform harms,Zuckerberg declined, andthe company continued topublicly represent its safetyefforts as adequate.The third theory wasunconscionability: takingadvantage of consumerswho lacked the capacity toprotect themselves. Childrenare the clearest possiblecase. Children cannotevaluate terms of service,cannot negotiate platformarchitecture, and cannotassess the neurologicalimplications of engagementmaximizing design. Meta hadcomprehensive internalresearch documenting thesevulnerabilities and chose toignore rather than mitigatethem.Bellwether onaddictivenessThe Los Angeles case,which concluded on March25, tested a different theory.It was a personal injury trialrather than a governmentenforcement action.The plaintiff, identified incourt as KGM, is a 20-yearold woman who began usingYouTube at age 6 andInstagram at age 9. Herlawyers argued that theplatforms' deliberate designchoices such as infinitescroll, autoplay video andengagement-basedrecommendation algorithmswere the causes of heraddiction, depression andself-harm.The jury found both Metaand YouTube negligent in thedesign of their platforms andfound that each company'snegligence was a substantialfactor in causing harm toKGM. Meta bears 70% of theliability; YouTube 30%. Theindividual $3 millioncompensatory award ismodest. The punitivedamages phase, still to come,will be calculated againsteach company's net worthand is likely to produce avery different number.Beyond the generalprecedent, this case mattersbecause it is a bellwether. Itwas selected from aconsolidated group ofhundreds of similar lawsuitsto test whether a productdesign theory of liabilitycould survive a jury trial, andit did. That finding hasimmediate and concreteAmerican courts are rewriting the rules for big tech and childrenalat,erceigcedegnldta'seridreheonthergeia,reartestory continues on page 4SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:49 PM Page 3FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Prepay for your funeral now and the price will be guaranteed. 8226 Sheridan Rd. Kenosha, WI 53143(262) 652-1943 021226www.kenosha-funeral-services.comDirect Cremation ……$2,525Includes: Professional Service Fee, Alternate Care of Remains, Transfer of Remains to our Facility, Cremation Fee, and Alternative Container.Make An Appointment To Pre-Plan Your Funeral TodayKenosha Funeral Services and CrematoryQuality • Value • ServiceWhen you need it the mostSR060525Call Alex at 262-344-6736For a free estimateCall Alex at 262-344-6736For a free estimateAlex Fence & Repairs lex Fence & RepairsWhy settle for wood posts when you can get lifetime steel posts. 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5 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800bespanboolCasphisotoranfopefroboheillebeyocogogayoprRobeancotocuex$3acGMGaancoprgaincfriepam“inthsaprUCothgate– notoga“Intefo10lesunMMCreabAmerican courts continued from page 3CgThe global push to ban social media for kidscontinued from page 2implications: Each of thoseplaintiffs now litigates on astronger footing, and if thedamages awarded to KGMare even partially scaledacross similar cases, thetotal financial exposure forMeta and YouTube movesfrom hundreds of millions tobillions of dollars.More importantly, thebellwether verdict signals toevery other plaintiff,attorney and state attorneygeneral that this legalpathway is viable, and toevery platform that thecourtroom is no longer asafe harbor. The legalstrategy established thatnegligence claims againstplatform design are viable inCalifornia courts.Public nuisanceBeginning May 4, 2026,Judge Bryan Biedscheid inthe New Mexico case isscheduled to hear the publicnuisance count without ajury in a bench trial. Publicnuisance is a legal doctrinetraditionally used to addressconditions that harm thegeneral public. This doctrinehas been used in concernover contaminated water,lead paint in housing stockand opioid distributionnetworks.New Mexico is arguingthat Meta's platformarchitecture constitutesexactly such a condition. Ifthe judge agrees, the remedyis not a fine. Instead, it is anabatement: a court orderrequiring Meta to eliminatethe harmful condition.Attorney General Torrezhas already been explicitabout what he will ask for:real age verification, not acheckbox asking users toconfirm they are oldenough; algorithm changes;and an independent monitorwith authority to overseecompliance. These arestructural demands on howthe platform operates.This is where drawing aparallel with Big Tobacco isapt. The tobacco litigation ofthe 1990s ultimatelyproduced not just financialsettlements but the MasterSettlement Agreement,which imposed permanentrestrictions on marketingpractices and funded publichealth programs fordecades. The public nuisancetheory in the New Mexicocase is designed to producean analogous structuraloutcome for social media.Precedent for tidalwave of casesThe significant effects oftwo verdicts are aboutevidence and precedent. Forthe first time, a jury hasexamined Meta's internaldocuments -- emails fromengineers warning aboutself-harm, the rejected safetyproposals and Zuckerberg'spersonal decisions toprioritize engagement overprotection -- and returned averdict that thosedocuments mean preciselywhat they appear to say.That finding, and the legaltheories that produced it, isnow part of the foundationon which 40-plus pendingstate attorney general cases,thousands of individuallawsuits and a federal triallater this year are likely tobe built.The abatement phase,beginning May 4, may provemore consequential than thedollar amounts. If the judgein the New Mexico case --or any judge in a subsequentcase -- orders real ageverification, algorithmchanges and an independentmonitor, that would be atrue structural change.By Carolina Rossini“The way it was presentedwas pretty cherry picked,”he says.This isn’t the first timeparents have feared thatchildren were addicted toscrolling on a handhelddevice. In the early 1800s, akaleidoscope craze tookhold. Adults fretted thatchildren were so entrancedlooking into the new tubularinvention that they werewalking into buildings. Latergenerations feared losingchildren to comic books andvideo games. Mr. Dobud saysMr. Haidt’s book is fueling amoral panic aboutsmartphone apps.A 2024 report issued bythe Washington D.C.-basedNational Academies ofSciences, Engineering, andMedicine, called for betterresearch to clarify the linksbetween social media andmental health. In itsconclusion, the reportrecommends “a judiciousapproach to protect youthmental health” rather thanbroad-based bans. It also saidthat the benefits of socialmedia to teens shouldn’t beoverlooked.Amanda Third, a children’sand families expert adviserto YouTube, seconds the ideathat the conversationaround teenage use of socialmedia should be less fraughtand more nuanced.“There are risks of harmassociated with being online,but what we know is thatthe most vulnerable youngpeople online are the mostvulnerable young peopleoffline,” says Ms. Third, aresearch fellow in digitalsocial and cultural researchat Western SydneyUniversity.Whatever their effect,tech platforms have longbeen required to includeprotections for minors. Inrecent months, though, someapps have been makingheadlines for hosting ageinappropriate content.Unsealed documents from2015 reveal that Instagram – where the minimum age forusers is 13 – was aware that4 million children below thatage were using the platform.The tech company’s CEO,Mark Zuckerberg, admittedthat policing age restrictionsis difficult, but Meta haspushed back against theclaim that its product isdeliberately addictive.Tech companies are alsoon the defensive on thepolitical front. Indonesiarecently implemented a bansimilar to Australia’s. Brazil isintroducing new age-basedinternet access laws thismonth. When Spain’s PrimeMinister Pedro Sánchezproposed online ageverification laws, hedescribed social media as arealm of addiction, abuse,pornography, manipulation,and violence. “We willprotect [children] from thedigital Wild West,” Mr.Sánchez said in February.The French NationalAssembly overwhelminglyvoted in January to bansocial media for anyoneunder age 15. It still needs topass the Senate. During an AIsummit in Mumbai on Feb.19, French PresidentEmmanuel Macron invitedIndia to “join the club” ofnations seeking to protectteens from unfettered accessto these online platforms.Indian journalist SunnySimran hails Australia’s lawfor sounding an alarm. Buthe also poses the questionof whether every moralvalue needs to be enforcedby legislation.“There are certainprinciples in this worldwhere you have to selfregulate,” says Mr. Simran ina Zoom interview.Mr. Simran believes India’sphone-tethered parents arefailing to model restraint,balance, and responsibility.India’s family systems havetraditionally imparted thosevirtues. The journalist alsoworries that Australia’s lawswere passed in haste. Seatbelt laws and smoking bansresulted from behavioralchange that was a marathon,not a sprint, he says.Brooke Shannon, founderof Wait Until 8th, a pledgemovement based in theUnited States that advocatesdelaying smartphone useuntil the end of 8th grade, isenthusiastic about theinternational momentum.But she offers a caveat.“In terms of effectiveness,age-based guardrails canhelp reset social norms andprovide structural supportto families,” Ms. Shannonsays in an email. “However ...laws work best when theycomplement parentaloversight, rather thanreplace it.”Some see significantdownsides to such laws, evenif well-intended. When agegates are implemented,everyone who accesses asocial media platform has toenter through them.“The information thatyou’re submitting in order toprove your age – whetherthat’s biometric informationor documentation or sometype of token that’s on yourdevice – is then going to beshared with several layers ofintermediaries that collectand process yourinformation,” says DavidGreene, senior counsel forthe Electronic FrontierFoundation. “That raises veryserious privacy and speechconcerns both for youngpeople and for adults.”Another issue is the use ofvirtual private networks tofool social media platformsabout the location of theuser. Some of these newlegislative proposals includeVPN bans. But VPNs arewidely used around theworld as online safety toolsagainst hackers andsurveillance.Others see a threat to thefreedom of expression thatapplies as much to childrenas it does adults. That’s whyJohn Ruddick, president ofthe Digital Freedom Project,is helping two teenagerschallenge Australia’s socialmedia ban in court.“The law isunconstitutional,” says Mr.Ruddick, who is also aLibertarian member of theNew South WalesParliament. For decades, hesays, Australia has had “anestablished implied freedomof political communication.That has been upheld onmultiple, multiple HighCourt matters.”Whatever happens withthe law, Australian mentalhealth expert Will Dobudsuggests a helpful thoughtexperiment for itsproponents: If elves stole allour internet technologytonight, what would parentsdo tomorrow? They need tolearn how to haveconversations with theirchildren. And they can startwith a rule of “no phones” atthe dinner table.“But there had better besome good dialogue,” saysMr. Dobud. “Otherwise, ‘nophones’ is going to beequated to boredom.”Ms. Third, the adviser toYouTube, says that a betterapproach would be topressure technologycompanies to redesign theirplatforms to mitigatepotential harms.To that end, she says thatshe would like to see officialsfrom the European Unionand Association of SoutheastAsian Nations workingtogether, perhaps in alliancewith the Global OnlineSafety Regulators Network.“We need to identifythose harmful features. Weneed to identify theaspirations, right? What dowe want for our kids?” saysMs. Third. “And then aroundthat, we need to designsome internationalstandards that can belegislated in differentjurisdictions.”By Stephen HumphriesSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:50 PM Page 4

6 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Robert started placingbets through a friend’s illegalsportsbook in high school,and he kept using illegalbooks in college until he wasold enough to bet legally.At school in NorthCarolina, which legalizedsports gambling in 2024, he,his fraternity brothers andothers placed multiple betsor parlays on professionaland college basketball andfootball games. He knowspeople who have run awayfrom sizable debts, ghostingbookies for big money. Andhe has a friend who sold anillegal book – his roster ofbettors – for $25,000.“On a college campus,you’re going to a lot of thesecollege football games. You’regoing to college basketballgames, and any game thatyou’re watching, you’reprobably betting on it,” saidRobert, whose name hasbeen changed.March Madness, the men’sand women’s year-endcollege basketballtournaments that arecurrently ongoing, isexpected to garner a record$3.3 billion in sports bets,according to the AmericanGaming Association. ButMarch is also ProblemGambling Awareness Month,and there is growingconcern that the rapidproliferation of legal sportsgambling is reaching anincreasingly young audience.“I would say amongst myfriends and others, it’s anepidemic,” Robert contends.There’s a shift underwayamong young people,“instead of being sports fansthey are sports gamblers,”says Andrew Miller, associateprofessor for Sacred HeartUniversity’s School ofCommunication, Media andthe Arts.In the past, peoplegathered to cheer on theirteam during March Madness– and many still do – “butnow there are groups stayingtogether to watch it asgamblers,” Dr. Miller says.“Instead of cheering for theirteam, they might be cheeringfor an individual player to get10 rebounds or more orless, so they have the overunder.”A week before MarchMadness began, University ofMissouri Chancellor MunChoi issued a sternreminder to his studentsabout the potential harms ofsports betting, which is newto the state.Dr. Choi asked people notto try to influence theoutcome of games or toharass or threaten studentathletes about theirperformance, a sign ofgambling’s campusprevalence.Dr. Miller, the SacredHeart professor, leads anannual sports gambling poll.This year’s survey found that62% of Americans say thatgambling ads impact youngviewers. Almost half ofrespondents, 46%, said theyare concerned about thevolume of ads during majorevents such as the SuperBowl or the NCAAbasketball tournaments.A national survey by theNational Council onProblem Gambling in 2024showed that nearly 20million adults in the UnitedStates say they haveexperienced “at least oneproblematic gamblingbehavior ‘many times’ in thepast year.”NCPG released anotherset of survey results thismonth showing that twothirds of adults in the U.S.admit to participating insome form of gamblingbefore age 21.“We certainly haveconcerns,” says Cait Huble,director of public affairs forNCPG, which is neutral onlegalized gambling.“The fact that youngergenerations are seeinggambling so normalized insociety – it’s at every game,it’s ever-present inadvertising and the access isso much easier than it’s everbeen because you haveaccess on your phone. It’sjust more present in ourculture,” she stresses.The American GamingAssociation, which promotesand lobbies on behalf of thegambling industry, did notrespond to a request forcomment.What Ms. Huble doesn’tsee are states or the federalgovernment making aconcerted effort to remindpeople that gambling is ahigh-risk activity. She saysthat gambling addiction doesnot currently receive federalfunding, unlike substance andalcohol abuse.States fund gamblingaddiction efforts, but theavailable resources areuneven. Recently, a bipartisangroup of lawmakers in theU.S. House introduced thePoints Act, which would useone-third of the excise taxrevenue on sports betting –most recently a total of $300million – to fund efforts.“It’s certainly what wewould consider a majorpublic health issue, bothunderage and adults notbeing fully aware andunderstanding the risks andthe likelihood of harm,” Ms.Huble adds.A number of schools aretrying to be proactive whenit comes to studentgambling. Last year, PennState University startedscreening and offering freeservices for studentsconcerned about gambling.“During the conversationswith students aboutproblematic behaviors,gambling was repeatedlymentioned. Penn State isaware that the national trendfor collegiate gambling isrising, and we are concernedabout the impact that it canpotentially have on ourstudents’ mental, emotionaland physical wellbeing,”Lizbeth LoRusso, theuniversity’s assistant directorfor health promotion andwellness, told the Monitorvia email.“We discuss the student’sgambling behaviors, helpthem identify patterns,triggers and contributingfactors (drinking or cannabisuse) and offer healthiercoping skills and harmreduction strategies,” shesaid.When Robert bet onsports, he says it made “thegames more enjoyable towatch, and that thrill is fun.”Researchers find that thistype of thrill triggers a partof the brain that activates areward system, making thisbehavior addictive andcontributing to compulsivebehavior, according to theAmerican PsychologicalAssociation.Impulse control andcognizance of long-termconsequences are not yetfully developed amongyouth, even in their 20s, saysNatalie Spiteri-Soper, thechief clinical officer atKindbridge BehavioralHealth, a national telehealthplatform that specializes intreating gaming and gamblingproblems.Dr. Spiteri-Soper says thisproblem is amplified whenyou take young people andthrow them into a situationlike March Madness.“They’re getting inundatedwith gambling messages.They’re getting flooded withconstant things that say ‘thisfeels good.’ The rewardsystem is getting fed, butthey don’t have the brakesystem,” she says.Families can look for signsother than just a need formore money that couldindicate their child has agambling problem. Theyinclude depression, sadness,loss of control, isolation,anxiety and distress,especially when losses pileup. Dr. Spiteri-Soper saysparents should check onyoung people who arenormally very social butsuddenly isolate themselves.“Gambling is not reallyabout money. It’s about thefeeling I get when I gamble,either I feel like I belong, I’ma part of this excitement,maybe I’m escaping thepressure of college and workand my relationships,” Dr.Spiteri-Soper warns.Charlotte, a currentgraduate student, finishedcollege in May in RhodeIsland. Sports bettingplatforms FanDuel andDraftKings aren’t legal inRhode Island, so in collegeshe would drive across thestate line into Massachusettsto place bets.“I started off with justsingle-bet games, and thenyou start to learn thetechniques and stuff, andthen I started putting inparlays. I fell into a more of a‘yeah, I’m going to keepdoing this,’ right around theSuper Bowl,” she says. Shespoke of her gambling oncondition of anonymity, andher name has been changed.Once, in college, she bet a13-leg parlay – a move thatlinks together multiple betsfor a potential high payout,but with high risk becauselosing any leg loses thewager. She bet $150 andwon $2,000. The most shehas ever lost at one timegambling was about $150 onsports betting and $400 at acasino playing blackjack, shesays. A former friend of hersdropped out of schoolbecause he owed a bookiewho ran an illegal book$10,000 and had to get a jobto pay it off.“I’ve seen how bad it getsfor some people,” she says.By Ira PorterThe University of Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr dunks over UCLA playersduring the second half of their NCAA tournament game on March 22Concern on campus as legal sports gambling grows during March Madnessngs,alaloe,eee-temtanitesoeoroyretsntgeeyeeosdnletsSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:50 PM Page 5$50TIRE040226ANY USED2400 ROOSEVELT RD.262-652-2600NEW & USED TIRESAUTO REPAIR“We Keep Kenosha Rolling”FREETire Rotation for the life of your tires. Plus FREE Tire Repair w/purchase of 4 new tires. Add on an Oil Change for ONLY $6999(Tire disposal not included). Please present coupon at time of purchase. Some restrictions apply. See store for details. Valid through 4/30/26.Please present coupon at time of purchase. Some restrictions apply. See store for details. Valid through 4/30/26.

7 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800OPINIONRename everything forDolores Huerta. Huerta is aco-founder of the UnitedFarm Workers Union, alongwith the now disgraced, lateCesar Chavez.Huerta is among thesurvivors of women and girlswho have accused the lateChavez of pedophilia, rape,and sexual assault.Yes, a person can beburning in hell, even if theworld they once inhabitedhas streets named in theirhonor, as well as murals, anda state holiday exalting theirlife, and all the otheraccolades that came toChavez, largely for his rolewith the union.Revelations about theLatino civil rights leaderbroke March 18 in a deeplyinvestigated story by TheNew York Times.It sent governors, schooldistricts, community, andunion leaders nationwidereeling. There are hundredsof buildings, scholarships,awards, and streets namedafter Chavez. Everyone isquickly assessing how toaddress the complicity ofhonoring someone nowfound to be quite differentfrom the humble, leader ofnonviolence that was thecultivated Chavez legacy.Still, the accusations ofsexual assault by Chavez aresadly familiar.Pedophilia, rape, andsexual assaults by menpreying on vulnerablewomen and girls is not a newphenomenon.Two women detailed toTimes reporters of beinggroomed by Chavez as younggirls, of being assaulted bythe time they were 12 and13 years old. The abuse wason-going for years with thetwo, now 66-year-oldwomen.The extramarital affairs ofChavez were also recounted.More than 60 interviewswere conducted withrelatives of Chavez, hisaccusers, former staffers ofthe union he once led.Records were searched,including United FarmWorker archives, even DNAwas used to corroborate theclaims.Why DNA?OPINIONIn sports, the instantreplay was invented andfirst used by a man namedTony Verna on the Dec. 7,1963 broadcast of theArmy-Navy football gameon CBS.The political “instantreplay” has no single authoror starting date, but itsoveruse has produced fewresolutions of the majorproblems confronting thecountry. What it hasproduced is a deepeningcynicism about politics andso much else.Too many Americansnow see their fellowAmericans who are of adifferent party orpersuasion as a biggerenemy than Iran or Russia.Long-term friendships havebeen destroyed overwhether one loves or hatesPresident Trump. At leastthe sports instant replayusually leads to theaffirming or overturning ofa decision by the referee.The political instant replaysolves nothing, even whenthe “players” are shown tobe wrong. The result in toomany cases has beenpolitical paralysis.Cable news and morethan a few newspapers areincreasingly obsessed withthe November elections, asif they will somehowchange the political game.We are bombarded withthe “truth” that the partywhich controls the WhiteHouse is bound to loseseats in Congress, althoughthere have beenexceptions. Voters who areangry at President Trumpfor whatever reasons hadbest be careful what theywish for.Despite his occasionalbad demeanor and crudelanguage, Trump hassucceeded where otherpresidents and congresseshave failed. Do Democratswant to run on a platformof re-opening the southernborder? Allowing morepeople from many nationsand possibly terrorists tocross the border inviolation of ourimmigration laws wouldalso increase the number ofdeadly drugs that havekilled thousands ofAmericans. Imagine theeffect instant replays ofworkers tearing down thewall and watching a flood ofpeople pour across wouldhave when a majority ofvoters say they approve ofborder control.Would Democrats,should they regain Houseand Senate majorities,continue to back biologicalmales playing on femalesports teams and usinglocker rooms andrestrooms restricted towomen and girls? Wouldtheir party continue tosupport gender reassignment surgery forprison inmates withtaxpayers footing the bill?Would their opposition toshowing identificationbefore voting and proof ofcitizenship beforeregistering continue? All ofthese are “80-20” issues, insome cases higher.What about taxes?Would Democrats run onraising taxes when it’s thespending that needs to becut to reduce theunsustainable $38 trilliondebt? Would Democrats,whose party created SocialSecurity, Medicare andMedicaid, lead the way inreforming these programsbefore they run out ofmoney (estimated to be inseven years for SocialSecurity) and benefitssubstantially cut, or taxessubstantially raised, orboth?It doesn’t take asoothsayer to predictDemocrats would seekrevenge on PresidentTrump by again impeachinghim, possibly more thanonce, though he will havefewer than two years left inoffice and the Senate, evenwith a Democrat majority,would not likely convicthim and remove him fromoffice.The problem withpolitical instant replays isthat few, if any, problemsare solved. It’s all about thepoliticians, not the people.Ultimately, they are notcompletely at fault. We are,because we keep electingthe same people, expectinga different outcome.Voters, especially thelow- information kind, areguilty of creating thepolitical instant replay. Aslong as we keep re-runningthe tape, nothing willchange.The politicalinstant replaywith Cal ThomasReaders may email CalThomas [email protected] for Cal Thomas’ latestbook “A Watchman in theNight: What I've Seen Over50 Years Reporting onAmerica\" (HumanixBooks).my turnDbewexlatanacPeandufrois thdeThofcaanciuswsothPrcalaStinobunwthigIsBeasdeleimrebapaSiwwstory continues on page 7Sí, se puede – Yes, we can strike accolades from Cesar Chavezwith Mary SanchezReaders can reach MarySanchez [email protected] follow her on [email protected] Trump speaks to reporters as he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio(L) depart the White House on their way to Florida on March 20, 2026 inWashington, DC. Trump spent the weekend at his private Mar-a-Lago Club.HreshagodoCarawmMcoThe Cesar Cove inside Santa Ana College’s Chavez Business and Computer Centerfeatures murals and artwork honoring the late labor leader and civil rights activist.Allegations that Chavez committed sexual crimes have recently surfaced. 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8 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800rmNAhenny,ctmhssee.ote,ggeeeAsgllOPINIONGeneral of the ArmyDouglas MacArthurbelieved that the reasonwhy wars were lost wasexplained by \"too little, toolate,\" meaning failure toanticipate the enemy andact in a timely fashion.Perhaps more appropriatelyand accurately, wars are lostdue to strategic ignorance.Strategic ignorance arisesfrom two factors. The firstis failure to comprehendthe contradictions indecisions that assure defeat.The second is the absenceof a thorough and, in somecases, any understandingand knowledge of thecircumstances requiring theuse of force.History is replete withwarnings and examples,some that directly apply tothe \"excursion\" asPresident Donald Trumpcalls the attacks on Iranlaunched by the UnitedStates and Israel.It was inconceivable thatin striking Iran the mostobvious outcomeunderscored by decades ofwar games, the closing ofthe Strait of Hormuz, wasignored. Clearly, Trump andIsraeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuassumed that thedecapitation of Iranianleadership wouldimmediately collapse theregime. It did not.But even someone with abasic recollection of thepast might recall Japanbelieved that by sinking theU.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor onDec. 7, 1941, the isolationistmood in America wouldmandate an immediatenegotiation granting Tokyoits gains.And Adolf Hitler knewthat terror bombing Britishcities after France fell inJune 1940 would bringWinston Churchill to thatinfamous train on whichGermany surrendered in1918 to offer hiscapitulation. Yet, in bothcases, the oppositehappened.Then, in attacking Iran,the administration ignoredthe most fundamentalstrategic contradiction inthat decision. Despite whatthe White House falselyclaimed about theimmediacy with which Irancould build 11 nuclearbombs in two weeks --asserted by negotiatorSteve Witkoff -- the warwas existential for Israel.It was not existential forthe United States, and asanyone with a basicknowledge of nuclear androcket physics knows, Iranwas not remotely close tobecoming a nuclear andlong-range-missile power.By failing to achieveregime change, Israel isdoomed to fight, if not aforever war, certainly a longone with Iran. The UnitedStates, however, can claimvictory in that it has\"obliterated\" Iraniannuclear ambitions;destroyed its military andsecurity forces; and left it asa failed state struggling toexist and thus a threat tono one.And make no mistake. Ifthe regime in Iran survives,the chances are very high itwill develop nuclearweapons despite anyreligious prohibitions onobtaining weapons of massdestruction.The examples of NorthKorea, which has nuclearweapons, and SaddamHussein and MuammarQaddafi, who did not, aretelling. Possibly, as Pakistanichemist A.Q. Khan assistedNorth Korea in its pursuitof nuclear weapons, thatnation could return thefavor to Iran. If so, thatwould be a real axis of evil.And how would Israel andthe United States react? Toolittle, too late?At this time, the UnitedStates has not struck KhargIsland and the oil facilities.Here is anothercontradiction. Iran isblocking the Strait ofHormuz to most, but notall, traffic, namely allowingoil sent to China andchoking off supplies toother regions.Yet, while demanding thatthe Strait be reopened,destroying Iran's oil facilitieson Kharq would have thesame effect of closing off oilfor export. Hence, theleverage and threat Trumpis attempting to use againstIran may be self-defeating.As in June 1914, when theassassination of ArchdukeFranz Ferdinand and hiswife, Sophie, on that bridgein Sarajevo precipitatedWorld War I, other sparkscould ignite a much widerwar.Suppose that the Chineseare so dependent on Iranianoil from the Gulf that theyprovide warships asescorts. What would theUnited States do as tankersbound for China withIranian oil are guarded bythe Chinese Navy?Further, with the 11thMarine Expeditionary Unitwith 2,500 marines andsailors and an embarkedcombat battalion of about800 headed to the Gulf --with another en route --would these personnel bedeployed to seize thenorthern slice of the strait,perhaps Kharq Island?Or, might airborne forcesattempt to recover theenriched uranium buried atIsfahan? If so, that force istoo small for suchoperations and could leadto a catastrophic repeat ofBlack Hawk Down inMogadishu, Somalia, in1993.To use a bad phrase, \"Weare are in the Gulf.\" AsTrump and Netanyahu arenow learning or relearning,it is far easier to start a warthan to end one.Strategic ignorance loses war every timewith Harlan Ullmanmy turnHarlan Ullman is UPI'sArnaud de BorchgraveDistinguished Columnist; senioradviser at Washington'sAtlantic Council, chairman of aprivate company and principalauthor of the doctrine ofshock and awe. His next book,co-written with Field MarshalThe Lord David Richards,former U.K. chief of defenseand due out next year, is WhoThinks Best Wins: PreventingStrategic Catastrophe. Thewriter can be reached on [email protected] Ullman joinsHappenings Q&A on Thu April 9th at 9:20am on AM1050 WLIP7The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit with 2,500 marines andsailors and an embarked combat battalion of about 800 areheaded to the Gulf -- with another en route.Primarily because ofHuerta’s story.Huerta, the Timesreported, broke down whenshe learned of the allegedabuse by Chavez of younggirls. Then, she spoke of herown experience. Afterdecades of silence, she toldof being pressured byChavez to have sex, and inanother instance of beingraped by him.Understand that theywere co-leaders of themovement for farm workers’rights. But like mostorganizations then, men andwomen were onlytheoretically equal.The assaults on Huertaresulted in pregnancies.Huerta, in a testament to thegraceful aura that has longdefined her activism, bravelyconcealed them. She gavebirth and then arranged forthe infant girls to be raised instable, loving homes. But shenever spoke of it, until Timesreporters came to her withthe other accusations fromthe once teen girls.In a statement she issued,the 95-year-old Huerta saidthis:“I carried this secret for aslong as I did because buildingthe movement and securingfarm worker rights was mylife’s work. The formation ofa union was the only vehicleto accomplish and securethose rights and I wasn’tgoing to let Cesar or anyoneelse get in the way.”Huerta has long been amartyr for the rights of farmworkers who still strugglewith housing, fair wages,healthcare, safety and, yes, attimes, the sexual assaults offemale farm workers.The question must beasked that if she’d feltempowered enough tospeak up sooner, might theunion have initiated its owninvestigations?Like with the priest sexabuse scandals, those of lawenforcement, teachers andother clergy; someonealways knows or suspects.But good people can besilenced, and questionsshuttered when it is a manand an organization’sreputation that is beingchallenged.Amid all of this grief, thereis a striking difference tothese revelations. It’s a thinbit of hope that perhaps aregretful Chavez is offeringfrom the grave.The women who areaccusing this MexicanAmerican icon are largelybelieved.Reactions were swift,within hours of the storybreaking. Chavez’s birthday isMarch 31 andcommemorations are beingcanceled. A statue to him atFresno State was quicklycovered with a black tarp,grimly appropriate. The cityof Phoenix will take up aproposal to renameeverything once stamped forChavez.Fittingly, an upcomingtribute to him will insteadfocus on farm workers.Much of the swift action isdue to Huerta speaking out.She was always as much apart of the movement asChavez.A fitting tribute would beto simply rename everythingthat once honored him, forDolores Huerta.Mary Sanchezcontinued from page 6SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:51 PM Page 7

9 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800By 2040, there will be29.5 million new cancercases each year in theUnited States, according tothe International Agencyfor Research on Cancer.The good news? There'sstill time to prevent manyof these cases by adoptinghealthy lifestyle patterns.While cancer preventionis still being researched, weknow chances ofdeveloping cancer can beaffected by the lifestylechoices you make. Newresearch shows as many asone-third of all cancerdeaths are linked to dietand physical activity. Besidesquitting smoking andprotecting your skin fromdamaging UV rays, some ofthe most important thingsto do to help reduce yourcancer risk are eating rightand being physically activeon a regular basisthroughout life.Can a healthy lifestyleprevent cancer or itsrecurrence? In a study of 1,340patients with high-riskbreast cancer, strongestadherence to AmericanCancer Society andAmerican Institute ofCancer Researchpreventionrecommendations wasassociated with a 37%reduced hazard of breastcancer recurrence and a58% reduced hazard ofmortality. The study waspublished May 2023 in theJournal of the AmericanMedical Association.These findings suggestthat education andimplementation strategiesto help patients adhere tocancer preventionrecommendationsthroughout the cancer carecontinuum may bewarranted in breast cancerin this study -- and forother cancers as well. Thebottom line is it's never toolate to start eating healthy.Here are therecommendations thestudy used to help reducecancer risk.-- Eat a variety of fruitsand vegetables which arelinked with a lower risk ofcertain cancers. Fill halfyour plate each meal with avariety of colorful fruits andvegetables.-- Eat fewer foods thatare highly processed andlow in nutrients. Filling upon foods with added sugarsand saturated fats leaveslittle room for nutrientdense, cancer-preventivefoods. Choose fewer sugarsweetened beverages. Youcan still enjoy the foods youlove, but the foods you eatshould consist mostly ofwhole grains, vegetables,fruit, nuts, seeds and leanprotein foods.-- Focus on plantproteins. Beans and lentilsare nutritious andaffordable sources ofprotein and dietary fiber.Research links high intakesof red, processed andcharred meat withincreased cancer risk, soeat these sparingly.-- Limit alcohol. Evidencesuggests all types ofalcoholic drinks mayincrease your risk of breast,colorectal and other formsof cancer. If you're of legaldrinking age and choose todrink, limit alcoholicbeverages to one drink orless per day for women andtwo drinks or less per dayfor men on days thatalcohol is consumed.-- Engage in physicalactivity for 30 minutes a dayfor a total of 150 minutes aweek.-- Maintain a healthy bodyweight.Charlyn Fargo is aregistered dietitian withSIU Med School inSpringfield, Ill. food & recipesDiet and CancerNutrition News with Charlyn FargoCafé Beaujolais Clam ChowderMakes 6 servings4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped3 green onions, minced1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled,cut into ½-inch cubes1/2 cup finely chopped green or redbell pepper, or a mixture1/2 cup finely chopped celery1 tablespoon minced garlic1 cup cold water1 cup clam juice1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce2 drops Tabasco sauce or 1 pinchcayenne pepper1 cup frozen corn kernels (do notdefrost)3 (6 1/2-ounce) cans clams, with juice2 cups half-and-half1. In a large pot over medium-lowheat, saute the bacon until crisp. Setaside. Discard half the fat from thepot. To the pot, add the onions,potatoes, bell pepper, celery, garlic,water, clam juice, salt, pepper,Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco orcayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer onmedium heat, cover, and simmer untilthe potatoes are tender, about 15minutes. Stir in the corn.2. Into another pan, pour the clamswith their juice and gently warm overmedium-low heat until just warmedthrough, about 5 minutes. Add thewarmed clams to the large pot, alongwith the half-and-half. Warm throughgently; do not boil.3. Divide the chowder among soupbowls and serve right away.Café Beaujolais is a culinaryinstitution that has been around forover 50 years. Nestled on a quietstreet this restaurant has beenupdated with more dining spacesand a young chef that has put hisstamp on his own very localCalifornia Cuisine. The city ofMendocino holds as special a placein my heart as my husband, and Ifeel in love there. It is a magicalplace that feels like you have landedin a small historical town fromanother time, long ago. Theresidents are warm and friendlyand the nostalgia is the real deal.Through the years we havevisited Café Beaujolais duringMargaret Fox’s tenure as ownerand chef and loved her legendarybreakfasts. In the last few years chefJulian Lopez has manned thestoves, menus and expansion.Recently I was a judge at theMendocino Crab and Wine contestand found time to enjoy athoughtful and creative dinner atCafé Beaujolais. From the crab caketo begin and the fruit crisp to endour meal my husband and I thoughtthis place never disappoints.Now, their new cookbook, “TheNew Café Beaujolais Cookbook”has arrived on my desk with plentyof revised and new recipes fromtheir kitchen. From their cleverversion of almond croissants andMendocino fish stew to blackberrycrisp and coconut cream pie, therecipes make this one book I amthrilled to own.I selected this Seriously SimpleClam Chowder that originally wasa Margaret Fox special. This isunlike those thick, flour-basedversions and much lighter. Margaretdescribes it as a perfect match fortheir foggy coastal climate. Half andhalf add thickness and richnesswhile the corn and potatoes addheft to the broth. Try this when youdon’t have much time but yearn forthis classic recipe reinvented. Enjoy.By Diane Rossen WorthingtonderapoJerprwaecstaspththmstaouvenoin stawoMmstathramthshdoFw'sbServings: 16 (3/4 cup each)One 12-ounce bottle lemon peppermarinade with lemon juice (1 1/2 cups),divided1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili oil,divided3 cloves garlic, minced1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into1/2-inch thick slices1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thickslices1 pound asparagus, trimmed2 cups sliced mini sweet peppers1/2 medium red onion, thinly slicedOne 16-ounce package mostaccioli pastaNonstick cooking spray1/4 cup Romano shredded cheeseFresh basil for garnishIn large bowl, whisk together 1 cupmarinade, 1 tablespoon chili oil, garlic andsalt; add summer squash, zucchini,asparagus, sweet peppers and onion. Tossto coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 30minutes to 2 hours. Cook pasta in boilingwater according to package directions.Drain; set aside to cool. Preheat charcoalor gas grill for direct heat (350 degrees).Spray grill basket with nonstick spray; setaside. Transfer vegetables from bowl toprepared grilling basket, using tongs toshake off excess marinade; reservemarinade mixture in bowl. Grill vegetablesfor 12 to 16 minutes or until slightlycharred and crisp-tender, stirringfrequently. Remove from grill; cool slightly.Add cooked pasta to reserve marinademixture in bowl; add remaining 1/2 cupmarinade and 1 teaspoon chili oil; tosspasta to coat. Transfer pasta to largeserving platter. Top with grilled vegetablesand cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired.Per serving: 150 calories, 5 g protein, 27 gcarbohydrates, 2 g fat (0 saturated), 0cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar (0 added),640 mg sodium.Zesty Marinated Vegetable Pasta SaladananthtaanDlisthpoimmtooffoknanThmUtopatrfophemabinDtoflaHbSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:51 PM Page 8

10 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800st,msaltoicorndayatalayadyAfter the Federal Reservedecided to hold interestrates steady at its Marchpolicy meeting, ChairmanJerome Powell conducted apress conference. In it, hewas asked whether theeconomy was facingstagflation. In his very Fedspeak way, Powell said thatthere was “tension” betweenthe Fed’s dual mandate ofmaximum employment andstable prices.“We’re trying to manageour way through it… It’s avery difficult situation, butit’snothing like what they facedin the 1970s and I reservestagflation for that — theword — for that period.Maybe that’s just me.”So even if the labormarket is slowing down (notstagnating!), and althoughthere is evidence that therate of price increases wasmoving higher even beforethe current war-induced oilshock (not inflation), pleasedon’t invoke the S-word.For the uninitiated, theterm “stagflation” wascoined in 1965 by the Britishpolitician Iain Macleod, whodeclared in a speech to theHouse of Commons: “Wenow have the worst of bothworlds – not just inflation onthe one side or stagnationon the other, but both ofthem together. We have asort of ‘stagflation’ situation.”Despite the invocation of theterm 60 years ago,stagflation’s heyday was inthe ’70s, when economicgrowth cooled, wagesstagnated, and prices wererising. The situation went onsteroids after the 1973OPEC oil embargo.The most recentstagflationary scare occurredin mid-2021. At that time, theFed was more concernedwith recouping millions ofjobs lost during thepandemic than aggressivelyfighting inflation, which thecentral bank viewed as“transitory” (temporary).We know how that storyplayed out — inflationclimbed to multi-decadehighs, as the economy andlabor market grew.The Fed’s experience ofallowing inflation to run toohot for too long in 2021-22is like a black cloud hangingin the distance, haunting Fedofficials today. Powell’sdifficult situation is not justabout the coming energyprice increases. Over thepast few months, inflationhas remained above the Fed’sdesired target, as job growthhas fizzled (just 17,000 nettotal jobs were created overthe past three months).The Fed knows all toowell that it is difficult tovanquish the inflationarybeast once it makes itspresence known. Powell canchoose not to utter theword “stagflation,” but in theFed’s March economicprojections, “risks to growthwere to the downside, whilerisks to inflation andunemployment were to theupside. That suggests a fearof stagflation,” says KPMGChief Economist DianeSwonk.Maybe this period will passwithout stagflation or adramatic price surge. AIpowered economic growthcontinues and tax refundsshould help consumersabsorb price increases thatwill eventually hit theeconomy. That said, whateveryou might call it, we shouldprobably prepare for at leasta possibility that this periodof uncertainty will last longerthan any of us would like.What can you do toprotect yourself?Instead of blowing throughyour tax refund, make sureyour emergency fund is fullystocked — ideally six to 12months of living expenses —so you’re not forced to takeon high-interest debt ifprices keep rising.Second, pay down highinterest debt. If the “flation”part of the equationcontinues, interest rates willstart to rise, which will makecarrying debt moreexpensive.Third, if you have anopportunity to increaseretirement contributions,force yourself to do so.Volatile markets can be agood friend to long-terminvestors who can continueto buy, regardless of theheadlines.Finally, think carefullyabout big discretionarypurchases. In a stagflationaryor just uncertainenvironment, patience andflexibility are your bestfinancial tools.Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is a CBSNews business analyst. Aformer options trader and CIOof an investment advisory firm,she welcomes comments andquestions [email protected]. jill on moneyFed Chair Powellwon’t call it'stagflation'by Jill SchlesingerU.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during apress conference following the Federal Open MarketCommittee meeting in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 2026.In addition to all of theanxiety that we face, there’sanother pernicious threatthat requires our attention:tax scams.The IRS recentlyannounced the “DirtyDozen,” the agency’s annuallist of the latest scams thatthreaten taxpayers. From AIpowered phoneimpersonators to socialmedia tax “hacks,” it’s timeto be on alert. I like to thinkof this as defensive drivingfor tax season.Your first line of defense isknowing how the IRS doesand does not communicate.The agency is old school,meaning it generally uses theUSPS. The IRS will never callto demand immediatepayment via gift card or wiretransfer, threaten arrest, askfor card numbers over thephone, or contact you byemail, text, or social mediaabout your personal taxinformation. If you get a call,DM, email, or text claimingto be the IRS, treat it as a redflag.Artificial intelligence hasmade these scams moreconvincing than ever.Criminals now generaterealistic phishing emails,spoofed phone numbers, andvoice-mimicking robocalls.When in doubt, hangup/delete and go directly toIRS.gov.With that knowledge,here are some of this year’smost prevalent scams – andhow to protect yourselfagainst them:Income tax identitytheftThis one has been aroundfor a while and continues tobe a thorn in taxpayers’sides. Here’s how it works: Acriminal steals your SocialSecurity number, files afraudulent tax returnclaiming a refund or creditand diverts the money intoan account in their ownname. The scary part is thatyou may not discover theissue until the IRS rejectsyour legitimate return!Resolving the situation candelay refunds for months, soto prevent it, there are a fewrules of thumb to follow: Donot share your SocialSecurity number, submityour return in a timelyfashion, and consider anIdentity Protection (IP) PINissued by the IRS, whichhelps prevent someone elsefrom filing a tax return usingyour Social Security number.The fastest way to receive anIP PIN is to request onethrough your IRS.gov onlineaccount. If you don’t alreadyhave an account on IRS.gov,you must register to validateyour identity.Phishing and smishingScammers send alarmingmessages with fake QRcodes directing you tofraudulent IRS websites.Never click unsolicited links— some install malware orransomware on your device.AI phone scamsRobocalls with spoofedcaller ID use voice mimicryto sound legitimate. The IRSdoes not leave threateningvoicemails or call demandingimmediate payment.Ghost tax preparersWhile the vast majority oftax preparers are legitimateprofessionals, the IRS hasseen an uptick in “ghostpreparers” who refuse tosign returns andunscrupulous ones whovanish after filing, leaving youliable for any errors.Before sharing your mostsensitive financialinformation, verifycredentials at the IRSDirectory of Federal TaxReturn Preparers. Be waryof anyone promising a bigpayday or who won’t signyour return.Social media tax “hacks”The IRS continues to flagsocial media misinformationas a major driver of taxscams. Viral “tax hacks” oftenpush people to file returnswith false information orclaim credits they don’tqualify for. The consequencescan include refund delays,audits, penalties, or worse. Ifit sounds too good to betrue, it is!If you have been a victimof fraud, the IRSrecommends the followingoptions for reporting:— For suspected IRSrelated phishing emails ormessages, [email protected].— If you think your taxidentity has beencompromised, visitIRS.gov/idtheft— For suspected taxfraud, scams, identity theft,or other tax-relatedwrongdoing go toIRS.gov/SubmitATip.How to defend against tax scams by Jill SchlesingerYour first line of defense is knowing how theIRS does and does not communicateSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:52 PM Page 9

11 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800swgrnebobuesgrwealttoCyoremdoyogrisndocois woawuswadoraa wbotrweguThsitsagrimaropyolasartabepesoThWcha stinheWPwAs a high school studentin Baltimore, Sean made amistake that changed thecourse of his life. A smart kidwith good grades, Sean gotinto a fight that put anotherstudent in the hospital withlife-threatening injuries.Sean, who was 18 when hewent on trial, spent the nextfour years in prison forattempted murder.He describes his first daysbehind bars as an “aha!”moment. He knew he wasbetter than the young manwho got into that fight. Hestopped other prisonersfrom calling him by his streetname. He secured hisGeneral EducationalDevelopment diploma. Andon release from prison, heenrolled in a counselingprogram that helped himnavigate back into civicsociety and get a job.“I had to really showpeople, you’re just not gonnaget me messed up,” Seansays. (To protect his identity,we are not publishing hisstreet name or his surname.)As Sean was serving hisprison term, the city ofBaltimore was having itsown epiphany. After a longstretch of rampant crime,including 300-plus murdersper year, Baltimore elected anew mayor in 2020, whorealized that traditionalpolicing methods alonewould never bring down thecity’s horrific crime rate. So,by the time Sean emergedfrom prison, Charm City andits new mayor, BrandonScott, were launching newpolicing methods that hadalready brought down crimerates in Philadelphia; Detroit;Oakland, California; Chicago;and St. Louis, among othercities.The Group ViolenceReduction Strategy (GVRS)– born from Boston’sOperation Ceasefire of the1990s – combines real-timeintelligence among city, state,and federal law enforcementagencies, as well as withhospitals and social servicegroups, to identify that smallnumber of young peoplewho commit the mostviolent crimes and who havethe longest rap sheets. Itincludes targeted policingstrategies to monitor andarrest those offenders, and itbrings police, pastors, andsocial service groupstogether in coordinatedinterventions that offerthose at the highest risk ofcriminal activity, like Sean, apathway to a crime-free life.It’s a hard pivot from thestop-and-frisk days madefamous in New York City inthe 1990s, when Black andLatino residents, ofteninnocent, weredisproportionately targeted.And it appears to beworking in Baltimore, whereGVRS is credited withreducing shootings andhomicides by 25% in thecity's Western District in itsfirst 18 months; overall,homicides have dropped bymore than half since thestrategy began. In Stockton,California, another example,GVRS reduced murders by30%, cut the number ofshooting incidents by 40%,and slowed recidivism ofviolent offenders by 37%between 2019 and 2022.These positive resultscome at a time of debateover crime, as PresidentDonald Trump deploysfederal law enforcementagencies and National Guardtroops into major cities hebelieves are overrun withcriminals. Last September,after having sent troops toLos Angeles, Mr. Trump saidhe had “an obligation toprotect this country, andthat includes Baltimore,”even though Baltimore hasbeen making steady progressin reducing violent crimesince the GVRS programwas implemented in 2022.While GVRS proponentsadmit there are no easy fixesfor urban crime, Sean’s storyof redemption andBaltimore’s turnaround areevidence that redemptionfor a man and a city canhappen through a mix ofstubborn commitment and abelief that change is possible.Tough-on-crime policies arepopular with voters, thoughthese attitudes can shiftdramatically. A 2023 Galluppoll found 58% of Americansfelt that the U.S. criminaljustice system is not toughenough in handling crime,though a 2025 Gallup surveyfound that 67% of Americanspreferred spending moneyon addressing social andeconomic problems thatlead to crime rather thandeterring crime throughmore prisons, police, andjudges.As a result, instead ofwinning votes by promising“zero-tolerance” lawenforcement – as formercity officials such as NewYork City Mayor RudyGiuliani and BaltimoreMayor Martin O’Malley haddone in the 1990s – Mr.Scott came to office in 2020in this historic port citypromising social investment.City officials and policedepartment leaders knewthey needed to prove theirGVRS strategy worked. Withseven straight years of highmurder rates, assaults, rapes,and carjackings, manyBaltimoreans seemed tohave forgotten what it feltlike to feel safe.“We had gotten to such aplace as a city where it feltlike, this 300-plus murderbenchmark we have been at,just felt like it was our newnormal, and that it wasdifficult to attack,” saysStefanie Mavronis, directorof the Baltimore Mayor’sOffice of NeighborhoodSafety and Engagement(MONSE).“But you can’t police yourway out of that,” Ms.Mavronis says. “We weretrying all the tough-on-crimethings that cities try, andwhen you look at where wedid have declines inhomicides and shootings,they typically did not last formore than a year or two.”Relying just on arrests andincarceration doesn’t work,she says. “It’s not how yousustainably address publicsafety.”For the policedepartment, a majorchallenge was rebuildingtrust after the death ofBaltimore resident FreddieGray in police custody. Mr.Gray, a 25-year-old AfricanAmerican, was arrested April12, 2015, after making eyecontact with police andfleeing. Police caught him andfound that he was carrying aknife. While beingtransported, Mr. Gray wasnot seat-belted andsomehow sustained injuriesto his neck and spinal cord.Gray slipped into a comaand died. Communitymembers accused the policeof extreme use of force.Three officers were arrestedbut acquitted of chargesincluding involuntarymanslaughter. Chargesagainst three other officerswere ultimately dropped.For a time, Baltimore’sstreets were riven byprotests by residentsdemanding more policeaccountability. When Mr.Scott was elected in 2020,one of his first steps was toestablish MONSE to developa more holistic strategy torestore public safety whilerepairing the community’srelations with lawenforcement. They chose arobust carrot-and-stickapproach, giving at-riskpeople stipends to engage inpositive activities, such ascompleting job applicationsand getting driver’s licenses.But they balanced thoseincentives with morepunitive measures, such asswift arrest and prosecutionfor those who persisted incriminal activity.The key to this strategy isto weaken violent criminalgroups from within: Targetthe most violent offendersfor prosecution, and thenoffer a way out for those onthe periphery.In the wake of the FreddieGray protests, Mayor Scott’sterm began “with very lowlevels of trust andconfidence in both citygovernment and our policedepartment,” says Ms.Mavronis. “And so we’reworking every day to dothings that help restore thattrust. Rebuild it, and in somecases, build it for the firsttime.”Terence Nash, chief ofGVRS in the Baltimorecrime reduction effort, saysthat what unites serviceproviders, community moralvoices, the policedepartment, and others isGVRS’ central tenet: to keeppeople “safe, alive, and free.”Those who agree to cleanup their lives get help to doso, such as counseling andjob training. Those whoreturn to crime are heldresponsible.“When we say we’re goingto hold you accountable, andwe’re going to protect thecommunity, we mean it,” Mr.Nash says. “If you put otherpeople’s lives in danger byyour actions, and if youviolate the mandate, you aregoing to be taken out of thecommunity.”Since the GVRS wasimplemented in 2022, lawenforcement has delivered817 direct communicationsto young people at thehighest risk of involvementin group-related violence. Ina direct communication,police officers tell peoplethey are being watched. Theyouth can either enter socialservice programs to seek ajob or face stiff prosecutionif arrested for future crimes.Many of those the police talkwith are members oforganized groups. Of the817 contacted, 360 of themnow receive job training andother services fromMONSE’s designated socialservice providers, the YouthAdvocate Programs (YAP)and Roca. Of those youngparticipants, more than 90%have not been charged withanother crime.In Baltimore’s downtownYAP office, a sign reads, “Youcan not go back and changethe beginning, but you canstart where you are andchange the ending.”On a recent Tuesdayafternoon, Eshyna Young, aYAP employment skillscoordinator, is helping a pairof participants to be clearand confident in mock jobinterviews.One, a middle-aged mannamed Norman, was shot byarmed men outside hisapartment building lastAugust. The shooter’smotives are unclear –robbery or retribution – butNorman acknowledges hehad a criminal record forselling drugs. A YAP outreachworker contacted Normanabout how to step awayfrom criminal activity.Norman says he has neverheld a job other than sellingdrugs, but that he was readyto try legitimateemployment. At the time ofhis shooting, he had learnedhis girlfriend was pregnantand that he would soonneed to start earning anincome for his growingfamily. In addition, Normanhad received a “directcommunication” from policethat he was on their radarscreen and would beprosecuted if he continuedto sell drugs.“I didn’t want to be dead,”he says. “I didn’t want to bein prison. I was willing andreceptive to the change.”The nerve center forGVRS is in the MONSEheadquarters in WestBaltimore. Here, cityofficials, prosecutors, and lawenforcement track crimedata in real time and holdweekly and daily meetingswith other stakeholders toidentify the city’s mostviolent offenders and thenetworks they operate in.Baltimore police have longknown that a relatively smallnumber of people accountfor most violent crimes inthe city, and the mosteffective way to reduce theirpower is to separate themfrom their associates. GVRSreaches out to thesehangers-on throughrespected moral leaders –pastors, teachers, counselors– to offer them another way.In 2020, the policedepartment tested its newstrategy in the WesternDistrict, the area with theIn Baltimore, vigorous interventions offer alternative paths for potential offendersSean's face is not shown to protect his identity. He becameinvolved with Youth Advocate Programs following an invitationfrom a pastor to attend an informational event.story continues on page 13SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 4:55 PM Page 10

12 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Dear Cathy, Oursweet Golden Retrievergrowls if anyone comesnear her when she has abone. She has never bitten,but it makes us nervous,especially when ourgrandchildren visit. Shouldwe take the bones awayaltogether, or is there a wayto fix this? – Patricia,Chicago, IllinoisDear Patricia, Whatyou’re describing is calledresource guarding, and it’smore common than manydog owners realize. Whenyour Golden Retrievergrowls over a bone, sheisn’t being “mean” ordominant – she’scommunicating. The growlis her way of saying, “I’mworried this might be takenaway.” In fact, the growl isuseful information. It’s awarning signal, and we wantdogs to give warningsrather than skip straight toa snap.Guarding often happenswith high-value items likebones, chews, or specialtreats. Even very sweet,well-socialized dogs canguard prized possessions.The key is to manage thesituation thoughtfully andsafely, especially withgrandchildren in the home.First, prevention isimportant. If young childrenare visiting, the safestoption is to avoid givingyour dog bones or longlasting chews when they’rearound.Second, rather thantaking bones away abruptly,begin teaching her thatpeople approaching meanssomething better happens.This is called “trading up.”While she has a lower-valuechew, calmly approach, tossa small, high-value treat (liketiny bits of chicken) nearher, and walk away. Do not reach for thebone at first. Repeat thisover several sessions so shebegins to associate yourapproach with good thingsrather than loss. After alittle time, you can brieflypick up the item, offer atreat, and then return it toher. The goal is to buildtrust.It’s also helpful topractice cues like “drop it”and “leave it” using toysduring play sessions, wherethere is less emotionalattachment than with food.Reward generously whenshe complies. Avoidpunishing or scolding agrowl. Suppressing thewarning can create a dogwho skips the growl nexttime and goes straight to abite. We want her to feelsafe, not threatened.Just as important, teachyour grandchildren never totouch or grab a dog’s toy,treat, chewie, or food, evenif the dog has walked away.Children should understandthat when a dog hassomething special, itbelongs to the dog. Thatsimple rule protects boththe child and the pet.Your dog isn’t bad; she’sjust communicating. Withtraining and clearboundaries for everyone inthe household, yoursituation should improve.Dear Cathy, I recentlyadopted a six-year-old,spayed female cat from ashelter. She is well behaved,except for one issue. Shegoes after my hand in the\"bunny kick\" syndromewhere she will try and bringmy hand up to her mouthand scratch or bite me. Ihave tried somerecommendations, such assternly saying \"no,\" andtrying to substitute a toyfor my hand, but noimprovement. Anythoughts? – Bethpage, NewYorkDear Paul, Whatyou’re describing iscommon prey behavior.Cats are wired to grab andhold prey with their frontpaws while raking with theirpowerful back legs. If handshave ever been used as toys– even briefly – some catslearn that fingers and wristsare fair game.Saying “no” rarely worksbecause cats don’t connectverbal corrections to theirbehavior the way dogsmight. Instead, focus onprevention. Make it a firmrule: Hands are never toys.No wrestling, no fingerwiggling, no playful tapping.If she wants to grab andkick, offer her a largestuffed sock toy that shecan latch onto safely – andthat will spare your handsfrom teeth and claws.Next, increasestructured play with wandor fishing-pole toys so shecan stalk, chase, and pounceat a distance. Just 10minutes once or twice dailygives her an appropriateoutlet for those huntinginstincts and can helpreduce ambush behavior.If she does latch ontoyour hand, don’t yank itaway. Pulling back willintensify her grip (as youlikely already know).Instead, freeze, gently pressin slightly to loosen herhold, then calmly disengageand end the interaction.Watch for early signs ofoverstimulation – atwitching tail, ears turningback, dilated pupils – andstop petting and playingbefore she escalates.Just remember, this isnormal prey behavior. Catsare hardwired to grab, hold,and “disembowel” theircatch with those powerfulback legs. The healthiestway to channel that instinctis through toys they canstalk, chase, and pounce on– not hands or fingers.Keeping hands completelyout of the play equation,and being consistent aboutit, will usually solve theproblem.Horse performs record-breaking 38 tricks in 3 minutesA NorthCarolina horseshowed off his skillsby performing 38tricks in underthree minutes,earning a GuinnessWorld Record inthe process.Gringo, a 19-year-old whitemustang trained byhis owner, LaurynZepeda, performed tricks including dancing, kicking a ball,waving a flag, ringing a bell and even playing a keyboard withhis nose. He completed all 38 tricks in just 2 minutes and47 seconds.\"This record meant a great deal to us, because ourtraining approach isn't very traditional in the horse world,\"Zepeda told Guinness World Records. \"Clicker training[and] positive reinforcement are commonly associatedwith dogs, but not many people realize how effective it iswith horses as well.\"She said she hopes Gringo will inspire other horsetrainers to try gentle methods. \"When we perform, that'sa message we're passionate about sharing: there arealternative, humane methods -- and horses can havemeaningful jobs beyond riding,\" she said.Zepeda said Gringo is a professional performer, andoften puts on shows at various events. \"He's verypassionate about his job. He loves his job,\" she told WECTTV.When sweet pets send strong signalsPet Worldwith Cathy RosenthalAs well as being a recuringguest on Happenings Q&A,Cathy M. Rosenthal is alongtime animal advocate,author, columnist and petexpert who has more than30 years in the animalwelfare field. Send your petquestions, stories and tips [email protected] kangaroofound after three days on the loose A kangaroo that escaped from a Wisconsin petting zooby vaulting over an 8-foot fence was found and safelybrought home three days later. Debbie Marland, owner ofSunshine Farm petting zoo in Necedah, said Chesney thekangaroo escaped from his enclosure by jumping over an8-foot fence last Wednesday.Volunteers launched a search for the abscondedmarsupial, and a team with Midwest Aerial Drone Serviceswas able to repeatedly glimpse Chesney using thermalimaging, but he remained elusive until Saturday.\"Out of nowhere, Chesney walked right up to my truck-- to the car door,\" Marland told WMTV. \"He came out ofnowhere and not scared, sniffing around, like he knew itwas time to go home.\"Stacy Breton, who helps care for the animals at SunshineFarm, carefully approached Chesney. \"I tried to get to hislevel, make sure he knew that it was just safe, and we weregoing to bring him back home,\" she said. The business shared a video of the happy reunion withChesney on social media. Marland said Chesney is restingup and slowly returning to his normal routine at the farm. orchanayerngdyteofedntonannganctcearbeedd,”bendorSEsttywmeldgstosthengallntinsteirmRSsegh–rsay.cewrnhe13SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:52 PM Page 11

13 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800BI’ve shared in pastcolumns how I’m helping myson finish off about 1,200square feet of his basement.I’m saving him more than$100,000 in labor and profitcosts he would have had topay a contractor. I’m also confident he andI are doing a much betterjob. After all, I’m investingtime, my skills, and awheelbarrow full of loveinto the project!We can only work onSaturdays. I’ve worked aloneon some Fridays when I cando things myself, such asfinishing drywall, runningelectrical cables, installingplumbing pipes, and applyingpaint to walls andwoodwork. The project hasbeen underway for justabout two years. The end isbut a month away.The only things left to doare install the speakeasy barcabinets, the bathroomvanity, and all of thecountertops. The bathroomcountertop required aconsiderable amount ofthought and planning. Myson has decided on a vesselsink with an offset faucet.Vessel sinks come indifferent sizes. I asked himto use his current vanitysink bowls as a guide. Thesesinks are oval-shaped. Iwanted him to determine ifhis hands felt cramped inthe sink while he washedthem.That experimentproduced fast and simpleresults. He told me in a textthat a 16-inch-diametervessel sink would beperfect. Furthermore, hesaid that a 6-inch depthwould suffice. He was ableto locate one of that exactsize that he loved.I then asked him to startlooking at vessel-sinkfaucets. The faucet needs tohave a long spout so theflow of water is toward thecenter of the sink. You don’twant your hands bangingagainst the side of the sinkas you wash them. Thismight happen if the spout istoo short.I reminded my son aboutthe wonderful vessel sink Imade for the basementbathroom in our last housein Cincinnati. I found awonderful old copper bowlwith a rich patina. My wifeloved it. I punched a hole inthe center of the bottom toaccommodate the sinkdrain.The faucet was ideal. Itlooked like it was madefrom bamboo stalks. Thewater shot out of the end ofthe spout much like aminiature waterfall. In thiscase, the spout could be abit smaller because thewater cascaded out about 3inches beyond the end ofthe spout.Next up, I told my son totake some painter’s tape andcreate an outline of hisstone vanity top. He createda rectangle on his islandcountertop using the tape.The outline was 31 incheswide and 22 inches deep.This produced a 1-inchoverhang on the front andleft side of the vanitycabinet.He was lucky to have a16-inch-diameter placemat.That was used as a prop forthe sink. I had him makesure the front edge of theplacemat was the samedistance from the front ofhis existing vanity top to thefront of his existing vanitysink.This showed he hadplenty of room behind theplacemat for both a stonebacksplash and the faucet.Some faucets are too big, orthe handle interferes withthe wall behind the sink. Thisis why you often see thefaucet offset to the right orleft of centerline of thevessel sink.My son decided to offsethis faucet so there would beno conflict, and it would bemuch easier to operate thefaucet handle.You also need to beaware of the height of thefaucet spout above thecountertop. The spout mustbe able to pass over thevessel sink with at least aninch of clearance. Myrecommendation is topurchase the vessel sink andknow exactly how high it isoff the countertop. Don’thope the measurementgiven on a website iscorrect.He’s decided to use aclever pop-down sink drain.This adds to the sleekdesign since you don’t havea clumsy pull rod at thefaucet that operates ahidden lever inside thecabinet. Pop-down drains, inmy opinion, are superior tothe pop-up drains. They areavailable in a multitude offinishes and are very easy toinstall and maintain.My guess is you neverthought so much planninggoes into a simple bathroomsink! The issue is that thestone top, the vessel sink,and the faucet all add up toan eye-opening amount. Youcan’t hope it all works out.You must take the time todo what I just outlinedabove.Planning an expensive vanity top Ask the Builder with Tim CarterSubscribe to Tim’s FREE newsletter atAsktheBuilder.com. Tim offers phonecoaching calls if you get stuck during a DIYjob. Go here:go.askthebuilder.com/coachingcitratsuCoteheintPopocoidecrcaansostrenmetosigseyotowharThcogivemoftththbyLeVedrbe$1lieeawaCostrhewoGVin tubecoSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:53 PM Page 12031926Locally Owned & Operated for Over 30 YearsNew & Like New 5403 52nd Street • KenoshaPhone (262) 656-1717 www.bandlofficefurniture.com031424Looking to upgrade your office?  See us for quality desks, chairs & officesuites built to last at prices that often beatthe big guys, and includes friendly service!Looking to upgrade your office? 041025

14 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Baltimore, crimentisan.ekveheaheintoreoftoerngmhek,toouut.toedcity’s highest violent crimerate. If GVRS was going tosucceed, Baltimore PoliceCol. Robert Velte and histeam say, it had to succeedhere.The departmentintroduced NeighborhoodPolicing Plans, mandating thatpolice work together withcommunity partners toidentify underlying causes ofcrime, such as abandonedcars, blight, and drug activity,and to come up withsolutions, including improvedstreet lighting and otherenvironmental factors thatmeet the community’s needto feel safe.In January 2022, MONSEsigned contracts with socialservice providers to provideyoung offenders alternativesto the justice system. Thosewho committed crimes werearrested and prosecuted.Those who enteredcounseling programs weregiven the chance to findemployment in jobs thatoften paid more than whatthey could earn throughtheft or drugs. (A 2000 studyby economists Steven D.Levitt and Sudhir AlladiVenkatesh found that whiledrug gang leaders earnedbetween $50,000 and$130,000 per year, theirlieutenants and street sellersearned well below minimumwage.)A 31-year police veteran,Colonel Velte has seen crimestrategies come and go, andhe knew his fellow officerswould be skeptical aboutGVRS. But the notable dropin crime in Baltimore hasturned many skeptics intobelievers, he says.His greatest hope forsolutions is with the peopleof Baltimore. “You know, Idon’t want to view Baltimorethrough a violent lens. Thevast majority of people inBaltimore are not thosefolks, which is why thestrategy works. Look at yourtop 5% of people drivingviolence. Once you subtractthem, the violence goesaway.”In its first 18 months,Baltimore’s GVRS reducedgun violence by 33%, with 60fewer victims, and cutcarjackings by 33%, accordingto research by the Universityof Pennsylvania’s Crime andJustice Policy Lab.At first, Baltimore officialswere in “disbelief,” saysJeremy Biddle, director ofViolence Reduction Policyand Programs at theUniversity of Pennsylvania.“They didn’t think that theycould do this, and like lots ofcity leaders, they were a littleincredulous that they canactually affect changes incommunity violence, asopposed to just having toendure it. I think that was anepiphany like, ‘Wow, we’reonto something.’”The first step was toovercome this disbelief thatchange was possible.“Cynicism is a big factor,right?” Mr. Biddle says. Ininitial meetings, city andpolice leaders told Biddlethat he was naive to believeGVRS would work. “Theymight say to me, ‘I’ve livedhere my whole life. Youhaven’t. What do you meanyou’re gonna do somethingthat’s gonna bring violencedown?’”Citizens neededconvincing as well. Inmeetings, Mr. Biddle recallscitizen leaders telling himthat the police aren’t here tohelp the community. “Andthen they’re not going tocooperate with the police,and the police won’t beeffective, and then they’ll seethe police not beingeffective,” he says. ”It creates,you know, an unvirtuouscycle.”Ben Struhl, executivedirector of the Crime andJustice Policy Lab, said thatthe key to overcoming thatcynicism is strong leadership.“As a city, you can makechoices and do thingswithout having tons of extraresources,” says ProfessorStruhl, who got his start incrime reduction strategies atNortheastern University,where he launched theCenter on Crime andCommunity Resilience. “Youcan make choices toseriously impact things thateven seem intractable, andsee results in the near term.But there is a criticism therewhich is correct, which isthat a lot of these cities haveallowed serious violence tocontinue due to not havingclarity on what they coulddo.”While crime rates aredropping in Baltimore, manypeople who live there say thecity is still not safe. In 1996,the Boston PoliceDepartment responded tosimilar public pressure –much of it driven by localpastors from the TenPointCoalition – to address a230% increase in murdersduring the crack cocaineboom of the early 1990s.Their solution, OperationCeasefire, introduced a newmethod of targeted policingcalled Group ViolenceIntervention, which has sincebecome a central pillar ofcrime reduction strategies,including the GVRS inBaltimore.“Last year, we saw ahistoric reduction,” ColonelVelte said. “But as anybody inthe department would tellyou, 133 [homicides] is stillfar too high, andunacceptable, especially for acity our size.”Just as the city ofBaltimore has started itsown journey of redemption,so, too, has Sean.His first crucial step wastaking control of his life. Highschool and neighborhoodfriends had assigned him anickname that seemed todefine him as violent, angry,ungovernable. It was a namethat followed him to prisonand persisted even after hefinished his sentence.“See, the easiest partabout that was I never reallyaccepted it,” Sean says. “I wasgetting away from theassigned feeling of, ‘If it’sgonna be bad, we gotta havethe bad person on our side.’”Resetting the world’simpression of him was onething, Sean says. Changing hisown expectations for himselfwas another.That’s when he receivedan invitation from a localpastor who was supportingthe GVRS effort. Sean says heheard the pastor would talkabout a new program aimedat helping at-risk youths findjobs.On arrival at the pastor’schurch, Sean and a friend sawpolice officers armed withAR-type rifles. The policewere there to preventviolence from breaking outamong the attendees. Seanwas unnerved.Even so, he went inside.Soon afterward, Seanstarted going to the localYAP office for individualcounseling and soft-skillstraining.His counselor, SterlingHerring, says young men ofSean’s age often struggle withthe early steps of getting ajob. He attributes this to alack of maturity and, in manycases, to a dearth of oldermale family members whocan model good work habits.But he says that Sean’sdetermination gives himreason for hope.continued from page 11Sean sits on a stoop in the city. He just started at his firstjob at Baltimore’s port moving cars.story continues on page 15SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:53 PM Page 13$20 OFF YOUR CERTIFIED GM SERVICE CENTER... WE USE GENUINE GM PARTSWE ALSO SERVICE ALL VEHICLE MAKES AND MODELSPALMEN BUICK GMC CADILLACCannot be combined with any other coupons.See advisor for details. 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15 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800UAoTYawdhyindthitdmpaTTblovmDEAR MAYOCLINIC: My mother andsister were both diagnosedwith breast cancer. With myfamily history, when should Iconsider preventive surgeryoptions, and what do thoselook like? Are there otherrisk factors I should beaware of?ANSWER: Given yourfamily history of breastcancer, I’m so glad you wantto know more aboutreducing breast cancer risk.There are a number of waysyou can reduce your risk ofgetting breast cancer. Thesecan be with surgery, such asa bilateral or doublemastectomy, but also withless invasive methods suchas healthy lifestyle choicesand medication.An important first stepwhen considering theprevention of breast canceris understanding yourpersonal risk. If you have notyet, I would recommendestablishing care with abreast health specialist, orhealthcare professionalcomfortable with breastcancer risk predictioncounseling. This may be at adedicated breast clinic, likethe Mayo Clinic BreastClinic, or with your primarycare clinician or OB-GYN.There are an increasingnumber of programsspecifically created forpeople at high risk for breastcancer, and the healthcareteam uses multipleprediction tools to identifyyour personal risk. Manyfactors, including age,hormone-related life eventssuch as age of first period,pregnancy and breastfeeding,and prior breast imagingcontribute to an individual’srisk.Genetic counseling is alsoan important part ofdetermining your personalrisk and the benefit youwould receive from riskreducing medication orsurgery. I would ask if eitheryour mother or sister hasundergone genetic testingand if they are comfortablesharing those results. If not, agenetic counselor will talkthrough your family tree andask about each relative andwhat cancer(s), if any, eachrelative has had and their agewhen they developed cancerto help assess your risk. Ifappropriate, genetic testingwill be offered.Once you know yourpersonal risk of breastcancer, then it is importantto discuss both screeningand prevention, meaningwhat you can do to decreasethat risk and by how much.Breast clinics and high-riskprograms providerecommendations on whattype of enhanced screeningyou should have in thefuture. Often tests such asbreast MRI are offered inaddition to traditionalmammograms. Your age, riskand characteristics of yourbreast tissue, such as density,are combined to create apersonalized screening plan.In terms of action items todecrease the risk of breastcancer, we know that ahealthy lifestyle can decreasea woman’s risk of developingbreast cancer or of it comingback after a prior diagnosis.All of us can benefit frombeing active, maintaining ahealthy weight, not smokingand limiting alcohol use.Newer data suggests weneed both cardio-based andweightlifting each week toget the most benefit.There are certainmedications that can betaken to reduce a person’srisk of breast cancer. Thesecan reduce your personalrisk by 50%-70% and aretaken daily for multiple yearsto see that benefit.Risk-reducing surgery,such as a bilateralmastectomy, decreases thechance of getting breastcancer; surgery decreasesyour personal risk by about90%-95%. And whileextremely effective, not evensurgery can completelyeliminate the risk of breastcancer. It is important tonote that bilateralmastectomy is a permanentchange to your body,including appearance andsensation, and the impact onyour quality of life, sex lifeand body image should all becarefully discussed beforehaving surgery.Risk-reducing surgery canbe performed with orwithout reconstruction. Abilateral total mastectomyremoves both breastswithout reconstruction andleaves a flat chest wall. Youcan wear a prosthesis, andprostheses are also availablefor swimming suits. Breastreconstruction is also a greatoption for many women, andthe process often can bestarted at the time of themastectomy. A skin-sparingmastectomy can beperformed which preservesthe skin envelope of thebreast. Nipple-sparingmastectomy is also an optionfor some women andpreserves the skin envelopeand the nipple-areolacomplex. Generally, however,while the nipple ispreserved, the sensation islost from the nipple with anipple-sparing mastectomy.Newer techniques, includinga robotic-assisted approachto nipple-sparingmastectomy, are currentlybeing evaluated.I would recommendmeeting with a breastsurgical oncologist and areconstructive plasticsurgeon to discuss optionsfurther.It’s important to note thatthe decision to takemedication or have surgeryto reduce your risk of breastcancer is personal. It also is afluid decision and maychange over time. Factorssuch as menopausal status,desire to have children, andfamily and work obligationsare all important to considerwhen making thesedecisions. I’d recommenddiscussing all these parts oflife with your healthcareteam.I commend you for beingproactive and exploring youroptions to reduce your riskof breast cancer. — MaryMrdutt, M.D., Breast andMelanoma SurgicalOncology, Mayo Clinic,Rochester, MinnesotaMayo ClinicHow surgery can reducebreast cancer risk For the nearly 40 millionAmericans living withdiabetes, the threat to theirvision unfolds quietly, oftenwithout warning. Diabeticretinopathy, a complicationthat damages blood vesselsin the retina, has become theleading cause of blindnessamong working-age adults inthe United States. Yet whatmakes this epidemicparticularly tragic is that itdoesn’t have to be this way. “The vast majority ofsevere vision loss fromdiabetic retinopathy ispreventable,” said Janice C.Law, MD, retina specialist inTennessee. “Studies showthat regular eyeexaminations and timelyinterventions can reduce therisk of severe vision loss by90 percent.” Still, many Americans arefalling through the cracks.Only about 60 percent ofpeople with diabetes receivethe annual dilated eyeexaminations recommendedby the American Academy ofOphthalmology, a shortfalldriven by lack of access,awareness, and time. Expanding Access toCare If you or someone youcare about has diabetes,schedule a dilated eye examtoday. Uninsured orunderinsured? See if youqualify for a no out-ofpocket cost medical eyeexam through EyeCareAmerica®. This publicservice program matchesvolunteer ophthalmologists,physicians who specialize inmedical and surgical eyecare, with eligible patientsaged 18 and older who needeye care. Visitwww.aao.org/eyecareamerica to learn more. When to See a Doctor In its early stages, diabeticretinopathy often presentsno symptoms at all—a factthat underscores theimportance of preventivescreening rather thanwaiting for problems toemerge. “Even if your vision seemsfine, a yearly dilated eyeexam is important,” said Dr.Law. “By the time patientsnotice flashing lights, blurredvision, floating spots, orother warning signs, thedisease may have alreadyprogressed significantly.” When should a personwith diabetes have aneye exam? If you have type 1diabetes, you should haveeye examinations at leastyearly beginning 5 years afterbeing diagnosed withdiabetes. Yourophthalmologist mayrecommend more frequentexaminations. If you have type 2diabetes, you should see anophthalmologist at leastyearly as soon you arediagnosed, regardless of yourage. Follow your eyedoctor’s recommendationabout how often you shouldbe rechecked, as this variesfor every individual. You mayneed to have your eyeschecked more often thanonce a year. But diabetes isn’t the onlyreason to see anophthalmologist. All healthyadults should have acomprehensive eye exam byage 40 when early signs ofcataract, glaucoma, and agerelated maculardegeneration?may begin toemerge. “Forty is typically whensubtle signs of eye diseasebegin to emerge,” Laura C.Fine, MD, chair of EyeCareAmerica, explained. “Manytimes, people don’t evennotice any changes to theirvision during these earlyphases of disease. However,vision-saving treatments aremost effective when thedisease is caught early.” The Treatment Gap Ophthalmologists havemore tools than ever beforefor diagnosing and treatingeye diseases. But theseinnovations cannot helppatients whose disease goesundiagnosed or who remainunaware of their condition’sseverity. The message is clear: Thetechnology to save sightexists. What’s needed now ismaking sure that everyonewho needs it can access it intime. The quiet epidemic: Why people with diabetes lose their sighthealthCdiovthatcanosycoan(manabUwdithofutbebeWabanskthththpren1 wsymenobin—wsythcamththMPaSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:53 PM Page 14

16 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Understanding thyroid healthAn estimated 20 millionAmericans have some formof thyroid disease. DuringThyroid Awareness Month,YARAL Pharma is raisingawareness of thyroiddisease, particularlyhypothyroidism, a conditionin which the thyroid glanddoes not produce enoughthyroid hormone. Despiteits prevalence, thyroiddisease remains widelymisunderstood, with manypeople unaware of its signsand symptoms.The Role of theThyroidThe thyroid, a smallbutterfly-shaped glandlocated in the neck, plays avital role in regulatingmetabolism, energy levels,and overall hormonalbalance. Conditions such ashypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroidnodules can significantlyimpact health and quality oflife. However, up to 60% ofindividuals with thyroiddisease are unaware of theircondition, often due to alack of awareness about thesigns and symptoms, leadingto delays in diagnosis andtreatment.1 Signs and SymptomsThyroid disorders canmanifest in various ways,including fatigue, weightchanges, mood fluctuations,and cognitive difficulties.These symptoms oftenresemble common day-today ailments, making themeasy to overlook. As a result,many patients live withthyroid conditions for yearsbefore seeking treatment. What Can Be DoneTreatment for thyroiddisease varies depending onthe type and severity of thecondition, as well as thepatient’s age and overallhealth. Some commontreatments include:2 Antithyroid drugs: Thesemedications stop the thyroidfrom producing hormones. Radioactive iodinetherapy: A widely used andeffective treatment involvingthe oral intake of radioactiveiodine. Most patients whoundergo this therapyeventually develophypothyroidism.Beta-blockers: Thesemedications don’t affect thethyroid but can help managesymptoms such as rapidheart rate, tremors, andnervousness. Surgery: In rare cases, ahealthcare provider mayrecommend surgicallyremoving the thyroid.Patients undergoing thisprocedure will need to takesynthetic thyroidreplacement hormones forthe rest of their life. Thyroid hormonereplacement: Forhypothyroidism, patientstypically take a daily dose ofsynthetic thyroxine (T4), ahormone that replaces whattheir thyroid can no longerproduce. Take Control of YourThyroid HealthIf you’re experiencingsymptoms of thyroid diseaseor have concerns aboutyour thyroid health, don’twait—talk to yourhealthcare provider to learnmore about diagnosis andtreatment options.atkerystaayrss,dnseredofegurkrydalc,C.renyeneirrlyer,reheverengselpesainn’shehtisneinDEAR MAYOCLINIC: I was recentlydiagnosed with polycysticovary syndrome. I’ve heardthat women with PCOS areat higher risk for certaincancers. Is this true?ANSWER: As you arenow familiar, polycystic ovarysyndrome or PCOS is acombination of two factors:an excess of androgens(male circulating hormones)and menstrual irregularity orabsent menstrual cycle.Ultrasounds are used to helpwith diagnosis, such asdiscovering small cysts onthe ovaries.PCOS increases the riskof endometrial cancer oruterine cancer, mainlybecause of the spacingbetween menstrual flows.Women should menstruateabout every month or so,and patients with PCOS mayskip menstrual cycles forthree months. Over time,this can lead to thickening ofthe uterine lining andpredisposition toendometrial cancer, the No.1 cancer that affects awoman’s reproductivesystem.The most commonmodifiable risk factor forendometrial cancer isobesity. Obesity leads toincreased levels of estrogen— a hormone associatedwith the female reproductivesystem — which can confusethe menstrual cycle. Thiscauses the absence ofmenstrual periods and,therefore, the thickening ofthe uterine lining.Unopposed estrogen, alsoknown as estrogendominance, is another riskfactor. When estrogenoutweighs progesterone — ahormone that supportsmenstruation and pregnancy— in the body, it can causetumors in your uterine liningover time. Using an estrogensupplement without theappropriate pairedprogesterone use would be arisk factor as well.An additional risk factor isan underlying geneticpredisposition forendometrial cancer. Oneexample would be Lynchsyndrome, a geneticmutation that a review offamily cancer history canuncover. Lynch syndromecommonly affects theendometrium (uterine lining)but is also a risk factor forcolon cancer.Fortunately, most womencan be cured of endometrialcancer with a hysterectomy.For women who desirefertility and do not wantsurgery to remove theiruterus, there are somealternate therapies. After theendometrial cancer isremoved with ahysterectomy, a smallpercentage of women mayhave high-risk features thatwould qualify them forneeding additionaltreatment, such aschemotherapy and radiationtherapy.Woman with PCOS canreduce their risk ofendometrial cancer. Manywomen with PCOS sufferfrom obesity. Striving for anoptimal weight can help. Inaddition, a principaltreatment for PCOS is theuse of combined oralcontraceptive pills or birthcontrol pills. Birth controlpills not only treat PCOSand allow a woman to haveregular menstrual flow, butthey also reduce the risk ofendometrial, colon andovarian cancers.The best screening forendometrial cancer isawareness of the importanceof having menstrual flow atleast every one to twomonths. If a woman isexperiencing absentmenstrual flow for threemonths or more, it would bean indication to seek furtherevaluation from her primaryhealthcare clinician. It isimportant to clarify,however, that if hormonessuch as in birth control pillsare being used to reducemenstrual flow, that can besafe.It is also essential forwomen in menopause to beaware that any type ofbleeding is not normal. Oncea woman has achievedmenopause, bleeding —whether light, heavy oranything at all — warrantsevaluation to ensure thepatient does not haveendometrial cancer.Early detection isimportant becauseendometrial cancer isextremely curable withsimple surgery. If we’re ableto identify it, we can easilyremove the organ involvedwith few symptoms or sideeffects. Hysterectomies areoften outpatient, meaningthey are treated withouthospital admission. If thecancer is caught quickly, wecan cure patients, limit theneed for additional radiationor chemotherapy andprovide a positive long-termoutcome.Gynecologic cancer canbe difficult to talk aboutbecause it involves privateparts of the body that wedon’t routinely discuss withother people, so it may beuncomfortable to bring up.Staying in tune with yourbody can help youunderstand what’s normalfor you, knowing thateveryone’s “normal” is a littlebit different. If somethingseems off or doesn’t feelright, it’s OK to askquestions.Access to the internet canbe tremendously valuable foreducating ourselves.However, we should becareful about the resourcesfrom which we obtain theinformation. Manygynecologic cancers havevague symptoms. It isimportant to continue tovoice your concerns tomultiple healthcareprofessionals until you getthe answers you need toknow you’re safe. Womendeserve to be heard. —Kristina Butler, M.D.,Gynecologic Oncology, MayoClinic, PhoenixMayo ClinicPolycystic ovary syndromeand cancer risk Baltimore, crimeSo, even while Seanstarted and lost a successionof jobs, Mr. Sterling says hecould tell that Sean wasstaying clean, avoidingtrouble, and trying to stayaway from old friends.Sean’s persistence has paidoff. With YAP’s help, he nowhas a union job at the Port ofBaltimore, shuttling carsfrom the ship pier to an areawhere they will be loadedonto trucks for delivery tocar dealerships.Sean’s experience showsthat Baltimore’s approach isworking, says Ms. Mavronis,the MONSE director.“GVRS is about balancingopportunity andaccountability,” she says.“Each successfulintervention allows us tofocus enforcement on thatsmall number of people whorefuse to put down the gunsand continue to inflict harmon our communities in waysthat don’t over-policecommunities or overincarcerate people.”After one week on thenew job, Sean says he feelsrelieved that his life is finallystarting to work out. He getsto bed early, so he doesn’tsleep through his alarm. Heattends a local mosque,where he has found positiverole models.And he has the support ofMr. Sterling, his life coach.Even after YAP participantscomplete their programs andland jobs, YAP coaches stay intouch.“You need a ride home?”Mr. Sterling asks Sean at theend of a counseling session.Sean smiles. “Yeah.”Clarification: This storyhas been updated to reflectcrime-reduction statisticsfrom Baltimore's WesternDistrict and the city as awhole.By Scott Baldauf & Melanie Stetson Freemancontinued from page 13SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:54 PM Page 15

17 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Project Hail Mary, thenew sci-fi film starring RyanGosling, topped the boxoffice last weekend for itssecond straight week.The movie is based onthe 2021 novel by AndyWeir, which follows RylandGrace (Gosling), a man whowakes to find himself thesole survivor aboard theHail Mary spacecraft.Ryland has no memory ofhis past.Project Hail Mary iswritten by Drew Goddardand directed by Phil Lordand Christopher Miller. Themovie is one of many filmsbased on books set inspace. Here are five others:The MartianThe 2015 film starringMatt Damon is based onWeir's debut novel of thesame name.Damon plays MarkWatney, an astronaut whois mistakenly left for deadduring a mission to Mars.Mark must find creativeways to survive on the RedPlanet long enough tohopefully be rescued.The Martian's starstudded cast also includesJessica Chastain, ChiwetelEjiofor, Kristen Wiig, JeffDaniels, Michael Peña, SeanBean, Kate Mara andSebastian Stan.The movie is directed byRidley Scott and is availableto rent on streamingplatforms.First ManGosling also stars in FirstMan, a 2018 biopic basedon the James R. Hansenbook First Man: The Life ofNeil A. Armstrong.The film, directed byDamien Chazelle, exploresthe life of real-life astronautNeil Armstrong and theevents leading up to theApollo 11 mission to themoon in 1969.First Man also starsClaire Foy, Jason Clarke,Kyle Chandler and CoreyStoll, and is available to renton streaming services.DuneDune: Part One (2021)and Dune: Part Two (2024)adapt Frank Herbert'snovel of the same name.The movies are directedby Denis Villeneuve and starTimothée Chalamet as PaulAtreides, a young noblemanwho is swept up into warand political intrigue asvarious factions fight forcontrol of the desert planetArrakis.Zendaya, RebeccaFerguson, Josh Brolin, DaveBautista, Jason Momoa andJavier Bardem also star inboth films, which areavailable to stream on HBOMax.Herbert's Dune waspreviously adapted as a1984 film directed by DavidLynch and starring KyleMacLachlan, and as a 2000miniseries.Fans of the franchise canalso watch Dune: Prophecy,a TV series set in the Duneuniverse, on HBO Max.The Hitchhiker'sGuide to the GalaxyThe 2005 comedy sci-fifilm is based on thefranchise created byDouglas Adams, which waspreviously adapted as aradio show, a 1979 noveland a TV series.Martin Freeman stars asArthur Dent, the lastsurviving man after Earth isdestroyed. Arthur exploresthe galaxy with FordPrefect (Mos Def), an alienjournalist writing a bookcalled Hitchhiker's Guide tothe Galaxy.Sam Rockwell, ZooeyDeschanel, Bill Nighy, JohnMalkovich and WarwickDavis also star.The Hitchhiker's Guideto the Galaxy is co-writtenby Adams and KareyKirkpatrick and directed byGarth Jennings. The film isavailable to rent onstreaming services.SolarisThe 2002 sci-fi drama isbased on the 1961 novel byPolish author StanisławLem.George Clooney stars asDr. Chris Kelvin, apsychologist who agrees totravel to a space stationorbiting the fictional planetSolaris and attempt to bringhome the crew, who arestrangely reluctant to leave.Natascha McElhone, ViolaDavis and Jeremy Daviesalso star. The film is writtenand directed by StephenSoderbergh, and is availableto rent on streamingservices.Lem's novel waspreviously adapted as a1972 movie directed byAndrei Tarkovsky andstarring Donatas Banionis.That version is available tostream on HBO Max.By Annie Martinbooks'Project Hail Mary'and five other filmsbased on booksabout spaceKinStavoboinexSta pare[esadebeofregocrprthpabescsccosateanstscinPafirottoscdiKtithsadithmbaCKCstfuwQmcoatentaa mtwrewye'bThese are the fictiontitles our reviewersliked best this month.Son of Nobody, byYann Martel“Life of Pi” author YannMartel again flexes hisextraordinary imaginationin this latest novel. ACanadian classicist, stalledon his dissertation aboutHomer’s “Iliad,” leaves hiswife and young daughter(named Helen, of course)for a yearlong fellowship atOxford. The scholar,Harlow Donne, becomesobsessed by fragments ofGreek text on scraps ofshredded parchment, whichhe patches together tocreate an inventive accountof the Trojan War from theperspective not of gods ornobility but of commoners,including a “son of nobody”named Psoas. The pages ofMartel’s novel are splithorizontally. There’s the socalled lost epic, whichHarlow dubs “The Psoad,”on the upper half, and hishighly personalcommentary below, whichlinks the horror andinsensibility of war with thetragic loss of his marriageand young daughter. “Son ofNobody” joins otherbrilliant novels involvingderanged scholars,including VladimirNabokov’s “Pale Fire.” –Heller McAlpinPython’s Kiss, byLouise ErdrichAward-winning authorLouise Erdrich follows up“The Mighty Red” with anew collection of shortstories teeming withsnakes and cats, travelersand troubadours, survivorsand secrets. While thespeculative fiction wobbles,most of the stories graband hold. “The HollowChildren,” a hauntingchronicle of a bus driverpiloting his morning pickupof schoolchildren through ablizzard, and “Amelia,”about the friendshipbetween an antsy teenagegirl and the stylishcustomer who frequentsthe local KFC during hershifts, are standouts. – ErinDouglassI Hope You FindWhat You’re LookingFor, by BsratMezghebeIn her winning debutnovel, Bsrat Mezghebe aimsa compassionate eye andskilled pen on the tight-knitEritrean community inWashington, D.C. Centralto the tale are 12-year-oldbookworm Lydia; herformer freedom fightermom, Elsa; their generousinjera-making neighborZewdi; and a newly arrivedcousin with big thoughts ofhis own. As the storytellingshifts between Washingtonin 1991 and Elsa’s rebeldays in Eritrea 15 yearsearlier, each charactergrapples with family,purpose, and the pursuit ofideals. – Erin DouglassThe Woman and HerStars, by Penny HawIn Georgian-era England,Caroline Herschel isrescued from a life ofservitude by her devotedbrother, William, andushered into London’smusic scene. Her heavenlyvoice gives her a sense ofpurpose. When Williambecomes the king’sastronomer, Carolineassists him, and thendeterminedly becomes thefirst woman to discover acomet. This charminghistorical novel, based onHerschel’s true story,shines brightly withmemorable characters, andan inspiring leading ladyrealizing her worth. –Stefanie MilliganHow To Write a LoveStory, by CatherineWalshAs Ciara Sheridanstruggles to write the finalvolume of her late father’sbestselling fantasy series,Sam, her dad’s New Yorkbased editor, travels toIreland to lend support. Somuch rides on this volume.The two clash, but soondiscover they share morethan a love of her father’swork. Catherine Walshwrites a delightful,believable rom-com tailormade for book lovers. –Joan GaylordThe Shock of theLight, by Lori Inglis HallThis World War II novelcenters on close-knitBritish twins, Tessa andTheo. Recruited by theRoyal Air Force, Theoreturns home after the warrealizing his sister, one of39 Special OperationsExecutive women spies, isstill missing. Theo devoteshimself to finding her. LoriInglis Hall’s thoroughlyresearched, well-plottedbook channels theheartbreak and humanityof wartime, its aftermath,and love’sredeeming power. –Stefanie MilliganThe Star FromCalcutta, by Sujata MasseyBombay’s sole femalesolicitor, Perveen Mistry,faces a new case in SujataMassey’s latest 1920swhodunit. As monsoonseason drags on, evercurious Perveen mustinvestigate the death of aBritish film censor in thewee hours of a glitzy partystuffed with stars,investors, and suspicioushangers-on. There aretwists, turns, and jolts ofaction; still, the unrushedstorytelling gives the city’svivid landmarks – fromChowpatty Beach toMalabar Hill – time to glow.– Erin DouglassDaughter of Egypt, by Marie BenedictThis gorgeous,suspenseful novelcelebrates two captivatingwomen. In 1920s Egypt,Lady Evelyn Herbert; herfather, Lord Carnarvon; andarchaeologist HowardCarter search for boyPharaoh Tutankhamun’streasure-filled tomb. ThreeRing in spring with the season’s best bookscontinues on page 18As the Ryan Gosling film tops the box office, Andy Weir’s 2021sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary returns to top the Best Sellers listSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:54 PM Page 16

18 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800ckdeeneybyisonisbywasatoonetngree.laesenenlengasabyds.toinScreenwriter DavidKoepp turned a movie ideainto his first novel, ColdStorage, which is now a filmavailable on digital videoon-demand.Koepp adapted his ownbook. In a recent Zoominterview, Koepp, 62,explained how ColdStorage began as a pitch fora movie.\"After two or threepages, I thought there's noreason this has to be[expletive] prose,\" Koeppsaid. \"Let's try and make itdecent prose. Then it justbecame this different kindof storytelling and I wasreally enjoying it so I keptgoing.\"Koepp was joking aboutcriticizing his treatmentprose. However, he clarifiedthat the purpose ofparagraphs is differentbetween a novel and ascreenplay.\"I don't think myscreenwriting reallycontains prose,\" Koeppsaid. \"It contains, I hope,terse and vivid descriptionsand good dialogue and wellstructured sequences.\"After a longscreenwriting career thatincludes several JurassicPark films, Panic Room, thefirst Spider-Man and manyothers, Koepp said he hadto break somescreenwriting habits.\"You can't just lapse intodialogue for long periods,\"Koepp said. \"The sense oftime is different in a bookthan it is in a movie. Theysay a few things and youdigress or you sum up whatthey did for the next tenminutes and then you comeback into some dialogue.\"The film adaptation ofCold Storage stars JoeKeery and GeorginaCampbell as clerks at astorage facility housing afungus that fell to Earthwith Skylab in 1979. RobertQuinn (Liam Neeson), themilitary lead in the '70s,comes out of retirement toattend to it.In the novel, Koeppenjoyed following backstorytangents he never would ina script for a two-hourmovie.\"I can suddenly spendtwo pages where this guyremembers what his dadwas like when he was 9years old or he can talkabout his high school job,\"Koepp said. \"As long as youmaintained a sense offorward movement, youcould digress the[expletive] out of it.\"Having adapted MichaelCrichton's two Jurassicnovels, two Dan Brownnovels, Richard Matheson'sA Stir of Echoes, StephenKing's Secret Window andSpider-Man comics, Koepphad the film adaptation inmind while writing thebook.\"I let it be a book, plentyof unfilmable stuff in there,but I'd be lying if I didn't sayI had ideas in the back of myhead while writing thenovel for how I might adaptit,\" he said. \"I'd cut this, I'dcombine these two, I'd haveher say that.\"When it came time toproduce the movie, Koeppgave his cast the book forfurther information.\"Actors are always askingabout the characters'background,\" he said.\"Normally, you're making itup because maybe youhadn't thought about thattoo much when you'rewriting a script. In this case,I got to hand them thebook and go, 'It's all inthere.'\"Koepp's second novel,Aurora, was published in2022 but he has not sloweddown as a screenwriter. Hewrote Disclosure Day withSteven Spielberg, their fifthmovie together.\"He'd written atreatment of like 40-50pages that was really quitedetailed and very good,\"Koepp said. \"I think he felt astronger authorial sense,yes, but he always feels astrong authorial sense,whether he wrote the storyor not.\"The plot of DisclosureDay is intentionally beingkept vague, but it doesrevolve around exposinggovernment secrets thatpertain to alien life and Area51. It is a subject Spielberghas returned to in CloseEncounters of the ThirdKind, E.T. and War of theWorlds.\"Each of them has aradically different tone,\"Koepp said. \"CloseEncounters is a strikinglydifferent tone from E.T.,strikingly different fromWar of the Worlds which iscompletely different fromthis.\"Koepp wrote the firsttwo Jurassic Park films forSpielberg, War of theWorlds and the fourthIndiana Jones for Spielberg.He returned to writeJurassic World Rebirth forGareth Edwards.\"Sequels are hard,\"Koepp said. \"You arerevisiting material andtrying to make it fresh. Youhave lost the novelty of theidea and now it becomesmore what can you do withit? That's difficult.\"Some of Koepp's otheroriginal screenplays includeGhost Town and PremiumRush with John Kamps, andKimi, Presence and BlackBag for Steven Soderbergh.Early originals include theDolph Lundgren alienhunting film I Come inPeace, under a pseudonym.Koepp said he and Kampsdid not take thepseudonyms to deride themovie. Rather, it was a jobthey took early in theircareers to earn money tofinish Koepp's independentmovie Apartment Zero.\"It's not that we saw themovie and said, 'Ew, wedon't want our name on it.'We had no name,\" Koeppsaid. \"I'm glad it's stuckaround. I'm glad somepeople really like it.\"Another originalscreenplay was 1994'snewsroom drama ThePaper which Koepp wrotewith his journalist brother,Stephen. David shared thathe had an in-personinterview at a newsroomrecently and missed thebustling atmosphere RonHoward's film depicted.\"I went to their officesand they're 2/3 empty,\"Koepp said. \"It's just quiet. Alot of empty desks and I getthat even if it's not that thestaff is so dramaticallyreduced, everybody's athome.\"By Fred TopelNon-Fiction (Print & E-Book) Fiction (Print & E-Book)1. Project Hail Mary (Weir)2. Theo of Golden (Levi)3. Judge Stone (Davis/Patterson)4. The Correspondent (Evans)5. Love Song (Kennedy)6. Bloodlust (Brown)7. Heated Rivalry (Reid)8. Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dinniman)9. Dear Debbie (McFadden)10. Want to Know a Secret? (McFadden)1. Stripped Down (Xo)2. Strangers (Burden)3. You With the Sad Eyes (Applegate)4. The Body Keeps the Score (van der Kolk)5. Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! (Minnelli)6. A World Appears (Pollan)7. Chain of Ideas (Kendi)8. Nobody’s Girl (Giuffre)9. Killed to Order (Jekielek)10. Told You So (Neeley)NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERS'Cold Storage': David Koepp says novelbegan as a film treatment–ey,asn-taeys,sefdsmow.s,lgt,rddyse8From short storycollections and literaryhorror to memoir andessay collections, severalnew books are slated for aspring arrival. Check outour selection of fiction andnonfiction titles availablefor preorder ahead of theirupcoming release.FictionSeasons of Glass &IronAmal El-Mohtar's shortstory collection offers\"glimpses into gleamingworlds and fairy tales withteeth,\" an official synopsisstates. The book tellsstories via letters andjournal entries, thedescription continues. Inaddition to the titularpiece, the collectionincludes such tales as \"TheGreen Book,\" \"Madeliene,\"\"The Lonely Sea in theSky,\" and \"The Truth AboutOwls.\"Body DoubleHanna Johansson'ssophomore novel followsNaomi and Laura'srelationship as Laura beginsto look more and more likeher partner. Elsewhere intown, a woman startssensing that someone iswatching her. Body Doubleis due on bookshelves April7. \"This alluring andpropulsive thriller exploresdeception and authenticity,obsession and theuncanny,\" according to anofficial synopsis.My Dear YouRachel Kohng's shortstory collection featuresvignettes about a womanwho is haunted by her exesafter adopting a cat, a godthat erases humans and awoman's buddingfriendship with a sex doll.My Dear You arrives April7.Patient, FemaleReaders will find a storyabout a couple whovacation on their deadneighbor's dime and anarrative about a mothernavigating her autistic son'sunique relationship to hisgrandmother, who is dying.Julie Schumacher's storycollection lands onbookshelves May 5, andblends humor and sorrowthroughout. \"Eachprotagonist -- ranging fromgirlhood to senescence --receives her own indeliblevoice as she navigates theabsurdity of the humanexperience,\" an officialsynopsis reads.NonfictionOn Witness andRespairSalvage the Bones authorJesym Ward's essaycollection arrives May 19.Ward, the recipient of twoNational Book Awards,writes about the literaturethat had the biggest impacton her life in On Witnessand Respair. \"Wardruminates on her approachto both fiction and life,reflecting on the power ofthe novel, how to raise aBlack son in an era of risingdivisiveness and cruelty, aswell as her own personaltragedies,\" an officialsynopsis states.I Would Die If IWere You: Notes onArt and TruthTellingEmily Rapp Blackexamines how humansprocess and transmute lossTop spring book releasesSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:54 PM Page 17

19 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800thBronhaviththlisiti20GSp10is thUA andiadKehaTFrSeCLeEvLaSedacoincoonAASeininatKeBaSeanpiinatPeVeinHbeon56roinACSaCofbeplththousand years ago, Egypt’s most successful womanpharaoh, Hatshepsut, disappeared, and signs of her reignwere mysteriously erased. The 20th-century tomb-seekingtrio add Hatshepsut to their dangerous excavatingadventures. – Stefanie MilliganRuins, by Lily Brooks-DaltonEmber lives 3,000 years in the future, post “Crisis” era,working as an academic in archaeology. When theopportunity finally comes to pursue her founderingresearch’s central questions about pre-Crisis peoples, shejumps, dropping everything to lead the expedition intouncharted waters. Thought-provoking, exciting, andsometimes ugh-inducing (Ember is one selfish protagonist),the story captivates. – Erin DouglassCelestial Lights, by Cecile PinCecile Pin’s beautiful and profound novel tells the storyof a boy born on the day the Challenger space shuttleexploded and fell into the sea. He grows up to become alegendary astronaut sent by a visionary billionaire on a 10-year mission to the distant moon Europa. As he leaves hischerished wife and son, Ollie examines his life choices inpoignant flashbacks. – Stefanie MilliganRailsong, by Rahul BhattacharyaRahul Bhattacharya’s generous storytelling captures thecoming-of-age of Charu Chitol, a railwayman’s daughter innewly independent India. Charu dreams of escapingpoverty, domesticity, and patriarchal society for modernlife in Bombay, and hopes to marry for love. Amid a countryundergoing change, Charu forges her future withoptimism. – Stefanie MilliganThese are the nonfiction titles our reviewersliked best this month.Judy Blume: A Life, by Mark OppenheimerMark Oppenheimer’s affectionate biography traces thebeloved author’s life and work in exhaustive andilluminating detail. Written with its subject’s cooperation,the book offers insight into how Judy Blume’s backgroundand experiences provided raw material for her classicyoung-adult novels, including “Are You There God? It’s Me,Margaret” and “Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself.” –Barbara SpindelCosmic Music, by Andy BetaThe life of jazz virtuoso Alice Coltrane has often beenoverlooked in favor of her husband, the late John Coltrane,one of the most influential figures in jazz. But in Andy Beta’scomprehensive biography, readers get to know thegroundbreaking musician as she finds both musical andspiritual transformation. – Mackenzie FarkusThe Westerners, by Megan Kate NelsonHistorian Megan Kate Nelson’s compelling narrativeoffers an expansive and eye-opening view of the 19thcentury American West. Through the stories of fascinatingbut little-known people in the region, she demonstratesthat white women and Indigenous, Black, Mexican, andAsian women and men were as vital to the frontierexperience as the white male pioneers of national myth. –Barbara SpindelWhen the Forest Breathes, by Suzanne SimardSuzanne Simard is a paradigm-shifting researcher inforest ecology. Her first book, “Finding the Mother Tree,”argued that trees communicate with one another, sharecarbon and other resources through mycorrhizalnetworks underground, and forge cooperativerelationships with their own kind as well as with otherspecies in their immediate environment. “When the ForestBreathes” combines personal memoir with descriptions ofher scientific investigations. It serves as an impassionedplea for preserving forests and helping them regenerate. –Richard SchiffmanRing in Springcontinued from page 16New books Ncontinued from page 17and grief through art making in this hybrid memoir andcraft book. I Would Die if I Were You, which hitsbookshelves May 19, supports creatives who are\"approaching their 'hard' stories.\" Rapp Black, who lost herson to a terminal illness, suggests that community, andstorytelling within those spaces, allow us to \"reach ourfullest potential.\"Light and ThreadNobel Prize winning author Han Kang gathered essays,poems, images and journal entries in Light and Thread.\"She writes of the wonder of following the thread we calllanguage into the depths of other hearts, and her profoundsense of an electric current which joins writer and reader,\"an official synopsis reads.Attention: Writing on Life, Art and the WorldPolitical writing and memoir from across Anne Enright'scareer form the basis of Attention, which arrives April 7.\"She interprets Sophocles' Antigone through the lens ofthe Mother and Baby Homes in Galway, writes on Ireland'ssuccessful 2018 referendum on abortion rights and offersnew perspectives on writers including Alice Munro, ToniMorrison, James Joyce, Helen Garner and Angela Carter,\"per an official synopsis. Famesick: A MemoirGirls creator and star Lena Dunham is back with a newbook, out April 14. Famesick is Dunham's meditation onhow it feels to inhabit her body amid ongoing illness, allwhile building her wildly successful career. \"'Famesick' is,ostensibly, about the years 2010-2020 -- a decade in whichmy life changed profoundly and permanently, in whichnearly every strand of my DNA reconstituted itself. But it'salso about illness as teacher, body as tattletale, our societalrelationship to women on the edge, and the conditions thatcreate art vs. the conditions that create happiness,\"Dunham said.SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:55 PM Page 18REMINDER: Maximum 3 Listings Per Person. MiscKENOSHA CAR CLUB monthly breakfasts are at 8am on the first Tuesdays of each month at the Gateway Cafe, 3619 30th Avenue GERMAN 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 [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 Sale Rita Rinelli Memorial Mass: 12 noon on Saturday, June 21 at St. Elizabeth Church, Eighth Avenue at 48th Street.REMEMBERING SILVIO RUGANI - July 20, 1893 / August 29, 1975.FOR SALESofa w/Oak trim, excellent condition/quality. Smoke/Pet free home. $225.00 Curt 262-865-0193 2019 Kodiak Model travel trailer Price 15,900 Exterior White Discrimination Has 3 Queens size beds Refrigerator, fridge and stove, toilet, and shower and heating and air conditioning. Everything works perfectly Contact 262 620-6755 Snowmobile Trailer, 3 place Triton with winch. $3,200 OBO 262-948-1864 please leave message Lots of American Fostoria for sale. Please contact:Karon Baumgarten 3 1 7 - 7 6 4 - 7 6 6 2 [email protected] heater new. $55. 262-498-4021. Contact info: Val Zamecnik email address:[email protected] phone:262-498-4021.Left-handed golf club set. Wilson Pro-Staff clubs and Knight bag. Barely used. $125.Call or text 262-960-5477One burial lot in Northshore Garden of Memory in North Chicago. Very nice location. Discounted price. BowFlex exercise unit like new. All there including leg exercise unit and book. 600.00.Call Herb at 847-305-0897. Please leave message if I miss your call. Gas Tank, new for 73-87 GMC Blazer $100 Transfer case for 73-87 GMC $100 Milk Cans $15 Call Alex 262-945-1275 Camers/lenses/filters and other equipment. Please contact: Don at 262-694-7573 or 262-287-8575. Various Farics, prices start $1/yr (262) 629-0291 New Air Fryer $35 Coffee Table $20 (262)771-8764 Two ramps for vehicles, Beanie Babies (Regular and McDonalds), and Two Schwinn bicycles. BEST OFFER. Call 262-654-6485.Beautiful Sunset Ridge Memorial Park Kenosha. Located in lovely setting in the Garden of The Last Supper. Section H, Lot 113. 5&6, pair $1,800 OBO. Please contact Mary at 262-496-9711. (2) grave sites in All Saints Cemetery. I'm asking for $1,000 each plus transfer fees. Call (608) 317-9518 Elizabeth Smith [email protected] CADET LAWN tractors, old 1962 to 1976. Decks and other attachments. Glenn at 262-891-2377. Leave message Hey Kenosha Folks! I am selling everything from four houses. Let me know what you need by texting or calling Barb at 262-902-5663. John Deere Tractor Lawn Mower with Briggs & Straton engine and Frame Cutting Deck FOR sale for PARTS ONLY 847-244-9256 NO texting - Please leave a voicemail Large Craftsman table saw, $100 OBOEldridge peddle sewing machine, early 1900's, best offer- Milwaukee Plumbers band saw, $50 OBO Call Tom (224) 219-3645 Lake Front Property Ready to rebuild existing home & Garage 1.48Acre on Large Spring Feed Lake in North East WI near Green bay WI. Located in Marinette county in the town of Lake Great Fishing, & water skiing Tubing Jet skiing Air Boat all Water sports activities call (847) 244-9256 Various Fabrics - Price per yard. Call for info(262) 629-0291Beanie Babies 200+ $200. Proform Treadmill, new belt $300. 7' vinyl boat with new motor, 4-cylinder with accessories $500. (262) 652-5929TREK 900 TANDEM 26\" 21 speed. Updated tires and rims. Excellent condition. Two new helmets plus accessories. $500 OBO 262-883-4210Sears ZigZag sewing machine and cabinet. Fine condition, All attachments. Model #1750 Asking $60 (262) 657-6049 Gas Lawn Mower. Sears Craftsman 6.75 self-propelled. 22” cut. Mulch or side eject. Ready for spring. New oil, spark plug, & air filter. $75. Call Rich, 224- 730- 2564. Wood Dining Table. Solid wood, Oval, 58” long x 41” wide w/o leaves. Two 12” x 41” leaves & top pad included. Mahogany finish. $25. Call Rich, 224- 730- 2564. FUN FAMILY BOAT 2006 Bayliner 175 Capris Bowrider w/trailer, Mercruiser 3.0L 135HP I/O motor, custom covers, Bimini w/cover, power trim & steering, stereo, Dave 262-455-1079 leave message ROOMS FOR RENT Shared LR, Kitchen, bathroom by Silver Lake $480 a mo. includes wifi and laundry please call for more info (262) 758-136Collectibles for sale watches, clocks, pens and more. Call Don 262-694-7573 47\" diameter round table $30, girls bike $50 Call Kathy 262-909-7968DELUXE WALKER Like new. Make an offer.Call Rich @ 262-652-459108 RAM too many new parts to list. Serious inquiries only. Text message to 262-705-9999. Chad SekurisLIKE NEW TIRES SEE IN KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT OR STOP BY. $4440 NICE ECONOMICAL WELL MAINTAINEDLarge Vintage Mirror with flowers $20, Small lamp with flowers, new $20, Large lamp with shade, new $15 Please call 262-771-8764 Lionel Train Set - Complete 1953 Set plus a Seaboard Diesel Engine, Maine Boxcar, 3 pr. switches, original boxes & instructions, 43 tracks, and miscellanious Lionel items. All clean, runs great. $525 Call 262-924-5227Sale Camaro '95 convertible, green body, tan top, over 120k miles, $2000, call Ron 262-583-9270. WANTED. Mobile Mig Welder Small job need to complete by MKE Airport. Negotiable rate. ( 7 3 4 ) 7 6 8 . 0 3 3 8 jacobsendaniels.com Cut grass and weeding. Call 2628980605MODEL TRAINS. All scales. Call for a quote upon viewing. 262-331-0392. 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 LOOKING FOR NURSES Aid for in home care. Call Barbara 262-455-3953 Old Computers Wanted. Call, text, or voicemail on (262) 595-7556 and ask for Mike.SERVICES. . Hi my name is Gayle & I'm retired.I will do dog sitting or cat sitting. If interested please contact me at 262-748-4748. Thank you“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 262-748-4748HI MY NAME IS GAYLE & I'M RETIRED. I WILL DO DOG SITTING OR CAT SITTING. IF INTERESTED PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 262-748-4748. THANK YOULAWN MOWING SERVICES Reliable lawn care services in Kenosha & Pleasant Prairie. call/text 262-914-9796 [email protected] & MEDICARE EXPERT. Appointments only. Se Habla Español. 262.833.7070CHINESE LANGUAGE / CALLIGRAPHY LESSONS: Fun, fascinating and very cool. Beginning and advanced - all ages! Text Dr. Tim at 520.704.3832.DOLL CRAFTERS! FREE REMNANTS...IDEAL FOR MAKING DOLL CLOTHES. ALSO VARIOUS DOLL CLOTHES PATTERNS.CALL - 262-551-8478 AND LEAVE A MESSAGE IF NO ANSWER.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 Computer repair/installation. For free estimate call, text, or leave voicemail to Mike at (262) 595-7556.Computer Installation. Call, text, or voicemail Mike at (262) 595-7556. VEHICLES0 142K MILES LIKE NEW TIRES COLD A/C SEE IN KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT OR STOP BY $25002005 Mercury Sable, 90k miles, leather interior. Has vacuum leak, needs tow. Clean title in hand. Great project car. $1500 OBO. Call/text 262-612-91421999 Sebring Convertible Very good condition $2,590 OBO Call or test Bob @262-945-9224 2003 Subaru Baja - Good running condition$4,950 OBO Call or text: Bob @262-94592242017 FORD F150 One Owner 4wd 4 Door See In Kenosha At 4121-7th. Ave. 217k Miles 262-237-1343 Russ Call Text Or Stop By $7495 Very Nice TruckDUAL EXHAUST SYSTEM Ram V6 dual exhaust system custom built.Make offer. 262-942-12662009 JEEP LIBERTY 4WD SEE AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 KENOSHA RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL OR TEXT 195K MILES $4450 NICE JEEP READY FOR WINTER2013 CHRYSLER 200 Loaded Limited See At 4121-7th. Ave. 53140 Russ 262-237-1343 Call Or Text 189k Miles $4950 2002 XK8- White Jaguar Convertible Good Condition - 38K Miles $18,500 obo Call or Text Bob 262-945-92241999 - Sebring Convertible - good Condition $2,850 obo Call or text Bob (262)-945-92241981 Datsun/Nissan 280ZX low mileage Loaded Glass T top's Hatch Back Stainless Steel MFG wheels New Clutch New break System New thermostat & radiator 5 speed New Interior Exterior Blue/Silver call 847-244-9256 Please leave a message2003 GMC Envoy 142K miles Great Shape, Garage Kept 1 owner, Leave Message $6000 obo 262-515-4386 1994 Honda Goldwing Aspencade 64K miles Great Shape, Black, Leave Message $6000 obo 262-515-43864X4 4DOOR SEE IN KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT OR STOP BY $9995 1/2 TON NICE TRUCK AT A NICE PRICE 1991 CHEVROLET CORVETTE one owner, yearly maintenance, 12,000 original miles, original parts $38,000 Email [email protected] GMC Box Truck 1986 OH Door 35 V8 (nearly new) solid body, 2\" oak floor in box, needs some work $1200. Snowblower $100262-857-2695 Leave message or email [email protected] 2018 NISSAN ALTIMA $4950 ONE OWNER FLEET MAINTAINED LIKE NEW TIRES 287K MILES KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT. 2011 Toyota Sienna Silver 8-pas- senger Minivan, strong engine, smooth riding, 184k miles, excellent for winter driving, it also has a backup camera. $5,495, text Don at 920-809-0833 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 FRIDAY, APRIL 3RD 2026 AT 12 NOONFREE CLASSIFIEDS! Employment/Opportunities • Lost & Found • Miscellaneous Real Estate • Rentals • Rummage Sales • Vehicles • Wanted

20 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Are you seeking funthings to do during SpringBreak? Or looking for funon a budget? Maybe youhave family or friendsvisiting from out of townthis summer. Be sure to usethe Visit Kenosha FUN 101list when planning theitinerary (along with our2026 Kenosha Area VisitorsGuide!).The NEWSpring/Summer 2026 FUN101 list is now available. Thisis 101 Things to See & Do inthe Kenosha Area for $10 &Under (Many are FREE!). BeA Tourist In Your Own Townand discover – and/or rediscover – what affordableadventures await in theKenosha Area!This edition of FUN 101has these categories: Life ByThe Lake; Nature Break;Free Outdoor ConcertSeries; Meet At The Market;Cars, Cars, Cars; HistoryLessons; Fun Festivals &Events & Activities;Landmarks and Public Art.In the Outdoor ConcertSeries category, we list thedates for all the freeconcerts this summer. Thisincludes the Tuesdayconcerts: Music at Twilighton the lawn of AndersonArts Center and TuesdaysAt The Shell at theSesquicentennial Bandshellin Pennoyer Park. Wednesday concertsinclude Bristol Woodstockat Bristol Woods Park, theKenosha Pops ConcertBand at theSesquicentennial Bandshell,and Lincoln Park Live atpicturesque Lincoln Park.Thursday concertsinclude Rhythm on the Lakeat Old Settlers Park andPeanut Butter & Jam atVeterans Memorial Park. The market categoryincludes KenoshaHarborMarket®, whichbegins its outdoor seasonon May 2 at 2nd Avenue and56th Street. Open yearround on Saturdays; itsindoor season concludesApril 25 at the Woman’sClub of Kenosha. Open year-round onSaturdays at KemperCenter, the outdoor seasonof Kenosha Public Marketbegins May 2. Wilmot Flea Market takesplace on Sundays, April 19through October 11(excluding August 2, 16, 23)at the Kenosha CountyFairgrounds. Meet the makers atKenosha Art Market in theUnion Park Arts District onthe third Sunday of themonth, June throughOctober. Go toVisitKenosha.com/FUN101for the complete FUN101list. Also be sure to goVisitKenosha.com/Eventswhen looking for#KenoshaFun. While out and aboutexploring the Kenosha Area,be sure to take and submityour favorite photos to theVisit Kenosha Picture YourKenosha Photo Contest. The photos must betaken in Kenosha County.Whether the photos showspring, summer, fall, orwinter, they should be takenat a public place wherevisitors can go. Examplesinclude photos ofrecreational activities,events, and attractions.Think of the type ofphotos that attract you tovisit a destination. Stunningsunrises and sunsets. Thewater. Landmarks. Murals.Fun activities. What’s uniqueto Kenosha? In fact, thissounds very similar toFUN101. You can useFUN101 for photo contestsubmission ideas!Photos submitted may beused in various VisitKenosha publications, onVisitKenosha.com, and onour social media pages topromote the Kenosha Areaas a fun and exciting placefor out-of-town visitors. Atthe end of the year, allphotos submitted duringthe calendar year will bejudged. Photos will bejudged based on contentand quality. Go toVisitKenosha.com/Photosto submit your photos. Meridith Jumisko isPublic Relations Directorat Visit Kenosha. Contact her [email protected] FUN 101 Listndtsreerndurys,ad.allndr,\"dt's7.ofd'srsnir,\"wonallis,chcht'stalats,\"SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:55 PM Page 19

21 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800healthlifestylecommunityKenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center newsApril 2, 2026ADRC offers FreeMemory Screens The Aging and Disability ResourceCenter (ADRC) of Kenosha Countyoffers free, confidential memoryscreens, weekdays, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.Memory screens are suggested foranyone concerned about memorychanges, at risk of Alzheimer’sdisease due to family history, orwho wants to check their memorynow for future comparison.Some memory problems can bereadily treated, such as those causedby vitamin deficiencies or thyroidproblems. In general, the earlier thediagnosis, the easier it is to treatmemory loss. Memory screeningcan:• Provide relief for individualsconcerned about normal memoryloss• Lead to diagnosis of treatableconditions• Offer the ability to make lifestylechanges early when they have thegreatest potential for positive effectand the opportunity to participatein making future decisionsWarning signs of dementia includeforgetting people’s names andevents, asking repetitive questions,loss of verbal or written skills,confusion over daily routines, andpersonality changes.Screening results are not adiagnosis, and individuals who haveconcerns are encouraged to pursuea full medical exam. Appointmentsare recommended. Interestedpersons may call the ADRC at 262-605-6646 to make an appointment.Kenosha CountyADRC to OfferPowerful Tools forCaregivers OnlineClassNext free six-week courseto begin May 6Powerful Tools for Caregivers is anevidence-based educational seriesintended to teach skills to thosewho are caring for another adult,such as a loved one, friend, orneighbor. The class helps familycaregivers reduce stress, improveself-confidence, communicatefeelings better, balance their lives,increase their ability to make toughdecisions, and locate helpfulresources. The 6-week educational series isoffered by the Aging and DisabilityResource Center of KenoshaCounty and will be led by MargaretRicchio, Caregiver SupportCoordinator. The series will be heldWednesdays, beginning May 6 andrunning until June 10, from 1:30 to3:30 p.m. It will be held at HospiceAlliance, 10220 Prairie Ridge Blvd.,Pleasant Prairie. There is no cost,however donations are accepted todefer costs.Registration is required by Friday,May 1. To register, or to learn moreabout Powerful Tools and theADRC’s Caregiver Supportservices, call the ADRC at 262-605-6646.Going on Medicare?Learn about the decisionsyou’ll need to makeThe Aging and Disability ResourceCenter (ADRC) of Kenosha Countyno-cost, unbiased, Medicareworkshops for those new toMedicare, or who want to learnmore. Trained benefit specialists willbe available to answer yourquestions and discuss the decisionsyou’ll need to make, including thebasics of Medicare coverage,options for private health and drugcoverage, and public benefits thatcan help with health care costs. Ifpossible, sign up for a workshop 3-4months before your Medicarestarts.UPCOMING MEDICARE2026 WORKSHOPS: Kenosha County Job Center, 8600Sheridan Road, Entrance A, RoomN2• Tuesday, April 21, 10 a.m. – noon• Thursday, May 21, 1– 3 p.m.• Wednesday, July 15, 10 a.m. – noonDue to limited seating, reservationsare required. Call the ADRC at 262-605-6646 to make a reservation orto learn more. Caregiver CoffeeClub for those caring for someone withdementiaADRC offers support groupfor those caring forsomeone with dementiaThe Aging and Disability ResourceCenter of Kenosha County (ADRC)offers a support group to helpfamily caregivers who care forsomeone with Alzheimer’s diseaseor other form of dementia. Joinothers engaged in helping theirloved ones manage day to day living.Relax, chat and learn helpful tips andstrategies.The Caregiver Coffee Club meetsthe first Wednesday of each monthfrom 10-11 a.m., the next meetingwill be on May 6.The support group is available inperson or virtually. Facilitated byAlex Troupis, Dementia CareSpecialist with the Kenosha CountyADRC. To register call 262-605-6646. MBGAbVCActoreficsoTgWmatIneinSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:55 PM Page 20

22 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800heysugatIf-4re00monns2-orpceC)lporseinirng.ndtsthngnbyrety5-Your Kenosha ADRC UpdateMake a Difference –Become a VolunteerGuardian!Are you looking for a meaningful way to giveback to your community? Consider becoming aVolunteer Guardian through the KenoshaCounty Division of Aging and Disability Services.As a Volunteer Guardian, you’ll receive acomprehensive, self-paced, 3-hour, online trainingto advocate for vulnerable adults in mattersrelated to their health, well-being, and/orfinances. Once trained, you’ll be appointed by thecourt to serve as a legal decision-maker forsomeone in need.The division offers ongoing support andguidance to help you confidently fulfill your role.With as little as one hour per month, you canmake a lasting, positive impact on the life of anat-risk adult in your community.Interested? Call the ADRC at 262-605-6646 oremail, [email protected] for moreinformation or to apply today.Memory CafeApril location has changed!CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR APRIL’SMemory Café! Memory Café will be gathering atthe Kenosha County Job Center, 8600 SheridanRoad, Room N2 on Wednesday, April 8, 10:30 –11:30 a.m. For ease of location, enter at Door A. Memory Café is monthly gathering for personsliving with Mild Cognitive Impairment, earlystage Alzheimer’s, or a related dementia, andtheir care partners to socialize and have fun. Jointhe Aging and Disability Resource Center’s(ADRC) Dementia Care Specialist, Alex Troupis,and special guest, Danielle Drechney, of theADRC Loan Closet for April’s Memory Café.New members are requested to register. Formore information and to register call the ADRCat 262-605-6646.REGULAR SENIOR DINING SITES• Meals include dessert and beverage• Suggested donation: $5• Open to anyone age 60+ and aspouse regardless of age• Reservations must be made by10am the day priorKenosha Senior Center2717 67th StMonday - Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-351-6246Parkside Redeemer Church2620 14th PlaceMonday - Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-552-7737Lakeside Towers5800 Third AveMonday - Friday, 11amReserve at 262-455-7919Westosha Senior Center19200 93rd StMonday - Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-358-5554Village Pub of Silver Lake307 N Cogswell DriveWednesday & Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-358-5779SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:56 PM Page 21

23 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Dear Eric: Recently myparents shared how theirestate will be divided whenthey pass. They haveworked hard and lived amodest life, and it goeswithout saying that they areentitled to do as theyplease with their estate.In sharing how theyintend to divide theirestate, my parents informedme that I would not receivea share since “I don’t needit because I’ve beensuccessful.” Instead, theirestate will be dividedamongst my siblings and theportion that would be minewill go to a charity of myparent’s choice. Incidentally,said charity is counter tomy belief system but the giftwould be in my name.This feels like a blow in arelationship I’ve workedhard to maintain, and Istruggle with how toproceed. I was adopted asan infant; I’m black and wasadopted into a white family.They are deeply religiousand I am not. I havestruggled with feelings ofbelonging in this family andin terms of race I often feltunheard and misperceived.I have had some dialoguewith my parents about myexperiences, but thediscussions do not go welland they become defensive.I always felt like an outsiderand this exclusion fromtheir estate feels likerunning a red pen underthe fact that I am not likethem. It’s so deeply hurtful.We walk a narrow bridgeof commonality. I’veworked hard to maintain aloving relationship withthem, but this news of theirestate feels like the finalmessage they are sending isone of hurtful exclusion. I’mwondering how to moveforward.– Excluded DaughterDear Daughter: First, letme say I’m very sorry. Thisact is cruel – part of a longhistory of cruelties – andyou don’t deserve it.I hope that you’re able toprocess your feelings aboutyour adoption and yourfamily with a therapist oranother trusted, skilledprofessional. It’s importantthat you’re able to beheard, and that you’re ableto hear that you’re notalone and you’re worthy oflove and belonging.Part of that work will bethinking about whatrelationship you want tohave with your parentsmoving forward. Some ofthis takes hard acceptance:that they’re not capable orwilling to be the peoplethat they should be.You don’t need tosuppress your needs inorder to keep the peace.So, if you find that it wouldbe helpful to tell them – inperson or in a letter – howyou feel in response totheir decision, listen to thatvoice. This may not be whatyou ultimately decide youneed, but it’s important toremember that you don’tbear the responsibility ofinclusion, love andacceptance alone.asking ericAdopted daughterexcluded frominheritance Bestselling author R. EricThomas brings his signaturewit and warmth to “AskingEric,” an advice columntackling life’s quandaries.Drawing on his stint asSlate’s “Dear Prudence,”Thomas dishes out insightful,humorous guidance fornavigating relationships, work,and everything in between10porecodithrebeprthmporebiprpeToreel- sutadrSeinlimeaSewhaovyehabanainwthMamSedoasis BuAthpaSow$mbiSoApoanwRTDwApril 16 is NationalHealthcare DecisionsDay, established in2008 to raiseawareness aboutadvance care planningand encourage peopleto document theirwishes and discussthem with family andmedical professionals.Advance care planninglaws vary by state. InWisconsin, commonlyrecommendeddocuments include:• Power of attorneyfor finances• Power of attorneyfor healthcare• Living Will (optional)• Authorization forFinal Disposition(funeral and burialwishes)These documents canbe completed with orwithout an attorney.While free forms areavailable online, anattorney can helpensure documentsreflect a person’sspecific wishes. Ahealthcare power ofattorney must besigned before twounrelated witnesses. Afinancial power ofattorney does notrequire witnesses butshould be notarizedfor added legalprotection.Powers of attorney(POAs) allow adesignated agent tomake financial orhealthcare decisions.Wisconsin is not a“next of kin” state, sorelatives cannotautomatically makehealthcare decisionswithout properauthorization. POAsare valid once signed,but an agent’sauthority typicallybegins uponactivation—often dueto incapacity forhealthcare POAs, orimmediately or upon afuture event forfinancial POAs.A Living Will differsfrom a healthcare POAin that it directsphysicians about endof-life care withoutappointing an agent. Itapplies only in specificcircumstances, while ahealthcare POA grantsbroader decisionmaking authority.Individuals may chooseto have one or both,but the documentsshould be consistent.An Authorization forFinal Dispositionoutlines funeral andburial preferences andappoints someone tocarry them out afterdeath, since POAauthority ends atdeath. Without thisdocument, Wisconsinlaw assigns thatresponsibility to aspouse, child, parent,or sibling, in that order. For free forms andmore information onadvance directives, visitthe WisconsinGuardianship SupportCenter’s website atgwaar.org/guardianshipresources. The GSCprovides legalinformation aboutpowers of attorneys,advance directives, andguardianships via ahelpline at (855) 409-9410 or email [email protected]. The Department ofHealth Services alsohas the statutorypower of attorney andLiving Will formsavailable on its websiteat dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/advdirectives/adformspoa.htm.Myth-bustingfalse beliefs aboutPOA’s: 1. I do not need a POAbecause my spouse orfamily can makedecisions on my behalf. a. Wisconsin is not a“next of kin” state,meaning that familymembers do not haveinherent authority tomake decisions solelybased on theirrelationship with you.Authority must bespecifically given to aperson through a POAor a court order.2. I do not need a POAuntil I am older or sick. a. Too often, peoplewait until it is too lateto do advanceplanning. If a personno longer has thecapacity to execute aPOA document, then aguardianship action incourt may be needed.All adults over the ageof 18 should considercreating advancedirectives. 3. Once I create aPOA, I’m set for life.a. The POAdocuments are notlocked in stone. Theycan be revoked or reexecuted at any time.The Wisconsin MedicalSociety recommendsthat advance planningdocuments bereviewed if any of the 4“d’s” occur: i. Death (if any of theagents named in yourPOA pass away)ii. Decade (if it hasbeen more than 10years since you draftedor reviewed yourdocuments)iii. Divorce (if yousubsequently get adivorce after draftingyour POA—inWisconsin, thisinvalidates yourdocuments by law)iv. Disease (if youbecome sick or arediagnosed with anillness) The Aging andDisability ResourceCenter of KenoshaCounty has staffavailable to assistKenosha Countyresidents (age 18 andolder) in completingthe Wisconsin Powerof Attorney forHealthcare and discussthe considerations andoptions. Please call262-605-6646 toschedule anappointment.By the GWAAR LegalServices TeamNational Healthcare Decisions DaySR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:56 PM Page 22

24 SMART READER April 2, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800osofe:reone.dnwoatatuo’tofdI have probably written100 columns aboutpossible Social Securityreforms. Well here comescolumn number 101!What is prompting mydiscussion of the issuethis time is that a certainreform proposal hasbeen getting a lot ofpress lately. It is probablythe most popular andmost supported of allpotential Social Securityreforms. But there is onebig drawback to theproposal that very fewpeople ever mention.Today I will explain it.I am talking about therecommendation toeliminate the wage base -- the amount of earningssubject to Social Securitytaxes. Or at least bedramatically increased. Since the SocialSecurity program beganin 1935, the law has set alimit on the amount ofearnings subject to SocialSecurity tax. In 1935, thewage base was $3,000. Ithas gradually increasedover the years. For manyyears now, that increasehas been automaticbased on growth in thenational average wageindex. The current (2026)wage base is $184,500. What that means isthat a rich guy like ElonMusk pays the sameamount into SocialSecurity as his plumberdoes. (Of course, that'sassuming Elon's plumberis a very successful one!)But you get my point.Anyone making morethan $184,500 per yearpays the same amount inSocial Security taxes. Sowhether you make$190,000 per year, $1.9million, or even $1.9billion, you pay the sameSocial Security taxes.That is why millions ofAmericans, and manypolicy planners, punditsand newspaper editorialwriters, support anincrease to the wagebase. Or again, even thetotal elimination of thewage base.But there is anotherside to this proposal thatI have seen very fewpeople write about. Andhere it is. Social Securitybenefit payments aredirectly tied to theamount of earnings onwhich you pay SocialSecurity taxes. Simplyput: the more you payinto the system, themore you are going toget out of the system.In other words, if richpeople pay taxes on theirvery high incomes, theyare going to eventuallyget Social Securitybenefits based on thosevery high incomes. Whatthat means is that muchof the extra income fromthe higher taxes they paywill be offset by the extraSocial Security benefitsthey will receivesomeday.The current maximumSocial Securityretirement benefit is$4,152 per month --meaning that someonewho has paid taxes onmaximum earnings alltheir life will get amonthly Social Securitycheck of $4,152. I haven'tseen any analysis of howeliminating the wage basewould affect future SocialSecurity benefits. Still, Ican see how, someday,with no limit on taxableearnings, rich peoplecould be getting SocialSecurity checks in the$20,000 to $30,000 permonth range!To stop that fromhappening, and to makethis popular reformproposal work, what youwould probably have todo is greatly increase, oreven eliminate thetaxable wage base, whileat the same time setting alimit on the amount ofbenefits payable.In other words, we'dbe telling rich peoplethis: \"You are going to paya lot more in SocialSecurity taxes, but you'renot going to get verymuch more in SocialSecurity benefits.\" I've heard from manyreaders over the yearswho support thisproposal. And theirarguments usually havean unspoken messagealong the lines of \"Thoserich people can afford it.\"Or \"It's time that richpeople pay their fairshare.\" But let meremind you that thecurrent wage base is$184,500. Many of youmay think of peoplemaking that kind ofmoney as \"rich.\" But I'msure a whole lot ofpeople reading thiscolumn make that kind ofmoney every year. And I'llbet most of them thinkof themselves as\"comfortable\" or maybe\"upper middle class.\" Butthey don't think ofthemselves as rich.The point I am makingin this column is that justas there are two sides toevery coin, there are twosides to every SocialSecurity reformproposal. In fact, here aresome other possiblereforms to SocialSecurity. And I will giveboth sides of the coin foreach of them. Proposal: Raise theRetirement Age to 70 by2060One side of the coin:People are living longer,healthier lives, and withenough lead time, theycan plan for the delay inreceiving their benefits.The other side: Wouldyou really want to workuntil you are 70?Employers will facehigher health care costsfor older workers.Proposal: ReduceCOLAs Paid to SocialSecurity Beneficiaries byHalf a Percentage Point One side of the coin:Economists believe thecurrent formulaoverstates inflation forseniors.The other side: COLAreductions arecumulative. The longeryou live, the more youwill suffer financially.Proposal: ReduceBenefits by 5% for AllFuture RetireesOne side of the coin:All retirees should shareresponsibility for shoringup Social Security.The other side: Lowerincome beneficiariescould not afford thereduction.Proposal: Means Testthe Program LoweringBenefits to WealthyPeopleOne side of the coin:Ensures that SocialSecurity is paid only tothose who need it most.The other side: Wouldturn Social Security intoa welfare program.Proposal: Raise SocialSecurity Payroll Tax byHalf a Percentage PointOne side of the coin:The tax has not beenincreased in more than40 years. The other side: Anextra tax burden woulddiscourage savings andinvestment.Proposal: Make FolksPay Income Tax on allSocial Security Benefits(currently, only a portionis taxed)One side of the coin:All other pensions arefully taxed.The other side: Itwould affect middleincome taxpayers themost.Proposal: Require AllState/Local GovernmentWorkers Pay Into SocialSecurityOne side of the coin:All working Americansshould pay for SocialSecurity.The other side: Itwould jeopardize manywell-run governmentemployee pension plans.social securityRaising the Cap onTaxable Income HasDrawbackswith Tom MargenauIf you have a SocialSecurity question, Tom Margenau has twobooks with all the answers.One is called \"Social Security-- Simple and Smart: 10Easy-to-Understand FactSheets That Will Answer AllYour Questions About SocialSecurity.\" The other is \"SocialSecurity: 100 Myths and 100Facts.\" You can find the booksat Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or youcan send him an email [email protected] youruendeafftydgrrsdlonalmSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 3/31/26 3:56 PM Page 23

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