Professional Documents
Culture Documents
radiotherapytechnology,
a revolutionary breakthrough in cancer treatment that delivers
powerful tumor-destroying radiation with remarkable precision, is
now available at Cancer Radiation and Specialty Clinics of El Paso.
Dr. Stephanie Han
Dr. Stephanie Han
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 5
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 7
NEED TO DO BUSINESS WITH
SOCIAL SECURITY OVER THE
HOLIDAYS? GO ONLINE!
By Ray Vigil
Social Security Public
Affairs Specialist in
El Paso, Texas
Theres a lot to do during the
holiday season. Probably the
last thing on your list is
spending precious time at a
Social Security office, wait-
ing to conduct business, espe-
cially if you dont need to.
The busiest times for Social
Security field offices and the
agencys toll free telephone
number are early in the week
and early in the month. So if
your business can wait, its
best to contact us at other
times. The same is true dur-
ing the holiday season es-
pecially the week between
Christmas and New Years.
If you must do business with
Social Security during the
holidays, you may experience
more busy signals on the tele-
phone and longer wait times
in local offices.
Theres an even better way to
conduct your business: online
at www.socialsecurity.gov.
There youll find a wealth of
information and online serv-
ices. For example, you can
apply online for Social Secu-
rity benefits or for Medicare,
and then you can check on
the status of your pending ap-
plication. If youre already a
Social Security beneficiary,
you can go online to change
your address, phone number,
or your direct deposit infor-
mation, get a replacement
Medicare card, or request a
proof of income letter.
Visit our website at
www.socialsecurity.gov and
save yourself a call or a trip
to our office. But if you do
need to speak to a Social Se-
curity representative one-on-
one, well be there for you.
Social Security Column
Continued from page 4
Medicare Advantage plans (MA) are offered in the
form of HMOs and PPOs (among other forms),
and can include Part D prescription drug cover-
age. The other option is a Medicare Supplement
policy--also known as Medigap. These plans are
sold by private companies and are secondary (i.e.
additional) coverage to the original Medicare.
They typically have a monthly premium that can
soar into the $100s.
Q: How do I choose the right plan?
- Ask your doctor what plan he/she recommends.
- Perhaps your focus is on an affordable plan, one
that doesnt surprise you with unforeseen co-pays
when you visit the doctor, go to the hospital or
have an emergency.
- Do research on companies you are considering.
- Word of mouth is the best referral. Ask like-
minded friends, family and neighbors which
health plan they recommend.
Good luck and Happy Holidays!
George W. Jackson MD
Physicians Health Care Associates
7430 Remcon
Physicians Health Choice
www.PHCcares.com
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 8
If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHTS Out & About section, please send all your relevant data by e-mail to:
editorial@spotlightepnews.com
Calendar of upcoming events for
El Paso/ Southern New Mexico
are from December 2010
Cirque du Soleil: Alegra
The legendary performance
troupe will give eight perform-
ances of its internationally ac-
claimed production Dec. 1-5 at
Don Haskins Center. Alegra is a
Cirque du Soleil classic that has
entertained more than 10 million
people worldwide since its world
premiere in Montreal in 1994.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednes-
day and Thursday, 3:30 and 7:30
p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1
and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $35-
$79 ($28-$64 children 12 and
younger; $31.50-$67.50 military,
seniors and students), plus service
charges. Tickets: $95-99; $76-$80
children 12 and younger; $98.50
military, seniors and students).
(Ticketmaster) Information:
cirquedusoleil.com/alegria.
Boys and Girls Club wine
tasting Boys and Girls Club
of El Paso hosts its 3rd annual hol-
iday gala 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 2, at El Paso Museum of Art,
with wines, food, a silent auction,
music, and the premiere screening
of El Pasos Mind Warp Entertain-
ments Red Sands. Dress is holi-
day attire. Tickets: $75 in advance;
$100 at the door. Information/tick-
ets: 532-7410 or
bgcelpaso.org.
El Paso Rhinos El Pasos
Junior League ice hockey team
takes on the Texas Junior Brahmas
Dec. 3-5 at the Sierra Providence
Events Center, next to the Coli-
seum, 4100 E. Paisano. Regular
games times are 7:30 p.m. Friday
and Saturday, and 5:30 p.m. Sun-
day. Tickets: $5 general admission;
$10, $15 and $20 reserved. Infor-
mation: 479-PUCK (7825) or elpa-
sorhinos.com.
El Paso Gem and Mineral
Show The annual show is Dec.
3-5 at El Maida Auditorium, 6331
Alabama. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission:
$3 ($2 for seniors, military; free
for children 12 and younger with
adult admission). Information:
Gem Center USA, 533-7153, 1-
877-533-7153
orgemcenter@aol.com.
Navidad de Las Luminar-
ias The Chapel at Loretto
Academy, 1400 Hardaway at
Trowbridge, provides the elegant
English cathedral setting for the
Bruce Nehring Consorts annual
holiday concerts Dec. 3-5, with the
Consort Singers, organist Lester
Ackerman and the Quintessential
Brass. Nehring conducts. The
Chapel will be decorated with lu-
minarias, poinsettias and white
lights.
Performances are 7:45 p.m. Fri-
day, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday and
2:30 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets:
$15. Discounts are available with
advance purchase only: $10 sen-
ior/military; $5 students. Informa-
tion: 534-7664.
UTEP Womens Basketball
Home games are in the Don
Haskins Center. Information: 747-
5234 or utepathletics.com
7:05 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 Cal
State Northridge
7:05 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17
Texas State
Continues on next page
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 9
Continued from page 8
UTEP Womens Basketball
6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20 New
Mexico
German Advents-Bazaar
The annual Christkindlmarket
arts and crafts festival is noon to 6
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Ger-
man Community Center (Soldaten-
stube), Robert E. Lee Road, Fort
Bliss. Admission is free. Informa-
tion: 568-0259 or 568-4824.
The Gift of Christmas choir
concerts The musical holiday
celebrations, presented by the El
Paso Choral Society returns to the
Union Depot this year at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday,
Dec. 4-5. Ticket information: 833-
0263 or elpasoconservatory.org.
Yo Gabba Gabba Live DJ
Lance Rock and the cast of Yo
Gabba Gabba bring their Theres
A Party in My City state-of-the-
art production with music, singing,
dancing and animation to El Paso
at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Abra-
ham Chavez Theatre. Tickets:
$38.70-$41.26; under age one ad-
mitted free if sitting in parents lap
(Ticketmaster).
Christmas Street The 36th
annual fund-raiser for the El Paso
Rehabilitation Center is Tuesday,
Dec. 7, at El Paso Country Club,
5000 Country Club Place. Several
lavish custom-designed Christmas
trees will be on display. The lunch-
eon begins at 11:30 a.m. with the
gala at 6 p.m. Information: 544-
8484.
Handels Messiah The
Foundation for the Diocese of El
Paso presents Handels master-
piece and evening prayer for Ad-
vent for its 2010 Catholic Legacy
Fund event at 7 p.m. Tuesday and
Thursday, Dec. 7 and 9, at St.
Patrick Cathedral, The event will
feature Messiah, performed by
the El Paso Conservatory of
Music, and the evening prayer by
the Diocesan Choir. An opening
reception precedes the perform-
ances at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: $50. In-
formation: 872-8412 or
elpasodiocesefoundation.org.
Dave Koz A Smooth Jazz
Christmas The Grammy-
nominated saxophonist and El
Paso favorite presents his 13th an-
nual Christmas show at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Plaza The-
atre, with guests guitarist Brian
Bulbert, pianist Jonathan Butler
and saxophonist Candy Dulfer.
Tickets: $40-$100; available
through Ticketmaster.
Song Slam- The Music Theatre
Company presents an eclectic mix
of songs 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec.
9, at Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall,
hosted by the UTEP Department of
Music. The company, under the di-
rection of Lauren Flanigan and
Elisa Wilson, will perform and cul-
mination of the semester's study
staged innovatively according to
the Viewpoints Acting Method.
Tickets: $3-$5 (free for children,
UTEP students, faculty and staff.
Information: 747-5606 or
utep.edu/music.
Its A Wonderful Life
The live radio play by Joe Landry
is Dec. 10-18 at El Paso Play-
house, 2501 Montana. The beloved
American Christmas classic comes
to life as a 1940s radio broadcast.
Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday and
Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Ticket information: 532-1317, el-
pasoplayhouse.com.
The Deliverer The annual
large-scale holiday pageant of
music and drama celebrating the
Christmas season is Dec. 10-12
and Dec. 17-19 at Cielo Vista
Church, 3585 Lee Trevino. Infor-
mation: 595-0288 or cielovista.org.
Sunland Park Race Track
The 2010-2011 live horse rac-
ing season runs Dec. 10-April 10.
Race days are Tuesdays, Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays, except
during the Christmas/New Years
holiday season. Races begin at
12:15 p.m. each race day. General
admission is free to the track and
casino. Turf Club seating is $5. In-
formation: (575) 874-5200.
Applejack Band The El
Paso folk band performs its annual
Christmas dinner show Saturday,
Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. La Tierra Cafe,
1731 Montana. Doors open at 6
p.m., dinner served at 7 p.m. Cost:
$32 (tip not included), reservations
required. Information: 592-5122 or
(575) 541-1992.
Jingle Bell Run Up and
Running, 3233 N. Mesa, will host
its holiday 5K at 9 a.m. Saturday,
Dec. 11, departing from the store
(Rudolph Plaza). Packet pickup is
8 a.m. race day. Information: 478-
5663 or
raceadventuresunlimited.com.
San Jacinto Plaza Christ-
mas Tree Lighting The 75th
annual Christmas in Lights con-
tinues the holiday tradition of the
plazas spectacular Christmas tree
and displays beginning at Satur-
day, Dec. 11, at San Jacinto Plaza
downtown. The ceremony begins
at 4:30 p.m. with live entertain-
ment. The lighting of the 55-foot
Christmas tree by the Mayor and
City Council members is at 5:55
p.m. followed by the 12th annual
lighted Christmas parade at 6 p.m.
Information: 541-4331 or 544-
5436.
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 10
Living Christmas Tree
The 46th annual Christmas con-
certs at First Baptist Church are
Dec. 11-12, 805 Montana. Tickets
available in the church office Mon-
day through Friday on a first
come, first served basis. The event
usually sells out early. Informa-
tion: 533-1465.
UTEP Mens Basketball -
Home games are at the Don Hask-
ins Center. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Ticket information: 747-5234 or
utepathletics.com.
Sunday, Dec. 12 Arkansas-
Pine Bluff
Wednesday, Dec. 15
Louisiana-Monroe
Saturday, Dec. 18 Texas Tech
Monday, Dec. 20 Stephen F.
Austin
Sounds of the Holidays
Holiday entertainment is offered 5
to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday,
Dec. 13-22, at San Jacinto Plaza in
Downtown El Paso. The annual
event includes various school and
community choirs, local bands and
ensembles performing Christmas
and seasonal music. Sponsored by
the City of El Paso Parks and
Recreation Department. Admission
is free. Information: 252-9031 or
240-3310.
Duncan Tuck Showtime! El
Paso presents the comic musician
at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at
the Abraham Chavez Theatre.
Using song parodies, funny voices
and a lot of one-liners, Tuck
carved out a career originally as a
road comic. An accomplished mu-
sician, vocalist, comedian and
composer, he performs with his
12-string flamenco guitars and
back-up band. The show opens
with a performance by El Pasos
own comedy music troupe, Spring-
fire. Tickets: $25 ($10 students
with ID; ages 6-25). Information:
544-2022 or
ShowtimeElPaso.com.
Senior All-Star Football
Classic The 19th annual high
school all-star football game is
Saturday, Dec. 18, at UTEPs Sun
Bowl stadium. The game features
seniors from area public and pri-
vate high schools throughout El
Paso County. Information: 478-
6904 or 434-1001.
Holiday on Ice Special holi-
day-themed public skating is Dec.
18-31, at the Sierra Providence
Event Center next to the Coliseum,
4100 Paisano. Information: 479-
PUCK (7825) or elpasoicemoni-
tor.com.
The Great Russian Nut-
cracker The Moscow Ballet
presents the 16th anniversary of
this holiday classic at 4 and 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 23, at the Plaza
Theatre. Tickets: $26, $36 and
$86, plus service charge. Available
through Ticketmaster. Information:
nutcracker.com.
Hyundai Sun Bowl The 77th
annual football classic begins at
noon, Friday, Dec. 31. The game
features the Pac-10 Conference
versus the ACC. Teams will be an-
nounced Dec 5. Reserved seats:
$20-$60; general admission: $15.
Captains Club tickets: $650. In-
formation: 533-4416, 1-800-915-
BOWL or sunbowl.org.
(ticketmaster)
Other Sun Bowl events:
The Rotary Club Kick Off
Luncheon is 11:30 a.m. Thursday,
Dec. 9, at Doubletree Hotel Down-
town, 600 N. Mesa.
The 8th annual Sports World Sun
Bowl 5K run and 1-mile fun walk
is 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at
the Las Palmas LifeCare Center
Back Parking Lot, 3333, N. Mesa.
Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invita-
tional basketball tournament is
Dec. 28-29 at the Don Haskins
Center, UTEP. Teams to be an-
nounced. Tuesdays games are at 7
and 9 p.m. The consolation game
is at 5 p.m. Wednesday followed
by the championship game at 7
p.m. Four-game, two-night pack-
age are $20-$40. Two-game, one-
night package: $12-$22.
Information: 533-4416 or 747-
5234 (UTEP Ticket Center).
Rotary Sun Bowl Football Team
Luncheon is Thursday, Dec. 30, at
the El Paso Convention Center.
Doors open at 11 a.m. The 13th
annual Sun Bowl Fan Fiesta is 4 to
8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, at the El
Paso Convention Center, with free
activities and games for kids 6 and
younger, face painting, balloon an-
imals, magic acts, local bands,
Battle of University Bands and
Cheerleaders, food and drink for
purchase, and a fireworks display.
Continued from page 2
... can receive harsher punishment via the new bill: HB 653.
Heinous crimes of cruelty towards animals can now be tried
as a FELONY punishable by up to $10,000 in fines or 2 years
in jail or BOTH. Under this new law, minors (under the age of
18) can be forced to undergo psychological counseling.
REPORT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS!
You can remain anonymous
City of El Paso Animal Services (915) 842-1000
El Paso Police Department (915) 832-4400
Sheriffs Department (915) 546-2280
Studies have shown links between animal abuse and domestic violence.
Furthermore, those who torture animals are at much higher risk
for committing violent and deadly crimes against humans later in life.
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
Continued from page 3
Its OK to be creative with your design, but I like to be able to
produce a shirt with some consistency. The more you keep every-
thing the same, the more you control whats going to happen.
Bryant maintains a blog on tie dying, and hes gearing up to re-
turn to the business.
Im working at it, he said, and everythings shaping up for a
real good tie dye run in the spring.
In the meantime, he encourages others to give tie dyes a try.
Its a lot of fun, he said. And theyre popping up everywhere.
Churches are doing tie dye nights. Kids are having tie dye birth-
day parties. Schools have Tie Dye Tuesdays. Its really coming
back into the mainstream. I think people are wearing them to
show theyre bright and happy.
Traci Bridges is a writer for the Florence Morning News in South Carolina.
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 11
ITS GOOD FOR YOUR GAME
Planted
for
We live in a matrix of gravity,
and over thousands
of years our bodies have developed
intricate systems that allow us to
react to the G-force exerted on us.
Thus we have an entire system that
tells us where we are vs. the world.
If you weigh 170 pounds, you
push on the Earth with 170 pounds
of force and it pushes back with
equal force. Given this equilibrium,
you remain connected to the Earth
using sensors in your feet that send
information to your brain. Think of
it as a circuit of Earth to feet to
brain and back again. Jumping in
feet first is not just an adage; its a
million years worth of wiring.
Continues on next page
Tour pro Glen Day braces his right
side against the ground.
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 12
Continued from page 11
While the hands are your only
connection to the golf club, your
feet are your only connection to
the ground, and as the old saying
goes, You cant fire a cannon
from a canoe. Actually, you can,
but the result would be more like
firing a canoe from a cannon.
Because coil and torque are the
keys to power, if you take the
ground out of play, your
swing will be weak.
In ancient mythology
Hercules fought the giant
Antaeus, who gained all his
power from his connection to
the Earth. Hercules lifted the
giant off the ground and held
him aloft until Antaeus power
drained away. Disconnected
as he was, Antaeus was helpless,
and so are golfers who unplug
from their ground. The games
best players feel that golf is
played from the ground up.
Good golfers feel the swing with
their feet, and it would behoove
you to conceptualize and feel the
swing with your feet first, rather
than worrying about the clubhead
or what your shoulders are doing
or how your hands are working.
Once you satisfy your ground con-
nection, then integrate other keys
into your golfing portfolio.
The best drill for getting the
ground-
up feel-
ing is to
hit balls in
your bare
feet.
Dr. T.J.
Tomasi is a
teaching
professional
in Port St.
Lucie, Fla.
Visit his
Web site at
tjtomasi.com.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Planted for power
DONT MISS IT
Some say that Tiger Woods routinely
benches 300 pounds as part of his work-
out. If you can bench more than your
weight, youre pretty strong. Why, aside
from looks and overall strength, would he
do this? Im betting hes figured out the
fast-twitch/slow-twitch puzzle.
All animals have a combination of slow-
and fast-twitch muscle fibers. The white
turkey meat you eat is primarily fast-
twitch, while the dark is slow-twitch. The
cheetah has a very high percentage of fast-
twitch, as you would expect from the
fastest animal on the planet. Most humans
have a 50/50 mix of fibers, but its not un-
common to find 80 percent slow-twitch in
a champion marathon runner and 80 per-
cent fast-twitch in an Olympic sprinter.
It matters what youre born with geneti-
cally, i.e., your mix of fast- and slow-
twitch muscle fibers. I did the Skins Game
for Merrill Lynch in 2005 and stood close
to Tiger on the range as he hit balls. I was
amazed at how fast his body moved its
a blur. Ive never seen a golfer whos any
quicker, and its an indication that he has
lots of fast-twitch muscle fibers, the kind
of muscle that begets clubhead speed.
So the body is a symphony of muscle
fibers that make multiple abilities avail-
able to you according to your needs.
When you want to swing a golf club, there
are the fast-twitch fibers, ready to explode
on the downswing. And working right
alongside of your speed muscles are your
slow-twitch fibers, stabilizing your swing
by locking in place a golf posture that pro-
vides the foundation to make a powerful
swing. Speed and stability are a golfers
dream, and its all right there in your mus-
cles, waiting to be activated.
Next week well look as some training
techniques that could help you build your
fast-twitch repertoire just like Tiger does.
THE GOLF DOCTOR
Miracle of muscles:
Speed and stability
GOLF SPOKEN HERE
Slot
In the downswing, the club is
considered to be in the slot
when its moving down toward
the ball on the correct approach path
down the target line.
There are many
teaching aids that deal
with the lower body
and your connection
to the ground, but this
is one of the best. The
Power Coil stabilizes
your base to keep you
planted and encourage
a full and powerful
coil.
The price is $40 at
www.golfaroundtheworld.com.
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 13
By Marty Becker
Universal Uclick
Less than one in five pet owners
are successful in giving medica-
tions to their pets as directed by
their veterinarians. Its difficult to
give medication to an animal who
absolutely doesnt want it, so a lot
of pre-scriptions end up in the cup-
board (or on the floor) rather than
in the pet.
Are you in the majority
when it comes to pill problems? If
so, read on.
When you let your pet
sense that youre reluctant to give
medication, and then you reward
her for resisting by letting her off
the hook, you actually are teaching
her that medication is bad, scary or
otherwise unpleasant and that
she can get away with refusing to
take it. And that means your pet is
progressively less likely to get the
medication she needs to get or stay
well.
You can turn things around
by admitting that you need help.
You may just need a lesson in
pilling your pet, or you might need
another plan entirely.
Many pet lovers are un-
aware that there are alternatives to
bad-tasting pills. Your veterinarian
may be about to provide you with
medications that are in meat-fla-
vored tablets that seem like a
munchy, not a medication. Many
parasite-control and pain medica-
tions, and even antibiotics, are
available in these tasty formula-
tions. Or you may not have to give
medication at all, as in the case of
Convenia an antibiotic given as
an injection at the veterinarians
that lasts up to two weeks.
Continues on next page
Medicine doesnt work if
you dont give it
Your veterinarian is happy to help you
find ways that get important medication
into your pet safely and without stress.
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 14
ACROSS
1 Throw angrily
6 Candidates concern
11 Madrid Mrs.
14 More remote
15 Herseys bell town
16 ___ About You
17 Jazz musician, born
12/25/1907
19 Altar affirmation
20 Shade
21 Elton Johns ___
Song
22 Waking up
24 Wise
25 Flipper, for one
27 Bashful
30 Dishwasher cycle
31 Unaccompanied
32 Strauss
33 I see, Asian detective
style
37 Country singer, born
12/25/1948
40 Hooks sidekick
41 Phrase at a poker
table
42 Spine-tingling
43 Take for ones own
45 Leftovers
46 Licenses
49 Monk monikers
50 Take to the next level
51 Space
52 Imitate
55 Follower: suffix
56 1980 Oscar winner,
born 12/25/1949
60 Zuider ___
61 Overjoy
62 First name in cosmet-
ics
63 1994 U.S. Open
champ
64 Nocturnal primate
65 Storage devices, of a
sort
DOWN
1 Actress Nina
2 Massive meal, in Maui
3 The Beatles Let ___
4 IBM competitor
5 Ethically moot
subject
6 Worth
7 Kitchen emana-
tion
8 I taut I ___ a
puddy tat!
9 Alfonsos queen
10 Kansas City
nine
11 The Frugal
Gourmet Jeff
12 Wheel spokes
13 Make pretty
18 Stadium section
23 Harpoon throwers
24 Morning brighteners
25 Couch
26 Getting ___ years
27 Artists touches
28 Actor Jack
29 Perry Como hit of
1956
30 Send payment
32 Homes for genies?
34 Wife of Zeus
35 Lose ones footing
36 Bullfight cheers
38 Urban unrest
39 Took down ones tent
44 19th C. engine engi-
neer
45 Hit signs
46 Ribbon, perhaps
47 Support for the arts?
48 Ceremonies
49 Entrance hall
51 Q-V connector
52 Play parts
53 Break the rules, in a
kids game
54 Squeezes out, as a
living
57 Seine sight
58 Uncle of note
59 Its just ___ thought...
Continued from page 13
If youre being given a medication
thats not offered in a chewable or
injectable form, you may find that
a compounding pharmacy can
help. These pharmacies mix med-
ications into savory liquids or
pastes that pets will lap up eagerly,
or into transdermal medications
that can be applied inside the ear.
With any of these alternatives,
your veterinarian will be able to
help, so ask!
But even plain old pill-pop-
ping can be made easier. Most pet
owners are familiar with tricks
such as hiding a pill in a bit of
meat or peanut butter, which works
for many pets, but not all. I like to
recommend Greenies Pill Pockets,
which make it easy to stuff the pill
into a yummy treat, or pill guns
that pop the medication safely past
the teeth, over the tongue and
straight into your pets throat. Both
may be available from your veteri-
narian, or can be purchased from
pet-supply retailers.
When youre hiding the
pill, try using three treats to fool
your pet. (Think of the street game
of three shells and one ball.) The
first bit of cheese or treat has no
medication and is called the
promise. The second contains the
medication and is called the
dead. The last treat also contains
nothing and is called the chaser.
Work quickly and stay enthusias-
tic, and your pet will be more
likely to stay in the game until the
medication is swallowed.
Whatever you do, dont
give up. If your pet doesnt get
medication as prescribed, youre
wasting money and risking your
pets health. Your veterinarian
wants your pet to get the medica-
tion as often and as long as its
been recommended. If you cant
do that, ask for help theres
plenty of it out there.
MATURETIMES DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 15
By Shea Northcut
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON
F
rom the White House to the
steps of the U.S. Capitol all the
way to the Lincoln Memorial,
tourists can see Washington in an
unconventional way on the
wheels of a Segway.
D.C. attracts more than 16 mil-
lion tourists a year, and hundreds
each week cover 6.5 miles of the
capitals streets and sidewalks in
two hours on a Segway.
Karen Novack has been a guide
for four years at Capital Segway,
one of several companies that offer
Segway tours here.
She arrives 30 minutes before
each of her tours, usually one or
two per day. Prepping the Segways
is one of her main tasks, making
sure their batteries are charged and
the two tires are full.
Novack, 29, said she originally
wanted to do a walking or biking
tour for better exercise. But once
she stepped on the machine, she
decided it was too much fun to
pass up.
D.C. is a really big city, and the
Metro [mass-transit system] cant
take you all the places you want to
go, Novack said. This is a great
way to see everything in a short
amount of time, and it adds adven-
ture to your normal tour.
The machines were introduced to
the public in 2001 and are used by
police departments, at military
bases and for those with handicaps.
They use gyroscope technology,
meaning riders shift their weight to
move the machine and balance.
Riders lean forward to speed up
and backward to back up. With a
slight tilt to the left or right, riders
can turn around to see over their
shoulders. Segways weigh 105
pounds. The batteries last six
hours, and a machine can travel up
to 24 miles on one charge.
Deb Baker, 45, an information
technology technician, and her
daughter, Michelle Baker, 20, a
college student, of Tipp City, Ohio,
came to visit a friend, but wanted
to see the city. They agreed it was
well worth the $65 fare ($70 on
weekends) just to ride a Segway.
The hardest part at first was find-
ing their balance, they said.
Once you catch your balance, it
seems natural to ride, Deb Baker
said. It was fun, and I would do
this again in any city I visit.
Traveling in the street or on the
sidewalk at up to 12.5 mph,
tourists at least 16 years old can
see more than 20 popular sites, in-
cluding the White House, Smith-
sonian museums and the
Washington Monument. Novack
said with only eight people per
tour, she uses her main passion of
acting to keep things exciting and
interesting.
You cant just recite the facts, or
theyre going to get bored or zip
away, she said. You definitely
have to cater the tour to who is on
it ... some people want to just ride
them and go fast, and others want
to see everything.
Although she doesnt use a script
as she does for acting, Novack said
each guide trains for a month to
learn the ropes. This includes
memorizing the tour route and city
history, shadowing other guides
and knowing the proper timing of a
tour.
After becoming comfortable with
the route, she said she is able to in-
clude her own monologues.
One of them includes how the
first elevator in the Washington
Monument was steam-powered
and considered somewhat danger-
ous, so men only were allowed to
ride in it ... women and the chil-
dren, for safety, would walk the
897 steps to the top.
Although temperatures can top
100 degrees in the summer and
drop below freezing in the winter,
Novack said the job is well worth
it.
She uses multiple modes of
transportation commuting to
her job by car and biking around
town. She likes her car best but
has become fond of the Segway.
I never saw myself doing this
10 years ago, Novack said. I
dont know what the next stage
holds, but I might have to pur-
chase a Segway if Im not giving
tours.
Segways offer a different type of two-wheel
Washington tour
SHNS PHOTO
Segway tour groups see more than
20 popular sites in the nations cap-
ital including the Washington Mon-
ument and the Jefferson Memorial.
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