MOMS

MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support): We've changed our name to MOMS to reach more moms and kids by offering a time of connecting and encouragement. The journey of parenthood is tough, and sometimes you just really need understanding and support that only comes from the people in the same boat. Our group is blessed to be able to offer in-house childcare for both your littles in the nursery and your older children upstairs with crafts, snacks, bible stories and fun activities! You get to enjoy two hours with a great group of ladies! We eat treats, talk, laugh, share tips of the trade made friends, participate in fun crafts and activities, and support our community. Most importantly we are here for each other on the good days and bad, some days we laugh till we cry or cry till we laugh! Come check it out and leave encouraged and relaxed. MOMS will meet 9-11 am on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month during the school year. MOMS and kids meet at Raymond First Baptist Church at 913 Duryea Street. Call Amelia at 360 942-8090 or check out Facebook @ MOM-Raymond.

VFW meetings

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Pacific Post 968 will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 11th at 7:00 p.m. at 308 Commercial St., Raymond.

Bay Center Assn. meeting

The monthly Bay Center Association meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 11th at 6:30 p.m. in the Methodist Church on Second Street in Bay Center. Everyone is welcome.

ABC meeting

Alliance for a Better Community will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 11th, at 12:00 noon in the Raymond Community Center on Third St. (next to the Raymond Theatre) in Raymond. All public input is valuable and welcome.

NWH Grange meeting

The North Willapa Harbor Grange #947 will meet Wednesday, Sept. 11th at 7:30 p.m. in the Grange hall, corner of Hwy. 105 and Jacobson Rd.

Friends of Fair meeting

The Pacific County Friends of the Fair will meet Wednesday, Sept. 11th at 6:00 p.m. in the Pacific County Fair office at the Menlo fairgrounds. The meeting is open to the public.

Toddler storytime

A program of music, movement and books for toddlers age 0 to 2 and their participating caregivers will be held in the Raymond Timberland Library from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12.

SAIL exercise class

SAIL exercise classes are held every Monday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., 11:30 to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Fridays (to be determined) in the Lobby Cedar Conference Room at Willapa Harbor Hospital, 800 Alder Street, South Bend. This is a no cost exercise class for participants 65 years and older. If interested please contact Sam Lund RN, MS Ed. by phone (360) 875-4536.

SOS meeting

Save Our Selves, a non-religious recovery group, holds it meeting every Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Tradewinds multi-purpose room, 4305 Pomeroy Ave. in Tokeland. An SOS recreation group also gets together every Sunday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Shoalwater Bay gymnasium. There is no charge to attend, but donations are always appreciated.

Veterans assist

Pacific County has established a webpage intended for assisting the veterans of Pacific County. This site is to help provide information that benefits veterans and family members facing financial hardship. You may also contact a local post or the board of county commissioners' office. For more information please see the Pacific County homepage at http://www.co.pacific.wa.us or call 360-875-9334. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Yoga Classes

Free yoga classes will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. in the Pacific Arts Gallery on Third St. in Raymond. Donations gladly accepted.

Writer's workshop

Every Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. a writer's workshop will be held. Write your story. Your life. Your dreams. Where you've been. Where you want to go and why. Yes, you can write! Think! Put it down on paper and share it with others. Location: 118 Kendrick, South Bend.

Dear Savvy Senior,

I manage a large health clinic that treats thousands of seniors each year, and we've have found that patients that come prepared when they visit our doctors are much more satisfied with the care they receive. Can you write a column educating patients on how to prepare for doctor's appointments?

Healthcare Helper

It's just me now, and since I've retired there's not much to do. Never was much on hobbies and a lot of times those I had were, at least partially, an escape from all the busy-ness around me.

I kind of miss some of the busy-ness.

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can my Social Security benefits be garnished if I have some outstanding debts? I just turned 62 and would like to start collecting my retirement benefits, but want to find this out before I apply.

Worried Retiree

Dear Savvy Senior,

What's the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia? My aunt has dementia, but they don't know if she has Alzheimer's disease, which is very confusing to me.

Trying To Understand

Dear Savvy Senior,

Are there any specific auto gadgets you can recommend that can help senior drivers? Both of my parents are in their eighties and still pretty good drivers, but due to arthritis and age they're very stiff, which causes them some driving problems.

Researching Daughter

Dear Savvy Senior,

What resources can you recommend to help seniors with vision loss? My husband, who's 76, has macular degeneration that has progressed to the point that he can't do a lot of his routine activities anymore, and has become very discouraged.

Looking for Help

Dear Looking,

Let's talk about finding a caregiver.

I know we've talked a lot about caregivers in this space, and will continue to do so because sometimes people need help getting through the day, and the need is not decreasing.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What's the best way to go about making a living will? I recently retired and would like to start getting my affairs in order, just in case.

Approaching 70

Dear Approaching,

People are talking. Talking to each other..in a relaxed setting. Stories about family members are shared, along with helpful hints about what's happening at home and how each one deals with unforeseen events.

No, it's not a family reunion. It's usually referred to as a support group, but don't let any preconceived ideas about what that might be or should be prevent you from reading on.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What types of travel discounts are available to older travelers? I just retired and am interested in learning about travel deals for people over 60.

Ready To Go

Dear Ready,

June 20, Raymond Timberland Library presents Wonder Works: Art for children. Explore activities that develop science, technology, engineering, art, and math skills. This event is part of the Summer Library Program, a Timberland Regional Library district-wide program. For more information call (360) 942-2408.

Raymond Timberland Library presents Creature Teachers from 11:00 a.m. to noon on June 21 for all ages. Creature Teachers brings an assortment of exotic animals to educate prople on the wonders of nature, and spark a passion for wildlife. This event is part of the Summer Library Program, a Timberland Regional Library district-wide program. For more information call (360) 942-2408.

Family Movie at the Raymond Timberland Library is Friday, June 22, Jun 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Enjoy a movie with popcorn! This event is part of the Summer Library Program. For more information calll (360) 942-2408.

South Bend Timberland Library presents Jeff Evans Magic Show from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on June 22 for all ages. Every book is a magic book when you read it! Jeff Evans' magic show celebrates the fun things that happen when you open a book. This event is part of the Summer Library Program. For more information call (360) 875-5532.

Hawaiian Chieftain Visits Westport on Friday, June 22 at 6:00 p.m. at Float 10, 326 Lamb St., Westport.

South Bend Timberland Library present Container Gardening Workshop with Master Gardeners from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on June 23 for all ages. Discover the advatages of growing plants and vegetables in containers, and how to maximize you container conditions to help plants thrive with just a little planning and some care. Learn about suitable containers and how to address common problems. Make your own self-watering garden container from a water bottle. For more information call (360) 875-5532.

Mission Creek Cherries from Yakima are back again just in time for summer. Available starting June 7 & 8 at Dennis Company and in the lot across from Chen's $3 lb. for Bing and $3.75 lb. for Rainiers.

June 9, Saturday, Waikiki Beach Concert: Wamba at 7:00 p.m at Cape Disappointment State Park. Musicians from the US and Ghana (West Africa) improvise traditional African music, jazz, funk, calypso, reggae, and more. Thanks to the Friends of the Columbia River Gateway, and other sponsors, for their support of the Waikiki Beach Concert Series. A Washington State Parks Discover Pass is REQUIRED. Call (360) 642-3029 for more information.

June 12, Raymond Timberland Library presents Lifestory Writing Workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for adults. "Everyone can write stories," insists Charley Kempthorne, a writer and teacher. Join him and his wife June in a writing workshop to learn how to tell your family's story. For more information call (360) 942-2408.

The pool is getting ready. Wednesday, June 13 and Thursday, June 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. the pool is open to sign-up for swim lessons, swim team and water aerobics. Monday, June 18 is Opening Day for the pool.

Summer Kick Off presented by Raymond Timberland Library is on June 14 for all ages from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Come start your summer off right at the library. This event is part of the Summer Library Program, which is a district-wide program. For more information call (360) 942-2408.

The Chinook Indian Nation will be holding it Annual General Meeting on June 16 at the South Bend High School Cafeteria. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. and the meeting at 11:00 a.m. The meeting is open to all tribal members and attendees are reminded to bring a potluck item. Contact the Tribal Office at (360) 875-6670 if you have questions.

On June 16, the Bay Center Women's Club and the Bay Center Association are hosting the first Bay Center Fire Department brunch/breakfast to help raise funds for the Bay Center Fire Department. We will have sausage and gravy over biscuits, pancakes and bacon and fruit cups plus coffee and orange juice. The event will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Bay Center Volunteer Fire Department, 4 Harrison Road off the Bay Center Road in Bay Center. The cost is $5 a plate or $18 for families of four to six. All profits will go to our fire department. So, come and kick off Father's Day Weekend with a delicious breakfast. See you there.

Community forums, events, fairs...whatever form they take, they usually provide at least a couple things:

• Information about resources and services

• A chance to meet people face to face, and to ask questions

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you provide some tips on how to choose a good estate sale company who can sell all the leftover items in my mother's house?

Inquiring Daughter

Dear Inquiring,

We live in and among a myriad of groups in this country. Groups based on ethnicity, heritage, culture, etc.

While being a fairly typical kind of guy (I don't have a huge majority of any specific ethnicity), I happen to belong to one of the largest cultural groups in the nation--Aging Individuals.

And, frankly, so do you.

Dear Savvy Senior,

Are there any special Medicare programs that help seniors with their medication costs? My 74-year-old mother, who lives primarily on her Social Security, takes several high-priced drugs that sap her income even with her Medicare drug plan.

Looking for Assistance

Dear Looking,

The Willapa Bay Public Market is looking for volunteers to help maintain the market.

High School Students who need community service hours are welcomed to help out.

Contact Mickey at mickey@kelwen.com for more information.

The market still has space available for vendors for the summer.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What can you tell me about reverse mortgages for retirees? My wife and I are contemplating getting one but want to make sure we know what we're getting into.

Running Short

Dear Running,

Dear Savvy Senior,

A good friend of mine got a bad case of shingles last year and has been urging me to get vaccinated. Should I?

Suspicious Susan

Dear Susan,