Full Text
Damaris Chapman 1/1 Valorie Drake 1/1 Carolyn Johnson 1/1 Judy Allen 1/4 Tana Malmo 1/5 Betsy Roberts 1/5 Berneice Stulc 1/6 Lucille Huffine 1/6 Jim Smith 1/6 Jerry Palagi 1/7 Andrew Soule 1/8 Priscilla Birtic 1/8 Wendy Wiedenmeyer 1/8 Shirley Honkanen 1/8 Yvonne Johnston 1/9 Bill Shannon 1/10 Ron Stringer 1/10 Barbara Poirier 1/11 Carolyn Robinson 1/11 Bette Cates 1/11 DeeDee Hart 1/11 Leona Helvey 1/11 LaDonna Lambert 1/12 Sandy Mason 1/13 Yvonne Snider 1/13 Audrey Spalding 1/15 Susan Nelson 1/15 Mary Webster 1/18 Shelly Batey 1/19 Susanne Kuntz 1/19 Willa Jean Speegle 1/19 Carla Fraley 1/20 Susan Nichols Roughton 1/21 Darcy Halpin 1/21 James Litle 1/21 Joy Richardson 1/25 Anne White 1/29 TC Patton 1/23 Kathi Anderson 1/25 Virginia Woodmancy 1/26 Dottie Mann 1/28 Raenette Ferreura 1/29 Sharon Juel 1/29 Laura Elkinton 1/31 Lyman Janssen 1/31 A fresh start! A new calendar! The kickoff to a brand-new year! The perfect time to look both backwards and forwards. Ponder what has been and wonder what will be. Learn the les- sons from the past year and leave the rest in 2024. Jump into 2025 with a fearlessness of what this new year might hold! We have all lived long enough to know that every year has its ups and downs, happiness and sad- ness, moments of peace and rest and seasons of turmoil. We have all lived long enough to know that we can handle what’s coming because we have done this before... many times. We know that the restful times are sweet, and we know that the challenges build a character in us that would not be formed in any other way. We got this! 2025—bring it on!!! (And if you just feel like “you don’t got this,” come and see us. Maybe we can help!) January Birthdays ---PAGE BREAK--- Events at the Senior Center! Fireside Book Club Will meet at 1:00 on Friday, January 3, 2025 to discuss The Little Liar. January 15, 2025 - 12:00 January Birthday Lunch January 30, 2025 7:00 - 8:30 am Belgrade Breakfast Club is Back! Order off our BSC Breakfast Menu and enjoy a fresh hot breakfast right off the grill! Ortho Montana Community Outreach Pease join Dr. Zachary Scheer from Ortho Montana on January 17, 2025 at 11:00 for a free Joint Pain Seminar. Dr. Scheer will dive deep into the causes of joint pain as well as surgical and non-surgical treatment options. We will be closed January 1, 2025 for New Years Day and January 20, 2025 for Martin Luther Jr. Day. Please let Dave or Daneen know if you need frozen meals! ---PAGE BREAK--- Daily Activities The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax. Albert Einstein Mon: 9:00 Full Body Workout* 9:30 Line Dancing 12:30 Pinochle Tues: 9:00 Full Body Workout* 9:45 Ukulele Instructions 10:45 Ukulele Play Along Wed: 9:00 Yoga* 10:30 Bingo 1:00 Zumba Thurs: 9:00 Full Body Workout* 10:15 Open Dance 10:30 Ball Room Instruction 11:30 Sing Along Fri: 9:00 Full Body Workout* 9:00 Needleaires * Quaw Gym Arts & Crafts Tuesdays at 12:45 Calling all artists and crafters who love to work on their projects while nattering away the afternoon! This is a great time to meet others with similar interests, gain new inspira- tion and build friendships over things you have in common. Tax Season is Almost Upon Us AARP will be preparing taxes at the Belgrade Senior Center starting February 4, 2025. We will begin making appointments in January. Make your appointments early! First come first served! Products for both men and women. No purchase necessary. Just come and indulge! ---PAGE BREAK--- VOLUNTEERS Run This Show! The Center would be lost without all our wonderful volunteers. They keep things going on so many fronts and we are forever grateful! In 2024, we clocked right around 3000 vol- unteer hours between Meals on Wheels drivers, front desk gals, fitness and dance instruc- tors and all those who jump in and help with special events and activities! All of our vol- unteers are so special to us and we appreciate every hour selflessly given to the Center. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU! I would like to draw attention to three people who I know do not do it for the attention but I’m going to give them a special nod anyway! Lorraine Ekegren volunteered 315 hours this past year! Lorraine helps with the front desk along with stopping by several days a week to help with whatever we need including ad- ministrative projects. Lorraine recently started helping facilitate our Fireside Book Club! Laura Elkinton volunteered 294 hours this past year! Laura also helps with the front desk two days a week and is just a call away when we need a fill in or help with various activi- ties. Bonnie Campbell volunteered 266 hours this past year. Bonnie wears many hats at the Senior Center. She works at the front desk, delivers Meals on Wheels and serves on the Center Advisory Board. Malachi Kjersem is our right hand volunteer in the kitchen! We are so thankful for all the hours he has spent helping serve food, doing dishes, putting away groceries and pretty much doing anything else we need help with! I also want to give a shout out to all our Meals on Wheels drivers: Betty Adams, Donna Wagner, Mary Jo Donahue, Marty Kruger, Roger Bradly, Ann Lower, Joe Sutton, Bill Shan- non, Patty Ellison, Rich Iman, Cyd Cimmiyoyyi, Bonnie Campbell, Mark & Pam Strahan, Hamilton along with all our wonderful sub drivers who jump in and help out when needed! A special thank you to our Advisory Board: Bonnie Campbell, Joe Sutton, Karen Tucker, Pam Knowles and Carol Scott. A Volunteer Collage ---PAGE BREAK--- Resources to Help Avoid Scams As senior citizens navigate the digital world, it's important for them to feel safe and secure online. With technology evolving so quickly, many older adults may be unsure how to pro- tect their personal information from cybercriminals. These scammers often target seniors, hoping to take advantage of gaps in their online safety knowledge. By staying informed about common threats, like phishing emails or fake phone calls, seniors can better safe- guard their personal data. Plenty of friendly resources are available to help seniors boost their online safety! Community education programs and workshops focused on digital skills can make learning about technology more enjoyable and accessible. Simple steps like creating strong passwords, using two-factor authentication, and regularly checking bank statements can go a long way in keeping their finances secure. With a little curiosity and the right support, seniors can confidently explore the online world while staying protected. Some reliable resources for using the internet safely… Rocky’s Agency on Aging [PHONE REDACTED] AARP Fraud Network @ AARP.org Senior Planet @ seniorplanet.org Connect Safely @ connectsafely.org Michele Mathot Education & Outreach Coordinator Rocky’s Agency on Aging Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] Fax [PHONE REDACTED] Mac & Cheese Please! You know it, you love it, and you’ve probably eaten it at every family get to- gether. Yep, we’re talking about macaroni and cheese. Everyone makes their version of mac and cheese a little differently. Some bake it, some cook it on the stove top, and some pour it out of a blue box but however you make it, you know it’s going to be a delicious addition to your meal. Mac and cheese actually has an interesting history behind it. The earliest recorded mac and cheese recipe dates all the way back to 1769 and most likely comes from Northern Europe. In America, we’ve been enjoying this staple thanks to Thomas Jefferson. After a trip to France, Jef- ferson just couldn’t part with all of the amazing pasta dishes in which he indulged. So, he brought back recipes (a version of mac and cheese included) to America to continue eating his favorite dishes. At his 1802 state dinner, with imported pastas and parmesan cheese, he even served macaroni and cheese (‘macaroni pie’) to his guests. In 1937 during the Great Depression, Kraft came out with it’s boxed macaroni and cheese option. Back then, one box could feed a fam- ily of four for only 19 cents and Kraft quickly sold over 8 million boxes in one year. During World War II when rationing became a necessity, Kraft’s blue boxed mix continued its success. When Dave & I indulge (which isn’t nearly often enough) we use this very simple recipe to make delicious homemade mac & cheese! Let us know what you think! One Pot Mac & Cheese 1 cup milk 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 oz macaroni noodles 1 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, stir the milk, water, and salt together over medium high heat. Stir in the uncooked macaroni and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring very frequently, for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and stir in the mustard and cheese. Stir until melted. Serve immediately. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pay and Taxes Word Scramble SNSOSIMOIMC GEWAS SRAYLA EBSA AWDR PTAENY OUSNB AERALTESET NRISETET TPIORF ENCGEETPRA ONIKRGW CRNNIAEUS Commissions, Wages, Salary, Base, Draw, Gross Pay, Net Pay, Collections, Bonus, Real Estate, Interest, Profit, Percentage, Working, Insurance A Few Facts About the IRS and Taxes 1. The IRS first began during the Civil War: Congress created the Com- missioner of Internal Revenue in 1862 to cover Civil War expenses and keep the Union and the military going. 2. The IRS was tasked with enforcing Prohibition in the 1920s: The Vol- stead Act led to the creation of a Prohibition Unit within the IRS. This unit enforced the law of Prohibition for 9 years then the responsibility transferred to the Department of Justice. 3. They have a lot to keep up with: The federal tax code changes every year as tax brackets adjust for inflation. 4. The tax code is over 70,000 pages long: Title 26 of the U.S. Code, referred to as the Inter- nal Revenue Code (IRC), contains nearly all our federal tax laws. It’s available to read for free online by anyone who wishes to see it, and you can also buy printed volumes. 5. The IRS employs around 90,000 full-time employees. 6. It’s not all pencil-pushing: The –IRS employs Tax Examiners, Mathematical Statisticians, and Internal Revenue Agents, but they also have Policy and Social Scientists. They hire Communications Specialists, and Criminal Investigation Special Agents. 7. The IRS has armed enforcement agents: The IRS Criminal Investigation unit is an official law enforcement branch. They have about 3,700 employees – 2,600 of which are special agents. IRS CI agents investigate tax, money laundering, and Bank Secrecy Act viola- tions. They have sole responsibility for investigating possible criminal violations of the Inter- nal Revenue Code. They're skilled in forensic technology, investigative skills, and of course, accounting skills. They investigate, execute search warrants, and make arrests. The IRS-CI works with the DEA, FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and more. They work on drug and money-laundering cases, keeping our nation safer, and recovering billions of dollars for the U.S. 8. The IRS took down Al Capone: He was sought after by other law enforcement agencies for a multitude of crimes. However, it ended up being the IRS that finally put Capone behind bars in 1931. For years, attempts to take the infamous gangster off the streets were unsuc- cessful. The IRS-CI managed to build a case and show that he had made millions and never paid a dime in federal taxes (or even filed a return). He was indicted on 22 counts of income tax evasion and found guilty. ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Meals on Wheels Do you know someone who would benefit from Meals on Wheels? The requirements: • 60 or older • Unable to get around because of health or transportation issues • Live within Belgrade city limits for hot meal delivery Frozen meals are available for weekends and folks who live outside city limits. Sign up is simple and the cost is a voluntary, anonymous, suggested donation of $5.00 per meal. Please pass our phone number on to people you know who would benefit from this important service! [PHONE REDACTED]