In Our Community

Flag Disposal Boxes for old, faded, damaged, or torn American Flags

The Dubuque VFW 9663 has installed a new flag disposal box at the New Dubuque VA Clinic at Plaza 20, 2600 Dodge St, Dubuque, Iowa, effective immediately.

This flag disposal box offers 24-hour access to drop older, faded, torn, or damaged American Flags for proper honorable disposal by military veterans. 

A planned flag disposal box will be added to the Dubuque Freedom Center on Kerper Blvd in early 2020.

The Dubuque VFW 9663 meets monthly on the third Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the American Legion Post #6 Clubhouse, 1306 Delhi St, Dubuque, Iowa.

Social pages include Facebook @vfw9663dubuque

​For more information, please contact VFW 9663 Commander Wayne Brown. Mail may be sent to 1306 Delhi St, Dubuque, IA 52001.

As a child who lived during the golden days of radio, it was exciting to get out of school and go home to listen to the latest chapter of one of our kids adventure programs. Especially if there was a prize in the latest package of cereal or if we received a package in the mail.

One of those exciting programs was Don Winslow of the Navy which was based on the Frank Martinek comic strip, and premiered on NBC October 19, 1937, and ran for two seasons. It followed the young Naval Intelligence commander in his pursuit of the evil mastermind, the Scorpion, the evil one’s daughter Tasmia, and their worldwide organization of corruption and sin. Don, played by Bob Guilbert was backed by his pal, Lieutenant Red Pennington, and best girl Mercedes Colby. Winslow was heard again on October 5,1942, for another Blue Network run. This time, Red Pennington said in announcing the series, the enemies were Japs and Germans; the action was global. And they weren’t kidding: Winslow and Penningon started the new series with a submarine battle and promised to give orders in future episodes on how the kids at home could keep the home front going. Under Post Toasties’ sponsorship, this Don was played by Radmond Edward Johnson, host of Inner Sanctum fame.

​If you missed the latest chapter of Don Winslow already, you might catch the next chapter by listening to AM 1370 KDTH’s Big Broadcast heard every Sunday night from 6 to midnight.

Expanded Access to Exchange, Commissary

If you have an Exchange or commissary near you that you haven’t been able to use, that might change soon. Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, the Department of Defense is expanding the list of those eligible to use all the services: Exchanges, commissary, and morale, welfare and recreation locations on bases.

The new list includes Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, veterans with service-connected disabilities and those who are the primary family caregivers of eligible veterans. While you’ve been able to shop the Exchange online since 2017, now you can go to the brick and mortar locations.

To use the facilities, you’ll need to present your Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC). It will need to specify your eligibility status. (This is not the same as your Veterans Identification card.) Caregivers will need to show their eligibility letter, which was mailed from the Office of Community Care. Note that you’ll be dinged a small amount if you use a credit or debit card.

If you prefer to shop online or if you don’t have a VHIC (but are otherwise eligible), go to www.shopmyexchange.com. You’ll pay no taxes on purchases, get special deals and free shipping if you use your Military Star Card. If you don’t have an Exchange account, click Take the First Step in the upper right corner and check your eligibility. (You need to use your Star Card at least once every 12 months to protect your accumulated points.)

To get all the details, go online to read the factsheet at www.militaryonesource.mil/expanding-access. Click Download File to get the full FAQ.

Read carefully the fine print on eligibility, especially about the VHIC. You don’t want to drive a long way to the commissary and then discover you can’t get on the base or aren’t eligible.

​© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

New Lounge Space Provides Comfort
for Families

New Palliative Care Family Lounge
​at Stonehill Franciscan Services

Stonehill Franciscan Services has completed a new lounge space within its dedicated Palliative Care unit for family visitors. The lounge includes recliners, a table and chairs, television, electric fireplace, device charging station, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. Funding for the lounge was provided by a grant from the Dubuque Racing Association.

The creation of the lounge follows the opening of Stonehill’s Palliative Care Program earlier this year. According to the Center for Advanced Palliative Care, Palliative care is “specialized medical care for people with a serious illness. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness – whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family.” The lounge is an important part of providing that comfort and relief from stress for family members. It offers a needed respite area, a space for conversation between family members and members of the care team outside of the resident room, and a private place for family members to express emotion.

“The lounge is directly in line with our values of compassion and hospitality, and we are incredibly grateful to the Dubuque Racing Association for helping us make it possible,” said Gretchen Brown, President and CEO of Stonehill Franciscan Services.

The mission of Stonehill is to in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi provide a continuum of quality lifetime care services in a dignified atmosphere. The core values are compassion, hospitality, reverence, and stewardship. Stonehill Franciscan Services was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis and opened its doors in 1978. Stonehill offers a full continuum of services including independent and assisted living, memory care, post-acute rehab, long term care, in-patient and out-patient therapy, and a state-of-the-art wellness center open to the public. Visit the Stonehill website at
www.stonehilldbq.com.

What Can Be Gained from Pain

The late Fred Rogers, known as Mr. Rogers to millions of children, met a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. Mr. Rogers asked the boy to pray for him. The boy was shocked! People had offered to pray for him, but no one had ever asked him to pray for them. He said he would try; since Mr. Rogers was close to God he figured it would be okay.

Tom Junod, doing a profile on Mr. Rogers for Esquire magazine, complimented Mr. Rogers on seeking to build the boy’s self-esteem by requesting prayer. Mr. Rogers replied, “Oh, heavens no, Tom! I didn’t ask him for his prayers for him; I asked for me. I asked him because I think that anyone who has gone through challenges like that must be very close to God. I asked him because I wanted his intercession.” (from an article in the Tampa Bay Times by David Brooks, July 8, 2018)

One of the possible positive ramifications of pain in our lives is that it can deepen our faith, drawing us closer to God, that is, if we choose to let it. I recall a woman named Jane in the church I served in Toledo, Ohio, who went through a lot of pain during her life. Her husband had suffered from a debilitating stroke for years until he died. Her adult son was fighting substance abuse and losing. Jane herself had been diagnosed with cancer and was dying. Yet, as I visited her, I found her to be full of peace and joy! I had come to encourage her, but she encouraged me! This was because she was close to God, not in spite of her pain, but in large measure because of her pain!

No one likes going through a painful experience, you’d be a masochist if you did. Most of us have to admit, however, that going through bad times does often teach us lessons we don’t easily learn during good times.

Painful experiences can make us a bitter person or a better person. One of the ways it can make us a better person is to let it draw us closer to God. We have a choice.

How we respond to God during a painful time is a choice. We can decide to be mad at God, disappointed in Him, or accept the notion that He doesn’t care. Or, we can choose to cry out to God, to reach out to Him, and to trust Him. The journey through problems and pain can take us, as Fred Rogers said, “very close to God.”

​“But as for me, afflicted and in pain – may your salvation, God, protect me.” (Psalm 69:29)

Medicare and Medicaid:
Unlocking the Mystery
  by Thad Murphy,
​Attorney with Pearson Bollman Law

Thad Murphy of Pearson Bollman Law

Medicare and Medicaid have long been a mystery to many consumers. It is never too early to gain a little understanding and awareness that might help you or an aging loved one down the road. Let’s break it down and learn some of the differences between Medicare and Medicaid to help unlock the mystery.

Medicare is a health insurance program provided through the federal government. In order to receive Medicare, a person must be 65 years of age or older or have a severe disability. Because Medicare is run and administered by the federal government, the program is uniform from state to state. If a person meets Medicare eligibility requirements, they can receive Medicare no matter their income or assets. Costs for Medicare are based on the recipient’s work history. This means that costs are determined by the length of time a person paid Medicare taxes. These costs include premiums, copays, and prescriptions.

Medicare can be confusing because there are four parts. Part A is hospital insurance, Part B is medical insurance, and Part D is prescription drug coverage. Parts A and B are covered in Original Medicare offered by the government. Part C is often called the Medicare Advantage Plan. This is a private health plan. The Medicare Advantage Plan or the Medicare Part C plan is required to include the same coverage as Original Medicare but usually includes Part D as well. It is important to do your homework on these plans to find what works best and is most cost effective for you.

Medicaid is a health care assistance program. Its guidelines come from the federal government, but it is administered by each state. Medicaid eligibility is based on income and assets, and is available to children, people with disabilities, people over age 65, pregnant women, and the parents of eligible children.  Seniors who require nursing home care and who qualify for Medicaid, only pay a share of their income to the nursing home. Medicaid then pays the rest. The attorneys at Pearson Bollman Law can assist you with Medicaid planning.

​Thad Murphy is an attorney in the Dubuque office of Pearson Bollman Law, located at 1635 Associates Drive, Suite 103, Dubuque. The attorneys at Pearson Bollman Law practice in the areas of estate planning, probate/trust administration and elder law, which includes Medicaid and VA Pension Planning. If you have any questions or would like to register for one of our free workshops on estate planning, asset protection and elder law, please feel free to contact Thad Murphy at (563) 265-6971 or visit pearsonbollmanlaw.com and select “Events.”

I don’t like unfriendly words. Frustration is such a word. As a matter fact, it’s difficult to find the right antonym for the word frustration. You might say, that word has bugged me for a long time. Recently, a friend told this story at a social gathering. She was bubbling with glee when she related her dilemma about her missing glove. After all gloves come in pairs, all sizes, colors and materials. These gloves were of an expensive nature and had been bought for warmth, beauty, and general usefulness.

My friend, Brenda Grassle, was attending a meeting at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, located in Davenport, Iowa. But when she left the restaurant she noticed that one of her gloves was missing. It was a snowy, wintery day and she needed both gloves. She returned to the cashier and asked if a glove had been turned into the lost and found. It had not. She was frustrated.

Ironically, this frustration was mysteriously turned into an antonym of success. One month after losing her glove, Brenda returned to the same restaurant where she first missed her glove. When she drove into the parking lot, she happened to espy a dark shape atop a snow pile. She parked her car and went over to the hill of snow. Eureka! There was her glove.

It is still somewhat of a mystery as to how the glove survived the shoveling and snow removal during a winter of rain, sleet, and ice. But, this is one time when frustration turned into success. Brenda is a happy camper, so to say.

I guess we could all tell stories of frustration. Mine consist of the missing umbrellas I have lost, misplaced, or lost to the wind pulling them out of my hand. They never were found or returned to me. There is no success story here. And how many of you remember the old fashion thermos bottle that would be dropped or knocked off a table and shattered the fragile inside of the container? You could hear the crash before it hit the ground. Now, that is frustration big time!

​Children often suffer from frustration because their tiny fingers just cannot control a task they are attempting to accomplish. When I am watching a child working feverishly to finish something, they have started, I become frustrated because I want to help them. But, my interference would probably not help them in the long run. We all need to discover our own limits on how to achieve our goals of accomplishment. “Don’t you agree?”

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